winds were still ; the waves forbore to roll ; the storm that threatened to overwhelm him, became a perfect calm. What then can he not do for those who trust in him ? " Is his hand now shortened, that he cannot save ? or is his ear heavy, that he cannot hear?" Can he not heal the diseases of our souls, and calm our troubled spirits, and supply our every want ? Cannot he who " triumphed over prin- cipalities and powers upon the cross, and spoiled them, and led them captive in his ascension x," fulfil his promise, that "sin shall not have dominion over usy," and that "Satan shall be bruised under our feet shortly2 ?" Doubtless he is " the Lord Jehovah, with whom is everlasting strength3,'' and who is therefore " able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him\"
These things being understood as implied in the exhortation, we may more fully comprehend in the II.d place, what is expressed in it.
It is evident that there are two points to which the Apostle designs to lead us : the one is, to rely on Christ for strength, the other is, to " be strong in him," with an assured confidence of success.
In relation to the first of these we observe, that a general must confide in his army full as much as his army confides in him ; for as they cannot move to advantage without an experienced head to guide them, so neither can he succeed in his plans, unless he have a brave and well-appointed army to carry them into execution. It is not thus in the Christian army ; there all the confidence is in the General alone. He must not only train his soldiers, and direct them in the day of battle, but he must be with them in the battle, shielding their heads, and strengthening their arms, and animating their cou- rage, and reviving them when faint, and raising them when fallen, and healing them when wounded, and finally, beating down their enemies that they may trample them under their feet.
x Col. ii. 15. Eph. iv. 8. y Rom. vi. 14. z Rom, xvi. 20.
a Isai. xxvi. 4. b Heb. vii. 25.