thing we should make our requests to God ;" in doubt, for direction, (for he will direct our paths'1); in difficulties, for succour, (for he will give grace sufficient for use); and in wants, for supply, (for he has engaged that we shall want no manner of thing that is good f). Nothing is so great but that he is ready to bestow it; nothing is so small, but that we need to ask it at his hands.
But, together with our prayers, we should always offer also thanksgivings. Our troubles are always mixed with mercies, for which we should pay unto our God a tribute of praise. A living man can have no cause to complain g. While we are out of hell, our troubles must be infinitely less than our deserts. We should therefore approach our God with grati- tude for mercies received, and with a dependence on him for those we stand in need of.]
This would be an effectual antidote for excessive carefulness —
[If we commune only with a fellow-creature, we find some relief: but if we go to our God, he will enable us to leave ourselves to his gracious disposal, and to " cast our burthen upon him." Our desires will be weakened by a submission to his will ; our fears be allayed by a view of his providence ; and our troubles be mitigated by the consolations of his Spirit.]
This part of our subject is more fully opened by,
III. A special commendation of this antidote —
By carefulness " our heart and mind" is over- whelmed—
[We have before noticed the depression of spirit which results from excessive carefulness : and there is but too much reason to believe, that many really die of a broken heart. But where the effect produced by troubles is not so great, yet the mind is dissipated by them ; and the thoughts are distracted, so that we cannot exercise them upon other objects, or even fix them in prayer before God.]
But by means of prayer, our hearts and minds shall be kept in peace —
[None but those who have experienced it, can conceive what peace flows into the soul, when we are enabled to commit our ways to God. The heart that was agitated, be- comes serene ; and the thoughts that were distracted, become
d Ps. xxv. 9. Isai. xxx. 21. e Jam. iv. G. 2 Cor. ix. 8. and xii. 9. f Ps. xxxiv. 9, 10. Matt. vi. 33. s Lam. iii. 39.