and of eufftciency. It a.Ieo impliea aervice. "AB the eyes of 16l'V&nt.e look unto the hand of their rnasterB, and &B the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her miBtress flO Offl' eyea wnit upon the Lord our God." Waiting on God denotes waiting on' him in expectation, trusting in him for help, looking to him for deliverar.ce. 1. The whole of 7'eligion is at times summed up in the expresirion, "waiting on God ; " in this IICJll!e the p9a)miet ueea the words three timea in a 11ingle paalm. After confCllling his own flllth in God, he prayed for all that p01eesaed like precious faith, saying, "Let none that wait on thee be uhamed." Again, addre■Bing God hi1 Saviour and supplicating Divine guidance and Divine lnHtmction, he says, "On thee do I wait all the day." And a third time, referring to the might and multitude or bis enemies and supplicatinO' deliverance, he pleads his own relationship to God, using the same words, "for I wait on thee," and adding, "Redeem Iarael, 0 God, out of all bi11 troubles." Similarly in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, in reference to the spread of the true religion, not only over the broad continents and countries of earth, but throughout tboee multitudinous and distant islands that rise In beauty and rest in snn11hine amid the wild waves of ocean that roll and rage around them, we read, "He shall set jndgment in the earth," and" The isles shall wait for his law." 2. Rea&<m1 /0'1' and 'TMtive, lo '!Daiting on God. There is good reason• for waiting on God. God is the God of providence, and therefore all wait upon him. "The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season; thou openest thy band, and satillfiest the wante of every living thing." He is the Author of every good gift and of every perfect boon, ruling the changing year, making everything beautiful in its season, ca11Bing the sun to rise and the shower to fall, and by that gentle shower and genial sunshine preserving to onr use the kindly fruits of the earth; all his people acknowledge bis goodness and wait upon hill bounty. "Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles," uks Jeremiah," that can cause rain ? or can the heavens give showers? Art thou not he, 0 Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee, for thou but made all these things." He is the God of grace and salvation especially, and therefore we wait upon him; thus Israel says, "I have waited for thy salvation, 0 Lord;" and in like manner the good old Simeon, who iK called a just and devout man, is represented as" waiting for the consolation of Lrrael: and the Holy Ghost was upon him." He is the God of mercy, in him compassions flow; and therefore it is our privilege aB well aB oar duty to wait upon him, and say in the language of ancient piety, "And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thet:; deliver me from all my transgressions, make me not the reproach of the foolish." 3. Manner of waiting on God and e:ehortation to the duty. Wait on the Lord in faith, for without faith it is impossible to please him, and whatever is not of faith is sin. Wait on the Lord in prayer; "In all things by prayer and 5Upplication ... let your requests be made known unto God," for he heareth prayer, and unto him shall all flesh come. Wait on the Lord in patience, and let patience have its perfect work; "for patience worketh experience and, experience hope." Wait on the Lord with resignation; say in your heart aB you pray with your lips, "Thy will, 0 God, be done ; " "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good." Wait on him in the ordinances which he has appointed, reverencing his sanctuary, keeping holy bis day of rest, observing those seasons of communion, which are green spots in the desert, where the good Shepherd feeds his flock, making them to lie down in green pastures, leading them by still waters, and causing them to rest at noon. Wait on him by fulfilling the vows of God which are upon you, paying those vows in spite of the world, and in sight of God's people all. Wait on the Lord in your family, and wherever yon have a. house let God have an altar; and let the incense of prayer and praise regularly ascend from that altar to the God and Father ol' all the families of the earth. Wait on him in closet prayer, entering thy chamber, shutting to the door, praying to your Father who heareth in secret, and who will raward you openly. Wait on the Lord, not occasionally merely, but continually ; not in certain spasmodic efforts, but habitually; not after lon;.( intervals, but at all times. Wait on the Lord, and you will thereby renew you1 strougth. 'J'here were giants in the earth in days of old. A terrible struggle once took place, as we read in classic story, between two lusty giants. l'rodigious tbey were in strength, fearfnl in prowess; they struggled bard and wrestled long, but one ol tl,em, every time he touched the earth, renewed thereby his strength and prevailed over his antagonist. We need not ijtop to inquire whether the story be a. fiction or a fact; 378 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [oR, XII, 1-14.
it mRtters not, 88 it serves <'q nally woll the purposes of illustre.tiott. Scripture r~corda a fort \\"hich thRt fiction illustrates. The giant renewed his strength every time ho tc1 ncht>d the earth; the believer renew~ his stren!(th, not by touching earth or grovelling among the things thereo!; but by laying hold of the throne of grace in heaven and waiting on the Lord.