When thou hast lost blessings by sin, and wishest to recover them.

"The floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil: and I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm; and ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the Lord."

"I will multiply you above your fathers."b

If thou fearest the loss of thy good name.

"Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue. Thou shalt lift up thy face without spot.d

"He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day. memory of the just is blessed."f

The

Fearest thou the wicked will take away thy good name? Apply, "Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue." Cast they blots upon thee? Apply, "Thou shalt lift up thy face without spot." Seek they to darken the light of thy holy life? Apply, "He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day."

a Joel ii. 24, 25, 26. b Deut. xxx. 5. c Job v. 21. d Job xi. 15. e Psalm xxxvii. 6. f Prov. x. 7.

If the world despise thee, &c.

"Ye shall be God's peculiar treasure above all people. Those that honor me, will I honor, saith the Lord. I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.c His horn shall be exalted with honor.d

"If any man serve me, him will my Father honor. Get wisdom, exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honor when thou dost embrace her; she shall give to thine head an ornament of grace, a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee."

When the world counts thee as the offscouring of the world, apply, "Ye shall be God's chief treasure above all people."

Doth the world debase thee? Apply, "The Lord will exalt thee, the Father will honor him."

When thou art in any want for soul or body.

"There is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.s

"No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Seek ye first the kingdom

h

a Exod. xix. 5. b 1 Sam. ii. 30. c Psalm xci. 14. d Ps. cxii. 9. e John xii. 26. f Prov. iv. 7, 8, 9. g Psalm xxxiv 9, 10. 1 Psalm Ixxxiv. 11.

of God and his righteousness, and all things shall be added unto you.' 11a

Art thou troubled with distracting cares for outward things? Apply, "Seek the kingdom of heaven and his righteousness, and all other things shall he cast upon you."

Fearest thou that thou shalt be overpressed with want? Apply, "Those that seek the Lord shall want no good thing. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

In liberal giving.

"The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.b

"He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth to the Lord: and that which he hath given will he pay him again.c

"Give in secret, and thy Father himself shall reward thee openly. He which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully. He that ministereth seed to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness.e

"If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and the Lord shall guide thee continually,

a Matt. vi. 33. b Prov. xi. 25. c Prov. xix. 17. d Matt. vi. 4. e 2 Cor. ix. 9, 10, 11.

and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of waters whose waters fail

not. "a

When thou givest to the people of God, and treatest them kindly, apply, "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."b

If sickness be among us.

"I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.c

"The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing; thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.d

"And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt upon thee."e

If the plague be among us, apply, "Surely he shall deliver thee from the noisome pestilence. Thou shalt not be afraid of the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that

a Isa. lviii. 10, 11. b Matt. x. 41, 42. c Exod. xxiii. 25. d Psalm xli. 3. e Deut. vii. 15.

wasteth at noon-day: a thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."a

Art thou sick? Apply, "The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of sorrow; thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness."

Art thou where the sick are? Apply, "I will take away all sickness from the midst of thee." Fearest thou the pestilence? Apply, "I will deliver thee from the noisome pestilence."

If thou fearest death.

"He shall enter into peace, they shall rest in their beds."b None fear to go to bed, when they know they shall rest, being weary: this resting is more sure, and lasting for ever.

"He that raised up Christ from the dead, shall quicken your mortal bodies." Therefore we must not think of it but as a better life given by the Spirit of God.

If thou fearest untimely death.

age

"Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full like as a shock of corn cometh in his season.d The number of thy days will I fulfil.e

"With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. The Lord will preserve

a Psalm xci. 3, 6, 7. b Isa. lvii. 2. c Rom. viii. 11. d Job v. 26. e Exod. xxiii. 26. f Psalm xci. 16.