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drought, and make fat your bones, and ye shall be like a watered garden. Lo, I will be as the dew unto you, and you shall grow as the lily, and cast forth your roots as Lebanon; and your branches shall spread, and your beauty shall be as the olive tree;b you shall still bring forth fruit in old age, you shall be fat and flourishing.c

11. His sovereignty, to be, as it were, com

manded by us.

My sovereignty shall be commanded by you.d You shall be my favorites, men of power to prevail with me.c All mine attributes shall be at the command of your prayers.

12. His all-sufficiency, to be the lot of our
inheritance.

In short, mine all-sufficiency shall be the lot of your inheritance. My fulness is your trea

a Isa. lviii. 11. b Hos. xiv. 5, 6. c Psalm xcii. 14. d Gen. xxxii. 26, 28. Matt. xxi. 22. e Hos. xii. 4. James v. 17, 18. f Isa. xlv. 3, 11.

5, 6.

g Gen.

viii. 1. Psalm xvi.

* We understand this passage as referring to those worshippers who were constant in their attendance in the courts of the tabernacle, as if they had been trees there planted these the psalmist considers as flourishing in faith and hope, and bringing forth the fruits of righteous, ness to old age, like the olive,

sure; my house is your home. You may come as freely to my store, as to your own cupboard ;c you may have your hand as freely in my treasures, as in your own purses.

You cannot ask too much, you cannot look for too much, from me. I will give you comforts, or be myself to you instead of all comforts.e You shall have children, or I will be better to you than ten children;f you shall have riches, or I will be more to you than all riches.

You shall have friends, if best for you; or else I will be your comforter in your solitude; your counsellor in your distress. If you leave father or mother, or houses, or lands, for my sake, you shall have a hundred-fold in me, even in this time. When your enemies shall remove your comforts, it shall be but as letting the cistern run, and opening my fountain; or putting out the candles, and letting in the sun. The swelling of the waters shall raise higher the ark of your comfort. I will be the staff of bread to you, your life and the strength of your days. I will be a house and home to you; you shall dwell with me; yea, dwell in me, and I in you." I will stand and fall with you." I will repair your

a Numb. xviii. 20. Deut. x. 9. Psalm xvi. 5, 6. b Psalm xci. 1, 9. c Eph. iii. 12. d Eph. v. 20. Matt. vii. 7, 8. e Gen. xv. 1. Psalm lxxxiv. 11. f1 Sam. i. 8. Isa. lvi. 5.

2 Cor. vi. 10. h Isa. li. 5. John xiv. 18. 2 Cor. i. 3, 4. Psalm lxxiii. 25, 26. j Mark x. 30. k Rom. v. 3. Heb. x. 34. Acts v. 41. 1 Deut. xxx. 20. Isa. xxxii. 16. m Deut, xxxiii. 12. John xiv. 23. 1 John iii. 24. n Psalm xxxvii. 17, 24. Ivi. 4. Isa. xli. 10.

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13. His infiniteness, to be the extent of our inherit

ance.

And mine infiniteness shall be the extent of your inheritance. Can you, by searching, find out God? Can you find out the Almighty to perfection? It is as high as heaven; what can you do? Deeper than hell; what can you know ?a This height incomprehensible, this deep unfathomable, shall be all yours, for ever yours.

I am your inheritance, which no line can measure, no arithmetic can value, no surveyor can describe.b

Lift up now your eyes to the ancient mountains, and to the everlasting hills; all that you can see is yours. But your short sight cannot ken the moiety of what I give you; and when you see and know most, you are no less than infinitely short of the discovery of your own riches.d

II. In all his personal relations.

Yea, further, I will be yours in all my per sonal relations.

a Job xi. 7, 8. Psalm 1. 7. b Ezek. xliv. 28. Eph. iii 8. 1 Tim. vi. 16. Psalm cxlv. 3. c Gen. xlix. 25, 26.

d Eph. iii. 8. Rom. xi. 33. John xvii. 22, 24.

First. God the Father, to be a Father to us.

I am the everlasting Father, and I will be a Father to you. I take you for my sons and daughters. Behold I receive you, not as servants, but as sons, to abide in my house for ever. Whatever love or care children may look for from their father, that may you expect from me ;d and much more, as I am wiser, and greater, and better than any earthly parents. If earthly fathers will give good things to their children, much more will I give to you. If such cannot forget their children, much less will I forget you. What would my children have? Your father's heart, and your father's house; your father's care, and your father's ear; your father's bread, and your father's rod;-all these shall be yours.

1. He promiseth his fatherly affection.

You shall have my fatherly affection. My heart I share among you, my tenderest love I bestow upon you.h

a John xx. 17. b 2 Cor. vi. 18. c John viii. 35, 36. d Mat. vi. 31, 32. e Luke xi. 13. f Isa. xlix. 15. g Job vii. 17. John xiv. 2. 1 Pet. v. 7. Matt. vii. 9. Luke xii. 30, 31, 32. Heb. xii. 7. h 1 John iii. 1. Jer. xxxi. 3. Isa.

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