Here is a beautiful reiteration of what was said before, and every renewed view of a God in covenant, and every renewed remembrance of a God engaged in covenant, brings with it increasing strength to the soul. I shall praise him now, and I shall praise him forever. He is, he hath been, and he will be the strength of my soul, and any salvation forever.
REFLECTIONS
Oh! thou ever living, ever flowing, ever refreshing source, to assuage the thirsty souls of thy redeemed in all their pilgrimage state here below; precious Jesus! be thou to me, as to the church in all ages, a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. Thou art indeed in the midst of the throne above, leading thy church to fountains of living waters; but never to overlook or forget thy redeemed in the wilderness below.
No, bountiful Lord! there is enough in thee for all, and nothing can interrupt or cause to intermit even for a moment, thy attention to the thirsty souls of poor sinners. Thou hast said, If any man thirst let him come to me and drink: And, To him that is athirst will I give of the water of life freely. Come, Holy Spirit, and give me that thirst of soul equal to the most vehement desires of the hart for the water-brooks, and cause me to be continually going forth in holy longings after Jesus; and the more he gratifies them, the more may these longings increase, until I appear before the presence of God, and drink my fill of Jesus at the fountainhead of bliss and glory!
And, my soul, I charge it upon thee, this day, cast all thy fears, thy doubts, thine unbelief, cast the whole to the wind; never, never more let these things rob thee of thy confidence in Jesus, neither thy God in Christ of his glory. Jesus hath promised to the thirsty soul a full assuaging of all his longings. Who then will arise to prevent? What shall ever exhaust a full, free, suitable, and all-sufficient Saviour? And if men will not leave the snow of Lebanon, which cometh from the rock of the field, or if the cold flowing waters which come from another place be not forsaken, shall my soul leave Jesus, the rock of ages; or shall the streams which come from the heaven of heavens (which is himself), be forsaken, or feared, or doubted by me? Oh, my soul! keep a stedfast eye on Jesus. From the depths of thine own unworthiness, weakness, and misery, cry to the depths of mercy in Jesus. Hope thou in thy God, for I shall yet praise him on earth; and by and by eternally praise him in heaven, who is the health of my countenance and my God.