The saints have often very imperfect thoughts about the blessing of Christ Himself being theirs. When God tells Abraham, "I am thine exceeding great reward," Abraham asks, "What wilt thou give me?"
God acts in grace as One above all the evil, and places His children in a position to do so too.
The Christian's confidence is in the living God-the worldly man's in Providence. The Christian is taught, that the God of Providence is his Father.
Man may think he can do better than Christ in making men love God; but the result of His manifestation of the Father was, "The world hath not known Thee." The Gospel is powerful not to improve the world, but to bring out the Church.
The miraculous restoration of the sick, etc., was a little sample of what Christ will do when He returns to the earth, and sets all creation in order-destroying the works of the devil: hence they are called, " The powers (miracles) of the world to come."
Those who are enjoying a constant settled happiness, do not, except when it is a new thing, talk much about it; they talk out of it.
God begins with His grace with that which is farthest off-"enemies in your minds" by wicked works: other things follow.
In Isaiah you find Israel as the servant, up to chap. 49; afterward, Christ is the Servant.
If man be a sinner, you may polish a sinner; but he is a sinner still.