A Princely Carver

“To be carved for at table by a great prince would be counted as great a favour as the meal itself To take outward blessmgs out of Gods hand, to see that he remembereth us, and se7tdeth in our provision at every turn; this endeareth the mercy, and increaseth our delight therein.” What, indeed, would most men give if they could say, “The Queen herself carved for me, and was most anxious that I should be well supplied” .? But each believer has the Lord himself for his Provider. He loads our table, and fills our cup. Providence is no other than God providing. He measures out our joys, weighs our sorrows, appoints our labours, and selects our trials. There is no morsel on the saint’s plate which is not of the Lord’s carving, unless he has been so foolish as to put forth his hand unto iniquity.

Is it not delightful to know that our Father’s hand broke for us the bread which we have eaten this day; that the Saviour’s own fingers mingled our cup, and that every blessing has come direct from God’s own table .? Surely we are as dear to God as the little ewe lamb in Nathan’s parable was to the poor man; for we are told that “he had nourished it up, and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom.” Does not this make our meat, and drink, and lodging more than royal? Are we not more than content with such fare?

Yea, Lord, my portion tastes of love, for thy hand has sweetened it. A sacred perfume is on my raiment and in my chamber, for thou hast prepared both for me. And this would be true if I wore rags, and lay in a dungeon, in sore sickness. What a heritage is mine! One said, “I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me.”

In this passage the second sentence underwrote the first, and undermined its meaning: how can he be poor and needy of whom it can be said that the Lord thinketh upon him? O Lord, thou art my all, and my all in all: my all is more than all because it comes of thee, and is dealt out to me by thine own self.