When Satan appears to stop up our path, And fills us with fears, _we triumph by faith_; He cannot take from us, (though oft he has tried.) The heart-cheering promise, ‘_The Lord will provide_.’ He tells us we’re weak--our hope is in vain; The good that we seek we ne’er shall obtain: But when such suggestions our graces have tried, This answers all questions, ‘_The Lord will provide_.’ No strength of our own, nor goodness we claim: Our trust is all thrown in Jesus’ name; In this our strong tower for safety we hide; The Lord is our power, ‘_The Lord will provide_.’ When life sinks apace, and death is in view, The Word of His grace shall comfort us through: Not fearing or doubting with Christ on our side, We expect to die shouting, ‘_THE LORD DOES PROVIDE_!’” VII. A PECULIAR PEOPLE. The elect, the Chosen of God, those who are ordained unto life eternal, are God’s peculiar people; they were in the past, they are now, and will be for all time to come. Hear the declaration of Holy Writ: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice, indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a _peculiar people_, or treasure, unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine.--Ex. 19:5. For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a _peculiar people_ unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.--Deut. 14:2.” Then in 26th chapter and 18th verse the same thought is expressed: “And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be His _peculiar people_, as He hath promised thee, and that thou shouldst keep all His commandments.” The Psalmist caught the inspiration and gave thought and expression in like manner: “For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, and Israel for His _peculiar people_.” Under the blazing light of the new dispensation, with a heart and tongue all on fire with love divine, and vision turned upon the redeemed of God, he declares what God would have us understand more perfectly that, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a _peculiar people_; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” The condition rendering God’s people peculiar is of a twofold character--internal and external, and both internal and external are likewise of a twofold character, the positive and negative.