Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

^4. In Him is our hope; let us submit ourselves to Him, and entreat His mercy. In Him let us place our hope, and until we are tamed, and tamed thoroughly, that is, are perfected, let us bear our Tamer. For oftentimes does our Tamer bring forth His scourge too. For if you bring forth the whip to tame your beasts, shall not God do so to tame His beasts (which we are), who of His beasts will make us His sons? Thou tame your horse; and what will you give your horse, when he shall have begun to carry you gently, to bear your discipline, to obey your rule, to be your faithful, useful beast? How do you repay him, who will not so much as bury him when he is dead, but cast him forth to be torn by the birds of prey? Whereas when you are tamed, God reserves for you an inheritance, which is God Himself, and though dead for a little time, He will raise you to life again. He will restore to you your body, even to the full number of your hairs; and will set you with the Angels for ever, where you will need no more His taming hand, but only to be possessed by His exceeding mercy. For God will then be “all in all;” neither will there be any unhappiness to exercise us, but happiness alone to feed us. Our God will be Himself our Shepherd; our God will be Himself our Cup; our God will be Himself our glory; our God will be Himself our wealth. What multiplicity of things soever you seek here, He alone will be Himself all these things to you.