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I. THE GLORIOUS FACT. As for the worldling, God gives him anything, but for the Christian, God selects the best portion. He gives the worldling husks; but He stops to find out the sweet fruits for His people.

I. And, first, let ms ask, must we not all of us admit an over-ruling Providence, and the appointment of Jehovah's hands, as to the means whereby we came into this world? What circumstances were those in our power which led us to elect a certain person to be our parent? Had we anything to do with it? Did not God of Himself appoint our parents, native place and friends? And that we were born with healthy body and sound mind. If you have full possession of all your faculties and limbs, you must acknowledge and confess that there was the decree of God in it. And, still further, how much of the finger of God must we discern in our temper and constitution? I suppose no one will be foolish enough to say that we are all born with the same natural temperament and constitution.

2. I will ask any sensible man — above all, any serious Christian — whether there have not been certain times in his life when he could most distinctly see that indeed God did "choose his inheritance for him." Look back and see how the hand of God was in your affairs, and by varied and often strange means allotting you your place and work. I can see a thousand chances, as men call them, all working together, like wheels in a great piece of machinery, to fix ms just where I am. Verily, it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Then look at the lives of the great saints told of in the Bible and see this truth plainly shown. Joseph; Moses; Daniel. And how many are the Bible declarations in the matter (Isaiah 45:6, 7; Job 14:5; Proverbs 16:33; Jeremiah 21:25).

II. A PRAYER. "He shall choose our inheritance for us." Dry doctrine is of little use. It is not the doctrine which helps us; it is our assent to the doctrine. But there are some of you who, if it were not the truth, would say you wish to have it so, for you would say in your prayer, "Thou shalt choose my inheritance for me."

1. First, "Thou shalt choose my mercies for me." And others would choose their employments; but it is far best to leave the choosing to God. "If there were two angels in heaven," said a good man, "supposing there were two works to be done, and one work was to rule a city, and the other to sweep a street crossing — the angels would not stop a moment to say which they would do. They would do whichever God told them to do. Gabriel would shoulder his broom and sweep the crossing cheerfully; and Michael would not be a bit prouder in taking the sceptre to govern the city." So with a Christian. But there is nothing that we oftener want to choose than our crosses. None of us like crosses at all; but all of us think everybody else's trials lighter than our own. Crosses we must have, but we often want to be choosing them. "Oh!" says one, "my trouble is in my family. It is the worst cross in the world — my business is successful; but if I might have a cross in my business, and get rid of this cross in my family, I should not mind."

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

WEB: He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.