The Sufficiency of God
Puritan: George Swinnock
Source: The Fading of the Flesh and the Flourishing of Faith
The Lord’s Day: June 28, 2026
“God has all good things eminently and infinitely in Himself. Creatures are limited in their beings, and therefore limited in the comfort they can provide.
Now, man is a collection of many wants and weaknesses. Therefore, he can never be happy until he finds an ointment for every sore – a remedy that is equal to the number and nature of his ailments.
However, God is all good things, and every good thing. He is self-sufficient, alone sufficient, and all sufficient. Nothing is lacking in Him – either for the soul’s protection from all evil, or for the soul’s perfection with all good. Reader, if God were your portion, you would find in Him whatever your heart could desire and whatever could lead you to happiness!
Are you ambitious? God is a crown of glory, and a royal diadem. Are you covetous? God is unsearchable riches, yes, durable riches, and righteousness. Are you lustful? God is rivers of pleasures and fullness of joy. Are you hungry? God is a feast of wine on the lees and of fat things full of marrow. Are you weary? God is rest – a shadow from the heat and a shelter from the storm. Are you weak? God is everlasting strength. Are you in doubts? God is marvelous in counsel. Are you in darkness? God is the Sun of righteousness, an eternal light. Are you sick? He is the God of your health. Are you sorrowful? He is the God of all consolations. Are you dying? He is the fountain and God of life. Are you in any distress? His name is a strong tower, to which you may run to find safety.
He is a universal medicine against all sorts of miseries. Whatever your calamity. He can remove it. Whatever your necessity, He can relieve it. He is silver, gold, honor, delight, food, raiment, house, land, peace, wisdom, power, beauty, father, mother, wife, husband, mercy, love, grace, glory, and infinitely more than all these!
God, and all His creatures, are no more than God without any of His creatures. He has all sorts of delights in Him. If you see but God, you see all!If you enjoy but God, you enjoy all in Him!
This one God can fill up your soul to its utmost capacity.
What a portion is this friend!”