Thou openest thy hand, and fillest with blessing every living creature.

“A person, then, who remains the same and yet babbles to himself about the change for the better he has undergone in baptism should attend to what Paul says: "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." For you are not what you have not become; whereas the gospel says of the regenerate that "he gave all those who received him the power to become God's children." Now the child born of someone certainly shares his parent's nature. If, then, you have received God and become his child, let your way of life testify to the God within you; make it clear who your Father is! The marks by which we recognize God are the very ones by which a son of his must show his relation to him: "he opens his hand and fills everything living with joy"; "he overlooks iniquity"; "he relents of his evil purpose";29 "the Lord is kind to all and is not angry with us every day"; "God is straightforward, and there is no unrighteousness in him"31—and the similar sayings scattered through Scripture for our instruction. If you are like this, you have genuinely become a child of God. But if you persist in displaying the marks of evil, it is useless to babble to yourself about the birth from above. Prophecy will tell you, "You are a son of humankind, not a son of the most High. You love vanity and seek lies. You fail to realize that the only way one is magnified is by becoming holy."”

“And the apostle [Paul] added, "For of him, and through him and in him are all things." What does "of him" mean? It means that the nature of everything exists according to his will and that he is the creator of everything that has come into existence. What does "through him" mean? It means that the creation and preservation of all things is his gift. What does "in him" mean? It means that all things by a wonderful kind of longing and unspeakable love look on the author of their life and the giver of their abilities and functions according to that which is written: "The eyes of all look to you," and "You open your hand and fill every living creature with your good pleasure."”

“Thou openest thine hand,.... Not of providence, but of grace, in which all things are, and from whence they come; and which the Lord opens liberally and bountifully, and gives out all things richly to enjoy; all things pertaining to life and godliness; grace here, with all the supplies of it, and glory hereafter: and satisfiest the desire of every living thing; not of every savage creature; every lion, bear, wolf, &c. for then there would be no living in some parts of the world: nor of every carnal, lustful, worldly, and covetous man; who never say they have enough, or are ever satisfied: but of everyone that is made spiritually alive, quickened by the Spirit and grace of God; these desire spiritual things, spiritual food, more grace and more communion with God, and conformity to Christ; and these desires are before the Lord; and sooner or later they are satisfied, they have what they desire; especially this will be their case, when they awake in the divine likeness. The words may be rendered, "and satisfies every living one with that which is acceptable with favour" (i); with good will; with lovingkindness; which is better than life: so Naphtali is said to be "satisfied with favour", Deu 33:23; as all living saints are or will be. (i) "re acceptabili", Gussetius, p. 803. "benedictione", V. L. "beneplacito", Piscator, Gejerus; "benevolentia", Cocceius.”