Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 21
SERMON XXI.
Pſalm 130. Verſe 5. I wait for the Lord, my ſoul doth wait, and, &c.
IN theſe words (as ye heard the laſt day) is contained the 3d Branch of the Pſalmiſts exerciſe, after that he hath wreſtled with difficulties, by crying to God out of the depths, and wreſtled with the conſcience of guilt, by taking with it, and fleeing to pardoning mercy on right terms, he is put now to wreſtle with delays of comfort, and an out-gate; and this he wreſtles with by confident, affectionat, meek and patient waiting on God. I ſpoke to the general Doctrine of this Verſe, The taſk of perſeverance and conſtancy in the way of God, and followed it out a little, in oppoſition to apoſtacy and back-ſliding, and more particularly, to theſe braſhy, hot fits, that folk have at ſome times, which are followed with as great cools, and in oppoſition to delays, or wearying and ſitting up from employing God, when folks meet with delays which is in the Text, which ye may remember I divided in theſe five; 1. The Pſalmiſts exerciſe, I wait. 2. The object of his exerciſe of waiting, I wait for the Lord. 3. His affection in waiting, My ſoul doth wait. 4. His ſupport in his waiting, My ſoul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 5. The great meaſure of his affection in waiting My ſoul waits for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning, I ſay, more than they that watch for the morning.
For the firſt of theſe, that he is waiting; this, if I ſhould follow forth in all that might be ſaid of it, I ſhould take in that Confidence and affection the Pſalmiſt hath in waiting, which will occur in their proper places, to be ſpoken to, when I proceed in the words of the Text; here I ſhall paſs not only a general of the Pſalmiſts reflecting on what he hath been doing, and his giving an account of it, which I purpoſe to take in afterward; but I ſhall handle waiting on God here only in theſe two:
1. Somewhat Suppoſed, That he is put to wait.
2. Somewhat propoſed, That when he is put to wait, he doth wait.
For the firſt, ſomewhat ſuppoſed, that he is put to wait, which affords us this Obſervation, that the Saints even in their ſerious and ſincere ſeeking of God in difficulties, may be exerciſed with delays of comfort, and an out-gate; when a godly man is here crying out of the Depths; when he has not only been looking upon his trouble, but ſenſible of ſin, and following a right method for pardon of ſin, on right Terms, carefully and diligently going about his duty, he is put to this, I wait for the Lord. The Lord indeed hath made many rich and precious Promiſes, relative to every preſſure his people can be under, there is not a diſtreſs or difficulty they can be in, but there is a Promiſe for it, yet he hath reſerved the timing of the accompliſhment, and performing of them in his own hand, Iſai. 60. ult. and it is not for us to know the times and the ſeaſons which the Father hath put in his own power; & hence it comes to paſs, that though the Lord in fulfilling his Promiſes, never miſſes his own time, yet ſeldom doth he come at our time; we by reaſon of our corruption and weakneſs, are often put to cry, How long, Lord? how long? Pſal. 6.3. How long wilt thou forget me? how long wilt thou hide thy face? Pſal. 13.1. And as it is. Jer. 8.20. The harveſt is paſt, the Summer is ended, and we are not ſaved: All which complaints do not import that God keeps not his time, but that he comes not at our time in performing his Promiſes; and yet further, this is to be taken along with us, during our being exerciſed with delays; that though God put us to wait, he doth not that meerly on the account of his Soveraignty (though he might do ſo,) but for the exerciſe, profit, and advantage of his people: and to clear and make out this, I ſhall inſtance it in four ends the Lord hath before him, in delaying the fulfilling of Promiſes till his own time; 1. Hereby the Lord trys whether we will believe the thing he hath promiſed, though it be delayed; it is not the tryal of Faith when we ſee rich and precious Promiſes meeting with ſad times and caſes, to cloſe with them, providing God will let us ſee them preſently accompliſhed when we would; but here is the tryal of Faith, if we will wait till Gods time come, Rom. 8.25. After the Apoſtle hath pleaded, that hope ſeen is not hope, for what a man ſeeth, why doth he yet hope for? he adds but if we wait for that we ſee not, then do we with patience wait for it: If we hope to get the thing promiſed, though we ſee it not, then it will kythe in our patient waiting for it.
2. The Lord by delaying his people, ſearches them, whether there be any latent and hidden droſs in them, or not. It is not the firſt heat of the furnace that will try what is in the Saints, neither is it ſo much the greatneſs of the Tryal, as the lengthning of it, that will ſift them, and diſcover what is in them: When men at firſt ingage in Tryal, and have the Promiſes before them, and their blood hot, their whole ſpirit will go along with them; but ſtay till their blood cool, till Temptation ſeek and ſoak in, till diſappointment give them a daſh after daſh, and till year after year, and day after day, ſays the matter is hopeleſs, and that will bring out that which folks did not believe was within; who would have believed the corruption and weakneſs that kythed in David? if the lengthning of his trouble had not diſcovered it; all men are liars, ſaith he, I ſhall now one day periſh by the hand of Saul; There is nothing better for me, than that I ſhould ſpeedily eſcape into the land of the Philiſtines, 1 Sam. 27.1.
3. The Lord delays his people, that when they have ſtudied Faith and Patience, and have reſolved upon it as their duty, to give God his own time for performing his Promiſes, they may have acceſs to the bleſſed Fruit that comes in at that door, Rom. 5.3. We glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, &c. There are two remarkable things in that Text, one is, That the bleſſing of God on cankering, fretting, irritating Tribulation, can make it a mean in his hand to bring forth Patience. That which puts folk out of tune, he cannot only make it fit on their back till they ſtand unholden; but through his bleſſing on it, he can work them up to patience by it. And another is, that till a perſon ſtudy Patience under Tribulation, he ſtops the door on all the good he might get by it, or meet with under it; it is but tint labour till he win to patience, but when Tribulation hath wrought Patience, Patience worketh Experience.
And 4. (To add no more) The Lord delays his people, that he may wean them from Time, and theſe things they are given to dote upon in time. Although in time they be tryſted with many needful encouragements, with Meats in their journey, in paſſing through the Wilderneſs; yet he will have them to know that their home is not here, that their Reſt is not in time; therefore he ſo trains on his people in Time, as they find no place for ſatisfaction in it, but that they muſt feed on hunger and thirſt, and ſo go on, ſeeking for that Reſt that abides them beyond Time; That is one of the great Leſſons that God inculcats on his people by delays, even to wean them more from Time, and to make them fall in love with Eternity.
Well then, ſeing it is ſo, Take four words of Inference from it, and I ſhall leave it.
And 1. The godly that are ſeeking God ſincerely, and ſeriouſly, would hence be Cautioned not to judge of their ſincerity and diligence, by their preſent ſucceſs, comfort, or out-gate; here is a man crying to God out of the depths, verſe 1, 2. Taking with guilt, verſe 3. gripping to pardoning Mercy on right terms, verſe 4. And yet here he is put to wait, in oppoſition to delays. It is a groundleſs Temptation to meaſure divine approbation by preſent ſucceſs; here we ſee folk may be acceptably employed, and yet meet with delays; but this may occur afterward, and therefore I here paſs it.
2. Hence ye ſhall gather, that if the Lord delay a man in the poſture that this holy man was, in crying, ſerious in Prayer, in taking with guilt, in pleading for pardon; what wonder he delay others, who under difficulties are not ſo exerciſed? much more theſe who are at no ſuch exerciſe, are not to think it ſtrange, though they meet with ſuch delays; What wonder the Babyloniſh Captivity laſt for ſeventy years, when at the cloſe of it, it might be ſaid, as Dan. 9.12. All this evil is come upon us, yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and underſtand thy truth. The carriage of the viſible Church is ſuch, as it juſtifies God in bringing on trouble. Ezek, 14.22. — He tells his people, when the remnant ſhould be brought forth, and they ſhould ſee their ways and doings, they ſhould be comforted concerning all the evil that he had brought upon Jeruſalem, and ſhould know that he had not done without cauſe, all that he had done in it: And doth not the evil improvement of Trouble, and folks ſecurity and negligence under trouble, juſtifie God in the long continuance of trouble? when we are ready to cry, how long, Lord? how long ſhall this calamity laſt? The Lord may retort it upon us, Why will ye die, O houſe of Iſrael? For as it is, Jer. 44.10. The Lord may ſay, They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my Law: A ſight of this, that God keeps a ſincere ſerious godly man ſo long waiting on, under delays, for comfort and out-gate, may ſilence the clamors of them who are not yet begun to think on a ſuitable walk under their troubles, and the right improvement of them.
But 3. If the Lord, for the ends before-mentioned, may long delay his people, and keep them waiting in trouble, take heed that Faith, the great ſupport of Patience, fail not in that exigent, as I told you in the deducing of the Doctrine: the great thing tryed in the people of God under delays, is their Faith, whether they will believe his word; and therefore when Faith is tryed, look that it be not found droſſie; when Faith is weighed, ſee that it be not found light; I ſpeak it, becauſe I find the Faith of the Saints has gotten ſore ſhakes under delays, when they have been put to wait on, Pſal. 116.11. I ſaid in my haſte, all men (Samuel, Gad, and others that had told me. I ſhould come to the Crown and Kingdom) are liars; And Jer. 15.18. while ſpeaking to God, hath a dreadful word, when he reflects on the Promiſes God made to be with him in his Miniſtry, ſays he, Wilt thou be to me altogether as a liar, and as waters that fail? When we find ſo ſtrong Cedars ſo ſhaken, we would look well to it, that our Faith be not brangled; and that Faith be not brangled, we would beſide, be looking well to the Atheiſm of our hearts, (for there is a ſeed of Atheiſm in every boſom;) that if the Lord put us hardly to it, and make not out that Promiſe, Iſai. 48.10. I have refined thee, but not with ſilver, I have choſen thee in the furnace of affliction; It may put us to tremble, what ſtuff may boil up in our hearts; and they are not ſicker in the matter of their Faith, that are not mourning over their heart-atheiſm: but beſide that (I ſay) we would guard againſt wrong conceptions of the Promiſe, as that wherein the great ſtumbling lies, as to this matter, when we conceive more to be in the Promiſe than we are allowed, and make a carnal Commentar on a Spiritual Text; and (as the ſaying is) The Bell to clink as the fools think: As alſo, we would beware of limiting God to our time, but give him his own time to make good his Promiſes. Theſe that are not mourning over the Atheiſm of their heart, that are not cautious in underſtanding the Promiſes a-right, and are not leaving God to his own time for performing them, may take a ſnapper in their Faith, when tryals are continued.
But a fourth word of Uſe ſhall be this; That ye would learn to read Gods delays aright; delays make diſcoveries, and that is the exerciſe of many folk, Jer. 8.15. We looked for peace, but no good came, and for a time of healing, but behold trouble; But if thou would read aright Gods delays; I ſhall ſhortly offer thee theſe four, and wiſe confiderers will find them to be the work of the generation.
1. If thou read delays aright, thou will find that God calls thee to exerciſe, and that, the beſt thing within thee; as in a ſtorm, beſt Anchors and Ropes, and the beſt things of the Ship are brought out; ſo in a Trial, when he delays, he calls thee to exerciſe the beſt things in thy boſom, and if God call thee to exerciſe Grace, bring not out Corruption; though at firſt thou may caſt a ſcum of Corruption, Grace is to be brought out afterwards; If he call for Affection, meet not his Call with Bitterneſs; if he call to Diligence, do not intertain that Call with Idleneſs; remember, God by delays, calls for the exerciſe of Graces, affections and diligence in his people.
2. If thou read delays aright, Thou will read, That every days delay is a new Tryal; and I may add, every moments delay is a new Tryal. When thou art carried through the day, thou muſt not take that for ſurety, that thou wilt through the next day without Self-denial, and needy dependance. The day may diſcover that which the foregoing day did not diſcover, and the morrow may diſcover that which lies hid this day; and therefore though thou may ſet up one Ebenezer at every ſtep of thy way, and ſay, hither to hath the Lord helped; Remember, that thou art not yet off the ſtage, and thou muſt not think, becauſe thou art haſted with the Tryal, thou art better buckled to bear it; but know there is ſtill a neceſſity of Self-denial, and needy-dependance, leſt the length of Trial diſcover that, which the greatneſs of the Trial did not diſcover.
3. If thou would read delays aright, read in them a Call, (as I ſaid in the Explication of the Doctrine) to die to, and to be above Time, and the Conſolations in Time; then men go through Afflictions rightly, when they read Their light afflictions, which is but for a moment, worketh for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while they look not at the things which are ſeen, but at the things which are not ſeen, 2 Cor. 4.17. Then men will be patient, and ſtabliſh their hearts, when they conſider that the coming of the Lord draws near, Jam. 5.8. In a word, when God exerciſes with delays, that is an uſeful Preaching which ye have, 1 Cor. 7.29. This I ſay, brethren, the time is ſhort; (he touches the Glaſs, and lets them ſee it is near run out) It remaineth, that both theſe that have wives, be as though they had none, they that weep, as though they weeped not, they that rejoyce, as though they rejoyced not. One ſerious look of Time and Eternity, will break many a ſnare that mens Corruptions expoſe them to, while under trouble, they meet with delays.
But 4. If ye would read delays rightly, this is to be read in them, that well improved delays, are full of rich advantages; Thou art keeped under continued difficulties, and delayed as to comfort, or ſatisfaction external in thy perſonal and privat concerns, and as to what relates to the publick, and it may be thou wins not to inward ſenſible comfort; but if thou were thrifty, thou mayeſt find many things granted in the delay, or denyal of that which thou would be at; as much humility, mortification to Time, and the things of it, communion and fellowſhip with God; and though ſome particulars be delayed, if theſe were purſued after, and in any meaſure attained, times of delay would not be looked on as idle times. A thrifty perſon may make much gain and advantage out of theſe delays. So much for what is ſupponed here, that the Saints, even in their ſincere and ſerious ſeeking of God, are exerciſed with delays, as to comfort, or an out-gate under difficulties.
Follows in the 2. place, that which is propoſed, That when he is put to wait, he doth wait: Hence obſerve, That in the caſe of delays, whether for comfort or an out-gate, it is the duty of Saints to wait on; this will take in all that follows in theſe two verſes, and therefore I ſhall firſt Explain the import of it, and then preſs the reaſonablneſs, equity, and advantages of it.
For the import of this Duty of Waiting, a waiter on God, when he is delayed, he muſt have theſe three things ſhortly, 1. He muſt have ſomewhat to be the Baſis and Ground of his Waiting, and that is the Faith of the Saints, which prepares the way for the Patience of the Saints, and ſo it follows after in the Text. That a ſoul that waits on God, hopes in the Word of God. The meaning of this ſhortly is, That a waiter on God, when he is delayed, muſt not judge of God, by what is preſent; but having the Word of God, ſo long as God gives him not another Bible (and that will never be) whatever be his preſent caſe, he muſt ſtill look for better: If he have a Cloud, he muſt look that it will ſcatter; if he have a Night, he muſt look for a Day on the back of that Night, as Iſai. 8.17. I will wait on the Lord, that hides his face from the houſe of Jacob; and I will look for him, though he hide his Face at preſent, I will look for better things from him; and Mic. 7.7. I will look unto the Lord, I will wait on the God of my ſalvation, my God will hear me; and therefore rejoyce not over me, O mine enemy, when I fall, I ſhall ariſe, when I ſit in darkneſs, the Lord ſhall be a light unto me; They muſt firſt look to that, that they caſt not away their Confidence, who would have needful Patience, Heb. 10.35. And, 2 This waiting of the Saints imports, that they having believed the word of Promiſe, they muſt not make haſte, Iſai. 28.16. He that believes ſhall not make baſte. They muſt not be haſty; And this is properly the Patience of the Saints, taking it generally, their Patience is the product of Faith. The waiting man muſt attend God's leaſure; as he muſt not quarrel, though the Jordan of difficulties in his way ſhould overflow all its Banks; So he muſt not miſtake, though when he is in diſtreſs in the City, he ſhould be ſent out to the field, and when he is in diſtreſs in the field, he ſhould be ſent even to Babylon to be delivered, Mic. 4.10. That is the next ſtep of a Waiter, That when he has believed the Promiſe, he makes no haſte. But 3. In waiting, it is not enough that folks win to hang on, becauſe either they have no other ſhift for help, or their Conſcience will not ſuffer them to take another ſhift; but in the mean time, O how imbittered, broken and cruſht in Spirit are they in waiting, that is not only a ſin in them, but a ſhame to look upon their poſture in waiting, they wait upon God, as if they never had a day to do well in his aught. Therefore in the 3. place I ſay, in waiting ye would beware of fretting, quarrelling, deſpondency of taking the ſnuff in your paſſion; and in waiting, ſtudy patience, meekneſs and calmneſs of Spirit, to do it ſweetly. This is the perfect work of Patience, which Chriſt commands by his own practice, Mat. 11.29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and that ſhall bring reſt to your ſouls. There is no waiting on without that, that will bring reſt; and that is the waiting in Pſal. 37. throughout, commended to you in a fretful time which ye may read at your own leiſure; and ye have a rich Promiſe Zeph. ….3. For a ſtormy time, Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgements; (the mark of them which he hath a good turn to do to before the decree bring forth, before the day paſs, as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon the reſt,) Seek righteouſneſs, ſeek meekneſs, it may be ye ſhall be hid in the day of the Lords anger; Whatever be the proper meaning of the place, they ſpeak no Hereſie, who in alluding to it, do recommend to ſeek the imputed Righteouſneſs of Chriſt to their perſon, and meekneſs of Spirit, in reference to Diſpenſations, who in times of difficulty, would carry rightly under delays. Theſe are the two notable ſupports of a Pilgrim, the imputed Righteouſneſs of Chriſt evidenced by inherent Righteouſneſs, and meekneſs and calmneſs of Spirit; and therefore the Promiſe is made to ſuch, It may be ye ſhalbe hid in in the day of the Lords anger; The meaning whereof is not only, that theſe who are ſtudents of Righteouſneſs and Meekneſs (as indeed they who are ſuch will not be peremptor about events) but it imports further, that they may take their venture of God, of being hid in the day of God's anger, when the ſtorm breaks upon others; So ye have had a brief view of what is the import of waiting on God under delays, there muſt be Faith as the ground of it, not being haſty of the reſult of Faith, and a meek and calm diſpoſition, and giving God the timing of what he hath Promiſed, or we expect: As for the Arguments preſſing the equity and advantage of it, the time being gone, I ſhall forbear to enter upon them.