Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 23
SERMON XXIII.
Pſalm 130. Verſe 5. I wait for the Lord, my ſoul doth wait, and, &c.
I Am now broken in a little upon this third part of the Pſalmiſt's wreſtling and exerciſe, how that after his imploying of God by Prayer, under trouble, and taking a right method for purging away of the guilt of Conſcience; he is exerciſed with delays, and protracting, to his ſenſe, of delivery and comfort, which he wreſtles with, by confident, affectionat, and patient waiting on God: Having ſpoken ſomewhat to the general Doctrine of Perſeverance and Conſtancy, and broken in the laſt day upon, and ſpoken to the firſt Head of theſe Words, the Pſalmiſt's exerciſe, he was waiting: I ſpoke to theſe two firſt Heads of Doctrine: 1. That which was ſupponed here, That the Pſalmiſt was put to wait; and ſhew that God may, and often doth exerciſe his people, when they are walking tenderly with delays. And 2. I ſpoke to that which is proponed, that when he is put to wait, he doth wait; under theſe delays, waiting for other things, from God according to his word, than the preſent Diſpenſation did promiſe; he waited, he proved, he did believe, without making haſte, and he waited without bitterneſs, fretfulneſs, paſſion, &c. Theſe two, I took ſome time the laſt day to preſs on you, as needful Leſſons; that when God exerciſes you with delays, and ſuſpends the performance of Promiſes, ye ſhould wait for God, believing his Word, not making haſte, with meekneſs and calmneſs of Spirit.
I propoſed a ſecond thing to be ſpoken to in the Words, to which I proceed, and that is the Object of his exerciſe, I wait, for what? for the Lord, ſays he, that was the Object of his waiting, whether he was waiting for Comfort againſt deſertion, or for delivery out of trouble, or for both; he is waiting for the Lord, and this if we ſhall batter out a little, will give ſome mo things to be taken notice of in a man, that is truly a waiter for God; and what I would ſay on it, I ſhall briefly reduce to theſe three, which I conceive imported in it.
1. A waiter on God hath his Eyes taken off all other things, and ſet on God only, for what he wants, and would have, That is one thing imported in it; not only is a waiter on God taken off ſinful ſhifts, that will diſappoint all that uſe them, as it is ſaid, when the Lord ſhould ſmite Egypt and Ethiopia, the people of that Iſle or Countrey ſhould be aſhamed of Ethiopia their Expectation, and Egypt their Glory; and they ſhall ſay in that day, Behold, ſuch is our expectation, whither ſhall we flee for help? to be delivered from the king of Aſsyria, and how ſhall we eſcape? Iſa. 20.5. Now there our expectation is blown up: And, Jer. 3.23. Truly in vain is ſalvation looked for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains. That is all the poor ſhifts they had betaken themſelves to, they ſhall be fruſtrat as to their expectation of help from them; But I ſay, not only are waiters on God taken off ſinful ſhifts, but have what they will to eye; this is the Character of a waiting man, that his eyes are taken off all things, and ſet on God, Pſal. 62.5. My ſoul, wait thou only on God, for my expectation is from him: And ye have the poſture of them whom God will notice, Zeph. 3.12. I will leave in the midſt of thee, an afflicted and poor people, and they ſhall truſt in the Name of the Lord: They are a people emptied of all expectation from any other art, but truſting in God; they are left on him, and betake themſelves to him alone.
Now the Saints that are waiters on God, indeed are put to this ſhift of waiting on God, on divers accounts, 1. Becauſe all other ſhifts may, and often do miſgive upon their hand, not only ſinful ſhifts, but all other, diſappointment on diſappointment, from one thing to another, may be the lot of them that are put to this exerciſe of waiting on God; it was not enough for David, that Saul perſecute him, that the Ziphits were ready to betray him, and that near relations, Father and Mother ſhould forſake him, as he hints, Pſal. 27.10. but he muſt be put to that, Pſal. 142.4. I looked on my right hand, and beheld but there was no man that would owne me; refuge failed me; There was no man that cared for my ſoul; when he is ſhut up in the Cave, all his men that were about him, ſlight him, think him an unhappy man, and themſelves unhappy in following him: And Pſal. 124.1.— If the Lord had not been on our ſide when men roſe up againſt us, They had ſwallowed us up quick, &c. There the people of God are left on him alone: And Pſal. 94.17. Ʋnleſs the Lord had been my help, my ſoul had almoſt, or (as it is on the margine) quickly dwelt in ſilence; There was nothing betwixt me and utter off-cutting, but God's ſtepping in to be my help: From this in the by, ye may take this with you, that the waiting people of God are never tryed enough, till all things fail them but God, till they be ſtripped naked of all things they expected help from, and they left on God alone; and whatever be God's condeſcendency to their weakneſs, in giving them means of help at any time, they would lay their account to be brought that low, as to have none to look to for help but God only. 2. The ſaints have their eyes only on God in their waiting, becauſe when they are ſtript of all other things that promiſed help; They ſee there is ground enough to wait on God for all that; They look not on the blaſting of all their expectations as a nolumus on the back of their Bill; or as inviting them to ſay there is no help: They will wait on God, when nothing invites them to it, and why? I ſhall offer to you a threefold account, on which ſaints afflicted, emptied, and ſtripped of all things without God, do not give over waiting on God. 1. This is one, they ſee God all-ſufficient to do their turn, not only without the help of ſecond Means; but when ſeemingly they combine to oppoſe what they would be at; they wait for Jehovah, and ſee their delivery or comfort not to be further off, that there be nothing viſible promiſing it; yea when all viſible means and cauſes threaten the contrary, why? Their King is Jehovah, who can command deliverance, Pſal. 44 4. Thou art my King, O God, command deliverance for Jacob; A word from him can bring deliverance, though there were no promiſing evidence of it, but rather the contrary. 2. Another is, ſaints when ſtript and emptied of all things, do not give over waiting on God, becauſe he is not only able, if he will, to do their turn, when all refuge fails them, but his owning his people in difficulties, is a ſpecial part of his glory, which he will not give to any other; little do we underſtand the intricacies of Divine Providence, little know we wherefore he blaſts probabilities, and defeats all the expectations of his people; but whatever elſe be in it, it is for this chiefly, that Himſelf may be ſeen to be their Deliverer, and none other; Therefore he does with them, as he did with Gideon's army, when he brought them to three hundred, and with theſe three hundred, with Trumpets and lamps in pitchers, defeat the Midianites, Judges 7. That their Delivery might be ſeen of him; And if this were well ſeen, it would give the people of God a comfortable look of God's laying by all ſecond Cauſes, ſtripping them naked of all helps, making Diſpenſations threaten ruine; they would ſay, our Maſters feet are behind theſe, this is but a dark hour before the dawning. So doth David reaſon in that forecited Pſalm, 142.4, 5. When he looked on the right and left hand, and there was no man that would know him, refuge failed him, no man cared for his ſoul; What follows? I cryed unto thee, O Lord; I ſaid, thou art my refuge, and my portion in the land of the living; And Pſal. 94.18. When I ſaid my foot ſlips, thy mercy, O Lord, held me up; When there was nothing betwixt him and ruine, but Gods Mercy, he found that a preſent help. But, 3. The Children of God when ſtripped of all things but God, have ground to wait on God, and do wait on him, not only becauſe he is able to deliver them, and delights to lay by other things, that he may be ſeen in their delivery, but whereas guilt is a great impediment, and ſtares the waiter on God in the face, that he knows not how to expect good from God, till that be removed, and taken out of the way; yet he waits on God, on this account, that there is hope in Iſrael concerning that thing; that his guilt ſhall be no impediment to his delivery, or any good thing he wants, and is needful for him, if he do with it, as the Pſalmiſt doth here, verſe 3, 4. If he take with it, be humbled for it, lay claim to pardoning Mercy in the right method, he may notwithſtanding ſay, I wait for the Lord: There are two notable grounds of encouragement, which as they would not be abuſed, ſo being rightly improven, are very uſeful to waiters on God; One is, that right taking with guilt, and repentance for it, after much incorrigibleneſs, is attainable, when we have called our ſelves, for any thing we can ſee in our ſelves, or expect from means, reprobat ſilver; yet the Lord can humble and tame that uncircumciſed heart, Jer. 32.19. He can turn Ephraim, who has reſiſted many means, and hath been as a bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoke: Another is that which I am upon, guilt taken with and acknowledged, needs not hinder a man to wait on God. Theſe places that I cited the laſt day proves it, as Iſai. 8.17. I will wait upon the Lord, that hides his face from the houſe of Jacob, and I will look for him: Though he be a God that is provocked to withdraw, and hide his face, yet I will wait on him, & look for him: And Micah 6.7, 8. When the Church is low, yet ſhe will look to the Lord, and will wait for him, and wait for the God of his ſalvation; believing, her God will hear her; and on that ground, bids the enemy boaſt at leiſure; She anſwers that Objection concerning guilt, that ſhe will bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe ſhe hath ſinned, ſhe will take with guilt, and ſtoop to his correcting hand, till he plead her cauſe, and execute Judgment for her; ſhe looks over the mountain of her guilt, when ſhe hath taken with it, and waits for the Lord. So ye ſee what is firſt imported in this waiting for God, that the eyes of the waiting man muſt be taken off all things, and ſet on God only; and that theſe who would wait on God, would lay their account to be more and more ſtript of all things, till they be left on God, and being ſo, they have good ground to wait on God; and the waiter on God taking with guilt, and pleading for mercy, may in that humble poſture wait ſtill for God.
I proceed to the ſecond thing imported in this waiting on God, and that is, The waiting man left on God, and ſeeing an all-ſufficiency in God to do his turn, in the faith of that, he ſo waits for God; That is to wait for the Lord, when the confidence of Gods help, encourages the waiting man, in waiting on God, to ſtick cloſs by the way of God, that he will not have a comfort but in his way, he will not have a delivery, but that which comes with Divine approbation; He will not purchaſe a Delivery of Out-gate with the price of the leaſt ſin, Why? he waits for God in his way: Troubles and delays are a great temptation to ſhake off tenderneſs, the preſſure, and continuance of the leaſt of troubles are ill counſellors in a waiting poſture, they will bid run to the leeſt, row to the beſt ſhore, take any courſe for an out-gate: But he who is a waiter on God, indeed his tenderneſs grows, as his trouble grows, and as his delays are protracted, he ſtudies to be the more tender. I ſhall not inſiſt on this; but 1. It is certain, a waiter for God ſhould be, and in ſo far as he waits rightly on God, he is, and will be a tender man, as the Word is, Pſal. 37.34. Wait on the Lord, and keep his way; a waiter on God hath his Ears nailed to the Poſts of Divine Direction, ſo that neither to the right nor left hand dare he move, but as he hath a warrand from God; So Heb. 11.35. There were folks that were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better reſurrection; mark it, they were not tortured, becauſe deliverance was not granted, but becauſe deliverance could not be accepted on ſinful Terms, when offered: The greatneſs of their trouble did not diminiſh their tenderneſs, whatever it did augment it; if at any time they found tenderneſs neceſſary, they found it eſpecially when their trouble was great.
2. Ye ſhall mark, that as true waiting requires tenderneſs, ſo tenderneſs is attainable; that is, through Grace it is attainable, That a Saint waiting on God in his way, in a tender frame, may attain to go through difficulties without ſinning againſt God; It is true, temptations to ſin will go thick and threefold, when a Saint is put to wait for God in continued troubles, and meets with temptations, delays, difficulties and preſſures, which (as I ſaid before) are woful counſellors in a ſad day, their language is, Maſter, ſpare thy ſelf; But yet notwithſtanding, tenderneſs is attainable, 1 Cor. 10 13. God hath laid his Faithfulneſs in pawn for it, that he will not ſuffer the tender walker to be tempted above what they are able, but will with the temptation make a way to eſcape, that they may be able to bear it. There is another word more nearly relates to what I am upon, Pſal. 125.3. The rod of the wicked ſhall not always reſt on the lot of the righteous, leſt they put forth their hands to iniquity; That is, God ſhall neither let it ly ſo long, nor ſo ſore on his people, as it may drive them to commit iniquity, if they be willing to keep their feet, and walk tenderly; Therefore (as I may have occaſion afterward to preſs) let none plead the impoſſibility of riding out a ſtorm, let them never plead the greatneſs of a temptation and the continuance of trouble, as an excuſe for an untender walk; ſeing tenderneſs is attainable in waiting on God for an out-gate; God lets not the rod of the wicked laſt on the lot of the righteous, ſo as it may be ground of temptation, rationally to prevail with them.
3. The laſt Word I ſhall ſay on this ſhall be. That as the right waiter on God is tender, and tenderneſs in the greateſt difficulties is attainable; ſo the want of tenderneſs in difficulties, when folks loſes, or gives up tenderneſs, and their feet ſlides; O what a ſad after-game will that make! When David in his ſtrait had played the fool changed his behaviour before the King of Gath, 1 Sam. 21.11. He got ſuch a bitter fill of his folly in that, that he gives his Counſel, Pſal. 34.11.—Come ye Children, hearken to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord; what man is he that deſires life, and loveth many days, that he may ſee good, keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from ſpeaking guile, depart from evil, and do good, ſeek peace, and purſue it. He ſets up his debording as a beacon, & turns a Preacher to all others, that would ſee the Lords end, that they walk tenderly: And ye know what a length the holy man did run, when upon beholding the proſperity of the wicked, he was tempted to caſt out with Godlineſs, Pſal. 73. and what followed upon it, when he came to himſelf, verſe 21, 22. My heart was grieved, I was pricked in my reins, ſo fooliſh was I and ignorant, I was as a beaſt before thee; he looks on himſelf as not being a rational man, but as a beaſt before God.
I may not inſiſt upon this, but there are three ſad conſequences, that reſults on untenderneſs in difficulties, while we ſhould be waiting on God in his way. 1. It forſlows the mans delivery and out-gate, which tenderneſs would haſten; folk are ready to think that the taking of a ſinful courſe, is the way to haſten an out-gate; but an untender walk, the uſing of any ſinful ſhift, to be out of trouble is like the Nazarites pollution, he loſt all the days that went before, becauſe his ſeparation was defiled, Num. 6.12. And he was to begin again: Untenderneſs may ſend the people of God from Kadeſhbarnea back to the Red-ſea, to wander for thirty eight years in the Wilderneſs; never think that untenderneſs will bring eaſe, or an happy iſſue out of trouble; folk thereby may take an out-gate, or delivery at their hand, but it will prolong a lifetime of trouble. 2. Another ſad Conſequence of untenderneſs, it not only foreſlows the delivery, but it makes the continued trouble very dreadful; trouble and guilt, trouble and an ill-conſcience will make a moſt ſad lot in a ſad time. It is a great deal better for folk to ſubmit to Providence, to ſtudy tenderneſs, than to eaſe themſelves of a Croſs, by wandring our of the way of God. A 3d. ſad conſequence of untenderneſs is, the ſad reflection it may give of God, when he comes to deliver his people, when the tender waiter on God ſays, as Iſai. 25.9. Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his ſalvation; untender walkers muſt ſay, we waited not for him, we would not wait, but took a ſinful ſhift to ſave our ſelves, and ſo is ſeen on it: So much for the 2d. thing imported in waiting for God; That it is ſuch a waiting, as makes the waiter keep the way of God.
I ſhall add a 3d. thing imported in this waiting for God, I wait for the Lord; It doth not only import, that the waiting man hath his eyes taken off all other things, and ſet on God, and that he is tender in his walk, and keeps Gods way in his waiting for God, but that God himſelf, and the enjoyment of him, is the great expectation of the man that truly waits for him; a man that rightly waits for God, hath not only his eyes taken off other things, and ſet on God, but God himſelf is the great expectation, that which chiefly he miſſes, and would have; not only will he long to have God in his favour and love, with all that he gets, as Moſes ſaith, If thy preſence go not with us, carry us not hence, Exod. 33.15. And theſe things will I do to them, and not forſake them, Iſai. 42.16. But he longs to have God in ſtead of all he wants, and hath the want of all made up in the enjoyment of him: This is a point that ye would preſs more upon your ſelves, as the bleſt Fruit of all ſad Diſpenſations, and long continued Tryals ye have been, are, or may be under, for which ye have abundant warrand from Scripture; not only when all refuge fails you, would ye make it your ſtudy to walk tenderly, to be always found in God's way, in waiting for him; but this would be a bleſt Fruit of ſuch ſad Diſpenſations, to have your deſires ſpiritual, centred on God, drawn forth for him, and the ſhutting of all doors, looked on as a call to come and reſt on him, and take him for all ye want, and would have. This were a mean to further our expectations as to other things, and to make up the want of them for the preſent, ſo as the want of them ſhould be no want, Pſal. 39.7. And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee: What's this I am waiting for, I have a nearer cut to the enjoyment of all things in the enjoyment of thee. So Pſal. 4.6. There be many that ſay, who will ſhew us any good? Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, and that &c. And Pſal. 27.4. It is David's One thing. One thing (ſaith he) will I ſeek after, that I may dwell in the houſe of the Lord, &c. Were folk Spiritual, and finding an up-making in God of all their deſires and expectations, it were a ſhort cut to an eaſe of all their grievances, and it is a great lengthner of all the afflictions of the people of God, that they do not forget proſperity, and learn to have their deſires ſpiritual, and to make up the want of all things in God; if they were ſpiritual in their deſires, whatever their difficulties were, it would be all a matter to them, if they got more of God, if all their difficulties and wants did run in this channel, to purſue for more of God, to have him not to be their terror, but their hope in an evil day: Though they ſhould want the Ordinances, he ſhould be a ſanctuary to them; Though men ſhould curſe, What then? It is all a matter if he bleſs; Though they ſhould be counted the off-ſcourings of all things, contemned, reproached, no matter if their names be written in Heaven: O ſpiritual deſires, would not only further an iſſue, but be a preſent iſſue in all difficulties; but hardly are the children of men out of one of three ſnares, either they are mad on their Idols, while they have them, or they are mad for the loſs of them, when they want them, or when they are reſtored to them, they ſurfeit on them, as Iſrael did on fleſh in the Wilderneſs; Therefore while their deſires are not ſpiritual, carried forth on God and heavenly things, to make up the want of things earthly; It's no wonder their delivery be foreſlowed of theſe things, and will be forſlovved till they cleanſe their deſires of vvhat they are ſo much vvedded to, and cauſe lamenting over their buried Idols, knovving it vvill be a plague to them to have them reſtored.