Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 24
SERMON XXIV.
Pſalm 130. Verſe 5. I wait for the Lord, my ſoul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
AS in handling the former tvvo Verſes, I had a great Goſpel Truth and Priviledge among my hands; ſo in the fifth & ſixth Verſes, there is a lively deſcription of a great and concerning Goſpel-duty, patient, affectionat, and confident waiting for God; The Duty, that is a great Characteriſtick of a godly man, vvho hath a Well vvithin him, that neither Summers heat, nor Winters froſt can dry up; but as it is Zech. 14.8. In ſummer and winter ſhall it be there; and vvho muſt prove this by his being well breathed to vvait on God, vvhen his Promiſes and Diſpenſations ſeem to claſh one vvith another, vvhen his Word gives one report of him, and his diſpenſations a quit contrair; When His Word calls him The hearer of Prayer, and His Diſpenſations ſay, That prayer is ſhut out, and his anger ſmoaks againſt the prayers of his people. When his vvord ſays, he that hath promiſed to come, will come, and will not tarry; and his diſpenſations ſay not only, that he tarrieth, but that he vvill never come. Here is the vvell breathed Grace of Patience, affectionat, and confident expectation, to believe, to vvait on, and not to make haſte, and to be keeped meek in vvaiting on.
I have ſpoken to tvvo Heads here from the Pſalmiſt's exerciſe, he is waiting; and the Object of his vvaiting, he is waiting for the Lord; his eyes are taken off all other things and ſet on God, for vvhat he vvould be at; and in the faith of that he vvaits on God, and keeps his vvay; and vvhen any thing of that kind is not accompliſhed to the ſatisfaction of ſenſe, he waits for the Lord, that more enjoyment of him may make up the vvant of theſe things. Sad Diſpenſations ſpiritualize his deſires; It is not any good that vvill ſatisfie him; but it is one thing, to behold the beauty of the Lord, to have the communion of God, and to have the light of his Countenance.
Novv I proceed to the third thing in the Words, That is, his affection in vvaiting; vvaiting is his exerciſe, the Object of it is the Lord; The manner of his vvaiting is affectionat, my ſoul doth wait; I do vvait affectionatly, and what the meaſure of his affection in vvaiting is, he reſumes, verſe 6. My ſoul writs for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning: I ſhall here ſpeak to tvvo Obſervations, and for the ground of the firſt, Mark, That the Pſalmist vvhile he profeſſes to vvait, he declares that he ſets himſelf againſt all haſte, paſſion and fretfulneſs, about vvhat he vvaited; in oppoſition to theſe, he waits for God: But now he finds it neceſſary to guard againſt another extream; it might be ſaid, ye wait, and are not fretted with delays, and why? ye are indifferent for what ye wait for, it is indifferent for you whether ye get or want it; and therefore ye may wait inconcernedly, without wearying: No, ſays he, though I do wait, my affection is not aſleep in waiting, my ſoul doth wait; I have affection to that which I want, yet I labour to have it, I have a waiting affection to it, with a ſubmiſſive affection in waiting for it.
Hence obſerve, 1. That as patient waiting for God, is oppoſit to paſſion, fretfulneſs, bitterneſs and carnalneſs on the one hand; ſo on the other, it is oppoſite to dulneſs, ſtupidity and careleſneſs about what we want: Here the Pſalmiſt profeſſeth himſelf both a waiter, that is not wearied, nor cankered, and yet he is a ſoul-waiter, with his affection aloft for what he waits for. This particular may lead me to take notice of a General to be obſerved in the way of God's people; That is, that a mixed condition is their beſt condition; for here ye have a frame made up of Patience and Affection, affection running out for that it would be at, and patience clogging its wings, that it run not out of breath: We are full of Byaſſes, and always ready to run on extreams without this mixture; if a man have affection, it is ready to pick quarrels at delays, if he have ſomewhat of patience, that patience is ready to fall aſleep, but theſe two make up a ſweet frame. I might here take notice of theſe advantages, or advantageous mixtures, both in the frame of the Saints, and in their lots; in their lots take them ſucceſſively, we will find odd mixtures in them, a rapture to Heaven, and a Meſſenger of Satan ſent to buffet them on the back of it. It was needful that that eminent ſervant of God in his exaltation, ſhould be keeped with arms of ſuch a meſſenger; and beſide theſe ſucceſſive mixtures, we will find few lots of the ſaints, but a mixture may be obſerved in them, Pſal. 40.17. I am poor and needy, yet thought upon by God. 1 Cor. 12.10. When weak, yet ſtrong. Iſai. 40.31. When faint, yet made to run and not be weary, and to walk and not be faint; when laid-by men, yet made-up men; their foot ſlipping, yet Gods mercy holding them up. Pſal. 94.18. Troubled on every ſide, yet not diſtreſsed; perplexed, but not in deſpair; perſecuted, but not forſaken; cast down, but not deſtroyed. 1 Cor. 4.8, 9. As unknown, yet well known; as dying, yet living; as chastned, and not killed; as ſorrowful, yet always rejoycing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet poſseſſing all things; 1 Cor. 6.9. Theſe are ſeaſonable mixtures, ſweet reſerves, and exceptions in the lots of ſaints: And as there are mixtures in their lots, ſo in their frames, wherein we will find confidence ſeaſoned with deep humility; as in Abraham, Gen. 18.27. I have taken upon me to ſpeak to the Lord, who am but duſt and aſhes. Gloriation ſeaſoned with the ſenſe of being nothing: 2 Cor. 12.11. In nothing am I behind the very chiefeſt Apoſtles, though I be nothing. Nearneſs to God ſeaſoned with a ſight of their own pollution. Iſai. 6.5. Wo is me, I am undone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips, &c. For mine eyes have ſeen the King, the Lord of hoſts. Job 42.5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye ſeeth thee, wherefore I abhore my ſelf in duſt and aſhes. Thus ye ſee what a ſweet mixture, the frame and way of the ſaints is made up of, when right; and this in the Text is to be adverted, That patience in our waiting be ſeaſoned with affection, leſt our waiting turn to indifferency. There are many pretend to be waiters, but what wait they for? Their heart is not affected with it. Affection muſt ſtill be keeped on foot, and meek and patient muſt our waiting for God be? Therefore look to it. Let not folk deceive themſelves, in thinking that they have this patience and waiting, that I have been ſpeaking of, when they have nothing but a coldrife indifferency, ſtupidity, loitering and lying by in that waiting. What Mercies do folk want, but they pretend to wait for them from God, and yet their Conſcience will bear them witneſs, their heart was never affected with the want of them, nor drawn forth after the enjoying of them; they cannot ſay, Their ſoul doth wait: As upon the one hand, true patience muſt temper the edge of right affection, that it over-reach not, or run it ſelf out of breath: So on the other hand it would be adverted, that while patience is tempering affection; affection be not feeding on the breaſts of ſecurity, careleſneſs, indifferency, ſtupidity, that with theſe Virgines, Mat. 25. While they are waiting for the coming of the Lord, they do not fall aſleep, or ſlumbering, that's an abuſe of patience in waiting, when it is ſuffered to degenerat in ſtupidity, and indifferency. In a word, that ye may know what is meant by the Saints ſoul-waiting for God, I ſhall give it to you in what is repreſented in the people of God in the Captivity; upon the one hand we find a Command is ſent unto them, Jer. 29.5 To build houſes in Babylon, and dwell in them, to plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them, take wives, and beget ſons and daughters, that they might be increaſed, and not diminiſhed, and to ſeek the good of the place, whither they were carried captives, and pray for the peace thereof; that is, that they ſhould be as careful as they might without ſin, to make their captivity tollerable, that was to wait for God, when their cankered haſte and fretfulneſs was done away: And yet on the other hand compare that with Pſal. 137.1. By the rivers of Babel we ſat down, yea▪ we wept when we remembred Sion, we hanged our harps on the willows in the midſt thereof, when they required of us mirth, we ſaid, how ſhall we ſing the Lords ſong in a ſtrange land, if I forget thee, O Jeruſalem, &c. A ſoul-waiting affection is aloft in them, although they made their diſtreſſes as tolerable as they might without ſin, and were warranded ſo to do; yet they would not ſuffer their patience to degener in indifferency; they would not ſuffer their affection to fall aſleep, and forget that which their Captivity had deprived them of; and therefore the people of God in difficulties, waiting for God, they would ſtill have ſomthing of that frame, Lam. 1.7. Jeruſalem remembred in the day of her affliction, and of her miſeries, all her pleaſant things, that ſhe had in the days of old, before the people fell into the hand of the enemy; Wait for God, there is good reaſon for it. Be patient and meek, Why not? But O! in your waiting, let it be ſeen that affection is aloft, when thou art ready bitterly to reſent God's depriving thee of mercies, or detaining them from thee, guard againſt that; let bitterneſs be baniſht; but guard alſo againſt ſtupidity and ſenſeleſneſs, that they come not in the room of it, but let thy ſoul be waiting.
But I proceed to a 2d. Obſervation from this Head, and that is a general, which I deferred to ſpeak to, when the laſt day I ſpoke to this waiting; and it now comes in ſeaſonably. The Pſalmiſt not only gives an account what he is doing, but how he is doing; Though he be delayed, and mercies be keeped back, yet he dare avow he is waiting for the Lord; yea, that his waiting for God is of the right ſtamp, that his ſoul is waiting; that in his waiting he keeps off both the extreams of paſſion and haſte, and of careleſs ſtupidity and indifferency: The Obſervation then is, that it is not only a commendable thing in Saints, to be able to give an account of what they are doing, eſpecially in ſad times, but it is comfortable to themſelves, when they are able to give an account of what they are doing, and that they are in the way of their duty, it is ſo to the Pſalmiſt here, that he can ſay, he waits, and his ſoul waits for God.
This Point I ſhall ſpeak to in theſe four, becauſe it is, and will be your work if ye be ſerious.
1. That work is our great buſineſs.
2. That work acceptable to God in a low condition, is attainable.
3. That as it is attainable, ſo a man may know he hath attained it.
4. That it is comfortable to him, when he knoweth it, and dare avow that he is acceptably employed.
A little to theſe four, as time will permit.
And firſt, I ſay, work and duty is our main buſineſs, when our lots are ſaddeſt: One would think it had been a more ſeaſonable, and a more near concerning Queſtion for the Pſalmiſt, to be now looking what God is doing, when he had been crying out of the deeps, taking …ith guilt, pleading for pardon, but he looks to what he himſelf is doing; we would alway, as I hinted before, fain be at the Throne, and have the guiding of the world, or have God taking our advice what he ſhould do in it; and how much of folks time and ſpirit, who are ſerious, is taken up in ſcanning of providence? but O! fix this, that duty is ours, event is Gods; duty is our taſk, and we ſhould leave it to God, to make of us and duty what pleaſes him: yea more, it is one of the great ends, why ſad times and lots paſſes over us, that we may give a proof what we think of duty, when it wants preſent ſucceſs; whether we will take duty for a reward to it ſelf; whether a man will bleſs God, go the world as it will, that he is at duty. I ſhall ſay no more of it, but thrice happy they, who eſteem of duty abſtract from all comfortable events: yea more, it were a good prognoſtick that good events would not be long withholden, if folk were diligent at duty, but who are ſtill poring on events, I may without breach of charity ſay, that theſe are the idleſt folk, and foreſlow their own mercy.
But 2. As duty is the great buſineſs, ſo duty acceptable to God is attainable in the worſt of times, in the loweſt of conditions. I need not ſtand on the general, how it's Gods mercy to his people, that they may well be deprived of comforts, or comfortable iſſues, but they are not put out of ſervice, they can never want acceptable work to put their hand unto, and if they be turned idle from the work of their Calling and Station, their idleneſs is a work with ſubmiſſion to God. But that which I am upon is, that the difficulties of the Lords ſervants and people, are never ſo great, but duty acceptable to God is attainable; My ſoul waits, (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) he wan at it. I confeſs, times and diſpenſations may ſoon fall forth to be ſuch, that hypocrites will think duty to be impoſſible, Iſa. 33.14. The ſinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulneſs hath ſurprized the hypocrites, they are afraid out of their wits; Who ſhall dwell with devouring fire? &c. Who can hold their feet? Who can ſtick by duty in ſuch critical diſpenſations of providence. I confeſs alſo, things may come to that, that Balaam hath, ſpeaking of the calamities to come on the world, Numb. 24.23. Alas, who ſhall live when God doth this? Such a time may come, that it may be a wonder to conſider how folk can ſtand, how they can fend, when ſtorms are ſo boiſterous and thick, and temptations and ſnares ſo many: And I ſhall add further, that which our Lord hath, Mat. 24.22. Ʋnleſs theſe days ſhould be ſhortned, no fleſh ſhould be ſaved; he means, both that none ſhould be ſaved from cutting off by judgment, and none but they ſhould be in peril to be eternally loſt by ſeduction, but for the elects ſake theſe days ſhall be ſhortned; outward trouble, and ſeducing ſnares, may be ſo many and impetuous, that if God put not ſome Bridle upon them, no fleſh ſhould be ſaved: But yet when I have ſaid all this, I muſt reſume the point, that in the worſt of times, duty acceptable to God is attainable through his ſtrength. A ſincere man depending on God, may win to ſay, I wait for the Lord, my ſoul doth wait. This I mark to give a check partly to the diſcouragements of Gods own people, who in ſad times loſe heart and hand. I confeſs, I may ſay to the diſcouragement of this generation, that which Jeremiah hath, (Chap. 12.5.) If thou haſt run with footmen, and they have wearied thee, how then canſt thou contend with horſes? and if in the land of peace wherein thou truſtedſt, they wearied thee, how then wilt thou do in the ſwellings of Jordan? If any ordinary difficulties ſcarr this generation from duty, what would they have done if they had met with the difficulties that many before the Throne met with? But be as it will, it's thy great ſin, as diſcouraged to ly down and die, as if there were no work for thee. The Pſalmiſt here in his practice hath witneſſed, that in the ſaddeſt of difficulties duty acceptable to God is attainable, if duty be ſet about in Gods ſtrength; though humbling it may prove, it ſhall not be impoſſible, if thou believe, all things ſhall be poſſible; partly to leave a ſad check at their door, who upon difficulties, and the impetuouſneſs of ſnares and temptations, take a diſpenſation to themſelves to go wrong, to leave Gods way, and joyn in evil courſes. How many are there that in difficult and ſnaring times, for all that the Bible hath ſaid againſt ſuch and ſuch ſins, and ſinful courſes, yet take them by the end, and ſay there is no hope, and it's for no purpoſe for men to eſſay to keep their integrity, or think to hold off, and not imbrace ſuch a courſe. The ſtorm blows ſo hard, but you that take a diſpenſation to your ſelves, ſo to do in difficulties, know that there will be witneſſes found to teſtify againſt you, that in the worſt of times duty acceptable to God is attainable.
But the 3d thing I propoſed to be ſpoken to is, That as duty is attainable, ſo a man may know he hath attained it, he may win not only to wait for the Lord, and with his ſoul to wait, but to know and avow it, that with his ſoul he doth wait: This, if I might inſiſt on it, would again branch it ſelf out in two or three things.
1. In order to this knowledge, it is neceſſary, that folk be at ſelf examination, aſking what they are doing? Ye may take many woful counſels with your ſelves, having ſorrow in your heart daily, (it may be) and yet not come ſpeed; but were ye enquiring, What work am I at? and examining it, that were a ground of a right walk, to be ſerious in that. It's the Lords complaint, Jer. 8.6. No man repented him of his wickedneſs, ſaying, What have I done? Every one turneth unto his courſe, as the horſe ruſheth into the battel.
And 2. When we ſet about this Examination, we ſhould know, that we have need of the ſpirit of God to go along with us, and aſſiſt us in it, we have need of that spirit which is of God, that we may know the things that are freely given us of God, 1 Cor. 2.12. We have ſo much preſumption and ſecurity on the one hand, when we are at eaſe, ready to cheat us, and on the other hand, when we are in trouble, ſo much diſcouragement to amaze and break us, that in both conditions ſelf-examination would deſire a manuduction, a leading by the hand by the Spirit of God, that they get not a back-ſet in either.
And 3. Tender walkers examining, and aſſiſted by the Spirit of God, may come to know they are in duty acceptable to God, and their integrity in it, to ſay, their ſoul waiteth, I am at my duty, and am acceptable to God in it. It may be ſad, that trouble ſhould diſcover ſo much guilt, and ſo many imperfections in our beſt things, yet ſtill no diſpenſation of providence, or delay, ſhould take away the teſtimony of our integrity, and that we are waiting upon him in his way; what-ever providence be an enemy to, it is never an enemy to integrity. There is a weakneſs hinted at in that word, Pſal▪ 69.4. (though few be obnoxious to it) Then I restored that which I took not away: Some may be ready to father that on themſelves, whereof they are not guilty; but the people of God Pſal. 44.17.— hold faſt and avow their integrity in a ſad time: All this is come upon us, ſay they, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falſly in thy Covenant, &c. And Job 23.10.— when he cannot get a ſight of God on the right or left hand, yet (ſaith he) He knows the way that I take: when he trys me, I ſhall come forth like gold, &c. What I would ſay from this, is to leave a check at their door, whom the diſpenſations of providence dings from all their confidence; if God delay the Pſalmiſt, he will avow that he waits; but ſo ſilly are we, that there is nothing the ſtorm blows againſt, but we are ready to queſtion it; whereas if we ſee it be fair before the wind, we queſtion it not at all, ſo ſilly ſpirits are we, and ſo full of byaſſes. O! lament this, and know that duty is knowable and avowable in the ſaddeſt of diſpenſations, for the Pſalmiſt can ſay, I wait for the Lord, my ſoul doth wait.
And 4. As duty is attainable and knowable, ſo it is very comfortable to a man to know it. It's good news to this toſt Pſalmiſt, that he dare ſay, I wait, my ſoul doth wait; it's good news for the preſent. Read often, believe and improve that word, Eccleſ. 8.12. Though a ſinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet ſurely I know that it ſhall be well with them that fear God, becauſe he feareth before God. The very preſent reward, the Eccho of a good Conſcience is ſweet and comfortable, that the people of God can ſay, Our hearts are not turned back, nor our steps declined from thy way, though thou haſt ſore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the ſhadow of death, Pſal. 44.18. O! How ſweet an Eccho hath that in a mans boſome? and a man that in a ſad condition will not be made up in the teſtimony of a good Conſcience, it is righteouſneſs with God to ſmite him with a rod dipped in his own guilt: Look to it, and make it your ſtudy to have this ground of comfort when others fail. It's good when a man can ſay, I am ſore broken, yet my heart is not turned back, I am in the deeps, yet my ſoul waits; I cannot win at him, yet my feet have held his ſteps, his way have I kept, and not declined; and as this is ſweet and comfortable for the preſent, ſo will it be found for the time to come, when the waiter on God in duty ſhall be made to ſay and ſing, as it is, Iſa. 25.9. Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will ſave us, we will be glad and rejoyce in his ſalvation. I ſhall ſay no more, but when all coſts are reckoned, it ſhall be found, that a doer of duty, waiting for God, ſhall be no loſer, but a great gainer; and it ſhall never be grief of heart to him, that he made it his work to wait on him in his way, when others declined. As I cloſed the laſt day, with that word, Bleſſed are all they that wait for him; ſo do I this day, whatever he do to them, whatever delays or difficulties they meet with, they ſhall find, that it will be found a rich mercy, to be found waiting for God, and upon God in their duty, keeping his way, and not declining therefrom. I ſay no more, but the Lord bleſs his Word that ye have been hearing, for Chriſts ſake.