or half that time Object 6. But I finde much unbeleef in my heart about it I cannot beleeve the fulfilling of the promise and therefore undoubtedly though God could fulfil it yet my unbeleef will hinder Ans 1. Can thy unbeleef hinder what God would do then is thy sin greater than the power of God 2 Hast thou such a promise made to thee then assure thy self thy unbeleef shall never hinder it 2 Tim. 2.12 13. If we beleeve not yet hee abideth faithful he cannot deny himself Rome 3.3 What if some did not beleeve shall their unbeleef make the faith of God without effect God forbid Was there not much unbeleef in David concerning the promise God had made to him touching the Kingdome when hee said I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Yet God made it good So in Zacharias Luke 1. when hee said Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years v. 18 19. yet God fulfilled it 3 Put case thou canst not beleeve God will perform it beleeve but thus much God is able and it shall bee fulfilled So Abraham did in two as difficult cases as thine and by this faith in the power of God obtained the promise in both Rom. 4.21 And being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able also to perform Heb. 11.19 Accounting that God was able to raise him i.e. Isaac up even from the dead Object 7. But God doth seem apparently to cast me off Answ God cast off the Jews and yet he calls them again upon this very account of his love and promise Rom. 11.27 For this is my Covenant unto them whâ—â— I shall take away their sins Object 8. But I have broken covenant and promise with God and therefore God hee will break his with me Answ The good things God hath promised do not come upon the account of our Covenant Ezek. 16.61 Then thou shalt remember thy wayes and be ashamed when thou shalt receive thy sisters thine elder and thy younger and I will give them unto thee for daughters but not by thy Covenant Object 9. But some soul will say I do not question whether God will fulfill his promise or no but here is my doubt I question whether hee will fulfill it to me such a one as I am Answ 1. Thou oughtest not to make such a question 1 Because such a question tends directly to keep thee off from beleeving which is that God commands 2 Because God hath no where said It doth not belong to thee and where God doth not exclude thou oughtest not to exclude thy self 3 Because such a question is first started in thee by the Devil whom thou oughtest not to hearken unto for it cannot bee of God because he every where calls souls to beleeving and therefore doth not put in questions to keep men from it 4 Because it is such a question as thou canst no way bee satisfied in but onely by ceasing to make it and closing with the promise 5 Because wee no where finde in Scripture that ever any of the Saints made such questions or if by reason of any distemper at any time did speak somewhat like it yet they are afterwards either blamed or do blame themselves for it Answ 2. Thy very beleeving of it makes it thine Gal. 3.22 That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Hene Heb. 11.33 Saints are said by faith to have obtained promises Quest How may I come to know when the Promise is near fulfilling Answ 1. Extraordinary pressures lying upon thee is a sign the promise is near Exod. 2.24 And God heard their groaning and God remembred his Covenant with Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob and God looked upon the children of Israel and God had respect unto them When the pressures of Israel were so great that they sigh and groan under their burden then God remembers his Covenant So Chap. 6.5 2 Extraordinary deadness is also a sign the promise is near Then was the promise nearest fulfilling to Abraham when in a natural way his body was dead and Sarahs womb dead 3 Extraordinary growth Act. 7.17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh which God had sworn to Abraham the people grew and multiplied in Egypt Quest what doth the consideration hereof afford us as matter of comfort Answ There is comfort in this That our beleeving the promâ—â—e shall not bee in vain Thou shall not be ashamed of thy faith thy hoping trusting staying upon God Acts 13.23.32 And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children Q. What may we learn hence as our duty A. 1. Learn not to charge God foolishly my meaning is not to charge God with breaking of promise There is a proneness or aptness in the Saints themselves to charge God with breach of promise Psal 77.8 Doth his promise fail for evermore And to do it is a very great and provoking evil Numb 14.34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the Land even forty days each day for a year shall yee bear your iniquities even forty years and yee shall know my breach of promise Q. But when do we charge God with breach of promise Ans 1. When because the promise tarries a great while we therefore conclude it will never come Psal 77.8 Doth his promise fail for evermore 2 When consulting with carnal reason wee come to question whether the thing can be or how it can be Numb 11. vers 18. to 21. You have wept in the ears of the Lord saying who shall give us flesh to eat for it was well with us in Aegypt therefore the Lord will give you flesh and you shal eat even a whole moneth until it come out at your nostrils and it be loathsome unto you because that yee have despised the Lord which is among you and have wept before him saying why came we forth out of Aegypt 3 When the lying of great difficulties before us make us to fly back and run from the Promise Numb 14. vers 2 3 4. the Children of Israel had the Promise going with them to Canaan but hearing of the strength of the men and Cities of that Land c. they will back again into Aegypt and so indeed do run from the Promise and this vers 34. God calls a charging him with breach of Promise 2 Wait for the fulfilling of the promise Acts 1.4 Wait for the promise of the Father which saith Christ yee have heard of me and that with patience Heb. 6.15 After he had patiently endured he obtained the promise 3 Take notice of Gods fulfilling of his promises when he doth fulfill them So Solomon did 1 King 8. vers 15. And he said blessed be the Lord God of Israel which spake with his mouth unto David my Father and hath with his
hand fulfilled it and vers 20. And the Lord hath performed his word that he spake and I am risen up in the roome of David my Father and sit on the Throne of Israel as the Lord promised vers 24. vers 56. Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people Israel according to all that he promised there hath not failed one word of all his good promise which hee promised by the hand of Moses his Servant four times over in this one speech of his he takes notice of this Although the Promise was made some hundreds of years before yet hee doth not forget it at the time of fulfilling So David did 2 Sam. 7.28 And now O Lord God thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy Servant write a mark such a day in such a place God fulfilled his promise 4 When thou art in streights urge God with his promise Psalm 119.49 Remember the word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope So Jehoshaphat did 2 Chron. 20.9 So Jacob did Gen. 32. vers 9 10 11 12. And Jacob said O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me return unto thy Country and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee vers 11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my Brother from the hand of Esau for I fear him vers 12. And thou saidst I will surely do thee good and make thy Seed as the sand of the Sea which cannot bee numbred for multitude 5 When thou art in the dark bless God that thou hast a Word or Promise to trust in and relye upon you may see this in David Psalm 56.4 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up vers 2. vers 4. In God I will praise his word in God I have put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me vers 10. In God will I praise his Word in the Lord will I praise his Word David was in streights and had nothing to trust to and three times over hee praiseth God for his Word 6 Blesse God whensoever thou hast had a promise fulfilled 1 King 8.56 Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people Israel according to all that he promised which that thou mayest do pray for the fulfilling of Promises before they be fulfilled 2 Chron. 1.9 Now O Lord God let thy promise unto David my Father be established c. Compare this with 1 King 8. vers 15 16 And hee said Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel which spake with his mouth unto David my Father and hath with his hand fulfilled it saying Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Aegypt I chose no City out of all the Tribes of Israel to build an house that my Name might be therein but I chose David to be over my people Israel He that prays for the fulfilling of a Promise before it comes will bless God when it comes Absolute Promises made to Sinners as Sinners Isaiah 57. Vers 17 18 19. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners I create the fruit of the lips Peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heal him I Shall not spin out time about the coherence of these three Verses with the former or in explication of them onely give you a lesson from them in general which is this Doctr. That the promises of grace or the free promises of the Gospel are made to Sinners or to persons as Sinners under the notion of Sinners I shall first clear my meaning in this Proposition and then shew how it ariseth from these words taken together in the lump To explain my own sense and meaning take these two things 1 That I speak not of Promises in general but onely of the absolute promises or promises of grace Concerning conditional promises is another question that which I affirm is this That all absolute promises are made to sinners or to persons under that notion 2 That when I use the term as Sinners my meaning is no more than this To persons whilst they are yet without any precedaneous work or qualification the promise is made How this ariseth from the words will appear if we consider two things 1 The Promises laid down in the words which are four and all promises of Grace belonging to the Covenant of Grace 1 I will heal him vers 18. What healing Why onely a healing of the backsliding nature that is in us this is a promise of the Covenant of grace Jer. 32. v. 38. and 40. compared And they shall be my people and I will be their God vers 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to doe them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 2 I will lead them What is that but the teaching and direction of the Spine promised in the Covenant of grace Jer. 31.34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shal all know me from the least of them unto to the greatest of them saith the Lord. 3 I will restore comfort to him This spiritual comfort is laid down as the very substance of the Gospel the maine thing aimed at in the New Covenant Isa 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned And therefore this too is a New Covenant promise 4 A promise or creating peace to them that are afar off and nigh vers 19. This is the very work of the Gospel as Eph. 2.17 and therefore this promise must needs relate to the New Covenant and so bee a promise of Grace 2 Consider the Qualifications of the persons to whom these promises are made even then when they are made qualified they are but how with sin enough and too much though not too much for Grace to mount over Sinners they were in grain and this is all their qualification 1 Their sin it was in it self exceeding great and hainous as is expressed in these words The iniquity of his covetousness Not onely covetousness of it self an iniquity but an iniquity as wee may say there was of this iniquity It is a phrase somewhat like that Rom. 7.17 Sinful sin It was enough for the Apostle to call Sin Sin but that he might speak of the evil of it in the highest and most transcendent way hee calls it Sinful sin so it was enough here for the Prophet
be deprived of their inheritance should not the Promises be fulfilled 3 Saints should sustaine injury by it should they not be fulfilled 4 The experience of all Ages shew us that God hath ever fulfilled his promise God made a promise to the Fathers that Christ should come this hee fulfilled when Christ came Act. 13.32 33. And wee declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee God made a promise to Noah that the Earth should not be drowned this though the world hath stood four thousand years since yet God hath never broken God made a promise to Abraham that at the end of four hundred and thirty years his Seed should come out from amongst those that afflicted them with great substance Gen. 15.13 14. This God punctually fulfilled to a day Evod. 12 vers 41. And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years even the self same day it came to pass that all the Hosts of the Lord went out from the Land of Aegypt God made a promise to Joseph that hee should rule over his Brethren God made a promise to David of the Kingdome God made a promise to Israel that at the end of seventy years Captivity in Babylon they should bee delivered and these Promises hee fulfilled God made a promise to his people of the Spirit Joel 2. Zach. 12.10 and chap. 2. the same in 14 15 16. Chap. of John and this God makes good Acts 2. Obj. 1. O but will some poor soul say True God hath made such a promise but me thinks I see so many and so great difficulties and discouragements in the way of Gods fulfilling the same that I cannot think ever God will fulfill it Ans 1 Are the difficulties or discouragements greater than those Abraham met with he had a promise of a Son 1 He waits twenty five years after the promise was made as will appear if you compare Gen. 12.4 with chap. 21.5 Abraham was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran where he had the promise Gen. 12.2 and he was an hundred years old when his Son Isaac was born unto him Gen. 21 5. was not this a great discouragement might not Abraham have said every year sure the Promise will never come 2 He waits so long till his own body was dead and Sarahs wombe the means by which the promise should be brought about there was a death upon it so as that in a Natural way there was no hope and therefore hee is said to beleeve in hope against hope Rom. 4.18 did not this much heighten the discouragements and make difficultie greater might not Abraham say well now I see there is no hope 3 After God had given him a Son yet God commands him to offer him up Did not this make difficulty the greater Abraham might say This Son of mine is the only Son in whom the Promise is to bee fulfilled and God commands me to offer him up Now notwithstanding all these Abraham beleeves before he had a Son hee beleeved that God who had promised was able to perform it and after when God bids him sacrifice his Son God still was able 2 Gods remembrance of his promise makes him to work wonderously over the head of all difficulties Psal 105.42 compared with the former verses For hee remembred his holy promise 3 Is any thing too hard for the Lord Obj. 2. O but I have sinned exceedingly against God since such and such a Promise hath been made unto me Ans Yet God remembers his promise Psal 106.45 compared with former verses And he remembred for them his Covenant yet ver 34. They did not destroy the Nations concerning whom the Lord commanded them vers 35. But were mingled among the Heathen and learned their works vers 43. They provoked him with their counsel and yet God remembred his Covenant v. 45 and as he remembers his promise so he will fulfill it Christ before his death gave his Disciples a promise of the Spirit after this they deal more unkindly with him than ever Peter denies him some sleep when hee was in the midst of his agony all forsake him and flye and yet Christ fulfills his promise to them How exceedingly did Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat King of Judah make Judah to sin 2 King 8 18. He walked in the way of the Kings of Israel as did the house of Ahab for the daughter of Ahab was his wife and hee did evill in the sight of the Lord. Yet for all this because God had made a promise to David that hee should alwayes have a light hee will not therefore destroy Judah as vers 19. yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David his servants sake as hee promised to give him alway a light and to his children Gods Covenant Isa 54.9 is said to bee like the waters of Noah when God had brought a floud upon the world in Noahs time God sware to Noah hee would not drown the carth as you may read Gen. 8.21 For the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth it should be rendred Although the imagination Such is Gods Covenant and Promise that hee will not break it although the heart of man bee evill Again thou hast sinned what is thy sin but a breach of the Law Now the Promise was before the Law and therefore thy breach of the Law cannot disanul the Promise Gal. 3. v. 15 16 17. And this I say that the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disanul that it should make the Promise of none effect Object 3. But I am a poor unworthy creature Answ The Promise is a gift Gal. 3.22 That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Object 4. But had I something of that God hath promised in way of pawn or pledge I then could beleeve Answ Abraham had nothing but a bare promise and yet hee beleeves Act. 7.5 And hee gave him none inheritance in it not so much as to set his foot on yet hee promised that hee would give it to him for a possession and to his seed after him when as yet hee had no childe Wee should beleeve God upon his bare promise as the Samaritans beleeved Christ because of his own word Joh. 4.41 And many more beleeved because of his own word Object 5. O but I have waited so long for the promise and yet it comes not I see it not fulfilled that my soul faints I begin to be without hope that ever it will be fulfilled Answ Hast thou waited longer then Abraham Abraham had a promise of a Son but waited twenty five years as bath been shewed hast thou waited yet twenty five years
consideration now do I not finde that at all inabling me but the faith I had is from another how comes this to pass VVhy am I so inconstant in my faith true or not for my brethren we are prone and ready to think when from any one principle or consideration our faith is kept up that that should do it ever which is our weakness and ignorance to shew us which may be one reason why God deals in this way with us as another to make us see his manifold workings in every of which hee is glorious and therefore in none to be despised and also to make us have a higher esteem of every truth not to slight any jot of the Gospel and lastly which is the thing premised to teach us that we should not tye up God to any one way or manner of working saying here he goes in this way he works and in no other This being premised I come to the question to shew how faith acts in such as live by faith or what it doth in either of these The life of Faith in Justification Quest 1. How doth Faith act in Justification or what doth faith in that business in those persons who live by it Ans 1. Faith in all those persons who live by it it gives the soul a clear and convincing sight of the emptiness and nothingness of all its own righteousness in this great business of our Justification faith whensoever it makes after Justification it presently sets up such a light in the soul that the poor soul is made to see that all its own righteousness whither inherent or of works contribute nothing at all to its Justification so that if it have not some other righteousness to justifie it must go for ever unjustified notwithstanding all this though whilst it did not live by faith for justification it was prone to eye much its own righteousness and attribute a great deal even in the matter of justification to it so much as that when it saw it it would straight-way conclude its justification and when not the contrary yet now having obtained to live by faith there is wrought in the soul such a wonderful convincement of the nothingness of this which once it made such an account of as that it sees though it could be as righteous as ever man in the world was yea as Adam in the state of innocency was though it should have all the righteousness of the old Adam yet would not this make it righteous as to justification unless also it hath another and better righteousness It sees that the righteousness of Abraham David Paul and Peter and all the righteous men that ever were in the world though all were its own would not make it one whit more righteous or just before God than the vilest sinner in the world but that it must perish and go to Hell for ever with all this righteousness if it hath no other so that whilst it makes after Justification it goes wholly upon another score saying Lord if there bee not some other way found out to make this poor miserable soul eternally blessed than the way of its own righteousness it is undone for ever and must unavoydably lye under Divine wrath and the stroke of Justice for ever Lord had I all the working righteousness of men and Angels yet were it not for another righteousness I should not dare with all this to come unto thee or to have a thought that because of this thou shouldest justifie me for though this in it self be good yet now I am clearly convinced that its all nothing as to the obtaining of my Justification thus wonderfully doth the life of faith unrobe a man of his own righteousness so as that he never dares go into the presence of God for Justification until he hath put this garment off but as the Priest when hee was to go into the Holy of Holies did lay aside those Garments which hee usually wore and put on other so this soul whensoever it comes into the presence of God it lays aside every garment of its own righteousness which it wears in this world and puts on the royal robe of Christs Righteousness This we may see in the holy man David Psal 16.2 O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord my goodness extendeth not to thee No sooner doth hee act faith in God as his God but presently saith he My goodness extendeth not to thee as to say Lord thou art my God thou hast justified me and this my soul saith yea I beleeve it O but saith he this is not for my goodness it comes not at all into this business farre bee it from me that I should think so my goodness extendeth not to thee I see Lord saith David my goodness is nothing as to thee true it may bee useful to the Saints on earth O but it brings thee nothing neither is that it which hath brought this thing about that thou art my God So likewise Gods Church Isa 64.6 8. when she is going to put forth an act of faith in God as her God she lays by all her own righteousness looking on it as nothing worse than nothing vers 6. We are all an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags and vers 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father As to say Thou O Lord hast loved me justified me this I beleeve for thou art my Father but this my Justification or this love of thine towards me is not for my righteousness no that is all an uncleane thing and filthy raggs and instead of Justification I can expect nothing but Damnation from the same 2 Faith it ever presents the soul with a perfect compleat and all-sufficient righteousness which is to be had in anoâ—her for its Justification Faith unrobes the soul of its own righteousness and then it saith O thou poor naked soul which walkest without a Garment and hast no righteousness of thy own to cover thy nakedness come thou hither for I have glad tidings to tell thee behold a perfect and everlasting righteousness the Son of God Jesus Christ casting the spotless mantle of his righteousness over thee thou art naked but O my soul behold a robe an everlasting robe of perfect righteousness put it on go boldly to thy Father with it though thou art black yet this will make thee comely though thou art poor yet this will make thee rich though thou art deformed this will make thee beautiful all fair there shall be no spot in thee Now as faith unrobes the soul of its own righteousness so doth it bring down this to the soul of the poor Sinner which being brought down and the soul cloathed therewith it takes it in its hand and goes up to the Father with it and says the soul Lord a time there was that I was unrighteous and then I was affraid to come unto thee and good reason I had to fear but now I come
the grace of God in me and so hee saith in nothing hee came behinde the chiefest Apostles yet saith I am nothing So concerning uprightness of conversation hee walked before God in all good conscience knew nothing by himself yet how humble yet hereby am I not justified and not that I can do any thing of my self yea hee saith hee was the chiefest of sinners hee seeth it is not wrought by his own proper industry but by the grace of God therefore he giveth him all the glory 3 That Sanctification which is wrought by natural conscience is grievous and irksome because it is against the will it is a forced holiness hee is constrained to it It is his will to sin but conscience will not suffer him his will is to do nothing at all in the service of God if hee might go to heaven but his conscience puts him in hell if hee doth nothing and so it is grievous to him But that Sanctification which is though faith that is pleasant to the soul That that is natural is pleasant God puts the New nature within and then it is in some measure natural to bee holy to avoid sin to do the will of God Therefore see how differenly wicked men and godly men speak of the wayes of God Job 21.14 Sec the language of wicked men they say to God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Here is the language of wicked men they cannot help it for their lives but they shall have some knowledge of the wayes of God the Law of Nature teacheth something of Gods wayes and they have his word and that tells something more O say they Depart we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes we are troubled at the knowledge of such things it torments us this is the language of wicked men Then again Jer. 23. v. 33. we read of a generation of men that heard the word of God but it was so tedious that they call it a Burden they come to the Prophet and ask What it the burden of the Lord It was grown into a Proverb the wayes of God were so tedious and irksome But now do but see how Godly men speak of the wayes of God See what David saith Psal 19.7 8 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart vers 9 10. The judgements of the Lord are righteous altogether more to be desired than gold than much fine gold sweeter than the honey and honey comb They do not cry Depart we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes they do not call them a burden So Psal 119. vers 72. The Law of thy mouth is better to mee than thousands of gold and silver vers 130. How sweet are thy words to my taste sweeter than honey See how David speaketh of the will of God the wise man telleth us Prov. 13.19 It is an abomination to fools to depart from evill It is an abomination to depart from sin it is that hee hates The fool that is the wicked man It may bee hee doth depart from some sins his conscience makes him depart from some sin fear of Hell the terrors of the Law but it is an abomination hee may depart from it but hee hates it with his very life not sin but the departing from sin that hee must part with his drunkenness the Drunkard would fain have his cups and the Adulterer his Quean but his conscience so terrifieth him that he dares not have them but departs from them but hee hateth the departing from them But see a godly man it is his delight to part from them Psal 119. vers 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold upon me but thy Commandements are my delight vers 47. I delight my self in thy Commandements which I have loved A hundred and twenty times in this Psalm the Psalmist useth such phrases as express his affection unto the wayes of God I delight in thy Law I love thy testimonies 4 That Sanctification that ariseth from natural conscâ—ence that is most when conscience is most unquâ—et Wee read that Ahab humbled himself but never but when his conscience was troubled But that Sanctification which ariseth from faith is then most when the soul is most quiet If at any time the soul is least in duties of Sanctification it is when the conscience is most unquiet 5 Lastly That Sanctification that ariseth from natural conscience makes a man an enemy to all these that are truly and spiritually sanctified Ishmael the son of the Bond-woman persecuteth the son of the Free-woman So all the stock of Ishmael they that are sanctified with an outward Sanctification will persecute those that are truly sanctified Therefore there were none such great enemies to Christ as the Scribes and Pharisees that had outward Sanctification they were they that stirred up persecution they were the great and worst enemies to true Sanctification But that poor soul that is truly spiritually sanctified is a friend to all those that are truly sanctified they love them the more the move Sanctification they can see in them the more of the Image of God they can see upon any souls the more they love them The life of Faith in expectation 1 Cor. 5.7 For wee walk by faith and not by sight THe observation that we are upon is this That the life of Faith is the proper life of Saints in this world We are speaking to this question What those things are which a Christian is to live by faith in I have told you that the phrase of living by faith is taken in Scripture in respect of Justification Sanctification Expectation and Perseverance we have spoken of the two former now of the third the life of Faith relating to a Christians Expectation a Christian is to live upon God in way of expectation to wait upon God he is to expect much in way of faith That wee are to live by faith in this respect is clear from that testimony of Habakkuk in the second Chapter and the third vers For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak at the fourth vers But the just shall live by his faith by his faith the time whilst the Vision is delayed he lives by his faith expecting much while much is delayed expecting the fulfilling of the Promises while it is delayed all the time that much is delayed all that time of a Christian he is to live by faith the Scripture tells us that Abraham beleeved God he had a promise and it was delayed year after year hee looks for the promise and for the performance thereof and yet delayed Abraham looked for the mercy in way of faith and the fulfilling of the promise was made to him but hee must first wait for it In the handling of these things wee shall shew you 1 What those things are that a Christian waits for
what those things are that a Christian expects by faith 2 How Faith acts the soul in this business of expectation 3 Why we must live by faith in this respect 4 What manner of waiting that is that comes in beleeving And so apply it First Those things that a Christian waits for and expects are many but a Christian doth by saith wait for something more especially that he doth expect and wait for in a special manner as 1 The fulfilling of Promises if the Lord hath made a promise to the soul or it the soul hath been made to wait upon a word of promise now he waits upon God beleevingly to see the accomplishment of this promise David had a word of promise from the Lord and waits upon the Lord for the accomplishment of it Psal 119.49 ver Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope hee had a word and grounds his hope upon it waits upon God for the fulfilling of it So we read of Simeon that just and holy man spoken of in the second of Luke vers 26. he had a word that he should not dye until he saw Jesus Christ in the Flesh and he waited for the consolation of Israel he had a word and waited for it at the 25. and 26. verses A word was given in to him and it was revealed to him by the Spirit that he should see Christ and hee waited for the accomplishment of it so a poor soul when it hath any promise given in by the Lord or is enabled to take hold on any promise and meets with a promise sutable to its condition a soul that lives by faith waits upon God for the fulfilling of this promise 2 Again another thing that a soul waits for is the return of his prayers Prayers are the great ventures of a Christian according as a soul speeds or not speeds in these so he is either rich or poor these being a Christians great ventures he is waiting for their return to see what comes home and who comes richly loaden or not this in Psalm 85.4 5. ver the Psalmist having been earnestly praying to God Turn us O God of our salvation wilt thou be angry with us for ever shew us thy mercy O Lord and grant us thy salvation the Psalmist having been praying hard he waits upon God for an answer at the eighth vers I will hear what God the Lord will speak he had been praying and looks up now for an answer I will attend now for an answer for he will speak peace to his people and to his Saints I am sure I shall have an answer of peace and I will hear I will stand waiting for an answer And so the Prophet Habbak 1.2 How long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy one c. all the chapter is prayer now in the beginning of the second Chap. Habakkuk stands upon the Watch Tower to see if any answer cometh at the first vers I will stand upon my watch and will watch to see what hee will say unto me hee had been praying and now hee would stand upon his watch tower The watch towers are places in Cities where some stand to discry an enemies coming so in the Kings Jehu's coming was discryed by a Watchman in 2 King 9.17 And there stood a Watch man on the tower of Jezerel and he spied the company of Jehu as he came so Habakkuk here hee had been at prayer and hee went up to his Watch-tower to discry the coming of an answer and waits for the return of his prayer A poor soul that is another thing he waits for for the returns of prayer such a soul says I have prayed and I will wait for it as a wise Merchant sends out a Venture takes care of it and hearkens out for it and when it comes home hee looks for his gains c. So a Christian when he trafficks for Heaven he does not let it go and never mindes it but inquires after it and looks for his gaine and returns and thus he does wait for the return of his prayer that is the second thing 3 Again another thing a soul waits for is the return of Gods countenance it is not always Sun-shine here below sometimes Clouds doth interpose to hinder the Sun beams and cause darkness and obscurity so it is not always Sun-shine with a poor soul sometimes Clouds get in between the countenance of God and a poor soul and hinders the comfort of a poor soul and sometimes when it is so and it is not as it hath been formerly the soul waits then for the return of his countenance Psal 130.5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning he waits and he waits and waits more for God than they that watch for the morning Where was he why hee was in the depths as in a dungeon and could not see the light of Gods countenance in a dark condition and there waits and O when shall I see God again and so likewise at another time when the countenance of God was hidden from him and much dejected in Psal 42.5 6 7. O my soul why art thou disquieted within me trust in God who is the help of thy countenance and thy God and he puts his soul in waiting upon God for I shall yet praise him and behold him who is the help of my countenance and my God 4 Again as for the return of Gods countenance so he waits likewâ—se for the Churches deliverance that is another thing when the Church is under any trial or affliction in captivity he waits for the deliverance of the Church thus in Habakkuk The just shall live by his faith when the people were in Babilonish Captivity they lived by saith for the return of their Captivity so Gods people are called Watchmen in Isaiah Isa 62.6 I have set Watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem What do they watch for for the deliverance of Zion they wait for the prosperity of Gods people and the deliverance of the Church of God 5 Another thing is The ruine of Gods enemies as they wait for the prosperity of the Church of God so for the ruine of Gods enemies Zeph. 3.8 Therefore wait yee upon me saith the Lord that I may assemble the Nations the Kingdomes to pour upon them my indignation anger jealousie God hath a design to gather together his enemies to their ruine and destruction Wait upon mee untill I gather them together and till they bee destroyed 6 Again one more The soul waits for the Lords second coming that 's a thing the soul may wait for Heb. 10.38 The just shall live by faith Now look in the former words and hee shall live by faith in the expectation of Christs second coming
vers 37. Hee that shall come will come and will not tarry So in Chap. 9. vers 28. To them that look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation What a looking waiting and expectation for Christs second coming in the Spirit Rev. the last Chap. v. 17. The Spirit and the Bride saith come here is coming waiting longing the Spirit cries come and the Bride cryes come the Spirit in the hearts of the people of God cryes come waiting for Christs coming yea this is made a character of a Christian and a great work of the Gospel to wait for Christs coming 1 Thess 1.9 10. They themselves shew of us what manner of entring in we had unto you And to wait for his Son from heaven It is the character given of the Thessalonians a waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ and a great Gospel-work to wait for Christs coming Thus what it is that Christians wait and expect for Secondly How the life of faith acts or how faith is helpful to a soul in this business of a Christians Expectation and waiting First Faith or the life of faith it ever seeks out some promise upon which it may ground an Expectation of that mercy that it waits for I say the life of faith it ever looks out some Promise upon which it may ground an expectation of that mercy it waits for Faith it must have its word and therefore the soul that doth by faith expect and wait for any mercy it ever looks out for a word and promise goes ever to the word to see what ground it hath to stand upon and to wait for such a mercy the life of faith does turn over the Bible and looks out the promise findes out the promise of that mercy never rests till it have a promise and then it pitches its standard upon the promise and there it stands and looks up to heaven waiting for the accomplishment of that promise When Daniel did expect the Deliverance of the people of Israel out of the Babylonish Captivity he did ground it upon a promise The Prophet Jeremy had foretold it should continue seventy years now Daniel goes to the promise and when they were expired prayes unto God for the deliverance and upon this word of promise seeks God and beleeves it indeed and expects it from the promise Secondly As Faith doth cause a soul to seek out a promise so having found the promise does not limit God to any time or way for the fulfilling of this promise Another soul that doth not live by faith if so bee that hee doth wait upon God at all yet hee will limit God and tye up God to his own time and way Israel limited the holy One Psal 78.41 and hee that expects much in the way of faith that soul will not limit God to his time and way if I have it not to day I can wait no longer no that soul will wait upon God Gods time as David sayes Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hand So sayes a soul Times and seasons of mercy are in thy hands if I should have it now to day I should bee glad and rejoyce and bless the Lord for it if thou dost withhold it My times are in thy hands yet I desire to wait no reason that I should speak against the Lord and entertain hard thoughts of God if thou withhold the mercy yet I will wait for it Take thy own time O Lord. Then it doth not limit God to any way of performance A soul that expects mercy in way of faith it doth not limit God to any way so far as concerns Expectation it is not the way of faith to limit God to any way An ungodly man will many times tye God to wayes But a soul that doth by faith expect a mercy that soul leaves God to his own way We read of Moses once or twice tying God up to his own way When the people were in great streights Exod. 14 at the red Sea 14 15. vers The Lord shall sight for you and yet shall hold your peace And the Lord said unto Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto mee Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward Moses at the 13. verse goes and layes out a way and that was to stand still and God would destroy their enemies and that was not Gods way hee goes to God and cryes unto him that hee would come with some immediate hand and destroy them from heaven this was Moses way and now Gods way was that they should go forward and pass through the Sea at the 16 vers But lift up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the Sea and divide it and the Children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the Sea Now Moses bid them to stand still but God bids them to go for ward and so they did did not ty up God to his own way And so at another time wee finde Moses limiting of God Numb 11. for want of flesh the Children of Israel murmured well sayes the Lord Therefore the Lord will give you flesh and yee shall eat yee shall not eat one day nor two dayes nor five dayes neither ten dayes nor twenty dayes but even a whole month 18 19 20 vers And Moses said at the 21. vers The people amongst whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat an whole month shall the flicks and herds be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them Moses thought of no way unless their flocks were killed or the fish of the sea to bee gathered together and Moses thought this the way and so prescribes God a way So a soul so far as it is waiting upon God and not in faith it will prescribe God a way but a soul that doth expect in faith for a mercy it will not bee prescribing God a way So Abraham hee leaves God to his own way God bids him offer up his Son hee doth not say Why my Son why how will thy promise bee accomplished and made good art not thou faithfull Abraham leaves God to his own way and beleeved that God could finde a way for the fulfilling of the promise and did not limit God to any way a soul that lives by faith waits upon God for the fulfilling of the promise and doth not limit the Lord to any time or way of his own Thirdly The life of faith in our Expectation as it doth cause the soul to look out to the promise and having the promise doth not tye or limit the Lord to his own time or way for the accomplishment of it so it doth perswade the soul though it know not the time when yet a time there is wherein the promise shall be fulfilled and that mercy I wait for shal be given in It doth perswade the soul that there is a