An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Thirdly, Flesh and blood under these heavy troubles, doth also speak sinfully ¹about the Perpetuity of them; as if after such a black night, there would never arise a fair day. This froward and peevish corruption within thee, saith, It will never be otherwise. Thus it spake in David, when he said, I shall one day perish by the house of Saul. Yea in several Psalms, the Church complaineth, As if God had cast off for ever, and that he would remember her no more. Thus the corrupt principle lieth continually in thy bosom, not like a Delilah, enticing and deceiving, but like a thorn in thy side daily vexing and tormenting of thee. David being experimentally exercised, both in the sense of corruption, and also in the sense of grace, we find him sometimes speaking this voice within him, Psal. 31. 22. I said in my haste, I am cut off from thine eyes. Psal. 94. 18. When I said, my foot slippeth, thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. Psal. 116. 11. I said in my haste all men are liars. By these instances we see, what an hasty principle a man hath within him under troubles. For, who can expect to have a better heart than David, that was after Gods own heart? and yet we hear him often complaining, that in his haste he was ready to speak such and such things, especially that there would never come any help to him, and that the Prophets of God were but liars, deceiving him with vain hopes. But the voice of Gods Spirit speaketh far otherwise, in a more calm and sweet manner. As it was in the vision to Elijah, God was not in the fire, nor in the tempest, but in the still voice: So commonly grace is not seen in those hasty, boisterous, impetuous thoughts, but in a more serene and calm way. Now (I say) if we sit still, and hear what God speaketh to his people in such great pressures, it is the clean contrary, Isa. 54. 7. As it were for a little moment have I forsaken, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee. We see the holy practice of Habakkuk likewise notably to this purpose, Habak. 2. 1, 3. Because God did delay, he would stand upon the Tower, and watch to see what God would say to him. Thus do thou in thy expectations of deliverance.