We must wait upon God, and trust in him, though we do not see him, yea, though we cannot see him, for Judgement is before him. That of the Prophet (Isa. 50.10.) is a clear proof of this duty, (and some expound this Scripture specially respecting outward dark providences, as others of inward darkness, or darkness of spirit) Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voice of his servants, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light (as Job saith here, I shall not see him) What shall a poor benighted soul do in that case? The answer or advice followeth) Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. How dark soever our condition is, yet it is our duty to trust upon God; and if once we are enabled to give God the glory due to his name, in confessing, that Judgement is before him, we shall readily trust upon him, to order all things for us, though all things seem out of order, even to amazement though we see heaven and earth, as it were, confounded, yet we shall readily trust upon him, because we believe, that even then Judgement is before him. How soon can he turn our darkness into light, who in the first Creation, when all lay together in a confused heap, and darkness over all, b•ought forth light and set all in order? The Lord can command light out of darkness, good out of evil, order out of confusion, and he can do all this easily, and at an instant; therefore whatever the appearances of things are, let not us judge according to appearance, but hope ⟨p. 113⟩and wait, and stick to what God hath promised. Though providences appear cross to promises and prophesies, yet they never frustrate either. Let us also be sure to stick to the commandments of God, for we may rest assured, God will stick to his promises. To keep Commandments is our work, to keep promises is Gods work; though we fail much in our work, God will not fail at all in his work: To believe this, is the highest and truest work of faith. But if we are faithful in our work, the keeping of Commandments, we have a further evidence, that God will be faithful in his work, the keeping or fulfilling of promises, (a great part, the most spiritual part of Gods fulfilling promises, being his enabling of us to keep Commandments) and then we shall be able to say, not only in faith, but from experience, that Judgement is before him.
We must wait upon God, and trust in him, though we do not see him, yea, though we cannot see him, for Judgement is before him. That of the Prophet (Isa. 50.10.) is a clear proof of this duty, (and some expound this Scripture specially respecting outward dark providences, as others of inward darkness, or darkness of spirit) Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voyce of his servants, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light (as Job saith here, I shall not see him) What shall a poor benighted soul do in that case? The answer or advice followeth) Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. How dark soever our condition is, yet it is our duty to trust upon God; and if once we are enabled to give God the glory due to his name, in confessing, that Judgement is before him, we shall readily trust upon him, to order all things for us, though all things seem out of order, even to amazement though we see heaven and earth, as it were, confounded, yet we shall readily trust upon him, because we believe, that even then Judgement is before him. How soon can he turn our darkness into light, who in the first Creation, when all lay together in a confused heap, and darkness over all, b•ought forth light and set all in order? The Lord can command light out of darkness, good out of evil, order out of confusion, and he can do all this easily, and at an instant; therefore whatever the appearances of things are, let not us judge according to appearance, but hope ⟨p. 113⟩and wait, and stick to what God hath promised. Though providences appear cross to promises and prophesies, yet they never frustrate either. Let us also be sure to stick to the commandements of God, for we may rest assured, God will stick to his promises. To keep Commandements is our work, to keep promises is Gods work; though we fayle much in our work, God will not fayle at all in his work: To believe this, is the highest and truest work of faith. But if we are faithful in our work, the keeping of Commandements, we have a further evidence, that God will be faithful in his work, the keeping or fulfilling of promises, (a great part, the most spiritual part of Gods fulfilling promises, being his enabling of us to keep Commandements) and then we shall be able to say, not only in faith, but from experience, that Judgement is before him.
