A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

or doth he immediately say, I have laboured in vain, here is no return, I will pull up the hedge of this field and lay it waste? or I see a little grass in the blade, but no corn, I will give it to the beasts to devour it? No, his God, as the Prophet speaks, instructs him unto discretion and teacheth him; namely, what he must do, and how he must look for things in their season. And shall not we be instructed by him? behold the Husbandman, saith James, waiteth for the precious fruit of the Earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain, Jam. 5. 7. And is Light sown for them that are in darkness, and shall they stifle the seed under the clods, or spoil the tender blade, that is springing up, or refuse to wait for the watering and dews of the Spirit, that may bring it forth to perfection? Waiting is the only way to Establishment and Assurance; we cannot speed by our haste; yea nothing puts the end so far away, as making too much haste and speed in our Journey. The ground hereof is, that a sense of a special interest in forgiveness and acceptance, is given into the soul by a mere act of Sovereignty. It is not, it will not be obtained by or upon any rational conclusions or deductions that we can make: All that we can do is but to apply our selves to the removal of hinderances. For the Peace and Rest sought for, come from mere prerogative. When he giveth quietness, who can give trouble? and when he hideth his face, who can behold him? Job 34. 29. Now what is the way to receive that which comes from mere Sovereignty and prerogative? doth not the nature of the thing require humble waiting? If then either Impatience cast the soul into frowardness, or weariness make it slothful, which are the two ways whereby waiting is ruined; Let not such an one expect any comfortable Issue of his contending for deliverance out of his depths. And let not any think to make out their difficulties any other way: their own Reasonings will not bring them to any establishing conclusions; for they may lay down propositions, and have no considerable objections to lye against either of them, and yet be far enough from that sweet consolation, joy and assurance which is the product of the conclusion, when ⟨p. 295⟩God is not pleased to give it in; yea a man may sometimes gather up consolation to himself upon such terms, but it will not abide. So did David, Psal.