The poor doubting Christian drawn to Christ. Wherein the main hindrances, which keep men…

But suppose the Lord delays, and does not suddenly accomplish what he intends, and thou hast used Means to receive; he gives not, grants not, sends not Succour according to thy Desire, and the Tenor of the Covenant, as thou conceivest;

4. Then in the fourth Place, FAITH is to take up it's Stand, and stay till it come: As thou resolvest, so it will be: Stay 'till it be, and stay it out. Here is much Work to do. We prevent God's Kindness, when we go away before he be willing to bestow a Kindness on us. But Faith will not do so: He that believes, does not make haste: He makes haste to obey, but he stays, and resolves that it will be. Hab. 2.3. The Vision is for an appointed Time; but at the End it shall speak, and not lie; Therefore wait for it, because it will surely come. Thou art pestered with thy Sins, and hast laboured by Faith to subdue them; and thy Estate is low, and thou hast laboured by Faith for Deliverance: And yet it comes ⟨p. 133⟩not: Therefore stay till God sees fit, and it will come. Psal. 123.2. As the Eyes of Servants look to the Hands of their Masters, and as the Eyes of a Maiden to the Hand of her Mistress; so our Eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have Mercy upon us. It is not, 'till I will, or 'till I see fit, or according to my Mind; but until the Lord have Mercy. We suddenly slide away from the Covenant which the Lord makes with us; because we have it not when we will, therefore we go away. 1 Sam. 13.13. When Samuel tarried long, and the People began to murmur, Saul went and offered a Burnt-offering to the Lord: And therefore Samuel said unto him, Thou hast done foolishly, thou hast not kept the Commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee; for now would the Lord have established thy Kingdom upon Israel for ever. If Saul had stayed the Lord's Time, HE would have established his Kingdom upon Israel for ever: But he prevented the Lord's Kindness, and offered sacrifice unseasonably and sinfully. So it is many Times with a proud, pettish, rash and distempered Heart: If we have not what we would, and when we would, then we are all amort, [i.e. quite dead-hearted,] and murmur, and say, Why should we wait any longer? Thou hast done foolishly: Hast thou prayed and looked to the Promise thus long, and wilt thou now give over? The Lord would