[page 226 of volume 6]
‘I wait for the Lord, yea, my soul waiteth.
These words do show the estate and disposition of the holy man after his prayer. Though he had formerly sense of mercy and pardon, yet he waits for more full and sweet apprehension thereof. In them we may observe, first, though God be exceeding gracious, yet there is matter of waiting, so long as we live here on earth, for he gives not all the fulness of his blessing at once. Though he may give taste of pardon of sin in present, yet not presently deliverance out of danger. ‘The light of the righteous shineth more and more unto the perfect day,’ Proverbs 4:18. There is no day that is perfected in an instant; and the reasons hereof may be,
Reason 1. First, To force us to search our souls, whether we be fit for blessing; whether we be thoroughly humbled, and have thoroughly repented or not. Thus dealt he with Jonas, and thus with the children of Israel for Achan’s cause.
Reason 2. Secondly, It may be a means to stir us up to more earnestness in seeking: to make us like the woman of Canaan, more earnest the more she was repelled.
Reason 3. Thirdly, He gives us occasion of waiting, to show the truth and soundness of his graces in us; otherwise should we have no means to try how the grace in us would serve us in time of need.
Reason 4. Fourthly, Hereby God doth endear those favours that we want, that it may come the more welcome to us, and we be the more thankful for it. Thus God dealt with this holy man; and thus doth he with his church. For while we live here we are always children of hope; not miserable, because we have a sweet taste of what we hope for, and not perfectly happy, because we want fulness. Before Christ they hoped for his coming in the flesh; since Christ, we look for his ‘second coming in glory;’ in grace we look for glory; and when our souls are in glory, they look for the redemption of the bodies, and for the day of restoring of all things. ‘How long, Lord, how long?’ Revelation 6:10. Else would this life be heaven to us; and we should not desire or pray, ‘Lord, let thy kingdom come.’
Use. And for use, This should whet in us our desires and prayers for our heavenly estate; and not make our heaven here on earth, but desire earnestly the full harvest, by considering how excellent the first-fruits of glory in this life are; and with the creature, Romans 8:19, ‘wait, and expect, and long, and groan for the time of the dissolution of all things and make this a note to discern of our estate; for it is a certain infallible token of a good frame of spirit in us, if we can long for that better life in the fulness, that we have here; that we can desire to be with Christ. Furthermore, note this as a difference between the estates of the wicked and the godly. The wicked must look for worse and worse continually. His best is here, and while he hath this world; but the godly, their worst is here, their best is to come.
Standing Before God, This We Are and No More 