people, if he had had a mind to have gone this way to the crown ; but he knew those plausible arguments for such a fact, which would have pleased the mul- titude, would not have pacified his own conscience, and this stayed his hand from any such ripping open the womb of the promise, to come to the crown, but left it to go its full time ; and he lost nothing by it.
Secondly, There flows in a fulness of benediction with an enjoyment reaped in God's full time, which is lost for want of patience to wait. Now this bene- diction is paid in to the waiting soul's bosom two ways. First, He hath it sweetened to him with the love and favour of God for his comfort, which he cannot so well expect that carves for himself, and cannot stay for God in his own time to lay it on his trencher. There is guilt ever to be found in the company of impatience and distrust ; and where guilt is contracted in the getting of an enjoyment, there can be little sweetness tasted when it comes to be used. Oh, guilt is an embittering thing ! it keeps the soul in a continual fear of hearing ill jiews from heaven ; and a soul in fear is not in a situation to relish the sweetness of a mercy. Such an one may haply have a little tumultuous joy, and warm himself awhile at this rash fire of his own kindling, till he comes to have some serious discourse with his own heart, about the w-ay and manner of getting the enjoyment, and this is sure to send such a damp to the heart of the poor creature, as will not suffer that fire long to burn clear. Oh what a stab is it to the heart of an oppressor, to say of his great wealth, as that king of his crown, * Here is a fair estate, but God knows how I came by it!' What a wound to the joy of the hypocrite, — I have pretended to a great deal of comfort, but God knows how I came by it ! Whereas the Christian, who receives any comfort, inward or outward, from God's hand, as a return of his patient waiting, hath none of these sad thoughts to scare him and break his draught when tlie cup is at his mouth. He knows where he had his outward estate and inward comfort; he can bring God to vouch for both, that they are with his leave and liking. There is a great difference between the joy of the husbandman, at the getting in of his corn in harvest, and the thief's joy, who hath stolen some sheaves out of another's field, and is making merry with his booty. Possibly you may hear a greater noise, and louder shouts of joy in the thief's house than the honest husbandman's, yet there is no comparison between them. An officer's knock at the thief's door, to search his house for stolen goods, spoils his mirth. Oh what fear and shame must then take hold on his guilty heart, who hears God coming to search for his stolen mercies and comforts. Secondly, The waiting soul hath enjoyment sanctified to him for his good, and this another wants with all he hath. And what is the blessing of mercy, but to have it to do us good? Hasty spirits grow worse by enjoyments gathered out of season. This is a sore evil indeed, to have wealth and comfort for our hurt. It was the sin of Israel, ' they waited not for his counsel,' Psa. cvi. 13. God had taken them as his charge, and un- tertook to provide for them if they would have stood to his allowance ; but they could not stay his leisure, but ' lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert,' ver. 14. They must have what pleaseth their palate, and when their own impatient hearts call ; and so they had : ' He gave them their request,' ver. 15 ; but they had better have been without their feast, for they did not thrive by it : ' He sent leanness into their soids,' ver. 15. A secret curse came with their enjoyments, which soon appeared in those great sins they were left to commit, ver. 16 : ' They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord;' as also the heavy judgments by which God did testify against them for the same, Numb. xi. iil ; whereas mercies that are received in God's way and time prove meat of better nourishment to the waiting soul : they do not break out into such blotches and plague-sores as these. As the other are fuel for lust, so these are food to the saints' graces, and make them more humble and holy: see this in Isa. xxx. 18, 19, compared with ver. 22, where they, as a fruit of their patient waiting on God for tlu'ir outward deliverance, have with it that which is more worth than the deliverance itself, that is, grace to imjjrove and use it holily. It was a great mercy that Hamiah had, after her many prayers and long waiting, a son ; but a greater that she had a heart to give up her son again to God, who gave him to lier. To have estate, health, or any other enjoyment, upon waiting on God for the same, is mercy ; but not to be
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