2r)'2 THE SEVENTH SERMOX. [2 ThES. III. 5.
to loiiJ all his sincere disciples and i)cnitcnt believers into the glory and hai){)iness of the heavenly state. If you believe this, what follows ? That your conversation must be heavenly, cither you must live for lieavcn. as seeking it with all diligence, that you may at length cer- tainly obtaui it, and not be excluded with the wicked, or live upoQ heaven, solacing yourselves in the foresight and hopes of it. Other- wise, to profess this faith, and yet to live as though your happiness were altogether in this world, were to go about to reconcile contra- dictions ; to pretend you place your blessedness in heaven, and yet ily from it as a misery, i ou profess to look and long for that you iiave no mind to. The second notion is patience.
2. Patience, that also hath a great influence upon religion ; for that which destroyef h all religion and godliness is making haste. There- fore it is said, Isa. xxviii. l(i, ' He that believes, shall not make haste.' God's promises are not presently effected ; and if we cannot tarry, but run to our own shifts, because they are next at hand, presently you run into a snare. On the other side it is said. Lam. iii. 26, 'It is good to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of God.' When we can hope and wait, it mightily secures our obedience. Sense is all for present satisfaction, but faith and hope can tarry God's leisure, till those better things which he hath promised do come in hand. Whatever our condition be, afflicted or prosperous, we are in the place and station where God hath set us, and there we must abide till he bring us to his kingdom. Impatience and precipitation is the cause of all mischief. What moved the Israelites to make a golden calf, but impatience, not waiting for Moses, who, according to their mind and fancy, remained too long with God in the mount ? What made Saul force himself to offer sacrifice, but because he could not tarry an hour longer for Samuel, and so lost the kingdom ? 1 Sam. xiii. 12-14. "What made the bad servant, or church officer, to smite his fellow-servant, and eat and drink with the drunken, that is, to abuse church censures, countenance the profane, and smite and curb the godly, but only this ? Mat. xxiv. 48, ' My Lord delays his coming.' He sees the strictest are hated in the world, and the others befriended ; and honour and interest runs that way, and Christ comes not to rectify these disorders. ' My Lord delays his coming.' Hasty men are loth to be kept in suspense and long expectation, and so mis- carry. Look to all sorts of sinners. Tiie carnal and sensual, they cannot wait for the time when they shall have j)leasures for evermore at God's right hand, therefore take up with present delights. Like those who cannot tarry till the grapes be ripe, therefore eat them sour and green. Solid and everlasting pleasures they cannot wait for, therefore choose the pleasures of sin, that are but for a season. A covetous man will wax rich in a day, and cannot tarry the fair leisure of providence ; therefore we arc told, * He that makes haste to be rich cannot be innocent,' Prov. xxviii. 20. An ambitious man will not stay till God gives true crowns and honours in his kingdom, and therefore he must have honour and greatness here, though his climb- ing and aflecting to be built one storey higher in the world cost him the ruin and loss of his soul. All revolt and ajwstasy from God proceeds from hence, because they cannot wait for God's helj), and tarry his
2 ThES. III. 5.] TIIE SEVENTH SERMON. 253
fulfilling the promise ; but finding themselves pressed and destitute, the flesh, that is tender and delicate, grows impatient. It is tedious to suffer for a while, but they do not consider it is more tedious to sufier for evermore. Thence comes also our murmuring and distrustful repining : Ps. xxxi. 22, * I said in my haste, I am cut off; neverthe- less thou heardest the voice of my supplication.' Just at that time when God was about to hear him. So, ' I said in my haste. All men are liars.' And thence also our unlawful attempts, and stepping out of God's way. Men fly to unwarrantable means, because they cannot depend upon God, and wait with patience. Look, as an impetuous river is always troubled and thick, so is a precipitate, impatient spirit out of order, full of distemper, a ready prey to Satan.
IV. The necessity of divine concurrence. The apostle prays here, ' The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patient waiting for Christ.' It concerns this clause as well as the former.
1. As to the carnal and unregenerate. Till their hearts be changed, they can never attain to this patient waiting for Christ, for two reasons: —
[1.] In the wicked there is no sound belief of these things, for they live by sense and not by faith. The apostle tells us, ' He that lacketh grace is blind, and cannot see afar off",' 2 Peter i. 9. Things of another world are too uncertain, and too far off for them to apprehend, so as to be much moved by them. They hear of the coming of Christ, and speak by rote of it after others, but they do not believe it ; therefore, till God enlighten them, how shall they be affected with this matter ?