2 ThES. III. 5.] THE aEVENTH SERMON. 255
[6.] Because our motions are too inconstant. We interrupt the course of our obedience frequently, faint in our afflictions, do not keep up the fervour of our affections, and follow after salvation with that industrious diligence. We need often the Christian watchword, ' The Lord is at hand.' We lose much of our first love, intermit of our first works. Therefore, ' Tlie Lord direct your hearts to the patient waiting for Christ.'
The exhortation is to quicken you to take care of this grace, that you may be constantly exercised in it. While we are upon earth, we should continually be expecting Christ's coming from heaven. The motives may be these : —
1. Before Christ's coming in the flesh, the saints waited for him. ' I have waited for thy salvation, 0 Lord,' saith Jacob, Gen. xlix. 18. And Simeon for Christ, the Saviour of the world ; for so it is eX" plained, ' Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.' And our Lord tells us, ' Abraham rejoiced to see my day,' John viii. 56 ; and it is said of Anna and others, that they ' waited for the consolation of Israel,' Luke ii. 25, 38. And after Clirist was come, the disciples were commanded to ' wait for the promise of the Spirit/ Acts i. 4. So, by parity of reason, we must wait for the coming of Christ ; for that is the next great promise to be accomplished, and the great thing to put life into our religion.
2. The people of God are described by this, 1 Thes. i. 10, * Who wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.' A man would have thought, in those early days, they should have been described by their respect to what was past rather than to what was to come, which was at so great a distance : they should have been described by believing Christ was already come in the flesh, rather than waiting for his coming in glory. No ; this is proposed as an evidence of their sincerity and Christianity, ' Waiting for the coming of Christ.' And so it is said, Heb. ix. 28, ' That Christ would appear unto the salvation of them that look for him.' That is the property of true believers. But they that look not for his coming, love not, and long not for his coming, cannot expect his salvation. It is an allusion to the people, who, upon the day of expiation, when the high priest went into the holiest before the mercy-seat, were waiting for his coming out, that he might solemnly bless them. So must we look for Christ's return, now he is gone within the veil of the heavenly sanctuary, that he may come out and bless us with everlasting blessings.
3. This should move us to it, the benefits that will come to us hereby ; for this waiting for Christ breeds in us contempt of the world, mortification of the flesh, tolerance and enduring of the cross.
[1.] It breeds in us contempt of the world ; because we look for higher and better things to be dispensed to us when Christ comes. * Set not your affections on things on earth, but on things in heaven.* Why ? ' For your life is hid with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory,' Col. iii. 2-4. The more the heart is given to one, the other gets the less. Earthly things be little regarded in comparison of that
25G THE EIGHTH SEUMOK. [El'H. I. S.
glorious state, both of soul and body, which we shall have at Christ's appearance.
[2.] This conduceth to the mortification of the flesh ; therefore we deny ourselves present satisfactions, that we may not be castaways, disallowed in the judgment. ' Be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought to you at the coming of Christ,' 1 Peter i. 13.
[3.] The tolerance and enduring of the cross. This gives a quiet temper in all troubles. We may suffer now, ' but when Christ shall appear, we shall rejoice with exceeding joy,' 1 Peter iv. 13. And then our reward will very much exceed the proportion of our suffer- ings ; they are no more to be set against them than a feather against a talent of lead. * I reckon they are not worthy to be compared,' saith the apostle, Rom. viii. 18, It would be a disgrace to a man's reason that these things should bear any competition with our great hopes : * these light afflictions, that are but for a moment,' with 'that exceed- ing weight of glory,' Christ shall bestow upon us.
For means, all I shall say is this : if you wait for Christ's coming, look upon it as sure and as near : Rev. xxii. 12, ' Behold, I come quickly, and bring my reward with me.' We have the promise of the eternal God for it, so attested, and made out to us with such evi- dence, that we have no reason to doubt of the recompenses of religion. But things at a distance, though never so great, will not leave a due impression upon us : therefore we must look upon this promise with a certainty of persuasion that it will not be long before its accomplish- ment. Thus faith lessens the distance between hope and enjoyment, and enables us comfortably to wait.