3. Though it be a sin and punishment, yet the fault is not in God's delay, but in the weakness and faintness of our hope. There was a fault in our first resolution for faith and patience. Tlie children of God usually set to themselves a shorter period than the Lord doth. And so God is not slack, but we are hasty : 2 Peter iii. 9, ' The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' And there is a weakness in the €xercise of our faith and patience. They that look long for good, and the succour of his promises, the delay is troublesome to them. ' Hope deferred maketh the heart sick,' Pro v. xiii. 1 2. Hope belongeth to
YeR. 82.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 369
love ; and the affections of pursuit and love maketh absence tedious when afflicted in the interim ; but faith and dependence upon God should keep us waiting, and patience should enable us to tarry his leisure : Jonah ii. 4, ' I said, I am cast out of thy sight, yet I will look again toward the holy temple.' There is our fault, that we give over hope and calling upon God, and depending on him, and holding fast on his covenant and promise, which we should not do. When God seemeth to turn his back on the saints, yet they will not forsake liim.
4. The hopes of God's children fail them long, though not for ever. He many times bringeth his children to a low ebb, and doth for a long time withhold his aid, yet he doth not altogether forsake them : Isa. liv. 7, 8, ' For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer.'
Use. Well, then, let us not be over-troubled at the delay of the pro- mised and expected blessings.
1. We are hasty for mercy, slow to duty : Ps. cii. 2, ' When I call, answer me speedily.' We cry, How long? But how justly may God cry, How long ? We complain of the delay of the promise ; God may more justly complain of the delay of our obedience. How long do we make God stay and wait till our leisure come ? Jer. iv. 14, ' 0 Jeru- salem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee ? ' and Jer. xiii. 27, ' 0 Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? ' To-day, now is the time we set God for mercy, to-morrow for duty. God must tarry our sinful leisure, and we will not tarry his holy leisure. God is our sovereign, we are debtors to him. Ours is a debt, his a free gift. If God had been as quick with you as you with him, where had you been ?
2. It argueth weakness ; a short walk is a long journey to the weak and sickly. It is the impatience of our flesh and the weakness of our faith. We would make short work for faith and patience, but God seeth then our graces would not be found to any praise and honour. God is the best judge of opportunities, therefore all must be left to his will and pleasure. Faith will not count it long ; for to the eye of faith things future and afar off are as present : Heb. xi. 1, 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' It is said, Isa. xxviii. 16, ' He that believeth shall not make haste.' Sense and carnal confidence must have present satisfaction, but faith contents itself with promises. Love will not count it long ; for seven years to Jacob seemed as a few days, Gen. xxix. 20. Sufferings for Christ would not be so tedious, where love ])revaileth. Patience would not count it long. Cannot we tarry for him a little while ? Heb. x. 37, ' Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not- tarry,' €Tt lyap fjLLKpov oaop oaov. We love our own ease, and therefore the cross groweth irksome and tedious.
3. God is a God of judgment : Isa. xxx. 18, ' And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto yon ; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you : for the Lord is a God of judgment ; blessed are all they that wait for him.' Mercy will
VOL. \ii. 2 A
370 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeU. XO.
not come one jot too soon nor one jot too late ; in the fittest time for God to give and us to receive : Heb. iv. 16, evKaipov ^o/]9eiav, 'In tiie time of need.' We think we stay for God, but he stayeth for us. If we were ripe for mercy, God is always ready, for he is a present help : Fs. xlvi. 1, ' God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.'