[3.] He hath love enough. God doth concern himself in all our affairs: 1 Tim. iv. 10, 'We trust in the living God, who is the saviour of all men, especially of those that believe.' A protector and deliverer ; yea, it is said he saveth man and beast, Ps. xxxvi. 6. The object of his providence is very large. All creatures have their being and preservation from him, much more man, much more his children. They are allowed to believe a special providence, and the more they depend upon him, the more is his care assured to them : 1 Peter v. 7, ' Cast all your care upon the Lord, for he careth for you/ The Lord is free from all passions of care and sorrow, but we shall find no less proof of his keeping off danger, or delivering us from danger, than if we were solicitous for ourselves. Surely our Father is not unmindful of us.
3. Because there is no difficulty that can fall out to check this confidence, which is built upon God's undertaking, and sufficiency to make it good.
[1.] Not any danger from men, though of never so dreadful an appearance : 2 Cor. i. 10, ' Who hath delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.' The danger was trouble in Asia, a great danger, pressed above measure and above strength. Great trouble was at Ephesus, where the people in an uproar were ready to tear him in pieces, so that he received the sentence of death in himself ; yet God found a way and means to save, and he came off safe and sound.
[2.] Not any appearance of anger from God himself : Job xiii. 15, ' Though he slay me, yet I will put my trust in him.' Sometimes trouble may represent God as the party dealing with us ; yet faith can take him for a friend when he seemeth to deal like an enemy ; and we must resolve to adhere to God and his ways, and trust his power, with submission to his good-will and pleasure, and believe that he hath more respect and care over us than is seen in the present dispensation.
Thirdly, It is natural to all to seek deliverance out of troubles : Isa. Ii. 14, ' The captive exile hasteth that he may be delivered, and that he should not die in the pit.' How then is it any part of grace to long for God's salvation ?
I answer — It is proper to the godly to love no deliverance but what God sendeth by his own means, in his own time, and to wait for it in God's way.
1. There is somewhat of grace in it, that they look for salvation from God alone, as the author, and are resolved to take it out of his hands, whencesoever it cometh. Men naturally would be avrapKos, live upon himself, be sufficient to his own happiness ; and so they
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are vexed when they are left upon God, and put upon dependence and submission and waiting upon him ; for they think it little worth to wait upon God as long as any other shift will serve the turn. As Ahaz, when troubled with the fear of Bezin and Pekah, and the prophet assureth him of God's salvation, and biddeth him ask a sign : Isa. vii. 11-13, ' I will not tempt the Lord.' I will not trust the Lord, he meaneth, though he useth that pretence ; his expectation was fixed on the friendship of his confederates. If he had asked a sign of God, he must wait for the issue in God's way. Now Ahaz could not endure to trust God alone ; he depended on the Assyrian, and not on God's salvation ; he believed nothing the prophet spake, but counted it vain and frivolous, and was resolved to go another way to work.
2. God's salvation as to the means ; not by our shifts, that maketh a breach upon our sincerity : Gen. xvii. 1 , 'I am God Almighty ; walk before me, and be thou upright.' A man that doth not trust God cannot be long true to him. You go off from God to the creature by distrust and unbelief, Heb. iii. 12. This is making more haste than good speed, Isa. xxviii. 10. It plungeth us in sin ; it is the greatest hypocrisy that can be, to pretend respect to God, and shift for ourselves ; it is to break prison, to get out of trouble before God letteth us out.
3. In his own time, ' Thy salvation.' They resolve to wait till he sendeth it. Carnal men, when other means and expectations fail, will seek to God ; they are beaten to him. But if their expectation in waiting upon God be delayed, they wax weary and faint ; as that king put on sackcloth for a while, 2 Kings vi. 30, afterwards said, ' This evil is from the Lord ; why should I wait on the Lord any longer ? ' They give it over as a hopeless service.
4. That in the height of trouble they still go to God, and will not cast away their confidence and dependence, come what will come : Isa. xxvi. 8, 'In the way of thy judgments we have waited for thee ; our desires are to thee, and to the remembrance of thy name.' They still look to him, and though often disappointed, will seek salvation from no other : they still cleave to God's way : Ps. xliv. 17, ' All this is come upon us, yet have we not forsaken thee, nor dealt falsely in thy covenant.' They persevere in prayer : Ps. Ixxxviii. 13, 14, ' Unto thee have I cried in the morning ; my prayer shall prevent thee, Lord ! Why castest thou me off? why hidest thou thy face from me ?' They will not give over, but show their vehement longings after God ; whereas wicked and carnal men, when great troubles continue, are driven to despair, and give over all hope.