3. To see it made up in God what is wanting in the creature. A christian's life is made up of riddles and mysteries ; he wanteth all things, and yet he hath all things, and can see fulness of supplies in the midst of want, and an all-sufficiency in God, when there is no means of outward help. As a wicked man in the midst of his sufficiency is in straits : Job xx. 22, ' In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits ; ' so a godly man in the midst of his wants can satisfy himself in God. It is the happiness of heaven to have all things in God, with- out the intervention of means, for there ' God is all in all,' 1 Cor. xv. 28. The life of faith is but heaven anticipated and begun : Hab. iiL
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18, ' Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my
salvation.' Yet, that is, ' though the fig-tree do not blossom, and the labom- of the olive fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut oif from the fold, and there shall be no herds in the stall,' ver. 17. AYhen all outward supplies are cut off, to rejoice in such a low condition, that is faith indeed. As David, when all was lost at Ziklag : 1 Sam. XXX. 6, ' David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.' That is living by faith indeed, wdien God's all-sufficiency is enough to us.
4. To wait on the Lord for a final and sanctified issue out of all our afflictions : Ps. xxxvii. 7, ' Kest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.' This waiting is an act of dependence on God as the fountain of our life and happiness, though he seem to turn away from us : Micah vii. 7, ' I will look unto the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation.' And an act of patience, or tarrying the Lord's leisure : he that waiteth, must be content to stay: Isa. xxviii. 16, 'He that believeth shall not make haste,' Faith doth patiently attend upon God: Ps. xl. 1, 'I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined his ear unto me, and heard my cry.' It is not enough to wait for a while, but to wait till the blessing cometh. And it is an act of hope, or an expectation of a comfortable issue : Isa. viii. 17, ' I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him ; ' notwith- standing the present tokens of his wrath and displeasure. He that waiteth is in expectation to receive. Now if we could bring our hearts thus to wait upon God patiently, a blessed end would surely follow ; for none ever waited but they found the deliverance come in due time : Isa. XXV. 9, ' Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us ; this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.' But we are hasty and precipitant, and must have present satisfaction, or else the promises are not for our turn ; our dependence is loose, our patience is quickly tired, and our hope soon lost. When the people saw that Moses stayed too long in the mount, then presently they must have an idol. Samuel directed Saul to go to Gilgal, and there to tarry for him seven days, 1 Sam. x. 8. Saul tarried till the seventh day was come, but could not tarry till the seventh day was over and past, therefore he himself offered sacrifice, 1 Sam. xiii. 12, which cost him the loss of his kingdom. So many bear out a while, but cannot tarry till our Lord cometh to take his work into his own hands, and so miscarry in the very haven, just when God is about to right the wrongs done to his people.
5. Obstinately to cleave to God when he seemeth to thrust us from him by many disappointments : Job xiii. 15, ' Though he slay me, yet I will trust in him.' This is a holy obstinacy that is very acceptable to God : such as blind Bartimeus showed : Mark x. 48, ' Many charged him that he should hold his peace, but he cried the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me ! ' or as the woman of Canaan, that standeth fending and proving with Christ till he giveth her satisfaction, and telleth her, ' 0 woman ! great is thy faith ; be it unto thee, as thou wilt,' Mat. XV. 28. When we turn discouragements into motives of believing, and draw so much the nearer to Christ as he seemeth to drive us away from him, it will be well with such in the issue. For however God seemeth to wrestle with such for a while, yet it is with a purpose to give faith
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the victory, and to yield up himself to do for us what our souls desire of him. This holy obstinacy of faith we should get. Lukewarm deal- ing, however it may please us in a calm day, yet when we are to conflict with great difficulties, and delays of deliverance, nothing but such a kind of faith will make us hold out. You pray, and God keepeth silence, and will not seem to take notice for a time ; as the woman of Canaan called to Christ, and he ' answered her not a word,' Mat. xv. 23. It is not said he heard her not a word, but he answered her not a word : these two differ, Christ often heareth when he doth not answer ; his not answering is indeed an answer, and speaketh this, Pray on, continue your crying still, the door is kept bolted that you may knock again. Afterwards he gives her a rebuke : ver, 26, 'It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to the dogs.' Observe, first ' he answers lier not a word ; ' and then he gave an answer to the disciples, not to the woman, and the answer is sad, She is not within m}^ com- missioa — '■ I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,' ver. 24. Yet she came and saith, ' Lord, help me,' ver. 25. Then he saith, ' It is not meet to take the children's bread, and give it to the dogs: But she fastens upon him, and turns discouragements into arguments — ' Truth, Lord, but the dogs eat of the crumbs thrit fall from their master's table.' ver 27. Then Christ saith unto her, ' 0, woman ! great is thy faith,' ver. 28. Thus when Chri"^! seemctii to look away from you, and to rebuke you, you should cleave to him the more by a holy obstinacy of faith.