But not to insist upon particular promises and revelations, the perform- ance whereof we enjoy here in this present life, we have rich and precious promises of final and full deliverance from all evil, and perfect enjoying of
* ' Induce,' in C.
THE soul's conflict. 251
all good in that life'which is to come ; yet not so to come, but that we have the earnest and first fruits of it here ; all is not kept for heaven. We may say with David, 'Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee,' Ps. xxxi. 19; and not only so, but how great is that goodness which thou hast wrought in them that trust in thee, even before the sons of men ! God treasures not up all his goodness for the time to come, but lays much of it out daily before such as have eyes to behold it.
Now God's main end in revealing such glorious promises of the life to come is, that they might be a ground of comfort to us, and of praise to him even in this life ; and indeed what can be gi'ievous in this world to him. that hath heaven in his eye ? What made our blessed Saviour ' endure the cross, and despise the shame, but the joy of glory to come, set before him?' Heb. xii. 2.
The duty that David brought his heart to, before he had a full enjoyment of what he looked for, was patient waiting, it being God's use to put a long date oftentimes to the performances of his promises. David after he had the promise of a kingdom, was put oft' a long time ere he was invested to it ; Abraham was an old man before he enjoyed his son of the promise ; Joseph stayed a long time before he was exalted ; our blessed Saviour himself was thirty-four years old before he was exalted up into glory.
God defers, but his deferring is no empty space, wherein no good is done, but there is in that space a fitting for promises. Whilst the seed lieth hid in the earth, time is not lost, for winter fits for spring, yea, the harder the winter, the more hopeful the spring ; yet were it a mere empty space, we should hold out, because of the great things to come ; but being only a preparing time, we should pass it with the less discom-agement. Let this support us in all the thwartings of our desire. It is a folly to think, that we should have physic and health both at once. We must endure the working of God's physic. When the sick humom* is carried away and purged, then we shall enjoy desired health. God promiseth forgiveness of sin, but thou findest the burden of it daily on thee. Cheer up thyself : when the morning is darkest, then comes day ; after a weary week comes a sabbath, and after a fight victory will appear. God's time is best, there- fore resolve upon waiting his leisure. For the better demeaning of our- selves herein, we must know we must so wait, that we provoke not in the mean time his patience on whom we depend, by putting forth our hand to any evil, which indeed is a crossing of our hopes. Therefore, n-ctitincj vpon Ood is always joined with doing good. There is an influence in the thing hoped for, in the spirit of him that truly hopes, stirring him up to a suit- able conformity, by purging himself of whatsoever will not stand with the holiness of that condition. Waiting implies all graces, as patience, perse- verance, long-sufiering in holding out, notwithstanding the tediousness of time deferred, courage, and breaking through all difiiculties that stand between. For what is waiting, indeed, but a continuing in a gracious inoftensive course, till the accomplishment of our desires ?
Whence we may discern a main diflerence betwixt a Christian and a carnal man, who is short-spirited, and all for the present. He will have his good here, whereas a saint of God continues still waiting, though all things seem contrary to what he expects. The presence of things to come is such to faith, as it makes it ' despise the pleasure of sin for a season,' Heb. xi. 25. What evidence of goodness is it for a man to be good only upon the apprehension of something that contents him ? Here is the glory of faith, that it can upon God's bare promise, cross itself in things pleasing
252 THE soul's conflict.
to nature, and raise np tlie soul to a disposition some ways answerable to that blessed estate which, though yet it enjoys not, yet it is undoubtedly persuaded of, and looks for. What can encourage us more to wait than this, that the good we wait for is greater than we are able to conceive, yea, greater than we can desire or hope for ?
This was no presumptuous resolution of David's own strength, but it issued from his present truth of heart, so far as he knew the same ; to- gether with an humble dependence upon God, both for deliverance, and a heart to praise him for it ; because God's benefits are usually entire, and are sweetened with such a sense of his love, as causeth a thankful heart, which to a true Christian, is a greater blessing than the deUverance itself, as making the soul better. David doth acknowledge with humble admira- tion, that a heart enlarged comes from God, * Who am I,' saith he, ' and who are my people ?' 1 Chron. sxix. 14.