Reason (1). God doth defer his deliverance when we are in dangers, partly, as you see here, to perfect the work of mortification of self-confidence, to subdue trust in any earthly thing. St Paul by this learned not to trust in himself.
2. And then to strengthen our faith and confidence in God ; when we are di'awn from all creatures to learn to trust in him.
3. And to sweeten his deliverance when it comes, to endear his favours ; for then they are sweet indeed, after God hath beat us out of ourselves. Summer and spring are sweet after winter. So it is in this vicissitude and intercourse that God useth. Favour after affliction and crosses, is favour indeed. That makes heaven so sweet to God's children when they come there, because they go to heaven out of a great deal of misery in this world.
4. And partly likewise God defers it /or his own glory, that it may be known for his mere work ; for when we are at a loss, and the soul can reason thus, God must help or none can help, then God hath the glory. Therefore in love to his own glory he defers it so long.
5. Again, he useth to defer long, that he might the more shame the enemies at length ; for if the affliction be from the insolency and pride of the. enemies, he defers deliverance, till they be come to the highest pitch, and then he ariseth as ' a giant refreshed with wine, and smites his enemies in the hinder parts,' Ps. Ixxviii. 66. He is as it were refreshed on the sudden. And as it is his greatest glory to raise his children when they are at the lowest ; so it is his glory to confound the pride of the enemies when it is at the highest. If he should do it before, his glory would not shine so much in the confusion of them, and their enterprises against his children. One would think he should not have let Pharaoh alone so long ; hut he got him glory the more at the last, in confounding him in the Red Sea. So Haman came very far, almost to the execution of the decree he had gotten by his policy and malice ; and then God delivered his church and confounded Haman. These and the like reasons may be given to shew that God in heavenly and deep wisdom doth not presently deliver his children.
Use. The proper use of it is, that we should learn not to be hasty and short-spirited in God's dealing, but learn to practise that which we are often enjoined, to wait on God, to wait his good leisure.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VKE. 10. 103
Especially considering that which is the second point, let that satisfy us, that
Doct. 2. After God luith done Jiis work, he irill. deliver.
Let us wait, for he will deliver at length. Perhaps his time is not yet that he will deliver ; but usually when all is desperate, when he may have all the glory, then he delivers. He delivered the three young men, but they were put into the fire first, and the furnace was made seven times hotter, that he might have the glory in consuming their enemies. So he delivered Hezekiah in his time, but it was when the enemy was even ready to seize upon the city, Isa. xxxvii. 14, seq. He promised St Paul that not one man should perish in the ship, but yet they suffered shipwreck, they went away only with their lives. Acts xxvii. 24, 44. God doth so deliver his, that he doth not suffer them to perish in the danger.
Use. Therefore let us stay his time, and unit. It may be it is not God's time yet.
When shall we know that it is God's time to deliver, that we may wait with comfort ?
(1.) God knows his o^vn time best ; but usually it is when :re are hroiKjht. ven/ loir, and when our spirits are low. When we are brought very low, both in regard of human support, and in regard of our spirits, when we are humble, when our souls ' cleave to the dust,' Ps. cxix. 25. ' Help, Lord,' for we are brought very low. ' Help, Lord, for vain is the help of man,' Ps. Ix. 11.
When the church can plead so, it is a good plea. When we are at the lowest, and the malice of the enemy is at the highest, when the waters swell, ' Help, Lord, for the waters are come into my very soul,' Ps. Ixix. 1 ; when we are very low, and the enemies very high, as we see in Pharaoh ; and so in Herod, when he was in the height of his pride, when he was in all his glory, God takes him there.
Thus God delivers his, and confounds his enemies. I join them both together, for the one is not commonly without the other. The annoyance of God's children is from their enemies. Therefore when he delivers the one he confounds the other. W^hen the malice of the one is at the highest, and the state of the other is at the lowest, and their spirits are afflicted and cast down with their estate, then is the time when God will deliver.