You see the reading of the words, and how far the sense of them ' ">ens itself unto us by that consideration.
Ver. 5, 6.] verses 5 and 6 opened. 609
Let us, tlien, next see briefly the several parts of them, as they stand in relation one to another. We have, then, —
1. The exjjression of the duty wherein he was exercised; and that is, earnest waiting for Jehovah.
2. The bottom and foundation of that his waiting and expectation ; that is, the word of God, the word of promise, — he diligently hoped in the word.
8. T^\\e frame of his spirit in, and the manner of his performance of, this duty; expressed, — (1.) In the words themselves that he uses, according as we opened them before. (2.) In the emphatical redu- plication, yea, triplication of his expression of it : " I wait for the Lord;" " My soul waiteth for God;" "My soul waiteth for the Lord." (3.) In the comparison instituted between his discharge of his duty and others' performances of a corporal watch, — with the greatest care and diligence : " More than they that watch for the morning." So that we have, —
1. The duty he performed, — earnest waiting and expectation.
2. The object of his waiting, — Jehovah himself
3. His supportment in that duty, — the word of promise.
4. The manner of his performance of it: — (L) With earnestness and diligence. (2.) With perseverance.
Let us, then, now consider the words as they contain the frame and working of a sin-entangled soul.
Having been raised out of his dej^ths by the discovery of forgive- ness in God, as was before declared, yet not being immediately made partaker of that forgiveness, as to a comforting sense of it, he gathers up his sold from wandering from God, and supports it from sinking under his present condition.
" It is," saith he, " Jehovah alone, with whom is forgiveness, that can relieve and do me good. His favour, his loving-kindness, his com- munication of mercy and grace from thence, is that which I stand in need of On him, therefore, do I with all heedfulness attend ; on him do I wait. My soul is filled with expectation from him. Surely he will come to me, he will come and refresh me. Though he seem as yet to be afar off, and to leave me in these depths, yet I have his word of promise to support and stay my soul ; on which I will lean until I ob- tain the enjoyment of him, and his kindness which is better than life."
And this is the frame of a sin-entangled soul who hath really by faith discovered forgiveness in God, but is not yet made partaker of a comforting, refreshing sense of it. And we may represent it in the ensuing observations : —
Obs. 1. The Urst proper fruit of faith's discovery of forgiveness in God, unto a sin-distressed soul, is waiting in patience and expectation.
Ohs. 2. The proper object of a sm-distressed soul's waiting and
VOL. VI. sy
610 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Ver.5,6.
expecting is God himself, as reconciled in Christ: " I have waited for Jehovah."
Ohs. o. The wor^d of promise is the soul's great supportment in waiting for God : "In thy word do I hope."
Ohs. 4. Sin-distressed souls wait for God luith earnest intension of mind, diligence, and expectation, — from the redoubling of the ex- pression,
Ohs. 5. Continuance in waiting until God appears to the soul is necessary and prevailing; — necessa^^y, as that without winch Ave can- not attain assistance ; and i^Tevailing, as that wherein we shall never fail.
Ohs. 6. Estahlisliment in tuaiting, when there is no present sense of forgiveness, yet gives the soul much secret rest and comfort This observation ariseth from the influence that these verses have unto those that follow. The psalmist, having attained thus far, can now look about him and begin to deal with others, and exhort them to an expectation of grace and mercy.
And thus, though the soul be not absolutely in the haven of con- solation where it would be, yet it hath cast out an anchor that gives it establishment and security. Though it be yet tossed, yet it is se- cured from shipwreck, and is rather sick than in danger. A waiting condition is a condition of safety.
Hence it is that he now turns himself to others; and upon the ex- perience of the discovery that he had made of forgiveness in God, and the establishment and consolation he found in waiting on him, he calls upon and encourage th others to the same duty, verses 7, 8.
The propositions laid down I shall briefly pass through, still with respect unto the state and condition of the soul represented in the psalm. Many things that might justly be insisted on in the improve- ment of these truths have been anticipated in our former general rules. To them we must therefore sometimes have recourse, because they must not be again repeated. On this account, I say, we shall pass through them with all briefness possible; yet so as not wholly to omit any directions that are here tendered unto us as to the guid- ance of the soul, whose condition, and the working of whose faith, is here described. This, therefore, in the first place is proposed : —