the Lord, and this is no small matter to maintain the preciousness of faith against the profaneness and atheism of the world. And considering the disregard of God that is in the society and converse of the greatest part, it is much if a godly mind do not sometimes suffer something by it; and we have need to beware of it. 2dly. The other difficulty is in the thing itself, that looks so dark and unlikely, that many of his people are giving over trusting on him, and he seems to give over helping them, he hides his face. Yet I will wait on him alone, (says the prophet) though all other hearts fail, yet I will wait on thee, though thou withdraw thyself and hide thy face, yet I will look to no other; I will stay by thee and wait on thec, and although not only my days may pass, but ages, before the thing be accomplished I look for, yet I will believe they shall come to pass. I will look on them in this notion; though I cannot live to see them. And indeed besides that the great temporal deliverances that the prophet foresaw and here looks into, came long after his days, it is likely that he looks beyond these too, to the coming of the Messiah, of whom he speaks so clearly both in this and the former and following chapter. Notwithstanding all the sins of this people, and all the heavy judgments their sins called for; and have brought or shall bring on them, yet he believed the Lord would send them that great deliverer and Saviour his only Son, whom he had promised. Thus the eyes of faith looks over the head of many difficulties and of many ages betwixt it to the thing it expects, and sees it beyond them all. So the word here, I will look for him, is to stand upright as a line and look out, answering to that word, 'Aronagadonia, Rom. viii. desiring and confidently expecting good from him to his church in these kingdoms, though the outward face of affairs look quite contrary; and the Lord for a time suffer our troubles to encrease, and hide his face as not regarding us, suffering things by the perverseness of men on all hands to turn to an universal confusion and disorder; yet still, you that know the Lord and his dealing, pray, and believe, and wait and be assured your prayer shall be answered in due time. Thus far your personal condition; you that desire the light of God's countenance above all things, though he seem to deny and hide his face from you for a time; yet wait on him, leave him not, for if ye do, you are sure to perish; but if ye wait on him ye may say, it may be he will be gracious, but if he will not, I know no other to go to; I will still wait and try him. What think ye of Job's purpose? Though he slay me yet I will trust in him, though I saw him ready to throw me into hell, yet I will look for mercy. Faith cannot be nonplust, there is in it a pious obstinacy that will not yield to the greatest opposition; nor give over so long as there is any possibility of prevailing. I said (says Jonah) I am cast out from thy presence, yet for all that I cannot give the matter up for desperate; I must have leave to look towards thee, Yet I will look towards thy holy temple. Invincible faith, as here, I will wait-I will look, doubles the word, and is meant to express his resolvedness in the beginning of the verse, and in the end of it; and so conquers the difficulty that makes against it. And this is the purest acting of faith, when there is nothing of sense to support it; and yet it holds out, and as Abraham did, against hope believes in hope. When the soul is at the hardest pinch, faith will say I shall be at the footstool of the throne of grace until I be thrown from it; I will not away from it, I will wait on till the last moment. Amen. |