WAITING ON Goß. 415 long suffering, pardoning mercy, grace, bounty, with a full satisfactory reward. This is the beauty of the Lord mentioned with admiration by the prophet: "How great is his goodness ! how great is his beauty !" Zech. 9 : 17 ; which is the great attraction of the soul to ad- here constantly to him. Whatever difficulties arise, what- ever temptations interpose, or wearisomeness grows up- on us in our straits, troubles, trials and desertions, let us not entertain such thoughts of God as our own per- plexed imaginations may be apt to suggest. This would quickly cast us into a thousand complaints, misgivings and falls ; but the remembrance of and meditation on God in his promises, as revealed by them, as expressed in them, is suited quite to other ends and purposes. There appears, yea, gloriously shines forth, that love, that wisdom, that goodness, tenderness and grace, which cannot but encourage a believing soul to abide in waiting for him. 2. The word of promise not only expresses God's nature, as that in which he proposes himself to the contemplation of faith, but it also declares his will and purpose of acting towards the soul, suitably to his own goodness and grace; for promises are the declarations of God's purpose and will to act towards believers in Christ Jesus according to the infinite goodness of his own nature, and this done in great variety, according to the various conditions and wants of those that be- lieve. They all proceed from the same spring of in- finite grace, but are branched into innumerable particu- lar streams, according as our necessities require. To these do waiting souls repair for support and encou- ragement: their perplexities principally arise from their
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