2 94 Waiting necef, fart' to obtain Peace. Pfal. i 3o, the next day, the next week, expet that it will be harveft ? doth he think to reap fo foon as he bathTown ? or doth he im- mediately fay, I have laboured in vain, here is no return, I will pull up the hedge of this field and lay it waf1e ? or I fee a little grafi in the blade, but no corn, I will give it to the beatis to de- vour it ? No, his God, as the Prophet (peaks, inffruús him unto difcretion and teacheth him ; namely, what he mutt do, and how he mutt lookfor things in their feafon. And (hsll not we be ínttrudcd by him ? b_hold the Husbandman, faith James, waiteth for the precious fruit of the Earth, and bath long pa- tience for it, until he receive the early and the litter ran:, Jam. 5.7. And is Light !own for them that are in darknefs, and thall they ffifle the feed under the clods, or (poil the tender blade, that is fpringing up, or refufe to wait for the watering and dews of the Spirit, that may bring it forth to perfè6ion ? Waiting is the only way to Etiablifhment and Affurance ; we cannotpeed by our hafle ; yea nothing puts the end fo far away, as making too much hafte and fpeed in our Journey. The ground hereofis, that a fenfe of a JJ ecial intereff in forgivenefs, and acceptance, is given into the foul by a meer ad of Sove- raignty. It is not, it will not be obtained by or upon any ra- tional conclufions or deductions that wè can make : All that we can do is but to apply our felves to the removal of hinderances, For the Peace and Reif fought for; come from meer preroga. Live. When he giveth quietnefs, who can give trouble ? and u hen he hideth hisface, combo can beholdhim ? yob 34 29. Now what is the way to receive that which comes frommeer Soveraignty and prerogative ? doth not the nature of the thing require humble waiting? If then either Impatience cati the foul into frowardnefs, or wearinefs make it flothfull, which are the two waies whereby waiting is ruined ; Let not fitch an one cxpecg any comfortable Iflue of his contending for deliverance out of his depths. And let not any think to make out their difficulties any other way : their own Reafonings will not bring them to any eflablifhing conclufions ; for they may lay down propofi- tions, and have no confïderable objections to lye againfl either of them, and yet be far enough from that Tweet confolation, joy and af#urance which is theproduct ofthe conclufion, when God
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