Morning, December 10, 1820.

SERMON XV.

ON WAITING UPON GOD.

On thee do I wait all the day.-PSALM XXV. 5.

A PROOF that the Psalmist was living in communion with his God. All other pretended proofs would have been nothing. If we view the context, it will shew us, in the richest and clearest manner, the frame of mind the believer enjoys when he lives in communion with the Most High. The religion of Jesus is not calculated to make people idle when well understood and powerfully felt, it gives industry to the soul, an industry the most glorious a rational being can possess, namely, industry in serving his God; read the context, (verses 1—3) "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul; O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause." Sin

is the most unreasonable thing imaginable: it is not only unreasonable, but the most unjust; who can assign any reason why God should be insulted? the fallen spirits themselves cannot blame God for all their sufferings; on the contrary, he is worthy of their highest regard at the present moment. The Psalmist, conscious of his weakness, proceeds-" shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths; lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."

Again this is the language of one who was well acquainted with God, and his own character, and was humble. May He, whose province it is to guide, and teach, and govern his church, teach us that it is impossible to live in peace for a single moment, without communion with Jesus.

In soliciting your attention to the subject before us, I would direct your consideration to two things,

I. TO SHEW THE REASONS WHY WE OUGHT TO WAIT UPON GOD;

II. THE MANNER IN WHICH WE OUGHT TO

WAIT UPON HIM.

I. The first reason why we ought to wait upon God is, BECAUSE GOD HAS GIVEN US

EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES

so glorious indeed, that, with triumphant gratitude and reverence be it spoken, he could not have given us greater. Promises which comprise time as well as eternity, which will accompany the believer through the valley of the shadow of death, and which, when he shall have passed beyond it, will comprise God himself in all his covenanted fulness.

Again these promises descend to the minutest things. Our Saviour tells us the hairs of your head are all numbered, implying that God's care of his people was extremely minute: there is no contingency with the Deity, it can only dwell with the creature: he has provided in his covenant for every exigency. "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the vallies; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water; I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together."1 "He

1 Isaiah xli. 17-19.

shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure." Hear this, my poor brother; sometimes you are tempted to doubt your being provided for, that the Lord hath passed you by, here is a promise for you it often happens that the believer feels himself so weak, so weary and faint under a sense of his own helplessness, and his conviction of guilt is so great, that he is discouraged, and seems ready to give up the conflict, and to think that all is lost: God beheld your conflict and your despondency from all eternity, and gives you a promise for it, "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."2 Sometimes the believer is involved in great distress, and God foreseeing this, gives him a promise; "when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."3

Again; sooner or later we must individually go the way of all flesh; but God has given

1 Isaiah xxxiii. 16.

2 Ib. xl. 30.

3 Ib. xliii. 2.

us a promise to be with us; David knew this, and said in Psalm xxiii. 4, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Again; there is a promise which comprises God in all his glory. God is more glorious than heaven; it is he who dwells there, who imparts glory to heaven, "I will be their God for ever and ever: it is the believer's privilege to look forward to the blessing of possessing a richer portion, as it were of God, than the angels themselves.

Again; Another reason why we should wait upon God is, THAT GOD HAS IN ALL AGES OF HIS CHURCH EXTENDED MERCY IN CHRIST JEsus, and in him all other blessings to those who possessed characters similar to our own. I have conversed with many Christians, who have spoken of their own characters in a desponding manner, as being peculiarly bad; they say, but there is something in my sin of peculiar malignity and aggravation, something too vile for mercy to pardon;' this may sound very humble, but I would reprove this; by holding out this language, they insult God. Could we ascend at the present moment up to heaven to those holy spirits "who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood