Direction 8

The eighth direction is to wait upon God, thus trusting in his name, in the constant use of all ordinances and means of comfort. Waiting is indeed but an act of faith further stretched out. As an allegory is but a continued metaphor, so waiting is but a continuing to believe on God and to look for help from him with submission, though he stays long before he comes. Waiting is an act of faith resting on God; an act of hope expecting help from him; an act of patience, the mind quietly contenting itself until God does come; and of submission if he should not come. Therefore the church being in this very case says: 'It is good to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord' (Lamentations 3:26). It is good indeed to do so, for God will afflict the less, ease you the sooner, and comfort you the more when he does come. In the meantime it enables you to possess your souls and to be yourselves, and upholds you. And to do otherwise — to be impatient and to give over looking for the Lord as Ahaz did — is the greatest folly that can be. For as Job says in chapter 12:14, 'If he shut up, there is no opening'; all the world cannot let you out. He keeps the keys of the dungeon, and you must wait his leisure. He waits but for a fit time to let you out (Isaiah 30:18): 'He will wait to be gracious to you, for he is a God of judgment' — a wise and judicious God who knows the fittest times and seasons. And that he stays so long is not out of want of mercy, for he waits and longs to be gracious. But he does it out of judgment — his wisdom sees not yet a fit time. He is grieved as well as you that you are not yet fit for mercy, that his mercy would not yet be exalted if he were to show it, until you further see your misery. Therefore he says, 'Blessed are all they that wait for him.' And as he now waits only to be the more gracious to you, so he did formerly wait a long while for you to begin to turn to him, and said, 'When will it once be?' (Jeremiah 13). You made him wait your leisure in turning from your sin; why may he not make you wait his for the pardon of it? And indeed the escaping of hell in the end is so great a mercy that it is worth waiting for all your days, though you endure a hell here and get not a kind look until the very last moment of living. Therefore put your mouth in the dust and wait quietly, if there may be hope at last (Lamentations 3:29).

And waiting thus, go on to use all the means of grace more diligently and more constantly, though you find no good from them for a long while. Omit no ordinance God has appointed for your comfort and recovery. As in a long sickness you still use means though many have failed — as the woman who had the issue of blood spent all upon physicians in the use of means for her recovery. That trouble of mind does only hurt you that drives you from the means. That trouble of mind that drives you to the means can never hurt you. Therefore the devil endeavors nothing more than to keep such souls from the word, from good company, from the sacraments, from prayer, by objecting their unprofitableness to them and saying that all is in vain and that you only increase your condemnation.

But first, if you learn no other lesson in the use of the means but that you are of yourself most unprofitable, and that unless God teaches you to profit no good is done, and so you learn to depend upon God in the ordinance — this is a great degree of profiting.

But second, as when men are sick and eat and vomit again, you still urge them to take something down — for some strength is gotten and something remains in the stomach which keeps life and soul together — so I say here: though you should forget in a manner all you hear and seem to reap no benefit from it, yet hear, for some secret strength is gotten by it. And as for increasing your condemnation: know that utterly to neglect and despise the means is greater condemnation. Know that if you were to use them in a way of dependence and obedience to God it would lessen your condemnation. Therefore read, pray, meditate, hear, confer, receive the sacraments — forbear not these your appointed meals. Indeed when the body is sick you are accustomed to forgo your appointed food, but when the soul is sick there is more need of these means than ever. All these are both meat and medicine — food, physic, cordials, and all. Use reading the word, for 'the Scriptures were written for our consolation' — therefore read them much. Attend on preaching, for 'God creates the fruit of the lips, peace' (Isaiah 57:19). Receive the sacrament often — those are sealing days. Go and confess your sins and write over your pardon; put in all you know against yourself and bring it to Christ to set his seal to it.

Only take this caution: trust not to the use of the means, but unto God in the means. To think, 'Oh, I shall have comfort from such a man, or at such a time, in such an ordinance' — this often dashes all. So believe in God as if you used no means, and yet as diligently use the means even as if your confidence were to be placed in them.

The eighth direction is to wait upon God — trusting in His name and consistently using all the ordinances and means of comfort. Waiting is simply faith stretched further. Just as an allegory is an extended metaphor, waiting is simply continuing to believe in God and to look for help from Him with submission, even when He is slow to come. Waiting is an act of faith resting on God; an act of hope expecting help from Him; an act of patience, quietly contenting the mind until God comes; and an act of submission if He should delay longer still. So the church in this very situation says: 'It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord' (Lamentations 3:26). It is good indeed, for God will afflict you less, ease you sooner, and comfort you more when He does come. In the meantime it enables you to keep hold of yourself, to stay composed, and to be upheld. To do otherwise — to be impatient and give up looking for the Lord as Ahaz did — is the greatest folly possible. For as Job says in chapter 12:14, 'If He tears down, it cannot be rebuilt'; all the world cannot let you out. He holds the keys to the dungeon, and you must wait on His timing. He is waiting only for the right moment to let you out (Isaiah 30:18): 'Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you, for the Lord is a God of justice' — a wise and discerning God who knows the fittest times and seasons. That He delays is not from any lack of mercy, for He waits and longs to be gracious. He delays out of wisdom — He sees that the time is not yet right. He grieves as much as you that you are not yet ready for mercy, that His mercy would not yet be fully honored if He were to show it now — not until you have seen your misery more fully. Therefore He says, 'Blessed are all who wait for Him.' And as He waits only to be more gracious to you, so He waited a long while for you to begin turning to Him, saying, 'When will it once be?' (Jeremiah 13). You made Him wait on your timing before you turned from your sin; can you not wait on His for the pardon of it? And truly, escaping hell in the end is so great a mercy that it is worth waiting for all your days — even if you endure a kind of hell here and receive no kind look until your very last moment. So put your mouth in the dust and wait quietly — if there may be hope at last (Lamentations 3:29).

While waiting in this way, keep using all the means of grace more diligently and consistently — even if you find no benefit from them for a long time. Do not omit any ordinance God has appointed for your comfort and recovery. In a long illness you still use remedies even though many have failed — as the woman who had the issue of blood spent everything she had on physicians in the pursuit of her cure. Only the kind of spiritual distress that drives you away from the means can harm you. The kind of distress that drives you to the means can never harm you. Therefore the devil works harder than anything to keep troubled souls away from the Word, from good fellowship, from the sacraments, from prayer — by insisting that these things do you no good and that you are only increasing your condemnation.

But first: if you learn no other lesson from using the means than that you are utterly helpless on your own, and that unless God teaches you to benefit from them nothing good comes, so that you learn to depend on God in the ordinance — this itself is a great advance.

But second: just as when someone is ill and eats but then vomits, you still urge him to keep taking something down — because some strength is absorbed and something remains in the stomach that keeps body and soul together — so I say here: even if you seem to forget almost everything you hear and appear to gain no benefit from it, still hear — because some hidden strength is taken in. As for increasing your condemnation: know that to utterly neglect and despise the means is a far greater condemnation. Know that using them in dependence on and obedience to God would actually lessen your condemnation. Therefore read, pray, meditate, listen to preaching, talk with others about spiritual things, receive the sacraments — do not skip these appointed meals. When the body is sick you sometimes forgo your regular food, but when the soul is sick there is more need of these means than ever. All of these are both food and medicine — nourishment, remedy, and comfort all at once. Use the reading of the Word, for 'whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope' — so read it often. Attend preaching, for 'God creates the fruit of the lips, peace' (Isaiah 57:19). Receive the sacrament frequently — those are sealing days. Go and lay out your sins and receive your pardon; bring everything you know against yourself and bring it to Christ to set His seal to it.

Only take this caution: do not trust in your use of the means, but trust in God through the means. To think, 'Oh, I shall get comfort from such a person, or at such a time, or in such an ordinance' — this often ruins everything. Believe in God as if you were using no means at all, and yet use the means as diligently as if your confidence were placed in them.