O this staying work is hard work. Alas, sometimes
patience is accompanied with so much heat and feverishness, that
every hour seems seven until the end of the trial, and the blessing
promised be possessed by the waiting soul. It may be, Noah might not
be altogether herein a stranger. I am sure the psalmist was not, in
that he often under affliction cries, But how long, O Lord; for
ever? Make haste. O Lord, how long?
LOVE.
Love is the very quintessence of all the graces of the gospel.
FEAR.
It seems to me as if this grace of fear was the darling grace, the
grace that God sets his heart upon at the highest rate. As it were,
he embraces and lays in his bosom the man that hath and grows strong
in this grace of the fear of God.
This grace of fear is the softest and most tender of God's honor of
all the graces. It is that tender, sensible, and trembling grace,
that keepeth the soul upon its continual watch. To keep a good watch
is, you know, a wonderful safety to a place that is in continual
danger because of the enemy. Why, this is the grace that setteth the
watch, and that keepeth the watchman awake.
A man cannot watch as he should, if he be destitute of fear: let him
be confident, and he sleeps; he unadvisedly lets into the garrison
those that should not come there.
Pages:
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394