SERMON VI

 2 Thess. iii. 5.

And into the patient waiting for Christ.

The words are a prayer. And the apostle prays here for those things, which are most necessary to Christians, love to God and patient waiting for Christ.

Four things I must speak to here,

1.      What this patient waiting for Christ is.

2.      The connection between it, and the love of God

3.      That it hath a great influence upon the spiritual life

4.      The necessity of God's concurrence hereto.

1.        What is this patient waiting for Christ I answer, it is the grace of hope, fortifying our resolutions for God and the world to come that we may continue in our duty, till our work be finished and our warfare ended. The Act of Hope is three ways express. Sometimes by looking, which notes a certain expectation. Tit. ii. 13. Looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our savior. Sometimes by loving or longing, which notes a desirous and earnest expectation. 2 Tim. iv. 8. Not to me only, but to all that love his appearing. Sometimes by waiting, which notes a patient expectation, 1 Thess. x. He makes it there the fruit of our conversion. He saith, we are turned to God that we may wait for his son from heaven. This last notion is expressly mentioned in the text, the other are implied: As looking, there can be no waiting for that we do not look for. And longing, for delay is only troublesome to them that earnestly desire his coming. Faith adds certainty and love earnestness and both give strength to patience. Let us open all these things.

1.        There is a longing for the coming of Christ. Phil. iii. 20. Our conversation is in heaven, from where also we look for the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not a matter of conjecture, but of faith. Reason saith, he may come, but faith saith, he will come. Nature will teach us it is very likely for a guilty conscience fears the judge and the course of things is so disordered in the world, that there needs a review. But scripture tells us, it is certain, he that shall come, will come and will not tarry, Heb. X. 37. Therefore in the eye of faith it is sure and near.

2.        There is a longing for a desirous expectation. 2 Pet. iii. 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God. It is good to observe how differently this coming of Christ is entertained in the world, it is questioned by the atheist, it is dreaded by the wicked and impenitent, but it is longingly expected by the Godly.

To them, it is not matter of terror, but delight, not like the hand-writing on the wall to Belshazzer, but like comfortable tidings to one that expects news from far, they long for it and would hasten it, if they might have their desire. Cant. Viii. 14. Make haste, my beloved and be like a young hart or roe upon the mountains of spices. Christ is not slack but the churches affections are strong, therefore she saith, make haste, so Rev. xxii. 20. Christ saith, I come and the church, like a quick echo takes the words out of his mouth, even so, come Lord Jesus come quickly.

3. There is waiting and here it is expressed by patient waiting, for patient waiting is an Act of Hope, as well as longing expectation. 1 Thess. i. 3. knowing (saith he) your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope. Faith will break out into practice, therefore the work of faith and love will put us upon labor and hope produces patience. There is a three-fold patience spoken of in scripture, all the branches are near a-kin, for they are all begotten by hope.

1.         The bearing patience, which is constancy in adversity, or perseverance in our duty notwithstanding the difficulties and trials that we meet with. Heb. vi. 12. Be ye believers of them, who through faith and patience have inherited the promises. As we cannot inherit the promises without faith, so not without patience. For our obedience and fidelity to Christ require not only labor but courage and constancy. Heb. x. 36. Ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God, ye might inherit the promise. A child of God cannot be without patience, because he must reckon for troubles and molestations. We have indeed our calms as well as our storms, many intermissions but at other times God will exercise us and shew us our fidelity is not sufficiently tried in doing good, but before we go to heaven, we must sometimes suffer evil. God hath something to do by us, and something to do with us. We must be prepared for both, to endure all things and readily and willingly suffer the greatest evil, rather than commit the least sin.

2.         There is a waiting patience, to wait God's leisure. The evil is present, the good is absent, now we long for the good as well as fear the evil. Rom. viii. 25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. This is the work of patience, to wait, to refer it to the good pleasure of God when our warfare shall be accomplished and our troubles at an end and our final deliverance come. The time cannot be long. For what are a few years to eternity This waiting patience is delivered to us under the similitude of a husbandman, Jam. v. 7. Who waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth and hath long patience for it, till he receive the early and the latter rain. The husbandman that hath laid out all his substance in seed-corn, cannot hope for a present harvest, or that he should receive the crop as soon as the seed is cast into the ground, no, it must lie there, it must endure all weathers, before it can spring up in the blade and ear and ripen and be fit to be reaped. So though we venture all upon our everlasting hopes, yet we expect our season till we see the fruit and recompense of it.

3.         There is the working patience, which is a going on with our self-denying obedience, how tedious forever it be to the flesh. Thus we are told, the good ground bringeth forth fruit with patience. So the heirs of the promises are described, Rom. ii. 7. To be those that continued with patience in well doing. And the church of Ephesus, God saith, Rev. ii. 22. I know thy works, thy labor and thy patience. Religion is not an idle sluggish profession; the work of it is carried on by diligence and faithfulness. Lusts are not easily mortified, neither do graces produce their perfect work with a little care. Much labor and serious diligence is required of us, we have many things to conflict with, there is the burden of a wearisome body, the seducing flesh, unruly passions, disordered thoughts and therefore we need much patience, that we may not faint but be accepted of the Lord at his coming. Well then, to live in this constant and patient expectation of Christ is the perpetual necessary duty of all that love him.

11.       I am to shew the connection and assinity between it and the love of God. If a man love God, he will wait for the coming of Christ. The one is infered out of the other, the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and the patient waiting for Christ.

1.       They that love God, level all their thoughts and desires to this, that God may be enjoyed, that God may be glorified.

(1). That he may be enjoyed, in the fullest manner, and measure they are capable of. Now this full enjoyment is the fruit of Christ's coming, then we shall be ever with the Lord. 1 Thess. iv. 17. When Christ shall appear, we shall see him as he is, and be like him, that is, like him in holiness and like him in happiness. Our vision will make a transformation. The desire of Union, which is so intrinsic to love is never satisfied till then. Here we have a little of God in the midst of sin and misery. Sin straitens our capacity from receiving more and God sees fit to exercise us with misery, only affording us an intermixture of heavenly comfort. But our full joy is reserved to the day of Christ's appearing.

(2). They that love God, desire also that God may be glorified, that his truth may be vindicated, his love and justice demonstrated. His truth is vindicated, when his threatening and promises are all accomplished. His love to the saints will then be seen in their full reward, and his justice demonstrated on the wicked in their full punishment. All matters of faith shall then become matters of sense and what is now propounded to be believed shall be felt and God shall be glorified in all.

2.       The saints love Christ as mediator, we love him now though we see him not. 1 Pet. i. 8. Whom having not seen, we love and believing in him, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. But we desire to see him, as our surest and best friend. We have heard much of him, felt much of him and tasted much of him, but we desire to see him, especially when he shall appear in all his glory. Matt. Xxv. 31. The son of man shall come in his glory and all his angels with him. All clouds about his person shall vanish. He shall appear to be, what he is, the savior and judge of the world.

3.       They have a love for the church and the church shall at that day be adored as a bride for her husband. It is no more eclipsed by its lamentable imperfections, corruption of worship, division of sects or the persecutions of the world, nor polluted by the distempers of its diseased members. All is then holy and glorious. Christ will present it as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, Eph. ii. 7.

4.       They love themselves in God and their own happiness is then fully to be perfected. All the desires and hopes of believers are then satisfied. They that are now scorned and persecuted shall have the reward of their love to God, be perfectly loved by him. A gladsome day it will be with God's people. 2 Thess. i. 10. It is said, Christ shall be admired in the saints and glorified in all them that believe. Poor creatures that are newly crept out of the dust and rottenness shall have so much glory put upon them, that the angels themselves shall stand wondering, what Christ means to do for them. And then for all their labor, they shall have rest, all their troublesome work shall be over, for their pain and sorrow they shall have delight, 1 Pet. iv. 12. For their shame they shall have glory put upon them both in body and soul.

111.    The waiting hath a great influence upon their spiritual life. That will appear if you take either word in the text, waiting or patience.

Looking to the end of things gives wisdom, Deut. Xxxii. 29. Oh that they were wise, that they would consider their latter end. It is not so much to be stood upon, who is happy now, but who shall be happy at last. If men would frequently consider this, it would much rectify all the mistakes in the world. If we would inure our minds not to look to things as they appear now to such short-sighted creatures as we are, but as they will be judged of at the last day, at Christ's appearing, how soon would this vain shew be over and the face of things changed and that is rich and pleasant, and honorable now, appear base and contemptible at the latter end Then shall we see, that there is an excellency in oppressed Godliness, that exalted wickedness and folly is but shame and ruin. Do but translate the scene from the world's judgment to Christ's tribunal and you will soon alter your opinions concerning wisdom and folly, misery and happiness, liberty and bondage, shame and glory, the mistaking of which pervert all mankind and there is no rectifying the mistake but by carrying our mind seriously to the last review of all things. For then we shall judge things not by what they seem now, but by what they will be hereafter. More particularly, this waiting will much quicken us to repentance. Acts. iii. 19. Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the day of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. All things shall be reviewed at Christ's coming and some men's sins remain, and others be blotted out. None but those that are converted and turned to God can expect that benefit. Unless we be recovered from the devil, the world and the flesh and brought back again in heart and life to God, there will be no escape. Now those that wait for this day, should prepare for it, that they may stand in the judgment with comfort. The wicked shall have judgment without mercy, but the believer shall be accepted upon terms of grace. Days of torment shall come to the one from the preference of the Lord, and days of refreshing shall come to the other. The state in the world of believing penitents is a time of conflict and labor but this trouble and toil is then over, and they shall enjoy their rest. Consider these things, where would you have your refreshment and in what Many sit down under the shadow of some earthly gourd which soon withers but those that seek their refreshment in the enjoyment of God, shall then be satisfied. Nothing certainly makes us so solicitous about a serous reconciliation with God, as the consideration of this day.

And it engages us to holiness, and put life into our obedience. We that look for such things, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness 2 Pet. iii. 11. Men are secure and careless, either because they do not believe this day or do not seriously think of it. Could we bring ourselves to this, to think and speak and do, as having judgment and eternity in our eye, we should be other manner of persons than ever we have been. What! Believe this day, and be so careless! It cannot be. We should not beat down the price of religion nor serve God so loosely, if we did wait for the coming of Christ, who will bring everything into the judgment, whether it be good or evil, we could not then satisfy ourselves in such a negligent profession and practice of Godliness.

Lastly, it will produce a more heavenly temper and conversation. That is evident from the apostle's words, Phil. iii. 20. Our conversation is in heaven, from where we look for the savior. Looking for this salvation, and this savior, breeds in us the heavenly mind. He comes from heaven to bring us thither, for he comes to receive us to himself, Jo xvi. 3. Therefore if we be not heavenly, our practice will be a contradiction to our faith. You believe that there is a God and a Christ, and a life to come, that this Christ came from God, to bring us to God, that we may enjoy him in the life to come and thereupon you renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh, and give up yourselves to God, believing that this Christ will come again to lead all his sincere disciples into the glory and happiness of the heavenly state. If you believe this, what follows That your conversation must be heavenly, either you must live for heaven, seeking it with all diligence, or live upon heaven, solacing yourselves in the foresight and hopes of it. To profess this faith and yet live as though your happiness were in this world, were to go about to reconcile contradictions.

3.        Patience also hath a great influence upon religion, for that which destroys all religion is making haste. Therefore it is said Isa. xxviii. 16. He that believes shall not make haste. God's promises are not presently affected, and if you cannot tarry, but run to your own shifts, presently you run into a snare. On the other side, it is said, Lam. iii. 26. It is good to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of God. When we can hope and wait, it mightily secures our obedience. Sense is all for present satisfaction, but faith and hope can tarry God's leisure. Whatever our condition be, afflicted or prosperous, we are in the station where God hath set us, and there we must abide till he bring us to his kingdom. Impatience and precipitation is the cause of all mischief. What moved the Israelites to make a Golden Calf, but impatience, not waiting for Moses, who according to their fancy remained too long with God in the mount. Hasty men are loath to be kept in suspense, and long expectation and so miscarry. Look to all sorts of sinners. The sensual, cannot wait for the time when they shall have pleasures forever more at God's right hand, therefore take up with present delights, like those that cannot tarry till the grapes be ripe, therefore eat them four and green solid and everlasting pleasures they cannot wait for, therefore choose the pleasures of sin, though but for a season. A covetous man will wax rich in a day and cannot tarry their fair leisure of providence, therefore we are told, he that makes haste to be rich, cannot be innocent, Prov. xx. 21. An ambitious man will not stay till God gives true crowns and honors in his kingdom, and therefore he must have honor and greatness here, though his affecting to be built one story higher in the world cost him the ruin and loss of his soul. Men fly to unwarrantable means, because they cannot depend upon God and wait with patience. Look as an impetuous river is always troubled and thick, so is an impatient spirit out of order, full of distemper, a ready prey to Satan.

IV. I am to shew the necessity of divine concurrence. The apostle prays here, the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patient waiting for Christ.

And 1. as to the unregenerate. Till their hearts be changed, they can never attain to this patient waiting for Christ.

In the wicked there is no sound belief of these things, for they live by sense and not by faith. Things of another world are too uncertain, and too far off for them to apprehend, so as to be much moved by them. They hear of the coming of Christ and speak by rote of it after others, but they do not believe it, therefore till God enlighten them, how shall they be affected with this matter

And there is an utter unsuitableness of heart to them. Things present, that suit their fancies and please their senses, carry away their hearts. Psal. xiix. 18. Whilst he lived he blessed his soul. And men will praise thee, when thou dost well to thyself. Men bless themselves and the world applauds them in a sensual course of living. They measure all happiness by their outward condition in the world and please themselves with golden dreams, and this being seconded with the flattery and applauses of the world, they are fast asleep in the midst of the greatest danger, and so go down into hell before they think of it.

2.        Even the regenerate need to have their hearts directed to the patient waiting for Christ, for these reasons.

(1). Because we have too dim a sight of these things. How dark a prospect have even God's children of the world to come We may speak of others as unbelievers, but God knows how doubtful our own thoughts often are about eternity and Christ's coming, how little we can shut the eye of sense and open that of faith. Can we always say, 2 Cor. iv. 18. We look not at the things that are seen, that are temporal, but to the things unseen, that are eternal. Alas! we have no thorough sight into another world. We have need to have our eyes anointed with spiritual eye-valve, that our sight may be more sharp and piercing, to beg the spirit of wisdom and revelation, to open the eyes of our mind, that we may see what is the hope of Christ's calling, Eph. i. 17, 18. There are too many intervening clouds between us and eternity, that darken our sight, and obscure our faith.

(2). Our thoughts of these things are strange and dull, too rare and infrequent. How seldom have we any serious thoughts of his coming It was a complaint against Israel, that they put away the evil day, but the complaint against us may be that we put away the good day, when all our desires and hopes shall be accomplished. The world may deny it, and we forget it. Solomon saith to the sensual young man, remember, that for all these things God shall bring thee to judgment. Young men put off these thoughts, lest they should check the fervor of their lusts. But alas! grave men, good men forget these things. When Christ had spoken of his coming to judgment, he saith, Mark xiii. 37. What I say unto you, I say unto all, watch. Watching is keeping up this attentiveness to his second coming with all Christian vigilance and endeavor. But few regard the charge, therefore the Lord direct your hearts.

(3). Because our affections are so cold, and we are no more affected with it, but as if we were senseless of the weight of these things. Some desires we have, but not that lively motion which become hope and love. If nature say, come not to torment us before the time, grace should say, come, Lord Jesus, O come quickly! We are not only to look for his appearing but to love his appearing. Where are these desires that Christ would either come down to us, or take us up to himself, that we may live with him forever.

(4). We need to pray this prayer, because our preparations are too slender for so great a day. Serous preparation is necessary. It is described, 1 Pet. iii. 14. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye of him in peace, without spot, and blameless that is in a state of reconciliation with God. But we live too securely in an unprepared state. If we have the habitual preparation, we do not keep up the actual preparation, by refining our souls from the dregs of sense, by honoring God in the world with greater earnestness, that when our Lord comes, he may find us so doing. We do not stand with our loins girt and our lamps burning, that when our Lord knocks, we may open to him immediately. We do not keep up the turn of a husband after long absence is welcome to his wife, she would have all things ready for his reception and entertainment.

(5). Because our motions are inconstant. We interrupt the course of our obedience, faint in our afflictions, do not keep up the fervor of our affections and follow after salvation with that industrious diligence. We need often the Christian watchword, the Lord is at hand. We lose much of our first love, intermit of our first works. Therefore, the Lord direct your hearts to the patient waiting for Christ.

Let these considerations quicken you to take care of this grace, that you may be constantly exercised in it. While we are upon earth, we should continually be expecting Christ's coming from heaven.

Before Christ's coming in the flesh, the saints waited for him. I have waited for thy salvation O Lord, saith Jacob, Gen. xiix. 18. And Simeon for Christ, the savior of the world, for so it is explained, mine eyes have seen thy salvation. And our Lord tells us, Abraham rejoiced to see my day, Joh. Viii. 56. And it is said of Anna, and others, that they waited for the consolation of Israel, Luke ii. 25, 38. And after Christ was come, the disciples were commanded to wait for the promise of the spirit, Acts i. 4. So by parity of reason we must wait for the coming of Christ, for that is the next great promise to be accomplished and the great thing to put life into our religion.

The people of God are described by this, 1 Thess. i. 10. We wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. A man would have thought in those early days, they should have rather than to what was to come, which was at so great a distance. They should have been described by believing Christ was already come in the flesh, rather than waiting for his coming in glory. No, this is proposed as an evidence of their sincerity, waiting for the coming of Christ. And so it is said, Heb. ix. 28. That Christ would appear unto the salvation of them that look for him. That is the property of true believers. But they that look not for his coming cannot expect his salvation. It is an allusion to the people, who upon the day of expiation, when the high priest went into the holiest before the mercy seat, were waiting for his coming out, that he might solemnly bless them. So we must look for Christ's return, now he is gone within the vial of the heavenly sanctuary, that he may come out, and bless us with everlasting blessings.

This waiting for Christ, breeds in us contempt of the world and enduring of the cross.

It breeds in us contempt of the world, because we look for higher and better things to be dispensed to us when Christ comes. Set not your affections on things on earth, but on things in heaven. Why For your life is hid with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. Col. iii. 2, 3, 4. The more the heart is given to one, the other gets the less. Earthly things are little regarded in comparison of that glorious state, both of soul and body, which we shall have at Christ's appearance.

And this gives a quiet temper in all troubles. We may suffer now, but when Christ shall appear, we shall rejoice with exceeding joy, 1 Pet. iv. 13. Then our reward will much exceed the proportion of our sufferings, they are no more to be set against them, than a feather against a talent of lead. I reckon they are not worthy to be compared, saith the apostle, Rom. viii. 18. It would be a disgrace to a man's reason, that these things should bear any competition with our great hopes, these light afflictions, that are but for a moment, with that exceeding weight of glory.

To conclude, if you wait for Christ's coming, look upon it as sure, and as near. Rev. xxii. 12. Behold, I come quickly, and bring my reward with me. We have the promise of the eternal God for it, so attested and made out to us with such evidence, that we have no reason to doubt of the recompenses of religion. But things at a distance, though never so great, will not leave a due impression upon us. Therefore we must look upon this promise with a certainty of persuasion, that it will not be long before its accomplishment. Thus faith lessens the distance between hope and enjoyment and enables us comfortably to wait.

 | Thomas Manton - Preface

Preface | Thomas Manton - Sermon 1

Sermon I | Thomas Manton - Sermon 2

Sermon II | Thomas Manton - Sermon 3

Sermon III | Thomas Manton - Sermon 4

Sermon IV | Thomas Manton - Sermon 5

Sermon V | | Sermon VI | Thomas Manton - Sermon 7

Sermon VII |