VII.

Waiting Intervals.

"Wait on the Lord."-PSALM xxvii. 14.

I

read these words to you as they are in the Bible, but chiefly that I may introduce to you the other translation which we have in the Prayer-Book; and which, if not the more beautiful of the two,-which I confess I think it is,—at least it best pronounces the thought which I want to urge upon you this morning,-"Tarry thou the Lord's leisure."

The expression is such an exceedingly happy one; there is so much respectfulness in not venturing to interfere with God's arrangements,-so much loving confidence that all the while He has us in His heart,-and so much holy assurance that when He has leisure, He will do it all for us,-"O tarry thou the Lord's leisure."

The Prayer-Book version of the Psalms is older than the one in the Bible. It was not taken out of either of the two last translations of the Bible, but out of the translation of Tyndal and Coverdale. And, when the rest of the Liturgy was conformed to the new translation, the more early version of the Psalms was still retained in the Prayer-Book; either because it was considered more poetical,—or, at all events, because it is the best adapted to music, and to public devotion.

The subject which the text, and especially the more ancient rendering of it, brings immediately before us, appears to me a very important one;-the intervals which there generally are, if not always, in God's best dealings with His own children;-intervals during which the highest and holiest duty is simply to "tarry the Lord's leisure."

And the consideration of this matter exactly fits in with that season of the Church's year through which we are passing at this moment. The ten days from Holy Thursday to the day of Pentecost were characteristically an interval. All Christ's work had been completed, and He had gone away, and He had led them to expect that when He went away, He would send them what should more than make up to them for His lost visible presence. But for ten days the promise was delayed, ten days the Church was kept in suspense, ten days of mystery. There was an interval,—an interval that was meant,—an interval that speaks.

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And God has always loved to make intervals. There have been intervals before all great judgments, interval of 120 years between the announcement of the flood, and the breaking up of the deep fountains,—an interval of centuries before the destruction of the ancient Canaanites, an interval of many generations between the pronouncing the sentence, and the carrying away of the Jews into captivity,—an interval of nearly forty years between the sin of the crucifixion, and the retribution of the desolation of Jerusalem by the Romans,-an interval to Pharaoh,—an interval to Saul,—an interval to Judas.

And in like manner, with all God's greatest blessings. Noah could not leave the ark immediately it rested on Abraham waited long, before he had enough to

set the sole of his foot on, in the land of promise; and he is waiting now, with all the patriarchs, till the whole promise shall be fulfilled, and we shall have it all. Moses had his interval in the wilderness with Jethro, David, after he was anointed, under the persecution of Saul, -Christ Himself, in His mysterious thirty years of discipline for His coming work,—and the very saints, in their intermediate state, seem to know and realize something of that great law, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"

There is always an interval, a hush, a solemn note of Advent, a premonitory voice, a preparing time, an exercise of patient faith, a precursor, that ushers in God's greatest events, His nearest approaches to His creatures.

Let me endeavor to show you how the principle is working at this moment amongst you.

There is a man who plainly, the whole Church would bear witness to it, plainly is a child of God. Beyond a doubt, that man has received his pardon; but as yet, he does not know it, he cannot realize it, he cannot believe it, nay, he is quite sure in himself, that he is not forgiven. What is this? The Son of God has done His work in washing away that man's sins, but the Holy Ghost has not yet done His work, in showing it to him. And years may go on, and still find him so,-pardoned, but not at peace,

a Christian with no assurance, sanctified, but not comforted. It is a strange thing, and some may say incredible, but they who have had experience of spiritual things, and traced God's methods, know that it is true. Many, many could put their own seal to it. It is inex

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plicable while it lasts, but they understand it afterwards; it is a wise interval.

There is another man, and he prays, prays earnestly, prays continuously, prays in the name of Jesus,—and what makes it so singular, he prays all along for a promised thing, it may be for some spiritual gift, it may be for victory over sin,-but he has it not. Is his prayer untrue? No. Is it hindered by any special, allowed sin? No. Is it indeed a covenanted blessing? Yes. Does God not hear it? O yes. Then why does not the answer come? Sovereignty must answer, hidden wisdom must answer; it is an interval, only an interval,-an interval pre-determined,—an interval settled from all eternity,—an interval as much itself an answer to the prayer, as will presently be the boon he asks for.

And if this be true of all prayer, specially must it be true of the prayers for those we love. It is an interval sometimes fearfully drawn out between a parent's prayer and a child's conversion,—a wife's or a husband's, and the partner's change. Death itself has sometimes, as Hezekiah can tell us, rolled in, in that interval. Nevertheless, it is only an interval,-long or short, as God pleases,--but only an interval.

And I have known many ready and eager to begin to work and to serve God,—looking out for their opportunities, anxiously, obediently, but there they have stood, and stood, and no door is opened. "Am I under an inhibition to work for Christ?" the soul has felt, "Am I doomed to barrenness?" O no; it is only an interval, a merciful, needful interval. You will understand it presently, when your happy, effective work proves the love and wisdom that

was so long subduing that will, and raising that ambition, and furnishing that understanding, and making self empty enough for God to use it.

And when we are allowed to work, the best results do not many times come quickly upon the traces of the means which produce those ends. The harvest is a long way off from seed-time, so long that it gives time,-Christ says this, — that it gives time for the seed to die. The education comes up again in the manhood, but some dreary years of youth roll in between, when there is no token. How frequently we have found the very literalness of our Lord's words, "One soweth and another reapeth; but at last "he that soweth and he that reapeth rejoice together." For so God gives the means before He gives the end, though men, in their folly, trace the ends to the means, and not to the Author and Giver both of the ends and means. It is well for us to remember, that with those results, when they shall come, and how they shall come, we have nothing in the world to do. Our part is with the means, to do the present duty.

Or perhaps you have seen a sight which is perplexing, even to a believer's eye,—a saint, an aged saint, quite ripe for glory; and there that saint lies on the very threshold of heaven, day after day, week after week, year after year, -confined, suffering, helpless, to all appearance, useless. It is an interval, a confounding interval; and only another world can vindicate, but it will vindicate, God's own way with that dear, aged, suffering servant.

And is not it with many of us an interval now? Some are gone, and oh! we long to follow them; and sometimes it is a weary, weary thing to live on and on, and not see them. To them, in their exquisite joy and perfect work, I