Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-01-15
Readiuq fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
Original.l
WAIT ON THE LORD.

| OriginaII
WAIT ON THE LORD.
Those who have not examined into the
subject will be astonished how frequently,
in the Scriptures, believers are admon-
ished "To wait on the Lord" The pas
sagesare too numerous to be quoted. Some
times we find in the Scriptures Gods faith
full servants making declarations like the
following: 81 will wait on the Lord"
Such declarations are Indicative of piety in
great activity and highly developed.
The first question which suggests itself to
the mind is, "What is meant by waiting on
the Lord"
TO this it is replied, that waiting on the
Lord is a particular aspect of faith. Per-
haps it would be better to say, "Waiting on
the Lord" is one of the outgrowths Of faith,
and is an unmstakable sign Of true faith.
No one single word in the English language
| is capable of expressing all that is contained
in the word faith, as it is used in the Scrip
lures. The word which comes nearest being
an equivalent for faith is 6eliering, but this
does not embrace the whole of faith. Hence
! the best human definition that has ever,
perhaps, been given of faith in Jesus Christ
>,
ceive and rest upon him Jesus ChrisD alone
for salvation, as he is offered to us in the
gospel" According to this definition, which
| is rigidly Scrptural, faith in Jesus Christ
consists in receiving,sJ al eshs Christ alone for
salvation, in resting in him alone for saliva
tion, and both receiving him and resting
upon him in a manner which is according to
the gospel. Waiting on the Lord, and rest
ing in the Lord, are different modes of eX-
pressing the same thing. To rest in the
Lord means the same thing as to wait on the
Lord.
This is not, by any means, a definition of
what is meant by waiting on the Lord. In
the Scriptures, Jesus Christi is offered freely,
| fully and in good faith to all. He is offered
as redeemer to rescue from the curse of a
violated law, to take away the guilt of sin
and also to purge and purify from the moral
filth of sin. Every sinner on the face of the
| broad earth is anxious to escape the curse of
violated law, and did receiving Jesus
Christ include nothing more than this, the
whole race would believe in Jesus Christ so
soon as he is offered to them. When, how
ever, it is learned that receiving Jesus
Christ includes the accepting of him to take
away from us the love of sin, and to free us
from the dominion of sin, the natural man
draws back, because he really does not desire
| to get rid of his sins. All that he desires is
to be redeemed from the consequences of sin.
He loves sin. He rolls it as sweet morsel
under his tongue. The service of the devil
is his hearts delight. Nothing but the in
fuences of the Holy Spirit can induce any
of the human family to receive Jesus Christ,
in order that he may cease to sin and learn
to do we'll.
Waiting on the Lord is that peculiar out
growth Of faith whereby the individual
who does il commits himself and all that he
has into the hands of the Lord to be man.
aged. In other words, the individual who
waits on the Lord does his duty-dOes what
refrains from doing what God in his word
forbds to be done, and leaves the results,
or consequences, all in the hands of God.
A relationship which exists between God
and all believers is that he is their owner
and they are his slaves. Not simply his
creatures-not hirelings, but slaves-bought
slaves. This is the most important Of all
the relationships which exist between God
and any of the human family. 1t is the
foundation of all the other grand and glo-
rious relationships. This is the foundation
of that inheritance which God has in be-
| levers. They are his slaves. He bought
them, not with silver or gold, but with the
precious blood of his own Son. Now it is
| the prerogative of the master to command
and the duty Of the slave to obey. It is the
prerogative of the master to command what
the slave shall do, and the manner in which
the thing commanded shall be done. 1t is
| the duty of the slave to obey the master i'm
plicitly. More than this. It is the duty of
the slave to leave I'LL results in the hands of
the master. If he is faithful in doing what
he is commanded to do, and executes all
commands in the manner prescribed, he is
fo11 In Tnr 1fc for
what may be the character of the results.
Believers, according to the Scriptures, are
bought with the blood of Jesus Christ, and
so constitute Gods inheritance, and they are
adopted into the family of Gods children,
and made heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus
| Christ, the Son of God, and Saviour of sim
ners. TO wait on the Lord, it is inferred, is
| to patiently submit to be done with and done
| by as the Lord in his infinite wisdom sees
a moments reflection will convince any
sober-minded Christian that the grace of
waiting on the Lord is more to be desired
ton on this subject will beget thoughts that
are akin to doubling the reality of the eX-
istence of grace in the SOUL One Of the re-
suits of justifying faith is that it is always
accompanied by waiting on the Lord.
Waiting on the Lord is the evidence-not
the only evidence-but the best evidence of
justification. 1t may be added, where there
is no waiting on the Lord there is no justif-
cation.
There is something in this subject which
is calculated to beget gloomy apprehensions
in the minds of perhaps large minority of
professed Christians. And well it may. In
reality, they have only formally given them
selves to Christ. A spirit of rebellion reigns
in them and over them. They have name
to live, but they are, in reality, dead in
trespasses and sins. They are in the church,
but they have not particle of true faith in
their hearts. TO wait patiently on the Lord
is something they do not desire to do, nor
will they try to do. TO them the results of
Gods providence are acceptable when these
results are in accordance with the desires OF
their corrupt hearts when these results are
otherwise, they are as furious as a bear
| rohhed Of her WhelDS.