Beg of God a waiting frame of spirit

As there is nothing more sinful in itself, nor more tormenting to ourselves in an evil day, than an impatient, hasty spirit, so there is nothing more conducive to our glorifying of God, nor to the quiet of our own spirits, than a silent waiting spirit.

This the God of heaven must give, and He gives it to them that ask Him

Beg of God those graces which may dispose you to this patient waiting. I might instance in many habits of grace necessary to bring the soul into this waiting temper, but I will touch only upon five:

  1. Beg faith of God, faith in His Word and promise. He that believes does not make haste. The hastiness and impatience of the soul is the result of distrust in God.
  2. Hope is another gracious habit which disposes the soul to waiting. We hope for what we see not. For what we see, why do we any longer wait for?
  3. Humility is a third. The proud soul thinks much to wait; he looks upon mercy as his due, and thinks that God has wronged him while He withholds it from him. The humble soul believes that it deserves nothing, and is therefore willing upon the least crevice of hope to wait on God.
  4. Pray for patience. A passive patience is necessary in order to the bearing of evils.
  5. Pray for meekness. A forward spirit is always a hasty spirit, and does not know how to wait.

—John Collinges, 1623-1690

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