II. The partial lifting up itself. What they will

get, getting this lifting up promised to the hum- bled. Why, they will get,
1. A re/nct'rt/ of their humbling circumstances*" God having tried them a while, and humbled them, and brought do^\^I their hearts, will at length take off their burden, remove the weight so long hung at them, and so take them off that part of their trial joyfully, and let them get up their back long bowed down ; and this one of two ways.
(1.) Either in kind^ removing the burden for good and all. Such a lifting Job got, when the Lord turned back his captivity, increased again his family and substance, which had both been deso- lated. David, when Saul his persecutor fell in battle, and he was brought to the kingdom after many a wear}^ day, expecting one day to fall by his hand. It is easy with our God to make such turns in the most humbling circumstances.
(2.) Or in equivalent^ or as good, removing the %veightofthc burden, that though it remains, it presses them no more, 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. " And ho
i^S The Lio:,k. iii the Lot.
" said unto mc, My grace is sufficient for thcc, *' for my strength is made perfect in weakness. *' Most gladly, therefore, wiil I rather glory in " my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest ** upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in mine " infirmities.'* Though they arc not got to the shore, yet their head is no more under the water, but lifted up. David speaks feelingly of such a lifting up, Psalm xxvii. 5, G. " For iiithe time of *' trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion ; in tlie se- **cret of his tabernacle shall he hide me ; he shall set ** meupon a rock. And now shall mine head be lif- *' ted above mine enemies round about me ; therefore 'Svill I offer in his tahcnacle sacrifices of joy ; I will '^ sing, yea I will sing praises unto the Lord." Such had the three children in the fiery furnace ; the fire burnt, but it could burn nothing of them but their bonds J they had the warmth and light of it, but rothing of the scorching heat. Sometimes God lifts up his people this way in their humbling cir- cumstances.
2. A comfortable sight of the acceptance of their prayers, put up in their humbling circumstances : While prayers are not answered but trouble con- tinued, the hangers on about the Lord's hand are apt to think they are not accepted or regarded in heaven, because there is no alteration in their case, Job ix. 16. ir. '' Jf I had called, and he answered "'• me, yet would I not believe that he had hearkcn- '' ed unto my voice, for he breaketh me with a teni- *' pest." But that is a mistake ; they are accept- ed immediately, though not answered,! John v. 14. "And this is the confident we have in him, that " if we ask any thing according to his will, he hear- **eth us." The Lord does with them as a Father, with the letters coming thick from his son a))roadi reads them one by one with pleasure, and cr ' '
The Crook in the tot, 149
\y lays them up, to be answered at his conveniencco And when the answer comes, the son will know how acceptable they were to his fatVjer, Matt. xv. 28. So here, &c.
3. A heart-satisfying answer of these prayers, ihid. so as they shall not only get the thing, but see they have it as an answer of prayer ; and they will put a double value on the mercy, 1 Sam. ii. 1. Ac- cepted prayers may be \try long of answering, many years, as in Abraham and David's case, but they cannot miscarr}^ of an answer at length, PsaU ix. 18. The time will come when God will tell out to them according to the promise, that they shall change their note, and say, Psal. cxvi. 1. " I "love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice, *'and my supplication." Looking on their lifting up as bearing the signature of the hand of a prayer- hearing (iod.
4. Full satisfaction^ as to the conduct of Provi- dence, in all the steps of the humbling circumstan- ces, and the delay of the lifting up, however per- plexing these were before, Rev. xv. 3. Standing on the shore, and looking back to what they ha\ e past through, they will be made to say, *' He hatli " done all things well." These things which are bitter to Christians in the passing through, are veiy sweet in the reflection on them ; so is Samson's riddle verified in their experiences.
5. They get the lifting up, together with the in- terest for the time they lay out of it. AVlicn God pays his bonds of promises, he pays both stock and interest together; the mercy is increased according to the time man waited on, and the cxpences and hardships sustained, during the dependence of the process. The fruits of common providences are soon ripe, soon rotten ; but the fruit of the promise i*i
N 2
150 The Crook VI the Let.
readily long a ripening, but then it is dumbie ; and the longer it is a ripening, it is the more valuable when it comes. Abraham and Sarah waited for the promise about ten jears, at length he thought on a way to hasten it, Gen. xvi. 1 — 6. That soon took in the birth of Ishmacl, but he w^as not the promised son. They were coming into extreme old 9ge ere the promise brought forth, Cren. xviii. 1 1. But when it came, they got it with an addi- tion of the renewing of their ages, Gen. xxi. T. and