The Forgiveness of Sin: A Practical Exposition Upon Psalm 130, by John Owen. The following contains an excerpt from his work.

"Search the Scriptures."—John 5:39

I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
~ Psalm 130:5-6

I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
~ Genesis 49:18

And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
~ Isaiah 8:17

Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
~ Isaiah 26:8

CAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
~ Psalm 119:81

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
~ Psalm 63:6

A Song of degrees. Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.
~ Psalm 134:1

I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.
~ Psalm 119:147

And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
~ Isaiah 21:8

1. It is necessary. They that watch for the morning, to whose frame and actings the waiting of the soul for God is compared, give not over until the light doth appear; or if they do, if they are wearied and faint, and so cease watching, all their former pains will be lost, and they will lie down in disappointments. So will it be with the soul that deserts its watch, and faints in its waiting. If upon the eruption of new lusts or corruptions,—if upon the return of old temptations, or the assaults of new ones,—if upon a revived perplexing sense of guilt, or on the tediousness of working and labouring so much and so long in the dark,—the soul begin to say in itself, "I have looked for light and behold darkness, for peace and yet trouble cometh; the summer is past, the harvest is ended, and I am not relieved; such and such blessed means have been enjoyed, and yet I have not attained rest;" and so give over its waiting in the way and course before prescribed;—it will at length utterly fail, and come short of the grace aimed at. "Thou hast laboured, and hast not fainted," brings in the reward, Rev. 2:3.

2. Perseverance in waiting is assuredly prevalent; and this renders it a necessary part of the duty itself. If we continue to wait for the vision of peace it will come, it will not tarry, but answer our expectation of it. Never soul miscarried that abode in this duty unto the end. The joys of heaven may sometimes prevent consolations in this life; God sometimes gives in the full harvest without sending of the first- fruits aforehand;—but spiritual or eternal peace and rest is the infallible end of permanent waiting for God.

This is the duty that the psalmist declares himself to be engaged in, upon the encouraging discovery which was made unto him of forgiveness in God: "There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope." And this is that which, in the like condition, is required of us. This is the great direction which was given us, in the example and practice of the psalmist, as to our duty and deportment in the condition described. This was the way whereby he rose out of his depths and escaped out of his entanglements. Is this, then, the state of any of us? Let such take directions from hence.

1. Encourage your souls unto waiting on God. Do new fears arise, do old disconsolations continue? Say unto your souls, "Yet wait on God. 'Why are you cast down, O our souls? and why are you disquieted within us? hope in God; for we shall yet praise him, who is the health of our countenance, and our God;' " as the psalmist doth in the like case, Ps. 43:5. So he speaks elsewhere, "Wait on God,and be of good courage;"—"Shake off sloth, rouse up yourselves from under despondencies; let not fears prevail." This is the only way for success, and it will assuredly be prevalent. Oppose this resolution to every discouragement, and it will give new life to faith and hope. Say, "My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the rock of my heart, and my portion for ever;" as Ps. 73:26. Though thy perplexed thoughts have even wearied and worn out the outward man, as in many they do, so that flesh faileth,—and though thou hast no refreshing evidence from within, from thyself, or thy own experience, so that thy heart faileth,—yet resolve to look unto God; there is strength in him, and satisfaction in him, for the whole man; he is a rock, and a portion.

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