desire is a death to the desirer A godly mans desires are active desires they put him upon enquiry lead him to the meanes of enjoying the good desâ—ered And though God be unexpectedly found of some that seeke him not yet no man can expect to finde God but he that seeketh him And indeed what should the Creature doe but be upon an enquiry after God there is a Naturality in it hee being the supream beeing that we who have our being from him should seeke after him And the Apostle tells us Act. 17.26 27. that this is the designe of God in making of one blood all Nations of men for to dwel on the face of the earth and in determining the times before appoynted and the bounds of their habitation namely That they should seeke the Lord if haply they might feel after him and finde him though he be not farre from every one of us for in him we live c. The Lord is neer all he hath a presence in all places with all persons but the Lord would have all seeke feele grope after him even such as have but a dim light of him as those have that doe not seeke so much with their eyes as with their hands they onely feele after the things which they would have There is a light in the spirits of all men that haply they may feele after God and finde him They who have not Scripture light Gospel light the highest light yet have some kinde or degree of light they have some glimmerings though no cleare discernings And that should put them on to seeke God much more should they seeke after him who have clearest light And where there is any heate of affection to God a little light will serve them to seeke after him they that are true desierers will be diligent seekers And they who seeking God have found him will seeke him yet againe yea they will seeke him more and more as long as there is any thing more of God to be found And there will alwayes be more of God to be found for here we know God but in part and therefore have found him but in part and hence it is that all the Saints in this life or on this side Glory even they of the highest forme and greatest proficiency in grace and knowledge are called Seekers this is the generation of them that seeke him Psal 24.6 not such seekers as we finde too many in these dayes who as if all were upon uncertainties in religion say they have as yet found nothing for as there is something wherein the most knowing and strongest Christians may be to seeke so there are many things yea all things necessary to salvation or without which we cannot be saved which the weakest may finde and know sufficiently though not sully And as they who desire to finde these things will be diligent in seeking them so they may know in themselves or be fully assured that they have found them and so even while they still continue to be seekers know that they are already Finders Lastly Observe God is every where yet especially some where to be found As there is a finding time so there is a finding place and finding meanes There is a finding time saith holy David Psal 32.6 For this shall every one that is godly pray to thee in a time when thou mayest be found The Hebrew is in a finding time though I would not give any one a stop from seeking God at any time yet I must say there is a speciall finding time And this the Apostle calls the Accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 that is the time which we ought to lay hold upon or accept as also the time wherein we shall be acceptable or finde acceptation There is also a finding place there is a where as well as a when God specially is to be found I mean it not of a meere locality as if God were now to be found more in one place then in another for Paul saith 1 Tim. 6.8 I will that men every where lift up pure hands without wrath and doubting And Christ told the woman Joh. 4.21 The houre cometh when ye shall neyther in this Mountaine nor yet at Jerusalem worship the father not as if Christ had forbid the worship of the father in those places for the time coming but he enlargeth publick worship to all places or abrogates all differences of place under the Gospel as to the worship of the Father Yet if any man shall enquire where may I find God or say as Job here O that I knew where I might finde him I would answer First Seeke him in his promises search the Scriptures there you will finde God Secondly Look for him in his Ordinaces of prayer and preaching c. for there he hath promised to be present Where two or three are met together in my name there am I in the midst of them Math. 18.20 When the Church or Spouse in the Canticles Chap. 1.7 8. Askes the Question Tell me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noone Christ her Beloved answers If thou know not O thou fayrest among Women goe thy way forth by the footesteps of the flocke and feed thy kids besides the Sheepherds tents That is follow the holy practices and examples of the Saints in all former ages which the Apostle calls walking in the steps of the faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12 And againe hearken to the voyce of faithfull Teachers who as Shepherds feed the flocke of God with knowledge and understanding Waite at these Shepherds tents saith Christ and there thou shalt finde a presence of God with thee and his blessing upon thee Thirdly And above all Seeke God in Christ The father is onely to be found in the Sonne Looke to Jesus Christ and in him you cannot but behold God for he is the brightnes of his glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 and therefore as he that hath the Son hath the Father also so he that by an eye of faith and in the light of the Word and Spirit Beholdeth the Son beholdeth the Father also For the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is given us in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 The light of the knowledge of the goodnesse of God of his mercy Justice holines which are his glory shineth forth from Jesus Christ that is in and by Christ it appeares gloriously that God is exceeding good mercifull just holy Therefore to every wearied soule complaining of the losse of God and crying out O that I knew where I might finde him The summe of all the Counsell that I can give or indeed that can be given is this Seek God in Christ and he will be found O that I knew where I might finde him That I might come even to his seat Some conceive these words as the issue of a distemperd spirit others tax Job with too much boldnes that
is self-sufficient needs not to receive any addition from another is an argument of imperfection And seing God neither receives nor can receive any thing from another he must needs be perfect in himself David Psal 16.2 speaking of himselfe as the type of Christ saith O my soule thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord that is thou art my Portion and my All but my goodnesse extendeth not to thee I am not able to doe any good which reacheth to thy benefit or encreaseth thy happiness for thou art mine In the 50th Psalm the Lord asserts this his own independency If I were hungry I would not tel thee for the world is mine the fulnesse thereof If I had any hunger that is any defect upon me I need not go to the creature to aske a supply I could supply my selfe if there were any need but there 's none The Lord is infinitely above all hunger above all wants and defects whatsoever He indeed threatens Idolaters that he will famish all their gods Zeph. 2.11 Idols shall be hungry they shal be famisht and have none to administer any thing to them This the Lord doth when hee with-draws their respect and worship that name and reputation which once they had in the world from them worship is the food of Idols that keeps livelesse Idols as it were alive and therefore fals gods are famished when their false worship is cast downe but who can famish the Lord If I were hungry c. I would not tell you Can man be profitable unto God But it may be objected Cannot a man be profitable to God is man no advantage no help to him why then Judg. 5.23 Sings Deborah Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty It should seem then that the Lord had need of the help of these inhabitants of Meroz and if they had come forth it had been an advantage to him why else were they cursed for not coming forth to the help of the Lord I answer man is said to help the Lord when he helps in the Lords cause Personally the Lord needeth not my helpe but the Lord may be helped relatively in his Cause and in his people Thus we help the Lord when we help man when we help the Church and people of God It is our honour as well as our duty to help his People and give assistance in his Cause This the Lord takes so well at our hands that he reckons it as help given to himself Againe if wee consider the help as given to the Lords people we are not to conceive that the Lord needed the helpe of these men of Meroz as if hee could not helpe them himselfe without the assistance or ayd of man For when he seeth that there is no man then his owne arme brings salvation Isa 59.16 'T is the duty of man to come forth and draw his sword in the Lords quarrell against the mighty but the Lord needeth not the sword of man to subdue the mightiest Secondly It may be objected Cannot man be profitable unto God he speaks of the Church of the Jewes in such language as implies them a profit to him Exod. 19.5 Now if yee will obey my voyce indeed and keep my Covenant then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people And is there no profit in a treasure Again Deut. 32.9 The Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his inheritance Hath a man no profit by his portion no advantage by his Inheritance Now if the Lords People be his Portion his Inheritance his Treasure his peculiar special treasure how then can it be said they are no profit no advantage to him I answer the Lords people are his treasure not because they enrich him but because he hath a high esteem of them The Lords People are his treasure not because they profit him but because he protects them If I say to a man you shal be a treasure to me I may do it not because I expect any profit from him but because I have a high esteem of him and resolve to protect and defend him as I do my own portion and treasure In this sense doth the Lord say of his People Yee are my treasure We esteem treasure and treasures are under protection lest any take them from us Thus the Lord speaks of his People not that he hath any profit or gaine by them as men who ordinarily have Portions and Inheritances in Fields or Houses which are their stock and livelihood Indeed there is a Revenue which the Lord hath by his People as they are his portion that is a Revenue of glory and honour not a revenue of profit But if you say glory and honour is profit and an advantage to man is it not then an advantage to God to be glorified by man I answer It is no advantage to God when he is glorified by man Our glorifying of God doth not add any glory to him that he had not but it is only the setting forth of that glory which he had there is no encrease of his fullnesse by all the honour and glory that the creature gives him We are commanded to glorifie God Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven But God doth not receive any additionall glory by us how much or how clearly soever our light shineth before men A candle adds more light to the Sun then all the creatures in the world can adde to the glory of God when they have studied his glory and laboured to glorifie him to the utmost all their dayes Thirdly that of David may be yet objected Psal 4.3 The Lord hath set apart for himselfe the man that is godly And is so then it seems he intends to make some profit of him it is an allusion unto those that vend wares A Merchant looks upon this and that commodity and then saith this is for my turn this I like set it apart for me Seeing then the Loâ—d sets the godly apart for himselfe it sounds as if he meant to make some gaine or advantage by him I answer the meaning of that Scripture is not that God sets a godly man apart as one that he gets profit by but as one that he intends to bestow mercy upon or he sets him apart for service not for gaine The Lord serves his own ends by the service of man every day and sets apart the godly man for his speciall service Yet a little further I shall demonstrate that a man cannot be profitable to God First God had all perfection before man was therefore man cannot profit God Psal 90.2 From everlasting and to everlasting thou art God shat is thou art infinite in glory and excellency from everlasting God was God as much before
Chapter wee have found Eliphaz charging Job with those hainous crimes injustice and uncharitablenesse towards man in these three verses he proceeds to charge him with a higher crime even irreligiousnesse and impiety against God as if at least Job doubted if not denied the providence of God about what is done here below or affirmed that he neither rewarded the righteous according to their good nor punisheth the wicked according to the evill which they have done That 's the scope of this context in which wee may observe First A twofold truth held forth Secondly A wrong suggestion of two errors as arising from those truths Thirdly An indeavour to prove and make good what he had wrongfully suggested The two truths are contained in the 12th verse first God is in the height of heaven secondly The Stars are very high these are cleare truths from these Eliphaz makes a wrong suggestion as if Job upon those grounds of Gods being in the height of heaven c. had pleased himselfe with this conceit that God could not at such a distance take notice of what passeth among or is acted by men in this inferior world Ver. 13. And thou sayest how doth God know can he judge through the dark cloud As if he had sayd God being in the height of heaven cannot know much lesse judge concerning the state of things here below Why what should hinder Hee tells us what in the 14th verse where which was the third thing he endeavours to prove his suggestion Thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not that 's the first proofe and then we have a second in the latter end of that verse God hath other things to doe then to minde what is done here he hath higher businesses and imployments then to look upon us who are creeping upon mole-hills and engaged about a heape of earth for he walketh in the circuit of heaven that is there lieth his great worke he hath enough in a nobler Spheare to imploy himselfe in and therefore surely thou thinkest that God takes no care at all or not such speciall care about the affayres and wayes of men This is the summe and scope of these three verses They are a new charge of impiety upon Job as shutting up or restraining the providence of God to the things of heaven alone and we see how Eliphaz frames arguments and proofes of the point for Job which as will appeare afterwards never came into his heart Now though Eliphaz misapplyed all this to Job yet herein he fully characters clearly paints out the spirit of carnal men for such secure themselves in their evill wayes upon this presumption that God takes no notice of them or that he hath something else to do then to trouble himselfe with what they are doing Ver. 12. Is not God in the height of heaven Nonne deus sublimior est coelo Pagni Nonne deus coelum alium tenet Tygur Nonne deus in sublimitate coelorum Mont Deus sublimitas coelorum Hebr There are divers readings of these words first thus Is not God higher then the heavens A second thus Doth not God possesse the high heaven The Originall may strictly be renderd God the height of heaven that is God is above all heavens we render well God is in the height or sublimitie of heaven This Question Is not God in the height of heaven is taken three wayes First Some read it as an Exhortation given by Eliphaz to Job to draw off the motion of his thoughts most of all the setled bent of his heart from those inferior things his losses troubles his sorrows paines and sicknesses he would divert his minde from these worldly sorrows and raise it up to heavenly enjoyments Is not God in heaven As if he had sayd Why standest thou poring upon things below Why dwellest thou so much upon thy dunghill and thy present poverty God is in the height of heaven consider him there This is both a safe and a very spirituall way to ease our minds of all the troubles and sorrowes which we meete with in this world could we but ascend in Spirit to the height where God is could we by an eye of faith looke to him live upon him and in him all burdens would be light and pressures easie to us Secondly This question may be taken as a plaine assertion or affirmation and it is of the same value signification with this God is in the height of heaven there he is and from thence he beholds all the children of men their wayes and workes Thirdly Is not God in the height of heaven May be understood not as the question of Eliphaz and so his affirmation but as the question of Job and so his supposition As if Eliphaz apprehended Job thus speaking in his heart Annon deus est inquis in altitudine coeli Jun. Is not God sayest thou in the height of heaven or doest not thou O Job say thus God is in the height of heaven I grant that he is there but I deny that he is there in thy sence or according to thy opinion He is not concluded or shut up there he is not so in the height of heaven but that he mindeth what is done upon the earth yea in the very depths of hell As if he had sayd Thy thoughts and conceptions of God are too strait and narrow Thou speakest much below God while thou sayest he is in the hight of heaven While thou confinest God to heaven thou makest him like thy selfe on earth From these words in the two former Expositions Observe That the hight of heaven or heaven above is the place of Gods speciall residence Heaven is my throne sayth the Lord Isa 66.1 the throne is the seate of a Prince there he declares his power and his state his glory shines from his throne A Prince looks like a common man when he is abroad in the world but when upon his throne then the rayes of Majesty break forth and he appeares as he is Thus the holy Prophet begs a gratious look of the Lord from heaven Isa 63.15 Looke downe from heaven the habitation of thy holinesse and of thy glory Heaven is called the habitation of Gods holinesse and of his glory because his holinesse and glory shine forth more in heaven then upon the earth little of the holinesse of God is discovered to us here though so much of it breaks forth here as causeth the heart of carnal men to quarrell with it continually Nor are any able with these eyes or rather with these hearts to beare the glory of God or endure his holines When but some extraordinary glimpses of these appeared to Esayah he cryed out Wo is me I am undone or cut off because I am a man of uncleane lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of uncleane lips for mine eyes have seene the King the Lord of Hâ—sts Isa 6.5 As God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity so
of the earth as Philosophy teacheth us though to appearance not bigger then the blase of a Candle nor broader then the palme of a hand Fourthly Consider also the difference of the Starres in their greatnesse and magnitude they are all great but not all of a greatnesse not all of one size Astronomers divide the Starres into sixe magnitudes We should likewise observe and wonder at their light which is their glory the light of the Starres is the glory of the Starres and so the more light any Starre hath the more glory it hath Thus one Starre differeth from another Starre in glory 1 Cor. 15.41 But I shall not stay upon these things having insisted somwhat largely upon them at the 9th Chapter v. 9. Whether I referre the Reader Onely note here that as the Starres of heaven are of several degrees God hath not levell'd them eyther in light or magnitude so he hath diversly distributed the light of parts and gifts of understanding and knowledge of estate and power to and among the children of men here on earth 'T is good for all that all are not alike The universe could not be eyther so beautiful or so orderly if every particular had the same beauty or were of the same order And he that cannot be content to have lesse and to be lesser then another is altogether unfit not onely to be as great or to have as much as another but to be or have any thing at all Nor is any man more fit to be more then he is then he that can rejoyce while another is more then he Secondly Note The creature leads us to God That 's the tendency and scope of all that is here asserted Eliphaz calls not Job to the meditation or contemplation of the Starres to leave him there Some study the heavens much but their lives are earthly they study the Starres yet there is nothing but dirt in their hearts and the reason is because they study the Starres for the Starres sake and not for Gods sake and make the Starres their end not their way or as Starres to lead them to God This is the reason why many Astronomers and Philosophers who busie their heads and minds much in speculation about the nature of the heavenly bodyes know not at all what it is to have their conversations in heaven or to minde the things that are above Wee should so behold the glory of the Starres as from thence to inferre that God is much more glorious yea that these things which were made glorious have no glory in comparison of that Glory which made them Plato taught his Scollers to say The earth is beautifull the heavens are more beautifull but God who made the earth and the heavens is more beautifull then both The visible creature shewes the invisible God Psal 19.1 2. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke But O how glorious is the invisible God who hath made such visible creatures and what a work-Master is he who hath set up such a work Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and godhead The things that are made carry us to the maker of them and they tell us that none but he who hath an eternall power and godhead could possibly make them The Heathen thought the Sunne Moone and Starres to be Gods therefore certainly there is very much of God much of the glory and power of God to be seene in them And Job saith which doth plainly shew that in nature it is so Chap. 31.26 If I beheld the Sunne when it shined or the Moone walking in brightnesse and my heart hath been secretly inticed or my mouth hath kissed my hand this also were an iniquity to be punished by the Judge for I should have denyed the God that is above That is if I have been inticed to worship the Sunne or Moone as ravisht with their beauty for 't is so farre from being a sin that 't is a duty to behold the Sunne when it shineth and the Moone walking in brightnes but so to behold them as to adore them or doe obeysance to them which was the custome of the Heathen expressed it seemes among them by kissing their hand as we doe at this day in token of respect and reverence to men above us this is an iniquity even that grosse iniquity of Idolatry or worshipping the creature in stead of or more then the Creator who is blessed for evermore Now I say inasmuch as these creatures have so much of God in them that many Heathens have mistaken them for God how will it condemne us of dulness and stupidity if we be be not led to God in the knowledge and beholding of them For as to make these creatures Gods so not to see God in these creatures is to deny the God that is above Thirdly While we behold the Starres of heaven it should exceedingly both humble us and make us thankful for whose use comfort and accommodation in this life God set up those Glorious Lights God did not make them for his owne use he had no need of them he was from everlasting without any of these creatures The Starres are nothing to him The Sunne is nothing to him yea in that state of glory where we shall injoy God for ever we shall have light without Sunne so that these lights were made for our use and for ours onely while we are walking in the darke vale of this present world Now while we behold the height of the Starres how high they are and consider for whom as well as by whom they were made even for us for poore us who are but dust and ashes This should at once lay us low in humblenes looking upon them as an honour to great for us and rayse us up in thankfullnes because the benefit and comfort of them is so great to us Thus David speakes in that excellent prophecy of Christ Psal 8.3 When I consider thy heavens the worke of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him As if he had said thou hast made all these creatures for man see what a heaven what starrs God hath framed and set up for man Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him Thus behold the height of the starres how high they are as to lead thee unto God and to admire his highnes so to be humbled at thy own basenes and to be thankfull for his benefits Eliphaz having laid downe these two Propositions God is on high and the Starres are high proceeds to make an inference from both which he formeth up by way of supposition from Jobs owne mouth Vers 13. And thou sayest how doth God know As if Eliphaz had said thou art so farre from making that right improvement which thou
answer wee who of our selves are a 〈…〉 by the bloud of Jesus Christ and being thus made nigh in our state wee draw nigh or acquaint our selves with him by severall Acts. As first To thinke or meditate of God is to acquaint our selves with and draw nigh to God meditation is an inward discourse and converse with God it is a Soliloquie between God and the soule acquaintance is got by Conference when friends meet and confer that doth not onely begin but confirme strengthen and highten their acquaintance Saints have many thoughts of God and that 's their acquaintance with God How precious are thy thoughts to mee O God! saith David Psal 139.17 how great is the summe of them when I awake I am still with thee How was David still or ever with God He was so in his thoughts and meditations in the actings goings forth of his soule to him Now he that is still or ever with a person must needs be acquainted with him I am still with thee alwayes meditating upon thee We finde him againe in the same holy frame Psal 63.5 6. My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnes and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips while I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches As the Lord is ever thinking upon his people they are written upon his heart and graven upon the palmes of his hand and when his outward actings towards them are such as may seeme to intimate that his heart is withrawne from all intimacy with them yet even then he thinks most of them This he acknowledgeth concerning Ephraim Jer. 31.20 Since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still Since I spake against him that is since I spake against him by words of rebuke and correction since I spake against him by rods of chastisement and correction as Ephraim found and confessed he had Thou didst chastise mee and I was chastised since I spake thus against him I do earnestly remember him still I remember him and I remember him strongly my heart is much upon him And when the Lord saith thus wee are not to understand it as a man will remember an Enemy when he speaks against him hee 'le remember him indeed and that earnestly to plot mischiefe against him and to execute his revenge but the meaning is I remember him in mercy my affections goe out to him my bowels are moved towards him Such is the remembrance which God had of Ephraim even when he was speaking against him and smiting him Now as the Lord doth remember his people at all times and earnestly remember them at sometimes So his people in their proportion doe earnestly remember the Lord they minde him often they would minde him alwayes they like to retaine God which the natural man liketh not Rom. 1.28 in their knowledge or to acknowledge God They have not some flitting transient thoughts and acknowledgements of God as a carnall man may have but they fix and retaine God in their thoughts acknowledgements they thinke of God what he is in his nature they thinke what God is in all his perfections they meditate of all his glory of his justice of his mercy of his faithfulnes of his power of his truth of his unchangeablenes of his all-sufficiency they acquaint themselves with God in all these for indeed we are never acquainted with God till we come to a distinct knowledge of him in all these parts of his glory which yet are all but one and the same glorious God To know onely in generall that there is a God is not to acquaint our selves with God our acquaintance with him consists in a spirituall and fiduciall knowledge of all his revealed perfections so farre as it is possible or lawfull for man to search and know To be acquainted with any man notes more than a generall knowledge of him how much more to be acquainted with God Secondly Wee acquaint our selves with God not onely when wee study his nature or what he is but when we study his workes or what he hath done God is visible in his workes That his name is neare his wondrous workes declare Psal 75.1 Wee may acquaint our selves much with God in the workes of Creation but more in the workes of Providence in those wee may most legibly read his name that is his greatnes and power as also his goodnes and mercy Thirdly Wee acquaint our selves with God in the study of his word there he hath made a full discovery of himselfe and of his will O how I love thy Law saith David my meditation is in it might and day The word of God is the demonstration of the holines of God There he hath set forth himselfe how just how pure and how gracious he is The word is a glasse in which God is seene therefore acquaint thy selfe with the word of God and thou shalt be acquainted with God reading and hearing the word of God is our going to God for Counsell as wee acquaint our selves with a man when we goe to him and aske his advice and counsel in any matter or consult his bookes so every time we eyther read or heare the word of God in faith we are asking counsel of God and so acquainting our selves with him Fourthly Wee especially acquaint our selves with God in prayer That is nothing else but the opening of our hearts to God a declaring of our wants to him Prayer is the ascending the lifting up of the soule to God therefore in prayer wee acquaint our selves with God Fifthly Our daily holy walking is a daily acquainting our selves with God every step of a holy life is both towards and with God the life of Enoch who was too holy for a life here on earth and therefore he was translated that he should not see death his life I say is described thus Enoch walked with God Gen. 5.24 God and Enoch were like two familiars or intimate friends walking together And because he took so much delight in Gods acquaintance God took him from all acquaintance with men so saith that text Enoch walked with God and was not for God tooke him He was so taken with God that God took him or as the Authour to the Hebrews saith translated him ch 11.5 He was before translated from nature to Grace he proved so great a proficient in that schoole that he was translated from Grace to Glory as it were per saltum by a leape over the grave for he saw not death From which sad vision but one more that I read of in all the Scripture Elias by name was excused before he was admitted to the beatificall vision Holy walking is the summe of all our acquaintance with God and our fullest acquaintance with God is but the issue of our holy walkings To draw towards a close of this poynt wee may take notice That there is a twofold acquaintance with God First from necessity when wee come to him and desire to
a fitt or a convenient time implying that time in that notion is not hidden from God Isa 50.4 God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I might speake a word in season to him that is weary Which some translate thus That I might know the appointed time to the afflicted An afflicted soule must be watched and a season taken these times are not hidden from the Almighty he knoweth the opportunity and therefore can direct him that speakes to a wearyed soule as to speake proper and taking matter so to speake it in a proper and taking time when it shall be as welcome to the soule as raine to the dry and thirsty ground David saith to the Lord Psal 119.23 It is time Lord for thee to worke for they have made voide thy Law that is now is the season and opportunity for thee to work if ever thou wilt shew thy selfe doe it now And when David confessed Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hand He meanes that the seasons of his comforts Per tempora intelligit rerum vicissitudines divitias et pauperiem pacem bellum c. Theodoret and of his sorrowes all the turnings and changes of his life from one condition to another were cast and ordered by the power and wisdome of God Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty Doe they that know him not see his dayes Thus Job describes the persons that see not the dayes of God they are such as know him Which character as was shewed before belongs to every Godly man though it be more peculiar to some Hence note First Every Godly man knoweth God And none but the Godly know him indeed many ungodly men professe they know God and they may know him notionally but no ungodly man knoweth him truly experimentally or practically Many ungodly men have a forme of knowledge and of the truth in the Law as the Apostle speakes of the Jewes Rom. 2.20 but no ungodly man feeleth the power of knowledge and of the truth in the Law Pietas est cognitio scientiaque dei Trismeg And therefore the wicked are spoken of in Scripture as not knowing God Jere. 10.25 Powre out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not And when the Prophet describes the wickednesse of the Jewish State he saith Hos 4.1 There is no knowledge of God in the Land Which the Chalde Paraphrast renders thus Neither are there any who walke in the feare of God in the land where there is no knowledge of God there is no feare of God We neyther love nor feare him of whom we have no knowledge nor can we beleeve in or trust him whom we know not Psal 9.10 They that know thy name will put their trust in thee That is the truly godly will trust in thee for they know thy name but they that know thee not how can they trust upon thee and therefore the Prophet calls us to boast in the knowledge of God Jere. 9.23 Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord whech exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. There is nothing in this world worth the boasting in but the holy knowledge of a holy God or such a knowledge of God the fruit whereof is a godly life here and the end whereof is an eternall life hereafter Joh. 17.3 This is eternall life that they may know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent This knowledge of God doth not floate in the braine but sinkes into the heart and is rooted in the affections Thus the Apostle John argues 1 Epist Chap. 2. v. 3 4 5 6. Hereby we know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements he that sayth he knows him and keepeth not his commandement is a liar and the truth is not in him As if he had sayd The true knowledge of God is an obedientiall knowledge so that if any man sayth he knoweth God while his life is not sutable to what he knoweth this mans profession is vaine and himselfe is a lyar Whosoever keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected that is he loveth God with a perfect or sincere love and the love of God is perfected towards him The scope of his whole discourse there is to shew that the true knowledge of God is the keeping of the word of God Many are so ignorant of God that they know not the word which they should keepe and all they who knowing the word keepe it not will at last be numbered among the ignorant or among those that know not God But their condition will be worse and their punishment greater then theirs who never knew God according to the teachings of his word Their estate will be bad enough who perish for want of the knowledge of God then what will their end be who perish in the neglect or abuse of plentifull knowledge From the second notion of the words they that know him as they intimate a sort of Godly men who have neerer acquaintance with and freer accesse to God then others Observe That as all godly men know God which the wicked doe not so some godly men have such a knowledge of God as many who are godly have not Though the knowledge of all godly men be of the same nature and kinde yet not of the same degree and height We reade of some who in old time were called Seers 1 Sam. 9.9 as if they onely had been endued with sight and all others were blinde in the things of God They were the onely seers yea they were fore-seers because God did often reveale himselfe and declare to them what he was about to doe in dreames and visions Now as in those times there were some men called seers so in these times some may be called knowers as if none knew any thing of God comparatively to them or as if other godly men were ignorant and understood nothing of him When God 1 Sam. 3. appeared to Samuel in a vision and revealed the doome of Elies house to him the Text sayth at the 7th verse Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord surely Samuel did know the Lord as other godly did in those times though he were but young yea it is said The childe Samuel ministred before the Lord and did not he know the Lord no doubt he did The meaning therefore is Samuel did not yet know the Lord by any speciall intimacy with him or particular revelation from him as afterward he did he became a knower of God at last though then he did not know God in this peculiar sence But God having revealed to him the secret what he would doe to Elies house then he knew God he
Acts 27.20 Tenere faciem throni est coelum occultare et obducere nubibus That neyther Sun nor Starrs in many dayes appeared here was a holding backe or covering of the face of the throne of God And thus our experiences have often found it held backe the face of heaven being masked or vayled over with naturall clouds and vapours Againe if we take the face of the throne of God for that eminent manifestation of himselfe as in heaven Thus also God holdeth backe the face of his throne by covering it with a Metaphoricall cloud as it is expressed Psal 97.1 2. The Lord reigneth c. clouds and darknesse are round about him that is we can see no more of his glory in reigning then we can see of a Kings throne which is covered with a Canopy and compassed about with curtaines Job gives this plainly for the interpretation of this former part of the verse in the latter part of it And spreadeth his cloud upon it That is upon the face of his throne Wee may take this cloud first properly thus God covers the heavens from the sight of our eyes Secondly improperly as clouds note onely secrecy and privacy Thus God spreadeth a cloud upon his throne to hide it from the eye of our understanding so that we can no more comprehend the glory of God in himselfe or in his wayes and workings towards man then we can see the Sunne Moone and Starres when muffled and wrapt up in thicke clouds Thus David speaketh of the Lord Psal 18.11 He made darkenes his secret place his pavilion round about him were darke waters and thicke clouds of the skyes But the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 6.16 That God dwelleth in light How then doth the Psalmist say there and elsewhere that he made clouds and darknes his secret place and his pavilion I answer As the Lord is light and hath no darkenes at all in him Joh 1.5 so as to himselfe he ever dwelleth in light and hath no clouds nor darkenes at all about him And therefore when it is sayd that he spreadeth a cloud upon his throne and maketh darkness his secret place or his secret place darke we are to understand it in reference to our selves for whensoever God hideth himselfe or the reason of his dealings and dispensations from us Then the cloud is spread upon his Throne When God is sayd to spread a cloud over us or any thing we have it noteth his care over us and his protection of us Isa 4.5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblyes a cloud and smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night what is meant both by this cloud and flaming fire is clearely expounded in the last words of the verse for upon all the glory shall be a defence or a covering Thus I say a cloud spread by God upon us implyeth that we are under his covert and defence But when God spreadeth a cloud upon or covereth himselfe with a cloud this implyeth all the Scripture over the hiding and concealing of himselfe and his workes from us And in this sence Job sayth He holdeth backe the face of his throne and spreadeth a cloud upon it Hence note First God hath a throne Kings have thrones much more hath God who is the King of kings King Solomon made himselfe a great throne of Ivory and overlayd it with the best Gold 1 Kings 10.18 Kings have formall Thrones God hath a real one Hee hath all power in his hand and this he administreth according to the pleasure of his owne will both in heaven and earth Note Secondly God manifesteth himselfe in heaven as Princes upon their thrones so heaven is the throne of God And where God acts most our affections should be most and our conversation most Where the Throne is thither the great resort is many flocke to the Court. As it will be our glory hereafter to be in heaven or about the throne of God for ever in person so it is our grace to be dayly there in Spirit while we are here The earth is Gods footestoole yet many make that their throne Heaven is Gods throne and many make that their footestoole They tread and trample upon the things of heaven while they set their hearts upon the things of the earth 'T is a sad mistake when men set their feete where they should set their hearts and prophane the throne of God not onely by levelling it with but by laying it lower then the ground Observe Thirdly God hideth his owne glory from the sight of man He holdeth backe the face of his throne he will not suffer the lustre of it to appeare but spreadeth a cloud upon it Indeed we are not able to beare the cleare discoveryes of divine Glory 1 Tim. 6.16 God dwelleth in light which no man can approach unto though he were permitted and offered the priviledge to approach unto it God dwelleth in and is possessed of that infinite perfection of light that no creature is capable of When Moses made that petition to God Exod 33.18 I beseech thee shew me thy glory The Lord answered v. 20. Thou canst not see my face for no man shall see me and live It seemes that while God spake with Moses his glory was overshadowed or that God to use Jobs language in the text held backe the face of his throne and spread a cloud upon it and therefore Moses begg'd the removall of it or that his glory might breake through it and shine unto him Wel sayth God thou canst not see my face as if he had sayd If I should grant thee that request thou art not able to enjoy it or make use of it for as my nature is altogether invisible so thou canst not beare the super-excelling brightnes which the cleare manifestations of my immediate presence would dart forth upon thee for that Glory of my presence is too great a weight for humane fraylety to stand under it would astonish rather then comfort thee and in stead of refreshing confound and make thee as a dead man No man shall see my face and live Man must dye before he can in that sence see the face of God and then he shall as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor 13.12 see face to face and know as he is knowne So that though we are much short of the happines of the next life while we see as through a glasse darkely and God holdeth backe the face of his throne yet it is a mercy to us while we are in this life that he doth so because we are not able to abide the sight of him face to face or to behold the face of his throne As Christ had many things to say to his Desciples which they were not able then to beare so Christ hath purchased such mercyes and priviledges for his people as they are not able to beare while they are on this side the grave Every state hath enjoyments suitable