seek with the eye of faith and obedience SEcondly as we must seeke GOD in his owne house so with a spirituall eye as he himselfe is a spirituall substance flesh and bloud cannot see him though they seeke him we can neuer finde him by the eyes of naturall senses but of faith and obedience Gods spiritualtie cannot be pierced with the eye of flesh which seeth nothing but that which is finite materiall visible and circumscriptible as God is not nay if the soule of a man a finite spirit cannot be seene with the bodily eye much lesse the God of spirits who is infinite and of such puritie as the Angels are not able to behold S. Iohn saith No man hath seene God at any time and S. Paul saith God dwelleth in light not to be attained to whom no man hath seene neither can see and therefore concerning the outward sight whereby curious and ignorant men would be glad to see God hardly thinking there is any God when none in this sort can be seene the truth is God cannot be seene Neither are we able to see and finde God by the eye of our mind whilest we are here as it is corrupted the reason is this because all our knowledge is by formes and fashions conceiued in our minde and for the most part floweth from the outward senses but God as hath beene said cannot be perceiued by our senses No man euer saw the glorie of the Lord viz. his Essence and diuine Maiestie no not Moses himselfe neither could he see him expressly with the eye of his minde But thus farre we see the Lord after an obscure fashion we see his loue and mercy and kindnesse to vs in the reuelation of his sonne Christ in his beneuolent gifts of grace in the remission of sinnes iustification sanctification c. But at the last day we shall see him fully in his brightnesse and beautie euen as he is 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we know him in part sayth Paul but then we shall know as we are knowne Grosse are those old Heretiques Vse the Anthropemorphites that gaue to God an humane forme c. The Scriptures speaking after our capacitie giue vnto him the parts of man as feete hands face c. And whereas they alledge some apparitions and visions which the Fathers had as Abraham of three going to destroy Sodome as Lot of two c. I answere that God appeared vnto them not in his nature but in such a forme as pleased him Many saw Sed quod voluntas elegit non quod natura formauit What his will chose not what his nature formed Men saw him when he would in such formes as he would not in his diuine nature wherein he lay hid euen then when he was seene Grosse likewise and ridiculous are our common conceits of God Ignorant people suppose him to be a man in shape and passion like themselues The Epicure who thought there was no happinesse vnder the Sunne but in carnall pleasure imagined God to be of the same sensuall humour and deemed that freedome from busines was his chiefest felicitie And Dauid sayth in the Psalme that the vngodly person who runnes to all manner of excesse ioyning with the theefe and partaking with the adulterer Psal 50.18.21 and opening his mouth with the slanderer thinkes God like himselfe and generally our priuate thoughts touching God are not so holy so reuerent so diuine so full of respect as they ought to be Therefore if we would see the backe parts of the Lord then we must pray to him to open the eyes of our mides to cleere them with the grace of vnderstanding that we may see him now not as he is in his eternall being for that cannot be but as he hath reuealed himselfe mercifully and graciously vnto vs in all his spirituall endowments of grace This is the second thing required in our seeking the Lord namely to seeke him not with the eye of sense or nature but with the eye of grace enlightened and cleered Thirdly seeke God by his meanes Thirdly we must seeke God by his owne light and meanes first by the word in Precepts and Promises This is a Lanthorne to our feete and a light to our pathes by which God may be discerned whom the darknesse of the world cannot comprehend We reade that when God appeared to Eliah before him went a mightie strong winde 1 King 19.11 c. which rent the mountaines but the Lord was not in the wind After the wind came came an earth-quake and after it a fire but the Lord was in neither but then at last of all came a still and soft voice and in that the Lord was And that was it which most affected Eliahs heart for as the Story sayth When Eliah heard it he couered his face with a mantell and went out Whereby the Lord would teach vs that as in the first deliuery of the Law the instrument which God taught them by was a voice he purposely forbearing to present himselfe to their eies in a visible shape least they should stick too much vpon outward shewes so they likewise in following times should trust especially to the same meanes which God as it were by his owne mouth hath sanctified vnto them at the beginning namely a voyce The nature of man rather affects that which offereth it selfe to the eye then the naked and bare instruction of the eare and therefore all counterfeit Religions are full of beautie Images signes and bodily representations wherewith the world is bewitched But the instrument that brings vs to the Lord is his owne word the Lord thought it fitter to informe Moses by the care then to giue him his desire in presenting himselfe to his eye so he doth still hold the same course and hath ordained the sense of hearing to be as it were the pipe by which the sauing knowledge of his will may be conueyed downe into the heart And as for those who will not be instructed by hearing Vse they are sonnes of wrath past all hope of God 's louing presence there is no course though in mans reason neuer so little that is able to recouer them Let it admonish vs if we desire to know God to prepare our eares to the meanes of knowledge Remember what Salomon hath said that it is but the sacrifice of fooles Eccl. 4.17 which all those performe who come into the house of God and are not neare and readie to heare thus much of the word teaching vs that a man desirous to know in some sort or to conceiue the maiestie of God is instructed more largely by the eare then by outward and visible representments A second meanes to seeke God are such signes of his presence as he hath made choice of to reueale his grace in In the old testament beleeuers must seeke him in sacrifices and ceremonies and therein he gaue them gracious answeres The Arke of the Couenant was called the face of God and the seeking of
THE GODLY MANS INQVISITION LATELY DELIVERED IN TVVO Sermons before the Right honourable HENRY Lord MONTAGVE late Lord High Treasurer priuie Counsellor c. and other Gentlemen of Worship at KIMOLTON on their Annuall feast day BY R. PRESTON Preacher of Gods Word LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Iohn Bellamie and are to be sold at his shop at the two Grey-hounds in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange 1622. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sr FRANCIS STANTON Knight R. P. wisheth to his present prosperitie the addition of many dayes in the fruitfull feare of the Lord Iesus c. RIght worshipfull These two following Sermons being preached before an honored assemblie whereto I was a stranger I could not conueniently dedicate them to any person or particular partie thereof least ignorance of their conditions and want of knowledge and acquaintance should accuse me of presumption and too much boldnesse The remembrance therefore of your selfe of your countenance and fauour towards me became a sudden obiect emboldening me to send them abroad vnder your name because as I am conscious of your pious practises so I haue and doe know you a Patrone of Religion and godlinesse esteeming it your greatest gaine to know Christ Iesus and to be found in him In these Sermons you shall find nothing sauouring of Affectation or inclining vnto ostentation but rather affection to the soules of the Flocke for from the heart-roote in Iesus Christ doe I desire their saluation The subiect of them is The godly Mans Inquisition wherein you shall see the estate of man by reason of sin and corruption layd open viz. that he is a stranger to the Lord a vagrant from the Common-wealth of Israell a lost sheepe in bondage vnto sinne and Sathan without Christ a child of wrath a prodigall c. And because to loose the fauour and countenance of God is of all conditions the most miserable a vassallage without exception I haue in the second place set downe the meanes how to get out which is diligent seeking of the Lord in prayer faith feare repentance holinesse of life Wherein also that the dutie may be the more set forward the place the matter the way the manner the measure the end and time of seeking are in their due places propounded And whereas there be certaine times when the Lord will specially be found and certaine times when he will not be found I haue in the last place laid downe both exhorting all men in the conclusion to take the present day least the ouer-passing of it through negligence keepe them eternally from it and so bring them into euerlasting separation from the presence of God This is an Abbreuiation of the sequents which I haue presumed as shaddowed with your allowance to publish Be you pleased to accept it be no seuere examiner but a mild pervser and also a practiser of the continents and let affection to the matter somewhat mediate with your iudgement to censure not as you see but as I meane I confesse of my selfe that I am vnable to carry the least sticke to the Altar and vnworthie of all others to prescribe either dyet or direction to any that hath but touched the hem of Christs garment yet am I not ashamed to humble my selfe to others view that by the mercie seene on me who haue beene thus sarre led into the secrets of God they may be likewise encouraged to presse within the border of the Mount when the horne of saluation shall be blowne As I am I craue your pardon for my boldnesse and the continuance of your fauour leauing these Sermons to your vse and practise and your selfe to the Lord in whom I rest euer bound vnto you in all humble obseruance Ri PRESTON THE GODLY MANS INQVISITION ESAIAH 55.6 Seeke the Lord while he may be found THe foundation of my speech for this time is grounded on this short line and few words of the Prophet Isaiah and they well resemble that excellent constructure of our SAVIOVR laid downe in his Gospell by Mathew Seeke first the kingdome of God c. Mat. 6.33 Where by first we vnderstand primarily chiefly before all and aboue all things so that God and his kingdome of grace must be sought principally and require the first-lings of all our labours For as all Obligations which runne indefinitely without limitation of time saith the Maxime in Law are presently due Simil â—â—â— so we in the like kinde so we in the like kinde stand bound to God And although in this Text is prefixed no certaine day yet it tells vs that wee are ingaged to euery day and therefore all holy men vrge the present day Ier. 35.15 Gal. 6.10 Turne euery man now from his euill way Doe good while ye haue time While it is called to day Heb. 3.7.13.15 Ioh. 12.35 exhort one another To day if you will heare his voice Walke in the light while you haue the light c. The Mariner sailes while the gale is fauourable The Smith strikes while the Iron is hote The Traueller walkes while it is day and the Lawyer takes his time viz. euery tearme time Now it is alwayes Tearme-time with Christians this present day is our Tearme and so is euery day If then we would haue our cause to be heard Christ to be our Aduocate and God to giue sentence on our side let vs seeke him diligently and betimes Isa 8.13 let vs earely in the morning sanctifie the Lord in our hearts and make him our dread The Prophet hauing set downe in the former part of this Chapter Coherence the sufficiencie and efficiencie of Christ without whom nothing is auaileable to saluation for in him is the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and likewise hauing described the calling of the Gentiles Col. 2.9 and how they should acknowledge Christ and seeke the Lord Here in this verse from the occasion taken from the Gentiles he exhorts the Iewes to emulation Seeke the Lord while he may be found as if he had said seeing the Gentiles are so zealous and so much enkindled to search the Lord why should you Iewes that are the Lords peculiar people be frozen Tit. 2.14 and cold in this dutie Seeke the Lord c. In these words I will obserue these three particulars first Quid secondly quem thirdly quando The interpretation for the first quid is the action seeke And this is taken from the course and practise of men who hauing lost any thing of moment and value betake themselues to diligent enquirie and seeking of the same neuer desisting till they finde So they that purpose to giue vp their names to Christ seeke God diligently neuer giuing ouer their Inquisitions til they be well assured of his presence To seeke God in this place signifieth many things as to labour to be reconciled to God in Christ to turne to him by repentance and humiliation of soule to worship and serue him according to his word to inuocate
his holy name to pray vnto him to make profession of his Religion to embrace him the true Iehovah and as the onely God by a liuely faith c. This large signification of seeking the Lord is not onely thus meant and expounded here but else-where in Scripture Hos 3.5 Psal 24.6 and 27.8 While he may be found These words include the present occasion and time of seeking for according to the time that God will be found we are to seeke Now if we seeke according to certaine rules after prescribed he will be found presently and therefore we are to seeke presently 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Grace Otherwise there is a time when the Lord will withdraw himselfe and will not be found though we seeke earnestly as the Prophet did for a Man to execute iudgement Ier. 5.1 and performe righteousnesse in Ierusalem and found him not In few words the meaning is this O yee Iewes by your disobedience and daily transgressions you haue lost the Lords fauour and countenance abused his gracious offers delaying time and procrastinating Repentance and you haue made vnto your selues Idolls that are no Gods Now the Lord once againe offereth himselfe in his mercies to your view neglect not the occasion but serue seeke call vpon and worship him if it come to passe that meanes and time slip away through carelesnesse then all your hopes are in the winde and you may seeke God but he will neuer be found as a mercifull and tender Father but rather as a terrible and a fearefull Iudge Seeke This word presupposeth a former losse Doct. 1. we need not seeke God Sinne is the cause of the losse of Gods fauour vnlesse formerly we had lost God Hence I gather this Theoreme that by corrupt nature and multitude of transgressions we are loosers not seekers of God we are rather strangers and wanderers from him then Inquisitors of and true conuerts vnto him In the corruption of nature we lost the comfortable presence of God which in our innocencie we enioyed by loosing our selues we lost him and secondly in the daily admitting and committing of sin after grace receiued we loose his sight and presence Sinne is a make-bate Reason and a schismatique that rendeth asunder the sacred bond of peace betweene the Creator and his creature it shorteneth his arme and withereth the fresh boughes of his loue It maketh a separation betweene him and vs as the Cloud betweene the brightnesse of the Sunne and vs It casteth vs into darkenesse and thrusteth vs behinde the doore as Iael did Sisera that we might loath to see the face of God as Sisera did the face of Barak and Deborah Iudg. 4.18.19 So long as the Ephesians continued in their sinfull Idolatrie they lost God for it is said Eph. 2.12 that they were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers from the couenant of promise hauing no hope and without God And so soone as our progenitour Adam had transgressed the Commandement in eating of the forbidden fruit he went and hid himselfe in a bush as if Gods presence had beene too hot for him Gen. 3.8 Adam and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the Garden fearefull they were to heare him speake and ashamed to see his face and therefore they seeke starting-holes to hide themselues the further from him In the same taking are all his of-spring to this day if the old serpent get any of vs to plucke an apple from the prohibited tree that is if he winne our consents to sinne he hath his desire and we become vagabonds on the earth and fugitiues from the face of God And euer the more we offend the further we are from God being either like Pilgrimes now wandering vp the steepe Mountaines of pride now downe the low vallies of despaire now through the shadie groues of wantonnesse now through the broad fields of licentiousnesse now through the thornie thickets of worldly cares now through the filthie channels of carnall lusts roouing sometimes here sometimes there without mate and guide the Deuill leading vs whither he list or like Marchant aduenturers imbarkt in the ship of securitie sometimes hoysing vp the sailes of noysome desires sometime filled with the merry gale of vaine and worldly pleasures somtimes delighted with a whistling aire of filthy lucre euer and anon running vpon the Syrtes and quicksands of sinne to the great danger not so much of the losse of life and wracke of goods as the wracke of Conscience which is the greatest shipwracke and the losse of Gods lone and affection which is the greatest losse Thus sinfull men that we are whilest with the Prodigall we become trauellers and Marchant aduenturers to see the fashions of the world abroad we become like to Ionas Ion. 1.3 who fled to Tarshish from the prefence of God There be three things that make men forsake one anothers societie Philo. de profugis Hatred Feare Shame for hatred the enuious man hates the companie of him that prospereth and so doth one enemy hate another Iacob fled from Laban because of his iniustice and Idolatrie he hated them For feare Children will runne from their Parents and seruants from their Masters for feare Iacob fled from Esau and Dauid from Saul For shame the Adulterer keepes his Cabin and is couched in a chamber Gen. 3. and for shame Adam skulted in the groue of Paradise Tell me thou fugitiue sinner for which of these things doest thou seeke to estrange thy selfe from God there is no cause of hatred in him for he is wholly delectable Cant. 5.10.16 the fairest of ten thousand there is no cause of feare in him for he is the Father of mercies and the God of consolation Ephes 2.4 he is rich in mercy especially to them Gal. 4.6 who haue receiued the spirit of adoption to cry Abba Father there is no cause of shame in him Psal 24.8.9 25.3 for he is the Lord of Glorie Nay rather vile sinner be ashamed of thy sinnes and blush at thy transgressions whereby thou hast lost thy selfe and a mercifull God thou by thy wicked life hast turned thy backe vpon thy Master and set thy selfe so farre at oddes with him that thou shalt draw downe no loue from him vnto thee vnlesse thy Repentance and humiliation for thy sinne be as the Loadstone to pull him to and winne him againe Obiect But how can a man wander from God Ob or lose him Wheresoeuer I am God is there present he filleth both heauen and earth Ier. 23.24 Psal 27. Psal 139.2.3.4 he is with me at my sitting rising lying downe in the thoughts of my heart words of my tongue wayes of my feete nay in my reines and bones His presence cannot be auoided who sitteth on the Circle of heauen 1 Reg. 8.27 Isa 66.1 and beholdeth the
inhabitants of the earth as Grashoppers whose throne is the heauen of heauens and the earth is his footestoole and his wayes are in the great deepe c. Answ It is true Sol There is neither heauen nor hell nor the vttermost part of the Sea neither day nor night light nor darkenesse that can separate vs from God the presence of his God head is no lesse in one place then in another He is well knowne in Iury and his name is great in Israel But yet touching the presence of his mercie and louing kindnesse that is not vouchsafed to the wicked they shall not enioy one iot of it In which respect they may be said to be farre absent from God Secondly God may be said to be found when the kingdome of Grace is much aduanced amongst a people but the vngodly they seeke to subdue it Heb. 10.29 and to trample the precious bloud of Christ vnder their feete which makes them strangers vnto God Vse 1 Vse Is it so that a man by sinne flies the face of God For information this may then let vs see the malice of sinne against our soules It will neuer cease stretching forth an Ishmaeliticall hand til it haue quite parted God and vs yea till it hath diuided vs from our selues for while we are beguiled with the deceilfulnesse thereof irrationall conditions and beastly qualities oppresse vs and with ding-thrifts and Prodigalls it will make vs forsake our Fathers house and change his sweet and fat land for a strange Countrey his daintie cates and dishes of sweet meates for refuse huskes his friends and acquaintance to become fellow-feasters with swine In a word it will so mad vs that we should neuer thinke either of God or the Deuill of Paradise or eternall plagues if the Lord had not left time and meanes that we might returne to our selues and so seeke the Lord. Vse 2 Vse 2. Secondly this Doctrine may teach vs to beware For instruction and to take heed of sinne and as much as in vs lyeth to binde it to good behauiour we haue no greater enemy in the world seeing without our circumspection it will goe about to set God and vs at eares Oh then take the peace of it and seeke to shut it out of the doores of thy heart that it may neuer shut thee out of Gods presence And as Samael dealt with the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15. so deale thou with the members of sinne kill them and then bury them with Iezabells bones in a deepe graue that they may no more rise vp to hang vpon thee this is the next and readiest way to get into Gods fauour and the presence of his grace Vse 3 Vse 3. Thirdly we are here likewise taught to bewaile the great losse of our God To bewaile our losse of God by sinne and to lament the want of his gracious presence this is the practise of euery godly man for if he thinke it the greatest gaine to obtaine the fauour of God then he must needes thinke it his greatest losse to want it If there be any sprinkle of Regeneration vpon thee or sparke of grace within thee it will moue thee to griefe and sorrow in the absence of God and compell thee to seeke him as the Hart doth the waters saying Psal 143.6 My sonle desireth after thee as the Hart after the water brookes and as the thirstie lands after raine Reason 1 The reasons why godly men bewaile the absence of God are specially these two First they know what it is to want God by setting a prise and worth on him while they haue him present in their hearts they know that when by sinne we loose him the soule is dead grace is withered the Conscience tormented and heauen turned into hell they know that the world cannot be so miserable without a Sunne nor the bodie without breath as the soule without God the sunne of his Church and the soule of the soule of euery true beleeuer Reason 2 Secondly if God depart from them for a time in displeasure through their fall into some sinne and then leaue a sense of his displeasure in their soules then their soules find such a want of him that they are not able to sustaine themselues without a present possession In this case godlesse men being sore afflicted will mourne for their wants and therefore much more the godly But alas for all this with the most of vs it is farre otherwise we can easily bewaile the losse of a sheep or a cow or an hogge c. We will take on as a Beare robbed of her Whelpes and tell our neighbours our griefe and the great losse we haue sustained but we seldome or neuer make any moane that we haue lost Gods fauour because we want a sense and feeling of his blessings in his mercies We seldome cry out in his absence Psal 67.1 Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs neither doe we complaine Isa 59.2 that our iniquities haue reared vp a partition wall betweene God and vs and so hid his face from vs that he will not heare neither doe we accuse our selues as lost sheepe Psal 119. last verse that haue long gone astray Oh therefore let vs flatter our selues no more with those that plucke out the eyes of knowledge it selfe Psal 10.4.11 Tush God is gone he hideth his face and will neuer see But rather let vs resolue to seeke GOD when he is wanting and to mourne for the want Let vs not follow our sensualitie too farre nor buy voluptuousnesse with a price but say with the Athenian Oratour when we heare how farre God is from vs by our pleasure Non emâ—m tanti peanitere I will not buy the seeking of God by Repentance at so high a rate Vse 4 Vse 4. Lastly seeing by sinne we loose God here againe wee are exhorted when we possesse him when we haue found him Let vs hold God fast when we haue him when we possesse to keepe our selues there and to hold him fast Let thine eye be continually vpon him and neuer suffer him to be out of thy sight Psal 123.2 Behold as the eyes of seruants looke vnto the hands of their Masters and as the eyes of a maiden vnto the hands of her mistresse So let our eyes waite vpon the Lord our God As the child dealeth with his Father he followes him vp and downe and dare not let him goe out of his sight but holds hard on his skirts keepes him with him So deale thou with the Lord turne thy selfe in euery good action vnto him and if thou hast any feare of loosing then sit the closer and hold the faster euer remembring that the second losse is the greater and bringeth more danger to the looser Dauid set himselfe euer in Gods presence 2 King 5.16 so doe thou stand before the Lord continually for this is a signe of thy obedience to the Lord
thy Master to stand before his face and not to shrinke from his presence Thus much of the Supposition Now of the Position Seeke the Lord Hauing laid downe how that by sinne we are out of Gods fauour and lose his presence of grace it remaineth to speake of the meanes to finde the Lord and to get into his fauour and that is here said to be Seeking whether it be by prayer Repentance obedience or hearing of the word daily and diligently c. Doct. 1. God being lost by sin must be sought by all holy meanes And the Point is this that hauing lost the Lord by iniquitie we are to seeke him againe by all godly helpes and meanes we must not stand vpon arguments but resolue present diligence to seeke when God seemes to leaue the Cabin of our hearts and begins to write bitter things against vs. The seruant put out of his Masters seruice knowing the profit by it will not stand vpon his termes My master did me wrong why did he thus but he seekes all meanes to procure his masters wonted loue and affection neither doth it become vs Gods seruants to argue vpon points without ground but rather we should seeke Gods face when he calleth vpon vs to that purpose saying Psal 27.8 Hos 5.3 Seeke ye my face Thus did the men of Israel they sought the Lord and he was fauourable gracious vnto them God sends not his workmen away without wages nor those that seeke him by Repentance in faith c. without a reward Dauid saith Psal 34.4 I sought the Lord and he heard me He did not so much vse his bodily feete to runne after the Lord as the good temper of his affections to take delight in the Lord. Neither did he say I prayed and was heard but I sought and was heard 2 Chron. 20.3 and thus Iehosaphat fearing God set himselfe to seeke the Lord And why are all the Elect of God called a Generation of seekers but in respect of their enquiries after Gods fauour Psal 24.6 according as it is the brand of the vngodly that they seeke not God And surely Reason if either the comforts and ioy we may reape by Gods presence or the necessitie thereof may be of force to perswade inquirie and to stirre vp our care neither of them is wanting in this so weightie a matter for comforts and ioy what thoughts are able to reach to the excellency of them Eye hath not seene nor eare heard 1 Cor. 2.9 nor heart conceiued the multitude and worth thereof the presence of great men will astonish and amaze their inferiours it will make them fearefull to behold their faces Math. 5.8 but such is not Gods presence his face and countenance is delectable and at his right hand is pleasure for euermore Psal 16.11 and the more we can behold it the lesse is our feare and the greater our reioycing 1 Sam. 6.13 when the Arke was restored the men of Bethshemesh exceedingly reioyced when the publicke teaching of the Law which had a long time beene discontinued was againe established Nehem. 8.12 the people of Ierusalem were much comforted But how much more will the Children of the marriage Chamber reioyce Math. 9.15 when the Bridegroome is among them This ioy arising from Gods presence concerneth either the qualification of the Conscience or the fruition of Gods fauour in the estate of glory for the conscience when after many skirmishes and secret terrors it begins to gather heart as we say and to feele euidences of grace then there is much ioy yea such ioy 1 Pet. 1.8 as Peter calls it glorious and vnspeakeable Touching this Ioy looke vpon Dauid boasting in the ioy of heart which was giuen him by the Lords lifting vp of his countenance vpon him Psal 4.7 Looke vpon the Eunuch going on in his way reioycing Act. 8.39 because he felt how faith in Christ was wrought in his soule and that was Maries Ioy reioycing in spirit Luk. 1.46 that she knew God in Christ was become her Sauiour For the fruition of the state of glory hereafter it may well lift vp the beleeuers heart with comfort Reu. who shall stand before the lambe accompanied with 24. Elders singing and reioycing he shall be where God is for euer Ioh. 14.16.17 1 Cor. 13.12 and shall see him face to face If this glimmering light of heauenly knowledge when we see but as in a glasse darkely be so delightfull what shall it be to see and know the Lord as he is If the communion we haue here with Christ in his word and Sacraments be so ioyous what shall it be to enioy the immediate presence of God our Father Christ our Redeemer the holy Ghost our Comforter Now shall not such excellent comforts springing from the enioyment of Gods presence be reputed worthie our inquiries What doe many vulgar people oftentimes to see the Kings face or at least his person Strange things are done out of the desire thereof As earnest should we be to get a sight of God Thus I haue briefely pointed you to the ioy of the Saints in their apprehensions of God and the beholding of his bright countenance Now let me shew you the necessitie too the necessitie in a word is such that without God and the presence of his grace there is no possibilitie of admittance into heauen for vpon all those that are without the pale of his fauour shall be executed that sentence passed vpon the man without the wedding garment Mat. 22.13 Binde them hand and foote and cast them into vtter darknesse where shal be neither comfort nor light nor yet hope of either To be in a darke Dungeon where is no penetration of light nor any consolation is great paine and misery 2 Thes 1.9 but to be excluded from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power is euen to be punished with euerlasting destruction As is the world without a Sunne a pining child without a Mother a distressed land without a gouernour euen so is the soule and body without the blessed and glorious presence of God nay they are in a thousand times worse taking for their exemption shall be perpetuall and easelesse their eye-sight shall onely be of Gods wrath and his eternall furie They shall feed his Iustice while they are burning in fire and brimstone Reu. 21.8 which is the second death Looke then of what necessitie saluation and happinesse and life eternall is of the same is the fauour and louing countenance of the Lord. If it be necessary for a man to seeke to be saued it is necessary to seeke the present and future good of his soule by seeking a conioyning to the Lord by meanes of his grace What can deserue the very best and as it were the very quintessence of our care if not this Ob But it will be sayd Ob Why neede we seeke God
speciall testimony of his presence there is called the seeking of his face And because he was so specially present there the Iewes in their Prayers must turne their faces towards the Arke and towards Ierusalem And that the Iewes might know where to finde God at all times Exod. 25.8 he told them that he would dwell in the Sanctuary and sit betweene the Cherubins So in the new Testament God hath appointed certaine signes as so many way-markes to finde him out as the publique seruing of him in spirit and truth resorting of Gods Temple and there ioyning in holy worship with the rest of his people is the way to seeke him The offering vp of the sacrifices of prayer and praise Call vpon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 and I will heare thee and thou shalt prayse me The frequenting of the Sacraments which represent that to the eye which the word doth to the eare In all which he will be sought and out of these will not be found God cannot be seene or found but by his owne light and therefore he that must seeke him must haue the light of vnderstanding Psal 14.2 The Lord looked downe to see if any would vnderstand and seeke after God Fourthly seeke God in the right way Ier. 6.16 Fourthly as we must seeke God by his owne meanes so in the right way which is called the old way and therefore the good way We must not seeke God that way we lost him for so it is likely we shall neuer heare of him but there is another way though a strait and backe way which soone brings vs to him The familie of Iacob those seuentie soules came downe to Egypt through the land of the Philistims but after fortie yeares circled about to Canaan through the Arabian Desert The three Wisemen that worshipped Christ were warned by the Oracle to goe into their Countrey another way Imitate these Sages thou lost God by transgression seeke him not in that common beaten way but by obedience and humiliation thou lost God by adultery seeke him by chastitie thou lost him by the way of pride hatred wantonnesse wrath ryot seeke him by the way of humilitie loue temperance patience sobrietie thou lost God by the way of couetousnesse contention swearing prophanenesse seeke him by the way of contentation peace honouring his name holinesse of life thou lost him by the way of vaine superstition seeke him by the way of Christian Religion to conclude as thou lost him by the way of sinne so now set on to seek him by the way of repentance and reformation A reformed life is the new way and best way till thou set foote in it thou art out of the right way and soone shalt loose thy way to God enter into it and bid farewell to thy sinnes that thou maist with a quicke dispatch wheele about into thy owne Countrey Fiftly as we must seeke God in the right way Fiftly seeke God in his owne manner 1. Early Psal 63.2 so in Gods manner and that is diuerse sorts of wayes First Earely This was the Prophets practise Early in the morning will I seeke thee That is euery morning the beginning of my worke shall be to looke towards thee I will beginne my duties in faithfull inuocating thy helpe and aid And as in the morning of the day so also in the morning of thy life forget not to seeke God by Repentance faith obedience c. This is the chiefe season Eccl. 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth A wound lookt to at first when its freshest is soonest healed A groat newly dropt downe through the fingers if it be presently sought after will soone be found So will God in youth from whence as a friend he hath lately departed by reason of sinne Behold then as euery day of thy life so principally thou owest the prime part of thy life to this dutie when thou art strongest and aptest But many deferre to seeke the Lord vntill the last weeke of their life the last day of the weeke the last houre of the day the last minute of the houre It is an exorbitant course while the ship is sound the tackling sure the Pilot well the sailes strong the gale fauourable the Sea calme to lie idle at Rode carding dicing drinking burning the seasonable weather and when the ship leakes the Pilot sicke the Mariners faint the stormes boysterous and the Sea a turmoile of outragious surges to launch forth and hoyse vp saile for a voyage into farre Countries and yet such is the skill of euening seekers who in the morning of youth and soundnes of health and perfit vse of reason though they cannot resolue to weigh the Auchor and cut the Cable that with-holds them from seeking of Christ neuertheles they feed themselues with a strong perswasion that when their wits are distracted their senses astonied all the powers of the mind and parts of the body distempered then forsooth they thinke suddenly to become Saints at their death howsoeuer they demeaned themselues as Deuils all their life Let vs awake from sinne with Dauid early Psal 57.9 1 Sam. 15.12 Gen. 21.14 Ioh. 8.2 Ioh. 20.1 rise with Samuell early with Abraham send away Hagar early with Christ and his Audience come to the Church early seeking the Lord with Mary Magdalen early Of this point more largly touching the opportunity of seeking hereafter following Secondly 2. Earnestly Earnestly As the husbandman for gold siluer and his earthly Commodities so we must seeke for this spirituall and eternall treasure the former seekes eagarly and instantly and so must we Our desire as it is to enioy so it must be earnest and feruent in the pursuit we ought to neglect no time nor pretermit any the least occasion of finding A loitering man that cares not whether he worke or no Prou. may get for his idlenesse a suit of ragges and he that thinkes to gaine Gods graces with nothing adoe may well goe without them There goes the striuing for masteries before the Crowne a painfull sweating race before the getting of the goale and an industrious diligence notwithstanding all serious thoughts to this purpose before the obtaining of the Lords grace and fauour Seeke painefully not carelesly not ouerly Luke 15. Pro. 2.4 as the woman for her groat seek as for siluer search as forgold The mint of gold lies not in the first spade it lies deeper search with a desire of finding for it s well if after all paines we finde at the last Thirdly Sincerely Thirdly Sincerely with a good and honest heart Quod cor non facit non sit What the heart doth not is not done at all Adams body being newly framed of the slime of the earth lay liueles and breathlesse vntill the breath of life was breathed into it So the action of seeking God with all the circumstances and tearmes thereof is nothing worth in the sight of God vntill
mute before their masters they will laugh and spend time idlie and lasciuiously when they are departed from it they forget the word yea themselues and so with the dogge they returne to their wonted vomit 2 Pet. 2.22 Others are in strength of bodie and soundnesse of the members and they need not returne to God till they waxe wan and weake and feeble and then they say is their time But let me frame such an opponent and times-enemie this answere if thou doest not forsake thy sinnes and turne to God till thou be weake and feeble then thy sinnes will forsake thee and not thou them What thankes is it for a drunkard to giue ouer his drunkennesse when he is not able any longer to goe to the Alehouse Or for the Whoremaster to leaue his whoredome when he hath no strength for the performance and execution of his filthie desire A man should willingly part with his sinnes euen while he is able to commit them and not by constraint when there is no remedie Secondly the time of weaknesse dotage c. is not Gods appointed opportunitie If a man would then he cannot soundly turne to God for all the parts of bodie and powers of soule will loose their vertue and neither part nor power can performe their office Eceles 12. The brawne of the armes they fall away the keepers of the house that is the hands which defend the bodie tremble the strong men that is the legges that should carry the bodie doe bow themselues and waxe faint the eyes that looke out at the windowes are darke and obscure the Grinders that is the teeth fall out of the head the doores of the lips are shut the iawes fallen and the daughters of singing that is the eares are abased being vnable any longer to heare the sound of Musicke the memorie is dulled the vnderstanding darkned c. And further least a man should thinke the time of dotage and of weaknesse the most conuenient time to seeke the Lord Salomon brings in that decrepit age deafe blind lame halt short winded full of aches in his bones cramps in his ioynts and sundry diseases in his bodie trembling on a staffe with shaking lips and almost robbed of all senses as if he might say Now looke and tell me whether this weake time this feeble age be the acceptable time and day of conuersion When this age oppressed Barzillai then could he say Can I discerne betweene good and euill 2 Sam 19.35 Haue I any taste in that I eate or drinke c. He confessed that his weaknesse was so great that both bodie and mind were disabled from attending on the King much more from attending this worke of grace Others also are readie to plead the mercifulnesse of God to giue toleration to presumptuous procrastination Oh God is mercifull hereupon the yong man is loose the drunkard ryotous the rich man cruell the swearer blasphemous the adulterer vicious and each man adulterate and beastiall in his kinde But let such bold flinder-mice know withall that God is as speedie in iustice to punish the euill and vngodly men as he is full of mercie for the vse and reward of his owne dearelings The hope of the wicked is hopelesse the Lord hath said it Psal 18.26 Prou. 1.28 34. he will visit their iniquities and laugh at their destruction and they shall finde that true for all their presumptions which the Apostle relateth Heb. 10.32 And 12.29 Rom. 2.4 viz. that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of God who is a consuming fire The mercie of God should lead men to repentance and make preparation for the day of grace Others are forward to excuse their delay I pray you did not the theefe on the Crosse seeke the Lord by Repentance at the last houre of his life and found him to his comfort I grant its true but it followes not thereon that euery one so seeking shall partake of GODS fauour This example was extraordinary and giuen of God that sinners should not presume and that true paenitentiaries should not despaire It is folly and great madnesse to deferre vntill the last in regard of this one patterne and example it being left without precept Fie on this slaggering and staggering of Christians who gape after Meteors in the aire cast beyond the Moone and are doubtfull when they hazard nothing but vanitie which would hazard their soules They murmure at present conuersion and say with the Disciples This is an hard saying who can beare it Ioh. 6. Or else they seeke to shift it off as they did who were called on to re-edifie the Temple and answered It is not yet time to build Hag. 1.2 c. Vse 2 Secondly this Doctrine may likewise serue for Instruction For instruction God biddeth and it is our dutie to hold opportunitie by the fore-locke by a little staying behind it will slip away and we shall not be able to catch hold of it Now the Lord will be found but anon he is gone and will absent himselfe as the Prophet tells vs Hos 5.6.7 They shall goe with their sheepe and their Bullockes to seeke the Lord but they shall not find him for he hath with-drawne himselfe from them Oh therefore when God putteth any good motion into our hearts of seeking let vs forthwith addresse our selues vnto it as Abrahams seruant that was sent to prouide a wife for his son Isaac when he had had good successe and well effected the businesse which he came for hasted home to his Master And when Rebeccaes friends requested him to stay ten dayes because they were loath to part with her on the sodaine he would not yeeld at any hand No hinder me not saith he Gen. 34.54.55.56 seeing the Lord hath prospered my iourney but send me away that I may goe to my Master So should we suffer nothing at all to hinder vs but euen make hast to turne to the Lord vpon the first motion There is a good saying to this purpose in the booke of Ecclesiasticus Chap. 5.7 Make no tarrying to seeke the Lord and put not off from day to day for sodainly shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroyed Ob But it will be said Ob Hast makes wast faire and softly goe farre soft fire makes sweet Malt the hastie man neuer wanted woe Ans All these be true Ans and good often in temporall affaires yea and sometimes also in businesses touching the soule Esay 8. Let not him that beleeueth make haste be not too credulous of euery thing without triall But in this case of seeking the Lord these Prouerbes hold not true we haue no larger bounds then the present the instant the moment If we slacke our zeale neuer so little euery baite of drunkennesse obiect of couetousnesse presented glance of wantonnesse will offer it selfe as a temptation to alter or at least to hinder our intended Conuersion And albeit they say as the Deuils said to Christ Math. 8. Why tormentest thou vs before the time Yet brethren the time is alreadie come and now is wherein God conuerseth with vs most graciously by his Spirit and most familiarly by his word let vs therefore gather Manna early in the morning before the Sunne melt it away and let vs walke in the light while we haue it then shall our darkenesse be turned into light our sorrow into ioy our baldnesse into beautie and for sack-cloath we shall be decked with garments of gladnesse then shall heauen and earth Angels and men and all creatures else clap their hands for ioy of our Conuersion all meeting in this cloze Praysed be the Lord who hath such pleasure in his seruants that he will be found of them to their Saluation Amen FINIS