He is euery where at one and the same time he fills both heauen and earth Answ In God we must consider two things Sol first Deitie secondly Presence of Grace touching the former God need not be sought so he is alwayes at hand as it appeares Act. 17.27 Wee may feele after him and finde him because he is not farre from euery one of vs. And thus seeing his creatures we see him Touching his presence of grace which is often wanting to comfortlesse Consciences we are to seeke God and are commanded so to doe for he absents himselfe many times from his deare children touching his Grace so much that they desire but the least impression and token thereof and cannot get it whereupon they are much exercised in stirring the scinders to finde some liue-ashes and will not giue ouer searching till they haue gotten some treasure some specialtie of Gods fauour And this is called the seeking of Gods face Psal 27.8 Quest But why should we seeke Gods face Quest Is it not said Thou shalt not see my face for there shall no man see me and liue Exod. 33.20 Ans The face of God is either prima or secunda Sol The first is the face of his spiritualtie of his diuine Maiestie which cannot be seene with the darke eyes of mortalitie Our weaknesse is so great and his Maiestie on the otherside is glorious and transplendent that we cannot behold it without the consuming of our selues no more then the eye can behold and looke vpon the exceeding brightnesse of the Sunne without the hurting and dazeling of it selfe The second is the face of his loue and fauour this with the vnderstanding and the heart may be seene Eccles 1.16 Moses and Iacob saw this face of God and reioyced Vse 1 Vse 1. Is it so that euery one should set himselfe apart to seeke God by one godly helpe or other Vse 1 this then may serue to reproue the intollerable neglect of this dutie For reproofe Some say oh it is an easie matter to be acquainted with God he may be soone found a little seeking will serue the turne but let the industrious carefulnesse continuall supplications and the daily complainings of Gods seruants in the want of God yea then when he is present in their hearts testifie the facilitie and easinesse of this businesse Ob I but Sir tell me did not Christ say Ob Seeke and finde Therefore when or where Math. 7.7 or howsoeuer seeking I shall finde Ans I grant it to be true Sol that Christ did say so to his Disciples and made this promise to them in them to vs that euery beleeuer being in Christ might seeke and finde but not that euery kinde of seeking should obtaine The meaning of the words is this That whosoeuer haue beene first sought and found of God shall seeke and finde God but they who haue not first drawne neare to him shall neuer find God drawing neare to them Secondly another sort of people there is 2. deseruing much blame namely all such as plead a perpetuitie of Gods presence with them in the midst of their wants of him Oh I neuer wanted the Lord and why should I goe troubling my selfe to seeke him Alas for the blindnesse and folly of such men they speake without sence to say they haue that which they neuer so much as once enioyed Where God affordeth his presence of grace there alwayes are other companions of it and such as attend the Spirit As we vse to say Where the King is there is his Court his waiters his attendants So euen so where God is with his Spirit there is his Court and attendants as saith loue obedience feare peace ioy in the holy Ghost worship reuerence prayer Repentance humilitie c His Angels will be about thee his Spirit within thee to helpe thee his Grace to vphold thee his mercy to embrace thee Looke then are these present then their Master cannot be farre off But surely Grace would tell thee if thou hadst any that there is a great want of God that thou maist seeke daily for a supply and that he is the farthest off from such as feele the least want Ob The Lord hath blessed me with his good Creatures Ob he hath giuen me prosperitie and riches I finde no want of them and therefore if the Lord were absent from me those things should be taken away and I should be depriued of their vse Ans A man may enioy many outward blessings Sol and in the possession neither know whether God loues or hates him He may haue his portion in this life Psal 17.14 and his belly filled with hid treasure he may be full of children and leaue his substance to his babes and yet he may be out of Gods fauour and called Rom. 9.13 a man of the world Esau was fatted with the blessings of the earth and yet he was so farre of from the Lords loue towards him that the Lord hated him Secondly the more couetous a miser is the lesse acquaintance he hath with God because he is filled with noysome lusts 1 Tim. 6.9 and enters into many temptations which driues him from God and therefore it was rightly spoken that a Cable might as soone goe through a needles eye as a rich Miser enter into the kingdome of heauen consequently into Gods fauour Lastly 3. another kinde of people deserue equall reproofe with the former namely such as leaue the pure Well and digge Cisternes that will hold no water such as forsake God and employ all their cares in and about the world That seeke worldly pelfe and externall goods and in the meane time haue no regard at all to seeke the Lords good will lost by their transgressions It is now adayes an ordinary matter to see spirituall affaires iustled aside or rather thrust out by the shoulders that the outward man may receiue some contentment and golden opportunity neglected that the occasion of improuement of worldly commodities of tickling carnal delights and of maintaining outward reputation among men may be embraced In a word Matters touching God are so sleightly so seldome so remisly sought after as if they were not worthy talking of And matters touching the world are so eagarly so industriously and with that intention of minde and body followed after as if God had made man for nothing els but to swallow downe goods and greatnesse as fast as possibly he can Oh my Brethren be ye in time recalled from this miserable state of misery and remember how faultie you are in seeking the things of God your care for the earth hath so deuoured the care of heauenly things Gen. 41.20 as if the leane Kine in Pharaohs dreame had eaten vp the fat Consider these things and seeke the Lord in a good time while the way is faire the passage speedie the doore open the day lasts and while he calls Vse 2 Vse 2.
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
As this Doctrine may reprooue the offender so it may serue to instruct vs to the obseruation of the point in hand For instruction to seeke the Lord If a child in a crowd hath lost the sight of his tender hearted Father or a waiting man the sight of his kinde Master or if any man hath lost any matter of valuation how diligently will they set themselues to Inquisitions they will goe euery way to the wood as the Prouerbe is they will not cumber themselues with other triuiall matters found in their way but passe ouer them as if they tooke no notice of them So it should be with vs tho many good commodities may lie in our way yet let vs neuer trouble our selues to take them vp for it is a more valuable commoditie then they are that we seeke after Oh let vs be stirred vp on all hands concerning this dutie whet on one another to the performance of it And you that haue beene carelesse herein begin now at last to be better aduised and thinke it not an easie thing to seeke God Seeking requires a care and an endeuour more then ordinary And you that haue bestowed some care this way be perswaded that it hath not beene so earnest so constant so intentiue as it ought to be reamend and double the same Yea let vs all redeeme as much time as possiblie we may for this one thing let vs abridge our selues rather in our outward profits and pursuites of them let vs rather want opportunitie in our sports let all other things goe to wracke rather then this one businesse should not be forwarded Vse 3 For direction Vse 3. This point will teach vs in the third place a lesson of direction where and how to seeke Gods louing face and fauour And therefore if you be affected with the commoditie here mentioned you will be glad to take the time meanes and helpes offered God hath three houses First we will begin with the place where God must be sought for when we are once fully assured of his habitation as I may so speake and of the place where he dwels then we may both boldly and freely seeke him The place we must goe vnto is his house there we must seeke him for as one neighbour hauing some businesse with another goeth not to a strangers house but to his house to seeke him and indeed where should neighbours seeke one for another but at their houses So if the Lord be wanting to any soule in as much as it crieth out Psal 76.7.8 why Lord absentest thou thy selfe so long then let that soule be prostrate before the gates of the Lords house that he may answere the complaints thereof And that it may not long be farre from him Consider that God hath three houses if we misse in one or other yet we shall be sure to find in the third First Church Assemblies The first house where we must seeke God is the Church whereto the godly often are congregated and where also God is present after a speciall manner He is in the midst of such assemblings Math. 18.23 Iohn found the Lord in the midst of the seuen golden Reu. 18.1 Candlestickes that is the true Church The spouse sought and found her best beloued in the tents of the Shepheards Cant. 6.1.2 and in the garden among the beds of Spices that is in the Assembles of godly people where graces grow as Spices vpon a bed in a garden And so if we will finde the Lord our resort must be to the Sanctuarie from vnder the threshold of the doore thereof Psal 63.2 And 73.17 flow forth waters to refresh our soules Thither went the Prophet Dauid in the time of distresse and was comforted and thither went the people of Israell to see the Lords face So that in the Congregation where the little flocke of Christ is folded we may seeke and finde The reason of it is Reason because those meanes which God hath sanctified and set apart for our saluation and for inquisition are there vsed there is the word truely and soundly preached there are the principles of religion for those of a lower forme there are deeper points for exercised wits Heb. 5.14 there are helpes for Magistrates for Ministers for priuate men for yong and old yea whatsoeuer grace is lacking there thou shalt be sure to haue it supplied abundantly there thou shalt see the great Mystery of godlinesse discouered which is 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the flesh c. And as in the materiall Sanctuary the Lord reuealed himselfe to his people so here to those that with Conscience seeke him will he likewise discouer himselfe in the saluation of their soules Vse If God be pleased graciously to afford vs his sight Vse and remembrance in exterior temples For reproofe where godly men are often assembled then this may shew vs plainely the gracelesse courses of vngodly sinners that liue as men without house harbourlesse the blustring world is their lodging roome vncleane birds their fellowes and the houses of strangers their dwellings Not to speake of Separatists who as if our Church had vtterly loft her face because perhaps shee wants some beautie doe flie from our Congregations as if they were cages of vncleannesse Nor of Popish Recusants who because they see not their Images their breaden and woodden Gods in our Temples refuse to come neare the portalls of our Church Luk. 11.42 Act. 20.27 when the Key of knowledge by which might be opened vnto them the whole counsel of God is offered First many others there be who that they may not be thought plaine Atheists doe after a sort ioyne with the Assemblies not for loue to Gods house nor for duties therein exercised for so they cast themselues from the presence of God in carnall lazinesse and prophane contempts but to shew their seruice of the time and the sauing of their purses The Prouerbe is As good neuer a whit as neuer the better It is as good to be absent as to be dull heauie lumpish and without spirit in seeking for God whom they care not whether they finde or no. Secondly Others in stead of going vp to the house of the Lord seeke the vtter desolation of it so ill affected are they with Gods presence they raze the Sanctuarie to the ground Psal 74.7 defile the dwelling places of Gods name burne vp the Synagogues of God Lam. 1.4 that no man may come to the solemne feasts of Sion and all her gates they delight to see desolate Thirdly Many delight to passe ouer Sabboths in the Ale-house and Tauernes being gathered to heathenish consorts Their vsuall speech is this the Church hath enough in it that may goe to God and pray for vs we may stay here well enough These passe vpon themselues sentence of excommunication and like out-lawed persons are depriued of the benefit that belongs to the subiects of heauen
Seuenthly Constantly Math. 24 13. Constantly Continue seeking He that continues to the end shall be saued Gods grace is worth all our seeking though we should seeke it a thousand yeare giue not ouer till it be found Be watchfull to the end and thou shalt haue the crowne of life Reu. 2.10 And 2.26 and he that keepeth my workes to the end to him will I giue power ouer nations What a shame is it then to recoile and fall off from seeking bending backe like a broken Bow Psal 78.57 to begin in the spirit and end in the flesh What a shame is it after thou hast fed on Angels food to lust after the Onions and Garlicke of Egypt After thou hast escaped the filthinesse of the world tasted of the good Word of God Heb. 6.5 2 Pet. 2.21.22 and of the ioyes to come to turne from the holy Commandement and with the dogge to returne to his vomit What did it profit Demas to forsake the Gospell which once he professed and to turne worldling which dearely he loued Or the yong man to haue beene trayned vp in the keeping of the law Mar. 10.21 and afterward to depart from Christ for the loue he had to his possessions and what good shall we reape in seeking Gal. 6.9 repenting praying humbling hearing c. if we faint and giue out before we obtaine the thing sought Like as he that runneth in a race 1 Cor. 9. vnlesse he hold out to the goale obtaineth not the price and therefore sayth Paul I haue finished my course as it auailed not Lots wife to haue gone out of Sodome 2 Tim. 4.7 and after to looke backe So they shall neuer come to the Lord that lagger by the way that are wearie of the dutie vndertaken and runne themselues out of breath before they come to the end of their race And if such as seeke but before the end giue out shall not finde what then shall become of our wicked prophane wretches that neuer seeke at all What shall become of them that seeke onely vanities Which flie not but seeke the corruption which is in the world that care for nothing but backe and belly If God reiect the righteousnes and will of the Iewes what hope canst thou haue which neuer thinkest of God but to blaspheme him Which delightest onely to wallow in abhominable sinnes I must tell thee that ten thousand times thy betters are in hell euen such which haue rapt hard at heauen gates which haue bestowed many houres in prayers much money on the poore c. If such as seeke misse for seeking amisse much more those that seeke not at all or the contrary This may aduise vs to renue our strength as the Eagle to waite on the Lord to runne and not be weary Psal 112.6 to walke and not faint Trees of the Lords planting continue their fruits indeficiently neither doe their leaues drop off Let vs be prouoked to constancie in searching the Lord and hereunto let vs consider motiues and meanes 1. Motiues 1. The end of Redemption is to follow the Lord Luk. 1.75 to serue him in righteousnesse and holines all our dayes Ezek. 18.24 2. Righteousnesse departed from is vaine and forgotten All labour prayers repentance obedience yea all sufferings are lost as the Galathians suffered many things in vaine Gal. 3.4 3. Thou shalt be iudged as thou art found when the Lord comes The question shall not be what thou wast once but what thou art not how thou began to seeke but how thou continuedst in Seeking 4. Perseuerance at length brings home the profit it knits vs indissolublie to the Lord and puts vpon our heads the Crowne of glorie Glory and immortalitie is the part onely of such as by continuance in well doing seeke God Rom. 2.7 And our Sauiour is expresse Luk. 22.28 to you which haue continued with me haue I appointed a kingdome 2. Meanes 1. Get an infallible testimony of Gods fauour arising from the wise application of Gods promises Ioh. 6.40 and the sure witnesse of his Spirit 2. That thy selfe purified make conscience to repent of sinne and respect all Gods Commandements 3. Continue the vse of the meanes of preseruation as hearing reading praying receiuing of the Sacraments c. 4. Ioyne thy selfe with such as daily seeke the Lord. 5. Labour to know the necessary vse and worth of the Lords presence that so thou maist confesse and professe his goodnesse amid humorous opinions and strange oppositions 6. Be not too hote and ouer-hastie at first Nullum violentum perpetuum but meeke tractable sociable for boysterous and hot-spurred natures will not hold long 7. Be euer warie and circumspect to walke on by feare alwayes doubting thine owne weaknesse and suspecting thy strength 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that standeth take heede least he fall Thus of our direction in seeking the Lord. While he may be found There is a time it seemes when God will be found of his seruants that seeke him It is his owne promise and he will not gain-say it The poore shall not alway be forgotten Psal 9.18 the hope of the afflicted shall not perish for euer It makes God yearne within himselfe to see the godly seek him in distresse Times to find God and himselfe to with-hold his presence from them Therefore the first time wherein God will be found is the godly mans exigents and extremitie Deut. 4.29.30 When thou art in tribulation saith Moses and all these things are come vpon thee at the length if thou seeke the Lord he will not forsake thee Dauid called out of the deepe and God heard him Moses cryed at the red Sea and then God was found Abraham three dayes after the Commandement found God on the Mount And after three dayes when the case was hopelesse and the Disciples faith a little preiudiced Christ rose againe Secondly another time of finding God is the time of preaching Gods pure word by it God knockes at the doore of our hearts Reu. 3.20 and desires entrance By it he so reueales himselfe to the congregation that they may spiritually by the illuminated eye of the minde behold him present after an admirable sort among them The time of preaching the Gospell in Scripture is called the Day of visitation Thirdly another time of finding is when we haue vsed all godly exercises heauenly meanes in seeking for to sit still and doe nothing is to want the price The Spouse in the Canticles wanted her beloued when shee would not sollow after him but lay slugging on her bed And when we are like standing Ponds couered with greene and filthie stuffe of idlenesse we are aliens from God But when we fall to enquiring after him among the watchmen in the darke of the night through dangerous streets with a good heart eagarly directly resolutely continually then he comes to vs thrusts in his hand by the hole of the doore