434 Chap. 33. An Expofstion upon the Book, of J o B. Verf. 261. To be under the hidings of Gods face, is the faddefl effeaof fin to a fencible or an awakened foule. David:made.a grievous corn- plaint becaufe ofthis, what ever the caufe or occafion of it was; (Pfal: r 3. 1. ) The abfence of God from him ( thoughpolfibly but for a fhort time ) was fo tedious tohim, that he cryed oqr, How long wilt thou forget me,OLord,for ever ? How longwilt thou . hide thyface from'me?EvenJefus Chrifl while he flood in the place of linners, bare the hiding of his fathersface, as the futnme ofall thofe punifhments which were due to and deferved by our fin, This prefled him more then all bodyly.furferings,.and made him cryout, while he hung upon the Crofie, My God, my God (not why hark thou left me tobe crucified, but) why haft thoufärfa- keen me (Math: 2746.) Thirdly, God hideth his face from fome, becaufe the manifeflations of it have not been received thankful- ly, nor improved rightly. We ought to give thanker for the light ofthe Sun Chiningin the ayre, and alfodoe our worke in it ; Is it any wonder if God cloud and eclipfe the light of his counte- nance towards thofe, who neither prize ir, nor improve it ? If you would alwayes fee the face ofGod, thenbe ye alwayes feene at the worke and in the wayes of God. Secondly , ,Obferve. It is the foie priviledge of Gods Favourites, or of thofe to he isfavoosralte, tofee hisface. As no mancan fee that face of God, hiseffentiall prefence,.fo none but Godlymen (hall fee this face of God, his comfortable or blend-makingprefetice. without holine/i no man (hallfee tic Lord ( Heb: I a. 14.) There is a two-fold vifion or fight ofGod, and that negative alfertionmay be_underflood of either or of both. There's ñrfl, a vifionof God ®n earth-; thus we fee his face,as was Chewed before, in the aE`lings of faith;For though the Apofile oppofeth thefe two, faith and fight ; we walke byfaith,and not byfight (.z Corr 5. 7...) yet faith bath its fight ; we walke not by fight as the worldly men walk,who doeas they, fee, and make . their eyes both theguide oftheir cónfciences, and the in-bring- ers of theircomforts ; we walke not by outward fight , nor doe we make conclufions how toguide our converfations, bywhat we fee. We1walke by faith, and that's the fight which we have of Godwhile wearehereon earth, which cannot .pofiibly be with- , (Alt
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