Chap. 34. As Expofition upan the Beat if o a. Verf.29. 755 Note. The hiding ofGods face, or the vayling ofhis favour is exceed- - inggrtevous untoanyperfon, When he loth ir, whocan beholdhim ? This masher of fpeak- ingdoth not only hold out,,that if God will hide his face no man can fee him, or know him ; for God is a fecret to all men uncial he is pleafed to revealehimfelfe ; yea all the truths of the Gof- pel are fecrets, andmyfleries, till God is pleafed to reveale them and make them knowne ( Math: i T. 25. ) Father I thank thee (faith Chrifi) that thou haft hid thefe thingsfrom thewifeandpru- dent, and haft revealed ahemunto babes ;- that is , thou haft not o= pened them to the wifefl, ec. ( there needs no other hidingof them from the wifea ofmen,than a forbearance ro open them)but to the babes,who are (though weake,yet )humble and teachable, thou hall opened them , and opened their eyes and hearts to free and receive them.This fpeech holds out not only this truth, that, whenGod doth not reveale himfelfe, no man can know him or any thing of his minde, or that neither his nature, or his will are known but by fome way of revelation ; but this forme of fpeak- ing ( Who canbehold him ? ) plainly tells us, that if God hiderh his fávour,he isfo terrible,that none can have the boldnefs or cou- rage to behold him. For the hidingof his face, implyeth an ap- pearance of anger and difpleafure ; and when he is angry, who can behold him ? Ifthe childrenof1Fidel could notfledfafily behold the faceof Mofes for the gloryofhis countenance, as the Apoftle fpeakes ( 2 Coo.: 3.. 7.) furely then no man can f+edfaffly be- hold thé face of God when his countenance is filled with wrath. Some faid to Chrifi: (fohn r 4. 8.) Shen, us the Father and it fuf- ficeth; that is,reveale to us the loveand goodwill ofthe Father, and that will fatisfie us, that will fill up all the delires and long- ings of our foules; we (hall have nothing more to with for , no- thing mòre to lookafter,if thou wilt but thew us the father.Now, on the other fide, if the Father will not (hew himfelfe, if the Fa- ther will hide himfelfe from the foule, what then can fufpice ? what can comfort ? where is our refuge or refl ? As when Cod isxrongtaus quiet andfavourable tous, he canmake, all things favourable añddew oranquit, quiet to us ; So, if God bedifpleafed, nothing can be pleafing to 1át amnia, a foule that is fenfible of his difpleafure. A believer loofes not Dddddz only,
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