Chap. i 3. An Expofitionuponthe Bookof JoB. Verf. 24. 5 n bove. He !hews us the wandrings &out-lyings ofour affeEtioits, by the withdrawings and vailings of his own. We cannot love God till he thews us his face, and after we have Peen it vve can- not but love him;yet they who have feen him, and love hirr,mav for a time be overtakenwith the loveof the World, and then God will not be feen. Every opening ofour felves to the world . is ahidingofour felves fromGod. Whenwe hide ourfaces frotte God, nowonder ifGodhide his facefrom us. Sixthly, Whenwe hide our faces from thewaies, or from the peopleof God, God will hidehis face from us. Some who have hadcommunion with God, and have feen his face, may ( under a temptation,or upon a guff ofcarnal fear) if not withdraw from, yet fcarce ownthepeople or thewaies ofGod ; yea poilibly they may let their faces againlli force ofthe waies of God. When it is fo with them, Godwill furely hide his face from them. Apo- fiates draw back totally from profeflion,when they perceive they cannot bring forward their ownprofit or other private interettcs by their profefíïon, and of fuch the Lord hath faid, My foul (hail bave no pleafure in them, (Heb. to. 38.) True Believers may drawback partially, or in part, and when they do fo, God will make them know that vvhile they are in fuch a bafe temper his foul hathno pleafure in them, and therefore hides his face from them. As thefe or the like are caufes in us vvhy God hides his face, fo he hath gracious deigns uponus, vvhich he effects by hiding his face. Chiefly thefe tvvo , Firfi, To try us. 'There is Ho greater trial ofgrace than the with- drawing ofcomfort; and in that mate vvhere vve (hall have a con- junetion of all comfort, vve fhall never be put to the trial ofany grace; yea, the graces vvhichalt in trials fhall have no exiftence there. Faith, and hope, and patience, have no place in Heaven, becaufe they have novvork inHeaven: And they havenovvork there, becaufe God vvill never hide his face, and Satan fhall ne- ver fhevv his face there. For betvveen the appearing of Satans face, and thehiding of Godsface,lieth theworkof thefe graces. (/f4.8.17. ) 1 wall react ttpon God whohidethhisface : there's the trial of patience, to keepdole to God, vvhen God feemeth to depart fromus. Secondly, God hides his face that we might be in love vvith thatRatevvhere his face !hall never behid. 'Tis belt of all to be diffolved
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=