Chap. i 3. An Expofitionupon the BookofJos. Verf. 24. wonted influence and affiflance, or as he tels them (,Jer,I 8.17. ) 1willPhew than the back4nd not theface inthe dayoftheir calamity; when I have done this, then Iwill fee what their end (hallbe. Though God be not feen, yet he can fee; having hid hlmfelf,and left a sinful people to fhiftfor themfelves, he then ( as it were) watches, like Moles filler when he was put into his boat of bul- ruches ( Exod. z. 4. ) to fee what will become of them. God knows the end from the beginning, and looks quite through all caufes into their.itf'ues, yet thus he fpeaks after the manner of men, who cannot fee an hour before them, I willfee what their end(hall be. God fees they mull needs come to a miferable end, whofe waies he will not vouchfafe to fee. Much more is this true in regard of our inward and fpiritual elate; if God hide his face, he feeth what the endwill be, evenanguifh and forrow, trouble and vexationof fpirit. What can thatfoul fee but viG- onsof darknefs, which bathno vifionof God, who alone is light. After the people had faid ( Hof. 6.2. ) Let us return unto the Lerd,for-hebath torn ,andhe will healus, headds, After two daies he will revive us, in the thirddayhe will reifeasup, :andwe(hall live in hisfight. In hisfight, which fome interpret, ,when,God kings as intohisfight, or intoalight of him, wefhall live, that is, our lives will be fweet unto us, we (hall recover when God ap- pears tous,and gives us evidence that weare accepted with him. A fight of the face of God is the happinefs and life of man. As no man can fee the eli'ential faceof God and live, fo noman can live comfortably , unlefs he fee the providential face of God. It is obferved, that the heathens exceedingly defired a fight of their gods, and that they might fee them, they invented images, Gentiles ob hoe and fet up ftatues to reprefent the gods ; that fo theymight fee fimu!acra finxe.. whom they worfhipped,' and at once behold and adore their rune ut oculis dunghill- deities.- Theyknew nowayof feeing their gods but by cernerem quoel their fenfe, and therefore theymade fenfible gods. They would colebant. rather have gods with eyes that could not fee, then not fee their áhrucgnuhtuc gods with their eyes. Yea, I find a learned Chriflian among incarnations the ancients giving this as one reafon why Chrifl took our nature caufam, ut fe upon him, and fo became Godmanifefled in the flefhe that, God invifibilis dear who in himfelf is altogether invifible,might bevifibin his Son; wifibilem God is more vifible in Chrifl,thenhe is in all creatiïres r The A fatufa`eretgla_ poflle calleth him the brightnefs of hisglory, and the ex re s ima e mart, qui quad ofhss perfon P f g emit videre f P f (Heb.i.3.) Jefus Quill is the brightnefs, the fcut- cupit. it u u firth- 523
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