t~oo Meditations and Difcourfe-f reat~d ; that they find fo little of RMllity or Power. in the exercife of this Grace, or the pe:rformanceofrhjs DtlW· For 1t lfi!ill appear in rh~ i!fue, that the whole defect is in themfelves ; ihe truth it felf infifted op, ~s great and efficadQ 9u9. , , 1. WHILST we we are in this life, the Lord Cnritt is pl~a(ed in his fovereign Wifdom fom~time~ to withdraw, and as it were, to hide himfelf from 11s. Then do our minds fall into douds and darknefs ; Faith is at a lofs, we cannot behold his Glory ; yea, we may feek him but cannot find him. So 1ob complains as we itbferved before. \ Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and back- ~vczrd, 'but I cannot perceive him: on the left hant/ ;vhere he doth work, but I cannot behold him : he hi.. d.eth himfelf on the rie;ht hand, that I c_(lnnot fee him. chap. 23. 8, 9· VVhich way foever I turn my felt; :whatever are my endeavours, in what way or work of his own, I feek him, 1 cannot find him, I cannot fee him, I cannot behold his Glory. So the Church alfo complains ; Verily thou qrt a~ Gpd that hideft thy Jelf, 0 God of Ifrael the Saviour, I{a. 45. I)· And the Pfalmift, Ho·uJ long Lord u;ilt thou hide thy [elf for eve~·? Pfal. 89. 46 This hiding of the face of God, is the hiding of the fhining of his Glory in the face of Chrift Jdils, and therefore of the glory of Chrift bimfelf, for it is the Glory of Chfift to be the Reprefentative of the Glory of God. The Spoufe in t:he Canticles is often at a lofs • ~nd herein,b~moans heJ; .felf that her Beloved was Withdrawn, that fhe could neither find hitn , nor f~e him, chap. 3· 1, ?-· Chap. 5'· q. ,. . ~ ' MEN
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