him Though all forsake thee yet will not I. Object Object I have found God and Christ gone from me sayes the Soul when I have had need of him Answ Answer First That God and Christ may and do sometimes hide their faces from their dearest Friends Secondly Though God and Christ do sometimes withdraw from us yet every interruption of Communion is not a separation The Sun doth not cease to be when it ceaseth to shine Grace may suspend its acting but doth not loose its being God will not finally forsake his People Thirdly God hath very many Gracious ends why he sometimes withdraws And they are alway in mercy to his people sad providences producing sweet effects Direct Directions and helps how to get the presence of God and Christ with us First Repent and humble your selves because of all your sins that you have at any time rejected the Counsels of God and refused Grace and Mercy and neglected Opportunities of doing you Souls good and drawing near to God Repentance and Resolution against Sin come like John Baptist to prepare a way and a place for God and Christ to come to and make their abode in Of the Hearts and Houses of Impenitent Sinners we may well say God is not there The way to have God to turn in unto us is to turn away from sin as Ephraim Jer. 31.18,19,20 He bemoaned himself and repented and God came to him as to his dear Son and to his pleasant Child Secondly Believe in Jesus Christ and by faith get an interest in him It is by faith only that we give entertainment to Jesus Christ It is by Jesus Christ alone that God and Man come together No man hath seen the Father at any time but the Son and he to whom he doth reveal him and he that hath the Son hath the Father Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God Thirdly Own Jesus Christ in all his Offices as your King Priest and Prophet First As your King Let him have the Soveraignty of your Souls that he may rule over you If Christ be your King God will be your Father God loves to come where Christ hath his Throne Secondly As your Priest That his Righteousnesse may give you the advantage of Communion with God without which we cannot come near to him and he will not come near to us Thirdly As your Prophet That he may shew you the way If his Spirit be your Guide and his Word your Rule you may be sure his Promises shall be your Portion even this Promise in the Text They will come to you and make their abode with you even God and Christ Dir. 4 Fourthly Seek earnestly after God and Christ in the use of all appointed means till you come to see and enjoy their presence with you Here shall be shewn these two particulars 1. Where we may seek God and Christ 2. How or after what manner we must seek them First Where we may seek after God and Christ First We may find them in the works of Creation these will represent God and Christ unto us the Power and Wisdome of God and Christ by whom the World was made In omnire aspectabili quaedam extant vestigia Dei In all the visible creatures there be some prints of the invisible God so that he which lives altogether without God must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse having God so near to him Secondly We may find them in the Word 2 Cor. 4.6 The glory of God shines there in the face of Jesus Christ and to them that are conversant in the Word God hath promised to reveal himself Isa 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word And the Apostle gives this direction Rom. 10.6.7 Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it The word is night thee even in the mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach Thirdly We may find them in Prayer Jam. 4.8 Draw night to God and he will draw nigh to you If you will be strangers to the duty of Prayer to the Throne of Grace God will be a stranger to you he hath promised to draw nigh to them that draw nigh to him and so in Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my Name I will come unto thee and I will blesse thee Fourthly We may find them in our Communion with the People of God Where two or three are met together in my Name there will I be saies Christ in the midst of them Therefore Jesus Christ directs us to go up by the foot-steps of the Flock and they enquire wisely Cant. 6.1 that say to the Church of Christ Whither is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee and when the two Disciples went to Emmaus communing of Christ He came and joyned himself with them Secondly How or after what manner we must seek God and Christ Take these four following Directions First Affect your selves with the worth and excellency of this presence of God and Christ carry a high esteem of them in your hearts think with your selves how safely they are Immured how Encastled and Provided for who have God and Christ with them as the Prophet said to his servant There is more for them than can be against them Isai 33.16 their place of defence is the Munition of Rocks c. O what sweetness and satisfaction have they within with whom God and Christ abides◠as the Spouse doth express it Cant. 1.3 Because of the savour of thy good Ointments thy Name is as Ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee Thy Name of Mercy Wisdom and Faithfulnesse how doth this refresh their hearts that have the presence of God and Christ O sweetness and satisfaction beyond expression and then conclude Sitantus quarentibus 〈◊〉 quantus possidentibus If he be so good to them that seek him how good is he to them that enjoy him Secondly Labour to affect your souls with the great want and need that you have of the presence of God and Christ while men think in their hearts they can be well enough without God and Christ they will never seek after them but say as in Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more unto thee i. We have strength enough of our own we need no more of thy support and thus David brings in the wicked priding themselves in Psal 10.4 The wicked through the pride of his countenance as in the original through the pride of his Nose will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts when these proud Laodician Spirits will not sock the poor hungry desolate soul that sees a need of God and Christ find them Thirdly Quicken your selves to much diligence in