nature so wee make our selves twise dead a hundred times dead by sinne and bring curse upon curse by our sinfull conversation wee are then under Gods broad seale cursed Wee are all borne accursed til we get out of the state of nature to free us from which Christ became a curse if wee get not out of this but goe on and feed our vanity and corruption what will bee the end of it but an eternall cursr afterwards Therefore let us consider what we doe when we maintaine and cherish corruptions and abuses in our selves and others We build that that God hath cursed wee build that that wee have vowed against our selves And how will God take this at the houre of death thou that art a carelesse drowsie hearer of the word of God and a liver contrary to the word of God how will God take this at thee at the houre of death when thy conscience will tell thee that thy life hath beene a practise of sin a strengthning of corruption The old Adam that thou hast cherished it will stare and looke on thee with so hideous a looke that it will drive thee to despaire For conscience will tell thee that thy life hath bin a strengthning of pride of vanity of covetousnesse and of other sins thy whole life hath beene such and now when thou shouldst looke for comfort then thy corruptions which thou shouldest have subdued they are growne to that pitch that they will bring thee to despaire without the extraordinary mercy of God to awaken thy heart by repentance Why therefore should we strengthen that that is a curse and will make us cursed too and will make the time to come terrible to us the houre of death and the day of judgement How shall men thinke to hold up their faces and heads at the day of judgement whose lives have beene nothing else but a yielding to their owne corruption of nature and the corruptions and vanities of the times and places they have lived in that have never had the courage to plead for God that have beene fierce against God Who ever was fierce against God and prospered When men make their whole life fierce against God against the admonitions of his word and Spirit and their whole life is nothing but a practise of sinne how can they thinke of death and judgement without terrour Now it were wisedome for us to carry our selves so in our lives and conversations that the time to come may not bee terrible but comfortable to thinke of that wee may lift up our heads with joy when wee thinke of death and judgement but when we doe nothing but build Iericho when we raise up sin that wee should ruine more and more what will the end of this be but despaire here and destruction in the world to come You may shake off the menaces and threatnings of the Ministers as Hiel shooke off Iâ—…suah's he was an austere singular man and it is a long time since Iericho was cast downe and God hath forgotten hath hee so hee found that God had not forgotten So there are many that thinke that words are but wind of men opposite to such and such things but though our words may bee shooken off now and the word of God now in the preaching may be shooke off yet it will not when it comes to execution When wee propound the curse of God against sinfull courses you may shake off that curse but when Christ from Heaven shall come to judge the quick and the dead and say Goe yee cursed that were borne cursed that have lived cursed that have maintained a cursed opposition to blessed courses that have not built up your owne salvation but your corruptions you that loved cursing Goe yee cursed to Hell fire with the Devill and his Angels for ever will you shake off that No no howsoever our ministeriall in râ—…aties may be shaken off yet when God shall come to judge the quicke and the dead that eternall threatning shall not be shaken off Therefore I beseech you consider not so much what wee say now but what God will make good then What wee bind on earth cut of the warrant of Gods booke Shall be bound in Heaven and God will say Amen to that wee say agreeable to his word Thinke not light of that wee speake for God will make good every word hee is Iehovah he will give being to every word Hee is not only mercie but justice we make an Idol of him else and wee must feaâ—…e him in his justice He loves to dwell with such as are of a contrite Spirit that tremble at his word It is said of David that when Vzzah was stricken he trembled Hiel and such kind of persons regard not the threatnings of God but goe on and treasure up wrath It is a signe of a wicked man to heare the menaces and threatnings and not to tremble To end all with two places of Scripture saith Moses He that heares these things and blesseth himselfe my wrath shall smoke against him Gods wrath shall smoake and burne to hell against such a one as blesseth himselfe that knowes he is cursed under the seale of God that doth ill and yet hee blesseth himselfe in doing ill therefore take heed of that adde not that to the rest Gods wrath will smoake against such a one And you know what Saint Paul saith Rom. 2. If thou goe on and treasureup wrath thou buildest Iericho that thou hast vowed the destruction of Every time thou takest the Communion thou treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath For there will be a day of the manifestation of the just wrath of God and then these things will be laid to thy charge Let us every one labour to get out of the state of nature to breake off our wicked lives and to get into Christ the blessed seed and then we shall be blessed we shall be made free free from the curse of nature and of sin Let us renew our Covenants against all sinne and make conscience to bee lead by the Spirit of Christ that wee may gather sound Evidence every day that wee are in Christ and so out of the Curse THE SVCCESSEFVLL SEEKER In tvvo Sermons on PSALME 27. 8. BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr. of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE 1 CHRON. 16. 11. Seeke yee the Lord and his strength seeke his face continually LONDON Printed by T. B. for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-noster-Row 1639. The Successefull SEEKER PSAL. 27. 8. When thou saidst seeke yee my face my Heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seeke IN the former Verse David begins a prayer to God Heare oh Lord have mercy upon me and answer mee This Verse is a ground of that prayer Seeke yee my face saith GOD the heart answers againe Thy face
Circumcision availeth any thing or uncircumcision but a new creature you stand too much on outward things that that God requires especially is the new creature So in the old Testament when God prescribed both outward and inward worship they attributed too much to the outward and let the inward alone As in Psal. 50. God complaines how they served him therefore saith he what hast thou to doe to take my Covenant into thy mouth and hatest to be reformed And so in Isay 1. and Isay the last we see Gods peremptory dealing with them I will none of your new Moones I abhorre your offerings And in Isay ult It was as the cutting off of a Dogges neck the offering of sacrifice and yet they were sacrifices appointed by God himselfe What was the reason of this They played the hypocrites with God and gave him onely the shell they brought him outward performances they attributed too much to that and left the spirituall part that God most esteemes So our Saviour Christ to the Pharises we see how he takes them up say not with your selves we have Abraham to our Father They boaâ—… ed too much of their outward privileges You see through the current of the Scriptures those especially that belong not to God they are apt to attribute too much to outward things It were well if they would joyne the inward too which they neglect There are 2 parts of Gods service outward inward that is harsh to flesh and bloud As in Baptisme there are 2 parts outward and inward washing and in hearing the Word is the outward man inward soule when it bowes to heare what God saith so in the Lords Supper there is outward receiving of Bread and Wine and inward making of a Covenant with God Now people give too much to the outward and thinke that God is beholding to them for it but now for the inward because they are conscious of their lusts they care not for that But more particularly the reason is in corrupt nature First because the outward part is easie and glorious to the eye of the world every one can see the Sacrament administred every one can see when one comes and attends and heares the word of God they are easie and glorious in the eye of the world And then againe people rest in them because somewhat is done by it to dawbe conscience that would câ—…mour if they should do nothing if they were direct Atheists therefore say they we will heare the word and performe outward things and being loath to search into the bottome of their conscience rest in outward things and satisfie conscience by it these and the like reasons there are Let us take notice of it and take heed of the corruption of nature in it Let us know that God regards not the outward without the inward nay he abhors it he abhors his owne worship that he hath appointed himselfe if the inward be not there much more devises and ceremonies of mens owne devising Poperie is but an out-side of Religion they labour to put off God with the worke done they have an opinion fit to corrupt nature that is that the Sacrament administred confersgrace without any disposing of the partie One of the Chiefe of them a great Scholler he will have the water it selfe to be elevated above its owne nature to conferre grace as if grace had any communion with a dead element And thus they speak to make people dote too much upon outward things I will not stand to confute this opinion this very text sheweth that the outward part of Baptisme without the inward is nothing not the washing of the body but the answer of a good Conscience saith S. Peter Let us labour therefore in all our services of God to bring especially the spirituall part The Prophet Hosea findes fault with Ephraim They loved to tread out the Corne but not to weare the Yoake Now the Oxe that weares no yoake it is no trouble to tread out the Corne they fed upon the corne as they trod it thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne So Christians are like Ephraim they are content to take the easie part of Religion but to take the yoake that which is hard that they love not now wee must labour tob eare the yoake of Religion What the heart doth is done in Religion what the heart doth not is not done and there is a kind of Divinity a Divine power in all the parts of Gods worship that is requisite besides the bringing of the outward man As in hearing there is required a divine power to make a man heare as he ought to doe to bow the neck of the inward man of the soul so to receive the Sacrament more is required then the outward man There is a forme and power in all the parts of Religion Let us not rest in the forme but labour for the power there is a power in hearing of the Word to transforme us into the obedience of it and a power in the Sacrament to renew our Covenants with God for a new life and to cast our selves altogether upon Gods Mercy in Jesus Christ besides the outward elements to have further Communion with Christ. Wee see what kind of persons those were in 1 Tim. 3. That practised a form of Religion without the power hee names a Catalogue of sinnes there They were Lovers of pleasures more then Lovers of God yet these people will have a forme of Religion notwithstanding but they deny the power of it But I hasten to that that I will more dwell on The Ministers likewise are to learne their duty hence to observe the dispositions of people and what barres they lay to their own salvation if wee see them superstitious that they swel in outward performances and so are deluded by Sathan in an ill state and feed themselves with huskes then we are to take away such objections as much as wee can as S. Peter here when he had said that Baptisme answers to the Flood both shew the deliverance of Gods people by the blood of Christ I saith he not the outward Baptisme the washing of the Body but the answer of a good Conscience So Christ takes away a secret objection say not with your selves we have Abraham to our Father And to feed people in their ill humours this is not the way but to labour to make them spirituall for God is a spirit and hee loves that part of his worship that is spirituall and inward Wee shall have no man damned in the Church if there were not an inward spiritual part of Gods worship for the worst men of all wil be busiest in outward performances and glory most in it of any other It is a delusion that brings thousands to hell and that made me a little dwell upon it But I goe on Not the washing away the filth of the body But the answer of a good
doing such a thing but it is no matter for the worlds commendation if a man set upon a cursed cause so much for the phrase Cursed be the Man before the Lord that is hee is truely and solemnly cursed and cursed before the Lord though men blesse him That riseth and builds this Citie Iericho That is the cause why he should be cursed because he would build that Citie that God would have to bee a perpetuall monument of his Iustice. Why would not God have Iericho built againe God would not have it built up partly because hee would have it a perpetuall remembrance of his goodnesse and mercifull dealing with his people passing over Iordan and comming freshly into Canaan for wee are all subject to forget therefore it is good to have dayes set apart for remembrance and somewhat to put us in mind as they had many things in old time to helpe memory If this Citie had beene built againe the memory of it would have beene forgotten but lying al waste and desolate the Passengers by would askethe cause as God speakes of his owne people what is the reason that this Citie lies thus and then it would give them occasion of speaking of the mercy of God to his people And likewise it would give occasion to speake of the justice of God against the idolatrous Inhabitants whose sins were grown ripe God foretold in Genesis that the sins of the Amorites was not yet ripe but now their sins were ripe they were Idolaters And likewise it was dedicate to God as the first fruits being one of the chiefe mother Cities of the land it was dedicate and consecrated to God as a thing severed it was to bee for ever severed from common use There are two wayes of severing things from common use one by way of destruction as here the Citie of Iericho Another by way of dedication as the Gold of Iericho God would have this Citie severed from common use as a perpetuall Monument and remembrance of his mercy and justice And likewise hee would have it never built up againe for terrour to the rest of the Inhabitants For usually great Conquerours set up some terrible example of justice to terrifie others Now this being one of the first Cities after their passing over Iordan God would have the destruction of it to strike terrour together with this sentence of a curse upon all that should build it againe for ever And then that this terrible sentence might be a meanes to draw others to come in to Gods people to joyne with them and submit and prevent their destruction seeing how terribly God had dealt with Iericho Many such reasons may bee probably alleaged but the maine reason of reasons that must settle our consciences God would have it so Iosuâ—… he was but Gods Trumpet and Gods instrument to denounce this curse Cursed be the man before the Lord that shall build up this Citie Iericho wee must rest in that I will goe over the words and then make application afterwards to the occasion I come to the specification of the Curse wherein it stands Hee shall lay the foundation thereof in his First-borne If any man will bee so venturous to build it up againe as one Hiel did in 1 King 16. 34. If any man will be so audacious he shall doe it with the perill of the life of his first begotten and if he will not desist then he shall finish the Gates of it hee shall make an end of it with the death of his younger Sonne It is Gods custome to denounce a threatning of a curse before he execute it It is a part of Gods mercy and of his blessing that he will curse onely in the threatning for therefore he curseth that hee might not execute it and therefore he threatneth that hee might not smite and when he smites he smites that hee might not destroy and when he kils the body it is that hee might not destroy the soule as 1 Cor. 11. 32. Therefore some of you are weak and sick and some sleepe that you might not bee condemned with the world Thus God is mercifull even till it comes to the last upshot that men by their rebellions provoke him Gods mercie strives with the sins of men Marke here the degrees of it first God threatens the Curse Cursed be the man And then in the particulars he begins with the eldest Sonne First there is a threatning and when the execution comes he takes not all his Sons away at once but begins with the Eldest and if that will not doe he goes to the youngest This carriage of God even in his threatnings it should put us in mind of Gods mercy and likewise it should move us to meet God presently before any peremptory decree be come forth as wee shall see afterward for if wee leave not sinning God will never leave punishing Hee might have desisted in the death of his first Son but if that will not be God will strike him in his youngest Son and sweepe away all betweene for so wee must understand it that both elder and younger and all should die Now for the judgement it selfe He shall lay the foundation thereof in his First-borne There is some proportion between the judgement and the sin The sin was to raise up a building a cursed Citie contrary to Gods will The punishment is in pulling dow ea mans owne building for Children according to the Hebrew word are the building the Pillars of the house and since he would raisâ—… up a foundation and building contrary to Gods mind God would pull up his foundation Cities are said to have life and to grow and to have their pitch and then to die like men And indeed they doe observing onely a proportion of time they are of longer continuance but otherwise Cities live and grow and die and have their period as men have Now he that would give life to a Citie that God would have buried in its owne ruines God would have his sonnes die hee would have his sons as it were buried under the ruins of that Citie that he would build in spight of God that would give life to that Citie that was cursed Oft times we may reade our very sins in our punishments there is some proportion But to goe on to the particulars He shall lay the foundation in his First-born A heavie judgement because the First-borne as you know he saith of Reuben he was his strength and he was King and Priest in the Family the First-borne had a double portion hee was redeemed with a greater price as wee see in Moses Law then other sonnes It was a heavie judgement to have his First-borne smitten in this fashion to be taken away If any aske why God was so severe that hee did not punish Hiel in himselfe but take away his children it may seeme against reason But we must not dispute with God for wee must know that
common field but when the sunne shines and appeares then the hearbs appeare in their lustre so it is with a Christian there is light and immortality and happinesse sowne for him when Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse shall appeare then we shall appeare with him in glory As wee may say of all things below they have a hidden life the plants and the flowers in the winter they live by the roote and when the Sunne appeares then they also appeare with the Sunne in glory So it is with the Righteous they have a hidden life it is hid now in the roote in their head in this life when Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse shall appeare when the spring comes when the resurrection comes then we shall appeare with him in glory and so I come to speak of that verse When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee appeare also with him in Glory Our life is now hid our happinesse is vayled over there are many things betweene us and our life but shall it alwayes bee so Oh no When Christ who is our Life shall appeare wee shalt appeare also with him in Glory hee meets with a secret objection The parts here to be stood on are these First Christ hee is our Life hee shall appeare in Glory as our Life This is taken for granted it is a supposed truth When Christ who is our Life shall appeare it is taken for granted that he shall appeare in glory The next thing is that wee shall appeare likewise with Christ. Christ shall appeare and wee And then the consequence how these depend one upon another because Christ appears in Glory therefore we when Christ who is our life shall appeare The Apostle cannot mention Christ without an addition of comfort and the Christian soule loves Christ it sees such matter of comfort and such righteousnesse in him that it cannot thinke of Christ without a comfortable addition of Lord Saviour Life Hope Glory c. Christ carryes with him all comforts hee is food the bread of life the water of life all that is good to the soule therefore the Apostle gives this sweet addition Christ out life How is Christ our life He is every way the cause of the Life of Grace and of Glory And not only so the cause but the roote and spring in whom it is wee have it from Christ and in Christ wee have it in Christ as a root and from Christ as a working cause and by Christ as a Mediator For Christ procured Life at Gods hands by his Sactifice and Death Wee have it in Christ as a head from him as a cause together with both the other persons and through him as Mediator who by his death made way to life appeasing the wrath of God so we are reconciled and pardoned by the death of Christ. Christ is not only our Life so but as the matter of our life that wee seed on when hee hath wrought spirituall life in us then the Soule lives by Faith in Christ still and seedes upon him hee is our life because wee feed on him for as food nourisheth the body so the Soule being every day set on by fresh temptations and afflictions and troubles and fresh discomforts the Soule of necessity is forced to looke to Christ every day and to feed upon Christ to feed upon his blood afâ—…esh which runnes conti nually for hee is a Mediator for ever and he is in Heaven to make good that hee hath done by his death and wee looke upon him every day and feed on him and so hee maintaines the life he hath begun Christ is our life thus More particularly for memorie sake Christ when by faith wee have union with him once as we can have no communion without union with him when wee are one with him once by faith wee have life from Christ the life of reconciliation in law opposite to our death in law and in sentence for by nature we are all dead and damned as soone as we are borne for our owne sins and the sins of our first parents wee are dead in sentence Now by Christ there is a reversion of this sentence Christ by his obedience and suffering hath satisfied his father so by our union with Christ wee are alive in sentence we are absolved in GODS court of justice for hee will not punish sin twice And then after the life of justification being justified by faith we have the life of sanctification and holinesse for GOD out of his love when he hath pardoned our sin he gives his spirit as the best fruit of his love and we having our consciences absolved and acquitted by the spirit of GOD through the obedience of Christ wee love GOD. GOD so loveth us when he is appeased by Christ that the barre being taken away our sinnes being pardoned and the sluce of mercy open there is way made for another life the life of sanctification by the spirit upon pardon of our sinnes he gives the spirit and we feeling that love have love wrought in us to him againe and that love stirs up every Christian to obedience In the next place after he hath acquitted us by his Alsufficient satisfaction being God and Man and hath given us his spirit there is another life the life of comfort which is the life of our life in peace of conscience and joy unspeakable and glorious this life issues from the former for when we find our conscience appeased that God saith to our soules hee is their salvation and find a newnesse wrought in our nature by the spirit of God and some strength to obey him then we begin to have a sweet peace as the Children of God find in themselves and joy unspeakable and glorious This is the life of this life having union with Christ and his Righteousnesse and spirit wee have this peace which is the way to Glory and the beginning of it For besides that Christ is our life in Glory afterwards in this life he is our life Answerable to our servile feare as wee are dead in law we have a life in justification As wee are dead in nature so we have a life in sanctification wee are dead in despaire and runne into terrours of Conscience so wee have a life in joy and peace But all those in this life are imperfect because there is only an union of Grace here till wee come to the union of Glory in Heaven and then at the day of judgement there will bee a perfect justifying of us wee shall not only be acquitted in our conscience as we are now but wee shall bee acquitted before Angels and Divels and Men and Christ will acknowledge us these are they for whom I dyed these are they for whom I made intercession in Heaven we shall be acquitted there and there wee shall be acknowledged And then the life of sanctification that is now in part shall then be perfect and likewise the peace that now passeth understanding shall then bee
consists other creatures wanting understanding to discerne a better good out of then in themselves their life being their good desire only the continuance of their owne beeing without society and fellowship with others But man having the knowledge of God the Creator of heaven and earth but especially of God the Redeemer providing for him a second beeing better then his first understandeth that his best and chiefest good dependeth more in him then in himselfe and because his happinesse standeth in acquaintance and fellowship with this God which is the chiefe good he desireth a communion with him that he may partake of his good This communion and fellowship of man with God was first founded on a Covenant of workes made with Adam in Paradise if he did obey and did not eat of the forbidden fruit he should have life both for himselfe and his posterity the which Covenant because God would not have forgotten hee afterward renewed in the delivery of the ten Commandements requiring from man obedience to them in his owne person exactly at all times perpetually promising life on the obedience and threatning death and cursing if hee continued not in every thing the law required to doe But this fellowship being placed in mans owne freedome and having so weake a foundation he lost both himselfe and it so that now by the first Covenant of workes Adam and all his posterity are under a curse for we cannot fulfill the law that requireth personall obedience perfect obedience and exact obedience hee that continueth not in all is cursed The Law then findeth us dead and killeth us it findeth us dead before and not onely leaves us dead still but makes us more dead Now after this fall mans happinesse was to recover againe his communion and fellowship with God and therefore we must have a new Covenant before wee can have life and comfort God must enter into new conditions with us before wee can have any communion with him God therefore loving man doth after the breach of the first agreement and Covenant when Adam had lost himselfe by his sinne and was in a most miserable plight as ever creature was in the world falling from so great a happinesse into wondrous misery hee raysed him up and comforted him by establishing a second a new and better Covenant laying the foundation of it in the blessed seed of the woman Christ the Messiah who is the ground of this new Covenant and so of our communion and fellowship with God without whom there can be no intercourse betweene God and us in love and because this Covenant vvas almost forgotten therefore now in Abrahams time God renewed it to Abraham in this place I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee c. There are foure periods of time of renevying this Covenant first from Adam to Abraham and in those first times of the vvorld those that were under the Covenant vvere called the sonnes and daughters of God the children of the promise and the covenant of grace was called a promise of the blessed seed Secondly from Abraham to Moses and then it was called a covenant and they the children of the covenant I will establish my Covenant A covenant is more then a promise and a more solemne thing because there be Ceremonies The third period of renewing the covenant of grace was from Moses to Christ and then it was more cleare when as to the covenant made with Abraham who was sealed with the Sacrament of Circumcision the Sacrament of the Pascall Lambe was added and all the Sacrifices Leviticall and then it was called a Testament that differeth a little from a Covenant for a Testament is established by blood it is established by death so was that but it was onely with the blood and death of Cattle sacrificed as a Type But now to Christs time to the end of the world the covenant of grace is most cleare of all and it is now usually called the new Testament being established by the death of Christ himselfe and it differs from a Covenant in these respects First a Testament indeed is a covenant but something more it is a covenant sealed by death the Testator must die before it can be of force so all the good that is conveyed to us by the Testament it is by the death of the Testator Christ Gods covenant with us now is such a covenant as is a Testament sealed with the death of the Testatour Christ for without blood there is no redemption without the death of Christ there could be no satisfaction and without satisfaction there could be no peace with God Secondly a Testament bequeatheth good things meerely of love it giveth gifts freely A covenant requireth some thing to be done in a Testament there is nothing but receiving the Legacies given In covenants ofttimes it is for the mutuall good one of another but a Testament is meerely for their good for whom the Testament is made to whom the Legacies are bequeathed for when they are dead what can they receive from them Gods Covenant now is such a Testament sealed with the death of Christ made out of love meerely for our good for what can God receive of us all is legacies from him and though hee requireth conditions requireth faith and obedience yet he himselfe fulfilleth what he asketh giveth what he requireth giveth it as a Legacie as we shall see afterward Thus you see that the communion and fellowship of man with God must either be by a covenant of workes or by a covenant of grace And we must distinguish exactly betweene these two covenants and the periods of them When the covenant of workes was disanuled by ours sinnes because we could not fulfill the Law exactly and perpetually God will have a new Covenant if wee beleeve in Christ we shall have everlasting life Now if wee sticke to the one we must renounce the other if it be of faith it is not of workes and if it be of workes it is not of faith This was excellently signified by Ioshua and Moses Ioshua bringeth the people to Canaan and not Moses Moses doth not bring any to heaven it must be Ioshua the Type of the true Jesus that must bring them through Iordan to Canaan This was typified also in the Arke there was the Law the Covenant of workes in the Arke but the propitiatory the Mercy-seate was above the Arke above the Law and from thence God made all his Answers to signifie to us that we can have nothing to doe with the Law without the Propitiatory Christ is the Propitiatory the Mercy-seate in Christ God heareth us he makes all his Answers in the Propitiatory Christ. Therefore when the question is of salvation how wee have title to heaven Not by the merit of workes for then we reverse the Covenant of grace but our title is meerely by Gods mercy in Christ apprehended by faith The evidence indeed to prove our faith to be a true faith is from
the generall is to give being to the creature that had no being of it selfe and to protect and preserve the creature in its being in a word to be a Creatour for providence is the perpetuity and continuance of creation this is to be a God The office of God as God is a most glorious function to be a King is a great matter but to be a God to give being to the creature to support it when it hath a being to doe all that God should doe this is a most glorious worke but this is but creation this is not intended especially here for thus hee is the God of all his workes thus by creation and preservation he is the God of all the men in the world out of the Church What is then to be thy God I will be thy God I Answer to be a God in a more peculiar manner is to be a God in Covenant that is not onely to be a God to preserve and continue this being of ours in a civill life but it is to be a God in a higher relation to us to be a God in a reference to an eternall supernaturall estate in heaven to be a God here in grace and hereafter in glory and thus God is a God in a gracious covenant onely by Iesus Christ and to those that beleeve in him I will be thy God that is I will be thy God in Christ to give thee a better being then this world can aford to free thee from the cursed estate thou art in by nature to deliver thee from all ill spiritually and eternally especially to bestow on thee all good spiritually and eternally especially as wee have it in the words of the Covenant Gen. 15. 1. I will be thy shield and thy exceeding great reward a shield to keepe off all ill and a reward for all good So in the 84. God will be a Sun and a shield c. a Sun Psal. for all sweet comfort and good and a shield in regard of defence from ill a Sunne and a shield till wee come to the possession of eternall happinesse This is to be a God in a peculiar manner to give all things necessary for grace and life too for this life and for a better to doe all things requisite to bring us to heaven and happinesse through Christ in whom all the promises are yea and Amen to be all in all to direct the protections and provions of this life of our estate here to a supernaturall happinesse hereafter to a state beyond nature for God directs the favours of this life so that he takes them away or hee giveth them as he seeth them advantageous or hinderances to a better estate So is God a God to those that are in convenant with him to doe all this and to doe all this in opposition of all enemies whatsoever to doe all this in weakenes and in the impotency of the creature to doe all this when all second causes are contrary as it were to bring a man to heaven in spite of the Devill of our owne corruptions or all oppositions whatsoever This is to be a God indeed But why doth he say onely I will be thy God why doth he not say I will give thee grace and protection I will give thee heaven and life everlasting Because all is one for all things in the world are in this one promise I will be thy God See the wisedome of heaven how much he speakes in how little there cannot be more spoken then thus I will be thy God for in saying I will be thy God he implies that whatsoever he is or hath or can doe shall be thine too I will be thy God that is my wisedome shall be thine to watch over thee to find out wayes to doe thee good my power shall be thine to keepe thee from danger to defend and rescue thee from all enemies and to subdue them by degrees unto thee my providence shall be thine to turne all things to thy good my mercy shall be thine to forgive thy sins my love shall be thine to bestow on thee all necessary comforts there is no phrase in the Scripture that hath so much in so little as this here I will be thy God if wee could unfold and lay open this excellent promise all other particular promises in the covenant of grace are members of this what is the reason as Saint Paul saith all things are yours because you are Christs and Christ is Gods God is the God of Christ and our God wee are in covenant with the God of Christ Christ is the heire of all and we are members of Christ God who is the God of all things is ours It is a wondrous comprehensive promise I will be thy God and the God of thy seed The substance of thy Covenant then is that God will be a God to us the point to be observed is this That God graciously in the blessed seed the Messiah Christ Iesus he takes â—…pon him to be a God to all those that are in Covenant with him that is to be All-sufficient to bring us to happinesse All-sufficient in this world and in the world to come to be our portion to be all in all This is the first and fundamentall promise of all other indeed it is the life and soule of all the promises and it is the life and soule of all comfort whatsoever for all other relations spoken of God tend to this that hee is our God this is before to be a Father before to be any thing God first is a God and then a Father and then all in all to us As he is first the God of Christ and then the Father of Christ as you have it usually in the beginnings of the Epistles God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ first the God and then the Father to be a God then is the fundamentall and principall favour from thence commeth our Election his chusing of us to eternall salvation before all time his protection and preservation of us in time unto heaven I shall not need to speake more of this having unfolded it before But you will say how shall we know that this Covenant belongeth to us that wee are such as we may say God is our God I answer first to lay this for a ground you must know that to be a God is a relation whosoever God is a God to he perswadeth them by his Spirit that hee is a God to the same Spirit that perswadeth them that there is a God that Spirit telleth them that God is their God and works a qualification and disposition in them as that they may know that they are in covenant with such a gracious God the Spirit as it revealeth to them the love of God and that he is theirs so the Spirit enableth them to claime him for their God to give up themselves to him as to their God And the Spirit doth this because friends cannot be in convenant and
Lord will I seeke therefore I am incouraged to pray to thee In the words are contained GODS Command and Davids Obedience Seeke my face thy face Lord will I seeke Gods warrant and Davids worke answerable the Voice and the Ecchoe the Voice Seeke mâ—… face the rebound backe againe of a gracious heart Thy face Lord will I seeke When thou saidst it is not in the originall iâ—… only makes way to the sense passionate speeches are usually abrupt seeke my face thy fâ—… Lord will I seeke The first thing that I will observe from the incoâ—…ragement is that God shews himselfe to his understanding creature God begins you see seeke my face he muâ—… open his meaning and shew himselfe first God comes out of that hidden light that hee dwels in and discovers himselfe and his will to his creature especially in the word It is our happinesse now that we know the mind and meaning of God What is the ground of this what need God stoope thus There is the same ground for it as that there is a God these things goe in an undivided knot God The reasonable understanding creature and Religion that ties that creature to God a discovery of God what that Religion shall be For in the entercourse betweene God and Man man can doe nothing except he hath his warrant from God It is extreme arrogance for man to devise a worship of God Doe we thinke that God wil suffer the creature to serve him as hee pleaseth No that were to make the creature which is the Servant to be the Master It belongs to the Master or Lord to appoint the service what Master or Lord will bee served according to the liberty and wisedome and will of his servant And shall â—…he great God of Heaven and earth bee worshipped and depended upon as man pleaseth or from any incouragement from himselfe shall not hee designe his owne worship hee that singles out his owne worke makes himselfe master in that therefore God begins with this command seeke my face and then the heart answereth thy face Lord will I seeke God must first discover his mind of necessity to the creature Scriptures might be forced hence to shew the dutie owing from the creature Man to God for the creature must have a ground for what â—…he doth it must not be will worship Infringit c. It is a rule it weakens the respect of obedience that is done without a cause though a man doth a good deed yet what reason what ground have yee for this and that wee may doe things upon ground God must discover himselfe therefore he saith Seeke my face It may bee objected that every thing proclaimes this to seeke God though God had not spoken nor his word every creature hath a voice to say seeke God all his benefits have that voice to say seeke God whence have we them If the creature could speake it would say I serve thy turne that thou mayest serve God that made thee and me as the Prophet saith the rod and chastisement hath a voice Heare the Rod and him that smiteth every thing hath a voice We know Gods nature somewhat in the creature that he is a powerfull a wise 〈◊〉 just God we see it by the works of creation and providence but if we should know his nature and not his will towards us his commanding will what hee will have us doe and his promising will what he will doe for us exceâ—… wee have a ground for this from God the knowledge of his nature is but a conâ—…ed knowledge it serves but to make us unexcusable as in Rom. 1. it is proved at large It is too confused to be the ground of obedience unlesse the will of God bee discovered before therefore we must know the mind of God And that is the excellencie of the Church of God above all other people and compâ—…nies of men that wee have the mind and will of God what heere quiâ—… of us by way oâ—… dutie to him and what he will doe to us as a liberall and rich God These two things which are the maine are discovered what wee looke for from God and the dutie wee owe backe gaine to God these are distinctly opened in the word you see here God beginâ—… with David seeke yee my face Indeed God is a God of order in this subordination of God and the creature it is fit that God should begin it is Gods part to command and ours â—…o obey This point might be inlarged but it is a point that doth but make way to that that followes therefore I will not dwell upon it Againe in this first part Gods command or warrant seeke yee my face you see here God is willing to be knowne He is willing to open and discover himselfe God delights not to hide himselfe God stands not upon state as some Emperours doe that think their presence diminisheth respect God is no such God but he may bee searched into Man if any weakenesse be discovered wee can soone search into the depth of his excellencie but with God it is cleane otherwise the more we know of him the more we shall admire him None admire him more then the blessed Angels that see most of him and the blessed Spirits that have communion with him therefore hee hides not himselfe nay hee desires to be knowne and all those that have his Spirit desire to make him knowne Those that suppresse the knowledge of God in his will what he performes for men and what he requires of them they are enemies to God and of Gods people they suppresse the opening of God cleane contrary to Gods meaning seeke my face I desire to be made knowne and lay open my selfe to you Therefore we may observe by the way that when wee are in any darke condition that a Christian finds not the beames of God shining on him let him not lay the blame upon God as if God were a God that delighted to hide himselfe oh no it is not his delight he loves not strangenesse to his poore creature it is not a point of his policie hee is too great to affect such poore things No the fault is altogether in us we walke not worthy of such a presence wee want humility and preparation If there be any darkenesse in the creature that he finds God doth not so shine on him as in former times undoubtedly the cause is in himselfe for God saith seeke my face he desires to open himselfe but it is a point that I will not be large in We see hence likewise that Gods goodnesse is a Communicative spreading goodnesse That is peculiar to God and to those that are lead with the Spirit of God that are like him they have a communicative diffsive goodnesse that loves to spread it selfe Seeke my face I am good in my selfe but I desire to shine on you to impart my goodnesse to you If God had not a communicative spreading goodnesse hee