6. This is the reason of affliction : we are so backward in this work that we need to be whipped unto it: Hosea v. 15, ' I will go and return to my place, saith God, till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face.' God knows that want is a spur to a lazy creature ; and therefore doth God break in upon men, and scourge them as with scor- pions, that they may bethink themselves, and look after God.
Use 2. For direction. If you would seek God —
1. Seek him early: Prov. viii. 32, ' Blessed are they that seek me early.' We cannot soon enough go about this work. Seek him when God is nigh, when the Spirit is nigh: Isa. lv.6, 'Call upon the Lord while he is near.' There are certain seasons which you cannot easily get again ; such times when God doth deal more pressingly with you, when the word bears in upon the heart, and when God is near unto us. David like a quick echo returns upon God : Ps. xxvii. 8, ' Seek ye my face ; my heart said unto thee. Thy face. Lord, will I seek.' It would be a great loss not to obe}^ present imiuilses and invitations, and not make use of the advantages which God puts into our hands.
2. Seek him daily: Ps. cv. 4, ' Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face evermore.' That is, from day to day you must be seek- ing the face of God, in the strength of God. Every hour we need his direction, protection, strength ; and we are in danger to lose him, if we do not continue the search.
3. Seek him uniueariedly , and do not give over your seeking until you find God. Wrestle through discouragements ; though former endea- vours have been in vain, yet still w,e should continue seeking after God. We have that command to enforce us to it : Luke v. 5, ' We have toiled all night; howbeit at thy command,' <fec. Though we do not presently find, yet we must not cast oft' all endeavours. In
26 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. III.
spiritual things many times a man hears and goes away with nothing ; but when he comes to meditate upon it, and work it upon the heart, then he finds the face of God, and the strength of God. Therefore, you must not give over your seeking.
4. Seek him in Christ. God will only be found in a mediator : Heb. vii. 25, Those are accepted ' that come to God by him.' Guilty creatures cannot enjoy God immediately ; and in Christ, God is more familiar with us : Hosea iii. 5, ' They shall seek the Lord their God, and David their king.' None can seek him rightly but those that seek him in Christ. It is uncomfortable to think of God out of Christ. As the historian saith of Themistocles, Avhen he sought the favour of the king, he snatched up the king's son, and so came and mediated for his grace and favour. Let us take the Son of God in the arms of our faith, and present him to God the Father, and seek his face, his strength.
5. God can only be sought hy the help of his own Spirit. As our access to God, we have it by Christ, so we have it by the Spirit : Epli. ii. 18, ' For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.' As Chi-ist gives us the leave, so the Spirit gives us the help. Bernard speaks fitly to this purpose : None can be aforehand with God, we cannot seek him till we find him in some sense : he will be sought that he may be found ; and he is found that he may be sought. It is his preventing grace wdiich makes us restless in the use of means ; and when we are brought home to God, when we seek after God, it is by his own grace. The spouse was listless and careless until she could take God by the scent of his own grace, when he ' put his finger upon the handle of the lock, and dropped myrrh.' By the sweet and powerful influences of his grace, she was carried on in seeking after God. Thus much for the first part of the duty, seek.
Secondly, Now the manner, with the ivhole heart. Doct. Whoever would seek God aright, they must seek him with their whole heart.
Here I shall inquire —
1. What doth this imply ?
2. AVhy God will be sought with the whole heart ?
1. What doth this imply ? It implies sincerity and integrity ; for it is not to be taken in the legal sense, with respect to absolute perfec- tion, but in opposition to deceit : Jer. iii. 10, ' Judali has not turned to me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.' It is spoken of the time of Josiah's reformation ; many men whirled about with the times, and were forced by preternatural motions. The Father of spirits above all things requireth the spirit, and he that is the searcher and judge of the heart requireth the heart should be consecrated to him. Integrity opposeth partiality. There are indeed two things in this expression, the ivhole heart; it notes extension of parts, and intension of degrees.