2. The new nature inclines and carries the soul to God ; it came from God, and carries the soul to God again. The spirit of the world doth wholly incline us to the world : they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh ; and the Spirit of God doth incline us to God, and therefore the people of God will value his favour above all things else. David speaks in his own name, and in the name of all that were like-minded with himself ; he speaks of all the children of God in opposition to the many, the brutish ones, that were for sensual satisfaction : Ps. iv. 6, ' Many say, Who will show us any good ? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.' He doth not say, upon me, but upon us, as the common language of all the saints. The favour of God is so dear and precious to the saints, that they can compare with the affections of carnal men, take them at the greatest advantage. He doth not consider their worldly things in their decrease,, but he considers them when they are increased ; and he considers them in the very time when they are increased, in the vintage and harvest time. The shouting of vintage and joy of harvest are proverbial ; and the comforts of this life, when new and fresh, most invite delights They that place their happiness in these things cannot have so much joy as they that have a sense of their interest in God. Now, shall we be wholly strangers to this temper and disposition of soul.
3. If we be backward to seek after the favour of God, the Lord whips his people to it by his providence ; for sometimes their spiritual disposition may be marred : Hosea v. 15, ' I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me early.' The Lord withdraws his gracious presence for this reason, not that we may seek ease or freedom from trouble, but that we may seek his face, and the applying of his grace to our consciences.
VeR, 135.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 415
4. God is not wholly gone, neither is the desertion total, when there is such a disposition in tlie heart. He hath left something behind him which draws you after him. The estimation of God's favour keeps his place warm till he come again ; it keeps room in the soul : Ps. Ixxxviii. 13, 14, ' Unto thee have I cried ; in the morning shall my prayer pre- vent thee : Lord, why castest thou off my soul ? why hidest thou thy face from me ? ' But when they can digest such a loss with patience, it is an indifferent thing whether they have any sense of God's love, yea or no.
5. We find it to be a sad thing to lose any worldly comfort, and shall we lose the favour of God too, and never lay it to heart, and live contentedly without it ? It is a sign we despise that which the saints value, and which is the principal blessing ; you will not have cheap thoughts of the consolation of God, Job xv. 11.
6. Unless we seek God's favour, all our labour is lost in other duties : 2 Chron. vii. 14, ' If my people, that are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,' &c. This is put in among other conditions, and without this the promise is not made good to us. Many seek to the Lord in their distresses, but it is only for redress of temporal evils, or obtaining necessary temporal supplies ; but do not seek his face : then their prayers are but like bowlings, but like the moans of beasts, Hosea vii. 14. They do not seek reconciliation and communion with God, but only ease and riddance of present trouble. Those are not holy prayers.
7. It is the distinguishing point that will separate the precious from the vile, to have a tender sense of God's favour : Ps. xxiv. 6, ' This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, 0 Jacob.' There are many thoughts of interpreters about that place, I find; though they differ in it, yet they all agree in this sense, that they are the true Israelites, the true Jacob's posterity, that cannot brook God's absence, that seek his face, that will not let him go, but strive with him till they get the blessing. These are not Israel in the letter, but Israel in the spirit. Jacob said, ' I will not let thee go unless thou bless me,' Gen. xxxii. 26. Such diligent seekers of God should we be, never to give over till we find him. Or, as Moses said, * Lord, if thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence ;' we will not stir a foot without thy favour and presence.
Thirdly, They that are sensible of the want or loss of the favour of God have liberty to sue for it with hope and encouragement to find it. For so doth David, * Make thy face to shine.' Whence comes this liberty ?