And that is the excellency of the church of God above all other people and companies of men, that we have the mind and will of God ; what he requires of us b}' way of duty to him, and what he will do to us as a liberal and rich God. These two things, which are the main, are discovered ; what we look for from God, and the duty we owe back again to God, these are distinctly opened in the word. You see here God begins with David, ' Seek ye 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 God's part to command, and ours to obey. This point might be enlarged, but it is a point that doth but make way to that that follows, therefore I will not dwell upon it.
Again, in this first part, God's command or warrant, * Seek ye my face,' you see here,
Ohs. 2. God is u- tiling to be knovn. He is willing to open and discover himself; God delights not to hide himself. God stands not upon state, as some emperors do that think their prcFcnce diminisheth respect. God is no such God, but he may be searched into. Man, if any weakness be dis- covered, we can soon search into the depth of his excellency ; but with God it is clean otherwise. The more we know of him, the more we shall admire him. None admire him more than the blessed angels, that see most of him, and the blessed spirits that have communion with him. Therefore he hides not himself, nay, he desires to be known ; and all those that have his Spirit desire to make him known. Those that suppress the knowledge of God in his will, what he performs for men and what he requires of them, they are enemies to God and of God's people. They suppress the opening of God, clean contrary to God's meaning : ' Seek my face ;' I desire to be made known, and lay open myself to you.
THE SUCCESSFUL SEEKER. 113
Therefore we may observe by the way, that when we are in any dark condition, that a Christian finds not the beams of God shining on him, let him not lay the blame npon God, as if God were a God that delighted to hide himself. Oh no ; it is not his delight. He loves not strangeness to his poor creature. It is not a point of his policy. He is too great to affect * such poor things. No ; the fault is altogether in us. We walk not worthy of such a presence; we want humility and preparation. If there be any darkness in the creature, that he finds God doth not so shine on him as in former times, undoubtedly the cause is in himself ; for God saith, ' Seek my face.' He desires to open himself. But it is a point that I will not be large in.
We see hence likewise, that
Ohs. 3. God's goodness is a communicative^ spreading goodness.
That is peculiar to God and to those that are led with the Spirit of God, that are like him ; they have a communicative, diffusive goodness that loves to spread itself. ' Seek ye my face.' I am good in myself, but I desire to shine on you, to impart my goodness to you.
If God had not a communicative, spreading goodness, he would never have created the world. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were happy in themselves, and enjoyed one another before the world was. But that God delights to communicate and spread his goodness, there had never been a creation nor a redemption. God useth his creatures, not for defect of power, that he can do nothing without them, but for the spreading of his goodness ; and thereupon comes all the subordination of one creature to another, and all to him.
Oh that w e had hearts to make way for such a goodness as God would cast into us, if we were as we should be. God's goodness is a spreading, imparting goodness. It is a common distinction. There is the goodness of the fountain and the goodness of the vessel, that is our goodness, because we contain somewhat in us that is good. The goodness of the creature, that is but the channel or the cistern ; but the goodness of God is another manner of goodness, the goodness of the fountain. The fountain begs not from the river ; the sun borrows not light from the candle ; God begs not goodness from the creature. Ours is a borrowed goodness, but his is a communicative goodness : ' Seek my face,' that I may impart my goodness. The sun delights to spread his beams and his influence in inferior things, to make all things fruitful. Such a goodness is in God as is in a fountain, or in the breast that loves to ease itself of milk.
I note it, that we may conceive aright of God, that is more willing to bestow good than we are to ask it. He is so willing to bestow it, that he becomes a suitor to us, ' Seek ye my face.' He seeks to us to seek him. It is strange that heaven should seek to earth, and yet so it is.