In all perplexity of business, ' commit thy way to the Lord, and he shall establish thy thoughts,' Prov. iii. 6, and other places. Lord, I com- mit my ways to thee ; establish my thoughts and designs agreeable to thy will, because thou hast bid me commit my ways to thee.
In the hour of death, let us commend ourselves to God, ' as to a gracious and merciful Creator,' 1 Pet. iv. 19. Lord, I commend to thee my soul, who art the Creator of my soul and the Piedeemer of it. Here is an obe- dience answerable. What can be the issue of it but comfort ?
Therefore let us learn by the example of this blessed m,an, that when he had but a hint from God, ' Seek ye my face,' answers, ' Thy face, Lord, will I seek.'
Faith will see light at a little crevice. When it sees an encouragement once, a command, it will soon ansvi-er : and when it sees a promise, half a promise, it will welcome it. It is an obedient thing, ' the obedience of faith,' Rom. xvi. 2G. It believes, and upon believing, it goes to God. As the servants of the king of Assyria, they catch the word presently, ' Thy servant Benhadad,' 1 Kings xx. 32 ; so faith, it catcheth the word.
To put God in mind, it is an excellent thing with the prophet, whosoever penned the 119th Psalm, whether David, or some other, ' P^emember thy promise, wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust,' ver. 49. As it is Neh. i. 8, ' Remember, Lord.' He puts God in mind of his promise ; and so it is good often to put God in mind. Lord, thou hast made such and such promises. I know thou canst not deny thj-self. If thou shouldst deny thy word, thou must deny thyself. Thy word is thyself. ' Remember thy promise, wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust.' If I be deceived, thou hast deceived me, for thou hast given me this promise and this command. This is an excellent way to deal with God, as it were, to wrestle with him. ' By thy promise thou hast quickened me,' Ps. cxix. 50. When I was dull and dead-hearted, then I thought on such and such a promise. I allege that promise, and apply it by a spirit of faith, and that quickened me.
And indeed, as I said, God hath made us fit to answer him, and we should study in all things to return unto him by his Spirit. Whatsoever God doth, the heart should return back again — love for love, knowledge for knowledge, seeking for seeking, choosing for choosing. He begins with us, he chooseth us, he loves us, he seeks us ; and we, if ever we intend to be friends with God, and to entertain a holy communion, as all that shall be
124 THE SUCCESSFUL SEEKER.
saved must do, wo should labour to liavc our hearts to return to God, what we find from God first. ' Thy face. Lord, will I seek.' To come more particularly to this seeking, which is the particular of the obedience and of the application.
' Thy face, Lord, will I seek.'
Seeking implies that our happiness is out of ourselves. It implies that there is somewhat in ourselves, iu the application to which there must bo some happiness. Therefore we go out of ourselves to seek. It is a motion, and it is out of an apprehension of some want ; a man seeks out of some want, or out of some loss, or out of some duty. Either he hath loss, and therefore he seeks ; or else he wants, and therefore he seeks ; or else he owes respect and duty, and therefore he seeks. It is somewhat without a man that moves his seeking.
God need not seek the creature ; he hath all fulness in himself. Indeed, his love makes him seek for our love, to be reconciled to him. But the creature, because his happiness is out of himself in communion with God, the fountain of all good, he must seek.
Christians must he seekers.
This is the generation of seekers, Ps. xxiv. G. All mankind, if ever they will come to heaven, they must be a generation of seekers. Heaven is a generation of finders, of possessors, of enjoyers, seekers of God. But here we are a generation of seekers. We want somewhat that we must seek. When we are at best, we want the accomplishment of our happiness. It is a state of seeking here, because it is a state of want; we want something alway.
But to come more particularly to this seeking the face of God, or the presence of God.
The presence of God, and the face of God, where is it to be sought for?
(1.) Know that first for a ground : The jnrsence of God it is cveri/nhere. But that is not the thing hero purposed.
(2.) There is a face and presence of God in everi/thinr/, in every creature. Therefore every creature hath the name of God ; sometimes a rock : because God is strong, so a rock is strong. So likewise a shield ; as a shield defends, so God defends us. There is some resemblance of God in the creature. Therefore God hath the name of the creature. But that is not here meant.