Use. And in the first place, by way of direction, that we may seek the face of God — that is, observe him, and depend upon him, and enjoy his favour, and meet with Tiim in his ordinances — we must fij'st get The Icnoidedge of God [and of] ourselves.
1. Get the knoivledge of God, for they that know him will seek to him. They that know his riches, his power, his sufficiency, in a word, his all- sufficiency for all things, they will seek to him. And they that know them- selves, that know their wants, their inability to supply those wants, and .know the greatness of those wants, and that they must be supplied, they will out of themselves. They that have nothing at home will seek abroad. The knowledge of these two therefore, of the great God, the all- sufficient God ; and of ourselves, the insufficiency of ourselves every way, either for direction, or for protection, or for comfort in distress, or for strength in duty to go through business, or for issue when we are about anything ; ' they that know that the way of man is not in man,' as Jere- miah saith, X. 23, they would certainly out of themselves. Therefore let us grow in the knowledge of God and of ourselves, of our own wants and necessities.
And especially know God now in Christ. For there is enmity between the nature of God and the nature of man, of sinful man ; but that Christ * Cf. the General Index under ' Prayer.' — G.
128 THE SUCCESSFUL SEEKER.
bath taken our nature now and made it lovely to God, and God lovely to us. Christ Immanuel, God and man, ' God with us,' hath made God and US friends. Therefore now wo must go to God in that Immanuel, in Christ, that ladder that joins heaven and earth together. Sec God's face shining in Christ, his gracious face, and this will encourage us to go to God together with our wants. Go not to absolute God, a God without a mediator ; for then God is * a consuming fire,' Heb. xii. 29.
2. In the next place, when we go to God, and seek to God, be sure to seek his favour and (/race in thr first place. If we want any particular thing, protection or direction or comfort in distress, go not for that in the first place, but let us see in what terms God and wo are ; let us bo sure that reconciliation and peace bo made. For if we seek to God in our particular wants, and have not made our peace before, but have sought to other gods, to men, and to our shifts,* God may say. You seek to me ! Go to the gods you have served, to the great men you have served, to the riches you have trusted unto, go to your shifts.* Therefore, first, make peace and reconci- liation with God before you seek other things. If a man have offended a great person, he doth not go and seek particular favours, till first he have made peace and taken up the quarrel. Let us take up the quarrel between God and us, by repentance and a promise of new obedience ; get reconcilia- tion that way, and then seek for particular favours after.
For what if God give you particular favours, if they be not from his grace and favour, what will they do us good ? What will all that a reprobate wretch hath do him good ? "What will his favours, his riches, and honours and preferments do him good when he dies, when he shall confiict with the au^er of God ? when he shall see hell before him and see heaven shut ? He seeth he hath all, from a general providence and as a reward for his care in this world. God answereth him with a civil enlargement for his civil obedience, but he hath his reward. Heaven he hath not, he cared not for it. What will all do without the love of God in Chi'ist ? Therefore I beseech j-ou, let us first seek the favour and mercy of God in Christ.
And then for particular things go to him as the exigence is ; *for in"God there is a supply for all turns, and that is the ground of seeking ; for our seeking it must bo a wise seeking. Now it were not wise, unless there ■were a supply in God for every want, whatsoever it is. If the creature could do anything without God, wo should upon good ground make that God. If anything could raise us without God, I mean, to comfort, wo mi"ht seek to them, and make them God upon good reason ; but what can they do ? In anger, God may let a man enjoy favours, as the fruits of his displeasure, but what can they do without him ? They can do nothing. Therefore it must be the supreme cause, the highest cause, the great wheel that turns every little inferior wheel in the world. They turn with the great wheel of divine providence and goodness ; therefore go to him as the first cause.!
3. Again", In seeking the favour of God, we must search our consciences, to come uith pure and clean hearts to God to seek him. If we regard ' iniquity in our hearts, God will not hear our prayers,' Ps. Ixvi. 18. We come to God with a purpose to offend him. If we come not with a purpose to leave our sms, why do we come ? God will not regard our prayers. We must come with pure consciences to God, as it is excellently set down, Ps. xxiv. 3, < Who shall ascend into thy hill, 0 Lord ? who shall stand in thy holy place ? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.' And then he saith after,