* That is, ' expedients.'— G.
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* This is the generation of them that seek him,' those that have clean hands and a pure heart. Thou hast foul hands ; thou art a briber, a corrupter ; thou hast an impure heart ; thou art a filthy creature ; thou hast lived in such and such sins ; cleanse thy hands and thy heart. ' This is the gene- ration of them that seek him.' If a man seek the pure and holy God with an unclean heart and unclean hands ; if he be corrupt in his hands and in his heart, that is the fountain, he may seek God long enough before he find him, and if he see God, it is in anger.
4. Again, If we would seek the face and favour of God, let us study the word hard. Study the promises, as I said before, bind him with his own word. Thou hast said thus, I allege thy own word. Jacob, when he wrestled with God, Gen. xxxii. 24, then he saw God ; he called the place Peniel, that is, the face of God, because of seeing God. Upon wrestling, when the heart by faith wrestleth with God by the promise — ' Lord thou hast done this ; though I feel no comfort, yet I will rest upon thee' — that place will be Peniel ; the face of God will be there, God will shew himself.
And let the extremity be what it will, seek God in extremity ; allege the word of God in extremity. What word have you for extremity ? ' In the mountain God will be seen,' Gen. xxii. 14. His face will be seen in the mount ; that is, when there is no other help whatsoever. ' God is a present help in trouble,' Ps. xlvi. 5. He is the ' God that comforteth the abject,' 2 Cor. vii. 6, that none else can comfort ; ' and he that is in darkness, and sees no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord,' Isa. 1. 10. And ' though I were in the valley of the shadow of death',' if the Lord be with me, ' I will trust in him,' Ps. xxiii. 4. '-And though thou kill me, yet will I trust in thee,' saith Job, Job xiii. 15. In extremity seek God then, and find out words and promises then, as the Scriptures is large in that kind ; for then there is most need of seeking God. Lord, if thou help not now, none can help.
And this is the diflerence between a true child of God and another. In the time of extremity, Saul seeks to the witch ; but David seeks to God, as here, * Lord, thy face will I seek.' Many things upbraided David, no ques- tion, with his sin and the affliction he was in. Thou seek God ! Thou hast offended him, and now thou endurest some sign of his displeasure. A heavy case, beloved, sometimes, especially in the time of extremity. Then conscience saith, I am in extremity, and withal God follows me with such and such sins. A guilty conscience meets me in my prayers to God and upbraids me, Thou hast done so and so ; that if there be not faith, and a word of God to lay hold on in extremity, what will become of the poor soul ? It is swallowed up. No question David was now in pangs, and many things oflered to thrust him off, and he might sa}^ ' I have many things to discourage me,' yet ' thy face, Lord, will I seek,' for deliverance out of trouble and for pardon of sin. Set the promise of God and the pardon of sin above all extremity whatsoever. God is the God of all and above all, he is ' the God of comfort.' If comforts be wanting, he can make them anew. In the want of means, and when means are against us, let us seek to God. Jonah in the whale's belly, that was a creature that might have consumed him with heat, ' when he was in the belly of hell, he called unto God,' Jonah ii. 2. If a man be as low as hell, if he have a command to come, and a promise, it will fetch him thence. Therefore allege the promises and the word.
What a miserable taking are they in, that in extremity have no acquain- tance with God's word — with the promises or good examples — that have
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storeil up nothing ! Alas ! they aro in the midst of a storm naked ; in the midst of war and opposition disarmed ; they lie open to all assaults. Therefore, as you love your own souls, gather grounds of comfort, treasure up promises and holj' truths, that in extremity you may say with David, upon good ground. Lord, thou hast said thus and thus ; and in this extre- mity I come to thee. ' Thy face, Lord, will I seek.' Break through all fears and discouragements whatsoever ; allege the command of God, and the promise of God, and the encouragements of God. My discouraged heart saith thus, and Satan saith thus ; but. Lord, thou sayest thus, ' Seek my face.' Shall not I believe and obey God more than the devil or mine own lying false heart ? Therefore, except we will betray our souls to temptations, and betray the comforts that we have, let us seek God in all extremities.