But to speak a little more of the next words.
' Thou hast hid thy face from us.'
That is, thou hast hid thy comfort from us. God hath a double face : a face that shines on our souls in peace, and joy, and comfort, when he Baith to the soul, ' I am thy salvation,' Ps. xxxv. 3 ; and his face that shines on the outward estate, that keeps miserj', and sickness, and danger from us, and bestows good things on us. And God takes away his face from us in regard of the inward man, when he gives us no peace, but leaves us to spiritual desertion. In regard of the outward man, God hides his face when he gives us up to pestilence, and war, and sickness, and miseries in this life ; when he gives us up to outward desertion.
Sometimes God shines on wicked men in outward things, but he hides bis face for peace of conscience ; and sometimes God's children have his face shining on their conscience, but he hides his face in respect of outward things. Sometimes he shines in neither of both : as at this time he neither shined on these blessed men in outward favours, for they were in captivity, nor in the sense of his love and favour, for they were in desolation, and eclipsed every way.
The face of God, it is as the sun to the creatures. When the sun hides his face, what is there but darkness and night ? What makes the night, but the absence of the sun ? What makes winter, but the absence of the Bun, when he grows low, and cannot heat the earth ? So what makes winter in the soul, deadness, and darkness, and dulness in God's service ? The absence of the face of God ; God shines not on the soul. What makes night in the soul, when the soul is benighted with ignorance, that it cannot see itself, nor see the judgments of God ? God shines not. ' The Sun of righteousness' shines not on that soul.
God is the Sun of the creature. He gives life to the creature. "What will become of the creature, when God neither shines outwardly nor inwardly on it ? As at the day of judgment, he shall take awa}' outward comforts ;— there shall be no outward shining ; — and all inward comforts, they shall have no hope : he shall altogether hide his face. When God, the Fountain of all good, shall hide his face altogether from the creature, that is hell. The place where God shines not outwardly with comforts, nor inwardly, nor there shall be no hope of neither, but a place of horror and despair, that is hell, as the hell of this life is when God shines not on our souls.
Now, these holy men they complain, yet they pray : ' Thou hast hid thy face,' Ps. Ixxxix. 46. Here is the conflict of faith, that sees God hide his face, and yet will follow God. It sees God ready to turn away himself, and yet it will lay hold of him, and have a glance of him. It will wrestle ■with him, and not let him go without a blessing. So there be degrees of God's hiding of his face. Though God seem to hide his face, and to with-
THE CHUECn's COMPLAINT AND CONFIDENCE. 201
draw outward comforts, and perhaps in some to withdraw his favour from their hearts inwardly. Wtiat shall they do ? Droop ? No. Wrestle with God as Jacob. See through the cloud that is between God and thy soul. Break thorough by faith ; and with Job say, ' Though he kill me, }-et will I trust in him,' Job. xiii. 15. Let us stir up ourselves ' to lay hold on God' when he seems to turn away his face ; and imitate good Jacob, never give over seeking the face of God.
How shall we seek the face of God ?
1. By prayer ; for that brings us to the face of God, though he seem to hide his face, as Jeremiah complains, Jer. xiv. 8, ' Why art thou as a stranger ? ' And yet he prays. Seek him by prayer.
2. Seek him in his ordinances. • Hear the word of God. ' Thy face, Lord, will I seek,' Ps. xxvii. 8. God invites you to seek his face now by fasting and humiliation. Seek his face in this ordinance. Here is the blessed Trinity, ' Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.' Though outwardly God hide his face in some regards, yet when he offers outward liberties refuse them not. He offers his face to us now in Christ. Seek, by prayer and other means, holy communion with him still ; and never leave seeking till you have got a glance of him ; and stir up yourselves to lay hold on him, that he would shew his loving countenance upon you.
Those that turn their backs on God's ordinances, and in rebellion to his commandments, live in sins against conscience — can they wonder that he hides his face from them, when they turn their backs on him ? Rebellious persons, that will not yield meekly to God's ordinances, and submit to his commandments, do they wonder that God takes good things from them ? When we sin we turn our backs upon God and our face to the devil, and the world, and pleasures. When men turn their faces to sin, to pleasures and vanity, and their backs on God, do they wonder that he sutlers them to melt and pine away ? Let us do as the tlowers do, the marigold, &c. They turn themselves to the sun. Let our souls do so. Let us turn ourselves to God in meditation and prayers, striving and wrestling with him. Look to him, eye him in his ordinances and promises ; and have communion with him all the ways we can. Let our souls open and shut with him. When he hides his face, let us droop, as the flowers do till the sun come again. When the waters fall, the flowers droop and hold down their heads. When the sun riseth the next morning, up they go again, as if there had been never a shower. So when we have not daily comfort of spirit in peace of conscience, let us never rest seeking God's face in his ordinances and by prayer, and that will cheer a drooping soul, as the sunbeams do the flagging flowers. Then you may know that God's face shines upon you in some measure, when he gives you means and gives you hearts to use those means, and comfort in your consciences, that whether you live or die you are God's. This is a beam of that sunshine on the soul when God vouch- safes joy and comfort. A little of this will banish all fears. If you have one glimpse of his countenance, you shall not need to fear the plague, or war, or death. If he shine on you, one glance will take away all fear. Paul, when he was in the stocks, one beam of God's countenance made him sing at midnight. Acts xvi. 25. ' Let thy countenance shine on us, and we shall be safe,' Ps. Ixxx. 3, let what will become of us outwardly. If God shine not on us for outward favours, if he shine on our souls and release them from fears and guilt, and speak peace to them, and say unto them, ' he is their salvation,' Ps. xxxv. 3, and as he saith in the gospel, * Thy sins are forgiven thee,' all will be well whatsoever shall become of us.