Brethren, you see who it is that is here intended, — the true church of God, in a low, weak, distressed condition ; and there are some at least among them eminently wrestling with God and eminently wrestling with men for the great blessing of Jesus Christ and the gospel. Pray take notice that God can, and sometimes doth, hide himself from the church in this state and condition. Now, a man would think, now if ever is the time for God to shine upon the house of Jacob. But there may be such things found in the church, when it is in a low, wrestling condition, that God is compelled to hide his face from them.
Thus we have stated the subject. I desire to know whether it falls upon us or no ? whether we are this " house of Jacob," whose condition is low, that, through infinite, free grace, God hath taken into covenant with himself? I do not speak absolutely in reference to ourselves, but to our brethren in the world, whose condition is low, distressed, tempted, oppressed. And yet there are remaining those that wrestle with God. If this be so, then the subject is rightly stated, and we are concerned in the text.
Secondly, Our second inquiry is, What it is for God to " hide his face"? To know that, we must inquire what it is for the face of God to shine upon any. You may observe that the shining of God's face upon any is, in Scripture, comprehensive of all mercies and of all blessings whatsoever. I will mention but one place, Num. vi. 24-26, the blessing of God when he put his name upon the people; "The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: the LORD make his face
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shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace/' Grace, preservation, and peace, they are the sum of all we receive from God in this world. And how doth this come? "The LORD cause his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the LORD lift up the light of his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace : the LORD cause his face to shine and bless thee/" In a word, there the shin ing of God's face is, where the grace and favour of God in Christ Jesus evidences and communicates itself to the church and the souls of men. The grace and favour of God evidencing and communi cating itself unto the souls of men is the shining of God's face and the lifting up of God's countenance.
And there are four things that do always accompany the shining of God's face upon any people or upon any person. The peculiar way of the communication and evidence of the grace and favour, which is the shining of his face, hath these four effects : —
1. It gives them light and guidance. " In thy light," saith the psalmist, Ps. xxxvi. 9, " we shall see light," — in the light of God's countenance. When the face of God shines upon men, they are not at a loss to find their way. It is as the sun unto our natural occa sions. Let a man be in his way, let him know it never so well, while the sun shines upon him, how pleasantly doth he travel ! Though he be in the same way, if the sun go down and darkness come, what a loss is the man at! I know not what you have done, but I know what some others have done; — they have found sometimes plea santness, plainness, satisfaction, in the same ways that afterwards they have been ready to stumble in, and could scarce find how to take one step before another. The sun was gone down! While God's face shines upon us, we shall not be at a loss nor in the dark about any of our ways.
2. Where God's face shines there is the communication of spiritual strength ; for, as I told you, this face of God is his grace and favour, which is the fountain of all our spiritual life, of all spiritual strength, of all spiritual vigour. I need not stay to prove these things, which you know are acknowledged. All our spiritual life is from the fountain of God's grace and favour; and the shining of the face of God is the actual communication of spiritual strength from that grace and favour. Whenever God's face shines, — and let us not please ourselves with any other apprehension, — -we shall have spiritual life, strength, vigour, quickening, as to all duties, as to all occasions, as to all trials and sufferings, whatsoever we are called unto.
3. The shining of God's face is, in a peculiar manner, the cause of spiritual joy and refreshment ; for by the shining of God's couu-
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tenance lie doth give in pledges unto our hearts that he is our re conciled God and Father. Spiritual joy is a most peculiar effect and an infallible evidence of the shining of God's face. Wherever it is, there God's face shines; and where it is not, there God hides his face.
4. And lastly, Deliverance from trouble is an effect of the shining of God's face : " Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved." Such is the prayer of the psalmist.