These four effects do constantly accompany the lifting up of God's countenance, and the shining of his face upon us. Wherefore the hiding of God's face must respect these effects, — light and guidance, spiritual strength, joy, and deliverance.
1. The hiding of God's face respects light and guidance: Hos. v. 6, " They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him/' Why? " He hath withdrawn himself from them." God hath hid himself. For God to hide him self, and for God to hide his face, are the same: Isa. xlv. 15, " Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself." And when God withdraws and hides himself, men cannot find their way. They went with their flocks and with their herds to find the way to God, — with their church-assemblies, with all their concerns, — and could not find the way to God. When God hides his face, we shall be left under dark ness as unto our churches, ways, and walking.
Pray, brethren, let us now inquire whether it is so with us or no. Consider these few things in the fear of the Lord: —
(1.) Do you see the beauty and the glory of the ways of God? Do you see the glorious goings of God in the sanctuary, as may be you have seen them? Do you see a desirableness and a beauty in the ways of God's worship in the church? Or, are these things grown unto you a very common thing? You are in a good way; but is not the sun gone down? You are in the same path as formerly; but are your hearts so delighted, so refreshed? Do we really see a beauty and a glory in the ways and worship of the house of God ? I am afraid we can scarce say so. And if it be so, it is through the want of the light of God's countenance. We are in the same way still, but darkness is round about us ; we see not the beauty and glory of the ways and worship of God. Our very walking, our very actings, the very course we most of us take in the ways of the church, do manifest the hiding of God's face, — that God hath so far withdrawn the light of his countenance from us that we do not see a glory in the same way that once we saw before.
(2.) Are we not at a great loss as unto the ways themselves, and in the least difficulty we cannot find our way, but we are bewildered ? Every trivial exception, that hath been answered a hundred times,
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will turn us out of the way, and keep us from the discharge of our duty, and from what God calls us unto. God hideth his face and leaves us much in the dark. When we would go about our duty, we do not find our way. All things have not been plain and clear.
(3.) Are we not in the dark as to the way of love, — the life, the soul, the cement of church-communion, — without which the best of us, as unto any church-order, are but as "sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal"? Whatever sweet or pleasant noise we make by our way or walk, without the exercise of love, we are as " sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal/' Is there not darkness come upon all professors herein? Is there that love among professors in general that either hath been or ought to be? Is there that love among churches, one church to another? They are scarce concerned in one another. I did little think ever to have lived to see the day wherein the churches of Christ should have so little concern in one another as they have. There is not that love among ourselves which there ought to be. Do not the paths of love mourn because none walk in them? Doth joy arise in our hearts and pleasantness in our countenances when we be hold the faces one of another? Why, then, do some complain that none visit, none confirm, none help, none relieve, none seek after their spi ritual or outward condition? Who among us seeks to make himself an example of love ? Is there a duty wherein men may exercise and show their gifts and parts? — there is a pretty readiness for it. Is there any thing wherein men may act severity of spirit? — they will be prepared for that. Who among us endeavours, in meekness, in condescension, in self-denial, in being little in his own eyes, to make himself an example of love? And all our church order and relation is a thing of no value without it. One person who is filled with love, which is a charitable grace, it will make him have low thoughts of himself, condescend greatly to others, forego temptation to provo cations, and let go all these things. And who among us endeavours to make himself an example hereof? One such person would bring more honour and glory to Christ, and make a more glorious repre sentation of him in the world, than a thousand of us do at this kind of rate of walking. The ways of God are the same, the worship of God the same, the saints of God the same also, — a company of poor tempted sinners : but we have not the same light, we have riot the same guidance, we have not the same love; we live upon gifts, and not upon grace. God doth hide his face from us in this thing.