3. Lukewarmness and formality in religious duties and worship are another reason why God hides his face from us. A multitude of duties men do perform. I never knew any professors in my life that were under the power of light and conviction, that did intend to countenance themselves in their lusts, but did multiply duties. But lukewarmness and formality in duty, and indulging to any lust, are as inconsistent with spirituality in duty (which is the acting of every grace in duty that is required thereunto) as light is incon sistent with darkness. And when it is so with us, God will hide his face from us.
4. And lastly, Another great reason why God hides himself from us is, because we do not fill up that testimony against the world which he hath committed to us. God hath committed to us a great testimony against the world for Christ, and for the glory and honour of his ways. And he looks on to see how we behave ourselves. And we have so shamefully betrayed the cause of God in the purity of his worship, wherein we are engaged, that saith he, " Let them alone ; I will hide my face from them."
These are some of the causes of God's hiding his face from us: — Love of the world, frowardness, or a non-compliance with the calls of providence, formality in spiritual dutiesj and a not filling up our tes-
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594} A FAST SERMON.
timony against the world. And we have scarce time enough left in the world to sigh to the breaking of our hearts, that we do not more glorify God in this world. Therefore God hides his face from us.
I will but just name what I thought to have spoken on the two other heads: —
Fifthly, How shall we know that this is but a hiding, and not a departure ? for saith God, " Woe to them when I depart from them ! " If this should prove a departing, and the glory of God remove more and more from us, then woe unto us ! How shall we know when it is a hiding, and not a departure?
1. If we mourn after the Lord, who hath hid himself from us; if we do indeed really, in our houses, closets, mourn and sigh, ' When will the Lord return again to his people?' — it is but a hiding.
2. It is but a hiding, when nothing will satisfy us unless God re turn. If God should give us peace and prosperity, give now Eng land victory and success ; if we can be satisfied with these things, God is departed. But if we can say, 'Nothing will satisfy us unless we have a sense of the return of God again unto us, of his shining upon us in the light of his countenance, quickening and reviving a spirit of grace in our hearts, filling our souls with joy; then we can be satisfied, but never without it;' — it is but a hiding.
3. When we can never rest in any of those things or ways which cause God to hide himself from us; when we can search our hearts and say, 'This is that I have put into the ephah, that hath contributed to the hiding of God's face from this congregation, from the church of God;' when we will give ourselves no rest in any thing that con tributes to the hiding of God's face ; — then it is but a hiding, and there is an appointed time wherein God will return.
Sixthly, and lastly, What is our duty in such a case as this? " I will wait upon the LOKD," saith the text, " that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him/' Here is our duty.
What is "waiting ?" Waiting is a permanent continuance in the performance of duties, against all difficulties and discouragements. It is a permanent abiding, a continuance in duty, whereby we seek for the return of God unto us, against all discouragements, difficul ties, temptations whatsoever. They will arise from our own hearts on many various occasions ; so that if we will wait upon God we must be permanent and abiding, — we must not make an end of what we have to do this day, but we must follow it on; and then the Lord will return unto the house of Jacob, from whom he hath hid his face.
THEEE DISCOUESES SUITABLE TO THE LOBD'S SUPPER,
PEEFATORY NOTE,
IN 1798 a volume was published in Edinburgh under the title, " The Lord's Supper fully Considered, in a Review of the History of its Institution ; with Meditations and Ejaculations suited to the several parts of the Ordinance : to which are prefixed Three Discourses delivered at the Lord's Table; by the late Eev. John Owen, D.D." It needs but a glance at the three discourses in order to feel assured, from internal evidence, that they belong to Owen. The rest of the volume is assuredly not Owen's, as it con sists of "Eemarks on the 'Plain Account,' " etc., — a work published long after our author's death. These remarks are directed against a treatise of the celebrated Hoadly, bishop of Bangor, and latterly of Winchester. His treatise bears the title, " A Plain Account of the Nature and End of the Lord's Supper," and was published in 1735. An answer to it was published by Thomas Brett, LL.D., an English divine and controversialist ; but whether his answer is identical with the " Remarks," we have failed to ascertain. The three discourses subjoined are not of much importance, but as they have already appeared in print, we include them in this edition. — ED.