faith." They approach him in the public ordinances and in their private chambers. They " have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus:" they come even to the throne of God : they " stir up themselves to lay hold on him," and " will not let him go, until he bless them." In this work they " engage their hearts :" they know that " the drawing nigh to God with their lips only is a vain service:" they there- fore labour to " worship him in spirit," and to say with David, "My heart is fixed, my heart is fixed." Whatever discourage- ments arise, they know that to yield to them must be produc- tive of the most fatal consequences : and therefore they determine, if they are tempted at any time to say " I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes," they will not despair ; but will " cry unto God from the very belly of hellf," assured that "none shall ever seek his face in vain."]
But to understand the passage aright, we must
notice,
II. The peculiar force of the interrogation —
It is not to be supposed that God asks for infor- mation : the inquiry is rather expressive of his most cordial approbation.
God delighted in the mediation of his dear Son —
[In the prospect of this event, the Father delighted in him before man had fallen, or the world itself was formed g. And he commanded his prophet to announce, that he was " well pleased for his righteousness' sakeh, ' not only before he had wrought out that righteousness, but hundreds of years before he became incarnate. No sooner did the Lord Jesus enter on his work, than the Father, by an audible voice from heaven, attested that he was " well pleased with him." The same testimony he bore, and in the same manner, on two other occasions : and in all his other dispensations towards him, he evinced that Jesus was " his elect, in whom his soul delighted1." If at any time that approbation could be sup- posed to be withheld, it would be while the Father hid his face from him on the cross, or smote him with the sword of justice: but in reference to that very period we are told, that "it pleased the Father to bruise himk;" and that " the sacrifice then offered was of a sweet-smelling savour1."
f Jonah ii. 2, 4. s Prov. viii. 22, 23, 30.
h Isai. xlii. 21. > Isai. xlii. 1.
k Isai. liii. 10. This passage marks the pleasure which God took, not indeed in inflicting punishment on his Son, but in making him a substitute for sinful man.
1 Eph. v. 2.
1067.1 fiOl/s REGARD TO THOSE WHO WAIT ON HIM. 209
He delights also in the approaches of a sinner to his footstool —
[" The prayer of the upright is his delight." If in heaven " there is joy among the angels in the presence of God over one sinner that repenteth," doubtless that God, in whose pre- sence they are, approves and participates their joy. The representation given of him in the parable of the Prodigal Son, both countenances and confirms this sentiment; yea, to such a degree is he pleased with the supplications of a repenting sinner, that he would rather withdraw his eyes from every other object, whether in heaven or on earth, than not direct them especially towards him111. See this exemplified in Saul of Tarsus : no sooner had that blood-thirsty persecutor begun to humble himself before his Maker, than God sent a special messenger to his relief, assigning this as the reason, " Behold, he prayeth11 !" Thus at this time, if he see any of his rebel- lious creatures prostrating themselves before him, and earnestly imploring mercy, he will say, ' Who is this ? Is this the crea- ture that I beheld so recently in arms against me? Is this he who seemed to hurl defiance in my face ? is it he, who now so humbly engages his heart to approach unto me? He is my dear son ; he is a pleasant child : my bowels are troubled for him: I will surely have mercy upon him for evermore0.']