Remains of John Boyse, Sermon 13
PSAL. 105. 4.
Seeke his face euermore.
MAn was elected before there was any time, created in the beginning of time, redeemed in the fulnesse of time; for this end, to seeke God on earth, and to see God in heauen. Our text poynteth at both, exhorting the seed of Abraham, and the children of Iacob; That is, all faithfull people, so to seeke Gods face, that in fine, they may see Gods face for euermore.
For the better vnderstanding whereof, I must euidently cleare two poynts, especially:
1. What is to be sought, and that is expressed to be Gods face.
2. How to be sought, to wit, by what meanes, and that is implyed to aDr. Incognitus et Turrecr…mat. in locbee by contemplation in this world, and by vision in the next.
In what measure, how much, earnestly; seeke the Lord, seeke his strength, seeke his face, how long, euermore.
For the first, a great many, and a good many bMusc…. M…. … ▪ Genebrard. Lori….Diuines vnderstand here, by Gods face, Gods fauour, as if the Prophet should hauehave sayd, in all time of wealth, and in all time of woe, call vponupon the Lord, seeke him, and his strength onelyonly; seeke not to witches, because they seeke to the deuill, and the deuill is a murtherer from the beginning, an accuser of the faithfull, our aduersarie, walking about like a roaring lyon, seeking whom he may deuoure.
Seeke not to Bell or Baal, or any false God, for an Idol cannot helpe it selfe, much lesse other, Wisd. 13. 16. The Apostle saith, an Idol is nothing, and the Philosopher saith, of nothing comes nothing; seeke not to secular powers, and potentates; O put not your trust in Princes, nor in any child of man, for there is no helpe in them. Psalm: 146. 2. The king of Egypt is a broken staffe of reed, hee that leaneth on him and trusteth in him, is sure to fall to the ground; alas, man is like a thing that is nothing, when his breath is gone foorth, hee returneth againe to his earth, and then all his thoughts perish.
Seeke not to your owne strength, trust not (as Goliah did) in your sword and shield, for cursed bee the man, that makes fl…sh his arme. Iere. 17. 5.
Seeke not to your owne wit for the Lord catcheth the Wizards in their owne craftinesse; and the counsell of the wicked is made foolish.
Seeke not to your owne worth and holinesse, (as the Pharisee stood vponupon his merite. Luke 18.) For blessed is the man that feareth alway, but hee that trusteth in his owne heart, is a foole. Prouerbs 28. 26.
Seeke not to the strength of your owne purse, doe not sacrifice to your owne net, make not gold your hope, saying to the wedge of gold; thou art my confidence, for riches auaile not in the day of wrath, no… helpe in the time of vengeance.
Seeke not to the cMuscul in loc.blessed spirits of iust men in heauen, for Abraham is ignorant of vsus, and Israel knoweth vsus not. Esay 63. 16. They doe not vnderstand our wants in particular, howsoeuer vndoubtedly solicitous for our good in generall; grant they did clearely see what we lacke, and that they be so well able, as willing to helpe; yet because the Scriptures afford neither precept, nor promise, nor paterne for inuocation in this kind; seeking to the dead saints, is an open iniurie to the liuing God; at the best, it is wil-worship, at the worst, adoring of old saints, is an adopting of new sauiours.
To summe vp all in a word, with our Prophet; in the 73, Psalme, verse 14. Whom hauehave I in heauen but thee, and there is none vponupon earth that I desire in comparison of thee; all other hopes and helpes are miserable comforters in respect of thee, which art a present helpe in trouble; vnderunder the shadow of thy wings will I reioyce, my soule hangeth vponupon thee, mine eyes are euer looking vntounto thee, to the throne of grace will I goe boldly, that I may find mercy, thou Lord art my strength and onelyonly refuge, thy face will I seeke euermore
Hugo Cardinalis vnderstandeth here by Gods face, that happinesse which is euerlasting in heauen: They who seeke for Gods temperall blessings, onelyonly seeke his hinder parts, as it were▪ but they who first seeke the kingdome of God, and the righteousnesse thereof, are sayd to seeke his priora because potiora, the multitude who followed Christ, in the 6. of S. Iohn, for loaues and not for louelove, sought Gods hinder parts only, but the blessed Apostle, who sayd, I forget that which is behind, and endeauour my selfe vntounto that which is before, following hard toward the marke, for the price of the high calling of God, in Christ Iesu, sought Gods face euermore. Temporall goods, as riches and honour, are the blessings of Gods left hand, but length of dayes that is euerlasting life, the blessings of his right hand, Prouer. 3, 16. New creatures in Christ, and new men are like the new Moone; when the Moone decreaseth, it is close aboue, open below, but when it increaseth, it is open aboue, close beneath, euen so (beloued) if our mindes (as nature framed our hearts,) are close downeward, vsing the world as if wee vsed it not, and enlarged vpward, in seeking the things aboue, then, as S. Paul speakes, our conuersation is in heauen, and as Dauid here, we seeke Gods face for euermore.
dI… loe.Arnobius and eGenebrard in loc idem Dr. Incognitus.diuers moe, by Gods face, doe vnderstand Christ Iesus; as being the brightnesse of Gods glorie, and expresse character of his person. Heb. 1. 3. And as our Prophet. Psalm 67. vers 1. The light of his countenance; God is manifested in his sonne, as a man is knowen by his face; for no man (saith our Lord) commeth vntounto the Father, but by me. Iohn 14. 6. I am the way, the trueth and the life, non est quà eas nisi per me, non est quò eas nisi ad me, as fTract 96. in▪ Iohn.Augustine sweetely, Christ is the gF…rus co… in Ioh. 14 6.beginning of blessed and heauenly vision, and therefore the way; the meane, and therefore the trueth; the end, and therefore the life; No man knowes the Father, saue the Sonne, and to whomsoeuer the Sonne will open him. It is true, that we may see Gods hinder parts, by the light of nature, for the power of God is manifested in the creation of the world, the heauens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy worke, but we cannot see Gods face, that is; the most vnsearchable riches of his mercy, but in & by his Son only: none know the Father▪ hCaietan in Matth. 11. 27.that is, a distinction of the Persons in the Sacred Trinity, but by the reuelation of God the Sonne, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome, and knowledge▪ Coloss. 2. 3. Or none know that God is their Father, but by the spirit of the Sonne, crying in our hearts, Abba, Father. Galat. 4. 6. Wee speake the wisdome of God in a mysterie; quoth Paul, which none of the Princes of this world knew; Hoc magnus Plato nesciuit, eloquens Demosthenes ignorauit, saith iPauli… ▪ tom. 3.Hierome, deepe Plato was altogether ignorant, eloquent Demosthenes was vtterly silent in this argument; they being secretaries of nature, groped after God, and found out also so much of him, as may serue to condemne them, but wee (blessed are the eyes that see the things which we see) seeking God in his Sonne, in whom he is well pleased, vnfainedly beleeue, that he is our Father, and that we are his children, and further, his heires, euen heires annexed with Christ in his kingdome of glorie, Rom. 8. verse 16. 17.
The Turke seekes not God aright, for that he seekes him in Mahumet: the Iew seekes not God aright, for that he seekes him in a Messias which is yet to come: the Popeling seekes not aright, for that he seekes him in moe Mediatours then one; the Hereticke destroying either the natures of Christ, or offices of Christ, seekes not God aright; the carnall Gospeller and worldling seekes not God aright; for although he professe Christ in word, yet in his workes he denieth him, and the power of his Gospel, as kQuaest. ex. Matth. qu. 11.Augustine pithily, the difference betweene an Hereticke and a bad Catholicke, is briefly this; the one is an Hereticke in his faith, and the other is an Hereticke in his manners. Lord shew vsus the light of thy countenance, that is, indue vsus with true knowledge of thy word, and with a li…ely faith in thy Sonne, which is thine owne Image, that so wee may seeke thy strength, and see thy face euermore.
It is euident by the first of the Chronicles. 16. Chap. That Dauid was authour of this Hymne, and that it was indited for Asaph, to be sung when the Lordes Arke was placed in the mids of the Tabernacle, that Dauid had pitched for it, and therefore lK…mchi. apud Genebrard. Bucer▪ Caluin. Moller…. Piscator. Wilcox. Engl. glosse.most expositours interpret here; Gods face to be Gods Arke, by which hee declared his powe… and presence, fauour and goodnes toward his people. So we read 2▪ Chron 6. 41. Psal. 63. 3. Psal. 78. 61. Psal. 132. 1. Arise O Lord into thy resting place, th… and the Arke of thy strength. The like is sayd of Gods holy Temple▪ that it was his house. Esay 56. 7. His amiable dwelling place. Psal. 84. 1 Yea the very chamber of his presence. Psal. 95. 2. Let vsus come before his presence, with thankesgiuing; And mHierome in loc.they who worshipped in the Courts of the Lord, are sayd to stand and appeare before him, as Deut. 16. 16. Three times in the yeere, shall all the males appeare before the Lord thy God, and Ex…. 23. 15. None shall appeare before me empty.
The meaning then of Dauid is plaine, that the seed of Abraham, & the children of Iacob, should giuegive thankes vntounto the Lord, and call vponupon his Name, tell his wonderous workes, make songs of him, and prayse him, and seeke his strength in that holy place, which himselfe hath appoynted; euen where his Arke rested, and resided, As nAgellius in loc.if hee should hauehave sayd, goe not to Baal-Zebub; the God of Ekron, goe not to the calfe in Samaria, seeke not to Bethel, enter not into Gilgal, goe not to Beer-sheba, but seeke the Lord, and ye shall liue, seeke him while hee may bee found, and where he may be found, run not a whoring after your owne inuentions, doe not serue him according to your owne voluntary religion, and priuat spirit, but let his holy word be a lanterne to your feete, and a guide to your pathes, euermore seeke him, and his strength, in his Tabernacle, where he sheweth his fauour and face, to Abraham his seruant, to Iacob his chosen.
The ceremonies of Moses, in their beginning, were Mortales, as being to continue but for a time; when once Christ appeared in the fulnesse of time; they were Mortu…, being only shadowes, (as S. Paul speakes) of good things to come; but now since the sound of Christes holy Gospel is gone throughout all the earth, euen vntounto the ends of the world, they be mortiferae, not only dead, but also deadly; so buried and abolished, that they must neuer be raysed vp againe in the Church of God. Legalia, saith oVti. Iohn de Combis Comp. Theolog. lib. 6. cap. 8. …Augustine, ante passionem Christi viua, statim pòst mortua, hodie sepulta. Christ is the end of the Law, not only of the morall, in fulfilling all righteousnesse, or of the Iudicial in satisfying Gods Iustice for vsus, but of the ceremoniall also, giuing himselfe for vsus, to be both an offering, and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to God, of which, all the legall offerings, and sacrifices were types and figures.
Here then is a question asked, seeing we hauehave neither such an Arke, nor such a Tabernacle, nor such a Temple, as the Iewes had vnderunder the Law, where shall we now seeke the strength of the Lord, and his face? Answere is made, that albeit, the houre is come, foretold by Christ, vntounto the woman of Samaria, that the seed of Abraham, according to the Spirit, doe not adore God at Hierusalem, or vponupon his Holy mountaine, yet they worship him in his Church, of which Hierusalem was a type; the which is called expresly Gods house, wherein his Honour delights to dwell, and in the pMoller…. T…leman. in locministration of his blessed word, and Sacraments, hee sheweth vsus the light of his countenance more clearely, then vnderunder the ceremonies of Moses, for in our prayers we confidently speake vntounto him, and in the word preached, and read, hee plainly speaketh vntounto vsus; in both, If we seeke, we may see his face; frequent then his house, when it is the houre of prayer, frequent then his house when it is the houre of preaching, take heed that yee doe not neglect so great saluation, hee that reiecteth these things, reiects not man, but God: I beseech you, suffer the wordes of exhortation and doctrine, despise no… Prophecying, despise not I say the riches of his bountifulnesse, and patience; reuerence his blessed ordinances, abhorre not his heauenly Manna; quench not his spirit; turne not, O turne not his graces into contention, and wantonnesse; lest he hide his face from vsus in his sore displeasure, remoouing his golden Candlesticks from our Church, and giuing his Gospell vntounto some other people, who will bring foorth better fruits of the same.
The Papists hauehave gods of lead, and gods of bread, but the faces of these gods, as our Prophet telleth vsus, in the 115. Psalm, hauehave mouthes and speake not, eyes and see not, noses and smell not, neither speake they through their throat they that make them, are like vntounto them, and so are all such as put their trust in them.
Images, as they teach, are the Laymens Gospel, & a wodden block is to them, instead of the written booke; they see their makers face, better in a pulpit, then out of the pulpit; Beloued, be not deceiued, God is not mocked, If yee seeke his strength, and his face, goe to his Law, and his Testimony; yee may behold a liuely Crucifix in the Scripture; for what is the Center of the whole Bibles … …, but onelyonly this one poynt; Christ▪ …. Ye may behold in each Sacrament, a liuely Crucifix; for the blessed Communion is a commemoration of Christs death vntill his comming. 1. Cor. 11. 26. And sacred baptisme saith qPart 3 qu. 60. art. 3.Aquinus, is a Commemoration of Christs Passion which is past; a Demonstration of his grace which is present, and a Prognostication of his glory, which is to come; Yee may likewise behold a liuely Crucifix in the Churches Liturgie, framed according to the tenour of Gods owne Spirit, forasmuch as our prayers contemplate God the Father in his Sonne; begun in his Name, bounded vponupon his nature, concluded with his Merits, as our onelyonly Mediatour, and Aduocate.
When the parents of Christ had lost him at the feast of the Passeouer, and sought him in many places, in fine, they found him at Hierusalem, in the Temple: So when your soule longeth after God, and is athirst for his presence; Come to the Church, and sav with our Prophet, Psal. 27. 9. Thy face Lord will I seeke; It is reported of Cain: Gen. 4. 16. That he went out from the presence, or from the face of Iehoua, As Gods face signifieth his all seeing prouidence, none can flie from it. Ieremie 23. 24 Can any hide himselfe in secret places, that I who …ill heauen and earth, shall not see him, saith the Lord: The meaning of that text then, is happily that Cain went out from the place of Gods word, and publique worship; For Adam his father being a Prophet (as it is probable) had taught his children how to sacrifice, and serue the Lord: On the contrary, to come before God, in 1. Chron. 16. 29. is explained Psal. 96. 8. To be comming into his courts, and worshipping in his Sanctuary, When our backs are turned toward the Temple, no wonder, if God turne his face from vsus, and absent himselfe in displeasure. But if wee serue the Lord, with gladnesse, and enter into his gates with thankesgiuing, If our songs are of him▪ and our hearts reioyce in his holy Name, when we remember the marueilous workes that hee hath done his wonders; & the iudgments of his mouth, when one day spent in his Courts, is accounted better then a thousand in the tents of vngodlines, when wee search earnestly for him in the Scriptures, and in the publique Ministry thereof; his ordinary power to saluation, and the strength of his arme; Then as it is sayd in our text, wee seeke him, and his forces, and his fauour, and his face euermore.
There is a fift exposition of these words, and that is of S. Augustine, and of Franciscus Arias, in his tract Depraesentia Dei. cap 2. Who by Gods face, vnderstand Gods presence; So the Scripture by the face of the wind, and by the face of frost, and fire, meaneth as you know, the presence of these things, as in Psalme. 68. Like as waxe melteth, ante faciem ignis, before the fires face; So let the vngodly perish at the presence of God, So Hagar is sayd to flee from the face of her mistresse Sara. Gen. 16. 8 So Pharaoh to Moses, Exod. 10. 28. Get thee from mee; Looke thou see my face no more. So Adam is sayd to hide himselfe from Gods face▪ Gen. 3. 8. and Satan, Iob 1. 12. Egressus est à facie Domini, that is, he departed from Gods presence: to seeke then euermore Gods face, is nothing else, but seriously to consider and contemplate, that he is alwayes present with vsus in eueryevery thought, word, and deed.
rCo… de vtilitate exhostebus caeptenda.Plutarch aduiseth vsus so circumspectly, to demeane our selues, as if …r enemies alwayes beheld vsus, sEpist. 11.Seneca counselleth vsus to liue so well, as if Cato, Laelius or some reuerend Person of great wisdome and account, ouerlooked vsus; tApud Ausonium refertur inter dicta Sap…entum, Eras…o interprete.Thalis Milesius, in the cōmitting of any sin, wished vsus when we are alone, to be afraid of our selues, and of our owne conscience, which is in stead of a thousand witnesses; te sine teste time, saith Ausonius, S. Paul exhorteth women, to cary themselues in Gods house reuerently, because of the Angels, as being assured that the glorious Angels in heauen, obserue their behauiour.
But our text teacheth vsus, yet a better way then all these, which is to seeke Gods face▪ to remember that God searcheth vsus out, knowing our downe-sitting and our vprising, and that he standeth about our paths, and about our beds, and spieth out all our wayes, A pious exercise, highly commended in the Scriptures, and in the Fathers, and by the practise of holy men in all ages.
The Scriptures in reporting that Enoch and Noe, walked with God, intimate, that those holy Patriarchs had set God alwayes before them and that they liued so religiously, uCalui… in Gen 5. 22.tanquam sub eius oculis, as vnderunder his obseruing, and all-seeing eye, they walked, as St. Luke recordeth of Zacharias, and Elizabeth, in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord, without reproofe, they considered the wayes of God, and turned their feete vntounto his Testimonies; as our Prophet speaks of himselfe, Psal. 119. 59. They did endeauour and set their hearts to hauehave, not only good credit before men, but al… with S. Paul, to keepe a cleare conscience before God; In this sense, God sayd to Father Abraham, walke before mee. Gen. 17. 1. And Abraham againe, concerning God, the Lord before whom I walke, Gen. 24. 40. So the Prophet Elias and Eliseus speake, The Lord God, in whose sight … stand.
The text inioyning vsus always to pray, poynts at this duty, that wee should seeke Gods face continually, for our desires and thoughts are the voyces and wordes, by which our soule speakes; If then at any time wee lift our hearts vntounto the Lord, wee may be sayd, and that truely, to pray, which occasioned Diuines to terme prayer, an humble familiarity with God; He that will alwayes conuerse with God, must alwayes either reade the Scripture, saith xApud Taffi…. tract of the markes of Gods children. cap. 12.Augustine, or else pray, for as often as we read his word, he talketh with vsus, and as often as we pray, we talke with him.
When our Prophet sings in 123. Psalme; VntoUnto thee lift I vp mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heauens; He doth vnderstand, not eyes of his flesh only, but eyes of his faith also, seeing him which is inuisible. Heb▪ 11. 27.
But the spirit, by the mouth of Solomon, as yet speakes more plainly, Prou. 3. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge God, and he shall direct thy goings, in omnibus vijs cogita Deum, as the vulgar latine runnes, in eueryevery thing thou takest in hand, thinke on God, or as our translation, hauehave respect vntounto him, as Tobie to his sonne, Set God alwayes before thine eyes, yHugo Card. in Pro. 3. 6.behold him as a Iudge, and so shame to sinne before the Iudges eye; behold him as thy great reward, and so faint not in doing good; Behold him as authour and finisher of thy faith, and so runne with patience, the race which is set before thee; Behold him as the Donor of eueryevery good and perfit gift, and so confesse that he worketh all thy works for thee, by whose grace thou art whatsoeuer thou art.
zMeditat. cap. 1.S. Augustine, beginneth his heauenly meditations in this stile, Domine Deus meus, da cordi meo te desiderare, desiderando quaerere, quaerendo, inuenire, inueniendo amare, amando mala mea red…mpta non iterare; O Lord giuegive me grace, from the very bottom of mine heart, to desire thee, in desiring to seeke thee, in seeking to find thee, in finding to louelove thee, in louing, vtterly to loath my former wickednes: And in his soules soliloquies or priuat talke with God, he prayeth in like manner, O Lord who knowest me, giuegive me grace to know thee, O my comforter shew me thy selfe, let mee see thee which art the light of mine eyes, mirth of my spirit, ioy of my heart, life of my soule.
It is a good Motto, thinke and thanke God, there is no moment of time, wherein God cares not for vsus, and therefore saith a Bernard, no moment of time, wherein we should not seeke him, especially, when we come to his house, to call vponupon his Holy Name, for how pray…s hee to God, who prates in his heart to the world, bMeditat. cap. 6.intende (quoth the same Father,) … qui intendit tibi; Christ promised to be with vsus in our deuotions, euen in the middest of vsus, Mat. 18. 20. but as cSer. de eo vbi duo aut tres.Eusebius Emisenus obserueth; how shall God bee in the mids of thee, if thou be not in the mids of thy selfe; If the aduocate sleepe, how shall the Iudge awake? No maruaile if thou loose thy sute, when as in praying, thou loosest thy selfe.
dIdem Caluin Bucer. Agellius Genebrard.Hilary writing vponupon the words of the Psalmist, (all my wayes are before thee,) notes, that the Prophet making his course before Gods eye, to whom all hearts are open, and no secrets hid, walked not in the counsell of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, his feete did not goe downe to death, and his steps take hold of hell, but his whole pilgrimage was a seeking of the Lord, and as (S. Paul phraseth it) he did so runne, that he did obteyne.
Seneca, though he were not a Doctour in Diuinity, yet he wrote in his 10 Epistle. lib. 1. Diuine-like to this purpose; Sic viue cum hominibus quast deus videat, sic loquere cum Deo, quasi homines audiant; So conuerse with men, as if God did euer see thee; so conferre with God▪ as if men did euer heare thee: and in eEpist. 41. lib. 1.another Epistle, God is neere to thee, with thee, within thee; so it is, Lucilius, that a sacred spirit resideth in vsus, as a custos, and obseruer of all that we doe, whether it be good or bad, A sweet speech, according to Godsowne heart, for as fIn 1. Cor 12S. Ambrose doth auow, whosoeuer speakes a thing which is true, speaketh it from the spirit of trueth.
Not to trouble you with any further discourse, the consideration of this one poynt, that God is omni-present, conteineth in it all gFran. Arias de praesentia Dei. cap. 1.other rules, for the well ordering of whole life, so that if any be deiected in his mind, for that he cannot remember the good lessons, hee dayly reades in bookes, and heares in Sermons, let him be con tented againe, because this one prescript comprehends omnia media et remedia, all meanes and medicines for the curing of his sicke soule; but because hDr. …all art of diuine meditation. cap. 8.Gershon a great clearke, professeth hee hath sometimes beene foure houres together, in working his heart, ere hee could frame it to he Diuine meditation of God; I purpose to treate first of the meanes, how to get it, and then of the fruites arising from it.
For the first, eueryevery good gift is from aboue, comming downe from the Father of lights, and prayer is like the fiery chariot of Elia, where by we mount vp▪ and conuerse with God on high▪ It is the iChurch h…m concerning prayer.key of Paradise gates, and the hand of a Christian, able to reach from earth to heauen, and to take foorth vnsearchable riches ou… of the Lords treasure; the Scripture saith as much in plaine termes, aske and yee shall hauehave, seeke and yee shall find, knocke and it shall be opened vntounto you, what soeuer ye shall aske the Father in my Name, he will giuegive it you. Feruent prayer then vntounto which almighty God denyes nothing,) is a maine meanes of this holy deuotion, and pious exercise.
Another way to seeke Gods face continually, is to hauehave some remarkeable sentences, concerning this argument, written in the roomes wee most vse, for example, that of Solomon, Prou. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord in eueryevery place, behold the euill and the good; Or that of Dauid, I hauehave set God alwayes before me; Or that of Paul, Heb. 4. 13. All things are naked and open to his eyes, with whom wee hauehave to doe; Or that of kEpist. 111.Augustine, God is all eye, Totus oculus qui, minime fallitur, quià minime clauditur, saith lLib 5 de consideratione.Bernard, Or that of mLib. 1 de constant. c. …7.Lipsius, eum nulla vis humana elidet, aut acumen eludet.
God commanded in the 15 of Numb. 38. and Deut, 22. 12. That his people throughout their generations, should make them fringes vponupon the borders of their garments, and put vponupon the fringes of the borders, a ribband of blew silke, that when they looked vponupon them at any time; they might remember all the commandements of the Lord, and doe them: He did inioyne likewise, to bind the wordes of his Law for a memoriall vponupon their hands, and as fron…lets betweene their eyes; And these nHierom in Matth. 23. 5scrolles of paitch…ents, wherein the commandements were written, are termed by the oAinsworth in Exod. 13. 16.Hebrew Doctor Tephillim, prayermonuments, and by Christ, Mat. 23. 5. foreign, (as Interpreters coniecture) pBeza …aior ann…r in Mat. 23 5. see … Dictionarie verb. Phylacter…esquasi conseruatoria; because they kept and preserued men in awfull obedience to the law, and howsoeuer the Pharisees abused these things vntounto superstition, and vaine-glory; yet God assuredly will be well pleased, if we shall vse sincerely the like monuments, and figures for the like good purposes and ends, especially to put vsus in mind of his holy presence.
A third profitable meane, to seeke Gods face continually, is a particular examination of our selues, at our vprising, and downe-sitting; and if wee find, that wee hauehave walked all the day long in Gods sight, to make songs of him, and prayse him for his strength, and grace; If otherwise, to be sory for this omission, and hereafter to bee more studious of this good worke.
The last and best helpe to further this deuotion is, our vnfeined louelove of God, for as qEpist. 89.S. Augustine sayd, animus, velut pondere, amore fertur quocun que fertur, ibi est vbi amat, non vbi animat; A man is where he loues, not where he liues, as rHom. de Maria Magd.Origene writes of Mary Magdalene visiting Christs Sepulchre, ibi non erat vbi erat, quià tota ibi erat vbi magister erat. So beloued it is with vsus, al our mind is where our pleasure is, and our heart is where our treasure is. Matth. 6. 21. If then we louelove God aboue all things, our hearts will likewise reioyce in his holy Name, more then in all things; If wee remember the marueilous workes that hee hath done, his wonders, and the iudgement of his mouth, what do we but seeke his strength, and his face euermore.
The fruites rising from this holy deuotion, are manifold; The first, is purenesse of heart, which is such an excellent vertue, that Solomon saith He that loueth purenesse of heart, the King shall be his friend, That is, the King of glory, the King of heauen and earth, the King of kings is a louer of him; Now that purenesse is attayned by this exercise, as Dauid telleth vsus in the 10. Psalme, reporting the wayes of the wicked man, to bee most impure, because God is not in all his thoughts, and the fathers of our law, put these words into the enditement of a malefactour, that in committing his foule fact, he had not God before his eyes; When Christ entred into my soule, saith sSer. 74 super Cant.Bernard, hee mooued and mollified, and wounded mine hard and stony heart, he did roote out and destroy, throw downe, build and plant, he did enlighten that which was darke, water that which was dry, coole that which was too hot, and inflame that which was too cold; He did exalt valleys, and depresse mountains, the crooked wayes he made straight, and the rough places plaine, and so saith he with our Prophet. Psalme 103. My soule did prayse the Lord, and all that is within mee prayse his holy Name.
We find in Ecclesiasticall history, that tAntonin hist. part. 2. cap. 1….Paphnutius conuerted Thais, and that uF… Aria…, lib de praesentia Dei. cap. 3.Ephram conuerted another famous strumpet from vncleannesse, onelyonly with this argument, that almighty God seeth all thinges in the darke, when all doores are fast, all windowes shut, all curtaines close.
And as this exercise causeth vsus to repent sin which is past, so likewise to preuent sinne which is to come, for if once we can contemplate God as present, we shall instantly consider him as our Father, and so honour him▪ or as our Lord, and so feare him; and he that doeth either of these, will flee sinne as a serpent, as for example, Ioseph assaulted by his mistrisle to lie with her, answered, How can I doe this great wickednesse, and so sinne against God; Susanna tempted by the libidi…ous Elders, to the like folly, gaue the like answere, sighing and saying, I am in danger on eueryevery side, For if I doe this thing, it is death vntounto me, and if I do it not, I cannot escape your han… ▪ it is better for mee to fall into your hands, and not to doe it, then to sinne in the sight of the Lord; A learned xDr Whie before A… ▪ Wh…tgift.doctour in …ur time, (questioned for a non conformitant, and entreated by the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, most meekly to subscribe in his priuat study, saying, that none were present there, but only God and themselues, and faithfully promising, that hee would keepe his counsell) answered stoutly, that if his Grace could bring him into some roome, where God was not present; hee would willingly fulfill his desire, but sayth he, so long as God seeth, I little regard who seeth not; I report not in dis honour of subscription vntounto the decent, and commendable ceremonies inioyned by lawfull authority, for this Doctour by seeking Gods face, found in co…clusion his owne errour, and so reforming himselfe do henioye great preser ment, in our Church at this day.
yPalladius vt… refe…t Ar… as vb… supra. cap. 4.Diocles the monke, among other instructions which he gaue to Palladius, when he came to visite him, vttered this …pothegme, that a good man, if he neglect to see Gods face, becomes either a beast or a deuill; a beast, in hunting after carnall sinnes, a deuill, by rushing into spirituall wickednesse▪ A valiant souldier fighting in his generals eye, carrieth himselfe against all his enemies vndauntedly, for that he knows he shalbe worthily rewarded eafter victory; how much more then ought eueryevery Christian, in the spiritual warfare, beholding (as S. Stephen did) his Captaine Iesus standing at the right hand of God, couragiously sight against the world, the flesh, and the …ill; as being assured that after his good, fight is finished, a crowne of righteousnesse is layd vp for him, and a most excellent and eternall weight of glory.
Christ pronounceth in the 5 of S. Matthew, blessednesse, not only to the pure in heart, but also to the poore in spirit, to those that mourne, to the meeke, to the mercifull, to such as hunger and thirst af…er righteousnesse, to peace-makers, to Martyrs enduring persecution in a iust cause; all which blessednesses arise from this one roote, the contemplation of Gods holy presence; by this the faithfull are made humble; Lord, saith Abraham vntounto God, I am dust and ashes; and Paul, as clay in the hand of the potter: By this the faithfull are mooued to shed teares, both of denotion and contrition, vnderstanding that all their righteousnesse is as filthy cloutes▪ and that if God should enter into iudgement with them, in his sight, no man liuing shall be iust fied, Psal. 143. 2. By this the faithfull are meeke, as hauing their copie still in their eye; Learne of mee, for I am meeke and lowly in heart: By this, the faithfull are mercifull, imitating, as children, their father in heauen, which is mercifull; By this the faithfull hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, for the more they seeke Gods face, the more they see; and the more they see, the more they desire to see; By this the faithfull are peace-makers, as hauing peace with God, and in God, peace with men, and by both a peace with themselues; By this the faithfull are more constant and couragious…, in suffering persecution for righteousnesse sake, because they beleeue that the Lord is their strength; and that he is a rewarder of those that seeke him. Heb. 11. 6.
To seeke Gods face then, is our greatest happines, & vtterly to neglect this duty, the greatest vnhappines and folly? it is our chiefe felicity; so God to Moses, as concerning his people, My presence shall goe with thee, and I will giuegive thee rest: and Dauid vntounto God, I will behold thy presence, in righteousnesse, and when I awake, after thy likenesse I shall be satisfied with it.
To despise this holy denotion, is extreame folly, for the feare of God, is the beginning of wisedome; and they that doe thereafter, hauehave a good vnderstanding; But such as hauehave not God in their thoughts, and so runne head-long into grieuo…s sinnes▪ in the language of Canaan, are fooles and m…d men; so foolishas the witlesse Ostrich, which as Iob reports in Cap 39. of his booke, leaueth his egges in the earth▪ and makes them h… in the dust, and forgetteth that the foo…e might scarter them, or that the wild beast might breake the …; and as Plinie further addeth, hee thrusteth his necke into the stumpe of a hollow tree, and so woodcocke-like, when he sees no body, thinks no body sees him; vnwise people, when will ye vnderstand he that planted the eare, shall not hee heare, or he that made the eye, shall not he see? Whither then will ye goe from his spirit, and whither can yee flee from his presence; If yee climbe vp into heauen, he is there; If ye descend downe into hell, he is there also; If ye say peraduenture the darkenesse shall couer vsus, instantly the night shall be turned into day; yea the darkenesse is no darkenes with him, but the night is as cleare as the day, the darknes and light, to him are both alike; The most impious, cannot but walke with him in respect of his omni-presence, filling heauen and earth, and searching out their wordes and actions, and the secret corners of their hearts, in affectu habent abscondere, saith zSer 21. in psal 118.Ambrose, non in effectu; Well may they before men play least in sight, but before God, none dwell at aSp…inx. Theologic…. Philos. cap. 2.Hide: etiam solus est praesens, his qui longe sunt ab ipso; God is nigh vntounto those, which are furthest off from him, albeit their hearts seeke not his face, yet his face seekes their hearts euermore. Thinke on this all yee that forget God, and tremble to consider what extreame madnes it is in the committing of a filthie sinne, to shunne the sight of a seely man, a wight, a worme, to shunne I say the dull eyes of a sonne, of a seruant, of a little child, yet not to feare the face of God our Father in heauen, our Master, our Maker, our Iudge, which is able to destroy both our soules and bodies in hell …ire.
Thus I hauehave shewed at large, what is to bee sought, and in part also vponupon the by, how to bee sought, one poynt only remaineth vntouched▪ and that is, in what measure; to wit, how much and how long, the seede of Abraham ought to seek… Gods face.
Touching the first, Esay telleth vsus in a word, si quaeritis quaerite; If yee seeke the Lord, seeke him in deed, bLorin in loceanrestly, seriously, sedulously; Dauid insinuateth as much in repeating here the word seeke, thrise, seeke the Lord, seeke his strength, seeke his face, quià, saith Hugo Cardinalis, Dominus quaerendus est sicut et diligendus; As God is to bee loued; so to be sought with all our heart, and with all our soule, and with all our mind, that is, saith cDr Christian lib 1 cap. 22.Augustine, with all our vnderstanding, neuer thinking of him erroniously; with all our will, neuer contradicting him obstinatly; with all our memory, neuer forgetting him obliuiously.
Againe, whereas our Prophet saith in the clause going before our text immediatly, let the heart of them reioyce, that seeke the Lord, He doth dLorin. in loc.intimate that God is to be sought not dully, but fully, not heauily, but ioyfully; For as God loueth a cheerfull giuer, so likewise a cherefull thankesgiuer, one that serues him with gladnesse, and comes before his presence with a song; It is a seely thing for a Priest, or people, to dissemble with God, and to become Hermaphrodites, in the businesse of religion; A seely thing to halt betweene God and Baal; A seely thing to receiue the wages of the Gospell, and to doe the worke of Antichrist; A seely thing to looke vp to Hierusalem, and to goe downe to Iericho, to gaine preferment in the Church of England, and yet vnderunder hand craftily to repaire the tottering walles of Babylon, the Lord knoweth who are his, and he knowes those which hauehave but a s…cret marke of the beast, as well as wee know those which openly worship a wodden blocke▪ magnifie the masse, make new sauiours; yea for king killers a new heauen, and for such as please not their confessours well, a purgatorie, which is a new hell; and so withall that is within them, and all that is without them exalt the man of sinne, aboue all that is called God.
Beloued, if ye desire to seeke the Lord happily, seeke him heartily, and that eRasil scol. in loc.not only once or twice, during the sun-shine of prosperity, or in the time of trouble, in the fHugo. Card. in loc.houre of death, in the day of Iudgment only; But as our Prophet exhor…, euermore, When a man hath done his best, he … … againe, saith Ecclesiasticus, he that … he hath sought enough, is like to find b… …, saith gSer. 9. de Nat D…m.Leo the great, so Bernard, qui dixit suff…t, d ficit. h… … de W…lcox. in loc.continually to seeke, is constantly … seeke, neuer to f…int, in doing this duty.
Happily some will obiect, if the Lord bee found of such a… seeke him faithfully, what need is there to seeke any more? Are christians in this respect like to the foolish gossips? of whom St. Paul, euer learning, and yet neuer able to come to the knowledge of the trueth; or like carnall Israel, who following the law of righteousnesse, could not attaine to the law of righteousnesse. Rom. 9. 31. Answere is made iIn loc id… Bellara…n.by Augustine, that wee seeke Gods face by faith, and they seeke it more by hope, kAug de Trin lib 15. cap 22.Melior fit quaerens tam magnum …m, quod et inueniendum quaeritur, et quaerendum inuenitur, nam et quaeratur vt inueniatur dulcius et inuenitur vt quaeritur auidius. He doth alwayes better himselfe, who seekes so great good, which is to bee sought, that it may be found, and found that it may be sought, sought that it may be found with greater delight, and found that it may bee sought with greater desire; Now we behold Gods face by faith and hope, through a glasse darkely; but we shall hereafter see him as S. Paul speakes, euen face to face, and then as wee shall euer louelove him, so doubtlesse, euer seeke him, and as the want of the beautifull vision in the iudgement of Diuines is the hell of hell, so the fruition of Gods face, contrarily▪ the heauen of heauen.
The Father of mercy bee mercifull vntounto vsus, and blesse vsus, and shew vsus the light of his countenance, that wee may grow, from strength to strength, and goe from grace, to grace, from seeking him in this earthly tabernacle, to seeing him vponupon his holy mountaine Hierusalem aboue, where with him, and of him, and through him, and for him, we shall hauehave fulnes of ioyes, and incomparable pleasures for euermore.
Amen.