A Fathers Testament, Chapter 10
CAP. X.
We shall certainly find, when we rightly seek.
IF worldly and carnal men so zealously affect, and hotly pursue their earthly objects; the ambitious straining for honour, till they crack their estates, and brains in reaching after it, and yet are often over-reached, and lose their prize; the covetous (as horses) drawing iniquity with Cart…ropes of vanity, defrauding, oppressing, piercing their souls with many sorrows, yet often put all their gains into a bag with holes, (Hag. 1.6.) or at the least in their end are stript, and turned out naked; voluptuous persons hunt after pleasures, till they run themselves off their leggs, and are brought to a morsel of bread, and yet commonly either lose their game, or (as that Huntsman) are eaten up by their doggs; how cheerfully should a Christian …un his course in seeking that immortal honour of being a Son, and Heir to the King of Kings, those durable riches, treasures laid …p in Heaven, those incorruptible pleasures, which are at Gods right hand, and press hard toward the …rk for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ, which following he shall surely obtain, and having obtained shall never lose.
Never did our gracious Lord command his poor creatures, Seek ye the Lord in vain, Isa. 49.15. he hath past his word that in seeking him we shall certainly find, and i… finding him shall be ever blessed. His word is his deed, what he speaks is done, what he commands stands fast, Psal. 33.9. Be assured therefore if thou seek him, …e will be found of thee, 1 Chron. 28.9. 2 Chron. 15.… Matth. 7.7. If you seek for honour, glory, immortality, you shall find eternal life, Rom. 2…7. Thus hath he frequently promised, and all his promises are Ye…, and Amen in Christ, 2 Cor. 1.20. Iudah sought …im and found him, 2 Chron. 15.15. Even Hypocrites find him, and some favour with him, when they seek, even as much, and as far as they seek… A…abs temporal humiliation obtained an answerable mercy, 1 King. 21.29. As long a… Vzziah sought God, so long he prospered… … Chron. 26.5. It is an infallible dispensation of his Providence (in general) to give every man what he seeks. He that seeketh good, shall have favour; and …e that seeketh mischie…, it shall come unto him, Prov. 11.27.
It cannot be otherwise. For 1. … …st sui di…usivum; Good i… o… a spreading nature. It cannot but com…unicate it self proportionably to the power which it hath, and to the object which i… finds. He is good, and doth good, Psal. 119.68. He is infinitely good, and therefore infinitely communicates himself, as well to the …, by generation, as to the Holy Ghost, by procession; ye… finitely (as they are capable) to all his Creatures, as well in their Creation, making them very good, (Gen. 1.31.) as in his providence, and dispensation; his open hand fills them with good, Psal. 104.28. and man being created after his own image, and after his …all capable of the divine nature, he offers and imparts it to them who takes his offer, 2 Pet. 1.4.
Secondly, He is Love, (1 Iohn 4…16.) gracious, (Exod. 34.6.) loving before, above, contrary to our deserving…. Thi… love our Saviour thinks best to express in the relation of a Father, (Luk. 11.11, 12, 13…) so loving, that he waits to be gracious unto us, (Isa. 30.18.) that he is found of those that seek him not, and makes himself manife… to those that ask not after him, (Rom. 10.20.) so unexpressably, and unconceivably loving, that when he had bestowed all his Creatures upon us, he yet satisfied not his love, till he had given (a gift fully proportionable to his incomprehensible love) the Son of his love, his only begotten, that we being destroyed by our selves, (Hos. 13.9.) migh… through him never perish; being dead in our selves might have eternal life in him, (Ioh. 3.16.) being enemies in our nature might be reconciled in him, Rom. 5.10.
Thirdly, He is the Truth, Joh. 14.6. How frequently hath he promised, that if we seek we shall find (as before) and faithful is he that promiseth, who will also do it, 1 Thes. 5.24. Thus Mercy, and Truth meet together, Psal. 85.10. And to this purpose are they met, fully to assure us of success in seeking, Deut. 4.25. to the 32. And observe that when for their rebellion the Lord had scattered his revolting people among the Heathen, and given them up to their whorish hearts, to serve wood, and stone, yet even from thence when they shall seek the Lord, they shall find him. And what is the reason that after such bitter provocations he will be found of them in their deepest misery? 1. His mercy: for the Lord thy God is a merciful God, he will not destroy thee. 2. His truth, and faithfulness; (nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers which he swore unto them, ver. 31.) How then should any poor soul that seeks with lo…ging miss in finding. Thou lovest him; he more (infinitely) loveth thee: Thou seekest him, he first seeketh thee. Thou wouldst find him, he will surely find thee: thou desirest to meet him, doth not he promise to meet thee? (Isa. 64.5.) nay thou goest to meet him, but he runneth to meet thee, Luk. 15.18, 20.
But that cunning, and lying Serpent, and our own unbelieving hearts will put in a barr, and lay a notable stumbling block in our way concerning this truth. They will object, It is not only apparent that many have not found the Lord, who yet have earnestly sought, but the Lord himself plainly testifies, that many shall seek, and not find, Luk. 13.24. They shall go with their heards, and with their flocks to seek the Lord, and shall not find him, Hos. 5.…. but we must know that as in other actions, so in this, that which is not right, indeed is not. It may seem to be, but is not what it seems: A lip-love is indeed no love (1 Ioh. 3.17, 18.) A dead faith, no faith: so that seeking which is not right, is indeed no seeking.
What then is that right seeking, to which God hath annexed this promise of finding? Three things are necessarily required in seeking to make it right, and prosperous. 1. That the place, Where. 2. That the time, when. 3. That the manner, how, be all right. He that seeks Grapes of Thorns, or Figgs of Thistles, neither finds what he seeks, no… indeed seeks to find: for he seeks in a wrong place. He that seeks Grapes of the Vine, and Figgs of the Figg-tree, but out of season (in Winter) seeks not in due time, and finds nothing but his own folly. He that observes time, and place, but neglects the right manner of seeking, is still out of the way of finding. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and ha…h nothing, (Prov. 13.4.) He will not Plow by reason of cold, therefore shall he begg in Harvest, and have nothing, Prov. 20.4… If a man go with his Cart into the Field, (a place of Corn) and in Harvest (the time of Corn) but never Ploughed, sowed, &c. he may load all his Harvest in an empty Wayn, and return with an empty belly.
Where then must we seek? Not in our selves; not in our Righteousness, or works; we are meer Thorns, and Bryars, Ezek. 2.6. The blessed fruit of the true Vine grows not in our cursed nature. Nothing there but sowre, and wilde grapes, Isa. 5.4. Erring Israel following after the Law of Righteousness, attained not unto the Law of Righteousness, Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the Law, Rom. 9.31, 32. Only we find, and enjoy God in Christ, only in Christ he is appeased… 2 Cor. 5.19. only well-pleased in Christ, Mat. 3.17. In him we are accepted, Ephes. 1.6. By him we have access to God with confidence, Ephes. 3.12. One cannot possibly come to God as a Father but by him, Joh. 14.6. In him adopted, Ephes. 1.5. In him begotten to an incorruptible inheritance, 1 Pet. 1.3, 4. In him blessed with all spiritual blessings, Ephes. 1.3.
But where shall we seek Christ? who shall ascend into heaven, to bring down the fruit of Christs resurrection, and ascention for life unto us? who shall go down to the deep to fetch thence the death of the Lord Iesus, and apply the vertue of it to our souls? The Apostle answers: The word is nigh unto thee in thy mouth, and in thy heart. This is the Word of faith, which we Preach. For if thou confess with thy mouth, and believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, Rom. 10.6, 7, 8, 9. Christ therefore is offered thee in the Word, given by faith: the Word brings him to thee, thy faith receives him, holds him, leads him into the chamber of thy heart, and there he dwells with thee, Ephes. 3.17. As therefore only Christ brings thee into favour with God, so the Word brings Christ to thee, and faith grafts thee into Christ.
But although the Lord Iesus Christ with his own mouth, and his blessed Spirit have so frequently, and cleerly testified, that the Word Preached is the incorruptible seed, whereby we are born again to this incorruptible inheritance, (Luk. 8.11. 1 Pet. 1.23. Jam. 1.18.) and the food, (strong meat, and milk) whereby we are nourished, and grow up into our Head in this life of God; yet what in the World is more despised, and rejected? If you look to the judgement of some (professed, and in name) Christians, they account it (as those Greeks) foolishness, (1 Cor. 1.18, 23.) and therefore utterly despise it, Act. 13.41. They dare deride it even in the mouth of Christ himself, (Luk. 16.14.) how much more in the mouths of his poor messengers? If you look unto their wills, they are resolved against it, (Ier. 44.16.) will not hear, but reject it, (Ier. 8.9.) If to their affections, they hate it; hate the knowledge of it, (Prov. 1.22, 29.) hate him that brings it, (Amos 5.10.) yea even him that sends it, Ioh. 15.22, 23, 24. Indeed if they would enquire of Christ, and hearken unto him, teaching us where to find him, he would direct us: Go thy way forth by the foo…steps of the flock, and feed thy Goats by the Tents of the Shepherds, Cant. 1.8. But proud fond men know not (as that Eunuch, Act. 8.31.) the need of a Guide. Their …taff can better grope out their blind wayes, Hos. 4.12. They walk after their own devices, (Jer. 18.12.) and will have no other Counseller but their own mouth, Ier. 44.17.
Some again seek him at ease, on their beds, and so find him but in a dream, Cant. 3.1. some look for him in the broad wayes of a common profession as those Iews, Matth. 3.9. Joh. 8.33. They are children of Abraham, Circumcised, &c. so many Christians: They are born in the Church, Baptised, call Lord, Lord, &c. but how should they find the True way in the false, the narrow in the broad? There they shall hear him thundering as a Iudge: I never knew you, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, Matth. 7.14, 23. Know assuredly when the Spouse her self thus sought, she found him not. She sought him on her bed but found him not, sought him in the streets, and broad wayes, but found not: but when she enquired of the Watchmen, she soon found him, Cant. 3.1, 2, 3. Hear him …herefore in his word; Watch daily at his …ates, and wait on the posts of his doors, and he will make thee blessed, Prov. 8.34.
Secondly, what is the season, or right time …f seeking? Gods time, not ours. There is …n acceptable time, (2 Cor. 6.2.) a time when …od will be found, Isa. 55.6. The longest ex…nt reacheth no fur…her than the limits of this short life. After death instantly follows Judgement, Heb. 9.27. where the tree falls, it lies. 2. There is a time when the decree brings forth, Zeph. 2.2. which if we prevent not, we perish. As far as I can discern by the word, God limits a time, and after the Date is out, we are shut out (Heb. 4.7. and specially, Luk. 13.25.) A time when the door stands open to give us entrance, a time when the door is shut, and we knock, beg… and plead hard, but all in vain. For though God never excluded a repentant, humbled, and softned heart, yet when men have despised his patience, forbearance, and offers of grace, God may justly, and doth frequently give men up to hardness, and leave them to their impenitency, to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath, Ezek. 24.13. Rom. 2.4, 5. 3. There is a set time; the Lords Day, or (as our Homilies call it) the Christian Sabbath. And for mine own judgement I am perswaded, that as a Sabbath is the bond, which holds the Church in the true Worship of God, so the neglect, and contempt of that Ordinance is the bane of true Religion, the root of all profaneness, and Atheism, and the great breach wherein Superstition, Errour, and Schism have overflown, and surrounded the Christian Churches; In this matter therefore consider, and ponder these few observations.
1. A Sabbath is nothing else but a day of rest, separated from the labours of our earthly, and consecrated to the labours of our Heavenly callings. This (I take it) is apparent, Exod. 20.10. where not only a cessation from our earthly vocations is required, but the sanctification (or keeping that day holy) is enjoined.
2. A Sabbath instantly after the Creation was instituted, blessed, and sanctified by God himself; and therefore (as far as I can discern) was born with the world, hath lived with it to this present, and shall never dye, but be changed into that eternal Sabbath; yea even our heavenly Father himself, thus far kept a Sabbath, that he rested that day from all his works which he made, (Gen. 2.2.) and propounds his practice as a kind of precept to his Children, Exod. 20.11.
3. By vertue of the Decalogue, (and that fourth commandment in it) a Sabbath is of moral obligation to the Iews, and bound them to a necessary, and religious observation of it.
4. A moral equity of the 4 Commandment is generally by all confessed, obliging all men to a sufficient, and convenient time for Gods Worship. Now that a Seventh-dayes duplicate page duplicate page Sabbath was (in the Iewish Church) this sufficient, and convenient time I conceive will not be denyed, neither can any (I think) yield any good reason, why a seventh day should be the equity of the Sabbath (a time sufficient, and convenient) then, and now inconvenient.
5. We no where find this statute of a seventh dayes Sabbath abrogated by the Law-giver, (who then can repeal it?) but only translated to the first day of the week: which that it is done, is apparent, but whether done by Christ himself in person, or (which is equivalent) by his Spirit in the Apostles, appears not. And therefore that Appellation of the Lords day used by the Spirit, (Apocal. 1.10.) is the fittest title which Christians can give it.
But of all other seasons the most special, and happy is that, when God draws neer, and even offers himself to be found, Isa. 55.6. when by his voice in his word he calls, Awake thou tha… sleepest, arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light, Ephes. 5.14. when he maketh us that gracious proffer, Turn ye at my reproof, behold I will poure out my Spirit unto you, Prov. 1.23. when (as that Angel deals with Peter, Act. 12.) he smites sleep out of our eyes, shakes us out of our drowsiness, and by corrections offers himself as a Father unto us, (Heb. 12.7.) and so by his quickning Spirit moves, and stirs our secure, and sluggish spirits. As when the waters in that pool were troubled, healing followed, (Ioh. 5.4.) so when the Messengers of God have by his word stirred, and troubled us, if then we instantly step in, and take hold of his grace, health, and salvation will certainly follow. But take great heed of delayes (see Psal. 119.60.) If it be inhumanity to say unto a neighbour, it is most impious to say unto God, Go, and come again to morrow, Prov. 3.28. Saints seek early: (Isa. 26.9.) and then the promises meet them. They that seek me early shall find me, Prov. 8.17.
Object. But some may seek early, and not find, Prov. 1.28. Answ. There is Gods day, and our day. The Lord himself riseth early, and calls, Jer. 7.25. Then if we stirr up our selves to seek, we shall find him, Psal. 63.1, 5. but if we let pass his day, and seek in our day, our early will prove too late. When he slew them, they sought him, and enquired early after God, Psal. 78.34. But then he had sworn in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest, Psal. 95.11. They lived long after, but never entred.
3. Lastly how, or after what manner must we seek? 1. As famisht persons, with hunger, and thirst. Ho every one that thirsteth, Come to the waters, and Isa. 55.1, 2. Thus we are constantly invited. Let him that is athirst come, Rev. 22.17. Thus accepted. I will give to him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely, Rev. 21.6. Now hunger, and thirst are those natural, and ordinate affections of the body, rising from a sense, and grief of want, whereby it vehemently, and constantly desires the food wherewith it is nourished, and grows. But as there is an inappetence, so is there also an inordinate desire of meats and drinks, rising from distemper; a disease; not hunger, but the hungry evil; not thirst, but dropsie-thirst, coveting excess, devouring rather than eating, and then vomiting, but never satisfied: Thus is it with our spirits: The true …unger therefore includes, 1. Emptiness. 2. Longing. 3. A constancy; that is an ordinate, and seasonable return of this desire, rising not from distemper, but emptiness, and such an emptiness as proceeds from the right use of this food, well digested into the inward man for growth. Some are full gorged with lusts, and so loath this honey comb, Prov. 27.7. some very empty, but not at all hungry, as those that are dead, or deadly sick. Those Laodiceans were poor, empty, naked, but not hungry, as dreaming that they were rich, and wanted nothing, Rev. 3.17. Some are full of longing, but nothing emp…y; as that Ruler (Mark 10.17, 22.) who had he been as empty of temporal living, as he was greedy of eternal life, would have willingly accepted that easie condition, to have bartered earthly for heavenly treasures.
When all these meet together in the heart, and make it hungry, they fail not to satisfie, and make us blessed, Matth. 5.6. But when they are severed, and single, they prevail nothing.
Secondly, We must seek with the whole heart, not divided, nor double: so if we seek, we shall surely find him, (Deut. 4.29.) And blessedness with, and in him, Psal. 119.2. But a divided heart is ever faulty, Hos. 10.2. and a double heart, (wavering betwixt God, and Mammon, Christ, and Lust) obtains nothing, Iam. 1.7, 8.
Thirdly, With a Washed heart, purged from the love, and dominion of sin: For as all Sacrifices (and even our prayers) are …oathsome, when they are presented with …nclean hearts (Prov. 21.27.) so when we are washed, the most deep-died sins cannot hinder our acceptance, Isa. 1.16, 17, 18. If we regard wickedness in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us, (Psal. 66.18.) but if we forsake our sin, we shall find mercy, Prov. 28.13.
Fourthly, when we have thus sought, we must wait upon God; The Lord is good to the… that wait for him; to the soul that seeketh, Lam. 3.25. The experience of Saints will ratifi… this truth. I waited patiently for the Lord… and he enclined unto me, and heard my cry, Psal. 40.1. Our blessed God hath long waited upon us to be gracious unto us, and to shew us mercy; and blessed are they that wait upon him to receive mercy, Isa… 30.18.
If then you seek your portion aright; if you seek God in Christ, Christ in his Word… if you seek him in due time, his time, hi… day, when he offers himself, and stirrs your hearts; if you delay not, but when God riseth early to call you, you wake early to meet him; if you seek with an hungry, intire, washed heart, patiently waiting upo… the posts of his doors, he will certainly ope… the door, let you in, give you life, an… make you blessed.
I will also finish this Chapter with a verse borrowed from divers of those Poetical Prophets.
Vast Ocean of light, whose rayes surround
The Universe, who know'st nor ebb, nor shore,
Who lend'st the Sun his sparkling drop, to store
With overflowing beams Heav'n, ayer, ground,
Whose depths beneath the Centre none can sound,
Whose heights 'bove heav'n, and thoughts so lo…ty soar
Whose breadth no feet, no lines, no chains, no eyes survey,
Whose length no thoughts can reach, no worlds can bound,
What cloud can mask thy face? where can thy ray
Find an Eclipse? what night can hide Eternal Day?
Our Seas (a drop of thine) with arms dispread
Through all the earth make drunk the thirsty plains;
Our Sun (a spark of thine) dark shadows drains,
Guilds all the world, paints earth, revives the dead;
Seas (through earth pipes distill'd) in Cisterns shed,
And power their liver springs in river veins.
The Sun peeps through jet clouds, and when his face,
Are maskt, his eyes their light through ayers spread, and gleams
Shall dullard earth bury life-giving streams?
Earths …oggs impound heav'ns light… hell quench heav'n kindling beams?
How miss I then? in bed I sought by night,
But found not him in rest, nor rest without him.
I sought in Towns, in broadest streets I sought him,
But found not him where all are lost: dull sight
Thou canst not see him in himself: his light
Is maskt in light: brightness his cloud about him.
Where, when, how he'l be found, there, then, thus seek thy love:
Thy Lamb in flocks, thy Food with appetite,
Thy Rest on re…ting dayes, thy Turtle Dove
See… on his cross: there, then, thus Love stands nail'd with love.
For surely know that Eternal life, even