Balm from Gilead, Sermon 8
3. August. 6. day.
COme wee now to the third duty, And seeke my face; in which we hauehave an action, seeke, and its obiect, my face.
Prayer is a kinde of seeking, J sought the Lord, and hee heard mee, Psalm. 34. This duty is more generall, and it enfoldeth the exercise of all graces in all Gods meanes and ordinances, disposing to the attainment of the fauour of God.
Our propositions are as before, from the action; When as the Lord sendeth the pestilence amongst his people, hee calleth vponupon them to seeke him. Secondly, Doct. That seeking the Lord is a meanes to the curing of the land: and then from the act and obiect ioyned: It is the Lords face that is to bee sought vntounto. Of the two former together as before, and then of the third proposition.
1 Reason 1 It is the precept and commandement of God, that we seeke vntounto him. Thus when as the Prophet took vp a lamentation against the house of Israel, Amos 5.1. in the fourth, &c. thus saith the Lord vntounto the house of Israel, seeke ye me: and after, seeke the Lord.
And in Zephanie, when as the Prophet had threatned great desolation, Chap. 1. in the second he calleth, Seeke yee the Lord all yee meeke of the earth. And in this place hee requireth, as humbling our selues, and prayer, so seeking.
2 As the Lord commandeth it, Reason 2 hee expecteth it. Dauid therefore bringeth in the Lord, looking downe from heauen amongst the children of men, to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke after God.
He doth so when he calleth by his word, he doth so when he calleth by his workes, of iustice, or merciemercy, and therefore we must seeke.
3 Because the neglect of it, Reason 3 is that which openeth vsus vntounto Gods iudgements. Thus when as hee had called the people to seeke the Lord, in Amos. Amos 5.6.He addeth: Lesse he breake out like fire, in the house of Ioseph, and deuoure it, & there be no man to quench it in Bethel. That will follow, if the Lord be not sought. Thus when he hath threatned to consume all things of the land; Zeph. 1.2.3he will consume man and beast: he particularly instanceth in those that hauehave not sought the Lord, Ver. 6 nor enquired after him. And thus must it needes be, where the Lord sendeth the pestilence, vnlesse he be sought vntounto, and therefore.
4 Besides, Reason 4 seeking is that which hath the promise, particularly of healing the land of the plague in this place: Math. 7.7.Generally of all things, seeke and you shall finde. Of all good, the Lord is good vntounto the soule that seeketh Lam. 3.25.him. Of deliuerance in any day of wrath: Zeph. 2.3.It may bee yee shall bee hid in the day of the Lords wrath Now the Lord being Iehouah that saith it, one that giueth a Being to all his promises, hee will in the particular: hee will from the generall promises answer in this particular. Isa. 45.19.He said not vntounto the house of Iacob, seeke mee in vaine.
5 Adde yet, Reason 5 the Lord sought vntounto, hath doue it. When as Dauid sought the Lord, as wee hauehave heard, the plague ceased Dauid sought the Lord, and bee heard him, Psal. 34.and deliuered him out of all his feares: hee being the same GOD, vnchangeable, God ouer all, and rich vntounto all that seeke him, will now doe it.
6 Last of all, it is a meanes, because it directeth a man vntounto the fountaine of all good, vntounto the onelyonly Sauiour: him that saueth man and beast, and hath an excellent name for it throughout the world: hee it is that is offended; his is this messenger, our arrest is at his sute; he said vntounto it goe, Ezec 9.and smite, and slay: whither shall a man seeke for pittie and merciemercy, but vntounto him. He cureth all diseases, and so this, and therefore it is reasonable, that we seeke, and seeke vntounto him.
1 This serueth for our iust reproofe, Vse 1 as before in other duties; for as much as we hauehave not by seeking answered Gods call, or vsed his meanes: therefore doth it make such steps, and cutteth vsus off three thousand in a weeke: what wonder is it that a sick man groweth worse, that seeketh not vntounto the Physitian: that sicknesse of our Land and Citie encreaseth, when as wee doe not so much as seeke vntounto the Lord.
This amongst other is a great blot vntounto our seeking this day, because I hauehave called, &c. they shall seeke me diligently, but they shall not be able to finde me, Pro. 1. It is what God saith and doth this day, as wee all see.
2 If seeking bee that which is required, Vse 2 then are wee to looke that we doe it, and that in Gods manner, and to that end examine our selues: as I said of prayer, I must say of seeking, it is not eueryevery seeking that hath the promise, there must be many ingredients: in the Text before it is said, Pro. 1.that some in affliction shall seeke the Lord diligently, and yet shall not finde him The Prophet speaketh of some, that goe with their heards to seeke the Lord, who shall not finde him, the Lord hath withdrawne himselfe from them, Hos. 5.6. Therefore it is requisite, that wee looke into the word of God, and thence learne the kinde and manner of seeking of the Lord.
1 If we will seeke the Lord, all things that may hinder our seeking or finding, must be put away: a man hath neede of no clogges; worldly affaires lawfull so farre as they are, hinderers must bee put a part: the speciall impediment is sinne: seeking the face of God, and turning from our euill wayes, are coupled in this Text, and must not be put asunder. When the Prophet had said, they seeking should not finde, and that the Lord had withdrawne himselfe: the reason is. They hauehave dealt treacherously with the Lord, Hos. 5. The Lord in Esay saith of some: They seeke mee daily, and delight to know my wayes; as a nation that did righteousnesse, and forsooke not the ordinance of their God, they aske of me the ordinance of iustice, they take delight in approaching to God. Isa. 58.2.A fewe of vsus goe farther then these, many neuer so farre: We seeke not daily, neither is there in vsus that seeming delight: and yet Ver. 3. these crie out and complaine, we hauehave fasted, and thou seest not, we hauehave afflicted our soules, and thou takest no knowledge. Whats the reason? Ver. 1. The Lord calleth vponupon the Prophet to crie aloud, to lift vp his voyce like a Trumpet: shew my people their transgressions, and the house of Iacob their sinnes: as yet they liued in their sinnes: and therefore after, is this such a Fast as I hauehave chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soule? is it to bow downe his head as a bullrush, and spread sackcloth and ashes vnderunder him; wilt thou call that a fast and acceptable day vntounto the Lord? Thats to no ende, there must bee a loosing of the bonds of sinne, &c. these without that are hated and despised of the Lord, Jsai 1.11. Amos 5.21. Therefore Saint Iames when he had called on vsus to draw neere vntounto God, and promised, that God will draw neere vntounto vsus, addeth as a disposition and complement to bee brought with vsus in drawing neere, Cleanse your hands you sinners, and your hearts you double minded: Sinne therefore must be put away, all sins, especially, those that cause the plague, and hide Gods gracious face from vsus: Prouoke the Lord wee may by sin so seeking him, we cannot looke for curing the Land.
As impediments must bee put away, so wee must hauehave all gracious qualities and maners required …i Faith in Christ. He must beleeue that the Lord is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him. That Faith will carry a man through fire and water, through bryers and thornes. As the men of Tyre and Sidon made Blastus their friend vntounto Herod angred, so may we by faith, make Iesus Christ our friend vntounto the Lord, interpose him who is our Peace, in whom God is well pleased.
Add hereunto holinesse and righteousnesse: whence it is that the meek of the earth, which hauehave wrought Gods iudgements, are called vponupon to seeke the Lord in the like case. Zeph. 2.3. Indeed as the Lord will hauehave vsus, to cease from euill, so to doe the contrary good, which is compleate repentance, and so to come and reckon, Isay 1.16. The Fast that the Lord requiteth is, As to loose the bonds of wickednesse, so to deale bread, to feede the hungry, to couer the naked, &c. Then thou shalt call, and the Lord shall answer, thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. Isay 58.9.
And this extendeth it self to all gracious contrary actions and their degrees. Such as hauehave sought the Lord being meeke, & hauehave wrought his iudgements, must still seeke meeknesse and righteousnesse, and so hauehave the promise.
Besides, we must seeke by prayer as before, and with humilitie, of which also before: our speciall respect must be vntounto the Heart. Set your heart and your soule to seeke the Lord. 1 Chro. 22.19. Deut. 4.29.I thou shalt seeke him with all thine heart and all thy soule.
Add yet hunger and thirst; as a man doth digge for siluer and gold, as Salomon: and yet with patience, for the patient neuer seeketh the Lord in vaine.
We must seeke him in all his Ordinances, the Word, Sacraments, Prayer, the assemblies of the Saints, Where two or three are gathered together, I am there in the middest: he walketh in the middest of the seuen candlestickes.
Finally, wee are to respect the time. Seeke the Lord whilst he may be found. We must take the opportunitie, whilest he may be found, whilst we hauehave time. And it must be all that time, all that while, there is not any time to bee idle: and therefore the precept is, seeke his face euermore.
These are generall requisites belonging to all; there are besides these speciall ones, which men in place must look vntounto, as Magistrats, as Ministers, &c. There is an excellent example of Asa, who gathered all Iudah and Beniamin together, and entred into a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their Fathers, with all their heart, 2. Chr. 15.11.and with all their soule, which they bound themselues to by oath. It is lawfull to purpose and sweare that wee will keepe Gods Commandements. Magistrates and Supreame heads are to seeke the Lord, putting away what is a cause, doing the contrary. Sinne may bee the cause, personall sinne: as Dauids numbring the people: as Saul slaughter of the Gibeonites. For the former, the Lord sent the plague; for the latter, the famine, and that after Sauls death. Those must bee put away; as personall sinnes, so, the sinnes of inferiour Magistrates, great wicked ones Zimries, Cosbies notorious in any kinde, publique offenders: these sinnes remaining, cause publique plagues, and hinder publique blessings: the Magistrate is vindex vtrius{que} tabula. And thats not all hee is to looke for amendment, and that by backing Gods lawes, and execution of iudgement. So Asa by law: When Amos called, seeke the Lord, and promised life, and liue. He addeth, but seeke not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and passe not vntounto Beersheba, a place in Iudah, whereinto the ten Tribes turned now and then to idolatrie; Gilgal shall surely goe into captiuity, and Bet hel shall come to nought: what Gods law commandeth or forbiddeht, mans must.
As by making lawes, so their life, execution: to this end the Lord must bee sought, by finding out offenders, as the Lord aduiseth Ioshuah, wrastling with God, and arguing the case in prayer: Ios. 7.6, 7, 8, 9.Israel hath sinned, saith the Lord, therefore they could not stand before their enemies, &c. neither will I bee with you any more, except yee destroy, the accursed from amongst you. All the Tribes must passe, the families, the households and the man Achan, the troubler of Israel must bee found out, and troubled, and stoned with stones, according to the law of the Land and Church. Prayer and Joshuahs strong arguments preuailed not with God, vntill iudgement was executed. This is a part of Scripture, and it is written of the instruction of such as Josuah was: and vntill the Lord be thus sought, the plague shall encrease, and Israel flie before the men Aie. The promise is, if there be found in Hierusalem the man that executeth iudgement, the Lord will pardon it, Ier. 5.1. When Dauid deliuered the seauen sonnes of the bloudy house of Saul to the Gibeonites, and they were hanged vp before the Lord, the famine ceased. When iudgement was executed vponupon Zimri and Cosbie by Phineas, the plague ceased.
As Magistrates, so Ministers in common duties, and such as belong vntounto his office; hee must bee the mouth of the people to God in prayer, and crie, Spare vsus good Lord: he is to giuegive the Lord no rest; he is to see sinnes, to confesse sinnes, his owne sinnes, and the sinnes of the people, hee is to weepe for these sinnes, as in publique, so in secret.
He must be the mouth of God to the people in preaching: God hath made a Minister a Watchman, hee must see sinnes and plagues; plagues to come in present sinnes, and sinnes present in iudgements executed: Thus is hee in his place to discouer what in him lyeth, Achan, not by pointing out his person, but pricking his conscience, and when as in seeking wee doe not preuaile, hee must to it againe, and neuer leaue vntill hee hath found out Achan: thats not all, but hee must stone him with Gods iudgements: O wicked man, thou shalt surely dye; When as they fasting sought the Lord, and sound him not, the Prophet hath a precept still, to crie aloud, to tell them of their sinnes, and so of their plagues.
The complaint of the Lord was; The Pastors are become brutish, and hauehave not sought the Lord; and their iudgement followeth: Ier. 10.21.therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flockes shall be scattered. In a word, what is enioyned Magistrate and Minister, is enioyned eueryevery Master of a family, who is both in his place, according to which, hee must seeke the Lord.
Wee are this day againe in an ordinance of God, seeking Gods face: seeking is his ordinance; it hath a promise: and we may expect to finde him, if we doe it in his manner: and that we may know the successe, examine whether we hauehave, or now doe seeke the Lord in this manner or no.
HaueHave wee laboured to finde the plague-sore in our hearts, our sins; and hauehave wee endeuoured the casting away of that, being that which hindreth: hauehave we by faith in Iesus Christ, made him our friend, interposed him betweene GOD and vsus? Doe wee seeke him in holinesse and righteousnesse, with humble prayer, with mouthes and hearts: and is it our purpose patiently to perseuere in all his ordinances? Doe Magistrates, and Ministers, and Masters of families in their seuerall places?
As many as can answer I, may conclude, they seeke; they hauehave the promise, and may expect to finde the Lord: that the Lord will bee with our Nauie, that hee will forgiue our sinnes, and heale our Land: though wee hauehave not the measure of the Sanctuarie, whats required, so our hearts are set to seeke the Lord; our good Lord will be mercifull, let patience hauehave it perfect worke, goe on.
But if it bee otherwise, that wee are come to seeke the Lord, in our sinnes, with our plague sores in our bosomes, and liues: Doe wee seeke without faith and repentance, in its particular branches, not in the duties required, of Magistrates, and Ministers, and Masters of families? Be it knowne vntounto eueryevery such particular, that this is not the seeking of the Lord: thou mayest seeke thus long enough, and neuer finde, the plague will incease and knocke at thy very gates: thou must humble thy selfe for this seeking, and not leaue vntill thou doest it in the Lords manner. What a motiue may this bee vntounto you brethren (not to meddle with others not within the compasse of our congregation) euen the whole rabble, Sabboth-breakers, whose practise it is, and hath beene, time out of minde, to buy, and sell…, and ride on that day: sweares, who hauehave pox, and plague, and wounds, and bloud in your mouthes, vsurers, drunkards, tiplers, mockers, scoffers, &c. who are free from righteousnesse, and the sworne seruant of sinne: I say, what a motiue may this bee vntounto thee at length, euen now to repent; without this thou canst not so much as seeke the face of the Lord.
There is not one of vsus here, but would bee glad of the prosperity of our Nauie: hee hath not grace shall I say? no not English bloud, that doth not wish it: wee would bee loath (if the Lord shall nor giuegive it successe) that the fault should bee in any one of vsus: prosperity is from the Lord; for this, will the Lord bee sought vntounto, he must be sought vntounto in the mentioned manner. God, and thy King, and thy Country call vponupon thee this day for thine helpe. If thou seekest not, thou commest not forth to helpe the Lord against the mighty: thou art vnderunder the curse: Curse yee Meroch, curse yee the in habitants thereof bitterly, because they came not forth. If thou seeke in thy sinnes, and not in Gods manner, it is all one, as if thou diddest not: the Nauie may sinke for all thee: thou art no good patriot; let this moue thee to repent and amend.
Sure I am, you would be all glad to heare of the Lords hand in the pestilence stayed: thou wouldest not hauehave it in the Land or Citie, not in thy Parish, much lesse in thy family or on thy person, thou wouldest doe what in thee lyeth to procure that freedome: the meanes of the Lord is seeking, and that in his manner, casting away thy sinnes, thou must amend: as thou doest expect that blessing, deliuerance, and to be freed of that euill, seeke: put away the euill of thy doings, and amend thy life; the sentence of the Lord otherwise is peremptory, thou shalt seeke him diligently, and hee will not be found.
Dauid maketh the question, who will liue long and see good dayes: were it made in this congregation, eueryevery one would be ready to say I, I, the way that hee prescribeth, is eschew euill and doe good. The same question is by the Lord in earnest in this fearefull time, published in this congregation: Who is the man that will now liue and escape the plague? VntoUnto eueryevery soule that answereth I, it is shewed, that he must bee a seeker of the Lord: this day behold life and death set before thee: seeke the Lord, and thou shalt liue. If thou seeke him not, thou hast no promise of life; death, by the plague, according to the word, lyeth at thy dore: Follow the lust of thine owne heart, and the pleasure of thine owne eyes, be filthy still, and yet feare lesse the feete of them that caried away thy neighbour, bee as it were in a readinesse to carie thee also.
Finally, Vse vlt. let it serue for exhortation vntounto vsus all, to get this power, and to vse it to the vttermost; in Gods manner, and neuer leaue, vntill wee hauehave found the Lord; as yet wee hauehave not sought the Lord. Many amongst vsus are insensible, as stocks and stones no way moued with this iudgement; though now one, and then another neighbour bee taken away, though a thousand fall on our right hand, and ten thousand on our left; amongst vsus there are many secure, peace and safety is their crie, and they goe on, adding drunkennesse vntounto their thirst. The curse of God is palpable vponupon many, they sweare, and drink drunk notwithstanding.
Many, I, the most amongst vsus seeke not, they hauehave not that power, they know not the Lord, who is the Almighty, as those in Iob? they doe not beleeue him to bee what his workes declare him, they mocke at Gods iudgements: as those sonnes in law of Lot. Naturall men are dead men, without life or liuely motion, without a minde, a will, affections, a mouth, or any congruous action, to the seeking of the Lord. Seeking is a priuiledge of Gods people, of those that shall ascend into Gods hill, Psal. 24.3.4.6.and stand in his holy place, the men that hauehave cleane hands, and pure hearts; this is the generation of them that seeke thy face, O God of Iacob, they are the men, that set their hearts to seeke the Lord God of J srael. 2 Chr. 11.16Sawest thon him whom my soule loueth, saith the seeking Spouse. This seeking implieth that louelove. Desire as new borne babes, the sincere milke of the word of God, &c. If you hauehave tasted how gracious the Lord is, that desire implieth and supposeth this taste. If he be risen with Christ, seeke those things that are aboue at the right hand of God; seeking, supposeth resurrection with Christ, which supposeth faith: so many (God bee mercifull to) are dead without life, louelove taste of the grace of the Lord, not set into Christs death, buriall, or resurrection; and therefore doe not, I, cannot seeke.
Of those that doe seeke, the most doe it in hypocrisie: they are forced and constrained by somewhat outward, the law of man, example, Gods iudgement, then they crie as Pharaoh, send for Moyses, and Aron and pray the Lord that hee will take away this plague; I will let Israel goe. As iron in the furnace, or fire, they are pliable, as a dogge that is sicke, they vomite vp sinne, as a Sow washed they appeare cleane; as a bowle thrown with a strong arme, they goe forth right: whilst Gods hand is vponupon them or theirs, they howle vponupon their beds, they crie Lord, Lord, they seeke diligently: when once that hand is ouer, Pharaohs heart is as hard as before, Israel shall not goe; the iron is as hard as euer, the dogges stomacke is good to his vomite, and Sow will wallow in the mire; the bowle will to it olde byas, men are the same, as bad as euer, a fewe seeke, a fewe can expect to finde. What euer others be, or doe, let vsus doe it: though we neuer did before, let vsus now learne, and begin. Consider his call; his expectation and looking downe from heauen, to see if we answer, his seeking, as a good Sheepheard in his ordinances (they not working) in and by his iudgements. Let the fearefull destruction wrought, and desolation threatned, in Citties, Streetes, Parishes, and houses, moue vsus. Let the consideration of our proposition, that seeking is a meanes, preuaile with vsus. Let vsus consider the example of Gods Ministers that are faithfull, and humbled, seeking Saints, with the opportunity of this publique Fast, of this day of life, it may be wee may neuer hauehave the like againe. How many thousands are weekely cut off from the land of the liuing, resting from their labours, cannot seeke: theres none of this worke in the graue. Consider that if wee seeke him not, his fauour, his wrath will finde vsus. Let his power and louelove worke; let him not bee enforced to stay vsus, to enforce vsus to seeke him, as he was Israel, Psal. 78.54. It is not good prouoking the Lord, neither will it be profitable for vsus. Consider if wee seeke him in his manner, wee shall finde him: the swifter we are to seeke him, the slower will hee be in iudgement to find vsus. When Aaron ranne at the commaund of Moyses, to make an attonement, the plague ceased. When Iacob met furious Esau, and bowed vntounto him, his bowels did yearne vponupon Iacob. O that wee had bin so wise, when as the plague first came into the Cittie, or our land, when as God, (as Esau) came forth to meet vsus: that with Aaron wee did yet runne: wee hauehave not sought the Lord, and therefore it is that his hand is stretched out still. Were wee swift to seeke the Lord, he would be flow to wrath, and his bowels would yearne. The Lord calleth on vsus in his word, in his worke, by authority, and hath giuen some of vsus purposes and bent of heart, a power in a measure, and it deede, and it is encreased, since wee hauehave set our hearts to seeke him: in these things wee hauehave beene found of him, when we sought him not: Surely the desire, I, all these are from the Lord: had hee a purpose vtterly to destroy vsus, he would neuer hauehave ordered things in this manner; his manner is, to prepare our heart, and so to cause his eare to heare: as many of vsus as finde it, let it encourage vsus to seeke him still, and bee vntounto vsus a pledge, that a time shall come we shall surely finde his face, which is our next Proposition.