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THe words are not so to be under stood, as if God at any time did totally leave and forsake his people; for so God never departeth from his, whom he once loved in Christ: How∣beit in times of affliction and distresse, the Lord seemeth to them thus to do:
as the Sun may be sometimes under a cloud. yet will appear again; so though the cloud of our fins may hide the face of God from us for a time; yet, he will pierce through them, and shin•• upon us at last. But now whilst the Lord thus withdrawes himselfe from his people, it is a most bitter time unto them, they can have no rest nor peace, till the Lord returne again, and be ap∣peased towards them.
Hence we may farther observe, [Doct. 3] that so long as the Lord is departed from us and turneth his angry countenance towards us, there can be no peace, * 1.1 no comfort to a poor sinner, but extream sorrow, griefe, and perplexity of spi∣rit.
We may see this in those sad com∣plaints of Gods people, that have felt his frowns & angry countenance upon them for their sins: how heavy & intol lerable the sense of his displeasure hath bin, we may see it in that sad complaint of David, * 1.2 O Lord rebuke me not in thy anger, neither chasten me in thy sore displeasure; my Soul is sore vexed, but Lord, how long? David could have no
rest, nor peace in his soul, so long as he lay under Gods displeasure. And thus prayes the Church, O Lord correct me, but with Judgment, * 1.3 not in thy anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Yea, the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe, in the sense of Gods anger and displeasure, cries out, * 1.4 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? What are a mans wife, children, gold, silver lands, li∣vings, or all the world, when the soul shall combat with Gods wrath, A wounded spirit who can bear? * 1.5
The poor soul, scorched with the heat of Gods anger and displeasure for sin, nothing can comfort it, but the Lords returning again in love and fa∣vour. * 1.6 Lord (saith David) lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more then in the time that their corn and their wine encreased; the whole world is not to be compared to it. David having sinned, and by his sins having eclipsed this favourable coun∣tenance of God towards him: O how earnest is he in begging his gracious presence again towards him: * 1.7 1. He
prayes, that God would turn away his angry countenance from him: 2. That he would restore him again to the joy of his salvation. 3. That he would not take away his Spirit from him.
But, [Quest.] why doth the Lord deal thus with his own children? [Reas.] No doubt the Lord doth it in much love towards them, that hereby they might feel the bitternesse of sin, and his anger and displeasure for the same, that they might learn to prize his favour and lo∣ving countenance towards them at a higher rate, then before they had done, and to make them hereafter to walk more humbly and more holily with God. God makes his people to hear first the terrible thunder upon Mount Sinai, and then the joyfull voice and shouting upon Mount Si∣on.
Seeing that so long as God is dis∣pleased with us, we can have no peace, [Use 1] joy, or comfort, till he return again, and be reconciled towards us: How should this move us to seek reconcili∣ation at his hand; that we never give
our soul any rest till we be at peace with him. And because we can never be reconciled to God, as long as we live in sin, and delight in sin, with a pur∣pose to continue therein. Let us take heed we deceive not our own souls, to think that we can ever be reconciled to God and take pleasure in sin.
It had been to no purpose for Moses to intreat the Lord to return to them, if they had still lived in their sins, and rebellions against God. And therefore if we desire the Lord to return again unto us, and to be a reconciled God unto us, then we are to return again to the Lord by true repentance, else there is no hope, that ever the Lord wil re∣turn unto us, * 1.8 Turn unto me and I will turn unto you saith the Lord. And this favour and loving countenance of God, David accompts more dear unto him then the life it self. * 1.9 Thy loving countenance is better then life it self. It was a great favour to Absalom, con∣sidering his offence, that heemight have his life for a prey, and be permit∣ted to live in Jerusalem. * 1.10 But all this was nothing unlesse hee might see the Kings face.
Alas, what are all the comforts the world can afford us, unlesse we can enjoy Gods countenance and favour, and that he look cheerfully upon us in the face of Christ; this gives more joy of heart, * 1.11 then worldlings have in their corn, and wine and oile. * 1.12 Let him kisse me (saith the Church) with the kisses of his mouth, for his love is better thē wine.
Seeing there can be no joy nor com∣fort without Reconciliation to God; [Use 2] here we see what to esteem of the joy of wicked men, it is but a carnall joy, meer madnesse, as if a poor condem∣ned wretch should go laughing to the gallowes, such are in continuall dan∣ger of Hell and damnation, yet, are not sensible of their danger. I said (saith Solemon) of laughter, thou art mad. There is no madnesse like unto this, to live under Gods high displea∣sure, and yet to be secure. Belshazzar drinks and quaffes when the hand∣writing was upon the wall; * 1.13 the end of such mirth will be bitternesse at last. O then let us never give any rest unto our souls, till we are reconciled to God, till we have truly repented of
our sins, and be in with God again.
Hitherto of the petition and request they put up unto God, and pray for, viz. Reconciliation again with God.
Now followes the reasons that they use to move the Lord to take pitty on them, [Part. 2] and to be favourable unto them.
The first reason or motive they use, is taken from the long continuance of their miseries and afflictions, How long? q. d. O Lord, thou hast justly bin displea∣sed with us this many years for our sins and rebellions against thee, so as we have lived foure hundred years in great bondage in Egypt, and now a∣gain we are grievously afflicted in the Wildernesse, where we have been al∣most utterly wasted and consumed. O Lord, how long wilt thou be angry with us? O Lord, make an end of this our great, tedious, and long affliction, and shew us thy favour and loving countenance again, and be thou a gra∣cious
God unto us, as unto our fore∣fathers of old. The words are an ab∣rupt interrogation, how long? When through the great perturbation of their spirits, their speech is short, cut off, as it were in the midst, as if they were not clearly able to utter their minde, through the greatnesse of their griefe.
From this example of Moses and the people of God here, we learn. [Doct. 4] * 1.14 That it is an excellent argument to move the Lord to pitty and compassion, to put him in minde of the long continuance of his hand upon us in affliction. For here we have Moses and the people of God, as it were, fainting and longing after Gods mercy, and crying out How long Lord? how long wilt thou be angry with thy people, and defer to helpus? Thus David in long and te∣dious afflictions, even with tears cries out to God, How long wilt thou for∣get me, O Lord, for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? how long shall I take counfell in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart. He ma∣keth the continuance of his misery an argument to move the Lord to pitty.
And again, * 1.15 How long wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousie burn like fire? * 1.16 And, How long wilt thou hide thy face for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire? How long, Lord, wilt thou not have mercy upon Jerusa∣lem, * 1.17 and on the Cities of Judah, against whom thou hast had indignation these three score yeers and ten?
Thus Job complaines to God, * 1.18 Thou wilt not let me alone till I swallow my spittle. * 1.19 It was a Daughter of Abra∣ham that was bowed by Sathan eigh∣teen years, and another that was trou∣bled with a bloody issue twelve years: and for eight and thirty years toge∣ther did that lame man lye at the pool of Bethesda, * 1.20 expecting help.
Thus God hath exercised his chil∣dren with long and lasting sorrowes, all which his people have pleaded to God to move him to hear, and to take pitty upon them.
Which serves to inform us, [Use 1] what use we are to make of our sufferings; that if the Lord do at any time hum∣ble us by long and tedious afflictions, either inward in minde, or outward in
body, as by sicknesse, griefe, misery, &c. we may even cry unto God as Moses here, and say, Lord, how long wilt thou defer to hear and help us? But, let us take heed of this evill, whereunto our hearts are most prone in times, of affliction, that we do not murmur, repine, and grudge against the Lords dealing; for this, Moses, nor this people do not, they do not com∣plain of any hard dealing of God to∣wards them: But, being pressed with the sense of Gods anger and displea∣sure against them for their sins, do move the Lord to take pitty upon them, in regard of their long and te∣dious afflictions, they had so long a time groaned under. And thus in the like case we may in our prayers and complaints to God, lay open our miseries, and plead our long continu∣ance in them.
Secondly, [Use 2] seeing Moses and the people of God here do labour to move the Lord to pitty and compassion, from the consideration of their long continuance in their miseries. We may take notice how prone we are, when
God hides himself from us for a short time, (which he may justly do when wee sin against him) albeit it be but for a short time, yet it seems unto us long.
A gracious heart cannot be long without Communion with God. * 1.21 My Soul thirsteth after thee (saith Da∣vid) as the thirsty Land. None know the worth of God, but the gratious Soul. What were all the World with∣out the Sun? and what were a believing Soul without God? Such as have tast∣ed and seen how sweet the Lord is, hun∣ger, and thirst more and more to be filled with his presence. As Moses, the more familiar he grew with God, the more he desired to see of God: & when the Lord is provoked to withdraw himself at any time from his people, which somtimes the Lord doth, being justly provoked by the sins of his peo∣ple This brings horror and terrour to to the Soul: Thou didst turn away thy thy face (saith David) and I was sore troubled. And again,
Hide not thy face from me, * 1.22 else I shal be like to themthat go down into the
pit. * 1.23 Thy loving kindness (saith David) is better then life it self. He accompts himself a dead man if God be not re∣conciled to him in Christ. What life, what comfort, what joy, in a mans Soul, unlesse God vouchsafe his grati∣ous and comfortable presence there.
Whilst God seemes to be angry, there can be no peace.
Ps 6.1, 2.
Ier. 10.24.
Mat. 27.
Es. 57.
Ps. 4.6.
Ps. 51.10, 11.12.
Zach. 1.3.
Ps. 63.3.
2 Sam. 14.32.
Psal. 4.6.
Cant.
Dan. 5.
To minde the Lord of the continu∣ance of our affli∣ction, a good mo∣tive to move him to pitty.
Ps. 79.5.
Ps. 89.46
Zach. 1.12.
Iob 7.19.
Luk. 13.8. Luke 8.43.
Ioh. 5.5.
Ps. 143.6.
Ps. 43.7.
Ps. 63.3.