A35535:1738
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the book of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus near the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ...An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the booke of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus neare the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by M. Simmons, 1661
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And he shall see his face with joy.
When once God is favourable to a poor sinner, then he shall be used or dealt with like a favourite. Great Favourites stand in the presence of Princes, and frequently see their faces. Whomsoever ⟨p. 430⟩any man favours he freely admits to his presence, and takes delight in his company. Thus Elihu speaks of Gods Favourite, He shall see his face with joy.
There is a twofold interpretation of these words tending both to the same spiritual sense.
There is a twofold interpretation of these words tending both to the same spirituall sence.
1First, Some by the Antecedent He, understand God himself, and by his face the face of the humbled sick man; and so the sense of this assertion, he shall see his face with joy, is plainly, this. God will look cheerfully and smilingly upon the face of this poor suppliant; God will look upon him, as we do upon friends whom we favour and have much respect for. Friends may see content and joy shining in or stamped upon our faces, when we look them in the face. The content which we take in seeing the face of another is visible in the smiles and joys of our own faces. As when we look sourly, angrily, sorrowfully, sullenly upon a man, when darkness is seen in our faces, and clouds gather in our brows, ready to dissolve into a storm, this speaks we bear him no good will, or rather that we bear him much displeasure. So when we look pleasantly upon a man, doth it not say, that we are highly pleased with him? To be sure, when God is at peace with a repenting sinner, he no longer frowns upon him, nor turns his face from him as an enemy, but entertains and welcomes him as a friend; which is directly opposite to Jobs apprehension of God at the 10th verse of this Chapter, Behold he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy. This is a sweet soul-reviving and ravishing truth. God beholds the face of his people with joy, he beholds them smilingly, cheerfully, delightfully. David calls it The light of Gods countenance (