2. Again, it is exercised in the use of the Ordinances, as the Word and Prayer. God will be sought in his own Ordinances. Christ walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks. If you would find a man, mind there is his walk and usual resort. When Christ was lost, his Parents sought him in the Temple, there they found him. If you would find Christ, look to the shepherds tents in the assemblies of his people, Cant. 1. 7, 8. there shall you meet him. Only let me tell you, in these Ordinances it is not enough to make Christ the object of them, to worship Christ, but he must be made the end of them. To serve God is one thing, to seek him another. To serve God is to make him the object of Worship, to seek God is to make him the end of Worship. When we will not go away from him without him, Gen. 32. 16. I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. It is not enough to make use of Ordinances, but we must see if we can find God there. There are many that hover about the Palace, that yet do not speak with the Prince: so possibly we may hover about Ordinances, and not meet with God there. To go away with the husk and shell of an Ordinance, and neglect the kernel, to please our selves because we have been in the Courts of God, though we have not met with the living God, that's very sad. A Traveller and Merchant differ, thus: a Traveller goes from place to place only that he may see; but a Merchant goes from Port to Port that he may take in his lading, and grow rich by Traffic. So a formal person goes from Ordinance to Ordinance, and is satisfied with the work; a godly man looks to take in his lading that he may go away from God with God; that he may meet God here, and there, in this duty and in that, and go away from God with God. A man that makes a visit only by constraint, and not by friendship, it is all one to him whether the person be at home or no; but another would be glad to find his friend there: so, if we from a principle of love come to God in these duties, our desires will be to find the living God. Again, if God be not found in an Ordinance, yet we must continue seeking, you may find him in the next. Sometimes God will not be found in public, that he may be found in private Ordinances. The Spouse sought him upon her bed, then in every street of the city. Isa. 55. 6. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
2. Again, it is exercised in the use of the Ordinances, as the Word and Prayer. God will be sought in his own Ordinances. Christ walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks. If you would find a man, mind there is his walk and usual resort. When Christ was lost, his Parents sought him in the Temple, there they found him. If you would find Christ, look to the shepherds tents in the assemblies of his people, Cant. 1. 7, 8. there shall you meet him. Only let me tell you, in these Ordinances it is not enough to make Christ the object of them, to worship Christ, but he must be made the end of them. To serve God is one thing, to seek him another. To serve God is to make him the object of Worship, to seek God is to make him the end of Worship. When we will not go away from him without him, Gen. 32. 16. I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. It is not enough to make use of Ordinances, but we must see if we can find God there. There are many that hover about the Palace, that yet do not speak with the Prince: so possibly we may hover about Ordinances, and not meet with God there. To go away with the husk and shell of an Ordinance, and neglect the kernel, to please our selves because we have been in the Courts of God, though we have not met with the living God, that's very sad. A Traveller and Merchant differ, thus: a Traveller goes from place to place only that he may see; but a Merchant goes from Port to Port that he may take in his lading, and grow rich by Traffick. So a formal person goes from Ordinance to Ordinance, and is satisfied with the work; a godly man looks to take in his lading that he may go away from God with God; that he may meet God here, and there, in this duty and in that, and go away from God with God. A man that makes a visit only by constraint, and not by friendship, it is all one to him whether the person be at home or no; but another would be glad to find his friend there: so, if we from a principle of love come to God in these duties, our desires will be to find the living God. Again, if God be not found in an Ordinance, yet we must continue seeking, you may find him in the next. Sometimes God will not be found in publick, that he may be found in private Ordinances. The Spouse sought him upon her bed, then in every street of the city. Isa. 55. 6. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
