Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness

A. 1. The expression doth intimate, that God may as to his gracious presence be absent from men, even gone from them, so as that they cannot find him, or obtain a gracious meeting with him. Indeed as to his essential presence he is always and every where to be found. We cannot look any where but God is there, Psal. 139.7. Whither ⟨p. 39⟩shall I flee from thy presence; If I ascend up into Heaven behold thou art there, if I make my bed in Hell, behold thou art there; If I take the wings of the morning (if I were able to fly as swift as the Sun beams from East to West) and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea, even there shall thy band lead me, So hat as to his power and essential presence, God is no where excluded, all plates being comprehended under that •••raeration of Heaven Heb. •word4 and Sea. Thus then he is near to every one. As Paul said to the Athenians, Act. 17.27. That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he be not far from any of us. But as to his gracious presence, he is far from some; indeed from all Christ less sinners. They are afar off, until made nigh by the blood of Christ, Eph. 21 13. And therefore it is that they are in a perishing estate, Psal. 73.27. For •o, they that are far from thee shall perish. Yea, and sometimes the Lord doth withdraw his gracious presence from his own Children, so as that they seek him, but cannot find him, Cant. 5.6. My Beloved had withdrawn himself; I sought him, but I could not find him, I called him, but he gave me no answer.

A. 1. The expression doth intimate, that God may as to his gracious presence be absent from men, even gone from them, so as that they cannot find him, or obtein a gracious meeting with him. Indeed as to his essential presence he is alwayes and every where to be found. We cannot look any where but God is there,