A. The Expression is Metaphorical and allusive, and ascribed to God after the manner of men▪ God is a Spirit, and hath no body, and consequently no members or parts of a body; when therefore he assumeth such in the Scriptures, he speaks to us in our own language, and is to be spiritually understood▪ Now the face is the most conspicuous part of the body, and is usually bare & open to view. The showing of the face to any is therefore frequently used for kindness, freedom, and familiarity; and ⟨p. 13⟩the hiding of it is a token of estrangedness and displeasure▪ 2 Sam. 14.24. let him not see my face: Hence David prays for Gods favour in such words, Psal. 4 6. Lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us. Gods hiding of his face then from his Creatures, intends his withdrawing from them these sensible or experimental discoveries of his benignity to them, which sometimes they enjoyed; or his withholding from them those manifestations of himself which they long for, and which he hath been ordinarily wont to bestow upon others: for though hiding do properly intend a withdrawing out of sight, yet it also includes in it a keeping out of sight, and not showing one self. God is sometimes said to hide his face from Sensitive Creatures ▪ Psal. 104.29. which intends his Providential withholding from them the support of their lives. He is also said to hide his face from Wicked men, Deut. 32.20. and that may be both on a temporal and a spiritual account; when he brings trouble upon them, and affords them no relief or comfort in it. But when it is spoken of True believers, it then more peculiarly intends those Spiritual Desertions, which they are ⟨p. 14⟩brought into, and left under; or those withdrawings of his manifesting himself to them in his special favour, the enjoyment whereof is their very life and consolation. The end of Union unto Christ in Conversion, is for Communion with him; in which there is a mutual commerce maintained between him and us, whe•••in he imparts to us of his Grace, and enableth us to return to him Service and Praise. Whatsoever therefore either impedes o• obscures this Communion, belongs to the hiding of his face, or the Desertion of which we are now considering: and hen•e▪
A. The Expression is Metaphorical and allusive, and ascribed to God after the manner of men▪ God is a Spirit, and hath no body, and consequently no members or parts of a body; when therefore he assumeth such in the Scriptures, he speaks to us in our own language, and is to be spiritually understood▪ Now the face is the most conspicuous part of the body, and is usually bare & open to view. The shewing of the face to any is therefore frequently used for kindness, freedom, and familiarity; and ⟨p. 13⟩the hiding of it is a token of estrangedness and displeasure▪ 2 Sam. 14.24. let him not see my face: Hence David prays for Gods favour in such words, Psal. 4 6. Lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us. Gods hiding of his face then from his Creatures, intends his withdrawing from them these sensible or experimental discoveries of his benignity to them, which sometimes they enjoyed; or his witholding from them those manifestations of himself which they long for, and which he hath been ordinarily wont to bestow upon others: for though hiding do properly intend a withdrawing out of sight, yet it also includes in it a keeping out of sight, and not shewing one self. God is sometimes said to hide his face from Sensitive Creatures ▪ Psal. 104.29. which intends his Providential witholding from them the support of their lives. He is also said to hide his face from Wicked men, Deut. 32.20. and that may be both on a temporal and a spiritual account; when he brings trouble upon them, and affords them no relief or comfort in it. But when it is spoken of True believers, it then more peculiarly intends those Spiritual Desertions, which they are ⟨p. 14⟩brought into, and left under; or those withdrawings of his manifesting himself to them in his special favour, the enjoyment whereof is their very life and consolation. The end of Union unto Christ in Conversion, is for Communion with him; in which there is a mutual commerce maintained between him and us, whe•••in he imparts to us of his Grace, and enableth us to return to him Service and Praise. Whatsoever therefore either impdes o obscures this Communion, belongs to the hiding of his face, or the Desertion of which we are now considering: and hene
