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Show Why C hrifl dejirtth to fee hi1 Spo~tfet f.m. near to God,Ezra. 9· 6. Omy God (faith Ezra,) 1 atn ajhamul, and blrefh to lift up my face unto thee my God ; far our iniqreitirr 11rr incrrafed over o11r headr, and our trefpalfes are grown up, even Nlffothe Heaven!. ' · La illy, Fear aljj wiU ma~ one to hitle bi1face. Thus men hide rhr\ r faces becaufe ot enemies. Elrjab, and the Prophets hid their faccs io caves, dming the time of A!Jab1 perfccution. The Spoufc had hid her face; either from the face of men driven into corners by their violence, as the Dove is driven into the clefts ol the Rock~ by the Bird of prey that purflleth; or elfe, .through a feJr. of the wrath ol God, or a {]Jame in the fenfe of her own guilt, or •fh•m,f.~eulnrfs, not daring, nor being fo bold as to look upon an holy and fpotlefs God. Now to this Spoufe thus hiding her face, Chrifl c>lls, Let me]'< tbyface.We will next inquire into themeaningofthar. Fou r things will I think comprehend the full import of thefc words. The phrafe therefore denotes. 1. 'Ibefriendlineji of her beloved tolm,-he defires to fee her fa cr. This is vo:c amic4. The difpleafed perfon defireth nor to fee the face of the perfon, whom he or fhe is difpleafed at. Sre my face no more (faith angry PbJraob to Majer,) Exod. 10. 28. when David was difpleafeu with Abfolom, he would not fee his fa.ce.It is men· tioned as a note of Gods great friendlincfs tO• Mo{et, E:cod, 3 3· 1 I. that the Lord {pa~ to him face to face. Chrifi hath a tender love, even for the poor frighted Souls ofhis people; they like the Pub/i. c3u, Lu. I 8. I 3. jland afar off, and dare not Jo much at lift ttp their eyu to Heavm; when they can do no more but finite their bandt upon their Breafis, and cry,Godbe mercifr<l to u!Ji.IIIISrJ; even then Chrit\ hath a love and kindnefs for them; they look down upon the Earth, Chrifi bids them look up. Let me ( faith he) f'e thy f•ce, ltir up thy Faith; hold up thy f3ce with comfort, co•" unt• me,(fo M.r.Ainf.,orth glo!feth upon the words of the Text. )Thi! is the grel! quefiion of a poor afllitfed Chrifiian in thefe circumlhnce ? doth Chrifi love me? what me ? that am fuch a !inner! me that have fo much fin and corruption? fo li.ttle Faith, and love? I have a dirty face, dirtied with fin and filthinefs ; t have a blubbered flee, befineared with my own tears. I dare not look up, furely there's nothing in me to be defired ; yes, faith Chriit, my Dove that art in . the defts of the Rocks, ./et me ftc thy · f,c,; though it be dirty, though it be blubbered. with farrow, · yet Why Chrift to fee his SJI!IIfes filce. yet I love t~ee: the Mother loves the Child, though its face be not fo clean is It fhould be. LeJ me {etthy face. Secondly, It denotes the delight of,her Brl•ved in her. This is B~au note, ~id hoc 8Utem rei elf, &c. ( faith he) what is this thtng? a>'t ,,., aUthingt then na~d, and open before that God with <I' hom w_e have to dol why doth he that reads every heart call to ltS to let htm fee our face ? he fearchtth th< heart, and tritth the reint, ]cr. I 1· 20, he k,nO'IIP! our dorvn-{itting, a11d our up-rifing, he underjfandt our~houghuafar off, ke encompaffitb cHr path!, and our lying dartJn,and tJ acqt~amted r:Ptth all ottr ways: There it not a word in our tong?"• hut the Lord ~no~peth it altogether, Pfal. 139· 2 3, 4· and ht partzc~tlarly eyes and obferveth his Spoufe. Cana•n ;, the Land , wht_<h Goticareth for; therye~ oftbe.Lord are ~t.rJtiy11tpo1Z it ,from the Deor. u : I :>I begmnmg of the year to tbe md of t!J< year. Chrifl here <!,oth not defire to fee the Brides fac~ to inform him, ht needed not that any man Jhould trU htm what t1 m the heart of man. 'fhere is a view for deltght and pleafure, as well as for information. The loving ~usb_an~ de!ires to fee his Wives face, enough he knows air the hnes In It,.becaufe he a hath d,eligbt in hrr.Chrill faith let me fletl>y face,to ietlls l<now,that lle hath deligbt in hrr: you know So/omm telle~h ~s that before the Mountains wereiettled, while he waiProv.8.>Hr. wztb In~ Father, a1 one broNght :ep wit/J him, aue# wa1 da;•ly hit dr/ Jgbt ,rqotcmg alw•y1before him; be wat rejoicing in the babitabl< part! •fthe urtb, and hi1 delight wat with thr SoHt of men. There-fore he here de!ireth to fee her face. Thus God when he had created the world, is faid to have lool{ed upon all that he had made, and ?e filw that it wat good; he delighted in his own work, ~hrtfi hath n01t only a kindnefs and friendfhip for his Spouf~ In the clefts of the Rocks, but even at that time, and under thofe:ucumfian~es,he hath a delight inher.That's thefecond thi ng. _ Thtrdly. TillS phrafe denotes, that frerdom, and bold11e{s. a11d fahult•rtty; whtch a believing Sml may 11{e 'll'itb tbe Lord Jt[uJ v. n., ;,,m 4t ~-tft· T~us, Ge~. 43• 5· 1•feph told his brethren, rhat if they loc. 1 not b~tng thetr Brother Benjamin they fhou ld fir hit face 110 m~re, that Is, he W_?uld have nn more freedom and familia 1ity With them, a~d fo tn other Texts; and lo the Scripture ufeth the phrale of feemg ~od facr to face, Gen. 32· 30. Exod. ;; 2 • 1 2. Deut. 5· 4· all whtch and fuch-hke Texts mufi be in terpreted of a grea~ freedom, and boldnefs, and familiarity, which God allowed Mofot, and his other eminent Servants, with himfelf. God is Yy a aot |
