1. That he would be unto them a reconciled God. Though God was at firft man's friend, yet by reason of fin, he is become man's enemy. Sinners are enemies to God, and God is (in fome refpects) an enemy to them. The most holy God is alienated from finners, and is angry with the wicked every day. While they conLinue in a state of fin, God loaths their perfons, and hates their ways, and denounces wrath against them.... Nevertheless, though God be thus an enemy to finners, yet he is not an irreconcilable enemy to them, as he is to the angels that fell. There is a poffibility of sinful men's reconciliation to God; yea, God has provi ded a peace maker between himfelf and finners, even, his Son Jefus Chrift. And through this Son of his love, he is willing to be at peace with us, offers peace to us, and even befeeches us to be reconciled to him. 2 Cor. v. 20. Now it is the great duty of finners to feek unto God, that this reconciliation may be actually effected. They fhould be concerned to recover the loft favour and friendship of God, and get his anger turned away from them. Pfal. xxvii. 8. When thou faidft, Seek ye my face, my heart faid unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I feek. is our duty to feek peace with men, and to purfue it; much more, to feek peace with God, and to purfue it, What is there, or what can there be, that we fhould more feek after, than that the enmity between God and us may ceafe, and that we may have him to be our friend? What will become of us, if God abide our enemy ? Who can stand our friend, if he be our foe ? If God be against us, every thing will be against us. But if God be for us, who can be against us? Rom. viii. 319 If God be for us, it matters not who is or may be against us.

2. That God would be unto them a fin pardoning God. There are no adult finners, but what (befides that dif obedience of one man, whereby many were made finners) are guilty of numberlefs fins. An heavy burden of guilt is Eving upon them, which is fufficient to fink them down into the bottom of hell. Yet, though their fins be ex

1

ceeding

ceeding many and great, they are however through rich grace pardonable. They may be all forgiven. God has declared to us, that there is forgiveness with him for us, though there be none for Devils. He has provided a Saviour, to fave us from our fins. And through this Saviour, he freely offers to us the pardon of all our fins. He is a God ready, for Chrift's fake, to forgive iniquity, tranfgreffion, and fin. Now, it is the great duty of finners, to feek to God for the pardon of their fins as did the penitent publican, Luk. xviii. 13. God, be merciful to me a finner. The Lord Jefus Chrift directs us to ask this of God in prayer. Matth. vi. 12. Forgive us our debts. So great a mercy as forgiveness of fin, is worth a feeking to God for. Bleed is the man, whofe tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofe fin is covered, and to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. Pfal. xxxii. 1, 2.

3. That God would be unto them a foul converting God. All men are by nature over-fpread with fin and filthinefs. In our fleflb dwelleth no good thing, but only evil. Rom. vii. 18. By the fall our firft parents loft the holy image of God, and fo could not propagate it to their pofterity; but instead thereof, conveyed to them the image of Satan. Yet however, the holy image of God may be restored to us; we may be created again, after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness. God has fent his Son into the world' to purchafe fanctifying grace for us; and in the gofpel, it is freely offered to us.Now, it is the great duty of finners to feek anto God by prayer for renewing grace. This will make

them like the holy God; this will fit them to glorify God now, and to enjoy him forever in the other world. This therefore is a thing which they fhould importu nately feek to God for. Their earnest prayer to God, fhould be that of David, Pfal. li. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a right Spirit within me. And that of Ephraim, Jer. xxxi. 18. Turn thou me, and 1fball be turned. We should go to the throne of grace, that we may find grace.

4. They

4. They should feek unto God, that he would be to them an all-fufficient God, and their portion for ever. Man by his fin, loft communion with God; this feparated between him and his God: and God might have: left it as a wall of eternal feparation from himself. In fuch a state of distance from himself, he has left the fal len angels; and he might have dealt alike by fallen man. But God, of his infinite grace, has found out a way for our coming to the re-enjoyment of himself, as the fountain of all good and bleffednefs. By Jefus. Christ, we that are afar off from God, may be made nigh to God. (Eph. ii. 13.) By his fufferings and death, we may be brought to God, to the full and everlasting enjoyment of God. (1 Pet. iii. 18.)--Now, this enjoyment of God, is what finners fhould feek after. Their defires fhould go out after God, with the Pfalmift, Pfal. lxxiii. 25. Whom bave I in heaven, but thee? And there is none on earth, that I defire befides thee. This is what Chrift Jefus exhorts us to, when he bids us to Jeek the kingdom of God, i. e. to feek God in the kingdom of heaven. (Matth. vi. 33.) This is alfo what the apostle exhorts us, to, when he bids us to feek thofe things which are above. (Col. iii. 1.) God is above; there he dwells, and there he is to be enjoyed : and the fruition of him there, is what we fhould feek after. Thus for the first enquiry, viz. What is im, plied in feeking God?

Quest. 2. How is God to be fought by finners ?

Anfw. 1. Speedily. God is to be fought immediately, without any delay. His call to finners is, to hearken to his voice to day; and not put it off 'till to-morrow. (Heb. iii. 7.) The feeking God is a work that requires hafte. We cannot poffibly set about this work too soon. The fooner we engage in this work, the better. The prefent time, is the best time, Whatsoever therefore we have to do in this cafe, we thould do it quickly. Should we not feek to agree quickly with God, who is our adverfary? Should we not make hafte to escape his wrath, and recover his favour? Surely we should.

Answ.

Anfw 2. They thould feek God diligently. God and the things of God, are not to be fought after a careless and indifferent manner, as if we did not much care whether we enjoyed God, or not. Such a spirit of indifferency in this cafe is to be abhorred. For it is not an indifferent thing, whether we find God, or not: 'tis not a matter of indifferency, whether we obtain peace with God, pardon of fin, grace here, and glory hereafter. Thefe things are of abfolute and indifpenfable neceffity; and therefore are to be fought with greatest diligence. Only to fuch diligent feekers, the promise of finding is made. Heb. xi. 6. God is the rewarder of them that diligently feek him. Jer. xxix. 13. Te shall feek me, and shall find me, when ye shall fearch for me with all your hearts. The whole foul is to be engaged in feeking God. Other things may be fought with moderation; but no labour or pains can be too great in feeking God. Pfal. Ixiii. 8. My foul followeth hard after thee. In this matter men cannot exceed, or over-do.

Anfw. 3. They fhould feek God principally. God is the best and chief good, and therefore is chiefly to be fought. It is lawful, and a duty, to feek outward good things; but our chief fearch should be after God. He is infinitely better than all the good things of this world; and therefore is infinitely more worthy to be fought, than they are. Thefe things are only drops of comfort: God is an infinite ocean of good. Thefe things are emptiness; God is all-fulness. Our chief care and bufinefs therefore fhould be to feek and find God. Matth. vi. 33. Seek firft the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs. Before and above all things, God and the things of God, are to be fought. All other things are to be fought in a fubordination to God, as they may be helps and means to bring us to the enjoyment of God. With all their gettings therefore, finners fhould be careful to get God, to be theirs. Nothing fhort of God fhould content their fouls. Pfal. iv. 6, 7. There be many that fay, Who will fhew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou haft put glad

nefs in my heart, more than in the time when their corn and their wine increafed. Our chief defire thould be af ter God, and our chief joy, in God; and not the good things of this world.

Anfw. 4. They thould feek God penitently. Signers have loft God, and they fhould feek him forrowings and bewailing their lofs of him. They fhould lamen after the Lord; fo the people of Ifrael did, 1 Sam. vii. 2. The lofs of God is the greatest lofs; and therefore Calls for the greatest lamentation. Sinners then should bemoan themfelves on the account of this lofs; and fhould especially mourn before God for fin, which has procured this lofs of God. 'Tis iniquity, that has feparated between God and men. Ifai. lix. 2. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God. These are the meritorious and provoking caufes of God's departure from them. And therefore in feeking God, finners fhould penitently confefs to God their fins, which have deprived them of God. This is what God expects from them, in order to their finding of him. Hof. v. 15. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their ffence, and feek my face; in their affliction, they will feek me early. Thus the prodigal fon, that was gone far away from his father, returned to his father, seeking his favour in the way of penitent confeffion of his fin, and met with a gracious reception. Luk. xv. 21, 22. Anf. 5. They fhould feek God through Jefus Chrift, believingly. Sinners can have no access to God, but by the mediator Jefus Chrift. Job. xiv. 6. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.. None can enjoy.communion with God, in this world or that which is to come, but only by the mediation of Jefus Chrift. Tis he, that brings us to God. I Pet. iii. 18. "Tis he, that procures for us admiffion into God's gracious prefence, here on earth, and into his glorious prefence hereafter in heaven. So that 'tis for his fake alone, that God will be found of us when we Jeek to him, and that he will bear us when we call upon him. God will neither be fought nor found by us, but only in and by Jefus

Chriff.