SERMON I*.

Ezek xxxix. 29.

Neither will I hide my face any more from them; for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

THE operations of the Holy Ghost may be considered either as relating to particular persons, in a single and private capacity; for the regenerating of souls, or implanting in them the principles of the divine and spiritual life; the maintaining of that life; the causing and ordering all the motions that are proper thereunto: or as having an influence upon the-felicity and prosperous state of the church in general. For this last, the scripture that I have pitched upon, gives us a very plain and sufficient ground.

It is manifest, that it is a very happy and prosperous state, which is here referred unto, if you look back upon this and the foregoing chapters, the 36th, 37th and 38th, which are all congenerous, and as it were of a piece with this. You find such things copiously spoken of and promised, as we are wont to consider in the constitution of a prosperous happy state, in reference to what their case required; reduction from captivity, victory over their enemies, abundant plenty of all things, settled tranquillity and peace, entire union among themselves, both Ephraim and Judah, as you will find it expressed; the renewal of God's covenant with them, after their so great and

* Preached May 8th, 1678.

long-continued defection and apostacy from it; in which covenant he would be their God, and take them for his people, and have the relation avowed and made visible to all the world, that he and they were thus related to one another. These things you may find at large in the several chapters mentioned; importing all the favour that we could suppose any way conducible to make a people happy. And indeed the same thing is compendiously and summarily held forth in the words of the "Neither will I hide my face text themselves: any more from them; for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of IsWe cannot in few words have a rael, saith the Lord God." fuller account given of a happy state. To consider these words themselves; the contents of them are first-A gracious prediction: "Neither will I hide my face any more from them :" a prediction, or prophetic promise, or a promissory prophecy of a most happy state: and secondly.-The reason given hereof, why God would provide that all things should be well with them in other respects: "For I have poured out my Spirit the house of Israel, saith the Lord God."

upon

There are two things, that must be the matter of a little previous inquiry, in order to our taking up what we are to insist upon from this scripture, namely,-The import of this negative expression; "Neither will I hide my face any more from them :" and,-How we are to understand the subject of the promised favour here, as it is designed by this name, "the" house of Israel."-These things being cleared, the matters that I intend to recommend to you and insist upon, will plainly result.

First, As to the former, what this negative expression should mean, "Neither will I hide my face any more from them." It is needful, that we may understand that, to know what the Scripture doth often mean, and may well be supposed to mean here, by "the face of God." It is very plain, that it frequently means his providential appearances, or the aspect of providence one way or another. And thus we are more frequently to understand it, when it is spoken of in reference to a community, or the collective body of a people; yea, and sometimes, when in reference to particular persons too. hence it will easily appear, how we are to take the opposite expressions, of his "making his face to shine;" or of his "hid ing, or covering, or clouding his face."

And

It appears from sundry scriptures, that by his-shewing his face, or letting it be seen,-giving the sight of it, or-causing his face to shine, giving the pleasant sight of it, or-lifting up the light of his countenance,-(expressions of the same import,) the favourable aspect of providence is to be understood;

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when these expressions are used, as I said, more especially in reference to the collective body of a people. And so the hiding of his face, signifies as much as the change of these more favourable aspects of providence, for those that are more severe and that do import anger and displeasure. For so, by the aspects and appearances of providence, it is to be understood, whether God be propitious and favourably inclined toward a people, or whether he be displeased and have a controversy with them as it may be discerned in the face of a man, whether he be pleased or displeased. Wherefore you haye anger and severity, which uses to be signified by providence, and as it is so signified, held forth to us under this same phrase or form of speech, Deut. 31. 18. I will surely hide my face in that day, for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods. See what the expression there is exegetical of, or with what other phrases it is joined, as manifestly intending the same thing; such as, his anger being kindled against them, and his forsaking them. It is interserted among such expressions again and again. So ver. 17. My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them; and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befal them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not amongst us? In the same sense the word is used, chap. 32. 20. and in many other scriptures, in reference to bodies of men. And sometimes in reference to a particular person; as in Job 34. 29. When he gives quietness, who shall give trouble; and when he hides his face, who shall behold him? Who dare behold him, when clouds and frowns do eclipse that bright and pleasant light of his countenance before lift up, whether it be against a nation or a particular person? as there Elihu speaks. And he had been speaking before of the acts of providence, in lifting up and casting down at his pleasure, and according as men's ways and deportments towards him in this kind or that did make it most suitable and fit. And therefore also the church, being represented as in a very afflictive condition, exposed to the insultations of tyrannous enemies, and having suffered very hard and grievous things from them; this is the petition that is put up in the case, Turn us, and cause thy face to shine upon us, and we shall be saved. Psal. 80. 3. 19.

-Therefore it is obvious to collect, what the like expression here must mean; "Neither will I hide my face any more from them." It must mean, that he would put them into a prosperous condition; the course of his providence toward them should be such as would import favour and kindness to them.

And, "Neither will I hide my face any more from them," imports the permanency and settledness of this happy and prosperous state; that it should not be a short, lucid interval only; but through a very considerable and continued tract of time this should be the posture and course of his providence towards them. And then

Secondly, For the subject of this promised favour, as it is designed here by the expression, "The house of Israel."

1. I doubt not but that it hath a meaning included, as it is literally taken, of that very people wont to be known by that name, "The house of Israel," the seed of Jacob.

2. But I as little doubt, that it hath a farther meaning too. And it is an obvious observation, than which none more obvious, that the universal church, even of the gospel-constitution, is frequently in the prophetical scriptures of the Old Testament represented by this, and by the equivalent names of Jerusalem and Zion, and the like. And the reason was as obvious as the thing itself; for they were the church of God, that people, and they who were proselyted to them: and the prophecies of the Old Testament we know were first and most immediately directed to them; and were more likely to be regarded by them, by how much the more the church, whom these prophecies did concern, was more constantly designed or set forth by their own name. It invited them to look towards the great things represented and held forth in these prophecies, as things wherein they had a special concern, and wherein their interest was bound up; though they had no reason to think, that they were things appropriate to them. And we find, that in the New Testament too the name is retained: "All are not Israel, that are of Israel. He is not a Jew, that is one outwardly:" He means certainly a christian. "I know the

blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not." Rom. 2. 28. Rev. 2. 9. And we have little reason to doubt, and there will be occasion to make it more apparent hereafter, that so we are to explain the signification of this name here; not to exclude the natural Israelites, but also to include the universal Christian church.

These things being thus far cleared, the ground will be plain upon which to recommend to you a twofold truth from these words; namely-That there is a state of permanent serenity and happiness appointed for the universal church of Christ upon earth, and-That the immediate original and cause of that felicity and happy state, is a large and general effusion or pouring forth of the Spirit.-It is the latter of these that I principally intend, and shall speak more briefly to the former.

But before I speak distinctly and severally to either of them,

I shall do what is not usual with me; that is, entertain you a while with somewhat of a preface, to give you therein an account in reference to both, and of the whole of the intended discourse upon this subject, what I design, and upon what score I think it useful and proper, that such a matter, as this is, be entertained into your consideration and my own. Herein I shall, first lay before you sundry things obvious unto the consideration of considering persons, that will serve for some representation of the state of the Christian church hitherto, and at this time, and as it may continue to be for some time hence. And then, secondly, shall shew you in some other particulars, what it is reasonable should be designed and expected in a discourse of this nature, and upon such a subject as this is, in way of accommodation to such a state of the case.

First. As to the former; these things I reckon very obvious to such as are of considering minds.

1. That the state of the Christian church hath been for the most part very calamitous and sad all along hitherto, in external respects. You know it was eminently so in the time of the first forming of the Christian church. The Christian name was a name every where spoken against; and they, that delivered themselves up to Christ, delivered themselves up to all manner of troubles and persecutions, even upon his account and for his name's sake. He foretold it unto his more immediate followers, that for his name they should be hated of all men; and they were to expect the most malignant hatred ; and he told them too of the effects agreeable and suitable to such a principle. The church was externally miserable in the first ages of it by persecutions from without: and after it arrived to a state of some tranquillity and peace, by the favour of the world and its more gentle aspect upon it; after there was an Emperor of the Christian religion, that would own and patronize it against the rage and fury that it was pursued with before; then it soon bred trouble enough within itself, and grew factious and divided, and broken into parts, pestered with heresies, and filled with varieties of contending opinions and sects; and then these were continually the authors of troubles to one another, according as one or another could get opportunity to grasp power into its hand. This hath been the state of things with it all along, though there have been some more quiet intervals here and there, in this or that part of the Christian world. It can hardly be said, the church hath ever had any considerable season of tranquillity and serenity, universally and all at once, even in any time.

2. It is more obvious, as we may suppose, unto the most, that the state of the church is externally very miserable and sad