Isa. xxvi. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me will I seck thee early. Ps. Ixiii. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee. CXXXVI. Promises to them that seek God. See the first two texts in the last section. Ezra viii. 22. The hand of God is upon all them for good, that seek him, but his power and his wrath is against ail them that forsake him. Ps. ix. 10. Thou Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. xxxiv. 10. They that seek the Lord, shall not want any good thing. 1xix 32. Your heart shall live that seek the Lord. Prov. viii. 17. Those that seek me early shall find me. Isa. xlv. 19. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ve me in vain. Lam. iii. 25. The Lord is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. Hos. x. 12. Seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Amos v. 4. Thus saith the Lord to the house of Israel, seek ye me and ye shall live. Ver. 6. Seek the Lord and ye shall live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el. Ver. 8. Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, that turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night, &c. Ver. 9. Zeph. ii. 3. Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgments, seek righteousness, seek meekness, it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Matt. vii. 7. Seek and ye shall find. Ver. 8. He that seeketh findeth. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. 2 Chron. xv. 2. Heb. xi. 6. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. See Job viii. 5, 6. Ps. xxii. 26. CXXXVII. Prayers for them that seek God. 2 Chron. xxx. 18. Hezekiah prayed, saying, good Lord, pardon every one, Ver. 19. That prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. Ver. 20. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. Ps. Ixix. 6. Let none of those that seek thee be confounded. lxx. 4. Let all those that seek thee, rejoice and be glad in thee, and let such as love thy salvation say continually, the Lord be mag. nified. cv. 3. Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord, 1 Chron. xvi. 10. CXXXVIII. Examples of God's people seeking him. 2 Chron. xi. 16, Out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers, and would not worship calves set up by Jeroboam. 2 Chron. xiv. 4. Asa commanded Judah to seek the Lord God o their fathers, and to do the law and the commandments. Ver. 7. xv. 12. Israel entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God d their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul. Ver. 13. And that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of I rael, should be put to death. 2 Kings xxiii. 3. Neh. x. 29. 2 Chro xxiv. 31. xvii. 3. The Lord was with Jehosaphat. Ver. 4. Because he sougt the Lord God of his fathers, and walked in his commandments. C. xix. 3. xx. 3.-xxii. 9. xxvi. 5. Uzziah sought God, and as long as he sought the Lot, God made him prosper. Ver. 7. 2 Chron. xxxi. 21. In every work that Hezekiah began in the srvice of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandmers, to seek God, he did it with all his heart and prospered. Ezra vi. 21. The children of Israel separated themselves from te filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord Goof Israel. vii. 10. Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord ad to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Job v. 8. I would seek unto God, and unto God would I connit my cause. 1 Ps. xxiv. 6. This is the generation of them that seek him. xxxiv. 4. I sought the Lord, he heard and delivered me fronall my fears. Ch. lxxvii. 2. Song iii. 2. I will seek him whom my soul loveth. Ch. vi. I. Isa. xxvi. 9. With my Spirit within me, will I seek thee early Dan. ix. 3. I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by piyer and supplications, with fastings and sackcloth and ashes. Mal. iii. 1. The Lord (Christ) whom ye seek shall come.&c. Isa. 1. 4, 5. Hos. iii. 5. Zech. viii. 21, 22. NOT SEEKING GOD. CXXXIX. The wicked seek not God. 2 Chron. xvi. 2. Asa i his disease, sought not to the Lord but to the physicians. Ps. x. 14. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God, God is not in all his thoughts, xiv. 2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the childen of men, to see if there were any that did understand and seek Gd. Ver. 3. They are all gone aside. Ps. liii. 2. Rom. iii. 11. CXL. The wicked seek not God aright. 2 Chron. xii. 14. Rehooam prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. Isa. lviii. 2. They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinances of their God; they seek of me, the ordinances of justice, they take delight in approaching unto God. Ver. 3. In the day of your fast, ye exact all your labours, ye fast for strife. John vi. 26. Threats against the wicked, who seek not God aright. Ps. lxxxiii. 16. Fill their faces with shame, O Lord, that they may seek thy name. Ps. cxix. 155. Salvation is far from the wicked, for they seek not thy statutes. Prov. i. 8. They shall seek me early, but shall not find me. Isa. ix. 13. The people turned not to them that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts. Ver. 14. Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel, head and tail, &c. Hos. vii. 10, 13, 14, 16. xxxi. 1. Woe to thein that go down to. Egypt, that stay on horses, hat trust in chariots, but look not to the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord. Ch. xxii. 21. Jer. x. 21. The pastors are become brutish, and have not sought he Lord, therefore they shall not prosper and all their flocks shall e scattered. Hos. v. 5. The pride of Israel doth testify to his face, therefore hall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity. Ver. 6. They shall go with their flocks and their herds, to seek "De Lord, but they shall not find him, he hath withdrawn himself bm them. Ver. 15. I will go and return to my place, saith the Lord, till they knowledge their offence, and seek my face, in their affliction they ll seek me early. Zeph. i. 6. John vii. 34. Jesus said, ye shall seek me, and shall not find me. viii. 21. Ye shall seek me, and die in your sins. DRAWING NEAR TO GOD. CXLI. Drawing near to God. Lev. x. 3. The. Lord spake saying, I ill be sanctified in all them that come nigh me, and before all the pople will I be glorified. Sam. xiv. 36. The priest said, let us draw near to God... 's. lxv. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou causest to approach unto hee. cxiii. 28. It is good for me, that I draw near to God. er. xxx. 21. I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach und me. er. 22. And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. leb. x. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of aith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, Ch.vii. 19. Jmes iv. 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. : In. xxix. 13. The wicked draw nigh with their lips only. Matt. xv. 1. Ezek. xxxiii. 31. COMING TO GOD. CXLII. Coming to God. Ps. lxv. 2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Isa. xlv. 24. In the Lord have I righteousness and strength, even to him shall all men come. lv. 3. Incline your ear, and come unto me, hear and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you. Jer. iii. 22. Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings; behold we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. Ch. xxx. 21. Come to God through Christ. Heb. vii. 25. Christ is able to save them to the uttermost, that come to God by him. Heb. iv. 16. xi. 6. Come to Christ. Matt. xi. 28. Jesus said, come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Isa. lv. 1.-lx. 3. Rev. xxii. 17. John vi. 37. Jesus said, all that the Father hath given me, shall come unto me, and he that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. John vi. 44. No man can come unto me, except the Father draw him. FOLLOWING GOD. CXLIII. Following God. 1 Sam. xii. 14. Continue following the Lord your God. Ver. 20, 21, 25. 1 Kings ix. 6, 7, 8. If ye will not, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you. 1 Kings xviii. 21. Elijah said, if the Lord be God, follow him. Deut. xiii. 4. Ps. Ixiii. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee. CXLIV. Following Christ. Matt. xvi. 24. Jesus said, if any man will come after me, let him take up his cross and follow me. John xii. 26. John viii. 12. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness. x. 27. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me. Ver. 28. And I will give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. FORSAKING GOD. CXLV. Forsaking God. Threats. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. If thou forsake God he will cast thee off for ever. 2 Chron. xv. 21. The Lord is with you, while ye be with him, and if ye seek him, he will be found of you, if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever. xxiv. 20. Because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath forsaken you. Ezra viii. 2. God's power and wrath is against all that forsake him. Isa. i. 4. They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger. Ver. 28. They that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. Jer. ii. 13. My people have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. See threats to ver. 19. Ver. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee, know therefore, and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God. xvii. 13. O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed. See Deut. viii. 20. xxxi. 16, 17.-xxxii. 15 to 32. 2 Chron. xii. 15. Isa. lxv. 11. Ff DEPARTING, FROM GOD. CXLVI. Departing from God. Jer. xvii. 5. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Ver. 13. See, Ezek. xviii. 24. xxxiii. 12. See this sin confessed. Dan. ix. 5, 11, Isa. lix. 12, 13. Not departing from God. Instances. 2 Sam. xxii. 22. I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. Ver. 23. For all his judgments were before me, and for his statutes I did not wickedly depart from them. See Ps. xviii. 21. Ps. cxix. 3, 8, 10, 11, 102. BACKSLIDING. CXLVII. Backsliding from God. Prov. xiv. 14. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways. Isa. i. 4. They are gone away backward. Jer. vii. 24. Jer. ii. 19. Thy backslidings shall reprove thee. v. 6. Their transgressions are many, their backslidings are in creased. Ver. 7. How shall I pardon thee. Ch. viii. 5, 13. xiv. 2 to 7. xv. 6. Thou hast forsaken me, and art gone away backward, there fore will I destroy thee. xlix. 4. O backsliding daughter, I will bring a fear upon thee. Hos. iv. 16. Israel slideth back, as a backsliding heifer. xi. 6. The sword shall abide on his cities. Ver. 7. For my people are bent to backsliding. x. 38. If any man draw back, my soul shall have no ple-sure in him. Ver. 39. We are not of them that draw back to perdition, but to them that believe to the saving of the soul. Promise. Hos. xiv. 1. Return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Ver. 4. I will heal your backslidings. Jer. iii. 22. GOING ASTRAY. CXLVIII. The wicked go aside, go astray, err, wander, turn away from God. Ps. xiv. 3. They are all gone aside, &c. Iviii. 3. The wicked are estranged from the very womb, they go astray as soon as born. Ixxviii. 57. They are turned aside like a deceitful bow. Ver. 62. xcv. 10. It is a people that do err in heart. Prov. v. 23. The wicked shall die without instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. xiv. 22. Do they not err that devise evil, but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good. Isa. xliv. 20. A deceived heart hath turned him aside, he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, is there not a lie in my right hand? Jer. ii. 27. They have turned their back unto me, and not their face. viii. 6. Every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. CXLIX. Confession. Isa. liii. 6. All we like lost sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way. |