Two principles are necessary to be firmly believed of all that would entertain communion with God - God's being, and God's bounty; God's being 'That he is,' and God's bounty - 'That he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.' Both these principles give life to all our duties and services; and therefore a man that would please God, and live in his favour and friendship, or that would come to God, that would have anything to do with him in prayer, praise, or any other service, he must be firmly persuaded of these two things.
1. Of the being of God - that God is; otherwise why should we be touched with any sense and care of religion, unless we believe that there were a God to whom this religion is tendered; that God is not a fancy, a nothing, but a true and real being, and that the God whom we serve is he. Without this all worship would be but a foolish custom and empty formality, and a compliance with a common error, for why should we go to him whom we conceive not to be? And therefore he that would have anything to do with God must fix his heart in a belief of this principle, that God whom I now serve is that infinite, that eternal power that made me and all things.
2. The bounty of God - 'He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,' where observe - (1.) The notion by which his bounty is expressed - 'He is a rewarder,' or a giver of rewards, misthapodotès. (2.) The objects or persons to whom - 'Of those that diligently seek him.' Where again we may take notice of the act, 'they seek him,' and the manner 'diligently.' Both are folded up in one word in the original, ekzètousin; the word zètein signifies to seek, and the compound ekzètein, to seek out till one find. Now God must be sought out; we must do our uttermost to seek him till we find him; therefore our translators fitly render the word by two, 'that diligently seek him.' Now this qualification is to be understood both inclusively and exclusively. [1.] Inclusively: to involve all that would give up themselves in his holy word to inquire after God. The Lord takes a charge upon himself impartially to reward all that seek him: whether rich or poor, bond or free, he is a rewarder to them; indefinitely to all them that seek him. [2.] Exclusively: he rewardeth none but those; they and they only do find and enjoy him. The point of doctrine will be this -
Doct. That the fountain of all obedience, gratitude, and service to God is a firm belief of his being a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him. -
I shall (1.) Explain the proposition that is to be believed, and give the sense of it - that God is a rewarder of such; (2.) Inquire into the nature of this faith, and show how this is to be believed; (3.) Tell you what influence it has upon our obedience and service to God.
First, Here is the proposition that is to be believed - 'God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.' The proposition intimateth somewhat to be expected on God's part, and something to be done on our part.
First, on God's part. He is misthapodotès, a reward-giver, which implies these four propositions - (1.) That not only his essence, but his providence is to be believed by us. (2.) In his providence the gracious recompense is only mentioned; it is not said he is a revenger, which is a notable part of his providence, but he is a rewarder. (3.) To show how fitly this grace is expressed by the term 'reward.' (4.) This reward is principally in the next life.
1. We are bound to believe not only his essence, but his providence. For here are two principles - that God is, and that he is a rewarder; by which last his providence is intimated, namely, that he regardeth human affairs, and will judge accordingly, blessing the good and punishing the evil. It was the conceit of Epicurus and his followers that it would not stand with the happiness of God to trouble himself with the affairs of the world; and practical atheists, and sinful, secure persons are of his mind; they think that the heavens are drawn as a curtain between us and God, and that he is not at leisure to mind the affairs of this lower world: so they are brought in speaking, Job xxii. 12 - 14, 'Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high are they? And thou sayest, How can God know? can he judge through the dark clouds? Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not, and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.' Our eyes and perspectives are too short for us to look above the clouds and mists of this lower world, and to understand the affairs of the world above us; and therefore we muse of God according to the manner of us finite creatures, as if God could not see us, and judge of the state of things here below, because of the great distance between him and us; or at least that he hath other things to do than to mind the affairs of mankind, or to trouble himself with our actions. Thus vainly do we deceive ourselves, like that foolish creature, the panther; when it is hunted, it hides its head, and then thinks itself safe, not seen, because it sees not. The clouds and darkness that are about God may hinder our sight of him, but they do not hinder his sight of us. Oh no; Prov. xv. 3, 'The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the good and the evil.' Nothing can be done without his providential assistance, and therefore nothing can be done without his privity and knowledge. He is nearer to us than we are to ourselves, and knows our very thoughts, - not only our meaning before we speak, but our thoughts before they are conceived: Ps. cxxxix. 2, 'Thou understandest my thoughts afar off.' The mischief is, we do that which we would not have to be seen, and then would fain believe that God doth not see us. This conceit, that God doth not mind the affairs of the world, will destroy all worship of God and respect to him. If there be no providence, then no worship, no prayer, no praise. The two first motives that ordinarily induce men to worship are fear and hope; fear that God will avenge their misdeeds, and hope of relief when they are under straits and necessities. But now if God were mindless of the affairs of this lower world, and had left all things to their own way, we should have nothing to fear and nothing to hope for from his providence, and so God would not be regarded by us. The Epicureans indeed say that God is to be worshipped for the eminency of his dignity, and the excellency and greatness of his nature; but alas! that would breed a faint respect, for who regards those in whom they are not concerned? Here in the world we hear of mighty kings and potentates, but we regard them not unless they govern and protect us; then our peace and safety depends upon them. I say we hear of great emperors and kings abroad in India and China; what doth the interest of their courts, or the vastness of their armies move us? Every mean gentleman that is able to do us either a good or bad turn is more respected than those mighty monarchs. And so God would not be respected if he should only shut up himself within the heavens, and not regard the affairs here below. Well then, God sees. The accurateness of his providence, of his seeing all things, is described to us by many metaphors in scripture. The most solemn and notable is that of a record. He so sees and regards all things as to write them in books to keep them upon record: Mal. iii. 16, 'The Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him.' God hath his registers and books of record, the counterpart of which is our conscience, where all things are written that we do think and say; but this book is in our keeping, and therefore it is often blurred and defaced; but all is clear and legible in the book of God's remembrance. Certainly we would be more advised in our speeches and actions if we knew that there was a secret spy about us to write down all that we do: so Ps. lvi. 8, ' Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears in thy bottle: are they not in thy book?' God hath a bottle for all the tears of his people, - they are not as water spilt upon the ground, - and he has a book wherein he records all their sorrows. Many times books are written in their defence, and the memorials of their innocency here in the world are destroyed; but all is entered in the records and rolls of heaven. Thus does God take notice of all the actions and affairs of the world. You must not think of him as of the Persian monarch living in ease and pleasure, and leaving the care of provinces to his satrapy, his deputies and vicegerents. No, his eyes run to and fro through the whole earth; he observeth all, noteth all that is done here in the world. And - which is the other part of his providence - he judgeth accordingly. He is called: Jer. li. 56, 'The Lord God of recompenses,' because he does reward his friends, and punish his enemies. I say, God is not an idle spectator. Providence doth many times interpose notably now. We find sometimes obedience laden with blessings; and vengeance treadeth upon the heels of sin, especially for some notable excess and disorder: Ps. lviii, 11, 'So that a man may say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.' Many that knew not what to think of God's providence before, that were at a loss, yet when it is all brought about, they may see there is a reward for the righteous. We often, like ignorant and impatient spectators, will not tarry till the last act of the tragedy, till the way of God hath its course; for if we did, we should soon find that all things are in the hands of a righteous judge. Now and then God will give the world a taste of his recompenses, as he did in the prosperity of Abraham and punishment of Cain, to show there is a providence. But at other times the wicked are prosperous, the godly are afflicted, to show that the last act of providence is yet behind, and that there is a judgment to come. As in the parable of Dives, he was happy till his death, and lived in luxury and pleasure, whilst Lazarus was humbled with poverty, and rough-cast with sores. But the great and solemn day is to come when God will call all the world to an account and general audit, and justice and mercy shall both have their solemn triumph; and as our work hath been, so shall our wages be; that which is good shall be found to praise and honour, and that which is evil lie under its own shame. Well then, he that cometh to God must believe that God is a rewarder, it implies his providence; the Lord takes notice of human actions, and that he will judge accordingly.
2. Among the recompenses of God, that which comes from grace is only mentioned. The great God in recompenses is not only a rewarder of them that seek him, but a revenger of them that hate him; but his vengeance and punishment is not propounded as so necessary to our first faith, to him that comes to God so much as his reward. Why does he instance in this part of providence? Partly, because God delights to manifest himself to the world in acts of grace rather than in acts of judgment - 'Mercy pleaseth him,' Micah. vii. 18. Goodness and grace are natural to God. Anger, and wrath, and vindictive justice suppose our sin; they are extorted from him. And therefore if we would have a right notion of God, next to the being of God we must believe his goodness. From the beginning of time until now the usual acts of God's providence are the effluxes and emanations of his goodness. What hath the world been but a great theatre, upon which mercy hath been acting a part almost these six thousand years? His mercy is over all his works, and therefore God is called the 'Father of mercies,' 2 Cor. i. 3, not the Father of justice. When he proclaimeth his name, we hear first of his mercy, and still more of his mercy: Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7, 'The Lord, the Lord God, gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,' and justice is brought in to prevent the abuse of mercy, and to invite men to take hold of it. And then, partly, because this is an encouragement to bring in them to God who else would run away from him because of his terrors and his own natural bondage, as Adam ran into the bushes. Though there be amiable excellences in the nature of God, yet the naked contemplation of these cannot allay our natural fears, nor quench our natural enmity against God, but rather increase them. As good qualities in a ,judge will never draw the prisoner's heart to affect him; to tell the prisoner that his judge is a grave, comely person, of profound knowledge, of excellent speech, a strict observer of the law; but he is a judge, and so his heart stands off from him. And so it is between us and God: though we should tell men of the perfections of God's nature, yet as long as the guilty sinner reflects upon him as his judge, he stands aloof from God. The wrath of God is like a flaming sword ready drawn and brandished to keep us from him; his justice makes us stand at a distance: Rom. i. 32, 'Knowing the judgment of God, that they that do such things are worthy of death;' but his goodness, and readiness to reward, that is the motive to draw in our hearts to him. Christians, all this is spoken that we might have a right notion of God in himself. Oecolampadius, when he was preaching to children, first he tells them, There is a God, and then saith he, If you would know what God is, you must not conceive of him by pictures that you have seen. Do you know what mercy, lenity, patience, bountifulness, goodness is? - that is God. You must believe there is a God, and then you must see what he is; he is a God merciful, gracious, ready to reward and do good. This doth draw in the heart of a creature to him. As Luther saith, this is the whole design of the scripture, to represent God in such a manner, as bountiful and ready to do good to his creatures that come to him.
3. This grace is expressed by the word 'reward.' It is a metaphor taken from hired servants: Mat. xx. 8, 'Call the labourers, and give them - misthon - their hire.' Now some go upon this word as if here they had a clear foundation for the merit of the creature from the two words misthos and apodosis, of which the word in the text is compounded, but vainly; for work and reward are relatives indeed, but not merit and reward. God is a rewarder, but how? out of his own bounty, and the liberality of his grace, not out of our merit and desert. You shall see the word is taken in scripture sometimes for any fruit and issue of our pains, so it be grateful to us, though no way deserved by us, as that vainglory men seek for in the world: Mat. vi. 2, it is said, 'They have their reward.' No man can say they deserve it, but it was the reward aimed at and chosen by them. Anything we look at as the fruit of our pains is called the reward. And sometimes any fruit of the divine grace: as Ps. cxxvii. 3, 'Lo, children are an heritage from the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward,' that is, his gracious gift; and so misthos and charis, reward and grace, are all one, and promiscuously used; as Mat. v. 46, what is there, 'What reward have you?' in Luke vi. 32, it is charis, 'What grace, or what thank have you?' So God is said to reward those whom he remembers out of mere mercy and bounty; his reward is worth the seeking after; not that our work is meritorious and worthy of that reward. Well then, the reward of grace is understood; misthos hath more relation to God's promise than the work. Indeed it stands upon two feet, upon God's promise and upon Christ's merit. We have a reward, which by virtue of Christ's merit, and God's promise we may expect; but as to us, it is freely bestowed upon us. The apostle plainly shows this distinction of a reward of debt and a reward of grace: Rom. iv. 4, 'To him that worketh,' that is, he that will establish his own righteousness or works for justification - to him 'is the reward reckoned, not of grace, but of debt.' He intimates plainly there is a reward kata charin, according to grace. Once more it is called, Col. iii. 24, 'The reward of the inheritance; such as proceedeth not from the worth of the work, but from God's free grace. If the reward be a servile work, the inheritance is for children. But briefly: the recompenses of God's justice and mercy are called rewards, partly to note the persons to whom it is given; a reward is not given but to those that labour. Heaven is not for idlers and loiterers; it is a reward, it is given after labour; not as if any did deserve it by their work, as a labourer is worthy of his hire. Among men, he that hires has benefit by the labour of him that is hired; but 'we are unprofitable servants,' Luke xvii. 10; and ordinarily there is a due proportion between the work and the wages; but here there can be none at all, for eternal life, which is that reward, consists in the vision and fruition of God himself; yea, it is God himself, united and conjoined to us by this vision and fruition: Gen. xv. 1, 'I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.' Now no works of men can bear a proportion to such a reward. This argument seems of such weight that Vasquez denies this uncreated reward to fall sub condignis meritis Christi, to be deserved even by Christ's obedience. But that is false, for the obedience of Christ is of infinite value. Well then, a reward it is, because it is a consequent of labour - Posito opere recte colligimus certitudinem secuturæ mercedis; by the gracious constitution and ordination of God, who hath appointed that our good works should have such an issue and event. Again, a reward it is called, because it is not given till our work be ended: 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8, 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.' When we have done our work, then we shall receive our wages. Again, reward it is called to note the sureness of it. God in condescension calleth it a reward. We may expect it as a labourer doth his hire at night, for the Lord hath made himself a debtor by his own promise: James i. 12, 'He shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.'
4. This reward is principally in the next life. That suits with Enoch's instance, his translation to heaven, to a place of blessedness; and that is called kat' exochèn, the reward in scripture: 1 Cor. iii. 14, 'If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward;' Rev. xi. 18, 'The time is come that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the prophets.' Now is the time of God's patience, and hereafter of his recompenses. Now is the time of our exercise and service, hereafter of our enjoyment. Alas! all that we have here, it is not our wages, it is but our vales, the overplus and additional supply that God gives in upon the better portion that we expect from him: as Mat. vi. 33, 'All other things shall be added unto you.' Other things are cast in over and above the bargain. A christian does not count this his reward; he does not give God a discharge, though God should bless him with comfort and with increase in this life, that is the spirit of an hypocrite to give God his acquittance for other things. So it is said of the hypocrites, apechousi misthon - 'They have their reward,' Mat. vi. 2. The word signifies they give God their discharge. A man loseth nothing by God in the world; God may cast in outward things to commend our portion, and to make it more amiable to us, because we consist of body as well as soul, and have the interest of both to mind; he may add these ciphers to the figure, give in those things as appurtenances to heaven, but it is heaven they take for their portion. He may increase worldly things upon them as he thinks fit, but they that take up with this as their portion and reward, the honours, pleasures, and treasures of this life, are bastards, not sons; as bastards have means to live upon, though they do not inherit. The scripture everywhere condemns us for fastening upon the world as our portion: Ps. xvii. 14, 'Which have their portion in this life; ' and Luke xvi. 25, 'Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things;' and Jer. xvii. 13, 'They that depart from me shall be written in the earth.' Oh, to be condemned to this happiness is the greatest misery, to expect nothing else but this; therefore we must protest against this kind of reward; as Luther tells us, Valde protestatus sum, me nolle sic a Deo satiari, - I earnestly protested to God that he should not put me off with gold, riches, and the transitory things of the present life, We that are heirs according to the hope of eternal life expect better things in a better state, or else God would not answer the magnificent expressions wherein he hath spoken to us in his covenant. He hath told us, I will be your God, and that he himself, and all that is his, shall be ours. Certainly the magnificence of this expression is not verified and made good unless he hath better things to bestow upon us than what this world yields. Therefore the apostle tells us: Heb. xi. 16, 'He is not ashamed to be called our God, because he hath provided for us a city.' Now that God hath a city and a heavenly inheritance to bestow upon us, he may with honour take that title upon himself to be the God of his people. Neither would it answer the desires of his people, who look after a more perfect enjoyment of God than this life will permit. Therefore whatever here we have in temporal things, and what we have in spiritual things, it is not our reward. These are magnificent, as remission of sins, adoption, righteousness, grace, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost; these are but the beginnings and presignifications of a more blessed estate, these are but the suburbs of heaven; our advance-money before our pay comes; but our great reward is hereafter. Certainly it cannot be otherwise if you consider the being of God as infinite and eternal; God will give like himself. As it was said of Araunah, 2 Sam. xxiii. 24, 'All these things did Araunah as a king give to the king' - he was of the blood-royal of the Jebusites, and he carried it becoming his extraction; so there will be a time when God will give like himself. It does not become a mighty emperor to give pence and shillings, or brass farthings, it is below his greatness; so there will come a time when the Lord, as he is an infinite and eternal being, will give us 'a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,' 2 Cor. iv 17. Now it is very little God discovereth. God doth communicate and discover himself to the rational creature as lie is able to bear; Job xxvi. 14, 'Lo, these are part of his ways; but how little a portion is heard of him!' There is a time coming when the Lord will communicate himself to reasonable creatures in a fuller latitude than now he doth; therefore there is a more exceeding weight of glory we expect from him. Again, if you consider the largeness of Christ's merit and condescension. No wise man will lay a broad foundation unless he means to build an answerable structure thereupon. Well then, when God hath laid such a notable foundation as the blood of Christ, the death of the Son of God, I say, certainly he hath some notable worthy blessing to bestow upon us. There was price enough laid down, the blood of God; God would not be at such expense for nothing. What will not that purchase for us? In short, godliness must have a better recompense than is to be had here in the world. Take away rewards and take away religion, these things we enjoy here are but the offals of providence, enjoyed by God's enemies; they have the greatest share of worldly things: Ps. xvii. 14, 'Whose belly thou fillest with thy good treasures.' The more wise any are, the more they contemn these things. And would God put a spirit into a man to contemn his rewards? Would he give us wisdom and grace that we might slight that which he hath appointed for our reward? Therefore certainly this is not the reward.
The afflictions of men good and upright show that 'if we had our hopes only in this life, we were of all men most miserable,' 1 Cor. xv. 19; for here many times the best go to the wall. And therefore out of all we may conclude that there is a reward for the children of God hereafter. Thus I have gone through the first thing that is implied in this proposition, that that is to be believed and embraced by us. If we would have life put into our services - if we would have zeal for God, and delight in communion with him, look upon God as one that takes notice of human affairs, that delights in acts of mercy, that hath by his promise established a sure course of recompenses, and that the full of what is provided for us is in the world to come.
Secondly, There is something to be done on our part. God is a rewarder, but to whom? - 'To them that diligently seek him,' and to none but them. Here - (1.) What it is diligently to seek God? (2.) Why is this clause put here, that he is a rewarder of such?
1. What it is to seek God? Sometimes it is taken in a more particular and limited sense for prayer and invocation, for seeking, his counsel, help, and blessing; as in Isa. lv. 6, 'Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near.' Seeking the Lord and calling upon him are made parallel expressions. So Exod. xxxiii. 7, 'Every one that sought the Lord,' - that is, that went to ask his counsel, - 'went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation.' 'More largely, it is taken for the whole worship of God, and that duty and obedience we owe to him; as 2 Chron. xiv. 4, 'Asa commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment;' that is, to worship and obey him; so in 2 Chron. xxxiv. 3, it is said of Josiah when yet young, that 'he began to seek after the Lord God of his father David.' Obedience is called a seeking of God, because it is a means to further our communion with him. But a little to open the formality of the expression.
[1.] Seeking implies some loss or some want, for that which we have we seek not for. Now God may be considered either as to his essence and omnipresence, or as to his favour. As to his essence, so God can never be lost nor found, for he is everywhere present, in heaven, in earth, in hell: Acts xvii. 27, 'He is not far from every one of us;' he is within us, without us, round about us, in the effects of his power and goodness. But with respect to his favour and grace, so we are said to seek after God: Ps. cv. 4, 'Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face evermore;' that is, his powerful and favourable presence, comforting, quickening, and strengthening our hearts. This is that we want, and this is that we seek after.
[2.] Seeking implies that this must be our aim and scope, and the business of our lives and actions, to enjoy more of God till we come fully to enjoy him in heaven. The whole course of a christian must be a seeking after God, a getting more of God into his heart: Ps. lxiii. 8, 'My soul follows hard after thee.' It is not a slight motion or a cold wish, such as will easily be put off or blunted with discouragement, or satisfied with other things; but such as engages us to an earnest pursuit of him till we find him, and till we enjoy him in the completest way of fruition. Wicked men in a pang would have the favour of God, but they are soon put out of the humour, and take up with other things. Therefore this must be the scope of our whole lives, especially in the nobler actions of our lives. The noblest actions of our lives are our engaging in duties of worship in the ordinances of God; now there we must not only serve God but seek him. What is it to seek God in ordinances? In a word, it is this to make God not only the object, but the end of the worship; not only to come to God, but to come to God for God, so as to resolve that we will not go from him without him abs te absque te non recedam As Jacob said Gen xxxii 26, 'I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.' And therefore seeking God notes our scope; when we make this the great aim of our lives, especially in the duties of religion, in acts of worship, we desire to meet with him
[3] It implies a seeking of him in Christ For without a mediator guilty creatures cannot enjoy God We cannot immediately converse with God, there must be a mediator between God and us, John xiv 6, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me.' There is no getting to God but by Christ. God in our nature is more familiar with us, and more especially found of us: Hos. 3. 5, 'They shall seek the Lord their God and David their king,' that is, Christ. There is no seeking or finding of God but in and by Christ. Saith Luther, Horribile est de Deo extra Christum cogitare - It is a terrible thing to think of God out of Christ. As Themistocles, when he sought the favour of Admetus, which had been formerly his enemy, the historian tells us he snatched up his child, and so begged entertainment of him. We are enemies to God; if we go to him we must carry Christ with us. It is Christ's great work to bring us to God. He died for 'that end, that he might bring us to God,' 1 Peter iii. 18; and it is the great duty of a christian; he ought to come to God by him - 'He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.' Heb. vii. 25. And therefore since we have lost the favour of God, we shall never find him but in Christ.
[4.] This seeking is stirred up in us by the secret impressions of God's grace, and the help of his Spirit. All the persons are concerned in it, 'For through him we have an access to the Father by one Spirit,' Eph. ii. 18. Natural men are well enough pleased without God or they have but faint desires after him. Take men as they are in themselves, and the psalmist tells us, Ps. xiv. 2, 'No man understandeth and seeketh after God;' they have no affection, no desire of communion with him. So Ps x 4, 'The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all their thoughts.' Wicked men cast God out of their minds, never care whether he be pleased or displeased, whether he be enjoyed or hide himself from us. Ay, but the Spirit of God works this work in us. How so? The spirit of bondage brings us to God as a judge; God as a judge sends us to Christ as mediator; and Christ as mediator, by the spirit of adoption, brings us back to God again as a father; and so we come to enjoy God. The divine persons make way for the operations of one another. Saith Bernard, Nemo te quaerere potest, nisi qui prius invenerit; tu igitur invenire ut quaeraris, quaere ut inveniaris, potest quidem inveniri, non tamen praeveniri - None can be beforehand with God; we cannot seek him till we find him; he will be found that he may be sought, and he will be sought that he may be found; his preventing grace makes us restless in the means, and puts us upon those first motions and earnest addresses towards God.
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