Christian Duty Under The Hidings Of God's Face

A Fast Sermon: - Christian Duty Under The Hidings Of God's Face


By John Owen



Preached January 1, 1676.



The end of our meeting here this day is to bemoan, if God would help us, the withdrawing of God from among us, and to beg his returning unto us. It is not about any particular or any small occasion; but it is about the greatest concern of the glory of God and our own souls that we can ever be engaged or concerned in this world. Whether our spirits are suited and prepared to meet the Lord in such a work or no, we may do well to consider. Something I shall offer, if God bring it to mind, that may be of use unto us on the present occasion, from Isa. viii. 17, --



"And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him."



You may remember that my way is, upon these occasions, to speak some plain words unto you, that are not only of your special but of your present concern. I shall not, therefore, open the context here, but only tell you (which you will see by reading the chapter at any time) it was a time of great sin, of great darkness, of great danger; and yet there was a promise of Christ, that kept life in the church in the midst of all.



For the opening of the words, I would inquire into these four or five things:-- 1. Whom it is that God hideth his face from; 2. What it is for God to hide his face; 3. How we may know when God hideth his face; 4. What are the reasons why God hideth his face; 5. How we may distinguish between God's hiding his face and God's departing; and, lastly, What is our duty in such a state and case, when God doth hide his face: "I will wait upon the Lord, who hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him."



I shall speak very plainly, and I fear somewhat briefer than I intended, by reason of my infirmities, unto these things.



First, Whom is it that the Lord hideth his face from? It is from "the house of Jacob." God never hideth his face from the world, because his face never shines upon them. The face of God's providence alters towards the world. It is sometimes filled with more frowns and anger than at other times, and he works great alterations accordingly; but the face of God's grace, that neither shines upon nor can be said to be hid from the world.



God hides his face from "the house of Jacob." And two things are considerable herein:-- 1. That it is the true church of God that is intended; 2. That it is the church of God in some special state and condition that is intended, that is "Jacob."



1. It is the true church of God that is intended. Jacob is he that received the promises, with whom God made a covenant, to whom God engaged his truth: Mic. vii. 20, "Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old." Jacob being he that God had entered into covenant withal, took into covenant with himself, "the house of Jacob" are those, that are in covenant with God.



2. There is a twofold circumstance of the church comprised in this term, "Jacob:" -- (1.) That it is in a low, poor, afflicted condition. So was Jacob all his days He was a man of sorrow, a man of affliction, a man of temptation. "Few and evil were the days of his pilgrimage." And the church is nowhere called "Jacob" but with reference unto its low estate: Isa. xli. 14, "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel," saith he. When the church is as a contemptible worm, when there are but few that belong unto it, then it is called "Jacob." The church in a low, tempted, oppressed, sorrowful and mean condition, is "the house of Jacob." (2.) It is in a wrestling condition. This was the character of Jacob above all the patriarchs, -- he was the great wrestler with God; and he got nothing but by wrestling through great difficulties. You all know so that know the story of Jacob from first to last. So that the church is called "the house of Jacob when it is in a wrestling condition, contending with God and man for the blessing. And many repulses he had, and came off lame at last, with the unjointing of his bones.