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In the former verse David prays, "Hear, O Lord," etc. Now this verse is a ground of that prayer, for God had said to him, "Seek My face," and he had replied, "Thy face, Lord, will I seek." Note —

I. GOD'S COMMAND.

1. God shows Himself to His understanding creature. But why should God bid men seek Him? Because He would have men worship Him, and in order to this God must show him how He will be served. It may be objected that everything proclaims this, to seek God. Though God had not spoken, nor His Word, every creature hath a voice to say, "Seek God." All His benefits have that voice to say, "Seek God." Everything hath a voice. We know God's nature somewhat in the creature, that He is a powerful, a wise, a just God. We see it by the works of creation and providence; but if we should know His nature, and not His will towards us — His commanding will, what He will have us do; and His promising will, what He will do for us — except we have a ground for this from God, the knowledge of His nature is but a confused knowledge; it serves but to make us inexcusable, as in Romans 1:19 it is proved at large. It is too confused to be the ground of obedience, unless the will of God be discovered before; therefore we must know the mind of God.

2. God is willing to be known. God delights not to hide Himself. God stands not upon state, as some emperors do that think their presence diminisheth respect. God is no such God, but He may be searched into. Man, if any weakness be discovered, we can soon search into the depth of his excellency; but with God it is clean otherwise. The more we know of Him, the more we shall admire Him. None admire Him more than the blessed angels, that see most of Him, and the blessed spirits that have communion with Him. Therefore He hides not Himself, nay, He desires to be known; and all those that have His Spirit desire to make Him known.

3. God's goodness is a communicative, spreading goodness. Two things make us very like God, that much concern this point: to do things freely of ourselves, and to do them far. To communicate goodness, and to communicate it far to many. The greater the fire is, the further it burns; the greater the love is, the further it extends and communicates itself. There are none more like God than those that communicate what good they have to others, and communicate it as far and remote as they can to extend it to many.

4. The ground of all obedience, of all holy intercourse with God, is a spirit of application. Applying the truths of God, though generally spoken, to ourselves in particular, if we do not — as indeed it is the fault of the times to hear the Word of God loosely — we care not so much to hear the Word of God, as to hear the gifts of men. We desire to hear fine things, to increase notions. We delight in them, and to hear some empty creature, to fasten upon a story or some phrases by the bye. Alas I you come here to hear duties and comforts, if you be good, and sentences against you, if you be naught. We speak God's threatenings to you that will wound you to hell, except you pull them out by repentance. It is another manner of matter to hear than it is took for. "Take heed how you hear," saith Christ (Luke 8:18). So we had need, for the Word that we hear now shall judge us at the latter day. Thereupon we should labour for a spirit of application, to make a right use of it as we should. For if we do not, we dishonour God and His bounty and give joy to the devil, for the devil rejoiceth when he seeth what excellent things are laid open in the Church of God, in the ministry, what sweet promises and comforts, but here is nobody to take them and lay hold on them; like a table that is richly furnished, and there is nobody comes and takes it. It makes the devil sport, it rejoiceth the enemy of mankind when we lose so great advantage, that we will not apply those blessed truths and make them our own.

II. THE OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMAND. "Thy face, Lord," etc. I will seek by Thy strength and grace. And this obedience was —

1. Present, at once.

2. Pliable, that of a ready, obedient heart.

3. Perfect and sincere.

4. Openly professed, as Joshua 24:15.

5. Continued, and —

6. Suitable, answerable to the command.Faith will see light at a little crevice. When it sees an encouragement once, a command, it will soon answer: and when it sees a promise, half a promise, it will welcome it. It is an obedient thing, "the obedience of faith" (Romans 16:26). It believes, and upon believing, it goes to God. As the servants of the king of Assyria, they catch the Word presently, "Thy servant Benhadad" (1 Kings 20:82); so faith, it catcheth the Word.

(R. Sibbea.)

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KJV: When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

WEB: When you said, "Seek my face," my heart said to you, "I will seek your face, Yahweh."