1. They shall seek the Lord their God is my
first part, and the Lord's prime direction
for the repairing of a broken Nation. Neither
indeed can any other course be taken;
for till we have found him, while he
does hide his face, nothing but darkness
dwells upon the land; or if any light do
break out, 'tis but the kindlings of his anger:
so he expresses, Deut.31.17 This people
will forsake me and break my Covenant; then my
anger shall be kindled against them, and I will
forsake them, and hide my face from them, and
they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles
shall befall them, so that they will say in that
day, Are not these evils come upon us because
our God is not amongst us? This absence is
onely another word for desolation: Be thou
instructed, o Jerusalem, saith God by Jeremy,
c. 6.8. lest my soul depart from thee, and I make
thee desolate, a land not inhabited: As if without
him there were nothing else but solitude
in Cities and in Courts, and all were
desert where he does not dwell. Yea there
is something beyond desolation, Hos. 9.
11, 12. As for Ephraim, their glory shall flee
away like a bird from the birth and from the

1

womb, and from the conception: though they
bring up their children, yet will I bereave them
that there shall not be a man, NoValue yea
wo also to them when I depart from them. And it
must needs be so; for let our state be never
so calamitous, if God be not departed, there is
comfort in it, and a deliverer at hand: If
we are in the place of dragons, his presence
will make heaven there; and although we
be covered with the shadow of death, if the
light of his Countenance break in, we are
in glory; and the brightness of that will
soon damp and shine out the fiery trial.
But if the Lord depart, then there is no redemption
possible: God hath forsaken him,
persecute him and take him, for there is none to
deliver him,. But if there were deliverance
some other way, yet the want of
God's presence is an evil, such as nothing in
the whole world can make good: the presence
of an angel in his stead does not.
When the Lord said to Israel, I will not go up
in the midst of thee, but I will send an Angel with
thee, and drive out the Amorite, the Hittite, &c.
yet when the people heard these evil tidings, they
mourned, and no man did put on his Ornaments,

B3

Exod.33.4. Nay more, I shall not speak a
contradiction if I shall say, that the most intimate
presence of the Godhead does not supply
God's absence; and such a small withdrawing
of himself as may consist with
being united hypostatically, was too much for
him to bear who was Immanuel, when he
complained God was not with him: I mean our
Saviour on the Cross. He, who although
he did beseech against his cup with fervencies
that did breath out in heats of
bloody sweat, with agonies of prayer; yet when
he fell down under it, did chearfully submit
to it, saying, Not my will, but thy will be
done; yet when God hides himself, he does
expostulate with him, crying out, My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me? His God
could no more forsake him, then himself
could be not himself: and yet the apprehension
of that which could not be was
even insufferable to him, to whom nothing
could be insufferable. He seems to
feel a very contradiction while he but
seems to feel the want of the Lord's presence.
Such is the sad importance of God's not
being with us; and this same instance tells
us what drives him away. 'Twas sin that
he withdrew from then: Christ did but
take on him our guilt, and upon that the
Lord forsook him: God could no more endure
to behold wickedness in him, then
the Sun could to see God suffer; Iniquity
eclips'd them both, and sin did separate
betwixt him and himself, and made that
person who was God cry out, My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me? And it will
doe the same betwixt God and a people.
Isa. 59. 1, 2. Behold, the Lord's hand is not
shortned that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy
that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have
separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid his face from you, that he will not
hear. His face is clothed with light, we
know; but when Wickedness over-spreads
a people, those deeds of darkness put out the
light of his countenance. His hand although
it be not shortned, yet it contracts and shuts
it self, not onely to grasp and withhold his
mercies from them, but to smite: Iniquity
builds such a wall of separation as does
shut out omnipresence, and makes him who
is every where, not be with such a people;
not be in hearing of their needs; for when
their sins do cry, no prayers can be hearkned
to; he will not hear you, saith the Prophet.
And that gives us the very NoValue of
the Lord's departure from a people, and
the manner of it.
He is taking away his peace and mercies
from a Nation when he will hear no
prayers for it; and He declares that he will
hear no prayers when he withdraws once
from his house of prayer, and makes his offices
to cease. The place appointed for
these offices, the Sanctuary, he calls, we
know, the tabernacle of meeting, that is,
where he would meet his votaries, and
hear and bless them; calls it his house,
his dwelling-place, his court, his presence, and
his throne: and if so, when he is not to
be found in these, when he no longer dwels
nor meets in them, we may be sure that
he hath left the land. The Psalmist, when
he does complain men had done evil in the
Sanctuary, the adversaries roared in the midst
of the Congregations, and set up their banners
there for trophies; they broke down all the carved
work thereof with axes and hammers, and

5

had defiled the dwelling places of God's name
even to the ground, and burnt up all the houses
of God in the land; he does suppose that
God was then departed when they had left
him no abiding place: and therefore he cries
out, O God, wherefore art thou absent from us so
long? Remember Sion where thou hast dwelt.
But 'tis not only upon these Analogies I build
this method of departure; we shall finde
exactly in Ezekiel's Vision of that case to
which my Text referres: it begins chap. 9.3.
And the glory of the God of Israel i.e. the shining
cloud, the token of his presence in the
Sanctuary, went up from the Cherub whereupon
he was, to the threshold of the House, as going
out; and then ver. 8. he does refuse to be
entreated for the land: after that ch. 10.18
The glory went from off the threshold to
the midst of the City; and chap. 11.23. it went
from thence to the mountain without the City,
and so away: And then nothing but desolation
dwelt upon the land, until the
counsel of my Text was followed, and
they did seek the Lord their God: for then
the glory did return into the Sanctuary just
as it went away, as you may find it ch. 43.

C

And having seen when and how God forsakes
a people, and for what, that does direct
us how to seek him, and it is thus;
When men forsake those paths in which
they did not onely erre and goe astray, but
did walk contrary to God, so that they did
forsake each other; and do return, walk in
his waies, the waies of his Commandments, and
return also to his Church, and seek him in
his house, fall low before his footstool, begge
of him to meet in his tabernacle, renew his
Worship, and all invitations of him to return
into his dwelling-place. For sure as it
is in vain to seek him but in his own waies,
nor can we hope to meet him but in his
Tabernacle of meeting; so also Scripture calls
both these to seek the Lord, and promises
to both the finding him. To the first, Deut.
4.29,30. If from thy tribulation thou shalt seek
the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou
seek him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be
obedient unto his voice. And to the second,
Jer. 29. 12. speaking of this sad state to
which my Text relates, Then shall ye call
upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me; and

7

I will hearken unto you, and I will be found of
you, saith the Lord, and I will turn away your
captivity. I could produce you instances
of Asa making all his people swear to seek the
Lord: but because my Text speaks of David,
he shall be the great explication, as he
was the practice of this duty in both senses.
In the former, 119. Psal. I have sought
thy Commandments above gold or precious stone;
more then that which does make and does
adorn my Crown, then that which furnishes
all the necessities and all the pomps of Royalty.
And for the other, Psal.63. 1,2. O God, thou
art my God, early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth
for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry
and thirsty land where no water is: To see thy
power and thy glory, as I have seen thee in the
Sanctuary. His very words do seem to labour
too, and he does seek expressions to tell
us how he seeks. The hot fits of a thirsty
palate that call so oft and so impetuously
are in his soul; it hath a pious fever, which
cannot be allay'd but by pouring out of his
soul to God in the Temple, by breathing out
its heats in his devotion offices. Nay more,
he longs, hath that I know not whether appetite,

C2

or passion, which is not to be understood,
but onely suffered; to which all the
unreasonable violences which passion can be
heated into, all the defaillances nature can be
opprest into, are natural; it is the bodies Extasie.
Now this he had towards the worship
of the Sanctuary; his very flesh found
rapture in those exercises, and when he was
in a barren and dry land, was driven from
the plenties of a Court, and from the glories
of a throne into a desert solitude, he found
no other wants but of God's house; did
mind, pant, and long after nothing else, did
neither thirst for his necessities, not long for
his own Crown, but for the Tabernacle only.
And besides the Religion of this, he had reason
of State too to be thus affected; this
was the best means to engage his Subjects
to him and secure his Throne. He knew, if
by establishing God's worship and by going with
the multitude, as he did use, to the exercises
of it; if by royal example and encouragements
of vertue, and by discountenancing and chastising
impiety, by doing as he did profess
to doe Ps 101 that directory for a Court
he could people his land with holy living, and
his Temple with holy Worship; he knew he
should then have good Subjects, loyal to
him and at peace with themselves. If they
will seek their God, then they will seek their
King. The Lord saw his dependence,
and therefore counselled this course should
be taken. The Master of our Politicks discerned
it too, and therefore does advise that
the first and chiefest publick cares should
be about things of Religion, that and the same
profession of it being NoValue,
the cement of Communities, and the very foundation of all legislative,
and indeed all power in the Magistrate:
and in the people NoValue,
'tis a most efficacious philtre,
a charm, a Gordian knot of kindness. And as a
Jew observed of their own Nation, NoValue,
To have one
and the same opinions of God, and not to differ
in their rites from one another, breeds the best
harmony in mens affections. When on the
other side no obligations, though the most
signal and divine, will hold them in obedience

C3

and peace, if their ambitions or interests 
look another way: and if at any time
present advantage, or an expectation, or some
passion do encline them to seek David their
King; yet the appearance of a change of
Interest, that expectation defeated, or a
cross animosity will burst those bonds, unless
Religion and Communion in Worship help
to twist them. David had had experience
of this.
Abner knew of God's oath to David that
after Saul he should be King over all Israel;
but he was otherwise concerned, and therefore
he made Ishbosheth King, maintained
a long and a sore warre even against what
he knew God was engaged to bring about,
and made himself strong for the house of Saul,
2 Sam. 2, 3. ch. But when a quarrel happened
betwixt Ishbosheth and him, then, So doe
God to Abner and more also, except as the Lord
hath sworn to David, even so I doe to him, to
set up the throne of David over Israel and over
Judah. And he sent Messengers to him saying,
Whose is the land? make but thy league with
me. c.3. 9, 10, 11, 12. Do but look forward,
and you find when Abner was cut off, and
Ishbosheth was slain, and Israel had no leader,
then they came to David, saying, Behold,
we are thy bone and thy flesh, and the Lord said
to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, c.5.1,2.
They knew all that before, yet would not
let him doe it, till they had no other leader.
Nay, when they had done that, by
Absalom's insinuations who in a way of
treacherous pity did instill dislikes against
the government, and did remonstrae in
good wishes, as some men do in prayers,
c.15.3,4 they were all drawn into rebellion
against this David, and made him flie
out of the land, and became Subjects to
that Absalom. When he was dead indeed
they speak of bringing back the King, c. 19.
10. and when his own Judah had done it,
quarrell'd ver. 43. because that their advice
was not first had: and though Judah had nothing
but their service, for, Have we eaten
at all of the Kings cost, or hath he given us any
gift? say they, ver.42. yet Israel is angry, because
he came not back upon their score,
for they forsooth have ten parts in him, v.43.
and yet the next day every man of Israel
went after him that said, We have no part

12

in David, Sheba a man of Belial, ch. 20. 1.
Thus no allegiance, no tie however sacred
and divine will hold them who follow
not upon God's score. Nay at the last, because
that Rehoboam would not ease their
taxes, all Israel cry out, What portion have we
in David? see to thine own house, David. And
to make this secession perpetual which all
the former did not prove Jeroboam did use
no other policy, but to change the Worship
and the Priests: He knew he should divide
their hearts and Nations for ever, when
he had altered once the Service and the
Officers; and if he could but keep them
from seeking God at Jerusalem, he was secure
they would not seek David their King. And
so it proved. Now the Lord to prevent divisions
had provided so farre Uniformity in
his worship, that he required a single Unity;
and that it might be but in one manner,
he let it be but in one place.
And truly, when men once depart from
Uniformity, what measures can they set
themselves of changing? what shall confine
or put shores to them? what principle
can they proceed upon which shall
engage them to stay any where? and why
may not divisions be as infinite as mens
phansies? And though, when those are
but in circumstantial things, those who
are strong, and know them to be such, are
no otherwise concerned to contend for
them then on Authorities behalf, to which
every change is a Convulsion fitt, and on
the account of decency, and of compliance
with the universal Church: yet
when others do dogmatize, and put conscience
in the not doing them, and stand at such
a distance from them as to chuse Schisme,
Disobedience, and Sedition rather, and therefore
must needs look upon damnation in
them; these differences make as great a
gulfe and chasme as that which does divide
Dives from Abraham's bosome. It is one
God, one Faith, one Worship makes hearts one.
Hands lifted up together in the Temple
they will joyn and clasp: and so Religion
does fulfill its name a religando, binds Prince
and Subjects all together; and they who
thus do seek the Lord their God, will also
seek David their King, God's next direction,
and my second part.

D

2. And here three things offer themselves,
a King, their King, and David their
King.
I am not here to read a Lecture of State
policy upon a vie of Governments; why
seek a King, not any other sort of Government;
and why their King, one that already
was so by the right of Succession, not
whom addresses or election should make so.
And though I think 'twere easie to demonstrate
onely Monarchy had ever a divine or
natural original, and that elective Monarchy
is most unsafe and burthensome, full of dangerous
and uneasie consequences, and this
so much to sight, that choice for the most
part bounds it self, proves but a ceremony
of Succession: yet this I need not doe, for
I am dealing with the Jews, who had
God's judgement in the case, and his appointment
too; and to me that is argument
enough. And when God hath declar'd, for
the transgressions of a land many are the Princes
thereof; many at once, as in a Common-wealth,
or many several families successively,
for so God reckons also one or many; 'tis
still, we see, David their King, while 'tis in
David's line, and so the King does truely never
die, while his race lives. If either of
these many be God's punishment, for the
sins of a land, I will not say that they who
love the many Princes love the transgressions
which God plagues so; but I will say,
they who do chuse that which God calls
his plague, that quarrel for his vengeance,
and with great strife and hazard take his
indignation by force, I can but pity them in
their own options and enjoyments: but,
O my soul, enter not thou into their counsels.
As for seeking their King, I shall content
my self with that which Calvin saies upon
the words; Nam alitervere et ex animo Deum
quærere non potuit, quin se etiam subjiceret legitimo
imperio cui subjectus erat: For they could
not otherwise truly and with all their heart seek
God, except they did subject themselves to his
Government to whom they did of right belong
as Subjects. And I shall adde that they who
do forsake their King, will soon forsake their
God. The Rabbines say it more severely

D2

of Israel, that they at once rejected three things,
the Kingdome of the house of David, and the
Kingdome of Heaven, and the Sanctuary. And
truly, if we do consult that State from the
beginning, we shall find that when they
were without their King, they alwaies were
without their God.
Moses was the first King in Jeshurun, and
he was onely gone into the Mount for
forty daies, and they set up a golden Calf;
they make themselves a God if they want
him whom the Lord makes so, as he does
the Magistrate: if they have not a Prince,
that NoValue living Image of God,
then they must have an Idol. When Moses
his next successor was dead, we read that
the man Micah had an house of Gods, and consecrated
one of his sons to be his Priest: and
truly he might make his Priest who made
his Deities. And the account of this is given,
In those daies there was no King in Israel,
Jud.17.5,6. The very same is said ch.18.1
to preface the Idolatry of the Tribe of Dan.
There was no heir of restraint, as it is worded
ver.7. It seems, to curb impiety is the
Princes Inheritance, which till it be supprest,
he hath not what he is heir to. But
Vice will know no boundaries if there be
no King, whose sword is the onely mound
and sence against it: for if we reade on
there, 19, 20, 21 ch. we shall find those
dismal tragedies of Lust and Warre, the one
of which did sin to death the Levites wife;
the other, besides 40000. slain of them
who had a righteous cause, and whom God
did bid fight, destroyed also a Tribe in
Israel: these all sprang from the same occasion,
for so the story closes it, In those
daies there was no King in Israel, ch.21.25.
Just upon this, when God in their necessities
did raise them Judges, that is,
Kings, read all their story, you will find to
almost every several Judge there did succeed
a several Idolatry: God still complaining,
the children of Israel did evil again after
the death of such an one, till he raised them
another. Those 450. years being divided
all betwixt their Princes and their Idols.
After them Jeroboam, he that made the
great secession of that people from their
Prince, hath got no other character from
God but this, the Man that did make Israel

D3

18

to sin, at once against God and against their
King. Yea upon this account they are
reckon'd by God to sin after both their Idolatry
and State were ended, when their calves
and their Kingdome were destroyed. Ezek. 4.
4,5. the Lord does bid the Prophet lie on
his left side 390. daies, to bear the iniquity of
Israel according to the number of the years of
their iniquity. But this was more then the
years of their State, which were onely 255.
390 years indeed there were betwixt the
falling off of the ten Tribes, and the destruction
of Jerusalem by the King of Babel;
but those ten Tribes were gone, their Kingdome
perfectly destroy'd above 130. years
before: but their iniquity was not, it seems,
that does outlive their State, so long as that
God's Temple, that King's house did stand from
which they did divide. As if Seditious and
Schismaticks sin longer then they are, even
while they are whom they do sin against
in separating from.
'Tis true, there was an Ahaz and Manasseh
in the house of David, but Hezekiah and Josiah
did succeed. Mischief did not appear
entail'd on Monarchy, as 'tis upon rebellion and
having no King. It does appear their Kings
were guards also to God and his Religion,
the great defendors of his Faith and Worship.
God and the Prince for the most part stood
and fell together: Therefore S. Paul did
afterwards advise to pray for Kings, that we
might live in godliness and honesty; and still
they were the same who sought the Lord
their God, and David the King.