Why Does Christ Hide Himself at Times?

Why does Christ conceal himself at times? Four reasons why:
(1) To see whether we can live by faith, or whether we be altogether addicted to sense, as the world is, who live altogether by sense and not by faith.
(2) He would have our patience tried to the utmost. He would have 'patience have its perfect work' (James 1:4).
(3) Christ will stir up and quicken zeal and fervency in his children; and therefore he seemed to deny the woman of Canaan (Mark 7:27, 28); first, he gives no answer but a harsh answer, 'A dog.’ And she works upon it: 'Though I am a dog, yet dogs have crumbs.' All which denial was only to stir up zeal and earnestness. And therefore, though Christ does not manifest himself to us at first, he does so to stir up zeal and affection to seek him more earnestly. There is a notable passage of this (Song of Sol. 3:1-4). The soul sought Christ, and sought long, and sought in the use of all means; but at length she waited, and in waiting she found him.
(4) Christ does this to set a better price upon his presence when he comes; to make his presence highly valued when he does reveal himself. Things long desired please more sweetly; as warmth after cold, and meat after hunger, and so in every particular of this life. And therefore God, to set a greater price on his presence, defers for a long time. Long deferring of a thing does but enlarge the soul. Now, when we want what we love, that empties the soul marvellously much; it mortifies affection. When God keeps off a long time, and we see it is God only must do it, then affection is taken off from earthly things, and the heart enlarged to God by the want of the thing we love. It is very beneficial to us. We lose nothing. We have it at last more abundantly. Certainly, this comes from God, and God should have all the glory. God is wise; and therefore, makes us wait a long time for what we do desire.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
A Heavenly Conference, pp. 17-19
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