vapours that come out of the place men gather that there is a spring below because of the ascent of vapours so the vapouring out of these desires shew that there is a spring of Grace in the heart they discover that there is a spring within And let those that mourne in Sion that have some evidence though they are not so good as they would be let them looke to their hearts what is thy desire what is the bent of thy soule when a man is once converted and turned wherein is his turning Especially his minde and judgement and esteeme of things as altered there is a change of minde and withall the desire and bent of the soule is altered that if a man aske him and examine what the bent is of all the course of his life oh that God might be glorified that his Church and cause might prosper that others might be converted this is the bent of his soule not that hee might be great in the world and ruine those that stand in his way this shewes that a man is a rotten hypocrite the bent and sway of the soule shews what a man is Because I would not have any deceived in the point take one evidence and signe more with you and that shall be in stead of all and it is out of the Text too One thing have I desired and that will I seeke after not by prayer onely but in the use of all meanes as indeed hee was never quiet till hee was setled againe in Sion nor then neither till he had gotten materials for the Temple and a place for Gods honour to dwell in If desires be not the desires of the sluggard there will be indeavour as wee see in the desire of David here One thing have I desired and that will I seeke he used all meanes to enjoy communion with God sweetly The Slug gard lusts and hath nothing so there are many spirituall sluggards that lust and have nothing because they shew not their desire in their indeavours there will be indeavour where the desire is true For desire springs from the Will the Will being the appetite of the whole man Voluntas appetitus c. The understanding carries not but the Will when the Will will have a thing it caryes all the parts hereupon when the desire is true it stirs up all the powers and faculties to doe their dutie to seeke to attaine the accomplishment and possession of that that is desired Those therefore that pretend they have good desires to God and yet live scandalously and negligently and will take no paines with their soules alas it is the sluggards desire if they take not paines to remoove all lets and hindrances for a man may know the desire of a thing is good when hee labours to set the hindrances out of the way if hee can if the lets and hindrances be not impossible hee will remove it if hee can Therefore those that pretend this and that There is a Lion in the way when they might remoove it if they would there is no true desire for desire is with the remooving of all possible hindrances of the thing desired But to resolve one question How shall I know whether my desire be strong enough and ripe enough or no to give me comfort I answer if the desire of grace be above the desire of any earthly thing that a man may say with David One thing have I desired I desire to be free from sinne as a greater blessing to my soule then to be free from any calamity oh it is a good signe And surely a man can never have comfort of his desire till his desires be raysed to that pitch For none ever shall come to heaven that doe not desire the things that tend to heaven above all earthly things nor none shall ever escape hell that doe not thinke it worse and more terrible then all earthly miseries God brings no fooles to heaven that cannot discerne the difference of things Therefore let us know that our desires are to little purpose if wee have some desire to be good c. but wee have a greater desire to be rich and great in the world to have such and such place if the desire of that be greater then to be gracious with God If we hate poverty and disgrace and want and this and that more then sinne and hell to which sinne leads it is a signe that our judgements are rotten and corrupt and that our desire is no pure spirituall desire for it is not answerable to the thing desired there is no proportion David saith here One thing have I desired his desire carryed him amaine to One thing necessary above all other things whatsoever Thus you see out of the Text what are the distinguishing notes of true desires from those that are false I need name no more if we consider what hath beene spoken Now for our comfort if we find these holy desires oh let us take comfort in our selves for God will fulfill the desires of them that feare him holy desires they are the birth of Gods Spirit and there is not one of them that shall be lost for God regards those desires My groanings are not hid from thee my groanings in trouble and desires of grace There is not the least thing stirred up in the soule by the Spirit of God but it prevayles with God in some degree answerable to the degree of worth in it therefore if wee have holy desires stirred up by God God promotes those desires God will regard his owne worke and to him that hath shall be given Lord be mercifull to thy servants that desire to feare thy Name saith Ezechias It is a plea that wee may bring to God Lord I desire to please thee as it is Isay 26. 8. The desire of our soules is to thy Name oh Lord Wee faile sometimes that wee cannot performe actions with that zeale and earnestnes as wee should but the desire and bent of our soule is to thy Name A Christian may make it his plea to God truly our desires are towards thy Name and wee have some sutable indeavours and our desires are more that way then to any thing in the world It is a good plea though wee be much hindred and pulled backe by our corruptions So much for that the Act upon this object One thing have I desired Of whom doth hee desire it Of the Lord. One thing have I desired of the Lord. It was not a blind desire of the thing but a desire directed to the right object to God to fulfill it Holy desires are such as we are not ashamed of but dare open them to God himselfe in prayer and desires to God A Christian what he desires as a Christian he prayes for and what he prayes for he desires he is an hypocrite else If a man pray as Saint Austin in his confessions that God would free him from temptations and yet is unwilling to
glorious things in the new Testament the Holy of holies c. And hee desired to dwell in the Tabernacle to be neare the Arke the House of God why because God manifested his presence there more then in other places The Arke hath Gods name in diverse places of Scripture because God gave his answers in the Arke in the Propitiatory or Mercie-seate they came there to know his meaning what hee would have he gave his answers there He is said to dwell betweene the Cherubins there were two Cherubins upon the Mercy-seate and God is said to dwell betweene the Cherubins that is there he was present to give answers to the high Priest when hee came to aske David knew this well enough that God had vouchsafed a more speciall presence in the Tabernacle then in all the places of the world and therefore saith he I desire to dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life House we take for the persons that are in it and persons that are ordered or else it is a confusion and not a house it is a company of those that are voluntary they come not by chance into our house those that are members of our Society but there is an order there is a governour in a house and some that are under government and there is a voluntary conjunction and combination So the Church is a voluntary company of people that is orderly some to teach and some to be instructed and thereupon it is called a house And it is called the House of God because he is present there as a man delights to be present in his house It is the place where God will be met withall As a man will be found in his house and there hee will have suitors come to him where hee reveales his secrets A man rests hee lyes and lodgeth in his house where is a man so familiar as in his house And what other place hath he such care to protect and provide for as his house And he layes up his treasures and his jewels in his house so God layes up all the treasures of grace and comfort in the visible Church In the Church hee is to be spoken with as a man is in his house there hee gives us sweet meetings there are mutuall spirituall kisses Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1. A mans house is his Castle as we say that hee will protect and provide for God will be sure to protect and provide for his Church Therefore hee calls the Church of God that is the Tabernacle that was the Church at that time the house of God If wee apply it to our times that that answers the Tabernacle now is particular visible Churches under particular Pastors where the meanes of salvation are set up particular visible Churches now are Gods Tabernacle The Church of the Jewes was a Nationall Church there was but one Church but one place and one Tabernacle but now God hath erected particular Tabernacles every particular Church Congregation under one Pastor their meeting is the Church of God a severall Church independant Our Nationall Church that is the Church of England because it is under a government Civill which is not dependant upon any other forraine Prince it is a particular Church from other nations In that God calls the Church his House it shewes the speciall respect that hee hath to his Church God though he be present every where yet he is present in another manner in his Church As for instance the soule is present in all the parts of the body but the soule as farre as it understands is onely in the braine as farre as it is the fountaine of life it is in the heart it hath offices and functions in all the parts but in the speciall function the rationall function of it as it discourseth and reasoneth it is in the braine so for our apprehension sake God is every where but as hee sanctifies and poures out his blessings and opens and manifests his secrets so he is in his Church especially God is every where but hee is in another way in heaven then in other places hee is there gloriously so in earth hee is every where but he is in another manner in the Church the heaven upon earth then in other places hee is there as in his house to protect them provide for them as his family and there hee abides by his Ordinances and takes solace and delight God delights himselfe in his Church and Children that attend upon his Ordinances where Two or three are met together I will bee in the middest of them When Gods people meet together in the Church God is present among them So you see in what respect the Tabernacle then and particular Churches now which answer it are called the House of God Let us learne this for our duty as well as consider our comfort in that the Church is the House of God let us carry our selves as wee should decently in the house of God Those that are to looke to the house of God they should purge out all uncleane corners that God may delight to dwell in his House still that we give him no cause to depart out of his House That I may Dwell in the house of the Lord c. The act here is that I may dwell in the house of the Lord. Hee did not desire to be in it for a day or a little time to salute it and so to leave it but to dwell in the House of the Lord and to dwell there for ever You see here that Christians have a constant love to the best things a constant desire to dwell in the house of God You may thinke it a strange desire of this holy man to dwell in the House of God but thinke then of the continuednesse of his desire it was even to heaven it selfe he desired to dwell in the House of God for ever For what end I desire to dwell in the House of God that I may dwell in the love of God and in the care of God to me in Christ for ever I doe not desire to dwell in the House of God as it is a meeting and there an end but I desire to dwell in the House of God that I may dwell in the love and care of God and not onely dwell in his care and love to me and his care and esteeme of me but that I may dwell in my love to him that I may abide in his love and faith in him that I may abide in Christ. It is not onely for a man to abide in the House of God and goe no further then so but to abide in the love of God and in our love and care and faith and dependance upon him to make God our house to live and walke and abide in to dwell in God as Saint Iohn saith not onely in the House of God but God himselfe And the upshot of all his Hag. 2. 7. Contents of the former part of the Psalme 1 Davids comfort 1 In Gods goodnes to himselfe 2 Cor. 1. 4. 2 In the destruction of his enemies who are described 1 By their malice 2 By their ruine 2 Davids courage 3 His care Division of the Text. Quest. Answ. Difference of things in the world Quest. Answ. The scope of a good heart in the use of Gods Ordinances The scope of a good heart in the use of Gods Ordinances The Prophet saith One thing have I desired 2 In respect of God 2 In respect of the soule 3 In respect of grace Vse To shew the vanlty of wordly men Thoughts and desires the first issues of the heart Motion stirred up by desire Holy desires arise 1 From Christ. 2 Esteeme 3 Deliberate judging Observ. The spirit stirres up holy desires in Gods children Quest. Answ. Desires are true 1 By the object 2 Fervency 3 Constancie 4 From Gods Love 5 Tend to Gods honour To examine our desires Simile Vsing all meanes and remooving all hinderances Quest. Answ. How to know good desires are strong Isay 26. 8. Object of Davids desire God August Observ. To turne desires into prayers To keepe acquaintance with God Ephes. 4. Note of a good conscience Davids importunity Observ. Perseverance and importunity requisite in prayer Luke 18. Quest. Answ. Answ. God doth notanswer our desires presently 1 God loves to heare our prayers 2 To keepe us humble 3 To exercise our graces 4 To praise Gods blessings 5 To use them better A spirit of prayer better then particular lessigs Object Psal. 23. 5. 6. Answ. Assurance of that we pray for no hinderance to prayer Dan. 9. Ioh. 17. Ezech. 36. Specification of Davids desire To dwell in the House of God House what House of God Cant. 1. Gods respect to his Church Simile To carrie our selves decently in Gods House Love of Gods children to good things constant David desired to dwell 1 In Gods love to him 2 In his love to God
The reverend faithfull and profitable Minister of Gods word Richard Sibbes D D master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge preacher of Grayes Inne London A BREATHING AFTER GOD. OR A CHRISTIANS DESIRE OF GODS PRESENCE BY The late Reverent and worthy Divine RICHARD SIBS Doctor in Divinity Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometime Preacher of Graies-Inne Psal 42 1. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soule after thee O God Lam. 3. 56. Hide not thne eare at my breathing LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for â— M. and are to be sold by Thomas Slater at the Swan in Duck lane 1639. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER MAN in this world especially since his defection from God standing at a distance from his happinesse in respect of full possession it is not the least part of his blisse to be happy in expectation Happinesse being by all men desireable the desire of it is naturally ingrafted in every man and is the Center of all the searchings of his heart and turnings of his life But the most of men like the men of Sodome grope and finde not the right dore onely to a true Christian by a supernaturall light is discovered both the right object and the right way to felicitie Vpon this discovery finding himselfe while hee is here a stranger to his happinesse hee desires to take leave of this sublunary condition that he may enjoy him who is The desire of all Nations Now although God cast common blessings promiscuously upon good and bad yet hee holds his best favours at a distance as Parents doe Cherries or Apples from their children to whet their appetites the more after them And indeede the best perfection of a Christian in his military condition is in desire and expectation and it is enough to him that for that he hath Gods acceptation who knowing whereof wee are made and how unable to hold waite in the ballance of the Sanctuary takes his best Gold with grains of allowance The soule of man is like a Cipher which is valued by that which is set before it if it weary it selfe in the desire of earthly things like the Silke-worme it finisheth its worke with its owne destruction but if on things above when this earthly Tabernacle is turned to Ashes there shall result a glorious Phoenix for immortalitie There are no Cha racters better distinguishing a Christian then those that are inward hipocrisie like sale-worke may make a faire shew outward an hypocrite may performe external works but cannot dissemble inward affections and amongst them none better discovers his temper then the beating of the pulse of his desires w ch this worthy Author who departed not without being much desired and no lesse lamented hath most lively set forth in the ensuing Treatise which a Christian holding as a Glasse before him may discerne whether hee have life or no by these breathings For the obiect here propounded what more desirable then the chiefe good for the place where can it bee more desired then in his house where his presence is manifested what better end to bee in that house then to behold God in the beauty of holinesse what terme of happinesse better then for ever This was the desire of the holy Prophet David and that it may be thy desire is the desire of Thy Christian Friend H. I. Imprimatur Tho Wykes The Contents Difference of things in the world page 20 The scope of a good heart in the use of Gods ordinances what it is 25 Observation 1. The object of a Christians desire what 23 Why said to be one thing 27 In respect of God ibid In respect of the soule 28 In respect of grace 30 Vse To shew the folly of worldly men in the neglect of theone thing necessary 35 Thoughts and desires the the primitive issues of the heart 37 How they are begotten 39 Obser. 2. The spirit of God in the hearts of his children is effectuall in stirring up holy desires 42 Trial of desires whether true By their obiect 44 By their fervencie 45 By their constancie ibid By their rise 47 By their end 48 By their endeavours 54 Vse Exhortation to examine our desires 51 Strong desires how to know when they are so 57 Obser. 3 Holy desires are to bee turned into prayers 66 Reas. 1. Thereby wee maintaine acquaintance with God ibid Reas. 2. Thereby we manifest a good conscience 69 Obser. 4. Perseverance and importunity requisite in prayer 70 God doth not presently answer our desires and why 78 Because he loues to heare us pray ibid To keepe us humble ibid To exercise our graces 79 To make us prize his blessings 80 To teach vs to use them better when we enjoy them ibid The having the spirit of prayer better then the enjoyment of particular blessings 81 Assurance before we pray to receiue what we pray for no hinderance to prayer 84 Gods house what it is 91 Love of Gods children to good things constant 99 Observa 5. God is beautiful in himself 117 In his Church 118 Especially in Christ. 121 Christ most louely in his greatest abasement 125 The Church beautifull In regard of the Angels 129 In regard of the ordinances 13â— The word preached 133 The sacraments 1â—8 Discipline 141 Ioynt service of God 143 In regard of the Evidences of Gods loue 146 Protection 147 Effectuall calling 148 Instification 149 Sanctification 150 Inward peace joy 152 The Church of God a Paradise 157 Vse Exhortation to bee in loue with the beauty of God and his house 160 Carnall men see not this beauty and why 163 True delight wherein it consists 166 Happines of man what 170 How to come to see the beauty of God 172 Get spirituall life ibid Beg the spirit of revelation 173 Labour to see our owne deformity 176 Consider Christs relations to us 177 A continuall necessitie of the ordinances 183 Private duties must give way to publique 186 Papists their error in addition 192 There hath alway beene a Church 198 Marks of the true Church 199 Abuse of things takes not away their use 200 What estate they are in that are cast out of the Church 202 Tryals of our love to the beauty of Gods house 206 How to come to see the beauty of Gods house 213 Vse Gods means ibid Come in faith ibid Compare the excellency of Gods house with other things 215 Desire God to reveale him selfe in his ordinances 225 Motives to labour to see the beauty of God himselfe and of his house 228 It makes us glorious 229 Our soules are made for these things 231 Least God remoue his ordinances 234 A BREATHING after GOD. PSAL. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beautie of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple THis Psalme is partly a Prophesie it was made after some great deliverance out of
dwell and where his Spirit dwells in the house of the Lord there is one argument that moved him I desire to dwell there because it is the house of God which is set out by the extent of time that I may dwell in the house of God all the dayes of my life till I be housed in heaven where I shall need none of these Ordinances that I stand in need of in this world I desire to dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life Then the secondend is To behold the beauty of God that was one end of his desire to dwell in the house of God not to feed his eyes with speculations and goodly sights as indeed there were in the Tabernacle goodly things to be seene no he had a more spirituall sight then that hee saw the inward spirituall beauty of those spirituall things the other were but outward things as the Apostle calls them I desire to dwell in the house of the Lord to behold the beauty of the Lord the inward beauty of the Lord especially And then the third end of his desire is That I may enquire in his Temple hee desired to dwell in the house of God because it was the house of God and to see the beauty of God the sweet alluring beauty of God that appeared in his Ordinances and then his desire was to dwell in the house of God that hee might enquire more and more of the meaning of God still because there is an unsathomed bottome and an endlesse depth of excel lency in divine things that the more wee know the more wee may and the more wee seeke the more we may seeke they are beyond our capacity they doe not onely satisfie but transcend it therefore hee desires still further and further to wade deeper into these things to enquire in Gods Temple Thus yee see the stateof the verse There is a generaldesire propounded One thing have I desired of the Lord that wil I seek after And then the desire specified To dwell in the house of the Lord. And to see the beauty of the Lord And to enquire in his Temple These be the 3. ends One thing have I desired of the Lord c. To speake first of this desire generally propounded One thing have I desired c. And then of the increase of it in that hee saith I will seeke after it still he desired it and he would seeke more and more after it In the desire consider First the object One thing And then the desire or seeking it selfe First the object One thing Was there but one thing for holy David to make the object of his desire was there but one thing needfull Alas this poor life of ours it is a life of necessities how many things are needfull for our bodies how many things are needfull for the decencie of our condition how many things need we for our soules it is a life of necessities how then doth hee say One thing have I desired yes his meaning is comparatively I seeke for other things in their order and rancke and as they may stand with the mayne but indeed one thing principally all the rest will follow Seeke yee first the Kingdome of God and all the rest will be cast on you The best way to have all other things is to seeke one thing in the first place Therefore in heavenly wisedome he saith I desire unum uniâ—è one thing after an entire manner that I desire more then all things else Hence we may see that There is a difference of degrees of things God hath established in the world degrees of things there are some good some ill by his permission of good there are some that are greater goods and some lesse there are spirituall goods and outward goods and of spirituall good there are some that are meanes leading to that which is spiritually good and some that are spirituall good things in their owne essence and nature the leading preparing things are the meanes of salvation the Word and Sacraments and being in the visible Church the true spirituall good it he good that wee get by these things faith and love and spirituall inward strength Now that there is degrees of things the Prophet here insinuates when he saith One thing have I desired that is of all these variety of things hee desired the best that includes all in it God to exercise the wisedome that hee hath given to man hath planted adifference in the creatures and hath given a faculty to man to make a right choise in those differences and then man makes a right choise when hee chooseth as God chooseth Now God makes choise of spirituall things to be the best things and them he gives to his best friends he knowes they will make us good and supply all outward wants whatsoever and sanctifie all estates and conditions to us and they are eternall sutable to the spirituall nature of oursoules God knowes this very well therefore God hath set spirituall things as the one only thing so the soule when it is made spirituall and hath the Image of God upon it it chooseth as God chooseth One thing have I desired But here it may be asked why doth he say One thing he desired not onely to live neare the Tabernacle but to heare and see to have the Word read and he desired thereupon Grace and then nearer Communion with God by grace to have more communion here and fuller communion in heaven here is more then one thing I answere it is all one as a chaine that hath many linkes yet it is but one chaine so all these are but one I desire one thing What is that To live in the Church of God to enjoy the Ordinances of God and they will draw on faith feare c. the Spirit accompanying the Ordinances it will be a spirit of faith and repentance and grace and by those graces of faith and the rest that accompany the Ordinances I shall have nearer communion with God here and eternall and everlasting communion with God in heaven and all these are but one because they are all linkes of one chaine Therefore when he saith One thing have I desired he meanes that one thing that will draw on all other That is the scope of a gracious heart when it attends upon the meanes of salvation and lives in the Church not to heare that it may heare and there an end and to read that it may read to performe it as a taske and all is done but to have the worke of the Spirit together with it to have the Ministery of the Spirit in the Gospell and the spirit to increase saith and faith to increase all other graces and so by grace to grow into nearer communion with God in Christ that is the scope of every good hearer therefore hee speakes to purpose when he saith One thing have I desired But to speake a
little more of the object why doth he say One thing First it is from the nature of God wee must have the whole bent and sway of our soules to him he will have no halting The Devill is content with halfe if we will sinne because then hee is sure of all but God will have the whole heart My sonne give me thy whole heart and Thou shalt love the Lord withall thy heart and withall thy soule the bent and sway of the soule must be that way for it is the nature of excellent things except wâ— desire them in the chiefe place they take state upon them God takes state upon him in this case hee will not have us serve him and Mammon he will not have the heart divided Then againe it is from the nature of the soule therefore hee saith One thing It is the nature of the soule when it is upon many things it can doe nothing well therefore that I may be religious to purpose One thing have I desired A streame cut into many channels runs weakely and is unfit to carry any thing Babylon was so taken They cut the River into many channels and then hee that tooke it easily passed over them When the soule is divided into many channels to many things that it lookes after this thing and that thing and that with expence and intention of care and indeavour Alas where is the desire of one thing necessary all the while For the soule cannot goe with that strength as it should except it mind one thing the soule of man is a finite thing therefore except it gather its strength as a streame that riseth of many particular lesser rivers which makes it run strongly so the soule it cannot desire one thing as it should except it bring all other petty streames to it and make that the mayne desire to be saved in another world and to have communion and fellowship with God in Christ Jesus by the Spirit of grace in this world in the use of the meanes unlesse this be the maine care the soule takes no good when it is so much set on other things Then thirdly hee sets downe this One thing To dwell in the house of God to grow in grace there as a Cedar to be a Tree planted there from the very nature of grace which is to unite things to the mayne the Spirit of grace sets before the eye of the soule heavenly spirituall things in their greatnesse and excellency and the Spirit of grace seeing there are many usefull things in this world it hath an uniting knitting subordinating power to rancke all things so as they may agree to and helpe the mayne Grace confines the soule to one thing man after his fall sought out many inventions saith the Wise man he was not content with his condition when he stood but hee sought out many inventions When man falls to the creature he knowes not where to stay no creature can afford a stay and rest for the soule long the soule is never quiet till it come to God againe and that is the one thing the soule desireth The soule being sanctified by the Spirit of God it subordinates all things to this one thing David desired many things besides this one thing but not in that degree but as they might stand with the desire of this one thing necessarie Grace subordinates and ranckes all things so as that the best things have the preheminence Therefore hee might well say One thing from the disposition that grace hath to rancke all things to one It is a promise in the Covenant of grace saith God I will give you one heart as soone as a man becomes a Christian he hath one heart his heart before was divided there was variety of objects it was set upon God had the least piece the slesh had a piece and this delight and that delight had a piece but saith God I will give you one heart that is a heart uniting it selfe in desire to the best things and regulating all things so as all shall be but one that a man shall use the world as though hee used it not so as it shall helpe to the maine As I sayd little streames they helpe the mayne streame running into it so grace hath a subordinating power over all things in the world as they may helpe the mayne One thing have I desired and I desire other things as they may helpe the mayne Grace will teach us that Art it hath a speciall Art that way So wee see both in regard of God and in regard of the soule being finite and in respect of the wise disposing of grace that aymes at the mayne and ranckes all things as they may helpe the mayne he doth well say One thing have I desired This shewes the vanitie and basenesse of every worldly man that makes the mayne worke and labour his by-worke and the by-worke his mayne worke that that is the One thing necessarie is set after all Indeed without grace this is so The first worke of grace is to set the soule in order to subdue base affections to sanctifie the judgement and when it hath set the soule in tune and order then it is fitted to set a right price on things to rancke and order them as it should So much shall be sufficient to unfold the object it selfe in generall One thing Have I desired Now I come to the affection it selfe set forth here by the degrees One thing have I desired and that I will seeke after I have desired it and I will desire it still desires are the issues of the heart thoughts and desires are the two primitive issues of the heart the birthes of the heart Thoughts breed desire thoughts in the minde or braine the braine strikes the heart presently It goes from the understanding to the will and affections what we thinke of that wee desire if it be good So thoughts and desires they immediatly spring from the soule And where they are in any efficacy and strength they stirre up motion in the outward man the desires of the soule being the inward motion they stirre up outward motion till there be an attaining of the thing desired and then there is rest Desire to the thing desired is like motus ad quietem as motionis to rest when motion coms once to rest it is quiet so desire which is the inward motion it stirres up outward motion till the thing desired be accomplished and then the soule rests in a loving content and enjoying of the thing desired Now this desire it was a spituall desire One thing have I desired of the Lord. Holy desires they issue from choyce a holy wise desire when it is not a meere notion it ariseth from a choyce of a thing that is good for desire is nothing but the imbracing and closing with a thing that is good The understanding must choose the good first before the soule imbrace it The will
heaven then all our desires shall be accomplished and all promises performed and not before then This is a life of desires and we must be in a state of desires and prayers still till we be in heaven What is the reason that God doth not presently accomplish our desires There be diverse reasons First of all he loves to heare the desires of his servants hee loves to be sued unto because hee knowes it is for our good It is Musicke that best pleaseth Gods eares to heare a soule come to him to request especially spirituall things of him which hee delights most to give which hee knowes is most usefull and best for us this pleaseth him so marvellously that he will not presently grant it but leads us along and along that still he may heare more and more from us And then to keepe us in a perpetuall humble subjection and dependance on him hee grants not all at once but leads us a long by yeelding a little and a little that so hee may keepe us in a humble dependance And then to exercise all our graces for a spirit of prayer is a spirit of exercise of all grace wee cannot pray but we must exercise faith and love to God and his Church and a sanctified judgement to esteeme what are the best things to be prayed for and to exercise mortification If I regardsinne God will not regard my prayers A spirit of prayer is a spirit that puts all into exercise therefore God to keepe us in the exercise of all grace answeres not at the first And then hee would have us to set a high price upon what wee desire and seeke after if we had it at the first we should not set so high an esteeme and price of it And then that wee might better use it when we have it then wee use things as wee should doe when wee have gotten them with much adoe when we have won them from God with great importunity then we keepe and preserve them as wee should These the like reasons may be given you may easily conceive them your selves Therefore let us not be offended with Gods gracious dispensation if he answer not our desires presently but pray still and if wee have the spirit of prayer continued to us that spirit of prayer is better then the thing wee beg a great deale Oft-times God answers us in a better kind when he gives us a spirit of prayer for increasing a spirit of prayer in us he increaseth all graces in us what is it we would have This or that particular grace but when God gives us a spirit of prayer he answeres us better then in the thing we aske for there is all grace He will answer in one kind or other But I will not be large in these points you see then what was the affection of the holy Prophet to that one thing One thing have I desired And he did not onely desire it but turned his desire into a prayer hee prayed to God and hee not onely prayed once or twice but hee seekes it still till God vouchsafed to grant it Well but that that he prayed for hee was assured of and therefore what need hee pray for it hee had a promise Psalme 23. 5 6. Hee shall prepare a Table before mine enemies my Cup doth overflow But what is that to this these be things of this life Oh! but saith he God will be good to me in the things of another life and all the dayes of my life too Doubtlesse the loving kindnesse of the Lord shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord hee takes in trust his dwelling in the house of God and that the loving kindnesse of God should follow him all the dayes of his life hee was assured of it and yet here hee seekes it and prayes for it I note it to shew that the assurance of the thing takes not away the earnestnesse of prayer Daniel was assured Dan. 9. That God would deliver the Jewes out of Babylon he had read Ieremies Prophesies he knew the time was accomplished yet we see what an earnest prayer hee makes there Christ knew that God heard him in all his desires that he should have all good from God being his onely Sonne yet he prayed whole nights sometimes and a whole Chapter Ioh. 17. is an excellent prayer of his so that the assurance of the thing takes not away prayer to God nay it stablisheth it for God so makes good his promises for the time to come as that hee makes them good this way hee will be sought to by prayer And I may know hence that hee will make good his promises for the time to come to me if I have a spirit of prayer for them if I pray for perseverance to the end that God would vouchsafe me grace to live in the Church and to grow up as a Cedar God surely meanes to grant this because hee hath given me holy and gracious desires which he would not have given me but that hee meanes to give the thing For this is an encouragement to pray when I know I shall not loose my labour I pray because I have a promise to have it and I know the promise runnes upon this But I will be sought unto of the house of Judah for this Ezek. 36. For if wee have it and have not sought it by prayer for the most part we cannot have a comfortable use of it unlesse we have things as the fruite of our prayers though there be not a particular prayer for every particular thing we have of God yet unlesse it be the fruit of the generall prayer that wee put up daily we cannot have comfort in it if God give it by a generall providence as he fills the bellies of the wicked with good things But if we will have things for our good in particular we must receive them as the fruite of our prayers from God you see here he seekes and desires that that hee had a promise to have one thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seeke That I may dwell in the House of the Lord. It was generally propounded before One thing have I desired and that will I seeke after with all my might and what is that the specification of it is this That I may dwell in the House of the Lord for ever His desire is not only to be in Gods house but to dwell in it to abide and not for a little while but to dwell and to dwell all the dayes of my life The House of God then was the Tabernacle the Sanctuary the Temple was not yet built he desired to be neare the Tabernacle to dwell in the Sanctuary the place of Gods worship In the Tabernacle which in those times was the House of God there was the Arke and the mercy-seate types of many