such a one as we have been speaking of. The spouse also cried out that she was sick of love.' Such sickness would do us good, for in it the pulse beats strongly well. Ca. v. 8.

[Some objections answered.]

Object. But it may be objected, I am yet in doubt of the goodness of my desires, both because my desires run both ways, and because those that run towards sin and the world seem more and stronger than those that run after God, and Christ, and grace.

Ans. There is not a Christian under heaven but has desires that run both ways, as is manifest from what hath been said already. Flesh will be flesh; grace shall not make it otherwise. By flesh I mean that body of sin and death that dwelleth in the godly. Ro. vi. 6. As grace will act according to its nature, so sin will act according to the nature of sin. Ep. i. 3. Now, the flesh has desires, and the desires of the flesh and of the mind are both one in the ungodly; thank God it is not so in thee! Ro. vii. 24. The flesh, I say, hath its desires in the godly; hence it is said to lust enviously; it lusts against the Spirit; The flesh lusteth against the Spirit.' Ga. v. 17. And if it be so audacious as to fly in the face of the Holy Ghost, wonder that thou art not wholly carried away with it! Ro. vii. 25.

Object. But those desires that run to the world and sin seem most and strongest in me.

Answ. The works of the flesh are manifest; that is, more plainly discovered even in the godly than are the works of the Holy Ghost. Ga. v. 19. And this their manifestation ariseth from these following particulars:

1. We know the least appearance of a sin better by its native hue than we know a grace of the Spirit. 2. Sin is sooner felt in its bitterness to and upon a sanctified soul than is the grace of God. A little aloes will be sooner tasted than will much sweet, though mixed therewith. 3. Sin is dreadful and murderous in the sight of a sanctified soul: wherefore the apprehending of that makes us often forget, and often question whether we have any grace or no. 4. Grace lies deep in the hidden part, but sin lies high, and floats above in the flesh; wherefore it is easier, oftener seen than is the grace of God. Ps. li. 6. The little fishes swim on the top of the water, but the biggest and best keep down below, and so are seldomer seen. 5. Grace, as to quantity, seems less than sin. What is leaven, or a

There may a thousand acts of grace pass through thy soul, and thou be sensible of few, if any, of them.* 8. Do you think that he that repents, believes, loves, fears, or humbles himself before God, and acts in other graces too, doth always know what he doth? No, no; grace many times, even in a man, is acted by him, unawares unto him. Did Gideon, think you, believe that he was so strong in grace as he was? Nay, was he not ready to give the lie to the angel, when he told him God was with him? Ju. vi. 12, 13. Or what do you think of David, when he said he was cast off from God's eyes? Ps. xxxi. 22. Or of Heman, when he said he was free among them whom God remembered no more? Ps. lxxxviii. Did these, then, see their graces so clear, as they saw themselves by their sins to be unworthy ones? I tell you it is a rare thing for some Christians to see their graces, but a thing very common for such to see their sins; yea, and to feel them too, in their lusts and desires, to the shaking of their souls.

Quest. But since I have lusts and desires both ways, how shall I know to which my soul adheres?

Answ. This may be known thus: 1. Which wouldest thou have prevail? the desires of the flesh, or the lusts of the spirit, whose side art thou of? Doth not thy soul now inwardly say, and that with a strong indignation, O let God, let grace, let my desires that are good, prevail against my flesh, for Jesus Christ his sake? 2. What kind of secret wishes hast thou in thy soul when thou feelest the lusts of thy flesh to rage? Dost thou not inwardly, and with indignation against sin, say, 0 that I might never, never feel one such motion more? O that my soul were so full of grace, that there might be longer no room for ever for the least lust to come into my thoughts! 3. What kind of thoughts hast thou of thyself, now thou seest these desires of thine that are good so briskly opposed by those that are bad? Dost thou not say, O! I am the basest of creatures, I could even spew at myself? There is no man in all the world in my eyes so loathsome as myself is. I abhor myself; a toad is not so vile as I am.† O Lord, let me be anything but a sinner, anything, so thou subduest mine iniquities for me! 4. How dost thou like the discovery of that which thou thinkest is grace in other men? Dost thou not cry out, 0, I bless

* As we escape a thousand bodily dangers unseen and unknown to us in time, so, doubtless, acts of grace pass through

the soul without our being sensible of them, although they

may be the means of saving us from severe tribulations. How wondrous will be the review of our lives when we shall see face to face, and know all things.—ED.

them in my heart! O, methinks grace is the greatest beauty in the world! Yea, I could be content to live and die with those people that have the grace of God in their souls. A hundred times, and a hundred, when I have been upon my knees before God, I have desired, were it the will of God, that I might be in their condition. 5. How art thou when thou thinkest that thou thyself hast grace? O then, says the soul, I am as if I could leap out of myself; joy, joy, joy then is with my heart. It is, methinks, the greatest mercy under heaven to be made a gracious man.

And is it thus with thy soul indeed? Happy man! It is grace that has thy soul, though sin at present works in thy flesh. Yea, all these breathings are the very actings of grace, even of the grace of desire, of love, of humility, and of the fear of God within thee. Be of good courage, thou art on the right side. Thy desires are only good; for that thou hast desired against thy sin, thy sinful self; which indeed is not thyself, but sin that dwells in thee.*

[The distinct or particular desires of the righteous.]

Second. I come next to speak of desires more distinctly, or particularly, as they work this way and that. First, then, the desires of the righteous are either such as they would have accomplished here; or else, Second, such as they know they cannot come at the enjoyment of till after death.

[Desires that may be accomplished or enjoyed in this life.]

First. For the first of these, the desires of the righteous are for such good things as they could have accomplished here; that is, in this world, while they are on this side glory. And they, in general, are comprised under these two general heads:-1. Communion with their God in spirit, or spiritual communion with him; 2. The liberty of the enjoyment of his holy ordinances. And, in- | deed, this second is, that they may both attain to, and have the first maintained with them. But for the first:

1. They desire now communion with God. With my soul,' said she, have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.' Is. xxvi. 9. The reason of this she renders in the verse foregoing, saying, 'The desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.'

Now, thus to desire, declares one already made righteous. For herein there appears a mind re* This inward conflict between opposing principles constitutes the very distinction between the regenerate and the unregenerate, and forms part of the recorded experience of the most advanced, and elevated, and spiritually-minded believers.

Freedom from this conflict is not to be expected here by any

child of God.'-Dr. Wardlaw.

conciled to God. Wherefore the wicked are set on the other side, even in that opposition to these; they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.' Job xxi. 14. They neither love his presence, nor to be frequenters of his ordinances. What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him?' Job xxi. 15. So, again, speaking of the wicked, he saith, Ye have said it is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance?' Mal. iii. 14. This, then, to desire truly to have communion with God, is the property of a righteous man, of a righteous man only; for this desire arises from a suitableness which is in the righteous unto God; 'Whom,' said the Prophet, have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.' Ps. xxiii. 25. This could never be the desire of a man, were he not a righteous man, a man with a truly sanctified mind. The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' Ro. viii. 7.

When Moses, the man of God, was with the children of Israel in the wilderness, he prays that God would give them his presence unto Canaan, or else to let them die in that place. It was death to him to think of being in the wilderness without God! And he said unto God, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.' Ex. xxxiii. 14, 15. Here, then, are the desires of a righteous man— namely, after communion with God. He chooses rather to be a stranger with God in the world, than to be a citizen of the world and a stranger to God. 'For I am,' said David, a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.' Ps. xxxix. 12. Indeed, he that walketh with God is but a stranger to this world. And the righteous man's desires are to, for, and after communion with God, though he be so.

The reasons of these desires are many. In communion with God is life and favour; yea, the very presence of God with a man is a token of it. Ps. xxx. 3—5. For by his presence he helps, succours, relieves, and supports the hearts of his people, and therefore is communion with him desired. ' I will,' said David, behave myself wisely in a perfect way; O when wilt thou come unto me?' Ps. ci. 2. The pleasures that such a soul finds in God that has communion with him are surpassing all pleasures and delights, yea, infinitely surpassing them. 'In thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.' Ps. xvi. 11. i Upon this account he is called the desire of all nations-of all in all nations that know him. Job desired God's presence, that he might reason with God. Surely,' said he, I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.' Job xiii. 3. And again, O that one would hear me! Behold my desire is that the Almighty would answer me.' Job axxi. 35. But why doth Job thus desire to be in

They were their bread, they were their water, they were their milk, they were their honey. Hence the sanctuary was called the desire of their eyes, and that which their soul pitieth, or the pity of their soul.' They had rather have died than lost it, or than that it should have been burned down as it was. Eze. xxiv. 21, 25.

When the children of Israel had lost the ark, they count that the glory was departed from Israel. But when they had lost all, what a complaint made they then! He hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden, he hath destroyed his places of the assembly. The Lord hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Sion, and hath despised, in the indignation of his anger, the king and the priest.' La. ii. 6. Wherefore, upon this account, it was that the church in those days counted the punishment of her iniquity greater than the punishment of Sodom. La. iv. 6. 1 Sa, iv. 22.

By these few hints you may perceive what is the 'desire of the righteous.' But this is spoken of with reference to things present, to things that the righteous desire to enjoy while they are here; com

[Desires that can only be accomplished or enjoyed in eternity.]

Second. Then the desires of the righteous are after that which yet they know cannot be enjoyed till after death. And those are comprehended under these two heads-1. They desire that presence of their Lord which is personal. 2. They desire to be in that country where their Lord personally is, that heavenly country.

1. [They desire that presence of their Lord which is personal.] For the first of these, says Paul, ‘I have a desire to depart, and to be with Christ.' Thus you have it in Phi. i. 23, I have a desire to be with Christ.'

In our first sort of desires, I told you that the righteous desired spiritual communion with God; and now I tell you they desire to be with Christ's person-‘I have a desire to be with Christ;' that is, with his person, that I may enjoy his personal presence, such a presence of his as we are not capable to enjoy while here. Hence he says, 'I have a desire to depart, that I might be with him; knowing,' as he says in another place, ‘that whilst we are at home in the body, we are,' and cannot but be, absent from the Lord.' 2 Co. v. 6. Now this desire, as I said, is a desire that hath a long neck; for it can look over the brazen wall of this, quite into another world; and as it hath a long neck, so it is very forcible and mighty in its operation.

(1.) This desire breeds a divorce, a complete divorce, betwixt the soul and all inordinate love and affections to relations and worldly enjoyments. This desire makes a married man live as if he had no wife; a rich man lives as if he possessed not what he has, &c. 1 Co. vii. 29, 30. This is a soulsequestering desire. This desire makes a man willing rather to be absent from all enjoyments, that he may be present with the Lord. This is a famous desire; none hath this desire but a

Behaviour.-ED.

Blessed be God the sword is for the present sheathed. Marvellous was the indomitable courage of the martyrs under papacy, and, in a later day, of the Scottish Covenanters. They

saw their friends and ministers tortured and murdered-the

pain of the boots must have been inconceivable-the bones of their legs were crushed between pieces of iron, and, even when

death had released the victim, savage barbarity was practised upon his mutilated remains; the head and hands were cut off and exhibited upon a pike, the hands fixed as in the attitude of prayer, to mock the holiest duty. Can we wonder that lambs became lions, overthrew the horrid enemy, and drove out State Episcopacy for ever ?--ED

to Christ, that yet never had such a desire in them all their life long. No, the relation that they stand in to the world, together with those many flesh-pleasing accommodations with which they are surrounded, would never yet suffer such a desire to enter into their hearts.

(2.) The strength of this desire is such, that it is ready, so far forth as it can, to dissolve that sweet knot of union that is betwixt body and soul, a knot more dear to a reasonable creature than that can be which is betwixt wife and husband, parent and child, or a man and his estate. For even 'all that a man hath will he give for his life,' and to keep