A choice Bed of Spices. 171 from thee. Mat. 5. 6. Bleffd are they tphich do hunger and thirfl after righteoufnefs, for they (hall lefilled ; or as the Greek runs (after the participle of the prefent tenfe) they that are hun- oerino and thirfling ; intimating, that where ever this is the prefent difpofition of mens fouls, they are bleffed,Re.v. 2.2.17. And let him that is athirft come ; and xhofoever will, let him take the stater of life freely. Sincere defires of grace are thofe holy feeds, thofe divine beginnings of grace in the foul, out of which .grace fprings and grows up to its meafure and perfe- aion. 0 Sirs!, look as no man can fincerely Peek God in vain, fo no man can fincerely defire grace in vain. A man may love gold, yet not have it ; but no man loveth God, but is fare to have him. Wealth a man may defire, and yet be never the neerer for it ; but grace no man ever fincerely defired anal miffed it : And why ? it is God that hath wrought this defire in the heart, and he will never fruftrate the defire that him- felf hath there wrought ; let no man fay, I have no faith, no repentance, no love, no fear of God, nofanaifying,no caving grace in me. Doth he fee a want of thofe things in himfelf ? yes, that is it which fo grieves him, that he cannot love God, Viand in awe of him, trufl in his-, mercy, repent of fin as he fhould ;, yea, but doth he ferioufly, and unfeignedly defire to do thus ? yes, he defires it above all things in the world, and would be willing (as it were)to buy even with a whole world the leaft meafure, or dram, or drop only of filch grace. Now let me ask hit, who is it that hath wrought this defire in him.? Not the. 'Devil 5 for he would rather quench it than kindle it in him Not his own corruption, for that is na- turally averfe to every thing that is good, it mull needs then be the work of the Spirit of God, who works in us both to will and to do of his owiigood pleafure, and who pronoun- ceth all them bleffed that thus defire after grace. When. I have a good defire, faith one, though it doh fcarcely Phew it fel f in fome little flender figh, I mull be affured that the Spi- rit of God is prefent, and worketh his good work. Wicked men do not defire the. grace. of the holy Spirit, whereby they May refift fin, and therefore they are ,juitly deprived of it ; for he that earneftly defireth the holy Ghoft bath it al- Z2 ready, ifusuflin. Where there are fincere defires `of grace, there are the feeds of grace, the con- ception of grace, thi buds of glace. Keranitius, Urfi- ni Carechis.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=