Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v9

Ih It Chap. 3e. An Expofttion upon the Books of J o a. Teri. 4 when fet before us, but it compels us, both to labour and fuller, to worke and fight for them, rather then goe without them, or dye for want. A hungry man is pat rnodeffy and complements, he will care unbidden, yea you cannot beate him offfrom eating, where bread is tobe had. Hewill not onlygive his money, but venture his life for bread, rather then dye or live only a pining life in the want ofbread. When Elam came hungry and faibt out of the field, he fpar'd no colt for his reliefe ( Cye.e. 25.3z. ) Behold.I am at the poynt to dye,and what prefie(ball this birth right doe me r Doubtleffe efauwas inno great danger ofdeath. It was the greedinesofhis appetite, the greatnes of his paflion, or ra- ther the impotencyof his fpirit,that made him fpeake and give at Snell a rate for a meffe of pottage, indeed the molt colfly meáe that ever was eaten in this world; The higheft of the Romane luxury, never went to Efaus price for a meffe of meate. Now if Efau was thus forced by an inordinate, if not awanton appetite, to fuck a condifcention, what will not a ftarvingly hungry Ito- mack force the hand unto. And thus'eis alto in fpiritualls ; They who hunger and thirft indeed forChrift and his righteoufneffe, will dig for it , they will toyle and labour to fweat for it, as Chrift commands ( john 6.22.) Labourfor the meat that endu- reth to everlafing life ; Who wouldnot endure labour, as long as life lafteth, for meat that endureth toeverlafting life ? Some pretenders to Chrift will fcarce pull their hands out oftheir poc- ket, or put their foot over the threffhold for fpii>ituall food, but if their foules were hungry indeed, they would overcome all dif- ficulties for it. The hunger of the foule will carry us through more difficulties, then that of the body; The hunger ofthebo- dy bids usdig through lionwalls, but foulehunger will make us venture through the fire for food. The lazines and cowardize ofmany profeffors, are an argument that they have no hunger, no holy appetite after fpirituall food ; they that feele it, will both labour and venture, they will take any pains, and endure any paine that they maybe filled. Thirdly, Note; Nature will live with a little, and with that which ss mean a»d courfe. Nature is content with little, and grace with leffe. See the good-

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