184. flTrial o f Sincerity, or, . remember god, than he doth breath. As the Common- wealth is maintained by x- paoetation, and importation of. commodities ; fo is our life maintained by a con- tinual exportation,and importation of the Ayre, palling to and fro; breathing out the Ayre, when it is too hot in us, and fetching it in cool again, to refrefh and fupply the fpirits ; our life ( I fay ) is maintained by it ; and God is the very fountain of life to its ; even as the foul 'is the life of the body,. fo is God the life of the foul ; ,therefore we should always be remembring of God, fo oft asve breath; breathing out prayers tohim, or praifes ofhim in return ofhismercy. Our memories ( I fay ) thould be exercifed in thinking upon God, in remem- bring of God; Remember thy Creator , in theda)e, ofthyyoath, faith Solomon; We thouldbegin-betimes, andwethould never be weary utthis. The memory is one of the britticft parrs, and weare mofe apt in age to grow to oblivion and for - getfulnefs ; as that great Oratour did fonaetirne, it is reported of him, that his memory (whichwas incomparably excellent before) failed him fo much before he died, thathe forget his own nwame. We cannot forget God, but we waft be wolf than he, and do that fìrft, forget oirr own name, that we are Chriflians, that we are Eons anddaughters ofGód. Therefore this thould be a thing, that we thould fiert inure our felves unto, not to put the &Ougghhts of God from us, or think they are ton fad and ferious, and fo toaccount them as unwelcome guéfts; but we. thould rather often, bath our felves in thefefweet delights, in the meditation, and remembrance ofGod. That isune thing. z. Of the will And then fccondly ; befides the ACt of the underftanding (I will go according andaffeetions. to the words ofthe text ) there is ana&of the will,and of the afte&ions ; .oneonly named as a tafte ofall the rcft ; for indeed whereone is, all are, they are fo linked and chained together, that they cannot be feparate: And here is a fyweet at ofaf- fe&ionmentioned ; Tbédefire ofourfoul is toward thee. DeGees. This thouldbe one part-ofaChriftianschara&er, that his deftrcthouldbealways breathing out, and flaming up towards heaven; that ifhe cannot at staff obtainthe .higheft pitch of full fayls of love, and of a full perfe&ion in vertue andgrace; yet, whatfoever he cometh fhort in otherwife, to make it up with abundantdefires, ar- dent longing defires, not to come thole in that to be litre; that will make an ex- cellent fupply. And indeed, it is that, that poor and weak Chriflians mull mill to many times. muff relieve themfelves with thoughts of ; they often find themfelves exceeding fhort, and defe&ive in performances; if theydid not find tome defires working in them, there would fcarce be any fymptome of life. As it may be in the body ; a man can fee fometimcs, but little motion in the body ; fcarce any fymptome of life , the guile is very weak and faine , and fcarce moveth at all that can be di(cerned hut yet it may be there is fome kind ofbreath ffirring, or clfe we conclude the party dead ; fo it is in this cafe ; delire is that (ifthere be truth in it, be it the loweftdegreeof it) which is anevidence offpiritual life; therecán_ not be truth ofgrace, where there is not unfeigned, and hearty&fires toward God; delves to approve our felves tohim, defires to walk with him inour wholecourfe, defrres to be defective innothing; and that is in fome fort true (as youknow Divines have determined it, and if it benot mif-interpreted, there is a certaintruth Delires an ar- in it ) the defire ofgrace, is thegrace it Pelf ; and the delire of God, isthat which gument of a makes fome union, and giveth its Tome communion and fellowfhip withGod. For Gracious bean - it is impoffible that theheart fhould delire, and longafter Gpd,' except it be, that the heart bepointedwith love toward God, except the heart love God for delire is nothing but a certain confguration of love: Love is thegeneral affe&ion of the foul to any thingthat is good in all thepoffuresof ic.Ntow if it fall out that the good thing I love, be abfent from me, that i have it not inpoffeflion, then love isIhaped ;put, and (heweth it fell in defires. It muttneeds be therefore, that where there lre defires towards God, and defires ofgrace, there is fomewhat of God formed in that perfon, there is fomethingof grace begun ; atleafl the firft lineamentsthereof arc drawn in fome kind of truth. This is the feeond A& that Chriftians thould exercife, and take fpecial care to eherifh ; that they have continual pantings, and breathings'
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