I52 The Soule,' efeéluall calling toChrift. the delires of thewicked are flafhy, lazy and fee, ble, andcome to nothing. But even as the long ingdefre ofa womanwith childe will not leave her till her life Both leave her, fo the delires which the promife workcs will never leave the foule till it be poflèffedofthe thing it delires. Our Mac;b.x m. aó; Saviour faith,A bruifed reedfhalihe not breake, and thatfrnoaking _Mx (ball bee not quench. Nowwee all know that flax will not fmoake, unleff.: the fparkles come to it ; but when the fparkles have taken the flax, then it doth fmoake, and will not leave till it come to a dame. The fatale is like the flax, and it will never fmoake in delire towards the Lord, till the Lordby his Spirit in the pro- mifedoth ftrike fire upon it : the Lordmuff lirft ftrike fire by the promife upon the foule, before it can ever flame in a delire towards theLord; and when it Both once fmoake in a holy delire, the Lordwill not let it faile before he brings it to a perfect flame, and before it bee pofl'effed of Chrift and mercy which it longs for. Aeafon. The reafon ofthisorder of Gods worke, why delire comes next after hope is this ; becaufe de- fire is that other atfeïtion which ferves the great commandrefTeofthe loulc,the will,for thefe alfe- ¿'rions are as hand-maids to ferve thewill. The will faith, I will have this or that good,and there- fore hope wait you for it, and & fiire, long you af- ter it c Hope is the furtheft and greatef reach of the foule; for when the foule is doubting and, quarrelling, and faith, will the Lorddoe good to furl) an unworthy wretch as I am : yes faith the minds
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