A. 4. An unfeigned desire is superlative ; we desire Christ, not only more than the world, but more than heaven, Ps. Ixxiii. 25., " Whom have I in heaven but thee?" Heaven itself would not satisfy without Christ; Christ is the diamond in the ring of glory ; if God should say to the soul, " I will put thee into heaven, but I will hide my face from thee, — I will diaw a curtain between that thou slialt not behold my glo- ry,"— the soul would not be satisfied, but say, as Absalom, 2 Sam. xiv. 32., " Now therefore let me see the king's face."
A. 5. An unfeigned desire is gradual ; it increaseth as the sun in the horizon ; a little of God will not satisfy, but the ])ious soul desireth still more ; a drop of water is not enough for the thirsty traveller. Though a Christian is thankful for tlie least degree of grace, yet he is not satisfied with the great- est ; still he thirsts for more of Chri>t, and his Spirit. Desire is an holy dropsy ; a saint would have more knowledge, more sanctity, more of Christ's presence. A glimpse of Christ through the lattice of an ordinance is sweet ; and now the soul will never leave longing till it sees him face to face. He desiies to have grace perfected in glory, Dulcissimo Deo totns immergi cupit tt invis- cerari, — we would be swallowed up in God, and be ever bathing ourselves in those per- fumed waters of phasure, which run at his ri;^ht-hand for ever. Sure this unfeigned desire after God is a blessed sign that the kingdom of grace is come into our liearts, the beating of this pulse shows life ! Est a Deo ut bene velimns, Aug. If iron move upwards contrary to its nature, it is a sign
OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
427
some loadstone luith been there drawinc^ it : if tlie soul move towards God in an unfeign- ed desire, it is a sign the loadstone of the Spirit hath been drawing it. We may know ihe kinjjdom of jj-race is come into our hearts by having the princely grace of faith. Fides est sanctissima humani pectoris^ Ge.aima. Faith cuts us off from the wild olive of na- ture, and ingrafts us into Christ ; faith is the vital artery of the soul, Ileb. x.38., " The just shall live by faith." Faith makes an holy adventure on Christ's merits ; when this faith, as a princely grace reigns in the soul, now the kingdom of God is come unto us. The Hebrew word for faith comes from a radix which signifies to vourish : faith nour- isheth the soul, and is the nurse of all the gi'accs. But, who will not say he is a be- liever? Simon Magus believed, Acts viii. 13., yet was in the gall of bitterness. The hypocrite can put on faith's mantle, as the devil did Samuel's. How shall we know therefore that our faith is sound, — that it is the faith of the operation of God, Col. ii. 12., — and so that the kingdom of God is within us ?
Ans. 1. True faith is wrought by the mi- nistry of the word, Rom. x. IT., " Faith comes by hearing." Peter let down the net of his ministry, and at one draught catched three thousand souls. Let us ex- amine how was our faith wrought ? Did God in the ministry of the word humble us ? Did he break up the fallow-ground of our heart, and then cast in the seed of faith ? A good sign ; but, if you know not how you came by your faith, suspect yourselves; as we suspect men to have stolen goods, when they know not how they came by them.
A. 2. True faith is at first minute and small, like a grain of mustard-seed ; it is full of doubts and fears ; it is smoking flax ; it smokes with desire, but doth not flame with comfort ; it is so small that a Christian can hardly discern whether he hath faith or not.
A, 3. True faith is long in working, — wow sil in instanti, — it costs many scarchings of heart, many prayers and tears ; there is a s|)iritual combat, — the soul suffers many sore pangs of humiliation before the child of faith he born. They whose faith is p<r saltunt, they leap out of sin into a confidence
that Christ is theirs; I say, as Isaac con- cerning his son's venison, Gen. xxvii. 20., " How is it that thou hast found it so quick ly ?" How is it that thou camest by thy faith so soon ? The seed in the parable which sprung up suddenly withered, Mark iv. 5., Solent prctcocta synilo flnccessere.
A. 4. True faith is joined with sanctity ; as a little bczoar is strong in operation, and a little musk sweetens, so a little faith pu- rifies, 1 Tim. iii. 9., " Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." Faith, though it doth but touch Christ, fetcheth an healing virtue from him. Justifying faith doth that in a spiritual sense, which mira- culous faith doth ; it removes the mountains of sin, and casts them into the sea of Christ's blood.