' Bilney was much comforted in a great conflict by that promise, 1 Tim. i. 15 ; and Ursine by that in John x. 29 ; another by that in Isa. Ivii. 15 ; another by that in Isa. xxxi. 3 ; Mr Wheatley with that in Heb. x. 87, &c. [See Index, sub nominibus, for other references to these worthies. — G.]
* Mark xvi. 16; John iii, 15, 16, &c. ; John i. 12.
Rom. VIII. 32-34.] heaven on earth. 419
patience but a little, ' and he that shall come will come, and bring his reward with him,' Rev. xxii. 11, 12.
3. The third gift. HungeHng and thirsting after righteousness is a gift that brings the soul within the compass of the promise of ever- lasting happiness and blessedness : Mat. v. 6, ' Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled '; or as it runs in the Greek, ' Blessed are they that are hungering and thirsting,' <!tiivtZvTsg xai di-^iZfrsg, intimating that wherever this is the present dis- position of men's souls, they are blessed, and may expect spiritual repletions.
Considerable to this purpose is that of Isa. xliv. 2-5 : ' Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee : Fear not, O Jacob my servant ; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground : I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses. One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob ; and another shaL subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.'^
Of the like consideration is that of Isa. xxxv. G, 7, ' Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing ; for in the wilderness shall waters break forth, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water : in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass, with reeds and rushes.'
To the like purpose is that in Ps. cvii. 9, * For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.'
But that none may mistake nor miscarry in this business, that is of an eternal concernment to them, I shall desire them to premise with me these following things, for a better and fuller clearing of this particular truth that is under our present consideration.
First, Premise this with me : All real hungerings and thirstings after righteousness are earnest and vehement thirstings and longings. They are like Rachel's longing for children, and like Samson's longing for water : Ps. xlii. 1, 2, ' As the hart panteth after the water-brook, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God : when shall I come and appear before God V Philosophers observe, that of all the beasts, the hart is most thirsty by nature, but most of all thirsty when she is hunted and pursued by dogs. Says David : As the hunted hart, as the wounded hart, yea, as the she-hart, in whom the passions of thirst are strongest, panteth after the water- brooks, so doth my soul pant after thee, O God. A gracious soul panteth and fainteth, it breatheth and breaketh, for the longing it hath at all times after the righteousness of Christ imputed and infused, Ps. cxix. 20. The Greeks derive their word for desire from a root that signifies to hum.^ Ah, Christians ! real desires are burning desires ; they set the soul all in a holy flame after God and Christ. If they are
^ By water is meant the Spirit, say some ; others understand it of the spiritual waters of grace, that God will pour out upon those that thirst and long after an abundance of grace, &c. * See Index under • Desire.' — G.
420 HEAVEN ON EAETH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
not vehement, if they do not put an edge upon thy affections, if tliey do not make thee like a burning seraphim, Christ will take no pleasure in them ; they shall return into thy own bosom without working any wonders in heaven, as those desires do that flow from the soul's being touched with a coal from the altar.
Secondly, Premise this with me. All real hungerings in the soul after inghteousness,ari8efTom spiritual and heavenly consideration^;^ they spring in the soul from some convictions, some apprehensions, some persuasions that the soul hath, of a real worth, of a real beauty, gloiy, and excellency that is in Christ, and in his righteousness, imputed and imparted. Such desires after righteousness that flow from external considerations, are of no worth, weight, or continuance, but those desires after righteousness that flow from spiritual considerations, are full of spirit, life, and glory ; they are such that God will not only observe but accept, not only record but reward, Ps. cxlv. 19.
Thirdly, Real hungerings and thirstings after Christ and his right- eousness, <&€.., ivill put the soul upon lively endeavours. If they are true-born desires, they will not make the soul idle but active ; not negligent but diligent, in the use of all holy means, whereby the soul may enjoy Christ and his righteousness : Isa. xxvi. 9, ' With my soul have I desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.' Real desires will make us earnest and early in seek- ing to obtain the thing desired, as the Hebrew word imports.^ A thirsty man will not only long for drink, but labour for it ; the con- demned man will not only desire his pardon, but he will write, and entreat, and weep, and set this friend and that to solicit for him ; the covetous man doth not only wish for wealth, but will rise early and go to bed late, he will turn every stone, and make attempts upon all hopeful opportunities, whereby he may fill his bags and fill his bams. Even so, all holy desires will put souls upon the use of the means, whereby the mercy desired may be gained. And thus to run, is to attain ; thus to will, is to work ; thus to desire, is to do the will of our Father, who accepts of pence for pounds, of mites for millions.
The Persian monarch was not so famous for accepting a little water from the hand of a loving subject, as our God is for accepting a handful of meal for a sacrifice, and a gripe^ of goat's hair for an oblation ; for accepting of that little we have, and for accounting our little much. Lev. ii, 2 ; Exod. xxxv. 6 ; 2 Cor. viii. 12.
Noah's sacrifice could not be great, and yet it was greatly accepted and highly accounted of by God. Such is God's condescending love to weak worms, that he looks more at their will than at their work ; he minds more what they would do, than what they do do ; he always prefers the willing mind before the worthiest work, and where desires and endeavours are sincere, there God judges such to be as good as they desire and endeavour to be.
Fourthly, Spiritual hungerings and thirstings are only satisfied with spiHtual things. John xiv. 8, 'Shew us the Father, and it