[L] By the kind of mercies that we affect. There are some mercies vouchsafed to the creature that lie nearer to God than others do, and do least detain us from him, as his image and favour, or his renewing and reconciling grace. When Ave love God, these are sought in the first place, as you shall see how the temper of the saints is described and distinguished from the temper of the brutish multitude : Ps. iv. (j, 7, ' The many say, Who will show us any good P but. Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, and this will put glad- ness into our hearts.' The many, the brutish multitude, seek an un- certain good, and they seek it from an uncertain author — ' Who will show us ? ' — they do not acknowledge God in these common mercies ; but the children of God must have his favour — ' Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us ; ' as the beams of the sun do cheer and refresii the earth, this is that that doth revive their souls. '60 IMat. V. G, ' Blessed are they that hunger and thirst alter righteousness.' Well, then, they that desire to be like God in purity and holiness, and to recover his favour lost by sin, do certainly more love him than those that only seek temporal mercies from him. God's sanctifying Spirit witnessing his love to us is the greatest gift can be bestowed in this life, and will more witness his love than anything else can be given us. This the saints seek after, tliat they may be like God, that tliey may be accepted and well pleasing unto God — this is all their ambi- tion : 2 Cor. v. 9, ' Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of the Lord.' Other things may ])lease the flesh, but that is not their design ; those things that bring them nearer to God take up their mind and heart. Now as it appears by the mercies we affect, so it appears —
[2.] 13y the fervency of our endeavours after these things ; for if the image of God and favour of God be sought superficially, or as things that we may Ije well without, and the wealth, honours, and pleasures of the world be most earnestly sought after, surely we do nut
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love God: Ps. Ixiii. 8, 'My soul followeth h.ard after tliee.' The wliole spiritual life is but a pursuit of the soul towards God ; and the more constantly and earnestly we seek him, to enjoy more of his saving graces and benefits, the more we have of the love of God in us. Therefore David expresseth this desire, as exceeding all other desires : Ps. xxvii. 4, ' One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple,' He sought not the glory of the kingdom, success in battle, victory over his enemies, in the first place, or not so much as converse with God, and attendance on his worship in the tabernacle ; all was nothing to this, that he might have communion with God. Therefore this is the radical act of love — this fervent, burning desire that carries the soul through all duties, ordinances, services ; they are still making their way to a nearer access to God, and larger participation of his grace, till they come eternally to enjoy him in glory.
2. There is another internal radical act of love ; that is, a delight in him. Our full joy is reserved for the other world, but delighting our- selves in God is a greater duty now ; for love being the complacence of the soul in God, as apprehended to be good, or a delightful adhesion to God as our all-sufficient portion and happiness, it cannot be imagined love can be without any delight in God even now. Now in this valley of tears, the hope of enjoying him hereafter is our comfort and solace in the midst of our weaknesses and afflictions, that there is a time coming when we shall more perfectly ' see him as he is,' and * be like him,' 1 John iii. 2. The apostle tells us, ' We rejoice now in the hope of the glory of God ; ' that we have this in expectation, that we shall have an estate of complete felicity and excellent holiness ; that we shall behold our nature united to the godhead in the glorified redeemer, and our persons admitted into the nearest intuition and fruition of God we are capable of, and live in the exercise of a con- stant uninterrupted love, and be perfectly capable of receiving his highest benefits. Surely this joy we have in our pilgrimage. But there is not only our hope, but our partial enjoyment of it is matter of happiness to us ; his favour is as life, and his frown as death to the soul that loves him. The saints look on God reconciled as the best friend, God displeased as the most dreadful adversary ; therefore if they have any taste of his love, their ' souls are filled as with marrow and fatness : ' Ps. Ixiii. 3-5, ' Because thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. I will bless thee while I live. My soul shall be satisfied as v.^ith marrow and fatness ; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.' But if God hide his face ; if God be altogether a stranger, then they are troubled indeed, Ps. xxx. 7. But yet we are not gone to the bottom of the matter of delighting in God. Those whose souls are possessed with the love of God, are so well pleased with him, that everything is sweet to them by the relation it hath to God. It is a delight to them to think of God : Ps. civ. 34, * I will be glad and rejoice in him ; my meditation of him shall be sweet.' It is a delight to them to speak of God : Eph. v. 4, ' Not foolish jesting, but giving of thanks.' The delight of God's children, or that which serves instead of jesting to Christians, is the grateful