4. Another effect is a powerful command over the whole man. De- sires are the most vigorous faculties, they carry the whole soul along with them. They will take up your thoughts, time, care, endeavours, speeches. Look and you shall observe that a man is so affected in earthly things, and, therefore, why not so in heavenly ? It is a bad sign when there cannot be found the same i)roportion and care for heavenly things as men have for the things of the world. Let us see these things a little severally.
[1.] It will take up your thoughts. Our thoughts will be conversant about what we desire. We love to feed upon the sweet of those things that we long for, — to enjoy them in our meditations before we really and actually enjoy them. Thoughts are the pulses of the lieart, you may know by them how it beats. When desires are at a high pitch, we shall not be able to put off those pleasing imaginations that con- cern the object of these desires. Nay, they will haunt the mind in the time of our usual repose and'rest : Isa. xxvi. 9, ' With my soul have I desired thee in tlie night ; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.' Night and morning, all their mind was upon this, how they should get God.
[2.] It will challenge more of your time and care. When men will make bold with God rather than their own occasions, it is a sign they are but coldly affected to him. If your desires be to Christ, your care and time will be more laid out u})on liim ; you will rather borrow from yourselves, your own pleasures and business, than borrow from God. I confess a man that is in a particular calling, and is to })ro- vide fpr a wife and family, must necessarily spend more time in the world than he can in religion ; but when he begrudgeth all time to God, or thinketh all lost that is spent in duty, it is a sign tliere is little de- sire after Christ. When we are where we would be, time goeth too fast for us ; therefore, try how it is with thee in point of religion : Is all too much that is spent in duty ? If the heart goeth out that way, all will be too little. As men's desires are so their time goeth away. Job xxi. 13, It is said of the wicked, ' They spend their days
ISA. LIII. 2.] THE FIFTi'-THIIlD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 239
in wealth.' Voluptuous men do so, — so worldly men, tliey spend their time in business and worldly cares, and are cumbered about much serving. You may try your bent by that, how you spend your days.
[3.] It will put you upon endeavours. Those are true desires that end in action. Slight wishes after Christ never put us upon a pursuit of him. If a man be earnest in a thing, he will try all ways he can to compass it ; it shall be his earnest business. IVIen that are slight would fain have Christ, but they will not seek him — Vtllent, sed nolunt: Prov. xxi. 25, ' The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour.' The slothful are most full of desires ; they would fain have things, but they do not labour after them. Now, it is otherwise with the children of God. The spouse, that was sick for want of Christ, sought him through the streets, though it cost her many a wandering, Cant. v. 7. God hath fenced up every excel- lent thing with difficulty, to see if we think it worth our endeavours.
Use 2. In the next place it serveth for exhortation, to press you to do otherwise than the men of the world do, and to beware of their spirit. Men see nothing in Christ why they should desire him, be- cause they judge with a carnal spirit. Let not any such black note be found upon you : Do you make him the desire of your souls who is deservedly styled ' the desire of all nations.' This exhortation hiuteth at three duties : —
1. Long to get him into your hearts. As all things are to him, let your desires be to him : Kom. xi. 36, ' Of him, and through him, and to him are all things ;' therefore, all creatures, — for it is the law of their creation to move towards God, especially for reasonable creatures so to do. But particularly by your desires look upon him as summum necessarium, as the only chief thing for your souls.
2. Be careful to keep communion with him. If you have got him, take heed you do not lose him again. Eemember the fate of the spouse for parting with her beloved, and how dearly she paid for it, Cant. V. 6, 7. Whatever carnal men judge of it, the favour of Christ is worth the keeping,
3. Labour to get more interest in him. Worldly blessings have all this lot and fate, that they cloy in the enjoyment. Christ is a mercy of a nobler nature ; the more you see of his excellency, the more you will thirst after him. When a man hath a taste of Christ, he will labour for more of him. The great prejudice against him is, that men have never had experience of him, Austin saith of himself, in the ninth book of his Confessions, chap. i. : ' That the reason why he was loth to close with Christ was, because he was to forego all pleasures, and to deny himself in whatever was delightful, and that was very irksome to him. But since,' saith he, ' when once I Irnd tasted Christ, quam suave mihi subito factum est carere suavitatihus nugarum ! It was the greatest delight in the world to abstain from worldly delights.' Christ made abundant recompense for them. Oh, how sweet is Christ to those that have tried him, and made experience of him ! They will not want their old delights again. I shall prescribe a few means how you shall bring your hearts to desire Christ, to keep him, and to get further interest in him : —