Thus you see the word of God is the object, either read or preached. The end of it is, that they may grow in grace, and that their hearts may be more subjected to God, and may be strengthened in waiting upon him : and the manner of this desire is vehement and constant ; not at times ; but it is the usual frame and temper of their hearts.
4. The effects of this desire, what it worketh. I will mention but two : —
[1.] It draws off the heart from other things : Ps. cxix. 13G, ' Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not unto covetousness ; ' implying, that when the heart is drawn out after God's testimonies, it is drawn off from carnal pursuits. Desires are the vigoi'ous bent of the soul, and therefore, as the stream of a river, they can run but one way. Our passionate desires of earthly things certainly will be abated if spiritual desires prevail in us ; for being acquainted with a better object, they begin to disdain and loathe other things.
[2.] It maketli us diligent and painful in the use of means, that we may get knowledge and strength by the word. "Where strong desires are, there will be great endeavours : Prov. viii. 34, ' Watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of ray doors,' A man that hath a desire after grace and strength by the word of God will daily be redeeming occasions of waiting upon God. It is but a slight wish, not serious desire, that is not seconded with answerable endeavours.
VeR. 20.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 1S7
Secondly, Having opened the nature of these desires, let me show the reasons of this vehement and constant bent of heart towards the word of God.
1. Of the vehemency.
2. Of the constancy.
First, The reasons of this vehemency; they are these — natural instinct, exi)erience, and necessity.
[1.] Natural instinct: 1 Peter ii. 2, 'As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word.' Children desire the dug, not by instruction, but by instinct, without a teacher. All creatures desire to preserve that life which they have ; and therefore by a natural propension they run to that thing from whence they received life. Mere instinct carrieth the brute creatures to the teats of their dams ; and every effect looks to the cause, to receive from thence its last perfection. Trees, that receive life from the earth and the sun, they send forth their branches to receive tlie sun, and stretch their roots into the earth which brought them forth. Fishes will not out of the water which breeds them. Chickens are no sooner out of the shell, but they shroud themselves under the feathers of the hen. The little lamb runs to the dam's teat, though there be a thousand sheep of the same wool and colour ; as if it said, here I received that I have, and here I '11 seek that I want. By such a native inbred desire do the saints run to God, to seek a supply of strength and nourishment ; and the desire is very strong and vehement : ' One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after,' &c. • There were otlier things David might desire, but this one thing his heart was set uj)on, that lie might enjoy constant communion with God in the use of public ordinances. What is the reason of this ? I answer — The spiritual nature. You may as well ask what teacheth the young lambs to suck, as who taught the regenerate to long for the word. "What teacheth the chicken to run under the wing of the hen ? The cause of appetite is not persuasion and discourse, but inclination ; not argument, but nature. Appetite is an effect of life. By natural tendency the new creature is carried out to its support from the word of God, there to be comforted and nourished. It shows that all who have not such a kindly appetite to the word of God, that can relish nothing but meats, drinks, wealth, vanity, they were never acquainted with this new nature.
[2.] Experience is another cause of this desire. A child of God is not satisfied with a slight taste of the word, but he desires more ; when he hath felt the comfort of it, he is still longing to receive more from God : James i. 18, ' He hath begotten us by the word of truth.' What follows ? ' Wherefore be swift to hear.' A man that hath had experience of the power of the word taketh all occasions ; he knows there is strength, grace, and liberty of heart to be found there. So 1 Peter ii. 3, 'As new-born babes, &c., if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious,' Certainly a man that hath had any taste of communion with God will desire a fuller measure, as by tasting of excellent meats we get an appetite to them. Carnal men do not know what it is to enjoy God in ordinances, and therefore do not long for them ; they do not taste the sweetness of the word : Ps. xix.
ISS SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXI,
10, ' The statutes of the Lord are sweeter than the lioney or the honeycomb.' The children of God find more true pleasure in the ordinances, in the statutes of God, than in all things in the world, though to carnal men they are but as dry sticks, burdensome exercises. The reason follows, vcr. 11, ' Moreover, by them is thy servant warned ; and in keeping of them there is great reward.' He commendeth the word from his own experience ; he had felt the eftects and good use of it in his own heart ; he had been warned, and had a great deal of comfort and refreshing by it ; therefore it is sweeter than the honey and the honeycomb. So Ps. Ixiii. 1,2, '0 God, my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee.' What to do ? ' To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.' He that hath had once a sight of God, would not be long out of his company. He compareth his desire of communion with God with hunger and thirst; his desire is greater than the hunger and thirst that men suffer in a dry wilderness where there is no water to give refreshment. He had seen God, and would now see him again ; the remembrance of those former pleasures of the sanctuary revived his desires : so that besides nature, there is this experience.