(1.) Desire is the pursuit of the soul after God, that we may get nearer to him. It is expressed usually by seeking after God ; and when God is sought after in the first place, then are we said to love God ; as Prov. viii. 17, ' I love them that love me, and they that seek
SERMON UPON 1 THESSALONIANS V. 8. 457"
me early shall find me.' All duties and all acts of the spiritual life are a seeking after "more of God : Ps. Ixiii. 8, ' My soul foUoweth hard after thee ; ' Ps. xxvii. 4, ' One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after, that I may 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.' This ardent and burning desire is a great effect of love to God ; but ■when men are cold and flat, and more indifferent as to the distinguish- ing testimonies of God's love, there is something on this side God which doth content us and divert us from him.
(2.) Delight in God. The highest exercise of this is reserved for the world to come, when we shall enter into our Master's joy ; but now it is a pleasing thing to think of him : Ps. civ. 34, * My meditation of him shall be sweet : I will be glad in the Lord.' And to speak of him : Eph. v. 4, ' Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks.' And to con- verse with him : Ps. cxxii. 1, ' I was glad when they said unto me, Come, let us go into the house of the Lord.' Yea, it is the pleasure of their lives to serve and obey him : Ps. cxii. 1, ' Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.' This complacency or well-pleasedness of the mind in God should be much regarded by us, and is known by this, when those mercies are most valued which are nearest to himself, and do show us most of God, and least detain us from him, such as his favour, his Spirit, or sanc- tifying grace ; when these are desired, when these are delighted in, we are said to love God : Mat. v. 6, ' Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness ; ' Ps. iv. 6, 7, ' Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us : thou hast put gladness into my heart,' His favour is as life, his displeasure as death to the soul ; Ps. xxx. 7, ' Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.' Now thus must we love God, not with a partial and half love, but such as transcendeth our love to all other things : Mat. x. 37, ' He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.' If anything be nearer and dearer to us than God, we do not sincerely love him. Some have a weak, imperfect motion of their will, a wish, a faint desire to please God, but not a strong volition or inclination of heart to love him in all, and above all things ; but being overcome by their lusts, they do not simply and absolutely and uncontrollably desire it, but had rather please their fleshly lusts than please God. At least the e^'ent doth evidence it ; you give God nothing if you give him not all the heart. We are so to love God as to seek his glory and do his will, even when it is cross to our carnal interests, that his favour may be counted our happiness, and the pleasing of him our greatest work. Surely they do not love God that cannot deny a lust for him, or venture the loss of anything that is dear to them for his sake, but, with Pilate, will yield to crucify Christ, rather than venture the Jews' displeasure ; or, with the Gadarenes, will part with Christ, rather than their swine. Others have a deliberate resolution, and seem for the present to resolve absolutely and seriously to please God in all things and keep his commandments, but they do not verify it in their conversations. Their piu'poses and resolutions are not dissembled for the present, but soon changed ; they neither keep the commandments of God, nor study to please him.
458 SERMON UPON 1 THESSALONIANS V. 8.
3. The next grace is ' Hope of salvation ; ' and here — (1.) The subject ; (2.) The respect to the object.
[1.] The object is our eternal reward ; for a christian must chiefly fetch his supports and solaces from the other world, where all things do abundantly counterbalance the temptations of the present life. Be they troubles and sufferings: 2 Cor. iv. 17, 'For our light aflfliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and •eternal weight of glory/ Glory for affliction, and a weight of glory for a light affliction, and eternal glory for what is momentary affliction. Or be they sensual delights, as riches: Heb. xi. 26, 'Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.' How much better is it to be poor and scorned here than to be destitute and rejected for ever hereafter ! So for pleasures ; most men look at present pleasures, not at future joys, and therefore forget God, and neglect their souls, and those eternal pleasures which are at God's right hand, Ps. xvi. 11. But to a gracious man a glorious estate of bliss is far more eligible than momentary sinful pleasures.