208 THE SPOUSE.
the soul hath communion with Christ ? All the world is nothing in com- parison.
Now, then, seeing you cannot requite this love of Christ again, yet shew your love to Christ in manifesting love to his members, to the poor, to such poor especially as have the church of God in their families. As the woman poured oil on the head of Christ, so shall we do well to pour some oil upon the feet of Christ. That which we would do to him, if he were here, let us do to his members, that thereby we may further our communion with Chi'ist.
FINIS.
A BREATHING AFTER GOD.
VOL. n.
A BREATHING AFTER GOD.
NOTE.
The ' Breathing after God ' is placed immediately after the sermons from Canticles, as being not only on the same subject, thoughfrom a different portion of Holy Scripture, but also as partaking very much of their spirit. The original title-page is given below.* Prefixed is the miniature portrait, by Marshall, found in several of Sibbes's smaller volumes. G.
* Title-page : —
A
BREATHING AFTER GOD,
OE
A CHRISTIANS
DESIRE OF GODS
PRESENCE,
BY
The late Reverent \_sic] and worthy
Divine Richard Sibs,
Doctor in Divinity, Master of
Katherinc Hall in Cambridge, and
sometime Preacher of
Graies-Inne.
Psal. 42. 1.
As the Hart panteih after the water brooks;
so panteth my soul after thee, 0 Ood.
Lam. 3. 56. Hide not thine eare at my breathing.
LONDON
Printed by John Dairson for R. M.
and are to be sold by Thomas Slater,
at the Swan in Duck-lane. 1639.
TO THE CHEISTIAN KEADEE.
Man in this world, especially since his defection from God, standing at a distance from his happiness in respect of full possession, it is not the least part of his bliss to be happy in expectation. Happiness being by all men desirable, the desire of it is natui'ally engrafted in every man ; and is the centre of all the searchings of his heart and turnings of his life. But the most of men, hke the men of Sodom, grope and find not the right door, Gen. xix. 11. Only to a true Christian, by a supernatural light, is discovered both the right object, and the right way to fehcity. Upon this discovery, finding himself, wliile he is here, a stranger to his happiness, he desires to take leave of this sublunary condition, that he may enjoy him who is * the desire of all nations,' Hag. ii. 7.
Now although God cast common blessings promiscuously upon good and bad ; yet he holds his best favours at a distance, as parents do cherries or apples from their childi'en, to whet their appetites the more after them. And indeed the best perfection of a Christian in his mihtary* con- dition, is, in desii-e and expectation ; and it is enough to him that ; for that he hath God's acceptation, who knowing whereof we are made, and how unable to hold weight in the * balance of the sanctuary,' Dan. v. 27, takes his best gold with gi-ains of allowance.
The soul of man is like a cipher, which is valued by that which is set before it. If it weary itself in the desire of earthly things, like the silk- worm, it finisheth its work with its own destruction. But if on things above, when this earthly tabernacle is tm-ned to ashes, there shall result a glorious phoenix for immortality.
ThAe are no characters better distinguishing a Christian, than those that are inward (hypocrisy like sale-work, may make a fair show outward ; an hj-pocrite may pei-form external works, but cannot dissemble inward affections), and amongst them, none better discovers his temper, than the beating of the pulse of his desires, which this worthy author (who de- parted not without being much desiredf and no less lamented) hath most livelily set forth in the ensuing treatise ; which a Christian, holding as a glass before him, may discern whether he have hfe or no by these breathings.
* That is ' militant.'— G. f That is, ' longed after.'— G
212 TO THE CHRISTIAN EEADER.
For the object here propounded, what more desirable than the chief good ? For the place, where can it be more desired, than in his house, where his presence is manifested ? What better end to be in that house, than to behold God in the * beauty of holiness ? ' Ps. xxix. 2. What term of happiness better than ' for ever ' ? This was the desire of the holy prophet David, and that it may be thy desu*e, is the desire of
Thy Christian friend,
H. I.*
* These initials are in all probability tliose of John Hill, reversed, intentionally or by a misprint. See note on p. 251. — G.
A BREATHING AFTER GOD.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after ; that I may du-ell in tJie house of the Lord all the days of my life ; to behold th uty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. — Ps. XXVII. 4.
This psalm is partly a prophecy. It was made after some great deliverance out of some gi-eat trouble. The blessed prophet David, having experience of God's goodness suitable to the trouble he was in, in the fii'st part of this excellent psalm he shews —