Hence we may see that,
There is a difference of degrees of things. God hath established in the world degrees of things. There are some good and some ill by his per- mission ; and of good, there are some that are greater goods, and some less. There are spmtual goods, and outward goods ; and of spiritual good, there are some that are means leading to that which is spiritually good, and some that are spiritual good things in then* own essence and nature. The lead- ing preparing things are the means of salvation, the word, and sacraments, and being in the visible church. The true spu'itual good, the good that we get by these things, faith and love, and spiritual inward strength. Now that there is degrees of things, the prophet here insinuates when he saith, ' One thing have I desired ;' that is, of all these variety of things, he desired the best, that includes all in it. God, to exercise the wisdom that he hath given to man, hath planted a diiierence in the creatures, and hath given a faculty to man to make a right choice in those difterences ; and then man makes a right choice when he chooseth as God chooseth. Now, God makes choice of spiritual things to be the best things, and them he gives to his best friends. He knows they will make us good, and supply all out- ward wants whatsoever, and sanctify all estates and conditions to us, and they are eternal, suitable to the spiritual nature of our souls. God knows this very well. Therefore, God hath set spuitual things, as the one only thing ; and so the soul, when it is made spiritual, and hath the image of God upon it, it chooseth as God chooseth.
' One thing have I desired.'
Quest. But here it may be asked, why doth he say, * one thing ? ' He desu'ed not only to live near the tabernacle, but to hear and see, to have the word read, and he desired thereupon grace, and then nearer communion with God by grace, to have more communion here, and fuller communion in heaven. Here is more than one thing.
Ans. I answer, it is all one. As a chain that hath many links, yet it is but one chain ; so all these are but one. * I desire one thing.' What is that ? To live in the church of God, to enjoy the ordinances of God, and they will draw on faith and fear, &c. The Spmt accompanying the ordi- nances, it will be a spu-it of faith, and repentance, and grace ; and by those graces of faith, and the rest that accompany the ordinances, I shall have nearer communion with God here, and eternal and everlasting communion
A BEEATHING AFTER GOD. 217
with God in heaven ; and all these are but one, because they are all links of one chain. Therefore, when he saith, ' One thing have I desired,' he means that one thing that -will draw on all other.
That is the scope of a gracious heart, when it attends upon the means of salvation, and Uves in the church ; not to hear that it may hear, and there an end, and to read that it may read, to perform it as a task, and all is done ; but to have the work of the Spirit together with it, to have the ministry of the Spirit in the gospel, and the Spirit to increase faith, and faith to increase all other graces, and so by grace to grow into nearer com- munion with God in Christ. That is the scope of every good hearer. Therefore, he speaks to pm-pose when he saith, ' One thing have I desired.'
But to speak a httle more of the object, why doth he say, ' One thing ?'
First, it is from the nature of God. We must have the whole bent and sway of our souls to him. He will have no halting. The devil is content with half, if we will sin, because then he is sure of all ; but God will have the whole heart. ' My son, give me thy whole heart,' Prov. xxiii. 26 ; and ' Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,' Luke X. 27. The bent and sway of the soul must be that way ; for it is the nature of excellent things, except we desire them in the chief place, they take state upon them.=;'- God takes state upon him in this case. He will not have us serve him and Mammon, Mat. vi. 24. He will not have the heart divided.
Second. Then again, it is from the nature of the soul. Therefore, he saith, ' One thing.' It is the nature of the soul, when it is upon many things, it can do nothing well. Therefore, that I may be religious to purpose, ' One thing have I desired.' A stream cut into many channels runs weakly, and is unfit to can-y anything. Babylon was so taken. They cut the river into many channels, and then he that took it easily passed over them, (a) When the soul is divided into many channels, to many things, that it looks after this thing and that thing, and that with expense and intention of care and endeavour, alas ! where is the desire of one thing necessary all the while ? For the soul cannot go with that strength as it should, except it mind one thing. The soul of man is a finite thing. Therefore, except it gather its strength, as a stream, that riseth of many particular lesser rivers, which makes it run stronger ; so the soul it cannot desu-e one thing as it should, except it bring all other petty streams to it, and make that the main desire, to be saved in another world, and to have communion and fellowship \vith God in Christ Jesus, by the Spirit of grace in this world, in the use of the means. Unless this be the main care, the soul takes no good when it is so much set on other things.