David had an abundance, yea, he had a kingdom, yet nothing would satisfy him but the mercies of God. And when he was in want, what course did he take, but ' still comforted himself in the Lord his God,' Ps. li. 1, seq. That which a man sorroweth most for when he wanteth it, that he rejoiceth most in when he hath it. Can we in our crosses rejoice that God is ours ? This is an excellent sign, and plainly discovers, that we place our contentation* more in him than in anything else. Can we delight more in the solace of his favour than in outward prosperity ? It is a heavenly testimony of a renewed condition. When David was in his great- est distresses, what desires had he then most in him ? Why, he longed after the house of God. When the people were ready to stone him, wherein did he trust, but in ' the Lord his strong tower' ? Ps. Ixi. 3.
In the last place, Would we know whether we can rest in God or no ? Let us
(1.) Examine ourselves then ivhat endeavours ive make every day to cleanse our souls from sin, that so God may take pleasure in us, and we again may delight in him.
(2.) Let us see how ice restrain our affections from running riot after tlw world and sinful pleasures. And
(3.) How we set our joy upon God, and frame ourselves to do his ivill. I beseech you, let us deal faithfully with our own souls in this particular. And if we find
(4.) That our hearts tell us, as Peter's told him, ' Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,' John xvi. 30 ; I desire, 0 Lord, to please thee above all things ; I have set mine heart upon thee, and I joy in thee and in thy love more than in all things else in the world ; if thus, I say, we can in the integrity of our spirits appeal to God, who only knows and searches our ways, and say, ' Truly, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,' it is a certain and infallible sign unto us that we are his, and all things shall work for the best unto us.
But take we heed how we deceive ourselves in these things. By love we are Christians ; therefore labour for sincerity of afiection. A reprobate or a castaway may go far in these four signs of love. He may admire and wonder at the good things of God ; but he doth it not from anything within him, but from the outward beholding of them. He can admire and talk of them, but yet such men are without any relish or sweet taste of the thing they speak of. So likewise an hypocrite may desire to please God * That is, ' contentment.' — G.
280 THE PRIVILEGES OF THE FAITHFUL.
in many things, but not in all things ; as wo see in Herod, ho hoard John Baptist willingly, luiil obeyed in sonio things, but not in all. He could not be crossed in his beloved sin which abode in liiin ; that must not be touched. Then farewell Clod, and farewell Christ and all.
So a castaway may desire to bo in heaven, as being a place good for him ; and ho may have some little ' taste of those joys above,' as is men- tioned in the Hebrews, vi. 4, 5 ; but he hath no relish of them from the lovo of God, but only from the love of himself. And his desire is not such as will draw him on to the use of means for spiritual growth and progress thereunto, as we see in Balaam ; he had a desire ' to die the death of the righteous,' Num. xxiii. 10, but this could not make him leave his covetous disposition, and find a contentment in God alone.
A reprobate may be content with religion and with God's ways, so long as peace doth accompany the same (as now in this our country, Christ Cometh amongst us with plenty and prosperity, therefore Christ is a good Christ), but if the gospel and religion should be professed with persecution and danger and disgrace, it would soon appear where men's contentments were. There is a resting not in the truth, because it is truth, but in regard of the good things which follow it. If we desire to approve ourselves to God, let us examine ourselves about this afl'cction, and every branch of it. The deceit is both common and deadly ; and the profession of religion in many Christians is not for religion itself, but for by-ends and sinister respects. To which end consider further these particulars.
Where there is true love, there ivill he a desire of union to the beloved object ; so where the love of God is, there will be a desire of the accom- plishment of the marriage between God and the soul. ' He that loves a harlot,' saith the wise man, ' is one with her,' 1 Cor. vi. 16. So he that affects-;^ the Lord, desires to be one with him ; therefore men have their names from what they love. If they love the world, the}' are called ' world- lings ;' if they love Christ, they are called Christians. How canst thou say that thou lovest the Lord, and dost not desire his presence in his ordi- nances ? Can we say we love such a man, when we care not for his com- pany ? God observes not so much what we do, as from what affection our duties proceed.