(4.) Where desires are in truth, the party that cherisheth those desu-es, icill he idlling to have all help from others to have his desire accomjjlished. If a man desire to demolish a place, if any will come and help him down with it, or if any man desire to weed his ground, he that will help him, he will thank him for his pains. Where there is a true desire, there is a willing closing with all that offer themselves, that the thing desired may be brought to pass. Where there is a desire of the happy estate of God's children, there will be a willing entertainment of any help. Let a man come to a man that desires grace and glory, and discover his especial sins that hinder him, you must weed out this, and you must pull down this, he will thankfully embrace all admonitions, because he truly desires the end ; therefore he desires the means that tend to the end. He desires the re- moving of the hindrances ; he will be thankful, therefore, for any help that he may have, and especially that of the ministry, that it may powerfully enter into his soul, and rip him up. Why ? Because he desires to please God in all things, and he would not cherish a motion or desire con- trary to the Spirit of God. Therefore the more corruption is presented
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BALAAM S WISH.
and made odious to him, the more the ' inward man ' is discovered, the more ho blesseth God, and blosscth the blessed instruments ; and of all means he is willing to attend upon such.
AVhore there is swellinj^ and rising against the blessed moans, either in private admonition or public teaching, let men pretend what they will, there is no true desire of grace and to be in the estate of God's people ; for then Ihoy would not be contrary to the means. This wretched man Balaam, when the angol stood in his way, with bis sword drawn, to stop his way, yet notwithstanding ho goes on still. Ho was so carried with covetousness, and so blinded, that neither the miracle of the beast speaking, nor of the angel in bis way, nor God in the way, could stop him. Alas ! where was this desire then ? No, no ! The glory of earthly things dazzled the glory of the estate of God's people. Therefore we see he goes against all means that was used to stop him in his journey.
If a man desire to be good, and to leave his sins, he will not stand against the means.
Have wo not many that stand against the ministry of God's ministers [who! are God's angels ? Thoy stand in the way, and tell people, if you live in this course you shall not inherit heaven ; if you live in oppression ard 1 ase lusts, unless you be changed, you shall all perish. They come to particular reproofs, and hold forth the sword of God's Spirit, yet men break through all and wreak their malice upon God's messengers. Is here a true desire when they are not willing to have the hindrances removed ? when there is not respect of the means that should be used ?
(5.) Again, true desires of grace, they are ffwirinr/ desires. Though they be little in the beginning, as springs are, yet as the springs grow, so do the waters that come from them. So these desires, they grow more and more still. They grow sometimes in God's children, that they will have no stop till they come to have their full desire, to have perfect union and com- munion with God in heaven. The desires of a blessed soul, they are never satisfied till it come to heaven. ' Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,' saith the church,' Cant. i. 2. Oh, let me have nearer communion with Christ ! It desires in the word and sacraments to come nearer and closer to God, and in death then, ' Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly,' Kev. xxii. 20. And when the soul is in heaven there is yet nearer union, a desire of the body's resurrection, that both may be for ever with the Lord. Till a Christian be perfect in body and soul, there is desire upon desire, till all desires be accomplished. They are growing desires, as St Peter saith : ' As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby,' 1 Peter ii. 2. It is a desire that is never satisfied, because there is alway somewhat to be desired till we be perfectly happy.
(G.) And then they are desires that irill not be atilled. A child, if it have not strong desires, it will be stilled with an apple ; but if the desires be strong, nothing will still it but the dug. So God's children, if their desires be strong, it is no bauble they desire, nothing but grace and inward comfort will quiet the inward man. It is a desire that is growing and strong. It will not be stayed with anything in this world, but will break through all impediments ; as a strong stream, it will never rest till it have communion with God. And therefore the desires that men think are good and earnest enough, that go on plodding in a constant course, and never labour to grow, they are no desires at all, no sanctified desires from a supernatural prin- ciple of grace. The desires of a Christian grow, and are never satisfied till he have perfect happiness.