And because desires are fickle and fading of themselves unless there be some art in helping of them, therefore let us add to these things a daily course of renewing of our covenant with God, that this day, as God shall enable me, I have a constant purpose against all sin, I will regard no iniquity in my heart, I will have respect to all good ways discovered. Renew our covenants and resolutions of old. Saith David, ' I have sworn and will perform it, that I will keep thy statutes,' Ps. cxix. 106. And as we determine and resolve, so make particular vows sometimes against particular hindrances, to abstain from such things.
Quest. What needs all this ado ? saith the wicked atheist. Will not
14 Balaam's wish.
less serve the turn, but tbero must be these vows, and purposes, and resolutions ?
Alls. No ; God values us by our resolutions and purposes, and not by ineffectual glances and wishes. Will wishing help us take a journey, or to do anything in this world '? And can wo not do anything in this world with wishing, and can wo for heaven ? No ; certainly there must be resolutions, and covenants, and purposes, &c. What is the difference between a Christian and another man '? A Christian unloosoth his heart from base desires. Nothing shall tie him to the base world. But his conscience tolls him that ho is free from living in sins against conscience, and as for infirmities, he labours and resolves against them. Therefore he is fit to die and to resign his soul. Whensoever God shall take him, he is in a good way, in good purposes and resolutions. God values us accord- ing to our purposes and resolutions. David did not build the temple, Abraham did not offer Isaac, but they resolved upon it, and it was accounted as done. This is our comfort, that God takes the resolution for the deed ; and the perfection of a Christian is, that God accepts of those resolutions when he determines on the best things, till he bring his heart in some measure to that estate.
Qite.<it. AYhat is the reason that many men at the hour of death will admit no comfort ?
Alls. The reason is, their hearts were naught. They respected some iniquity in their hearts. They were in bad ways, and allowed some reign- ing sin ; and till these be mortified, we can minister no comfort. It is only the resolved Christian that is a fit subject for comfort.
But to answer an ordinary let- or two that the devil casts in men's ways in these things.
Ohj. But doth not God accept the will for the deed ? Put the case I have a good will to do a thing ; though I do it not, God accepts that.
Am. 1 answer, God accepts the will for the deed, only where the impedi- ments and hindrances are impossible to be removed ; as, put the case a poor man would be liberal if he had it, God accepts the will for the deed, because he wants opportunity. But it never holds when a man can do it. God accepts not the will for the deed when a man hath a price in his hand to get wisdom, and yet is a barren plant and not a tree of righteousness. It is a sign of a naughty heart.
Ol'j. Oh, saith another, ' God quencheth not the smoking flax,' Mat. xli. 20, therefore, though I have weak desires, all shall be well.
Ans. It is time God doth not quench the smoking flax, but he doth not leave it smoking, but blows the spark, that in time it comes to a flame. Where there are beginnings of goodness embraced, it will grow from smok- ing flax to a flame. They are growing desires, as I said before. There- fore flatter not thyself that Christ will not quench the smoking flax. It is true, if there be a desire of growth, for then I must speak comfort to a poor Christian that cannot be so good as ho would, but desires it, and complains. Oh * that my ways were so direct, that I might keep thy statutes ! ' Ps. cxix. 5. With his desires, ho complains that he cannot do it, and useth the means to grow. It is a good sign ; God will not quench the smoking flax till he have brought corruption into subjection in us. Let every good soul comfort itself with this, if thou have these blessed desires, God meets with thoc, for ho desires thy salvation, and Christ desires thy reconcihation, and it is the desire of thy heart, and thou usest the means. • Tbat is, 'Lindrance,' = objectiou. — G.
Balaam's wish, 15
Thou wilt not live iu sins against conscience. Be of good comfort. We that are the ministers of God, and I at this time, bring the news of pardon ; Christ's desire and thine meet in one.
Let us enlarge these things in our own deep and serious meditation. Alas ! for want of serious meditation in our hearts of such like truths as these, men perish and sink suddenly to hell. There is but a step between ordinary profane persons and hell, and yet they never think of renewing their covenants with God, and entering into the state of grace, but content themselves with that which comes short of thousands that are now in hell, that have had more wishes and desires. Men put all upon empty things, * God is merciful,' &c. No ; God will not be merciful to such as bless themselves in ill courses ; his wrath shall smoke against such, as I said ; for in thus reasoning, they make a covenant with hell and death as much as they can. They that do thus forget God and good courses, and God will forget them ; they treasure up wrath, and God treasures up wrath against them. Let us take heed of Balaam's wishing, and labour to have Buch desires as may be accepted of God and comfortable to us.