But now, desires, desires that are right, will carry a man quite away to G.o.d, and to do his will, let the work be never so hard.
Take an instance or two for this.
You may see it in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The text says plainly, they were not mindful of that country from whence they came out, through their desires of a better (Heb 11:8-16). G.o.d gave them intimation of a better country, and their minds did cleave to it with desires of it; and what then? Why, they went forth, and desired to go, though they did not know whither they went. Yea, they all sojourned in the land of promise, because it was but a shadow of what was designed for them by G.o.d, and looked to by their faith, as in a strange country; wherefore they also cast that behind their back, looking for that city that had foundations, of which mention was made before. Had not now these men desires that were mighty?
They were their desires that thus separated them from their dearest and choice relations and enjoyments. Their desires were pitched upon the heavenly country, and so they broke through all difficulties for that.
You may see it in Moses, who had a kingdom at his foot, and was the alone visible heir thereof; but desire of a better inheritance made him refuse it, and choose rather to take part with the people of G.o.d in their afflicted condition, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. You may say, the Scripture attributes this to his faith. I answer, so it attributes to Abraham"s faith his leaving of his country. But his faith begat in him these desires after the country that is above. So indeed Moses saw these things by faith; and therefore his faith begat in him these desires. For it was because of his desires that he did refuse, and did choose as you read. And here we may opportunely take an opportunity to touch upon the vanity of that faith that is not breeding, and that knows not how to bring forth strong desires of enjoying what is pretended to be believed; all such faith is false. Abraham"s, Isaac"s, Jacob"s, and Moses" faith, bred in them desires, strong desires; yea, desires so strong as to take them up, and to carry them after what, by their faith, was made known unto them. Yea, their desires were so mightily set upon the things made known to them by their faith, that neither difficulties nor dangers, nor yet frowns nor flatteries, could stop them from the use of all lawful attempts of enjoying what they believed was to be had, and what they desired to be possessed of.
The women also that you read of, and others that would not, upon unworthy terms, accept of deliverance from torments and sundry trials, that they might,, or because they had a desire to, be made partakers of a better resurrection. "And others," saith he, "had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings; yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheep skins, and goat skins, being dest.i.tute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and caves of the earth" (Heb 11:35-38).
But we will come to the Lord Jesus himself. Whither did his desires bring him? Whither did they carry him? and to what did they make him stoop? For they were his desires after us, and after our good, that made him humble himself to do as he did (Cant 7:10). What was it, think you, that made him cry out, "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished"!
(Luke 12:50). What was that baptism but his death? and why did he so long for it, but of desire to do us good? Yea, the pa.s.sover being to be eaten on the even of his sufferings, with what desires did he desire to eat it with his disciples? (Luke 22:15). Yea, his desires to suffer for his people made him go with more strength to lay down his life for them than they, for want of them, had to go to see him suffer. And they were in their way going up to Jerusalem, he to suffer, and they to look on, "And Jesus went before them, and they were amazed, and as they followed, they were afraid" (Mark 10:32; Matt 20:17).
I tell you, desires are strange things, if they be right; they jump with G.o.d"s mind; they are the life of prayer; they are a man"s kindness to G.o.d, and they which will take him up from the ground, and carry him away after G.o.d to do his will, let the work be never so hard. Is it any marvel, then, if the desires of the righteous are so pleasing to G.o.d as they are, and that G.o.d has so graciously promised that the desires of the righteous shall be granted? But we come now to
[THE USE AND APPLICATION.]
THE FIRST USE SHALL BE A USE OF INFORMATION. You have heard what hath been said of desires, and what pleasing things right desires are unto G.o.d. But you must know that they are the desires of his people, of the righteous, that are so. No wicked man"s desires are regarded (Psa 112:10). This men must be informed of, lest their desires become a snare to their souls. You read of a man whose "desire killeth him" (Prov 21:25). And why? but because he rests in desiring, without considering what he is, whether such a one unto whom the promise of granting desires is made; he coveteth greedily all the day long, but to little purpose. The grant of desires, of the fulfilling of desires, is entailed to the righteous man. There are four sorts of people that desire, that desire the kingdom of heaven; consequently, desires have a fourfold root from whence they flow.
First. The natural man desires to be saved, and to go to heaven when he dies. Ask any natural man, and he will tell you so. Besides, we see it is so with them, especially at certain seasons. As when some guilt or conviction for sin takes hold upon them; or when some sudden fear terrifies them; when they are afraid that the plague or pestilence will come upon them, and break up house-keeping for them; or when death has taken them by the throat, and is hauling them down stairs to the grave. Them, O then, "Lord, save me, Lord, have mercy upon me; good people, pray for me! O! whither shall I go when I die, if sweet Christ has not pity for my soul?" And now the bed shakes, and the poor soul is as loath to go out of the body, for fear the devil should catch it, as the poor bird is to go out of the bush, while it sees the hawk waits there to receive her.
But the fears of the wicked, they must come upon the wicked; they are the desires of the righteous that must be granted. Pray, take good notice of this. And to back this with the authority of G.o.d, consider that scripture, "The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. A dreadful sound is in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him as a king ready to the battle" (Job 15:20-24).[17]
Can it be imagined that when the wicked are in this distress, but that they will desire to be saved? Therefore he saith again, "Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. The east wind," that blasting wind, "carrieth him away, and he departeth, and as a storm hurleth him out of" the world, "his place. For G.o.d shall cast upon him, and not spare"; in flying "he would fain fly out of his hand" (Job 27:20-23). Their terrors and their fears must come upon them: their desires and wishes for salvation must not be granted (Isa 65:13, 66:4). "They shall call upon me," says G.o.d, "but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me" (Prov 1:28).
Second. There is the hypocrite"s desire. Now his desire seems to have life and spirit in it. Also he desires, in his youth, his health, and the like; yet it comes to naught. You shall see him drawn to the life in Mark 10:17. He comes running and kneeling, and asking, and that, as I said, in youth and health; and that is more than men merely natural do. But all to no purpose; he went as he came, without the thing desired. The conditions propounded were too hard for this hypocrite to comply withal (Mark 10:21,22).[18]
Some indeed make a great noise with their desires over some again do; but in conclusion all comes to one, they meet together there where they go, whose desires are not granted.
"For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has gained" to a higher strain of desires, "when G.o.d taketh away his soul?" "Will G.o.d hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?" (Job 27:8,9). Did he not, even when he desired life, yet break with G.o.d in the day when conditions of life were propounded to him? Did he not, even when he asked what good things were to be done that he might have eternal life, refuse to hear or to comply with what was propounded to him? How then can his desires be granted, who himself refused to have them answered? No marvel then if he perishes like his own dung, if they that have seen him shall say they miss him among those that are to have their desires granted.
Third. There are the desires of the cold formal professor; the desires, I say, of him whose religion lies in a few of the sh.e.l.ls of religion; even as the foolish virgins who were content with their lamps, but gave not heed to take oil in their vessels. These I take to be those whom the wise man calls the slothful: "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat" (Prov 13:4). The sluggard is one that comes to poverty through idleness--that contents himself with forms: "that will not plough" in winter "by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest," or at the day of judgment, "and have nothing" (Prov 20:4).
Thus you see that there are many that desire; the natural man, the hypocrite, the formalist, they all desire. For heaven is a brave place, and n.o.body would go to h.e.l.l. "Lord, Lord, open to us," is the cry of many in this world, and will be the cry of more in the day of judgment. Of this therefore thou shouldst be informed; and that for these reasons:--
Because ignorance of this may keep thee asleep in security, and cause thee to fall under such disappointments as are the worst, and the worst to be borne. For, for a man to think to go to heaven because he desires it, and when all is done to fall into h.e.l.l, is a frustration of the most dismal complexion. And yet thus it will be when desires shall fail, "when man goes to his long home, and when the mourners go about the streets" (Eccl 12:5). Because, as was said before, else thy desires, and that which should be for thy good, will kill thee. They kill thee at death, when thou shalt find them every one empty. And at judgment, when thou shalt be convinced that thou oughtest to go without what thou desirest, because thou wast not the man to whose desires the promise was made, nor the man that didst desire aright. To be informed of this is the way to put thee upon such sense and sight of thy case as will make thee in earnest betake thyself in that way to him that is acceptable, who grants the desires of the righteous. And then shalt thou be happy when thou shunnest to desire as the natural man desireth, as the hypocrite desireth, or as the formalist desireth. When thou desirest as the righteous do, thy desire shall be granted.
THE SECOND USE IS OF EXAMINATION. If this be so, then what cause hast thou that art conscious to thyself that thou art a desiring man to examine thyself whether thou art one whose desires shall be granted? For to what purpose should a man desire, or what fruits will desire bring him whose desires shall not be granted? Such a man is but like to her that longs, but loses her longing; or like to him that looks for peace while evil overtakes him.
Thou hast heard it over and over that the grant of desires belong to the righteous: shouldst thou then not inquire into thy condition, and examine thyself whether thou art a righteous man or no? The apostle said to the Corinthians, "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves; know you not--how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Cor 13:5). You may be reprobates and not be aware of it, if you do not examine and prove your own selves. It is therefore FOR THY LIFE, wherefore do not deceive thyself. I have given you before a description of a righteous man, namely, that he is one made so of G.o.d by imputation--by an inward principle, and one that brings forth fruit to G.o.d. Now, this last thou mayst think thou hast; for it is easy and common for men to think when they bring forth fruit to themselves, that they bring it forth to G.o.d. Wherefore examine thyself.
First. Art thou righteous? If thou sayest, Yea; I ask, How comest thou righteous? If thou thinkest that obedience to the law of righteousness has made thee so, thou art utterly deceived; for he that thus seeks righteousness, yet is not righteous, because he cannot, by so doing, attain that thing he seeketh for (Rom 9:31,32).
Did not I tell thee before, that a man must be righteous before he doth one good work, or he can never be righteous? The tree must be good first, even before it brings forth one good apple.
Second. Art thou righteous? In whose judgment art thou righteous?
Is it in the judgment of G.o.d, or of man? If not of G.o.d, it is no matter though all the men on earth should justify thee; thou for that art no whit the more righteous.
Third. Art thou righteous in the judgment of G.o.d? Who told thee so?
or dost thou but dream thereof? Indeed, to be righteous in G.o.d"s sight is that, and only that, which can secure a man from wrath to come; for "if G.o.d justifies, who is he that condemns?" (Rom 8:33,34). And this only is the man whose desires shall be granted.
Fourth. But still, I say, the question is, How comest thou to know that thou art righteous in the judgment of G.o.d? Dost thou know by what it is that G.o.d makes a man righteous? Dost thou know where that is by or with which G.o.d makes a man righteous? and also how G.o.d doth make a man righteous with it? These are questions, in the answer of which thou must have some heavenly skill, or else all that thou sayest about thy being righteous will seem without a bottom.
Fifth. Now, if thou answerest, That that which makes me righteous is the obedience of Christ to his Father"s will, that this righteousness is before the throne of G.o.d, and that it is made mine by an act of G.o.d"s free grace; I shall ask thee yet again,
Sixth. How camest thou to see thy need of this righteousness? And by what is this righteousness by thee applied to thyself? For this righteousness is bestowed upon those that see their need thereof.
This righteousness is the refuge whereto the guilty fly for succour, that they may be sheltered from the wrath to come. Hast thou then fled, or dost thou indeed fly to it? (Heb 6:16-19).
Seventh. None flies to this righteousness for life, but those who feel the sentence of condemnation by G.o.d"s law upon their conscience; and that in that extremity have sought for righteousness first elsewhere, but cannot find it in all the world.
Eighth. For man, when he findeth himself at first a sinner, doth not straightway betake himself for righteousness to G.o.d by Christ; but, in the first place, seeks it in the law on earth, by labouring to yield obedience thereto, to the end he may, when he stands before G.o.d at death and judgment, have something to commend him to him, and for the sake of which he may at least help forward his acceptance with him.
Ninth. But being wearied out of this, and if G.o.d loves him he will weary him out of it, then he looks unto heaven and cries to G.o.d for righteousness; the which G.o.d shows him in his own good time he hath reckoned to him, for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Tenth. Now by this very discovery the heart is also principled with the spirit of the gospel; for the Spirit comes with the gospel down from heaven to such an one, and fills his soul with good; by which he is capacitated to bring forth fruit, true fruit, which are the fruits of righteousness imputed, and of righteousness infused, to the glory and praise of G.o.d.
Eleventh. Nor can anything but faith make a man see himself thus made righteous; for this righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, from the object of faith to the grace of faith, by the Spirit of faith. A faithless man, then, can see this no more than a blind man can see colours; nor relish this, no more than a dead man tasteth victuals. As, therefore, blind men talk of colours, and as dead men relish food, so do carnal men talk of Jesus Christ; to wit, without sense or savour; without sense of the want, or savour of the worth and goodness of him to the soul.
Twelfth. Wherefore, I say, it is of absolute necessity that with thy heart thou deal in this point, and beware of self-deceiving; for if thou fail here, thy desires will fail thee for ever: "for the desire of the righteous," and that only, "must be granted."
THE THIRD USE IS CAUTIONARY. Let me here, therefore, caution thee to beware of some things, by which else, perhaps, thou mayest deceive thyself.
First. Take heed of taking such things for grants of desires, that accidentally fall out; accidentally, I mean, as to thy desires; for it is possible that that very thing that thou desirest may come to pa.s.s in the current of providence, not as an answer of thy desires.
Now, if thou takest such things for a grant of thy desires, and consequently concludest thyself a righteous man, how mayest thou be deceived? The ark of G.o.d was delivered into the hand of the Philistines, which they desired; but not for the sake of their desires, but for the sins of the children of Israel. The land of Canaan was given unto Israel, not for the sake of their desires, but for the sins of those whom G.o.d cast out before them; and to fulfil the promise that G.o.d, before they were born, had made unto their fathers (Deut 9:5,6). Israel was carried away captive out of their own land, not to fulfil the desires of their enemies, but to punish them for their transgressions. These, with many of smaller importance, and more personal, might be mentioned, to show that many things happen to us, some to our pleasing, and some to the pleasing of our enemies; which, if either we or they should count the returns of our prayer, or the fruits of our desires, and so draw conclusions of our estate to be for the future happy, because in such things we seemed to be answered of G.o.d, we might greatly swerve in our judgments, and become the greatest at self-deceiving.
Second. Or shouldest thou take it for granted that what thou enjoyest thou hast it as the fruit of thy desires; yet if the things thou boast of are things pertaining to this life, such may be granted thee as thou art considered of G.o.d as his creature, though thyself art far enough off from being a righteous man. "Thou openest thy hand," says the Psalmist, "and satisfiest the desire of every living thing" (Psa 145:16). Again, "He feeds the young ravens that cry to him; and the young lions seek their meat from G.o.d" (Psa 147:9, 104:21). Cain, Ishmael, Ahab too, had in some things their desires granted them of G.o.d (Gen 4:14,15, 21:17,18; 1 Kings 21:29).
For if G.o.d will hear the desire of the beast of the field, the fishes of the sea, and of the fowls of heaven; no marvel if the wicked also may boast him of his heart"s desire (Psa 10:3). Into whose hand, as he saith in another place, "G.o.d bringeth abundantly."
Take heed, therefore, neither these things, nor the grant of them, are any signs that thou art a righteous man, or that the promise made to the righteous in granting their desires are accomplished upon thee. I think a man may say, that the men that know not G.o.d have a fuller grant, I mean generally, of their desires of temporal things, than has the child of G.o.d himself; for his portion lying in better things, his desires are answered another way.
Third. Take heed, G.o.d grants to some men their desires in anger, and to their destruction. He gave to some "their own desire," "but sent leanness into their soul" (Psa 78:29, 106:15; Jer 42:22). All that G.o.d gives to the sons of men, he gives not in mercy; he gives to some an inferior, and to some a superior portion; and yet so also he answereth them in the joy of their heart. Some men"s hearts are narrow upwards, and wide downwards; narrow as to G.o.d, but wide for the world; they gape for the one, but shut themselves up against the other; so as they desire they have of what they desire; "whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure," for that they do desire; but "as for me," said David, these things will not satisfy, "I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness" (Psa 17:14,15).
I told you before, that the heart of a wicked man was widest downward, but it is not so with the righteous: therefore the portion of Jacob is not like them; G.o.d has given to him himself. The temple that Ezekiel saw in the vision was still widest upward; it spread itself toward heaven (Eze 41:7). So is the church, and so is the righteous, and so are his desires. Thy great concern, therefore, is to consider, since thou art confident that G.o.d also heareth thy desires; I say, to consider, whether he answereth thee in his anger; for if he doth so, thy desires come with a woe; therefore, I say, look to thyself.
A full purse and a lean soul, is a sign of a great curse. "He gave them their desire, but he sent leanness into their soul." Take heed of that; many men crave by their desires, as the dropsical man craves drink; his drinking makes his belly swell big, but consumes other parts of his body. O! it is a sad grant, when the desire is granted, only to make the belly big, the estate big, the name big; when even by this bigness the soul pines, is made to dwindle, to grow lean, and to look like an anatomy.
I am persuaded that it is thus with many, who, while they were lean in estates, had fat souls; but the fattening of their estates has made their souls as to good, as lean as a rake. They cannot now breathe after G.o.d; they cannot now look to their hearts; they cannot now set watch and ward over their ways; they cannot now spare time to examine who goes out, or who comes in. They have so much their desires in things below, that they have no leisure to concern themselves with, or to look after things above; their hearts are now as fat as grease; their eyes do now too much start out, to be turned and made to look inward (Psa 119:70, 83:7). They are now become, as to their best part, like the garden of the slothful, all grown over with nettles and briars, that cover the face thereof; or, like Saul, removed from a little estate, and low condition, to much, even worse and worse. Men do not know what they do in desiring things of this life, things over and above what are necessary; they desire them, and they have them with a woe. "Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly," his belly is taken for his conscience (Prov 20:27). "He shall not save of that which he desired," to help him in an evil day (Job 20:20, 1 Tim 6:17-19).
I shall not here give my caution to the righteous, but shall reserve that for the next use. But, O! that men were as wise in judging of the answering of the desires, as they are in judging of the extravagancies of their appet.i.tes. You shall have a man even from experience reclaim himself from such an excess of eating, drinking, smoking, sleeping, talking, or pleasurable actions, as by his experience he finds is hurtful to him, and yet all this may but hurt the body, at least the body directly; but how blind, how unskilled are they in the evils that attend desires! For, like the man in the dropsy, made mention of before, they desire this world, as he doth drink, till they desire themselves quite down to h.e.l.l. Look to it, therefore, and take heed; G.o.d"s granting the things pertaining to this life unto thee, doth neither prove that thou art righteous, nor that he acts in mercy towards thee, by giving of thee thy desires.
THE FOURTH USE IS FOR ENCOURAGEMENT. Is it so? shall the desire of the righteous be granted? Then this should encourage them that in the first place have sought the kingdom of G.o.d and his Son"s righteousness, to go on in their desires. G.o.d has given thee his Son"s righteousness to justify thee; he has also, because thou art a son, sent forth the Spirit of his Son into thy heart to sanctify thee, and to help thee to cry unto him, Father, Father. Wilt thou not cry? wilt thou not desire? thy G.o.d has bidden thee "open thy mouth wide"; he has bid thee open it wide, and promised, saying, "And I will fill it"; and wilt thou not desire? (Psa 81:10). O! thou hast a licence, a leave, a grant to desire; wherefore be not afraid to desire great mercies of the G.o.d of heaven; this was Daniel"s way, and he set others to do it too (Dan 2:18).
Object. But I am an unworthy creature.
Answ. That is true; but G.o.d gives to no man for his worthiness, nor rejects any for their sinfulness, that come to him sensible of the want and worth of mercy for them. Besides, I told thee before, that the desires of a righteous man, and the desires of his G.o.d, do jump or agree. G.o.d has a desire to thee; thou hast a desire to him (Job 14:15). G.o.d desires truth in the inward parts, and so dost thou with all thy heart (Psa 5:1-6; Hosea 6:5). G.o.d desires mercy, and to show it to the needy; that is it thou also wantest, and that which thy soul craves at his hand. Seek, man, ask, knock, and do not be discouraged; the Lord grant all thy desires. Thou sayest thou art unworthy to ask the biggest things, things spiritual and heavenly; well, will carnal things serve thee, and answer the desires of thy heart? Canst thou be content to be put off with a belly well filled, and a back well clothed? O! better I never had been born!
See, thou wilt not ask the best, and yet canst not make shift without them. Shift, no, no shift without them; I am undone without them, undone for ever and ever, sayest thou; well then desire; so I do, sayest thou. Ah! but desire with more strong desires, desire with more large desires, desire spiritual gifts, covet them earnestly, thou hast a licence too to do so (1 Cor 14:1). G.o.d bids thee do so; and I, says the apostle, "desire that ye faint not" (Eph 3:13), that is, in the prosecution of your desires, what discouragements soever you may meet with in the way; for he hath said, "The desire of the righteous shall be granted."
Object. But I find it not so, says one: for though I have desired and desired, a thousand times upon my knees, for something that I want, yet I have not my desire; and indeed the consideration of this hath made me question whether I am one of those to whom the promise of granting desires is made.
Answ. To this objection many things must be replied. First. By way of question. Second. Then by way of answer.
First. By way of question; what are the things thou desirest, are they lawful or unlawful? for a Christian may desire unlawful things; as the mother of Zebedee"s children did when she came to Christ, nay, her sons themselves had their hearts therein, saying, "Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire"
(Mark 10:35; Matt 20:20). They came with a wide mouth, but their desire was unlawful, as is evident, for that Christ would not grant it. James also himself caught those unto whom he wrote, in such a fault as this, where he says, "Ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain" (James 4:2).