The Way to True Happiness, Sermon 10
The tenth SERMON.
MATTH. 5.6.
Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse: for they shall be filled.
THe sense of these words hath been giuen already. The lessons they afford are three: Namely, that
1. They are in a blessed estate that can spiritually hunger.
2. They that thus hunger after righteousnesse, shall be filled.
3. They are blessed men that shall be so filled.
The first of these we hauehave almost dispatch't: we proued it by Scriptures and arguments, wee gaue you also the vses of the point, the last whereof was for comfort to such as finde in themselues this good affection toward grace and the ordinances. And indeed, this is the greatest comfort that can be laid before a languishing soule. A Christian often findes in himselfe but a small stocke of grace, yet hee euer desires more, and this desire hath the blessing here put vponupon it by our Sauiour: And hereby may we answer all Satans accusations and temptations.
Quest. Here now fal in certain cases to be resolued: And first, whether a naturall man may not hauehave some desires after righteousnesse?
Answ. We told you he might, but yet the difference is great, as out of the text we shewed you the last time.
A scond case here incident, is this: while we are thus comforting the godly Christian, he obiects against himselfe thus;
Quest. I find not (saith he) in my selfe such vehement desire & affection after things spiritual, as seemes here to be required. Hunger is a violent affection, &c: but I finde not that I pursue the best things so earnestly, as naturall comforts. I can tel, what it is to hunger after corporall food, and in such a case, I can vse much earnestnes to satisfie my hunger, but I cannot offer like violence to Gods kingdome, nor desire so much grace?
Answ. You must not expect, that rationall affections should be so strong as sensuall; Nor must we iudge of these matters by sense, but by reason rectified by the word of God. But here consider first, what you prize most, and what you preferre in your iudgement, whether things spirituall or things temporall, especially when they stand in competition the one to the other: put grace on the one side, and profit on the other, and which doe you set the greater price on of the two.
Secondly, looke to your affections, what is the reflect act, the rebound of your affections? Are you not offended with your selfe, and grieued at this, that your desires are no more eager after holinesse, &c.
Thirdly, looke what your endeauour is, where doe ye bestow most paynes, and for what doe you make most prayers? for things earthly or for things heauenly? for things heauenly no doubt: well then; If in our iudgements we prize, and preferre grace before all, and condemne our selues for want of appetite toward it, and are at most paynes, and pray most for it: then we do (at least in Gods acceptation) most hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, and hauehave interest in the blessing.
I, Quest. but what will you say to one that findes not in himselfe, that good desire and affection toward grace, and the meanes thereof, he was wont to find? Once Gods word and ordinances were dearer to me then mine appointed food; Gods grace and fauour was sweeter vntounto me, then any thing in the world: but now I cannot find in me that delight in him, or in his holy ordinances.
In this case you must examine your selues, Answ. whether you hauehave not beene wanting in the vse of the meanes, whether you hauehave not slacked your endeauour, let fall your watch, caught cold, doted ouermuch vponupon earthly things. If so, there's matter of humiliation, and, as our Sauiour aduiseth, you must recouer your selues by repentance, and doe the first works. But if you find no such matter in your selues, but that you pray as much as euer, and are as constant & conscionable in the vse of good meanes as euer, be not discouraged, though you finde not those pangs of desire and affection after God and the things of God, as you felt about your first conuersion. For there are two things in the first conuersion, the rarity of grace, and the excellency of it, and it is no maruell, if both these concurring (as then they doe) they seeme to be much greater, then afterwards the one alone doth.
Quest. I, but what shall I say, that hauehave no such great affection in me to holy duties? I do them in deed, but (alas) with little or no appetite towards them, but out of custome, or for feare, &c. I feele my desires dull, mine affections flat, shall I goe about them now, or had I not better forbeare, till I shall finde my selfe more fit, &c?
Answ. No, but if thou finde it thus with thee, go alone and confesse it, bewaile it, vse the best meanes to get out o… it, and then goe to God notwithstanding, tender your selues vntounto him in the ordinances: And you shall finde, that as it is in the bodily food; though a man hauehave no great stomack to it, yet let him eate neuerthelesse, and one bit will draw downe another: So, though wee finde not our selues so well affected to Gods ordinances as were to be wished, but ceized vponupon with a kind of dulnesse and indisposition thereunto, yet let vsus keepe our times, present our selues before the Lord, and we shall finde, that hauing once begun, wee shall gather heate, yea, Gods people know by experience, that oftentimes,Vid. Basil. de poenitent. they hauehave neuer been more enlarged in holy duties, nor concluded with more comfort, then when not being so fit for the same in their owne feelings, they hauehave yet forced themselues to the performance thereof. And thus much of the first point.
for they shall be satisfied.
THe second thing that we propounded to speak of, was that
They that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Doctr. 2 shall be fi…led: they shall hauehave their fill of those things they so greatly desire. Wee cannot stand to proue it by other Scriptures: It is here plainely affirmed, you see, and these be the grounds of it.
First, from the party that here vndertakes it, Reas. 1 God: who hath 1. planted in man holy desires, and affections, and that not in vaine. In nature, desires are made for delights, emptinesse is made for fulnesse, motion for rest, for eueryevery thing moues that it may attaine rest. Nature, we say, doth nothing in vaine, it abhorres vacuity. So doth grace, m…ch more. Gods blessing followes euer vponupon good desires, wherewith they are filled: for as there is a curse vponupon inordinate lusts and affections that they shall not be satisfied, as it was with those Israelites in the wildernesse, God gaue them their desire, saith the Psalmist, but withall hee sent leannes into their soules: so there is a blessing of satisfaction to such desires as are holy. Againe, God promiseth it in many places, as Psal. 145.19. The Lord will fulfill the desire of them that feare him: hee will also heare their cry, &c. And Esay 55.1, 2. Ho, eueryevery one that thirsteth, &c: hearken diligently vntounto me, and eate ye that which is good, and let your soule delight in fatnes. So Esay 44 3. I will powre water (saith the Lord there) vponupon him that is thirsty, and floods vponupon the dry ground: And hee expounds in the next words, what he meanes there by waters. I will powre my spirit vponupon thy seed, and my blessing vponupon thy off-spring. Thus God hath promised a rich increase to those that hunger after righteousnesse, and hee'll sure be as good as his word: for he is power, and therefore can, and hee is truth, and therefore will blesse them with satisfaction that thus hunger. He neuer said in any place (as we hauehave said before) blessed are those that hunger after riches, that thirst after pleasures, honours, &c; for they shall be filled: but he hath said, Blessed are those that hunger after holines that thirst after righteousnes, for they shal hauehave their fill of them. And sith the word is gon out of his mouth, he will surely make it good with his hand. But 2. as God hath planted in his people these good desires, and promised to fulfill them, so hee takes a right course for the fulfilling of them: for together with his graces hee communicates himselfe to his people, and so fils their souls. There is an emptinesse in the creature, so that it cannot satisfie; for the world was nothing before God made it, neither was it made by him to fill mans appetite; Not but that other things may be of as large extent and capacity, as the soule of man, as the Angells, which are more excellent then man by creation: but there is nothing in the world appointed to this end by God, and so cannot satisfie: like as in the body, many things besides meat and drinke, may fill the body of man, but there is nothing else can feed it, because nothing else was ordained for that purpose. Euen so it is also with the soule, which as it was made by God, so it was made for God alone, and therefore cannot be filled, and satisfied but onelyonly by him. Now on whomsoeuer he bestows his graces withall, he bestowes himselfe, himselfe comes along with them, according to that he saith: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit; to reuiue the spirit of the humble, and to reuiue tbe heart of the contrite one, Esa. 57.15. Thus God the Father, hee that fills all things, inhabites the humble heart, which therefore must needs be filled: Secondly, as God the Father, so God the Sonne resides with such a one: For, If any man open, I will come in and s…p with him, Reuelat. 3.an… hee with mee. Now Christ is he that filleth all in all, Ephes. 1. vlt. And thirdly, God the holy Ghost bestowes himselfe vponupon the faithfull: he is in them otherwise then he was in Adam. In him he was by his grace, but in vsus he dwells personally, in such a manner as beseemeth his greatnesse and our meanesse, he bestowes not his grace onelyonly, but euen himselfe, for we are the temples of the holy Ghost, saith the Apostle: So that as God filled the materiall Temple, so doth he fill the soule of a Christian. According to that which the Apostle prayes for the belieuing Romanes, that the God of hope would euen fill them with all ioy and peace in belieuing, that they might abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost, Rom. 15.13. And in the next verse he saith of them, that they were full of goodnesse, and filled with all knowledge, &c. Now therfore, sith it is so, that God is Authour of these good desires, hath promised to fulfill them, and to that end doth himselfe (both the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost) goe along with those graces, wherewith he satisfies the desires of his people, it must needs be that they shall be filled. And this is our first reason, taken from the Author.
Reas. 2 The second reason is taken from the things desired, which is said to be righteousnesse, that is, all spirituall graces, which are of a filling nature: The food here, hungred after, doth giuegive satisfaction: for, 1. It is proper to the soule, and therfore fils it. In all kind of nouirshment, there must be an assimilation: bodies feed not vponupon spirituall things, nor spirits vponupon corporall, but bodies are sustained by things bodily, and spirits by things spirituall. Now therefore, sith the spirituall part pitcheth vponupon spirituall food. Hence it is that it is satisfied. 2. Spirituall affections are violent, serious, eager, wil not be put off with trifles. The stomack that is hungry cannot satisfie it selfe with shewes and shadowes. You cannot satisfie an hungry man with painted cheere, a thirsty man with painted wine: you cannot quiet a childe with a painted bib: no more will the soule be serued or filled with trash: It must be substantiall food that must giuegive it content: but this is onelyonly in grace, which is therefore by Salomon twice called by the name of substance,foreign. Prou. 2. and Prou. 4. howeuer your books hauehave it, Wisdome is the principall thing, &c. The originall hath, Wisdome is substance. So in the new Testament, the Apostle,foreign. when he speakes of faith, he calls it substance, when he speaks of hope, he calls it substance, noting that grace only hath substance in it to satisfie the substantiall desires of the soule. 3. This spirituall food is powerfull and effectuall in operation, it will strengthen and nourish the soule of him that vseth it. The Masters of physicke tell vsus, that that is the best food that opposeth the enemy, namely, hunger, & nourisheth the friend, namely, nature: so it is also in this spirituall sustenance, it cherisheth the spirituall part of a man, it perfects that, but opposeth sinne, the soules enemy; it expells boundlesse lusts, that dropsie wherewith many men labour after worldly things, that foreign, as they call it, that dog-like kind of appetite, whereby they become insatiable after outward things, so that the more they hauehave of them, the more they pursue them: this is taken off by grace, and remoued to better things, spirituall obiects. Againe, the soule is strengthened by grace, it is vnited to God, and so fully satisfied. And these are the grounds of the point. Before we come to the vse, an obiection must be answered: For, here some may say:
Obiect. How can the thirsty soule be said to be satisfied with righteousnesse, when as the more it hath, still the more it desires, and none so hungry after more grace, as they that hauehave most?
Answ. Though this be true that is obiected, yet it remaines no lesse true on the other side, that such as hunger after righteousnesse, are aboundantly satisfied. And that, first, in respect of the obiect, which such a man hath made choice of, whereupon he hath pitched, namely, righteousnesse, which hauing once attained, he is quieted, satisfied, and sets downe his rest. In outward things it is otherwise, there the soule flits still from one thing to another, as hauing no rest in any thing, as Salomon shewes in his sacred Retractations, by his owne example, he set his desire vponupon wealth, but that failed him, vponupon honour, but that failed him, vponupon pleasure, that also failed him, &c. So that at length after triall made, he was faine to conclude them all to be but vanity & vexation of spirit, such as wherein the soule cannot be quieted, till at length it pitch vponupon grace, till it rest vponupon God, and then it hath full satisfaction: when a man hath gotten God, he sets vp his rest, he desires nothing more, he will hauehave none else: VVhom hauehave I in heauen but thee, Lord (saith the Prophet) and in earth, none in comparison of thee? And in another place, one thing, saith he, hauehave I desired of the Lord, which yet still I doe desire, and will desire, and that is, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, &c. that I may feed on Gods diet, rellish and tast of his sweetenesse, in a word, that I may enioy God. This was that one thing hee so earnestly desired, and in the hauing whereof he should think himselfe abundantly blessed. Thus in respect of the obiect of this spirituall appetite, such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse shall be satisfied. Secondly, for the measure, the Text tells vsus, that they shall be filled: Here in this life they shall be filled in respect of the parts, that is, they hauehave something of eueryevery grace: though in respect of degrees they shall not hauehave that fulnesse and perfection till they come to heauen, but then they shall be filled brim-full, each according to his capacity, according to that of Dauid, Psal. 17. vlt. VVhen I awake, that is, at the last day, I shall be full of thine image: they shal be as full of grace, as euer they can hold. Thirdly, this hungring after righteousnesse is not (as before wee told you) a vexing or des…r…ctiue hunger, but delightfull and preseruing: for the more one hungers and thirsts after righteousnes, the more he liues (and to liue is that we most of all desire) and so the more a man desires after grace, the more he delights in his desire, hee is sorry hee can desire it no more. Besides, that this desire doth more and more vnite him to the thing desired: so that the more he thirsts, the more he enoiyes himselfe, and that he thirsts after. And thus much for answer to the obiection.
The vse that we shall make of the point (being straightned of time) is onelyonly one, that is this. Let all that would hauehave their willes, and not loose their labour, be exhorted to desire holinesse, to hunger and thirst after things spirituall and heauenly. And for this end, you must vnderstand, that man being in himselfe, an empty and impotent creature, hath these affections and desires planted in him by God, that hee may seeke his happinesse out of himselfe. And secondly, you must know that he must hauehave it not in earthly things, but in heauenly. He may hauehave both, but hee must not thirst after both, hee may not terminate his desire in these things on earth. Hence is it that the holy Ghost makes a flat opposition betweene things earthly and heauenly, as, Set your affections on things aboue, and not on things that are on earth, Colos. 3. Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for the meate that endureth to eternall life, Ioh 6. and in a number of such places more wee finde them opposed, so that it is in vaine to seeke to reconcile them. Our affections cannot bee set vponupon them both in extremity. Thirdly come therefore to the choyce, look on the cōmodities on both hands, and make your choice. If earthly things be the best penni-worth, take it: if heauenly, take that. But without all questō, heauenly things are much to be preferred, as will appeare, 1. if we compare the things themselues, and so indeed there is no comparison. Our Sauior hath gone before vsus in one branch of these earthly things, Luk. 16. where speaking of treasure and riches, he calles them first the least things; He that is faithfull in that which is least, &c; and hee that is vniust in the least is vniust also in much. Secondly, he calles them wicked; If ye hauehave not been faithfull in the vnrighteous Mammon, &c. And lastly, counterfeit vponupon the matter, for he opposeth them to the true treasure, vers. 11. And what our Sauiour there saith of treasure, is alike true of al other outward things, whether profit, pleasure or preferment (the worldly mans Trinity) they are rightly called the least things: Riches especially may be so called; for that they are least, not onelyonly in comparison of spirituall, but euen of other outward things. Riches are lesse than a mans health, lesse then his good name: Yea, Salomon telles vsus, that louing fauour is better then great riches. Secondly, riches are other mens more than ours, in other mens hands more then in our own, Luk. 16.12. for a man must aske his wife, whet…er hee shall thriue or not, aske his seruants, whether hee shall thriue or not, aske the fire, aske the water, hee must aske theeues, he must aske the rust, whether hee shall thriue or not: So that riches are not a mans own, but they lye out in the hands of others, and are in the power of other things and persons. Thirdly, riches are wicked, ver. 11. they are subiect to abuse: they may be got ill, kept ill, spent ill, and so bee mingled with sinne. Fourthly, they are not true treasure, vers. 11. but counterfeit. They are truely treasure in their kind, but not that true riches to be chiefely desired of man (for they were not made for that purpose) heauen onelyonly is so, which therefore he should prize aboue all. For 1. heauenly treasure is greatest, it doth a man most good, perfects his best part, drawes him to God the chiefe good. And 2. it is a mans owne peculiar, it shall neuer be taken away from him, as our Sauiour told Martha. No theeues can steale it being once layed vp in heauen, no rust can corrupt it: it is not perishable, or subiect to vanity or violence. 3. As it is not subiect to losse, so neither to abuse: grace preuents this, as being in it owne nature simply good. 4. S…irituall treasure is true, not counterfeit. My flesh is meate indeed (saith our Sauiour) my blood is drinke indeed, not in shew onelyonly or opinion. Heauenly graces are things reall and substantial, they bring comforts indeed, ioyes indeed, whereas temporall giuegive but light-flashing comforts, make men to reioyce in the face, but not in the heart. Thus, if we make comparison of things spirituall and temporall in respect of the things themselues, those that are spiritualll must needes hauehave the preheminence. But secondly, looke to the effects, and wee shall see first, that temporall things are vanity, and fill not; yea, 2. they are vexation, and quiet not; 3. there is no nouelty in them, there is nothing new vnderunder the Sun, nothing continues in its sweetnesse, which it had at first, but there followes a satiety of all things; and as a posie which in the morning is sweet, and a man delights in it, but ere night it stinks, and is cast away; so it is in these outward comforts, as Salomon saith of them, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare with hearing, &c; they bound not a mans desires, nor satisfie the soule: but the more one hath of them, the more he wants still. He that loues siluer, shall not be satisfied with siluer; and so he that loues pleasure, shal not be satisfied with pleasure: he that loues honour, &c; shall not be satisfied therewith. But now on the other side, heauenly things will 1. bring all a mans desires to one point, and set them all vponupon the one thing necessary, giuegive a man God; giuegive him grace, hee hath enough, he rests abundantly contented. 2. they reduce a man to his primitiue estate. Adam in his integrity was therefore most happy, because he was holy. His first affections were holy: such as are carnall came in by the by, they came by accident. Now grace (like vntounto physick) brings the soule back to its first estate, and so giues it rest. A mans naturall constitution is pleasing and easefull. A disease distempers the body, and puts it into an estate that is preternaturall: But physick reduces him, restores him as before, and so makes all well with him. So sinne, as a disease, distempers the soule: but grace, as physick sets al things right, as at first, and then there is content. EueryEvery thing rests, when it is on its own center, when it is in its own place, and so it is with the soule. A man is neuer at rest, hath neuer any peace, till he comes to his first estate, which grace onelyonly can bring him to.
Again thirdly, spirituall things are the best, for they wil do a man good at the greatest need, when he is in extremity. And why do men set more by balme-water, and such precious liquours, but because they will helpe at a time of need. Indeed of ordinary waters we hauehave more common vse, but yet we make not so great account of them, as of the former; because they will stand vsus in stead when the other will not: so though outward comforts hauehave their vse, yet nothing can doe for vsus in our greatest need, as grace will: for when wealth fayles, friends fayle, comforts faile, pleasures faile, grace will stick to vsus, and bestead vsus; when thou art sick, poore, diseased, &c; yea, when thou dyest, risest againe, &c: a thousand yeeres hence grace will comfort thee, and doe thee good. You see then what are the best things, therefore pitch vponupon things spirituall, buy of mee (saith the Lord) honey, wine, milke, Esay 55. and you shall be sure of the best penni-worth, for you shall hauehave them without mony or monies-worth, wherefore doe you spend your money, for that that is not bread? &c; nothing else but grace is bread; satisfies not the soule, cannot doe't, therfore covet heavenly things: for they will. But hitherto of our second proposition gatherd out of the words. The third followes.
Blessed are they that hunger, &c: for they shall bee filled.
Doctr. 3 HEnce we conclude, that
It is a blessed thing to be filled with righteousnesse.
They are in a blessed case, that are filled with righteousnesse. It is our Sauiours Argument, here, it is his medium: for thus he reasons. They that shall be filled with righteousnesse, are blessed. But they that hunger, and thirst shall be so filled; therefore, they are blessed, And indeed, if in hungring they are blessed, much more in hauing righteousnesse: if the desire proue them blessed, much more the fruition, if the meanes hath blessednesse, much more the end: if for the first-fruites Christ call them blessed, euen for a little grace, what then shall they bee, when they hauehave the whole haruest.
The reasons of the point are these. First, they Reas. 1 are freed from all sinne, and 2. from all miseries, which are the fruites of sinne. For the first, fil the minde with wisedome, and folly flyes away: fill it with faith, and vnbeliefe will be casheird; fill it with humility, and there's an end of pride, and so in all other sinnes: they are banished at the comming in of grace. Secondly, it frees a man from the ill consequents of sinne, as sicknesse, payne, shame, &c: you know, Adam knew not what misery meant, either in his family, or in his estate, or in his person, till sinne came in, so long as hee held him to God, he felt no ill: so when a man is filled with Gods Image, hee becomes happy in soule, body, name, estate, and eueryevery way.
As it frees a man from all euill, so it filles him Reas. 2 with all manner of good. But of that enough hath beene said already: wee'll therefore come to the vse.
And first, is it so great a happinesse to be filled Vse 1 with righteousnes, this serues to confute such as are afraid to surfet this way. In earthly things they are otherwise affected: they would hauehave their purses full, their barnes full, their coffers full, and the fuller these are, the better they like it: But in heauenly things they are of another mind and disposition, like as wee say of children that goe to schoole, they are very reasonable people, and care not how little they hauehave for their money. Here they say, Obiect. 'tis good to hold a meane, and a little does well, but what need so much adoe, there is reason in all things, and enough's enough of Conscience.
Answ. This is a good rule indeed (as wee said before) to bee held in worldly things, wherein to hold the meane is worth gold. It holdes well also in needlesse scrupulosities, and groundlesse superstitions, &c. but to bee afraid of hauing too much grace, too much righteousnesse, is to bee afraid of hauing more neare communion with God, to be afraid of heauen.
Obiect. Yea, but doth not Salomon bid; Bee not iust ouer-much? it seems then a man may exceed that way?
Are you sure they are Salomons words? and not rather that he brings in there som Atheist so speaking. Answ. There are that doe so vnderstand the words, and therefore they make the next verse; Bee not wicked ouer much, to be Salomons answer.
But if hee speake it himselfe, I answer, if hee should bee vnderstood of warranted, and well grounded righteousnesse, they were words not farre from blasphemy: But if hee meane it of that righteousnesse, that is superstitious and vngrounded, it reacheth not to our point. In that which is warrantable neuer feare excesse, there is no danger can come that way, sith, hee that hath most, hath a great deale too little: and hee that sets bounds to his desires after grace, desires not grace for it selfe, but for some sinister end and respect. Besides, those that are afraid of surfeting of grace here, what will they doe, when they come to heauen. If the foote-men hauehave tyred them (as Ieremy speakes in another sense) how will they doe to hold pace with the hors-men. If they thinke it too much of that little they see in the Saints on earth, how will they brooke that excellency that is in the Saints in Heauen, that is in the Angels, in Christ, in God.
Secondly, this affords matter of encouragement Vse. 2 to Gods people, to aduance forward, and goe on in the way that is called Holy: Considering 1. that you are in a good way, for without holinesse none can see God. 2. that the longer you trade in it, the more easefull you will finde it. The Diuell, when hee tempts a man to sinne, hee shewes him the best first; and in this way, the further a man goes, the worse hee findes it: but in the wayes of God, the worst is at first; hee, like the master of that Feast, Ioh. 2. keepes the best Wine till the last; the more wee tast of the wayes of righteousnesse, the sweeter they will bee. The way of the righteous (faith Salomon, Prouerbs 4. is as the shining Light, that shines more and more vntounto the perfect Day. Hee begins somwhat darkly, it may be he goes forth before day, but hee trauels to meete day (as they speake) and the farther hee goes, the more light he enioyes. whereas the wicked, the further they goe, the worse they fare, they are in the darke, and know not what they doe. Bee exhorted therefore to goe on cheerefully in your course, pursue after more godlinesse, accounting that the more godly you are, the more blessed you shall be. OnelyOnly prouided that you 1. walke by rule, by direction of the word, keeping within the compasse of your owne calling. 2. Be sure you ayme at true grace, seeking grace for graces sake, and beginning with that which is substantiall, not sticking in or taking most care about circumstances. 3. carry alwayes an humble and mercifull heart toward those that are below you, not censuring, but helping them rather toward heauen. And obseruing these cautions, presse on with Paul toward the mark, forgetting that which is behind, and reaching out to that which is before: Yea, (as he else-where prayes for the Philippians) let your louelove abound yet more and more, & be ye filled with the fruits of righteousnes, which are by Iesus Christ to the glory and praise of God: And then care not what men thinke of you, though the world should cast you out, as it were by an Ostracisme, resolue with Dauid, that if this be to be vile, you'll be yet more vile to men, that you may bee blessed of the Lord.
Vse. 3 Lastly, here's comfort to those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, they shall bee filled. Here our estate is compounded of faith and vnbeleife, of goodnesse and badnesse, &c; but hereafter we shall be refined, and all corruption strained out. Here our estate is a conflicting estate, we are now vp, now downe, sometimes off, sometimes on, one while we are ouercome, another while we doe ouercome: but then we shall hauehave no enemy to oppose vsus, but shall triumph ouer all. Here our estate is an imperfect estate: we know but in part, beleeue but in part, but then we shall know as wee are known, see as we are seene, see God as he is.
Therfore comfort your selues with these words: yea, looke vp and wait in expectation of this happinesse. A child of God euen in this life is glorious, but it doth not yet appeare what we shall be. The very desire after grace doth interest vsus into blessednesse, what will then the fruition thereof doe? If a drop of righteousnesse here make vsus more glorious then the Sunne, more beautifull then the Moone, what then shall we be, when we shall be drencht in that riuer that runnes at Gods right hand? when we shall enter into our masters both holinesse and ioy? when we shall be stript of our corruptions, miseries, &c; and filled with Saints, with Angels, with God, with Christ, with heauen? How vnspeakeably glorious shall wee then be? Here our comforts are more then carnall eye euer saw, carnall eare euer heard, then euer entred into the heart of carnall man to conceiue, 1 Cor. 2. but what they shall be then, we cannot tell, nor euer shall tell, till we come thither. Thus far of thirsting.
If any please to stretch the point of thirsting farther, namely to righteousnesse of Iustification, or to Christ iustifying, I gaine say not. Signes of thirsting after Christ, see in Rogers of Faith, cap. 2. pag. 165. I'll stay longer here, there be treatises many extant on that subiect.