Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Treatise · Chapter 5 · Section 9
Motives to hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs.
1 The moſt abundant fulneſs of outward things, avails nothing without this, Luke 12.19. He had abundance of earthly things, but the devils fetch'd away his ſoul, when his barns would not hold his corn. As Samuel bad Saul not to ſet his mind upon aſſes, when he had a kingdom befallen him, 1 Sam. 9.10. So ſay I, why ſhould thy appetite go after earthly things when thou haſt ſuch an object as holineſs?
2 The Lord is wont to fill every hungring ſoul with ſpiritual good things, Pſal. 81.10. Open thy mouth wide, i. e. thy deſires and affections, and I will fill it, Luke 1.53. He hath filled the hungry with good things, Pſal. 145.19. He will fulfill the deſires of them that fear him.
3 Chriſt invites every hungring and thirſting ſoul to come unto him, Iſai 55.1 Ho every one that thirſteth come ye to the waters; as if a Phyſician ſhould make a proclamation to all ſick Patients to come unto him and he would heal them, q:d: you have thirſted after vain knowledg, honours, wealth, now here are ſpiritual dainties, the Doctrine of Remiſſion, Pardon, Peace, thirſt ye after theſe, come ye to the Waters. To the Water of Juſtification, Rev: 1.5 To the Water of Sanctification and Baptiſm, Titus 3.5 here's Wine and Milk, that is, all manner of Delicates.
Matth: 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary of your corruptions, and heavy laden under them, that is, that hunger after righteouſneſs, and I will give you reſt. John 7 37, 38 If any man thirſt let him come unto me and drink, on the laſt day of the Feaſt Chriſt utters this ſpeech: he takes occaſion from their drinking the Waters of Siloah, which that day they were wont to draw out, uſing that ſpeech of Eſay, Ye ſhall draw Waters with Joy out of the Wells of Salvation, Eſay 12.3 Chriſt ſeeing this ſhews them who is the true Fountain of Salvation, Zach: 13.1 and takes his words from Eſay 55.1 that is, whoſoever hath a deſire after holineſs and happineſs let him come to me and I will quench his thirſt. He that believes on me out of his Belly ſhall flow Rivers of living Water. Among the Hebrews there were certain Ciſterns of ſtone to receive them, and in the midſt of them certain Pipes or Cocks out of which Water flowed. Prov: 5.15 Drink Waters out of thine own Ciſtern, and running Waters out of thine own Well; let thy Fountain be be diſperſed abroad; now every medium or concavity is called by the Greeks a Belly, Mat: 12.40 therefore Chriſt ſignifies that they who believe on him ſhould be ſo filled with Water, that it could not be contained within them, but ſhould flow out on every ſide with great ſtreams; now by Water he means the Spirit, and by Living Water he means Spring-water, or Water continually flowing, all plenty of Water are called foreign or Rivers. Matth: 7.25, 27 That from ſuch a ſoul there ſhould be plenty of the graces and comforts of the Spirit, not onelyonly for himſelf, but for the benefit and comfort of others, Revel: 21.6 I will give unto him that is athirſt of the Fountain of the Water of Life freely, Now what is the Fountain of the Water of Life, but onelyonly the Bloud of Chriſt, and the Fountain of his Graces, Zach: 13.1 compared with Rev: 1.5, 7, 14.
Rev: 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride, ſay, Come, and whoſoever is athirſt let him come and take of the water of life freely. The Spirit invites all thirſting ſouls to come to Chriſt; for as the Waters of a Spring can riſe no higher than the Spring from whence they come, no more can any holy deſires further than the Spirit works them in us.
4 The greateſt part of our grace lies in deſires, Pſalm 119.5 Pſalm 38.14.