possibly win you by after kindness. Give a reason, why you should be more difficult towards the Blessed God, who never wronged you, and whose way towards you hath constantly imported so much good-will!

Consider, your condition on earth is such, as exposes you to many sufferings and hardships; which, by your not delighting in him, you can never be sure to avoid,-for they are things common to men, but which, by your delighting in him, you may be easily able to endure.

Besides all this, seriously consider, that you must die; you can make no shift to avoid that. How easily tolerable and pleasant will it be to think, then, of going to him, with whom you have lived in a delightful communion before! And how dreadful to appear before him, to whom your own heart shall accuse you to have been, against all his importunities and allurements, a disaffected stranger!

To these I add the consideration in the other part of the verse: "And he shall give thee the desire of thine heart." By" desire," it is plain we are to understand the thing desired, as is usual. By the thing desired, we must not be so unreasonable, as to think is meant any thing, whatsoever it be, that, even with the greatest extravagancy, we may set our hearts upon; as worldly possessions, riches, honours, &c. For it were most unbecoming, that delight in God should be so mercenary, or be propounded as the price of so mean things. Even, if the matter were so to be understood, delight in God were a

means to the attaining of these things as the end; which were to make the blessed God an inferior good to these. Nor can we suppose, that one who delights in God should ever esteem any reward or recompence of another kind, greater than what he finds in this very delight itself. Besides, we are very prone to desire things, that would prove hurtful to us. If God should gratify us with every thing we fancy, he should many times please us to our ruin. And do we believe, than when he hath won a person to place his delight and take pleasure in himself, he will requite him with a mischief?

Since then we may not understand Him to mean, that whatsoever we desire, if we delight in him, we shall have; we are to enquire further. And it is plain, the things that can be supposed to be desired by such persons as are here spoken to, must be of one of these two sorts: either things of a spiritual nature, that tend directly to the gratification and advantage of the inward man; or else external good things, that make for the support and comfort of this present life.

We will suppose it to be the one or the other of these; and shall shew that, whichsoever sort it be that is desired, delighting in God doth naturally infer the satisfaction of such desires.

1. Supposing they be spiritual good things that are desired, delight in God is most directly the satisfaction itself of such desire. Whatsoever purely spiritual good we can desire, is either God himself, or somewhat in order to Him. If it be God himself we desire, so far as we delight in him

we enjoy him, and have what we would have; and can only enjoy him more fully, by more entire and composed rest and delight in him. If it be somewhat in order to Him, He is still supremely and ultimately desired in that very desire; so that in delighting in him, we have our end, and that upon which this desire terminates. And, now, should not this be a great inducement to us to delight in God, that hereby our desires, the motions of our working hearts directed towards him, immediately find in him a peaceful and pleasant rest, and turn into a satisfying fruition?

2. Supposing the things we desire be those of an inferior kind; delight in God doth not a little to the satisfying of these desires also.

It doth not, as was said, entitle us to the things themselves we desire, whatever they be, or how unsuitable soever for us. But it moderates these desires, makes them sober, prudent, rational, and capable of being satisfied with what is fit for us. He that is much habituated to delight in God, is not apt to foolish extravagant desires. This is the sense of such a one," Not my will, Lord, but thine be done." He may desire the same thing that others do, yet not with the same peremptory and precipitant desire, but with a desire tempered with submission, and with a reserved deference of the matter to the divine pleasure : "This thing, Lord, I desire, if thou shouldst see good." So that the general object of such a one's desire is only that which in the divine estimate is fit and good for him. And though he desire this or that particular thing, he desires it not as it is this

thing, but as supposing it possible this may be judged fit for him by the supreme wisdom, whereto he has referred the matter. But if it shall be judged otherwise, this thing falls without the compass of the general object of his desire, and in just construction he desires it not. For he desires it not otherwise, than on that condition that God sees it meet for him; and not longer than until he find, He does not. In which case the sobriety and submissiveness of his former desire appear in his cheerful patient want of the thing, which he finds God hath thought fit to deny him. So that even then, his desire is satisfied; that is, it doth not (as often it is with a carnal heart) turn, being crossed, into rage and madness; but into a complacential peace and rest in the divine will. He is satisfied in what God hath thought fit to do. The very thing is done which he would have done: God hath given him his heart's desire. For let the question be put to such a person, Do you desire such a thing though God judge it will be hurtful to you or unfit for you? No doubt, he will, not in faint words that have no sense under them, but from his very heart and soul say, No. And if he deliberate the matter of his own accord, or by any one's enquiry be occasioned to do so, this will be found the sense of his heart, and this would be his prayer in such a case, "Lord, if thy wisdom, which is infinitely more than mine, see this thing not fit, cross me, deny me in this desire of mine." And this general desire at least, which is the measure of the particular one, is sure to be ac

complished to one that hath God for his delight. For the promise is express and cannot fail, All things shall work together for good, to them that love God.a

This love to God, or delight in him, as it entitles such to that care and concern of God for them, which is expressed in this promise; so it doth in its own nature dispose their hearts to an acquiescence and satisfiedness therein. For love to God, where it is true, is supreme, and prevails over all other love to this or that particular good. Whence it cannot be, but, if this love be in act,

-as the text must be understood to call to actual and exercised delight in God—it must subdue, and keep the heart so far subject to the divine good pleasure, that its desire and addictedness to this particular lesser good shall never be a matter of controversy and quarrel with Him who is, unquestionably, the Supreme and Universal Good. How will that one thought overcome, if such a one shall but apprehend God saying to him, "Dost thou love me above all things, and wilt yet contend with me for such a trifle!"

And as delight in God doth thus reduce and moderate desires in reference to any inferior good, -so that, if it be withheld, they admit a satisfaction without it, and the want of it is easily tolerable,―so, secondly, if it be granted,. delight in God adds a satisfying sweetness to the enjoyment. A lover of God has another taste and relish, even

a Rom. viii. 28.