SERMON XLVI.

GOD OUR SOVEREIGN GOOD.

PSALM lxxiii. 25.

Whom have I in Heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee.

ALTHOUGH there be many in the world that have much, there are none but who desire something which they have not; and men's desires are usually moved and excited by their fancies and opinions of things; according to which some desire the grandeur and glory, others the wealth and riches of this world; some desire skill in the liberal arts and sciences, others the knowledge of public transactions in their own or foreign countries; some desire to stay at home and mind their own business, others to go abroad and see the world; some desire strength and agility of body, others soundness and subtlety of mind; some desire the life and welfare of their friends, others the death or ruin of their enemies thus some desire one thing, and some another, but every one something or other.

5.]

And I suppose that none of us here present can plead exemption from this general rule; but that we also have our several desires as well as other men, insomuch, that should God say to us as He did to Solomon, "Ask what I shall [1 Kings 3. give thee:" every one of us would ask something of Him, though not all the same: the sickly would ask health, the weak strength, and the sorrowful comfort: the dumb would desire to speak, the deaf to hear, and the blind to see; some would ask children, others that their children might be good and dutiful to them; one would desire the riches, an

XLVI.

SERM. other the honours, a third the pleasures of this world. They that have little would ask much, they that have much would ask more, and all would ask long life; and so every one would desire something that he thinks would be good for him but there are but few, I fear, that would desire the best thing, the greatest good of all. And what is that? If it was left to our choice to ask any one thing in the world, and God Himself should promise that we should have it, what should we desire of Him? Certainly every wise man, without any long pause, would desire of God nothing less, nothing else but Himself, saying to Him as David here doth, "Whom have I in Heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee."

As if he should have said, I know, O Lord, that there are many great, and good, and excellent things in Heaven: there's the sun, the moon and all the planets, that give light and heat to all things here below, and have so much power and influence upon all terrestrial bodies, that some have desired nothing so much as their benign aspects; "But I desire none but Thee." There is an innumerable company of fixed stars, shining and twinkling in their respective orbits, rising and setting, and moving continually in the order that Thou hast set them; what a rare thing would some think it to possess and govern any one, much more all those glorious lights of Heaven! "But I desire none but Thee." There are many orders of Angels, Archangels, Cherubin, Seraphin, thrones, principalities, powers, dominions, all pure, spiritual, intellectual beings, always rejoicing, and [Heb.1.14.] praising, and flying about from place to place, to minister to Thy servants upon earth, according to Thy word and command which many knowing, never think themselves safe, except they have one or more Angels to guard them, and therefore fly to them for succour and defence," But I desire none but Thee." Yea, there are the spirits too of just men made perfect, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; the Prophets and Apostles, and Martyrs, and Saints of all ages, whom many court and caress upon all occasions, solemnly imploring their aid and assistance, "But I desire none besides Thee."

[Heb. 12. 23.]

:

I know also that there are many things upon earth, that

are commonly esteemed at an high rate. There is a great deal of excellent ground that brings forth trees and plants, and fruits and flowers, and herbs of all colours and smells, and tastes, and virtues, both for food and physic, “But I desire none besides Thee." There is abundance of gold and silver, and pearl and precious stones, hyacinths, and rubies, and amethysts, and jaspers, and emeralds, and diamonds of a great value in the eyes of mortals, " But I desire none besides Thee." There are beasts and fowls of all sorts and sizes, and shades, and figures, and qualities, fit both for food and service, and likewise for pleasure and recreation, “ But I desire none besides Thee." There are men of great renown for their parts and learning, and usefulness in the world, eloquent orators, deep politicians, subtle disputants, grave philosophers, profound lawyers, skilful physicians, cunning merchants, and learned divines, "But I desire none besides Thee" nay there are empires and kingdoms upon earth of a very large extent, with mighty Princes and Emperors presiding over them, which have millions of people, and vast armies under their command, and therefore are thought to be the happiest men upon earth, and the most able to make others so: "But yet I desire none besides Thee: for whom have I in Heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth I desire but Thee," no thing, no person but Thee, and Thee alone.

I doubt there are not many, if any among us, who thus earnestly desire God above all things in the world; but I am sure we ought all to do it, and that until we do it, we have made but little progress in the narrow path that leads to bliss, neither is it possible for us to make one true step in it, until we are got so far at least above this world, as to desire God more than all things in it; for so long as our affections are entangled amongst the creatures we converse with here below, and our desires are carried after them, more than after Him that made them; as it is plain that we do not love Him as we ought with all our hearts, so it is impossible that we should endeavour heartily to serve and honour Him, because we have still something else in our eye, which takes up our thoughts, and captivates our minds, and so diverts us from our duty to Him; whereas if our whole

XLVI.

SERM. souls were inflamed with desires of God above all things else, all things else would never be able to take us off from striving all we can to please and enjoy Him; so that as ever we desire to be or do good in the world, we must endeavour to raise up our minds so much above it, as to desire God before all things in it; which therefore that you may understand, at least how to do, I shall acquaint you with what I think necessary in order to it, and for that purpose shall consider,

I. What it is properly to desire God, and what it is in Him that we should desire.

II. Why we should desire Him above all things in Heaven and earth, so as to desire nothing in comparison of Him, nothing besides Him.

III. How we may attain what we so desire, and by consequence have our desires accomplished.

The first thing to be considered is, What it is properly to desire God, or what it is in God that we ought to desire. In speaking to which, I suppose, I need not tell you what it is to desire a thing, for if you do but look every one in his own breast, and observe the several motions of his soul, you may easily perceive that when you judge or apprehend a thing to be good or convenient for you, and yet at some distance from you, so that you do not as yet possess it, your minds are always running upon it, and following after it, reaching as it were towards it, restless and unquiet until you have got to it; so as to be able to embrace and enjoy it; and this is that affection or motion of the soul, which we call Desire; as when a man's mind is possessed with an high opinion of riches, as if they were the only, or at least the chiefest good in the world, his thoughts are then bent, his whole soul inclined towards them, his eye is always upon them, he studies and contrives all ways that lead towards them, moils and toils, he runs through thick and thin, to come at them, he hath no rest, no quiet in his mind, but is always moving and aiming at them, striving to get nearer to them, until if it be possible, he hath got them into his hands. Such a man is truly said to desire riches.

And thus we ought to desire God, by having all the powers of our souls inclined and directed towards Him, and

the enjoyment of Him; being always uneasy and dissatisfied in our minds, till we get Him to ourselves, in our own possession, that He may be really ours. According to the tenor of the New Covenant that He hath made with us, saying, "I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Jer. 31. 33. Where He having promised Himself to us, we ought to desire that this promise may be fulfilled; that we may be His people, and that He may be our God. That we may be interested in Him, and in all those infinite perfections that are concentred in His Divine Essence: that they may be all ours, to make use of upon all occasions: that we may be able to say with Him in the Prophet, "In the Lord have Isa. 45. 24. I righteousness and strength." And with David, "The Ps. 18. 2. Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my Salvation, and my high tower." Where we see how he appropriates God unto himself, and looks upon Him as his own, yea positively asserts his right and interest in Him.

And this is that which we ought to desire above all things in the world, even to have God to be our God: that He would not only bestow what He hath upon us, nor only do what He can for us, but that He would give Himself, and all His Divine properties to us, that they may be all employed for us, and so be reckoned ours in Him; that His infinite wisdom may be ours, to contrive and order all things for our advantage, that nothing may happen to us, but what is the best for us in our present circumstances, and so we may not be only contented, but fully satisfied and well pleased with it. That His Almighty power may be ours to uphold us in our being, to defend us from all adversity, to protect us from our enemies, to preserve us both in soul and body from all evil, and to make "all things work together for [Rom. 8. 28.] our good." That His patience and long-suffering may be ours to bear with our infirmities, and to put off the execution of His wrath upon us, till by our hearty repentance and faith in Christ, we have obtained our pardon, and so be discharged from the sins whereby we have deserved it; that His mercy may be ours, to pardon all our said sins, upon our repentance and forsaking of them, and to cancel and