Walk towards God in a better and more gracious manner then formerly it hath done, it would have ftill more and more, the defires are ftill inlarged, whereas an hypocrite may defire to overcome corruption and to perform tome duty, but he defires only fo much as he thinks may ferve his turne to keep him from" dangers that he doth apprehend, and that's an evident argument that he defires it not for it felf: As thus, there be two men that would have learning, there's one man that is fent to the University, but it is only to give his father content, and therefore he would faine have learning, or thus, he would faine have learning that he might get fome preferment, that's his end, and if he can but get fo much as he may attaine his end, then he loyters after that: But there is another that defires learning for it felf, he fees an excellency that there is in learning, he fees that it doth raise a rationall creature, and upon that. he is never fatisfied but he would have more and more, and fo tudies to his dying day; whether he hath preferment or no, whether he hath imployment or no, yet ftill he will be ftudious; Whereas many wonder why fuch a man should be fo ftudious, he hath not fo much inployment as another hath, but the very love he hath to it makes him do fo, because he loves learning for it felf: So one that doth defire grace to fome inferiour end, if he may have but fo much as may ferve the turne for his end, that quiets him, but whofoever defires righteouf neffe for it felf, he is never quieted, but yet would have more. and more grace, even as long as it lives. That's the third thing in this defire.

Fourthly, It is a ruling defire, that is, all defires are ordered! by the defire after this righteoufneffe; whatfoever defires there are in the foul, faith the foul, well, but let my defire after the furtherance of grace and righteoufneffe, let that defire rule and order thefe defires: fo farre therefore as my other defires, fhall further this my defire unto this righteoufnefle, fo far l'le nourish them, fo farre l'le follow after them; But now if any. -defire that I have in my foul to any thing else, if I find that it is rather a hindrance to me in this my great defire of righteouf neffe, then a furtherance, I will abandon that defire,l'le rather

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oppofe it,and Fle bleffe God if God will crófe me in that defire. This is the right defire after this righteoulnetfe, when its a ruling defire; It rules in the foul, it is the chief defire and no defire can be cherisht in the foul but fuch a defire as may be fome way ferviceable to this great defire of the foul in the hungring and thirting after righteoufnetfe.

As

Fifthly, The defires of the foul in hungring and thirsting after this righteoufnetfe, it's a defire that pain goes with was fhewed in the other hungring and thirsting after the righteousneffe of Chrift, there was a pain: As in naturall hunger there is pain, fo in that; the guilt of fin was painfull to the foul; and fo here, the unruly corruptions of the heart how grievous are they to it. When did you ever hear of Paul crying out for any of his fufferings, Owretched man that I am: When he was buffited, when he was imprifoned, he did not wring his hands and cry,I am undone because of imprisonment; when he was fcourged he did not cry out; he could fing when he was in the ftocks, but when he found his corruptions to be ftirring in him, and the want of fome degree of this righteoufneffe, he gives a dreadfull fchreek, and cryes out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death, how fhall I come to get power over thefe corruptions, and be inabled to walk after God, O that I could have but this, then I were a happy man; and therefore you find that this hungering and thirfting after righteoufneffe followes uron mourning, Bleffed are they that mourn,and then Bleffed are they that hunger and thirst after righteoufneffe; that is, thofe that firft are affected with mourning for the corruptions of their hearts,and then upon this mourning there followes this hungring and thirfting after righteoufneffe.

Sixthly, This defire likewife must be very earneft, it's not a wishing and a woulding, but a mighty earneft defire; A Divine of ours faith, The defires of a hypocrite,they are faint defires; but the fincere defires of the foul are fuch as make the foul faint, that is, they are fo earnest as makes the foul even pane again; we have fuch expreffions, in the 119 Pfal. 5.Othat my faith David, were directed to keep thy ftatutes. David

way,

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had grace before to direct him, but he would have more, O that my wayes were directed to keep thy ftatutes: David that was a King, and had great contentment in the world, and yet the thing that makes him with fuch a figh fend up his defires to Heaven: It was for the want of grace in his heart,and therefore he cryes out, O that my wayes were directed to keep thy ftatures, as if he should tay, Lord, thou that knoweft all things knoweft there is nothing in the world that would be a greater contentment to my foule, then if I could finde my heart directed to keepe thy ftatutes, and then in the 10. ver: With my whole heart have I fought thee, faith David; Why what's the matter? Olet me not wander from thy Commandements: As if he fhould fay, Lord, I account this to be the greateft evill that can befall me in this world, for me to wander from thy Com mandements, if thou leaveft me to my felfe, I shall wander from thy Commandemens But Lord let me feele the worke of thy grace powerfully in my heart, that I may not wander from thy Commandemens, and in the 20, ver: My foule breaketh, for what? for the longing that it hath unto thy judgements at all times: there was a breaking of Davids foule, there was never any man that defired any thing in this world with more earnestneffe; what expreffions can be more then thefe? and in the 131. verf: I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for thy Commandements. Now put all thefe together, O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy ftatutes: With my whole heart have Ffought thee; Olet me not wander from thy Commandements : My foule breaketh for the longing it hath unto thy Judgements, at all times; And my foule panteth again. Thefe are the earneft defires of a gracious heart after righteoufneffe,

Seventhly, Thefe defires are very induftrious defires, they are not idle defires, as the defires of moft people in the world after grace are, meere idle, the Lord give me grace, and when God gives me grace I shall doe better, and fo go no further, then I pray Cod give me grace; but I appeale to thee, what labouring, what ftriving is in thy fpirit, what pains taking, what working of thy foule after grace, and therefore obferve that Scripture in the 63 Pfal: the 1. and the 8. compared:

My

My foule thirfteth for th.ce, my flesh long eth for thee, faith the Palmift, but then mark what followes in the 8 ver: My fɔule followeth hard after thee, faith David, that will be the fruit of gracious defires, if thou haft a detire to get grace, to get righreaufnefle, if thou docft thirt for it, then this will follow, thy heart will follow hard after God in the ufe of all means that God is pleased to afford, it there be any ordinance of God that may further the work of thy grace, thou wilt defire that to, and if there be any paines, if ordinary meanes will not doe it, thou wilt be willing to fet upon extraordinry meanes, there's fuch a corruption that thou complaineft of, and ordinary means will not doe the work, well though it be to beate downe the body, to beate down the fleth, whatfoever thou doft croTe thy felfe in, yet this is the thing that thou art refolved,if porer against corruption can be had, thou wilt have it, thou wilt rather doe or fuffer the hardest thing in the world, then not have thefe thy defires accomplisht.

Eightly, they are abiding defires, they will continue and never be quiet untill the thing be done, In the 119 Pal: 20. v. before named, My foule breaketh for the longing that it hab unto thy judgements, marke, at all times, there are fome of you that in fome good moodes, you have even breakings in your foules, mighty defires, O that God would give me grace, and you can pray mightily, and fend mighty cryes to heaven for grace in fome good moods. It may be when you have been upon your fick-beds and affraid of death, or when you have been ftirred in a Sermon, you have gone home and have manifelted your defires to heaven,that the Lord would be pleafed to help you, and purge your hearts, and give you grace, but is it at all times, at other times you are farre enough from any fuch working of Spirit after this righteoufneffe, but it was in David, his foule did break after the judgements of God at all times, by judgements we are to understand the Statutes, the Commandements, the will of God; that is, that he might have his heart futable to the will of God revealed in his word, and in the 143 Pfal: 6. verf. My foul thirfteth after thee, as a thirty land. Now you know the thirty land it gapes for want of

water,

water, and it never closes againe till there be tome showers, and to faith David, O Lord it is with me as the thirsty land, I am as it were chopt, and I finde a gapeing in my heart after Tome fhowers of thy grace, and Lord till they come Ishafl never have my heart clofed, but as the thirfty land:

Thus you have feene what kind of defires thefe are that the foule hath to this Righteoufneffe, as well as to the other.

I fhould come now to the opening of the great defireablenetle that there is in this Righteoufnefs: But all that I fhall doe now, is, to defire you to take a review of this that hath been delivered to you in the defcription of this hungring and thirfting foule after this righteoufneffe of fanctification. I fuppofe that there is not any one of you but have had fome kind of defires after grace, though you have little understood what it meant, but now, can you fay as in the prefence of God, O Lord thou haft wrought fuch kind of defires in my foule, in fome measure I can fay it, Lord it hath been, not from ignoignorance, but from fome enlightning of Chrifts Spirit, I was an ignorant fottish foul,not long fince,but the light of thy Spirit came into me, and fhewed me the excellency of thy righteouf neffe, what a bleffed thing it was for the creature to live to God:- And Lord thou knowest that my defires for righteoufneffe, are for it felf:- And there is no degree can fatisfie me till I come to heaven, I would have more and more; - Lord thou knoweft that all my defires are rul'd and ordered by this great defire of my foule after this righteoufneffe, next to the defires of my foule after the righteoufneffe of thy Son: -Yea Lord thou knoweft how painful it is tome to want it,there is nothing in the world more grievous in me then the body of death that I carry about with me, fo tha: if thou should't ask me from Heaven, and fay, foule what wouldeft thou that I thould doe for thee, the Lord knowes I would make this anfwer, Lord let me have the Righteoufneffe of thy Son for my juftification, and let me have the Righteoufneffe of thy Spirit for my Sanctification to overcome my corruptions, and to enable me to live to thy praife: - And Lord thou knoweft that

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