pain full seven weeks The first day whereof in the Morning she delivered this following Speech The foregoing night had been very trouble some with her she having had little o no rest very much sickness whereupon she had a desire to see her Parents faces once more together they being called came forthwith into her Chamber her Brothers and Sisters after a little while came in likewise Her Father asked her how she did She answered I have had this Night many sweats and colds and have been very weak and in much pain but yet it hath been a very good night with me for therein I have had many comfortable refreshing thoughts Her Father replyed that in Heaven there are no sweats or colds no sickness or weakness Whereupon she began to speak at first very sparingly with long stops and pauses through weakness of body and stoppage of breath but after a little while she spake wonderfully quick and fast faster than ordinarily when in health Thus she began When Shimei cursed Dovid some that were nigh would have gone and taken off his life but David replied let him curse the Lord hath bid him David was a great and noble person and Shimei was a wicked man and should David so noble a Person take it so patiently as to say let him curse And I am a little piece of dust not so much as this pointing at her singers end yea not so much as this holding up the utmost corner of a linnen cloth yea I am nothing nothing nothing to thee Lord and shall the Lord from himself thus visit me and shall not I bear it patiently that have deserved infinitely infinitely infinitely more Let the Lord do to me and with me what pleaseth him Here a little stop afterward thus My Dear Parents you must not suffer your inferior part meaning the Flesh corruption and Carnal Affections as afterward she expressed her self you must not suffer your inferior part to rise up and prevail over the higher and spiritual part You must not murmur or repine whatsoever befals me Know that there is nothing comes to pass by Fortune or Chance Gods will cannot be altered or changed in the least His Will is Holy Just and Good and howsoever it be with me it is according to the Good Will of God Then she called for some cordial and her Father stept a little out of her presence When he was come again she thus spake Have you been with the Father There hath been and there is one with the Father meaning Jesus Christ our Intercessor as afterward she expressed her self for me and tho I am filthy dust yet the Goodness of the Father hath followed me all the days of my life and it is the Lords mercy that you and I and all others are not consumed I see that his compassions fail not The Lord doth not grieve or afflict the Children of men willingly and tho he afflict yet he will not cast off and the Lord is breathing in more breath to make me ready a living Soul for himself I have lived twenty years as I take it from your selves but I have been a sinful piece of dust yet there is enough in him to make me white again I am in a weak house but I wait for a house in Heaven whose Builder and Maker is God I desire my dear Parents and dear Sisters that my words may be in sincerity and may take deep root in you through the Spirit of God Then she took a little Liquor after which she proceeded thus I desire that the words I speak may be with a sanctified Spirit and pure conscience I have lived in the world and have been so * Tho she thus speak of her self yet she was a very lowly and humble maid high I would not be contented with this and that but did still look higher but that was vanity Now I see it is better to live in the Courts of the Lord than in the Tents of wickedness tho it were ten thousand years Now I desire you my dear Parents and Sisters I do not know how long I shall live neither doth any man know his time but if you live to see such a time that this my weak Tabernacle lie before you you would not be moved at it but say good is the will of the Lord in all his doings I am sorry that I should bestow so much of the breath that the Lord hath given me in vain words but there is enough in Jesus Christ to make it up again I rejoice to see you my dear Parents and Sisters but I should rejoice more to see you in our Fathers house If we do well here it will be well with us in our Fathers house and howsoever it be with me now I hope it will be well with me when this Tabernable is dissolved I have desired sometimes to live in some Town or City but the Lord in his Providence hindred it and it was to fit me for his heavenly City I am sorry for nothing that ever I have done but what hath not been agreeing to the good will of God Concerning my being next to God who was the first Author and chief Giver thereof I received it from you my Parents and I do return hearty thanks to God and also to you and as for my being so for my maintenance I give thanks to God and to you unfeigned thanks I am sorry for the dishonour the great great great dishonour I have done against the Great God and next for the dishonour to you My Sisters I desire you to mind the things of the eternal Spirit if you neglect now while here you will lose it for ever and if you do not find your selves striving against sin now you will not find the benefit hereafter Here a little pause afterward thus This Night hath been a painful one but yet a sweet night to me the sweetest that ever I have enjoyed I have had many sweet inward refreshings in it I have sometime thought to speak of spiritual things but could not the flesh hath hindred but now I will keep the flesh under I have heard my Saviour say you must not think what you shall speak and now I find it so He Christ is my Saviour You were talking last night of Mr. * A Godly Ministor who departed this life a little before this i me Whiddon and I think as I believed that he was a good man I have some time grieved and stranged at it that God takes away such †He being as to his age in the best of his time men but then I thought as men gather their fruit and as you that have but a little do by your †It being the time of Gathering in such fruit apples you gather them in for store and use hereafter and you take some delight therein and you may do so so the Father when he hath made his servants ripe then he gathers them to himself for store for eternity and he
Blessed are all those that trust in him The last Psalm that ever I heard was the fifteenth the description of a Citizen of Zion And the last Hymn that ever I heard was that entituled Trust in Gods Providence it was very good There it is said The righteous shall not be forsaken or his seed beg their bread A righteous man may have a wicked child as David had an Absalom but the righteous-children of the righteous shall not want their bread The eternal Spirit shall be their comfort Should I live a long time in the world I should not want for I know the Eternal God will supply me The words I speak I know not in what order they are but they are as the Spirit directs and helps me The Lord is good to his servants to all that trust in him I hope I shall be ashamed of nothing but for the works of the flesh The Lord is the same yesterday to day and for ever He is Alpha and Omega the first and the last and my times are in Gods hand My dear Father so long as you trust in the Lord you have your reward with the Father which is in Heaven Father you must be patient with your little Daughter in the flesh I have been in heats and colds but the Lord is able to raise me up as well as to cast me down I desire when my departure is at hand that I may lie down in peace The Grave is a sweet bed I never found such a sweet bed as that bed the Grave is to me in all my life This flesh is laid down in dishonour but it shall be raised in Glory About a year ago I was you know where For certainty sake one asked her saying where do you mean To which another that stood by said I think she means at Morton was it not She replied yea it was There I heard a good man I believe he is so he spake from the spirit I believe he did But when I went unto him once and again hoping to receive some comfort from him in private He was to me strange and filent and his silence at first much troubled me but since I trust my Father which is in Heaven his mind was to teach me himself that was by my close studying of good books and earnest prayer thereby he would teach me himself His mind in that which I went to a man to be resolved in and thereby he comforted me and it was that himself might have all the Glory My dear Brothers and Sisters I love you so well that I could give you my heart I have many good books and I made many * She privately earned some small matter with her needle when able and it was to bestow it in books as she did every envy thereof shifts that is according to the flesh to get them but never wronged any person in the least for them And I have one paper written when in much pain which I shall leave with you Think upon that but mostly think upon the Glorious God and upon the preciousness of your own immortal souls they are more worth than ten thousand worlds I have been much troubled and I have gone to God and have received much comfort but never had so much joy and comfort in all my life as when I was I think you know where Here one asked where To which another near her said I think she meaneth when she was at Mr. Serles at the Lords Supper Then she said yea it was so O the joy and comfort that I then received It was such as I never had in all my life I cannot express it When many others stayed in the outer rooms and outer Courts as hinted before through their cowardliness and childishness with such 't is sad But had I breath for ever I could not do enough for my Saviour I return praises to the Eternal God for himself and for my Saviour and for the Holy Ghost The Lord will cease a little and refresh me before I go hence and shall be here no more Tho I have but a little breath yet the Lord can give in more if I had none he can raise me up again The will of the Lord be done Here she breathed a little and afterward with an austere countenance and her voice altered she thus proceeded A Backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways Backsliding is a filthy thing but a good man shall be satisfied from within himself in his heart and conscience by the Spirit of God God made all things at first very good but the best was the living Soul but we all sinned and were good for nothing but to lie with Devils then God sent his Son to redeem his Elect And I trust I am one of them but I cannot as yet assure my self my hope is in the Lord for ever and ever I trust in him I trust in him I commit my self to him for ever and ever and ever Amen The Lord will give in more Grace I wait for him and for him alone All that I am and all that I enjoy is the Lords Hitherto one wrote in short-hand but not all that she spake lack abundance Here she stopt whereupon the writer ceased A little while after she spake again much more but the pen being laid aside and she spake so fast and all in short sentences that none thereof was written Next a Copy of the written Paper aforementioned of her own composing which she had delivered as her last legacy to her Brothers and Sisters whom she obliged by promise to improve to the Glory of God and the good of their own souls and was the last thing that ever she wrote But before you have an account thereof give me leave to premise this request to the Reader That in reading he would mind by whom written viz that he would mind her sex age and education A maid young and plain And likewise that he would mind for whom designed and intended viz. for her Brothers Sisters of whom there were double the number younger to those that were elder than her self all young Considering this and the intention of her affection towards them so let none naustate at the plainness of the stile or phrase or if now and then he find repeated and used the same matter words or Texts of Scripture or somewhat borrowed from others Such to whom this plain fare is beneath may leave it Such to whom it affords any savoury relish let them feed on it and improve it A Copy of the last things written by Damaris Pearse O that I could but win Souls to Christ Prov. 11.30 ALL men by nature are under the power of their sins Psal 51.5 They are naturally bent to do evil their hearts are bent after sin and iniquity and it is by the convincing awakening and sanctifying power of Gods Spirit that the hearts of any are changed And except a man be converted and born again he cannot enter into the
you to awake out of your sleep unless you mean to sleep the sleep of eternal death These golden sands running will quickly be gone a short race will soon be run O what a nothing is our life as one may say a span a dream a wind a shadow a vapour a post swifter than a post Job 7.6 You are all going to your long and last home to the house of eternity Every man goeth to his long home Eccles 12.5 How doth he go He goeth swiftly always in motion night and day sleeping and waking labouring or loitering this post hastens time and tide stays not Man doth not discern or perceive how his precious time doth fly from him And we know not how soon all our precious time will be gone from us we know not how soon our souls shall be separated from our bodies We know not how soon we shall pass into eternity And Oh that people would consider which of the two eternities they are going towards Oh that they would deeply and seriously consider that there is one place for the sheep and another for the goats one place for the righteous and another for the ungodly one place for believers and another for unbelievers An eternal night or eternal day eternal pains or eternal pleasure eternal happiness or eternal misery eternal life or eternal death eternal Heaven or eternal Hell Oh that my dear Brethren and Sisters would truly and sincerely seek after the welfare of their precious and immortal Souls now while it is time My dear Brethren and Sisters I have many times had great fears and cares about your precious Souls as you are nearest related to me so you are nearest to my heart I could desire that all men would turn from their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and close with him that so they may have life and salvation by him but my greatest desire is for you my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you might be saved My dear Brothers and Sisters great is the misery of an unregenerate estate without regeneration repentance conversion and holiness none can be saved and see God as in John 3.3 5. and Luk. 13.3 5. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And Heb. 12.14 Without holiness there is none shall see the Lord and a carnale state is an estate of death Rom. 8.6 And if ye live after the flesh ye shall die ver 13. And the Apostle saith love not the world neither the things that are in the world for if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2.15 Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God Whoseever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God Jam. 4.4 Now if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 15.17 and as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Rom. 8.14 Oh that you would consider and meditate upon these and such like Texts of Scripture and try your selves thereby how it is with you Mr. Joseph Alleins book of conversion might prove a great help with the Lords assistance and blessing and there are many other good books that might prove a help to you herein which the Lord direct you unto and that you may read and consider and lay it to heart and that you would search narrowly into your own hearts and the Lord of Heaven grant that his heavenly and spiritual blessing may rest upon you all I have many times desired the Lord for you that he would cause you to see the great evil of sin and to close savingly with Christ and receive him upon his own terms and that you may be regenerated and born again that you may be truly converted unto God that you may receive forgiveness of sins and that your souls may be truly sanctified that you may all be redeemed by the Blood of Christ and may be justified by faith in him and that the Lord would sanctifie his dealings towards you that it may be for his glory and your good and that you may live to the praise and glory of God and be comforted in him to all eternity Oh now that you would give up your selves to God resign up your selves in Covenant to him through Jesus Christ for ever to be his to walk in his wayes to be guided by his laws to be ruled and directed by him at all times that you might never depart from him Oh that you would truly prepare for death and eternity Make a true preparation for death and then you will be in a well set way to live for till people are prepared for death they are not well fit to live Oh now you should give up your selves to God by prayer pray heartily to God that he would come in with converting and sanctifying Grace into your souls Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Jam. 4.8 The Lord is very near to them that call upon him intruth and will never leave nor forsake such as put their trust in him He that neglects prayer is an unsanctified sinner they that neglect prayer cannot expect the blessing of God on either soul or body All they that are the adopted children of God they have the spirit of prayer in them whosoever is born of God can in some measure express himself to God and cry unto him for pardon of sin for grace for peace of conscience with earnestness and confidence in God Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Now this spirit of bondage and fear it is the Spirit of God there is a spirit of bondage once in all they that are the true people of God working fear in them and afterwards it doth become a spirit of adoption unto them First the Spirit of God doth convince people of their sins it shews them the evil of sin and so brings them in fear and bondage about their sins and afterwards the Spirit of God doth comfort their Souls people must be convinced before they be converted they must be sensible of their sins and pricked to the heart before they will ask what they must do to be saved Act. 2.37 And then afterwards the Spirit of God doth come in with comfort to their souls then the Spirit of God causeth them to cry Abba Father that is to make their request to God as to a Father Prayer is a duty that doth lie upon all people and God doth accept weak prayers from his children if they be sincere There are many Hypocrites that can make better prayers that can express themselves in prayer better than many of Gods chosen ones but God doth reject them because they are not sincere Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the
delights therein but I am not yet ripe but I desire I may be fitted for his great store-house When I look upon my self I find my self filthy and altogether polluted then I left my self but not hopeless but gave my self to God and he took me but I should have said that God made me pure and I polluted my self then I gave my self to God and he cleanfed me and he will take me to himself and I shall never be filthy more Here we are like little children just like so many little children when they are out in the dirt to play their Mother calls them to come in to be drest made handsome and fine for their Fathers and Friends to look upon them and they out of their childishness run away the further into the dirt and will not come when called So it is with us our heavenly Father calls us and we out of childishness run away from him in the Wilderness to sin and follow vanity rather than be drest for Eternity by our Heavenly Father It is with us here as if a Noble Person should make a feast and invite many guests and he invites them into his inner Room his best Parlour but they run away or stay in some outer Room in some filthy nasty Place So it is with God the Father He makes a great Feast and invites the Children of men to come some come in the inner Room into the best Parlour but the most stay in the worst Room without O this is sad and will be so for ever I have heard my Saviour say That wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat and strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it My dear Brothers and Sisters If you live after my departure have a care to enter in at the strait gate do not spend time vainly and make fair promises and afterward be idle and vain be careful to please God and his Spirit and do not please the flesh that hath been too much therefore do not please your selves and mispend time as in looking in glasses and the like but look more into the Glass of the Word of God This night hath been a comfortable night to me Here one asked if much speaking would not do her hurt She replied The Lord gives in more Strength and proceeded thus Improve all friends and interests for your souls good whatsoever you do for God it shall not lose its reward my desires were for spiritual things and so I desire you my Parents Brothers and Sisters that your aims and ends may be for spiritual things I have had much affliction but the greatest were those that troubled my spirit This night hath been quick and it made me mind mortality the more time runs away quick we know not our own time I believe it will be a considerable time before the day of general Judgment but we know not how near the day of our partlcnlar Judgment is therefore strive to prepare for that day Have our Saviour rooted fast in you Those thar are in Christ shall be received into Abrahams Isaacs and Jacobs Bosoms and be with the Twelve Apostles and with all other gracious persons that are departed as †She knew and had heard Mr. Vincent preach and had desired him to recommend her case to God Mr. Tho. Vincent and Mr. Whiddon and others The hearing some and reading the books of others hath made me very joyful As Mr. Joseph Alleins and others And you have joyed me heretofore O that I might be an Instrument to give in a little comfort to you Our Saviour saith Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of God and he shall go no more out and I will give him a new name Rev. 3. Again my Saviour saith Rejoice not that the spirits are subject to you but rather rejoice that your names are written in Heaven I have cause to rejoice all that I can which is but little that my name is writren in Heaven for who so is not shall be cast out into outer darkness let that be stampt upon your consciences but for me I desire to praise him that made me Again my Saviour faith My Sheep hear my voice and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and none shall pluck them out of mine hand I have exceedingly grieved to think how many shall go into the lake of eternal fire but mostly fearing lest any of these present should over and over and over have I grieved for them O now think upon it while time lasts this is a precious day this is a good day a day of salvation It is said To him that overcometh I will give a white stone and in the stone a new name which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it Here she hreathed a little afterward thus There was never a covetous person more desired riches or a drunkard his cups or a gluttonous person to fill his appetite or an unclean person to satisfie his lust or an ambitious man honour or a sick person a physician or a hungry man meat or a thirsty person drink never any that is naked or cold more desired clothes or heat or a sorrowful person ever more desired to be comforted or an indebted person more desired a surety never a weak person more desired to be strengthned never any of those persons hath more desired any of those things than I have desired the grace of the eternal spirit None of them hath been more desirous of any thing than I have been even with longing for Christ and the Graces of the Spirit The Graces of the Spirit are love of God faith in Jesus Christ hatred of sin hungring after righteousness long-ruffering c. all these and many more I have exceedingly longed for And now my Parents tho I cannot cast your natural bread yer I trust I am full of the bread of life and shall be so for evermore There is a fulness of fat things in the house not made with hands in Heaven There God and Christ sit on the Throne and the Saints shall 〈◊〉 where too for they shall judg the world O that we would judg our selves now I gave my self to God and when I have been weak and sick he hath strengthed me through Grace The Lord will not be limited If here be any that have done me any wrong or offence I 〈◊〉 not I do heartily forgive you and all the World I bear no enmity to any person or thing in the world but against sin Whether you forgive me or not for the wrongs I have done you I know not but if the eternal God forgive me it will be well with me and then if any should kill me I reckon no more of it than of a flea on my hand The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope and trust in him
Kingdom of God John 3.3 and Mat. 18.3 Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And become as little children that is we must be kind and loving one to another and tender hearted and we should be humble and lowly in heart have mean and low thoughts of our selves and forget injuries and pass by wrong done to us by others we should forgive our enemies as we hope for forgiveness from God Now we should examine our own hearts Psal 4.4 Commune with your own heart upon your bed 1 Cor. 11.28 Whether ever there hath been a real change wrought upon your souls or no If the bent of your souls be after sin and the pleasing of your flesh more than for the pleasing of God If your hearts be set upon carnal things to gratifie self and to fulfil the lust of your flesh and to love this world more than to love God then your case is very sad but if your great care be to please God and to eschew evil to avoid sin and to save your souls then you are the people of God Do you study so to walk as to approve your hearts to God is your great comfort in God is he your portion and treasure and if your greatest comfort be in the enjoyment of God then you are his peculiar people It is not the forsaking of some sins that doth make the change in the heart There are many that do forsake some sins such as may disgrace them before men but they love all sin in their hearts why they are as wicked as any neither is the forsaking of sin in time of affliction onely the changing of the heart but the hating of all sin the least sin the most secret sin the striving against it and the forsaking of it is a sign that there is a change wrought in the Soul We should consider the great love of the Great Almighty God towards us poor miserable sinners that when we were in a lost condition and could no way help our selves then he sent his beloved Son into the world to deliver us from our sins and to give unto us eternal life John 3.16 and we should consider the great love of the Lord Jesus Christ towards us He came down from Heaven from the Glory of his Father and took upon him the nature of man he satisfied Gods Justice in his suffering for our sins he suffered a most shameful painful and cursed death even the death of the cross for sinners all that should believe in his name O now that people would but lay hold on the Lord Jesus Christ for life and for salvation He is the onely way the truth and the life Joh. 14.6 They that have an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ shall have eternal life And then as for all such if they are sure of nothing here in this world yet they are richer than if they had all this world to their command without him What shall it profit any man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Mat. 16.26 O it is the great desire of my Soul that people would but turn from their sins and give up themselves unto the Lord Jesus Christ and receive him by faith into their Souls there was never one Soul that came unto him and stedfastly believed on him that ever he cast away but they have all eternal life it doth grieve his heart when sinners will not come unto him that they may have life John 5.40 We may see how he was greived because of the people of Jerusalem that they had out-lived the day of their visitation Luk. 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes We should take care that our hearts be not hardned through the deceitfulness of Sin Heb. 3.13 We should pray to God that he would keep us from a seared conscience and from a hardened heart and that he would make us truly sensible of our sins that we may be humbled and that our hearts may be broken for sin that we may have a godly sorrow upon our hearts such as worketh repentance unto salvation never to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 It doth greatly concern us to know whether we are of the number of those that shall be saved We know not how soon we shall dye and depart out of this world and if we dye without an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ it will be miserable with us to all eternity we have all of us precious and immortal souls within our bodies which must be either saved or damned must go either to Heaven and be glorified with God to all eternity or go to Hell and be tormented with Devils to all eternity There is none can express the delight and comfort that the Saints in Heaven do enjoy they shall have everlasting rest and peace Isa 57.2 and continual joy in the Lord Mat. 25.21 They shall have a kingdom Luk. 12.32 and a Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Jam. 1.12 None here can tell their blessed state as it is written Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neitherr have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 They shall be glorified with God and Christ to all eternity And then on the other way there is none of us that doth know nor can conceive what it is to be damned O what a dreadful thing damnation is it is to be banished for ever from the presence of the glorious God and to be tormented with Devils to all eternity 2 Thes 1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power It is eternal banishment and separation from God Christ Angels Saints Heaven This is the punishment of loss and the worst of Hell Mat. 25.41 Then shall he say unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels O terrible terrible to be doom'd and sentenc'd to lie under the wrath and hatred of the insinitely great and dreadful God for ever and ever so long as God shall live whose being is to eternity so long as there is a Devil to torment or to be tormented shall their plagues last O that people would consider now while they are here in this world and prepare for death To one of these two places their souls must for ever be O that the thoughts of Heaven and the Torments of Hell would cause people to consider and prepare that they might come safe to this Heaven and escape this Hell Oh it doth greatly grieve me when I do seriously think of it of the great number of those which shall be damned and
therefore they minded onely Worldly Matters and things from below And so it is with all others besides they have Worldly Earthly Unsavoury dispositions in them and therefore they desire no other things than such as may be suitable to them Oh that people would bethink themselves and lay to heart their notorious folly in letting out their affections upon such poor mean things of the world a little airy honour an empty pleasure beggarly treasures things of nought Amos 6.12 A Fashion 1 Cor. 7.31 A Fancy Act. 25.23 Vanities Eccles 1.2 Uncertain perishing things all the enjoyments and comforts of the world they are but as liquor in a brittle glass soon crackt and soon lost A Great Man a Bishop once boasted of three things that he could not lose his Riches Learning the Kings Favour but a while after in seeking a blessing on his meat he could not speak sence was forced to beg relief and before he died professed he was sure the King did care more for the worst of his dogs than for him Oh take off your affections from all worldly things study God his insmite perfections that he is an all-sufficient good a suitable permanent everlasting good and that you can never be truly happy till you have an interest in him Oh let out your affections after him Vse 2. Of Exhortation Consider your selves look into your selves where are your desires which way and to what coast do these winds of your souls drive you Is it towards God or towards the world You crave and thirst and long and desire something there is which you would have and cannot be satisfied till you have it now what is it Is it the husks of this world or is it bread Do you pant after the dust of the earth according to the Prophets Phrase Amos 2.7 Or with the Church The desire of our souls is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Isa 26.8 You are hungry and thirsty unquiet and unsatisfied what is the matter Do you like the dry earth gape and cleave for showers to bring forth Corn and wine Is the voice of your hearts Who will shew us any good or is it Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us Physitians judg of the state of their Patients bodies by their appetites they who long for trash speak their stomach foul they who hunger afer wholsom food are esteemed to be in health so ye may judge of the estate of your souls by your desires if you chiefly desire the trash of the world your spiritual state is not right But if you can say with David Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and here is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Blessed are you of the Lord you are in a safe condition but here have a care that your desires be qualified as I spake of before that they be constant desires not occasional desires as it is with some when at a Sermon or in time of danger and fear of death O then such cry out O for an interest in God for a reconciled God but after a while these desires are off again which argues them not to be a thirst which still holdeth on and increaseth changeable desires are false desires and look to it that your desires be ardent desires vehement not low flat weak indifferent as it is with many they pray as if they prayed not seek as if they seek not not pressing not wrestling striving with God Spiritual thirsts are not lazy wishes nor indifferent formal lukewarm requests there is alwayes an edg upon that spiritual appetite which we call thirsting Oh I beseech you consider your selves and know that this is your great interest to have ardent fervent desires after God and that you cannot be contented without an interest in his favour The third thing to be spoken to is Wherein the people of God chiefly long after God and pant to appear before him To this I shall say They do according to the exhibitions and conveyances that God makes of himself to his people Now know that God doth convey himself to his people 1. Here on earth in the way of his Ordinances 2. in Heaven by the immediate communication of himself And in both these respects they vehemently desire after God To speak to these two a little 1. Gods people desire God in ordinances thus it was with David here in this Psalm this was his great desire and longing he was debarrred of the ordinances and now he longs and thirsts after God with a great deal of vehemency and intention Now his soul thirsteth for God It appears that he desired after God in ordinances by that which is said in the 4th verse When I remember how I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holy day He minds the happiness of his former condition I had gone with the multitude I went to the house of God and we may see what impression this made upon his spirit when he compar'd his former condition with his present his very soul was grieved saith he When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me and this made him to break out in these words Oh when shall I appear before God and Psal 63.1 2. When he was in the Wilderness of Judah My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary He desires to be restored to the publick ordinances and to his former injoyments of them he would have communion with God in his Ordinances he would have that communion which he had formerly so Psal 84.1 2 How amiable are thy tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crïeth out for the living God Yea he envieth the bird the sparrow and the swallow who might come near the Altars when he was thrust from them and crieth out Blessed are they that dwell in the house of God ver 3 4. and Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple His desire to enjoy God in ordinances had the chief place in his heart above all earthly desires and delights whatsoever one thing have I desired this only thing that I may dwell in the house of the Lord so again Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing it hath unto thy judgments at all times my soul breaketh What ardent strong desires were in the heart of David after the ordinance No question but David had communion with God in prvate in his closet in his own heart he was not neglective of private duties but frequent