A Golden Chain

Again,^b The whole life of a good christian, is an holy will and desire. And that which thou desirest thou seest not: but by desiring art, as it were, enlarged and made capable, that when it shall come which thou shalt see, thou mayest be filled. ^cBernard saith, What, is not desire a voice? Yea a very strong voice. God heareth the desire of the poor, and a continual desire, though we speak nothing, is a voice continued. ^dLuther saith, Christ is then truly omnipotent, and then truly reigns in us, when we are so weak that we can scarce give any groan. For Paul saith, that one such groan is a strong cry in the ears of God, filling both heaven and earth. ^eAgain, very few know how weak and small faith and hope is under the cross and in temptation. For it appears then, to be as smoking flax, which a good blast of wind would presently put out: but such as believe in these combats, and terrors against hope, under hope, that is, opposing themselves by faith in the promises of Christ against the feeling of sin, and the wrath of God, do find afterward, that this little spark of faith (as it appears to reason, which hardly perceiveth it) is peradventure as the whole element of fire which filleth all heaven, and swalloweth up all terrors and sins. ^fAgain, the more we find our unworthiness and the less we find the promises to belong unto us, the more we must desire them, be•ing assured that this desire doeth greatly please God, who desireth and willeth that his grace should be earnestly desired: This doeth faith, which judgeth it a precious thing, and therefore greatly hungereth and thirsteth after it, and so obtains it. For God is delighted to fill the hungry with good ⟨p. 1051⟩things, and to send the rich empty away. ^hTheodore Beza saith, If thou find not thine heart inwardly touched, pray that it may be touched: for then must thou know that this desire is a pledge of the fathers good will to thee.