An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

That spiritual mercies and privileges are to be desired above all earthly and worldly ones what soever.¹

That spiritual mercies and priviledges are to be desired above all earthly and worldly ones what soever.¹

1. 1Spiritual mercies are to be desired before temporal.

The Grace of God, and Gospel peace is infinitely to be preferred before any outward advantage. Psal. 4. 6, 7. when David had represented the natural desire of every man unregenerated, Who will show us any good? He presently demonstrates the clean contrary disposition of those that are godly and spiritual, Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us; and, Thou hast put more gladness into my heart, then they have had, when their wine or oil increaseth. By David you may judge of all the faithful; they esteem more of the love of God, and the sense or persuasion of this, more than the whole world. Let the profane brutish men of the world say, as some did in Chrysostoms time, whom he reproveth, Give me that which is sweet, although it choke me. So let me have my pleasures, my lusts, though they damn me. The godly on the other side, if raised up to this heavenly transfiguration, as it were, to have the spirit of Adoption, enabling them to call God Father, and to walk under the light of his grace and favour, they will say, It is good to be here. So that the desires and earnest longings of mens hearts do divide the world into two parts; Some, and they are only few, who with David say, As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks, so do their souls after God. Yea, Their souls break for the longing they have to God at all times. But then others, they seek the things of this world in the first place; Let them have their pleasures, their wealth, their honours, then with the Reubenites they will sit down, and go no further, because they see the Land is a good and pleasant Land, never desiring to go into Canaan.