The word which we translate [by longing] signifieth a very vehement desire, as you know in our tongue, to long for a thing, 1is the highest and hottest acting of desire, after a thing. It signifieth properly to gape or to breathe: Hence (by a Trope) it signifieth strong desire; because they who desire a thing much, are said to gape or breath after it: just as an hungry man gapes after meat, wheresoever he sees it, and his mind runs upon it, when he cannot see it, that is the force of the word. Hence also the word is used in Scripture, to note the strong actings of faith, and vehement expectations of hope in God, when the soul is raised up mightily to believe the word of promise, then it longs after and opens its mouth wide (as it were) to receive the thing promised. As in Isa. 8.17. I will wait upon the Lord, who hides his face ⟨p. 446⟩from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. The Prophet Hosea applies the word to robbers and thieves, who stand watching and longing for the traveller, and looking at every turning, chap. 6.9. As troops of robbers wait for a man. Yet further to clear this, we may take notice, that in the Hebrew there are two words which come from this root,2 whereof the one signifieth the Palate of the mouth; because the palate is the part affected with the taste of such meats, as we long for; Hence we say, the mouth waters after such or such a pleasing dish. The other word signifies a Fish-hook, 3and the reason is double, either because those hooks are pleasantly baited, which when the fish sees, he longeth after it, and greedily swallows it down. Or because when the angler hath cast in the hook, he is in great expectation, waiting and looking earnestly when the fish will be enticed and bite. By all these uses of the Original word, we may collect the exceeding intensiveness of that desire which is here expressed by longing for death: They long for death, even as a hungry man longeth for any meat, or as a woman with child longeth for some special meat, as a fish longs for the bait, or as an angler longeth till the fish bites, or as a believer (which as it is the most spiritual, so the most ardent desire of all) desires, to have any promise fulfilled, upon which he hath pitched his faith, and anchors at by hope.
The word which we translate [by longing] signifieth a very vehement desire, as you know in our tongue, to long for a thing, 1is the highest and hottest acting of desire, after a thing. It signifieth properly to gape or to breathe: Hence (by a Trope) it signifieth strong desire; because they who desire a thing much, are said to gape or breath after it: just as an hungry man gapes after meate, wheresoever he sees it, and his mind runnes upon it, when he cannot see it, that is the force of the word. Hence also the word is used in Scripture, to note the strong actings of faith, and vehement expectations of hope in God, when the soule is raised up mightily to beleeve the word of promise, then it longs after and opens its mouth wide (as it were) to receive the thing promised. As in Isa. 8.17. I will waite upon the Lord, who hides his face ⟨p. 446⟩from the house of Jacob, and I will looke for him. The Prophet Hosea applies the word to robbers and theeves, who stand watching and longing for the traveller, and looking at every turning, chap. 6.9. As troopes of robbers waite for a man. Yet further to cleare this, we may take notice, that in the Hebrew there are two words which come from this roote,2 whereof the one signifieth the Palate of the mouth; because the palate is the part affected with the tast of such meates, as we long for; Hence we say, the mouth waters after such or such a pleasing dish. The other word signifies a Fish-hooke, 3and the reason is double, either because those hookes are pleasantly baited, which when the fish sees, he longeth after it, and greedily swallowes it downe. Or because when the angler hath cast in the hooke, he is in great expectation, waiting and looking earnestly when the fish will be enticed and bite. By all these uses of the Originall word, we may collect the exceeding intensivenes of that desire which is here exprest by longing for death: They long for death, even as a hungry man longeth for any meate, or as a woman with child longeth for some speciall meate, as a fish longs for the baite, or as an angler longeth till the fish bites, or as a beleever (which as it is the most spirituall, so the most ardent desire of all) desires, to have any promise fulfilled, upon which he hath pitch'd his faith, and anchors at by hope.
- 1[Greek or Hebrew] from [Greek or Hebrew] Hiavit, inbiavit, ore aper•o intuitus fuit, concupivit, expectavit. Notae etiam, vera fide, patientique expectatione anhelare adrem• promissam.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 from 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Hiavit, inbiavit, ore aper•o intuitus fuit, concupivit, expectavit. Notae etiam, vera fide, patientique expectatione anhelare adrem• promissam.
- 2[Greek or Hebrew] Palatum, quod ci•o inh•et.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Palatum, quod ci•o inh•et.
- 3[Greek or Hebrew] Hamus, quòd in eum pisces inhient, vel potius quod pisces expectet.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Hamus, quòd in eum pisces inhient, vel potius quod pisces expectet.
