A treatise of delighting in God from Psal. xxxvij. 4. Delight thy self also…

This Verse hath a more direct aspect on the last of these cases, or on this last mentioned thing considerable in the case, of Upright men suffering under the oppression of violent and prosperous wickedness, viz. That they might hereupon be apt both to covet and envy the worldly delights of their enemies; To be desirous of their dainties, and grudge they should be theirs, who, they knew, deserved worse things: And while themselves also felt the pressure of worse, which at their hands they deserved not.

This Verse hath a more direct aspect on the last of these cases, or on this last mentioned thing considerable in the case, of Upright men suffering under the oppression of violent and prosperous wickedness, viz. That they might hereupon be apt both to covet and envy the worldly delights of their enemies; To be desirous of their dainties, and grudg they should be theirs, who, they knew, deserved worse things: And while themselves also felt the pressure of worse, which at their hands they deserved not.

What is here offered to the consideration of the sufferers, tends aptly to allay their discontent, to check and repress their inordinate desire towards inferior things; or to divert and turn it another way; as in case of bleeding to excess and danger, the way is to open a Vein, and stop the course of that profusion by altering it.

As if it had been said, You have no such cause to look with displeasure or immoderate desire upon their delicacies; You may have better, Better belong to you, and invite you, The Lord himself is your portion; It becomes both your state and spirit, to apply your selves to an holy delight in him; To let your Souls loose, and set them ⟨p. 3⟩at liberty, to satiate themselves, and feed unto fullness upon those undefiled and satisfying pleasures unto which you have a right; and in which you will find the loss and want of their meaner enjoyments abundantly made up unto you. You have your natural desires and cravings as well as other men; and those may be too apt to exceed their just bounds and measures; But if you take this course, they will soon become sober and moderate, such as will be satisfied with what is competent, with an indifferent allowance of the good things of this earth. And towards the Lord, let them be as vast and large as can be supposed, they can never be larger than the Rule will allow; nor than the object will satisfy. The direction and obligation of the former being indeed proportioned to the immense and boundless fullness of the latter.