A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

3. There are certain Experiences that we have here, which set us a longing and groaning for this time. Rom. 8. 23. We which have the First-fruits of the Spirit, groan within our selves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the Redemption of our Body. When they have tasted of the Clusters of Canaan, O they long to see the Land; they long that Jesus, the Captain of their Salvation, the spiritual Joshua, may lead them into the good Land. The Church hath here enjoyed Christ in her House: I brought him into my Mother's House, Cant. 3. 4. Now they would enjoy him in his own House, have a more plentiful enjoyment of him. Wherefore have we a taste, but to long for a fuller Banquet? Why doth God give out such a Pittance, but to awaken our Desires to look for more? Indeed these Beginnings are sweet, and are a wonderful Mercy; to hear Christ say in a Promise, Come to me, that you may have Life. But when once they have embraced this, they will be longing for another Call, for the great Voice to say, Come ye blessed of my Father, &c. When Christ biddeth them welcome into the Kingdom of Heaven, to the Crown of Glory. When we can get any Joy in the Holy-Ghost, a little Peace of Conscience, any sweet Experience of our being cleansed from Sin, this is reviving and comfortable. But why is this given, but to set us a longing for the whole Harvest? for this is but the First-fruits. It is sweet now to find Pardon of Sin, and any comfortable feeling of God's Love in the Conscience; to have any Doubt resolved, any Fear silenced and supperest; to have a glimpse of the Light of God's Countenance, a little Elevation of the Heart in Duty. Now this draws on the ⟨p. 235⟩Soul to long for more; for we begin then to think, what a sweet reviving will it be, when we enjoy the Full of all these things! If there be but one Promise now set home upon our Hearts, tho here we ha•e only the Right, not Enjoyment; if we have but our Right cleared up to a Promise, it is very reviving. God gives us this Experience, that we may long to enjoy the thing promised, the full Possession of it. When you have gone away feasted with Loves at the Lord's Table, thou hast said, One Hours Communion with God is better than all the World.

3. There are certain Experiences that we have here, which set us a longing and groaning for this time.