Sermons preached

1. Desire after him. Love affects union with the thing Beloved; and so love to God implies an earnest seeking after him, in the highest way of enjoyment that we are capable of in this World. This appears partly by the kind of Mercies that we affect, and partly by the fervency of our endeavours after him.

(1.) By the kind of Mercies that we affect. There are some Mercies vouchsafed to the Creature that lie nearer to God than others do, and do least detain us from him: as his Image and Favour, or his renewing and reconciling Grace. When we love God, these are sought in the first place: As you shall see how the temper of the Saints is described, and distinguished from the temper of the brutish Multitude, Psal. 4. 6, 7. The Many say, Who will show us any good? but, Lord, lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us, and this will put gladness into our Hearts. The Many, the brutish Multitude seek an uncertain good, and they seek it from an uncertain Author; Who will show us? They do not acknowledge God in these common Mercies: but the Children of God must have his Favour; Lord, lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us: As the Beams of the Sun do cheer and refresh the Earth, this is that that doth revive their Souls. So Mat. 5. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness. Well then, they that desire to be like God in Purity and Holiness, and to recover ⟨p. 107⟩his Favour lost by Sin, do certainly more love him than those, that only seek temporal Mercies from him. God's sanctifying Spirit witnessing his love to us, is the greatest gift can be bestowed in this Life, and will more witness his love, than any thing else can be given us. This the Saints seek after, that they may be like God, that they may be accepted, and wellpleasing unto God, this is all their Ambition; 2 Cor. 5. 9