A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

—AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 261thou unfeignedly desirest and constantly usest the means toattain, thou hast*."Take it in short from me thusA :true desire of grace argues a saving and comfortableestate.The truth of which appears clearly by scripture, reason,both ancient and modern divines.Proofs: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirstafter righteousness, for they shall be filled'' (iNIatt. v, 6).Here to a desire of grace is annexed a promise of blessedness,which comprehends all the glory and pleasures ofChrist's kingdom here, and all heavenly joys and everlastingbliss hereafter. " If any man thirst, let him come unto meand drink" (John vii, 37;. " The Lord heareth the desireof the humble " (Psalm x, 17). " He will fulfil the desireof them that fear him" (Psalm cxlv, 19). "The Lordfilleth the hungry with good things" (Luke i, 53). "Lethim that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him takethe water of life freely" (Kev. xxii, 17). "Ho! everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters," &c. "1 willpour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon thedry ground " (Isa. Iv, I ; and xliv, 3)."(J Lord, I beseech thee," saith Nehemiah, "let nowthine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and tothe prayer of thy servants who desire to iear thy name."Here those who desire to fear the Lord are styled hisservants ; and proposed as men qualified and in a fit dispositionto have their prayers heard, their petitions granted,their distresses relieved, their atfairs blessed with success.And no doubt this man of God would make special choiceof such attributes and afl^ections, which might prove powerfuland pleasing arguments to draw from (jod compassion,favour, and protection. And therefore a true-hearted desireto fear the Lord is a sign of his servant.Abraham, as you know. Gen. xxii, did not indeed whenIt came to the point, sacrifice his son ; an angel irom heavenstayed his hand. Only he had a will, purpose, and resolution,if the Lord would so have it, even to shed the bloodof his only child. Now this desire to please God wasgraciously accepted at his hands as though the thing hadbeen done, and thereupon crowned with as many blessingsas there are stars in the heaven, and sands upon the seashore. " By myself have 1 sworn, saith the Lord, becausethou hast done this thing, and hast not spared thine onlyt;ou" (and yet he spilt not a drop of his blood, save only* Wilson on Faith.