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My Soule thirsteth for thee, my Flesh also longeth after thee.
BEhold here how the Soule thirsteth; and see how good it is for the Soule that thirsteth; to wit, be∣cause
shee thirsteth after thee. There are who thirst, but not after God. Every one that would in his owne behalfe have ought performed, is in heat of desire, till he have it effected; and this desire is the thirst of the Soule. Now see what various desires are in the hearts of men: One desireth gold, another silver, one desireth possessions, ano∣ther inheritances, one store of money, another stock of cattle▪ one a faire house, ano∣ther a wife, one honours, an∣other children. You see these desires, how they are in the hearts of men. All men thirst after one desire or o∣ther, yet can there scarce one be found, who may say, My Soule hath thirsted after thee.
For men thirst after this World, and they understand not how they are in the wil∣dernesse of Idumaea, where their soule ought to thirst after God. Let us therfore say, My Soule hath thi••sted af∣ther thee; Let us all say, (for wee are all but one Soule in our fellowship with (Christ:) Let this our soule thirst in Idumaea: My Soule (saith he) hath thirsted after thee, and my Flesh hath longed sore for thee. He held it too little for the Soule onely to thirst, but that his Flesh should thirst. Now I would know, seeing the Soule thirsteth after God, how the Flesh may be said to thirst after God: For when the Flesh thirsteth, it thirsteth after water; when the Soule thir∣steth,
shee thirsteth after the fountaine of Wisdome; of which fountaine our Soules shall bee made drunke, as is said in another Psalme, They shall bee satisfied with the plen∣teousnesse of thy house: and thou shalt give them drink of thy plea∣sures, as out of thy river.
We are then to thrist after wisdome, to thirst after righteousnesse. Nor shall we be satisfied with this, nor filled with that, till this our fraile life shall be ended, and we come to that which God hath promised. For God hath promised to make us e∣quall with the Angels. Now the Angels thirst not as wee doe, nor hunger as wee doe, but partake of the food of truth, the food of light of
immortall wisdome. There∣fore are they blessed: And in so great blessednesse (be∣ing in that heavenly City of Hierusalem, from which we are here as Aliens) they take care of us poore pilgrims, they commiserate us, and by Gods appointment they as∣sist us, that at last we may re∣turne to our common Coun∣trey, & there at last with them be satisfied with that divine fountaine of truth & eterni∣ty. Wherefore let our Soule now thirst, & let our flesh also thirst eagerly. Yea My flesh (saith he) longeth after thee: because to our flesh, is resur∣rection promised by thee. E∣ven as blessednesse is promi∣sed to our soule: so also is resurrection promised to
our flesh. Such is the Re∣surrection of the flesh which is promised unto us. Heare, learne, and under∣stand what may be the hope of Christians. For what end are we Christians? Not to this end are wee Christians, that we should seeke earthly happinesse, which even Theeves and malefactors oft∣times enjoy. No, wee are Christians for another kind of happinesse, which shall be then by us received, when this our transitory life shall be ended. For this then is the Ressurection of flesh pro∣mised to us. And such is the resurrection of flesh to us promised, that this same flesh which wee now carry about us, may rise in the end, and
retaine her incorruptible glory without end. Neither let this seeme incredible un∣to you, because you see the dead falling to corruption, and returning to dust and ashes. Suppose that any dead corpse should be burnt to ashes, or that dogs should teare it, doe you therefore thinke that it shall not rise againe? All these parts which you see peecemeale di∣vided, and into small graines of dust resolved, remaine all whole with GOD; for into them doe the Elements of the world passe, from whence they first came, when wee were made: These wee doe not see, yet wil God, when he knowes his owne time, produce them; who before
we were made, when his sa∣cred will was, produeed us from them. Such Resurre∣ction of the flesh is promised to us, that, albeit this flesh which we now carry, be the same which shall rise again, yet must it not have that cor∣ruption, which it now hath. For now through the cor∣ruption of our frailty, if we eat not, wee faint and hun∣ger; if we drinke not, wee faint and thirst sor water; if we wake long, we faint and fall a sleep; if we sleep long, we faint and so awake; if we eat and drinke long, albeit we eat and drinke for nou∣rishment, yet doth this long refection become a defection; if wee stand long, wee are weary, and therefore wee
fit; and if we fit long, we be∣come wearied, and therefore we rise. Then consider, how there is no constant state in our flesh: because our infancy flyeth away into childhood, and then if thou seeke in∣fancy, there is no infancy, because it is now child∣hood, which was even now infancy. Againe, that child∣hood passeth into youth, and then if thou seek childhood, thou canst not find it. This youth becomes a man; and then if thou seeke that youth, hee is not to bee found. This man becomes old: thou seekst a strong man, and hee is not to be found. And this old man dyes: thou seekest an old man, and hee is not to bee
found. Our age then stan∣deth not, every where there is wearinesse, every where te∣diousnesse, every where cor∣ruption. Considering there∣fore, what hope of resurre∣ction God promiseth unto us; in these our manifold defects, we thirst after that in∣corruption, and so our flesh longeth much after God. In this Idumaea, in this wildernesse, by how much she laboureth, by so much more eagerly she thirsteth; by how much she is wearied, by so much shee thirsteth after that infatigable incorruption, for which she was created. Albeit, my Brethren, the flesh of every good and faithfull Christian in this World, thirsteth after God. Because if his flesh
need bread, if it need water, if it need wine, if it need money, or what reliefe soe∣ver it need, he ought to beg for these at the hands of God, not from Devils and Idols, or what other Powers of this World, I know not. There are who when they suffer hunger in this World, leave God, and call on Mer∣cury, or Iupiter, or their hea∣venly Pan, as they call him, ••r some other such like De∣••ils, that they would releeve ••hem: these mens flesh thirst ••ot after their God. For ••hey that thirst after God, eve∣••y where ought to thirst both ••n soule and flesh; because God both giveth his bread 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Soule, that is, the Word of truth; and God gi∣veth
to the flesh also, what∣soever are necessary, because God made both the soule and the flesh. For thy flesh, thou calst upon Devils: tell me, hath God made thy soule, and the Devils made thy flesh? Hee who made thy soule, he likewise made thy flesh. Hee who made them both, he likewise feeds them both. Let both these in us thirst after God, and out of much labour be moderately refreshed, that in him, to whom we are solely devoted, we may be wholly fixed.
O My Soule, recollect thy selfe! hast thou thirsted
after thy Saviour? Hast thou followed him in the sweet smell of his savor? Hast thou left thy thirst after gold, pos∣sessions, honours, beauty? Hast thou tenderd to him thy sole and soveraigne dutie? Hast thou onely relyed on his providence? Rested in his goodnesse? Feare not, so thou faile not: Thou shalt be ranked, where the Saints are onely numbred, by an happy arrivall in the land of righteousnesse; which hee give thee, who gave himselfe for thee.
Psal. 36.