[from Heaven on Earth, Thomas Brooks; ch. 2 (5)]
Ah, Christians, tell me, do not those holy influences, those spiritual breathings, those divine in-comes, that you meet with in ordinances, make your souls cry out with David, As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: when shall I come and appear before the presence of God? (Psalm 42:1,2). So in Ps. 63:1-2, O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee! my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is: to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
In these words you have David's strong, earnest, and vehement desires; here you have desire upon desire; here you have the very flower, and vigour of his spirit, the strength and sinews of his soul, the prime and top of his inflamed affections, all strongly working after a fuller enjoyment of God. Look, as the espoused maid longs for the marriage day, the apprentice for his freedom, the captive for his ransom, the condemned man for his pardon, the traveller for his inn, and the mariner for his haven; so doth a soul, that hath met with God in his ordinances, long to meet with God in heaven.
It is not a drop, it is not a lap and away, a sip and away, that will suffice such a soul. No. This soul will never be quiet, till it sees God face to face, till it be quiet in the bosom of God. The more a saint tastes of God in an ordinance, the more are his desires raised and whetted, the more are his teeth set on edge for more and more of God. Plutarch saith, that when once the Gauls had tasted of the sweet wine that was made of the grapes of Italy, nothing would satisfy them but Italy, Italy. So a soul that hath tasted of the sweetness and goodness of God in ordinances, nothing will satisfy it, but more of that goodness and sweetness. A little mercy may save the soul, but it must be a great deal of mercy that must satisfy the soul. The least glimpse of God's countenance may be a staff to support the soul, and an ark to secure the soul, and a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide the soul; but it must be much, very much of God, that must be enough to satisfy the soul.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
Psalm 65:4
"Without Christ you are like a sheep without its shepherd; like a tree without water at its roots; like a sere leaf in the tempest--not bound to the tree of life. With thine whole heart seek him, and he will be found of thee: only give thyself thoroughly up to the search, and verily, thou shalt yet discover him to thy joy and gladness"
- Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening.
The Deep Things of Heaven... how heavily they weigh upon the frailty of our Now.
I love you, Anna-moon, Anna-mine. ^.^
"Nigh and nigh draws the chase,
With unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy;
And past those noisèd Feet
A voice comes yet more fleet -
"Lo naught contents thee,
who content'st not Me."
The uncanniness of Providence! Anna, this is largely the letter that I wrote for you to accompany your birthday present, only, of course, Thomas Brooks wrote it rather better. But that is just as well, because I wanted to hear these words from someone other than myself. They carry more weight that way, you see.
How we long and do not long and long to long! How the Spirit rakes us like coals to make us burn, and how, like the bush in the wilderness, we burn the brighter for being doused with living water. Poor little mortal images. We can only get close to understanding by making paradoxes out of them.
"Our hearts are restless, until they rest in Thee."
A beautiful post, Anna! Thank you for sharing. :) It helps to be taught how to think, sometimes. :)