can do nothing, unless God be the preacher by them; arguments can do nothing unless he be in and with them as it was said concerning the people's following Saul, so much more concerning those who follow the Lord, those only follow him "whose hearts God hath touched." 1 Samuel, 10:26. It is not man's touching, but God's touching the heart, that draws it heavenward. The tongue of man may touch the ear, it is God only that touches the heart. And when he touches, then the heart will follow; as you know the needle when it is touched with a loadstone, then turns after it. The loadstone is not more naturally attractive of the needle, than God is of that heart which he hath touched. "My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved in me.” Sol. Song 5:4. He did but touch the door, and her heart felt him and moved towards him.

O Christians, when you have been waiting upon God in prayer, hearing the gospel, or any other spiritual duty or ordinance, consider, "Hath my heart been touched this day? My tongue has been touched, mine ear has been touched, my heart has been treated with; but has the Lord touched it? Has there virtue come forth from him, which has enticed and drawn my soul after him?" Sometimes by a message or visit from heaven, the Lord has drawn a good word from the lip, a tear from the eye; but O, for touches upon souls, for the flowing out of hearts after the Lord, he is the only loadstone that prevails on gracious souls.

Others who have many hearts, have many at

J

tractives; every heart has its peculiar god; twenty gods, it may be, in one man, because so many hearts. Their pleasures are their gods, their profits their gods, their belly their god; their wives or their children their gods; and so many gods, so many ends. And every end is a loadstone to draw them after it. Every heart will go after its god. A Christian that has but one heart, has but one God, and this is he that draws it on its way. Thou sayest the Lord is thy God, thou acknowledgest, thou ownest, thou hast chosen him for thine; but what does thy God, whom thou hast chosen, do upon thy heart? What will the sight of God, or thy love to God, or thy hope in God, do upon thee? How far will it carry thee? Which way runs thy heart? Which way dost thou bend thy course? Dost thou feel thy God drawing thee, and is thy heart running after him? Running denotes motion, and a swift or violent motion.

The Scripture uses divers expressions to note the running of those hearts after God whom he has drawn.

The desiring of the soul after God. "The desire of our soul is to thy name. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early." Isa. 26:8, 9. Desire is the soul in motion God-wards. Towards him are their desires, and they come from the bottom of the heart. "With my soul have I desired thee, with my spirit within me will I seek thee." "Lord, all my desire is before thee." Psalm 38:9. It is not, all my desires, but "my desire;" thou seest all, and it is all but one

desire. He desires pardon, he desires peace, he desires help, and the healing of his wounds; but all this is but one desire. God is all. "One thing have I desired." Psalm 27: 4.

"My soul thirsteth Psalm 42:2.

The thirsting of the soul. for God, for the living God." Thirsting is the extremity of desire; hunger and thirst are the appetite of desire heightened-violent and painful appetites: my soul thirsteth, and is in pain till it be satisfied.

The longing of the soul. "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." Psalm 63:1. Longing causeth languishing and pain, if it be not satisfied. "My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments." Psalm 119: 20. "My heart panteth, my strength faileth; as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me." Psa. 38: 10.

Calling after God. "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness." Psa. 4:1. Calling upon God, is the voice of desire. The desiring soul will not keep silence; the tongue, the eyes, the ears, the hands, the knees, must all be orators, when the flame is once kindled within.

Crying after the Lord. This is an expression answering the thirsting of the soul. Crying is a passionate and importunate praying. "I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord." Psalm 119: 145.

Crying out after God. This is the manner of the longing soul. Crying out denotes more than bare crying-loud cries, strong cries, forced out by a par

oxysm of love, or an agony the soul is in: "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." Psalm 84:2.

Following hard after the Lord. "My soul followeth hard after thee." Psalm 63:8. This expression is more comprehensive; it denotes both all the workings and breakings and breathings of the soul within, and its diligent use of all outward means, and pressing on after the Lord; all those laborings and watchings and runnings, all that holy violence, wherewith a saint presses into the kingdom of God.

Put all this together, and you will see the power and influence the Lord hath on holy souls, to draw them after him; they are in motion heavenward, desiring, thirsting, longing, calling, crying, crying out, following hard after him. What aileth these souls; what is the matter with them; what would they have? "What aileth thee?" said the Danites once to Micah, "that thou comest thus after us?" What aileth thee? Why, you have taken away my gods, and "what have I more?" Judges 18:23. What aileth these crying, longing, running souls? Why, it is after their God they cry, it is after their God they run. Go back, Elisha, said once the prophet to him, when he had cast his mantle on him: "Go back again; for what have I done to thee?" 1 Kings, 19:20. What hast thou done? Enough to hold me from going back. There went virtue with the mantle; the mantle fell on his heart as well as his back, and drew it after the prophet. Should you say thus to the believer, Go

back, soul, go back from following thy God; for what hath he done unto thee? O, he hath gotten my heart, he replies; no, no, I cannot go back, he is my God, and what have I more?

(2.) The end guides and directs to means. "Whither shall I go from thee? thou hast the words of eternal life."

(3.) The end governs. I shall put both these together. What is it that governs sinners but their ultimate end? this points them out their work, and their way; this holds them to their work, and keeps them in their way: whatever fetters and chains their lusts are to them, it is their carnal ends to which they are in bondage. These are they that lord it over them, and therefore it is impossible to persuade a sinner to make a thorough change of his way, till he hath changed his ends. Herein consists the conversion of a sinner, in the changing of his ends. When he ceases to be any longer to himself, to his flesh, to the world, and for a worldly happiness, and is brought about to fix upon God as his portion and happiness, to whom he devotes and dedicates himself, there is conversion. Sin is our turning away, and conversion is turning back to our God. Beloved, consider not barely how, but to what you live; not only what you do, but what you would have; and never count yourselves truly godly, whatever of God be in your way, till God be in your heart and eye. He that has first chosen God, and therefore a godly life, whose godliness of life springs forth as the fruit of his choice of the Lord, that is a godly man.