Difference between the true and false desire.
God must be chosen for himself.
I answer, an Hypocrite may desire to know so much of God, and to have so much of his grace, and so much of his power against some sins, as may serve to save his soul, when he sees he cannot be saved without it: But a child of God, only can desire God for himself, and desire to be like unto God in his holy Nature, and to have every thought brought under the obedience of Christ Jesus.
Hence though an Hypocrite may weep as Esau and Saul, and others have done, yet a true child of God can only in truth cry out, with the Father, of the possessed child in an humble sence of his own weaknes, and spirituall poverty, Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief, that is, help me against my unbelief, against my passions, against my uncleanesse, against my pride, against my covetousnes, &c.
Gods children cannot live in known sin without strugling & mourning.
A 5th: triall of a true life (though in weaknes, or sicknes) is a constant resisting and fighting against all known sin, as sin. He that is born of God, (1. John 5.) keepeth himself that the evill one toucheth him not, unles he be suddenly surprised, or violently forced, by mighty temptations, or cousoned and deceived by the deceitfulnesse of sin, he can no more willingly touch it, then fire or poison, or the Devill himself.
Hence is there a continuall war between the flesh and the Spirit, Gal: 5. The law of the mind, wars against the law of the members; The New-man against the old, &c. For instance, although good Jacob was overcome by his Mothers powerful perswasion, yet suspecting a sin he first strugled against it, my Father saith he, will feel me, and I shall bring a curse instead of a Blessing.
Obj.
No hypocrite can fight against sin as sin.
But may not an Hypocrite resist temptation, and fight against sin? I answer, No, not against sin as sin, but as it is dangerous and hurtful to soul, to body, to purse, to credit. So Balaam (I conceive in earnest) refused Balacks mony, and would not sin for an house full of gold and silver, when as yet he loved that sin of cursing Gods people, and the wages of it.