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St. Peter having directed us, in our preparation before we come to hear the word, and shown the necessity of laying aside an evil frame of spirit, he now directs us what we are to do when under the word, namely, that there be found with us a spiritual appetite to it, and that we have the same longing desires after it that the child has after the breast: As new-born babes desire the sincere milk, so desire you the uncorrupted word of God, that you may grow thereby.
Quest. How does the newborn infant desire its natural nourishment, its mother's milk?
Ans. These four ways: first, it covets it with vehement desire, nothing will content and satisfy him, neither gold nor silver, in the absence of the word of God.
Secondly, The new-born infant desires the milk from a deep sense of its inward wants, it is pinched with hunger, and parched with thirst, and therefore cries for the breast; so is the Christian sensible of his wants, of his want of knowledge, want of grace; "It is little," says he, "that I know of myself, less of God, least of Jesus Christ: Oh! that by conversing with his word, I might know him more, and serve him better."
Thirdly, The infant desires its mother's milk unmixed, as nature has prepared it, without any artificial sweetening of it. Some little regard the wholesomeness of the food, but only admire the dexterity of the cook: they applaud the parts of the preacher, when the word flows from the golden mouth of a celebrated orator: but the new-born Christian desires the sincere milk of the word without any composition of error, and without any such mixture of wit and eloquence as is inconsistent with the gravity and simplicity of the word they hear. Plain truths, without art or varnish, may be conveyed with more warmth and vigour to the conscience, than all the charms of human eloquence from the most fluent and popular tongue; yet always remembering, that though the ministers of God must come in plainness, yet not in rudeness of speech.
Fourthly, This desire of the babe after the sincere, unmixed, and uncompounded milk, is always accompanied with endeavour; it hunts for the breast, and is not satisfied that the breast is in its eye, but is impatient till it sucks and draws, that nourishment may be conveyed, and it grow thereby: thus active and operate are the desires and endeavours of a sincere Christian after the word of God: that which was seed to beget, they find food to strengthen, they can never be satisfied without it, they cannot be satisfied with a little of it.