whatsoever is presented to his sence the world and all that is therein must ere long be burnt up whereupon he thinks it no imprudence at all to hazard present injoyments for future hopes no folly to look after something that will bear the flame He thinks it scarce worth the while to be born to possess if it were a whole world except he were sure of having something after it that were better than what he met with here he had rather have one smile from his friend than thousands of Gold and Silver he would not for a world be to have his portion here though it be never so large a one he had rather by far be with Lazarus upon a dunghil than sit with Dives in a chair of State before the richest fare that the Sea or Air or Earth could afford him he would not change conditions with those which enjoy the most of the things of this world he can thankfully want that which most commonly makes its possessors miserable O could you but talk with a man that lives in Heaven while he is upon earth and could you but see and here how much he slights that which you adore Give me neither poverty nor riches but Food convenient for me is the highest that he dare pray for He had rather live in a smoaking Cottage and have God for his companion than dwell in the greatest palace and have the Devil for his Neighbour Counsellor Master When a man hath been in Heaven by contemplation though his body be upon the Earth yet the best part of him his affections his love joy and heart is still there Sen. Ep. 41. One that doth converse with God here he is indeed that earthly lump his body is below but could you see his thoughts could you look into his heart and see the inward actings of his soul you should see the man out of the world discoursing with God he sticks close to the company of his Friend He is like the Sun-beams who though they touch the earth yet they still abide there from whence they are sent and are most intensly hot nearest the fountain the Sun So the soul and thoughts of a child of God they may nay they can't but glance upon the world but it 's most vigorous spiteful actings are towards God the heat of its affections are abundantly more remiss and cool when they beat upon earthly objects He that knows what it is to have the company of God is almost ready to wonder how any one can be content with any thing below God and as for himself he takes himself for little better then a prisoner while his soul is pent up in a body which is so unwildly as to all spiritual employments till it be refined by the grave He would not be to dwell here for ever for a world though he might enjoy more content then ever any since the Fall did A Soul acquainted with God is a noble Creature indeed it scorns petty low things it thinks no Estate big enough for it but that which is infinite he looks upon himself as a Citizen of no mean City a Denizen of Zion a Free-man of the New Jerusalem one of the Royal Society over which Christ that King of Glory is the President his inheritance is greater than that which the Sun compasseth in its course O when saith such a one shall I leave these Cities of Cabul and dwell with the King at Jerusalem O when shall my soul be sasely ark'd O when shall I be upon the wing for Heaven O when shall I leave this body there whence it first came When shall I go out of this cell this cage O that I were once safe in Heaven O that I were in the immediate presence of God and might stand for ever before him and have his blessed society for ever ever Neither am I now quite without him but how little O how little is it that now I enjoy O when shall I enter into the possession of that better longer life I stay long for that separating or rather uniting hour which will separate my soul from my body from my dross but perfectly unite me to God Look then O my Soul upon all that thou seest below but as so many Inns and resting places for a Pilgrim to take some little refreshment in and then to be gone That day O my fearful Soul which thou sometimes fearest as my last is the birth-day of eternity O what mean we to love our prisons fetter-burdens What ad we to be so much pleased with our miseries and affraid of our happiness O this unbelief O were Christians but more in the company of God by Faith and Meditation they would look upon God as great the world as a very small thing He that knows God to be great sees every thing below him little It is an infallible argument of a Divine and Excellent Soul and one that hath Acquaintance with God when he can judge all beneath God as low sordid base and utterly unworthy of the respect of his soul 4. Another glorious effect of acquaintance with God is that it will ease us of all sorrows or cure all sorrows As soon as any one hath but a saving knowledge of Christ he is in such a condition as that he need not trouble his head with care nor his heart with fear no more then a rich Heir that hath a tender-hearted loving wise Father need not trouble himself what he shall do for bread and cloathing as long as the great cause of fear is taken away so long he is well enough As for those that are unacquainted with God they either are always afraid or have cause always to be afraid but as for a Child of God that Scripture bears up his Soul under the mightiest waves of fear There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 He that is in Covenant with God may in this world undergo some petty injures some insurrections may be made against him but this is his comfort he is sure never to be quite over-powered never to be finally conquered O the disquietments and fears that strangers and enemies are compassed with or will be And O the joys the security the true security that some have at what a rate do they live and how bravely do they die mark the perfect and behold the upright man for the end of that man is peace This was touched upon before when I opened the nature and qualifications of this friend and therefore I need say the less hear yet it being the great inquiry of the wisest how they may be sheltered from this storm What shall they do to be cured of these heart qualms How they may be freed from fears I shall not altogether pass it over in this place I can't but incourage poor strangers as they value the truest comforts as they would be free from fear and trembling when the Foundations of the Earth shall be shaken when the
stirring up of the Soul and awakening all it's strength to wrestle with God to lay hold upon God and to prevail with the Almighty and where are such as these to be found who is this that engages his heart in the service of God It is one thing to engage the tongue and another thing to engage the heart Men come to pray with a common Spirit and are many times weary of the work before they have well begun it what they do they do it lifelessly They can follow their worldly Imployments with life and delight They have Male in their flock but that 's too good for God a lame blind starved weak thing must serve his turn And is this the way to have the blessing Are such as these like to have any thanks for their kindness Let them try how any of their Friends would take such a present Now would you have the Blessing of Acquaintance with God you must wrestle for it and not let God go without it You must be Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord you must fight the good fight of Faith and lay hold on Eternal Life You must grasp about Christ as a man that is a drowning would grasp any thing that were thrown out to save him You must use all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure You must work out your Salvation with fear and trembling You must seek for Wisdom as for Silver and search for her as for hid Treasure Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God What excellent thing is there that is got without pains Whoever came to be an Exquisite curious Artist in any skil whatever that never served an Apprentiship to it nor at the least gave his mind to it where is there a famous Physitian that never studied in his life Who gets a Victory by sleeping and carelesseness Who expects to have riches drop into his mouth when he goes all the ways that can be to make himself a beggar Doth the Husbandman look for a good Crop without plowing or sowing Why then should we expect such great things as Heaven Eternal happiness and the favour of God without out looking after them Whatsoever the lazy formal professor may say the Kingdom of Heaven is not obtained thus there must be running watching fighting conquering holding fast holding out and all little enough it requires all the strength of thy soul to engage in this great work it requires some resolution to do such a work as every Christian must do or else his Religion signifies little Further it calls for some time too it is not a thing to be minded now and then by the by between sleep and wake when the Devil and the World have had as much service as they call for Were it for your bodies that I were now pleading were you like to get any great matter in the world by following of my directions could you be shew'd a way how to get a great estate honours and long life I am verily perswaded a few words might prevail much Why if you will believe the word of God I am telling you of other kind of things then these be greater matters by far and yet how little are Men and Women affected As if we spoke but in jest always when we spoke about things that did concern Souls How little time do men spend in their inquiry into these things Ask Epictetus Ench. c. 63. And he will tell you that it is a sign of a low Soul to bestow much time upon thy body and the thoughts of it and little upon the Soul to be long eating and long drinking and long a dressing and short in prayer short in the thoughts of the Soul and short in the service of God and that it is a sign of a base degenerate Spirit to be very curious about toys and inconsiderable trifles and to be negligent about matters of the greatest importance to slubber over the great works of Religion with the greatest slightness Remember O man thy great work it is to take care of thy Soul to look after a Companion a Friend for thy Soul to get food and cloathing for thy Soul that that famish not with hunger and cold To be indifferent in all externals is the greatest prudence but to be indifferent about Spirituals and Eternals is the greatest madness We are all Soudiers and must fight in such a War wherein we must never lay down our Arms. The favour of God is worth the striving for it is as much as Heaven and Glory is worth If your estate or life lay at stake would you not be willing to use all the interest you could to make the Judg your friend would you go up and down laughing as if you had nothing to do would you eat and drink as merrily as ever and say it is but dying it is but being a beggar it is but the undoing of my wife and children would you not look upon a man that should argue at this rate to be little better than frantick and I pray which is most considerable the death of the body or the death of the soul the loss of a temporal or the loss of an eternal inheritance Most mens diligence in Temporals will condemn their negligence in Spiritnals Christ said Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven the righteousness thereof but most men say I will seek first the Earth and the glory thereof and if God will give me Heaven and happiness after I have served the Devil and the world as long as I can I shall be contented to have it No such matter never expect it God must sooner cease to be than to gratifie you in this Wherefore do you think did David follow his work so close Why did all those Noble Worthies in the Church of old take so much pains Why should they not much stick to venture estates and lives too Will you condemn them all as guilty of too much curiosity and unnecessary preciseness Do you think that their labour was in vain Are all those disappointed who willingly parted with present things for future things I must tell you if you expect to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven you must do as they did Heaven will not be obtained now upon any lower Term than then Your Souls are as precious as their's and Heaven will be as well worth your minding as theirs and God will look upon you as well as upon them if you will value his favour as they did Never look to have God give you that which you will not thank him for What do you say after all this will you sit down before your work is done open thine eyes and consider what thou hast to do and then tell me if it be not the greatest folly imaginable to be slight in these Affairs O how can'st thou eat or drink or sleep whilst thou hast such a great work to do which is undone O give
This is laid as a heavy accusation Job 39.21 For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction To choose iniquity rather than affliction is the greatest folly imaginable It is one great part of the misery of Hell that they never cease from sinning and this is the greatest misery on earth our being so much under the power of sin I appeal to any gracious soul that hath the feeling of the burden of sin what is it's great trouble and sorrow is it not because of sin What are his secret moans to God is it not the sence of corruption Oh wrethed man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death saith Paul Rom. 7. He had been complaining of the mass of corruption that did still press hard upon him and in the strong workings of his spirit against it he calls it The body of death It was as grievous to him as if he had been bound to a stinking rotten carcase How wretched then is the state of every soul unacquainted with God Who can do nothing but sin because they want the right rule of action a right pattern of imitation a right principle for action a right object for action a right end for action the only assistance of action It concerns us then as we make any difference between good and evil if we have any respect unto holiness and purity before sin and iniquity to see to get acquaintance with God because without acquaintance with God we are in a woful necessity of sinning 2. Without acquaintance with God we are in a necessity of misery Indeed sin is a great misery and to be in a necessity of sinning is part of the necessity of misery But besides that there is a necessity of misery of another kind What is the great imployment of men unacquainted with God Men labour in the very fire and weany themselves for very vanity Habak 2.13 This was the misery of men because they know not God But in verse 14. there is a promise of better days When the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Then and not till then will there be a deliverance from labouring in the fire when there is the knowledg of God The reason of it is because true satisfaction and peace cannot be till our desires and enjoyments are alike and this cannot be till the soul is acquainted with God For nothing can fill up the desires of the soul but God The soul of man is mighty spacious so that it cannot be filled with the world and while it feels an emptiness it still cryes out for more and cannot be filled till it be filled with the fulness of God Ephes 3.19 The prodigal son had nothing but husks to feed upon when he was gone from his fathers house he would faine have filled his belly with the husks but could not they were not food for the soul When we are departed from God we have nothing to feed on but the world and we would fill our souls with the world but cannot for it is not food for the soul Acquaintance with God is the food of the soul Job 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food So that a soul that is not acquainted with God is famished for want of food Psal 42.2 My soul thirsteth for God for the living God When shall I come appeare before God David was acquainted with God but for want of an actual enjoyment how doth he here breath out the trouble of his spirit As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God The soul is still panting Some pant after the dust of the earth Amos 2.7 These were of the Serpents seed whose curse from God was Dust shalt thou eat but the seed of Christ they pant for God they that pant after God shall be filled with the fulness of God but he that panteth after any thing besides God will never find any fulness he will feed as upon the dust of the earth And what can follow but dissatisfaction and misery Acquaintance with God is the only way to be freed from a necessity of sin and misery Fifthly Acquaintance with God is the duty of man because God himself doth acquaint himself with man Shall the King seek after acquaintance with the meanest of his Subjects and he refuse acquaintance with his Soveraign shall God acquaint himself with man and shall not man acquaint himself with God! It is expected among men that the inferiour should seek for acquaintance with the Superiour and not the Superiour to the inferiour but yet God out of his wonderful love hath sought first to man for acquaintance Thus Prov. 8.31 it is said concerning the son of God who is meant by the Eternal Wisdom of the Father that he rejoyced in the habitable parts of the earth his delight was with the sons of men If God thus delights in converse and acquaintance with the sons of men how much more ought men to rejoyce in converse and acquaintance with God Isa 65.1 God saith I am found of them that sought me not All men were departed from God and not a man that did seek after God there is none that understands or seeks after God yet God is found of them The good shepherd seeks his lost sheep before the sheep sought him Cant. 5.2 When the soul is asleep it hears the voice of its Beloved that knocks saying Open to me my sister my love my dove my underfiled Revel 3.20 There Christ saith to the revolting Church that he was ready to spew them out of his mouth Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will hear me and open the door I will come in and sup with him and he with me Psal 68 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Is it not becoming then that man should open when God knocks He seeks to dwell among the rebellious is it not fit that man should enter into acquaintance with God when God doth thus acquaint himself with man Thus I have opened to you the Nature of Acquaintance with God and evidenced it to be the Duty of Man to acquaint himself with God let us now make some improvement of this Truth USE 1. First Is there to be an acquaintance between the soul and God Let us then stand and wonder at the great condescention of God! This may surprise our souls with an extasie of admiration that God should dwell with man that the mighty Jehovah should have such respect to the work of his hands Psal 113.5 6. Who is like unto the Lord who dwelleth on high who humbled himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in earth The Psalmist admireth God that he humbled himself to behold things that are in heaven and how much
more then is he to be admired that he humbled himself to acquaint himself with man Let us than be filled with admiration that God should take us so nigh unto himself As Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldest visit him And Joh. 7.17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thy heart upon him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning Man in the pride of his heart seeth no such great matter in it but an humble soul is filled with astonishment Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One which inhahiteth eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Oh saith the humble soul will the Lord have respect unto such a vile worm as I am will the Lord acquaint himself with such a sinful wretch as I am Will the Lord open his arms his bosome his heart to me shall such a loathsome creature as I find savour in his eyes In Ezek. 16.15 We have a relation of the wonderful condescention of God to man who is there resembled to a wretched infant cast out in the day of its birth in its bloud and filthiness no eye pitying it such loathsome creatures are we before God and yet when he passed by and saw us polluted in our bloud he said unto us live It is doubled because of the strength of its nature it was the time of Love vers 8. This was love indeed that God should take a filthy wretched thing and spread his skirts over it and cover its nakedness and swear unto it and enter into a covenant with it and make it his that is that he should espouse this loathsome thing to himself that he would be an husband to it this is love unfathomable love unconceivable self-principled love this is the love of God to man for God is love Oh the depth of the riches of the bounty and goodness of God! How is his love wonderful and his grace past finding our How do you find and feel your hearts affected upon the report of these things do you not see matter of admiration and cause of wonder Are you not as it were lanched forth into an Ocean of goodness where you can see no shoar nor feel no bottom Ye may make a Judgement of your selves by the motions and affections that ye feel in your selves at the mention of this For thus Christ judged of the Faith of the Centurion that said unto him Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Mat. 8.8 When Jesus heard this he marvailed and said to them that followed him I say unto you I have not found so great faith no not in Israel If then you feel not your souls mightily affected with this condescention of God Say thus unto your souls What aileth thee O my soul that thou art no more affected with the goodness of God Art thou dead that thou canst not feel Or art thou blind that thou canst not see thy self compassed about with astonishing goodness Behold the King of glory descending from the habitation of his Majesty and coming to visit thee hearest not thou his voice saying Open to me my sister behold I stand at the door and knock Lift up your selves O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors that the king of glory may come in Behold O my soul how he waits still while thou hast refused to open to him O the wonder of his goodness O the condescention of his Love to visit me to sue unto me to wait upon me to be acquainted with me Thus work up your souls into an astonishment at the condescention of God USE 2. Secondly Is there to be acquaintance between the soul and God then let us learn to make a right judgement of our own Excellency let us judge of our selves as too high and noble to converse with this base and beggarly world I am of a nobler original then to debase my self to such mean things I am the off-spring of God and shall I acquaint my self with earth I am of the family of God shall I converse with Sathan Is there bread enough in my Fathers house and shall I perish for hunger Lift up thy self O my soul shake off the intanglements of the flesh break out of that bondage of the Devil trample upon the glory of the world and scorn to let out thy precious desires upon dung and dross get the Moon under thy feet cloath thy self with the Sun put on the son of righteousness come into the palace of God and acquaint thy self with him for this is thy glory this is thy excellency Ye precious ones who can call God Father and the son Brother who have fellowship with the Father and the Son who may have communion with the Holy Ghost What do you lying among the Potts What do you raking in Dunghills What do you conversing with the World Have a holy scorn of these things as below the dignity of your souls know your worth esteem of your selves as of more value then all these lower Treasures This is your glory and your excellency that ye are of Gods acquaintance that ye are Sons of God Heirs of God joynt-Heirs with Christ that ye understand and know God There are two things wherein most men are mistaken First In the Nature of Pride Some look upon that only as Pride which manifesteth it self in costly Apparel and bodily Ornaments beyond the degree and rank of the person Some look no further then the carriage of one man towards another Now favourably consider with me that the greatest Pride in the world is mans undue esteem of himself toward God and this is in the heart of every one by nature Every one by nature doth lift up himself against God goes about to dethrone God and to crown himself Every one takes counsel in his heart against the Lord saying Let us break his hands asunder and cast his cords from us This is the voice of every one that dares wilfully to sin We will not have God to rule over us Yet this is the working of the Pride of a man against God to thurst God out of the Throne of his Majesty and to set himself in For what is Gods glory and respect among his creatures Is it not this that he being the beginning and Author of all should be likewise the end of all And this is the very purpose of God in making of man that having received himself from God he should have what he might freely give up to God so that all man is and all that he hath is to be offered to God as the end and center of all Now a sinning creature brings God under to serve him to provide for him Now though this Pride of man against
in honour Deut. 26.18 19. And upon this account might a wise man have his choice whether he will wear a Crown and he a stranger to God or rags and be one of his nearest servants he will not stand long before he determine the case he will soon answer with him That he had rather be a door-keeper in the house of God then dwell in tabernacles of wickedness If mens actions may speak their Judgements most of the Gallants of the world are of a far different opinion But O let me dwell for ever in his house and stand always in his presence happy are they that see his face happy are they that behold his beauty This this mans Crown this is his highest honour and dignity for God to be mindful of man and for his Maker to visit him this sets him but little below the Angels this Crowns him with Glory and Honour Psal 8.45 This is that which puts a true personal worth upon any one and therefore the Psalmist thinks those the excellent persons in whom is his delight Upon this account the Scripture saith The righteous man who is in covenant with God is more excellent then his neighbour The pur-blind World they judge altogether by the outward garb they see the face the rich apparel they see the estate but they see not that inward excellency and beauty that may be under but mean habit they are ready to despise the Noble Worthies of the World such as can look upon Kingdoms as small things in comparison of what they have an interest in who can call God Father and Christ Brother Have you never heard of a King in mean apparel of a Prince without his Robes upon his back or his Crown upon his head and will you say that therefore he was but a common person But those heavenly Creatures that have a more spiritual resined sense that understands something of things and Persons are quite of another mind they can look upon great ones in the midst of their gallantry without a friend in Heaven as mean persons that have no interest to speak of and many of them for all their greatness to be in a far worse condition then Dogs and Toads They can also look upon a poor despised Saint a contemned Christian though as to a carnal eye he should look as if he could scarce speak sense to be a favourite of Heaven a person of quality such a one as this he values as the Son of a King a Citizen of Zion one of the Royal Race one of that glorious Retinue that stand always in the presence of God to serve him the least of which are Kings and Priests to their great Lord Rev. 1.6 By faith he sees their Crown and looks upon that Royal Diadem which shall ere long be put upon their princely heads This was the great preferment they sought this was the honour they most desired as for the world and all its glory they can well spare it for those that shall never be advanced to any higher dignity to any better preferment As for the Saint as contemptible as he looks he hath higher designs nobler things greater honours in his eye and if that which the world so admires were the highest glory that a rational creature were capable of the top of mans preferment why then he could look upon brutes themselves as his equals except in this that their pleasures are more certain and their miseries less understood It is storied of Constantine and Valentinian two Roman Emperours that they subscribed themselves Vassellos Christi the vassels of Christ and that Numa Pompilius esteemed it a higher honour to be a Friend of God then a Lord of Men. Consider poor sinner consider what honours you slight what preserments you refuse what dignity you undervalue when you make light of acquaintance with God Had that brave Stoick Epictetus I mean known God in Christ he would much more have wondered at the inconsiderateness of them which make nothing of being related to God as a Father he would much more have pitty'd them which cleave to their lower meaner kindred beast who had rather be like Swine then God and rather be companions to their servants then their Maker Seems it to you but a light matter to be a Kings Son is it but a small matter think you to call God Father is it nothing to be born to a Crown Immortal that sadeth not away This is honour this is preferment worth the having worth the looking after worth the venturing ones life for This is true Nobility to stand thus nearly related to him before whom the Angels do vail their glorious Faces and at whose feet the four and twenty Elders lay their Crowns The Queen of Sheba thought Solomons Servants happy who stood always in his presence and heard this wisdom but what would she have said had she but known the Honour and Glory of his Prince O blessed are those that stand always in thy presence O God blessed are thy servants blessed are those which see thy Glory and hear thy wisdom blessed are they that may have free access to thee O let me have this preferment though I live like Job at his lowest and dye like Lazarus Let others sue for the favour of Princes let them make the best of what the world can give let them desire that which hath been dangerous to more then Haman I hope I should never envy them might I but have more frequent and intimate converse with God may I be but acquainted with him O may I have but a heart more to admire love and delight in him and serve him with the strength and inrensenss of my Soul while I am here and stand for ever in his presence and behold his glorious Face with joy hereafter O my Soul what meanest thou that thou still speakest so faintly and coldly of such infinitely glorious things Why doth not a new life animate thee at the very mention of these things Hast thou not far more cause to raise up thy desponding Spirits with chearfulness then old Lacob when his Son Joseph who was Lord of that Land sent for him into Egypt Thy Father O my Soul thy Brother is Lord not of Egypt nor of Goshen but of Eden of Zion he is the King of that glorious City the new Jerusalem Heaven is his Throne and Earth is his Foot-stool and yet behold the waggons that he hath sent for thee behold the provision that he hath sent to maintain thee comfortably in thy journey from Egypt to Canaan is not this enough O my Soul awake up and see him before thou dyest behold he is coming the Bridegroome is coming Joseph is coming to meet thee with a gallant Train in a glorious Equipage It is but yet a little while and thy husband will come and fetch thee in Royal State attended with a numberless retinue of Saints and Angels O hadst thou but an eye to behold their Chariots and Horsmen coming upon the mountains
he is coming he is coming he will be here quickly he will not tarry he is at the door Contemplate somtimes on these things and a little antedate that Glory by Spiritual mediation do but think what a brave sight that will be to see the mountains covered with Chariots of fire and Horses of fire when the heavens shall bow before thy friend and the earth shall melt at his presence and yet thy heart not faint within thee when the King shall come in the Clouds to fetch his Friends to his own house where they shall dwell for ever This honour have all the Saints Eleventhly He is a suitable friend It is suitableness that sweetens Society I can easily believe a poor Country Peasant can take as much content in the company of a poor man like himself as in the Society of a Prince an unlearned Country man is no way fit to convers with Courtiers and States-men the vastness of the distance would so much swallow his mind and the unsuitableness of his Spirit to such company takes off that content which otherwise he might enjoy But yet in Spirituals though the distance between God and man beyond a possibility of our conception and the disproportion infinite yet the Soul of man being immediately from God and Spiritual like God and having a Divine new Nature infused into it by the Spirit in Regeneration it finds an infinite suitableness pleasure and content in the injoyment of Gods presence and it is not sunk but raised by an Union converse and Society with it's maker The truth of it is did man but understand his own Original aright he would think it infinitely below his noble Parentage to converse with and have intimate delightful Society with any but God and those which bare the same relation to God with himself or to bring poor strangers acquainted with him as well as themselves There is not a match upon earth fit for the Soul of man to be matched to but in that other Country there is a match indeed every way suitable a Spirit for a Spirit and everlasting God for an everlasting Soul a precious Jesus for a precious Soul a holy God for those which he hath made holy like himself and that is none of the least of mans happiness that notwithstanding that infinite distance that is Naturally between him and his God yet that God should make in his Creature such Noble Dispositions and such Divine Qualifications that there should be the greatest suitableness in the World between God and the Soul and the Soul and God and they both take wonderful content in the enjoyment of one another This is in part here but compleated in Glory This we may find oft in Scripture expressed in the nearest Relations and dearest Affections Hence God is said to be a Father and they his Children a Husband and they his Spouse Now what greater suitableness can there be then between Father and Children Husband and Wife God is also said to delight in them and they in him to rejoyce in their company and they in his and how could this be except there was a suitableness in them one to another Their wills are suited what God wills they will and what God loves they love and so what they love as his Friends God loves one doth not thwart and contradict the other O how sweet then must the company the communion of such Friends be O were our hearts as they should be were we more like God we should quickly experience the unspeakable joy of our Souls how suitable a Friend he is to a soul we should soon find that as clay and stones are as unsuitable sood for the body so the world is unsuitable food for the soul to feed on and that it is God alone that can fill and satisfie the vast desires of it O I say again were we but as we came out of our Makers hands or rather were we trimmed up in our eldest brothers Robes and brought into the immediate presence of this great King where we set before that glorious Throne where the infinite brightness of his Majesty shines so that the Angels themselves do vail their faces before him yet for all that we should not long stand silent as if the place and company were unsuitable to us it would not be long before we should carry it as those that were nearly related and had intimate acquaintance with him that sits upon the throne O the unspeakable sweetness that will be the enjoyment of his company no tediousness no irksomness at all upon our Spirits We shall quickly understand our work our priviledge O infinite goodness O boundless love O let me be always solacing my soul in the contemplation of these things O let the very thoughts of them be a Heaven upon earth to my soul but here O here 's the grief while we are here in a strange Country there is somthing in all the poor fallen children of Adam nay in those of them that are recovered and by grace brought into a re-union with God there is I say something in God unsuitable to them and in them unsuitable to God and this O this makes our lives so uncomfortable but convers with God will wear off a great deal of that When thou comest to lay off thy rages and to put off thy old suit and to put on that new one that is making for thee I mean after death when thou comest to glory thou wilt find the case strangly altered with thee In Heaven there will be a perfect Harmony Suitableness and Agreement between God and thee for ever and thou wilt take infinite complacency and delight in him and he in thee And thus shalt thou spend Eternity in unconceivable joy delight and pleasures This is Heaven a perfect suitableness to God and enjoying him for ever O when when when shall it once be Come Lord Jesus come quickly Come O blessed Father by thy Spirit and burn up what is unlike thee O create a greater suitableness between my Soul and thee O come thou down to me or take me up to thee O could we but talk with one of those happy Creatures that hath been in the very presence of God in glory and should we ask him whether he were not weary of the same work of the same company the same place what answer do you think he would make you No more weary than a man upon the Rack but just before would be of perfect ease no more then a healthful hungry man is of eating no more weary than the Sun is of running than the Fire of ascending or a Stone of falling towards the Center Sen. Epist 10. I know not where I had rather be then with him I was once upon Earth as you are now and now I am in Heaven and in neither of both these places can I find one that I can take more delight in then God I must say as he Psal 73.24 Whom have I in Heaven but him and there is
and ask her what is her beloved more then another beloved what there is in God and Christ more then in the world and she will almost wonder that any one that is rational should ask so foolish a question she thinks you might with as much judgment and reason have ask'd what there is in Heaven more desireable then in Hell What is there is in ease more then in torments in Gold and Jewels more then in dross in a living healthful beautiful Creature more then in a stinking rotten carcase Did you but see his face you would soon think there were something in him more then in another could you but see his eye your heart would be in a flame did you but understand what it is to be brought into his banquetting-house you would say that they are neither fools nor mad-men that can find in their hearts to scorn the beauties and glories of this world in comparison of one look or smile from God and believe that his love was better then wine to be preferred infinitely before the greatest worldly pleasures and think that the Virgins had reason enough to love him Cant. 1.4 How high doth the Church run in his commendations How doth she endeavour to set him out to the life that every one may admire his excellencies and be taken with his beauties as well as her self neither doth she fear to lose him by this nor indeed is unwilling that others should fall in love with him as well as she Cant. 5.9 10. c. She begins first with his face it is white and ruddy the most exact beauty so that she must be blind that is not taken with him and so she goes on as well as she can to set him out but he is so infinitely above her commendations that she wants words to express her self therefore she speaks one great one He is altogether lovely and if you will not believe come and see Do but look upon him by Faith and meditation contemplate his beauties and then if you have any thing yet to object if after you have had a true sight of him and have well weighed all you do not find that there is in him infinitely more then I can tell you why then let me bear the blame for ever Well now let us gather up all these things together and if a multitude of arguments and if weight and reason if vehemency and earnestness may prevail I should have some good hopes that I should not want success in this work nor you of the acquaintance with God and everlasting glory Therefore I say again if kindness and love be taking who so sweet and obliging as he If comfort joy and pleasure be desireable who is there when the Soul is surrounded with a multitude of perplexities that can so much delight refresh and raise it If Power Glory and Majesty if ability to defend from injuries and revenge wrongs might signifie any thing with poor shiftless Creatures who is there that ever yet prevailed against him Who ever contended with God and prospered If vigour activity and care in all the affairs of his friends can intice the dull helpless sinner to receive him who will take more care for and do more for them then he If his humility may engage us if freedom of access notwithstanding that infinite distance that is between us and him signifie any thing as to the commending of him to our acquaintance where can a poor beggar be more welcome then at the house of this mighty Prince Can Faithfulness in the greatest streight raise the esteem of a friend who ever yet trusted him that was deceived Are riches and wealth taking Who is there that can give a Kingdome for a portion a love-token and give everlasting glory and Heaven for a joynture but God Doth pitty in misery simpathy in suffering compassion in distress indear and commend a friend who is more tender-hearted then he Are Honours and preferments such great things Who is that which will make all his favourites Kings and Priests and set them upon Thrones and reward and commend them before the whole World is suitableness a considerable qualification to make up this match who so suitable for the Soul a Spirit as God a Spirit Who can satisfie it's vast and infinite desires but infinity it self Have poor simple Creatures that have quite undone themselves by their folly and indiscretion need of a wise Counsellor to wind them out of their sad intricacies who is there among the profound Polititians and grave Sages of the world to be compared unto him Doth a dying man that hath a never-dying Soul that is to pass speedily into an eternal state lack an ever-dying immortal friend that may stand him in some stead when immortal Are not friends sometimes furthest off from one when one hath most need of them Is not he then a friend highly to be prized who can who will never be absent Doth not God fill heaven and earth What think you of a Soul-friend Is not such a one worth the looking after who takes care that your Soul to be sure shall not miscarry Who ever did more for Souls then Christ Will it not be true prudence to make sure of such a friend as we must have for our friend or we are miserable for ever and where is such a one to be found but he that hath the keys of heaven an hell which is most considerable Time or Eternity and whom shall I most value him that promiseth present pleasures that are lost as soon as felt or him that will bestow everlasting favours and are there not at Gods right hand pleasures for evermore If the trial and experience of so many millions may speak his commendation will not all that ever knew God say truly God is good to Israel Will Gods willingness desire and earnestness prevail with you to come to him What is the substance of the whole Bible doth not almost every Chapter speak the desire that God hath to be reconciled to man if the perfection of all excellencies meeting in one can render him amiable how can he be slighted who is altogether lovely And what say you now are you resolved or are you not Shall the infinite Majesty of Heaven condescend to offer himself to be loved and imbraced by sinful dust shall God say I will be thy Father and shall not the sinner say I would be thy Child Why should not the heart of every Apostate rebellious Traytor that hath forfeited Estate Life and Soul leap at such good news and say will God for all this lay aside the controversy and conclude a peace Will he receive the rebell to mercy will he open his doors to his prodigal and is there yet any hope Is it possible that such sins as mine should be forgiven Can it be conceived that such a Creature as I should be imbraced what look upon me will God indeed take me into favour Yes thee behold he calls thee he offers thee
and Earth and the dangerous hazzards that it did run every moment upon that account but the Soul thought very well of its own state it slattered it self in its own in-iniquity the man thinks he is rich and increased in goods and hath need of nothing but when he comes to look into his Purse to open his Treasury and to tell over all his Gold and Silver in the light why then he perceives a sad mistake all his Silver is drossie and the best Riches that he hath is but dung When the light comes in he sees the darkness of his Understanding the perverseness of his will the disorderliness of his Affections the distemper of the whole soul He before took himself for a beautiful creature but by his light this glass he sees his beauty is great deformity he beholds heaps of lusts crawling up and down which before lay undiscerned and then that man that reckoned himself so happy cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me what shall I do to be saved I am undone undone how shall I live where shall I dwell for ever Time was that the man admired what the Ministers ailed to Keep such a stir about sin but now he wonders that they are no more earnest in their preaching of it down It was a little while ago that he thought himself whole but now he feels himself sick to the very heart wounded sainting and ready to dye he made full account that he was pure but now he cries out unclean unclean it was not long since he said with indignation am I blind also but now he cries out and will not be silenced have mercy upon me Jesus thou Son of David and grant that I may receive my sight His language is much altered he can now say was ever such a sinner as I pardoned Will such a prodigal ever be received shall such foul offences as mine be forgiven if God should look upon me and give me a Christ and pitty me and cast his skirts over me while I lye in my blood if the Lord should look upon me it would be such a wonder that all that ever heard of it may justly admire Now the man which thought himself the best of Saints believes himself as bad as the worst of sinners When a man begins to be acquainted with God he begins also to know himself He that saw no need of washing by Christ would now have hands feet head and heart all washt He that thought himself sometimes far enough from Hell now begins to admire that he did not fall into it and although there be a sweet alteration in him for the better and Saints begin to delight very much in him yet he wonders that any one should see any thing in him that should cause any affection in them towards him much more to inflame their hearts in such vehement love to him if he hear of any reproaches that are cast upon him he is ready to say with that wise stoick Epist If he had known me better he would have spoke much worse of me If any praise him he judgeâ—h that it proceeds from their ignorance of his weakness rather then from any knowledge of his worth and if he hear any such language he is ready to tremble for fear of his own heart and cries out not unto me not unto me but unto his name be the praise yet not I but Christ which dwelleth in me Thus it is with one that begins to have some saving knowledge of God the nearer he comes to God the further he goes from himself the more he sees of him and his righteousness the less he sees of his own the more he is exalted the more he debateth himself like those four and twenty Elders he lays his Crown at the feet of God Thus it was with Job when God as I may so say stood at a greater distance from him he is ready to speak a little too highly he stands much upon his own righteousness he stifly justifieth himself but when the holy God comes a little nearer to him when he throws off that dark cloud with which he had mantled himself and when he caused that glorious brightness to break forth upon Job and made him to see a glance of his Holiness Wisdom and Justice then how is he even ashamed and confounded within himself that he should ever stand so much upon his ovvn justification Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abbor my self and repent in dust and ashes When he comes to be better acquainted with God how strangely is his note changed and I might say when he was thus abased how speedily doth God raise him to a wonder A man may hear of God twenty years together and yet never abhor himself with dust and ashes never see any vileness that is in his nature never be brought off from his own righteousness never admire that he is kept out of hell O but when he comes to see God and to be acquainted with him how doth he cry out of himself as unworthy to breath in the air as deserving nothing but wrath then he hath not a word to say for the goodness of his own heart now he can say with astonishement O infinite patience O unmeasureable goodness O the dephts of Gods love He must be merciful indeed that can pardon such sins That must be goodness indeed that can be so to me That is love with a witness that can imbrace such a loathsome monster What was it that made Abraham call himself dust and ashes What made David to say he was a worm and no man What made Isaiah speak so debasingly of himself why these were the Friends of God they had visions of that holy One When is it that the people of God are most ingenuous in their confesions when do they most freely pour our their souls before God When is it that they most readily open their soars and desire that they should be searched but when this great Chyrurgion comes to their chamber those which before where whole are now sick full of plague soars head and heart sick dangerously sick and no whole part in them they can say more against themselves now then ever the Minister could they can aggravate their sins and lay loads upon themselves and they see themselves vile and even are ready to wonder that the earth did not open and swallow them up before this they admire that God should indure them so long and think it no small miracle that they were not crushed in the Egge that they were not cast from the darkness of the Womb to the darkness of Hell Now they can cry out of Original Sin and the indisposition of their souls to any thing that is good and inclination to that which is bad They say as well as David That they were born in sin and in iniquity did their mother conceive them they
the Faithfulness of this friend to me be so infinitely ungrateful as to be thus abominably unfaithful to him Shall I that have forfeited my Life and Soul and instead of Hell have received Heaven instead of Damnation Salvation shall I instead of thankfulness again rebell because the Grace of God abounds shall sin abound God forbid To argue from mercy to sin is the Devils logick To argue from mercy to duty is true Christianity One that is acquainted with God can expostulate the case with his own Soul and say What meanest thou O my Soul to stand parlying with Satan hast thou known what that hath cost thee already look back to Eden Who was it that dispossessed thy Grand Father of that brave seat What did Eve get by discoursing with such a Cheater have you not lost enough already but you must be venturing still was it nothing for God of a friend to become a stranger and enemy was it a slight matter to be divested of all that glory that once thou didst shine in but that now again after thou art brought into some favour thou must be tampering with that gamester who had like to have robbed thee of all art thou talking of returning again to Egypt what hast thou so soon forgotten the Iron and the Clay Is this all the thanks that you give the Lord for his unspeakable mercy Doth he that hath done such things for you deserve no better at your hands Is this your kindness to your friend What was it O my soul that that undone Creature said unto thee Did he say it is a little one and thy Soul shall live what did he ask a few merry hours that I should spare my self that I should not be righteous overmuch Did he so a special Friend I Thank you for nothing and why didst thou not answer the Tempter as Solomon did Bathsheba when she ask'd a small thing as she thought for A donijah and why dost thou not ask the Kingdom also and why did not Satan ask thee to part with heaven and thy interest in Christ and those favours as the Lord liveth as small a request as thou thinkst his was that word was spoken against thy life thy Soul A vertuous man or as the Stoick calls him Auton One that hath God for his friend when temptations are presented he remembers who he is and how he stands related to God and how little grateful such an action would be to his Friend And thus he doth resist the Temptation with a great deal of gallantry when he remembers himself Nay sometimes Temptations to sin do make Grace more to abound the water which was intended to cool divine love proves oyl and makes that noble flame to burn more vehemently Cant. 8.6 7. He desires to exercise that Grace which is contrary to the vice which he is tempted to with more then ordinary vigour He stands like a rock in the midst of the Sea unshaken he is steadfast and unmovable like a pillar in the Temple of his God He is much of the same mind in that point with that brave Heathen who spake thus to himself when Temptation was strong Ar. Epist 1.2 c. 18. Deliberate man yield not rashly t is a great work that lies upon thy hands t is a divine work 't is for a Kingdom the Kingdom of God Now remember thy God let 's see what thy love to thy God is remember his presence he beholds how thou standest deliberating whether thou shouldest fight for him or against him for shame shew not thy self so basely disingenious Remember what thy God thy Friend did for thee at such and such a time Remember how kindly you were entertained by him the last time you were at his house Whose Sword is that you wear by your side who gave you it did not God give it you to fight against his enemies and will you draw it against himself Remember from whence you had all that you do enjoy and can you find in your heart to take Gods mercies Gold Silver and Food and bestow them all upon that which he hates will you quarter keep in pay with Gods coyn his greatest enemy And if you feel your heart still staggering and scarce able to keep it's ground then remember God stands by Christ looks on and sees how gallantly any Champion of his will demean themselves on his quarrel that there is not a more lovely sight upon the Earth then to behold one of his Friends rather venturing their lives then they will bare that the least indignity or affront should be put upon their God! O happy are they that can always act as in the sight of God! and if the Soul can have but a constant fresh sence of it's relation to God and his eye it is impossible but that it should hate sin which is so directly opposite to him happy are those who by the thoughts of God are inraged against sin Is it not enough saith that heavenly Soul that is acquainted with God that I have done such and such things against God when I knew him not but that I should again ingage against him after I have been obliged by a thousand mercies after I have tasted and seen how good the Lord is is it a light matter that I did so long fight against him then and shall I now renew my rebellions when I have had so much experience of the folly madness of such a war where I shall be as surely conquered as I draw my sword and hath God kept me by a miracle of mercy out of Hell and after I had run out so wretchedly and undon my self set me up again after I had plaid the prodigal received me again into favour and shall I after all deal thus basely by him No I 'le die a thousand deaths before I will willingly yield to any thing that may be in the least offensive to him whom my Soul hath such an infinite reason to love above the whole world The knowledg of Gods service and Satans too makes a Soul to distinguish he that knows what it is to be made free by Christ abhors his old Master he remembers full well the great hardship that he then underwent when he had nothing to live upon but Husks he calls to mind the Clay and Morter he can't forget the cruel vassalage that he served under Garlick and Onions were his dainties and truly he can't desire to leave his Manna for such kind of Food he is not in love with the Whip and Scourge he doth not dote upon the fetters the Iron which went into his Soul but he is glad with all his heart to be free from those Task-masters which made him to serve with rigour he hath no mind to return to his old Work My meaning in all this is he that was a servant and a drudg of Satans and a slave to his lust when he once comes to taste the sweetness of Spiritual liberty to â—â—â—â—de free by Christ he
Mountains shall tremble and melt at the presence of God the mighty God of Jacob when the Heavens shall be rouled together as a Scroul and be all of a flame Make sure of this Friend it is impossible that one that hath such a one for his friend should much be daunted when he hears of Wars and Rumors of Wars when the Pestilence rages when there are dreadful Earthquakes in sundry places and such distress of Nations and perplexities that the stoutest heart shall sink that hath not this to support Then a Child of God may lift up his head with comfort because his redemption draweth near There is a vast difference between a godly man and a wicked as to their affections fears joys desires hope The godly thinks long for that which the wicked wishes withal his heart might never be the Day of Judgment The righteous man is even delighted with the fore-thoughts of that the thoughts of which doth put a damp upon all the comforts of the ungodly he rejoyceth in that which makes his Neighbour to tremble As for death a gracious heart that hath kept his watch and maintained a sweet constant correspondency with God and hath had his heart in heaven and can look upon the great Jehovah as his friend can't be very much affrighted at his approach He is not much appaled when he looks out at the window sees this messenger making hast to his house and when he knocks at his door he dares let him in and can heartily bid him welcome he understands whence he comes and what his errand is though he look somwhat grimly yet as long as he comes to conduct him to his friends house he can dispence with that he hath more reason to speake it then he which did Plotinus Let me make haste away to my Country there are my excellent Ancestors there dwell my noble Relations there is the constant residence of my dearest Friends Tull. O happy will that day be when I shall come into that glorious assembly when I shall have better company then Homer Orpheus Socrat. Cato when I shall sit down with Abraham Isaac Jacob in the Palace of their Friend and mine O happy day when I shall come to my Fathers house to that general Assembly the Church of the First born to an innumerable company of Angels to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect A mans knowledg of other things may add to his fears and make his miseries greater But the more knowledg we have of God the less our fears and sorrows must needs be and when our knowledg of God is perfect all our fears and sorrow shall be for ever blown over I can't omit a brave speech of that noble Stoick which comes to my mind Ar. Epist l. 1. c. 7. If the acquaintance and favour of Caesar can keep you as you are made to believe from some fears how much rather to have God for your Father and Friend how little cause have such to be afraid at any time of any thing Death it self is not evil to a friend of God he may say come let us go quickly to our Fathers house our Father calls us And doth this seem a small matter to you believe it when you come to dye you will be of another mind then you will think that 's a cordial worth any mony that wil raise your spirits at such a time make you with a smiling countenance to passe into an everlasting state It is but a folly to expect that any thing in the world should do this for us but the knowledg of our interest in God It 's possible indeed to get some stupifying intoxicating stuff that makes a man to dye like a beast without any great horror the Devils shop will furnish poor dying Creatures with enough of that Nay he is glad if he can keep men a sleep till death awaken them but miserable is that man who is beholding to the Devil for his Cordials miserable is he who hath nothing to keep him from a Hell upon Earth but his own ignorance and the Devils word I promise you 't is none of the joyfullest spectacles to an inlightned Soul to look upon one that lived wickedly and died peaceably You would think that a poor man that is going to Execution had little cause to smile though he should Ride to the Gallows upon an easie going Horse or in a Coach The Swine is usually very still when the Butcher is scraping away the hair of his Throat in order to the Sticking of him It 's no unusual thing for a vile unsanctified sinner to leap with a mad confidence into eternity but he alone hath a soild peace who hath God for his friend This is the only man hath just cause to sing for joy when his soul is going into another world It was none of the worst counsel which he gave whosoever he was who said that it doth highly concern us seriously to think of terrible things which we must most certainly see ere long and to lay in such provision as may make us fit to grapple with them when they come O for that which will keeps us from crying out hereafter what shall I do wo is me I am undon were it so that there were such rare extraction to be made which would certainly prolong our lives as long as we would and make us always cheerful what striving would there be to get such a receipt O how would the great ones bring out their bags to purchase it at any rate How willingly would they mortgage all their Lands part with their richest Jewels to buy it yet how little will they exspend for that which if they had would prove far more effectual O would men and women but understand themselves and mind their business what sweet lives might they lead what a calm might there be constantly upon their Spirits How cheerfully might they live and how joyfully might they dye Tully saith that he and many others had been gathering the most powerful herbs that they could find to cure all fears but saith he I know not what is the matter the disease is still stronger then the remedy And dost thou not know O Tully what 's the matter why then I will tell thee One principal Ingredient was left out viz Faith in the Bloud of Christ and Union with God by vertue of that bloud He that is by Christ brought acquainted with God need not much fear griefs sorrows and such things Christ was acquainted with for him he hath unsting'd Death and sweetened the Grave all his troubles are now but as Physick the Poyson of them is corrected though the Pill be bitter yet it 's of his Friends composing and therefore you may take it without any turning away of your head Shew me a man said old Epictetus that is happy truly in his life and happy in his death happy in his health in his sickness
and shall not be able Mat. 20.16 Many are called but few are chosen And Luke 12.32 Christ saith his flock is a little flock And the Church complains of the fewness of her number in this Language Mic. 7.1 Wo is me for I am as when they have gathered the summer-fruits I might heap up abundance of Scriptures of the same nature all which speak this to us that it is not so common a thing to go to Heaven as most people reckon upon But yet if thou be resolved come what will come not to change your mind if after so many warnings and pleadings you still continue of this judgement I must speak a dreadful word Your blood be upon your own Soul I have blown the Trumpet I have don what in me lies to convince thee of thy dangerous state while thou art a stranger to God and to bring thee to a speedy acquaintance with him but thou hast after many and many a tender given in this answer that as for God thou dost not desire to be acquainted with him as for your marching with his Son it 's that which thou carest not for hearing of except thou mightest have his estate without his Soveraignty thou wilt not have him for thy husband except he will let thee do as thou list and run a whoring from him when thou pleasest Thou wilt not have Heaven except thou mayst have it without holiness and as for the invitations of God thou still makest light of them neither promises nor threatnings signifie much with you Well then when you find by woful experience what you have don know whom you must lay all the blame on I call Heaven and Earth to record and you your selves are witnesses that I have with all the pity and earnestness that I could for my soul told you of these great things but you think the flattering offers that the Devil makes to be more advantagious then those which God makes and his service to be preferred before the service of Christ and the friendship of the world to be esteemed before the friendship of God and the pleasures of sin which are but for a season you value before those rivers of pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore Now if you continue in this mind blame not me if you miscarry for ever you must whether you will or no stand to your choice Do not say but you were told of these things this is not the first time by many but it may be the last that you may ever hear for all that I know Remember you were once well offered Do you think that God will always bare with such unworthy abuses shall Gods Justice never be righted yes yes be not deceived flighted kindnesses will cost dear at last What have you yet to say for your self do you think that I mean you any hurt by all this except you count Salvation a wrong and kindness it self an injury But if all this will not do go then and make the best thou canst of all thy Friends let us see how well and how long they will entertain thee ere a few dayes it may be shall be at an end we shall hear how you like your choice when they shall turn you out of doors and tell you plainly they can do nothing for you you must shift as well as you can as for them they can't provide for themselves much less for you And then let 's see who hath made the best choice he that is acquainted with God and chosen him for his Friend or he that hath taken the world for his friend Let 's see who will do most for their friends when a time of trial comes When Heaven and Earth are all in a Flame when the Trumpet is sounding when the Judge and his Attendants Christ and all his holy Angels are coming when the Prisons the Graves are opened and the Prisoners are brought forth then let 's see who will have the chearfullest countenance he that holdeth up his hand at the bar or they that sit upon the bench with the Judge for know you not that the Saints the Friends of the Judge shall sit with him when he judgeth the world We shall know when the storm riseth whose house was best that which was built upon the sand or that which was built upon the rock O that people were now of the same mind that they will be of at the day of Judgement O that they would consider that if they will not now be at leisure to think of these things they shall be at leisure to repent of them hereafter Do not talk of scorns and reproaches and suffering what do you think that Heaven will not make amends for all that which is most to be feared the scorns of God or the scorns of men which will do you must hurt mans contempt or Gods where is the man that will be laughed out of a great estate because a fool saith that a Jewel is not worth the taking up will you therefore never stoop to take it up The truth of it is if you intend to make any thing of your Profession you must be willing to be counted a fool and a mad man but you must remember it is by those that are so themselves O be not affrighted from your duty by the talk of the rabble If the thing be evil let the vice of it scare you but if it be good let not the fear of them which are very incompetent judges in such a case divert you from it Do you think that such poor excuses will be taken at the day of Judgement What do you intend to say to God then Lord I would have laboured to have known thee I would have taken some care of my soul and I would have taken some pains about the things of Eternity but that I saw that almost every one that did with any seriousness look after such matters were scorned laughed at c. When I had had got into the company of those that were godly and I had half a mind to go with them to Heaven then my friends fell a jeering of me and ask'd me whether I meaned to be mad to undo my self to turn Puritane and Phanatick Do you I say believe that such a plea will stop the mouth of the Judge and keep him from pronouncing the sentence against you will this hold the hands of Justice will the thoughts of this quench or cool these dreadful flames Be better advised O be better advised for your souls sake and consider how such creatures will befool themselves Who would upon such a trifle part with Heaven that would be laughed out of Glory and jeered into Hell Is your mind yet altered have you any thoughts or resolutions to look after your soul and acquaintance with God Are there none of you all that ask by this time what shall I do to be acquainted with God are there none of you that begin to think that it is high time
projects signifie Is this friendship Can you mean any good by all this What do you say of your condition Do you ever complain and that feelingly of your enemy against God Did you ever observe what a desperate wicked spirit you have against your Maker and were you ever made sensible of the danger of such a state and ashamed and grieved to the very soul that you should ever engage against so good a God why then I am confident you can't but cry out with all the strength and earnestness of your soul for a peace you can't but desire to meet with your adversary quickly while he is in the way But if you see nothing at all of the Treachery and Baseness that is in your heart search and search again it 's your Ignorance and Blindness and not the goodness of your state that makes you to know nothing by your self What are you better than David he was so jealous of his own heart that he dared not to trust to his own Examination of it but he desires the great Heart-searcher to help him in this work Are you more excellent than Paul after his Conversion Had he more reason to complain of himself than you have O be at leisure to look within and get Davids Candle and Lanthorn to go into those dark corners of your soul with it and it may be you may see that within which may make your heart to ake and your joynts to quiver and your spirits to faint within you Paul was sometime as confident as you he took no notice of the Enmity that was within against God though he was as full of it as an Asp is of Poyson yet before he came acquainted with God the case was altered with him he was of another mind when that light shined about him he cried out Lord what wilt thou have me to do he now thinks it is hard kicking against the Pricks dangerous opposing of God and persecuting of Christ in any of his Members and he desires nothing in the world so much as to be reconciled to God and to have him for his friend whom before he fought against as an Enemy II. DIRECTION My next Direction to those which would be acquainted with God shall be this Get an humble heart which is the consequent of the former God will exalt none to this high honour of being his Friends but such as have low Thoughts of themselves The humble are the persons that he will raise these are they that he will converse most with these are the great Favourites of Heaven which God doth delight to honour Psal 34.18 The Lord is nigh to them which are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit God is nigh to them with Reverence be it spoken God takes so much complacency in the company of such that he can't endure to have them far from him he must have them always nigh to him always under his eyes as for these broken ones he will to be sure not leave them long not go far from them but will be ready at hand to set their bones to bind up their wounds to keep them from sestering It may be he may put them to much pain before he brings the Cure to perfection but it is to prevent future Aches He is a foolish cruel Chirurgeon who for fear of putting his Patient to some pain never searcheth the wound but skins it over presently and a wise man will not think him unmerciful that puts him to exquisite pain so he make a through Cure of it Thus God doth by his Patients sometimes when the nature of their Distemper calls for it But however he will be sure not to be out of the way when they want him most It 's possible they may look upon themselves as forgotten by God they may not know their Physician when he is by them and they may take their Friend for an Enemy they may think God far oft when he is near but when their eyes are opened and their distemper is pretty well worn off they will with shame and thankfulness acknowledge their Error nay they do from their souls confess that they do not deserve the least look of Kindness from God but to be counted strangers and enemies but God will let them know that he loves to act like himself that is like a God of Love Mercy and Goodness and that they are the persons that he hath set his heart upon he will have them in his Bosome never leave them nor forsake them and though these contrite ones many times look upon themselves as lost yet God will save them and they shall sing a Song of thankfulness amongst his delivered ones Again the Sacrifices of God are a broken heart A broken and a contrite Spirit O God thou wilt not despise Psal 51.17 The proud sinner he may bring his stalled Oxen multitudes of Rams and Sheep und his Rivers of Oyl and yet all this while not be accepted There is another kind of Sacrifice that would be ten thousand times more acceptable to God We read that Sacrifices have been despised Prayers long Prayers have been rejected Sabbaths New-Moons and Solemn Assemblies the Lord hath sometimes abhorred but we never read that he despised the Sacrifice of an humble heart the Prayers of such always have an answer one way or other their poor performances their chatterings and mournings are sweet melody and powerful Rhetorick in Gods ear Who are the men that have most of Gods company who are they which he doth most frequently visit Are they not such as look upon themselves as the chiefest of sinners These are they which are wrapped up into the third Heaven None have so much of Heaven upon Earth as those that wonder that the Earth doth not swallow them up and that they are not in Hell But O saith the humble Soul God is the high and mighty God and infinite in his Holiness and Justice how then can such a Creature as I ever expect that he should so much as cast his eye upon me Yes sweet soul such is the infinite condescension and goodness of God that he will sooner look upon thee than another And if you can't credit my words here what he speaks himself Isa 7.15 Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of my contrite ones The thoughts of Gods Majesty Eternity and Holiness may and with good reason too awe that Soul that hath low thought of it self Every sinner hath cause enough to cry out with astonishment Will God look upon such a vile sinful wretch as I am Will he that is infinite in holiness take any notice of me except to shew his displeasure against me What shall I do sure such a creature as I can't without a miracle have a
smile from God God may indeed look upon me in his Wrath and vix me in his sore Displeasure God may justly look me into Hell but that he should look upon me in kindness or take any special notice of me in love that would be a Wonder indeed What God dwell with me Yes with thee if thou hast but high thoughts of him and low thoughts of thy self the meaner thou thinkest of thy self the greater worth he sees in thee God will not only look upon thee nor will he only knock at thy door and call at your house or give you a transitory visit but he will come and dwell with thee Now dwelling speaks a continued abode with one and thus God will continue with the Humble never remove from them for any considerable time till eternity hath an end till himself and the soul cease to be which will be never God will not be a stranger to humble Souls but he will come to them and bring that along with him that shall make him and them welcom too God never comes to his Friends but he brings good chear along with him When the Soul gives God the best entertainment it is all at his cost his bread his fatlings his wine his oyl his cordials his rich dainties Where God comes he will keep a noble house there shall be mirth and rich cheer good store Isa 66 1 2. Thus saith the Lord Heaven is my throne Earth is my foot-stool Where is that house ye will build me And where is the place of my rest For all these things hath my had made and all these things hath been saith the Lord but to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word God seems to have low thoughts of Heaven it self in comparison of an humble soul This is the Pallace where this great King will keep his Court this is the place of his rest God is not so much delighted and pleased in any of his brave Seats as in this of an Humble Heart here he dwelleth most commonly this was the great purchase of his own Son this was the Master-piece of his Power and Goodness this was the project of infinite wisdom and counsel What shall I do to be saved Is a Language that makes Hell in a rage and Heaven to rejoyce God is never so well pleased as when he beholds the beauty of his own Grace shining in a poor lost self-debasing Creature The spouse is adorned with Humility when Christ gives her that visit Cant. 1.4 God hath far more kindness for one that lies under a sense of his own Vileness that thinks himself unworthy to tread upon Gods Earth or to breath in his Air then for the most confident righteous Pharisee in the World Such an humble Soul will be much in admiring of God and will set a high price upon his kindness a look a smile a visit O how welcom are they to those poor trembling Ones Wherefore God doth with frequency and love visit them he knows that he can never be unwelcome to such they will count it the highest honour that the most high should come into them in their low Condition Wherefore if you desire to have any intimate acquaintance with God labour to be more and more sensible of your own unworthiness study your heart and nature well and be more curious in the observance of the baseness and treachery of your own Soul endeavour to have as mean thoughts of your self as Paul had who did not stick to call himself the chiefest of sinners Humble your selves before the Lord and he will exalt you he that is little in his own eye is greater in Gods When was it that Jacob met with God but when he had been humbling of himself As you may read at your leisure Gen. 23. There is many a professor that holds out many a year in a course of external performances and yet never knows what it is to have any intimate acquaintance or converse with God whereas I am perswaded if the business were throughly examined it would be found that they were never made deeply sensible of their undone state out of Christ never understood the desperate depravedness of their hearts and nature that they never lay under any lively sense of their separation from and enmity against God and they were never bronght off from their own righteousness and saw themselves poor beggarly starved Creatures and in this condition came to buy Wine and Milk without money and without price But this humility it is an excellent Grace it makes the soul fit for the richest enjoyments of God and to do God the greatest service Were it possible that God should converse much with a proud man he would make strange use of it he would steal God's Crown and put it upon his own head but God would not endure proud Angels near him and can it be expected that he should take proud men in their places The more any one grows in Grace and acquaintance with God the more he sees of his own unworthiness the more he admires Free Grace Why me Lord why me will be the Language of those which converse with God And while they are thus admiring God and laying themselves low he comes again with his soul-ravishing kindnesses and thus by humility they are more acquainted with God and being more acquainted with God they are made more humble and the one increaseth the other Thus the humble soul is raised higher and higher till be come to an eternal possession of God in the highest Heavens When an humble Saint lives as it were in Heaven upon Earth he scarce thinks himself worthy to live upon the Earth When any one speaks well of him and admireth the grace of God in him he looks upon himself as an unprofitable Servant and he durst not assume the least glory to himself not unto me not unto me but unto the Lord be the praise given Who am I poor wretch O did you but know what a heart I have did you but see the workings of my thoughts could you but tell how things are indeed you would rather admire at Gods patience than mans excellency This he speaks not that he is worse than others but because he hath a more spiritual sence of his state than others have Neither doth he speak thus in proud Policy thinking to make others to have a better esteem of him for his humility but he doth really feel the pressure of that filthiness of sin which makes him thus to groan out these complaints The reason why God doth converse most with the humble is because they will be most thankful and most fruitful and make the wisest improvement of his favours Wherefore if you value the comfort of a spiritual life if you desire communion with God if you would have a Heaven upon Earth endeavour to get and humble heart To walk humbly and to walk with God go together III.
excellently handled already by so many of our brave Worthies See Mr. Baxters Saints Rest and R. A. his Vindicia Pietatis XII DIRECTION If you would be acquainted with God resolvedly and freely given up your self to him and enter into a most solemn Covenant with him And here I shall make bold with that Reverend Author which R. A. doth mention in his Vindicia Pietatis and present you again with that excellent Form with the preparatories to it which I have lately met with in the forementioned Author After your most serious addresses to God and after a deliberate consideration of the terms of this Covenant and after a thorow search of your own heart whether you either have already or can now freely make such a closure with God in Christ as you have been exhorted to And when you have composed your spirits into the most serious frame possible suitable to a transaction of so high a nature Lay hold upon the Covenant and reply upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby you may be enabled to perform your promise Resolve in the next place to be faithful having engaged your hearts and opened your mouths and subscribed with your hands to the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back And being thus prepared and some convenient time being set apart for the purpose set upon the work in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visibly present before your eyes fall down on your knees and spreading forth your hands towards Heaven open your hearts to the Lord in these or the like words O most dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor Prodigal now prostrating himself at thy door I have fallen from thee by mine Iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand fold more the Child of Hell by my Wicked Practise but of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my Heart Therefore upon the Call of the Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy mercy And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottome of mine Heart renounce them all freely covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known Sin but conscientiously to use all the means that I know thou hast prescribed for the Death and utter Destruction of all my Corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and Idolatriously let out my Affections upon the World I do here resign my heart to thee that madest it Humbly protesting before thy glorious Majesty that it is the firm Resolution of my Heart and that I do unfeignedly desire grace from thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practice this my Resolution through thy Assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this World rather than to turn from thee to the ways of sin And that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity lest they should withdraw my Heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose suggestions I resolve by thy Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because mine own Righteousness is but menstruous Rags I renounce all Confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone Creature without righteousness or strength And for as much as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most graciously to me wretched sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible Veneration bowing the Neck of my Soul under the Feet of thy most Sacred Majesty I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my Portion and chief good and do give up my self Body and Soul for thy Servant promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the only means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended Knees of my Soul accept of him as the only new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a Marriage Covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked a most loathsome polluted wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly Married to the King of Glory But since such is thine unparall'd Love I do here with all my power accept thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poor for all times and conditions to Love and Honour and Obey thee before all others and this to the Death I embrace thee in all thy Offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my righteousness I renounce mine own wisdom and do here take thee for mine only Guide I renounce mine own will and take the will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign I do here covenant with thee to take my Lot as it falls with thee and by thy Grace assisting to run all hazards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy Holy Law as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdom I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoke and set my shoulders to thy Burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as Holy Just and Good I solemnly take them as the rule of my Words Thoughts and Actions Promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Only because through the frailty of my flesh I am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest that unhallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood herein thou wouldest discover it to me and help me to do it a right And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon thee as my God and Father That ever thou shouldest