you all I will onely give you a hint or two that you know somewhat what it is 1. It is such a portion as is fit for the spouse of the Lamb as is fit for the spouse of one that is to marry the Son of God the second person in Trinity 2. it is such a portion as is fit and suitable to an heire of life glory an heire of Heaven and Earth yea it is such a portion as God doth give men to this very end to declare what the infinite power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to the height of happinesse what think you this must be that I say it must therefore be done that it might declare to Angels and all creatures what the infinite power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to happinesse glory this must be somewhat Again it must be such a one as in which God must attain unto the great designe that he had from all eternity in making of Heaven and Earth which was to magnifie the riches of his grace to a Company that he had set apart to glory it must be such a portion and guesse you what this must needs be Yea it is such a portion as must require the infinite power of God to support a creature to bear the weight of that glory and all this must be now to all eternity I remember when Esau did but hear Isaac his Father tell what a blessing he had given unto Iacob he fell a weeping O that God would so strike unto the hearts of men that have so little minded any thing but the world Thou hearest but a few words to what the Lord hath reserved to all eternitie for his Saints and compare but that with what is thy portion and thou hast cause to weep I but more cause you 'l have to weep if you consider the last thing and that is what is like to be the end of all thy portion in this world if indeed thou could'st ruffle it out in this world and enjoy thy hearts desire and there an end it were somewhat O but there is somewhat else remains afterwards as 1. O the perplexity of spirit that any worldly man will have when death comes when he shall see an end of all the comforts of this world now farewell house farewell lands and farewell friends farewell acquaintance and all merry meetings and joviallities I shall never have comfort more in you as it was the speech of Pope Adrian when he was to die O thou my soul my soul whither art thou going whither art thou going thou shalt never have more jests nor be merry nor be jocund any more where art thou going so may a man that hath his portion in this world say at his death where is this poor soul of mine going I have lived here thus many years and I have had many merry meetings I have eaten with the strongest and have drunk the sweetest and gone in brave array but now my day is gone what shall become of me what peace have I now when all is gone I remember Latimer hath a story in one of his Sermons that he preached before King Edward of a rich man that when he lay upon his sick bed there came one to him and tells him that certainly by all reason they can judge he was like to be a man for another world a dead man assoon as ever he hears but these words what must I die send for a Phisitian wounds sides heart must I die wounds sides heart must I die and thus he goes on and there could be nothing got from him but wounds sides heart must I die must I die and go from all these here was all here was the end of this man that made his portion in this world Another rich man that lived not far from the place that I my self lived in heretofore when he heard his sicknesse was deadly he sends for his bags of money and hugs them in his arms O must I leave you O must I leave you And another lying upon his sickbed layed a bag of gold to his heart and then bids them take it away it will not do it will not do Another when he lay upon his sickbed his servants came to him said what lack you would you have any beer what do you want O saith he I want onely one thing peace of conscience that I would have it is not beer nor friends nor an easy pillow I want but ease of conscience O consider whether there be not like to be perplexitie in your spirits And then brethren you must be called to an account for all though as I told you before not to account for the right to use but for not right using and do but think with your selves if you now have so much as you cannot reckon how then will you be able to reckon for it if now you cannot count how will you be able to give an account at the last day especially when you have had no thoughts of this before hand There will be a dreadfull portion indeed at the day of judgement O the shame and confusion that will be upon the faces of the men of the world in that houre when they shall see their poor neighbours have their portion with Christ in glory perhaps a poor servant in the house advanced to glory and they stand on the left hand to be cast out perhaps some of these poor hospitall boyes shall be advanced to eternall glorie when as some of you that are their great masters shall be cast out eternally what an infinite shame and confusion will this be to you O now I see what it is to trust in God and not to trust in him those are happy that would trust for the future but I miserable that dar'd not trust in him The Lord will rain snares and fire and brimstones here is the portion of the ungodly at last appoint him his portion with hypocrites saith Christ where there is weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth that is the portion of hypocrites in the conclusion Now here thou seest the end of all what dost thou think then of thy portion now think but of one Text and I have done What hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained when God takes away his soul Mark there are many hypocrites that aymed to get estates in the world but cannot thrive God crosses them well but suppose thou aymest to gain and hast got all thou wouldst desire what hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained though he hath grown never so rich and got all he desires when God takes away his soul this time is coming it will be ere long and it may be suddenly the portion of some that are here present and perhaps this Text of mine may then ring in their ears when they lie upon their sick beds perhaps within a month or six weeks when Gods time shall be and then conscience
said of God himâ—elf holy and reverend is his name Gods name comes to be reverend by holinesse were it not for his holinesse notwithstanding all the rest if it were possible to separate them his name would not be reverend Therefore when the Saints in heaven glorifie God for his chiefest excellency it is thus holy holy holy We find not in Scripture any of Gods Attributes thrice repeated Wise Wise Wise or Almighty Almighty Almighty but holy holy holy because the excellency of God consists chiefly in Holinesse the LORD only is Holy Now because where grace is in the creature resembling this holinesse of God there is that principle whereby the creature is able to act as God himself acts for that is holinesse the working of God to his own end in all things suitable to his nature So when the creature works to God as his last end and in some measure is suitable to that God with which the creature hath to doe here is the Image of God Therefore the Scripture expresseth grace by these 4. things as The Image of God The Life of God The glory of God and The Divine nature There are these 4. expressions for the work of grace The Image of God it resembles God in his excellency The life of God himself Ephes 4. alienated from the life of God that notes acting like God himself And then it is the glory of God himself and the divine nature 2. Pet. 1.3 So that there must needs be excellency in the Saints that have grace that is of this nature Certainly there is more of God in the meanest Saint in the meanest gracious man or woman there is more of the glory of God then in all the world besides then in heaven and earth Take all the creatures all the glory of God in the heavens in the Sunne Moon and Stars and put all into one Take all the glory of God in the seas those vast Oceans and put that into one take all the glory of God that appears in the earth all the riches of the earth and all arts and sciences and what you will put all into one and the meanest youth or servant that hath the least degree of grace hath more of the glory of God then all this is There is more of the shining of God in the least degree of grace in the poorest Christian in the world then there is in all these creatures If there were a quintessence of all the excellency and glory extracted and drawn and put into one yet there were not so much of God God could not see so much of himself in that one creature that should have the excellency of all creatures put together as he sees in the meanest Saint that hath the work of grace And surely then they are the excellent of the earth if there be so much of God in them The work of grace is that which hath most of God in it and wheresoever it is it is that which is the proper work of Gods eternall love it is a beam of it therefore there is a great deal of excellency in it Take all other creatures and it is possible to enjoy all the good that is in all the creatures in heaven and earth excepting this onely the grace of God through the bounty of God and the pleasure of God There is nothing that the creature hath but may be communicated as a fruit of Gods generall bounty except spirituall blessings in Christ but where ever this is though in the least degree it is of that nature that it cannot come but onely from the eternall election of God It is that which is the principle of Eternall life wheresoever it is it is that which will grow up to eternall glory All common gifts will never grow up to glory though they grow up to the height of glory but the grace of God true grace it is of the same nature with eternall glory Therefore for the kind of it it is the greatest good that ever God did or that ever he will communicate to any creature for all eternity I say where ever God hath communicated any dramme of grace that is the greatest good that ever God did or ever will communicate to all eternity to any of his creatures therefore it is exceeding excellent Onely excepting the work of God in the hypostaticall union of the two natures wherein he joyned the humane and the divine nature together in one person excepting that the work of grace in any soul is the greatest work that ever God did from all eternity or that ever he will do for the kind of it Now that which hath so much of God in it comes from the eternall election and love of God and is the greatest work that ever was done or ever shall be done and the greatest good that ever was or shall be communicated to any creature for ever truly this must needs be the greatest excellency For God made the world for that end that he might communicate his excellency and glory to the world to the creature Now that which was the greatest thing that God intended from all eternity for the communicating of all his glory it must needs make the creature excellent This is the first thing that the Saints are the excellent on earth in regard of the image of God upon them and the work of grace in them But secondly they are the excellent of the earth in regard of the separating of them for God they are those that God set his thoughts upon from all eternity that they might enjoy him The great counsels that God wrought from all eternity especially were set on work upon this great thing of separating of certain creatures for himself from the rest of the world Now when God shall set as it were to speak after the manner of men his thoughts and counsels on work from all eternity to set apart a few creatures for himself if these can be known who they are certainly we cannot but look on them as the excellent on earth Now wheresoever we see the work of grace in any we may by that know that these God hath separated for himself as setting his infinite wisedome on work from all eternity above that That was the thing he was most exercised in before the world about the work of separating such and such for himself The Psalmist saith O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame How long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing But know that the Lord hath set a part him that is Godly for himself Psalm 4.2.3 Here you see that God hath set apart the godly for himself they are those that are dedicated consecrated to God therefore there is a wonderfull excellency put upon them As you know any thing that is dedicated and consecrated though it be never so mean in it self yet being once dedicated being once made a consecrated thing there is a great deal of
in prayer God gives them the key of all his treasures to come and open them and take what they will it is a glorious priviledge that belongs to the Saints in any condition God gives them a gracious praying heart and that is the key of all the treasures of God of all the excellencies of God that they have liberty to come and take out what they will be it unto thee as thou wilt These are the excellent of the earth that have these priviledges Again they are the excellent in earth in regard of that which comes from them As the work of grace is so excellent as hath been spoken of so every gracious action that comes from a gracious heart there is a wondrous excellency in it There is not any one gracious action but it hath more excellency then heaven and earth Not onely grace it self but any action that comes from grace hath more of God in it and God more delights in it then in all other things in heaven or earth It is an expression of Luther though he were a great advancer of faith yet he was also an advancer of holinesse as well as of faith therefore speaking of any gracious work of a godly man or woman saith he preciosa c. it is more precious then heaven and earth And then he goes on with another expression I had rather be able to perform any one gracious act of the poorest woman or maid of the poorest Christian that is then to be able to do all that ever Alexander or Iulius Caesar had done The least act that comes from faith from a sanctified heart he had rather be able to do it then to get all the victories of Iulius Caesar and Alexander all their triumphs and trophies were nothing to the least breathing of the work of grace in those that are godly that which comes from them are exceeding excellent Now I reason they must needs be excellent that have such excellent things come from them As when there were such excellent things came from the body of Paul that had such virtue in them that had such virtue in them that noted that there was a great deal of excellency that God conferred upon that Apostle and a great deal of honour that was put upon him So when there comes flowing such precious liquor such precious things from the Saints as an holy action is it shews that there is a great deal of excellency in them Which by the way should teach us to abound in holy duties though our actions as they are from us corrupted we look on them as despicable yet know that God looks on them as the most glorious things in the world any breathing of a gracious heart therefore he despiseth not the broken heart nor the sighing of a contrite spirit Psalm 51.17 God can despise Monarchs and Princes of the world but God cannot despise a broken heart nor any breathings from it Though thou mayest despise it thy self and look on it as despicable the Lord cannot despise it he sees so much excellency in it though it be mixed with thy corruptions yet there is that remainder of excellency in it if there be but so much as may denominate it a gracious act it is a glorious thing in the eye of God Lastly to name no more the excellency of the Saints appears in this the great use that they are of in the world As especially this is one thing that God attains in them his great aim and end in creating the whole world Were it not for a few gracious men and women what glory should God have in all the world They are those that hold up the glory of God in the world by which God hath his glory actively for that is that God aims at It is true God can force glory in spight of mens hearts he will be glorified in spight of Devils but God hath no active glory but from gracious godly people I speak of the inferiour world it is onely the godly that God hath glory from Therefore were it not for them God in some kind had made all the world for nothing Now those that are imployed in such a great work and are of this great use in the world as to bring to God that which he made the world for the main and great end that he made heaven and earth for certainly these are principall in Gods esteem and excellent God can say I have my end in these Take any town where there are but two or three that are godly what glory hath God but of these So for other places where hath God glory but for a few contemptibile ones They are these that God glorifies in high and great services these are the lights of the world the salt of the earth they are these that are the blessings of the world wheresoever they are they are these for whom the world continueth so as it doth There is a notable expression in Isaiah In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the middest of the Land whom the Lord of hosts shall blesse saying blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine inheritance Isaiah 19.24.25 Wheresoever they are in a Kingdom or a family or a town they are a blessing in that Kingdome in that town and in that family Israel shall be a blessing in the middest of the Land These are they that are the excellent of the earth I would now willingly be over this that I may come to the other but onely there is a word or two of applicatian And that is First to shew what a vast difference there is between those that are godly those that are wicked Many things I might shew that the Scripture expresseth of wicked ones in all their glory let all the glory of the world be put upon them yet the Scripture speaks exceedingly contemptuously of them I must not spend time in those expressions onely one and that is Daniel And in his estate shall stand up a vile person to whom they shall not give the honour of the Kingdome but he shall come in peaceably and obtain the Kingdom by flatteries Daniel 11.21 It is spoken as most Interpreters carry it of Antiochus Epiphanes he is called a vile person we may observe that David doth here more fully set out the love and affection he bears towards those that feare God by the contrary effect of hatred wherewith he doth prosecute the wicked as in the 4. v. of this Psalm in the 4. vers of the foregoing Psalm the Psalmist saith In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the LORD Psalm 15.4 Of this Antiochus there are three things observed yet he is called a vile person First he was a great enemy to many sinnes Secondly when the Iews wrote to him because they feared his wrath he being a persecutor of the Iews there were
of you when you apprehend your selves to be in trouble you then cry to God to be preserved but to what end wherefore would you be preserved wherefore would you live If we may judge of your ends according to your practise you would live that you may have more time to satisfie your lusts that you may have more time to dishonour God that you may have more time to do mischief in the places where you live There is this in the heart and God sees it God sees whatsoever will be after in your lives God sees before what was in your hearts when you cried to be preserved But now one that is gracious he desires therefore to be preserved O saith he that I might live to be of use in that place where God hath placed me If God should take me away now my conscience tells me that it is little service that I have done for him I have been of little use in the place where God hath set me O that I might be preserved for this end that what I am or have or have been might extend to the Saints on earth even the excellent in whom is all my delight Thus you have the scope of the words and the dependance of them And in them there are these two things observable 1. Observation First the high esteem of the Saints They are the excellent of the earth 2 Observation And secondly the sweet delight that Davids heart had in them in whom is all my delight For the first the high esteem that David had of the Saints the Saints that were on earth the Excellent The point is this that the Saints of God those that are godly are the excellent in the earth Then secondly from this that he saith in whom is all my delight Observe this that a gracious heart above all things in this world takes the most contentment in the Saints of God he is much delighted in them The first is but a preparation to the second therefore I shall passe it over briefly They are the excellent in the earth therefore my delight is in them They are the excellent in the earth Let them be what they will in regard of their outward meanness yet there is an excellency in them Iob scraping upon the dunghill and Ieremy sticking in the mire in the dungeon yet they had more glory and beauty upon them then the greatest Potentates of the earth when they sate upon their thrones Though they lie among the pots as the Psalmist saith yet are they as Doves their wings are the wings of Doves whose feathers are of gold and silver Psalm 68.13 beautifull and glorious You know the judgement that the holy Ghost passeth upon the Saints in old time that were outwardly mean enough there is as much meanness on them as the malice of the world could put the Text saith they had tryalls of mockings of scourgings of bonds and imprisonments they were sawen assunder they were tempted they wandred in sheepskins goats skins destitute afflicted tormented What kind of creatures were these surely they were some wretched men and women that were thus hunted up and down to wander in sheeps-skins and goats-skins destitute afflicted and tormented No such matter they were such of whom the world was not worthy v. 38. that is the judgement of the holy Ghost upon such the world was not worthy of them The men of the world would have thought and did think that they were such as were not worthy to live in the world but the judgement of the holy Ghost was such that the world was not worthy of them I remember Chrysostome hath this interpretation of the phrase they are such as are worth more then all the world more then many thousands of the world one of them is worth more then all the men of the world besides It is a truth so one Saint of God though never so mean one poor youth one servant that is truly gracious is worth more then all the men of the world besides that are not so All the Monarchs and Princes on earth have not that excellency in them that one poor child or servant hath that is gracious and belongs to God But the ordinary interpretation is thus they are such as have that excellency as that the world is not worthy to enjoy them they are not worthy of their presence that they should so much as live among them they are rather fit to be set as stars in heaven be before the Lord in his glory the world is not worthy of them But what is there in the Saints that makes them the excellent in the earth The Saints that are the excellent The word in the originall signifies the magnificent ones those that have magnificent spirits and are exceeding glorious There is this in them that I may briefly passe over this first They have the image of God upon them and therefore they must needs be the excellent on earth The image of God makes them to resemble God in that which the creature is able to conceive of That which is the height of Gods excellency though it be true whatsoever is in God is God himself yet we conceiving of God according to our manner of speaking there is something of God that appears most excellent and glorious And it must needs be in regard of that expression because grace is called the image of God Now when we draw the image of a thing we draw it as near as we can according to that which is the most proper excellency of that thing If I would draw the image of a man I do not draw the likenesse of a piece of flesh a beast hath that as well as a man or I do not draw feet or legs or the back parts of a man but when the image of a man is drawn his face is chiefly looked after to be drawn which is the most excellentest part of man and there we endeavour to expresse his life and spirit as much as can be for that is the most excellent part and though the spirit cannot be drawn and there can be no picture of it yet because it is shewen most in the face that is as near as we can go that is drawn there So the image of God is that wherein the creature resembles God in height of excellency and glory It is not every resemblance of God that is Gods image there are some things that set out some of the glory of God and they are but called Gods footsteps or his back parts All the resemblance of God in his creatures and the expressions of his power and wisedome the invisible things of God that we see in the creature they are all but his footsteps and back-parts they are not his image Why because they do not resemble God in that which he hath set out to us to be the height of his glory What is that The holinesse of God that is the height of his excellency Therefore it is
condition of Gods Church in the times of the Gospell The most of the expressions are of Gods delight among his people in the time of the law but know that all those expressions were but meer types and there is a great deal more in the Antitype then in the type therefore the Saints of God joyned under the Gospell have abundance more of the glory of God of the presence of God and of priviledges then Zion had or Ierusalem could have because that was but a type of their happy condition under the time of the Gospell It is an observable place that we have in the Hebrews it is said concerning the state of the Church that the law had but a shadow of good things to come Heb. 10.1 and not the very image of the things It is not so much as an image observe a shadow is not so much as an image but an image is not so much as the thing it self but that was not an image but a shadow As a Painter that takes an image he draws first the dark shadow with a cole there is a great deal of difference between that shadow and the image in beauty so much difference there is between all the glory of God in the Church in the time of the law and that glory of God that is among his people in the time of the Gospell We may safely say there is the like difference between Gods manifesting of himself to his people then and now as between a dark shadow drawn with a cole in comparison of an image But mark it was but a shadow of the image that which we have now is but an image As there is not so much in a shadow as in the image so there is not so much in the image as in the thing it self The presence of God and all his goodnesse to his people and his glory to his people now it is but an image to that which shall be there shall be another presence of God another communication and revelation of God hereafter in another kind then there is now all that we have now is but an image of that which shall be all that was in the law was but a shadow of that image therefore we should have a great deal of delight in the Saints Much might be said further for delighting in them now because they are those that we shall live for ever with in heaven hereafter Look to the Saints especially together they are those that we shall live eternally together with in heaven therefore they are those that we should delight in They are those that we shall be joyned with for ever in everlasting halelujahs before him that sis upon the throne and the Lamb. Look upon any Saint though he be never so mean in gifts and abilities thou and he shall alway joy in the presence of God in glory Yea to be among Gods people is heaven it self they are not onely those that we shall be with in heaven but it is heaven Behold saith the Lord I create a new heaven and a new earth Isa 65.17 The state of the Church is called heaven For what is there in heaven but is here I might shew the resemblance of heaven and that which is in heaven is here among us and therefore if heaven be a place to be delighted in the Saints are Therefore have a high esteem of the Saints close with them and come into as near communion as is possible If they be so excellent and to be delighted in then especially when they are joyned together labour all to come in and joyn with the Saints in the nearest union that is possible in that fellowship wherein you may as near as can be have fellowship onely with them especially that have the appearance of such The mixture of our communion doth much hinder our delight Cast dirt into the fire and it will damp it so the mixture of ungodly ones their spots and blemishes hinder the delight of Gods people one in another But now to come among those that your hearts may close with that you have comfortable evidence that they are not meer talkers of religion and professours at large but that the image of God is on them O what closing is there with their hearts and what admirable good might we enjoy in the communion and society of them Therefore know that it is one of the greatest blessings that you are capable of in this world to have the nearest communion with the Saints next to your immediate communion with God himself it is that which you should so esteem and your hearts should work after Mark that Text Psalme 36. what is said of our joyning with the people of God how excellent is thy loving kindnesse wherein appears the excellency They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house It is a fruit of the excellency of the loving kindnesse of God for people to be of Gods house and to partake of the fatnesse of it To have abundance of Gods creatures and to have an estate and friends it is a fruit of Gods kindnesse but to joyn with Gods people in a way of worship and in the nearest union that is a fruit of the excellent loving kindnesse of God to admiration How excellent is thy loving kindnesse it was so excellent that he was not able to expresse the excellency of it It is made in Scripture to be the proper inheritance even of the elect of God to enjoy communion with the people of God in the type it is a fruit of the very inheritance of the elect of God so as it is opposed to all the vanities of the world Mark what God saith by Isaiah Vanity shall take them away but he that putteth his trust in me shall possesse the Land and shall inherit the holy Mountain and shall say cast ye up cast ye up prepare the way take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people For 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 the contrite ones Here is a firm inheritance indeed the Saints shall possesse the holy mountain God dwelleth on high in the highest heavens and the Saints that are of a contrite and humble spirit with him Do you not perceive a joyfull revolution of the Saints they shall be dwellers with God himself in eternity Iob saith I shall see my Redeemer with these very eyes though for a while they be as it were closed up in darkness yet at last they shall be glorified Nay every part of the bodyes of the Saints shall be glorified Christ shall make our vile bodies like his glorious body saith S. Paul There is no question but his body is glorified throughout there cannot be the least shade of darkness for he is the Sun of righteousness
when he heard of a dishonour done to the people of Israel the Text saith that his anger did rise within him an excellent pattern for all Governours for all in publick places to be very silent quiet self-denying putting up wrongs in their own cause but to be full of zeal for the publick cause to reserve their spirits for a publick good Many when they are anger'd in their private cause and so full of violence and spend their spirit there so much that they have no spirit at all when it comes to a publick cause Saul went beyond them in this Further Saul was one who was much troubled at the sin of the people against God he had not onely a spirit to vindicate publick wrongs but when he saw the people sin against God his heart was much troubled thereat and grieved for it and being mighty sollicitous and carefull to prevent sin in the people this you shall have in the first of Samuel 14.33 they told Saul there that the people had sinned in eating with bloud upon that Saul shews himself displeased come saith he and do not sin against the Lord rowle a stone hither he would see with his own eyes that they did slay the cattle and they did powre forth the bloud that they might not sin against God in eating bloud this was his care yea he was very diligent to enquire of God what he should do in businesses of great consequence he would not go out till he had first enquired of God Yea more then all this he was a man that had a very reverend esteem of the Prophets of God when Samuel came to him O thou blessed of the Lord saith Saul to him when Samuel shewed unto him what his sin was he câ—me and confessed it before the people saying I have sinned I have sinned against the Lord meerely at the conviction of one Prophet And God seemed to be with Saul very much shewing great respect to him to make him an instrument of much good to Israel he granted unto him as glorious a victory as ever man had in this world for so we may call it and if there be any outward thing in the world might be gather'd as an argument of Gods love such a remarkable victory as he had over his enemies well might the victory you shall find in the first of Samuel 13. where the Philistins were risen up against him and there were 30000 chariots of his adversaries and 6000. horsemen and people as the sand of the Sea for multitude well here was a mighty enemie what had Saul to oppose these you shall find that there were but 600. men with Saul there was of one side 30000. Chariots 6000 horsemen and people as the sand of the Sea without number and Saul had but 600. with him at this time yea and of those 600. there was not any one of them that had a sword but onely Saul and Ionathan for the Philistins were wise enough to disarm all the malignants that they accounted so and would not let so much as a smith be amongst them they would not onely take away their arms but they would look to them to see that they had no armes supplied unto them that was the wisedome of the Philistins yet we find if you read afterwards in the Scripture that God was so far with Saul and blessed him and gave him victory over all these besides all this God blessed Saul with a very gracious child a Godly Son of a sweet nature Ionathan which indeed if any outward argument in the world might be an argument of Gods love that might be Now put all these things together and yet here is the man that hath his portion in this world I now challenge him that hath certain evidence of a mighty work of God upon him in Christ let him shew me greater arguments of Gods love to him then Saul might have done and yet it proved to be Sauls condition to have onely his portion in this world God herein shews that his mercy is his own and that he will let out his mercy as he pleases it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom the Father deals out the portion as he pleases unto his children God will let the line of his mercy go thus far to one and there stop and so far to another and there stop and then come in a crosse line again unto him God so disposes of his mercy that there are some that shall have heaven and earth to be their portion there portion is blessed indeed there are some that shall have earth but not heaven and their portion is poor and sad there are others that shall have heaven but not earth and their portion is rich blessed there are others that shall neither have heaven nor earth and their portion you 'l say is miserable indeed Gods mercy is his owne to dispose off as he will we read of Abraham He calleth for Ishmael and Hagar and he gives them a piece of bread a bottle of water and sends them away there is an end of them so Jehoshaphat He gave his other Son saith the Text gifts but the Kingdom he gave to Iehoram so God hath people to whom he gives pieces of bread bottles of water yea some to whom he gives great gifts in this world but he keeps his inheritance for his Isaacs he keeps the Kingdom for Iehoram Esau he had his portion in this world and such a portion as he thought to be a very good portion too Brother saith he I have enough Most rich men go not so far as Esau they have their portion and yet complain of it Esau had his portion and thought he had enough Christs auditours in the 6. of Luke 24. had their portion in this world woe to you here is your consolation saith Christ unto them O dreadfull speech wo to this man wo to such wretches here is their consolation Dives he had his portion in this world Son remember in thy life time thou hadst thy pleasure in thy life time and thou hadst thy good things they were thy good things those things that were measur'd out for thee thou hadst them in thy life time In the handling of this argument I shall divide what I have to say into these 6. particulars that you may every one of you go the more readily along with me first why it is that God will deal out somewhat to wicked men in this world why they shall have any portion at all Secondly that this their portion it is confined to this life and why so Thirdly some Corollaries that you will see will naturally flow from those two Fourthly we shall consider the condition of these men who are such that have their portion in this world and fifthly we shall endeavour to shew unto you who are those men to cull out of the congregation what that man is which is that woman that is like
to the soul Ambrose hath such a speech upon the place if the man had had the soul of a swine what could he have said otherwise for indeed these things were suitable to the soul of a swine you shall find that a man is not the better because of outward things not a whit the heart of the wicked is little worth his estate may be somewhat worth his house may be somewhat worth his lands may be somewhat worth but the hears of the wicked is little worth saith Solomon And would not you think that to be a great evill that when you go up and down abroad you should certainly know that there is no man gives you any entertainment or any respect but it is for your servants sake that tends upon you would not that trouble you indeed you come to such a mans house he seems to make you wellcome and you have entertainment I but you come to know afterwards that it was not for your sake but for your servants sake that he loved you would not this discourage you the truth is so all that you have in this world it is for your servants sake for your goods your house and lands it is not for any worth that is in you It was aspeech that Socrates spake once to one when he had a fine house and a many brave things what saith he there are many come to see thy house and thy fine things there but no body comes to see thee they know there is a worth in thy fine house and in thy fine furniture but they see no worth in thee indeed all these things are not souls meat it is not mans meat they feed upon it is but ashes it is nothing to the soul of a man And further suppose it were for thy soul what thou hast here is but a very poor pittance thou hast not all the world neither though thou hast thy portion in this world if thou hadst the whole world at command yea if God should make a 1000. worlds more for thee to command that were all but a poor pittance to put off an immortall soul with all but what thou hast is but a little minuin in the world All the nations of the earth are but as the dust of the ballance and a drop of the bucket to God what is thy dust then what is thy house and land then as Socrates wittily rebuked the pride of Alcibiades when he was very proud that he had so much land lay together he brought the map of the world to him and saith he pray shew me where your land â—ies here one prick of a pen would make a description of all England Ireland and Scotland are but 3. little spots unto the world and what are your farmes and your mannours you have but a little portion if you had all it were no great matter the truth is all you have in this world cannot be enough to make you live in fashion in the world like a man it is not enough I say for to live like a man in the world to live like one that hath an immortall soul like one that hath the image of God upon him and was sent hither into the world to do so great services as every one of you were sent hither to do and therefore it is but a mean thing little cause you have to rejoyce in it It is true they that are godly account themselves unworthy of the least thing they have here in the world but I 'le tell you a mistery of religion now a practicall maxime of religion that is a great mistery to the world which is this that a gracious heart though he thinks himself unworthy of the least crum of bread yet all the creatures in heaven and earth will not serve him to be his portion will not satisfy him though he hath a heart that will be satisfied with any thing as counting himself unworthy of the meanest condition in this world as a present gift of God but if God should give him heaven and earth he had such an unsatisfying heart as he would not be satisfied with heaven and earth except God gives him himself too therefore certainly thy portion it is a but a very little portion Besides those things thou hast are things that will vanish and quickly come to nothing it is said of the whole world that it hangs upon nothing so all the things of the earth do therefore it is said of Abraham that he sought a City that had foundations all other things are as things that have no foundation at all there is a worm in every creature that will consume it in time and the Scripture calls all our riches uncertain riches Christian thou art made for an eternall condition these things are fading when thou comest to enter in upon thy eternall estate if thou shouldst then ask what shall I have now I have now thus much and thus much in my whole life but what shall I have now I come to enter in upon my eternall estate truly nothing at all If a man were to go a great voyage to the Indies and all the provision he makes is this he gets a vessell that can make shift to carry him as far as Gravesend that he will do and what need he hath of provision to Gravesend or perhaps to the Downs he provides for he goes on should go on now from the Downs and begins his voyage to go to the Indies and is gotten into the Ocean alas his vessell is a rotten vessell were not this an unwise man truly this is the condition of thousands in the world man woman thou art made for an eternall condition God intendeth eternity for every mothers child that is here this day and God expects that thy life should be spent in making provision for this eternall estate of thine and thou thinkest of nothing but that thou mayst provide for a few years here live in some fashion and be some body in the world O when thou comest to enter upon the Ocean of eternitie thou wilt give a dreadfull shrik cry out I am undone I am undone I have nothing provided for eternall life Again consider whatever thou hast in this world it is no other but what may stand with the eternall hatred of an infinite God towards thee it may be the portion of a reprobate and will this serve thy turn will this satisfie thee will that satisfie thy soul that may be the portion of a reprobate there are many that are now sweltring under the wrath of the infinite God that have had 20. times as much as any of you have that are here before the Lord this day they have had greater estates then you and lived merrier lives then you yet are now under the wrath of God will a reprobates portion serve thy turn therefore consider that to enjoy the dominion of all the world may stand with Gods eternall hatred but to have the least
regard when he goes to his sport he may have a mean house to lodge in for a while but his pallace where he shews his Majestie and honour that is more glorious So the people of God and the Church is called the house of Gods honour it is not a mean house but a house of honour Further it is that house that he means to dwell in for ever he loves it so well This is my house I will dwell in it for ever I am so well pleased with it I will rest in it for ever Surely we have cause to rest our hearts in Gods people when God finds rest there and for ever It may be some of you are sometimes acquainted with the people of God at the first delight in them but your hearts being carnall you soon grow weary of them It is not so with God he delights in his people and rests there and rests there for ever But you will say how is God present with his Saints more then in other places why is God said to dwell among his people his Saints I answer in two regards God is said to dwell among his people in a speciall manner First because he makes himself known to his people more then to all the world besides There are none that know the counsell and mind of God so as his Saints do God is known in Iudah Psal 29.9 There God opens himself In his Temple every man speaks of his glory Secondly because God communicates himself most among his people God is said to be in heaven Why but because there he manifests his glory more then in other places therefore heaven is his habitation If that be his habitation where he manifests himself more then his people are his habitation because he manifests himself most there Secondly heaven is the place of Gods residence because he communicates himself most there then also Gods people are his residence he communicates himself there And he communicates himself to them in a speciall manner in four regards 1. He communicates to his people more choise mercies 2. He communicates mercies more fully 3. He communicates mercies more powerfully 4. More universally then to others 1. He communicates goodnesse among his people and Saints more choisely more choise mercies of God There is a remarkable place in the Psalmes The Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Zion Psalm 143. ult He saith not the Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee either out of heaven or earth but out of Zion as nothing that the choise mercies that God hath to communicate are out of Zion among his people joyned together in the way of worship Would you desire that God should blesse you with the chief mercies that he hath look upon God as blessing out of Zion out of Zion God communicates his choisest mercies therefore it concerns all to be in Zion that they may have God to blesse them out of Zion there runs the sweetest of Gods mercies indeed in Zion Again God communicates his mercies more fully among his people then any other way Psalm 36.7 8. How excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures They shall be abundantly satisfied how not with the creatures but with the fatnesse of thy house Neither with thy communication to them alone God hath abundance of mercies for his Saints alone but when they are among the Saints jointly together then they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house and he shaâ—l make them drink of his rivers of pleasures While they are alone in corners they may have many sweet drops of pleasure from God but when they are joyned with the Saints there are rivers of pleasure and delight that come to their hearts therefore there is great delight to be had in the Saints of God when they are joyned together Thirdly he communicates them more powerfully mark in Psal 133.3 As the dew of Hermon and the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded a blessing even life for ever more There was blessing the Lord commanded it there went a powerfull work of Gods grace upon the hearts of people there when they were joyned together in Zion there God commanded the blessing If you would have God speaking powerfully to command a blessing on your souls you must be among his people you must joyn in a holy fellowship with his people there God commands it In the last place more universally all the goodnesse of God is communicated among his people therefore the Church is called the perfection of beauty Psam 50. that some translate the universality of excellency and beauty There is a universality of all among the Church and people of God And in another place All my springs are in thee Psam 87. speaking of joyning with the people of God that is all my springs of truth that are revealed to me all the springs of comfort that I have communicated to my soul all the springs of grace that I have to quicken me they are all in thee in the joynt society and communion with Gods people I find all Thus we see the presence of God among his people in regard of the communication of himself to them and therefore what a great deal of cause there is to joy and delight in the Saints jointly together Again further there is abundance of cause to delight in them joyned together in regard of their admirable priviledges as they are joyned together They have priviledges as they are alone but as they are joyned they have committed to them the oracles of God Rom. 3.2 all the ordinances by which God conveyes himself To them are committed the seal of the covenant you cannot singly have the seal of the covenant but joyned with the people of God closing with them To them is committed the very power of Iesus Christ saith the Apostle When ye are together with the power of Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 5.4 a glorious priviledge Yea further take this one thing they are inheritours to all the promises that ever God made to the Church from the beginning of the world There is no society of Saints that joyn in Christian fellowship but they are so See a remarkable place for that in Isa 54.17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me saith the LORD That promise that God made to the Churches before this is their heritage And conceive of this one now that is of great use that all that is said in Scripture concerning Gods delight to be among his people and in Zion all were but to type out the excellent
so shall all the just they shall shine as the Sun every glorified Saint by the reflection not onely of their mind but if their ocular body upon one another by a mutuall reciprocation of their beams every one shall shine in every one The glory of the soul shall transfuse it self and redound to the body Saint Paul in effect speaks as much as it is sowen a naturall body it riseth a spirituall body As the soul here is swallowed up of the body to the body as it were shall be swallowed up of the soul in a word both soul and body shall be turned into glory and the glory shall be to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight FINIS THE RIGHTEOUS MANS REFVGE Ieremiah 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great mighty things which thou knowest not THe Prophet Ieremiah in this the foregoing Chapter layes down sundry and eminent mercies that he intends for the good of his elect people notwithstanding their provoking of God by their severall relapses sundry backslidings though their enemies also did threaten them with utter desolation and that they should be desolate without man and without inhabitant and without beast yet the voice of joy and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the Bridegroom the voice of the Bride the voice of them that shall say praise the LORD of hosts for the Lord is good for his mercy endureth for ever this voice shall be to the inhabitants of Ierusalem But by what means shall these mercies be bestowed on then in this Text he tells them where ever they are afflicted or in any great distresse call unto me and I will answer thee And as Christ in the Gospell having the book of the Prophet Esaias delivered unto him when he was in the Synagogue read apart of it then closed the book and began his sermon to the people this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Luke 4.21 So may I say of this Text that we have out of this Prophecy read unto you Behold this day hath the Lord fullfilled this word of his in our ears before our eyes And therefore is it that we are all here this day met before the Lord that we may witness unto this his good word and promise Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not In the two last Verses of this Chapter the Lord promiseth to establish a Covenant with David and raise up a deliverance to the seed of Iacob and cause them to return out of their captivities he will have mercy on them That which he saith to his people he speaks it plainly and openly I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth The heathen Gods did speak darkly and ambiguously to their worshippers that they knew not what to make of their words but I have not done so to you saith God They would have you worship them but they cannot help you when you have so done it is not so with me Thus saith the Lord if my Covenant be not with day and night and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth then will I cast away the seed of Iacob that is the Church of God the Saints You will say Why are the people of God called the seed of Iacob rather then the seed of Abraham or the seed of Isaac the seed of Iacob The reasons may be these two First because that all Iacobs posterity were the Church of God all Iacobs children the Patriarchs were every one of the Church All that came from Abraham were not so Ishmael was not so All that came from Isaac were not so Esau was not But all Iacobs children were therefore speaking of the people of God of the Church that should be to the end of the world they are said here to be the seed of Iacob rather then the seed of Abraham or of Isaac Then secondly the seed of Iacòb because the Lord is here speaking of the blessing of his seed namely in the hearing of their prayers Call unto me and I will answer thee Now because Iacob was the most eminent in prayer though Abraham and Isaac no question were mighty with God in prayer yet the Scripture doth not put such an eminency either upon Abraham or Isaac for prayer as upon Iacob You have the most eminent expression for prayer that ever was spoken of any man never the like Gen. 32.28 And he said thy name shall be called no more Iacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed O how eminent was he in prayer Therefore it is rather said the seed of Iacob then of Abraham or Isaac But you will say then they should rather have been called the seed of Israel for his name of Israel was given him upon his prevailing with God We must not be too inquisitive These names are used promiscuously But this is one reason that is given and it seemeth to have probability with it In Scripture when God speaks of the Church in a low condition he puts the name of Iacob on them rather then Israel Fear not thou worm Iacob and it follows ye men of Israel Isa 41.14 He puts them in mind of their low condition by this name rather then Israel Fear not thou worm Iacob For before Iacobs name was changed ye know what a low condition and what streights he was in So here the Lord speaking of his Churches deliverance out of distress he calls them the seed of Iacob that they might see how by their prayers they were brought from their streights as Iacob was brought from his streights by prayer When he was Iacob before he was Israel he was in great streights so shall the Church be till they seek God Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not That is first I did require it of them and my requiring did prevail with them I did not exhort them to it or require it and my words fell to the ground and they did not call unto me but what I required of them was effected in them When God speaks to a people and they do not what he requires his word may seem to be slighted there being no efficacy in his words to prevail But saith God Call unto mee and I will answer thee that is I called not on my people to call unto me and they went their own way but what I spake to them prevailed with them and in them and they did that which I required This is a blessed thing that we do that which the Lord requires of us to be done That is the first observation Secondly call unto me and I will answer thee that is I did not onely command but I did promise to answer them They calling unto me in a right manner by
manifested his regard to them Therefore if it be not in vain for the wicked to call unto the Lord much lesse is it in vain for the seed of Iacob the elect of God to call unto him Yea the Lord heareth the cry of the very Ravens the beasts Psalme 147.9 and Psalme 104.21 27 28. Therefore the people of Niniveh would have the beasts eat nothing that they might cry unto God Ionah 3.7 8. Surely if the brute beasts and the fouls be heard when they cry it is good for the people of God to call unto him There is very great reason that we should call unto God because the people of God that have been wise and have conversed with God and have known much of the mind of God have given up themselves and all their strength to the duty of prayer Now it were a weak part and an idle thing for any one to give up his strength all his might to that which in reason we could not expect and whereby there is no great thing to be obtained It is said of Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20.3 that he feared and set himself to seek the Lord. It is translated composuit faciem suam he set his face he gave himself up fully to seek the Lord. They know what they doe that give up themselves wholly to seek God Indeed carnall hearts condemn the people of God because they see them so earnest in those things that they think to be frivolous For it argueth weaknesse in any man to give up himself with all his strength to things that are vanity and have no strength in them Therefore because carnall men look upon the way of Religion as a thing that hath no end they think it foolish for men to be so earnest to give up their strength their whole souls for it But the Saints of God know what they do when they give themselves up to seek the Lord they know if they call unto him he will answer them Again this is an evidence that there is much advantage by prayer because men that were wise and holy have so prized the prayers of the Saints and made such high account of them Mark the expression of the Apostle writing to the Saints for their prayers Rom. 15.30 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that you strive together in prayer with me in your hearts to God for me The Apostle Paul so great a man and one that had a mighty spirit in prayer writing to private Christians in the Church of Rome he beseecheth them for the Lords sake and for the love of the Spirit that they strive in prayer for him He knew that there was much to be had this way Yea further God is found of them that sought him not Isaiah 65 1. then surely the people of God that call upon him shall receive answer from him Yea yet further God when he intends to shew no mercy giveth a streight charge to his people not to pray or he shutteth up their hearts that they are not able to pray This is an argument that prayer is prevalent because when God will not shew mercy he would not have such a precious thing lost and spent to no purpose Lastly it is not in vain because if it should then a praying heart were not alway a mercy from God but certainly it is Therefore though perhaps you cannot find the thing granted that you pray for yet to have a continuall praying heart know that it is a great mercy from God And those that are spirituall prize more the continuance of a praying heart many times then the granting of the thing they pray for All these put together are full evidences that it is not in vain to call unto the Lord. There be many other evidences which I passe by one purpose that I may have as much time as may be for application But now wherein doth it appear that it is not in vain to seek the Lord what doth prayer do First it is not in vain to seek God if there were nothing else in prayer but the right exercise of the faculties of our souls and of our graces this alone were worth our time The graces of our souls must be exercised about somewhat Now prayer serveth for the exercise of all graces Secondly it is not in vain if it were nothing but the performance of our duty as creatures to God There are many people that are weary of prayer because they have not that by it that they expect But know that there are two arguments to prayer the performance of duty and the obtaining of mercy If there were but onely the former that alone should suffice to keep thee praying as long as thou livest Thirdly it were not in vain if it were nothing but the tendering that homage and worship that we owe to God Prayer is not onely a duty but a great part of the worship that God hath in the world While we are worshipping of God it is worth the time Again it is not in vain if there were nothing but this that we come and shew what side we are of that we joyn and side with God against his adversaries and for his people But these are not the things here intended Further it is not in vain because there is no faithfull prayer that ever was made but God accepts of it in heaven There was never one of the seed of Iacob that ever put up a faithfull petition to God but God took it in his hand and read it A King or any superiour when you come with a petition may refuse to take it but God never refuseth to take any petition from a faithfull soul Therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 6.9 The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer He will take it and look on it and read it and not onely so but he will also accept it and take pleasure in it A Prince may take a petition and look on it and after frown and shew anger in his countenance but God doth not so with the prayers of his people The prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15.8 he never reads a petition that his people tenders but with a smiling countenance If it be a faithfull petition he accepts it of them and receives it graciously It is an expression of Luther speaking of the prayer of a contrite heart The least sigh of a contrite heart so fills heaven with noise that there is no noise of any thing in heaven or earth heard at that time but onely the noise of prayer Certainly a faithfull prayer taketh the heart of God very much yea every faithfull prayer is recorded in heaven You keep your letters upon the file that you may readily find them when you have occasion to look on such a letter sent from such a countrey so God hath his file in heaven where all faithfull prayers are kept upon record As Princes