lofty description of the greatness of God the Apostle heapeth up many words together to shew that in greatnesse God excels all Isa 40.15 16 17. Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket are counted as the small dust of the ballance Behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse than nothing and vanity Not onely one Nation but many Nations yea not onely many Nations but all Nations in comparison of God are but as the drop of a bucket and what 's lesser than a drop and as the small dust of a ballance and what 's of lighter weight and lesser worth than the small dust or powder of the ballance that hangs on the scale and yet never alters the weight yea they are nothing they are lesse than nothing And though Lebanon was a very great spacious Forrest and had abundance of beasts in it yet God was a God of that infinite greatnesse that though all the beasts harbouring in that stately Forrest should be slain and all the wood growing on it cut down to burn them with it all would not make up a sacrifice any wayes answerable or proportionable to his greatnesse with whom they had to do and so in that Psal 147.5 Great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite or as the Hebrew hath it of his understanding there is no number Such is his greatness that he knows not onely all kinds and sorts of things but even all particulars though they exceed all number Psal 145.3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable or as the Hebrew hath it of his greatness there is no search God is infinitely above all names all notions all conceptions all expressions and all parallels Psa 150.2 Praise him for his mighty acts praise him according to his excellent greatness or greatnesse of greatnesse or abundance of greatnesse or according to the multitude of his greatnesse as the Hebrew and Greek carries it and so in that Deut. 10.17 For the Lord your God is God of Gods In Daniel God is called El Elim the mighty of mighties and Lord of Lords a great God a mighty and a terrible which regardeth not persons nor taketh reward God is the original cause of all greatness all that greatness that is in any created beings whether they are Angels or men is from God all their greatnesse is but a beam of his Sun a drop out of his Sea a mite out of his Treasury Psal 139. God is a God of that infinite greatnesse that he fills heaven and earth with his presence he is every where and yet circumscribed to no place he is in all things and without all things and above all things and this speaks out his immensity Job had a very large portion before God made a breach upon him Job 1.3 He had seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels and five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred she-asses and a very great houshold but at last God gives him twice as much as he had first Job 42.12 for he had fourteen thousand sheep and six thousand camels and a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand she-asses Cattle are onely instanced in because the wealth of that Countrey consisted especially in cattel but yet doubtlesse Job had a great many other good things as goods lands possessions and stately habitations but what is all this to a Saints portion certainly had not Job had God for his portion he had been but a rich fool a golden beast notwithstanding all the great things that God had heaped upon him And so Ahasuerus had a very large portion Esth 1.1 2. he reigned from India unto Ethiopia over an hundred and seven and twenty Provinces but what were all his Provinces but as so many handfuls of dust in comparison of the Saints portion The whole Turkish Empire saith Luther is but a crust that God throws to a dog had a man all the world for his portion it would be but a poor pittance Nebuchadnezzar had a very great portion Dan. 5.18 19. O thou King the most high God gave thy father Nebuchadnezzar a Kingdome and majesty and glory and honour And for the majesty that he gave him all people Nations and languages trembled and feared before him whom he would he slew and whom he would he kept alive and whom he would he set up and whom he would he put down And so in that Jer. 27.5 6 7 8. I have made the earth the man and the beast that are upon the ground See Jer. 28.14 by my great power and by my out-stretched arm and I have given it unto whom it seemed meâ— unto me And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon my servant and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him And all Nations shall serve him and his son and his sons son until the very time of his land come and then many Nations and great Kings shall serve themselves of him And it shall come to pass that the Nation and Kingdome which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the King of Babylon that Nation will I punish saith the Lord with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence until I have consumed them by his hand The portion that here God gives to Nebuchadnezzar is a wonderful large portion and yet all these Nations that God gave to him were but as so many molehils or as so many birds nests compared with a Saints portion All Nations are but as a drop of a bucket that may in a moment be wip't off with a finger in comparison of God nay they are all nothing but that word is too high for they are lesse than nothing had a man as many worlds at his command as there be men on earth or Angels in heaven yet they would be but as so many drops or as so many attomes to a Saints portion When Alc biades was proudly boasting of his lands that lay together Socrates wittily rebukes his pride by bringing him a Map of the world and wishing him to shew him where his lands did lie his lands would hardly amount to more than the prick of a pin England Scotland and Ireland are but three little spots to the vast Continents that be in other parts of the world and what then is thy palace thy lordships thy mannors thy farme thy house thy cottage but a little minum but a prick of a pin to God who is so great so vast a portion O Sirs had you the understanding of all the Angels in heaven and the tongues of all the men on earth yet you would not be able
to conceive express or set forth the greatnesse and largenesse of a Saints portion Can you tell the stars of heaven or number the sands of the sea or stop the Sun in his course or raise the dead or make a new world then and not till then will you be able to declare what a great what an immense portion God is If eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the great things that God hath laid up in the Gospel for so that 1 Cor. 2.9 is to be understood Oh how much less then are they able to declare the great things that God hath laid up for his people in another world But Thirdly As God is an immense portion a large portion so God is an all-sufficient portion Gen. 17.1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him I am the almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect I am God almighty or as some carry the words I am God all-sufficient or self-sufficient In quo nihil desiderari possit boni Zanch. de nat Dei l. 4. c. 1. Qu 1 God hath self-sufficiency and all-sufficiency in himself Some derive the word Shaddai that is here rendered almighty or all-sufficient from Shad aduge because God feeds his children with sufficiency of all good things as the tender mother doth the sucking childe Gen. 15.1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision saying Fear not Abram I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward I will be thy buckler to defend thee from all kinde of mischief and miseries and I will be thy exceeding great reward to supply thee with all necessary and desirable mercies and what can a Saint desire more Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly The Sun which among all inanimate creatures is the most excellent notes all manner of excellency provision and prosperity and the shield which among all artificial creatures is the chiefest notes all manner of protection whatsoever under the name of grace all spiritual good is wrapt up and under the name of glory all eternal good is wrapt up and under the last clause no good thing will he with-hold is wrapt up all temporal good all put together speaks out God to be an all-sufficient portion Before the world was made before Angels or men had a being God was as blessed and as glorious in himself as now he is God is such an all-sufficient and such an excellent being that nothing can be added to him to make him more excellent Man in his best estate is so great a piece of vanity Psal 39.5 that he stands in need of a thousand thousand things he needs the air to breath in the earth to bare him and fire to warm him and cloathes to cover him and an house to shelter him and food to nourish him and a bed to ease him and friends to comfort him c. But this is the excellency of God that he hath all excellencies in himself and stands in need of nothing Were there as many worlds as there are men in the world and were all those worlds full of blessed Saints yea were there as many Heavens as there are stars in heaven and were all those heavens full of glorious Angels yet all these Saints and Angels together could not adde the least to God for what can drops taken out of the Sea adde unto the Sea what can finite creatures adde to an infinite being though all the men in the world should praise the Sun and say the Sun is a glorious creature yet all this would adde nothing to the light and glory of the Sun so though all the Saints and Angels shall be blessing and praising and admiring and worshipping of God to all eternity yet they shall never be able to adde any thing to God who is blessed for ever O Christians God is an all-sufficient portion his power is all-sufficient to protect you his wisdome is all-sufficient to direct you his mercy is all-sufficient to pardon you his goodnesse is all-sufficient to provide for you his word is all-sufficient to support you and strengthen you and his grace is all-sufficient to adorn you and enrich you and his spirit is all-sufficient to lead you and comfort you and what can you desire more O Sirs God hath within himself all the good of Angels of men and universal nature he hath all glory all dignity all riches all treasures all pleasures God is Omnia super omnia and many of the very heathens counted God Optimum maximum the best and greatest all delights all comforts all contents all joyes all beatitudes in himself All the scattered excellencies and perfections that be in the creatures are eminently transcendently and perfectly in him Look as the worth and value of many pieces of silver are contracted in one piece of gold so all the whole volume of perfections which is spread through heaven and earth are epitomized in God according to that old saying Omne bonum in summo bono all good is in the chiefest good God is one infinite perfection in himself which is eminently and virtually all perfections of the creatures all the good the excellency the beauty and glory that is in all created beings are but parts of that whole that is in God and all the good that is in them is borrowed and derived from God who is the first cause and the universal cause of all that good that is in Angels or men God is a sufficient portion to secure your souls and to supply all your wants and to satisfie all your desires and to answer all your expectations and to suppresse all your enemies and after all to bring you to glory and what can you desire more But now all earthly portions are insufficient portions they can neither prevent afflictions nor support the soul under afflictions nor mitigate afflictions nor yet deliver a man from afflictions They can neither arm the soul against temptations nor comfort the soul under temptations A golden crown cannot cure the head-ach nor a purple robe cannot fray away a burning seaver nor a bed of gold cannot give ease to a distempered body nor the velvet slipper cannot take away the pain of the gout nor lead the soul out of temptations All the creatures in the world are but as so many ciphers without God when God frowns all the creatures in the world are not sufficient to chear the soul when God withdraws all the creatures in the world are not sufficient to sustain the soul when God clouds his face all the creatures in the world are not sufficient to make it day with the soul c. There is not enough in the whole creation to content quiet or satisfie one immortal soul he that hath most of
creatures are virtually transcedently in him he hath them all in his own being All creatures in heaven and earth have but their particular excellencies but God hath in himself the very quintescence of all excellencies the creatures have but drops of that Sea that Ocean that is in God they have but their parts of that power wisdome goodnesse righteousnesse holinesse faithfulnesse lovelinesse desireablenesse sweetnesse graciousnesse beauty and glory that is in God one hath this part and another hath that one hath this particular excellency and another hath that but the whole of all these parts and excellencies are to be found only in God There is none but that God that is an universal good that can truly say all power all wisdome all strength all knowledge all goodness all sweetness all beauty all glory all excellency c. dwells in me he that can truly say this is a God and he that cannot is no God There is no Angel in heaven nor Saint on earth that hath the whole of any one of those excellencies that are in God nay all the Angels in heaven and all the Saints on earth have not among them the whole of any one of all those glorious excellencies and perfections that be in God All the excellencies that are scattered up and down in the creatures are united into one excellency in God but there is not one excellency in God that is â—ully scattered up and down among all the creatures There is a glorious union of all excellencies in God and onely in God Now this God that is such an universal good and that hath all excellencies dwelling in himself he sayes to the believer as the King of Israel said to the King of Assyria 1 Kings 20.4 Jer 32.38 42. I am thine and all that I have our propriety reacheth to all that God is and to all that God hath God is not parted nor divided nor distributed among his people as earthly portions are divided among children in the family so as one believer hath one part of God and another believer another part of God and a third another part of God O no but every believer hath whole God wholly he hath all of God for his portion God is not a believers portion in a limited sense nor in a comparative sense but in an absolute sense God himself is theirs he is wholly theirs he is only theirs he is alwayes theirs As Christ looks upon the Father and saith All thine is mine Joh 17.10 1 Cor. 3 ult and mine is thine that may a Saint say looking upon God as his portion he may truly say O Lord thou art mine and all that thou hast and I am thine and all that I have A Saint may look upon God and say O Lord not only thy gifts and thy graces are mine to adorn me and enrich me and not only thy mercies and thy good things are mine to comfort me and encourage me but also thou thy self art mine and this is my joy and crown of rejoycing to be able to say that God is mine is more than if I were able to say that ten thousand worlds yea and as maheavens are mine for 't is God alone that is the sparkling Diamond in the Ring of glory Heaven would be but a low thing without God saith Augustine and Bernard had rather enjoy Christ in a Chimney-corner than to be in Heaven without him and Luther had rather be in Hell with Christ than in Heaven without him 't is God alone that makes heaven to be heaven Now God is so every particular believers portion as that he is every believers portion 1 Cor. 1.1 2. Paul called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and Sosthenes our brother unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ both theirs and ours As the Sun is every mans Sun to see by to walk by to work by and as the Sea is every mans Sea to trade by c. so God is every believers portion he is a poor Saints portion as well as a rich Saints portion he is the despised believers portion as well as the exalted believers portion he is the weak believers portion as well as the strong believers portion he was as much his portion who miscall'd his faith and who in the behalf of his son cried out with tears Lord I believe help my unbelief Mar. 9.24 as he was Abrahams portion Genes 2â— who in the strength of his faith offered up his only son he was as much Jobs portion sitting on a dunghil as he was Davids portion sitting on a royal Throne he was as much Lazarus his portion that had never a penny in his purse as he was Solomons portion 2 Chron. 1.15 who made gold and silver as plenteous in Jerusalem as the stones of the streets God is not my portion alone but he is every Saints portion in heaven and he is every Saints portion on earth The Father is every childs portion and though they may wrangle and quarrel and fall out one with another yet he is all their portions and so 't is here and O what a spring of joy and comfort should this be to all the Saints Riches are not every believers portion but God is every believers portion honour and preferment in the world is not every believers portion but God is every believers portion Liberty and freedome is not every believers portion but God is every believers portion credit and applause in the world is not every believers portion but God is every believers portion prosperity and successe is not every believers portion but God is every believers portion c. God is a universal portion all things receive their being essence and existence from him for the fulnesse of all things is in him really and eminently The Heathen Philosophers of old called God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. all or every thing and in that Oracle great Pan is dead of which Plutarch makes mention Christ is called the great Pan because say some he is the Lord of all and containeth all things in himself Exod. 33.19 I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee to wit because in God are all good things God is all things God is every thing the cream the good the sweet the beauty and the glory of every creature and of every thing centers in God But Ninthly As God is an universal portion so God is a safe portion a secure portion he is a portion that none can rob or wrong you of he is a portion that none can touch or take from you These things I have formerly handled more largely and therefore a touch here must suffice c. he is a portion that none can cheat or spoil you of God is such a portion that no friend no foe no man
for one penny less in the pound than what he hath promised to make good God stands upon nothing more than his faithfulnesse and glories in nothing more than his faithfulnesse and yet all inordinate cares leaves a blot upon his faithfulnesse But Sixthly and lastly Inordinate cares are a reproach to the pity and compassion of God Matth. 6.32 they speak out God to be a God of no pity of no bowels of no tendernesse whereas God is all pities all bowels all compassions all tendernesses Psal 103.13 Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him there is an Ocean of love and pity in a fathers heart to his children Gen. 33.13 14. and there is much more in Gods to his Hence he is called the Father by way of eminency and indeed originally and properly there is no Father to him there is no Father like him there is no Father besides him Ephes 3.15 God is pater miserationum tam pius nom̄o tam pater nemo saith Bernard and he is called the Father of all mercies because all the mercies all the pities all the bowels all the compassions that are in all the Fathers on earth are but a drop of his Ocean a spark of his flame a mite out of his Treasury That Father that sees his childe in want and pities him not and pitying if able relieves him not forfeits the very name of father and may better write himself monster than man I have read of a young man who being at Sea in a mighty Storm was very merry when all the passengers were at their wits end for fear c. and when he was asked the reason of his mirth he answered that the Pilot of the Ship was his father and he knew that such was his fathers pity and compassion that he would have a care of him O Sirs whatever storms the people of God may be in yet such is his pity and compassion towards them that he will be sure to have a care of them The Lord is all that to his people and will be all that to his people yea and infinitely more than that which Isis Mammosa was to the Egyptians a God full of dugs and whil'st he hath a breast there is no reason why his children should fear the want of milk That golden promise Heb. 13.5 were there no more hath enough in it to steel and arm the soul against all inordinate cares The Greek hath five Negatives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Never in no wise in no case whatever I do I will not do this whatever shift I make and may thus be rendered I will not not leave thee neither will I not not forsake thee Five times as one well observes is this precious promise renewed that we may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of its consolations that we may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of its glory O Sirs shall the word the promise the protest of a King arm us and cheer us up against all inordinate cares and shall not the word the promise the protest of the King of Kings so often repeated much more arm us against all base distrustful and distracting cares O Christians the remembrance of this blessed truth that God is your portion should make you sing care away as that famous Martyr said John Carless in a Letter to Mr. Philops Acts and Mon. fol. 1743 c. My soul is turned to her rest I have taken a sweet nap in Christs lap and therefore I will now sing away care and will be carelesse according to my name If the sense of Gods being a mans portion will not burn up all those inordinate cares that commonly fills his head and that disturbs and distracts and racks his heart I professe I cannot tell what will 'T was a strange speech of Socrates a Heathen Since God is so careful for you saith he what need you be careful for any thing your selves But Tenthly If God be the Saints portion than all is theirs As he said Christus mens omnia Christ is mine and all is mine so may a Christian say Deus meus omnia mea God is mine and all is mine If God be thy portion then heaven and earth are thine then all the good and all the glory of both worlds are thine then all the upper and the nether springs are thine 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours vers 22. whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours The scope of the Apostle is not to shew that such as are Saints and have God for their portion have a civil and common interest in all mens earthly possessions but it is to shew that all things are prepared ordered and ordained by God to serve the interest of his people to work for the good of his people and to help on the happinesse and blessednesse of his people All the gifts and all the graces and all the experiences and all the excellencies and all the mercies of the Ministers of the Gospel whether they are ordinary or extraordinary are all for the information edification confirmation consolation and salvation of the Church and all the good and all the sweet of the creatures are to be let out for the good of the people of God and for the comfort of the people of God and for the incouragement of the people of God all changes all conditions all occurrences shall be sure to work together for their good that have God for their portion Rom. 8.28 Whatever the present posture of things are or whatever the future state of things shall be yet they shall all issue in their good in their profit in their advantage that have God for their portion Look as the wife communicates in her husbands honour and wealth and as the branches partake of the fatness and sweetnesse of the root and as the members derive sense and motion from the head so the Saints communicate in all that good which in God is communicable to them God is communicative as the Fig-tree the Vine and the Olive is O Sirs if God be your portion then every promise in the Book of God is yours and every Attribute in the Book of God is yours and every Priviledge in the Book of God is yours and every Comfort in the Book of God is yours and every Blessing in the Book of God is yours and every Treasury in the Book of God is yours and every Mercy in the Book of God is yours and every Ordinance in the Book of God is yours and every Sweet in the Book of God is yours if God be yours all is yours When Alexander asked King Porus who was then his prisoner how he would be used Plutarch in Apophlegm he answered in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a King Alexander again replying Do you desire nothing else No saith he all things
knowing 't is my fruition of God as my portion that is the true spring of all delight comfort and consolation When a mans interest in God is clear then all the precious promises will be full wells of salvation and full breasts of consolation solation to him 2 Pet. 1.4 Isa 12.3 Ch. 66.11 Without delight the soul cannot live take away all delight the soul dies saith Augustine but till then they will be but as dry breasts as barren Heaths as a fruitlesse Wildernesse and as empty Wells whil'st a man is doubtful whether God be his God 't is certain that the spring of joy and comfort will run low in his soul whil'st a man lives in fear that his title and interest is not good how can he rejoyce When a mans interest in God is clear then his heaven of joy begins a man that hath God for his portion and knows it cannot but live in a paradise of joy and walk in a paradise of joy and work in a paradise of joy and eat in a paradise of joy and recreate himself in a paradise of joy and rest in a paradise of joy he cannot but have an heaven of joy within him and an heaven of joy about him and an heaven of joy over him all his looks will speak out joy within and all his words will speak out joy within and all his works will speak out joy within and all his wayes will speak out joy within I remember a notable saying of one August in his Confessions How sweet was it to me of a sudden to be without these sweet vanities and these things which I was afraid to lose with joy I let go for thou who art the true and only sweetness didst cast out those from me and instead of them didst enter in thy self who art more delightful than all pleasure and more clear than all light When a mans interest in God is clear Joh. 16.24 his joy will be full when a man is happy and knows it he cannot but rejoyce when a man hath God for his portion and knows it all the world cannot hinder the strong consolations of God from rising high in his soul Why have the Saints in heaven more joy and delight than the Saints on earth but because they have a clearer and a fuller knowledge of their interest and propriety in God than the others have The knowledge of a mans propriety in God is the comfort of comforts propriety makes every comfort a pleasureable comfort a delightful comfort When a man walks in a fair Meadow and can write Mine upon it and into a pleasant Garden and can write Mine upon it and into a fruitful Corn-field and can write Mine upon it and into a stately Habitation and can write Mine upon it and into a rich Myne and can write Mine upon it O how doth it please him how doth it delight him how doth it joy and rejoyce him Of all words this word Meum is the sweetest and the comfortablest Ah when a man can look upon God and write Meum when he can look upon God and say This God is my God for ever and ever when he can look upon God and say this God is my portion when he can look upon God and say with Thomas John 20. My Lord and my God how will all the springs of joy rise in his soul O who can but joy to be owner of that God that fills heaven and earth with his fulnesse who can but rejoyce to have him for his portion in having of whom he hath all things in having of whom he can want nothing The serious thoughts of our propriety in God will add much sweet to all our sweets yea it will make every bitter sweet when a man seriously thinks it is my God that cheares me with his presence it is my God that supports me with his power it is my God that guides me by his counsel it is my God that supplies me with his goodnesse and it is my God that blesses all my blessings to me it is my God that afflicts me in love it is my God that hath broken me in my estate and in my credit it is my God that hath sorely visited such a child it is my God that hath past a sentence of death upon such a friend it is my God that hath thus straitned me in my liberty and it is my God that hath thus cast me down at my enemies feet c. how doth these thoughts cheer up the spirit of a man and make every bitter sweet and every burthen light unto him A beautiful face is at all times pleasing to the eye but then especially when there is joy manifested in the countenance joy in the face puts a new beauty upon a person and makes that which before was beautiful to be exceeding beautiful it puts a lustre upon beauty and so doth holy joy put a divine beauty and lustre upon all the wayes of God and upon all the people of God and therefore it highly concerns all Christians as they would have an heavenly beauty lustre and glory upon them to rejoyce and that they may rejoyce it doth as highly concern them to know their interest and propriety in God But Fifthly A clear personal evidence that God is a mans portion will very much raise him in his communion with God and exceedingly sweeten his fellowship with God 1 John 1.1 2 3 4. 2 Cor. 13.14 Mans summum bonum stands in his communion with God as Scripture and experience evidences Psal 144.15 My God and I am good company said famous Dr. Sibs there are to Christians on earth that have such high such choice such free such full such sweet and such uninterrupted communion with God as those that have a clear sight of their interest and propriety in God The Spouse in that Book of Solomons Song again and again and again sings and sounds out her propriety and interest in Christ Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 6.3 I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Cant. 7.10 I am my beloveds and his desire is towards me Now mark how doth the sense of this her propriety in Christ work why it works very highly very strongly very inflamingly very affectionately Cant. 1.2 3 4. Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy Name is as ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee Draw me we will run after thee the King hath brought me into his chambers we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more than wine the upright love thee Vers 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved unto me he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts Chap. 2.3 4 5 6. As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sons I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his
he did more wickedly than the very heathen whom the Lord abhorred in all his actings he seemed to be the first-born of Satans strength and yet the Lord freely bestowed himself as a portion upon him and so Ezek. 16.6 8. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was a time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I swore unto thee and entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine And so Isa 46.12 13. Hearken unto me ye stout-hearted that are far from righteousnesse I bring neer my righteousnesse it shall not be far off and my salvation shall not tarry and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory Solomon Mary Magdalen Mathew Zacheus the Gaoler and the murderers of Christ were all very great and grievous sinners and yet the Lord bestowed himself as a portion upon them and so God bestowed himself as a portion upon those monstrous and prodigious sinners that are mentioned in 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. whose souls were red with guilt and as black as hell with filth God hath been very good to those that have been very bad and therefore do not despair O sinner though thy sins are very great I have read a Story concerning a great Rebel that had made a great party against one of the Roman Emperours Joh. Bodin Com. weal. and Proclamation being sent abroad that whoever could bring in the Rebel dead or alive he should have a great summe of money for his reward the Rebel hearing of it comes and presenting himself before the Emperour demands the sum of money proposed the Emperour bethinking himself concludes that if he should put him to death all the world would be ready to say that he did it to save his money and so he freely pardoned the Rebel and gave him the money Here now was light in a dark Lanthorn here was rare mercy and pity in a very Heathen And shall an Heathen do thus and shall not the great God who is made up of all loves of all mercies of all compassions of all goodnesses and of all sweetnesses do much more certainly he will If the greatest Rebels if the greatest sinners will but come in whilst the white Flag of grace and mercy is held forth they shall finde a marvcilous readinesse and forwardnesse in God not onely to pardon them but also to bestow not onely money but himself as a portion upon them The greatest sinners should do well to make that great Scripture their greatest companion Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high speaking of Christ thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also but to what purpose hath Christ received gifts spiritual gifts gracious gifts glorious gifts for men for the rebellious why 't is that the Lord God may dwell amongst them But Thirdly I answer that God hath given out an expresse promise that he will make such to be his people which were not his people Hos 2.23 I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God In this precious promise God hath ingaged himself to have a most sweet harmony and a most intimate conjunction and communion with such a people as were not his people But Fourthly I answer that God gains the greatest glory by bestowing of himself as a portion upon the greatest sinners There is nothing that makes so much for the glory of free grace and for the exaltation of rich mercy and for the praise of divine goodnesse and for the honour of infinite fulnsse as Gods bestowing of himself upon the greatest of sinners O Sirs grace appears never so rich nor never so excellent nor never so glorious as when it triumphs over the greatest sins and when it falls upon the greatest sinners Grace never shines nor never sparkles nor never becomes so exceeding glorious as it doth when it lights upon the hearts of the greatest sinners The greatest sinnes do most and best set off the freenesse and the riches of Gods grace there is nothing that makes heaven and earth to ring and to sound out his praises so much as the fixing of his love upon those that are most unlovely and uncomely and as the bestowing of himself upon them that have given away themselves from him And 't is further observable that the greatest sinners when once they are converted do commonly prove the choicest Saints and the rarest Instruments of promoting the honour and glory of God in the world The Canaanites were a wicked and a cursed generation They were of the race of cursed Cain they were given over to all whoredome witchcraft and cruelty they offered their sons and daughters to Devils they were the very worst of sinners they were without God and without the Covenant and counted dogs among the Israelites and such an one was the Canaanite woman that you read of in that Matth. 15 21-29 till the Lord made it the day of his power upon her soul but when the Lord had brought her in to himself ah what a rare Christian did she prove for wisdome zeal humility self-denial love courage patience faith c. And so Mary Magdalen was a notorious Strumpet a common whore among all the harlots none to Mary Magdalen Mark 16 9 and she was one out of whom Christ cast seven Devils and yet when she was changed and converted Luke 7. O with what an inflamed love did she love the Lord Jesus Christ and with what a burning zeal did she follow after the Lord Jesus and how abundant was she in her lamenting and mourning after the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 20. Some report that after our Saviours resurrection she spent thirty years in weeping for her sins in Galba And Paul you know was a very grievous sinner but after his conversion O what a rare what an eminent what a glorious instrument was he in bringing of souls to Christ and in building up of souls in Christ 2 Cor. 11. O what a noble drudge was he for Christ O how frequent O how fervent O how abundant was he in the work of the Lord c. And indeed in all ages the greatest sinners when once they have been converted they have commonly proved the choicest Saints and the rarest Instruments in the hand of God for the advancement of his glory and the carrying on of his work in the world I might instance in Luther and divers others but that I hasten to a Close And therefore Fifthly I answer that of all sinners the greatest sinners do undoubtedly stand in the greatest need of having of God for their
hath cut the threed of their lives and given them their portion among hypocrites Ah how many be there that have died in the time of their earthly projects and designs Luk. 12.15 to 22. before ever they have set about that great work of securing God for their portion and how many thousands be there that God in his just judgment hath given up to insatiable desires of earthly things Phil. 3.18 19. and to a cursed endlesse covetousnesse all their dayes Some write of the Crocodil that it alwayes growes that it hath never done growing and just so 't is with the desires of worldly men they alwayes grow they have never done growing now they are for one thousand then for ten then for twenty then for fourty then for an hundred thousand now they are for this Lordship and then they are for that now they are for this good bargain and then they are for that their hearts grow every day fuller and fuller with new desires of further and greater measures of earthly things they please themselves with golden dreams till they awake with everlasting flames about their ears and then they fall a cursing themselves that they have made gold their confidence and that they have neglected those golden seasons and opportunities wherein they might have secured God for their portion But Thirdly Object 3 Others may object and say we would fain have God for our portion and we would willingly apply our selves to all those wayes and means whereby we might obtain the Lord to be our portion but we are poor unworthy wretches surely the Lord will never bestow himself as a portion upon such miserable unworthy ones as we are we are worthy of death we are worthy of wrath we are worthy of hell we are worthy of damnation but we are no wayes worthy of having God for our portion Did ever the Lord cast an eye of love upon such unlovely and such unworthy sinners Lepers as we are c. Now to this Objection I shall return these answers First Though you have no merits 2 Cor. 4.15 1 Tim. 1.14 1 Pet. 1.3 yet God is rich and abundant in mercy your sins your unworthinesse can but reach as high as heaven but the mercies of God reach above the heavens Psal 103.11 For as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him Psal 108.4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds The highest comparisons which the world will afford are not sufficient to expresse the greatnesse of Gods mercy to poor sinners Though the heavens are exceeding high above the earth yet the mercies of God to his poor people are above the heavens But Secondly I answer that the Lord hath never bestowed himself as a portion upon any yet but unworthy ones David was as unworthy as Saul and Job as Joab and Peter as Judas and Paul as Simon Magus Mat. 21.31 32. and the Publicans and Harlots that entered into the Kingdome of heaven were as unworthy as the Publicans and Harlots that were shut out of the Kingdome of heaven and the thief that went to paradise was as unworthy as the thief that went to hell All the Saints in heaven and all the Saints on earth are ready with one joynt consent to declare that they were as unworthy as the most unworthiest when God first bestowed himself as a portion upon them This Objection I am unworthy is a very unworthy Objection and therefore away with it But Thirdly I answer that God hath no where in all the Scripture required any personal worthinesse to be in the creature before he will bestow himself upon the creature O Sirs it never came into the thoughts of God it never entered into the heart of God to require of men that they should be first worthy of his love before they should enjoy his love and that they should be first worthy of his mercy before they should tast of his mercy and that they should be first worthy of his goodnesse before they should be partakers of his goodnesse and that they should be first worthy of himself before he would bestow himself as a portion upon them If we should never enjoy God for our portion till we are worthy to enjoy him for our portion we should never enjoy him If a man had as many eyes as Argus to search into the Scripture and as many hands as Briareus to turn over the leaves of Scripture yet he would never be able to find out one Text one line yea one word wherein God requires a personal worthinesse in the creature before he gives away himself to the creature Should God stand upon a personal worthinesse to be in the creature before he would look upon the creature or before he would let out his love to the creature or before he would extend mercy or pity to the creature or before he would in a Covenant of free grace give himself to the creature no sinner could be saved man would be for ever undone and it had been good for him that he had never been born But Fourthly I answer 't is not mens unworthinesse but mens unwillingnesse that hinders them from having God to be their portion though most men pretend their unworthinesse yet there is in them a secret unwillingnesse to have God for their God When they look upon God as a gracious God then they are willing to have him to be their God but when they look upon God as an holy God then their hearts fly back when they look upon God as a merciful God and as a bountiful God O then they wish that he were their God but when they look upon God as a commanding God and as a ruling and an over-ruling God O then their hearts do secretly rise against God there is a real unwillingnesse in the hearts of sinners in all respects to close with God and to have God to be their God Isa 53.1 Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Ch. 65.2 3. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that was not good after their own thoughts A people that provoke me to anger continually to my face How long Prov. 1.22 23 24 25 26. ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh c. For thus saith the Lord God the holy One of Israel Isa 30.15 in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietnesse and in confidence shall be
that can never be drawn dry Angels Saints Col. 1.16 17 and sinners have lived upon this portion almost this six thousand years and it is not in the least diminished God hath his City-house and his Countrey-house where millions have been kept at his table and lived upon his purse his charge even dayes without number and yet God is not one penny the poorer for all this This portion is like the meal in the Barrel and the oil in the Cruse which never failed 1 Kings 17.14 16. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel the barrel of meal shall not waste neither shall the Cruse of oil fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the Earth And the Barrel of meal wasted not neither did the Cruse of oil fail according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah God is such a portion as cannot be wasted nor diminished he is such a portion as can never fail Should all Christians now live to the age of the Patriarchs who lived many hundred years and should they all live freely and keep open house every day in the year yet at the end not a dram not a penny no not a farthing of this portion will be expended or diminished Though men have never so great a stock yet if they still spend upon it they wil certainly consume it O but God is such a stock as can never be spent as can never be consumed If a sparrow should but fetch a drop of water out of the Sea once a day yea once in a thousand years yet in time it would be exhausted O but God is such a Sea such an Ocean that if every Angel in heaven and every Saint and sinner on earth should drink whole Rivers at a draught yet not one drop could be diminished If a child should but take a cockle-shell of water out of the Sea every day the Sea would be really the lesse though not visibly the lesse and in time it would be exhausted and drawn dry but let all created beings be every day a drawing from God yet they shall never lessen him they shall never draw him dry The mothers breasts are often drawn dry but the more you draw at the breasts of God the more the milk of grace and comfort will flow in upon you Isa 66.10 11. Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoyce for joy with her all ye that mourn for her That ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation that you may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory God keeps open house for all commers and goers Psal 104.24 for all created creatures both in heaven and earth and though they are perpetually a sucking at his breasts yet the more they draw the more the heavenly milk of divine joy content and satisfaction flows in abundantly upon them All creatures both high and low rich and poor honourable and base noble and ignoble bond and free Jews and Gentiles are all maintained upon Gods own cost and charge they are all fed at his Table and maintained by what comes out of his Treasury his purse and yet God is not a pin the poorer for all this It would break and beggar all the Princes on earth to keep but one day the least part of that innumerable company that God feeds and cloaths and cherishes and maintains every day upon the account of his own Revenue which is never the poorer for all the vast expences that he is daily at There is still in God a fulnesse of abundance and a sulnesse of redundance notwithstanding the vast summes that he hath and daily doth expend It were blasphemy to think that God should be a penny the poorer by all that he hath laid out for the maintenance of those millions of Angels and men that have had their dependance upon him from their first creation to this very day Look as the Sun hath never the lesse light for filling the Stars with light and as the Fountain hath never the lesse water for filling the lesser Vessels with water that are about it so though God fills all the Vessels both of grace and glory with his own fulnesse yet he is never the lesse full himself there is still in God plenitudo fontis the fulnesse of a Fountain Look as the overflowing Fountain pours out water abundantly and yet after all it remains full so though the Lord be such an overflowing Fountain as that he fills all yet still he retains all fulnesse in himself I have read of a Spanish Ambassadour that coming to see the Treasury of Saint Mark in Venice that is so much cried up in the world he fell a groping at the bottome of the Chests and Trunks to see whether they had any bottom and being asked the reason why he did so answered in this among other things My Masters Treasure differs from yours and excells yours in that his hath no bottome as yours have alluding to the Mynes in Mexico Peru and other parts of the Western India All mens Mints Bags Purses and Coffers may be quickly exhausted and drawn dry but God is such an inexhaustible portion that he can never be drawn dry all Gods Treasures are bottomlesse and all his Mints are bottomlesse and all his Bags are bottomlesse millions of thousands in heaven and earth seed every day upon him and yet he seels it not he is still a giving and yet his purse is never empty he is still a filling all the Court of heaven and all the creatures on earth and yet he is a Fountain that still overflowes There be them that say that 't is most certainly true of the Oil at Rhemes that though it be continually spent in the inauguration of their Kings of France yet it never wasts but whatever truth is in this story of this I am most sure that though all the creatures in both worlds live and spend continually on Christs stock yet it never wasteth But now all earthly portions are frequently exhausted and drawn dry Luke 15. the prodigal quickly spent his patrimony upon his harlots and how many Drunkards Prov. 23.20 21. and Gluttons and Wantons and Gamesters and Roysters c. do daily bring a Noble to nine pence Hast thou entered into the Treasures of the snow Vide Job 38.22 saith God to Job Now saith Gregory the treasures of the snow are worldly riches which men rake together even as children do snow which the next showr washeth away and leaves nothing in the room of it but dirt And ah how many Merchants and Shop-keepers and others in these breaking times have found all their riches and earthly portions to melt away as snow before the Sun how many of late have been very rich one week and stript of all the next and set with Job upon the dunghil All earthly portions are like water in a Cistern that may easily and quickly be drawn
Lord God for there is none like thee neither is there any God besides thee according to all that we have heard with our ears and what one nation in the earth is like thy people Look as the excellency of God rises so in a proportion the excellency of the Saints rises and look as there are no gods in all the world that are so excellent as God is so there are no people in all the world that are so excellent as the people of God are Every one that hath God for his portion resembles the child of a King Judg. 8.18 as Zeba Zalmunna said to Gideon of his brethren If you look upon their divine and heavenly original you shall find that they are born of the blood-royal and that they are his sons who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords yea all the Saints that have God for their portion are Kings Rev. 17.14 Rev. 5.10 Dan. 7.27 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Rev. 1.6 And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father They have the power soveraignty and authority of Kings Psal 34.14 Heb. 1 ult Psal 45.13 1 Cor. 1.30 they are priviledged as Kings they are guarded as Kings they are adorned as Kings they are entertained as Kings they feed as Kings they feed high they live upon God and Christ and all the glory of heaven and they are cloathed as Kings they are cloathed with Christs righteousnesse and with the garments of joy and gladness Kings have great alliance and so have the Saints that have God for their portion Kings have a very great influence and so have they that have God for their portion A man in rags that hath God for his portion is a more honourable person than the greatest Monarch on earth that hath only the world for his portion I have read of Alexander the great and of Pompey the great and of Charles the great and of Abner the great and of Herod the great but what were all these great men but Grass-hoppers to the Saints that have God for their portion Men that have had God for their portion As you may see in the 10. and 11. Chap. of the Hebrews have been very famous illustrious and glorious when they have been friendlesse and house-lesse and penniless yea when they have been under the Swords and Sawes and Harrowes of persecution When Maximian the tyrant had pluckt out one of Paphnutius the Confessors eyes that good Emperour Constantine saw such a lustre beauty and glory upon Paphnutius that he fell upon him and kist him and he kist that very hole most wherein one of the Confessors eyes had been as being most ravished and delighted with that hole Prov. 10.7 Psal 112.9 His name that hath God for his portion shall live when the name of the wicked shall rot his name shall be written in golden characters upon Marble when the name of the wicked shall be written in the dust The blind besotted world are sadly out who are ready to set the Crown of Honour and Happiness upon any heads rather than upon theirs that have God for their portion Look 1 Sam. 16 6-12 as Samuel beholding the beauty and stature of Eliab would needs have him anointed and the Crown set upon his head when the Crown was designed for David at the Sheep-fold so vain men are very apt to set the Crown of happinesse upon their heads who have the greatest share in this world when as the Crown of happinesse and blessednesse is onely to be set on their heads that have God for their portion What the Queen of Sheba said of Solomons servants Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee 1 Kings 10.8 and that hear thy wisdome is here very applicable to the Saints Happy happy yea thrice happy are those precious sons and daughters of Zion that have God for their portion A man that hath God for his portion shall live happily and die happily and after death he shall remain happy to all eternity and therefore we may well cry out Oh the happinesse and blessednesse of that man that hath God for his portion But Fourthly If the Saints have such an excellent such a matchless portion O then let them never set their hearts and affections upon any earthly portions 'T is true O Christian Prov. 23.5 thou mayest lay thy hand upon an earthly portion but thou must never set thy heart upon an earthly portion Psal 62.10 If Riches increase set not thy heart upon them The Hebrews put the heart for the thoughts affections love desire joy hope confidence c. If riches increase O set not thy thoughts upon them If riches increast O set not thy affections upon them If riches increase O set not thy love upon them set not thy desires upon them set not thy joy and delight upon them nor never place thy hope or confidence in them O what a shame and dishonour would it be to see men of great estates to rake in dunghils and to sweep Chanels and to carry Tankards of water and to cry Trifles up and down the streets and is it not a greater shame a greater dishonour to see those that have the great God for their portion to set their hearts and affections upon a little white and yellow clay 'T was a generous speech of that Heathen Themistocles who seeing something glister like a pearl in the dark scorned to stoop for it himself but bid another stoop saying Stoop thou for thou art not Themistocles O 't is below a generous Christian a gracious Christian a noble Christian that hath God for his portion to stoop to the things of this world a true bred Christian will set his feet upon those very things that the men of the world set their hearts Rev. 12.1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven a woman cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet and upon her head a Crown of twelve stars The Church is compared to a woman for her weaknesse for her lovingnesse for her comlinesse and for her fruitfulness and being cloathed with the Sun of righteousness she hath the Moon that is the World under her feet the Church treads under her feet all temporary and transltory things which are as changeable as the Moon she treads upon all worldly and carnal enjoyments and contentments as things below her as things not worthy of her What vanity is it for a great man to set his heart on birds-nests and paper-kites that boyes make fly in the air and as great yea a greater vanity 't is for the Saints that have God for their portion to set their hearts upon the poor little low things of this world 'T is not for you to be a fishing for Gudgeons but for Towns Forts and Castles said Cleopater to Mark Anthony so say I 't is not for you that have God for your portion to be a fishing for the Honours
man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord Isa 41.16 Thou shalt rejoyce in the Lord and shalt glory in the holy one of Israel and Chap. 45.25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Oh how should the Saints that have God for their portion make their boast of their God and rejoyce in their God and glory in their God! Shall the men of the world glory in an earthly portion and shall not a Saint glory in his heavenly portion Shall they glory in a portion that they have onely in hope and shall not a Christian glory in that portion that he hath already in hand Shall they glory in a portion that they have only in reversion and shall not a Saint glory in that portion that he hath in present possession Shall they glory in their hundreds and thousands a year and shall not a Christian glory in that God that fills heaven and earth with his glory In all the Scriptures there is no one duty more prest Compare these Scriptures together Phil. 3.1 Ch. 4 4. Ezek. 10.7 Joel 2.23 Psal 33.1 Psal 79.12 Ps 149.1 2. than this of rejoycing in God and indeed if you consider God as a Saints portion there is every thing in God that may incourage the soul to rejoyce in him and there is nothing in God that may in the least discourage the soul from rejoycing and glorying in him O Christians the joy of the Lord is your strength Neh. 8.10 't is your doing strength and your bearing strength and your suffering strength and your prevailing strength 't is your strength to work for God and 't is your strength to wait on God and 't is your strength to exalt and lift up God and 't is your strength to walk with God 't is your strength to live and your strength to die and therefore be sure to keep up your joy in God 'T is one of the saddest sights in all the world to see a man that hath God for his portion with Cain to walk up and down this world with a dejected countenance 'T was holy joy and cheerfulnesse that made the faces of several Martyrs to shine as if they had been the faces of Angels One observes of Chrispina that she was cheerful when she was apprehended August in Psal 137. and joyful when she was led to the Judge and merry when she was sent to prison and so she was when bound and when lift up in a Cage and when examined and when condemned O Christians how can you number up the several souls that you deject the foul mouths that you open and the bad reports that you bring upon the Lord and his wayes by your sad dejected and uncomfortable walking It is very observable that the Lord takes it so very unkindly at his peoples hands when they go sighing lamenting and mourning up and down when as they should be a rejoycing and a delighting of themselves in him and his goodness that he threatens to pursue them to the death with all manner of calamities and miseries upon that very score Deut. 28.47 48. Because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and with gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall sond against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakednesse and in want of all things and he shall put a yoke of Iron upon thy neok until he have destroyed thee But Eightly If the Saints have such a great such a large and such an all-sufficient portion as hath been shewed they have then certainly they shall never want any thing that is good for them Psal 23.5 6. David tells you that his cup run over the words are an allusion to the Hebrew Feasts Davids table was richly and nobly spread both in sight and spight of all his enemies In one God is every good and what can he want that enjoyes that God God is a bundle of all goodnesse and sweetnesse And look as God is the best God so he is the greatest and the fullest good he can as easily fill the most capacious souls up to the very brim with all inward and outward excellencies and mercies as Christ did once fill those water-pots of Gallilee up to the very brim with wine John 2. If God hath enough in himself for himself then certainly he hath enough in himself for us that water that can fill the Sea can much more easily fill my cup or my pot Jer. 31.14 My people shall be satisfied with goodnesse saith the Lord And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them Ch. 32 40 41. that I will not turn away from them to do them good yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need or my God shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fill-up all your need as he did the widows vessels in that 2 Kings 4.3 4 5 6. Godlinesse hath the promise both of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 he that hath God for his portion shall have all other things cast into his store Mal. 6.25.31 32 33. as paper and packthread is cast into the bargain or as an handful of corn is cast into the corn you buy or as Hucksters cast in an over-cast among the fruit you buy or as an inch of measure is given into an ell of cloth O Sirs how can that man be poor how can that man want that hath the Lord of heaven and earth for his portion Surely he cannot want light that enjoyes the Sun nor he cannot want bread that hath all sorts of grain in his barnes nor he cannot want water that hath the fountain at his door no more can he want any thing that hath God for his portion who is every thing and who will be every thing to every gracious soul O Sirs the thought the tongue the desire the wish the conception all fall short of God and of that great goodness that he hath laid up for them that fear him Psal 31.10 and why then should they be afraid of wants How doth that pretty bird the Robin-red-breast cheerfully sit and sing in the chamber-window Psa 104.10 to Vers 31. and yet knows not where he shall make the next meal and at night must take up his lodging in a bush O what a shame is it that men that have God for their portion should act below this little bird I have read of famous Mr. Dod who is doubtlesse now high
overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful If these Scriptures do not clearly evidence that the interest of Christ shall swallow up all other interests I understand nothing Now mark the people of God are the interest of God and the Gospel of God is the interest of God and the Ordinances of God are the interest of God and the institutions and pure worship of God are the interest of God c. And therefore all you that have an interest and propriety in God evidence it by your ready and resolute falling in with the interest of God Believe it they that fall in with the interest of God fall in with the strongest side and will be sure to carry it against ten thousand worlds What is the stubble to the flames what is weaknesse to strength what is impotency to omnipotency what is folly to wisdome what is emptinesse to fulnesse no more are all the carnal interests in the world to the interest of God and therefore thrice happy is that man that falls timely and cordially in with the interest of God But now if upon trial and examination any of you shall finde that yet the Lord is not your portion and this I believe will be the case of many of you I would exhort all such persons to labour with all their might yea to labour as for life to get the Lord to be their portion O Sirs this is the one thing necessary this is the Sun among the stars this is the work of works that lies upon your hands when this is done all is done till this be done there is nothing done that will do you good in another world O Sirs your lives lies upon it your souls lie upon it eternity lies upon it your all lies upon it and therefore you had need be restlesse till you have gained the Lord to be your portion Now that I may the more effectually provoke you and stir you up to this great and glorious this necessary and weighty work give me leave to propose these following Considerations First Consider that thy present portion thy present condition is but miserable and cursed Levit. 26. Deut. 28. All the earth was curst upon mans fall and till fallen man comes to be interested in God all his earthly enjoyments are curst unto him his honours are curst and his riches are curst and his preferments are curst and his pleasures are curst the whole portion of his cup is nothing but a little cursed vanity Job 20.23 24 25 28 29. When he is about to fill his belly God shall east the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating He shall flee from the iron weapon and the bowe of steel shall strike him through It is drawn and cometh out of the body yea the glistering sword cometh out of his gall terrours are upon him The increase of his house shall depart and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath This is the portion of a wicked man from God and the heritage appointed unto him by God And so Chap. 24.18 He is swift as the waters their portion is cursed in the earth he beholdeth not the way of the Vineyards Prov. 3.33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Mal. 2.2 If ye will not hear and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my Name saith the Lord of hosts I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not lay it to heart There is a real curse and a secret curse an invisible curse and an insensible curse that lies upon all their souls that have not God for their portion Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them And as there is a curse upon all their souls so there is a curse upon all their comforts contentments and enjoyments that enjoy not God for their portion till a man comes to enjoy God for his portion all his earthly portions are curst unto him but when a man comes to enjoy God for his portion then all his earthly portions are blest unto him O Sirs there is no mitigating of the curse there is no reversing of the curse there is no altering of the curse nor there is no taking of the curse from off your souls nor from off your earthly portions but by gaining God to be your portion O Sirs you will live accursed and you will die accursed and you will appear before God accursed and you will be judged and sentenced by God accursed and you will be sent to hell accursed and you will remain to all eternity accursed if God be not your portion and therefore O how should this Consideration awaken every sinner to give God no rest till he hath given himself as a portion to him But Secondly Consider this that there is yet a possibility of attaining God to be thy portion Mark 14.36 Luk. 18.27 all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth do not know to the contrary but that God may be thy portion even thine If thou art but heartily willing to be divorced from that wicked Trinity the World the Flesh and the Devil there is no doubt but God will be thy portion O Sirs why hath God laid open so clearly and so fully the nature and incomparable excellency of this portion above all other portions before you but to perswade your hearts and to draw out your souls to look after this portion and to make sure this portion as that wherein all your happinesse and blessednesse lies O that you were wise to consider that now a prize an opportunity is put into your hands that may make you for ever you have all the wayes and all the means and all the helps and all the advantages imaginable for the obtaining of God to be your portion so that if God be not your portion I shall be so bold to tell you Hos 13.9 that your destruction is from your selves O Sirs though God be a golden Myne Pro. 2.2 3 4 5 6 7. yet he is such a Myne that may be come at if you will but dig and sweat and take pains to purpose though he be a pearl of infinite price yet Christ can purchase this Pearl for you though he be a matchlesse and incomparable portion yet he is such a portion as may be yours as will be yours if you are not wanting to your own souls Why hath God sent his Ambassadours early and late and why hath he 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. even to a miracle continued them amongst you to this very day but that they should acquaint you with his wonderful readinesse and willingnesse to bestow himself as a portion upon you Psa 105.8 Ephes
call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God O Sirs as ever you would have the great and glorious God for your portion plead out this noble promise cordially with God plead it out affectionately plead it out fervently plead it out frequently plead it out beleevingly plead it out resolutely plead it out incessantly O Sirs this choice promise is an hive full of heavenly honey 't is a paradise full of sweet flowers 't is a breast that is full of the milk of consolation Isa 66.11 and therefore be still a sucking at this breast be still a pleading of this promise follow God with this promise early and late follow him with this promise day and night Luk. 18.1 to the 9. v. follow him with this promise as the importunate Widow followed the unjust Judge and give him no rest till he hath made it good to your souls that he is your God and that he is your portion and that he is your salvation and that he is your all in all O tell him that above all things in this world your hearts are set on this to have God to be your God to have God to be your portion O tell him that you cannot tell him that you dare not tell him that you may not and tell him that you shall not be satisfied with any thing without God with any thing below God with any thing on this side God with any thing but God and therefore humbly intreat him and earnestly beseech him to be your God and to be your portion But Fourthly If you would have God for your portion Deut. 32.9 Jer. 12.10 Zech. 2.12 then you must be willing to be his portion God is resolved upon this that he will be no mans portion that is not willing to be his you must make a resignation of your selves to God if ever you would enjoy an interest in God you must be as willing to be his people as you are willing to have him to be your God you must be as much at Gods dispose as earthly portions are at your dispose or else there will be no enjoying of God to be your God God will ingage himself to none that are not willing to ingage themselves to him he that will not give his hand his heart to God shall never have any part or portion in God O Sirs as ever you would have God for your portion it highly concerns you to give up your selves to God with highest estimations and with most vigorous affections and with utmost indeavours according to that precious promise Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord and sirname himself by the name of Israel God stands upon nothing so much as the giving up of your selves to him nor he is taken with nothing so much as the giving up of your selves to him Seneca do Benesic l. 1. I have read of Aeschines who seeing his fellow-scholars give great gifts viz. gold silver and jewels to his Master Socrates and he being poor and having nothing else to bestow he gave him himself which the Philosopher most kindly accepted esteeming this present above all those rich and costly presents that his other Scholars had presented to him and accordingly in love and sweetnesse he carried it towards him So there is nothing that God accepts loves likes and esteems like the giving up of a mans self unto him this is a present that God prefers above all the gold silver and sparkling jewels in the world Well Sirs remember this Such as are not as willing to say Lord we are thine as they are to say Lord thou art ours such shall never have God for their portion But Fifthly If you would have God for your portion then you must take up Christ in your arms and treat with God upon the credit of Christ there is no acquaintance with God Ephe. 2.16 Heb. 2.17 Col. 1.20 21. Ephes 1.6 7. there is no reconciliation to God there is no union nor communion with God there is no re-admission into the presence and favour of God without a Mediator God out of Christ is incomprehensible God out of Christ is exceeding terrible Heb. 12.9 an absolute God is a consuming fire and therefore sayes Luther Nolo Deum absolutum Let me have nothing to do with God himself The blood of Christ the blood of the Covenant is that and onely that that can cement re-unite and knit God and man together Themistocles understanding that King Admittus was highly displeased with him took up his young son into his armes Plutarch in Vita and treated with the father holding that his Darling in his bosome and thereby appeased the Kings wrath O Sirs the King of Kings is offended with you and upon the account of your sins he hath a very great controversie with you Now there is no way under heaven to pacifie his wrath and turn away his displeasure from you but by taking up Christ in your armes and by presenting all your suits in his name There is no Angel in heaven nor no Saint on earth that can or that dares to interpose between an angry God and poor sinners 't is only Christ Isa 9.6 the Prince of peace that can make up a sinners peace with God John 14.6 Jesus saith unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me There is no way to the Father but by the meritorious blood of the Son Isa 33.14 there are none that can stand between everlasting burnings and us but Christ You shall not see my face except you bring your brother Benjamin with you said Joseph to his brethren so sayes God Sinners sinners you shall not see my face Gen. 43.3 6. except you bring Jesus with you except you bring Christ in your armes you shall never see my face with joy you shall never see my face and live There is a Writ of Vengeance that is issued out of the Court of Heaven against poor sinners and except Christ stops in they will certainly fall under an eternal arrest and be thrown into everlasting perdition and destruction But Sixthly If you would have God for your portion then you must break your league with sin you must fall out with sin if ever you fall in with God sin and you must be two or God and you can never be one there is no propriety to be had in God except your hearts rise against that which first dis-united and dis-joynted you from God sin and you must part or God and you can never meet You shall as soon make an accommodation between light and darknesse 2 Câ—â— 6.14 ult heaven and hell noon and midnight as ever you shall be able to make an accommodation between God and sinne So long
as sin remains ours God will be none of ours No Prince will be one with that Subject that lives in the practice of Treason and Rebellion against him Pharnaces sent a Crown to Caesar at the same time that he rebelled against him but he returned the Crown and this message back Faceret imperata prius Let him return to his obedience first No Prince will be one with him that hath kill'd his onely son and heir and that daringly continues to hold up those bloody weapons in his hands wherewith he hath committed that horrid fact There is no Adulteress that can be so shamelesly impudent or so vainly confident as to desire pardon of her jealous husband or to expect an onenesse and a sweetnesse with him whil'st she continues to hold her wanton lovers still in her arms and is fully resolved to hold on in her wanton dalliances as in times past O Sirs God is that Prince that will never admit of peace or union with you till you cease practising of Treason against him and till you come to lay down your weapons of Rebellion at his feet he is that jealous husband that will never take you into an onenesse into a neernesse and dearnesse with himself till you come to abandon all your wanton lovers and throughly to resolve against all wanton dalliances for time to come If ever you would have God for your portion you must say to all your wanton lovers and to all those Idols of jealousie that you have set up in your souls as Ephraim once said to his Get you hence for what have I any more to do with you Hos 14.8 But Seventhly and lastly If you would have God for your portion then you must wait upon him in the use of all holy means In my former Treatises I have spoken very largely about the use of holy means especially in my last on Holinesse and therefore a touch here must suffice in the use of holy meanes God makes the clearest the fullest and the choicest discoveries of himself in the use of holy means poor sinners come to be acquainted with the excellency of God and with the necessity of having God for their portion in the use of holy means poor sinners come to understand the fulnesse of God the goodnesse of God the graciousnesse of God the sweetnesse of God and the wonderful freenesse readinesse and willingnesse of God to give himself as a portion to all such as see their need of him and that are heartily willing to receive him as their God and portion and in the use of holy means God works in poor sinners a readinesse a forwardnesse and a blessed willingnesse to choose God for their portion to close with God for their portion to imbrace God for their portion to accept of God for their portion and to own God for their portion If this question should be put to all the Saints in heaven viz. How God came to be their portion they would all answer by waiting upon him in the use of all those holy wayes and means that he had appointed for that purpose and if the same question were put to all the Saints on earth that have God for their portion they would all give the same answer O Sirs as ever you would have God for your portion it highly concerns you to wait patiently upon him in the use of all holy means he that is in the use of holy means is in the way of obtaining God for his portion But he that casts off the use of the means he says in effect I will not have God for my portion I care not to have God for my portion let me but have the world for my portion and let who will take God for their portion To prevent mistakes before I close up this direction remember that by the use of holy means I onely mean such means that God himself hath appointed commanded instituted and ordained As for those means that are of mens inventing devising prescribing commanding and ordaining a man may wait till dooms-day in the use of them before ever he will gain God for his portion therefore they are rather to be declined yea detested and abhorred than any way to be owned minded or used by any that would have God for their portion Look as all the worshippers of Baal got nothing by all their wailing and crying out from morning to night 1 Kings 18. O Baal hear us O Baal hear us So they that wait upon God in invented and devised worship will never get any thing by all their waiting no though they should wait from morning to evening and from evening to morning and cut and launce themselves till the blood gush out as those foolish worshippers of Baal did And therefore as ever you would have God for your portion be sure that you wait upon him onely in his own wayes and in the use of his own means And thus I have done with the Use and Application of the Point So that I have now nothing to do but these two things First To answer a few Objections that poor sinners are apt to make against their own souls and against their enjoying of God for their portion And Secondly To lay down a few Positions that may be of singular use to all such that have God for their portion I shall begin with the Objections Methinks I hear some poor sinners ready to object and say Object O Sir you have prest us by many motives to get God for our portion and we stand convinced in some measure by what you have said that God is a most excellent transcendent glorious portion but we very much question whether ever God will bestow himself as a portion upon such great such grievous such notorious and such infamous sinners as we are Now to this Objection I shall return these answers First God is a free agent and therefore he may give himself as a portion to whom he pleases men may do with their own as they please and so may God do with himself as he pleases Look as men may give earthly portions to whom they please so God may give himself as a portion to what sinners he pleases God is as free to bestow himself upon the greatest of sinners as he is to bestow himself upon the least of sinners But Secondly I answer that the Lord hath bestowed himself as a portion upon as great and as grievous sinners as you are Psal 68.18 Gen. 3.15 Adam you know fell from the highest pinnacle of glory into the greatest gulf of misery and yet God bestowed himself as a portion upon him 2 Kings 21. And Manasseh was a sinner of the greatest magnitude his sins were of a skarlet dye they reach 't as high as heaven 2 Chron. 33. and they made his soul as black as hell for Witchcraft Sorcery Cruelty Idolatry and Blood he was a none-such he sold himself to work all manner of wickednesse with greedinesse
to be a mans portion then all things shall work together for his good Rom. 8.28 and then God will preserve him from such hurtful and mischievous actings The whole World is a great Bedlam and multitudes there are that think madly and that design madly and that talk madly and that act madly and that walk madly Now as you would not be found in the number of those Bedlams it highly concerns you to get God for your portion that so you may be filled with that wisdome that may preserve you from the follie and madnesse of this mad world Gentlemen The following Sermons I preached in the year 1660. at Olaves Breadstreet and God blest them then to those Christians that attended on my Ministry and I hope he will blesse them also to the internal and eternal welfare of your souls to whom they are now dedicated They are much inlarged the profit will be yours the labour hath been mine I judge them very seasonable and suitable to present dispensations else they had not see the light at this time Curiosity is the spiritual adultery of the soul curiosity is that green-sicknesse of the soul whereby it longs for novelties and loaths sound and wholsome truths it is the Epidemical distemper of this age and hour And therefore if any of you are troubled with this itch of curiosity and love to be wise above what is written and delight to scan the choice mysteries of Religion by carnal reason and affect elegant expressions and Seraphical notions and the flowers of Rhetorick more than sound and wholsome Truths then you may ease your selves if you please of the trouble of reading this following Treatise onely remember this that the prudent Husband-man looks more and delights more in the ripenesse and soundnesse and goodnesse of the Corn that is in his Field than he doth at the beauty of the Cockle and remember that no man can live more miserably than he that lives altogether upon Sawces and he that looks more at the handsomnesse than he doth at the wholsomnesse of the Dishes of Meat that are set before him may well passe for a fool Well Gentlemen for a Close remember this that as Noah was drunk with his own wine and as Goliah was beheaded by his own sword and as the rose is destroyed by the canker that it breeds in it self and as Agrippina was killed by Nero to whom she gave breath so if ever you are eternally destroyed you will be destroyed by your selves if ever you are undone you will be undone by your selves if ever you are scourged to death it will be by rods of your own making and if ever the bitter cup of damnation be put into your hands it will be found to be of your own preparing mingling and imbittering Behold I have set life and death heaven and hell glory and misery before you in this Treatise and therefore if you will needs chuse death rather than life hell rather than heaven misery rather than glory What can be more just than that you should perish to all eternity If you will not have God for your portion you shall be sure to have wrath for your portion and hell for your portion c. Well Sirs remember this at last every man shall onely thank his own folly for his own bane his own sin for his own everlasting shame his own iniquity for his own endlesse misery I have now no more to do but to improve all the interest that I have in Heaven That this Treatise may be blest to all your souls and that you all experience what it is to have God for your portion for that will be my joy as well as yours and my Crown as well as yours and my glorying as well as yours in the great day of our Lord Jesus And so I commend you to God and to the word of his grace Acts 20.32 which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified And rest Gentlemen Your Souls Servant Thomas Brooks A MATCHLESSE PORTION LAMENT 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him CErtainly if Ennius could pick out Gold out of a Dunghil I may by Divine Assistance much better pick out golden matter out of such a golden Myne as my Text is to enrich the souls of men withall The best of Painters Apelles to draw an exquisite Venus had set before him an hundred choice and selected beauties to take from one an eye another a lip a third a smile a fourth an hand and from each of them that special lineament in which she most excelled but I have no need of any other Scripture to be set before me to draw forth the excellency of the Saints portion than that which I have now pitch't upon for the beauty excellency and glory of an hundred choice Scriptures are epitomized in this one The Jewish Doctors and other Writers differ about the time of Jeremiahs penning this Book of the Lamentations but to be ignorant of the circumstance of time when this Book was made is such a crime as I suppose will not be charg'd upon any mans account in the great day of our Lord Jesus Doubtlesse this Book of the Lamentations was composed by Jeremiah in the time of the Babylonian captivity In this Book the Prophet sadly laments and bewails the grievous calamities and miseries that had befallen the Jews viz. the ruine of their State the devastation of their land the destruction of their glorious City and Temple which was the great wonder of the world the prophanation of all his holy things the contemptible and deplorable condition of all sorts ranks and degrees of men and then he complains of their sins as the procuring causes of all those calamities that God in his righteousness had inflicted upon them He exhorts them also to patience under the mighty hand of God and stirs them up to repent and reform as they would have their sins pardoned judgments removed divine wrath pacified their insulting enemies suppressed and former acts and grants of favour and grace restored to them But to come to the words of my Text. The Lord Jehovah from Havah He was this name Jehovah is the most proper Name of God and 't is never attributed to any but to God The three syllables contain the notes of all times Je the time to come Ho the time present Vah the time past First Jehovah sets out Gods eternity in that it containeth all times future present and past Secondly It sets out also Gods Self-existency coming from Havah to Be. Thirdly When either some special mercy is promised or some extraordinary judgment is threatned then the Name of Jehovah is commonly annexed to shew that that God whose being is from himself and who gives a being to all his creatures both in heaven and on earth will certainly give a being to his promises and threatnings and not fail to accomplish the words that
water our silver with tin our gold with dross our wheat with chaffe and our honey with gall c. every Bee hath his sting and every rose hath his prickles and this mixture speaks out all earthly portions to be vanity and vexation of spirit 1 Eccles 1.13 That great Prince Exerxes was wont to say You look upon my Crown and my purple robes but did you know how they were lin'd with thorns you would not stoop to take them up And who is there in this our English Israel that cannot with both hands subscribe to this The Emblem of King Henry the seventh in all his buildings in the windows was still a Crown in a bush of thorns B. Hall wherefore or with what historical allusion he did so is uncertain but surely it was to imply thus much that great places are not free from great cares that no man knows the weight of a Scepter but he that swayes it This made Saul to hide himself amongst the stuff when he should have been made King many a sleeplesse night many a restlesse day many a sad temptation and many a busie shift will their ambition cost them that affect such places of eminency Besides high places are commonly very slippery he that stands in them may suddenly fall and wound his conscience or easily fall and break his neck But Sixthly As God is a pure and unmixed portion so he is a glorious a happy and a blessed portion Psal 16.5 6. he is so in himself and he makes them so too who enjoy him for their portion Psal 33.12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance All the happinesse and blessednesse of the people of God stands in this that God is their God and that he is their portion and that they are his inheritance The Hebrew word Ashre that is here rendered blessed is O the blessednessel or O the heaped up happiness of those whose God is the Lord the happiness of such is so great and so glorious as cannot be conceived as cannot be uttered the words are a joyful acclamation for their felicity that have God for their portion Ps 144.15 Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. David having prayed for many temporal blessings in the behalf of the people from ver 12. to ver 15. at last concludes Blessed are the people that are in such a case but presently he checks and corrects himself and eats as it were his own words but rather happy is that people whose God is the Lord The Syriack rendereth it question-wise Is not the people that is in such a case P sal 146.5 the answer is No except they have God to boot Nothing can make that man truly miserable that hath God for his portion nor nothing can make that man truly happy that wants God for his portion God is the Author of all true happiness he is the donor of all true happiness he is the maintainer of all true happiness and he is the center of all true happiness and blessedness and therefore he that hath him for his God for his portion is the onely happy man in the world But now all earthly portions cannot make a man truly happy and blessed a Crown a Kingdome cannot If a man should make a critical enquiry after true happinesse from the highest Angel in heaven to the lowest worm on earth the joynt voice of all the creatures would be that happinesse is not in them for Saul and other Princes have found it so Honours cannot for Haman and others have found it so A high and noble birth cannot for Absalom Ammon and others have found it so Riches cannot for the rich fool in the Gospel and many thousand others have found it so Large Dominions and great commands cannot for Ahasuerus Nebuchadnezzar Belshazzar and others have found it so Policy cannot for Achitophel and other great Counsellors have found it so Glorious apparel and delicate fare cannot for Dives and others have found it so Applause and credit among the people cannot for Herod and others have found it so Learning and great gifts cannot for the Scribes Pharises and many others have found it so no earthly thing nor earthly creature can give happiness and blessedness to man Non dat quod non habet Nothing can give what it hath not If the Conduit hath no water it can give no water if the Sun hath no light it can give no light if the Physician hath no remedy he can give no remedy c. But now 't is a very true observation though it be a very sad Observation viz. That every wicked mans portion is curst unto him Do but compare the Scriptures in the margine together Deut. 28.17 18 19 20. and then let conscience judge Job 20.22 23 26 28 29. and chap. 24.18 Prov. 3.33 Mal. 2.2 c. All a wicked mans relations are curst to him and all a wicked mans contentments and enjoyments are curst to him all his mercies without doors are curst to him and all his mercies within doores are curst to him c. What though a man should match with one that hath many thousand bags of gold for her portion yet if the plague should be in every bag would you count him happy in his match surely no. Verily this is the case of every man that hath not God for his portion But Sevently As God is a glorious portion so he is a peculiar portion he is a portion peculiar to his people Psal 16.5 Psal 142.5 6. Jer. 10.16 This is evident in the Text and in all the Scriptures cited to prove the Point and so in that Psal 67.6 Then shall the earth yield her increase and God even our own God shall blesse us and so Psal 68.20 He that is our God is the God of salvation or God of salvations as 't is in the Hebrew God is a God of all manner of salvations he hath all sorts and wayes of salvations he is not only powerful but also skilful to save his people from ten thousand deaths and dangers Joh. 20.28 Job 19.25 Luke 1.47 Faith is an appropriating grace it is much in appropriating of God to its self my Lord and my God and my Redeemer and my Saviour and my portion Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Judg. 7. In Gideons Camp every Souldier had his own pitcher 1 Chron. 26.30 Mat. 25.4 amongst Solomons men of valour every man wore his own sword and the five wise Virgins had every one oil in her own lamp Luther was wont to say that there lay a great deal of Divinity couched up in pronouns as in meum tuum suum mine thine his and so faiths appropriating of God to the soul as its own portion is all in all God is a
dry but God is an inexhaustible portion that can never be drawn dry and this discovers the excellency of this portion above all other portions But Thirteenthly As God is an inexhaustable portion so God is a soul-satisfying portion he is a portion that gives the soul full satisfaction and content Psal 17.15 Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage 'T was as well with him as his heart could wish And so in that Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee or as some render it Vide Jerome Calvin Cajetan Marlorat Mollerius c. I would I were in heaven with thee or as others read the words I have sought none in heaven or earth besides thee or as others I desire none in heaven or earth but thee or I affect none in heaven nor none on earth like thee I love none in heaven nor none on earth in comparison of thee I esteem thee instead of all other treasure and above all other treasures that are in heaven or that are on earth The holy Prophet had spiritual and sweet communion with Christ to comfort and strengthen him he had a guard of glorious Angels to protect him and secure him and he had assurance of heaven in his bosome to joy and rejoyce him and yet 't was none of these nay 't was not all these together that could satisfie him 't was only an infinite good an infinite God that could satisfie him he very well knew that the substantials of all true happinesse and blessednesse did lie in God and his enjoyment of God 'T was not his high dignities nor honours that could satisfie him 't was not the strength riches security prosperity and outward glory of his Kingdome that could satisfie him 't was not his delightful musick nor his noble attendance nor his well-furnished tables nor his great victories nor his stately palaces nor his pleasant gardens nor his beautiful wise nor his lovely children that could satisfie him all these without God could never satisfie him but God without all these was enough to quiet him and satisfie him Joh. 14.8 Philip said unto him Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us a sight of God will satisfie a gracious soul more than all worldly contentments and enjoyments yea one sight of God will satisfie a Saint more than all the glory of heaven will do God is the glory of all the glory of heaven heaven alone is not sufficient to content a gracious soul but God alone is sufficient to content and satisfie a gracious soul God only is that satisfying good that is able to fill quiet content and satisfie an immortal soul Certainly if there be enough in God to satisfie the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 24 25. whose capacities are far greater than ours and if there be enough in God to satisfie the Angels whose capacities are far above theirs if there be enough in God to satisfie Jesus Christ whose capacity is unconceivable and unexpressible yea if there be enough in God to satisfie himself then certainly there must needs be in God enough to satisfie the souls of his people If all fulnesse and all goodnesse and infinitenesse will satisfie the soul then God will there is nothing beyond God imaginable nor nothing beyond God desirable Ephes 3.2 nor nothing beyond God delectable and therefore the soul that enjoys him cannot but be satisfied with him God is a portion beyond all imagination all expectation all apprehension and all comparison and therefore he that hath him cannot but sit down and say I have enough Gen. 33.11 Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with * Cheleb vade shen Fat and sat So the Hebrew hath it hereby is meant satiety of pleasures c. marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips When I remember thee on my bid and meditate on thee in the night-watches Marrow and fatnesse cannot so satisfie the appetite as God can satisfie a gracious soul yea one smile from God one glance of his countenance one good word from heaven one report of love and grace will infinitely more satisfie an immortal soul than all the fat and all the marrow and all the dainties and delicates of this world can satisfie the appetite of any mortal man My soul shall be satisfied with fatnesse and fatnesse so the Hebrew hath it that is my soul shall be top-full of comfort it shall be filled up to the brim with pleasure and delight in the remembrance and enjoyment of God upon my bed or upon my beds in the plural as the Hebrew hath it David had many a hard bed and many a hard lodging whilst he was in his wildernesse-condition it oftentimes so fell out that he had nothing but the bare ground for his bed and the stones for his pillows and the hedges for his curtains and the heavens for his canopy yet in this condition God was sweeter than marrow and fatnesse to him though his bed was never so hard yet in God he had full satisfaction and content Jer. 31.14 My people shall be satisfied with goodness saith the Lord. And my God shall supply all your need Phil. 4.10 according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus saith Paul that great Apostle of the Gentiles the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to fill up 2 Kings 4.4 even as he did the Widdows Vessels till they did overflow God will fill up all he will make up all he will supply all the wants and necessities of his people That water that can fill the Sea can much more fill a cup and that Sun which can fill the world with light can much more fill my house with light So that God that fills heaven and earth with his glory can much more fill my soul with his glory To shew what a satisfying portion God is he is set forth by all those things that may satisfie the heart of man as by Bread Water Wine Milk Honours Riches Raiment Houses Lands Friends Father Mother Sister Brother Health Wealth Light Life c. And if these things will not satisfie what will Gen. 45.28 'T is enough sayes old Jacob that Joseph is alive so sayes a gracious soul 'T is enough that God is my portion A pardon cannot more satisfie a condemned man nor bread an hungry man nor drink a thirsty man nor cloathes a naked man nor health a sick man c. than God doth satisfie a gracious man But Now worldly portions can never satisfie the souls of men Eccles 5.10 Some read the words thus He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver and he that loveth it in the multitude of it shall not have fruit He that loveth silver shall
and shalt be because thou hast judged thus God is a God of that infinite excellency and glory that 't is utterly impossible for him to be better or other than he is If God should in the least be alterable or mutable he would presently cease to be God God is a God of that transcendent excellency that there can be nothing added to him nor nothing substracted from him If you adde any thing to him you deny him to be God and if you take any thing from him you destroy his being Jam. 1.17 Psal 90.2 From everlasting to everlasting thou art God And Mary hath chosen the better part which shall never be taken from her God is eternal as neither being capable of a beginning nor ending and therefore the Egyptians used to signifie God by a circle and the Persians thought that they honoured God most when going up to the top of the highest Tower they called him the circle of heaven now you know a circle hath no end And it was a custome among the Turks to go up every morning to a high Tower and to cry out God alwayes was and alwayes will be and so salute their Mahomet Some things have a beginning but no ending as Angels and the souls of men and some things have no beginning and yet have an end as the Decrees of God in their final accomplishment and some things have both a beginning and an ending as all sublunary things but God hath neither beginning nor ending All creatures have a lasting Angels have an outlasting but God hath an everlasting being 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternal immortal invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen God is without beginning and end first and last past and to come Psal 102.25 26 27. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thy hands He that made heaven and earth must needs be before them and therefore eternal but this God did ergo They shall perish but thou shalt indure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Were there no other Scripture to prove the eternity and immutability of God this were enough Whatever changes may pass upon the heavens and the earth yet God will alwayes remain unchangeable and unalterable By what hath been said 't is most evident that God is an everlasting portion that he is a never failing portion But now all earthly portions are very uncertain now they are and anon they are not Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they flie away as an Eagle towards heaven Though the foolish world call riches substance yet they have no solid subsistance All earthly portions are as transitory as a shadow a ship a bubble a bird a dream an arrow a post that passeth swiftly away Riches were never true to any that have trusted in them In this Text Riches are said not to be because they do not continue to be Crossus was so rich that he maintained an Army with his own Revenues yet he his great army with his son and heir fell together and so his great Estate fell to others they will not abide by a man they will not long continue with a man and therefore they are as if they were not All earthly things are vain and transitory they are rather showes and shadows than real things themselves 1 Cor. 7.31 For the fashion of this world passeth away The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Mathematical Figure which is a meer notion and nothing in substance All the glory of this world is rather a matter of fashion than of substance 't is a body without a soul 't is a golden shell without a kernel 't is a shew without a substance there is no firmnesse there is no solidnesse there is no consistency there is no constancy in any of the creatures All the pomp and state and glory of the world is but a meer piece of Pageantry a Mask a Comedy a Fantasie Act. 25.23 And on the morrow when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great pomp The original words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie great fantasie or vain shew The greatest glory and pomp of this world in the eye of God in the account of God is but as a fantasie or a shadow It was a custome in Rome that when the Emperour went by upon some great day in all his Imperial pomp there was an Officer appointed to burn flax before him and to cry out Sic transit gloria mundi so the glory of this world passeth away And this was purposely done to put him in mind that all his honour pomp glory and grandure should soon passe and vanish away as the flax did that he saw burnt before his eyes That great Conquerour of the world Alexander Plutarch in the life of Alexander c. caused a Sword in the compasse of a Wheel to be painted upon a Table to shew that what he had gotten by the sword was subject to be turned about by the wheel of Fortune and many great Conquerours besides him have found it so and many now alive have seen it so Look as the Rainbow shews it self in all its dainty colours and then vanisheth away so doth all worldly honours riches and preferments shew themselves and then vanish away and how many in our dayes have found it so When one was a commending the riches and wealth of Merchants I do not love that wealth said an Heathen which hangs upon ropes for if they break the Ship and all their wealth miscarries Certainly within these few moneths the miscarrying of several Ships hath caused several Merchants sadly to miscarry A storm at Sea a spark of fire an unfaithful servant a false oath or a treacherous friend may quickly bring a man to sit with Job upon a dunghil Look as the bird flies from tree to tree and as the beggar goes from door to door and as the pilgrim travails from place to place and as the Physician walks from Patient to Patient so all the riches honours and glory of this world do either flie from man to man or else walk from man to man Who knows not that many times one is made honourable by anothers disgrace another is made full by another mans emptinesse and a third is made rich by anothers poverty how soon is the Courtiers glory eclipsed if his Prince doth but frown upon him and how soon doth the Prince become a peasant if God doth but frown upon him Now one is exalted and anon he is debased now one is full and anon he is hungry now one is cloathed gloriously and anon he is cloathed with rags now one is at liberty and anon he is under restraint now a man hath many friends
and anon he hath never a friend There is nothing but vanity and uncertainty in all earthly portions But Fifteenthly and lastly As God is a permanent and never failing portion so God is an incomparable portion and this follows clearly and roundly upon what hath been said For 1. If God be a present portion a portion in hand a portion in possession and 2. If God be an immense portion if he be the vastest the largest and the greatest portion and 3. If God be an all-sufficient portion and 4. If God be the most absolute needful and necessary portion and 5. If God be a pure and unmixed portion and 6. If God be a glorious a happy and a blessed portion and 7. If God be a peculiar portion and 8. If God be an universal portion and 9. If God be a safe portion a secure portion a portion that none can rob or wrong us of and 10. If God be a suitable portion and 11. If God be an incomprehensible portion and 12. If God be an inexhaustible portion a portion that can never be spent that can never be exhausted or drawn dry and 13. If God be a soul-satisfying portion and 14. If God be a permanent and an everlasting portion then it must very necessarily follow that God is an incomparable portion but such a portion God is as I have proved at large and therefore beyond all dispute God must needs be an incomparable portion Prov. 3.13 14 15. Happy is the man that findeth wisdome that is the Lord Jesus Christ and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of silver the gain thereof than fine gold She is more precious than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her All the Gold of Ophir and all the silver of the Indies which are but the guts and garbidge of the earth are nothing yea less than nothing compared with God God is a portion more precious than all those things which are esteemed most precious A man may desire what not he may desire that all the mountains in the world may be turned into mountains of gold for his use he may desire that all the rocks in the world may be turned into the richest pearls for his use he may desire that all the treasure that is buried in the Sea may be brought into his Treasuries he may desire that all the Crowns and Scepters of all the Princes and Emperours of the world may be pil'd up at his gate as they were once said to be at Alexanders yet all these things are not comparable to a Saints portion yea they are not to be named in that day wherein the excellency of a Saints portion is set forth Horatius Horace writes of a precious stone that was more worth than twenty thousand shekels Plinius and Pliny valued the two precious pearls of Cleopatra at twelve hundred thousand shekels but what were these and what are all other precious stones in the world but dung and drosse in comparison of a Saints portion Phil. 3.7 8 9. I have read a story of a man whom Chrysostom did feign to be in prison Oh saith he if I had but liberty I would desire no more he had it Oh then if I had but for necessity I would desire no more he had it Oh then had I for a little variety I would desire no more he had it O then had I any office were it the meanest I would desire no more he had it Oh then had I but a Magistracy though over one Town only I would desire no more he had it Oh then were I a Prince I would desire no more he had it Oh then were I but a King I would desire no more he had it Oh then were I but an Emperour I would desire no more he had it O then were I but Emperor of the whole world I would then desire no more he had it and yet then he sits down with Alexander and weeps that there are no more worlds for him to possesse Now did any man enjoy what he is said to desire it would be but a very mean portion compared with God we may truly say of all the honours riches greatnesse grandure and glory of this world compared with God as Gideon sometimes said of the Vintage of Abiezer The gleanings of Ephraim are better than the Vintage of Abiezer Judg. 8.2 so the very gleanings yea the smallest gatherings of God are far better and more excellent and transcendent they are more satisfying more delighting more ravishing more quieting and more contenting than all earthly portions are or can be What comparison is there between a drop of a bucket and the vast Ocean between a weak drop which recollecting all its force yet hath not strength enough to fall and the mighty waters or what comparison is there between the dust of the ballance and the whole Earth why you will say there is no comparison between these things and I will say there is lesse between all finite portions and such an infinite portion as God is For this is most certain that there must needs be alwayes an infinite distance between what is finite and what is infinite and such a portion God is By all that hath been said 't is most evident that God is an incomparable portion But now all earthly portions are comparable portions you may easily and safely compare one earthly portion with another one Princes Revenues may be comparable to anothers and one great mans Lordships may be comparable to anothers and one Merchants estate may be comparable to anothers and one Gentlemans lands may be comparable to anothers and one wives portion may be comparable to anothers and one childs portion may be comparable to anothers c. but God is an incomparable portion there is no comparison to be made between God and other portions And thus I have in these fifteen particulars fully discovered the excellency of the Saints portion above all other portions And therefore I shall now come to the second thing and that is to shew you upon what grounds their title unto God as their portion is founded and bottomed and they are these that follow First The free favour and love of God the good will and pleasure of God is the true ground and bottome of Gods bestowing of himself as a portion upon his people Deut. 7.6 7 8. Ezek. 16.1 to the 15. there was no lovelinesse nor comlinesse in them that should move him to bestow himself upon them they had neither portion nor proportion and therefore there was no cause in them why God should bestow himself as a portion upon them God for the glory of his own free grace and love hath bestowed himself as a portion upon those who have deserved to have their portion amongst Devils and damned spirits in those torments that are endless easless and remediless The Ethnicks feign that their Gods
Riches and Preferments of the world but for more grace more holiness more communion with God more power against corruptions more strength to withstand temptations more abilities to bear afflictions more sense of divine love and more assurance of interest in Christ and in all that glory and happiness that comes by Christ When Alexander heard of the riches of India he regarded not the Kingdome of Macedonia but gave away his gold and when he was ask't what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum the hope of better and greater things O Sirs when you look upon those riches of grace those riches of glory those riches of justification those riches of sanctification and those riches of consolation that are in that God that is your portion how should you dis-regard how should you despise how should you scorn the great things and the gay things of the world 'T was a notable speech of Erasmus if his wit were not too quick for his conscience I desire said he neither wealth nor honour no more than a feeble horse doth an heavy cloak-bag O Christians you have many thousand excellencies in God to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in Christ to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Spirit to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Covenant to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Gospel to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Ordinances to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in promises to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in prophecies to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in rare providences to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Saints to set your affections upon and therefore for shame set not your affections upon things below set not your hearts upon things that perish Coloss 3.1 A man can never come to set his heart upon any earthly portion but that God will either imbitter it or lessen it or cloud it or wholly strip him of it and therefore set loose I say again set loose in your affections to all worldly enjoyments But Fisthly If the Saints have such a glorious such an incomparable portion then let them be chearful and comfortable under all worldly crosses losses Acts 5. Rom. 5.2 3 4. and troubles With what a Roman spirit do many vain men of great Estates bear up under great losses and crosses and shall not grace do more than nature shall not the Spirit of God do more than a Roman spirit O Sirs how can you look upon God as your portion and not bear up bravely under any worldly losse Heb. 10.34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance They had God for their portion and the joy of the Lord was their strength and therefore they could rejoyce in whatever dammage came upon them by the hand of violence 1 Sam. 30.6 And so David could comfort himself in his God and incourage himself in his God when Ziklag was burn't his wives and children carried captive and the people in a readiness to stone him Better is that hell on earth which makes way for heaven than that heaven on earth which makes way for helâ— now all was gone he looks up to God as his portion and so he bears up bravely and cheerfully in the midst of all extremity of misery And so Habakkuk was a man of the same noble temper as you may see in that Hab. 3.17 18. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the olive shall fail the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord as long as there is fruit in the vines I but saith he though there be no fruit in the vines yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord so long as the labour of the olive doth not fail I but saith he though the labour of the olive shall fail yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord so long as the fields do yield their meat I but saith he though the fields shall yield no meat yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord so long as the flock is not cut off from the fold I but saith he though the flock shall be cut off from the fold yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord so long as there be Herd in the stalls I but saith he though there be no Herd in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my salvation Habakkuk could rejoyce in the Lord and joy in that God that was his portion not only when all delightful comforts and contentments should fail but also when all necessary comforts and contentments should fail Habakkuk was a man of a raised spirit he knew that he had that God for his portion that did contain in himself all comforts and contentments and that could easily make up the want of any comfort or contentment and that would certainly lie himself in the room of every comfort and contentment that either his children should need or desire and in the power of this faith he rejoyces and triumphs in a day of thick darknesse and gloominess 1 Sam. 1.5 18. But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion for he loved Hannah and her countenance was no more sad O my brethren it doth no wayes become those that have God for their portion to walk up and down the world with clouded countenances with saded countenances or with dejected countenances c. and therefore under all your crosses and losses wipe your eyes and walk up and down with pleasant countenances with cheerful countenances and with smiling countenances and this will be an honour to God and an honour to religion and an honour to profession and an honour to that Saintship that is too much slighted and scorned in the world Indeed when wicked men are exercised with crosses and losses 't is no wonder to see them take on like mad men to see them take on bitterly like Micah when he cried out Judg. 18.23 24. They have taken away my gods and what have I more and what is this that ye say unto me what aileth thee Wicked mens bags and goods are
Gen. 41.4 so all inordinate ill-favoured cares will eat up all those fat and noble cares for God for his glory for heaven for holinesse for grace for glory for power against corruptions for strength to resist temptations and for support and comfort under afflictions c. with which the soul should be filled and delighted Oh that you would for ever remember these few things to prevent all inordinate distrustful and distracting cares First That they are a dishonour and a reproach to the all sufficiency of God as if he were not able to supply all your wants and to answer all your desires and to succour you in all your distresses and to deliver you out of all your calamities and miseries c. Secondly Inordinate cares are a dishonour and a reproach to the omnisciency of God Psal 139. Psal 40.5 Job 〈◊〉 2 Chron. 16.9 c. as if your wants were not as well known to him as his own works and as if he had not a fixed eye upon all the straights and trials that lies upon you and as if he did not know every burthen that makes you to groan and did not behold every affliction that makes you to sigh and did not observe every tear that drops from your eyes c. whereas his eye is still upon you Deut. 11.11 12. But the Land whither ye go to possesse it is a land of hils and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of heaven a land which the Lord thy God careth for the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwayes upon it from the beginning of the year unto the end of the year And do you think that he will not have as great a care and as tender a regard of you who are his jewels his treasure his joy yea who are the delight of his soul and the price of his Sons blood Thirdly Inordinate cares are a dishonour and a reproach to the authority of God Psal 24.1 Psal 50.10 as if the earth were not the Lords and the fulnesse thereof and as if all creatures were not at his command and at his dispose whenas he is the great proprietary and all is his by primitive right and all the creatures are at his service and are ready at a word of command to serve where he pleaseth and when he pleaseth and as he pleaseth and whom he pleaseth Fourthly Inordinate cares are a dishonour and a reproach to the mercy bounty and liberality of God they proclaim God to be a hard Master and not to be of so free so noble and so generous a spirit as Scripture and the experiences of many thousands speaks him to be I have read of a Duke of Millain that marrying his daughter to a son of England he made a Dinner of thirty Courses and at every Course he gave so many gifts to every guest at the Table as there were Dishes in the Course Here was rich and royal entertainment here was noble bounty indeed but this bounty is not to be named in the day wherein the bounty and liberality of God to his people is spoken of Princes treasures have been often exhausted and drawn dry Mercy bounty is as essential to God as light is to the Sun or as heat is to the fire but the treasures of Gods bounty and liberality were never nor never shall be exhausted or drawn dry O Sirs you are as well able to tell the Stars of heaven and to number the sands of the Sea as you are able to number up the mercies and favours of God that attends his people in one day yea that attends them in one hour of the day or in one minute of an hour such is his liberality and bounty towards them God is alwayes best when he is most in the exercise of his bounty and liberality towards his people his favours and mercies seldome come single there is a Series a concatenation of them and every former draws on a future yea such is the bounty and liberality of God that he never takes away one mercy but he hath another ready to lay in the room of it as Joshuah began to shine before Moses his candle was put out and before Joshuah went to bed Câ—hniel the son of Kenaz was risen up to judge Eli was not gathered to his Fathers before Samuel appeared hopeful nor Sarah was not taken away till Rebeckah was ready to come in her stead The Jews have a saying that never doth there die any illustrious man but there is another born as bright on the same day But Fifthly Inordinate cares are a reproach and a dishonour to the fidelity of God as if he were not the faithful witnesse Rev. 1.5 Ch. 3.14 Isa 49.7 1 Cor. 1.9 Ch. 10.13 2 Thes 3.3 Heb. 10.23 Rev. 19.11 Heb. 6 13-19 the faithful God that hath bound himself by promise by covenant and by oath to take care of his people and to provide for his people and to look after the welfare of his people God is that Ocean and Fountain from whence all that faithfulnesse that is in Angels and men do issue and flow and his faithfulnesse is the rule and measure of all that faithfulnesse that is in all created beings and his faithfulnesse is unchangeable and perfect though the Angels fell from their faithfulnesse and Adam fell from his yet it is impossible that ever God should fall from his Gods faithfulnesse is a foundation-faithfulnesse it is that foundation upon which all our faith hope prayers praises and obedience stands and therefore whoever is unfaithful God will be sure to shew himself a faithful God in making good all that he hath spoken concerning them that fear him I had rather said Plutarch that men should say there was never any such person in the world as Plutarch rather than say that Plutarch is unfaithful men were better say that there is no God than to say that God is an unfaithful God and yet this is the constant language of inordinate cares O Sirs Gods goodnesse inclines him to make good promises 2 Pet. 1 4. precious promises and his faithfulnesse engages him to make those promises good if the word be once gone out of his mouth Mat. 5.18 heaven and earth shall sooner passe away than one jot of that Word shall fail Men say and unsay what they have said they often eat their words as soon as they have spoke them but so will not God This faithfulnesse of God Joshna stoutly asserts to the heighth he throws down the Gantler Josh 23.14 15. and doth as it were challenge all Israel to shew but that one thing that God had failed them in of all the good things that he had promised If God in very faithfulnesse afflicts his people to make good his threatnings Psa 119.75 O how much more in faithfulnesse will he preserve and provide for his people to make good his promises God hath never broke his word nor crack't his credit by deceiving or by compounding
him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips When I remember thee upon my bed or beds as the Hebrew hath it David never bedded at home nor abroad here nor there but still his thoughts were running out to God and meditate on thee in the night-watches Psal 139.17 18. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sand when I awake I am still with thee The Psalmist had very frequent high precious and honourable thoughts of God he valued nothing at so high a rate as sweet and noble thoughts of God and of his power wisdome goodnesse faithfulnesse and g aciousnesse c. David had such precious thoughts of God and such great and glorious thoughts of God and such infinite and innumerable thoughts of God that he was as well able to number the sands of the Sea as he was able to number them up And when I awake I was still with thee He was still a contemplating upon God he did fall asleep with precious thoughts of God and he did awake with precious thoughts of God he did rise up with precious thoughts of God and he did lie down with precious thoughts of God he did go forth with precious thoughts of God and he did return home with precious thoughts of God Take a Christian when he is himself when he is neither under sad desertions nor black temptations nor great afflictions and he can as soon forget his own and his fathers house the wife of his bosom the fruit of his loynes yea he can as soon forget to eat his bread as he can forget his God When Alexander the Great had overthrown Darius King of Persia he took among the spoils a most rich Cabinet full of the choicest Jewels that were in all the world upon which there rise a dispute before him to what use he should put the Cabinet and every one having spent his judgment according to his fancy the King himself concluded that he would keep that Cabinet to be a Treasury to lay up the books of Homer in which were his greatest joy and delight A sanctified memory is a rich Cabinet full of the choicest thoughts of God Psa 25.1 Ps 86.4 Psal 143.8 Basil calls meditation the Treasury where all graces are locked up 't is that rich Treasury wherein a Christian is still a laying up more and more precious thoughts of God and more and more high and holy thoughts of God and more and more honourable and noble thoughts of God and more and more awful and reverend thoughts of God and more and more sweet and comfortable thoughts of God and more and more tender and compassionate passionate thoughts of God c. Take a Christian in his ordinary course and you shall finde that where-ever he is his thoughts are running out after God and about what ever he is his thoughts are still a running out after God and into what company soever he is cast whether they are good or bad yet still his thoughts are running out after God c. Look as an earthly minded man hath his thoughts and meditations still exercised and taken up with the world as you may see in Haman whose heart and thoughts were taken up with his honours preferments riches wife children The thoughts and hearts of the people of Constantinople were so extreamly set upon the world and running out after the world that they were buying and selling in their shops even three dayes after that the Turks were within the walls of their City that was the reason that the streets run down with their blood and the blood of their wives and children and friends c. Esth 5.10 11 12. Neverthelesse Haman refrained himself and when he came home he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queen did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet that she had prepared but my self and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the King And the same spirit you may see working in those that had made Gold their God in that Psal 49.10 11. For he seeth that wise men die likewise the fool and the bruitish person perish and leave their wealth to others Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling-places to all generations they call their lands after their own names The Hebrew runneth thus Their inwards are their houses for ever as if their houses were get within them not only the thoughts but the very inmost thoughts the most retired thoughts and recesses of worldlings souls are taken up about earthly things And though they care not whether their names are written in heaven or no yet they do all they can to propagate and immortalize their names on earth And the rich fool was one in spirit with these the Psalmist speaks of as you may see in that Luke 12. v. 16. to v. 22. And he spake a parable unto them saying The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully And he thought within himself the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a marvellous proper word for the purpose it signifies to talk with a mans self or to reason with a mans self this foolish worldling was much in talking to himself and in reasoning with himself about his goods and barns c. as the usual manner of men is that are of a worldly spirit saying what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits and he said this will I do I will pull down my Barns and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods And I will say to my soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry Among all his worldly thoughts there is not one thought of God of Christ of grace of heaven of holinesse of eternity to be found his thoughts were so taken up with his bags and his barns and his buildings and his ease and his belly that he had no time to think of providing for another world and therefore God quickly dispatches him out of this world and throws him down from the highest pinacle of prosperity and worldly glory into the greatest gulf of wrath and misery v. 20. and this foolish worldling puts me in mind of another who being offered an Horse by his fellow upon condition that he would but say the Lords prayer and think upon nothing but God which proffer being accepted he began Our Father which art
children and the ruder sort of people are much taken with pictures and rich shows and feed their fancies with the sight of rich hangings and fine gay things when as such as are great favourites at Court passe by all those things as things that are below them and as things that are not worthy of their notice who have businesse with the King and who have the eye the ear the hand and the heart of the King to take pleasure and delight in so most men admire the poor low things of the world and are much taken with them as things that have a great deal of worth and excellency in them but a man that hath God for his portion the King of Kings for his portion and all that he hath he passeth by all the gay and gallant things of the world as things below him as things not worthy of him his business is with his God and his thoughts and heart and affections are taken up with his God Naturalists tell us that the loadstone will not draw in the presence of the diamond O Sirs whil'st a man can eye God as his portion Heb. 11.24 25 26 27 35. all the pride pomp bravery glory and gallantry in the world will never be able to draw him from God It is reported that when the tyrant Tragine commanded Ignatius to be ript up and unbowelled they found Jesus Christ written upon his heart in characters of gold here was an heart worth gold indeed Christ carried away his heart from all other things So if God be thy portion he will certainly carry thy heart away from all earthly things Look as earthly portions carry away worldly hearts from God Ezek. 33.31 32. Luk. 12.16 to the 21. so when God once comes to be a mans portion he carries his heart away from the World the Flesh and the Devil All the world cannot keep a mans interest and his heart asunder If a man make sin his interest all the world cannot keep sinne and his heart asunder if a man make the world his interest all the power on earth cannot keep the world and his heart asunder And so if a man make God his interest all the world cannot keep God and his heart asunder no sword no prison Heb. 11. no racks no flames can keep a mans interest and his heart asunder a mans heart will be working towards his interest even through the very fire as you may see in the three Children Dan. 3.17 18. Look as the Needles point in the Seamans Compasse never stands still but quivers and shakes till it come right against the North Pole and as the Wise-men of the East never stood still till they were right against the Starre which appeared to them and as the Star it self never stood still till it came right against that other Star which shined more brightly in the Manger than the Sun did in the Firmament and as Noahs Dove could find no rest for the sole of her foot all the while she was fluttering over the Flood till she returned to the Ark with an Olive branch in her mouth so the heart of a Christian that hath God for his portion can never rest can never be at quiet but in God But Sixthly If God be thy portion then thou wilt own thy God and stand up couragiously and resolutely for thy God Histories abound with instances of this nature Every man will owne his portion and stand up stoutly and resolutely for his portion and so will every Christian do for his God Psal 119.46 I will speak of thy testimonies before Kings and will not be ashamed David was resolved upon a noble resolute owning of God and his testimonies before the greatest and the highest of men and this he would do and not blush A man of no resolution or of a weak resolution will be won with a nut and lost with an apple but a man of a noble resolution will own God in the face of the greatest majesty on earth this he would do and not be ashamed this he would do and not be daunted It was neither the majesty or authority of Princes 't was neither the power or dread of Princes that could hinder David from giving in his testimony on Gods side or on Truths side Josh 24.18 We will serve the Lord for he is our God ver 21 22. And the people said unto Joshua nay but we will serve the Lord and Joshua said unto the people ye are witnesses against your selves that ye have chosen you the Lord to serve him they said we are witnesses Ver. 24. And the people said unto Joshua The Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey They had chosen God to be their God as God had chosen them to be his peculiar people above all the Nations of the earth and therefore notwithstanding all that Joshua had objected they were fully resolved to own the Lord and to cleave to the Lord and to obey the Lord and wholly to devote themselves to the service of the Lord having taken the Lord to be their God they were firmly resolved to own the Lord really and to own him fully and to own him primarily and to own him only and to own him everlastingly And so Deut. 26.17 Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judgments and to hearken unto his voice They had avouched God to be their God and therefore they were resolved upon all those holy wayes and means whereby they might evidence to the world their owning of God to be their God And so in that 2 Chron. 30.8 They yield themselves unto the Lord or as the Hebrew hath it They give the hand unto the Lord You know when men make Covenants or Agreements to own one another or to stand by one another they commonly strike hands or take one another by the hand Certainly all those that have the Lord for their portion have given their hands to the Lord that they will own him and stand by him and cleave to him as Jonathan did to David or as Ruth did to Naomi Dan. 3.17.18 How stoutly and couragiously did the three Children own the Lord and stand by the Lord in the face of the fiery Furnace Ch. 6. and Daniel will upon choice be rather cast into the Den of Lions then that the honour of God should in the least be clouded or his glory darkned by any neglects or omissions of his Hab. 11.34 ult And so did all those Worthies of whom this world was not worthy O how did they own God and stand up for God notwithstanding the edge of the sword the violence of fire the cruel mockings and scourgings the bonds and imprisonments the stoning and sawing asunder the temptings and wandrings about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins and all other trials and torments that did attend them Basil affirms that the
primitive Christians did so couragiously and resolutely own God and stand up for God in the face of the most dreadful sufferings that many of the Heathens seeing their heroick zeal courage magnanimity and constancy turned Christians Domitian raised the second persecution against the Christians because they would not give the title of Lord to any but Christ nor worship any but God alone Among the many thousand instances that might be given let me onely give you a few of a later date whereby you may see how couragiously and resolutely the Saints have stood up for God and owned God in the face of the greatest dangers that hath attended them Luther owned God and stood up resolutely for God against the world Acts Mon. 776. And when the Emperour sent for him to Wormes and his friends disswaded him from going as sometimes Pauls did him Co said he I will surely go since I am sent for in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ yea though I knew that there were as many Devils in Wormes to resist me as there be tiles to cover the houses yet I would go and when he and his associates were threatened with many dangers from opposers on all hands he lets fall this heroick and magnanimous speech Come let us sing the six and fortieth Psalm and then let them do their worst And indeed 't was a brave couragious speech of the same Author who when one demanded where he would be when the Emperour should with all his forces fall upon the Elector of Saxony who was the chief Protector of the Protestants answered Aut in coelo aut sub coelo either in heaven or under heaven William Flower the Martyr said that the Heavens should as soon fall as he would forsake his profession or budge in the least degree from it Apollonius as Philostratus reports being asked if he did not tremble at the sight of the tyrant made this answer God which hath given him a terrible countenance hath given also unto me an undaunted heart When the persecutors by their dreadful threatnings did labour to terrifie one of the Martyrs he replied that there was nothing of things visible nor nothing of things invisible that he was afraid of I will saith he stand to my profession of the Name of Christ and contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints When Bishop Gardiner asked Rowland Tailor if he did not know him c. he answered yea I know you and all your greatnesse yet you are but a mortal man and if I should be afraid of your Lordly looks why fear you not God the Lord of us all The Executioner kindling the fire behind Jerome of Prague he bad him kindle it before his face for said he if I had been afraid of it I had not come to this place having had so many opportunities offered me to escape it and at the giving up of the ghost he said This soul of mine in flames of fire O Christ I offer thee The German Knight in his Apologetical Letter for Luther against the Pontifical Clergy saith I will go through what I have undertaken against you and will stir up men to seek their freedome I neither care nor fear what may befall me being prepared for either event either to ruine you to the great benefit of my Countrey or else to fall with a good conscience When Dionysius was given up to the Executioner to be beheaded he remained resolute couragious and constant saying Come life come death I will worship none but the God of heaven and earth Thus you see by these instances that men that have God for their portion will couragiously owne God and bravely and resolutely stand up for God what ever comes on it The blood that hath been shed in most Nations under heaven doth clearly evidence this that men will own their earthly portions and that they will stand up stoutly resolutely and couragiously in the defence of them and so certainly will all those own God and stand up in the defence of God his glory and truth who have God for their portion Take a true bred Christian when he is himself take a Christian in his ordinary course and he cannot but own his God and stand up stoutly and couragiously for his God in the face of all difficulties and dangers But Seventhly If God be thy portion then thou wilt look upon all things below thy God as poor Ps 73.24 25 low mean and contemptible things a worldly man looks upon all things below his earthly portion as contemptible and so doth a Christian look upon all things below his God as contemptible Phil. 3.7 8. But what things were gain to me those I counted losse for Christ Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dogs dung some interpret the word properly signifies such sordid course and contemptible things which are either cast forth by dogs or cast before dogs that I may win Christ And 't is very observable that after this great Apostle had been in the third heaven 2 Cor. 12.1 2 3. and had been blest with a glorious sight of God he look't upon the world as a poor mean low contemptible thing Gal. 6.14 God forb'd that I should glory save in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Paul scorned despised and rejected the world and the world scorned despised and rejected him Paul cast off the world and the world cast off him he disregarded the world and the world disregarded him he was dead to the world and the world was dead to him the world and Paul were well agreed the world car'd not a pin for Paul and Paul cared not a straw for the world Heb. 11.24 to 27. And so when Moses had seen him that was invisible when he had taken a full prospect of that other world and when he had beheld God as his portion Oh how doth he slight scorn and trample upon all the honours preferments profits pleasures delights and contentments of Egypt as things below him and as things that in no respects were worthy of him It is a Rabbinical conceit Joh 〈◊〉 tavit â—lorileg Rabbinâ—cum that Moses being a child had Pharaohs Crown given him to play withall and he made no better than a Foot-ball of it and cast it down to the ground and kick't it about as if it were a sign of his future vilifying and contemning of temporal things I shall not much trouble my head about what Moses did when he was a child but of this I am sure having the word of a God for it Heb. 11.24 That when he was come to years or as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being grown big Some conclude
2.4 Psal 86.15 1 Pet. 11.3 Psa 103.11 O Sirs God is said to be a God of great mercy and to be rich and plenteous in mercy and to be abundant in mercy and to be transcendent and incomparable in mercy yea all the mercies of God are sure mercies they are royal mercies they are innumerable mercies they are bottomless mercies they are unchangeable mercies and they are everlasting mercies and therefore there is no reason for any man to despair of obtaining of God for his portion But Thirdly Consider that God is a portion-sweetning portion God is such a portion as will sweeten all other portions he is a portion that will make every pleasant portion more pleasant and that will make every bitter portion sweet Poverty is one mans portion and sorrow is another mans portion and crosses and losses are a third mans portion and reproaches and sufferings are a fourth mans portion and sicknesse and diseases are a fifth mans portion c. But now God is a portion that will sweeten all these portions You know the Tree that Moses cast into the bitter waters of Marah made them sweet Exod. 15.23 24 25. now this Tree was a type of Christ who will certainly sweeten all our bitterest potions The Church complained in that Lament 3.15 That God had filled her with bitternesse or as the Hebrew hath it with bitternesses and that he had made her drunken with wormwood and yet this very Consideration That the Lord was her portion v. 24. sweetned all If God be thy portion there is no condition that can make thee miserable if God be not thy portion there is no condition that can make thee happy If God be not thy portion in the midst of thy sufficiency thou wilt be in straits Job 20.22 if God be thy portion in the midst of all thy straits thou shalt enjoy an all-sufficiency in an all-sufficient God Till God be thy portion O sinner thou will never taste any thing but death and bitternesse in all thy comforts and in all thy contentments and in all thy enjoyments But Fourthly Consider that all earthly portions are not of that infinite consequence and concernment to you as this portion is all earthly portions are but the meat that perisheth John 6.27 Matt. 6.19 James 5.3 Eccles 1. they are but moth-eaten and canker-eaten treasures they are full of uncertainty yea they are all over vanity they reach not beyond the line of this mortal life they can neither fuit the soul nor fill the soul nor satisfie the soul nor save the soul they can neither change the heart nor reform the heart nor in the least better the heart they can neither arm a man against temptations nor lead a man out of temptations nor make a man victorious over temptations they can neither direct the conscience when 't is in straits nor relieve the conscience when 't is under distress nor support the conscience when it is under guilt nor heal the conscience when it is under wounds they can neither make our peace with God nor keep our peace with God nor augment our peace with God they can neither bring us to Christ nor unite us to Christ nor keep us with Christ nor transform us into the similitude or likenesse of Christ they can neither bring us to heaven nor fit us for heaven nor assure us of heaven In a word no earthly portion can free us from death nor in the least avail us in the day of wrath By all which it is most evident that all earthly portions are of very little consequence and concernment to the sons of men to the souls of men O but now God is a portion of infinite consequence and concernment to all the sons and souls of men No man can hear as he should nor pray as he should nor live as he should nor die as he should till God be his portion no man is secure from temporal spiritual or eternal judgments till God be his portion no man can be happy in this world or blessed in another world till God be his portion O Sirs it is not absolutely necessary that you should have this or that earthly portion but 't is absolutely necessary that you should have God for your portion for if God be not your portion all the Angels in heaven nor all the men on earth cannot prevent your being miserable to all eternity Fifthly Consider that till a man comes to have God for his portion he never comes to be temptation-proof A man that hath God for his portion is temptation-proof he will say when tempted as Themistocles did Give those bracelets to slaves and as Basil did who when he was offered temporary honour glory and wealth c. answered Give me glory which abides for ever and give me riches which will indure for ever And as he did who being tempted with offers of money to desert his Religion When Phyrrhus tempted Fabricius the first day with an Elephant so huge and monstrous a Beast as before he had not seen and the next day with money and promises of honour he answered I fear not thy force and I am too wise for thy fraud If nature could do this grace can do more gave this excellent answer Let not any think that he will imbrace other mens goods to forsake Christ who hath forsaken his own proper goods to follow Christ And as that Martyr did who when he had riches and honours offered him if he would recant answered Do but offer me somewhat that is better than my Lord Jesus Christ and you shall see what I will say to you And as Hormisda a noble man in the King of Persia's Court did who because he would not deny Christ he was put into ragged clothes deprived of his honours and set to keep the camels after a long time the King seeing him in that base condition and remembring his former Fortunes he pitied him and caused him to be brought into the Palace and to be cloathed again like a noble man and then perswades and tempts him afresh to deny Christ whereupon this noble Spirit presently rended his Silken Clothes saying If for these you think to have me deny my Faith take them again and so he was cast out with scorn the second time And what was that that made the Apostles temptation-proof and that made those Worthies temptation-proof Heb. 11. and that made the primitive Christians temptation-proof and that made the Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes temptation-proof Certainly nothing more than this very Consideration that God was their portion Ah sinners sinners you will certainly fall you will readily fall you will easily fall you will frequently fall you will dreadfully fall before temptations til you come to enjoy God for your portion Every blast every wind of temptation will overset overturn that man that hath not God for his portion Such a man may pray a thousand times over and over Lord lead me not into temptation
your strength and ye would not O Sirs Matth. 23 37. Luk. 13.34 men shall be damn'd at last not for cannots but for will nots no man shall be damned because he could not do better but because he would not do better if there were no will John 40. there would be no hell At last sinners will finde this to be their greatest hell that they have wilfully destroyed themselves this is that which will damn with a witnesse and this will be that never dying worm I might have had Christ and grace but I would not I might have been sanctified and saved but I would not I might have been holy and happy but I would not Deut. 30.15 19. life and death hath been often set before me and I have chosen death rather than life heaven and hell hath been often set before me and I have chosen hell rather than heaven glory and misery hath been often set before me and I have chosen misery rather than glory and therefore 't is but just that I should be miserable to all eternity No man no Devil can undo thee O sinner without thy self no man can be undone in both worlds but by himself No man shall be damned for his unworthinesse but for his unwillingnesse and therefore never plead this Objection more But Fifthly and lastly I answer that if you will not seek after the Lord to be your portion till you are worthy to enjoy him as your portion then you will never seek after him then you will never enjoy him for your God and portion personal worthinesse is no flower that growes in Natures garden no man is born with a worthinesse in his heart as he is born with a tongue in his mouth 't is not the full but the empty 't is not the rich but the poor in spirit 't is not the righteous but the sinner 't is not the worthy but the unworthy soul that is the proper object of mercy and pity The poor Publican that cried out Lord be merciful to me a sinner Luk. 18 10-15 went home justified when the thank-God Pharisee returned as proud as he came The Centurion when he came to Christ sped well Matth. 8. notwithstanding his personal unworthiness And the prodigal son sped well when he returned to his Father Luk. 15.11 ult notwithstanding his personal unworthiness for he was readily accepted greatly pitied sweetly imbraced courteously received very joyfully and nobly entertained witnesse the best robe that was put upon his back and the gold ring that was put on his finger and the shoes that were put on his feet and the fatted calfe that was killed to make the company merry O Sirs if in the face of all your unworthinesse you will go to God and tell him that you are sinners that you are vile sinners that you are wretched sinners that you are very great sinners yea that you are the greatest of sinners and that you have deserved a thousand deaths a thousand hells a thousand destructions and a thousand damnations and earnestly beseech him to look upon you and to bestow himself on you though not for your worthinesse sake yet for his Names sake for his mercies sake for his promise sake for his Covenants sake for his Oath sake and for his Sons sake Certainly if you shall thus plead with God all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth cannot tell to the contrary but that you may speed as well as ever the Centurion or the Prodigal did I have taken the more pains to answer this Objection that so it may never have a resurrection more in any of your hearts into whose hands this Treatise may fall I know other Objections might be raised but because I have spoken largely to such in my former writings I shall pass on to the last thing proposed and that is to lay down some Positions that may by the blessing of God be of singular use to the Christian Reader As first That 't is one thing for a man to have God for his portion First Position Moses his face did shine and yet he did not see it and 't is another thing for a man to have an assurance in his own soul that God is his portion there are many that have God for their portion who yetare full of fears and doubts that God is not their portion Thus it was with Asaph in that 77 Psalm thus it was with Heman in that 88 Psalm and thus it is with very many Christians in these dayes Sometimes God exercises his children with such changeable and such terrible dispensations as raises many fears and doubts in them about their interest and propriety in God and sometimes their secret indulging of some bosome Idol their entertainment of some predominant lust raises strange fears and jealousies in their souls about their interest in God and sometimes their not closing with the Lord so closely so fully so faithfully so universally and so sincerely as they should without any secret reservation raises many doubts and questions in them whether God be their portion or no. The graces of many Christians are so weak and their corruptions are so strong and Satan is so busie with them and their duties and performances are so weak so flat so dull so saplesse so livelesse so fruitlesse and so inconstant that they are ready at every turn to say if God be our God why is it thus with us if God be our portion why are our hearts in no better a frame why have our duties no more spirit life and fire in them Look as the Sun may shine and yet I not see it and as the husband may be in the house and yet the wife not know it and as the child may have a very great portion a very fair estate setled upon him and yet he not understand it so a Christian may have God for his portion and yet for the present he may not see it nor know it nor understand it 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God These precious souls had God and Christ for their portion and they did believe and they had eternal life in the seeds and beginnings of it and in the promise and in Christ their Head Ephe. 2.6 who as a publick person had taken possession of it in their steads and yet they had not the assurance of these things in their own souls Look as the babe that hath past the pangs of the first birth doth not presently cry out my father my father so the babe of grace the new-born Christian doth not presently cry out my God my God 't is one mercy for God to be my God and 't is another mercy for God to tell me that he is my God 't is one act of grace for God to be
my portion and 't is another act of grace for God to tell me that he is my portion Look as fire may be hid under ashes for a time and as bits of gold may be hid in an heap of dust for a time and as stars may be hid in a dark night for a time and as a pearl may be hid in a puddle for a time so God may be a mans portion and yet this may be hid from him for a time The second Position is this Second Position That it is one thing for a man to have God for his portion and another thing for a man clearly and convincingly to make it out to himself or others that God is his portion Doubtlesse there are many thousands that have God for their portion who yet God sometimes layes such a Law of restraint upon the noble faculties of men and women that they cannot use them at sometimes as they do at others as you may clearly see by comparing of these Scriptures together Luke 24.14 15 16 c. Acts 22.9 Gen. 21.16 19. John 20.14 15 c. if you would give them a thousand worlds are not able to make it out to their own or others satisfaction that God is their portion Most Christians attain to but small measures of grace but little measures of grace Now small things little things are hardly discerned they are hardly made out A little faith is next to no faith and a little love is next to no love and a little repentance is next to no repentance and a little zeal is next to no zeal and a little hope is next to no hope and a little holinesse is next to no holinesse and a little communion with God is next to no communion with God and a little conformity to God is next to no conformity to God Now where there is but a little grace there it is very difficult for a man to make out the truth of his grace and so by consequence to make out the truth of his interest and propriety in the God of grace 'T is not grace in truth but grace in strength that will inable a man to make it out to himself and to make it out to others that God is his portion It is not grace in its sincerity but grace in its sublimity in its high and eminent actings that will inable a man to make it out to himself and others that God is indeed his God Besides many precious hearts have such weak heads and such bad Logick and such shallow natural parts that they are not able rationally nor divinely to argue the case with their own souls nor to make an improvement of those rules helps wayes and means whereby they might be inabled to make it out to themselves and others that God is their portion Look as many persons have often a good title to such and such lands and to such and such estates and inheritances though they are not able for the present to clear up their title either to themselves or others so many of the dear children of God have a good title to God and a real interest and propriety in God and yet for the present they are not able to clear up their title to God nor to clear up their interest and propriety in God either to themselves or others And this is so great a truth that all the faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ that deal with poor souls that are conversant about souls are ready from their daily experience to avouch it before all the world He that shall say that such have not God for their portion that cannot make out God to be their portion will certainly condemn the generation of the just The third Position is this Third Position That where there is an hearty willingnesse in any man to accept of God to be his God Isa 55.1 2. Joh. 7.37 38. to own God for his God and to close with God as his God there God is certainly that mans God If there be a cordial willingnesse in you to take God to be your God then without all peradventure God is your God A sincere willingnesse to accept of God to be your God is accepted of God and is sufficient to enter into a gracious Covenant with God O Sirs a sincere willingnesse to accept of God to be your God flowes from nothing below the good will and pleasure of God no power below that glorious power that made the world and that raised Christ from the grave is able to raise a sincere an hearty willingnesse in man to accept of God to be his God and to take God for his God Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing or willingnesses in the abstract and in the plural number in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse There is no power below the power of the Lord of Hosts that can raise up a willingnesse in the hearts of sinners 't is not in the power of all the Angels in heaven nor of all the men on earth to beget a sincere willingnesse in the heart of man to accept of God to be his God this is work that can only be effected by an omnipotent hand Though an Emperour may force a woman to marry him that is his slave because she is his purchase yet he cannot by all his power force her will he may force her body to the action but he cannot force her will to the action The will is alwayes free and cannot be forced but God is that great Emperour that hath not onely a power to marry the soul which he hath redeemed from being Satans bond-slave but also a power to make the soul that is unready ready and that is unwilling willing to marry him and to bestow it self freely upon him If there be in thee O man O woman a sincere willingnesse to take God upon his own terms to be thy God that is to take him as an holy God and as a ruling God and as a commanding God in one thing as well as another then he is certainly thy God Rev. 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely The fourth Position is this Fourth Position That it may so fall out that such a Christian that hath God for his portion that hath an interest and a propriety in God may lose the sight the sense the feeling and the evidence of his interest and propriety in God and this is evident by comparing the Scriptures in the Margin together Psal 30.6 7. Psal 51.13 Joh. 24. Ch. 16.9 Ch. 19.10 11. Doubtlesse it is very rare to find a Christian that hath had the knowledge and experience and evidence of his interest and propriety in God but that that Christian also hath experienced what it is to have his interest and propriety in God clouded and darkned And
Ch. 30.20 Psal 77. Psal 88. Isa 8.17 Lam. 3.18 Such Christians that have experienced what the warm beams of the Sun of Righteousnesse means have likewise experienced what it is to have their Sun set in a Cloud and this truth I might make good by producing of a cloud of witnesses both from among the Martyrs and from among the Saints in all Ages But what do I talk of a cloud of witnesses when the tears that daily drop from many of your eyes and the sad complaints and sighs and groans of many of your souls do sufficiently evidence this sad truth And therefore let no man conclude that God is not his God because he hath lost the sight and sense of his interest and propriety in God let no man say that God is not his portion because he hath lost those evidences at the present by which he hath formerly proved God to be his portion Though a man should lose his Writings and Evidences that he hath to shew for such or such an Estate yet his Writings and Evidences being inrolled in a Court of Record his Estate remains good and his Title is still good in law and therefore there is no reason why such a man should sit down and wring his hands and cry out I am undone I am undone so though a Christian should lose his Writings his Evidences that once he had to shew that once he had to prove God to be his God and portion and that he had a real interest and propriety in God yet his Writings his Evidences being inrolled in the Court of Heaven his title to God his interest in God remains good and therefore there is no reason why such a person should sit down dejected and wring his hands and cry out O I am undone I am for ever undone The fifth Position is this Fifth Position That such that have not for the present God for their portion ought not peremptorily to conclude that they shall never have God for their portion such a person that cannot yet truly say that the Lord is his portion ought not to despair of ever having of God for his portion The time of a mans life is but a day and God may bestow himself as a portion upon man in what hour of that day he pleases In the Parable he bestowed himself as a portion upon some at the first hour Matth. 20 1-17 upon others at the third hour upon others at the sixth hour upon others at the ninth hour and upon others at the eleventh hour God is a free Agent and may bestow himself upon whom he pleases and as he pleases and when he pleases There is no sinner We except such that hath committed the sin against the Holy Ghost no not the greatest sinner living under the Gospel that can infallibly determine that God will never be his God no sinner can conclude that God hath peremptorily and absolutely excluded him from mercy and shut him out among those that he is resolved never to bestow himself upon For 1. God never made any sinner one of his Privy Councel 2. In the Gospel of grace God hath revealed no such thing 3. Secret things belong only to the Lord Deut. 29.29 4. God hath bestowed himself as a portion upon as great sinners as any they are that yet have not God for their portion 5. All the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth cannot tell to the contrary but that God may have thoughts of mercy towards thee and that thy lot may fall within the purpose of his grace and that he may bestow himself as a portion upon thee before thou art cut off from the land of the living Although a sinner may certainly know at the present that God is not his God that God is not his portion yet he doth not certainly know that God will never be his God that God will never be his portion and therefore no sinner may peremptorily conclude that God will never be his God because for the present he cannot he dares not say he is his God God gave himself as a portion to Abraham when he was old Gen. 12.4 when he was a white-headed sinner 2 Chron. 33.1 12 13 14. And Manasseh was old when he was converted and changed and when God bestowed himself upon him And Zacheus and Nicodemus were called and converted in their old age when there were but a few steps between them and the grave between them eternity between them and everlasting burnings then the Lord graciously revealed himself and bestowed himself as a portion upon them And if we believe Tertullian Paul wanted not a prediction of the Holy Ghost in that Prophetick blessing of dying Jacob to his youngest son Gen. 49.27 Adu Marcion l. 5. Benjamin shall ravine as a wolf in the morning he shall devour the prey and at night he shall divide the spoil See my Apples of Gold page 352.353 354. two more famous Stories of such that were converted in their old age Paul was of the Tribe of Benjamin in the morning the fore-part of his age worrying and devouring the flock of Christ persecuting of the Church and in the evening the declension of his life dividing the Word a Doctor of the Nations And Dionysius tells us that Mary Magdalen that was so loose and dissolute in her youth being converted in her old age she sequestred her self from all worldly pleasures and lived a most solitary life in the mountains of Balma where she spent full thirty years in meditation fasting and prayer And old godly Similes said that he had been in the world sixty years but had lived but seven counting his life not from his first birth but from his new birth Soliloq c. 33. And Augustine repented that he had began to seek serve and love God no sooner By all these instances 't is most evident that God may bestow himself as a portion upon sinners upon very great sinners yea upon the greatest of sinners and that at last cast when they are stricken in years and when they are even ready to go out of this world and therefore let no man despair of having of God for his portion though for the present his soul cannot say the Lord is my portion O Sirs Despair is a sin a very hainous sin yea 't is that sin that damns with a witness despairing Judas perished and was damned Acts 2. when as the very murderers of Christ believing on Christ were saved Roger Bishop of Salubury in King Stephens dayes was so troubled that he could not live and durst not die c. Despair thrusts God from his mercy-seat it throws disgrace upon the throne of grace it gives the lye to all the precious promises it casts reproach upon the nature of God it tramples under feet the blood of the Covenant it cuts the throat of faith hope and repentance it renders all the means of grace uselesse and fruitlesse it imbitters all a
portion must break his League with Sin he must fall out with Sin if ever he fall in with God p. 390 391 392. Of great Sinners Object But will God ever bestow himself as a portion upon such great such grievous and such notorious Sinners as we are Six Answers to this Objection p. 596. to p. 407. T The Text opened p. 1. to p. 7. Of Thinking Such as have God for their Portion should be still a thinking of God under that sweet and comfortable notion p. 222. to p. 228. Of Thoughts If God be thy portion then thou hast very sweet precious high and honourable thoughts of God p. 260. to p. 269. Of Trouble Such as have God for their portion in all their troubles they run to God as to a City of Refuge p. 269. to p. 279. V Of Valuing of others A. man that hath God for his portion sets the highest Value upon those that have God for their portion p. 335. to p. 340. About Unworthinesse Object We would fain have God for our portion but we are such poor unworthy wretches that we very much question whether ever God will bestow himself upon such miserable unworthy ones as we are c. This Objection is answered five wayes p. 414 to p. 423. W Of Waiting A man that would have God for his portion must wait upon him in the use of all holy means p. 392 393 394 395 396. Of Want Such as have God for their portion shall never want p. 182. to p. 190. Of Wants Such as have God for their portion in all their wants troubles and tryals will run to their God they will flye to the Lord as their only City of Refuge p. 269. to p. 279. Of Willingness Such as would have God for their portion must then be willing to be his portion p. 385 386 387. God without all peradventure is that mans God that is cordially willing to have him for his God p. 430 431 432. Of the World A man that hath God for his portion looks upon the world as a poor low contemptible thing p. 305. to p. 311. FINIS Books Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Corn-hill A Book of Short-writing the most casie exact lineal and speedy method fitted to the meanest capacity composed by Master Theophilus Metcalf Professor of the said Art Also a School-Master explaining the Rules of the said book with many new Additions very useful Another Book of new Short-hand by Tho. Cross A Copy-book of the newest and most useful hands with Rules whereby those that can read may quickly learn to write To which is added Brief directions for true spelling and Cyphering and making divers sorts of Ink. Seven Books lately published by Mr. Thomas Brooks late Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets New Fish-street 1 Precious Remedies against Satans Devices Or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers sores being a companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ that slight or neglect Ordinances under a pretence of living above them that are growing in spirituals or decaying that are tempted or deserted afflicted or opposed that have assurance or want it on 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Heaven on Earth Or A serious Discourse touching a wel-grounded Assurance of mans everlasting happiness and blessedness discovering the nature of Assurance the possibility of attaining it the Causes Springs and Degrees of it with the resolution of several weighty Questions on the 8. of the Romans 32 33 34. verses 3 The Vnsearchable Riches of Christ Or Meat for strong Men and Milk for Babes held forth in two and twenty Sermons from Ephes 3.8 Preached on his Lecture-nights at Fish-street-hill 4 His Apples of Gold for young Men and Women And A Crown of Glory for Old Men and Women Or the Happiness of being Good betimes and the Honour of being an Old eiple cleerly and fully discovered and closely and faithfully applyed 5. A String of Pearls Or The best things reserved till last delivered in a Sermon preached in London June 8. 1657. at the Funeral of that Triumphant Saint Mrs. Mary Blake â—at Wife to his worthy friend Mr. Nicholas Blake Merchant 6 The Silent Soul with Soveraign Antidotes against the most miserable Exigents Or A Christian with an Olive-leaf in his mouth when he is under the greatest afflictions the sharpest and sorest trials and troubles the saddest and darkest providences and changes with Answers to divers Questions and Objections that are of greatest importance all tending to win and work souls to be still quiet calm and silent under all changes that have or that may passe upon them in this world c. Lately printed and dedicated to all afflicted distressed dissatisfied disquieted and discomposed Christians throughout the world 7 An Ark for all Gods Noah's in a stormy day Wherein is shewed the transcendent excellency of a Believers portion on Lament 3.24 The Godly Mans Ark Or City of Resuge in the day of his distress discovered in divers Sermons The first of which was Preached at the Funeral of Mris. Elizabeth Moor. Whereunto are annexed Mris. Moors Evidences for Heaven composed and collected by her in the time of her health for her comfort in the time of sickness By Edmund Calamy B. D. and Pastor of the Church at Aldermanbury Helps to improve the holy Scriptures For our Spiritual Profit Comfort and Stability Viz. Scripture Prophesies Promises Precepts Threatnings By Robert Perrot Minister of Gods Word The Expert Physitian Learnedly treating of all Agues and Feavers essential whether simple or compound consused Erratick and Malignant shewing their different Nature Cause Sign and Cure written Originally by that famous Doctor in Physick Bricius Bauderon and translated into English by Dr. Wells Licentiate in Physick by the University of Oxford Seven Treatises lately published by Mr. Ralph Venning 1. A Warning to backsliders with means for the recovery of fallen ones on Rev 2.5 2. The way to Happiness or way to Heaven opened on Matth. 7.21 3. Mercies memorial or a thankful Remembrance for Gods merciful Deliverance on the 5. of November 1605. on Ps 136.23 4. Canaans Flowings or Milk and Honey being a Collation of many Christian Experiences Sayings and Sentences printed in an Alphabetical order to which is added 125 Heathen Speeches Spiritually improved 5. His 543 Orthodox and Miscellanious Paradoxes concerning God Christ the Spirit Election the Scriptures the Creation Angels Man Sin the Law Grace the Sacraments the Resurrection Heaven and Hell 6. The New Command renewed or love one another 7. Mysteries and Revelations or the Explication of several Allusions and Metaphors in the Scriptures Several useful Treatises published by Mr Nicholas Lockyer and others 1. Christs Communion with his Church Militant on John 14. vers 18. 2. His Divine Discovery of Sincerity on 2 Cor. 1.12 3. His seasonable Instructions for Suffering-Christians on Col. 2.11 4. His Olive-leaf or bud of the Spring on Acts 3.26 Dr. Thomas Taylor his Treatise of Circumspect