come muster up all your jovial Blades together call for your Harps and Viols add what you will to make the consort compleat bring in your richest Wines come lay your heads together and study what may still add to your comfort well is it done Now come away sinner this night thy soul must-appear before God Well now what say you man What doth your courage fail you Now call for your merry Companions and let them chear thy heart Now call for a Cup a Whore never be daunted man shall one of thy courage quail that could make a mock at the threatnings of the Almighty God what so boon and jolly but now and now down in the mouth Here 's a sudden change indeed Where 's thy merry companions I say again all fled Where are thy darling pleasures have all forsaken thee Why shouldest thou be dejected there 's a poor man in rags that 's smiling What art thou quite bereft of all comfort What 's the matter man What 's the matter There 's a question with all my heart to ask a man that must appear before a God to morrow morning Well then it seems your heart misgives you what then did you mean to talk of joy and pleasures are they all come to this Why there stands one that now hath his heart as full of comfort as ever it can hold and the very thoughts of Eternity which do so daunt your soul raise his and would you know the reason he knows he is going to his friend nay his friend bears him company thorow that dirty Lane Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for God and the soul to dwell together in unity This 't is to have God for a friend O blessed is the soul that is in such a case yea blessed is the soul whose God is the Lord Psal 144.15 Psal 69.15 16 2 Cor. 1.3 Joh. 14.16 Isa 51.11 12 Neh. 8.10 Psal 30.5 Psal 43.4 Prov. 14.10 Isa 29.19 Rom. 14.17 1 Pet. 1.8 Nay David when he seem'd to be somewhat out of tune leaves this upon Record as undoubted truth Psal 73.1 That God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Let the Devil and his Instruments say what they will to the contrary I will never believe them I have said it before and I see no reason to reverse my sentence Truly God is good Though somtimes he may hide his face for a while yet he doth that in faithfulness and love there is kindness in his very scourges and love bound up in his rods he is good to Israel do but mark it first or last The true Israelite in whom there is no guile shall be refreshed by this Saviour The Israelite that wrestles with tears with God and values his love above the whole world that will not be put off without his Fathers blessing he shall have it with a witness He shall reap in joy though he may at present sow in tears Even to such as are of a clean heart The false-hearted hypocrite indeed that gives God only his tongue and lip cap and knee but reserves his heart and love for sin and the world that hath much of complement but nothing of affection and reality why let such a one never expect while in such a state to taste those reviving comforts that I have been treating of while he drives such a trade he must not expect much of Gods company but of that hereafter What a charge doth God give to his Ministers to keep up the spirits of his people Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith their God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem It 's a gross mistake to think that God loves to see his drooping and hanging down their heads no no he counts it his honour to have his servants chearful O why then should any of the precious sons and daughters of Zion walk up and down as if their friends company were not sufficient to solace them even in the lowest state that a child of God can be conceived to be in While you think God is honoured by you you can't imagine what wrong you do him The world stands by and looks upon you the Devil bids them look on still and ask them how they like such a dumpish life and the service of such a Master all whose servants and friends lead such a doleful life Stay hold these Satan that 's a lye and a loud one too there are and have been thousands of Gods Children that have lived as it were in the Suburbs of Heaven while they have been upon Earth many thousands there have been that have spent their days in true solid joy and peace many that have gone from one Heaven of comfort here to another of glory and comfort in that other world As I said before so I say again It is not the company of God but the want of it makes those sad which you see so besides let me tell you tears and joy are no way inconsistent It may be also those tears that sad countenance may be for thy sake when he sees what comfort thou despisest and knows what a God what a Friend thou refusest he can't but weep it 's no rarity for the people of God in the midst of their spiritual enjoyments to pity poor foolish sinners that slight those things which they know to be so refreshing Thus David did when his heart was solaced with the love of God when his soul was ready to be over-burdened over-powered with the abundant incomes of Gods kindness he can't but with grief and pity think of their state who have nothing to live upon but husks whilest he seeds thus high O let my soul be but acquainted with God let me but taste more of those true comforts drink of that river of pleasures that is at his right hand and then I could spare these lower sensual pleasures then I should scarce envy the most merry ranting Blades their comforts I will not say but then I should with sorrow think of their wants It was spoken by Galeacius Caraxiola one that sometimes had none of the least shares of worldly enjoyments and might have had more could he have dispensed with the absence of this friend could he but have been willing to have wanted those spiritual comforts Let him perish that values not one hours communion with God and the comforts of a divine life above all the pleasures and comforts that the earth can afford Give me such comforts such a friend whose smiles may refresh me upon a death-bed whose presence may revive me when nothing else can Naturalists tells us of a Bird call'd Charadius that being brought into the room where any one lieth sick if he look upon the sick person with a fixed eye he recovereth but if he turn away his eyes the person dies It is true I am sure of this friend in whose favour is life and in whose frowns there is death Ar. Epic. l. 3. cap. 24. Can you help me to
in that Ordinance doth afford some of his sometimes I have heard another dear Brother say that for some years together he scarce ever failed of some notable Token of Love at that great Ordinance But I would not instead of comforting and incouraging the poor Saint bring him into greater fears and dispondings Judge not therefore that this is the portion of all Gods Children nor of any at all times to have such large Discoveries as these Heaven is reserved for Heaven some have a single Messe some a double some five times more than their Brethren let all be thankful if the great Joseph instead of a Prison give a Feast and in it make himself known to us to be our brother let 's love him and admire his condescention and be ready to wonder that he doth so much for us rather than repine that he doth more for others If thou hast some drawings and longings and mournings after Christ and a deep sence of thy hardness unbelief and worldliness be thankful it may be this is more wholsome entertainment and fitter for the present Temper and Constitution of thy Soul than those Flagons of Wine perhaps they would fly up into thy head and make thee giddy proud and wanton if thou be but well wrought poor and hungry thou wilt be thankful for a little and a Crumb that falls from the Table to an humble Soul is better Intertainment then it knows it deserves or could without a Miracle of Kindness have expected mistake me not as if I would have Christians sit down satisfied with little or no comfort at that Ordinance no t is quite another designe that I am carrying on t is only a hint to quell Ingratitude my great work at present is to quicken diligence in Preparation and to raise the Saints Valuation of that Ordinance and his Expectations from Christ in it I say again Christ usually proportions his Intertainment to the diligent faithful humble preparations of the Soul to meet him they that trim their Lamps and have Oyl in them are most like to meet that Bridegroom with Joy he that hath on the Wedding Garment can't miss of a Welcom and the good and faithful Servant is most likely to have the Masters commendation and to enter into his Joy But more or less every sincere Soul at one time or another will meet with Refreshment at that Supper and amongst all the rare Dishes that are served up no question but some will be sutable if not all to a hungry Spiritual Stomach I can scarce leave this sweet Subject the time draws nigh and the Servants are sent out to invite and thou O my Soul art one of the Guest that art bidden Hark methinks I hear a Royal Proclamation Whosoever is a thirst let him come and drink of the Waters of Life freely Methinks the silver Trumpet of the Gospel and Divine Love sounds a Jubile Methinks the Air ecchoes with a strange Harmony somewhat like that Luke 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on Earth Peace Good will towards men Don't the very Heavens ring with these Blessed Words A Saviour a Saviour a mighty Redeemer a Pardon a Pardon Liberty Liberty a glorious Liberty and again the Congregations of the Saints and Redeemed ones cry Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah I had thought to have done but the Feast is so sweet I must fall on again Here no Surfeiting the more I feed the more hungry and yet the more satisfied the more delighted Here 's nothing but Fulness Swectness and Love may be written upon every Dish and Royal noble everlasting Bounty may be proclaimed before every Course All the dismal Bonds are thrown in Cancelled all our Debts forgiven and paid the great Surety shews the Acquittance long since granted in the Court of Heaven now it s given in to the Court of Conscience The bloody War is concluded by a happy and firm Peace God is no longer a Judge an Enemy but now the Soul hears such words Friend Father Husband The Challenges of Law Conscience and Sathan are now silenced the Inditements against the Soul are all quashed the Soul may walk now at liberty and fear no Arrest who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect its Christ that justifies who can condemn Christ saith it swears it seals it it cannot but be true why art thou then cast down poor Soul and why art thou disquieted Christ hath made a blessed exchange with thee he hath drank the bitter Cup and offers thee the sweet which is spiced with Grace and Love Christ both purchased the Crown for thee and taken the Cross to himself he took the Rags and gives thee the Robes he became Poor that thou mayst become Rich he emptied himself that thou mayest be filled he was esteemed as nothing that thou mightest from worse than nothing possess all things and what now remains but that with the greatest Gratitude you accept of Christ's offer whensoever he invites thee to his Table what doth better become thee then the deepest resentment of the highest kindness and a grateful closure with all the overtures of Divine Goodness O happy are the people that are admitted to this Intimacy happy are the Souls that know the worth the use of this Ordinance and make it their business wisely to improve it O what an opportunity have such of Christ here what Request may they not then have granted and when Christ is giving what will he what can he deny them which have his heart already I have been the more large in this because it was the particular request of one of my Brethren a Reverend Minister that in the next Edition I would not forget that Ordinance in which God usually doth most signally discover his Love to his people III. DIRECTION If you would get acquainted with God get Christ along with you when you go to God You are like to speed no way so soon as this way nay let me say all that I have said before signifies nothing at all without this There is no Name under Heaven by which we can be saved but by the Name of Christ and whosoever comes to the Father by him he will in no wise cast out God can't deny his own Son any thing he can never forget that great undertaking of his by which he glorified his Fathers infinite Justice and infinite Love and did him more honour than all the Saints and Angels in the world His Son the Lord Christ hath such an interest in his Father that he can as soon despise his own honour as to refuse any request that is presented to him by his Son If Christ come to him and say Father here is a poor sinner that I have undertaken for and that flew to me for refuge Look upon him for my sake why the Fathers Arms are presently open he will not reject his Sons Petitions The truth of it is this is the greatest cause of the miscarriage of poor Creatures that go about to do that
none upon earth that I can desire in comparison of him I can't desire a better employment then a delightful constant attending upon my God Can I have better Company then such a Father Cana greater happiness be conceived then Eternal Glory a pleasanter place then Heaven That which I can speak you can't hear and could you though in this perfect glory I can't express what you will find and feel when you come hither O had I but known so much as I do now when I was in your condition upon earth I should with incomparable greater earnestness have sought after acquaintance with God then I did In his presence is fulness of joy at his right hand are pleasures for evermore Now I feel now I know it I thought one smile sweet upon earth but now I see and feel infinitely more what you enjoy now is a shadow in comparison of what you will enjoy hereafter O what do you mean that you prize his favour no more that you get no more intimate acquaintance with him What do you mean that you are so unwilling to come to this place of joy O were you but possest of what I speak of you would say what I say you would never be weary of praising and serving him you would never wish your self out of his presence and think it not possible to be in more suitable society Is it so O my soul what then doest thou here Make hast O my soul stay no longer here below but know thy priviledge understand where thy comforts are Twelfthly He is a wise Friend All the men and women in the world have great mighty affairs to mannage and they want Skil Wisdom and Discretion for the right mannagement of these things they are wofully to seek as to their great business they are wise to do evil but in Spirituals they become stupid sottish fools and as to the carrying on of their great work they do it with the greatest imprudence in the world and they will most certainly for ever undo themselves except one that is wiser then themselves undertake to help them All things go backward with them and they labour in the very Fire whilst they act without God and it is impossible it should be otherwise as long as there is such a disproportion between mans business and his Spirit Man is carnal and his work is Spiritual Would an ignorant poor Creature that is but one remove above a beast be fit to mannage the great matters of Government How ridiculously would he behave himself in a Chair of State how strangely would an unlearned man bungle should he go about to open one of the profound Demonstrations of Mathematicks But a natural man is far more unskilful then any of these as to the carrying on of that great Imployment that he hath to look after while he is on this side Eternity his business is to serve his Maker but what pittiful work doth he make of it man is made for an everlasting State he is sent into this world to provide for another a Good a happiness there is which he is to look after he once had a fair estate but he hath spent and lost it all and he is to see to the recovering of it again He hath been in arms against his lawful Soveraign and been guilty of the highest Treason and thereby hath forfeited his Life his Soul now he hath his pardon to sue out and how doth he go to work in this one thing to mention no more Why he goes to beg a pardon arm'd Cap-a-pe and with his Sword drawn he comes to ask pardon for one Treason and he is found acting of another Lord have mercy upon me and give me leave to break thy laws is the sum of all his prayer He talks of Heaven and yet makes all the hast he can to Hell he is told he is out of the way but he laughs at him that tells him so and that 's his best Sometimes he rages and desires with all speed to remove him that would set him in the road to Zion he calls for a Hatchet to cut down the bough upon which himself stands And this is your man of Wisdom The man is under sail in the midst of Rocks and Sands and if he would but look he might see many doleful Spectacles the tops of Masts ship-wacked souls I mean and though the Pilots tell him of the danger yet he says he will never believe but that 's the best and the safest road to the harbour and so on he goes as if he were sure he could not miscarry and all this while he will not be perswaded but that he acts every wisely he judgeth it one of his greatest comforts that he runs to misery without any hinderance and how can it otherwise be except men were spiritually wise and who can teach man this wisdom who shall instruct him who shall help him now his affairs are upon the matter almost desperate why if thou wilt but hear here is one that will yet undertake their foul cause if you will be advised by him for this he will set all at right And O how doth he call after you how willing to give you his advice how desirous to assist you Prov. 1.20 c. Wisdom cryeth without she uttereth her voyce in the streets She cryeth in the chief places of concourse in the openings of the Gates she uttereth her words saying How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity And ye scorners delight in scorning and fools hate Knowledge Turn ye at my reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you And will you set at naught all his Counsels and have none of his reproofs Will you rather be ruined then beholding to him for advice Let me put in one word if this wise Counsellor be not for you he will be against you and if you find any that can order your sad affairs more to your advantage I pray make use of him but if you will be ruled by him you can't miscarry as ill a condition as you are in though thou beest quite broke yet he will give you such a stock as that you may set up again and such directions as that you can't but thrive if you will but follow them It is he that teacheth his Spiritual Frugality not to part with that for a trifle which will be a rich commodity ere long it is he who perswades us to make the best use of every thing it is he that teacheth Fools more true wisdom then the great Politicians of the World though the world judge them weak yet they have wit enough to make a good bargain to value Heaven before Hell to flye from everlasting burnings They are wise enough to know what is for their real advantage and what not This is he that would bring thee acquainted with him It is he who give his so much understanding as to know the true worth of things and
poyson in any of those Dainties which comes from his dearest Friends Table he may eat his meat with a joyful heart and not tremble for fear of the reckoning at last what he enjoys is freely given him all his Dishes have this brave Sauce they are season'd with Love and come out of the hand of a Father He that is the great Proprietor hath given him leaven to use these things and hath promised also to give him better things then these He knows that this is not his portion that this is nothing to what he shall possess it is no small comfort to him to think that he shall never want any thing that is needful for him or that if he be brought into some exigences he hath a Friend that he can go to when he will and be heartily welcome he hath a portion an estate in another Country that can never be spent though he live at never so high a rate and the more he spends upon it the greater it is he hath a key to that storehouse which can never be emptied he hath an interest in him in whom all fulness doth dwell his Friend is noble let him but ask and he shall have seek and he shall find knock it shall be opened unto him God is so free that he takes care of all his creatures yea so great is his Royal Bounty that it doth largely provide for his enemies and shall his friends his children starve Hath he not done so in ancient dayes when his people were in the wilderness he sent them their Dyet from his own house he fed them with Angels food But if this should not be if he kept them short that may be done with as great kindness to them as the former fasting may fatten the soul more then feasting doth the body and this makes all welcome if he have a great deal he rejoyceth to think that he shall have more still one day if he have but a little he is satisfied and so his condition is made more comfortable to him then the greatest enjoyments of the wicked are to them 9. Another effect of this Acquaintance with God is That it will make a man wise He that before he was acquainted with God had not the wit to know his Friends from his Foes by his converse with God is made more wise then the great Sages and grand Politicians of the world Upon his acquaintance with God he is soon able to know right from wrong to distinguish between good and evil He hath now the wisdom to look after the salvation of his soul to seek the Kingdom of Heaven in the first place and not to be laughed and jeered into Hell He is so wise that he doth outwit the Devil himself he doth get so much wisdom by his acquaintance with God that God will reveal many of his great secrets to him I know one my self that was little different from those which are commonly called Naturals whom when the Lord had wonderfully wrought upon and brought near to himself after his converse and acquaintance with God his very natural understanding was exceedingly refined and afterward he became more discreet and fit to manage worldly affairs But however this be I am sure the knowledge of God gives understanding to the simple A good under standing have they which love the Lord and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Converse with men of wisdom doth not a little improve a man but converse with the wise God it makes a strange alteration indeed they are made wise unto Salvation Of such as these David thought it best to make his privy Council These are the persons that are the fittest to advise with in businesses of the greatest importance in the world they have learned the art of managing the affairs of greatest concernment with the greatest care and prudence I know the wise world usually look upon these persons as the veriest fools living To converse with God to take all possible care to make their calling and election sure to do what one can to be happy for ever goes amongst them for a ridiculous thing and more then needs But it is no great matter they will not be beat from their work thus they should be fools indeed if such things as these should make them turn their backs upon God they will not be jeer'd out of Heaven they pass not upon mans censures He is wise that God calls so and he will be sound to be a fool which God faith is so As for the man that is acquainted with God all his actions speak him a man of prudence one that hath a deep reach with him he is a man of an excellent foresight he sees the clouds a gathering a great way off the storm before it riseth and he hides himself in him are hid the treasures of wisdom he makes no foolish choice he is a child of wisdom he doth in some measure understand himself and knows where his interest lies and is faithful to it he makes no foolish bargains when he parts with Dung for Diamonds Brass for Gold Earth for Heaven Sin for Holiness present short-liv'd Pleasures for sure everlasting Delights the Devil for God How say you ye mad Gallants that look upon the Saint as a Fool and Religion as a ridiculous thing Are these such foolish actings is it so undiscreet a choice to prefer Heaven before Hell If this be to be a fool I wish I were more such a fool if this be so contemptible a thing O that I may yet be more vile Let me say further as great a folly as it is there are none of you all but ere long will wish you had been such fools A few years will make you all of another mind when you see what those that you counted fools have got and what you with your wisdom have lost then let 's hear you calling them fools for chusing Christ for their portion and your self wise for despising him and chusing of this present world for your portion Now it is their being acquainted with God that hath made them thus wise time was that they were as very fools as any in the world till they fell into Gods company and ever since that they have acted with a great deal more prudence their being much in Gods company hath much improved them They may thank God for all that skill that they have attained to for he it is that teached them he is always at their elbow to direct them when they are about to be cheated he whispers them in the ear le ts them understand the fraud and when God speaks they lissen to his counsel It was no falshood which Seneca spake though he understood not the meaning of this Doctrine of Reconcilitation in the commendation of Wisdom Wisdom faith be is a great spacious thing it instructs us both in Divine and Humane things it teacheth a man how to demean himself in relation to things past present and
to come it informs him about things that are fading and things that are lastening and by it he knows how to put a true estimate and value on both this learns one the difference between Time and Eternity Thus far Seneca But where is this Wisdom to be found not in Aristorle nor Plato's writings The grand Maximes of this Wisdom were little understood in the Peripatetick or Stâ—ick schools Flesh Bloud Humane Wisdom improv'd to the height reveal not these things to us Where then is this Wisdom to be found and where is the place of understanding man knows not the price of it naturally The Depth saith It is not in me it can't be got for Silver c. Destruction and Death say we have heard the fame thereof with our ears There is talk of Wisdom in Hell there they can say what reports were made to them of the Excellencies of Christ and how earnestly they were offered to be instructed in the ways of Wisdom But in Hell there is Wisdom though the world of them which by their wisdom knew not God be there where then is wisdom God understands the way of it and he teacheth man wisdom and those that will come to him submit to his instructions may learn the Lesson is short yet learnt but by few he tells man that to fear and love his Maker and to be brought into Union Friendship and Acquaintance with God that is Wisdom and to depart from iniquity that is understanding Job 28.12.13 14 c. 10. Another effect of this Acquaintance with God is It will make a man rich As soon as any one is acquainted with God he is set in a thriving way Man at the first had his estate in his own hands and he kept up his Trade for a little time and but for a little time for though his stock was great yet meeting with the Serpent that great Cheater he was miserably over-reached and so sadly impaired in his Spiritual Estate that he broke presently and had not Jesus Christ stept in and bayled him and been his surety he would soon have had all his Creditors upon his back and have been laid up in that dismal prison till he should have paid the utmost farthing but through the kindness of Christ the grand Creditor had patience offers to make up the business to compound upon better tearms then the sinner could possibly expect Christ undertakes to heal the infinite breach to bring God and Man acquainted to set him up again in case he will but accept of the gracious terms of agreement and thus undon man that was before in a beggarly condition upon his return to God is set in a better way then ever God his Friend now takes such order for him that he shall be sure never to break again he will be his Cash-keeper he will have the oversight of all he will teach him such an art that he shall be sure to get by every thing that he trades in he shall gain by his losses grow rich by his poverty and drive the best trade it may be when he is forced to shut his Shop doors I mean in a time of a violent persecution Whatsoever losses or crosses come he is sure he shall never be undon as long as his Friend hath so great a bank he hath a key and he can go to an infinite Treasury when he pleaseth and fetch out supplies for any exigencies or occasions and when all those that made such a great show in the World and that were taken for Merchants that were exceeding well to pass shall be proclaimed Bankrupts and be found not worth a Farthing and be carryed to prison for debt then he hath mony in his purse coyn that will go currant in any Country In the mean time though he be thought to be worth nothing to drive but a pittiful poor trade yet when he comes to dye and when an exact inventory is taken of all that he is worth he is found worth thousands and no wonder when he hath such a Partner that will be sure to see that his business shall be managed to the best advantage and that he shall never be out of purse upon this account the man can't choose but thrive he will have something to show for his gains when others have nothing When the rich ones of the world shall be begging a drop of water he is at the fountain If we should take a surview of that mans estate that is acquainted with God you must lift up your eyes to those everlasting Hills you must look East West North and South all this is his things present and things to come mount up to the top of Carmel your sight is too short you see not the hundredth part of his inheritance all this is nothing he hath a brave estate in another Country he is rich in Bills and Bonds when he comes to age he will have no man know what falls to him and whence hath he all this wealth hath he not got every penny of it since he was acquainted with God But I shall be but brief upon this Head because I have handled what might have fallen in here before but the world laughs when I speak at this rate and think that I am much mistaken the godly man rich that 's strange what rich with scarce cloaths to their backs rich and fare so hardly rich and possess nothing this is strange wealth I grant it it is so for their estate is in invisibles it is not he that possesseth much but he that wants little is rich Will you call nothing riches but Gold and Silver and Houses and Lands is Virtue Grace Holiness no riches And will you call these little because he hath not so much trouble and vexation with his estate as some have is Heaven Glory the everlasting enjoyment of God nothing Is the possessing that which is more worth then a thousand worlds no riches If to have all things that are good for them If to have more then their hearts can conceive If to be filled with all Spiritual plenty be counted poverty let me be thus poor rather then enjoy the Revenue of all the Princes and great Ones of the World And what do you think of this you that are worth never a penny Are you desirous to have a great Estate you that go backward and get nothing would be set in such away as that you may be sure never to break Why then get acquainted with God and you can't but grow rich 11. Another glorious effect of acquaintance with God is that it makes a man like God which is the top of the Creatures honour Company is of an assimulating nature He that before was unholy and like the Devil by conversion to God and converse with him is made holy like God He that before was cruel fiery unmerciful by his acquaintance with God is made kind meek and lovely He that in his natural state was a Non-Conformist to the Laws
be men of a deeper reach and a larger understanding then others because they made it their business to get acquainted with God and thus to make their interest as large as Heaven and their peace and prosperity as sure as the oath of a God could make it Do you think that all these men were mistaken did their wisdom lie only in a prudent management of their worldly affairs to their best advantage what then did they mean some of them to leave all that they had so chearfully upon the command of God dare you say that they prized the favour of God at too high a rate as for their parts they thought they could never value such a friend as God too much What else was the meaning of their longing panting and breathing after him Why else are they so glad of his company his presence How loath were they to do any thing that might be in the least displeasing to him What bitter moans did they make if he did but withdraw a while if he did but a little absent himself from them how wonderful desirous were they of enjoying communion with him how earnest to live in his house for ever Dare you say that there were all fools and mad men for refusing the embraces of this present world for slghting its smiles and undervaluing its greatest kindnesses and choosing that favour of God though with the scorns and reproaches of the world rather then to hazard his anger whose wrath burns to the bottom of Hell Behold what a glorious company of these stand upon mount Zion with Harps in their hands with those hundred and forty and four thousand and the Lamb with an innumerable multitude of all Nations People and Languages Why all these were of the Friends and Acquaintance of God or else they had never had those Crowns Robes and Palms in their hands Now why should not our souls be as dear to us as theirs were to them Will not Heaven be as good for us as them is it not as needful for us to get a friend of God as them Will not God do as much for us as them if we will but do as they did walk with him The truth of it is the number of them which are saved is but few in comparison of the multitudes of them which know not God and go the broad way yet for all that take them absolutely they are abundance so many that the Scripture saith they are innumerable Do but read over the History of some of their Lives turn over the holy Records look sometimes into those Sacred Chronicles and behold how chearfully they served God how actively they followed the Lamb wheresoever he goes through thick and thin Hear what their language is now they are got home fafe now Christ hath brought them to glory and they are at their Friends house What do they talk of what is their discourse about do they complain what a sad journey they had of it through a howling wilderness after they had passed the Red Sea through a thousand sorrows and trials do they say that now they are at their journeys end they are weary and wish they had never taken so long and tedious a journey do they not rather speak the quite contrary and that if it were to go again they would do it with far more speed and chearfulness then they did Lissen hark methinks I hear them from the walls of the New Jerusalem crying out Come away come away fall on bravely follow your business gallantly but a little while longer and the City is your own fetch your scaling ladders run up apace mount the rampiers fear nothing though the Devil play his Artillery upon them yet it is but powder he shall never give you a mortal would resist him and he will flee and the field is yours the Spoil the Crown the Honour will pay for your pains bloud and danger Fall on brave souls fall on the valianter you be the more safe you are Methinks I hear those noble Saints encouraging of you to get acquaintance with God and saying to you that are yet afar off come near Come away poor souls come away what do you mean thus to delay O little do you think what a friend we now find of God it was but a little a very little that was told us of the excellency of Christ and the glories of this place to what we experience It was no false report that we heard when we was upon earth of the happiness of Heaven O here 's a prize worth the running for a Kingdom a Crown worth the fighting for an Estate worth the looking after We have not now our stint we are not dieted with those Spiritual Dainties we have not now and then a sip a draught a bit in a corner but we are at the fountain we are daily feasted with infinite pleasures our hearts are full brim full they run over we swim in an ocean of spiritual enjoyments these things are beyond your capacity now to understand Were we to live upon earth again and did we know what we do now know we should ever pine with our earnest longing for God the living God to be in his immediate presence and to be at that angelical work of praising serving and loving him for ever Wherefore brethren let us encourage one another Come let us go up to the house of the Lord his dwelling is in Salem his palace is upon mount Zion Why should not we go on as merrily in the paths of Wisdom as the wicked in the road of Hell How do the Devils Champions encourage and hearten one another up How do they laugh sing and roar as if their life were the only life for shame let 's tell them they lye in their teeth Who hath the best company they or we the Patriarchs and Prophets the Apostles and thousands of Martyrs are gone finging before some of our dear Relations Fathers Brethren and Sisters are newly welcomed by Christ to his Fathers house and they are blessing that rich mercy that hath conducted them to such a place to such a friend we have many thousands of Saints Militant that are going along with us as fast as they can and God himself will bear us company and why do we yet linger O that we were upon the wing O that our souls were like the Chariots of Aminadab O that the Lord would strengthen poor short-winded Creatures O that we could run and not be weary and walk and not faint O that we might have now and then a hearty meal and that in the strength of them we could travel to the mount of God! O that that acquaintance might now be happily begun which may never have an end O that God would visit us oft and get into our hearts O that he that gave those Worthies in former times so much grace would pour out of the same grace in abundance upon our souls O that he would shed abroad his love in our hearts O
for their profit I would desire no more of them than this O that they would but try what a gainful Trade Religion in it's power is 〈◊〉 The greatest Merchants that ever walked the Exchange if they be not acquainted with God and have not Christ for their Factor are but Pedlars to the Saint One that is acquainted with God gets more in one Hour in one Prayer at one Sermon in one Meditation then all the rich men of the world are worth put all their estates together One receives his peace the other his pounds the one hath by way of return a great deal of troublesome Lumber the other his Box of precious Pearls and a Jewel of an infinite value O little doth the laborious worldling think what poor and small gains his are when he gets most to what this Spiritual Merchant gets he would not fell what he gets sometimes in one morning for all the riches of both the Indies He trades in such Commodities which will not suffer dammage upon the Sea his Vessel is light and strong the Master of it never made a loosing voyage All his wares are unvaluable and though his ship be in many a dreadful storm though sometimes she be becalm'd though it be long before she return yet as long as she hath such Provisions within such a Pilot such Anchors she can't miscarry she will come into the Harbour Richly Laden The world will not believe this but I am sure there is never a man breathing but will sooner say that no gain is like the gain of Christ and Glory One return from Heaven one answer of Prayer one smile from God one look of love the head of one Goliah the death of one Sin one Soul brought home to Christ one drooping soul comforted is a greater mercy for all the ignorant world make nothing of such things as these than to be invested with the greatest Honours than to be possessed of all the Riches than to enjoy all the Pleasures that the whole world can afford But O were mens eyes opened were men within sight of those devouring Flames then they would believe that a Christ were worth the having Grace a Pearl that cannot be overvalued and that no Trade was comparable to a Spiritual Merchant no Art like that by which one may turn every thing into Gold But if it be the good of pleasure you look more after can there be greater pleasures than those which are in the presence of God Can there be any greater pleasures than to rejoyce in God and to be made welcome by him than to drink Flagons of that excellent Liquour which is better than wine Can there be better Musick than to hear so many Millions of sweet Voyces singing Halelujahs O there 's a Confort There 's Melody indeed If you desire that other good the good of Honesty a rare accomplishment perfection of Grace purity of Soul wherewithal shall a young man choose his ways but by taking heed thereto according to his word Well then lay all these Motives together and let 's see whether they will any whit prevail If the nature of the person with whom I would fain have you acquainted if all these admirable qualities that are in him if I may so call them may signifie any thing if all those glorious effects of acquaintance with God weigh any thing with you one would think by this time you should be well resolved If the danger of not being acquainted with God may make you afraid of standing it out if good or evil if peace or war if life or death If all this be as much as nothing what then is something If the frequent pleading of mercy if the blood of Christ have any voice if the expostulations of his Embassadors may be heard Why should you not then be perswaded If all this will not move you what can we say more If we could shew you Heaven and the glories of another world could we let you see the Face of Christ could we any way in the world reach you hearts and perswade you by any means to mind the things of Eternal peace we would do it with all our hearts If we were sure to get you with us and to bring you acquainted with God we could willingly come begging on our bare knees to you and beseech you to be reconciled to God We see that dismal day a coming and are grieved to think what a sad taking you will be in then we know the case will then be altered with them which will not be perswaded to be reconciled to God O what a woful condition will they be in which have heard or read these Sermons and yet for all that would not mind the looking after acquaintance with God! How will such wish that they had never been born or that they had their being in some of the dark savage corners of the world where they might never have heard of the Doctrine of Reconciliation being acquainted with God and union with Christ peace with their offended Maker rather than having heard of these things to make light of them O to hear of such a friend and to have him for an enemy to hear of Peace and to choose War to hear of Heaven and go to Hell this is sad indeed It would have been far better for such that they had never known the ways of God than after they have known them to go in the ways of Folly O that men and women had but such serious thoughts of these things as they will have ere long O that they would but believe Heaven and Hell and Eternity to be such Realities as shortly they will O that mens hearts were but affected with things as they will be when their souls are just a going or a little after they are in another world But O the miserable condition of the world O the lamentable state of Professors that make no more of the favour of displeasure of God! Nay may I not say O the folly of the Children of God themselves that are no more in Gods Company when they know they may be so welcome when they have rasted so oft of his kindness when they were made so much of the last time that they gave him a visit Are not men in a deep sleep that they do not hear Are they not blind that they do not see Are they not ignorant foolish and mad that they do not understand their interest any better It is not without good reason that the Spirit of God doth so oft cry out upon sinners for their folly the Scripture saith not in vain That there is none that hath understanding no not one No wonder that they which have but half a cure see men like trees that those which never hall a through work do not prize Christ O but that those which have been brought nigh by Grace who were sometimes afar off that such should be so much strangers for those that have met with such kind entertainment at his
stirring up of the Soul and awakening all it's strength to wrestle with God to lay hold upon God and to prevail with the Almighty and where are such as these to be found who is this that engages his heart in the service of God It is one thing to engage the tongue and another thing to engage the heart Men come to pray with a common Spirit and are many times weary of the work before they have well begun it what they do they do it lifelessly They can follow their worldly Imployments with life and delight They have Male in their flock but that 's too good for God a lame blind starved weak thing must serve his turn And is this the way to have the blessing Are such as these like to have any thanks for their kindness Let them try how any of their Friends would take such a present Now would you have the Blessing of Acquaintance with God you must wrestle for it and not let God go without it You must be Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord you must fight the good fight of Faith and lay hold on Eternal Life You must grasp about Christ as a man that is a drowning would grasp any thing that were thrown out to save him You must use all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure You must work out your Salvation with fear and trembling You must seek for Wisdom as for Silver and search for her as for hid Treasure Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God What excellent thing is there that is got without pains Whoever came to be an Exquisite curious Artist in any skil whatever that never served an Apprentiship to it nor at the least gave his mind to it where is there a famous Physitian that never studied in his life Who gets a Victory by sleeping and carelesseness Who expects to have riches drop into his mouth when he goes all the ways that can be to make himself a beggar Doth the Husbandman look for a good Crop without plowing or sowing Why then should we expect such great things as Heaven Eternal happiness and the favour of God without out looking after them Whatsoever the lazy formal professor may say the Kingdom of Heaven is not obtained thus there must be running watching fighting conquering holding fast holding out and all little enough it requires all the strength of thy soul to engage in this great work it requires some resolution to do such a work as every Christian must do or else his Religion signifies little Further it calls for some time too it is not a thing to be minded now and then by the by between sleep and wake when the Devil and the World have had as much service as they call for Were it for your bodies that I were now pleading were you like to get any great matter in the world by following of my directions could you be shew'd a way how to get a great estate honours and long life I am verily perswaded a few words might prevail much Why if you will believe the word of God I am telling you of other kind of things then these be greater matters by far and yet how little are Men and Women affected As if we spoke but in jest always when we spoke about things that did concern Souls How little time do men spend in their inquiry into these things Ask Epictetus Ench. c. 63. And he will tell you that it is a sign of a low Soul to bestow much time upon thy body and the thoughts of it and little upon the Soul to be long eating and long drinking and long a dressing and short in prayer short in the thoughts of the Soul and short in the service of God and that it is a sign of a base degenerate Spirit to be very curious about toys and inconsiderable trifles and to be negligent about matters of the greatest importance to slubber over the great works of Religion with the greatest slightness Remember O man thy great work it is to take care of thy Soul to look after a Companion a Friend for thy Soul to get food and cloathing for thy Soul that that famish not with hunger and cold To be indifferent in all externals is the greatest prudence but to be indifferent about Spirituals and Eternals is the greatest madness We are all Soudiers and must fight in such a War wherein we must never lay down our Arms. The favour of God is worth the striving for it is as much as Heaven and Glory is worth If your estate or life lay at stake would you not be willing to use all the interest you could to make the Judg your friend would you go up and down laughing as if you had nothing to do would you eat and drink as merrily as ever and say it is but dying it is but being a beggar it is but the undoing of my wife and children would you not look upon a man that should argue at this rate to be little better than frantick and I pray which is most considerable the death of the body or the death of the soul the loss of a temporal or the loss of an eternal inheritance Most mens diligence in Temporals will condemn their negligence in Spiritnals Christ said Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven the righteousness thereof but most men say I will seek first the Earth and the glory thereof and if God will give me Heaven and happiness after I have served the Devil and the world as long as I can I shall be contented to have it No such matter never expect it God must sooner cease to be than to gratifie you in this Wherefore do you think did David follow his work so close Why did all those Noble Worthies in the Church of old take so much pains Why should they not much stick to venture estates and lives too Will you condemn them all as guilty of too much curiosity and unnecessary preciseness Do you think that their labour was in vain Are all those disappointed who willingly parted with present things for future things I must tell you if you expect to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven you must do as they did Heaven will not be obtained now upon any lower Term than then Your Souls are as precious as their's and Heaven will be as well worth your minding as theirs and God will look upon you as well as upon them if you will value his favour as they did Never look to have God give you that which you will not thank him for What do you say after all this will you sit down before your work is done open thine eyes and consider what thou hast to do and then tell me if it be not the greatest folly imaginable to be slight in these Affairs O how can'st thou eat or drink or sleep whilst thou hast such a great work to do which is undone O give
who were very good Friends once to be bitter enemies this hath made the breach infinite the feud everlasting the wound incurable And this made the first Quarrel between God and man When man thinks himself too good to be but a man he must be a God he quickly is too had to be a man he is but one remove from the Devil To be a favourite of his Prince is not enough except he may step into the Throne it 's therefore high time for his Prince to remove such from his presence to a Prison from the Court to a Dungeon It was Pride that cast Adam out of Paradise and do you think that that sin is less hateful to God and less dangerous to man than it was five thousand years ago Did it then spend all it's poyson And can it now do no harm Do you believe that God will take that into his bosome now that formerly he abhorred to look upon Now sin hath increased it's strength and deformity and heightened it's enmity against the infinite Majesty of the holy Jehovah shall his hatred against it decrease will he be more willing to accompany proud aspiring Rebells now than then no such matter God is still as holy as ever and hates all sin especially pride as much as ever Do you think that it is for nothing that the word of God speaks so much against this sin Can it be that the Holy-ghost would say Prov. 11. That every one that is proud is an abomination to the Lord except God did indeed hate them Why should God threaten such so much if he took any pleasure in their Society though hand joyn in hand yet the proud shall not go unpunished Now we call the proud happy but shall we call him so when the day of the Lord shall burn as fire and all the proud shall be as stubble And the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord and it shall leave them neither root nor branch When the Lord shall tread down the wicked and they shall be like Ashes under his feet Mal. 3.15 4.1 3. There is not one proud man in Heaven I am sure Nor a proud man upon the Earth that shall have much of Gods acquaintance And let me say he that sets himself above God for that 's the Pride I mean whilest he stands in that state must never expect that God should look upon him with any kindness Heaven and Hell will as soon be agreed as God and such a one shall be united The proud now overlook others that are their betters and scorn their Maker but shortly they shall be paid in their own coyn they shall be scorned too If all the proud Nimrods Pharaohs and Belshazzars in the world should enter into a League and combine against the Almighty and say they will cast away his Cords from them and that they will never debase their noble Spirits so low as to stoop to his commands yet none of them all shall go unpunished They shall be like stubble before the devouring flames and like Chasse before a mighty whirlwind God is not afraid of their big looks Prov. 21.4 Prov. 6.17 Prov. 15.25 Isa 2.12 Luke 1.51 Jam. 4.6 God will cloath himself with vengeance and the mighty Jehovah will gird his weapon upon his thigh and march out in fury and Indignation and draw his glittering Sword and resist the proud and teach them what it is to bid defiance to the Lord of Host We shall soon see who shall be uppermost God or they And when the proud sinner lies conquered at his feet how doth he with infinite scorn look upon him and say behold the man is become like one of us This 't is for man to attempt the dethroning of the Almighty But it may be most may think themselves little concerned in that which I now speak wherefore I must add this one word Be it known unto thee O man whosoever thou art that think'st thou hast no pride I am sure thou art one of those that are in that black Roll which have proclaimed War against Heaven thou art the man that shall never be acquainted with God whilst thou art in that mind It may be thou maist speak Peace to thy self for all this and flatter thy self as if God and you were Friends but let me tell thee I come with heavy tydings in my mouth to thee If thou turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready he hath prepared for thee the Instruments of death the day of thy Calamity is near The dreadful Jehovah is upon his march and if you ask me whether there be not Peace for thee I answer as Jehu did to Jchoram what peace O haughty sinner so long as the pride of thy heart is so great and thy Rebellions against thy Maker so many There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Wherefore as you value your Soul as you tender your everlasting Salvation and desire to be owned by the Lord in the day of your distress take heed of pride Go quickly and humble your self and make sure your Friend labour to pull down every high Thought and every proud Imagination and let your Arrogant Spirit how before the mighty God there is no way will do but this as ye have already heard You must set the Crown upon the Lords head you must lay your selves at his feet and lick the very dust Your betters have done so before you and have thought it their honor to lye at the feet of Christ this they look'd upon as with good reason too as the first step to preferment If therefore you would be acquainted with God take heed of pride Secondly Take heed of a worldly mind What concord is there between Earth and Heaven What agreement between God and the World What delight can his Holiness take in him who had rather be wallowing in the Mud and treading of Clay then bathing himself in Divine contemplation that thinks it higher preferment to sit by his bags of Gold then to stand in the presence of his God a greater happiness to be rich than to be holy that had much rather be in a Fair Marker or Exchange getting money than with his God getting Pardon Grace and Heaven How pregnant is the Scripture of proofs for the evidencing of this truth to name one or two of a hundred Rom. 8.7 To be carnally minded is enmity against God For it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can it be What do you say to this Scripture Those which walk with God live in the world and yet they live above the world they all look for a City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God It was not for nothing that the Apostle John layes so strict a charge upon those which he wrote to That they should not love the world nor the things of the world For if any love the world the love fo the Father is not
for the cause of Complacency and Love is a likeness between the Lover and Beloved God doth not love us with a love of complacency till we are like him nor do we love God till we are made like God Now our beholding God and being acquainted with him is a great way to our being made like to God 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open faoe beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord. are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Thus you see that love is likewise required to our acquaintance with God without it no acquaintance I have in the first part spoken of the Nature of acquaintance with God in five particulars There must be First A Knowledg of God Secondly Nigh access to God Thirdly Familiar converse with God Fourthly Mutual communication between us and God Fifthly An affectionate love towards God The next thing should be to shew that man is to be acquainted with God but we will first take a review of these things We have taken these things into our understandings now let us set our hearts to these things for in these things is the life of Religion If there be acquaintance with God then gross wickedness drops off as scales from an ulcerated body when the constitution of the body is mended In acquaintance with God will be your only true comfort in this life and the perfection of it is the very happiness of Heaven Let us then behold till our hearts earnestly desire till our souls be drawn out after acquaintance with God If God be to be known to be approached unto to be conversed with by me will he communicate himself to me and I my self to him Oh that he would love me that I might love him Oh blessed are they that know him as they are known of him It is good for me to draw night to him A day in his Court is better than a thousand elswhere My soul longeth ye fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Oh that I were received into converse with God! that I night hear his voice and see his countenance for his voice is sweet and his countenance comly Oh that I might communicate my self to God and that he would give himself to me Oh that I might love him that I were sick of Love that I might die in love that I might lose my self in his Love as a small drop in the unfathomless depth of his Love that I might dwell in the eternal love of him This is acquaintance with God Acquaint now therefore thy self with God and be at peace so shall good come unto thee We now proceed to the next thing which is to evidence it to be the duty of man to acquaint himself with God This then is that into which the whole Scripture runs as into a common Channel The Scriptures are a discovery of Gods proceedings with man under a double Covenant and this is the great design of God in both Covenants The first Covenant was That while man did remain in obedience to God God would give man free and intimate acquaintance with himself But if man became disobedient then he should be dispossessed of an interest in God and of Communion with him which was that death threatned upon the eating the forbidden Fruit. The death of the body is its being separated from the Soul but the death of the Soul is in separation from God Now immediately upon Adams transgression man becomes unacquainted with God so that upon the hearing of the voice of the Lord they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord among the trees of the garden What a woful case is man naturally in He hath lost his acquaintance with God and was in a way never never to recover it upon Gods approach he flees And such is the nature of all sin it puts a man into a disposition to greater sins Every departure from God inclines towards a greater In the first Covenant this is the whole of it it is both a command to keep nigh to God and a promise of Gods being nigh to them and a threatning of Gods putting them away far from him man breaking the first Covenant The immediate effect of it was the sin of fleeing from God quite contrary to that acquaintance Instead of their former apprehensions of God they seem to have forgotten his omnipresence instead of peace with God they have nothing but dread and torment in the thoughts of God instead of drawing nigh to God they run away from him instead of converse with God they choose never to have to do with him more instead of giving themselves up to God they if it had been possible would have hid themselves from God Acquaintance with God is the sum of the first Covenant unacquaintance with God is the misery of the breach of the Covenant This is likewise the great design and purpose of God in the second Covenant The second Covenant is this When God beheld man in a miserable condition by reason of the breach of the Frst Covenant in the unsearchable riches of his goodness according to the eternal purpose of his good Will towards Man he made an agreement with his Son to send him amongst a generation of sinful Men that if he would undertake to bring them back into acquaintance with the Father he was willing and ready to receive them again into acquaintance with him the Son being the express Image of his Fathers will and person hath the same good will to man with the Father and is ready to close with his Fathers proposals and so enters into a Covenant with the Father to satisfie Divine Justice and to take away Sin and to take away the middle wall of Separation to recover a chosen generation and to bring them back again to God Thus he became the head of another Covenant between God and man And as the first Covenant was made with Adam for him and his seed So the second Covenant is made with Jesus Christ for him and his seed Because that the first Covenant was broken in Adam therefore the second Covenant was put into surer hands into the hands of the Son the second Adam the Lord from heaven Now I say that the great design and purpose of this second Covenant is in reference to mans acquaintance with God is clear This is held forth to us in that parable of the lost sheep Luke 15.45 When the shepheard had lost one sheep he leaves the flock and seeks for that which was lost So when man was lost by sin Jesus Christ leaves all to recover and fetch home that which was lost We are all gon astray like lost sheep as David saith of himself Psal 119. Christ is come to seek and to save that which was lost Luke 19.10 and Ephes 2.13 14. But now in Christ Jesus they who somtimes were afar-off are made nigh by the blood of
This is laid as a heavy accusation Job 39.21 For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction To choose iniquity rather than affliction is the greatest folly imaginable It is one great part of the misery of Hell that they never cease from sinning and this is the greatest misery on earth our being so much under the power of sin I appeal to any gracious soul that hath the feeling of the burden of sin what is it's great trouble and sorrow is it not because of sin What are his secret moans to God is it not the sence of corruption Oh wrethed man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death saith Paul Rom. 7. He had been complaining of the mass of corruption that did still press hard upon him and in the strong workings of his spirit against it he calls it The body of death It was as grievous to him as if he had been bound to a stinking rotten carcase How wretched then is the state of every soul unacquainted with God Who can do nothing but sin because they want the right rule of action a right pattern of imitation a right principle for action a right object for action a right end for action the only assistance of action It concerns us then as we make any difference between good and evil if we have any respect unto holiness and purity before sin and iniquity to see to get acquaintance with God because without acquaintance with God we are in a woful necessity of sinning 2. Without acquaintance with God we are in a necessity of misery Indeed sin is a great misery and to be in a necessity of sinning is part of the necessity of misery But besides that there is a necessity of misery of another kind What is the great imployment of men unacquainted with God Men labour in the very fire and weany themselves for very vanity Habak 2.13 This was the misery of men because they know not God But in verse 14. there is a promise of better days When the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Then and not till then will there be a deliverance from labouring in the fire when there is the knowledg of God The reason of it is because true satisfaction and peace cannot be till our desires and enjoyments are alike and this cannot be till the soul is acquainted with God For nothing can fill up the desires of the soul but God The soul of man is mighty spacious so that it cannot be filled with the world and while it feels an emptiness it still cryes out for more and cannot be filled till it be filled with the fulness of God Ephes 3.19 The prodigal son had nothing but husks to feed upon when he was gone from his fathers house he would faine have filled his belly with the husks but could not they were not food for the soul When we are departed from God we have nothing to feed on but the world and we would fill our souls with the world but cannot for it is not food for the soul Acquaintance with God is the food of the soul Job 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food So that a soul that is not acquainted with God is famished for want of food Psal 42.2 My soul thirsteth for God for the living God When shall I come appeare before God David was acquainted with God but for want of an actual enjoyment how doth he here breath out the trouble of his spirit As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God The soul is still panting Some pant after the dust of the earth Amos 2.7 These were of the Serpents seed whose curse from God was Dust shalt thou eat but the seed of Christ they pant for God they that pant after God shall be filled with the fulness of God but he that panteth after any thing besides God will never find any fulness he will feed as upon the dust of the earth And what can follow but dissatisfaction and misery Acquaintance with God is the only way to be freed from a necessity of sin and misery Fifthly Acquaintance with God is the duty of man because God himself doth acquaint himself with man Shall the King seek after acquaintance with the meanest of his Subjects and he refuse acquaintance with his Soveraign shall God acquaint himself with man and shall not man acquaint himself with God! It is expected among men that the inferiour should seek for acquaintance with the Superiour and not the Superiour to the inferiour but yet God out of his wonderful love hath sought first to man for acquaintance Thus Prov. 8.31 it is said concerning the son of God who is meant by the Eternal Wisdom of the Father that he rejoyced in the habitable parts of the earth his delight was with the sons of men If God thus delights in converse and acquaintance with the sons of men how much more ought men to rejoyce in converse and acquaintance with God Isa 65.1 God saith I am found of them that sought me not All men were departed from God and not a man that did seek after God there is none that understands or seeks after God yet God is found of them The good shepherd seeks his lost sheep before the sheep sought him Cant. 5.2 When the soul is asleep it hears the voice of its Beloved that knocks saying Open to me my sister my love my dove my underfiled Revel 3.20 There Christ saith to the revolting Church that he was ready to spew them out of his mouth Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will hear me and open the door I will come in and sup with him and he with me Psal 68 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Is it not becoming then that man should open when God knocks He seeks to dwell among the rebellious is it not fit that man should enter into acquaintance with God when God doth thus acquaint himself with man Thus I have opened to you the Nature of Acquaintance with God and evidenced it to be the Duty of Man to acquaint himself with God let us now make some improvement of this Truth USE 1. First Is there to be an acquaintance between the soul and God Let us then stand and wonder at the great condescention of God! This may surprise our souls with an extasie of admiration that God should dwell with man that the mighty Jehovah should have such respect to the work of his hands Psal 113.5 6. Who is like unto the Lord who dwelleth on high who humbled himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in earth The Psalmist admireth God that he humbled himself to behold things that are in heaven and how much
shall with Gods leave say you can find out any one in Heaven or in Earth that will be a better friend to you and stand you in more stead if in all the world you bring one that deserves better at your hands and is more worthy of your choicest love and acquaintance if I bid you to your loss why then let me bare the blame of a Cheater for ever And if after trial thorow trial and intimate acquaintance you find your self deceived and that it was not worth the while to give your self so much trouble why then let me be branded to Eternity for the veriest Lyar and Impostor in the world For my part I envy not men their happiness but I wish with all my heart that men would do that which may be most for their interest It was the counsel of Epicbetus none of the weakest men though a Heathen Make choice of that which is really most Excellent and if there be a Friend to be found better then thy God the first thing thou dost get an interest in him But consider whether there be not a contradiction in the tearms Better then the best it 's perfect nonsense I know it 's impossible for any one that hath right apprehensions of God to undervalue him Wherefore it is a grand piece of Religion to have clear apprehensions of God such can't but believe him to be infinitely Lovely Wise and powerful and to be obeyed in all things and all the reason in the world to acquiesce in his will who is so good and so wise such will place happiness in nothing below his favour Wherefore I think Plutarch was not mistaken who affirmed That mans life was given him of God only to get the knowledge of God But I shall be a little more particular in speaking to the excellent qualifications of him whom I would fain get every poor sinner acquainted with First He is the most loving and kind friend Poor ignorant Creatures that are strangers to him they talk at a mad rate concerning him those that know him not will be speaking bad and thinking worse of him but O did they but know what God is to them that are acquainted with him had they bur conversed with him themselves did they but see what entertainement he gives had they but been in his company and experienced what some have experienced had they but beheld how affectionately he imbraces them which come to him they would quickly say that it was a false report and wicked scandal that the Devil and the World which know not God had raised of him they would soon cry out that they would not for a world but that they had been at his house and that they have cause to bless God for the day that ever they knew such and such who brought them acquainted with such a friend they will never while they live for the future believe any thing that is spoken against God or Christ let who will speak it Is this the God they had such hard thoughts of Is the kindness that they did so slight Is this the friend that they were so loath to come to And thus an ingenious soul will even be ashamed that it should ever harbour such low thoughts of him whom now to their comfort they have found beyond apprehension kind Believe it Sirs you can't conceive what a friend you shall have of God would you bus be perswaded to enter into Covenant with him to be his wholly his I tell you mony that did somtimes think and do as you do now this is set light by Christ and hate God and saw no loveliness in him are now quite of another mind they would not for ten thousand worlds quit their interest in him O who dare say that he is a hard master Who that knows him will say he is an unkind friend O what do poor creatures ail that they do entertain such harsh sower thoughts of God What do you think there is nothing in that Scripture Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Doth the Psalmist speak too largely Doth he say more then he and others could prove Ask him and he will tell you in vers 21. that he blesseth God these were things he could speak to from his own personal experience and many thousands as well as he to whom the Lord hath shewed his marvellous kindness and therefore he doth very passionately plead with the people of God to love him and more highly to express their sense of his goodness that the world might be encouraged also to have good thoughts of him What Nation under Heaven can say they have not tasted of his goodness Psal 33.5 All the carth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Read over the hundred forty fifth Psalm and let us hear then what you have to say against God Some indeed may speak of the might of Gods terrible acts some that have despised his love have felt his power and justice as for these we cannot think them competent Judges in this case they will not it may be commend Gods goodness yet even they cannot will not condemn God of injustice but exclaim against themselves for their unspeakable folly in slighting his kindness when it was tendered to them But as for others ask them and they will declare the goodness of God they will abundantly utter the memory of his great goodness and sing of his righteousness Do but try poor sinner do but try come a little nearer and believe your own experience and if after a thorow knowledge of God and a real acquaintance with him you can say that his favour is not to be sought after his love not worth the desiring why then I have done I have no more to say I am sure if God were as the Devil and the world represent him to be in so many thousand of years among so many thousands and millions that have been acquainted with him and entertained by him some of them would have complained before this we should at one time or other have heard somthing against him Now I challenge all the world to produce me but an experienced solid Saint that when he acted like himself and after he had been in the company of God and had been seasted by him could say that he kept a short house especially could we but enquire of those that sit down at his Table and are always in his presence which of them all have a word to say against him but of that more hereafter No no it is in sinners themselves there lies the fault they believe the malicious father of lyes they easily credit the unexperienced ignorant world and how little reason you have to believe so malicious enemies before the Word of Truth I leave your selves to determine O why will you take up a slander against your Creator so easily Why will you receive such great things wherein your eternal welfare is concerned upon trust
such a friend may all say with as good reason as he that can keep me from all fears O for such a friend This is instead of all pleasures to me to think that God is my Father and to know that I have loved and obeyed him to the utmost of my power not only in words but in deeds this this is the pleasure here 's a friend indeed Now what do you say to all this is God to be desired Is his acquaintance to be sought after Can such a friend be too much valued The truth of it is I would not give a rush for any of your comforts which come not from a sense of our interest in Christ and which have not a solid foundation Scripture-cousolations It is not he that smiles but he that can look up to God as his and look into his soul and see things there in a good composure and kept in a chearful subjection to his maker and Redeemer this this is the state here dwells joys and comforts that deserve such a name This lower Region sometimes is stormy but above there is a constant calm Sen. And is God still to be slighted are his favours is his acquaintance little worth I know you can't be an enemy to comfort and joys why let me tell you here 's the Well of Consolation here 's the Fountain and all other joys which are drawn out of the Cisterns will ere long be dry Come away therefore poor soul and do not refuse such joys as all the carnal world can't parallel for their hearts And this is the next Motive taken from the consideration of the Nature of this Friend which I would perswade you to get acquainted with First He is a loving and kind Friend Secondly He is the most chearing comforting Friend Thirdly He is the most able and powerful Friend He hath all power in his hand and as long as he is but thy Friend who ere is thy Foe thou shalt never be overpowred never be crushed Thou mayst challenge all the Devils in Hell and all his instruments upon earth to do their worst God is on thy side thou needst not fear Thou art in thy self a poor weak Creature easily conquered and broken by a thousand enemies but if thou hast a God to fly to thou also mayest sing as well as those did Isa 26.1 Thou hast a strong City salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks No wonder then if every wise man think it abundantly worth his while to secure this great Priviledg to himself that God may be his friend This is his best hold his One thing necessary verse 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of God all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple Sin the World and the Devil may tempt a sinner but they can never guard him from the power of this Great and Almighty God And now you that are contented to live as without God in the world let me request you to consider Canst thou spread out the Heavens as a curtain or cover the Sun with darkness Canst thou call to the Lightnings and will they answer thee and say here we are Shouldst thou speak to that hasty Champion and command him to stand still one quarter of an hour would he obey thee If these things be too much why dost thou boast that art but a worm Alas poor sinner when this great God appears in judgment thou art not able to deal with a Fly or a Frogg O then Is it not good prudence for all the sons of men to come and agree quickly with this Adversary while he is in the way for whoever goes on in an Enmity and Rebellion against this Lord of Heaven and Earth shall not prosper but be sure his sin shall find him out And this is another qualification of this Friend which I would commend to your acquaintance he is an able Friend First he is the most kind and loving Friend Secondly he is the most comfortable Friend Thirdly he is the most able and powerful Friend Fourthly he is the most active Friend He commands his to be diligent and industrious alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord surely he will not be slow If the inanimate creature such as the sinner resolveth as a strong man to run his race how active then must the maker of that sinner be if he command him not to deal with a slack hand surely he himself will not deal with a slack hand should you behold this friend of yours riding upon the wings of the Wind and making the clouds his Chariot would you not say O how swift O how active is this glorious friend of mine the feet of this beloved One are as Hinds feet for the good of his friends Yea his very eyes run too and fro through the whole world for their good he keeps constant watch and ward about them and he that can injure any of his our of his sight shall go unpunished Esa 27.3 The Lord speaks this under the Metaphor of a Vine-Yard and doth this great Husbandman neglect his Vineyard doth he not Digg Manure and stone it and keep out the wilde Boar and Foxes Doth he not prune it and tender it charily I the Lord do keep it night and day none shall come into it to gather the Fruit of it without lay leave I will water it every moment So that you see what pains God takes for his Do you believe this friend sits in Heaven and looks down upon the Earth for nothing Be not deceived O sinner that wilt not be perswaded to get reconsiliation with this Great and Holy Majesty The Lord is not slack concerning his comming as some account slackness Let his stay be never so long when he comes to judg the world it will be before the sinner looks for him Indeed there is nothing that a wicked man more pleaseth himself with than the thoughts that it will be a long time before God and he meet but he little considers that a Thousand years are but as One day compared to the dayes of Eternity Now by faith these things are made real to the considerate Christian and as for the supplying of his wants he knows if he comes at midnight to borrow bread of him he will not put you off with this excuse that he is a Bed and cannot rise from his Children but will presently help makeing their necessity his own opportunity to give them what shall be convenient for them as knowing that let the wind sit in what corner it will it shall fit their Sails and bring them nearer the Harbour The worlds friends are infinitely below this Friend One hath chosen Silver and Gold and a great Estate and such a one in the worlds Kalender may be writ down for one of the wisest in his Choyce Well le ts us see now what this friend can do for you
your body is on the Rack your hands are weak your leggs tremble your stomach fails your sleep departs from you Where is now your friend call for him speedily come let us now see if he be a friend indeed let us see it can he give you one hours sleep can be help you to one moments rest can he give you no refreshment no help Take him lay him by you on your O its so heavy I cannot endure it lay it in your bosome O I cannot breath for it take it away take it away it will not do why Sir do you know what you say It is your old friend which you valued above God himself it is a bag of gold I know it I know it it presses me down it is so heavy I cannot bear it away with it away with it And is this the friend you prized so very highly Is this all the kindness that he hath for you now Is this all the help he can give you at such a time when a friend should stand one in some stead Were you not told as much long ago how you should be served at last Fifthly He is the most Humble and Condescending Friend he doth not scorn to be acquainted with the meanest the Beggar may be as welcome to him as the Prince The Poor and Rich are all one to Him he takes as much notice of Job on the Dunghill as David on the Throne He knows any of his Friends in Raggs as well as in Silks in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins as well as in Scarlet and fine Linnen Look up poor Creature and see what a Priviledg thou hast God himself the King of Glory is willing to be acquainted with thee what sayest thou to this Doth not thy Heart leap within thee for joy when you consider the Infinite Goodness of God that Reveals these things to Babes which are hid from the Wise and Prudent Even so Father for it hath seem'd good in thy Eyes That 's a strong Expression yet he spoke it that cannot Lie Therefore O you Humble Ones that value the Favour of this Friend Hear and Read it and make the Best of it It 's Yours feed upon it It 's a sweet hit indeed Is 66.1 2. Thus saith the Lord Heaven is my Throne and Earth is my foot stool where is the house that ye will build me and where is the place of my rest for all these things hath mine hand made and all those things have been saith the Lord but to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word I shall have occasion hereafter a little to open these words under another Head wherefore I shall now but name it O what encouragement is here for the most despicable Creature in the world that may be as happy in the acquaintance with God as the mightiest Lord in the World Here 's one that will not be ashamed to own thee when others will take little notice of thee Thou thinkest these things strange it may be and so they be indeed but yet not more strange then true In doth not a little engage the affections of the meaner rank if a person of quality do but give them a kind look especially if they may have freedom of access to him O what a priviledg they count it but such a one to undertake the whole managing of a poor mans affairs for him to come to his house and to look into his cupboard and to take care of supplying all his wants and coming frequently to him and supping with him and he with him and to make a great provision for him as if he were a Prince where is such a thing as this heard of but if such a thing were it were a light matter in comparison of what I am speaking Where do we ever read of a great Kings sending Embassador after Embassador to a poor beggar What history doth record such a story at this that a great Monarch should make earnest suit for many years together to a worthless slave that he can hang when he will that hath not a rag to her back to make her his Queen this is rare indeed this is beyond president among men but yet it is that which the great God doth not disdain to do Nay let me tell thee whosoever thou art remaining in a state of Nature that readest these lines that at this very time God is doing no less then all this comes to for thee and I in the name of my great Master do come to expostulate the case with thee that God that gave thee thy breath and can take it away as soon as he pleaseth that God that made heaven and earth to whom all the Nations of the earth are but as the drop of a bucket to the vast Ocean who holdeth the Sea in the hollow of his hands that weigheth the mountains in scales and the hils in a ballance that God that hath no less then a heaven to reward with and a hell and everlasting flames to punish with he it is that doth by me beseech thee to be reconciled unto him he it is that would be your Friend your Acquaintance O unheard of mercy O infinite and unparallel'd condescention I have oft thought there are two great astonishing wonders in the world The one is Gods infinite mercy and condescention to rebellious apostatized man and the other is mans insensibility and ingratitude that there needs such a stir and so many words to perswade him to close with this wonder of kindness and that so very few should be prevailed with See this set forth to the life in Ezek. 16. Isa 1.2 3. Psal 11.3 4 5 6 7 8. The Lord is high above all nations and his glory above the heavens Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and the things that are in the earth he raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifted the needy out of the dunghill that he may sit with Princes c. The Psalmist therefore had no small reason to cry out with admiration Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him What is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him Psal 144.3 Job 17.17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thy heart upon him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment Behold his Majesty and yet how he stoops Nahum 1.4 Psal 18. Job 37 38. an 39 Chapters Isa 40. Psal 138.6 Though the Lord be high yet hath be respect unto the lowly but the proud he knows afar off That which Seneca Epist 17. the Moralist speaks of Wisdom may be said of God Epist 61. It is lawful to come to him without rich attire and great attendance come naked and you
he is coming he is coming he will be here quickly he will not tarry he is at the door Contemplate somtimes on these things and a little antedate that Glory by Spiritual mediation do but think what a brave sight that will be to see the mountains covered with Chariots of fire and Horses of fire when the heavens shall bow before thy friend and the earth shall melt at his presence and yet thy heart not faint within thee when the King shall come in the Clouds to fetch his Friends to his own house where they shall dwell for ever This honour have all the Saints Eleventhly He is a suitable friend It is suitableness that sweetens Society I can easily believe a poor Country Peasant can take as much content in the company of a poor man like himself as in the Society of a Prince an unlearned Country man is no way fit to convers with Courtiers and States-men the vastness of the distance would so much swallow his mind and the unsuitableness of his Spirit to such company takes off that content which otherwise he might enjoy But yet in Spirituals though the distance between God and man beyond a possibility of our conception and the disproportion infinite yet the Soul of man being immediately from God and Spiritual like God and having a Divine new Nature infused into it by the Spirit in Regeneration it finds an infinite suitableness pleasure and content in the injoyment of Gods presence and it is not sunk but raised by an Union converse and Society with it's maker The truth of it is did man but understand his own Original aright he would think it infinitely below his noble Parentage to converse with and have intimate delightful Society with any but God and those which bare the same relation to God with himself or to bring poor strangers acquainted with him as well as themselves There is not a match upon earth fit for the Soul of man to be matched to but in that other Country there is a match indeed every way suitable a Spirit for a Spirit and everlasting God for an everlasting Soul a precious Jesus for a precious Soul a holy God for those which he hath made holy like himself and that is none of the least of mans happiness that notwithstanding that infinite distance that is Naturally between him and his God yet that God should make in his Creature such Noble Dispositions and such Divine Qualifications that there should be the greatest suitableness in the World between God and the Soul and the Soul and God and they both take wonderful content in the enjoyment of one another This is in part here but compleated in Glory This we may find oft in Scripture expressed in the nearest Relations and dearest Affections Hence God is said to be a Father and they his Children a Husband and they his Spouse Now what greater suitableness can there be then between Father and Children Husband and Wife God is also said to delight in them and they in him to rejoyce in their company and they in his and how could this be except there was a suitableness in them one to another Their wills are suited what God wills they will and what God loves they love and so what they love as his Friends God loves one doth not thwart and contradict the other O how sweet then must the company the communion of such Friends be O were our hearts as they should be were we more like God we should quickly experience the unspeakable joy of our Souls how suitable a Friend he is to a soul we should soon find that as clay and stones are as unsuitable sood for the body so the world is unsuitable food for the soul to feed on and that it is God alone that can fill and satisfie the vast desires of it O I say again were we but as we came out of our Makers hands or rather were we trimmed up in our eldest brothers Robes and brought into the immediate presence of this great King where we set before that glorious Throne where the infinite brightness of his Majesty shines so that the Angels themselves do vail their faces before him yet for all that we should not long stand silent as if the place and company were unsuitable to us it would not be long before we should carry it as those that were nearly related and had intimate acquaintance with him that sits upon the throne O the unspeakable sweetness that will be the enjoyment of his company no tediousness no irksomness at all upon our Spirits We shall quickly understand our work our priviledge O infinite goodness O boundless love O let me be always solacing my soul in the contemplation of these things O let the very thoughts of them be a Heaven upon earth to my soul but here O here 's the grief while we are here in a strange Country there is somthing in all the poor fallen children of Adam nay in those of them that are recovered and by grace brought into a re-union with God there is I say something in God unsuitable to them and in them unsuitable to God and this O this makes our lives so uncomfortable but convers with God will wear off a great deal of that When thou comest to lay off thy rages and to put off thy old suit and to put on that new one that is making for thee I mean after death when thou comest to glory thou wilt find the case strangly altered with thee In Heaven there will be a perfect Harmony Suitableness and Agreement between God and thee for ever and thou wilt take infinite complacency and delight in him and he in thee And thus shalt thou spend Eternity in unconceivable joy delight and pleasures This is Heaven a perfect suitableness to God and enjoying him for ever O when when when shall it once be Come Lord Jesus come quickly Come O blessed Father by thy Spirit and burn up what is unlike thee O create a greater suitableness between my Soul and thee O come thou down to me or take me up to thee O could we but talk with one of those happy Creatures that hath been in the very presence of God in glory and should we ask him whether he were not weary of the same work of the same company the same place what answer do you think he would make you No more weary than a man upon the Rack but just before would be of perfect ease no more then a healthful hungry man is of eating no more weary than the Sun is of running than the Fire of ascending or a Stone of falling towards the Center Sen. Epist 10. I know not where I had rather be then with him I was once upon Earth as you are now and now I am in Heaven and in neither of both these places can I find one that I can take more delight in then God I must say as he Psal 73.24 Whom have I in Heaven but him and there is
the difference between good and evil finite and infinite time and eternity Who is it that David goes to for counsel when his politick Enemies combined against him where doth he advise who brings him out of all his intricacies Is it not He that I am perswading you to go to who was never out-witted who can easily turn the councel of Achitophels into foolishness It is he who can infatuate the great Sages of the World and make them weaker then children in their Counsels And this is he who will be a constant Councellor to all those that are his friends his acquaintance Seneca Epist 41.81 gives excellent counsel indeed which if we will precisely follow our matters can't but succeed Art thou never in any straights are all thy affaires carryed on with so much prudence both as to time and eternity that thou standst in no need of advice Art thou sure that this will always be thy condition If not why then wilt thou not be perswaded to strike in here Why if you will believe them which to their comfort have tryed him again again it is your unspeakable interest and wisdom to get God for your Friend then what soever you do shall prosper by his advice a poor Christian can out-wit all the policy of Hell and shew himself more wise than those which call himself Fool and count him mad Psal 73.24 David durst trust none else to guide him but with his conduct he doth not fear but that he shall come sase to his journeys end Thou shalt guide me by thy counsels and bring me to thy glory And again he saith by the help of this Counsellour he was wiser than his treachers Psal 119.18 Here therefore what you had best to do as matters stand with you Prov. 4.11 He will teach thee in the way of wisdom he will lead thee in the right paths When thou goest thy steps shall not be straightned and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble c. 1 Cor. 1.15 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men That which looks most contemptibly if throughly understood will be found to have more depth in it than the wisest men of the world can reach To choose such a friend this is wisdom this is prudence The godly man knows that he hath a great cause to be decided ere long and it will be no lost labour to make the Judg his Friend Well what say you sinners is this considerable that I do now propound or is it not Can you plead your own cause can you clear your title to glory without him if not be well advised before you slight such a motion as I now do make to you 13. He is an immortal Friend I that 's a Friend indeed If one friend could be sure to live just as long as the other and were friends sure never to want the advice comfort society and help one of another it would not a little advance the worth of a friend But where is such a one to be found What Histories can give us an account of such amities Let persons be united in never so close an union conjoyned in the fastest knot that nature can tie yet death will First or last dissolve it So that sometimes I have been almost of this mind as to all worldly friends considering them abstract from God for grace in any friend doth unspeakably sweeten the relation and such a relation will not dye if we compare the shortness and uncertainty of possessing and the bitterness in losing with the sweetness of enjoying that it 's somwhat difficult to resolve whether such short-liv'd comforts are worth the looking after Not but that I think a friend a true friend a great mercy and much to be desired but really if our affections be not for Gods sake if our love be not regulated by Religion I can easily believe that the bitterness in losing doth over-ballance the pleasure in enjoying And who would much trouble himself to get that with care which must be possest with fears will be parted with with tears All wordly enjoyments will serve us thus When we expect most from them and please our selves to think what content we enjoy in them ten to one if God love us but that he either imbitters or takes away that comfort from us One faith I had a dear Husband such a one as never woman had but he is dead I have lost him Another saith I had a precious Child a Brother but he is gone And every body will be in this note first or last And if the case be thus who would be so foolish as to let out the strength of his soul upon that which he may soon be deprived of But here here 's a friend whom you need not fear over-loving or losing a never dying friend one that will be sure to out-live you Ar. Epict. 1.3 c. 22. Say of what you will that it is mortal and you have disgraced it enough for how can that he of any great worth which can die and when I have most need of it I may want but this can't be said of God he only is Immortal and not subject to changes As for the favour of Princes and great Ones at the best it is but an uncertainty for it may be all thy hopes are bound up in this life and that hour which puts an end to his dayes puts a period to thy comfort But it is another kind of friend that I would have you acquainted with O why do Christians dote upon that which is so short liv'd Make but choice of this friend and you shall never say of him he is dead I have lost him Wherefore put not your trust in the Son of man in whom there is no help for his breath goeth forth and he returneth to his earth But happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope and love is sixed upon the Lord his God which made Heaven and earth c. That God who is called the Living God Psal 146.3 4 5 6. 14thly He is a present friend a friend that is alwayes in all places Mans condition may possible be such as that he may be deprived of the company of his dearest worldly relations he may be sequestred from the society of his most helpful and necessary friends How oft have the dear children of God been clapt up in Dungeons not only from the sight but from the knowledge of their most affectionate acquaintance It 's no unusual thing for them to be banish'd from their native Country Wives and Children among Savage Men and beast they have no man to make their complaints to but such as will increase their sorrows How frequently may they be in such a condition as that they may not see hear or speak to any friend what Bolts and Bars what Walls and Guards to keep them from them which if they could not free them from yet might in some measure alleviate their misery But now
hath no desire again to be inslaved but doth with the greatest detestation reject all the proposals and promises that the Devil makes to bring this business about he knows Satan too well to love his service he remembers that all his pay was promises and no more he remembers that he fed him with poyson and made him do that which had like to break his bones and undone him for ever he sees what Satans designs were and what had become of him quickly if he had gone on in his service he believes chains to be chains though they be of Gold believes that poyson will kill him though it may be sweet in the mouth he hath now such a sence of the evil and baseness of sin as being so infinitely loathsome to God as that he hates it with a perfect hatred he hath a will in some measure conformed to the will of God and what his friend the Lord loves he can't hate and where his God hates he can't love Psal 139.22 Do not I hate them O Lord which hate thee and am I not grieved with them which rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Now what is it that stirs the Psalmists choller so much Why he had been working upon his own heart in the former part of the Psalm the doctrine of Gods omnisciency and goodness and by meditation upon this subject he was brought under a lively sence of the greatness of Divine kindness and while his heart did thus muse the fire burnt his soul was in a flame against sin verse 17. How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God! O when the soul hath sweet thoughts of God it will have sower thoughts of sin When the soul loves God dearly it can't chuse but hate sin entirely None behold such deformity in sin as those which behold most beauty in God Hence it is that some of the people of God have nay all of them which are really acquainted with God are of the same mind counted it more desirable to leap into the flames then to venture upon a known sin It was no untruth in the absolute position though falsly applyed by Job's friend that it is a great wickedness to choose the least sin before the greatest suffering Job 36.21 What was it that made Paul so weary of himself what burden was it that made his back so ake what pains caused those bitter groans Rom. 7. was it not sin and why did not Paul groan before as well as then was it because he then had no sin at all or less sin then when he made that bitter complaint no such matter but because he had then less acquaintance with God But now he is become acquainted with God the more he doth abhor himself for sin He now knows better then he did his eyes are opened and he sees sin in its colours and he looks upon it as so great an evil that he doth want words to express the odious nature of it therefore because he can't find a worse word he calls sin by its own name Sinful Sin which he thought a more significant Epithite then if he had called it Devillish Sin What makes the children of God to be so weary of this world and so desirous to be upon the wing why it is because of better acquaintance else where they know that then they shall put off that carrion that now they carry about with them Sin I mean which like a dead carcase bound to a living doth now stink so abominably in their nostrils they know that then they shall have a sweeter smell and themselves also smell more savoury in the nostrils of God They know that poverty shall be swallowed up with riches want with fulness sin with holiness misery with happiness they have an inheritance a City wherein dwelleth righteousness and nothing that is unclean shall enter into it and when they come thither they know the case will be altered with them and that though now they bare about with them a body of death and sin yet then they shall have a body as pure as bright and glorious as the Sun they shall be presented by Christ to the Father without spot or wrinkle or any such thing He knows that as long as he is thus sullied by his sin his great friend will not take so much pleasure in his company Isaac and Ishmael the Ark and Dagon God and Sin can't dwell in the same heart therefore he desires to have less of sins company that he may have more of Gods none of sins company that he may have always Gods company Observe that constantly in your own experience and others those which walk most close with God are most tender as to the matter of sin and those which are less in converse with God are more bold in their venturing upon sin and after it is committed they have less regret What is the reason that one can swallow any thing almost and another is afraid of the least appearance of evil he hates the garment spotted with the flesh he is as fearful of cloathing himself with wickedness as of putting on the garments of one that hath had the Leprosie or Plague upon him he hates vain thoughts because he loves God and his laws Ps 119.104.113 3. Another glorious effect of Acquaintance with God is that it makes one to have very low and undervaluing thoughts of the world When the Saint hath been with Paul raised up to the third Heaven when he hath had some intimate converse with God he can look the world into almost nothing nay if it stand in competition with Christ he counts it but as dung and dross in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord Phil. 3.8 he can then set a higher value upon the light of Gods countenance than upon Corn and Wine and Oyl It is because that poor Creatures know no better that they dote so much upon the world did they but know what it is to have one look of love from God were they but acquainted with the glory of another world they would soon disrelish every thing else nothing will down with them which have been feasted in Gods House but those royal dainties Taste the world who will saith the Saint give me but more Grace more of Christs company let me but maintain an intimate familiarity with God let me be but better acquainted with him and be more frequently refreshed with the smiles this is all that I desire upon earth this is all that I expect to make my happiness compleat in Heaven Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that I can desire in comparison of thee It was not without good reason that the Psalmist prizes the Commands of God above Gold and Silver it was no mistake in Solomon to count Wisdom more excellent than the finest Gold and more precious than Rubies That spiritual Merchant knew what he did when he
sold all that he had for that Pearl of great price he was sure he should be no loser by such a bargain Bring me a heavenly Creature that hath had a view by Faith of the Glory of Gods countenance that hath been in his company that hath been brought into his Banqueting house such a one I am confident can easily spare that which most keep such a fearful stir about he can spare the world for them which are like to have no better a portion Give him but more of those spiritual pleasures which he hath had in communion with God and he desires no more He can now speak it and speak it in good earnest that there is no comparison between this world and another he can now call this world a shadow and the glory of it grass and write Vanity Emptiness and Vexation upon its beautiful Face and contemn all its smiles and frowns and look upon its greatest Lovers as persons that deserve to be pittied rather than envied whose portion is so small whose happiness so short and whose misery and mistake is so great and dismal It is a common thing for men to declaim against the world and to say it is but a little muck it 's no unusual thing for its greatest Lovers to speak against it and say that it is that which passeth away but yet for all that they pursue it more than Heaven and are more earnest for it than the Salvation of their Souls and more troubled at the thought of parting with it than at the thought of their parting with God and the loss of it troubles them more than if we tell them of the loss of their souls Such as these will not say but that God is infinitely more to be loved than the whole world but yet if the World and God stand in competition they stand not long disputing which must give place the World hath the uppermost room in the heart But whence is this mistake How comes the Servant to Ride and the Master to go on foot Why is the world preferred before God Why hence it is men know not God they are not acquainted with his excellency the World is sensible he sees it he feels it he tastes it and so he doth not the things that are invisible And no wonder then that sense bares the sway the man wants Faith to realize invisibles he wants senses spiritually exercised But now he that knows God and is acquainted with spiritual things he hath quite another apprehension of the World and that not only from Faith but sometimes from a spiritual sense and he can say that Divine Pleasures Riches and Enjoyments do as sensibly refresh him yea abundantly more then ever the world did And when he hath been newly taking a walk in that heavenly Paradise he looks back upon this World with grief and indignation that he should ever love the world with his heart when there was one that did infinitely more deserve his love when there was a God Christ and Holiness to be loved that he should be such a child such a fool as to run after Butterflies quarrel for a feather hunt for a shadow while God Christ and Glory those great Substances lay by unregarded Now he grudges that any thing should have his love but his God his dearest Relations if they stand in Gods way must be run over despised hated That which the men of the world fight and kill and spare not to damn their souls for he sees now to be a pitiful worthless thing which can't defer Death a moment nor stand him in any stead in another world He is all for that coin which will go currant in another Country and if he be but rich in promises rich in spiritual relations rich in grace he takes himself for no unhappy man let the world speak or think what they will of him he doth not much pass upon it he believes that he is but a pilgrim and stranger here and if he meet with no great kindness it is but that which he expected The truth of it is he is almost afraid of the smiles of the world not being ignorant of this that whom it kisses it intends to betray he can't be overfond of that which in all probability will keep God and him at a greater distance and make his passage to glory next to impossible He reckons that it 's better being rich in grace then rich in purse and he that which lay up for his body and provides not for his soul is the greatest fool in the world Tell such a one as Moses of riches honours preferments he thinks them but poor sorry things for a man of Israel to be taken with and he will rather see them in the dirt then part company with his suffering brethren much less with God It is storied of Anaxagoras that he seemed to be very little concerned when his countrey was in a flame upon which being taxed by some he made this reply There is none of you all care more for your country then I do for nine pointing with his finger up to heaven Thus it is with the people of God let others talk of Riches and Honour but there is none of them all do value true Riches as they do but here 's the difference one thinks he hath Riches when he hath the command of a great deal of Gold and Silver the other knows he hath Riches when he hath Christ and Grace and can have good returns out of that other World And which of these are the wisest will ere long be seen One looks upon heaven glory as a shadow a fable and the things of this World as the only realities the other he looks upon Heaven God and Eternity as the greatest realities and most worthy of his highest valuation and the things of this world as flying shaddows which can't fill the arms of him that doth imbrace them And under this apprehension and sence of things no marvel that he doth prefer the substance before the shadow He believes with that Worthy that he was born for other things than to eat and drink and sleep or to take his pleasure or to get an estate he knows that the business in this world is to provide for another to get his peace made with God to contemplate Heaven and to get thither and therefore you must not count it strange that such a person as this is somewhat cold and remiss in his carrying on of lower designs he knows that the disproportion between Finite and Infinite Times and Eternity is no such inconsiderable one as the most count upon Again he hath more than once experienced this that the very joys and comforts that are to be had in the enjoying of Communion with God even in this world are unspeakably more intence and refreshing than the highest sensual pleasures in the world One that is acquainted with God will take the word of his Friend for true which word tells him that
whatsoever is presented to his sence the world and all that is therein must ere long be burnt up whereupon he thinks it no imprudence at all to hazard present injoyments for future hopes no folly to look after something that will bear the flame He thinks it scarce worth the while to be born to possess if it were a whole world except he were sure of having something after it that were better than what he met with here he had rather have one smile from his friend than thousands of Gold and Silver he would not for a world be to have his portion here though it be never so large a one he had rather by far be with Lazarus upon a dunghil than sit with Dives in a chair of State before the richest fare that the Sea or Air or Earth could afford him he would not change conditions with those which enjoy the most of the things of this world he can thankfully want that which most commonly makes its possessors miserable O could you but talk with a man that lives in Heaven while he is upon earth and could you but see and here how much he slights that which you adore Give me neither poverty nor riches but Food convenient for me is the highest that he dare pray for He had rather live in a smoaking Cottage and have God for his companion than dwell in the greatest palace and have the Devil for his Neighbour Counsellor Master When a man hath been in Heaven by contemplation though his body be upon the Earth yet the best part of him his affections his love joy and heart is still there Sen. Ep. 41. One that doth converse with God here he is indeed that earthly lump his body is below but could you see his thoughts could you look into his heart and see the inward actings of his soul you should see the man out of the world discoursing with God he sticks close to the company of his Friend He is like the Sun-beams who though they touch the earth yet they still abide there from whence they are sent and are most intensly hot nearest the fountain the Sun So the soul and thoughts of a child of God they may nay they can't but glance upon the world but it 's most vigorous spiteful actings are towards God the heat of its affections are abundantly more remiss and cool when they beat upon earthly objects He that knows what it is to have the company of God is almost ready to wonder how any one can be content with any thing below God and as for himself he takes himself for little better then a prisoner while his soul is pent up in a body which is so unwildly as to all spiritual employments till it be refined by the grave He would not be to dwell here for ever for a world though he might enjoy more content then ever any since the Fall did A Soul acquainted with God is a noble Creature indeed it scorns petty low things it thinks no Estate big enough for it but that which is infinite he looks upon himself as a Citizen of no mean City a Denizen of Zion a Free-man of the New Jerusalem one of the Royal Society over which Christ that King of Glory is the President his inheritance is greater than that which the Sun compasseth in its course O when saith such a one shall I leave these Cities of Cabul and dwell with the King at Jerusalem O when shall my soul be sasely ark'd O when shall I be upon the wing for Heaven O when shall I leave this body there whence it first came When shall I go out of this cell this cage O that I were once safe in Heaven O that I were in the immediate presence of God and might stand for ever before him and have his blessed society for ever ever Neither am I now quite without him but how little O how little is it that now I enjoy O when shall I enter into the possession of that better longer life I stay long for that separating or rather uniting hour which will separate my soul from my body from my dross but perfectly unite me to God Look then O my Soul upon all that thou seest below but as so many Inns and resting places for a Pilgrim to take some little refreshment in and then to be gone That day O my fearful Soul which thou sometimes fearest as my last is the birth-day of eternity O what mean we to love our prisons fetter-burdens What ad we to be so much pleased with our miseries and affraid of our happiness O this unbelief O were Christians but more in the company of God by Faith and Meditation they would look upon God as great the world as a very small thing He that knows God to be great sees every thing below him little It is an infallible argument of a Divine and Excellent Soul and one that hath Acquaintance with God when he can judge all beneath God as low sordid base and utterly unworthy of the respect of his soul 4. Another glorious effect of acquaintance with God is that it will ease us of all sorrows or cure all sorrows As soon as any one hath but a saving knowledge of Christ he is in such a condition as that he need not trouble his head with care nor his heart with fear no more then a rich Heir that hath a tender-hearted loving wise Father need not trouble himself what he shall do for bread and cloathing as long as the great cause of fear is taken away so long he is well enough As for those that are unacquainted with God they either are always afraid or have cause always to be afraid but as for a Child of God that Scripture bears up his Soul under the mightiest waves of fear There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 He that is in Covenant with God may in this world undergo some petty injures some insurrections may be made against him but this is his comfort he is sure never to be quite over-powered never to be finally conquered O the disquietments and fears that strangers and enemies are compassed with or will be And O the joys the security the true security that some have at what a rate do they live and how bravely do they die mark the perfect and behold the upright man for the end of that man is peace This was touched upon before when I opened the nature and qualifications of this friend and therefore I need say the less hear yet it being the great inquiry of the wisest how they may be sheltered from this storm What shall they do to be cured of these heart qualms How they may be freed from fears I shall not altogether pass it over in this place I can't but incourage poor strangers as they value the truest comforts as they would be free from fear and trembling when the Foundations of the Earth shall be shaken when the
Mountains shall tremble and melt at the presence of God the mighty God of Jacob when the Heavens shall be rouled together as a Scroul and be all of a flame Make sure of this Friend it is impossible that one that hath such a one for his friend should much be daunted when he hears of Wars and Rumors of Wars when the Pestilence rages when there are dreadful Earthquakes in sundry places and such distress of Nations and perplexities that the stoutest heart shall sink that hath not this to support Then a Child of God may lift up his head with comfort because his redemption draweth near There is a vast difference between a godly man and a wicked as to their affections fears joys desires hope The godly thinks long for that which the wicked wishes withal his heart might never be the Day of Judgment The righteous man is even delighted with the fore-thoughts of that the thoughts of which doth put a damp upon all the comforts of the ungodly he rejoyceth in that which makes his Neighbour to tremble As for death a gracious heart that hath kept his watch and maintained a sweet constant correspondency with God and hath had his heart in heaven and can look upon the great Jehovah as his friend can't be very much affrighted at his approach He is not much appaled when he looks out at the window sees this messenger making hast to his house and when he knocks at his door he dares let him in and can heartily bid him welcome he understands whence he comes and what his errand is though he look somwhat grimly yet as long as he comes to conduct him to his friends house he can dispence with that he hath more reason to speake it then he which did Plotinus Let me make haste away to my Country there are my excellent Ancestors there dwell my noble Relations there is the constant residence of my dearest Friends Tull. O happy will that day be when I shall come into that glorious assembly when I shall have better company then Homer Orpheus Socrat. Cato when I shall sit down with Abraham Isaac Jacob in the Palace of their Friend and mine O happy day when I shall come to my Fathers house to that general Assembly the Church of the First born to an innumerable company of Angels to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect A mans knowledg of other things may add to his fears and make his miseries greater But the more knowledg we have of God the less our fears and sorrows must needs be and when our knowledg of God is perfect all our fears and sorrow shall be for ever blown over I can't omit a brave speech of that noble Stoick which comes to my mind Ar. Epist l. 1. c. 7. If the acquaintance and favour of Caesar can keep you as you are made to believe from some fears how much rather to have God for your Father and Friend how little cause have such to be afraid at any time of any thing Death it self is not evil to a friend of God he may say come let us go quickly to our Fathers house our Father calls us And doth this seem a small matter to you believe it when you come to dye you will be of another mind then you will think that 's a cordial worth any mony that wil raise your spirits at such a time make you with a smiling countenance to passe into an everlasting state It is but a folly to expect that any thing in the world should do this for us but the knowledg of our interest in God It 's possible indeed to get some stupifying intoxicating stuff that makes a man to dye like a beast without any great horror the Devils shop will furnish poor dying Creatures with enough of that Nay he is glad if he can keep men a sleep till death awaken them but miserable is that man who is beholding to the Devil for his Cordials miserable is he who hath nothing to keep him from a Hell upon Earth but his own ignorance and the Devils word I promise you 't is none of the joyfullest spectacles to an inlightned Soul to look upon one that lived wickedly and died peaceably You would think that a poor man that is going to Execution had little cause to smile though he should Ride to the Gallows upon an easie going Horse or in a Coach The Swine is usually very still when the Butcher is scraping away the hair of his Throat in order to the Sticking of him It 's no unusual thing for a vile unsanctified sinner to leap with a mad confidence into eternity but he alone hath a soild peace who hath God for his friend This is the only man hath just cause to sing for joy when his soul is going into another world It was none of the worst counsel which he gave whosoever he was who said that it doth highly concern us seriously to think of terrible things which we must most certainly see ere long and to lay in such provision as may make us fit to grapple with them when they come O for that which will keeps us from crying out hereafter what shall I do wo is me I am undon were it so that there were such rare extraction to be made which would certainly prolong our lives as long as we would and make us always cheerful what striving would there be to get such a receipt O how would the great ones bring out their bags to purchase it at any rate How willingly would they mortgage all their Lands part with their richest Jewels to buy it yet how little will they exspend for that which if they had would prove far more effectual O would men and women but understand themselves and mind their business what sweet lives might they lead what a calm might there be constantly upon their Spirits How cheerfully might they live and how joyfully might they dye Tully saith that he and many others had been gathering the most powerful herbs that they could find to cure all fears but saith he I know not what is the matter the disease is still stronger then the remedy And dost thou not know O Tully what 's the matter why then I will tell thee One principal Ingredient was left out viz Faith in the Bloud of Christ and Union with God by vertue of that bloud He that is by Christ brought acquainted with God need not much fear griefs sorrows and such things Christ was acquainted with for him he hath unsting'd Death and sweetened the Grave all his troubles are now but as Physick the Poyson of them is corrected though the Pill be bitter yet it 's of his Friends composing and therefore you may take it without any turning away of your head Shew me a man said old Epictetus that is happy truly in his life and happy in his death happy in his health in his sickness
imployed in the great acts of Religion The more any one is acquainted with God the more delight he takes in the Ordinances of God as one of Gods Children he desires the sincere milk of the word before he was acquainted with God he found it far otherwise then nothing almost would down with him the pure word could not be relished except it was adulterated with flourishes of humane wit He had very little appetite to good wholsome Food his stomack was ready to turn at it except it were so cook't and sawc't and set out that an understanding man could scarce tell what to make of it What do you say to this you that are so faint and cold in what you do in the service of God Come a little nearer get better acquainted with God and you shall find such entertainment from him that you will scarce be able to keep long from his house get oft into his company and you shall feel your Soul strengthned with new spirits animated with a strange life Heat and Warmth You will not complain that the Sabbath is the longest day in the week you will not say what a weariness is it When will the new Moons and Sabbaths be at an end But you would think long till the Sabbath day come and when it is come the pleasure that you take in the work of that day would make you to think it the shortest day and gon too soon and when you have spent it in the most diligent attendance upon God you would wish it were to begin again or that you were to begin such a Sabbath that would never have an end This is the condition of one that is very intimately acquainted with God his nearness to his Master makes him to follow his work and he knows he shall lose nothing by it something will be coming in ere and anon which will more then quit his cost So that when God calls he is at hand and readily answers Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth When God hath any message any hot service to do he accounts it his great honour to be imployed in it and saith here I am send me I believe he that spoke it Ar. Ep. l. c. 9. might be a little confident when he said Lay what thou wilt upon me O God I have power to bear it it shall not be my Burden but my Ornament Yet I am perswaded one that is acquainted with God can say it and say it again in good earnest Lord what wilt thou have me to do wilt thou have me to preach for thee to run through Fire and Water for thee to dye for thee to go or come O Lord do but bare me company and give me strength and it shall be don I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me This is one of Gods Champions he watches he keeps upon his guard he fights stoutly he stands his ground in every thing he demeans himself gallantly he quits himself like a Souldier of Christ and that which makes him thus valiant is because he is so near his Captain Ask Epictetus what made Socrates do as he did and he will tell you l. 3. c. 22 It was because he was a Friend of God his Servant and partaker of his Kingdom This is strang Language of a Heathen but had he known what it was to live under the most lively sence of Gods love to have had such intimate converse with him as some Christians have had what would he have said As for the Saint that keeps close to God he keeps close to duty his work is to serve love and praise God this is his business both by himself and with others 7. Another excellent effect of this acquaintance with God is it will make a man Patient under all the dispensations of Gods providence in all conditions to be content in quietnesse to possess his Spirit Acquaintance with God will make him be at peace not to open his mouth against God whatsoever he lays upon him What was it that kept such a calm in Pauls heart when there was such a constant storm without him was it not his sence of his interest in Gods love though all the world were his enemies yet as long as Christ was his Friend he doth not care though men and devils be against him yet if God be for him he passeth not much upon it though men be never so unjust yet God will never be so that 's his comfort It 's a small matter for him to be judged with mans judgment as long as he is sure that God will acquit him he knows that justice it self will do him no wrong infinite goodness could not be unkind and that wisdom it self could work glorious effects out of these things which the world call evil if he do receive evil at the hands of God he is confident he deserves more if it be good and but a little he is thankful because he deserved none at all Let the worst come to the worst if all the Devils in Hell and all his instruments upon Earth should combine against him as long as he is sure of the love of God and that none of them all can pluck him out of the Arms of the Almighty he is not very much concerned Heaven will make amends for all whatsoever he suffers it is nothing to the displeasure of a God it is nothing to everlasting burnings He believes that if his persecutors did know what he knows they would as soon eat fire as do as they do therefore he rather pitties them then is angry with them as seeing that their day is coming How seldom have you eitheir Paul or Silas complaining of their sufferings How rarely bemoaning their condition And what is it that makes them so patient what have they to sweeten such bitter draughts Why God loves them and so long they do not much care though others hate them Mans frown can't sink a Soul to Hell nor his favour make one happy for ever It is but a little while and all tears shall be wiped away from their eyes The kindness and faithfulness of God is enough to make a man cheerfully to hold up his head when all the world is against him When the most Spiritual Christians do complain it is more of themselves then of their persecutors O my unbelieving heart O that I should love God no more O that my heart should be no more taken up with the great things of Eternity This is the condition which those that are most Spiritual are in Poverty Imprisonment Banishment and all these things which most call dreadful when they come to a man that is much in Communion with God they find him Patient Meek and Calm these are not the things which put him upon the rack God is his Friend and that answers all 8. Another glorious effect of Acquaintance with God is That it will make all our enjoyments doubly sweet He hath what he hath in love he need not be afraid of
before I leave you for ever I hope I should be contented to be trod in the dirt O that my heart may not deceive me O that my compassion to your souls were greater a thousand times greater O that I could never speak to you of such things as these without tears I must again and again profess I am ashamed of my heart that it is no more sensible of these weighty affairs But O mighty and glorious God if thou pleasest thou canst out of the mouth of a Babe and Suckling ordain strength O that thou wouldest make the worm Jacob to thresh Mountains O that thou wouldest make me of the most unworthy and weakest instrument in that bonourable Service of bringing home some Souls to thy self O if but any one Soul if but one Soul that was estranged from God might by these lines be brought acquainted with him if I might prevail with any other stubborn Enemy to lay down his weapons and be Friends with him I should think my pains well bestowed though if that will make you to regard it ever the more this work hath cost me many an hours study and it hath been interrupted with many bodily distempers groans and sorrows fears and sighs Yet if after all my travel I may hear of any Children born of God if I may meet but one soul the better for it by it brought to Glory I shall have abundant cause to blesse my God and to rejoyce that my labour hath not been in vain in the Lord. But if I might have more I should have more cause to adore infinite Goodness and rich Grace O my dear Friends O precious and immortal Souls What shall I say to you What shall I do for you O did you but know how hardly I fetch my breath at this time did you but see what a crazy Creature he is that writes to you did you but know how faint he hath been sometimes in speaking to you you would go nigh to pitty him O pitty your selves O pitty your own Souls that ere long must be turned naked out of your Bodies and hear the expostulations of a dying man that would gladly live with you in everlasting glory and meet you all among the Friends of the Bridegroom that I may see you among the Sons of God in your great meeting when the Father shall send his Servants the Angels to fetch all his children home to his own house O pitty your Souls let not all my pains be lost trample not under your feet the blood of the Covenant neither count it a common thing remember that the slighting of Christ is a dangerous thing the loss of his favour and the loss of your soul must go together O how shall I leave you How shall I part with you shall I go before my work is done What shall I say more What arguments shall I further make use of O that I knew what to say that I might prevail And are you still resolved to put me off with frivolous excuses Can you put off your consciences thus Are you still contented to be Aliens and Strangers If you are know this that I must leave these lines to bear witness against you Remember this that you were told of these things again and again Those that can forget Sermons here shall remember them hereafter if you be not the better for this discourse you will curse the day that ever you heard it it will be a cutting reflection when another day you shall say to your own Soul at such a time such a one did beseech me in Christs stead to be reconciled to God and I would not Cursed man that I was I made nothing of all the offers of Grace and Mercy I made little account of these intollerable Torments which now make me to gnash my teeth Hear O unhappy Creature that art yet alive Be not ye past hope O that thou mayest see thy sad state before it be quite past remedy O let me take up a lamentation for thee as one whose condition is beyond expression deplorable O that I could speak as affectionately to you as one did lately who spent his strength and life amongst you all viz. That I can neither eat nor drink nor sleep quietly whilst I think of the danger that precious Souls run every moment while they are unacquainted with God! O that mine eyes were waters and my head a fountain of Tears that I might weep day and night for poor Christ-less Creatures that laugh and are as cheerful as if no danger were near them whereas that dismal day approaches apace wherein they must bid an everlasting farewel to all their pleasures and lie down for ever under the scalding wrath of an angry God! O stand astonished O Heavens and wonder O Earth Here 's a man that had rather be a Beast than a man a Devil than a Saint that prefers Hell before Heaven that loves Death and hates Life Here 's a man that makes nothing of going to Hell Damnation is a thing that he jests with 't is but damning he saith But damning Is that so light a thing a thing to be laughed at Well if that damning be nothing never complain of it when you feel it If it be nothing never groan nor bite your tongue nor gnash your teeth for it If Heaven and your Soul the favour of God eternal happiness be such small matters never complain for the loss of them Well then belike you are pleased very well with your choice and you do choose rather to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a moment than the pleasures of Holiness which last for ever There stands a sinner that hears all this and frets and foameth at the hearing of it it 's a torture to his Soul to be within the sound of such Truths Why act like one in his wits If the hearing of Hell and damnation be so troublesome what will the feeling of it be thinkest thou But that I may if possible prevail I shall leave a few serious questions with you which I charge you in the presence of God seriously to consider of and to give a wise answer to these following Questions Quest 1. Are those things which you have heard true or are they not Doth not the Scriptures speak the same things which I do Dare you say that the word of Truth is False Do but open the Bible dip where you will what is that you read there Is it not something that hath a tendency to what I have been teaching of O that you would but give your selves the trouble of searching the Scriptures to see whether these things are so To what purpose do you think should we spend our breath To what purpose should we follow you with such exhortations if we had not some grounds for what we say If there be no such thing in the word of God why then do you not say so Why do you not shew us it if there be such a place that saith there is
undervalue the favour of God so as you do what reason have you thus foolishly to cast away your selves and to slight acquaintance with your Maker Let me plead with you in the language of a Reverend Divine R. B. of our own Look up your best and strongest Reasons and if you see a man put his hand into the fire till it burn off you 'l marvel at it but this is a thing that a man may have reason for as Bishop Cranmer had when he burnt off his hand for subscribing to Popery If you see a man cut off a Leg or an Arm it 's a sad sight but this is a thing that a man may have good reason for as many a man doth it to save his life If you see a man give his body to be burnt to ashes and to be tormented with Strappado's and Racks and refuse deliverance when it is offered this is a hard case to flesh and bloud but this a man may have good reason for as you see in Heb. 11.33 34 35 36. and as many an hundred Martyrs have done But for a man to forsake the Lord that made him for a man to run into the fire of Hell when he is told of it and intreated to turn that he might be saved this is a thing that can have no reason in it that is reason indeed to justifie or excuse it For Heaven will pay for the loss of any thing that we can lose to get it or for any labour that we bestow for it but nothing can pay for the loss of Heaven Read on in Mr. R. B's Call to the Vnconverted pag. 169. Do you still believe the Word of God to be true and the things contained in it to be the most weighty and yet will you still pass them over as if there were nothing at all in them Quest 4. My next Question that I shall propound to you and desire your serious and speedy answer to is this Do you believe that you can find a better friend then God can you mend your self any where else is there in Heaven or Earth any that can do as much for you as God can is there any one that can take you off when you come to be accused for High Treason against the King of Heaven and to be arraigned before that just Judge have you got that which will quit your cost in getting of it and countervail the loss of a Soul what is it that still hath an interest in your heart that is thought to be an equal competitor with God for your dearest love If it be indeed that which will shield you from the arrests of Death and the wrath of the Almighty if it be that which can shelter you from the storm of his displeasure if it be that which will do you as much good as Heaven and make you as happy as God can why then I have little to say make your best of it But consider well what you do first be sure that you be not mistaken have not many thought as you think and have found their mistake when it was too late Quest 5. Do you think that this world will last always with you do you not believe that ere long you must die and your soul appear before God and by him be sentenced to its everlasting state where is all the glory of those great Monarchs which despised God and oppressed his people what is become of all their pomp which of them that flourished three thousand years ago stand alive now in glory and are you better then they shall the worms which have made a prey of them spare you is Death more favourable now a days then he was before is not the world still as it was but vanity is not all flesh still but grass and the beauty of it as a flower that is cut down and withereth suddenly Well then this being granted that nothing is more certain then Death and that it is appointed for all men once to die would you not then be glad of something that will stand you instead after death a Friend in another world why then do you not speedily get acquainted with him who alone can befriend you in that dreadful hour Quest 6. What do you think will become of you if after all this you go on in your old ways what will become of you do you think if you should die without the knowledge of God what hopes hath you of life in peace if you bid defiance to the Lord of life and contemn the Prince of peace how shall you escape if you neglect so great salvation what do you think that those which did once as you do now slight Christ and never look after Reconciliation with God are now a doing in another world what would you do in this case should one come to you either out of Heaven or out of Hell how wonderfully do you think you should be affected with the Narration which they would give you of the affairs of the invisible world why then will you not now be affected with what we say for assure your selves whatever you may think our testimony is as true and hath a better foundation of credit then if one should tell you he came from the dead and speak to you of these things Quest 7. Another Question I would propound to you is this Are you willing to bear the displeasure of God can you undergo the weight of that wrath which made his back to ake who was mighty to do and suffer can you with any patience hear that dreadful word pronounced by the mouth of that Judg which will see to the execution of his sentence Depart from me ye cursed unto everlasting torment Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I know you not Can you endure without any trouble that scalding hot wrath which is abundantly more painful then Fire and Brimstone more intolerable then to be shut up in a burning fiery Furnace or to be boyled in a Caldron of melted Lead or whatsoever torments the wit of men or Devils can invent Can you with any patience bear the Stone Gout Tooth-ach Chollick or some such distempers of body which last but for a while O how long do you think the time when you are in that condition how do you toss and tumble what lamentable moan do you make do not you think you can't be too much pitied in that condition how then will you be able to lie down in those torments the least drop of which is abundantly more painful then the greatest torment that ever you felt in your life If these seem dreadful to you why do you not go the way to avoid them which is by getting an interest in him who hath the Keys of Hell at his gridle for there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus to them that are brought into a state of Reconciliation and Acquaintance with God by his Son our Mediatour Quest 8. Are you contented to lose everlasting
and shall not be able Mat. 20.16 Many are called but few are chosen And Luke 12.32 Christ saith his flock is a little flock And the Church complains of the fewness of her number in this Language Mic. 7.1 Wo is me for I am as when they have gathered the summer-fruits I might heap up abundance of Scriptures of the same nature all which speak this to us that it is not so common a thing to go to Heaven as most people reckon upon But yet if thou be resolved come what will come not to change your mind if after so many warnings and pleadings you still continue of this judgement I must speak a dreadful word Your blood be upon your own Soul I have blown the Trumpet I have don what in me lies to convince thee of thy dangerous state while thou art a stranger to God and to bring thee to a speedy acquaintance with him but thou hast after many and many a tender given in this answer that as for God thou dost not desire to be acquainted with him as for your marching with his Son it 's that which thou carest not for hearing of except thou mightest have his estate without his Soveraignty thou wilt not have him for thy husband except he will let thee do as thou list and run a whoring from him when thou pleasest Thou wilt not have Heaven except thou mayst have it without holiness and as for the invitations of God thou still makest light of them neither promises nor threatnings signifie much with you Well then when you find by woful experience what you have don know whom you must lay all the blame on I call Heaven and Earth to record and you your selves are witnesses that I have with all the pity and earnestness that I could for my soul told you of these great things but you think the flattering offers that the Devil makes to be more advantagious then those which God makes and his service to be preferred before the service of Christ and the friendship of the world to be esteemed before the friendship of God and the pleasures of sin which are but for a season you value before those rivers of pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore Now if you continue in this mind blame not me if you miscarry for ever you must whether you will or no stand to your choice Do not say but you were told of these things this is not the first time by many but it may be the last that you may ever hear for all that I know Remember you were once well offered Do you think that God will always bare with such unworthy abuses shall Gods Justice never be righted yes yes be not deceived flighted kindnesses will cost dear at last What have you yet to say for your self do you think that I mean you any hurt by all this except you count Salvation a wrong and kindness it self an injury But if all this will not do go then and make the best thou canst of all thy Friends let us see how well and how long they will entertain thee ere a few dayes it may be shall be at an end we shall hear how you like your choice when they shall turn you out of doors and tell you plainly they can do nothing for you you must shift as well as you can as for them they can't provide for themselves much less for you And then let 's see who hath made the best choice he that is acquainted with God and chosen him for his Friend or he that hath taken the world for his friend Let 's see who will do most for their friends when a time of trial comes When Heaven and Earth are all in a Flame when the Trumpet is sounding when the Judge and his Attendants Christ and all his holy Angels are coming when the Prisons the Graves are opened and the Prisoners are brought forth then let 's see who will have the chearfullest countenance he that holdeth up his hand at the bar or they that sit upon the bench with the Judge for know you not that the Saints the Friends of the Judge shall sit with him when he judgeth the world We shall know when the storm riseth whose house was best that which was built upon the sand or that which was built upon the rock O that people were now of the same mind that they will be of at the day of Judgement O that they would consider that if they will not now be at leisure to think of these things they shall be at leisure to repent of them hereafter Do not talk of scorns and reproaches and suffering what do you think that Heaven will not make amends for all that which is most to be feared the scorns of God or the scorns of men which will do you must hurt mans contempt or Gods where is the man that will be laughed out of a great estate because a fool saith that a Jewel is not worth the taking up will you therefore never stoop to take it up The truth of it is if you intend to make any thing of your Profession you must be willing to be counted a fool and a mad man but you must remember it is by those that are so themselves O be not affrighted from your duty by the talk of the rabble If the thing be evil let the vice of it scare you but if it be good let not the fear of them which are very incompetent judges in such a case divert you from it Do you think that such poor excuses will be taken at the day of Judgement What do you intend to say to God then Lord I would have laboured to have known thee I would have taken some care of my soul and I would have taken some pains about the things of Eternity but that I saw that almost every one that did with any seriousness look after such matters were scorned laughed at c. When I had had got into the company of those that were godly and I had half a mind to go with them to Heaven then my friends fell a jeering of me and ask'd me whether I meaned to be mad to undo my self to turn Puritane and Phanatick Do you I say believe that such a plea will stop the mouth of the Judge and keep him from pronouncing the sentence against you will this hold the hands of Justice will the thoughts of this quench or cool these dreadful flames Be better advised O be better advised for your souls sake and consider how such creatures will befool themselves Who would upon such a trifle part with Heaven that would be laughed out of Glory and jeered into Hell Is your mind yet altered have you any thoughts or resolutions to look after your soul and acquaintance with God Are there none of you all that ask by this time what shall I do to be acquainted with God are there none of you that begin to think that it is high time
Keeper inquire further and you shall be informed if their experience be not too big for to be clothed in words How oft have some of Christ favourites after they have Dined with their Lord been led forth into the Garden to walk and oh the delightful shades that they have sat under At another time Christ not Satan hath carried them as it were in his Arms and Bosome and set them upon the Pinacle of the Temple not to make them giddy and hazard their fall but to let them understand how much he hath preferred them before others and as long as they are upon that great Corner-Stone no Storms can shake in Christs Arms no fear of falling At another time the Soul hath been carried into the Mount of God and there it hath seen Christ Transfigured and beheld so much Brightness Glory and Majesty in him that hath reflected a Glory upon it self and even Transfigured the Soul that its scarce like it self and there it could say its good being here and then Christ hath bid the Soul lift up its Eyes and look up to the Heavens look round from one side to the other and look beyond the visible Heavens by Faith to the Seat of the Blessed well all this is thine to thee will I give it I purchased it I have paid for it and 't is thine and live like one that is worth more than a world live up to your Estate expect that shortly I should set you in the Possession of all And as for the World look down upon that if it be worth thy accepting so much of it as is good for thee thou shalt have also O did weak Christians but know what strength joy and comfort this Ordinance doth afford I believe they would not be so hardly perswaded to come when they are invited Did they but understand how sweet how wholsome how dainty the Dishes are which Wisdom prepares could they but conceive what satisfaction and fulness there is for the empty what joy and sollace for the Mourning and Disconsolate what strength and quickning for the Weak I am ready to think that they would scarce be so long absent from the Lords Table but think not that every one that sits down is made so welcome nor that Christ gives his dainties to strangers or enemies many may come and receive and yet only feed upon a piece of Bread and Drink two or three spoonfuls of Wine and and really if this were all the Provision that a Saint were to have it were scarce worth so solemn an Invitation It 's possible to come thither to eat and drink your own Damnation and instead of an affectionate Treatment to be dismissed with a Friend how comest thou hither not having on the Wedding Garment Yet the sensible Hungry burthened Souls notwithstanding all their fears may come nay they must and its little less than giving ascent to Sathans callumnies which he raiseth against Christ and his wayes to forbear it s too ungrateful a Contempt of one of the excellent Cordials which the great Physician hath provided for the recovering and strengthning of his poor swooning Patients and in a word it s too like a foolish being fond of our Sin and Sorrow when we refuse the comfor-fortable Appointment which the Goodness and and Wisdom of a Father the Love and Tenderness of a Husband and the Sweetness of the Holy Spirit doth so freely offer perswade command the Spirit saith come and the Bridegroom saith come and why should not he that is a thirst come thankfully humbly speedily Well now poor weary Soul what hast thou to say against the excellency of rest Poor sick Soul what Fault canst thou find with Ease Health and Strength Poor guilty Soul that looks upon thy self as next to condemned What harm would a Pardon and the publique sealing of it do thee Who would think that man hungry that had rather eat Ashes than Bread who would judge that person thirsty that had rather drink Gall Tears and Wormwood than the clear refreshing Streams that come from that Rock the Lord Christ Will you never believe that Christ invites you look into the Note that he hath sent out his servants wish whose Name do I read there Who are the persons that are invited of what Rank and Quality Are they the Great ones of the World Are they the Learned Are they the Proud and Self-conceited Pharises Why I find none of these in the Writing Who are they then that may come with Confidence to draw water out of these Wells of Consolation The Poor in Spirit the Hungry the Sick the Wounded the Lost these are Pools of Bethesdah where the Angel of the Covenant doth oft descend and move the Waters and where is it fitter for the Impotent to lye than there where they can not miss of a Doctor a visit or Cure What do you think of this poor Heart are they but flourishes do I speak or doth Christ and if he say it who can dissanul it will he can he be worse than his word I know he is usually better but never short of his Promise will you Credit the Experiences of Christians have they not seen have they not known have they not felt yea have not all your Spiritual sences been exercised and refreshed at that time when the King hath been at his Table One is ready to say if ever I could have left the World at a minnutes warning and have stept immediately into Eternity it was then when mine eyes beheld the King in his beauty when he held out his Golden Scepter unto me and took me into his Imbraces Yea when the Ministers of Christ presented me with the Jewels and Bracelets and ask't me whither I would go with them to Christ my Soul made a speedy and thankful reply my Heart and Love is his and his will I be for ever O that I were once safe in his Armes O that I might live with him and never part O when shall it be Come Lord Jesus come quickly I remember I have heard it reported of that Reverend and Holy man of God Master Allen who lived at as high a rate as most on this side Perfection and Glory that he was before he died in a very rare seraphique raptures of Joy and Love so that he could not chuse but burst out into unusual Expressions of Praise such as these Ten thousand praises to the King of Saints for the freeness and riches of his Grace to any poor Soul let every corner of Heaven ring with Hallelujahs let all the Angels help me to praise thy incomparable lovely and glorious Jesus O the Joys that he feasts my Soul with I who would not be Christs Servant never did I feel such transcendent pure Divine Joys except at the Lords Table and then indeed I have been oft so raised in Spirit that my Nature except sustained by a Miracle could scarce bear a greater weight of Comfort O the unspeakable vast satisfying Pleasures that Christ
find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own Blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory he to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the finger of thine Almighty power hast turned about my Heart from sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant-Friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-Servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on Earth let it be ratified in Heaven The Conclusion AND now my Work is done I must leave you and whether I shall ever speak to you or see you or write to you again while the world stands I know not My body is frail and I am a poor dying man and before it be long my mouth will be more stopped than it is and yours too And therefore it 's high time for us to look about us As for my part I have with all the seriousness that I could for my soul spoke to you about the great and weighty affairs of your Souls and Eternity I again call Heaven and Earth to witness that I have set Life and Death before you I have in the Name of my great Master been woing of you to accept of his Son for your Lord and Husband himself for your God Father and Friend I have told you what the Lord doth require of them that would be in Covenant with him I have given you a rude Description of him whom I would have you acquainted with I have told you of some of the glorious effects of acquaintance with God I have told you of the danger of being a stranger to God I have told you how thankfully some have closed with these offers and how well they like their choice I have further show'd you what a peaceable state you shall be in immediately upon your Spiritual Alliance with this Great and Noble friend I have told you also of some further benefit and good that will come unto you upon your acquaintance with God I have given you to understand how desirous the Lord is notwithstanding all that is past to forget and forgive and to receive you into favour if you will in good earnest return to him with speed I have again and again propounded this match to you and told you as much as I could well do in so short a time I have stayed a great while for an answer I have put the business forward all that possibly I could because I see how foolishly and madly you make light of those advantageous offers that are made to you I have again and again pleaded with you as if I were ready to starve and begging an alms of you nay if it had been for my very life I could not have spoke with more earnestness I have expostulated the Case with you and asked you several weighty Questions and you have not you cannot answer any one of them but you must condemn your self and by your own confession you have nothing in the world to say against the excellency of this friend And therefore you must either speedily come in upon the invitation and close with those gracious overtures that are made to you or you must without any reason in the world your self being Judg cast your self away And in hopes that all that have heard me will not be so mad as to make light of these things but be asking with some seriousness that great question How shall I do to get acquainted with God How shall I do to get a Friend for my Soul What shall I do to be saved I have laid down some Directions for those that are unfeignedly desirous to be reconciled to God I have told them that they must labour to be thorowly acquainted with that strangeness and enmity that is in their hearts against God and of the unspeakable danger of their being strangers to God I have further directed them that would be acquainted with God to labour to get humble hearts I have advised that they visit him often if they would be intimately acquainted with him that not in a transitory way but to make a Solemn set visit of it and to be sure that they do not forget to get Christ along with them I counselled them also to be much in those places where he is wont to walk and to get intimately acquainted with some of them that know him very well and will do their best to get them to be acquainted with him I have told you that if you would be acquainted with God you must kindly entertain and make much of any Messengers that come from him to you and if men would make sure work I desired them as they loved their Souls that they would follow this great Business with the greatest earnestness and seriousness in the world and that what they do they would do speedily I informed you what arguments the Scripture puts into our mouths which we may urge at the Throne of Grace I intreated you for your Souls sake to take heed of those things which kept God and man unacquainted as namely all sin in general but more particularly Pride Worldly-mindedness Hypocrisie delight in wicked company Unbelief and Sensuality Lastly I direct all such as would be at peace with God to give up themselves to him resolvedly and freely in a Solemn Covenant And have I been beating the Air all this while What will you do after all this What shall become of all these Sermons Dare any of you all still be contented to be Unacquainted with God Can you be very well satisfied after you have heard of such a Friend to be a stranger to him Can any of you look upon your state as safe while God is your enemy O how shall I leave you with Hearts full of Enmity against your Maker Alas alas poor Hearts You look very merrily as bad a condition as you are in but did you but know how neer you are to everlasting Burnings I believe it would put a damp upon your Spirits and spoil your Mirth O how shall I leave that poor sinner that stands as a person altogether unconcerned Whereas death stands ready for his Commission to fetch him away before God and where are you then O where are you then if you come before God as a Stranger O what shall I do for thee What shall I say to thee to prevail with thee O what arguments will perswade thee O how shall we part Brethren my hearts desire is that you may all be saved O that you may all know in this your day the things of your peace O that I could mingle all my words with tears O pitty pitty for the Lords sake pitty your precious Souls O come not here to ask Counsel of God and then go away and take the Counsel of the Devil And what will you yet
make light of all the Tenders of the Gospel Is Peace Pardon Reconciliation and Acquaintance with God still nothing with you Will you for all this take up with a lifeless Religion and never mind a more Spiritual intimate converse with God As the Lord liveth thou speakest that word against the life of thy Soul But if thou wilt go on and despise God who can help it I have told you and told you again what the end of these things will be Well once more I ask thee in the Name of God wilt thou have God for thy Friend or no That is wilt thou love him above all the World Wilt thou accept him for thy Lord and Husband Wilt thou be ruled absolutely by him Wilt thou lay down thy weapons and turn on Gods side and fight under his Banner Wilt thou have Holiness here and Happiness hereafter One would think this is a question that one need not be long a resolving Come come away for the Lords sake for your precious Souls sake as you would be owned at the day of judgment as you would rejoyce when most of the world shall be filled with unspeakable horror and perplexity as you would not hear that heart-rending word from the mouth of the Judge Depart I know you not come away I beseech you Come away O ye my dear Friends the Cloud hangs over the world and ere long it will fall with a vengeance O come out of Sodom linger not for the Lords sake lest the dint of that storm fall upon you Fire fire fire Awake awake awake The fire is kindled What meanest thou O sinner if thou sleepest a little longer in that Bed of security thou art a dead man thou wilt be awakened with horror when thou shalt know thy danger but not know how to avoid it And do you still say Make hast O make hast your Glass is almost out your time almost spent and death is hastning apace upon you I speak it again make haste come away I can't I can't hold my peace How can I endure to see the ruine of thy Soul and say nothing O follow those Directions which I have given thee out of the Scripture Seek the Lord while he may be found and with all possible speed seriousness and gratitude accept of his kindness while you may Methinks some of your hearts seem to be affected methinks your countenances speaks you to have some thoughts of returning some of you look like persons almost resolved to set upon this great work O that it may not be almost but altogether Speak in such Language as this to your own Souls What meanest thou O my Soul thus to stand Disputing Is this a time for thee to stand still as if thou hadst nothing to do Hark how the King of Glory calls Hear how his Messengers invite you Consider how long they have stood waiting for thee And shall they go away without thee O foolish Heart and unwise wilt thou answer all these Gracious Offers with a flat denial Or that which is little better wilt thou put off all Gods Messengers with some sorry excuses Awake O my Soul and look about thee How can'st thou refuse when Mercy calls How canst thou deny when Kindness it self asks intreats beseecheth thee Awake for shame up and put on thy Wedding Garments O that this mind might be in you always O that thou wert up and ready And then happy were the day wherein thou wert born then happy were the day that ever you heard of a Christ of Acquaintance with God and Reconciliation with your Maker O then how glorious shouldest thou be for ever I rejoyce to see the day of thy Marriage a coming when thy Lord and Husband shall bring thee home in the greatest State and in infinite Glory to his own House where thou shalt sit like a Queen for ever and ever Behold his Harbingers are coming Behold how many Messengers the Lord hath sent to prepare his way Awake O Zion and put on thy beautiful Garments Rise up O Royal Bride and put on thy Princely Robes Cloath thee with the Sun and put the Moon under thy feet Go out and meet the King thy Husband Behold O Jacob the Waggons of Joseph are coming Behold O daughter of Zion the Chariots the Chariots of thy King and Husband are a coming They are a coming O why doth not thy Heart leap within thee O why do not thy spirits even faint for gladness Why dost thou not say It is enough I will go out and meet my Lord before I die When will the Sun be up When will the day break When O when will the shadows fly away I will get me up to the Mountains of Myrrhe to the Hills of Frankincense I am travelling for Zion my face is towards Jerusalem who will ascend the Holy Hill with me Who will bear me company to my Husband's House Let us go up to the Lords House come away the Sun is risen the shadows are flying away thousands are gone already Let Barzillai and Chimham old and young too go along with the King of Jerusalem Come from the High-ways and Hedges come with your Wedding Garments come quickly and he will make you welcome The King hath sent to invite us to a Feast a Feast of fat things of Wines on the Lees well refined Come for the Table is spread all things are ready and his Servants stay for us And will God entertain such Creatures as we are And will the Lord open his Doors to such loathsome Beggars Will the Father receive such Prodigals Return then unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord will deal bountifully with thee Who is that which I see coming in the Field Who is this that comes from the Wilderness That comes to meet us Hark! methinks I hear the Trumpet sounding Hark! what 's the matter How do the Mountains eccho How doth the Air ring again What noise is that which I hear What glorious Train is that which I see Whence do they come and whither do they go It is my Master's Son dear Soul thy Lord and Husband with his Royal Attendants Behold he comes He comes apace Leaping upon the Hills Skipping upon the Mountains He is coming he is coming he is even at the door Ere long thou shalt see the Mountains covered with Chariots and Horses of Fire the Earth will tremble and shake the Heavens and the Earth will be all on a Flaming Fire the King of Glory will come riding upon the Wings of the wind accompanied with Millions of his Saints and Angels He is coming he is at the door Go vail thy face alight and meet thy Husband He will bring thee into his Fathers Palace and thou shalt be his Wife and he will love thee for ever And thou shalt remember thy Widdowhood no more Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen Amen FINIS
more then is he to be admired that he humbled himself to acquaint himself with man Let us than be filled with admiration that God should take us so nigh unto himself As Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldest visit him And Joh. 7.17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thy heart upon him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning Man in the pride of his heart seeth no such great matter in it but an humble soul is filled with astonishment Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One which inhahiteth eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Oh saith the humble soul will the Lord have respect unto such a vile worm as I am will the Lord acquaint himself with such a sinful wretch as I am Will the Lord open his arms his bosome his heart to me shall such a loathsome creature as I find savour in his eyes In Ezek. 16.15 We have a relation of the wonderful condescention of God to man who is there resembled to a wretched infant cast out in the day of its birth in its bloud and filthiness no eye pitying it such loathsome creatures are we before God and yet when he passed by and saw us polluted in our bloud he said unto us live It is doubled because of the strength of its nature it was the time of Love vers 8. This was love indeed that God should take a filthy wretched thing and spread his skirts over it and cover its nakedness and swear unto it and enter into a covenant with it and make it his that is that he should espouse this loathsome thing to himself that he would be an husband to it this is love unfathomable love unconceivable self-principled love this is the love of God to man for God is love Oh the depth of the riches of the bounty and goodness of God! How is his love wonderful and his grace past finding our How do you find and feel your hearts affected upon the report of these things do you not see matter of admiration and cause of wonder Are you not as it were lanched forth into an Ocean of goodness where you can see no shoar nor feel no bottom Ye may make a Judgement of your selves by the motions and affections that ye feel in your selves at the mention of this For thus Christ judged of the Faith of the Centurion that said unto him Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Mat. 8.8 When Jesus heard this he marvailed and said to them that followed him I say unto you I have not found so great faith no not in Israel If then you feel not your souls mightily affected with this condescention of God Say thus unto your souls What aileth thee O my soul that thou art no more affected with the goodness of God Art thou dead that thou canst not feel Or art thou blind that thou canst not see thy self compassed about with astonishing goodness Behold the King of glory descending from the habitation of his Majesty and coming to visit thee hearest not thou his voice saying Open to me my sister behold I stand at the door and knock Lift up your selves O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors that the king of glory may come in Behold O my soul how he waits still while thou hast refused to open to him O the wonder of his goodness O the condescention of his Love to visit me to sue unto me to wait upon me to be acquainted with me Thus work up your souls into an astonishment at the condescention of God USE 2. Secondly Is there to be acquaintance between the soul and God then let us learn to make a right judgement of our own Excellency let us judge of our selves as too high and noble to converse with this base and beggarly world I am of a nobler original then to debase my self to such mean things I am the off-spring of God and shall I acquaint my self with earth I am of the family of God shall I converse with Sathan Is there bread enough in my Fathers house and shall I perish for hunger Lift up thy self O my soul shake off the intanglements of the flesh break out of that bondage of the Devil trample upon the glory of the world and scorn to let out thy precious desires upon dung and dross get the Moon under thy feet cloath thy self with the Sun put on the son of righteousness come into the palace of God and acquaint thy self with him for this is thy glory this is thy excellency Ye precious ones who can call God Father and the son Brother who have fellowship with the Father and the Son who may have communion with the Holy Ghost What do you lying among the Potts What do you raking in Dunghills What do you conversing with the World Have a holy scorn of these things as below the dignity of your souls know your worth esteem of your selves as of more value then all these lower Treasures This is your glory and your excellency that ye are of Gods acquaintance that ye are Sons of God Heirs of God joynt-Heirs with Christ that ye understand and know God There are two things wherein most men are mistaken First In the Nature of Pride Some look upon that only as Pride which manifesteth it self in costly Apparel and bodily Ornaments beyond the degree and rank of the person Some look no further then the carriage of one man towards another Now favourably consider with me that the greatest Pride in the world is mans undue esteem of himself toward God and this is in the heart of every one by nature Every one by nature doth lift up himself against God goes about to dethrone God and to crown himself Every one takes counsel in his heart against the Lord saying Let us break his hands asunder and cast his cords from us This is the voice of every one that dares wilfully to sin We will not have God to rule over us Yet this is the working of the Pride of a man against God to thurst God out of the Throne of his Majesty and to set himself in For what is Gods glory and respect among his creatures Is it not this that he being the beginning and Author of all should be likewise the end of all And this is the very purpose of God in making of man that having received himself from God he should have what he might freely give up to God so that all man is and all that he hath is to be offered to God as the end and center of all Now a sinning creature brings God under to serve him to provide for him Now though this Pride of man against