he was forty years old now from that Acts 7.23 or being grown a great one and so sufficiently understood himself and knew very well what he did he did little less than make a Foot-ball of Pharaohs Crown witnesse his refusing with an holy scorn and disdain to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter and so to succeed Pharaoh in the Throne And so in that Rev. 12.1 2. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven a woman clothed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve Stars The Church here is compared to a woman for her weaknesse fruitfulnesse and lovingnesse and it is observable that she is clothed with the Sun that is with Christs own comlinesse and righteousnesse which resembles the Sun in its several properties and effects not now to be insisted on Now this woman the Church is said to have the Moon under her feet by the Moon we are to understand all temporary and transitory things now the Church treads upon all these things as trash and trumpery that were much below her and despised by her Look as the great men of the world do commonly look upon all portions that are below their own with an eye of scorn disdain and contempt Esth 5.9 ult Psa 73 4-13 as Haman did and as those bold daring sinners did Psal 73. So do those that have God for their portion look upon all things below their God with an eye of scorn and disdain I have read of Lazarus that after his resurrection from he dead he was never seen to laugh his thoughts his heart his affections were so fixt upon God and so taken up with God with his portion that he was as a dead man to all the gay and gallant things of the world he saw nothing in them worthy of a smile And so when once Galiacius that famous Italian Marquesse came to understand that God was his portion in the face of the highest offers imaginable of honour favour profit and preferment he cried out Cursed be he that prefers all the glory of the world to one dayes communion with God The old Grecians who had altogether fed on Acorns before Eustath in Homer when bread came in among them they made no reckoning of their mast but reserved it only for their Swine And the Lacedemonians despised their iron and leathern money Seneca de Benefic when gold and silver came in use among them so when a man comes once to experience God to be his portion ah at what a low rate will he value the swelling honours John 4.14 the deceitful riches and the vanishing pleasures of this beggarly world Christians are compared to Eagles Matth. 24.28 now the Eagle is a Kingly a Princely bird 't is a bird of a sharp piercing sight and of a swift and lofty flight it flies high and sets light by things below except it be when necessity compells her and so 't is with those that have God for their portion they fly high and they live high in God and therefore they cannot but set light by the toyes and trifles of the world But Eighthly If God be thy portion then thy God is most precious to thee then thou settest the highest price and value imaginable upon thy God every man sets the highest price upon his portion though a man may set a good price upon his delightful gardens his pleasant walks his delicate fish-ponds his fruitful trees his sweet flowers c. yet 't is no price to that which he sets upon his portion Well sayes a man though here be an hundred things to delight my eye and to please my fancy and to satiate my appetite yet I infinitely value my portion above them all And who but a fool in Folio will value a thousand a year above a few accommodations that are onely for pleasure and delight So though a Christian may set a considerable value upon all his outward comforts and contentments Psa 23.24 25. Psa 4.6 7. yet 't is no value to that he sets upon his God upon his portion this and that is precious to me saith a Christian but my God is infinitely more precious than all A Christian sets up God above his goods Heb. 10.34 and above his lusts Gal. 5.24 and above his relations 1 Sam. 30 1-7 yea and above his very life Rev. 12.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Psa 63.3 Thy loving kindnesse is better than life the Hebrew is Chaiim lives put many lives together yet there is more excellency and glory in the least beam in the least discovery of divine love than there is in them all A man may be weary of life but never of divine love Histories tell us of many that have been weary of their lives but no Histories can furnish us with an instance of any one that was ever weary of divine love Look as the people prized David above themselves saying 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousand of us so they that have indeed God for their portion O how do they prize God above themselves and above every thing below themselves and doubtlesse they that in a course do not lift up God above all they have no interest in God at all Whatever a man eyes as his greatest interest that he sets up above all and before all other things in the world Now if a man eyes God as his greatest interest he cannot but set God atop of all I have not faith enough to believe Luk. 14.26 that ever such did truly love God who love any thing more than God or who set up any thing above God Look as Darius set up Daniel over all and as Pharaoh set up Joseph above all so a man that hath God for his portion he sets up God over all and he sets up God above all One set so high a price upon Christ Austin that he hath long since told us that he would willingly goe thorow hell to Christ Bernard and saith another I had rather be in my chimny-corner with Christ than in heaven without him When one of the Martyrs was offered riches and honours if he would recant he made this excellent answer Do but offer me somewhat that is better than my Lord Jesus Christ and you shall see what I will say to you Johannes Mollius And I have read of another that set so high a price upon the Lord Jesus that whensoever he did but mention the name of Jesus his eyes dropt tears were every Star in the Firmament a Sun yet a man that hath God for his portion would prize him above them all Do you ask me Plutarch in Photion where be my Jewels my Jewels are my husband said Phocions wise do you ask me where be my ornaments my ornaments are my two sonnes brought up in vertue and learning
AN ARKE FOR ALL GODS NOAHS In a gloomy stormy day OR The best Wine reserved till last OR The transcendent Excellency of a believers portion above all earthly Portions whatsoever Discovered in several SERMONS which may be of singular use at all times but especially in these Breaking times wherein many have and many daily do break for more than their all and wherein many thousands are turned out of all c. By THOMAS BROOKS late Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets New Fishstreet and still Preacher of the Word in London and Pastor of a Congregation there I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soul I cryed unto thee O Lord I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living Psal 142.4 5. London Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps at the first entrance into Popes-head Alley next to Lombard-street 1662. TO All the Merchants and Trades-men of England especially these of the City of London with all other sorts and ranks of persons that either have or would have God for their portion Grace mercy peace be multiplied Gentlemen THe wisest Prince that ever sate upon a Throne hath told us Prov. 21.11 That a word fitly spoken is like Apples of gold in pictures of silver or as the Hebrew hath it a word spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon his wheels that is rightly ordered placed and circumstantiated Such a word is of all words the most excellent the most prevalent and the most pleasant word that can be spoken such a word is indeed a word that is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver of all words such a word is most precious most sweet most desirable and most delectable O Sirs to time a word to set a word upon the wheels to speak a word to purpose is the project of this Book Though all truths are glorious yet there is a double glory upon seasonable truths and therefore I have made it my great business in this Treatise to hold forth as seasonable a truth and as weighty a truth and as comfortable and incouraging a truth as any I know in all the Book of God The Mother of King Cyrus willed that the words of those that spoke unto her son should be in silk but certainly seasonable words are alwayes better than silken words Every prudent husbandman observes his fittest seasons to sow his seeds and therefore some he sowes in the Autumn and fall of the Leaf and some in the Spring and renewing of the year some he sowes in a dry season and some he sowes in a wet some he sowes in a moist clay and some he sowes in a sandy dry ground as the Holy Ghost speaks Isa 28.25 He soweth the Fitches and the Cummin and casteth in Wheat by measure And so all spiritual husbandmen must wisely observe their fittest seasons for the sowing of that immortal seed that God hath put into their hands and such a thing as this is I have had in my eye but whether I have hit the mark or mist it let the Christian Reader judge One speaking of the glory of heaven saith That the good things of eternal life are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure and so precious that they are above all estimation c. the same may I say concerning the Saints portion for certainly the good things that are in their portion in their God are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure and so precious that they are above all estimation The same Author in one of his Epistles hath this remarkable relation viz. That the same day wherein Jerom died he was in his Study and had got pen ink and paper to write something of the glory of heaven to Jerom and suddenly he saw a light breaking into his Study and smelt also a very sweet smell and this voice he thought he heard O Augustine what doest thou dost think to put the Sea into a little vessel when the heavens shall cease from their continual motion then shalt thou be able to understand what the glory of heaven is and not before except you come to feel it as I now do Certainly the glory of heaven is beyond all conception and all expression and so is that portion that is a little hinted at in the following Discourse And indeed a full description of that God that is the believers portion is a work too high for an Aaron when standing upon Mount Hor Num. 20. ch 33. Deut. 32.49 and chap. 34.1 Isa 6.3 or for a Moses when standing on the top of Nebo after a Pisgah prospect yea it is a work too high and too hard for all those blessed Seraphims that are still a crying before the throne of God Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts No finite being though never so glorious can ever be able fully to comprehend an infinite being In the second Verse of the sixth of Isaiah we read that each Seraphim had six wings and that with twain he covered the face of God with twain his feet and with twain he did sly intimating as one well observes upon the place that with twain they covered his face Vide Origen on the Text. the face of God not their own face and with twain they covered his feet not their own feet They covered his face his beginnig being unknown they covered his feet his end being incomprehensible onely the middle are to be seen the things which are whereby there may be some glimmering knowledge made out what God is Eccl. 7.24 There are many depths in God which our shallow reason cannot fathom indeed it is the credit of our Religion and the glory of our God that he is unsearchable The wise man hit it when he said That which is afar off and exceeding deep who can find it out who can find out what God is The knowledge of him a priori is so far off that he whose arm is able to break even a bow of steel is not able to reach it so far off that he who is able to make his nest with the Eagle is not able to sly unto it And so exceeding deep that he who could follow the Leviathan could not fathom it that he who could set out the center of the earth is not able to find it out And who then is able to reach it In a word so far off and so deep too that the Depth saith it is not in me and the Sea saith it is not in me it is such a deep to men and Angels as far exceeds the capacity of both Augustine speaking to that question August de fide contra Arrionum cap. 6. what God is gives this answer Surely such a one is he who when he is spoken of cannot be spoken of who when he is considered cannot be considered of who when he
nothing but as salt to keep their bodies from rotting and stinking O that these men would seriously consider that as a cup of pleasant wine offered to a condemned man in the way to his execution and as the Feast of him who sate under a naked sword hanging perpendicularly over his head by a slender thread and as Adams forbidden fruit seconded by a flaming sword and as Belshazzars dainties overlooked by an hand-writing against the wall such and onely such are all earthly portions to those that have not God for their portion Well Gentlemen remember this there is no true happinesse to be found in any earthly portions Solomon having made a critical enquirie after the excellency of all creature-comforts gives this in as the ultimate extraction from them all Vanity of vanities all is vanity If you should go to all the creatures round they will tell you that happinesse is not in them If you should go to the earth the earth will tell you that happinesse grows not in the furrows of the field If you go to the Sea the Sea will tell you that happinesse is not in the Treasures of the deep If you go to the beasts of the field or to the birds of the air they will tell you that happinesse is not to be found on their backs nor in their bowels If you go to your bags or heaps of gold and silver they will tell you that happinesse is not to be found in them If you go to Crowns and Scepters they will tell you that happinesse is too precious and too glorious a Gemme to be found in them As it is not the great Cage that makes thn bird sing so it is not the great estate that makes the happy life nor the great portion that makes the happy soul There is no true comfort nor no true happinesse to be drawn out of the standing pools of outward sufficiencies all true comfort and happiness is onely to be found in having of an all-sufficient God for your portion Psal 144.15 Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. And therefore as ever you would be happy in both worlds it very highly concerns you to get an interest in God and to be restlesse in your own souls till you come to enjoy God for your portion A man that hath God for his portion is a none-such This you will finde fully cleared up in the following Treatise he is the rarest and the happiest man in the world he is like the morning-star in the midst of the clouds he is like the Moon when it is at full he is like the flower of the Roses in the Spring of the year he is like the Lillies by the Springs of waters he is like the branches of Frankincense in the time of Summer he is like a vessel of massie gold that is set about with all manner of precious stones Nothing can make that man miserable that hath God for his portion nor nothing can make that man happy that wants God for his portion the more rich the more wretched the more great the more gracelesse the more honourable the more miserable that man will be that hath not God for his portion The Sodomites were very wealthy and who more wanton and wicked than they the Egyptians and Babylonians were very rich great and potent in the world and what greater oppressors and persecutors of the people of God than these O the slavery the captivity and the woful misery of the people of God under those cruel Tyrants Have not the Nimrods the Nebuchadnezzars the Belshazzars the Alexanders and the Caesars c. been commonly the Lords of the world and who so abominably wicked as these no men for wickednesse have been able tomatch them or come neer them It hath been long since observed to my hand Dan. 7. that Daniel sets forth the several Monarchies of the World by sundry sorts of cruel beasts to shew that as they were gotten by beastly subtilty and cruelty so they were supported and maintained by brutish sensuality craft and tyranny I have read of a Lacedemonian that said that they well deserved death that did but quench Tyranny they should quite have consumed it with fire But whether he hit the mark or mist it let the Reader judge Well Sirs you may be the Lords of this world and yet you will certainly be miserable in another world except you get God for your portion The top of mans happinesse in this world lies in his having of God for his portion He that hath God for his portion enjoyes all and he that wants an interest and propriety in God enjoyes nothing at all Gentlemen I have read of an Heathen who seeing a sudden Shipwrack of all his wealth said Well Fortune I see now that thou wouldest have me to be a Philosopher O that you would say under all your heavie losses and crosses well we now see that God would have us lay up treasure in heaven Matth. 6.19 20. we now see that God would have us look after a better portion than any this world affords we now see that it highly concerns us to secure our interest and propriety in God we now see that to enjoy God for our poron is the one thing necessary Have not many of you said nay sworne That if you might but see enjoy the delight of your eyes that then you should have a sweeping Trade and abound in all plenty and prosperity and grow rich and great and glorious in the world and be eased of everie thing that did but look like a burthen c. If it be indeed thus with you why do you so complain murmur and repine and why do many of you walk up and down the Exchange and streets with tears in your eyes and with heavinesse in your hearts and with crack't credits and thread-bare coats and empty purses and why are so many of you broke and so manie prisoners and so manie hid and so manie fled But if it be otherwise and that you are sensible that you have put a cheat upon your selves I say not upon others and that as you have been self-flatterers so you have been self-deceivers the more highly it concernes you to do your selves your souls that right as to make sure God for your portion For what else can make up those woful disappointments under which you are fallen It is a sad sight to see all the arrows that men shoot to fall upon their own heads or to see men twist a cord to hang themselves or to see men dig a pit for others and to fall into it themselves and it t is but justice that men should bake as they brew and that they which brew mischief should have the first and the largest draught of it themselves Now the best way to prevent so sad a sight and so great a mischief is to get God for your portion for when once God comes
to conceive express or set forth the greatnesse and largenesse of a Saints portion Can you tell the stars of heaven or number the sands of the sea or stop the Sun in his course or raise the dead or make a new world then and not till then will you be able to declare what a great what an immense portion God is If eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the great things that God hath laid up in the Gospel for so that 1 Cor. 2.9 is to be understood Oh how much less then are they able to declare the great things that God hath laid up for his people in another world But Thirdly As God is an immense portion a large portion so God is an all-sufficient portion Gen. 17.1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him I am the almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect I am God almighty or as some carry the words I am God all-sufficient or self-sufficient In quo nihil desiderari possit boni Zanch. de nat Dei l. 4. c. 1. Qu 1 God hath self-sufficiency and all-sufficiency in himself Some derive the word Shaddai that is here rendered almighty or all-sufficient from Shad aduge because God feeds his children with sufficiency of all good things as the tender mother doth the sucking childe Gen. 15.1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision saying Fear not Abram I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward I will be thy buckler to defend thee from all kinde of mischief and miseries and I will be thy exceeding great reward to supply thee with all necessary and desirable mercies and what can a Saint desire more Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly The Sun which among all inanimate creatures is the most excellent notes all manner of excellency provision and prosperity and the shield which among all artificial creatures is the chiefest notes all manner of protection whatsoever under the name of grace all spiritual good is wrapt up and under the name of glory all eternal good is wrapt up and under the last clause no good thing will he with-hold is wrapt up all temporal good all put together speaks out God to be an all-sufficient portion Before the world was made before Angels or men had a being God was as blessed and as glorious in himself as now he is God is such an all-sufficient and such an excellent being that nothing can be added to him to make him more excellent Man in his best estate is so great a piece of vanity Psal 39.5 that he stands in need of a thousand thousand things he needs the air to breath in the earth to bare him and fire to warm him and cloathes to cover him and an house to shelter him and food to nourish him and a bed to ease him and friends to comfort him c. But this is the excellency of God that he hath all excellencies in himself and stands in need of nothing Were there as many worlds as there are men in the world and were all those worlds full of blessed Saints yea were there as many Heavens as there are stars in heaven and were all those heavens full of glorious Angels yet all these Saints and Angels together could not adde the least to God for what can drops taken out of the Sea adde unto the Sea what can finite creatures adde to an infinite being though all the men in the world should praise the Sun and say the Sun is a glorious creature yet all this would adde nothing to the light and glory of the Sun so though all the Saints and Angels shall be blessing and praising and admiring and worshipping of God to all eternity yet they shall never be able to adde any thing to God who is blessed for ever O Christians God is an all-sufficient portion his power is all-sufficient to protect you his wisdome is all-sufficient to direct you his mercy is all-sufficient to pardon you his goodnesse is all-sufficient to provide for you his word is all-sufficient to support you and strengthen you and his grace is all-sufficient to adorn you and enrich you and his spirit is all-sufficient to lead you and comfort you and what can you desire more O Sirs God hath within himself all the good of Angels of men and universal nature he hath all glory all dignity all riches all treasures all pleasures God is Omnia super omnia and many of the very heathens counted God Optimum maximum the best and greatest all delights all comforts all contents all joyes all beatitudes in himself All the scattered excellencies and perfections that be in the creatures are eminently transcendently and perfectly in him Look as the worth and value of many pieces of silver are contracted in one piece of gold so all the whole volume of perfections which is spread through heaven and earth are epitomized in God according to that old saying Omne bonum in summo bono all good is in the chiefest good God is one infinite perfection in himself which is eminently and virtually all perfections of the creatures all the good the excellency the beauty and glory that is in all created beings are but parts of that whole that is in God and all the good that is in them is borrowed and derived from God who is the first cause and the universal cause of all that good that is in Angels or men God is a sufficient portion to secure your souls and to supply all your wants and to satisfie all your desires and to answer all your expectations and to suppresse all your enemies and after all to bring you to glory and what can you desire more But now all earthly portions are insufficient portions they can neither prevent afflictions nor support the soul under afflictions nor mitigate afflictions nor yet deliver a man from afflictions They can neither arm the soul against temptations nor comfort the soul under temptations A golden crown cannot cure the head-ach nor a purple robe cannot fray away a burning seaver nor a bed of gold cannot give ease to a distempered body nor the velvet slipper cannot take away the pain of the gout nor lead the soul out of temptations All the creatures in the world are but as so many ciphers without God when God frowns all the creatures in the world are not sufficient to chear the soul when God withdraws all the creatures in the world are not sufficient to sustain the soul when God clouds his face all the creatures in the world are not sufficient to make it day with the soul c. There is not enough in the whole creation to content quiet or satisfie one immortal soul he that hath most of
Riches and Preferments of the world but for more grace more holiness more communion with God more power against corruptions more strength to withstand temptations more abilities to bear afflictions more sense of divine love and more assurance of interest in Christ and in all that glory and happiness that comes by Christ When Alexander heard of the riches of India he regarded not the Kingdome of Macedonia but gave away his gold and when he was ask't what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum the hope of better and greater things O Sirs when you look upon those riches of grace those riches of glory those riches of justification those riches of sanctification and those riches of consolation that are in that God that is your portion how should you dis-regard how should you despise how should you scorn the great things and the gay things of the world 'T was a notable speech of Erasmus if his wit were not too quick for his conscience I desire said he neither wealth nor honour no more than a feeble horse doth an heavy cloak-bag O Christians you have many thousand excellencies in God to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in Christ to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Spirit to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Covenant to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Gospel to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Ordinances to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in promises to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in prophecies to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in rare providences to set your affections upon and you have many thousand excellencies in the Saints to set your affections upon and therefore for shame set not your affections upon things below set not your hearts upon things that perish Coloss 3.1 A man can never come to set his heart upon any earthly portion but that God will either imbitter it or lessen it or cloud it or wholly strip him of it and therefore set loose I say again set loose in your affections to all worldly enjoyments But Fisthly If the Saints have such a glorious such an incomparable portion then let them be chearful and comfortable under all worldly crosses losses Acts 5. Rom. 5.2 3 4. and troubles With what a Roman spirit do many vain men of great Estates bear up under great losses and crosses and shall not grace do more than nature shall not the Spirit of God do more than a Roman spirit O Sirs how can you look upon God as your portion and not bear up bravely under any worldly losse Heb. 10.34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance They had God for their portion and the joy of the Lord was their strength and therefore they could rejoyce in whatever dammage came upon them by the hand of violence 1 Sam. 30.6 And so David could comfort himself in his God and incourage himself in his God when Ziklag was burn't his wives and children carried captive and the people in a readiness to stone him Better is that hell on earth which makes way for heaven than that heaven on earth which makes way for helâ— now all was gone he looks up to God as his portion and so he bears up bravely and cheerfully in the midst of all extremity of misery And so Habakkuk was a man of the same noble temper as you may see in that Hab. 3.17 18. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the olive shall fail the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord as long as there is fruit in the vines I but saith he though there be no fruit in the vines yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord so long as the labour of the olive doth not fail I but saith he though the labour of the olive shall fail yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord so long as the fields do yield their meat I but saith he though the fields shall yield no meat yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord so long as the flock is not cut off from the fold I but saith he though the flock shall be cut off from the fold yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I but that 's nothing to rejoyce in the Lord so long as there be Herd in the stalls I but saith he though there be no Herd in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my salvation Habakkuk could rejoyce in the Lord and joy in that God that was his portion not only when all delightful comforts and contentments should fail but also when all necessary comforts and contentments should fail Habakkuk was a man of a raised spirit he knew that he had that God for his portion that did contain in himself all comforts and contentments and that could easily make up the want of any comfort or contentment and that would certainly lie himself in the room of every comfort and contentment that either his children should need or desire and in the power of this faith he rejoyces and triumphs in a day of thick darknesse and gloominess 1 Sam. 1.5 18. But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion for he loved Hannah and her countenance was no more sad O my brethren it doth no wayes become those that have God for their portion to walk up and down the world with clouded countenances with saded countenances or with dejected countenances c. and therefore under all your crosses and losses wipe your eyes and walk up and down with pleasant countenances with cheerful countenances and with smiling countenances and this will be an honour to God and an honour to religion and an honour to profession and an honour to that Saintship that is too much slighted and scorned in the world Indeed when wicked men are exercised with crosses and losses 't is no wonder to see them take on like mad men to see them take on bitterly like Micah when he cried out Judg. 18.23 24. They have taken away my gods and what have I more and what is this that ye say unto me what aileth thee Wicked mens bags and goods are
in heaven who intending to marry was much troubled with fears and cares how he should live in that condition his in-comes being so small that they would but maintain him in a single condition and looking out at a window and seeing a Hen scraping for food for her numerous brood about her thought thus with himself this Hen did but live before it had these chickens and now she lives with all her little ones upon which he added this thought also I see the sowls of the air neither sowe nor reap nor gather into barnes Mar. 6.25.33 and yet my heavenly Father feeds them and thus he overcame his fears of wanting O Christians you have such a Father for your portion as will as soon cease to be as he will cease to supply you with all things necessary for your good 'T was a good saying of one I would desire neither more nor less than enough for I may as well die of a surfeit as of hunger and he is rich enough that lacketh not bread and high enough in dignity that is not forced to serve Plutarchs reasoning is good Taton philon panta koina friends have all things in common but God is our friend ergo we cannot want a rare speech from an Heathen Rather than Israel should want did not God feed them with Manna in the wildernesse and rather than Eliah and the widow should not have their wants supplied 1 Kings 17.15 16. 2 Kings 4.5 6. did not God work a miracle by causing the handful of meal in the barrel and the little oil in the cruise to last and hold out till he supplied them in another way rather than Eliah shall want God will feed him with a Raven and by that miraculous operation save him from a perishing condition O Sirs all the Attributes of God are so ingaged for you that you cannot want and all the promises of God are so ingaged to you that you cannot want and all the affections of God are so set upon you that you cannot want and why then should you fear wants O Sirs Rom. 8.32 hath God given you his Son his Spirit his grace his glory yea himself and will he deny you lesser things hath he given you those things that are more worth than ten thousand worlds Gregory the great was wont to say that he was the poor man whose soul was void of grace if not he whose Coffers were empty of money and will he not give you bread to eat and raiment to put on hath he given you those spiritual riches that infinitely exceed and excell all the riches rubies and pearls in the world and will he deny you a little money in your purses to bear your charges till you come to heaven hath he given you a crown and will he deny you a crust hath he given you his royal robes and will he deny you a few rags hath he given you a royal Palace and will he deny you a poor Cottage to shelter you from the stormy winter and from the scorching summer yea doth he feed his enemies and cloath his enemies and protect his enemies and provide for his enemies which are the generation of his wrath and curse and will he not do as much for you O ye of little faith will he do so much for them that hate him and will he not do as much for you that love him doubtlesse he will will he seed the Ravens and provide for the Oxe and the Asse and cloath the grasse of the field and will he suffer you who are his love his joy his delight to starve at his feet for want of necessaries Surely no. But suppose you were under many real wants yet certainly this very Consideration that the Lord is your portion should quiet your hearts and beat up your spirits bravely under them all Jerome tells us of one Dydimus a godly Preacher who was blinde Alexander a godly man coming to see him asked him whether he was not sorely troubled and afflicted for want of his sight O yes said Dydimus it is a very great affliction and grief to me whereupon Alexander chid him saying Hath God given you the excellency of an Angel of an Apostle and are you troubled for that which rats and mice and bruit beasts enjoy O Sirs if God hath given you himself for a portion then certainly 't is a sinful thing a shameful thing an unworthy thing for you to be troubled afflicted and grieved because you want this and that worldly contentment and enjoyment which God bestows upon such whose wickednesse hath debased them below the Oxe and the Asse Isn 1.2 3. I mean men of beastly spirits and beastly principles and beastly practises Look as Benjamins mess was five times greater than his brethrens Gen. 43.34 so those that have God for their portion have five thousand times a greater portion than the wicked of the world whose portion only lies in perishing trifles and in tried vanities and therefore there is no just reason no Scripture-reason why they should be afraid of wants But Ninthly If the Saints have such a great such a large such an all-sufficient such an infinite and such an incomparable portion as hath been made evident they have O then away with all inordinate cares for the things of this life O say to all vexing wasting distracting Hos 14.8 and disturbing cares as Ephraim once said to his Idols Get you hence for what have I any more to do with you Christs counsel should lie warm upon every mans heart that hath God for his portion Matth. 6.31 Take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithall shall we be clothed and so should the Apostles 1 Pet. 5.7 Cast all your care on him for he careth for you Psal 55.22 and so should the Psalmists also Cast thy burden or as the Greek well turns it thy care upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved Some write that Lions sleep with their eyes open and shining but the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Lord Jesus Christ who is the keeper of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps his eyes are alwayes open upon the upright he still stands Centinel for his peoples good and therefore why should inordinate cares eat up the hearts of Christians O Christians of all burthens the burthen of carking cares will sit the heaviest upon your spirits there is no burthen that will bow you and break you like this inordinate cares vex the heart they divide the heart they scratch and tear the heart 1 Tim. 6.10 they pierce and wound the heart through and through with many sorrows inordinate cares will either crowd out Duties Luk. 10.40 as in Martha or else they will crowd into Duties and spoil Duties as in that Luke 8.14 the cares of the world choak the Word Look as Pharaohs ill-favoured lean kine eat up the fat
acted exercised strengthened and increased yea and the more your evidences for heaven will be cleared your gracious experiences multiplied your communion with God raised your way to glory facilitated and all your sufferings sweetned therefore never let noble precious thoughts of God die in your souls Though he frown upon thee O Christian yet say he is thy portion and though he chides thee yet say he is thy portion and though he corrects thee yet say he is thy portion and though he deserts thee and carries it strangely towards thee yet say he is thy portion and though he snatches many a mercy from thee yet say he is thy portion and though he multiplies thy burthens upon thee yet say he is thy portion and though he writes bitter things against thee yet say he is thy portion yea though he should passe a sentence of death upon thee yet still say he is thy portion O Christians this would still raise an heaven in your hearts if under all dispensations ' you would still look upon God as your portion and live upon God as your portion But Thirteenthly If God be a believers portion then never let a believer be afraid to die or unwilling to die See twenty Arguments in my String of Pearls to move you to be willing to die from pag. 169. to pag. 212. let them be afraid to die that have onely the world for their portion here and hell for their portion hereafter but let not a Saint be afraid of death that hath for his portion the Lord of life A man that hath God for his portion should rather court death than tremble at it he should rather sweetly welcome it than turn his back upon it for death to such an one is but the way to paradise the way to all heavenly delights the way to those everlasting springs of pleasure that are at Gods right hand Psal 16. ult the way to life immortality and glory and the way to a clear full constant and eternal fruition of God Bernard saith that he heard his brother Gorard when just in dying rejoyce and triumphingly say Jam mors mihi non stimulus sed jubilus Angustine upon those words Exod. 33.20 21. Thou canst not see my face and live makes this short but sweet reply Then Lord let me die that I may see thy face Death is a bridge that leads to the paradise of God all the hurt that it can do is to bring a believer to a full enjoyment of his portion When Modestus the Emperours Lieutenant threatned to kill Bazil he answered If that be all I fear not yea your Master cannot more pleasure me than in sending me unto my heavenly Father to whom I now live and to whom I desire to hasten Old Alderman Jordan used to say That Death would be the best friend he had in the world and that he would willingly go forth to meet it or rather say with holy Paul O Death where is thy sting triumphing over it What is a drop of vinegar put into an Ocean of wine what is it for one to have a rainy day who is going to take possession of a Kingdome Acts Mon. 813. A Dutch Martyr feeling the flame to come to his beard Ah said he what a small pain is this to be compared to the glory to come Lactantius boasts of the bravenesse of that spirit that was upon the Martyrs in his time our children and women not to speak of men saith he do in silence overcome their tormenters and the fire cannot so much as fetch a sigh from them John Noyes took up a fagot at the fire and kissed it saying Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this preferment Never did Neckarchief become me so well as this chain said Alice Driver when they fastened her to the stake to be burnt Mr. Bradford put off his cap and thanked God when the Keepers Wfie brought him word that he was to be burn't on the morrow Mr. Taylor fetcht a frisk when he was come neer the place where he was to suffer Henry and John two Augustine Monks being the first that were burnt in Germany and Mr. Rogers the first that was burnt in Queen Maries dayes did all sing in the flames and be of good cheer said the woman-martyr to her husband that was to suffer with her for though we have but an ill dinner on earth we shall sup with Christ in heaven and what said Justine Martyr to his murtherers in behalf of himself and his fellow-martyrs You may kill us but you can never hurt us Ah Christians how can you read over these choice instances and not blush and not be ashamed to consider what a readiness what a forwardnesse and what a noble willingness there was in these brave Worthies to die and go to heaven and to be fully possest of their God of their portion whil'st you shrug at the very thoughts of death and frequently put that day farre from you and had rather with Peter fall upon building of Tabernacles Mat. 17.4 Phil. 1.23 then with Paul desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ O Christians how justly may that father be angry with his child that is unwilling to come home and how justly may that husband be displeased with his wife who is unwilling to ride to him in a rainy day or to crosse the Sea to enjoy his company and is not this your case is not this just your case who have God for your portion and yet are unwilling to die that you may come to a full enjoyment of your portion But Fourteenthly and lastly If God be the Saints portion then let all the Saints give all diligence to make this clearly and fully out to their own souls 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. that God is their portion Next to a mans having God for his portion 't is the greattest mercy in this world for a man to know that God is his portion and to be able groundedly to say with the Church The Lord is my portion saith my soul Now this is a work that may be done I suppose there is never a believer on earth but may attain unto this personal evidence and certainty of knowledge that God is his portion Heb. 10.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here are two Diminutives in the Greek a little little while to note that God will not in the least delay his coming to his people express promises speaks out such a thing as this is Zech. 13.9 They shall call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say it is my God so Ezek. 34.30 Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord Psal 9.18 For the patient abiding of the meek shall not be forgotten for ever God will as soon put the faith of reliance and the
fruit was sweet unto my taste He brought me to the Banqueting-house and his Banner over me was love Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth imbrace me And Chap. 7.5 The King is held in the galleries The Spouse had a clear sight and a deep sense of her interest and propriety in Christ and O how high how close how full how sweet is she in her communion and fellowship with Christ 't is the sight and sense of propriety and interest that heightens and sweetens that communion that is between husband and wife father and child brother and sister and friend and friend so 't is the sight and sense of a mans propriety and interest in God that heightens and sweetens his communion and fellowship with God A clear sight of a mans interest and propriety in God will exceedingly sweeten every thought of God Psal 139.17 18. and every appearance of God and every taste of God and every smile of God and every communication of God and every ordinance of God and every work of God and every way of God yea it will sweeten every rod that is in the hand of God and every wrinkle that is in the face of God a man that sees his interest in God will hang upon him and trust in him though he should write never such bitter things against him and though he should deal never so severely with him yea though he should slay him as you may see in Job 13.15 He hit it who said A man whose soul is conversant with God shall finde more pleasure in the Desart and in death than in the Palace of a Prince Adam in vit Regii p. 78. Vrbanus Regius having one dayes converse with Luther said It was one of the sweetest dayes that ever he had in all his life But if one dayes communion with Luther was so sweet O how sweet must one dayes communion with God be and therefore as ever you would have high and full and sweet communion with God keep up a clear sight a blessed sense of your interest and propriety in God But Sixthly A clear personal evidence that God is a mans portion is a mans all in all O Sirs this is the life of your lives and the life of your prayers and the life of your praises and the life of your confidences and the life of your mercies and the life of your comforts and the life of your hopes c. A clear sight of your propriety in God is the very life of promises the life of Ordinances the life of Providences the life of experiences and the life of your gracious evidences it is a pearl of price it is your Paradise it is Manna in a wildernesse it is water out of a Rock it is a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night it is Jacobs ladder it is a salve for every sore it is physick for every disease it is a remedy against every malady it is an anchor at Sea and a shield on shore it is a star to guide you a staff to support you a sword to defend you a Pavilion to hide you a fire to warm you a banquet to refresh you a City of refuge to secure you and a Cordial to cheer you and what would you have more But Seventhly and lastly A clear personal evidence that God is a mans portion will exceedingly sweeten the thoughts of death and all the approaches of death and all the warnings and forerunners of death unto him it will make a man look upon his last day as his best day Eccles 7.1 Job 18.14 it will make a man look upon the King of terrours as the King of desires it will make a man laugh at the shaking of the spear at the sounding of the trumpet at the confused noise of the battel at garments rowled in blood at the sighs and groans of the wounded and at the heaps of the slain 'T was the Martyrs clear sight of their interest and propriety in God that made them complement with lions and dare their persecutors and to kisse the stake and to sing and clap their hands in the midst of the flames and to tread upon hot burning coals as upon beds of roses and divinely to triumph over their tormenters 't was this that made the primitive Christians ambitious of Martyrdome and that made them willingly and cheerfully lay down their lives that they might Eliah-like mount to heaven in fiery Chariots A man that sees his propriety in God knowes that death shall be the Funeral of all his sins sorrows afflictions temptations desertions oppositions vexations oppressions and persecutions and he knows that death shall be the resurrection of his hopes joyes delights comforts and contentments and that it shall bring him to a more clear full perfect and constant enjoyment of God and this makes him sweetly and triumphingly to sing it out O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory 1 Cor. 15.35 36 37. and O that these seven Considerations might prevail with all your souls to be restlesse till you have in your own bosomes clear and full satisfaction that God is your portion Now this last Inference leads me by the hand to an use of trial and examination O Sirs if God be the Saints portion the believers portion how highly doth it concern every one that looks upon himself as a Saint or as a believer to search try and examine whether God be his portion or no But you will say Quest how shall we know whether God be our portion or no O were all the world a lump of gold and in our hands to dispose of we would give it to know that God is our portion O the knowledge of this would be as life from the dead it would create an heaven in our hearts on this side heaven it would presently put us into a paradise of pleasure and delight but still the question is how shall we know it 't is an easie thing to say that God is our portion but how shall we come in fallibly to know that God is our portion Now to give clear and full satisfaction to this great and weighty Question I shall give in these following Answers by which you may certainly and undoubtedly know whether God be your portion or no. First If God be thy portion then thou hast very sweet Lord saith Austine the more I meditate on thee the sweeter thou art unto me Hierome calls meditation his paradise And Theophylact calls it the very gate and portal by which we enter into glory To think is to live saith Cicero precious high and honourable thoughts of God then thy thoughts will still be running out after God and thy meditations of him will be sweet a man that hath God for his portion is alwayes best when his thoughts and meditations are running out most after God Psal 104.34 My meditation of
him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips When I remember thee upon my bed or beds as the Hebrew hath it David never bedded at home nor abroad here nor there but still his thoughts were running out to God and meditate on thee in the night-watches Psal 139.17 18. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sand when I awake I am still with thee The Psalmist had very frequent high precious and honourable thoughts of God he valued nothing at so high a rate as sweet and noble thoughts of God and of his power wisdome goodnesse faithfulnesse and g aciousnesse c. David had such precious thoughts of God and such great and glorious thoughts of God and such infinite and innumerable thoughts of God that he was as well able to number the sands of the Sea as he was able to number them up And when I awake I was still with thee He was still a contemplating upon God he did fall asleep with precious thoughts of God and he did awake with precious thoughts of God he did rise up with precious thoughts of God and he did lie down with precious thoughts of God he did go forth with precious thoughts of God and he did return home with precious thoughts of God Take a Christian when he is himself when he is neither under sad desertions nor black temptations nor great afflictions and he can as soon forget his own and his fathers house the wife of his bosom the fruit of his loynes yea he can as soon forget to eat his bread as he can forget his God When Alexander the Great had overthrown Darius King of Persia he took among the spoils a most rich Cabinet full of the choicest Jewels that were in all the world upon which there rise a dispute before him to what use he should put the Cabinet and every one having spent his judgment according to his fancy the King himself concluded that he would keep that Cabinet to be a Treasury to lay up the books of Homer in which were his greatest joy and delight A sanctified memory is a rich Cabinet full of the choicest thoughts of God Psa 25.1 Ps 86.4 Psal 143.8 Basil calls meditation the Treasury where all graces are locked up 't is that rich Treasury wherein a Christian is still a laying up more and more precious thoughts of God and more and more high and holy thoughts of God and more and more honourable and noble thoughts of God and more and more awful and reverend thoughts of God and more and more sweet and comfortable thoughts of God and more and more tender and compassionate passionate thoughts of God c. Take a Christian in his ordinary course and you shall finde that where-ever he is his thoughts are running out after God and about what ever he is his thoughts are still a running out after God and into what company soever he is cast whether they are good or bad yet still his thoughts are running out after God c. Look as an earthly minded man hath his thoughts and meditations still exercised and taken up with the world as you may see in Haman whose heart and thoughts were taken up with his honours preferments riches wife children The thoughts and hearts of the people of Constantinople were so extreamly set upon the world and running out after the world that they were buying and selling in their shops even three dayes after that the Turks were within the walls of their City that was the reason that the streets run down with their blood and the blood of their wives and children and friends c. Esth 5.10 11 12. Neverthelesse Haman refrained himself and when he came home he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queen did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet that she had prepared but my self and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the King And the same spirit you may see working in those that had made Gold their God in that Psal 49.10 11. For he seeth that wise men die likewise the fool and the bruitish person perish and leave their wealth to others Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling-places to all generations they call their lands after their own names The Hebrew runneth thus Their inwards are their houses for ever as if their houses were get within them not only the thoughts but the very inmost thoughts the most retired thoughts and recesses of worldlings souls are taken up about earthly things And though they care not whether their names are written in heaven or no yet they do all they can to propagate and immortalize their names on earth And the rich fool was one in spirit with these the Psalmist speaks of as you may see in that Luke 12. v. 16. to v. 22. And he spake a parable unto them saying The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully And he thought within himself the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a marvellous proper word for the purpose it signifies to talk with a mans self or to reason with a mans self this foolish worldling was much in talking to himself and in reasoning with himself about his goods and barns c. as the usual manner of men is that are of a worldly spirit saying what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits and he said this will I do I will pull down my Barns and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods And I will say to my soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry Among all his worldly thoughts there is not one thought of God of Christ of grace of heaven of holinesse of eternity to be found his thoughts were so taken up with his bags and his barns and his buildings and his ease and his belly that he had no time to think of providing for another world and therefore God quickly dispatches him out of this world and throws him down from the highest pinacle of prosperity and worldly glory into the greatest gulf of wrath and misery v. 20. and this foolish worldling puts me in mind of another who being offered an Horse by his fellow upon condition that he would but say the Lords prayer and think upon nothing but God which proffer being accepted he began Our Father which art
primitive Christians did so couragiously and resolutely own God and stand up for God in the face of the most dreadful sufferings that many of the Heathens seeing their heroick zeal courage magnanimity and constancy turned Christians Domitian raised the second persecution against the Christians because they would not give the title of Lord to any but Christ nor worship any but God alone Among the many thousand instances that might be given let me onely give you a few of a later date whereby you may see how couragiously and resolutely the Saints have stood up for God and owned God in the face of the greatest dangers that hath attended them Luther owned God and stood up resolutely for God against the world Acts Mon. 776. And when the Emperour sent for him to Wormes and his friends disswaded him from going as sometimes Pauls did him Co said he I will surely go since I am sent for in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ yea though I knew that there were as many Devils in Wormes to resist me as there be tiles to cover the houses yet I would go and when he and his associates were threatened with many dangers from opposers on all hands he lets fall this heroick and magnanimous speech Come let us sing the six and fortieth Psalm and then let them do their worst And indeed 't was a brave couragious speech of the same Author who when one demanded where he would be when the Emperour should with all his forces fall upon the Elector of Saxony who was the chief Protector of the Protestants answered Aut in coelo aut sub coelo either in heaven or under heaven William Flower the Martyr said that the Heavens should as soon fall as he would forsake his profession or budge in the least degree from it Apollonius as Philostratus reports being asked if he did not tremble at the sight of the tyrant made this answer God which hath given him a terrible countenance hath given also unto me an undaunted heart When the persecutors by their dreadful threatnings did labour to terrifie one of the Martyrs he replied that there was nothing of things visible nor nothing of things invisible that he was afraid of I will saith he stand to my profession of the Name of Christ and contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints When Bishop Gardiner asked Rowland Tailor if he did not know him c. he answered yea I know you and all your greatnesse yet you are but a mortal man and if I should be afraid of your Lordly looks why fear you not God the Lord of us all The Executioner kindling the fire behind Jerome of Prague he bad him kindle it before his face for said he if I had been afraid of it I had not come to this place having had so many opportunities offered me to escape it and at the giving up of the ghost he said This soul of mine in flames of fire O Christ I offer thee The German Knight in his Apologetical Letter for Luther against the Pontifical Clergy saith I will go through what I have undertaken against you and will stir up men to seek their freedome I neither care nor fear what may befall me being prepared for either event either to ruine you to the great benefit of my Countrey or else to fall with a good conscience When Dionysius was given up to the Executioner to be beheaded he remained resolute couragious and constant saying Come life come death I will worship none but the God of heaven and earth Thus you see by these instances that men that have God for their portion will couragiously owne God and bravely and resolutely stand up for God what ever comes on it The blood that hath been shed in most Nations under heaven doth clearly evidence this that men will own their earthly portions and that they will stand up stoutly resolutely and couragiously in the defence of them and so certainly will all those own God and stand up in the defence of God his glory and truth who have God for their portion Take a true bred Christian when he is himself take a Christian in his ordinary course and he cannot but own his God and stand up stoutly and couragiously for his God in the face of all difficulties and dangers But Seventhly If God be thy portion then thou wilt look upon all things below thy God as poor Ps 73.24 25 low mean and contemptible things a worldly man looks upon all things below his earthly portion as contemptible and so doth a Christian look upon all things below his God as contemptible Phil. 3.7 8. But what things were gain to me those I counted losse for Christ Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dogs dung some interpret the word properly signifies such sordid course and contemptible things which are either cast forth by dogs or cast before dogs that I may win Christ And 't is very observable that after this great Apostle had been in the third heaven 2 Cor. 12.1 2 3. and had been blest with a glorious sight of God he look't upon the world as a poor mean low contemptible thing Gal. 6.14 God forb'd that I should glory save in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Paul scorned despised and rejected the world and the world scorned despised and rejected him Paul cast off the world and the world cast off him he disregarded the world and the world disregarded him he was dead to the world and the world was dead to him the world and Paul were well agreed the world car'd not a pin for Paul and Paul cared not a straw for the world Heb. 11.24 to 27. And so when Moses had seen him that was invisible when he had taken a full prospect of that other world and when he had beheld God as his portion Oh how doth he slight scorn and trample upon all the honours preferments profits pleasures delights and contentments of Egypt as things below him and as things that in no respects were worthy of him It is a Rabbinical conceit Joh 〈◊〉 tavit â—lorileg Rabbinâ—cum that Moses being a child had Pharaohs Crown given him to play withall and he made no better than a Foot-ball of it and cast it down to the ground and kick't it about as if it were a sign of his future vilifying and contemning of temporal things I shall not much trouble my head about what Moses did when he was a child but of this I am sure having the word of a God for it Heb. 11.24 That when he was come to years or as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being grown big Some conclude
and derided him and thought the poor old man doted and dreamed not as we say of a dry Summer but of a wet Winter but yet Noahs propriety and interest in God being clear Noah begins his work and goes on his work and never ceases till he had finished that work that God had set him about Alciat observes in one of his Emblems that a dog then barketh most when the Moon is at fullest but whether it be by some special influence that it then worketh in the dog or whether it be occasioned by the spots in the Moon represented unto him in the forme and shape of another dog I shall not conclude but yet let the dog bark never so much the Moon will run her course she will walk her station securely through the Heavens though all the dogs in the Town bark never so fiercely at her so a man that hath an interest and propriety in God and knows it he is like the Moon he will hold on his course heaven-wards and holinesse-wards though all the lewd and debauched wicked wretches in City and Countrey should bark at him and deride him and oppose him and speak all manner of evil against him Propriety and interest in God will make a man set light by all such paper-shot yea it will carry him through the pikes not onely of evil tongues but it will also carry him through the most fierce and eager opposition that either Satan himself or any of his instruments can possibly raise against him But Fourthly Declare and evidence your propriety and interest in God by your sweet and noble carriage and deportment towards those that have an interest and propriety in God Look as a child carries it in a different way to his Father to what he doth to others so you must carry it in a different way towards those that have an interest and propriety in God to what you do towards those that have no interest nor propriety at all in God Though a wife be very kind and courteous to all comers and goers yet she carries it in a very different way to her husband from what she doth to all others she carries it with a great deal more kindnesse and sweetnesse and tendernesse and familiarnesse and noblenesse c. towards her husband than she doth towards others whether they be friends or strangers And just thus should you carry it towards those that have a propriety and interest in God I have not faith enough to believe that such men have any interest and propriety in God who carry it very strangely and proudly and churlishly and scornfully and deridingly and tyrannically and disdainfully and enviously and maliciously and rigorously and sowrly and bitterly c. towards those that have an interest and propriety in God and yet carry it at the same time very fairly and sweetly and courteously c. towards such wretches that have no interest or propriety in God at all yea to such that blaspheme his Name and that prophane his Sabbaths and that pollute his Ordinances and that trample upon his mercies and that despise his warnings and that are given up to their own hearts lusts and that live as if there were neither God nor heaven nor hell But Fifthly Evidence your interest and propriety in God by doing such things for God which such as have no interest in God cannot do nor will not do nor have no heart nor minde to do evidence your interest in God Matth. 5.44 45 46 47 48. by doing singular things for God by doing such things for God that are above their reach that have no interest nor propriety in God at all As by denying your selves your sinful selves your natural selves and your religious selves and by keeping a singular guard upon your owne hearts words and wayes and by stepping over the Worlds Crown to take up Christs Crosse Heb. 11. as Moses did and by lessening your selves to greaten Christ as John did Joh. 3.30 31 32. and by lifting up of Christ above your lusts above your selves above the world above outward priviledges above your performances above your arts Phil. 3.7 8 9. parts and gifts as Paul did and by blessing a taking God as well as a giving God Job 1. as Job did and by rejoycing and glorying in all the afflictions and sufferings that befalls you for Christs sake and the Gospels sake as the Apostles and primitive Christians did and by chusing to suffer rather than to sin Heb. 11. as those Worthies did of whom this world was not worthy and by keeping of your selves from the defilements pollutions and abominations of the times as some in Sardis did Rev. 3.4 and by following of the Lamb wheresoever he goes as those hundred fourty and four thousand did who had their fathers name written in their foreheads O Sirs Chap. 14.1 2 3. 4 5. it is infinitely better not to challenge any interest or propriety in God at all then to pretend high as to interest and propriety in God and yet to do no more for God nay it may be not so much than they that have no interest nor propriety in God at all But Sixthly and lastly Evidence your interest and propriety in God by falling roundly in with the interest of God in opposition to all carnal interests in the world O Sirs the interest of God will by degrees eat out and swallow up all other interests in the world Look as Pharaohs lean kine eat up the sat Gen. 41.4 Exod. 7.11 12. and as Aarons rod swallowed up the Egyptians rods so the interest of God will in time eat up and swallow up all that superstitious carnal worldly Antichristian and Satanical interest that men labour now to uphold with all their might Isa 8 9 10. Dan. 2.35 Then was the iron the clay the brasse the silver and the gold broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the Summer threshing-floors and the wind carried them away that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the Image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth Verse 44. And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdome shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever And so Chap. 7.27 And the Kingdom dominion the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdom is an ever lasting Kingdome and all Dominions shall serve and obey him Rev. 17.12 13 14. And the ten hornes which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdome as yet but receive power as Kings one hour with the beast these have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the beast these shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall
and yet every day fall before the least temptation as common experience doth abundantly evidence whereas a man that hath God for his portion will stand fast like a rock in all storms yea in the face of all temptations he will be like Mount Zion that cannot be removed Luther in Gen. Luther counsels every Christian to answer all temptations with this short saying Christianus sum I am a Christian and I would counsel every Christian to answer all temptations with this short saying The Lord is my portion O Christian when Satan or the world shall tempt thee with honours answer The Lord is my portion when they shall tempt thee with riches answer The Lord is my portion when they shall tempt thee with preferments answer The Lord is my portion and when they shall tempt thee with the favours of great ones answer The Lord is my portion yea and when this persecuting world shall threaten thee with the losse of thy estate answer The Lord is my portion and when they shall threaten thee with the losse of thy liberty answer The Lord is my portion and when they shall threaten thee with the losse of friends answer The Lord is my portion and when they shall threaten thee with the losse of life answer The Lord is my portion O Sirs if Satan should come to you with an apple as once he did to Eve tell him that The Lord is your portion or with a grape as once he did to Noah tell him that The Lord is your portion or with a change of raiment as once he did to Gehezi tell him that The Lord is your portion or with a wedge of gold as once he did to Achan tell him that The Lord is your portion or with a bag of money as once he did to Judas tell him that The Lord is your portion or with a Crown a Kingdome as once he did to Moses tell him that The Lord is your portion But Sixthly and lastly If God be not your portion you will be miserable to all eternity Psal 11.6 Psal 9.17 Isa 33.14 Mat. 24. ult 2 Thes 1.7 8 9 10. Heb. 12.22 23 24. if God be not your portion wrath must be your portion hell must be your portion everlasting burnings must be your portion a devouring fire must be your portion and a separation for ever from the glorious presence of God Christ Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect must be your portion as you may clearly see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margin together If God be not your portion in this life you shall never have him for your portion in another life if God be not your portion here he will never be your portion hereafter O Sirs if death should surprize you before God is your portion you will as certainly go to hell as God is in heaven and therefore it infinitely concerns you to get God for your portion There is no way in the world to make the King of terrours to be a King of desires to thy soul O man but by gaining God for thy portion Or all terribles death will be most terrible and formidable to that man that hath not God for his portion If thou shouldest live and die O man without having God for thy portion it had been good for thee that thou hadst never been born and if the day of thy birth had been the day of thy death thy hell would not have been so hot as now thou wilt certainly find it But now methinks I hear some crying out O Sir what shall we do that we may have God for our portion O had we as many worlds at our dispose as there be stars in heaven we would give them all that we might have God for our portion O we now see that we can never be happy except God be our portion yea we now see that we shall be miserable to all eternity except God be our portion and therefore what shall we do that we may have God for our portion Well then if you would indeed have God for your portion let me thus advise you First Labour to be very sensible that by nature you are without God yea at enmity with God and alienated from the life and love of God Ephe. 2.12 Rom. 8.7 Ephe. 2 â—â— ch 4.18 and that by nature you are children of wrath and disobedience and in actual armes and rebellion against the great God O Sirs never talk of having of God for your portion till you come to see your selves without God and till you come to judge your selves unworthy of God Acts 2.39 Every man in his natural estate is afar off from God three manner of wayes First In point of opinion and apprehension Secondly In point of fellowship and communion Thirdly In point of grace and conversion And till a man comes to be sensible of this he will never desire God to be his portion But Secondly If you would have God for your portion then you must trample upon all other portions in comparison of God Austin prayes Lord saith he whatever thou hast given take it all away only give me thy self Luther protested that God should not put him off with the poor things of this world O go to God and say Lord thou hast given me a portion in money but this money is not thy self thou hast given me a portion in lands but these lands are not thy self thou hast given me a portion in goods but these goods are not thy self thou hast given me a portion in jewels but these jewels are not thy self and therefore give me thy self and I shall say I have enough Lord had I all the world for my portion yet I should be miserable for ever in that other world except thou bestowest thy self as a portion upon my soul O Lord give me but thy self and take away what thou pleasest O give me but thy self and take away all strip me of all and I shall with Job sit down and blesse a taking God as well as a giving God O go to God and tell him with an humble boldnesse that though he hath given thee many good things yet all those good things will do thee no good except he bestow himself upon thee as the only good O tell him that he is the first good tell him that he is the original of all good tell him that he is the greatest good the noblest good tell him that he is a superlative good tell him that he is an universal good tell him that he is an unchangeable good tell him that he is an eternal good and tell him that he is the most soul-suitable and soul-satisfying good and therefore tell him that thou canst not tell how to live one day without him yea that thou knowest not how to be happy one hour without him But Thirdly If you would have God for your portion then of all precious promises of all golden promises plead that most Zech. 13.9 They shall
call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God O Sirs as ever you would have the great and glorious God for your portion plead out this noble promise cordially with God plead it out affectionately plead it out fervently plead it out frequently plead it out beleevingly plead it out resolutely plead it out incessantly O Sirs this choice promise is an hive full of heavenly honey 't is a paradise full of sweet flowers 't is a breast that is full of the milk of consolation Isa 66.11 and therefore be still a sucking at this breast be still a pleading of this promise follow God with this promise early and late follow him with this promise day and night Luk. 18.1 to the 9. v. follow him with this promise as the importunate Widow followed the unjust Judge and give him no rest till he hath made it good to your souls that he is your God and that he is your portion and that he is your salvation and that he is your all in all O tell him that above all things in this world your hearts are set on this to have God to be your God to have God to be your portion O tell him that you cannot tell him that you dare not tell him that you may not and tell him that you shall not be satisfied with any thing without God with any thing below God with any thing on this side God with any thing but God and therefore humbly intreat him and earnestly beseech him to be your God and to be your portion But Fourthly If you would have God for your portion Deut. 32.9 Jer. 12.10 Zech. 2.12 then you must be willing to be his portion God is resolved upon this that he will be no mans portion that is not willing to be his you must make a resignation of your selves to God if ever you would enjoy an interest in God you must be as willing to be his people as you are willing to have him to be your God you must be as much at Gods dispose as earthly portions are at your dispose or else there will be no enjoying of God to be your God God will ingage himself to none that are not willing to ingage themselves to him he that will not give his hand his heart to God shall never have any part or portion in God O Sirs as ever you would have God for your portion it highly concerns you to give up your selves to God with highest estimations and with most vigorous affections and with utmost indeavours according to that precious promise Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord and sirname himself by the name of Israel God stands upon nothing so much as the giving up of your selves to him nor he is taken with nothing so much as the giving up of your selves to him Seneca do Benesic l. 1. I have read of Aeschines who seeing his fellow-scholars give great gifts viz. gold silver and jewels to his Master Socrates and he being poor and having nothing else to bestow he gave him himself which the Philosopher most kindly accepted esteeming this present above all those rich and costly presents that his other Scholars had presented to him and accordingly in love and sweetnesse he carried it towards him So there is nothing that God accepts loves likes and esteems like the giving up of a mans self unto him this is a present that God prefers above all the gold silver and sparkling jewels in the world Well Sirs remember this Such as are not as willing to say Lord we are thine as they are to say Lord thou art ours such shall never have God for their portion But Fifthly If you would have God for your portion then you must take up Christ in your arms and treat with God upon the credit of Christ there is no acquaintance with God Ephe. 2.16 Heb. 2.17 Col. 1.20 21. Ephes 1.6 7. there is no reconciliation to God there is no union nor communion with God there is no re-admission into the presence and favour of God without a Mediator God out of Christ is incomprehensible God out of Christ is exceeding terrible Heb. 12.9 an absolute God is a consuming fire and therefore sayes Luther Nolo Deum absolutum Let me have nothing to do with God himself The blood of Christ the blood of the Covenant is that and onely that that can cement re-unite and knit God and man together Themistocles understanding that King Admittus was highly displeased with him took up his young son into his armes Plutarch in Vita and treated with the father holding that his Darling in his bosome and thereby appeased the Kings wrath O Sirs the King of Kings is offended with you and upon the account of your sins he hath a very great controversie with you Now there is no way under heaven to pacifie his wrath and turn away his displeasure from you but by taking up Christ in your armes and by presenting all your suits in his name There is no Angel in heaven nor no Saint on earth that can or that dares to interpose between an angry God and poor sinners 't is only Christ Isa 9.6 the Prince of peace that can make up a sinners peace with God John 14.6 Jesus saith unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me There is no way to the Father but by the meritorious blood of the Son Isa 33.14 there are none that can stand between everlasting burnings and us but Christ You shall not see my face except you bring your brother Benjamin with you said Joseph to his brethren so sayes God Sinners sinners you shall not see my face Gen. 43.3 6. except you bring Jesus with you except you bring Christ in your armes you shall never see my face with joy you shall never see my face and live There is a Writ of Vengeance that is issued out of the Court of Heaven against poor sinners and except Christ stops in they will certainly fall under an eternal arrest and be thrown into everlasting perdition and destruction But Sixthly If you would have God for your portion then you must break your league with sin you must fall out with sin if ever you fall in with God sin and you must be two or God and you can never be one there is no propriety to be had in God except your hearts rise against that which first dis-united and dis-joynted you from God sin and you must part or God and you can never meet You shall as soon make an accommodation between light and darknesse 2 Câ—â— 6.14 ult heaven and hell noon and midnight as ever you shall be able to make an accommodation between God and sinne So long