to be a mans portion then all things shall work together for his good Rom. 8.28 and then God will preserve him from such hurtful and mischievous actings The whole World is a great Bedlam and multitudes there are that think madly and that design madly and that talk madly and that act madly and that walk madly Now as you would not be found in the number of those Bedlams it highly concerns you to get God for your portion that so you may be filled with that wisdome that may preserve you from the follie and madnesse of this mad world Gentlemen The following Sermons I preached in the year 1660. at Olaves Breadstreet and God blest them then to those Christians that attended on my Ministry and I hope he will blesse them also to the internal and eternal welfare of your souls to whom they are now dedicated They are much inlarged the profit will be yours the labour hath been mine I judge them very seasonable and suitable to present dispensations else they had not see the light at this time Curiosity is the spiritual adultery of the soul curiosity is that green-sicknesse of the soul whereby it longs for novelties and loaths sound and wholsome truths it is the Epidemical distemper of this age and hour And therefore if any of you are troubled with this itch of curiosity and love to be wise above what is written and delight to scan the choice mysteries of Religion by carnal reason and affect elegant expressions and Seraphical notions and the flowers of Rhetorick more than sound and wholsome Truths then you may ease your selves if you please of the trouble of reading this following Treatise onely remember this that the prudent Husband-man looks more and delights more in the ripenesse and soundnesse and goodnesse of the Corn that is in his Field than he doth at the beauty of the Cockle and remember that no man can live more miserably than he that lives altogether upon Sawces and he that looks more at the handsomnesse than he doth at the wholsomnesse of the Dishes of Meat that are set before him may well passe for a fool Well Gentlemen for a Close remember this that as Noah was drunk with his own wine and as Goliah was beheaded by his own sword and as the rose is destroyed by the canker that it breeds in it self and as Agrippina was killed by Nero to whom she gave breath so if ever you are eternally destroyed you will be destroyed by your selves if ever you are undone you will be undone by your selves if ever you are scourged to death it will be by rods of your own making and if ever the bitter cup of damnation be put into your hands it will be found to be of your own preparing mingling and imbittering Behold I have set life and death heaven and hell glory and misery before you in this Treatise and therefore if you will needs chuse death rather than life hell rather than heaven misery rather than glory What can be more just than that you should perish to all eternity If you will not have God for your portion you shall be sure to have wrath for your portion and hell for your portion c. Well Sirs remember this at last every man shall onely thank his own folly for his own bane his own sin for his own everlasting shame his own iniquity for his own endlesse misery I have now no more to do but to improve all the interest that I have in Heaven That this Treatise may be blest to all your souls and that you all experience what it is to have God for your portion for that will be my joy as well as yours and my Crown as well as yours and my glorying as well as yours in the great day of our Lord Jesus And so I commend you to God and to the word of his grace Acts 20.32 which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified And rest Gentlemen Your Souls Servant Thomas Brooks A MATCHLESSE PORTION LAMENT 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him CErtainly if Ennius could pick out Gold out of a Dunghil I may by Divine Assistance much better pick out golden matter out of such a golden Myne as my Text is to enrich the souls of men withall The best of Painters Apelles to draw an exquisite Venus had set before him an hundred choice and selected beauties to take from one an eye another a lip a third a smile a fourth an hand and from each of them that special lineament in which she most excelled but I have no need of any other Scripture to be set before me to draw forth the excellency of the Saints portion than that which I have now pitch't upon for the beauty excellency and glory of an hundred choice Scriptures are epitomized in this one The Jewish Doctors and other Writers differ about the time of Jeremiahs penning this Book of the Lamentations but to be ignorant of the circumstance of time when this Book was made is such a crime as I suppose will not be charg'd upon any mans account in the great day of our Lord Jesus Doubtlesse this Book of the Lamentations was composed by Jeremiah in the time of the Babylonian captivity In this Book the Prophet sadly laments and bewails the grievous calamities and miseries that had befallen the Jews viz. the ruine of their State the devastation of their land the destruction of their glorious City and Temple which was the great wonder of the world the prophanation of all his holy things the contemptible and deplorable condition of all sorts ranks and degrees of men and then he complains of their sins as the procuring causes of all those calamities that God in his righteousness had inflicted upon them He exhorts them also to patience under the mighty hand of God and stirs them up to repent and reform as they would have their sins pardoned judgments removed divine wrath pacified their insulting enemies suppressed and former acts and grants of favour and grace restored to them But to come to the words of my Text. The Lord Jehovah from Havah He was this name Jehovah is the most proper Name of God and 't is never attributed to any but to God The three syllables contain the notes of all times Je the time to come Ho the time present Vah the time past First Jehovah sets out Gods eternity in that it containeth all times future present and past Secondly It sets out also Gods Self-existency coming from Havah to Be. Thirdly When either some special mercy is promised or some extraordinary judgment is threatned then the Name of Jehovah is commonly annexed to shew that that God whose being is from himself and who gives a being to all his creatures both in heaven and on earth will certainly give a being to his promises and threatnings and not fail to accomplish the words that
that can never be drawn dry Angels Saints Col. 1.16 17 and sinners have lived upon this portion almost this six thousand years and it is not in the least diminished God hath his City-house and his Countrey-house where millions have been kept at his table and lived upon his purse his charge even dayes without number and yet God is not one penny the poorer for all this This portion is like the meal in the Barrel and the oil in the Cruse which never failed 1 Kings 17.14 16. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel the barrel of meal shall not waste neither shall the Cruse of oil fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the Earth And the Barrel of meal wasted not neither did the Cruse of oil fail according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah God is such a portion as cannot be wasted nor diminished he is such a portion as can never fail Should all Christians now live to the age of the Patriarchs who lived many hundred years and should they all live freely and keep open house every day in the year yet at the end not a dram not a penny no not a farthing of this portion will be expended or diminished Though men have never so great a stock yet if they still spend upon it they wil certainly consume it O but God is such a stock as can never be spent as can never be consumed If a sparrow should but fetch a drop of water out of the Sea once a day yea once in a thousand years yet in time it would be exhausted O but God is such a Sea such an Ocean that if every Angel in heaven and every Saint and sinner on earth should drink whole Rivers at a draught yet not one drop could be diminished If a child should but take a cockle-shell of water out of the Sea every day the Sea would be really the lesse though not visibly the lesse and in time it would be exhausted and drawn dry but let all created beings be every day a drawing from God yet they shall never lessen him they shall never draw him dry The mothers breasts are often drawn dry but the more you draw at the breasts of God the more the milk of grace and comfort will flow in upon you Isa 66.10 11. Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoyce for joy with her all ye that mourn for her That ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation that you may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory God keeps open house for all commers and goers Psal 104.24 for all created creatures both in heaven and earth and though they are perpetually a sucking at his breasts yet the more they draw the more the heavenly milk of divine joy content and satisfaction flows in abundantly upon them All creatures both high and low rich and poor honourable and base noble and ignoble bond and free Jews and Gentiles are all maintained upon Gods own cost and charge they are all fed at his Table and maintained by what comes out of his Treasury his purse and yet God is not a pin the poorer for all this It would break and beggar all the Princes on earth to keep but one day the least part of that innumerable company that God feeds and cloaths and cherishes and maintains every day upon the account of his own Revenue which is never the poorer for all the vast expences that he is daily at There is still in God a fulnesse of abundance and a sulnesse of redundance notwithstanding the vast summes that he hath and daily doth expend It were blasphemy to think that God should be a penny the poorer by all that he hath laid out for the maintenance of those millions of Angels and men that have had their dependance upon him from their first creation to this very day Look as the Sun hath never the lesse light for filling the Stars with light and as the Fountain hath never the lesse water for filling the lesser Vessels with water that are about it so though God fills all the Vessels both of grace and glory with his own fulnesse yet he is never the lesse full himself there is still in God plenitudo fontis the fulnesse of a Fountain Look as the overflowing Fountain pours out water abundantly and yet after all it remains full so though the Lord be such an overflowing Fountain as that he fills all yet still he retains all fulnesse in himself I have read of a Spanish Ambassadour that coming to see the Treasury of Saint Mark in Venice that is so much cried up in the world he fell a groping at the bottome of the Chests and Trunks to see whether they had any bottom and being asked the reason why he did so answered in this among other things My Masters Treasure differs from yours and excells yours in that his hath no bottome as yours have alluding to the Mynes in Mexico Peru and other parts of the Western India All mens Mints Bags Purses and Coffers may be quickly exhausted and drawn dry but God is such an inexhaustible portion that he can never be drawn dry all Gods Treasures are bottomlesse and all his Mints are bottomlesse and all his Bags are bottomlesse millions of thousands in heaven and earth seed every day upon him and yet he seels it not he is still a giving and yet his purse is never empty he is still a filling all the Court of heaven and all the creatures on earth and yet he is a Fountain that still overflowes There be them that say that 't is most certainly true of the Oil at Rhemes that though it be continually spent in the inauguration of their Kings of France yet it never wasts but whatever truth is in this story of this I am most sure that though all the creatures in both worlds live and spend continually on Christs stock yet it never wasteth But now all earthly portions are frequently exhausted and drawn dry Luke 15. the prodigal quickly spent his patrimony upon his harlots and how many Drunkards Prov. 23.20 21. and Gluttons and Wantons and Gamesters and Roysters c. do daily bring a Noble to nine pence Hast thou entered into the Treasures of the snow Vide Job 38.22 saith God to Job Now saith Gregory the treasures of the snow are worldly riches which men rake together even as children do snow which the next showr washeth away and leaves nothing in the room of it but dirt And ah how many Merchants and Shop-keepers and others in these breaking times have found all their riches and earthly portions to melt away as snow before the Sun how many of late have been very rich one week and stript of all the next and set with Job upon the dunghil All earthly portions are like water in a Cistern that may easily and quickly be drawn
why should not a Christian be contented with a little seeing his little shall be blest unto him Gen. 26.12 Isaac tils the ground and sowes his seed and God blesses him with an hundred fold and Cain tils the ground Ch. 4.12 and sowes his seed but the earth is cursed to him and commanded not to yield to him his strength Oh therefore never let a Christian murmur because he hath but a little but rather let him be still a blessing of that God that hath blest his little and that doth blesse his little and that will blesse his little to him Again that little estate that a righteous man hath is most commonly a more lasting Prov. 15.16 ch 16.8 a more abiding a more permanent and a more induring estate than the great and large estates of the wicked are Psal 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked One old piece of Gold is worth more than a thousand new Counters and one box of pearls is more worth than many loads of pibbles and one hundred pounds a year for ever is better than many hundreds in hand 'T is very observable the Psalmist doth not simply say the estate but the rich estate the riches not of one or a few but of many wicked are not comparable to that little that a righteous man hath From this word Hamon comes the word Mammon Luk. 16.9 the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hamon that is here rendred riches signifies also a multitude or an abundance or store of riches a little that a righteous man hath is better than the multitude of riches or the abundance of riches or the store of riches that many wicked men have and he gives you the reason of this in the 17 v. For the armes of the wicked shall be broken but he upholdeth or under-props the righteous By the armes of the wicked you are to understand their strength their valour their power their wit their wealth their abundance which is all the arms they have to support and bare up themselves in the world with Now these armes shall be broken and when they are broken then even then will God uphold the righteous that is God will be a continual overflowing fountain of good to his righteous ones so that they shall never want though all the springs of the wicked are dried up round about them Oh Sirs there are so many mothes and so many dangers and so many crosses and so many losses and so many curses that daily attends the great estates of wicked men that they are very rarely long-liv'd ah how many in this great City are there that have built their nests on high and that have thought that they had laid up riches for many years and that have said in their hearts that their lands and stocks and trades and houses and pompous estates should abide for ever who are now broken in pieces like a potters vessel ah how often doth the pride the oppression the lying the cheating the over-reaching the swearing the cursing the whoring the covetousnesse the drunkennesse and the wantonnesse of the wicked cut the throat of all their mercies these are the wickednesses that as a fire burnes up all their outward enjoyments and that turnes their earthly paradise into a real hell 't is the wickednesse of the wicked that causeth their prosperity to wither and that provokes God to turn their plenty into scarcity their glory into contempt and their honour into shame 't is very observable that in the holy Scriptures the prosperous estates of the wicked are frequently compared to things of an abrupt existence to a shadow which soon passeth away Job 14.2 Ch. 21.17 18 Isa 29.5 to chaff which a puff a blast of wind easily disperseth and scattereth to grasse 2 Kings 19 26. Job 24.24 Ch. 15.33 ch 20.8 to grasse which quickly withereth before the Sun to tops of corn which in an instant are cut off to the unripe grape which on a sudden drops down yea to a dream in the night and what 's a dream but a quick fancy and a momentary vanity All the riches that the wicked gain either by their trades or by their friends or by their great places or by their high Offices or by their subtil contrivances or by their sinful compliances and all the honour they gain in the Court or in the Camp or in the School is but light and inconstant 't is but like the crackling of thorns under a pot they are fading vanities that commonly die before those that enjoy them are laid in the dust Oh therefore let all Christians be contented with their little seeing that their little shall outlast the large estates of wicked and ungodly men A man that hath God for his portion can truly say that which no wicked man in the world can say viz. Psal 23.6 Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever The Psalmist doth not say that goodnesse and mercy should follow him a day or a few dayes or many dayes but that goodnesse and mercy should follow him all the dayes of his life the Hebrew word Radaph that is here rendered to follow signifies to persecute saith the Psalmist goodnesse and mercy shall follow me as the persecutor follows him he persecutes that is it shall follow me frequently it shall follow me constantly it shall follow me swiftly it shall follow me earnestly it shall follow me unweariedly the word signifies a studious anxious careful diligent following 't is a Metaphor that is taken from beasts birds of prey that follow and flie after their prey with the greatest cagernesse closenesse and unweariednesse imaginable Why thus should mercy and loving kindnesse follow David all the dayes of his life and if in a temptation he should prove so weak and so foolish as to run from goodnesse and mercy yet goodnesse and mercy should follow him like as the Sun going down followeth the passenger that goeth Eastward with his warm beams Oh but now the mercies of the wicked are short-liv'd Psal 37.35 36 37. though the wicked flourish and spread themselves like a green bay-tree one day yet they are cut down the next and there is neither root nor branch to be found tale nor tidings to be heard of them for in a moment they with all their greatnesse state pomp and glory are utterly vanished and banished out of the world And so Psal 34.10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Young lions are lustie strong fierce and active to seek their prey and have it they will if it be to be had and yet for all that they shall lack and suffer hunger By young lions the learned understand First All wicked Rulers Prov. 28.15 Ezek. 32.2 men that are in the highest places
man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord Isa 41.16 Thou shalt rejoyce in the Lord and shalt glory in the holy one of Israel and Chap. 45.25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Oh how should the Saints that have God for their portion make their boast of their God and rejoyce in their God and glory in their God! Shall the men of the world glory in an earthly portion and shall not a Saint glory in his heavenly portion Shall they glory in a portion that they have onely in hope and shall not a Christian glory in that portion that he hath already in hand Shall they glory in a portion that they have only in reversion and shall not a Saint glory in that portion that he hath in present possession Shall they glory in their hundreds and thousands a year and shall not a Christian glory in that God that fills heaven and earth with his glory In all the Scriptures there is no one duty more prest Compare these Scriptures together Phil. 3.1 Ch. 4 4. Ezek. 10.7 Joel 2.23 Psal 33.1 Psal 79.12 Ps 149.1 2. than this of rejoycing in God and indeed if you consider God as a Saints portion there is every thing in God that may incourage the soul to rejoyce in him and there is nothing in God that may in the least discourage the soul from rejoycing and glorying in him O Christians the joy of the Lord is your strength Neh. 8.10 't is your doing strength and your bearing strength and your suffering strength and your prevailing strength 't is your strength to work for God and 't is your strength to wait on God and 't is your strength to exalt and lift up God and 't is your strength to walk with God 't is your strength to live and your strength to die and therefore be sure to keep up your joy in God 'T is one of the saddest sights in all the world to see a man that hath God for his portion with Cain to walk up and down this world with a dejected countenance 'T was holy joy and cheerfulnesse that made the faces of several Martyrs to shine as if they had been the faces of Angels One observes of Chrispina that she was cheerful when she was apprehended August in Psal 137. and joyful when she was led to the Judge and merry when she was sent to prison and so she was when bound and when lift up in a Cage and when examined and when condemned O Christians how can you number up the several souls that you deject the foul mouths that you open and the bad reports that you bring upon the Lord and his wayes by your sad dejected and uncomfortable walking It is very observable that the Lord takes it so very unkindly at his peoples hands when they go sighing lamenting and mourning up and down when as they should be a rejoycing and a delighting of themselves in him and his goodness that he threatens to pursue them to the death with all manner of calamities and miseries upon that very score Deut. 28.47 48. Because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and with gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall sond against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakednesse and in want of all things and he shall put a yoke of Iron upon thy neok until he have destroyed thee But Eightly If the Saints have such a great such a large and such an all-sufficient portion as hath been shewed they have then certainly they shall never want any thing that is good for them Psal 23.5 6. David tells you that his cup run over the words are an allusion to the Hebrew Feasts Davids table was richly and nobly spread both in sight and spight of all his enemies In one God is every good and what can he want that enjoyes that God God is a bundle of all goodnesse and sweetnesse And look as God is the best God so he is the greatest and the fullest good he can as easily fill the most capacious souls up to the very brim with all inward and outward excellencies and mercies as Christ did once fill those water-pots of Gallilee up to the very brim with wine John 2. If God hath enough in himself for himself then certainly he hath enough in himself for us that water that can fill the Sea can much more easily fill my cup or my pot Jer. 31.14 My people shall be satisfied with goodnesse saith the Lord And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them Ch. 32 40 41. that I will not turn away from them to do them good yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need or my God shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fill-up all your need as he did the widows vessels in that 2 Kings 4.3 4 5 6. Godlinesse hath the promise both of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 he that hath God for his portion shall have all other things cast into his store Mal. 6.25.31 32 33. as paper and packthread is cast into the bargain or as an handful of corn is cast into the corn you buy or as Hucksters cast in an over-cast among the fruit you buy or as an inch of measure is given into an ell of cloth O Sirs how can that man be poor how can that man want that hath the Lord of heaven and earth for his portion Surely he cannot want light that enjoyes the Sun nor he cannot want bread that hath all sorts of grain in his barnes nor he cannot want water that hath the fountain at his door no more can he want any thing that hath God for his portion who is every thing and who will be every thing to every gracious soul O Sirs the thought the tongue the desire the wish the conception all fall short of God and of that great goodness that he hath laid up for them that fear him Psal 31.10 and why then should they be afraid of wants How doth that pretty bird the Robin-red-breast cheerfully sit and sing in the chamber-window Psa 104.10 to Vers 31. and yet knows not where he shall make the next meal and at night must take up his lodging in a bush O what a shame is it that men that have God for their portion should act below this little bird I have read of famous Mr. Dod who is doubtlesse now high
soul-concernments insomuch that many of their most pious and prudent men did presage that certainly some horrible storm would suddenly arise and that some dreadful tempest without all peradventure would beat upon them and accordingly it came to passe Alexander slew him whom he found asleep on the watch and God finding the Bohemians in a deep sleep of sin and security he brought the devouring sword upon them Mercury could not kill Argus till he had cast him into a sleep and with an inchanted rod closed his eyes No more can the Devil or the World hurt any man till by dandling of him on the knee of prosperity they come to lull him asleep in the bed of security But Fifthly Earthly riches do frequently divert the souls of men from imbracing and closing with the golden seasons and opportunities of grace Matth. 13.22 Riches are the thorns that choak the Word and that make men barren and unfruitful under the Word Rich Felix had no leisure to hear poor Paul Acts 24 24-ult though the hearing of a Sermon might have saved his soul and made him happy in both worlds and the rich fool in the Gospel was so taken up in pulling down his Barnes Luke 12.15 to the 22. and in building of them greater and in bestowing of his fruits and his goods that he had no time to prevent the ruine of his soul and Dives was so taken up with his riches pomp state Ch. 16.19 to the end and with his royal apparel royal attendance and royal fare that he never minded heaven nor never dreaded hell til he did awake with everlasting flames about his ears Sicily is so full of sweet flowers Diodorus Siculus that dogs cannot hunt there and so what do all the sweet profits pleasures and preferments of this world but make men lose the scent of grace the scent of glory the scent of holinesse Some say where gold grows no plant wil. prosper certainly where riches bear the bell no good no grace will thrive or prosper and the scent of happinesse 'T is true rich men will have their eating times and their drinking times and their trading times and their sporting times and their sleeping times that which is worse their sinning-times c. But ah how rare is it to see rich men covet after hearing times and praying times and reading times and meditating times and mourning times and repenting times and reforming times Rich men will have time for every thing but to honour God exalt Christ obey the Spirit love the Saints attend Ordinances and save their own immortal souls O the time the thoughts the strength the spirits that rich men spend and consume upon their riches whil'st their precious souls lie a bleeding to death and an eternity of misery is posting upon them But Sixthly Earthly riches commonly load the soul with a multitude of cares fears griefs and vexations which do mightily disturb the soul distract the soul yea often rack torture and torment the soul What if such a friend should be unfaithful to his trust what if such a Ship should miscarry what if such an one should break that owes me so much what if my title to such a Lordship should not prove good what if flawes be found in my Evidences for such and such Lands what if fire should consume my habitation what if thiefs should rob me of my treasure c. and what do all these what 's tend to but to break a mans heart in a thousand pieces But Seventhly Earthly riches many times are fuel for the greatest and the grossest sins as pride oppression revenge cruelty Compare these Scriptures together Psal 73 1-13 Deut. 32.15 16 17. Jer. 5.7 8. Hos 13.6 James 5.1 to Vers 7. tyranny gluttony drunkennesse wantonnesse and all manner of uncleannesse and filthinesse Riches are a Bawd to those very sins that require the largest stock to maintain them Vices are more costly than vertues vertue observes a mean but vice knowes none vice is all for extreams witnesse the prodigious wickednesse of these times But Eighthly Earthly riches are many times reserved as witnesses against the rich in the great day of their account James 5.1 2 3. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you Your riches are corrupted and your garments moth-eaten your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped treasure together for the last dayes The rust of the rich mans cankered gold and his moth-eaten apparel shall be brought in as dreadful witnesses against him in the great day The Poet feigned Pluto to be the God of riches and of hell too as if they were inseparable By all these particulars you see how hurtful how prejudiciall earthly portions often prove to their owners O but now God is a portion that will never hurt a man that will never harm a man that will never in the least prejudice a man Among all the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.22 23. there is not one to be found that will give in his witnesse against this sweet and blessed Truth that I have asserted and among all the Saints on earth you shall not finde one but will with both hands readily subscribe to this glorious Maxime viz. That God is such a portion that hath never hurt them that hath never harm'd them yea that he is such a portion that hath done them good all their dayes and one upon whom they have lived and by whom they have been maintained ever since they hung upon the breasts Psal 22.9 Holy Polycarp hit it when he said This sixty eight years have I served the Lord and he never did me any hurt and shall I now forsake him Surely no. But now earthly riches for the most part do a world of mischief and hurt to their owners O the souls that earthly riches have pierced thorow and thorow with many sorrows O the minds that earthly riches have blinded O the hearts that earthly riches have hardned O the consciences that earthly riches have benummed O the wills that earthly riches have perverted O the affections that earthly riches have disordered O the lives that earthly riches have corrupted and O the souls that earthly riches have destroyed But Ninthly and lastly Earthly riches for the most part make men unwilling to die O how terrible is the King of Terrours to the rich and the great ones of the world A great man wrote thus a little before his death Spes fortuna velete 1 Sam. 28.20 Dan. 5 1-7 And so Henry Beauford that rich and wretched Cardinal in the reign of Henry the sixth perceiving death at hand spoke thus Wherefore should I die being so rich if the whole Realm would save my life I am able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it fie quoth
he will not Death be hired will money do nothing It is reported that Queen Elizabeth could not indure so much as to hear Death named Brasmus hit it when he said Timor mortis pejor quam ipsa mors and Sigusmund the Emperour and Lewis the eleventh King of France straitly charged all their servants that when they saw them sick they should never dare to name that bitter word Death in their ears Vitellius an Emperour of Rome a notorious glutton as you may easily judge by his having at one supper two thousand fishes and seven thousand birds when he could not flie Death he made himself drunk that he might not be sensible of the pangs of Death 'T was a very prudent and Christian speech of Charles the fifth to the Duke of Venice who when he had shewed him the glory of his Princely Palace and earthly Paradise instead of admiring it or him for it he only returned him this grave and serious Memento Haec sunt quae faciunt invitos mori These are the things which make us unwilling to die c. And by daily experience we finde that of all men wealthy men are most unwilling to die O but now God is such a portion as fits and disposes the soul to die yea as makes the soul look long for death and that makes death more desireable than life it self A man that hath God for his portion that hath God in his armes may well sing it out with old Simeon Lord Luk. 2.25 29 30. let thy servant depart in peace according to thy word Phil. 1.23 for mine eyes hath seen thy salvation and with Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ and with the Church Make hast my beloved and be thou like a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountain of spices Cant. 8. ult and Come Lord Jesus come quickly Rev. 22.20 Did Christ die for me that I might live with him I will not therefore desire to live long from him all men go willingly to see him whom they love and shall I be unwilling to die that I may see him whom my soul loves Surely no. Augustine longed to die that he might see that head that was once crowned with thorns The dying words of my young Lord Harrington were these O my God when shall I be with thee Cyprian could receive the cruellest sentence of death with a Deo gratias and holy Andrew saluted the Cross on which he was to be crucified saying Take me from men and restore me to my Master And so Lawrence Saunders when he was come to the stake at which he was to be burnt he kissed it saying Welcome the Crosse of Christ welcome everlasting life But Twelfthly If God be the Saints portion O then let the Saints still think of God and look upon God under this notion A man that hath God for his portion should alwayes have very high noble sweet and precious thoughts of God It becomes not those that have God for their portion to be alwayes looking upon God as an angry God or as a displeased Father or as an incensed Judge or as an inraged enemy or as a bitter friend When God would make known his Name his Nature his Glory to Moses Exod. 34.6 7. he proclaimes himself to be The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercies for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin And certainly to keep up such precious thoughts and notions as these are of God is that work of works that lies upon every mans hand that hath God for his portion O Sirs there is a very great aptnesse and pronenesse even in those that have God for their portion to have black dark hard dismal and dreadful thoughts and apprehensions of God Psal 77. Psa 88. Job 3. Psal 73.11 13 13 14. as you may see in Asaph Heman Job David c. By nature we are as full of hard thoughts of God as hell is full of sinne and where the heart is not mightily over-aw'd by the Spirit of God and over-power'd by the grace of God there all manner of dark and dismal apprehensions of God abounds Besides Satan knows very well that our corrupt natures are made up of sad and hard thoughts of God and therefore he will use all his power and crast to blow up every spark every hard thought of God into a flame especially when outward troubles and inward distresles are upon us what sayes Satan Dost thou think that God loves thee O Christian when he deals thus sharply and severely with thee doth he pretend kindnesse to thee and yet hide his sace from thee and set thee up as a mark to shoot at how can he be thy friend who hath cast thee down at thine enemies feet and given thee up into their pawes and jawes how canst thou think that he hath any pity and compassion towards thee who makes no better provision for thee what vanity is it to believe that he will give thee a crown that denies thee a crust and that he will give thee an house not made with hands and yet suffer thee to be turned out of house and home and that he will do so much for thee in another world who doth so little for thee in this world c. And thus Satan takes his opportunities to provoke corrupt nature to fill the soul with hard thoughts of God And certainly that Christian is a very great stranger to his own heart that is not able to say from experience that it is one of the highest and hardest works in this world to keep up good gracious thoughts of God to keep up honourable and noble thoughts of God in a suffering condition or under dark and dismal dispensations O but now those that have God for their portion they should abandon and abhor all hard thoughts of God yea how severe soever the dealings of God are towards them yet it is their duty and their glory to keep up very sweet precious thoughts of God Psal 73.1 O Sirs the more choice and honourable thoughts you keep up of God in your own souls the more you will love the Lord and the more you will delight in the Lord and the more content and satisfaction you will take in the Lord. Such Christians that take a pleasure to be still a representing of God to themselves in the most hideous terrible and amazing shapes they kill their love and their joy and they create a hell of torments in their own souls Well Christians let me put a cluster of the Grapes of Canaan into your hands at once and that by telling of you that the more glorious blessed thoughts you keep up in your souls of God the more spiritual the more frequent the more fervent the more abundant the more constant and the more unwearied you will be in the work of the Lord and the more all your graces will be
about with dreadful dangers on all hands God was a refuge and a dwelling place unto them In all their troubles and travels for four hundred years together God was a shelter a refuge and an house of defence unto them every mans house is his strong castle and thither he retreats when dangers come and thus did the people of God in the Text when dangers threatened them they still run to their God they still made their retreat to the Holy One of Israel A man that hath God for his portion when he is at worst can never be houselesse nor harbourless as long as God lives he can never want an house a mansion-house to hide his head in All the powers on earth and all the powers of hell can never unhouse nor never unharbour nor never unshelter that man that hath God for his portion 'T was a witty saying of that learned man Picus Mirandula God created the earth for beasts to inhabit the sea for fishes the air for fowles and heaven for Angels and Stars so that man hath no place to dwell and abide in but God alone And certainly he that by faith dwells in God dwells in the best the noblest the safest and the strongest house that ever was dwelt in And so Psal 91.1 2. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortresse my God in him will I trust In this whole Psalm the safety of a Saint is set forth to the life to abide under the shadow of the Almighty notes the defence and protection of God Those words shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty are a Metaphor taken from a bird or an hen that hides her young ones under her wings and so secures them from the Kite or any other birds of prey God never wants a wing to hide his children under and look as little chickens run under the wings of the hen when danger is neer so the people of God do commonly run under the wings of God when danger is neer And certainly that Christian may well bid defiance to all dangers and easily and sweetly sing away all cares and fears who can by faith shelter himself and lodge himself under the shadow of Shaddai Look As the worldling in all his straits troubles trials dangers and wants still runs to his bags I have read of a wretched worldling who being sick to death called for one of his bags of gold and laid it to his heart and then cried out O it will not do it will not do and then called for another and still cried out Oh it will not do it will not do to his earthly portion for succour for comfort for support for relief for shelter for protection Prov. 18.11 Matt. 19.24 1 Tim. 5.17 So a Christian in all his troubles trials and distresses still runs to his God for shelter comfort and support Ps 31.1 2 3. In thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in thy righteousnesse Bow down thine ear to me deliver me speedily be thou my strong rock for an house of defence to save me For thou art my rock and my fortresse therefore for thy Names sake lead me and guide me Psal 61.2 3. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I For thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy Psal 94.21 22. They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood But the Lord is my defence and my God is the rock of my refuge Psa 57.2 I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me Isa 25.9 And it shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Micah 7.7 Therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear Thus you see that the Saints in all their straits and trials do still run to God they know that that God that is their portion is an all-sufficient God and that he is a Sun and a Shield to them that walk uprightly and therefore they delight to be still a running under his shadow A man that hath God for his portion may truly say in his greatest distresses and troubles Well though I have no riches to fly to nor no friends to shelter me nor no relations to stand by me nor no visible power on earth to protect me yet I have a God for my portion that is alwayes willing to supply me and able to secure me Psal 18.1 2. I will love thee O Lord my strength or as the Hebrew hath it I wil dearly love the Lord or I will love him with inmost bowels of affections as a tender hearted mother loves her dearest babe with the inmost bowels of affections The Lord is my rock and my fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high Tower In this Verse you have nine several expressions to discover what an all-sufficient refuge God is to his people in their greatest distresses When a Christian is at worst yet he hath bread celestial bread to eat that the world knows not of the grand policy of a Christian to secure himself against all dangers is to run to God But Thirdly If God be thy portion then thou wilt hold fast thy portion and rather part with any thing than part with thy portion Naboth would not upon any terms part with his inheritance he would rather let all go yea his very life go then let his inheritance go his portion go 1 Kings 21.3 And Naboth said to Ahab the Lord forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee or as the Hebrew hath it This be abomination to me from the Lord that is the Lord keep me from this as from an abominable thing Levit. 25.23 Num. 36.7 Fzek. 46.18 To alter or alienate the property of inheritances was expresly forbidden by God in his Law and therefore Naboth looks upon Ahabs offer and motion as a detestable and an abominable thing and resolves to hold fast his inheritance whatever it cost him so a Christian will hold fast his God whatever comes on it he will let any thing go rather than let his God go or his Christ go Cant. 3.4 It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go The Motto of a Christian whilst he is in the wildernesse of this world is self-diffidence and Christ-dependence Cant. 8.5 until I had brought him into my
mothers house and into the chamber of her that conceived me The Hebrew word that is here rendered held is from Achaz which signifies to hold as a man would hold his possession his inheritance the word signifies to hold with both hands to hold with all ones might and with all ones strength and thus the Spouse held the Lord Jesus she held him with both hands she held him with all her might and with all her strength she held him with a holy violence with an holy force she held him as a man would hold his prisoner that had a mind to escape or as a man would hold his sword or buckler when his life is in danger so Jacob Gen. 32.26 And he said let me go for the day breaketh and he said I will not let thee go except thou blesse me When Jacob was all alone and in a dark night and upon one leg and when his joynts were out of joynt and he very much over-match't yet then he holds God fast Hos 12.4 he wrestles and weeps and weeps and wrestles he tugs and sweats and sweats and tugs and will not let go his hold till like a Prince he had prevailed with God Ruth 1.14 to the 19. Ruth you know was so glued to her mother Naomi that no arguments could prevail with her to leave her mother she was fully resolved in this that whether her mother went she would go and where her mother lodg'd she would lodge and that her mothers people should be her people and her mothers God her God and that where her mother died there she would die and there would she be buried So a man that hath God for his portion is so glued to his God that nothing can take him off from following of God and from cleaving to God When David was in his wildernesse-condition yet then his soul followed hard after God then his soul stuck close to God Ps 63.1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is Vers 8. my soul followeth hard after thee or as the words may be read My soul cleaveth after thee Davids enemies did not follow harder after him than he followed hard after God the wife in a mans bosome could not cleave so close to him as Davids soul did cleave close to God when he was in a wilderness estate when he was in an afflicted condition 't is nothing to follow God in a paradise but 't is rare to follow God in a wildernesse 't is nothing to follow God when the way is strowed with rose-buds but 't is the glory of a Christian to follow God when the way is strowed with thornes and briars 't is nothing to follow God in a crowd or with the crowd but 't is the excellency of a Christian to follow God in a wildernesse where few or none follows after him 't is nothing to follow God in the midst of all incouragements but 't is wonderful to follow God in the midst of all discouragements O the integrity O the ingenuity O the strong intention O the deep affection O the noble resolution of that Christian that hangs upon God in a wildernesse and that cleaves to God in a wildernesse and that follows hard after God in a wildernesse Look as Shechems soul did cleave to Dinah Gen. 34.3 Chap. 18.29 30. 1 Sam. 18.1 3. and as Jacobs soul did cleave to Rachel and as Jonathans soul did cleave to David in the very face of all hazards dangers difficulties troubles trials and distresses so the very soul of a man that hath God for his portion will cleave to God in the very face of all hazards dangers difficulties troubles trials and distresses that he meets withall Psa 44.8 to vers 23. 'T is neither the frowns of men nor the reproaches of men nor the scorns of men nor the contempts of men nor the oppositions of men nor the treacheries of men nor the combinations of men that will work him to let go his hold of God A man that hath God for his portion knows that whil'st he holds his God he holds his life and that whilst he holds his God he holds his comfort his crown his heaven his all and therefore he will rather let all go than let his God go and so much the several leave nots that are scattered up and down in the blessed Scripture doth clearly evidence as that in 1 Kings 8.57 The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers let him not leave us nor forsake us and that Psal 27.9 Hide not thy face far from me put not thy servant away in anger thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation And so Ps 119.121 I have done judgment and justice leave me not to mine oppressours And so Psal 141.8 But mine eyes are unto thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust leave not my soul destitute or leave not my soul naked as the Hebrew word signifies And so in that Jer. 14.9 Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy Name leave us not Now in these five Scriptures you have five leave us nots and what do they import certainly nothing lesse than a marvellous unwillingnesse in the people of God to part with God or to let go their hold of God I have read of Cynaegirus an Athenian Captain who in the Persian Wars pursuing his enemies Ship which was laden with the rich spoils of his Countrey and ready to set sail how he first held it with his right hand till that was cut off and then with his left hand till that was cut off and then with his stumps till his armes were cut off and then he held it with his teeth till his head was cut off 〈◊〉 as long as he had any life or strength left in him he would not let go his hold so a man that hath God for his portion will rather die at the foot of God than he will let go his hold of God Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him But Fourthly If God be thy portion then thou livest upon God as upon thy portion Look as the men of the world do live upon their earthly portions so a man that hath God for his portion lives upon his God 1 Sam. 30.6 Hab. 3.17 18. Psal 73.26 Rom. 14.7 8. Gal. 2.20 Phil. 1.21 as you may plainly see by comparing the Scriptures in the margine together Look how the poor man lives upon his labours the covetous man upon his bags the ambitious man upon his honours the voluptuous man upon his pleasures c. so doth a Christian live upon his God in all his duties he lives upon God and in all his mercies he lives upon God and in all
children and the ruder sort of people are much taken with pictures and rich shows and feed their fancies with the sight of rich hangings and fine gay things when as such as are great favourites at Court passe by all those things as things that are below them and as things that are not worthy of their notice who have businesse with the King and who have the eye the ear the hand and the heart of the King to take pleasure and delight in so most men admire the poor low things of the world and are much taken with them as things that have a great deal of worth and excellency in them but a man that hath God for his portion the King of Kings for his portion and all that he hath he passeth by all the gay and gallant things of the world as things below him as things not worthy of him his business is with his God and his thoughts and heart and affections are taken up with his God Naturalists tell us that the loadstone will not draw in the presence of the diamond O Sirs whil'st a man can eye God as his portion Heb. 11.24 25 26 27 35. all the pride pomp bravery glory and gallantry in the world will never be able to draw him from God It is reported that when the tyrant Tragine commanded Ignatius to be ript up and unbowelled they found Jesus Christ written upon his heart in characters of gold here was an heart worth gold indeed Christ carried away his heart from all other things So if God be thy portion he will certainly carry thy heart away from all earthly things Look as earthly portions carry away worldly hearts from God Ezek. 33.31 32. Luk. 12.16 to the 21. so when God once comes to be a mans portion he carries his heart away from the World the Flesh and the Devil All the world cannot keep a mans interest and his heart asunder If a man make sin his interest all the world cannot keep sinne and his heart asunder if a man make the world his interest all the power on earth cannot keep the world and his heart asunder And so if a man make God his interest all the world cannot keep God and his heart asunder no sword no prison Heb. 11. no racks no flames can keep a mans interest and his heart asunder a mans heart will be working towards his interest even through the very fire as you may see in the three Children Dan. 3.17 18. Look as the Needles point in the Seamans Compasse never stands still but quivers and shakes till it come right against the North Pole and as the Wise-men of the East never stood still till they were right against the Starre which appeared to them and as the Star it self never stood still till it came right against that other Star which shined more brightly in the Manger than the Sun did in the Firmament and as Noahs Dove could find no rest for the sole of her foot all the while she was fluttering over the Flood till she returned to the Ark with an Olive branch in her mouth so the heart of a Christian that hath God for his portion can never rest can never be at quiet but in God But Sixthly If God be thy portion then thou wilt own thy God and stand up couragiously and resolutely for thy God Histories abound with instances of this nature Every man will owne his portion and stand up stoutly and resolutely for his portion and so will every Christian do for his God Psal 119.46 I will speak of thy testimonies before Kings and will not be ashamed David was resolved upon a noble resolute owning of God and his testimonies before the greatest and the highest of men and this he would do and not blush A man of no resolution or of a weak resolution will be won with a nut and lost with an apple but a man of a noble resolution will own God in the face of the greatest majesty on earth this he would do and not be ashamed this he would do and not be daunted It was neither the majesty or authority of Princes 't was neither the power or dread of Princes that could hinder David from giving in his testimony on Gods side or on Truths side Josh 24.18 We will serve the Lord for he is our God ver 21 22. And the people said unto Joshua nay but we will serve the Lord and Joshua said unto the people ye are witnesses against your selves that ye have chosen you the Lord to serve him they said we are witnesses Ver. 24. And the people said unto Joshua The Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey They had chosen God to be their God as God had chosen them to be his peculiar people above all the Nations of the earth and therefore notwithstanding all that Joshua had objected they were fully resolved to own the Lord and to cleave to the Lord and to obey the Lord and wholly to devote themselves to the service of the Lord having taken the Lord to be their God they were firmly resolved to own the Lord really and to own him fully and to own him primarily and to own him only and to own him everlastingly And so Deut. 26.17 Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judgments and to hearken unto his voice They had avouched God to be their God and therefore they were resolved upon all those holy wayes and means whereby they might evidence to the world their owning of God to be their God And so in that 2 Chron. 30.8 They yield themselves unto the Lord or as the Hebrew hath it They give the hand unto the Lord You know when men make Covenants or Agreements to own one another or to stand by one another they commonly strike hands or take one another by the hand Certainly all those that have the Lord for their portion have given their hands to the Lord that they will own him and stand by him and cleave to him as Jonathan did to David or as Ruth did to Naomi Dan. 3.17.18 How stoutly and couragiously did the three Children own the Lord and stand by the Lord in the face of the fiery Furnace Ch. 6. and Daniel will upon choice be rather cast into the Den of Lions then that the honour of God should in the least be clouded or his glory darkned by any neglects or omissions of his Hab. 11.34 ult And so did all those Worthies of whom this world was not worthy O how did they own God and stand up for God notwithstanding the edge of the sword the violence of fire the cruel mockings and scourgings the bonds and imprisonments the stoning and sawing asunder the temptings and wandrings about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins and all other trials and torments that did attend them Basil affirms that the
lost my happinesse I have lost my all O Christians if God be your portion it will be thus with you upon the loss of your God But Tenthly If God be thy portion then thou wilt set the highest price value Psal 16.3 Pro. 12.26 ch 28.6 esteem upon those that have God for their portion A man that hath God for his portion never values men by their arts parts gifts gay cloaths gold chains no nor by their birth breeding high offices or great places no nor by their outward dignities honours or riches c. but by their interest and propriety in God A man that hath God for his portion prizes a poor ragged Lazarus that hath God for his portion before a rich Dives that hath onely gold for his portion If thou hast God for thy portion then there is no man in Court City or Countrey to that man that hath God for his portion then there is no man in a Parish a County a Kingdome to him that hath God for his portion a man that hath God for his portion hath an higher esteem and a greater respect for a Job though stript of all and sitting upon a dunghil than he hath for a wicked Ahab though sitting on his royal Throne Paul set an higher price upon Onesimus Phil. 10.12 17. 2 Tim. 4.17 though but a servant a slave because he had God for his portion than he did upon Nero though he was a great and mighty Emperor And King Ingo valued poor ragged Christians that had God for their portion above all his glittering Pagan Nobles that had onely the world for their portion saying that when all his Pagan Nobles should in all their pomp and glory be turned into hell those poor Christians that had God for their portion should be his Consorts and fellow-Princes in heaven Look as men that have their portion in this world do value men according to their worldly portions so that they that have most gold and silver and they that have most Lordships and Lands they are the best men the happiest men the only men in their eyes So a Christian that hath God for his portion he sets the highest value upon those that have God for their portion and there are no men in all the world that are so high in his books as they are A man that hath an interest in God loves none nor likes none nor honours none nor delights in none nor exalts none nor values none to those that have God for their portion though the men the great men of this world may sit in the uppermost seats at his table yet they that have God for their portion sit in the uppermost rooms of his heart The Jews say that those seventy souls that went with Jacob into Egypt were as much worth as all the seventy Nations in the world And I may say that one soul that hath God for his portion is more worth than all the souls in the world that have only the world for their portion A man that hath God for his portion cannot but set a very high value upon all those that have God for their portion though in disputable things they may differ from him A man that hath God for his portion had rather live with those that have God for their portion in a prison in a dungeon than live with those that have only the world for their portion in a royal Palace As Algerius an Italian Martyr was wont to say that he had rather live in prison with Cato than with Caesar in the Senate-house And Doctor Taylor the Martyr rejoyced exceedingly that ever he came into prison because he came there to have acquaintance with that Angel of God John Bradford as he calls him Psa 105.22 When Joseph was in Egypt the Scripture saith according to the Hebrew phrase That he tied the Princes of Pharaohs Court about his heart so a man that hath God for his portion he doth as it were tie those that have God for their portion about his heart O he is alwayes best when they are most in his eye and neerest to his heart 't is his happinesse on this side happinesse to enjoy communion with them and 't is the greatest unhappinesse in this world to be separated from them Psa 120.5 6 7. A man that hath God for his portion values the company of such that have God for their portion above all other company in the world and he values the favour of such above all other mens favour in the world and he values the prayers of such above all other mens prayers in the world and he values the counsel of such above all other mens counsel in the world and he values the experiences of such above all other mens experiences in the world and he values the interest of such above all other mens interest in the world and he values the hopes and expectations of such above all other mens hopes and expectations in the world and he values the examples of such above the examples of all other men in the world and he values the displeasure and anger of such above all other mens displeasure and anger in the world But Eleventhly If God be your portion then you are his portion if you have an interest in God then God hath an interest in you if you have a propriety in God then God hath a propriety in you if God be truly yours then you are really his Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his Psal 119.94 I am thine save me There are none that have that large interest and propriety in the Saints that God hath Zech. 2.12 And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land and shall chuse Jerusalem again I am not mine own I am not sins I am not Satans I am not the worlds I am not friends I am not relations but I am thine save me I am really thine I am totally thine I am solely thine I am everlastingly thine save me Ezek. 16.8 I entered into covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Deut. 32.9 For the Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his inheritance though Gods people are despised of the world yet they are dear to God for they are his portion In those words Jacob is the lot of his inheritance he alludes to the division of the land of Canaan as if the sons of Jacob had fallen to him by lot The Lords people are as dear to God and as neer to God and in as great account with God as earthly portions and inheritances are or can be among the sons of men Jer. 12.10 Many Pastors have destroyed my Vineyard they have trodden my portion under foot they have made my pleasant portion or as the Hebrew hath it my portion of desire or of delight a desolate wildernesse Gods people are not onely his portion but they are his pleasant portion yea they are his desireable portion his delightful portion
he did more wickedly than the very heathen whom the Lord abhorred in all his actings he seemed to be the first-born of Satans strength and yet the Lord freely bestowed himself as a portion upon him and so Ezek. 16.6 8. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was a time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I swore unto thee and entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine And so Isa 46.12 13. Hearken unto me ye stout-hearted that are far from righteousnesse I bring neer my righteousnesse it shall not be far off and my salvation shall not tarry and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory Solomon Mary Magdalen Mathew Zacheus the Gaoler and the murderers of Christ were all very great and grievous sinners and yet the Lord bestowed himself as a portion upon them and so God bestowed himself as a portion upon those monstrous and prodigious sinners that are mentioned in 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. whose souls were red with guilt and as black as hell with filth God hath been very good to those that have been very bad and therefore do not despair O sinner though thy sins are very great I have read a Story concerning a great Rebel that had made a great party against one of the Roman Emperours Joh. Bodin Com. weal. and Proclamation being sent abroad that whoever could bring in the Rebel dead or alive he should have a great summe of money for his reward the Rebel hearing of it comes and presenting himself before the Emperour demands the sum of money proposed the Emperour bethinking himself concludes that if he should put him to death all the world would be ready to say that he did it to save his money and so he freely pardoned the Rebel and gave him the money Here now was light in a dark Lanthorn here was rare mercy and pity in a very Heathen And shall an Heathen do thus and shall not the great God who is made up of all loves of all mercies of all compassions of all goodnesses and of all sweetnesses do much more certainly he will If the greatest Rebels if the greatest sinners will but come in whilst the white Flag of grace and mercy is held forth they shall finde a marvcilous readinesse and forwardnesse in God not onely to pardon them but also to bestow not onely money but himself as a portion upon them The greatest sinners should do well to make that great Scripture their greatest companion Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high speaking of Christ thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also but to what purpose hath Christ received gifts spiritual gifts gracious gifts glorious gifts for men for the rebellious why 't is that the Lord God may dwell amongst them But Thirdly I answer that God hath given out an expresse promise that he will make such to be his people which were not his people Hos 2.23 I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God In this precious promise God hath ingaged himself to have a most sweet harmony and a most intimate conjunction and communion with such a people as were not his people But Fourthly I answer that God gains the greatest glory by bestowing of himself as a portion upon the greatest sinners There is nothing that makes so much for the glory of free grace and for the exaltation of rich mercy and for the praise of divine goodnesse and for the honour of infinite fulnsse as Gods bestowing of himself upon the greatest of sinners O Sirs grace appears never so rich nor never so excellent nor never so glorious as when it triumphs over the greatest sins and when it falls upon the greatest sinners Grace never shines nor never sparkles nor never becomes so exceeding glorious as it doth when it lights upon the hearts of the greatest sinners The greatest sinnes do most and best set off the freenesse and the riches of Gods grace there is nothing that makes heaven and earth to ring and to sound out his praises so much as the fixing of his love upon those that are most unlovely and uncomely and as the bestowing of himself upon them that have given away themselves from him And 't is further observable that the greatest sinners when once they are converted do commonly prove the choicest Saints and the rarest Instruments of promoting the honour and glory of God in the world The Canaanites were a wicked and a cursed generation They were of the race of cursed Cain they were given over to all whoredome witchcraft and cruelty they offered their sons and daughters to Devils they were the very worst of sinners they were without God and without the Covenant and counted dogs among the Israelites and such an one was the Canaanite woman that you read of in that Matth. 15 21-29 till the Lord made it the day of his power upon her soul but when the Lord had brought her in to himself ah what a rare Christian did she prove for wisdome zeal humility self-denial love courage patience faith c. And so Mary Magdalen was a notorious Strumpet a common whore among all the harlots none to Mary Magdalen Mark 16 9 and she was one out of whom Christ cast seven Devils and yet when she was changed and converted Luke 7. O with what an inflamed love did she love the Lord Jesus Christ and with what a burning zeal did she follow after the Lord Jesus and how abundant was she in her lamenting and mourning after the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 20. Some report that after our Saviours resurrection she spent thirty years in weeping for her sins in Galba And Paul you know was a very grievous sinner but after his conversion O what a rare what an eminent what a glorious instrument was he in bringing of souls to Christ and in building up of souls in Christ 2 Cor. 11. O what a noble drudge was he for Christ O how frequent O how fervent O how abundant was he in the work of the Lord c. And indeed in all ages the greatest sinners when once they have been converted they have commonly proved the choicest Saints and the rarest Instruments in the hand of God for the advancement of his glory and the carrying on of his work in the world I might instance in Luther and divers others but that I hasten to a Close And therefore Fifthly I answer that of all sinners the greatest sinners do undoubtedly stand in the greatest need of having of God for their
hath cut the threed of their lives and given them their portion among hypocrites Ah how many be there that have died in the time of their earthly projects and designs Luk. 12.15 to 22. before ever they have set about that great work of securing God for their portion and how many thousands be there that God in his just judgment hath given up to insatiable desires of earthly things Phil. 3.18 19. and to a cursed endlesse covetousnesse all their dayes Some write of the Crocodil that it alwayes growes that it hath never done growing and just so 't is with the desires of worldly men they alwayes grow they have never done growing now they are for one thousand then for ten then for twenty then for fourty then for an hundred thousand now they are for this Lordship and then they are for that now they are for this good bargain and then they are for that their hearts grow every day fuller and fuller with new desires of further and greater measures of earthly things they please themselves with golden dreams till they awake with everlasting flames about their ears and then they fall a cursing themselves that they have made gold their confidence and that they have neglected those golden seasons and opportunities wherein they might have secured God for their portion But Thirdly Object 3 Others may object and say we would fain have God for our portion and we would willingly apply our selves to all those wayes and means whereby we might obtain the Lord to be our portion but we are poor unworthy wretches surely the Lord will never bestow himself as a portion upon such miserable unworthy ones as we are we are worthy of death we are worthy of wrath we are worthy of hell we are worthy of damnation but we are no wayes worthy of having God for our portion Did ever the Lord cast an eye of love upon such unlovely and such unworthy sinners Lepers as we are c. Now to this Objection I shall return these answers First Though you have no merits 2 Cor. 4.15 1 Tim. 1.14 1 Pet. 1.3 yet God is rich and abundant in mercy your sins your unworthinesse can but reach as high as heaven but the mercies of God reach above the heavens Psal 103.11 For as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him Psal 108.4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds The highest comparisons which the world will afford are not sufficient to expresse the greatnesse of Gods mercy to poor sinners Though the heavens are exceeding high above the earth yet the mercies of God to his poor people are above the heavens But Secondly I answer that the Lord hath never bestowed himself as a portion upon any yet but unworthy ones David was as unworthy as Saul and Job as Joab and Peter as Judas and Paul as Simon Magus Mat. 21.31 32. and the Publicans and Harlots that entered into the Kingdome of heaven were as unworthy as the Publicans and Harlots that were shut out of the Kingdome of heaven and the thief that went to paradise was as unworthy as the thief that went to hell All the Saints in heaven and all the Saints on earth are ready with one joynt consent to declare that they were as unworthy as the most unworthiest when God first bestowed himself as a portion upon them This Objection I am unworthy is a very unworthy Objection and therefore away with it But Thirdly I answer that God hath no where in all the Scripture required any personal worthinesse to be in the creature before he will bestow himself upon the creature O Sirs it never came into the thoughts of God it never entered into the heart of God to require of men that they should be first worthy of his love before they should enjoy his love and that they should be first worthy of his mercy before they should tast of his mercy and that they should be first worthy of his goodnesse before they should be partakers of his goodnesse and that they should be first worthy of himself before he would bestow himself as a portion upon them If we should never enjoy God for our portion till we are worthy to enjoy him for our portion we should never enjoy him If a man had as many eyes as Argus to search into the Scripture and as many hands as Briareus to turn over the leaves of Scripture yet he would never be able to find out one Text one line yea one word wherein God requires a personal worthinesse in the creature before he gives away himself to the creature Should God stand upon a personal worthinesse to be in the creature before he would look upon the creature or before he would let out his love to the creature or before he would extend mercy or pity to the creature or before he would in a Covenant of free grace give himself to the creature no sinner could be saved man would be for ever undone and it had been good for him that he had never been born But Fourthly I answer 't is not mens unworthinesse but mens unwillingnesse that hinders them from having God to be their portion though most men pretend their unworthinesse yet there is in them a secret unwillingnesse to have God for their God When they look upon God as a gracious God then they are willing to have him to be their God but when they look upon God as an holy God then their hearts fly back when they look upon God as a merciful God and as a bountiful God O then they wish that he were their God but when they look upon God as a commanding God and as a ruling and an over-ruling God O then their hearts do secretly rise against God there is a real unwillingnesse in the hearts of sinners in all respects to close with God and to have God to be their God Isa 53.1 Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Ch. 65.2 3. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that was not good after their own thoughts A people that provoke me to anger continually to my face How long Prov. 1.22 23 24 25 26. ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh c. For thus saith the Lord God the holy One of Israel Isa 30.15 in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietnesse and in confidence shall be
my portion and 't is another act of grace for God to tell me that he is my portion Look as fire may be hid under ashes for a time and as bits of gold may be hid in an heap of dust for a time and as stars may be hid in a dark night for a time and as a pearl may be hid in a puddle for a time so God may be a mans portion and yet this may be hid from him for a time The second Position is this Second Position That it is one thing for a man to have God for his portion and another thing for a man clearly and convincingly to make it out to himself or others that God is his portion Doubtlesse there are many thousands that have God for their portion who yet God sometimes layes such a Law of restraint upon the noble faculties of men and women that they cannot use them at sometimes as they do at others as you may clearly see by comparing of these Scriptures together Luke 24.14 15 16 c. Acts 22.9 Gen. 21.16 19. John 20.14 15 c. if you would give them a thousand worlds are not able to make it out to their own or others satisfaction that God is their portion Most Christians attain to but small measures of grace but little measures of grace Now small things little things are hardly discerned they are hardly made out A little faith is next to no faith and a little love is next to no love and a little repentance is next to no repentance and a little zeal is next to no zeal and a little hope is next to no hope and a little holinesse is next to no holinesse and a little communion with God is next to no communion with God and a little conformity to God is next to no conformity to God Now where there is but a little grace there it is very difficult for a man to make out the truth of his grace and so by consequence to make out the truth of his interest and propriety in the God of grace 'T is not grace in truth but grace in strength that will inable a man to make it out to himself and to make it out to others that God is his portion It is not grace in its sincerity but grace in its sublimity in its high and eminent actings that will inable a man to make it out to himself and others that God is indeed his God Besides many precious hearts have such weak heads and such bad Logick and such shallow natural parts that they are not able rationally nor divinely to argue the case with their own souls nor to make an improvement of those rules helps wayes and means whereby they might be inabled to make it out to themselves and others that God is their portion Look as many persons have often a good title to such and such lands and to such and such estates and inheritances though they are not able for the present to clear up their title either to themselves or others so many of the dear children of God have a good title to God and a real interest and propriety in God and yet for the present they are not able to clear up their title to God nor to clear up their interest and propriety in God either to themselves or others And this is so great a truth that all the faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ that deal with poor souls that are conversant about souls are ready from their daily experience to avouch it before all the world He that shall say that such have not God for their portion that cannot make out God to be their portion will certainly condemn the generation of the just The third Position is this Third Position That where there is an hearty willingnesse in any man to accept of God to be his God Isa 55.1 2. Joh. 7.37 38. to own God for his God and to close with God as his God there God is certainly that mans God If there be a cordial willingnesse in you to take God to be your God then without all peradventure God is your God A sincere willingnesse to accept of God to be your God is accepted of God and is sufficient to enter into a gracious Covenant with God O Sirs a sincere willingnesse to accept of God to be your God flowes from nothing below the good will and pleasure of God no power below that glorious power that made the world and that raised Christ from the grave is able to raise a sincere an hearty willingnesse in man to accept of God to be his God and to take God for his God Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing or willingnesses in the abstract and in the plural number in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse There is no power below the power of the Lord of Hosts that can raise up a willingnesse in the hearts of sinners 't is not in the power of all the Angels in heaven nor of all the men on earth to beget a sincere willingnesse in the heart of man to accept of God to be his God this is work that can only be effected by an omnipotent hand Though an Emperour may force a woman to marry him that is his slave because she is his purchase yet he cannot by all his power force her will he may force her body to the action but he cannot force her will to the action The will is alwayes free and cannot be forced but God is that great Emperour that hath not onely a power to marry the soul which he hath redeemed from being Satans bond-slave but also a power to make the soul that is unready ready and that is unwilling willing to marry him and to bestow it self freely upon him If there be in thee O man O woman a sincere willingnesse to take God upon his own terms to be thy God that is to take him as an holy God and as a ruling God and as a commanding God in one thing as well as another then he is certainly thy God Rev. 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely The fourth Position is this Fourth Position That it may so fall out that such a Christian that hath God for his portion that hath an interest and a propriety in God may lose the sight the sense the feeling and the evidence of his interest and propriety in God and this is evident by comparing the Scriptures in the Margin together Psal 30.6 7. Psal 51.13 Joh. 24. Ch. 16.9 Ch. 19.10 11. Doubtlesse it is very rare to find a Christian that hath had the knowledge and experience and evidence of his interest and propriety in God but that that Christian also hath experienced what it is to have his interest and propriety in God clouded and darkned And
Ch. 30.20 Psal 77. Psal 88. Isa 8.17 Lam. 3.18 Such Christians that have experienced what the warm beams of the Sun of Righteousnesse means have likewise experienced what it is to have their Sun set in a Cloud and this truth I might make good by producing of a cloud of witnesses both from among the Martyrs and from among the Saints in all Ages But what do I talk of a cloud of witnesses when the tears that daily drop from many of your eyes and the sad complaints and sighs and groans of many of your souls do sufficiently evidence this sad truth And therefore let no man conclude that God is not his God because he hath lost the sight and sense of his interest and propriety in God let no man say that God is not his portion because he hath lost those evidences at the present by which he hath formerly proved God to be his portion Though a man should lose his Writings and Evidences that he hath to shew for such or such an Estate yet his Writings and Evidences being inrolled in a Court of Record his Estate remains good and his Title is still good in law and therefore there is no reason why such a man should sit down and wring his hands and cry out I am undone I am undone so though a Christian should lose his Writings his Evidences that once he had to shew that once he had to prove God to be his God and portion and that he had a real interest and propriety in God yet his Writings his Evidences being inrolled in the Court of Heaven his title to God his interest in God remains good and therefore there is no reason why such a person should sit down dejected and wring his hands and cry out O I am undone I am for ever undone The fifth Position is this Fifth Position That such that have not for the present God for their portion ought not peremptorily to conclude that they shall never have God for their portion such a person that cannot yet truly say that the Lord is his portion ought not to despair of ever having of God for his portion The time of a mans life is but a day and God may bestow himself as a portion upon man in what hour of that day he pleases In the Parable he bestowed himself as a portion upon some at the first hour Matth. 20 1-17 upon others at the third hour upon others at the sixth hour upon others at the ninth hour and upon others at the eleventh hour God is a free Agent and may bestow himself upon whom he pleases and as he pleases and when he pleases There is no sinner We except such that hath committed the sin against the Holy Ghost no not the greatest sinner living under the Gospel that can infallibly determine that God will never be his God no sinner can conclude that God hath peremptorily and absolutely excluded him from mercy and shut him out among those that he is resolved never to bestow himself upon For 1. God never made any sinner one of his Privy Councel 2. In the Gospel of grace God hath revealed no such thing 3. Secret things belong only to the Lord Deut. 29.29 4. God hath bestowed himself as a portion upon as great sinners as any they are that yet have not God for their portion 5. All the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth cannot tell to the contrary but that God may have thoughts of mercy towards thee and that thy lot may fall within the purpose of his grace and that he may bestow himself as a portion upon thee before thou art cut off from the land of the living Although a sinner may certainly know at the present that God is not his God that God is not his portion yet he doth not certainly know that God will never be his God that God will never be his portion and therefore no sinner may peremptorily conclude that God will never be his God because for the present he cannot he dares not say he is his God God gave himself as a portion to Abraham when he was old Gen. 12.4 when he was a white-headed sinner 2 Chron. 33.1 12 13 14. And Manasseh was old when he was converted and changed and when God bestowed himself upon him And Zacheus and Nicodemus were called and converted in their old age when there were but a few steps between them and the grave between them eternity between them and everlasting burnings then the Lord graciously revealed himself and bestowed himself as a portion upon them And if we believe Tertullian Paul wanted not a prediction of the Holy Ghost in that Prophetick blessing of dying Jacob to his youngest son Gen. 49.27 Adu Marcion l. 5. Benjamin shall ravine as a wolf in the morning he shall devour the prey and at night he shall divide the spoil See my Apples of Gold page 352.353 354. two more famous Stories of such that were converted in their old age Paul was of the Tribe of Benjamin in the morning the fore-part of his age worrying and devouring the flock of Christ persecuting of the Church and in the evening the declension of his life dividing the Word a Doctor of the Nations And Dionysius tells us that Mary Magdalen that was so loose and dissolute in her youth being converted in her old age she sequestred her self from all worldly pleasures and lived a most solitary life in the mountains of Balma where she spent full thirty years in meditation fasting and prayer And old godly Similes said that he had been in the world sixty years but had lived but seven counting his life not from his first birth but from his new birth Soliloq c. 33. And Augustine repented that he had began to seek serve and love God no sooner By all these instances 't is most evident that God may bestow himself as a portion upon sinners upon very great sinners yea upon the greatest of sinners and that at last cast when they are stricken in years and when they are even ready to go out of this world and therefore let no man despair of having of God for his portion though for the present his soul cannot say the Lord is my portion O Sirs Despair is a sin a very hainous sin yea 't is that sin that damns with a witness despairing Judas perished and was damned Acts 2. when as the very murderers of Christ believing on Christ were saved Roger Bishop of Salubury in King Stephens dayes was so troubled that he could not live and durst not die c. Despair thrusts God from his mercy-seat it throws disgrace upon the throne of grace it gives the lye to all the precious promises it casts reproach upon the nature of God it tramples under feet the blood of the Covenant it cuts the throat of faith hope and repentance it renders all the means of grace uselesse and fruitlesse it imbitters all a
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
the world would have more and he that hath least of the world hath enough if his soul can but groundedly say The Lord is my portion But Fourthly As the Lord is an all-sufficient portion so the Lord is a most absolute needful and necessary portion the want of an earthly portion may trouble me but the want of God for my portion will damn me 't is not absolutely necessary that I should have a portion in gold or silver or jewels or goods or lands but 't is absolutely necessary that I should have God for my portion I may have union and communion with God Act. 3.6 though with the Apostles I have neither gold nor silver in my purse I may be holy and happy Luk 16.20 21. though with Lazarus I have never a rag to hang on my back nor never a dry crust to put into my belly I may to heaven at last and I may be glorious in another world Job 1 c. though with Job I should be stript of all my worldly glory and set upon a dunghil in this world but I can never be happy here nor blessed hereafter except God be my portion Though I could truly say that all the world were mine yet if I could not truly say that the Lord is my portion I should be but miserable under all my worldly enjoyments To have God for my portion is absolutely necessary for without it I am for ever and ever undone Ephe. 2.12 In this verse you have several withouts and 't is very observable that they that were without God in the world they were without Christ without the Church without the Covenant without the Promise and without hope in the world and therefore such persons must needs be in a most sad and deplorable condition c. First in relation to the soul and in relation to salvation God is the most absolute necessary portion if God be not my portion my soul can never enjoy communion with him in this world if God be not my portion my soul can never be saved by him in the other world But Secondly When sinners are under terrours and horrours of conscience when their consciences are awakened and convinced of the vilenesse of their natures Vna guttâ—la malae conscientiae totum more mundam gaudil absorbet Luther of the unspeakable evil that is in sin yea in the least sin and of their lost undone and miserable estate out of Christ O then what would they not give to have God for their portion O then they would give all the gold and silver they have in the world to have God for their portion O then they would give thousands of Rams Mic. 6.6 7 and ten thousands of Rivers of oil yea they would give their first-born they would give the very fruit of their bodies that they might have God to be the portion of their souls O then they would say as Mephibosheth said unto the King 2 Sam. 19.29 30. Let Ziba take all forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in peace unto his own house Under distresse of conscience poor sinners will cry out O! let who will take all our honours and all our mannors and all our treasures and all our stores and all our lands and all our lordships and all our bags so we may have God for our portion O let us but have God for our portion and we care not a straw who takes all Now what doth this speak out but that of all portions God is the most absolute necessary portion But Thirdly Upon a dying bed an awakened sinner sets the highest price value and esteem upon such as have God for their portion Now he esteems a Saint in rags that hath God for his portion above a wicked Emperour in his royal Robes who hath onely the world for his portion What though wicked men Lament 2.14 15. Zeph. 2.8 9 10 c. when they are in the height of their worldly prosperity felicity and glory do slight the Saints and revile and scorn the Saints and contemn and undervalue the Saints yet when death knocks at their doors and when their consciences are startled and when hell-fire flashes in their faces and when the worm within begins to gnaw O now if all the world were a lump of gold and in their hands to dispose of they would give it all so they might have that honour and happinesse to change conditions with those who have God for their portion Num. 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Though men who have their portion in this life do not love to live the life of the righteous yet when they come to die they are often desirous that they might die the death of the righteous And this many hundred Ministers and Christians can witnesse from their own experience Lazarus having God for his portion when he died he went to heaven without a rag on his back or a peny in his purse whereas Dives who had not God for his portion when he died went tumbling down to hell in all his riches bravery and glory O 't is infinitely better to go to heaven a begger than to go to hell an Emperour and this the sinner understands when his conscience comes to be enlightened upon a dying bed and therefore he cries out O send for such a Minister and send for such and such a Christian and let them pray with me and counsel me and if it be possible give out some drops of comfort to me See Wisdom 5.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. All these verses are worth their weight in gold O that I had never derided nor reviled them O that I had never opposed and persecuted them O that I had lived at such a rate of holinesse and exactnesse as they have done O that I had walk't with God as they have walk't O that I had laid out my time my strength my treasure my parts my all for God as they have done O that my estate was as good as safe and as happy as theirs is O that I could as truly say that the Lord is my portion as they can say that the Lord is their portion And what doth all this speak out but that high esteem and value that they set upon those that have God for their portion So that upon this threefold account we may safely conclude that God is a most absolute needful and necessary portion But Fifthly As the Lord is a most absolute needful and necessary portion so the Lord is a pure and unmixed portion God is an unmixed good he hath nothing in him but goodnesse he is an Ocean of sweetnesse without one drop of bitternesse Deut. 32.4 Hab. 1.13 he is a perfect beauty without the least spot or shadow of deformity All other portions are a bitter sweet but God is a Rose without prickles he is a good in which there is not the least evil 1 Joh.