everlasting burnings do you not think it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God and if you do not let me tell you you are worse than mad if you do believe all this why then let me ask you again whether you conceive it unnecessary to use the utmost care and diligence to get acquainted with him who can deliver you from the wrath to come O friends I call you so and I believe most of you love me dearly O that you would do me one kindness I should count it the greatest kindness that you can do me why what is that you say why it is but to pity your own Souls and to mind that one thing necessary and to pitty them that are mourning for your dry eyes and hard hearts What say you to all this if you have any thing to say against the necessity of these things I am ready to plead the case with you c. Well if it be not necessary to know God and Christ and lay in provision for eternity what then is necessary If it be not necessary to serve love and delight in him who can deliver from everlasting death and reward with everlasting life what then is Once more for your Souls sakes consider what you do when you vigorously pursue worldly things and look upon the favour and displeasure of God as small things O write not these things down amongst the superfluous things which are to be minded by the by Remember this that it is very possible for a man to be exceeding holy and yet to be altogether unknown to the world but it is altogether impossible to be truly happy and yet unacquainted with God 17. He is a tryed Friend Thousands and Millions can from their own experience say all this which I have said of him and much more but I shall pass this over at present having hinted it already and because it may be I may touch upon something of the same Nature hereafter 18. He is an everlasting Friend I shall be but brief in speaking to this head because what might have been spoken of this fell under that of his immorality Yet because it is possible to conceive God immortal in himself and yet by reason of mans default his kindness to him to be finite so it was in respect of the Angels that fell from him But now Blessed be free Grace man stands upon surer ground then ever he did the children of God have a firmer bottom by far then Adam had when he was in Paradice his state is more secure being once united to God in Christ then that of the Angels of Heaven in their first Creation For that their State was mutable is de facto proved but now blessed be rich goodness if we can but make sure of reconciliation with God again it is impossible for us to miscarry God hath sworn and he will perform it that the heirs of glory might have the more strong consolation Isa 54 9 10. For this is as the waters of Noah for I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee For the mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Gods children need not fear dis-inheriting his gifts and callings are without repentence If God loved us while we were enemies how much more being reconciled will he continue his love to us once a Child of God and a Child of God for ever once in favour and never out of it again Rom. 8.35 39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Who can pluck us our of the Arms of the Almighty Who or what is that which can alienate our Fathers affections from us If the promise of God which saith I will never never never never never leave nor forsake you be valid if his oath bind him if the blood of Christ continue always to be satisfactory if his mediation can prevail if the nature of God be unchangeable we are well enough we are safe if this be but clear that we are really reconciled to God if we be acquainted with him We are kept by the mighty power of God through Faith unto Salvation If they had been of us saith the Apostle no doubt they would have continued with us It is possible indeed yea common for men to pretend love to God and to seem to have a true friendship for him and yet not to be truly so To have a name to live and to live are two things It is not unsual to bare God company as I may say abroad and yet at home to have some body that they have a greater kindness for It is common to go along with God if I may so call it in the external actions of Religion and yet to desert him at last Isa 58.1 2 3. Mat. 7.21 There are many that seem to bid fair for Heaven and if cap and knee will do God shall have that they will give him the husk and shell that they may keep the kernel for one that they love better Thousands there are of such persons in the world and these profess abundance of kindness for God they come oft to his house and sit down there and make as if they were his friends and his acquaintance and some of Gods servants by a mistake may bid them welcome but yet for all this they may be strangers only they have heard of God and can talk of him and it may be have given him many transient visits but yet they want the real properties of friends they never knew what it was to be brought nigh to the Father by the Son to have a fence of their lost state and estrangement from God and under a fence of this to make earnest inquiry after him they never knew what it was to converse with God to have an intimate acquaintance with him to be sending out the breathings of their Souls after him and to be unsatisfied without him they took up a trade of lifeless duties and that was all As for the life and power of Religion they never understood it communion with God they heard oft of but never understood what it meant they never savoured and rellished the things of God nor with any suitableness or complacency ingaged in his service And as for those more secret actings of Religion to take up the interest of God to design his glory to be deeply concerned for his honour observing their affections and the workings of their hearts in duty to take notice of answers of prayers or to look after their petitions when they
DIRECTION If you would be acquainted with God you must visit him often be much at his house knock at his door many times in a day and resolve to continue knocking till he open and if he do not come presently wait for him you would do as much for your Prince and it may be to a meaner person We can't expect to be acquainted with them that we will not come near It is to no purpose for that man to speak of acquaintance with God who never speaks to him comes at him or enquires after him Neither will a slight visit or two in a Transitory complemental manner serve the turn a man may do this and yet not be said to be acquainted with God A stranger may come once to your house that was never there before and never intends to come again and I believe you will scarce write such a own down amongst your special friends and intimate acquaintance So in Spirituals for acquaintance and converse with God are no such slight things as the world commonly take them to be If you would make any thing of this great work of getting acquaintance with God you must not jest in it you must give God many solemn and set-visits and carry your self with all the observance and respect to him that you can for your soul This is that which keeps many thousands of strangers from the life of Grace and intimate acquaintance with God because they know not what those more peculiar visits of God mean they understand not what it is to draw nigh to God in secret they come not to him with those more spiritual acts of Religion they pray it may be in their Families and it may be that but seldom but by the way never let such pretend to the Knowledge of God who call not upon him in their Families but what they do it is but in a poor formal perfunctory manner between sleep and awake and will you call this acquaintance with God will you call this an act of Adoration and spiritual Worship Is it to bow down a while before God and to read or speak a few words and there 's an end their work is over their task is done and they are glad of it But now such as these do not come into Gods Chambers they come to his House as I may so say but they regard not whither he be at home whether they speak to God and have an answer from God or no they call indeed but desire not much to be heard they knock but are not very careful to stay till the door be opened But alas alas such as these can't tell what it is to enjoy communion with God They have got it may be into some course of external performances by reason of the Example of their Superiours Education or by being under the sound of the Gospel and from some force that natural conscience doth put upon them which will not be content except something be done But such as these may not be said to visit God in that manner that I would perswade them to which would be acquainted with God for all this they stand a great way off from God and may be termed strangers and forraigners How seldom are they upon their knees in secret How rare a thing is it for them with Isaac to go into the field to meditate They visit their Farms they visit their Flocks they visit their Swine they go often to uisit their sottish drunken Companions whilest God and Christ their Bible their Closet their Hearts are forgotten and seldom or never visited And is this true kindness to ones self Is it any wisdom to slight such a Friend as God would be to us and to make so much of such sorry Companions O stupid and dull souls O what do we mean so strangely to forget our selves For who is like to get by it God or we when we come and feed at his Table and spend upon his cost O little do people think what they might enjoy would they purposely set themselves to meet with God and go to his house with a strong resolution not to come away from him till they have seen him or heard from him Now the great duties in which the soul may be said to visit God in and in which God doth many times give out much of himself to to the soul are these 1. Solemn Meditation 2. Secret Prayer 3. Fasting 4. Community of Experiences and Communion with the Saints 5. The Lord's Supper 1. Meditation When the Soul doth fix it self upon the Thoughts of some Spiritual and Divine object such as the love of God in Christ the glory of another world c. This is as it were going out to meet the Lord and to take a walke with our Beloved this is the getting up to Mount Pisgah to take a survey of that goodly Land When the soul doth as it were bathe it self in the Contemplation of Christs beauty and labours to enamour it self more and more with his love and to throw it self as I may so say into that Ocean of Divine goodness it will scarce leave till it be wound up to the highest pitch of admiration of that infinite boundless love which should do such glorious things for so vile and contemptible for so rebellious and unthankful wretch as that is O what manner of love is this O that I were sick of love O that I might die sick of love O that I were once in the embraces of my dearest Lord and Husband O that I could do nothing else day and night but praise love and admire this infinite boundless love And did Christ indeed offer up his life for my sin Did he not think his precious heart blood too dear for me And shall I think my heart-love too dear for him What for me Lord which am the chiefest of sinners Here here 's kindness with a witness Stand still O my soul and admire stand looking upon this lovely sight till thou art all on fire These are the pure flames here thou needest not to fear to exceed widen thy soul let thy affections run without controle More fire still blow hard it doth yet but smoke O for some coals from the altar O for more fire more fuel O that my heart were vehemently inflamed in the strongest love to him who still deserves a thousand times more Help me all ye Angels to bless and adore his marvellous loving kindness Christ is a friend to Publicans and Sinners indeed or such a one as I had never been on this side of Hell O love love love What shall I render unto the Lord O that men would bless the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men O what meanest thou O my soul that thou art yet so cold Awake awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake and praise admire and love thee O my God whose love to my soul is beyond expression and thus while the soul is musing the
that doth so long hold back thy heart What is the matter that we can no more speedily and effectually manage this great affair What is it that thou dost prefer before God What is it that thou thinkest more worthy of thy warmest love then Christ What is that great thing that thou stickest not to venture thy soul for Act like a man that is rational and not beside himself If the World be God if Earth be better then Christ then choose that if Christ be God then choose him How long will you stand halting between two love that which will last longest be acquainted with him that is willing and able to do most for thee Is the world worth more now then it was in Davids time when he preferred the favour of God before thousands of Gold and Silver Is the price of it raised Can it bribe death and stop the mouth of Divine Justice and procure thee a reaâ— respect in another world Go chaffer and see what bargain thou canst make tell God that thou wilt give him thousands for thy brothers life and as much more for the lengthning the lease of thy own to Eternity What doth God say is the bargain made is it not enough why add a world to it will that do If it will not do this if this purchase be too great for thy purse then go lower can all thou hast keep thee from fears get thee a stomach procure thee ease rectifie thy constitution will it do this or will it not if not why shouldst thou value that which can do so little for thee before that which can do all things for thee Be perswaded at last to be wise What is God like to get by your love or lose by your hatred What have you to boast of What excellencies to set you out what portion to advance you that you stand thus upon your tearms Come let 's hear a little what it is thou thinkest so highly of thy self for I am sure your over-great beauty can't commend you for a Black-moor may with better reason brag of comliness then such a deformed loathsome creature can of beauty I am sure your helpfulness will not speak for you for thou art a crazy decrepid sickly creature that will cost God more to cure thee then thou art worth a thousand times It can't be for thy Estate that thou art so much desired for all thy Gold is adulterate thy Jewels counterfeit thy All forfeited and what is it then that thou hast yet to boast of come and set it before us that we may acknowledge our mistakes Are the Cloaths upon thy back as fine as thou art thy own is the Food that thou eatest paid for and is this the Creature that must be wooed with so much earnestnes Behold all ye Inhabitants of the world and admire hear O Heavens this is that I want a name to call her by which thinks it below her to be match't to Christ and an undervaluing to be acquainted with her Maker and a shame to have God for her Father from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is nothing but wounds and bruises and putrified sores running plague-sores that are broken are her greatest beauty and here 's a thing to be lov'd with all my heart Ezck. 16. Whosoever thou art that readest these lines this was once thy condition in these ornaments he found thee when God came to ask thy heart this was thy dress though thou art thus highly advanced And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are cleansed And after all this O Sinner art thou still as stout and proud as ever Is Christ so willing to bring thee to his Father is he willing to Cloath thee from head to foot with glorious Robes such a dress as may become thee in the presence of a King doth he offer to lead thee in his hands to his own Palace is God so willing and desirous to be your Father and Christ to be your Husband are all the Ministers of Christ so willing to do their utmost to bring this match to protection shall they lie at you day and night to give your consent and to be willing and are you still unwilling Well if all this signifie little and you miss of Christ at last and be not acquainted with God after all remember it was your own doings and that you thought it greater wisdom to marry the Servant then the Master to obey the Rebel rather then your loving Prince Remember you preferred Darkness before Light Hell before Heaven I call Heaven and Earth to Record this day that I have set Life and Death before you and you stand as if it were so difficult a matter to resolve which were the best This sounds strangely and every one will be ready to write Fool upon that mans forehead that acts thus Hold man be not too ready to pass thy censure before thou look within thee Dost thou see an absolute need of Christ Dost thou adore his infinite love and kindness Dost thou give up thy self to him for thy Lord and receive him for better for worse come on it what will Or dost thou not rather spend thy thoughts and let out thy affections upon the vanities and pleasures of the world Dost thou not love Father and Mother Wife and Children Brethren and Sisters House and Lands more then him Why if this be thy case I must say thou art one of the Fools that loves Death and hatest Life thou callest that folly in another which in thy self thou countest wisdom I wonder who it is that you strive to please all this while Is not the hand of Joab in all this hath not Satan been deep in retarding this match hath not he a design to marry thee to some painted Lust though he undoe thee for ever and must he be pleased rather then Is it more necessary to gratifie him that never yet intended to do any of the Sons of Adam any kindness rather then thy best friends Come away for shame and let us lose our breath no longer and let that time we spend in pleading with you for God be spent in singing with you and praising God for you and congratulating your happy acquaintance with God and you matching to his only Son 20. But because man is so wedded to the world and dotes upon his lust that all the arguments that we can use are most commonly unsuccesseful I shall add one more upon this sort of motives drawn from the qualifications of him whom I would fain have you acquainted with and that shall take in all that can be said on this head and that is this Consider that he is altogether lovely he is made up of love goodness and all excellencies and whatsoever pleasure delight and content you find in the Creature it is transcendently in him he is the chiefest of ten thousands ask of them that by Faith have seen him inquire of the Spouse in the Canticles
sold all that he had for that Pearl of great price he was sure he should be no loser by such a bargain Bring me a heavenly Creature that hath had a view by Faith of the Glory of Gods countenance that hath been in his company that hath been brought into his Banqueting house such a one I am confident can easily spare that which most keep such a fearful stir about he can spare the world for them which are like to have no better a portion Give him but more of those spiritual pleasures which he hath had in communion with God and he desires no more He can now speak it and speak it in good earnest that there is no comparison between this world and another he can now call this world a shadow and the glory of it grass and write Vanity Emptiness and Vexation upon its beautiful Face and contemn all its smiles and frowns and look upon its greatest Lovers as persons that deserve to be pittied rather than envied whose portion is so small whose happiness so short and whose misery and mistake is so great and dismal It is a common thing for men to declaim against the world and to say it is but a little muck it 's no unusual thing for its greatest Lovers to speak against it and say that it is that which passeth away but yet for all that they pursue it more than Heaven and are more earnest for it than the Salvation of their Souls and more troubled at the thought of parting with it than at the thought of their parting with God and the loss of it troubles them more than if we tell them of the loss of their souls Such as these will not say but that God is infinitely more to be loved than the whole world but yet if the World and God stand in competition they stand not long disputing which must give place the World hath the uppermost room in the heart But whence is this mistake How comes the Servant to Ride and the Master to go on foot Why is the world preferred before God Why hence it is men know not God they are not acquainted with his excellency the World is sensible he sees it he feels it he tastes it and so he doth not the things that are invisible And no wonder then that sense bares the sway the man wants Faith to realize invisibles he wants senses spiritually exercised But now he that knows God and is acquainted with spiritual things he hath quite another apprehension of the World and that not only from Faith but sometimes from a spiritual sense and he can say that Divine Pleasures Riches and Enjoyments do as sensibly refresh him yea abundantly more then ever the world did And when he hath been newly taking a walk in that heavenly Paradise he looks back upon this World with grief and indignation that he should ever love the world with his heart when there was one that did infinitely more deserve his love when there was a God Christ and Holiness to be loved that he should be such a child such a fool as to run after Butterflies quarrel for a feather hunt for a shadow while God Christ and Glory those great Substances lay by unregarded Now he grudges that any thing should have his love but his God his dearest Relations if they stand in Gods way must be run over despised hated That which the men of the world fight and kill and spare not to damn their souls for he sees now to be a pitiful worthless thing which can't defer Death a moment nor stand him in any stead in another world He is all for that coin which will go currant in another Country and if he be but rich in promises rich in spiritual relations rich in grace he takes himself for no unhappy man let the world speak or think what they will of him he doth not much pass upon it he believes that he is but a pilgrim and stranger here and if he meet with no great kindness it is but that which he expected The truth of it is he is almost afraid of the smiles of the world not being ignorant of this that whom it kisses it intends to betray he can't be overfond of that which in all probability will keep God and him at a greater distance and make his passage to glory next to impossible He reckons that it 's better being rich in grace then rich in purse and he that which lay up for his body and provides not for his soul is the greatest fool in the world Tell such a one as Moses of riches honours preferments he thinks them but poor sorry things for a man of Israel to be taken with and he will rather see them in the dirt then part company with his suffering brethren much less with God It is storied of Anaxagoras that he seemed to be very little concerned when his countrey was in a flame upon which being taxed by some he made this reply There is none of you all care more for your country then I do for nine pointing with his finger up to heaven Thus it is with the people of God let others talk of Riches and Honour but there is none of them all do value true Riches as they do but here 's the difference one thinks he hath Riches when he hath the command of a great deal of Gold and Silver the other knows he hath Riches when he hath Christ and Grace and can have good returns out of that other World And which of these are the wisest will ere long be seen One looks upon heaven glory as a shadow a fable and the things of this World as the only realities the other he looks upon Heaven God and Eternity as the greatest realities and most worthy of his highest valuation and the things of this world as flying shaddows which can't fill the arms of him that doth imbrace them And under this apprehension and sence of things no marvel that he doth prefer the substance before the shadow He believes with that Worthy that he was born for other things than to eat and drink and sleep or to take his pleasure or to get an estate he knows that the business in this world is to provide for another to get his peace made with God to contemplate Heaven and to get thither and therefore you must not count it strange that such a person as this is somewhat cold and remiss in his carrying on of lower designs he knows that the disproportion between Finite and Infinite Times and Eternity is no such inconsiderable one as the most count upon Again he hath more than once experienced this that the very joys and comforts that are to be had in the enjoying of Communion with God even in this world are unspeakably more intence and refreshing than the highest sensual pleasures in the world One that is acquainted with God will take the word of his Friend for true which word tells him that
are separated from our sins we cannot be united to God Thus ye see our separation from God and our necessity of returning to God before there can be any acquaintance with him Thirdly To our acquaintance with God is required an abiding with God We reckon not our selves acquainted with any person upon the first meeting or when there hath passed but a word or two between us but it is supposed to acquaintance that we have made a considerable stay with him and have had frequent access to him Thus it is between God and us we must not only come to him but abide with him or else we shall never be acquainted with him Joh. 8.13 If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples So I say if you return to God and continue with God then shall ye be acquainted with him indeed Acquaintance signifies not a bare Act but a State or Habit. Now this is the difference between an Act and a State that an Act is passing and is gone but a State signifies an abiding and continuance There may be a drawing nigh to God without abiding and continuing with God upon some deep Conviction or strange providence or eminent danger as it is said In their affliction they will seek me early Yet they may soon forget and forsake God This is but a seeming and practical approaching to God a drawing nigh in appearance when the heart is far from God but that approaching to God which makes acquaintance with God is abiding with him Those that are acquainted with a spiritual life know these things what they are and that they are the greatest realities in the world they know that sometimes there is a greater nearness of their souls to God they are sensible of the approaches of their heart to God and of the withdrawing of their souls from God they know what it is for the soul to feel the approaches of God and his smiles sill their souls with unspeakable Comfort And to feel God withdrawing from the soul this clouds their joy and makes them go mourning They can tell you at such a time they were brought unto his Banquetting-house and his Banner over them was Love They can tell you at such time Christ came into his Garden to eat his pleasant Fruits at such a time they heard the voice of their Beloved saying Open to me my Sister my Spouse my Love my Dove my Vndefiled And when the soul hath neglected this knock of Christ to open to him that then he hath withdrawn I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone These things are the experiences of a precious child of God which I fear are little felt and little known amongst us but where these things are not there is no acquaintance with God For First They do know him Secondly They draw nigh to him they have near access to him Thirdly They have intimate Converse with him This is another thing required to acquaintance We are not said to be acquainted with any person unless we have had intimate converse with him We may be next Neighbours and yet have no Acquaintance unless our conversation hath been mutual So it is between God and us there may be a nighness between the Soul and God and yet no Acquaintance between the Soul and God We are nigh to God in our dependance upon him we are near to God by his immediate providence and sustentation of us and by his Omnipotence There is a nearness to God by way of Dedication As God set apart the Children of Israel to be a people near unto himself so the visible Church of God is nearer to him then those that are not of the Church There is a nearness of Dedication among us by Baptism But all this may be without Acquaintance There is therefore required to our Acquaintance with God an intimate converse with God We have great converse with those who are of the Family or society with us Now such is our acquaintance with God as those who are of his Family God is called the Father of the Families of all the earth and the visible Church is reckoned as Gods Family but in a great Family there may be little Acquaintance with those persons which be of remote employments but to acquaintance with God there must be such a relation as implies familiar converse This intimacy that the people of God have to him is expressed by the nearest relations in Scripture As Abraham is called The Friend of God 2 Chron. 20.7 Jehoshaphat prayes unto God and saith Art not thon our God who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gave it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his Friend Exod. 33.11 John 15.15 Henceforth I call you not servants but friends for the servant knows not what his Lord doth but I have called you Friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Now by Friend is commonly understood a state of converse and society one with another And this intimacy is expressed likewise by the relation of Husband and Wife Isa 54.5 For thy Maker is thy Husband Hos 2.7 Then shall she say I will go and return to my Husband for then was it better with me than now By Husband there is meant God And the whole Book of the Canticles is a relation of the mutual converse betwixt God his people betwixt Christ and his Church under the relation of a Bridegroom and his Spouse Now what converse more intimate than between Husband and Wife Such is that between a soul acquainted with God and God Again this is shadowed out to us under the relation of a Father and his Children 1 John 3.1 Behold what manner of Love the father hath be stowed upon us that we should be called his sons And the holy Spirit is given to be the Spirit of Adoption in the hearts of Gods people Rom. 8.15.16 Ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God What is signified by this Relation but a nigh union and intimate converse between the soul and God And this is necessary to our acquaintance with God even intimate converse with God By this I mean a nearness of employment when the Objects of our employments are the same then are we said to converse with God when we are employed about those things wherein God is most When there is as it were a mutual commerce and trading between the soul and God man giving himself up to God and God giving himself out to man man taking up the interest of God and God undertaking for the interest of man these such like actings are the converse which the soul hath with God I speak of things which the men of the world are not acquainted with
for the cause of Complacency and Love is a likeness between the Lover and Beloved God doth not love us with a love of complacency till we are like him nor do we love God till we are made like God Now our beholding God and being acquainted with him is a great way to our being made like to God 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open faoe beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord. are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Thus you see that love is likewise required to our acquaintance with God without it no acquaintance I have in the first part spoken of the Nature of acquaintance with God in five particulars There must be First A Knowledg of God Secondly Nigh access to God Thirdly Familiar converse with God Fourthly Mutual communication between us and God Fifthly An affectionate love towards God The next thing should be to shew that man is to be acquainted with God but we will first take a review of these things We have taken these things into our understandings now let us set our hearts to these things for in these things is the life of Religion If there be acquaintance with God then gross wickedness drops off as scales from an ulcerated body when the constitution of the body is mended In acquaintance with God will be your only true comfort in this life and the perfection of it is the very happiness of Heaven Let us then behold till our hearts earnestly desire till our souls be drawn out after acquaintance with God If God be to be known to be approached unto to be conversed with by me will he communicate himself to me and I my self to him Oh that he would love me that I might love him Oh blessed are they that know him as they are known of him It is good for me to draw night to him A day in his Court is better than a thousand elswhere My soul longeth ye fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Oh that I were received into converse with God! that I night hear his voice and see his countenance for his voice is sweet and his countenance comly Oh that I might communicate my self to God and that he would give himself to me Oh that I might love him that I were sick of Love that I might die in love that I might lose my self in his Love as a small drop in the unfathomless depth of his Love that I might dwell in the eternal love of him This is acquaintance with God Acquaint now therefore thy self with God and be at peace so shall good come unto thee We now proceed to the next thing which is to evidence it to be the duty of man to acquaint himself with God This then is that into which the whole Scripture runs as into a common Channel The Scriptures are a discovery of Gods proceedings with man under a double Covenant and this is the great design of God in both Covenants The first Covenant was That while man did remain in obedience to God God would give man free and intimate acquaintance with himself But if man became disobedient then he should be dispossessed of an interest in God and of Communion with him which was that death threatned upon the eating the forbidden Fruit. The death of the body is its being separated from the Soul but the death of the Soul is in separation from God Now immediately upon Adams transgression man becomes unacquainted with God so that upon the hearing of the voice of the Lord they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord among the trees of the garden What a woful case is man naturally in He hath lost his acquaintance with God and was in a way never never to recover it upon Gods approach he flees And such is the nature of all sin it puts a man into a disposition to greater sins Every departure from God inclines towards a greater In the first Covenant this is the whole of it it is both a command to keep nigh to God and a promise of Gods being nigh to them and a threatning of Gods putting them away far from him man breaking the first Covenant The immediate effect of it was the sin of fleeing from God quite contrary to that acquaintance Instead of their former apprehensions of God they seem to have forgotten his omnipresence instead of peace with God they have nothing but dread and torment in the thoughts of God instead of drawing nigh to God they run away from him instead of converse with God they choose never to have to do with him more instead of giving themselves up to God they if it had been possible would have hid themselves from God Acquaintance with God is the sum of the first Covenant unacquaintance with God is the misery of the breach of the Covenant This is likewise the great design and purpose of God in the second Covenant The second Covenant is this When God beheld man in a miserable condition by reason of the breach of the Frst Covenant in the unsearchable riches of his goodness according to the eternal purpose of his good Will towards Man he made an agreement with his Son to send him amongst a generation of sinful Men that if he would undertake to bring them back into acquaintance with the Father he was willing and ready to receive them again into acquaintance with him the Son being the express Image of his Fathers will and person hath the same good will to man with the Father and is ready to close with his Fathers proposals and so enters into a Covenant with the Father to satisfie Divine Justice and to take away Sin and to take away the middle wall of Separation to recover a chosen generation and to bring them back again to God Thus he became the head of another Covenant between God and man And as the first Covenant was made with Adam for him and his seed So the second Covenant is made with Jesus Christ for him and his seed Because that the first Covenant was broken in Adam therefore the second Covenant was put into surer hands into the hands of the Son the second Adam the Lord from heaven Now I say that the great design and purpose of this second Covenant is in reference to mans acquaintance with God is clear This is held forth to us in that parable of the lost sheep Luke 15.45 When the shepheard had lost one sheep he leaves the flock and seeks for that which was lost So when man was lost by sin Jesus Christ leaves all to recover and fetch home that which was lost We are all gon astray like lost sheep as David saith of himself Psal 119. Christ is come to seek and to save that which was lost Luke 19.10 and Ephes 2.13 14. But now in Christ Jesus they who somtimes were afar-off are made nigh by the blood of
more then is he to be admired that he humbled himself to acquaint himself with man Let us than be filled with admiration that God should take us so nigh unto himself As Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldest visit him And Joh. 7.17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thy heart upon him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning Man in the pride of his heart seeth no such great matter in it but an humble soul is filled with astonishment Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One which inhahiteth eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Oh saith the humble soul will the Lord have respect unto such a vile worm as I am will the Lord acquaint himself with such a sinful wretch as I am Will the Lord open his arms his bosome his heart to me shall such a loathsome creature as I find savour in his eyes In Ezek. 16.15 We have a relation of the wonderful condescention of God to man who is there resembled to a wretched infant cast out in the day of its birth in its bloud and filthiness no eye pitying it such loathsome creatures are we before God and yet when he passed by and saw us polluted in our bloud he said unto us live It is doubled because of the strength of its nature it was the time of Love vers 8. This was love indeed that God should take a filthy wretched thing and spread his skirts over it and cover its nakedness and swear unto it and enter into a covenant with it and make it his that is that he should espouse this loathsome thing to himself that he would be an husband to it this is love unfathomable love unconceivable self-principled love this is the love of God to man for God is love Oh the depth of the riches of the bounty and goodness of God! How is his love wonderful and his grace past finding our How do you find and feel your hearts affected upon the report of these things do you not see matter of admiration and cause of wonder Are you not as it were lanched forth into an Ocean of goodness where you can see no shoar nor feel no bottom Ye may make a Judgement of your selves by the motions and affections that ye feel in your selves at the mention of this For thus Christ judged of the Faith of the Centurion that said unto him Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Mat. 8.8 When Jesus heard this he marvailed and said to them that followed him I say unto you I have not found so great faith no not in Israel If then you feel not your souls mightily affected with this condescention of God Say thus unto your souls What aileth thee O my soul that thou art no more affected with the goodness of God Art thou dead that thou canst not feel Or art thou blind that thou canst not see thy self compassed about with astonishing goodness Behold the King of glory descending from the habitation of his Majesty and coming to visit thee hearest not thou his voice saying Open to me my sister behold I stand at the door and knock Lift up your selves O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors that the king of glory may come in Behold O my soul how he waits still while thou hast refused to open to him O the wonder of his goodness O the condescention of his Love to visit me to sue unto me to wait upon me to be acquainted with me Thus work up your souls into an astonishment at the condescention of God USE 2. Secondly Is there to be acquaintance between the soul and God then let us learn to make a right judgement of our own Excellency let us judge of our selves as too high and noble to converse with this base and beggarly world I am of a nobler original then to debase my self to such mean things I am the off-spring of God and shall I acquaint my self with earth I am of the family of God shall I converse with Sathan Is there bread enough in my Fathers house and shall I perish for hunger Lift up thy self O my soul shake off the intanglements of the flesh break out of that bondage of the Devil trample upon the glory of the world and scorn to let out thy precious desires upon dung and dross get the Moon under thy feet cloath thy self with the Sun put on the son of righteousness come into the palace of God and acquaint thy self with him for this is thy glory this is thy excellency Ye precious ones who can call God Father and the son Brother who have fellowship with the Father and the Son who may have communion with the Holy Ghost What do you lying among the Potts What do you raking in Dunghills What do you conversing with the World Have a holy scorn of these things as below the dignity of your souls know your worth esteem of your selves as of more value then all these lower Treasures This is your glory and your excellency that ye are of Gods acquaintance that ye are Sons of God Heirs of God joynt-Heirs with Christ that ye understand and know God There are two things wherein most men are mistaken First In the Nature of Pride Some look upon that only as Pride which manifesteth it self in costly Apparel and bodily Ornaments beyond the degree and rank of the person Some look no further then the carriage of one man towards another Now favourably consider with me that the greatest Pride in the world is mans undue esteem of himself toward God and this is in the heart of every one by nature Every one by nature doth lift up himself against God goes about to dethrone God and to crown himself Every one takes counsel in his heart against the Lord saying Let us break his hands asunder and cast his cords from us This is the voice of every one that dares wilfully to sin We will not have God to rule over us Yet this is the working of the Pride of a man against God to thurst God out of the Throne of his Majesty and to set himself in For what is Gods glory and respect among his creatures Is it not this that he being the beginning and Author of all should be likewise the end of all And this is the very purpose of God in making of man that having received himself from God he should have what he might freely give up to God so that all man is and all that he hath is to be offered to God as the end and center of all Now a sinning creature brings God under to serve him to provide for him Now though this Pride of man against
are wretched miserable and poor and blind and naked And this makes David Psal 139.24 to cry out after he had been trying himself Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting This unaptness in us to make a right judgement of our selves in our relation to God ariseth First From that deep root of self-love that is in us by nature whereby we are apt to apprehend well of our selves and please our selves with a good conceit of our selves though we are never so bad And such is the nature of this affection that it blinds our eyes and prejudiceth the mind that it cannot make a right judgment As affection in some Parents to their Children makes them reckon that which is a blemish to be a beauty in their children so doth inordinate self-self-love work in men in the judgment of themselves Men when they judge themselves they look into a flattering glass which presents them in greater beauty then that which is their own Secondly we judge amiss of our selves because we take not a right rule for our judgments as those whom Paul speaks of 2 Corinthians 10.12 Some commend themselves but they measure themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves are not wise If we take our selves to be the rule and measure then we cannot discern our own crookedness and irregularness Thirdly We judge amiss of our selves because of the deceitfulness of our hearts The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Jer. 17.9 Gross wickedness is apparent to the pur-blind eye but where there is an abstaining from gross outward sins there are special workings of Corruption such as pride self-love distrust of God and love of the world any of which shut up the soul against God as with bolts and bars and these lying inward are not discerned Other accounts may be given of the unaptness to make a due judgment of our selves it concerns us therefore to be exact in our tryal and trust not to a sudden answer for we are ready to make a short work of it and to save our selves the labour and to sit down with charitable thoughts of our selves Whatsoever answer therefore our hearts give us let us see cleared and have such reason for it that we may know how to proceed with our selves upon a right judgment of our selves The chief work of trial in this particular acquaintance with God will be from those particulars wherein I opened the nature of the souls acquaintance with God Let us therefore take those Heads and our own Experience of our selves and by a rational deduction let us find out our own estate As thus Those that are acquainted with God are brought nigh to God Whereas sometimes there was a strangeness and remoteness a vast separation now the partition is taken out of the way and I am made one in Christ I have took God to be my portion and my Father I have been a Prodigal and have departed from him but I finding my self lost and undone and that nothing could satisfie my soul in the world therefore I resolved I would return to my Fathers house and try if he would receive me again into his family and so I have done I have cast off my old converse with the world and with corruption I have broken my league with Hell and have entered into a covenant with the Father through his Son Jesus Christ therefore I may comfortably conclude that I am now in a state of acquaintance with God But if in the enquiry into my self I find not these things if I find that now I am as in former dayes I have felt no such change in my self and that all things are with me as they were of old I never was sensible of any loss in my self I never knew what strangeness and nighness to God meant I never understood what union with God and distance from God was this signifies ill it is a symptome of a bad state of a state of unacquaintance with God 2. So again for our converse with God He that is acquainted with God he hath had his converse with God he hath dwelt with God and God with him he hath supped with Christ and Christ with him his great business and employment hath been nigh God in those things wherein is most of God If I find my soul much conversing with God oft sending out breathings to Heaven oft casting my eye towards God if I find the great work of my mind to be with God my great business lies in Heaven my treasure is laid up there and my thoughts and desires and joys and delights and meditations are there I may comfortably conclude that I am in some measure acquainted with God But if in the inquiry into my self I find that I have my whole converse with the world that I can afford no time for Prayer to God in my family and in secret If I find all the day long my cares and desires and thoughts run out most naturally and fully without controle towards the things of the world or that I will mind my self in a natural carnal way and mind not the things of God this signifies to me my unacquaintance with God and it will be an ungrounded presumption in me to reckon of my self any other then a stranger to him 3. So for communion and fellowship which is in acquaintance Those that are intimately acquainted their communion in the way of discourse is very frequent in making known their thoughts and apprehensions their fears and wants their minds are open one to another and that which is the propriety of one is by their acquaintance communicated to the use of both If then I can find in reviewing the workings of my soul that there hath been this sight of Heaven this Spiritual Communion between my soul and God that my heart hath been open to God that I have gone to God when my heart hath been burdened with sorrow I have discharged it into the bosom of God as into the bosom of a friend that in my doubts I have betaken my self to him expecting comfort from him that upon hearing his voice I have opened to him and upon my opening he hath come in with smiles of love and given me tokens of his favour these things signifie a state of acquaintance with God but if I know not what it is to have given up my soul to God to be his and to have taken God to be mine if I have had experience of receiving nothing else from God but a partaking of the things of the world if I have not been wont to communicate the workings of my mind to God it betokeneth my unacquaintance with God 4. And again for that friendly working of love and affection in the soul towards God Those that are in a state of acquaintance are supposed to comply with each other in
kindness and love and good will and affection If then I can upon search into my self find that God hath the highest room in my affections that my heart is his that his love is prevailing with me above the love of all things beside and that I love those that are his beloved for his sake then I have in me a sign of regal acquaintance with God for love is the very quintessence of acquaintance but if in the search into the workings of my mind I can find no such friendly compliance but that God was still thwarting and crossing my designs that I should find my self better content if there were no God and that those workings of my mind that are about God are sower harsh and tearing upon my spirit then it is to be feared that I have no acquaintance with God And hast thou made an impartial inquiry into thy state And how stand things between thy Soul and God Art thou acquainted with him or art thou not Consider seriously O sinners that this is one of the weightiest questions in the world and if this question were but well resolved it would put an end to a thousand other questions He that can say of God and Christ this is my beloved and this is my friend he need not very solicitously ask what news He hath heard good news from Heaven which will easily ballance all come what will come he need not much pass as long as there stands that one Text in the Bible That all shall work together for good to them that love God He hath no cause to goe a begging to the world and to say who will shew me any good As long as the Lord hath shined upon him with the light of his countenance He need not complain what shall I do I have lost this or that dear friend when he hath found him who can make up all with one look whom he can never lose In a word he need not ask how shall I do to live and what shall I eat and what shall I drink and wherewithall shall I be cloathed So long as he knows that he hath a noble friend who will ease him of all this care and never see him want Well then hast thou answered this great question or not Or wilt thou do by thy conscience as Felix put it off and say thou wilt hear of these matters at some more convenient season and I wonder when that more convenient season will be and why not now I pray What season more fit then the present I am sure God saith Now is the acceptable time and do you know better then he What hast thou to do that is more necessary Speak out I pray is the following of thy pleasures Is the serving of Satan Is the damming of thy Soul more necessary then the saving of it Is the life and death of a Soul nothing Are everlasting glory and misery small matters Is the love or hatred of thy God so inconsiderable a thing Awake O sinner what meanest thou Arise speedily and look about thee man Consider seriously as thou valuest thy Soul what best becomes a sinner in thy condition What answer shall I return to my Master Are not these things worth the thinking of Shall I say for all this that thou art not at leisure to look after an interest in his favour or any thing that rends to it Shall I tell him that thou hast somthing of greater weight and higher importance to trouble your head with And do you in sober sadness think so For you make account that excuse is sufficient I pray then make use of it your self for I dare not When God shall come to ask you why you did no more vigorously mind the getting acquaintance with himself tell him then if you think that answer will serve your turn that you were not at leisure you had such urgeth occasions which took up the whole of your time such and such a friend you had who sent for you to the Tavern and you could not possibly come when he invited you tell him if you believe that plea will hold water that you would have been glad to have come upon his invitation but that you were taken up with such good old friends the World the Flesh and the Devil How do you think such an answer will be taken You may think to put us off with such kind of reasons as this but do you hope by this answer to satisfie your Judge Believe it sinner God will not thus be put off Wherefore I do again with all the earnestness I can for my soul renew by suit to thee that thou wouldest act like a man in his wits make some serious inquiry into the state and condition of thy soul And consider for the Lords sake again and again before you send me away thus what errand I come to you on It is to treat with you about a rich match for thy poor undone soul therefore consider well what you do before you make light of this business and know when you are well offered believe it God will not long send after you in this manner and you are not like every day to have such proffers Divine Patience and Goodness will not always plead at this rate with you God will ere long say let them alone the Lord will ere long speak to scornful sinners in such language that will make their ears to tingle he will despise and slight as well as they and who is like to have the worst of it at last I leave to any rational man to judge The time is coming when your ungodly hearts shall ake to see him whom you might have had for your husband when you shall have him for your Judge whom you might have had for your Advocate And though we could not get you to be willing to be acquainted with him no not so much as to have any serious thoughts about it or to make any enquiry after him to inform your self concerning him yet you shall have him for your enemy whether you will or no. But O let us not part thus let me a man like thy self reason the case a little more with thee come tell me poor ignorant creature thou that still standest demurring and sayst Shall I shall I what evil is there in thy God that thou shouldest be thus hardly brought so much as to discourse this business with thy own soul What is the reason that thou scarce thinkest it worth the while to trouble thy head about any thing that doth concern your interest in his love Thou that mindest his love so little tell me what do'st thou think had become of thee long before this if God had regarded thee as little as thou dost him What wouldest thou have done had the Lord said to any Disease the least of his Messengers fetch that Rebel before me that values not my favour he shall know what my anger is seeing he will not prize my love O what a lamentable
come muster up all your jovial Blades together call for your Harps and Viols add what you will to make the consort compleat bring in your richest Wines come lay your heads together and study what may still add to your comfort well is it done Now come away sinner this night thy soul must-appear before God Well now what say you man What doth your courage fail you Now call for your merry Companions and let them chear thy heart Now call for a Cup a Whore never be daunted man shall one of thy courage quail that could make a mock at the threatnings of the Almighty God what so boon and jolly but now and now down in the mouth Here 's a sudden change indeed Where 's thy merry companions I say again all fled Where are thy darling pleasures have all forsaken thee Why shouldest thou be dejected there 's a poor man in rags that 's smiling What art thou quite bereft of all comfort What 's the matter man What 's the matter There 's a question with all my heart to ask a man that must appear before a God to morrow morning Well then it seems your heart misgives you what then did you mean to talk of joy and pleasures are they all come to this Why there stands one that now hath his heart as full of comfort as ever it can hold and the very thoughts of Eternity which do so daunt your soul raise his and would you know the reason he knows he is going to his friend nay his friend bears him company thorow that dirty Lane Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for God and the soul to dwell together in unity This 't is to have God for a friend O blessed is the soul that is in such a case yea blessed is the soul whose God is the Lord Psal 144.15 Psal 69.15 16 2 Cor. 1.3 Joh. 14.16 Isa 51.11 12 Neh. 8.10 Psal 30.5 Psal 43.4 Prov. 14.10 Isa 29.19 Rom. 14.17 1 Pet. 1.8 Nay David when he seem'd to be somewhat out of tune leaves this upon Record as undoubted truth Psal 73.1 That God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Let the Devil and his Instruments say what they will to the contrary I will never believe them I have said it before and I see no reason to reverse my sentence Truly God is good Though somtimes he may hide his face for a while yet he doth that in faithfulness and love there is kindness in his very scourges and love bound up in his rods he is good to Israel do but mark it first or last The true Israelite in whom there is no guile shall be refreshed by this Saviour The Israelite that wrestles with tears with God and values his love above the whole world that will not be put off without his Fathers blessing he shall have it with a witness He shall reap in joy though he may at present sow in tears Even to such as are of a clean heart The false-hearted hypocrite indeed that gives God only his tongue and lip cap and knee but reserves his heart and love for sin and the world that hath much of complement but nothing of affection and reality why let such a one never expect while in such a state to taste those reviving comforts that I have been treating of while he drives such a trade he must not expect much of Gods company but of that hereafter What a charge doth God give to his Ministers to keep up the spirits of his people Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith their God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem It 's a gross mistake to think that God loves to see his drooping and hanging down their heads no no he counts it his honour to have his servants chearful O why then should any of the precious sons and daughters of Zion walk up and down as if their friends company were not sufficient to solace them even in the lowest state that a child of God can be conceived to be in While you think God is honoured by you you can't imagine what wrong you do him The world stands by and looks upon you the Devil bids them look on still and ask them how they like such a dumpish life and the service of such a Master all whose servants and friends lead such a doleful life Stay hold these Satan that 's a lye and a loud one too there are and have been thousands of Gods Children that have lived as it were in the Suburbs of Heaven while they have been upon Earth many thousands there have been that have spent their days in true solid joy and peace many that have gone from one Heaven of comfort here to another of glory and comfort in that other world As I said before so I say again It is not the company of God but the want of it makes those sad which you see so besides let me tell you tears and joy are no way inconsistent It may be also those tears that sad countenance may be for thy sake when he sees what comfort thou despisest and knows what a God what a Friend thou refusest he can't but weep it 's no rarity for the people of God in the midst of their spiritual enjoyments to pity poor foolish sinners that slight those things which they know to be so refreshing Thus David did when his heart was solaced with the love of God when his soul was ready to be over-burdened over-powered with the abundant incomes of Gods kindness he can't but with grief and pity think of their state who have nothing to live upon but husks whilest he seeds thus high O let my soul be but acquainted with God let me but taste more of those true comforts drink of that river of pleasures that is at his right hand and then I could spare these lower sensual pleasures then I should scarce envy the most merry ranting Blades their comforts I will not say but then I should with sorrow think of their wants It was spoken by Galeacius Caraxiola one that sometimes had none of the least shares of worldly enjoyments and might have had more could he have dispensed with the absence of this friend could he but have been willing to have wanted those spiritual comforts Let him perish that values not one hours communion with God and the comforts of a divine life above all the pleasures and comforts that the earth can afford Give me such comforts such a friend whose smiles may refresh me upon a death-bed whose presence may revive me when nothing else can Naturalists tells us of a Bird call'd Charadius that being brought into the room where any one lieth sick if he look upon the sick person with a fixed eye he recovereth but if he turn away his eyes the person dies It is true I am sure of this friend in whose favour is life and in whose frowns there is death Ar. Epic. l. 3. cap. 24. Can you help me to
shall be as kindly entertained as if you did shine in cloth of gold and were besparkled with Diamonds He will not give freer access to the rich then the poor neither doth he value a strong healthful person before a sick and crazie one a beautiful and well-trimm'd gallant before a cankered old deformed creature Thus far Seneca and the Scripture speaks the same language Neither Job's boyls nor Lazarus's sores made God keep ever the further off from them I knew one all of a cleave with the small Pox whom this friend came to visit and in that condition how many kisses had that sweet creature from God O it would do ones heart good to have such a friend And this is the next qualification of this Friend which may commend him to thy acquaintance be thou never so poor never so vile and sinful in thy own eyes such as thy self he hath made welcome and upon his Word wilt thou but come away speedily thou shalt be welcome too Sixthly He is the most Faithful friend Where is the man that can tax him of the least unfaithfulness Which is the man that can say that he ever forsook any of his in their greatest exigency he hath been trusted more then once with more then the world is worth a thousand times over and they which trusted him most never accuseth never thought their choisest Jewels their whole estate could be left in safer hands his promise and his performance have kept touch he never failed his in the least punctilio or circumstance of time Ask Abraham who was one of Gods friends God tells him that his seed shall inherit Canaan and that they shall be strangers in a Land that was not theirs four hundered years and did he not at the expiring of that time though it was at midnight almost bring them out of Egypt God keeps his time with them to a minute Ask Joshua whether he did not live to see this promise made good inquire of David and he will tell you again that no friend is so trusty The unfaithfulness is on mans side there indeed there I say is many an unhandsome thing done and yet for all God doth not as you shall hear hereafter presently break with them if they forget that they are Children he will not forget that he is their Father if God should have done thus by them many thousands of them that are now in Glory had been somewhere else He promiseth indeed great things unto his Friend but do's he not do as he saith if not in the very thing yet in that which is better and who would account himself wronged if one that promised him ten pound in silver should in the stead of it give him ten thousand pound in Gold and Jewels I believe such a one would not be thought to be worse then his word nor the person to whom he made this promise count himself injured And this God doth frequently did men but understand the worth of what God pays them with It may be God doth not cloath them in Silks and Sattins neither do I know that he ever promised to do so but yet he cloaths them with the Righteousness of Christ and bestows those glorious robes upon them in which they look more trim and neat then in cloaths of Gold he hath made him such a Suit that is the handsomer for the much wearing he may eat and drink sleep and work in it and keep it on his back day and night and it shall not he wrinkled it is the better for use He is a faithfull Friend and none that ever had to do with him can say any thing to the contrary he never forgot any business that any of his Friends desired him to do for them he never neglected it or did it by the halves where did any of them come to him to reveal some secret loathsome distemper to him that he reproached them with it To which of them did he promise a heaven and put them off with this World when this Pilot undertakes to steer their course there their vessel shall never split upon the Rock run upon the Sands or spring a Leak so as to sink in the Seas to be sure he will see them safe in the harbour Ar. Epist l.c. 26. He was no Christian yet I suppose none will deny but he spake good Divinity who said If a man will choose God for his Friend he shall travel securely through a Wilderness that hath many beasts of prey in it he shall pass safely through this World for be only is safe that hath God for his guide Doth he not speak a little like David himself Psal 37.26 Who never expected to come to glory except he were guided by his counsel Now if a poor Heathen could say thus and see good reason to trust God and admire his Faithfulness as he doth frequently and so doth Seneca justifying Gods Faithfulness in all his dealings with the best men in all their sufferings and the prosperity of the wicked what then shall the heavenly Christian say who hath experienced so much of Gods faithfulness in answering his Prayers in fulfilling his promises and supplying all his exigencies David will tell you as much and justifie God in his most severe dispensations towards him In very Faithfulness hast thou afflicted me Psal 119.75 In our earthly and bodily affairs we should never count that Physitian faithful that will rather open a vein or put his Patient to exquisite torture to save his life then let him dye easily We believe a Father may whip his stubborn Child with more love then let him alone To prevent the ax or halter with a rod is no cruelty Faithful are the wounds of a friend Prov. 2.7 6. It was not for nothing that the Psalmist sticks so close to god he had a little experience of the unfaithfulness of other friends Psal 38.9 11. His Lovers and his Friends stood aloof from his sore and his Kinsmen stood afar off May not a great many complain as well as Job That their Brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook and as the stream of brooks they pass away Job 6.15 A friend may forget one a brother may disown one father and mother may cast one off but here 's a friend that sticks closer then all Nay he is a better friend to his then they are to themselves when they love themselves so little as to undo themselves he loved them so well as to save them when they loved themselves so as to poison themselves he loved them so as to give them a powerful Antidote when they like children would have the knife he takes it out of their hands least they should cut their fingers when they are so careless as to surfit themselves he is so faithful as to keep them short and diet them and all this I hope they that understand themselves will not call unkindness or infidelity David had in his time some friends that made no bones of hazarding their
the matter for accepting or looking after I believe I need not spend ten years in earnest begging and intreating you to look after such a thing Should I offer to bring you to the place and person of whom you might buy it should I not soon have your company should not your necessaries be quickly made ready for such a journey would you not be up betimes in the morning nay would you not travel all night and think it no folly nor madness both to lose some rest and to take some pains so you might but come to possess what I speak of Nay were there but a possibility of obtaining of it at least a probability I perswade my self you would not fail to look after it the very first thing you did I am ready to think you would neither spare for pains or costs so that after all you might but make sure of enjoying it Why what then is the matter that I can do no more in the business that I am about I am sure I bring you tidings of a better bargain a braver purchase and surer inheritance and what need I then spend so much time in arguing with you Good Lord what mean people Are they out of their wits and quite beside themselves What is a Feather better then a Crown Brass then Gold Is a Glass to be preferred before a Diamond finite Enjoyments before everlasting Riches Darkness before Light the World before God O how is man sunk below himself What hath sin made men and women If this be not folly and madness what is Such may go for wise men in the worlds account that makes such choices and it 's possible a man in Bedlam may say his neighbour that tore all his hair off from his head is well in his wits O that this were not the condition of the far greater part of the world And what meanest thou O my soul that thou art no more affected to see such vast multitudes of brain-sick frantick sinners that make light of the tender of the Gospel that take them for their enemies who would do their utmost to make them happy for ever I must profess I am even ashamed of my own heart that I do not mingle my words with tears that I should speak for God and souls with so indifferent a spirit Well now you have heard of a great match by which you may be made for ever are you for all this of the same mind you were Well then complain not if you be a beggar Remember how you were offered remember you might have been worth more then a world O that inconsiderate souls did but know and indeed know what an offer this is O that they would not carelesly undervalue such a proposal O what shall I do How shall I perswade you What Arguments will prevail O thou great and mighty God give men and women but a spiritual understanding of these things make them deeply apprehensive of their excellency and reality and then I should soon have them with thankfulness complying with these tenders which thou commandest me to make unto them O when shall it once be How long shall the Devil and an unbelieving heart undo so many millions How long shall Satan triumph over souls and cheat them thus miserably of their All O pity pity dear Lord the besotted foolish world and give me more compassion to souls that I may with incomparably greater earnestness and tenderness plead thy cause with them and resolve to give them no rest till I have perswaded some of them in good earnest to look after the great and weighty affairs of Eternity and the making sure of this Friend Eighthly He is a sympathizing Friend It goes to his heart with Reverence be it spoken when any injuries are done to any of his when his friends are wronged it touches him to the quick He is as tender of them as of the apple of his eye Again He that despiseth you despiseth me Never was tender hearted Mother more pitiful over her only Child then God is to them which love him never was any friend so much concerned for another as God for his What else mean those high expressions of pity in Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the days of old It was not once or twice that God did so by them but in all their afflictions he was afflicted which was not expressed in some cold formal words such as these Alas poor creatures they are quite undone their enemies are very barbarous but he shew'd it in that most real demonstration by saving of them by the Angel of his presence A verbal kindness costs little and helps little But suppose his friends are carried Captive are they not quite out of the reach of his help No his love pity and power will find them out in any place under Heaven and if they be slaves he will redeem them though he gives Kingdoms and Nations for their Ransom In his love and in his pity he redeemed them and when by hard usage they are grown so weak and feeble that they can scarce go nor creep why he will carry them in his arms and bare them And thus he did of old and his affections are rather greater then lesser now then they were then The mother can be weary of carrying a dirty screaming child she thinks it less trouble to whip him or to let him lie till he hath cried himself weary she is loath to lug such a troublesome thing up and down all the day long But yet such is the tenderness of this Father that he carries his all the day long though they be so heavy so unquiet so dirty But of that presently How oft do you read of strange pity in the book of the Judges when they had by their own folly more then once brought themselves into calamity how do his bowels yern over them and when any of his are groaning under any trials or temptation what sending and running is there how many Cordials are prepared for them what calling to this servant and that servant to attend them with all the care that may be and to comfort them in this state and in case of abuse how doth he shew his love to them If you should ask Pharaoh he would tell you that Gods Friends are edge tools why else doth the Lord lay about him with so much indignation when they are oppressed Nay for their sakes he rebukes Kings saying Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm if they do be it on their peril How did he bare the afflictions of his people Israel in Egypt did he stand still as if he were unconcerned did he shut his eyes not see or did he stop his ears to their cries No no he sees he sees the sufferings of his in Egypt and that both enemies and friends too
it How do many undervalue their lives and make nothing to hazard their blood for a little of that men call Honour some prize it above riches and wealth and care not almost at what rate they purchase it and yet in the meanwhile they are furthest from that which they so grâ—â—dily desire and they run away from that which they seem to pursue Poor ignorant man is fearfully mistaken he calls that his honour which degrades him and takes that for his glory which is his shame How is he pleased with that which when he hath he neither sees nor feels aâ—d scarce knows what it is Epict. What is it O man that thou loosest thy sleep for what is it that thou art at so much charge to buy that rather then you will want it Estate Blood Life and Soul and all must go for it Knight Lord Earl c. Worshipful Right-worshipful Honourable Excellent Gracious are big words and make a great noise but is this the true honour will these words without the thing do a man so much good a man I said and so doth God say too and death will make the biggest of them all know as much ere it be long for all those big words what if his breath stinks that speaks these words and his that hears them be not much sweeter Antoninus Is it such an honour to have a company of fools to call him wise that it may be is like themselves is it worth a Soul to have it said when I am in hell there lived a brave Gentleman that kept a Noble house and brave Table his Cellar was always open one might come when one would and drink as long as one could stand and never hear why do you so and be always welcome that is in plain English where a man might be incouraged to damn his Soul There lived a Noble gallant Person who bid defiance to the Almighty that had courage enough to go to hell merrily and had a desire to carry as many along with him as might be damning swearing cursing was their Language eating drinking sleeping whoring and persecuting the people of God their business And are these your honourable Persons Nay Go higher to bustle up and down in Cloth of Gold with a vast retinue to have men on this side and that side bowing and cringing and is this such a business Is it worth the while to keep such a stir about that which a wise man may want and a fool have Anton. Will those Names that Grandeur and state those high Titles render you more acceptable to God will they procure you a freer access into the presence of that great King will those great words scare death will he say when he comes to your house this is a person of quality I must not be so bold as to come near him will your honour procure you a protection from the arrests of this Serjeant Where is the Honourable Personage the Gentleman Knight Lord King or Monarch that hath lived a thousand years Lucian Are the worms affraid to gnaw thy heart Will thy flesh never putrisie Will your Servants or your Master either honour you in Hell And is this all that you keep so much a stir for that can do you no good in the grave or in another world Can that be better worth then Heaven then God O that we might but know what it is that great thing is which is preferred before Christ and everlasting glory Again I ask what is it that the Grandees of the world do so much idolize Is it to be called Wise Great and Noble But what if the wise God call such a one a fool Epict. What if he know neither himself nor his God nor his interest Hath he much greater reason to boast then a feather that some body will say it is heavy or dung that the Swine saith it is sweet Juven What profit is it for a man to be made great for betraying his Country and flattering a Tyrant who yesterday was the son of a Stage-Player and to morrow shall be shorter by the head What good will it do a beggar that is ready to be starved to be told that he is a Prince a brave fellow worth some thousands by the year But would yon know which is the ready way to true honour I tell you it consists not in the favor of them that must die like themselves and before that few years be over must stand but upon even ground with the meanest it consists not in the sorry acclamations of them which measure a mans worth by his estate and their dependance upon him it consists not in the praise of them whose commendations some wise men have counted a discredit But he hath shewed thee O man what is truly honourable to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 To bare relation to God as a Father and to carry themselves as his Children to be a Servant and Friend of God this this is honourable truly honourable this is the heighth the top of the Creatures preferment To converse with and delight in his Maker To love admire and rejoyce in God and to love God to take complacency in the soul this is something indeed this is honour a wise man would not grutch to venture his Estate his Blood his All for this And how few of the Gallants of the world understand the nature of this honour How do most of them account that which is the only true badge of Nobility a term of disgrace and that which speaks a person highly honourable and to have brave blood running in his veins to be low sorbid and much beneath them as if it were below a Creature to serve his Maker and a pitiful preferment to be advanced to glory O that men of parts and learning that persons of Quality should be so mistaken O what 's become of their Reason Is it an honour a preferment for a man to become a brute We are ready to pity mad men and to laugh at fools but whether there be not more reason to bemoan the condition of most of the honourable persons in the world I leave Christ and Christians to judge Well then will you be informed after all this by him who hath all preferments and honours in his gift I mean the great King and he will tell you that Glory and honour are in his presence 1 Chron. 16.27 Mans onely honour and true dignity lies in his nearness and acquaintance with God A practical knowledge of his Maker is the Creatures groatest preferment David was of the mind that it was none of the lowest honours to be Gods servant Psal 84. It is upon the account of Israels near Relation to God that Moses reckons them the happiest the most honourable people in the world Because God had avouched them to be his peculiar people therefore they might well be said to be high above all the Nations which God had made in praise in name and
God is such a friend who cannot who will not be kept out from his by Walls of Brass or bars of Iron he will find out his friends in the darkest hole and bare them company there in spite of all the powers of Hell O how reviving are his visits What Cordials doth he bring along with him This is that which makes the people of God so very chearful when their enemies make account their condition is such as that it hath no mixture of joy or comfort in it Was that a Prison or Heaven where those Martyrs were singing Hallelujahs Was that a time to be so merry when all the world disowned them when they were loaded with reproaches and irons and chains counted the troublers of the nation mad-men hereticks The case is clear the sight of this friend made them forget their Scorns and think their chains Gold and their prison Liberty It was God that spake it and he hath been found to be as good as his word Isa 43.1 2. Thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and that formed thee O Israel Fear not for I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passost thorow the waters I will be with thee and thorow the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Who was that which bore the three children company in the fiery furnace who was that which went into the Lions Den to visit Daniel who brought Paul alive to this shore when the ship in which he went was wrak't Was it not this Friend that I am now speaking of I might be large in reciting the miraculous preservations which God hath vouchsased to his which is a manifest token of his presence when none can come near besides he will not be far off In the greatest extremities which none durst own them then God reckons it time for him to shew himself It was not for nothing that the Psalmist could speak so chearfully when others were quaking Psal 64.12 c. What was it that bore up his spirits when there were such dreadful Commotions What refuge hath he to shelter himself under in time of such Calamity In what doth his strength lie that he is so confident Whence doth he expect a supply that he holds it out so bravely when his enemies are so numerous and his Friends so scarce Why David hath his invisible Friends as well as visible enemies Ask him and he will tell you That God is his refuge and strength and he is his confidence and he will come in when he hath the greatest need he will be a very present help in trouble And that is the reason that David will not fear though the storm were far greater then ever yet he was in though the earth were removed and the mountains were cast into the midst of the Sea though the foundations of the earth were shaken though the Sea should roar and threaten the earth with another deluge he can sleep as securely as a person little concerned and this he can speak not only for himself but for the whole city of God God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved The Saint hath a Friend that will bare him company in all places in all dangers and in his company he need not be afraid Let the least child that God hath give but one cry and he will soon awake It can't but be so from the spirituality of his nature the immensity of his being and the infiniteness of his love It was Orthodox Divinity and Doctrine that Ar. Epictetus l. 2. c. 14. preached though but a Heathen when he said That the first lesson that became a wise man to learn was that there was a God and then that nothing in the world could be concealed from him and that he knew not only our outward actions but our most secret workings our closest curtain businesses and not only so but even our thoughts projects and principles which speaks him every where and consequently ready at hand to help his Friends at a dead lift Wherefore saith the same Author Idem l. 3. c. 22. think not that thou art alone when thou art in thy Chamber in thy bed when thy Curtains are drawn when thou art lock'd up in a prison never so dark under ground if thou art good thou shalt have two companions in spight of the malice of all thy enemies a good Conscience and thy God This made that brave Moralist to dare his enemies to do their worst to exclude his Friends from him Can saith he any man be banished out of the world wheresoever you send me there will be the Sun Moon and Stars but if not God is there I am sure with whom I may talk to whom I may pray he will bare me company though all the rest of my Friends be kept from me And as long as you can't banish me from God nor keep him from me I shall reckon my self at liberty and should I be sent out of this world into another even there I should find my Friend and he will scarce complain that is removed from a place where almost all are his enemies to a place where quite all are his Friends One would have thought these poor Heathens had been reading Psal 139. Do you hear O Christians what language those forementioned persons speak and shall these that never had the thousandth part of that advantage for the knowing of God speak and act thus shall Christians have such low thoughts of God because we do not see God shall we therefore not believe that he is present every where he that denies Gods own presence had upon the matter as good deny his being for were it not so how could he Judge the world with Justice How could all things be sustained by his power God takes this as a very high indignity that any should in the least question this glorious attribute Jer. 23.23 24. Am I a God at hand and not a God a far off Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord. And is not this a Friend worth the having who will be sure not to be absent when you have need of him the wicked indeed say how doth God know and can he see through the thick Clouds and therefore they sin with confidence and oppress the Friends of God without any fear they hope God doth not behold they think omniscience knows not I wish there were not something too like this sometimes in the thoughts of Gods people too but let me only leave that one Scripture with the first sort Psal 94.9 c. He that planted the ear shall he not hear He that formed the eye shall he not see He that teacheth men knowledge shall not he know The Lord knoweth c. As for the desponding Christian that begins
to think God is out of the reach of his Prayers let me ask thee O thou of little Faith when did God ever absent himself from his in a time of need When was he quite out of the hearing of their cry I know indeed he may hide himself yet then he is near them also to try their love and hear their voice for God loves to hear his Children cry earthly Parents may correct their Children for crying but God chastiseth his Children usually for their silence When he seems furthest off he is but behind the Curtain he is there where he with pleasure sees how earnestly his Children look up and down for him and then when they are ready to sit down weeping as if they had lost their Father when they think they are quite forgot and their enemies begin to triumph and to ask where now is your God Then he lets both friends and foes know that he is near And what say you to all this you that as yet are strangers to God Have you gotten such a friend as he is that will always be at your elbow that can and will come to help you when other friends are far enough off whether man will or no have you got such a friend If not why then will you not now accept of his acquaintance who will be such a friend to all that love him No good man is without the company of God he walks with God he talk with God he cats with God he drinks with Gods and is entertained by him and he sleeps in hiâ— Arms. God is with him in his Shop in thâ— Rode at Home and Abroad and who can miâ—â— carry that hath so helpful a companion alwayâ— with him When thy burdens are too heavy do but complain and he will either take them off thy back or put under his own shoulders and help thee to go away lighty with them he will assist thee in six troubles and in seven he will give thee help 15. He is a Soul Friend Soul Friends are the best friends As soul affairs are the mightiest affairs so those that give us the greatest help in those matters ought to be valued God is the great Soul Friend expect not to find him a friend to thy lust this scares the wicked from him who would be glad to be acquainted with God if he would gratifie their lusts and please their wicked humors and give them eternal happiness after a life of wickedness that is would ungod himself for their sakes But hold there man you shall sooner see the Sun black and have fire cold and find a heaven in hell then have God a friend to your Sin God doth not promise to furnish all his acquaintance with provision for their sensuality he will not put a knife into thy hands to stab himself or to cut thy own throat There are too many of such friends in the world and men are generally so foolish as to count them friends which deserve another name these are they which help men to Hell and shew them the shortest cut to eternal misery and this must go for a special kindness Sure men and woman will scarce be always of this mind Must poison in a guilded cup go for a Cordial and a kiss though with a dagger be taken for true love Seneca had more wit then to reckon such among benefactors He that can teach me the way to true happiness he that can help me to adorn dress and trim my Soul he by whose instructions I shall be more in love with vertue and out of love with sin he by whose directions I may be acquainted with my self and made truly to value that which is really most excellent this shall be my friend this shall be my companion And where are such friends to be found How few of them in the world Do not most that go under that sweet name of friends do one another the greatest unkindness that can be imagined How do they incourage one another in an evil way Prov. 1. Psal 2. How do men tug and pull to get one another apace into damnation and if the wise world may be Judges none must go for a friend but he that would do me most mischief none must be counted an enemy but he that desires to do me the most real kindnesses This sounds strangely yet for all that did it lie in my way I could easily prove it Yet I must confidently affirm that every ones experience first or last will say as much Something of this I have taken notice of in my conversing with dying men I remember once more particularly being by a poor Creature that was just a going into another world one of his old friends looked in to see him at the sight of which person he gnashed his teeth and could not indure him in the room but cry out this was he that brought me to this I may thank him or I had not been in so sad a condition upon a death-bed But this by the by Open enemies are better then such friends I say again do not expect to have God such a friend God loves his too well to let them undo themselves he knows the worth of Souls and pitties them that would part with their souls for a trifle and therefore he tells men plainly that which may be really prejudicial to the health of their Souls he can't but let them know what is food and what is poison what else is the meaning of those vehement expostulations Why doth he send so many messengers one after another To what purpose else doth he tender such promises such incouragement Be it known therefore unto thee O man if thou understand'st the worth of thy own Soul and would'st have that Soul of thine to do well for ever and would'st have a friend for thy Soul that there is but one such a friend to be found in the whole world and that is God O hast thou no regard at all for thy precious and immortal Soul Dost thou never think of that excellent thing within thee Dost thou not care though thy Soul starve be naked and miserable for ever Is it nothing to thee that thy Soul hath not so much as a shelter to hide it self under when a dreadful storm shall rise and death shall turn it our of his old Tenement Dost thou not believe that it must have a being somewhere for ever and that either in everlasting glory or eternal burnings and are these small matters with you What will you for all this take no care in the world about these grand affairs Had a special friend committed but a Dog to thee to take care of you would have thought your self engaged in gratitude and honour to have suited your care of him to your respect to the person from whom you had him Epict. But dost thou not know O man that thy God hath committed a Soul to thy care hath told thee what thou shalt do to preserve the life and health
live Wherefore else is it that we are so straightly commanded as we will answer the neglect upon our peril before God at that terrible day that we preach the World in season and out of season To what purpose should Paul expose himself to so many hazards both by Sea and Land Why should he teach this Doctrine of Reconciliation night and day with tears Doth he not tell you that he did all this by Divine Dispensation and that it was as much as his Soul was worth to wave this work And doth not all this speak his willingness to be friends again with man Could not God have sent Legions of Angels with flaming swords in their hands when he sent his Son and thousands of Prophets Apostles Ministers and Teachers might he not have proclaimed war against them for ever when he followed them with the Embassadors of peace If he had had no thoughts of Agreement with them could he not have spoken to them in thunder and lightning with fire and brimstone as well as in the still voyce of the Gospel He could if he had pleased have made them to have known the breach of his Covenant by giving them up to the will of their cruel enemies God could as easily have cut off a whole world of us as we can crush a moth and easier too But he is willing to shew forth the riches of his patience and goodness that thereby sinners might be brought to Repentance How doth God further express his willingness to receive returning sinners by engaging them by many temporal favours Who preserved that tender creature in the Womb and brought it out of those dark Chambers into light Who kept that helpless infant after it was in the world Whose flax and wool do we wear upon our backs To whom is it that we are beholding for every crumb we eat and every drop we drink Who spreads our table for us and makes our cups to overflow Who brought us from the brink of the grave when we had received the sentence from our Doctor and our Disease And what is the Language of all these mercies but return O back-sliding Sinner for in me is thy help found Love delight in and be acquainted with him from whom thou hast received so many kindnesses If thou wouldest accept of him for thy Lord Husband and Friend who hath sent thee these tokens thou shalt have other favours then these be Is not this the meaning of all the common mercies that we daily receive from him Why was not thy breath stopt with an Oath in thy mouth Why is it that so many thousands that were born since thy self are gone to their eternal state when thou art still standing What hast thou done to engage God more then others that Worms should not be feeding on thee when thou art feeding upon the fat and sweet What is the English of all this what are all these droves of mercies which God sends to thee but to cool thy enmity against him and to make thee who art marching out in thy warlike furniture to meet him with tears of joy and friendly embraces Is not Love the Giver written upon all his tokens What means his frequent visiting of thee but desire of acquaintance with thee Had he had no desire at all to know you and to be known of you do you think he would have call'd so oft and so kindly at your door would he have stood knocking with so much patience and have spoke to you so lovingly if he desired still to be a stranger to you Is this like one that desires your ruine Did God never plead with thee by his Ministers and urge the same Argument that I do now Did you never hear such kind of expostulations as these Why wilt thou go on to despise thy God and to refuse his love what reason hast thou to harbour such hard thoughts of him doth he deserve such unkindness at your hands How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity why will ye make light of that you can't possibly overvalue the favour of God and acquaintance with thy maker How oft have you grieved his Spirit by your unworthy contempts how many times have you given him cause to complain of your unhandsome usage when he in very pity and compassion came to visit you He hath reason to say now as well as of old Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for I have nourished and brought up Children and they have Rebelled against me Isa 1.2 Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise is not he thy Father that bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee Deut. 32.6 O that they were wise And be instructed O Jerusalem least my Soul depart from thee Jer. 6.8 Is not this the voyce of mercy have not these been Expostulations of the mighty God with his Rebellious Creatures and yet how do they stand it out all this while as if God were like to get so much by their acquaintance Return O foolish Sinner if thou makest any thing of Salvation and Damnation if thou valuest everlasting glory if thou thinkest the commands threatnings and promises of the Almighty to be minded come away and make no delay O why wilt thou go on thus madly to undo thy self come away poor Soul for all this it is not yet quite too late thy glass is not yet quite run thy Soul is not yet fully fixed in its unchangeable state Once more I make such an offer to thee as I am sure none but a mad man will refuse such an offer as none of the Kings and Lords of the world can make The great and mighty Monarch of Heaven tenders thee an Alliance with himself he sees how far thou art spent how poor and low thou hast brought thy self by a dangerous and long war against thy maker he foresees what a condition thou wilt be in after a few more merry hours except thou repent and turn Wherefore in compassion to thy precious soul he hath commanded us to follow thee and not to let thee be at quiet till thou hast given us a promise that thou wilt return and humble thy self to thy God and what shall we still lose our labour shall all this come to nothing O prodigy of unkindness O wonder of patience thou hast slighted the friendship of thy God thou hast set light by Christ and undervalued Heaven and Eternity for ten twenty thirty years already and yet the Lord send us once more in his name to ask you whether you are willing to have God for your Friend God hath not yet said Cut him down bind him hand and soot and cast him into that lake that burns for ever Bring those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them and slay them before my face God hath not yet spake that dreadful word Depart O what is it thou stayest for What is it that makes this business to hang so long What Lover is it
and ask her what is her beloved more then another beloved what there is in God and Christ more then in the world and she will almost wonder that any one that is rational should ask so foolish a question she thinks you might with as much judgment and reason have ask'd what there is in Heaven more desireable then in Hell What is there is in ease more then in torments in Gold and Jewels more then in dross in a living healthful beautiful Creature more then in a stinking rotten carcase Did you but see his face you would soon think there were something in him more then in another could you but see his eye your heart would be in a flame did you but understand what it is to be brought into his banquetting-house you would say that they are neither fools nor mad-men that can find in their hearts to scorn the beauties and glories of this world in comparison of one look or smile from God and believe that his love was better then wine to be preferred infinitely before the greatest worldly pleasures and think that the Virgins had reason enough to love him Cant. 1.4 How high doth the Church run in his commendations How doth she endeavour to set him out to the life that every one may admire his excellencies and be taken with his beauties as well as her self neither doth she fear to lose him by this nor indeed is unwilling that others should fall in love with him as well as she Cant. 5.9 10. c. She begins first with his face it is white and ruddy the most exact beauty so that she must be blind that is not taken with him and so she goes on as well as she can to set him out but he is so infinitely above her commendations that she wants words to express her self therefore she speaks one great one He is altogether lovely and if you will not believe come and see Do but look upon him by Faith and meditation contemplate his beauties and then if you have any thing yet to object if after you have had a true sight of him and have well weighed all you do not find that there is in him infinitely more then I can tell you why then let me bear the blame for ever Well now let us gather up all these things together and if a multitude of arguments and if weight and reason if vehemency and earnestness may prevail I should have some good hopes that I should not want success in this work nor you of the acquaintance with God and everlasting glory Therefore I say again if kindness and love be taking who so sweet and obliging as he If comfort joy and pleasure be desireable who is there when the Soul is surrounded with a multitude of perplexities that can so much delight refresh and raise it If Power Glory and Majesty if ability to defend from injuries and revenge wrongs might signifie any thing with poor shiftless Creatures who is there that ever yet prevailed against him Who ever contended with God and prospered If vigour activity and care in all the affairs of his friends can intice the dull helpless sinner to receive him who will take more care for and do more for them then he If his humility may engage us if freedom of access notwithstanding that infinite distance that is between us and him signifie any thing as to the commending of him to our acquaintance where can a poor beggar be more welcome then at the house of this mighty Prince Can Faithfulness in the greatest streight raise the esteem of a friend who ever yet trusted him that was deceived Are riches and wealth taking Who is there that can give a Kingdome for a portion a love-token and give everlasting glory and Heaven for a joynture but God Doth pitty in misery simpathy in suffering compassion in distress indear and commend a friend who is more tender-hearted then he Are Honours and preferments such great things Who is that which will make all his favourites Kings and Priests and set them upon Thrones and reward and commend them before the whole World is suitableness a considerable qualification to make up this match who so suitable for the Soul a Spirit as God a Spirit Who can satisfie it's vast and infinite desires but infinity it self Have poor simple Creatures that have quite undone themselves by their folly and indiscretion need of a wise Counsellor to wind them out of their sad intricacies who is there among the profound Polititians and grave Sages of the world to be compared unto him Doth a dying man that hath a never-dying Soul that is to pass speedily into an eternal state lack an ever-dying immortal friend that may stand him in some stead when immortal Are not friends sometimes furthest off from one when one hath most need of them Is not he then a friend highly to be prized who can who will never be absent Doth not God fill heaven and earth What think you of a Soul-friend Is not such a one worth the looking after who takes care that your Soul to be sure shall not miscarry Who ever did more for Souls then Christ Will it not be true prudence to make sure of such a friend as we must have for our friend or we are miserable for ever and where is such a one to be found but he that hath the keys of heaven an hell which is most considerable Time or Eternity and whom shall I most value him that promiseth present pleasures that are lost as soon as felt or him that will bestow everlasting favours and are there not at Gods right hand pleasures for evermore If the trial and experience of so many millions may speak his commendation will not all that ever knew God say truly God is good to Israel Will Gods willingness desire and earnestness prevail with you to come to him What is the substance of the whole Bible doth not almost every Chapter speak the desire that God hath to be reconciled to man if the perfection of all excellencies meeting in one can render him amiable how can he be slighted who is altogether lovely And what say you now are you resolved or are you not Shall the infinite Majesty of Heaven condescend to offer himself to be loved and imbraced by sinful dust shall God say I will be thy Father and shall not the sinner say I would be thy Child Why should not the heart of every Apostate rebellious Traytor that hath forfeited Estate Life and Soul leap at such good news and say will God for all this lay aside the controversy and conclude a peace Will he receive the rebell to mercy will he open his doors to his prodigal and is there yet any hope Is it possible that such sins as mine should be forgiven Can it be conceived that such a Creature as I should be imbraced what look upon me will God indeed take me into favour Yes thee behold he calls thee he offers thee