draw never so much yet the well is deep and there is as much as ever was O the bottomless goodness of God! O the inexhaustible fountain of Divine perfection No heart is able to fathom or contain it Demonstration Q But how comes God to be the Saints portion First it flows from Gods free donation God hath given himself to his Saints That is properly a mans portion that his father gives him Now because God can give no greater good then himself therefore he gives himself to his Saints God is their Father and they must have a portion from him and God cannot think any thing below himself a portion for them He can give the world to his enemies I but he gives himself to his children Hence it is said that God hath set apart him that is godly for himself Psal 4.3 and the Lord hath chosen Jacob for himself Psal 135.4 even as a man takes a child and adopts him makes him his own and then gives him a portion so doth God 1 John 3.1 and Rom. 8.17 Now what is the inheritance but God himself Nothing below God is the inheritance of Christ who is the Son and nothing less then God is the inheritance of Saints who are Gods younger children but this is not by humane purchase but by Divine gift For alass all the gold silver in the world is not to be weighed against God as a sufficient price All the nations of the earth are but as a drop in the bucket and as the dust in the ballance Nay as nothing and counted to him less then nothing No this is an inheritance not to be bought by any finite price Nay whatever thou valuest the most yet comes infinitely short of a sufficient price Wert thou more righteous then the Angels or Adam in innocency yet all thy good works would not bring thee in a ray of Divine glory by way of merit Why else had not the Apostate Angels and Adam in innocency the presence of God for their sustentation to keep them from falling but to evidence this truth that mans righteousness cannot purchase the enjoyment of God 2. This flows from a Saints self-denying resignation A true Saint denyes himself in all but God and to him he resigns up himself Self-denial outs a man of all earthly goods in point of affection and affiance and carries him to God alone for sustenance content and comfort So Psal 73.25 A true Christian dare not own any thing as his All but God He hath a true right to all that he enjoys as to use but he doth not account it as his portion No he resigns himself to God as his life and All So David Psal 27.1 God is my life i. e. I live upon God and have all in him I betake my self wholly to him and to him only So Psal 62.1 the word rendred truly signifies only i. e. I betake my self to God alone I go no whither else and the truth is none but a true Christian knows the emptiness of the creature and the fulness of God and therefore he alone lets all go for God Those things which are the wordlings gain a Saint accounts loss for God now when a man hath thus outed himself of All for God he would have nothing at all to live upon if he did not fix on God as S. Paul said 1 Cor. 15.19 If our hopes were in this life we were of all men the most miserable What to loose earth and heaven together To deny a mans self in all worldly advantages and not to have a God to lay hold on This is most sad No therefore the Christian is so wise as to make an happy exchange to forsake all for God and having forsaken all for God God takes him to himself Hence is that gratious promise Hos 14.3 The fatherless shall find mercy God is the portion of none but spiritual Orphans he becomes guardian to none other Mercy in God supposes misery in the creature Now when the soul becomes the most wretched and miserable in its own sense then it is an object of mercy Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for their is the kingdom of God 3. God is a Saints portion by way of fruition he enjoys God truly here and fully hereafter God is not only round about his people as their wall of protection but he is in their hearts as their life and well-head of eternal comfort and satisfaction 1 John 3.24 He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him There is a mutual inhabitation they dwell each in other and so enjoy one another So vast is the soul of man that nothing but God can fill it and therefore God dwells in a Saint so immense and incomprehensible are the dimensions of God that nothing is able to hold them and therefore a Saint must enter into and dwell in God Hence is that prayer of the Apostle for the Ephesians Chap. 3.19 that they might be filled with all the fulness of Christ So that of our Saviour Matt. 25.21 The more an earthly portion dwells and lodgeth in the heart the more it sinks and destroyes the man but this is our life and salvation our glory and our heaven to be full of God Gods indwelling in the soul is its resurrection and exaltation Esay 57.15 16. Now for the right understanding hereof you must know that this indwelling of God in the soul is not essentially as the God-head dwelt in the humane nature of Christ and made up one person but mystical and spiritual 1. By lively impression 2. By gratious influx First God dwells in the heart by lively impression God stamps his own image upon the heart and so lives in it as the father lives in his child a soul conform'd to God is a soul full of God Then is the soul taken up into the life and light of God when it is made like to God holy as he is holy Then God lives in the heart when a spirit of holiness is planted in the heart and when the lines of his glory are drawn upon it so saith the Apostle 1 John 4.12 16. God is love The love of God is his image he that loveth truly and sincerely he dwelleth in God and God in him There are some that dream of an immediate vision of God they see him in his Essence but saith John No man hath seen God at any time if we love one another God dwelleth in us and we in him i. e. If the image of Divine glory be enstampt uppon our hearts and appears in its lively acts of grace and goodness love and sweetness then have we true and close communion and fellowship with the Father So 1 John 1.7 If we walk in the light as he is in the light then have we fellowship one with another This is to see God know him and enjoy him for the soul to be made like to him transformation of the soul into Divine similitude gives it the fullest enjoyment
be able to withstand a temptation then he saw the uncleanness of his heart and therefore cried to God to wash him and cleanse him and it is as if he had said Lord I see now what a filthy and unclean Spirit dwelleth in me Lord do thou purge it out and cleanse me from it If any one had gone to David and told him that at such a time he should be overcome by such a temptation and commit two great sins he would hardly have believed that his heart had been so bad But after wards his expeperience taught him 2. Hereby God teacheth the Soul where its strength lieth and on whom its grace depends The decay of grace shews that the strength thereof is not in man nor in grace it self but like the Vine it must have a supporter Grace can't live nor thrive without constant influences I but good men are too apt to depend upon their grace and not to go to him for strength in whom it lies Now when a Christian feels the decay of his grace and his own insufficiency to relieve and strengthen it this drives him out of himself to Christ This is one main difference between the total want of grace and a sense of decay in grace The total want of grace drives men from Christ but a sense of the decay of grace drives men to Christ So it did David his weakness brought him upon his knees 3. The falls of Christians through the weakness of grace and the power of sin are made notable antidotes and preservatives against final Apostasie For as there is nothing that estrangeth the heart from God as spiritual pride and self-confidence so nothing keeps the heart so close to God as a filial fear of offending God So you may see Jer. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me This is that which hemms in the Soul that it cannot go astray Now the falls of Christians provoke and draw forth this filial fear into act The burnt child dreads the fire and he that hath been stung with a Serpent will shun his hole so it is here None so fearful of falling into sin as they that have fallen None so wary and watchful none so resolute and stout against temptations and occasions of sin as those who have been at a time overcome 4. These falls and decayes are like mighty winds to the Oak that settles him faster and make him root deeper in Christ As the more the Oak is shaken if it falls not the faster and deeper it is rooted in the earth So when a Christian hath been shaken with the winds of temptations and corruptions the faster hold he layeth upon Christ and the deeper he is rooted in him For 1. His experience of Christ's faithfulness in keeping him from falling finally and totally strengthens his faith in Christ 2. His experience of Christ's pardoning love knits and unites his heart close to Christ First His experience of Christ's faithfulness in keeping him from falling totally and finally strengthens his faith in Christ As 't is a notable trial of Christ's faithfulness to keep Saints from falling away finally when they fall souly so experience of Christ's faithfulness is a notable strengthener of a Christians faith in Christ They that know thy name will put their trust in thee saith David Psal 9.10 A friend that keeps close to a man in time of need may well be trusted Even so 't is here Christ keeps close to a Christian even at that time when he deserves to be cast off and is both a shame and a grief to Christ Surely the experience hereof must needs be a great incouragement to a Christian to trust him for ever He seeth that Christs strength never fails although his own strength fail He seeth that there is grace enough in Christ to support him in the weakest condition and to raise him up when he is at the lowest Nay further he finds this strength put forth upon him according to the word of promise and though he is unbelieving yet Christ abides faithful to him And therefore he cannot but conclude from hence that Christ will be his strength for ever and will never fail him Secondly A Christians experience of the fulness and continuance of Christs pardoning love knits and unites his soul faster to Christ then ever this doth endear Christ to the soul exceedingly tryed love is an endearing love and if any thing will draw out the souls affections unto Christ and confirm them against all future assaults it is the renewing of pardons upon the renewal of offences When the soul shall hear Christ say as he doth Esay 43.24 25. Thou hast brought me no sweet cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for mine own sake and will remember thy sins no more I say when the soul shall hear this it must needs be deeply affected herewith What! Will the Lord be gratious to such a vile wretch as I am Will he pardon a backslider Will he forgive the sin of one that hath made him to serve with his sin and wearied him with iniquities O here is wonderful love this is transcendent love and shall not I love him that hath loved me thus Yet Lord thou knowest that I love thee 't is true I have backslidden and grievously offended but I will do so no more Thus God sometimes doth the soul much good by that which in it self doth him the greatest hurt as pain easeth a Christian death revives him dissolution unites him so corruption clarifies him and this is a most gratious relief But before I leave this particular I must enter four cautions 1. That no man take up the better opinion of sin hereby for as darkness is nevertheless an evil though God bring light out of darkness so sin is nevertheless an evil though God is pleased to bring good out of it Poison is destructive although a Physician can so correct it as to make it medicinal and so is sin and the better opinion thou hast of sin the more evil and mortal it will be to thee 2. Take heed of lying in sin with hopes of a relief from God watch against it pray against it that thou mayest not be overcome of it but however if thou art overcome by a temptation if Satan hath tript up thy heels get upon thy feet again assoon as possibly thou canst if thou fallest with Peter weep with Peter and labour to find as much bitterness in sin as thou hast found of a seeming pleasure in it Remember this that more have fallen into sin with hopes of rising again then have risen after they have fallen Many sin with Peter but few repent with him
will of God is the practick principle in the God-head so it is a will full of Divine light wisdom and counsel directing it in all its determinations and resolutions Hence it is that as there is not the least spot of error herein so there is not post-repentance thereof Psal 33.11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation for it is the counsel of his will or divine will joined with the highest light wisdom and reason An infinite will sparkling and shining with infinite counsel and reason and indeed the God-head it self must be divided or else a separation cannot be made between the will of God and the wisdom of God no! but as I hinted before they make up one wheel in the divine being and this is that which Divines call eternal providence It is nothing else as I humbly conceive but one eternal and undivided act of Divine Will most wisely determining and appointing all things with the most apposite means and highest end and that after a most exact order and method Ipsa ratio ordinis rerum in finem providentia in Deo nominatur 'T is true as the pre-ordained means so the pre-ordained ends are various I but the highest and ultimate end of all his plots and contrivances workings and administrations is the glorifying and exalting the riches of his Essential Glory This I say is the supream end the end of ends the Corner Stone whereon all the designs and purposes of God do lean and the mark at which they are levelled All other ends though co-ordained with this do strike sail to this and in this respect are but as means appointed to effect it For God being the first and the last the highest being and the best good must needs be the highest and the ultimate end of all his own counsels And that in two respects 1. In respect of his Philantie or self-love which is above all that love that he bears to any other being Great is his love to the man Christ Jesus So John 5.20 The Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doth and he will shew him greater works that ye may marvel I but though his love to Christ be thus great yet not so great as that which he beareth to himself nay take all that Love which he expresseth to all beings below himself and you will find it to fall abundantly short of that love which is in God to himself For all Divine Acts are proportioned to their objects and diversified by them that love which God bears to a created being is proportioned to such a being and that love that God beareth to himself is proportioned to himself as he is an uncreated and an infinite being Now as there is a vast disproportion between a created and an uncreated a finite and an infinite being so there is a vast disproportion between the love that God hath for the one and that which he hath for the other he being the highest being must needs love himself with the highest love and therefore cannot but propose himself and his own glory as his highest end For else he should express greater love to a creature then to himself to a less good then to the best good But again 2. It must needs be so in respect of the nature of an end especially of the highest end For this lieth in two things 1. In terminating the act 2. In so doing to give rest to the agent For as the end gives a beginning to the act by drawing forth the agent So the agent is carried on to the attaining of that end and cannot rest until that be accomplished the truth is the work is never perfect but in that and there is no rest but in that Now I beseech you tell me what is there in any being below the supream that may be the highest end in these two respects For can it be imagined that a less good can draw forth God to act when as there is a greater Surely no and therefore he being the highest and the best good must needs be the highest and ultimate end of all his counsels determinations and workings for in himself and his own glory 1. His work is perfected And 2. He himself hath content rest and satisfaction Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats saith God Psal 50.13 No! but offer unto God thanksgiving This this is the joy and delight of his heart Thus we have given a dispatch to the first consideration of this Divine wheel Secondly Consider the motion thereof and you will find that an admirable being hath an admirable motion And therefore it is represented to us by a Wheel in the middle of a Wheel noting out the intensness of its motion As 't is said of Elias that he prayed in prayer i. e. he was intense in prayer So a Wheel in the middle of a Wheel notes the intensness of its motion it hath heat and fervour in it which makes its motion quick and powerful and is an argument of its supereminent excellency and incomparable use 't is true creature motions are sometimes too intense and therefore do miscarry and are of dreadful consequence I but that proceeds from their irregularity and disorder Zeal is good in a good act I but if it be not regulated and ordered by a Divine Light and an Holy prudence it puts the agent upon a great hazard of miscarrying therein As a ship is never in greater danger then when her sails are spread fill'd with a strong gust of wind and her self upon the greatest speed in case that she be not well ballast or wants a skilful Pilot. I but though it be thus oft-times in creature motions yet 't is not so in the Divine For in these there are not only heat but light And therefore in Sacred Writ there is frequent mention made of the eyes of the Lord. So 2 Chron. 16.9 Zech. 4.10 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth Noting out that all the motions of this internal and Divine Wheel are luminous motions full of light as 't is always in motion full of activity vigour and life so it is admirably regular in its motions it turns and rolls in a streight line When the eyes of this wheel look various ways yet the wheel carries on one design I say this one wheel in the middle of a wheel is all light all eye And therefore there can be no miscarriage in its motion No! as its determinations so all its motions are regular and and orderly This is that which Divines call actual providence which differs from eternal no otherwise then execution from determination Eternal providence is as the head and actual providence is as the hand Actual providence is the evidence of eternal 't is the breaking up of Divine Counsel But you must note this that eternal providence did not cease to be when actual providence first
dead to be an instrument of glory to be given to God Thus it is with Saints in their spiritual sicknesses they are not unto death but for the glory of God that Christ may be glorified in their relief Otherwise God is able to prevent them but might nature alwaies have its course there would be no room for wonders Nature must sometimes have a stop that the glory of God may appear Saints comforts and strengths must lie a bleeding and die that the glory of God may appear in their resurrection And wherein doth the glory of God appear more then in such a work as this This is a glorious work a work that outshines all common and ordinary works of God For God to breath upon dead and dry bones that they shall live again For God to bring a Jonas out of the Whales belly where he was buried alive three dayes For God to set Job upon his leggs again and to put him into stock both within doors and without when he had stript him of all and to make his last daies better then his first this was a glorious work a work wherein God is much glorified As the beams of the Sun reflected and sent back renders the Sun very glorious So 't is here Reas 3. Taken from the beautifulness of Relief in time of necessity Every thing is beautiful in its season Eccl. 3.11 And relief is very beautiful in time of necessity because it is seasonable True necessity puts a decorum upon every act that is requisite to be put forth therein It would be very absurd to do that at one time which may and ought to be done at another Should those things be done for a person in health that are done in the time of his sickness they would be very ridiculous but done in season and with due order they are very comely God therefore times his works well and that puts a beauty upon them Mans necessity is therefore Gods opportunity to express the riches of his mercy He calls not the righteous but sinners to repentance Physick is not for those that are in health but for the sick So Divine Relief is for those whose flesh fails and whose heart fails Divine strength is for them that have no might And this beautifies Divine dispensations For as God loves to beautifie the the house of his glory so he loves to beautifie the works of his glory These are the Reasons of the Doctrine Now before I come to the Application I must speak something to the doubts and scruples of weak Christians Case Perhaps some will be apt to say If it be true that Divine Relief flows from God to his people according to necessity then I am afraid that I do not belong to God because I have no experience hereof My flesh hath falled and my heart fails I but I do not find relief coming in Resolution Now to such I have three words by way of Answer 1. I beseech you take heed of charging God foolishly for for ought thou understandest yet this may prove a vain and foolish denying that grace of God which thou hast not received in vain Thou mayest have received relief from God in many of these cases and yet be insensible thereof It may be with thee as it was with Jacob God hath been with thee supported and relieved thee and yet thou not know it God conveys Divine Relief insensibly sometimes as well as seasonably When a man is in a swoon many things may be given him to fetch him again and to recover his Spirits and yet the man insensible thereof it may be so with thee Thou hast been in a spiritual swoon and God hath administred many heart-reviving Cordials that hath brought thee to some life again and yet thou maist be insensible thereof It is good therefore to take a more strict survey of thy spiritual state and perhaps upon examination thou wilt find some prints of Divine Relief upon thy Soul For as wicked men do not find their state so bad as it is because they overlook it so sometimes good men do not find their spiritual state so good as it is because they overlook it The piece of Silver that the woman thought she had lost was in the house although she knew not where it was until she did light a candle sweep the house and seek diligently for it as you may see Luke 15.8 God may have sent thee a token of his love and thou mayst have it in thy heart and yet not know it Thou hadst best set up a candle even the word of God in thine heart and by that light search thy heart and that diligently and then thou mayst find it 'T is true some particular acts of relieving grace are so full and strong upon the heart of a Christian that he cannot be insensible thereof but there are others that are conveyed to the Soul in a more secret and insensible way God writes a Letter of consolation to the Soul sometimes in so small a character that she hath much ado to read it it is hard for her to spell out the mind of God therein God deals with Christians as some wise Physitians do with some of their Patients they give them Physick and they never know of it something must be put into their Beer or something into their broth Even so God gives much relief to Christians in their spiritual weakness that the Soul knows not of Little did Jacobs brethren know that they had their money in their Sacks when they came homewards out of the land of Egypt No when they came to bait and opened their Sacks they found it Even thus it may be with many a child of God thy money thy relief may be in thy heart and yet thou ignorant of it Perhaps when thou comest to refresh and lookest within to see what thou hast thou mayst find that which thou dreamedst not of There are three things that sometimes hide relief from the eye of the Soul and are an occasion of the Souls mistake 1. God works gradually herein The cure is not perfected the first day that God takes thee in hand and some diseases are long before they will be cured Now here may be a great mistake If thou thinkest that God hath made no application to thee because thou art not perfectly cured of thy distemper thou dost wrong God exceedingly Thou mayst be in a tendency to a cure God may have done much for thee and yet thy sore may run and thy wound be very wide still Look again therefore and see if there be never a Plaister upon the sore thou mayst be in a way of cure though not cured Strength may be given in although thou art not strengthened with all might Here may be rather matter of thankfulness then of complaint and thou shouldst rather give God the glory of what he hath done for thee be it never so little then sit down dejected because all is not yet done that is requisite to a