This is laid as a heavy accusation Job 39.21 For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction To choose iniquity rather than affliction is the greatest folly imaginable It is one great part of the misery of Hell that they never cease from sinning and this is the greatest misery on earth our being so much under the power of sin I appeal to any gracious soul that hath the feeling of the burden of sin what is it's great trouble and sorrow is it not because of sin What are his secret moans to God is it not the sence of corruption Oh wrethed man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death saith Paul Rom. 7. He had been complaining of the mass of corruption that did still press hard upon him and in the strong workings of his spirit against it he calls it The body of death It was as grievous to him as if he had been bound to a stinking rotten carcase How wretched then is the state of every soul unacquainted with God Who can do nothing but sin because they want the right rule of action a right pattern of imitation a right principle for action a right object for action a right end for action the only assistance of action It concerns us then as we make any difference between good and evil if we have any respect unto holiness and purity before sin and iniquity to see to get acquaintance with God because without acquaintance with God we are in a woful necessity of sinning 2. Without acquaintance with God we are in a necessity of misery Indeed sin is a great misery and to be in a necessity of sinning is part of the necessity of misery But besides that there is a necessity of misery of another kind What is the great imployment of men unacquainted with God Men labour in the very fire and weany themselves for very vanity Habak 2.13 This was the misery of men because they know not God But in verse 14. there is a promise of better days When the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Then and not till then will there be a deliverance from labouring in the fire when there is the knowledg of God The reason of it is because true satisfaction and peace cannot be till our desires and enjoyments are alike and this cannot be till the soul is acquainted with God For nothing can fill up the desires of the soul but God The soul of man is mighty spacious so that it cannot be filled with the world and while it feels an emptiness it still cryes out for more and cannot be filled till it be filled with the fulness of God Ephes 3.19 The prodigal son had nothing but husks to feed upon when he was gone from his fathers house he would faine have filled his belly with the husks but could not they were not food for the soul When we are departed from God we have nothing to feed on but the world and we would fill our souls with the world but cannot for it is not food for the soul Acquaintance with God is the food of the soul Job 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food So that a soul that is not acquainted with God is famished for want of food Psal 42.2 My soul thirsteth for God for the living God When shall I come appeare before God David was acquainted with God but for want of an actual enjoyment how doth he here breath out the trouble of his spirit As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God The soul is still panting Some pant after the dust of the earth Amos 2.7 These were of the Serpents seed whose curse from God was Dust shalt thou eat but the seed of Christ they pant for God they that pant after God shall be filled with the fulness of God but he that panteth after any thing besides God will never find any fulness he will feed as upon the dust of the earth And what can follow but dissatisfaction and misery Acquaintance with God is the only way to be freed from a necessity of sin and misery Fifthly Acquaintance with God is the duty of man because God himself doth acquaint himself with man Shall the King seek after acquaintance with the meanest of his Subjects and he refuse acquaintance with his Soveraign shall God acquaint himself with man and shall not man acquaint himself with God! It is expected among men that the inferiour should seek for acquaintance with the Superiour and not the Superiour to the inferiour but yet God out of his wonderful love hath sought first to man for acquaintance Thus Prov. 8.31 it is said concerning the son of God who is meant by the Eternal Wisdom of the Father that he rejoyced in the habitable parts of the earth his delight was with the sons of men If God thus delights in converse and acquaintance with the sons of men how much more ought men to rejoyce in converse and acquaintance with God Isa 65.1 God saith I am found of them that sought me not All men were departed from God and not a man that did seek after God there is none that understands or seeks after God yet God is found of them The good shepherd seeks his lost sheep before the sheep sought him Cant. 5.2 When the soul is asleep it hears the voice of its Beloved that knocks saying Open to me my sister my love my dove my underfiled Revel 3.20 There Christ saith to the revolting Church that he was ready to spew them out of his mouth Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will hear me and open the door I will come in and sup with him and he with me Psal 68 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Is it not becoming then that man should open when God knocks He seeks to dwell among the rebellious is it not fit that man should enter into acquaintance with God when God doth thus acquaint himself with man Thus I have opened to you the Nature of Acquaintance with God and evidenced it to be the Duty of Man to acquaint himself with God let us now make some improvement of this Truth USE 1. First Is there to be an acquaintance between the soul and God Let us then stand and wonder at the great condescention of God! This may surprise our souls with an extasie of admiration that God should dwell with man that the mighty Jehovah should have such respect to the work of his hands Psal 113.5 6. Who is like unto the Lord who dwelleth on high who humbled himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in earth The Psalmist admireth God that he humbled himself to behold things that are in heaven and how much
joyfully into another world and this I say again a man acquainted with God may do he hath this to comfort him death doth more properly give him life then take it away from him and that as soon as he is dead his sin shall dye too and his grace live and act without controul then he shall live a life of joy a life of perfect holiness such a life as Saints and Angels live such a life as Christ lives the life of God a life without death an everlasting life and why then should he be afraid of dying As for his old Companion the body it is gon to rest and will ere long be awakened and rise from his bed more vigorous and fit for those Noble imployments which it must be engaged in for ever and Soul and Body shall meet with more comfort then now they part with pain when the body shall be in another kind of dress then now it wears and that also shall in some respects be like the Soul agil holy immortal This is such a man that I can call happy and so ere long will those that now scorn and persecute him call him too Blessed is he that in his life is holy and cheerful but most cheerful and perfect at his death This is the happy portion of Gods acquaintance this is the heritage of the Friends of the Bridegroom I have read of a wise man that would commend and be thankful for every thing because he was sure a friend of his had the management of every thing whose understanding was infinite and whose wisdom was unsearchable who could would work his own honour and his Friends comfort out of every thing yea though seemingly evil for the greater the evil seems to be the greater will be the real kindness which makes so much good out of it O but I have lately lost many of my most neer and precious relations If thou art one of Gods Friends let me tell thee for thy comfort you will meet them at your Friends house when you come thither It was no unsuitable advice that he gave to his Friend Lucilius to cheer him up after the loss of a dear Friend Let us consider my dear Lucilius that we our selves should be glad to be in that place and to enjoy that company which you are so sad that your Friend is gon to and he that you say is lost is not so but happy before you We do not judge rightly of things Well then would you know what a man is would you pass a true estimate of him and understand his worth and value Why then consider the man without his riches lay aside his honours take away all his externals from him nay further le ts see the man raked out of his body and how doth the Soul look is it now rich beautiful joyful can it stand confidently before God doth it appear cheerfully in the presence of it's maker Why this is something It matters not much whether his body were fed with Pulse or Dainties cloathed with Rags or Scarlet it matters not whether his Soul went out of his mouth or at a wound whether he dyed in bed of doun or in flames Methinks by this time you should be ready to think that Religion is an excellent thing that Gods acquaintance is desirable and that no life is like the life of a Christian all whose sorrows end in joys whose miseries make him more happy whose shame for Christ will make for his glory In a word whose death brings him into life This is the generation of them that seek thee that seek thy face O Jacob. 5. Another effect of acquaintance with God is That it will make us more highly to honour him Here familiarity is far from breeding contempt Those that are stangers to God see not his worth and excellency they honour him not but they have the most vile low contemptible thoughts of the infinitely glorious Majesty and they think any thing will serve his turn they make more bold with him then they would do with a man like themselves they put him off with the leavings of the world When they have been feeding their lusts and serving their pleasures and gratifying the Devil all the day long then they come between sleep and awake and pretend a great deal of love to him and anger with themselves for their sin whereas God knows they do but play the hyprocrites in all they do mean nothing that they say Lip-devotion knee-religion God shall have and but a little of that too and that pitiful stuff that they present him with they think God is very much beholding to them for As for the sanctifying the Lord God in their hearts as for inward hearty-love as for high prizings and admirings of God as for a real honouring of God and worshipping of him in Spirit and in Truth it is that which they understand not and as for them which do they laugh at them as if they were guilty of the greatest folly in the world But now he which converseth with God beholds such a beauty excellency majesty and glory in him that it is ready quite to swallow up his soul he speaks much of God but yet he thinks more he wonders that a God of such infinite goodness should be no more loved that a God of such infinite greatness justice and holiness should be no more feared that a God of such unspeakable power should be no more obeyed and while he remembers his own contempt of God in former times and the too mean thoughts that he hath at present of him he doth even stand astonished to think that he should be on this side the state of the damned He that before thought every thing too much for God now thinks nothing enough for him The man is strangely changed by his new acquaintance so that he may not improperly be called a New man all things are new with him In honor to this new guest he hath got on new cloaths he is clâ—â— with Righteousness as with a garment new food it is his meat and drink to do the will of his Father which is in Heaven new drink Wine on the Lees well refined he draws all out of those wells of Consolation the Promises he hath new thoughts words and actions God invisibles and all the things of faith are now Substances with him Now the threats or promises of a God are not counted small matters Heaven Hell and Eternity go for the greatest Realities because God saith they are such So he that sometimes lived without God in the world had no respect at all to his glory but valued himself and his most base lust and the Devil himself before God doth now respect Gods glory in all that he doth he ventures upon nothing deliberately but what may please him Religion runs through all he doth he eats he drinks and sleeps and cloaths himself he prayes he works he recreates himself with a design for God The grand project he
find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own Blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory he to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the finger of thine Almighty power hast turned about my Heart from sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant-Friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-Servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on Earth let it be ratified in Heaven The Conclusion AND now my Work is done I must leave you and whether I shall ever speak to you or see you or write to you again while the world stands I know not My body is frail and I am a poor dying man and before it be long my mouth will be more stopped than it is and yours too And therefore it 's high time for us to look about us As for my part I have with all the seriousness that I could for my soul spoke to you about the great and weighty affairs of your Souls and Eternity I again call Heaven and Earth to witness that I have set Life and Death before you I have in the Name of my great Master been woing of you to accept of his Son for your Lord and Husband himself for your God Father and Friend I have told you what the Lord doth require of them that would be in Covenant with him I have given you a rude Description of him whom I would have you acquainted with I have told you of some of the glorious effects of acquaintance with God I have told you of the danger of being a stranger to God I have told you how thankfully some have closed with these offers and how well they like their choice I have further show'd you what a peaceable state you shall be in immediately upon your Spiritual Alliance with this Great and Noble friend I have told you also of some further benefit and good that will come unto you upon your acquaintance with God I have given you to understand how desirous the Lord is notwithstanding all that is past to forget and forgive and to receive you into favour if you will in good earnest return to him with speed I have again and again propounded this match to you and told you as much as I could well do in so short a time I have stayed a great while for an answer I have put the business forward all that possibly I could because I see how foolishly and madly you make light of those advantageous offers that are made to you I have again and again pleaded with you as if I were ready to starve and begging an alms of you nay if it had been for my very life I could not have spoke with more earnestness I have expostulated the Case with you and asked you several weighty Questions and you have not you cannot answer any one of them but you must condemn your self and by your own confession you have nothing in the world to say against the excellency of this friend And therefore you must either speedily come in upon the invitation and close with those gracious overtures that are made to you or you must without any reason in the world your self being Judg cast your self away And in hopes that all that have heard me will not be so mad as to make light of these things but be asking with some seriousness that great question How shall I do to get acquainted with God How shall I do to get a Friend for my Soul What shall I do to be saved I have laid down some Directions for those that are unfeignedly desirous to be reconciled to God I have told them that they must labour to be thorowly acquainted with that strangeness and enmity that is in their hearts against God and of the unspeakable danger of their being strangers to God I have further directed them that would be acquainted with God to labour to get humble hearts I have advised that they visit him often if they would be intimately acquainted with him that not in a transitory way but to make a Solemn set visit of it and to be sure that they do not forget to get Christ along with them I counselled them also to be much in those places where he is wont to walk and to get intimately acquainted with some of them that know him very well and will do their best to get them to be acquainted with him I have told you that if you would be acquainted with God you must kindly entertain and make much of any Messengers that come from him to you and if men would make sure work I desired them as they loved their Souls that they would follow this great Business with the greatest earnestness and seriousness in the world and that what they do they would do speedily I informed you what arguments the Scripture puts into our mouths which we may urge at the Throne of Grace I intreated you for your Souls sake to take heed of those things which kept God and man unacquainted as namely all sin in general but more particularly Pride Worldly-mindedness Hypocrisie delight in wicked company Unbelief and Sensuality Lastly I direct all such as would be at peace with God to give up themselves to him resolvedly and freely in a Solemn Covenant And have I been beating the Air all this while What will you do after all this What shall become of all these Sermons Dare any of you all still be contented to be Unacquainted with God Can you be very well satisfied after you have heard of such a Friend to be a stranger to him Can any of you look upon your state as safe while God is your enemy O how shall I leave you with Hearts full of Enmity against your Maker Alas alas poor Hearts You look very merrily as bad a condition as you are in but did you but know how neer you are to everlasting Burnings I believe it would put a damp upon your Spirits and spoil your Mirth O how shall I leave that poor sinner that stands as a person altogether unconcerned Whereas death stands ready for his Commission to fetch him away before God and where are you then O where are you then if you come before God as a Stranger O what shall I do for thee What shall I say to thee to prevail with thee O what arguments will perswade thee O how shall we part Brethren my hearts desire is that you may all be saved O that you may all know in this your day the things of your peace O that I could mingle all my words with tears O pitty pitty for the Lords sake pitty your precious Souls O come not here to ask Counsel of God and then go away and take the Counsel of the Devil And what will you yet
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
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
of his maker when he is well studied in this point is the stiffest Conformist he sticks close to the righteous Cannons of the holy God and will not by his good will turn to the right hand or to the left He that was sometimes very unlike God when he is brought nigh unto him his countenance is changed his features are altered and the lineaments of Gods image appear very lively in his face and the more he is in Gods company and the older he grows the more he grows like him O how doth such a one shine what a Majesty Glory and Beauty is there in is face the oftner he comes to God the more he is taken with his Excellency the more he labours to imitate him He studies what God is and as far as his nature is capable of it in this life he desires to be like him If God be true and faithful he dare not be salse but he will hate the way of lying if God be free and bountiful he thinks it very ill becomes one of his children to hide his face from his own flesh to shut up his bowels to be void of natural affection If purity be so eminent in God he knows that impurity would not be commendable in himself In a word he desires in every thing to carry himself as one whose highest ambition is to speak act and think as one that would be like God It was bravely spoken of him Sen. 3.73 especially if we consider what the man was who told his Friend that call'd him to Heaven in compendium To get as much happines as this place this soul while in this body is capable of that is to get God for his Friend to be like him This is a short cut so glory a Soul carried to Heaven or Heaven brought down to the Soul A full and perfect conformity and likeness to God is the very Glory of Glory and a partial conformity to him upon earth is his unspeakable honour in this life O were men and women better acquainted with God they would sparkle and shine in their Generation so that their enemies should be forced to say that a Saint is another kind of Creature then a sensual sinner O why stand you then so far off from God! come nearer him and the rays of his glorious Image will reflect from your lives Be acquainted with him and you shall be like him keep much in his company by Faith secret Prayer and Meditation and you will be more Holy Divine Spiritual 12. The last effect of this acquaintance with God which I shall name is this it will make a man better far more Excellent in all states and relations all his Friends will have the better life with him the whole Family it may be where he dwells will fare the better for him If he be a Child he is more dutiful to his Parent then he was while he was unacquainted with God If he be a Servant he is more diligent and Faithful then before he serves not with eye service but doth what he doth with singleness of heart as unto the Lord If he be a master it makes him more exemplary and makes him to take care that his Houshold should serve the Lord he had rather his servants should make bold with him then God he is concerned for the honour of God in his Family as much as his own if he be a Father he is careful to bring up his children for God he is more Spiritual in his affections to them and desirous to leave them God for their Father Friend Portion as he is a neighbour he follows peace with all men and holiness because he hath seen God How sweet and amiable doth acquaintance with God make a man how ready to heal divisions how full of goodness and charity how ready to do good unto all but especially to those that be of the Houshold of Faith how compassionate and tender-hearted how ready to provoke others also to love and good works so that the whole Parish lives the quieter all the poor fare the better all the neighbourhood some way or other is beholding to him one that knows God himself doth what he can to get others acquainted with God too how sweetly doth he commend the way of wisdom with what earnestness and pitty doth he plead with sinners and labour to teach transgressors the paths of God that sinners may be converted unto him How doth he set before them the necessity of a change the danger of their present state and the excellent qualities of this Friend that he would bring them acquainted with telling them that time was that he also was as they are and thought his condition as safe as they do their's but that it pleased the Lord by his word to open his eyes and to reveal to him the need that he had of Christ and to inable him to accept of him and to prize him above the whole world In all conditions and relations he commends Religion and shews that godliness where it is in the power and life of it is a brave thing which makes so great an alteration in a man for the better If he be sick he rejoyceth and thinks cheerfully of death the grave and Eternity and in this state demeans himself so that standers-by can't but be convinced of the reality of invisibles and to think sure there is something more then ordinary in acquaintance with God which makes men so undaunted and with so much gallantry to meet death sure their condition is better then ours or else they could never be so joyful at such a time as this is Then he tells of the use of a Christ the benefit of a Redeemer in a dying hour and how infinitely it is for their interest in Time to provide for Eternity if he be well he desires to improve his health for God and to serve his Maker with the strength of Body and Soul If he be poor he shews a pattern of Patience Meekness Thankfulness and lets the world understand that godliness with content is great gain if he be rich he desires to be rich in good works also and to trade with such trifles as Gold and Silver for rich commodities as Grace Peace and Glory with the things of this world for the things of another To lay up for himself Treasure which neither Moth can corrupt nor Thieves break through and steal and to make to himself a Friend of the unrighteous Mammon to be a Faithful steward of those Talents that his great Lord and Master hath committed to his trust he shows how great a good it is to be great and good too This is the man which doth adorn the Gospel this is the Christian which doth credit his profession this t is to be intimately acquainted with God! O how useful might men and women be in their generations were they but more in Gods company O what a savour would there be of their Graces in the place where they live How
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
he is coming he is coming he will be here quickly he will not tarry he is at the door Contemplate somtimes on these things and a little antedate that Glory by Spiritual mediation do but think what a brave sight that will be to see the mountains covered with Chariots of fire and Horses of fire when the heavens shall bow before thy friend and the earth shall melt at his presence and yet thy heart not faint within thee when the King shall come in the Clouds to fetch his Friends to his own house where they shall dwell for ever This honour have all the Saints Eleventhly He is a suitable friend It is suitableness that sweetens Society I can easily believe a poor Country Peasant can take as much content in the company of a poor man like himself as in the Society of a Prince an unlearned Country man is no way fit to convers with Courtiers and States-men the vastness of the distance would so much swallow his mind and the unsuitableness of his Spirit to such company takes off that content which otherwise he might enjoy But yet in Spirituals though the distance between God and man beyond a possibility of our conception and the disproportion infinite yet the Soul of man being immediately from God and Spiritual like God and having a Divine new Nature infused into it by the Spirit in Regeneration it finds an infinite suitableness pleasure and content in the injoyment of Gods presence and it is not sunk but raised by an Union converse and Society with it's maker The truth of it is did man but understand his own Original aright he would think it infinitely below his noble Parentage to converse with and have intimate delightful Society with any but God and those which bare the same relation to God with himself or to bring poor strangers acquainted with him as well as themselves There is not a match upon earth fit for the Soul of man to be matched to but in that other Country there is a match indeed every way suitable a Spirit for a Spirit and everlasting God for an everlasting Soul a precious Jesus for a precious Soul a holy God for those which he hath made holy like himself and that is none of the least of mans happiness that notwithstanding that infinite distance that is Naturally between him and his God yet that God should make in his Creature such Noble Dispositions and such Divine Qualifications that there should be the greatest suitableness in the World between God and the Soul and the Soul and God and they both take wonderful content in the enjoyment of one another This is in part here but compleated in Glory This we may find oft in Scripture expressed in the nearest Relations and dearest Affections Hence God is said to be a Father and they his Children a Husband and they his Spouse Now what greater suitableness can there be then between Father and Children Husband and Wife God is also said to delight in them and they in him to rejoyce in their company and they in his and how could this be except there was a suitableness in them one to another Their wills are suited what God wills they will and what God loves they love and so what they love as his Friends God loves one doth not thwart and contradict the other O how sweet then must the company the communion of such Friends be O were our hearts as they should be were we more like God we should quickly experience the unspeakable joy of our Souls how suitable a Friend he is to a soul we should soon find that as clay and stones are as unsuitable sood for the body so the world is unsuitable food for the soul to feed on and that it is God alone that can fill and satisfie the vast desires of it O I say again were we but as we came out of our Makers hands or rather were we trimmed up in our eldest brothers Robes and brought into the immediate presence of this great King where we set before that glorious Throne where the infinite brightness of his Majesty shines so that the Angels themselves do vail their faces before him yet for all that we should not long stand silent as if the place and company were unsuitable to us it would not be long before we should carry it as those that were nearly related and had intimate acquaintance with him that sits upon the throne O the unspeakable sweetness that will be the enjoyment of his company no tediousness no irksomness at all upon our Spirits We shall quickly understand our work our priviledge O infinite goodness O boundless love O let me be always solacing my soul in the contemplation of these things O let the very thoughts of them be a Heaven upon earth to my soul but here O here 's the grief while we are here in a strange Country there is somthing in all the poor fallen children of Adam nay in those of them that are recovered and by grace brought into a re-union with God there is I say something in God unsuitable to them and in them unsuitable to God and this O this makes our lives so uncomfortable but convers with God will wear off a great deal of that When thou comest to lay off thy rages and to put off thy old suit and to put on that new one that is making for thee I mean after death when thou comest to glory thou wilt find the case strangly altered with thee In Heaven there will be a perfect Harmony Suitableness and Agreement between God and thee for ever and thou wilt take infinite complacency and delight in him and he in thee And thus shalt thou spend Eternity in unconceivable joy delight and pleasures This is Heaven a perfect suitableness to God and enjoying him for ever O when when when shall it once be Come Lord Jesus come quickly Come O blessed Father by thy Spirit and burn up what is unlike thee O create a greater suitableness between my Soul and thee O come thou down to me or take me up to thee O could we but talk with one of those happy Creatures that hath been in the very presence of God in glory and should we ask him whether he were not weary of the same work of the same company the same place what answer do you think he would make you No more weary than a man upon the Rack but just before would be of perfect ease no more then a healthful hungry man is of eating no more weary than the Sun is of running than the Fire of ascending or a Stone of falling towards the Center Sen. Epist 10. I know not where I had rather be then with him I was once upon Earth as you are now and now I am in Heaven and in neither of both these places can I find one that I can take more delight in then God I must say as he Psal 73.24 Whom have I in Heaven but him and there is
the difference between good and evil finite and infinite time and eternity Who is it that David goes to for counsel when his politick Enemies combined against him where doth he advise who brings him out of all his intricacies Is it not He that I am perswading you to go to who was never out-witted who can easily turn the councel of Achitophels into foolishness It is he who can infatuate the great Sages of the World and make them weaker then children in their Counsels And this is he who will be a constant Councellor to all those that are his friends his acquaintance Seneca Epist 41.81 gives excellent counsel indeed which if we will precisely follow our matters can't but succeed Art thou never in any straights are all thy affaires carryed on with so much prudence both as to time and eternity that thou standst in no need of advice Art thou sure that this will always be thy condition If not why then wilt thou not be perswaded to strike in here Why if you will believe them which to their comfort have tryed him again again it is your unspeakable interest and wisdom to get God for your Friend then what soever you do shall prosper by his advice a poor Christian can out-wit all the policy of Hell and shew himself more wise than those which call himself Fool and count him mad Psal 73.24 David durst trust none else to guide him but with his conduct he doth not fear but that he shall come sase to his journeys end Thou shalt guide me by thy counsels and bring me to thy glory And again he saith by the help of this Counsellour he was wiser than his treachers Psal 119.18 Here therefore what you had best to do as matters stand with you Prov. 4.11 He will teach thee in the way of wisdom he will lead thee in the right paths When thou goest thy steps shall not be straightned and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble c. 1 Cor. 1.15 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men That which looks most contemptibly if throughly understood will be found to have more depth in it than the wisest men of the world can reach To choose such a friend this is wisdom this is prudence The godly man knows that he hath a great cause to be decided ere long and it will be no lost labour to make the Judg his Friend Well what say you sinners is this considerable that I do now propound or is it not Can you plead your own cause can you clear your title to glory without him if not be well advised before you slight such a motion as I now do make to you 13. He is an immortal Friend I that 's a Friend indeed If one friend could be sure to live just as long as the other and were friends sure never to want the advice comfort society and help one of another it would not a little advance the worth of a friend But where is such a one to be found What Histories can give us an account of such amities Let persons be united in never so close an union conjoyned in the fastest knot that nature can tie yet death will First or last dissolve it So that sometimes I have been almost of this mind as to all worldly friends considering them abstract from God for grace in any friend doth unspeakably sweeten the relation and such a relation will not dye if we compare the shortness and uncertainty of possessing and the bitterness in losing with the sweetness of enjoying that it 's somwhat difficult to resolve whether such short-liv'd comforts are worth the looking after Not but that I think a friend a true friend a great mercy and much to be desired but really if our affections be not for Gods sake if our love be not regulated by Religion I can easily believe that the bitterness in losing doth over-ballance the pleasure in enjoying And who would much trouble himself to get that with care which must be possest with fears will be parted with with tears All wordly enjoyments will serve us thus When we expect most from them and please our selves to think what content we enjoy in them ten to one if God love us but that he either imbitters or takes away that comfort from us One faith I had a dear Husband such a one as never woman had but he is dead I have lost him Another saith I had a precious Child a Brother but he is gone And every body will be in this note first or last And if the case be thus who would be so foolish as to let out the strength of his soul upon that which he may soon be deprived of But here here 's a friend whom you need not fear over-loving or losing a never dying friend one that will be sure to out-live you Ar. Epict. 1.3 c. 22. Say of what you will that it is mortal and you have disgraced it enough for how can that he of any great worth which can die and when I have most need of it I may want but this can't be said of God he only is Immortal and not subject to changes As for the favour of Princes and great Ones at the best it is but an uncertainty for it may be all thy hopes are bound up in this life and that hour which puts an end to his dayes puts a period to thy comfort But it is another kind of friend that I would have you acquainted with O why do Christians dote upon that which is so short liv'd Make but choice of this friend and you shall never say of him he is dead I have lost him Wherefore put not your trust in the Son of man in whom there is no help for his breath goeth forth and he returneth to his earth But happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope and love is sixed upon the Lord his God which made Heaven and earth c. That God who is called the Living God Psal 146.3 4 5 6. 14thly He is a present friend a friend that is alwayes in all places Mans condition may possible be such as that he may be deprived of the company of his dearest worldly relations he may be sequestred from the society of his most helpful and necessary friends How oft have the dear children of God been clapt up in Dungeons not only from the sight but from the knowledge of their most affectionate acquaintance It 's no unusual thing for them to be banish'd from their native Country Wives and Children among Savage Men and beast they have no man to make their complaints to but such as will increase their sorrows How frequently may they be in such a condition as that they may not see hear or speak to any friend what Bolts and Bars what Walls and Guards to keep them from them which if they could not free them from yet might in some measure alleviate their misery But now
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
of this thy soul that it may be in good plight when he shall call for it He doth tell thee what is its most natural food and what is not wholsome He tells thee what thou shalt do to have that soul within thee everlastingly happy And is all this of so little consequence as to go in at one ear and out at the other Are these things to be indifferent in If mans soul were like the soul of a beast the case were altered if when his breath went out of his body there were an end of him the matter were the less considerable if he had ever a friend in another world that could do as much for him as God can do I should have little to say in this business But since this is impossible how can I bare to see thee neglect the making sure of such a friend How can a Christian with any patience think that those that he lives with and dearly loves should miss of such a friend without whom their souls must be everlastingly miserable If it were only for your bodies or estates I should scarce use so many words neither I believe need I but when it is for your souls and eternity who can be silent Once more consider what a friend thou mayst have it is a friend for thy soul Alas man it is thy soul thy precious soul that lies at stake that Spirit within thee which is more worth then a world it is that which is in hazard and here is a friend that offers thee to make that soul of thine happy for ever Thy soul hath abundance of enemies Some would debase it others would rob thee of it others would clap up a hasty match between that Noble Creature and a Servant the World I mean and there are very few that have any true kindness for it and thou knowest not the worth of that Jewel thy Soul but here here 's a friend if thou wilt but leave it with him he will take care of it it shall not be marted away for nothing Here 's one will do that for its security honour and happiness that all the world besides can't do If therefore thou hast any love for thy poor soul if thou settest any price upon that precious thing within thee in a word if thou wouldest have thy soul do well in another world O strike in here close with these tenders listen to the counsel of him who offers you the best advice in the world He he it is that now offers thee that thou canst never value enough he it is that will feed cloath and portion that Soul of thine and after that marry thee to his onely Son by which match you will be made for ever O did men and women but know what a Soul is did they imagine what a dreadful miscarriage of a Soul is did they but in any measure understand the things of their peace could they but conceive what God could and would do for their Souls I need to spend but little time in perswading them to commit their Souls to him to be acquainted with him who will be sure to take special care of their Souls that they may do well whatever is neglected O could you but see did you but know what a sad taking they are in that go into the other world with a poor naked Soul and know no body in the world there and have never a friend that doth take any notice of them you would then think I spoke what I do with reason enough and that my words were too short and my expostulations too faint in a matter of such concernment O sinners I tell you nay God tells you soul-matters are the greatest matters in the world I am sure Christ thought so or else he would not have been at so much cost about them those that are in their wits and understand themselves they know as much too and so will you ere a few years it may be hours be past Those that now make but a pish of all this when they have been but one quarter of an hour in another world will say as I do that a Soul-friend is the only Friend and that Soul-concerns are the great concerns things of weight and moment indeed and that it would have quitted the cost to have taken some pains to have look'd out for such a one that could have stood the Soul in some stead in that other world and that above all it would have been no folly nor madness to have accepted of the kindness of one that desired earnestly to be acquainted with them and to do their Soul a good turn O that they had but been so considerate as to have embraced such a motion when it was offered And this brings me to the next Qualification of this Friend 16. He is a necessary Friend There is an absolute necessity of being acquainted with him It 's possible for a man that hath very few friends upon earth to live as happily as he that hath many Multitude of acquaintance such as they are may contribute much to a mans care and sorrow And as for most friends such as are commonly so called it is better to have their room than their company A man may live without the acquaintance of Nobles he may be as free chearful and rich without the knowledge of such as them One may live holily and die joyfully and may be happy for ever though he never saw the face of a Prince though he was never at Court though he lived and died a stranger to all worldly friends One may be disowned by his Father hatred by his Mother slighted by all his Relation and have never a friend under the Snn that will own him and yet for all that be in a state of truer felicity then those that are daily attended with troops of visitors whose gates are seldom shut whose houses are never empty but amongst all that comes God never comes to them as for his company they are strangers to it this man I may write miserable for all his great and many friends And him that hath the company of God in acquaintance with his Redeemer I 'le call happy though he have never a friend in the world besides Multitude of friends seldom add much to our comforts but always to our cares A man may go to Hell for all his great acquaintance with men but it 's impossible if we are greatly acquainted with God to miss of Heaven When men are unkind if God be kind it 's well ballanced but if God frown whose smiles can comfort I may be happy though I am very little in mans favour but it 's impossible to be happy without Gods favour To be a stranger to God is to be a stranger to peace joy Heaven O it 's sad being without God! If I should declare the Judgement of most in the world at least if their practice may speak for them they see very little need of acquaintance with God They do not write Must
think every thing too good for them all mercy on this side everlasting misery They count every bit they eat and every drop they drink more then they deserve They think themselves unworthy of the least of Gods mercies Gen. 32.10 Others say thanksgivings but he feels them others say confessions but he feels them It is one thing for a man to speak of his own unworthiness and another thing to lie under the sense of it The heart and tongue are to distinct members The heart may speak that which the tongue can't utter and the tongue may utter that which the heart never felt But a man that is brought into acquaintance with God speaks what he experiences or that he doth not dissemble with God when he confesseth his sin before him They lay themselves as low as Hell this is humility and this an effect of acquaintance with God Hence it is that Paul saith of himself Eph. 3.8 Vnto me who am less then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see what is the fellowship c. He wants words to express Gods greatness and his own smallness Now what was it that made Paul speak and think thus of himself There was a time when Paul would have spit in any ones face that should have spoke as much against him as he did against himself What is it that hath wrought such a strange alteration in this great Rabbi and made him so little Why this acquaintance with God the sight of Christ was the thing that laid this proud Pharisee in the dust and made him blind also Mark this always the more heavenly any man is the more humble See Exod. 3.11 2 Sam. 7.18 If I should appeal to the experiences of Saints and ask them when they had the lowest thoughts of themselves would they not say when they were nearest God Now would you walk humbly you must walk with your God would you see more of your own deformity why then you must labour to see more of his holiness more of his beauty Contraries set neer one another appear more visibly 2. Another excellent effect of Acquaintance with God is that it will make a man fall upon sin in good earnest When the soul sees how infinitely good God is it can't but see an unspeakable evil in sin when is so directly contrary to him When the soul hath really entred into a League with God it presently bids defiance to all his enemies when he begins to be at peace with God he presently commenceth a war against his adversaries Friendship with God makes enmity against Satan That which formerly the man rolled under his tongue as a sweet morsel is now like gall and wormwood to him He that sometimes did commit iniquity with greediness can now say that it is the greatest folly and madness in the world he knows that it is an evil and a bitter thing as sweet as it tasted when his pallate was distempered he that gloried in his wickedness now accounts it the greatest shame in the world and hates the garments which are bespotted with the flesh which sometimes he took for beautiful raiments The burnt child dreads the fire sin hath cost his friend dear and him dear too The child can't love that knife which stabb'd his Father He knows how sweet God is and how much he hates sin and that if he would have Gods company he must bid an everlasting farewel to his deerest beloved sin and therefore rather then he will offend so deare a friend he will hew Agag in pieces before the Lord. He will as soon cut off one hand with the other and be pull'd limb from limb as again draw his sword against his covenanted friend and again venture into the field in the cause that sometimes he did so deeply engage body and soul in He that thought before that it was no great matter to Damn Curse and Tear but a trick of youth to Whore and no harm to do what one had a mind to to Eat and Drink and Talk and sleep as one lists to give ones Lust whatsoever it call'd for he that could once make a mock of sin and Sleep securely upon the top of a mast and thought it a piece of Gallantry to dare the Almighty and was ready to laugh at them which durst not be so Prodigal of their Souls as himself the case is now wonderfull altered with him he now sees the Harlot stript naked he beholds how loathsome the whore is now her paint is washed of sin and hell are a like to him tempt him to folly and he will soon answer in Josephs language How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God He that sometimes thought sin the only pleasure and looked upon the Devil and the world as the only Friends now sees his dangerous mistake and blesseth God that his eyes are opened before he comes into another world he knows now that holiness is the only pleasure and God is the only Friend and sin and the world are as mortal enemies as the Devil himself he believes that if he venture upon sin he must venture upon the displeasure of his Friend whose favour he set more store by than all the delights under Heaven and whose loving kindness he judgeth to be better then life it self When the Soul is once acquainted with God how strangely are its apprehensions of thing altered Now he calls Things and Persons by their right Name good he calls good and evil evil where as before he called evil good and good evil and put light for darkness and darkness for light he now believes that the zealous compassionate Ministers that spoke so much against sin had reason enough to have said ten times as much as they did he sees that it was not for nothing that they were so earnest with him he hath tasted the Gall Wormwood and poison that is in sin he plainly sees what is the great Make-bate between God and Man he hath now the wit to understand what it is that hath kept good things so long from him Tell him now of a Revel a Whore he had as live thou shouldst perswade him to part with his strength and liberty and grind in a mill he reckons you might as rationally desire him to leap into a bottomless pit to take up his everlasting lodging in a Bed of flames and to make light of Damnation Let Men and Devils use what Arguments they will to prevail with him now to close with temptations he is sure he hath a stronger against them he hath a sensible Argument within which will answer all if they had ten thousand times as many more then they can produce The love of Christ makes him abhor the motion God is my Friend dashes all Shall such a one as I take up Arms against God shall I that have found him so infinitely good shall I that have experienced
whatsoever is presented to his sence the world and all that is therein must ere long be burnt up whereupon he thinks it no imprudence at all to hazard present injoyments for future hopes no folly to look after something that will bear the flame He thinks it scarce worth the while to be born to possess if it were a whole world except he were sure of having something after it that were better than what he met with here he had rather have one smile from his friend than thousands of Gold and Silver he would not for a world be to have his portion here though it be never so large a one he had rather by far be with Lazarus upon a dunghil than sit with Dives in a chair of State before the richest fare that the Sea or Air or Earth could afford him he would not change conditions with those which enjoy the most of the things of this world he can thankfully want that which most commonly makes its possessors miserable O could you but talk with a man that lives in Heaven while he is upon earth and could you but see and here how much he slights that which you adore Give me neither poverty nor riches but Food convenient for me is the highest that he dare pray for He had rather live in a smoaking Cottage and have God for his companion than dwell in the greatest palace and have the Devil for his Neighbour Counsellor Master When a man hath been in Heaven by contemplation though his body be upon the Earth yet the best part of him his affections his love joy and heart is still there Sen. Ep. 41. One that doth converse with God here he is indeed that earthly lump his body is below but could you see his thoughts could you look into his heart and see the inward actings of his soul you should see the man out of the world discoursing with God he sticks close to the company of his Friend He is like the Sun-beams who though they touch the earth yet they still abide there from whence they are sent and are most intensly hot nearest the fountain the Sun So the soul and thoughts of a child of God they may nay they can't but glance upon the world but it 's most vigorous spiteful actings are towards God the heat of its affections are abundantly more remiss and cool when they beat upon earthly objects He that knows what it is to have the company of God is almost ready to wonder how any one can be content with any thing below God and as for himself he takes himself for little better then a prisoner while his soul is pent up in a body which is so unwildly as to all spiritual employments till it be refined by the grave He would not be to dwell here for ever for a world though he might enjoy more content then ever any since the Fall did A Soul acquainted with God is a noble Creature indeed it scorns petty low things it thinks no Estate big enough for it but that which is infinite he looks upon himself as a Citizen of no mean City a Denizen of Zion a Free-man of the New Jerusalem one of the Royal Society over which Christ that King of Glory is the President his inheritance is greater than that which the Sun compasseth in its course O when saith such a one shall I leave these Cities of Cabul and dwell with the King at Jerusalem O when shall my soul be sasely ark'd O when shall I be upon the wing for Heaven O when shall I leave this body there whence it first came When shall I go out of this cell this cage O that I were once safe in Heaven O that I were in the immediate presence of God and might stand for ever before him and have his blessed society for ever ever Neither am I now quite without him but how little O how little is it that now I enjoy O when shall I enter into the possession of that better longer life I stay long for that separating or rather uniting hour which will separate my soul from my body from my dross but perfectly unite me to God Look then O my Soul upon all that thou seest below but as so many Inns and resting places for a Pilgrim to take some little refreshment in and then to be gone That day O my fearful Soul which thou sometimes fearest as my last is the birth-day of eternity O what mean we to love our prisons fetter-burdens What ad we to be so much pleased with our miseries and affraid of our happiness O this unbelief O were Christians but more in the company of God by Faith and Meditation they would look upon God as great the world as a very small thing He that knows God to be great sees every thing below him little It is an infallible argument of a Divine and Excellent Soul and one that hath Acquaintance with God when he can judge all beneath God as low sordid base and utterly unworthy of the respect of his soul 4. Another glorious effect of acquaintance with God is that it will ease us of all sorrows or cure all sorrows As soon as any one hath but a saving knowledge of Christ he is in such a condition as that he need not trouble his head with care nor his heart with fear no more then a rich Heir that hath a tender-hearted loving wise Father need not trouble himself what he shall do for bread and cloathing as long as the great cause of fear is taken away so long he is well enough As for those that are unacquainted with God they either are always afraid or have cause always to be afraid but as for a Child of God that Scripture bears up his Soul under the mightiest waves of fear There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 He that is in Covenant with God may in this world undergo some petty injures some insurrections may be made against him but this is his comfort he is sure never to be quite over-powered never to be finally conquered O the disquietments and fears that strangers and enemies are compassed with or will be And O the joys the security the true security that some have at what a rate do they live and how bravely do they die mark the perfect and behold the upright man for the end of that man is peace This was touched upon before when I opened the nature and qualifications of this friend and therefore I need say the less hear yet it being the great inquiry of the wisest how they may be sheltered from this storm What shall they do to be cured of these heart qualms How they may be freed from fears I shall not altogether pass it over in this place I can't but incourage poor strangers as they value the truest comforts as they would be free from fear and trembling when the Foundations of the Earth shall be shaken when the
happy when poor scorned tormented and banished in a word happy in all conditions O that I could but talk with such a man O that I could see such a spectacle such a one as my eyes never yet beheld Why I will tell thee the reason of it O Epictetus It is because thou never sawest a Christian one that was acquainted with God for let me tell the world Through Grace I have seen such a sight and do believe it to be the most lovely sight on this side Heaven I have seen one smiling when his Jaws have been falling and eye-strings breaking rejoycing when most about him were weeping and accounting it a high act of patience to be willing to live and how do you like such a condition Is it better to lie quivering shaking and groaning or rejoycing and praysing and admiring of free grace and setting forth the riches of Gods love and goodnesse which of these would you chuse I can easily believe that few are so bad but that they could be contented as well as Balaam to dye the death of the righteous and to have their latter end like his But would you dye joyfully why then you must live holily get acquainted with God and then this may be your state I remember Seneca speaks of one Pacuvius who when he was drunk cry'd out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have been alive very merrily But had he well understood himself he would have thought be bad had much better reason to have cryed out I am dead I am dead But however what he said ungroundly and wickedly a child of God may easily and thankfully say when he is going to his last sleep he may with joy and cheerfulness say I have lived and through grace I have kept a fair correspondency with my God my Friend whom I am now going to dwell with for ever Do not think therefore that I come to take away your comforts and joys when I come to perswade you to get acquaintance with God no such matter I would have you learn to rejoyce but yet I would that that joy should be born from above that the foundation of it should be the knowledg of your interest in Gods love Other joys may make you have a smiling countenance but they do not raise and fill the Soul for I must tell you I am far from thinking that every one that laughs is joyful and without fears Give me a man that knows that God is his portion and Heaven his inheritance that knows with what Friend and in what a happy state he shall live in after death this this is the cheerful man such one as this is can overlook momentany sorrows he understands full well that the case will be quickly altered with him and the thoughts of Eternal happiness do swallow up his temporal miseries Tell one of Gods acquaintance of poverty he values is not as long as he knows he hath a brave estate that can't be confiscated riches that none can take from him a treasure that thieves can't break through to and steal As for all worldly things he knows that before a few years are over he must part with them however he is of that mans mind who having a considerable sum of money and precious Jewels hid in his saddle and a little odd mony in his pocket was set upon by thieves who readily went to his pocket and took what was there and look't no further Now the man scaping clear with his main treasure is so joyful that he takes no notice of what was stole from him Thus a child of God if he lose his estate his liberty and all his outward injoyments he counts all these but inconsiderable as long as his Soul is fafe his great treasure is out of their reach Tell him of torments racks flames or what the policy of Hell can invent he is not ignorant of this that the more he suffers for Christs sake the greater cause he hath to rejoyce to be exceeding glad for great shall be his reward in heaven and while they add to his sufferings they add to his glory and though against their will while they would injure him they do him the greatest kindness this light affliction works for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory As long as his torments want that dreadful Epithite Eternal he doth not much pass the thoughts of Gods love makes mans hatred inconsiderable O how sweet are the thoughts of his Friend when his enemies are most bitter Blessed be God as for those intolerable torments he knows it 's beyond mans power and far from Gods will to inflict them upon him and so long he cares not much All other tortures are but a Flea-bite to the pains of Hell and an enraged Conscience he can almost dare the world the devil to do their worst as being confident of this that as long as he is dear to God his Soul is out of their reach Threaten him with banishment he remembers that he hath a friend that will find him out and bear him company wheresoever he is Tell him of the barbarous unkindness and treachery of former Friends he reads that his betters have been worse handled by their pretended Friends above all this cheers him to think that all his Friends will not serve him so he hath one Friend that will never forsake him never be unfaithful to him Now bring a wicked man upon Earth that is without his sorrows I know there is none no not one there is none of them all but if he were within the sight of those devouring flames would tremble Those that have wickedness enough to dare God will not have courage enough to look him in the face when he shall appear in flaming fire to execute vengeance upon the ungodly he that will not now be troubled at the doing of wickedness will be troubled hereafter at the suffering for it Let sinners say what they will I am sure they can't be long without fears to behold Christ and his dear Servants coming together in the Clouds with Millions of mighty Angels to judge the world I am confident it will be such an amazing sight as can't choose but cool their courage and make the stoutest heart of them all to ake I am sure that as light as they make of Damnation and Gods displeasure that the day is coming when they will believe it was no such cowardise to be afraid of an angry God to flye from the wath to come and to run away from so formidable an enemy as sin So that it 's clear that a wicked man will first or last be a fearfull man a Magor missakib Fear on every side shall be his name But now he that doth exceedingly fear to offend God need not exceedingly to fear any thing else and he that fears no God hath cause enough to fear every thing O Sirs it 's a brave thing to be able to take death cheerfully by the hand and to walk with him
still is carrying on is the honour of God He will undertake nothing of importance before he consult with and hath the advice and direction of his Friend Whatsoever he hath that is worth any thing he sends it to this Friend he presents him with his first fruits he sacrificeth his male the best of his flock desires that his Friend may be always at his house and that he may have the best entertainment that he can possibly give and he is ashamed at the best that he can make him no more welcome whom he so highly honours he is grieved that his entertainment is no better he would fain give God his first and last thoughts his warmest affections he would gladly have the strength and vigour of body and soul spent in his service he studies how to improve all mercies and enjoyments for God to take hold of all opportunities that he can possibly and to make the best of them for the promoting that grand Design which he hath on foot his Honour He thinks not wife and children houses and lands body soul and all that he can make in the world too good for him Whatever temptations he conquers whatsoever sin he slayes whatsover piece of gallantry or prowess he hath done in his inrods upon Satans Kingdom he gives the honour of all to the valour conduct and assistance of this his noble Ally and Friend He sets the Crown of the King of Ammon like Joab upon the head of this King David He hath such a high esteem for God that he thinks nothing well done but when it is done exactly as he would have it he thinks every thing then best when it is done according to Gods will and he counts it no small weakness to be unwilling that infinite Wisdom rather then folly should have the managing of all the affairs of the world He desires to maintain a quick and lively sense of the Divine Majesty upon his Soul and that he may here and hereafter give him as he hath infinite cause all honour glory and praise 6. Another effect of this Acquaintance with God is this It would put abundance of life and vigour into the soul it would as it were oyl the wheels and set them a running There are none in the world that act at so high a rate as those do which are most acquainted with God O how undefatigable are they in their pains with what earnestness and faith do they pray as if they saw the glorious God before them and were talking with him with what reverence seriousness and delight do they read meditate and hear the Word and do all that they do They know in some measure what it is to present their bodies and souls as a living sacrifice to God through Christ they understand what it means to be fervent in spirit serving the Lord they will not serve God with that which cost them nothing kneeling down and saying a few formal words before God in the evening repeating the Lords Prayer and the Creed and the Ten Commandments between sleeping and waking doing no body any wrong and the like is not enough to serve his turn his conscience will not be thus put off but he labours with all his might to stir up his soul to lay hold upon God he is not content to go off from his knees without his Fathers blessing This is the Friend and Acquaintance of God this is the brave Israelite that spiritual Prince that will not let God go till he hath prevailed with him He doth not go to his work as if he caved not whether he work'd or no he is not sick of the service of God but he rejoyceth and works righteousness his work is his pleasure and he goes on merrily with his business Those that are intimately acquainted with God are not so cold faint and dull in the service of God as others be Such a one as knows God very well and hath been oft made welcome by him why he comes with a great deal of confidence and knocks at Gods door and for his part he will not go away though the door be not presently opened but he continues knocking because he is sure that his Friend is within he knows that he is never from home and that he can never come unseasonably to him He comes to Prayer as if he were going to storm Heaven he gets spiritual things by violence he comes to Duty as to fight for a Crown he is ashamed to offer the lame and the blind to God but he chooseth for the best in his flock he desires to improve his interest in God to the height this favourite of Heaven comes frequently to the King to beg some great thing or other and he is sure that his Friend will deny him nothing that it is not a greater kindness to deny then give he knows that his King hath a large purse and as large a heart and he is not willing to lose such excellent things that are to be had for the asking for he is not ignorant that Spiritual things are worth the seeking for and therefore he will seek and seek earnestly he hath tried more then once and he remembers to his joy that wonderful things are to be had if we will but take pains for them and prefer our Petitions or rather get them preferr'd by that great Master of Request the Lord Jesus Christ and follow our business close that it can't possibly miscarry let it be what it will the comfort in enjoying will abundantly pay all the charges we can be at in seeking therefore he layes about him as one that is in good earnest the confidence that he hath in the good will of God it puts life into all his petitions A poor Creature that very rarely injoys any communion with God that is very little or not at all acquainted with him is ready to take up with a few formal complemental performances he is weary of his work before he hath well begun it he is quickly out of breath but now one that is very well acquainted with God is not so soon weary of his company it may be he may be somewhat cold when he sets out but by that time he hath gon a few turns with his Friend his blood grows warm he is sometimes so taken up with God in duty that he can scare tell when to have don O he thinks it 's good being there O it was a sweet season These are the actings and experiences some Noble Soule I have heard some Christians say that had not God made it their duty to follow their callings they could be glad with all their hearts to do nothing else day nor night but hear the mysteries of Gods love in Christ opened Read Pray Meditate and be immediately engaged in the service of God Sure something is the matter with these persons more then ordinary that their Palate should be so Spiritualised as that it is their Food their Wine their Dainties to be actually
undervalue the favour of God so as you do what reason have you thus foolishly to cast away your selves and to slight acquaintance with your Maker Let me plead with you in the language of a Reverend Divine R. B. of our own Look up your best and strongest Reasons and if you see a man put his hand into the fire till it burn off you 'l marvel at it but this is a thing that a man may have reason for as Bishop Cranmer had when he burnt off his hand for subscribing to Popery If you see a man cut off a Leg or an Arm it 's a sad sight but this is a thing that a man may have good reason for as many a man doth it to save his life If you see a man give his body to be burnt to ashes and to be tormented with Strappado's and Racks and refuse deliverance when it is offered this is a hard case to flesh and bloud but this a man may have good reason for as you see in Heb. 11.33 34 35 36. and as many an hundred Martyrs have done But for a man to forsake the Lord that made him for a man to run into the fire of Hell when he is told of it and intreated to turn that he might be saved this is a thing that can have no reason in it that is reason indeed to justifie or excuse it For Heaven will pay for the loss of any thing that we can lose to get it or for any labour that we bestow for it but nothing can pay for the loss of Heaven Read on in Mr. R. B's Call to the Vnconverted pag. 169. Do you still believe the Word of God to be true and the things contained in it to be the most weighty and yet will you still pass them over as if there were nothing at all in them Quest 4. My next Question that I shall propound to you and desire your serious and speedy answer to is this Do you believe that you can find a better friend then God can you mend your self any where else is there in Heaven or Earth any that can do as much for you as God can is there any one that can take you off when you come to be accused for High Treason against the King of Heaven and to be arraigned before that just Judge have you got that which will quit your cost in getting of it and countervail the loss of a Soul what is it that still hath an interest in your heart that is thought to be an equal competitor with God for your dearest love If it be indeed that which will shield you from the arrests of Death and the wrath of the Almighty if it be that which can shelter you from the storm of his displeasure if it be that which will do you as much good as Heaven and make you as happy as God can why then I have little to say make your best of it But consider well what you do first be sure that you be not mistaken have not many thought as you think and have found their mistake when it was too late Quest 5. Do you think that this world will last always with you do you not believe that ere long you must die and your soul appear before God and by him be sentenced to its everlasting state where is all the glory of those great Monarchs which despised God and oppressed his people what is become of all their pomp which of them that flourished three thousand years ago stand alive now in glory and are you better then they shall the worms which have made a prey of them spare you is Death more favourable now a days then he was before is not the world still as it was but vanity is not all flesh still but grass and the beauty of it as a flower that is cut down and withereth suddenly Well then this being granted that nothing is more certain then Death and that it is appointed for all men once to die would you not then be glad of something that will stand you instead after death a Friend in another world why then do you not speedily get acquainted with him who alone can befriend you in that dreadful hour Quest 6. What do you think will become of you if after all this you go on in your old ways what will become of you do you think if you should die without the knowledge of God what hopes hath you of life in peace if you bid defiance to the Lord of life and contemn the Prince of peace how shall you escape if you neglect so great salvation what do you think that those which did once as you do now slight Christ and never look after Reconciliation with God are now a doing in another world what would you do in this case should one come to you either out of Heaven or out of Hell how wonderfully do you think you should be affected with the Narration which they would give you of the affairs of the invisible world why then will you not now be affected with what we say for assure your selves whatever you may think our testimony is as true and hath a better foundation of credit then if one should tell you he came from the dead and speak to you of these things Quest 7. Another Question I would propound to you is this Are you willing to bear the displeasure of God can you undergo the weight of that wrath which made his back to ake who was mighty to do and suffer can you with any patience hear that dreadful word pronounced by the mouth of that Judg which will see to the execution of his sentence Depart from me ye cursed unto everlasting torment Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I know you not Can you endure without any trouble that scalding hot wrath which is abundantly more painful then Fire and Brimstone more intolerable then to be shut up in a burning fiery Furnace or to be boyled in a Caldron of melted Lead or whatsoever torments the wit of men or Devils can invent Can you with any patience bear the Stone Gout Tooth-ach Chollick or some such distempers of body which last but for a while O how long do you think the time when you are in that condition how do you toss and tumble what lamentable moan do you make do not you think you can't be too much pitied in that condition how then will you be able to lie down in those torments the least drop of which is abundantly more painful then the greatest torment that ever you felt in your life If these seem dreadful to you why do you not go the way to avoid them which is by getting an interest in him who hath the Keys of Hell at his gridle for there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus to them that are brought into a state of Reconciliation and Acquaintance with God by his Son our Mediatour Quest 8. Are you contented to lose everlasting
Souls God is their witness they see that your condition requires it that a man in your state is not to be jested with The Lord knows that they take little pleasure in grieving of people they do it that you may rejoyce for ever they watch for your Souls and therefore you must account them worthy of double Honour But of all the Messengers that God sends have the greatest care of dealing unkindly with and grieving his spirit when you have any motions upon your Soul by the Spirit labour to cherish them with all the care and tenderness that you can Turn not Convictions away with I am not at leisure or I will hear you of these things when I have a more convenient season but as soon as you find your heart begin to relent cry out unto the Lord and say O Lord I beseech thee carry on thy work effectually upon my Soul O that I may have through work O let not these convictions wear off from my Soul till they end in a real Conversion O let me not prove but a Half-Christian Any thing in the world Lord so that I may but be made a Christian in good earnest O let me not return with the Dog to his Vomit and with the Sow that is washed to her Wallowing in the Mire Deliver me O God from sinning away these things and getting into a cold World and from shaking off all least I prove worse than eyer and my latter end be more miserable than my beginning Labour to be very curious in the taking notice of Gods absence or presence and when you find your Soul raised in any duty and your Heart somewhat drawn out after God then be sure to own Gods goodness and bless the Lord for it Record his kindness forget not his mercy pass not over such great things in silence Little do men think what a hazard they run when they quench the Motions of God's Spirit You may read in the 5. Cant. how dearly the Spouse had like to have paid for such an unkindness What shall God send his spirit to visit you Shall the infinite Majesty so far condesend as to knock at your Door and will not you open why then you may thank your selves if he never knock more But if you will now open to him he will come into you and sup with you and you shall sup with him VIII DIRECTION Seek his Acquaintance most earnestly if you would have it O why do men and women jest with matters of the greatest weight and importance in the world What do people mean to play with their Souls the wrath of God and damnation O sinners have you nothing else to play with No lower matters to sport with Believe it Sirs Heaven and Glory are not got with sitting still with our Hands in our pockets We think it worth the while to rise early and to sit up late to get an earthly Estate we count it no foolish thing for a man to be very diligent about his Worldly Affairs The poor Country-man Plows and Sows Harrows Weeds Reaps Inns Thresheth and a great deal more before he can eat his bread and shall we look for a rich crop and do nothing at all but eat and drink and sleep Is this the way to be rich is this the way to be happy for ever If you intend to do any thing in Religion to any purpose you must buckle to your business at anothergess rate than most of the Professors of the World do We must take as much pains about our Souls as men do about their Bodies or Estates Is there any comparison between the Soul and the Body between a Worldly Estate and an Heavenly Inheritance Hath a man more reason to look after tricking up his body that must Die or look after the adorning adorning of his soul that must live somewhere for ever Which are matters of the greatest consequence eating and drinking and pampering the flesh and taking our pleasure or looking after Life Salvation and Eternal Joy Do you think that the Scripture faith in vain That we must strive to enter in at the strait Gate Is it a bare seeking that will serve the turn Will a Lord have mercy upon me and bowing the knee do as well as the greatest seriousness and diligence in the World Do you think that God will be put off with the skin and garbage instead of sacrifice with the shell instead of the kernel with chaff instead of the corn Doth not Christ say That many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able O why do not lazy Professors read the Scriptures with trembling Let all those that are angry with us for putting them upon making religion their business and using all diligence to make their calling and election sure Read that one Scripture over again Luk. 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able c. It was Christ who spoke that word If we tell you of the danger of a formal Religion you will soon fall upon us as Enemies to your peace and those which impose too much strictness upon you We therefore do here produce our Commission for what we say or rather we desire you but to read your selves what Christ spoke as touching this matter O it might justly make a Christians heart to ake to think how many thousands of Professors will be disowned by Christ in that day who will make many fair pleas for themselves and pretend a great deal of acquaintance with him Consider I beseech you here is no fear of Excess never any man in the World that was too solicitous about his Salvation never any man took too much pains for Heaven Awake O sleeper what meanest thou arise and call upon thy God If you make any thing of the loss of a Soul look about you if you think the wrath to come considerable be serious if you would not be burnt by the fire of his Indignation you must take hold of his strength and make peace with him and God will be at peace with you Isa 27.5 It is not without cause that the Prophet doth complain Isa 64.7 There is none that calls upon thy Name that stirs up himself to take hold on thee There is none that calls upon Gods Name One would think that that were strange What none call upon his Name when so many of them made many Prayers as you have it in the first of Isaiah What did they nothing but look upon one another when they had their Solemn Assemblies Did they say nothing to God when they came before him Did they do nothing at all in that 58. of Isaiah when they are said to seek him daily when they seemed to delight in his way Yet in Gods esteem all this goes for nothing at all this prayer is no prayer this is only wording of it with God But prayer it is another kind of thing it is the
stirring up of the Soul and awakening all it's strength to wrestle with God to lay hold upon God and to prevail with the Almighty and where are such as these to be found who is this that engages his heart in the service of God It is one thing to engage the tongue and another thing to engage the heart Men come to pray with a common Spirit and are many times weary of the work before they have well begun it what they do they do it lifelessly They can follow their worldly Imployments with life and delight They have Male in their flock but that 's too good for God a lame blind starved weak thing must serve his turn And is this the way to have the blessing Are such as these like to have any thanks for their kindness Let them try how any of their Friends would take such a present Now would you have the Blessing of Acquaintance with God you must wrestle for it and not let God go without it You must be Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord you must fight the good fight of Faith and lay hold on Eternal Life You must grasp about Christ as a man that is a drowning would grasp any thing that were thrown out to save him You must use all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure You must work out your Salvation with fear and trembling You must seek for Wisdom as for Silver and search for her as for hid Treasure Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God What excellent thing is there that is got without pains Whoever came to be an Exquisite curious Artist in any skil whatever that never served an Apprentiship to it nor at the least gave his mind to it where is there a famous Physitian that never studied in his life Who gets a Victory by sleeping and carelesseness Who expects to have riches drop into his mouth when he goes all the ways that can be to make himself a beggar Doth the Husbandman look for a good Crop without plowing or sowing Why then should we expect such great things as Heaven Eternal happiness and the favour of God without out looking after them Whatsoever the lazy formal professor may say the Kingdom of Heaven is not obtained thus there must be running watching fighting conquering holding fast holding out and all little enough it requires all the strength of thy soul to engage in this great work it requires some resolution to do such a work as every Christian must do or else his Religion signifies little Further it calls for some time too it is not a thing to be minded now and then by the by between sleep and wake when the Devil and the World have had as much service as they call for Were it for your bodies that I were now pleading were you like to get any great matter in the world by following of my directions could you be shew'd a way how to get a great estate honours and long life I am verily perswaded a few words might prevail much Why if you will believe the word of God I am telling you of other kind of things then these be greater matters by far and yet how little are Men and Women affected As if we spoke but in jest always when we spoke about things that did concern Souls How little time do men spend in their inquiry into these things Ask Epictetus Ench. c. 63. And he will tell you that it is a sign of a low Soul to bestow much time upon thy body and the thoughts of it and little upon the Soul to be long eating and long drinking and long a dressing and short in prayer short in the thoughts of the Soul and short in the service of God and that it is a sign of a base degenerate Spirit to be very curious about toys and inconsiderable trifles and to be negligent about matters of the greatest importance to slubber over the great works of Religion with the greatest slightness Remember O man thy great work it is to take care of thy Soul to look after a Companion a Friend for thy Soul to get food and cloathing for thy Soul that that famish not with hunger and cold To be indifferent in all externals is the greatest prudence but to be indifferent about Spirituals and Eternals is the greatest madness We are all Soudiers and must fight in such a War wherein we must never lay down our Arms. The favour of God is worth the striving for it is as much as Heaven and Glory is worth If your estate or life lay at stake would you not be willing to use all the interest you could to make the Judg your friend would you go up and down laughing as if you had nothing to do would you eat and drink as merrily as ever and say it is but dying it is but being a beggar it is but the undoing of my wife and children would you not look upon a man that should argue at this rate to be little better than frantick and I pray which is most considerable the death of the body or the death of the soul the loss of a temporal or the loss of an eternal inheritance Most mens diligence in Temporals will condemn their negligence in Spiritnals Christ said Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven the righteousness thereof but most men say I will seek first the Earth and the glory thereof and if God will give me Heaven and happiness after I have served the Devil and the world as long as I can I shall be contented to have it No such matter never expect it God must sooner cease to be than to gratifie you in this Wherefore do you think did David follow his work so close Why did all those Noble Worthies in the Church of old take so much pains Why should they not much stick to venture estates and lives too Will you condemn them all as guilty of too much curiosity and unnecessary preciseness Do you think that their labour was in vain Are all those disappointed who willingly parted with present things for future things I must tell you if you expect to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven you must do as they did Heaven will not be obtained now upon any lower Term than then Your Souls are as precious as their's and Heaven will be as well worth your minding as theirs and God will look upon you as well as upon them if you will value his favour as they did Never look to have God give you that which you will not thank him for What do you say after all this will you sit down before your work is done open thine eyes and consider what thou hast to do and then tell me if it be not the greatest folly imaginable to be slight in these Affairs O how can'st thou eat or drink or sleep whilst thou hast such a great work to do which is undone O give
excellently handled already by so many of our brave Worthies See Mr. Baxters Saints Rest and R. A. his Vindicia Pietatis XII DIRECTION If you would be acquainted with God resolvedly and freely given up your self to him and enter into a most solemn Covenant with him And here I shall make bold with that Reverend Author which R. A. doth mention in his Vindicia Pietatis and present you again with that excellent Form with the preparatories to it which I have lately met with in the forementioned Author After your most serious addresses to God and after a deliberate consideration of the terms of this Covenant and after a thorow search of your own heart whether you either have already or can now freely make such a closure with God in Christ as you have been exhorted to And when you have composed your spirits into the most serious frame possible suitable to a transaction of so high a nature Lay hold upon the Covenant and reply upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby you may be enabled to perform your promise Resolve in the next place to be faithful having engaged your hearts and opened your mouths and subscribed with your hands to the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back And being thus prepared and some convenient time being set apart for the purpose set upon the work in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visibly present before your eyes fall down on your knees and spreading forth your hands towards Heaven open your hearts to the Lord in these or the like words O most dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor Prodigal now prostrating himself at thy door I have fallen from thee by mine Iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand fold more the Child of Hell by my Wicked Practise but of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my Heart Therefore upon the Call of the Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy mercy And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottome of mine Heart renounce them all freely covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known Sin but conscientiously to use all the means that I know thou hast prescribed for the Death and utter Destruction of all my Corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and Idolatriously let out my Affections upon the World I do here resign my heart to thee that madest it Humbly protesting before thy glorious Majesty that it is the firm Resolution of my Heart and that I do unfeignedly desire grace from thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practice this my Resolution through thy Assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this World rather than to turn from thee to the ways of sin And that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity lest they should withdraw my Heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose suggestions I resolve by thy Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because mine own Righteousness is but menstruous Rags I renounce all Confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone Creature without righteousness or strength And for as much as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most graciously to me wretched sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible Veneration bowing the Neck of my Soul under the Feet of thy most Sacred Majesty I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my Portion and chief good and do give up my self Body and Soul for thy Servant promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the only means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended Knees of my Soul accept of him as the only new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a Marriage Covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked a most loathsome polluted wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly Married to the King of Glory But since such is thine unparall'd Love I do here with all my power accept thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poor for all times and conditions to Love and Honour and Obey thee before all others and this to the Death I embrace thee in all thy Offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my righteousness I renounce mine own wisdom and do here take thee for mine only Guide I renounce mine own will and take the will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign I do here covenant with thee to take my Lot as it falls with thee and by thy Grace assisting to run all hazards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy Holy Law as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdom I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoke and set my shoulders to thy Burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as Holy Just and Good I solemnly take them as the rule of my Words Thoughts and Actions Promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Only because through the frailty of my flesh I am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest that unhallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood herein thou wouldest discover it to me and help me to do it a right And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon thee as my God and Father That ever thou shouldest