henceforth good for nothing The mind of man is his eye by which he is to behold God now if this eye be blind if the light be darkness how great is that darkness The Jews in Ezek. 15.1 are likened to a Vine which if it be barren is good for no use Shall wood be taken thereof for any work It is fit for nothing but to burn So it is in man his great use and excellency is his acquaintance with God now if he fails in this he is good for nothing Verily man is a base vile worthless thing without acquaintance with God None are less esteemed among men than they that want wisdome to converse among men None are less esteemed before God than they that know him not that have not acquaintance with him to converse with him Ye see wherein the excellency and worth of man consisteth and that if there be a deformity where ought to be our chiefest beauty the whole is accounted as a deformed piece It concerns us then to look that we keep our glory unspotted our excellency in its due value that we do not degrade our selves below what God hath placed us in If we are not acquainted with God our souls serve us to little purpose it is a causing the Prince the Soul to go on foot and to serve the body which should be as a servant it is to let the candle of the Lord burn out in waste Thirdly Another enforcement of this duty of Acquaintance with God is this If we refuse acqaintance with God it is a slighting the greatest of all the mercies that God bestowes Favors are to be valued either by their proper excellencies or according to the good will of him that bestowes them both these ways this is to be accounted the greatest of mercies In Gods giving us leave to be acquainted with him he gives out himself to be known to be loved to be conversed with to be enjoyed What greater gift can God give then himself God is the portion of his people he is the greatest portion the surest the most suitable and the only durable portion Thus they that know him esteem of him Psal 73.26 My flesh my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart portion for ever Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance the lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly heritage Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. No greater mercy can be bestowed upon any people family or person than this for God to dwell among them If we value this mercy according to the excellency and worth of that which is bestowed it is the greatest if we value it acording to the good will of him that gives it it will appear likewise to be the greatest favour The greatness of the good will of God in giving himself to be our acquaintance is evident in the nature of the gift A man may give his estate to them to whom his love is not very large but he never gives himself but upon strong affection God gives abundantly to all the works of his hands he causeth the Sun to shine upon the evil and upon the good and the rain to descend upon the just and the unjust But it cannot be conceived that he should give himself to be a Portion a friend Father Husband but in abundance of Love Whosoever therefore shall refuse acquaintance with God slighted the greatest favour that ever God did bestow upon man Now consider what a high charge this is to abuse such a kindness from God is an act of the greatest vileness David was never so provoked as when the King of Ammon abused his kindness in his Ambassadors after his fathers death And God is highly provoked when his greatest mercies bestowed in the greatest love are rejected and cast away What could God give more and better than himself And how heavy will this imputation be These are those that look upon God as not worth being acquainted with Let us therefore consider how we shall be able to stand to these Accusations Shall we not be speechless when these things shall be charged upon us Shall we not be confounded when we stand to the trial of him to whom we had offered these great indignities How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation so great a mercy Fourthly It concerns us to acquaint our selves with God for without it we are in a necessity of sin and misery 1. The soul unacquainted with God is in a necessity of sinning Ephes 4.14 Having their understanding darkened alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts For want of acquaintance with God every thought and imagination of their heart is evil continually Rom. 30.10 11. There is none righteous no not one There is none that understands there is none that seeketh after God Not understanding nor seeking after God is the necessary cause that there is none doth good The soul of man is an Active being which is continually in motion if it be not in motion to God and in God it will be in motion from God Hence it is that the prayer of the wicked is an abomination that which goes for prayer God abhors because they are not acquainted with him Isa 1.3 The ox knows his owner and the ass his masters crib but Israel doth not know me vers 13 14. To this saith he your incense is abomination unto me their new moons and sabbaths the calling of assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even your solemn meetings Now the reason why there is a necessity of sin without acquaintance with God is because whatsoever is not done with a good heart is not good Luk. 6.45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good fruit and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil fruit for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh As an evil tree cannot bring froth good fruit so an evil heart cannot bring forth a good action Now without knowledg the heart is not good Prov. 19.2 That the soul be without knowledg is not good And there is no knowledg like the knowledg of God And acquaintance with him to make the heart good Hos 4.2 Because there is not truth nor mercy nor knowledg of God in the land therefore by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery they break out c. Thus want of knowledg of God and acquaintance with God we may plainly see is the necessary cause of sin Now there is no greater evil on this side Hell then that of a necessity of sinning 2 Pet. 2.14 Those of which it is said they cannot cease from sinning are called cursed children He that chooseth any sin rather than affliction doth it through the blindness of his mind
for their profit I would desire no more of them than this O that they would but try what a gainful Trade Religion in it's power is 〈◊〉 The greatest Merchants that ever walked the Exchange if they be not acquainted with God and have not Christ for their Factor are but Pedlars to the Saint One that is acquainted with God gets more in one Hour in one Prayer at one Sermon in one Meditation then all the rich men of the world are worth put all their estates together One receives his peace the other his pounds the one hath by way of return a great deal of troublesome Lumber the other his Box of precious Pearls and a Jewel of an infinite value O little doth the laborious worldling think what poor and small gains his are when he gets most to what this Spiritual Merchant gets he would not fell what he gets sometimes in one morning for all the riches of both the Indies He trades in such Commodities which will not suffer dammage upon the Sea his Vessel is light and strong the Master of it never made a loosing voyage All his wares are unvaluable and though his ship be in many a dreadful storm though sometimes she be becalm'd though it be long before she return yet as long as she hath such Provisions within such a Pilot such Anchors she can't miscarry she will come into the Harbour Richly Laden The world will not believe this but I am sure there is never a man breathing but will sooner say that no gain is like the gain of Christ and Glory One return from Heaven one answer of Prayer one smile from God one look of love the head of one Goliah the death of one Sin one Soul brought home to Christ one drooping soul comforted is a greater mercy for all the ignorant world make nothing of such things as these than to be invested with the greatest Honours than to be possessed of all the Riches than to enjoy all the Pleasures that the whole world can afford But O were mens eyes opened were men within sight of those devouring Flames then they would believe that a Christ were worth the having Grace a Pearl that cannot be overvalued and that no Trade was comparable to a Spiritual Merchant no Art like that by which one may turn every thing into Gold But if it be the good of pleasure you look more after can there be greater pleasures than those which are in the presence of God Can there be any greater pleasures than to rejoyce in God and to be made welcome by him than to drink Flagons of that excellent Liquour which is better than wine Can there be better Musick than to hear so many Millions of sweet Voyces singing Halelujahs O there 's a Confort There 's Melody indeed If you desire that other good the good of Honesty a rare accomplishment perfection of Grace purity of Soul wherewithal shall a young man choose his ways but by taking heed thereto according to his word Well then lay all these Motives together and let 's see whether they will any whit prevail If the nature of the person with whom I would fain have you acquainted if all these admirable qualities that are in him if I may so call them may signifie any thing if all those glorious effects of acquaintance with God weigh any thing with you one would think by this time you should be well resolved If the danger of not being acquainted with God may make you afraid of standing it out if good or evil if peace or war if life or death If all this be as much as nothing what then is something If the frequent pleading of mercy if the blood of Christ have any voice if the expostulations of his Embassadors may be heard Why should you not then be perswaded If all this will not move you what can we say more If we could shew you Heaven and the glories of another world could we let you see the Face of Christ could we any way in the world reach you hearts and perswade you by any means to mind the things of Eternal peace we would do it with all our hearts If we were sure to get you with us and to bring you acquainted with God we could willingly come begging on our bare knees to you and beseech you to be reconciled to God We see that dismal day a coming and are grieved to think what a sad taking you will be in then we know the case will then be altered with them which will not be perswaded to be reconciled to God O what a woful condition will they be in which have heard or read these Sermons and yet for all that would not mind the looking after acquaintance with God! How will such wish that they had never been born or that they had their being in some of the dark savage corners of the world where they might never have heard of the Doctrine of Reconciliation being acquainted with God and union with Christ peace with their offended Maker rather than having heard of these things to make light of them O to hear of such a friend and to have him for an enemy to hear of Peace and to choose War to hear of Heaven and go to Hell this is sad indeed It would have been far better for such that they had never known the ways of God than after they have known them to go in the ways of Folly O that men and women had but such serious thoughts of these things as they will have ere long O that they would but believe Heaven and Hell and Eternity to be such Realities as shortly they will O that mens hearts were but affected with things as they will be when their souls are just a going or a little after they are in another world But O the miserable condition of the world O the lamentable state of Professors that make no more of the favour of displeasure of God! Nay may I not say O the folly of the Children of God themselves that are no more in Gods Company when they know they may be so welcome when they have rasted so oft of his kindness when they were made so much of the last time that they gave him a visit Are not men in a deep sleep that they do not hear Are they not blind that they do not see Are they not ignorant foolish and mad that they do not understand their interest any better It is not without good reason that the Spirit of God doth so oft cry out upon sinners for their folly the Scripture saith not in vain That there is none that hath understanding no not one No wonder that they which have but half a cure see men like trees that those which never hall a through work do not prize Christ O but that those which have been brought nigh by Grace who were sometimes afar off that such should be so much strangers for those that have met with such kind entertainment at his
Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one In verse the tenth is a description of our state withour Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel being strangers from the Covenant of promise and having no hope and without God in the world This is a description of our unacquaintance with God But Christ makes up the breach and that by a double Act. First by Covenant with the Father to make man sit for communion with him Secondly His giving man assurance that the Father will receive him upon his return This then is the great design in all those glorious accomplishments of Christ for this he left his Fathers bosome that he might bring us into acquaintance with the Father for this end did he who thought it no robbery to be equal with the Father make himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man and being sound in fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross that he might bring man into a re-union with God for this end did Christ live a wearisome troublesome life among a company of Rebells and Enemies as if a man should live among Toads and Serpents So that he cryed out as weary of any longer abiding with them Oh faithless generation How long shall I be with you How long shall I suffer you For this did he make himself an offering for sin that by taking away sin he might bring men to God This is the great purpose of Christ in all his offices Ye have heard of the three Offices of the Mediator that he is a Priest a Prophet and a King This is the end of the Priestly Office The purpose of Christs offering up himself a Sacrifice was by satisfying the justice of God to make way for sinners return to God This is the end of his prophetical Office to lead men into knowledg and acquaintance with God This is the end of his Kingly Office that governing them and ruling their hearts by his Spirit he might effectually bring men to God to acquaintance with him Now then since this is the great design of God in his great dispensation towards man to keep men in acquaintance with himself and to reduce him when he had lost it doth it not concern us to do our part for the bringing to pass this great work shall God lose his end in making us and in setting man in the world every way furnished for his service and shall God lose his end in sending his Son to receive us when we had forsaken him Shall Christ leave his Fathers bosom to bring us home to the Father and shall we refuse to return Shall he pour out his soul an offering for sin that he might make way for our access to God that we who were far off might be made nigh by the blood of Christ and shall we frustrate all by our refusing to go to him shall Christ come and offer us his help and direction to come to the Father and shall we abide still strangers Shall the Kings Son come into our Cottages to invite us to dwell with his Father at Court and shall we shut the door upon him esteeming our Cottages better than his Pallace Secondly It is the duty of man to acquaint himself with God because therein is the improvement of his highest excellency Every one acknowledgeth an excellency in man above all the rest of this lower world Now what is this excellency of man Is it not that he is made in a capacity of knowing God and enjoying God and having Communion with God This is the height of his glory Jer. 9.23 24. Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdom let not the mighty man glory in his might nor the rich man in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understands and knoweth me that I am the Lord that exercise loving kindness and righteousness in the earth and judgment for in these things I delight saith the Lord. Yee see here wherein man is to glory for which he may value himself as truly glorious In his understanding and knowing of God man standeth above the rest of the Creatures in that he is a rational intellectual Agent This is part of the Image of God even knowledg Col. 3.15 which is renewed in knowledg after the Image of him that created him The nigher any thing resembleth God the greater is the excellency of that thing now in this we resemble God more than any other Creature in that we are knowing understanding Agents and the highest improvement of this excellency of man is in the knowledg of God and acquaintance with God Prov. 20.27 The spirit of a man is called the candle of the Lord that is it is a light set up in the soul to direct the soul to a discovery of God This is the highest improvement of our greatest excellency this is the excellency of man above other Creatures this is that whereby one man excels another Who are those whose names are as precious ointment poured forth who are those which have obtained a good report Are not they those who were most acquainted with God Enock is said to walk with God an expression which signifies intimate acquaintance with God and therefore was translated that he should not see death And Noah whose family alone was preserved when God destroyed the old World by water he was said to walk with God Gen. 6.9 Among all the sons of men he kept close to God and God took care of him alone Abraham who was the Father of the Faithful he was called the Friend of God Moses who was the Mediator of the old Covenant he was said to speak with God face to face as a man speakoth to his friend I might make mention of many more who were the excellent ones of the earth because they did delight in God God delighted in them Mal. 3.16 17. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard and the book of remembrance was written for them that fear the Lord and that thought upon his name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the day when I make up my Jewels Ye see how God accounts of those that are of his acquaintance that met together and spake of God and that thought upon his name he reckons them amongst his Jewels his peculiar Treasure Such honour have all those that are acquainted with God Ye see then the excellency of man above all the rest of the other Creatures Now if man fail in this which is his highest excellency he will become the vilest of Creatures Every thing if it fail in its chiefest end and purpose and highest excellency becomes base and of no account If salt lose its savour saith our Saviour it is good for nothing If man have lost his acquaintance with God he is
Mountains shall tremble and melt at the presence of God the mighty God of Jacob when the Heavens shall be rouled together as a Scroul and be all of a flame Make sure of this Friend it is impossible that one that hath such a one for his friend should much be daunted when he hears of Wars and Rumors of Wars when the Pestilence rages when there are dreadful Earthquakes in sundry places and such distress of Nations and perplexities that the stoutest heart shall sink that hath not this to support Then a Child of God may lift up his head with comfort because his redemption draweth near There is a vast difference between a godly man and a wicked as to their affections fears joys desires hope The godly thinks long for that which the wicked wishes withal his heart might never be the Day of Judgment The righteous man is even delighted with the fore-thoughts of that the thoughts of which doth put a damp upon all the comforts of the ungodly he rejoyceth in that which makes his Neighbour to tremble As for death a gracious heart that hath kept his watch and maintained a sweet constant correspondency with God and hath had his heart in heaven and can look upon the great Jehovah as his friend can't be very much affrighted at his approach He is not much appaled when he looks out at the window sees this messenger making hast to his house and when he knocks at his door he dares let him in and can heartily bid him welcome he understands whence he comes and what his errand is though he look somwhat grimly yet as long as he comes to conduct him to his friends house he can dispence with that he hath more reason to speake it then he which did Plotinus Let me make haste away to my Country there are my excellent Ancestors there dwell my noble Relations there is the constant residence of my dearest Friends Tull. O happy will that day be when I shall come into that glorious assembly when I shall have better company then Homer Orpheus Socrat. Cato when I shall sit down with Abraham Isaac Jacob in the Palace of their Friend and mine O happy day when I shall come to my Fathers house to that general Assembly the Church of the First born to an innumerable company of Angels to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect A mans knowledg of other things may add to his fears and make his miseries greater But the more knowledg we have of God the less our fears and sorrows must needs be and when our knowledg of God is perfect all our fears and sorrow shall be for ever blown over I can't omit a brave speech of that noble Stoick which comes to my mind Ar. Epist l. 1. c. 7. If the acquaintance and favour of Caesar can keep you as you are made to believe from some fears how much rather to have God for your Father and Friend how little cause have such to be afraid at any time of any thing Death it self is not evil to a friend of God he may say come let us go quickly to our Fathers house our Father calls us And doth this seem a small matter to you believe it when you come to dye you will be of another mind then you will think that 's a cordial worth any mony that wil raise your spirits at such a time make you with a smiling countenance to passe into an everlasting state It is but a folly to expect that any thing in the world should do this for us but the knowledg of our interest in God It 's possible indeed to get some stupifying intoxicating stuff that makes a man to dye like a beast without any great horror the Devils shop will furnish poor dying Creatures with enough of that Nay he is glad if he can keep men a sleep till death awaken them but miserable is that man who is beholding to the Devil for his Cordials miserable is he who hath nothing to keep him from a Hell upon Earth but his own ignorance and the Devils word I promise you 't is none of the joyfullest spectacles to an inlightned Soul to look upon one that lived wickedly and died peaceably You would think that a poor man that is going to Execution had little cause to smile though he should Ride to the Gallows upon an easie going Horse or in a Coach The Swine is usually very still when the Butcher is scraping away the hair of his Throat in order to the Sticking of him It 's no unusual thing for a vile unsanctified sinner to leap with a mad confidence into eternity but he alone hath a soild peace who hath God for his friend This is the only man hath just cause to sing for joy when his soul is going into another world It was none of the worst counsel which he gave whosoever he was who said that it doth highly concern us seriously to think of terrible things which we must most certainly see ere long and to lay in such provision as may make us fit to grapple with them when they come O for that which will keeps us from crying out hereafter what shall I do wo is me I am undon were it so that there were such rare extraction to be made which would certainly prolong our lives as long as we would and make us always cheerful what striving would there be to get such a receipt O how would the great ones bring out their bags to purchase it at any rate How willingly would they mortgage all their Lands part with their richest Jewels to buy it yet how little will they exspend for that which if they had would prove far more effectual O would men and women but understand themselves and mind their business what sweet lives might they lead what a calm might there be constantly upon their Spirits How cheerfully might they live and how joyfully might they dye Tully saith that he and many others had been gathering the most powerful herbs that they could find to cure all fears but saith he I know not what is the matter the disease is still stronger then the remedy And dost thou not know O Tully what 's the matter why then I will tell thee One principal Ingredient was left out viz Faith in the Bloud of Christ and Union with God by vertue of that bloud He that is by Christ brought acquainted with God need not much fear griefs sorrows and such things Christ was acquainted with for him he hath unsting'd Death and sweetened the Grave all his troubles are now but as Physick the Poyson of them is corrected though the Pill be bitter yet it 's of his Friends composing and therefore you may take it without any turning away of your head Shew me a man said old Epictetus that is happy truly in his life and happy in his death happy in his health in his sickness
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
hath no desire again to be inslaved but doth with the greatest detestation reject all the proposals and promises that the Devil makes to bring this business about he knows Satan too well to love his service he remembers that all his pay was promises and no more he remembers that he fed him with poyson and made him do that which had like to break his bones and undone him for ever he sees what Satans designs were and what had become of him quickly if he had gone on in his service he believes chains to be chains though they be of Gold believes that poyson will kill him though it may be sweet in the mouth he hath now such a sence of the evil and baseness of sin as being so infinitely loathsome to God as that he hates it with a perfect hatred he hath a will in some measure conformed to the will of God and what his friend the Lord loves he can't hate and where his God hates he can't love Psal 139.22 Do not I hate them O Lord which hate thee and am I not grieved with them which rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Now what is it that stirs the Psalmists choller so much Why he had been working upon his own heart in the former part of the Psalm the doctrine of Gods omnisciency and goodness and by meditation upon this subject he was brought under a lively sence of the greatness of Divine kindness and while his heart did thus muse the fire burnt his soul was in a flame against sin verse 17. How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God! O when the soul hath sweet thoughts of God it will have sower thoughts of sin When the soul loves God dearly it can't chuse but hate sin entirely None behold such deformity in sin as those which behold most beauty in God Hence it is that some of the people of God have nay all of them which are really acquainted with God are of the same mind counted it more desirable to leap into the flames then to venture upon a known sin It was no untruth in the absolute position though falsly applyed by Job's friend that it is a great wickedness to choose the least sin before the greatest suffering Job 36.21 What was it that made Paul so weary of himself what burden was it that made his back so ake what pains caused those bitter groans Rom. 7. was it not sin and why did not Paul groan before as well as then was it because he then had no sin at all or less sin then when he made that bitter complaint no such matter but because he had then less acquaintance with God But now he is become acquainted with God the more he doth abhor himself for sin He now knows better then he did his eyes are opened and he sees sin in its colours and he looks upon it as so great an evil that he doth want words to express the odious nature of it therefore because he can't find a worse word he calls sin by its own name Sinful Sin which he thought a more significant Epithite then if he had called it Devillish Sin What makes the children of God to be so weary of this world and so desirous to be upon the wing why it is because of better acquaintance else where they know that then they shall put off that carrion that now they carry about with them Sin I mean which like a dead carcase bound to a living doth now stink so abominably in their nostrils they know that then they shall have a sweeter smell and themselves also smell more savoury in the nostrils of God They know that poverty shall be swallowed up with riches want with fulness sin with holiness misery with happiness they have an inheritance a City wherein dwelleth righteousness and nothing that is unclean shall enter into it and when they come thither they know the case will be altered with them and that though now they bare about with them a body of death and sin yet then they shall have a body as pure as bright and glorious as the Sun they shall be presented by Christ to the Father without spot or wrinkle or any such thing He knows that as long as he is thus sullied by his sin his great friend will not take so much pleasure in his company Isaac and Ishmael the Ark and Dagon God and Sin can't dwell in the same heart therefore he desires to have less of sins company that he may have more of Gods none of sins company that he may have always Gods company Observe that constantly in your own experience and others those which walk most close with God are most tender as to the matter of sin and those which are less in converse with God are more bold in their venturing upon sin and after it is committed they have less regret What is the reason that one can swallow any thing almost and another is afraid of the least appearance of evil he hates the garment spotted with the flesh he is as fearful of cloathing himself with wickedness as of putting on the garments of one that hath had the Leprosie or Plague upon him he hates vain thoughts because he loves God and his laws Ps 119.104.113 3. Another glorious effect of Acquaintance with God is that it makes one to have very low and undervaluing thoughts of the world When the Saint hath been with Paul raised up to the third Heaven when he hath had some intimate converse with God he can look the world into almost nothing nay if it stand in competition with Christ he counts it but as dung and dross in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord Phil. 3.8 he can then set a higher value upon the light of Gods countenance than upon Corn and Wine and Oyl It is because that poor Creatures know no better that they dote so much upon the world did they but know what it is to have one look of love from God were they but acquainted with the glory of another world they would soon disrelish every thing else nothing will down with them which have been feasted in Gods House but those royal dainties Taste the world who will saith the Saint give me but more Grace more of Christs company let me but maintain an intimate familiarity with God let me be but better acquainted with him and be more frequently refreshed with the smiles this is all that I desire upon earth this is all that I expect to make my happiness compleat in Heaven Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that I can desire in comparison of thee It was not without good reason that the Psalmist prizes the Commands of God above Gold and Silver it was no mistake in Solomon to count Wisdom more excellent than the finest Gold and more precious than Rubies That spiritual Merchant knew what he did when he
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
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
that we could maintain a constant intercourse with him here till we come to a perfect enjoyment of him in glory hereafter O that we may see thy face thy blessed face by faith O that thou wouldest cause thy glory to pass before us O that thy marvellous loving kindness might be made known to a company of poor Creatures of us whose desire is to fear thee who would fain love thee with the strength of our souls O blessed are they that love thee that are beloved by thee 5. I might also insist upon another Head of Motives which is named in the Text which is this Acquaint now thy self with him and thou shalt be at peace Though there be nothing but War on every side you shall have peace This peace of God whatsoever you may think of it is unspeakably advantagious the benefits that would accrue to a soul upon this peace are infinite It is a peace that passeth all under standing When we have this peace concluded we may drive a brave Trade without desturbance for the richest Commodities If we were thus acquainted with God we shall have such a peace as that we may laugh at the shaking of the spear and not be much disturbed when we hear of dreadfull things abroad in the World He that is acquainted with God may safely venture up and down he hath Gods pass a strong man of war for his convoy he hath such powerful allies that he need not fear as long as he is at peace with God he is sure not to be quite overcome by man He is at peace with himself when the Aire ecchoes with Drums and Trumpets and the roaring of Guns a musick that pleaseth the Devils Ear He may still rejoyce because he hath a bird within which sings sweetly there is a harmony between his will and Gods a harmony between his heart and his mouth This is no such contemptable thing and if you knew what a wounded Spirit a fire in the bosom is you would say so This peace that such a one hath is a wel-grounded peace not such a one as is built upon ignorance and hardness of heart but such a peace as results from the sence of the pardon of sin and reconciliation with God through the blood of Christ That blood of Christ hath washed his conscience from dead works Sins he had and hath but some of them he sees lying dead like the Egyptians upon the shore others striving for life with a deaths wound upon them and though he have enemies still living yet they are such as shall never have the absolute dominion over him as long as the great quarrel between him and God is at an end all is well enough the Law hath nothing against him all his accusers are silenced Christ hath fulfilled and satisfied the Law for him The great Creator hath given a full and general acquittance all debts are discharged for him and therefore the man hath little reason to trouble his head much with cares and fears now he may go up and down any where and not fear the Senjeant his noble surery hath paid that vast debt he hath laid down the ten thousand Talents upon the Nail so that the man is at peace with God he is also at peace with all the Creatures in the world from the glorious Angels that are in Heaven to the meanest insect or plant they are so far from doing him any real harm that they all are servants to the Friends of God they all stand ready to oppose their Enemies and those of them that are mortal are ready to lay down their lives for one that stands thus related to God For when any enters into Covenant with God God also makes a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field Great peace have they that love Gods law and nothing shall offend them such a one is at peace with death and the grave We read of some profane Monsters that made a Covenant with death and were at an agreement with Hell but this Covenant will soon be broken because he that hath the keys of death and Hell the power of life and death never subscribed to the Articles of their agreement But now the godly man hath a Friend that hath made a Covenant for him a firm Covenant with death and Hell so that none of them shall ever do him the least wrong As for death Christ hath took out it's sting as for the grave Christ hath spiced and season'd it it 's Power is master'd it 's Terribleness is taken away it's now no prison Christ hath opened the doors of it and now it is but a Chamber of repose a bed to rest in and he that hath already opened this door when it was bolted barr'd and double-locked can and will ere long open it again and awaken his from their sleep and is this inconsiderable Is not such a peace as this is desireable Who that is well in his wits would not be glad to be in so secure a condition as this peace will put him in And who are like to have the benefit of this peace but the Friends of God! O therefore if you value your own peace if you would be undisturbed from storms without Heart-quakes within If you would have all the Creatures it Heaven and Earth at peace with you If you would have Death unstung and the Grave a Chamber and not a Prison why then get acquainted with God and you shall be at peace 6. The next head of Motives I might take from these words Thereby good shall come unto you Acquaint your self with him and be at peace and thereby good shall come unto you But I shall here be but brief Think of what you will that is good for you and if you are acquainted with God you shall have it for asking for or that which is far better than that which you desire For the Lord God is a Sun a Shield he will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them which walk uprightly that is from those that are acquainted with him All his ways are mercy and truth to such as be in covenant with him and all shall work together for good to them that love him Inlarge thy desires as wide as the Heavens request what you will ask never so much and you shall have it And what would you have more If it be the good of prosit that you desire What greater gain than Godliness Who can give such rewards to his servants as God Who will give greater portions to his children than this Father Who is like to thrive better than he who hath such a vast stock such a great Trade such quick and great returns and above all such a Partner O that those that are all for profit and gain that cry out what advantage shall it be to me if I serve God and what profit to me if I am acquainted with him O that such would but do that which will be most
house for these to keep off so to come so seldom for them which have fed so high at the Kings Table to sall to their Trash their Husks this is a shame indeed as if the Devil kept a better house than God Christians doth God deserve this at your hands How unkindly do you think he takes this from you What will the world say Look how his own acquaintance despise him How will the Devil insult O how do the hearts of your fellow Christians ake to see how strange your carriage is How do they tremble to think what if that fine House be built upon the Sand Christians you which seldom or complementally visit God bethink your selves well what you do when you begin to be cold in your affections to this Friend remember from whence you are fallen and repent and do your first works remember what entertainment you have sometimes had at Gods House forget not all his Kindnesses of all the Creatures in the world you have no cause to carry your selves so towards God I tell you again the World stands by and looks on to see what there is in you more than in others they mark your lives more than you are aware of it may be Wherefore look to your selves take heed how you carry your selves before them O why should they see your faces pale when you may feed so highly O shew them by your countenance that you feed upon wholsome food O let your breath smell sweet let your discourse be more savoury of the things of God! Labour to maintain a sweet constant unintermitted intercourse with God to walk with him O little do you think what you loose by your coming so seldom to this Friend I appeal to your own experience was not that dish you eat last at his Table sweet And what do you think that God doth not still keep as good a House as he did Do you believe that he hath spent all his best Wines Can that Fountain ever be emptied Is there not Bread and good Chear enough in your Fathers house Believe it God hath other kind of Entertainment richer Chear better Fare still to make you welcome with if you would not be so strange if you will but come oftener to him As for Christians methinks I need not use so many words to perswade you methinks you that know how sweet his company is should desire to be never out of it Christians I tell you plainly if you ever expect true peace in your life and true joy and comfort at death it 's your only way to keep close to God visit him oft by secret Prayer and other kind of Duties and then you shall ever and anon meet with that which will sweeten your greatest diligence and abundantly make amends for your pains Knock at his door ask for him and resolve to stay tili he come though he come not at the first second or third knocking yet I am sure he is within and will come at last if you will but wait and when you have once again met with him O let him not go but tell him seriously that you can't bear his absence he shall be your God and Friend living and dying death it self shall not part you Go also and tell your Friends you have found him whom your soul loves that you have met with Jesus and see if you can get them to come out and see him bid them to taste and see how good the Lord is commend him all you can to your poor Christ-less Friends But you are not the persons that I intended to speak to only thus a little by the by that I may a little warm my own heart and yours in this great duty of maintaining an intimate close converse and acquaintance with God But my business is to go out into the High ways and Hedges and to invite poor wandring strangers that have nothing to live upon themselves and that do not know what a noble open house God keeps that never tasted of his kindness in Christ to come to this Royal Feast and to Eat their fill of such food as they can never eat too much of never be surfeited with Vuto you O men I call and my voice is unto the sons of men O ye simple ones understand wisdom and ye fools he ye of an understanding heart Prov. 8.4 5. Hear O ye deaf and see O blind let the dead hear the voice of God and live Then hear what I have been speaking of I have almost done my message consider well of these things as you tender the displeasure of God as you value your Souls be serious remember what it is that I have been discoursing to you about Read it over again and study on it Read and Pray Pray and Read and turn this exhortation into Prayer take with you words and say O that this might be the Sermon that might bring me acquainted with God! O that this might be the man that might bring me to some knowledg of Christ O that this might be the happy day wherein a Match may be concluded between my soul and the precious Jesus But alas alas where are the hearts that are thus smitten Where are the Souls that are any white taken with this infinite Beauty How few have any real love or good-will for Christ O who hath believed our report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed Though I and many hundreds more have been pleading thus with sinners though some of the Embassadors of peace weep bitterly that their message is no more kindly entertained though their publick Preaching be followed with private Prayers and secret Groans though they expostulate the case with poor refractory Creatures with all the earnestness that they can for their lives though we use the most powerful arguments that we can and deliver them with all the vehemency seriousness and compassion that we can for our Souls Yet how are the greatest part of our hearers unconcerned Is not a great part of our Auditory as stupid and senceless as the very stones they tread on The more is our sorrow we fear as to the most of them that hear us what we speak is lost It may be they may be a little affected just at the hearing or for an hour or two but O that these truths might have a lively and abiding impression on mens hearts I fear O that they were causeless fears I fear that most of you that have heard of these things will go away and quickly forget what weighty things you have heard perhaps some of you may say the man was very earnest and some of his Expressions were piercing O Friends I hope it is not your commendation that I desire O that I may with a single heart respect Gods glory I say again I would not be pleased with your praise nor would I fear your dispraise it 's your Souls I want and may but I manage my great work in this successfully and see you acquainted with God
no need of repentance that mans condition is sase enough already and that he may do well enough though he be never reconciled to God Do you think that we take delight in vexing men and women Do you conceive that it pleaseth us to displease you and to get your hatred Do you not believe that a great many of us if it might consist with Gods honour and your welfare had not far rather be excused Can any man imagine that so many thousands of Prophets Apostles and Ministers in such distant ages and in such distant places should all agree in this to impose a falsity upon the world Would any man be so mad as to invent such things as these which are so contrary to mens dispositions if he had not abundant warrant from God himself Is it possible that men should make such complaint and shed so many tears and be in such agonies about these things if there were nothing at all in them Are all the experiences of so many thousands of Saints but meer fancies Speak Christian speak What do you say to this Are all thy joys thy answers of Prayers those sweet dishes that thou hast sometimes fed upon but dreams Doth not thy very blood stir in thee at the very putting such a question to thee Canst thou not say that thou hast seen that thou hast felt and that thou hast known undoubtedly that Spiritual things are realities the greatest realities in the world and that thou hast been as much affected with them as ever thou wert with the things of sense Let me the meanest of ten thousand tell the stiffest Athiest in the world that I have seen these things so realized that I shall sooner believe that I am turned to a stone or am dead then believe that Spirituals are nullities and fancies I am confident if there be any credit to be given to both eyes and ears then these things are true and had you seen but what I have seen in dying Saints and heard what I have heard you would easily have been convinced that there is something in communion with God something in spiritual Joys I am sure if there be any truth in the Scriptures if the word of God be true if Christ and the Apostles were not all mistaken then these things are true If I should tell you a business that did concern your House or your Children or Body or any worldly thing whatever upon my own personal knowledg would you not readily assent to what I say I am perswaded you would be far from suspecting the truth of what I affirmed I am ready to think that there is none of you all that think that I dare tell you that which is false O then Why will you not believe me in a business of sar greater consequence And if you ask me to what purpose do I spend so much time for nothing What need I speak at this rate What will I make Infidels of you all What do I think that you are such Atheists as not to believe that the word of God is true Well then you your selves are witnesses that the word of God is true and that you do believe all that is contained in it and by rational inferences deduced from it I shall therefore take it for granted that you give your assent to these things if you be Christians in profession your very Name speaks as much Now my next Question shall be this Quest 2. Are these things of weight and importance or are they not You hear that they are matters that concern your eternal life or death Soul affairs and are not these matters of the greatest consequence If acquaintance with God the happiness or misery of a Soul your making or undoing for ever be inconsiderable things What then are great things Is it a matter of greater importance to lose the sight of a lascivious Play Is it an affair of greater weight to have the frowns of a wanton mistriss or the frown of a God You said even now that the word of God was true if you will stand to that I desire no more How is it written Read a verse or two turn to Matthew 5.20 Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And John 3.3 Except a man be born agian he cannot see the Kingdom of God And God will pour out his wrath upon the Heathen and upon the Families that call not upon his Name Doth not the Scripture say that is the one thing necessary Are not these things called by the Lord Christ the weightier things Mat. 23.23 I hope you will not say that God is mistaken and that the Scripture speaks more of these matters than needs What are you gone from your word so soon did you not say that the word of God was true and are you now of another mind because you find that it requires more strictness you are willing to submit to But are you ashamed of that and are you convinced of this also that the Doctrine of Reconciliation Acquaintance and Peace with God are affairs of the highest importance in the world And do you indeed believe this and will you stand to it well then my next Question shall be this Quest 3. What do you mean then to mind such things as you acknowledge to be most unquestionably true and of the greatest consequence with so much indifferency and coldness what reason have you then for your strange neglect in your prosecuting of them what say they are the greatest things in the world and will you say they are least to be looked after Is it any Prudence and Wisdom to be very serious about trifles and to triflle about the most serious things Are Heaven the love of God and the like by your own confession the most weighty and will you make light of them O folly and Hyprocrisie Out of thy own mouth thou shalt be condemned Dost know that Heaven and Hell are before you dost thou know that the one is unspeakably glorious and the other unspeakably dreadful and yet for all this dost thou stand demurring which of these thou shouldest choose and darest thou for all this venture on in a way which leads to the region of Eternal Darkness and though those that know the way better then you and see you ride on so hastily and merrily call after you with earnestness yet dost thou still turn thy back upon them Consider whether you act in these affairs like one that is well in his wits Is God the best friend in the world and yet his kindness least to be regarded Man what hast thou to say for thy self O What bruits and how irrational are men in their spiritual matters how do they contradict themselves how do they say one thing and do the quite contrary O let me in a word or two renew my Expostulation with them which are loath to be accounted fools What reason hast thou to
far off and that now you must not falter and that as you demean your self now it may be you may be happy or miserable while you have a Being This is the Language of that excellent Moralist I add what is it O sinner that thou stayest for Is it for the day of Judgment would you be taught by flames the worth of time You may then indeed learn but believe it your knowledg and learning will do you little good you may then learn what it is to be miserable but you can't learn how to get out of it you will know what you have lost but then will never know how to repair your Losses How many Thousands of them which have set a day in which they would return and repent have set and set and set it again and what with one thing or other they could not be at leasure to repent till they came to Hell and there indeed they have leisure enough to repent and they do repent too if Hell-Repentance would do any thing I believe that all that come there do repent and believe too more than they did while they were alive but then it 's too late They that are now in those dreadful Flames many of them thought it may be of repenting before they died as well as you and did just as you do O that you would understand your selves before your state be like theirs how infinitely doth it concern you to improve time and to comply with the present tender of mercy that are made to you for ere long it may be too late for you too O know this therefore that now thy God makes thee a gracious offer of pardon and if you refuse now this may be the last time this may be the very cast for Eternity God may say before to morrow This night thy soul shall be required of thee Go to therefore you that talk of trading for the great things of Eternity I do not know when thirty or forty years hence Do you not know that your life is but a blast When your breath goes out of your Nostrils you are not sure that you shall draw it in again What then do you mean to talk of delay have you not staid long enough already consider man what thou dost He that saith he will be good to morrow he saith he will be wicked to day And what if God should say thou shalt have the pleasure of sin to day the sorrow of sin to morrow Thou shalt be hardned to day and damned to morrow If your house were on fire you would scare say I will go and sleep four or five hours and then I will rise and call my Neighbours to help to quench it If your Child were a drowning you would scarce say I must needs stay till I have drunk a flaggon or two more and about half an hour hence it may be I may go and see whether I can get a Boat to help him out If you were condemned to dye to morrow you would scarce say I will have Musick and Sack and good company all night and then I will send a Messenger if I can get one to ride a Hundred Mile to try whether he can get a Pardon for me Yet thus for all the world thou dost do in the great affairs of thy immortal Soul O the folly of man saith Seneca who thinks to begin to live when a thousand to one but he will be dead and rotten I may say O the madness of sinners who make account to be looking after Heaven then when it 's likely their souls may be in Hell Judge now whether this be wisdom Now you think time one of the poorest commodities in the world it 's a very drugg which lies upon your hand a day or two a week a year is no great matter with you but believe it the case will be altered with a witness ere long Seneca wondred when he heard some asking one of his friends for to spend two or three weeks with them when he saw how easily the request was granted as if they asked as little as nothing when they ask'd time of him Thus saith he one of the preciousest things in the world is thrown away as little worth When you come to lie upon your death-bed we shall have you have other thoughts of time then a world if you had it for one of those hours that you could not tell how to spend You now study how to rob you self of your precious time you invent pastimes not considering how swiftly time flies and how much you will prize it before long O remember no body can give you a moment of that time when you want it that you are now so prodigal of When time is past if you would give a world to recal it it could not be If you would give thousands for the renewing of this Lease it would be refused Therefore live quickly Mans time runs away first Optima quaequae dies miseris mortalibus aevi prima fugit ... Seneca And then my Author Comments very bravely upon the whole verse I think that Proverb though it be an Italian one is worth our remembring He that will lodge well at night must set out betimes in the morning That which keeps us from living to day is the thoughts of living to morrow so that we lose this day while we expect the next Comenius speaking of the Tyger saith That when he hears the sound of the Trumpet he tears bites himself This will be the work of the merciless Tygers of the world that spend their time in which they should be providing for Eternity in hunting Gods people and taking their pleasures and it may be think to be a little more mild before they die but of a sudden the Trumpet sounds away away and O then what a lamentable taking are they in how do they wish for time again or that they had spent that which they had better Wicked men never knew the worth of time till they come to a Death-bed or a while after O then they that made nothing of spending thirty or fourty years would lay down all they are worth for one year one month one day one hour but it 's then too late O how do they gnash their teeth with what horrour do they think of past mercies and future miseries Men fear generally that Death will come sooner than they would have him they bewail that their lives are short at the longest whereas if men would wisely husband that time that God hath given them it would be long enough O happy is that man that hath done his great Work before his Sun is set O foolish men that complain of God for making their lives so short and complain not at all of themselves for making them ten times shorter For most men lives not at all the life of Religion and may be called Dead Others have a name to live and yet are little better than the former Most that live spiritually
who were very good Friends once to be bitter enemies this hath made the breach infinite the feud everlasting the wound incurable And this made the first Quarrel between God and man When man thinks himself too good to be but a man he must be a God he quickly is too had to be a man he is but one remove from the Devil To be a favourite of his Prince is not enough except he may step into the Throne it 's therefore high time for his Prince to remove such from his presence to a Prison from the Court to a Dungeon It was Pride that cast Adam out of Paradise and do you think that that sin is less hateful to God and less dangerous to man than it was five thousand years ago Did it then spend all it's poyson And can it now do no harm Do you believe that God will take that into his bosome now that formerly he abhorred to look upon Now sin hath increased it's strength and deformity and heightened it's enmity against the infinite Majesty of the holy Jehovah shall his hatred against it decrease will he be more willing to accompany proud aspiring Rebells now than then no such matter God is still as holy as ever and hates all sin especially pride as much as ever Do you think that it is for nothing that the word of God speaks so much against this sin Can it be that the Holy-ghost would say Prov. 11. That every one that is proud is an abomination to the Lord except God did indeed hate them Why should God threaten such so much if he took any pleasure in their Society though hand joyn in hand yet the proud shall not go unpunished Now we call the proud happy but shall we call him so when the day of the Lord shall burn as fire and all the proud shall be as stubble And the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord and it shall leave them neither root nor branch When the Lord shall tread down the wicked and they shall be like Ashes under his feet Mal. 3.15 4.1 3. There is not one proud man in Heaven I am sure Nor a proud man upon the Earth that shall have much of Gods acquaintance And let me say he that sets himself above God for that 's the Pride I mean whilest he stands in that state must never expect that God should look upon him with any kindness Heaven and Hell will as soon be agreed as God and such a one shall be united The proud now overlook others that are their betters and scorn their Maker but shortly they shall be paid in their own coyn they shall be scorned too If all the proud Nimrods Pharaohs and Belshazzars in the world should enter into a League and combine against the Almighty and say they will cast away his Cords from them and that they will never debase their noble Spirits so low as to stoop to his commands yet none of them all shall go unpunished They shall be like stubble before the devouring flames and like Chasse before a mighty whirlwind God is not afraid of their big looks Prov. 21.4 Prov. 6.17 Prov. 15.25 Isa 2.12 Luke 1.51 Jam. 4.6 God will cloath himself with vengeance and the mighty Jehovah will gird his weapon upon his thigh and march out in fury and Indignation and draw his glittering Sword and resist the proud and teach them what it is to bid defiance to the Lord of Host We shall soon see who shall be uppermost God or they And when the proud sinner lies conquered at his feet how doth he with infinite scorn look upon him and say behold the man is become like one of us This 't is for man to attempt the dethroning of the Almighty But it may be most may think themselves little concerned in that which I now speak wherefore I must add this one word Be it known unto thee O man whosoever thou art that think'st thou hast no pride I am sure thou art one of those that are in that black Roll which have proclaimed War against Heaven thou art the man that shall never be acquainted with God whilst thou art in that mind It may be thou maist speak Peace to thy self for all this and flatter thy self as if God and you were Friends but let me tell thee I come with heavy tydings in my mouth to thee If thou turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready he hath prepared for thee the Instruments of death the day of thy Calamity is near The dreadful Jehovah is upon his march and if you ask me whether there be not Peace for thee I answer as Jehu did to Jchoram what peace O haughty sinner so long as the pride of thy heart is so great and thy Rebellions against thy Maker so many There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Wherefore as you value your Soul as you tender your everlasting Salvation and desire to be owned by the Lord in the day of your distress take heed of pride Go quickly and humble your self and make sure your Friend labour to pull down every high Thought and every proud Imagination and let your Arrogant Spirit how before the mighty God there is no way will do but this as ye have already heard You must set the Crown upon the Lords head you must lay your selves at his feet and lick the very dust Your betters have done so before you and have thought it their honor to lye at the feet of Christ this they look'd upon as with good reason too as the first step to preferment If therefore you would be acquainted with God take heed of pride Secondly Take heed of a worldly mind What concord is there between Earth and Heaven What agreement between God and the World What delight can his Holiness take in him who had rather be wallowing in the Mud and treading of Clay then bathing himself in Divine contemplation that thinks it higher preferment to sit by his bags of Gold then to stand in the presence of his God a greater happiness to be rich than to be holy that had much rather be in a Fair Marker or Exchange getting money than with his God getting Pardon Grace and Heaven How pregnant is the Scripture of proofs for the evidencing of this truth to name one or two of a hundred Rom. 8.7 To be carnally minded is enmity against God For it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can it be What do you say to this Scripture Those which walk with God live in the world and yet they live above the world they all look for a City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God It was not for nothing that the Apostle John layes so strict a charge upon those which he wrote to That they should not love the world nor the things of the world For if any love the world the love fo the Father is not
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