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
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
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
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
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
everlasting burnings do you not think it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God and if you do not let me tell you you are worse than mad if you do believe all this why then let me ask you again whether you conceive it unnecessary to use the utmost care and diligence to get acquainted with him who can deliver you from the wrath to come O friends I call you so and I believe most of you love me dearly O that you would do me one kindness I should count it the greatest kindness that you can do me why what is that you say why it is but to pity your own Souls and to mind that one thing necessary and to pitty them that are mourning for your dry eyes and hard hearts What say you to all this if you have any thing to say against the necessity of these things I am ready to plead the case with you c. Well if it be not necessary to know God and Christ and lay in provision for eternity what then is necessary If it be not necessary to serve love and delight in him who can deliver from everlasting death and reward with everlasting life what then is Once more for your Souls sakes consider what you do when you vigorously pursue worldly things and look upon the favour and displeasure of God as small things O write not these things down amongst the superfluous things which are to be minded by the by Remember this that it is very possible for a man to be exceeding holy and yet to be altogether unknown to the world but it is altogether impossible to be truly happy and yet unacquainted with God 17. He is a tryed Friend Thousands and Millions can from their own experience say all this which I have said of him and much more but I shall pass this over at present having hinted it already and because it may be I may touch upon something of the same Nature hereafter 18. He is an everlasting Friend I shall be but brief in speaking to this head because what might have been spoken of this fell under that of his immorality Yet because it is possible to conceive God immortal in himself and yet by reason of mans default his kindness to him to be finite so it was in respect of the Angels that fell from him But now Blessed be free Grace man stands upon surer ground then ever he did the children of God have a firmer bottom by far then Adam had when he was in Paradice his state is more secure being once united to God in Christ then that of the Angels of Heaven in their first Creation For that their State was mutable is de facto proved but now blessed be rich goodness if we can but make sure of reconciliation with God again it is impossible for us to miscarry God hath sworn and he will perform it that the heirs of glory might have the more strong consolation Isa 54 9 10. For this is as the waters of Noah for I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee For the mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Gods children need not fear dis-inheriting his gifts and callings are without repentence If God loved us while we were enemies how much more being reconciled will he continue his love to us once a Child of God and a Child of God for ever once in favour and never out of it again Rom. 8.35 39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Who can pluck us our of the Arms of the Almighty Who or what is that which can alienate our Fathers affections from us If the promise of God which saith I will never never never never never leave nor forsake you be valid if his oath bind him if the blood of Christ continue always to be satisfactory if his mediation can prevail if the nature of God be unchangeable we are well enough we are safe if this be but clear that we are really reconciled to God if we be acquainted with him We are kept by the mighty power of God through Faith unto Salvation If they had been of us saith the Apostle no doubt they would have continued with us It is possible indeed yea common for men to pretend love to God and to seem to have a true friendship for him and yet not to be truly so To have a name to live and to live are two things It is not unsual to bare God company as I may say abroad and yet at home to have some body that they have a greater kindness for It is common to go along with God if I may so call it in the external actions of Religion and yet to desert him at last Isa 58.1 2 3. Mat. 7.21 There are many that seem to bid fair for Heaven and if cap and knee will do God shall have that they will give him the husk and shell that they may keep the kernel for one that they love better Thousands there are of such persons in the world and these profess abundance of kindness for God they come oft to his house and sit down there and make as if they were his friends and his acquaintance and some of Gods servants by a mistake may bid them welcome but yet for all this they may be strangers only they have heard of God and can talk of him and it may be have given him many transient visits but yet they want the real properties of friends they never knew what it was to be brought nigh to the Father by the Son to have a fence of their lost state and estrangement from God and under a fence of this to make earnest inquiry after him they never knew what it was to converse with God to have an intimate acquaintance with him to be sending out the breathings of their Souls after him and to be unsatisfied without him they took up a trade of lifeless duties and that was all As for the life and power of Religion they never understood it communion with God they heard oft of but never understood what it meant they never savoured and rellished the things of God nor with any suitableness or complacency ingaged in his service And as for those more secret actings of Religion to take up the interest of God to design his glory to be deeply concerned for his honour observing their affections and the workings of their hearts in duty to take notice of answers of prayers or to look after their petitions when they
are out of their mouths they know not what these things are So that from hence it appears that God and they were never really acquainted no wonder then that they do forsake God and are forsaken of him The building might look neatly and the house seem to be strong but because it was built upon the sands it need not seem strange if it fall when the winds rise and the waves beat against it but I say it and say it again the house that is built upon a rock will not cannot fall If a man be really united to God in Christ and the work of Grace throughly wrought upon him it is impossible that God should forsake such a one God can't but be true though man be false he can't but value the satisfaction and intercession of his Son he can't forget his own nature Isa 44.15 16. Can a woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me c. I do not say but that God may suspend the refreshing intimations of his love nay he may quite hide his face and his dearest ones may look upon themselves as free among the dead they may reckon themselves such as have no acquaintance with God and yet for all this be exceeding dear to God this is clear'd by every days experience Nay I may say I believe that there are very few of them which know what Gods presence smiles and love is but know in some measure what it is to have his face hid to walk in the dark and see no light It is no unusual thing of a Child of God to question his state to fear whether all that he ever did were not in hypocrisie and formality have not the best been made sometimes to question especially upon some notable fall whether what they did formerly did not proceed from meer common grace or some less spiritual principle then the life of grace and a divine nature within them Were there ever any of the Sons of Adam whom rich mercy hath plucked as Fire-brands out of the fire to whom the Lord hath shewed his marvellous kindness and love in Christ that hath kept their watch so exactly that have walked so closely with God so as never to have the least frown from him were their ever any that lived all their days under a constant lively sence of their interest in divine everlasting love If there be they have fared better then Job did they enjoyed more then ever Heman or David did A Child of God may oft be in a sad state but yet he is always in a safe state the purpose of God stands firm Though for a small moment he seem to forsake them yet with everlasting mercies will he gather them O Everlasting That 's a sweet word indeed in the Saints ear he would not that one word should have been out of the Bible left out of the promise for a world Isa 54. If thou beest once truly acquainted with God thy state is as safe thy condition as sure as if thou wer 't already in Heaven God may and will chastise his with rods but his loving kindness he will never remove from them his mercy indures for ever All that God gives to his friends and acquaintance that is spiritual is like himself Everlasting God is not like short-spirited man every moment changing one day doating upon an object and the next day hating it as much An earthly Prince may one moment set his Favourite at his Table and the next command that he should be hanged But far be it from the unchangable God that he should do thus As for the great ones of the world it hath been counted by some and those none of the weakest no small piece of policy to keep out of their knowledge their favours are so dearly bought their kindness so uncertain their displeasure so dangerous and yet so easily procured But here it is far otherwise It is God and God alone that is an everlasting Friend in whose presence there is fulness of Joy and Pleasure for ever more O these everlasting things are great things An everlasting friend an everlasting inheritance everlasting glory everlasting joy everlasting life and everlasting death they are matters of weight O why should not our very Souls be over-powred with the very thoughts of such things O this unbelief this unbelief 19. He is one that is willing and desirous to be acquainted with you What I have said before had signified little to us were it not for this It 's a misery and no comfort to hear and know the great things which we must go without But this is that which puts life into all those powerful Motives which I handled before God is the most loving most strong and rich Friend and withall he hath in him a sweet inclination to be acquainted with us The tearms that he offers are the most reasonable in the world This this is the comfort of the poor fallen Sons and Daughters of Adam that though they have run away from God though they have left their Fathers house and turn'd Prodigals yet their tender-hearted compassionate Father is ready to receive them again his arms are open he meets them while they are yet a great way off he runs to them and falls upon their neck and kisses them and expresseth the greatest kindness to them and joy for their return O unparalell'd love O infinite goodness God hath expressed this his willingness to receive poor lost Sinners abundantly throughout all the Scripture If God had not been willing to have been friends again with man what needed he to have given himself the trouble of parting with his dearest Son and sending him into the world to manage this great work of reconciling man to himself why else was that precious blood shed and to what purpose should he send so many Prophets Apostles and Ministers for so many hundreds of years rising up early and sitting up late why are they commanded to cry aloud to use so much earnestness to compel poor wandring strangers to come to his house but that he might be acqainted with them Can any one conceive that he should do all this without the least design of kindness If all that God hath done to the reconciling man to himself doth not speak his willingness to be reconciled to them what can Isa 5.4 Nay so willing is he to receive them notwithstanding all their backslidings that he teacheth them how they may address themselves to him most acceptably he puts words in their mouths which they may use with good success when they come before him Hos 14.1 2 4. Nay that sinners may be the more confirmed in their expectation of his favour he hath most solemnly sworn That he delights not in the death of sinners but had rather that they should return and
the Faithfulness of this friend to me be so infinitely ungrateful as to be thus abominably unfaithful to him Shall I that have forfeited my Life and Soul and instead of Hell have received Heaven instead of Damnation Salvation shall I instead of thankfulness again rebell because the Grace of God abounds shall sin abound God forbid To argue from mercy to sin is the Devils logick To argue from mercy to duty is true Christianity One that is acquainted with God can expostulate the case with his own Soul and say What meanest thou O my Soul to stand parlying with Satan hast thou known what that hath cost thee already look back to Eden Who was it that dispossessed thy Grand Father of that brave seat What did Eve get by discoursing with such a Cheater have you not lost enough already but you must be venturing still was it nothing for God of a friend to become a stranger and enemy was it a slight matter to be divested of all that glory that once thou didst shine in but that now again after thou art brought into some favour thou must be tampering with that gamester who had like to have robbed thee of all art thou talking of returning again to Egypt what hast thou so soon forgotten the Iron and the Clay Is this all the thanks that you give the Lord for his unspeakable mercy Doth he that hath done such things for you deserve no better at your hands Is this your kindness to your friend What was it O my soul that that undone Creature said unto thee Did he say it is a little one and thy Soul shall live what did he ask a few merry hours that I should spare my self that I should not be righteous overmuch Did he so a special Friend I Thank you for nothing and why didst thou not answer the Tempter as Solomon did Bathsheba when she ask'd a small thing as she thought for A donijah and why dost thou not ask the Kingdom also and why did not Satan ask thee to part with heaven and thy interest in Christ and those favours as the Lord liveth as small a request as thou thinkst his was that word was spoken against thy life thy Soul A vertuous man or as the Stoick calls him Auton One that hath God for his friend when temptations are presented he remembers who he is and how he stands related to God and how little grateful such an action would be to his Friend And thus he doth resist the Temptation with a great deal of gallantry when he remembers himself Nay sometimes Temptations to sin do make Grace more to abound the water which was intended to cool divine love proves oyl and makes that noble flame to burn more vehemently Cant. 8.6 7. He desires to exercise that Grace which is contrary to the vice which he is tempted to with more then ordinary vigour He stands like a rock in the midst of the Sea unshaken he is steadfast and unmovable like a pillar in the Temple of his God He is much of the same mind in that point with that brave Heathen who spake thus to himself when Temptation was strong Ar. Epist 1.2 c. 18. Deliberate man yield not rashly t is a great work that lies upon thy hands t is a divine work 't is for a Kingdom the Kingdom of God Now remember thy God let 's see what thy love to thy God is remember his presence he beholds how thou standest deliberating whether thou shouldest fight for him or against him for shame shew not thy self so basely disingenious Remember what thy God thy Friend did for thee at such and such a time Remember how kindly you were entertained by him the last time you were at his house Whose Sword is that you wear by your side who gave you it did not God give it you to fight against his enemies and will you draw it against himself Remember from whence you had all that you do enjoy and can you find in your heart to take Gods mercies Gold Silver and Food and bestow them all upon that which he hates will you quarter keep in pay with Gods coyn his greatest enemy And if you feel your heart still staggering and scarce able to keep it's ground then remember God stands by Christ looks on and sees how gallantly any Champion of his will demean themselves on his quarrel that there is not a more lovely sight upon the Earth then to behold one of his Friends rather venturing their lives then they will bare that the least indignity or affront should be put upon their God! O happy are they that can always act as in the sight of God! and if the Soul can have but a constant fresh sence of it's relation to God and his eye it is impossible but that it should hate sin which is so directly opposite to him happy are those who by the thoughts of God are inraged against sin Is it not enough saith that heavenly Soul that is acquainted with God that I have done such and such things against God when I knew him not but that I should again ingage against him after I have been obliged by a thousand mercies after I have tasted and seen how good the Lord is is it a light matter that I did so long fight against him then and shall I now renew my rebellions when I have had so much experience of the folly madness of such a war where I shall be as surely conquered as I draw my sword and hath God kept me by a miracle of mercy out of Hell and after I had run out so wretchedly and undon my self set me up again after I had plaid the prodigal received me again into favour and shall I after all deal thus basely by him No I 'le die a thousand deaths before I will willingly yield to any thing that may be in the least offensive to him whom my Soul hath such an infinite reason to love above the whole world The knowledg of Gods service and Satans too makes a Soul to distinguish he that knows what it is to be made free by Christ abhors his old Master he remembers full well the great hardship that he then underwent when he had nothing to live upon but Husks he calls to mind the Clay and Morter he can't forget the cruel vassalage that he served under Garlick and Onions were his dainties and truly he can't desire to leave his Manna for such kind of Food he is not in love with the Whip and Scourge he doth not dote upon the fetters the Iron which went into his Soul but he is glad with all his heart to be free from those Task-masters which made him to serve with rigour he hath no mind to return to his old Work My meaning in all this is he that was a servant and a drudg of Satans and a slave to his lust when he once comes to taste the sweetness of Spiritual liberty to â—â—â—â—de free by Christ he
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
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 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
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
in them 1 John 2.15 Whence is it that so few great ones go to Heaven and that it is next to impossible for such to be saved Is it not because they have chosen Mammon for their Friend rather than God He hath their heart their Love their Time their Service and they have little to spare for God therefore God hath but a little happiness a little heaven a short glory for them they shall have but a little of his sweet company little Acquaintance with him Why doth James speak so terribly to the rich men bid them go and weep and howl was it not because their riches were like to undoe them Did the wealthy man in the Parable live ever the longer for his riches or fare ever the better for his greatness when he came into another world There is no question but he might have more flatterers there is no doubt but he hath more worldly Friends but bring me a man upon the Earth that lets his heart without controle fly upon the world cleaves to it and takes it to be his best friend that knows God that 's acquainted with his Maker that prizeth his Redeemer It was a wise man who said that it 's absolutely impossible to mind externals and internals this world and another with earnestness at the same time but it was wisdom it self who said That no Servant can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other he cannot serve God and Mammon Mat. 5.24 c. 3. Take heed of Hypocrisie Who are the persons that God doth denounce his dreadful threatnings against Are they not such as honour him with their Lips when their Hearts is far from him With what Abhorrency doth he look upon such and all that they do Isa 1. They never bring their heart to visit God with and therefore they have little reason to expect that he should bring his Dainties to entertain them with 4. If you would be acquainted with God take heed of being acquainted with wicked company We read that many wicked men have fared the better for the company of the godly but we scarce ever heard that any godly man ever fared the better for being in the company of the wicked except they went on Gods Errand amongst them This is clear in the case of Lot who first lost his goods and was made a Captive by being in Sodom and though they were restored to him again for a while one would have thought that should have been a fair warning how he came again into such company yet because that would not do a while after you may read how dear Lot paid for dwelling in Sodom Poor man he lost all that he had and was fain to fly away without either Flocks or Herds and little more than his cloathes on his back and that which was more sad to leave some of his own dear Relations behind him roasting in those dismal flames Whereas had he never come to Sodom or upon the sight of their wickedness speedily left them it had been much better with him in many respects Jehosaphat fared never the better for joyning in affinity with his wicked Neighbours it had like to have cost him his life But were it only loss of Temporals that a man hazarded by such society the danger were not so considerable but the peril is greater than so for by it they make God stand at a distance they must never look to have such company and Gods company both together I mean when they do unnecessarily or delightfully converse with God If therefore you intend to be acquainted with God you must not have them always in your company whom he hates and which hate him and will labour all they can to cool your affections towards him Wherefore be ye not unequally yoaked with unbelievers For what Fellowship hath Righteousness with unrighteousness And what communion hath light with darkness And what concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6.14 to the end But I would not here be mistaken as if I would commend an ungodly proud separation from all that are not just of our mind or as if a man ought to have nothing at all to do with wicked men no no Every one ought to do what he can in his place for the good of Souls O that Christians would thus converse more with their poor ignorant carnal Christless neighbours O that they would thus be more acquainted with the wicked and then they should have never the less of Gods company but the more but it is an unnecessary delightful associating of our selves with them that I mean especially such of them which will stifle every spiritual discourse and divert you from any thing that tends to the promoting of the interest of Religion and such as have frequently expressed their detestation of the way of Holiness and make but a mock at your serious Counsels stop their ears so who some Advice or make some undecent reflections upon the strict prosession of godliness such as labour to make you believe that all Religion but that which will consist with their wickedness is but a Fansie As for such as those abhor their company fly from them as those that have the plague the marks of death are upon them and you may write Lord have mercy upon us upon their doors but go not in lest you be Infected 5. If you would be acquainted with God take heed of unbelief Unbelief will make your soul depart from God and God quite to depart from your soul This This is one of those dreadful and God-estranging sins which leads on whole Legions against the Almighty This is that bold daring sin which gives Truth it self the lye and saith That the Word of God is false his Promises airy his Threatnings but a Wind But know this O sinner such a wind they be that will rise to a dreadful storm and turn your strong confidence up by the roots and blow them into Hell if you make no more of them than you do 6. If you would be acquainted with God beware of sensuality To be sensual and devillish are near akin To be lovers of pleasures and haters of God are usually concomitants in a word to fare deliciously every day and to be despised of God are no strange things But I wave the further prosecution of these things because they are so largely and
make light of all the Tenders of the Gospel Is Peace Pardon Reconciliation and Acquaintance with God still nothing with you Will you for all this take up with a lifeless Religion and never mind a more Spiritual intimate converse with God As the Lord liveth thou speakest that word against the life of thy Soul But if thou wilt go on and despise God who can help it I have told you and told you again what the end of these things will be Well once more I ask thee in the Name of God wilt thou have God for thy Friend or no That is wilt thou love him above all the World Wilt thou accept him for thy Lord and Husband Wilt thou be ruled absolutely by him Wilt thou lay down thy weapons and turn on Gods side and fight under his Banner Wilt thou have Holiness here and Happiness hereafter One would think this is a question that one need not be long a resolving Come come away for the Lords sake for your precious Souls sake as you would be owned at the day of judgment as you would rejoyce when most of the world shall be filled with unspeakable horror and perplexity as you would not hear that heart-rending word from the mouth of the Judge Depart I know you not come away I beseech you Come away O ye my dear Friends the Cloud hangs over the world and ere long it will fall with a vengeance O come out of Sodom linger not for the Lords sake lest the dint of that storm fall upon you Fire fire fire Awake awake awake The fire is kindled What meanest thou O sinner if thou sleepest a little longer in that Bed of security thou art a dead man thou wilt be awakened with horror when thou shalt know thy danger but not know how to avoid it And do you still say Make hast O make hast your Glass is almost out your time almost spent and death is hastning apace upon you I speak it again make haste come away I can't I can't hold my peace How can I endure to see the ruine of thy Soul and say nothing O follow those Directions which I have given thee out of the Scripture Seek the Lord while he may be found and with all possible speed seriousness and gratitude accept of his kindness while you may Methinks some of your hearts seem to be affected methinks your countenances speaks you to have some thoughts of returning some of you look like persons almost resolved to set upon this great work O that it may not be almost but altogether Speak in such Language as this to your own Souls What meanest thou O my Soul thus to stand Disputing Is this a time for thee to stand still as if thou hadst nothing to do Hark how the King of Glory calls Hear how his Messengers invite you Consider how long they have stood waiting for thee And shall they go away without thee O foolish Heart and unwise wilt thou answer all these Gracious Offers with a flat denial Or that which is little better wilt thou put off all Gods Messengers with some sorry excuses Awake O my Soul and look about thee How can'st thou refuse when Mercy calls How canst thou deny when Kindness it self asks intreats beseecheth thee Awake for shame up and put on thy Wedding Garments O that this mind might be in you always O that thou wert up and ready And then happy were the day wherein thou wert born then happy were the day that ever you heard of a Christ of Acquaintance with God and Reconciliation with your Maker O then how glorious shouldest thou be for ever I rejoyce to see the day of thy Marriage a coming when thy Lord and Husband shall bring thee home in the greatest State and in infinite Glory to his own House where thou shalt sit like a Queen for ever and ever Behold his Harbingers are coming Behold how many Messengers the Lord hath sent to prepare his way Awake O Zion and put on thy beautiful Garments Rise up O Royal Bride and put on thy Princely Robes Cloath thee with the Sun and put the Moon under thy feet Go out and meet the King thy Husband Behold O Jacob the Waggons of Joseph are coming Behold O daughter of Zion the Chariots the Chariots of thy King and Husband are a coming They are a coming O why doth not thy Heart leap within thee O why do not thy spirits even faint for gladness Why dost thou not say It is enough I will go out and meet my Lord before I die When will the Sun be up When will the day break When O when will the shadows fly away I will get me up to the Mountains of Myrrhe to the Hills of Frankincense I am travelling for Zion my face is towards Jerusalem who will ascend the Holy Hill with me Who will bear me company to my Husband's House Let us go up to the Lords House come away the Sun is risen the shadows are flying away thousands are gone already Let Barzillai and Chimham old and young too go along with the King of Jerusalem Come from the High-ways and Hedges come with your Wedding Garments come quickly and he will make you welcome The King hath sent to invite us to a Feast a Feast of fat things of Wines on the Lees well refined Come for the Table is spread all things are ready and his Servants stay for us And will God entertain such Creatures as we are And will the Lord open his Doors to such loathsome Beggars Will the Father receive such Prodigals Return then unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord will deal bountifully with thee Who is that which I see coming in the Field Who is this that comes from the Wilderness That comes to meet us Hark! methinks I hear the Trumpet sounding Hark! what 's the matter How do the Mountains eccho How doth the Air ring again What noise is that which I hear What glorious Train is that which I see Whence do they come and whither do they go It is my Master's Son dear Soul thy Lord and Husband with his Royal Attendants Behold he comes He comes apace Leaping upon the Hills Skipping upon the Mountains He is coming he is coming he is even at the door Ere long thou shalt see the Mountains covered with Chariots and Horses of Fire the Earth will tremble and shake the Heavens and the Earth will be all on a Flaming Fire the King of Glory will come riding upon the Wings of the wind accompanied with Millions of his Saints and Angels He is coming he is at the door Go vail thy face alight and meet thy Husband He will bring thee into his Fathers Palace and thou shalt be his Wife and he will love thee for ever And thou shalt remember thy Widdowhood no more Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen Amen FINIS