his wants he lives upon God and in all his straits and trials he lives upon God and in all his contentments and enjoyments he still lives upon God he lives upon God for his justification Rom. 8.33 It is God that justifieth and he lives upon God for the perfecting of his sanctification Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ and he lives upon God for the maintaining and increasing of his consolation 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5. When he is under the frowns of the world then he lives upon the smiles of God when he is under the hatred of the world then he lives upon the loves of God and when he is under the reproaches of the world then he lives upon his credit with God when he is under the threatnings of the world then he lives upon the protection of God and when he is under the designs and plottings of the world then he lives upon the wisdome and counsel of God when he is under the slightings and neglects of the world then he lives upon the care of God and when he is under the crosses and losses of the world then he lives upon the fulnesse and goodnesse of God c. Alexander told his souldiers I wake that ye may sleep most sure I am that he that is the Saints portion never slumbers nor sleeps Psa 121.3 4 God is alwayes watchful and wakeful to do his people good he never wants skill or will to help them he never wants a purse a hand or a heart to supply them c. O Sirs Every man singles out something to live upon some single out one thing some another saith the wife I must live upon my husband sayes the child I must live upon my father sayes the servant I must live upon my master sayes the old we must live upon the labours of the young sayes the poor we must live upon the charity of the rich and why then shall not a Christian live upon his God A Christian that hath God for his portion may say when he is at worst Well though I have not this nor that nor the other outward comfort to live upon yet I have the power of a God to live on and I have the providence of a God to live on and I have the promise of a God to live on and I have the oath of a God to live on and I have the love of a God to live on and I have the bounty of a God to live on Psal 23. and I have the fulnesse of a God to live on and I have the care of a God to live on and what can I desire more Surius de vitis SS John of Alexandria sirnam'd the Almoner did use yearly to make even his Revenues and when he had distributed all to the poor he thanked God that he had now nothing left him to live upon but his Lord and Master Jesus Christ When all is gone yet a Christian hath his God to live upon as his portion and that is enough to answer to all other things and to make up the want of all other things Look as he hath nothing that hath not God for his portion so he wants nothing that hath God for his portion Cajetan 'T was a weighty saying of one The spiritual good of a man consists in this that a man hath friendship with God and consequently that he lives for him to him with him in him that he lives for him by consent to him by conversation with him by cohabitation and in him by contentation Old godly Similes said that he had been in the world sixty years but had lived but seven counting his life not from his first birth but from his new birth A man lives no longer than he lives upon God as his portion when a man begins to live upon God as his portion then he begins to live indeed and not till then But Fifthly If God be thy portion then he carries thy heart from all other things Psa 42.1 2 the portion always carries the heart with it Matth. 6.20 21. But lay up for your selves treasures in heaven Bernard well observes that a wise mans heart is with the Lord. where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeves do not break through nor steal For where your treasure is there will your hearts be also Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee or I will diligently seek thee as Merchants do precious stones that are of greatest value my soul thirsteth for thee he doth not say my soul thirsteth for water but my soul thirsteth for thee nor he doth not say my soul thirsteth for the blood of my enemies but my soul thirsteth for thee nor he doth not say my soul thirsteth for deliverance out of this dry and barren wildernesse but my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is nor he doth not say my soul thirsteth for a Crown a Kingdome but my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee These words are a notable Metaphor taken from women with child to note his earnest ardent and strong affections towards God And so Psal 84.2 My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God The word that is here rendered crieth is from Ranan that signifies to shout shrill or cry out as souldiers do at the beginning of a battel when they cry out Fall on Fall on Fall on or when they cry out after a victory Victory Victory Victory the Hebrew word notes a strong cry or to cry as a child cries when 't is sadly hungry for now every whit of the childe cries hands cry and face cries and feet cries and so Psal 119.21 My soul breaketh for the longings it hath unto thy judgments at all times Look as the stone will still be rowling towards its center its place though it break it self into a thousand pieces so a soul that hath God for his portion cannot rest till he comes to God till he comes to his center 'T is very observable that when the God of glory appeared to Abraham Act. 7.1 2 3 4 5. Gen. 12.1 he made nothing of leaving his fathers house his kindred and his Countrey a glimpse of that glory works him to give up all easily readily and quietly A man that can look upon the God of glory to be his portion he cannot but look upon the greatest the neerest and the dearest enjoyments of the world as nothing he cannot but look upon honour as a bubble and worldly pomp as a fancy and great men as a lye and poor men as vanity he cannot but look upon his nearest and his dearest relations his highest and his noblest friends his choicest and his sweetest comforts but as a dream and a shadow that soon vanisheth away 'T is observable in the Courts of Kings and Princes that
portion Look as they that are most wounded stand in most need of a Surgeon and as they that are most sick stand in most need of a Physician and as they that are in most danger of robbing stand in most need of assistance and as they that are in most peril of drowning stand in most need of a boat and as they that are most impoverished stand in most need of relief so they that are the greatest sinners stand in most need of having of God for their portion for no tongue can expresse 2 Thess 1 7 8 9 10. nor no heart can conceive the greatnesse of that wrath of that indignation of that desolation of that destruction and of that damnation that attends and waits upon those great sinners that have not God for their portion and therefore the greater sinner thou art the greater obligation lies upon thee to get God to be thy God and portion for till that be done all thy sins in their full number weight guilt and aggravating circumstances will abide upon thy soul But Sixthly and lastly I answer that God is a great God and he loves to do like himself Now there are no works no actions that are so suitable to God and so pleasing to God and so delightful to God as those that are great and what greater work what greater action can the great God do than to bestow himself as a portion upon the greatest of sinners It was a great work for God to create the world and it is a great work for God to govern the World and it will be a great work for God to dissolve the world and to raise the dead and yet doubtlesse it is a greater work for the great God freely to bestow himself upon the greatest sinners The love of God is a great love and the mercies of God are great mercies and the compassions of God are great compassions and accordingly God loves to act and therefore there is ground for the greatest sinners to hope that the Lord may bestow himself as a portion upon them But Secondly Object 2 Others may object and say hereafter we will look after this portion for the present we are for living in the world we are for a portion in hand we are for laying up portions for our selves and providing portions for our posterity we are first for laying up of earthly treasures and when we have done that work to purpose then we will do what we can to obtain this excellent and glorious portion that you have been so long a discoursing on c. Now to this Objection I shall thus answer First Thus to act is to run counter-crosse to Christs express commands Mat. 6.33 But seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be added unto you The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a casting in as an overplus as some over-weight measure or number And so ver 19 20. Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where theeves break through and steal But lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeves do not break through nor steal And so in that Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat which endureth to everlasting life O Sirs to act or run crosse to Gods expresse command though under pretence of Revelation from God is as much as a mans life is worth as you may see in that sad story 1 Kings 13.24 O Sirs 't is a dangerous thing to neglect one of his commands who by another is able to command your bodies into the grave and your souls into hell at his pleasure Shall the wife make conscience of obeying the commands of her husband and shall the child make conscience of obeying the commands of his father and shall the servant make conscience of obeying the commands of his Lord and shall the souldier make conscience of obeying the commands of his General and shall the subject make conscience of obeying the commands of his Prince though he be none of his Council and will not you make conscience of obeying his commands that is the Prince of the Kings of the earth 1 Rev. 5. But Secondly Who but children mad men and fools in Folio will pitch upon a lesse good when a greater good is offered to them what madnesse and folly is it for men to pitch upon bags of counters Children mad men and fools will part with a pearl for a pippin when bags of gold are laid before them or for men to chuse an hundred pounds per annum for life when rich inheritances and great Lordships are freely offered to be made over to them for ever What were this but Esau-like to prefer a messe of pottage before the birth-right and yet this is the present case of these Objectors God is that rich that great that glorious and that matchlesse portion that is held out and freely offered and tendered in the Gospel to poor sinners and they neglect slight and reject this blessed offer and fix their choice their love their hearts their affections upon the perishing vanities of this world O the folly of such that at a Feast feed upon kickshawes and never taste of those substantial dishes that are for nourishment O the madnesse of such that prefer the flesh-pots of Egypt before the dainties of Canaan Would not such a Merchant such a Tradesman be pointed at as he goes along the streets for a fool or a mad man that should neglect such a season such an opportunity such an advantage wherein he may be made for ever as to the world and all because he is resolved first to secure such a bargain of rags or such a bargain of old shooes which will turn but little to his advantage when he hath bought them Surely yes now this is the very case of the Objectors for they neglect the present seasons the present opportunities of grace and mercy and of being made happy for ever by enjoying of God for their portion and all because they are resolved first to secure the Treasures the Rags of this World Certainly in the great day of account these will be found the greatest fools that have fool'd away such golden opportunities that were more worth than all the world and all to secure the rags of the world But Thirdly and lastly How many thousands are now in hell Matth. 7.22 26 27. how many thousands have now their part and their portion in that burning lake which burnes with fire and brimstone for ever and ever Rev. 21.8 who thought when they were on earth that after they had laid up goods for many years with the fool in the Gospel that then they would look after heavenly treasures and secure God for their portion but before they could find time or hearts to set about so noble work divine vengeance hath overtaken them and justice
nothing but as salt to keep their bodies from rotting and stinking O that these men would seriously consider that as a cup of pleasant wine offered to a condemned man in the way to his execution and as the Feast of him who sate under a naked sword hanging perpendicularly over his head by a slender thread and as Adams forbidden fruit seconded by a flaming sword and as Belshazzars dainties overlooked by an hand-writing against the wall such and onely such are all earthly portions to those that have not God for their portion Well Gentlemen remember this there is no true happinesse to be found in any earthly portions Solomon having made a critical enquirie after the excellency of all creature-comforts gives this in as the ultimate extraction from them all Vanity of vanities all is vanity If you should go to all the creatures round they will tell you that happinesse is not in them If you should go to the earth the earth will tell you that happinesse grows not in the furrows of the field If you go to the Sea the Sea will tell you that happinesse is not in the Treasures of the deep If you go to the beasts of the field or to the birds of the air they will tell you that happinesse is not to be found on their backs nor in their bowels If you go to your bags or heaps of gold and silver they will tell you that happinesse is not to be found in them If you go to Crowns and Scepters they will tell you that happinesse is too precious and too glorious a Gemme to be found in them As it is not the great Cage that makes thn bird sing so it is not the great estate that makes the happy life nor the great portion that makes the happy soul There is no true comfort nor no true happinesse to be drawn out of the standing pools of outward sufficiencies all true comfort and happiness is onely to be found in having of an all-sufficient God for your portion Psal 144.15 Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. And therefore as ever you would be happy in both worlds it very highly concerns you to get an interest in God and to be restlesse in your own souls till you come to enjoy God for your portion A man that hath God for his portion is a none-such This you will finde fully cleared up in the following Treatise he is the rarest and the happiest man in the world he is like the morning-star in the midst of the clouds he is like the Moon when it is at full he is like the flower of the Roses in the Spring of the year he is like the Lillies by the Springs of waters he is like the branches of Frankincense in the time of Summer he is like a vessel of massie gold that is set about with all manner of precious stones Nothing can make that man miserable that hath God for his portion nor nothing can make that man happy that wants God for his portion the more rich the more wretched the more great the more gracelesse the more honourable the more miserable that man will be that hath not God for his portion The Sodomites were very wealthy and who more wanton and wicked than they the Egyptians and Babylonians were very rich great and potent in the world and what greater oppressors and persecutors of the people of God than these O the slavery the captivity and the woful misery of the people of God under those cruel Tyrants Have not the Nimrods the Nebuchadnezzars the Belshazzars the Alexanders and the Caesars c. been commonly the Lords of the world and who so abominably wicked as these no men for wickednesse have been able tomatch them or come neer them It hath been long since observed to my hand Dan. 7. that Daniel sets forth the several Monarchies of the World by sundry sorts of cruel beasts to shew that as they were gotten by beastly subtilty and cruelty so they were supported and maintained by brutish sensuality craft and tyranny I have read of a Lacedemonian that said that they well deserved death that did but quench Tyranny they should quite have consumed it with fire But whether he hit the mark or mist it let the Reader judge Well Sirs you may be the Lords of this world and yet you will certainly be miserable in another world except you get God for your portion The top of mans happinesse in this world lies in his having of God for his portion He that hath God for his portion enjoyes all and he that wants an interest and propriety in God enjoyes nothing at all Gentlemen I have read of an Heathen who seeing a sudden Shipwrack of all his wealth said Well Fortune I see now that thou wouldest have me to be a Philosopher O that you would say under all your heavie losses and crosses well we now see that God would have us lay up treasure in heaven Matth. 6.19 20. we now see that God would have us look after a better portion than any this world affords we now see that it highly concerns us to secure our interest and propriety in God we now see that to enjoy God for our poron is the one thing necessary Have not many of you said nay sworne That if you might but see enjoy the delight of your eyes that then you should have a sweeping Trade and abound in all plenty and prosperity and grow rich and great and glorious in the world and be eased of everie thing that did but look like a burthen c. If it be indeed thus with you why do you so complain murmur and repine and why do many of you walk up and down the Exchange and streets with tears in your eyes and with heavinesse in your hearts and with crack't credits and thread-bare coats and empty purses and why are so many of you broke and so manie prisoners and so manie hid and so manie fled But if it be otherwise and that you are sensible that you have put a cheat upon your selves I say not upon others and that as you have been self-flatterers so you have been self-deceivers the more highly it concernes you to do your selves your souls that right as to make sure God for your portion For what else can make up those woful disappointments under which you are fallen It is a sad sight to see all the arrows that men shoot to fall upon their own heads or to see men twist a cord to hang themselves or to see men dig a pit for others and to fall into it themselves and it t is but justice that men should bake as they brew and that they which brew mischief should have the first and the largest draught of it themselves Now the best way to prevent so sad a sight and so great a mischief is to get God for your portion for when once God comes
dry but God is an inexhaustible portion that can never be drawn dry and this discovers the excellency of this portion above all other portions But Thirteenthly As God is an inexhaustable portion so God is a soul-satisfying portion he is a portion that gives the soul full satisfaction and content Psal 17.15 Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage 'T was as well with him as his heart could wish And so in that Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee or as some render it Vide Jerome Calvin Cajetan Marlorat Mollerius c. I would I were in heaven with thee or as others read the words I have sought none in heaven or earth besides thee or as others I desire none in heaven or earth but thee or I affect none in heaven nor none on earth like thee I love none in heaven nor none on earth in comparison of thee I esteem thee instead of all other treasure and above all other treasures that are in heaven or that are on earth The holy Prophet had spiritual and sweet communion with Christ to comfort and strengthen him he had a guard of glorious Angels to protect him and secure him and he had assurance of heaven in his bosome to joy and rejoyce him and yet 't was none of these nay 't was not all these together that could satisfie him 't was only an infinite good an infinite God that could satisfie him he very well knew that the substantials of all true happinesse and blessednesse did lie in God and his enjoyment of God 'T was not his high dignities nor honours that could satisfie him 't was not the strength riches security prosperity and outward glory of his Kingdome that could satisfie him 't was not his delightful musick nor his noble attendance nor his well-furnished tables nor his great victories nor his stately palaces nor his pleasant gardens nor his beautiful wise nor his lovely children that could satisfie him all these without God could never satisfie him but God without all these was enough to quiet him and satisfie him Joh. 14.8 Philip said unto him Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us a sight of God will satisfie a gracious soul more than all worldly contentments and enjoyments yea one sight of God will satisfie a Saint more than all the glory of heaven will do God is the glory of all the glory of heaven heaven alone is not sufficient to content a gracious soul but God alone is sufficient to content and satisfie a gracious soul God only is that satisfying good that is able to fill quiet content and satisfie an immortal soul Certainly if there be enough in God to satisfie the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 24 25. whose capacities are far greater than ours and if there be enough in God to satisfie the Angels whose capacities are far above theirs if there be enough in God to satisfie Jesus Christ whose capacity is unconceivable and unexpressible yea if there be enough in God to satisfie himself then certainly there must needs be in God enough to satisfie the souls of his people If all fulnesse and all goodnesse and infinitenesse will satisfie the soul then God will there is nothing beyond God imaginable nor nothing beyond God desirable Ephes 3.2 nor nothing beyond God delectable and therefore the soul that enjoys him cannot but be satisfied with him God is a portion beyond all imagination all expectation all apprehension and all comparison and therefore he that hath him cannot but sit down and say I have enough Gen. 33.11 Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with * Cheleb vade shen Fat and sat So the Hebrew hath it hereby is meant satiety of pleasures c. marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips When I remember thee on my bid and meditate on thee in the night-watches Marrow and fatnesse cannot so satisfie the appetite as God can satisfie a gracious soul yea one smile from God one glance of his countenance one good word from heaven one report of love and grace will infinitely more satisfie an immortal soul than all the fat and all the marrow and all the dainties and delicates of this world can satisfie the appetite of any mortal man My soul shall be satisfied with fatnesse and fatnesse so the Hebrew hath it that is my soul shall be top-full of comfort it shall be filled up to the brim with pleasure and delight in the remembrance and enjoyment of God upon my bed or upon my beds in the plural as the Hebrew hath it David had many a hard bed and many a hard lodging whilst he was in his wildernesse-condition it oftentimes so fell out that he had nothing but the bare ground for his bed and the stones for his pillows and the hedges for his curtains and the heavens for his canopy yet in this condition God was sweeter than marrow and fatnesse to him though his bed was never so hard yet in God he had full satisfaction and content Jer. 31.14 My people shall be satisfied with goodness saith the Lord. And my God shall supply all your need Phil. 4.10 according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus saith Paul that great Apostle of the Gentiles the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to fill up 2 Kings 4.4 even as he did the Widdows Vessels till they did overflow God will fill up all he will make up all he will supply all the wants and necessities of his people That water that can fill the Sea can much more fill a cup and that Sun which can fill the world with light can much more fill my house with light So that God that fills heaven and earth with his glory can much more fill my soul with his glory To shew what a satisfying portion God is he is set forth by all those things that may satisfie the heart of man as by Bread Water Wine Milk Honours Riches Raiment Houses Lands Friends Father Mother Sister Brother Health Wealth Light Life c. And if these things will not satisfie what will Gen. 45.28 'T is enough sayes old Jacob that Joseph is alive so sayes a gracious soul 'T is enough that God is my portion A pardon cannot more satisfie a condemned man nor bread an hungry man nor drink a thirsty man nor cloathes a naked man nor health a sick man c. than God doth satisfie a gracious man But Now worldly portions can never satisfie the souls of men Eccles 5.10 Some read the words thus He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver and he that loveth it in the multitude of it shall not have fruit He that loveth silver shall
and shalt be because thou hast judged thus God is a God of that infinite excellency and glory that 't is utterly impossible for him to be better or other than he is If God should in the least be alterable or mutable he would presently cease to be God God is a God of that transcendent excellency that there can be nothing added to him nor nothing substracted from him If you adde any thing to him you deny him to be God and if you take any thing from him you destroy his being Jam. 1.17 Psal 90.2 From everlasting to everlasting thou art God And Mary hath chosen the better part which shall never be taken from her God is eternal as neither being capable of a beginning nor ending and therefore the Egyptians used to signifie God by a circle and the Persians thought that they honoured God most when going up to the top of the highest Tower they called him the circle of heaven now you know a circle hath no end And it was a custome among the Turks to go up every morning to a high Tower and to cry out God alwayes was and alwayes will be and so salute their Mahomet Some things have a beginning but no ending as Angels and the souls of men and some things have no beginning and yet have an end as the Decrees of God in their final accomplishment and some things have both a beginning and an ending as all sublunary things but God hath neither beginning nor ending All creatures have a lasting Angels have an outlasting but God hath an everlasting being 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternal immortal invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen God is without beginning and end first and last past and to come Psal 102.25 26 27. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thy hands He that made heaven and earth must needs be before them and therefore eternal but this God did ergo They shall perish but thou shalt indure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Were there no other Scripture to prove the eternity and immutability of God this were enough Whatever changes may pass upon the heavens and the earth yet God will alwayes remain unchangeable and unalterable By what hath been said 't is most evident that God is an everlasting portion that he is a never failing portion But now all earthly portions are very uncertain now they are and anon they are not Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they flie away as an Eagle towards heaven Though the foolish world call riches substance yet they have no solid subsistance All earthly portions are as transitory as a shadow a ship a bubble a bird a dream an arrow a post that passeth swiftly away Riches were never true to any that have trusted in them In this Text Riches are said not to be because they do not continue to be Crossus was so rich that he maintained an Army with his own Revenues yet he his great army with his son and heir fell together and so his great Estate fell to others they will not abide by a man they will not long continue with a man and therefore they are as if they were not All earthly things are vain and transitory they are rather showes and shadows than real things themselves 1 Cor. 7.31 For the fashion of this world passeth away The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Mathematical Figure which is a meer notion and nothing in substance All the glory of this world is rather a matter of fashion than of substance 't is a body without a soul 't is a golden shell without a kernel 't is a shew without a substance there is no firmnesse there is no solidnesse there is no consistency there is no constancy in any of the creatures All the pomp and state and glory of the world is but a meer piece of Pageantry a Mask a Comedy a Fantasie Act. 25.23 And on the morrow when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great pomp The original words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie great fantasie or vain shew The greatest glory and pomp of this world in the eye of God in the account of God is but as a fantasie or a shadow It was a custome in Rome that when the Emperour went by upon some great day in all his Imperial pomp there was an Officer appointed to burn flax before him and to cry out Sic transit gloria mundi so the glory of this world passeth away And this was purposely done to put him in mind that all his honour pomp glory and grandure should soon passe and vanish away as the flax did that he saw burnt before his eyes That great Conquerour of the world Alexander Plutarch in the life of Alexander c. caused a Sword in the compasse of a Wheel to be painted upon a Table to shew that what he had gotten by the sword was subject to be turned about by the wheel of Fortune and many great Conquerours besides him have found it so and many now alive have seen it so Look as the Rainbow shews it self in all its dainty colours and then vanisheth away so doth all worldly honours riches and preferments shew themselves and then vanish away and how many in our dayes have found it so When one was a commending the riches and wealth of Merchants I do not love that wealth said an Heathen which hangs upon ropes for if they break the Ship and all their wealth miscarries Certainly within these few moneths the miscarrying of several Ships hath caused several Merchants sadly to miscarry A storm at Sea a spark of fire an unfaithful servant a false oath or a treacherous friend may quickly bring a man to sit with Job upon a dunghil Look as the bird flies from tree to tree and as the beggar goes from door to door and as the pilgrim travails from place to place and as the Physician walks from Patient to Patient so all the riches honours and glory of this world do either flie from man to man or else walk from man to man Who knows not that many times one is made honourable by anothers disgrace another is made full by another mans emptinesse and a third is made rich by anothers poverty how soon is the Courtiers glory eclipsed if his Prince doth but frown upon him and how soon doth the Prince become a peasant if God doth but frown upon him Now one is exalted and anon he is debased now one is full and anon he is hungry now one is cloathed gloriously and anon he is cloathed with rags now one is at liberty and anon he is under restraint now a man hath many friends
stumbled at the prosperity of the wicked when so many of the precious sons of Zion have stumbled at that stumbling stone have staggered in their judgments to see the flourishing estate of the wicked it made Job to complain Job 21 7-16 and Chap. 24.12 and Jeremy to expostulate with God Chap. 12.1 2. and David even to faint and sink Ps 73. To see the prosperity of the ungodly to see the wicked in wealth and the Saints in want the wicked in their robes and the Saints in their rags the wicked honoured and the Saints despised the wicked exalted the Saints debased the wicked upon thrones and Saints upon dunghils is a sight that hath sadly put the best of men sometimes to it But this is a temper of spirit that doth no wayes become those that have God for their portion and therefore the Psalmist in the 37 Psalme cautions the Saints against it no lesse than three several times as you may see in v. 1.7 8. There is nothing that doth so ill become a Saint that hath God for his portion as to be sick of the Frets and to prevent this mischief this sickness the precept is doubled and redoubled Fret not Fret not Fret not Though they that have sore eyes are offended at bright clear lights yet they that have God for their portion should never fret or fume storm or rage because some are greater than they or richer than they or higher than they or more honourable than they because all all their prosperity is nothing but an unhappy happinesse 't is nothing but a banquet like Hamans before execution and what man is there that is in his wits that would envy a Malefactor who meets with honourable entertainment as he is going along to execution All a wicked mans delicate meats his fine bits and his murthering morsels are sawced and all his pleasant and delightful drinks are spiced with the wrath and displeasure of an angry God and why then should you fret and vex at their prosperity what madnesse and folly would it be in a man that is heir to many thousands per annum to envy a Stage-player that is cloathed in the habit of a King but yet not heir to one foot of land no nor worth one penny in all the world and who at night must put off his royal apparel and the next day put on his beggarly habit Oh Sirs it will be but a little little while before the great God will disrobe the wicked of all their prosperity felicity and worldly glory and cloath them with the rags of shame scorn and contempt for ever and therefore Oh what folly and madness would it be for those that are heirs of God Rom. 8.17 and joynt heirs with Christ of all the glory of heaven to envy the prosperity of the wicked The prosperity of the wicked layes them open to the worst and greatest sins First It layes them open to all uncleannesse and filthinesse Jer. 5.7 8. Secondly It layes them open to pride and contempt of God Psal 73 3-13 Deut. 32.15 Thirdly It layes them open to vex oppress tyrannize persecute insult and triumph over the poor people of God as you may see in Pharaoh Saul Ahab Jezabel Haman and the Scribes and Phatisees Fourthly It layes them open to a neglect and slighting of the wayes of God and of the Ordinances of God Job 21 5-16 Mal. 3.13 14 15. Jer. 22.21 When the Protestants in France were in their prosperity they slighted powerful Preaching c. and began to affect a vain frothy way of preaching and living which ushered in the massacre upon them Moulin hit it when speaking of the French Protestants he said when the Papists hurt us and persecute us for reading the Scriptures we burn with zeal to be reading of them but now persecution is over our Bibles are like old Almanacks Fifthly It layes them open to a stupidnesse unmindfulnesse and forgetfulnesse of the afflictions of the People of God Amos 6 1-8 Pharaohs chief Butler was no sooner set down in the seat of prosperity but quite contrary to his promise he easily forgets Joseph in misery Sixthly It layeth them open to dreadful apostasie from the wayes and worship of God Deut. 32.15 16 17 18. No sooner was Israel possest of the good land that flowed with milk and honey c. but they forsook the true worship of God and fell to the worshipping of Idols for which at last the good land spewed them out as a generation curst and abhorred by God Seventhly It layes them open to all carnal security as you may see in the old world their prosperity cast them into a bed of security and their security ushered in a flood of sin and that flood of sin ushered in a flood of wrath Matt. 24.37 38 39. Eighthly It layes them open to Idolatry which is a God-provoking and a Land-destroying sin Hosea 2.6 7 8. and chap 4.6 7 c. Ah Sirs who can seriously consider of the dreadful sins that the prosperity of the wicked layes them open to and yet fret and vex at their prosperity Again As their prosperity layes them open to the greatest sins so their prosperity layes them open to the greatest temptations witnesse their tempting of themselves and their own lusts and witnesse their temptings of others to the worst of wickednesses and villanies and witness their frequent tempting provoking of the great God to his own face and witnesse their daily yea their hourly tempting of Satan to tempt their own souls Oh Sirs as there is no condition that layes persons open to such great transgressions as prosperity doth so there is no condition that layes persons open to such horrid temptations as prosperity doth and why then should Gods holy ones envy wicked mens prosperity and worldly glory c. Again their prosperity and worldly felicity and glory is all the portion and all the heaven and happiness that ever they are like to have Psal 17.14 From men of the world which have their portion in this life Certainly men whose hearts are worldly whose minds are worldly whose spirits are worldly whose desires are worldly whose hopes are worldly and whose main ends are worldly have onely the world for their portion and what a pitiful perishing portion is that men that chuse the world as their portion and that delight in the world as their portion and that trust to the world as their portion and that in straits run to the world as their portion and that take content and satisfaction in the world as their portion doubtlesse these have never known what 't is to have God for their portion That 's a very heart-cutting and soul-killing word that you have in that Matth. 6.2 Verily I say unto you that they have their reward The Scribes and Pharisees proposed to themselves the eyes of men the praise of men and the applause of men for a reward of their almes c. and Christ tells them that they
fruit was sweet unto my taste He brought me to the Banqueting-house and his Banner over me was love Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth imbrace me And Chap. 7.5 The King is held in the galleries The Spouse had a clear sight and a deep sense of her interest and propriety in Christ and O how high how close how full how sweet is she in her communion and fellowship with Christ 't is the sight and sense of propriety and interest that heightens and sweetens that communion that is between husband and wife father and child brother and sister and friend and friend so 't is the sight and sense of a mans propriety and interest in God that heightens and sweetens his communion and fellowship with God A clear sight of a mans interest and propriety in God will exceedingly sweeten every thought of God Psal 139.17 18. and every appearance of God and every taste of God and every smile of God and every communication of God and every ordinance of God and every work of God and every way of God yea it will sweeten every rod that is in the hand of God and every wrinkle that is in the face of God a man that sees his interest in God will hang upon him and trust in him though he should write never such bitter things against him and though he should deal never so severely with him yea though he should slay him as you may see in Job 13.15 He hit it who said A man whose soul is conversant with God shall finde more pleasure in the Desart and in death than in the Palace of a Prince Adam in vit Regii p. 78. Vrbanus Regius having one dayes converse with Luther said It was one of the sweetest dayes that ever he had in all his life But if one dayes communion with Luther was so sweet O how sweet must one dayes communion with God be and therefore as ever you would have high and full and sweet communion with God keep up a clear sight a blessed sense of your interest and propriety in God But Sixthly A clear personal evidence that God is a mans portion is a mans all in all O Sirs this is the life of your lives and the life of your prayers and the life of your praises and the life of your confidences and the life of your mercies and the life of your comforts and the life of your hopes c. A clear sight of your propriety in God is the very life of promises the life of Ordinances the life of Providences the life of experiences and the life of your gracious evidences it is a pearl of price it is your Paradise it is Manna in a wildernesse it is water out of a Rock it is a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night it is Jacobs ladder it is a salve for every sore it is physick for every disease it is a remedy against every malady it is an anchor at Sea and a shield on shore it is a star to guide you a staff to support you a sword to defend you a Pavilion to hide you a fire to warm you a banquet to refresh you a City of refuge to secure you and a Cordial to cheer you and what would you have more But Seventhly and lastly A clear personal evidence that God is a mans portion will exceedingly sweeten the thoughts of death and all the approaches of death and all the warnings and forerunners of death unto him it will make a man look upon his last day as his best day Eccles 7.1 Job 18.14 it will make a man look upon the King of terrours as the King of desires it will make a man laugh at the shaking of the spear at the sounding of the trumpet at the confused noise of the battel at garments rowled in blood at the sighs and groans of the wounded and at the heaps of the slain 'T was the Martyrs clear sight of their interest and propriety in God that made them complement with lions and dare their persecutors and to kisse the stake and to sing and clap their hands in the midst of the flames and to tread upon hot burning coals as upon beds of roses and divinely to triumph over their tormenters 't was this that made the primitive Christians ambitious of Martyrdome and that made them willingly and cheerfully lay down their lives that they might Eliah-like mount to heaven in fiery Chariots A man that sees his propriety in God knowes that death shall be the Funeral of all his sins sorrows afflictions temptations desertions oppositions vexations oppressions and persecutions and he knows that death shall be the resurrection of his hopes joyes delights comforts and contentments and that it shall bring him to a more clear full perfect and constant enjoyment of God and this makes him sweetly and triumphingly to sing it out O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory 1 Cor. 15.35 36 37. and O that these seven Considerations might prevail with all your souls to be restlesse till you have in your own bosomes clear and full satisfaction that God is your portion Now this last Inference leads me by the hand to an use of trial and examination O Sirs if God be the Saints portion the believers portion how highly doth it concern every one that looks upon himself as a Saint or as a believer to search try and examine whether God be his portion or no But you will say Quest how shall we know whether God be our portion or no O were all the world a lump of gold and in our hands to dispose of we would give it to know that God is our portion O the knowledge of this would be as life from the dead it would create an heaven in our hearts on this side heaven it would presently put us into a paradise of pleasure and delight but still the question is how shall we know it 't is an easie thing to say that God is our portion but how shall we come in fallibly to know that God is our portion Now to give clear and full satisfaction to this great and weighty Question I shall give in these following Answers by which you may certainly and undoubtedly know whether God be your portion or no. First If God be thy portion then thou hast very sweet Lord saith Austine the more I meditate on thee the sweeter thou art unto me Hierome calls meditation his paradise And Theophylact calls it the very gate and portal by which we enter into glory To think is to live saith Cicero precious high and honourable thoughts of God then thy thoughts will still be running out after God and thy meditations of him will be sweet a man that hath God for his portion is alwayes best when his thoughts and meditations are running out most after God Psal 104.34 My meditation of
him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips When I remember thee upon my bed or beds as the Hebrew hath it David never bedded at home nor abroad here nor there but still his thoughts were running out to God and meditate on thee in the night-watches Psal 139.17 18. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sand when I awake I am still with thee The Psalmist had very frequent high precious and honourable thoughts of God he valued nothing at so high a rate as sweet and noble thoughts of God and of his power wisdome goodnesse faithfulnesse and g aciousnesse c. David had such precious thoughts of God and such great and glorious thoughts of God and such infinite and innumerable thoughts of God that he was as well able to number the sands of the Sea as he was able to number them up And when I awake I was still with thee He was still a contemplating upon God he did fall asleep with precious thoughts of God and he did awake with precious thoughts of God he did rise up with precious thoughts of God and he did lie down with precious thoughts of God he did go forth with precious thoughts of God and he did return home with precious thoughts of God Take a Christian when he is himself when he is neither under sad desertions nor black temptations nor great afflictions and he can as soon forget his own and his fathers house the wife of his bosom the fruit of his loynes yea he can as soon forget to eat his bread as he can forget his God When Alexander the Great had overthrown Darius King of Persia he took among the spoils a most rich Cabinet full of the choicest Jewels that were in all the world upon which there rise a dispute before him to what use he should put the Cabinet and every one having spent his judgment according to his fancy the King himself concluded that he would keep that Cabinet to be a Treasury to lay up the books of Homer in which were his greatest joy and delight A sanctified memory is a rich Cabinet full of the choicest thoughts of God Psa 25.1 Ps 86.4 Psal 143.8 Basil calls meditation the Treasury where all graces are locked up 't is that rich Treasury wherein a Christian is still a laying up more and more precious thoughts of God and more and more high and holy thoughts of God and more and more honourable and noble thoughts of God and more and more awful and reverend thoughts of God and more and more sweet and comfortable thoughts of God and more and more tender and compassionate passionate thoughts of God c. Take a Christian in his ordinary course and you shall finde that where-ever he is his thoughts are running out after God and about what ever he is his thoughts are still a running out after God and into what company soever he is cast whether they are good or bad yet still his thoughts are running out after God c. Look as an earthly minded man hath his thoughts and meditations still exercised and taken up with the world as you may see in Haman whose heart and thoughts were taken up with his honours preferments riches wife children The thoughts and hearts of the people of Constantinople were so extreamly set upon the world and running out after the world that they were buying and selling in their shops even three dayes after that the Turks were within the walls of their City that was the reason that the streets run down with their blood and the blood of their wives and children and friends c. Esth 5.10 11 12. Neverthelesse Haman refrained himself and when he came home he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queen did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet that she had prepared but my self and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the King And the same spirit you may see working in those that had made Gold their God in that Psal 49.10 11. For he seeth that wise men die likewise the fool and the bruitish person perish and leave their wealth to others Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling-places to all generations they call their lands after their own names The Hebrew runneth thus Their inwards are their houses for ever as if their houses were get within them not only the thoughts but the very inmost thoughts the most retired thoughts and recesses of worldlings souls are taken up about earthly things And though they care not whether their names are written in heaven or no yet they do all they can to propagate and immortalize their names on earth And the rich fool was one in spirit with these the Psalmist speaks of as you may see in that Luke 12. v. 16. to v. 22. And he spake a parable unto them saying The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully And he thought within himself the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a marvellous proper word for the purpose it signifies to talk with a mans self or to reason with a mans self this foolish worldling was much in talking to himself and in reasoning with himself about his goods and barns c. as the usual manner of men is that are of a worldly spirit saying what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits and he said this will I do I will pull down my Barns and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods And I will say to my soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry Among all his worldly thoughts there is not one thought of God of Christ of grace of heaven of holinesse of eternity to be found his thoughts were so taken up with his bags and his barns and his buildings and his ease and his belly that he had no time to think of providing for another world and therefore God quickly dispatches him out of this world and throws him down from the highest pinacle of prosperity and worldly glory into the greatest gulf of wrath and misery v. 20. and this foolish worldling puts me in mind of another who being offered an Horse by his fellow upon condition that he would but say the Lords prayer and think upon nothing but God which proffer being accepted he began Our Father which art