to be a mans portion then all things shall work together for his good Rom. 8.28 and then God will preserve him from such hurtful and mischievous actings The whole World is a great Bedlam and multitudes there are that think madly and that design madly and that talk madly and that act madly and that walk madly Now as you would not be found in the number of those Bedlams it highly concerns you to get God for your portion that so you may be filled with that wisdome that may preserve you from the follie and madnesse of this mad world Gentlemen The following Sermons I preached in the year 1660. at Olaves Breadstreet and God blest them then to those Christians that attended on my Ministry and I hope he will blesse them also to the internal and eternal welfare of your souls to whom they are now dedicated They are much inlarged the profit will be yours the labour hath been mine I judge them very seasonable and suitable to present dispensations else they had not see the light at this time Curiosity is the spiritual adultery of the soul curiosity is that green-sicknesse of the soul whereby it longs for novelties and loaths sound and wholsome truths it is the Epidemical distemper of this age and hour And therefore if any of you are troubled with this itch of curiosity and love to be wise above what is written and delight to scan the choice mysteries of Religion by carnal reason and affect elegant expressions and Seraphical notions and the flowers of Rhetorick more than sound and wholsome Truths then you may ease your selves if you please of the trouble of reading this following Treatise onely remember this that the prudent Husband-man looks more and delights more in the ripenesse and soundnesse and goodnesse of the Corn that is in his Field than he doth at the beauty of the Cockle and remember that no man can live more miserably than he that lives altogether upon Sawces and he that looks more at the handsomnesse than he doth at the wholsomnesse of the Dishes of Meat that are set before him may well passe for a fool Well Gentlemen for a Close remember this that as Noah was drunk with his own wine and as Goliah was beheaded by his own sword and as the rose is destroyed by the canker that it breeds in it self and as Agrippina was killed by Nero to whom she gave breath so if ever you are eternally destroyed you will be destroyed by your selves if ever you are undone you will be undone by your selves if ever you are scourged to death it will be by rods of your own making and if ever the bitter cup of damnation be put into your hands it will be found to be of your own preparing mingling and imbittering Behold I have set life and death heaven and hell glory and misery before you in this Treatise and therefore if you will needs chuse death rather than life hell rather than heaven misery rather than glory What can be more just than that you should perish to all eternity If you will not have God for your portion you shall be sure to have wrath for your portion and hell for your portion c. Well Sirs remember this at last every man shall onely thank his own folly for his own bane his own sin for his own everlasting shame his own iniquity for his own endlesse misery I have now no more to do but to improve all the interest that I have in Heaven That this Treatise may be blest to all your souls and that you all experience what it is to have God for your portion for that will be my joy as well as yours and my Crown as well as yours and my glorying as well as yours in the great day of our Lord Jesus And so I commend you to God and to the word of his grace Acts 20.32 which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified And rest Gentlemen Your Souls Servant Thomas Brooks A MATCHLESSE PORTION LAMENT 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him CErtainly if Ennius could pick out Gold out of a Dunghil I may by Divine Assistance much better pick out golden matter out of such a golden Myne as my Text is to enrich the souls of men withall The best of Painters Apelles to draw an exquisite Venus had set before him an hundred choice and selected beauties to take from one an eye another a lip a third a smile a fourth an hand and from each of them that special lineament in which she most excelled but I have no need of any other Scripture to be set before me to draw forth the excellency of the Saints portion than that which I have now pitch't upon for the beauty excellency and glory of an hundred choice Scriptures are epitomized in this one The Jewish Doctors and other Writers differ about the time of Jeremiahs penning this Book of the Lamentations but to be ignorant of the circumstance of time when this Book was made is such a crime as I suppose will not be charg'd upon any mans account in the great day of our Lord Jesus Doubtlesse this Book of the Lamentations was composed by Jeremiah in the time of the Babylonian captivity In this Book the Prophet sadly laments and bewails the grievous calamities and miseries that had befallen the Jews viz. the ruine of their State the devastation of their land the destruction of their glorious City and Temple which was the great wonder of the world the prophanation of all his holy things the contemptible and deplorable condition of all sorts ranks and degrees of men and then he complains of their sins as the procuring causes of all those calamities that God in his righteousness had inflicted upon them He exhorts them also to patience under the mighty hand of God and stirs them up to repent and reform as they would have their sins pardoned judgments removed divine wrath pacified their insulting enemies suppressed and former acts and grants of favour and grace restored to them But to come to the words of my Text. The Lord Jehovah from Havah He was this name Jehovah is the most proper Name of God and 't is never attributed to any but to God The three syllables contain the notes of all times Je the time to come Ho the time present Vah the time past First Jehovah sets out Gods eternity in that it containeth all times future present and past Secondly It sets out also Gods Self-existency coming from Havah to Be. Thirdly When either some special mercy is promised or some extraordinary judgment is threatned then the Name of Jehovah is commonly annexed to shew that that God whose being is from himself and who gives a being to all his creatures both in heaven and on earth will certainly give a being to his promises and threatnings and not fail to accomplish the words 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
to conceive express or set forth the greatnesse and largenesse of a Saints portion Can you tell the stars of heaven or number the sands of the sea or stop the Sun in his course or raise the dead or make a new world then and not till then will you be able to declare what a great what an immense portion God is If eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the great things that God hath laid up in the Gospel for so that 1 Cor. 2.9 is to be understood Oh how much less then are they able to declare the great things that God hath laid up for his people in another world But Thirdly As God is an immense portion a large portion so God is an all-sufficient portion Gen. 17.1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him I am the almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect I am God almighty or as some carry the words I am God all-sufficient or self-sufficient In quo nihil desiderari possit boni Zanch. de nat Dei l. 4. c. 1. Qu 1 God hath self-sufficiency and all-sufficiency in himself Some derive the word Shaddai that is here rendered almighty or all-sufficient from Shad aduge because God feeds his children with sufficiency of all good things as the tender mother doth the sucking childe Gen. 15.1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision saying Fear not Abram I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward I will be thy buckler to defend thee from all kinde of mischief and miseries and I will be thy exceeding great reward to supply thee with all necessary and desirable mercies and what can a Saint desire more Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly The Sun which among all inanimate creatures is the most excellent notes all manner of excellency provision and prosperity and the shield which among all artificial creatures is the chiefest notes all manner of protection whatsoever under the name of grace all spiritual good is wrapt up and under the name of glory all eternal good is wrapt up and under the last clause no good thing will he with-hold is wrapt up all temporal good all put together speaks out God to be an all-sufficient portion Before the world was made before Angels or men had a being God was as blessed and as glorious in himself as now he is God is such an all-sufficient and such an excellent being that nothing can be added to him to make him more excellent Man in his best estate is so great a piece of vanity Psal 39.5 that he stands in need of a thousand thousand things he needs the air to breath in the earth to bare him and fire to warm him and cloathes to cover him and an house to shelter him and food to nourish him and a bed to ease him and friends to comfort him c. But this is the excellency of God that he hath all excellencies in himself and stands in need of nothing Were there as many worlds as there are men in the world and were all those worlds full of blessed Saints yea were there as many Heavens as there are stars in heaven and were all those heavens full of glorious Angels yet all these Saints and Angels together could not adde the least to God for what can drops taken out of the Sea adde unto the Sea what can finite creatures adde to an infinite being though all the men in the world should praise the Sun and say the Sun is a glorious creature yet all this would adde nothing to the light and glory of the Sun so though all the Saints and Angels shall be blessing and praising and admiring and worshipping of God to all eternity yet they shall never be able to adde any thing to God who is blessed for ever O Christians God is an all-sufficient portion his power is all-sufficient to protect you his wisdome is all-sufficient to direct you his mercy is all-sufficient to pardon you his goodnesse is all-sufficient to provide for you his word is all-sufficient to support you and strengthen you and his grace is all-sufficient to adorn you and enrich you and his spirit is all-sufficient to lead you and comfort you and what can you desire more O Sirs God hath within himself all the good of Angels of men and universal nature he hath all glory all dignity all riches all treasures all pleasures God is Omnia super omnia and many of the very heathens counted God Optimum maximum the best and greatest all delights all comforts all contents all joyes all beatitudes in himself All the scattered excellencies and perfections that be in the creatures are eminently transcendently and perfectly in him Look as the worth and value of many pieces of silver are contracted in one piece of gold so all the whole volume of perfections which is spread through heaven and earth are epitomized in God according to that old saying Omne bonum in summo bono all good is in the chiefest good God is one infinite perfection in himself which is eminently and virtually all perfections of the creatures all the good the excellency the beauty and glory that is in all created beings are but parts of that whole that is in God and all the good that is in them is borrowed and derived from God who is the first cause and the universal cause of all that good that is in Angels or men God is a sufficient portion to secure your souls and to supply all your wants and to satisfie all your desires and to answer all your expectations and to suppresse all your enemies and after all to bring you to glory and what can you desire more But now all earthly portions are insufficient portions they can neither prevent afflictions nor support the soul under afflictions nor mitigate afflictions nor yet deliver a man from afflictions They can neither arm the soul against temptations nor comfort the soul under temptations A golden crown cannot cure the head-ach nor a purple robe cannot fray away a burning seaver nor a bed of gold cannot give ease to a distempered body nor the velvet slipper cannot take away the pain of the gout nor lead the soul out of temptations All the creatures in the world are but as so many ciphers without God when God frowns all the creatures in the world are not sufficient to chear the soul when God withdraws all the creatures in the world are not sufficient to sustain the soul when God clouds his face all the creatures in the world are not sufficient to make it day with the soul c. There is not enough in the whole creation to content quiet or satisfie one immortal soul he that hath most of
acted exercised strengthened and increased yea and the more your evidences for heaven will be cleared your gracious experiences multiplied your communion with God raised your way to glory facilitated and all your sufferings sweetned therefore never let noble precious thoughts of God die in your souls Though he frown upon thee O Christian yet say he is thy portion and though he chides thee yet say he is thy portion and though he corrects thee yet say he is thy portion and though he deserts thee and carries it strangely towards thee yet say he is thy portion and though he snatches many a mercy from thee yet say he is thy portion and though he multiplies thy burthens upon thee yet say he is thy portion and though he writes bitter things against thee yet say he is thy portion yea though he should passe a sentence of death upon thee yet still say he is thy portion O Christians this would still raise an heaven in your hearts if under all dispensations ' you would still look upon God as your portion and live upon God as your portion But Thirteenthly If God be a believers portion then never let a believer be afraid to die or unwilling to die See twenty Arguments in my String of Pearls to move you to be willing to die from pag. 169. to pag. 212. let them be afraid to die that have onely the world for their portion here and hell for their portion hereafter but let not a Saint be afraid of death that hath for his portion the Lord of life A man that hath God for his portion should rather court death than tremble at it he should rather sweetly welcome it than turn his back upon it for death to such an one is but the way to paradise the way to all heavenly delights the way to those everlasting springs of pleasure that are at Gods right hand Psal 16. ult the way to life immortality and glory and the way to a clear full constant and eternal fruition of God Bernard saith that he heard his brother Gorard when just in dying rejoyce and triumphingly say Jam mors mihi non stimulus sed jubilus Angustine upon those words Exod. 33.20 21. Thou canst not see my face and live makes this short but sweet reply Then Lord let me die that I may see thy face Death is a bridge that leads to the paradise of God all the hurt that it can do is to bring a believer to a full enjoyment of his portion When Modestus the Emperours Lieutenant threatned to kill Bazil he answered If that be all I fear not yea your Master cannot more pleasure me than in sending me unto my heavenly Father to whom I now live and to whom I desire to hasten Old Alderman Jordan used to say That Death would be the best friend he had in the world and that he would willingly go forth to meet it or rather say with holy Paul O Death where is thy sting triumphing over it What is a drop of vinegar put into an Ocean of wine what is it for one to have a rainy day who is going to take possession of a Kingdome Acts Mon. 813. A Dutch Martyr feeling the flame to come to his beard Ah said he what a small pain is this to be compared to the glory to come Lactantius boasts of the bravenesse of that spirit that was upon the Martyrs in his time our children and women not to speak of men saith he do in silence overcome their tormenters and the fire cannot so much as fetch a sigh from them John Noyes took up a fagot at the fire and kissed it saying Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this preferment Never did Neckarchief become me so well as this chain said Alice Driver when they fastened her to the stake to be burnt Mr. Bradford put off his cap and thanked God when the Keepers Wfie brought him word that he was to be burn't on the morrow Mr. Taylor fetcht a frisk when he was come neer the place where he was to suffer Henry and John two Augustine Monks being the first that were burnt in Germany and Mr. Rogers the first that was burnt in Queen Maries dayes did all sing in the flames and be of good cheer said the woman-martyr to her husband that was to suffer with her for though we have but an ill dinner on earth we shall sup with Christ in heaven and what said Justine Martyr to his murtherers in behalf of himself and his fellow-martyrs You may kill us but you can never hurt us Ah Christians how can you read over these choice instances and not blush and not be ashamed to consider what a readiness what a forwardnesse and what a noble willingness there was in these brave Worthies to die and go to heaven and to be fully possest of their God of their portion whil'st you shrug at the very thoughts of death and frequently put that day farre from you and had rather with Peter fall upon building of Tabernacles Mat. 17.4 Phil. 1.23 then with Paul desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ O Christians how justly may that father be angry with his child that is unwilling to come home and how justly may that husband be displeased with his wife who is unwilling to ride to him in a rainy day or to crosse the Sea to enjoy his company and is not this your case is not this just your case who have God for your portion and yet are unwilling to die that you may come to a full enjoyment of your portion But Fourteenthly and lastly If God be the Saints portion then let all the Saints give all diligence to make this clearly and fully out to their own souls 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. that God is their portion Next to a mans having God for his portion 't is the greattest mercy in this world for a man to know that God is his portion and to be able groundedly to say with the Church The Lord is my portion saith my soul Now this is a work that may be done I suppose there is never a believer on earth but may attain unto this personal evidence and certainty of knowledge that God is his portion Heb. 10.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here are two Diminutives in the Greek a little little while to note that God will not in the least delay his coming to his people express promises speaks out such a thing as this is Zech. 13.9 They shall call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say it is my God so Ezek. 34.30 Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord Psal 9.18 For the patient abiding of the meek shall not be forgotten for ever God will as soon put the faith of reliance and the
about with dreadful dangers on all hands God was a refuge and a dwelling place unto them In all their troubles and travels for four hundred years together God was a shelter a refuge and an house of defence unto them every mans house is his strong castle and thither he retreats when dangers come and thus did the people of God in the Text when dangers threatened them they still run to their God they still made their retreat to the Holy One of Israel A man that hath God for his portion when he is at worst can never be houselesse nor harbourless as long as God lives he can never want an house a mansion-house to hide his head in All the powers on earth and all the powers of hell can never unhouse nor never unharbour nor never unshelter that man that hath God for his portion 'T was a witty saying of that learned man Picus Mirandula God created the earth for beasts to inhabit the sea for fishes the air for fowles and heaven for Angels and Stars so that man hath no place to dwell and abide in but God alone And certainly he that by faith dwells in God dwells in the best the noblest the safest and the strongest house that ever was dwelt in And so Psal 91.1 2. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortresse my God in him will I trust In this whole Psalm the safety of a Saint is set forth to the life to abide under the shadow of the Almighty notes the defence and protection of God Those words shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty are a Metaphor taken from a bird or an hen that hides her young ones under her wings and so secures them from the Kite or any other birds of prey God never wants a wing to hide his children under and look as little chickens run under the wings of the hen when danger is neer so the people of God do commonly run under the wings of God when danger is neer And certainly that Christian may well bid defiance to all dangers and easily and sweetly sing away all cares and fears who can by faith shelter himself and lodge himself under the shadow of Shaddai Look As the worldling in all his straits troubles trials dangers and wants still runs to his bags I have read of a wretched worldling who being sick to death called for one of his bags of gold and laid it to his heart and then cried out O it will not do it will not do and then called for another and still cried out Oh it will not do it will not do to his earthly portion for succour for comfort for support for relief for shelter for protection Prov. 18.11 Matt. 19.24 1 Tim. 5.17 So a Christian in all his troubles trials and distresses still runs to his God for shelter comfort and support Ps 31.1 2 3. In thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in thy righteousnesse Bow down thine ear to me deliver me speedily be thou my strong rock for an house of defence to save me For thou art my rock and my fortresse therefore for thy Names sake lead me and guide me Psal 61.2 3. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I For thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy Psal 94.21 22. They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood But the Lord is my defence and my God is the rock of my refuge Psa 57.2 I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me Isa 25.9 And it shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Micah 7.7 Therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear Thus you see that the Saints in all their straits and trials do still run to God they know that that God that is their portion is an all-sufficient God and that he is a Sun and a Shield to them that walk uprightly and therefore they delight to be still a running under his shadow A man that hath God for his portion may truly say in his greatest distresses and troubles Well though I have no riches to fly to nor no friends to shelter me nor no relations to stand by me nor no visible power on earth to protect me yet I have a God for my portion that is alwayes willing to supply me and able to secure me Psal 18.1 2. I will love thee O Lord my strength or as the Hebrew hath it I wil dearly love the Lord or I will love him with inmost bowels of affections as a tender hearted mother loves her dearest babe with the inmost bowels of affections The Lord is my rock and my fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high Tower In this Verse you have nine several expressions to discover what an all-sufficient refuge God is to his people in their greatest distresses When a Christian is at worst yet he hath bread celestial bread to eat that the world knows not of the grand policy of a Christian to secure himself against all dangers is to run to God But Thirdly If God be thy portion then thou wilt hold fast thy portion and rather part with any thing than part with thy portion Naboth would not upon any terms part with his inheritance he would rather let all go yea his very life go then let his inheritance go his portion go 1 Kings 21.3 And Naboth said to Ahab the Lord forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee or as the Hebrew hath it This be abomination to me from the Lord that is the Lord keep me from this as from an abominable thing Levit. 25.23 Num. 36.7 Fzek. 46.18 To alter or alienate the property of inheritances was expresly forbidden by God in his Law and therefore Naboth looks upon Ahabs offer and motion as a detestable and an abominable thing and resolves to hold fast his inheritance whatever it cost him so a Christian will hold fast his God whatever comes on it he will let any thing go rather than let his God go or his Christ go Cant. 3.4 It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go The Motto of a Christian whilst he is in the wildernesse of this world is self-diffidence and Christ-dependence Cant. 8.5 until I had brought him into my
soul went out of me I was even as an astonished creature I was even as a dead creature to note how greatly and how deeply she was troubled and perplexed upon the account of his withdrawing from her O the fear the terrour the horrour the dread the grief the sorrow that fell upon the Spouses heart when her beloved had turned his back upon her And so it was with Mary John 20.11 12 13. But Mary stood without at the Sepulchre weeping and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the Sepulchre and seeth two Angels in white sitting the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain and they said unto her Woman why weepest thou she saith unto them Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Of all losses Mary was least able to bear the loss of her Lord that losse was so great and so heavy a losse that she was not able to stand under it with dry eyes Mary's mourning for the losse of her Lord was like that of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon Zech. 12.11 There is no loss that comes so neer to a Christians heart as the losse of his Lord A Christian can a thousand times better bear the losse of his name which next to his soul and his grace is the best Jewel that he hath in all the world the losse of his estate the losse of his liberty the losse of his neerest and dearest relations yea the very losse of his life than he can bear the losse of his God You see how sadly Micah takes on for the losse of his wooden gods in that Judg. 18.23 24. And they cried unto the children of Dan and they turned their faces and said unto Micah what aileth thee that thou comest with such a company And he said ye have taken away my gods which I made and the Priest and ye are gone away and what have I more and what is this that ye say unto me what aileth thee Now if Micah was so affected and afflicted upon the loss of his Idol gods his wooden gods what cause then have Christians to be deeply affected and afflicted when they come to lose their God which is the true God the living God the onely God and the God of Gods You know that when Sampsons locks were cut off Judg. 16.19 20 21. his strength was gone and therefore though he thought to go out and do as great things as he had formerly done yet he found by woful experience that he could not for now he was become as another man and it is just so with the choicest Saints when their God is gone their locks are cut and their strength is gone their doing strength and their suffering strength their bearing strength and their wrestling strength and their prevailing strength c. is gone when their God is gone yea when God goes all goes when the King removes all his train followes when God goes Qui te non habet Domine Deus totum perdidit Bern. comforts go vvhen God goes joyes go vvhen God goes peace goes vvhen God goes prosperity goes vvhen God goes friends go vvhen God goes all content and satisfaction goes and therefore it is no vvonder to see a Christian better bear any losse than the losse of his God for in losing of him he loses all at a clap A Christian counts it his only happinesse to enjoy his God and his onely unhappinesse to be deprived of him the constant language of a Christian is None but God none but God as it vvas once the language of the Martyr None but Christ None but Christ Outvvard losses to some men have been unsufferably afflictive one being turned out of his estate runs out of his vvits another hangs himself vvith the same hands vvith vvhich he had formerly told his portion Menipus of Phenicia having lost his goods strangled himself Dinarcus Phidon at a certain great losse cut his ovvn throat to save the charge of a cord When Henry the second had heard that his City Menze was taken he let fall this blasphemous speech I shall never said he love God any more that hath suffered a City so dear to me to be taken away from me Suotenius And Augustus Caesar in whose time Christ was born was so troubled and astonished at the losse and overthrow that Varus gave him that for certain moneths together he let the hair of his head and beard grow without cutting and sometimes he would run his head against the very doors and cry out Quintilius Varus deliver up my Legions again Quintilius Varus deliver up my Legions again c. I might give you many sad instances neerer home but that I love not to harp upon so sad a string But certainly no outward losses can lie so heavy upon the spirit of a worldling Compare the 77. and the 88. Psalms together as the losse of God lies upon the spirit of a Saint I have read of a religious woman that having brought forth nine children professed that she had rather indure all the pains of those nine Travails at once than indure the misery of the losse of Gods presence A man can better bear any losse than the losse of his box of Jewels and than the losse of his Writings and Evidences that he hath to shew for his estate and therefore when his house is on fire he doth not cry out O save that bed or that chest or that dish or that stool c. but he cries out O save my box of Jewels O save my Writings I care not though all be consumed so my box of Jewels and my Evidences be but saved Now God is a Christians box of Jewels he is a Christians grand evidence that he hath to shew for another world and therefore his greatest fear is of losing his God and his greatest care is of keeping his God If his box of Jewels be safe then all is safe but if they are lost all is lost and how then is it possible for a Christian to bear up bravely under the losse of all A man may bear up bravely under the losse of his Lumber and and under the losse of his houshold-goods so long as his Jewels are safe and his Writings are safe but if his box of Jewels should be lost and his Writings should be burnit why then he wrings his hands and cries out O I am undone I am undone I am undone So a Christian can bear up bravely under this worldly losse and that worldly loss and the other worldly losse so long as he enjoyes his God but when he hath lost his God O then he cannot but wring his hands and cry out I am undone I am undone I am undone I have lost my God and in losing of him I have lost my life I have lost my love I have lost my joy I have lost my Crown I have lost my heaven I have
he did more wickedly than the very heathen whom the Lord abhorred in all his actings he seemed to be the first-born of Satans strength and yet the Lord freely bestowed himself as a portion upon him and so Ezek. 16.6 8. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was a time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I swore unto thee and entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine And so Isa 46.12 13. Hearken unto me ye stout-hearted that are far from righteousnesse I bring neer my righteousnesse it shall not be far off and my salvation shall not tarry and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory Solomon Mary Magdalen Mathew Zacheus the Gaoler and the murderers of Christ were all very great and grievous sinners and yet the Lord bestowed himself as a portion upon them and so God bestowed himself as a portion upon those monstrous and prodigious sinners that are mentioned in 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. whose souls were red with guilt and as black as hell with filth God hath been very good to those that have been very bad and therefore do not despair O sinner though thy sins are very great I have read a Story concerning a great Rebel that had made a great party against one of the Roman Emperours Joh. Bodin Com. weal. and Proclamation being sent abroad that whoever could bring in the Rebel dead or alive he should have a great summe of money for his reward the Rebel hearing of it comes and presenting himself before the Emperour demands the sum of money proposed the Emperour bethinking himself concludes that if he should put him to death all the world would be ready to say that he did it to save his money and so he freely pardoned the Rebel and gave him the money Here now was light in a dark Lanthorn here was rare mercy and pity in a very Heathen And shall an Heathen do thus and shall not the great God who is made up of all loves of all mercies of all compassions of all goodnesses and of all sweetnesses do much more certainly he will If the greatest Rebels if the greatest sinners will but come in whilst the white Flag of grace and mercy is held forth they shall finde a marvcilous readinesse and forwardnesse in God not onely to pardon them but also to bestow not onely money but himself as a portion upon them The greatest sinners should do well to make that great Scripture their greatest companion Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high speaking of Christ thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also but to what purpose hath Christ received gifts spiritual gifts gracious gifts glorious gifts for men for the rebellious why 't is that the Lord God may dwell amongst them But Thirdly I answer that God hath given out an expresse promise that he will make such to be his people which were not his people Hos 2.23 I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God In this precious promise God hath ingaged himself to have a most sweet harmony and a most intimate conjunction and communion with such a people as were not his people But Fourthly I answer that God gains the greatest glory by bestowing of himself as a portion upon the greatest sinners There is nothing that makes so much for the glory of free grace and for the exaltation of rich mercy and for the praise of divine goodnesse and for the honour of infinite fulnsse as Gods bestowing of himself upon the greatest of sinners O Sirs grace appears never so rich nor never so excellent nor never so glorious as when it triumphs over the greatest sins and when it falls upon the greatest sinners Grace never shines nor never sparkles nor never becomes so exceeding glorious as it doth when it lights upon the hearts of the greatest sinners The greatest sinnes do most and best set off the freenesse and the riches of Gods grace there is nothing that makes heaven and earth to ring and to sound out his praises so much as the fixing of his love upon those that are most unlovely and uncomely and as the bestowing of himself upon them that have given away themselves from him And 't is further observable that the greatest sinners when once they are converted do commonly prove the choicest Saints and the rarest Instruments of promoting the honour and glory of God in the world The Canaanites were a wicked and a cursed generation They were of the race of cursed Cain they were given over to all whoredome witchcraft and cruelty they offered their sons and daughters to Devils they were the very worst of sinners they were without God and without the Covenant and counted dogs among the Israelites and such an one was the Canaanite woman that you read of in that Matth. 15 21-29 till the Lord made it the day of his power upon her soul but when the Lord had brought her in to himself ah what a rare Christian did she prove for wisdome zeal humility self-denial love courage patience faith c. And so Mary Magdalen was a notorious Strumpet a common whore among all the harlots none to Mary Magdalen Mark 16 9 and she was one out of whom Christ cast seven Devils and yet when she was changed and converted Luke 7. O with what an inflamed love did she love the Lord Jesus Christ and with what a burning zeal did she follow after the Lord Jesus and how abundant was she in her lamenting and mourning after the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 20. Some report that after our Saviours resurrection she spent thirty years in weeping for her sins in Galba And Paul you know was a very grievous sinner but after his conversion O what a rare what an eminent what a glorious instrument was he in bringing of souls to Christ and in building up of souls in Christ 2 Cor. 11. O what a noble drudge was he for Christ O how frequent O how fervent O how abundant was he in the work of the Lord c. And indeed in all ages the greatest sinners when once they have been converted they have commonly proved the choicest Saints and the rarest Instruments in the hand of God for the advancement of his glory and the carrying on of his work in the world I might instance in Luther and divers others but that I hasten to a Close And therefore Fifthly I answer that of all sinners the greatest sinners do undoubtedly stand in the greatest need of having of God for their
especially considering that their prayers Rom 8.26 27. cries tears sighs and groans are but the products of his own Spirit in them and considering likewise the several promises whereby he hath ingaged himself to answer to the prayers of his people I might tire both you and my self in turning to those particular promises but that I am resolved against and therefore take that for all Joh. 16.23 24. Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full This double asseveration Verily verily is never used but in matters of greatest weight and importance and this gemination Verily verily is a vehement confirmation of the truth of what Christ speaks Now from this gracious promise I may safely and clearly infer That if God the Father will give to believers whatsoever they ask in the name of Christ then certainly at first or last sooner or later he will give them assurance that he is their portion and that they have an undoubted interest and propriety in him for this is one of the grand requests that they are still a putting up in the name of Christ and upon the grant of this request depends the fulnesse of a Christians joy But Seventhly and lastly If God should not sooner or later more or lesse assure his people that he is their portion that they have an interest a propriety in him then he would be a very great loser if I may so speak he would lose many praises and many thanksgivings he would lose much of that love of that honour and of that delight and of that admiration which otherwise he might have from among his children And it is very observable that of all the duties of Religion there are none that are prest so closely so frequently and so strongly upon Christians as those of praising of God I might produce above a hundred Scriptures to evidence this and rejoycing in God c. as all know that know any thing of the Scripture Now how it will stand with the holinesse of God and with the wisdome of God and with the care of God to be so great a loser in the very things which he hath so roundly and earnestly prest upon his people when as by one sweet word of his mouth he might so easily and so happily prevent it I cannot easily discern All believers know that there is no such ready no such effectual way under heaven to draw out their love their joy their delight their praises and their thanksgivings to God as Gods assuring of them that he is their portion and that they have an unquestionable interest and propriety in him Certainly that God that loves the praises of his people and that dislights in the rejoycings of his people and that is so infinitely pleased with the thanksgivings of his people that God will not alwayes hide himself from his people that God will sooner or later so manifest himself to his people that they shall be able to see their interest and propriety in God and rejoycingly to say The Lord is our portion Now O you that are the people of the Lord and that to this very day do lie under many fears and doubts about your interest and propriety in God be not discouraged do not hang down the head do not despond do not despair for certainly sooner or later God will assure you that he is your portion and that you have an interest and a propriety in him FINIS THE TABLE A OF All. If God be the Saints portion then all is theirs Page 203. to Page 206. Of Assurance Such as have God for their portion should use all diligence to get an assurance in their own souls that God is their portion and that upon seven grounds p. 232. to p. 259. 'T is one thing for a man to have God for his portion and 't is another thing for a man to have an assurance in his own soul that God is his portion p. 423 424 425 426. That few Saints dye without some Assurance that God is their portion is made good by divers Arguments from p. 441. to the end of the Book C Of inordinate Cares Such as have God for their portion must away with all inordinate Cares for the things of this life and that upon six grounds p. 190. to p. 203. Of Christ A man that would have God for his portion must take up Christ in his arms and treat with God upon the credit of Christ p. 387 338 389 390. In Comparison of God all things are nothing A man that would have God for his portion must trample upon all other portions in comparison of God p. 382 383 384. Of Contentation Saints that have God for their portion ought to be content with their present outward condition and that upon severall grounds p. 136. to p. 153. D Of Death and Dying Such as have God for their portion should never be afraid to dye p. 228. to p. 232. The Doctrine That the Lord is the Saints portion the Lord is the Believers portion p. 7. E Of Esteeming of God above all A man that hath God for his portion sets the highest esteem the highest price the highest value upon God imaginable p. 311. to p. 315. Five wayes whereby a man may know whether God be highest in his estimation or no. p. 315. to 324. F Against Fretings Saints that have God for their portion should not fret nor vex themselves because of those earthly portions that God commonly bestowes upon the worst of men and that upon several Grounds p. 114. to p. 136. G What Saints should Glory in Such as have God for their portion must glory in their portion p. 178. to p. 182. The Grounds upon which Believers Title unto God as their portion is founded and bottomed are these First The free favour and love of God p. 107. to p. 109. Secondly Gods free and voluntary donation of himself to them in the Covenant of Grace p. 109. to p. 111. Thirdly That marriage-union that is between God and his people p. 111. to p. 114. H Of the Happy and unhappy man Saints that have God for their portion are the happiest men in all the world though this blind besotted world thinks otherwise p. 153. to p. 162. Of the Heart Such as have God for their portions should never set their hearts upon earthly portions p. 162. to p. 167. If God be thy portion then he carries thy heart from all other things the portion alwayes carries the heart with it p. 291. to p. 297. Of Holding fast A man that hath God for his portion will hold fast his portion and rather part with any thing than with his God p. 279. to p. 287. I Of Interest If you have an Interest in God then God hath an interest in you p. 340. to p. 345. Such as have an Interest and a propriety in God should evidence and