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
If the Lord be your portion then you are his inheritance Isa 19.25 and his peculiar treasure Exo. 19.5 and his glory Isa 46.13 and his ornament Ezek. 7.20 and his throne Jer. 4.21 and his Diadem Isa 62. ◠and his jewels Mal. 3.17 These Scriptures speaks out plainly and clearly that great propriety and interest that God hath in all those that have a propriety and interest in him O Sirs look that as in all God hath you have an interest so in all that you have God hath an interest and look as what God is he is for you so what you are you are for God and look as God is sincerely for you so you are sincerely for God and as God is wholly for you so you are wholly for God and as God is onely for you so you are onely for God and as God is in all things for you so you are in all things for God and as God is at all times for you so you are at all times for God O Sirs there are none under heaven that have that interest in you as God hath if indeed he be your poron Look what interest the head hath in the members the husband in the wife the father in the child the Lord in his servant the General in his souldier and the Prince in his subject that all that and more than that hath God in all those that have an interest in him There is no man in the world that hath such an interest in himself as God hath in him if indeed God be his portion Sinne cannot say to a man that hath God for his portion Thou art mine nor Satan cannot say to a man that hath God for his portion Thou art mine nor the World cannot say to a man that hath God for his portion Thou art mine nor the Creature cannot say to a man that hath God for his portion Thou art mine it is onely God that can say to such a man Thou art mine As in marriage none can say This woman is mine but the husband so none can say to a man that hath God for his portion Thou art mine but God alone Look as no man can truly say That God is my Lord and my God and my father and my friend and my wisdome and my counsel and my righteousnesse and my consolation and my salvation and my portion and my light and my life and my love and my rock Psa 8.1 2. and my fortresse and my deliverer my strength and my buckler and my high tower and my help and my happiness and my blessedness and my all in all but he that hath God for his portion so none but God can look upon a gracious person and say This gracious person is mine he is my bride my child my friend my favourite my beloved my darling my joy my crown his heart is set upon me and his love is inflamed towards me and his trust and confidence is fixed on me and his desires and longings are running out after me and all his joyes and delights are terminated in me But Twelfthly If God be your portion then certainly the least of God is very dear and precious to you O then the least truth of God will be very precious to you and the least command of God will be very precious to you and the least child of God will be very precious to you and the least concernment of God will be very precious to you Look as the least beam of light is precious and as the least drop of honey is precious and as the least dust of gold is precious and as the least degree of health and strength is precious and as the least measure of liberty is precious so the very least of God is very precious to that man that hath God for his portion Look as every little piece and parcel of a worldly mans portion is very dear and precious to him so every little piece and parcel of God if I may so speak is very dear and precious to him that hath God for his portion The least glimpse and manifestations of the love and favour of God the least taste of the mercies of God the least anointings of the Spirit of God the least cōmunications of the grace of God the least drops of the consolations of God are exceeding sweet precious to him that hath God for his portion The least good look that a man hath from God and the least good word that a man hears from God and the least love-letter and love-token that a man receives from God is exceeding precious to that man that hath God for his portion Psal 84.10 One day in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere he doth not say one year in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere but one day in thy Courts is better than a thousand elswhere nor he doth not say one quarter of a year in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere but one day in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere nor he doth not say one moneth in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere but one day in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere to shew that the very least of God is exceeding precious to a gracious soul that hath God for his portion Now by these twelve particulars you may all know whether God be your portion or no except you are resolved before-hand to put a cheat upon your own immortal souls and so to make your selves miserable in both worlds And let thus much suffice for this use of trial and examination Now if upon trial and examination any of you shall come to some comfortable satisfaction in your own spirits that God is your portion and that you have an undoubted interest and propriety in God O then I would upon the knee of my soul intreat and beseech you I might say charge and command you to evidence and declare to all the world your interest and propriety in God But you will say how should we evidence and declare to the world our interest and propriety in God we are willing to do it if we did but know how we should do it Why then thus First Evidence and declare your interest and propriety in God Num. 11.29 John 1 39-49 Ch. 4.28 29 30. Acts 10.24 25 27. by your labouring and indeavouring with all your might to draw on others to get an interest and propriety in God O Sirs have you been convinced of the necessity and excellency of interest and propriety in God have you experienced the profit the sweet the comfort and the happinesse of propriety and interest in God and how then can you but strive as for life to perswade others to look after their interest and propriety in Christ as the one thing necessary Judg. 14.8 9. When Sampson had tasted honey he gave his father and mother some with him O my brethren propriety and interest in God is so sweet a
your strength and ye would not O Sirs Matth. 23 37. Luk. 13.34 men shall be damn'd at last not for cannots but for will nots no man shall be damned because he could not do better but because he would not do better if there were no will John 40. there would be no hell At last sinners will finde this to be their greatest hell that they have wilfully destroyed themselves this is that which will damn with a witnesse and this will be that never dying worm I might have had Christ and grace but I would not I might have been sanctified and saved but I would not I might have been holy and happy but I would not Deut. 30.15 19. life and death hath been often set before me and I have chosen death rather than life heaven and hell hath been often set before me and I have chosen hell rather than heaven glory and misery hath been often set before me and I have chosen misery rather than glory and therefore 't is but just that I should be miserable to all eternity No man no Devil can undo thee O sinner without thy self no man can be undone in both worlds but by himself No man shall be damned for his unworthinesse but for his unwillingnesse and therefore never plead this Objection more But Fifthly and lastly I answer that if you will not seek after the Lord to be your portion till you are worthy to enjoy him as your portion then you will never seek after him then you will never enjoy him for your God and portion personal worthinesse is no flower that growes in Natures garden no man is born with a worthinesse in his heart as he is born with a tongue in his mouth 't is not the full but the empty 't is not the rich but the poor in spirit 't is not the righteous but the sinner 't is not the worthy but the unworthy soul that is the proper object of mercy and pity The poor Publican that cried out Lord be merciful to me a sinner Luk. 18 10-15 went home justified when the thank-God Pharisee returned as proud as he came The Centurion when he came to Christ sped well Matth. 8. notwithstanding his personal unworthiness And the prodigal son sped well when he returned to his Father Luk. 15.11 ult notwithstanding his personal unworthiness for he was readily accepted greatly pitied sweetly imbraced courteously received very joyfully and nobly entertained witnesse the best robe that was put upon his back and the gold ring that was put on his finger and the shoes that were put on his feet and the fatted calfe that was killed to make the company merry O Sirs if in the face of all your unworthinesse you will go to God and tell him that you are sinners that you are vile sinners that you are wretched sinners that you are very great sinners yea that you are the greatest of sinners and that you have deserved a thousand deaths a thousand hells a thousand destructions and a thousand damnations and earnestly beseech him to look upon you and to bestow himself on you though not for your worthinesse sake yet for his Names sake for his mercies sake for his promise sake for his Covenants sake for his Oath sake and for his Sons sake Certainly if you shall thus plead with God all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth cannot tell to the contrary but that you may speed as well as ever the Centurion or the Prodigal did I have taken the more pains to answer this Objection that so it may never have a resurrection more in any of your hearts into whose hands this Treatise may fall I know other Objections might be raised but because I have spoken largely to such in my former writings I shall pass on to the last thing proposed and that is to lay down some Positions that may by the blessing of God be of singular use to the Christian Reader As first That 't is one thing for a man to have God for his portion First Position Moses his face did shine and yet he did not see it and 't is another thing for a man to have an assurance in his own soul that God is his portion there are many that have God for their portion who yetare full of fears and doubts that God is not their portion Thus it was with Asaph in that 77 Psalm thus it was with Heman in that 88 Psalm and thus it is with very many Christians in these dayes Sometimes God exercises his children with such changeable and such terrible dispensations as raises many fears and doubts in them about their interest and propriety in God and sometimes their secret indulging of some bosome Idol their entertainment of some predominant lust raises strange fears and jealousies in their souls about their interest in God and sometimes their not closing with the Lord so closely so fully so faithfully so universally and so sincerely as they should without any secret reservation raises many doubts and questions in them whether God be their portion or no. The graces of many Christians are so weak and their corruptions are so strong and Satan is so busie with them and their duties and performances are so weak so flat so dull so saplesse so livelesse so fruitlesse and so inconstant that they are ready at every turn to say if God be our God why is it thus with us if God be our portion why are our hearts in no better a frame why have our duties no more spirit life and fire in them Look as the Sun may shine and yet I not see it and as the husband may be in the house and yet the wife not know it and as the child may have a very great portion a very fair estate setled upon him and yet he not understand it so a Christian may have God for his portion and yet for the present he may not see it nor know it nor understand it 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God These precious souls had God and Christ for their portion and they did believe and they had eternal life in the seeds and beginnings of it and in the promise and in Christ their Head Ephe. 2.6 who as a publick person had taken possession of it in their steads and yet they had not the assurance of these things in their own souls Look as the babe that hath past the pangs of the first birth doth not presently cry out my father my father so the babe of grace the new-born Christian doth not presently cry out my God my God 't is one mercy for God to be my God and 't is another mercy for God to tell me that he is my God 't is one act of grace for God to be
said the mother of the Graccht do you ask me where be my treasures my treasures are my friends said Constantius the father of Constantine So if you ask a Christian that hath God for his portion where his jewels his ornaments his treasures his comforts and the delights of his soul are he will answer you that they are all in God he will tell you that God is his portion and that God is his great all and that he enjoys all in God and God in all and therefore he cannot but prize God above all But to prevent mistakes in this weighty case let me give you a few brief hints As First If God be truly precious to thee then all of God is precious to thee his Name is precious to thee his Honour is precious to thee his Ordinances are precious to thee his Sabbaths are precious to thee his promises are precious to thee his precepts are precious to thee his threatnings are precious to thee his rebukes are precious to thee his people are precious to thee and all his concernments are precious to thee Look as every sparkling stone that is set round about a rich Diamond is precious in the eyes of the Jeweller so is every sparkling excellency in God precious in his eyes that sets an high value upon God It was an harlot that would have the child divided 1 Kings 3.25 26. Look as all of the new-born babe is precious in the eyes of the tender mother as head face hands arms body feet c. so all of God is very precious in his eyes that hath any tender regard of God and look as all of an husband is precious in the eyes of a loving wife viz. his person name credit honour estate liberty life c. so all of God is very precious in his eyes that loves God with a real love with a superlative love But Secondly If God be most precious to thee then all the dishonours that are done to God his truth his worship his wayes his ordinances his institutions his government his people are most grievous and burthensome to thee Psal 69.9 Ps 119.158 The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me I beheld the transgressours and was grieved because they kept not thy word the word that is here translated grieved is from Katat that signifies to loath abhor and contend I beheld the transgressours and I loathed them I beheld the transgressours and I abhorred them I beheld the transgressours and I contended with them but not so much because they were mine enemies as because they were thine T is just between God and all those that have a precious esteem of him as 't is between two Lute-strings that are tuned one to another no sooner one is struck but the other trembles Jer. 9.1 2 3 4. A Saint cannot see God struck but his heart will tremble A Father lying upon his death-bed called three children to him which he kept and told them that one onely of them was his natural son Mr. Perkins Government of the Tongue and that the other two were onely brought up by him therefore unto him onely he gave all his goods but which of those three was his own son he would not in any wise declare when he was dead every one pleaded his birth-right and the matter being brought to trial the Judge for the making if possible a true discovery took this course He caused the dead Corps of the Father to be set up against a tree and commanded the three sons to take bows and arrowes to shoot at their Father to see who could come neerest to his heart the first and second did shoot and hit him but the third was very much angry and displeased with them both and through the natural affection of a child to a father threw away his bow and arrows and would not shoot at all this being done the Judge gave this sentence viz. That the two first that shot at their supposed fathers heart were no sons but that the third son that would not shoot at all and that was very much displeased with those that did shoot was the true son and that he should have the goods O Sirs every bitter word is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every bloody oath is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every heavy curse is an arrow shot at the bea rt of God and every superstitious custome is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every snare that is laid for the righteous is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every yoke that is laid upon the people of God is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every affront that by debauched persons is given to God is an arrow shot at the heart of God c. And what true bred sons what ingenious sons can see such arrows every hour in the day shot at the heart of God and hear of such arrows that are shot a thousand thousand times in a day at the heart of God and not grieve and mourn and not be afflicted troubled displeased and astonished to see men and to hear of men that were once made in the Image of God to be turned into such incarnate Devils as thus to deal with God yea with such a God as can speak them into hell at his pleasure But Thirdly If God be most precious to you then you will part with any thing for God Phil. 3.7 8 Mat. 13.46 then you will let go any thing that you may hold your God and enjoy your God Gen. 22. Chap. 43. then your Isaac shall be made a sacrifice if God will have it so and your Benjamin shall be sent into Egypt if God will have it so Jonah 1. then your Jonah shall be cast over-board if God will have it so then out goes the right eye and off goes the right hand upon a divine command then you will never cry out O this mercy is too neer to me to part with for God and that comfort is too dear to me to part with for God c. O no but then you will say as the King of Sodome said to Abraham Gen. 14.21 Give me the persons and take the goods to thy self So you will say Give us God O give us God and let who will take the goods let who will take the honours and the profits and the pleasures of the world 't is enough that Joseph is alive 't is enough if we may but enjoy our God A Prince will part with any thing rather than he will part with his Crown-Jewels and so will a Christian rather part with any thing than upon choice to part with his God whom he values above all the Crown-Jewels in the world But Fourthly If God be most precious to thee then thou canst never have enough of God thou canst never have enough of communion with God thou canst never have enough of the presence of God
thou canst never have enough of the Spirit of God Psa 27.4 Psal 84. Psa 42.1 2. Psal 63.1 2 3. Cant. 8.14 Rev. 22.20 thou canst never have enough of the discoveries of God thou canst never have enough of the assistance of God thou canst never have enough of the secret influences and incomes of God thou canst never have enough of the comforts and strong consolations of God c. The grave the barren womb the Mammonist the Pope the Turk the Devil and hell will be as soon satisfied as thou canst be satisfied without clearer further and fuller enjoyments of God Exo. 33.20 No man saith God to Moses can see my face and live upon which words Austine makes this short but sweet reply Then Lord let me die that I may see thy face 'T is impossible that ever a mans heart should rest satisfied till he comes to a full and perfect enjoyment of that which he hath set up as his grand interest as his great all But Fifthly and lastly If God be most precious to thee then thou wilt give up thy self wholly to God without any reservation Whatever a man sets up as his great interest to that he devotes himself to the service of that he wholly gives up himself So when a man eyes God as his most precious interest and sets up God as his most precious interest he cannot but devote himself wholly to God Cant. 2.16 Acts 7.2 3 4. Acts 13.22 Luke 1.5 6 7. he cannot but give up himself wholly to God Psal 119.94 I am thine save me I am not my owne nor sinnes nor Satans nor the worlds nor friends nor relations but I am thine I am really thine I am wholly thine I am onely thine I am alwayes thine I am thine to be sanctified and I am thine to be saved I am thine to be commanded and I am thine to be ruled Lord I am thine own and therefore do with thine own as thou pleasest and dispose of thine own as thou pleasest I am at thy foot willing in some measure to be any thing or nothing as shall seem best in thine own eyes When the keys of the whole house and of every room in the house are given up to the King to be at his dispose at his service then he is entertained as a King and honoured as a King and valued and prized as a King And so when all the keyes of the soul and every room in the soul and every faculty of the soul are given up to God to be at his dispose at his service then God is entertained as a God and honoured as a God and valued and prized as a God but not till then And by these five hints if you will not put a cheat upon your own souls you may know whether God sits in the uppermost room of your hearts or no and whether God be set up in your hearts above all and whether he be indeed your great all or your all in all But Ninthly If God be thy portion then there is no losse in all the world that lies so hard and so heavy upon thee as the losse of thy God there is no losse under heaven that doth so affect and afflict a man that hath God for his portion as the losse of his God David met with many a loss but no loss made so sad and so great a breach upon his spirit as the losse of the face of God the losse of the favour of God Psal 30.6 7. In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled The Hebrew word Bahal signifies And so this Hebrew word Bahal you have again in that Dan. 5.9 to expresse the greatnesse of Belshazzars trouble and terrour when he saw the hand-writing upon the wall when none of his wise men could read the writing c. to be greatly troubled to be sorely terrified as you may see in that 1 Sam. 28.21 And the woman came unto Saul and saw that he was sore troubled Here is the same Hebrew word Bahal Saul was so terrified affrighted and dis-animated with that dreadful news that the Devil in Samuels likenesse told him that his very vital spirits so failed him that he fell into a fainting deadly swoon And it was even so with David upon Gods hiding of his face David was like a withered flower that had lost all its sap life and vigour when God had wrapt up himself in a cloud The life of some creatures lieth in the light and warmth of the Sun and so doth the life of the Saints lie in the light and warmth of Gods countenance And as in an Eclipse of the Sun there is a drooping in the whole frame of Nature so when God hides his face gracious souls cannot but droop and languish bow down themselves before him Many insensible creatures some by opening and shutting as Marigolds and Tulips others by bowing and inclining the head as the Solsequy and Mallow-flowers are so sensible of the presence and absence of the Sun that there seems to be such a simpathy between the Sun and them that if the Sun be gone or clouded they wrap up themselves or hang down their heads as being unwilling to be seen by any eye but his that fills them and just thus it was with David when God had hid his face in a cloud And it is very observable that Job did bear up very sweetly bravely patiently and nobly under all his great losses of children estate c. but when the arrows of the Almighty were got within him then he complains Job 6.1 2 3 4 5. that his grief was heavier than the sands of the sea and when the face of God was hidden from him how sadly doth he lament and bewail the withdrawings of God Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward Ch. 23.8 9. but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him You know there is no pain more grievous and tormenting than that of breaking the bones Now David again and again pitches upon this to hint unto you that dreadful smart and pain that his soul was under Psal 38.8 Psa 51.8 when he had lost his communion with God and when his God was withdrawn from him and had hid his face from him And so the Church sadly laments the losse of her beloved in that Solomons song 5.6 I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake or he was gone he was gone Now this passionate duplication speaks out her very great grief and trouble Like a sad widdow she sits down and wrings her hands and cries out he is gone he is gone My soul failed me or as the Hebrew hath it Naphshi Jatsa My