The Souls Conflict With Itself, Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII.
Of improving our evidences for comfort in severall passages of our lives.
THat wee lose not any measure of comfort in this so sweet a priviledge, We ought to branch out the severall excellencies in God for our speciall uses.wee must labour for skill to improve, & implead the same in the severall passages and occasions of our lives, and let it appeare in the retaile, that whatsoever is in God is mine: If I am in a perplexed condition, his wisdome is mine: If in great danger, his power is mine; If I lie sighing under the burthen of sinne, his grace is mine: If in any want, his all-sufficiency is mine. My God (saith S. Paul) will supply all your Phil. 4. 19.wants. If in any danger, I am thine Lord, save me, I am thine, the price of thy Sonnes blood, let me not be lost, thou hast given me the earnest of thy Spirit, and set thy seale upon me, for thy own, let me neither lose my bargaine, nor thou thine. What is Religion it selfe but a spirituall bond? whereby the soule is tyed to God as its owne, and then singles out of God whatsoever is …eedfull for any occasion: and so binds God with his owne covenant and pro…ise. Lord thou hast made thy selfe to bee …ine, therefore now shew thy selfe so, and … exalted in thy wisdome, goodnesse, and …er, for my defence. Towalke comforta…ly in my Christian course, I need much …race, supply me out of thy rich store. I …d wisdome to goe in and out inoffensively …fore others, furnish me with thy spirit. I …ed patience and comfort, thou that art … God of all consolation, bestow it on me.
In time of desertion put Christ be…ixt God and thy soule, and learne to …peale from God out of Christ, to God in Christ. Lord looke upon my …aviour, that is neere unto thee as thy …nne, neere to me as my Brother, and …ow intercedes at thy right hand for …e; though I have sinned, yet he hath …ffered, and shed his precious blood to …ake my peace. When we are in any …ouble, let us still wait on him, and lye … his feet, and never let him goe, till …e cast a gracious looke upon us.
So, if we be to deale with God, for the Church abroad, we may alleadge unto him that whatsoever provocations are therein, and deformity in regard of abuses and scandals: yet it is his Church, his people, his inheritance, his name is called upon in it, and the enemies of it are his enemies. God hath engaged himselfe to the friends of the Church, that they shall prosper that love it, and Psal. 122. 6therefore we may with a holy boldnesse presse him, for a blessing upon the same.
So for our children and posterity, we may encline God to respect them, because they are under his covenant, who hath promised to be our God, and the God of our seed; Thine they were, thou gavest them me; all that I have is thine, these Iohn 17.are those children which thou of thy rich grace hast given me. They are thine, more then mine. I am but a meanes under thee to bring them into the world, and to bee a Nurse unto thy children; Take care therefore of thine owne children I beseech thee (especially) when I can take no care of them my selfe, thou slumberest not, thou dyest not, I must.
Flesh and blood think nothing is cared for, but what it seeth cared for by itselfe. It hath no eyes to see a guard of Providence, a guard of Angells. It takes no knowledge that that is best cared for, that God cares for. Those that have God for their God, have enlarged hearts as they have enlarged comforts. They have an everlasting spring that supplies them in all wants, refreshes them in all troubles, and then runnes most clearely and freshly, when all other streames in the world, are dryed and stopt up. Were we skilfull in the …t of faith, to improve so great an interest, what in the world could much dismay us? faith will set God against all.
It should fill our hearts with an holy indignation against our selves, if either we rest in a condition, wherein we cannot truly say God is [Our God] or (if when we can in some sincerity of heart say this) that we make no better advantage thereby, and maintaine not our selves answerable to such a condition. What a shame is it for a Noble mans sonne to live like a beggar? for a great rich man, to live like a poore peasant? to famish at a banquet? to fall when we have so many stayes to lay hold on? Whereas if we could make this cleare to our soules, that God is ours, and then take up our thoughts, with the great riches wee have in him, laid open in Christ, and in the promises, wee need trouble our selves about nothing, but onelyonly get a large vessell of faith, to receive what is offered, nay enforced upon us.
When we can say, God is our God, it is more then if we could say, heaven is mine; or whatever good the creature affords, is mine. Alas, what is all this, to be able to say, God is mine, who hath in him the sweetnes of all these things, and infinite more? If God bee ours, goodnesse it selfe is ours. If hee be not ours, though we had all things else, yet ere long nothing would be ours. What a wondrous comfort is this, that God hath put himselfe over to be ours? That a beleeving soul may say with as great confidence (and greater too) that God is his, then he can say his house is his, …is treasure is his, his friends are his? Nothing is so much ours as God is ours, because by his being ours in covenant, all other things become ours: And if God be once ours, well may we trust in him. God and ours joyned together, make up the full comfort of a Christian. [God] there is all to be had; but what is that to me, unlesse he be my God? Al-sufficiency with propriety, fully stay…h the soule.
David was now banished from the Sanctuary, from his friends, habitation, and former comforts; but was he banished from his God? No, God was his God still. When riches, and friends, and life it selfe, cease to be ours, yet God never loseth his right in us, nor wee our interest in him. This comfort that God is ours, reacheth unto the resurrection of our bodies, and to life everlasting. God is the God of Abraham, (and so of every true beleever) even when his body is turned into dust. Hence it is that the loving kindnesse of the Lord, is better then life, because when life departs, yet wee live for ever in him. When Moses saw the people drop away so fast in the wildernesse, and wither like grasse, thou art our foundation (saith he) from one generation to another: thou art God from everlasting to everlasting. When wee leave the world, and are no more seene here, yet we have a dwelling place in God for ever. God is ours from everlasting in election, and to everlasting in glory, protecting us here, and glorifying us hereafter. David that claimed God to be his God is gone, but Davids God is alive. And David himselfe (though his flesh see corruption yet) is alive in his God still.
That which is said of wily persons that are full of fetches, and windings, and turnings in the world, that such will never breake, may much more truly bee said of a right godly man, that hath but one grand policie, to secure him in all dangers, which is to runne to his God, as to his tower of offence and defence: such a one will never bee at a desperate losse so long as God hath any credit, because hee never faileth those that flye unto him, and that because …s mercy and truth never fayles. The …ry lame and the blinde, the most shift…e creatures when they had gotten …e strong hold of Syon, thought then 2 Sam. 5. 6, 7.…ey might securely scorne David and … hoast, because though they were …eak in themselves, yet their hold was …rong; but wee see their hold failed …em at length, which a Christians will …ever doe.
But God seemes to have small care of Object.…se that are his in the world, those who …leeve themselves to be his jewels, are …nted the off-scouring of the world, …nd most despised.
We must know that such have a glo…ious Answ.life in God, but it is hidden with Coloss. 3.Christ in God, from the eyes of the …orld, and sometimes from their owne; …ere they are hidden under infirmi…ies, afflictions, and disgraces, but yet …ever so hidden, but that God some…imes lets downe a beame of comfort …nd strength, which they would not …ose to be freed from their present con…ition, though never so grievous. God comes more immediatly to them now▪ then formerly he was used; nay, even when God seems to forsake them (and to be their enemy) yet they are supported with such inward strength, that they are able to make good their claim with Christ their head, and cry my God still; God never so departs, but hee alwayes leaves somewhat behind him, which drawes and keeps the heart to him. Wee are like poore Hagar, who when the bottle of water was spent, fell a Gen. 21. 19crying, when there was a fountain close by, but her teares hindered her from seeing it; When things goe ill with us in our trades and callings, and all is spent, then our spirits droope, and wee are at our wits end, as if God were not where he was. Oh consider, if wee had all and had not God, wee had nothing: If we have nothing, and have God, we have enough, for wee have him that hath all, and more then all at his command. If wee had all other comforts that our hearts can desire, yet if God withdraw himselfe, what remaines but a curse and emptinesse? What makes heaven but the presence of God? And …hat makes hel but the absence of God? …t God be in any condition, though …ver so ill, yet it is comfortable, and …lly wee finde more of God in trou…e, then when we are out of trouble; …e comforts of Religion never come …l other faile. Cordials are kept for …tings. When a curtaine and a vaile …drawne betwixt us and the creature, …en our eyes are onelyonly upward to …d and hee is more clearely seene … us.
In the divis…on of things, GOD be…eaths God, the Saints portion.himselfe to those that are his, for their portion, as the best portion he can give them. There are many goodly things in the world, but none of these are a Christians portion, there is in him to supply all good, and remove all …, untill the time come that we stand in need of no other good. It is our chief wisdome to know him, our holinesse to love him, our happinesse to enjoy him. There is in him to be had, whatsoever can truly make us happy. Wee goe to our treasure, and our portion in all our wants, we live by it, and value our selves by it. God is such a portion, that the more wee spend on him, the more wee may▪ Our strength may faile, and our heart Psal. 73. 26.may faile, but God is our portion for ever. Every thing else teaches us by the vanity and vexation wee find in them, that our happinesse is not in them, they send us to God; they may make us worse, but better they cannot. Our nature is above them, and ordained for a greater good; they can goe but along with us for a while, and their end swallowes up all the comfort of their beginnings, as Pharaohes leane Kine swallowed up the fat. If we have no better portion here then these things, we are like to have hell for our portion hereafter. What a shame will it be hereafter when we are stript of all, that it should be said, Loe this is the man, that tooke not God for his portion. If God be once ours, he goes for ever along with us, and when earth will hold us no longer, heaven shall. Who that hath his senses about him, would perish for want of water, when there is a fountaine by him? or for hunger that is at a feast? …od alone is a rich portion: O then let … labour for a large faith, as we have a …rge object; If we had a thousand times …ore faith, wee should have a thousand …mes more increase of Gods blessings. When the Prophet came to the wid…es house, as many vessels as shee had …re filled with oyle; wee are straitned in …or owne faith, but not straitned in our 1 Reg. 17. 14.God. It fals out oft in this world, that Gods people are like Israel at the red …ea, invironed with dangers on all …des: What course have wee then to …ake, but onelyonly to looke up and wait for …he salvation of our God? This is a breast full of consolation, let us teach our hearts to suck, and draw comfort from …ence.
Is God our God, and will he suffer any thing to befall us for our hurt? Will he lay any more upon us, then he gives us strength to beare? Will hee suffer any wind to blow upon us, but for good? Doth he not set us before his face? Will a Father or Mother suffer a child to be wronged in their presence, if they can help it? Will a friend suffer his friend to be injured, if he may redresse him? And will God that hath put these affections into Parents and friends, neglect the care of those hee hath taken so neere unto himselfe? No surely, his eyes are open to looke upon their condition; his eares are open to their prayers; a booke of remembrance is written of all their good desires, speeches, and actions; Mal. 3. 16.hee hath bottles for all their teares, their very sighs are not hid from him, he hath written them upon the palmes of his hands, and cannot but continually Isay 46. 16looke upon them. Oh let us prize the favour of so good a God, who though he dwels on high, yet will regard things so low, and not neglect the meane estate of any; Nay, especially, delights to be called the comforter of his Elect, and the God of those that are in misery, and have none to flye unto but himselfe.
But wee must know that God onelyonly thus graciously visits his owne children, he visits with his choysest favours those onelyonly that feare his name. As for those that either secretly undermine, or openly oppose the cause, and Church … God, and joyne with his enemies; …ch as savour not the things of God, …t commit spirituall Idolatry, and A…ltery with Gods enemies, the world, …d the devill; God will answer these, … once he did the Israelites, (when in …eir necessity they would have forced …cquaintance upon him) Goe to the gods …m you have served, to the great men Iudges 10. 14.…hose persons you have obeyed for ad…antage? to your riches, to your plea…re, which you have loved more then God or goodnesse? you would not lose … base custome, an oath, a superfluity, a …hing of nothing for me, therefore I will not owne you now. Such men are more impudent then the devill himself, …hat will claim acquaintance with God … last, when they have caried themselves as his enemies all their dayes. …athan could tell Paul and Sylas, they …ere the servants of the living God, but …e would not make that plea for himselfe, Act. 16. 17knowing that he was a cursed creature.
Miserable then is their condition who live in the world, (nay in the Church) without God. Such are in … worse estate then Pagans and Iews; for living in the house of God, they are strangers from God, and from the covenant of grace; usurping the name of Christians, having indeed nothing to doe with Christ.
Some of these like spirituall vagabonds, as Cain, excommunicate themselves from Gods presence in the use of the meanes; or rather like devils, that will have nothing to doe with God, because they are loath to be tormented before their time; they thinke every good Sermon, an arraigning of them, and therefore keep out of reach.
Others will present themselves under the meanes, and cary some savour away with them of what they heare, but it is onelyonly till they meete with the next temptation, unto which they yeeld themselves presently slaves. These shrowd themselves under a generall profession, as they did, who called themselves Iewes, and were nothing lesse. But alas, an empty title, will bring an empty comfort at last. It was …old comfort to the rich man in flames, Luke 16.that Abraham called him sonne. Or to …, that Christ called him friend. Or …o the rebellious Iewes, that God stiles …em his people. Such as our profession …, such will our comfort be. True profession of Religion, is another thing, then most men take it to be; it is made … of the outward duty, and the inward … too, which is indeed the life and …ule of all. What the heart doth not … Religion, is not done.Quod cor non facit non fit.
God cares for no retainers, that will …ely we are his livery, but serve themselves. What hast thou to doe to take his … into thy mouth, and hatest to be refor…d? Psal. 50.Saul lived in the bosome of the Church, yet (being a cruell Tyrant) …hen he was in a desperate plunge, his …tward profession did him no good. …d therefore when he was invironed …ith his enemies, he uttered this dole… complaint, God hath sorsaken mee, 1 Sam. 2…. 15.… the Philistims are upon me: A pitti… case; yet so will it be with all those … rest in an outward profession, thinking it enough to complement with God, when their hearts are not right within them. Such will at length bee forced to cry, Sicknesse is upon mee, death is upon me, hell is before me, and God hath forsaken me. I would none of God heretofore, Now God will have none of me. When David himselfe had offended God by numbring the people, then God counted him but plaine David, Goe and say to David, &c. whereas 2 Sam. 24. 12.before when hee purposed to build a Temple, then goe tell my servant David. 2 Sam. 7. 5When the Israelites had set up an Idoll, then God Fathers them on Moses, THY people which thou hast brought out of Egypt, Exod. 32. 7he would not owne them as at other times, then; they are MY people still whilest they keep covenant. No care, no present comfort in this neere relation.
The price of the Pearl is not known till all else be sold, and we see the necessary use of it. So the worth of God in Christ is never discerned, till we see our lost and undone condition without him, till conscience flyes in our faces, and dragge us to the brink of hell; then …ver we taste how good the Lord is, wee … say, Blessed is the people whose God is … Lord. Heretofore I have heard of … loving kindnesse, but that is not a …sand part of what I see and feele. …e joy I now appreheud is unuttera…, unconceiveable.
Oh then when we have gotten our …les possest of God, let our study be, … preserve our selves in his love, to …ke close with him, that he may de…t to abide with us, and never for…e us. How basely doth the Scripture …ak of whatsoever stands in our way? … makes nothing of them. What is …, but vanity, and lesse then vanity? … nations, but as a drop of the bucket, as Isay 40. 15… dust of a ballance; things not at all …siderable. Flesh lookes upon them … through a multiplying glasse, making …m greater then they are; but faith … God doth) sees them as nothing.
This is such a blessed condition, as What preserves the sense of Gods favour.… well challenge all our diligence in …ouring to be assured of it; neither is … to bee attained or maintained without the strength and prime of our care. I speake especially of, and in regard of the sense and comfort of it. For, the sense of Gods favour will not bee kept, without keeping him in our best affections above all things in the world, without keeping of our hearts alwayes close and neere to him, which cannot bee without keeping a most narrow watch over our loose and unsetled hearts, that are ready to stray from God, and fall to the creature. It cannot be kept without exact and circumspect walking, without constant self-deniall, without a continuall preparation of spirit, to want and forsake any thing that God seeth fit to take from us.
But what of all this? Can we crosse our selves, or spend our labours to better Our pains cannot bee spent to better purpose, then in crossing of our selves for God.purpose? one sweet beam of Gods countenance will requite all this. We beat not the ayre, we plow not in the sand, neither sowe in a barren soile, God is no barren wildernesse. Nay, hee never shewes so much of himselfe, as in suffering, and parting with any thing for him, and denying our selves of that, which wee thinke stands not with his will. Great persons require great observance. We can deny our selves, and have mens persons in great admiration, for hope of some advantage; and is any more willing and more able to advance …s then the great al-sufficient God? A Christian indeed, undergoes more troubles, takes more paines (especially with his owne heart) then others doe. But what are these to his gaines? What returne so rich, as trading with God? What comforts so great, as these that …re fetched from the fountaine? One day spent in enjoying the light of Gods countenance, is sweeter then a thousand without it. Wee see here, when David was not onelyonly shut out from all comforts, but lay under many grievances, what a fruitfull use he makes of this, that God was his God. It uphold…h his dejected, it stilleth his unquiet soule: it leadeth him to the rock that was higher then he, and there stayeth him. It …eth him with comfortable hopes of better times to come. It sets him above himselfe, and all troubles and feares whatsoever.
Therefore waite still in the use of meanes till God shine upon thee; yea, though wee know our sinnes in Christ are pardoned, yet there is something more that a gracious heart waites for, that is, a good looke from God, a further enlargement of heart, and an establishing in grace. It was not enough for David to have his sinnes pardoned, but to recover the joy of salvation, and freedome of spirit. Therefore the soul should Psal. 51.alwayes be in a waiting condition, even untill it bee filled with the fulnesse of God, as much as it is capable of. Neither is it quiet alone, or comfort alone, that the soule longs after, no, nor the favour of God alone, but a gracious heart to walke worthy of God. It rests not whilest any thing remaines, that may breed the least strangenesse betwixt God and us.