An Ark for All Gods Noahs, Text (3 of 5)

An Ark for All Gods Noahs · Text (3 of 5)

p. 189But ſuppoſe you were under many real wants, yet certainly this very Conſideration, that the Lord is your portion ſhould quiet your hearts, and beat up your ſpirits bravely under them all. Jerome tells us of one Dydimus, a godly Preacher, who was blinde, Alexander a godly man coming to ſee him, asked him, whether he was not ſorely troubled and afflicted for want of his ſight: O yes, ſaid Dydimus, it is a very great affliction and grief to me; whereupon Alexander chid him, ſaying, Hath God given you the excellency of an Angel, of an Apoſtle, and are you troubled for that which rats and mice, and bruit beaſts enjoy? O Sirs, if God hath given you himſelf for a portion, then certainly 'tis a ſinful thing, a ſhameful thing, an unworthy thing, for you to be troubled, afflicted, and grieved, becauſe you want this and that worldly contentment and enjoyment, which God beſtows upon ſuch whoſe wickedneſſe hath p. 190debaſed them below the Oxe and the Aſſe, Iſn. 1.2, 3.I mean, men of beaſtly ſpirits, and beaſtly principles, and beaſtly practiſes. Look, as Benjamins meſs was five times greater than his brethrens; Gen. 43.34Gen 43:34ſo thoſe that have God for their portion have five thouſand times a greater portion than the wicked of the world whoſe portion only lies in periſhing trifles, and in tried vanities; and therefore there is no juſt reaſon, no Scripture-reaſon why they ſhould be afraid of wants. But

Ninthly, 9If the Saints have ſuch a great, ſuch a large, ſuch an all-ſufficient, ſuch an infinite, and ſuch an incomparable portion, as hath been made evident they have, O then away with all inordinate cares for the things of this life; O ſay to all vexing, waſting, diſtracting, Hoſ. 14.8.Hos 14:8and diſturbing cares, as Ephraim once ſaid to his Idols, Get you hence, for what have I any more to do with you? Chriſts counſel ſhould lie warm upon every mans heart p. 191that hath God for his portion, Matth. 6.31.Matt 6:31Take no thought, ſaying, what ſhall we eat? or what ſhall we drink? or wherewithall ſhall we be clothed? and ſo ſhould the Apoſtles, 1 Pet. 5.7.1 Pet 5:7Caſt all your care on him, for he careth for you: Pſal. 55.22.Ps 55:22and ſo ſhould the Pſalmiſts alſo, Caſt thy burden (or as the Greek well turns it thy care) upon the Lord, and he ſhall ſuſtain thee, he ſhall never ſuffer the righteous to be moved. Some write, that Lions ſleep with their eyes open and ſhining; but the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who is the keeper of Iſrael never ſlumbers nor ſleeps, his eyes are alwayes open upon the upright, he ſtill ſtands Centinel for his peoples good, and therefore why ſhould inordinate cares eat up the hearts of Chriſtians? O Chriſtians, of all burthens the burthen of carking cares will ſit the heavieſt upon your ſpirits; there is no burthen that will bow you and break you like this; inordinate cares vex the heart, they divide the heart, they p. 192ſcratch and tear the heart, 1 Tim. 6.101 Tim 6:10they pierce and wound the heart through and through with many ſorrows; inordinate cares will either crowd out Duties, Luk. 10.40Luke 10:40as in Martha, or elſe they will crowd into Duties, and ſpoil Duties, as in that Luke 8.14. the cares of the world choak the Word. Look, as Pharaohs ill-favoured lean kine eat up the fat, Gen. 41.4.Gen 41:4ſo all inordinate ill-favoured cares will eat up all thoſe fat and noble cares for God, for his glory, for heaven, for holineſſe, for grace, for glory, for power againſt corruptions, for ſtrength to reſiſt temptations and for ſupport and comfort under afflictions, &c. with which the ſoul ſhould be filled and delighted. Oh that you would for ever remember theſe few things to prevent all inordinate, diſtruſtful, and diſtracting cares.

Firſt, 1That they are a diſhonour and a reproach to the all ſufficiency of God, as if he were not able to ſupply all your wants, and to p. 193anſwer all your deſires, and to ſuccour you in all your diſtreſſes, and to deliver you out of all your calamities and miſeries, &c.

Secondly, 2Inordinate cares are a diſhonour and a reproach to the omniſciency of God; Pſal. 139. Pſal. 40.5. Job … 2 Chron. 16.9, &c.Ps 139Ps 40:52 Chr 16:9as if your wants were not as well known to him as his own works, and as if he had not a fixed eye upon all the ſtraights and trials that lies upon you, and as if he did not know every burthen that makes you to groan, and did not behold every affliction that makes you to ſigh, and did not obſerve every tear that drops from your eyes, &c. whereas his eye is ſtill upon you, Deut. 11.11, 12. But the Land whither ye go to poſſeſſe it, is a land of hils and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven; a land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwayes upon it, from the beginning of the year unto the end of the year. And do you think that he will not have as p. 194great a care, and as tender a regard of you who are his jewels, his treaſure, his joy, yea, who are the delight of his ſoul, and the price of his Sons blood?

Thirdly, 3Inordinate cares are a diſhonour and a reproach to the authority of God; Pſal. 24.1. Pſal. 50.10.Ps 24:1Ps 50:10as if the earth were not the Lords, and the fulneſſe thereof, and as if all creatures were not at his command and at his diſpoſe, whenas he is the great proprietary, and all is his by primitive right, and all the creatures are at his ſervice, and are ready at a word of command to ſerve where he pleaſeth, and when he pleaſeth, and as he pleaſeth, and whom he pleaſeth.

Fourthly, 4Inordinate cares are a diſhonour and a reproach to the mercy, bounty, and liberality of God; they proclaim God to be a hard Maſter, and not to be of ſo free, ſo noble, and ſo generous a ſpirit, as Scripture and the experiences p. 195of many thouſands ſpeaks him to be. I have read of a Duke of Millain, that marrying his daughter to a ſon of England, he made a Dinner of thirty Courſes, and at every Courſe he gave ſo many gifts to every gueſt at the Table, as there were Diſhes in the Courſe: Here was rich and royal entertainment, here was noble bounty indeed; but this bounty is not to be named in the day wherein the bounty and liberality of God to his people is ſpoken of. Princes treaſures have been often exhauſted and drawn dry, Mercy & bounty is as eſſential to God, as light is to the Sun, or as heat is to the fire.but the treaſures of Gods bounty and liberality were never, nor never ſhall be exhauſted or drawn dry. O Sirs, you are as well able to tell the Stars of heaven, and to number the ſands of the Sea, as you are able to number up the mercies and favours of God that attends his people in one day, yea, that attends them in one hour of the day, or in one minute of an hour, ſuch is his liberality and bounty p. 196towards them. God is alwayes beſt, when he is moſt in the exerciſe of his bounty and liberality towards his people; his favours and mercies ſeldome come ſingle; there is a Series, a concatenation of them, and every former draws on a future; yea, ſuch is the bounty and liberality of God, that he never takes away one mercy, but he hath another ready to lay in the room of it; as Joſhuah began to ſhine before Moſes his candle was put out; and before Joſhuah went to bed, C…hniel the ſon of Kenaz was riſen up to judge; Eli was not gathered to his Fathers, before Samuel appeared hopeful; nor Sarah was not taken away till Rebeckah was ready to come in her ſtead. The Jews have a ſaying, that never doth there die any illuſtrious man, but there is another born as bright on the ſame day. But

Fifthly, 5Inordinate cares are a reproach and a diſhonour to the fidelity of God, as if he were not p. 197the faithful witneſſe, Rev. 1.5. Ch. 3.14. Iſa. 49.7. 1 Cor. 1.9. Ch. 10.13. 2 Theſ. 3.3. Heb. 10.23. Rev. 19.11. Heb. 6.13-19.Rev 1:5Isa 49:71 Cor 1:92 Thess 3:3Heb 10:23Rev 19:11Heb 6:13–19the faithful God, that hath bound himſelf by promiſe, by covenant, and by oath to take care of his people, and to provide for his people, and to look after the welfare of his people. God is that Ocean and Fountain from whence all that faithfulneſſe that is in Angels and men do iſſue and flow, and his faithfulneſſe is the rule and meaſure of all that faithfulneſſe that is in all created beings, and his faithfulneſſe is unchangeable and perfect: though the Angels fell from their faithfulneſſe, and Adam fell from his yet it is impoſſible that ever God ſhould fall from his. Gods faithfulneſſe is a foundation-faithfulneſſe, it is that foundation, upon which all our faith, hope, prayers, praiſes, and obedience ſtands; and therefore whoever is unfaithful, God will be ſure to ſhew himſelf a faithful God, in making good all that he hath ſpoken concerning them that fear him. I had rather, ſaid Plutarch, that men ſhould ſay, p. 198there was never any ſuch perſon in the world as Plutarch, rather than ſay, that Plutarch is unfaithful; men were better ſay, that there is no God, than to ſay that God is an unfaithful God; and yet this is the conſtant language of inordinate cares. O Sirs, Gods goodneſſe inclines him to make good promiſes, 2 Pet. 1 4.2 Pet 1:4precious promiſes, and his faithfulneſſe engages him to make thoſe promiſes good; if the word be once gone out of his mouth, Mat. 5.18.Matt 5:18heaven and earth ſhall ſooner paſſe away than one jot of that Word ſhall fail. Men ſay and unſay what they have ſaid, they often eat their words as ſoon as they have ſpoke them, but ſo will not God: This faithfulneſſe of God Joſhna ſtoutly aſſerts to the heighth; he throws down the Gantler, Joſh. 23.14, 15.Josh 23:14Josh 23:15and doth as it were challenge all Iſrael to ſhew but that one thing that God had failed them in of all the good things that he had promiſed. If God in very faithfulneſſe afflicts his people to make p. 199good his threatnings, Pſa. 119.75.Ps 119:75O how much more in faithfulneſſe will he preſerve and provide for his people, to make good his promiſes? God hath never broke his word, nor crack't his credit by deceiving, or by compounding for one penny leſs in the pound, than what he hath promiſed to make good; God ſtands upon nothing more than his faithfulneſſe, and glories in nothing more than his faithfulneſſe; and yet all inordinate cares leaves a blot upon his faithfulneſſe. But

Sixthly and laſtly, 6Inordinate cares are a reproach to the pity and compaſſion of God; Matth. 6.32.Matt 6:32they ſpeak out God to be a God of no pity, of no bowels, of no tenderneſſe, whereas God is all pities, all bowels, all compaſſions, all tenderneſſes, Pſal. 103.13. Like as a father pitieth his children, ſo the Lord pitieth them that fear him: there is an Ocean of love and pity in a fathers heart to his children, Gen. 33.13, 14.Gen 33:13Gen 33:14and p. 200there is much more in Gods to his: Hence he is called the Father, by way of eminency; and indeed originally and properly there is no Father to him, there is no Father like him, there is no Father beſides him; Epheſ. 3.15 God is pater miſerationum, tam pius nom̄o, tam pater nemo, ſaith Bernard.Eph 3:15and he is called the Father of all mercies, becauſe all the mercies, all the pities, all the bowels, all the compaſſions that are in all the Fathers on earth are but a drop of his Ocean, a ſpark of his flame, a mite out of his Treaſury. That Father that ſees his childe in want, and pities him not, and pitying, if able, relieves him not, forfeits the very name of father, and may better write himſelf monſter than man. I have read of a young man, who being at Sea in a mighty Storm, was very merry, when all the paſſengers were at their wits end for fear, &c. and when he was asked the reaſon of his mirth, he anſwered, that the Pilot of the Ship was his father, and he knew that ſuch was his fathers pity and compaſſion p. 201that he would have a care of him: O Sirs, whatever ſtorms the people of God may be in, yet ſuch is his pity and compaſſion towards them, that he will be ſure to have a care of them. The Lord is all that to his people, and will be all that to his people, yea, and infinitely more than that which Iſis Mammoſa was to the Egyptians, a God full of dugs; and whil'ſt he hath a breaſt there is no reaſon why his children ſhould fear the want of milk. That golden promiſe, Heb. 13.5. were there no more, hath enough in it to ſteel and arm the ſoul againſt all inordinate cares. The Greek hath five Negatives, foreign, Never, in no wiſe, in no caſe; whatever I do, I will not do this, whatever ſhift I make.and may thus be rendered, I will not, not leave thee, neither will I not, not forſake thee. Five times, as one well obſerves, is this precious promiſe renewed, that we may ſuck and be ſatisfied with the breaſts of its conſolations, that we may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of its glory. O Sirs, p. 202ſhall the word, the promiſe, the proteſt of a King arm us and cheer us up againſt all inordinate cares, and ſhall not the word, the promiſe, the proteſt of the King of Kings ſo often repeated much more arm us againſt all baſe diſtruſtful and diſtracting cares? O Chriſtians, the remembrance of this bleſſed truth, that God is your portion, ſhould make you ſing care away, as that famous Martyr ſaid, John Carleſs in a Letter to Mr. Philops. Acts and Mon. fol. 1743, &c.My ſoul is turned to her reſt, I have taken a ſweet nap in Chriſts lap, and therefore I will now ſing away care, and will be careleſſe, according to my name. If the ſenſe of Gods being a mans portion will not burn up all thoſe inordinate cares that commonly fills his head, and that diſturbs, and diſtracts, and racks his heart, I profeſſe I cannot tell what will. 'Twas a ſtrange ſpeech of Socrates, a Heathen; Since God is ſo careful for you (ſaith he) what need you be careful for any thing your ſelves? But

p. 203Tenthly, 10If God be the Saints portion, than all is theirs. As he ſaid, Chriſtus mens & omnia, Chriſt is mine, and all is mine; ſo may a Chriſtian ſay, Deus meus, & omnia mea, God is mine, and all is mine. If God be thy portion, then heaven and earth are thine, then all the good, and all the glory of both worlds are thine, then all the upper and the nether ſprings are thine, 1 Cor. 3.21. All things are yours; verſ. 22. whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things preſent, or things to come, all are yours. The ſcope of the Apoſtle is not to ſhew that ſuch as are Saints, and have God for their portion have a civil and common intereſt in all mens earthly poſſeſſions; but it is to ſhew that all things are prepared, ordered, and ordained by God to ſerve the intereſt of his people, to work for the good of his people, and to help on the happineſſe and bleſſedneſſe of his people. All the gifts, and all the graces, p. 204and all the experiences, and all the excellencies, and all the mercies of the Miniſters of the Goſpel, whether they are ordinary or extraordinary, are all for the information, edification, confirmation, conſolation, and ſalvation of the Church, and all the good and all the ſweet of the creatures are to be let out for the good of the people of God, and for the comfort of the people of God, and for the incouragement of the people of God; all changes, all conditions, all occurrences ſhall be ſure to work together for their good that have God for their portion. Rom. 8.28.Rom 8:28Whatever the preſent poſture of things are, or whatever the future ſtate of things ſhall be, yet they ſhall all iſſue in their good, in their profit, in their advantage that have God for their portion. Look, as the wife communicates in her husbands honour and wealth, and as the branches partake of the fatneſs and ſweetneſſe of the root, and as the members derive ſenſe and motion from p. 205the head; ſo the Saints communicate in all that good which in God is communicable to them. God is communicative, as the Fig-tree, the Vine, and the Olive is. O Sirs, if God be your portion, then every promiſe in the Book of God is yours, and every Attribute in the Book of God is yours, and every Priviledge in the Book of God is yours, and every Comfort in the Book of God is yours, and every Bleſſing in the Book of God is yours, and every Treaſury in the Book of God is yours, and every Mercy in the Book of God is yours, and every Ordinance in the Book of God is yours, and every Sweet in the Book of God is yours; if God be yours, all is yours. When Alexander asked King Porus (who was then his priſoner) how he would be uſed? Plutarch in Apophlegm.he anſwered in one word foreign, like a King: Alexander again replying, Do you deſire nothing elſe? No, ſaith he, all things are in foreign, in this p. 206one word, like a King: ſo all things are in this one word, The Lord is my portion; he that hath God for his portion, hath all things, becauſe God is all things, he is a good that contains all good in himſelf; all the good that is to be found in honours, in riches, in pleaſures, in preferments, in huſband, in wife, in children, in friends, &c. is to be found onelyonly and eminently in God; you have all in that great God that is the Saints great all, Col. 3.11. But

Eleventhly, 11If God be the Saints portion, and ſuch a portion as I have at large diſcovered him to be; then certainly God is no injurious portion, no miſchievous portion, no hurtful portion, no prejudicial portion; ſurely there can be no danger, no hazard, no hurt in having God for a mans portion. O but oftentimes earthly portions do a great deal of hurt, a great deal of miſchief, they ruine mens bodies, they p. 207blaſt and blot mens names, and they lay men open to ſuch ſins, and ſnares, and temptations, that for ever undoes their immortal ſouls. O what a Trappan are worldly portions to moſt men? yea, what fuel are they to corruption? and how often do they lay perſons open to deſtruction? Eccleſ. 5.13. There is a ſore evil which I have ſeen under the Sun, namely, riches kept for the owners therefore to their hurt. Though riches in themſelves are Gods bleſſings, yet through the corruptions that are in mens hearts they prove weapons of wickedneſs, and engines to evil: There is a ſore evil, the Septuagint reads it, infirmitas peſſima, a ſore diſeaſe; Pagnin and Arias Montanus reads it mala infirmitas, an evil diſeaſe; others read it, languor peſſimus, a ſore weakneſs; the Hebrew word Cholah ſignifies ſuch a ſore evil as ſticks cloſe, and is not eaſily removed; they are kept a thouſand thouſand wayes for their hurt. Latimer in a Sermon before King p. 208Edward the ſixth, tells a ſtory of a rich man, that when he lay upon his ſick bed, ſome told him that came to viſit him, that by all they were able to diſcern he was a dead man, he was no man for this world; as ſoon as ever he heard theſe words (ſaith Latimer) what muſt I die? ſaid the ſick man; ſend for a Phyſician; wounds, ſides, heart, muſt I die, and leave theſe riches behind me? wounds, ſides, heart, muſt I die, and leave theſe things behind me; and nothing elſe could be got from him but wounds, heart, ſides, muſt I die, and leave theſe riches behind me? Do you think, Sirs, that riches were not kept for this mans hurt? without a peradventure in this mans heart was write the God of this preſent world.

And the ſame Father Latimer elſewhere ſaith, that if he had an enemy to whom it was lawful to wiſh evil, he would chiefly wiſh him great ſtore of riches, for then he ſhould never enjoy any quiet. p. 209As I have read of one Pheraulas, a poor man, on whom King Cyrus beſtowed ſo much that he knew not what to do with his riches; being wearied out with care in keeping of them, he deſired to live quietly, though poor, as he had done before, than to poſſeſs all thoſe riches with diſcontent; therefore he gave away all his wealth, deſiring onelyonly to enjoy ſo much as might relieve his neceſſities, and give him a quiet poſſeſſion of himſelf.

Queen Mary ſaid, when ſhe was dying, that if they ſhould open her when ſhe was dead, they ſhould finde Calice lying at the bottome of her heart, implying, that the loſs of it broke her heart.

The Hiſtorian obſerves, that the riches of Cyprus invited the Romans to hazard many dangerous Fights for the conquering of it.

When the Indians had taken ſome of the Spaniards, who made p. 210gold their god, they filled their mouths with it, and ſo choaked them, they melted their gold, and poured it down their throats, reſolving that they ſhould have their fill of gold, who preferred gold before the lives and ſouls of men. How many millions of bodies and ſouls have the Spaniards deſtroyed to poſſeſs themſelves of the riches of the Weſt-Indies? But let me a little further ſhew you, how hurtful, how dangerous and pernicious earthly riches, earthly portions are oftentimes to their owners; and this I ſhall do by a brief induction of theſe particulars.

Firſt, 1Not only the Hiſtory of the ten perſecutions, but alſo all other Hiſtories do very ſtrongly evince this.Riches incourage and advantage perſons to make the ſtrongeſt and the ſtouteſt oppoſition againſt any thing that is good; rich perſons uſually are the greateſt oppoſers both of religion and religious perſons, James 2.6, 7. But ye have deſpiſed the poor; do not rich men oppreſſe you, and draw you before the judgment-ſeats? Do not they blaſpheme p. 211that worthy Name by which ye are called? and this you may ſee alſo in the rich Citizens of Jeruſalem, & in King Herod; & the very ſame ſpirit you may run and read in the Scribes and Phariſes, who were the rich and the great men of the times, and the very ſame oppoſing ſpirit lives and works ſtrongly in the hearts of many great ones this day. But

Secondly, 2Earthly portions do eſtrange the heart from God, as you ſee in the prodigal, Luke 15. and in thoſe wealthy Monſters that ſay unto God, Depart from us, for we deſire not the knowledge of thy ways: What is the Almighty that we ſhould ſerve him? and what profit ſhould we have, if we pray unto him? Job 21.13, 14, 15. But

Thirdly, 3As earthly portions do eſtrange the ſoul from God; ſo they do often ſwell the ſoul, and puff up the ſoul. Salvian counts pride the rich mans inheritance; Pſ. 10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, &c.Ps 10:1Ps 10:2Ps 10:3Ps 10:4Ps 10:5Ps 10:6Ps 10:7mens minds ebbe and flow with p. 212their means, their blood commonly riſes with their outward good. Pride, ſaith Bernard, is the rich mans Couſin, it blows him up like a bladder with a quill, it makes him grow ſecure, and ſo prepares him for ſudden ruine; ſo that he may well ſing his part with thoſe ſad ſouls, What hath pride profited us? or what profit hath the pomp of riches brought us? All thoſe things are paſſed away like as a ſhadow, and as a poſt that paſſeth by, Wiſd. 5.8, 9. But

Fourthly, 4Earthly riches commonly caſt men into a deep ſleep of ſecurity; thus they ſerved David in that Pſal. 30.6, 7. and thus they ſerved the fool in the Goſpel, Luke 12.16-22. Amos 1.12. to the 18. ponder the words.Amos 1:12and thus they ſerved the old world; and ſo they did Sodome & Gomorrah afterwards, and ſo they did the two Kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and their Hoſts, Judg. 8.11, 12. and ſo they did the people of La…ſh, in that Judg. 18.6-28. and ſo the peace, plenty, and proſperity of the Bohemians p. 213caſt them into ſo great a ſecurity, that they began to grow very looſe and baſe in their lives, and very cold and careleſſe in the things of God, and in all their ſoul-concernments; inſomuch that many of their moſt pious and prudent men did preſage, that certainly ſome horrible ſtorm would ſuddenly ariſe, and that ſome dreadful tempeſt without all peradventure would beat upon them; and accordingly it came to paſſe. Alexander ſlew him whom he found aſleep on the watch; and God finding the Bohemians in a deep ſleep of ſin and ſecurity, he brought the devouring ſword upon them. Mercury could not kill Argus, till he had caſt him into a ſleep, and with an inchanted rod cloſed his eyes: No more can the Devil or the World hurt any man, till by dandling of him on the knee of proſperity, they come to lull him aſleep in the bed of ſecurity. But

p. 214Fifthly, 5Earthly riches do frequently divert the ſouls of men from imbracing and cloſing with the golden ſeaſons and opportunities of grace. Matth. 13.22.Matt 13:22Riches are the thorns that choak the Word, and that make men barren and unfruitful under the Word. Rich Felix had no leiſure to hear poor Paul, Acts 24.24-ult.Acts 24:24though the hearing of a Sermon might have ſaved his ſoul, and made him happy in both worlds; and the rich fool in the Goſpel was ſo taken up in pulling down his Barnes, Luke 12.15. to the 22.Luke 12:15and in building of them greater, and in beſtowing of his fruits and his goods, that he had no time to prevent the ruine of his ſoul; and Dives was ſo taken up with his riches, pomp, ſtate, Ch. 16.19. to the endand with his royal apparel, royal attendance, and royal fare, that he never minded heaven, nor never dreaded hell, til he did awake with everlaſting flames about his ears. Sicily is ſo full of ſweet flowers, Diodorus Siculus.that dogs cannot hunt there: and ſo what do all the ſweet profits, p. 215pleaſures, and preferments of this world, but make men loſe the ſcent of grace, the ſcent of glory, the ſcent of holineſſe, Some ſay, where gold grows, no plant wil. proſper; certainly, where riches bear the bell, no good, no grace will thrive or proſper.and the ſcent of happineſſe. 'Tis true, rich men will have their eating times, and their drinking times, and their trading times, and their ſporting times, and their ſleeping times, & that which is worſe, their ſinning-times, &c. But ah how rare is it to ſee rich men covet after hearing times, and praying times, and reading times, and meditating times, and mourning times, and repenting times, and reforming times: Rich men will have time for every thing, but to honour God, exalt Chriſt, obey the Spirit, love the Saints, attend Ordinances, and ſave their own immortal ſouls. O the time, the thoughts, the ſtrength, the ſpirits that rich men ſpend and conſume upon their riches, whil'ſt their precious ſouls lie a bleeding to p. 216death, and an eternity of miſery is poſting upon them. But

Sixthly, 6Earthly riches commonly load the ſoul with a multitude of cares, fears, griefs, and vexations, which do mightily diſturb the ſoul, diſtract the ſoul, yea, often rack, torture, and torment the ſoul. What if ſuch a friend ſhould be unfaithful to his truſt? what if ſuch a Ship ſhould miſcarry? what if ſuch an one ſhould break, that owes me ſo much? what if my title to ſuch a Lordſhip ſhould not prove good? what if flawes be found in my Evidences for ſuch and ſuch Lands? what if fire ſhould conſume my habitation? what if thiefs ſhould rob me of my treaſure? &c. and what do all theſe what's tend to, but to break a mans heart in a thouſand pieces? But

Seventhly, 7Earthly riches many times are fuel for the greateſt and the groſſeſt ſins; as pride, p. 217oppreſſion, revenge, cruelty, Compare theſe Scriptures together, Pſal. 73.1-13. Deut. 32.15, 16, 17. Jer. 5.7, 8. Hoſ. 13.6. James 5.1. to Verſ. 7.Ps 73:1–13Deut 32:15Deut 32:16Deut 32:17Jer 5:7Jer 5:8Hos 13:6Jas 5:1tyranny, gluttony, drunkenneſſe, wantonneſſe, and all manner of uncleanneſſe and filthineſſe: Riches are a Bawd to thoſe very ſins that require the largeſt ſtock to maintain them. Vices are more coſtly than vertues; vertue obſerves a mean, but vice knowes none; vice is all for extreams, witneſſe the prodigious wickedneſſe of theſe times. But

Eighthly, 8Earthly riches are many times reſerved as witneſſes againſt the rich in the great day of their account, James 5.1, 2, 3. Go to now ye rich men, weep and howl for the miſeries that ſhall come upon you: Your riches are corrupted, and your garments moth-eaten; your gold and ſilver is cankered, and the ruſt of them ſhall be a witneſſe against you, and ſhall eat your fleſh as it were fire; ye have heaped treaſure together for the laſt dayes: The ruſt of the rich mans cankered gold and his moth-eaten apparel ſhall be brought in as dreadful p. 218witneſſes againſt him in the great day. The Poet feigned Pluto to be the God of riches, and of hell too, as if they were inſeparable. By all theſe particulars you ſee how hurtful, how prejudiciall earthly portions often prove to their owners.

O but now God is a portion that will never hurt a man, that will never harm a man, that will never in the leaſt prejudice a man. Among all the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, Heb. 12.22, 23.Heb 12:22Heb 12:23there is not one to be found that will give in his witneſſe againſt this ſweet and bleſſed Truth that I have aſſerted; and among all the Saints on earth you ſhall not finde one, but will with both hands readily ſubſcribe to this glorious Maxime, viz. That God is ſuch a portion, that hath never hurt them, that hath never harm'd them, yea, that he is ſuch a portion that hath done them good all their dayes, and one upon whom they have lived, and by whom they have been maintained ever ſince they hung upon the breaſts. Pſal. 22.9.Ps 22:9Holy p. 219Polycarp hit it, when he ſaid, This ſixty eight years have I ſerved the Lord, and he never did me any hurt; and ſhall I now forſake him? Surely no. But now earthly riches, for the moſt part, do a world of miſchief and hurt to their owners. O the ſouls that earthly riches have pierced thorow and thorow with many ſorrows! O the minds that earthly riches have blinded! O the hearts that earthly riches have hardned! O the conſciences that earthly riches have benummed! O the wills that earthly riches have perverted! O the affections that earthly riches have diſordered! O the lives that earthly riches have corrupted! and O the ſouls that earthly riches have deſtroyed. But

Ninthly and laſtly, Earthly riches, for the moſt part, make men unwilling to die; O how terrible is the King of Terrours to the rich and the great ones of the p. 220world, A great man wrote thus a little before his death, Spes & fortuna velete.1 Sam. 28.20. Dan. 5.1-7. And ſo Henry Beauford, that rich and wretched Cardinal, in the reign of Henry the ſixth, perceiving death at hand, ſpoke thus, Wherefore ſhould I die being ſo rich? if the whole Realm would ſave my life, I am able either by policy to get it, or by riches to buy it; fie, quoth he, will not Death be hired? will money do nothing? It is reported that Queen Elizabeth could not indure ſo much as to hear Death named; Braſmus hit it, when he ſaid, Timor mortis pejor quam ipſa mors.and Siguſmund the Emperour, and Lewis the eleventh, King of France, ſtraitly charged all their ſervants, that when they ſaw them ſick, they ſhould never dare to name that bitter word Death in their ears. Vitellius, an Emperour of Rome, (a notorious glutton, as you may eaſily judge, by his having at one ſupper two thouſand fiſhes, and ſeven thouſand birds) when he could not flie Death, he made himſelf drunk, that he might not be ſenſible of the pangs of Death. 'Twas a very prudent p. 221and Chriſtian ſpeech of Charles the fifth to the Duke of Venice, who when he had ſhewed him the glory of his Princely Palace, and earthly Paradiſe, inſtead of admiring it or him for it, he only returned him this grave and ſerious Memento, Haec ſunt quae faciunt invitos mori, Theſe are the things which make us unwilling to die, &c. And by daily experience we finde that of all men wealthy men are moſt unwilling to die. O but now God is ſuch a portion as fits and diſpoſes the ſoul to die, yea, as makes the ſoul look & long for death, and that makes death more deſireable than life it ſelf. A man that hath God for his portion, that hath God in his armes, may well ſing it out with old Simeon, Lord, Luk. 2.25, 29, 30.Luke 2:25Luke 2:29Luke 2:30let thy ſervant depart in peace, according to thy word, Phil. 1.23.Phil 1:23for mine eyes hath ſeen thy ſalvation; and with Paul, I deſire to be diſſolved, and to be with Chriſt; and with the Church, Make haſt, my beloved, and be thou like a Roe, or to a young Hart upon p. 222the mountain of ſpices, Cant. 8. ult. and, Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly, Rev. 22.20. Did Chriſt die for me, that I might live with him? I will not therefore deſire to live long from him; all men go willingly to ſee him whom they love, and ſhall I be unwilling to die, that I may ſee him whom my ſoul loves? Surely no. Auguſtine longed to die, that he might ſee that head that was once crowned with thorns. The dying words of my young Lord Harrington were theſe, O my God, when ſhall I be with thee? Cyprian could receive the cruelleſt ſentence of death with a Deo gratias; and holy Andrew ſaluted the Croſs on which he was to be crucified, ſaying, Take me from men, and reſtore me to my Maſter: And ſo Lawrence Saunders, when he was come to the ſtake at which he was to be burnt, he kiſſed it, ſaying. Welcome the Croſſe of Chriſt, welcome everlaſting life. But

Twelfthly, 12If God be the Saints portion, O then let the Saints ſtill p. 223think of God, and look upon God under this notion; A man that hath God for his portion ſhould alwayes have very high, noble, ſweet and precious thoughts of God: It becomes not thoſe that have God for their portion to be alwayes looking upon God as an angry God, or as a diſpleaſed Father, or as an incenſed Judge, or as an inraged enemy, or as a bitter friend. When God would make known his Name, his Nature, his Glory to Moſes, Exod. 34.6, 7.Exod 34:6Exod 34:7he proclaimes himſelf to be, The Lord God, merciful, and gracious, long-ſuffering and abundant in goodneſſe and truth, keeping mercies for thouſands, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and ſin. And certainly to keep up ſuch precious thoughts and notions as theſe are of God, is that work of works that lies upon every mans hand that hath God for his portion. O Sirs, there is a very great aptneſſe and proneneſſe, even in thoſe that have God for their portion, to have black, dark, hard, diſmal, and dreadful p. 224thoughts and apprehenſions of God, Pſal. 77. & Pſa 88. Job 3. Pſal. 73.11, 13, 13, 14.Ps 77Ps 88Job 3Ps 73:11Ps 73:13Ps 73:14as you may ſee in Aſaph, Heman, Job, David, &c. By nature we are as full of hard thoughts of God, as hell is full of ſinne: and where the heart is not mightily over-aw'd by the Spirit of God, and over-power'd by the grace of God, there all manner of dark and diſmal apprehenſions of God abounds: Beſides, Satan knows very well, that our corrupt natures are made up of ſad and hard thoughts of God; and therefore he will uſe all his power and craſt to blow up every ſpark (every hard thought of God) into a flame, eſpecially when outward troubles and inward diſtreſles are upon us; what ſayes Satan, Doſt thou think that God loves thee, O Chriſtian, when he deals thus ſharply and ſeverely with thee? doth he pretend kindneſſe to thee, and yet hide his ſace from thee, and ſet thee up as a mark to ſhoot at? how can he be thy friend, who hath caſt thee down at thine enemies p. 225feet, and given thee up into their pawes and jawes? how canſt thou think that he hath any pity and compaſſion towards thee, who makes no better proviſion for thee? what vanity is it to believe that he will give thee a crown, that denies thee a cruſt? and that he will give thee an houſe not made with hands, and yet ſuffer thee to be turned out of houſe and home? and that he will do ſo much for thee in another world, who doth ſo little for thee in this world? &c. And thus Satan takes his opportunities to provoke corrupt nature, & to fill the ſoul with hard thoughts of God. And certainly, that Chriſtian is a very great ſtranger to his own heart, that is not able to ſay from experience, that it is one of the higheſt and hardeſt works in this world to keep up good & gracious thoughts of God, to keep up honourable and noble thoughts of God in a ſuffering condition, or under dark and diſmal diſpenſations. O but p. 226now thoſe that have God for their portion, they ſhould abandon and abhor all hard thoughts of God, yea, how ſevere ſoever the dealings of God are towards them, yet it is their duty and their glory to keep up very ſweet & precious thoughts of God. Pſal. 73.1.Ps 73:1O Sirs, the more choice and honourable thoughts you keep up of God in your own ſouls, the more you will love the Lord, and the more you will delight in the Lord, and the more content and ſatisfaction you will take in the Lord. Such Chriſtians that take a pleaſure to be ſtill a repreſenting of God to themſelves in the moſt hideous, terrible, and amazing ſhapes, they kill their love and their joy, and they create a hell of torments in their own ſouls. Well, Chriſtians, let me put a cluſter of the Grapes of Canaan into your hands at once, and that by telling of you, that the more glorious & bleſſed thoughts you keep up in your ſouls of God, the more ſpiritual, the more frequent, p. 227the more fervent, the more abundant, the more conſtant, and the more unwearied you will be in the work of the Lord, and the more all your graces will be 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 p. 228things 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, 13If 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 onelyonly 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 p. 229ſprings of pleaſure that are at Gods right hand, Pſal. 16. ultPs 16the 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 p. 230it. 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 p. 231come 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 p. 232upon building of Tabernacles, Mat. 17.4. Phil. 1.23.Matt 17:4Phil 1:23then 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, 14If 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, 8.2 Pet 1:52 Pet 1:62 Pet 1:72 Pet 1:8that God is their portion. Next to a mans having God for his portion, 'tis 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 p. 233portion 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. foreign. 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.Heb 10:37expreſs 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 faith of aſſurance to a bluſh, as he will put the faith of expectance to a bluſh; Pſal. 22.26. The meek ſhall eat and be ſatisfied, they ſhall praiſe the Lord that ſeek, him; your heart ſhall live for ever. Firſt or laſt, ſuch as ſeek him ſhall have ſuch an anſwer of their prayers, as ſhall turn their prayers into praiſes, and their petitions into p. 234thanksgivings; Pſal. 84.11. The Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly. God will be an univerſal, all-ſufficient, and ſatisfactory good to them that walk uprightly; the Lord is as full of goodneſs as the Sun is full of light, and he will as freely, and as fully, and as impartially communicate his goodneſſe to them that walk uprightly, Matth. 5.45.Matt 5:45as the Sun doth her light both to the juſt and the unjuſt. As under the name of no good thing will he with-hold, all temporal good things are to be underſtood; ſo under the name of grace all ſpiritual good things are to be underſtood; and under the name of glory all eternal good things are to be underſtood. And now if God will give all ſpiritual and all eternal good things to his people, how can he then but ſooner or later give a cleer and ſatiſfactory evidence into his peoples boſomes, that he is their portion? And not onelyonly expreſs promiſes, p. 235but alſo the graces of the Spirit and the teſtimony of the Spirit confirms the ſame thing; the language of every ſaving grace is this, The Lord is thy portion, O thou believing ſoul; and the language and teſtimony of the Spirit is the ſame, Rom. 8.15. Ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Verſ. 16. The Spirit it ſelf beareth witneſſe with our spirits, that we are the children of God. Shall an inſtinct in nature teach young ones to know their Damms, and ſhall not the Spirit of God by a divine inſtinct teach the Saints to know God to be their God, and to be their portion alſo? Surely yes; though this or that particular Chriſtian may go to his grave without a ſatisfactory evidence in his own boſome, that God is his portion, yet in an ordinary courſe at firſt or laſt God doth give his people ſome aſſurance that he is their portion, yea, rather than they ſhall always live or die without aſſurance of their ſalvation; p. 236and that he is their portion, he will work a miracle to aſſure them of his love.

I have both heard and read of a rare ſtory of Mrs. Honywood a famous profeſſor of the Goſpel, and one that for many years together lay under the burthen of a wounded ſpirit, and was much troubled in mind for want of aſſurance that God was her portion, and that ſhe ſhould be ſaved from wrath to come: at length there came a godly Miniſter to her, who indeavoured to ſettle her faith and hope in Chriſt; and preſſing many Goſpel-promiſes upon her, ſhe took it with a kinde of indignation and anger that he ſhould offer to preſent any promiſes to her, to whom (as ſhe thought) they did not belong; and having a Venice-glaſſe in her hand, ſhe held it up, and ſaid, Speak no more to me of ſalvation, for I ſhall as ſurely be damn'd, as this poor brittle glaſſe ſhall be broke againſt the wall, p. 237throwing it with all her force to break it; but it ſo pleaſed God, that by a miraculous providence the glaſſe was preſerved whole; the Miniſter beholding the miracle, took up the glaſſe, and ſaid unto her, Behold, God muſt work a miracle for you before you will believe: and for ever after that day ſhe had very ſtrong aſſurance of her ſalvation, and that God was her portion, and ſo lived and died in a ſweet and comfortable ſenſe of the love and favour of God.

Now to provoke you to labour with all your might to attain to a clear, perſonal, ſatisfactory evidence in your own boſomes, that God is your portion; do but ſeriouſly conſider and lay to heart the rare and ſingular advantages that will redound to your ſouls by this meanes. I ſhall onelyonly touch upon ſome, by which your ſelves may gueſſe at others.

Firſt, 1By this means your hearts p. 238will come to be fixed, ſetled, and eſtabliſhed: A mans ſoul never comes to be fixed and ſetled, by knowing in the general that God is the Saints portion, but by a perſonal evidence and certainty of knowledge that he is his particular portions whil'ſt a mans particular propriety is unſetled, all is unſetled in his ſoul; but when a mans particular propriety is ſetled, when he can ſay, Pſa. 57.7. Pſ. 108 1. Pſal. 112.7.Ps 57:7Ps 108:1Ps 112:7this God is my God, and the Lord is my portion, then all is ſetled, then all is at peace in the ſoul. A man that hath God for his portion, if he do not know it, will ſtill be like a Ship at ſea in the midſt of a ſtorm, toſt here and there, and now rowling on one ſide, and then on the other, and never quiet, never lying ſtill; but a man that hath God for his portion, and knows it, he is like a Ship in a good Harbour that lies quiet and ſtill, yea, he is like Mount Zion that cannot be removed. But

p. 239Secondly, A clear, 2perſonal evidence that God is a mans portion will rid his ſoul of all ſinful doubts. O Chriſtians, Luke 24.14 15.Luke 24:14now your hearts are as full of doubts, as hell is full of darkneſſe; one day you doubt whether your graces are true, and another day you doubt whether your comforts are true; now you doubt of your Saintſhip, and anon of your Sonſhip, and then of your Heirſhip; ſometimes you doubt of your communion with God, ſometimes you doubt of your acquaintance with God, and ſometimes you doubt of your acceptance with God; one hour you doubt of the favour of God, and the next hour you doubt of your acceſſe to God: And as it is thus with you, ſo it will be thus with you, till you come to have ſome clear ſatisfaction in your own ſpirits, that God is your portion. O Chriſtians, had you but once a perſonal evidence in your own boſomes that God is your portion, all thoſe doubts that are p. 240bred and fed by ignorance and unbelief, and that rob the ſoul of all joy comfort, and content, and that render men Babes in Chriſtianity, and that caſt reproach upon God, Chriſt, and the Promiſes, &c. and that do moſt gratifie and advantage Satan to tempt and try your ſouls, would vaniſh and diſperſe as the Clouds do before the Sun when it ſhines in its brightneſſe: till a Chriſtians eyes be opened to ſee God to be his portion, his heart will be full of doubts and perplexities. John 20.13, 14, 15, 16.John 20:13John 20:14John 20:15John 20:16Though Mary Magdalen was very neer to Chriſt, yet ſhe ſtands ſighing, mourning, and complaining, That they had ſtollen away her Lord. A Chriſtian may have God for his portion, yet till he comes to ſee God to be his portion he will ſpend his dayes in ſighing, mourning, and complaining; O Chriſtians, till you come to ſee God to be your portion, your doubts will lie down with you, and riſe with you; they will talk with you, and walk with you, p. 241till they make your lives a very hell. 'Twas an excellent expreſſion of Luther, The whole Scripture (ſaith he) doth principally aim at this thing, That we ſhould not doubt, but that we ſhould hope, truſt, and believe that God is a merciful, bountiful, and gracious God to his people; And what will bring a mans heart over to anſwer to this bleſſed aime of the Scripture? certainly nothing below an aſſurance, that God is his portion It was a noble reſolution of bleſſed Bradford, who in one of his Epiſtles, ſaith thus, O Lord ſometimes methinks I feel it ſo with me, as if there were no difference between my heart and the hearts of the wicked; my mind is as blind as theirs, and my will as ſtout, ſtubborn, and rebellious as theirs, and my affections as much diſordered as theirs, and my conſcience as much benummed and ſtupified as theirs, and my heart as hard and flintie as theirs, &c. ſhall I therefore conclude, that thou art not my father? nay, I will rather reaſon otherwiſe (ſaith he) I do p. 242believe thou art my Father, I will come unto thee, that thou mayeſt enlighten this blind mind of mine, and bend and bow this ſtout and ſtubborn will of mine, and that thou mayeſt put order into theſe diſordered affections of mine, and that thou mayeſt put life and quickneſſe into this ſtupified and benummed conſcience of mine, and that thou mayeſt put ſoftneſſe and tenderneſſe into this hard and ſlitie heart of mine: And thus he nobly reaſoned himſelf, and believed himſelf out of all his fears and doubts. There is no ſuch way for a man to be rid of all his doubts, as to live in the ſight and faith of this truth, that God is his portion.

Plutarch reports of one; who would not be reſolved of his doubts, becauſe he would not loſe the pleaſure in ſeeking for reſolution, like to him that would not have his Phyſician to quench the thirſt he felt in his Ague, becauſe he would not loſe the pleaſure of drinking; and like thoſe that would not be freed from their ſins, p. 243becauſe they would not loſe the pleaſure of ſinning: But I hope better things of all thoſe that have God for their portion, than to find them in love with their doubts, or to be unwilling to be rid of their doubts. Next to a mans going to hell, it is one of the greateſt afflictions in the world for a man alwayes to live in doubts about his going to heaven; Next to damnation it is one of the greateſt troubles that can attend a Chriſtian to be alwayes exerciſed and perplexed with doubts about his ſalvation; Next to being damn'd, 'tis the hell of hells to live in continual fears of damnation: Now the onelyonly way to prevent all this, is to know that God is your portion. But

Thirdly, A clear, 3perſonal evidence, that God is a mans portion, will exceedingly ſweeten all the croſſes, loſſes, and changes that ſhall attend him in this world. Habakkuk knew that God was the God of his ſalvation, and that he p. 244was his po…tion, and therefore he rejoyces though the Fig-tree did not bloſſome, Hab. 3.17, 18.Hab 3:17Hab 3:18and though there were no fruit in the vines, and though the labour of the olive did fail, and the fields did yield no meat, and the ſtocks were cut off from the fold, and there were no herd in the ſtalls: And the ſame noble temper was upon thoſe Worthies, in Heb. 10.34. They took joyfully the ſpoiling of their goods, knowing in themſelves that they had in heaven a better and an induring ſubſtance; they took joyfully the ſpoiling of their earthly portions being well aſſured in their own ſouls that they ſhould enjoy an heavenly portion, 1 Cor. 5.6. to her 2.1 Cor 5:6an everlaſting portion. And ſo the Apoſtles knew that they had an houſe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; and this carried them bravely thorow honour and diſhonour, thorow evil report and good report, and thorow all weakneſſes, ſickneſſes, diſtreſſes, wants, dangers, and death; and this made their heavy afflictions light, 2 Cor. 4.16, 17, 18.2 Cor 4:162 Cor 4:172 Cor 4:18and their long afflictions ſhort, and p. 245their bitter afflictions ſweet; this was that tree which being caſt in the waters of Marah made them ſweet; Exod. 15.23, 24, 25.Exod 15:23Exod 15:24Exod 15:25and this was that that did unſting all their croſſes, loſſes and reproaches, and that made them rejoyce and ſing under thoſe very burthens and trials that would have broke the necks, backs, Acts 5. & Ch. 16.Acts 5and hearts of others. When a man hath a clear perſonal evidence that God is his portion, then no outward changes will make any conſiderable change in him. Gen. 31.7.Gen 31:7Though Laban had changed Jacobs wages ten times, yet Jacob was Jacob ſtill; let times change, and me… change, and Powers change, and Nations change, yet a man that hath God for his portion, and knows it, will never change his countenance, nor change his Maſter, nor change his ſervice, nor change his work, nor change his way; under all changes he will ſtill be (ſemper idem) alwayes the ſame. Many great and dreadful changes paſt upon Joſeph, Gen. 49.23, 24.Gen 49:23Gen 49:24but yet under all Joſephs bowe abode p. 246in ſtrength. When a man knows that God is his portion, whatever changes may paſſe upon him, yet his bowe will ſtill abide in ſtrength. Marcellus the Pope would not change his name, according to the cuſtome of other Popes, to ſhew his immutability, and that he was no changeling; but how many are there in theſe dayes, who were look't upon as better men, who have changed their names, their notes, their coats, their principles, their practiſes, and all for worldly advantages: theſe changelings that change from better to worſe, and from naught to be very naught, yea ſtark naught, are the worſt and naughtieſt of men, and deſerve to be hang'd in chains; and certainly when the wrath of God breaks forth, Mal. 4.1. Heb. 10.38.Mal 4:1Heb 10:38theſe changelings ſhall be as ſtubble before it: God abhors none as he doth thoſe who run from him to ſerve other lords, and who gad about to change their way, Jer. 2.36, 37. Why gaddest thou about ſo much to p. 247change thy way? thou alſo ſhalt be aſhamed of Egypt, as thou waſt aſhamed of Aſſyria; yea, thou ſhalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head; for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou ſhalt not proſper in them. There is nothing that will keep a man from apoſtacy, and from making a defection from God, his wayes, his worſhip, his glory, &c. like a bleſſed perſwaſion, that God is his portion, 2 Pet. 1.5-11. But

Fourthly, 4A clear perſonal evidence that God is a mans portion will exceedingly raiſe and advance the comfort and joy of a mans heart; 'tis not meerly my having of God for my portion, but 'tis my ſeeing, 'tis my knowing, 'tis my fruition of God as my portion, that is the true ſpring of all delight, comfort, and conſolation. When a mans intereſt in God is clear, then all the precious promiſes will be full wells of ſalvation, and full breaſts of conſolation p. 248ſolation to him, 2 Pet. 1.4. Iſa. 12.3. Ch. 66.11. Without delight the ſoul cannot live; take away all delight, & the ſoul dies, ſaith Auguſtine.2 Pet 1:4Isa 12:3but till then they will be but as dry breaſts, as barren Heaths, as a fruitleſſe Wilderneſſe, and as empty Wells; whil'ſt a man is doubtful whether God be his God, 'tis certain that the ſpring of joy and comfort will run low in his ſoul; whil'ſt a man lives in fear that his title and intereſt is not good, how can he rejoyce? When a mans intereſt in God is clear, then his heaven of joy begins: a man that hath God for his portion, and knows it, cannot but live in a paradiſe of joy, and walk in a paradiſe of joy, and work in a paradiſe of joy, and eat in a paradiſe of joy, and recreate himſelf in a paradiſe of joy, and reſt in a paradiſe of joy; he cannot but have an heaven of joy within him, and an heaven of joy about him, and an heaven of joy over him; all his looks will ſpeak out joy within, and all his words will ſpeak out joy within, and all his works will ſpeak out joy within, and all his wayes will ſpeak out joy within. p. 249I remember a notable ſaying of one, Auguſt. in his Confeſſions.How ſweet was it to me of a ſudden to be without theſe ſweet vanities! and theſe things which I was afraid to loſe, with joy I let go, for thou who art the true and only ſweetneſs, didſt caſt out thoſe from me, and inſtead of them didſt enter in thy ſelf, who art more delightful than all pleaſure, and more clear than all light. When a mans intereſt in God is clear, Joh. 16.24John 16:24his joy will be full; when a man is happy, and knows it, he cannot but rejoyce; when a man hath God for his portion, and knows it, all the world cannot hinder the ſtrong conſolations of God from riſing high in his ſoul: Why have the Saints in heaven more joy and delight than the Saints on earth, but becauſe they have a clearer and a fuller knowledge of their intereſt and propriety in God than the others have? The knowledge of a mans propriety in God is the comfort of comforts: propriety makes every comfort a pleaſureable p. 250comfort, a delightful comfort. When a man walks in a fair Meadow, and can write Mine upon it, and into a pleaſant Garden, and can write Mine upon it, and into a fruitful Corn-field, and can write Mine upon it, and into a ſtately Habitation, and can write Mine upon it, and into a rich Myne, and can write Mine upon it, O how doth it pleaſe him? how doth it delight him? how doth it joy and rejoyce him? Of all words this word Meum is the ſweeteſt and the comfortableſt: Ah, when a man can look upon God, and write Meum; when he can look upon God, and ſay, This God is my God for ever and ever; when he can look upon God, and ſay, this God is my portion; when he can look upon God, and ſay with Thomas, John 20.John 20My Lord and my God, how will all the ſprings of joy riſe in his ſoul! O who can but joy to be owner of that God that fills heaven and earth with his fulneſſe? who can but rejoyce to have him p. 251for his portion, in having of whom he hath all things, in having of whom he can want nothing. The ſerious thoughts of our propriety in God will add much ſweet to all our ſweets, yea, it will make every bitter ſweet; when a man ſeriouſly thinks it is my God that cheares me with his preſence, it is my God that ſupports me with his power, it is my God that guides me by his counſel, it is my God that ſupplies me with his goodneſſe, and it is my God that bleſſes all my bleſſings to me; it is my God that afflicts me in love, it is my God that hath broken me in my eſtate, and in my credit, it is my God that hath ſorely viſited ſuch a child, it is my God that hath paſt a ſentence of death upon ſuch a friend, it is my God that hath thus ſtraitned me in my liberty, and it is my God that hath thus caſt me down at my enemies feet, &c. how doth theſe thoughts cheer up the ſpirit of a man, and make every bitter ſweet, and every burthen light unto him.

p. 252A beautiful face is at all times pleaſing to the eye, but then eſpecially when there is joy manifeſted in the countenance; joy in the face puts a new beauty upon a perſon, and makes that which before was beautiful to be exceeding beautiful, it puts a luſtre upon beauty; and ſo doth holy joy put a divine beauty and luſtre upon all the wayes of God, and upon all the people of God; and therefore it highly concerns all Chriſtians, as they would have an heavenly beauty, luſtre, and glory upon them, to rejoyce, and that they may rejoyce, it doth as highly concern them to know their intereſt and propriety in God. But

Fifthly, 5A clear perſonal evidence that God is a mans portion will very much raiſe him in his communion with God, and exceedingly ſweeten his fellowſhip with God; 1 John 1.1, 2, 3, 4. 2 Cor. 13.14 Mans ſummum bonum ſtands in his communion with God, as Scripture and experience evidences. Pſal. 144.15 My God and I am good company, ſaid famous Dr. Sibs.1 John 1:11 John 1:21 John 1:31 John 1:42 Cor 13:14Ps 144:15there are to Chriſtians on earth that have ſuch high, ſuch choice, ſuch free, ſuch full, ſuch p. 253ſweet, and ſuch uninterrupted communion with God, as thoſe that have a clear ſight of their intereſt and propriety in God. The Spouſe in that Book of Solomons Song, again, and again, and again ſings and ſounds out her propriety and intereſt in Chriſt, Cant. 2.16. My beloved is mine, and I am his: Cant. 6.3. I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine: Cant. 7.10. I am my beloveds, and his deſire is towards me. Now mark, how doth the ſenſe of this her propriety in Chriſt work? why it works very highly, very ſtrongly, very inflamingly, very affectionately; Cant. 1.2, 3, 4. Let him kiſſe me with the kiſſes of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine: Becauſe of the ſavour of thy good ointments, thy Name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the Virgins love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee: the King hath brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoyce in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. Verſ. 13. A bundle of myrrhe is p. 254my beloved unto me; he ſhall lie all night betwixt my breaſts. Chap. 2.3, 4, 5, 6. As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, ſo is my beloved among the ſons, I ſate down under his ſhadow with great delight, and his fruit was ſweet unto my taſte: He brought me to the Banqueting-houſe, and his Banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am ſick of love: His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth imbrace me. And Chap. 7.5. The King is held in the galleries. The Spouſe had a clear ſight and a deep ſenſe of her intereſt and propriety in Chriſt, and O how high, how cloſe, how full, how ſweet is ſhe in her communion and fellowſhip with Chriſt! 'tis the ſight and ſenſe of propriety and intereſt that heightens and ſweetens that communion that is between husband and wife, father and child, brother and ſiſter, and friend and friend, ſo 'tis the ſight and ſenſe of a mans propriety and intereſt in God that heightens and ſweetens his communion and p. 255fellowſhip with God. A clear ſight of a mans intereſt and propriety in God will exceedingly ſweeten every thought of God, Pſal. 139.17, 18.Ps 139:17Ps 139:18and every appearance of God, and every taſte of God, and every ſmile of God, and every communication of God, and every ordinance of God, and every work of God, and every way of God; yea, it will ſweeten every rod that is in the hand of God, and every wrinkle that is in the face of God; a man that ſees his intereſt in God will hang upon him, and truſt in him, though he ſhould write never ſuch bitter things againſt him, and though he ſhould deal never ſo ſeverely with him, yea, though he ſhould ſlay him, as you may ſee in Job 13.15. He hit it, who ſaid, A man whoſe ſoul is converſant with God ſhall finde more pleaſure in the Deſart and in death, than in the Palace of a Prince. Adam in vit. Regii, p. 78.Ʋrbanus Regius having one dayes converſe with Luther, ſaid, It was one of the ſweeteſt dayes that ever he had in all his p. 256life: But if one dayes communion with Luther was ſo ſweet; O how ſweet muſt one dayes communion with God be! and therefore as ever you would have high, and full, and ſweet communion with God, keep up a clear ſight, a bleſſed ſenſe of your intereſt and propriety in God. But

Sixthly, 6A clear perſonal evidence that God is a mans portion is a mans all in all. O Sirs, this is the life of your lives, and the life of your prayers, and the life of your praiſes, and the life of your confidences, and the life of your mercies, and the life of your comforts, and the life of your hopes, &c. A clear ſight of your propriety in God is the very life of promiſes, the life of Ordinances, the life of Providences, the life of experiences, and the life of your gracious evidences; it is a pearl of price, it is your Paradiſe, it is Manna in a wilderneſſe, it is water out of a Rock, it is a cloud by day, p. 257and a pillar of fire by night; it is Jacobs ladder, it is a ſalve for every ſore, it is phyſick for every diſeaſe, it is a remedy againſt every malady, it is an anchor at Sea, and a ſhield on ſhore, it is a ſtar to guide you, a ſtaff to ſupport you, a ſword to defend you, a Pavilion to hide you, a fire to warm you, a banquet to refreſh you, a City of refuge to ſecure you, and a Cordial to cheer you; and what would you have more? But

Seventhly and laſtly, A clear perſonal evidence that God is a mans portion will exceedingly ſweeten the thoughts of death, 7and all the approaches of death, and all the warnings and forerunners of death unto him; it will make a man look upon his laſt day as his beſt day, Eccleſ. 7.1. Job 18.14.Eccl 7:1Job 18:14it will make a man look upon the King of terrours as the King of deſires, it will make a man laugh at the ſhaking of the ſpear at the ſounding of the trumpet, at the confuſed noiſe of the battel, at p. 258garments rowled in blood, at the ſighs and groans of the wounded, and at the heaps of the ſlain. 'Twas the Martyrs clear ſight of their intereſt and propriety in God that made them complement with lions, and dare their perſecutors, and to kiſſe the ſtake, and to ſing and clap their hands in the midſt of the flames, and to tread upon hot burning coals as upon beds of roſes, and divinely to triumph over their tormenters; 'twas this that made the primitive Chriſtians ambitious of Martyrdome, and that made them willingly and cheerfully lay down their lives, that they might Eliah-like mount to heaven in fiery Chariots. A man that ſees his propriety in God, knowes that death ſhall be the Funeral of all his ſins, ſorrows, afflictions, temptations, deſertions, oppoſitions, vexations, oppreſſions, and perſecutions, and he knows that death ſhall be the reſurrection of his hopes, joyes, delights, comforts, and contentments, p. 259and that it ſhall bring him to a more clear, full, perfect, and conſtant enjoyment of God; and this makes him ſweetly and triumphingly to ſing it out, O death, where is thy ſting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Cor. 15.35, 36, 37. and O that theſe ſeven Conſiderations might prevail with all your ſouls to be reſtleſſe, till you have in your own boſomes clear and full ſatisfaction, that God is your portion. Now this laſt Inference leads me by the hand to an uſe of trial and examination. O Sirs, if God be the Saints portion, the believers portion, how highly doth it concern every one that looks upon himſelf, as a Saint, or as a believer, to ſearch, try, and examine whether God be his portion, or no?

But you will ſay, Queſt. how ſhall we know, whether God be our portion, or no? O, were all the world a lump of gold, and in our hands to diſpoſe of, we would give it to know, that God is our portion; O the knowledge of this would be as p. 260life from the dead, it would create an heaven in our hearts on this ſide heaven, it would preſently put us into a paradiſe of pleaſure and delight; but ſtill the queſtion is, how ſhall we know it? 'tis an eaſie thing to ſay, that God is our portion; but how ſhall we come in fallibly to know, that God is our portion?

Now to give clear and full ſatiſfaction to this great and weighty Queſtion, I ſhall give in theſe following Anſwers, by which you may certainly and undoubtedly know, whether God be your portion, or no.

Firſt, 1If God be thy portion, then thou haſt very ſweet, Lord, ſaith Auſtine, the more I meditate on thee, the ſweeter thou art unto me. Hierome calls meditation his paradiſe. And Theophylact calls it the very gate and portal by which we enter into glory. To think is to live, ſaith Cicero.precious, high, and honourable thoughts of God, then thy thoughts will ſtill be running out after God, and thy meditations of him will be ſweet; a p. 261man that hath God for his portion is alwayes beſt, when his thoughts and meditations are running out moſt after God, Pſal. 104.34. My meditation of him ſhall be ſweet, I will be glad in the Lord, Pſal. 63.5, 6. My ſoul ſhall be ſatisfied, as with marrow and fatneſſe, and my mouth ſhall praiſe thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed (or beds, as the Hebrew hath it; David never bedded at home nor abroad, here nor there, but ſtill his thoughts were running out to God) and meditate on thee in the night-watches. Pſal. 139.17, 18. How precious alſo are thy thoughts unto me, O God? how great is the ſum of them? If I ſhould count them, they are more in number than the ſand: when I awake I am ſtill with thee. The Pſalmiſt had very frequent, high, precious, and honourable thoughts of God, he valued nothing at ſo high a rate as ſweet and noble thoughts of God, and of his power, wiſdome, goodneſſe, faithfulneſſe, and g aciouſneſſe, &c. David had ſuch p. 262precious thoughts of God, and ſuch great and glorious thoughts of God, and ſuch infinite and innumerable thoughts of God, that he was as well able to number the ſands of the Sea, as he was able to number them up: And when I awake I was ſtill with thee; He was ſtill a contemplating upon God, he did fall aſleep with precious thoughts of God, and he did awake with precious thoughts of God; he did riſe up with precious thoughts of God, and he did lie down with precious thoughts of God; he did go forth with precious thoughts of God, and he did return home with precious thoughts of God. Take a Chriſtian when he is himſelf, when he is neither under ſad deſertions, nor black temptations, nor great afflictions, and he can as ſoon forget his own and his fathers houſe, the wife of his boſom, the fruit of his loynes, yea, he can as ſoon forget to eat his bread, as he can forget his God.

p. 263When Alexander the Great had overthrown Darius, King of Perſia, he took among the ſpoils a moſt rich Cabinet full of the choiceſt Jewels that were in all the world; upon which there riſe a diſpute before him, to what uſe he ſhould put the Cabinet, and every one having ſpent his judgment according to his fancy, the King himſelf concluded, that he would keep that Cabinet to be a Treaſury to lay up the books of Homer in, which were his greateſt joy and delight. A ſanctified memory is a rich Cabinet full of the choiceſt thoughts of God; Pſa. 25.1. Pſ. 86.4. Pſal. 143.8. Baſil calls meditation the Treaſury, where all graces are locked upPs 25:1Ps 86:4Ps 143:8'tis that rich Treaſury wherein a Chriſtian is ſtill a laying up more and more precious thoughts of God, and more and more high and holy thoughts of God, and more and more honourable and noble thoughts of God, and more and more awful and reverend thoughts of God and more and more ſweet and comfortable thoughts of God, and more and more tender and compaſſionate p. 264paſſionate thoughts of God, &c. Take a Chriſtian in his ordinary courſe, and you ſhall finde that where-ever he is his thoughts are running out after God, and about what ever he is his thoughts are ſtill a running out after God; and into what company ſoever he is caſt whether they are good or bad, yet ſtill his thoughts are running out after God, &c.

Look, as an earthly minded man hath his thoughts and meditations ſtill exerciſed and taken up with the world, as you may ſee in Haman, whoſe heart and thoughts were taken up with his honours, preferments, riches, wife, children, The thoughts and hearts of the people of Conſtantinople were ſo extreamly ſet upon the world and running out after the world, that they were buying and ſelling in their ſhops even three dayes after that the Turks were within the walls of their City, & that was the reaſon that the ſtreets run down with their blood, and the blood of their wives and children.and friends, &c. Eſth. 5.10, 11, 12. Nevertheleſſe Haman refrained himſelf, and when he came home he ſent and called for his friends and Zereſh his wife: And Haman told them of the glory of p. 265his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the King had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the Princes and ſervants of the King: Haman ſaid moreover, yea Eſther the Queen did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet that ſhe had prepared but my ſelf, and to morrow am I invited unto her alſo with the King. And the ſame ſpirit you may ſee working in thoſe that had made Gold their God, in that Pſal, 49.10, 11. For he ſeeth that wiſe men die, likewiſe the fool and the bruitiſh perſon periſh, and leave their wealth to others: Their inward thought is, that their houſes ſhall continue for ever, and their dwelling-places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. The Hebrew runneth thus, Their inwards are their houſes for ever; as if their houſes were get within them; not only the thoughts but the very inmoſt thoughts, the moſt retired thoughts, and receſſes of worldlings ſouls are taken up about earthly things. And though they p. 266care not whether their names are written in heaven, or no, yet they do all they can to propagate and immortalize their names on earth: And the rich fool was one in ſpirit with theſe the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks of, as you may ſee in that Luke 12. v. 16. to v. 22. And he ſpake a parable unto them, ſaying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himſelf, (the Greek word foreign is a marvellous proper word for the purpoſe, it ſignifies to talk with a mans ſelf, or to reaſon with a mans ſelf; this fooliſh worldling was much in talking to himſelf, and in reaſoning with himſelf about his goods and barns, &c. as the uſual manner of men is that are of a worldly ſpirit) ſaying, what ſhall I do, becauſe I have no room where to beſtow my fruits: and he ſaid, this will I do, I will pull down my Barns, and build greater, and there will I beſtow all my fruits and my goods: And I will ſay to my ſoul, Soul, thou haſt much goods laid up for many years, take thine eaſe, p. 267eat, drink, and be merry. Among all his worldly thoughts there is not one thought of God, of Chriſt, of grace, of heaven, of holineſſe, of eternity to be found; his thoughts were ſo taken up with his bags, and his barns, and his buildings, and his eaſe, and his belly, that he had no time to think of providing for another world; and therefore God quickly diſpatches him out of this world, and throws him down from the higheſt pinacle of proſperity and worldly glory into the greateſt gulf of wrath and miſery, v. 20. and this fooliſh worldling puts me in mind of another, who being offered an Horſe by his fellow, upon condition that he would but ſay the Lords prayer, and think upon nothing but God; which proffer being accepted, he began; Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name; But I muſt have the Bridle too, ſaid he: No, nor the Horſe neither, ſaid the other, for thou haſt loſt both already.

p. 268When worldlings ſhould moſt think of God, and be moſt ſtruck with the dread and majeſty of God, and be moſt afflicted and taken up with the glory of God, yet then their thoughts and hearts will be a gadding and a running after the world, as you may ſee in Ezekiels hearers, Ezek. 33.30, 31, 32. and in Pauls, Phil. 3.18, 19. When Queen Mary was dying, ſhe ſaid, that if they did but open her when ſhe was dead, they ſhould find Calice lying at her heart: ah how often doth ſtinking luſts and rotten Towns, and moth-eaten bags, and other trifling vanities lie neer thoſe hearts where God, and Chriſt, and the Spirit, and grace, and Ordinances and Saints, and heaven ſhould lie: Look as the thoughts of the men of the world do mainly run out after the world, after their earthly portions; ſo the thoughts of thoſe that have God for their portion do mainly run out after God, and they are never ſo well as p. 269when they are moſt a thinking and a muſing on God. But

Secondly, 2If God be thy portion, then in all thy ſtraits, trials, Pſal. 28.1. Pſal. 31.2, 3 Pſal. 61.2. Pſa. 62.2, 6, 7. Pſa. 92.15. Pſal. 94.22 Iſa. 32.1, 2.Ps 28:1Ps 31:2Ps 31:3Ps 61:2Ps 62:2Ps 62:6Ps 62:7Ps 92:15Ps 94:22Isa 32:1Isa 32:2troubles, and wants, thou wilt run to thy God, thou wilt fly to the Lord, as to thy onelyonly City of refuge, 1 Sam. 30.6. And David was greatly diſtreſſed, for the people ſpake of ſtoning him, becauſe the ſoul of all the people was grieved (or bitter) every man for his ſons, and for his daughters, but David incouraged himſelf in the Lord his God. When a ſhower of ſtones were coming about Davids ears, he runs and ſhelters himſelf under the wings of his God. Though David was an exile in an heatheniſh Countrey, though Ziglag the place of his habitation was burnt, though he had neither houſe nor home to flee to, though his wives were in his enemies hands, and though his friends and followers were deſperately incenſed, inraged, exaſperated, and provoked againſt him, and took p. 270counſel together about ſtoning of him, looking upon him as the Author of all their croſſes, loſſes, calamities, and miſeries; yet now he comforts and incourages himſelf in the Lord his God, Pſal. 142.4. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me, refuge failed me, no man cared for my ſoul. But what doth the Pſalmiſt do in this caſe? doth he deſpair, or deſpond? no; doth he caſt away his hope and confidence in God? no; why what doth he do then? why when all outward comforts fail him, he runs to God, as to his laſt refuge, v. 5, 6. I cried unto thee, O Lord, I ſaid thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living: Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low, deliver me from my perſecutors, for they are ſtronger than I. He doth not run in his ſtraits from God to the Creatures, for that had been to run from the ſountain of living waters to broken ciſterns, Jer. 2.12, 13 John 6.68 Iſa. 33.16.Jer 2:12Jer 2:13John 6:68Isa 33:16from the light of the San to the light of a farthing candle, p. 271and from the Rock of Ages to a leaf driven about with the wind, and from paradiſe into an howling wilderneſſe, &c. but whether doth he run then? why he runs to God, he knew that God was his light, his life, his love, his peace, his joy, his ſtrength, his ſhelter, his ſafety, his ſecurity, his crown, his glory, and therefore he runs to his God; and indeed in times of danger, whether ſhould the child run to ſhelter himſelf, but to his father? and whether ſhould the wiſe run, but to her husband? and the ſervant, but to his maſter? and the ſouldier, but to his ſtrong hold? and a Chriſtian, but to his God? Prov. 18.10. The Name of the Lord is a ſtrong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is ſafe. Sometimes by the Name of the Lord we are to underſtand God himſelf, but moſt commonly Gods Attributes are called his Name, becauſe by them he is known as a man is by his name; and here by the Name of the Lord we are to underſtand the p. 272power of the Lord, for by that God is known, as men are known by their names. Now God himſelf is a ſtrong tower, and the power of God is a ſtrong tower, yea, 'tis a tower as high as heaven, and as ſtrong as ſtrength it ſelf, 'tis a tower ſo deep no Pioneer can undermine it, ſo thick, no Cannon can pierce it, ſo high, no Ladder can ſcale it, ſo ſtrong, that no enemy can aſſault it, or ever, be able to ſtand before it, and ſo well furniſhed and provided for all purpoſes and intents, that all the powers of darkneſſe can never diſtreſs it, or in the leaſt ſtraiten it. Now to this impregnable and inexpugnable tower the righteous in all their diſtreſſes and dangers run: All creatures run to their refuges when they are hunted and purſued; and ſo do righteous ſouls to theirs; but what doth the righteous man gain, by running to his ſtrong Tower? why he gaines ſafety; he is ſafe, ſaith the Text; or rather according to p. 273the Hebrew **The Hebrew word is from Sagab that ſignifies to exalt, or to ſet aloſtforeign exaltatur, he is exalted, he is ſet aloft, he is a ſoul out of gunſhot, he is a ſoul out of all hazard and danger, he is ſafe in everlaſting armes, he is ſafe in his ſtrong tower of defence, he can eaſily overlook all hazards, yea, he can look upon the greateſt dangers with an holy neglect. And when the burning fiery furnace was heat ſeven times hotter than at firſt, whither doth Shadrach, Meſhech, and Abednego run? why they run to God, Dan. 3.16, 17, 18. Shadrach, Meſhech, and Abednego anſwered, and ſaid to the King, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to anſwer thee in this matter; If it be ſo, our God whom we ſerve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O King: But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not ſerve thy gods, nor worſhip the golden image which thou haſt ſet up: And ſo Moſes in that Pſal. 90.1. Lord, thou haſt been our dwelling-place in all generations; or as the Hebrew hath it, thou p. 274haſt been our refuge place in generation and generation. By this Hebraiſme, generation and generation, the Prophet ſets forth all generations, to ſhew that there hath been no generation wherein God hath not been the refuge of his people: God was a refuge to his people before the Flood, and he hath been a refuge ſince the Flood, & he will be a refuge to his people, whil'ſt he hath a people in the world. All the time that Moſes and the people of Iſrael were a travelling up and down in that terrible howling wilderneſſe, wherein they were compaſſed 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 p. 275threatened 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. 'Twas 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 p. 276Lord, 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.