The Best Acquaintance and Highest Honor of Christians, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of Converſe with God, and wherein it conſiſts.
NOw this converſe and familiarity with God, ſo far as it is to be managed and carried on by us, conſiſts in theſe ſeven particulars.
Firſt. In a frequent and daily viſiting of God. Friends and Acquaintance, you know they do often viſit one another, and that is the way to get and keep acquaintance: ſo ſhould we often viſit God. Firſt, By ſhort and ejaculatory prayers. Secondly, By ſet and ſolemn prayers every day, morning and evening.
And we muſt look upon this, not as matter of courteſie but of duty. It was anciently a cuſtom among the Romans, that the meaner ſort of people among them, did conſtantly go every morning to the houſe of ſome or other of the Senators or chief men of Rome, whom they had choſen for their patron, and ſolemnly ſalute him;Alex. ab Alex. li. 5. c. 24. and this the great man looked for from his clients as their duty, and this the poor people looked upon as their concernment and advantage, this being the means to retain him ſtil for their friend and patron. I find alſo, that among the ſame Romans it was a cuſtom in the families of great Perſons, that all the Children and ſervants of the family ſhould every morning come in a body together into the preſence of the Lord, and Maſter of the family, and give him a ſolemn Salve, and every evening make their appearance together again before him, and give him a ſolemn Vale: God is that Sovereign Lord and Father, of whom the whole family of heaven and earth is named, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks; ſhould not therefore all his Children, all his Servants, and all his Friends viſit him and ſalute him morning and evening with their prayers? There are ſome indeed that never viſit God but when they are in extremities, like thoſe, Iſa. 26.16. Lord, in trouble they have viſited thee.
A Second thing in which this converſe with God conſiſts, is in a being much in the preſence and company of God. Friends and acquaintance, you know, they do not only viſit one another,Ne valeam ſi non totis Deciane, diebus. Et tecum totis noctibus eſſe velim Martial. but they ſtay ſome while each with other, they cannot content themſelves with ſhort viſits, with a how do you, and no more; but they love to be in the preſence and company of one another, and if it were poſſible, and if their other neceſſary occaſions would permit it, they would never part, they would be together al the day long. So it is here in this converſe with God; there is not only a viſiting of God frequently and daily, every morning and every evening, but there is an abiding in the preſence of God. What is that? Why there is a twofold preſence of God. There is a general preſence of God whereby we are preſent unto God,Pſal. 139.7. God ſeeing and beholding us, and this is no more than is common to all the creatures upon earth, yea to the devils and damned in hell: and there is a ſpecial preſence of God, whereby God is preſent unto us, and we do in the ſecret of our ſouls apprehend him as really preſent to us, as if we ſaw him with our eyes. Of this David ſpeaks, Pſal. 16.8. I have ſet the Lord alwayes before me. Now it is this preſence of God in which this Converſe with God conſiſts, when the Soul doth apprehend in it ſelf that God is preſent with him, and ſet himſelf as in the preſence of God, this is a piece of the Souls converſe with God. To be, as we alwayes are, in the general preſence of God, without the ſpecial apprehenſions of his preſence, is rather a hinderance to converſe and acquaintance with God, than any thing elſe. If the beſt friend I have in the world ſhould come into the room where I were, and paſs too and again by me, and ſtand right before me, all the day long, I ſhould be ſo buſie in talking with other men, about other matters, that I ſhould not regard him, nor take any notice of him, and this one day after another; this were the way rather to break off the intercourſe and acquaintance that is between us, than to continue it: So here, wherever we are, God is preſent with us, before us, behind us, round about us; if our heads and hearts be ſo taken up with the world, and luſts and vanities, that we mind not God, though preſent, nor take no notice of him, this is the way rather to loſe than to gain acquaintance with God. If therefore we would converſe with God, we muſt take notice of, and acknowledge the preſence of God. Firſt, by a frequent and actual remembrance of him, and lifting up our thoughts and deſires to him. Secondly, by a reverent demeanour of our ſelves continually, as before him. This is that the holy Ghoſt calls for. In all thy wayes acknowledge him. Prov. 3.6. chap. 23.17.And, Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. And this, they that have any acquaintance with God deſire to be, and do, to acknowledge God in all their wayes, to be in the thoughts of God, and in the apprehenſions and breathings after God all the day long, and it is their grief that they can be ſo no more, and they can at at leaſt ſay with David, That the thoughts of God are precious to them, Pſal. 139.17.as the preſence of an intimate friend is precious unto us, and it grieves us that we can have no more of it. Beſides this, there is a ſolemn preſence of God in his Ordinances, in regard of which, they which attend theſe Ordinances are ſaid to appear before God, and to ſtand in the preſence of the Lord. And God hath appointed ſet and ſolemn times for all that are or would be acquainted with him, thus to appear before him, and to ſtand in his preſence, and in our ſo doing conſiſts a great part of our acquaintance with God.
A third thing wherein this Converſe with God ſtands, is in our improving God, and our intereſt in him, and acquaintance with him. If I have one that is my intimate friend & acquaintance, this is the benefit I have by it, I have one now into whoſe boſom I can intruſt all my ſecrets, and eaſe all my griefs and troubles, I have one with whom I can conſult in all my difficult and weighty affairs, with whom I may make bold in all my wants and exigencies; ſo I neither can, nor will do, with another that is a ſtranger, and none of my acquaintance. True friendſhip and acquaintance ſtands not in bare words and complemental viſits, but in real communication of offices and benefits: ſo here, converſe and acquaintance with God ſtands in our improving God, and our intereſt in him, ſo as to acquaint him with all our ſecrets, ſo as to impart unto him all our griefs and fears, ſo as to relie upon him to guide us in all our wayes, and to ſupply all our wants. This God looks we ſhould do, and takes it unkindly when we do otherwiſe: as a true friend that is willing and able to help his friend, takes it unkindly if he go to any other, thinks himſelf either diſtruſted or ſlighted, and it is almoſt a matter of falling out between them; ſo God takes it unkindly, when we in our wants, or fears, or ſtreights, in any kind whatſoever, go to any creature in heaven or earth, but only to him; God even falls out with us upon it. What ſaith he?2 Kings 1.3. Is it not becauſe there is not a God in Iſrael, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
A fourth thing wherein this converſe and acquaintance with God conſiſts, is in our compliance with God. Among men you ſee, he that would have acquaintance, and keep acquaintance with one, eſpecially that is his ſuperiour, he muſt ſtudy compliance, he muſt be careful to accommodate himſelf to the genius and diſpoſition of the other, and be as it were transformed and moulded into his very image. Amicus alter idem. So it is here, this converſe with God conſiſts in a complying with God. Therefore, as I ſaid before, the Tigurine tranſlation renders the word. Accommoda te illi. Accommodate thy ſelf to him. There can be no converſe, no acquaintance with God, unleſs we reſign and accommodate our ſelves to him, and comply with him in all things. Ais aio. Negas nego. To ſay as God ſaith, to like what he likes, to diſlike what he diſlikes, to love what he loves, and to hate what he hates; this is the way to converſe and acquaintance with God.
A fifth thing wherein this converſe and acquaintance with God conſiſts, is in a wiſe obſerving his goings towards us, and his dealings with us, and in a thankful acknowledging even the leaſt of his favours and courteſies beſtowed upon us. Thus we deal with men, there is none of us all, but if a friend of ours ſend us but a ſmall token, or do us a ſmall courteſie, we think our ſelves ingaged in point of common humanity, to take notice of it, and thank him for it; that is common between friends, and that is the way to continue friendſhip: O that we could be as punctual, and as exact with God this way, as we are with men; but who is there that doth not receive many more mercies from God, than he takes notice of, or acknowledgeth with thankfulneſs?
A ſixth thing wherein this acquaintance with God lyes, is in our being acquainted with Gods ſecrets. According to that of the Pſalmiſt, The ſecret of the Lord is with them that fear him. And,Pſal. 25.14. Prov. 3.32. His ſecret is with the righteous. Not that the moſt intimate of Gods acquaintance know all Gods ſecrets. No, there are ſome that are Arcana inſcrutabilia, but they know more of Gods ſecrets, than any other in the world do. And there are ſome ſecrets that they may without any offence deſire God to make known unto them, as the ſecret counſel of God in their Election, and the writing of their names in heaven, before the foundations of the world were laid. This is a ſecret that God imparts to none but his ſpecial friends. And this, all that are of Gods acquaintance, may boldly beg of God to have imparted to them.
A ſeventh thing wherein this converſe and acquaintance with God conſiſts, is in God's viſiting us, and our entertaining of theſe viſits. It is a great favour and honour that God doth us, that he will give us leave to viſit him with our prayers and ſupplications, but that he ſhould condeſcend ſo low as to come and viſit us; this is a greater favour and honour. For the King to come to a private mans houſe, and give him a friendly viſit, is more than to give him leave to come to Court, and preſent his petition; that is as it were, a common courteſie in reſpect of the other. Now what kind of things theſe viſits are, I cannot explain unto you, they are things, in a manner, unutterable, and if I could ſpeak of them never ſo diſtinctly and clearly, you that have not had experience of them, could never underſtand what I mean; and you that have experience, know more already of them, than either you or I can expreſs. But all they that have acquaintance with God, do highly prize theſe viſits, and therefore firſt do earneſtly ſollicite God that he would pleaſe to beſtow a viſit upon them, thinking long for it, and ſaying with David, Pſal. 101.2.Oh when wilt thou come unto me? Secondly, If God pleaſe to honour them with a viſit, they entertain it with greateſt thankfulneſs, and rejoycing. One viſit from God, doth them more good than an hundred other bleſſings beſtowed by God upon them. When Mary the Mother of our Lord went to give her Cozen Elizabeth a viſit, ſhe was ſo affected with the honour, that not only her heart in her belly, but the Babe in her womb leaped for joy. And whence is this, ſaith ſhe, that the Mother of my Lord ſhould come to me? Luke 1.43.44.for as ſoon as the voice of thy ſalvation ſounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. O then, when the Lord himſelf, the Lord of life and glory ſhall pleaſe to come and viſit a poor ſinful ſoul, what joy, what triumph will there be? what crying out! as Mr. Glover, when he was going to the ſtake to burnt, O Auſtine, he is come, he is come! What admiration! crying out with Elizabeth, Whence is this that my Lord ſhould come to me!
Thus I have ſhewed you what this acquaintance with God is, and wherein it conſiſts. And when I ſay, the great concernment of every man is to acquaint himſelf with God, the meaning of it is this: That it greatly concerns every one of us to labour to know God, and that not only with a knowledge of notion and ſpeculation, but with a knowledge of faith and experience; as alſo, to get our peace made with God, and then to converſe familiarly with him; and to that end, 1. To viſit him often with our prayers. 2. To be frequently in his preſence. 3. To improve our intereſt in him upon all occaſions. 4. To comply with him, framing our hearts and wayes according to his will in all things. 5. To obſerve and give him thanks for all his favours. To beg, 6. That he would acquaint us with his ſecrets. And 7. Honour us with his viſits. And this is to acquaint our ſelves with God.