A Discourse of the Two Covenants, Book 3 · Chapter 5 · Section 1

A Discourse of the Two Covenants · Book 3 · Chapter 5 · Section 1

p. 343SECT. I. The Alſufficience of God as made over to the Saints explicated and demonſtrated.

§. 1. HAving ſpoken thus far of the great Promiſe of the new Covenant, which is called anima foederis, the ſoul of the Covenant, by Pareus; and Muſc. calls it foederis caput, the head of the Covenant, unto which all the other promiſes are ſubordinate, even the gift of Chriſt himſelf is but to bring us to God, and that our faith and hope might be in God; and though we have formerly ſeen, that in this promiſe all the Attributes of the Divine Nature are made over unto the Saints, and what we have further to ſay might be included under that head: yet to be a God I find in Scripture doth in a ſpecial manner point us unto two things: (1) To be a God notes one that has an alſufficiency unto his own Being and bleſſedneſs, and an alſufficience to the Being and the bleſſedneſs of all the creatures. (2) It notes him to have a Soveraignty and Dominion over all the creatures, which are but the works of his hands: the firſt they take from Gen. 17.1. I am God alſufficient, and I will make a covenant between thee and me, and the terms of that Covenant on Gods part are, I will be a God to thee, and thy ſeed after thee; that as I am a God alſufficient, ſo I will be thy God, thy God in my alſufficiency: and the other they do commonly take from that place Rom. 9.5. God over all bleſſed for evermore; ſo that he that is God is over all: as the firſt notes the Sufficiency, ſo the other notes the Soveraignty of God.

1. I am God alſufficient, Gen. 17.1. I will in my alſufficiency be thy God;Gen. 17.1.Gen 17:1 the word is foreign Shaddai, which has a double notation or derivation amongſt Interpreters; ſome derive it from foreign, which ſignifies vaſtavit, ſpoliavit, he hath deſtroyed, and ſo it ſignifies the omnipotent one, that is able to deſtroy all things; as he made all things of nothing, ſo he is able to reduce them unto their firſt nothing; and according to this derivation the LXX. render it ſometimes foreign, Eſa. 13.6. Joel 1.15. It ſhall come as deſtruction from the Almighty; and ſometimes it is foreign, he that made all things, Job 8.3. Doth the Almighty pervert judgment? And ſome of the Rabbins conceive that he adds this unto it, à vaſtatione mundi in diluvio, &c. from the deſtruction of the world by the floud: others derive it from foreign ſufficience; and they ſay it is, qui ſibi & aliis ſufficiens eſt, he that is ſufficient for himſelf and others: and ſo the LXX. render it by foreign,Job 31.2.Job 31:2 and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high, foreign, he that has a ſufficiency in himſelf, and ſo they make it to anſwer unto the word foreign, ſelf-ſufficient. Theſe and ſome other are the derivations of the word: but I conceive they do all coincidere or fall in with theſe two. (1) Some make it a title only given unto Chriſt as Mediator;Lib. 3. c. 15. ſo doth Pet. Galatinus de arcanis: Nomen hoc divinum propriè ſoli Meſſiae ſit congruum, which he proves from that place Job 3.4. anima Shadai vivificavit me: and he ſaith, the Father has not a ſoul; animam ſolus p. 344Dei Filius habet, the Son of God only hath a ſoul: So Glaſſ. in foreign. pag. 33. which he proves from Gen. 48.16. The Angel Goel that redeemed me from all evil, &c. which though it be a notion that I ſhall not inſiſt on, yet it doth prove the Godhead of Chriſt, having the glorious names of God given to him, as he is called Jehovah our Righteouſneſs, and he is called God, Heb. 1. Thy throne, O God, endures for ever, and Eſa. 9.6. he is called foreign alſo. But (2) we ſhall take it at this time as a term of alſufficiency, and ſo it takes in Gods Omniſcience, and all his other Attributes, I am God alſufficient, and I that am ſo will be thy God in my alſufficiency.

Doct. The Lord who is a God in Covenant with the Saints doth make over himſelf unto them in his Alſufficiency.

In the opening whereof I muſt ſhew, (1) What the alſufficiency of God is, and why he is called Alſufficient, and in what reſpect. (2) That by the Covenant of Grace he makes over himſelf in his Alſufficience unto the Saints, with the grounds thereof. (3) That this Alſufficience belongs unto none but unto his Covenant-people. (4) We muſt deſcend to the Application.

1. What is meant by the Alſufficience of God, or why is God called Alſufficient? A perfect good is an alſufficient good.Ariſt. Ethic. l. 1. c. 7. Now that is a perfect good which ſupplies all a mans wants, and does ſatisfie all his deſires, both in this life, and in the life to come; which only can do it, if enjoyed alone, and without which nothing elſe can, if a man had all the enjoyments of Heaven and of Earth. 1. There is in God enough to ſupply all a mans wants: a man cannot ſtand in need of that bleſſing that is not to be found in the bleſſed God, and that is not only efficiently, as all good things come from him, but formally, as all good things are in him; for he doth make uſe of the ſupport of the creatures, as he doth of all their operations, not to ſupply any defect that is in himſelf, and therefore ſometimes he will make uſe of their aſſiſtance, and ſometimes he will do it without them, to ſhew that they are but inſtruments, and operantur ac ſi non operarentur, and this will appear, Pſal. 84.11. The Lord God is a Sun, there is a double notion of a Sun in Scripture: (1) Ob ſplendorem, foelicitatem ſignificat. (2) Ob aeſtum infoelicitatem, by reaſon of its ſplendour it notes felicity, and by reaſon of its ſcorching, Iſa. 60.19, 20. Rev. 21.23.Isa 60:19Isa 60:20Rev 21:23infelicity: thy Sun ſhall no more go down, for the Lord ſhall be thine everlaſting light: the city ſhall have no need of the light of the Sun, for the glory of God ſhall enlighten it. It is not ſpoken (as ſome would wreſt it) of the Scripture and Ordinances, but it is of all temporal proſperity and felicity, they ſhall have ſuch a ſupply from God immediately, that though they ſhall have abundance, ſuch as never was in the world, yet they ſhall have no need of it, by reaſon of the immediate ſupply that they ſhall have from God himſelf:Amos 8.9.Amos 8:9 and ſo Jer. 15.9. Thy Sun ſhall ſet while it is yet day; I will cauſe thy Sun to ſet at noon day, that is, all thy comforts and thy proſperity ſhall ſuddenly and unexpectedly depart, when you looked for nothing leſs: ſo that by the Sun is meant all happineſs, all comfort, all proſperity; and there needs but one Sun, and when this Sun doth ſhine, there will be no need of the light of the Moon, or the Stars, and he that having God, doth take in any other comfort, it's but Lucernam ad Solem accendere, ſetting up a candle when the Sun doth ſhine: there is enough in him, there needs no more. And this will appear firſt in this life, and that by theſe three demonſtrations. (1) He that hath God, has all things elſe:Rev. 21.7.Rev 21:7 He that overcomes ſhall inherit all things, I will be his God; and it was all the portion that Chriſt looked for and gloried in,Pſal. 16.5.Ps 16:5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup, the lines are fallen to me in a pleaſant place, &c. Mar. 10.30. He ſhall have an hundred-fold more in this preſent time; it cannot be in kind, and therefore cannot be underſtood formally, but eminently, that is, he ſhall have in God the comforts of all theſe, if they were an hundred times, nay if they were a thouſand times multiplied. (2) It will further appear by this, if there were not an alſufficiency in God, he could never give a ſelf-ſufficiency unto the Saints; for they have no ſufficiency in themſelves, 2 Cor. 3.5. We are not ſufficient of our ſelves, as of our ſelves; we have a ſufficiency, but it's not in our ſelves, as of our ſelves, but it is that which we receive by grace, and is by God communicated unto us; but a godly man hath a ſelf-ſufficiency,1 Tim. 6.6.1 Tim 6:6 Godlineſs is great gain, I know how to want, and how to abound, I am inſtructed in all things; yet this is not to be underſtood of ſelf as divided from God, but of ſelf as united to God, he hath his ſufficiency in him alone: now he that can give a man a ſelf-ſufficience, muſt have in him an alſufficience. (3) It will appear, if we conſider the particulars, whatever a man can in this life ſtand in need of, it is all to be had in God, in ſuch a way as a man ſhall not need to go any whither elſe for a ſupply, but unto him alone.

Jer. 2.13.Jer 2:13[1] For Proviſion, he needs none elſe, he is the fountain of living water; for by water all good things are expreſſed that are neceſſary for the ſupport of a mans life, and when we depart from God, we go from the fountain unto the ſtreams, for all is in him, and from him; the creatures are all but ſtreams, and they are ſupplied from him, and therefore it p. 345is far more glorious in him than it is in them, and far more ſweet; and therefore it is well obſerved, that when Chriſt curſed the fig-tree, it withered by the roots, to ſhew, that the growth and greenneſs of it did not depend ſo much upon its own root, as it did upon the bleſſing of God thereupon; and therefore take Moſes for an inſtance, and he lived forty days without food upon the mountain; and ſo did Eliah in the wilderneſs: and if the bread that comes down from Heaven, which is Chriſt, can nouriſh the heart of man, much more the bread that is in Heaven; it is this that is the Angels food, upon him they live, and on him they feed unto Eternity.

[2] For Protection, they need none elſe, but he is a Shield as well as a Sun, Zac. 9.12. Return to your ſtrong hold, there is ſafety enough in one God, they need no other defence but himſelf: it's true, that the Lord doth nouriſh us here by creatures,Pſal. 84.11.Ps 84:11 and he doth protect us by Angels, they pitch their Tents about us, &c. but it is not to ſupply any defect in God, for there is all protection in him, and 'tis in him that the Saints rejoyce, and place their defence: God is the rock of my ſtrength, and my refuge is in God: Pſal. 62.7.Ps 62:7it's taken from the City of refuge when the avenger of blood did purſue. Now I have no City of refuge to fly to, when the danger is eminent, but God alone; and therefore it may be that is meant by the Chambers ſpoken of, Eſa. 26.20. Come my people, enter into your chambers: it is God and the ſeveral hiding-places that be in him,Zac. 2.5. it's the ſecret of his pavilion in which he will hide me: I will be unto Jeruſalem a wall of fire: it's true, that they had no walls, for the City lay waſte, and in its ruines, but there is no wall like to that of fire. There is a ſtory of an Iſland in Lycia, Epheſtion incolae vocant, quam ſine ullo damno ignis innocuus circuit, Sen. epist. 79.regio laeta & herbida, which is encompaſſed about with fire, &c. This is a fit reſemblance of the ſhelter of the Saints in the God of their Salvation, they ſhall have ſalvation for walls and bulwarks, when the reſt of the world are expoſed to the wrath and the judgments of God, which ſhall burn and conſume them.

[3] For Pleaſure and Delight, they need none but in him; God is the Well of life to his people, and ſhall make them to drink of the river of his pleaſure; Pſal. 36.10.9. Job 22.26.Ps 36:10Ps 36:9Job 22:26and therefore the Saints are ſaid to delight themſelves in the Lord; thou ſhalt delight in the Almighty; and to delight themſelves with God is the higheſt ſatisfaction a creature can be capable of; and then God gives us the deſire of our heart, and we are exhorted to rejoyce in the Lord always, Pſal. 37.4.Ps 37:4and there are no delights amongſt the beſt of the creatures that hold any proportion unto thoſe that the ſoul takes in God; O they will ſweeten all the bitterneſs of the creatures! In the multitude of my thoughts thy comforts delight my ſoul: it's true; may a poor ſoul ſay,Pſal. 94.19.Ps 94:19 that I have had great variety of troubleſom thoughts, which have much perplexed me; for there is nothing diſquiets a man ſo as the thoughts of his own heart do: Now there are comforts in God that do delight the ſoul, even then when there are multitude of thoughts that diſquiet it. We are to conſider the delight of the glorious perſons one in another, Prov. 8.30. I was his delight daily; ſo it is with the Saints in God, he is their delight daily, for their portion and their happineſs is laid up in him alone: all pleaſure of the creature is but madneſs out of him; I have ſaid of laughter, Thou art mad; there is more ſweetneſs in the comforts that come into the ſoul by him, than there is in all the creatures in Heaven; and Pſal. 4. Thou haſt put more gladneſs into my heart, than when their corn, and wine, and oyl increaſed. For as there is no compariſon between the ſtrokes of the creatures and of God, when he ſmites immediately, he will be a conſuming fire to the creature; ſo there is no compariſon between the comforts of the creatures, and thoſe which God gives in immediately: and therefore the more it is mixed with any creature comfort, the leſs it influences the ſoul with conſolation; it is like unto Phyſick given in the drug, it has the leſs vigour and ſtrength: how much difference is there between the Spirit's comforting, and the comforts that do come in by meat and drink, &c? what though they that love God have no pleaſure in the world, yet they have joy in God, and it's ſuch a joy as no man can take from them, it is ſuch a joy as a ſtranger cannot meddle withal.

[4] For Glory and Honour. In this world they need none elſe, they ſay to God,Pſal. 3.3. Jer. 2.31.Ps 3:3Jer 2:31 Thou art my glory, and the lifter up of my head: can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? but my people have forgotten me days without number: the Lord was their ornament and their glory; not only their praiſe is of God, but their glory is in God; and therefore they are called The Glory; Ʋpon all the glory there ſhall be a covering; that as Mount Sion is the glory of the Earth, ſo are the children of Sion the glory of the ſons of men, the only glorious ones, the only excellent ones; and becauſe the Lord is their glory in the midſt of them, the glory of the Lord is riſen upon them, Iſa. 4.5.Isa 4:5therefore they are the people that glory in God, and they are a people in whom the Lord doth glory.

[5] They need no Companions but God for matter of communion:Iſa. 60.19. 1 Joh. 1.3.Isa 60:191 John 1:3 their fellowſhip is p. 346with the Father and with the Son Jeſus Chriſt. They are many times deſpiſed in the world, as Chriſt was rejected of men, and caſt out of their ſociety as hateful, when they have caſt out their names as evil; but yet if Abraham go out of his own country, he muſt leave all his own friends,Iſa. 43.2, 3.Isa 43:2Isa 43:3 and go alone, I will be thy God, I will be with thee, when thou goeſt through the fire I will be with thee; yet ſometimes thou muſt go in untrodden paths and alone, but I will be with thee; ſo ſays Chriſt, Ye ſhall be ſcattered every one to his own, and leave me alone, yet I am not alone, but the Father that ſent me is with me; ſo the Saints they may be ſcattered from their friends, and forſaken by them, but they are not alone, God is with them and his Son and Spirit to entertain them. The three Children in the fiery Furnace needed no other Comforter than the fourth man, who was like unto the Son of God. When they were in the Mount with Chriſt, they ſay, It is good to be here; when a man hath been with Moſes in the Mount, and for ſome time converſed with God, he would never chuſe to come down to converſe with men any more, for he knows not how to converſe with them again, their ſociety is not ſet by, but the wiſeſt company in the world is to him unſavory and unprofitable; a man that hath taſted old wine he deſires not new, but ſays the old is better.

[6] He needs no other Pattern or Example: Eph. 5.1. Be you imitators of God, as dear children; be you holy as he is holy, and merciful as he is merciful. It's true, there are other patterns that he takes notice of, even the Saints of God, that make it their buſineſs to walk as God would have them walk; as the Apoſtle ſays, Be ye followers of us, and walk ſo as you have us for an example: We are to look upon Chriſt as the pattern of Holineſs, as having left us a copy for us to write after; but all theſe are but to lead us to the Original of all Holineſs, and that is in God; that in theſe glaſſes we beholding the glory of the Lord, may be thereby both in heart and ways transformed into the ſame image from glory to glory,2 Cor. 3.18.2 Cor 3:18 as by the Spirit of the Lord; and the truth is, the more immediately a man reads in God the rules of duty, the more immediately he fetches from God his motives unto duty; and the more perfectly any lays up his comforts in God, the more ſelf-ſufficient that ſoul is, and the more he doth partake of the alſufficiency of God, and that man is the happy man that hath his Heaven ſo far begun in this life, that as far as may be all his comforts concenter in the Lord.

[7] He looks for the reward of all his labours from God, who hath promiſed him to be his exceeding great reward; and this is the great gift that God beſtows upon his precious ones, his reward is himſelf, and the ſoul ſays it is in God alone that he reaps all his wages, and he deſires none other, none other will ſatisfie him; he will not be put off with a Kingdom for a reward, let the Nebuchadnezzars of the world take that for their hire, he hath more high and noble aims than the enjoyment of this worlds goods, which is what Satan who is the god of this world often tempts them with, as he did their Lord and Maſter Jeſus Chriſt, but he can deſpiſe it that hath taken imployment under God, who he knows hath laid up for him an immortal crown and an inheritance amongſt them that are ſanctified; though he may be poor in this world, and without many of the comforts of it, yet he hath Treaſure in Heaven laid up for him.

[8] It is God alone that ſatisfies his deſires; he ſhall never thirſt: it's true, there will be always thirſting for more of the ſame kind, My ſoul thirſts after God, even for the living God; and ſo, Bleſſed are they that hunger and thirſt for him; but for any thing of any other kind he deſires not, there is that ſatisfaction in God, that there is no room left for deſires: which is not ſo with any thing here, if a man have never ſo much of the creature, never ſo full ſatisfaction now, yet he will thirſt again; yea there is that evil in the ſatisfaction of it, that it will increaſe the thirſt, Deut. 29.19. It is adding drunkenneſs to thirſt; but this doth allay a mans thirſt for ever, for there is in the man a well of water ſpringing up to everlaſting life:Jer. 31.14.Jer 31:14 Jer. 31.14. I will ſatiate the ſoul of the Prieſt, and my people ſhall be ſatisfied with goodneſs; there are two words uſed, one is foreign which ſignifies to be ſatisfied even to drunkenneſs, in exceſs, as ſhe did, Prov. 7.18. Come let us take our fill of love; it is the word that is uſed of Noah, Gen. 9.Gen 9He was drunken and uncovered in the Tent; and the other word is foreign which ſignifies to be filled even to wearineſs and loathing, Eſa. 1.11. I am full of the fat of well-fed beaſts; it is ſuch a fulneſs and abundance, that the ſoul cannot deſire any more, there is ſuch an abundance to be found in God, not only to ſupply our wants, but to ſatiate our deſires, that if we could extend them to the utmoſt, and as it is ſaid of fear, Pſal. 90.11. Extend your fear to the utmoſt, ſo it's true of deſire alſo, extend it to the utmoſt, there is ſomething that will fill it ſtill and exceed it; for God ſays, Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it, which none can do but God alone; there is ſuch a ſatisfaction in God, that the ſoul can deſire no more for ever, Pſal. 73.25. Whom have I in heaven but thee, and I deſire nothing on earth in compariſon of thee: having the Lord, the ſoul ſaith there is no place for deſires.

p. 3472. As it is true in this life, ſo it is much more true in the life to come, when God ſhall be all in all immediately, and a man ſhall look upon his parting with the choiceſt contentments, as his happineſs, they were, non in praemium, but in ſolatium, and now having done their work, I gladly part with them as this worlds goods; and therefore it is,Cùm mundus undi que exarſerit, cogitat ſe nihil habere de tanta mole perdendum. Sen. quaeſt. nat. l. 2. q. 697. being uncloathed, the ſoul ſeems loth to put on any earthly covering again, and the enjoying all more immediately in God, he doth rejoyce in it, and is ſatisfied with thy likeneſs, O God, Pſal. 17.15. he that did with joy ſell all to buy the Pearl, ſurely will with greater joy leave all to poſſeſs the Pearl.

§. 2. This A ſufficiency of God is by Covenant made over unto the Saints: he is their God as alſufficient, and this will appear both by promiſes and by inſtances.

1. By promiſes, Pſal. 84.11. The Lord God is a Sun, and a ſhield, and no good thing will he withhold from them that love him. (1) By Sun is meant all good things, all manner of proſperity, Solis lux proſperitatis nota; ſicut Solis occaſus metaphoricè omnes calamitates ſignificat, The light of the Sun is a note of proſperity, as the ſetting thereof notes all adverſity, &c. Gloſſ. Rhet. pag. 225. See it alſo in Eſa. 60.20. Thy Sun ſhall go down no more: it notes a conſtant and a laſting proſperity, a continuing, glorious condition: Eſa. 30.26. The light of the Moon ſhall be as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun ſevenfold: it notes not only a great increaſe of ſpiritual light in the Church, but alſo great ſpiritual felicity; Sed magnam foelicitatem ſpiritualem metaphoricè ſignificat, &c.and on the contrary, when he ſpeaks of the going away of all proſperity, he ſays, Amos 8.9. Their Sun ſhall go down at noon, as you have already heard. (2) What is meant by a Shield? by it is meant all manner of defence and ſafeguard, be the danger what it will be, Pſal. 3.4. and 18.3. and it is not that he will provide all this, but he will be all things to his people, and there is no good thing that he will withhold or keep back from them that walk in their uprightneſs; it is being upright is the condition of the Covenant,Gen. 17.2.Gen 17:2 and ſo it is as much as to ſay unto perſons in Covenant, he will withhold no good, all good things ſhall have their free courſe and their full paſſage, there ſhall be no reſtraint upon any good thing unto ſuch a one; to other men indeed mercies and good things have not their free paſſage, ceſſat gratiarum decurſus, the Lord gives them ſome good things, the dew of Heaven and the fatneſs of the Earth, and plenty of corn and wine, &c. but there are ſome good things that the Lord withholds, for ſo the word foreign ſignifies, and they do not run out unto men with a full ſtream; but this is the portion of thoſe that are in Covenant, they that walk uprightly: Pſal. 34.10. The young lions do want, and ſuffer hunger; Pſal. 34.10. Job 4.11.Ps 34:10Job 4:11the old Lion may periſh for lack of prey, being not able any more to hunt for a prey, but the young Lion hath the greateſt ability to make proviſion for himſelf; and therefore it's ſtrange that they ſhould want any thing either for their hunger or humour. Now what is meant by theſe young Lions? (1) Wicked Rulers, or men of the greateſt ſtrength and of the higheſt authority; as the Lion is the King of the Beaſts. Take up a lamentation for Pharoz, and ſay, Ezech. 32.2.Ezek 32:2Thou art like a young Lion of the Nations: Prov. 28.15. As a roaring Lion ſo is a wicked Ruler over a poor people; and Paul, 2 Tim. 4.17. I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion: it's ſpoken of Nero. (2) All the great men of the Earth they are compared to Lions for their power; for what is ſtronger than a Lion? a Lion is the ſtrongeſt amongſt the Beaſts;Prov. 30.30.Prov 30:30 and therefore the Devil is compared to a roaring Lion partly for his power, and partly for his cruelty. (3) All the ſubtile Politicians of the Earth that uſe not only their power, but their parts and their policy to oppreſs others; for the Lion is a ſubtile creature, as well as powerful, Ezech. 38.13. The merchants of Tarſhiſh, and all the young Lions thereof, pro negotiatoribus argenteis minis, men that know how to take beaſts for themſelves,Muis. Pſal. 10.9.Ps 10:9 and to make the beſt of their market; He lies in wait ſecretly as a Lion; men that take the opportunity and the fit ſeaſon to bring men to deſtruction, and yet men of the higheſt place, the greateſt power, and the deepeſt policy they ſhall lack, they ſhall be brought to poverty and to want, they ſhall not have wherewith to ſupply themſelves; but they that ſeek the Lord, and fear him, ſhall want no good thing, Who are they you'l ſay? it is a promiſe made only unto the people in Covenant with God, and ſo much doth the expreſſion imply, as Pſal. 24.6. This is the generation of them that ſeek thy face, O Jacob. There is a generation of ſeekers in the world, and in that reſpect the name is honourable, though to be Scepticks in Religion is very hateful; and they that do in this manner ſeek him are the true Jacob, true Iſraelites indeed; many others may and do pretend to the name, to be of the ſame family, and of the poſterity of Jacob, but they only are ſo indeed, that are thoſe that ſeek the face of God: Hoſ. 14.5, 6, 7. He ſhall grow as the lily, Hoſ. 14.5, 6, 7.Hos 14:5Hos 14:6Hos 14:7which is the moſt beautiful of all flowers, Mat. 6.24. Solomon in all his glory was not cloathed like one of theſe; and ſhe ſhall caſt forth her root as Lebanon, that is, as they ſhould have the beauty of the Lily, ſo they ſhould have the ſtability of the Cedar, which is the ſtrongeſt of all Trees, and is leſs ſubject to putrefaction; or that Lebanon, that is, as the goodly p. 348Mountain, that you may as ſoon remove a mountain as the Church of God; and her branches ſhall ſpread; there ſhall be a daily and a wonderful growth in the Church in all the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God, yea and the members thereof alſo, they ſhall thrive and grow from ſtrength to ſtrength; for as wicked men grow, ſo do the Saints alſo:Auſtin. Mundus totus eſt in maligno poſitus propter zizania, ſed Chriſtus eſt propitiatio propter triticum, and their beauty ſhall be as the Olive; there is indeed (as you have heard) a great beauty in the Lily, but it will wither at winter, and it is but a beauty to the eye, for it is but for ſhew, and no more, but it bears no fruit; but the beauty of the Olive is more, there is in it a greenneſs and a fruitfulneſs, it is green at winter, and it bears excellent fruit for light, and for food, and ornament; for it is oyl makes the face to ſhine, &c. they ſmell as Lebanon: it's ſpoken of the ſweetneſs and the acceptation of their graces, ſervices, and perſons; we are in our ſelves, and all that comes from us gall and wormwood, Deut. 29.18. and the Lord will not ſmell in them; Amos 5.21.Amos 5:21but the ſervices of the Saints ſhall be a ſweet ſavour unto God; and again, they that wait on him ſhall dwell under his ſhadow: there ſhall be ſafety and ſecurity in all dangers, for ſo much is intended by a ſhadow; ſo Num. 14.9. They are bread for us, for their defence is departed; the word is foreign their ſhadow is departed from them: and they ſhall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine; though the corn fall into the ground and dye, though it lie under ground under the nipping froſt and the winter ſnow, it will break through all, and revive again, and ſo ſhall the Church of God do in the worſt affliction;Tertullian. as Tertullian ſaith, Omnia pereundo ſervantur, omnia de interitu reformantur, All by periſhing are ſaved, &c. And the Vine doth not only, as other Trees, caſt her leaves, but it is pruned and lopped, as if it ſhould bear no more, but yet it doth ſpring forth and bear fruit more gloriouſly, and brings forth more abundantly; ſo the people of God, the more they are cruſht and kept under, and lopped by perſecution, the more they thrive, and the more fruitful they grow, &c.

Queſt. But how comes all this to paſs? Now he directs the ſoul unto his alſufficiency in two expreſſions.Hoſ. 14.4.Hos 14:4 (1) Hoſ. 14.4. I will be as the dew, the dew is of a heavenly original, and it is the cauſe of all greenneſs, growth, ſavour, and fruitfulneſs that is in things below; now ſaith the Lord, I will ſupply the place, and perform the work of this dew, and ye ſhall find all theſe effects in me. It's true, that you are as the dry and barren earth that has no beauty, no fruitfulneſs, there is no ſavour, no reviving in your performances; but unto all theſe effects I will be alſufficient, I will be as the dew unto thee; the dew doth produce all theſe things in the earth, I will be unto thee inſtead of the dew, and thou ſhalt find all in me. (2) I am a green Fir-tree, that is, as he is ſufficient for their ſpiritual refreſhment, ſo he will be the dew; and as he is ſufficient alſo for their ſpiritual preſervation, in oppoſition unto all other ſhelters and hiding-places whatſoever, ſo he will be the Fir-tree: the Fir-tree is arbor frigida, a cold tree, becauſe of the thickneſs of its boughs, and therefore Druſius renders it frondoſa, and the LXX. foreign, denſam umbram praebens, affording a thick ſhade: and it's known by common experience, that it never caſts its leaves, but yields a perpetual ſhade both winter and ſummer; and ſuch a protection, ſaith the Lord, ſhall my people have in me, I am a green Fir-tree; from me is thy fruit, thou haſt a beauty, a growth, a ſweet ſmell, it is all from me as the dew, and thou doſt bear fruit, it is from me alſo; for though it's true our works are ours, when they are done by us, yet it is he that works in us to will and to do; the duty is ours, but the efficacy is his; and thus is he alſufficient; but unto whom is all this? it is unto none but unto his Covenant people; for it is, I will be as the dew to Iſrael; therefore he has in the promiſe made over his alſufficiency unto his Covenant-people; and upon this ground it is, that being in Covenant with God, is more than all earthly bleſſings from God whatſoever, becauſe it does intitle a man unto God in his alſufficiency,Gen. 17.21.Gen 17:21 I have heard thee for Iſmael, twelves Princes ſhall he beget, and I will make of him a great nation, but my covenant will I eſtabliſh with Iſaac: this is more than all the promiſes that were made unto the ſon of the bond-woman.

2. This will appear by inſtances alſo. There are mainly two: (1) Chriſt himſelf, he had nothing elſe to live upon but the alſufficiency of God; and when he was born he had not a houſe to put his head in, became poor for our ſakes; ſo that it is ſaid by ſome foreign & nihil erit illi, &c. Dan. 9. the Meſſiah ſhall have nothing, it was a wonder to ſee Verbum in fame, qui regit ſidera ſugit ubera, the Word in hunger, &c. but for him that was Heir of all things to have nothing, and for him that was Lord of the world, not ſo much as to have a foot in the world, nay not ſo much of his own as a burying place, which every one doth challenge in the Earth; but he lived upon the alſufficiency of God, Pſal. 16.4, 5. The Lord is my portion, the lines are fallen to me in pleaſant places, I deſire no other portion but this, and 'tis as well as I could wiſh for my ſelf, though I have nothing of the things below. (2) In the Saints; and becauſe their condition in this life is commonly ſet forth p. 349by the ſtate of the people of Iſrael in Egypt, let that be the inſtance to expreſs it unto us; when they were come out of Egypt, they were in a barren and howling wilderneſs, death did a thouſand ways preſent it ſelf to them, and under as many ſhapes; they had neither bread nor water, nor proviſion nor protection, but what they had from God immediately, and yet having God in Covenant they had enough, becauſe they were intereſſed in the alſufficiency of God; and therefore if they want bread, he gives them Manna, and if water, he doth cauſe the Rock to yield it, if protection, if direction, he is a pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night, in alluſion to which the Prophet ſpeaks, Eſa. 4.4, 5. Now we ſhall ſee this ſet forth by Moſes, who was an eye-witneſs of it, and a Leader of the people through the wilderneſs, Deut. 33.27. for their proviſion it's true, that he has a land of corn and wine, and the Heavens drop down dew, but it is from the fountain of Jacob; it's commonly expounded the poſterity of Jacob, and ſo haply it may be underſtood;Qui à Jacobo inſtar fontis perennis ortum ducunt. but there is yet a ſpiritual meaning in it, and ſo Cocceius obſerves: Fons Jacobi dicitur, quòd eſt fons ſalutis, Pſal. 68.27. The fountain of Jacob is the fountain of ſalvation: So that all theſe mercies they had from him that was the Father and the Fountain of mercy, he was the Fountain of Iſrael; and for protection, the eternal God is thy refuge; in danger you need flye to no other Aſylum but to him alone, Eſa. 26.20. Come my people enter into your chambers, and ſhut the door about you, it is the Attributes of God and his alſufficiency that are the chambers into which the Saints are called to hide themſelves; and therefore it is to preſerve them from dangers, that if they fall at any time, they may never fall to the ground; for under them are the everlaſting arms, which notes two things: (1) Potentiae ſuſtentationem, ſuſtentation by his power. (2) Gratiae amplexum, the embracement of his grace: he doth carry them in his arms, and though they fall, yet ſtill his arms are under them: and who is this that is in this manner all unto them? it is he that is alſufficient, he that is thy God in Covenant, the God of Jeſhuron for a habitation, they and thy fathers wandred up and down, having no ſetled dwelling place, incertis ſedibus, but thou, Lord, Pſal. 90.1.Ps 90:1haſt been our habitation in all generations; and when they wanted Ordinances in the Captivity, they had neither Tabernacle nor Temple, but he was a Sanctuary to them, Ezech. 11.16. he did ſupply the want of publick Ordinances in himſelf, and for their guidance; and Deut. 32.10, 12. The Lord alone led them, and there was no ſtrange God with him, he did all by himſelf alone, he led them, and he fed them, and there was none other joyned with him in the work, he was alſufficient to them. But to come to the reaſons and grounds of all this.

Reaſ. 1 1. The firſt and great ground of all this is his own love, it was only his love that brought him into Covenant with them; becauſe the Lord loved thee, and made thee to be his people; it was looking upon them in the time of love, and this love is the womb in which the Covenant and all the mercies of the Covenant were bred: now the nature of love is bountiful, neſcit nimium, it knows no exceſs. The Father loved the Son, Joh. 3.3, 5. 2 Theſſ. 2.16.John 3:3John 3:52 Thess 2:16and has given all things into his hand; the Father hath loved us, and given us everlaſting conſolation, and good hope through grace. The great thing that God aims at in the ſecond Covenant is his own glory, manifeſtative glory: now he cannot receive manifeſtative glory, but according to the meaſure of love manifeſted unto the creature, and his love therefore being the higheſt, he muſt find out an expreſſion that is ſuitable to the manifeſtation of ſuch a love; the gift muſt be ſuch as may expreſs the height, and depth, and breadth of his love; and therefore it muſt be in giving the greateſt bleſſing, or elſe it could not have been an expreſſion of the greateſt love; if there had been any thing greater or better to have been beſtowed, that is in point of conſolation, he would have given it, Heb. 6.13. If there had been a greater he would have ſworn by it; ſo he doth in point of affection alſo, if there had been a greater he would have given that gift, but a greater than himſelf in his alſufficiency God had not to beſtow.

2. It was neceſſary from the inſufficiency of all things elſe to ſupply our wants; there is an inſufficiency in all the creatures, and therefore a continual reſtleſneſs in the ſoul, while it is bottomed upon the creatures, they are but broken ciſterns,Jer. 2.13.Jer 2:13 that can hold no water; when once man departed from God, and forſook him the Fountain of living water, he ſought a ſufficiency in the creatures alone, they immediately became vanity, they have not a vanity in themſelves, but it is the ſin of man that fills the creature with vanity; if the Lord ſhould give a man as he has done the Devil, the dominion of the world (for he is not only the Prince of the air, but he is the god of this world) yet all this would but leave a man in the Devils condition, and his ſoul would never be ſatisfied with it, there is ſtill ſomething wanting that all the creatures cannot ſupply; ſo that the ſoul ſaith as Auſtin, Quicquid nobis adeſt praeter Deum noſtrum, dulce non eſt; nolumus omnia quae dedit, ſi non dat ſeipſum, qui dedit omnia.

p. 3503. Becauſe the Lord would have the happineſs of the creatures to concenter in him alone, which could never be, if he were not an alſufficient God, Eſa. 26.3. Truſt in the Lord for ever, 1 Pet. 1.13.1 Pet 1:13truſt perfectly in the grace that is revealed unto us by Jeſus Chriſt; if there were any thing wanting in him to be ſupplied and fetched in elſewhere, the ſoul could never truſt in him alone; but he will have them have no other god, therefore ſurely there is no need of any other; he hath all good things in him: the happineſs of the ſoul lies in the reſt of it;Pſal. 116.7.Ps 116:7 and therefore when a man comes to Heaven, he is ſaid to enter into his reſt. Now God is the reſting place of the ſoul, return unto thy reſt, O my ſoul; wherefore if there were not an alſufficiency, but ſomething wanting in God, the ſoul muſt needs be reſtleſs, till it know whither to go for a ſupply; but he being alſufficient, he that deſires nothing but God, need fear none but God, nimis avarus eſt, cui non ſufficit Deus, he is too avaritious to whom God is not ſufficient, who has a ſelf-ſufficiency in him for his own bleſſedneſs; for it is ones being a perfect good, that he goes not out for a ſupply to any other; nothing can add unto God to make him bleſſed, and ſurely the ſame will make the Saints bleſſed alſo; Bleſſed is the people whoſe God is Jehovah, &c.

4. He will have the creature perfect with him, Gen. 17.2. Walk before me, and be thou perfect; he will have you perfect in his obedience to ſerve him alone, and be unto him alone, he'l have you forſake all for him; and this could not be required of the creature, if he were not alſufficient and a full reward; ſin is nothing elſe but the averſion of the ſoul à bono incommu…tabili ad communitabile bonum, from the incommutable to a commutable good, as the School-men ſay, when a man doth not believe the alſufficiency of God, and ſo would go out to the creature to fetch in ſome ſupply to make it up: as it is in the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, when men go to their own duties to piece it out; ſo it is here in matters of comfort and ſupply; and ſo long a man is a double-minded man: but when a mans heart is faſtned to the alſufficiency of God, ſo that he ſaith, If I have him I need no other, I need no friend if he be a friend, nor no honour but that which comes from God only, if I loſe any thing, he is able to make it up, he can give me much more, I deſire no other God, even our own God ſhall bleſs us, he goes not out to the creatures to fetch in ſupplies, and it's the want of this that makes men to haſten after another God. The only proper ground of a mans perfection with God is laid up in this alſufficiency of God, that a man needs not go out unto any thing elſe, he needs do ſervice to no other, and they that do ſo, do proclaim that they look not unto him as alſufficient; but when the ſoul is ſatisfied in this, that he has God, and can ſay, In that I have enough, then will he be perfect with him alone: ſo it was with Moſes, the Lord would ſend him unto Pharaoh, but Moſes tells him,Exod. 4.11.Exod 4:11 I am a man ſlow of ſpeech, I am not eloquent, and they that ſpeak unto Kings muſt ſpeak well, if they hope to be heard, muſt ſpeak with ſilken words; if the ſubject is unpleaſing, and the words alſo, if the meſſage be diſliked, and the delivery of it, what hope is there then to prevail? but the Lord made him this anſwer, Who made the mouth, did not I? I will be with thy mouth, in that thing reſt upon me, and for words care not, I will be alſufficient unto thee, as if thou wert the moſt eloquent Orator in the world. And ſo it is for all things elſe, a man that looks upon God as ſufficient for any work or any comfort, ſo as he will be with him, he will reſt upon him, and look no further, this is to be perfect with him. You'l ſay, What is perfection with God? it's nothing elſe but when the ſoul looks upon God as an alſufficient God, has an eye upon him alone, expecting all his happineſs from him, and putting all his truſt and hope in him. The School-men ſay, that God is objectum beatitudinis dupliciter, the object of bleſſedneſs two ways, (1) quia in ipſo ſunt omnes perfectiones ſimpliciter, becauſe in him are all perfections ſimply: and ſo to cleave unto God is actus charitatis principaliſſimus, the principal act of love. (2) Ʋt ſuam perfectionem per ipſum conſequatur, As the creature obtains his perfection by him: and both theſe are to be conjoyned in our happineſs, as God has all perfections in him, and ſo is alſufficient unto us, when God takes up the whole ſoul; and Pſal. 18.2. The Lord is my rock, my fortreſs, my deliverer, my God, my ſtrength in whom I will truſt, my buckler, the horn of my ſalvation, and my high tower; he is the fear of Iſaac, the hope of Iſrael, the love of Ignatius, &c. when he takes up and poſſeſſes the whole ſoul, and a man looks no further, does not haſten after any other God,Pſal. 16.4.Ps 16:4 as they all do that joyn any thing elſe with him, this mans heart is perfect with God, Hoſ. 3.3. Thou ſhalt be for me, ſays God to the ſoul, and thou ſhalt not be for another, Mat. 6.22, 23.Matt 6:22Matt 6:23ſo will I be for thee; and that's meant by a ſingle eye, Mat. 6.22, 23. it is in oppoſition unto a double eye, that is, a double intention of ſpirit; a ſingle eye looks but upon one object, but a double eye looks upon a double object, it is divided between God and the world, and knows not which to chuſe, but he would follow them both, he has an eye to God, and an eye to his pleaſure, and his credit, and his profit, &c. that mans heart (whatever his poſſeſſion be) is not whole with God, he is not perfect with him; and the ground p. 351of all is this, becauſe there is in God an alſufficiency, that the ſoul may reſt upon him alone, and have no other God. The Heathen multiplied their gods, becauſe one god ſerved for one end, and was good to them in one way, and another in another; but if there be a God that is ſufficient for all things, then there needs no other; and therefore the ſoul is confined to him alone, and in this is ſaid to be perfect with him, and if men go out unto any thing elſe, they may truly be ſaid to tranſgreſs without a cauſe, for there was no need of any other, but all good was to be found in him.

5. That by this means the Lord may make up the banks againſt that which is the greateſt temptation that doth ordinarily befal men: it's true, that there are ſome motions that come from Hell immediately, that are purely deviliſh, a meſſenger of Satan, that immediately comes into the ſoul as Lightning, as thoughts of Atheiſm, and blaſphemy, &c. but the ordinary temptations that prevail with men are by a bait,Jam. 1.14.Jas 1:14 Satan taking the ſame courſe that his inſtruments and his meſſengers do, beguiling unſtable ſouls,2 Pet. 2.14.2 Pet 2:14 promiſing them liberty; there is ſome bait that he uſeth; for all ſorts of ſinners are not fit for that immediate touch from Satan, it belongs unto them moſt properly that have been much exerciſed in all ſpiritual wickedneſs, their hearts and tongues are ſet on fire of Hell immediately; but the way by which Satan deceives men is, he doth bait his hook with the creature, and therein lies the temptation; he did firſt tempt our parents with the forbidden fruit, it was fair to the eye, good for food, and deſirable to make one wiſe, &c. There is not a creature in the world but Satan can make a bait of it; when you look upon the Sun, Moon, and Stars, take heed that your hearts be not inticed; and therefore we read of an inticing by a woman, who is many times Satans bait to draw a man to wantonneſs; therefore Baſil ſays, Plays are, foreign, hamus diaboli trahens ad ruinam, a hook of the Devil to draw men to ruine. Now to ſtrengthen the ſoul againſt this, which is the great temptation of the god of this world, and in which reſpect really the creatures are made ſubject to vanity; for it is ſpoken of a vanity of ſervice, Rom. 8.21. not only to ſerve the luſts of wicked men, but to ſerve the luſts of the Devil alſo; therefore the Lord has made over himſelf to a man in his alſufficiency, that he may have to anſwer theſe temptations: it is true, there is much good in the creatures, but yet it's no bait to me, becauſe I have no need of it, I have all in God, my profit and my pleaſure is in him, &c. and by this means is the world crucified unto the Saints; for when any ſinful way is ſuggeſted, as baited with gain and worldly advantages, the ſoul can ſay, What need I gain or any thing who want nothing, who do poſſeſs all things? and by this means the greateſt offers take not with him; though the Devil come with an all this will I give thee; and if ſufferings be ſuggeſted, as attending the way that is called holy, as every where bonds and afflictions abide them that walk in them, he ſhall loſe all his friends, his honour, his eſtate, and life, yet he ſays, My ſufficiency is not in theſe, and I may well loſe all for him, who has undertaken to be all in all to me; and whatever I loſe will be made up in him in a far more glorious manner; and therefore, ſi mundus exarſerit cogitat ſe nihil habere, &c. and upon this ground temptations that are baited with the creatures do vaniſh; for he that has the alſufficiency of God made over to him, he can ſerve him both with patience and abſtinence: foreign, Suffer and abſtain, ſaith the Stoick: if evil things befal him, he can bear them with patience, and if good things be offered in a way of ſin, he has in himſelf a reſolved abſtinence, he is content to be without them. Now there is an innate deſire in all creatures, planted in them by the Law of their Creation, to ſeek their own perfection, and if it were not to be had in God, then an offer of a ſupply any where elſe muſt needs be acceptable; but ſeeing it is to be had in God, and the ſoul hath choſen him in his alſufficiency, now he ſaith as a woman that is married muſt ſay, he muſt be unto me the covering of my eyes, I muſt not lift up my eyes upon any thing elſe; but in every temptation a man muſt ſay, Shall I lift mine eyes unto the hills? ſhall I look for a ſupply from any of the creatures, which are but mountains of ſnow? from whence doth my help come? my help ſtandeth in the name of the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth; and by this means all ſuch temptations are enervated, and they come not with ſtrength and power upon the ſoul.

6. That upon this ground you may fear to loſe God above all things, becauſe your alſufficiency is in him, tolle Deum & nullus ero, take away my God and I am nothing, Auſtin. There are two things in ſin, averſion and converſion, a turning from God unto ſomething elſe that is not God; but the foundation of all ſin lies in the turning away of the ſoul from God; and therefore the great aim of Satan is to draw away the heart, Jer. 1.14. It is forſaking God the fountain of living waters, and hewing ciſterns that can hold no water: it is departing from the living God, Heb. 3.12. and therefore the main of temptation lies in this, in taking the ſoul off from God, and being once turned away from God, it will center p. 352upon any thing elſe; and therefore the ſpecial care that the Lord takes, is to keep the ſouls of his ſervants cloſe unto himſelf, and that's the great promiſe, Jer. 32.40. I will never turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, and they ſhall never depart from me: and one ſpecial argument to keep them and make them to cleave unto God for ever, is this, becauſe their alſufficiency is in him. As Peter ſaid unto Chriſt, when he asked, Joh. 6. Will you alſo go away? Whither ſhall we go? thou haſt the words of eternal life: ſo ſays the ſoul, when any thing would draw it from God, ſurely in his preſence is life, and there is no departing from him, but a man departs from his own alſufficiency;Harp. Theolog. myſt. p. 37. and therefore adhaere fortiter, & inhaere ſuaviter, neſcit ille deficere, ſi non incipias faſtidire, &c. adhere ſtrongly, and in here ſweetly in God, who cannot fail, unleſs thou begin to loath; for a man with full purpoſe of heart to cleave unto God, and with full contentment of heart to reſt and abide in God, it's the great work of a Chriſtian; and the ſoul doth never depart from God ſo long as there is a through apprehenſion of his alſufficiency, and that's the reaſon that in Heaven they are impeccable, becauſe there is a continual preſence of the alſufficiency of God upon the ſoul; but when that apprehenſion begins to be clouded, then the ſoul begins to piece up a happineſs with ſomething elſe, and then unus & alter aſſumitur, one and another is added, &c. As when men depart from the rule of the word, they multiply inventions, and ſo make up a patched Religion: ſo when men depart from God, they do heap up creatures that make up a patched felicity: and it is this is the great and continual fear of the Saints; and therefore a great part of filial fear lies in this, and is a main difference between that and ſervile fear, which is well expreſſed by Auſtin, Haec ne veniat, illa ne diſcedat; haec ne puniat, illa ne deſerat: and therefore he doth endeavour to keep up the thoughts of Gods alſufficiency as his portion from day to day.

7. That thereby creatures may be kept in their own place; for they were given but as ſervants to be ſubordinate, and no more, they are iniqui praemium, but juſti ſolatium, the reward of the unjuſt, but comfort of the juſt, they are but a viaticum for the way; yet it is a hard matter for a man to keep them in this place in which God has ſet them, but they will be Lords, and men are brought under the power of them, they do over-power a man, that is, when a man looks upon them as if his ſufficiency were in them, then immediately the creatures have left their place, and they have gotten the rule over the man; and this is an evil that many times befals the beſt men, they do not keep the world at a diſtance, and confine it to its own place, as they ought to do: but when a man ſaith, The creatures are my comfort, but my ſufficiency is not in them, my portion is not in them, ubi omnia mea ſunt tu ſcis, this will keep the creatures from incroaching upon a man, and uſurping authority over a man,Tenet. and bring them into ſubjection unto his ſervants, which is contrary to the liberty wherewith Chriſt has made us free: hence it comes to paſs, that men ſet their hearts too much upon them, contrary to Pſal. 69.10. If riches increaſe, ſet not your hearts upon them. The more any mans heart runs out upon the creature, and the more he doth place his happineſs in any of them, the more his ſoul departs from the alſufficiency of God. And hence if you take away the creature from a man, he ſaith you have taken away my heart, and therefore he ſorrows as a man without hope: when another man can ſee the creatures departing and melting as ice under his feet, and he can rejoyce in their departure, and bid them farewel with joy, becauſe he has had the Moon under his feet, and theſe being gone, he knows he ſhall be reſtored unto that wherein more immediately his alſufficiency doth conſiſt. And the way to caſt off this weight, is to keep up the alſufficiency of God in the ſoul; all my ſufficiency lies in him alone, and becauſe he has made over his alſufficiency to me, therefore I will not look upon any thing elſe as my ſufficiency and happineſs: the man whoſe eyes are opened to ſee his alſufficiency to be in God in the middle of the creature-enjoyments, is in a bleſſed condition.

8. That the ſoul may upon this ground live in God immediately, as in whom his alſufficiency doth conſiſt:1 Theſſ. 1.1. Joh. 3.21.1 Thess 11 John 3:21 there is a being in God, and a dwelling in God; he that dwells in love, dwells in God; and a working in God; he comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifeſt, that they are wrought in God: and therefore Nazianzen ſpeaks of grace, that it doth after a ſort deifie the man, foreign.not only begin a divine nature in him, but making him to live out of himſelf in the alſufficiency of the Divine nature; and the School-men ſpeak of an illapſus Dei, a certain illapſe or coming down of God into the ſoul: he is ſaid to dwell in us, 2 Cor. 6.16. that is, cum infinita quadam opulentia, with a certain kind of infinite plenitude: and by this means ſpiritus nunc ab omni velle liber eſt, acſi in coelo aut terra, &c. as if there were nothing that he did ſtand in need of in Heaven and Earth; for when Gods love dwells in us, it is in the manifeſtation of God; and when God in his ſufficiency dwells in us, it is in the manifeſtation of it,Harp. p. 678. &c. and therefore the ſoul looks upon God, ut mare quoddam infinitae magnitudinis, Harp. pag. 666. our ſufficiency comes from him, and returns unto him again, p. 353but all is in him, and the ſoul looks upon all the creatures as things indifferent; but if he ſin, he looks upon alſufficiency to pardon him; Who is a God like our God pardoning iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and ſin? and he looks upon alſufficiency for healing; and if he has a work to do for God, he looks upon alſufficiency for ſtrength; and if he has a croſs to bear, he looks for the ſupport of everlaſting arms; and if there be creatures either to work with him or againſt him, he ſaith, that they can do neither good nor evil, they work but as inſtruments in the hand of God, and the wicked man is but thy ſword, Nebuchadnezzar that great King, is but the ſtaff of mine anger; and if there be no creatures,Pſal. 17.Ps 17 he ſaith there is no need of any, for he is as able to ſave with few as many, and his ſupplies tarry not for man, he waits not for the ſons of men, nor for any humane concurrence in his work;Mic. 5.Mic 5 and therefore his eyes are turned away from beholding vanity, and he lives upon God alone; for he ſaith, What is Heaven, and what have the Angels of God and the ſouls of juſt men made perfect to feed upon? they neither eat, nor drink, they marry not, all earthly comforts and relations ceaſe, they are but for the time of this life, and no more, but then God is all in all: now if it ſhall be enough to live upon him in Heaven, and it ſhall be there my happineſs and perfection, ſurely the more my heart is ſtaid on him, and the more it is ſetled upon his alſufficiency, the nearer it comes to happineſs, and the leſs ſhall my ſpirit be diſquieted by the changes and uncertainties of things below; and unto this Chriſt did train up his Diſciples, Do not ſay, What ſhall I eat, and what ſhall I drink? but ſay, There is an alſufficiency in God, which I have an intereſt in, and it ſhall be manifeſted for me, either for my proviſion or my protection; for he that hath made it over to me by Covenant, will lay it out for me, and therefore I leave my ſelf with him, and caſt my care upon him, for my ſufficiency is in him alone.

§. 3. This Alſufficiency of God belongs unto none but unto his own Covenant-people: it's a joy that no ſtranger can intermeddle withal, it is the hidden Manna that they only do feed upon, who are fled for refuge to the hope ſet before them; Gen. 17.1, 2. I am God alſufficient, walk before me and be upright, and I will make a covenant with thee to be a God to thee: and he is a Sun and a Shield not unto every one, but unto them that walk uprightly: Pſal. 84.11.Ps 84:11there is a ſecret river, the ſtreams whereof do make glad the City of God, when the earth is moved, and the mountains caſt into the middle of the Sea;Pſal. 46.4.Ps 46:4 there is an Olive-tree that doth drop oil into the golden Candleſtick,Zac. 4.3. Zac. 4.3. it is new Jeruſalem that comes down from God out of Heaven, that has no need of the light of the Sun; but the glory of the Lord and of the Lamb are the light thereof: it is ſpoken of the light of creatures,Rev. 21.23.Rev 21:23 and not of Scriptures, as ſome would interpret it, it's only upon the glory that there is a covering. (1) It is only by Covenant that he is thus made over; and therefore it can be only unto his Covenant-people: all men in Adam have forfeited their intereſt in God, and they can lay no claim to him; though it's true, that men in their neceſſity will put themſelves upon God, and will lay claim to him in a preſumptuous way, and they will cry to him, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth, Jer. 34.5.Jer 34:5though they have ſpoken and done evil things againſt him as they could, but it is but a falſe pretence, and they lay claim to him upon a wrong title; only there are ſome that are in Covenant with him, and unto them he has made over himſelf, and it is the Covenant that gives them a title to him, and he will be called their God; and as for other men, he will reject their claim, and ſay unto them, Depart from me, I know you not: when men at the laſt day ſhall ſay, Lord, Lord, Heb. 11.16.Heb 11:16then will the falſe claims to him be diſcovered, and all pretended titles rejected, and it will be made manifeſt in the great day of trial, to whom he is a God alſufficient, it is called, Rom. 2.5. foreign, a day of revelation: and the great thing that then will be manifeſted will be this, the falſe title upon which men have laid claim to God, and thereby have deceived their own ſouls. (2) To them only that are in Covenant with God, does his alſufficiency belong; for they only have choſen God for their portion, and placed their happineſs in him; as Joſhuah ſpeaks,Joſh. 24.22.Josh 24:22 You have choſen the Lord for your God; as for other men, their portion is in this life, in the ſufficiency of the creatures, and no men have an intereſt in this ſufficiency of God, but they that have rejected all other ſufficiency, that can ſay, I have none in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I can deſire in compariſon of thee; other men follow lying vanities, and forſake their own mercies, the Saints only chuſe him, and chuſe the things that pleaſe him,Jonas 2.8.Jonah 2:8 and do truſt perfectly in him; whereas other men ſtand partly upon the Sea, and partly upon the Earth; and therefore the Lord doth chuſe their deluſions, Eſa. 1.29. You ſhall be aſhamed of the gardens that you have choſen. The folly of men is ſeen in nothing more than in their choice, and in that ſhall their greateſt ſhame be. (3) The alſufficiency of God would not ſatiſfie the deſires of men that are out of Covenant, becauſe they place their happineſs in ways of ſin, and in the pleaſures of ſin do the comforts of their lives come in, they eat the p. 354bread of wickedneſs, and they drink the wine of violence: there are two ſorts of deſires, ſome are natural deſires, and theſe may be ſupplied in God; but there are ſome unnatural deſires, as thoſe that are luſtings after the ſenſual life; and therefore Heaven would not be a ſatisfaction to an ungracious heart, that hath not a ſpirit ſuited to the things that are ſpiritual and of a heavenly nature; it would be a wilderneſs to them, and a land of darkneſs to be taken up to the heavenly Canaan; and hence it comes to paſs, that in the midſt of their ſufficiency they are in ſtraits, and yet in the middle of ſtraits the Saints have a ſufficiency, they walk upon the high places of the Earth, that are fed with the inheritance of Jacob his choſen, and they walk at liberty upon the high places of the Earth, becauſe when they are weak, they are ſtrong, and when they have nothing, they poſſeſs all things, becauſe the alſufficiency of God is only theirs.

Object. But we ſee godly men that claim an intereſt in the Covenant to be in as great wants as other men, and are brought under as great ſtraits and continual dangers, and if ſo, then how is God a Sun to them, and how is he a ſhield and all this that you now ſpeak of? We find Job upon a dunghil, and poor even to a Proverb; and Paul (that great Convert and Apoſtle) is ſaid to have nothing:1 Cor. 4.11.1 Cor 4:11 Even to this preſent hour, ſays he, we are hungry and thirſty, and naked, and buffetted, and have no certain dwelling-place, &c. God hath ſet us forth laſt; and the laſt ſufferings of the Church are always the worſt and the ſharpeſt: We are made a ſpectacle even to men and Angels, that is, we are brought upon the ſtage as offenders did uſe to be, men condemned to death, to fight with wild beaſts to make the people ſport, and therefore the Proverb was then,Chryſoſtome. Chriſtiani ad Leones, and he ſaith it was foreign, not in one corner of the world, but their ſufferings were ſpread and were famous even through the world, and all the wicked of the world did rejoyce at them: and not only wicked men, but Devils alſo; for Satan being the god of this world, and ruling in the Rulers thereof,Rev. 12.Rev 12 therefore he is deſcribed having ſeven horns, as he ruled the Roman Emperour; and therefore Rev. 2.10. The devil will caſt ſome of you into priſon; therefore it's great joy unto the Devil to behold the blood of the Saints in this manner ſpilt; for it's true, that in the time of this dominion of Satan, as he is the Prince of this world, ludit in humanis, thereby to drown the noiſe of the chai…s of darkneſs in which he is held, and it's true alſo of the good Angels,Chryſoſtome. foreign, it is ſuch a combate as it draws the eyes and the obſervation even of the Angels themſelves, who with joy behold our patience and the conſtancy of our ſpirits therein; and we are counted the ſcum of the world, as if all the filth of the world had been emptied into them; and if we could barely look at the hand and malice of men in it, we could expect no other; for in the world we ſhall have tribulation, but God hath ſet us forth ſo to be, and hath made ſuch a demonſtration of us unto the world, and men are but inſtruments in the hand of God in what they do, the wicked is but a ſword in the Lords hand; yea we ſee it mainly in him that was the Prince of the Covenant, who yet was made a man of ſorrows, whoſe life was a continual death, for he had nothing of this worlds goods: and I do the rather inſiſt upon this, becauſe the people of God in this day and time may conſider what their portion is like to be in this Nation, notwithſtanding this fair Sun-ſhine of liberty and proſperity that we now enjoy, and how ſoon a cloud of ſuffering may come upon all our glory, and the children of God may be expoſed to primitive ſufferings by walking in the ſteps of the primitive Saints, and following their Lamb-like Prince, who was led as a ſheep to the ſlaughter, and endured the contradiction of ſinners, and was put to death by them. If this be ſo, that all that will follow the Lord fully meet with ſuch hard uſage from the world: How then is the alſufficiency of God made over to his people that are in Covenant with him? and if it be made over to them, as you have demonſtrated, what uſe have they of it, when it doth neither beſtow upon them good things, nor protect them from evil?

Anſw. 1. The Lord doth it, that their ſufficiency may be in him alone, and that they may truſt perfectly in him:Zeph. 1.12.Zeph 1:12 we read of men ſetled on their lees, therefore God empties his people from veſſel to veſſel, that ſo he may take them off from the lees of the creatures or ſins, upon which they are apt to ſettle: men do think there is ſome ſufficiency in God, or elſe they would not ſeek him at all. Now if they would look upon him as alſufficient, then they would be content with him alone, and could ſay to God, Take all things elſe from me, ſo thou give me thy ſelf, and it's enough; here therefore is the trial, when the Lord ſhall deal with a man as he did with Abraham, he promiſed to give him the land of Canaan for a portion, but he gave him not a hand-breadth in it, but only a burying place; God will have him to truſt him without a pawn: ſo he will have thee to live by pure faith, and that is, when a man hath nothing of ſight, but his dependence is upon God alone, and he hath nothing of the creature to look upon. It's a diſpoſition that is apt to creep upon the beſt men, to ſerve God in the abundance of all things, but not in want. It's an ordinary p. 355accuſation that the Accuſer of the brethren hath,Rev. 12.Rev 12 and he doth accuſe them before God day and night, and (there is as much danger of Satan as to his accuſations, as there is in his temptations) he doth commonly object, Doth he ſerve God for nought? Therefore to clear the ſincerity of his ſervants, the Lord doth, as he did to Job; take all away from them, whatever riches they have here of this worlds goods, and give them himſelf, and they live upon him, and thereby he doth ſilence the wicked one; and by this means they have in their conſciences a trial of their own ſincerity with the Lord.

2. The Lord doth it, that they may be made partakers of the ſufferings of Chriſt; the Lord did from Eternity ordain us to a conformity unto Chriſt, Rom. 8.29. that as he was, ſo ſhould we be in this world. There is a double image we are to conform to: (1) Of God, and that is laid up in the Mediator. (2) Of Chriſt the Son of God: and our happineſs is in being conformed unto both theſe images;Rom. 8.29. 1 Joh. 1.3.Rom 8:291 John 1:3 and by this means having communion with both, when we come to Heaven we ſhall have the fruition of both. Now in this he did leave us foreign, an exemplar: 1 Pet. 2.21.1 Pet 2:21there is a fellowſhip of his Suffering as well as of his Reſurrection, and we muſt have a ſhare in the one as well as in the other, in his ſufferings as well as in his graces and his victories, Phil. 3.10. Now we know Chriſt was a man of ſorrows, and one that had trial of all ſorts of afflictions; the Lord took all from him that are the comforts of mankind in this life; though he were Lord of all, yet he did lay down all;Joh. 17.5.John 17:5 for he that laid down his glory that he had with the Father before the world was, it was not much unto him to lay down all things elſe, that though the Earth were the Lords to diſpoſe of, yet his bleſſed Son had not ſo much of it as to ſet the ſoal of his foot upon in the earth: and by this was the Prince of your Salvation made perfect;Heb. 2.10.Heb 2:10 for there is not only active but paſſive obedience required of us, and we muſt come to perfection the ſame way that Chriſt himſelf did: and if it lead us to perfection, it's no great matter though we be deprived here of what the world counts our perfection; and we may glory in the Croſs, being it is the direct way to the Crown.

3. God is alſufficient to them in the loſs of all things, and in the want of all things; and it is better for any ſoul that their ſufficiency be in him than in themſelves, and they would chuſe it rather; and therefore 2 Cor. 6.10. it is ſaid, As having nothing, and yet poſſeſſing all things. He was alſufficient to the three Children in the fiery Furnace, and to Daniel in the Den of Lions; therefore the people of God are compared unto fatherleſs children, With thee the fatherleſs find mercy. Hoſ. 14.3.Hos 14:3It hath been the manner of men to provide Hoſpitals for children that are caſt forth and forſaken by their parents; and ſo it was with David, When my father and mother forſook me, then the Lord took me up. In what a ſad condition is a child, an infant caſt forth and forſaken by the parents, that hath …ne to take care of him, and to provide for him, &c. but the more perfectly they are fatherleſs, the greater aſſurance they have of proviſion from him, he is a moſt merciful Father, and therefore he muſt be compaſſionate to his children in miſery, and the mercies we need are better in his hand than ours, he knows how to do it, when our wiſdoms are non-pluſt, and we cry out, We know not what to do, but our eyes are unto thee; he knows how to deliver the juſt out of temptation, though they are often in ſuch ſtraits, that they know not how they ſhould be delivered, but grope as blind men, they are utterly devoid of counſel to direct themſelves: and he knows not only how, but when to do it; the ſeaſon of mercy is much to be conſidered, as well as the ſeaſon of duty, the one makes it acceptable to God, and the other ſweet to us; the Lord is a God of judgment,Iſa. 30.18. Joel 2.23.Isa 30:18Joel 2:23 and therefore bleſſed are thoſe that wait for him: as Gods way is beſt, ſo is Gods time beſt, Joel 2.23. He will give you the former and the latter rain, pluviam juſtitiae, the rain of righteouſneſs, that is, largam & copioſam, a large and copioſe rain; and ſo Druſius expounds it, as Chriſt is called the Sun of Righteouſneſs; but others underſtand juſtitiam, juſtice to be as much as in a juſt proportion, ſo much as ſhall be needful, and for your good, and no more: there ſhall not be exceſſive rain, and he will give you this foreign in primo, that is, as ſome render it, in the firſt month; but the word ſignifies not only primus ordine, ſed & dignitate, that which ſhall be the choiceſt and the fitteſt for them, pluviam tempeſtivam, a ſeaſonable rain, in the fitteſt ſeaſon; it's a great mercy to be in the hand of God for the timing of mercy; for our hearts are haſty, and we would have them too ſoon, and ſo they would be unſeaſonable, and prove a curſe, and not a bleſſing.

4. Becauſe it is very ſweet to God, when we follow him through a wilderneſs, and ſee nothing but an alſufficiency in him, through a land not ſown, Jer. 2.2.Jer 2:2then you ſhew your love to him, and he looks upon it as the day of your eſpouſals; Hoſ. 9.10. I found Iſrael as grapes in the wilderneſs, it is a proverbial ſpeech, when you have none to look to but God,Druſius. when you are in a land of drought; it is never ſo pleaſing unto God, as when we are brought into a wilderneſs, and yet there to follow him; and the Lord doth never ſpeak ſo ſweetly p. 356to us, as when he doth deprive us of theſe outward things, that our hearts may ſtay upon him alone; and therefore, Hoſ. 2.14. he ſays, I will allure her into the wilderneſs: what was there in the wilderneſs that might allure her? The wilderneſs has a double conſideration. (1) It was a place of affliction, and ſo there was nothing to allure; for no affliction for the preſent is joyous, but grievous. (2) The wilderneſs was a place of manifeſtation, where God did ſhew himſelf in his Ordinances and in his mighty works; and if the wilderneſs be ſo, there is an alluring in it; and then, ſaith God, will I ſpeak to her heart. O when God brings into the wilderneſs, and gives diſcoveries of himſelf, there are the greateſt comforts and the ſweeteſt ſpeakings unto the ſouls of his Saints: the Lord doth not fail them in their time of need.

5. Gods great glory is to manifeſt his Attributes in the ſufferings of his people, and it is the great work that he doth in the world, and the greateſt comfort that the Saints have is to ſee the Attributes of God drawn forth, and to work for them: Jer. 2.31. Have I been a wilderneſs to Iſrael? It's true, ſays the Lord, I brought them into a wilderneſs, and did allure them thither, but when they were there, I was not a wilderneſs unto them; they found all in me, though the earth afforded them nothing, yet there was nothing wanting from Heaven, it was not a wilderneſs when they were in the wilderneſs. See an inſtance of it Jer. 29.22. there were two falſe Prophets that did ſtrive to make proviſion for themſelves, and they pleaſed the people,Jer. 2.29.Jer 2:29 and ſaid, The King of Babylon ſhould not carry them away captive, they ſpoke lies in the name of the Lord, and we ſee what became of them; but Jeremiah that made no proviſion for himſelf, did not, as Baruck, ſeek great things for himſelf, we ſee how he is provided for even in the enemies hand, Jer. 39.11, 12. Look well to him, do him no harm, but do unto him even as he ſhall ſay unto thee: how good is it to look up to God for all our ſupplies, and not to diſtruſt his goodneſs and power in any danger or ſtrait that we may be expoſed to!

6. As our ſupplies do come from God, ſo alſo there is a ſpecial token of love and intereſt diſcovered in his ſufficiency, and that is ſweeter than the mercy it ſelf: the Lord loves to give unto his people every mercy that they need, and as it is lined with love, ſo it ſhall be faced with love, that the mercy ſhall come in according unto the promiſe, and he can look upon it as the birth of the promiſes, as a pledge and a fruit of intereſt in the alſufficiency of God: it's a great thing, and is much more than the bleſſing it ſelf, if it were a thouſand times multiplied, that all the promiſes lead a man to Chriſt the foundation of them all, 2 Cor. 1.20. they do lead a man as beams to the Sun; ſo when the mercy leads a man to his intereſt in the alſufficiency of God, that's more than the mercy it ſelf: when a m…n ſees it's given in to the bargain, when he ſeeks firſt the Kingdom of Heaven, all things in this world ſhall be added to him,Pſal. 6.33.Ps 6:33 though they are in themſelves but ſmall, yet they are magni amoris indicium; there is a great deal of difference between a kiſs and a reward, though there may be a greater bounty in the one, but there is more love in the other: and ſo far as the people of God taſte that the Lord is gracious, ſo far they taſte his love is ſweeter than all unto them; for if there were not love in the gift, there were no reliſh in it, we uſe to deſpiſe the gifts only of enemies; and indeed the hearts of all the Saints do ſo far undervalue them, as Luther, that they can tell God, Let thy gifts of this worlds goods only be to another, but let me have a ſmile from thy face, one kiſs of thy mouth, and it ſhall chear me more than corn or wine and oil: as for all other things, they are but, as Luther ſaid of the Turkiſh Empire, mica canibus projecta, a mite caſt to the dogs, becauſe there was no love in it; therefore a little that the righteous hath is better than the riches of many wicked, as a little that the righteous doth is better than the pompous ſervices of many wicked perſons; becauſe there is love in the one, and none in the other, and without this all is as ſounding braſs and a tinkling cymbal.

Object. 2 You ſay that none have an intereſt in the alſufficiency of God but his Covenant-people. But we ſee that the men of the world have great ſufficiency,Pſal. 73.7.Ps 73:7 they have more than heart can wiſh, they enjoy all manner of abundance, that one would think the alſufficiency of God were made over to them rather than to the Saints; one would have thought it to have been the portion of Dives rather than Lazarus: For the wicked fare deliciouſly every day, &c.

Anſw. It's true indeed, that many wicked men, who are ſtrangers to God and his Covenant, have great ſufficiency in outward things; but yet, (1) though it be from the alſufficiency of God, for he it is that is the Fountain of common mercies, he doth cauſe the Sun to riſe upon the unjuſt, &c. he opens his hand and fills every living thing; it is he therefore that is ſaid to fill their bellies with his hid treaſure; Pſal. 17.14.Ps 17:14but yet it is not from their intereſt in his alſufficiency, they have all from God, but they have no intereſt in God; it's one thing to receive mercy from God ex largitate, from an overflowing of his goodneſs, and another p. 357thing to receive it ex proprietate, from an intereſt in his goodneſs. There are ſome benefits by Chriſt that wicked men have that have no intereſt in Chriſt; there are many works that the Sun doth effect in the earth, when it never ſhines; and ſo it's with Chriſt, he vouchſafeth good things to many a ſoul in whoſe Horizon he doth never riſe: there is a great difference in the manner of conveyance. (2) A ſufficiency they have many times,Pſal. 17.14.Ps 17:14 but it is their portion, it's all that ever they muſt look for of good from the hand of God; Luke 16. Son remember that in thy life time thou hadſt thy good things; never look for good more from God; their hope is as the giving up of the ghoſt, Job 11. ult.Job 11they breathe out their laſt hope with their laſt breath. Now who would have theſe to have their portion in them? As there is a difference between the ſufferings of the Saints, and the ſufferings of others, ſo there is alſo in their enjoyments; in the Saints ſufferings is juſti exercitium, the exerciſe of grace, but in the wicked injuſti ſupplicium, the puniſhment of the unjuſt: and ſo it is of their good things alſo, it is unto one in praemium, and to the other in ſolatium. (3) They are given as a ſnare to themſelves and others: [1] To themſelves, their table is made a ſnare, and they are taken in their own abundance, and are betrayed by it to the evil day, it doth but ripen their ſins, and make them the greater enemies unto God, it is as a worm in the gourd, as Chryſoſtome obſerved. Riches are given for the hurt of the owner, to fat them to the day of evil; there is a fatning, and there is a killing time;2 Pet. 2.9.2 Pet 2:9 and the man is but reſerved all the while to the day of ſlaughter. [2] They are given as a ſnare to others; therefore many people fall to them, becauſe waters of a full cup are wrung out to them; they that work wickedneſs are built up that is, they proſper, therefore they call the proud happy;Mal. 3.15.Mal 3:15 the Lord doth lay ſnares for men in the world, that is, that which their corrupt hearts do make ſnares, and they are taken,Rev. 13.8.Rev 13:8 even as many as are not written in the Lambs book of life. (4) In the middle of their ſufficiency they are in ſtraits, that is, when men are come to the height of the ſufficiency in the creature, then they are at a loſs, and find they are in ſtraits; for it ſhall be ſaid, Here is the man that made not God his help, but truſted in the multitude of his riches, and now ſhall the ſufficiency of God be engaged againſt him, and he ſhall be in perplexity for ever, and his ſufficiency in outward things ſhall be but an inducement unto the enemy to ſtraiten him the more.