The Fading of the Flesh and Flourishing of Faith, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. A Ʋſe of Tryal, whether God be our portion or no, with ſome marks.
2.The ſecond Uſe by way of Tryal, whether God be our po tion or no. THe Doctrine may be uſeful by way of tryall: If the comfort of a Chriſtian in his ſaddeſt condition be, That God is his portion; then, Reader, examine thy ſelf whether God be thy portion or no. I muſt tell thee, the eſſence and heart of Religion conſiſteth in the choice of thy portion; nay thy happineſs dependeth wholly upon thy taking of the bleſſed God for thine utmoſt end and chiefeſt good; therefore if thou miſtakeſt here, thou art loſt for ever.
I ſhall try thee very briefly by the touchſtone which Chriſt hath prepared: Where your treaſure is, there will your heart be alſo, Matth. 6. Now Friend, Where is thy heart? is it in earth? is it a diamond ſet in lead, or a ſparkling ſtar fixt in heaven? Are thy greateſt affections like Saul's perſon among the ſtuffe and rubbiſh of this world? or do they, like Moſes, go up into the Mount and converſe with God? Do they with the Wormes crawl here below? or like the Eagle ſoar aloft and dwell above? A man that hath his portion on earth, like the earth, moveth downward, though he may be thrown upward by violence (as a ſtone) by ſome ſudden conviction, or the like; yet that impreſt vertue is ſoon worn out, and he falleth to the earth again; but he who hath his portion in heaven, like fire, tendeth upward ordinarily, though through the violence of temptation he may (as fire by the wind) be forced downward, yet that removed, he aſcendeth again.
It may be when thine enemy Death beats thee out of the field of life, thou wilt be glad of a God, to which thou mayſt retire, as a city of refuge, to ſhelter thee from the murdering piece of the laws curſe; but what thoughts haſt thou of him now, whilſt thou haſt the world at will? Doſt thou count the fruition of him thy chiefeſt felicity? Is one God infinitely more weighty in the ſcales of thy judgement then millions of worlds? Doſt thou ſay in thy prevailing ſetled judgement, of them that have their garners full and their floeks fruitful, Bleſſed is the people that is in ſuch a caſe; or yea rather happy is the people whoſe God is the Lord, Pſal. 144.13, 14, 15.
Every man eſteemeth his portion at an high price: Naboth valueth his earthly inheritance above his life, and would rather die then part with it at any rate: God forbid that I ſhould ſell the inheritance of my fathers, ſaith he. O the worth of the bleſſed God, in the eſteem of him that hath him for his portion! His houſe, land, wife, child, liberty, life, are hated by him, and nothing to him in compariſon of his portions he would not exchange his hopes of it and title to it for the dominion and ſoveraignty of the whole world. If the Devil, as to Chriſt, ſhould ſet him on the pinacle of the Temple, and ſhew all the honours, and pleaſures, and treaſures of the world, and ſay to him, All this I will give thee, if thou wilt ſell thy portion and fall down and worſhip me: Who can tell with what infinite diſdain he would reject ſuch an offer? He would ſay as a Tradeſman that were bid exceedingly below the worth of his wares, You were as good bid me nothing, and with much ſcorn and laughter refuſe his tender. This man is elevated to the top of the celeſtial orbes, and therefore the whole earth is but a point in his eye: whereas a man who hath his portion in outward things, who dwelleth here on earth, heavenly things are little (the glorious Sun it ſelf is but ſmall) in ſuch a mans eye, earthly things are great in his eſteem.
Reader, let me perſwade thee to be ſo much at leiſure as to ask thy ſoul two or three Queſtions.
1. In what chanel doth the ſtream of thy deſires run? Which way and to what coaſt do theſe winds of thy ſoul drive? Is it towards God, or towards the world? A rich Heir in his minority, kept under by Tutors and Guardians, longs for the time when he ſhall be at age and enjoy the priviledge and pleaſures of his inheritance. Thou craveſt, and thirſteth, and longeſt, and deſireſt; ſomething there is which thou wouldſt have, and muſt have, and canſt not be ſatisfified till thou haſt it: Now what is it? Is it the husks of this world, which thou enquireſt ſo earneſtly for ſome-body to give thee? or is it bread in thy Fathers houſe which thou hungreſt after? Doſt thou pant after the duſt of the earth, according to the Prophets phraſe, Amos 2.7. or with the Church, The deſire of my ſoul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee! Thou art hungry, and thirſty, unquiet, unſatisfied; what is the matter, man? Doſt thou like the dry earth, gape and cleave for ſhowers to bring forth corn and wine? Is the voice of thy heart, Who will ſhew us any good? or is it, Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance on us? Phyſitians can judge conſiderably of the ſtate of their Patients bodies, by their appetites; they who long only for traſh, ſpeak their ſtomacks to be foul; they who hunger after wholſome food are eſteemed to be in health. Thou mayſt judge of the ſtate of thy ſoul by thy deſires; if thou deſireſt chiefly the traſh of the world, thy ſpiritual ſtate is not right; thy heart is not right in the ſight of God; if thou canſt ſay with David, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I deſire in compariſon of thee: Bleſſed art thou of the Lord, thou haſt a part and lot in this boundleſs portion. Obſerve therefore Friend, which way theſe wings of thy ſoul, thy deſires, flie. He who thirſteth after the kennel water of this world hath no right to the pure river of the water of life; but he who hungreth after the dainties of the Lambs Supper, may be ſure the ſcraps of this beggarly world are not his happineſs: The true Wife longeth for the return of her Husband, but the falſe one careth not how long he is abſent.
2. What is the feaſt at which thou ſitteſt with moſt delight? Is it at a table furniſhed with the comforts of this world? Are the diſhes of credit and profit, of relations and poſſeſſions, thoſe which thou feedeſt on with moſt pleaſure? Or is it a Table ſpread with the Image of God, the Favour of God, the Spirit of God, and the Son of God? are thoſe the ſavoury meat which thy Soul loveth?
If this Sun of righteouſneſs only cauſeth day in thine heart, when he ariſeth; and if he be ſet, notwithſtanding all the candles of creatures, it is ſtill night with thee, then God is thy Portion. O how glad is the young Heir, when he comes to enjoy his Portion! with what delight will he look over his woods, view his grounds, and walk in his gardens. The Roman would tumble naked in his heapes of Silver, out of delight in them; but if thy affections only overflow with joy (as the water of Nilus) in the time of wheat harveſt, when the world floweth in upon thee, the world is thy Portion. He who like a Lark ſings merrily, (not on the ground) but when he is mounting up to Heaven, is rich indeed. God is his; but he who like an horſefly delighteth in dunghils, feedeth moſt on, & relliſheth beſt theſe earth ly offalls, is a poor man; God is none of his God; its an undeniable truth, that, that is our Portion which is the Paradiſe of our pleaſures. The fool who could expect eaſe on his bed of Thorns, Soul take thine eaſe, thou haſt goods laid up for many years, had his Portion in this life; but Moſes whom nothing could pleaſe but Gods gracious preſence, had him for his Portion. If thy preſence go not with us, carry us not hence, I beſeech me ſhew me thy glory.
Thirdly, What is the calling which thou followeſt, with greateſt eagerneſs and earneſtneſs? Men run and ride and toyl and moyl all day, they riſe early and go to bed late, and take any pains for that which they count their happineſs and portion. The Worldling whoſe Element is Earth, whoſe Portion conſiſteth like the Pedlars pack, in a few pins, or needles, or peuter-ſpoons, or braſs-bodkins, how will he fare mean, lodg hard, ſleep little, crowd into a corner; hazard his health, and life and ſoul too, for that which he counteth his Portion! like a brutiſh ſpaniel he will follow his Maſter the world ſome hundred of miles, puffing and blowing, breaking through hedges, and ſcratching himſelf with thorns and briers, running through ponds of water, and puddles of dirt; and all for a few bones or ſcraps, which is all his hope and happineſs. The Chriſtian who hath the bleſſed God for his portion, ſtrives, and labours, and watcheth, and prayeth, and weepeth, and thinks no time too much, no pains too great, no coſt enough for the enjoyment of his God. As the wiſe Merchant he would part with All he hath, all his ſtrength and health, all his relations and poſſeſſions, for his noble Portion. Reader, how is it with thee, thou travelleſt too and fro, thou wearieſt thy ſelf, and wanteſt thy reſt, thy head is full of cares, and thy heart of feares, and thy hands are alwaies active; but whether doth all this tend? what is the market to which thou art walking thus faſt? Is it gold that thou purſueſt ſo hot? The people labour in the fire; and weary themſelves for very vanity. 2. Habbak. 13. Or is it God that thou preſſeſt after (as the Hound the Hare, ſo the word ſignifieth. Phil. 3.12. foreign) with ſo much deligence and violence. My ſoul followeth hard after thee. Pſ. 63.6. Thus have I laid down the characters briefly of ſuch as have God for their Portion. Thy buſineſs is to be faithful in the tryal of thine eſtate.
If upon tryall thou findeſt that God is thy Portion, rejoyce in thy priviledg, and let thy practices be anſwerable. Like a rich Heir, delight thy ſelf in the thoughts of thy vaſt inheritance. Can he be poor that is Maſter of the Mint? Canſt thou be miſerable who haſt God for thy Portion? I muſt tell in thee that thou art happy in ſpight of Men and Divells. If worldlings take ſuch pleaſure in their counters and braſs farthings, what joy mayſt thou have in God, to whom all the Indians Mines are worſe then droſs! nay if all the gold of Ophir, and of the whole world were melted into one common ſtream; and all the Pearls and precious ſtones lay on the ſide of it as thick as pebbles, and the quinteſſence and excellencies of all other the creatures were crumbled into ſand, and lay at the bottom of this channel, they were not worthy to make a Metaphor of, to ſet forth the leaſt perfection in this Portion. Shall Eſau ſay, he hath enough and be contented, when the narrow field of ſome creatures was the utmoſt bounds of his eſtate? and wilt thou complain as if thou wert pinched with poverty, when the boundleſs God is thy Portion? Art not thou an unreaſonable Creature, whom the infinite God will not ſatisfy? for ſhame Chriſtian bethink thy ſelf; and let the world know by thy chearfulneſs and comfort, that their mites are nothing to thy millions. Conſider though the whole world turn bankrupt, thou art rich; for thy Eſtate doth not lye in their hands. Do not …ine thy ſelf therefore with feare of penury, but keep an houſe according to thy eſtate which will afford it, in the greateſt plenty; Let thy practices alſo be ſutable to thy portion. Great heirs have a far different carriage from the poor, who take almes of the Pariſh. Thou ough'ſt to live above the world; Eagles muſt not ſtoop to catch flies; the ſtars which are neareſt the Pole, have leaſt circuit. Thou who art ſo near God, need'ſt not wander about this world, but ſhould'ſt live as one whoſe hope and happineſs is in a better world. When one was askt whether he did not admire the admirable ſtructure of ſome ſtately building: No (ſaith he) for I have been at Rome where better are to be ſeen every day. If the world tempt thee with its rare ſights, and curious proſpects, thou maiſt well ſcorn them, having been in Heaven, and being able by Faith to ſee infinitely better every hour of the day; but if upon examination it be found that God is not thy portion, think of it ſeriouſly, thou art but a beggar; and if thou dieſt in this eſtate, ſhalt be ſo for ever. It may be thou art worth thouſands in this world, but alas they ſtand for cyphers in the other world; how little will thy bags of ſilver in thy cheſt be worth, when thou entereſt into thy Coffin! It is reported of Muſculus, that when he lay upon his death-bed and many of his friends came to ſee him, and bewaild the poverty ſuch an eminent Miniſter of Chriſt was brought to, one of them ſaid, O quid ſumus! Muſculus overheard him and cried out Fumus. When thou comeſt to die, the whole world will be but air and ſmoak in thine own account. What (man) wilt thou do? whither wilt thou goe? the God that thou wilt cry to in diſtreſs, weep, and ſob, and ſigh to at death, is none of thy God. Thou rejecteſt him now, and canſt thou think that he will affect the then, either make a new choice, or thou canſt never enter into peace.