The Fading of the Flesh and Flourishing of Faith, Chapter 18
CHAP XVIII. God is a ſatisfying and a ſanctifying portion.
Motives to chooſe God for our port…on. God is ſatisfying.FIrſt, God is a ſatisfying portion. The things of this vvorld may ſurfet a man, but they can never ſatisfie him. Moſt men have too much, but no man hath enough: As ſhips they have that burden vvhichwhich ſinks them, vvhen they have room to hold more. He that loveth ſilver is not ſatisfied with ſilver, nor he that loveth gold with increaſe, Eccleſ. 1. Worldlings are like the Parthians, the more they drink, the more they thirſt. As the melancholy Chymiſt, they vvork eagerly to find the Philoſophers ſtone, reſt and happineſs in it, though they have experience of its vanity, and it hath already brought them to beggary. The world cannot ſatisfie the ſenſes, much leſſe the ſoul: The eye is not ſatisfied with ſeeing, nor the ear with hearing.
As the Apes in the ſtory, finding a Gloworm in a froſty night, took it for a ſpark of fire, gathered ſome ſticks, and leaped on it, expecting to be warmed by it, but all in vain: ſo men think to find warmth and ſatisfaction in creatures, but they are as the clothes to David, when ſtricken in yeares, (though covered with them) not able to give any heat. Where ſhall contentment be found, and where is the place of ſatisfaction? The depth ſaith, It is not in me: and the earth ſaith, It is not in me: nay heaven it ſelf, were God out of it, would ſay, It is not in me.
Reader, thou longeſt for the things of this world, and thinkeſt, couldſt thou have but a table full of ſuch diſhes, thou ſhouldſt feed heartily, and fill thy ſelf: but doſt thou not know they are like the meat which ſick men cry ſo much for, that when brought to them, they can taſte of (poſſibly) but not at all fill themſelves with. The pond of the creature hath ſo much mud at the bottome, that none can have a full draught. The Sun and Moon ſeem bigger at firſt riſing, then when they come to be over our heads. All outward things are great in expectation, but nothing in fruition. The world promiſeth as much, and performeth as little as the Tomb of Semiramis: When ſhe had built a ſtately Tomb, ſhe cauſed this Inſcription to be engraven on it; Whatſoever King ſhall ſucceed here and want money, let him open this Tomb, and he ſhall have enough to ſerve his turn: which Darius afterwards (wanting money) opened, and inſtead of riches found this ſharp reproof, Ʋnleſs thou hadſt been extreamly covetous and greedy of filthy lucre, thou wouldſt not have opened the grave of the dead to ſeek for money. Thus many run to the world with high hopes, and return with nothing but blanks: hence it is, that worldlings are ſaid to feed on lies, and to ſuck wind from this Strumpets breaſts, both which are far from filling, Hoſea 10.13. Hoſea. 12.1.
Reader, ſince the controverſie is ſo great amongſt men, whether reſt doth not grow on the furrows of the field, and happineſs in the mines of gold; whether creatures wiſely diſtilled may not have happineſs drawn out of them, let us hear the judgement of one that enjoyed the world at will, and had prudence enough to extract the quinteſſence of it; who was throughly furniſhed with all variety of requiſites for ſuch an undertaking, who did ſet himſelf curiouſly to anatomize the body of the creation; And what is the reſult? Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, ſaith the Preacher. Mark,
1. Vanity in the abſtract, not vain, but vanity.
2. Plurality, Vanity of vanities, exceſſive vanity, all over vanity, nothing but vanity.
3. Ʋniverſality, All is vanity: every thing ſeverally, all things collectively: Riches are vanity, Eccleſ. 2. Honours are vanity, Pleaſures are vanity, Knowledge is vanity, all is vanity.
4. The verity of all this, ſaith the Preacher; one that ſpeaks not by gueſſe, or hear-ſay, but by experience, who had tried the utmoſt that the creature could do, and found it to come far ſhort of ſatisfying mans deſire: One that ſpake not only his own opinion, but by divine inſpiration; yet the total of the account which he gives in, after he had reckoned up all the creatures, is nothing but ciphers, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, ſaith the Preacher.
Men that are in the valley, think, if they were at the top of ſuch a hill, they ſhould touch the beavens: Men that are in the bottome of poverty, or diſgrace or pain, think, if they could get up to ſuch a mountain, ſuch a meaſure of riches, and honours, and delights, they could reach happineſs. Now Solomon had got to the top of this hill, and ſeeing ſo many ſcrambling and labouring ſo hard, nay riding on one anothers necks, and preſſing one another to death to get foremoſt, doth ſeem thus to beſpeak them; Sirs, ye are all deceived in your expectations; I ſee the pains ye take to get up to this place, thinking, that when you come hither, ye ſhall touch the heavens, and reach happineſs; but I am before you at the top of the hill, (I have treaſures, and honours, and pleaſures in variety and abundance) Eccleſ. 2.12, 13. and I find the hill full of quagmires inſtead of delights, and ſo far from giving me ſatisfaction, that it cauſeth much vexation; therefore be adviſed to ſpare your pains, and ſpend your ſtrength for that which will turn to more profit: for believe it, you do but work at the labour in vain; Vanity of vanities, all is vanitie, ſaith the Preacher.
We have weighed the world in the ballance and found it lighter then vanity; let us ſee what weight God hath. David will tell us, though the veſſel of the creature be frozen, that no ſatisfaction can be drawn thence; yet this Fountain runneth freely to the full content of all true Chriſtians; The Lord is the portion of my cup, and inheritance; thou maintaineſt my lot. The former expreſſion, as I obſerved before, is an alluſion to the cuſtome of dividing their drink at banquets; the latter to the diviſion of Canaan by lot and line, Pſal. 78.55. according as the lot fell, was every ones part. Now Davids part and lot fell it ſeems (like the Levites under the Law) on God; but is he pleaſed in his portion, and can he take any delight in his eſtate? The lines are fallen to me in a pleaſant place; yea I have a goodly heritage Pſalm 16.5, 6. As if he had ſaid, No lot ever fell in a better land; my portion happeneth in the beſt place that is poſſible; my knowledge of thee, and propriety in thee affordeth full content and felicity to me. I have enough, and crave no more; I have all, and can have no more. Though creatures bring in an Ignoramus to that enquiry concerning ſatisfaction, yet the Alſufficient God doth not.
If it were poſſible for one man to be crowned with the royal Diadem and dominion of the whole world, and to enjoy all the treaſures, and honours, and pleaſures that all the Kingdomes on earth can yield, if his ſenſes and underſtanding were enlarged to the utmoſt of created capacities, to taſte and take in whatſoever comfort and delight the Univerſe can give; if he had the ſociety of glorious Angels and glorified Saints thrown into the bargain, and might enjoy all this the whole length of the worlds duration; yet without God would this man in the midſt of all this be unſatisfied; (theſe things, like dew, might wet the branches, pleaſe the fleſh, but would leave the root drie, the ſpirit diſcontented) once admit the man to the ſight of God, and let God but poſſeſs his heart, and then, and not before, his infinite deſires expire in the boſome of his Maker. Now the weary Dove is at reſt, and the veſſel toſt up and down on the waters, is quiet in its haven. There is in the heart of man ſuch a drought (without this River of Paradiſe) that all the waters in the world, though every drop were an Ocean, cannot quench it. O what dry chips are all creatures to an hungry immortal ſoul! Lord, ſaith Auſtine, thou haſt made our heart for thee, and it will never reſt till it come to thee; A g. Confeſs.and when I ſhall wholly cleave to thee, then my life will be lively.
There are two ſpecial faculties in Mans Soul, which muſt be anſwered with ſutable and adaequate objects, or the heart (like the ſea) cannot reſt. The underſtanding muſt be ſatisfied with truth, and the will with good. For the filling of theſe two faculties men are as buſie as Bees, flying over the field of the world, and trying every flower for ſweetneſs; but after all their toyl and labour, houſe themſelves like waſps in curious combs without any hony. The underſtanding muſt be ſuted with the higheſt truth; but the world is a lye, Pſal. 62. and the things thereof are called lying vanities, they are not what they ſeem to be. Jonah. 2.8. and hence are unable to ſatisfy the mind; but God is aeterna veritas, & vera aeternitas, eternal truth, and true eternity. All truth is originally in him; his nature is the Idea of truth, and his will the ſtandard of truth; and its eternal life and utmoſt ſatisfaction to know him, becauſe by it the underſtanding is perfected; for the Soul in God will ſee all truth; and that not only clearly (I ſpeak of the other world where the Chriſtians happineſs ſhall be completed) face to face, but alſo fully. Ariſtotle though an Heathen, thought happineſs to conſiſt in the knowledg of the chiefeſt good. If Arichimedes when he found out the reſolution of one queſtion in the Mathematicks was ſo raviſhed that he ran up and down crying I have found it, I have found it. How will the Chriſtian be tranſported when he ſhall know all that is knowable, and all ſhadows of ignorance vaniſh as the darkneſs before the riſing Sun. The will alſo muſt be ſuted with good and according to the degree of goodneſs in the object, ſuch is the degree of ſatisfaction to the faculty. Now the things of this life, though good in themſelves, yet are vain and evill by reaſon of the ſin of man. Rom. 8.20. And likewiſe are at beſt but bodily, limited, and fading good things; and therefore uncapable of filling this faculty. As truth in the utmoſt latitude is the object of the underſtanding; ſo Good in the univerſality of it is the object of the will. Further that good which ſatisfieth, muſt be (optimum) the beſt, or twill never (ſiſtere appetitum) the Soul will otherwiſe be ſtill longing; and maximum the moſt perfect, or twill never (implere appetitum) fill it. But God is ſuch a good, he is eſſentially, univerſally, unchangeably, and infinitely good; and therefore ſatisfieth. When I awake I ſhall be ſatisfied with thy likeneſs. Pſa. 17. ult. When my body hath ſlept in the bed of the grave, till the morning of the reſurrection, and the ſound of the laſt trump ſhall awaken me, O the ſweet ſatisfaction and raviſhing delight which my Soul ſhall enjoy in being full of thy likeneſs, and thy love! Nay in the mean time before the happineſs of a Saint appear to his view in a full body, it doth like the riſing Sun, with its forerunning rays, caſt ſuch a lightſome, gladſome brightneſs upon the believer, that he is filled with joy at preſent; and would not part with his hopes of it for the whole world in hand. They ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſs of thy houſe (while on this ſide Heaven) and thou ſhalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleaſures. Pſal. 36.8. Though the wedding dinner be deferd till the wedding day, yet before hand the Chriſtian meets with many a running banquet. He hath not only pleaſures, fatneſs of thy houſe, but alſo plenty of it here below. They ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied.
The World is like ſharp ſauce which doth not fill, but provoke the ſtomach to call for more; the voice of thoſe gueſts whom it makes moſt welcome, is like the daughters of the horſeleech, Give, Give, but the infinite God like ſolid food doth ſatisfy the ſoul fully. (In my Fathers houſe is bread enough) and cauſeth it to cry out, I have enough.
Secondly, God is a ſanctifying ennobling Portion. 2 God is a ſanctifying portion.The World cannot advance the Soul in the leaſt; things of the World are fitly compared to ſhadows; for be thy ſhadow never ſo long, thy body is not the longer for it; ſo be thy eſtate never ſo great, thy ſoul is not the better for it. A great letter makes no more to the ſignification of a word then the ſmalleſt. Men in high places are the ſame men (no reall worth being thereby added to them) that they are in low ones.
Nay, its too too viſible, that men are the worſe for their earthly portions. If ſome had not been ſo wealthy, they had not been ſo wicked. Moſt of the Worlds favourites like aguiſh ſtomachs are fuller of appetite then digeſtion; they eat more then they can concoct, and thereby cauſe diſeaſes; nay by feeding on this traſh of earth, their ſtomachs are taken off from ſubſtantial food, the bread of Heaven. The Souldiers of Hannibal were effeminated, and made unfit for ſervice by their pleaſures at Capua. Damps ariſing out of the earth, have ſtifled many a Soul.A…iſt. Probl. ſe…. 23. Ariſtotle tells us of a Sea wherein (by the hollowneſs of the earth under it, or ſome whirling property) ſhips uſed to be caſt away in the midſt of a calm. Many periſh in their greateſt proſperity; and are ſo buſy about babies and rattles, that they have no leaſure to be ſaved, Luke 14.17
That which doth elevate & ennoble the Soul of Man, muſt be more excellent then the Soul. Silver is embaſed by mixing it with lead, but ennobled by gold, becauſe the former is inferiour to it, but the latter excells it. The World and all things in it are infinitely inferiour to the Soul of Man; and therefore it is debaſed by mingling with them; but God is infinitely ſuperiour, and ſo advanceth it by joyning with it. That coyn which is the moſt excellent mettal, defileth our hands; and is apt to defile our hearts; but the divine nature elevateth and purifieth the Spirit.
The goodlieſt portions of this life, are like the Cities which Solomon gave to Hiram. And Hiram came from Tyre to ſee the Cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleaſed him not. And he ſaid, What Cities are theſe which thou haſt given me my brother! and he called them the land of Cabul (that is diſpleaſing or dirty) unto this day. 1 Kings 9.12, 13. The pleaſanteſt portion here lyeth in the land of Cabul, its diſpleaſing and dirty; it doth both diſſatisfy and defile, when the heavenly portion doth like hony both delight and cleanſe; both pleaſe and purify.
Outward things (like common ſtones to a ring) adde nothing at all to the worth of a Soul; but this ſparking Diamond, this pearle of price, the infinite God makes the gold ring of the Soul to be of unſpeakable value. The heart of the wicked is little worth. Pro. 10.20. His houſe is worth ſomewhat, but his heart is worth nothing, becauſe its a ditch full only of dirt; his earthly portion hath poſſeſſion of it; but the heart of a godly man is worth millions, becauſe its the Cabinet where this ineſtimable jewell is laid up. The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour (Pro. 12.26.) becauſe he partaketh of the divine nature. God like gold enricheth whatſoever he is joyned to; hence it is that things which excell, in Scripture are uſually ſaid to be things of God, as the garden of God. Ezek. 28.13. The hill of God. Pſ, 61.15. The mountains of God. Pſ, 36.6. a city of God. Jonah 3.3. the cedars of God. Pſ. 80.10. That is, the moſt excellent garden, hill, mountain, city and cedars. God is the perfection of thy Soul; and therefore would (if thy portion) advance it to purpoſe. O what an height of honour and happineſs wouldſt thou arrive at, if this God were thine! Now like a worm thou crawleſt on, and dwelleſt in the earth, the meaneſt and baſeſt of all the Elements, that which brutes trample under their feet; but then like an Eagle thou wouldſt mount up to Heaven, contemning theſe toys, and leaving thoſe babies for children, and as an Angel alwaies ſtand in the preſence of, and enjoy inſpeakable pleaſure in him, who is thy portion. Thy life at preſent is low, little differing from the life of a beaſt, conſiſting cheifly in making proviſion for (that which ſhould be thy ſlave) the fleſh, but thy life then would be high and noble, much reſembling the lives of thoſe honourable Courtiers, whoſe continual practice is to adore and admire the bleſſed and only Potentate.
Doſt thou not find by experience that earthly things obſtruct holineſs, and thereby hinder thy Souls happineſs! Alas the beſt of them are but like the wings of a butterfly, which though curiouſly painted, foul the fingers; but if thine heart had but once cloſed with God as thy portion, it would be every day more pure, and nearer to perfection. Thou haſt (it may be) gold and ſilver; why, the Midianites camels had chaines of gold, and were they ever the better? Judg. 8.26. Many Brutes have had ſilver bells; but their natures brutiſh ſtill; but O the excellency which God would adde to thy Soul, by beſtowing on it his own likeneſs and love!