The Fading of the Flesh and Flourishing of Faith, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. God an univerſal and eternal portion.
3. G…d a perfect or univ…ſal portion. Opera…i ſeq…t…r eſſe.THirdly, God is a univerſal portion; God hath in himſelf eminently and infinitely all good things; and Creatures are bounded in their beings, and therefore in the comfort which they yeild. Health anſwereth ſickneſs, but it doth not anſwer poverty. Honour is an help againſt diſgrace, but not againſt pain; Money is the moſt univerſall medicines: and therefore is ſaid to anſwer all things, but as great a Monarch as it is, it can neither command eaſe in ſickneſs, nor honours in diſgrace, much leſs quiet a wounded ſpirit. At beſt Creatures are but particular beings, and ſo but particular bleſſings. Now man being a compound of many wants and weakneſſes, can never be happy till he find a ſalve for every ſore; and a remedy which bears proportion as well to the number as nature of his maladies. Ahab though in his Ivory Pallace, upon his Throne of glory, attended with his noble Lords, and ſwaying a large Scepter, was miſerable becauſe the heavens were braſs. Haman though he had the favour of the Prince, the adoration of the people, the ſway of 127. Provinces, yet is diſcontented becauſe he wanted Mordecai's knee. If the worlds darlings enjoy many good things, yet they (as Chriſt told the young man) alwayes lack one thing which makes them at a loſs.
But God is all good things, and every good thing; he is ſelf-ſufficient, alone-ſufficient, and all-ſufficient; nothing is wanting in him, either for the Souls protection from all evill, or perfection with all good. Reader, if God were thy portion, thou ſhouldſt find in him whatſoever thine heart could deſire, and whatſoever could tend to thy happineſs. Art thou ambitious? he is a crown of Glory, and a royall Diadem. Art thou covetous? he is unſearchable riches, yea durable riches and righteouſneſs. Art thou voluptuous? He is rivers of pleaſures, and fulneſs of joy. Art thou hungry? He is a feaſt of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow. Art thou weary? He is reſt, a ſhadow from the heat, and a ſhelter from the ſtorm. Art thou weak? In the Lord Jehovah is everlaſting ſtrength. Art thou in doubts? he is marvellous in counſell. Art thou in darkneſs? He is the Sun of righteouſneſs, an eternall light. Art thou ſick? He is the God of thy health. Art thou ſorrowfull? He is the God of all conſolations. Art thou dying? He is the fountain and Lord of life. Art thou in any diſtreſs? His name is a ſtrong tower; thither thou mayſt run and find ſafety. He is foreign, an univerſal Medicine againſt all ſorts of miſeries. Whatſoever thy calamity is, he could remove it; whatſoever thy neceſſity, he could relieve it. He is ſilver, gold, honour, delight, food, rayment, houſe, land, peace, wiſdome, power, beauty, father, mother, wife, husband, mercy, love, grace, glory, and infinitely more then all theſe. God and all his creatures are no more then God without any of his creatures.Quid quaeris extra illum? quid deſideras praeter illum? quid pl…cet cum illo? Bern. ſerm. de miſce. com As the Jews ſay of Manna, that it had all ſorts of delicate taſtes in it, it is moſt true of God; he hath all ſorts of delights in him. This tree of life beareth twelve manner of fruits (Revel. 22.2.) every month. There is in it both variety and plenty of comforts. The former prevents our loathing, the latter our lacking.
One being deſirous to ſee the famous City of Athens, was told, Viſo Solone vidiſti omnia, ſee but Solon, and in him you may ſee all the rarities and excellencies in it. Reader, wouldſt thou ſee all the wealth and worth of ſea and land? wouldſt thou be upon the pinacle of the Temple (as Chriſt was) and behold, and have the offer of all the kingdomes of the world, and the glory of them? nay, wouldſt thou view heavens glorious City, the royal Pallace of the Great King, the coſtly curious workmanſhip about it, and the unheard of rarities and delights in that Court, which infinite embroydered Wiſdome contrived, boundleſs Power and Love erected, and infinite Bounty enriched! thou mayſt both ſee and enjoy all this in God; See but God, and thou ſeeſt all; enjoy but God, and thou enjoyeſt all in him.
As a Merchant in London may trade for, and fetch in, the Horſes of Barbary, the Canary Sacks, the French Wines, the Spaniſh Sweet-meats, the Oyles of Candie, the Spices of Egypt, the artificial Wares of Alexandria, the Silks of Perſia, the Embroyderies of Turkey, the Golden-wedges of India, the Emeraulds of Scythia, the Topazes of Aethiopia, and the Diamonds of Biſnager; ſo mightſt thou (were but this God thy portion) fetch in the fineſt bread to feed thee, the choiceſt wine to comfort thee, oyl to chear thee, joy to refreſh thee, raiment to cloath thee, the jewels of grace to beautifie thee, and the crown of glory to make thee bleſſed, nay all the wealth of this and the other world. If all the riches in the Covenant of Grace, if all the good things which Chriſt purchaſed with his precious blood; nay if as much good as is in an infinite God can make thee happy, thou ſhouldſt have it. If David were thought worth ten thouſand Iſraelites, how much is the God of Iſrael worth?
This one God would fill up thy ſoul in its utmoſt capacity; it is ſuch an end, that when thou attaineſt thou couldſt go no further, ſhouldſt deſire no more, but quietly reſt for ever. The neceſſity of the creatures number ſpeaks the meanneſs of their value, but the univerſality of good in this one God, proclaims his infinite worth. As there are all parts of ſpeech in that one verſe, Vae tibi ridenti, quia mox poſt gaudia flebis: So there are all perfections in this one God. What a portion is this Friend?
Fourthly, God is an eternal Portion: 4. God is an eternal po…tion.The pleaſures of ſin are but for a ſeaſon (a little inch of time, a foreign, a ſeaſon is a very ſhort ſpace, Hebr. 11.) but the portion of a Saint is for ever: God is the ſtrength of my heart, and my portion for ever. The greateſt eſtate here below is a flood ſoon up and ſoon down; but if God once ſay to thy ſoul as to Aarons, I am thine inheritance (Numb. 18.20.) neither men nor devils can cozen thee of it. The Lord knoweth the dayes of the upright, and their inheritance ſhall be for ever, Pſal. 37.18.
The Prodigal waſted his portion, and ſo came to poverty; the Glutton ſwalloweth down his portion, burying it in his belly; the Drunkard vomiteth up his portion; the ambitious perſon often turneth his portion into ſmoak, and it vaniſheth in the air; thoſe whoſe portion continueth longeſt, will be turned out of poſſeſſion, when Death once comes with a Writ from Heaven to ſeal a Leaſe of ejectment; for all theſe portions are dying gourds, deceitful brooks, and flying ſhadows. But ah! how contrary hereunto is the portion of a believer! God is an eternal portion. If he were once thy portion, he would be for ever thy portion: When thy eſtate, and children, and wife, and honours, and all earthly things ſhould be taken from thee: He is the good part which ſhall never be taken from thee, Luke 10. ult. Thy Friends may uſe thee as a ſuit of apparel, which when they have worn thredbare they throw off, and call for new: thy Relations may ſerve thee as women their flowers, who ſtick them in their boſomes when freſh and flouriſhing; but when dying and withered, they throw them to the dunghill; thy riches, and honours, and pleaſures, and wife, and children, may ſtand on the ſhore and ſee thee lanching into the Ocean of Eternity, but will not ſtep one foot into the water after thee; thou mayſt ſink or ſwim for them; only this God is thy portion, will never leave thee nor forſake thee, Hebr. 13.5. O how happy wouldſt thou be in having ſuch a friend! Thy portion would be tied to thee in this life, as Dionyſius thought his kingdome was to him, with chains of Adamant; there would be no ſevering it from thee. The world could not; thou ſhouldſt live above the world whilſt thou walkeſt about it, and behave thy ſelf in it not as its champion but conquerour; He that is born of God, overcometh the world, 1 John 5.9. Satan ſhould not part thee and thy portion; thy God hath him in his chain; and though, like a Maſtiffe without teeth, he may bark, yet he can never bite or hurt his children: I have written unto you young men, becauſe ye have overcome the wicked one, 1 John 2.13. Nay it ſhould not be in thine own power to ſell away thy portion; thou wouldeſt be a joynt heir with Chriſt; and co-heirs cannot ſell, except both joyn; and Chriſt knoweth the worth of this inheritance too well to part with it for all that this beggarly world can give. Rom. 8.17. The Apoſtle makes a challenge, which men nor devils could never accept or take up; Who ſhall ſeparate us from the love of Chriſt? ſhall tribulation, or diſtreſs, or perſecution, or famine, or nakedneſs, or ſword? nay in all theſe things we are more then conquerours through him that loves us, Rom. 8.35, 36, 37, 38. Nay, at death thy portion would ſwim out with thee in that ſhipwrack: death, which parts all other portions from men, will give thee full poſſeſſion of thine: Then, and not till then, thou ſhouldſt know what it is worth; yea even at the great day, the fire which ſhall burn up the world, ſhall not ſo much as ſinge thy portion; thou mightſt ſtand upon its ruines and ſing, I have loſt nothing, I have my portion, my inheritance, my happineſs, my God ſtill.
Other portions, like ſummer-fruit, are ſoon ripe, and ſoon rotten; but this portion, like winter fruit, though it be longer before the whole be gathered, yet it will continue. Gold and ſilver, in which other mens portion lieth, are corruptible; but thy portion, like the body of Chriſt, ſhall never ſee corruption.
When all earthly portions, as meat over-driven, certainly corrupts; or as water in ciſterns quickly groweth unſavoury: this portion, like the water in Aeſculapius his well, is not capable of putrefaction.
O Friend, what are all the portions in the world (which, as a candle, conſume in the uſe, and then go out in a ſtink) to this eternal portion! It is reported of one Theodorus, that when there was muſick and feaſting in his Fathers houſe, withdrew himſelf from all the company, and thus thought with himſelf, Here is content enough for the fleſh; but how long will this laſt? this will not hold out long: then falling on his knees, O Lord, my heart is open unto thee. I indeed know not what to ask but only this, Lord, let me not die eternally: O Lord, thou knoweſt I love thee, O let me live eternally to praiſe thee. I muſt tell thee, Reader, to be eternally happy, or eternally miſerable; to live eternally, or to die eternally, are of greater weight then thou art aware of; yea of far more concernment then thou canſt conceive: Ponder this motive therefore throughly. God is not only a ſatisfying portion, filling every crevis of thy ſoul with the light of joy and comfort, and a ſanctifying portion elevating thy ſoul to its primitive and original perfection, and an univerſal portion; not health, or wealth, or friends, or honours, or liberty, or life, or houſe, or wife, or childe, or pardon, or peace, or grace, or glory, or earth, or heaven, but all theſe and infin…tely more; but alſo he is an eternal portion. This God would be thy God for ever and ever, Pſal. 48.11. O ſweet word Ever! thou art the crown of the Saints crown, and the glory of their glory; their portion is ſo full, that they deſire no more; they enjoy variety and plenty of delights above what they are able to ask or think, and want nothing, but to have it fixt; may they but poſſeſs it in peace without interruption or ceſſation, they will trample all the Kingdomes of the earth as dirt under their feet; and loe thou art the welcome Dove to bring this olive branch in thy mouth, This God is our God for ever and ever. All the Arithmetical figures of dayes, and months, and years, and ages, are nothing to this infinite Cypher, ever, which though it ſtand for nothing in the vulgar account, yet contains all our millions; yea our millions and millions of millions are leſſe then drops to this Ocean Ever.
If all the pleaſures of the whole creation cannot countervail the fruition of God, though but for one moment, how happy ſhouldſt thou be to enjoy him for ever! If the firſt fruits and foretaſts of the Chriſtians felicity be ſo raviſhing, what will the harveſt be? Friend, little doſt thou think what crowns, ſcepters, palmes, thrones, kingdomes, glories, beauties, banquets, angelical entertainments, beatifical viſions, ſocieties, varieties, and eternities are prepared for them who chuſe God for their portion. If the Saints croſſe in the judgement of Moſes (when at age, and able to make a true eſtimate of things) were more worth then all the treaſures of Egypt (and he choſe it rather) what is the Saints crown, eternal crown worth?
To conclude this Uſe, Reader, take a ſerious view of this portion which is here tendered to thee, and conſider upon what eaſie termes it may be thine for ever. The portion is no leſſe then the infinite God; Behold the nations are as a drop of the bucket, and are counted as the ſmall duſt of the ballance; all nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him leſſe then nothing and vanity, Iſai. 40.15, 17. Other portions are bodily; he is ſpiritual, and ſo ſutable to thy ſoul. Other portions are mixt, like the Iſraelites pillar, which had a dark as well as a light ſide; but he is pure; there is not the leaſt ſpot in this Sun; he is a ſea of ſweetneſs without the ſmalleſt drop of gall. Other portions are particular; there are ſome chinks in the outward man which they cannot fill, beſides the many leaks of the ſoul, none of which they can ſtop; but he is an univerſal portion. All the excellencies of the creatures, even when their dregs and imperfections are removed, are but dark ſhadows of thoſe many ſubſtantial excellencies which are in him; He made all, he hath all, he is all; the moſt fluent tongue will quickly be at a loſſe in extolling him, for he is above all bleſſing and praiſes. Other portions are debaſing, like droſſe to gold, an allay to its worth: but he is an advancing portion, as a ſet of Diamonds to a royal Crown, infinitely adding to its value. Other portions are periſhing; they may be loſt, they will be left when death calls; thy cloth will be then drawn, and not one diſh remain on the table; but he is an everlaſting portion; the ſouls that feaſt with him (like Mephiboſheth at Davids) eat bread at his table continually; In his preſence is fulneſs of joy, and at his right hand are pleaſures for evermore. Now is not here infinite reaſon why thou ſhouldſt chooſe this God for thy portion?
Conſider the termes upon which he is willing to be thy portion; he deſires no more then thou wouldſt take him for thy treaſure and happineſs. Surely ſuch a portion is worthy of all acceptation. Be thy own Judge; may not God expect, and doth he not deſerve as much reſpect as thine earthly portion hath had? Can thy eſteem of him be too high, or thy love to him be too hot, or thy labour for him too great? O what warm embraces haſt thou given the world? throw that ſtrumpet now out of thine armes, and take the faireſt of ten thouſand in her room. What high thoughts haſt thou had of the world? what wouldſt thou not formerly do or ſuffer to gain a little more of it? Now pull down that Uſurper out of the throne, and ſet the King of Saints there, whoſe place it is; eſteem him ſuperlatively above all things, and make it thy buſineſs, whatſoever he call thee to do or ſuffer, to gain his love, which is infinitely better then life it ſelf. Do but exalt him in thy heart as thy chiefeſt good, and in thy life as thine utmoſt end, and he will make a deed of gift of himſelf to thee. Is it not rational what he deſires? why ſhouldſt thou then refuſe? Here is God, there is the world; here is bread, there is husks; here is the ſubſtance, there is a ſhadow; here is Paradiſe, there is an apple; here is fulneſs, there is emptineſs; here is a fountain, there is a broken ciſtern; here is all things, there is nothing; here is heaven, there is hell; here is eternity, I ſay, eternity of joy and pleaſure; here is eternity, O that word eternity, of ſorrow and pain; chooſe now which of the two thou wilt take, and adviſe with thy ſelf what word I ſhall bring again to him that ſent me, 1 Chron. 21.12.