Forty Sermons, Sermon 29
SERMON XXIX.
PSAL. 73. 28.
Preached at St. Pauls Febr. 27. 1647/8. After at St. Maries.But it is good for me to draw near to God.
THe Text is a Concluſion ſtrongly inferred upon two great Truths premiſed in the foregoing part of the Pſalm, (ſummed up Iſa. 3. 10, 11. Eccleſ. 8. 12, 13.)
The firſt was that notwithſtanding all the evils that the godly endure; yet God is good to Iſrael, verſ. 1. and therefore it's good to draw near to God. It's good to draw near to a good God, nay beſt of all (as the Arabick reads it) to keep cloſe to that God, who is ſo good notwithſtanding the worſt evils.
The ſecond was that notwithſtanding the wicked's preſent flouriſh, yet their end is deſtruction, verſ. 2, 3, &c. and in the Verſe immediatly before the Text, For lo, they that are far from thee ſhall periſh; thou haſt deſtroyed all them that go a whoring from thee; and therefore again it's good for me to draw near to thee. Bernard ſums up both in his double Quere, Ʋbi enim benè erit Sermon 1.ſine illo? aut ubi malè poteſt eſſe cum illo? If it cannot be ill with him, nor well without him, then it's beſt to draw near to him. If it be no leſs than deſtruction to go a whoring from him, then the Spouſe, that in running away after her lovers hath met with a ſharp Thorn-Hedge, had need return home to her firſt Huſband, Hoſ. 2. 6, 7. If they periſh that are afar off, then it is my ſafeſt courſe to get and keep near. When they of Pharaoh's ſervants, that were in the field, were ſmitten with the hail, it concerned thoſe of them that feared God to keep home, Exod. 9. 20, 21, 25. When the ſword of man or Angel will deſtroy them that are abroad, it behoves Iſrael, and Rahab's family to keep within doors, Exod. 12. 22. Joſh. 2. 18, 19. If the out-lying Deer be in danger to be hunted by every Dog, and the ſtray-Sheep or Chicken to be ſnatched and torn by every Wolf or Kite, it's beſt to keep within the Pale and Fold, and under the Wing. To get and keep as near and cloſe to God, and under his Wing as may be. The Pſalmiſt's own comfortable experiences of God's goodneſs, whileſt he kept cloſe to him, and the ſad events of others going and keeping far from him, made him ſo wiſe as elſewhere to reſolve, Return to thy reſt, O my ſoul, and here feelingly to conclude, Redi anima mea in requiem tuam. Pſal. 116. 7.Mihi autem adhaerere Deo bonum eſt: but it's good for me to draw near to God.
In which Propoſition the Predicate foreign ſignifieth foreign. By Good is not meant any lower degree or kind of goodneſs, but that foreign that ſummum bonum, that chiefeſt good, in the enjoying whereof mans higheſt happineſs conſiſts.
And accordingly in the Subject of the Propoſition are three things obſervable,
1. Beatitudo Objectiva: that chief Good, in the enjoyment of which our Happineſs conſiſts, and that is foreign, God. For ſo, None good but God only, Matth. 9. 17. and ſo he is the Pſalmiſt's goodneſs, Pſal. 144. 2.
2. Beatitudo Formalis, our Union with, and Enjoyment of that chief Good, whereby we are actually made happy and bleſſed, in theſe words foreign, drawing near: for the meaning whereof, pleaſe to take notice of two things. 1. That in the Hebrew Text it's indifferent to be underſtood either of God's drawing foreignnear to us, or of our drawing near to God; the former the cauſe of the latter, and the happy meeting of both makes up our bleſſedneſs. The Summer's Sun drawes near to the Marigold, which makes it turn to the Sun, and that makes out its full flouriſh. God in Mercy draws near to us, and as a Load-ſtone draws, makes us draw near to him, whence ariſeth our chiefeſt, nay only happineſs in Union with him. For that likewiſe is ſecondly to be obſerved for the meaning of the word foreign, that it ſignifieth not only Motum, to draw near, and ſo by Apollinarius here rendred Not only to draw near, but to be near and ſo to abide.foreign, and by ſome Copies of the Lxx foreign: but alſo it ſignifieth the Reſt and firm Poſture of the Soul upon ſuch an advance and approach, not only appropinquare, but then adhaerere, to keep cloſe and cleave faſt, agglutinari, ſo Euthymius, foreign, as ordinarily as it is here in the Lxx, by which word the neareſt and ſtraiteſt ty between Husband and Wife is expreſſed, Eph. 5. 31. and which ſuits well with the Text, which, to what was ſaid in the foregoing Verſe of the deſtruction of them that go a whoring from God, oppoſeth the goodneſs and happineſs of an humble loyal drawing near to him, and an inſeparable faſt cleaving to him for ever. Here, O quam bonum! how good is it thus to draw near and thus to cleave faſt, both begun whileſt we are here in the way, but completed in Heaven at our Journeys end.
3. But the third particular tells you the Subject or Perſon to whom ſuch an approach is ſo good: and that, according to the Philoſopher's definition of the chief good, ſhould be every man: foreign.yet the Pſalmiſt doth not incloſe the Commons, when he more particularly applyes it to himſelf, its good for me, &c. for although all men are ready to enquire after it, with a who will ſhew us any good? Pſal. 4. 6. Yet in their purſuit of it, they ſtart ſo many falſe Games, that inſtead of that unum neceſſarium, in Varro's time Luke 10. 42.Philoſophers did ſo differ, that by ringing the changes of their ſeveral Tenents, as Auſtin ſheweth, there might be not fewer De C…vit. l. 19. c. 1.than 288 Opinions about it: but whileſt moſt men miſtake, and in the foregoing Verſe account it good for them to keep afar off, and go a whoring from God; it's the happineſs of the Faithful ſo to be guided as to pitch right, and to make that his firſt main Principle and laſt reſolved Concluſion, which the Prophet here makes the beginning and ending of this Pſalm, that God is good to Iſrael, and therefore whatever other do foreign Quod ad me ſpectat, for my part it's that which I have felt the comfort of, and therefore am reſolved to abide by, Mihi adharere Deo bonum eſt, It's good for me to draw near and cleave faſt to God.
A divine Apophthegme, which it ſeems St. Auſtin's heart was Doct. much taken with, that he ſo oft and in ſo many places of his writings toucheth, yea and runs deſcant upon; a ſweet poſie, that he ſo oft ſmelt to, a ſweet friend, whom he caſt's about how again and again to meet, and to have ſome parly with, as well he might, it containing a compleat ſum of both our Duty and Happineſs both here and in Heaven.
Whileſt here Travellers in the way,
What's our Duty? But as in Converſion at firſt to turn to him, ſo ſtill to walk with him; and to draw nearer and nearer to him.
What's our Comfort? but when in Prayer or otherwiſe we can get neareſt, into the inner Court, and touch the top of the golden Scepter, or, but the hem of Chriſt's garment? But might we get into the Apoſtle John's place, into our Saviour's boſom, ſofteſt Beds and gloriouſeſt Thrones would be but ſtones and dunghills. It's our Spring and Summer when the Sun of Righteouſneſs draws near, and our Heaven here when we may draw near, rejoycing, but not playing the wantons in this Sun-ſhine.
And what's our higheſt Heaven and Happineſs at laſt? but to be caught up into the Clouds to meet with Chriſt in the Air, and ſo 1 Theſſ. 4. 17.for ever to be with the Lord: In neareſt approach, to ſee him as he is, and in cloſeſt Communion to enjoy him, there always to be experimenting, and yet ever learning the truth of this Text to all Eternity. It's the A and Ω of a Chriſtian courſe, in his firſt ſetting out Godward bonum eſt mihi appropinquare, it's good for me to draw near who am ſo far off; in his progreſs yet better to draw nearer; at death the dying Chriſtian's Swan-like Song is foreign, and the Saints Antiphony in Heaven is foreign: ſo that whether you liſten to the voice of the mourning Turtle here below, or to the joyful Quire of Heaven above, they in this are perfect Uniſons; however in other reſpects they have different ſtrains, yet in this one Note they all agree; There's not a Saint on Earth, or Angel in Heaven, but the whole Chorus uno Ore, Corde, with one mouth and heart feelingly heartily ſay or ſing aloud to God's praiſe, Mihi autem appropinquare, adhaerere Deo bonum eſt, It's good, it's beſt for me to draw near and cleave faſt to God. Which being the joynt vote of Heaven and Earth, the very natural Heart-Language of the New-born Convert when as yet he cannot ſpeak, and of the dying Chriſtian when he now lyes ſpeechleſs, of the conflicting Martyr at the Stake, and of the Saint Triumphant before the Throne, it needs leſs proof, when encompaſſed with ſuch a cloud of witneſses foreign, O the bleſſedneſſes of that man whom thou chuſeſt and cauſeſt to draw near to thee! ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 65. 4. it ſeemeth he made account it was a multiplied admirable bleſſedneſs. Acquaint thy ſelf now with God, and thereby foreigngood ſhall come unto thee, ſaith Eliphaz, Job 22. 21. The very word there tranſlated Acquaint hath profit included in the fignification of it, and well may, when ſo much good is foreign proventus (as the word there is) the proper fruit of it: for here, if ever, Bonum propter vicinum bonum; much good by ſo good acquaintance. Good will proportionably come to us, as we come and draw near to God. Good will come he meaneth univerſally, all good will, but he ſpeaks indefinitely, becauſe he cannot define how much. But as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, Taſte and ſee how good the Lord is, Pſal. 34. 8. So he bids Job acquaint himſelf with God, and try how much good will come by that acquaintance, which they know beſt who have taſted and tried moſt, and they are ſuch as have got neareſt, and kept cloſeſt. They'l tell you there's ſo much, that whatever others mean by their bonum utile, jucundum, honeſtum, is herein formally, fully, eminently comprehended.
If we meaſure goodneſs by profitableneſs, O the bleſſed gainful Ʋtile. foreign A Treaſureincomes of Grace, Peace, Glory, yea of outward good things ſo far as they are indeed good to us, by our drawing near to God in Chriſt Jeſus! The Summer-Sun drawn near to us doth not ſo load the Earth with Fruit, as the Sun of Righteouſneſs doth us in his approaches to us, and ours to him, with the Fruits of his Bounty. Cteſias his foreign is but one of his Fables, but in this River of Paradiſe is a real truth; elſe Paul would not have counted the loſs of all things gain, that he might come ſo near, as to be found in Chriſt, Phil. 3. 8, 9. Nor would David have reckoned a day in God's Courts better than a thouſand, Pſal. 84. 10. but that by experience he found in God's Courts what others found in his, that a Courtier near to the King can get more by a word, than another at a further diſtance with far greater pains and induſtry. When Jacob was near to Joſeph, he was nouriſhed by him, Gen. 45. 10, 11. but not ſo, as that ſoul is feaſted and fatted, that ſits near to Chriſt, and lieth in his boſom.
And that tells you there is Pleaſure, as well as Profit; Light in Jucundum.ſuch a Goſhen, as well as nouriſhment. In God's preſence fulneſs of joy, and at his right hand pleaſures for evermore, Pſal. 16. 11. Away with the empty vaniſhing pleaſures of Sin and the World; here's both fulneſs and everlaſtingneſs in theſe joys together, a full cup, which can never be drunk to the bottom, but only the deeper the ſweeter. It's Chriſt's preſence and our nearneſs to him, that makes Heaven it ſelf a Paradiſe of delights, and not Mahomet's Chryſtal Fountains, and pleaſant Orchards and Gardens, and Et haec eſt maxima merces, & interminabilis. Alcoran Azora 2. 28. 47, 48.Fruits, and the like, which he like a beaſt accounts the greateſt happineſs in his. When the Sun is ſett, how dark is the night? and when it's gone far from us, how cold is the Winter? but when it draws near in Summer, how pleaſantly do the Birds ſing, and the Plants flouriſh, and the Flowers ſmell? as in thoſe Climats that are nearer to it is a Ver perpetuum. And all theſe but ſhadows of that ſolid joy and delight, which the faithful ſoul feels and enjoys in the approach of the Sun of Righteouſneſs. I ſat down under his ſhadow with great delight, ſaith the Spouſe, Cant. 2. 3. As it's expreſſed, Cant. 2. 3, to 14.and would be loth to leave God's bleſſing in that ſhade for the warmeſt Sun-ſhine, and to be haled or forced from ſuch ſweet Enjoyments by any other moſt pleaſing delights; would account it as a baniſhing of it from a Paradiſe into the howling Wilderneſs. Cum inhaeſero tibi ex omni me, omnino nuſquam erit mihi dolor & labor, & viva erit vita mea tota plena te, ſaith holy Auguſtin. Confeſſ. l. 10. c. 28.There's no grief in him, when he is all in God: he hath a lively life of it, when he can ſit ſo near the Fountain of Life, as to be filled with the bleſſed inflowes of it. If David cannot tell how good and pleaſant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, you had Pſal. 133. 1.need of the tongue of an Angel, and not mine, to tell the unutterableneſs of that delight and Joy, when Children and Father, Spouſe and Husband, Head and Members cleave together in cloſeſt Union.
And if Honour uſe to go in the firſt rank of the World's excellencies, Honorificum.then he that's neareſt to God muſt needs herein have the upper hand: Our bleſſed Saviour is exalted to higheſt Honour, in that he is at the right hand of God: and then ſure that ſoul is no baſe one, that lies neareſt to the heart of Chriſt. Seemeth it a ſmall thing to you (ſaid Moſes to Korah) that the God of Iſrael hath brought you near to himſelf in the Miniſtry of the Tabernacle? Numb. 16. 9.in which reſpect Nazianzen highly extolls the now deſpiſed Miniſtry, and Chryſoſtom lifts it up above Crowns and Scepters: but how much more honourable is it to draw near to God in ſaving Grace, than in that Sacred Office, which ſometimes they that are moſt unworthy climb up to? They were the Grandees of Perſia, who ſat next to the King, and ſaw his face, Eſth. 1. 14. May I never affect greater Grandure in this World, than in neareſt approaches to ſee the face of God in Chriſt, though the great ones of the World ſet me under their footſtool.
I might add a word of Beauty, which, according to the Hebrew Honeſtum. foreign Gen. 24. 16.phraſe, hath a kind of goodneſs in its comelineſs. But even that is, when the parts of the body are joyn'd together amongſt themſelves, and all united to the head, which, if parted, or diſlocated, occaſion horror rather than delight. But O the raviſhing Beauty of Chriſt myſtical, when from him and with him the whole body is fitly joyned together! Epheſ. 4. 16. when met together to meet with Chriſt, they are the Beauty of Holineſs, Pſal. 110. 3. This made Moſes's face ſhine when he talked with God, Exod. 34. 29. This encompaſſeth the Saints in their approaches to Chriſt with rayes of Divine luſtre, that they need not be beholden to the Limner or Painter for a painted glory. Though the Moon be at the full of her light and beauty, when ſhe is in furtheſt oppoſition to the Sun, yet our Full is in our neareſt Ʋnion with the Sun of Righteouſneſs.
I forbear further inſtances. But that you may further ſee how good it is to draw near to God, give me leave to propound theſe two convincing Arguments.
That's indeed good, and good to me, that makes me better; but ſo Argument 1 do not the profits, pleaſures, honours and the reſt of thoſe things which the World calls good. A man may be extremely bad with them, and too often (whilſt they proſtitute his body, and debaſe his mind) is made the worſe by them. But was it ever ſo by our humble drawing near to God? Doth it not elevate the mind, The ſoul is then in Apogaeo. 2 Cor. 3. 18.enlarge the heart, innoble, ſpiritualize and by a Divine Metamorphoſis transform the ſoul into the Image of Chriſt in its nearer approaches and interviews? Intellectus fit idem cum objecto. The underſtanding is made one with him in its Divine Contemplations: and love makes him one with it in its cordial embraces, not in H. N. his mad phraſe Godded with God, but yet in the Apoſtles 2 P…t. 1. 4.divine expreſſion made partakers of the Divine Nature. Here's cure by coming near and touching, Luke 8. 44. Healing under his wings, Mal. 4. 2. Life and Joy in his Preſence, Pſal. 16. 11. The Prodigal dare not be ſo bad as he would be, unleſs he run far from his Father's houſe. And that tells you the good child is better Luke 15. 13.for keeping in his Father's preſence. When we keep near to God, Heaven is not only near to us, but Heaven is in us: we then have not only heavenly Joyes, but alſo heavenly Hearts; and is it not good to be there? and therefore to draw nearer?
And again good to draw near, becauſe beſt when neareſt, and Argument. 2 worſt when fartheſt off.
1. Firſt, beſt when neareſt.
Angels and Men by nature the beſt of God's Creatures, becauſe in nature they are neareſt to him, and moſt reſemble him, and are capable of communion with him.
Of Angels they are the good ones, that continually behold him, Ma…th. 18. 10.and they the beſt that are neareſt; and therefore the chief of them are wont to be called Aſſiſtentes.
Of Men, as firſt, when was Adam beſt, when now created and enjoyed converſe with God? or when fallen and then run away from him?
Of all Men, the Saints that are moſt honoured by him are a people near unto him, Pſal. 148. 14. their firſt beginning to be well being when at firſt in converſion they begin to turn towards him, and how well are they? never better than when in the exerciſe of Grace, performance of ſervice in Meditation, Prayer, Word, Sacrament, in doing, nay though it be in ſuffering, they can get neareſt to him; let it be upon the Canon's mouth (ſaith the ſoul that is truly touched,) if I may but ſo make my approaches to my Lam. 3. 25, 26, 27.God. Let my Father whip me, if, whilſt he ſo doth, he takes me into his Arms. The Child is not afraid in the dark; if then he have his Father by the hand: nor is David in the valley of the ſhadow of death, if his good Shepherd be with him, Pſal. 23. 4. The whole World is not worth a Dungeon's light and a Priſon's inlargement, when Chriſt ſhines in, and his Spirit ſets the ſoul at liberty to go out to him. The Martyr is not bound when tyed to the ſtake, his ſoul is upon the wing to take her flight to her Saviour. It ſeems then that it is ſo good to draw near to God, that in ſo doing the Serpent hath loſt it's ſting; the Lion is become a Lamb; the Gridiron a bed of Roſes; Darkneſs is no Darkneſs; Pſal. 139. 12.the worſt evils are not themſelves. Its good to be afflicted, tormented, to ſuffer, to dye: good to be, to do, to ſuffer any thing, if thereby we …e ſet nearer to Chriſt who is all in all.
But how good then, when in a better conditon, when once come neareſt in Heaven's full viſion and perfect communion there, and ſo to be with Chriſt? what ſaith Paul of it? he wants words, and yet multiplies them, it's foreign, multò magis melius, Comparative upon Comparative, which riſeth higher than a Superlative. It's much more better, even beſt of all, Phil. 1. 23. which when Peter in Chriſt's transfiguration had only a glimpſe of, he half tranſlates my Text, and cryes out in an Extaſy, Lord it's good to be here, Mat. 17. 4. And ſo when the elevated ſoul is got into the Holy Mount, and there having a nearer ſtand takes a fuller view of the glory of Chriſt, is ſo near that being in the Spirit it's carryed out to him in ſtrongeſt workings Rev. 1. 10.and heavenly raptures, as the inferior Orbs are carried about by the motion of the Primum mobile, and when in inward peace, can quietly ly down in its Saviours boſom: whilſt others are anxiouſly asking, who will ſhew us any good? their Corn and Wine is Pſal. 4. 6, 7.nothing to ſuch a lifting up of the light of God's Countenance, it ſweetly ſings its requiem, and knows what it ſaith (which Peter did not) and crieth out, foreign, Lord, it's good to be here, Juvat uſque morari. Let us here not make a Tabernacle, but a Manſion for ever.
For firſt it's beſt to be neareſt.
2. Secondly, many now do, and many more at laſt will find it worſt when fartheſt off.
If Devils of all Creatures are in the worſt condition, I am ſure they are at the furtheſt diſtance, and therefore Satan in ancient Liturgies ſtiled foreign, a far-off ſtranger to Chriſt and his Kingdom.
And for Men; our firſt unhappy ſtep towards miſery was in our firſt retrograde from the God of our Mercy, whence we came to be eſtranged from the womb, and to go aſtray as ſoon as we were born, Pſal. 58. 3. So as the further we go, it's the further from God, and nearer to our own deſtruction, leaving him, and forſaking our own mercy together, Jonah 2. 8.
And ſo at laſt, when we are furtheſt run from him, we are arrived at the loweſt pitch of our own miſery. So when the rich man is in Hell, it was foreign, afar off that he ſaw Lazarus in Abraham's boſom, Luke 16. 23. And accordingly that infernal dungeon is called foreign, outward darkneſs, Matth. 8. 12. As Priſons were wont to be without the City, Acts 12. 10. So thoſe unhappy ſouls in this ſett at the remoteſt diſtance from Chriſt's preſence and Kingdom, as the Apoſtle deſcribes everlaſting deſtruction to be foreign, from the preſence of the Lord, 2 Theſſ. 1. 9. When the Lord Jeſus at the laſt day ſhall foreign, chide thoſe undone Miſcreants into Hell with thoſe ſoul-ſinking words, Depart from me ye curſed, Matth. 25. 41. Then at leaſt the truth of this Doctrine, that it's good to draw near to God, (though now not heeded) will be by ſuch fully but moſt uncomfortably reſented, of which truth, had we no other proof, we need no better evidence …han this double witneſs
1. Of an humble ſoul in deſertion, which had formerly felt the ſweetneſs of Chriſt's nearer preſence, and is now fainting Cant. 5. 6.and ſwooning away by reaſon of his abſence; how is it ſtarved with ſuch a cold blaſt, when removed out of that warm Sunſhine? would not the poor Woman, when ſhe feels her ſelf fainting and her Iſſue running, ſay, it would be well with me, if I could draw near? would not the leaſt touch of the utmoſt hem be a rich mercy?
2. Of a forlorn ſoul in the eſtate of deſpair and damnation. Was it not a trembling Cain's ſaddeſt Note? Thou haſt driven me from thy preſence, and therefore my puniſhment is greater than I can bear, Gen. 4. 13, 14. Though malice, guilt, and horror make ſuch bid God depart from them, and make them fly from him, yet Job 21. 14.their own preſent feelings cannot but make them ſenſible how good it would be to be nearer to him, when they find it the extremity of all evil to be utterly and for ever removed from him.
The ground of all which may be taken principally, 1. From Reaſon. the Nature of God. 2. Of the Creature in general. 3. Of Man in particular. And 4. More eſpecially from that new Nature or gracious frame, which God works in the new Creature.
For God: Reaſ 1From God. As Omnipreſent. Pſal. 139. 7.
1. Firſt he is an Omnipreſent God, not far from any of us, Acts 17. 27. but more inward than our very ſouls to every one of us: So that there is now no flying from his preſence: And therefore think whether upon this ground it be not beſt to draw near to his goodneſs. When Jacob could not eſcape Eſau as an enemy, it Gen. 32. Hei mihi quam excelſ… es in excelſis! & quam profundus es in profundis! & nuſquam recedis, & vix redimus ad te. Auguſt. Conf. lib. 8. cap. 3.was his wiſdom ſo to apply himſelf to him, as to make him his friend. Becauſe we cannot meet God as an enemy, be we as ſuppliants to make him a friend, Amos 4. 12. There is no eſcaping from God, but by running to him, nor eſcaping his W…rath, if we betake not our ſelves to his Mercy. If we draw not near to the Throne of his Grace, we ſhall be drawn to the Bar of his Juſtice. In a word, he is an infinit God; ſo that we cannot avoid him, and is it not then good to make a virtue of neceſſity, and ſo to draw near to him?
2. But that we may not be ſo much driven by fear, as drawn As good.with Cords of Love, Conſider we, as his greatneſs, ſo eſpecially his goodneſs, and that's a ſtrong Attractive, hath a wonderful Magnetick force to draw the ſoul to love, and the mind to aſſent, that it's ſo good to draw near to a good God, that it's a Concluſion above Demonſtration. Particularly:
1. As God, he is Bonum Ʋniverſaliſſimum; All in all, 1 Cor. 15. 28. which contains all good in him, and ſo is able to make an univerſal ſupply of all that good, which we ſtand in need of from him Chriſtus meus & omnia, My God is my All: my all-ſufficient portion; who, as ſuch, ſufficienter movet & implet voluntatem, as Aquinas ſpeaks, like the huge Ocean that fills every 1. Aq. 105. A. 4. As in Haman, Eſth. 5. 11, 12, 13.Creek; which the ſhallow narrow Rivolets of the Creature's largeſt perfections cannot reach; cannot ſupply all; and the want of any good thing miniſters more diſquiet, than the enjoyment of many Satisfaction. I have ſeen an end of all perfection, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, but it's well that he adds thy Commandments are exceeding Pſal. 119. 96.broad. One God more than enough to fulfil our deſires and wants: And why then ſhould I not prefer God before my ſelf, as the whole before the part? Why ſhould I not be nearer to God than to my ſelf? How well would it be to have the Head of all our Springs ly in this immenſe Ocean? How good is it to draw near to that God? when by enjoying of him, who is more than all, we may be ſure to want nothing.
2. As God, he is Summum Bonum & Finis ultimus; the chiefeſt good and laſt end, Pſal. 73. 25. Prov. 16. 4. We Chriſtians muſt needs believe it, ſeeing all the Sects of the Heathen Philoſophers Vide Schedium 2.(except the proud *Seneca vid. Heinſis exercit. Sacr. 16. in Act. 17. Eſt aliquid quo ſapiens antecedat Deum.Stoick, who thinks his wiſe man is in ſome thing above his God) do joyntly acknowledge it. Now it's Auſtin's true rule, Rei cujuſque perfectio eſt in adhaeſione ad ſuum principium, that it's the goodneſs and perfection of every thing to adhere to its principle, and to be in a tendency to its laſt end, which therefore makes God the Load ſtone of the ſoul, that it cannot reſt till it point to him; the very Center of it, that it cannot be quiet till it reſt in him as the chief good: our chiefeſt happineſs can conſiſt in nothing but in neareſt Union and fulleſt Communion with him.
3. As God, he is ſo Omnipotently good, that either as a foreign, whilſt he is near, he can keep evil far from us, Pſal. 91. 7. or ſo abate it, that it doth not hurt us, Dan. 3. 27. & 6. 22. or ſo change it, that it ſhall be a means of good to us, as Joſeph's brethrens bad intention, a means of his and their preſervation, Gen. 50. 20. and Eſth. 9. 1. turns Balaam's curſe into a bleſſing, Deut. 23. 5. So that out of the Eater, comes meat, and out of the ſtrong, ſweetneſs: Grapes are gathered of Thorns, and Figs of Judg. 14. 14. Matth. 7. 16. Prov. 16. 7. 2 Cor. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 12. 7, 9.Thiſtles: makes my Enemy my Friend, my Wound my Cure, my Affliction my Conſolation, and even my weakneſs my ſtrength, whileſt I being ſo weak, that I cannot ſtand on mine own legs, am caſt into my Fathers arms. And was not the Pſalmiſt then upon a ſafe-guard, when at the ſame time that in one Verſe his Enemies drawing near made his heart tr…mble, in the very next Verſe, his God being as near made his Faith confident, Pſal. 119. 150, 151. O how good is it to draw near to this Omnipotent Matth. 7. 27.God, who, when the Flouds come, and the Winds blow, can either ſtill the Storm, or make it blow us into the Harbour! is ſo good as either to cauſe all evil to be far away, or when near to be far from burting us!
4. As God, he is purely and onelyonly good, ſo as no evil is either in him, or dwels with him, Pſal. 5. 4. foreign, ſaith the Pſalmiſt in the firſt words of this Pſalm, and they may indifferently be rendred either, Truly God is good, or God is only good: and indeed he is moſt truly good, that is only good, and ſo God is a moſt ſimple being without the leaſt intermixture of any evil; no evil in him, none proceeds from him; all is good that God ſends. His good Word, 2 Kings 20. 19. His good Spirit, Neh. 9. 20. His Creatures good, as he made them, Gen. 1. 31. Nay, his very Chaſtiſements good, as he improveth them, Pſal. 119. 71. All good, and as they come from him, onelyonly good: with the pure he is pure, Pſal. 18. 26. A pure heart and way without mixture of ſin ſhall have pure Mercy without mixture of wrath: Provoke me not, and I will do you no hurt, Jer. 25. 6. But now in all other things, even in our beſt Contentments by reaſon of their and our vanity there is an untoward mixture of evil and good; it may be of a great deal of evil with a little good, of the worſt evil with the choiceſt good: a very Polypus head, in which
foreign.
Either in them or in our uſe of them bittereſt choler of ſweeteſt Thucidides.honey; a moſt infectious Plague (as once at Athens) after a moſt healthful year. Worſt carriages and beſt parts in the ſame See Piccart. Obſervat. Hiſtoricopolitic. Decad. 1. cap. 8.man: as in the ſame Cataline Virtue and Vice were at a Combat, but that the latter unhappily got the Victory: an Antidote and a Poyſon in the ſame Viper: in the ſame Toad, in which is (if you could find it) the moſt Precious Stone, you may be ſure to find the rankeſt Venom; that you have more cauſe not to touch it for the one, than to take it up for the other. Such ſtaves of comfort are the Creatures, like Moſes's: take them at the one end, and they will be a Staff in your hand to ſupport you: but if at the other, a Serpent to ſting you to the heart: So that inſtead Exod. 4. 2, 3, 4.of drawing near to them, you have need with him to fly from them. But how ſafely then may we, and how confidently ought we with Humility to draw near to God, who though of our ſelves are evil, and only evil, and continually evil, yet ſhall find him good, and onelyonly good, and everlaſtingly good? If it be good marrying that good Wiſe, which will do her husband good, and not hurt all the days of her life, Prov. 31. 12. Then, how much better is it in chaſteſt love to dwell with and cleave to this God, who is ſo purely and ſimply good in himſelf, that if thou wilt let him, he will do no hurt, but good, and good only, and that to Eternity.
5. As God, he is Infinitly good, and Infinitum non poteſt tranſ…ri: We cannot paſs over and get through that which is Infinite, or get to the end of that, which hath none: ſo that though every day we get nearer, yet ſtill there is a Plus ultra, that thou mayeſt ſtill be called on (as the Angel did Ezekiel) to ſee yet Cap. 8. 6.more: We are ſoon at the bottom of the ſhallow Creature's greateſt depth, and indeed at the firſt in our expectation gotten far beyond what we after find in the poſſeſſion; ſo that the beauty of it is beſt ſeen at a diſtance, and the nearer we come to it, the more blemiſhes we ſee in it; and on the contrary in our approaches to God's infinite goodneſs, as we cannot think ſo much before as we find after, ſo the nearer we come, the more we meet with; ſo that when thou haſt gone ſo far and gotten ſo much of God, as thou doſt want, and he can afford no more, I'l give thee leave to ſit ſtill, but till then I muſt adviſe thee, that it's good for thee to get nearer.
6. But it may be this Infinit goodneſs will overpour our weakneſs, and therefore the trembling ſoul with the poor Publican in the Goſpel yet ſtands afar off, and dares not draw near, Luke 18. 13.whileſt it thinks that as God is Optimus, ſo he is Maximus, though infinitly good, yet infinitly great, and therefore although my badneſs ſtands in need of his goodneſs, yet my ba…ſneſs and guiltineſs had need ſtand off from that greatneſs. This bottomleſs Ocean will drown me, and although the nearer to this Sun the more warmth and light, yet in ſuch nearer approaches that heat will melt my waxen wings; and that light will dazle and put out my weaker eye: True in our bold and curious approaches Prov. 25. 27.Scrutator Majeſtatis opprimetur à gloriâ. But in our humble addreſſes we ſhall find it far otherwiſe, viz. God to be bonum conveniens atque ità maximè appetibile, ſo good as moſt ſutable to our deſires and wants.
Partly as in his own infinite ſweetneſs and condeſcenſion he ſtoops ſo low, that the lowlieſt heart may freely draw near, and touch the top of his golden Scepter, as nobleſt Princes have given freeſt acceſs to their meaneſt Subjects: His greatneſs no obſtruction to his goodneſs:
But principally and (to us by our ſin eſtranged from him) only, as in Chriſt our Emmanuel, God with us, we come to have near and cloſe Communion with God in him: an holy God and ſinful man were at an unapproachable diſtance. But therefore our Saviour God-man came between us a Mediator, that we, who were afar off, may be made near by the bloud of Chriſt, Epheſ. 2. 13. That as the ſame Iſraelites, whom the brightneſs of Moſes his face drave away, Exod. 34. 30. when he had put a Vail on it, drew near to him, Verſe 31, 32, 33. So the ſame ſinner, who muſt keep aloof off from his Majeſty; eſpecially as he looks out in a fiery Law, need run far away to eſcape his wrath and curſe, Deut. 33. 2.as now he hath put on the Veil of his fleſh, may ſafely and comfortably approach, and have bleſſed Communion with him, and experimently ſay with the Pſalmiſt, that it's good to draw near to him.