Heaven Upon Earth, Sermon · Direction 2
II. DIRECTION.
My next Direction to thoſe which would be acquainted with God, ſhall be this: Get an humble heart, which is the conſequent of the former. God will exalt none to this high honour of being his Friends, but ſuch as have low Thoughts of themſelves. The humble are the perſons that he will raiſe, theſe are they that he will converſe moſt with, theſe are the great Favourites of Heaven which God doth delight to honour, Pſal. 34.18. The Lord is nigh to them which are of a broken heart, and ſaveth ſuch as be of a contrite ſpirit. God is nigh to them, (with Reverence be it ſpoken) God takes ſo much complacency in the company of ſuch, that he can't endure to have them far from him, he muſt have them always nigh to him, always under his eyes; as for theſe broken ones, he will to be ſure not leave them long, not go far from them, but will be ready at hand to ſet their bones, to bind up their wounds, to keep them from ſeſtering. It may be he may put them to much pain before he brings the Cure to perfection, but it is to prevent future Aches. He is a fooliſh cruel Chirurgeon, who for fear of putting his Patient to ſome pain, never ſearcheth the wound, but skins it over preſently: and a wiſe man will not think him unmerciful that puts him to exquiſite pain, ſo he make a through Cure of it. Thus God doth by his Patients ſometimes, when the nature of their Diſtemper calls for it. But however, he will be ſure not to be out of the way when they want him moſt. It's poſſible they may look upon themſelves as forgotten by God, they may not know their Phyſician when he is by them, and they may take their Friend for an Enemy, they may think God far oft when he is near; but when their eyes are opened, and their diſtemper is pretty well worn off, they will with ſhame and thankfulneſs acknowledge their Error; nay, they do from their ſouls confeſs that they do not deſerve the leaſt look of Kindneſs from God, but to be counted ſtrangers and enemies; but God will let them know that he loves to act like himſelf; that is, like a God of Love, Mercy, and Goodneſs; and that they are the perſons that he hath ſet his heart upon; he will have them in his Boſome, never leave them nor forſake them; and though theſe contrite ones many times look upon themſelves as loſt, yet God will ſave them, and they ſhall ſing a Song of thankfulneſs amongſt his delivered ones. Again, the Sacrifices of God are a broken heart: A broken and a contrite Spirit, O God, thou wilt not deſpiſe, Pſal. 51.17. The proud ſinner he may bring his ſtalled Oxen, multitudes of Rams and Sheep, und his Rivers of Oyl, and yet all this while not be accepted. There is another kind of Sacrifice that would be ten thouſand times more acceptable to God. We read that Sacrifices have been deſpiſed, Prayers, long Prayers have been rejected; Sabbaths, New-Moons, and Solemn Aſſemblies the Lord hath ſometimes abhorred; but we never read that he deſpiſed the Sacrifice of an humble heart, the Prayers of ſuch always have an anſwer one way or other; their poor performances, their chatterings, and mournings, are ſweet melody, and powerful Rhetorick in Gods ear. Who are the men that have moſt of Gods company? who are they which he doth moſt frequently viſit? Are they not ſuch as look upon themſelves as the chiefeſt of ſinners? Theſe are they which are wrapped up into the third Heaven. None have ſo much of Heaven upon Earth as thoſe that wonder that the Earth doth not ſwallow them up, and that they are not in Hell. But, O ſaith the humble Soul, God is the high and mighty God, and infinite in his Holineſs and Juſtice; how then can ſuch a Creature as I ever expect that he ſhould ſo much as caſt his eye upon me? Yes, ſweet ſoul, ſuch is the infinite condeſcenſion and goodneſs of God, that he will ſooner look upon thee than another. And if you can't credit my words, here what he ſpeaks himſelf, Iſa. 7.15. Thus ſaith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity, whoſe name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him alſo that is of a contrite and humble ſpirit, to revive the ſpirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of my contrite ones. The thoughts of Gods Majeſty, Eternity, and Holineſs may, and with good reaſon too, awe that Soul that hath low thought of it ſelf. Every ſinner hath cauſe enough to cry out with aſtoniſhment, Will God look upon ſuch a vile ſinful wretch as I am? Will he that is infinite in holineſs take any notice of me, except to ſhew his diſpleaſure againſt me? What ſhall I do? ſure ſuch a creature as I can't without a miracle have a ſmile from God. God may indeed look upon me in his Wrath, and vix me in his ſore Diſpleaſure. God may juſtly look me into Hell; but that he ſhould look upon me in kindneſs, or take any ſpecial notice of me in love, that would be a Wonder indeed. What, God dwell with me! Yes, with thee, if thou haſt but high thoughts of him, and low thoughts of thy ſelf; the meaner thou thinkeſt of thy ſelf, the greater worth he ſees in thee. God will not only look upon thee, nor will he only knock at thy door, and call at your houſe, or give you a tranſitory viſit, but he will come and dwell with thee. Now dwelling ſpeaks a continued abode with one, and thus God will continue with the Humble; never remove from them, for any conſiderable time, till eternity hath an end, till himſelf, and the ſoul ceaſe to be, which will be never. God will not be a ſtranger to humble Souls, but he will come to them, and bring that along with him that ſhall make him, and them welcom too. God never comes to his Friends, but he brings good chear along with him. When the Soul gives God the beſt entertainment, it is all at his coſt, his bread, his fatlings, his wine, his oyl, his cordials, his rich dainties. Where God comes, he will keep a noble houſe, & there ſhall be mirth and rich cheer good ſtore, Iſa. 66 1, 2. Thus ſaith the Lord, Heaven is my throne, & Earth is my foot-ſtool: Where is that houſe ye will build me? And where is the place of my reſt? For all theſe things hath my had made, and all theſe things hath been, ſaith the Lord; but to this man will I look even to him that is poor, and of a contrite ſpirit, and trembleth at my word. God ſeems to have low thoughts of Heaven it ſelf in compariſon of an humble ſoul: This is the Pallace, where this great King will keep his Court; this is the place of his reſt. God is not ſo much delighted and pleaſed in any of his brave Seats, as in this of an Humble Heart; here he dwelleth moſt commonly; this was the great purchaſe of his own Son; this was the Maſter-piece of his Power and Goodneſs; this was the project of infinite wiſdom and counſel. What ſhall I do to be ſaved? Is a Language that makes Hell in a rage, and Heaven to rejoyce. God is never ſo well pleaſed as when he beholds the beauty of his own Grace ſhining in a poor loſt ſelf-debaſing Creature. The ſpouſe is adorned with Humility, when Chriſt gives her that viſit, Cant. 1.4. God hath far more kindneſs for one that lies under a ſenſe of his own Vileneſs, that thinks himſelf unworthy to tread upon Gods Earth, or to breath in his Air, then for the moſt confident righteous Phariſee in the World. Such an humble Soul will be much in admiring of God, and will ſet a high price upon his kindneſs; a look, a ſmile, a viſit! O how welcom are they to thoſe poor trembling Ones! Wherefore God doth with frequency and love viſit them; he knows that he can never be unwelcome to ſuch, they will count it the higheſt honour, that the moſt high ſhould come into them in their low Condition. Wherefore if you deſire to have any intimate acquaintance with God, labour to be more and more ſenſible of your own unworthineſs, ſtudy your heart and nature well, and be more curious in the obſervance of the baſeneſs and treachery of your own Soul; endeavour to have as mean thoughts of your ſelf as Paul had, who did not ſtick to call himſelf the chiefeſt of ſinners: Humble your ſelves before the Lord, and he will exalt you; he that is little in his own eye, is greater in Gods. When was it that Jacob met with God, but when he had been humbling of himſelf? As you may read at your leiſure, Gen. 23. There is many a profeſſor that holds out many a year in a courſe of external performances, and yet never knows what it is to have any intimate acquaintance or converſe with God: whereas I am perſwaded, if the buſineſs were throughly examined, it would be found that they were never made deeply ſenſible of their undone ſtate out of Chriſt, never underſtood the deſperate depravedneſs of their hearts, and nature; that they never lay under any lively ſenſe of their ſeparation from, and enmity againſt God, and they were never bronght off from their own righteouſneſs, and ſaw themſelves poor, beggarly, ſtarved Creatures; and in this condition came to buy Wine and Milk without money, and without price. But this humility, it is an excellent Grace, it makes the ſoul fit for the richeſt enjoyments of God, and to do God the greateſt ſervice. Were it poſſible that God ſhould converſe much with a proud man, he would make ſtrange uſe of it, he would ſteal God's Crown, and put it upon his own head; but God would not endure proud Angels near him, and can it be expected that he ſhould take proud men in their places? The more any one grows in Grace, and acquaintance with God, the more he ſees of his own unworthineſs, the more he admires Free Grace. Why, me Lord! why me! will be the Language of thoſe which converſe with God: And while they are thus admiring God, and laying themſelves low, he comes again with his ſoul-raviſhing kindneſſes; and thus by humility they are more acquainted with God, and being more acquainted with God, they are made more humble, and the one increaſeth the other. Thus the humble ſoul is raiſed higher and higher, till be come to an eternal poſſeſſion of God in the higheſt Heavens. When an humble Saint lives as it were in Heaven upon Earth, he ſcarce thinks himſelf worthy to live upon the Earth. When any one ſpeaks well of him, and admireth the grace of God in him, he looks upon himſelf as an unprofitable Servant, and he durſt not aſſume the leaſt glory to himſelf; not unto me, not unto me, but unto the Lord be the praiſe given. Who am I poor wretch? O did you but know what a heart I have, did you but ſee the workings of my thoughts, could you but tell how things are, indeed you would rather admire at Gods patience, than mans excellency. This he ſpeaks, not that he is worſe than others, but becauſe he hath a more ſpiritual ſence of his ſtate than others have: Neither doth he ſpeak thus in proud Policy, thinking to make others to have a better eſteem of him for his humility; but he doth really feel the preſſure of that filthineſs of ſin, which makes him thus to groan out theſe complaints. The reaſon why God doth converſe moſt with the humble, is becauſe they will be moſt thankful, and moſt fruitful, and make the wiſeſt improvement of his favours. Wherefore, if you value the comfort of a ſpiritual life, if you deſire communion with God, if you would have a Heaven upon Earth, endeavour to get and humble heart: To walk humbly, and to walk with God, go together.