God a Christians Choice, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Exhortation Double: Firſt, To them that have not yet done this, and ſhewing what we ought to chuſe God to be to to us.
2. Ʋſe Exhort.THe 2. Uſe of this truth is by way of Exhortation, Double:
1. To them that have not choſen God.
2. To them that have done ſo.
Uſe of Exhortation.
I. To them that have not choſen God to be their God, that are yet to make their choice. And alas! how many are there yet ſo to do! how many! be perſwaded all in the name of God to do what is propoſed to you, to chuſe God to be yours. Chriſtians, are you in good earneſt Chriſtians or are you not? Will you chuſe God? are you reſolved to have him to be yours?
Here 3 things briefly opened.
1. What we are to chuſe God to be to u…?
2. How we are to chuſe God to be ours.
3. Several motives to provoke hereunto.
1. Under what notion we are to chuſe God to us, or what we are to chuſe him to be unto us.
1. To be in all relations to us.
2. To be in ſtead of all enjoyments to us.
1. We are to chuſe God to ſtand in all relations to us. What relations?
I. Generally; chuſe him to be our friend, 'tis Good having God to be a friend, make in to him therefore, and make ſuit to him to be your friend, Whoſoever hath choſen God to be his, hath choſen the beſt friend in Heaven and Earth. He is the ableſt, faithfulleſt, freeſt, richeſt friend that is in this or in another World; none ſo bountiful, and ready to help as he; and did we believe it, we ſhould eaſily be perſwaded to it: when the Church had choſen Chriſt to be her beloved, then he was her friend; this is my beloved, and this is my friend, O ye Daughters of Jeruſalem. Song. 5.16. ſo Abraham when he had choſen God to be his, he was his friend, and he became the friend of God. James. 2. the Church of the Jews cal'd the ſeed of Abraham my Friend, Iſa. 41.8. Be you therefore perſwaded, let me beſeech you, to chuſe God to be your chief friend.
II. More particularly; chuſe God to be to you a Father: God is the Father of all by creation; but we eaſt off that relation daily, by our trauſgreſſion, and rebel againſt him; though ſometimes we ſay, our Father with our mouths, yet how vain is this! for where is his honour that we give him? Mal. 1.6. juſt as the prodigal caſt off, and run away from his Father, Luk. 4 15. But when we are regenerate, and born again of God, then we chuſe God for our Father again, and he adopts us to be his Children. The new Divine nature laies a new claim to the old (though formerly loſt) relation: As the prodigal did, I will go to my Father, ver. 18. and beſpeaks God; as the Church, Iſa. 63.16. Doubtleſs thou art our Father. We are Commanded to cal… no man Father upon Earth, Mat… 23. (underſtand it in a right ſenſe… not as though we were to caſt off ou… natural relations, as ſome wickedly do); For that we have one to be ou… Father, which is in heaven, wh… hath promiſed that he will be a Father to us, and we ſhall be his Sons and Daughters, 2 Cor. 6.17. and therefore, well may we, and of Dut… ought to chuſe him to be ſo unt… us.
III. Chuſe God to be an Husband to you; this God offers himſelf moſt willingly to be, but we keep him off and will not yield our Conſent, as a Virgin doth a Suiter a long time that comes to her; how hard a matter to get the Soul eſpouſed to God, and Chriſt! It is not ſo hard a matter to get the Lord's Conſent to be an Husband, as to get ours to become his Spouſe. How long and painful a work is it for the Miniſters of the Goſpel to be wooing for Chriſt, and to be beſeeching in Chriſt's name, before they can get the conſent of one Soul to he married to him! Jer. 3.14. Turn O back ſliding Chilaren, for I am married unto you. God ſaith, I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteouſneſs, and in Judgment, and in loving kindneſs, and in mercies. I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulneſs; three times together. Hoſ. 2.19, 20. but we are very loath, we will not be betrothed, we can't be won to yield to it. God is our maker, and ſaith further, Thy Maker is thine husband, the Lord of Hoſts is his name, Iſa. 54.5. What will you not have your Maker for your Husband? What better Husband can there be?
IV. Chuſe God to be your Lord and Maſter; ſo much is implyed as, our duty in the Text, ye have choſen you the Lord to ſerve him: other Lord's do and have ruled over us, and Oh that we were brought to the reſolution of the Church, but by thee only will we make mention of thy name, Iſa. 26.13. which implies a choice of God, and a rejection of others. Be perſwaded to caſt off all other Lords, World, and Fleſh, and Devil; take his yoke upon you, enter into Covenant, every one to be his ſervant, as the Eunuch did, Iſa. 56.6. ſay as David Pſal. 116.16. Oh Lord, truly I am thy ſervant: I am thy ſervant: our duty is to chuſe God, and Chriſt to rule, govern, and have dominion over us, to be our leader, and Commander, Iſa. 55.4. let him be our onelyonly Lord, to ſerve him, and worſhip him according as we are bound, Pſal. 45.11. Obey no Commands, but what are agreeable to his Commands, he is our principal, and chief Maſter, whoſe Word we are to conform unto.
2. As we are to chuſe God to be in all relations to us, ſo we are to chuſe him to be inſtead of all enjoyments to us.
1. As our portion, ſo we ſhould chuſe him: ſo did the Church, Lam. 3.24. The Lord is my portion, ſaith my Soul: Then was a fit time to ſay ſo, and chuſe him to be ſo, when ſhe had nothing left in her captive eſtate. So ſaith David, Pſal. 16.5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance: *foreign pars partis, ſive portio portiones mea, junguntur hic duo ſynonyma auxeſeos cauſa, q. d. omnimoda pars mea.Word for word, the part of my part, or portion of my portion, to ſhew that God was his only part or portion. There are two words of like import, to ſhew that he choſe God to be altogether a portion to him; to which purpoſe we may obſerve, that God that is call'd the God of Iſrael, is call'd the portion of Jacob, Jer. 10.16, &c. 51.19.*Quia aliis gentibus alios ſibi Deos optantibus, Deus horum oculos aperuit us ſe eligerent. M. P. ſyn. Crit. ex Riv. Becauſe other nations chuſing other gods to themſelves, the Lord opened their eyes that they ſhould chuſe him only; in which regard he is call'd the portion and inheritance of Aaron, Numb. 18.29. who was to have no inheritance amongſt the reſt of the Iſraelites in Canaan. What a rejoycing ſhould this be to every Chriſtian, who hath no portion nor inheritance in the World, in the meaneſt and loweſt Condition in the world, who yet hath, and hath choſen the Lord for his portion! Eliphaz tells Job chap. 22.25. the Almighty ſhall be thy defence; Marg. thy Gold: For ſo it may be rendered, as by*foreign vel anguſtiis tuis, vel arx roborts tui, vel aurum lectiſſimum. I. T. i. e. ſi deſit aurum obtinebis quod pretioſius eo eſt. n. Deum. M. P. Syn. ſome it is; He ſhall be to thee inſtead of treaſures of Gold and Silver; if thou ſhalt want Gold, thou ſhalt have what is far more precious than Gold, viz. God himſelf. We are apt to chuſe and ſo to make Gold our God, whereas God ſhould be unto us inſtead of, yea above all the Gold in the World, which uſually men make their chief portion.
2. In ſum to ſhut up all, we ſhould chuſe God to be unto us, as our All in All, our only Bleſſedneſs in this life, and that to come. It is propheſied of a people, (and is it not all our duty?) Iſa. 65.16. even of the Gentiles, That he who bleſſeth himſelf, ſhal bleſs himſelf in the God of truth; viz. in apprehending, and appropriating to themſelves God as theirs, they ſhould look on themſelves as the moſt bleſſed people, (as juſtly they may) in all the World. There is no condition, that a man can account to himſelf as a Bleſſed condition, but when he hath God to be his God; he may ſing and rejoice in God (as though, yea) better than though he had all the World; he is, and he hath all, and whoſoever hath God to be his hath indeed all, and therein is bleſſed. It is a kind of Happineſs, if our garners be full of all manner of ſtore, if ſheep bring forth thouſands, if that our oxen may be ſtrong to labour; Happy is the people that is in ſuch a caſe, Pſal. 144.15. with, 13, 14. i. e. they may in a kind, and in a degree be ſaid to be happy: But then the Prophet adds the ſurmounting Happineſs; Yea, happy is that people, (and ſo that perſon,) that hath the Lord for their God.