God a Christians Choice, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Shewing how we are to chuſe God to be ours.
THe Second thing we are to open; is, How we are to chuſe God to our ſelves, to be ours.
1. Chuſe him really, not feignedly, and in outward ſhew onelyonly; there be a great many that lay claim to God, and ſay God is mine, yet are they moſt proſane, and abominable; they ſeem to own God with their mouths but deny him in their works and lives, as thoſe mentioned, Tit. 1.16. In works they deny him, being diſobedient, and to every good work reprobate. Even as thoſe whom our ſaviour taxeth, Luk. 6.46. Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and will not do the things that I ſay? Juſt ſo we read of ſome that call God Father, and yet do as evil things as they could, Jer. 3.4, 5. whom the Lord reproves, as he doth to the ſame purpoſe the prieſts, Mal. 1.6. If I am a Father where is my honour? if I am a Maſter where is my Fear? They ſeem to take God to be theirs in ſome of the forementioned relations; yet for all that, their deeds and ſpeeches are as evil as can be, With their lips they ſhew much love, but their hearts are after their Covetouſneſs, Ezek. 33. With their lips only it is, and no more, not with their heart; they chuſe him with their lips, but refuſe him and caſt his law behind their backs, in their lives.
2. Chuſe him wholly to be yours, that is, chuſe him as he offers himſelf to us, and as he is ſet forth in all the relations the Scripture makes mention of him to us; not only in thoſe Comfortable Relations which-imply our priviledg, but thoſe honourable ones alſo, which imply and engage us to our duty; not to be a Friend, a Father, and an Husband only; but a Maſter, Lord, and King alſo.
3. Chuſe him freely to be your God, not out of Force. Many ſeem to be willing to chuſe God, but it is when they muſt of neceſſity leave the World; when they come to die and they cannot of neceſſity avoid it, they can be without him no longer: If they could have the World in health, and ſtrength one day longer they would let God alone, till ſuch a time as death did indeed come. How great many of people never deſire to acquaint themſelves with God, deſire him not, chuſe him not, or get any intereſt in Chriſt, till they come to die, then ſeem to look after and chuſe him for theirs! They neglect, and refuſe God in all his offers of grace vouchſafed to them all their lives; but when they muſt part with all the World, whether they will or not, then at the hour of death will be ſeemingly forward to chuſe him. But they that chuſe him truely, chuſe him freely.
4. Chuſe God chiefly, let God be preferr'd before all, nothing before him. If God be preferr'd as he deſerves, ſo it will be; He will be ſet before every thing in heaven or Earth. Let God be your chief deſire, your exceeding Joy, as Pſal. 43.4. word for word,foreign. the gladneſs or my Joy: Two Synonima's or words of like import (as before) to ſignifie the fulneſs of his Joy in God, or the excellency of his Joy in God, above all other Joys; no Joy in the World that David had like to the Joy that he had in God. As the Church had choſen Chriſt to be her beloved, and ſhe preferred him as the chiefeſt of ten thouſand, Song. 5.30.
5. Chuſe God only, if we can have nothing elſe with him, or beſides him, yet let us chuſe him only; he is God only, Good only, as well as chiefly, and ſo let us chuſe him; let God be choſen, though we let all go to have him, and to keep our hold faſt of him. We do not know what times we may ſee, when we muſt part with all things; and if we be Chriſtians, as we have choſen, ſo we muſt keep cloſe to (bear with the expreſſion) a naked God, or God alone, without any thing elſe, as many, of whom the world was not worthy, have done before us.
6. Chuſe God for himſelf, have no Siniſter end in chuſing of him, not for any external thing he brings with him (as he never comes alone,) but only for his own Excellencies. What Excellencies are there in him! if we did but view them, according as they are diſplaied in the Word, what an attractive vertue might they have to draw our hearts to chuſe him! we muſt not chuſe God, as men chuſe Wives, and Women chuſe Husbands, for the moſt part for what they have, not for themſelves; more for their eſtates, than for their perſons: he that chuſeth God for any thing beſides God himſelf, chuſeth not God indeed, but that other thing in his Stead; he doth not chuſe God chiefly, and he that doth not chuſe him chiefly, doth indeed not chuſe him at all, but refuſe him.