(1 3.) ThirteentMy, As God is an inexhaustible portion, so God is a soul-satisfying portion, Ps. xvii. 15. He is a portion that gives the soul full satisfaction and content: Ps. xvi. 5, 6, 'The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup : thou maiutainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places ; yea, I have a goodly heritage.' It was well with him as his heart could wish. And so in that Ps. Ixxiii. 25, ' Whom have I in heaven but thee i and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee;' or as some render it, 'I would I were in heaven with thee' ; or as others read the words, 'I have sought none in hea- ven or earth besides thee;' or as others, ' I desire none in heaven or earth besides thee,' or ' I affect none in heaven, nor none on earth like thee ; I love none in heaven, nor none on earth, in comparison of thee ; I esteem thee instead of all other treasure, and above all other treasures that are in heaven, or that are on earth.'^ The holy prophet had spiritual and sweet communion with Christ to comfort and strengthen him ; he had a guard of glorious angels to protect him and secure him, and he had assurance of heaven in his bosom to joy and rejoice him ; and yet it was none of these, nay, it was not all these together, that could satisfy him, it was only an infinite good, an infinite God, that could satisfy him. He very well knew that the substantial of all true happiness and blessedness did lie in God, and his enjoyment of God, It was not his high dignities nor honours that could satisfy him ; it was not the strength, riches, security, prosperity, and outward glory of his kingdom that could satisfy him ; it was not his delightful music, nor his noble attendance, nor his well furnished tables, nor his great victories, nor his stately palaces, nor his pleasant gardens, nor his beautiful wife, nor his lovely children, that could satisfy him ; all these without God could never satisfy him ; but God without all these was enough to quiet him, and satisfy him: John xiv. 8, 'Philip said unto him. Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.' A sight of God will satisfy a gracious soul more than all worldly contentments and enjoyments, yea, one sight of God will satisfy a saint more than all the glory of heaven will do. God is the glory of heaven. Heaven alone is not sufficient to content a gracious soul, bnt God alone is sufficient to content and vsatisfy a gracious soul. God only is that satisfying good, that is able to fill, quiet, content, and satisfy an immortal soul. Certainly, if there be enough in God to satisfy the spirits of just men made perfect, whose capacities are far greater than ours, Heb. xii. 23-25 : and if there be enough in God to satisfy the angels, whose capacities are far above theirs ; if there be enough in God to satisfy Jesus Christ, whose capacity is un- ' Vide Jerome, CalviD, Cajetan, Marlorat, Mollerus. &c.
Lam. III. 24.] an ark for all god's noahs. 33
conceivable and unexpressible ; yea, if there be enough in God to satisfy himself, then certainly there must needs be in God enough to satisfy the souls of his people. If all fulness, and all goodness and infiniteness will satisfy the soul, then God will. There is nothing beyond God imagin- able, nor nothing beyond God desirable, nor nothing beyond God delec- table ; and therefore the soul that enjoys him, cannot but be satisfied with him. God is a portion beyond all imagination, all expectation, all apprehension, and all comparison ; and therefore he that hath him cannot but sit down and say, I have enough, Gen. xxxiii. 11 : Ps. Ixiii. 5, 6, ' My soul shall be satisfied as with^ marrow and fatness ; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips ; when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night-watches.' Marrow and fat- ness cannot so satisfy the appetite, as God can satisfy a gracious soul ; yea, one smile from God, one glance of his countenance, one good word from heaven, one report of love and grace, will infinitely more satisfy an immortal soul, than all the fat, and all the marrow, and all the dainties and delicates of this world can satisfy the appetite of any mortal man. ' My soul shall be satisfied with fatness and fatness'; so the Hebrew hath it ; that is, my soul shall be topful of comfort, it shall be filled up to the brim with pleasure and delight, in the remembrance and enjoy- ment of God upon my bed, or upon my beds, in the plural, as the Hebrew hath it. David had many a hard bed and many a hard lodging, whilst he was in his wilderness condition. It oftentimes so fell out that he had nothing but the bare ground for his bed, and the stones for his pillows, and the hedges for his curtains, and the heavens for his canopy; yet in this condition God was sweeter than marrow and fatness to him ; though his bed was never so hard, yet in God he had full satisfaction and content : Jer. xxxi. 14, ' My people shall be satisfied with goodness, saith the Lord ; and * my God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus,' Philip, iv, 19, saith Paul, that great apostle of the Gentiles. The Greek word vXy^Buasi signifies to Jill up, even as he did the widow's vessels, 2 Kings iv. 4, till they did overflow. God will fill up all, he will make up all, he will supply all the wants, and necessities of his people. That water that can fill the sea, can much more fill a cup; and that sun which can fill the world with light, can much more fill my house with light. So that God that fills heaven and earth with his glory, can much more fill my soul with his glory. To shew what a satisfying portion God is, he is set forth by all those things that may satisfy the heart of man, as by bread, water, wine, milk, honours, riches, raiment, houses, lands, friends, father, mother, sister, brother, health, wealth, light, life, &c. And if these things will not satisfy, what will ? It is enough, says old Jacob, that Joseph is alive, Gen. xlv. 28 ; so says a gracious soul, It is enough that God is my portion! A pardon cannot more satisfy a condemned man, nor bread an hungry man, nor drink a thirsty man, nor clothes a naked man, nor health a sick man, &c., than God doth satisfy a gracious man. But,
Now worldly portions can never satisfy the souls of men, Eccles. v. 10. * He that loveth silver shall never be satisfied with silver ; nor he that
' Cheleb vade then, fat and fat ; so the Hebrew bath it ; and hereby is meant satiety of pleasures, &c.
34; AN AUK FOR ALL GOD's NOAHS. [LaM. III. 24«.