' Prov. xii. 26. A man that hath God for his portion, doth as much excel and out- shine such as have only Mammon for their portion, as the sun excels and out-shines the stars, t
54 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD'S NOAHS. fLAM. III. 24.
and priests unto God and his Father.' ^ They have the power, sovereignty, and authority of kings, they arc privileged as kings, they are guarded as kings, they are adorned as kings, they are entertained as kings, they feed as kings, they feed high, they live upon God and Christ, and all the glory of heaven ; and they are clothed as kings, they are clothed with Christ's righteousness, and with the garments of joy and gladness. Kings have great alliance, and so have the saints that have God for their portion. Kings have a very great influence, and so have they that have God for their portion. A man in rags that hath God for his por- tion is a more honourable person than the greatest monarch on earth that hath only the world for his portion. I have read of Alexander the Great, and of Pompey the Great, and of Charles the Great, and of Abner the Great, and of Herod the Great ; but what were all these great men but grasshoppers to the saints that have God for their portion ? Men that have had God for their portion have been very famous, illus- trious, and glorious, when they have been friendless, and houseless, and penniless ; yea, when they have been under the swords, and saws, and haiTOws of persecution.^ When Maximian, the tyrant, had plucked out one of Paphnutius the Confessor's eyes, that good emperor Constantine saw such a lustre, beauty, and glory upon Paphnutius, that he fell upon him and kissed him ; and he kissed that very hole most wherein one of the Confessor's eyes had been, as being most ravished and delighted with that hole. His name that hath God for his portion shall live, when the name of the wicked shall rot, Prov. x. 7, Ps. cxii. 9. His name shall be written in golden characters upon marble, when the name of the wicked shall be written in the dust.
The blind besotted world are sadly out, who are ready to set the crown of honour and happiness upon any heads, rather than upon theirs that have God for their portion. Look, as Samuel, beholding the beauty and stature of Eliab, would needs have him anointed, and the crown set upon his head, when the crown was designed for David at the sheep-fold, 1 Sam. xvi. 6, 12, so vain men are very apt to set the crown of happiness upon their heads who have the greatest share in this world, whenas the crown of happiness and blessedness is only to be set on their heads that have God for their portion. What the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon's servants, ' Happy are thy men, happy are these thy ser- vants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom,' 1 Kings X. 8, is here very applicable to the saints : * Happy, happy, yea, thrice happy are those precious sons and daughters of Sion that have God for their portion.' A man that hath God for his portion shall live happily and die happily, and after death he shall remain happy to all eternity ; and therefore we may well cry out, ' Oh, the happiness and blessedness of that man that hath God for his portion 1' But,
(4.) Fourthly, If the saints have such an excellent, such a matchless, portion, oh, then, let them never set their hearts and affections upon any earthly portions, Prov. xxiii. 5. It is true, O.Christian, thou mayest lay thy hand upon an earthly portion, but thou must never set thy heart upon an earthly portion : Ps. Ixii. 10, 'If riches increase, set not thy heart upon them.' The Hebrews put the heart for the thoughts, affec-
' Rev. xvii. 14, v. 10 ; Daniel vii. 27 ; 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23 ; Ps. xxxiv. 14 ; Heb. i. 14 ; Ps. xlv. 13 ; I Cor. i 30. * As you may see in the 10th and 11th chaps, of the Hebrews.
Lam. III. 24«.] an ark for all god's noahs. 55