(5.) Fifthly, If the saints have such a glorious, such an incomparable portion ; then let them he cheerful and comfortable under aU worldly crosses, losses, and troubles. Acts v. 17-42, Rom. v. 2-4. With what a Roman spirit do many vain men of great estates bear up under great losses and crosses ; and shall not grace do more than nature 1 Shall not the Spirit of God do more than a Roman spirit ? O sirs, how can you look upon God as your portion, and not bear up bravely under any worldly loss? Heb. x. 34. 'For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better, and an enduring substance.' They had God for their portion, and the joy of the Lord was their strength, and therefore they could rejoice in whatever damage came upon them by the hand of violence. And so David could comfort himself in his God, and encourage himself in his God, when Ziklag was burned, his wives and children carried captive, and the people in a readiness to stone him, 1 Sam. XXX. 6. Now all was gone, he looks up to God as his portion, and so he bears up bravely and cheerfully in the midst of all extremity of misery.^ And so Habakkuk was a man of the same noble temper, as you may see in that Hab. iii. 17, 18 : ' Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls ; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.' Ay, but that is nothing, to rejoice in the Lord as long as there is fruit in the vines ; ay, but saith he, ' Though there be no fruit in the vines, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.' Ay, but that is nothing, to rejoice in the Lord so long as the labour of the olive doth not fail ; ay, but saith he, ' Though the labour of the olive shall fail, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.' Ay, but that is nothing, to rejoice in the Lord so long as the fields do yield their meat ; ay, but saith he, ' Though the fields shall yield no meat, yet I will rejoice in the Lord/ Ay, but that is nothing, to rejoice in the
^ Better is that hell on earth which makes way for heaven, than that heaven on earth which makes way for helL
Lam. III. 24] an ark for all god's noahs. 57
Lord, so long as the flock is not cut off from the fold ; ay, but saith he, ' Though the flock shall be cut off from the fold, yet I will rejoice in the Lord." Ay, but that is nothing, to rejoice in the Lord, so long as there be herds in the stalls ; aye, but saith he, ' Though there be no herd in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of my salvation.' Habakkuk could rejoice in the Lord, and joy in that God that was his portion, not only when all delightful comforts and content- ments should fail, but also when all necessary comforts and contentments should fail. Habakkuk was a man of raised spirit, he knew that he had that God for his portion that did contain in himself all comforts and contentments, and that could easily make up the want of any comfort or contentment, and that would certainly lie himself in the room of every comfort and contentment, that either his children should need or desire; and in the power of this faith he rejoices and triumphs in a day of thick darkness and gloominess : 1 Sam, i. 5, 18, ' But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion, for he loveji Hannah, and her countenance was no more sad.' O my brethren, it doth no ways become those that have God for their portion to walk up and down the world with clouded countenances, with sadded countenances, or with dejected countenances, &c., and therefore, under all your crosses and losses, wipe your eyes, and walk up and down with pleasant counte- nances, with cheerful countenances, and with smiling countenances, and this will be an honour to God, and an honour to religion, and an honour to profession, and an honour to that saintship that is too much slighted and scorned in the world.
Indeed, when wicked men are exercised with crosses and losses, it is no wonder to see them take on like madmen, and see them take on bit- terly, like Micah, when he cried out, ' They have taken away my gods, and what have I more ? and what is this that ye say unto me. What aileth thee ?' Wicked men's bags and goods are their gods ; they are their portion, they are their all ; and when these are gone, all is gone with them ; when these are taken away, all is taken away with them ; and therefore it is no wonder to hear them cry out, ' Undone, undone !' and to see them sit down and weep, as if they were resolved to drown themselves in their own tears. But you that have God for your por- tion, you have such a portion that shall never be taken from you. As Christ told Mary, ' Thou hast chosen the better part that shall never be taken from thee,' Luke x. 42 ; and therefore it highly concerns you to bear up bravely, as well when you have but little, as when you have much ; and as well when you have nothing, as when you have every- thing. You shall be sure to enjoy all in God, and God in all ; and what would you have more ? Seneca once told a courtier that had lost his son, that he had no cause to mourn either for that or aught else, because Caesar was his friend ! O then, what little cause have the saints to mourn for this or that loss, considering that God is their friend ; yea, which is more, that God is their portion. I have read of a company of poor Christians, who, being banished to some remote parts, and one standing by, seeing them pass along, said, that it was a very sad condition that those poor people were in, to be thus hurried from the society of men, and to be made companions with the beasts of the field ; True, said another, it were a sad condition indeed, if they were carried to a
58 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD's NOAHS. [LaM. III. 24.
place where they could not find their God ; but let them be of good cheer, for God goes along with them, and will follow them with the comforts of his grace wheresoever they go. Would it not make a man either sigh or laugh to see a man lament and take on bitterly for the loss of his shoe-strings, when his purse is safe ; or for the loss of a little lumber, when all his goods are safe ; or for the burning of a pig-stye, when his dwelling-house is safe ; or for the loss of his scabbard, when his life is safe ? And why, then, should a Christian lament and take on for the loss of this or that, so long as his God is safe, and his portion is safe ? But,