his glory, Isa. xlvi. 13 ; and his ornament, Ezek. vii. 20 ; and his throne, Jer. xvii. 12 ; and his diadem, Isa. Ixii. 3 ; and his jewels, Mai. iii. 17. These scriptures speak out plainly and clearly that great propriety and interest that God hath in all those that have a propriety and interest in him. O sirs ! look, that as in all God hath you have an interest, so in all that you have God hath an interest ; and look, as what God is, he is for you, so what you are, you are for God ; and look, as God is sincerely for you, so you are sincerely for God ; and as God is wholly for you, so you are wholly for God ; and as God is only for you, so you are only for God ; and as God is in all things for you, so you are in all things for God ; and as God is at all times for you, so you are at all times for God. 0 sirs !• There are none under heaven that have that interest in you as God hath, if indeed he be your portion. Look what interest the head hath in the members, the husband in the wife, the father in the child, the lord in his servant, the general in his soldier, and the prince in his subject, that, all that, and more than that, hath God in all those that have an interest in him. There is no man in the world that hath such an interest in himself, as God hath in him, if indeed God be his portion. Sin cannot say to a man that hath God for his portion. Thou art mine ; nor Satan cannot say to a man that hath God for his portion. Thou art mine ; nor the world cannot say to a man that hath God for his portion. Thou art mine ; nor the creature cannot say to a man that bath God for his portion, Thou art mine. It is only God that can say to such a man, Thoa art mine. As in marriage, none can say. This woman is mine, but the husband ; so none can say to a man that hath God for his portion. Thou art mine, but God alone. Look, as no man can truly say, that God is my Lord, and my God, and my father, and my friend, and my wisdom, and my counsel, and my righteousness, and my consolation, and my salvation, and my portion, and my light, and my life, and my love, and my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, and my strength, and my buckler, and my high tower, and my help, and my happiness, and my blessedness, and my all in all, but he that hath God for his portion ; so none but God can look upon a gracious person, and say. This gracious person is mine ; he is my bride, my child, my friend, my favourite, my beloved, my darling, my joy, my crown ; his heart is set upon me, and his love is inflamed towards me, and his trust and confidence is fixed on me, and his desires and longings are running out after me, and all his joys and delights are terminated in me. But, [J 2.] Twelfthly, If God be your portion, then certainly the least of God is very dear and precious to you. Oh then the least truth of God will be very precious to you, and the least command of God will be very precious to you, and the least child of God will be very precious^o you, and the least concernment of God will be very precious to you. Look, as the least beam of light is precious, and as the least drop of honey is precious, and as the least dust of gold is precious, and as the least degree of health and strength is precious, and as the least measure of liberty is precious ; so the very least of God is very precious to that man that hath God for his portion. Look, as every little piece and parcel of a worldly man's portion is very dear and precious to him, so every little piece and parcel of God, if I may so speak, is very dear and precious to him that hath God for his portion. The least glimpse and manifestations of the love
106 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD'S NOAHS. [LAM. III. 24.
and favour of God, the least taste of the mercies of God, the least anoint- ings of the Spirit of God, the least comunications of the grace of God, and the least drops of the consolations of God, are exceedingly sweet and precious to him that hath God for his portion. The least good look that a man hath from God, and the least good word that a man hears from God, and the least love letter and love token that a man receives from God, is exceedingly precious to that man that hath God for his portion, ' One day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere,' Ps. Ixxxiv. 10. He doth not say, One year in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere, but One day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere ; nor doth he not say, One quarter of a year in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere, but ' One day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere ;' nor he doth not say, One month in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere, but ' One day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere ;' to shew that the very least of God is exceeding precious to a gracious soul that hath God for his portion.
Now by these twelve particulars you may all know whether God be your portion or no, except you are resolved beforehand to put a cheat upon your own immortal souls, and so to make yourselves miserable in both worlds. And let thus much suffice for this use of trial and ex- amination.
Now if, upon trial and examination, any of you shall come to some comfortable satisfaction in your own spirits, that God is your portion, and that you have an undoubted interest and propriety in God, oh then I would upon the knee of my soul entreat and beseech you, I might say, charge and command you, to evidence and declare to all the world your interest and propriety in God.
But you will say. How should ive evidence and declare to the world our interest and propriety in God ? we are willing to do it, if we did but know how we should do it. Why then, thus:
[1.] First, Evidence and declare your interest and propriety in God, hy your labouring and endeavouring with all your might to draw on others to get an interest and 'propriety in God} O sirs ! have you been convinced of the necessity and excellency of interest and pro- priety in God ? have you experienced the profit, the sweet, the comfort, and the happiness of propriety and interest in God ? and how then can you but strive, as for life, to persuade others to look after their interest and propriety in Christ, as ihe one thing necessary ? When Samson had tasted honey, he gg.ve his father and mother some with him. Judges xiv. 8, 9. O my brethren, propriety and interest in God is so sweet a mors^l^ that I cannot see how it is possible for a man to taste of it and not to commend it to others. They that have tasted that the Lord is gracious, cannot but cry out with the psalmist, ' Oh taste and see that the Lord is good,' Ps. xxxiv. 8. Propriety and interest in God will never make a man a churl, it will never work a man to make a mono- poly of so rare a jewel as that is. Oh the fervent prayers ! Oh the burning desires ! Oh the vehement wishes ! Oh the strong endeavours of such that have an interest and propriety in God, to draw on others
' Num. x. 29 : John i. 39-49, iv. 28-30 ; Acts x. 24-27.