[6.] Sixthly and lastly. Evidence your interest and propriety in God, by falling roundly inwith the interest of God, in opposition to all carnal interests in the world. 0 sirs ! the interest of God will by degrees eat out and swallow up all other interests in the world. Look, as Pharaoh's lean kine ate up the fat, Gen, xli. 4, and as Aaron's rod swallowed up the Egyptians' rods, Exod. vii. 11, 12, so the interest of God will in time eat up and swallow up all that superstitious carnal worldly antichristian and Satanical interest that men labour now to uphold, vdth all their might, Isa. viii. 9, 10. Dan. ii. 35, * Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them : and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.' Verse 44, ' And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed : and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces, and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.' And so chap. vii. 27, ' And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.' Rev. xvii. 12-14, ' And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall over- come them : for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings ; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.' If these scriptures do not clearly evidence, that the interest of Christ shall swallow up all other interests, I understand nothing. Now mark, the people of God are the interest of God, and the gospel of God is the interest of God, and the ordinances of God are the interest of God, and the institutions and pure worship of God are the interest of God, &c. And therefore, all you that have an interest and propriety in God, evidence it by your ready and resolute falling in with the interest of God. Believe it, they that fall in with the interest of God, shall fall in with the strongest side, and will be sure to carry it against ten thousand worlds. What is the stubble to the flames ? what is weakness to strength ? what is impo- tency to omnipotency ? what is folly to wisdom ? what is emptiness to fulness ? No more are all the carnal interests in the world to the interest of God; and therefore thrice happy is that man that falls timely and cordially in with the interest of God.
But now, if upon trial and examination any of you shall find that yet the Lord is not your portion, and this I believe will be the case of many of you, I would exhort all such persons to labour with all their
Lam. III. 24.] an ark for all go»'s noahs. 11 1
might, yea, to labour as for life, to get the Lord to be their portion. O sirs I this is the one thing necessary, this is the sun among the stars, this is the work of works that lies upon your hands; when this is done, all is done; till this be done, there is nothing done that will do you good in another world. O sirs ! your lives lie upon it, your souls lie upon it, eternity lies upon it, your all lies upon it; and therefore you had need be restless till you have gained the Lord to be your portion.
Now, that I may the more effectually provoke you, and stir you up to this great and glorious, this necessary and weighty work, give me leave to propose these following considerations.
[1.] First, Consider that thy p^'esent portion, thy present condition, is but miserable and cursed, Lev. xxvi. 14-39, Deut. xxviii. 15-68. All the earth was cursed upon man's fall, and till fallen man comes to be interested in God, all his earthly enjoyments are cursed unto him ; his honours are cursed, and his riches are cursed, and his preferments are cursed, and his pleasures are cursed ; the whole portion of his cup is nothing but a little cursed vanity : Job xx. 23-29, ' When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating. He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through. It is drawn, and Cometh out of the body ; yea, the glistering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him. The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.' And so chap. xxiv. 18, 'He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vine- yards.' Prov. iii. 33, 'The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked.' Mai. ii. 2, ' If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.' There is a real curse and a secret curse, an invisible curse and an insensible curse, that lies upon all their souls that have not God for their portion: Gal. iii. 10, ' Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' And as there is a curse upon all their souls, so there is a curse upon all their comforts, content- ments, and enjoyments, that enjoy not God for their portion. Till a man comes to enjoy God for his portion, all his earthly portions are cursed unto him ; but when a man comes to enjoy God for his portion, then all his earthly portions are blessed unto him. O sirs ! there is no mitigating of the curse, there is no reversing of the curse, there is no altering of the curse, nor there is no taking of the curse from off your souls, nor from off your earthly portions, but by gaining God to be your portion. O sirs ! you will live accursed, and you will die accursed, and you will appear before God accursed, and you will be judged and sentenced by God accursed, and you will be sent to hell accursed, and you will remain to all eternity accursed, if God be not your portion : and therefore oh how should this consideration awaken every sinner to give God, no rest till he hath given himself as a portion to him. But,
[2.] Secondly, Consider this, tJuit there is yet a possibility of attain-
112 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD'S NOAHS. [LAM. III. 24.