[1.] First, Thus to act is to run counter-cross to Christ's express
Lam. III. 24.] an ark for all god's noahs. ] 23
commands: Mat. vi. 33, 'But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you' ;^ and so ver. 19, 20, ' Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal ; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.' And so in that John vi. 27, ' Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for the meat which endureth for everlasting life.' O sirs ! to act or run cross to God's express commands, though under pretence of revela- tion from God, is as much as a man's life is worth, as you may see in that sad story, 1 Kings xiii. 24. O sirs! it is a dangerous thing to neglect one of his commands, who by another is able to command your bodies into the grave, and your souls into hell at his pleasure. Shall the wife make conscience of obeying the commands of her husband ? and shall a child make conscience of obeying the commands of his father? and shall the servant make conscience of obeying the commands of his Lord ? and shall the soldier make conscience of obeying the commands of his general ? and shall the subject make con- science of obeying the commands of his prince, though he be none of his council? and will not you make conscience of obeying his commands that is the prince of the kings of the earth ? Rev. i. 5. But,
[2.] Secondly, Who hut children, madmen, and fools in folio, wiU pitch upon a less good, when a greater good is offered to them, ? What madness and folly is it for men to pitch upon bags of counters, when bags of gold are laid before them ! or for men to choose an hundred pounds per annum for Ufe, when rich inheritances and great lordships are freely offered to be made over to them for ever V What were this but, Esau-like, to prefer a mess of pottage before the birthright ? and yet this is the present case of these objectors. God is that rich, that great, that glorious, and thafe matchless portion that is held out, and freely offered and tendered in the gospel to poor sinners, and they ne- glect, slight, and reject this blessed offer, and fix their choice, their love, their hearts, their affections, upon the perishing vanities of this worlds Oh the foUy of such, that at a feast feed upon kickshaws, and never taste of those substantial dishes that are for nourishment ! Oh the madness of such that prefer the flesh-pots of Egypt before the dainties of Canaan ! Would not such a merchant, such a tradesman be pointed at, as he goes along the streets, for a fool or a madman, that should neglect such a season, such an opportunity, such an advantage, wherein he may be made for ever, as to the world, and all because he is resolved first to secure such a bargain of rags, or such a bargain of old shoes, which will turn out but little to his advantage when he hath bought them ? Surely yes. Now this is the very case of the objectors, for they neglect the present seasons, the present opportunities of grace and mercy, and of being made happy for ever,, by enjoying of God for their portion, and all because they are resolved first to secure the treasures, the rags of this world. Certainly, in the great day of account, these will be found the greatest fools that have fooled away such golden opportunities, that
* The Greek word ir^airriiwTut eignifies a casting in as an overplus, as some over-' weight, njeasure, or number. 2 Children, madmen, and fools, will part with a pearl for a pippin.
1 24 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD'S NOAHS. [LAM. III. 24.
were more worth than all the world, and all to secure the rags of the world. But,
[3.] Thirdly and lastly, How many thousands are now in hell ! How many thousands have now their part and their portion in that burning lake, which bums withjire and bHmstone for ever and ever ! Who thought vjhen they were on earth, that after they had laid up goods for many years ivith the fool in the Gospel, that then they would look after heavenly treasures, and secure God for their portion ; but before they could find time or hearts to set about so noble a work, divine vengeance hath overtaken them, and justice hath cut the thread of their lives, and given them their portion among hypocrites. Mat. vii. 22, 26, 27, Rev. xxi. 8. Ah ! how many be there that have died in the time of their earthly projects and designs, before ever they have set about that great work of securing God for their portion, Luke xii. 15, 22 ; and how many thousands be there, that God in his just judgment hath given up to insatiable desires of earthly things, PhiUp. iii. 18, 19, and to a cursed endless covetousness all their days ! Some write of the crocodile, that it always grows, that it hath never done grow- ing ; and just so it is with the desires of worldly men, they always grow, they have never done growing. Now they are for one thousand, then for ten, then for twenty, then for forty, then for an hundred thou- sand ; now they are for this lordship, and then they are for that ; now they are for this good bargain, and then they are for that ; their hearts grow every day fuller and fuller with new desires of further and greater measures of earthly things ; they please themselves with golden dreams, till they awake with everlasting flames about their ears, and then they fall a-cursing themselves that they have made gold their confidence, and that they have neglected those golden seasons and opportunities wherein they might have secured God for their portion. But,
Obj. 3. Thirdly, Others may object and say. We would fain have God for our portion, and we would willingly apply ourselves to all those ways and means whereby we might obtain the Lord to be our por- tion ; but we are poor unworthy luretches. Surely the Lord will never bgstow himself as a portion upon such miserable unworthy ones as we are ! We are worthy of death, we are worthy of wrath, we are worthy of hell, we are worthy of damnation, but we are no ways worthy of having God for our portion. Did ever the Lord cast an eye of love upon such unlovely and such unworthy sinners, lepers as we are ? &c.
Now to this objection I shall return these answers :
[1.] First, Though you have no merits, yet God is rich and abun- dant in mercy} Your sins, your unworthiness can but reach as high as heaven, but the mercies of God reach above the heavens : Ps. ciii. 11, * For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy to- ward them that fear him.' Ps. cviii. 4, ' For thy mercy is great above the heavens, and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.' The highest comparisons which the world will afford are not sufficient to express the greatness of God's mercy to poor sinners. Though the heavens are exceeding high above the earth, yet the mercies of God to his poor people are above the heavens. But,