Second Position. The second position is this, That it is one thing for a man to have Oodfor his portion, and another thing for a man clearly and convincingly to make it out to him^self or others, that God is his portio7i. Doubtless there are many thousands that have God for their portion, who yet, if you would give them a thousand worlds, are not able to make it out to their own or others' satisfaction, that God is their portion.* Most Christians attain to but small measures of grace. Now small things, little things are hardly discerned^ they s are hardly made out. A little faith is next to no faith, and a little love is next to no love, and a little repentance is next to no repentance, and a little zeal is next to no zeal, and a little hope is next to no hope, and a little holiness is next to no holiness, and a little communion with God is next to no communion with God, and a little conformity to God is next to no conformity to God. Now where there is but a little grace, there it is very difficult for a man to make out the truth of his grace, and so by consequence to make out the truth of his interest and pro- priety in the God of grace. It is not grace in truth, but grace in strength that will enable a man to make it out to himself, and to make it out to others, that God is his portion. It is not grace in its sincerity, but grace in its sublimary, in its high and eminent actings, that will enable a man ta make it out to himself and others, that God is indeed his God. Besides, many precious hearts have such weak heads, and such bad logic, and such shallow natural parts, that they are not able rationally nor divinely to argue the case with their own souls, nor to make an improvement of those rules, helps, ways, and means, whereby they might be enabled to make it out to themselves and others, that God is their portion. Look, as many persons have often a good title to such and such lands, and to such and such estates and inheritances, though they are not able for the present to clear up their title either to themselves or others ; so many of the dear children of God have a good title to God, and a real interest and propriety in God, and yet for the present they are not able to clear up their title to God, nor to clear up their interest and propriety in God, either to them- selves or others. And this is so great a truth, that all the faithful ministers of Jesus Christ that deal with poor souLs, and that are con- versant about souls, are ready from their daily experience to avouch it before all the world. He that shall say, that such have not God for their portion, will certainly condemn the generation of the just.
Third Position. The third position is this, That where there is an hearty willingness in any man to accept of God to be his God^ to own
' God Bometimes lays such a law of restraint upon the noble faculties of men and women, that they cannot use them at some times as they do at others, as you may clearly see by comparing of these scriptures together, Luke xxiv. 14-16, &c.; Acts xxii. 9 ; Gen. xxi. 16, 19; John xx. 14, 15, &c.
Lam. III. 24.] an abk for all god's noahs. 129
Ood for his God, and to close with God as his God, there God is cer- tainly that man's God, Isa. Iv. 1, 2, John vii. 37, 38. If there be a cordial willingness in you to take God to be your God, then without all peradventure God is your God. A sincere willingness to accept of God to be your God is accepted of God, and is sufficient to enter into a gracious covenant with God. O sirs ! a sincere willingness to accept of God to be your God, flows from nothing below the good will and pleasure of God. No power below that glorious power that made the world, and that raised Christ from the grave, is able to raise a sincere, an hearty willingness in man to accept of God to be his God, and to take God for his God: Ps. ex. 3, 'Thy people shall be willing,' or will- ingnesses, in the abstract and in the plural number, ' in the day of thy '^ power, in the beauties of holiness.' There is no power below the power of the Lord of hosts, that can raise up a willingness in the hearts of sinners. It is not in the power of all the angels in heaven, nor of all the men on earth, to beget a sincere willingness in the heart of man to accept of God to be his God. This is work that can only be effected by an omnipotent hand. Though an emperor may force a woman to marry him that is his slave, because she is his purchase, yet he cannot by all his power force her will ; he may force her body to the action, but he cannot force her will to the action. The will is always free, and cannot be forced. But God is that great emperor that hath not only a power to marry the soul,, which he hath redeemed from being Satan's bond-slave^ but also a power to make the soul that is unready ready, and that is unwilling willing, to marry him, and to bestow itself freely upon him. If there be in thee, O man, O woman, a sincere willingness to take God upon his own terms to be thy God, that is, to take him as an holy God, and as a ruling God, and as a commanding God, in one thing as well as another,, then he is. certainly thy God: Rev. xxii. 17, 'And the Spirit and the bride say. Come; and let him that heareth say. Come ; and let him that is. athirst, come ; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.'
Fourth Position. The fourth position is this, That it may so fall out, that such a Christian that hath God for his portion, that hath an interest and a propriety in God, may lose the sight, the sense, the feeling and the evidence of his interest and propriety in God; and this is evident by comparing the scriptures in the margin together.' Doubtless it is very rare to find a Christian that hath had the know- ledge, and experience, and evidence of his interest and propriety in God, but that Christian also hath experienced what it is to have his interest and propriety in God clouded and darkened. Such Christians that have experienced what the warm beams of the Sun of righteous- ness means, have likewise experienced what it is to have their sun set in a cloud; and this truth I might make good, by producing of a cloud of witnesses, both from among the martjnrs and from among the saints of all ages. But what do I talk of a cloud of witnesses, when the tears that daily drop from many of your eyes, and the sad complaints, and sighs, and groans of many of your souls, do sufficiently evidence this
' Ps. XXX. 6, 7 ; Ps. li. 13 ; Job xvi. 9. xix. 10 ; and 2 Chron. xxx. 20 ; Ps. Ixxvii. 6 Pe. Ixxxviii. 6; Isa. viii. 17 ; Lam. iii. 18.
1 30 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD'S NOAHS. [LaM. III. 24.