Use 1. To reprove them that do not take God for their portion. Godly men must have God himself ; they prefer him above all, and saving grace above other benefits, Ps. iv. 6, 7. There is the disposi- tions of the godly and the carnal. ' The many say, Who will show us any good ? ' But, ' Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us.' A carnal man is for good in common, any good, but not for the light of God's countenance ; nothing will satisfy the saints but the light of God's countenance ; they prefer him above his gifts, and among his gifts they prefer saving graces and renewing mercies, such as begin and confirm them in their union with God in Christ. But carnal men go no further than the world ; they choose not God, but his gifts ; and among these not the best, but the common sort, such as suit with the appetite of the fleshly nature, and the more brutish part of these — riches, pleasures, and honours ; and these too, not as coming from God, but as coming to them by chance. They not only say good in general, but ' who will show me,^ &c. As they look after uncertain blessings, so they look after an uncertain author, as they fall out in the course of second causes. If they have these, they bless their hearts, and content themselves. To convince these men of the baseness of their choice, and make them bethink themselves, their choice is part of their punish- ment. There cannot be a greater punishment than that they should have what they choose, that they should be written in the earth, Jer. xvii. 13 ; they shall have this and no more ; that God should say to them, Silver and gold you shall have, but ' in this matter no lot nor portion,' Acts viii. Their bellies shall be filled with hid treasure, they shall have gorgeous apparel, dainty fare, substance enough to leave to their babes, but be deprived of heaven. It is the greatest misery that can be, to be condemned to this kind of happiness ; that we should thus
VeR. 57.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, 115
degrade ourselves, and sit upon the threshold when they might sit upon the throne, and lick only the dust of his footstool. But wicked men will not be sensible of this now, but one day they shall, of the misery of this their foolish choice; at death usually: Jer. xvii. 11, ' At his latter end he shall be a fool.' Then his heart will rave against him : 0 fool, madman ! that thou wert not as careful to get the favour of God, as to get this worldly pelf ! when he must go into another world, and he is launching out into the great gulf of eternity. And in hell they will be sensible : Luke xvi. 25, ' Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things,' &c. The conscience of their foolish choice is a part of their torment, when their heart shall return upon them and say. This was because thou wouldst look after temporal things ; when snares, and brimstone, and a horrible tempest is poured out upon them. What thoughts have they of their portion when they are cast out with the devil and damned spirits ! Carnal men think the difference between them and others will ever hold out when they glitter in the world. Oh, but the time is coming when death will undeceive them ! And at the day of judgment they will be sensible of it, when they shall be refused as the outcasts of the world, and when the saints shall have their portion, when the Lord shall take the godly to himself, receive them into his bosom, and welcome them to heaven, and call them to his right hand ; and they shall be banished out of his presence with a ' Go, ye cursed ;' when they shall become the loathing of God, the scorn of angels and blessed spirits ; when it shall be said, as in Ps. Hi, 7, ' Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness/ Oh, then, how will conscience return upon the wretchedness and folly of their hearts, and be exercised upon it ! This will vex and gall them in hell, with anxious thoughts of it to all eternity. As by the fire that never shall be quenched is signified the wrath of God, so by the worm that never dies the violent working of conscience upon the folly of choosing perishing vanities.
Use 2. It exhorts us to this necessary duty, to choose God for our portion. It is not a slight thing, but that upon which your eternal happiness doth depend ; it is the fundamental article of the covenant of grace : and the question God puts you to is, whether you will choose him for your portion ? therefore he begins the commandments with this, ' Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' God is not your God unless he be set uppermost in your souls ; he cannot be your portion unless he be your chiefest good. There is no possibility of entering into covenant with God unless you subscribe to this main article. Again, as it is a very necessary work, so it is an evidence and fruit of God's election ; if a man would come to know the thoughts of God concerning him before all the world, what his destiny is. God's election or choosing of you is manifested by your election or your choosing of God, for all God's works leave an impression upon the creature. He chooseth us that we might choose him : ' I will say, You are my people, and you shall say, I am your God.' Again, you must have something for your portion. There is no man hatli a sufficiency in himself. The soul is like a sponge, always thirsting, and seeking of something from without to be tilled — a chaos of desires. Man waa