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Ps. ii. 11. Humble thyself to walk with thy God. Where there is a great deal of humility, it maintaineth friendship. We cannot walk with God as a friend, as Abraham is said to be God's friend. We must acknowledge ourselves to be ' dust and ashes,' know him in his greatness, and ourselves in our meanness, if he will maintain this to our hearts, that God is our God. If we be careful to maintain this, surely he that delighteth himself in the prosperity of his servants will delight to make himself more and more known to us, that we may be assured of our salvation.
All that hear me are such as have not yet made choice of God to bo their God, or have made choice. Let me speak a word to both ; for there be many that yet have their choice to make, that have other lords and other gods to rule over them. Let them consider what a fearful state it is not to be able to say, in regard of life everlasting, ' God is my God and my Father.' They can say they be God's creatures ; but what a fearful condition is it not to be able to say, God is my Father. Will not these know whom he is not a God to in favour, he will be a God to in vengeance ? He must be a friend or enemy. There is no third in God. God and the devil divide all mankind. They share all. If thou be not God's, and canst not say so on good titles, thou art the devil's. Yet God is daily pulling men out of the kingdom of the devil, by opening their eyes to see their miserable condition ; yet all go under these two grand titles, God's and the devil's. If thou canst not say, God is thy God, then the devil is thy god ; and what a fearful condition is it to be under the god of the world by a worldly, carnal disposition ! And perhaps thou mayest die so, if thou be not careful to get out of it. If God be not our God, he is our enemy ; and then creatures, angels, devils are against us, conscience against us, word against us. If he be for us, who is against us ? If he be against us, who is for us ? A terrible condition, and therefore get out of it, I beseech you.
But how shall I do ? Is there mercy for such a wretch ? Yea, he oflfereth himself to be thy God if thou wilt come in. Wherefore serveth our ministry, the word of grace, but to preach life to all repentant sinners. ' He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy.' And there- fore God hath ordained ambassadors of peace to proclaim if you will come in. And he entreateth you to come in, and he chargeth and commandeth you. You be rebels, not only against him, but enemies to your own souls if 3'ou do not. And therefore I beseech you, if you be not yet come in. Add this more, you be sacrilegious persons if you be not Christians in earnest. Have not you given j^ourselves to God in baptism ? And have not you in your lives given yourselves to lusts which you renounced at your baptism ? Now you have alienated yourselves from God, to whom you were dedicated. Did not you engage yourselves to God in your baptism ? And is not he willing to receive you ? He thought of you when you could not think of yourselves. And therefore, as it bindeth you over to greater punishment if you will not come in, but continue sacrilegious persons from God to whom you have dedicated yourselves, so God pre- venteth* you with mercy.
He encourageth by the seal of election in baptism to make it good by faith, without which it will do no good, being but a seal to a blank. Therefore how many encouragements have you to come in ? Take God's gracious offer. He giveth you time. Make your peace. It is nothing but wilful rebellion to stand out against God.
* That is, = ' God has come before with mercy, eg., baptism,' &c. — G.
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For they that have given themselves to God, and now renewed their interest in him by the sacraments, let them conceive what a word of com- fort they have in this, that Christ is theirs and God is theirs. What an ocean of comforts is it when all things leave you, as all things will ; yet we have God, that will be a God for evermore. At the time of death, what comfort will it be to say, God is mine, Christ is mine. Life is mine no longer ; world is mine no longer ; friends forsake me, but I am interested in God, and have made covenant with God, who is a God for ever. The covenant I have made is an * everlasting covenant.' It is of that largeness, the comfort is, that the angels themselves admire it,* the devils envy it, and it is a matter of glory and praise in heaven for ever. Therefore make much of such a privilege, that is the envy of devils, the admiration of angels, that is the joy of a Christian's heart here, and matter of glorifying God for ever, world without end. That God in Christ is become his God here and for ever, it is a ravishing consideration. It is larger than our hearts. Here be comforts larger than the capacity of our hearts. Cor vestrum soli Deo jmtere debet : our hearts ought all to lie open to divine things, for they have more in them than the heart can contain. If we will shut them, shut them to worldly things. Oh the comfort of a Christian that hath made his state sure : let him glory in the Lord.