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"The

ly accommodations, that he saith, as in Psalm xvi. 5,6, Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." If he be rich, yet he chiefly sets his heart, not on his earthly, but his heavenly riches. He prefers God before any earthly friend, and the favor of God before any respect that is shown him by his fellow creatures. Although a godly man may have many earthly enjoyments, yet in his heart he sets God above them all. Although he may give these room in his heart, and too much room; yet he reserves the throne for God; Luke xiv. 26. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."

2. He prefers God before any earthly enjoyment of which he hath a prospect. The children of men commonly set their hearts more on some earthly happiness for which they hope, and after which they are seeking, than on what they have in present possession. They very much live upon vain hopes of happiness in earthly things, an happiness which they imagine is to be obtained by and by. But a godly man prefers God to any thing which he has in prospect, or is seeking in the world. He may, indeed, through the prevalence of corruption, for a season be carried away and swallowed up, with some enjoyment which he is pursuing; however, he will again come to himself; this is not the temper of the man, he is of another spirit.

3. It is the spirit of a godly man to prefer God to any earthly enjoyment of which he can conceive. He not only prefers him to any thing which he now possesses; but he sees nothing possessed by any of his neighbors, or any of his fellow creatures, that he has such an esteem of, as he has of God. If he could have as much worldly prosperity as he would, if he could have earthly things, just to his mind, and agreeable to his inclination; he values the portion which he has in God, above such a portion as this: He prefers Christ to carthly kingdoms.

APPLICATION.

1. Hence we may learn, that whatever changes a godly man passes through, he is happy; because God, who is unchangeable, is his chosen portion. If he meet with temporal losses, and be deprived of many of his ten poral enjoyments, or of all of them; yet God, whom he prefers before all those things which he hath lost, still remains, and cannot be lost. While he stays here in this changeable, troublesome world, yet he is happy, because his chosen portion, on which he builds, as his main foundation for happiness, is above the world, and above all changes. And if he die and go into another world, still he is happy, because that portion, which he prefers to all that is either in this or another world, yet remains. Whatev er he be deprived of, he cannot be deprived of his chief portion; his inheritance remains sure to him.

If worldly minded men could find out a way to secure to themselves some certain earthly enjoyments, on which they mainly set their hearts, so that they could not be lost, nor impaired while they live, how great would they account the privilege, though other things which they esteem in a less degree were liable to the same uncertainty as they now are? Whereas now, those earthly enjoyments, on which men chiefly set their hearts, are often most fading. But how great is the happiness of those who have chosen the Fountain of all good, and 'prefer him before all things in heaven or on earth, as they can never be deprived of him to all eternity!

2. Let all by these things examine and try themselves, whether they be saints or not. As this which hath been exhibited is the spirit of the saints, so it is peculiar to them: None can use the language of the text, and say, Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee, but the saints. A man's choice is that which determines his state. He that chooses God for his portion, and

prefers him to all other things, is a godly man, for he chooses and worships God as God. To respect God as God, is to respect him above all other things; and if any man respect God as his God, his God he is; there is an union and covenant relation between that man and the true God.

Every man is as his God is. If you would know what a man is, whether he be a godly man or not, you must inquire what his God is. If the true God be he whom he respects as: his God, i. e. to whom he hath a supreme respect, and whom he regards above all; he is doubtless a godly man, a servant of the true God. But if the man have some other god, something else to which he pays a greater sespect than to Jehovah, he is not a godly man; God is not his God; he doth not worship him for his God, nor doth he belong to God, as one of his people.

Inquire, therefore, how it is with you, whether you prefer God before all other things. It may sometimes be some difficulty for persons to determine this to their satisfaction; the ungodly may be deluded with false affections; the godly in dull frames may be at a loss about it. Therefore you may try yourselves as to this matter these several ways; if you cannot speak fully to one thing, yet you may perhaps to others.

(1.) What is it which chiefly makes you desire to go to heaven when you die? Indeed some have no great desire to go to heaven. They do not care to go to hell; but if they could but be safe from that, they would not much concern themselves about heaven. If it be not so with you, but you find that you have a desire to go to heaven, then inquire what it is for. Is the main reason, that you may be with God, have communion with him, and be conformed to him? That you may see God, and enjoy him there? Is the consideration that these things are to be had in heaven, that which keeps your heart, and your desires, and your expectations towards heaven?

(2.) If you could avoid death, and might have your free choice, would you choose to live always in this world without God, rather than in God's time to leave the world, in order to be with God in the full enjoyment of him? If you might live

here in carthly prosperity to all eternity, but destitute of the presence of God and communion with him, having no spiritual divine intercourse between God and your souls, God and you being strangers to each other for ever; would you choose this rather than to leave the world, in order to go and dwell in God's house in heaven, as the children of God, there to enjoy the glorious privileges of children, in an acquaintance with God, in an holy and perfect love to God, and enjoyment of him to all eternity?

(3.) Do you prefer Christ to all others as the way to heav en? He who chooses God, and prefers him, as hath been spo ken of, he prefers him in each person of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; the Father, as his Father; the Son, as his Saviour; the Holy Ghost, as his Sanctifier. Inquire, therefore, not only whether you choose the enjoyment of God in heaven as your highest portion and happiness, but also whether you choose Jesus Christ before all others, as your way to heaven; and that in a sense of the excellency of Christ, and of the way of salvation by him, as being that which is to the glory of Christ, and to the glory of sovereign grace. Is the way of free grace, by the blood and righteousness of the blessed and glorious Redeemer, the most excellent way to life in your esteem? Doth it add a value to the heavenly inheritance, that it is conferred in this way? Is this far better to you than to be saved by your own righteousness, by any of your own performances, or by any other mediator?

(4.) If you might go to heaven in what course you please, would you prefer to all others the way of a strict walk with God? They that prefer God as hath been represented, choose God, as you have heard, not only hereafter, but here; they choose and prefer him, not only in the end, but in the way. They had rather be with God than with any other, when they come to the end of their journey; and not only so, but they had rather have God with them than any other, while they are in the way thither. Their chosen way of going to heaven is a way of strict walking with God. They would neither fail of coming to God in the end, nor would they depart from God by

the way. They choose the way of walking with God, though it be a way of labor, and care, and selfdenial, rather than a way of sin, though it be a way of sloth, and of gratifying their lusts.

(5.) If it were so, that you were to spend your eternity here in this world, would you choose rather to live in mean and low circumstances with the gracious presence of God, than to live for ever in earthly prosperity without God in the world? If you were to spend your eternity in this world, would you rather spend it in a way of holy living, in serving and walking with God, and in the enjoyment of the privileges of the children of God, having God often manifesting himself to you as your Father, discovering to you his glory, and manifesting his love, lifting the light of his countenance upon you, as God often doth to his saints in this world; would you rather choose these things, though you should live in poverty, and with but little of the good things of this world, than to abound in a fulness of worldly things, and to live in ease and prosperity, at the same time being an alien from the commonwealth of Israel, standing in no childlike relation to God, enjoying no gracious intercourse with him, having no right in God, either to have him for your God, or to be acknowledged by him as his children? Or would such a life as this, though in ever so great earthly prosperity, be esteemed by you a miser able life?

If, after all this, there remain with you doubts, and a difficulty to determine concerning yourselves whether you do truly and sincerely prefer God to all other things, I would mention two things which are the surest ways to be determined in this matter, and which seem to be the best grounds of satisfaction in it.

The feeling of some particular, strong, and lively exer cises of such a spirit. A person may have such a spirit as is spoken of in the doctrine, and may have the exercise of it in a low degree, and yet remain in doubt whether he have it or not, and be unable, by all his selfexamination, to come to a satisfying determination. But God is pleased at some times to give VOL. VIII.

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