THE GOD OF HEAVEN.  
A Sermon appointed for the Cross, but Preached in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's in LONDON, upon Sunday the 23. of September, Anno Domini. 1638.  
By JOHN GORE, Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex, and Preacher at St. Peter's Corne-Hill in London.  
Deus saveat.  
Printed at London by Thomas Cotes, for Thomas Alchorn, and are to be sold at his shop in Paul's Churchyard, at the Sign of the Greene-Dragon. 1638.   

Jmprimatur, Tho. Wykes, October 9 1638.   

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, and most Renowned Knight, Sir PAUL PINDAR, the Friend of the Church, the Father of the Poor, and the Honour of all his Family.  
Right Worshipful,  
WEre it not an Injury to desire, that goodness should hinder any man from Glory, I dare say, that all that know you, would unfeignedly wish you an immortality in this present world, that you might live for ever to do good, having done so much good while you live. Howbeit, as 'tis said of good jehojada, 2 Chron. 24. 16. when he waxed old and died (though he were but a subject, yet) they buried him among the Kings, Because (saith the Text) he had done good in Israel, both towards God and towards his House. Even so may it happen to you from the King of Kings. God send you an honourable interment when yo● die, and a Crown of everlasting Glory when you are dead and gone.  
Thus Prays Your poor unworthy Friend, JOHN GORE▪   

THE GOD OF HEAVEN.  PSAL. 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth, that I desire in comparison of thee. 
THis Text divides itself into two general parts; The first showeth you, The Refuge of a sinner; The second, The mind of a Saint. 1. The Refuge of a Sinner is, when he fails on earth he flies to heaven, [Whom have I in heaven but thee?] 2. The mind of a Saint is, to disprise and undervalue things below in comparison of the God that is above [There is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee.]  
1. The Refuge of a Snner. It is observed in Nature, that for all weak creatures God hath provided several Refuges to run unto to hide themselves in times of fear and danger: thus the child runs to the Parent for Refuge, the Chickens to the Hen, the Coneys to the Burrowes; the Fox to the Earth, and the Sinner to heaven: The eternal God is thy Refuge (saith Moses, Deut. 33. 27.) and his everlasting arms are underneath thee, (as it were) to embrace thee, to hold thee, to keep thee up from the sink of sin, from the pit of perdition, from despair of Grace, and from a downfall into hell. The Lord will be a refuge for the poor, (saith David, Psal. 9 9) even a Refuge in due time of trouble: mark that he saith, A refuge for the poor; that is, for such as are poor in Spirit, though they be not poor in purse, they that are truly sensible of their own spiritual poverty, of their want of Faith, and want of Grace, and want of true Religion and Virtue: They that are always speaking supplications to God (as Solomon saith, it is the proper language, the natural Dialect of a poor man to speak supplications, to make his moan, and make known his wants to every one that will give him the hearing) they that are always plying of heaven with petitions, God will be a double refuge for such (for so David ingeminates and doubleth the word) A refuge for their bodies, and a refuge for their souls, a refuge for themselves, and a refuge for their children, a refuge while they live, and a refuge when they die, a refuge in the time of wealth, but a present refuge in due time of trouble, for than he never fails. In the Singing Psalms, it runs thus, God is protector of the poor; God is the poor man's protector, as David was the poor man's Captain, 1. Sam. 22. 2. Every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him and he became a Captain over them. In like manner whatsoever your distress be, whatsoever your debts, whatsoever your discontents, gather yourselves to heaven, address your suits to God, and apply yourselves to Christ, and he hath promised in his holy Gospel. joh. 6. 37. Whosoever cometh to me, be he poor or rich, non eijciam for as, I will in no wise cast him out.  
Oh what an encouragement should this be unto us at all times, especially in the time of need, when the bucket is broken to go to the fountain, when any thing is lost or amisle, seek to mend it, and make it up in God. As the man of God answered Amaziah, 2 Chron. 25. 9 when he took care what he should do for his hundred talents which he had given away, (saith he) The Lord is able to give thee much more than this; so believe it, there is no man so poor, but God is able to make him rich; no man so sick, but God is able to make him whole; no man so lost and cast down in the world, but God is able to restore and raise him up: and whosoever he be that refers himself to God, that casts and rolleth himself upon his mercy, he shall one day find that there is a God in Israel, that will do every▪ man right, and in the end give every man satisfaction. I say (in the end) for our life in this world is but just like a Stage-play, where the matter is not great what part the Player acteth, whether the part of a King, or the part of a clown, the part of a Prince, or the part of a beggar; the main of all is, what share he shall receive when the play is ended.  
In like sort, God hath appointed every several man his several part to act in this world; some have a longer part, some a shorter, some act a poor part, some a rich one: now God send us but a share in heaven when we come to die; and let us act in this life what part soever shall please God to impose upon us: knowing this, that if the worst come that can come, God will be our Lord to protect us, Christ will be our surety to bail us, and heaven shall be our refuge to relieve us.  
[Whom have I in heaven but thee?] So much in general, I come now to particulars, to show you the mystery, and the hidden meaning of the Text.  
It may be taken in a four fold sense 1. As an expression of Faith. 2. As an expression of Devotion. 3. As an expression of Love. 4. As an expression of Fear and Reverence to God.  
1 If we take it as an expression of Faith, and Affiance in God, than the meaning is this, Whom have I in heaven but thee to rely upon.  
2 Take it as an expression of Devotion and Piety to God, than the meaning is this, Whom have I in heaven but thee to call upon.  
3 Take it as an expression of Love and Affection to God, than the meaning is this, Whom have I in heaven but thee to set my heart upon?  
4 Take it as an expression of Fear and Reverence to God, than the meaning is this, Whom have I in heaven but thee to fix mine eyes upon?  
Give me leave to strike these several flints, to give you a touch or two upon these several acceptions, and I hope in Christ, that each of them will afford you a spark to enlighten the Text, and to kindle the zeal of God in the souls of all that hear it.  
1 In the first place, we will take it as an expression of Faith and Affiance in God, according to this meaning, Whom have I in heaven but thee to rely upon; I mean in Augustiâ, in a strait, for while a man prospers in sin, and wants no earthly sustentacula, no friends nor means to underproppe and shore him up, so long he doth not know what it is to stand in need of God; but let these props and shores be taken from him, these friends and means begin to fail him, and sickness and sorrow come to seize upon him, the one upon his body, the other upon his soul, he shall then know (as Naaman said to Elisha) There is no God in all the world, but only the God of Israel, 2 Reg. 5. 15. if he had not a God to rely upon, he were undone for ever. His name (saith Solomon) is a strong tower, the righteous fly unto it and are safe, Prov. 18. 10. Now you know what use there is of a Tower in a City that is beleaguered with the enemy; when all the out works are taken, the walls are scaled, the houses left, and all fortifications forsaken and fled from, than the Tower holds out last, and is a Refuge to fly unto in their last extremity. Such use mayst thou make of God in thy greatest straits: if it so fall out that thy outworks be taken, I mean, thy goods consumed by fire, or lost by sea, or suretyship; or thy walls be scaled, I mean, thy body's health endangered by a sudden or a lingering sickness; and thy house within, I mean thy heart, left desolate and destitute of inward and spiritual comfort, then fly to the Tower, gather upward to heaven, in-soule thyself into God, and try what God will do for thy soul. There is a pregnant place for this purpose, Esay 50. 11. Who is there among you that feareth the Lord, and yet walketh in darkness and hath no light? It is a hard case (you will say) and a sad condition, that a man that fears God, and obeyeth the voice of his servants, should yet notwithstanding walk in darkness, and have no light, (that is, live in discomfort and discontent, and have no joy nor pleasure: well, but if it should so happen to such a man, what shall he do, what course shall he take to relieve himself at such a time? (Saith the Prophet) Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and let him stay upon his God. Mark the phrase, Innitatur in deo suo, Let him not flit nor fly away in a chafe, if he have not present remedy, as jehorams' messenger did, 2 Reg. 6. ult. saying, Behold this evil is of the Lord, what should I wait for the Lord any longer; but let him rest, and rely, and stay upon his God: as a beggar doth at a rich man's door, thither he comes, there he stays, though he knows not whether he shall have any thing or nothing, but only he is sure that there it is to be had. In like sort, get thee to that same Ostium spei Door of hope, which the Prophet speaks of, Hos. 2. 15. there take up thy stand, there rest thy soul, and say as David did, Lord, there is mercy with thee, and with thee is plenteous redemption: if thou hast not mercy enough to forgive me, if thou hast not compassion enough to redeem me, if thou hast not plenty enough to provide for me, I am content to go without it; but I am sure there is no want in thee, whatever there is in me. In a word, If ever thou comest to be in such a strait, that thou knowest not what to do, if mercy help not out, then turn thyself to God, as jehosaphat did, 2 Chron. 20. 12. and say, O Lord, I know not what to do, but mine eyes are upon thee: First, let thine eyes be upon God for service, (as the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her Mistress;) and then, let thy eyes be upon God for succour, (as the eyes of the Israelites upon the Brazen Serpent;) have thou an eye to God for service, and assure thyself, God will have an eye to thee for succour. And so much in brief for the first sense of the words, I come now to the second, and that is:  
2 An expression of Devotion, Whom have I in heaven but thee to call upon? Oh thou that hearest prayer (saith David, Psal. 65. 2.) to thee shall all flesh come: As if he had said, Thou Lord art that gracious Master of Requests, that never didst put by any suppliant that made petition to thee; Thy heavenly Court, is that gracious Court of Chancery, where never any plaintiff went away without relief; Thou art that great householder of the world, that givest food to all flesh, and hast promised that all flesh shall see the salvation of our God; to thee therefore, and to none but thee shall all flesh come; & so do I, a fleshly carnal wretch amongst the rest: Oh let thy merciful ears be open to the prayer of thy humble servant, and hear me whensoever I call upon thee; for thy Spirit is Conditor precum, the Enditer of Prayer; and Thou thyself art Auditor precum, the hearer of Prayer: it is thy Royalty, it is thy Prerogative, and none else but thou canst hear it to our comfort: the Saints of God, both these on earth, and those in heaven may be helpers in Prayer (as I make no doubt but the you're 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Co-workers, & Fellow-helpers in prayer to God for us) but an hearer of Prayer there is none but God for certain; If the Saints in heaven could hear the prayers of those that invocate them upon earth, they would answer them, as jacob answered Rachel, Gen. 30. 2. when she cried unto him, Give me children, or else I die, Nunquid ego pro Deo? Am I in God's stead▪ Cry to God if thou meanest to have children, or any other comfort, and not cry to man that cannot help thee. We see by experience, let a child stand crying in the street, and twenty strangers go by, they mind it not, they look not after it; but let the father of the child come by, and he turns him to the cry of his poor child, and taketh compassion of him, and stills him; so dealeth our heavenly Father with us; He turns him to the prayer of the poor destitute, and despiseth not their desire: He is that good Samaritan spoken of in the Gospel, that takes compassion upon a wounded soul, which the strangers of the world pass by and make no force of, and therefore if you mark it, joh. 8. 48. when the jews said to our Saviour, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? our blessed Saviour denied that he had a devil, but he did not deny that he was a Samaritan, No, no, O blessed Lord, they spoke truer than they were aware of; it is we that be the wounded Sinners, it is thou that art the merciful Samaritan that pourest in the wine and oil of thy heavenly Grace, and healest us again, when we are more than half dead in our sins: to whom then shall we go for mercy and relief, but to this God of ours, who for our sins justly is displeased, and at our prayers mercifully is appeased again? Call now and see (saith job) if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn thee? job 5. 1. A man that is in distress of conscience may turn from Saint to Saint, as a door turns upon the hinges from side to side, and still remain in the same estate of misery, and be as far from any hope of mercy at night as he was in the morning: but if a man take unto him words, and turn to the Lord and say, (as it is, Hos. 14. 2.) O Lord take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, he may assure himself, that if he have not his desire granted at the first going to God, let him go again and again, and God will surely grant it, either in the same kind or a better: Though once going about jerico did the walls no hurt, yet the going about them again, and again made them fall to the ground; though one Cock-crowing wrought nothing upon Peter▪ yet the crowing again and again melted his heart: so if once calling upon God do not bring down mercy from heaven, let not that discourage thee, but call upon him again and again; nay, (as David saith) I will call upon God as long as I live, and praise my God while I have any being.  
Plutarch reports of the men of Athens, that when their city was visited and long punished, as our city of London (God help us) is and hath been, with a dangerous and contagious sickness, they had recourse to the Oracle of Apollo, to know what they should do to be rid of their mortality; the Oracle answered (as Oracles usually did) in a doubtful way, If they would be freed of the sickness, they must Duplare Aram, double the Altar: This they understood to be meant in a literal sense, and thereupon went about to compass the Altar, and to take the just proportion of it, to make it twice as big as it was before: but the meaning of the Oracle was mystical; they should double the Altar, that is, double their sacrifices and oblations upon the Altar. In like manner, the best remedy that I can prescribe from God unto you, to be eased of this affliction, and to be rid of this mortality, is to double the Altar, I mean, to double your devotions, and your spiritual sacrifices to Almighty God; to pray twice as much, to serve God twice as often, and twice as well as ever you did before: and believe it, if there be any means under heaven to drive away this Plague from the earth, this will do it. Let every man therefore in the fear of God, buckle to his own task, and go in hand with his own cure, and arise, and call upon his own God, professing and acknowledging (as David did here) Whom have I in heaven, but thee O God to call upon? And so I come to the third intention and meaning of my Text, which is;  
3 a expression of Love and Affection to God, Whom have I in heaven but thee to set my heart upon? The Lord & giver of life, who loadeth us daily with benefits, even the God of our salvation, who giveth all things richly to enjoy; desireth no other Boon, nor other Recompense for all his mercies, but only this, that we love him with our hearts. My Son give me thy heart. Alas Lord, (may some poor Christian say) Oh that I had such an heart as were fit to be given to thee, that were but a fit token to be given and presented to so holy, so heavenly a God, that it were but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, worthy in any measure of thy gracious acceptation, but I fear I have it not. The Scripture speaks of three sorts of hearts. First, the best sort. Secondly, the worst sort. Thirdly, the middle sort. 1. The best sort are clean hearts, pure hearts, hearts that be without any guile, according to the Heart of God (as david's was said to be,) these be fitting hearts to be given to the Lord, but alas, we have them not to give. 2. The worst sort, are hard and stony hearts, proud and malicious hearts, hearts that burn like an Oven (as the Prophet Hosea speaks) with the fire of lust and hell, too many such hearts there be in the world, but it is a venture whether God will own them if we should offer to give them. 3. Then there are a middle sort of hearts which are, A broken and a contrite heart, a dutiful and a thankful heart, an honest and a true heart, a tender and a loving heart (though full of imperfections otherwise;) God send us but such hearts as these, and no doubt he will accept them. It was an humble request of good S. Augustine, Ecce cor meum, Deus meus, ecce cor meum, Behold my heart, O my God, behold my heart, what an evil, what a naughty one it is; and thou that madest it, in thy good time mend it, and make it such a one as thou wouldst have it. Bone Domine (saith devout Saint Bernard) amo te quantum possum, non quantum debeo; da plus amoris, & plus amabo. O my good Lord, I love thee as much as I am able, though not half so much as I ought, give me but more love, and I will love thee more. Oh knit my heart unto thee (saith David, Psal. 86. 11.) that I may love and dread thy Name: Vni cor meum, (as it is in the Hebrew) Unite it and make it one with thee: As if he had prayed, and said; Lord, break and dissolve the unlawful contract that is betwixt my soul and my sins, or betwixt my heart and the world, and tie it to thyself in an undissolvably union, that it may be preserved with thy heavenly grace, and cantinue thine for ever. There is no one thing that doth so alienate a man's heart from God, as to set it upon the world: therefore the holy Ghost gives a special injunction; If riches increase set not your heart upon them, Psal. 62. 10. The increase of riches is no ways culpable, nor worthy of blame (for it is the blessing of God upon our good endeavours,) but it is Positio cordis, the setting on of the heart upon them, (as the Bee sets on her sting) with the greatest strength of our affections: the rocks that are in the sea, of themselves do the ships no harm, but it is the rushing of the ships against the rock that splits them: when it fares with a man, as did with the Israelites, 2 Sam. 15. 6. when their hearts went after Absalon, they fell from David their true King; so when a man's heart shall go after the world that he falls from God; this is disloyalty to the King of Kings. In a word, let it be our constant resolution, and the truth of our Religion, that though we must of necessity sometimes set our minds upon the world for the dispatch of our present business, yet let us do it evermore with such an abstraction, such a mental reservation, that our hearts be not taken off from God. For that's the third intention & meaning of the words, Whom have I in heaven but thee to set my heart upon? I come now to the last, which is indeed the most needful, and most agreeable to this present time, and that is;  
4 An expression of Fear and Réverence to God, Whom have I in heaven but thee to fix my eyes upon? Timor figens oculos, etc. what a man fears, he will be sure to have a continual eye upon; and certainly, men had never more cause to have a continual eye upon God then now; whether we consider it as a time of Mercy in one kind, or a time of judgement in another. In one kind, there never was a more merciful Time, more Gracious, a more plentiful year known since the memory of man: This is the year that God hath crowned with his goodness (as David speaks, Psal. 65. 11.) other years before this, (God he knows) were but poor, hungry, and beggarly years, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, next door to famine, but this is a Royal, a Princely, a Kingly year, a year that wears the Crown, both for greatness and goodness too, (Thou crownest the year with thy goodness:) judge you then whether this be not a sitting time to fear God, and his goodness, (as the Prophet speaks, Hosea 3. 5. In the later days they shall fear the Lord and his goodness;) Oh that this Prophecy might be fulfilled, that we had grace to make good that Promise of God, and to make it appear that God meant it of us in these later days: Oh that God would frame our hearts to fear him and his goodness, that we may never come to feel him and his vengeance. There is mercy with thee (saith David) that thou mayst be feared; the meaning is, the more merciful God hath been to us, the more fearful should we be of him, and the more afraid of any breaches betwixt us and our God. I remember it is recorded of jonahs' Mariners, that when the danger was past, the sea was calm and all was quiet, Then (saith the Text) the men feared the Lord exceedingly, jonah 1. 16. And why then? one would have thought they should have grown jocant, and merry, and feared nothing, where they saw nothing to be feared; Oh but they could not tell whether God would not send such another storm, such another Tempest, such another judgement upon them; therefore they thought it their best and safest way to fear him then, yea to fear him exceedingly.  
Oh, that we Christians had the grace to learn this lesson of these Heathens, namely, To fear God for his goodness: so that if God should be pleased (as I trust he will) to stay his hand, to cease the sickness, to cause his revenging Angel to pass over us, and to send a gracious rain upon his Inheritance, now that 'tis weary and even spent with Drought; shall we fear God the less for this, and care the less for his favour? God forbid: for why? We do not know, but God may send such another Plague, such another Drought, such another judgement upon us, and do us more harm than ever he did us good: And therefore, while we are well, and enjoy our peace, and live under mercy, let us with fear and reverence look up to God, and say, Whom have I in heaven but thee to fix mine eyes upon.  
2 Again, secondly, look upon the judgements that be abroad in the world; those doleful Epidemical diseases that have overspread both City and Country, so that as it was once in Egypt, There was not an house where there was not one dead, Exod. 12. so it is now in England, scarce an house where there is not one sick; nay, by credible and lamentable report, in many Parishes, there are scarce found folks enough to attend the sick, nor labourers to be gotten to Inn the Harvest. Oh, consider this, and see, how God hath watched upon the evil (as the Prophet Daniel speaketh, Dan. 9 14.) Vigilavit Dominus super malum, The Lord hath even watched upon the evil to bring it upon us, and hath picked out a Time of mercy to punish us in. And shall we not fear God for all this? As that good Thief said to his fellow, Luke 23. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉? Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? Thou that art condemned, thou that art upon the Cross, thou that art under such a judgement as well as I; Dost not thou fear God? Dost not thou make conscience of thy words and ways? What a graceless wretch art thou? Yet see, a wicked man will be a wretch, though he should go to hell presently; and what a misery it is, that they that have most cause, should have least grace to fear God, We read, 2 Sam. 6. 9 When David saw the fall of Vzzah, how God struck him dead on the sudden, with his own immediate hand, and that (to our thinking) for a well-meant error, that could not savour of any malicious wickedness; the Text saith, That David feared the Lord that day: not but that David feared the Lord before, but he never feared him so much as he did that day, when he saw such a visable testimony of God's displeasure upon one of his own servants. How many Vzzahs' have we seen the fall of? How many men of Note, men of Worth, and men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have we known and heard of to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…owne and laid low by the hand of, God? And we unworthy wretches, remain yet escaped, as it is this day. Let us not be like Jonathan's Boy, 1 Sam. 20. that saw the arrows and observed how they fell, some beyond David, and some fell short of him, but he did not know the mystery and the meaning of them that they were to foretell a danger hard at hand. In like sort, we cannot but see and observe the Arrows of God, I mean, those mortal diseases that are shot from the bow of heaven, and stick in the sides of the sons of men; we see how God shoots sometimes beyond us, and hits our betters, sometimes short of us, and hits our inferiors; sometimes on the right side, & hits our friends; sometimes on the left, and hits our enemies; and all these (like Jonathan's arrows) to warn us, not to wound us. Oh therefore if ever we mean to fear God, let us fear him now; and with one accord lift up our eyes to heaven and say, Whom have I in heaven but thee, to stand in fear of. And so much shall serve to be spoken for the four first expressions and meanings of the Text, God prosper that which followeth.  
And now that I have given you thus much light into the Text (I trust, to your content and satisfaction:) Give me leave to open another casement, and let you see it in another kind, and present it to you in another manner; perhaps not less profitable▪ I am sure no less painful to me than that you have already heard. Let me entreat you therefore with patience to give attention to two things more which naturally arise out of the Text. 1. The Honour of God, Th●● he is in heaven. 2. The Tenure of the go●●…, 〈◊〉 though he be in heaven, yet they have him here on earth, [Whom have I in heaven but thee?]  
1 The honour of God, That he is in heaven. There is none like the God of jeshurun (saith Moses, Deut. 33. 26.) that is, the God of righteous and honest-hearted people (for that's the original meaning of the word) Who rides upon the heavens in thy help. Mark how he sets out God. 1. By his Majestic, that he rides upon the heavens. 2. By his Mercy, that it is not for his own ends, but for thine, In ● auxilium tui, for thy help. Though he rides upon the heavens in a stately magnificent equipage, as it beseemeth so great a Majesty as is the Lord; yet it is wholly for thy good; to give the spheres to govern the Planets, to regulate the celestial Orbs; to see that the Sun, Moon, and Stars, keep their appointed seasons, and perform the daily and nightly tasks that he hath set them; and all this is, for thy help. So that if thou be a right jeshurun, (i) a righteous and an honest-hearted man to God, thou mayst assure thyself, That God rides upon the heavens in thy help; Thine (I say) in particular, as if he studied no bodies welfare but thine, and had none else to help but thee. The time will not suffer me to expatiate and enlarge this Point, which paradventure is of greater consequence than you are aware of. I will therefore glide it over (for this once) and fall immediately upon that which is the very Medulla, the Pith and Marrow of my Text, namely, The tenure of the godly; which is, That though God be in heaven, yet they have him here upon earth; [Whom have I in heaven but thee.]  
Fides Deum individuat, (saith a Father) True Faith impropriates and singles out God to a man's self, as Thomas did our Saviour, joh. 20. when he said, My Lord, and my God, as if he had been no bodies Lord, no bodies God but only his. One saith well, that all the comfort of Divinity lieth in these possessive names of Mine, and Thine: Li-Atta, Thou art mine (saith God, Esay 43. 1.) which two words the jews were wont to write, as a Motto upon their Rings, as being the sum and substance of the whole Covenant, comprehending all the Promises of mercy and salvation in it. Now when God shall say unto a soul, Thou art mine, and the soul shall answer to God and say, I am thine; This mutual Stipulation, this mutual Avouchment betwixt God and a good soul; this makes up the match (as it were) and confirms the covenant, and gives a man boldness towards God, that he is not afraid to claim an interest in God, and say, as David did, [Whom have I in heaven but thee?] For mark it, one that is an hypocrite, that bears no true faith to God, dares not make any application of God to himself, but speaks of him, as of one that concerns others and not himself. Pray to your God for me (saith Pharaoh to Moses and Aaron, Exod. 10. 17.) and so Darius, Dan. 6. 26. calleth him daniel's God, not his God: Their consciences told them that they were not the Lords, and therefore they durst not seem to speak as if the Lord were theirs, nor claim any interest or propriety in him; Quid nobis & tibi (said the devils to Christ) What have we to do with thee jesus thou Son of God? They that will have nothing to doë with God as his servants, can have but small hope that God will have any thing to do with them as their Saviour, or that God will ever own them as his children, that would never honour him as a Father. The first time that ever we read that God was called the God of one man more than of another, was Gen. 9 26. when Shem had acted that dutiful part towards his despised Father in covering his nakedness: then Noah breaks out into this Divine Benediction, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem. This (I say) was the first time that ever God was appropriated to one man more than to another: And it may serve for an everlasting encouragement to all that have Parents living, to show their utmost respect and duty to them, because the first that ever God owned was a dutiful child. Afterward, God enlarged himself to more (as you may read, Exod. 3▪ 6.) where he proclaims himself to be, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, & the God of jacob: Now Abraham was a faithful man, The father of the faithful: Isaac was a quiet man, that walked with God in private and made no noise in the world: jacob was a prayerful, a powerful man with God, one that wrestled with him for a blessing; put these three together, and they intimate unto us, that there are three sorts of men that have the Lord for their God. 1. He is the God of Abraham, that is, the God of all Faithful men. 2. He is the God of Isaac, that is, the God of all quiet men. 3. He is the God of jacob, that is, The God of all devout men. So that, if thou be'st either a faithful man, as Abraham; or a quiet man, as Isaac, or a devoute man as jacob, Thou mayst be bold without presumption to make application of God to thyself, to challenge him as thy own, and to say as David did, Whom have I in heaven but thee?  
More particularly, Though God be in heaven, yet his faithful servants may be truly said to have him here on earth, in four respects. 1. To have him in Possession. 2. To have him in Partnershippe. 3. To have him in Remembrance. 4. To have him in Regard.  
1. To have God in Possession two several ways: first, Inwardly in their hearts, God is in you of a truth (saith the Apostle) 1 Cor. 14. 25. Salvum sit verbum Domini (as Saint Bernard speaks), God save that good word, and send us to know the truth and to find the comfort of it: but how should we be sure that God is in us? Answer, As by the sparks that arise out of an heap of Ashes, we know for certain that there is fire within; so by the good motions, good prayers, and good desires that arise, as so many heavenly sparks out of the heart and soul, we may know for certain there is God within us. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The God in the bosom, as Lazarus was said to be in the bosom of Abraham, and john in the bosom of jesus, and jesus in the bosom of his Father; so is God the father in the bosom of every child of his upon earth; there he dwells, and there he makes his abode. Do but observe two phrases of those two great Apostles, Saint john, and Saint Paul; in the one, we are said to dwell in God, 1 john. 4. 16. He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God; He is (as it were) God's Inmate, God's Inhabitant, and in that sense, God may be said, to have us in possession. In the other God is said to dwell in us, 2 Cor. 6. 16. Ye are the temples of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people; and in this sense God is our Inmate, our Inhabitant, and we may be truly said to have him in possession: now where there is this mutual cohabitation, this mutual dwelling one within another, that we dwell in God, and God dwells in us; that we have possession of God in one kind, and God hath possession of us in another kind; certainly this Tenure can never be broken, this Possession can never be lost, we and our God shall never part, but after we have lived and loved, and dwelled together on earth, we shall live, and love, and dwell together in heaven.  
2 Secondly, as they have an inward possession of God in their hearts, so they possess him also outwardly in their Estates, in their Rents, and in all their Revenues; for they have God in all these, & the influence of his blessing gives them good of all that they enjoy. This is the difference that I observe betwixt the blessings of jacob and Esau, Gen. 27. The one had God with his blessing, the other had his blessing without God. When Isaac blessed jacob, ver. 28. Thus he said, God give thee of the dew of heaven, & the fatness of the earth, etc. Afterterwards, when Esau came and begged a blessing also, He gives him in a manner the very same blessing that he gave to jacob, but that he makes no mention of God in it; but only said, ver. 39 Thy portion shall be the fatness of the earth, and the dew of heaven from above: The very same blessing, only with this difference: That God was in at the one, but out at the other. Now look what an eye is without sight, or a well without water, or a body without a soul; the very same is a portion without God. There is a Tradition of Thomas Aquinas, that the Lord should call unto him from heaven, and say▪ Quid tibi dabo Thoma? Thomas, what shall I give thee for all the good service thou hast done me? His answer was, Teipsum Domine, Give me thyself, O Lord, and I desire no other gift, let me have but thee, I ask no more. This is not much different, that divine ejaculation of a pious soul: Lord, let me live out of the world with thee, but let me not live in the world without thee. In a word, this is the happiness and the blessed privilege of a good and faithful servant to God, though his estate and possessions be but mean and small, he possesseth his God which makes amends for all. And this is the first way whereby they may be said to have God, though he be in heaven, that is, Habere in possessione, to have him in possession; As if David had said, Whom have I in possession but thee?  
2 The next is, To have him in Partnershippe; and that two ways:  
1. To take our part against our adversaries, as you see, Num. 12. 8. How God took Moses part against Aaron and Myriam, when they murmured and rebelled against him; How were you not afraid (saith God) to speak against my servant, against Moses: that is, to speak against any servant of mine, though never so despicable and poor; but to speak against my chiefest and choicest servant, against Moses, who is faithful in all my house; Quomodo non timuistis? How durst you be so bold: how were you not afraid to do it? knowing that it concerns the honour of my truth to take their part. And as it followeth after, when God had taken his part in word, he took h s part in deed, and did him more right, and wrought him more revenge than Moses himself was willing he should have done. Thus if thou be on God's side, God will surely be on thy side: if thou take God's part against those that dishonour him, and abuse his blessed Name, God will undoubtedly take thy part against those that dishonour thee, and seek to do thee evil; yea, paradventure God will work thee a further revenge than thou art aware of; that is, if any disease or any sickness be upon thee, God will take it off, and lay it upon them that hate thee: 'tis his Promise, Deut. 7. 15. So that thy affliction shall go from thee to thy enemy, as the leprosy of Naaman went from him to Gehazi. And this is one benefit thou shalt reap by having God in partnershippe.  
2. God will bear a part in all thy adversities, Esay 63. 9 In all our afflictions, he is afflicted: Just as a Tutor that maintains a Scholar in the University at his own charge, if he punish that Scholar in his purse, he punisheth himself; so dealeth the Lord with us; it is an affliction to God to afflictus; and there is no affliction that falls upon us, but God himself bears a part of it. As in all his commands, Quod jubet, juvat, what he bids us to do, he helps us to do; so in all his chastisements, what he makes us to bear, he helps us to bear; as Simon helped our Saviour to bear his Cross. Hence it is, That his yoke is easy, and his burden light, Mat. 11. Whether it be meant of jugum praecepti, the yoke of his Commandment, or jugum crucis, the yoke of his Chastisement; both may be said to be easy and light, because we bear but with one shoulder, and God bears with the other; for it is said, 1 Chron. 15. 26. God helped the Levites to bear the Ark: The Ark of itself was no great burden to bear, and yet as light as it was, God was fain to help them to bear it; without the help of God, the lightest burden is unsupportable; for it is said of judah, Deut. 33. 7. His own hands shall be sufficient for him, Si tu Dominus, If thou Lord do help him against his enemies. no man's own hands, no man's own endeavours can be sufficient for him, either for his defence, or for his maintenance, unless the God of heaven put to his helping hand. We read, 1 Sam. 7. 12. That Samuel pitched a stone, and called it Eben-ezer, The stone of help, and his reason was, Hitherto God hath helped us: Now mark the posture and situation of this stone; He pitched it (saith the Text) between Mizpeh and Shen: Mizpeh signifieth sight or wisdom; Shen signifieth a Tooth, or strength: So the meaning is, that neither a man's wisdom can help him on the one side, nor his strength help him on the other side, unless Eben-ezer, The help of God come in between them. It was only God in the Bush that kept the fire from burning; so it is God in affliction that keeps the heart from despairing. Hence it is, that the most precious blessing that jacob could invent for his dear son joseph was this, That the good will of him that dwelled in the Bush might be upon him, Deut. 33. 16▪ for than he knew, though he should meet with many Thorns, and many piercing cares and crosses in the world, yet the good▪ will of him that dwelled in the Bush, would be a shelter and a shield against them all. Let no man therefore misinterpret God's corrections, nor mistake the meaning of his chastisements, for there may be Beneplacitum in Rubo, as well as in Regno: Though a man be (as it were) in a bush of thorns, that is, perplexed on every side with cares and crosses; yet the goodwill of God may be no less upon him in this Bush, than if he were in a pleasant Arbour, in the most delightful condition that the earth can afford. I will say it once again, If God bear a man goodwill, though he should dwell in a very Bush (i) in the very midst among his enemies, yet may he lay him down in peace, and take his rest; for why? There is one with him that will take his part against all his adversaries, and bear a part in all his adversities; And this is the second privilege of all faithful souls, that they have Deum in participationem, God in partnershippe. As if David had said, Whom have I in partnershippe but thee?  
3 The third way of having God, is to have him in Remembrance, and not to deal with God's Mercies, as jehu dealt with jehorams' Messengers, to turn them behind our backs when our own turn is served, to think no more of him, nor look no more after him. God Almighty made an Order concerning the people's ingress, and egress at his Temple, Ezech. 46. 9 That he that came in at the North▪ gate, must go out again at the South-gate; and he that came in at the South-gate, must go out at the North gate; they might in no wise return by the way of the same gate which they came in at, but go forth over against it: One gives the Reason of it (and it is a singular good one) Nè propitiatorio terga verterent, cum a templo exirent, lest they should turn their backs to the Propitiatory, or Mercy-seat, when they went out of the Temple; for that was a thing that God could not endure, that when they had entreated and obtained mercy, they should go unmannerly away, and turn their backs to his Mercy-seat. Intimating unto us, That when God hath showed himself propitious and merciful unto us, and hath granted us the desires of our hearts, and hath not denied us the requests of our lips; we must take heed we do not turn or backs upon God when our turn is served, as beasts turn their backs to the pond when their thirst is quenched. But as we do desire that God should have us in Remembrance in our weakness and poverty, so let us have God in remembrance in our wealth and plenty, Deut. 8. 18. Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to to get wealth. Mark this you wealthy men, and take it as an Item from God to thee in particular, if thou be'st a man of wealth, assure thyself (as our Saviour said to Pilate in another case) Thou couldst have no power at all to get an estate, to gather wealth, or to make thyself a fortune in the world, unless it were given thee from above; Thou mightest have been as poor as he that begs at thy door, had not God given thee a power to get wealth under him. This may be also a Memorandum to us all (as Pharoahs' Butler said) To call to mind our fault this day, I mean, our unmindfulness and forgetfulness of God; it is not one's man's fault, but all men's fault; and therefore the most usual name that is given to a man in the Hebrew tongue, is Enosh, which properly signifieth Oblivion, or forgetfulness, as in that place, Psal. 84. Lord, what is man that thou art so mindful of him: in the Original, it is, Lord, what is forgetfulness, that thou shouldest Remember him. Hence it is that God hath appointed Ministers to be his Remembrancers, (so we are called Esay 62. 6.) Rememorantes Dominum, Ye that be the Lords Remembrancers, keep not silence (saith the Prophet) give God no rest, etc. Our Office is double: 1. To put God in remembrance of his people by our prayers. 2. To put the people in remembrance of God, by our preaching; or thus. 1. To put God in remembrance of his Mercy. 2. To put the people in remembrance of their duty. God send us well to discharge both these Offices to God, and to his people, for in these is contained the whole sum and substance of our Ministerial function: And for your parts and duties, let me tell you, that you have a double task as well as we, and you shall do well to give heed unto it, for the comfort and discharge of your own souls in the sight of God. 1. Put yourselves in mind of God, as David did, Psal. 63. Have I not remembered thee, in my bed, and thought upon thee when I was waking? as if he had said, if I have not done so, I am the more to blame, I have the more to answer for, for I am sure it was my part and duty so to do. 2. And then in the second place, put God in mind of yourselves, as the same David, after he had remembered God, he desires God to remember him and all his troubles, Psal. 132. 1. In a word, Let this be thy Method in all thy private devotions. 1. To put thyself in remembrance of God. 2. To put God in remembrance of thyself: and let it be thy constant practice before thou goest to sleep, to look back into the day that's past, Remember God's Mercies, and thine own sins, be thankful for the one be humbled for the other; and then lie down in the peace of jesus Christ. And this is the third way of having God, Habere in memoriâ, To have him in Remembrance; As if David had said, Whom have I in Remembrance, but thee?  
4 The fourth, and last way of Having God, is Habere in Reverentiâ, To have him in Regard, and that three ways. 1. Have Regard to his Power. 2. To his Precepts. 3. To his Presence. A word of each.  
1. Have his Power in Regard, Who Regardeth the power of thy wrath (saith David, Psal. 90. 11.) for ever thereafter, as a man feareth, so is thy displeasure. The meaning is, The more a man fears, the less is God displeased with him; and the less a man fears the more is God displeased with him; so in both respects, it holds true, Thereafter as a man feareth, so is God's displeasure: And yet Lord, (saith David (who regardeth the power of thy wrath? Or who dealeth any otherwise with God, than the Frogs in the Fable did with the block, which was thrown in to be their King; when he fell heavy upon them, and made a dreadful noise in the waters, they were much afraid, and shrunk into their corners; afterwards when they saw him lie still, and let the stream be calm about them, they regarded him no longer, but securely leapt upon him. Even thus do carnal men deal with God, Regard him no longer, but while he falls heavy and sore upon them with his judgements; let him but be still, and let them be quiet; they regard him no more than the Frogs regarded the block. Shall I praise you in this (saith the Apostle) I praise you not. God's power must be had in Regard. (That's the first Point.)  
2. His Precepts are to be had in Regard; Then shall I not be confounded (saith David, Psal. 119.) When I have Regard or Respect to all thy Commandments. As the Centurion's servant in the Gospel, if a stranger or another man had bidden him go and do such a thing, he might peradventure have gone and done it himself; but when his Lord and Master did but speak the word, it was done, because he had a Respect and a Regard unto him. In like sort; As we do desire that God should have Regard to our Prayers, let us have Regard to his Precepts. See and observe that place, Esay 45. 11. Where God doth so Regard the prayer of his humble servants, that a Request from us is a Command to him, Praecipite mihi, (they be Gods own words) Command ye me. Oh, what a gracious God have we, that will abase himself to be commanded by his own Vassals: so true is that saying of an Ancient; Nulla creatura humilior Deo, There is no creature more humbler than God, as it is said, Iosh. 10. The Sun stood still at joshuahs' command, Deo obediente voce hominis, God yielding and obeying the voice of man. Now shall God obey the voice of man, and shall not man obey the voice of God? Shall God be willing to be at our command, and shall not we be as willing to be at his command? Shall God have Regard to our Prayers, and shall not we have Regard to his Precepts? Ne fiat, This must not be done, for this will not be taken well at our hands. God's Precepts must be had in Regard. (That's the second Point.)  
3 In the last place, have regard to God's Presence, and all is finished.  
1. In General, Consider with thyself that God is Omni-present, present in every place, and that thou canst go no where from his presence; He is about thy bed, and about thy path, and espieth out all thy ways. And let this be a means, (if thou hast any Regard to God) to make thee walk Circumspectly in the world, and (as Saint john's phrase is) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Convenienter Deo, answerably and agreeably to the presence and approbation of that God before whom thou walkest. As Seneca advised Nero that cruel Tyrant, so to demean himself, Vt facta superi semper comprobent sua, that the gods above might approve of all his doings; but he like a dogged Atheist made him this wicked answer, Stulte, verebor esse, cum faciam Deus, Thou doting fool, shall I stand thinking, or fearing the Gods, when I go about my own designs. I will not apply it, but only say, as the Apostle doth, Some have not the knowledge of God, I speak this to your shame, 1 Cor. 15. For if men knew what it were to live in the displeasure of an angry God, they would have him in more Regard. For judge yourselves, durst men be so bold with God, yea, so impudent, and audacious, as to sin, God in the very face, if they did regard him? As the Scripture saith of Nimrod, Gen. 10. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: not a Hunter of beasts, but a Hunter of men (i) a cruel oppressor, that made poor men weary of their lives, and persecuted them to the very death; Such a Hunter he was (and I would to God there were no more of his breed,) and where? Before the Lord, (saith the Text) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifieth before or against the Lord, as it were in despite and defiance to God: He was so hardened in it, that he cared not though God stood by and looked upon him; as if a woman should commit adultery, Inspect ante marito, her husband standing by, and looking on. To this height of wickedness are some men grown; that as Origen said of Lot's daughters, Vereor ne harum castior incestus siat; quam aliquarum pudicitia: I am afraid that their Incest was more modest than sums Innocency. This would never be, if men had God in any Regard; them very thought of his unavoidable presence would detain, and deter them from it.  
2. But to conclude; If men have little or no Regard to the general presence of God abroad in the world; yet I trust, when they come into God's special Presence, into his Presence-Chamber, into the Sanctuary, and House of Prayer, they will show it there or no where. We see by daily experience; The King may look out of a window, and see his subjects go by him too and fro upon their own occasions, and show him no respect, nor no regard; and why? Because though he sees them, yet they see not him, nor imagine that he is so nigh them; but let these men come into his Chamber of Presence, or have any Petition to present unto him; then they do their Homage, than they bow their knees, and glad if they can be so accepted. Thus doth God look down from Heaven, and from his Throne, beholds all the dwellers upon earth; we go on our ways and mind him not, because though he sees us, we see not him: but when we come into his Basilica, his own House, his own Palace (for so are Churches called, specially the greater & Mother-Churches, are the Palaces of the King of Heaven) and come to prefer our Prayers and Petitions to him; if we do not then serve him, and observe him with the greatest Reverence, the greatest Regard that our souls and bodies can express, How can we hope to be accepted of him. When we come into the Presence of the Lord, (saith David) into the Presence of the Lord of the whole earth; what then? Why then worship him, In decore sanctitatis, in the beauty of holiness (as the phrase is, Psal. 110. 3. Oh that same holiness is a beautiful thing, if a man had it; a thing that makes a man comely and lovely, amiable and acceptable to God and his holy Angels; but if a man have it not, but comes to God in his sins, as the Prodigal came to his Father in his rags, will the Lord accept him? Nay, will he endure him in his presence? Yes certainly, if he come in a penitent and an humble way; for though the son have no clothing to cover his shame, yet the Father hath enough in his Wardrobe to bestead him, and to beautify him too: Proferte stolam (saith he to his Ministers, Luke 15. 22.) Bring forth the best Robe, and put it on him, & put a Ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and so make him comely and clean again. This will our heavenly Father deal with his repenting children; He will take away from them the rotten rags of their old sins, and clothe them a new with his heavenly Grace, and (as the Prophet speaks) will give them beauty for ashes, and the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness, Esay 61. 3. We read in the Revelation of Saint john of two women; one representing the false Church, the Whore of Babylon; the other representing the true Church, which is the Mother of us all. Now mark the difference of their clothing. She that represented the whore of Babylon, Rev. 17. 4. Was arrayed (saith the Text) in purple, and scarlet, and decked with Gold, and Pearls, and precious stones. Here was a goodly and a beautiful array, but they were all terrena, all transitory, all earthly ornaments; there was nothing at all of heaven in them: now mark the clothing of the true Church, Revel. 12. 1. the text saith, There appeared a wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the Sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve Stars: here was nothing at all of earth in this clothing, but all heavenly. And this, oh this is the beauty of holiness, a celestial, a heavenly habit. Now (as they prayed in the Gospel, when our Saviour spoke of the Manna that came down from heaven) Lord evermore give us this bread; so let us pray to God in this behalf, Lord evermore give us this clothing; Lord cloth us with thy grace from heaven while we live, and clothe us upon with thy glory in heaven when we die. And that for jesus Christ his sake, to whom with thee O Father, and the blessed Spirit, be given and ascribed all honour, praise, and glory; be done and performed all service, obedience, and from this time forth for evermore.  
Amen, Amen.  
FJNJS.