24.) in Christ. It needs no more to make it live happily, John ví. 57. He that eateth me, even he shall live by me. The prodigal, when he was minded to return to his father, was convinced of this, Luke xv. 17, "How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" And if you ask, What is this bread? our Lord Christ answers, John vi. 51, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." And if ye ask, Where the strength of this bread lies for nourishing of the soul? it is answered, John vi. 63, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life, Col. ii. 9, 10. For in-him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power." The enjoyment of God in Christ, (1.) Removes the maladies of the soul, Psal. ciii.

3. Bless the Lord, O my soul,-who healeth all thy diseases. Sin has cast the soul into extreme disorders, has left it in a diseased condition, and the sickness is mortal, which the soul cannot miss to die of eternally, if it be not cured, John viii. 24, If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. It is cast into a fever of raging lusts, which cause in it many irregular and preternatural desires. And the answering of these desires does but increase the distemper of the soul. Men whose portion the world is, endeavour to satisfy them from their portion, but all in vain, Eccl. i. 8, "The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” Hab. ii. 5. “He is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied." Neither can they be satisfied from a holy God, whose holiness is perfectly opposite to their nature. But here lies the matter:

The enjoyment of God in Christ kills these desires, and frees the soul from them, according to the measure of it, John iv. 14, " Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Like as the feverish man's drought is slaked, according to the measure of his recovery wrought by some suitable remedy: so God in Christ being enjoyed by faith, the irregular desires or lusts of the soul die; and when God in Christ shall be perfectly enjoyed in heaven, they shall be perfectly expelled out of the soul, Heb. xii. 23. Thus mortification is the effect of the enjoyment of God in Christ: and as lusts die, the soul lives, lives happily and comfortably.

(2.) It satisfies the regular cravings of the soul, Is. lv. 2." Hear

ken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." Take away the lustings, flowing from the distemper of the soul by sin, the desires of the heart are brought into a narrow compass, all centring in one thing, viz. what is really needful and useful for the soul's well-being, Luke x. ult. One thing is needful. Psal. xxvii. 4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple." And that is to be found in the enjoyment of God in Christ, Psal. xxvii. 4, and lxxiii. 25, forecited. Now the regular craving of the soul may be comprised in these two things. [1.] A desire of what may perfect its nature. Every thing has a native inclination towards its own perfection: and the sinful creature being made a new creature, has a strong inclination to its own perfection, and consequently desires what may advance that. Hence we read of the lusting of the Spirit, Gal. v. 17, the groanings of the gracious soul under the remains of corruption, Rom. vii. 24. Now that which is perfecting to the renewed soul is the transformation of it into the image of God, 1 John iii. 2. For this is it by which it is brought back into the happy state it was created in at first, Gen. i. 27. And without question every thing is the more perfect, the nearer it comes to the likeness of him who is the fountain of all perfection. And therefore holiness is indeed the happiness and the life of the soul. Now the enjoyment of God in Christ answers the desire of the soul, according to the measure thereof. And in Christ there is a fulness for satisfying of it; for in him there is a fulness of the Spirit of sanctification, with light, life, strength, &c. and whatsoever is necessary for nourishing up the new creature to perfection, John i. 16. Rev. iii. 1. And through the enjoyment of God in him, the perfection of the soul is carried on, according to the degrees of the enjoyment, 2 Cor. iv. 18.

[2.] A desire of what may continue it in its perfection. This also is what every thing has a native inclination to, since nothing can desire its own destruction. And this the new creature or renewed soul is also endowed with, namely, a desire of its being for ever continued in the state of perfection once attained unto. But what portion is sufficient for such a boundless desire of the soul? Not this world surely, which will not last, but will be burnt up; but the eternal God, the everlasting Father, of infinite perfections, who is an inexhaustible fountain of perfection for ever. Therefore says the psalmist, "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever," Psal. lxxiii. 26.

2. There is a sufficiency in God in Christ for the whole man, soul

and body too, Rom. xi. 36, "For of him, and through him, and to him are all things." He is infinite in perfections, therefore there can be nothing wanting in him, which is necessary for the good of his creature any manner of way, Job xi. 7, "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?" Hence David says, Psal. xxxiv. 10, " They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." So that he who would have a portion that might furnish him with all he needs, both for his soul and his body, may have it in a God in Christ. Thus God in Christ is a portion the whole man may live on.

Quest. How can that be?

Ans. 1. There is enough in God to give a man full contentment of heart in any lot whatsoever, to cause him say from inward feeling that he has enough, whatever be his wants, Phil. iv. 11, I have learned, says the apostle, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Hab. iii. 17, 18, formerly quoted. And that is equivalent to one's having all, and wanting nothing, 2 Cor. vi. 10. Phil. iv. 18. A man living thus in a cottage, with coarse fare and a small measure of it, lives better than a discontented king in his palace, Luke xii. 15, "For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." God satisfies such as with marrow and fat, of which a small quantity fill so as the man desires no more, but rejoiceth in his portion.

2. All good things whatsoever, that are not formally in God, are eminently and virtually in him as in their cause, Matth. xix. 17, 18. There is none good but one, that is God. That is to say, As one getting a great sum of money for his portion, may live upon it; because though it is not formally meat nor clothes, he cannot eat it nor clothe himself with the metal; yet it is virtually and in effect both meat and clothes, in so far as it can purchase these things to the man, and so is equivalent to all such things, Eccl. x. 19, Money answereth all things. Even so one getting God in Christ for his portion may live upon him; because he can furnish him with all good things whatsoever so having him to be theirs, they have all in effect, since he has all, 1 Cor. iii. 21, not only all for the soul, but all for the body too.

These two grounds being laid, I say there is a sufficiency in a God in Christ for all that is necessary for the whole man; so that they who have him for their portion, have in him a sufficiency for the body as well as for the soul. And,

1st, For their maintenance, in meat and drink. That day the man takes God for his portion, his bread is baken, his provision is secured for time as well as for eternity. That is a clause in the

disposition made to them of their portion, Psal. xxxvii. 3, Verily thou shalt be fed. Isa. xxxiii. 16, Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure. All living is fed by him, Psal. cxlv. 15. However poor and needy they may be, he who feeds his birds, will not neglect his babes, Psal. cxlvii. 9.

Quest. But what can a man make of that sufficiency in God as a portion for maintenance, when he has empty pantries to go to?

Ans. If he go by faith to his portion as his maintenance, he may make these four things of it,

(1.) He may get providential provision brought to him in the channel of the covenant, that is, as an accomplishment of the promise on which he relies. And if that were bare bread and water, it will be more sweet to the godly man than the most delicious meats to one whose portion God is not. So I doubt not Elijah's fare was sweeter to him, 1 Kings xvii. 6. than the fare of Baal's priests at Jezebel's table. Godly persons in straits helped to live by faith, get many sweet experiences, which they want when their lot is more plentiful. And sure I am the creature never tastes so sweet, as when it comes in answer to prayer and faith in the promise.

(2.) He may get a little to serve far, as in the case of Daniel and his companions, Dan. i. 15, whose countenances, at the end of ten days, appeared fairer, and fatter in flesh, by living on pulse and water, than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Nature may be content with little, and grace with less; whereas lust can never get enough. There is a curse that insensibly wastes the provision of some; while the small provision of others, by God's blessing comes to be like the widow's barrel of meal, and cruise of oil, 1 Kings xvii. She never had much, but yet she never wanted altogether. It is a certain truth, that man doth not live by bread alone, Matth. iv. 4; and that as men may eat plentifully, and not have enough, so they may be kept at very slender provision, and yet through grace have abundance.

(3.) When the streams are quite dry, he may get a draught of the fountain that will be strengthening and refreshful to his very body. Moses being in the mount with God, eat none for forty days, and missed neither meat nor drink. It is true, that was miraculous : but it tells us, that the godly man's portion is able to feed him without meat or drink. And I believe the experience of many of the saints proves, that a watering of grace to the soul is even sometimes refreshing and strengthening to the very body, agreeable to these scripture-texts, Isa. lxvi. 14. Your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb. Psal. xxxv. ix. 19. "My soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

All my

bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?"

(4.) He may quietly and contentedly, in the faith of the promise, hang on at the door of his storehouse, not doubting but his Father will seasonably interpose for his help and relief, after he has tried. him, and thus feed on hope, Psal. xxxvii. 3. Trust in the Lord, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. And this is one of those ways how the Lord's people are satisfied in days of famine, verse 19. Do not you observe, that sometimes the hungry child cries for bread, and the mother gives him a promise of it some time after, and thereupon he is easy? And may we not think a promise embraced by faith, will have a satisfying influence on a child of God?

2dly, For their clothing. That likewise is an appurtenance of the saint's portion, Matth. vi. 30. "If God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" There is a lust for clothing and attire, for satisfying of which earth and seas, and even the most remote countries, Persia and the Indies, are ransacked: and yet that lust is not satisfied; still some new thing is desired. But, O the satisfaction of heart, where the man or woman lodges the key of their wardrobe in the hand of a God in Christ, believing that he will clothe them as is meet in his sight. This made the sheep skins and goat skins wherein the worthies, Heb. xi. 37. wandered about, more comfortable to them than the most gorgeous apparel could be to the persecutors.

3dly, For their housing or lodging, Psal. xc. 1. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. They that have God for their portion, though they were cast out of house and hold, will not want a place where they may lodge securely and comfortably. He who made a fiery furnace a comfortable lodging to the three children, can make any place sweet to his own. Jacob never lodged a night more comfortably, than when he durst not stay at his father's house for Esau, but got the vault of the heavens for the roof of his bed-chamber, the bare field for his bed, and a stone for his bolster, Gen. xxviii. That he preferred, as the house of God, to all the houses that ever his foot was in, verse 17.

4thly, For their provision with money. They that are lovers of it, shall never get enough of it, heap up as they will, Eccl. v. 10. Nay, it is ruining to them who seek it, use it, and value themselves upon it, as their portion, 1 Tim. vi. 10. " For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have