278 S E R. M O N S upon Serm.XX-XVl[ô vious world, fometimes with the cares, griefs; pains, difappointments, which are incident tó the prefent life ; and will thew us what a retlefs, empty world we have here, that we may the more earneftly look after aisle peaceful Regions which are above. 6. 'Tie a time of increafng dur love to God, upon a twofold account. T. Affliaion fheweth ru, that nothing it worthy of our love but God; whatftrever rob - beth God of it; loon proveth matter of trouble and dittrefs to us; our hearts are the more averfe from God, becaufe they are inclined to the Creature, Jer. 2. 13. For le, people have committed two evils; they have forfahen we the fountain of living water, and hewed them out ciflernr, brolten ciflerns that will hold no water. Men bellow their hearts on fomething. beneath the chief good, which becometh an idol and falle god to thtm, and which they refpe& and love more than God: .now the love of God cannot reign in that foul,' where the love of the world, and fleffily lulls reignet h, 1 J.;ho 2. 15. ny man loveth the world, how dwelleth the love of the Father in hem ? Tis not in him. Now the great work of grace, is to cat out the ufurper, and to give God the poficffiota of what is his own ; and therefore the heart mat be circumcifed, before it be true to God. Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy Godwill circumcife thy heart, and the heart of thy fed, to lave the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, that thou mayefi live. Firft the foreskin, and flefhlinefs that ticketh fo dole to us, mutt be taken off, before we can . adhere to God, as our proper and chief happiriefs: Now this is Gods own work by his internal grace; but yet.he ufeth external meant, and amongt the ret (harp affliáions, to wean us from the Creature, and to thew us, that we do but court ourown trouble and infelicity, when we bellow our affeáions elfetvhere ; for hereby God plainly de- montrateth, that he is our All- fufcient, and Indefcient God. All. fuffcient, as aefwe- ring all our necellities and deuiires; Indefrcient, our never failing good, when all things fail about us. Habbak. 3. 18. Tet I will rejoiye in.ihe Lord; and joy in the .God of my (al- vatio,,. And thus by defolating the Creature, doth he drive our foolilh hearts to him - felf, that we may have the folid delights of his love. 2. This love of God is the comfort by which-we-are fepported in all our siflrer. The fervants of.God have never fo much of the joy in the Holy Ghot, as in their great fttf ferings; their delight in God is thenpureft, and unmixed. God comforteth them when they have nothing etfe tatake comfort in, Jab 16. 20. My friendslore me, but mine eye poureth out tears to God. When all friends forfake us but one, that one is fweeter to us than ever : Humble moans to'God, giveth us eafe and comfort, notwithtanding the negleá and contempt of man; and when the world undervalueth, 'tis enough that God approveth : Our delights in God, are often corrupted by a mixture of fenfualdelights, fo that we cannot tell what fupporteth us,, God or the Creature, our remaining comforts, the help or pity of friends, or God alone. Therefore that the afliltion may pierce the fpirit, the Lord caufeth it to be fharpned, and pointed by the fcorn and neglett of men: and their trange carriage towards us,that we may fetch our fupports from him alone.That till we aré not barr'd from accels to the throne of grace, there is our cordial ;.that we have a God tó go to, to whom we may make our moan, and from whòfe love we may derive all our comforts: fo David fpeaketh feelingly in deepatli &ions, Ptal. 63 3. Thy loving- Isjndnefs is better than life. This füpplieth all his wants, and fweetneth all his troubles; and giveth more comfort than what is molt precious and deferable in the Creature. 2. I mill Phew you how it helpeth to rail our love to G,-d. There are two a &s of love, deftre after him, and delight in him; for we love a thing when we delire to injoy it, and find contentment in it, being injoyed. s. Defire is the purfuit of the foul after God, de fîderium unionis, The great a& of love is an affeáing bf union with the thing beloved. Now, becaufe of our impeded frui- tion of him in this life, love mainly bewrayeth it felf by debres of the nearet conjun- áion with God that we are capable òf; and the motions of grace tend to this end, to conjoin us to God, or tobring God and us together; and to this end tend faith, and hope, and Ordinances, and means, the word and prayer, and fa Sacraments, that we may get more of God. When an houle is a building, there are fcaffolds, and poles, and intruments of Architetture ufed ; but when the houle js bnifhed, all there are taken away. So here are many means tob'ring us to God; There is Fait h, and +lope, and Or- dinances ; but when we come to the vilon and fruition of him, all thefe ceafe, and love only remained). In the Heavenly Jerufaleen love is perfel, becaufe there God is all in all.
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