The Soul's Conflict with Itself

In the division of things, GOD be•eaths ¹himself to those that are his, for their portion, as the best portion he can give them. There are many goodly things in the world, but none of these are a Christians portion, there is in him to supply all good, and remove all […], until the time come that we stand in need of no other good. It is our chief wisdom to know him, our holiness to love him, our happiness to enjoy him. There is in him to be had, whatsoever can truly make us happy. We go to our treasure, and our portion in all our ⟨p. 518⟩wants, we live by it, and value our selves by it. God is such a portion, that the more we spend on him, the more we may▪ Our strength may fail, and our heart ²may fail, but God is our portion for ever. Every thing else teaches us by the vanity and vexation we find in them, that our happiness is not in them, they send us to God; they may make us worse, but better they cannot. Our nature is above them, and ordained for a greater good; they can go but along with us for a while, and their end swallows up all the comfort of their beginnings, as Pharaohs lean Kine swallowed up the fat. If we have no better portion here then these things, we are like to have hell for our portion hereafter. What a shame will it be hereafter when we are stripped of all, that it should be said, Lo this is the man, that took not God for his portion. If God be once ours, he goes for ever along with us, and when earth will hold us no longer, heaven shall. Who that hath his senses about him, would perish for want of water, when there is a fountain by ⟨p. 519⟩him? or for hunger that is at a feast? •od alone is a rich portion: O then let […] labour for a large faith, as we have a urge object; If we had a thousand times •ore faith, we should have a thousand mes more increase of Gods blessings. When the Prophet came to the wid•es house, as many vessels as she had •re filled with oil; we are straitened in or own faith, but not straitened in our