The divine life in three treatises

2. If God be with me, he is with me to whom I am absolutely devoted. I am wholly his, and have acknowledged his interest in me, and long ago disclaimed all usurpers, and repented of alienations, and unreservedly resigned my self to him: And where should I dwell but with him that is my owner, and with whom I have made the solemnest Covenant that ever I made? • never gave my self to any other, but in subordination to him, and with a salvo for his highest inviolable right. Where should my goods be but in my own house? with whom should a Servant dwell but with his Master? and a Wife but with her Husband? and Children but with their Father? I am nearlier related to my God and to my Saviour, than I am to any of my Relations in this world. I owe more to him than to all the world: I have renounced all the world, as they stand in any competition or comparison with him: And can I want their company then while I am with him? How shall I hate Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and Brother and Sister for his sake, if I cannot spare them, or be without ⟨p. 353⟩them to enjoy him? To hate them is but to use them as men do hated things, that is, to cast them away with contempt as they would alienate me from Christ, and to cleave to him, and be satisfied in him alone. I am now married to Christ, and therefore must cheerfully leave Father and Mother, and my native place, and all to cleave to him: And with whom should I now delight to dwell, but with him who hath taken me into so near relation, to be, as it were, one flesh with him! O my dear Lord, hide not thou thy face from an unkind an unworthy sinner! Let me but dwell with thee and see thy face, and feel the gracious embracements of thy Love, and then let me be cast off by all the world, if thou see it meetest for me; or let all other friends be where they will, so that my soul may be with thee: I have agreed for thy sake to forsake all, even the dearest that shall stand against thee; and I resolve by thy grace to stand to this agreement.

2. If God be with me, he is with me to whom I am absolutely devoted. I am wholly his, and have acknowledged his interest in me, and long ago disclaimed all usurpers, and repented of alienations, and unreservedly resigned my self to him: And where should I dwell but with him that is my owner, and with whom I have made the solemnest Covenant that ever I made? • never gave my self to any other, but in subordination to him, and with a salvo for his highest inviolable right. Where should my goods be but in my own house? with whom should a Servant dwell but with his Master? and a Wife but with her Husband? and Children but with their Father? I am nearlier related to my God and to my Saviour, than I am to any of my Relations in this world. I owe more to him than to all the world: I have renounced all the world, as they stand in any competition or comparison with him: And can I want their company then while I am with him? How shall I hate Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and Brother and Sister for his sake, if I cannot spare them, or be without