Two treatises of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs. The first of earthly-mindedness

The Sixth Excellency.

The sixth Excellency that there is in walking with God is this, From hence the soul comes to enjoy a holy boldness and a holy familiarity with God. It may be when the soul comes first to God, the presence of the great God strikes some fear, there is some dread of the Majesty of God; But when the soul hath used to converse with him, there is a holy familiarity that the soul hath with God, and a holy boldness, it can have free liberty to say any thing to him now; and this is the reason that some now that never knew what the spirit of prayer meant, and what the liberty of the soul in opening its self to God meant before, yet when they have come to be acquainted with the ways of God; Oh what liberty have they then in their spirits to open their hearts to God, yea, they can open their hearts to God as one friend to another. I remember it's said of Luther, that when ever he was praying, he could speak to God as to his friend. In Job, 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with Him, and be at peace. The soul comes to have an acquaintance with God, Oh what a phrase is here! What, acquaint our selves with God, that God should be our acquaintance! I, God is willing to be the acquaintance of the poorest Christian in the world, Poor men and women, and Servants, and others that perhaps some rich men that is by them will scorn their acquaintance, but they account them rather (as it's spoken of some vile people) fit to be set with the dogs of the flock, yea, perhaps though they be poor godly people, yet they think it too much debasing themselves to have any kind of acquaintance with them: Well, but the infinite ⟨p. 294⟩God though he is so high that he humbles himself to behold the very things that are done in Heaven, yet this God thinks not much to be one of thy acquaintance, to be of the acquaintance of any one that hath any godliness in them; when we see a great man, a man of parts and honour come to some poor man and shake him by the hand, we will say, Look what an humble man is this, that will be so familiar with the meanest of all. Oh! now acquaint thy self with God, This is the blessedness of walking with God; the soul comes to have a familiar converse with God, and a holy boldness.