Heaven upon earth, or, The best friend in the worst of times. Delivered in…

If for all this thou wilt not be persuaded, let me expostulate the case with thee, as God did with Israel. Did not God bring thee into a world every way furnished for thy use? Hath he not subjected the Creatures of the world to thee? Who waters thy Fields out of his treasuries? Who opens the clods of the Earth, and sends thee out of his store-house provisions year by year? What would quickly become of thee, if thou hadst not a fresh supply from him every year, nay, every moment? O, is this his unkindness for which thou hatest him? And it is for this that thou hast such sower thoughts of him? And if all this were too little, he would do greater things then these; hath he not sent his Son out of his bosom? Doth he not offer thee Heaven and Glory? What canst thou in reason ask, that is good for thee, that he would deny thee, if thou wouldst but be acquainted with him? And if this be an unkind friend, I do not know who is kind: if this be not love, I know not what is. What could he have done more to express his love to the world then he hath done, Isa. 44. Ask David what he thinks of God; ⟨p. 70⟩he was well acquainted with him, he dwelt in his house, and by his good will would he never out of his more immediate presence, and company: enquire, I pray, what he found amiss in him? That you may know his mind the better, he hath left it upon Record in more then one or two places, what a friend he hath had of God, Psal. 16.6. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places: yea, I have a goodly heritage. Why, what is that you boast of so much, O David? have not others had Kingdoms as well as you? No, that's not the thing, a Crown is one of the least Jewels in my Cabinet, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup. So in Psal. 23. quite through. Nay, doth he not sometimes come out and beckon to the poor beggarly starved world, to come and eat their fill of the same dish; O taste and see that the Lord is good, Psal. 34.8. If you will give any credit to his word, he will tell you, No friend like to God, Psal. 73.25, 26, 27, 28. Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none in earth that I can desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from him shall perish: Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee; but it is good for me to draw near to God.