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

We are kept by the mighty power of God through Faith unto Salvation. If they had been of us, saith the Apostle, no doubt they would have continued with us. It is possible indeed, yea, common for men to pretend love to God, and to seem to have a true friendship for him, and yet not to be truly so. To have a name to live, and to live, are two things. It is not unusual to bare God company (as I may say) abroad, and yet at home to have some body that they have a greater kindness for. It is common to go along with God (if I may so call it) in the external actions of Religion, and yet to desert him at last, Isa. 58.1, 2, 3. Mat. 7.21. There are many that seem to bid fair for Heaven, and if cap and knee will do, God shall have that; they will give him the husk and shell, that they may keep the kernel for one that they love better. Thousands there are of such persons in the world; and these profess abundance of kindness for God, they come oft to his house, and sit down there, and make as if they were his friends, and his acquaintance, and some of Gods servants, by a mistake, may bid them welcome, but yet for all this they may be strangers; only they have ⟨p. 162⟩heard of God, and can talk of him, and it may be have given him many transient visits, but yet they want the real properties of friends: they never knew what it was to be brought nigh to the Father, by the Son; to have a fence of their lost state and estrangement from God, and under a fence of this, to make earnest inquiry after him; they never knew what it was to converse with God, to have an intimate acquaintance with him; to be sending out the breathings of their Souls after him, and to be unsatisfied without him; they took up a trade of lifeless duties, and that was all. As for the life and power of Religion, they never understood it; communion with God, they heard oft of, but never understood what it meant, they never savoured, and relished the things of God, nor with any suitableness or complacency engaged in his service: And as for those more secret actings of Religion, to take up the interest of God, to design his glory, to be deeply concerned for his honour, observing their affections, and the workings of their hearts in duty; to take notice of answers of prayers, or to look after their petitions, when they are out of their mouths, they know not what these things are.