Heaven upon earth, or, The best friend in the worst of times.: Delivered in several sermons by James Janeway, Minister of the Gospel.

USE 2.

Secondly, Is there to be acquaintance between the soul and God? then let us learn to make a right judgement of our own Excellency; let us judge of our selves as too high and noble to con∣verse with this base and beggarly world. I am of a nobler original, then to debase my self to such mean things; I am the off-spring of God, and shall I acquaint my self with earth? I am of

the family of God, & shall I converse with Sathan? Is there bread enough in my Fathers house, and shall I perish for hunger? Lift up thy self, O my soul, shake off the intanglements of the flesh, break out of that bondage of the Devil, trample upon the glory of the world, and scorn to let out thy precious desires upon dung and dross, get the Moon under thy feet, cloath thy self with the Sun, put on the son of righteousness, come in∣to the palace of God, and acquaint thy self with him, for this is thy glory, this is thy excellency. Ye precious ones, who can call God Father, and the son Brother, who have fellowship with the Father and the Son, who may have communion with the Holy Ghost? What do you lying a∣mong the Potts? What do you raking in Dunghills? What do you conversing with the World? Have a holy scorn of these things, as be∣low the dignity of your souls: know your worth, esteem of your selves, as of more value then all these lower Treasures. This is your glory and your excellency, that ye are of Gods acquaintance, that ye are Sons of God, Heirs of God, & joynt-Heirs with Christ, that ye understand and know God.

There are two things wherein most men are mistaken.

First, In the Nature of Pride. Some look upon that only as Pride, which manifesteth it self in costly Apparel, and bodily Ornaments, beyond the degree and rank of the person. Some look no further then the carriage of one man to∣wards another. Now favourably consider with me, that the greatest Pride in the world is mans undue esteem of himself toward God; and this

is in the heart of every one by nature. Every one by nature doth lift up himself against God, goes about to dethrone God, and to crown himself: Every one takes counsel in his heart against the Lord, saying, Let us break his hands asunder, and cast his cords from us. This is the voice of every one that dares wilfully to sin. We will not have God to rule over us. Yet this is the working of the Pride of a man against God, to thurst God out of the Throne of his Majesty, and to set himself in. For what is Gods glory and respect among his creatures? Is it not this; that he being the begin∣ning, and Author of all, should be likewise the end of all? And this is the very purpose of God in making of man, that having received himself from God, he should have what he might freely give up to God; so that all man is, and all that he hath, is to be offered to God, as the end and center of all. Now a sinning creature brings God under to serve him, to provide for him. Now though this Pride of man against God be not so much taken notice of, yet it is the very daring sin of the World. It is indeed to be wondered at, that ever creatures did cast out the first thoughts of such an attempt. Now consider how far mans Pride is from his true Excellency in his Union with God. We are therefore to distinguish be∣tween that high esteem that man is to have of himself, and pride. For man to look upon him∣self as a noble being, and of rank above all the natural world, it is not Pride, for thus he is (being a Spiritual understanding Agent) in a capacity of being acquainted with God, of being united to God, and, as I may say, of exchanging himself with God.

Secondly, Another mistake of most men, is, concerning their Dignity and Excellency, and in the rule and measure of their Excellency. Most measure their Dignity by the advantage which they have over others in this world; As some in their Power and Authority; some in their Friends and Relations; some in their Riches and Estates; some in their Wisdom and Faculties; some in their Strength and power. And what more universal evil is there then this, for every one in to something or other to lift himself up in his own esteem, and in his thoughts to tread upon others, as something inferiour to himself? But men lie blinded in their own delusions, not considering what is the true Excellency of man; nor know the right rule by which mans worth is to be judged of. The way for us to judge rightly concerning our selves, is to see how we stand towards God. God is the perfection of ex∣cellency; and the nigher we are to God, the greater is our excellency. This is the greatness of a Nation, to be nigh to God, Deut. 4.7. What nation is there so great which hath God so nigh unto them? And Amos 8.7. God is called the Excel∣lency of Jacob. God sweareth not by any thing below himself; therefore God is here meant, Isa. 60.19. God is called the Glory of his people. The Lord shall be to thee an everlasting light, & thy God thy Glory. Now God is the glory of those that are acquainted with him.

First, By vertue of the Relation wherein God stands towards them. An intimate Relation to those that are persons of Dignity, & Worth, doth communicate Worth and Dignity to those who are so related to them. As the son of a mean man

is not so highly valued and esteemed as the son of a prince. David reckoned it to be a great thing to be Son-in-law to a King, 1 Sam. 18.18. Who am I, and what is my life, or my fathers family in Israel, that I should be son in-law to the king? Thus are we to reckon it our Dignity and Excellency to be in nigh relation to God, to be sons of God, to be heirs of God, and to be the friends of God, what greater honor then this to be in such a nigh relation to the God of Glory? Now the Excellency that we have from this Relation, ariseth from the excellency of that Act which is the Founda∣tion of this Relation, and that is our being born of God, as we are Sons, Joh. 1.12, 13. God marry∣ing us to himself as he is our husband. Jer. 3. Turn, O back sliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you. God takes us into fellowship, & communion, and acquaintance with himself, as he makes us his friends, and his acqaintance. This act of God doth instamp a Worth and Excellency upon man, as the impression of the Kings Seal upon Wax, and makes it of value, Rev. 22.4. It is here spoken as the glory of the servants of God, Those that follow the Lamb, they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads; that is, God hath chosen, and, as it were, marked them out for his own: and this marking them, and owing them, it sets a high Dignity upon them, such as se∣cures them from the Curse that is to be upon all besides, as Revel. 9.4. They are commanded to hurt none but those who have not the seal of God on their foreheads. This Relation of the soul to God, gives the soul an excellency, as it doth interest the soul in the glory and excellency of God himself; they are Gods, and Gods is theirs, 2 Cor. 6.16. I

will dwell in them, and walk with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people, vers. 17. He argues from the dignity of this relation, that they should count themselves too good to convers with the world; Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separated, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing: and I will receive you, and be a father to you, & you shall be my sons & daughters, saith the Lord. Thus you see the dignity that is upon the soul by its acquaintance with God. Our relation to God in our acquaintance with him, doth ennoble us, lift us above the world, make us that we are too good for the company of those that are not acquainted with God. It is then no pride in us thus to esteem of our selvs, to have high thoughts of our selves, because of that acquain∣tance which our souls are to have with God. It is pride for to think too highly of our selves: but it is sobriety to think of our selves according to that acquaintance which we have with God. Rom. 12.3. I say, through the grace of God given to me, to every one that is among you, not to think of himself more highly then he ought to think; but to think so∣berly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Here the Apostle commands them to measure the esteem which they have of them∣selves, by the measure of faith which they have from God; because by faith they come to be va∣lued excellent in the eye of God. So likewise we are to measure our esteem which we have of our selves, by the measure of our acquaintance which we have with God: because by acquaintance vvith him, vve come to be truly excellent. And vvhile vve do thus, vve shall not think more high∣ly of our selves then vve ought to think: for

while we account our selves excellent because of our acqaintance with God, we in lifting up our selves magnifie God; and while we thus glory, we glory in the Lord, 1 Cor. 1.31. But now here∣in we are to beware of two things.

First, That we distinguish carefully between our capacity of being acquainted with God, and our being actually acquainted with him: for our capacity, or being so as that we may be acquain∣ted with God, is of no worth, unless we be actu∣ally acquainted with him. We are in a remote capacity naturally as men, and we are in a more nigh capacity by the mercy and covenant of God; but this adds no true worth to the soul without the actual acquaintance of the soul with God. Yea, man is the worse for this, if he be without the other; for if man being made fit for enjoy∣ment of God, and communion with him, never attain to an enjoyment of him, he becomes more vile then those things whose nature is inferiour, if they attain to the perfection of that nature. And it is like to fare worse with man, if he fall short of the glory of God, because he was capa∣ble of the glory of God, then with beasts which are not capable of it. And again, in regard of that more nigh capacity wherein we are by Jesus Christ of acquaintance with God, if we are not really acquainted with God, we shall thereby not only have no addition of excellency, but there∣by we shall be more vile and miserable: and therefore those who through the mercy of God have been in the visible Church, and have heard of the good will of God to man through Christ; and know that God is ready to entertain them into acquaintance with himself; if they shall fall

short of this, their condernnation will be great∣er then that of those who never heard of Gods invitation, and his grace in Jesus Christ. If we therefore shall glory in our capacity of being of the acquaintance of God, and neglect to be real∣ly acquainted with him, we do but as the Jews of old, who cried out, The temple of the Lord are these, Jer. 7.4. And the nigher we are to God, if we do not come to a thorow closure with him, the nigher we are to the stroak of his wrath: as the nigher any is to Musket-shot, the greater will the force of it be upon him. Distinguish there∣fore between our capacity of being acquainted with God, and our actual acquaintance with him.

Secondly, we must be ware lest in our esteem of our selves, we lay the foundation of our glory in our selves. There is that in every ones corrupt nature which doth provoke him to it: so that I dare boldly say, that there is not a man in his corrupt natural state, who doth not some way or other lift up himself in his own esteem for somthing of his own. And we are apt to make every spiritual excellency to be matter for pride and self-conceitedness. We do not sufficiently eye God as the Fountain, the Author, the Foun∣dation, the Rule and Pattern of all our Excel∣lency. Such is the way wherein God receiveth man to acquaintance with himself, that he might hide pride from his eyes, and that no flesh might glory in his presence, 1 Cor. 1.29. If we therefore lay the foundation of our glory in our selves, and please our selves in the sparks that we have kind∣led, we shall glory in our shame, and lie down in sorrow. This high esteem which we are to have of

our selves, because of our acquaintance with God, it doth not at all contradict that precious grace of humility, but they rather help forward one another; for the more any esteems of himself, because of that relation which he hath to God, the less is the esteem of himself, because of any thing of his own; the more we make God the matter of our glory, the less do we glory in our selves. The more we apprehend of our Excel∣lency, being from God, the less account do we make of all other seeming Excellencies. When the light of the Sun ariseth, then all Star-light disappears.

First, All Dignity we have, seems to arise from that relation which we have to God in acquain∣tance with him.

Secondly, By acquaintance with God, we come to have an absolute positive Dignity which is re∣al in our persons, yet still depending upon God a As by our union with Christ we come to have a righteousness imputed, which is our justification▪ and a righteousness likewise inherent, which is our sanctification; so by our acquaintance with God, we have a dignity, as it were, imputed by our relation to God, and a dignity real, which is that excellency whereby we are made absolutely better. By acquaintance with God, we come to be like God; and the Image of God in us, is the greatest excellency that we are capable of. When Moses had been fourty days in the Mount with God, his face did shine with such a brightness, that the people could not behold him: so those that converse with God, they retain a luster, which shines in their converse with men. The Image or picture of any worthy person, is steem∣ed

by them that esteem the person, and this esteem of it, is from a relation which it hath to that person; but now the children of any person whom we love, being a lively image of their fa∣thers person, have another value upon them, having not only a relation worthy, because of their resemblance in the outward lineament, but a real participation of nature and disposition, which they receive from their father: So there is an excellency in those that are acquainted with God, not only as being in Relation to him, but as receiving, and being partakers of the Divine Nature. As Children learn to pronounce their words according to the pronunciation of the Mother, or Nurse, with whom they converse, (as every one is apt to be formed unto the man∣ner and disposition of the company wherein they must usually are) thus those who converse with God; they become in some measure like unto God; and this is positive personal excellency which those have which converse with God. Thus the Apostle John argueth concerning that perfection of glory and excellency, which here∣after is to be upon those that are the Sons of God. But it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. In Heaven we shall be like God, because we shall see God; and on earth those that converse with God, shall in some measure be like God ac∣cording to their measure of acquaintance with him And so Paul argues concerning this present life, 2 Cor. 3.18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the spirit

the Lord. Here we see clearly that beholding the glory of the Lord, doth change into the same image of God, and likewise that this image of God only is the glory of man; for that is meant by, From glory to glory: that is, from one degree of glorious similitude, to another degree gf glo∣rious resemblance and likeness to God. Thus ye have seen that the excellency of man consist∣eth in his acquaintance with God; and that by the vertue of his relation to God, he hath an im∣puted excellency; and an excellency by his pro∣priety in God, in whom is all excellency; and that by his converse with God, and acquaintance with him, he becomes really like God, which is his inherent excellency. Let us then reckon of our selves as those who have their Dignity and Excellency from God, and in this let us glory, That we know God, and are acquainted with God. This is the Second Ʋse of this Proposi∣tion.