An Ark for All God's Noahs in a
Gloomy Stormy Day or,
The Best Wine Reserved Until Last
or,
The Transcendent Excellency of a
Believer's
Portion above All Earthly Portions
by Thomas Brooks, 1662
"The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore
I will hope in Him." Lamentations 3:24
OBJECTIONS
I wish to answer a few objections that poor
sinners are apt to make against their own souls, and against their enjoying
of God for their portion.
Objection 1.
Methinks I hear some poor
sinners ready to object and say, O sir! you have pressed us by many motives
to get God for our portion, and we stand convinced in some measure by what
you have said, that God is a most excellent, transcendent, glorious portion;
but we very much question whether ever God will bestow himself as a
portion—upon such great, such grievous, such notorious, and such wicked
sinners as we are.
Now to this objection, I shall return these
answers:
[1.] First, God is a free agent, and therefore he may
give himself as a portion to whom he pleases. Men may do with their own as
they please, and so may God do with himself as he pleases. Look! as men may
give earthly portions to whom they please, so God may give himself as a
portion to what sinners he pleases. God is as free to bestow himself upon
the greatest of sinners, as he is to bestow himself upon the least of
sinners. But,
[2.] Secondly, I answer, That the Lord has bestowed
himself as a portion upon as great and as grievous sinners as you are, Psalm
68:18. Adam, you know, fell from the highest pinnacle of glory into the
greatest gulf of misery, and yet God bestowed himself as a portion upon him,
Gen 3:15. And Manasseh was a sinner of the greatest magnitude, 2 Kings 21,
his sins were of a scarlet dye, they reached as high as heaven, and they
made his soul as black as hell; for witchcraft, sorcery, cruelty, idolatry,
and murder, he was a beast, 2 Chron 33; he sold himself to work all kinds of
wickedness with greediness; he did more wickedly than the very heathen, whom
the Lord abhorred; in all his actings he seemed to be the firstborn of
Satan's strength; and yet the Lord freely bestowed himself as a portion upon
him.
And so, Ezek 16:5,6,8, "No one looked on you with pity or
had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were
thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were
despised. Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as
you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" Later I passed by, and
when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the
corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my
solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign
Lord, and you became mine."
And so, Isaiah 46:12-13, "Listen to me, you
stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. I am bringing my
righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be
delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel." Solomon,
Mary Magdalene, Matthew, Zaccheus, the jailor, and the murderers of Christ,
were all very great and grievous sinners—and yet the Lord bestowed himself
as a portion upon them. And so God bestowed himself as a portion upon those
monstrous and prodigious sinners that are mentioned in 1 Cor 6:9-11, whose
souls were red with guilt, and as black as hell with filth. God has been
very good to those who have been very bad. Therefore do not despair, O
sinner, though your sins are very great.
I have read a story concerning a great rebel, who had
made a great revolt against one of the Roman emperors, and proclamation
being sent abroad, that whoever could bring in the rebel, dead or alive, he
should have a great sum of money for his reward; the rebel hearing of it,
comes, and presenting himself before the emperor, demands the sum of money
proposed—the emperor, bethinking himself, concludes, that if he should put
him to death, all the world would be ready to say that he did it to save his
money; and so he freely pardoned the rebel, and gave him the money. Here now
was light in a dark lantern, here was rare mercy and pity in a very heathen.
And shall an heathen do thus, and shall not the great God, who is made up of
all loves, of all mercies, of all compassions, of all goodnesses, and of all
sweetnesses, do much more? Certainly he will.
If the greatest rebels, if the greatest sinners will but
come in while the white flag of grace and mercy is held forth, they shall
find a marvelous readiness and forwardness in God, not only to pardon
them—but also to bestow, not merely money—but himself as a portion upon
them. The greatest sinners should do well to make that great Scripture their
greatest companion. Psalm 68:18, "You have ascended on high," speaking of
Christ, "you have led captivity captive; you have received gifts for men;
yes, for the rebellious also." But to what purpose has Christ received
gifts, spiritual gifts, gracious gifts, glorious gifts for men, for the
rebellious? Why, it is "that the Lord God may dwell among them." But,
[3.] Thirdly, I answer, That God has given out an express
promise, that he will make such to be his people, who were not his people.
Hos 2:23, "I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I
will say to those who were not my people, You are my people; and they shall
say, You are my God." In this precious promise God has engaged himself to
have a most sweet harmony, and a most intimate union and communion with such
a people as were not his people. But,
[4.] Fourthly, I answer, That God gains the greatest
glory by bestowing of himself as a portion upon the greatest sinners. There
is nothing that makes so much for the glory of free grace, and for the
exaltation of rich mercy, and for the praise of divine goodness, and for the
honor of infinite fullness—as God's bestowing himself upon the greatest of
sinners! O sirs! grace never appears so rich, nor ever so excellent, nor
ever so glorious—as when it triumphs over the greatest sins, and when it
falls upon the greatest sinners. Grace never shines, nor ever sparkles, nor
ever becomes so exceeding glorious—as it does when it lights upon the hearts
of the greatest sinners. The greatest sins do most and best set off the
freeness and the riches of God's grace. There is nothing which makes heaven
and earth to ring and to sound out his praises, so much as the fixing of his
love upon those who are most unlovely and ungodly!
And it is further observable, that the greatest sinners,
when once they are converted, do commonly prove the choicest saints, and the
rarest instruments of promoting the honor and glory of God in the world. The
Canaanites were a wicked and a cursed generation; they were of the race of
cursed Ham; they were given over to all whoredom, witchcraft, and cruelty;
they offered their sons and daughters to devils; they were the very worst of
sinners; they were without God and without the covenant, and counted dogs
among the Israelites; and such an one was the Canaanite woman, that
you read of in that Matt 15:21-29, until the Lord made it the day of his
power upon her soul. But when the Lord had brought her in to himself, ah,
what a rare Christian did she prove, for wisdom, zeal, humility,
self-denial, love, courage, patience, faith, etc.
And so Mary Magdalene was a notorious strumpet, a
common whore, among all the harlots none to Mary Magdalene, and she was one
out of whom Christ cast seven devils, Mark 16:9; and yet when she was
changed and converted, oh, with what an inflamed love did she love the Lord
Jesus Christ! and with what a burning zeal did she follow after the Lord
Jesus! and how abundant was she in her lamenting and mourning after the Lord
Jesus Christ! Some report, that after our Savior's resurrection, she spent
thirty years in weeping for her sins.
And Paul, you know, was a very grievous sinner—but
after his conversion, oh what a rare, what an eminent, what a glorious
instrument was he in bringing of souls to Christ, and of building up of
souls in Christ! Oh what a noble drudge was he for Christ! Oh how frequent!
Oh how fervent! Oh how abundant was he in the work of the Lord, etc. And
indeed, in all ages, the greatest sinners, when once they have been
converted, they have commonly proved the choicest saints, and the rarest
instruments in the hand of God for the advancement of his glory, and the
carrying on of his work in the world. I might instance in Luther, and divers
others—but that I hasten to a close. And therefore,
[5.] Fifthly, I answer, that of all sinners the greatest
sinners do undoubtedly stand in the greatest need of having of God for their
portion.
Look! as those who are most wounded stand in most need of
a surgeon, and as those who are most sick stand in most need of a physician,
and as those who are in most danger of robbing stand in most need of
assistance, and as those who are in most peril of drowning stand in most
need of a boat, and as those who are most impoverished stand in most need of
relief, so those who are the greatest sinners stand in most need of having
God for their portion. For no tongue can express, nor any heart can conceive
the greatness of that wrath, of that indignation, of that desolation, of
that destruction, and of that damnation which attends and waits upon those
great sinners who have not God for their portion, 2 Thess 2:7-9. Therefore
the greater sinner you are, the greater obligation lies upon you to get God
to be your God and portion; for until that be done, all your sins, in their
full number, weight, guilt, and aggravating circumstances—will abide upon
your soul. But,
[6.] Sixthly and lastly, I answer, that God is a great
God, and he loves to do like himself. Now, there are no works, no actions
that are so suitable to God, and so pleasing to God, and so delightful to
God—as those who are great; and what greater work, what greater action can
the great God do, than to bestow himself as a portion upon the greatest of
sinners? It was a great work for God to create the world, and it is a great
work for God to govern the world, and it will be a great work for God to
dissolve the world, and to raise the dead; and yet doubtless it is a greater
work for the great God freely to bestow himself upon the greatest sinners.
The love of God is a great love, and the mercies of God are great mercies,
and the compassions of God are great compassions, and accordingly God loves
to act. Therefore there is ground for the greatest sinners to hope that the
Lord may bestow himself as a portion upon them. But,
Objection 2.
Secondly, Others may object
and say, Hereafter we will look after this portion; for the present we are
for living in the world, We are for a portion in hand, we are for laying up
portions for ourselves, and providing portions for our posterity. We are
first for laying up of earthly treasures, and when we have done that work to
purpose, then we will do what we can to obtain this excellent and glorious
portion that you have been so long a-discoursing on, etc. Now, to this
objection I shall thus answer,
[1.] First, Thus to act is to run counter-cross to
Christ's express commands. Matt 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of
God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
And so Matt 6:19-20, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where
moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." And so in that
John 6:27, "Labor not for the food which perishes—but for the food which
endures for everlasting life." O sirs! to act or run cross to God's express
commands, though under pretense of revelation from God, will cost you your
life—as you may see in that sad story, 1 Kings 13:24.
O sirs! it is a dangerous thing to neglect one of his
commands, who by another command is able to command your bodies into the
grave, and your souls into hell at his pleasure. Shall the wife make
conscience of obeying the commands of her husband? and shall a child make
conscience of obeying the commands of his father? and shall the servant make
conscience of obeying the commands of his master? and shall the soldier make
conscience of obeying the commands of his general? and shall the subject
make conscience of obeying the commands of his prince? And will not you make
conscience of obeying his commands that is the prince of the kings of the
earth? Rev 1:5. But,
[2.] Secondly, Who but children, madmen, and fools—will
pitch upon a less good, when a greater good is offered to them? What madness
and folly is it for men to pitch upon bags of pennies—when bags of gold are
laid before them! or for men to choose a pittance—when rich inheritances and
great lordships are freely offered to be made over to them forever? What
were this but, Esau-like, to prefer a mess of pottage before the birthright?
and yet this is the present case of these objectors. God is that rich, that
great, that glorious, and that matchless portion that is held out, and
freely offered and tendered in the gospel to poor sinners; and they neglect,
slight, and reject this blessed offer—and fix their choice, their love,
their hearts, their affections, upon the perishing vanities of this world.
Oh the folly of such, that at a feast feed upon a crust, and never taste of
those substantial dishes that are for nourishment! Oh the madness of such
that prefer the fleshpots of Egypt before the dainties of Canaan! Would not
such a merchant, such a tradesman be pointed at, as he goes along the
streets, for a fool or a madman—who should neglect such a season, such an
opportunity, such an advantage, wherein he may be made rich forever—and all
because he is resolved first to secure such a bargain of rags, or such a
bargain of old shoes, which will turn out but little to his advantage when
he has bought them? Surely yes!
Now this is the very case of the objectors, for they
neglect the present seasons, the present opportunities of grace and mercy,
and of being made happy forever, by enjoying of God for their portion; and
all because they are resolved first to secure the treasures, the rags of
this world. Certainly, in the great day of account, those will be found the
greatest fools that have fooled away such golden opportunities, that were
more worth than all the world, and all to secure the rags of the world. But,
[3.] Thirdly and lastly, How many thousands are now in,
hell! How many thousands have now their part and their portion in that
burning lake, which burns with fire and brimstone forever and ever! Who
thought when they were on earth, that after they had laid up goods for many
years, like the fool in the Gospel, that then they would look after heavenly
treasures, and secure God for their portion; but before they could find time
or hearts to set about so noble a work, divine vengeance has overtaken them,
and justice has cut the thread of their lives, and given them their portion
among hypocrites, Matt 7:22,26-27; Rev 21:8. Ah! how many are there who have
died in the time of their earthly projects and designs, before ever they
have set about that great work of securing God for their portion, Luke
12:15,22; and how many thousands be there, that God in his just judgment has
given up to insatiable desires of earthly things, Phil 3:18-19, and to a
cursed endless covetousness all their days!
Some write of the crocodile, that it always grows, that
it has never done growing; and just so it is with the desires of worldly
men, they always grow, they have never done growing. Now they are for one
thousand, then for ten, then for twenty, then for forty, then for a hundred
thousand; now they are for this lordship, and then they are for that; now
they are for this good bargain, and then they are for that; their hearts
grow every day fuller and fuller with new desires of further and greater
measures of earthly things. They please themselves with golden dreams, until
they awake with everlasting flames about their ears, and then they fall
a-cursing themselves that they have made gold their confidence, and that
they have neglected those golden seasons and opportunities wherein they
might have secured God for their portion. But,
Objection 3.
Thirdly, Others may object
and say, We would gladly have God for our portion, and we would willingly
apply ourselves to all those ways and means whereby we might obtain the Lord
to be our portion; but we are poor unworthy wretches. Surely the Lord will
never bestow himself as a portion upon such miserable unworthy ones as we
are! We are worthy of death, we are worthy of wrath, we are worthy of hell,
we are worthy of damnation—but we are in no way worthy of having God for our
portion. Did ever the Lord cast an eye of love upon such unlovely and such
unworthy sinners, lepers as we are? etc.
Now to this objection I shall return these
answers:
[1.] First, Though you have no merits—yet God is rich and
abundant in mercy. [2 Cor 4:15; 1 Tim 1:14; 1 Pet 1:3] Your sins, your
unworthiness can but reach as high as heaven—but the mercies of God reach
above the heavens. Psalm 103:11, "For as the heavens are high above the
earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear him." Psalm 108:4, "For
your mercy is great above the heavens, and your truth reaches unto the
clouds." The highest comparisons which the world will afford, are not
sufficient to express the greatness of God's mercy to poor sinners. Though
the heavens are exceeding high above the earth—yet the mercies of God to his
poor people are above the heavens. But,
[2.] Secondly, I answer, that the Lord has never bestowed
himself as a portion upon any yet but unworthy ones. David was as unworthy
as Saul, and Job as Joab, and Peter as Judas, and Paul as Simon Magus; and
the publicans and harlots who entered into the kingdom of heaven, were as
unworthy as the publicans and harlots who were shut out of the kingdom of
heaven, Matt 21:31-32; and the thief who went to paradise, was as unworthy
as the thief who went to hell. All the saints in heaven, and all the saints
on earth, are ready with one joint consent to declare that they were as
unworthy as the most unworthiest, when God first bestowed himself as a
portion upon them. This objection, 'I am unworthy,' is a very unworthy
objection, and therefore away with it. But,
[3.] Thirdly, I answer, That God has nowhere in all the
Scripture required any personal worthiness to be in the creature, before he
will bestow himself upon the creature. O sirs! it never came into the
thoughts of God, it never entered into the heart of God, to require of men
that they should be first worthy of his love before they should enjoy
his love; and that they should be first worthy of his mercy before
they should taste of his mercy; and that they should be first worthy of his
goodness before they should be partakers of his goodness; and that
they should be first worthy of himself, before he would bestow
himself as a portion upon them. If we should never enjoy God for our portion
until we are worthy to enjoy him for our portion—we would never enjoy him.
If a man had as many eyes as Argus to search into the Scripture, and as many
hands as Briareus to turn over the leaves of Scripture—yet he would never be
able to find out one text, one line, yes, one word, wherein God requires a
personal worthiness in the creature before be gives away himself to the
creature. Should God stand upon a personal worthiness to be in the creature
before he would look upon the creature, or before he would let out his love
to the creature, or before he would extend mercy or pity to the creature, or
before he would, in a covenant of free grace, give himself to the
creature—no sinner could ever be saved; man would be forever undone, and it
would have been good for him that he had never been born. But,
[4.] Fourthly, I answer, it is not men's unworthiness—but
men's unwillingness, which hinders them from having God to be their portion.
Though most men pretend their unworthiness—yet there is in them a secret
unwillingness to have God for their God. When they look upon God as a
gracious God, then they are willing to have him to be their God; but when
they look upon God as a holy God, then their hearts fly back. When they look
upon God as a merciful God, and as a bountiful God, oh then they wish that
he were their God; but when they look upon God as a commanding God, and as a
ruling and an overruling God, oh then their hearts do secretly rise against
God. There is a real unwillingness in the hearts of sinners in all respects
to close with God, and to have God to be their God. "Who has believed our
report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" Isaiah 53:1. "I spread
out My hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in the wrong path,
following their own thoughts. These people continually provoke Me to My
face." Isaiah 65:2-3. "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you
had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made
my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me when I called and no one
gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and
would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will
mock when calamity overtakes you—when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble
overwhelm you." Proverbs 1:22-27
"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel,
says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is
your strength, but you would have none of it." Isaiah 30:15. O sirs! men
shall be damned at last, not for cannots—but for will nots! "O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers
her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Matt 23:37. No
man shall be damned because he could not do better—but because he would not
do better, Luke 13:34. If there were no will, there would be no hell. At
last sinners will find this to be their greatest hell—that they have
wilfully destroyed themselves. This is that which will damn with a witness,
and this will be that never-dying worm—I might have had Christ and grace—but
I would not; I might have been sanctified and saved—but I would not; I might
have been holy and happy—but I would not; life and death has been often set
before me, and I have chosen death rather than life, Deut 30:15,19; heaven
and hell has been often set before me, and I have chosen hell rather than
heaven; glory and misery has been often set before me, and I have chosen
misery rather than glory. Therefore it is but just that I should be
miserable to all eternity.
No man, no devil, can undo you, O sinner, without
yourself; no man can be undone in both worlds but by himself; no man shall
be damned for his unworthiness—but for his unwillingness. Therefore never
more plead this objection.
But, [5.] Fifthly and lastly, I answer, that if you will
not seek after the Lord to be your portion until you are worthy to enjoy him
as your portion—then you will never seek after him, then you will never
enjoy him for your God and portion. Personal worthiness is no flower that
grows in nature's garden. No man is born with a worthiness in his heart,
as he is born with a tongue in his mouth. It is not the full—but the empty;
it is not the rich—but the poor in spirit; it is not the righteous—but the
sinner; it is not the worthy—but the unworthy soul—who is the proper object
of God's mercy and pity. The poor publican that cried out, "Lord, be
merciful to me a sinner," Luke 18:10-15, went home justified; when the
self-righteous pharisee returned as proud as he came. The centurion, when he
came to Christ, fared well, notwithstanding his personal unworthiness, Matt
8:5-13. And the prodigal son fared well when he returned to his father,
notwithstanding his personal unworthiness; for he was readily accepted,
greatly pitied, sweetly embraced, courteously received, and very joyfully
and nobly entertained. Witness the best robe which was put upon his back,
and the gold ring which was put on his finger, and the shoes which were put
on his feet, and the fatted calf which was killed to make the company merry,
Luke 15:11-32.
O sirs! if in the face of all your unworthiness you will
go to God, and tell him that you are sinners, that you are vile sinners,
that you are wretched sinners, that you are very great sinners, yes, that
you are the greatest of sinners, and that you have deserved a thousand
deaths, a thousand hells, a thousand destructions, and a thousand
damnations, and earnestly beseech him to look upon you, and to bestow
himself upon you, though not for your worthiness's sake—yet for his name's
sake, for his mercy's sake, for his promise's sake, for his covenant's sake,
for his oath's sake, and for his Son's sake. Certainly if you shall thus
plead with God, all the angels in heaven, and all the men on earth, cannot
tell to the contrary—but that you may speed as well as ever the centurion or
the prodigal did. I have taken the more pains to answer this objection, that
so it may never more have a resurrection in any of your hearts, into whose
hands this treatise may fall.
I know other objections might be raised—but because I
have spoken largely so much in my former writings, I shall pass on to the
last thing proposed, and that is, to lay down some PRINCIPLES which may, by
the blessing of God, be of singular use to the Christian reader.