seeing every man hath a treasure in this life by election though not by fruition where his treasure is The next thing that now we come to is a Use of conviction Hath every man that lives in this world some treasure or something that may be called his chief good why then this will set forth the miserie the most wretched condition of all those that mis-lay their treasure misplace their chief good the Lord Jesus Christ tels you there are two sorts of men some whose treasure is laid up on earth others whose treasure is laid up in Heaven Some that have their chiefe good here below their portion in this life some it may be that have but the earnest here the first-fruits the harvest is to come now all those that are mistaken in reference to their chief good that do mis-place their treasure This doth clearly discover to them that they are in a most miserable condition and truly this is I will not say the condition of most of you here present but this is the condition of most in the world that I am sure the Scripture warrants me to say Now that I may a little heighten this conviction if the Lord please to bless it to any soul When upon examination you finde your chief good misplaced and you have not laid up your treasure where you should do there are these six considerations that should marvellously heighten it unto you First consider the Scripture doth speak of a true treasure Luke 16. 11. If you have not been faithfull in the Mammon of unrighteousness who will commit to your trust your true treasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When I read such expressions in Scripture concerning riches and see how strangely men run after them how mad men are of them either unjustly gotten or unjustly kept or wickedly spent the Mammon of unrighteousness every way But who shall commit unto him the true treasure Now here is an opposition that clearly argues a distinction There is a treasure that is true then certainly there is a treasure that is false it behoves you then to consider have I a treasure is it true or false as to that Prov. 8. 21. Where wisdom is brought in saying He that loveth me I will cause him to inherit substance the word signifies I will cause him to inherit something that is or somewhat that hath a being what doth this argue what do other men inherit that do not love wisdom truly they inherit shadows Take all the great-landed men in the world and they inherit a shadow There is a true treasure that is substantial pray hear what the Holy Ghost saith of all your wealth you rich men Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not what is that which is not riches betake themselves to their wings riches is said not to be why not to be it is all the being that many of you have in this world if it were not for your wealth you were no body it s the only thing you bear up your selves upon It s said not to be upon a double accompt there is no reality in them there is no stability in them both these I think the Spirit of God expresses First there is no Reality in them that is in reference to what you fancy them to be it s more fancy that makes them such things then any reality that is in the thing in it self and in that respect covetousness is idolatry riches an Idol and an Idol is nothing in the world so the Apostle saith that is it s nothing in substance so riches is nothing of that which you fancy t is not so in substance t is but so in fancy and there was never any godly man whose eyes the Lord opened to see the vanity of the creature but he saw it was his own great thoughts made these things great it s your fancy makes them idols And Secondly there is nothing of stability in them they betake themselves to their wings you think now to have them to morrow where they were to day no they take themselvs wings and are gone you have seen this in your time in hundreds of instances how mens treasures take themselves to their wings in none of these things the true treasure lies he is a miserable man therefore that doth not inherit substance but fancies Thou art a miserable man therefore that art in this mistake that 's the first Argument to enforce this conviction Secondly consider herein lyeth the great deceit of sin and Satan to deceive a man in his chief good I there is the great deceit the Apostle Heb. 3. 12 13. Speaks of the deceitfulness of sin Lest any man be hardned with the deceitfulness of sin there is in every sin a deceitfulness It works with all deceivableness of unrighteousness and so the devil is said to do with the deceivableness of unrighteousness Now sin and Satan will labour to deceive you in every thing but to what end is it In ordine ad summum bonum It is in reference to your chief good there is the deceit they will deceive you in all things else but in order to your chief good for as the Spirit of God is in direction so Satan is in delusion The Spirit of God in direction he will direct a man in all his ways in every course and passage of his life but all in reference to a mans chief good and utmost end so Satan will deceive a man in every passage of his life but to what end is it that he may deceive him in that which is his chief good and in this the great malice of Satan doth appear that he will set a mans heart upon some particular good thing which the soul shall take as its chief good and embracing that shall own the Devil as God and worship him Pray consider what I say whatever Satan fixes a mans heart upon a particular good and a man makes that his chief good he owns the Devil as God and worships him as God And it is in this that Satan was a murtherer from the beginning Abbadon the destroyer the devil deceived the woman In what in her chief good and it is in this that he is the destroyer and herein lies the happiness of godly men that though Satan deceives them in many things yet in their chief good he doth never deceive them they are past that as he is never able to rob them of their chief good so he is never able to deceive them there that they are sure of therefore he can never destroy them why because in their chief good he can never deceive them able to deceive in this or that particular act they may be cheated by Satan of the exercise of this or that particular grace may be enticed to this or that sin may be cheated by men of this or that temporal good but in that which is their chief good they cannot be cheated Thirdly consider further the nature of man
you estates on earth they are your plagues your curses and yet how many poor souls do we hear say as those in Zach. 11. 6. Blessed be God for they are rich Notwithstanding they hope God will be good to them but never hear them say blessed be God for I am gracious or blessed be God I am converted these are things their souls savor not But rather as that poor wretch that Cardinal said I would not leave my part in Paris for my part in Paradice Now do not you thus lay up treasures on earth but lay up treasures in heaven and thus I have given you these Cautions for the right understanding of the phrase Let us now improve the Exhortation that hath been laid before you which was this Seeing every man in this life hath a treasure some do lay it up upon earth and some do lay it up in heaven be you exhorted to lay up your treasure in heaven now that we may gain the more benefit by it we shall open it a little For the more distinctly you understand spiritual truths the more profit you get by them and the more sweetness you taste in them that I will tell you Therefore there are four things I shall speak to briefly in the prosecution of this Use First what is meant by heaven and why we are commanded to lay up treasures in heaven Secondly what are those treasures that a man may have in heaven Thirdly how can a man lay up treasures in heaven or what is it for a man to lay up treasures in heaven seeing no man in this world ever was in heaven How is man said to lay up treasure there while he is in this life how a man can lay up treasure on earth we can understand Lastly give some Arguments to press and inforce the Exhortation on every one of us as the Lord shall bless them unto us First what is heaven what is meant by heaven And here I meet with a double interpretation and we may make improvement of both of them and therefore I shall give them both unto you for all such things tend to very great advantage to the opening of Scripture First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Heaven some expound it of God apud Deum lay up your treasure in God as Grotius lay up your treasure with God and so they take heaven for him that is the God of heaven the possessor of heaven this will help you to explain some other Scriptures Matth. 21. 25. The baptism of John was it from heaven or of men The proper opposition lies is it from God or man Was it from mans authority or from Gods And so Luke 15. 18. I have sinned against heaven and before thee Why it is the God that dwelleth in heaven Why so lay up your treasure in heaven that is place your happiness in God alone be satisfied in nothing below himself Let him be who hath promised to be your portion and your exceeding great reward lay up treasure in heaven that is lay up treasure in God for you are to consider that Though the Scripture do speak of some other treasures in heaven as in Luke 12. 33. men are exhorted to give alms and they should have treasures in heaven Good works are treasures in heaven But how only as the Lord doth give himself there to the soul as a rewarder pray observe that you may not mistake that your treasure in heaven is God as after I shall shew Why this is very true the exercise of every grace and the performance of every duty all these are said to be treasures in heaven Why because they stand upon record in heaven and because the Lord himself in Heaven will be the rewarder and therefore lay up your treasure in God let him be your chief good and for all good duties lay them up wiâ—â— God that so he of all these may be your great rewarder Lay up therefore your treasures in Deo in God that he may be your eternal portion your good works apud Deum with God that he may be your exceeding great reward This is of great Use Secondly in Coelum others take heaven here For that which we commonly read of in Scripture the third heaven that is called commonly by the Schoolmen the highest heaven the habitation of Gods majesty and glory It is the place where the Saints shall be glorified with God when they shall enter into their masters joy This third heaven that was the first of the Creation of God for so I conceive the highest heavens with its inhabitants were first made and the first day In the beginning God created the heavens the highest heavens with its first inhabitants for though it be true God from eternity was his own heaven as I may so speak and though he hath created the highest heaven yet he is not included and comprehended there for he fils heaven and earth Jer. 23. 23. He is God every where present yet the highest heavens are the place of his Throne the place where his honour dwels Where he is pleased to shew forth his majesty and glory in a most eminent manner and the place that he hath appointed where his people shall have both vision and fruition of him to eternity called therefore their fathers house called therefore the City whose builder and maker is God called therefore an inheritance immortal uncorruptible undefiled reserved in the heavens for us Now this being the place of the Saints happiness when they shall ever be with the Lord they are exhorted to lay up their treasures there for the time will shortly come when all the Saints of God shall remove for you have here no continuing City you seek for a countrey the time will shortly come when you shall leave all your treasure here behinde you for you shall carry nothing away with you for their happiness is in heaven to enjoy God and Christ unto all eternity for this cause they are exhorted to lay up treasure in heaven Where they shall receive the end of their faith and the fruit of their obedience the salvation of their souls which consists in the enjoyment of God in heaven then take either of these for heaven t is true of both either God lay up your treasure in God who is the God of heaven or lay up your treasure in heaven where your eternal enjoyment of God shall be That is the first what is meant by Heaven But Secondly What treasures may a man have in heaven I have spoken a little of that already but give me leave to explain it a little more unto you There are great variety of interpretations what a mans treasure in heaven is and truly almost every Interpreter differs some speak of the word some of the promises some of graces some of duties some of alms but we shall easily understand what must needs be meant if you observe but the opposition there is a treasure in earth and a treasure in heaven what is a mans
treasure on earth that which stands in opposition to treasure any where else The man hath nothing else but what he hath on earth then a mans treasure on earth is his chief good on earth be it what it will riches honors pleasures or whatever else where his heart is and his chief good that is his treasure then what is a mans treasure in heaven with a mans chief good in heaven that 's his treasure Now what is a godly mans chief good in heaven why t is God God is his portion God is his reward and Christ only as Mediator as he brings him to God Now there are three things that I should point you to Why none but God can be a mans treasure in heaven First a mans treasure is that which he loveth most and a man must love nothing more then God nay a mans treasure and chief good is that which he loves with an infinite love that he can never have enough of that he can never be satisfied with that he never says I have enough The Hebrews they have two words that we use for treasure one is that which a man doth most set his heart upon that which is unto him above all a peculiar You see the word used Exod. 19. 5. Israel is my peculiar treasure saith God that is a people that God set his love upon above all the people in the world besides that is treasure where a man stays most t is very true where a mans love goes there truly the man dwels that 's his treasure that carries out his heart Now there being none in heaven the soul is to love above God or equal with God therefore he alone in heaven must be his treasure Secondly a mans treasure is that Quod maxime habetur in pretio which he prizes most and some observe upon this place that is a mans treasure that he sets the highest price upon Now a man should prize nothing more then God so you see when God saith of his people they are his peculiar treasure all people in the world are undervalued for them Isa 43. 4. I will give men for thee and princes for thy life Kings and Nations are nothing in comparison of Gods people to God In this respect God is the treasure of his people because they are to prize nothing in comparison of him Thirdly God only is their treasure because upon a mans treasure he doth rely for supply and therefore that 's the other word in the Hebrew which is put for treasure Gen. 20. 5. It signifies that which a man makes his refuge in all calamities and distresses now when a Godly man is in distress whither doth he go Prov. 8. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous flie thither and are safe And in Davids distress Psal 73. Whom have I in heaven but thee only God is his treasure Now these three things are in a treasure that which a man loves most and sets the highest price upon and that to which his heart doth retire and seek supply from in all his wants and every man must be supplied out of his treasure that I will tell you Take a rich man when he comes to die Riches avail not in the day of wrath therefore God only is the Saints treasure and chief good he lays up treasure in heaven and this treasure is God Thirdly you will say unto me God is in heaven already it is the habitation of his holiness and glory How can I be said to lay up God in heaven I that was never in heaven the Lord he ever was there how can I be said to lay up God as a treasure there T is very true God was in heaven from the very Creation of heaven that it hath been the throne of his glory but he is not laid up there as thy treasure until thou close with him And no man but he that hath the Lord for his God can say I have God for my treasure What shall I do then to lay up God for my treasure There are six Rules that I shall give wherein this duty lies and observe them for they are the great duties of your lives for we live in a scraping age labour then to get the God of heaven for your treasure Why how so First he that will lay up treasure in heaven must choose God for his treasure no man hath a treasure either in heaven or earth but by choice If a man choose riches that is his treasure honors that is his treasure if he choose God that is his treasure therefore choose the Lord as that which you prize above all things this is the way to lay up God in heaven for your treasure Josh 24. 22. You have chosen the Lord this day for your God choose the Lord for your God and you shall have God for your treasure Secondly If you would lay up God for your treasure in heaven then you must part with all other things for him All other treasure remember that Matth. 19. 21. See the terms there was a rich young man that came to Christ Christ bids him go sell all he had and give to the poor and he should have treasures in heaven No man can have two treasures no more then he can be servant to two masters its impossible that a man should have two chief goods you can never have God for your treasure lest you part with all other treasure for him You that have other treasures do not tell me that God is your treasure Thirdly the soul is to be carried out after this treasure incessantly that a man lays up for his treasure which his heart is carried out abundantly after Tell me you have a treasure in God and never groan and long after him you have nothing to do with him and therefore David Psal 73. 22. There is none in earth I desire but thee Now how doth his soul go out after God My soul pants after God as the thirsty land Consider with your selves may be you can be content I have a great estate and I am raised from a mean man and a Prentice boy and God hath given me a large estate and I can bless his name for this thanks be to God for I am rich But do you taste no more savour in these things in comparison of God then in the white of an egg Can you desire to part with all that you may be with him This is to lay up treasure in God to have the soul go out after him and to him incessantly Fourthly if you lay up treasure in God live upon your treasure live upon him You say often you live by faith what is it to live by faith To live by faith is to live upon God who is the object of faith therefore in all the necessities of your lives have recourse to God still my Refuge is in God still what is your chief good to that your souls will retire Fifthly what a man lays up for his
therefore of the change of a mans treasure that is of a work of regeneration otherwise there is a treasure within an evil man out of an evil heart and there is a treasure without oh pray therefore learn from hence that there is no living in an unregenerate estate change thy treasure or otherways all thy changes will do thee no good The last Use I especially aim at see from hence the blessed and happy condition of a godly man whose treasure is in heaven he is blessed every way but especially in this his heart is in heaven his body is on earth its true and there is a two fold blessedness upon this account First let this man at any time go astray as godly men are subject to wander Oh let me not wander from thy Commandments Psal 119. 10. We all as sheep have gone astray but when they do wander there is somewhat still to reduce them their hearts will to their treasure my treasure is not below therefore my heart is not below and this is the true reason why a godly man cannot fall from grace because it is impossible to separate the heart and the treasure where the treasure is there will the heart be I will return unto my former husband as it is the misery of an ungodly man let him profess what he will his treasure will bring him back again still so it s the happiness of a godly man though he wander from God his treasure will reduce him and his heart will bring him back Secondly he is a blessed man who hath his heart always in heaven certainly he must needs be a happy man for he is a heavenly man but now a godly man whose treasure is in heaven his heart is there but why is he so happy a man whose heart is in heaven I will give you a brief account truly there are four accounts why he is so happy a man whose treasure is in heaven because his heart is there First because he is hereby made and evidenced to be a heavenly man 1 Cor. 15 48. the first man is of the earth earthly the second man is of the Lord from heaven heavenly here is the difference between all the men in the world there are some earthly and some heavenly men now this is an evidence thou art an heavenly man because thy treasure is in heaven as that wisdom that is conversant about earth is said to be earthly wisdom so that wisdom which is conversant about heaven is said to be heavenly wisdom my brethren an earthly minde is a plague an heavenly mind is a blessednes Secondly he that hath his heart in heaven is not subject to those impressions of change as the men whose hearts are set upon earth Here every thing is subject to change and we have nothing but changes Changes and War are against me saith Job but if a mans estate and condition change so his heart do not change it is no great matter my heart is not subject to change as I remember Tertullian observes of the Christians of his time Nil crus sentit in nervo si animus in coelo true indeed they were under great afflictions of body but their souls were in heaven out of danger the heart is out of danger its true of a man whose heart is in heaven and his heart is out of Gun-shot afflictions may work on the body make a change in the estate and outward condition but his heart is above and out of danger and therefore the people of God are said to be those that dwell in heaven Rev. 13. 6. they blasphemed the tabernacle of God and their names who were written in heaven the heart changes not for any evil because it s bound up in an unchangeable good Thirdly he is a happy man whose heart is in heaven because where his heart is his life will be and his conversation Phil. 3. 20 21. Our conversation is in heaven now keep thy heart above all keepings for out of it are the issues of life Prov. 4. 23 24. Therefore if a mans heart be on the earth his conversation will be below but if his heart be in heaven there his life and conversation will be now when other men are making great ado here below his heart all the while is taken up about God as his Father about Christ as Mediator the Spirit as the Comforter the Angels as his fellow Subjects the souls of just men made perfect his fellow Citizens Oh what a happy condition doth this man live in his heart being in heaven his life is there * Note this last head as an eminent seal to this tract his life and Ministry they being the last words he ever spake in the Pulpit Lastly it is a clear evidence to aman that his heart being in heaven his body shall shortly be there as Christ when he went to heaven was our better part and went to heaven as our forerunner just so the heart being in heaven the better part is there It is gone to heaven as the forerunner of the body and as Christs Ascention is an argument of our ascention so the ascention of the heart is a clear argument that the whole man shall be there where the heart is that they may be taken up together with the Lord in the clouds of heaven Oh what a Comfort is this no man is a happy man but he who hath his heart in heaven and his treasure there So much shall serve for the Application of this point and for this Text. Consider I humbly pray you what hath been said It is of great concernment and such as should have an influence into your whole lives and know this for a Conclusion the Word of God will not return to him empty and in vain though it may be spent upon you in vain June 25. 1654. Elisha his Lamentation Upon the sudden Translation of ELIJAH Opened in a SERMON At the Funeral of Mr. William Strong That eminently Faithful Servant and Minister of CHRIST By Obadiah Sedgwick B. D. and Preacher of the Gospel in Covent Garden Zach. 1. 5. And the Prophets do they live for ever Heb. 3. 7. To day if ye will hear his Voice London Printed by R. W. for Francis Tyton at the Sign of the three Daggers in Fleet-street near the Inner-Temple Gate 1656. To the Right Worshipful Colonel Boswell Henry Scobel Esq Mr. Thomas Rushall and to all the rest of the Congregation lately pertaining unto the care of that Faithful Pastor Mr. William Strong Preacher of the Gospel at Westminster Abbey YOu were pleased to put me upon that sad service of Preaching at the Funeral of your worthy and dear Pastor And shortly after that upon another service of Printing what I then had publikely Preached I confess that I never Preached a Sermon in this kind with more grief of heart and never did I discern a Sermon heard and attended with more weeping eyes certainly God had given in unto him the affections of
had it for he was strong to hold the King in the Galleries often would he complain of the Imperfection of our Communion here 'T is but hâ— was wont to say His back parts Behind the wall and through the Lattice that we now see him Oh for that Vision that is face to face when we shall see him as he is The Lord hath now satisfied his desâ—res and tought him which was much in his mouth what means The souls of just men made perfect in taking him to himself The Lord give us the same frame of spirit that we in due season may follow after The Contents of the Heavenly Treasure 1. Mans happiness out of himself page 1 2 2. The words of the Text have 1. A Dehortation 2. An Exhortation Both backed with two Arguments p. 3 3. The words summed up in two propositions p. 4 4. The words explained and opened Wherein Treasures are of two sorts 1. Gods Treasures and they are of four sorts from p. 5. to 9 2. Men have their treasures p. 9. where is noted the difference between the godly and the men of the world p. 10 5. The doctrine explained by clearing four several Propositions from p. 11 to 34 Wherein 1. By slinging of souls three things noted p. 14 15 2. By the fear of the Lord two things meant from p. 19. to 21 3. Treasure is said to be a mans own from p. 22. to 27. upon a threefold accompt 4. That which a man chooses is called his Treasure from p. 28. to 34 6. In the first Use of Examination six rules To know whether a mans Treasure be on earth or in heaven from p. 35 to 48 Where follows five Trials To know where a mans Treasure lyeth from p. 48 to 79 Wherein 1. To know whether we love God or no two rules and therein two seasons of Trial from p. 57 to 65 2. To judge when a man seeks all things in subordination to God two rules from p. 66 to 72 7. In the Use of Conviction To heighten the misery of those that misplace their chief good six considerations from p. 80 to 100 Wherein 1. Riches are said not to be upon a double Accompt p 83 84 2. Deceipt about good things fourfold from p. 95 to 98 8. The misery of those that misplace their chief Good lies in six things from p. 100 to 113 Wherein Two things observed by Augustine that blessedness requireâ— p. 112 9. Before Christs Exhortation is pressed three things premised from 114 to 126 Wherein 1. There are three sorts of Treasures that men lay up and in three places from p. 117 to 122 2. To Explain not upon Earth three hints from p. 123 to 126 10. In the prosecution of Christs Exhortation of laying up Treasure four things from p. 127 to 156 Wherein 1. A double Interpretation of Heaven from p. 128 to 134 2. Why none but God can be a mans Treasure in heaven â—hree things pointed to from p. 136 to 1â—9 3. How to lay up God for a Mans Treasure in heaven six rules from 140 to 146 4. To enforce Christs Exhortation several Arguments from p. 147 to 156 11. The Use of Consolation shews 1. The blessedness and the Top of blessedness 1. Of the Saints 2. Of the Angels 3 Of the Mediator from p. 156 to 160. On the contrary the top of the Devil damneds misery to 162 2. Three grand promises mentioned in p. 164 12. To a man that his not misplaced his Treasure seven grounds of the greatest comfort from p 65 to 189 Wherein is explained delivering of a man up to Satan twofold from p. 166 to 168 13. That the Treasure is the attractive of the heart four things by way of Explication from p. 190 to 259 Wherein 1. The heart is put diversly in Scripture 191. But especially three things intended from p. 194 to 197 2. That mans Treasure is without himself two things noted by the way from p. 197 〈…〉 3. To those that seek happiness below God three things to consider from 205 to 207 where that of Jer. 2. 15. is fully opened to p. 209 4. Why a mans heart should be rightly set five great reasons for it from p. 210 to 218 5. The heart that is set upon any worldly thing is lost in two respects p. 219 Wherein by way of Caution where to set a mans heart two or three things from p. 220 to 225 14. That the Treasure carries the heart with it opened from 225 to 229. And herein How it comes to pass that the Treasure alwayes carries the heart with it four demonstrative Arguments from p. 230 to 240 Wherein two things noted in Conversion in p. 238 so forward 15. Why the heart alwayes goeth out after the Treasure six great Grounds from p. 241 to 248 16. How the heart of man goeth after its treasure six Conclusions named from p. 248 to 259 17. More particularly that the Treasure is the attractive of the heart p. 259 Wherein 1. Those instances before given of the Intendment of the heart from 263 to 267 2. It s aym and tendency upon a double ground p. 267 The first ground manifested in two particulars from p. 268 to 275 Wherein 1. To guess at the aim and tendency of the heart six rules from p. 276 to 302 2. Every mans wisdome in reference to his Treasure is exercised in three things from p. 306. to 318 3. To know where a mans thoughts are four rules from p. 321. to 329 4. Why it is of so great moment to know where a man sets his love four grounds 5. To know where a mans love is eight several rules from p. 340 to 372 Wherin is observed a double Union with God from p. 341 to 347 8. The Application hath three Uses 372 The first General Use of Instruction first discovers the fulness of the Scriprures ibid. Wherein Eight Wonders are to be understood in it from p. 375 to 379 2. It discovers six Cases that the Lord puts a special Mark upon from p. 379 to 383 The second Use or the First more particular and proper use shews the absolute necessity of Conversion p. 84 Wherein The misery of that man whose Treasure is on earth is seen in two things from p. 385 to 388 20. The third and last Use shews 1. The blessedness of that man whose Treasure is in heaven upon a twofold accompt from p. 388 to 390 2. The reasons why he is so blessed that upon a fourfold accompt from p. 390 to 393 Where note the Conclusion ibid. FINIS The Names of such places of Scripture as are occasionally handled explained and opened in the Heavenly Treasure Genesis Chap. Verse Page 1 1 132 6 5 285 10 9 344 Exodus 19 5 137 Numbers 14 24 239 Deuteronomy 4 29 286 24 15 073  25 263 32 34 8 I. Samuel 4 20 196 25 29 14 II. Samuel 12 4 269 I. Kings 13 23 290 15 10 272 II. Kings Chap. Verse Page 5 25 194 10
of it There are two sorts of treasures the Holy Ghost in the Scripture speaks of God hath his treasures Men have their treasures First God hath his treasures and they are of four sorts First Thesauri naturae there are the treasures of nature which we read of in Job 38. 22. Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail And the Lord when he speaks of the blessings of nature in Deut. 28. 12. saith he will open his good treasure the heaven to give rain c. and ler. 10. 13. he bringeth the wind out of his treasures these are the treasures of nature that are Gods treasures Secondly Recondita providentiae there are the treasures of providence in Psal 17. 14. he speaks it of wicked men These are the ungodly and they prosper in the world they have their portion in this life whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure What be those treasures with which God is said to fill ungodly mens bellies Interpreters do observe that there are some wicked men in this life that have not only the common benefits of nature with the rest of this World that God causes the Sun to shine and the rain to fall upon them but he doth afford them ezquisitas quasdam divitias some peculiar and choice mercies of this world and doth in Providence order it so that of all the honours in the world many ungodly men shall have the highest of all the powers in the world many ungodly men shal have the greatest the dainties of providence the Lord many times affords them to those who have their portion in this world but remember the text saith He fils their bellies with treasures t is but to satisfie their senses it never fils their souls their souls be empty of grace when their bellies be filled with treasures how many ungodly wretches have the quintessence of all things all the Lords treasure yet so t is ordered Thirdly Thesauri gratiae the treasures of grace Col. 2. 3. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge It is said of Christ in him are hid c. Whose are they Why they are his treasures that hid theâ— there the Lord hid these treasures He is made to us of God wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption the treasures of wisdom and grace are laid up in Jesus Christ as in a common treasury but they be Gods treasures 4. Thesauri vindictionis there are yet treasures of vengeance treasures of wrath Deut. 32. 34. Are not these things laid up by me sealed up among my treasures Many an ungodly man and wicked woman goes along ten years twenty years together and as they treasure up sin I treasure up wrath and vengeance is mine and I will repay it their feet shall slide in due time the mean time I wil forget none of their works they are sealed up by me among my treasures these are Gods treasures the Scripture speaks of Secondly men have their treasures also and that which a man makes his chief good wherein he doth place his happiness that by which the comfort of his life comes in that is a mans treasure you shall see it exprest in other words but the thing is one in Luk 16. 25. Abraham is brought in there speaking to Dives in hell Son remember in thy life time thou hadst thy good things that which Christ here cals your treasure there Abraham cals thy good things and in Psal 17. 14. they have their portion in this life that which in this place is called a mans treasure that is there called their portion but the thing is the same and here give me leave to note the great difference between godly men and the men of the world the men of the world are all for great provision in the way but care not what portion they have at end but a godly man is quite contrary he will be content with small provision but it is not a small portion will content him a little in the passage but he must have a large portion So that which a man pitches upon as his chief good by which the main comfort of his life comes in these are his good things that is his portion his treasure but only thus far for the opening of the phrase Let us now come to open the Doctrine to you Every man hath in this life a treasure his own treasure This I shall explain by clearing four several propositions all which are included in the Doctrine First every man hath some chief good which his soul is set upon and which as its center it tends unto I say every man there 's not a person of you but you have some chief good to which your souls do bend and upon which they center wherein you place your happiness which if you could attain perfectly your souls would be at rest This is that which David speaks of Psal 116. 7. Return unto thy rest oh my soul Why what was the rest of his soul truly the rest of his soul was his chief good and wil you see what that was in the 73. Psalm Whom have I in heaven but thee and I desire none on earth in comparison of thee if a man have a chief good it must either be on earth or in heaven but saith David God is my chief good whether in heaven or in earth and that 's the reason why he cals God the Rest of his soul and for this cause he tels you all the tendency of his soul went after God My soul is athirst for God the living God many such expressions you have to let you see that God was his chief good and until the soul attain its chief good it is never at rest but is in perpetuo motu in a continual tendency thereto But on the other side take a poor carnal wretch that never knew any thing above the creature because the creature is his chief good and that not to be had in perfection so that he cannot attain to his full desires therefore his soul is continually restless see him described Psal 59. 6. to ver 14. ungodly men are said like a dog to run about the city and like a dog to grudge and not be satisfied what is the meaning of it you know how many wearisom labours this creature takes and all is for meat and yet many times altogether in vain now ungodly men in the pursuit of the things of this life are compared to dogs how many circles do they take this way and that way but many times altogether in vain for they are never satisfied and when they are not satisfied they grudge so that you see sometimes the dog when he hath eaten casts up his meat and afterwards turns to his vomit again here t is brought in only to this purpose to let you see how restless their souls are because they seek good in them But there is one Scripture very remarkable 1 Sam. 25.
do value themselves but how doth God value them he hath his rate on men too Prov. 10. 20. he values men according to their hearts God doth not value men according to their estates their names their birth God values no man so but God values them according to their hearts and therefore he saith The heart of the wicked is little worth thus you see that men value themselves according to their treasure upon this account it is that a godly man doth and ought to do set a higher value upon himself then all the men in the world because thereby he sets a price upon his treasure as Paul when he stood before King Agrippa who was the better man now Paul or the King I would that thou wert such an one as I am though he were a prisoner at the Bar and the other a King yet notwithstanding Paul values himself beyond him wishes I would his condition were no worse then mine thus a mans treasure is that by which every man values himself and thinks he is so much worth And upon these three Reasons a mans chief good is called his treasure bâ—cause of the price he sets upon it the plenty he labours after in it and the value and esteem he puts upon himself by it and so much for the opening of this Doctrine The first Use is of examination it will put every one of you to it you have a treasure and t is either in heaven or earth If it be a treasure on earth where thy treasure is there is thy heart and where thy heart is there is thy happiness and where thy happiness is thy God is that I will tell thee and there you must look for your salvation therefore you have a treasure and t is either on earth or in heaven if your treasure be on earth there is your chief good and your portion is below But how should a man know it that every man may be able to say unto himself where my treasure is there my heart is there are six Rules that I shall offer at present though I shall give further light into it by Gods assistance First what is it that you dig for that you labour most for that you are willing to spend your money for as the Holy Ghost speaks This is the first trial if thou dig for wisdom as for hidden treasure Prov. 2. 4. what is it that you labour for labour not for the meat that perisheth Joh. 6. 57. What is the great thing you work for in this life that is your treasure what is it that you lay out your money for Isa 55. 3. that a man could willingly be at any cost to obtain to part with any thing for now what is it for that you do it that is your treasure Now when any man shall return to his own heart and say Truly I have laboured for wealth all my days and wearied my self in seeking after pleasures and vanity all my days and I that have been straight-handed enough in reference to what belongs to God and spiritual things yet I have been liberal enough for other things as it was said of them when they made an Image they lavisht gold out of their bags but when they are to feed and cloath a poor member of Christ then every penny is but like a drop of blood but when are to lay it out for this or that gallantry then men lavish it out Oh the foolery of some among us Consider what is it you labour for that is your treasure What do you lay out your money for see how strangely people will for that they place their chief good in how ready they are to labour and to lay out themselves for it The Israelites were to make a Calf and then they gave Ear-rings and Jeweis for it from their sons and daughters And that old Woman Judg. 11. 2 3. that had scraped together 1100. pieces of silver curst him that had stoln it Oh my son saith she I have dedicated it from thy hand to make a graven Image it was nothing to part freely with when it came to make an Image thus where men place their happiness and chief good where their treasure is there is the main of their labor there is their great care and for this they are willing to spare no cost Secondly would you know where your treasure is upon what do you live examine from whence do the comforts of your life come in that is your treasure It is called The food of the soul the meat that perishes and the meat that endures to eternal life that is that by which the soul lives Joh. 6. 27. and Prov. 4. 17. They eat the bread of wickedness and they drink the wine of violence all the comforts of their life come in by sin now examine by what the comforts of your life come in Isa 44. 20. He feedeth upon ashes speaking of men who had the comforts of their lives come in by idolatry the curse of the Serpent is come upon them they feed upon ashes by what do the comforts of your lives come in I have a good estate I have a plentifull Table and herein all the comfort of my life lyeth Whereas another man saith I have incomes from God and have in some measure fellowship with him I tast the consolations of the Holy Ghost and this I do in Sermons and Ordinances and therefore I wait upon them Look wherein the comfort of your life lieth there is your treasure laid up These are plain Rules if you deal saithfully and plainly with your selves you may easily know it Thirdly what is it that is your greatest care to keep above all things in the world sure that is your treasure treasures are commonly hidden because men would keep them safe called therefore treasures of darkness Isa 45. 1. Now take a man that makes riches his treasure and what doth he fear most why least they should be taken from him by violence and a man that makes God and grace his treasure he fears Satan and sin most because his great cate is to keep these therefore those that would rob him of these he fears above all other enemies in the world Another man that makes pleasure wealth his care I would not saith he be deprived of my wealth and pleasure for a world let sin come and Satan come and take away his God his grace his soul and all he is not troubled these the man takes no care to keep therefore that which is your treasure it is your main care to keep Fourthly what doth your soul retreat to for comfort in trouble in any danger or distress when a mans soul is put to the retreat whither do you retire as if a rich man at any time be in danger whither doth he retreat The rich mans wealth is his strong tower Prov. 18. 11. Let a godly man be in danger whither doth he retreat to the name of the Lord The name of the Lord
saith Jer. 9 23. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord. But let him glory in this that he knows me Here is the sweetness of all Gospel commands the Lord is pleased to fet them upon a right Object he doth not forbid laying up of Riches but be rich to God he doth not forbid adorning and bravery but saith he be adorned with humility love not the world nor the things of the world not absolutely forbad but comparatively only sets it upon the right object still That 's the first thing I observe by way of premise Secondly it is observable also that there are divers ways of treasuring the Text names two some there be their treasures are on earth and some there be whose treasures are in heaven But observing the Scripture I finde there are three sorts of treasures among men men do lay up treasure three wayes and in three places First Thesauri in terra men lay up treasures upon earth that is they place their happiness in the things below they savour nothing else they mind nothing else look only to the things that are seen and have no higher end in all their ways Now these men all their treasure is upon earth It s well observed by one finis amatus intentus thesaurus dicitur that which a man doth love and aim at that 's his treasure for a mans chief good and utmost end are the same Now men that have no End beyond this life have no treasure beyond this world but all the projects of their lives they are terminated here below that look for nothing beyond the life that now is only in this world let me be rich and honorable and let me live in bravery and gallantry while I am here in this they please themselves and take this for their portion now these are the men that lay up treasures upon earth But there are Secondly Thesauri in Gehenna another sort of treasures some men lay up treasures in hell you have such an expression Rom. 2. 5. Thou after the hardness of thy heart and impenitency dost treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Here is a man that lives in sin this man is a treasurer too but he lays up treasures in hell there is a treasure of sin and a treasure of wrath and as the manÌ„ adds to the one God adds unto the other therefore you must know that as sin doth ripen so doth judgement as sin increases so doth wrath Ezek. 7. 10. the prophet hath this expression The rod hath blossomed pride hath budded spoken of Gods bringing wrath upon the Jâ—ws by Nebuchadnezzar for as sin ripens so the affliction ripens nay in Zach. 5. 8. there is an ephah that notes the full measure of their wickedness and a talent of lead propoâ—tionable to the sin that covers the mouth of it as you fill up the measure of your sins so you fill up likewise the measure of the Lords wrath oh that men would but consider this then you only think you carry on one treasure but remember there is another treasure goeth on you treasure up sin God treasures up wrath 3. Thesauri in coelo There are a third sort of treasurers that lay up treasures in heaven place their happineâ—◠〈…〉 good in nothing 〈…〉 â—â—â—ven that take aim◠〈…〉 this life the things present are the succors of their way but far from being made their journeys end The Philosopher could observe every man is as his utmost end is what thy utmost End is what thy chief good is that art thou if thy end be earthly thou art a man of earth if thy end be heavenly thou art a Citizen of heaven therefore the Scripture speaks as in Psalm 10. last verse That the men of the earth may no more oppress and Psal 17. 14. They are the men of this world Why the men of this world their portion is in this life they have no good beyond this life therefore their utmost end is not beyond this world and so likewise why are the people of God said to be Citizens with the Saints Eph. 2. 19. and to seek after a Câ—ty whose builder and maker is God Hebr. 11. 10 16. what is the reason that he hath prepared for them a city they are therefore said to be Citizens of heaven because their End their chief good is beyond this life that 's the second thing to be premised There are several sorts of treasures some lay up upon earth others in Hell and some lay up in heaven Thirdly we are to observe here Modum praecepti the manner or nature of this command Lay up treasures in heaven Christs meaning is not that men should lay up nothing upon earth that 's not the meaning nay to lay up upon earth is their duty Prov. 6. 6. Vain man is sent to the Ant upon that account that lays up in Summer against Winter T is a lesson that the bruit Creatures must teach nay 2 Cor. 12. 14. Parents ought to lay up for their children saith the Apostle He that provides not for those of his own house is worse then an infidel Then t is not unlawfull to lay up upon earth but what then is the meaning I finde three hints given by Interpreters which all will help to explain it Not upon earth Non ut adversetur sed ut subjiciatur Coelo Do not lay up treasures on earth as contrary to treasures in heaven but lay up treasures on earth as they may be helpfull to treasures in heaven There is a second hint Camnissius and others give Non absolute tanquam ex necessitate objecti do not lay up treasures on earth as if there were an absolute necessity of it and a man could not live without it according as God gives opportunity so men may make provision for their own comfortable being and those that God hath given them but not as if I and my posterity were undone without it They think they cannot live without so much by the year How many poor simple people have we heard of that cannot live happily without so much a year Luk. 12. 15. Take heed and beware of covetousness for the comfort of a mans life comes not in from the abundance of things that he possesses Happily thou mayest have so many thousands a year and yet be a poor miserable man and live a wretched life all thy days for all that There is yet another hint Coelo neglecto do not lay up treasures on earth how that is so as to neglect heaven Let not this be a means to take off your hearts from higher things if it be your treasure on earth it is your curse and plague therefore look to it you whose estates take off your hearts from the things of God and eternity God hath given
treasure that he doth glory in every man gloryeth in it every man values all other men according to that he makes his treasure and he that fails of that he looks upon him with an eye of scorn and contempt be it what it will I instanced before a man that makes riches his treasure let a person be never so honorable wise and learned he will despise him and so a godly man values himself according to his interest in God and all other men according unto it Tantus quisque est quantus est apud Deum every man is no more worth then he is of value in Gods account Christ doth so Psal 16. 3 4. The Lord is my portion the lines are fallen to me in a goodly place I have a goodly heritage the Lord is my portion the Saints glory in God and make their boast of him all the day long Lastly whatsoever is your treasure you must use all means that you may add unto it or your interest in it a treasure is increased by continual addition whatever therefore may give a man a further interest in God that is the way a man is to take and sell all to buy it for he is to sell all that buys the pearl that which is treasure as now it is the worship of God the fear of the Lord is his treasure Isa 33. 6. by the fear of the Lord is meant the worship of God why doth he lay up treasure in the fear of the Lord yes he gets a further interest in God why are good works a mans treasure because God rewards a man according to his works and he shall have a further interest in God and therefore the worship of God and all the works of obedience and the exercise of all grace a man is busied in all these because it adds to his treasure gives him a further interest in him Who is his God and his al-sufficient reward Fourthly and lastly to give some Arguments to inforce the Exhortation Is there a treasure to be had in Heaven and is it to be had in God do not be such enemies to your souls as to neglect it and that I may inforce this Exhortation take with you these few Arguments and pray mark them well Remember First no treasure below God will be lasting there will come a time when all treasure laid up below God will be expended and what will you live upon then the Apostle tells us the world passes away and the fashion thereof 1 Cor. 7. 29. He uses the expression the time is short what 's the meaning of it t is a Metaphor taken from things folded up there is very little part of it left it is come almost to the last fold which may help a little to explain that expression Psal 36. 10. Continue or draw out thy loving kindness to them that love thee The Metaphor may seem to be the same that is there is abundance of love folded up and but little winded off there is an eternity to spend but now for all these outward comforts there is a great deal worn out and but a little more behinde how many men have you seen already out-live them but to be sure they will out-live the lives of the best men therefore remember no Treasure below God will last Secondly consider this heaven is the place where you hope to go carry your treasures with you or send them thither before you there is no man will remove from a place and leave his treasure behinde him and poor soul thou leavest a great estate and a fine house behinde thee and thou hopest to go to heaven and thou hast no treasure there it s the observation of one upon this place Lay up treasures in heaven carry your provision carry your treasure with you you hope to go to heaven and if that be a true and lively hope you would endeavor to lay up treasure there Thirdly consider with your selves if you lay up treasure in heaven as God is a true Treasure so God is a faithful treasurer what thou dost commit to him he will keep safe and he is a treasurie able to supply all your wants and to make you happy for ever he is self-sufficient in himself much more will he be al-sufficient to thee do not rest in any thing that is below God but lay up treasure in him Nay let me tell you further and pray mark it any treasure here that is below God if it be thy treasure in this life it will be thy tormentor in the life to come Jam. 5. 3. ye have heaped treasure together for the last day he speaks it of rich men and he tells them that they have laid up treasure against the last day there is a double interpretation given of it some expound it of the last day of the world the day of judgement some of the last day the end and period of the Jewish state which the Apostle speaks of and St. John speaks of this is the last hour I conceive it spoken of the Judgement coming upon the Jewish State take it which way you will the thing leaves us a clear argument if you take it for the last day of the State when judgements come upon persons or people then when judgements come your riches shall be the greatest plagues you have but refer it to the last day of the world riches then take their leave of a man they cease then to be treasures but they will be tormentors the Apostle tels them the rust of them shall be a witness against them they have heaped up riches against the last day take heed therefore Take this for a rule That which a godly man hath wrought upon him at his conversion that a wicked man is sure to meet with at his destruction that which was his treasure before he then looks upon as his greatest plague and torment as Ephraim What have I to do any more with idols and saith to his idols Get ye hence Look upon Iudas his money was his treasure before when he comes to hang himself he casts that away and the word carries a great deal of displeasure with it this is the money that hath undone my soul and so many a one will say when he comes to die the love of an estate the things of this life the love of pleasure or honor this hath undone me for ever when it ceases to be your treasure then it becomes your tormentor I have one word more It is one of the great studies of the times what they may do now to keep what they have got Non minor est virtus quam quaerere partatueri What shall we do to preserve what we have got Truly let me speak plain unto you the only way to preserve our treasures on earth is to make sure of this treasure in heaven that 's the only way pray look into Prov. 15. 6. but in the house of the righteous is much treasure in the horn of the wicked is trouble
most commonly the poor receiv the gospel most commonly godly men are the poorest men why in the house of the righteous is much treasure truly the riches they have are precious because they are the fruit of the promise and come in by vertue of the second Covenant and by this means they have a propriety in them that other men have not but Mr. Cartwright translates the word and it will fitly bear it In the righteous mans house there is much strength as if he had said all the care of men is to keep what they have and therefore provide to have it under locks bolts and use all ways and means to preserve it but take a godly man that hath an interest in God and is truly righteous and can say The estate that I have I have justly gotten This is a better way to preserve it then all other means in the world therefore would you preserve treasure on earth labour to get an interest in treasures in heaven And to this end make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon that you may have a greater interest in God the true treasure And for a conclusion remember this you that have not God for your treasure here you shall never have him if you have no interest in God for your treasure in this life for after this life a mans chief good doth never change What was thy treasure shall ever be so thou hast a treasure but if it be below God it shall be thy tormentor A mans eternal estate is cast here and being so that which was a mans chief good must continue so to him and therefore fear before God if thou hast not thy treasure laid up in God in this life he will never be thy treasure and reward and yet in the life to come God will be all in all and that God thou hast then no interest in for as a man sows here so shall he reap hereafter I know not what to preach to you that ought more to affect you And so much for this Exhortation Lay up treasure in Heaven There is one Use remaining of this Doctrine and t is of Consolation to all the Saints of God You have seen the misery of those that erre in their chief good Give me leave now for the comfort and support of the hearts of Gods people to shew them their happiness in this that whatever they are in this world yet in regard of their chief good they have not miscarried Oh blessed soul that hast not mis-placed thy treasure that dost not err in that which is thy chief good I confess a godly man is every way a blessed man he is blessed in regard of the pardon of his sin Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Psal 32. 1. He is blessed in regard of the disposition of his soul Blessed are the pure in heart blessed are the meek blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness He is blessed in all the ordinances Blessed are they that dwell in thy house Matth. 5. 8. Psalm 84. 4. He is blessed in his obedience blessed are they that are undefiled in the way and walk in the Law of the Lord Psal 119. 1. Nay he is blessed in his expectations Isa 30. 8. Blessed are they that wait for him He is blessed even in affliction Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest and teachest out of thy Law Psal 94. 12. A godly man is therefore every way blessed But wherein lies the top of his blessedness the height of it lies in this he is blessed in his chief good there is the top of all his blessedness unto which all these things are but inferior and subordinate Consider I beseech you look to the Angels of glory in heaven the elect Angels they are blessed in their inward qualifications and indowments their wisdom their holiness their power their zeal they are blessed likewise in regard of their office and imployment they are principalities and powers imployed by Christ in ordering things below ministring spirits the spirit of the living Creatures is in the wheels they are blessed in their activity in those offices they go and come like lightning it s the prophets expression Ezek 1. 19. but wherein lies the top of their blessedness truly in this they have pitcht aright upon their chief good they have not erred in their treasure Nay the Lord Jesus Christ himself as Mediator he was every way blessed he is the heir of all things he is one appointed to glory and a glory suitable to the service that he did perform which neither man nor angel was able to do but wherein lies the top of the blessedness of the Mediator Psal 16. 4. The Lord is my portion saith my soul It s the Mediators speech his blessedness lay in his chief good the same thing is true of the glorified Saints in heaven the souls of just men are made perfect Reckon up what you will of the glory of the soul or the glory of the body that remains after the resurrection when they shall shine as the Sun in the kingdom of the father yet this is the top of all they have pitcht upon the right chief good On the contrary what is the miserie of the Devil and those damned spirits in hell Pray consider what I say to you t is very true there is nothing wanting to make them miserable if you look upon their sinfulness you must consider in Hell peccatum etiam habet rationem poenae and sin there is a punishment why if you consider likewise the bottomless pit the burning Lake in which they are shut up held in chains under darkness all this I say makes them miserable add to all these the worm of conscience that is ever gnawing for so t is in all those damned spirits why all this you will say must needs make them very miserable but what is the top of their miserie wherein doth that lie It lies in this I have erred in my chief good t is Chrysostoms expression concerning it put ten thousand hells together here is the worst there is none like this that I have forsaken God and God hath forsaken me I have hated God and now the Lord hates me put ten thousand hels together there is most in this here indeed doth lie the top of their miserie as this was the height of their folly But what needs so long dilating upon this you will say Why Truly because as I would speak comfort to Gods people so I would have them consider rightly of the comforts proposed for there are many grounds of comfort to the Saints and they may make use of them all and they are to do it in their season according to their order yet notwithstanding that which is the great comfort should be in the first place even in respect of taking comfort that which is the great ground of comfort that the soul
the heart that by heart in Scripture is meant the whole soul Secondly that the soul of man the heart goeth out of it self for happiness for its chief good for here is treasure laid up either in heaven or earth the heart goeth out to the treasure the chief good of a man is without himself Thirdly it is a matter of very great concernment where a mans heart is placed that 's the Argument that Christ uses here Lay up treasure in heaven Why what matter is it where ones treasure is Why where your treasure is there your heart will be Lastly the heart doth always follow the treasure where-ever the treasure is it necessarily infallibly carries the heart and then we shall give the Reasons of this last Doctrine to which all the rest are but subordinate First what is meant by the heart or if you will take it in a Proposition The heart of man in Scripture is put for the whole soul The Hebrews generally place the Government of man in the heart and make the heart the seat of the reasonable soul so you shall finde the Scripture commonly speaks 1. If you look to the whole soul as corrupt Jer. 17. 9. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperatly evil who can know it And 2. If you look upon the soul as sanctified for as corruption goes through all the faculties so doth sanctification also Psal 24. 4. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart which is called The hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3. 4. And with the heart man believs Rom. 10. 10. I conceive that 's the whole soul and all the faculties collectively But by heart in Scripture also is sometimes meant those things quarum sedes est in Corde which are situated and have their habitation especially in the heart as wisdom is attributed to the heart wise in heart Ephraim is a silly dove without a heart without wisdom Hos 7. 11. He that trusts in his own heart is a fool Prov. 28. 26. His own heart that is he that leans to his own wisdom or as the Scripture elswhere he that is wise in his own eyes So likewise you finde the heart put sometimes for conscience and the actings thereof Davids heart smote him when he cut off the lap of Sauls garment it is spoken of the conviction of his conscience Sometimes it is put for the memory the treasury of the soul Mary laid up all these things in her heart But in this place I conceive there are three things especially intended by heart here by Christ First the thoughts the meditations the consultations of the heart where the treasure is there is the heart In this are all the meditations the thoughts the plottings the contrivances of the soul they are where a mans treasure is 2 Kin. 5. 25 26. The Prophet said to his servant Gehazi Went not my heart with thee when thou wentest out after the man How did the Prophets heart go with him that is his thoughts went for the thing was discovered unto him by a prophetical spirit and that is indeed a marvellous choice expression Job 17. 11. where the thoughts of the heart are in the Hebrew called the possessions of the heart Now whatever you possess here with your bodies t is true indeed the body can see the glory and tast the sweetness in many contents but what do your souls possess in all these nothing but the thoughts what the soul possesses it possesses by thoughts and therefore they are called the possessions of the heart Secondly by the heart here is meant I conceive the love desires the longings of the soul for in these the soul goeth out towards its objects so Sichem Gen. 34. 8. His soul clave to Dinah Jacobs daughter so Davids heart went out to Absolom therefore where your treasure is your love is your soul goeth out in all manner of longings and desires after it Lastly by the heart is meant a mans delight that wherein the great comfort of his life lieth wherein it is laid up It is said by Christ though a woman in travel hath anguish yet after she remembers no more the pain for joy that a manchild is born into the world and 1 Sam. 4. 20. There 's a woman delivered of a son and calls his name Ichabod She regarded him not for she did not set her heart that is took no comfort in him And Psal 62. 10. If riches increase set not your hearts upon them that is do not place all the comforts of your lives in these things Let not your hearts be swallowed up by these as if you had no better things thus then by heart is meant the whole soul but in this place especially the thoughts the love the joy and delight I shall afterwards take up these things again more particularly I now only endeavor to open it that 's the first Proposition Secondly that the soul of man goeth out of it self for happiness his treasure is without himself It is Gods honour only and his prerogative his blessedness is in himself his blessedness is himself he is unto himself the chief good he hath nothing without himself that makes him the blessed God neither is he moved by any thing out of himself When the Mediator speaks of all he did Psal 16. 3. he saith My goodness extended not to thee its true the L. Jesus as Mediator in all his obedience added nothing to the blessednes of God his blessedness is in himself And here note two things that I shall lay before you First man hath not a chief good in himself his happiness is not within his own power he is therefore in reference to all things a dependant Creature Hence the people of God who have made choice of the Lord for their treasure God in Christ they say Whom have I in heaven but thee My soul is athirst for God for the living God my soul pants after God as the thirsty-land thus then the soul is continually restless why because it seeks to joyn it self to its chief good which is without it self and as for that place Prov. 14. 14. where its said A good man is satisfied from himself the meaning there is not self as separated from God but self as united to God not self in opposition but self in subordination to God its true indeed a mans chief good may in that respect be said to be the most intimate part of himself that of the Schoolmen is true so indeed self united to God Deus est intimior nobis intimo nostro God is nearer to us then our selves So the man is satisfied that is goes not out to any thing besides God but otherways a mans treasure is without himself his chief good lies not within his own power Secondly it is the nature and constitution of the reasonable soul to make out to a chief good without it self its true indeed most of the world mistake this chief good and misplace it but yet this is the
this unto you The Lord in the Scripture hath given special direction for the setting of a mans heart therefore that a mans heart should be right set is a matter of great consequence Hag. 1. 5. Set your hearts upon your ways so t is in the Hebrew And if riches increase set not your hearts upon them and Deut. 32. 46. Set your hearts upon all the words of the Law But why is it so Truly there are very great reasons for it that every one may look down into himself and say where is my heart As First it is the heart mainly that God looks upon and observes where it is in a special manner the Lord eyes the heart you know in 1 Sam. 16. 7. God looks not as man looks man looks to the appearance God looks to the heart and 2 Chron. 16. 9. His eyes run to and fro through the world to set himself with those whose hearts are upright t is a matter of great consequence therefore because on your hearts God sets his eyes Secondly it is the heart mainly that God claims and cals for Pro. 23. 26. My son give me thy heart this is indeed the habitation of the great King and when the Lord hath taken the heart to himself he hath the man nothing is Corban a fit gift for God unless the heart be first given Thirdly where the heart is there is the man and therefore when the soul is gone the man is gone where the heart goeth the man goeth it is remarkable Psa 38. 10. he speaks it of a mans days and saith they are soon cut off and they flie away they leave the body behinde but the soul is gone so that where the heart goeth the man goeth Now do but look how the Lord observes the goings out of the heart There were men that came to hear the Prophet preach Ezek. 33. 31. Their heart goeth after their covetousness and the truth is my brethren wherever the body is yet the soul is with the object upon which it is set I remember Austin speaking of the happiness of the people of God in this world saith Anima frequenter ascendit currit per plateas coelestis Jerusalem Their souls be in heaven their bodies be upon earth The soul goes to heaven and visits the Prophets and salutes the Patriarchs and the Angels nay the soul closes with the Lord Jesus Christ in glory he saith There is an embracing that the heart hath even there where the body cannot come Therefore observe where the heart is there is the man its matter of great consequence then where you set your hearts Nay further yet God values every man according to his heart and every man is worth as much as the treasure is upon which the heart is set Prov. 10. 20 The heart of the wicked is little worth Why because his treasure is little worth because that upon which his heart is set is worth nothing Prov. 27. 27. A man of understanding is of an excellent Spirit and my servant Caleb had another spirit God values men according to their hearts and their hearts to what their treasure is There are two things that commend the heart to God that make it of value in Gods accompt their ornaments and the objects of the heart The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price let the inner man of the heart be so adorned 1 Pet. 3. 4. But especially the objects of the heart those things upon which the heart is set t is therefore of great consequence for a man is worth no more then his heart is worth and the heart is worth as much as the object upon which the heart is set besides Fifthly it is matter of great consequence where you set your hearts because from your hearts all your conversation flows Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart above all things take heed what that goeth out unto why from it are the issues of life whatever flows forth in a mans whole life flows from the constitution of the heart for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks out of the heart proceed murders adulteries fornications and the like Look to the ways of your hearts and such will certainly the ways of your lives be Then it is of great moment upon what a man sets his heart if the treasure did not carry the heart with it it would not be so dangerous Lastly and pray observe it for it is the special thing that I shall press in this point it is of great consequence where you set your hearts and upon what because the objects upon which the heart is set have a transforming power and do mightily fashion the heart unto themselves you know in the 115. Psalm what is said concerning Idols there they that made them be like unto them and so are all that put their trust in them because that on which the heart is set frames the heart like it self that look as where your treasure is there your hearts will be so like your treasure your hearts will be as I would a little instance in those men that have their treasure in this life let us see how it fashions their hearts It s said of Jeconiah from whom the Lord in disgrace took one syllable of his name away Jer. 22. 17. Thy eyes and thy heart are for thy covetousness and that 's the condition of many men they have nothing in their hearts but how they may either get or save and covetousness lies much in them both nay unjust keeping is many times an act of greater covetousness then unjust gain now what does God speak of that man look afterwards to the 29. ver Oh earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord write this man childless there are many interpretations given of it among the rest this is one the man was wholly earth he was fashioned to it and therefore the Lord calls him by the same name It s that which I intreat you to observe the loss of the soul and the gain of the world commonly go together therefore Christ puts them together Matt. 16. 26. What shall it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul Why is there a necessary connexion between these two not necessary indeed but a very dangerous connexion it is a hard matter to gain the world and not to lose the soul but the soul is not only lost hereafter but even here in this life because it s framed and fashioned to the object upon which the heart is set as I shall give a few instances that you may the better understand me Take but those two glorious excellencies of the soul the light of it and the purity and holiness of it now let the heart be set on any worldly thing and the soul is lost in both these respects First in regard of the light of it that the heart can see nothing that is sinful-evil can see nothing that is spiritual-good
exalt God in his name jah and rejoyce before him then you exalt the most High when you lift up God in yout souls as the chief good then the Lord exalts himself when he sets up himself in the soul as a treasure and then with the change of a mans chief good there is a change of all the motions in the soul and do not talk of a change of thy motions and of thy actions it will never do thee good unless it be founded in this the change of thy chief good and thy utmost end Lastly to close these general considerations in the chief good the liberty or bondage of the heart lies the heart goes after it and therein lies either liberty or bondage the liberty of the heart is in the chief good If the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed Joh. 8. 21. Now wherein lies the liberty that the soul hath with the Son In adhaesione animae ad Deum that it is fastned on God as the chief good cleaving to God as the chief good and looking on all other things no otherways then as they are in subordination to him there is the liberty the soul cleaves to God and to God alone and looks upon all other things barely as in subordination to God and this is the liberty that Christ purchast when he is said to bring you to God that is to bring you to God as the chief good and the more the soul is taken up with this chief good the freer it is and therefore consider in heaven there is perfect liberty what is the reason because there the soul is wholly taken up with God and taken off from all things else and therefore in hell servitus consummatur there is perfect bondage what is the reason because the soul there is wholly taken off from God wholly set against God therefore now all men that have their treasure below their souls are in bondage and my brethren the Doctrine of the liberty and bondage of the will will never be rightly opened unless this bottomtruth in it be rightly limited for it is from the hearts cleaving to this or that chief good that the liberty or bondage of a man doth arise and so much for the general opening of this great truth The Treasure is attractive of the heart I come now to speak unto it more particularly for surely these are the great things in which your souls should be always imployed the heart you see and the treasure is in separable the heart will be where the treasure is therefore such as the treasure is such is the heart as well as where the treasure is there is the heart if the treasure be laid upon earth then men are said to be earthly minded or to mind earthly things Phil. 3. 19. that is though their souls go up and down among many creatures for the heart of man doth cheapen here and there before it buys yet notwithstanding all is included in the things below he minds earthly things and only earth his heart never goes beyond the treasure so if his treasure be in heaven then his minde is there Col. 3. 1. t is true he doth use the things below as his flesh and his own exigences doth require but yet notwithstanding his heart is not shut up in these as another mans is but he goeth out to his treasure which is above that as his conversation is his in heaven so likewise his meditation is there also all those things that are seated in his heart they are all there as we shall hereafter shew hence it comes to pass that a godly man is said to be a stranger here I am a stranger here and a sojourner as all my fathers were Psa 39. latter end why what is the reason because he doth not converse here as if it were his Countrey no he doth seek a Countrey because his treasure is not here therefore he is a stranger here t is an excellent observation that of Bernard Anima justi coelum est in coelo A godly mans heart is heaven because God dwels there and t is in heaven because there he dwells with God and for this cause grace is called glory in the Scriptures not only because it is of the same nature with that grace whereof a man shall in glory receive the perfection nor only because it is a pledge and earnest of it and will certainly end in glory but because indeed the soul immediatly enters into glory after a sort for his treasure being in heaven his heart is there also this we are to consider that a godly man is by this means in heaven whiles he is here Yea more in heaven then he is in earth before his translation for his treasure is in heaven and his heart is there Let us see in particular what is here intended by the heart more especially there is by the heart in Scripture then meant all those things that are seated in the heart I gave many instances of it before Let us begin with the first of them The heart in Scripture is put for the aim the tendency the bent of the heart animi propositus the propensity of the heart this is called the heart in Scripture Deut. 24 25. The Lord there gives a direction concerning the hireling that his wages must not be detained beyond the day of his labour At his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the sun go down upon it for he is poor and setteth his heart upon it what 's that he is a hireling and therefore neither love to his master nor love to his work but the aim and bent of his soul in all the labour he takes is the hire he receives for it he sets his heart upon iâ— therefore the Scripture speaks of a double heart 1 Chron. 12. 33. and Psal 12. 2. Now what makes the heart a double heart some do apply it to instability in opinion that which is called halting between two opinions when the minde is in a suspence and hangs like a Meteor that 's the Metaphor that Christ uses be ye not of doubtfull minds Luke 12. 20. so you read it Whether it be in reference to opinion or in reference to love the minde is in doubt t is very true he that is so sometimes propends this way and sometimes that way this man after a sort is a double-minded man But I conceive the intention of Scripture by a double heart mainly refers to the aim and intention of the heart when men are double in their intentions the bent of their hearts goeth not all one way but sometimes for God and sometimes for the world sometimes for heaven and sometimes for earth when men have not a single eye that is as I conceive a single aim this the Scripture calleth a double heart when a man hath an aim at God and the things of God and looks at nothing else but purely in subordination this is a single heart this man
and there are the designs of the heart Let us take some instances of this Prov. 8. 5. Ye fools understand wisdom understand the heart so it is according to the Hebrew Prov. 15. 32. He that heareth reproof getteth understanding he gets a heart and so also Prov. 10. 20. Fools die for want of wisdom it is for want of a heart and Hos 7. 11. Ephraim is a filly Dove without a heart that is without wisdom so then the wisdom of the heart the plots counsels and designs of the heart these are called the heart in Scripture as the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 5. saith At the last day he will make manifest the Counsels of the heart there be the deep plots and designs there is the wisdom of the man then this is put for the heart and where a mans treasure is there are his designs there is his wisdom and for this cause there is wisdom that is earthly and there is wisdom ihat is from above Jam. 3. 15 17. If a mans treasure be on the earth all the wisdom he hath goes no higher all his plots and designs never rise above the earth if his treasure be in heaven his wisdom is heaven-ward Do but observe that which is a very choice Scripture Luke 16. 8. The children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light the children of this world he doth intimate now of two sorts of men and two sorts of wisdom both of them are wlse in their generations the one his wisdom reaches not beyond this world the other his wisdom is in reference to the world to come or as the Apostle saith is wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3. 5. and so some do expound that expression wiser in their generation Grotius I remember saith that the Hebrews do use to put generation for action actiones denotat actions are called generations and Chemuisius goes likewise the same way they are wiser in their generation In rebus suis agendis in doing their own business and accomplishing their own ends here they are wiser in these things below a godly man is said to be a babe Matth. 11. 22. but the children of light are wiser in their generation too then the children of the world now every mans wisdom in reference to his treasure is exercised in three things In getting of it In keeping of it In improving and increasing it And all the wisdom plots and designs of men are exercised in these three things all about their treasure First every mans wisdom is exercised about his treasure in the getting of it if it be pleasure then observe the wisdom of Amnon by the advice of his friend Jonadab for the obtaining of his lust upon his sister Tamar 2 Sam. 13. And certainly in this respect even the counsels of the flesh are deep and mightily assisted from below and so if a man hath a desire to rise and preheminence and to be superior is the thing aimed at and the treasure be laid up in it see with what wisdom he can do it take the instance of Ieroboam his aim was to be head of the ten Tribes observe his policy and t is remarkable 1 Kin. 12. It lets a man see that there is all knowledge in the Scripture first Jeroboam must come in and discontent the people by telling them of their former pressures and hard usages this being done he must take advantage of the same discontent of the people growing high in their demands hereupon who so like to be the head of the people upon choice as he that ventured and hazarded so much for them and seems to be so far tender of their pressures and to finish all there must come in the old prophesie of Abijah the Prophet that God will rend ten tribes from the house of David and give them to Jeroboam Do but observe it is plain as a mans treasure is so his wisdom works in the getting of it but there is another instance in Scripture that is a mighty one which I shall not give the whole story of but speak somewhat it is that of Antichrist The woman that rides upon the scarlet coloured beast and sits upon many waters that is rules over many people why do but observe dominion being the thing aimed at the strange ways that have bin taken look to the rise of Antichrist Revel 13. and you see he arises in the double shape suitable to the twofold power he aims at first the beast that rises out rf the Sea so he hath seven heads and ten horns he comes in upon the breach of the Roman Empire when the Goths and Vandals had given it its deadly wound and he joyns with the ten Kings to set up an Image of the former Roman Empire and to put life into it an Image it was and but an Image they were all zealous for the Roman Empire and this Antichrist got exceedingly by he and the ten Kings that submitted to him now made up one body of Empire but this was not power enough and therefore he arises under the shape of another beast not out of the Sea but out of the earth stirpium more after the manner of herbs that insensibly grow and this is his Ecclesiastical power over the consciences of men for all pretence of Civil power was to gain this compleat power of ruling over the consciences of men and thus you see whatever a man makes his treasure all his wisdom runs out unto this you shall finde in reference to Religion also a godly man all the wisdom he hath tends that way for I told you It was to make him wise unto salvation there is all his wisdom and so Paul saith he did Phil. 3. 14. If by any means I may attain to the resurrection of the dead he means the resurrection of the just all the wisdom that he aimed at was upon this account so that a godly man hath but one design in the world and that is that he may enjoy God and Christ where his treasure is that he may get an interest in God by Christ t is all the design he hath and therefore Bernard doth very well observe Mens sapientis semper est apud Deum A wise mans heart is always with God that is all his plots and contrivance is how he may bring about that great business all his wisdom is said out upon this how he may get his treasure Secondly when he hath once got it his great design and wisdom is exercised therein how he may keep it thus it is with men whose treasure is on the earth they know that rust and moth will corrupt and thieves break through and steal and therefore they all contrive to keep what they have gotten for they do know that there be Fâ—nners saith the Lord I will send fanners upon Babylon Jer. 51. Take away all the chaff that now hangs about that you may well spare and yet indevour to keep so close now on this account men are
your souls and by them doth God keep a people in his ways they are the Instruments used by God to keep a people upright and stedfast in walking before him And this is a peoples strength and safety Gods ways and none but his are ways of safety while a people walks in his ways he will be their sun and shield their rock and strength their God and their salvation 4. They are of singular use and benefit to the Leaders of a people if they will receive such among them the faithful Prophets of God have been a means to convert wicked Governors and to keep others of them right in the ways of God you read of Jehoash that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the 2 Kin. 12. 2. Priest instructed him See of what excellent use that good man was unto Jehoash There are none who will deal with the Governors of a people so plainly so conscientiously so seriously so earnestly as the faithful Prophets of God they will speak to them when none else dare speak to them they will tell them of their sins as well as their inferiors they will make known unto them all the minde and will of God concerning them they will put them upon the power practice of godlines as wel as others nay more then others they will stir up their hearts to be zealous for God and his truth and his ways and not to suffer any provocation of God in the Land Now this comes to be of great strength and safety to a people as a peoples misery lies very much in the iniquity of Rulers so a peoples happiness lies much in the godliness of their Rulers if the Judgements of Rulers are right in the things of God if their hearts do indeed love God if they themselves do make conscience to walk in the ways of God if they once come to be tender of the honour of God and will own and encourage the power and practise of godliness why such Rulers are a singular blessing unto a people and they are a means of manifold blessings unto them And therefore faithful and zealous Prophets are an eminent strength and safety to a Nation who are special helps for all those gracious qualities in such as do govern a Nation 5. I might add one thing more to demonstrate the assertion and that is this faithful Prophets are much in prayer for a Civil State and their prayers are very prevailing with God Said Samuel Gather 1 Sam. 7. 5. 9. 2. all Israel together to Mizpeh and I will pray for you unto the Lord and he cried unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him His prayer was a means to discomfit the Host of the Philistims so when there was a great drought in the Land of Israel that it was like to perish Elijah prayed Iam. 5. 18. and the heavens gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruits his prayer was a means to preserve the Land many more instances might be given but I must hasten to the application of all this unto our selves Is the death and loss of any Vse 1 one faithful and zealous Prophet of God a just cause of grief and lamentation Then what sad thoughts and melting affections should take us up for the death and loss of many eminently faithful and zealous Prophets of God Dr. Hill Mr. Wilson Master Whitaker c. We have of late lost many precious Servants of Christ many faithful Laborers in his Vine-yard I fear that we have not laid those losses to heart that may be affirmed of most of us which is spoken in Isa 57. 1. The righteous perisheth no man layeth it to heart merciful men are taken away and no man considereth that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come There are unto me yet four sad presages of some future evil and they are 1. The great indifferency about the great truths of Christ 2. The great want of the power of godliness in the Land superstition and prophaness still abounding 3. The great contempt of the Ministers of the Gospel 4. The great inconsideration of the death of so many choice Prophets Servants of God To many persons their life is a burden and their death is a rejoycing When Mctellus heard of the death of Scipio Africanus he ran out into the publick Forum or Market place and cryed out O Citizens come ye forth Concurrite cives urbis vestrae moenia corruerunt and consult what is to be done for the walls of your City are fallen down Surely there is matter of deep thoughts and sad afflictions in these solemn dispensations of God of late For an Husband man to pull out the weeds in the garden this is nothing but for him to pluck up the Flowers and the choice Plants there is something in this for him to take away the rotten Hedge this is nothing but to break down the wals about the Vineyard there is something in this To take off a tile from the top of the house it is nothing O but to take away the Pillars there is some great change now indeed We read that when Noah that Preacher of righteousness was taken into the Ark then the flood followed seldom doth God gather his Prophets by clusters as it were but there is some great evil neer unto a people nevertheless people generally are secure and stupid and foolish though God smites them in one of the choicest blessings which he vouchsafes to the Sons of men They see loss upon loss and death upon death here a Minister dead and there a Minister carried to his grave and usually this is all the fruits of it Is such a one dead and I pray you how long was he sick and whereof did he die and what hath he left his poor wife and children It is great pitty the man was an honest man and preacht well and here is all Now to such careless and cold and dull persons especially if any such have had any reference unto faithful and laborious Ministers who can thus slightly pass over the death of their Pastors I have four things to say 1. It is a sign that you never truly loved their persons no no for all your complements and for all your pretences yet you never truly loved them of all affections love is most apprehensive and sensible If it enjoys there is much delight If it loseth there is much sorrow love is very sensible of what it enjoyes and of what it loses 2. It is a sign that you never prized them in their Ministry if you make no more of them being dead certainly you made little of them being living affections do most appear and discover themselves upon death absense and difficulties and oppositions and death these are tryals and discoveries of true love and therefore if you can so slightly bear the loss of your faithful Ministers assuredly you never knew the
worth and use of them as Ministers of Christ 3. It is a sign that you never received any Spiritual good by them at all If you had done so your hearts would have been knit unto them in life and at least have shed a tear for them in death Their death would presently call up all those heavenly counsels and all those seasonable directions and all those spiritual satisfactions and all those sweet comforts of God which you by them did receive At such a time I remember how he thus spake and at such a Sermon and at such a meeting and in such a conference and now I shall never see him more nor confer with him more the heart would melt to think of these things 4. It is a sign that God hath in Judgement taken away your faithful Ministers from you even for your want of love to the truth and for your slighting and neglecting the means of Grace for which you must give a severe account unto God And let me tell you that so many faithful Ministers as you have heard and so many heavenly Sermons as you have heard or should have heard the more heavy will the account be unto God and the more dreadfull will Gods Judgements be upon you for your unthankfulness and unprofitableness I grant that the Prophets dye but remember that a peoples accounts for the pains and labours of those Prophets never die but do remain upon Record as a witness against you The next use shall be an Vse 2 Item unto all of us here this day and more especially to them who are particularly interessed in our great loss that they would in a singular manner lay to heart this great breach which God hath made and this great loss which hath suddenly and unexpectedly befallen us Ah Sirs Who that saw and heard that precious Minister of Christ the beginning of the last week did think to hear of his death towards the latter end of the same week who that heard him preaching of laying up treasure in heaven did imagine that such a treasure should be taken away from earth and himself so suddenly be laid up in heaven Alas for me to speak of this Prophet and of one common loss of the many losses in this one loss truly I am not fit I am not able because I knew him much and honored him much and loved him much only this I will say of him That one so plain in heart so deep in judgement so painful in studies so frequent and powerful and exact in preaching so laborious with and useful to his Congregation so able to convince the Gainsayer so zealous in contending for the Truths of Christ so fit for all Ministerial Services besides his personal and domestical course of Godliness of his time I have not known the like Really he was another Elijah let me a little compare them How zealous was Elijah against the false Prophets of Baal How laborious was Elijah to bring back the people of Israel to the true God and to the true worship of God How stout and resolute was Elijah in delivering the Message of God even to the face of King Ahab How quick was he with Ahaziah for sending messengers unto Baalzebub the God of Ekron How fervent and potent in Prayer How diligently laborious to his dying day How sudden was his remove and departure All this Spirit and much more then this of the Spirit of Elijah was found in him Now if you do but consider what eminent gifts and graces appeared in him and how seriously and humbly and dexteriously these were laid out for the glory of Christ and for the service and benefit of the Church of Christ we have cause in the loss of such a Prophet to cry out My Father my Father The Charet of Israel and the Horsemen thereof But I will speak no more of Vse 3 him nor to you of him his death I see hath made a general and deep impression upon your hearts All that remains to be spoken shall be unto you his Hearers and especially unto you his late Congregation there are four things which I would briefly offer unto you 1. Grieve in a Spiritual way and upon Spiritual considerations that God hath deprived you of such a Spiritual Pastor and Helper and Comforter 2. Remember and lay up those soul-saving Truths which you have so often heard from him wisely improve them in all your occasions when Elijah was wrapt up to heaven Elisha took up the cloak which fell from him and made use thereof O take up all those gracious instructions which fell from him in his life and make use of them now after his death keep them alive and so you shal find him stil living 3. Hold fast that form of wholsom words by him from Christ delivered unto you and as you have received so walk in them let not your stedfastness dye now he is dead 4. Most humbly and earnestly strive with the Lord by Fasting and Prayer that seeing it is his will to take away Elijah from you that he would be pleased in his love and mercy to give unto you an Elisha in his room FINIS
we shall inquire where a mans love is that by this means we may know where his heart is and I am perswaded if you take these following Rules and observe them carefully that you will not miscarry in your Judgement First Would a man know where his love is what is that he especially desires union with For amor est affectus unionis love is an affection that carries a tendency to union Now this will appear if you observe the love of God the pattern union with God was first in Gods intention because this is last in his execution the people of God in glory are brought into immediate vision of him and into the closest union with him But this being last in execution I say this was first in intention He loved them with an everlasting love that is he had intention from eâ—ernity of union with them Pray observe it there is indeed a double union with God 1. Of Dependence one is general of all the creatures and that 's a Union of dependency In him we live move and have our being Yea all the creatures have so they cannot live separate from God one moment The Angels in heaven did not this union continue they would fall to nothing immediatly there is a union of dependency but that is general and belongs to all the Creatures But there is a special Union that is peculiar to the Saints by the indwelling of God in them they dwell in God and God in them such a union as no creature in the world but a Saint hath by the elapses of God into the soul Now God loves the Saints and his love carries a tendency to union So Jesus Christ loved his people what for that he might become one with them That he that sanctifies and they that are sanctified might become one why so you will finde that the love of the people of God carries them unto union with God and Christ as the love of God and Christ carries them to union with the Saints there is indeed a natural union that is by constitution but there is a moral union by inclination by sympathy and that 's double there is a union of likeness and there is a union of fruition and enjoyment for the union that the Saints of God shall have hâ—reafter is far different from what they have here here it is of similitude there it is of enjoyment where a mans love is there is a tendency to union an inclination to union 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit and the man that is glewed to the Lord so the word doth signifie then the man that loveth God is a man glewed to God he is united to him for union is the tendency of the heart so Sichem loved Iacobs daughter Dinah and the text saith His soul clave to her or as the Septuagint uses the same word his soul was glewed so that where a man loveth the soul goeth out to be united to that which is beloved Now if a man love God then my heart follows hard after God the soul goeth out in the pursuit of the thing beloved and all is that it may be made one with God and to this end you have two Metaphors very remarkable in the Scripture one is that of a hunter Gen. 10. 9. Nimrod was a mighty hunter Ier. 16. 16. I will bring hunters among you Prov. 23. 27. The wicked rosteth not that which he taketh in hunting What is the meaning of these expressions why they are all to set forth the pursuit of the soul after that which it loveth just as the hunter pursues the poor creature that flies so the soul what it loves it pursues and is in continual pursuit of take men that love riches and honours their souls are continually going out to union with them so a man that loves God his soul is in pursuit of God as that Hermite in a story that sometime I have read finding a great Gallant hunting in a desolate wilderness Askt him what he did there he told him He came a hunting there Et ego Deum venor meum And I said he came hither to hunt after my God t is in pursuit of my God There is another Metaphor and that is a merchandize Prov. 3. 15. the merchandize of wisdom it s spoken of trading for Christ and grace and the things of eternity he that Trades for Christ is called a Merchant man Matth. 13. 45. and so also they that trade for any earthly thing are said to be Merchants Romes merchandise you read of Rev. 18. 11. Make merchandise of souls 2. Pet. 2. 3. and of Ephraim Hos 12 7. He is a merchant what is that why the meaning is this they wholly trade for things below for as Merchant men go forth to make themselves possessors of riches make it their business so to do so it is with the soul of a man the heart is a merchant it goeth out to what it loves and never leavs till it hath possest it now I pray do you consider what is it your souls desire most what do you hunt for what do you trade in there is thy love whoever thou art if it be Jesus Christ and Communion with God and the things of eternal life if thou art in the pursuit of these constantly there is thy heart if it he after wealth and honour these thou huntest for as prey assuredly there is thy love and thy heart and thy treasure that 's the first Rule Secondly would a man know where his love is the nearer love comes to the thing beloved the swifter it moves the nearer a mans love comes to possess the thing he loves the swifter it moves yea it stretches after it then see it in worldly things or else what means that expression Psal 62. 10. If riches increase set not your hearts upon them if you want riches set not your hearts upon them take heed of that for the nearer a man comes to enjoy them the more his heart goeth out unto them and therefore covetous men the richer they are the more miserably they scrape and gape after riches and the reason is this because the nearer a mans love comes to the thing beloved the swifter it moves after it and with the greater earnestness Hab. 1. 6. There is a man that loads himself with thick clay the man hath already too much for his graces for his parts for his comforts and already too much for his accompt but yet notwithstanding the more he hath the more his heart grasps after it still thus it is with every mans love the nearer it comes to possess its object the swifter it moves after it so the Apostle speaks of spirituals Phil. 3. 13 14. Not that I have already obtained but I press hard to the mark I am in a vehement pursuit as if you could take a stone from the earth and place it in the Orb of the Sun yet the stone having a tendency downward still moves
towards its center and the nearer it comes to the center the swifter would its motion be so if you could take an ungodly man and place him in heaven yet notwithstanding his heart would move towards the earth his love is there and the nearer it comes to enjoy it the more earnest would his motion be towards it I remember on this account it is that Bernard saith God puts his people here into the condition of betrothed persons here are but the Espousals the Marriage is to come what is the reason that there must be time between the betrothing and the marriage that desires may be kindled so much the more the nearer a man comes to the enjoyment of a thing that he loves sure the more vehemently his heart is carried after it as for this cause you have the first fruits of the spirit that the more you taste the more you may be carried after the full crop of them as the Lord carried the people of Israel to see the Land of Canaan before they enjoyed it as the Goths having once tasted the sweet wines of Italy would never be quiet until they enjoyed the Countrey where those sweet wines grew Examine thy self by this the nearer thou comest to enjoy that thou lovest the swifter and the more vehement thy heart moves towards it if the more thou hast of this world with the more violence thou runnest upon it as some men do that think they shall never have enough grasp after it with great earnestness so on the contrary the more thou hast got of interest in Christ the more communion thou hast with him the more thy heart acts to him with the greater earnestness and impatiency a great Argument there is thy love Thirdly love is bountifull where thy bounty is there is thy love that is certain where a man bestows most bounty there he shews most love it is the opening of the heart that opens the hand and therefore acts of the greatest bounty are demonstrations of the highest love you read of a woman that had much forgiven her and she loved much the same woman came with a box of spikenard very costly Joh. 12. she loved much and therefore thought nothing too much for the thing beloved Gods love is so he loves his people and therefore because he can give no greater he bestows himself he loves his people and therefore he gives his son thus Sichem loved Dinah and therefore said Ask me never so much dowry love is bountifull Sampson loved Dalilah and though he ventured his life in it yet notwithstanding he told her all his heart Consider I beseech you this is another tryal the Apostle 2 Cor. 8. 3. stirs them up to a liberal contribution to the poor what is it for to prove the sincerity of your love men it may be will think the Minister speaks many times for particular interests and private respects alas t is to prove the sincerity of your love which is seen in bounty now tell me where your bounty is laid out why truly my bounty is on my apparel and I think there I can never be too profuse because I think this poor carcass of mine never fine enough or on my body I love to feast and to have abundance of the creatures certainly there is thy love but is thy bounty to God and things of Religion Why then there is thy love Take a man now that loves his belly and he thinks nothing too much that he lays out upon it Some of you have read the History of Sardanapalus who thought nothing too much no costs no pains so he might serve his belly so Haman loved his revenge and thought nothing too much for it Pray examine where your bounty is assuredly there is your love David when he was to build the Temple he thought no cost too much but this I have done out of my poverty this was an argument that the things of God carried the love of the man with them this will prove the sincerity of your love very much do not deceive and flatter your selves I pray t is a large heart that makes an open hand Fourthly love is laborious it grudges no pains for the thing beloved then where a mans love goeth his labour goeth therefore called the labour of love Heb. 6. 10. and truly a man may conclude easâ—ly from 1 Cor. 15. â—0 that he that said I laboured more then they all therein implyed I love more then they all for a mans labour is suitable to his love he that laboureth most loveth most now if a man love riches all his pains go out that way where his love is there is his labour Hab. 2. 13. Is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people labour in the fire and weary themselves toilsom wasting labour and labouring in vain is called labouring in the fire wicked men labour for vanity what is that why as the Psalmist saith they love vanity and therefore they weary themselves for that you read of a man Eccles 4. 8. that there is no end of all his labour why his love is endless to the things of this life and therefore his labour is so there is no end of his labour his eye is not satisfied with riches so the Lord Jesus Christ he loves God the Fathers business and therefore laboured till he had spent his natural strength and radical moisture Humidum radicale Isaiah 49. 4. I have laboured in vain and spent my strength in vain My brethren a man that is slothfull there is no love in that man lazy love is pretended love for where love is and according to the degrees of it such will a mans labour be you that finde dulness in duties and the ways of God you do not run the ways of Gods commands strengthen your love and you will mend your pace that is certain now pray look to your whole lives and observe what your labour is laid out for It is the observation of one of the Ancients and a very spiritual one Infra vires amor iniquus est juxta exiguus non capit at ad impossibilitatem tendit amor love that doth not put forth it self in utmost labour is unsound love that which goes to its measure and strength and no more is true love but weak love do not tell me t is beyond my strength no love tends to impossibilities to labour in those things which t is impossible for him to attain It s observed of Mary when she came to Christs Sepulchre her love outbid her strength If you have taken away my Lord tell me where you have laid him and I will carry him away would you know where your love is examine where the labour of your life is and consider how much you have laboured for the things of this world and how little for God and Christ How little have I digged for wisdom pray by these Rules examine where you have placed your love Fifthly would you know where your love is Love