THE Christians heauenly Treasure BY WILLIAM BVRTON of Reading in Barkeshire MATTHEW 16. 26. What shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his owne soule PHILIP 3. 7. The things that were vantage vnto mee the same I counted losse for Christs sake 8 And doe iudge all things to be dunge that I might winne Christ. LONDON Printed by T. E. for Thomas Man senior and Ionas Man dwelling in Pater-noster-Row at the signe of the Talbot 1608. TO the right VVorshipfull and religious Knight Sir Drue Drurie encrease of Grace and Peace in this life and fulness of heauenly treasure in the life to come RIght VVorshipfull Maecenas in regard of the manifolde fauours and encouragements which I haue receiued from you euer since I first entred into the sacred worke of the Ministrie first in Norfolke at your house by Norwich where then you remayned and many times since I doe heere as dutie bindeth mee offer vnto your VVorshipfull Patronage this short Treatise of the Christians heauenly Treasure which sheweth in some sort the difference betweene false goods and true goods betweene Heauen and Earth the riches of the one and the riches or penurie rather of the other and the way how to enioy the one without losse of the other Which is not to teach you any thing that yet you know not for God bee praysed you knew these things long agoe but as S. Peter wrighteth to confirme strengthen your godly minde and to vphold your holy Faith which long since through the mercy of God shined in you accompanied with true loue the handmaid of Faith to the great glory of God the ioye of the godly and the comfort of the Saints hearts This Argument doth of right belong vnto your Worship because the Lord hath plentifully replenished your hart with the loue of heauenly things and true zeale vnto his glory for heauenly matters onely in heauenly minds and sanctified harts receiue kind entertainment like the Angels in Lots house reioysing each in others company conference like Mary and Elizabeth but they shun the companie of the wicked like the Wise men which balked Herods house returned another way when they vnderstood what a Fox he was The God of all Mercie and Consolation who hath made your old age glorious by crowning the same with a most constant loue and sincere profession of his blessed Truth so prosper your holy proceedings and religious endeuours that at the end of this your earthly pilgrimage you may with holy Simeon depart in peace and receiue with all Saints that crowne of immortall glory and endlesse rest which God hath prepared for you and for all those that loue and desire the glorious appearing of the Lord Iesus Christ. From my friends house in London this 21. of Ianuarie 1607. Your Worships in all Christian affection VVilliam Burton THE Christians Heauenly Treasure MATTHEVV 6. 19. Lay not vp Treasures for your selues in earth where the Moth and Canker corrupt and where Theeues digge through and steale 20 But lay vp for your selues Treasures in Heauen where neither the Moth nor Canker corrupteth and where Theeues neither dig through nor steale 21 For where your Treasure is there will your hart bee also OVr Sauiour Christ hath in the former part of this chapter condemned the fond affectation of Vaine-glory as the onely bane and poyson of all good actions wherof he giueth three instances The one in giuing of Almes The other in Fasting The last in Prayer He now for biddeth worldlinesse and greedy desire of earthly things as dangerous an enemie to our Saluation no lesse a staine vnto our Christian profession as the former Vaine-glory and Hypocrisie as a burning poyson that infecteth and inflameth the inward parts is to be auoyded yea as a Theefe that robbeth the Almightie of his glory is to be pursued Greedy Couetousnesse or worldlinesse as Thrones that choke the graces of Gods Spirit is to bee plucked vp by the rootes As a spirituall Feuer that relisheth no goodnesse but distasteth all Hâ—â—uenly and Spirituall things is to bee purged and taken heed of yea the desire of riches is to bee auoyded as a streame both deepe and swift that will both drowne mens soules carry them quite away from God To that ende Saint Paul saith they that will bee rich meaning whether God will or no or before the time that God hath appointed fall into many noysome and foolish lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction to shew in what a miserable case a worldling is for speak to a drowned man smite him teach him and cry out vnto him or sound a Trumpet in his Eare and he heareth not he feeleth not and so is it with a man whose hart is drowned in the cares of this World and loue of riches And yet those are in greatest admiration for the world doth not onely desire to be hauing more still but doth admire those that haue worldly Treasures Therefore our Sauiour Christ doth warne vs of that gnawing Worme and tels vs that if wee bee so greedy of the world as to set our harts vpon it we loose heauen for our laboâ—â— And therefore wee must take heed how wee vse this world for Christ would teach vs how to vse the world that wee bee not cousened by it A little thing certaine is better then much vncertaine as a poore man with a little Coppy-hold is better to passe in that respect than hee that hath much and no assurance in it The World is vncertaine for it is in danger of Theeues which will rob or of Mothes which will fâ—eâ— or of Rust which will consume or of Death which wil end all but Heauen is not subiect to any of these nor the like Againe hee that will bee saued must send Treasure before hand to Heauen and not driue of till death come for none shall finde Treasure there but they that lay it vp before they dye As a man that remooueth to another place to abide there sendeth his stuffe and prouision before him so they that meane to remoue hence and to abide in Heauen must send their Treasure thether before hand by relieuing the poor and helping forward other holy chaâ—â—table works And wheras some alledge for themselues that they haue had great losses c. and therefore cannot giue any thing to the poore or other holy and charitable vses they must know that they haue the more need to giue and to bee liberall and to doe good with that they haue and so to lay vp in Heauen when the World goeth from them or else they will bee poore both here and there too Now if any man bee desirous to know whether he hath any treasure in heauen or no let him take this course First let him see what it is that doth command his hart and next what doth most moue him and touch him and lastly what hee taketh most delight in and what he beateth his braine about most
to pray for thee and all the Creatures to serue thee and therefore art of all the Creatures the most noble and excellent thou must needs haue somewhat to delight in to occupy thy minde vpon and to set thy hart vpon Take heede it bee not vpon earthly things for all the earth cannot yeeld thee a fit match thou being called to so high and heauenly â— calling but heauen can In earth is â—othing that can make thee happy but in heauen there is happinesse it selfe In earth there is no commoditie without a discommoditie but in heauen there is In earth is no perpetuitie but in heauen there is In earth there is no securitie or safetie but in heauen there is both therefore Lay not vp thy Treasure in earth where the Moth and Canker corrupteth and where Theeues dig through and steale but in heauen where is no such matter Or it may thus bee expounded Thou which art a Christian doe not so greedely seeke after earthly substance as thereby to neglect thy heauenly substance as the manner of all men is to do by nature like Esau who was so hungry for a messe of his brothers pottage that for loue thereof and for feare of â—taruing except he had it lost his birth-right for which prophane part of his heâ— could not finde any place to repencance although hee sought the blessing with teares Verely a thing this is that may make our harts to ake for wee are at Esaucs passe So we may get the world keepe our customers and win the pottage wee are safe but marke thou that art of Esaues humour well maiest thou weepe for the losse of thy temporall benefits but for this damnable profanenesse of thine in preferring of Earth before Heauen except Gods grace bee the more abounding towards thee thou wilt hardly repent Therefore if thou be wise indeed as thou wouldest seeme to bee forsake Esaues dyet in time and lay not vp Treasure in Earth where Moth and Canker do corrupt and Theeues break through and steale c. Heare Christs reason Where Moths doe fret Canker corrupteth and Theeues dig through and steale The summe of his reason is this that whatsouer this world affordeth is subiect to consumption or corruption or both if it bee in vse it is consumed with the vse if it bee not vsed then it corrupteth for want of vse The consuming and spending of these worldly goods is eyther by the owners of them or by Theeues that oftentimes are pertakers of them to the hurt of the owner They are also consumed â—yther by sensible and liuing Creatures as by Mothes Flyes Mice and Rats and such like or else by insensible dead things as Rust and Mould and Fire and Water and Ayre and Age c. Now consider the matter consult giue sentence What madnes is it to prouide for theeues and Robbers What inhumanitie to giue that to Mothes and Mice c. which is better bestowed vpon thy selfe vpon thy familie or vpon the poore What vanitie yea what misery is this to bee a slaue to such things as theeues and robbers Vermine and rottennesse shall do minier ouer and in a short time must perish eyther in the vse or for want of vse This doe not worldlings consider they locke vp and lay vp and put out their Treasures to be kept for them yet can they not keep their garments from Moths nor their golde and siluer from Rust nor any thing they haue from one casualtie or another long When they haue gotten goods together they cannot promise vnto themselues either perpetuitie of them or securitie And what a misery is that but either their goods or themselues must weare away and their goods are in daunger for their properties sake and the owners are in danger for their goods sake Neither are these all the discommodities that thy Treasure is subiect vnto who knoweth not that the Fire may consume them as it hath done thousands or the Water may drowne them as it hath done thousands or the Plague may infect them as it hath done thousands or Time may weare them as it hath done millions of thousands or Death may fetch thee away as it hath done infinit millions of thousands Besides all this consider how manie haue beene vndone by vnconscionable Debtors by crafty headed Lawyers by vnthrifâ—re Children by vntrusty Seruants Yet this is not all for what restles care doth teare thee in getting them what tormenting feare doth abate thy comfort in keeping them and what hart breaking sorrow doth vexe thee in loosing of them Yet this is not all neither for here thou art praysed there thou art dispraysed now thou art loued by and by thou art enuied of some thou art admired of many thou art scorned and all for thy wealths sake The worldling is like a Mill driuen violently by a maine streame and great prouision is made to feede in one place and to coole in another the Sacke is brought to feede the Mill and the Mill grindeth and weareth it selfe to fill the Sacke againe and still the Wheele is where it was for all his whirling about and as you finde it so you leaue it so is it with a worldly man and his goodes but this similitude applyeth it selfe I will therefore follow it no further This wee all know but how often or rather how seldome doe wee thinke vpon it or remember it or make vse of it to stay vs from greedy coueting and egar pursuing of the World with the hazard of our Saluation The Diuell hee cryeth follow the World compasse the worlds goods oh thou shalt profit thy selfe but Christ saith What shall it profit a man to winne the World yea the whole World and to loose his owne Soule that the Diuell concealeth yea he dealeth with vs as hee did with Christ himselfe hee shewed Christ the glory and maiestie of worldly kingdomes but not the troubles and tumults not the daungers and enimies of the same So he deludeth the fooles of this world he sheweth them the brauery of the Court but not the vanitie that is in the Court hee sheweth them the glory of honour but not the daunger of honour he sheweth the flowers of Beautie but not the deceiptfulnesse of Beautie hee sheweth the commodities of Offices but not the discommodities of Offices he sheweth the wealth of such a Country but not the enuie misery of the same country And thus are the Fooles of this world as God himselfe calles them deluded and abused yea and destroyed many times by the Diuels shewes like the miserable Troyans who doted so much vpon the Grecians counterfaite and monstrous horse that they would neuer leaue vntill they had pulled downe the wals of their Cittie to get it in neuer dreaming of the hidden mischiefes and armed Souldiers that lay in the belly thereof prepareâ—d for their present destruction But they see what a shew this maketh and what a shew that maketh and meruailous it is in
which minde earthly things therfore their end is damâ—ation And thus we see how the profane Irreligiousnesse the deceiptfull dealing the wicked liuing and the cursed ending of worldlings doe all cry out with one consent and bid vs beware that we lay not vp Treasure on earth onely where Moths doe gnaw and Rust doth consume and Theeues breake through and steale When the men of Lystra would haue worshipped Paul and Barnabas those blessed Apostles cryed out O men why doe you such things wee are euen men as you be and subiect to the same passions that yee bee yet scarce refrained they the people that they had not sacrificed vnto them So when worldlings would sacrifice their harts to earthly Treasure doth not the earth cry out and say O vaine man what dost thou meane I am as thy selfe and as base as thy selfe I was another mans and am for euery mans turne I am enuironed with thornes and Bryers and inhabited with Toads Vipers and noysome Vermine all my commodities are haunted with moths cankers with Theeues and Diuels yet scarse doe they refraine from offering sacrifice vnto them I know not whereunto the earthly Treasure may bee better resembled then vnto the huge horse that the Greekes had prepared for the destruction of Troy if that story be true which made a great and goodly shew but vterum armato milite complent it was within full of armed Souldiers who when they saw their fittest opportunitie issued out of his panch to the vtter ruine of all those that doted so much vpon it and tooke so much paines to bring it into the Cittie But most pithy was the counsaile of Lacoon that valiant and prudent Cittizen concerning that monstrous mountaine of hidden mischiefes and happy had it beene for that Cittie if his counsaile had beene followed and surely Simeus non leua fuisset as the Poet speaketh if they had not beene too light of beliefe and too much enchaunted with a false perswasion thereof they had done well enough for hee spake plainely enough when he told them that Aut hocinclusi ligno occultantur Achiui aut hoec in â—ostros fabricata est machina muros Eyther sayth hee our enimies lye lurking in this woodden horse or else it is some Engine erected for the battering of our wals Nay more Aut aliquis latet error Equo nè crediâ—â— Teucri There is more mischiefe in it then wee are aware of O Troyans bee wise and take heede you trust not a Horse Yea but it is a gifte that the Greekes haue left for Pallas Well saith hee Quicquid id est ti meo Danaos dona ferentes Make what you can of it saith hee there is no trusting to the Greekes though they come with gifts in their hands So hee that hath a spirituall eye indeed that can pearce further then to the out-side of worldly shewes can truely say it and may safely iustifie it that the golden shewes of profits and pleasures which are often in this world presented vnto his view haue eyther some secret mischiefes lurking in them or are like some strange engine erected to batter his estate or to cut his throate or to ouerwhelme his head with cares and feares or to prouoke him to some desperate attempt but let the best bee made of it that can bee made yet the world is not to bee trusted though it comes sawning and flattering creeping and crouching to a man with giftes and presents in the hand for in a kisse was treason and Ioabs kind embracings prooue but deadly stabbings and the wisest that euer was amongst the sonnes of men hauing made tryall of all and taken not a taste but his fill of all the treasures and pleasures that this world could possibly inuent for the delight and strength of a king could at the casting vp of his accompts giue no better verdict of it but this Vanitie of Vanities and all is but Vanitie and vexation of spirit And here againe one wiser and greater then Salomon tels vs if we haue grace to beleeue him that both the rust and the Moth and the Canker and the Theefe and all cry out vnto vs and bid vs take heed how we dote vpon worldly Treasure Of this discourse we may make good vse when wee are tempted to the breaking of Gods Commandements for the gayning of the worlds goods When any is tempted let him but reason thus with his soule My Soule what thou wouldest haue thou seest but what thou shalt haue thou seest not thou seest the horse but not what hee hath in his belly thou seest the Bee but not her sting thou seest sweet meat but not the sower sauce thou seest the baite but not the hooke the cheare but not the reckoning a fawning face but not the hand at the back In a word thou beholdest the profite that thou art like to get by profaning of the Sabboth with working and drudging the gaine of Vsury and Bribery the commoditie of lying and cogging and the gaine of deceit and falshood and the like but what stings and wounds thou shalt get in thy Conscience by following of those spirituall Couseners thou dost not consider and therefore stay and proceede no further vnlesse thou wilt bee so mad as to loose Heauen for Hell Agane when thou art in prayer or hearing of Gods word or about any other of thy godly deuotions and feelest thy heart stepping aside to haue conference with earthlie cogitations doe but say thus to thy selfe with Salomon for whom is it that I now care is it not for the world that will cousen me of the word is it not earthly treasure that cals my minde away that I might loose this Heauenly treasure returne then O my soule vnto thy rest and keepe thy standing beware least thou be cousened of the heauenly verity with a shew of earthly vanitie And in like manner when thou hapnest to loose any worldlie commoditie neuer lay it to heart but euen say this to thy selfe now the world hath shewed it selfe like it selfe God hath taken that from me which otherwise would haue pulled me from him As a louing father he hath but taken from mee that knife wherwith I might like a child haue hurt my self And as a most wise captaine he hath rid me of my luggage that I might pursue my enemies more swiftly and make more expedition toward my heauenly countrie where are better things prouided for me euen such as no fire can consume no Moth can freet no Theefe can steale no time can weare so with patience let it goe and giue God thankes that hath better prouided for thee then thou wert aware of But lay vp for your selues treasure in heauen where c. Our Sauiour Christ hauing forbidden the gredy seeking of earthly things and brought men out of conceit with the bewitching vanities of this life he presently offereth vnto vs better things and commaundeth vs to lay them vp in heauen
as Religious dowrie and vpon condition that they liue vertuously and liberally amongst their Brethren they wil none for the one they wil deale but not for the other but hee that hath the one must haue the other also and whosoeuer will straine himselfe for the best part shall bee sure to haue his share in the other as hee that married Ruth with her meane portion lost nothing thereby because shee was a vertuous woman and what was wanting in goods shee had it supplyed in goodnesse so he that hath godlinesse can be no looser for Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things saith the Apostle and hath the promises of this life and of the life to come Godlinesse will make thy selfe and thy seed thy ground and thy cattell thy wealth and thy credit to bee blessed It is like the Tree that bearetâ— fruit euery month beareth twelue manner of fruits and the leaues thereof are good to heale the nations withall And as for them that thinke that godlinesse is not fit for all things for all times and for all places but count it a dead world when vnchast daunces ribald songs and other scurrilitie are restrained at feasts and marriages and other merry meetings nor can relish any mirth or ioy that is seasoned with words of grace it seemeth they are better acquainted with the sacrifices of the Indians than with the sacrifices of Christians But let them speake that haue made tryal Haue any done as Malachie willeth them that is brought their Tithes and offrings liberally and freely vnto Gods house for the maintenance of the Lords seruants and seruice and hath not the Lord according to his promise opened the windowes of heauen and powred out a blessing vpon them Haue any suffred hunger and thirst for righteousnes sake which hunger onely is saâ—ra fames holy hunger indeed and not bene filled with good things Hath any faithfull person decayed in his outward man and hath not his inward man beene renued daily Haue any seene Christ in some part of his glory and not beene rauished with a desire to dwell there still Nay more hath any followed him in this râ—generation as he saith himselfe that doth not now and shall atâ— thâ— last day sit on seats to iudge the nations of the world Hath any with the poore Widdow of Saâ—â—ptaâ— shewâ—d kindnesse and beene at cost with the Lords Prophets and not found it againe with increase Haue any for the loue of Christs gospell left all and followed him in time of persecution and not bene prouided for sufficiently Hath any with the woman of Samaria left scoffing at Christs words and hath not her hart beene so enflamed with the Truth that shee hath runne in to call forth her neighbours to take part of her happinesse Haue any with Paul and Silas beene imprisoned for preaching of Christ Iesus and haue they not found that in prison which hath made them to sing Psalmes for ioy Hath any gone to the Lords warres at his owne cost or planted the Lords vineyard and not drinke of the wine Hath any laboured in the Lords husbandry and gone away without his reward Haue any at any time beleeued God and ben deceiued Hath any trusted God with his estate that hath not beene compassed about with the mercies of the Lord Hath any loued the Lord and not bene loued againe Hath any craued day and not beene borne withall repented and not beene forgiuen In a word did euer any imploy his talent to the Lords aduantage and not more to his owne aduantage for haue they not besides the receipt of commendations for their faithfulnesse beene put in possession of their maisters ioy And on the contrary hath any neglected the gifts of God bestowed vpon him and hath it not bene to his owne losse as hee that hid his Talent in the ground Hath any Esau sould his birth-right and not lost the blessing Hath any Iudas sould his Master and betrayed the truth not been the first that repented the bargaine by that time that he and the gallowes or the Diuell or both haue reckoned together Haue any with Demas forsaken gods seruants to follow this present world and not with Hymeneuâ— and Alexander made shipwrack of faith a good conscience Beleeue mee good brethren it will stand vs in hand to looke lesse to our earthly Treasure and more after the heauenly least in the end wee loose both To conclude therefore this point seeing as the Christians heauenly Treasure which is both Christ himselfe and all the riches of his Gospell bee so excellent rare and precious that nothing may bee compared therewith and seeing the treasures of this his kingdome of Grace though they bee inestimable and vnspeakable are but a tast and earnest of those treasures which bee reserued for the Saints in his kingdome of glory And lastly seeing as they which seeke after the heauenly Treasure shall also haue earthly blessings to accompanie the same as farre forth as God shall see good for his children let euery Christian hart bee hereby moued and perswaded to lay vp from henceforth Treasure in heauen rather than on earth sith euery man desireth the best things As the Christians heauenly Treasure is so bee preferred before all things for the Excellencie thereof so also is it here commended vnto vs by our blessed Sauiour for the Perpetuitie and the Securitie of the same For their Perpetuitie hee saith that neither Moth can eate it nor Rust consume it And for their security the safe keeping he tels thee that they are where no Theefe can dig through and steale them meaning that no enimie whether terrestiall or infernall whether man or Diuell can possibly deceiue thee or depriue thee of them Now as touching the Perpetuitie of the Christians heauenly Treasure it is such and of so long continuance that euen in that respect it is to bee preferred beefore all earthly and transitorie Commodities for all earthly commodities and treasures they are eyâ—ther vsed or not vsed if they bee put to any vse or employment they consume and weare if they be put to no vse but lye by then they are corrupted which corruption also abateth not a little both of their substance and glory But as for the Heauenly Treasures of Gods grace and spirit they are neyther consumed nor corrupted There is more vse of them then of any earthly thing whatsoeuer yet are they not neyther can they bee subiect to any consumption Nay they are no whit the worse but much the better for the vsing Tell me is there not a daylie yse of Prayer of Preaching of Faith of Charitie of Repentance of Patience of Hope of Humilitie c. And are they not through continuall vse encreased strengthened and made easie like the fiue tallents which being put forth to aduantage gained fiue more And as Milo that Tullie speakes of by vsing his strength day by day in carrying of a Calfe did so
increase his strength that hee was able to beare it on his shoulders when it was an Oxe so doth the Christian Soule by inuring his patience and faith to beare smaller crosses that in time hee is able through daylie exercise of the spirit to beare greater crosses and to put vp mighty wrongs Through negligent slothfulnesse cursed ingratitude prophane abusing of Gods heauenly Graces they may dye and decay in thee but the more they are vsed the more they are increased The glorious Garment and royall Robe of Christ that Sonne of Righteousnesse wherewith Saint Iohn saw the Church clothed is neuer worne out nor shall euer be put off vntill faith and Hope bee abolished their pure Gold that they buy of him is neuer spent and their Sunne is neuer set though sometime perhaps it may bee vnder a cloud The Oyle of gladnesse wherewith they are annointed is like the widdows Oyle of Sarepta wherewith shee paid her debts maintained her selfe her house and yet her Cruse was still full Nay Christ turneth the water of his seruants that loue to enuite him vnto their feasts into wine and the oftner it is powred forth the sweeter it is One Helmet of Hope one Shield of Faith one Sword of the Spirit c. shall last all thy life and saue thee in a thousand battailes of temptations and spirituall conflicts and neuer bee worne for whom the Lord loueth hee loueth â—to the end and his mercies endure for euer There is but one Faith one God one Lord one Baptisme one Word one Spirit and one Hope though there bee many misbeliefes many Diuels many falsehoods many doubts there is but one supreame goodnes though many euils that one shall ouercome all and remaine alwayes the same that we may still sing with the Psalmist The mercies of the Lord endure for euer And as the Christians heauenly treasure doth excell for Perpetuitie so also for Securitie for it is laid vp in heauen where the Lord himselfe dwelleth and from whence hee laugheth all Theeues both infernall and terrestiall to scorne Many lay vp their treasure in the bottome of a ship and the sea swalloweth it vp but what sea can deuoure those Treasures that are layd vp in heauen Many put their treasure into other mens hands who spend it vainely or runne away secretly but who can spend or runne away with that which is laid vp in heauen Many bestow their Treasure vpon their backe belly and building three such Bees as will sting the land to death if they be not taken heed of and all perish in the vse by fire or by age or by sicknesse or by death but no such thing can happen to those treasures which are laid vp in heauen Many haue houses and lands and riches and friends to day in very good securitie as the world thinketh and by to morrow they are gone or sold or wasted or stolne or dead or turned to another minde but they that haue once laid vp the Treasures of a good life and a good Conscience in heauen shall bee sure to finde them there and to enioy them for euer for they are so kept to his vse that no Theefe can euer steale them from him And howsoeuer some vaine and presumptuous Persons will not sticke through greedinesse of gaine to vndertake for a quantitie of money to secure a mans goods at sea or at land yet considering the miserable vnquietnesse that mans life is exposed vnto and the vniuersall disagreement and warre that is betweene man and all the Creatures in the world yea betweene the Creatures themselues nay more betweene man and man in all estates and degrees nay more than that between euery man in himselfe I see no reason why any man should be so vnwise as to promise vnto himselfe any secure enioying of any worldly commoditie or why another should so confidently or desperately rather vndertake to secure any mans goods or estate when as hee cannot secure himselfe one minute of an houre to an end And first for the miserable and vnquiet estate of this life I see not what can bee said more to discouer the same then hath beene already said by Petrach that learned Italian Oratour the substance of whose discourse concerning this point I thinke will not bee lost labour to lay before thee which briefly is this that considering the vncertaine and sodaine chaunces changes whereunto the affaires and estates of men are subiect nothing can be more fraile nothing more vnquiet then the life of man In other liuing creatures saith hee it is not so and why because nature hath prouided for them a wonderfull kinde of remedy but what is that remedy might not wee enioy it with them Oh no for it is a certaine ignorance of theÌ„selues by reason wherof they inioy their life and being in lesse misery and more quiet then man doth for in vs onely that haue degenerated both our memory vnderstanding our prouidence and all the diuine gifts of our minde are conuerted or peruerted rather vnto our owne toile destruction for are wee not haunted alwayes with vaine and superfluous yea with noysome and pestiferous Cares which cause vs to bee grieued with the present time to bee vexed with the time past and to bee afraid of the time to come If our life were well gouerned it were the most happy and pleasant thing that wee possesse but now so many causes of miseries and nourishments of sorrowes doe wee daylie heape together that we make our life a wretched and wofull toile whose Entrance is blindnes whose Progresse is labour whose End is sorrow and the whole Course error What Day doe we passe oueâ— in rest and quietnes or rather that we finde not more painefull and troublesome then other What Morning haue we euer passed so merry and pleasant that hath not been ouertaken with some sorrow and heauinesse before night What perpetuall warre is it that wee make against Fortune as some speake which know not the diuine prouidence to be the gouernor of all things Wee onely being weakelings and vnarmed take vpon vs to encounter a most fierce foe in vnequall fight and bee againe as lightly as things of naught tosseth vs vp and throweth vs downe turneth vs round about and playeth with vs so that it were better for vs to be quite oâ—ercome then continually to bee had in scorne And the cause heereof is nothing else but our own lightnesse and daintinesse for wee seeme to bee good for nothing else but to bee tossed hetâ—er and thither like a tennis-ball being creatures of a very short life of infinit carefulnes and ignoraunt vnto what shore to fall with our ship or vnto what resolution to apply our mindes And besides the present euill we haue alwayes somewhat to grieue vs behinde our backs and before our eyes to make vs afraid which thing hapnâ—th to
of man ebbeth and fâ—oweth more turbulently from the beginning to the ending without intermission And what tempests and madnes is there not in these foure passions to hope or desire and to reioice to feare to be sorry which trouble the poore and miserable minde by driuing it with sodaine windes and gales far from the Hauen into the middest of most dangerous Rocks And therefore say not as some doe that thou wilt trust no body but thy selfe or what thou hast once resolued vpon no man shall alter thee from it for they selfe are most variable and thine owne false hart will bee the first that shall betray thee And therefore to conclude and returne where wee began sith the life of man is so full of misery and vnquietnesse sith there is so little agreement nay so much strife and contention betweene all things created sensible and insensible and all against man and sith there is so much discord and iarring in all estates and degrees of men and lastly in euery particular man with himselfe how canst thou now that art a Christian and induced with any sparke of Heauenly light set thy heart vpon the world or any thing that is in the World to make it the study of thy braine the care of thy minde or the ioy of thy heart sith in this world as there is nothing of any Excellency or Perpetuitie so likewise is there nothing of any Securitie or safety but all exposed to perill danger and losse But in heauen it is otherwise looke what Treasures thou sendest thether before thy dying day thou shalt bee sure to haue them secured vnto thy vse for euer and why surely because they are with thy GOD and most louing Father where no Theefe can breake through and steale As this Doctrine should cause vs to leaue our doting vpon this World so it seru eth to stay the troubled Conscience from drooping vnder his sins â— and from despairing of Gods mercy for though thy Siâ—nes bee many and great yet thy Treasure is sure in heauen and there is thy Comfort Haddest thou euer any Peace of Conscience any Comfort in Christ any Ioy in the holy Ghost that same abideth still in heauen for thee and that which thou haddest here was but an earnest of that which is laide vp for thee there But thou canst not see it nor feele it thou canst not pray so effectually as thou wert wont to doe c. What then yet it is in Heauen and nothing can take it from thee God doth not keepe our Treasure from Mothes and Theeues to let the Diuels deceiue vs of it no no it is sure for euer When the Childe abuseth such things as his Father bestoweth vpon him they are taken from him and laid vp till another time and though the foolish Childe would haue them still in his sight yet that may not bee the wisedome of the father will not suffer it so God dealeth with his Children as touching the gifts and graces of his Spirit and the vse of them The similitude applyeth it selfe It sufficeth Iacob to heare that his sonne Ioseph was a liue though hee saw him not so it should much comfort vs to know that our Sauiour Christ liueth in vs though wee alwaies feele him not alike I once loued the word of God thou wilt say and was zealous for the glory of God and did beleeue his promises and did reioyce in the exercises of Religion and prayed continually and grieued heartely for my sinnes Oh then I had Treasure in heauen now all is gone my Spirit is dull and heauie I cannot pray nor meditate with that feeling and comfort that I was wont to feele But doe the Lord no iniurie doe not measure his grace by thy feeling while Sathans messenger did buffâ—t Paul that blessed Apostle could not so sensibly feele Gods grace as before but cryed out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee So whiles temptations doe buffet vs wee are benummed and know not well how it is with vs in respect of Grace but yet Gods grace doth vphold vs for all that Whiles Sathan sifted Peter Christ prayed for him that his Faith might not faile but it was more then Peter felt and so it is with the rest of Gods Children at some times These buffetings and siftings are tokens of Gods fauour yet secret in vs for the time for whom doth Sathan most desire to sift of all the Apostles surely none so much as him that before had made the best confession of Christ. And none are more buffeted then they that haue receiued the greatest Graces Ye shall sorrow saith our Sauiour Christ in the World but in mee yee shall haue ioy and your ioy shall no man take from you no nor Diuell nor Angell nor God himselfe for if wee beleeue not yet God is faithfull saith Saint Paul and not deny himselfe And againe The foundation of God abideth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord lesâ—is depart from iniquiâ—â—e to shew that if wee depart from iniquitie wee shall our selues also know that wee are the Lords yea and to that end wee ought to call on the name of the Lord Iesus that by his grace wee may depart from iniquitie And in so doing we may say as the Apostle saith I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which I haue committed Vnto him against the day of Christ. And whereas thou complainest that thou canst not pray know that yet for all that the Spirit of God may bee in thee For the Spirit saith Paul helpeth our infirmities for we know not how to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with â—ighes which cannot be expressed to shew that when the hearts of Gods Children are oppressed with burdensome Temptations which stop the course and passage of our Prayers that then the Spirit of God makes a supply by sighes and grones But if Gods spirit were in thee thou sayest thou shouldest feele it working in thee some heauenly and spirituall work True it is and so hee doth for euen the sighes and grones of a troubled spirit are the workes of Gods spirit and euen the hungring after righteousnesse is no lesse the work of Grace then the hauing of righteousnesse And the work of Gods Spirit is oftentimes more secret in thee then thou art aware of for could God take a Rib out of Adams side while hee slept and neuer felt it and cannot God put his Spirit into thy hungry and heauie Soule and keepe it there as a Liger while thy Faith sleepeth and thou not feele it God dealeth with his Children as Ioseph dealt with his Brethren who knew them well enough but for a time would not bee knowne of them yea and put their money into their sacks
and if the matters of Heauen and Gods Kingdome doe most commaund his heart and occupy his head and delight his minde then his Treasure is there his stuffe is sent before hand to the place whether hee intendeth to remoue when God calleth him or else not and this is the summe of Christs words and holy counsell in this place This Text hath 2. parts 1. A Commandement 2. A reason of the same The Commandement hath likewise two parts The first is Negatiue in Verse 19. Lay not vp Treasure for your selues in earth c. The second is Affirmatiue in verse 20. But lay vp for your selues Treasure in Heauen where neither the Moth c. The Reason is in Verse 21. For where your Treasure is there will your hart bee also As touching the Negatiue part of our Sauiour his Precept wee are to vnderstand that his manner of speaking is here no otherwise then in other places and other cases also of the like kinde as Labour not for the meate that perisheth but labour for the meat that endureth to Eternall Life And in another place Sell that you haue and giue to the poore And in another place Possesse not gold nor siluer And in another place Be not carefull what to eate and drinck or what rayment to put on All which places being literally taken and not according to the minde and meaning of our Sauiour Christ may breed error as they haue done for from hence the Anabaptists fetch their communitie of goods the Monks and Fryers their wilfull pouerty and the Iesuits hereupon perswade others to impouerish themselues to enrich them And lastly vnder the shadow of these words the slothfull sluggard idle person would shrowd themselues to bee thereby discharged of all honest labor and diligent following of their vocations Therfore first the true meaning of the words is to be sought for and then we shall the better vnderstand what doâ—trines from thence may bee gathered for our further instruction and consolation in the Lord. This word Treasure is taken in the Scripture sometime for gold and siluer 1. King 7. 51. And Salomon brought in the things which Dauid his father had dedicated the Siluer and the Gold and the Vessels and laid them among the Treasures of the house of the Lord. So Prou. 2 4. If thou seekest for wisedome as for siluer and searchest for her as for treasure And Mat. 13. 44. The Kingdome of Heauen is like vnto a Treasure hid in the field c. Sometime it is put for abandance of riches or any other thing As Mat. 13. 52. Euery Scribe which is taught vnto the kingdome of Heauen is like vnto a House-holder which bingeth forth out of his Treasure things both new and old And Mat. 12. 34. out of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh Verse 35. A good man out of the good Treasure of his hart or abundance of good things brâ—ngeth forth good things So Rom. 2. 5. Thou after thine hardnesse and hart that cannot repent treasurest vnto thy selfe Wrath against the day of Wrath that is causest vnto thy selfe abundance of Wrath c. And sometime it is put for whatsoeuer a man taketh delight in as here in this place Where your Treasure is there will be your hart also that is where the thing is that you delight in there will be your hart your minde and affection Againe all Treasure is eyther temporall or eternall 2. Cor. 4. 18. The things that are seene are temporall but the things that are not seene are eternall Eternall or heauenly Treasure is from heauen and consisteth in the grace and fauour oâ— God and is the onely true Riches Esay 33. 6. The. feare of the Lord shall bee his Treasure And a good man out of the good Treasure of his hart bringeth forth good things These are called Bagges that wax not old And Light of glory brought in earthen vessels The renuing of the inward man Ver. 16. An excellent and eternall waight of glory 17. And things not seen yet looked vpon Vers. 18. Such as no Eye hath seene nor Eare hath heard nor haue entered into the hart of man And here in our Text such as Moths cannot eate nor Rust consume nor Theeues steale that is they are not subiect to any kinde of casualtie or mischance all which places doe rather shew what it is not then what it is for indeed it is God himselfe in Christ Iesus which cannot bee expressed because he is infinite and incomprehensible Of this latter it is not that hee speaketh when hee saith Lay not vp for your selues Treasures in earth then hee must needes meane the former But what doth the Lord Iesus meane that it is in no wise lawfull for a Christian man to get or enioy the riches of this world not so for in Pro. 2. 4. it is said that we must seeke for Wisedome as for golde to shew that golde also may bee sought for And King Salomon made a nauie of ships which once in three yeeres returned with golde and siluer Iuory c. And in Gen. 37. 28. it is said there was traffique betweene the Midianites and the Ismalites Marchants and betweene the Ismalites and the Egiptians that one country might by that meanes bee benefited by the commodities of another What then doth hee meane that it is vnlawfull to keepe any thing in store for hereafter Not so neither for Ioseph is commended for laying vp against the time of famine yea it is Iosephs counsell that Pharaohs officers shall gather all the foode of seauen plenteous yeeres and lay vp Corne for foode in the cities to bee kept against the seauen yeeres of famine What then doth hee meane that a man must take of earthly goods onely so much as will serue his turne and cast away that which is left Not so neither for in Iohn 6. He commandeth his Disciples to gather vp in baskets that which was left when the people had bene miraculously fed and let nothing bee lost saith the Lord. What then doth hee meane that wee must not prouide for those that wee leaue behinde vs Not so neither for the Apostle saith The Children ought not to lay vp for their Fathers but Fathers for their Children And hee telleth Timothy that hee which prouideth not for his familie is meaning in that respect worse than an Infidell and hath denyed the faith What then doth hee meane that all must bee common Not so neither for then there could bee no breach of the eight Commaundement if any man did steale and all exhortations and precepts of distributing to the poore were in vaine if the poore might bee their owne caruers of rich mens goods yea what should then become of buying and selling Buy the Truth but sell it not saith Saâ—omon And defraud not one another saith the Apostle in barganing and buying and selling What
their eyes then their hart is on fire till they haue it and their head still is deuiâ—ing how to compasse it to which end all meanes are attempted there is flattering and glosing and fore-stalling borrowing here and pawning there and selling one thing to buy another and when hee hath gotten his harts desire then he thinks of nothing but his gettings as Nabuchadnezzar that proud King of Confusion thought of nothing but of his glorious buildings Oh said hee Is not this great Babell which I haue built for the honour of my Macestie strouting vp and downe in his Galleries and admiring himselfe for his Building as a foole admireth himselfe in a glasse so doe the fooles of the world oh saith one how rich shall I bee how worshipfull saith another how much admired for my wealth for my brauery for my strength saith a third c. Within a while commeth the Moth the Mouse and the Rat for their fees the one taketh vp his lodging in his braue apparrell and gnaweth holes in his lodging the other in his Barnes and granieries and taketh as deepe toule as the Miller the Rust falleth and feedeth vpon his gilded and glittering Armour and the Canker seazeth vpon his Gold and Siluer After these commeth the legall Theefe that is the Vsurer and he must haue for the lone of his money then comes the Mercer and Draper with their Bils wherewith they giue many astonishing blowes on the head as it were with clubs for wearing out their braue Apparrell before it bee paid for Then the fashion altereth or the Ayre is not wholesome and both must bee changed or the Flatterer licketh his Dishes or the Begger pulleth him by the sleeue and then the propertie is altered Oh quantum mutatus ab ille Hee is not the man hee was taken to bee neyther is it all gold that glistred in his eyes Now speake to these Earth-wormes of Heauenly things and amidst their ioyes or dumps aske them if they will goe to a Sermon or ioyne with the congregation in Prayer or the like what is their answere Is it not Nabal-like who when his kindnesse was requested towards Dauid and his Souldiers answered like a foolish Churle euen like himselfe Who is Dauid and what is the Sonne of Ishai that I should send of my vittailes vnto him So say they the Sermon what good shall wee get by going to a Sermon who worse then these Preachers themselues Oh they can talke well and tell a trim tale in the Pulpit but their liues are not thereafter And thus they play the currish Dog barking and bawling at them that bring them meate Oh wee shall haue a Puritaine of you how holy you are Tell not mee of the Sermon I haue other matters to thinke vpon I must follow my suites in Law or I must goe and beare such and such company at the Tauerne or at Bowles or at Tables c. I haue not sleptinough saith another And others haue not their ruffâ—s and their cuttes and their hoopes and their knackes fine inough I cannot abide to sit so long saith one I must goe serue my customers I like not this kinde of teaching faith another And thus doe they answere when they are moued to meete the Lord in the meanes of their saluation and sanctification which lay vp Treasures on earth and not in heauen And therefore Lay not vp your Treasures on earth but in heauen Againe how doe worldlings deale in bargaining in buying and selling Doe they not assault one another with lyes Doe they not vndermine one with another with deepe dissembling Doe they not sweare fasly to deceiue one another Doe they not promise largely deny impudently and falsifie vniustly their promises Doe they not work vpon the aduantage and take the extrenitie of Law one against another Doe they not thus deale which are onely deuoted and altogether addicted to the Treasures and pleasures of this World Againe how are they accounted of how are they accounted of how are they accursed Are they not for the most part accounted as Iudasses and tray-Gods as Machiuels and Tirants as Cut-throats and Cousoners vnconscionable and cruell hard-harted and mercilesse and that euen of their friends They are cursed of the rich which pay for their kindnesse and of the poore they are cursed because they can get not kindnesse of them Of whole Countries trades Common-wealths they are accursed for they will haue a cast at all Wee cannot buy but of him faith one Wee cannot sell but we must agree with him faith another Wee cannot vtter our commodities because of him faith a third The country curseth him where were wont to bee so many Ploughes kept for Tillage faith the country is there now nothing but a Shepheard and his dogge Vbi Troia iam seges nay I would it were so well but now vbi seges iam segnities all is little enough for a stinking Weede that hath in most places put down both Tillage and Pasture to set vp the pride of life and lust of the eye as if the Common-wealth might liue rather by colour than by cloath and by accidents rather than by substances And as the country curseth the worldling so the poore seruants doe iustly cry out vpon them for detayning of their wages and do truely apply those words in the Gospell against such they reape where they sowed not and take vp where they laid not downe And thus are they accounted of which follow onely earthly Treasure and therefore Lay not vp Treasure on earth How they liue wee haue heard but how doe they dye commonly Qualis vita finis ita Doe not many of them prooue Bankroupts and spend-thrifts Doe they not dye deepe in debt plunged in despaire voyd of comfort and without confidence in God Is not their wedge of Golde their confidence and doe they not say to their bags of gold these are the Angels that shall keepe vs Oh most fearefull and what more miserable As they loued not the word of God in their health time so doe they wholy distast it in their sicknesse and their light goeth out in obscure darknesse leauing a filthy smell behinde it like a snuffe in a socket when the candle is burnt out How many of them doe take their leaue of the World after their long doting vpon it most heâ—â—eshly blaspheming of God most cruelly cursing of men most monstrously execrating of themselues and most brutishly roaring like beasts knocked on the head or lying most sencelesly like blockes and stocks And if any make a better end that may bee reckoned amongst the miracles of Gods superabounding mercy But thus commonly doe they dye that haue had their thoughts and their cares wholy drenched in the loue and delight of earthly things to verifie the saying of the Apostle Many walke of whom I haue tolde you often and now tell you weeping they are enimies of the crosse of Christ whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame
to our owne vse when time shall serue as if he should say I doe not absolutely forbid you to gather and to lay vp in store but I would haue you so gather and so to lay vp that you may finde store of treasure in Heauen your heauenly countrey whereunto you are borne againe and where you must abide for euer And these treasures thus to be laied vp hee commendeth vnto vs for their Excellency for their Securitie and for their Perpetuitie things which all desire and which are able to free a mans minde from all care Of which it will not be amisse for vs to take a little view What are those treasures then that are commended vnto vs for their excellencie In a word they are heauenly now looke how farre heauen is more excellent then the earth and the spirit then flesh and God then man so much doth the Christians heauenly treasure excell all the treasures of this world This is true indeede but in heauen thou wilt say there is neither buying nor selling trading nor traffique building nor planting letting nor hiring hungring nor thirsting no cold nor heat no working nor labouring no iourneying nor trauelling And therefore we need not care for any prouision for any such vses what then are those treasures or what is in them more then in others that wee are so charged to lay them vp here we know saith the Atheist what wee haue but what we shall haue there we know not But heare thou earthly minded man and harken O thou whose mind and hart lye buried vnder a loafe of bread There are indeed no such commodities in heauen as the earth affordeth yet heauen is a rich countrey the commodities thereof are far aboue the fine golde of Ophir First there is the Lord Iesus who is the Lord high treasurer of heauen and earth In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge In whom God hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things Of whose fulnes we receiue all grace for grace In whom and by whom wee liue and moue and haue our being of whom the church enquired and was sicke of loue vntill she found him Worldlings make a wonder at this geare vntill they know what it is but then they are as desirous of it as others as plainely appeareth by the conference that passed between the regenerate Spouse of Christ and the vnregenerate members of the visible Church about the excellency of Christs person and loue and the effect of the said conference most liuely and pathetically deciphered by Salomon in his spirituall song And first the regenerate and Godly Spouse of Christ beginneth in this manner I Charge you O Daughters of Ierusalem if you finde my wel-beloued that you tell him that I am sicke of loue Now mark the answer that is made to this charge by those which yet knew not the excellency of Christ. O the fairest a mong women what is thy welbeloued more then other welboued what is thy welbeloued more then an other louer that thou dost so charge vs Now mark the descriptioÌ„ of Christ set forth by the true church as glorying and delighting to speake of the beautie and riches of their heauenly Bridegrome to the shame of those that beare the title of Christians and yet are neuer so much daunted and silenced at any thing as when speach is offered them of Christ and Christian Religion as if it were possible that an honest woman should bee ashamed to heare good spoken or to speake good things of her Husband My belouod saith the Spouse of Christ is white and ruddy the cheifest of ten thousand His head is as fine gold his locks curled and black as a Rauen. His eyes are as Doues vpon the Riuers of waters which are washed with milke and remaine by the full vessels His cheekes are as a bed of Spices and sweet Flowers and his lips like Lillies dropping downe pure Mirrhe His hands like rings of Gold seâ— with the Chrisolite his belly like white Yâ—ory couered with Saphirs His legs as pillers of marble set vpon sockets of fine gold his countenance as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars His mouth is as sweet things and he is wholy delectable that is my Beloued and this is my Louer O Daughters of Ierusalem What say you to him now Heare now what effect this sweet description of Christ hath wrought with the Daughters of Ierusalem that is with the members of the Church yet such as hitherto were ignoraunt of these things O the fairest amongst women whither is thy Welbeloued gone whither is thy Welbeloued turned aside that wee may seeke him with thee And would you seeke him indeed then heare more This heauenly and louely Bridegrome hath for his Spouse a whole Cittie and A holy Cittie called new Ierusalem whose Daughters you are come downe from God our of heauen prepared as a Bride trimmed for her husband hauing the glory of God and her shining is like vnto a stone most precious and as a Iasper stone cleare as Christall The Wall of it is great and high and hath twelue Gates and at the Gates twelue Angels for Porters And the Wall of the Cittie hath twelue Foundations and in them the names of the Lambs twelue Apostles It is euery way twelue thousand furlongs as broad as long and extending aswell to one part of the world as to another The building of the wall is of Iasper and the Cittie pure Gold like cleare Glasse The foundations of the Wall were gaâ—nished with all manner of precious stones And the twelue Gates wore twelue Pearles and euery Gate is of one Pearle and the Street of the Cittie is of pure Gold There is no Temple there for the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it There is no neede of Sunnâ— or Moone for the glory of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light of it And the people which are saued shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour vnto it And the gates of it shall not bee shut by day for there shall be no might there And the glory and honour of the Gentiles shall bee brought vnto it And into it shall enter no vncleane thing neyther whatsoeuer worketh Abhomination or Lyes but they which are written in the Lambs booke of Life Now if the Gates Wals and Streets of this Cittie bee soâ— beautifull and sumptuous then how glorious and rich are the inward parts nay who can expresse the riches and pleasures that are there layd vp for the Cittizens and Spouse of Christ are they not thinke you like those things which Saint Paul saw when hee was rapt vp into the third heauen which the tongue of man cannot vtter And mustâ— they not needes bee
those ioyes which the same Apostle saith are such as no Eye hath seene no Eare hath heard no Tongue can expresseâ— nor Hart conceaue Now doe but consider with thy selfe if thou canst what some Eyes haue seene what some mens Eares haue heard and what some trauellers Tongues haue reported in these dayes and what the hart of some man is able to conceaue and then doe but imagine what those ioyes of heauen are if thou canst But what are the commodities and Riches of that Heauenly Ierusalem and the Cittizens therof that cannot bee valued If the report thereof will mooue thee to seeke after them then heare for euen in this life the true Christian is put in possession of them in part by which as by a tast hee is certified and as by an earnest pâ—nny hee is assured of the rest that is kept for him vntill hee bee ready for them Saint Iohn saith that as if some rich merchant were come from a far Country the Lord Iesus inuiteth vs and setteth vp as it were his bils in euery Church offering to all that will vse the meanes to make themselues sure of his marchandise which is meant by buying no worse wares then fine Gold tryed in the fire to make vs rich white rayment to couer our filthy nakednes withall and eye salue to heale vs of Spirituall blindnesse that is himselfe his Word and his Spirit And the like offer in most kinde mannâ—r againe hee maketh by Salomon willing vs if wee bee wise to God ward to receiue instruction and not Siluer and knowledge rather then fine Gold Whereof Salomon himselfe giueth this testimony after his long experience of both that to get wisdome is much better then gold but how much better hee cannot tell it so far excelleth and therefore hee sets it downe with an Interrogation How much better is it c. and to get Vnderstanding saith he is more to be desired then Siluer Yea Blessed is that man saith hee that findeth Wisedome and that man that getteth Vnderstanding Now marke his reasons For the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of Siluer and the gaine thereof is better then gold It is more precious then Pearles and all things that thou canst desire are not to bee compared vnto her Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory Her wayes are the wayes of pleasure and all her pathes posperitie Shee is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold on her and blessed is hee that receiueth her There is also a spirituall traffique and intercourse betweene Christ the faithfull Christian. For Our conuersation is in beauen saith S. Paul very troublesome and dangerous I confesse for a time for this world is the sea tempestuous and tumultuous enough The Church militant is the ship of Christ that is tossed in the same The tackling of this ship may be the communion of Saints The Pilate that guides the course the spirit of God The Carde or Compasse the Word of God The Purser of this ship is loue The Baliffe is humane frailties noisome feares and troublesome doubts The munition of this ship is the armour of God that is the Helmet of Hope the Shield of Faith the Sword of the Spirit the Brest-plate of Righteousnesse c. as the Apostle describeth it in the 6. to the Ephesians The windes which driue this Bark are prosperitie and aduersitie The waues which tosse this ship are presumption and despaire The enimies to this ship are the world the flesh and the Diuell The Factours are the faithfull Ministers of Christ. The Commodities are the Treasures of Heauen the Riches of Christ or Fruites of the Spirit Our Messenger is Peace a speedy Poste The Hauen is the Kingdome of Heauen The landing place is Golgotha The Land is the land of the liuing The Customer is Death who sets all men at libertie and yet is bound himselfe Peter was once one of these heauenly Factours for the Lord Iesus a Creeple came vnto him for an Almes but what was his aunswere Siluer and Gold haue I none but such as I haue I giue thee in the name of Iesus of Nazaret arise and walke A better Almes a great deale then hee expected So wee may say If you aske vs what commodities our vessell hath brought we may make Peters answere Siluer and Gold wee haue none new wine haue we none pleasant tales haue wee none and Popish trash haue wee none but wee haue the hidden treasures of the Gospell the puritie of true Religion the rich Iewels of the holy Ghost as Faith to ouercome the world repentance to make men new remission of sinnes and Reconsiliation with God by the death of Christ peace of Conscience which passeth all vnderstanding and is a continuall Feast ioy of the holy Ghost aâ—d gladnes of hart which the world cannot take from him that hath them wee offer loue to God and Charitie to men zeale for the truth patience in affliction moderation of affections lowlinesse of Spirit to grace all our actions and assurance of euerlasting life after this life the great gaine of godlinesse with sweete contentation to all estates Behold these are the Riches and these are the Treasures that the Lord Iesus sendeth from heauen to enrich and glad his seruants withall while they liue here dispersed and despised vpon the face of the earth And yet here bee not all for euen all outward blessings also do attend vpon these inward graces so that if any man can finde these and hartely affect them the other shall follow measurably and proportionably according to euery mans place and want And therfore our blessed Sauiour not knowing how to enuy or deny vnto his Church the smaller things hauing frankly bestowed himselfe and the greater things of his Kingdome set vs in the way and directeth vs a right course for the obtaining both of heauenly Treasures as also of earthly Commodities Seeke first saith hee the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall bee cast vnto you but Gods Kingdome must bee first sought When Salomon preferred in his request vnto God a wise and vnderstanding hart for the well gouerning of his people God gaue him that and also Riches and Honour things that he asked not So if our chiefest desire and endeauour be to lay vp treasure in heauen and to bee rich in the graces of the holy Ghost the Lord will giue vs those Graces and earthly Blessings besides But alas it fareth with most men as it did with Boaz his kinseman who was well content to redeeme the field of Naomie but when hee heard that hee that should haue the field must also marry Ruth hee would none So many hearing of earthly commodities and worldly blessings are content to strain themselues for the obtaining of them but when they heare that they must take them
of Christ which is the sword of the Spirit to hew and cut thy sinnes and bee content with patience to endure the sifting and fanning of the Gospell for except the dead and superfluous branches be cut off we can neuer bring forth fruit in Christ. Secondly wee must resolue to endure all outward crosses and losses for the euerlasting Truth of Christ for hee that will saise his life saith Christ shall loose it and he that will loose it for my sake and the Gospell shall saue it And if wee suffer with him saith S. Paul wee shall also raigne with him If wee belong to Christ wee must looke for tribulation and anguish and persecution and famine and nakednesse and perill and sword all which will try their force to see if they can seperate vs from the loue of Christ. Yea wee must looke for his sake to bee killed all the day long and to bee counted as sheepe for the slaughter But in all these things saith the holy Apostle wee are more then conquerours through him that loued us And therefore wee faint not but though our oâ—tward man perish yet th' inward man is renued daily For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent waight of glory While wee looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene This point will bee scarce welcommed or well liked of nice and daintie professours of the Gospell which must neuer goe to Gods house but when the Sunne shineth the waies are faire and no Winde is stirring to blow vpon them and when they are there they must heare nothing but pleasing things their sinnes must not bee touched much lesse can they endure to haue the cutting knife of Gods law laid to the throat of their sinne And if all the world doth not applaud and commend their zeale and good deeds they soon are discouraged stand stone stil like the winde mill that goeth no longer then the winde bloweth no scoffe or reproach no persecution or trouble can they endure for the Truths sake what Treasure can these lay vp by their daintinesse in heauen The third way to lay vp Treasure in heauen is while thou liuest here vpon earth to grow in the powerfull and liuely knowledge of Christ crucified by a liuely apprehensiue faith to make thy selfe sure of all his benefits in comparison of whom thou oughtst with the blessed Apostle to esteeme all the world but drosse and dung Now to effect this we must consider the merite of Christ the vertue of Christ and the example of Christ and what benefit wee haue by euery one of them as that worthie man of God M. Perkins hath both learnedly heauenly declared the somme whereof I will breefly recall into thy minde Christ is to bee considered as the common Treasurie and store-house of Gods Church for God hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in Christ. Eph. 1. 4. And in him are all the Treasures of Knowledge Wisdome hidden Col. 2. 3. And of his fulnesseâ—wee all receiâ—e grace for grace Iohn 1. So that all the blessings of God without exception are conuayed vnto vs from the Father by Christ and so must they bee receiued and no otherwise But concerning the benefits of Christ wee are to learne further two things first what they are Secondly how or in what manner to vse them His benefits are three Merit Vertue and Example The Merit of Christ is the value of his death and passion whereby he hath obtained to vs Reconciliation And this Reconciliation hath two parts first Remission of sinnes Secondly acceptation to eternall life and both for the merit of Christ imputed This benefit must bee knowen not by conceipt nor carnal presumption but by the inward testimonie of gods Spirit To attaine to the infallible assurance of this benefite we must call to minde the promises of the Gospell touching remission of sins and the gift of eternall life to the Faithfull Secondly wee must endeuour by the assurance of Faith to apply them to our owne hearts And thirdly wee must vse often exercises of Inuocation and repentance for by our crying to God for reconciliation commeth the assuraunce thereof And if it so fall out that a man in temptation feele nothing but the furious wrath of God yet euen then against all reason and feeling hee must hold to the merit of Christ and know that God is a most louing father to them that haue a care to serue him euen at that instant when he sheweth himselfe a most fierce and terrible enimie which Iob knew right well when hee said If the Lord should kill mee yet I will trust in him From the benefite of Reconciliation proceede foure benefites First that excellent peace of God which passeth all Vnderstanding Phil. 4. And that hath sixe parts first peace with the Trinitie for being Iustified by Faith we haue peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Secondly Peace with Angles who do ascend and descend vpon the Sonne of man Iohn 1. 51. and all for the good of Gods Church For the Angels doe incampe about those that feare the Lord. Psal. 34. And like Nurses doe beare them in their armes Psal. 90. 12. that they hurt not their foot against a stone All this seruice which the Angels performe vnto the faithfull proceedes of this that the faithfull being in Christ are pertakers of his merit Thirdly peace with the Faithfull for the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with the Kid and the Calfe and the Lyon and the fat beasts together and a little child shall lead them Esay 11. 6. Fourthly peace with a mans selfe and that is first when the Conscience washed in the bloud of Christ ceaseth to accuse a man secondly when the will and affections are obedient to the minde enlightened by the Word and Spirit of God and this is that which the Apostle meaneth when hee saith Let the peace of God rule in your hearts Col. 3. 15. Fiftly Peace with our enimies and that two wayes first in seeking Peace with all hurting none but doing good to all secondly in that God restraineth their mallice inclineth their hearts to peace Sixtly Peace with the Creatures Psal. 91. 13. Thou shalt walk vpon the Lyon and the Dragon c. And in that day saith the Lord I will make a coâ—enant for them with the wild Beasts and with the foules of the heauen with that that creepeth vpon the earth c. Hos. 2. 18 If therefore wee see God against vs our owne Conscience against vs the Angels against vs the Faithfull against vs the wicked against vs the Creatures against vs let vs examine this point of Reconciliation and if all bee with vs let vs know that it is the benefit of Christs merit The second benefit of Christs merite is
such like whatsoeuer they say in word if we respect the tenor of their liues are flat enimies of the crosse of Christ and tread his precious bloud vnder their feete So farre Perkins But if thou wilt haue the Treasures of Christ in heauen thus thou must learne to know and feele Christ crucified and the benefits of his Merit Vertue and Example and thus must thou come to the knowledge of God of thy neighbour and of thy selfe in Christ crucified euen whiles thou art here vpon earth which feeling knowledge is a sauing knowledge euen an excellent portion of heauenly Treasure imparted to the true Christian in this life and is a pledge of endlesse and infinite treasure prouided for him in the life to come and so much for the wayes and meanes of laying vp treasute in heauen which are by giuing to the poore Members of Christ by suffering patiently for the truth of Christ and by growing in the sauing knowledge of Christ crucified In laying vp Treasure after this sort we shal prooue good Alcumists An Alcumist they say can turne lead into gold or out of Lead or other mettals extract Golde which many haue practised to their vtter vndoing The Pope is the cunningest Alcumist it is thought that the world hath for hee can of a pound of Lead make an hundred pound of Gold for all his Buls and Pardons are sealed with lead but what fooles are they that turne their Gold into Lead or what calues rather that buy his Buls so deare But lay vp Treasure as hath beene shewed thee before and thou shalt turne earth into heauen corruption into incorruption Gold into godlinesse which is great gaine labour into rest sorrow into ioy pouertie into riches and thy cottage into a kingdome euen the kingdome of heauen Now followeth the reasons of Christs Commandement For where your Treasure is there will your heart bee also A Reason of great force as if hee should say for this cause chiefly you ought to lay vp your treasure in heauen that God may haue your heart which cannot bee vnlesse you lay vp your Treasure in heauen for our hearts will bee where wholy their Treasure is Here wee are taught that no man can loue the Lord with his heart that seeketh and placeth his happinesse in earthly things but onely those whose ioy and felicitie is in heauen and the heauenly graces of the Lord Iesus Christ. Worldlings make no doubt but that they may and doe serue God and loue God with their heart yea and haue as good â— hart to God as any whatsoeuer though they follow the world heare not sermons although they keepe not the Sabboth so precisely as others do which will not worke or play then though they neuer meddle with the Scriptures but bee vtterly ignorant of the wayes and will of God But Christ here sheweth that they are al deceiued by a general principle that neuer faileth Wher the treasure is there will be the hart and wher the hart is there is the Treasure of the hart wherupon it followeth that they doe wholy renounce heauen that do seeke for happinesse here below and if they set their harts vpon heauenly things it cannot be that they should esteeme of them no better or frequent them no oftner then they doe The Philosophers haue most exactly so much as the Star-light of nature would giue them leaue disputed of the happines or chiefe wel-fare of man And no meruaile for who doth not desire to bee happy and to win that hold are all mens Sences and Wits mustred and marshalled because it is the onely true treasure For where the Treasure is there will the hart be but most men doe mistake the matter while they seeke for happinesse in the flesh which is not to be found but in the spirit while they confesse that it is in God yet runne after the Diuell for it When some seeke for it in Honour Ambition is made generall of the field and doth commaund the minde while others seeke it in worldly profite Couetousnesse doth inuade the soule taking vp euery roome for worldly desires and noysome lusts which doe eat out the heart with cares and drowne men in perdition others seeking for it in carnall pleasure and sensualitie cry one to another come let vs eate and drinck and bee merry for to morrow wee shall dye and in the meane time the brute beast in that regard is more happy then such Epicures for that more freely without any shame or feare hee enioyeth the pleasure of carnall sensualitie then they doe But if we were once soundly perswaded of our happines in heauen it would bee an easie matter to tread the World vnder foote and to haue our mindes mounted vp to heauen If the loue of God bee our Treasure and through the spectacles of a liuely faith wee can read our names regestred in the booke of life and descry our happinesse to be hidden in Christ if the spirit of Adoption doth certifie our spirits that God is our Father and wee are his children and with the same certificate shall deliuer vs a discharge against sinne death and hell then will our harts feede vpon heauenly meditations and our soules hunger and thirst after righteousnesse wee will then account all but dung that wee might winne the Lord Iesus Christ. And then as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so will our soules long for the presence of the Lord And then the Word of God will bee the ioy of our harts and wee will desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ for where the Treasure is there will the hart bee also And vntill then wee shall sauour nothing but earthly vanities Therefore when S. Paul would draw the faithfull to the studie of a heauenly life he doth propound Christ vnto them in whom onely all true felicitie is to bee sought If yee bee risen with Christ saith hee set your minds on things aboue and not on things which are below as if hee should haue said it is an absurd and base thing for christians to haue their mindes grubling on the earth whose Treasure is hid in heauen and that is his reason for yee are dead saith hee and your life is hid with Christ in God Hence we may further learne in what a miserable case they are whose harts are set vpon earthly things which are subiect to Mothes and Theeues Rust and other such manifold mischiefes A cousening match it is of the diuels owne making hee is subtill and sheweth men the world and the glory of it the Court and the brauery of it Honour and the fame of it iniquitie and the profit of it sinne and the pleasure of it as it were his daughters with their dowrie On the other side wee are simple and beleeue him presently our hart is a match for them and happy hee thincks himselfe that can get one of them and to breake it off is a hard matter Their
then doth hee mean that we must sell away all that wee haue and begge for our selues as Popish Fryers and Monkish Papists would haue vs to doe Not so neither for in Luke 12. 33. It is not said sell that you haue but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sell that you haue ouerplus and may well spare and giue to the poore otherwise we should loue our neighbours not as our selues but aboue our selues which God neuer required And better it is for a man to keepe his goods for himselfe than to bestow them vpon idle Monks and a wicked rabble of Fryerly locusts which bee as necessarie in a christian Common-wealth as Snakes in a mans bosome or Mice in a barne full of Corne. What then doth hee meane that a man may liue idly and then looke to be maintained by others Not so neither for the Apostle being ruled himselfe by the spirit of Christ hath set downe a Rule for such irregular persons that if any can worke and will not such should not eate to shew that idle persons are inordinate and so burdensome to a Common-wealth that they are not worthy to liue but to bee punished by the most cruell death that â—an bee and that is to bee starued and pined to death And in Pro. 6. 6. the sluggard is sent by the holy Ghost to the Pismire that in beholding her wayes hee might learne to bee wise for shee hauing no guide gouernour nor ruler gathereth her meate in Summer and prepareth her foode in Haruest to shew that euen by honest and painefull trauaile men should prouide in Summer against the hard time of Winter and in health for sicknesse And albeit the Lord Iesus saith in Ioh. 6 Labour not for the meate that perisheth yet his meaning is not to discharge men of their honest labour and following euen with diligence their callings but that we must not labour so much for the bread that perisheth as for that which abideth to Eternall life or that our temporall commodities should not bee the only end of our labour or that we must not mingle our labour with distrust and vexing care for that euen our strength is but labour and sorrow and when Salomon by his Wisedome had waded through all matters and had made tryall of the world hee vpon his approoued experience set downe his verdict that all is but vanitâ—e and vexation of spirit as if hee should say moyle not vexe not weare not out your selues so much as you haue done about the world to the loosing of your heauenly treasure Well then if Christ doth allow men to get and enioy riches as the Merchants of Tirus and King Salomon if he doth allow vs to prouide and lay vp beefore hand as Ioseph did to saue that which is remaining as himselfe and his Disciples did and to lay vp for our families as the very Infidels doe If the Lord Iesus will not allow men to haue all things common as Anabaptists doe nor to proâ—esse wilfull pouertie as beggerly Fryers do nor to feed Idle-packs which will not labour for their liuing as preposterous pittie doth what then should bee his meaning when he saith Lay not vp for your selues Treasures in earth That wee may the better finde out the Lords meaning we are to know that Treasure here is put not onely for money riches and prouision for the time to come but also for any thing else as was said before wherein a man taketh most delight and whereupon hee dependeth most or which hee maketh his felicitie yea and doth so lauish out his loue vpon it and torment himselfe with careful thoughts for the same as if without it hee should be vtterly vndone and could not possibly liue In which maner Worlldings gather riches and Atheists seeks after pleasure the Ambitious man hunts after Honour euen with all their harts with all their minde with all their might strength soule as if it were their God that did make them and it should preserue and saue them which is a manifest breach of the first commandement Now all is made the Treasure that the heart is set vpon as for Example Some men take more to heart the losse of a Childe than the losse of all their goods besides and doe so much set their affection vpon it that they will say if God should take this Childe away then all our ioy is gone like Rachel that mourned for her children would not bee comforted Some are so iealous ouer their Honour that if they haue not all manner of outward complements afforded vnto them they are as male-contented as Haman who was full of Wrath and studied nothing but monstrous mischeuous reuenge because Mordecai did not bow the knee vnto him as others had done Some againe dote vpon their Credit that if their wicked counsell bee crossed at any time they are readie with Achitophell that treacherous counsellour to goe hang themselues Others are so madde vpon their present pleasure that with the beastly Epicures they cry let vs eate and drincke though wee dye for it to morrow Some are so enamored of their wealth that when their goods are encreased and their barnes enlarged then with the worldling they dreame of a quietus est And cry soule be now at rest for thou hast goods enough for many yeeres Of all these it may be said they haue layde vp Treasure in Earth but not in Heauen beecause in these things they haue reposed all their ioy their delight their trust And therefore being inuited to the heauenly banquet of the Gospell they `answere like earth-wormes making light of the matter I must looke to my farme saith one and I to my Oxen saith another and I must aske my wife first saith another which is no more in effect but thus much wee must follow that wee delight in and that wee trust in these are the things that our heart delight in and trust in these are our treasure If wee saw more goodnesse in that Feast then in these our commodities wee would goe to it but wee cannot relish them as wee doe these worldly matters and therefore thank your Maister for his good will and pray him to hold vs excused for the â—â—â—th is wee must follow that which our hart affecteth our worldly Treasure wee cannot come To all such it is said here Lay not vp your Treasures on earth c. And these words may bee expounded two wayes Lay not vp c. Thou that art a Christian and hast giuen thy Faith to the Lord Iesus Christ in thy Baptisme thou that art a Cittizen of the heauenly Ierusalem and hast the holy One of Isrâ—ell euen the Lord of Hoasts and the mightie God of Heauen and Earth for thy father his sonne yea his onely beloued Son for thy Redeemer and the holy Ghost which proceedeth from them both for thy sanctified guide and Comforter and thou that hast the Angels to guarde thee and the Saints
more then they knew of and at last made himself knowen vnto them Gods spirit is called the Comforter and his words are the words of Comfort Sonne bee of good cheare thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Hee hath thy pardon with him in thee and when thou hast most neede hee will deliuer it thee and thou shalt see it with ioy and great gladnes In thee meane time that hee is in thee know by this that thou dost not hate the Lord but loue him and hast an holy desire with some earnest endeauour to serue him to liue honestly and to keepe a good Conscience in all things and art afraid of falling away And surely all good desires are of the Lord. Waite the Lords leysure with Patience seeke for Peace which though thou canst not finde awhile yet by Prayer thou must wayte on the Lord and say Lord because there is mercy with thee that thou maist bee feared I will wayte on thee euen as the eye of a Maid seruant waiteth on the hand of her Mistresse I will condemne my selfe of folly and say O my Soule why art thou cast downe wait on God for hee is thy present help and thy God And thus shalt thou bee restored to the ioy of thy Saluation And as Iob after his manifold tryals had both of Gods goodnesse of Sathans malice his friends vncharitableness and his owne weakenesse had all seauen folde restored vnto him againe So thou after thy supposed losse of heauenly Treasure shalt finde heauenly treasure plentifully restored vnto thee againe When Christ stept aside from his earthly father and Mother to doe the businesse of his heauenly Father hee meant to come againe but in the meane time they sought him with heauy hearts and at the last they found him in the Temple disputing with the Doctors to their great ioy and astonishment So Christ sometimes doth as it were step aside from vs to the end wee may seeke after him and wee may perhaps seeke him with heauie harts but yet at the last we shall finde him with great ioy for they that sowe in teares shall surely reape in ioy Thou hast heard what high commendations are giuen of the Christians heauenly Treasure doest thou beleeue it then lay vp thy treasure in heauen say not as the buyer doth it is naught it is naught for if thou couldst obtaine it with the losse of all the world thou mightst and wouldst brag of thy bargaine But alas how few regard this The poorer sort care not but for backe and belly and neuer repaire with good will to the house of God but when they thinke to receiue an almes like the criple at the gate of the Temple or like the people that followed Christ to haue their bellies filled of free cost Others come to the sermons and prayers of the Church but loaden with their sins their mindes cumbred with pleasures cares of this world to whom the house of God is as a house of correction and they sit there to bee whipped and euery sentence of the Preacher that crosseth their delights or beloued sinnes is as so many lashes and ierkes tormenting and tearing their guiltie Consciences Others againe make the Lords house as it were a market place repairing thether onely to muze and studie of the prizes of their commodities or to make some bargaines or to doe some busines with some whom they haue appointed to meete there Others againe make the house of God their play house and the Pulpit the Theater the Preachers are their fooles and Scripture phrases are their Iests to make themselues merry withall And others goe to the Lords house as children goe to schoole the one for feare of the rod and the other for feare of Lawes and Presentments whereupon the Prouerbe is growen as willingly as euer I went from schoole but these may say as willingly as euer I went for Church but alas poore soules long it will be before any of these kinde of hearers get any heauenly Treasure except they seeke after it with better mindes and affections But now as wee haue heard these Treasures commended for their Excellencie for their Perpetuiâ—y and Security so it will not bee amisse to consider of the Place wher we must seeke for them of the Time when of the Manner how to lay them vp and lastly of the Reason why All which are questions necessarie for the Serpent commended knowledge but withall shewed a wrong way thereunto so all commend the heauenly Treasure but all take not a right course to obtaine it therefore saith the Apostle Sorunne that yee may obtaine Christ is the Treasure and Treasurer And this Treasure is in the ship of Christ that is his Church and no where else The Ministers of the Church or Masters of the Assembly as Salomon calleth them are the factours Now in what roome to search or in what Vessell is the question In Ierusalem there were many chests yet but one Ark that had the holy things and sacred Monuments in it Though there were many Waters yet was there but one Poole of Siloam in which Lepers were cleansed In Christs Ship bee many places but the place of the treasure is but one Saint Paul saith it is in earthen Vessels so say wee too meaning the Ministers of the Gospel because we are in shew contempâ—ible and in substance brittle These vessels haue a booke that will shew all if any man can open it and vnderstand it and it is the Word of God contayning the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament which Christ would haue vs to search because they beare witnesse of him and containe in them eternall life Like a Merchants bill they are which sheweth what commodities are in the ship This booke hath ben by gods prouidence mightily miraculously preserued from time to time from burning drowning and loosing and this priuiledge it hath that it endureth for euer and when heauen earth shall faile yet not one iot or title thereof shall fall to the ground The places then that wee must frequent if wee will finde this Heauenly Treasure are the holy Assemblies of Gods people where God is called vpon by the publike Prayers of the Saints the Word is truely taught and the Sacraments sincerely ministred for the working and increasing of faith and not the conuenticles of Schismatikes who haue seperated themselues from the publike assemblies of Gods Church and are at open defiance with their mother the true Church of Iesus Christ who first brought them to that knowledge and Faith that they haue if in truth and soundnesse they haue any at all That which must discouer vnto vs this heauenly Treasure is the holy Bible and sacred Scriptures of God and not the reuelations of Anabaptists nor the Dreames of the Familie of Loue nor the Iewes Taâ—mud nor the Turks Alcaron nor the Popes Portuise nor the Tridentine Counsels nor the Traditions or decrees of the Church of Rome all which will leade
vs to trash but not to Treasure to hell but not to heauen to the flesh but not to the spirit and so from God to the Diuell And being come now to the place and hauing found the Booke that will rcueale this Heauenly Treasure what must wee doe Search the Scriptures saith our Sauiour Christ to shew that there is some hidden Trasure in it more then is seene outwardly or more then they make shew of and so there is And therefore the Word is preferred before Gold albeit most men had rather haue Gold then the Word but Daâ—id could say that of Gods Word which he could not doe of Gold nor all the world besides and that was this Except thy word had beene my comfort in my Affliction I had perished And Salomon auoucheth that man to bee blessed that findeth wisedome and him happy that getteth Vnderstanding and doubteth not to yeeld this for his reason That the marchandise thereof is better then the Marchandise of Siluer and the gaine thereof is better then Golde It is more precious saith he then Pearles and all things that thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto her Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory Her pathes are the pathes of pleasure and all her wayes prosperitie Shee is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold on her and therefore blessed are they that receiue her But to see these are required very heauenly and spirituall eyes euen the eyes of a liuely â—aith for carnall sence cannot comprehend them and worldly wisedome cannot conceiue them yea many laugh at vs because we seeke for life in the death of Christ grace in his curse righteousnesse in his condemnation and comfort in his holy Gospell Verely say they so floweth cold water out of a burning Furnace and so springeth light out of darknesse and hereupon they conclude that none are more foolish then wee which hope for Life at a dead mans hand which aske forgiuenesse at a condemned person which fetch the grace of God out of one that was accursed and flye for refuge to the Crosse as to the onely author of euerlasting Saluation which are all the Treasures that the word of God doth offer vs and therewithall laughing at our simplicitie they think themselues very sharp-witted but alas they want the chiefest thing in true wisedome namely the feeling of Conscience and the â—eare of God-Let vs but enter deeply into our selues and so soone as wee acknowledge our owne wretchednesse the way for vs vnto Christ and for Christ vnto vs will bee by and by paued and made lâ—uell for as to the attaining of humane Sciences is requisite a fine and well furnished wit so to this Heauenly Philosophie is required a subdued minde for what tast can there bee where is lothing As many then as will not willinglie bee deceiued and perish let them learne to begin with this lâ—sson to know that they haue to doe with God to whom they must giue accompt let them set before their eyes that iudgement seat that makes euen the Angels to tremble let them hearken to their owne conscience bearing witnesse against them let them not harden their harts against the pricks of sinne and then they shall find nothing in the death of Christ to bee ashamed of And let not their astonishment bee a stumbling blocke to vs but rather let vs bee carryed from the humane nature of Christ to the glory of his Godhead which may turne all curious questions into admiration And let vs goe from the death of Christ to his glorious resurrection which may wipe away all slaunder of his Crosse Let vs passe from the weakenesse of the flesh to the power of the Spirit which may swallow vp all foolish thoughts And let vs still pray with holy Daâ—id that the Lord would open the eyes of our Vnderstanding that wee may see the wondrous things of his word for not euery one that readeth the booke of God doth come to the Treasure for it is like a Nut with a double shell both which must bee broken before the kernell can bee found or like a Chest with many locks and euery one must be opened before the Treasure can bee met withall To which end the Lord hath appointed Preaching and Preachers and endued them with the tongues of the learned and all to open the hidden Treasures of the Gospell of Christ. To which must bee ioyned a diligent eare a minde to meditate and a sober tongue to confer with thy Pastor and familie and an humble Spirit to bee enformed and reformed by the counsell of God These meanes are called digging and searching laborious exercises indeed to shew what paines and diligence must bee vsed in searching after the heauenly Treasure My Sonne saith Salomon if thou wilt receiue my words and hide my commaundement within thee and cause thine eares to hearken vnto Wisedome and incline thine heart vnto Vnderstanding if thou callest after Knowledge and cryest for Vnderstanding if thou seekest for her as for Siluer and searchest for her as for Treasures then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God But if wee bee negligent backward and indifferent or luke-warme then will it fare with vs as with Laodicea wee shall thinke wee are rich and increased with goods and haue neede of nothing when indeed wee are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked And alas so it is with too too many and therefore when you come into their houses if the booke of God bee there you shall finde it couered ouer with much rubbill and drosse as Cards and Tables merry Tales with sorry or sorrowfull tailes profane and scurrilous discourses and paultry pamphlets and such like stuffe which domineere ouer the booke of God as the Iewes did ouer Christs in Pilates hall all which should bee swept out of doores or sacrificed in the fire and as for such humorists as do nothing but feede mens humours with idlenesse and ply them with the pleasures of sinne to the losse of their precious time which should bee spent in seeking of the heauenly Treasure say vnto them as Christ did vnto Peter when hee solicited him against the will of God vnto carnall courses Turne thee behind me Sathan thou art an offence vnto mee and sauourest not the things of God The next thing to bee considered is the time of gathering and laying vp this heauenly Treasure for there is a time for all things saith the holy Ghost All in time saith the World hereafter when old age comes or when sicknesse comes or at the houre of death It is not good to bee too forward in Religion or to meddle too soone with matters of God and Godlinesse for a yong man may prooue an old Diuell But heare what God saith thou foolish man Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth
before the euill dayes come vpon thee and the dayes whereof thou shalt say I haue no pleasure And Esai cryeth out vnto thee saying Seeke the Lord while hee may be found and call vpon him while hee is nigh at hand to shew vs that the Lord will not alwayes bee found much lesse when wee thinke good neyther will the dayes of olde age and sicknesse bee like the dayes of youth and health for then shall wee feele our selues vnfit and vntoward to seek after these things in two regards first in regard of naturall infirmities and bodily paines which will hold thy mind occupied about meanes of ease as Phisicke and such like Secondly in regard of that strong hand which sin through long custome will beare ouer thy soule euen to the hardning of thy heart for custome of sinne breedeth hardnesse of heart and hardnesse of heart begetteth impenitencie as the Apostle sheweth in the second to the Romanes But the speciall time of gathering and laying vp this heauenly Treasure is the holy Sabboth and other times of holy assemblies and generally whensoeuer thou art called forth to heare the Word preached vnto thee or hast any occasion to exercise thy Faith in the workes of Charitie and pietie Then comes the Angell to stirre the Poole step in then if thou wilt doe thy selfe good for afterward will bee too late Whosoeuer carelessely neglecteth the Sabbaoth of the Lord and presumptiously giueth God the slip in the holy Assemblies as many carâ—all Christians doe who mistrusting God with their estate thinke it no sin to spend the Sabbaoth day in their worldly affaires or vaine exercises well may they with Esau get a sup of pottage to stay their hungry mawes withall if God doe not crosse their enterprises and curse their labours as oftentimes hee doth but surely their heauenly Birth-right is forâ—aite by the bargain and but bankroupts they proue in the heauenly Treasure of a Christian They heape vp but it is nothing but wrath against the day of wrath The Sabboth day is especially appointed for gathering of heauenly treasures Remember therefore that thou keepe it holy as the Lord comminandeth pâ—etend not a necessitie of breaking the 〈◊〉 rest where 〈◊〉 is apparant as the manner of some is when 〈◊〉 a faire Sabboth day they must work for feare of Raine but consider thou whose heart is buryed vnder thy loafe and wilt needs bee rich by deceiuing the Lord of his right consider I say hath not the Lord prouided for thee when it hath rained and darest thou not trust him when it is faire did he euer deceiue any that trusted him with their estate while they walked reuerently in his feare and carefully kept his commandements what indignitie then and dishonor is this that thou offrest vnto the most high in that thou darest not trust him with thy body whiles thou seekest for the good of thy Soule And how doest thou thinke to answere this geare when thy conscience shall bee summoned to answere therevnto before that Iudgement Seat which maketh the very Angels and Celestiall Powers to tremble Oh consider of these things betimes and the Lord 〈◊〉 thy drowsie soule And aboue all beware of sorting thy selfe with profane company which will cause thee to loose thy time and dull the edge of the Spirit decay thy graces and make thee to treasure vp sinne against the day of vengeance for one sinne admitted with loue and liking letteth out many graces and maketh hauock of all thy vertues Now the manner how to lay vp this heauenly Treasure commeth next to be remembred and that is done three waies First by relieuing of the Lord Iesus Christ in his members which stand in neede of help Sell that you haâ—e ouerplus saith Christ or that you can spâ—are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and giue to the poore Make you bags which waxe not old Luke 12. 33. to shew that when a man giueth almes to the poore hee doth but take it out of one purse and put it into another out of bags that waxe old and put it into bags that waxe not old and in so doing saith Christ thou shalt finde treasure in heauen in so doing I say but not for so doing as Papists teach If thou wilt be perfect saith Christ to the rich yong man goe and sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and what you doe to them I take it as done vnto my selfe for saith our Sauiour Christ when they my poore members were in prison I was in prison when they were hungry naked and cold c. I was hungry naked and cold and therfore what you did to them you did to mee To the like effect speaketh the Prophet Esai If saith hee thou deale thy bread to the hungry and bring the poore that wandreth into thy house and couer the naked when thou seest him then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thine health shall grow speedely thy righteousnesse shall goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shal embrace thee These bee sweet encouragements and necessarie because poore people are vnable to recompence the kindnesse of those that bestow any thing vpon them and as they are vnable so for the most part they are very ingratefull and their vnthankfulnesse doth not a little discourage many who would otherwise bee more beneficiall then they are And in these respects men had rather venture their goods vpon any other thing then vpon the poore For say they quod ingrato feceris perijt It is cast away which is giuen to vnthankfull persons but howsoeuer it bee that many of the poorer sort bee both wretchedly vnthankfull and miserably vnable to repay thee yet if thou giuest them for Christ his sake in whose name commonly they aske it thou shalt finde it againe in heauen But it may bee thou wilt be content to giue part of thy ouerplus to the poore so thou maist reserue the other part to bestow on thy pleasure but beware thou deceiue not thy selfe for all thy ouerplus is for the poore when thy familie is prouided for thy debts paid and all Dueties that thou owest to the Church and Common-wealth thy Prince and Countrie are deâ—â—ayed that which remaineth is for the poore to play for that is to cast lots vpon the Garment of Christ Ne fundis parcendum est sayeth Calâ—sin Euen of a mans ground and Inheritance a Christian man must deuide some to poore Schollers some to scholes of learning some to the Ministry of the Gospel some to maimed souldiers some to poore hospitals in all to Christ he that giueth but a cup of cold water to the poore members of christ hauing no more to giue shall not loose his reward The second way to lay vp Treasure in heauen is by suffring constantly and patiently for Christ when thou art thereunto lawfully called and required and that two wayes First thou must suffer the word
reason is because hee hath now goods inough for many yeers but as he was thus dreaming of many yeeres goods and rest a voice comes and awakes him and tels him plainly that he doth vtterly mistake the matter Thou foole saith hee this night shall they fetch away thy Soule and then whose goods shall those be that thou hast gathered So is it saith Christ with him that gathereth riches to himselfe and is not rich in God This vanitie is well set out by the holy Ghost when Salomon saith there is an euill sicknesse namely â—iches reserued to the hurt of their owners and these riches perish by euill trauaile And this is also an euill sicknesse saith the man of experience that in all points as hee came so shall hee goe and what profit hath hee that he hath trauailed for the winde I haue also seene a man saith he to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures and honour and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that he desireth but God giueth not power to eate thereof this is vanitie and vexation of spiâ—it As this vanitie is a vexation to the spirit of man so is it no lesse grieuous to the spirit of God for that contrary to the minde of our heauenly father we bestow our loue so fondly vpon that which cannot help vs. The commandement saith wee must honour our parents now amongst other things tending to the honour of our earthly parents this is not the least for a child to require the consent of his parents in bestowing of himselfe in marriage and to marrie against their mindes especially when there is reason to the contrary cannot bee but a great dishonour offred to our parents But what earthly parents haue so great interest in their children as God hath in vs what childe oweth such dutie to his earthly parents as wee owe to God If I be your father saith the Lord where is my honour as if hee had said if you depend vpon me for your prouision and looke for my blessing how is it that you set your harts vpon my creatures not vpon mee knowing that my minde is so much against such foolish bestowing of your selues as though I could not or would not fill your harts with as much ioy and gladnesse as my creatures can doe and more too Therefore saith Paul to Timothy Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God How dangerous worldliness is to the Soule THere is no truer Nobilitie then to be a citizen of the heauenly Ierusalem sonne and heire to the most high all which is defaced and abolished if the hart lie buried in earthly things There is no sounder ioy then the ioy of the holy ghost which is a fruit of Faith is grounded on the loue of God but this cannot bee relished or tasted by him whose hart doth cleaue to this miserable bondage of worldly cares There are no such goods as the sanctifying graces of the holy ghost which onely make a man truely happy as to cleaue vnto God by faith to loue the Lord from the hart to worship him in spirit and truth and to bee wholly vnited vnto him But far is hee from these things whose hart is set vpon earthly goods At the Sermon his minde runneth after his couetousnesse and with his mouth hee maketh iests both of the doctrine and Doctor because hee liketh neither the one nor the other like the Pharises which mocked Christ when hee spake against couetousnesse because themselues were couetous When the Sermon is done they forget al because their harts wer choked with the thorny cares of the world if they fall to reporting of the Sermon it is with additions and detractions mistakings and falsify cations most strange to heare as if the Preacher had ben mad or drunke or in some dreame when he spake Thus the word of life and grace which is a sweet sauour of life vnto life eternall to the regenerate and spirituall minde yeeldeth a most fearefull sauour of death vnto death euerlasting to the carnall worldly minded man Seeing therefore to bestow the hart affection vpon earthly things is proued to be a match so base and vnbeseeming the dignitie of a Christian so wretched and miserable so vaine and deceiptfull so dishonourable to God and preiudiciall to our owne saluation let vs labour by earnest prayer and holy meditation to haue our mindes purged from this euill sicknesse of worldly loue and neuer giue the Lord any rest vntill by zealous prayer wee haue obtained of his diuine Maiestie the wings of a liuely Faith whereby our heauie harts and dull spirits may bee mounted vp aloft to seeke for our Treasure in heauen and then indeed shall wee bee heauenly minded for where the Treasure is there will the hart bee also How to iudge by the heart whether â— mans Treasure be in heauen or no. THere be certaine signes in the hart whereby a man may iudge of his estate to come as there be in the skie to know what weather shall happen when the skie is red in the Euening men say faire weather when it is red lowring in the morning it is a signe of foule weather when a cloud riseth out of the West they say a shower is comming when the South-winde bloweth a signe of heat By obseruing how Ionathan shot his arrows Dauid knew how Saul stood affected towards him by the holding out of the golden Scepter Hester knew shee was in the Kings fauour by the budding of the Trees wee know that Summer is come by the sound of the Vessell the emptinesse or fulnes thereof is perceiued by the beating of the pulses the distemperature of the body is discerned And by the affections of the heart which are the pulses of the soule the hearts Treasure is discouered and where it lyeth for God that hath giuen men signes to know the state of the body the alteration of weather and the mindes of other men hath also giuen certaine notes and signes to discerne the state of the Soule by Yea Christ doth condemne them for Hypocrites which will not iudge of themselues as well as of other things Hipocrites saith hee Yee can discerne the face of the Earth and of the Skie but why discerne yee not this time yea and why iudge yee not of your selues what is right But how may that be will some say or how may a man know by the affections of the heart where the hearts treasure is Then mark the way of wisdome and learne to bee wise when the Lord Iesus heard one answeare discreetely he said vnto him Thou art not farre from the kingdome of God to shew that discreet answeres in matters of religion are signes of grace When Zacheus did with heart obey Christ and with reuerence receiue Christ and in charitie releiue Christ in
conscience of his wrongs done was ready to restore where hee had wrongfully receiued the Lord Iesus said vnto him This day Saluation is come into thy house to shew that true conuersion is a certaine signe of Life and Saluation By this I know saith Dauid that thou louest mee O Lord because my enimies doe not triumph ouer mee to shew that euen enimies are for signes tokens of gods fauour By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples saith our sauiour Christ â—f yee loue one another to shew that christian loue is for a signe of gods loue but not a cause thereof as Papists teach And by the heart a man may know whether his part be in the booke of life and whether his soule shall bee bound vp in the bundell of the righteous or no For where the treasure is there will thâ— heart bee also that is there will be the ioy and delight of the heart the loue and deâ—ire of the heart the care and longing of the heart for the heart in this place is put for the affections of the heart or soule If then thou wouldest know whether thy Treasure bee in heauen or hell see where thy heart doth most â—aunt and whereabout it is most employed If Christ be the man the matter whom thy soule loueth if his Gospell bee the ioy of thy soule his commandements thy harts delight if for loue of his name and zeale to his glory thou fearest more to offend him then all the world besides and art for his sake content to endure with patience all the Tribulations crosses that the hands of wicked men can loade vpon thy backe if thou canst finde thy heart resolued to drink of his cup and to bee baptised with his Baptisme if thou bee bent to stand more zealously for his glory then for thy own life and if thy heart bee refreshed when thou thinkest on his death and art hartely desirous of his comming to Iudgement then happy and blessed art thou the king of kings hath put forth his golden Scepter vnto thee thou art in his fauour the fruitfull Tree of Grace hath budded in thy hart the Summer time of thy refreshing is approching and the Lord delighteth in the fruit of thy faith thy treasure is in heauen thy prouision is gone before thou shalt follow after yea more if thy heart doth mourne and grieue for thy owne vntowardnesse and the sinnes of other men thou art marked by Gods owne Secretary his sauing Angell hath set thee apart that the destoyers â— may not meddle with thee if they meete thee in their way And as Christ said to Nathaniel Dost thou beleue because I said I saw thee vnder the figge Tree thou shalt see greater things then these Soe do you beleeue because I say by the hart you shal know whether your treasure be in heauen you shall see greater things then yet you doe for now wee see but in part and we know but in part but hereafter wee shall know as wee are knowne in the meane time take these things as the first fruites of the spirit which are but thâ— least part of the haruest or as an earnest penny in assurance of millions not to bee numbred for certainly where the hart is there is the treasure but how great a treasure no eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor tongue can expresse nor hart can conceiuâ— On the other side if thy hart hath no ioy in the gospell of Christ nor delight in the commandements of God if thou haue no zeale for the glory of God no desire to pray nor longing for the coming of Christ then feare for where thy treasure is there will thy heart be also If thou hast more felicitie in worldly vanities then in heauenly vertues if vaine company bee more welcome vnto thee then such as feare the Lord if thy study be onely how to liue heere thy cares and communications be altogether â—arthly and prophane then suspect thy estate not to bee good and know that thy hollow sound bewrayeth an emptie vessell thy figge tree hath nothing but leaues all thy Termes are but vacations and as for treasure in heauen thou hast none for they that are occupiers there haue their harts wholly employed there and as they looke for great aboundance when they come thether so they finde an earnest thereof in their harts heere alâ— is holy and heauenly comfortable and happie for righteousnesse and truth hath looked downe from heauen vpon them and mercy and peace haue embraced each other in their soules and heauen holding their treasure doth also hale and draw their harts thither likewise Now then let vs see how our harts stand affected for there is a sure witnesse and pledge eyther of Hell or of Heauen But how shall wee know whether our hearts be in heauen and Gods holy spirit be in our hearts Surely a needfull question for euery one wil say as the yong man in the Gospel all these things I haue obserued from my youth and that he loueth God aboue all yea hee would be sorry else but the Prophet Ieremie saith that the heart is deceiptfull wicked aboue all things who can know it and therefore to be suspected examined as Dauid aduised Examine your hearts vpon your beds euen secretly before God and free from all lets and encombrances Wouldest thou then know thy heart examine all her attendants and vnder officers wherabout they are chiefly employed as thy Tongue thy Eares thy Eyes thy hands and feet for out of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh that is the tongue will shew how the hart is affected my hart is enditing of a good matter saith the Psalmist and presently followeth my tongue is the pen of a ready writer Againe in another place My hart was hot within me and I spake with my tongue A good man saith our Sauiour Christ out of the good treasure of his hart bringeth forth good things If there be abundance of loue to God the tongue will still bee speaking in commendation of his praises and setting forth his greatnes his goodnes his iustice his holines his wisdome and mercy c. as the Church in the Canticles Oh let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy loue is better then wine that is better then all pleasant and profitable things If there bee abundance of ioy and delight in the commandements of God thy lips will declare the Iudgements of his mouth If there be abundance of feare to offend against God or the Godly thou wilt set a watch before thy mouth and thy feet shall carry thee speedely from euill company If there be abundance of zeale in thy hart then will thy tongue be enflamed with a holy fire for the truth If thy hart doth abound with desire and longing for the presence of the Lord then thou wilt still be wishing