much for God thinks no pains too much that he layes out for God so Haman loves his revenge and he will give the King much for the ruine of the Jews David when he came to build the Temple thought he could never spend enough about the Temple It is a large heart that makes an hand therefore where your love is there 's your bounty 4. 4 Love is laborious Love is laborious it grudgeth no pains Heb. 6.10 It is called the labour of love a mans labour is sutable to his love he that labors most loves most If a man loves riches he labours for them Hab. 2.13 Labouring in vain is called labouring in the fire you shall know where your love is by your labour Eccle. 4.8 There 's a man hath no end of all his labour why so There 's his love His eye is not satisfied with Riches The Lord Jesus Christ his love to his Father made him labour in the worke of his Father till he had spent his strength and dryed up his radicall humours Isai 49.4 For a man that 's sloathful there 's no love in him lazy love is pretended love where love is according to the degree of it such a mans labour will be O you that are dead and dull in holy duties strengthen your love and you will mend your pace It s an observation of one of the Ancients That love that doth not put forth it selfe to its utmost endeavour is unsound love that which goes to its strength and no more that 's true love but weake love strong love bends to impossibilities it will labour in those things which 't is impossible to obtain It 's observed of Mary her love out-bid her strength therefore examine where the great labour of your lives hath been how much have I laboured for the things of this world and how little have I laboured for the things of another world for God Christ 5. 5 Love is venturous Would you know where your love is love is venturous it will hazard any thing for the thing beloved our Saviour Christ gives you an evidence of it he doth not onely venture his life but lay down his life Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friend Ioh. 15.13 and Psal 69.9 The reproach of them that reproached thee hath fallen upon me It was a gracious speech of an Ancient If the Lord make use of me to keepe off reproach from himselfe I shall looke upon it as a great priviledge as a great honour Where is the man that for the truths of God and Christ will hazard the losse of friends the losse of his estate the losse of his blood True love turns cowardize into courage the Hen though but a feeble Creature yet will hazard her selfe against the most ravenous Birds that come to devour her Chickens so will the mother if her child be in danger Take a man whose love is set on lust and what will not the man hazard for it he will lose his friends he will spend his estate he will blast his reputation he will hazard his soule and all for the love he beares to sin and indeed what 's that which makes men despise the judgements of God it's their love to sin then enquire and examine your selves where your adventures are there is your love 6. 6 Love is zealous Love is zealous I doe not mean by zeale a zeale of suspition of evill in the party beloved which we call jealousy for love thinks no evill 1 Cor. 13.4 But when I say love is zealous I meane it is full of solicitude fearing that any injurie or wrong should be offered to the person or thing beloved Moses the meekest man upon earth yet Moses's meeknesse is turned into anger when wrong is done to the God of his life and the God of his love and he breaks the Tables The Lord Jesus Christ out of love to his Father saith The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up Iob. 2.17 Zeal in the heart is like boiling water that wasts in the seething it makes a man over-look all interests considering himselfe in the world to be wholly intended to carry on the interests of the party belove So it is with godly men for zeale is a mixt affection 't is nothing else but love provoked therfore Hoster speaks the language of love How should I endure to see the evil that should come upon me and upon my people Est 8.6 Tel me what are you zealous for where 's your zeale Touch a man in his Reputation and you may quickly see where his love and zeal is touch God in his name Christ in his truth then saith Paul To whom we gave place no not for an houre that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you Gal. 2.5 Love is provoked with any thing and comes contrary to Christ and his truth I would have zeale to be turned into fire and so it will be where love is for God and his glory Examine therefore what it is that makes you hot on every occasion where thy zeal is there is thy love for love is zealous 7. 7 Love iâ— fearful of separation Love is very fearful of separation from the thing beloved it desires nothing more then union it fears nothing more then separation it s the Spouses expression Cant. 3.4 When I sound him I held him and would not let him go Austin gives that as the difference between true and uncleane love between the love of a Wife and the love of a Harlot both fear the husband but the one fears lest the husband should come the other fears lest the husband should depart the affections of the soule in this way are seen very much Death is called the King of terror because its a separation of the soule from the body love it loves union and he that loves dyes himselfe to live in the thing beloved for this cause the great consolation of the Saints lies in this who shall separate us from the love of God c Rom. 8.30 31. For in the absence of the love of the thing beloved the heart languishes â—n union with the thing loved the heart rejoyces and in separation from the thing loved the heart dyes and perishes for this cause is this the great cordial to the Saints that there is no separation between their love and their beloved The unhappinesse of wicked men lies in this that they love that which shall be separated from them Riches make to themselves wings flie away P o. 23.5 And thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken away from thee and then whose shall these things be Luk. 12.20 So Amos 4.2 I will take away thy posterity with fish-hooks As easily as the fish is drawn out of the water with a hooke so will I take them away with Fish-hooks Therefore when an ungodly man dies his love dies because his beloved ceaseth when he dies A godly man
the Lord is his Treasure this is peculiarly spoken of Hezekiah and in him of the Church of God Now what is here meant by the fear of God Calvin notes two things 1. Reverential fear and awe of the Majestie of God from a right apprehension of his Righteousnesse and Holinesse so Prov. 17. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome 2. By Fear is meant an aweful worship of God Worship the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Psa 2.11 Thus you see what was Hezekiah's Treasure It was the feare of the Lord a holy feare of God and a constant worship of him is a Christians Treasure But how comes it to passe that every man hath his own Treasure 1. From the different lights that men have Men have different lights some can see good in that which an other man can see none 2 Cor. 4.18 We look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen c. 2 Cor. 4.4 There are some in whom the God of this world hath blinded their eyes and some the eyes of whose understanding are enlightned Ephe. 1.17.18 Men have different good things because they have different lights the things of this life are base in the eyes of some though glorious to others 2. 2 Men have different savours Men have different treasures to themselves because they have different Savours Rom. 8.5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit the meaning is they savour the things of the flesh Tell a naturall man of a promise it hath no more savour to him then a stock or a stone tell a Rich man of a promise who makes Riches his treasure this hath no savour in it he can taste sweetnesse in dainty meats and in gorgeous apparell and in the pleasures of sin that are but for a season but let a Saint come and look upon the word of God thy word is sweeter to me then the honey or the honey combe Psal 19.10 people runne after vanity because they savour no better things 3. 3 Men make different choice From their choice would you know why Israel was Gods peculiar treasure it was because God chose them himselfe Psal 144.4 Some men make choice of God as their chiefest good let him enjoy God he is contented saith David Whom have I in heaven but thee there 's none on earth whom I desire in comparison of thee But if you let me live without God 't is nothing he accounts all things nothing in comparison of God because that 's the mans chief good Take an other He saith I can live without God all my life time and I can be content never to heare of God the Reason is because they chuse an other good for their chiefe good besides God himselfe this chief good is called a mans Treasure you see now every man hath his chiefe good in this life and his own chiefe good in this life 4. A mans chiefe good is his treasure Particular That a mans chiefe good is his Treasure and that upon a three-fold Accompt 1. 1 Because of the preciousnesse From the Preciousnesse of it No man owns or esteems his Treasure unlesse it be his own chiefe good and that which he esteems as precious A mans Treasures are precious therefore when the Lord speaks of precious things he calls them a Treasure Mat. 13.44.2 Cor. 4.7 The Gospel is caled a Treasure because it carries precious things with it Take a man whose chiefe good is God take God from him and he is undone But an other man who makes wealth his treasure he saith take away this and I shall have no comfort one takes God for his treasure and the other wealth for his 2. 'T is called Treasure Plentifulnesse not onely for the preciousnesse of it but for the plentifulnesse of it for 't is not a little that will make a Treasure but abundance Col. 2.3 In whom are hid all the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge What ever is a mans chiefe good he desires it with an infinite appetite for he is never satisfied Take a man that makes pleasure his chiefe treasure he is like a Horse-leach that cryes give give let him have to day yet he is hungry to morrow Take a man whose chiefe good is laid up in God though he have all the world can afford him yet he sayes give me more comfort from God more Communion with God and more likenesse to God hee is still unsatisfied because it 's his chief good 3. 3 Valuation of it 'T is called a Treasure because it 's that by which a man values himselfe look how much a man hath in his Treasure so much he conceives he is worth there is a Rate which the man puts upon it it adds as it were to the value of himself Now as men value themselves according to their wealth honor c. so God values every man according to his heart Prov. 10.20 The heart of the wicked is little worth the man is worth nothing if his heart be worth nothing For these grounds 't is called a Treasure for the preciousnesse for the plentifullness for the value and esteem a man puts upon it Use 1. Vse 1. For the examination Of Examination where is your treasure Take this rule where thy love is ther 's thy heart where thy heart is ther 's thy Treasure where thy Treasure is ther 's thy Heaven where thy heaven is ther 's thy God and where thy God is ther 's thy happines There are six things I would have you to consider That is your Treasure as to this use of Examination that you may know where your Treasure lies 1. 1 Which you labour most for Consider what it is that you dig for that you labour for that you are willing to spend your money for this is the first try all of your Treasure If you dig for wisdome as for pretious stones If thou seekâ—st her as Silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures Pro. 2.4 and saith our Saviour Job 6.27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life What 's the great thing you work for in this life What is it you lay out your money for that you labour for dost thou lay out thy Knowledge for God thy estate for God or dost thou spend thy money for that which is not bread and labour for that which satisfieth not Isaiah 55.2 When a man shall return to his own heart and say I have laboured for Wealth all my daies and wearied my self for vanity and now I come to die I find that I have not laboured at all for God I have not chosen God for my treasure Oh this mans condition is very sad how many are there that can lavish out their wealth upon their lusts But let
mans treasure be in heaven in the enjoyment of God and Christ what ever his esteem is in the world it doth not trouble him so he can but go on to the obtaining of more of his treasure Now where your treasure is there is your heart that is there is your wisdome your plottings and contrivings for the getting keeping and improvement of it 3. 3 The heart is put for the thoughts and meditation of the heart The heart is used for the thoughts and meditations of the heart Psal 139.23 Trye me O Lord and know my thoughts there 's nothing carryes the heart with it more then the thoughts thoughts are the first born of the soule the immediate issuings forth of the heart The way to tast water and not be deceived is to cast it at the Spring and Wine if you would not bee deceived by the Vintner you must tast it at the Wine-presse so if you would judge aright of your hearts you must look to your thoughts Solomon speaks of one that invites to dinners Now saith he Eat not the bread of him that hath an evill eye neither desire thou his dainty meats for as he thinketh in his heart so is he eat and drinke saith he to thee but his heart is not with thee Prov. 23.6 7. what way your hearts goe Three Rules for discovery where your thoughts hearts are that way your thoughts go There are three Rules that will much discover which way your thoughts goe and by these you will know where your hearts are and by that where your treasure is 1. 1 Whither doe your thoughts retyre when you ar alone When you are alone sequestred from company out of worldly imployment whither then do your thoughts usually retyre for the man iâ— as he is alone such as thâ— thought is such is the man Take a godly man would you know where his thoughts are when he is in his Closet in his bed when I awake saith David I am still with thee early in morning will I direct my prayer to thee and will look up Psal 5.3 2. 2 What are these thoughts in which you finde the greatest sweetness Rule by which your thoughts may be discovered and you may judge where your hearts are is this what are those thoughts that you use to find the greatest sweetnesse and delight in Psa 12â— 17 How precious are thy 〈…〉 unto me O God! 〈◊〉 great is the summe of them To one man the thought of his lefts are sweet and he acts over his wickednesse in a contemplative way with delight and the thoughts of God are bitter unto him and trouble him there 's no sweetnesse in thinking upon God to a wicked man and there 's nothing but sweetnesse in the thoughts of God to a godly man 3. 3 What thoughts are of longest continuance with you Rule What thoughts are they that are of longest continuance with you that your soules doe most abide upon the thoughts that abide in your soules most discover where your hearts are Jer. 4.19 How long shall vaine thoughts abide in you Psal 10.4 God is not in all his thoughts nay God is not in his thoughts at at all what do your thoughts stay on Take a naturall man and cast in some thoughts of his treasure his thoughts will abide there but cast in any thought of heaven and those dye presently as a fish out of its element Then examine your thoughts when you are alone what thoughts come into your mind and abide up on your spirits for your treasure is as the meditation of your thoughts and hearts are 4. 4 The heart is put for the love and affections of the heart The heart is put for the love and affections of the heart Iudg. 5.9 My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people It s Deborah's speech The people of God love all that are imployed for God and the more men are imployed for God the more their hearts are drawn out after them The heart of man is said to be where it loves rather then where it lives now the heart is here taken properly for the loves of the heart so where the heart is there 's the Treasure Now how should a man know where his love is set 'T is a thing of marvellous great consequence to consider where a man sets his love It s a thing of great concernment where a man sets his love and upon what his love is fixed And this is the maine of this Text and there are 4 grounds why 't is a thing of so great Concernment where a man sets the loves of his heart 1. 1 Because a mans love is his greatest gift Because a mans love is his greatest gift there is nothing else a gift indeed without love but love is a gift of it selfe though there be nothing else It 's so if you consider the love of God though the Lord have not given you any thing if he doth but set his love upon you it s a greater gift then Heaven or Earth could be so likewise the Lord Jesus Christ if he had not given us interest in his victories in his sonship in his priviledges so hee had given us but his love it was a greater gift then heaven or earth saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.1 If I had all things and had not Charity it profiteth nothing Hypocrits many times give God great gifts but they reserve their love so God gives many of them great gifts but he reserves his love for the saints so that love is the greatest gift that a man hath from God and 't is the great est gift a man can give to God 2. 2 He that gives his love gives himself Because he that gives his love he gives himself he gives all things else whatsoever hee hath That 's pure and free love indeed that gives all things to the person beloved the Lord sets his love upon his people from all eternity and when hee purposeth to give all things hee gave himself love first gives it self and then all things else Revel 21.7 he that overcommeth shall inherit all things how so I will be his God and be shâ—ll be my Son So t is with men he that gives his love gives all things and hee that withholds his love withholds all things for a mans love Commands all that he hath Therefore 't is a mighty thing to consider where a man sets his love 3. 3 A mans love maks the 〈◊〉 loved his own A mans love is that which makes the thing beloved his own A learned man saith God is our owne above all things we call ours Estate is ours and friends are ours but God is more ours then they because he loves us more then they 'T is by the love of God that we come to be his by our love to God that he comes to be ours It s our love that makes the thing beloved ours
thou canst call nothing thine but what thou lovest 4. 4 It s a mans love that sets the price upon all things It 's a mans love that sets the price upon all things Great things are of small value where love is wanting and small things are of great value where love is present it s so with God and so with the Saints If God give to ungodly men the greatest heaps of Gold in the world how do the Saints value this 't is but a bone cast to the doggs why so because there is no love in it so likewise let a godly man give but to God a small thing there is love in it and indeed that love raiseth the price the poor widow cast in but two mites Luke 21.12 it was with more love and affection then others therefore more in acceptance What should a man set his love upon that by this means he may know where his heart is All love is lovely wheresoever it is and to be beloved even naturall love God loves all his Creatures and all pure love should be set upon him Mark 10.21 He that loves Father and Mother more then me is not worthy of me Whether may we not love that which is good Yes and nothing else As all truths are to be known and be believed so all good things are to bee embraced and loved Mark 10.37 He that hates not Father and Mother c. cannot be my Disciple To love Father and Mother is a duty but you see what it is that must have the chiefe place of your love 10. 12.35 He that loves his life more then me and my truth and my wayes this man is not worthy of me 1 Joh. 2.15 He that loves the world the love of the Father is not in him Is it not lawfull to love the world and the things of the world Yes but not more then me To love the Creature more then God is that which makes it lust To love the Creature in subordination to God is that which makes it love Then what is that which you love most would a man know where his love is there is treasure is And because this is the main thing in the Text Rules 〈◊〉 know where â—â—ur love â—â—d treasures are I shall give you eight things to know where your hearts are and where your treasure is 1. 1 What is it you do especially desire union with What is that you doe especially desire union with for love is an affection that carries an affectionate tendency to union and this will appeare if you observe the love of God Union with God is first in Gods intention because it is last in his execution the people of God in glory are brought into two things 1. Into an immediate vision of him 2. Into the closest union with him There is a two-fold union 1. Is generall of all the Creatures to God that 's the union of Dependance In him me live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 They cannot live separate from God because he is the life of them 2. There 's a speciall union peculiar to the Saints which is the indwelling of God in them and their indwelling in God such an union none but the Saints have by the enjoyment of God in their soules God loves the Saints and his love carries a tendency to union Jesus Christ loved his people and he seekes alwayes to become one with them There is a natural union which is by constitution there is an union of likeness fruition a union of similitude there is an union of enjoyment 1 Cor. 6.17 They that are joyned to the Lord are one spirit the Greeke signifies they are glewed to the Lord If a man love God he is glewed to God where a mans love is there the soule goes after the thing beloved to be united If a man love God then the heart followes hard after God and all that it may be made one with him to this end you have two Metaphors remarkable in scripture one is in Gen. 10.9 There Nimrod is called a mighty hunter before the Lord It is an expression to set forth the pursuite of the soule after a thing A godly man is a mighty hunter after God his soul pursues after God continually I read a story of one that was going in hast one asked him whither he was going he said he was going to hunt after God The other Metaphor is the merchandize trading for Christ and grace in the things of eternity and he that trades for Christ and grace is called a Merchant-man Mat. 13.45 in a Pet. 2.3 A worldly man is called a Merchant hee doth wholly trade for things below Now observe what 's your trade if thy trade be for Jesus Christ and the things of eternity then there 's thy love What is that you pursue after and desire union with according to your pursuit so is your loves and acording to your loves so is your treasure 2. 2 Love moves the swifter the nearer it comes to the thing beloved The neerer love comes to the thing beloved the swifter it moves towards it the nearer a mans love comes to possesse the thing hee loves the swifter he moves after it Psal 62.10 If Riches encrease set not your hearts upon them wicked covetous men the richer they are the more their heart is set on riches the more miserable and griping and scraping they are to get their treasure why so because the nearer that love comes to the thing beloved the swifter it moves after it Bernard saith God puts his love into betrothed persons what 's the reason of that because there must be a time between the betrothing and the marriage that the desire may be kindled so much the more The nearer a man comes to the enjoyment of anything he loves the more vehemently his heart is carryed after it Now if it be so examine by this Rule the more you have of God and of Christ the more do your hearts runne after them the more you have communion with Christ the more your hearts act towards him with the greatest impatiency 3. 3 Wheâ— love is is bouâ—tiful Love is bountifull and where ever thy bounty is there is thy love for where a man shews most bounty there certainly is most love Acts of the greatest bounty are demonstrations of the highest love for love opens the heart and that opens the hand God loves you and because he can give you no greater gift hee gives you himselfe he loves us therefore he gives his Son to us Men may think sometimes Ministers speak for private respects alas 't is to prove the sincerity of your love the more Tell me therefore where your bounty is laid out if your bounty be laid out about feasting your bellies or cloathing your backs there your love is Is thy bounty towards God As he that loves his belly thinks nothing to much for it so he that loves his God thinks nothing too