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
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
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
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
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
hart shall haue his hart and the golden Misers and pleasant companions shall please them so that nothing shal be thought too deere for them Well now is the time to know both their harts for these pleasing placeboes with their tripping trulles care not a straw for any preaching but in their harts wish all except their mealy mouthd Prophets which neuer goe without a slickstone in their pocket hangd out of the way And till sit time serueth they can daunce after times pipe but if time change his note they will also change their coppy and will make better Christians then euer Herod was to daunce after their pipe if Gods grace be not the more abounding euen to the bitter perfecuting and disgracing of Gods poore Ministers and seruants yea they haue the skill to watch the time at a feast at a dauncing reuell or a gossips meeting to winne their harts deâ—ire and make better then Herod to doe that they will be sorry for afterward Therefore let men take heed that they be not deceiued by such hipocrites and that they deceiue not themselues whiles they professe religion from the head and not from the hart But some will say a man may be religious in hart and yet fall away from grace and so come to no assurance of treasure in heauen because it is said in the Gospell that some receiued the word with ioy and yet fel away now ioy is an affection of the hart and ioy in the word is a fruite of the spirit Gal. 5. therfore it seemeth y â— though a man hath a religious heart yet hee may fall away consequently one cannot tell by his heart whether he hath any treasure in heauen or no. But that ioy that S. Matthew speakes of is rather a liking or wondring at the heauenly doctrine as at some strange and excellent thing then any sound or setled reioycing in God who speaketh in his word And ioy is to be distinguished for it is eyther carnall and temporary or spirituall and permanent A carnall man reioyceth many times at a Sermon for the preachers rare inuention or his varietie of phrases or the sharpnes of his wit or the artificiall conuaiance of the matter or his excellent gift of vtterance and boldnes or because hee heard some touched that hee was not friends withall but not for the simplicitie and euidence of the truth nor for any reformation that he felt wrought in himselfe nor for any hatred of sinne or loue of righteusnes that the word wrought in him for commonly such kinde of reioycers or admirers of men goe presently from the Sermon with the dog to eat vp their vomit and Swine-like to tumble in their mire again Such were many of Iohns auditours such were many of Christs auditors such were most of Ezechiels auditours and such are too many of our auditours which flock at the first to a man for nouelties sake to see whether they shall be clawed with a curry-combe or smoothed with a slik-stone Such are they that haue the word of God in respect of persons and such are those fantasticks that will buy a booke onely for the merry conceits that are in it and not for the matter like children which ioy in a booke with a faire couer and reioyce more at the gaies or gawdy letters then any thing else in the booke be it neuer so good The spirituall man reioyceth for that God hath found out his sinne and feeleth the hand of God reforming his heart he reioyceth for that he perceiueth Sathan dispossessed and his life amended his soule hee findeth humbled and his affections bridled himselfe won to God and his familie with him and for this hee reioyceth like the conuerted Iaylor who reioyced for that he and all his houshold beleeued in God But now the afflicted soule is to be satisfied who complaineth with the Spouse of Christ in the Canticles that shee hath sought him whom her soule loueth euen by night in her bed she hath sought him but she cannot finde him that is the conscience afflicted with the wounds of sin cannot find in her hart any assurance of Gods fauour in the remission of her sinnes But for answere we say that there is an earnest penny pawne of Gods loue in that hart though as it were sealed vp in a bag and in time it shall be opened and perceiued for first the very seeking after the loue of God is a speciall fauour of God and an euident token that the spirit of God is there for that proceedeth not of flesh and bloud Seeke yee my face saith the Lord my hart answered saith Dauid thy faâ—e will I seeke hee doth not say thy face will I finde but seeke to shew that seeking of gods fauour is a grace of God as well as finding of Godâ— fauour Seeke and yee shall find saith Christ to shew that finding comes after seeking Seek the Lord saith Esay while he may be fouud and call vpon him while he is nigh at hand to shew that God is sought for by inuocation or calling vpon his name long before hee is found or felt gracious vnto vs but euen then he is nigh at hand or else we could not call vpon him for it is euen his spirit that sends forth our prayers and helps them with sighes and grones and if hee did not help and heaue vp our dull and drowsie spirits we should neuer once flutter towards heauen but euen lye like dead blocks sencelessely groueling vpon the ground Again Christ is in the hart of the troubled spirit for asmuch as the loue of Christ is there for the saith whom my soule loueth which very loue that thou bearest to Christ is a note of the sanctifying spirit of God Againe thou desirest to feele the assurance of Gods loue which desire is also a pledge of the spirit of grace A man may feare God in some sort and ioy in the things of God for a time in some carnall respect desire with the sluggard Balamâ— like to dye the death of the righteous and yet not loue the Lord but the loue of God desire of his fauour makes all sure Fourthly if thou feele it not yet as thou wouldest then vse the meanes of Preaching Reading Prayer Conference Meditation and patiently waite the Lords leasure as Dauid saith to his Soule Waite on God and be not so cast downe for he is thy present help and thy God As a sicke man taketh meat drink and phisick though it goeth against the stomacke and his stomacke so weake that it casteth vp all againe yet hee hath a desire to brooke it and doth striue to keepe it and at last it worketh strength so is it with the sick distempred Soule There is a defect in the stomacke or in the pallat or in some other part of the body which hindreth the working of corporall phisick so in the inward man there