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
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