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
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