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
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
because he shall never be separated from the thing beloved his love shall continue for ever in heaven and he shall never be separated from it Then examine your selves that which you feare to be separated from is that which the love of your heart runs out unto 8. 8 Love is victorious Love is victorious Cant. 8.4 'T is strong as death there 's a kind of dominion in love looke over the love that men bear to the things of this life let them have but Riches and if Christ and the glory of heaven be tendered to them as the young man had in the Gospel and bid them sell all they will go away sorrowful why so the love of the world overcomes them On the other side offer a godly man all the comforts of this life whatsoever his heart could wish yet notwithstanding he doth not imbrace it why so his love to God out-bids them and overcomes them Love it is like Lime in that respect many waters cannot quench love Cant. 8.7 Nay the more you pouâ—e upon lime the hotter it burns It s not onely faith that overcomes the world but love overcomes the world for love is a victorious Grace as well as Faith If you be offered great things in this world greater things in another world doth overcome them therefore examine where your love is for where your love is ther 's your heart where your heart is there 's your Treasure where your Treasure is there 's your Heaven where your Heaven is there 's your God and where your God is there 's your happinesse There are onely three short uses I shall make and so shut up the point Use 1. 1. Use Shall be in generall in two things 1. To discover the fulnesse that is in every scripture sentence From hence see the fulnesse of Scripture every short sentence of it how full of matter is it the smallest things in Scripture there are great things depending on them therefore a Father cryes out in admiration of the fulnesse of the Scripture It s observed by Chrysostome he saith It s the greatest Blasphemy that can be to think that in the Booke of God there should be found one idle word hee that will judge you for idle words will not write one idle word There 's one place which Chrysostome himself insists upon its 1 Tim. 5.23 Drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomacks ake and he hath eight mighty truths out of that ordinary portion of Scripture 1. Godly men out of love to duty neglect the body 2. Godly men are very moderate in the use of the creatures left they should be brought under the power of them 3. Consider in his weakness hee did not cease from his charge he had infirmities and often infirmities but he did not neglect the affaires of the Gospel 4. Take a little wine That godly men may too far neglect their bodies even to offend therin 5. Every creature of God is good in it self yea those creatures of God that are most abused 6. Godly men may be subject to many bodily infirmities and that often 7. In the decay of nature the Creatures are to be used for its repair but according to the proportion of natures infirmities 8. There 's a moderation appointed in receiving the creature even when men take them for necessities sake for he that prescribes him the wine prescribes him the measure upon this accompt the Scripture becomes exceeding sweet to a man and 't is a great Argument of growth of grace in him and of profiting in spirituall knowledge when a man can take delight and sweetnesse in the word not onely in the substance but in every circumstance of it Do not study the substance of the word onely but the phrase of it they are not only words but such words as God himselfe hath chosen out phrased it to our minds and to our understandings 2. There are some sentences of scripture that we should especially treasure up Consider though all the Scripture be to be studied yet there are some sentences above all that a man should lay up in his heart such as these we are speaking on Where a mans Treasure is there will his heart be There are fix parts of Scripture that the Lord puts speciall marks upon which scriptures are sutable to especiall occasions and therefore wee should take especial notice of them 1. 1 Such as the Lord hath added anote of attention unto Those scriptures which the Lord hath added a note of attention and asseveration to those especially we should studie Io. 1.29 Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world Where the Lord doth put special marks upon them there we should exercise a speciall study about them Isa 40.5 Behold the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it c. 2. 2 Such as are of ten repeated Such scriptures as the Lord hath often repeated such scriptures should bee diligently studied As Riches profit not in the day of wrath Pro. 11.4 Mark 8.36 And what shal it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul And if Riches increase set not your hearts upon them Psa 62.10 3. 3 Such as have bin most effectuall for your conversion Those scriptures that God hath made use of in a speciall manner to doe you or any other good these should bee mightily studied God requiers you should take notice of them in a speciall manner so did the Ancients Rom. 13.1 And Luther made use of Rom. 1.17 and Junius of Iob. 1.1 Those by which the Lord hath spoken Conviction and Consolation these he requires you should especially observe and diligently study 4. 4 Such are sutable to your condition Those scriptures that speak especially concerning thy condition the Lord requires a man should study that word that is sutable to his estate whether thou art in poverty or riches in health or sickness 5. 5 Such as speak to the controversies of the times Those Scriptures that speak to the present controversie of the Age that you live in that you may be established in the present truth and keep from falling into the present errors the Lord requires you to be much in the study of these Scriptures 6. 6 Such as are most comprehensive Those scriptures that are very comprehensive that carry in them the guidance of a mans life as in the Text Lay up for your selves treasures in heaven c. and that Heb. 13.5 Be convent with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 12.14 And without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Such comprehensive directions as these the Lord requires our hearts should be exercised in the study of them Use 2. Use 2. To difcover the necessity regeneration Is most proper in this point Is the heart inseparable from the