is ventrous it will hazard any thing for the thing beloved Christ gives an evidence of it he doth not only venture his life but lay down his life greater love then this hath no man that a man lay down his life for his friend Joh. 15. 13. Abishai out of his intire love to David when there came Ishbi-benob a gyant whose staff was like a Weavers beam and struck at David thinking to have killed him he interposes receives the blow and slew the Philistine 2 Sam. 21. 16. Love is ventrous it will put life in hazard for the thing beloved t is that which the people of God speak as a testimony of their love to God The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Psal 69. 9. and they do it to choose as it was a gracious speech of that Ancient Mallem in me sit murmur quam in Deum Bonum est quod dignetur Deus me uti pro clypeo If the Lord will be pleased to make use of me to keep off reproaches from himself truly I shall look upon it as a very great priviledge and honour Now pray tell me where your hazards are where is the man that for the truths of God and the interests of Christ wâ—ll hazard the loss of his estate the loss of friends the spoiling of his goods where be the men that be apt thus to hazard any thing The truth is love turns cowardize into Courage you may see it the Hen though a feeble creature how far out of love to her young will hazard her self against the most ravenous Bird the mother though a weak and fearfull creature yet how far and with how little consideration will put her self in hazard if her childe be in danger what is that for which you venture Take a man whose love is set upon a lust what will that man hazard he will lose his friends spend his estate blast his reputation nay he will venture his soul all this out of that cursed love and indeed what is it else that makes men despise the judgements of God and mock at fear what is it that men are so couragious for t is their love to sin makes them so Now pray tell me where are your ventures certainly there is your love Sixâ—hly Love is zealous I do not mean that of suspition a zeal of suspition that we commonly call jealousie suspicio est amicitiae venenum t is the poison of love that suspition of evil in the party beloved no the property of love is the contrary for love thinks no evil 1 Cor. 13. 4. But when I say love is zealous my meaning is it is full of sollicitude fearing least any injury or wrong should be offered to the person and thing beloved this love is zealous against any injury offered to the thing or person beloved Consider Moses was the meekest man upon earth yet Moses meekness is turned into anger when an injury is done to the God of his love as well as of his life Moses by and by breaks the Tables so likewise the Lord Jesus Christ out of love to his Father the Zeal of thy house hath eaten me up Joh. 2. 17. Zeal in the heart is like boyling water that wastes in the seething just so the Lord Jesus the Zeal of thine house hath eaten me up It makes a man overlook all interests concerning himself in the world and be intent only upon the interest of the person beloved so it is in Gods love I am zealous for my sanctuary with a very great jealousie Zach. 1 14. What is zeal It is a mixt affection it s nothing else but love provoked that is zeal Esther speaks the language of love Esth 6. 8. How can I indure to see the destruction that shall come upon my kindred the evil that shall come upon my people how can I indure this is the proper language of love Now pray tell me what are you zealous for Where is your zeal touch one man in his reputation and you arm his zeal against you touch another in point of goods and you will quickly see where his love is so on the contrary touch God in hâ—s Name Christ in his truth To whom I gave place no not for an hour saith Paul Gal. 2. 5. presently zeal is up and love is provoked I remember it is Bernards exhortation to Eugenius Ignescat Zelus when any thing came contrary to the interest of Christ he would have his zeal turn into fire and so it will be where love is examine therefore what makes you hot upon every occasion sure thats an injury done to the thing beloved this is that which provokes thy zeal therefore where thy zeal is there is thy love Seventhly Love is fearfull of separation from the thing beloved it desires nothing more then union it fears nothing more then separation the Spouse gives an instance of that in the Canticles I charge you awake not my love till he please Austin gives that as the difference between true and unclean love between the love of a wife and the love of an harlot so he puts it both fear the husband true Haec ne veniat illa ne discedat the one fears least the husband should come the other fears least he should depart this love wherever it is fears separation the intirest affection of the soul in this world is unto the body next to God and Christ and heavenly things there is the greatest indeerment between the body and the soul Now why is death called the King of terrors because death is the separation of the soul from the body which especially the soul fears because union it loves and as Neriemberg saith A mans moritur sibi vivit in amato he that loves dies in himself but lives in the thing beloved for if a man die in himself how loth were he to part with the thing beloved for that were a double death for this cause the great consolation of the Saints is let some men of our times talk what they will that the Doctrine of falling from Grace is a Doctrine of great Consolation but the Scripture and Experience tells us who shall separate us from the love of God Rom. 8. ult for in the absence of the thing beloved the heart languishes but in the separation from the thing beloved the heart dies for this cause as this is the greatest cordial to the Saints there is no separation they love that from which they shall never be separated so it s the greatest corrosive to wicked men they love that from which there shall be a separation and therefore the Lord continually tels us Riches betake themselves to their wings Prov. 23. 5. Thou fool this night I will take away thy soul and then whose shall these things be Luke 12. 20. I will take thy cup from thy mouth I will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fish-hooks Amos 4. 2 3. This I say the greatest corrosive to an ungodly man is
very nature of the reasonable soul to go out for somewhat as treasure out of it self this was the very nature of it in the Creation it hath this common with every creature not only to seek its own preservation but it s own perfection this is the condition of every creature but much more of the reasonable creature because it hath not a fountain in it self therefore it must go out to draw because it hath not food at home therefore it must go out to buy the greatest part of the world indeed mistake it and place their chief good in hell when they should place it in heaven but yet every one goeth out to somewhat and saith Who will shew us any good It is the observation of Austin Anima quae vivit ad infimum vivit misere ad summum beate Man is a middle creature and hath something above him and something below him that soul that hath its chief good below it self is a miserable soul whatever it is But here is the happiness now of the Saints their chief good is above themselves but it goeth out of themselves still Christ speaks of the food of the soul Iohn 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life the soul goeth out of it self for somewhat to eat and drink there are hungrings and thirstings for its provision is not in himself therefore the soul that lives upon some what above it self that lives blessedly but Isa 44. 24. he feedeth upon ashes c. the man was seduced by the Serpent and the Serpents curse is upon him All the comforts to which his soul goeth out all is feeding upon ashes as the Prodigal is said in his absence from his father to feed upon Husks Let me point at that place before named Psal 62. 10. If riches increase set not your hearts upon them as it is with insensitive creatures herbs and plants they put their mouths into the eaâ—th as the Philosopher saith so do they here apponere Cor that as they suck the sap and juyce the nourishment that is proper to their natures so take a man whose heart goeth out to the creatures he sets his heart upon them that from thence he may suck somewhat for his preservation and perfection And this brings me to consider of that place Isa 32. 11. they shall lament for the teats the fruitfull fields and the pleasant vineyards lament for the teats what is the meaning of that Forelius indeed and some others expound it pro lactantibus for the children that suckt the dug But Mr. Calvin and some other Interpreters do understand these teats figuratively The teats were the fields and the vineyards and at these they suckt and by these the happiness and the comfort of their lives came in Now saith God I will cut off and dry up the teats you read the same Metaphor Isa 66. 11. They shall suck and be satisfied with the breasts of consolation This then is a truth that the happiness of man his treasure is not in himself but he doth naturally go out to somewhat without himself only I say indeed the greatest part of the world they do mistake therein Now give me leave before I pass this second particular to shew you the folly of sucking dry teats to let you see the miserie of those men that seek happiness and go out of themselves for any treasure below God Doth the heart of man go out for treasure naturally Oh the misery of those men that go out of themselves for any treasure below God! Consider but these three things First consider you draw where there is no water the creature is but vanity all things below God are you suck where there is no milk all these things are empty and that 's one great misery But there is another which heightens this wonderfully and that is the more your soul goeth out to these things for its treasure the more the appetite is increased but never satisfied For I told you its true all the creatures below came under mans Covenant in the Creation and by that means came under mans curse in the Transgression Now there is this curse come upon all the creatures ever since the Fall they enlarge the appetite but never satisfie them Now you would say this were a sad curse upon any man in the world suppose it so still in natural things that the more he eats and drinks the more hungry and thirsty he is therefore lust in the Scripture is compared to drunkenness Nay consider further yet hereby you become subject to your own servants he places his chief good in that which God hath given to serve him The height of iniquity lieth in this when a man commits adultery with his own servant God gave him the Creature to serve and use and he will have them to enjoy t is the height of a mans misery Besides consider in the last place what is there to be had in these when your souls are gone out to them Look to Jer. 2. 13. a known place My people have forsaken me the fountain of living water and have dig'd to themselves broken cisterns that will hold no water Me thinks that very Scripture should wonderfully keep off the heart from going out to creatures for happiness for his treasure pray consider there be two things in it to be opened First all the good in the Creature is but water in a Cistern what doth that imply why first It implyes this it hath no good in themselves they have no more then is put into them Cisterns have no more water then is put into them God can put a great deal of good into a creature that is true but still remember it is but a Cistern Secondly a Cistern is of small compass it will hold but a little a man may see the end of the perfection of the creatures we cannot say so of the Fountain Besides Thirdly it is water that will die in reference to that expression so commonly used of living water they will not be lively refreshing comforts Lastly they will all leave you for they be broken cisterns the world passes away and the fashion of it But now What is water in the fountain treasure laid up in God Why it is in a Fountain 1. It is originally in him 2. It is a continual Fountain it is always running 3. It is in him inexhaustibly never drawn dry 4. It is in him communicatively a fountain gives out water and doth it naturally Lastly comfort in God is living comfort the water in the Fountain is living water in these respects you may see the miserie of that man whose soul goeth out for treasure to any thing without God that 's the second general proposition Every mans treasure is without himself Thirdly it is a matter of great concernment in Christs accompt and should be in ours where our hearts are why Where your treasure is there your hearts will be Give me leave to open
the bent of his heart is on evil so this serves for a godly mans consolation It is a mighty great thing which way the bent aim and tendency of the heart of man doth lie for where the treasure is there is the heart that is the bent of the heart But would you know how a man should finde that out which way the aim and tendency of his heart goeth There are six Rules that I shall offer by which every one of us may very much judge and guess of the aim of our hearts and truly this should be our great study the study of our hearts as I remember it was that which comforted a godly Minister when he died I bless the Lord I have studâ—ed my own heart more then Books It will be the great comfort of every Christian to be able to say I have studied my own heart more then the world more then my Trade here will be the great comfort The first Rule is this What the soul is carried after under different conditions this declares what the aim of the soul is what it tends unto by that you may judge of the tendency of the heart as waters though you may turn them out of their proper current and alter the channel yet they always run into the sea you will say then Certainly the tendency of these as their proper place is the sea that turn them into what channel you will they always run that way if you see the Sun whether the day be clear or cloudy it always makes towards the West you will conclude that is the end of his course that is the race and journey that he is to go the going out of the heart to the same courses under different conditions wonderfully clears to a man what the aim and bent of the soul is As for exâ—mple suppose the heart of a natural man whose aim is at his own exaltation here is his aim Pride being his predominant and master lust bring this man into prosperity why then it vents it self in self-exaltation admiration Seeking of glory from men setting himself in the face and glory of the times in despising of others and preferring himself Bring this man at any time under trouble of conscience why then pride vents it self in his humility and self-abasement bring him into poverty and then pride shews it self in its base dejection and despair for as faith is the most humbling grace so of all others dispair is the highest fruit of pride venting it self in murmuring and discontent here is a heart shewing the same aim in different conditions all this clearly argues where the bent of the heart is and so also let the aim of a mans heart go out to coveteousness the love of mony when he is in a low condition truly if he observe his soul it bends out with earnest desires that way and the admiration of all those that are well stored with it as the former calls the proud happy so this accounts the rich a happy man But now let him be brought into a wealthy condition now he hath more opportunities and by these the lust hath more vent there is still the same bent of soul this still argues what the aim of a mans heart is when it is the same in different conditions put a man into what condition you will the heart still goes the same way as covetousness was that which Judas heart went out to before he was an Apostle now he is an Apostle he is still a thief and carries the bag Simon Magus when a Sorcerer his heart run out to money and became a Sorcerer upon that account when a Christian his heart goeth to his money still Thus take a man in what condition you will and you finde the aim of his heart is the same on the contrary take another man that is godly who hath another treasure and by this means his soul hath another aim put him into what condition you will still the bent of his heart is the same Psal 44. 19. Though thou hast smitten us into the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet we have not gone from thee the bent of their souls was still with God what affliction soever they met with in a way of godliness could not turn their hearts away so if Job be in the gate or on the dunghil the aim of his heart is the same Fearing God and eschewing evil this I pray observe It s very true in different conditions men have not the same vent for their lusts but still the bent of the heart is the same consider what thou wast when thou wert young and what now what in adversity and what in prosperity consider what thou wert when a private man and what now thou aâ—t a Magistrate only t is true thou hast more opportunitâ—es to give vent to lust at one time then at another but still the bent of thy heart is the same Secondly In all places and all companies if opportunity be offered consider what is it that thy heart most greedily catches at there is the bent and aim of thy heart What was the thing they aimed at that were the Messengers of Benhadad to Ahab the aim was to finde some favour for their Master Benhadad and themselves when Ahab said he is my brother they greedily catch at it and said thy brother Benhadad lives so it is with the soul in every condition as if the aim and bent of the soul be lust-carried out that way In Prov. 7. 22. He went after her suddenly or strait way as you read it that is so soon as the motion was made the heart catcht after it immediately and so also suppose it be gain at the least motion of it the heart goeth out immediately Josh 7. 21. I saw among the spoil a wedge of gold and a goodly Babylonish garment and I coveted and took it the heart catcht after it and so also let there be at any time a gracious motion from God to a godly man his heart catches after it 2 Cor. 8. 11. There was in you a readiness to will there was a good motion made to relieve the distressed Churches and they were men that had it to spare there was a readiness not only at last and with much ado as men that were brought now to it with a great deal of perswasion no there was a readiness Now you see by this what do your souls on the first motion most greedily close with as according to the aim of the heart so all temptations be suited this is a means to make them take presently because they suit to the bent of the soul whether it be from men or from the devil Sichem was to perswade the Sichemites and knowing the bent of their hearts were for the world what is his argument Gen. 34. 23. Shall not their cattel and their goods be ours and so it is likewise from Satan for the devil leads you captive at his will but
there shall be a perpetual separation between him and the thing he loves whereas the greatest cordial to godly man is the contrary and therefore an ungodly man when he dies his love dies because he is continually separated from the thing he loves for love ceases in him and all the comforts in the acts of it so because a godly man shall never be separated from the thing he loves therefore a godly mans love shall be made perfect I am afraid saith one I shall lose my estate another I shall not die in honour a third I shall be cut off from such a pleasure that is the comfort of my life by this you shall know your love what you fear to be separated from that the love of your hearts goes out after Lastly Love is victorious love is strong as death Cant. 8. 6. Strong as death why saith the Apostle Rom. 5. death hath raigned here lies the strength of death it exercises such dominion as no man was ever able to stand out against its Scepter No standing out against it there is a kinde of dominion in love Consider I pray look unto the love that men bear to the things of this life Let them have the riches of Christ and the glory of heaven tendred them as the young man in the Gospel had Sell all that thou hast and thou shalt have treasure in heaven the love of the world overcomes love is victorious so on the other side offer a godly man all the comforts of this life whatsoever his heart could wish yet not withstanding his love to God outbids them all for love is like lime in that respect Many waters cannot quench it no the more water you pour upon it the more it burns Consider I pray but that very instance of Luther in his Epistle to Henry the eight King of England he speaks of the abominable slanders that were cast upon him for they did not spare him in that kinde they that thirsted for his blood did not spare to blast his name but what doth he say of this Si absque animorum suorum damno fieri posset ex omnibus talia audirem Lutherus pascitur convitiis the truth is if this could be done without hurt to their own souls I should be glad if all the men in the world would lay as much upon me as they could By these reproaches I am made fat a man would have thought that this would have mightily cooled the mans zeal and earnestness in the profession of Religion and the doctrine of the Gospel no his love to truth overcame these so pray consider wherein are you Conquerors for not only faith overcomes the world but love conquers the world Examine what proffers so ever thou hast made thee it may be the great things of this world honors preferment riches reputation and whatever else but still love to Christ and the interest of Christ overcomes Try your selves by these Rules where the love is there is the heart where the heart is there is the treasure and there is the heaven and the happiness And so much for the Doctrinal part For the Application there are three Uses that I shall propose to you of it The first is general a Use of Instruction in two things First from hence see the fulness of the Scriptures every short sentence you see how full of mysterie it is the Jews have an ordinary Proverb among them In lege non un a literula a qua magni non suspensi sunt montes there is not the smallest things in Scripture but there are great truths depending upon them and therefore the Father cryes out Adoro plenitudinem scripturae that he did admire the fulness that he found in the Scriptures of God I speak it the rather because many things in the Scripture we are apt to pass over with a slight eye It is an observation one hath worth our note Intoleranda est blasphemia asserere in Scriptura vel unum inveniri verbum otiosum It is the greatest blasphemy that can be to think that in the word of God there should be found one idle word he that will judge you for idle words will not write one idle word unto you that is certain admire the fulness of the Scriptures from what you have heard The Jews indeed were superstitious in this they made great matters of every word and tittle in the Law but what they did in a way Cabalistical that you should do in a way truly Christian and spiritual there is one place which because Chrysostom instances in I shall briefly hint to you t is but barely to give you an instance 1 Tim. 5. 23. Drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomack sake and for thy many infirmities Chrysostom hath eight wonderfull great truths out of this ordinary Scripture and I speak it to this end that you may pass by nothing in the Word but that you may labour to understand wonders in it as 〈◊〉 Godly men out of love to duty neglect the body Secondly Godly men are very watchfull and moderate in the use of the creatures least they should be brought under the power of them they be great truths and clear in the Text what need Timothy else to make a great scruple about drinking of wine but he must drink water also Thirdly consider in this weakness he did not cease from his charge he had infirmities yea open infirmities but yet he did not neglect the preaching of the Gospel and the affairs of the Church Fourthly Godly men may yet too far neglect their bodies even to offend therein for he prescribes him this that argues he did not do his duty to repair the breaches made upon his body Fifthly use a little wine every creature is good in its season yea those creatures that commonly by men are most abused Sixthly Godly men may be subject to great bodily infirmities and often men of great service when ungodly men and of little or no use in the world are healthy and strong yet many a man of great service in the Church of God are subject to great and often infirmities Seventhly In the decay of Nature the creatures are to be used for its repair but according to the proportion of natures necessities and Lastly there is a moderation appointed in the receiving of the creature even when a man doth it for necessity for he that prescribes him the wine prescribes him the measure drink a little wine he prescribes him to use herein as medicine Now when men read over such portions of Scripture let them consider and learn there may be great mysteries in the smallest portions of Scripture and know this when the word of God upon this accompt becomes sweet to a man and men love to hear it delight to meditate upon it it s a great argument of growth in grace and spiritual knowledge in that man as Quintilian tels us It is a great argument of a mans profiting in eloquence the