be a City Heb. 11.10 whose builder and maker is God this being the place of the Saints therefore they are exhorted to lay up their treasure in it the time will shortly come when the Saints shall be removed from earth to heaven for here they have no abiding City now their happinesse in heaven being to enjoy God to eternity for this cause they are exhorted to lay up a Treasure in heaven Well take it in both these sences in God or in heaven where the eternall enjoyment of God shall be In the second place What is that Treasure that a man should lay up in heaven We shall understand it by the opposite there is a treasure that man layes up on earth as his chief good as Riches Honor High-places Pleasure popular applause c. and where his Treasure is there his heart is So there is a treasure in heaven which is a mans chiefe good it is God that is his reward Christ as Mediator that brings him to God There are three things that demonstrate Nothing but God can be a mans treasure in heaven that none but God can be a mans treasure in heaven 1. 1 Because a man must love it best A Mans treasure is that which he loves best and a man must love nothing more then God nay a mans chiefe good is that which he loves with an infinite love that he doth never say I have enough The Hebrew word for Treasures signifies that which a man sets his heart most on where a mans love goes there a mans zeal goes that 's his treasure that carryes out his love 2. 2 Prize it most That which a man prizeth most which a man sets highest price on that 's a mans Treasure now a man should prize nothing more then God Kingdomes and Nations be not deare to God for the sake of the Saints therefore Kingdomes and Nations should not be deare to the Saints in respect of God they should prize nothing in comparison of him much lesse in competition with him 3. 3 Relieup on it Upon a mans Treasure he relies for supplies that which a man makes his Treasure in Calamities and Distresses he goes to it therefore David saith Psal 13.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there 's none upon earth that I desire besides thee my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Thus you see every man must be supplyed out of his owne Treasure Thirdy You will say God is in heaven above the habitation of his holinesse and glory How can we be said to lay up God for a Treasure 'T is true God is in heaven he made the heavens and he dwels in heaven but he is not laid up there for thy treasure unlesse thou closest with him by faith and lay him up for thy God and in so doing he will be thy treasure for though he dwels in heaven yet he dwels also in humble and contrite Spirits Now there are six Rules to get the God of heaven to be our God and Treasure 1. 1 Chuse God so thy treasure He that will lay up Treasure in heaven he must chuse God for his treasure in heaven not onely the joyes and delights of heaven the happinesse of heaven but the God of heaven that which thou chusest is thy treasure If a man chuse Honour and Riches and Pleasure that is his treasure what you chuse first you prize most and you shall be sure to have God for your treasure if you chuse him 2. 2 Part with all for him Then part with all other treasures for him No man can have two Treasures no more then he can have two Masters Mat. 19.21 Look to your selves you have not God for your treasure except you part with all other treasures for him 3. 3 Let thy heart be after him The soul is to be carryed out after this treasure incessantly that man that layes up God for his treasure his heart is continually carryed after him and so must yours if you will have God to be your Treasure Psal 73.24 How doth the foul go out after God Psa 119.20 My soul pants for the longings it hath towards thee my soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Lord. Psal 84.2 so saith David If your souls do not go out after God and relish the sweetnesse of God certainly you have no part nor portion in this Treasure 4. 4 Live upon him If you would have God for your treasure live upon him men live upon their treasures so must you upon your God 5. 5 Glory in him Would you have the God of heaven for your treasure then glory in him what a man labours to get for his treasure that he glories in Every man values other men as he values his treasure take a man that makes Riches his treasure let the person be never so honourable he despiseth him because he hath not so great an estate as he so a godly man values every man according as his chiefest good is he is worth no more then he is worth in Gods account therefore he esteems no more of him 6. 6 Add to thy treasure What ever is your Treasure if you lay up your treasure in any thing you must use all means to add unto it and make a daily increase the increase of your treasure coms in by adding to it Isai 33.6 Why doth Hezekiab lay up treasure in God he gets a further interest in God therefore the man is bless'd with his treasure wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and thought of Salvation and this is because the fear of the Lord is his treasure The fourth particular is to give you some grounds to enforce the Exhortation is there a treasure in Heaven then do not be such Enemies to your soules as not to lay up treasures there There are four Arguments to enforce the Exhortation 1. 1 No treasure below God will be lasting No treasure below God will be lasting Christ speakes therefore to you continually to lay up your treasure in Heaven because there will come a time when all treasures laid up below God will be expunged and gone and then what will you live upon 1. Cor. 7.29.31 the Apostle faith the time is short and the fashion of this world passeth away 't is a Metaphor taken from things folded up a great part of time is unfolded and unwoven it 's almost spent there 's abundance of life run out already and little left behind there is an eternity that will never be spent after all thy time here is spent lay up therefore treasures there 2. 2 Nor hopes of Heaven without this treasure Heaven is the place to which you hope to go now carry your treasures with you and send your treasures before you or else there can be no hopes of entering into Heaven This is the Exhortation of our Saviour when he faith
like a sheep but now we are returned to the shepheard of our soules There is not any thing can reduce a man to God that hath departed from God but the placing his chiefe good in him that soul whose chiefe good is at home will not long stay abroad 4. 4 Unto thy chiefe good thou maist alwaies retire and fetch comfort Unto a mans chiefe good his soul retires and from it he fetcheth chief comfort upon all occasions and so may Saints he that makes choice of the chiefest good can say I am sure of this Comfort The Name of my God is a strong Tower Prov. 18.11 therefore I will runne to it and be safe the Rich man goes to his wealth the righteous man goes to his God A godly man is able to say in those distresse though I have no Riches to comfort me and very few friends to stand by me yet I have a God a Christ a Heaven a new Covenant a new image which I can retreat to and rely upon in all occasions and thus the soule can triumph in his chief good over the chiefest evills as the Spouse it is a voyce of triumph my beloved is the chiefest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 There is all a mans comfort in that which is his treasure now God being his Treasure there is his comfort and hence it is that these dare compare with any persons in any affliction Psal 44.8 compared with verse 22. in verse 8. In God we make our boast all the day long and verse 22. For thy sake we are killed all the day long What boast of God and killed all the day long for God I here is the comfort of a godly man he can retire unto his chiefe good and whensoever he retreats to it he is filled full of comfort by it 5. 5 This may be a comfort in all thy failings Prov. 20.9 'T is of great Comfort to a godly man in the middest of all his failings yet I have not failed in chusing God for my chiefest good The best men may nay must say Who can make his heart clean and when he looks back upon his way he must say My heart bath runne out inordinately after this thing and that thing and I have neglected my chief good and my treasure but for this I desire to be ashamed all my life but my happinesse is laid up in him and no other I have chosen him for my chief good and though I have failed in many things Psal 18.2 Yet I have not wickedly departed from my God departed he hath and many times departed wittingly and willingly but wickedly I have not departed from God What is it for a man to depart from God willingly 'T is for a man to place his chief good some where else then in God to go out after an other God now in this David can rejoyce in the midd'st of his failings and so maist thou In that he hath not so departed from one God to set up another therefore this and onely this can comfort the Saints in the midd'st of all their failings The departings from God is the greatest trouble that doth befall them but yet here is their great comfort that they have not left him as their Treasure though they may sometimes leave him as their Lord. 6. 6 That which thou layest up for thy chief good herethou shalt enjoy for ever hereafter Comfort which is unspeakable that which thou hast laid up for thy chief good here by Election that thou shalt enjoy in the world to come by fruition therefore Austin saith A mans blessedness is begun in Election here but finished and perfected in fruition hereafter Gen. 15.2 saith the Lord I will be thy exceeding great reward dost thou chuse God for thy chiefest good here if thou dost that which thou chusest in one world thou shalt enjoy in another 7. 7 Thou shalt be blessed with the blessednesse of God He that hath laid up his chiefe good in heaven shall be happy with the same happinesse that God himselfe is happy withall look wherein Gods blessednesse lyes in that shall thy blessednesse lie wherein doth Gods blessednesse lie it lyes in himself his chiefe good lies in himselfe for the Creature to acknowledge God for his chiefe good so farre as the Creature is capable he is blessed with the blessednesse of God himselfe and thou dost enter into the joy of thy Lord. Now I proceed to the latter part of the Text viz. For where the Treasure is there will the heart be also Out of which words I gather this observation viz. That a mans chiefe good is Attractive of the heart Doct. or the Treasure where ever it is carryes the heart with it Where ever a mans Treasure is there will his heart be THere are four things I shall speak to by way of Explication 1. To shew you what is meant by the heart By heart in in Scripture is meant the whole soul 2. That the soul of man the heart goes out of it selfe for its happinesse for its chiefe good or thus the chiefe good of man is without himselfe 3. 'T is a matter of great concernment where a mans heart is placed 4. That the heart doth alwaies follow the Treasure the heart and the Treasure will be together and none can put them asunder 5. We shall give you the grounds of it First What is meant by the heart By the heart is meant 1. The whole soule By the heart in Scripture is meant the whole soul The Hebrews generally place the Government of man in the heart and make the heart the seat of the reasonable soul so that you shall find the Scripture commonly speaking of it First if you look to the whole soule as corrupt as unsanctified so corruption goes through all the faculties of the soule but the heart is said to be the seat thereof ler. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately nicked and 1 Pet. 3.4 't is called The hidden man of the heart 2. If you looke upon the soule as renewed 't is said With the heartman believes Rom. 10.10 But the heart of man in Scripture is sometimes taken for those things that are scituated and have their habitation especially in the heart As wisdome is attributed to the heart or folly Ephraim is a silly Dove without a heart Hos 7.11 and he that trusts to his own heart is a foole Prov. 28.26 that is hee that leanes to his owne wisdome Again The conscience the heart is put for Conscience Davids heart smote him when he cut off the lap of Sauls garment There 's a conviction of the Conscience that 's called the heart somtimes for the memory which is the treasurie of the soul But there are three things meant by the heart in this place 1. 3. The thoughts and consultations The thoughts Meditations and consultations of the heart where the treasure is there is the heart that is there is the
a man returne to God First as his chiefest good and then as his utmost end 5. 5 This deceives most Mat. 7.14 This will be the deceit under which the greatest part of the world will be damned for straight is the Gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few there be that find it All men are carryed forth to some good or other and say VVho will shew us any good Psal 4. But there are four things that most of the world do usually mistake in 1. They take that which is but a seeming good for a reall good 2. They take that which is a particular good for an universall good 3. They take that which is a temporary good for aneternall good 4. They take that which is another mans good for their own good Most men mistake under these four sorts of good and so perish 6. 6 This will cause Satan to insult If you be deceived in your chiefest good it will be the matter of Satans insultation and the matter of your Lamentation for ever It will be matter of Satans insultation Satan is the envious man TWO things there are in Satan to sinners one is cruell murderings and the other is cruel mockings of them as in Isai 14.11 12. How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer Sonne of morning Nebuchadnezzar that thought himselfe as it were placed in heaven falls downe to hell he deluded himselfe It will be then too late to say I was ignorant and as a beast before thee These men are miserable The misery of those that are herein cheated that are cheated of their chief good and their misery lyes in six Particulars 1. 1 There 's nothing good to such a man Because there 's nothing good to that man that err's in his chiefest good Eccle. 5.13 there 's a man that made Riches his chiefest good there 's no good to him therein because he made not God his chiefest good his Riches are to his hurt many a man is made honourable and Rich to his hurt But are not Ordinances you will say for a mans good Is it not good to live under the means of grace to have the droppings of the Sanctuary I answer no if not improved the nigher to Ordinances and at distance from God the nigher to the Curse Heb. 6.7 8. Ordinances will ripen your sinnes and they will hasten your ruine they will insnare your soules they will draw out your lusts and they will ruine you for ever As every thing is good to a man that is right in his chiefest good so nothing is good to that man that errs in his chiefest good 2. 2 This will cause him to eire in all things If a man erre in his chiefest good this will make him erre in his judging of al things and persons in this life for the rule of every mans judgement is according to his chief good he errs and must needs do so if he errs in that Take a man that judgeth finning better then suffering he chuseth sin before suffering Iob 36.21 Take heed regard not iniquity for this thou hast chosen rather then affliction He chuseth the present things before things to come things that are seen before things that are not seen But to a godly man sin is worse then suffering then death then hell It was the saying of one of the Martyrs He is not praise-worthy nor worthy of praise that God praiseth not A man that hath his treasure in heaven he judgeth all things aright according to the heavenly Treasure 3. 3 This makes him misplace his affections If a man mistake his chiefest good this causeth him to misplace all the affections of his soule they will be set wrong are set upon wrong objects The Holy Ghost speaks of a crooked and a perverse Generation when they were set upon wrong objects they were in feare where no feare was Now take an other man whose chiefe good is God he feares sinne the other feares man he rejoyces in God the other rejoyces in man here the affections of soule are mistaken by misplacing the chiefest good 4. 4 To lose his labour This makes a man loose his labour in what ever he doth all his life time he labours onely for the meat that perisheth but not for the meat that endureth for everlasting life he spends his parts his strength and time in vaine He sowes the wind and reaps the whirle winde This grand error makes you erre in every thing you doe the wicked man is deceived disappointed and at the last will be ashamed of all his undertakings But the godly man cannot be deceived nor disappointed of his hopes nor return ashamed because he is not mistaken in his chiefest good and therefore cannot lose any of his labour 5. 5 This will destroy him This onely will destroy the man This is the grand mistake a man may be deceived in particular things and yet the soule may be saved in the day of the Lord but if once he be deceived in his chiefest good he can never be saved for what is a mans chiefe good here by way of Election shall be hereafter his chiefe good in way of fruition 1 Cor 3.11 For other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Iesus Christ c. To erre in this is a fundamentall error those that erre in matters of practise 't is said yet their soules might be saved though their labours be lose but if thou errest in thy chiefe good thou canst never be saved 6. 6 It s the greatest cheat of all If there were nothing else but this it s the greatest delusion and the obsurdest cheat in the world for a man is deceived and makes that his greatest happinesse that is the quite contrary that will prove his greatest misery blessing or blessednesse requires two things 1. It must be that which cannot be lost 2. It must be that that puts the soul into a condition that he he doth not sinne or that he cannot sinne He that placeth his happinesse below God and Heaven he sets up an other God which is the highest way of sinning in the world and therefore see what a miserable condition that man is in that sets his chiefest good in things below God and Heaven Vse 3. Vse 3. For Exhortation Is this a truth that every man in this life hath something hee laies up for his Treasure whether it be in Heaven or Earth then take this exhortation in the words of the text lay up treasures in Heaven Three things I shal premise 1. Some doe observe the sweetnesse of Christs Commands how he applies himself to the desires of his people the Lord Jesus Christ doth not forbid this hee doth not say let there bee no such providence in you but if you will lay up treasure hee tells you where you should lay up the true treasure So Luke 10.20 he sends forth the 72 Disciples and they rejoyced the
to a man whose treasure is in Earth if a mans treasure be in Heaven his mind is in heaven hence it comes to passe that a godly man is said to be a stranger here Psal 39.12 I am a stranger and a Sojourner what 's the reason because hee doth not converse here as in his Country but seekes a Country above he is a stranger here travelling towards his owne Country Bernard saith a godly mans heart is in Heaven because the Lord dwells in Heaven hence it is that grace is called glory not onely because its of the same nature with that grace which a man in glory shal receive the the perfection of nor onely because it is a pledge and an earnest and will end in glory but because the soul immediately enters into glory after his treasure for his treasure immediately being in Heaven his heart is there hence 't is a godly man is more in Heaven then in Earth for his treasure is in Heaven and his heart is there But let us see in particular What iâ— meant by the heart what is here intended by the heart more especially there is meant all the things that are seated in the heart and let 's begin with the first of them 1. 1 The ain and ben of the cart The heart is put for the aime tendency and bent of the heart it is Animi Propositum it 's the propension of the heart Deut. 24.15 Hee is poore and setteth his heart upon it he is a hireling and his heart is set upon his waies hee doth not work for love to his master nor love to his work but the aime and bent of his soul is for the good hee shall receive by his work therefore the Scripture speaks of a double heart Ps 12.2 what makes a heart a a double heart some apply it to instability in opinions that which is called halting between two opinions when the mind is in suspence Luke 12.20 Be not of doubtfull mindes But whether it be in reference to opinions or what ever it is the mind is in doubt and hee is double minded But the intention of the Scripture by a double heart doth mainly aime at the intentions of the heart the heart goes not alwaies one way but sometimes for God sometimes for the Creature sometimes for Heaven sometimes for Earth when men have not a single Eye when they have not single aimes this the Scripture calls a double heart When a man hath an aime at God and the things of God and looks it other things in subordination thereto this the Scripture calls a single eye or a single heart but when men go sometimes very hotly after the things of God and at other times pursue after Riches immoderately this is a double heart Act. 8.1 Thy heart is not right in he sight of God and Hab. 4.12 The word of God is the discerner of the intents of the heart Now then thus where a mans Treasure is there the bent the aime and the tendency of a mans heart is one of the great things you are to look to is the heart for in the heart lyes the greatest deceit but in the heart above all other things the bent and tendency of the heart is that you are to looke at and there are two Reasons for it 1. 1 The aime of his heart is the godly mans comfort in all failings Because this is the great Comfort nay the onely comfort that a godly man hath to flye to in all failings and in all his falls the bent and aime of his heart In any particular failing and infirmity what is it the soul can retreat to truly when a godly man can say this hath been my transgression but this was not my intention this is the onely comfort of the man so it was with Peter it was a desperate fall to deny his Master and wish himselfe accursed that hee knew not the man but Peter could say Lord This was the bent of my soule not to deny thee but to die for thee Sinne comes upon a godly man at unawares sinne comes upon a godly man as judgement comes upon a wicked man by way of surprisall but the bent of his heart was not to sinne therefore this is a comfort to him 'T is an expression of David Though he did offend with his mouth yet I have purposed that my mouth should not offend it was my transgression but not my intention I have plotted that my mouth might not offend In all your failings this is that that must support you yea in every transgression that it was not your intention so to do 2. 2 It is his comfort after his failings Sometimes a godly man can take comfort in this after his fallings many times the Saints commit wickednesse out of consultation Psal 19.3 the Scripture calls them Presumptuous sinnes sinnes that they doe intend before hand 1 King 15.5 'T is said Davids heart was upright in all things all he dayes of his life save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hittite Then Davids heart was not upright in this matter his dissembling and his lying was clearly demonstrated But now what may a godly man retreat to to the generall bent of his heart when hee failes in a particular act 1 Kin. 15.14 Neverthelesse Asa his heart was upright with God all his daies he doth not speak of particular Acts but of the generall bent of his heart though in some particulars he contrived sinne wicked men when they are carryed on in a designe that 's sinfull they will not be beaten from it but the generall bent of their soul is to go on in it Now would you know which way the bent and tendernesse of your heart goes Six rules for discovery of the bent of the heart there are six Rules I shall give you It was the saying of a godly Minister I blesse my God I have stadied my own heart more then Boukes It would be very happy for you to say I have studied my heart more then the would more then trading 1. 2 That which its casryed after under different conditions is the aime of the heart Rule That which the soul is carryed after under different conditions this declares what the aime and bent of the soule is and so you must judge of the tendency of the heart as waters though you turn them out of their proper current and alter their channell yet they all runne into the Sea you will say then the tendency of them is to the Sea If you see the Sun whether the day be cleare or cloudy it makes to the West it concludes there 's the end of its course this is the race it hath to runne the going of the heart is the same in different conditions it doth wonderfully cleave to that which is its chief good is never at rest til it be centered there As for example suppose it be the heart of a naturall man his aime is at his owne exaltation now
The Certainty of Heavenly AND The Uncertainty of Earthly TREASURES Together with a Discovery where the Treasure and Heart is placed As it was Delivered in severall Sermons By that Eminently Faithfull servant of Christ Mr William Strong late Minister at Westminster They being his last Sermons LONDON Printed by W. Wilson living in Well-yard neere West-Smithfield and are to be sold by Francis Tyton at the Three Daggers neâ—re the Inner Temple 〈…〉 Fleetstreet The certainty of Heavenly and the uncertainty of Earthly Treasures Math. 6.20 21. Lay up for your selves Treasures in Heaven c. For where your Treasure is there will your heart be also IN these words there are two things First a Dehortation in Reference to Treasures below Secondly an Exhortation in References to Treasures above Both these branches have two things attending them The Dehortation from laying up Treasures below lies in two Arguments 1. their uncertainty 2. their decay The Exhortation for laying up Treasure in Heaven lies also in two arguments 1. Their Stability 2. Their continuance The uncertainty of the one and the certainty of the other the decay of the one and the durablenesse of the other should cause us to treasure up the one and disesteem the other Then the second part of the text comes in as a reason to enforce the former For where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also For the opening of this Text I shall lay down two propositions to treat upon 1. That every man hath a Treasure in this life For he doth speak it as an Act performed in this life and not as an Act to be performed in the life to come this life is the sowing time that life is the Reaping time Here the Treasure is in getting there it is in spending therefore every mans Treasure is in this life 2. That wheresoever the Treasure is it is Attractive to draw the heart unto it Or thus Every man laies up his heart where hee laies up his Treasure To begin with the first Doctrine Doct. Every man hath a Treasure in this life namely Doct. 1 That every man hath a Treasure in this life There are for the explaining of this truth two sorts of Treasures First God hath his Treasures Secondly men have their Treasures First Gods Treasure are God hath his Treasures The Treasures of God are of four sorts 1. 1 Of Nature The Treasures of Nature Job 38.22 Hast thou entred into the Treasures of the Snow or hast thou seen the Treasures of the Hail 2. 2 Of Providence The Treasures of Providences Ps 17.14 Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid Treasures 'T is spoken in Reference to ungodly men some there are that have in Common Providence their bellies fill'd with hid Treasure Godly men they have the best of the dainties of Providence but ungodly ones what they have is but to satisfie their belly never fills their Souls their Soules are left empty of grace though their bellies are filled with hid Treasure 3. 3 Of Grace There are Treasures of Grace Col. 2.3 In him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge 4. 4 Of wrath and vengeance There are Treasures of wrath vengeance in Deut. 32.34 It is sealed up among my Treasures to me belongs vengeance c. These are Gods Treasures the Scripture speaks of Secondly 2 Men have their Treasures men have their Treasures And that which a man makes his chief good that is his Treasure that which he placeth his happinesse in that which the comfort of his life flowes from that is mans Treasure see it so in those two Scriptures Luke 16.25 Ps 17.14 That which in this place is called a Treasure is there called His good things and his portion that is that which a man makes his chiefe good The greatest difference between Godly men and the men of this world is this the one is all for great provisions in the way and nothing for the Journeies end the other is for all at the Journeyes end and but little in the way For the opening of this Doctrine further that every man in this life hath his Treasure and his own Treasure this take in four propositions 1. 1 Every man hath some chiefe good That every man hath some chiefe good which his Soul is set upon and which it centers in wherein he placeth his happinesse which if you could attain perfectly your Soules would be at rest Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my Soul Godly men have their Treasure in Heaven God is their Treasure God is their Portion therefore they can rejoyce and say God is my chiefest good and my utmost end David tells you the tendency of his soul ran after God My soul thirsteth for God the living God all this is to shew that God is Davids chief good untill the Soule can attain to its chiefest good its never at rest But take a poore carnall wretch that never knew any thing above the Creature because the creature is his chief good till hee can obtain it he is restlesse Psal 6. unto 14. verse 1 Sam. 25.29 Ungodly mens soules goe wholly after their treasure and a godly mans soul goes wholly after his God Davids soule 't is said was bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord his God but it followes a wicked mans soul is slung away from God as out of the middle of a sling There are three things in that sling 1. It notes a distance from God as the stone in the sling is at a distance from the man 2. It notes not onely a distance from God but it notes a distance in judgement in wrath he will sling away the wicked from the middest of his people he will separate them from himself in wrath 3. It notes violence slinging is a violent motion 2. 2 Every man chuseth some chiefe good in this life Proposition Every man hath some good in this life in regard of Election not in regard of Fruition some chief good he chooseth in this life for the chief good of the Saints is reserved for them for the life to come the Election is below the Fruition is above the one hath his portion in this life the other in the life to come Some have chosen vanity now that you have chosen here you will enjoy hereafter some of you chuse Riches that which you chuse here will be your portion hereafter that which is your chief good in this life you must content your selves to have in the life to come 3. 3 Every man hath his owne chief good Every man in this life hath his own chief good and that is his Treasure That which is another mans chief good is not thine As every man lives by his own Faith so every man lives upon his own Treasure thy Faith perhaps is thy Treasure and God is thy Treasure an other mans Riches are his Treasure see a godly mans Treasure Isai 33.6 The feare of
the Lord is his Treasure this is peculiarly spoken of Hezekiah and in him of the Church of God Now what is here meant by the fear of God Calvin notes two things 1. Reverential fear and awe of the Majestie of God from a right apprehension of his Righteousnesse and Holinesse so Prov. 17. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome 2. By Fear is meant an aweful worship of God Worship the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Psa 2.11 Thus you see what was Hezekiah's Treasure It was the feare of the Lord a holy feare of God and a constant worship of him is a Christians Treasure But how comes it to passe that every man hath his own Treasure 1. From the different lights that men have Men have different lights some can see good in that which an other man can see none 2 Cor. 4.18 We look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen c. 2 Cor. 4.4 There are some in whom the God of this world hath blinded their eyes and some the eyes of whose understanding are enlightned Ephe. 1.17.18 Men have different good things because they have different lights the things of this life are base in the eyes of some though glorious to others 2. 2 Men have different savours Men have different treasures to themselves because they have different Savours Rom. 8.5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit the meaning is they savour the things of the flesh Tell a naturall man of a promise it hath no more savour to him then a stock or a stone tell a Rich man of a promise who makes Riches his treasure this hath no savour in it he can taste sweetnesse in dainty meats and in gorgeous apparell and in the pleasures of sin that are but for a season but let a Saint come and look upon the word of God thy word is sweeter to me then the honey or the honey combe Psal 19.10 people runne after vanity because they savour no better things 3. 3 Men make different choice From their choice would you know why Israel was Gods peculiar treasure it was because God chose them himselfe Psal 144.4 Some men make choice of God as their chiefest good let him enjoy God he is contented saith David Whom have I in heaven but thee there 's none on earth whom I desire in comparison of thee But if you let me live without God 't is nothing he accounts all things nothing in comparison of God because that 's the mans chief good Take an other He saith I can live without God all my life time and I can be content never to heare of God the Reason is because they chuse an other good for their chiefe good besides God himselfe this chief good is called a mans Treasure you see now every man hath his chiefe good in this life and his own chiefe good in this life 4. A mans chiefe good is his treasure Particular That a mans chiefe good is his Treasure and that upon a three-fold Accompt 1. 1 Because of the preciousnesse From the Preciousnesse of it No man owns or esteems his Treasure unlesse it be his own chiefe good and that which he esteems as precious A mans Treasures are precious therefore when the Lord speaks of precious things he calls them a Treasure Mat. 13.44.2 Cor. 4.7 The Gospel is caled a Treasure because it carries precious things with it Take a man whose chiefe good is God take God from him and he is undone But an other man who makes wealth his treasure he saith take away this and I shall have no comfort one takes God for his treasure and the other wealth for his 2. 'T is called Treasure Plentifulnesse not onely for the preciousnesse of it but for the plentifulnesse of it for 't is not a little that will make a Treasure but abundance Col. 2.3 In whom are hid all the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge What ever is a mans chiefe good he desires it with an infinite appetite for he is never satisfied Take a man that makes pleasure his chiefe treasure he is like a Horse-leach that cryes give give let him have to day yet he is hungry to morrow Take a man whose chiefe good is laid up in God though he have all the world can afford him yet he sayes give me more comfort from God more Communion with God and more likenesse to God hee is still unsatisfied because it 's his chief good 3. 3 Valuation of it 'T is called a Treasure because it 's that by which a man values himselfe look how much a man hath in his Treasure so much he conceives he is worth there is a Rate which the man puts upon it it adds as it were to the value of himself Now as men value themselves according to their wealth honor c. so God values every man according to his heart Prov. 10.20 The heart of the wicked is little worth the man is worth nothing if his heart be worth nothing For these grounds 't is called a Treasure for the preciousnesse for the plentifullness for the value and esteem a man puts upon it Use 1. Vse 1. For the examination Of Examination where is your treasure Take this rule where thy love is ther 's thy heart where thy heart is ther 's thy Treasure where thy Treasure is ther 's thy Heaven where thy heaven is ther 's thy God and where thy God is ther 's thy happines There are six things I would have you to consider That is your Treasure as to this use of Examination that you may know where your Treasure lies 1. 1 Which you labour most for Consider what it is that you dig for that you labour for that you are willing to spend your money for this is the first try all of your Treasure If you dig for wisdome as for pretious stones If thou seekâ—st her as Silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures Pro. 2.4 and saith our Saviour Job 6.27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life What 's the great thing you work for in this life What is it you lay out your money for that you labour for dost thou lay out thy Knowledge for God thy estate for God or dost thou spend thy money for that which is not bread and labour for that which satisfieth not Isaiah 55.2 When a man shall return to his own heart and say I have laboured for Wealth all my daies and wearied my self for vanity and now I come to die I find that I have not laboured at all for God I have not chosen God for my treasure Oh this mans condition is very sad how many are there that can lavish out their wealth upon their lusts But let
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