Heart Treasure, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Four Directions more to help the Chriſtians heart to this treaſure of good Thoughts.
A Seventh Direction to obtain a Treaſure, i. e. Trade with God in every performance: Reſt not ſatisfied with a bare outſide of duties, or a trudging in the common road or round of Formality: if you look not beyond Ordinances in the uſe thereof, you will get no more treaſure than a Merchant whoſe ſhip rides to the Downs, and quickly returns again: he that would be rich muſt uſe Duties as a Bridge or Boat to bring his ſoul to God, and as a Chariot to bring God to his ſoul; every Ordinance ſhould be like thoſe Merchant ſhips that bring food or gold from afar:Pro. 31.…4. the Chriſtian muſt travel far beyond the Indies, even as far as Heaven to fetch an heavenly treaſure into his heart, the ſoul of the diligent ſhall be made fat, Prov. 13.4. It is not a ſhew of eating, nor only a ſitting at the Table that filleth: a pretence of trading makes not rich: he that ſtands upon the Bridge and walks not, will never get over the water, it is not the goodneſſe of the Boat, but our motion by it that wafts us over: A golden Bucket will bring us no water except it be let down into the Well: the choiſeſt Ordinances wil bring us no ſpiritual or ſaving profit, except we have to do with God therein; Gods Inſtitutions work not by any innate phyſical vertue that's in them, but morally, i.e. by a careful improvement of them, and eſpecially the bleſſing of God with them: a man is not therefore a good Schollar becauſe he went ſo long to School, and for ſaying ſo many Leſſons: nor is an ignorant Papiſt a whit the better for dropping ſo many beads, or pattering over ſo many Pater-noſters: the Apoſtle ſaith, bodily exerciſe profits nothing, 1 Tim. 4.8. hee means not onelyonly recreations or ſuperſtitious uſages, but even Gods own Ordinances, ſaith an Expoſitor,Vid. Marlorat. in loc. the meer verbal complemental uſe thereof will not advantage the ſoul: But godlineſs is profitable to all things, the right ſpiritual worſhip of God brings along with it abundant incomes: Some obſerve, that religious worſhippers are ſaid in Latine [Deum colere] becauſe thereby they ſow to the Spirit and are ſure to reap of the Spirit life everlaſting. Beſides the inward refreſhments they reap in this life: and truly,Gal. 6.8. in worſhipping God there is great reward; But 'tis eaſier to be much in duties, then to be much with God in duties: if we had been as often with God as we have been before God, we had been readier than we are: Job was perſwaded that if he could finde God, and come near to his Seat, hee would not plead againſt him with his great power, but would put ſtrength into him, Job 23.3-6. and I dare ſay, if thou couldeſt meet God in Duty, he would meet thee in Mercy, Iſa. 54 5. and if God meet thee he will bleſs thee, and fill thy ſoul with a bleſſed treaſure, a treaſure of heavenly bleſſings: if thou draw nigh to God,Exod. 20.24. he will draw nigh to thee. Let me therefore perſwade you to make conſcience of getting communion with God, and influences from him in all Ordinances and Performances; you are great loſers if you miſs of God in duties, you take Gods name in vain and loſe your labour, nay, you loſe a bleſſing, and get the curſe of doing the work of the Lord negligently; But oh, how bleſſed a thing is it to ſay with holy St. Bernard, I never come to God, but I meet with God, I never go from God, but I carry God with me! therefore in all your attendance upon God, carefully prepare before, mind your work and object of worſhip in, and diligently examine your hearts afterwards how the Lord hath dealt with your ſoules, and bleſſed is he that can ſay as David in the point of obedience, Pſalm 119.56. This I had, becauſe I kept thy thy Precepts: What had he? why, he had a heart to remember Gods Name in the night, holy thoughts whereby he might meditate on divine things: So ſay you, this I got in ſuch a duty or Ordinance, and this doth furniſh my ſoul with heavenly conceptions, and new matter of meditation: it is the power of the Spirit that muſt make Ordinances effectual, though the Goſpel be the Miniſtration of the Spirit, yet the choiceſt Truths, Promiſes,Literae damnatoriae, aut leges mortis. Sermons, Sacraments wil be but a dead letter, and law of death to the ſoul without the Spirit: therefore you are to wait for the Spirit to breath and blow upon the garden of your ſoules, that the Spices [divine graces] may be nouriſhed, and ſo may flouriſh in our hearts and lives: Ordinances are empty Cyſterns i… God be not in them, they are full and filling if the preſence of God be in them, O therefore look after God in every ſpiritual performance:
8. Spend time well: loſe not a mite or minute of this precious creature; fill up all your waſte time with ſome profitable work in your general or particular Callings: caſt not at your heels the leaſt Filings of theſe golden Seaſons: you have loſt too much time already, now buy up the remainder, ingroſſe this precious commodity, take the fitteſt opportunities, like good Merchants, for a dear time is coming, nay the dayes are evil, Epheſ. 5.16. Imitate ſuch Tradeſmen as miſs no opportunity of getting gain at home or abroad, by night or by day, by plotting or by practiſing: onelyonly make uſe of preſent moments, and promiſe not to your ſelves to morrow, Jam. 4.13, 14, 15. Fronte capillatâ poſt est occaſio …io calva.as wordly Tradeſmen are apt to do, and be ſure you take God along with you, whom they forget and leave behind: take time by the Fore-lock, for its bald behind, and you can get no hold of it: You little know what one Big-bellyed day may bring forth, it may produce a birth and burden of more duty, difficulty, or miſery than hitherto you have met with: Time-redemption is an act of great diſcretion, but Time-neglect brings thouſands of ſouls to a deſpairing, Had-I-wiſt: the Apoſtle ſaid, above a thouſand yeares ago, the time is ſhort, much more may we ſay ſo, ſince the ſhip is drawn ſo much nearer the Harbour,1 Cor. 7.29. foreign tempus contractum Met. à velis contractis: the Sails are contracted, and the end of all this is at hand; the world grows old and naught, your own daies cannot be long, it may be this night thy ſoul may be required, and leave thy Body as a ſtinking carcaſſe, O then a treaſure for another world wil ſtand you in infinite ſtead! O conſider often, that this time, this ſpan-long life is the Seminarie of Eternitie, the preludium of an everlaſting ſtate, and therefore laviſh not away your time, caſt it not at your heels in a bruitiſh prodigalitie, you wil have time little enough when you come to dye: A rich Gallant at death cryed out bitterly, call time again, O call time again: another, would offer a thouſand pounds to purchaſe a day. But alas, time cannot be valued with the vaſteſt ſums of money: one miſ-ſpent day cannot be recalled with the gold of Ophir, that's but droſs where time comes, and time and chance is upon the whole Creation:Eccl. 9.11. You have but your appointed time, and all your times are in the hands of God, and if once loſt, they are loſt for ever, the dead and damned can ſay,Job 28.22. wee have onelyonly heard the fame thereof with our eares, but alas are paſt the hopes of time-enjoyment or improvement: when your glaſſe is once run, and your Sun ſet there's no more working or gathering time in order to Eternitie: and there whatſoever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work nor device—in the grave whither you go, Eccl. 9.10. Be not you like thoſe ſilly Fiſhes that are taken in an evil Net, becauſe they know not their time, v. 12.Nulla dies ſine linea: but ply the Oares while you have time: let no day paſs without drawing ſome line towards your great Center: You that are Chriſtians had need be good Time-ſtudents, Time-Merchants, the holieſt men have been moſt careful of Time, and they that have been the moſt fearful to loſe an inch of time have been beſt treaſured.See Clarks Lives of Fathers. Read Hiſtories and obſerve Experiments, in all you'l finde men of the choiceſt ſpirits have been moſt diligent Time-improvers, and ſome have accounted that day loſt whereupon they have not done ſome good with either Tongue, or Purſe, or Pen: yea, Heathens have bewailed that day as ſpent in vain, wherein they have not done ſome memorable action: How much more ought Chriſtians to lament the loſs of Time? I heard an eminent Miniſter ſay, He could eat the fleſh off his arme in indignation againſt himſelfe for his loſt houres: and truly, the moſt of us are Epimethiuſes, after-witted, we loſe time and then ſmart for our loſs, it is to our coſt:Oculos incipit aperire moriendo quo… clauſos habuit vivendo. Plin. We are too like the Mole, of which Naturaliſts ſay, it begins to ſee at death, we open our eyes when they muſt be ſhut: let us therefore improve Time while we have it, and ſtudie profitable things, and lay up every day ſomething, ſo ſhall we finde Soul-riches encreaſe, according to that Proverb, many littles make a mickle: when God offers Grace do not put him off, for delay wil be interpreted a denial. An ancient Chriſtian, now with God, adviſed me, to be either like Chriſt, or Mary: the firſt was alwaies doing good, the latter ſtil receiving good: were you and I conſtantly thus employed, our treaſure would ſoon be raiſed to a large proportion, and we ſhould be ſooner ripe for Glorie
9. Gather ſomething out of every thing: that man is likelie to be rich that will not let a good bargain paſſe, but lay hold on it, and lay up any thing that he can get a penie by: A wiſe Tradeſman deſpiſeth not little things, for multiplication of ſmall numbers amounteth to a great ſumme: they that wilfully contemn the ſmalleſt good, wil in time look upon the greateſt as contemptible:
Who ſay,Herbert. I care not, thoſe I give for loſt:
And to inſtruct them will not quit the cost,
Hence it is that Chriſt ſaith, Gather up the fragments that nothing be loſt: Thus ſhould you make a collection of the leaſt things that others caſt away; get ſomething out of every word, Rod, or work of Providence, in a way of favour or diſpleaſure; Receive not the grace of God in vain, hinder not your own proficiency by careleſneſſe or inadvertencie;Iſa. 48.17. be you diligent, and God wil teach you to profit: ſee what you can make of every thing you meet with: A wiſe Phyſician can tel you the vertue of every ſimple, and can extract ſome good out of thoſe Herbs, that an ignorant perſon caſts away, as uſeleſs weeds: Prov. 10.14. It's ſaid, wiſe Men lay up knowledge, i. e. They conſider all objects occurents, how they may hereafter ſtand them in ſtead, what uſe may be made thereof, and ſo gather from them a profitable inference, and ſtore that up for future times: thus do you, if you would lay up a treaſure, be not unwiſe, but underſtand what the wil of the Lord is, by all that your eyes behold, or eares hear: Learn to make comments upon all the Creatures, ſuck ſweetneſs out of every flower, not for ſenſual delight, but ſpiritual profit. Let not ſo much as a good or bad report concerning your ſelves or others ſound in your eares, without ſpecial obſervation and improvement: what ever your trade or calling be, you may and muſt ſpiritualize it for your ſouls good; there's never a profitable ſcience, ſaith one, but it leads to the knowledge of God, or of our ſelves, ſo that we, need not be to ſeek for a treaſure, if we have hearts to improve objects of ſenſe: it was a good deſign in the reverend Dr. Hall, and diſcovered an honeſt fancy in improving vacant hours, and viſible objects in his occaſional meditations: go you and do likewiſe, by which bleſſed art of heavenly Chimiſtry you may both pleaſe your fancy, and profit your hearts, uſe your wits, and exerciſe grace, and that's the way to increaſe it: the truth is, there's nothing, but may do us good, if we have good hearts, the ſins of others may be of great uſe to us, to conſider our ſtanding, and take heed leſt we fall: the afflictions of others wil work our hearts to ſympathy, prayer, and charity: the indignities we ſuffer wil awaken, quicken and ſtrengthen us, if our hearts be honeſt in obſerving and improving them: there's not a Miniſter that we hear preach, but we may get good by what he ſaith,Clark on his life. reverend Mr. Hilderſham often ſaid, he never heard any godly Miniſter preach, though but of weak parts, but he got ſome benefit by him:Church-porch. Pag. 15. Divine Herbert ſaith—
—Do not grudge
To pick out treaſures from an earthen Pot;
The worſt ſpeak ſomething good; if all want ſenſe,
God takes a text, and preacheth patience.
But above all, get ſome thing out of every Chapter you read, dig deep into theſe golden mines, and you ſhal be rich: digeſted Scripture is the matter of regular prayers, holy diſcourſes, and heavenly meditations; only run not curſorily over them, but let your thoughts dwel upon them, and extract ſome marrow and quinteſſence out of them: we uſually read Scriptures, as Travellers go over Mountains, that are barren on the ſurface, but digged into, they afford precious minerals: ſo the words and ſyllables of Gods book it ſelf, ſlightly conſidered, have no great efficacy, but the ſenſe and purport thereof, containeth ſpirit and life to the intelligent and obſervant Reader: Joh. 6.63.Adoro ſcripturae plenitudinem Tertul. There is ſuch a depth in Scripture, that if you read the ſame place an hundred times over, yet ſtil you may get freſh notions, and impreſſions from it: O therefore learn to read, underſtand, and improve the word of God, this wil help you to a treaſure, truths are fed by Scripture-knowledge, and holineſs is the counter-pain of Scripture-precepts, graces are the accompliſhment of Scripture-promiſes, and if your comforts and experiences be not ſuitable to the word,Iſai. 8.20. 'tis becauſe you have no light in you.
10. Maintain communion of Saints: Oh forſake not the aſſembling of your ſelves together, keep up this ſweet good fellowſhip both in private conferences, and in publick Ordinances: for the firſt, you muſt obſerve and obey the wiſe Mans councel, through the Book of Proverbs, to converſe with the wiſe: David profeſſeth himſelf to be a companion of thoſe that fear God, and he, though a great King, eſteemes the Saints more excellent, than all his couragious worthies, or grave Senators, and therefore profeſſeth that all his delight was in them, Pſal. 16.3. But it's not enough to be in good company, but you muſt improve it, by hearing and asking queſtions: that's a notable paſſage in Prov. 20.5. Councel in the heart of a Man is like deep Waters, but a Man of underſtanding will draw it out; Profound Men are apt to be ſilent,
—Doubts wel rais'd do lock,
Herb. Church-porch. page 11.The ſpeaker to thee, and preſerve thy ſtock.
therefore muſt be pumped by profitable queſtions, and 'tis an evidence of knowledge to propound an uſeful queſtion ſeaſonably, as wel as to anſwer it ſolidly: 'tis our great loſs we can make no better uſe of one another: un-improved ſociety is the bane of Chriſtian converſe: for when we meet one another, and trifle away time without advantage, it increaſeth our guilt, and diſcourageth our hearts, for we are apt to ſay, we wil meet no more, becauſe our coming together, is for the worſe, and not for the better, for many times our ſpirits are imbittered by exaſperating contentions: But O ſirs, when you meet together purpoſely, or accidentally, improve your time in ſome holy diſcourſes, ſpend not all your time about news or worldly affaires, but ſet afoot ſome religious talk; talk ſometimes as Chriſtians, as wel as Men and Chap-men: let ſome body begin and break the Ice: many are apt enough to caſt down the bone of contention, do you preſent the marrow of religion, that you may edify one another: Sit not together as mutes, or as Men of the World, diſcourſing about matters of ſtate or trading, or of the weather, or your ages,Gen. 47. which was Pharaoh's queſtion to Iacob, and that to his Sons of the like import: But if there be ever a wiſe Man among you, fetch ſome ſpark from Heaven, and throw it amonſt your companions, that every one may bring his ſtick to the fire, and by the bellows of mutual love, it may be raiſed to a flame, that thereby your hearts may be warmed, and even burn within you, as the two travelling Diſciples by Chriſts opening to them the Scriptures: And then Record and lay up what you have got in profitable converſings: thus was the Book of Proverbs collected, and hereby you might fil Books and memories with uſeful obſervations: yet take this caution, let not your end be to hear ſtories, notions, nor yet only polemical diſcourſes, to furniſh your heads with arguments for all ſubjects and companies, but let your principal end be to get your hearts bettered, grace ſtrengthened, luſts weakened, lives reformed, conſciences reſolved: Oh the advantage you may have by Chriſtian-ſociety! you may get good by others, do good to others, yea obſerve it, your profitable diſcourſes with others wil reflect upon your ſelves with advantage: Schollars finde that conference rubs up their memories, revives their reading, and in a ſort, gives them the maſtery over their notions, and imprints them deeper within them, that were almoſt obliterated: hence a famous Schollar did return many thanks, to one that was many degrees below him, for affording him ſo fair an opportunity of private diſcourſes: and a Iewiſh Doctor could ſay, he had learned much from his Maſters, more from his equals,Docendo didici. but moſt of all from his Schollars, hence their Proverb, I have learned by teaching: experience doth tel us that having to do in others doubts, temptations, deſertions, corruptions, directs us how to deal in our own caſes: therefore I adviſe you, be not ſhie in helping the weak, becauſe thereby you do a double courteſie, to your ſelves and to others, by one act or motion of your lips feeding others, and digeſting your own meat: Beſides, this Chriſtian communion being Gods inſtitution, is ſeconded with his benediction, and gracious acceptation:See Eph. 4.15, 16. foreign the members of Chriſts myſtical body, ſpeaking the truth in love, or truthing it in love, as the word imports, do grow up into him in all things, even Chriſt the head, and ſo that which is lacking in one joynt, is made up by the uſefulneſs of another: and for Gods acceptance of the Saints holy conference, ſee that famous Text in Mal. 3.16. But that which I am urging is, the advantage that your ſouls wil have by it, one live Coal laid to a dead one, kindles it, a ripe Grape put to a green one, ripens it: company is of an aſſimilating nature, and grace, like fire, wil beget its like, and it's an advantage to trade with rich Merchants in precious commodities, for then we ſhal get wel ſtocked with riches, So 'tis here, yea obſerve it, when a company of Chriſtians meet together for ſpiritual purpoſes, Jeſus Chriſt makes one more, and he is in ſtead of many more, he walks from peron to perſon, and enquires what they want, and Joſeph-like, richlie fils the Sacks of their ſouls with a tranſcendent treaſure. Where Chriſt keeps houſe, there's nothing wanting, he that girded himſelf to ſerve his Diſciples wil wait to be gracious, and ſatisfie hungrie ſouls: Chriſt walks in the midſt of the golden Candleſticks, and feeds the Lamps of the Sanctuarie with Oile: go forth therefore, poor ſoul, by the foot-ſteps of the Flock,Cant. 1.8. and feed the Kids, beſides the Shepheards tents; Be found in the communion of Saints, be not content to have that Article in your Creed, but let it be in your practiſe; wait on God in publick. Ordinances, every work there wil help to fil your ſouls; prayer, reading, ſinging Pſalmes, the word preached, the Sacraments adminiſtred, you may get good by Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper, faithfully uſed, believinglie improved, ſome applie thoſe two Metaphors in Cant. 7.2. To theſe two ſeales of the Covenant, thy Navel is like a round goblet,Umbilicus venarum nodus et coitus, centrum corporis. which wanteth not liquor; that imports Baptiſme, becauſe, as the Navel upholds, and knits together, the Liver Midriff, Bladder, and receives by it all the nouriſhment the Infant hath from the Mother in the Womb, ſo the feeble members of the Church are united to Chriſt, and ſupplied with food by baptiſme, rightly improved, which is a ful goblet, crowned with plenty and comfort; the latter is the Lords Supper, which is thus expreſt, thy bellie is like an heap of wheat, ſet about with Lillies: the belly is the bodies ſtore-houſe, ſo is this bleſſed Sacrament, ſending out to all the members of this miſtical bodie, a due proportion of ſtrength and nouriſhment, and this affords the fineſt pureſt wheat to every lilly-Saint, and milk-white ſoul that feeds on Chriſt by faith: And therefore let every ſoul be found in the uſe of theſe holy Ordinances that would have a treaſure of grace, yet obſerve this caution, that though the Sacraments be neceſſary, and the great meanes of ſpiritual life, yet not in that manner and reſpect, as food is to a natural life,Hoo…er Eccleſ. Poli…y. Book 5. Par. 57. pag. 229. becauſe they contain in themſelves no vital force or efficacy; they are (ſaith a reverend Author) not phyſical but moral inſtruments of ſalvation.—all receive not the grace of God, which receive the Sacraments of his grace, neither is it ordinarily his wil to beſtow the grace of Sacraments on any,Hugo de Sacramentis lib. 1. cap. 3.4. Si…ergo vaſa ſunt ſpiritualis gratiae Sacramenta, non ex ſuo ſanant, quia vaſa aegrotum non curant, ſed medicina. but by the Sacraments,—a little after, he ſaith, they are moral inſtruments, the uſe whereof is in our hands, the effect in his, for the uſe we have his expreſs commandment, for the effect his conditional promiſe, and we may expect his performance of the promiſe upon our obedience to his command,—he quoteth Hugo comparing the Sacraments to a Veſſel, and the grace therein to the medicine therein exhibited, and we ſhould apply the ſpiritual good therein to our diſtempered ſpirits: but I have been too large on this head. I ſhal ſhut up this piece of the Directory for obtaining a treaſure,Primo idoneus eſſe non poteſt ad martyrium, qui ab Eccleſia non armatur ad praelium: et mens deficit, quam, non accepta Eucharistia erigit, et accendit: Cyp. Epiſt. act Cornel. lib. 1. Epiſ. 2. P. 41. with an expreſſion of Cyprians, he cannot be fit for Martyrdome, that is not armed by the Church to the conf…ict, and that mind faints, which is not erected and inflamed by receiving the Euchariſt, or Lords-Supper: ſo the communion of Saints in that choice Ordinance, is a fortifying and furniſhing Exerciſe.