Heart Treasure, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Four more Directions for maintaining an Heart-Treaſure.
7. ANother Help for continuing and encreaſing this good treaſure of the Heart, is, Be frequent and exact in the ſearch of your hearts: be much in reviewing the frame of your Spirits, commune with your heart, ask it what it getteth or loſeth every day; wiſe Tradeſ-men often caſt up account, and provident Houſe-keepers look into their proviſion to ſee how it holds out, and wherein there is moſt danger of want: O Chriſtians be ſerious in this ſelf-ſifting work, and keep a diſtinct account how things are with you, whether you get or loſe ground: take the advice of a Royal learned Writer to his Princely Son, thus:K. James, Baſil. Doron, pag. 16, 17. Cenſure your ſelf as ſharply as if you were your own enemy,—a little further, therefore I would not have you to pray to be delivered from ſudden death, but that God would give you grace ſo to live, as that you may every hour of your life be ready for death: thus he. Sirs, ſtudy your hearts, try your waies, deal faithfully with your poor ſouls, for you muſt undergo a critical ſearch at the great day, yea now in this world,Zeph. i. 12. God is about to ſearch you as with Candles, and rouze up ſecure ſinners from off their lees: a trying time may come, ſearch your ſelves firſt, you may by ſearching come to diſcern your ſtate, and what degrees of grace you have, your ſpirits may know the things of man, that concern your ſelves,1 Cor. 2.10. Pro. 20.27. and deſcend into the inward parts of the belly, therefore make uſe of this reflective facultie of conſcience, try your hearts, meaſure your ſelves at this time with what you were formerlie, and thereby you will underſtand how things are, and this will be a ſingular help againſt loſing ground, prevent Apoſtacy, prepare you for, and engage you in a work of thankfulneſs or repenting ſuitable to what you finde in your hearts: only be clear and diſtinct about your ſtate, that you may deplore or congratulate your condition as you finde cauſe: thereby God will have great glorie, your ſouls much comfort, and if you finde things amiſs, that ſelf-tryal will be a ſtep to Reparation: O Friends, take ſome time to poſe and ſearch your own hearts,Dr. Hall Sol. 13. called Boſom diſcourſ. For this Subject of ſelf-exam. See Baxt. Saints reſt. 3 part. in the multitude of buſineſſes abroad be not ſtrangers at home, you will finde work enough there, I ſhall conclude all with the words of a contemplative Divine. The varieties of an ever-changing condition whiles in this vale of miſerie cannot want the perpetual employment of a buſie ſoul, therefore, ſaith he, O God let me be dumb to all the world, ſo as I may ever have a tongue for thee and mine own heart: Take yet a Verſe from divine Herbert;
Sum up at night what thou haſt done by day
And in the morning, what thou haſt to do,
Dreſs and undreſs thy ſoul, mark the decay
And growth of it; if with thy watch, that too
Be down, then winde up both, ſince we ſhall be
Moſt ſurely judg'd, make thy Accounts agree:
Thus for the ſeventh Direction:
8. Timely make up ſpiritual decayes: This ſeconds the former, if you finde your ſelves declining, do not reſt ſatisfied, let not an ill matter go on, decayes and delayes therein are dangerous, the further you proceed the worſe will things be: a little rent in a Garment, if neglected grows vaſt and incurable: a breach of water upon banks is quickly repaired at firſt, but afterwards in protract of time is widened to unavoidable inundations: Suits in Law are eaſily taken up in the beginning, and fallings out amongſt Friends may be ſoon compoſed at firſt, but when contentions beget animoſities, and then a grudge, the agreement is more unfeaſable, and the offended party more un-reconcileable: If you miſs your way upon the Road, how ſuddenly may you at the firſt ſtep back, and rectifie your errour? but the further you go in a wrong way the more is your danger, and labour in returning: Many diſeaſes might have been cured had they been lookt to in time,Prin…ipi… obsta, fero medicina paratur… cum mala per long as invaluere moras. that have proved mortal in the iſſue: and therefore the Rule is [obſta principiis] hinder the firſt beginnings of a diſeaſe: Wee know its eaſier to keep off an Enemie, then turn him out when once he is entred: the juice of a Lemmon is ſoon wiped off a Knife when firſt ſprinkled on it, without impreſſion left, but its abiding thereon corrodes into the mettal, and leaves an indelible character: Even ſo, guilt is ſooner removed immediately after it is con…racted, then when its long delaied, deferring doubles the guilt and makes the wound deeper: Davids long abſence from God procures to his back a heavier burden and broken bones, but Peter got the breach made up quickly by a ſpeedy Repentance: therefore David learned by ſad experience to make more haſt to God, and not to delay his Repentance and courſe of obedience, Pſalm 119.59, 60.Pſal. 132.2, 3, 4, 5. O Chriſtians, fall preſently about this work, Vow this day unto the mighty God of Jacob, and you'l not finde a room for your ſelves in your Houſes or Beds, till you have found a place for the Lord in your hearts, make not up the day till you have made your peace with God: give not ſleep to your eies til you can through grace ſay, your ſouls reſt in the Lord and, God reſts in his love to you; and if you die in that ſleep, you ſhall ſleep in Chriſt: Go to God poor ſinning, pining ſoul, tell him, Lord, I feel, my heart growing out of order, thou doſt not grant to me thy wonted preſence, ſin is encroaching upon me, temptations prevailing; grace-weakening, my ſpirit cooling, all things go to wrack within me, but I am not ſatisfied in this declining ſtate, I cannot live at a diſtance from thee, I dare not neglect the means of my Recoverie, O revive thy work, reſtore thy quickening Spirit, repair and redintegrate in my precious ſoul thy glorious Image, which conſiſts in knowledge, righteouſneſſe, and true holineſſe; renew in my heart former affections, and return unto my ſoul thy wonted favour: And thus, Sirs, do you betake your ſelves firſt to your hearts, and then to God, and uſe your utmoſt endeavours to recruit with ſpeed your treaſure of truths, graces, comforts and experiences, and as a Candle newly extinguiſht will quicklie catch fire, ſo the ſmoaking flaxe of your languiſhing graces ſhall quickly be reſtored, and revived, and your fainting ſpirits if taken timely ſhal ſuddenly be recovered: Say then with ſweet Herbert in his Poems,—
Sin is ſtill hammering my heart,
unto a hardneſs void of love,
Let ſuppling grace to croſs his art
drop from above.
9. Be much in layings out: mental and ſpiritual treaſures have this ſtrange propertie, that the more you lay out the more you encreaſe therein: here that Text takes place, Luke 6.38. Give, and it ſhall be given unto you, preſſed down, and ſhaken together, and running over, ſhall men [or God] give it into your boſome— We ſee in other things uſe makes prompt and perfect: 'tis Uſe chiefly that makes the right hand ſtronger than the left: a Key much uſed is bright, diſ-uſe makes it ruſtie: a Pump much uſed brings forth water eaſily and abundantlie: Inſtruments of Iron and Steel are brighter with uſe; Thus it is in humane learning, gifts and graces, expence enricheth the Poſſeſſour, and Salomon ſaith, the liberal ſoul ſhall be made fat, and he that watereth, ſhall be watered alſo himſelf, Prov. 11.25. a liberal ſoul is a ſoul of bleſſing, as the Hebr. hath it, becauſe it is a bleſſing to others, and the more bleſſed by God, for to him that uſeth well ſhall be given more, as that is uſually interpreted, Matthew 25.29. (though that muſt be referred to Talents of the ſame kinde, for improving common grace doth not neceſſarilie procure ſpecial grace); God doth not infuſe theſe Habits to lie dead in you, but you muſt ſtir up the gift of God, employ your ſtock, lay out your mony to Exchangers: be not either non-Reſidents or non-Agents, Chriſtianity requires activitie; the truth is, all excellencies in the World are worthleſs if they be uſeleſs, there's much good ground in the World that's neither cultured nor owned, a world of precious Mettals in the bowels of the Earth which ſhal never be coined, 'tis the conſtant uſe of money whereby it anſwers all things:Soliloq. 20. Stock-employed-pa. 72.73. Improvement, ſaith a Reverend man, gives a true value to all bleſſings, A penny in the Purſe is worth many Talents in an unknown Mine, that is our good that doth us good, and that whereby we do good, and the more we do good, the more we are good: therefore Sirs, be active for God, read, pray, meditate, confer, and do all with your might, as men that are bound ſtraight for Heaven, and will do all the good you can upon earth, and draw with you as many as you can to glorie; O how this wil enrich you, and encreaſe your ſtore? but this I have inlarged upon before: only obſerve, that 'tis the propertie of true grace to be communicative, and a bleſſing annexed to its exerciſe to be aggragative: a Chriſtian gets moſt by laying out, God helps thoſe that are ready to help the ſouls of others.
10. Be thankfull for treaſures received, give God praiſe and God will give you more grace: as our duty aſcends, mercy deſcends; mans bleſſing God, brings down more bleſſings from God: Adore Free-grace, and you ſhal have more fruits of Free-grace: you are bound to bleſs God for worldly comforts and earthly treaſures, much more for heavenly Riches: Should we bleſs him for filling our Houſes with goods, and B…llies with food? and ſhall we not bleſſe him for filling our heads with truths… and our hearts with grace? muſt we bleſs him for a Cruſt, and ſhall wee not much more for a Chriſt? Will wee thank God for earth, and ſhall we not for Heaven? I fear Chriſtians are much defective in this Angelical and Evangelical duty of praiſe: they are much in complaining of their defects and imperfections, and that's good in it its due place, and ſeaſon, and meaſure, ſo as to humble them and promote endeavours: But withall you ought to be thankful for what you are or have; Self-denial and gratitude are very conſiſtent, and contribute mutually to each other: You may and ought to bewail your barrenneſs, though you muſt alſo thank God for the degrees of fruitfulneſs: for what you have attained is the fruit of ſpecial grace; from God alone is your fruit found: he alone hath tilled, and ſown, and given the encreaſe, let him have all the crop and harveſt: to him is this debt of thanks owing, pay for the old, and fetch new: admire his Free-grace that you have any divine incomes, though you have not what you deſire, yet you have more than you deſerve, and ſo much as deſerves your thankfulneſs: that's a churliſh creature that drowns paſt kindneſſes in a Sea of deſires after more: I do appeal to thine own conſcience, haſt thou not ſomething in thy ſoul worth thanks? haſt thou not ſeen thy ſin and miſery? laid them more to heart than outward troubles? doſt thou not prize Chriſt above the world? long after communion with him? You cannot deny but you have received ſweet impreſſions of divine truths, and various experiences, and as for graces and comforts, deal but faithfully with your own hearts, and ſee what they will ſay to you: begin to enumerate your mercies, and you'l ſee further occaſion of gratitude; eſpecially recount your ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly things in Jeſus Chriſt: Thus doth holy David, Pſal. 103.1 2, 3. He ſtirs up all within him to praiſe God, and reckoneth up ſpiritual mercies firſt, and canſt not thou ſay, he hath ſatisfied thy heart, & repleniſhed thy ſoul with good things? Lay thy hand upon thy heart, and ask it whether thou haſt not abundant cauſe of thankfulneſſe? and give God praiſe according to thy convictions: This is one great end God hath in beſtowing merciemercy, and returning an anſwer of Prayer, that the ſoul may praiſe him, which is the tribute of glorie that's due from the creature to our Creator: See Pſalm 50.14, 15, 23. Mr. Greenham obſerves,Joel 2.26. inter opera, fol. 8.13. That in our Liturgies, among an hundred prayers ſcarce one thankſ-giving is found, and yet in civil matters, either by a natural Logick or cunning Rhetorick, we have learned to begin a new ſuit, with a thankful commemoration of receiving the old: Thus he▪ But I beſeech you ſhew not your ſelves ingratefull, praiſe God for what you have received, yea bleſs him for your certain grounds of hope perform your dutie, and truſt God for the performance of his promiſe … Bleſſe God that he hath laid up ſo large a treaſure in Chriſt for indigent ſouls… Bleſs him that hee hath laid out ſo much thereof upon the manie thouſands that are now filled brimful of grace and glory, and bleſs him for the ſweet over-flowings of diſtinguiſhing grace to your languiſhing ſouls. Sirs, you are much queſtioning the truth of Grace, but exerciſing your ſelves in this duty of thankfulneſs will evidence ſincerity, and preſerve your ſtock, and be a means of further proficiency: Unthankfulneſs and Unholineſs are linked together in Scripture,2 Tim. 3.2 and the more thankful you are, the more holy you are and ſhal be: God loves chearful worſhippers: the great variety of Muſical Inſtruments in Gods worſhip of old, ſhould be ecchoed with cordial praiſes in Goſpel-times: praiſe is comely in Gods account, and thankful ſouls have largeſt incomes: what Saint was ever loaded with ſuch riches of Grace as the choſen Veſſel, bleſſed Paul? and who was fuller of thankfulneſs, or ſounded out the praiſes of God ſo much as he? he had it much in his lips, that had ſo much in his heart; and the more he ſpeaks of it, the more he is filled with it: every breath, let out in praiſes, draws in new ſupplies of grace: do you glorifie God, and he wil ſatisfie you: pay this rent, and God wil not turn you out of doors: give him this tribute, and you ſhal have your free-hold: praiſe God for your little here, and you ſhal have fulneſs of grace, and riches of glorie to praiſe him in and with to all Eternitie.
I ſhal cloſe all theſe Directions to maintain a treaſure, eſpeciallie this laſt of thankfulneſs with a ſweet Poem of Divine Herbert's, called gratefulneſs.
Thou that haſt given ſo much to me,Herb. the Church, page 116.
Give one thing more, a grateful heart,
See how thy beggar works on thee,
By Art.
He makes thy gifts occaſion more,
And ſayes, if he in this be croſt,
All thou haſt given him heretofore
Is loſt.
But thou didſt reckon, when at firſt
Thy word our hearts and hands did crave,
What it would come to at the w…rſt
To ſave.
Perpetual knockings at thy door,
Tears ſullying thy tranſparent rooms,
Gift upon gift, much would have more,
And comes.
This notwithſtanding, thou went'ſt on,
And didſt allow us all our noiſe,
Nay thou haſt made a ſigh and groane,
Thy joyes.
Not that thou haſt not ſtil above,
Much better tunes than groanes can make;
But that theſe Country aires thy love,
Did take.
Wherefore I cry, and cry again;
And in no quiet canſt thou be,
Til I a thankful heart ob…ain,
Of thee.
Not thankful, when it pleaſeth me;
As if thy bleſſings had ſpare dayes,
But ſuch a heart whoſe pulſe may be
Thy praiſe.