Heart Treasure, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. A Diſcovery of the Nature of a Treaſure in general.
A Treaſure imports the laying up of things for neceſſary uſe in after-times, and holds forth theſe ſeven particulars, all which ſuit with the laying up of ſpiritual proviſion in general.
1. Laying up a Treaſure, implies carefulneſs, anxious thoughts, ſollicitous endeavour; its caſie to ſcatter, but it requires ſome induſtry to gather, yea 'tis eaſier to gather by filching and cheating, than by trading or working; and things eaſily got by evil means, are as quickly loſt by ſtrange waies, Prov. 13.11. Wealth [gotten] by vanity, ſhall be diminiſhed, Malè porta, malè dilabuntur.i.e. an eſtate procured by baſe ſhifts, devices, and jugling tricks, comes to nought. But he that gathereth by labour [Heb. by the hand] ſhall increaſe, and in time become a Treaſure. Experience tells us, that they that would get a great eſtate, take pains in the day, and plot in the night, Eccleſ. 5.12.and deſires to get and keep their abundance, wil not ſuffer them to ſleep: 'tis ſo in Spirituals, there's hard tugging to get abiding proviſion; Spiritual goods are not got with a wet finger; they drop not into the mouth of a careleſs loyterer: Difficilia quae pulch…a.The choicer any thing is, the hardlier is it attained: an Harveſt-mans labour is hard toyling. O think not to get Heaven by lazineſs: The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by violence, Mat. 11.12. A reſolute Chriſtian (as it were) ſtorms this uphil… City; as Souldiers run to get the prey, or Racers to obtain the prize.
2. It imports choiceneſs in the things laid up.Heb. 2.13 'Tis not all Labour that obtains a Treaſure;Iſa. 55.2. they labour in the very fire, that weary themſelves for very vanity. Men may lay out money and labour for that which neither doth profit nor ſatisfie; there are many things better ſleighted, than ſought and gained: However, ſtones and ſtraws make no good treaſure; no wife man wil account himſelf rich with toys and trifles; A Chriſtians treaſure conſiſts in Spirituals, which onelyonly are of worth and value;Hab. 2.6. Gold and Silver are but red and white clay, called thick clay, becauſe more ſolid bodies; but compared with Divine things they are but droſs: Eph. 1.….Spiritual bleſſings only make the Believer bleſſed; nothing can be accounted a treaſure, but what comes from, and leads to Heaven, Bona throni, the good things of the Throne, are a Saints treaſure, Bonaſcabelli, the good things of the Footſtool, are a wicked-man's portion, and he may have a large meaſure, yea, a treaſure of them;Pſa. 17.14 their bellies are filled with hid treaſures: Yet theſe do not make them happy; all undermoon comforts are but ſorry trifles to make a treaſure of; the whole world cannot counterballance a grain of Grace: we account of things by their worth, not by their bulk; a little box of precious oyntment is of more value and vertue, than whole tuns of ordinary Liquor; only Heavenly riches make up a Souls treaſure.
3. Suitableneſs of the things ſtored up: No man wil lay up what he ſhall never need, and account it his treaſure: Every Tradeſ-man lays up that which is fit for his Calling; Cloathiers, Staplers, Tanners, Husbandmen, have all their peculiar proviſions, ſuited to their vocations: that may be a cumber to one, that is a treaſure to another: Kings have their peculiar treaſure, Eccle. 2.8.i. e. that which none but Kings have; So all Gods Kings have their peculiar treaſure; which as it is different from all others, ſo in ſome reſpects different one from another. Moſes had a treaſure of meekneſs, Job of patience, Salomon of wiſdome, John of love: 1 Cor. 1.7As the Childe of God is to come behinde in no gift, ſo he is to excel in that which he is more eſpecially called to exerciſe; 'Tis a great Duty and myſtery in Religion to bee wiſe in obſervation, and prudent in proviſion; let every Chriſtian lay up ſupplies ſuitable to the ſeveral ages, eſtates, ſexes, offices, burdens, duties, relations, places, trials, or temptations, through which any one may paſſe, in the whole courſe of their Lives: So ſhal they not be unprovided or unfurniſhed, but which way ſoever the Lord leads them in this uneven world, Pſa. 26.12yet their foot ſhal ſtand in an eeven place, and go ſtreight to Heaven.
4. A treaſure imports ſufficiency. Store hath no lack; 'tis abundance that conſtitutes a treaſure; the Granarys of Aegypt afforded plenty of Corn: A ſcant modicum makes not a treaſure. Spiritual goods are a Chriſtians riches, Jam. 2.5 1 Tim. 6.18.and he ought to be rich in theſe riches, rich in faith, and rich in good works. What a ful expreſſion is that of St. Paul? Epheſ. 3.19. where he begs to be filled with all the fulneſs of God. What Paul, can thy narrow veſſel contain an infinite Ocean? Though hee cannot hold all, yet he would have all Divine fulneſs; i. e. Scientia quae Sp. Sancti Magisterio, non ingenii noſtri acumine diſcitur. Marl.he would know the Love of Chriſt, which paſſeth knowledge; that's to furniſh his intellectual faculty, with a treaſure of heavenly knowledge; and he would be filled with all Grace, as the richeſt treaſure of his wil and affections; yea, nothing leſs than fulneſs wil ſuffice. Nay further, the fulneſs of God; yet higher, even all the fulneſs of God, let the veſſel be filled to the …orim, and let it bee made more capacious to receive larger incomes; never hath the believing ſoul grace enough, til grace be perfected and crowned with Glory, A gracious heart hath an inſatiable appetite after heavenly delights, and dainties; nothing ſo good as Grace, and the more a ſoul hath of it, the better.
5. It implies Secreſie: A treaſure is not expoſed to the common view of all men, it was Hezekiah's pride and weakneſs to lead the Babylonian Meſſengers through his treaſures. Iſa. 45.3. Mat. 1 3. 1 Pet. 3.4. foreign, Occultus ille i. e. cordis homo.Treaſures are uſually hid in ſecret places; hence we read of treaſures of darkneſs, and hidden riches of ſecret places, and a treaſure hid in a field: So this good mans treaſure is ſaid to be in his heart, which St. Peter calls the hidden man of the heart, none can ſee into this, but the heart-ſearching God, he that knows all things onelyonly is the Anatomiſt of this cloſe and hidden man… Men ſee the face, but they ſee not what lies within; hence it is that the greateſt and beſt part of a Chriſtians treaſure, is inviſible; as the roots of a Tree under the earth, or the bottom of a Ship under water; or rather as a Merchants goods in his Ware-houſe. So it is with a Saints treaſure; he is a Jew inwardly, his Circumciſion is that of the heart; in the Spirit and not in the Letter, whoſe praiſe is not of men, but of God: Rom. 2.29. The regenerate ſoul is the King of Heavens Daughter, which is all glorious within, though ſome ſparklings of Grace appear without: the beſt and the worſt of a Soul is hid from the view of men; happy were it for a Chriſtian if he had no more corruption than appears outwardly, and wretched were he alſo, if he had no more Grace than others can take notice of.
6. A Treaſure for ſafety: This treaſure being out of mens view is therefore ſecured from mens reach and touch: Treaſures lye not looſe, but are under lock and key: thoſe at Rome are now laid up in the impregnable Caſtle of St. Angelo. Treaſure-Cities are alwaies well Fenced, Guards were appointed to attend them; Dragons are fancied to wait on treaſures: hence come Dragooners, ſay ſome: But ſure I am, the treaſure of a Chriſtian is ſafe; Grace and Peace are a Saints free-hold that Men and Devils cannot deprive him off: Grace is an incorruptible ſeed, and God hath engaged himſelf to maintain it: Maries better part cannot be taken from her; As ſoon, ſaith one, may they pluck Chriſt out of Heaven, as Grace out of my heart: Joh. 16.22Nay the treaſure of joy can no man take from the believing Soul, for this pure ſtream of Spiritual Joy, grows ſtronger and ſweeter, til it be ſwallowed up in the vaſt Ocean of our Maſters joy in eternal bliſſe: A Chriſtians treaſure is lock'd up in his heart, which is a Cabinet that none can wreſt open: Chriſts heart was pierced, that a Chriſtians might remain untouch'd; hence it becomes impenitrable, and invulnerable. A lively emblem whereof was the heart of John Huſſe, which remained intire, even when his body was conſumed in the flames: the heart may be pulled out of the boſome, but not a Saints Treaſure out of his Heart.
7. In a Treaſure there's readineſs for preſent ſupply, 'Tis but giving a turn with the key, and taking out proviſion, and making uſe thereof, which is as ſoon made ready as Abraham's Feaſt for the Angels, or Jacobs Veniſon for his Father Iſaac: He that hath a treaſure of food, hath it not to ſeek when he ſhould uſe it; as the man in the Parable, that ran to call up his Neighbour, Luke 11.5, 6.to borrow three Loaves becauſe he had nothing to ſet before his Friend that came unexpectedly; But the wel-furniſh'd Chriſtian can make God welcome in all his viſits, in Mercy or Diſpleaſure, and own him as a Friend, whether he come by day or by night; a wel-ſtored ſoul hath ſomething in readineſs for his honourable Gueſt. Mat. 25. v. 1 to 11.A notable reſemblance hereof we have in the Parable of the wiſe and fooliſh Virgins; The Oyl in the Lamp is the treaſure of Grace in the heart; and though the Virgin Chriſtian may ſlumber as to the Exerciſe of Grace, yet he is ready upon a ſudden Alarm for the Bridegooms entertainment, but the fooliſh Virgin is the treaſureleſs Soul; the graceleſs Sinner, that hath no Oyl at all, but while it goes to buy, is ſhut out of the preſence Chamber. But of this more hereafter onelyonly obſerve, in General, that he that hath a treaſure will be quickly furniſh'd with all accommodations, on all occaſions: Thus much for the firſt head.