Heart Treasure, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Reaſons ſhewing the great neceſſity of laying up this heart-treaſure.
AT laſt we come to the confirmation of this Doctrine; That a good treaſure in the Heart, is neceſſary to good expences in the life, and the
1. Ground is taken from Nature and Reaſon, which prompteth to us, thoſe undoubted maximes, Operari ſequitur eſſe. Nihil dat quod non habet. Qualis cauſa talis effectus. Ex nihilo nihil fit.that a thing muſt firſt be, before it can act, nothing can give what it hath not, ſuch as the cauſe is, ſuch are the effects: Of nothing, nothing can be made, without a Miracle of Creation, and we cannot expect to be fed by Miracles, where ordinary means are propoſed, and ſuppoſed to be uſed: If we wilfully neglect to lay in proviſion while we have a ſeaſon for it, we are guilty of groundleſs preſumption, if we conceit we can lay out in a neceſſitous condition: How can any expect liquor from the Still, meat from the Cupboard, garments from the Ward-robe, where none of theſe were laid in? What mad man would think to reap without ſowing, or teach others when hee hath no learning himſelf? Was there ever a bringing forth without a conception? Is it not fond dotage in a Shop-keeper to think to ſell wares, that hath none? And is this prepoſterous in Naturals, and can it hold in Spirituals? Joſeph could not ſupply the Countrey with Corn without a ſtore. A Tree cannot bring forth good fruit, except it be good: The Scripture ſaith, Jam. 3.12.Can a Fig-tree bear Olive-berries, or a Vine Figs? And can we think men can act graciouſly without a principle of Grace?
2. Reaſon is drawn from the Offices of Chriſt, the ſecond perſon in the ſacred Trinity, was filled with a treaſure, that he might fill the Saints with a Treaſure of Grace: In him are hid all the Treaſures of Wiſdome and Knowledge. Col. 1.3, 9The fulneſs of the God-head dwells bodily in Chriſt. And for this very end hath God ſtored Chriſt, that he might ſupply his Members, that of his fulneſs wee may receive, and Grace for Grace, John 1.16. Simplex Senſus eſſe videtur, quaſcun… in …os gratias cumulat deus peraeij, ex hoc fonte manare: rectè ergo ſentiunt qui nos irrigari dicunt eſſuſis in Chriſtū grat…is. Calv. in Loc.The plain ſimple ſenſe of which Text, ſaith Calvin, is that, what Graces God heaps on us, they all flow from this Fountain, therefore are we watered with the graces that are poured upon Chriſt. For obſerve it, this is the nature of Goſpel-diſpenſations; What ſpiritual good things the Saints receive, they have them not now from God as Creator, ſo much as through the hands of Jeſus Chriſt as the great Mediator of the new Covenant, he is the Channel or Ciſtern, or rather Fountain of all Grace, that our ſouls expect or receive: Hee is our Aaron annointed above his fellows, that the Oyle of Grace might in its proportion fall from the head to the Members. Hence it is that he is called Chriſt, and we Chriſtians, from this holy unction: For this end was our Lord Jeſus advanced to be the head of the Church, that he might fill it with all gracious ſupplies: and hence it is, that the Church is called his Body, the fulneſs of him that filleth all in all, Eph. 1.23. i. e. the effect of Chriſts fulneſs, who filleth all the Saints, in all Ordinances and means of conveyance of gracious Influences: Truth of Grace is from him, growth and ſtrength of Grace are from him; both the leaſt meaſure and a large treaſure are to be had in him; Joh. 10.10. I came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. i. e. the Eſſence and Abundance are both from him. So then we ſee Chriſt is deſigned to bee our Joſeph, to furniſh our ſouls with a treaſure, and therefore hee that neglects to ſtock his heart from this ſtore-houſe doth undervalue the great Office of Chriſt, and doth what hee can, to fruſtrate God of his end in ſouls-ſupply: This is horrible ingratitude.
3. Reaſon is drawn from the end and deſign of all Providences and Ordinances: They are given to be helps to promote this Heart-Treaſure: God puts a price into our hands that we may have Grace in our hearts; He gives us a ſummer ſeaſon to lay up for this pinching Winter. Naturaliſts ſay, that while the bird called Halcion ſitteth on her neſt, there's calmneſs and ſerenity upon the Sea: Such Halcion-daies of tranquility, and Goſpel-opportunities have we enjoyed in this tempeſtuous Sea of the world, not to feather our neſts below, much leſs to hatch the Cockatrice-eggs of ſin, but to warm and ripen the brood of Grace in our ſouls, and to lay up a precious treaſure for the evil daies of Old-age, Sickneſs, or Perſecution, and for the long day of Eternity. When God affords a ſeaſon, he expects things ſhould be done in that ſeaſon, and if man neglect it, Eccl 8.6, 8 …ev. 6.6 Prov. 10.5 …ermi…a, atis & …ic…, ſ…nt vere …nram ….his miſery wil be great upon him. The very. Ant lays up for Winter, and reads a Lecture to man, of good husbandry: Gathering in ſummer is a token of wiſdome, but ſleeping in harveſt, is a ſinful, ſhameful, beggaring practiſe. God expects that we ſhould work in the light, and walk in the day, while this day of Grace laſts; John. 12.35, 'Tis a ſad aſtoniſhing thing, that God ſhould hold men a Candle for them to play by; eſpecially, when time is ſhort, uncertain; death and eternity are ſo near, and of ſuch vaſt conſequence. Oh what a confounding queſtion will that be one day? Prov. 17.16. Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wiſdome, ſeeing he hath no heart to it? Obſerve it, God takes a ſtrict account of our helps, and of our hoard, and expects a due proportion. Oh what a ſad reckoning wil many make, whoſe negligence wil be condemned by the diligence of bruit creatures, Nullus mihi per atium exit dies, part… etiam noctium Studiis vendico. Senec.and Heathen Philoſophers in moral ſtudies? Yea, by the light of their own Conſciences.
4. Another Reaſon is taken from our hearts natural emptineſs of a treaſure of good: In me (ſaith Paul) that is, in my fleſh, dwells no good thing, Rom. 7.18. This barren ſoil hath the more need to be Manured; this empty houſe to be wel furniſhed, leaſt the heart continue ſtill deſtitute of all ſaving good, and the ſoul depart out of this world as naked of ſaving-Grace, as it entred: 'Tis pity ſo brave an houſe ſhould ſtand empty of Inhabitant, and Furniture. The ſouls of Gods people are veſſels that are to be wel-fraught with the Liquor of all ſaving-graces, that they may bee fitted for, and filled with Eternal Glory, Rom. 9.23. The Chriſtian is to be holily covetous of theſe riches of Glory, that amends may be made for his natural vacuity. Oh the vaſt Chaos of an unregenerate heart! A long time, and great pains muſt go to the repleniſhing of it: There's many waſte corners to be filled, even after the truth of grace is planted, before the ſoul be inlarged to a due capacity of ſervice here, and heaven hereafter: The ſoul of a Believer, Mr. Good. w…n.ſaith one, is a houſe well-built, where faith laies the foundation: hope helps up the walls, knowledge ſets open the windows, and love covers the roof, and this makes a room fit for Chriſt; And I add, there muſt be every day a ſweeping, and watching, and decking of this Houſe with further degrees of grace, embelliſhing it with divine Ornaments, and furniſhing it: and every Room, I mean every faculty, with a rich treaſure of heavenly bleſſings: it will be ſome coſt and toyle to hang every room of the heart with lively pictures of the divine Image: for it is altogether empty of that which is truly and ſpiritually good, or may be called a Treaſure: But thats not all; for
5. The ſoul is by nature filled with an evil treaſure: the heart is deſperatelie wicked, Jer. 17.9. every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only and continually evil, Gen. 6.5. the mind, will and affections are ſtuffed with a world of blindneſſe, hardneſſe and wildneſſe: the ſoul is naturally propenſe to evil, averſe to good, and therefore a treaſure of good is neceſſary to preponderate and extrude this treaſure of wickedneſſe: to ſeaſon and ſeize upon the ſoul for God, as ſin did for Satan; the love of God is to be ſhed abroad into thoſe veines and Channels of the heart, Rom. 5.5. Rom. 2.29where ſin did run with a violent current; the Chriſtian is to be circumciſed in the moſt polluted part: and certainly, 'tis not a little grace that will obſtruct the active motions of ſin, for though grace be of greater worth, yet its diſputable, whether it attain to greater ſtrength than corruption, even in the hearts of the ſanctified, in this life: But certainly, the greater meaſure of grace and treaſure of ſanctifying truths, the more power againſt corruption: the whole Armor of God, (which is alſo the Saints treaſure) reſiſt inward luſts and Satans aſſaults, Eph. 6.12, 14. The Spirit is compared to wind, now ſome have called the winds, John 3. Scop…s mundt: Becauſe they ſerve to ſweep the ayr & the world clean from infectious vapours.the beeſomes of the world. But I am ſure the ſpirit of grace with the fruits thereof, are choice beeſomes to ſweep the filth of ſin out of the ſoul, and alſo to adorn it with divine Jewels, and aſſiſt …t with notable Antidotes againſt corruption, theſe are as water to waſh the heart from filthineſſe: the ſmalleſt meaſure helps againſt ſin, but the more grace, the leſs ſin in the heart; grace is a principle of life and oppoſeth dead works, which otherwiſe will leade the ſoul to the chambers of death: therefore this treaſure is of abſolute neceſſity, and the ſame might we ſay of the word, Pſal. 119.11.which being hid in the heart helps againſt ſin in the life.
6. Another reaſon is taken from the inbred motions of humane nature: All men on earth ſeek after a treaſure, it is the harmonious inqueſt of all rational creatures, who will ſhew us any good, Homo eſt. foreign.any thing to make a treaſure off? Man hath a capacious ſoul an active and laborious ſpirit; the whole world is not a morſel big enough for his capacious ſwalow: our covetous deſires, ſaith one, are a long ſentence without a period: Finite things are dry meat to an hungry ſoul, they ſooner glut than fill: nay, they put on this buſie Bee to buzze about one Flower after another, till it hath weatied it ſelf in vain, and ſit down in utter deſpair of comfort and ſatisfaction; only intereſt in the God of Heaven, and the image of the God of Heaven make up all defects: See Pſalm 73.25, 26. A Chriſt alone to juſtifie, and a Chriſt within to ſanctifie, make the ſoul compleatly happy; Col. 1.27. Phil. 3.8, 9. Col. 3.11.for Chriſt within is the hope of glory; a glorified and a gracious Redeemer, is the Chriſtians onelyonly treaſure, his all in all; God hath furniſht man with an immortal ſoul, learning may widen it, but grace fills it: nothing elſe will reach its large dimenſions: Homo eſt univerſi orbis Epitome, & abbreviata mund tabella: Mat. 16.Man is a little world himſelf, nay bigger and better than this greater, by Chriſts own verdict, who is truth it ſelf; the ſoul it ſelf is better than the world, and it muſt have ſomething better than it ſelf to be a treaſure for it. Philoſophy ſeeks, Chriſtianity ſhews, the ſound Believer onelyonly finds true happineſſe, Matth. 13.44, 45, 46.which the wiſe Merchant fetched out of the field of the Goſpel, into the Cabinet of his own heart.
7. Whatſoever men have or love, they deſire a treaſure thereof, no man but would have a large treaſure of a precious Commodity, he that hath Gold and Silver would heap it up to a treaſure: he that hath wiſdom and learning would ſtill have more: Men join houſe to houſe, and field to field to procure for themſelves and heires, a fair demain, a large eſtate. How many rich men are ſtill as eager for more, as if they had not enough to purchaſe a meals meat? yet theſe ſeek for earth, as if abundance thereof would purchaſe heaven; like the Partridge, they ſit cloſe on theſe eggs, though they hatch them not, Jer. 17.11.nor are ever likely to bring them to their deſired maturity; Auri ſaera fames.Oh the unhallowed thirſt after filthy lucre! Many think to fill their ſouls with wealth, whereas they cannot fill one of the leaſt members of their body: Eccle. 1… 8,the eye which yet a Nut-ſhel will cover; the world at the beſt is like Paſotes Banquet, which when the gueſts begun to cat, vaniſht into nothing: And ſhall ſo many men ſet their eyes (and hearts too) on that which is not? Pro. 23.5.And ſhall not Gods children make a treaſure of that which is enduring ſubſtance? Shall men think to make a treaſure of coales, and chaffe, and empty ſhadows? and ſhall not the Chriſtian gather ſtore of Pearls and Jewels for his treaſure? Shall the children of the world be more wiſe and wary for earth, than the children of light for Heaven? God forbid. Surely the Chriſtian hath as great reaſon to heap up as any; theſe commodities are more rare, rich and neceſſary than any other, and why then ſhould they not get an heart-treaſure? For in theſe reaſons I would both convince the judgment, and perſwade the affections; theſe are the chief motives I have: for I would ſpend moſt time in Direction.
8. This, and onelyonly this doth diſcriminate betwixt perſons and perſons: my meaning is, this heart-treaſure puts a difference betwixt Saints and Sinners, betwixt weak and ſtrong Chriſtians: as the treaſure in the heart is, ſo is the Profeſſors ſtate, as Salomon ſaith in another caſe, Pro. 23.7. As he thinketh in his heart, ſo is he; not as he ſpeaks with his lips: Formaliſts will ſpeak God as fair as any, they honour him with their lips, 3.19 13. …ſalm 78.36, 37…and flatter him with falſe and fawning faſhions, as though he were an Idol; But the heart-ſearching God is not pleaſed, except the heart be upright with him, it is the upright in whom he delights: nor is a perſon as he acts with his hands, or walks with his feet, in many paſſages of his life; A man may with Ahab walk ſoftly: with Herod do many things: with Simon Magus make large profeſſions of faith: yea, its poſſible a man may ſuffer many troubles, and even death it ſelf in a good cauſe, yet, except he have a heart treaſured with grace, he is rejected, and may go to hell at laſt: God judgeth of the fruits by the Root, though men judge of the Root by the fruits: a heart after his own heart is better than the tongue of men and Angels: Pius homo numiſma eſt a Deo cuſum, imp…us adulterinum, non a Deo ſed a Diavolo effectum: Ignat. Epiſt. ad magn….the diſtinction of perſons, is in reſpect of inſide principles and workings: a good man may ſometimes do an evil work, and a bad man may do a good work, but how are their hearts? the beſt conferences or performances are not currant coyn with the God of heaven, except they iſſue out of the mint of an heart where Gods Image is ſtampt: a little good is accounted much when there's a treaſure within, much ſeeming good is lookt on as nothing when theres no treaſure: this alſo puts the difference betwixt a ſtrong and weak Chriſtian: let their gifts and outward ſeemings be what they will, yet the greater or leſſer degree of real grace diſtinguiſheth their attainments; and accordingly theſe meaſures have different influences upon their lives, duties, comforts, or preparedneſſe for death.
9. This treaſure doth aſſimilate the ſoul to God: the great Jehovah is the onelyonly ſelf-exiſtent, and ſelf-ſufficient good; He is the abſolute, compleat, and independent Being, and needs no acceſſion of Creatures or created Powers to make him happy: nothing can adde to, or detract from his infinite and incomprehenſible bleſſedneſſe: He is a treaſure of all * Et Deum ipſum verum recte dicimus divitem, non tamen pecunia, ſed omnipotentia: dicuntur pauperes pecunia carentes, ſed interius divites ſi ſapientes: Aug. de civit: Dei l. 7. c. 12. p. 395.good, in and to himſelf; and needs neither Gold nor Silver to make him rich: foreign Satiatus est abundavitiquidam conferunt oumparallel to this in ſome proportion is the Saints ſweet and ſecret heart-treaſure, and ſolitary receſſes: The Chriſtian is a little world, and is purely independent upon the creature to make him happy: foreign, ſeptem, quod 7. ſit numerus plenitudinis: i. e. What he hath within, ſhall be as ſeven witneſſes, or many.he can through grace live comfortably without the world, though not without, but upon God: yea God is ſo much in him, as well as to him, that he can live comfortably when other things are dead, a good man is ſatisfied from himſelf, Prov. 14.14. i.e. he ſhall have ſufficient content from his own conſcience: th…s but one word there for a back-ſlider, being fi…led with his wayes of ſin and guilt, and a gracious ſoules ſatisfaction from the ſweet reſult of his own heart, to ſhew that a mans own conſcience, is either his heaven or hell, his greateſt comforter or tormentor: the World cannot alter the joy or ſadneſſe of the heart: a through-paced well-tryed Childe of God, hath his rejoycing in himſelf alone, and not in another, Galat. 6.4. 'Tis a pedling beggarly life to wander abroad for morſels, but thats a noble kind of living, when a man hath all within doores, and needs not creatures ſorry contributions: I ſpeak not of the fancied Familiſtical deification, which is nothing leſſe then blaſphemie, but certainly the ſound Chriſtian in a ſound ſenſe beares ſome reſemblance of the Divinitie in this [foreign] ſelf-ſufficiency; and the more treaſure, the more like God; for ſuch a ſoul is elevated above the creature, and fixed in an higher Orb, whither ſtormes and tempeſts cannot reach; nay, a ſoul whoſe converſation is in Heaven, hath no dependance upon, nor intelligence with the creature, in order to compleating his felicity: no more than the Sun needs the glimmering light of the Stars to make day: who then would not have this treaſure? I might alſo add herein, the Chriſtians reſemblance to the infinite Jehovah, becauſe he hath a principle of motion within himſelf, and not from without, for as God is a free agent, yea a pure act, ſo in a ſenſe are the Saints acting from an inward principle: hence thoſe Scripture-expreſſions of a mans Spirit, making him willing, and the heart ſmiting a man or witneſſing for him, Exod. 35.21. 2 Sam. 24.10. Rom. 9.1. 2 Pet. 2.8 foreign—foreign.or with him: And in the exerciſe of Repentance, 'tis ſaid of Lot, he vexed his righteous Soul; or put himſelf upon the Rack. Wicked men are dead, but Grace is a principle of life, and reſembles the Authour of it; For that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit; John 3.6. The decayed liberty of the will is in part by Grace reſtored; and ſo far as the ſoul is Spiritual, the ſoul of a Saint is a flame of fire aſcending to, and acting for God, and the greater treaſure of this a man hath in his breaſt, the liker he is to God.