Five more advantages of having this treasure in the heart.

6.COnsider this benefit of this heavenly Treasure in the heart of a Christian; that every thing turns to the encrease of this stock: 'tis the strange attractive property of this Treasure, that it will fetch in all things to fill it up, and make it greater: like fire, it wil turn every thing to its own nature: it is a divine Limbeck, that can extract pure Spirits out of all things, according to that Catholick Promise in Rom 8:28.-We know that all things work together for good—prosperity, adversity, riches, poverty, renown, and ignominy, thraldome and liberty, sicknesse and health, success and disappointment, satanical suggestions, violent temptations and victorious Conquests, all work for good: Yea, some extend this also to corruptions, yet these but accidentally, or being managed by the constant care of a wise, gracious and powerful Phisician; as Poyson may be turned into a Remedy, [Note 1] or (as they say) the drinking of that wine wherein a Viper hath been drowned cureth the Loprosie; even so, God can so husband even the breakings in of temptation, and breakings out of corruption as to make it turn to good, being an occasion of deeper humiliation, and a Pin to prick the bladder of spiritual pride, and a Spur to promote a holy jealousie and watchfulness, and a means to work in the soul charity and sympathy towards others, to alienate our hearts from this sinning weary world, and endear our hearts to God for pardoning grace, and make us long for a sinless state in glory: these and such-like ends and uses God hath and makes of sin, or else hee would not suffer this dead body, or rather body of death to haunt the souls of living Saints: our wise God raised a stately structure over the ruines of Adams fall, or he had never suffered it; God doth his servants good by their sins, this uncouth Experiment made good Mr. Fox to say, That his graces did him most hurt, and his sins most good, a strange Paradox, but a gracious soul knows what this means, that hath many a time by divine assistance fetcht heaven out of hell, light out of darknesse, sweet advantages from sad miscarriages: Sometimes the Christian can say, I had sinned except I had sinned, the furthest way about hath proved the nearest way home, God hath suffered me to break my bones by falling, that he might set them more strongly: [Note 2] We cannot go to heaven (saith an experienced Divine) by Geometry, we must fetch a compasse by the gates of Hell, and see what news with Satan, ere we be duly humbled, or can relish the Promises aright: Yet mistake not, no thanks to sin or Satan for this, but to Freegrace, that orders all things to the best: not let any adventure upon sin with such a conceit, for this were to sin that grace may abound, that's the Devils Logick and dangerous presumption: But when the Christian hath fallen thus, the Lord helps him to improve his falls for spiritual good; But much more all dispensations of Providence, sweet and severe, if it go well with the treasured soul, it is drawn nearer to God by these cords of Love: if ill, it is whipt further from sin and the world by these scourges of anger; he can fetch a good crop of spiritual Fruit out of the barren Heath of a wildernesse-condition; if from outward poverty he get this advantage, to be poor in spirit, 'tis a rich gain, and worth a mine of Gold: and so of other afflictions: The North wind is sharp and piercing, the South wind soft and cherishing, but both blow good to the Christian, and make his Spices flow out, or Graces break forth into lively exercises, Song 4:16. Yet further, this Treasure doth in a sort consecrate all states, so that let a man have more or lesse, he hath a sufficient treasure if he have this treasure within, godlinesse with contentment is not only enough, but gain, yea great gain: it seasons all things: that man hath nothing that wants it, that man that hath this wants nothing: [Note 3] wicked men may have much, but godly men have all things; when Jacob and Esau complemented about the Present, that Jacob sent to pacifie his angry Brother, Esan said, [Note 4] I have enough my Brother, Jacob also said, I have enough, but in the Hebrew Esau said, I have much, and Jacob saith, I have all, or, all things are to me: intimating, that Jacobs treasure was far beyond his Brothers, even as the whole is more than the part: There's a secret blessing attends this hidden Treasure, which gives content with want or abundance, and if God see good he will encrease the store: However, a Saints modicum or little, amounts to more than wicked mens multum or large Revenues, as the word of truth testifies, Ps 37:16.#

7.This treasure is safe, its wel lockt up, and cannot be lost: Phil 1:6. being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, wil perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 'tis true, an external profession, and mental accomplishments may be lost, but sincere saving graces shall not be lost, 'tis also true, a saving treasure may be obscured, but cannot be destroyed; yea it may be weakened, but is never totally wasted: [Note 5] the infinite Jehovah is the Keeper of Israel: he that is the portion of your cup, wil maintain your lot: 'tis not so much the truth, nor yet the strength of grace that keeps you from falling, but it is God only who alone is able to keep you from falling, that supports the weak Christian: received grace wil not preserve without assisting grace, faith as an habit, wil not carry on the soul to death, or through death, but we are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation: 1 Pet 1:5. The power of God as the efficient cause, faith as the instrument, God keeps faith, and faith keeps the soul stedfast: they that have Mary's part and Mary's spirit, shal never be poor: God wil fulfil the desires of them that fear him, and wil likewise fulfill the hearts of his Saints with a rich treasure: my God, saith Paul, shal supplie all your need according to his riches in glorie by Christ Jesus, Phil 4:19. 'tis a mighty ful expression, and refers to all wants, spiritual as wel as corporal: our heavenly father gives his travelling Children a sufficient stock to bear their charges through the World, and discharge every debt of duty to God and man, in some measure of sincerity: this is that two-pence with which the good Samaritane furnished the wounded Man, as some Allegorize: [Note 6] 'tis true some Saints live at high rates, in great expence, in costly duties, but this very chargable living in high and hard exercises, and enterprizes of self-denyal, do much increase the Christians store: a Christian is no loser, but a gainer by flesh-displeasing performances: the more strength you lay out for God, the more you fetch in: this is one meanes to keep a spiritual treasure from being lost: neither Men nor Devils can deprive you of it, you may take up blessed Paul's bold and triumphant challenge, Rom 8:35. Who shal separate us from the love of Christ? All the powers of darkness cannot loose this knot betwixt a precious Saviour and a gracious soul: [Note 7] the Covenant is ordered in all things and sure, it contains the sure mercies of David, 'tis a Covenant of Salt: Isa 54:10. The Mountains shal depart, and the Hils be removed, but my kindness shal not depart from thee, neither shal the Covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee: grace is the seed of God that abides for ever, God may repent of bestowing common gifts, but these saving gifts and this holy calling are without repentance: All the motions and commotions in the World cannot rob the believing soul of its treasure; those flames that shal burn the World cannot dissolve, but rather cement and soder the blessed union of a Saint to his Saviour; the treasured Christian may stand upon the worlds ruines, [Note 8] and say, I have nothing of all this huge heap to lose, I shall not be a mite poorer for the stupendious conflagration of this goodly Fabrick; let bruitish worldlings weep and wail over their fair Houses, large demaines, full bags, numerous Cattel, and gorgeous Attire, I am rich stil, as rich as ever I was, and some richer, for what I had in hope & expectation, I have now in full injoyment & possession Augustine sweetly discourseth concerning one Paulinus Bishop of Nola, who prayed thus, (having lost a great estate by the invasion of the Barbarians) Lord, I shall not be troubled for silver or gold, for where my all is, thou knowest: for saith Austin, there he had his all, where he had warned him to lay it, who had forewarned the World of these approaching evils: — a little after, he saith that some were tortured by the Barbarians to discover their riches, but saith he, nec prodere nec perdere potuerunt bonum quo ipsi boni erant; they could neither betray nor lose that good by which they themselves were good; that was their graces and vertues: Oh sirs, what would you give to have your estates secured in a losing, plundering, desolating day? here is an insuring office, the God of Heaven wil secure the wel-laden Ship, that it shal come safe to shore: certainly this is a rich priviledge in a day when we can be sure of nothing, that, that only that can make us happy, that and nothing else can be made sure.#

8.God knows and owns that treasure which sometimes is hid from the Possessor: this is a sweet consideration; Col 3:3. our life is hid with Christ in God, that is, sometimes it is hid from our own eyes, as wel as from the eyes of others, but stil 'tis hid with God, and he that hid, can finde; Saints are called Gods hidden ones, and their life is hidden, both in respect of safety, secrecy, and obscurity: a Christian may have more of God in him, than he knows of; it's one thing to have grace, another to know that we have grace, a Childe of God may have the seed and root of holiness, yet want the bud and blossome of actual comfort: a sincere soul hath alwaies the solid foundation for, yet may at sometimes be without the actual possession of divine consolations; sometimes God with draws the light of his countenance, and leaves the soul in darkness and desertion, he often suspends that act of the spirit, which may evidence the souls interest and sincerity; sometimes the Christian is lazie, and useth not Gods appointed meanes to beget assurance: or by thinking of more comfort, than God is willing to impart, may deny what he hath: or by entertaining some beloved lust, or by the prevalency of melancholy, [Note 9] or impotency of natural parts, this treasure may be hid from the eyes of the believer himself; these and other reasons Divines have laid down as causes of Christians want of comfort or assurance: Every Saint knows this by too sad experience that he is often at a loss, and cannot tel what to make of his condition, he hath his nights as wel as daies, a nipping Winter as wel as a flourishing Summer: the sap of grace may retreat into the root, the Herbs and Flowers, and Plants may shrink and disappear, and this goodly new Creation may droop and lose its glorious verdure, yet life may be there, a Summer may come at the return of the year, when the glorious Sun of righteousness shal reflect beauty upon these hidden graces, and draw them forth into lively fruits of Gospel-Obedience, wherby the Saint shal live again, and know that he lives, believe, and know that he believes: In the mean time, while such a soul doth walk in darkness and see no light, [Note 10] let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God, let him even cast Anchor in the dark, and repose his troubled heart upon the Rock of Ages; faith is a venture, and you must venture your all in this bottom use Gods appointed means for obtaining comfort, improve free grace, study the promises, awake your graces, recollect experiences, renew your repentance, walk close with God, be importunate at the throne of grace, and certainly joy and comfort wil spring forth speedily; peace is the usual result of the exercise of grace, and as the striking of Flint and Steel together produceth Fire, so the lively acting of sincere grace, upon its proper object, begetteth the light and heat of joy and warmth: [Note 11] yea 'tis the observation of a good Divine, that the comfort of letting out our hearts to God, is a greater comfort, than any comfort we can have in receiving any thing from God: But this is sure, if you have a treasure of graces, God wil in due time give you a treasure of comforts; and if he do not fil you with joy and peace in believing, yet he wil maintain his interest in you, and keep you from fainting, if you have not spiritual suavities, you shal have secret sustentation, if your state be not sweet, yet it shal be sure, his grace shal be sufficient for you, and that's equivalent to the mercy desired, and the less comfort you have in the way, the more you shal have in the end; and it matters not much whether comfort come an hour before death, or an hour after, since it wil certainly come, as a Man of God once said; In the mean time, approve your hearts to God, he searcheth the hearts, and knoweth what you are and have, though neither your selves nor others know it, he sees how your principles lie within you, and knows, [Note 12] i. e. approves the way of the righteous, and though your way be troublesome, yet your end shal be peace; and though you may be ready to mis-judge your state and acts, in a hurry of temptation, yet your happiness doth not depend upon your account of your selves, but upon Gods account of you in Christ; a gracious foul may not know the acts of faith, yet may be satisfied of the object of faith; he cannot say sometimes, I know that I do sincerelie believe, but yet may say, [Note 13] I know in whom I have believed, and desire again to believe; the good soul may say, I know not how things are with me, I have lost my self in a thicket of cares and feares, yet I put my hand into his that knows the way, and can lead me out, and let him see to the safe landing of my soul in that Haven of rest, and to the lodging of it in the bosome of Abraham, that in tender care of it, shed his precious blood for it; This is the next head, God wil own this hidden treasure.#

9.A treasured soul hath a treasure in heaven, and indeed his best treasure is above: for this treasure in the heart is the counterpane of a treasure in the Heavens: these are alwaies conjoyned. never is any soul brought up to Heaven, but first God brings down Heaven into it; God furnisheth the soul by the operations of his grace, and then takes possession of it by the earnest of his spirit, before he fil it with glory; 2 Cor 5:5. Hast thou a treasure laid up in thy heart? That's the first fruits of a larger vintage; light is sown for the righteous, and (I may say) in the hearts of the righteous, if gracious treasures be laid up in the temple of your souls, glorious things are laid up in the new Jerusalem for you, such things as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived: Happy art thou, Oh poor soul, or rather rich soul, poor in this world, rich in faith, and heir of a Kingdome, yea, [Note 14] of the Kingdome: thou mayst both sigh and smile at the mad and frantick World, that weary themselves for very vanity, that torment themselves in caring and toiling for an earthly Treasure; which when obtained, doth rather beget torment than content, and leads at last to final desperation: It is recorded of Stigandus Arch-Bishop of Canterbury that he lived very poorly, [Note 15] saying and swearing that he had nothing, no not a penny: yet by a Key fastned about his neck, was found great treasures after his death, which he had hid under the ground: But alas that Key would not open Heaven-gates, nor would that treasure purchase Glory, but the believing soul hath his treasure above, and by Faith he hath interest in the Lord Jesus, who hath indeed the Key of David, and is already entred into the Holiest, and hath set Heaven-gates wide open to his purchased and prepared ones, and he is gone to prepare a place for them. Oh Sirs, fear not, you that have grace shall not miss of glory, as your flesh is in Heaven, so Heaven is in your flesh, as it were; he will open the gates of Glory to those that opened their hearts to receive the King of Glory: the treasure of grace raiseth the heart to this treasure above, and lays up provision for an eternal state, this stream runs to that Ocean, and shal at last be swallowed up therewith, [Note 16] where there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore: And let this excite all persons to hoard up a treasure in their hearts and in Heaven, which neither moth nor rust can corrupt, [Note 17] nor Thiefe break through and steal it: Alas, poor creatures, if you get a treasure in the world, what will you do for a treasure when you must be gone hence? your earthly treasures will not purchase eternal happinesse, you cannot alwayes live here. therefore lay up in store for your selves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold of eternal life, 1 Tim 6:19. Make Friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when these fail, you may be received into everlasting Habitations, Luke 16:9. Like that provident King of the Spartans, who observing the people to dethrone their Kings at the yeares end, and thrust them into a forreign Isle to live in mifery, did not ruffle it out in that prodigality wherein his Predecessors lived for one year, but sent a great estate before him into that Countrey where he was to be banished, that he might live comfortably when he was degraded: just thus must the wise and gracious Christian do, provide in the enjoyment of all things for a day of darknesse in the want of all things: as Time is the seminary of Eternity, so the soul is to lay up here for an eternal state hereafter; Blessed is that soul that is found with these treasures in his heart, a Crown of Righteousness is laid up for those in whose hearts is found the work of Righteousnesse, and upon whose backs is found the Robes of Righteousnesse: let such blesse God for grace, and long for glory.#

10.Consider yet further, treasures of glory, are proportioned to treasures of grace in the heart: 'tis true, they that have least glory in Heaven shall want none, yet withal, 'tis very likely there shal be degrees of happiness, and they that have had most grace shal have most glory; my reason is, because grace doth widen and capacitate the soul for larger Revenues of glory: many Vessels of great and small quantity cast into the Ocean are all full, but some hold more, and others lesse, such is the immense and inconceivable happinesse of the Saints above, that all shal have all, and none shall want any thing to compleat their felicitie: as t'is impossible for a soul to be in Heaven and not be happy, so there shall be no nook nor corner of a glorified soul, but it shal be filled with happinesse: these clean Vessels shal be filled with this new wine of glory: God shall be all in all, all good to all souls, and in all souls, Yea, such is the vast and infinite Ocean of glory that they shal enter into their Masters joy, not it into them (though they shall be as full of it as their hearts can hold): Oh how shal they bathe themselves in those Rivers of pleasures? the minde shal be full of Light, the will of Holinesse, and the affections of Ravishment and satisfaction, when we awake we shall be satisfied with his Image, Ps 17:15. nor shal there be any envying one anothers happines, (though one star differ from another in glory) but every one shal bear his part in the lower or higher praises of God, (as one saith) with an harmonious variety in perfect symphonie: certainly that immarcessible Crown of Glory shall be as weighty upon every Saints head, as hee is able to bear, though that weight shall bee their delight, nothing is heavy in its proper Element, and Heaven is the proper Element of the spirits of just men made perfect, Hence 'tis said, the four beasts (i.e.) the community of the faithful) rest not day nor night, praising God, Rev 4:8. yet their work is their rest, only some have an Instrument of six, some of eight, others sing praise to God upon an Instrument of ten strings, having more enlarged faculties fitted to that Angelical duty: [Note 18] it may seem that as there is degrees of torments in hell (for it will be more tollerable for some than for others) so there wil be degrees of happiness in Heaven, by the rule of contraries: for, saith Beza, that Scripture of sowing and reaping sparingly, and liberally, in 2 Cor 9:6. refers not only to charity and temporal advantages, but piety and eternal incomes: Thus doth Calvin iterpret it also; and the Parable of the Talents, whose reward was proportionable to their improvement, Luke 19:16, 17,#

18.'Tis true, parabolical Divinity is not argumentative, yet the mainscope of a Parable hath a demonstration in it, and it may seem probable that those whom God honors with most grace, and that honour God with most service and suffering should be most honoured with glory: But nothing of merit in all this, for giving Heaven as wages for work is an act of commutative justice, but what equality is there betwixt finite Services and infinite Glory? none at all, no, no, eternal Life is the gift of God: Let proud Papists say, they will not have Heaven gratìs, let the real Saint look upon Gospel-blessings as fruits of Free-grace, [Note 19] and the City above as built all of this Free-stone, and the way paved thither with the meritorious blood-shed of our dear Redeemer; And whether there be degrees of glory, or no, be sure the treasured soul shall have his share, and we shal best be able to resolve this question by experience; Vision and Fruition wil be the best determination. Now these great things are Riddles and Mysteries to us, because we look but through a glasse darkly, we have but faint Emblems and poor glympses of that glory which shal be revealed, but then we shal see God as hee is, and know all things fit for creatures to be acquainted with, a thousand of these hard knots shal be untied, and our souls fully irradiated with the beams of divine Light.#