A particular account of the Treasure meant in the Text, and of a Christians Treasure.

The second General head is, what is the Treasure that our Saviour speaks of here? I conceive it is principally intended of the thoughts of the heart, [Note 1] which are called the Possessions of the Heart, Job 17:11. because these are the first-born of the Soul, and enjoy the inheritance of it. You cannot turn off the thoughts from their free-hold, you may suspend the tongue from speaking, the hand from acting, but you cannot suspend the soul from thinking, while it is a rational Soul; for this is the essential property of it, whiles it is its self. Good or bad thoughts are every mans treasure, and possession; and these centre and settle in the heart; these are the Spring and Source of Actions and expressions. Now 'tis said of a Godly man, Prov 12:5. The thoughts of the Righteous are right, [Note 2] i. e. Judgment, Law, Measure, as the word imports; the meaning is, a gracious person thinks as he is, according to the rules of rectified, sanctified Reason; his thoughts run in a right channel, to right objects, for right ends, and are therefore very precious, and may well be called a Treasure; Hence David's Exclamation, Ps 139:17. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God? i. e. say some, how rare and dear are the thoughts I have of thee to my soul? This may be probable from what follows, in verse 18. When I awake, I am still with thee, in thoughts and Heavenly Meditations: Certainly a Godlymans holy thoughts are a precious Treasure; if his tongue be as choice Silver, [Note 3] what are his thoughts, that feed and furnish the tongue with profitable discourses?

Now as the thoughts feed the tongue, and hand, so there are four Springs that feed and furnish the heart with holy thoughts; these are like the four streams of the River of Paradise, [Note 4] which water the Divine Garden of a Christians Soul, and being followed to the head, wil certainly lead the believing soul to the Heavenly Paradise. Those thought-nourishing streams are,

1.Scripture-Truths.#

2.Spiritual-Graces.#

3.Large Experiences.#

4.Lively Comforts.#

The first of these; Scripture-Truths, is like the River Pison, which compasseth the whole Land of Havilah, where there is Gold: So this taketh in the large Territories of the holy Scriptures, where there is such choice Gold of Divine Truths, as are able to make the Soul both wise and rich, unto Salvation; It is a choice mercy to have the understanding furnished with a treasure of saving Knowledge of Gospel-Mysteries: [Note 5] Hence the command is to buy the Truth, search the Scriptures to seek for Wisdom as for Silver; to search for Knowledge as for hid Treasures: That's a notable passage, [Note 6] Col 3:16. Lot the Word of God dwell richly in you, [Gre. πλουσίως] copiously, abundantly, the word notes two things,

1.The Measure, and so 'tis rendred plenteously, saith one.#

2.The worth of the knowledge of the Word, and so 'tis rendred richly by some. And surely a great stock of Scripture-Knowledge is a precious treasure: [Note 7] O what a blessed thing is it to have a mans breast the Library of Jesus Christ? The sacred Scriptures are the treasures and pleasures of a Gracious Soul: to David they were better than thousands of Gold and Silver: A Mountain of transparent Pearls heapt as high as Heaven, is not so rich a treasure as these; Hence that good man chose these as his Heritage for ever, and rejoyced in them as in all riches. A covetous Miser could not take such delight in his bags, nor a young Heir in a large Inheritance, as holy David did in Gods Word. All the Saints are Priests unto God; Now of Levi 'tis said, Mal 2:6. that the Law of Truth was in his mouth, and his lips kept knowledge as a storehouse. So it is or ought to be with Gods Spiritual Priests; they have the Law of God graven on their hearts, [Note 8] and in their tongues is the Law of kindness and holiness. The word Law, comes from a root that signifies to try as Merchants that search and prove the Wares that they buy and lay up; hence also comes the word for Gemms and Jewels that are tryed, and found right: The sound Christian is the wise Merchant, seeking goodly Pearls, he trys what he reads, or hears, by the Standard and Touch-stone of Scripture, and having found genuine Truths, he lays them up to the great inriching of this supreme, and soveraign faculty of the understanding.#

2.Another Spring that feeds holy thoughts is Spiritual-Graces, the fruits of the Spirit, which exceedingly help the fruits of the Lips; If the Wil and Affections be sanctified with a Principle of true Holiness, the Lips and the Life wil bring forth heavenly Expressions and Actions in the Conversation: Hence Prov 14:27. The fear of the Lord is the Fountain of Life, i. e. a gracious habit streams freely and fully into all acts of Spiritual Life, and at last is swallowed up in the Ocrean of Eternal Life. It is said of Jesus Christ, the Original of all Grace, [Note 9] that the fear of the Lord is his treasure; and we may say also, it is a Christians treasure: the head full of Notions wil not make the soul rich, without the heart full of Grace; 'Tis Grace that innobles the soul with heavenly Excellencies, and inables the soul to bear burthens, and do duties: without a principle in the heart, there can be no holiness in the Life; all works of Piety, Charity, Sobriety, must flow from a pure heart, [Note 10] a good Conscience, and Faith unfeigned; all which do contribute their influence to every good work. [Note 11] Obedience (saith one) respects the command of a Superiour; Love, the kindness and merit of the Law-giver; Faith, his bounty and reward: The first swayeth the Conscience, the second inclineth the Heart, the third giveth incouragement: Sure I am, without these there can be no spiritual actings in an Evangelical manner. He only hath a Gospel frame of spirit, that hath the Law written in his heart, and the works thereof in his hand; whose life is a continual transcript of this blessed copy; For he that doth Righteousness, is Righteous; Yea, it is he that moveth Heaven-wards, from a living treasure of gracious principles, and not from external compulsion, as Clocks and such dead artificial, yet selfmoving engines do: Hence the Church (and a believing Soul) saith, [Note 12] My Soul made me like the Chariots of Amminadab, or of a willing people, Song 6:12. Though some say they are the words of Christ, yet in this they are applicable to every gracious soul, that is acted by a new and living principle towards God, and Goodness: Christs People are voluntaries in the day of his power, in the way of duty, being acted by a free and Princely spirit, the renewed will being the great engine that moves the soul in a Christian course; [Note 13] their own spirits make them willing for God.#

3.A third spring that feeds holy thoughts is wel-gathered experiences: the Christians breast is to be a treasury of experimental observations, which may be improved as good props to uphold a tottering Faith. 'Tis said of them in Luke 1:66. that they laid up all those strange passages concerning John, in their bearts. And thus we finde several Saints carefully gathering, and seasonably recollecting their former experiences; as Jacob, David, Paul, Samuel, Manoah and his Wife. Time would fail mee to recount all the instances of this nature: Recording the time, place, manner of Divine discoveries, hath been of singular advantage to believers. Experience begets hope; we lose much through neglect hereof: [Note 14] Signal memorials of received Mercies, help to present Duties, and quicken Faith in the greatest future difficulties. All Artists gather knowledge, by laying up Experiments; and he is the wisest Christian, that in this respect with Salomon, hath his heart filled with experience of Wisdome and Knowledge: Experience is the best Instructer, [Note 15] and helps a man best in instructing others; an experienced Physician and Lawyer, are seldome Non-plust; an experienced Souldier comes off with honour. O Christians! lay up in your hearts, what you have seen with your eyes, and felt in your souls, of the vanity of worldly, and the excellency of Heavenly attainments, and enjoyments: You cannot be too young to collect experiences; you cannot be too old to recollect and improve them: If your green heads would use diligence, [Note 16] your grey hairs would arrive to large experiences; by which means, the works and loads of old age would bee easie, that were almost intollerable in your younger years. A young Carpenter is long with a little, and makes many chips, that an experienced work-man dispatcheth, both more quickly, and more nearly: 'Tis so in Religion, experience facilitates every work of it. And how doth experience feed thoughts? Thus, when a soul is at a pinch, and the heart struck dead with a sudden surprizal, so that the thoughts are puzzelled, Experience comes in to their relief, and represents the state as feasible, since it calls to minde as arduous a case, which yet was not insuperable; And why maist thou not get through as wel as formerly, saith Experience? And thus it Marshals the souls faculties in their proper ranks, and brings it through the present attempt with order and victory, whether the undertaking be of doing Duty, or enduring difficulty.#

4.[Note 17] The last refreshing stream that supplies the heart with Heavenly thoughts, is the wells of consolation; this like the last, yet not the least River of Paradise [Euphrates] doth (as the name of that imports) refresh the heart with chearing incomes, and influences: This makes the soul both chearful and fruitful; in the midst of terrifying thoughts, these comforts delights the soul, Ps 94:19. Oh the joy that these beget in the midst of sorrow! Nothing can make sad, if Divine Comforts make glad: These bright beams of Light chase away the foggy mist of darkness, and disconsolate horror; These pure streams of comfort wash away the bitter effects of despairing thoughts: These comforts infinitely exceed wine, which Phylosophers have called the chief allayments of mens miseries, [Note 18] but the sense of this love is better than wine; one drop of these divine Joys would even mitigate Hell torments. This is a treasure indeed, which, as it is of great efficacy, so it is the satisfying result of the forementioned provision; saving Truths, savory Graces, sensible Experiences, beget solid Peace. But besides those, there are two clear streams that much promote the souls comfortable thoughts: Which are#

1.Precious Promises,#

2.A clear Conscience.#

1.Promises are the store-house of comfort, the Charters of our priviledges, the conveyances of our Heavenly Inheritance: Promises are the breasts of consolation, the [evangelica mulctralia] the milk-Pails of the Gospel; the great receptacles of that (ἄδολον γάλα) sincere milk of the Word, stored up for Babes in Christ. The Promises, saith a good Divine, [Note 19] are Bills of Exchange given you, that you may draw your estate into another Country: Nothing can chear up the heart so much as a word of Promise. Hence David desires to hear [the voice of] joy and gladness, [Note 20] i. e. in a promise: There's a probatum est upon this means of Spiritual comfort, whether it concern Life or Godliness, [Note 21] present or future enjoyments. It is said of the Duke of Guise, that he was the richest man in France, though not in Lands, yet in Bills and Bonds, and great Friends: So is a right Christian; he is the richest man in the world, in possession and reversion, for he inherits all things, and he is Heir to a glorious Crown at death. [Note 22] The exceeding great and precious Promises may chear up the heart of a drooping Saint, if it were as low as Hell; for they were made and confirmed by an Oath, that the Heirs of Promise might have strong consolation: [Note 23] It is strange if the Bucket of Faith do not alwaies draw up the water of consolation, out of the Wells of Salvation. God hath ordered in Nature our feeding to be with delectation, so in Spirituals; our application and improvement of Promises is with sweetness and delight: This is the first means to beget a Treasure of comfortable Thoughts in the believing Soul-inriching Promises.#

2.Clearness of Conscience, This is an help to comfortable Thoughts. Yet observe, that Peace is not so much effected as preserved by a good Conscience, and Conversation, for though joy in the Holy Ghost, will-make its Nest no where but in an holy Soul, yet the blood of Christ only can speak peace, being justified by Faith, we have peace; Rom 5:1. An exact life will not make, but keep Conscience quiet; An easie shooe, heals not a sore foot, but keeps a sound one from crushing. Walking with God according to Gospel-Rules, hath peace intailed upon it, and that peace is such a treasure, as thereby a Christian may have his rejoycing from himself: Gal 6:16-4. His own heart sings him a merry tune, which the threats and reproaches of the World cannot silence: The treasure of comfort is not expended in affliction; Death it self doth not exhaust, but encrease and advance it to an eternal triumph: O the excellency and necessity of it! Paul laid it up for a Death-Bed Cordial; 2 Cor 1:12. Our Rejoycing is this, the testimony of our Conscience, [Note 24] —And Hezekiah dares hold it up to God, as well as chear up himself with it at approaching Death. A Conscience good in point of Integrity, will be good also in point of tranquility: [Note 25] The Righteous is bold as a Lyon; They have great peace that love and keep Gods Commandements: And saith the Apostle, If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God, and I may add, also towards men. Oh! what comfort and solace hath a clear Conscience? He hath somthing within, to answer accusations without: He hath such a rich treasure as will not fail in greatest straits and hazards. I shal conclude this with a notable saying of an Ancient: [Note 26] The joyes of a good Conscience are the Paradise of Souls, the Delight of Angels, the Garden of Delights, the Field of Blessing, the Temple of Salomon, the Court of God, the Habitation of the Spirit of God.#