Prefatory Addresses

Heart-Treasure: OR, AN ESSAY

TENDING To fil and furnish the Head and Heart of every Christian, with a soul-inriching treasure of truths, graces, experiences, and comforts, to help him in Meditation, Conference, Religious Performances, spiritual actions, enduring afflictions, and to fit him for all Conditions, that he may live holily, dye happily, and go to Heaven triumphantly.

BEING The substance of some Sermons preached at Coley in York shire, on Matt 12:35.

By O. H. An unworthy Minister of the blessed Gospel.

Prov 10:2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but Righteousness delivereth from death.

Rom 14:17. For the Kingdome of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Augustine, De civitate Dei, I.16 — Sit igitur in primis positum atque firmatum, virtutem, qua recte vivitur, ab animi sede membris corporis imperare, sanctumque corpus usu fieri sanctae voluntatis.

Cyprian, De habitu virginum — Sciant primo illam divitem esse quae in Deo dives est, illam esse locupletem quae locuples in Christo est: bona illa esse quae sunt spiritualia, divina, caelestia, quae nos ad Deum ducant, quae nobiscum apud Deum perpetua possessione permaneant.

READER,

SO soon as thine Eye views the title of this treatise, do not slightly cast the Treatise it self away, but spend some time in the serious perusal of it. If any value is to be put on my poor Judgment; I do assure thee I esteem it a choice Treasure. In it, thou wilt finde a most useful Subject treated on, viz. The furnishing the heart with a spiritual Treasure, an Argument necessary for these times, wherein we cannot insure outward Treasures. The pious learned Author in handling this Subject, hath approved himself a most experienced Christian, and a workman who needeth not be ashamed.

Amongst the variety of good Books, which through divine indulgence are yet to be bought; it will be thy wisdome to buy those that are of general use, and such is this Book, I commend to thee; Buy it, read it oft, meditate on it seriously, and lift up thy heart to God for his blessing, and thou wilt finde much cause to admire his good Providence in handing this Book to thee, and wilt bee incited to do that work, many Professors are too remiss in, viz. The getting an Heart treasure, which will greatly support thee under present and future tryal.

In the Appendix thou wilt meet with excellent helps for the discharge of the necessary and much neglected duty of Meditation, whereby thou maiest get much Treasure for holy thoughts, and so prevent that, which is the burthen of many gracious souls, viz. vain thoughts, and be fitted for Duty, and enjoy much of Heaven on Earth.

The good Lord bless these Papers, and the labours of all his Faithful Ambassadors to the good of his Church, so prayeth,

July the 12th. 1667. The meanest of Christs servants, and thy soulFriend; John Chester.

My dearly beloved in the Lord,

Good Books are not the least part of the Churches treasure and furniture, but there is not any Book to be compared to that Book of Books, the holy Bible, or Books of Canonical Scripture, which were indited by the immediate dictates of the blessed spirit, penned by holy Men of God, and do contain the whole of Man, and open Gods heart to the Sons of Men: this precious Book is the common Magazin of the Saints, the Shop of all Soul-physick, [Note 1] the greatest treasure of heavenly wisdome and science (saith a good Divine) that the whole Earth hath in keeping: he that eates and digests this Book cannot but be wel-liking: he that digs in these golden Mines, cannot but be rich; and he that makes this Book his main study, must needs be learned, holy and happy: the best Men have delighted most in the Word of God, and they that have delighted most therein, [Note 2] have become the best Men: of some famous Men 'tis recorded, that they read every day fifteen Chapters in the Bible, many years together, of others 'tis said they read it above twenty times over in their lives, with special observations of others, that by long and assiduous Meditation of the Scriptures, their breasts became libraries of Jesus Christ: and indeed 'tis the duty and property of a gracious soul to meditate in Gods Law day and night: and to set an higher estimate upon it, than upon the richest treasures of Gold and Silver, Pearles or precious Stones: it were better that all other Books were burnt (as Luther said) than that they should abate Scripture-study: yet secondarily the choice Treatises of eminent Divines in all ages are no mean part of the Churches treasure; as helps to understand and improve the treasures of knowledge contained and couched in those sacred pages: these are as so many Philips to the studious Eunuch to take the laborious Passenger by the hand, through the deeper foards of Scripture studies: these are as tender Nurses, to lay the breasts of the two Testaments to Gods babes, and feed them with milk or stronger meat, as they are able: these are those Mineralists that dig out of this precious quarry such Gold and Silver-oar, that if it have the stamp of God upon it, will much inrich the souls of spiritual Merchants; only let the spiritual Man, who judgeth all things, try the spirits, and distinguish betwixt the dross of errour, and the solid Gold of saving truth, let no poyson, dropping from the Pen, infect the eyes, and so bewitch the heart: 'tis a blessed thing to have a solid judgment, and an honest heart, to prove all things, and to hold fast that which is good: Blessed be God for good Books, which are a better treasure for the Church than the Romish stock of merits and indulgences, these are as so many sweet reflections from the Sun of Scripture upon the dark and doubting soul, they are as pipes to convey the streames of salvation from those blessed Fountains to private Houses, and troubled hearts; and there is an advantage in writing, [Note 3] when Preachers are dead or cannot speak, books may remain and instruct their surviving people, and what is wanting to the ear may be compensated to the eye, (which some have called the learned Senses) and through the eye the heart may be affected, and why may not life be conveyed through the eyes to the heart? as death came in that way, so God can by his Spirit make Pen and Ink characters, to leave lively Characters, not on Paper and Parchment, [Note 4] but on the fleshly tables of the heart.

This in part is my Apology for putting my Sicle into this Harvest, and taking this pains in composing this Treatise, whether it shall ever have the advantage of publication by an impression, I know not, but if the Lord will make any further use of it, for the good of his Church, I shall accept of that opportunity, and leave my self and these poor labours to the service of that God, to whom I have devoted my self and all that I have or can do: I look upon my self as the weakest and unworthiest of all those that wait at Gods Altar, yet as the Lord hath put me in trust with the Gospel, so I have desired in my measure to be faithful to the Lord and to your souls, and having obtained help of God I continue a mirrour of Providence to this day: I am not worthy to preach, much less to print any thing of these glorious mysteries. I rather wonder that God hath had the patience with me thus long in his work; my God hath humbled me amongst you, [Note 5] you know how I have served the Lord with many tears and temptations, which have befallen me many wayes, yet God is faithful who hath not suffered me to be tempted, beyond that strength he hath supplyed me with, [Note 6] and hath at last made a way to escape: Let God glorifie himself whatever become of this vile wretched worm; the good of your souls lyes near my heart, God is my witnesse how greatly I long after your spiritual welfare; it much grieves me to think of leaving any of your souls without a saving Treasure after all my Soul-travel over you, and serving two full Apprentiships amongst you: Let not my sins or sufferings blemish my doctrine or practise, or be a stumbling-block before any of you: what you have seen good in me, imitate it, what hath been amiss, cover it with the skirt of Love, and beg a pardon from Heaven for me: Some may think better of me than I deserve, and others worse, but as I pass not for mans judgment, so both have tended to humble me, because I do not answer the apprehensions of the one, and my corruptions exceed any grounded censures of of the other; it were but a sorry businesse to undertake a vindication of my self (except wherein the Gospel is concerned); Oh that you and yours might be and do that which is good, though I should be as Reprobate and un-approved: [Note 7] Let Christ live though we dye, let souls be enriched, though we be impoverished; would to God poor souls did reign as spiritual Kings, for though they should seek to exclude us as means thereof, [Note 8] yet we also would reign with them as sharers therein, and in thankfulness to God for their mercy: let people be truly rich in grace, and we must be full of comfort, yea, our peoples-faith shall comfort us in all our affliction; Oh, how much would our peoples spiritual gains countervail our temporal losses? 'Tis better, infinitely better that you be rich with our wares, than we with yours, our greatest treasure as Ministers, lyes in your souls Riches, we seek not yours, but you, and it will be transcendenly more comfort if you give up your souls to Christ, than if you should give all your estates to us: we shall get riches enough if wee make you rich, (as Constantius said once) this is one of Paul's Paradoxes, oh that it might be verified in our success also, as poor, yet making many rich, 2 Cor 6:10.

Concerning the birth and bulk of this Treatise I must tell you, that the occasion of it was this: I heard a godly Minister preach a Sermon upon this Text, and I was much affected with it. and resolved when I came home to search into it, I studied and preached three Sermons (as I remember) upon it, with which some were so offected, that several intreated me to give them Copies thereof, which I set my self to; but as I writ it, it swelled in my hands to this magnitude at lost; and when some had perused it, they entreated me to let it be printed, and some would be at the charges; it was a sudden, and (to me) a strange motion, for I never yet judged any labours of mine to be of so much worth as to be exposed to publick view, yet I did not know what hand and end, the Lord might have in this motion: I sought God about it, and desired to search my heart, and purge it from the Leaven of vanity and ostentation, which (God knows) I found too much working in me; then I told my Friend I would communicate it to some Reverend Ministers, and should be ruled by their judgment, and and advice: I did so, and four or five eminent men in these two Counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire have moved me to publish it; and if Providence clears its way, I am freely content, the Lord do with me and it, as seems good in his eyes:

The Subject I am sure, is of great importance, nor have lever seen any Treatise of this nature; if it were profitably handled it might be of singular use: what is of man. I hope God will pity and pardon the unworthy Instrument; and what proceedeth from his blessed Spirit, may through the help of the Spirit reach and teach the spirit, as this hath been (in a sort) painful, so hath it been very pleasant and delightful to me: and this I can say, I never found variety of matter so flowing into my mind at any time, as in writing this Book I have experienced: if the Lord do good by it, I have my end.

Devout Bernard begins an Epistle to a great man with this Text, [Note 9] A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and towards the close of that Epistle he hath these words, Truly for my self, I read my self in thy letters, not what I am, but what I would be, and that I am ashamed that I am not: Just so may I say in this case, I have writ of the Hearts treasure, but alass, how little have I attained of that whereof I have aritten? the Lord grant that mine own Book may not rise up as a witness against me, but 'tis the desire of my heart to have such a Treasure, as is here described, if it set our souls on longing and praying for it, some good is done by it.

I shall not any longer detain you in the Porch, I entreat you read it deliberately, and practice what you read and finde backed with the Scripture of truth, and God forbid that my preaching, or this writing should rise up in judgment against you: God forbid that any of you should be found without this Hearttreasure of saving Grace at Death or Judgment: My dear Friends, pray for me, who have you much upon my heart, when I am upon my knees, pray for me that Utterance may be given unto mee—that I [Note 10] may make known the mysterie of the Gospel: pray, [Note 11] that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed, for the perfecting of that which is lacking in your faith, that so you may have a Treasure of grace in your Hearts laid up in you, and a Treasure of glory in the Heavens laid up for you, which is the constant Prayer of

From my Study at Coley-Hall June.

14.1666. A sinfull Worm, that desires to continue with you for your furtherance and joy of faith, Oliver Heywood.#