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-sup∣ply: This is horrible ingratitude.
3. Reason is drawn from the end and de∣sign 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 calm∣ness and serenity upon the Sea: Such Hal∣cion-daies of tranquility, and Gospel-oppor∣tunities have we enjoyed in this tempestuous Sea of the world, not to feather our nests be∣low, 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 Per∣secution, and for the long day of Eternity. When God affords a season, he expects things should be done in that season, and if man neg∣lect it,
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 sleep∣ing 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 asto∣nishing thing, that God should hold men a