Heart-treasure, or, An essay tending to fil [sic] and furnish the head and heart of every Christian ... being the substance of some sermons preached at Coley in Yorkshire on Mat. 12. 35 ... / by O.H. ...

CHAP. VI. The last reason, shewing the advantages of this trea∣sure.

THe tenth Argument to evince the neces∣sity of this Heart-Treasure, is drawn from the profit and advantage in having it, and that principally in facilitating the hardest duties of Religion, and furnishing the Soul for every good work: And here I shal keep close to the Treasure of holy Thoughts, fed with those four streams, of Truths, Graces, Com∣forts, Experiences: not only a saving princi∣ple, but such a measure thereof, as wil make up a Treasure.

Now the frame of a treasured soul for duty, is,

• 1. Ready.
• 2. Real.
• 3. Uniforme.
• 4. Perpetual.

1. A treasured heart is ready for Duty, like a wel-stored House-keeper, you cannot take him unprovided; a wel-accomplish'd Schollar that's never non-plust; and a watch∣ful Souldier, that's alwaies fit for service: The Christian hath prepared materials to build the house, and wants nothing but its setting up in actual performance; Yea, the house is built and furnish'd in some degree for the en∣tertaining of this Royal Guest; Let my Beloved come into his Garden, and eat his pleasant fruits, Cant. 4.16. The bow is stringed, the heart fixed, the fire glowing in the Cinders upon the Hearth, and one blast of the Spirits breathing heightens it to a flame: Yet sup∣pose the heart be not in actual readiness, yet habits are sooner educed into act, than new habits infused, and this the foolish Virgins knew by sad experience.

But observe it, the more of this treasure, and the more readiness; the reason why we are not so free to Prayer, Conference, Medita∣tion, is because wee are not so filled with Grace; otherwise, gracious acts would flow from us, as naturally, as streams from the Spring; had we a treasure, we should never want suitable matter, and lively affections, we should not need to force our selves to offer Sacrifice, as Saul in another respect, nor with main-strength to binde the Sacrifice to the

horns of the Altar, but we should come off freely, chearfully, delighting in Gods waies as in our proper element, and running with inlarged hearts; The glorious Angels, and glorified Spirits of the Just made perfect, have a perfect treasure of divine perfections, and are therefore ready prest to do Gods Will. Now we pray that Gods wil may be done on earth, as its done in Heaven, and that wil ne∣ver be, without this living treasure. But Oh how quickly shal we hear, a command, and how swiftly shal we obey; if we have a trea∣sure? A good soul is like the Centurion's Servant, half a word wil make him run. When God said to David, Seek my face; his heart quickly ecchoed, Thy face Lord, will I seek; his warrant carried the force of an Argument: He needs no perswading when he knows his Masters pleasure. This is one choice advan∣tage of having a treasure.

2. A Treasured soul is real and serious, not complemental and forced; Israel of old made Covenants and seemed very religious, and God himself attested that they had wel said, but wisheth: O that there were such an heart in them—! We have a strange passage in Jer. 5.2. Though they say, the Lord liveth, surely they swear falsly; Why? Is not that a truth? Yes, a great truth, God alone is the Living God, but that they say so, yet their heart gives the lye to their Lips; they say it with a deceitful heart, and that they may de∣ceive, though it be a truth in it self, yet they speak it not as a truth, wanting an heart to

assert the same: 'Tis but a fond and frolick o∣stentation, to invite a friend to dinner, when nothing is prepared: It's a mocking of God to bring Cain's Sacrifice, a body without an heart, a carkasse without Spirit, it's as if a Jew had brought the skin of a beast for Sacri∣fice and no more: But where the treasure is in the Heart, there the essentials of the Service are made up, the work is filled up, or com∣pleat before God, Rev. 3.2. i. e. it is not lame or defective in any considerable consti∣tutive part thereof; 'Tis such as may bee truely called a real good work. This is the chief thing that God expects; and if a good Heart be wanting, the Work is as undone still: But a sincere Christian findes his pray∣er in his Heart, which hee utters with his Lips, 2 Sam. 7.27. Thy Servant hath found in his heart to pray this Prayer;—He found it not onely in his Book, but in his Heart; he fetch∣eth his Prayer from a Treasure: Such a man wil pray a prayer, (as David here) and not onely say a prayer, that findes it in his Heart; What cares God for a little Lip-labour: Hee may say, Who required these things at your hands? Did I not require them of your hearts? A mock-Feast or Fast will not content me; I shall not be put off with an empty shew; I will have your hearts, or nothing; and I must have a Treasure in your hearts, or all you bring is worth nothing. The truth is, God takes principal notice of the heart, and observes how that stands affected: If Idols be set up in the heart. God takes no notice of a peoples prayers: Therefore we

had need look to the frame of the heart.

3. An heart-treasure makes the Christian uniform and universal in the duties of Reli∣gion, he takes a Christian-course as it lyes, carries on Religion before him without halt∣ing or halving, he practiseth all righteousness at all times. There's a sweet harmony and exact Symmetrie in a Saints performance of duty. Some can frame to some easier du∣ties, not to more difficult, but the treasured soul can frame to any thing which God in the word hath made his duty, and hence it is that he is compleat in all the will of God, Col. 4.12. the Law of God in his heart car∣ries an aspect to every part of his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the written Word; Graces and Duties are con∣cordant one to another, like a company of horses in Pharaohs Chariot: their cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, their necks with chaines of gold, Song. 1.9, 10. i. e. the sou••e handsomly adorned with a comely train of graces and duties: yea, such a soul wil at all times act like it self, so that one part of his life wil not crosse another, as a Liars tales, and hypocrites carriage do; hee doth not serve God by fits and starts, in good moods and motions, so as to be off and on in Religion, but he hath a constant. setled spirit, (which David prayes for, and the Translators call a right Spirit, and truly so it is) disposed for God, fitted for duty, bringing forth good fruit in due season: like a constant good House∣keeper, that is never so s••d len•••• surpriz••d, but can make a pr••dent shi•••• to treat his friend

according to his degree: the truth is, man in his fallen estate is uncertain, intricate and mul∣tiform in all his waies, you cannot tell where to finde him, gadding about to change his way; but being renewed, he is in part redu∣ced to that original rectitude, simplicity, and stability of spirit and practice, that was in A∣dam, in some proportion; so that according to the degree of grace received, he hath a con∣stant uniform frame and tenor of spirit, and holds one straight, direct, and even course to∣wards heaven: in all this suitable to the mo∣tion of the wheels in the Prophet Ezekiels Vi∣sion, Chap. 1.17. when they went, they went upon their four sides [there's their squareness and suitablenesse to all Gods wil] and they returned not when they went, [there's their constant, permanent, and un-repentant motion]: that wil lead us to the next Head; onely consider, what an excellency and beau∣ty there is in uniformity in religious duties: when works of Nature or Art are uniforme, what lustre have they? We are much taken with a Building that's compact and propor∣tionable. A Garden drawn exactly, an Ar∣my marshalled in compleat ranks and po∣stures are comely sights; just such are the fruits of holiness, proceeding from a wel-trea∣sured Heart; and indeed, without this Trea∣sure there can be no such harmony in holy: performances, but the actings wil be like the legs of the lame, very unequal: That's the third.

4. A treasure makes holy duties constant

and perpetual, though there may be some tem∣porary intermissions, yet never a total cessa∣tion in acts of Religion; Will an hypocrite pray alwaies? Job 27.10. no verily: the water ri∣seth no higher than the Spring, and waters fail that have no Spring, like Jobs Snow∣waters, which when it waxethwarm, va∣nisheth away: but a little brook supply∣ed with a constant spring, holds out in Winter and Summer: just such is the differ∣ences betwixt the performances of a treasured and treasureless heart: Two men perform du∣ties, the one from gifts, the other from Grace; the former in time withers, the latter daily en∣creaseth. The King of France shewed Spaines Ambassador his rich Treasures, the Ambassa∣dor looks under the Treasure-Chests, saying, Have these a Spring? my masters treasures have, meaning both the Indies: just so 'tis here, let na∣tural mens attainments be never so excellent, you may come to see an end of all their per∣fections, their eye of knowledge may be darkened, and their arm of natural and ac∣quired abilities clean dryed up: for, how can a Well be alwaies giving out water that re∣ceives none? How can a Rose keep fresh with∣out a Root? But they that are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the Courts of our God; yea, they shall bring forth fruit in old age, Psalm 92.13, 14. For a lively prin∣ciple, is the seed of God that will never dye, and this spring of grace is fed with supplies from the fulnesse of Jesus Christ, who is the fountain of Gardens, and Well of living Wa∣ters;

hence he saith, John 7.38. He that be∣lieveth in me—out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living Water, i.e. he shal have a perpetual supply of grace, and shall send forth constant emana∣tions of gracious a••ts: A wel-furnisht Christian shal never be drawn dry, his Saviour and trea∣sure ever live, and because Christ lives, the Saints and their graces shal live for ever; O friends, what would you give in these back∣sliding times to hold out to the end? that you may not make ship-wrack of Faith and a good conscience. Behold, I shew unto you an excellent way, heap one grace upon another til you possess a Treasure; tye a chain of these Pearls together, and lay them up in the Clo∣set of your hearts, and you'l never be spiri∣tually impoverished; be holily covetous after all graces that are attainable: Add to your faith vertue, to vertue knowledge, temperance, pati∣ence, godlinesse, brotherly-kindnesse, charity, for if you have these, you'l not be barren or un∣fruitful in good duties; and if you do good duties according to that treasure, you shal ne∣ver fall; See 2 Pet. 1.5. to vers. 11. These are a chain that link the soul to God, and reach as high as Heaven: But do not think you can endure to the end without a Treasure, for he that hath not root in himself, dureth but a while; no wonder if many drop off like leaves in Autumn, they have not any thing to bea•• them out, they spend upon themselves, as the Spider which spins her webs out of her own bowels, but they are swept away as the Spiders web: But the gracious soul hath no less than an

infinite God to supply the treasures of grace; so that let a Christian fall off to many acts of sin, carelesnesse in Dutie, and a course of loosenesse, yet this Treasure wil work him off: as a Spring clears it self from mud in time, so he shal be reduced to God; there is something in the heart of a back-sliding Saint that makes him restlesse in that e∣state, and moving towards the Center; Da∣vid saith, I have gone astray like a lost sheep, [there's his acknowledgement] Seek thy ser∣vant [there's his request,] for I do not forget thy Commandements [there's the argument to inforce it] q. d. there is yet something in my heart that owns thee, though I be fal∣len far, yet not so far but that I am still reaching after thee, and I am not fallen be∣low thy reach: the truth is, a Childe of God hath more hold-fast of God in his lowest ebbs than another sinner hath; as the Spinster leaveth a lock of wool to draw on the next threed, so there is something left in the heart, the seed of God that as∣cends Heaven-words: though a Saint be in a very dead frame, yet he is not twice dead, as wicked men are: there is yet the root of the matter in the heart, that by the sent of water (the heavenly dew of divine Grace) wil sprout again, and bring forth fruit: I dispute not how far men may fal, and whe∣ther a true Saint may not be brought back to the bare habits of grace as they were at first infused, and lose degrees of grace obtained: But sure I am Christ prayed for Peter, (and

so for all Believers) that his faith should not fail, Luke 22.32. and God alwaies heareth him: therefore our Divines have determi∣ned, That the seed of Regeneration, with those fundamental gifts, without which spiritual life cannot consist, are kept safe and intire: for the same Holy Ghost that infused that seed of Grace, hath imprinted in it an incorruptible vertue, and perpetually cherisheth and maintaineth it: Ma∣ries better part shall not be taken away. This fear in the heart, keeps them from depart∣ing from God, Jer. 32.40. They have [con∣stantiam in proposito, & perseverantiam in opere] constancie in their hearts, and perseverance in their hands. Holy resolutions produce successful performances: and thus doth the treasured Christian hold on in a Christian course, til these smaller measures of grace end in the vast Ocean of Glory: Thus much for the Reasons of the Point.

Notes

• 2 Tim. 3.17.
• Psal. 27.8,
• Deut. 5.28, 29.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• Ez••k. 14•• 3, 4.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Psa. 51.10.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Spiritus consta is, firmus, dis∣positus:
• Jer. 2.36.
• Job 6.16, 17.
• In summa, hic tam perpetuitas donorum spiritus, quam af∣fluentia nobis pro∣mittitur, Marl. in loc.
• Mat. 13.21.
• Vid. Suff. Brit. de quin. Ar∣tic. thes. 6. p. 189. In Sancto∣rum cordi∣bus secun∣dum quas∣dam vir∣tutes sem∣per manet Spiritus: Secundum quasdam recessurus venit, & ••••••turus recedit, in his virtu∣tibus, sine quibus ad vitam non pervenitur in elcolo∣rum suo∣rum cordi∣bus perma∣ne•• Gr.g. Moral.