Chapter III
If we would know whether we make God our chiefest and supreme good, let us
observe by what things the comfort of our lives is principally maintained and
upheld.
Inquire by what things the comfort of thy life is principally maintained and upheld from day to day. For it is that which is good in this life
CHAP. III.] IN OUR SALVATION. 471
whereby the comfort of one s life is nourished, as fire by fuel. We all live
here in a miserable world, and our life is a pilgrimage of many a weary step ; and the soul must have baitings and refreshings, or it will faint and fail, and not hold out to its journey s end. The comfort of a man s soul in
Scripture is termed a man s life, Luke xii. 15. Life, says Christ, con
sists not in abundance ; by life there, he means the comfort and joy of life, which all abundance of outward things cannot give. And in this very
respect, when comfort in outward things is gone and departed, the heart
dies, as 1 Sam. xxv. 37, Nabal s soul is said to die within him, though he was merry over night ; yet when he fell into the fear of losing all by David s plundering him, he having provoked him, it is said that his heart
died within him. He lived ten days after, ver. 38, but his heart died, and became as a stone, says the text ; that look, as if you had beheld Lot s
wife when her soul went out, and she was metamorphosed to a stone, or
rather a pillar of salt, such was, in respect of the life of comfort, this man s
condition. Look, as the body is not able to sustain and support itself
without the soul ; so, nor is the soul, which is mere emptiness, able to
sustain itself in life without some good thing it hath conjunction and com
merce with. Now then, what is the element thy soul lives in ? It is certain
that in him that is truly born again, his conversion wrought these two things in him : 1. His soul was struck dead, as to the making the comforts of this
life his chiefest good. And this humiliation usually doth work : Rom. vii. 9,
I was once alive, but I died. Gal. ii. 19, I through the law am dead to
< I am crucified with
the law, that I might live unto God ; and ver. 20,
Christ. There are these more eminent parts of humiliation : 1. To bring a man to nothing in his own righteousness (as 1 Cor. i., last verses), and to
kill and slay a man thereunto, that so he may be brought to accept of God s
righteousness in Christ prepared for him, and to live thereby. 2. To bring the soul to nothing in outward comforts in sins, or in the creatures. And
this also is the work of the law, through the cross of Christ, which goes with it. Isa. xl. 7, it is made the effect of John Baptist s ministry, of which
ver. 3 speaks, The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a high way for our God ;
that at his voice the grass withered, the flower faded, because the Spirit of the Lord had blown upon it. He speaks not simply of the vanity of the
creature in itself, but what it became to his hearers, that received the Spirit of bondage from his ministry, as those words that follow do shew, because
the Spirit of the Lord, namely, in his ministry, had blown upon them
all, and was ventus, a wind that blasted and withered all their good things to them ; so as now they looked upon them all as withered flowers. And
therefore Paul in the next verse in that Gal. ii., says he was crucified with
Christ also ; which, Gal. vi. 14, he interprets among other things to be a
crucifying of the world to him, which was done by the power of the cross
virtually, though by the law humbling a man instrumentally, as that Gal. ii.
to me evidently importeth. Now the end why God thus kills man by humiliation to his own right eousness and to all comforts, so as never to have help to his soul in them, is
to the end he may live anew, and have a new life in both. 1. To live by
* the just shall live by faith. And 2. To cause the soul to pitch upon God for ever as his chiefest good ; and all
going out to Christ for righteousness,
that desired good it ever looks for in this world, or the world to come. So
you have it, Ps. xvi. 5, 6, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup
: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in
472 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK X.
pleasant places ; yea, I have a goodly heritage. And this is done by faith, as it sanctifies, and by instinct of the new creature. 1 Cor. i. 3, Paul termeth God both the Father of mercies, as in relation to justification and pardon, and then the God of all comfort. It is an attribute he hath taken on him, as he is an object of his people s hearts ; and thus, in respect of
sanctification, all the comfort we look for is from him. Use. Improve and take the light of these trials, and go down into your hearts and take the keys of them and ransack your private cupboards, and narrowly observe what junkets your souls have hitherto lived upon, and gone behind the door and there secretly and stoutly have made a meal of them. Delights are secret things, Prov. xiv. 10, as treasures are. As dogs (and carnal men are so compared) have bones they hide, and secretly steal forth to gnaw upon ; so men have sins they hide under their tongues as sweet bits, Job xx. 12. But examine what your comforts principally consist in. Now if you would further know how it may be discerned in what your chief comforts lie, 1. Look what in distress your souls have recourse unto for relief and
support.
2. In ordinary cases take this division to help you. A survey either, 1. Of things present: 2. Past; 3. To come. For in and from all these, men take up their comforts.
1 . Observe what your hearts have their ordinary recourse unto in cases of distress, or the ordinary discomfitures of this life, which God in a man s race layeth on purpose even in every man s way. Men s expectations are
usually and often disappointed, especially at times, and then their hearts and spirits fail. And look, as in fears, or in a swoon, men s vital spirits run to the heart to comfort it ; so in distress the heart runs out to some
thing else, which it is inured unto, to comfort it as a cordial and consola tion. And as the otter, when in times of frost it is kept under water by the ice, yet by its breath keeps open some place as a breathing-hole, so doth the heart. Now watch and observe the haunts and breathing-holes which in distress thy soul keeps open to itself, to fetch in fresh air from ; or look, as if you should see a company of rabbits grazing in a sunshiny day, and a man come by whom they fear, or a storm, you shall see them
all instantly run into their several burrows, which are proper to them ; and by the place whither each of them doth run, you may discern which is pro per to each : now thus in distress doth the heart run to its holes. The like men do in times of war to their several forts and garrisons, and so you may know what party they belong to : Prov. xviii. 10, The name of the Lord
is a strong tower, and the righteous runs to it, and is safe ; that is, if he be a righteous man, that is his refuge, as Jer. xvi. 19, Lord, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. On the
contrary, take a carnal rich man who puts trust in his riches ; he also in ordinary distresses runs to his tower, from the same place of the Proverbs : ver. 11, The substance of the rich man is his strong city. If a cross in other things befall him, discredit, hatred of men, as an oppressor, yet he
is still counting with himself, reckoning nummos in area, the moneys in his
chest, or out at use, or in revenue, populus sibi sibulet : aut mihi plaudo ; he the next morning, when he wakes, bids good morrow to his gold. And thus, if one comfort be gone, he runs to another, as the prophet told that
CHAP. III.] IN OUR SALVATION. 473
wretched man he should run from chamber to chamber for his life. You may see this difference amplified in Esau and Jacob, Saul and David ; the
first pair compeers for a birthright, the other for a kingdom. Esau, Gen. xxvii., when he had that great loss befallen him as ever befell a man, namely, the loss of his birthright, and himself made apprehensive of it
(witness his tears), what doth he comfort himself withal ? Yer. 42, says Rebecca to Jacob, Behold thy brother comforteth himself, purposing to
kill thee. It was revenge ; which, to a man of his constitution, an hairy man of the field, is the sweetest lust in the world to accomplish. But
Jacob, on the contrary, when he was distressed greatly, Gen. xxxii. 7, as the text there says,
* whither hath he recourse ? Even to God, so ver. 9 ; and you may see by his prayer and hopes in God s promise, ver. 12, that God would surely do him good.
See it also in Saul and David ; Saul was made sensible by Samuel, that he had lost a kingdom
* Yet honour me (says he)
* afore the people. David lost all at Ziklag, wives, estate, and was put into as
: 1 Sam. xv. 30,
great a ground of fear, of hazard of life (and so of his kingdom promised) as man could probably be in (for the people spake of stoning him). And
in this case what had David recourse unto ? The story tells you, 1 Sam. xxx. 6, David encouraged himself in his God. So elsewhere David says, My heart fails, and my flesh fails, but God is the strength of my heart, Ps. Ixxiii. 26 : and Ps. cxix. 92, Unless thy word had been my delight, I had perished in my affliction.
2. Observe whence your comforts come in ; which is discerned by the heart s recourse, either unto things present, past, or to come.
(1.) For things present. Men use to take an inventory of their present things afore them, to comfort their hearts with. So doth the rich man in the gospel
* Soul, take thine ease ; thou hast (now at present by thee) goods laid up for many years. As rich men count their estates with
themselves, and love to do it, so doth the soul in secret reckon up its comforts and opportunities to satisfy its lusts. In a morning when men
wake, their souls look out what sports, pleasures, are ready to wait upon them that day. So they in the prophet, To-day shall be as to-morrow,* and much more abundant. Whereas if a godly man hath the sense of the favour of God, he triumphs in it, and makes his boast in God all the day
long, Ps. xliv. 8. He often counts with himself, I shall hear a good ser mon this day, and receive the sacraments, meet with my Saviour, my Lord and husband, when the day comes, and longs for it aforehand.
Again (2d), Men s souls have recourse for comfort unto what is past. Thus a scholar, that is low and mean in his outward condition, takes a
pleasing survey of what credit he got by such a performance, at such a time ; how he was applauded, and in the contemplation thereof his soul bears up itself. When other straits and wants to satisfy other lusts do
depress him, he swims and floats in his own conceits by means of these
bladders, and his soul is thereby kept up from sinking. Yea, he is carried
aloft (as he vainly thinks) on the breaths and opinions of men, as feathers and bubbles which children make for their pastime on them. Thus also men make and revive in their fancies the actings of former pleasures and
dalliances, &c., whereas a godly man, in the present want of outward com
forts, yea, the present sense of the withdrawings of God s love, hath recourse
to times past, the days of old, as David recounts with himself, what songs had been sung in the night, between God and him, what earnest desires : * To-morrow shall be as to-day. ED.
474 THE WOKK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK X.
* My soul hath longed for thee in the night. What love and joys, sweet intercourse and communion, hath been between God and him, at such and such a time.
(3.) And especially you may discover this, by what recourse the soul hath to things to come in future hopes, and what kind of good things those are the soul hath thus recourse unto. Men s souls do live by hopes, as much and more than by anything past or present ; and we use to take up our comforts beforehand. The miserablest man that is, hath yet usually a
loop-hole of hope to look out of, a door of hope for his soul to go out at, and relieve itself. Now, 1 Cor. xv. 19, the hopes of a godly and carnal man are distinguished.
* had hopes only in
* If we (that are believers)
this life (as all carnal worldlings have), we were of all men the most miserable ; as having given up this world for grace, both in the present and the future ; and betaken ourselves to what is in the other world, by which we relieve and comfort ourselves against the miseries of this world, that befall us every day more than they do other men. Christ is our hope
(so 1 Tim. i. 1), that is generally of all Christians, and our life is hid in God with him ; whereas a carnal man makes his gold (or some like worldly comfort or other) his hope, Job xxxi. 24.
I shall, to clear this point further, remove one scruple, which good souls who are left to a dry faith, and to follow after God in a barren land, may and will, upon hearsay of this, be apt unto, and to say, This doctrine strikes me dead, for I have not, nor cannot yet find, any comfortable relish or
enjoyment of God, but a great deal of carnal relish of things of the world, and deeper and more impressions of sweetness from thence, than these
impressions are which the word or thing of another world brings in ; and how is God my chiefest good ?
Ans. 1. It is a false rule, which will deceive, to measure out what is our
chiefest good by what our enjoyments, possessions of, or delights are, in that which we pitch upon as our chiefest good. The rule would fail us, whether we be carnal or regenerate men. This is common to both, that in respect of enjoyment they have their disappointments, even the most
godly, in this life, of him whom their souls desire. A soul that hath
pitched its happiness on such an outward worldly comfort, may yet perhaps never have come to enjoy it, as in men that desire to be rich, and are dis
appointed in their hopes, &c., we see it verified, so as the case of the one comes all to one, and holds true as well as in the other. And a man that
is carnal, lustful, worldly, may as well say he makes not preferment, or
riches, or beauty his greatest good, because still he hath been kept under and disappointed ; and sensible sweetness ariseth always from enjoyment. Ans. 2. But hast thou not had thy heart emptied of all these earthly enjoyments, by what light and taste thou hast had from God ? Hast thou not had such a spiritual appetite as all created comforts can never fill or
quiet, instead of himself? So as thou pursuest after him with the strong intent of this, day and night. What is it thy soul hath set up in its eye, as thy mark thou intendedst for (as Paul speaks) ? Is it not God s favour which thou prizest, seekest for with thy greatest contention ? Affections are to be measured by what we labour after day and night to arrive at.
Ans. 3. In the mean time thou sayest, Of all outward comforts, what good will all these do me ? And what are they, if I want thy favour ? As a man looking diligently for a pearl or jewel meets with many things that may entertain him ; but still says his soul, This is not the pearl I seek for. Now, as in Heb. xi. 14, the apostle says of the patriarchs, that
* they which
CHAP. IV. J IN OUR SALVATION. 475
say such things declare plainly that they seek a country ; so say I of thee, the discomfort of whose life lies in the want of God, who canst not sit down
in anything on this side of him, these longings of thy soul do declare plainly that thy rest is not here in the world. Yea, if worldly things court thee, and come in upon thee, so as thou couldst (as to outward advantages) re
turn to make and patch up a life of comfort in them, yet still thou canst
* If
never do it. So, ver. 15, of the patriarchs, the same apostle speaks ;
they had been mindful of the country (and the comforts of it) from whence
they came out, they might have had opportunities to have returned ; but
they would not, as their children would have done into Egypt. Therefore,
upon this demonstration, he concludes, ver. 16, But now (that is, having such a frame of spirit) they desired a better country
: wherefore God is
not ashamed to be called their God. For he was the chiefest and choicest
of their desires, and nothing else would satisfy ; and therefore he was their
chiefest good. God is much glorified as thy chiefest good in such desires
that can rest nowhere else but in him : he is equally glorified by thee, who
waitest thus for him, and canst find no sweetness but in him, as he is by another in their enjoyments of him. For the affections stir as well one
way as the other towards him, and from either glory ariseth alike unto him. And what affections of love the one soul shews in joy, and in sweet enjoy ments of his goodness, the other shews in restless desires after his goodness.
CHAPTEE IV.
If ice would know whether we make God our chief good, we must inquire what
are the things which we value as our dearest treasures.
Thus much as to such signs, which that plain and simple expression,
< What are thy good things ? hath afforded. I come to the second, as the same thing is represented under this metaphor of What is thy treasure ?
The first sign as to this head is that which Christ, Mat. vi. 21, holds
forth, who is to be our judge, Heb. iv. 12, and who is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
Now where your treasure is (says Christ, Mat. vi. 21), there will your hearts be also. No man s heart is in his own keeping ; but his treasure, be it what it will, or take it away from him, yet the heart will be where it
loves. If God be made a man s treasure, he calls for the heart : Prov.
xxiii. 26, My son, give me thy heart. And let any earthly thing be a man s treasure, and it takes the heart away without asking leave : Hosea
iv. 11, Whoredom and wine (says God) take away the heart; Ezek.
xxxiii. 31, Their hearts go after their covetousness.
1. What hath thy heart, hath thy thoughts most ? The chiefest and the
dearest of thy thoughts are spent upon what is thy treasure. Now there
fore go down into thy heart, and examine what thing it is takes up and
engrosseth to itself the musings and devisings of thy soul ; what it is the
eyes of the mind still are glancing, yea, fixed upon, with dearest content
ment, and scarce ever off . That is thy treasure, and that hath thine heart.
Thus, as a passionate lover delights to revive, in his captivated fancy, the
image and likeness of the party he loves, draws pictures of her in his
fancies ; and as the thoughts are the only means to bring things absent and
: so the soul feeds and increaseth the love it hath to a
the heart together
thing it desires, by thinking of it. Affections chain the thoughts, and
476 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK X.
fasten the mind and intention of it to the thing they affect ; and such a
thing is certainly a treasure to thee. For take but the exemplification of
it in outward treasures. You may observe it in men that have treasures, any jewels, &c. They will still be unlocking the casket, and viewing of them, eyeing of them. They love still to be opening the bags, and telling and counting of what is within. And so it is with the mind ; what the heart hath pitched upon as its treasure, it ever and anon reviews and visits with its thoughts. For there is a fresh contentment and security ariseth to the mind thereby. Be it goods laid up for many years, the thoughts of this give an ease to the mind. Be it the credit of something past, men love to chew the cud of it in their thoughts, and run it over all again in their minds. Or be it the pleasure of some sin to come, as a sin of un-
cleanness, how do men anticipate the pleasure of it in their fancies, rolling it over and over again, act it over again and again, ere they do it, as players do their parts. And this we all find, that the chiefest pleasure of our lives
is brought us in by our thoughts ; and when we enjoy not the things we
desire, we please ourselves with our own fancies and ideas of them, which
help to entertain the soul till it doth enjoy them. And we may observe it in Scripture, that men are differenced by the objects of their thoughts, and of the musings of the heart, as well as by anything else : Isa. xxxii. 7, 8, A covetous man deviseth wicked things, but the liberal liberal things. Such as the things are men spend their devisings upon, it is certain such are the men. If they mind chiefly earthly things, as it is, Philip, iii. 19, then they are earthly men, whose end is damnation. And in the first Psalm it is made a distinctive note of a godly man from a wicked, that he meditates in the law day and night. The scope of David is to distinguish men ; and there is good reason why men may be differenced by their
thoughts, and the things they are conversant about. For, 1, Noscitur ex
socio. A man s disposition may be known by his companion whom he is most entire and familiar with. Now those things a man thinks on most, he makes his most familiar friends, is most entire with. By our thoughts we have the entirest acquaintance that we can have with anything, the closest that we can any way arrive at ; for it takes the things into our bosom. And therefore Solomon, Prov. vi. 22, speaking of meditating in the law, when a man wakes in the morning, compares it to a familiar friend
< When thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. And a man is therefore termed a friend to the world, James iv. 1-4. 2. The thoughts do most distinguish men s hearts, because they are the freest acts of the mind, wherein the mind is the most itself, and acts itself else : Prov. xxiii. 7, For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. And therefore the proverb is, that thoughts are free. And in this sense it is true that of all acts else they are the least enforced, which do follow the free
talking with a man :
disposition of the heart. Men cannot speak what they would, or do what they would : these are subject to enforcement. And therefore, in judging by speeches and by actions, there may be deceit. But a man may think what he will ; and, indeed, usually men do pore on that which pleaseth them ; in their thoughts they act themselves, whatsoever they do in their actions. We do not know the disposition of players as acting their parts upon the stage, but look into the tiring-house, and there you may see them act themselves, their own base and lewd dispositions. The thoughts are the tiring-room of the soul, the privy chamber of it.
3. They are the immediate acts of the soul, and therefore shew what temper it is of. For the thoughts (as I may so say) are as they came new
CHAP. IV.] IN OUR SALVATION. 477
from the heart ; they are the figments of it, and so the image of the heart
is fresh on them as coming new out of the mint. If you would taste a grape, take the juice as it is new squeezed out into the wine-press,* and before adulterated with other mixtures.
4. Thoughts are the most continual actings of the soul of any else, which the soul abounds in most, and therefore discovers the heart most, for of all faculties that is always a-work. The thinking faculty is as that little wheel in a jack, that moves twenty times faster than any of the rest. And when we have not liberty to satisfy our desires, yet our thoughts are working, so as the heart cannot be kept off from thinking of what it would enjoy. Christ calls the thoughts the treasure both of a good and bad man, for the abundance there is of them ; as in that speech, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, an evil man evil. Mat. xii. 34, 35, For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things
: and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things. Christ, you see, when he would give a reason why men might be distinguished by their
speeches, and with what kind men abound therein most, he reduceth it to the heart as the fountain :
* For out of the abundance of the heart (says he) the mouth speaketh, that is, out of the abundance of the thoughts. Some persons have many restraints, even of speaking good, and are disad-
vantaged when yet their hearts are working upon them. Therefore look, what thoughts the heart abounds in (it is the sure rule), such is the heart. There is no good man but he hath a treasure and a spring of good thoughts within him, which no wicked man in the world hath. And though there is a spring of mud and filth runs with them, of vain thoughts, and sinful
thoughts, which intermingles itself with the current of them at the best, and which doth often stop the current of them ; yet this spring works itself out again, the current riseth up again, and though with many windings and
turnings, keeps its course. And as rivers run into the sea, so there is a
spring in his heart tends God-ward. Another man, though he may have a land-flood of good thoughts, in a good mode, yet they are soon dried up again ; there is not a spring of them. Prov. xii. 2d and 5th verses com
pared together. A wicked man is called a man of wicked devices or ima
ginations, that is, a man of wicked thoughts, as it were, made up of them, whereas, in the 5th verse, a godly man s thoughts, in opposition, are termed
* The thoughts of the righteous are right ; that is, for the tendency, the current of them, they are exercised about righteous things. Therefore David, Ps. cxxxix. 17, 18, says not only that the thoughts of God are pre
right
cious to him, but for multitude more than the sand. It may be interpreted of his thoughts of God, which he could not tell the total sum of ; for, says he, every morning when I awake, I am with thee. Whereas, of a wicked man, Ps. x. 4, it is said, God is scarce in all his thoughts. And, Jer.
ii. 32, God, upbraiding the people of Israel, says, Can a maid forget her ornaments, not go abroad but be sure to be dressed ; and when shehath
pricked up herself, her mind is still on them ? But my people hath for
gotten me (says he) days without number. But, in Prov. vi. 14, it is said of a wicked man s heart, it forgeth mischief continually, as a smith
forgeth iron, he is still hammering of it. And because vain are all their
thoughts, therefore a wicked man s heart is said to be little worth. Prov.
x. 20.
There are two scruples and objections which, as to this branch of trial, some, yea, most good souls may and do make.
478 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK X.
Obj. 1. The swarming of evil, vain, or foolish thoughts, that are so fre
quent and such familiars, that they are bold to knock and draw the latch when we have separated ourselves the most solemnly, and shut ourselves up for God in holy duties and on the Sabbath days. If, therefore, I should
judge by my thoughts, the world and a thousand vanities are my treasure.
Ans. 1. A man is not to judge herein by the crowd and swarming, or
barely by the multitude, the noise, the humming, the buzzing they keep. For these will and do arise naturally out of the heart, as Christ says. And the imagination of man s heart is evil continually. And it is certain that the bulk or quantity of the unregenerate part in most Christians is far more and greater than the regenerate part, though that be major virtute, greater in power, in carrying the heart on against corruptions, and strong steering a man in his course ; especially in the great turns of his life, and in the end Christ bringing it forth to victory ; so that if a man would go to mea sure by the bulk, or by the bushel, every man s heart would be found to have quarters of chaff, the flying thoughts which rise up in it, unto a peck of good grain and true corn ; but thou must take estimate by the enter
tainment, which vain and worldly thoughts, after they have risen, have in
thy heart, by their taking root again through its indulgency to them, nour
ishing of them and intention upon them, and delight in them, Jer. iv. 14,
1 How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee ? lodge, and nest, and
find the most pleasing welcome and harbour ? lodge as thy best friends and
pleasantest companions; that lie down with thee, when thou liest down to
sleep, and thou invitest them to bed with thee ; that talk with thee, when thou awakest, with deepest pleasure and delight ? God s speech in Jere miah is all one, as if God or a father should say to his son, a riotous enter
tainer of lewd company, How long shall thy vain companions lodge with
thee, that eat thee out of house or home, consume that provision which thy wife and children should have ? So here, How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge with thee, that prey upon the best of thy heart and dearest of thy affections ? The regenerate part in a man is in that condition, in respect of his thoughts, that a man is in that walks in the midst of dust continually raised about him, or of little flies that in summer swarm, against which he shuts his eyes and holds his breath, but cannot hinder their coming about
him, though he carries boughs in his hands, or the like, to keep them off. Thus it is with a regenerate man ; but to another man these vain thoughts are as the free air which he breathes in with contentment and refreshment. They are his element.
The thoughts a man hath of his treasure are the thoughts of greatest
delight and contentment ; not dry thoughts, but drenched and soaked
deep in the whole of the affections, and they hug and entwine about them ; and of which the affections say,
* Whither you go, we will go ; whom you will bring with you, we will entertain. They may and do come into a good man s heart, as gipsies, by swarms, but by his good will they should not
lodge there ; he goes often to God for a passport, and for a whip to send them away. And these may trouble thee most in holy duties, which the
unregenerate part doth naturally hinder and disturb. It is strange that
afore prayer a man would fain have recalled and remembered them, but could not ; as soon as a man falls down to prayer, they come in instantly. And the devil waits that occasion for injections also ; \o be sure, what is
like to strike the affections deepest, and to stick there, and so to hurry away the heart in the instant, that will be cast in at such cue and nick, when the heart is coming to such passages in prayer as his present condi-
CHAP. IV.] IN OUR SALVATION. 479
tion hath most need of, and which he longs most to be at ; so as the heart
is carried out of the common stream into a creek or rivulet ere he is aware, insomuch as sometimes a man keeps but (I use to say) a negative Sabbath, the negative part of an holy duty ; that is, it is his task upon that day, or
in that duty, to keep a ward or court of guard against the troopings of vain
thoughts ; or (if you will) to keep the doors, either so as vain thoughts should not crowd in, or if they do, still to be turning them forth. So as it
often befalls the sons of Abraham in prayer, &c., in respect of inward dis
turbances, as it befell our father Abraham when he was offering a sacrifice
to God, in respect of outward disturbance, Gen. xv. 11. The fowls still
ever and anon came down upon the carcasses. For it is said, when the fowls came down, Abraham drave them away. He hunted them away with his
breath, as the original imports, or crying out with a noise upon them, when he should have had his mind wholly intent on prayer and divine meditation which that solemn duty called for. Then his work must be to hoot away the fowls which came flying down upon the sacrifices. And at that time
they did it especially, for there was prey for them. And Abraham could
not hinder their coming down ; for fowls fly aloft, and the same individual
birds would come again and again, and he could not help it, that was not
in his power ; but when they came he could drive them away, and that was
all he could do to them ; yea, it took up his time when he was to have been at his devotion, it was his main work. And so it is here, the best of
souls cannot help nor hinder these unclean and ravenous fowls from coming down upon the sacrifices, but they still endeavour to drive them away, &c.
Ans. 2. A second thing I would say, in answer to this, is, that although vain thoughts may be more by far, yet the heart of regenerate man (take the whole course) follows God, and returns to him and keeps its way. A
spaniel that follows his master in a journey, runs out after every bird, after
every flock of sheep, which he sees in his way ; and in such goings out, runs over ten or twenty times more ground, spends more pains in them, than in the way his master goes in, or than it comes to ; yet still he is
sure to have an eye to his master, returns again to him, and follows him to
the journey s end. And so it is with the soul in this respect.
Obj. 2. Are not godly men s thoughts to be taken up with their worldly business ? Are not men to contrive and devise and mould what they are
therein to do, especially in some callings, and therefore to spend the most
of their thoughts thereon ? How then can we make a judgment by our
thoughts ?
Ans. 1. A good man must do diligently that business to which he may be called : And whatever work thy hand finds to do, thou oughtest to do
with all thy might, Eccl. ix. 10.
Ans. 2. Yet, 2, there may be, and is, an habitual fear runs along and
: Prov. xxiii. 17, Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. These two commands of the same pen cross not
poiseth the heart all day long
one the other ; an inferior that hath business to do in a room, where his
master, or one eminently superior, is present all day, he may be all along intent and sufficiently thoughtful on his business, and that in respect unto
his master. For there is withal an habitual reverence, which all along doth awe and poise his mind to act nothing unseemly of such a presence as he
is afore.
Ans. 3. But, observe what thoughts return upon thee, when the mill of
thy calling stands still ; at such times when thy heart is left free ; as at
spare hours, a-mornings, when thou liest awake, &c. Observe the vergencies
480 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK X.
and the haunts of thy heart at such times, as thou wouldst of a servant or an apprentice, who though whilst he is kept at home works diligently, yet the free time he hath, or if he can but steal forth, he is still at such an
house, if he be sent out of an errand, he steps in there ; in like manner, watch thou the haunts of thine heart, when thou art retired, when the shop windows of thy calling are shut, and thou art free in thy thoughts to enjoy what thou pleasest ; then see what secret treasury thy thoughts steal to unlock and to view with contentment. The wicked imagine mischief on their beds, they sleep not till they have wallowed and tumbled in such fancies as naturally suit their spirits. For these lighten their spirits, and make way for sleep. But with my soul, saith the church, I have de sired thee in the night, Isa. xxvi. 9. David remembers the sweet songs in the night God and he had together
: When I awake, I am still with thee, Ps. cxxxix. 18 ; and Prov. vi. 22, When thou awakest, the law of God, as a companion, it shall talk with thee. Ans. 4. Last of all, if thou beest overwhelmed with such thoughts as keep thee off from the free air to breathe up to God, thou wilt find thy heart like a mole under ground, heaving and working upwards, tossing up the earth that keeps it under, till thou art above ground. As to the rest of those signs that follow, I must premise (as in relation to that part, namely, what carnal men do make their treasure), that some sinners treasures (I term tham such, because they are such to their hearts and the affections thereof, though not to their judgments), lie in things more
base, more vile, as in debauched courses of uncleanness, drunkenness, vain company, joviality, mirth, &c., which are so base, that, if you ask their
consciences, or their judgments, they must acknowledge such things to be their shame. Some are swine, and wallow in open mire which stinks in all men s nostrils ; and yet as to their hearts and affections, they are that chiefest good they doat on ; like beasts, in what they know naturally, they corrupt themselves. Others are more clean, as dogs and goats ; to which those others of wicked men are compared, that feed more clean, and yet are beasts. These put the treasure of their hearts in things outwardly com mendable, as riches, honours, learning, wit, reputation, quick conversation, &c. ; yea, sometimes in outward righteousness, and a fair deportment in this world. And yet, not making God their treasure, and not subordinat
ing all these to him, and not preferring him, and the things of God, to the chief of their joy, they evidently lay but up treasures on earth. I shall leave the first sort, as self-convicted, as judged wicked by the world itself, and as sentenced by such cutting sayings of the word : 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of them selves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
But as touching the second sort, who place their good things in what the world highly esteems, as Christ says ; to convince them, and to com fort the hearts of the godly, by distinguishing and separating them from them, I shall give these following evidences or discoveries, which shall be fitted to the metaphor of a treasure, or what a man really makes his treasure.
I shall premise this, that in the hearts and lives of many saints, yea, in
all more or less, there are corruptions answering unto what I shall instance
in, to convince wicked men by, that such and such things on earth are their treasure : that yet a man truly holy doth still in the pursuit, and
valuation, and endeavours, and reaching forth of the soul, make God his
CHAP. IV.] IN OUR SALVATION. 481
chief treasure (notwithstanding those corruptions), in comparison of all things else.
1. Examine thy practical esteem and valuation of things ; that is, what is it that is most precious to thee. That is thy treasure, 1 Peter ii. 7, Unto you, that believe, Christ is precious. As in himself such, verse 4, A stone chosen of God and precious, so in the esteem of believers ; Unto you he is precious. And he speaks it by way of discrimination from carnal men, that have not true faith. But to them, says he, that be disobe
dient, he is a rock of offence, verse 7. Why doth he in this opposition give the title of disobedient to them, rather than of unbelievers, which is the opposite term unto the former,
< You that believe ? But because the valuation of Christ, or undervaluing him, is seen and discovered, as in the pursuit after him, so in the obedience to him, or in disobedience. Thus David, Ps. cxix. 14, I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. Even in the way of them; mark it, because they did lead to God, as a man would do in a way, though never so craggy, that
did certainly lead him to an hidden treasure : and in the way to them, in the pursuance towards God, he delighted as much and above riches in present possession. Yea, and above all riches too, of what sort soever, that men count riches ; which is not in money only. So then he esteemed God his treasure, and manifested this by diligence in the way unto him, the way of his testimonies. Thus of Hezekiah, of whom interpreters do understand that passage, it is said, Isa. xxxiii. 6, The fear of the Lord is his treasure. So of Moses, Heb. xi. 26, it is said that he esteemed the very reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. With other men, how doth the market go ? It is apparent, 1, that they under value God and Christ, and those things of the other world, and hold them at the rate of common things ; so in the original the expression is, Heb. x. 29, though it is rendered an unholy thing ; which though there uttered of men that sin against the Holy Ghost, with the highest contempt of Christ s blood, and was therefore so rendered, yet to esteem Christ and his blood a common ordinary thing, is common with them and other wicked men, as their respect thereunto manifests. In comparison of other things, a wicked man is a profane person, as Esau, who, for one morsel of meat sold his
birthright, Heb. xii. 16 ; and for this his so manifest a demonstration of his undervaluing it to a mess of pottage (and the pleasure of lust is but
just like it), he is termed a profane person, who is one which esteemeth holy
things, and precious things, as common, for that is properly profanation. And 2. Instead of these, what are their dainties ? Sins, and the plea sures of them : Ps. cxli. 4,
* Incline not mine heart to any evil thin", to
practise wicked works with men that work iniquity : and let me not eat of their dainties. And so the good things of this world, Ptev. xviii. 12-14, were dainty and goodly in their esteem, and so (as there) their souls lusted
after them. Now, then, let us examine ourselves hereby.
_ 1. This thy esteem of God and Christ, if true, and in any proportion rising up to the worth of the things themselves, will shew itself : as in thy first conversion, in selling all for them, Mat. xiii. 45, so after conversion, in thy diligent pursuit after them. Treasures lie buried under ground to a
great depth often. Therefore, says Solomon, speaking of Christ and all his
graces (by which we come to have interest in him) under the name of Wis dom, Prov. ii. 4, If thou seek for her as silver, and searchest as for hidden treasure. The mind of the similitude is, that as God, in his common pro vidence, hath hidden the mines of rich metals in the bowels of the earth, VOL .vi. H h
482 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST X.
because he would have men take pains for them, so, in the course of his
dispensations to his children, he hath hidden his Christ, whom he so values, in himself: your life is hid with Christ in God, Col. iii. 3. And all the
riches of Christ, which are unsearchable, they are hid in God, Eph. iii. 10, and hidden deep. They are the deep things of God, 1 Cor. ii. 10, to the end he may be treated with by every soul that will have them. And al
though he gives them freely, and sells them not for any or all of our endea
* say not in your hearts, that is, think not within
vours ; and therefore,
yourselves (as Paul interprets Moses) who shall ascend up into heaven ?
as if any may by his endeavours bring down Christ from thence ; or who shall descend into the deep ? Rom. x. 7 ; yet before he usually
brings Christ down into the heart, or discovers his own heart and face, he
orders it so that men shall take the utmost pains, and use the utmost dili
gence, to the end to shew their valuation of these things. Many shall
strive, says Christ. You must do more, work as at a mine : If thou
search for her as silver. To work in mines is the toilsomest work in
the world. The Romans of old, and the Spaniards now in the West
Indies, condemn their slaves thereto. And indeed, what a man values and esteems precious, his desire will set all in him a-work to seek :
Pro. xviii. 1, Through desire a man, having separated himself, he seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. Others read (as also the margin varies it) intermeddleth with every matter. That is, what a man strongly desires and esteems, it will make him separate, or set himself apart wholly to it. He will deal in every matter, that is, way or course, whereby it is
to be attained. He will turn every stone, or (which is all one, as we read
it) will intermeddle with all wisdom. He will use all his wits to cast with
himself how it may be compassed. Now go down into your own hearts,
think, and think seriously, what doth the strength of thy intention run out
upon ? Is it after God and the things of that other world, or things in this ?
If thou hast been truly wrought upon, perhaps at the first thou wert so
affected, as wholly to separate thyself through desire after God and his
favour, because thou didst thus judge, It is not necessary for me to be emi
nently learned or rich, &c., but to be saved is that one thing necessary, and
so didst nothing else with thy heart, until thy spirit was settled and quieted in some good measure. Then afterward thou wast settled, and so that pre sent and absolute necessity thy soul was put upon at first, as in respect to
that distress and unsettlement, is not the same as before, yet thy esteem
continues such to the things themselves. As, though thou spendest not
the greatest outward bulk of thy diligence, because thy outward calling in
this world calls for it, yet the greatest strength of thy intentness of spirit and needfulness is spent upon them, so as not to lose thy interest in them. And to that end a godly man will intermeddle with every duty, and he will
deal in all ordinances, take the advantage of all opportunities.
On the other hand, my brethren, what is the reason that men search for
learning as for silver, and dig for it as for gold, separate themselves unto
it, intermeddle with every author, as the bee with every flower, and yet
neglect God days without number ? Or if not that way given (I would it were so commonly), men spend their intention and diligence (what it is) in
idleness, vain company, which we term passing away the time. But as for God and Christ, and the ways of holiness, they are so far off from separat
ing themselves unto them through desire, that they scarce intermeddle with them in a week, a month. These, as pebbles in the streets, they are so far from digging for them, that they trample as swine upon them (as Christ
CHAP. IV.] IN OUR SALVATION. 483
speaks), or at least stoop not to take them up. They think they may have them at any time for stooping for, at their cast-away leisure, or on their deathbed. What is the reason of this ? Even because they are not their treasure. God hath not yet given thee a heart to value them at their own rate. Suppose thou hadst lived in Solomon s times, when gold and silver were as stones in the streets, or wert in the Indies, where, at least for the
seeking or digging for them, thou mightest have enough, and yet all thy time were spent to load thy poor back with peacocks feathers, which you read of also in Solomon s times (which were indeed those glorious birds we now-a-days see brought from |the hotter climates), would any man think, or couldst thou in reason think, that thou didst make gold and silver thy treasure in such a case ?
Consider, you live in times and places in which the unsearchable riches of Christ are shovelled up to your hands, every day offered, tendered, yea, put (as it were) into your hands. The word we preach is nigh thee, even in thy ears and heart; and yet, as Solomon says, Prov. xvii. 16, A fool hath a price in his hand, only wants a heart towards it. Go home, and consider with thyself, these things are not yet my treasure, nor hath as yet God given me a heart to make them such.
Again, if these had been thy treasure, thou wouldst have parted with all for them ; sold all thou hast, as Christ speaks of that good pearl. For all men will do so for what is precious to them. What says God, Isa. xliii. 4 ? Since thou wert precious to me, I gave nations for thy life. And so wouldst *thou have done for Christ ere this, and never have repented of your bargain. It is repentance never to be repented of. I have accounted
all things loss, Phil, iii., and I do account them so still, says Paul. And
still he pressed forward to attain them with the greatest diligence. But thou partest for unworthy courses, uncleanness, drunkenness, or such petty base lusts, which the
5best part of thee, the speculative part of thy mind, is so far from reckoning a treasure, as they are thy shame; yet to the prac tical part, they are really thy precious things thou in thy great wisdom seekest after. Thou canst sell all for them, as Esau his birthright, thy soul, thy books, thy good name, the hopes of preferment in the place thou art in, thy health, thy strength, thy wits, thy favour, expectations, and joy thy friends might have in thee, to pursue them. A goodly treasure sure ! Are they not ? Yet they must be reckoned thine.
2. Wherein, or in what, dost thou account thy greatest gains and thy greatest losses to lie ? That, in the valuation of thine heart, is thy treasure. You find, 1. Tim. vi. 6, Paul speaking of the opposite disposition of a man truly godly, and who seeks the things of Jesus Christ, from his that
is carnal, he expresseth it with a but. But godliness with contentment
is great gain; or, as the word is, selfsufficiency, [itr avraexstag ; that is, godliness hath such a sufficiency in itself, that, with or through that suffi
ciency, it alone is great gain to him in whose heart it is placed, and by whose spirit it is truly valued. And he speaks this in perfect opposition to the spirit of carnal gospellers and professors, of whom he had spoken the verse afore, and which was the occasion of the saying annexed. Men of corrupt minds, supposing that gain is godliness ; that is their secret
opinion and esteem, that gain in outward things is the best religion in the world. But our religion, which we profess, is to serve him that is God ; now, Phil. iii. 19, Paul, speaking of the same sort of persons (for of those of the circumcision he speaks in both places), whose god is their belly, he compares the lusts and appetites of natural men s hearts unto those of
484 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK X.
the belly ; that is, the furious desire to the pleasures thereof; and such are
theirs to earthly things, as it follows, who mind earthly things. Unto
which, Ps. xvii. 14 accords : The men of this world (says David), who have their portion in this life, whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure, namely, of the earth (which also speaks home to the metaphor of the text).
So then, earthly things were their god ; that is, their chiefest good, instead of God. And the eager pursuit with which they adored their god, he as
justly terms their religion, especially when under the pretence of religion they serve those ends.
The result is this (which is the thing in hand), that earthly things are, in the valuation of carnal men professing religion, their gain ; and their
religion also, supposing gain is godliness. But to godly men godliness is
great true gain, having a sufficiency in it. Unto which accords that also of Solomon, Prov. iii. 14, The merchandise thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than of fine gold. Hast thou ever been brought to such dispositions of heart and spirit as these ?
1 . To suffer (in thine own resolutions and account) the loss of all things, that thou mightest win or gain Christ. It is Paul who is your pattern, Phil. iii. 7, 8, What things were gain to me, that I accounted loss for Christ ; for whom I suffered the loss of all things, that I might win Christ. Conversion to God is a great shipwreck of an old man, and all his goods and appurtenance. I do not know how conversion goes now a-days, when you may judge the world favours religion ; but I will tell you how the price of the market went in our days. A man s conversation* was such as not only some things, but all things he most valued, he was fain to bring it and lay it down at Christ s feet, as they did their money at the apostles , and by wholesale give it up to him. For he knew not but that, for the sincere
profession of Christ, he might lose all presently. Take a scholar in the
university, whose education was as Paul s, profiting in the Jewish learning above his equals ; yet the learning then cried up, and the way of preaching, in quotations of fathers, poets, apophthegms, stories, &c., was such as when a man had profited therein seven or ten years, and had a dispute f with or above his equals ; if he were humbled for sin and came to Christ for right eousness, and treated with God for salvation, God would say to him, What
advantage or use will all this your learning, you have counted your treasure, be of to me ? This poor soul was fain to give it all up for ever as lost, and was turned into the world a dunce, stripped of all his plumes ; for the other was loss and useless, and all this to win Christ. And then his carnal friends would come upon him too, and say they had lost all their hopes, their cost upon him. Thus a proud scholar was at once undone by bank
rupt.:}: Again, his heart was swollen with hopes of preferment, his sails
filled with the wind of it ; and he had ordered his studies, his comportment accordingly ; taken in commodities for that port. And as he, in Habakkuk, had in his conceits gathered to himself all nations, all sorts of preferments as his prey ; but when he came truly to turn to Christ and enter into a
profession of strictness, he was brought in his own resolution to lay down
all he was in hopes of, and all which he had laid up as gains, towards the
procuring of it ; and to be a poor schoolmaster, or a Levite in a private gentleman s house, was what in his future projections or expectations this man was brought to. Conversion was a great shipwreck. And sure it is, and will be to every one that turns to Christ still in something or other.
2. Again, after thou art turned, wherein dost thou reckon thy comings * Qu. conversion ? ED. f Qu repute ? ED. $ That is, bankruptcy. -ED.
CHAP. IV.J IN OUR SALVATION. 485
in to lie, and thy truest gains ? Paul being a preacher of the gospel, as
before a persecutor (to instance therein), what were the chiefest of his gains he looked at ? What, to get livings ? &c. No ; but that he might win some
souls converted or quickened by his ministry, he accounted his treasure. What is our crown (says he, 1 Thes. ii. 19, 20), but even ye, in the
presence of the Lord ? He acknowledged every such soul added as a
jewel to his crown ; and every degree of grace that was added to those souls,
as so many carats in diamonds, which increaseth their value. Thou hast an outward man with many appurtenances, a name and repute in the world, outward comforts about thee, health, vigour, the world fair on thy side.
All these in Scripture language are termed the rfutward man. Well, and thou pretendest to have an inward man in thee ; that is, to have a repute and acceptation with God, made to enjoy communion with him every day ; unto which the things and comforts of another world do as properly and
as suitably belong, as the other to that outward. To instance first in that
part of thy outward man thy good name, God comes and makes a breach
upon thy name ; and this party of men, they report this, another that ; yea, and pervert thy best and sincerest actions to thy reproach, turn thy glory into shame. And these losses and revilings daily come in like Job s mes
sengers, upon the neck of one another. These are shrewd losses. But what dost thou reckon thy gains ? All this while thou findest God draw
near to thee, own thee, testify thy sincerity to thee. Thou hast an inward
man, whose praise is with God, and not with men. And thou hast further
a name in thy eye, at the latter day, above every name that is in this world.
Yea, and every reproach will turn to increase it at that day. Even this
shall turn to my salvation, Phil. i. 19. Every thing written or spoken
against thee will then be a crown about thine head, as Job xxxi. 36, and
every scoff and contempt a fence. And thine heart all this while finds a
self-sufficiency in godliness, betwixt God and thee, in which thou rejoicest, and reckonest all these things thy gains, and secretly rejoicest heartily herein upon this account. Thus it was with Moses : Heb. xi. 26, He
* greater riches. He looked on them as his gains.
esteemed the reproach of Christ, or for Christ s sake,
And thus it is in all other kinds of outward losses, which are of the
appurtenances of the outward man. See Paul s spirit, 2 Cor. iv. 16,
* Though our outward man perish, yet, I thank God, my inward man is
renewed day by day. I find comings in more or less every day thereby, and what do I lose by that then ? And therefore I value not my losses of
this kind, whilst a gain comes in the other way.
Yea, upon this account all afflictions are therefore but light, and so all
losses of all sorts whatever, because they work for us an exceeding weight of glory. So it follows, verse. 17. And reason good why we should thus judge
: For the things we lose are
but things temporal ; but the things we have in exchange for them are
* We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which
things eternal. So again it follows, ver. 18,
are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
That true believers do really and in the private estimation of their souls
thus judge, you may also see by the instance of the believing Hebrews, whose hearts Paul cuts up : Heb. x. 33, 34, Ye were made a gazing-stock by reproaches and afflictions, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, as great losses as can be supposed to befall men. What should be the
reason of this ? They knew that they were gainers, that they got well by
486 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK X.
< Knowing in yourselves (mark that) that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance (which as Paul told us even now), is wrought and increased by all these losses a hundred fold, as Christ speaks. It was the knowledge and actual application of this, caused them to rejoice as well as they might. But how did they know it ? The text says, In themselves. When the great providence of God took away these, or any thing from them, God was graciously pleased still to seal to them a bill of exchange in their own hearts ; to return instead thereof, so much better and enduring substance by way of exchange in the other world ; and he wrote this bill in their hearts, they had it themselves, the earnest of it (as 1 John v., he that believes is said to have the witness in himself) ; and look, as all a man s actions are written in a man s conscience, which he shall
it.
not be able to deny, so all such impressions from God are also written in the heart. And God will own all these his bills of exchange at the latter day. So then a Christian accounts these his greatest gains. And well he may, for if one should come into your house and take all your pewter and all your brass, and melt it before your face, but then come and sprinkle some of the elixir upon it (which you call the philosopher s stone) and turn it all into gold, I pray, what loss had you ? Yea, what gains
! And truly thus by faith you may and in the issue, in experience, all you true Christians must look upon all afflictions and losses whatever. "By faith you may aforehand, as knowing this will be the issue ; therefore says James, chap. i. 2,
< Count it all joy, when ye fall into divers temptations ; observe his when, not when after ye are fallen, but at first, when you do fall. Re
joice thus aforehand. Suppose thy afflictions be for thy sins, no matter ; wait and thou shall gain by them. They bring forth a quiet fruit of righteousness, that is, that issue which so quiets, as it causeth the soul to
say, I am satisfied ; it was well for me I was thus afflicted. Thou losest a child dear to thee, for it is thine image, and God renews (upon the occasion and by the affliction of it) his own image, or some member of it, more fair and fresh than ever. What are a hundred thousand children to the least degree of grace ? The comings in by one good prayer is worth them. God takes a pin off thy sleeve, and puts into thine heart the white stone which hath a new name on it. It was good for me I was afflicted, says David ; that is, he reckoned it his gains. To be kept but from one sin by an affliction is greater gain than this world hath to afford. I went astray, says David, afore I was afflicted. Crosses which break other men s hearts, and which they can never get off, but are sunk with the burden of to their graves, they are made light to a believer, as Paul speaks ; they bring him nearer to God, and he blesseth God that ever it befell him. It is
true^indeed, he desires rather, and he is to seek it, that God would sanctify mercies to him ; yet if there be no other way to be made a partaker of God s holiness (as the apostle speaks) but this, he would not care what God did with him. If by any means I may attain the resurrection of the dead, says Paul, Phil. iii. 11. He speaks it in respect of the holiness that will be in that state. Let God take what course he will, what means he will, he should be glad. It was because he reckoned God and the things of God his treasure, and so his gains to lie there. By these two dealings of God with thee put together, thou mayest make forth a great and mighty evidence of thy election.
1. That however God deals with thee in what thy flesh and outward man
desires, whether rich or poor, despised or in repute, &c., yet still thou canst and mayest observe that by all such dispensations God seasonably keeps
CHAP. IV.] IN OUB SALVATION. 487
thee, or breaks thee off from sin, draws thee nearer, and puts thee upon
praying and crying out to him. What is this but that his eternal love hath
taken care of an inward man in thee, which he doth renew from day to day
(if thy crosses be such), or from month to month, from week to week ; and
therefore will not let thee go on in such a sin as others do, or in that dead
frame, but it shall cost thee this affliction or that, a loss in this thing or that
thing which is dear to thee ; another piece of thy name must go for it, or
the other child, or some of thy estate. This is a sign eternal love carries
on its design towards thee, and not common or providential love.
2. Then, secondly, dost thou find this still, upon all such losses and
perishings of thy outward man, thy heart to have some quietness and
rejoicing from this, that though God hath dealt thus bitterly with me, yet he hath made it up by a supply of his Spirit some way or other, either in
preserving from sin, stirring up conscience, quickening to prayer, exercising
faith, waiting submission. And then with all thy heart thou dost value
these more than all thy losses, and dost say, howsoever, I see it was good and best for me I got by such a sickness brokenness of heart, both off from
and for such a lust ; and though I cannot say I have grown much, yet my inward man hath been renewed, some life of graces have been kept in ure
hereby, so as I would not for all the world but God should have dealt thus
with me ; I would not have been rich, or great, or honourable instead
thereof, though still what God will do with me at last I know not. I tell
thee, such thoughts and dispositions as these do manifestly declare that thy
treasure lies not on this side of heaven, but it is in the other world, which
appears by thine own audit-book, in which losses and gains are written ;
that is, what things they are thou esteemest thy greatest losses and thy
greatest gains. Thy gains in this case lie in things of the other world.
Now, further, to give you an evidence that not in this world, but in the
other, a Christian s treasure lies ; not only that he accounts the afflictions of
this present life gains, but even death itself, concerning which other men s
hearts say, When I am gone, all is gone. Death is the great murderer ;
like a sweeping rain, despoils a man of all in this world at once. But what
< To me to die is gain. So a good soul looks
says Paul ? Phil. i. 21,
upon the thing in itself. And oh ! that I had assurance, that I might account it so for me ; yet such it is in his estimation, in his hopes, though not in his particular confidence. Oh, says he, I heartily value the things
of that world, so as that I would not care if I were well there ; this wife,
these good houses, children, credit, honours, what will they do me ? Whom have I, in affection, in heaven but thee ? In earth I have too many
harlotry things which draw away my heart from thee. Oh, would I were
with thee, and in thy bosom ! So he prays and sighs. And why is this ?
Because the true treasure thy heart values is laid up there, and there is an
enduring substance. And then says the heart, If I die, I should go and
receive all my bills of exchange, into which all the comforts I have had first
or last have been one way or other turned. I shall meet with every prayer,
tear, sigh, groan, and have all mine afflictions returned me with infinite
advantage. To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Again, I shall add, What dost thou endeavour to add to daily ? Therein
lies the gains, and that is thy treasure. It is in the text : What is a man s
treasure, he will lay up, and be still adding to that heap. For a treasure
lies in an abundance which a man seeks to heap up ; whereas of other things he only provides so much as barely serves his present use, as coals for
firing, &c. Of the believing Corinthians Paul gives this testimony, and
488 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK X.
withal this motive, which he knew would take with their hearts : 2 Cor. viii. 7, Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, and in your love to us ; see that ye abound in this grace also. Wherein lay the force of this exhortation, but that they accounted the graces of the Spirit their treasure ? and so had a principle provoking them to abound in all sorts of them. The like exhortation you have, 1 Cor xv. 58, Always abounding in the work of the Lord ; that is, in some good thing or other that is for God, knowing your labour is not in vain ; for the more you abound, the more treasure you lay up in heaven. Consider, therefore, what heap thou art endeavouring to add unto as tny treasure. I do not say which of the heaps are bigger, thy good works or thy sins ; but which heap is it thou seekest to add to, and to abound in ? Dost thou go on reck
lessly to add sin to sin, Isa. xxx. 1, till the measure of thine iniquity is full ? Thou and thy companions say (as Isa. Ivi.), Come, to-day shall be as to-morrow,* and much more abundant. Abundance of sin, and pleasure by sin, is that thou seekest ; adding drunkenness to thirst, as (Deut. xxix. 19) Moses his phrase is ; that is, a full satisfaction to every lust thou hast a mind to : if covetous, seekest to add land to land ; if a scholar, notion to notion ; but neglectest, yea, valuest not to add grace to grace, one good prayer to another, as Peter exhorts, 2 Peter i. 5. Dost thou give all diligence to add grace to grace, to that end that you may be rich in faith, James ii. 5, rich in good works, in good speeches, good thoughts, as account ing these your treasure ? Then God is the chief portion and treasure. And this by so much the more as thou hast formerly added sin to sin. And if thou sayest, Alas, my lusts abound, and deadness and unfruitfulness ; well, but then thou aboundest in complaints hereof, and addest complaint to com plaint ; and it makes thy life bitter to thee, as a sorer vanity than any Solo mon instanceth in.
Again, What times of thy life dost thou look upon as lost time, or else as most precious and gainful to thee ? Days of greatest receipts of what is one s treasure, he reckons his best days. A man counts that time lost, in which what he principally intends goes not forward. A scholar that makes haste to be rich in knowledge, as others to be rich in estates, looks upon times that conscience puts him upon holy duties in, as interruptions, which he thinks much at, as impediments to his main end. So of the Sabbath ; when will it be gone ? as they in the prophet ; or, as the heathens scoffed the Jews, that they lost the seventh part of their lives. Dost thou so ? It is because thou makest not God, nor the things of God, thy treasure. What made David account one day in God s house better than a thousand ? Ps. Ixxxiv. 10. What makes one day better than another, but that gain which the day brings in ? Oh, say they that run into excess of
riot, What a gallant night had we of it ! when their wits and spirits were flushed with wine and joviality But on the contrary, what says a good and holy soul ? I have had a good day of it, or a good night of it, when God hath been near him in a private prayer, or at meeting with others, Isa. Iviii. 13. To a godly man a fast-day or a Sabbath-day is said to be honour able, that is, precious and high in his esteem. Hence when a man comes to turn to God, he accounts all the time before, however spent, to be lost time. You have therefore Paul complaining that he was converted later than the rest of the apostles ; 1 Cor. xv. 8, that he was born out of time, as a scholar that is kept from school, or from going to the university till twenty years old or upwards, bewails his loss, or his having been a truant.
* Qu. To-morrow shall be as to-day ? ED.
CHAP. V.] IN OUR SALVATION. 489
And yet Paul had spent his time well in the Jewish learning, and profited therein above measure. Yea, but I knew not Christ, says he, for the
excellent knowledge of whom I account all things loss. To this also refers
that speech of Christ : Mat. xx. 3, 6, Why stand ye here idle all the day
long in the market place ? And therefore a godly man also looking back
upon the times past after his conversion, those days wherein (though under bitter temptations) yet he sought God much, and with the utmost
intentions of his soul ; or wherein there was a quick trade and intercourse between God and him, or others and him in the things of God, he notes them in his almanack with a white stone. And these wherein he considers
that the world and vain thoughts have, as the lean years, eaten up the fat, he looks on these with sadness, and with bitterness cries out, Amid ! perdidimus diem, Friends, we have lost a day, in which he hath not made some
addition to his treasure. This is the great rule in Moses his arithmetic, which he hath taught us, to number our days, by applying our hearts to
wisdom. Which rule by proportion holds and instructs for time past, as
well as time to come, that a man reckons that time lost, in which he hath
not applied his heart to wisdom.