صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

and what have you to bear out all this charge with? See that expression, Titus iii. 8. that they be careful to maintain good works such good works, he means, as are conducible to salvation: to maintain such good works is so great a charge, as will beggar all the ability of nature, if you have not a Heavenly Treasure to defray it: you cannot, by the power of nature and all natural endowments, maintain good works: are they able to act faith, and love, and patience, and humility, and self-denial ? I know it is both easy and pleasant, to think and hope that you shall be saved: but, sit down first, and consider what it will cost you can your present stock carry you through good and evil report, through reproaches and afflictions? will it carry you through all? if not, will you yet say, you are rich, and increased in goods, and stand in need of nothing? Be convinced, therefore, that you are poor and insufficient creatures; and that you stand in need of abundance of supply from this Heavenly Treasure, to discharge this cost and expense that you must be at, if ever you will be saved.

Consider,

[2] The desperate debts you have contracted with the justice of God, and the deep arrears you are run into with the wrath and vengeance of God; and how do you think to clear your account without a vast and infinite treasure to defray it?

Suppose God should take every sinner, this day before him, by the throat; and say to him, " Wretch! pay me what thou owest me: I will give thee no longer time."

"Pay thee, Lord! why, what is that I owe thee?”

1st. "Thou owest me huge and vast sums for all the Temporal Mercies thou enjoyest. Thou vauntest it in the world, as though none were so great as thou art: yea, but thou hast paid for nothing that thou hast. Here is so much upon the account, for thy estate; and so much, for credit and reputation: so much, for protection and preservation; yea, for thy life and soul: yea, thou owest me for all. Pay me now for all these; yea, and the utmost farthing too for all these debts: or, else, lie for ever in hell."

Oh, that worldly-minded men would but seriously consider, that none of the good things which they now enjoy are upon free-cost there must and will certainly come an after-reckoning and then, perhaps, they will say, it is one of the worst bargains they made in their whole lives, when they were con

:

tent to grow rich, when this after-reckoning comes and God shall call them to pay for all the mercies and enjoyments that he lent them.

2dly. Thou owest God for many thousands of Sins and Provocations against him, which thou must make recompence and satisfaction for.

And therefore sins are called debts: Forgive us our debts. And how many thousand talents art thou thus indebted to God! Every sin is a talent of lead, for its weight, to sink the soul deep into hell; but it is a talent of gold, for its price and satisfaction, God's law is transgressed: and how canst thou recompense it? his wrath is provoked: and how canst thou atone it? thy soul is forfeited to endless torments: and how canst thou redeem it? The redemption of the soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.

Tell me now, O Sinner, art thou rich enough in thyself to discharge all these debts? canst thou pay God, to the full, for every mercy thou hast received? canst thou satisfy him, to the full, for every sin thou hast committed? dost thou think still, that thou hast no need of a treasure to discharge all these? Possibly, by this time, thou art convinced that thou standest in need of a treasure: but, it may be, thou thinkest there is none rich enough to do all this. Truly, there is none, but the treasure of the infinite merit of Christ; who, for those that believe on him, hath paid off all their score: so that neither God's mercies, nor yet their own sins, shall ever be charged upon them to their condemnation. They can plead, "Lord, here is a full price, the precious blood of thine own Son. It was, indeed, thine own free grace that bestowed him upon us, who is such a boundless treasure: but, being instated in that, we do no longer desire to deal with thee upon terms of grace; but upon most severe, rigorous, and strict justice. What mercies we have had were purchased for us by this price: what sins we have committed were satisfied for us by this expiation: and, therefore, we stand acquitted in law." Thus may those, that have a part in this Heavenly Treasure, make up their accounts with a great deal of confidence; when others, that have nothing to discharge their debts withal, shall be cast into prison, whence they shall never return. Be convinced, therefore, of the absolute need and necessity that you stand in of this Heavenly Treasure.

(3) Another reason why no more labour after this Heavenly

Treasure, is, because there are so few men that are willing to go upon trust.

Truly, the riches of a child of God are in believing, in trusting and, therefore, we have that expression, James ii. 5. The poor of this world, rich in faith. Now to be rich in faith only, the world counts a fantastic kind of riches: they would rather be rich in present possessions: they know not the mystery of growing rich, by believing, and having nothing.

Now the people of God go on trust for their treasure: and that Two ways.

[1] Their treasures are Invisible.

2 Cor. iv. 18. We look not at the things, which are seen; but at the things, which are not seen. The greatest part of what a Christian doth enjoy lies in invisibles: in the love of God; in interest in him; in communion and fellowship with him; in the actings of faith and dependance upon him. Tell an earthly, carnal man of such a treasure as this, he wonders where lies the glory and excellency of it: he sees not God, nor Christ: he sees not that sweet communion and intercourse, that there is betwixt God and the soul. The things of the world he sees; the pomp, and glory, and splendor of the earth: these are objects of his sense: they are sensible things: and therefore these are things, that do affect him; but he prizes not invisible things, because out of sight, out of mind,

[2] Their treasure is not only invisible, but Future: it is to

[merged small][ocr errors]

It is but little, that a saint enjoys for the present: his great estate lies in hope and in reversion: now he lives, it may be, upon glimpses and half smiles; and very restricted communications of God unto his soul: he hath only enough to make him to know what that inheritance is that he expects; and, were it not that his faith tells him sometimes how rich and glorious it is, truly he could not live and subsist upon his present incomes. Now there is a body of sin and death, that keeps him low and mean in his actual enjoyments: this keeps him in nonage, and bars him from the possession of his estate: yea, but when this old man dies, then there falls to him a large and glorious inheritance, then he is instated into the present possession of all his hopes, and then he can live as much by sight and sense as the men of the world now do. Now this doth not affect earthly men: they have somewhat for the present, and they care not

for the future: the world is in their hands, but heaven is afar off: as eternity is that, which shall never end; so it shall never begin with them and so, foolish creatures! while they are pleasing themselves with empty enjoyments here below, eternity comes upon them unexpected, and they unprovided for it.

And that is a Third Reason.

(4) Few men are willing to come up to the price of this Heavenly Treasure.

"Why, what is the price?" you will say. Truly, it is nothing less than all: Matth. xiii. 46. our Saviour, speaking of the wise merchant, says, that when he had found the pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Now, though hereby is not required actual renouncing of all, but only a disposition of heart to part with all, when they stand either in competition with or opposition to these heavenly things: yet men's affections are so glued to the world and the follies and vanities here below, that they count this a hard bargain; and they would rather forego God and Christ and the great and glorious things of eternity, than buy them at so dear a rate, as to be willing to part with them all for heavenly things.

You see, then, what hinders men from making heavenly things their treasure. Beware that these things be not charged upon you, as your practical error, at the Last Day. Let me tell you, it will be sad and dreadful for you, to see poor despicable saints let in to the full possession of this treasure, which here they believed, and hoped, and longed for; and you yourselves, for cleaving to these vain and worldly enjoyments, to be shut out in eternal torments: what horror and dread will this cause within you!

Thus much, for the First branch of this Exhortation: Labour to get these Heavenly Things to be your Treasure.

2. The other branch is, Never rest satisfied, without a full assurance, that this Heavenly Treasure is yours; that you have a share in it, and a right to it.

(1) Consider,

[1] Without this assurance you can never live comfortably. For, though it be sufficient for your eternal safety and security, that God is your treasure and your exceeding great reward; yet it will not be sufficient for your present comfort, unless you know and apprehend him so to be.

[2] Without this assurance you can never live generously, and as it becomes a Christian.

That is, you cannot live above the world without it: not above the fears and flatteries, above the frowns and fawnings, of the world; unless you have assurance that God is your treasure. A Christian, that knows God is his portion, can do thus : he can rejoice in tribulation, and triumph in afflictions, and live splendidly upon his God, though all the things of this world fail him. Habbak. iii. 17, 18. Although the fig-tree should not blossom, neither fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive should fail .... though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there should be no herd in the stalls: what then? must not he languish and perish with other men? no: Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of my salvation. What is the reason there is so much base compliance, and cringing, and servileness to every humour of men; but only because men have no assurance of any treasure, but what may be taken from them by men? I need not tell you what times we are now fallen into: they are perilous times, wherein nothing is worth the making sure; nay, indeed, nothing can possibly be made sure. We see changes and vicissitudes upon every thing; and, therefore, make that sure, that alone can be made sure: and that is God, and heavenly and spiritual things: and, then, Though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be hurled into the midst of the sea; Though the water's thereof roar.....and the mountains shake..... yet God will be our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble: Ps. xlvi. 1, 2, 3.

(2) To those, that have had this full assurance, I shall only speak Two words briefly.

[1] Live upon your treasure : by faith fetch in supplies from it, for all your exigences and necessities.

07

Yea, live at a far higher rate, than what the men of the world can do: that so they may be convinced, that the poorest Christian hath greater sufficiency in himself than all the world besides; that the world may be convinced, that a Christian hath more in God than the greatest worldling can have in all his worldly possessions.

[2] Take heed of wasting and spending this treasure.

Indeed, the main stock cannot nor shall not be spent: yet take heed of diminishing the heap. Be still adding to it, rather than wasting it. Truly, sin will both waste your treasure, and blot your evidences, and darken that knowledge and assurance that have that this treasure is yours. you

(3) I have but one word more : and that is, to exhort you to

« السابقةمتابعة »