Chapter 11: General Directions to Get a Treasure of Holy Thoughts

My principal design is to lay down a directory for the people of God, and because this is a business of great moment, consequence, and concernment, to have, keep, use, improve, and increase a heart-treasure. I shall be the larger upon it, and rank what I have to say under these four topics or heads, namely: 1. How shall a soul be furnished with a treasure of good thoughts. 2. How shall a Christian lay up truths, graces, comforts, and experiences? 3. How may a Christian preserve and increase this treasure? 4. How must a treasured soul draw out, and make use of his treasure.

To begin with the first, which is this: What course shall a Christian take to hoard up a treasure of holy thoughts? This is the good treasure chiefly intended in the text, and I shall be the larger upon this head. To this end I shall propound these ten directions:

1. Work upon your hearts the reality and rarity of the things of God: get thoroughly convinced that there are such things to be had, and that they are worth laying up; you must look upon divine things as infallibly certain, and incomparably excellent: those were accounted sensual and brutish philosophers, that (following Epicurus) placed man's chief happiness in matters of sense, as profit, pleasure, honor — but those were the most sublime, and (in a sort) divine, that placed the (summum bonum, or) chief good, in what is above, or opposite to sense, as in the good things of the mind, and moral virtue; can heathens by the light of nature and reason see a reality and excellency in things invisible to sense, and shall not Christians much more? It is a shame for a saint, enlightened by the Spirit, to be so blear-eyed, as not to see afar off, or view spiritual objects: it is the duty and property of a Christian to overlook things that are seen, and intently to behold things not seen (2 Corinthians 4:18). O sirs, could you as really see with a spiritual eye spiritual goods, as you can with your natural eyes behold corporal objects, what an advantage would it be to you? Could you make Gospel-mysteries, and mercies as sensual to yourselves, as a rich man's bags and lands are to him, what an exceeding help would it be? This made Moses forsake the visible glory of Egypt, and endure intolerable things in the wilderness, for he saw him that was invisible (Hebrews 11:27). Thus Christians are to realize divine things, and account highly of them, for no man will treasure up that which he accounts not as most excellent, the making light of Gospel-grace, is the great reason why so many go without it, so it is said in (Matthew 22:5), the bidden guests made light of it, or as the word signifies, they would not take it into their care and thoughts, they looked upon it as not worth looking after. I am persuaded unbelief, or want of a thorough, settled and effectual persuasion of the truth of the Gospel, and reality of what good is contained in the promises, is the root of that gross atheism, and willful neglect in the world; you are to give your full assent to the things of God, to venture your souls upon Scripture-principles, God's ipse dixit must be in stead of all the demonstrations in the world, you must center and anchor yourselves upon that impregnable rock (Scriptum est) — it is written, and though you cannot find a reason of the things believed, yet this is to be accounted a sufficient reason of your belief, namely: God has spoken them, and you may safely trust your souls upon his word, for he cannot lie, he is wiser than to be deceived, and he is more righteous than to deceive: you may safely lay the stress of your souls upon his word. O that I could persuade you to this, do not put off these things with a slight [reconstructed: notion] and conjectural opinion, but advance to the riches of the full assurance of understanding — that is an high word, but you cannot be too sure about these things, your strongest confidence may be battered, your persuasion may stagger, and therefore get as well rooted as you can, for according to the degrees of your affiance, will your graces and duties ebb and flow, rise or fall. And you must not only believe the truth of them, but urge them upon your own hearts, as Paul says, so say you, What shall I say to these things? Are they true, or are they not? Are they worth thinking of, or are they not? Have I an interest in them, or have I not? O my soul let me press you to the serious view of heavenly objects, they are choice things, and deserve our study, rare wherein few have interest, yet absolutely necessary wherein all must have a share, or they are undone for ever: that is the first direction.

2. Reserve your heart for, and resign up your heart wholly to God: he calls for it, "My Son give me your heart" (Proverbs 23:26). Let not your dearest comforts, relations or companions have a share in your soul; this is the chief tribute that's due to God, rob not God of any part of it, clip not the King of Heaven's coin, but you may and must let out your hearts solely and wholly to God, and things above, as the lines go to the center. David had set his affections to the house of his God, and therefore his thoughts were vehemently carried out after those things, that made him offer so much, and offer so willingly. The same man of God prays (Psalm 86:11), "Unite my heart to fear your Name" — the word imports a making his heart one, he would not have a heart, and a heart; a divided heart is no God-fearing heart. He that would patch up a contentment both of God, and the creature, shall go without a solid treasure, for the creature cannot, and God will not fill such a heartless heart. Besides, love, says one, is for one object, like a pyramid, it ends in a point; affection is weakened by dispersion, as a river by being turned into many channels. You cannot serve two masters; he that would have a treasure of any thing intends that only, he contracts his affairs into a narrow compass, and makes that his [illegible] his only work. So must you knit your thoughts together, and fix them upon this only object. It is a dangerous thing to divide the affections between God and the world, like Judah that swore by the Lord, and by Malcham, or their king. But God does make account, that that soul is not at all for him, that is not altogether for him, and not for another. Those nations feared not the Lord that joined their serving idols, with fearing the true God (2 Kings 17:33-34). There can no more be two chief delights in one heart, than two suns in one firmament. Those spirits are winding and crooked, that are like that haven we read of (Acts 27:12), lying directly towards two opposite points of heaven. Cyrus took Babylon, by dividing the river; the Devil soon surprises us, if he can but divide our hearts. If our hearts be divided, we shall be found faulty. O let's take heed of being voluntary cripples, to halt between two opinions; let us not dismember ourselves by being half, and hollow-hearted. God is infinite, Christ is complete, spiritual things are most excellent, and these deserve the whole heart. Therefore resign up yourselves to God resolvedly, unreservedly and universally. Fear not, as he finds his life, that loses it for God: so he only receives his heart as good, and worth having, that gives it to God. For he takes it to make it better, as even a heathen could say to his scholar, that had nothing to give him but himself. Give God your hearts, and he will furnish them with a treasure; commit your souls into his hands, and he will both commit a treasure to you, and will also keep that which you commit to him, till the great day of his illustrious appearing. He will preserve both the case and the jewel, soul and body; the least atom of dust shall not be lost. How much more will he graciously preserve that good work of grace, and fruits of the Spirit, that he has committed to you (2 Timothy 1:12). Therefore I beseech you take my counsel in this: keep no corner of your heart for a stranger, but yield yourselves to the Lord, deliver the keys of your hearts into his hands, let the King of Glory enter in, and his glorious train will fill the temple of your souls. He is a treasure wherever he comes. Christians are called God's house, his temple; it is therefore gross sacrilege to rob him of his house, or to keep him out of doors. The soul of a believer, says an ancient, is the true temple of Christ; adorn and clothe that, offer gifts to that, receive Christ into it. Herein consists the sum and marrow of our religion, namely, a heart totally dedicated to God, and that's the second help to get a treasure in the heart.

3. Live by faith upon Jesus Christ: the lively acting of faith upon the Mediator of the covenant will fill your souls with saving and savory incomes: God has appointed Christ to be the storehouse of his church; now faith is the hand to fetch supplies from Christ to the heart, by faith is the soul engrafted into this true olive, and sucks fatness from it; Christ dwells in the heart by faith, and still more of Christ is fetched in by faith: all the means of a Christian's life is by the exercise of faith: therefore is the righteous said to live by his faith, because it lives, and feeds the soul upon Christ: faith empties the heart, and so makes room for Jesus Christ, and then lays hold of him, and compels him to turn into the heart. And our dear Savior is willingly conquered with the strength of faith; faith is the key that opens the chest where treasures lie, and the hand that brings them into the heart: faith opens the heart to receive riches of grace, and that man has a shut heart that has not the key of faith: O get a great measure of faith, for the more faith you have the richer you are, for faith itself is a precious treasure: and it does all for enriching the soul; truths cannot be a treasure in our minds to profit our hearts, except mixed with this precious ingredient, faith; all graces of the Spirit attend this queen and captain grace of faith; experiences cannot be gathered or improved without faith: and that comfort is but a fancy that is not ushered in by the assurance of faith: faith is the great bucket to draw water out of the wells of salvation, and the more faith you bring, the more fullness you receive. Well then, would you have your hearts stored with a treasure, strive to increase your faith, and let the Lord Jesus be the direct object of your faith; it is he alone that has the key of David, that does both open heaven to us, and a heavenly treasure for us: since the fall we have no converse with God, or communication from him, but through a Mediator; it is a terrible thing, says Luther, even to think of God out of Christ; you must honor the Son as you honor the Father, and as you believe in God, so must you also act faith upon Christ God-man; that as our nature in Christ's person is filled with all that poor souls can want, so from that fullness we may receive all things needful for our being and well-being in grace. O stir up and awake your faith, come poor soul, reach here your hand of faith, and thrust it into your Savior's pierced side, and there you may feel, and from there fetch abundant fruits of love: be not faithless but believing: do not dam up the channels of grace by unbelief, do not forsake your own mercies, by being shy and fearful to venture at it, you can lose nothing, you may get much by one single act of faith. O sirs, one pure act of a lively faith will bring you in more treasure, than many hours tugging and struggling in duties, and performances: nothing in the world does [ponere obicem] shoot a bar, and bolt the door between Christ and the heart, but unbelief: if you can believe all things are possible, but unbelief hinders the working of miracles and operations of grace. Away with all distrust, set afoot the precious grace of faith, break through the quarrellings of your unbelieving heart, lie low under the sad sense of your insufficiency, and sweet apprehension of Christ's all-sufficiency: humbly stretch forth the trembling hand of your weak faith, though you have many misgivings of spirit, yet say with tears, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief: I am no more able of myself to put forth one saving act of justifying faith, than I am to fulfill all righteousness, and keep the whole law: but the grace of the Gospel has undertaken to do that which it requires to be done: Lord, I roll myself upon you, I come to you by faith, do not cast me off, do not cast me out as a broken vessel wherein there is no pleasure, but fill this empty vessel of my broken heart with abundant incomes, which will redound to your glory, and my soul's abundant comfort: this do and prosper, thus believe and be filled, poor wanting soul, for whatever you ask believing, you shall receive (Matthew 21:22).

4. Warm in your hearts the grace of love, that noble grace is of an expatiating and extensive nature; Heaven is the fittest room for its motion, and eternity for its duration; he that loves much will not be content with a little, and God will not put him off with a scantling: the more the soul is filled with love, the more it is filled with God, for God is love; and can a man have a better treasure than God himself? Now if you love God, he will come in to you, and make his abode with you (John 14:23), and can you wish a better treasure? Love makes room in the heart for more grace, he that loves much, because much is forgiven him, shall have more given in: indeed that expression in (2 Corinthians 5:14) seems to denote the contracting nature of love, the love of God constrains us [illegible] — straitens, keeps us in, but that is from other things, that the soul may have freer scope for God; this love diverts the affections from running in any other channel, but towards Jesus Christ; it captivates the soul for Christ, and forces it to do, and endure anything for him whom the soul loves. The grace of love widens the arms to embrace Jesus Christ, enlarges the heart to entertain him, and spirits the hands to act for him: Christ Jesus rides in a glorious triumphant chariot, whether it mean his personal, or mystical body, his flesh and human nature, or his Church, which he fills with his presence, I dispute not; but sure I am, the midst thereof is paved with love (Song of Songs 3:10). Certainly, a soul beset with the sparkling gems of love is the fittest receptacle for Jesus Christ: he that is love itself does most freely commit the largest treasure to a loving disciple, as he bequeathed his dear mother to John, when [reconstructed: he] was breathing out his last upon the bitter cross, and after his death entrusted him with the Revelation, indeed, him only with a description of the state of the Church to the end of the world: O how freely do a loving Savior, and loving soul open their hearts to each other! Like entire ancient friends meeting that let out themselves in ample evidences, and reciprocal acts of love: so here, the pure flame of a saint's love mounts up to Christ, and there meeting with that heavenly element of perfect love, brings more down into the soul, and still these continued sallies of love to God, bring in successive incomes and increases of grace: every act of love exhales some corrupt vapors, and dilates the soul's faculties, that it may be fit for the reception of more grace; indeed, love sets the soul on edge for more, and makes it as insatiable as it is unwearied in painful endeavors: faith works by love, that is, as by its hand to act for God, and indeed love, in a sort, works by faith, as its hand to fetch all from God, faith sets love on to crave, and love engages faith to derive more grace from God: love is faith's stomach, and faith is love's purveyor: and as love helps the soul to a treasure of graces, so of truths; love to truths makes the soul look upon them as a precious Depositum, to think much of them, and so rivet them and clench them fast in the heart by meditation; love makes a man contend for the faith by disputing and dying, if God call him to it. Hence it is, that love is one of those hands that hold fast the form of sound words (2 Timothy 1:13). But he that receives not the truth in love, will never make it a treasure, but will sell it for a lust, and embrace a lie: therefore sirs, I entreat you work up this grace, stir up your hearts to think of the love of Christ, blow up this spark to a flame, content not yourselves with a low degree of love to God, love him with an intensive, extensive, appreciative love, let your measure of love to him be beyond measure, let your hearts ascend to him in this holy flame of entire love, love him more than your enjoyments, more than your relations, more than yourselves: I shall say no more of this ordinary, yet very necessary subject, because many have done so worthily herein: read them.

5. Walk humbly with your God: that's another direction: walk close with God, a hint of that, but I shall speak most of that soul-enriching grace of humility: O Christians, the best means of edification is a holy conversation, God communicates secrets, and solace to them that walk with him, a soul of a well-ordered conversation shall see God's salvation; a master will entrust a faithful, careful, diligent servant, with a larger talent; for such a one credits his master, and promotes his designs: bringing forth much fruit glorifies God and edifies men, and surely the Lord will dignify such fruitful vines with more care in dressing, and yet more of his blessing to help their abundant fruit-bearing: such shall have more clear discoveries of God's will, as carefully do it: and such as do his Commandments have right to the tree of life, that they may come to it when they please and eat abundantly, and live for ever: there's an incomparable advantage in close-walking: in keeping the Commandments there's this reward, that every act of obedience does increase ability to obey; every step renews strength: saints go from strength to strength, for the way of the Lord is strength to the upright: nothing evidences and increases grace so much as holiness, therefore as he that has called you is holy, so be you holy; in all manner of conversation; And let me persuade you to be very humble, God gives more grace to the humble, humility is not only a grace, but a vessel to receive more; the high and holy God fills the humble and lowly heart; the King of Heaven loves to walk upon this blessed pavement. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven: and such a soul is the fittest receptacle for the precious riches of this heavenly kingdom: Much of the ancients' riches consisted in their garments, and a Christian's treasure lies much in his vesture, some of which is his larger upper [reconstructed: coat] — that's Christ's righteousness imputed, which covers all defects and imperfections, some are closer garments, girded to the soul by the girdle of truth and sincerity, these are the garments of sanctification, one choice part of which is humility (1 Peter 5:5). Be clothed with humility: Some think the word imports that string or ribbon that ties together those precious pearls of divine graces, these adorn the soul, and if this spring break they are all scattered: humility is the knot of every virtue, the ornament of every grace: hence I read a quotation out of Basil, who calls humility the store-house or magazine of all good: would to God we were all humble and holy walkers, and we should quickly have our hearts furnished with a treasure. Consecration in the time of the law was by filling the hand, and he that is consecrated to the Lord shall have his heart filled, especially they that are emptied of all self-conceit, shall be filled with much of God's fullness: valley souls are usually covered over with a rich harvest of precious fruits: Humility is likewise a fit disposition for entertaining divine truths, these choice grafts will like best in a low ground: a meek soul will bid truths welcome: for a humble heart looks upon every truth of God as infinitely above itself, and therefore falls down under it, and says, speak Lord, for your servant hears; a humble soul owns the authority of God in his word, wherever it finds it, whoever brings it, so that even a little child may lead him anywhere with a twine thread of Scripture discoveries: But proud men and truth can never hit it, for they think scorn to put their necks under the girdle of truth, and it will have the victory where it lodges; Those were proud men that would not obey truth in Jeremiah's mouth, and therefore must that prophet take down their crests before they could be right disciples of truth (Jeremiah 13:15). Hear you, give ear, be not proud; And observe this, a proud man is always of the losing hand, both in the account of God and man, and in his natural or acquired accomplishments: the more a man attributes to himself some imaginary attainments, the more he loses: the stomach may be stuffed with noxious humors, that a man cannot eat, but that's not right fullness but a fulsome distemper, and proves dangerous, the belly may be raised with a tympany of wind, but that's not solid fatness, but a pernicious disease, and both these prejudice health: just thus is it with men's souls, the swelling disease hinders health by either truths or graces: O therefore be you humble, self-denying souls, sensible of your own defects, be nothing in your own eyes, and you shall be the temple, for the God of all grace to lodge in, and to walk constantly in, yea he will fill you with abundance of grace here and glory hereafter.

6. Be much in secret prayer: pray much and pray in secret, a word of both. O pray without ceasing, that is, keep a continual praying disposition, and lay hold on every fit season for that duty: while prayer stands still, the trade of religion stands still, and there's nothing got: all comes into the soul by this door, it is good for a Christian to keep up set and stated times of prayer. Daniel and David prayed three times a day, in extraordinary cases seven times a day, it is not lost labour to be much on our knees, we cannot go to God too often, I am sure not more often than we shall be welcome, if we pray aright, for the holy of holies is ever open, our high Priest ever lives to make intercession for us, prayer was made morning and evening, and we must be constant and instant in prayer: as the hunting dog that will not cease following the game, till he has got it; so must we pursue the Lord, and persevere with strength, till we have obtained what we want. There is a kind of omnipotence in prayer, as it was said of Luther, he could do with God, even what he would. At present I would advise all Christians to keep up a constant set time of prayer: what if you get little thereby? Yet wait on God still. Tradesmen will go to markets and fairs, and set open their shop doors and windows, though there be little to be done or gotten many times: so let the Christian keep this market of holy duties, and go upon the exchange to see what good bargain he can meet with for his soul; learn to maintain commerce with heaven still, lest you lose your custom: keep canonical hours, (as it were) of prayer, though your hearts be often out of frame, venture upon duty, and try what the Lord will do with you. It is the folly of our trifling spirits to put off duty, when our hearts are not in tune, with expectation that they will be in a better frame another time, but do we think that one sin will excuse another? Or that we shall be better fitted by a present neglect? No, certainly we ought to stir up ourselves to take hold on God, for why should Satan be gratified by a total forbearance? Will not disuse make us more reluctant to go to God another time? Indeed, have we not found it in Scripture and experience that a dead and discouraged entrance upon duty has increased to sweet enlargements, and ravishments of spirit? Search and see, usually a heart engagement has ended in a heart-enlargement, and God-enjoyment: God will bring an engaged heart near himself (Jeremiah 30:21). None ever lost their labour in struggling with their untoward hearts. Oh Christians, be sure you be found in prayer though you come hardly to it; and have much ado to keep at it, and have more hazard to get something by it: though with Jonathan and his armour-bearer you clamber up the hill on your hands and knees, and fight when you mount the top; yet you shall get the victory, and the spoils of such a conflict will be the most enriching. One Pisgah-sight of Christ in a promise will quit the cost, and hazard a thousand-fold: the evidence and advantage of such a performance will be the best, and worth all the rest. Indeed, for all I know, though you meet not with God as you desire at that time, yet God may own and crown that undertaking as much as the most heart-melting exercise, because there is most of obedience in that, and conscience of duty is as acceptable a motive to duty as sense of present recompense.

But withal, keep up a course of secret prayer, withdraw yourselves into a corner according to the rule (Matthew 6:6). God is wont to dispense his choicest blessings to solitary souls; when Jacob was left alone, he wrestled with the angel of the covenant and prevailed: John and Ezekiel had their visions and revelations, when withdrawn from the world: Solomon says, 'Woe to him that is alone, but blessed is he that being alone has God to bear him company:' Our dear Savior tells his Disciples, 'you leave me alone, yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me;' and when no creature is with us, we have converse most with God; for observe it, when persons are most secluded from other society, they are aptest to be subject to divine impressions, or to satanical suggestions: Therefore Christians, learn to get alone, improve solitary hours, pour out your souls in your closets, and he will pour in grace; think not to seek and find Christ in a crowd: the Lord Jesus and his spouse are modest, and have the sweetest embraces when they are retired: You must invite him into the field — and there give him your loves, and he also will give you his love-tokens, and fill your hearts with a treasure: an honest intent for retirement to enjoy Christ did occasion a monastic life: but certainly there is much sweetness in secret prayer, when the soul can freely open its bosom to God, and expostulate boldly, yet humbly with him; there the Christian may use such postures, pauses, pleadings, as would not be convenient before others: You may tell him your whole heart, and he will deal with you as with friends, and open his breast to you. Observe it Sirs, a Christian has some secret errand to God, that the dearest friend and nearest relation must not know of, cases that are not to be entrusted with any but God alone; here then comes in the necessity, and excellency of secret prayer; therefore again, let me earnestly request you to go alone (as you know Christ did often) and tell God your whole [reconstructed: heart], hide nothing from him, plead no excuse from worldly business: Satan and your corrupt hearts will find many occasions for diversion: but say to them as Abraham to his servants, 'stay you here while I go and worship the Lord yonder:' steal time from the world, and your work, occasional duties are like accidental bargains, that make the careful tradesmen rich: Bread eaten in secret is sweet, and such morsels make the soul well liking: Consult with such Christians as converse much with God in a corner, and you shall see their faces to shine as Moses's did after his retired conversings with God in the Mount; When Elijah to raise the woman's dead son, he took him into the loft, and there prayed; When you would quicken up your dead heart, take it alone, go into a loft, and fall on your face or knees and pray, and see the blessed effects thereof: Cyprian notably describes his sweet and solitary recesses into a place where no hearer can hinder his discourse, or intemperate noise of the busy family can obstruct: there he perceived, and received what he felt, before he learned it, not by a long series of study, but by a compendious act of divine grace: