Chapter 12: Four More Directions to Get a Treasure of Good Thoughts

A seventh direction to obtain a treasure, that is, trade with God in every performance: rest not satisfied with a bare outside of duties, or a trudging in the common road or round of formality: if you look not beyond ordinances in the use thereof, you will get no more treasure than a merchant whose ship rides to the Downs, and quickly returns again: he that would be rich must use duties as a bridge or boat to bring his soul to God, and as a chariot to bring God to his soul; every ordinance should be like those merchant ships that bring food or gold from afar: the Christian must travel far beyond the Indies, even as far as Heaven to fetch a heavenly treasure into his heart, the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (Proverbs 13:4). It is not a show of eating, nor only a sitting at the table that fills: a pretense of trading makes not rich: he that stands upon the bridge and walks not, will never get over the water, it is not the goodness of the boat, but our motion by it that wafts us over: a golden bucket will bring us no water except it be let down into the well: the choicest ordinances will bring us no spiritual or saving profit, except we have to do with God therein; God's institutions work not by any innate physical virtue that's in them, but morally, that is, by a careful improvement of them, and especially the blessing of God with them: a man is not therefore a good scholar because he went so long to school, and for saying so many lessons: nor is an ignorant Papist a whit the better for dropping so many beads, or pattering over so many Pater Nosters: the Apostle says, bodily exercise profits nothing (1 Timothy 4:8). He means not only recreations or superstitious usages, but even God's own ordinances, says an Expositor, the mere verbal perfunctory use thereof will not advantage the soul: but godliness is profitable to all things, the right spiritual worship of God brings along with it abundant incomes: some observe, that religious worshippers are said in Latin [Deum colere] because thereby they sow to the Spirit and are sure to reap of the Spirit life everlasting. Besides the inward refreshments they reap in this life: and truly, in worshipping God there is great reward; but it is easier to be much in duties, than to be much with God in duties: if we had been as often with God as we have been before God, we had been readier than we are: Job was persuaded that if he could find God, and come near to his seat, he would not plead against him with his great power, but would put strength into him (Job 23:3-6). And I dare say, if you could meet God in duty, he would meet you in mercy (Isaiah 54:5). And if God meet you he will bless you, and fill your soul with a blessed treasure, a treasure of heavenly blessings: if you draw near to God, he will draw near to you. Let me therefore persuade you to make conscience of getting communion with God, and influences from him in all ordinances and performances; you are great losers if you miss of God in duties, you take God's name in vain and lose your labor, or rather, you lose a blessing, and get the curse of doing the work of the Lord negligently; but oh, how blessed a thing is it to say with holy Saint Bernard, I never come to God, but I meet with God, I never go from God, but I carry God with me! Therefore in all your attendance upon God, carefully prepare before, mind your work and object of worship in, and diligently examine your hearts afterwards how the Lord has dealt with your souls, and blessed is he that can say as David in the point of obedience (Psalm 119:56), This I had, because I kept your precepts: what had he? Why, he had a heart to remember God's name in the night, holy thoughts whereby he might meditate on divine things: so say you, this I got in such a duty or ordinance, and this does furnish my soul with heavenly conceptions, and new matter of meditation: it is the power of the Spirit that must make ordinances effectual, though the Gospel be the ministration of the Spirit, yet the choicest truths, promises, sermons, sacraments will be but a dead letter, and law of death to the soul without the Spirit: therefore you are to wait for the Spirit to breathe and blow upon the garden of your souls, that the spices [divine graces] may be nourished, and so may flourish in our hearts and lives: ordinances are empty cisterns if God be not in them, they are full and filling if the presence of God be in them, O therefore look after God in every spiritual performance.

8. Spend time well: lose not a mite or minute of this precious creature; fill up all your waste time with some profitable work in your general or particular callings: cast not at your heels the least filings of these golden seasons: you have lost too much time already, now buy up the remainder, engross this precious commodity, take the fittest opportunities, like good merchants, for a dear time is coming, indeed the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). Imitate such tradesmen as miss no opportunity of getting gain at home or abroad, by night or by day, by plotting or by practicing: only make use of present moments, and promise not to yourselves tomorrow, as worldly tradesmen are apt to do, and be sure you take God along with you, whom they forget and leave behind: take time by the forelock, for it is bald behind, and you can get no hold of it. You little know what one big-bellied day may bring forth; it may produce a birth and burden of more duty, difficulty, or misery than hitherto you have met with. Time-redemption is an act of great discretion, but time-neglect brings thousands of souls to a despairing had-I-wist. The Apostle said, above a thousand years ago, the time is short; much more may we say so, since the ship is drawn so much nearer the harbor, the sails are contracted, and the end of all this is at hand; the world grows old and naught, your own days cannot be long. It may be this night your soul may be required, and leave your body as a stinking carcass — O then a treasure for another world will stand you in infinite stead! O consider often, that this time, this span-long life is the seminary of eternity, the prelude of an everlasting state, and therefore lavish not away your time, cast it not at your heels in a brutish prodigality, you will have time little enough when you come to die. A rich gallant at death cried out bitterly, 'Call time again, O call time again;' another would offer a thousand pounds to purchase a day. But alas, time cannot be valued with the vastest sums of money: one misspent day cannot be recalled with the gold of Ophir, that is but dross where time comes, and time and chance is upon the whole creation. You have but your appointed time, and all your times are in the hands of God, and if once lost, they are lost for ever; the dead and damned can say, we have only heard the fame thereof with our ears, but alas are past the hopes of time-enjoyment or improvement. When your glass is once run, and your sun set, there is no more working or gathering time in order to eternity, and there whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work nor device — in the grave where you go (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Be not you like those silly fishes that are taken in an evil net, because they know not their time (verse 12), but ply the oars while you have time: let no day pass without drawing some line towards your great center. You that are Christians had need be good time-students, time-merchants; the holiest men have been most careful of time, and they that have been the most fearful to lose an inch of time have been best treasured. Read histories and observe experiments; in all you will find men of the choicest spirits have been most diligent time-improvers, and some have accounted that day lost upon which they have not done some good with either tongue, or purse, or pen. Indeed, heathens have bewailed that day as spent in vain, in which they have not done some memorable action: how much more ought Christians to lament the loss of time? I heard an eminent minister say, he could eat the flesh off his arm in indignation against himself for his lost hours; and truly, the most of us are Epimethiuses, after-witted — we lose time and then smart for our loss, it is to our cost. We are too like the mole, of which naturalists say, it begins to see at death; we open our eyes when they must be shut. Let us therefore improve time while we have it, and study profitable things, and lay up every day something, so shall we find soul-riches increase, according to that proverb, 'Many littles make a mickle.' When God offers grace do not put him off, for delay will be interpreted a denial. An ancient Christian, now with God, advised me, to be either like Christ, or Mary: the first was always doing good, the latter still receiving good: were you and I constantly thus employed, our treasure would soon be raised to a large proportion, and we should be sooner ripe for glory.

9. Gather something out of every thing: that man is likely to be rich that will not let a good bargain pass, but lay hold on it, and lay up any thing that he can get a penny by. A wise tradesman despises not little things, for multiplication of small numbers amounts to a great sum: they that willfully contemn the smallest good, will in time look upon the greatest as contemptible. Who say, I care not, those I give for lost: and to instruct them will not quit the cost. Hence it is that Christ says, Gather up the fragments that nothing be lost. Thus should you make a collection of the least things that others cast away; get something out of every word, rod, or work of Providence, in a way of favor or displeasure. Receive not the grace of God in vain, hinder not your own proficiency by carelessness or inadvertency; be you diligent, and God will teach you to profit: see what you can make of every thing you meet with. A wise physician can tell you the virtue of every simple, and can extract some good out of those herbs, that an ignorant person casts away, as useless weeds. (Proverbs 10:14) It is said, wise men lay up knowledge, that is, they consider all objects and occurrences, how they may hereafter stand them in stead, what use may be made thereof, and so gather from them a profitable inference, and store that up for future times. Thus do you, if you would lay up a treasure, be not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is, by all that your eyes behold, or ears hear. Learn to make comments upon all the creatures, suck sweetness out of every flower, not for sensual delight, but spiritual profit. Let not so much as a good or bad report concerning yourselves or others sound in your ears, without special observation and improvement. Whatever your trade or calling be, you may and must spiritualize it for your soul's good; there is never a profitable science, says one, but it leads to the knowledge of God, or of ourselves, so that we need not be to seek for a treasure, if we have hearts to improve objects of sense. It was a good design in the reverend Doctor Hall, and discovered an honest fancy in improving vacant hours, and visible objects in his occasional meditations: go you and do likewise, by which blessed art of heavenly chemistry you may both please your fancy, and profit your hearts, use your wits, and exercise grace, and that is the way to increase it. The truth is, there is nothing but may do us good, if we have good hearts; the sins of others may be of great use to us, to consider our standing, and take heed lest we fall. The afflictions of others will work our hearts to sympathy, prayer, and charity. The indignities we suffer will awaken, quicken and strengthen us, if our hearts be honest in observing and improving them. There is not a minister that we hear preach, but we may get good by what he says; reverend Mr. Hildersham often said, he never heard any godly minister preach, though but of weak parts, but he got some benefit by him. Divine Herbert says — Do not grudge to pick out treasures from an earthen pot; the worst speak something good; if all want sense, God takes a text, and preaches patience.

But above all, get something out of every chapter you read, dig deep into these golden mines, and you shall be rich. Digested Scripture is the matter of regular prayers, holy discourses, and heavenly meditations; only run not cursorily over them, but let your thoughts dwell upon them, and extract some marrow and quintessence out of them. We usually read Scriptures as travelers go over mountains, that are barren on the surface, but dug into, they afford precious minerals: so the words and syllables of God's book itself, slightly considered, have no great efficacy, but the sense and purport thereof contains spirit and life to the intelligent and observant reader. (John 6:63) There is such a depth in Scripture, that if you read the same place a hundred times over, yet still you may get fresh notions and impressions from it. O therefore learn to read, understand, and improve the word of God, this will help you to a treasure; truths are fed by Scripture knowledge, and holiness is the counterpart of Scripture precepts, graces are the accomplishment of Scripture promises, and if your comforts and experiences be not suitable to the word, it is because you have no light in you.

10. Maintain communion of saints: oh forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, keep up this sweet good fellowship both in private conferences, and in public ordinances. For the first, you must observe and obey the wise man's counsel, throughout the Book of Proverbs, to converse with the wise. David professes himself to be a companion of those that fear God, and he, though a great king, esteems the saints more excellent, than all his courageous worthies, or grave senators, and therefore professes that all his delight was in them (Psalm 16:3). But it is not enough to be in good company, but you must improve it, by hearing and asking questions: that is a notable passage in (Proverbs 20:5). Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep waters, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Profound men are apt to be silent — Doubts well raised do lock the speaker to you, and preserve your stock. Therefore must be pumped by profitable questions, and it is an evidence of knowledge to propound a useful question seasonably, as well as to answer it solidly. It is our great loss we can make no better use of one another: unimproved society is the bane of Christian converse. For when we meet one another, and trifle away time without advantage, it increases our guilt, and discourages our hearts, for we are apt to say, we will meet no more, because our coming together, is for the worse, and not for the better, for many times our spirits are embittered by exasperating contentions. But O sirs, when you meet together purposely, or accidentally, improve your time in some holy discourses, spend not all your time about news or worldly affairs, but set afoot some religious talk. Talk sometimes as Christians, as well as men and chapmen: let somebody begin and break the ice. Many are apt enough to cast down the bone of contention, do you present the marrow of religion, that you may edify one another. Sit not together as mutes, or as men of the world, discoursing about matters of state or trading, or of the weather, or your ages, which was Pharaoh's question to Jacob, and that to his sons of the like import. But if there be ever a wise man among you, fetch some spark from heaven, and throw it among your companions, that every one may bring his stick to the fire, and by the bellows of mutual love, it may be raised to a flame, that thereby your hearts may be warmed, and even burn within you, as the two travelling disciples by Christ's opening to them the Scriptures. And then record and lay up what you have got in profitable conversings: thus was the Book of Proverbs collected, and hereby you might fill books and memories with useful observations. Yet take this caution, let not your end be to hear stories, notions, nor yet only polemical discourses, to furnish your heads with arguments for all subjects and companies, but let your principal end be to get your hearts bettered, grace strengthened, lusts weakened, lives reformed, consciences resolved. Oh the advantage you may have by Christian society! You may get good by others, do good to others, indeed observe it, your profitable discourses with others will reflect upon yourselves with advantage. Scholars find that conference rubs up their memories, revives their reading, and in a sort, gives them the mastery over their notions, and imprints them deeper within them, that were almost obliterated. Hence a famous scholar did return many thanks, to one that was many degrees below him, for affording him so fair an opportunity of private discourses. And a Jewish doctor could say, he had learned much from his masters, more from his equals, but most of all from his scholars, hence their proverb, I have learned by teaching. Experience does tell us that having to do in others' doubts, temptations, desertions, corruptions, directs us how to deal in our own cases. Therefore I advise you, be not shy in helping the weak, because thereby you do a double courtesy, to yourselves and to others, by one act or motion of your lips feeding others, and digesting your own meat. Besides, this Christian communion being God's institution, is seconded with his benediction, and gracious acceptance. The members of Christ's mystical body, speaking the truth in love, or truthing it in love, as the word imports, do grow up into him in all things, even Christ the head, and so that which is lacking in one joint, is made up by the usefulness of another. And for God's acceptance of the saints' holy conference, see that famous text in (Malachi 3:16). But that which I am urging is, the advantage that your souls will have by it, one live coal laid to a dead one, kindles it, a ripe grape put to a green one, ripens it. Company is of an assimilating nature, and grace, like fire, will beget its like, and it is an advantage to trade with rich merchants in precious commodities, for then we shall get well stocked with riches. So it is here, indeed observe it, when a company of Christians meet together for spiritual purposes, Jesus Christ makes one more, and he is in stead of many more, he walks from person to person, and enquires what they want, and Joseph-like, richly fills the sacks of their souls with a transcendent treasure. Where Christ keeps house, there is nothing wanting, he that girded himself to serve his disciples will wait to be gracious, and satisfy hungry souls. Christ walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks, and feeds the lamps of the sanctuary with oil. Go forth therefore, poor soul, by the footsteps of the flock, and feed the kids, besides the shepherd's tents. Be found in the communion of saints, be not content to have that article in your Creed, but let it be in your practice. Wait on God in public ordinances, every work there will help to fill your souls. Prayer, reading, singing Psalms, the word preached, the sacraments administered, you may get good by baptism, and the Lord's Supper, faithfully used, believingly improved. Some apply those two metaphors in (Song of Solomon 7:2). To these two seals of the Covenant, your navel is like a round goblet, which lacks not liquor. That imports baptism, because, as the navel upholds, and knits together, the liver, midriff, bladder, and receives by it all the nourishment the infant has from the mother in the womb, so the feeble members of the Church are united to Christ, and supplied with food by baptism, rightly improved, which is a full goblet, crowned with plenty and comfort. The latter is the Lord's Supper, which is thus expressed, your belly is like a heap of wheat, set about with lilies: the belly is the body's storehouse, so is this blessed sacrament, sending out to all the members of this mystical body, a due proportion of strength and nourishment, and this affords the finest purest wheat to every lily-saint, and milk-white soul that feeds on Christ by faith. And therefore let every soul be found in the use of these holy ordinances that would have a treasure of grace, yet observe this caution, that though the sacraments be necessary, and the great means of spiritual life, yet not in that manner and respect, as food is to a natural life, because they contain in themselves no vital force or efficacy. They are (says a reverend author) not physical but moral instruments of salvation — all receive not the grace of God, which receive the sacraments of his grace, neither is it ordinarily his will to bestow the grace of sacraments on any, but by the sacraments — a little after, he says, they are moral instruments, the use whereof is in our hands, the effect in his, for the use we have his express commandment, for the effect his conditional promise, and we may expect his performance of the promise upon our obedience to his command. He quotes Hugo comparing the sacraments to a vessel, and the grace therein to the medicine therein exhibited, and we should apply the spiritual good therein to our distempered spirits. But I have been too large on this head. I shall shut up this piece of the directory for obtaining a treasure, with an expression of Cyprian's: he cannot be fit for martyrdom, that is not armed by the Church to the conflict, and that mind faints, which is not erected and inflamed by receiving the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper. So the communion of saints in that choice ordinance, is a fortifying and furnishing exercise.