Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Lastly, are not the Ordinances of God riches, that ¹are the especial conduits and means of conveyance of the choice mercies of God unto his people; those mercies that have such an immediate dependence upon eternity, are not these riches worth all the world? yet how many are so far from counting reproaches riches, as will rather lose all the riches of the Ordinance, then be reproached: Though their conscience tell them, You might enjoy abundance of blessing in the Ordinances, were it that you might have them in the power of them, and they have a good mind to them: Ah, but my friends will scorn me; and upon ⟨p. 465⟩this ground, they forbear coming to the Ordinances: And thus they are so far from counting the reproaches they shall endure, riches, as they deprive themselves of all the riches in the Ordinances of God, rather then they will endure them: Like unto Asa, in 1 Kings 15. 18. he took all the gold, and silver, and riches of the treasure of God, to send them unto Benhadad, that he might free him from the King of Israel: So men are willing to part with the gold and silver, and all the riches of Gods house, and of Gods Ordinances, so they may be freed from reproaches and sufferings, and from enduring trouble; was there ever delusion like this delusion, to lose such riches, rather then endure that which in it self is riches? were it that reproaches were as great evils as you can imagine, suppose you might go to live where you might enjoy the Ordinances, though it were in such a place as Job speaks of, in Job 22. 10. A land of darkness, as darkness it self, and of the shadows of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness; yet that subjection that your souls do owe to God, does call for a willingness to yield to that, and to yield to reproaches and sufferings, though there were no good in them: but now, when there is so much good, such glorious things mingled together with reproaches, for you now to be so afraid of reproaches, as to be willing to lose so much riches rather then to endure them, how is your heart besotted? Suppose reproaches had such shame in them as you think they have, cannot God put honour upon them? man can put honour upon mean things: As the Garter that is counted an ornament of the highest ⟨p. 466⟩