1. It maketh us to take the thing promised, for all our Treasure and Happiness; Mat. 6. 19, 20, 21. Lay not up for your selves Treasures upon Earth, where Moth and Rust doth corrupt, and where Thieves break through and steal. But lay up for your selves Treasure in Heaven, where neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt, nor Thieves break through and steal. For where your Treasure is, there your Heart will be also. It highly concerneth us to consider what we make our Treasure. Worldly things are subject to many Accidents, and deserve not our love nor esteem; only heavenly things deserve to be our Treasure. If our Hearts be set upon these things, 'tis a sign we value what Christ hath offered. So, 2 Cor. 4. ⟨p. 7⟩18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen, are Temporal; but the things which are not seen, are Eternal. We make these things our End, and Scope, and Happiness. 'Tis easy to prove the worth of these things in the general, as 'tis easy to prove that Eternity is better than Time; that things incorruptible, are better than those which are subject to corruption: That things exempted from Casualty, are better than those things which are liable to Casualty, and are not out of the reach of Robbery and Violence. But to Creatures wedded to sense and present enjoyment, 'tis difficult and hard to cause them to set their Hearts in another World, and to lay up their Hopes in Heaven, and to part with all things which they see and love, and find comfortable to their Senses, for that God and Glory which they never saw. This is the Business of Faith, or the Work of the Spirit of Illumination changing their Hearts and Minds. This general Truth all will determine, as that things Eternal, are better than things Temporal. But we undervalue these gracious Promises, whose accomplishment must with patience ⟨p. 8⟩be expected, whilst their future Goodness cometh in actual competition with these bodily Delights which we must forgo, and those grievous bodily Afflictions which we must endure out of sincere respect to Christ and his Ways. Therefore before there can be any true self-denial, Faith must incline us to this offered Benefit, as our true Treasure and Happiness, whatever we forgo, or undergo to attain it.
1. It maketh us to take the thing promised, for all our Treasure and Happiness; Mat. 6. 19, 20, 21. Lay not up for your selves Treasures upon Earth, where Moth and Rust doth corrupt, and where Thieves break through and steal. But lay up for your selves Treasure in Heaven, where neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt, nor Thieves break through and steal. For where your Treasure is, there your Heart will be also. It highly concerneth us to consider what we make our Treasure. Worldly things are subject to many Accidents, and dese•ve not our love nor esteem; only heavenly things deserve to be our Treasure. If our Hearts be set upon these things, 'tis a sign we value what Christ hath offered. So, 2 Cor. 4. ⟨p. 7⟩18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen, are Temporal; but the things which are not seen, are Eternal. We make these things our End, aud Scope, and Happiness. 'Tis easy to prove the worth of these things in the general, as 'tis easy to prove that Eternity is better than Time; that things incorruptible, are better than those which are subject to corruption: That things exempted from Casualty, are better than those things which are liable to Casualty, and are not out of the reach of Robbery and Violence. But to Creatures wedded to sense and present enjoyment, 'tis difficult and hard to cause them to set their Hearts in another World, and to lay up their Hopes in Heaven, and to part with all things which they see and love, and find comfortable to their Senses, for that God and Glory which they never saw. This is the Business of Faith, or the Work of the Spirit of Illumination changing their Hearts and Minds. This general Truth all will determine, as that things Eternal, are better than things Temporal. But we undervalue these gracious Promises, whose accomplishment must with patience ⟨p. 8⟩be expected, whilst their future Goodness cometh in actual competition with these bodily Delights which we must forgo, and those grievous bodily Afflictions which we must endure out of sincere respect to Christ and his Ways. Therefore before there can be any true self-denial, Faith must incline us to this offered Benefit, as our true Treasure and Happiness, whatever we forgo, or undergo to attain it.
