Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BS2096.A1 1701 .P3

Ch. 6. To ávoid St. Mat 19. Lay not up for your felves treafures uponearth, where moth and ruft Both corrupt, and where thieves break through and fteal. 19. Note, I. By Treafure is meantthat whicha man ;,mojl lavethand truffeth tofor his fupplyand comfort, and pra&ically placeth his chief wel- fare in. 2. By laying up is meant, over-valuing, eagerly defrring, and feeking and caring for. That which raft, moths, and thieves can Coon bereave you of, is unfit tobe your beloved trott- ed treafùre. 2o. But layup for your felves trea- fures in.heaven, where neither moth nor ruft doth corrupt, and where thievesdo not break throughnor fteal. 2o. But by faith placeyour happinefs in hea- ven, and on that layout your care and loveand labour; andfo ufe your wealthas God hath pro- mifed to reward in Heaven : For that treafure is uncorruptible, inviolable and everlálting. Note, That tho' it be our God and Saviour that layeth up our treafure in Heaven, and fa- veth us freely by Grace, yet it is we that are commanded to lay it up, and fave our felves,fub- ordinately, by faith, hope, love, and labour, which qualifieus as fit receivers of it. zr. For where your treafure is, there will your heart be alto. z r. And by this you may know whether you trulyplace your Treafure in Heaven or onEarth (Not by your fpeculative opinion or words : for what Hypocrite will not fay that Heaven is bet- ter than Earth ?) But by the bent of your hearts. Your Love, Care,Trutt, and Hope will be where your Treafure is. Thatwhich you a. highließ value pra&ically, a. and molt delire and chufe, g. and labour for, rho with thegreateß care and colt, that's it that is indeed your Treafure. 22. The light of the bodyis the eye ; if therefore thine eye be fingle, thy whole body (hall be full of light. 23. But ifthine eyebe evil,thy whole bodyfllall be full ofdarknefs. Ifthere- fore the light that is in thee be dark- nefs, how great is that darknefs 1 22, 23. Aa the Eye fees not for its felfalone,. but for the whole Body,to guide itsa&ion; fo thy underltandingorpra &icaljudgment is that fuperiour viflve faculty that mutt guide all thy love, and choiceand life : Iftherefore thy judg- ment be found, and thou knoweft the differ rentebetween laying up a Treafure in Heaven and on Earth; it will rightly guide all the A&i- ons of thy heart and life: bus if thy judgment be blinded in this great affair, it will mfguide thy love, thy choiceand all the tenorof thy life. Ifthy judgment then be blind which muff guide thee, what a miferableerroneous wretch thew. 1vordly Cares. Ch. 6. wilt thou be; and how difmal will that error prove ? 24.. No mancan ferve twomatters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other ; or elfe he will hold to the one, and defpife the other. Ye cannot ferve God and mammon. 24.. And take heed of the felf deceit of' Hy- pocrites, whoflatter themfelves with the hope ofhaving a rreafiare both on Earthand in Hea- ven ; retblving to keep and prefer this wo:-Id while they can keep it, and hope chat Heaven will be a rcferve when they can keep the World no longer s and fo they will be as Reli- gious as will Band with their flefhly wordly ln- tereft : But I tell you, no man can ferve two f ch contrary Mattel's: He will love one better than the other,or obey and ferveone to the neg., lea and injuryof the other. You cannot love and ferve God as God, and yet love and leek worldly wealth and profperity, as your molt beloved trailed treafure. God will nor ftoop to the World : therefore the World mutt in your efteem and choice, ftoop to God, and be ufed for him. 25. Therefore I fayuntoyou, Take no thought for your life, what ye (hall eat, or what ye shall drink : nor yet for yourbody what ye shall put on': is not thedife more than mear, and the body than raiment ? as. Therefore take this as my fpecial warn- ing, 14hollytruff God for life,'and all the concerns of life, and thew not your felfilhnefs and worldly love, by being diltruffully anxiousor follicitous for meat, and drink , and cloaths : Ifyou know not which way toget them, God knows which way to give them. Tour Lives and Bodies arehis gift and in hispower ; anddid he give youtheft; and cannot you trait him for foodand douching, 26. Behold the fowlsofthe air : for they fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns : yet your hea- venly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they ? 26. You fee that God feedeth themany forts of fouls that make no ftore.houfesor provifson for time to come: And God that made you better than they, willnot neglect you. 27. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his flature ? 27. Study your duty,and ufe jut{ means while you trait onGod: But your kW- troubling di.- ßrufful care and thoughtfulnefs, is but unpro- fitable felf vexation. All your care donut make you any taller ofliature, nor keep your bodies from decayat death. C 9 Anti

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