1 be Excellency of Heaven& 1reafores. more: The Worldling he adds heap to heap, and the Chriftian he adCs Grace to Grace, and one ~egree of Grace to anorhe:,and t_hinks he hath attained to no thing, till he bath attamed fo far,. as that there ts ~~oth1ng fart_hcr for to be attained ; and therefore he g~es on labo_nnn& after more, till he doth mfenfibly ripen into Glory, and bath nothmg m~re t~r hun to_ defire. _If you value Hc~ven ly things now as your Treafure, you w1ll fbll be addtng to thts Trea{t~rc, growwg every day richer than other towards God. And then fecondly; If you do praUical{v value end cftum Heav'cnly things 1u ; •our Soul's Treafure, you will fooner part with nil other Comforu and Enjoymenu, than with thu. It may be you cannot fay that ever you felt fuch Pangs of Joy and Delight in the enjoyment of God, as you have done in fome outward Mercy. You never felt fuch comfort in fpiritual Mercies, as you have. in fome outward Comforts that providentially were beftowed upon you; and therefore you have caufe to fear that your Treafure is he re below, and not above. But this is Jl:ill to judge by the paffionatcnefs of our Affections, that is as a difturbed Water that cannot refl.et\: your Face aright. Jf you would judge truly, then put .this Queftion to your Soul; Soul, now thJt thou doft fo vehemently delight in this Comfort, and in that E.njo~menr, ~ hich ha~ft thou rather part with, thi~ d~lightful• Comfort, or thy God. Certamly a Chtld of God would have a holy utdtgnation againft bimfelf, fhould he but debate the Quefrion: 0, will he fay, though God take every thi ng from me but himfelf, yet he leaves me enough to make me Happy; and in the enjoyment of other things, I were truly miferable could I be made fo by their lofs. A Saint's rational AffeCtions confifting in th~ due valuation and eil:eem of Heavenly things, will triumph over his more eager and paffionate AffeCtions to the things of the World. Think with thy fclf now what is deareft to thee in the World, and then fet God and Heaven in the balance againft them, and then thou !halt fee, though Earthly Comforts may engrofs too much of thy AffeCtions, and lye near thy Heart, yet thou Ihalt fee, that God and Heavenly things frill have the greateft fway and predominancy in thy Affcdions, if thou doft truly value them. And fo for the cornmillion of a Sin, it may be fome outward Affliction may colt thee more paffionate Grief and Tears than the commiffion of Sin bath done: Thou never moarneft, it may be, fo bitterly for thy offending of God, as thou haft done for God's afflicting of thee; and this thou lookdt upon as a bad fign, tJlat thy AffeCHons are not fo much to the Honour of God, as to outward Comforts and ProfiJerity; yea, but let me ask thee, Hadft thou rather fall into the fame AffliCtion, or commit the fame Sin again? Certainly, if thou art a Saint, thou wilt foon refolve the Queftion: No Mifery or Plague fo great as Sin is; and though it be my Folly thus paffionately to lament under this Crofs and Affliction, yet I had rather bear it, yea I had rather bear whatever God can lay on me, than knowingly to commi~ the leaft Sin againft my God. This is the Judgment of a Child of God; and therefore 'job makes it the Charaa~r of an Hypocrite, That he chuforh Iniquity ra-. ther than AffliOion. AnQ fo much for the Second Mark or CharaB:er. In the Third place, See what it is that yfJu moft truft unto and Live upon; when all other things fail you, that certainly is )'Our Treafure. Men ufually referve their Treafure to be the1r fupport at the laft pinch and exttemity. See the Cafe of .Afaph, Pfal. 73· 26. My jh/h and my bwt failerb. And mull: not he therefore fail f Hath he any thing elfe to fupport him? Yes, now comes in relief fron:t his Treafure, But God is the ftrength of my he111rt1and my portion for ever: He is my Treafure, a Treafure that will never fail me, and that never can be fpent; He is my portion for ewr. And thus every Child of God will when other things fail him, when other Props are taken from under him, he will then fupport himfelf from his God, that is his portion for ever. Michael had a true notion of God, though falfiy applied t~ Idols, You have taken away my Gods, and 1vhat have I more ? Take from a Saint all Worldly Comforts, and all Earthly Enjoyments, and if you ask him, what hath he more? He can truly f.1y, Yes, ftHI I have more than I loft, I have my God left me ftill : But were it poilible that his God fhould be taken from him , then indeed what hath he more ? He hath nothing then left him to fupport him, and to live upon. Can you therefore in all your Diftrefil:s find Relief and Comfort in your God ? Can you, when all Props fail you, betake your felves to- him, and find enough in him to fupport
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