Hopkins - HP BR75 .H65 1710

The Excellency of Heavenly Treafo~es. port and bear up our fclves, "':hen. you h.avc nothing in the World to dep_md 1 :pon? Can you thc_n find en_ough m htm to l1ve comfo!·rabiy. and fplcndidly? If fo, iris !1 fign God IS your 1reafure: When all o~her thtngs_ fat!, God comes in as the reliet and fupport of that Soul, that makes lum to be hls Trt~;fure. Laftly, Look not o11l} what it is you value in it [elf, but that by which, and according to which, you value both your fihm and others ; that is your Treafure, And here I !hall lay' down two things. Firft, If the Soul hatiJ Af{urance, and knows beyond afl doubt ~tnd fallibitiry, that HeavenLy .'Treafurc is his , he wifi_ value kirnfelf accordh'Z to that Trufure. W,ouid ro God, fays the Apoftle to Kmg .Agnppa , that rhou 1verl fuch a one M 1 am: And fo 1 Cor. 1 )· ro. when he had fpoken of himfeif in the 9tll Verfe. 1 am the lcaft of aft the .Apoftles, not meet i!!rtd wonhy to be called an Apoftle ; there l1e values himfelf as in himfelf: But yet in the 2oth Verfc, By the grace of God I am what I am. And what was that? Why. fays he, This grace received I not in vain, for 1 laboured more abundantly than they all. Low was his eftccm of himfelf, confidcred in himfelf, le{s than the leaft of all the .Apoftles: But confidering himfclf in refped of Grace, By G'race, fays he, I am what I am; and I am fuch a one alfo as have received Grace to labour more than all of them. And fo, 'Jerem. )· 23. Let not the wife Man glory itt his l1'ifdom, nor the mighty Man in his Strength, nor the rich Man in. his Riches. He excludes all boaftiug from then'1~ felves, But lei him that glorieth glory in this, thttt he knoweth me thar I am the Lord. Let him value and efl:eem of bimfelf according to that. Now do you not prize your felves by any, outward Privileges or worldly Advantages? Do you not think your fclves Some~body, ~ecaufe r,ou have Riches and Eftates, or tile like? You account your felves nothing worth, more than what you are in refj)ca: of Grace,morc than what you are in refp€tl: of your l ntereft in God, and in that Hca.. venly Treafurc and Riches? 'Fhis is a fign that you do indeed make H eavenly things to be your Treafure, when you rat e your felves fo much worth as you l1ave of that Treafure. · Secondly, If the Soul want Affurancc, and fo c~tnnot value it {elf according to its inttreft in that Heavenly Treafure ; if it cannot fee its Right and Title to this Hea~ venly Trcafure, then it vr.dues others according to their lnterefl in that Treafure. It is not according to their Eftates or Honour in the World, but according to what t hey have of Chrift, and God, and Heavenly things. A Ch ild of God , that va· lues Heavenly things as his Treafurc, will value the Men that have this Treafure and this Riches. SERMON XXI M AT. vi. zo, 21. 13ut lay up for your Jell!es Treafures in Heal!en, where neither moth nor rufl doth Corrupt, and where Tbiel!es do not breaft through nor flea/ : For where your Treafure is, there will your Heart be alfo. SEveral CharaC!ers have been laid before you, for the Examination of your felvcs, whether you do value Heaven and Heavenly Things as yonr Treafure. If now by thofe CharaCl:ers you have taken an accounL of your Eftate, you either find your felves rich in this Eeamnly Treafure, or not; if you cannot fay, God and Chrift, and the great and glorious Th ings of Eternity as yours ; if you doubt that Heaven is not your Exchequer, and of all that rich and precious Treafure it contains, there is nothing that you can call yours, let me then direCl: you to a twofold Word of Exhortation. Firft, That above a!J tettings, JOU would chiefly labour to get a Portiou in this Hea11en~ ly Trea(ure. And, Secondly,

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