The Excellellcy of Heavenly Treaforcs. T ' eafurc: They [3y with the Church, Revel. 3· 17· That they art rich, and mcrett[- t'd 111 g(,fids, and ftand in need of nothing; and know n~t tiJat they ts~'e poor, and wrttched, ~nd mi[m1ble, and bhnti, and naked . They know I t not, ::llld :h~refore they care not for looking after th is Heavenly Treafu:e:, . they do not fee tnctr need of Gr~ce t o fan8:tfie them their need of Mercy to )ufbfie them, their need of the Prom1fes to fupport them 1 and their need of Chrift to fave them: Who is it that cries out, they are undon~, eternally un~one wi_thout thefe thi nps? ~ho is it that is fen~ l!blc of thefe things? They tlunk .a .little of thefe thmgs wtll go fa r, and wh_at t hey have already is enough: And.lt Is.a.ltogethe r ~~hard ~o _make thefc Men dtfcontented with the poverty of thetr Sp1ntual ~ondmon, as it rs. ~o make ~hem contented with the abundance and fulnefs of thetr TemporJ.lCondmon. 0 that Men were but once awakened to fee the neceffity that they ftand in of this Hea"Jcnly 'T1ea~ j Ure: Bot how fhould they be awakened? Confider, Firft, The great Coft and Expenct you muft be at if )'Ott will be favrd. It is true, if you refolvc to pcrifh, as poor as now you are, yet you are too nch a Prey for the Devil; but if you intend Happinefs and your own Salvation, you ~Hlft have a lar~e and rich Stock to trade withal; a poor and beggarly Profeffor w.1Hnever fet 11p m Chriftianity; No, Sabr.tion is a coftly Thing 1 there are many powerful Corrupt ions muft be fubdued 1 many d ivine Graces muft be aOed, many holy Duties muft be performed; and what have you to bea: out all this Charge with? See that Expreffion, Tittu 3· v, 8. That rhry be carrful to mainrain good rr;orks. Such gcnd \\forks he means as are conducible to Salvation ; to maintain fuch good Works is fo great a Charge, as will beggar all the ability of Nature, if you have not a HeavnlyTrta~ Jure m defray it; you cannot by the power of Nature, and all natural Endowments, maintain good Works. Are they able to act Falrh, and Lo"Je, and P.ttience, and Humiliry, and Sdf-dmiat? 1 know it is both ea fie and pleafant to think and hop€ you fhall be favcd: But lit down firft, and confider what it will coft you ; can your prefent Stock carry you through good nnd t'Vil Report, through RcprMchcs and .AJft.iliom? Will it carry you through all? If not, will you yet fay, You a1t rich, and encreafed in goads, And ftand in need of nothing ? Be convinced therefore that you are poor and infufficient Creatures, and that you ftand in need of abundance of Supply from this H tavrnly T1eafure, to difcharge this Coft and Expences that you muft be at if ever you will be faved. · Secondly, Confider alfo tht defperate Debts yeu ha"Jt contrnfftd with the Juflice of God, and tht dup .Arrears you art run into with the W1ath and Vengeance of God; and how do you think to cleM ycu_,. .Account tvithout a vafl and infinite Treafure tfJ defnzy it ? Suppofc God fhould take every Sinner this Day before him by the Throat, ard fay to him, ~Vretch, pay me tohJ!t thou oweft me. I will give thee no longer time, Pay me, or rot Eternally in Prifon , Pay thee, Lord, why, what is that 1 owe thee? Why, Firlt, Thou orveft mt huge and vaft Sums for aU the temporal Mercies thou enjoy~ft. Thou vaunteft it in the World as though none were fo great as thou art; yea, but thou haft paid for nothing that thou haft; here is fo much upon the account for thy Eftate, and fo much for Credit and Reputation, fo much for Proteaion and Prefervation, yea, for thy Life and Soul, yea, thou owdt me for all; pay me now for all thefe, yea, and the utmoft Farthing too for an thefe Debts, or clfe lye for ever in Hell. 0 that wordly~minded Men would but feriouOy Confider, that there is none of the good Things that they now enjoy that arc upon free-coft; there muft and will certainly come an after-reckoning, and then per~ h~ps they will fay, it is one of the worft Bargains they made in their whole Llves, when they were content to grow rich, when this after-reckoni nO' comes1 and God fhall call them them to pay for all their Mercies and Enjoyment~ that he lent them. . And ~econdly, Thou oweft God for many Tho~fand~ of Sins and P1ovoc~ttiom agairtft htm, whiCh thou muft make rccompenct and faosfaEl:wn (or: And therefore Sins are caHe~ Debts; forgive us our .Debts. And how many Thoufand Talents art thou thus Indebted to God? Every .Sin is a Talent of Lead for its Weight to fink th€ Soul deep into Hell; but it is a Tdent of Gold for its Price and Satisfatlion? God's Law is tranfgre£fed, and how canft thou recompeuce it ? His Wrath is provoked , and how canft thou atone it? Thy Soul is forfeited to cndlefs Torments, and how canft thou redeem it? The ~tdemption of the Soul is prcci~us, am} ,,
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