It should be our daily task to empty ourselves, by our daily consideration * Misiirinted ' and.' — G.
352 COMMENTARY ON
of our own wants ami siufulncss, and then to fetch a fresh supply from the thi'one of grace.
It is with a Christian's heart, as a vessel that is full of something it Bhould not he. So when men's hearts are full of windiness and what they should not have, the more we lahour to set* ourselves, the more God infuscth supernatural grace and knowledge into us. And therefore let these two go together. Know our riches in Christ, and know ourselves ; know God in Christ, and Christ, and then our own baseness, and that is the way to make use of the treasure we have.
(6.) And likewise meditate and recollect our thoughts daily of the vanitij of all things here, that our hearts run after so much. Alas, what is here we should stand so much upon as to neglect our treasure ! what is here will induce the scanning of a wise man ! what is worthy our spirits, our souls, our labours !
Let us wisely consider, and see through these things, and see beyond all things here, see them, and then see as much as we can into these treasures, which we can never see through, for they be larger than the soul. All other treasures are contained in a place, and the place larger than the treasure, but these riches be larger than the treasury. But see as far as we can into the dimension, and height, and depth, and breadth of these things, and seeing the vanity of all things below, the excellency of these things, using our wits this way, it will teach us how to improve this treasure.
I know these things be uncouth and strange to a carnal proud man, to advance things so much that they see not, to set such a price on things they understand not. But God is wiser than we, and if we take his word for truth, we must judge good, and conceive more than I relate to you. We must go to a skilful lapidary if we will know the price of a stone ; and if we will know the price of a treasure, go to him that is able to judge. Consider not what vain foolish men think of God's ways, but ask God and Christ. Foolish creatures prize a bastardly coral more than a precious stone. So much of that doctrine.
To proceed to the next point. We are the treasurers. ' We have this treasure in earthen vessels,' we apostles and ministers. So that the riches of the gospel, they are conveyed under dispensations ministerial. And then the conditions of these, namely, ' they be earthen vessels.' God is so good that he not only conveyeth treasure to us, and giveth us rich promises, but he giveth us those that shall help us to come to the posses- sion of, and interest in them. All the riches that we can desii'e are in Christ and from Christ, but then Christ must be acknowledged, and these treasures must be conveyed, and brought in ; and therefore God hath ordained an ordinance to us by way of entreaty, by way of persuasion, and by all the ways the Spirit of God in Scripture useth. And hereupon the ministry of the word, from the excellent use of it, is set out many ways.
(1.) As it is with the lifting up of the brazen serpent, Num., xxi. 9, if it had not been lift up, they could not have seen it to have healed them. The ministry of the word sets up Christ that all may behold for the healing of all their spiritual diseases. f
(2.) It is the lifting up of a banner, that all may come under it. The gospel is this banner, as in Cant. ii. 4.
(3.) If treasures be never so rich and lie hid in the earth, there is no
* Qu. ' empty '?— Ed.
t A priceless expansion of Sibbes's thought will be found in John Brinsley'a ' Mystical Brazen Serpent^ with the magnetical virtue thereof.' (1653, 12ino.) — G.;
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. 7. 353
use of tliem. Now tlierofore is a calling appointed to dig out treasures, to spread them before God's people, to lay before them ' the unsearchable riches of the gospel,' Eph. iii. 8. The use of the ministry is to lay them open to the view of God's people.
(4.) Christ hath a great love to his people, but we must have somebody to woo for him. The ministry is a wooing for Christ. It discovers the excel- lency of Christ, and our want, and need to be enriched by Christ. There- fore they be called 'Traoaw/^fioi, ' friends of the bride,' to shew the riches of Christ, and the church's beggary, and so to procure the happy marriage between Christ and the church, John iii. 29, 6 os (plXog rov w/jy^iou. That is the use of the ministr}^, to handfast Christ and the church together, to make up the marriage, that so ' the church may be presented a chaste virgin to Christ, so glorious a husband,' 2 Cor. xi. 2. By them God sends his jewels and treasures to the church in this time of contract, as this world is but a time of contract between Christ and his church. As Abraham sent his servant to procure a marriage between Isaac and Rebekah, Gen. xxiv. 1, seq., the faithful servant carrieth jewels to enrich her, and make her more lovely in Isaac's sight, when she was brought to him ; so ministers carry those treasures, open these jewels to overcome the church, that see- ing the riches in Christ, she may be more in love with Christ, so rich a husband.