pains of soul to represse the outward acts of sin and compose the external part of thy life in a laudable and comely manner is no great matter even carnal persons by the force of common principles can do this but to kill the root of corruption within to set and keep up an holy Government over thy thoughts to have all things lye straight and orderly in the heart this is not easie 2. 'T is a Constant work the keeping of the heart is such a work as is never done till life be done this labour and our life end together It is with a Christian in this business as it is with Sea-men that have sprung a Leake at Sea if they tug not constantly at the Pump the water encreases upon them and will quickly sink them 't is in vain for them to say the work is hard and we are weary There is no time or condition in the life of a Christian which will suffer an intermâ—ssion of this work It is in the keeping watch over our hearts as it was in the keeping up of Moses his hands whilst Israel and Amalek were fighting below Exod. 17. 12. No sooner do Moses his hands grow heavy and sink down but Amalek prevails You know it cost David and Peter many a sad day and night for intermitting the watch over their own hearts but a few minutes 3. 'T is the most important business of a Christians life without this we are but Formalists in Religion all our Professions Gifts and Duties signifie nothing My Son give me thine Heart Pro. 23. 26. God is pleased to call that a gift which is indeed a debt he will put this honour upon the Creature to receive it from him in the way of a gift but if this be not given him he regards not what ever else you bring to him there is so much only of worth and value in what we do as there is of Heart in it Concerning the Heart God seems to say as Ioseph of Benjamin If you bring not Benjamin with you you shall not see my face Among the Heathens when the Beast was cut up for sacrifice the first thing the Priest lookt upon was the Heart and if that were unsound and naught the Sacrifice was rejected God rejects all duties how glorious soever in other respects offered him without a heart He that performs duty without a heart viz. heedlesly is no more accepted with God then he that performs it with a double heart viz. hypocritically Isa. 66. 3. And thus I have briefly opened the nature of the Duty what is imported in this phrase Keep thy heart 2. Next I shall give you some rational account why Christians should make this the great business of their lives to keep their hearts The importance and necessity of making this our great and main business will manifestly appear in that 1. The honour of God 2. The sincerity of our profession 3. The beauty of our conversation 4. The comfort of our Souls 5. The improvement of our graces and 6. Our stability in the hour of temptation are all wrapt up in and dependent on our sincerity and care in the management of this work 1. The Glory of God is much concerned therein heart-evils are very provoking evils to the Lord. The Schools do well observe that outward sins are majoris infamiae sins of greater infamy but heart-sins are majoris reatus sins of deeper guilt How severely hath the Great God declared his wrath from Heaven against heart-wickedness The great Crime for which the old World stands indicted Gen. 6. 5 6 7. is heart-wickedness God saw that every imagination or fiction of their heart was onely evil and that continualiy for which he sent the dreadfullest Judgment that was ever executed since the World began And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth both man and beast and the creeping things and the fowls of heaven for it repenteth me that I have made man v. 7. We find not their murders adulteries blasphemies though they were defiled with these particularly alledged against them but the evils of their hearts yea that which God was so provoked by as to give up his peculiar Inheritance into the enemies hand was the evil of their hearts Ier. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee The wickedness and vanity of their thoughts God took special notice of and because of this the Caldean must come upon them as a Lion from his thickets v. 7. and tear them to pieces For the very sin of thoughts it was that God threw down the faln Angels from Heaven and keeps them still in everlasting chains to the judgment of the great day by which expression is not obscurely intimated some extraordinary judgment to which they are reserved as prisoners that have most irons laid upon them may be supposed to be the greatest Malefactors and what was their sin Why onely spiritual wickedness for they having no bodily Organs could act nothing externally against God Yea meer heart-evils are so provoking that for them he râ—jects with indignation all the duties that some men perform unto him Isa. 66. 3. He that killeth an Oxe is as if he flew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idol In what words could the abhorrence of a Creatures actions be more fully expressed by the holy God Murder and Idolatry are not more vile in his account than their Sacrifices though materially such as himself appointed and what made them so the following words inform us Their soul delighteth in their abominations To conclude such is the vileness of meer heart-sins that the Scriptures sometimes intimate the difficulty of pardon for them So in the case of Simon Magus Acts 8. 21. his heart was not right he had vile thoughts of God and the things of God the Apostle bids him repent and pray if perhaps the thoughts of his heart might he forgiven him O then never slight heart-evils for by these God is highly wronged and provoked and for this reason let every Christian make it his work to keep his heart with all diligence 2. The sincerity of our profession much depends upon the care and conscience we have in keeping our hearts for it 's most certain that a man is but an hypocrite in his profession how curious soever he be in the externals of Religion that is heedless and careless of the frame of his heart you have a pregnant instance of this in the case of Iehu 2 King 10. 31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the ways of the Lord God of Israel with his heart That Context gives us an account of the great service perform'd by Iehu against the house of Ahab and Baal as also of a great
in times of danger distracts weakens and unfits the heart for duty drives men upon unlawful means and brings a snare with it Well then the fourth Case will be this 4. Case How a Christian may keep his heart from distracting and tormenting fears in times of great and threatning dangers Now there are fourteen excellent Rules or helps for the keeping of the heart from sinful fear when eminent dangers threaten us and the first is this 1. Rule Look upon all the Creatures as in the hand of God who manages them in all their motions limiting restraining and determining them all at his pleasure Get this great truth well seâ—led by faith in your hearts it will marvellously guâ—rd them against slavish fears the I. of Ezek. contains an admirable scheam or draught of Providence there you may see the living Creatures who move the wheels viz. the great Affairs and turnings of things here below coming unto Christ who sits upon the throne to receive new orders and instructions from him v. 24. 25 26. and in Rev. 6. you read of white black and red Horses which are nothing else but the Instruments which God employs in executing his judgments in the World as Wars Pestilence and Death but when these Horses are praâ—sing and trampling up and down the World here is that may quiet our hearts that God hath the reins in his hand Wicked men are sometimes like mad Horses they would stamp the people of God under their feet but that the bridle of Providence is in their lips Iohn 19 11 12. A Lion at liberty is terrible to meet but who is afraid of the Lion in the Keepers hand 2. Rule Remember that this God in whose hand all the Creatures are is your Father and is much more tender over you than you are or can be over your selves He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zech. 2. 8. Let me ask the most timerous woman whether there be not a vast difference betwixt the sight of a drawn sword in the hand of a bloudy Russian and the same sword in the hand of her own tender Husband as great a difference there is in looking upon Creatures by an eye of sense and looking on them as in the hand of your God by an eye of Faith that is a sweet Scripture to this purpose Isa. 54. 5. The Maker is thine Husband the Lord of Hosts is His Name He is Lord of all the Hosts of Creatures in the world who would be afraid to pass through an Army though all the Souldiers should turn their Swords and Guns towards him if the General of that Army were his friend or Father I have met with an excellent Story of a religious young man who being at Sea with many other Passengers in a great storm and they being half dead with fear he only was observed to be very chearful as if he had been but little concerned in that danger one of them demanding a reason of his chearfulness Oh said he 't is because the Pilot of the ship is my Father Consider Christ first as the King and Supream Lord over the Providential Kingdome and then as your Head Husband and Friend and thou wilt quickly say Return unto thy rest O my soul. This truth will make you cease trembling and fall a singing in the midst of dangers Psalm 47. 7. The Lord is King of all the earth sing ye praise with understanding or as the Hebrew word is every one that hath understanding viz. of this heart reviving and establishing Doctrine of the Dominion of our Father over all the Creatures 3. Rule Urge upon your hearts the express prohibitions of Christ in this Case and let your hearts stand in awe of the violations of them He hath charged you not to fear Luke 21. 9. When ye shall hear of Wars and commotions see that ye be not terrified And Pâ—il 1. 28. In nothing be terrified by your adversaries yea in Matth. 10. 26. 28 31. and within the compass of six verses our Saviour commands us thrice not to fear men Doth every big word of proud dust and ashes make thee afraid doth the voice of a man make thee tremble and shall not the voice of God If thou art of such a fearful and timerous spirit how is it that thou fearest not to disobey the flat commands of Jâ—sus Christ Methinks the command of Christ should have as much power to calm as the voice of a poor worm to terrify thy heart Isa. 51. 12 13. I even I am â—e that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the son of man that shall be made as the grass and forgettest the Lord thy maker We cannot fear Creatures sinfully till we have forgotten God did we remember what he is and what he hath said we should not be of such feeble spirits bring thy heart then to this Dilemma in timfs of danger if I let into my heart the slavish fear of man I must let out the reverential awe and fear of God and dare I cast off the fear of the Almighty for the â—rowns of a man Shall I lift up proud dust above the great God Shall I run upon a certain sin to shun a probable danger Oh keep thy heart by that Consideration 4. Rule Remember how much needless trouble your vain fears have brought upon you formerly and how you have disquieted your selves to no purpose Isa. 51. 13. And hast feared continually because of the oppressor as if he were ready to devour and where is the fury of the Oppressor He seem'd ready to devour but yet you are not devoured I have not brought upon you the thing that ye feared You have wasted your spirits disordered your souls and weakened your hands and all this to no purpose You might have all this while enjoyed your peace and possessed your souls in patience And here I cannot but observe a very deep policy of Satan managing a design against the soul by these vain fears I call them vain in regard of the frustration of them by Providence but certainly they are not in vain as to the end Satan aims at in raâ—sing them for herein he acts as Souldiers use to do in the Siege of a Garrison who on purpose to wear out the besieged by constant watchings and thereby unfit them to make resistance when they storm it in earnest do every night give them false Allarms which though they come to nothing yet do notably serve this further design of the enemy O when will you beware of Sathans devices 5. Rule Consider solemnly That though the things you fear should really fall out yet there is more evil in your own fear than in the thing feared And that not only as the least evil of sin is worse than the greatest evil of suffering but as this sinful fear hath really more torment and trouble in it than is in that condition you are so much afraid of fear
therefore thou findest thy heart begin to be inflamed by revengful motions presently apply the following remedies and the first is this 1. Remed Urge upon thy heart the seveâ—e prohibitions of revenge by the law of God Remember that this is fâ—rbidden fruit how pleasing and luscious soever it be to our vitiated appetites O saith nature revenge is sweet O but saith God the effects thereof shall be bitter how plainly hath God interdicted this flesh pleasing sin Prov. 20. 22. Say not I will recompense evil Prov. 24. 29. Say not I wâ—ll doe so to him as he hath done to me Rom. 12. 17. Recompense to no man evil for evil and v. 19. Avenge not your selves but rather give place to wrath nay that 's not all but Prov. 25. 21. If thine enemy â—unger feed him if he thirst give him drink The word feed him as Criticks observe signifies to feed cheerfully and tenderly as birds doe their young ones The Scripture is a great friend to the peace and tranquillity of humane societies which can never be preserved if revenge be not deposed it was wont to be an argument urged by the Christians to prove their religion to be supernatural and pure that it forbids revenge which is so sweet to nature and verily 't is a thousand pities such an argument should be lost Well then awe your hearts with the authority of God in these Scriptures and when carnal reason saith mine enemy deserves to be hated let Conscience reply but doth God deserve to be disobeyed thus and thus he hath done and so he hath wronged me but what hath God done that I should wrong him if he dare be so bold to break the peace shall I be so wicked to break the precept iâ— he fears not to wrong me shall not I fear to wrong God O let the fear of Gods threatnings repress such sinsul motions 2. Remed Set before your eyes the most eminent patterns of meekness and forgiveness that your Soâ—â—s may fall in love with it This is the way to cut off those common pleas of the flesh for revenge as thus no man would bear such an affront yes such and such have born as bad and worse I shall be reckoned a coward a fool if I pass by this no matter as long as I follow the examples of the wisest and holiest of men never did any suffer more and greater abuses from men than 〈◊〉 did and never did any carry it more peaceably and forgivingly 53. 7. he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter c. This pattern the Apostle sets before you for your imitation 1 Pet. 2. 21 22 23. For â—ven hereâ—nto are ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who when be was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteou sly To be of a meek forgiving Spâ—rit is Christ like God like then shall you be the children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his 〈◊〉 to rise upon the evil and upon the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Matth. 5. 45. How eminently also did this Spirit of Christ rest upon his Apostles never were thâ—re such men upon earth for true excellency of Spirit None were ever abused more or suffered their abuses better Being reviled say they we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat 1 Cor. 4. 12 13. Mr. Calvin though a man of a quick Spirit yet had attained such a degree of this Christ like forgiveness that when Luther had used some opprobrious language of him the good man said no more but this alâ—hough he should call me a Devil yet I will acknowledge him to be an eminent servant of Jesus Christ. I have often heard it reported of holy Mr. Dod that when â—ne inraged at his closs convincing docâ—â—ine pickt a quarrel with him smâ—te him on the â—ace and 〈◊〉 two of his teeth this meek servant of Christ spat out the teeth and blood into his hand and said see here you have knockt out two of my teeth and that without any just provocation but on condition I might do your Soul good I would give you leave to dash out all the rest here is the excellency of a Christians Spirit above all the attainments of Moral Heathens though they were excellent at many other things yet they could never attain this forgiving spirit it is the first office of justice said Tully to hurt no body unless first provoked by an injury whereupon Lactantius O quam simplicem veramque sententiam duorum verborum adjectione corrupit What a dainty sentence spoiled the Oratour by adding those two last words strive then for this excellency of Spirit which is the proper excellency of Christians do some singular thing that others cannot doe and then you will have a testimony in their Consciences When Moses out-did the Magicians they were forced to confess the finger of God in that business 3. Remed Consider well the quality of the person that hath wronged thee either he is a good man or a wicked man that hath done thee the injury if he be a good man there is light and tenderness in his Conscience and that will bring him at last to a sense of the evil he hath done however Christ hath forgiven him greater injuries than these and why shouldest not thou will not Christ upbraid him with any of those wrongs done to him but frankly forgives him all and wilt thou take him by the throat fâ—r some petty abuse that he hath done to thee Or is he a wicked man if so truly you have more need to exercise pity than revenge towards him and that upon a double account for 1 He is beside himself so indeed is every unconverted sinner Luk. 15. 17. should you go into Bedlanâ— and there hear one rail at you another mock you and a third threaten you would you say I will be revenged upon them no you would rather goe away pitying them Alas poor creatures they are out of their wits and know not what they doe Besides 2 there is a day coming if they repent not when they will have more miâ—erâ— than you can find in your hearts to wish them you need not study revenge Gods vengeance sleepeth not and will shortly take place upon them and is not that enough have they not an eternity of misâ—ry coming if they repent not this must be the portion of their cup and if ever they doe repent they will be ready to make you reparation 4. Rem Keep down thy heart by this consideration that by revenge thou canst but satisfie a lust but by forgiveness thou shalt conquer a lust Suppose by revenge thou shouldst destory one enemy I will shew thee how by forgiving thou shalt conquer three thine own lust the Devils temptation and thine enemies