at a great rate but he values his life above them all he will part with an hand an eye an ear a leg for his life I but a man will let go his life rather than loose his soul the Martyrs did so they would part with their lives to save their souls and that shews of what value and how precious the soul is Math. 16.26 What is a man profited if hoshall gain the whole world and loose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul What is a man profited if he get all the world there 's riches enough in the world but what if I had it all and lose my soul What 's all this in recompence of a mans soul No it 's nothing to his soul so that the soul is of great price and worth and a Godly man knows how to prize his soul your principal care is over things that are precious if you have a Jewel in the house or any old Gold or any thing given you by a Friend of value you prize it at a great rate and will have a special care of that whatever you have of other things The soul is precious and therefore a Godly mans chief care is about that Thirdly A Godly man's principal care is about his heart and soul because that is the Treasury or Magazine of all his spiritual wealth and riches for where your wealth and riches are layd up you will be â—â—re to have a care of that place Now the soul I say is the Treasury and Magazine of all your spiritual Riches in this 119. Psal 11. Thy word have I bid in my heart the Word of God is very precious more than thousands of Gold and Silver now Thy word have I hid in my heart that 's the treasury of God's word and in Jer. and so in the 8. Heb. I will write my Law in their heartâ— saith God and in the 4. Psal Thou hast put gladness in my heart spiritual joy is in the hearâ— that 's the treasury Christ also is said to dwell in the heart by Faith Eph. 3.17 There 's a treasure there 's riches Christ with his fulness Christ with his graces dwells in the heart Christ with his Merits Christ with his righteousness and excellencies is there yea God himself dwells in the heart in the 57. of Isa I dwell in the high and hoâ—y place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit c. I dwell saith God in the heart in the spirit of a broken and a contrite one So that the heart is the Store-house the Magazine where all spiritual wealth is where God is where Christ is where Grace is where Joy and Gladness is where peace that passes understanding is Now a Godly man hath a special care of his heart because there 's special riches the riches of Heaven the riches of the Gospel Fourthly He hath a special care of his heart because it is the Shop wherein all things are contriv'd hatch'd and wrought be they good or evil saith Christ in Mat. 15. Out of the heart comes evil Thoughts Lusts Murders and Adulteries In the heart are they form'd fram'd and wrought Now a good man he hath Corruption and Grace in his heart he hath Flesh and Spirit in his heart and the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh so that he hath a special eye now and care of his heart to observe what workings are in his heart whether the old Adam be at work whether Corruption be at work whether Grace be at work whether the Spirit be at work what workings are in his Soul he looks unto that Fifthly His principal care is of his heart because the heart is the seat of the affections as it 's said of us that in God we live and move and have our being so in the heart in the soul our affections live and move and have their being And the affections are nimble mercurial things that do labour to get out and if they get wings they will sly and fly far now a Godly man hath a special eye and special care of his heart because there are such active things in it as his affections you know in your Ships you will have a special care of the Powder Room for if a spark of fire get in there there 's danger so a Godly man he looks to his affections least they be fir'd and mount up too high or least they be too low too dull and flat they are the pulses of the soul and they beat sometimes too high and sometimes too low they are the feet of the soul Eccles 5.1 Take heed to thy foot when thou goest to the house of God i. e. affections they are the feet of the soul and the wings of the soul and a good man looks well to his feet and to his wings he looks well to his affections because they being in the soul may exceedingly advantage or exceedingly prejudice it Therefore his eye is upon them Sixthly A Godly man hath a special care of his heart because of the many distempers and diseases it is subject unto because of the many worms and weeds that are apt to grow and breed therein The heart is subject to a thousand distempers a thousand diseases o what strange creatures breed there what Vermin gender there what weeds grow there The heart of man is the Garden of God and all sorts of worms and weeds grow there there will be deadness dulness unbelief pride passion worldliness filthiness revengefulness and other distempers without number A Godly man therefore hath a principal care of his heart O my heart 's dead my heart 's dull my heart 's out of frame my heart 's envious my heart 's malicious my heart is revengeful my heart is running after this or that if you have one in your Family that 's subject to the Megrim to the Falling sickness to the Palsey himself will be very careful and others will be careful why a man's heart is subject to all manner of distempers and all manner of worms and vermin are subject to creep in there all Devils in hell are seeking to get in there therefore he hath a special care of his heart Seventhly The heart of man is in eminent danger of being stolen from him of being lost and therefore a Godly man looks well to his heart he would not have it stolen from him he would not lose it Hos 4.11 Whordome Wine and new Wine had stolen away their hearts and in Mat. 16.26 what will it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his soul he is in danger of losing it the creatures are sly things and would steal away thy heart steal it from God's service steal it from doing its duty draw it aside from God do not you find it when you are reading praying hearing or conversing of good things how soon your heart is stolen away and drawn aside therefore a Godly man hath
of mind lyes in sound principles sound apprehensions of God of Christ of the Spirit of Scriptures and of the great points of Religion of the Resurrection Justification and Sanctification many are unsound touching God unsound in the things of God They deny a Trinity of persons they deny Gods Omnipotency they deny Gods Omnipresence these are unsound they have not sound hearts So concerning Christ how corrupt are many concerning Christ that he is meer Man and not God that Christ did not dye to satisfie for sin but to be an example and many other opinions one might tell you of that are rife in these dayes and people have drunk in now these are unsound hearted men and women So concerning the Spirit of God that it is a quality and not a person concerning Justification many untoward opinions are abroad as that we are justified by inhaerent righteousness and by works that a justifyed man may be unjustified c. So concerning Sanctification that we are without sin perfect that we can fulfil the Law and do works without defect or defilement So for the Resurrection they say the Resurrection is past that Bodies never rise and the Soul sleeps these are corrupt opinions and men are not sound hearted that hold them When therefore we have right apprehensions and sound principles within touching the things mentioned herein lyes soundness of heart let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let me have nothing but what is according to thy Statutes according to thy word Secondly Soundness of heart lies in a healthiness of heart soul and spirit when a man hath any sickliness or distempers in him he is not sound we say he is a sickly man now soundness of heart lies in healthiness of heart in healthiness of soul and spirit and so soundness is opposed to sickliness Isa 1.6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores You see hear soundness is opposed to wounds and bruises and putrifyed sores A man that 's sound hath no wounds nor bruises nor putrified sores and here saith David in the 38 Psal v. 3. There is no soundness in my flesh c. there were diseases distempers and in the 41 Psal v. 4. I said Lord be merciful unto me heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Now when either guilt is upon the heart or either lust or passion predominate in the soul the heart is not sound For the first see the 33. Isa last The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity Why they shall be forgiven their Iniquity and then they are not sick And so for distempers or lusts or any other sin Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer why it s the Prayer of an unsound heart and in the 141 Psal 4. v. Incline not my heart to any evil thing If there be any strong inclination to any evil thing in the heart that heart is not sound that 's a lust and the heart is sick now saith David Lord let not my heart be inclin'd to any evil thing So that when a heart is purged from sin the guilt of sin the power and pollution of sin then the heart is sound for sin is a sickness in the soul a disease in the soul especially when it rises up to incline the heart to evil now when it 's purged from sin then it 's sound when it 's purged with the blood of Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ then a heart is sound indeed there 's a heart sound before God sound in the Statutes of God that 's a second thing wherein soundness of heart doth lye Thirdly Soundness of heart doth consist and lye in the total carriage of the heart to God and to his Statutes when the heart is totally carried to the Lord and to his Statutes and not to other things and so soundness is opposed to dividedness Let my heart be soond in thy Statutes let it not be divided between thee thy Statutes and other things the word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth note compleat and perfect let my heart be perfect compleat and totally in thy Statutes and with thee when a heart is divided you know it is not a sound heart so when mens and women hearts are divided between God and the creature between the Word of God and the things of the world their hearts are not sound Hos 10.2 Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty their heart is not sound saith God their heart is not perfect nor compleatly with me their heart is not carried wholly to me but their hearts are divided and now shall they be found faulty it 's a fault indeed and a foul fault to have the heart divided between God and any other thing whatsoever when the heart is not perfect with God 1. K. 18.21 Elijah came unto all the people and said how long halt ye between two opinions if the Lord be God follow him and if Baal then follow him and the people answered him not a word they were all guilty why halt ye between two opinions why is your heart divided they were for God and for Baal too it 's said they feared the Lord and served Idols Many are for God and the world too but why are ye divided If the Lord be God follow him and if the World be God follow it the heart must not be divided if it be it is not sound 1. Cor. 10.21 ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and the Table of Devils your hearts are not sound if you divide ye cannot serve God and Mammon saith Christ because there 's a divided heart and this is not a sound heart 2 Chron. 25.2 It 's spoken of Antazia he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord for the matter but not with a perfect heart his heart was divided his heart was not perfect his heart was not sound but now see what David saith this way in the 119 Psal touching the soundness of his heart v. 10. with my whole heart have I sought thee there was the whole heart and the whole of the heart there was no division here was a sound heart it was not divided a piece here and a piece there half one way and half another way but with my whole heart have I sought thee and in the 69. v. saith he I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart here was a heart sound in God's Statutes Fourthly Soundness of heart doth lye in the truth and reallity of Grace in the heart the heart is never sound till it have true Grace when there is truth of Grace and truth of Comforts wrought by the Word and
yet doest the same things what if I condemn another for breaking Covenant with men when I break Covenant with God my self am not I a greater sinner I do the same things and the Judgment of God is according to truth and God will Judge take heed then of censuring others of Judging and Condemning others least you condemn your selves you declare the rottenness of your hearts and you will be found rotten at last Seventhly If men profess Religion and be zealous towards God and yet be without mercy and without Justice these men will be found unsound and rotten and be ashamed at last There are many in these dayes are zealous and will hear the word and that 's to be commended but withall let them not rest in the duties of the first Table but let them do the duties of the second In James 1. saith the Apostle there If any man among you seemeth to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue he deceiveth his own heart and this mans Religion is in vain pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widdows in their distress and to keep himself-unspotted in the world To shew mercy here 's Religion if I seem Religious and not be merciful merciful to the afflicted to the Widdow to the Orphan to the Poor to the Prisoner my Religion is all vain a dead Religion is like a dead Faith and so for acts of Justice 1 Joh. 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God Who is he of then he is of the Devil 't is not talking of Righteousness but doing Righteousness unless men and women will keep their promises unless they will pay their Debts unless they will pay their Servants wages unless they will pay their Rents unless they will pay what 's borrowed unless they will restore what they have defrauded what Religion is here Heathens will deal justly and Righteously And therefore those that say they are Christians and not Righteous they are of the Devil and not of God Eighthly They have unsound hearts and will be ashamed who take up Religion upon wrong grounds I told you before upon base ends and a multitude of people take up Religion upon wrong grounds some take up Religion upon a State account the countenance of a State the State doth countenance Religion and make Laws for Religion and the like and upon this account they take up Religion thus was it in King Edward's dayes when he came then many turned Protestants who were Papists before but when Queen Mary came in and there was another face of things then they turned Papists again and in Queen Elizabeth's dayes then they turned Protestants again And thus many in these dayes because there is a state Religion and Worship they desert their former principles and professions and fall in with what is present such men are unsound and will be discovered one day to their shame Many from the Customes of the places where they live it 's the Custom of the Town or of the place it 's the Custom of the great ones to hear the word on the Lords day or to Pray and Read and the like and so upon this account they will become Religious others upon the account of their forefathers oru forefathers did so and so and therefore they will do so others upon the account of education but these are unsound grounds and at one time or other such men and women will be discovered to be rotten-hearted and will be made ashamed of their Religion and therefore men and women should look to the ground Is it the command of God and because you find it 's written in the book of God Is it out of love to God and glorifying of God and saving of your Souls according to the will of God unless it be thus all your grounds are false and vain Ninthly They are like to prove unsound and to be ashamed who have their hearts soaked in the things of the world who are strongly carried out to them and are taken up with these outward things they are like to be ashamed at one time or other it 's said in James 4.4 Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy to God tell me now whether any Adulteresses or Adulterers have a sound heart all those that are friends to the world and have their affections carried to the world are they not enimies to God are they not Adulterers Men that are lovers of the pleasures prosits honours and fashions of this world are unsound hearted and will be discovered at one time or other 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him and if that be not in him he is an unsound hearted man and will be discovered one day to be so Demas he professes Christianity he goes along with Paul but because the world was in his heart he leaves Paul and embraces the world and Dorotheus an Ecclesiast cal Writer he tells us that he went to Thessalonica and there he turned an idolatrous Priest Paul tells you plain enough in the 1 Tim. 6.9 10 They that will be rich some men and women are resolved to be rich they will be rich in spight of all they know it 's but rising early and lying down late and using their wits and their hands But they that will be rich fall into Temptations and a snare and into many foolish and burtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil is this heart sound now is that heart sound that hath the root of all evil in it look to it those that have their hearts soak'd in the world and carried out to the things of the world they are rotten and so they will be discovered to be one day to their shame tâ— therefore David saith incline not my heart to covetousness O let not my heart go out to the world least I be ashamed Tenthly Their hearts are unsound who have a secret dislike of the wayes and things of God and the strictness of Religion many men though they will not openly and outwardly speak against the wayes of God against strictness and holiness exact and circumspect walking yet they have a secret dislike of them a secret slighting of them and they do not approve of them and think men may be too strict such men their hearts are unsound and they will be discovered one day saith he in Mal. 3. ye have said it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts They had slight thoughts of the wayes of God and they were rotten
How precious are thy thoughts unto me saith David so precious are the thoughts of Christ and of God towards poor sinners The Lord Christs thoughts were publick thoughts pure thoughts heavenly thoughts thoughts of mercy and loving kindness I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith God Jer. 29.11 They were good thoughts peaceable thoughts loving thoughts so there is in Christ choice thoughts towards poor sinners Prov. 12.5 The thoughts of the righteous are right Christ was the righteous one and all his thoughts were right thoughts righteous thoughts so now to have the same mind that Christ had is to have the same thoughts that Christ had have the same thoughts of God the Father that he had have the same thoughts of Truth that Christ had have the same thoughts of Sin that Christ had as an evil as the greatest evil have the same thoughts of Grace as Christ had have the same thoughts of the Church as Christ had have the same thoughts of the worth of Souls as Christ had what will you give in exchange for your Souls Christ valued a soul above all the world now to have the mind of Christ is to have the same thoughts of God of persons and things that the Lord Jesus Christ had Secondly to have the same mind that Christ had is to be carried forth with the same will and affections towards God and Man as Christ was Now how was Christ carried forth towards God and man Heb. 10.7.9 there you shall see then said I Lo I come in the Volume of the Book it is written of me to do thy will O God I come I come freely I am coming to do thy will whatever it be be it hard matters disgraceful matters be it in the matter of my life Loe I come to do thy will O God and so in the 9 v. Lo I come to do thy will I am not backward but I come to do thy will he was ready to make hast as David saith I made hast and delayed not to keep thy Commandments so that to be carried out towards God to do good and to do the will of God as Christ was is to have the very mind of Christ Joh. 5.30 saith Christ I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent me I came and I came freely and willingly and nor to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me so now to be carried out to do the will of God as Christ was towards God and towards man is to have the same mind that Christ had Thirdly to have the same mind that Christ had is to live the same life that Christ did where there is the same mind there will be the same motions and the same operations now to have the mind of Christ is to live the very life of Christ Gal. 2.20 I live not saith Paul but Christ lives in me O 't is Christs life that I live so in the 1 Phil. 21. To me to live is Christ I dont account my life any life if I dont live the life of Christ and Tit. 1.11 12. The Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men what 's the Grace of God Christ and the Gospel the mind of Christ Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world Now to have the mind of Christ is to live soberly Righteously and Godly in this world Soberly in regard of our selves Righteously in regard of men Godly in regard of God To have the mind of Christ is to live the very life of Christ 1 Pet. 4.1 2. For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin If you have suffered as Christ hath done you will cease from sin he hath ceased from dying for sin and you must cease from committing of sin That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God So that if we have the mind of Christ we will live the rest of our time to the will of God we must walk as he walked 1 Joh. 2.3 Fourthly Lastly to have the same mind that Christ had is to be carried out to the same end that he was and his end was to do good to others and to glorifie God these were the intentions and end and mind of Christ Acts 10.38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil for God was with him here was his design to do good to others and his great design was to glorifie the Father also Joh. 8.50.54 and I seek not mine own glory saith he there is one that seeketh and judgeth I seek not mine own glory 't is the glory of the Father that I seek and v. 5 4. Jesus answered iâ— I honour my self my honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth me of whom ye say that he is your God My Father doth honour me indeed and I do honour my Father Joh. 17.4 I have glorified thee on the earth c. That was the great design of the L. Jesus Christ to go up and down and do good and to glorifie the Father and honour him now to be carried out to the same ends and to have the same aim that Christ had is to have the same mind that Christ had Thus you see what was the mind of Christ and what it is to have the same mind that Christ had Now I shall shew you the Reasons why we should have the same mind that Christ had Reas First we should have the same mind because we are Christians we have Christs name as you know those that are Lutherans they have the mind of Luther those that are Calvinists have the mind of Calvin those are Platonists have the mind of Plato those are Gallenists have the mind of Gallen So we are Christians and we should have the mind of Christ what a Christian and not the mind of Christ why we are his Disciples and Disciples use to have the mind of their Masters and of their Teachers we should learn his mind and be of his mind Eph. 4.21 22. ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus If you have heard Christ and learned of him you will be of his mind you are his Disciples and the Disciple is of the mind of the Teacher Col. 2.6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him As ye have received his Doctrine his mind so walk in his Doctrine and in his mind we are Christians and therefore we should be of the same mind with Jesus Christ Secondly those that are true Churches and true Christians
and wealth and it may be he did not think himself to be one but when he comes to be prov'd to be one he is discovered to be that he was not so in Rev. 2. Thou hast tryed them and found them Lyars they said they were Apostles but they were found by the Church to be no Apostles but Lyars and now they were ashamed so they that said they were Jews and were not but he 's a Jew that is one inwardly and not outwardly only unsound hearted men will be found that which they are not in their own apprehension and in the judgments of others now this will bring shame when men shall be found that which they are not at present and which they were not in the judgment of others Secondly that which brings shame is disappointment when men are disappointed of their expectations Jer. 14. And their Nobles sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water they returned with their vessels empty they were ashamed and confounded and covered their heads So that disappointment causes shame as in Isa 20.5 They shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and of Egypt their Glory So that when men are disappointed of their expectations then they are ashamed now unfound hearted men they will be disappointed of their expectations they look for Comfort Peace Heaven happiness and Glory but they shall be disappointed the five foolish Virgins they thought to go in to Heaven but they were disappointed of their expectation and so greatly ashamed Thirdly When great evils not look'd for come upon men and women then they are ashamed 2 Sam. 10.5 The men were greatly ashamed there were Ambassadors sent to Hanan and he cuts off half their Beards and half their Garments and here was evil come upon them they look'd not for and they were greatly ashamed so men that are unsound will have evils come upon them that they look'd not for God will bring evil upon them that they look'd not for evil upon their States and evil upon their Names and evils upon their Bodies and Souls and this will make them ashamed Now this shame frequently is in this Life but alwayes at the day of Judgment In this life how are men asham'd what a multitude of men in these dayes are discovered to be unsound hearted full of rotten principles Errors Heresies and sinful complyances and this is their shame what a multitude have divided hearts between God and Mammon what a multitude are discovered to have but seeming grace and no truth of grace in them what a multitude of Hypocrites have we in the world that have pretended fair and high and yet now their Hypocrisie appears they have left the sweet Grapes of Canaan for the stinking Garlick of Egypt what a multitude have we whose hearts are not set to practice what they hear these are all unsound hearted and these are discovered and more and more shall be discovered daily But at last when the Goats shall be set at the left hand and the Sheep at the right hand and Christ shall say go ye Hereticks go ye erroneous persons go you Apostates go you prophane wretches go you Persecutors begon to hell to the Devil and his Angels now they shall be ashamed and confounded for ever So that God he hath his time sooner or later to discover unsound hearted men and women Now that that I shall do here shall be first to shew you who are like to prove unsound and corrupt hearted men and women Secondly to give you some Directions or Arguments to prevent unsoundness of heart shame and confusion First who are like to prove rotten and unsound at the heart First those who do receive truth into impure hearts into divided hearts truth is holy truth is pure and truth never dwells or abides long but in a pure heart t is true truth doth sojourn sometimes in a corrupt heart Lot he sojourns in Sedom a little while Christ lay a while in the manger but he staid not there long and so mens corrupt wills thrust out truth out of the heart it will not let it stay long unless the heart be pure and holy 1 Tim. 3.9 holding the mysterie of the faith in a pure Conscience That is holding the Doctrine of the Gospel and a pure Conscience unless mens hearts and Consciences be pure they will never hold the mysterie they may have some part of the mysterie conveyed unto them which may visit them a little while but their hearts and Consciences cannot hold the fame and then such men and women will prove unfound at the latter end Secondly They are like to prove unsound who do take upon them the profession of Religion and Godliness and do much and go far but not for right ends many have their ends why they will profess Religion why they will have a form of Godliness and why they will do this and that they have their ends why they will get into Church-fellowship some will profess Religion and go far for credit esteem and respect when Religion is in fashion in credit and esteem they will be religious so Scribes and Pharises sought honour of men and so we have those seek honour and credit of men and because of that they will enter upon Religion but they will not be sound some do it for preferment and advantage some again for livelyhood they are poor mean and low in the world and have heavy pressures that way and therefore they will get into a Church that they may be maintained and so live by the sweat of others and think the Church is bound to maintain them and theirs such men as these will prove unsound at the last but have you no better ends to move you then these to be Religious and to look unto Gods Statutes Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes the Glory of God must be your end the good of Souls must be your end the good of your own foul and all other ends must be lay'd by now if men have not such ends as these they will prove rotten at last and will be discovered to their shame Thirdly Those are like to prove unsound at last and be ashamed who have not seriously considered what it may cost them to profess the Gospel to be Christians to enter into Church state and are not resolved to buy the Pearl though it be at the dearest rate they will prove unsound it may cost you something to be Christians so in Luke 14.26 and so forward If any man come to me saith Christ and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life Mark he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple for which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he hath sufficient to finish it least haply after he hath lay'd the Foundation and is
fruit of Christ where there is a spiritual life there is a spiritual taste where there is no spiritual life there is no spiritual taste at all Heb. 5. They had their senses exercised to discern between good and evil some have no spiritual senses they cannot discern between good and evil therefore they find no â—â—etness in the word of God that 's one reason men and women are dead in sins and trespasses and never are quickned with the life of grace Secondly Some have their tastes yet find no sweetness because they have a fullness of other things in them Prov. 27.7 The full soul loatheth an Honey-comb If there be a fulness in us nothing is sweet unto us now men and women are full of several things First some are full of the world Amos 8.5 when will the new moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat and the like these were full of the world and so they could not taste of spiritual things Matth. 13.12 He that received among Thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the world and he becometh unfruitful Secondly Some are full of conceitedness in Luke 18.11 The Pharisee he was conceited of his own goodness righteousness and doings and the Church of Laodicea she was full and wanted nothing and so could not taste the dainties of the Lord nor the sweetness that was in his Ordinances and his word there was such a fullness in them of their own conceitedness that they wanted nothing Thirdly There is a fullness of errors in many a fullness of opinions Scribes and Pharises they found no sweetness in Christ nor in Christs way they were full of their own opinions errors traditions and false doctrines So many now are full of their own light and the light within that 's all in all unto them and they find no sweetness in Ordinances nor in the means of Grace Fourthly Many yea most are full of creature delights and creature contentments and creature comforts full of sensual pleasures they take so much pleasure in the creature in their outward comforts contentments in their estates and relations in their gifts and parts and things of that nature that they can taste no sweetness in the word of God Thirdly Men taste not the sweetness in the word because of their slighting of the word and hence it is a just Judgment of God to suffer them not to taste the sweetness that is in the word when they made light of the Gospel and the Gospel dainties prepared for them Matth. 22.5 They went away and flighted the invitation to the Gospel feast It is said in Luke 14.24 none of them shall Taste thereof that is none of them shall ever taste the sweetness or goodness therein they might hear but they should taste no sweetness in their hearing and therefore to slight the word of God is a great evil and will hâ—nder persons from tasting the sweetness that is in the word of God Fourthly A fourth reason is that formality that is in the people they come to the Word and Ordinances of God with formal hearts and spirits we come not to the Ordinances as the Ordinances of God we come not to the word as the word of the great God we hear not for time to come we hear not for eternity we hear not as matters of life and death and therefore we dont find that sweetness as they do that hear so Men pray but not in the Spirit serve God but not in Spirit they draw near God with their lips but their hearts are far from him Fifthly And I may add one thing more people dont find sweetness in the word of God because they do nourish some base lust or corruption in their hearts And Peter gives you an intimation of this 1 Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisie and envies and evil-speakings as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby If there be in our hearts such things we shall not taste the sweetness of the sincere milk of the word neither shall we grow thereby so now you see what hinders the tasting of the sweetness of the word Qu. Another question may arise hereupon and that is What should we do to find sweetness in the word of God An. First If you would find sweetness in the word of God get hungry souls Prov. 27.7 To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet If we had hungry souls the bitterest truth in all the word of God would be sweet unto us Now there be three things which beget hunger in men and women there 's Fasting Purging and Excercise First If you would have hungry souls you must fast much I dont mean a fasting from bread meat and drink but from sin fasting from pleasures and delights fasting from lawful things of the world 1 Cor. 7.29 The time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives be as though they had â—one and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that bay as though they possessed not Fast from your lawful enjoyments from your pleasures delights and contentments and this will breed an appetite to the word of God Secondly Purging we take bitter things to purge us so we should take something to purge our Hearts our Heads and Consciences Be sensible of sin and the bitterness of sin what a bitter and evil thing sin is what danger sin doth involve the soul in and expose it to the wrath of God hell and damnation we should take some pills to mortifie our lusts and then the word of God would be sweet unto us indeed Thirdly Exercise will beget a stomach 1 Tim. 4.7 Exercise thy self to Godliness If men and women did pray much read much meditate much and have their hearts much in Heaven they would have hungry souls after the word of God and find a sweetness in the word of God Joh. 7.17 saith he there If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self He shall know whether the Doctrine be not an heavenly Doctrine and a sweet Doctrine he shall taste the sweetness of my Doctrine that I have brought down from my Father if he will do the will of God So that that 's the first thing to get hungry Souls and then we shall reâ—ith the word of God and find sweetness in it Secondly If we would find sweetness in the word of God we should make much Conscience of the Lords time and day and sanctifie the Lords day if we did sanctifie the Lords day as we ought to do we should find sweetness in his Ordinances and sweetness all the week after in his Ordinances and in his word Isa 58.13.14 If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing
things that we know we must part with and the loss of other things concerning our souls and which we should mind above all things in the world the Word of God and his Sabbath and Ordinances and Worship and the like these little trouble us Well by these things you may know whether you love the world yea or no and if it be so you are worthy of great blame for loving of the world In the next place it shall be a use of exhortation to exhort you not to love the world nor the things of the world the pomp of the world tho pleasures of the world the profits preferments and honours of the world and the things that are in it Love them not I shall do two things here First Give you several grounds or arguments to enforce the exhortation Secondly Some directions how to take off our hearts from loving the world First We should not love the world because it is a sin to love the world whatever is forbidden us is a sin and will you live in sin is sin a small matter sin is the transgression of a Law you will say well here 's the Law Love not the world If you love the world you transgress this Law therefore dont live in the transgression of this Law It 's an ill thing to live in sin Ezek. 18.4 The soul that sins shall dye be it what soul it will the souls of the highest or lowest learned or ignorant rich or poor if they live in sin they shall dye it 's a dangerous thing to live in sin a pleasing sin a profitable sin an honourable sin if you love the world you live in sin and we should as in the 12. Rom. 9. abhor that which is evil and love that which is good sin is evil the least sin is evil sinful thoughts sinful lusts are evil if unconsented to it's evil much more if consented to and lived in and practised it will bring forth death death eternal for the wages of sin is death that 's the first reason Secondly We should not love the world because it is the command of the great God the great and blessed and glorious God he commands us to not to love the world Love not the world saith he nor the things that are in it shall not the command of the great God obtain upon us and prevail with us In the word of a King there is power here 's the word of the greatest King of all Kings the great God of Heaven and Earth Love not the world saith God saith Peter Lord we have been toyling all the night and caught nothing nevertheless at thy command I will throw out the Net So the command of God we should hearken to it at thy command Lord I will not love the world nor the things of the world In the 35. Jer. 6. There are the Rechabites their Father commanded them to drink no Wine to plant no Vineyards to build no Houses and one comes to them and sets Wine before them and fills Cups and saith unto them drink Wine say they v. 6. we will drink no Wine for Jonadab the Son of Rechab our Father commanded us saying ye shall drink no Wine neither ye nor your sons for ever neither shall ye build House nor sow Seed nor plant Vineyard now see in the 14. v. what the Lord saith The words of Jonadab the Son of Rechab that he commanded his Sons not to drink Wine are performed Here 's dutiful Sons observe the command of their Father they will drink no Wine build no House sow no Seed They are performed for unto this day they drink none but obey their Fathers Commandment Notwithstanding I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye hearkned not unto me saith God what a reproach is this to me faith God that the command of a man is observed and obeyed and the command of me the great God that have your lives and all in my hand is not observed not regarded well the great God he faith unto us Love not the world Therefore let his commands be of force and authority with us to knock our hearts off from the love of the world Thirdly Love not the world nor the things of it because it is the portion of the wicked of ungodly men Psal 17.14 From men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life There are men of the world Inhabitants of the world they are of the world of worldly principles of worldly affections and of worldly practices and conversations they have their portion in this life saith he the things of this world are their portion would you have your portion here have your portion in these things it 's a poor portion a perishing portion an unsatisfying portion the worst portion of all In the 21. Job 7 8 9. Wherefore do the wicked live saith Job Lord wherefore doth the wicked live wicked men are not worthy to live in the world wherefore do the wicked live become old you are mighty in power To live and live long and be mighty in power and place and honour and estates they are mighty in power Their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes They have their seed and posterity and are established Their houses are safe from fear neither is the rod of God upon them Their Bull gendreth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calf they send forth their little ones like a Flock and their Children dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and Rejoyce at the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go down to the Grave Here are wicked men now you see it 's their portion to have the world to have the musick and mirth and all things according to their hearts desires it 's their portion and who would have such a portion It was the trouble of Jer. 12.1 Wherefore doth the wicked prosper wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously wicked men prosper in the world though they deal treacherously yet they prosper and saith he Thou hast planted them yea they have taken root They grow yea they bring forth fruit Thou art near in their mouth and far from their Reins The world is the portion of wicked men therefore we should not love it Alexander a Heathen he had all the world he had it for his portion So Julius Caesar he had the Roman Empire for his portion Ahashuerus had 127 Provinces for his portion The world is meat for Dogs as the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is a portion fit for Dogs and 't is not Childrens meat therefore we should not love the world it is the portion of the wicked Fourthly We should not love the world because if we do we shall meet with great disappointments much trouble and little good in it Great afflictions we shall have in the world Joh. 16.
last In the world ye shall have tribulation saith Christ ye shall have tribulations Thorny cares piercing cares and sorrows in the world ye shall meet with those and from day to day year to year you shall have trouble Eccles 1.1 Vanity of vanities all is vanity and vexation of Spirit you meet with nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit there is a great deal of vexation in the best condition the world affords unto any man and in the 5. Eccles from the 11. v. to the 16. When Goods increase they are increased that eat them There will be many mouths if you have much wealth to consume the same And what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding of them with their eyes what good have you others eat them as well as you you behold them others behold them as well as you all the difference is these are mine No they are not yours they are the worlds goods not yours yours for your use well The sleep of a labouring man is sweet whether he eateth little or much A poor man that labours hard his sleep is sweet unto him but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep is not this an evil further There is a sore evil which I have seen under the Sun namely Riches kept from the owners thereof to their hurt They get riches and treasure up riches and keep them unto their hurt how to their hurt why they are hurt with their fears hurt with their cares and they are hurt with abusing of them and they keep them to their hurt others get them from them sometimes the fire sometimes Thieves sometimes Oppressors come and take them away They are kept to their hurt and men lye in wait to make a prey of them and theirs But saith he those riches perish by evil travel some miscarriage of a man makes him lose his estate a word or an act sometimes makes him lose his estate And he begetteth a Son and there is nothing in his hand there is nothing in his hand to do any good to improve this that 's left unto him As he came forth of his Mothers womb naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand He shall carry away nothing of all he takes such a deal of pains and trouble about and this also is a sore evil that in all points as he came so shall he go This is a sore evil and yet men do encrease this evil to themselves daily so that men will meet with disappointments and meet with trouble and vexation if they love the world and things of the world therefore we should not love it Fisthly To beat us off from the love of the world the love of the world hath been the ruine of Millions hardly any man perishes but it is upon the account of the world and the things of the world Phil. 3.19 Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things when men do mind earthly things and love the world and the things of it their end is destruction their God is their belly their glory is in their shame they are rich and they must go so and so they must have their pleasures and they must exceed they glory in their shame in Drunkenness in Whoredom in Oppression they glory in their shame they mind earthly things their end is destruction honours pleasure profit power do poison the souls of men and are the ruine of them 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition men love the world and the things of it and they will be rich and so fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Ill gotten goods that drown a man in destruction and perdition and the Lord Christ tells you It is easier for a Camel or a Cable to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven It 's a hard thing for a man to be rich and to be good to be rich and to be sav'd One at Sea having made a great voyage and coming near home the Ship leak'd and was ready to sink he fills his Pockets and Bosome with choice things Silver Gold and Jewels and going out of it to the Boat through weight of the thick clay he had laded himself with let go his hold and dropt into the Sea and was seen no more So many through the fulness weight of their riches miss the Boat should carry them to Heaven are sunk down into a Sea of misery if not into eternal misery And another I have read of giving away his estate one ask'd him why he did so that I may go the more easily up Jacob's Ladder saith he The ruine of most men and women is the world and the love of the world something or other in it they affect and dote upon that ruines their souls to all eternity therefore we should take heed of that which ruines so many and not affect the same Sixthly If we love the world God will imbitter it unto us one way or other Jonas affects his Gourd and was much taken with his Gourd God sends a worm in the night and that gnaws the root of it and the Gourd withers away and Jonas was perplext and angry with God for taking away his Gourd Jacob he loves Joseph and he loves Benjamin and being taken from him the old man he thought that with sorrow he should go down to his grave God did imbitter those things unto him his heart was upon Many men love pleasures and credit and honour and God whips them sooner or later for the love of those things some cross or other will befall them Many love their Children and God takes them away and then they are in bitterness and mourn as for an onely Son Many they have beauty and God sends the Small Pox and takes away their beauty and imbitters them Children which their Parents have made Idols of how untoward have they proved usually they prove matter of sorrow and shame unto them and increase and multiply their fears and cares and tears they are multiplyed because they did dote upon them and loved them inordinately 'T is so usually with the things of this world if we love them God will cross us in them the way to enjoy any mercy is to love it but a little or to love it in order to God Seventhly We should not love the world because we cannot enjoy the world long we cannot have the things of it long it may be they will leave us however we must leave them and the stronger affections we have to any thing the more bitter will the affliction be when we leave it strong
affections bring great afflictions unto men and women in the 12. Luke 20. see how short a mans time is the fool there in the Gospel had got a great estate thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry but God said unto him Thou fool This night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided we have many such fools in the world that lay up much here and think they shall live long and be at ease as many use to say well when I have gotten such an estate then I will give over the Sea and live at ease but before that comes Thou fool This night thou art taken away from it in the midst of thy pursuit of it so that we cannot long enjoy the things of this world and therefore seeing the time is short as the Apostle saith use the world as not abusing it use the world you may but dont love it for then you abuse it use the world for your necessity to further your journey to Heaven to further your accounts before God but dont abuse it dont love it The time is short Eighthly To take our hearts off from the world consider that those are truely Godly they are for God and not for the world Psal 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is Godly for himself God hath set a Godly man apart from the world and set him for himself now if thou beest set apart for God wilt thou give thy self to the world Be for him who hath set thee apart for himself A maid when she is set a part by friends for such a man she will be for him and not for another so when God hath set you apart from the world your hearts will be for God and not for the world and it 's an argument that a man is a Godly man when he is set apart God calls them out of the world and chooses them for himself and he will have them to be imployed in his way and his work and not for the world A Godly man is above the world and better than the world and what should he loose himself in the world and mire himself with the world Heb. 11. of whom the world was not worthy the world did not think them worthy to live in it and the world was not worthy of them so precious is a Godly man the soul is a precious thing and more precious than all the world but when there 's precious grace in the soul it 's far beyond the worth of worlds a thousand worlds are not worthy one gracious soul therefore be not for the world but for God for whom thou art set apart Ninthly We should not love the world because such as do love the world they dont love the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 3.18 19. Many walk saith he of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ Mark they are not friends to Christ nor to his Cross they are enemies to the Cross of Christ and who be they he tells you in the 19 v. who mind earthly things Men that mind earthly things the things of this world are enemies to the Cross of Christ and James 4.4 saith the Apostle Ye Adnlterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God To be an enemy of God and an enemy to Christ is a sad thing not to love the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Let him be accursed till I come saith the Lord Jesus I will come e're long again to see who loves me and who loves me not now if any man dont love me let him be accursed till I come and send him to hell and give him his portion there well then this should prevail with us not to love the world for we cannot love Christ if we love the world no man can serve two Masters we cannot love God and Mammon Tenthly Lastly we should not love the world 't is not the end of our creation nor the end of our redemption but crosses the end of both why was man created man was created for God and for communion with God he was made after Gods own Image in knowledge and righteousness and holiness that so he might be a meet companion if I may so speak for God to converse with and to have familiarity with Now if we love the world what Communion have we with God how do we answer the end of our creation In Rev. 14.4 he tells them that they are redeemed from the earth and from among men it crosses the end of our redemption The end of our Creation is to have Communion with God to serve God and to walk with God and the end of our Redemption is that we should follow the Lamb and being redeemed serve in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our lives Now loving the world is cross to both these if we love the world we will follow the world if we love Christ we will follow him So that if you would not cross the end of your creation nor the end of your redemption dont love the world nor the things of the world By this time I conceive you are convinced in your Judgments you should not love the world But here 's the business we would not love the world but we find it such a hard thing that we know not how to get our hearts off from the world and the things of the world therefore what should we do in this case First If you would have your affections and hearts off from the world look well to your Judgments and dont highly esteem the world for the affections do follow the judgment and the apprehensions If men have strong apprehensions of things they will have strong affections and when men do highly esteem of things then their hearts are carried out strongly after those things and work violently towards them Now then have low thoughts of the world judge of the world as the Scripture judges of it and how doth the Scripture judge of the world look into the 1. Gal. 4. who hath delivered us from this present evil world 'T is an evil world a world that is full of evils full of sins full of mischief full of oppression full of corruption subject to bondage subject to perishing an evil world full of evil plots and designs and devils Thus the Scripture judges of it do you judge of it so So in the 1 Joh. 5.19 The whole world lyes in wickedness Judge you so of it here 's a world lyes in wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lyes in the devil and he makes use of the world to deceive you and undo you and to draw you to perdition Should a