an argument from Gods judging of men to prove that God must needs see O sayes he it is he that chastiseth the hea hen shall not hee correct hee that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know vers 10. q. d. yee deny God to be judge if hee say hee does not know how can he correct them will he judge men for that he knowes not what no if he be the judge of the whole World he must needs know all that men doe The use of this is First is it so that God knowes all mens sinfull courses if men be dead-hearted he knowes it if they be heartles in good duties he knowes it though they would be loth that men should know what they are and doe keepe it from them yet they cannot dawb it before God he knowes it then this may serve to confute them that say God does not know sin This was Averroes his opinion who sayes God does not know sin God knows all that ever he knowes by knowing of himselfe and how can hee know sin because hee can see no such thing in himselfe I answer this is to derogate from the knowledge of God and to deny the perfection of it True sin is an evill yea the greatest evill of all evills yet the knowledge of it is good nay it were strange to say that God does not know who sin against him that were a pity if men be abused wee say it were pity but that they should know of it and if wee doe love them wee tell them who they be that abuse them and what the abuses are Certainly God knowes who doe abuse him and how people carry themselves towards all his Commandements and worship it is a part of his perfection to know it Againe we our selves may know sin and may know sin by the contrary as wee know what darknesse is by the contrary which is light and shall we say that God doe not know it God damnes all the wicked one after another for it and therfore he does know it nay we see that God brings secret things to light here in this World when people had thought that no body should ever come to know it yet hee does often bring secret sinnes to light here in this World how much more at the last day And though God knowes all that ever he knowes by looking upon himselfe and sin be not there but nothing but good and goodnesse it selfe yet hee can know it as a Medium to bring good out of it And so it is good as he wils it and therefore hee decrees it and therefore he must needs know it and know it in himself For the permission onely of it is in himself and the acting which is evill is out of himselfe neither does it follow that Gods understanding should become vile by knowing so many vile things as Vorstius and others do blasphemously astirme thence they would conclude their cursed Atheisticall axiomes we indeed may make our selves vile by looking upon vile and base things because we cannot keepe our hearts from savouring of them whose end is damnation c. who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 19. that is their minde becomes vile by so doing Hereby people come to be unacquainted with God and with Heavenly things They know how to buy and sell how to earne and get gaine how to plough and sow and such earthly things and they do so savour their minds that they make their minds base with them and therefore we are commanded to ennoble our minds and understandings for these things make them vile and therefore we should think of them no oftner then needs must for our minds are debased by base objects This is to be meant in regard of us not as though any thing that God hath made were vile but our corruption makes us vile when we looke upon vile things we are apt to run a whoring after them and our affections to bee hampered by them but God can daily and every howre see and looke what vile things men doe for he keepes a continuall and an uninterrupted hatred of them as the Psalmist sayes he is angry with the wicked every day so hee hates their courses every day Againe does God know all mens sins then this confutes the Anomists that say God cannot see the sins of his people God sees no sin in his people say they abusing that place there of Balaam Hee hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seene transgression in Israel Numb 23. 21. what 's this but to pervert Scripture hee speakes there of the eye of his Justice He does not speake of the eye of his Knowledge He speakes of such things as is in the wicked That indeed God doe not see in his people for it is not there to be seene otherwise if Gods people sin God makes them know and confesse that hee sees it as David sayes O God thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sinnes are not hid from thee Psal 69. 5. The garments of salvation that God puts upon his people are not to hoodwinke Gods Al-seeing Knowledge but to keep of the destroying Angell Secondly another use is to condemne the most sorts of men that doe not consider of this truth they little thinke that God sees all their doings I feare there is hardly any among us that will seeme to deny but that God can see all his wayes and yet we see it is too apparent by mens lives that few men do believe this indeed There is this vile Atheisme sculking in all our hearts naturally otherwise we durst not doe as wee doe that either God is such a God as the Epicures made him that sits in Heaven and regards not what men doe here below or at least we doe not charge this truth on our hearts that God sees us this is the cause of all the sinnes that are among us That there is so much luke warmenesse in the better sort so much heartlesnesse in holy performances before God so much wickednesse among others for why if men did seriously consider that Gods sees all and markes all nay hee markes all that men do so curiously that hee can set them in order before them all that ever they have done Psal 50. 21. in the same order that they committed them marke he can set before us in order all that ever we doe from day to day this sin then and that sin then such a sin wee did at such a time such sins in the morning such at noone such the last night such lusts were in our hearts in such a place and such in such a place hee can set them in order before us he knowes them so well and will too before he hath done I say if wee did charge this upon our soules we could not live so loosely as we doe You will say yea but we are Christians why do you tell us such a known truth what need so many arguments to prove that God knowes all our sinnes wee
is deep in the heart so if thou beest alive towards God God is in the deep of thy heart the word is deepe in thy heart nor like the salt water in the Sea onely on the Top. Ye know what became of the Seed that wanted depth of the earth Matth. 13. 5. so it is with the heart when the word does not get into the depth of it it never quickens in it The heart may be so farre towards goodnesse as to bring a man to good duties a dayes it may bring one to Sermon or to Prayer to others of the Ordinances of God and other good courses but what 's all this as long as it is dead the life lies in the bottome of the heart look what the bottome of the heart stands unto that 's a man alive unto then thou art alive towards God when the bottom of thy heart is unto him when thou labourest to obey him from the bottome of thy heart when thou callest upon him from the bottome of thy heart like Sugar at the bottome of the Cup stirre up the bottome the best is at bottome so thou must stirre up the bottome of thy heart the heart is a deep thing Psal 64. 6. though religion be on the top yet if the world be in the deepe thy heart is dead towards God as it is with a puddle it may be cleare at the top faire water at the top but there 's nothing but mudde at the bottome Secondly there be flitting Acts of the heart be they never so deep in the heart yet if they doe not stay there the heart is dead still Solomon sayes of his Father he said unto me let thy heart retaine my words keep my Commandements and live Prov. 4. 4. though the word does stirre neere so much for the present this is not life except thou retaine it and hold it fast a man may have many flashes of life in him but as long as the heart does not keep them it remaines dead they that seeke the Lord the heart shall live Psal 22. 26. that is when it is not a flash but it is an Act that abides by a man the heart is stedfastly set towards God now his heart lives now when people are moved onely by fits they are humbled by fits and startled by fits their righteousnesse is like a morning dew ye know there the dew is every morning but all the day it is gone may be when morning comes there it is againe but all the day it is gone It is true there may be horrible offs and on s in the Children of God to the confounding of their faces before God But I doe not speake to discourage them But let us take heed we may have admirable flashes of life fits of humblings fits of enlargements fits of selfe-denyall sits of great eagernesse after God the heart may be towards God for a sit a false heart as the Land of Israel their heart was firmely towards him for a sit they remembred that God was their rock and that the high God was their redeemer but their heart was not right with him they were not stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78. 37. mark it was but a fit like Esays crying for a fit This is a poore argument of life then no no the flitting acts of the heart may be no acts of life Thirdly there be wouldings and wishings in the heart and these cozen the world more then any other these they thinke verily are effects of true life First because these are not in the outside of the heart but lye or at least seeme to lye very deepe in the heart it is very certaine that many naturall men would give the whole world if they had it as they doe verily conceive that they had true grace that they were Saints that they could leave their sinnes that they were in a childe of Gods case they deeply wish it it is a profound would in their hearts and therefore now when they see such yearnings in their hearts they doe verily apprehend this is life certainly Hence it is that they will say they would from the bottome of their hearts serve God they have nere a lust but they would full faine have God deliver them from that indeed they confesse in their consciences if they might have a 1000 worlds they cannot give it over I but they would faine they could and thus they deceive themselves because this act seemes to be from the depth of their heart this fancy you may see to be in mens hearts out of Mich. 6. 6. 7. where ye see though they could not finde in their hearts to walke humbly before God to live justly and righteously yet they would give thousands they could O say they what would not we give for the sin of our soules no question but they thought they were alive but God told them they were not Secondly another reason why they thinke this is a token of life is because this is no flitting act neither But they have these wouldings every day nay you can never come to them but still they have these they would doe well nay they would doe as well as the best thus they hope they have a fountaine of living water in them that springeth up daily thus it was with them in the Prophets they seeke me daily sayes God Isa 58. 2. they thought it was their every dayes work to serve God and where they did faile they thought they could say they would doe better they sought the Lord daily Thirdly because they finde that this is attributed to the Saints as the Apostle sayes ye cannot doe the things that ye would Gal. 5. 17. nay the Apostle Paul himselfe speakes it of himselfe the good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill which I would not doe that doe I Rom. 7. 19. So that thus they argue now when they finde this same woulding in their hearts and cannot doe as they would O say they I may say with the Apostle the good which I would doe that doe I not I cannot doe as I would Thus they hoodwinke their owne soules It is very true these be the Saints groanes and a part of their sighing towards God that they cannot doe as they would this makes them a burthen to themselves and so againe when they finde themselves disturbed and limited and straightened by their flesh this is a comfort to their soules and an argument of Gods infinite goodnesse unto them that they can unfeignedly say they would doe better they doe please him in some measure through his grace and they would please him better they doe some good by his heavenly spirit and they would doe more they doe resist every sinne and they would resist it more This is very true But yet how many a thousands lul themselves asleep in security by the fancy of this thing The heart may put forth daily wouldings and be as dead as a carcasse to all the workes of
so eager to deny himselfe I count all drosse and dung the intentions of his heart were after Christ O sayes he that I might know him Phil. 3. 10. Thirdly the elections and choosings of the heart this is another part of the hearts life no man is dead to that which he chooses rather then any thing else now if we did still choose the wayes of God we could not be dead to them when we are dead to them at any time it is because we could even finde in our heart to make another choyce and therefore if we would know whether our heart is alive unto goodnesse whether doe we choose the way of goodnesse every day before any other way as David sayes I have chosen the way of truth Psal 119. 30. as the Lord sayes of the good eunuches they choose the things that please me Isa 56. 4. Beloved what ever we doe or thinke or speake still there be two wayes propounded to us one that is Gods way another that is our owne way now which doe we choose every day what thoughts doe we choose rather of the two to thinke what words doe we choose what actions what courses when we are together what conference doe we choose when alone what doe we choose there be two kinds of eating and drinking which choose we when we are provoked there be two wayes to take either to be impatient and suffer our passions to arise or to quell them and beat them down which doe we choose doe we say as that good man said Lord let thy han help me for I have choosen thy precepts Psal 119. 173. Fourthly the aversions of the heart ye know the heart it chooses what it likes so there is some thing that it shuns now if thou wouldst know whether thy heart be alive towards God doe but thinke with thy selfe what it uses to shun when thou art angry is it disgrace or sinne it ever shuns some thing or other either what God dislikes or what thou every day and houre something it puts off does it put off things that are offensive to thy flesh or things that are offensive to God Here lies thy hearts life if thy heart be alive towards God it is of this temper to put off those things that are displeasing to God I hate vaine thoughts sayes David Psal 119. 113. marke his heart was of this temper to put of all those things that were contrary to God it may be many of those thoughts his own heart would have rather kept I but when his heart was alive towards God he put them off though I have refrained my feet from every evill way that I may keep thy word Psal 119. 101. now when good things shall be put to a man every day by the word and by conscience and a man hath a refusing heart to them this is a dead heart as God put to Iudah to returne but they refused to returne Jer. 5. 3. God put shame before them for their sinnes but they refused to be ashamed Jer. 3. 3. now my brethren examine your bosonies how stand the refusals of your hearts doe you refuse good or evill every day if thou canst refuse temporall evill and not spirituall thou hase a dead heart Fifthly the savourings of the heart this is another peece of the hearts will something there is that every heart savours most and that it is which it is alive unto now then if thy heart be alive unto God it will savour the things of God most it will not onely doe good duties but savour them too not onely heare the word of God but it will have an admirable savour with the heart as the Apostle sayes it will have the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2. 16. as the Church sayes to Christ because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee Cant. 1. 3. Oh how it will savour a reproofe how it will relish but if holy things have no sweet savour in thy heart it may be thou canst not for shame of the world not seeme to stand for them thy conscience will not let thee but thou wilt give them a good word and seeme to approve them but there 's no more savour in them then in the white of an egge nay they are irksome and untoothsome they doe not goe merrily down with thee like sweet conserves assure thy selfe thy heart is a dead heart Sixthly the cares of the heart this is another show of the hearts will what the heart is alive to it carketh and careth for it and therefore if thy heart be alive towards God how carefull will it be that it may not offend him yea what care 2 Cor. 7. 11. As the Apostle sayes to Titus I will have thee affirme constantly that they which beleeve in God must be carefull to maintaine good works Tit. 8. 8. therefore if a Minister be alive towards God he will be full of care for his people how he may pull them from their sins how he may draw them to God how he may most doe them good as Paul sayes of Timothy he will naturally care for your Estute Phil. 2. 20. True a man hath many things to doe in the world many cares how to live how to pay rent at quarter day what may become of his poore Children c. I but if the heart be alive towards God it will labour to cast these cares upon God cast all your care upon him 1 Pet. 5. 7. But for heavenly things for the having and keeping of a good conscience it will be full of cares about these things yea it how may get to be more afraid of sinne how may I get a weaned heart from the earth it will be caring how he may be provided for evill times how he may stand in the wofull day Seventhly the appropriating of the heart the esteeming of the heart what 's the hearts jewell that 's the heart most alive to now thinke what does thy heart prize most of all if it be alive towards God he is dearest to thee his will dearer then thine his glory then thy credit his word then thy life as Paul sayes I doe not count my life deare so that I may finish my course with joy Act. 20. 24. this was the Jewell of his heart how he might doe the worke that God set him to doe that he might finish his course so likewise if thy heart be alive love will be like a precious oyntment Psal 133. 2. heavenly wisedome more precious then Rubies Prov. 3. 15. a promise will be precious to the heart 2 Pet. 1. 4. So also faith will be a precious thing 1 Pet. 1. 7. But above all Christ will be precious to the heart to you that beleeve he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. these are heart Jewels these it endeares most it will rather â—art with any thing then these nay it will morgage any thing to redeeme these againe These things are little