7 8 9. The Woolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lyon and the Fatling together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall feed their young ones shall lye down together and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Ox. They shall be fed with the same meat the mind of Christ the Gospel and Gospel truths they shall eat and feed together and the meanest in the Church shall have no harm by them and he goes on the sucking child shall play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den that is the meanest in the Church shall not be hurt by the greatest nor infected by those that were Dragons and Asps before full of gall and bitterness and venom and the like they shall be so cleansed by the Doctrine of Christ and the mind of Christ that the meanest Saint shall have communion and converse with them and what follows They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord there 's the mind of Christ now full of the mind of Christ that will purge out their malice and bitterness and enmity and there will be such a change and alteration such a harmony in affection as they will eat together Hear together Pray together Converse together and the like and so there will be much unity among all those that have the mind of Christ which will be a blessed thing for what saith the Psalmist Psal 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity Behold it how beautiful and blessed a thing it is and Acts 4.32 the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul Why they were of Christs mind and so of one mind so then we should be of Christs mind that we may unite together and live sweetly and meekly and harmoniously together and in 1 Cor. 1.10 't is that the Apostle urges the Ceriuthians unto I beseech you Brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment and if we have Christs mind we shall have the same mind and the same judgment we shall be all of one mind Seventhly we should be all of Christs mind that so we may do our Christian work wisely and understandingly The Lord Christ did all things wisely and understandingly all his work as he was a High Priest all his work as he was a Prince all his work as he was a Prophet all his work as he was a private man And if we have the mind of Christ we shall do all things wisely and understandingly as becomes Christians Many Christians are very foolish and rash and inconsiderate and do things untowardly Why they go upon their own minds but if we have the mind of Jesus Christ we shall do all things wisely and advantagiously for the glory of God and good of others and peace and comfort of our own souls Eighthly Lastly we should be of the same mind that Christ is because if we be true Christians we have the same spirit that Christ had where is the same spirit there will be the same mind Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his If you han't Christs spirit no marvel you are not of his mind but if you be true Christians you have the spirit of Christ and if you have the spirit of Christ you must needs be of the mind of Christ for in 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit it is a spirit of wisdom and revelation and a spirit that doth discover the mind of the Lord Jesus unto the soul the spirit saith Christ shall take of mine shew unto you the spirit doth shew nothing unto those where it is but the mind of Christ now if there be the same spirit we shall be of the same mind Thus then you see why we should be of the same mind of Christ I shall come to some application of the point Application 1. This serves for reproof and First it reproves those that are so far from being of Christs mind as that they seldom or never mind Christ they mind earthly things as the Apostle saith O how many are there that mind Plays and mind Pictures and mind Histories and mind sea affairs winds and weather how many mind riches and buying and selling and building and eating and drinking and dressing and things of this nature that mind exchanges and friends c. and no marvel they have not the mind of Christ the Gadarens minded their Swine and minded not Christ but bad him go out of their Country so those that were bidden to the Feast they minded their Wives and Oxen and Farms but they minded not Christ this now is reproof to such Secondly it is reproof to those that it may be do somewhat mind Christ but not so as to live Christ and to seek the good of others and the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.24.31 you have both these Let no man seek his own but every man anothers wealth that is his spiritual wealth to do his soul good the welfare of Soul and Body and Relations and welfare of his mind and in the 31 verse whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God Here 's the great end we should aim at we should live Christ and seek the good of others and seek the glory of God but where are the men that do this nay men live now so as they are a reproach to Christ and to the name of Christ a dishonour to God and make a prey of their Brethren they live so as if the Devil were their Copy to write after and to imitate If the Devil should come up from Hell in the likeness of man how could he live worse then many men do that are called Christians O the debauchedness the blasphemousness the oppressions and the horrible evils that are committed in these our dayes by those that say they are Christians Christ told the Pharisees ye are of your Father the Devil and his works will ye do So we may tell many in City and Country you are of your Father the Devil and his works you will do what can they do worse almost then they do they are come to such a height of wickedness But let such rather unchristian themselves than to live as they do and be called Christians What will men not be of Christs mind and yet be Christians called Christians and live like Devils and worldlings and prophane wretches that neither fear God nor man better they had been Heathens then Christians it will be more easie for Sodom and
formal with God And so for men I must carry my self so towards them as I may have approbation of God Thirdly It advantages you upon this account that it will put you on to make out your jealousies and to bring you to certainties and reallities hath a man a jealousie I am afraid my grace is not right that my ends are not right Now when a man is awake and sees his errour he corrects it when a man hath a Godly jealousie and sees that there is some ground of questioning then he will make it out and bring it to an issue as when a man hath a crack'd title saith he I will go ask Counsel he cannot sleep nor be quiet till he be certified herein if a man have a good Bargain or a good Match offered and he hath a jealousie about them he will labour to make things sure when you have a jealousie your Children are not well you will carry their state to the Physician that you may be out of doubt and you will order things so that they may come to a healthiness so in the Soul when there be jealousies concerning your union with Christ and interest in God and the like it puts you on to cleer up things to your own Souls Fourthly It is the way to prevent carnal confidences which men are apt unto men and women are apt to have carnal confidence in themselves to trust upon some arm of flesh or other to rest upon this or that but now where there are Godly jealousies of a mans self or of his heart it will prevent carnal confidences Phil. 3.3 But we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ and have no confidence in the flesh why Paul had a holy jealousie of his heart and saith he we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit we look to our Spirits and rejoyce in Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Those have not this jealousie over their hearts will have confidence in the flesh they will rest and settle upon something which they should not 1. First is a gracious heart a jealous heart then here you are informed what to think of those that do commend their hearts and say they have good hearts good meanings good soul's and all 's well with them This is a common practice in the world a common sickness among ignorant and carnal professors they have good hearts though they cannot speak so well as others nor do as they do yet they have as good hearts as any of them all well hast thou nothing to commend the goodness of thy heart but thy saying so thy very saying so is a clear demonstration that thy heart is not good for if thou wert gracious thou wouldest be more jealous of thy heart than any thing else in the world knowing that the heart is desperately wicked thou hast a good heart though thou hast a narghty tongue a naughty life The tongue of the righteous is choice Silver but the heart of the wicked is little worth a wicked man hath a wicked heart and it 's worth little worth nothing at all Secondly Is a gracious heart a jealous heart then let us learn not to be conceited of our own hearts or to presume with confidence in our hearts people are too apt to do this but what saith the Scripture Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a Fool but who so walketh wisely he shall be delivered from that evil A man that 's wise he is jealous over his own heart and he shall be delivered from trusting in his own heart The Scripture saith Be not high minded but fear Rom. 11.20 Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear Hast thou faith and art thou not then deceived in thy faith Is it true faith yet be not high minded but fear don't conceit too well of thy self and think well the Jews are cast out and I that was a Gentile am taken in well be it so yet be not high minded but fear Fear be jealous over thy heart be jealous over thy self be not confident so in the 1. Pet. 1.17 Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear have a holy jealousie over your selves be not too confident be not presumptuous do not conce it such and such things of your selves but pass the time of your sojurning here in fear I shall come now unto the next point Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes 2. Obs Observe hence that the chief care of a good man or a gracious man is about his heart O let my heart let my soul be sound in thy Statutes A good man hath a care of his eye a care of his ear a care of his lips and care of his hands a care of his feet a care of his family a care of his estate a care of his name I but his chief care is about his heart Let my heart my soul let that be right whatsoever becomes of all the rest so in the 36. v. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and in Psal 41.4 I said Lord be merciful unto me heâ—l my Soul for I have sinned against thee O my soul Lord heal my soul he prays for his soul So in Psal 51. v. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew in me a right Spirit his heart his spirit that 's the thing he principally looks at and hath chiefly a care of so that a Godly man his chiefest care is about his heart about his soul about his spirit But what 's the reason that a good man his principal care is concerning his heart and soul There be many reasons for it 1. First because the heart the spirit the soul of a man is the work of God and committed unto his keeping by God In Heb. 12. it 's said God is the Father of Spirits The body is from your Parents but the soul is from God and God commits your souls your hearts to your keeping keep saith Paul to Timothy that good thing which is committed to thee it 's true of the spirit or soul which is created of God and committed by him unto your keeping Now saith a gracious man or woman I must be faithful God hath created this heart my soul is Gods creature and God hath committed it unto me and shall I be unfaithful and not keep what God hath committed to me The Child that 's committed to the Nurse she will have a special care of it why it's committed to her trust so your souls and your spirits are the Lords and are committed to your trust and saith a gracious soul I must have a special care of it Secondly The heart spirit and soul of a man is very precious of great worth a man values his hand at a great rate he would not part with his hand for a great deal of money A man values his ear his eye and every Limb of his body
special care of his heart In 1 Tim. 6. he shews you there the danger of riches they that will be rich fall into temptations and a â—nare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in distruction and perdition they drown their souls and lose their hearts they are drown'd and lost in the creature if they look not the better to it Therefore Job had a special watch upon his heart Ch. 31.7 If my step hath turned out of the way and mine heart walked after mine eye Usually the heart lets out it self at the eye there are three windows that the heart goes out at out at the eye out at the mouth out at the act on s your hearts will follow your eyes your hearts will get out by your words or your hearts will get out by your actions Now a Godly man hath a special care of his heart least his heart be gone by the eye be gone by the mouth be gone by the actions therefore he looks well to his heart and looks well to these windows Eightly A Godly man hath special care of his heart because he knows where the heart goes the whole man goes if the heart goes the hand goes the foot goes the tongue goes all the whole man goes for the heart is the Master and all the members are the Servants in Psal 45. v. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King my tongue is the pen of a ready writer the tongue will follow the heart presently Psal 116. I believed therefore I spake when the heart is inditing then the tongue will follow so that if the heart go any way the foot the hand the tongue the eye the whole man follows after well saith a Godly man I had need look to my heart for which way that goes all goes the whole man goes and his Estate will go that way and his Name that way and his Relations that way and his Friends shall go that way if possibly he can draw them so that a Godly man looks to his heart for that 's the great wheel sets all on work Ninthly He hath a special care of his heart because he knows God accepts not of any thing unless the heart be in it therefore he will look to his heart and have a care of his heart in Isa 29. v. 30. saith the Lord there For as much as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but they have removed their heart far from me and their fear toward me is taught by the precepts of men I care not saith God for all their worship and sacrifices or any thing they do for their heart is not in it there 's no heart in their service nor in their sacrifices nor in their actions nor in any thing they do for me Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart 't is not give me thy eye or thy lip or thy tongue but my Son give me thy heart He knew if he had the heart he should have all the rest but if he had not that he should have none of the rest 't is the heart the soul the spirit that God's eye is upon and that he must have or else he will not accept of any thing Tenthly Lastly a good man looks to his heart and that in a special manner because he knows that his heart and spirit and soul must return to God from whence it came and be disposed of by God to all eternity Eccles 12.7 The spirit returns to God that gave it he speaks of man dying and then saith he the spirit returns to God that gave it well when a man is aged and comes to dye dust returns to dust but his spirit returns to God that gave it Now saith a Godly man this spirit was given me from God to keep and it must return now to God to be judged and God will search it to the quick and God will judge of it according as he finds it and dispose of it now eternally in Heaven or in Hell therefore saith a Godly man I had need look to my heart look to my spirit look to my soul for as my soul shall be disposed of so will my body be at the day of judgment after Death comes Judgment the body must be raised and united to the soul and where the Spirit hath gone to Heaven or Hell the body must go thither therefore saith a good man I will have a care of my heart a care of my soul that it may be well with me to all eternity Application First this serves to reprove those that are careless and negligent of their hearts and spirits you shall have men to be careful of their houses careful of their Ships careful of their Cloaths careful of their Body careful of their Beauty careful of their Names careful of their Relations but are careless of their hearts and spirits well had'st thou grace or wert thou so gracious as thou shouldest be thy greatest care would be of thy heart and of thy spirit it may be said of such as of the Spouse my own Vinyard have I not kept So these have not kept their Vinyards have not kept their Hearts have not kept their Souls this is a great and a common evil that men have care of this and that but not of their own hearts not of their own souls hath God committed souls to you are they precious and will you neglect them the sin be upon your own heads Secondly see here that they are not many who are of this practice to have a principal care of their hearts where almost can you find a man or woman that makes it their principal care to look to their hearts put but that question to them and they are silent they are at a stand what do you tell me of my heart and soul I have somewhat else to look after have you so look after what you will you look after a shadow and neglect the substance you look after that which is of no moment no weight but you neglect that which is better than all the world But I say there 's hardly a man or woman to be found in a great way that makes it their principal business to look after their souls saith Solomon in the 7. Eccles latter end One man of a Thousand have I found not a woman at all and but One man of a Thousand God made man upright and he hath sought out many inventions God made man to look to his soul and to have Communion with himself and to mind heaven and heavenly things But I have not found among women one and but one man of a thousand So may I say it is very rare to find a man or woman that makes it their principal business to look after their souls and yet that 's one of the principalest errands you were sent into the world about that you should mind your souls Thirdly
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
careful to please one another according to the word of God their hearts are not sound if Children be not obedient to their Parents Servants serving their Masters not with eye-service but with singleness of heart as unto the Lord their hearts are not sound many will hear the word of God and talk of good things but care not for doing their duties in their places how do they fill up their relations but now if you be sound hearted you will fill up your relations you stand in Seventhly a sound heart can bear sharp afflictions very quietly and meekly a sore Shoulder will bear no burthen a Horse with a gall'd back will winch and kick and fling take a hand that the skin is off and pour vinegar upon it or lay Salt upon it and how terrible is it but if the hand be sound it can bear it if the Shoulder be sound it can bear a burthen if the Horse be sound he can bear the Rider so a sound heart can bear any burthen Moses was a meek man and he bore all the burthen that was upon him But now if the heart be not sound there 's fretting murmuring and repining when the heart is not sound every little thing doth disturb and disquiet it but when its sound it 's like Christ's heart it can bear all burthens whatsoever Eighthly A sound heart is the same towards God in the darkest dispensations that can be as it is to God in the sweetest dispensations that may be when God carries it most strangely and most enemy-like unto the soul that soul is the same towards God still as it was towards God before in the most sweet and pleasing dispensations saith Hab. in his 3. ch Though the Fig-tree should not blossem neither should fruit be in the Vine the Labour of the Olive should fail the fields should yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the soul and there shall be no heard in the Stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation Though there be so great a famine as there is nothing left without or within yet will I rejoyce in God a man uses to rejoyce in God when he hath abundance of the creature but saith Hab. Though none of all these be and there be nothing but famine and I am ready to perish yet will I rejoyce in the Lord his heart was sound and he was the same towards God in one dispensation as in another So Job in the 13. ch 15. v. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him I trusted him when I had all things abounding about me and I will trust in him when all things are taken from me a sound heart is the same at all times Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant which walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himself upon his God A sound heart will trust in God in Winter as well as in Summer in a Dark night as well as in a Sun shine day in Phil. 4. I have learned saith Paul in whatever estate I am therewith to be content I can want and I can abound God hath made my heart sound and I can rejoyce in all conditions The Cananitish woman Christ calls her Dog here was a dark dispensation but she calls him Lord Lord the Dogs eat the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table So that if your hearts be sound in the Statutes and in the things of God your hearts will be the same towards God in adversity as in prosperity in sickness as in health in poverty as in glory and honour Ninthly a sound heart will never turn aside from God or out of his way upon any pretence perswasion or advantage whatsoever but keeps on in Gods way in the Kings road in the way of holiness in the way of truth in the way of righteousness it keeps on in this way and will not be warp'd or turned aside it 's said in 1 K. 15.5 That David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hittie 〈◊〉 through some violent temptations David turned aside once but now here was the integrity and soundness of his heart that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from the things that he commanded him all the dayes of his life so that a sound heart will not turn aside 't is not flattery 't is not fear 't is not advantage will make him do it but God is God Truth is Truth as Christ hated iniquity and loved righteousness so doth a sound heart this is the way of God and I will go this way saith a sound heart in the 11. Acts they cleave to God with purpose of heart the Apostle would not take money to give unto Simon Magus the gift of the Holy Ghost and a sound heart it will not be brib'd it will not be couzened it will not turn to the left hand or to the right hand but goes right forward to the end of the way Tenthly A sound heart hath a spiritual confidence and boldness in it and can come unto the Lord in another manner than an unsound and corrupt heart can I say it hath a spiritual boldness and considence in it Heb. 10.19.22 having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holyest by the blood of Jesus how comes any to have a spiritual boldness he must have his heart sound if he have any boldness in him if his heart be guilty if his heart be corrupt and rotten there can be no boldness nor confidence but being sound a man hath boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus A man that hath interest in the blood of Jesus hath a sound heart and v. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience here 's that makes the heart good and makes the heart bold when the heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ the Conscience is made sound and good and being thus now let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance such a heart as is sound may come with assurance and confidence unto God and beg of God what he stands in need of this is the nature of a sound heart 11. A sound heart depends upon God alone for all spiritual mercies in 1 Cor. 1. saith the Apostle But of him are ye in Christ Jesus that is of God are we in Christ Jesus God hath drawn you to Christ and stated you in Christ so that of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption who of God is made unto us Those that are in Christ Jesus have soundness of heart they have
the very heart and mind of Christ now saith he who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption That soul depends upon God for Wisdome from Christ for Sanctification from Christ for Righteousness from Christ for Redemption from Christ it doth not depend upon its own Acts it s own Experiences it s own Graces it s own Comforts it doth not depend upon the Law it doth not depend upon the Gospel but upon God through Christ so that a sound heart sees through all unto God who is the root and fountain and fetches all from thence it takes up all from God from God through a Covenant of Grace from God through Christ so that as it is in Isa 45.24 Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength I have it not from an Ordinance I have it not in my self but from God through Christ from God through an Ordinance saith David my soul wait thou onely upon the Lord for from him cometh thine expectation 12. Lastly for discovery of a sound heart a sound heart is that conforms to Gods word not to the world in Rom. 12. beginning be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God When a man is transformed by the renewing of his mind he is a sound minded a sound hearted man but till then he is a corrupt hearted man Now if you be sound hearted you will not conform to the world but to the word which is the will of God revealed That good that acceptable that perfect will of God you will conform to saith Paul in 6. Gal. 14. I am Crucified to the world he now conforms to the good and acceptable will of God for God would have us to look at Christ Crucified and to dye to sin through the death of Christ and Paul looks at Christ Crucified and is dead to the world and the world was dead to him he would not conform to the world a sound heart conforms not to the world worldly worship worldly customes worldly fashions worldly manners but conforms to the word therefore look to it for few sound hearted there are so many conform to the world and so few to the word but a sound heart will conform to sound Doctrine the sound word and not to the world that lyes in wickedness and thus you see several discoveries of a sound heart Use 4. The fourth Use is of consolation of comfort to all those that find they have sound hearts have you sound hearts hearts well principled with divine truth have you hearts undivided and carried wholly to God have you hearts that are healthy and sound have you hearts that have truth of grace in them hearts without hypocrisie and guile hearts set for God to do his will you are then fit for Gods use and service you are then like to the Lord Jesus Christ you are precious in the sight of God you are dear unto him you have a blessedness then upon you I you are differenced from all hypocrites and such as shall perish you are those that shall hold out to the end you will be the honour and glory of the Gospel you will be the honour and glory of the Ministry 1 Thess 3.8 For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord O you Thessalonians we live if you stand fast if you be sound hearted you will stand fast you will continue to the end and this will be our life I it will be your honour and your Crown and Glory if you stand fast So that here 's comfort and great comfort to those are sound hearted Vse 5. The fifth and last use of this point is to exhort men and women to labour to get soundness of heart sound minds sound spirits see to it for 't is of concernment that you have sound hearts Lord saith David let my heart be sound in thy Statutes O Lord let me have a heart sound in thy Statutes though I have no Kingdom though I have no Army though I have no outward Comforts yet let me have a sound heart I shall here first shew you how you may get a sound heart Secondly how you may keep a sound heart Thirdly some motives to press you on to it First how to come to have a sound heart First If you would have soundness of heart then labour to cleanse out of your hearts all that may corrupt your hearts or make your hearts unsound you know a Garment if it have Dirt in it Moths in it wet in it it will corrupt the Garment therefore you will take a course to get out the Moths and to dry it and to beat out the dust that so your Garments may be sound if there be worms in the timber it will rot and consume the timber If there be ill humors in the body you must out with them or they will destroy the body so if you would have sound hearts you must cleanse out all that is of a corrupting nature there are two things that make a corrupt heart principally First Erroneous opinions and principles Secondly Mens lusts Now as for errors they are call'd the errors of the wicked wicked men take in wicked errors wicked opinions corrupt opinions and these make corrupt minds corrupt consciences corrupt hearts and corrupt men and women and so lusts they are deceitful lusts defiling lusts Ephe. 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts if you have a lust of envy envy is rottenness to the bones if a lust of pride uncleanness of covetousness c. you must put them off you must cleanse your selves from them you must wash and scower your hearts so that if you would have sound hearts away with corrupt opinions away with deceitful and corrupt lusts Secondly if you would have sound hearts then labour to get sound truths into them 2. Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast learned of me Timothy I have taught thee wholsom and sound Doctrine I have Preached unto thee the Gospel of Christ I have given thee Rules and Laws whereby to direct thee hold fast the pattern or form of sound words or of wholsom words there are corrupt words which are not sound there are corrupting words and such words do a great deal of hurt as in the 2 Ch. 17. v. and their words do eat as doth a Canker c. These are corrupting words gangreening words words that eat out soundness when men come with such opinions as there 's no Christ no God no Heaven no Hell and these Scriptures are not the word of God Oh what Gangreening words are these therefore hold fast the pattern of wholsom words get sound words into your hearts and they will make your hearts found Solomon tells you of sound wisdom Prov. 3.21 keep sound wisdom and discretion there is
name and strength of the Lord and make mention of his righteousness and of his onely and in Isa 44.25 Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength what made Peter fall but this that he went out in his own strength I will dye e're I will deny thee O poor Peter he did then presently deny him once twice he denyed him with execrations 15. Men prove unsound and are ashamed that do either joyn any thing of their own to Christ or fetch their comforts any where else then from Christ most men and women joyn something of their own with Christ I will do what I can and I hope Christ will do the rest Alas poor creature dost thou joyn thy self with Christ and make thy works and thy sufferings equal to Christs and give them the honour that Christ must have thou art undone Christ must save alone or he will not save at all Christ doth all alone without thee he looks for nothing from thee Rom. 9.32 wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law we read saith the Jews and we Pray and we offer Sacrifice and we burn Incense we keep Sabbaths Solemn Feasts and new Moons and what must we not bring in our own Righteousness with Christs must all this be lay'd by they would have it as it were by the works of the Law and Ch. 10.3 they being ignorant of Gods righteousness they did not know that Christ's righteousness alone must do it and Christs obedience and Christ's sufferings must do it but going about to establish their own righteousness they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God and so they were unsound hearted and undid themselves for when men or women bring any thing to Christ they undo themselves you must come without money to Christ without righteousness without your duties without your own actions and the good of them for what 's all your goodness but as a morning cloud therefore whosoever will bring ought to Christ is unsound and will be ashamed and so are you if you fetch your comfort from any but Christ there are many poor Christians which are shaken very much are empty of all is good in their own eyes yet they will fetch their Comfort from elsewhere than from Christ they will fetch their comfort from the promises from God immediately or from the Ordinances or the Minister or some good Christian or Godly friend but know that if you fetch your comfort any where but from Christ it will never hold is not Christ the consolation of Israel God hath given Christ to send the Comforter and you must have your comfort in Christ for all the promises of God in Christ are yea and in him Amen the promises are made first to Christ and you must take up the promise in Christ and draw the comfort out of the promise through Christ and you must go to God through Christ what comfort to you from God out of Christ it's nothing but discomfort if we will take up comfort any way but by Christ we go the wrong way to work and undo our selves and shall be ashamed at last 16. They are like to prove unsound who do go on in a tract of duty in a form of Godliness and get nothing thereby when men do not get and gain and grow by the Ordinances of God it 's a sign their hearts are corrupt they are unsound do not many sit under Ordinances year after year and yet no lusts mortifyed ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth no lust is mortified no lust subdued no change made in their heads and hearts no zeal be got in them no encrease of faith no more love to God c. these men now are unsound and will be ashamed at last the Jews were long under the means of grace and yet they gain'd nothing the Scribes and Pharises had a form of Godliness and I am not like this Publican but no whit the better now when it is so it 's a dangerous symptom having a form of Godliness but without power yet many Families and Christians have a form of Godliness but no power at all 17. Again 't is a dangerous symptom of an unfound heart when as we are under troubles shakings convictions and terrors of Conscience and we look more at ease and comfort than we do at foundness many when they are shaken and convinced of sin and see that they are lost and undone creatures they must have ease comfort and relief presently they must have Oyl they must have Wine it 's a thousand to one if this soul ever proves right for if thy conviction be right and God intend thee rich mercy to eternity Thou wilt look after soundness and healing of thy soul rather than ease and comfort Heal my soul saith David for I have sinned against thee Create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right Spirit O God let me be made clean let me be made sound and no matter for comfort that will come in time if the cure be right if therefore we look at ease comfort and refreshing and look not at healing we are not right and there 's no healing virtue but in Christ the Lord Jesus he is the Son of righteousness that comes with healing in his wings come Lord and heal my soul come Lord and purge my conscience come and take away these lusts and corruptions come and take away my enmity to God and to his wayes the soul goes thus to God that soul is sound indeed 18. That soul which loves any thing more than the Lord Christ himself and God himself cannot have a testimony of its foundness but may be assured it is corrupt and rotten unless we do love God and Christ superlatively above all things in the world yea our selves we are not sound Math. 12.30 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength mark here be four all 's and God must have all in every one thou must love the Lord thy God with thy heart and with all thy heart it must not be a divided heart it must be with all thy soul the soul is larger than the heart and with all thy mind the mind runs here and there and imagins strange things God must have all thy mind all thy affections and all thy understanding and with all thy strength is there strength in thy mind in thy soul in thy heart in thy body in thy hand in thine eye God must have thy strength Love the Lord thy God will all thy strength but if we love any thing more than God where are we then 2 Tim. 3. Lovers of pleasure more than Lovers of God men will spend night and day in Feasting in Drinking in Gaming in Rioting one way or other what are these now but corrupt men unsound men rotten hearted men men
our good that God sent him to be bread and water of Life unto us that we might live through him God sent him to be our Mediator our Saviour our Redeemer and the like we are to receive these truths that God hath revealed concerning Jesus Christ Secondly It is to take Christ for the foundation and building and top stone of our Salvation 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundations can no man lay then that is lay'd which is Jesus Christ To take the Lord Christ to be our Prophet to be our King to be our High Priest to be all in all unto us Thirdly It is to rely upon him and trust in him for the removal of all our sins supply of all our wants and investment of us in his own Righteousness this is to believe in the Name or in the Son and to depend upon him for Redemption for Sanctification for Reconciliation for Adoption for Salvation So then you see the point is that believing lyes under a command this is his Commandement that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ I shall now come to some questions and the Qu. First is Have we power to believe can any do it may they not as easily keep the Law as believe on the Son of God is there any power in us to do it An. You know that there are in the world divers sorts of people that do acknowledge power in us to do it But know that man simply considered in himself hath no power to believe in the Son of God 2 Cor. 3.5 we are not sufficient of our selves to think a good thought but all our sufficiency is from him if we ben't sufficient of our selves to think any thing of our selves as good but our sufficiency is of God surely we cannot believe then which is so great a work and glorious a work and in Col. 2.12 Faith is said to be the opperation of God not of Man But for the further clearing of the point know First that as God commandeth us to believe so he hath promised to give us faith Mat. 12.21 it 's said in him shall the Gentiles trust here is a promise made to us that are Gentiles that we shall trust in the name of Christ God will work that power in them that they shall trust in Christ and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and Joh. 6.37 all that the father giveth me shall come to me here 's a promise they shall come that is they shall believe And faith is called the gift of God Eph. 2.8 By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God None but God can give Christ and none but God can give power to believe in Christ As faith is the Command of God so faith is likewise the work of God Joh. 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent that 's the first answer Secondly The Lord giveth the means whereby it is wrought namely the Gospel The Gospel is the means whereby faith is wrought which he hath appointed and ordained for that very purpose and therefore the Gospel is called faith Gal. 1.23 speaking of Paul that he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed preacheth the faith that is the Gospel which works faith and is the means that God uses to work faith in the Souls of Men and Women The brazen Serpent was appointed of God to cure the stingings of the fiery Serpent no other Serpent would do it nor no other means would do it if they had used all the Physitians in the world they could not have done it but the brazen Serpent which God had appointed So no other word will work it but the Gospel which he hath appointed to work faith and therefore the Apostle tells you that faith comes by hearing hearing of the Gospel which is appointed by God for that very end Thirdly The Lord he doth accompany his word with his spirit to make it effectual the word without the spirit would not be effectual and therefore God doth accompany his word with his spirit that it may be effectual to work faith in the hearts of Men and Women Hence it is that the spirit is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 We having faith the Apostle the same spirit of faith it 's called the spirit of faith because by the Gospel it doth work faith in the hearts of Merrand Women and Gal. 3.2 This would I know of you saith the Apostle received you the spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith why you heard the Doctrine of Faith the Gospel and by the hearing of Faith you received the spirit for the Gospel is the Ministration of the spirit and the Chariot of the spirit and so God doth by the Gospel convey the spirit into the hearts of men and women and by the spirit works faith in their Souls Fourthly The Lord commands things that are hard for us yea impossible unto us that so we may seek to him to whom nothing is impossible Luke 1.37 for with God nothing shall be impossible no word is impossible to God whatever he hath said he is able to make it good and you know in the Gospel that blind Bartemeus he seeks unto Christ for the Cure of his eyes The blind man in Joh. 9. that was born blind his eyes were opened so we that were born blind and born dead still-born without grace without faith without spiritual life the Lord commands us to believe that we may look to him to convey life and work grace and faith in our souls But Fifthly There is in the Gospel the offer of Christ to sinners you shall see it clear in 13 Acts that the offer of the Lord Jesus Christ is offered in the Gospel and tendered unto sinners v. 26. Men and Brethren Children of the Stock of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth God to you is the word of this salvation sent to you it 's sent and v. 38. Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this man is Preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and in the 46. and 47. verses Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and Judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turn to the Gentiles For so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles so that Christ and salvation and all spiritual mercies are offered and tendered in the Gospel unto us unto us Gentiles unto us Sinners And surely such an offer is worthy of acceptation This very offer hath some efficacy and virtue in it to stir up souls to receive Christ 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners O 't is a faithful
name of the Lord Jesus Christ Here 's nothing spoken of thoughts are thoughts free therefore Mens thoughts comprehend their reasonings within their consultations their desires their resolutions their intentions which are all included here being acts of the Mind as well as the others are acts of the Tongue and acts of the Hand for thoughts are not free We say thoughts are free free from man he can take no Cognizance of them but they are not free from the Lord he knows them and observes them Why think ye evil in your hearts saith Christ and how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee O jerusalem and God will bring all secret things to light but he doth not mention them because they are not obvious to others but howsoever they should be such as will suit with the name of Christ and our thoughts should be regulated and ordered answerably so as that they may be approved of him They do principiate our words and our actions and are included in words and actions But must all things be done in the name of Christ whatsoever ye do in word or deed let all be done in the name of Christ What ill as well as good done in the name of Christ No he intends not any evil for he writes to Christians and he writes to Saints as you may see Ch. 1.2 To the Saints and faithful Brethren in Christ To Saints and faithful Brethren he writes and whatsoever they do in word or deed they must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ they must have no ill thoughts in them no ill words in their mouths no evil deeds must issue from their hands and in the Chapter he had exhorted them to mortifie their earthly members therefore they are not to be entertained nor to issue from them and in 4. Phil. 8. he tells you there what are the things they should think of and so do Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue in you any grace in you if there be any praise you aim at think of these things and speak of these things and do these things these are the things that Christians should think of speak and do The Doctrine which I shall commend to you is this Doct. 1. That Christians words and actions should all be done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ all that comes from a Christian should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus Joh. 7.16 Christ faith my Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me 'T is my Fathers and I Preach in my Fathers name and Christ taught them to pray in his name whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name I will give it you and Christ sent them to Preach in his name Mat. 28. we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6.11 and we believe in the name of the Son 1 Joh. 5.13 and Christians must do all in the name of Jesus Christ Now here I must shew you First what it is to do things in the name of the Lord Jesus Secondly why we are to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Thirdly make the improvement of the point For the first what it is to do things in the name of the Lord Jesus By name we understand Christ himself as the Scripture doth Acts 4.12 There is no name by which we can be saved but by the name of Christ But to do things in the name of Christ First is to have Authority and Commission from Christ to do what we do to do them in the authority of Christ by Commission from Christ 2 Thess 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that is in the authority of Christ by Commission from Christ so that when we do things by Commission from Christ by the authority of Christ we are said to do things in his name In Luke 9.49 we saw one casting out Devils in thy name that is by authority and commission from thee pretended at least if not real and Mark 11.9 Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord that is he that comes authorized from the Lord furnished with gifts and abilities for the work that he undertakes that comes in the name of the Lord by divine authority false Prophets they came in their own names they came not in the name of the Lord and therefore the Lord declares his anger against them and threatens them they had no authority no commission for what they did so that that 's the first thing to do in the name of the Lord Jesus is to do it by his authority Secondly To do in the name of the Lord Jesus is to do it by the strength of Christ in Psal 44.5 In or through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us There are many that rise up against us and fight and think to prevail and carry all and to bear us down but in thy name will we tread them under that is by thy help and by thy power and by thy strength we will tread them under so in 10. Luke 17. and the seventy returned again with joy saying Lord even the Devils are subject unto us through thy name through the power and strength of thy name we prevail against Devils they are subject unto us and that in 3. Acts 6. where the Apostle saith to the impotent man in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk that is by the power and strength of Jesus Christ rise up and walk The name of Christ there notes the power and strength of Christ so Psal 71.16 I will go in the strength of the Lord when we go in the strength of the Lord we go in the name of the Lord and that David makes evident 1 Sam. 17.45 when he went against Goliah saith he I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts thou comest in thy own strength but I come in the strength of the Lord of Hosts to fight with thee and so he prevailed against him Hence saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.1 my Son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus dont rest upon the grace that is in thy self but be strong in the grace that is in Christ when we act in the strength of the grace of Christ then we act in the name of Christ when we lean upon him for strength and confide not in our selves this is doing in his name Thirdly To act in the name of Christ is to do things in the stead of Christ in the very place of Christ when Judges act in the name of the King they do all in his stead in his room in his place in Deut. 18.19 I will raise you up a Prophet like unto Moses and whosoever will not hearken unto the words he shall speak in my name I
scattered and are strengthened with strength in your souls how sweet is this Now there is true sweetness in acting for Christ a true friend will do Christ service and be thankful for the service because there is a great deal of sweetness in it 1 Tim. 1.12 saith Paul I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me c. putting me into the Ministry I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that hath put me into service he would not have been thankful unless he had found some sweetness in his service It will be our wisdom therefore to do all in the name of Christ if you would find sweetness in the name of Christ so David and the Princes when they had offered so willingly as in the 1 Chron. 29.13 14. Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee Lord thou hast given to us and we have given to thee and we thank thee that we have had hearts to give unto thee how sweet delightful and pleasing is thy service therefore it will be your wisdom to do all in the name of Christ for it comes from love in you and you will find sweetness in doing for Christ and you will be thankful for the service you do upon that account Thirdly we should do all in the name of Christ from this consideration that it is a special means both to prevent sin and to promote holiness First to prevent sin 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that names the name of the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity He that names the name of Christ must depart from iniquity this is a preventing of sin now mentioning his name should make us depart from iniquity Why the Lord Christ himself he hated iniquity and loved righteousness His very name should mind us thereof Christ hates iniquity and I will depart â—som iniquity Secondly and acting in his name will put us upon holiness and labouring to he holy The soul saith will Jesus Christ do this I am a doing now but would Christ do thus would Christ think thus would Christ speak thus no Christ would not Christ would speak holy words and do holy actions and think holy thoughts therefore I must do as Christ would do I do all in his name we read of Alexander that had a Souldâ—er in his Camp that did bear his name when Alexander heard it he calls for the Soldier and asks him his name he told him his name was Alexander is it so saith he then see you do nothing unworthy the name of Alexander do that which becomes Alexander so do we bear the name of Christ we must do that which becomes the name of Christ do we bear the name of Christian we must do what becomes a Christian one said I could do this or that if I were not a Christian but I am a Christian and I dare not do this or that I dare not go into such Company I dare not drink healths I dare not be in the mode and fashion of the world And so in the Primitive times the question was have you kept the Sabbath the answer was I am a Christian I dare not neglect the Lords day I dare not speak my own words nor think my own thoughts nor find my own pleasure and why I am a Christian and so it promotes holiness therefore we should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Fourthly Lastly we should do all in his name because it will unite and tye the heart of God and Christ abundantly to us Those persons who act all in the name of Christ they are faithful persons as a Servant that doth all in the name of his Master he is a faithful Servant The unjust Steward did not things faithfully he did things in his own name and therefore his Masters favour was not towards him he had none of his favour nor countenance his heart was alienated from him but those that do all in the name of the Lord Christ they are faithful and the heart of Christ is towards such and is wide unto such in Mat. 24.46 Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Blessed is that Servant why his heart is towards this Servant and pronounces a blessing upon him Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing how doing doing all in my name and according to my will and for my glory doing all by invocation of my name O blessed is that Servant which when his Lord cometh shall find so doing his heart is greatly towards him The heart of his Master can trust safely in him all the dayes of his life as it 's said of the virtuous Wife Prov. 31.11 The heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her so that he shall have no need of spoil So the Lord Christ can trust in that man or woman who doth all in his name they are faithful and he can trust in them I it is a great honouring of Christ and Christ will honour such a one it 's an honouring of Christ honouring of Christs wisdom honouring of Christs power honouring of his word and name it is the highest service we can do to Christ to do all in his name and the Lord Christ will honour such an one his heart is tyed to him he dares trust him with all he commits his secrets to such So then you see the exhortation back'd with some motives why we should do all in the name of Jesus Christ One thing more which is what directions will you give us now to help us to do all in the name of Christ we see it is a duty a good work and we would gladly do it but what directions and helps may be given to further us therein First consider that the Lord Christ is your Lord. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus if you be Christians he is your Lord Now our Lords commands our Lords will our Lords councels we must do them we must not do our own wills we are the Lords he is our Lord and therefore we must do his will Luke 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say What do you call me Lord and will not you do what I say command and appoint you and do it as I appoint you do all in my name why do you call me Lord Surely if Christ be our Lord we must do all in his name and the more we shall think of Christs Lordship and authority over us the more will our hearts be inclined to do things in his name why he is the best of Lords he is a blessed Lord a sweet Lord a good Lord there is no Tyranny in this Lord no hurt in this Lord nothing but all for good in this Lord he
Church of God and to believing souls the Church is called the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 So is every believer the Church is said to be the Lords portion and his treasure Jer. 12.10 So is every believing soul Gods portion and his pleasant portion Again it 's called the ransomed ones Isa 35.10 the ransomed of the Lord. God hath been at great cost and charges to ransome the Church purchased it with his own blood Acts. 20.28 It 's called Christs body and how sweet is it to the thoughts of Saints to think I am a member of Christs own body I am a member of the precious body of the Lord Jesus It 's called Gods beloved Psal 108.6 The dearly beloved of his Soul Jer. 12.10 The Church is the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21.9 The Church is the blessed of God and so is every believing soul Isa 61.9 It 's the seed which the Lord hath blessed The other seed is a cursed seed but this seed is a seed which the Lord hath blessed yea blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Lastly it 's the glory of God the Church is the glory of God and every believing soul is the very glory of God Isa 4.5 Upon all the glory shall be a defence All true believers they are accounted the glory of God Thus you see there is sweetness in the word But wherein is the word sweeter than Honey and sweeter than the Honey-comb In several particulars First the sweetness of Honey is Natural that of the Word is Divine and Spiritual and look how much spiritual doth exceed natural so much the sweetness of the word doth exceed the sweetness of honey All spiritual things do exceed natural things and the word is from Heaven a divine word a heavenly word and honey is but from the earth Rom. 7.14 The Law is spiritual and the Gospel is spiritual it is the Ministration of the Spirit and Heb. 6.4 and have tasted of the heavenly gift The word is a heavenly gift and it hath heavenly sweetness in it It is sweeter in the taste than any earthly gift whatsoever Secondly The sweetness of the word refresheth the heart of a man so doth not honey honey dont affect the soul it doth affect the pallate and the taste but it dont refresh the heart and the soul but the word doth affect the soul and the heart of a man or woman Psal 110.111 Thy Testimonies are the rejoycing of my heart the Testimonies Statutes and truths of God they do rejoyce the very heart and soul of a man or of a woman and v. 77. Thy Law is my delight and Psal 19.8 The Statutes of the Lord rejoyce the heart when the heart is heavy and sad the word of God will rejoyce it and revive it which all the honey in the world can never do Thirdly Honey and Honey-combs they cannot sweeten bitter afflictions they may sweeten bitter waters or bitter things but they cannot sweeten bitter afflictions But the word of God doth sweeten bitter afflictions and can do that which honey cannot do If a man eat never so much honey it will not sweeten his affliction Psal 119.49 Remember the word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my Comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickned me The word of God will comfort you in any affliction whatsoever it will sweeten the bitterest waters that can be and so in the 92. v. Unless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction Men and Women would perish in their afflictions if they had not some word of God to uphold them and to comfort them and in the 54. v. Thy Statutes have been my Songs in the house of my pilgrimage So that they are sweeter than honey and can sweeten any affliction that we meat withall As the bough that was cast into the bitter waters it sweetned them so doth this bough the word of God sweeten the most bitter waters that are Fourthly The Word doth sanctifie all things and makes them sweeter than they were yea the word doth sweeten honey it self 1 Tim. 4.5 Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer Sanctified by the word of God let your mercies be covenant mercies and choice mercies they are sanctified more now by the Word of God They are sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer your very honey which is so sweet is made sweeter when it is sanctified honey by the Word of God and Prayer So that the word of God is sweeter than honey it sweetens all things unto us Fifthly Men may eat too much of honey Prov. 25.27 'T is not good to eat much Honey and in the 16. v. you have the reason of it Hast thou found honey eat so much as is sufficient for thee lest thou be filled therewith and vomit it If you eat too much honey you may vomit it But now for the word of God we can never eat too much of that honey John did eat up the little book Rev. 10. he eat up the whole book So if we should eat up the whole book of God 't would never be too much it will never make us vomit Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and in the 119. Psal 27. O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day you can never meditate too much in the Law of God nor feed too much upon the promises invitations c. Sixthly Lastly The word is the savour of life unto life so is not honey honey cannot produce life it cannot work in any man a spiritual life but the word is the savour of life unto life it begets life in the soul 't is called the word of life and Phil. 2.16 't is the savour of life of spiritual life yea of eternal life The words that I speak they are spirit and they are life And saith Peter Thou hast the words of eternal life how sweet is life and how sweet is eternal life and the word of God hath this sweetness in it Qu. Now having shown you that the word is sweeter than honey and wherein a question may arise here if the word be so sweet what is the cause that persons taste not the sweetness of it There be many read the word and hear the word but dont taste the sweetness of the word There be several reasons for it An. First Because some have no spiritual taste no spiritual sense We read of Barzillai that said to David when he would have had him gone with him to the Court saith he thy Servant cannot taste what I eat or what I drink so many there be that have no spiritual taste at all in them And where there is no taste all things are alike Cant. 2.3 his fruit was sweet unto my taste the Church had a taste and found sweetness in the
are perishing things but thy testimonies indure for ever The second request he makes concerning his heart is in the words I have read O Lord let my heart be sound in thy Statutes In which words you have first David's request Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes Secondly the end or the reason why he would have it so That I be not ashamed Let my heart he dont say let my Head be sound in thy Statutes but my Heart By heart he dont mean the fleshy part that is within man for so heart is sometimes taken in Scripture but he means by heart his Soul the principal part of man and so it 's taken in the 23. Prov. My Son give me thine heart that is give We thy Soul thy reason understanding judgment will and affections I call not for thy Body I call not for thy Flesh but I must have thy Spirit I I must have thy soul The soul is express'd here by heart because the soul doth act principally in the heart Let my heart be sound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Hebrew word First Let my heart be perfect with thee and not divided and so it is opposite to division mens hearts are divided between God and the world Ephraim had a divided heart Secondly Let my heart be upright for so the word bears it too and so it 's opposed to Hypocrisie let my heart â—e upright and sincere and not hypocritical Thirdly Let my heart be undefiled so the word is rendred in the â— v. of this Psalm and so it 's opposed to pollution defiledness Let my heart be undefiled pure clean spotless free from Sin Fourthly Let my heart be sound having nothing but truth in it and so it 's opposed to all errors whatsoever so you have it in Tit. 2.2 Let the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in the Faith men are sound in the Faith when their hearts and ears are open to no error no corrupt opinions no false tenents no winds of Doctrine to nothing of Man nothing of Satan nothing of the world let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let not my heart have any errors in it any false Tenents in it any dangerous opinions in it but let my heart be sound in thy Statutes In thy Statutes In this Psalm you have mention of Laws Commands Precepts Testimonies Ordinances and Statutes divers appellations but noting the same thing Thy Statutes that is the appointments of God what God doth appoint to be the rule for our thoughts affections words worship and wayes what he appoints men to do those are his Statutes They are Statutes because determined of God to be standing rules for all men to conform unto and the Laws and Statutes of Nations and Kingdoms should be conformable to them Stata via 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stabile Now saith David let my heart be sound in thy Statutes the words thus opened will yield us some points to treat on Obs 1. First That a gracious heart is a jealous heart Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes I am jealous of my heart 2. That the heart is especially to be look'd after Let my heart O let my heart my eye is upon my heart 3. That it is the desire of Saints and gracious ones to have sound hearts O Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes 4. That an unsound heart will one time or other make a man ashamed Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes That I be not ashamed If the heart be unsound it will appear it will break out It will be discovered and tend to your shame Doct. 1. First a gracious heart is a jealous heart saith David O let my heart be sound in thy Statutes I have a jealousie of my heart that 't is not sound and I would not be deceived here O let my heart be sound That a gracious heart is a jealous heart you may see it in the 47. Psal 6. v. I call to remembrance my Song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my Spirit made diligent Search I Commune with my heart and I make search and diligent search to see whether my heart be sound or no so in the 139 Psal 23.24 Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my Thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Truly Lord saith he I am Jealous of my heart I am afraid of my heart I have been searching and trying of it and I am afraid there is some way of wickedness in my heart I am afraid it will deceive me and bring me to shame one day why Lord do thou search me and try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way that I cannot find out and Lord discover it to me and if there be any evil in me do not leave me to my own heart but Lord lead me in the way everlasting Thus the Church in the 3. Lam. 40 41. Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens O come God is angry and hath corrected us severely our hearts have not been right with God let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord we have gone aside and we were not aware of it our hearts have deceived us come come let us lift up our hearts to God he hath not our hearts yet Now this Jealousie that a holy man hath of his heart is a Godly jealousie not a wicked naughty jealousie but a Godly jealousie there is a Godly jealousie over others and over a mans self 2 Cor. 11.2 1 Cor. 9.27 Qu. Now it may be ask'd of what is he jealous in his own heart An. First he is jealous least the change which he hopes is in his heart should not be thorough he is afraid 't is not a thorough change he remembers he hath heard in Scripture that one may be almost a Christian and yet not altogether a Christian as Felix said Thou hast perswaded me almost to become a Christian I but he was not a Christian he remembers and considers Ephraim was a Cake half bak'd not thorough bak'd he considers the young man in the Gospel was not far from the Kingdom of Heaven but not in the Kingdom of Heaven Now he is jealous of himself in regard of his change there must be a change in a man that is Godly a thorough change an universal change now he hath a Godly jealousie of himself least he should not be thoroughly changed Secondly he is jealous from what principle he now acts act he doth but he is jealous least he doth not act from a right principle whether he act from the Spirit of God within from the Divine nature within him Or whether he do act from reason from affection from nature from custom what principle he acts by he is jealous of he hath a Godly
jealousie least his actions come not from a right principle all men act but few men consider from what principle their actions come why they have a soul within them and an understanding within them and they act as men I but a Godly man must act higher They are partakers of the Divine nature they have the Spirit put into them they have faith put into them they have a new heart and a new spirit and they act from another principle than the world doth Now a Godly Soul is jealous from what principal he acts Thirdly A gracious heart is jealous of its own graces whether its graces be real and true graces or feigned imagined or seeming graces or restraining graces a gracious heart is very jealous very watchful very tender and careful in this point it knows that there are seeming graces which are not saving it knows that there is reprobate Silver as well as right and good Silver it knows there is Brass and Lead and Tin as well as Gold and therefore is very jealous least it should miscarry and Judge that true grace which is not true grace it 's jealous of it self and very vigilant and careful herein O that my heart may be sound and that I may not mistake nor be turned off now with common grace restraining grace but that I may have justifying grace saving grace and sanctifying grace Fourthly A gracious heart is jealous about its union with Christ union with Christ there must be if ever any of you be sav'd Christ is the head and the body must be united to the head and every member in the body must have union with the head he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit now a gracious heart hath a Godly jealousie about its union am I united to Christ or am I not deceived am I not mistaken Is it any more than a bare profession is it any more than a bare external professional union Is it an Intrinsecal union an essential union Is it a union made by the Spirit of Christ hath Christ hold of me and I hold of Christ by Faith do I apprehend as I am apprehended Fifthly He is jealous of his apprehensions his apprehensions about truths about joys he hath other apprehensions than he had before and yet he hath a Godly jealousie about his apprehensions least he should not apprehend God aright and Christ aright and Scriptures aright and Promises aright and other truths aright He is jealous of his joy he hath sometimes joy inward joy but he fears least it should be the fruit of nature of fancy of misapprehending and of misapplying things least his joys be no other than the joys of the Stony ground So of his feelings and experiences he is jealous there least he do mistake in them build too much upon them draw other conclusions from them than he should And evry Godly man and woman hath cause to be jealous here There are so many errors which are so like truth and such false joys that men have cause I say to be very jealous Sixthly he hath jealousie in respect of his affections a gracious soul is jealous least his affections be misplaced least his affections be inordinate run the wrong way and run out too much towards things below and too little towards things above he is jealous that they be not plac'd upon the right object That his love is not where it should be his hatred where it should be Jealous least they do not work according as they ought to work in reference to the objects they are plac'd upon Is my love upon God do I love him him with all my Soul and with all my heart and with all my might Do I love him above all things in the world Is my heart with him constantly and continually Is my hatred carried out against Sin Do I hate sin in my self Do I not wink at Sin in a Wife a Child a Brother a Sister or a Relation So for his fear do not I fear creatures more than God have not I more lively stirrings in my Soul in regard of Thunder and Lightning and dangers and evils and death than I have of the great God of Heaven and Earth He is jealous of himself of his affections that way jealous least he sorrow for Sin because of the evils and mischiefs it brings him not because it is against God darkens his Glory is the breach of his Commands and defiles the Soul So for the manner of his affections he is jealous least they should not be real and true but hypocritical for many pretend much love and friendship and kindness and yet there 's no reality so many pretend much love to God and no reality pretend much sorrow for Sin and no reality pretend fear of God and no reality thus is he jealous over his affections with a Godly jealousie Seventhly A gracious heart is jealous over its own ends what its ends are whether its ends are right or no according to God or no he sees men have base ends and by ends and selfish ends and particular interests which carries them aside and turns them out of the way and he is jealous least his heart should have some wrong ends Religion is the pretence and Gods glory is the pretence of all men O to honour God and to countenance Religion these two ends must countenance all the base practices in the world both by Papists and others now a Godly man is jealous of his ends least he have not propounded a right end and so carry on things in order to that end Eighthly He is jealous least he should neglect any thing that may conduce to his spiritual and eternal good he is very jealous in this Paul in the 1. Cor. 9. last saith he I keep under my body and bring it into subjection least that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away Saith Paul I dare not neglect the keeping under my body and bringing it into subjection to the Doctrine I pâ—â—ch least that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away Now a gracious heart is as jealous as Paul Paul was jealous he durst not neglect Fasting and Abstinence and Prayer and Mortification thus a gracious heart is jealous least he should neglect any thing that might further his spiritual good so run that you may obtain be sure to cast off every weight and the Sin that doth so easily beset you cast off the world that doth so hinder O run and so run that you may obtain Ninthly Lastly he is jealous least his heart should cary out his Tongue and his hand to such expressions and actions that are not becoming his profession he is very jealous O let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let my heart never carry me out to do any thing that may prejudice thy Statutes nor to speak any thing that may disparage them let me not Judge Censure and Condemn let me
not lift up my hand against any let me not think or speak or do any thing against thy Statutes Qu. Now whence is it that a gracious man's heart is such a jealous heart A. First It is from his own heart that his heart is so jealous the deâ—eitfulness of a man 's own heart is the ground or the cause of the hearts jealousie when it 's once sanctifyed in any measure it becomes jealous because this heart is so deceitful Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it well saith a gracious soul I will be jealous therefore of my heart 't is deceitful 't is desperately wicked 't is hard to know it Why â—â—e heart is deceitful there is deceitful lusts in it deceitful principles in it deceitful aims and ends in it deceitful affections in it deceitful apprehensions in it it is a bundle of deceit What experience hath a Godly man of the deceitfulness of his own heart how oft doth it run out when it is hearing reading praying and meditating Therefore a gracious Soul is jealous over its own heart how oft doth the heart excuse when it should condemn how oft doth it condemn when it should excuse how oft doth it cry up a man to be good when he is naught and how oft doth it cry him down to be naught when he is good There is nothing almost but deceit in our hearts and therefore a Godly man is jealous over his own heart Secondly A gracious heart is jealous of it self because it sees men and women may go very far and yet miscarry come short of Heaven prove rotten and unsound and be asham'd at last a gracious heart sees men may go a great way the Galatians went a great way and Paul was afraid of them what saith he have ye suffered so many things in vain you did run well you began in the Spirit what now will you end in the flesh what turn to another Gospel what now be justified by the Law the young man comes very near to the Kingdom of Heaven I but this heart was not sound he had a covetous heart his heart was not enclin'd to the testimonies of God but to covetonsness the foolish Virgins did they not go far had they not got Lamps had they not trim'd up their Lamps went they not forth to meet Christ and came they not to the Gates and knock'd and yet no entrance they were Virgins in name and not in nature seeming Virgins not real Virgins Ananias and Saphira went a great way they received the Gospel they profest Christ they entered into a Church state they sould their Lands and brought the greatest part to the Apostles feet and laid it down and yet not sound at the heart The stony ground received the word with joy yet falls away when temptation comes now a gracious heart is jealous of it self may men go so far as to read hear pray leave the world and part with estate and be joyned to a Church and yet not be sound at the heart O Lord what shall I judge of my heart O that my heart may be sound in thy Statutes Thirdly They are so because Satan is so subtle Satan deceives so many Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light Satan can inject good thoughts good desires good opinions and the like Did not Satan get into David himself and make him to number the people Did he not get into Peter and make Peter set upon Christ himself O Master spare thy self this shall not be unto thee and it 's said that many were turned aside after Satan 1 Tim. 5. now this makes them jealous least Satan should delude them how hath Satan deluded many in our dayes and they thought they had Enthusiasms and Revelations from God and his Spirit whereas they were deluded by Satan I have known some have been confident they have had revelations from God and yet afterwards have been convinc'd that they were from Satan and that they have been deluded Fourthly Lastly a gracious heart is jealous of it self because the right way the way to life to happiness to salvation is very narrow very hard to find and few do find it therefore saith a gracious heart I may well be jealous whether I be right or no whether I have not mistaken O there are many by wayes on this hand and by wayes on that hand and but one way and a narrow way and a hard way and few find it have I found it Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that go in thereat a broad way a pleasant way a down hill way and many there be go that way but the way to life and salvation is a narrow way yea so narrow that if Christ had not said it we could not have believed it as narrow as the eye of a Needle t is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven and 't is as narrow to a poor man as to a rich man 't is a very narrow way rich men are loaded with the world and they cannot enter and poor men are loaded with repinings grudgings and discontents and they cannot enter Thus you see that gracious hearts are jealous of themselves and wherein and why Qu. A question may be propounded You say they are jealous of themselves but is not this prejudicial to a man's peace and comfort and spiritual good that he should have a jealousie of himself An. For answer to this I tould you it is not sinful jealousie but a spiritual jealousie and there is no hurt in a Godly jealousie But further First it is not prejudicial to him but advantageous That Soul that hath a Godly jealousie over it self will be kept from a sinful and careless security men that are not jealous over themselves are secure and careless But that soul that is jealous cannot be secure cannot be careless that person will have an eye upon his heart and will be awake and will look to his heart What saith Solomon in the 4 Prov. Above all keepings keep thy heart if you have not a Godly jealousie how will you keep your hearts the secure man is asleep the negligent man is asleep therefore here should be the greatest jealousie and this helps to keep thy heart Secondly This will make you to do your duty towards God and man with more circumspection and with more vigour and life a drowsie sleepy man can neither serve God nor serve man but if a man be throughly awak'd then he looks about him and doth his business with more minding of it and more intention so the Godly Soul that is a jealous heart O it serves God with more carefulness it considers well I am to do with God and God looks for the heart and he calls for the Spirit and therefore I must give him my Spirit I must not be drowsie and sleepy and
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
you that think you do look to your hearts and souls pray examine and make a little inquiry whither it be so with you or no whether you do make this your work your principal care business to mind your souls to mind your hearts Well how shall we know it 1. First if you do look well to your hearts you have a care what goes in and what comes out a man or woman that hath one choice Room in their house they will be careful above all the rest to keep that lock'd so if you have a care of your hearts according to what you should you will have a care what comes into the heart and what goes out of the heart a good man out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good things he will not let evil things come into his heart he will shut his eyes shut his mouth no corrupt words shall come out of his mouth is it so now that you have a constant care to see what goes into your hearts you will be careful what goes into your mouths and will you not be careful to see what goes into your hearts 2. Secondly if you have a care of your hearts then your hearts are in good order That which is principally look'd unto any where is in good frame in good order if you have a principal care of a Watch of a Room of a Ship it is in good order what frames are your hearts in are they in good order for God are they in frame for his Ordinances A Garden if you take delight in it if your care be there how are things ordered therein every thing is in its place how are the weeds kept down how are the vermin prevented all is kept in good order So it will be with your souls if your care be there I passed by the Vineyard of the Sluggard and all was over grown with Nettles and Bryars Prov. 24.31 why he had not a care of his Vine yard and so it is with the heart but if your principal care were about your hearts all would be in good order they would be neat comely and delightful 3. Thirdly if your principal care be about your hearts and souls then you will make suitable provision for them That a man takes special care of he will provide for and make suitable provision Now if your special care be for the good of your hearts and souls you will make suitable provision for them in Rom. 13. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereofâ— But you will make provision for your souls to help the graces thereof and the good of your souls a gracious man will make suitable provision for a gracious heart The world is not suitable provision that 's chaff to a gracious heart a gracious soul cannot live upon the world but it can live upon the Word and Promises and the Ordinances and the water of life Therefore saith Christ labour not for the meat that perishes that is comparatively not absolutely but labour for the meat which indures to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you c. Well here 's the principal meat to be laboured for the meat which indures to everlasting sife which the Son of man shall give unto you do you go to Christ in the morning for a Breakfast at noon for a Dinner at night for a Supper This is an argument indeed that your principal care is for your souls but O how lean souls have men and women what hunger-starv'd souls 4. Fourthly Lastly if your principal care be for your souls then your souls are prospering thriving and fruitful The piece of ground that the Husbandman takes most content in and is most delighted in shall be well drest and fruitful so that man or woman that takes most care for the soul will have a thriving soul a flourishing soul a prosperous Soul See it in the 3d. Ep. of John 2d v. Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth he writes to Gaius this Gains minded the things of his soul he minded the Truth entertainment of Saints was full of love doing of good works and his soul thriv'd and prospered and was fat and flourishing so that man that doth mind his soul will be fat and flourishing The soul is God's Garden and if you mind it it will be as a watered Garden flourishing Christ will come into his Garden and gather his spices and flowers and eat his pleasant fruits and take delight in it if it be so but are not your Gardens full of weeds now if your principal care be for your Souls you may know it by these things Use 4. The last use is an exhortation that you would be pleased to bestow a little more care upon your souls a good man's care is upon his soul saith Solomon in Prov. 4. Wisdom is the principal thing and above all gettings get wisdom that 's the principal thing to be got but what 's the principal thing to be kept v. 24. keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the Issues of life and out of it are the issues of death Therefore if you be good men if you be wise men if you be both shew it get wisdom and above all keepings keep your hearts keep your eye that it wanders not keep your ear that no evil enter keep your hand keep your foot but above all keepings keep your hearts for out of them are the issues of Death Obs 3. The third observation is this that a gracious soul doth earnestly desire soundness of heart Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes this was the desire of David so in Psal 51. v. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew in me a right Spirit O Lord saith he let me have a clean heart let me have a right spirit let my heart be sound in me whatsoever else I miss of Two things I shall do at this time First shew you wherein this soundness of heart doth lye Secondly give you the reasons why a gracious heart doth desire soundness of heart First this soundness of heart doth lye in having sound and good principles sound Tenets sound Doctrines sound apprehensions of Spiritual things and so here soundness is opposed to errour Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes O let me not be lead away with any errour any windy doctrine any false opinions any corrupt tenets any false principles in 2. Tim. 3.8 he speaks there of men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith men of corrupt minds are not sound they are reprobate concerning the faith that is the Doctrine of faith so in 2 Tit. 2. That the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in the Faith they must not be erronious many men and women are full of error full of corrupt opinions full of damnable doctrines full of dangerous tenets full of seduction now soundness of heart soundness
Spirit in the heart then it 's a sound heart there may be seeming Graces and seeming Comforts but these do not cause soundness Take Brass Tin Cooper let it be Silver'd over by the Art of man this is not sound it is not Currant money so many have parts and they may have seeming graces and seeming comforts and yet not be real not be true such a heart is not sound you read in Scripture of a feigned faith a dead faith you read likewise of feigned love and there are feigned comforts flashy comforts and groundless hopes Now where the heart is sound these are graces comforts wrought by the Word and Spirit hence you read of faith unfeigned 2 Tim. 1.5 and you read of Love the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and so peace and joy There 's false peace and false joy but you read of these wrought by the Spirit and love shed abroad in the heart by the Spirit you read of a lively hope of a hope that 's grounded upon the promises 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth now when graces are real in the heart and comforts are real in the heart and there 's a real truth in them Then the heart is sound And so soundness is opposed to the fancies conceits and dreams of men and their mistakes but their hearts are rotten notwithstanding all their dreams and fancies Fifthly Soundness of heart doth lye in sincerity Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let it be sincere and upright and so some read the words And the word signifies upright and sincere and so it 's opposed to Hypocrisie O let me not be an Hypocrite let me not be a deceiver a sound heart is a sincere heart where there is Hypocrisie in men and women there 's an unsound heart there 's a rotten heart the Apostle speaks of love without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 So all must be without dissimulation where there is soundness and here both the end and the means and the manner are respected First where the heart is sound there will be sound ends sincere ends and among the rest there be three great ends that a sound heart aims at First the Glory of God Secondly Publick good Thirdly the Spiritual and Eternal good of the Soul First the Glory of God that 's the great end of a sound heart such ends will a sound heart have as Gods Statutes doth propound and hold out now this is one great and high end that God holds out in his word the glorifying of himself Prov. 16.4 God hath made all things for himself for his own glory for his own honour God hath set up his own Glory as his own end and so a sound heart hath that end that God hath propounded So in the 11 Rom. last saith the Apostle there From him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Glory is the end 1. Cor. 10.31 Do all to the Glory of God whether you eat or drink or whatever you do that 's the great end 1. Cor. 6. you are not your own you are bought with a price Glorifie God in Soul and Body That 's the great end of a sound heart Secondly the end of a sound heart is publick good Do good to all but especially to the Houshold of Faith not a private and domestick end but do good to all the world if possible but especially to Sion to the Church of God to the people of God saith Hester if I perish I perish Sion is in danger Gods people are in danger I will not stand upon my self and my own safety and upon the Kings Law but Gods glory the welfare and good of Sion lyes at the Stake and I will venture here was a sound heart that had a right end if I perish I perish I will venture my self for God and for his cause and people Thirdly It hath a right end in regard of it self viz. it 's Spiritual and Eternal good A Godly man will have a care of his body but his great care is of his soul and the spiritual and eternal good of his soul Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which indureth to everlasting life that meat that perishes concerns the body but there is meat saith Christ which indures to everlasting life and that 's the meat you must look at and that 's the meat a sound heart doth aim at and seek to find out and to feed upon First seek the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteousness thereof and saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4.18 our scope is not to look at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen things that are eternal and that concern the eternal good of our souls Secondly It is sincere likewise in regard of the means a sound heart will use all the means Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commands there must be respect to all Gods Commands to all his Threatnings to all his Promises to all Examples to all Invitations to all Admonitions to all Counsels to the whole will of God a sound heart hath respect to all that God hath revealed to all the means whatsoever they have unsound and rotten hearts who throw off the Law or the Gospel who throw of all Ordinances who throw off the Scriptures but then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commands Thirdly So likewise for the manner of using the means many come and hear the word but not with trembling Isa 66.2 not as the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 they receive it not with love 2 Thess 2.13 they mingle it not with faith Heb. 4.2 they hear it not as the word that shall judge them John 12.48 so many pray but not spiritually Ephes 6.18 not feelingly and fervently Rom. 12.11 Jam. 5.16 not believingly Jam. 1.6 so many receive but descern not the Lords Body 1 Cor. 11.29 and many give but not with simplicity Rom. 12.8 and secresie Mat. 6.3 Now a sound heart respects the manner in these and all other duties as much as the duties themselves and is much humbled for failings in the manner of performing duties Sixthly Lastly soundness of heart lyes in this in the hearts putting forth to practice what is revealed to it or received by it when a man hath truth and witholds truth in unrighteousness that man is not sound at the heart but where the heart is sound the soundness of it carries him to practice what is revealed and given in unto it you may see it in David and in Hezekiah 1 K. 15.15 David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life whatsoever God commanded him that he did his heart was sound in his Statutes And so here in Isa 38. v. 3. Remember now O Lord
I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight I have walked before thee with a perfect heart a sound heart an upright heart an undivided heart And have done that which is good in thy sight that heart which is sound cannot sit still cannot imprison truth in unrighteousness cannot be negligent Christ who had soundness of heart went up and down doing good So then you see wherein this soundness of heart lyes Q. Why is a good man so earnest for soundness of heart An. First because all he doth be it never so much comes to nothing if his heart be not sound saith a good man I shall lose all if my heart be not sound If my heart be not sound and free from false principles if my heart be not sound if it be not healthy and free from guilt and sickness of sin if my heart be not free from dividedness perfect with God if my heart be not so and so that I have soundness if I be not sincere but hypocritical and the like all I do is nothing Pray Hear Preach give to the Poor do what you will all your service falls to the ground it never is accepted of God in Heb. 11.6 saith the Apostle Without faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him without faith 't is impossible to please God why if your faith be not real faith if it be not true faith but a faith of your own making if it be not a faith wrought by the word and spirit a faith of the operation of God Coloss 2. you will never please God whatever you do you must have a faith will purifie your hearts and unite your hearts to God and not suffer them to be divided a faith that will carry you to God with the whole heart otherwise you please not God and so your hope must be so and your love must be so they must be real so also the obedience that pleases God is the obedience of faith Rom. 16. latter end do what you will if you be not right principled if you have not truth of grace if your hearts be not united to God if you be not free from hypocrisie and sincere all falls to the ground and is rejected of God all you do is nothing but is like what Simon Magus did Acts 8.13 Then Simon himself believed also Mark he had a faith such as most people have And when he was baptised he continued with Philip and wondered beholding the miracles and signs which were done he continued with Philip he was in a Church State now see what he saith because his principles were not right When Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the holy Ghost was given he offered them money saying give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost but Peter said unto him thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money O thou hast a wretched principle thou hast a rotten heart it is not right in the sight of God what 's thy believing now Simon what 's thy baptizing now what 's all thou hast done So say I what 's your faith and your baptism and your obedience and serving of God if your hearts are not right Ananias and Saphira sell their estate and bring it and lay it down at the feet of the Apostles I but their hearts were not right and therefore you know how it went with them all you do is but as a woman that brings forth a dead Child without a soul which is not acceptable to Father Mother or any present 'T is like Chaff without Corn Bones without Marrow Bottels without Wine Breasts without Milk God regards not any thing you do it is not acceptable it falls to the ground it comes to nothing if your hearts are not sound and upright and that 's the first reason why a Godly soul is so earnest to have its heart sound Secondly Hereby you shall discourage and disappoint the Devil the Devil seldom prevails where there is soundness of heart Job you know was a man that feared God and eschewed evil a perfect man The very word that is here in my Text and could the Devil prevail with him God le ts loose the Devil and gives him more power over Job than ever we read he had over any other man and could the Devil prevail against Job No he was a sound hearted man and he could not prevail Job wearied out the Devil he did strike him in his Servants and Cattel and Children and in his body and by his Friends and by his Wife he tempts him yet nothing could do why here was a sound hearted man and when a man is sound hearted he will not stand parlying with the Devil but he will resist the Devil he shuts the door presently and turns his back upon him he brings forth the Shield of Faith and quenches his fiery Darts he brings forth the Scripture It 's written Satan he resists the Devil and he flyes but if thou be sickly or faint hearted he will make thee flye or fall but a sound hearted man resists the Devil and makes him flye and so the Devil is discouraged and disappointed Thirdly Because such a heart will be a support to a man in any condition in the worst of conditions if you look into the 14 Pro. 20. A sound heart is the life of the flesh The Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lives of the flesh a man that hath a sound heart sound in a spiritual sence that soundness of his heart is the lives of his flesh his flesh may have many deaths many diseases many temptations and discouragements many hard things to encounter with yet the soundness of the heart is the lives of the flesh a sound heart will keep up a man bear up his Spirits notwithstanding the flesh be full of pain yielding drooping and wearing away saith Paul the outward man decays day by day I but the inward man is renewed when a man hath a sound heart a sound soul soundness of grace in him the inward man is renewed So in Prov. 18.14 The Spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity when his spirit is sound but if a mans spirit be not sound it will not sustain his infirmity if there be guilt if there be sin lust and sickness in the soul it will not support therefore a Godly man desires soundness of heart he knows not what times he may meet with he knows not what storms he may meet with a Godly man may meet with very shrow'd things in the world but if his heart be sound it will bear him up in the 38. of Isa saith Hezek when the storm came upon him that he must dye
and not live here was the King of fears the King of terrours now saith he Remember O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and done that which is good in thy sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a heart full of peace a perfect heart with a sound heart see how this now bears him up Fourthly A Godly soul is desirous of soundness of heart because such a one hath Gods favour and will be intrusted by God it 's something to have God's favour something to be trusted by God that knows hearts a sincere heart God favours and God will trust in the 11 Psa 7. v. for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright the upright a man that 's sound sincere and upright and the upright dwells in his presence God he doth regard the righteous he loves righteousness and who doth righteousness but the sound hearted man And his countenance doth behold the upright his favour is towards him and God will trust such a man call him forth to excellent service and employ him in great matters in Psal 78. he chose David also his Servant and took him from the Sheepfold why will God look to the Sheepfold and mind a man tending of his Sheep From following the Ews great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance so he fed them according to the integrity of his heart he had a sound and entire heart a heart for God a heart for good a heart for his people and so God looks upon him he takes him and brings him from the Sheepfold to feed his people and he did it according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skilfulness of his hand Gods favour was towards him and God's favour is towards such and he doth intrust them with great matters 1 Tim. 1.11.12 according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust why who are you that you should have the Gospel and the glorious Gospel of the blessed God committed to your trust I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me worthy putting me into the Ministery O the Lord made me sound hearted when I had rotten principles he took them all away he made my heart sound and imployed me in great things so that where there is soundness of heart God favours and will trust such when men have deceitful and hypocritical hearts God will not trust them Fifthly Soundness of heart is earnestly desired by those that are good because otherwise the means of grace whatsoever they be will do little good very little or no good look into Mich. 2.7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob is the Spirit of the Lord streightned are these his doings do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly saith he you complain of judgments and afflictions that are upon you but I tell you your hearts are not right do not my words do good to him that walks uprightly if your hearts were sound upright and sincere you would walk according to my Statutes according to my wayes and your hearts would be with me and not with your Idols nor with the world therefore my words do you no good because your lives and hearts are corrupt do not my words do good to them that walk uprightly every one can tell you they do to a corrupt Stomach you know the meat doth little or no good it feeds a corrupt humour and kills at last So now when men and women have unsound hearts the means doth them little good the means will be their death at last there was Judas what gracious words did he hear from Christ how many miracles and examples did he see but all did him no good why he was not sound at the heart he had a covetous heart and so Simon Magus was not sound at heart the word doth men no good when they have unsound hearts Sacraments do them no good they eat and drink their own damnation afflictions doth them no good Prayer doth them no good therefore saith a Godly man O Lord let my heart be sound in thy Statutes Sixthly Lastly soundness of heart is to be desired because without this you will never be admitted into Heaven never be presented by Christ unto the Father In a word you will never be sav'd unless your hearts be sound look into the 15. Psal Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill he that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart that is he that hath a sound heart free from hypocrisie a sound heart he shall do it and in the 24 Psal who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord who shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart c. Now if a mans heart be not sound 't is impure there is some guilt some lusts some distempers some rotten and false tenets and opinions some hypocrisie in it some dividedness in it there 's some withholding of truth in unrighteousness in it now this man shall not ascend into the holy hill he shall not have the blessing saith Christ in Math. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophecyed in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity What do all these things and yet be workers of iniquity and not known of Christ there was nothing but rottenness of heart for mark what follows in the Chapter whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a Rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not he is one that builds his house upon the Sand So that if mens hearts be not sound they will never build upon the Rock they will never be sav'd Doth not Christ tell them plainly woe to Scribes Pharisees Hyppocrites why they shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven they are not sound hearted if men are not sound in the things of God sound in the Gospel and the mysteries of it sound in the faith there 's no coming to Heaven no coming to Glory Christ will never own a rotten hearted man or woman never own a man that hath a form of Godliness and not the power of it therefore if you would be sav'd if you would be presented by Jesus Christ unto the Father you
is immoveable he is fixed he holds out to the end Seventhly The excellency of a sound heart is that it hath a blessedness intail'd unto it Psal 32.2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no guile if a mans heart be unsound there 's guile in it there 's Hypocrisie in it there are rotten principles in it but Blessed is the man in whose Spirit there is no guile when a mans heart is purged from guile his heart is sound and he hath a blessedness entail'd upon it Nathaniel a man without guile and Christ looks upon him and saith he is a blessed and happy man you know Hypocrisie hath a woe woe to Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites but sincerity hath the blessing soundness hath the blessing blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile blessed is the man whose heart is pure and free from sin there is a blessedness entail'd upon it and thus you see wherein the excellency of a sound heart lyes Now to come to the use and application of the point I. Is soundness of heart a thing very desirable then in the first place take heed of all things may make your hearts unsound Men and Women will take heed of any thing will corrupt their Garments will corrupt their Stomachs will corrupt their Flesh you will not endure dirt in your Garments why it will rot them you will not endure poyson in your broath or wine or meat or bread it will undo you well take heed of that then which may make your hearts unsound and rotten take heed of carnal policy take heed of errors that are abroad every where erronious Doctrines and Opinions concerning God and Christ and his natures and death and satisfaction concerning the Scriptures Ordinances Sabbaths take heed of these An erroneous opinion may be the bane of your hearts make it a sick heart and sick unto death if you can be careful for your Garments for your meat and drink for your Bodies be careful for your Souls Paul had a jealousie for the Corinthians 2 Cor. 11.2 I am jealous over you with a Godly jealousie and v. 3. I fear least by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ you have itching ears and you heap up Teachers according to your lusts and the simplicity of the Gospel is neglected plain honest and sincere preaching to the Conscience which would do your souls good you are weary of many look for new and strange things Stories out of the Fathers and Heathen Authors to please their itching ears they look after learning and not after the Gospel but such things will not save you it 's the Gospel and the simplicity of it will do your souls good I am jealous of you saith Paul So I am jealous over you least you should be led away by the delusions of Satan led away by this world led away by the evils and errors of the times well take heed of all may corrupt your minds and make you unsound Secondly Is a sound mind so desirable then be advised and take heed whom you do make your familiar friends and converse familiarly with all If men have not sound minds there 's great danger for their breath will be stinking and they will infect you if men breath out corrupt words corrupt opinions corrupt doctrines corrupt principles they will undo you but as for them who are sound hearted make them your friends 2 King 10.15 Is thine heart right as my heart is with thy heart said Jehu to Jehonadab yes saith he my heart is right then he takes him up into the Chariot So question whether mens hearts are sound or no if their hearts be sound then take them up into the Chariot of your hearts otherwise no a heart not right will never be faithful it 's hard to find such a man who can find a man of a faithful heart of sound principles of a healthy constitution that is free from hyppocrisie and ends and reachings and over-reachings well such a one if thou canst find him make him thy familiar make him thy friend David makes Jonathan his friend and such thou mayest trust who are sound hearted they dare not wrong the soundness of their hearts but they labour to preserve it and in preserving that they preserve friendship with thee Thirdly Let us all examine what our hearts are whether we have sound hearts or no whether our hearts be sound in Gods Statutes yea or no 't was that David begged at the hand of God 't was that he knew was of great worth 't is that we should all look after well let us enquire and for discovery hereof I shall give you sundry particulars First A sound heart is very inquisitive into the nature of persons or things what they are before it entertains them a sound heart will not be over credulous but will try them Try the Spirits saith John a found heart will try the Spirits Job 34.32 That which I see not teach thou me O Lord teach me I am afraid least I should be deceived O teach me tell me the nature of this man of this woman of this and that opinion Paul saith Prove all things hold fast that which is good prove them as Gold bring them to the fire to the light to the hammer and when you have tryed them then hold fast you will not pocket up Brass Money but say away with it so sound hearted Christians will try persons and opinions and will not give them entertainment in their hearts unless they be sound to the Law and to the Testimonie and if they speak not according to this word there is no light in them Secondly A sound heart doth find a great deal of sweetness in the word of God and digests it it 's like unto a healthy Stomach a man that hath a healthy Stomach he digests his meat but a sickly Stomach digests it not Take a man now whose heart is sound in Gods Statutes he finds savour and sweetness in Gods word and doth relish and digest his word and lives upon it in Psal 19.10 saith David of the Statutes of the Lord More are they to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold they are sweeter than the Hony or the Hony Comb how sweet is Hony to you and especially when it drops from the Comb saith David in Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast yea sweeter than the Honey to my mouth O Lord saith he thy words they are sweet words they are sweet to my mouth they are sweeter than Honey to my taste how sweet are they they are sweeter than I can express or conceive how did he relish the truths of God his meditation was in them night and day And more do I esteem them saith Job than my appointed food The word of God is the food of the soul and a man that hath
an unsound wisdom the wisdome of the world the wisdom of the flesh The word for sound wisdom is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notes essence the Law of God is substance it is essence get the truths of God into your hearts and these will be essence soundness and substance unto you thy Law is within my heart saith David and the Law was written in Christs heart and they had soundness of heart so that the way to have found hearts is to get sound truths into your hearts Thirdly if you would have sound hearts be much in examination of your hearts Many go from week to week and year to year and never examine what hearts they have but you should examine your hearts frequently daily and the more the better you will look to your houses that they be wind tite and weather tite you will look to your Ships whether they leak or no and will you not look to your hearts whether they be wind tite or weather tite whether any wind of Doctrine have got into them whether any corrupt lusts do stir in them examine and say what 's my heart is it sound in the Faith hath it sound principles is it healthy is it undivided hath it true grace is it free from hypocrisie if you examine your hearts you will mind them and know what 's in them the Scripture puts you upon it you have examples and Commands 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith or no prove your own selves try whether you be Gold or Silver true Gold or counterfeit Gold prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you unless you be Reprobates what will you leave it at randome whether you be Reprobates or no when a man comes to try himself and finds he is sick mortally wounded or hath a plurisie c. he wil seek for remedy so if you would take pains this way you would come to soundness of heart quickly in Psal 77.6 I commune with mine own heart and my Spirit made diligent search Commune with your own hearts let your Spirits make diligent search if there be no worms no weeds no ill principles there and that 's the way to come to soundness of heart therefore be much in examination 4. If you would have soundness of heart then be sure not to bring your own sence to the Scriptures but learn to know the sence of Scripture and take up Scripture sence many have unsound hearts because they put sences upon the truths of God which they never will bear You erre said Christ to the Sadduces not knowing the Scriptures therefore bring not your sences to the Scriptures but take the Scripture sence and lay by your own and that you may have that compare spiritual things with spiritual as Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.13 we compare one Scripture with another and see whether it will hold currant for one Scripture may be dark yet another may be light and so the Scripture may go hand in hand therefore if you would have sound hearts take the sence of God in Scripture his mind in his word and not the opinions of men of corrupt minds or of your own fancies Fifthly Would you have soundness of heart then be willing to hearken to reproof that 's a thing that few can bear but it shews they have unsound hearts reproof is call'd a reproof of life and you shall find it 's the way to have soundness of heart to hearken to reproof for every man is subject to erre and may step aside now reproof is a healing Medicine and doth much good Prov. 5.12 saith he how have I hated Instruction and my heart despised reproof my heart despised reproof and therefore I have had an unsound heart that hath gone out after women and spent estate and strength and contracted guilt the wrath and displeasure of God and what was the ground of it why I despised reproof now look into the 15. ch 31. v. The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise why art thou dead and hast a rotten and unsound heart a reproof is the reproof of life and when life comes soundness comes now if thy ear hearken to the reproof of life thou abidest among the wise and v. 32. he that refuseth Instruction despiseth his own soul but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding So that to hearken to reproof reproof of Parents reproof of Masters reproof of Ministers he that hearkens to these gets understanding they prove the reproofs of life and see in 1 Tit. 13. This witness is true wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith sharp rebukes make soundness in the faith this is out of practice in our dayes were it more in practice that one friend would deal impartially with another in a wise and humble way this would make sound hearts every where Sixthly Lastly to get a sound heart go unto God who hath the hearts of all in his hand and can turn them and change them as he please and make them sound though they be never so corrupt and rotten Prov. 2.7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the Righteous Parents lay up sound wealth for their Children and God layeth up sound wisdom for his and Prov. 8.14 Counsel is mine and sound wisdom there 's none hath true Counsel and sound wisdom to give but God wisdom that hath essence and substance in it therefore go to the Lord and intreat him to give you of this sound wisdom And you must go to him in good earnest go and cry to him for it Prov. 2. If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding if thou seekest her as Silver and searchest for her as for hid Treasures Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God If you will cry for her and use means to get sound wisdom God will give it for he hath lay'd it up on purpose for you you are directed and shewed the way to get it therefore cry to God and put forth your utmost strength and power to get sound wisdom that you may have soundness of heart and desire God to give you his holy spirit and that will make your hearts sound indeed for saith the Apostle God hath not given us the Spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind Gods spirit is a spirit of truth a spirit of wisdom a spirit of a sound mind and will make you have a sound mind whensoever it comes into you The second thing is to know how to preserve a sound mind when you have gotten it First have nothing to do with those that are unsound neither unsound men nor unsound books have nothing to do with them do you think ever to preserve your selves in a sound healthy condition if you will run where the Plague the Pox and the Leprosie are 't is impossible you should but if you will preserve health you
will keep from these so if you would preserve your hearts sound have nothing to do with unsound men or unsound books Tit. 3.10 A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject have nothing to do with him but to admonish him and tell him of his corrupt opinions and after the first and second admonition reject him his Heresie may spread his words may be a Gangrene and may eat up the soundness of thy heart if thou wilt have to do with him and so in the second Epistle of John Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward for whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed If any one come unto you and bring not the Doctrine of Christ the Doctrine of Christ in the true sence of Christ but with their own fancies sences glosses and corrupt mixtures receive him not into your house and what will you receive him into your hearts bid him not God speed but bid him be gone like a Deceiver an Imposter a Jugler an Enemy to God and Christ and in Rom. 16.17 saith the Apostle I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisione and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them If men come with Doctrines and opinions contrary to the Doctrine you have received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 6.3 or besides it so is the Greek and make divisions and dissentions in Churches in Families avoid them have nothing to do with them Secondly if you would preserve your hearts sound then take pains about your hearts to keep down all lusts that are stirring for unless you keep under your lusts you will never keep sound hearts you must do by your hearts as by your Gardens would you have a neat garden you are oft digging oft cutting down the weeds so you must do with your hearts when any lusts arises you must be sure to keep them under do as by your Shâ—ps if there be a leak you fall a pumping presently There are many that have an itching desire or humour after some novelty some new noâ—ions and opinion and when they hear of a man hath some new doctrine new notions or new opinion they must hear him but mortifie this lust this humour and then you shall live live sound in the faith and dye comfortably dye in the Faith dye in the Lord but if you will not you are in hazard of miscarrying soul and body to all Eternity Therefore saith Solomon keep thy heart with all diligence Suffer not any lust to get in suffer not any truth to start out therefore keep your hearts with all diligence Thirdly Would you preserve your hearts sound then be much conversant in the word of God that which makes a sound heart preserves a sound heart the form or pattern of wholsom words is the word of God so your minding and meditating on the word of God keeping to the word of God will keep your hearts sound Psal 119. O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day I love thy Law for it self I love thy Law for its purity I love thy Law for its soundness and for the soundness it works in my heart I love thy Law and it is my meditation all the day and all the night too Psal 1.2 and Ps 119.104 Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way If there be a false way without I hate that if there be a false way within I hate that so that if you would have a sound heart meditate much upon the word of God his words are wholsom words and make the heart sounder and sounder every day Fourthly if you would have your hearts sound then whatsoever the sickness or disease be put forth frequent acts of faith upon Christ Crucified about Christ and his Death Christ and his blood Christ and his merits Christ suffering for sin and Sinners the more faith is acted upon Christ Crucified the more sound will be your hearts for the blood and death of Christ are of a cleansing virtue a sin-killing virtue a soul-healing virtue and will make your hearts gracious and sound indeed 1 John 1.7 The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin if we do believe in him his blood cleanses from all sin cleanseth from all the guilt of sin and purges the dead works out of your Consciences it cleanses from the power of sin and there will be a death upon your Corruptions O look upon him whom you have pierced so often with your sin and put forth acts of faith and you will find virtue from Christ and will dye to sin and live to God Fifthly If you would be sound hearted men and women and not led away with errors nor with the evils of the times then have God constantly in your eye God is present every where he is in you all through you all and over you all And did you see God and set God before you and acknowledge Gods presence and eye upon you you would not meddle with weeds you would not meddle with errors you would not give way to lusts Ps 16. saith David I have set God at my right hand and therefore I shall not fall I have set God alwayes before me I look upon God and I see God looking upon me God is at my right hand I can do nothing but what God would have me do therefore I shall not be moved the Corruptions of my heart shall not move me to go this way or that way but I will keep them under and not suffer them to rise and appear in the sight of God did men and women more mind God the presence and authority of God over them they would not be led away nor entertain nor practice corrupt things but they would approve themselves to God and then the heart is sound when it is approv'd to God Sixthly Lastly if you would keep your hearts sound regard oft your latter end remember Death remember Account remember Judgment saith the Lord O that they were wise that they understood this that they would remember their latter end they go out to other Gods and false worship and they practice base things violence and blood is among them but what 's the reason of it they are not wise they dont understand this they do not remember their latter end that they must dye that they must give account that they must be judged and disposed of to all Eternity Did they remember this they would never leave me nor my wayes nor be seduced therefore if you would keep your hearts sound remember your latter end you must dye you must
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
and unsound but there were others spake otherwise they were Gods Jewels they would not joyn with the wayes of God but rather did withdraw from them Heb. 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is we need not be so strict nor so oft in prayer and hearing and in speaking of the things and wayes of God the Commandements of God are grievous to them 1 Joh. 5.3 when Gods Commandements are grievous to a mans heart or spirit it 's a sign he hath a sick heart a sore heart a corrupt rotten heart when the Commands of God that would make them sound are grievous to them Many care not for examining their own souls when as the Scripture saith prove your selves examine your selves know ye not your own selves that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates walk circumspectly redeeming the time such men have unsound hearts and one day they will be discovered to their shame 11. Those that can walk up and down in the world without having their thoughts carried unto God that can go all the day long and never think of God or Heaven or Eternity or Christ these men have unsound hearts in Prov. 23.17 saith the wise man there Let not thy heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long A man should have God in his thoughts all the day long and should be fearing God from morning to evening and sanctifie God in his heart and make him his dread and his fear wheresoever he goes a man should be afraid to displease God in any place in any Company at any time but now when a man goes up and down all the day long and never thinks of God nor fears God this man is rotten at the heart he hath an unsound heart for he cares not for God nor for his Company depart from us say they in Job we care not for thy company So though this man saith it not with his Tongue yet he saith it with his heart The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death how can you depart from the snares of death when you are not in the fear of God Some fear God in time of Thunder or in a common Plague but to live in the fear of God all the day all their lives they know not what it means these have unsound hearts and will be ashamed 12. Whosoever doth presume upon the merits of Christ and the mercies of God and walk loosely they are unsound hearted and shall one day be ashamed 't is a common thing in these dayes for Christians to presume upon Christ's merits why did not Christ dye for sinners is not God merciful yes but must you walk loosely now Christ did not dye for sinners that they might go and sin neither is God merciful to encourage you to sin but you will find Christ a Stone to grind you to powder and Gods mercy to be fury and vengeance to you that do so in Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus which walk not after the flesh mark but after the Spirit If men do presume upon Christs merits and Gods mercies and say they have a part in God and Christ they must not walk after the flesh but if you walk loosely you walk after the flesh what Drink Swear Whore Lye Cheat Rail Slander Backbite Defraud and Couzen in Bargaining and Selling you walk after the flesh you have no interest in Christs merits there 's condemnation and nothing but condemnation to you and mark what 's said in 1 Joh. 2.6 If any man say he abides in him that is in Christ he must walk as he walked what dost thou say thou art a Christian thou hast a part in the merits of Christ and in the free grace and mercy of God then must thou walk even as Christ walked in the world what 's thy walking is it so is it becoming the Gospel is it no otherwise than what Christ himself would do then thou mayest have comfort but if it be otherwise deceive not thy self thou hast an unsound heart and thou wilt one day be ashamed 13. They are unsound hearted who do account themselves rich strong wise knowing and full those that are conceited of their own worth of their own excellency of their own ability and as they have unsound hearts so they will be discovered one day for rotten hearted men and women It is incident to you all to have too high thoughts of your selves Paul tells you in Gal. 6.2 If a man thinks himself some body when he is nothing he deceives himself why should the Apostle lay down this Rule but that it was the practice of the Christians then these Galatians thought themselves wiser than Paul they must have another Gospel they must go another way to Heaven we will not be tyed to these wayes they thought themselves some bodies when they were nothing and so deceived their own souls O foolish Galatians they were fools indeed And the Church of Laodicea is a pregnant instance for you all to take notice of she said she was rich full and wanted nothing here was a Church had Priviledges Ordinances Enjoyments Apostolical men in her yet what saith Christ thou art blind thou art naked thou art poor thou art miserable thou wantest all things was not her shame discovered that Christian that is conceited of himself his Parts Gifts Graces Comforts Priviledges Enjoyments or Relations whatsoever they be that Christian is an unsound man and his shame will appear one day 14. Those Christians that do things in their own name and in their own strength they are unsound and they will be discovered and their shame will be thrown in their faces in due time 2 where almost is there a Christian but doth all in his own name and in his own strength I can do this and that saith one I can do so and so what canst thou do poor creature Christ tells thee without me ye can do nothing nothing to purpose nothing to please God nothing to afford you comfort or peace nothing to further your salvation without Christ the Apostle tells you We are not sufficient I Paul am not sufficient to think a good thought well see the Rule Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus don 't do it in your own name you are unsound if you do your principles are not right your knowledge is not right and sound but whatsoever ye do do all in the name of Christ what Christians and do any thing in any name but in the name of Christ you are base Christians and you should do all in the strength of Christ 2 Tim. 2.1 My Son he speaks to Timothy an Evangelist a man full of grace and of the spirit My Son be thou strong through the grace that is in Christ saith David I will go forth in the
that will be ashamed one day so then as Christ saith to Peter Let me say to you Peter Lovest thou me more then these why Lord thou knowest thou knouwest I love thee more so do you love God and Christ more than the world and things of it can you say Lord thou knowest I love thee more than them Do you love Christ and God more than Wives and Children he that don't hate Father and Mother Wife and Children in respect of God and Christ is not worthy of God and Christ though God don't require you to hate them but when they come in competition do you love God and Christ more than your lusts or estate or limbs or lives they loved not their lives unto the death in the 12 Rev. if you love God and Christ more than these happy are you you are sound hearted in truth then God will say here 's a man or woman that loves me with all their heart with all their soul with all their mind with all their strength and I will love them and do for them answerably Thus you may see there are a great many who think themselves sound hearted who are like to prove unsound at the last and so will be ashamed Now to the uses of the point First here we are informed that men of unsound hearts shall not alwayes lye hid They may cover up their unsoundness and keep it from the eyes of men a while but not alwayes They may do by their hearts as by their bodies many have unsound limbs they have untoward diseases and they cover them up and hide them from the world but at last they come to be known and to be discovered Job tells you what the Lord will do in his 12 Chapter Time discovers some see what the times have done in our dayes it hath discovered many the rottenness of their hearts and principles Afflictions are discovering things and discover some when afflictions come then unsound ones are discovered when persecution and temptation come then the stony ground was discovered Death discovers some then they see their hearts and hopes are rotten and that they have been deceived and God will discover all Job 12.21.22 he poureth Contempt upon Princes and weakneth the strength of the mighty he discovereth deep things out of darkness and bringeth forth to light the shaddow of death there 's deep rottenness lyes in darkness in mens hearts they have corrupt principles they have divided hearts they have base lusts they are Hypocrites they pretend one thing and intend another men have the world in their hearts hell in their hearts blood in their hearts revenge in their hearts and all baseness in their hearts and yet have a form of Religion God will discover them and they shall not alwayes lye hid 2. If unsound hearts shall at one time or other be made known then don't envy men of unsound hearts whatsoever their outward happiness be some are very envious when they see men to have great estates honours and great attendance upon them and that their paths are buttered and their feet dip'd in Oyl they are troubled at it but if they be men of unsound principles that have a divided heart men that have a form of Godliness and not the power men that are rotten and do not walk with God in the world do not envy them what if a man have rich cloaths upon his body when he hath a rotten body many have the Plague or the Pox and what if they go in Silks Sattins Velvets do not envy them what if a man have a bountiful body yet have ulcerated lungs what if a man have Dives fare Dives apparel and Dives heart within don 't envy him Their unsoundness will be discovered and then you will say you would not be in their condition for all the world 3. If unsound hearted men and women shall be discovered then let unsound hearted men expect their portion look for shame hast thou an unsound heart is thy heart divided between Heaven and Earth art thou a man that hast a sick soul through lust and sin hast thou seeming graces and not real graces art thou an Hypocrite dost thou profess and not practice look for thy portion shame will be thy portion time is coming thou wilt be found what thou art not thou appearest a Saint thou wilt be found an Hypocrite thou appearest a Christian thou wilt be found to be an Enemy to Christ and God thou wilt be found to be reprobate Silver in Jer. 6. Reprobate Silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them you Jews of all the Nations in the world you went for Silver you had the Oracles the Prophets the Services the Temple and the worship of God but saith the Lord I have found you reprobate Silver I have found you to be dross and I have reprobated you and you are reprobate Silver and so in Ezek. 22.18 Son of man the house of Israel is to me become dross all they are Brass and Tin and Iron and Lead in the middest of the Furnace they are even the dross of Silver the house of Israel is become dross unto me I look'd they should have been sound hearted but they are dross Iron Tin Lead and Brass O that the house of Israel should be dross is not the house of England so and the people of this place so if the Lord should search you what soundness what sincerity is in you what new creatures are you are you regenerate have you Christ in you as well as the name of Christ upon you I am afraid least you should prove Dross Tin Brass Lead and the dross of Silver even reprobate Silver let all them that are unsound hearted look for their portion even shame you will be disappointed of your expectations you will meet with that you did not look for see what the Lord saith of those are right in Luke 21. When these things begin to come to pass lift up your heads and rejoyce for your Redemption draweth nigh when terrors come and when the world shall be even in a confusion and in a flame then do you lift up your heads you shall not be ashamed but all that are unsound hearted will hang down their heads and cry to mountains O cover us and fall upon us because of the wrath of the Lamb O he is come and will discover us Christ knows the heart and the reins and searches them as in Rev. 3. and will render to every man according to what he finds are you rotten you shall be ashamed and I will render to you according to what you are but I will say to the sheep that are sound come ye blessed and I will say to others go ye cursed Math. 25. The wise Virgins they come and they are called to come to enter to take the Kingdom but the foolish Virgins are shut out go ye cursed into everlasting fire they met with that they look'd not for here 's the condition of
unsound hearted men and women oh how sad then is the condition of unsound hearted men 4. Look to your hearts look to your spirits that you be sound hearted and so may not be ashamed What shall we do I have told you before how to get soundness of heart and how to keep it and press'd it with arguments I shall add a little First if you would neither be unsound hearted nor ashamed at any time labour to get God to be your Father and to be in Gods house and in Gods way Isa 54. And all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children if God be your Father and you be his Children he will teach you and he will teach you that which shall make your hearts sound All thy Children whose Children the Children of Sion the Church is Gods house all that get into Sion are in Gods house are in Gods way they shall be taught of God and great shall be their peace such a Mother and such a Father will Instill good Doctrine into you make you sound hearted and train you up in the nurture of the Lord and in Isa 48.17 Thus saith the Lord the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit and leadeth thee in the way that thou shouldest go but now if it be not so you must wander you shall go in by wayes you will have an unsound heart and perish for ever Secondly if you would have hearts neither unsound nor such as shall make you ashamed at the last day keep your hearts humble and low in the sight of God be whose heart is lifted up in him is not right as Habbak 2.4 his soul is not sound keep your hearts humble and low through the sense of your own emptyness nothingness guilt wretched deserving the account you must give to God danger of miscarriage and in the 25 Psal saith David The meek will he guide in Judgment and the meek will he teach his way God loves humble and low and meek spirits and v. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose No man fears God that is proud and lifted up no man that is humble and meek but fears God and God will teach that man and keep him that he shall never be ashamed Thirdly If you would not have unsound hearts nor be ashamed then let me intreat you to receive the whole word of God into your hearts receive the whole truth and with love and as the truth of God First receive the whole truth for if you be partial and will receive some truth and not all you shew your hearts to be unsound and you will be ashamed Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandements what if David should have respect to all but one he would be ashamed and confounded if he should not have respect unto all he that breaks one Command saith James is guilty of all Secondly receive all with love and unless you do so all is nothing receive the truths of God because they are holy truths because they have the stamp of God upon them because they will bring you to God and Glory Thirdly receive them as the truths of God 1 Thess 2.13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of Men Mark many say the word of the Apostles and Ministers is the word of men and they will not receive it nor hear it but mark you received it as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh in you that believe The word is the word of God let them say what they will and it works and works effectually in them that receive it so Therefore receive the whole word receive it with love receive it as the word of God and not as the word of men Fourthly Lastly if you would be neither unsound hearted nor ashamed in time of affliction in an hour of Death in the day of Judgment make the Lord Jesus Christ your friend whosoever hath Christ for a friend shall never be ashamed but if Christ be not your friend let whose will plead for you you will be ashamed you must be confounded 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous it is as if the Apostle had said we do know Christ and we have union with Christ and interest in Christ and Christ is our Friend and our Advocate and he will plead our cause though Devils accuse and Conscience accuse yet Christ will keep us from shame see then that you get the Lord Christ to be your friend how is that how give up your selves wholly to him Let your understandings conceive of his worth and excellency that he hath all fullness in him that he is the Mediator that he is the Prince of life that he is the great reconciler of man to God the father and that Christ invites men to come to himself in Isa 55. Hoe every one that thirsteth it's Christs invitation Come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price put forth an act of Faith in me close with me choose me for your Husband for your Portion for your Righteousness for your satisfaction choose me for your Advocate and surety choose me to be your friend saith Christ and such a friend is worth the having Joh. 15.15 Henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends If you choose Christ to be your friend he will own you and call you friends therefore receive all that Christ hath given out I have told you all that I have heard of my Father Therefore whatsoever Christ hath made known from the father to you receive it embrace it obey it practice it testifie love and friendship to Christ and then he will testifie love and friendship to you but if you will not do this in Luk. 9.26 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my word of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own Glory and in his Fathers and of the holy Angels And then confusion shall be upon you to all Eternity The Lord teach you all to mind these things and to remember the Text and make use of that and pray it over once a day at least to the Lord Lord let my heart be found in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed If the heart be not sound you will be ashamed to all eternity Believing lyeth under Command 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ c. IN the Verse before the Apostle tells us the great
the Father had drawn it it sees that Christ hath done all for it taken away its sin and put upon it his righteousness so that the soul sees no cause to boast at all Fourthly Where there is true faith in the Son of God that soul sees a lustre in holiness in grace and glory in the person in the life in the sufferings in the doctrine in the ordinances of Jesus Christ others see no beauty nor worth in the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 1.14 The word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begtoten of the Father what a glory did we behold in the person of Christ though he was cloathed with flesh and had put on our Sack-cloth yet we beheld a glory in him even the glory of the Father full of grace and full of truth a believing soul sees a lustre in Jesus Christ more glorious than the Sun and so in his Life what a glorious sin-less life he liv'd and lead and so in his sufferings glorying in the Cross God forbid saith Paul that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ so in the Doctrine of Christ what a glorious Doctrine is it 2 Cor. 3. last but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord that 's in the Gospel are changed into tho same Image from glory to glory In the Doctrine of the Gospel there is a glory a marvellous glory 'T is called marvellous light in Peter so in all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ there is a lustre a glory in every thing of Jesus Christ he hath stamp'd something of his own Image and glory and excellency upon it In 5 Cant. say the daughters of Jerusalem What is thy beloved more than anothers beloved they saw no great matter in him O my beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand she saw a glory which they could not see Fifthly That faith which is right in the Son of God it interests the whole heart in Christ not a part but the whole heart Acts 8.37 Philip said if thou believest with all thine heart and he answered and said I believe that Jesus is the Son of God my whole heart runs out to this so that where faith in Christ is true there the whole heart is interested in Christ the understanding the will the affections they are taken up with Christ he is highly esteemed in the understanding he is fully closed with by the will he is greatly loved and delighted in by the affections the soul doth now love him and joy in him he is the exceeding joy of his heart When a woman is married to a rich man that is loving and suitable every way her whole heart is carried out to him so when the soul is married to Christ the whole heart is taken up with him and runs out strongly unto him Sixthly The soul that doth believe in Christ sets up Christ and all of Christ and nothing but Christ No King said the Jews but Caesar so saith the soul no King but Jesus Christ we have no King but Christ saith the believing soul it sets up the person of Christ it sets up the Laws of Christ it sets up the Ordinances of Christ no Prophet but Christ no High-Priest but Christ so saith the soul that is rightly united to Christ by faith believes aright in him yea it sets up the worst of Christ above the best of the world whatever place or profit or honour the world affords the soul that is rightly believing in Christ sets up the worst of Christ above it all Heb. 11.24 c By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharoah's Danghten What Moses will you refuse to be Son to Pharoah's Daughter to be Heir to the Crown will you refuse that I he refuses to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season what will you refuse the pleasures of the Court the choicest pleasures that can be invented I let them go for the afflictions of Gods people and mark in the 26. v. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt The reproach of Christ or reproach for Christ to be called a Phanatick a Seditious fellow a Schismatick and the like he did esteem that more than all the treasures in Egypt So that the worst of Christ which is reproaching and Persecution and Affliction and Imprisonment and Banishment it esteems all for Christ and therefore saith Paul Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Alas what 's in these sufferings to the glory that is to be had by Jesus Christ Seventhly The soul that doth rightly believe in Christ doth bring its heart and will to be one with the will of Christ As Christ who had faith in God and said My God my God he said Not my will but thy will be done So the Soul that believes in Christ rightly saith not my will but thy will be done It 's brought over to the will of Christ I live not saith Paul but Christ lives in me Christ hath his will altogether in me I have no will but Christs will What do you weeping and breaking my heart I am ready not to be bound onely but to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ he dyed for him and laid down his life to fulfill the will of God and Paul had the same will that he had and we have the mind of Christ saith he Eighthly Lastly You have here one note in the Text and that is Love faith in the Son of God doth work love in the Soul and therefore mind the connexion of these Commands this is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ And Love one another as he gave us Commandment The more saith you have in Christ the more love you will have to others for we do see in Christ so much love to us that were so unworthy so sinful in so damnable an estate and condition that we will have love and pity towards the worst and those are Godly we shall have love to them because they are in the same condition with our selves we see that they are Brethren they are Members of Christ and they have the same precious faith with our selves that they are glorious through the Robe of Christs Righteousness put upon them I we see that they are Heirs together with our selves of the same grace and in time shall be of the same Glory that they are Heirs with Christ and Co-heirs with him and so upon this account they come to love them and faith works by love O the love that is in the Soul that hath a right saith in Jesus Christ it 's full of
to believe And that should be one great request of our soules dayly that God would enable us to believe and that he would work Faith in us why it's the gift of God and he is a giving God he gives liberally and upbraids not he will not upbraid you with your unbelief but if you will come and beg Faith in God and power to work that grace in you he is ready to do it in the 17. of Luke say the Disciples Lord we believe encrease our faith so say you Lord work faith in my soul I can never please thee nor get any good unless thou work faith in me and that in Joh. 6.45 Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me O hearken to the Fathers teaching in the Gospel the fathers revealing of Christ and discoveries he hath made and receive every truth he hath given out concerning Jesus Christ and then he that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto the Son O pray unto the Father to speak to your hearts and to teach your souls that so you may come to Jesus Christ and believe in the Son and have all those great things that are to be had by him Christians ought to be of Christs mind Phil. 2.5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus THe Apostle Paul writes to the Church of Philippie and notwithstanding they were precious Christians and a choice Church yet they had need of exhortation and quickning up to their duty and by strong arguments he presses them here to many duties If therefore there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind And so in the third and fourth verses he exhorts them to duties and in this verse Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus here 's nothing difficult in the words We read in Scripture of the mind of God Jer. 19.5 neither came it into my mind saith God we read of the mind of the spirit Rom. 8.27 he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit and here we read of the mind of Christ let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Now the word mind in Holy writ doth signifie sometimes the heart Acts 20.19 serving the Lord with all humility of mind that is with all humility of heart and Deut. 18.6 If a Levite come c. with all the desire of his mind Desire is in the heart and so mind here notes the heart Sometimes it signifies the understanding as in 2 Cor. 3.14 Their mind was blinded speaking of the Jews that is their understandings were blinded Sometimes it signifies the thoughts of the heart Prov. 29.11 A fool uttereth all his mind that is all he thinks all the thoughts of his heart Sometimes it signifies the will 1 Pet. 5.2 feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind that is with your wills willingly and cheerfully Sometimes it s put for the affections and the affecting of those affections 2 Cor. 7.7 he was comforted in you when he told us your earnest desire your mourning your fervent mind towards me that is your fervent affection towards me Mind signifies the affections And the affecting of a thing Rom. 8.5 Those that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh that is their affections do affect the things of the flesh Lastly Mind in Scripture doth signifie the aims and intentions of a man Pro. 21.27 The Sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind that is with a wicked intention When the intentions and aims of a man are wicked then his Sacrifice is much more abomination So that in all the senses the word mind is used in Scripture and all these may be taken in here for the heart and the understanding and the thoughts and the will and affections and the intentions now the point that I will commend unto you is onely this Doct. That Churches and Christians should be of the same mind that the Lord Jesus Christ is of 1 Cor. 2.16 saith the Apostle there speaking of himself and the Church of Corinth We have the mind of Christ We have Christs understanding Christs heart and the like so in 1 Pet. 4.1 arm your selves likewise with the same mind let the same mind be in you Now it may be said is it possible for any Church or any person to have the mind of Christ First I answer we must aim at it to have the mind of Christ Christ is the Copy written for us to aim at The Scripture doth hold out perfect rules and perfect patterns unto us which dont note our perfection but helps our imperfection that we which are imperfect should reach to perfection aim at the mind of Jesus Christ Secondly I answer we are to have the same mind in kind though not in degree a new born Babe is of the same kind that a man is though he be not come to that degree and state of a man Q. Well now what is the mind of Christ A. In general I say the whole Gospel is the mind of Christ the whole word of God there you have Christs mind and Gods mind But that 's large we will therefore come a little more close and what I find by searching the Gospel I shall give you in particulars First Christ's mind was a Publick mind not a private Domestick selfish mind he did not seek nimself but he sought the good of others saith the Apostle in the verse before my Text Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others Christ had a publick mind and would have a publick mind in us Christ neglected himself to do good to others he sought not his own cred it nor his own pleasure or preserment and advantage when they would have made him a King he denyed himself Joh. 6.14 The Lord Christ did nothing for himself but all for us he came from heaven for us he took our nature upon him for us he Preach'd for us I and he suffered for us Dan. 9.26 Messiah shall be cut off but not for himself He was cut off by death but not for himself but for us So that the Lord Jesus Christ he had a publick mind a publick spirit a publick heart he became poor for us 2 Cor. 8. He pleaved not himself Rom. 15.3 So then let this mind of Christ be in you to have a publick mind for the publick good to act for others and not a selfish mind altogether for self Secondly The Lord Christ had a pure mind the Scripture speaks of a defiled mind Tit. 1.15 Those that believe not
hope for a blessing upon the action but the ground of his hope is from the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Cant. 1.3 because of the savour of thy good Oyntments Thy name is as an Oyntment poured forth That perfumes all the actions done in Christs name and so they are acceptable unto God and this name is the ground of my hope for a blessing from God and from Christ because I look at the name of Christ which is the sweet Oyntment that doth perfume all Therefore ask your hearts what 's the ground and the Pillar of your hopes for a blessing upon your actions 't is not the goodness of your actions but the name of Christ that gives the hope Fifthly Lastly he that doth all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ ascribes the blessing and success of all unto the name of Christ he will attribute nothing to his own thoughts words or actions he will attribute nothing to any intervening cause but attribute all unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us away with all that should rise from us but unto thy name give glory yea all the glory 1 Tim. 1.12 I thank Jesus Christ our Lord saith Paul that inabled me and put me into the Ministry He gives the glory to Christ I thank the Lord I had no power to Preach but thou hast enabled me to Preach and I give thee the glory so did Pet. 2 E. 3.18 To him be glory both now and for ever Amen To him be the glory that makes known himself unto us that gives grace unto us that inables us to Preach and Pray and do good in our places and generations and callings to him be glory both now and for ever So John in 1. Rev. to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever The soul that doth all in the name of Christ will see infinite reason why Christ should have all the glory and all the honour do you so give him all and challenge nothing to your selves attribute nothing to your own dregs to your own endeavours to your own actings it 's a sign you do all in the name of Christ then Eighthly Lastly must Christians do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ then it serves to be an exhortation unto us that we should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ let all your thoughts be in his name all your words be in his name all your actions be in his name see you have warrant from his word for them do all in his strength and power and lay by your own do all as in his stead think such thoughts as Christ would think if he were present speak such words as Christ would speak do all according to his will do all for Christs sake do all for his honour and glory do all invocating his name for advice in your actions Q. But you will say is it possible to do all in his name can we alwayes have Christ in our thoughts mouths and actions A. To this I answer that immediately we should have a disposition a frame of spirit an inclination of heart unto it the very bent and tendency of our hearts should be that way the desire of our souls is unto thee and to thy name So the desire of our souls should be unto Christ and to his name the bent and tendency of it should be that way And not only so but Secondly I answer 't is well to have this but 't is not enough we should every morning at least actually mind and intend the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and so go on all the day in that intention as a bowl when it is thrown it runs by virtue of the strength that is put into it from the arm that threw it at first and runs till the strength be spent so we should by virtue of a morning intention and in a morning consideration of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ go on all the day long and if we find it to flag as it will quickly do we should renew our intentions and thoughts in the name of Christ send up secret Ejaculations to Heaven O Lord I desire to think in thy name and to speak in thy name and to act in thy name this we may and ought to do and not to rest altogether in an habitual inclination and disposition and they that do it oftest they will order things best best for themselves and best for Christs glory and advantage but to press the exhortation Christians should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I will give you three or four Motives First We should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this consideration it will assure us that the Lord Christ doth approve of us and will be with us and will make our actions successful and bless them unto us Mat. 28.19 20. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Go and Baptize them all in my name and in their names and what follows teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the world Do it in my name I will be with you then and I will bless you and prosper you and I will make your Preaching successful and useful David went in the name of the Lord against Goliah that grand enemy of the Israelites and did not the Lord bless him and prosper him did not he slay Goliah and free the Israelites from their fears and dangers the Lord was with him David went out in the name of the Lord in the strength of the Lord will I go and the Lord was with him wheresoever he went and prosper'd him in all he went about he did all things wisely would you therefore in spirituals or in your ordinary callings and places be approved of by Christ have Christ with you and bless you do all in his name not in your own names or in the name of others but in his name and in his name alone Secondly it is great wisdom to do so for what we do in Christs name out of respect to him carries much sweetness in it It is an impulse of of love to such a friend we love Christ when we do it out of respect to his name and 't is our wisdome so to do and the work of love is very sweet A wise man will do things so as they may be most sweet and pleasing to himself and acceptable to him he doth them now when we do it upon this account I say it is the impulse of love and there 's a great deal of sweetness in acting from love there is as true sweetness in acting for Christ as when we receive from Christ when you receive some influences of his spirit when you have an answer of your Prayers when you have your fears
we need not trouble our selves about them and spend our strength and desires after them but after these and then they will be cast in Fifthly Gold is of an earthly nature and of an earthy abstract but the Word is from Heaven heavenly 't is a spiritual thing There is nothing comparable unto the Word of God all things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her to the wisdom of the Word Now the Word being heavenly it is more to be desired than Gold which is but out of the bowels of the earth The Word is spiritual and comes from Heaven and heavenly and therefore more desirable So that you see upon what account it is that the Word is more to be desired than Gold and Silver Qu. Now a question may be moved with what desires are we to desire the Word of God Ans First We must desire the Word of God with strong and ardent desires with strength of heart and soul this should be in our desires Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God He was banished from the house of God and from the Ordinances of God and from the Word of God now saith he when shall I come and appear before God I have ardent desires strong desires to be where God is and his Word and Ordinances are and in Psal 119.20 a remarkable place My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all times My soul breaketh what ardent what strong desires were in the heart of David now after the Word of God So then they must be strong and ardent desires in our Souls after the Word of God which is better than Gold or Silver Secondly These desires must be sincere desires It may be men have desires to the Word but they are not sincere they should desire the Word for it self because it is the Word of God because it is pure Psal 119.440 Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it It is a good argument of Truth of Grace and of a servant of God to love the Word for the purity of it Many cannot endure it because it is pure but if we love it and desire it for its purity it 's an argument we are right Such should our desires be sincere desires to love the Word for it self It is sincere milk and it calls for sincere desires sincere affections there should be no Bias in our affections no crookedness no selfishness but sincere desires unto the Word of God 3. Our desires must be permanent and abiding not fleeting and flashy desires but permanent abiding desires our desires should be alwayes to the Word of God our hearts should stand bent to the Word of God continually Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all times Mark at all times my soul is carried out with venement desires unto thy Judgments at all times I do continue and maintain my desires towards thy Word Psal 1.2 In his Law doth he meditate day and night when a mans desires are to the Word of God night and day here 's permanent constant and abiding desires But you will say that 's impossible for a man to hold up his desires at such a height and to continue them True to flesh and blood it is but we must renew our desires when they begin to flag and fall 4. Lastly our desires they must be opperative and working desires many have lazy and sluggish desires they have velleities wishes O that I did understand such and such things O that I were acquainted with the Word of God and the like they have velleities and wishes but they must be real desires which will put men upon searching the Scriptures comparing place with place reading and meditating and improving of truths Mens desires after Gold are such 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich how they will work and labour rise early and lye down late and study and cast this way and that way to get the world to get Gold and Silver such should be our desires Joh. 6. Labour not for the meat that perishes but for the meat that endures to everlasting life So you see what kind of desires the desires of our souls should be after the Word of God I shall now come to some Inferences from the point Are Divine truths more to be desired than Silver and Gold Then First I infer many are very faulty and worthy of blame yea of great blame First Those that have no desires to the Word of God There are some people in the world that have no desire to the Word of God Job 21.14 We desire not the knowledg of thy wayes we have better wayes than thine our own wayes and as for thy wayes we dont desire the knowledge of them do these men look at the Word of God to be better than Gold or Silver No we dont desire the knowledge of thy wayes it blames and condemns them Secondly It blames those who have most desire after Gold and Riches and after the things and pleasures of the world They have little desire after Gods Testimonies Statutes Laws and Judgments little desire after these they cannot say the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up but the zeal of the world hath eaten me up These are blameable that have so little desires after the things of God and such ardent desires after the world and the things of the world Thirdly It blames those that have fleeting transient desires now and then they have a fit they have some desires after the Word of God but their desires are fleeting and transient they dont keep up and maintain their desires Every morning noon and night we should have desires after the Word of God and the wayes of God David would prevent the morning watches and seven times a day be would have his heart in a frame for God and the things of God I at midnight would he rise to praise God for his Righteous Judgments but we have a fit now and then and away and this is blameable Fourthly It condemns those that have not sincere and pure desires They have desires after the Word of God for some base ends they make a profession that they may cover their wickedness with a pretence of Zeal and Profession and Religion and Godliness As the Scribes and Pharisees they made a shew O they minded the Word and every Letter and Syllable of the Word and yet within as Christ saith they were full of Excess Hypocrisie and Uncleanness Lastly It reproves those that rest in their desires and labour not to accomplish their desires they dont put forth their desires into endevours and those desires are foolish and hurtful desires that dont carry out the soul to endeavours All these come under censure and are blameable Secondly If the truths of God
are more desirable then Gold and Silver Then here we may see who are the richest men in the world and have the best treasure even those that have gotten most of the Word into their hearts not most of the world into their houses and into their possessions the Word is better than thousands of Gold and Silver They are the richest that have most of this heavenly riches let the word of Christ dwell richly in you Col. 3. To be rich in promises there 's the true riches and great riches Here we say he is a rich man that hath many Bonds or Ships or Houses or Lands that hath many Hundreds or Thousands lay'd up or abroad but he is the richest man in the Scripture account and in Gods account that hath most of the Word of God lay'd up in his heart that hath most light in his understanding most promises in his Soul that hath a good stock that hath a treasure within I have hid thy Law in my heart saith David So when Gods Law is hid in your hearts then you are the richest men the wealthiest men and men of substance indeed Thirdly Then I infer from hence that you may see a great difference between men and men between Saints and the men of the world The men of the world they prize Gold and Silver the Saints prize the Word of God Psal 119.72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver David prized the Law of God more than his Kingdom or the Crown of Gold that was upon his head more than the Gold of Vphaz of Havilah and the Gold of Ophyr the finest Godl that might be had Fourthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and Silver then certainly their loss is great that have the Word taken from them I mean the Word outwardly and the Ordinances and enjoyments when our Silver and Gold is taken away we cry out we are undone we are undone No no you are not undone if you have God and his Word but if Gods Word be taken away from men and women they are more undone than others It 's a great loss to lose that that is better than Gold Silver better than all the world There are many in the world at this day that are depriv'd of their Teachers of Sabbaths and of the Word of God They cannot read themselves and they have none to read unto them it 's a sad condition and a great loss unto them and those that rob them of these they must answer for it one day and they are very guilty that have done it Fifthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and Silver then let us esteem if according to the value and worth of it above outward treasure above all Gold and Silver Joâ— esteemed the Word of God more than his necessary food people cannot eat Gold and Silver and House and Land but their necessary food maintains their lives and 't is more valuable than Gold and Silver If you could not have meat and drink what would your Gold and Silver do you good you would part with it all for a little bread for a little drink now Job did value the Word of God more than his necessary food O that we would set such a price upon the Word of God I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold Let us all set such a price upon the truths of God there 's more worth in them than you can find out you have riches unsearchable in the promises and in the truths of God Phil. 3.8 Paul accounts all but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus And where will you have that but in the Word of God prize it therefore at a high rate Psal 84.10 A dayâ—n thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere A thousand dayes are almost three years and one would think they might meet with brave things in such a time but one day in the Courts of God is better than a thousand elsewhere The Word of God is little esteemed in these dayes and every thing preferred before it but let it not be so with you Sixthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and fine Gold then let us keep the Word of God as men keep their Gold and lay it up as men lay up their Gold and know the Word of God if you will lay it up it will be a defence unto you and a Buckler unto you Psal 91.4 his truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler Solomon tells you money is a defence and Gold is a defence it will defend you from the injuries of the world and wrongs of men so is the Word of God it is a defence it is a Shield a Buckler therefore lay it up safely as you would your Gold and Silver Job 22. The Almighty shall be thy defence so you read it but the Margent is the Almighty shall be thy Gold God would be your Gold if you would lay up Gods truth in your hearts God will be your defence he will be your Gold your treasure Seventhly Lastly if the Word and Testimonies of God be more desirable than Gold yea than fine Gold then let us desire it more than outward treasure let us desire it with ardent and strong desires with sincere desires with abiding constant desires with acting and endeavouring desires let us use our utmost endeavour to be enriched with these riches Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Soul longs saith David and my soul faints for the Courts of the Lord why what was there There was the Word of the Lord there were the Ordinances of the King in his own Courts and he long'd to be there where he might hear the word of God and have the benefit of the Word of God And in Psal 119.131 I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments Let us wait daily at the Courts of the Lord lot us long and take any pains we can for them Joh. 6. Labour not for the meat that perisheth all your Gold and Silver and these things are all of a perishing nature and will not continue long but let us labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life part with your Silver and Gold which is from the earth to get Scripture Gold which is from Heaven To get Divine truths into your heads and hearts One question more Qu. You will say how shall we get our hearts and the desires of them more inflamed after the Word of God Ans First Consider your own poverty and what riches there are to be had in the Word when men consider they are poor men I am a poor man I have neither house nor Land I have neither Gold nor Silver and in such a place is a Mine and I may go thither and have riches enough this will inflame his desires Now consider your spiritual poverty consider then I have
counsel thee saith Christ unto the Church of Laodicea To buy of me tryed Gold that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thy nakedness may be covered and the shame thereof may not be seen was not this good and sweet counsel that the Lord Christ did give to the Church that was poor and naked and shameful and destitute of all good So that the counsels of God are sweet counsels Secondly Are not the invitations that we find in the word very sweet sweet invitations are there made unto poor sinners Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye unto the waters and he that hath no money come buy and eat come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Here is a Hive of Honey and Honey-combs in these words come come come here 's water to quench your thirst here 's wine to comfort your hearts here 's milk to nourish you and cause you to thrive and grow in the wayes of God here 's bread to strengthen you and here 's all free without money How sweet are these invitations come come come and for such things as are so excellent and so precious so that of the Lord Christ in Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and all of you come unto me and I will give you rest how sweet is this now to a burthened soul to a burthened conscience for a man or woman that is in straights and knows not what to do to come to the Lord Christ and they shall have rest in the 14. Hos 1. saith the Lord there O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity one would have conceived that Israel should have first sought to God who had offended God but God comes to delinquent Israel and saith O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquities Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our lips he puts words into their mouths how sweet are these invitations of the Lord to poor sinners So in Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world There 's sweetness in the invitations that the word holds out unto us Thirdly Are not the promises in the word of God very sweet sweet yea sweet as the Honey-comb There are many great and gracious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 they are exceeding great precious promises to have a promise from a great man that is able to perform his promise and faithful is sweet unto a poor man but to have exceeding great and precious promises from the great God who is able and willing to perform and faithful and will not fail how sweet are these promises to the Sons of men Ezek. 36.25 26. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Are not here sweet promises very sweet promises promise upon promise And all the promises of God they are very sweet Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me what a sweet promise is this to poor souls that fear they shall fall away and shall not hold out to the end God will put his fear into them and they shall not depart from him I will heal their backslidings and love them freely Hos 14. full of sweet and precious promises is the word of God Fourthly Is not the Gospel and the Doctrines of it very sweet Is not the Gospel glad tidings Luke 2.10 11. Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy to you this day is born a Saviour 'T is a Gospel of reconciliation that declares the reconciliation of poor sinners unto the great and holy God 2 Cor. 5.19 it is the Ministration of life and of Righteousness 2 Cor. 3.8.9 it is the Doctrine of Christ 2 Joh. 9. what gracious words came out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus never man said his enemies spake like this man but there 's sweetness in this Doctrine is it not sweet that rich mercy is held out unto the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief what a sweet saying is this here is mercy held out to the chief of sinners so that all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven how sweet is this Matth. 12.31 So that God hath freely given his Son Joh. 3.16 God hath so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Here is a sweet truth unto those that will understand truth there is more sweetness in it than they can taste or find out he is a propitiation in this is manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live through him and to be the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.9 10 14 15. By him we shall live he is the Saviour of his body the Saviour of sinners So how sweet is that 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Here 's sweetness in these things that we are freely justified by him Rom. 3.24 Acts 13.38 39. How sweet is that saying of the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 6.37 if there were no more in all the Gospel but that all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Let any poor creatures come unto me in their rags in their filth in their guilt in their sores I will not cast them out I will not send them away discouraged but they shall find favour in mine eyes So the Doctrine of Christs intercession with the Father 1 Joh. 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous He is an Advocate to intercede for us and to order all things for our good so that there 's a great deal of sweetness in the word of God Fifthly There is sweetness in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ Christ washed his Disciples feet what sweetness is there in it to think that the Lord of glory and the Prince of life and the Heir of the world should humble himself so as to
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
worthy to live else but if we love the world we dont serve God and love God we cannot serve God and Mamon Mamon is Riches 't is an impossible thing and therefore the Lord Christ when he was tempted by the Devil Matth. 4.10 saith he Get thee hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve I cannot hearken to thy Temptations to imbrace the world no 't is impossible him Onely shalt thou serve God Onely is to be served and we cannot serve two Masters whosoever loves the world hath two Masters to serve God and the world and 't is impossible to serve them both Seventhly We should not love the world because hereby we make God our enemy 'T was a sad thing when God said to Jer. Behold I am against thee I am thy enemy to have the great God the Lord of Hosts the Lord of Sabbaths the Lord of Heaven and Earth to be our Enemy O dreadful whosoever loves the world is the enemy of God in 4. James 4. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enemity with God That 's more than an Enemy Enmity to God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the Enemy of God Would you be enemies to God Love the World If you would not be enemies to God dont love the world Better have all the world our enemy than God our enemy all the world to be against us than God to be against us And in Psal 10. It 's said The covetous whom God abhors A man of a covetous heart and covetous affections is greedy of the world and loves the world God abhors him To have God our enemy is sad what will become of that man or woman that hath God for their enemy The love of the world doth make God our enemy Eighthly We should not love the world because it makes us expensive of time which is better than the world Would any man lay out Gold and Silver for Straws and Stubble and Chips and Butterflyes and such things as these Those that love the world are at greater expences than the world is worth and they give that for the world which is better than the world The best things of the world are the riches and honours and pleasures and preferments and learning and gifts but now our souls are better than all these better than the whole world What shall a man give in exchange for his soul all the world is not worth one soul one soul is worth a Million of worlds Now to lay out our time strength understandings and souls about the world and the things of the world what expences are we at we give too much for the world the world is not worthy of our affections understandings strengths hearts therefore see what the Prophet saith in Isa 55.2 he comes there with a vehement expostulation wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread 'T is not bread when you get it It 's not any thing will satisfie or advantage your souls And you labour for that which satisfieth not So that we are at too great cost and too great expences when we love the world and labour to get the world and buy it at so dear a rate Ninthly We should not love the world because it imbaseth the understanding that most noble faculty of the soul The world doth imbase our understandings and imbase our spirits our understanding was made and given us for God and for heavenly things that we might have Communion with God by virtue of our understanding and reason and apprehension and fall in with God Now if the Body be for God as in 1 Cor. 6.13 much more the soul and the understanding is for God and for heavenly things and not for the Earth and earthly things Now the world doth imbase our understandings for what is the world it's a meer dirty thing Rom. 8.20.22 You shall see that the world is subject to corruption subject to vanity the world is in bondage to corruption and the world lyes in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 It lyes like a piece of Carrion in a Ditch it lyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the wicked one in the Devil And what can the world contribute to your understanding now to do you good No it imbases the understanding and makes the soul earthly drossy muddy and miery Now will you imbase a noble Soul to a dirty World in Dan. 2. There is mention made of a great Image and what was the best of that Image the Feet are Clay and the Legs are Iron and the Thighs are Brass and the Belly is Silver and the Head is Gold the best is but Gold and Silver and they are rusty things perishing things and these do imbase a noble Heroical Soul to be bowed down to these things for the Soul becomes that which it loves if it loves the earth it is an earthly soul Tenthly The world it is of a damning nature and therefore we should not love it The world doth not onely indanger us but it drowns the soul in perdition 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 The soul is drown'd in perdition whosoever is a lover of the world is a child of the world and so is a Son of perdition It 's said of the man of sin he is a Son of perdition the world doth make men leave Christ in the 19. Matth. 22. There 's a young man comes to Christ Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life keep the Commandments saith Christ He saith unto him which Jesus said Thou shalt do no Murther Thou shalt not commit Adultery c. The young man saith unto him all these things have I kept from my youth up what lack I yet Jesus saith unto him if thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come and follow me but he leaves Christ he went away sorrowful saith the Text why he had great Possessions So the Scribes and Pharises they leave Christ for their Credit Joh. 12.42 43. So in the 8. Matth. 34. The Gadarens desire Christ to be gone out of their Countrey they would have none of Christ but they loved their Swine which were drown'd in the Sea and the world drown'd them in perdition Eleventhly The world is a great enemy to growth in grace and Communion with God for the world and the things of it divert the heart from spiritual things Martha is cumbred about many things and diverted from Christ and hearing of him So in Matth. 13.22 He also saith Christ that received seed among the Thornes is he that heareth the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful So that the love of the world
not what We brought nothing into the world and 't is certain men dont think it certain that they shall carry nothing out of the world but 't is certain you may build upon it that you shall carry nothing out of the world Well let us be content then with a little of the world Fourthly This serves for reproof to reprove most men and women Professors Christians those that are look'd upon as Godly and in the state of grace 't is a reproof unto them that they love the world and the things of the world I might bitterly and sharply reprove men and women and professors upon this account But I know what will be said presently we dont love the world we do but use the world I should be glad it would prove so let us come to the test then and try it out whether we do love the world yea or no and I shall desire you to put some questions to your own hearts to deal impartially with them for you see what is said Love not the world not the things of it Qu. First put this question unto your souls am I not more careful and take greater pains and am at greater costs for the things of the world then I am for my soul and the things of my soul then I am for heaven and the things of heaven spiritual things how careful are men and women and what costs and pains will they be at for houses Land Purchases good Bargains what a deal of pains do men take about these things if there be a crack in a title of Land or of a House what pains will they take to cleer up things to get things made sure If there be a storm at Sea that Ships be in danger what insuring is there Men will take pains and be at cost to insure the same but now as for their souls and eternal conditions what little pains do men take and what little cost will they be at that way whereas the Scripture saith Phil. 2.12 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling you are in a storm and your salvations are in danger you may lose your souls work out your salvations with fear and trembling Work them out of the dark work them out of the doubts and fears and all disputes work them out against all objections and get things cleer'd up work out your salvations with fear and trembling 't is a hard work a difficult work to accomplish and bring about and there need be great pains taken about it 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your calling and election sure there must be diligence give diligence to it saith he it calls for it it is not easily done 't is not saying A Lord have mercy upon me will save a man or assure a man No there must be praying and strugling and crying and wrestling with God searching of Scriptures and applying of truths home to a mans own heart and v. 5. Giving all diligence add to your faith virtue c. men and women should be diligent and very diligent and all their diligence should run out that way to get grace and to make their callings and elections sure Now we give all diligence in other things and little pains is taken about the soul what doth this argue then but that I love thy world and the things of the world my love 〈◊〉 greatest that way Qu. Secondly Put this question to your own hearts doth not the world and the things of it jossel aside and out of place the things 〈…〉 of God Do not the things of the world 〈◊〉 the wall of the things of God and jossel tha◠aside In the 14. Luke when they were called to the great feast they all made their excuses saith one I have bought a yoke of Oxen and I must go try them I have bought a Farm and I must go see that I have married a Wife and I cannot come they could not come to hear Christ nor partake of the great things that Christ tendred unto them in the Gospel they jossel'd out these things So the things of the world do jossel our prayer the reading of the world instructing of their family meditating and the examining of their hearts c. and if they do not jossel them out yet they do curtail them and they are shortened and lessened do you in the first place seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof No the things of the world it 's to be fear'd do jossel out the things of the Kingdom of heaven the things of God and of the Soul and this is an argument that we love the world when better things and things of greater weight and concernment are set aside for petty and mean things in comparison some flight business do make a man neglect holy duties or post them over in a formal way whereas David who was a man after Gods own heart a gracious man in the 119. Psal saith I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies I considered my wayes the world was drawing me another way but I considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies I made hast and delayed not to keep thy Commandments and v. 62. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous Judgments I will rise at mid-night I will break my sleep I will do it in secret when no eye sees me none privy to it but God We hardly will awake to give thanks to God for choice mercies much less for righteous Judgments it 's one argument we love the world when spiritual things and duties are thrust aside upon the account of the things of the world Qu. Thirdly Put this question to your souls soul art thou content with a little art thou content with a little grace with a little knowledge of God with a little communion with God with a little heavenly-mindedness but art thou not eager upon the things of the world and never content and satisfied with the world and the things thereof Soul wouldst thou not have more and more and more and more still of the things of the world more this week and more next year and daily more and more of the world Is it not with your souls as with the Horse-leech in the Prov. that cryes give give Soul if it be so thou dost love the world men and women deceive themselves and think they dont love the world when as still they are greedy of the world and covetous after the things of the world In the 8. Amos 5. When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat When will these spiritual duties be over that we may mind the world and follow the world and get the world In the 1. Prov. 19. So is every one that is greedy of gain Men are greedy of gain men look upon those that are rich in the world and they labour to be like them
and to overtake them to be as great and high and honourable as they to have as great Purchases as they have to have as great Revennues and In-comes as they have but they look not at those that are rich in grace those that are very spiritual and heavenly and Godly and walk close with God and say I would I were like to them and so labour to get more grace and to walk with God as Enoch did for three hundred years together now when it is thus it 's an argument men love the world Ask your own hearts therefore whether it be so or no with you that you are desirous of more and more of the world but are not desirous after more and more of heaven and of God and covetous after the best things Fourthly Ask your hearts what they do find most sweet and content in is it not in the world and the things of the world how sweet and pleasing are they unto our natures but for the things of heaven what are they what are the things of heaven unto you they are like the white of an Egg they are unsavory things to men and women or very little savour in them There be many that say who will shew us any good who will shew us a good bargain who will shew us a good purchase who will shew us any good But Lord saith David do thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon me There was good in that that was sweet unto him the light of Gods countenance Psal 34.8 Taste and see that the Lord is good the Lord is good and the Lord is sweet to my soul and he would have others taste how good the Lord is to have the favour of God communion with God peace with God joy in the Holy Ghost oh these have a sweet taste and relish to a gracious heart and soul Others say who will shew us any good Corn and Wine and Oyl Pleasures and Profits and the like these are pleasing to them and as for spiritual and heavenly things they are notions and shaddows and they make small account of them but a gracious soul he finds it as in the 19. Psal The Statutes of the Lord are right saith David Rejoycing the heart his Crown and Kingdom did not so rejoyce his heart as God's Statutes did and v. 10. More are they to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb Give me Gold say some Gold Gold but saith David the Statutes of God they are more desirable than fine Gold the choicest Gold they are sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb Honey is sweet but the Honey-comb the Honey that runs out of it self out of the Honey-comb that 's sweetest of all now saith he they are sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb Now what sweetness do your souls find in these things In the 3. Mal. 14. What profit is it say they that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts we find no profit in this serving of God and in being much in prayer and reading and meditation and holy conference in hearing and worshipping of God We find no profit in it what profit is it To such men Gain is Godliness but to a gracious heart any thing of God is sweet and great gain Qu. Fifthly put this question to your hearts heart dost thou not use questionable and unlawful means to get the world and neglect lawful means and unquestionable means that would get heaven and get spiritual things Many do use things questionable and means questionable and unlawful too to get the world you have it in the 1 Thess 4.6 That no man go beyond anâ— defraud his Brother in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such dont men go beyond others and defraud others to get the world oppress or over-reach them as the word signifies they have a deep insight into things and they will over-reach a man that 's simple and labour to wring from them and draw from them that so they may encrease their estates these love the world so in the 8. Amos 5. saith he They do falsifie the ballances by deceit when men do falsifie the haslances have false weights false wayes false lights it 's an argument they love the world and the things of the world that will hazzard their souls to get the world and grate upon their own Consciences for if ever their Consciences be awakened they will speak and accuse and condemn for such practices This is a manifest argument of loving the world if we can use questionable means and unlawful means and then neglect the means that are unquestionable and very lawful God hath appointed means to get Grace Prayer Meditating hearing the Word searching the Scriptures these are means that are unquestionable and will bring in gain whereas the other are questionable and unlawful means Qu. Sixthly put this question to your souls Soul dost thou not affect notions and learning and wisdom of words and parts and gifts and things of this nature All these things are of the world and how are mens fancies tickled with these and affected and taken with these Humane Learning Fathers and Latine Greek Hebrew and Authors how it pleases some men which shews they are but carnal natural and worldly as Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.4 My Speech and my Preaching was not with the enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of Men but in the power of God The faith of such men stands in the wisdom of men he is a brave Orator he is a Learned man and he hath singular notions and expressions and these things please them and so they have a faith that stands in the wisdom of men but now as for the simplicity of the Gospel and plain wholsom truths these are hardly welcome to them Now that which is of God is plain and spiritual and the more spiritual any truth is the more welcome to a gracious heart but the more spiritual it is the less acceptable to that man whose heart loves the world because it strikes at his carnalness and his corruptions So that ask your hearts that question Qu. Seventhly Lastly put this question to your hearts whether thou art not more griev'd and troubled for the loss of outward things worldly things then thou art for the loss of spiritual things or the removal of spiritual things many mourn bitterly for Relations Husband taken away a Wife taken away Children taken away Estate taken away how they mourn and weep and hang down their heads and forsake their dyet and take to their Chambers and Beds and will not be comforted many times But if a Godly Minister be taken away Ordinances taken away Sabbath taken away Meetings taken away these things dont much trouble them Now it 's an argument that we love the world when we can be affected so with the loss of these
man love Sodom that lay in wickedness the world is a Sodom that lyes in wickedness Solomon tells you 'T is vanity and vexation of Spirit and will you love vanity and vexation of Spirit and in the next verse to the Text saith he All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and these are not of the Father but of the world All these strengthen our lusts and the more our lusts are strengthened the more grace is hindered and the worle we grow but let not the painted bravery of the world deceive and cheat you what is there in an estite in power c. men have strange apprehensions of these things but see what John saith The fashion of this world passeth away it 's all a shew a Scheme there 's no substance in it That men have low thoughts of that they never dote upon If a woman have low thoughts of a man she will never love him the lower thoughts you have the looser will your love be what 's this world e're long it will be turned to ashes and will you love ashes Ephraim feeds upon ashes and upon the wind vain things vain worship and traditions and inventions of men and things of this nature men and women feed upon ashes poor low things well judge lowly of the world and account not highly of the world nor any thing in the world for it 's a world that lyes in wickedness a world that is evil The more you do ponder upon these things the more will your hearts be taken off Secondly If you would not love the world take pains with your own hearts mortifie your lusts mortifie the lusts that are in your hearts 't is our lusts make us love the world 't is from the wisdom of the flesh that men do love the world and the things of the world in Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be Rich why cease from thine own wisdom saith he 't is thine own wisdom 't is but the wisdom of thy flesh and of thy corrupt nature that thou wouldest be rich Labour not to 〈◊〉 rich cease from thine own wisdom and the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now in the 13 v. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Mortifie these Iusts our lusts are deceitful things unruly things they are craving things and they have their pretences Do but hearken to me in this one thing and if you would but hearken to me now I will trouble you no more but if you do they will come again and again and never have done therefore the best way for us is to mortifie our lusts and if we would do so we should not love the world From whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members ye lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts Your lusts will set a praying to have the world to have honour and power and riches and you have them not but now if our lusts were mortified all these things would be at an end presently but we seek to gratifie our lasts and they undo us Thirdly If we would not love the world nor the things of the world then let us look much at the other world there is another world Heb. 2.5 For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come There is a world to come and that world 's a better world than this world for in the 11 ch 16 v. But now they desire a better countrey that is an heavenly Abraham and Isaac and the Prophets they look'd at a better countrey there 's a better world above better things above then are here in this world And if so be we would look at that world the glory of it the riches of it the pleasures of it the company of it the latitude of it we should soon bid farewel to this world and look upon it as a dream a shadow a picture as nothing 2 Cor. 4. last While we look not at things which are seen but at things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal There are things not seen eternal things eternal riches the eternal God the Lord Jesus glorious Angels the Saints at one Rivers of pleasure at the right hand of God look at these things and then your hearts will be taken off of this world Fourthly If we would get our hearts off from the world which is a thing very necessary then keep your hearts with all diligence look as narrowly to thy heart as to thy eyes to the meat thou eatest to thy life keep it with all diligence look to your affections and let them not rove and wander up and down in the world and range here and there look to your fear many are afraid of poverty and afraid they shall not have to live and pay every man his own and so are filled with fears that they shall want but Matth. 6.26 saith Christ Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body than rayment Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them are ye not much better than they poor creatures dont fear saith he dont fear want and poverty and that ye shall not have meat and drink and cloaths the fowls of the air are never afraid they have no body to look after them you feed your tame fowls indeed but who provides for the wild-fowls God provides for them look well to your fear now that makes men love the world and scrape and rave that they might have meat and drink and clothes So look well to your love that you take complacency in no creature whatsoever but love the Lord take complacency in God and Christ you know what Christ saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy strength c. Now if God have all what shall the creature have But the creatures have all and God hath little or nothing here 's a great failing yet here 's all put four times with all thy soul with all thy strength c. God should have all and the creatures have little or none So look well to your desires men are desiring O that I had this or that but thou shalt not covet saith God be content with what thou hast we should not covet any thing of the world but follow our