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
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
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
interest that the Saints have in God and the ground of it Their great interest in God is this that whatsoever they ask they receive of him they have such interest that God grants their Prayers whatever they ask And the ground of it is because they keep his Commandements and do those things that are pleasing in his fight Now least they might scruple what Commandements they were that he mean't he tells them in the Verse read of two especially and that is That they believe and that they love one another There be three great Commandements in the Gospel Believing Loving and Repenting Two you have here in the Verse the third in Acts 17.30 The Lord commands every man every where to repent and these two of Loving and Repenting cannot be rightly performed without the first Believing Believing in the Son of God for that love which is without faith is but natural love and that Repentance which is without faith in the Son of God is but legal repentance but that love and that repentance which springs from faith in the Son of God is spiritual love and spiritual repentance The Apostle tells you in 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandement is charity out of a Pure heart and of a good Conscience and of faith unfeigned If love dont come from faith unfeigned it is not spiritual love In the words read you have First the Commander in the word his Secondly The thing commanded Believing Thirdly The object or person in whom they are to believe or we are to believe set out First by his Relation the Son of God Secondly by his Titles Jesus and Christ The Commander here is God there is none greater than he and therefore his Commands are of greatest authority if in the word of a King there be power how much more in the word of the great and high God and 't is not a verbal Command onely but 't is a written Command that all may take notice of it and may yield obedience unto it The point that I shall commend unto you is this Doct. That believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is a duty under Command In Mark 1.15 saith he Repent ye and believe the Gospel Repentance is commanded and believing the Gospel is commanded and a man cannot believe the Gospel unless he believe in the Son of God I shall not multiply Scriptures to prove it the Text is enough This is his command that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ Now I shall in the prosecution of this point shew you what is imployed in Believing 2. What 's meant by the Name of the Son of God 3. What believing in the name of the Son of God doth also imply And then answer some questions and improve the point For the first what is implyed in believing First Knowledge is implyed in it 't is a blind faith where there is no knowledge the Papists believe as the Church believes and such a faith is a fancy rather than true faith Paul saith I know in whom I have believed and in Joh. 17.3 knowledge there is put for faith so essential is it to faith that it is put for faith it self this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God So that in believing there must be knowledge and understanding else it will be a blind believing a blind faith Secondly In believing there is implyed assent of the understanding to the truth that is propounded truth is the object of the understanding As Christ came into the World to save sinners I must assent unto this truth God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Such truths and Propositions as these there must be the assent of the understanding unto and Papists will go thus far in the point of faith and make the very formal nature of faith to lye in assent 't is a truth there must be assent but assent is not enough They place it altogether in the understanding and fix it there but the Devils believe and tremble and give assent unto truths they said Christ was the Son of God they gave assent yea the Devils believe and tremble therefore this is not enough though this is required and necessary assent there must be but there must be more than assent But Thirdly There must be Consent which brings in the heart and will and looks at the goodness of the truth or person some good that is in any truth propounded or any person to be believed in Rom. 10.9 10. If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart Not in thine head for with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness with the heart man believes there must be the heart in believing and not the head and understanding onely so that there must be consent of the will and heart unto the thing believed Now this consent must be free and full to have Christ and whole Christ to have Christ at the best and have Christ at the worst whatever may fall out in true believing there is such a free and full consent that it will have Christ whatever it cost Fourthly Lastly in believing there must be affiance a confidence or trust and that you will find express'd in Eph. 1.12 that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ there must be trusting After we know and give assent and consent then we must trust and depend and rely upon Christ So in 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed in your margin it is whom I have trusted so that there is a trust a confidence a relyance a recumbency a dependance upon the Lord Jesus Christ where there is a right believing Thus you see what is implyed in believing Secondly What 's meant by the name of Jesus Christ Not the Letters or Syllables as many bow at the name of Jesus that is not the meaning but Name is put for the Thing or put for the person Psal 34.3 Let us exalt his Name together that is God himself let us exalt God himself so thou shalt reverence that dreadful name Jehovah that 's God himself and when you read of Sanctifying the name of God in Scripture that is God himself And so here Rom. 10.13 you will find by Name is meant God himself whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved that is shall call upon God himself And Acts 4.12 There is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved that is there is no person but Jesus whereby you can be saved And Joh. 3.18 he that believeth on him is not Condemned but he that believeth not is Condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God Now what is it to believe in his name or in him First it implyes the receiving into our heads and hearts all things God hath revealed from Heaven concerning him As that he is the Son of God that God gave him for
for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him made the righteousness how come we to be made why by faith in him Phil. 3.9 and be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God through faith So that the way for a soul that 's troubled with sin and guilt of sin and the like is to believe in the Lord Jesus and to rest upon him who takes away sin and brought in a righteousness that is sufficient for us Fifthly if we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and can never be truly setled in our comforts and peace without faith in him then let us fetch our comforts our peace our assurance from Christ by believing and not from any thing of our own not from our repentance and obedience and Sanctification for these are mixt with imperfections these are defiled with our corruptions these are ebbing and flowing so will your comforts and peace and assurance be so long as you feed them from these these do not make us righteous before God it may be before men or in our own eyes may make us righteous our repentance our obedience our holiness but they do not make us so before God if we raise our comforts and peace and assurance from these it is from our own actings and this savours too much of a legal spirit if we believe in Christ and fetch all from him it will be certain and lasting and solid and will be unshaken Isa 45.24 It 's a Prophesie of the Gospel times Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength I have none in my self and I can draw none from what self doth but in the Lord have I righteousness and strength There is sufficient righteousness and there is sufficient strength to bear up my peace and comfort and assurance so that the way to have solid comfort peace and assurance is to believe in the Lord Jesus and to fetch all from him Sixthly If believing in the Son of God do lye under a command then I infer from hence that it will be our duty to enquire whether we have obeyed this command and do believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and believe the right way for there is some kind of faith in Christ which is not a right faith the Gospel tells us of some that believed yet afterwards fell off from Christ Now how shall we come to know whether we do believe aright in the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God or no this may be of use unto us I shall answer it in several particulars First that faith which is a true and right faith in the Lord Jesus Christ it follows conviction of unbelief Joh. 16.8 9. When he is come he will reprove or as it is in your Margins Convince the world of sin because they believe not on me that 's the Son The spirit of God when it comes convinces men and women of their unbelief convinces them of the evil of the greatness of this sin above all sins you think it may be other sins are very great and grievous sins Drunkenness Whordom Idolatry and the like yea but unbelief is the great sin of all that 's the soul damning sin and when faith comes all other sins are taken away but if you be unbelievers the guilt of all your other sins are bound upon you so that it convinces the soul of unlelief now have you had any conviction of what unbelieving hearts you have naturally how backward you are to believe how you put away promises and motions of the spirit well if you have a right faith it follows conviction of unbelief Secondly if you would know whether your faith be right or no in the Son of God then answer how you came by your faith How came you by your faith is it from your selves wrought by your own fancies from your reasonings is it a fillogistical faith only as thus he that believes shall be saved I believe and therefore I shall be saved this now is but a work of your own reasoning but the faith that is right is wrought by the power of God and is the gift of God Col. 2.12 Buried with him in Baptism wherein you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead There was the operation of God in raising Christ from the dead and the same operation of God is put forth in the hearts of those that do believe and the Ephesians they could witness unto it Eph. 1.19 And what saith he is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places Why there was power and greatness and exceeding greatness of power towards us who do believe yea according to the working of his mighty power the power that raised Christ from the dead even that mighty power was put forth in our souls to raise us out of the grave of unbelief to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so that in the 1 Thess 1.5 our Gospel saith he came not unto you in word onely but also in power and in the Holy-Ghost The power of the Holy-Ghost was put forth in working faith in the Thessalonians and so the power of God and his spirit is put forth in the working faith in any soul and usually some promise or some Gospel truth is set upon the heart in power where there is a right faith wrought as Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest and God so loved the world as he gave his onely begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life and whoever will let him come without money and without price c. Gal. 4.28 29. Now we Brethren as Isaac was are the Children of promise Children that are born of the promise But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit c. so then they are born after the spirit the spirit sets on some promise some word of God which is a seed of faith and of grace and life in the soul and so you come by your faith that way Thirdly That faith which is right in the Son of God excludes all boasting Rom. 3.27 where is boasting then 't is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of faith 't is faith that excludes boasting and Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God So the soul now if it were justified by its own actings it hath cause to boast but he that is justified in Christ he hath no cause to boast the soul sees it could never come to Christ except
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
THE Sound-hearted Christian OR A TREATISE OF Soundness of Heart With several other SERMONS As Of Believing Of being of Christs mind Of doing all in his Name Of the preciousness of the Word Of the sweetness of the Word and Against the Love of the World By William Greenhill Non progredi est regredi London Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Cross Keys in Bishopsgate-street near Leaden-hall 1670. To that little Flock the Author of the ensuing Treatise relates unto DEarly beloved knowing that shortly I must put off my earthen Tabernacle I thought it meet whilst I am in it to mind you of something Preached amongst you and to present the same in Print unto you that ye might be able after my decease to have the same alwayes in remembrance The chief part of the Treatise is about Soundness of Heart and what is my desire but that you may be found sound hearted The times we live in are discovering times and the unsoundness of many is lay'd open before the Sun they began in the spirit and now are ending in the flesh many are declined and too many declining The Jews rejoyced in John's light for a season Those of Asia followed Paul while the Sun shined but when it was cloudy weather they turn'd aside Those that came out of Egypt meeting with hardships unlook'd for would have gone back to Egyptian flesh-pots and of six hundred thousand men only Caleb and Joshuah who had sound hearts entred into Canaan The holy Scripture mentions but one Demas who imbrac'd the world now there are many so drench't in it that they are in danger of erring from the faith Have not some of all perswasions amongst us manifested their unsoundness by deserting their principles and practices Have not some forsaken their first love and are become lukewarm Laod ceans Are not many halting between God and Baal Are not multitudes return'd to the Romish Synagogne whose Head they pretend is Peter's Successor but unlike him altogether except in denyal of his Lord and Master Have not some gone out from you that were not of you and left Christ the only true light for their own light is it not an hour of Temptation Are there not blustring winds of Doctrine abroad that would blow away the grace and gospel of Christ and have only morality for grace and gospel Is not the Dragon wroth with the Woman and making war with the remnant of her seed which keep the Commandments of God now manifest your selves to be of that seed admit of nothing against the command of Christ without you or the light and motions of the spirit within you The Rabbins say that in the Kingdom of Messiah there is nothing of mans invention In regno Messiae nil mundanum If the Whores golden Cup be offer'd you look not at the glittering outside but the poyson within and drink not thereof least you dye keep your garments clean meddle not with any thing that defileth or is defiled Think not Ordinances needless things for if so the taking away the Kingdom of Heaven from the Jews was no great judgement nor the bestowing of it upon another people any great mercy Have an high esteem of the Word and Oudinances for where there is no vision people perish Hold fast what you have heard and stand fast in the Lord and so shall ye live and you shall be our hope our joy and crown of Rejoycing That you may do so and be so in this day of Tryal and Tribulation this little Treatise is commended unto you wherein you will find what soundness of heart is how greatly desirable and excellent whether your hearts be so how to get such hearts and how to keep them being gotten with something of faith something of being of Christs mind of doing all in his name something of the preciousness and sweetness of the Word and somewhat against the love of the world which if you will read mind and practice you will never fall from the principles and stedfastness but be stronger and stronger and hold on the way until you appear before the Lord in glory The God of all grace be with you dwell in you and inable you all in all things to do his will Yours in the work of the Lord to serve you W. G. ERRATA PAge 10. line 24. read are p. 11. l. 16. r. his p. 15. l. 18. r. 1st Use p. 29. l. 3. r. Obs 2. p. 31. l. 7. r. hereupon p. 35. l. 11. r. do p. 37. l. 29. r. Hezekiah p. 44. l. 6. r. do p. 46. l. 30. r. Jannes p. 47. l. 17. r. Thirdly p. 53. l. 30. r. for p. 58. l. 23. r. fold p. 59. l. 17. r. that fall p. 64. l. 23. r. therefore p. 81. l. 12. r. souls p. 94. l. 9. r. for are will be p. 100. l. 6. r. beautiful l. 20. r. not p. 112. l. 4. r. it 's p. 116. l. 30. r. if p. 128. l. 2. r. if p. 174. l. 9. r. Doctr. without first p. 175. l. 1. r. what things p. 199. l. 32. dele of p. 213. l. 26. r. lamps p. 219. l. 11. r. 140. p. 243. l. 18. r. cares p. 267. l. 2. after no add and leave things certain is unreasonable p. 269. l. 12. r. knee p. 287. l. 28. r. with p. 293. l. 26. d a. p. 295. l. 22. r. doth p. 299. l. 12. r. wares p. 304. l. first r. yea These with some other Errata's especially in the last sheets which the Author had not opportunity to review the Reader is desired to correct and Pardon Of Soundness of Heart The Substance of several Sermons upon Psal 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed THis Psalm doth consist of as many parts as there be Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet and every eight verses begins with a distinct Letter of the A phabet and it 's a Psalm that some of the Antients do call the very marrow and heart of the Scripture it being in the middest of the Book of God And divers Eulogies they have of it precious truths are contained in it And twice in this Psalm doth David make request unto God about his heart the one is in the 36. v. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness O Lord saith David I desire my heart may go the right way but I am not able to manage nor carry my heart as I would I would fain have it cleave to thy testimonies but it runs out here and there and therefore Lord saith he incline thou my heart unto thy testimonies thy testimonies are very precious they testifie of thy Nature they testifie of thine attributes they testifie of thy promises they testifie of thy will and good pleasure they testifie what will be the advantage of man for his present and eternal good incline my heart unto thy testimonies and 〈◊〉 to covetousness Alas what are the honours the pleasures the riches of the world to thy testimonies they
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
a sound heart he must live upon the word he cannot go a day and not read the word nor meditate on the promises that 's a sickly if not a dead heart which doth so but a sound heart will be feeding upon sound truths relish and digest the same Thirdly A heart that is sound in the Statutes of God doth look at the Statutes of God for themselves for their own sakes many you know do look at learning they will learn at the Grammar School and they will profit at the University but they do not look at learning for learning but for credit and to get a living and be some body in the world this is base So many look at the Statutes of God but not for the Statutes sake but that they may be encreased in knowledge and be sav'd at last but a sound heart looks at Gods Statutes for themselves in Psal 119. I have chosen the way of truth and v. 31. I have stuck unto thy Testimonies O God and he saith he doth prize them above thousands of Gold and Silver and above great spoils and they are his Songs in the house of his Pilgrimage why he look'd at them for themselves O! Gods Statutes they are such precious truths that let me have them though I have nothing of the world Some you know look at a Diamond because of the shining and sparkling of it self not because they shall Merchandize with it and make themselves rich So that 's sound when a man looks at Gods divine truths they are full of Glory they are beams of Gods wisdom there 's excellency in them this argues soundness of heart but many look at the truths of God as suitable to their humours they have such a lust and this will agree with their lust and so they will pick here and there which argues unsoundness as a sickly Stomach will pick a bit here and there but a sound heart looks at Gods Statutes for themselves and that excellency and worth is in them Fourthly A sound heart labours to know the will of God and seeing it to be the will of God sticks not at hard things at reproachful things let the things be never so hard never so reproachful it sticks not at it well is this the will of God saith the sound heart I will embrace it saith Christ It is written in the volume of thy Book that I should do thy will and loe I come but consider what this will is thou must be a servant thou must be persecuted into Egypt thy life must be sought among the little Children thou must be accounted an enemy to Caesar a breaker of the Sabbath thou must be reproach'd and hanged upon a Cross and be Crucifyed between Thieves and Murderers what wilt thou go now I it 's written in the volume of thy Book that I must do thy will and loe I come he sticks not at any or all of these things saith God to Abraham Abraham go and Sacrifice your onely Son Isaac unto me O Lord might he say this is a hard business what murder my Son what will my Wife say it will be her death what will the Nations say here was a bloody man to murther his Son and so I may be put to death for it I but it was the will of God and so he stuck not at it Fifthly a sound heart may be known by this that it is willing and ready to part with any thing for the Lords sake saith a sound heart what will this do me good if I lose my integrity if I lose my sincerity if I lose now my fitness to do God service by defiling my self what shall I get you know the young man comes to Christ and saith Good Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life saith he keep the Commandements Why all these things have I kept from my youth up saith Christ go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and come and follow me and thou shalt have treasure in heaven One would think here had been promise enough for him and treasure enough for him but he had rotten principles in him he had the world in him his heart was for the world and the creature and nothing of it for God Simon Magus went further than this man did he was a Professor and got into a Church Relation he brings out his bags of Gold and Silver and would give them to the Apostles that he might have that power they had to give the Holy Ghost but saith Peter thy heart is not right therefore pray if it be possible that the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee But now a gracious heart indeed will part with all saith Paul I account all less and dung Phil. 3. All my priviledges all my learning all that ever I have I account it loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and say the Disciples Master we have left all to follow thee and you know Galeatius left all for Christs sake and comes to Geneva that he might enjoy the Gospel And the Martyrs they left their lives what dearer than a mans life yet they were ready to let go their lives rather then to let go their foundness Sixthly A sound heart is that which doth fill up all its relations what relation soever it stands in towards God towards man towards the publick towards its family it will fill up its relations Acts 24.16 saith Paul herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards man saith Paul I stand in relation to God and I do exercise my self in this that I may have my Conscience cleer and free I will do all my duties towards God that he calls for otherwise I shall not have a Conscience free and towards men in every relation I stand in towards men I am careful to fill up those relations So that a sound heart is wonderful cautious in doing any thing in any relation that may not fill up its relation as Joshua Ch. 24.15 Let others do what they will I and my house will serve the Lord Others will serve their lusts and serve the times and serve men and serve Devils but I and my house will serve the Lord I am Master of this Family and I will see my Wife and Children and Servants and all under my roof to serve the Lord so saith God of Abraham I know that he will instruct and teach his Family Gen. 18.19 And so David in Psal 101. I will walk in my house with a perfect heart I will not suffer a wicked person to stay within my Family No Drunkard no Swearer no Sabbath-Breaker no prophane wretch shall stay in my Family So that a sound heart fills up its relations some make no Conscience at all of their places they are unfaithful they can hardly be trusted in any place they are in but they have no sound hearts Husbands to Wives Wives to Husbands if not
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
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
give account to God and be judged to all Eternity Now some Arguments or motives why men and women should keep their hearts sound First you should do this because there 's an hour of Temptation coming upon you Rev. 3 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them there is an hour of Temptation that must come upon the whole world to try them what will become of you now if you have unsound hearts when the time of Temptation comes if you be stubble you will burn if you be rotten you will be thrown by if you be unsound wo be to you there is an hour a coming and an hour of Temptation and it will try men and women to the quick well if God will come and try you then get sound hearts and keep sound hearts for there will be such an hour e're long Nay is there not such an hour at this time God is sifting and trying the Nation by wayes and means that seem best in his wisdom to discover Men what they are and it may come upon you and your Families very suddainly a fiery Tryal may come upon you Secondly We should do it because there are very few men ad women in the world have sound hearts In Sodom there was one Lot had a sound heart but what had all the rest in the old world there was one Noah found favour and grace in the eyes of God and had a sound heart he was sound in the faith and sound hearted towards God and his worship 't is very rare and hard to find a sound hearted man a faithful man saith Solomon who can find one of a thousand he found but one man of a thousand and in Phil. 2. All seek their own and none seek the things of Christ It 's very rare very hard to find out a sound hearted man Thirdly Consider that an unsound heart is very grievous and burthensom like a sore leg or a sore arm O how burthensom and grievous is it but what if a broken leg or arm that 's more burthensom if you have unsound hearts you will be full of guilt and full of fears and this will be a burthen unto you and a great burthen unto you to have guilt and fears upon your spirits they may sink you see what the wise man saith in Pro. 14.30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh but envy the rottenness of the bones A sound heart is the life of the flesh if a man be sound hearted he will be lively and chearful but if he be unsound hearted he will be like a dead man envy is the rottenness of the bones every sin tends to it if a man have an unsound heart he will have many lusts and sins and every one will be rottenness to his bones Nabal his heart was as a stone within him the righteous is bold as a Lyon he is full of courage and mettle but a wicked man he that hath an unsound heart he flyes when none pursues him his heart is his torment his heart is his hell it will be a burthen unto him Fourthly A man should labour to keep his heart sound otherwise he can never love the Lord Jesus Christ in truth an unsound hearted man will love somewhat else more than Christ but Eph. 6. last grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity a man of an unsound heart cannot love Christ in sincerity for sincerity is one part of a sound heart if therefore you would love the Lord Jesus in sincerity in truth get soundness of heart and keep your hearts sound let not your hearts be divided let not your hearts be Hypocritical they are unsound hearts but let your hearts be sincere and then you will love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity but if you do not what saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ that is if he love him not in sincerity for if he seem to love him and it be otherwise so much the worse he will have Anathema and Maranâ—â—ha with advantage if you have an unsound heart you cannot love Christ sincerely but now if you would have this testimony that you love the Lord Jesus in sincerity get soundness of heart keep soundness of heart Fifthly you should do this because the Lord himself is coming to Judgment James 5.9 grudge not one against another Brethren least ye be condemned behold the Judge standeth before the door The Judge is very near he is knocking at your door he is coming to Judge you and it will not be long but you must be Judged and the Lord I say stands at the door therefore look to it that your hearts be sound what will become of you if the Lord find you Hypocrites if the Lord find you unsound hearted men and women if he find your hearts are divided between him and the world that they are sick with lusts that you are under the dominion of sin that you have but seeming grace and not real grace what will become of you the Judge is at the door and you may go this night for ought you know Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee look to it that your hearts be sound for God will search you to the quick he will discover men and women what they are to the full and open every secret Sixthly Lastly labour for soundness of heart upon the account of the Text Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed you will be ashamed one day if your hearts be not sound And so I come to the last point and that is Obs 4. That those that have not soundness of hearts sooner or later will be made ashamed In Prov. 26.26 whose hatred is covered by deceit his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole Congregation when men do cover up their wickedness and have unsound hearts they hate their Neighbor and give them sweet words and the like but they hate them in their hearts and the man whose hatred is covered by deceit his wickedness shall be discovered before the whole Congregation Laodicea was luke-warm and had a rotten heart and did not God say I will spew thee out of my mouth Judas had a rotten heart and was he not discovered and ashamed Judas the Traytor and the Scripture is full of such instances every where there is no need to stick upon it Now for the word Shame not to trouble you with many things There be three things make a man ashamed all which will be found in an unsound heart First when a man shall be found that which others did not think him to be and he thought not himself to be as when a man is prov'd a Bankrupt others thought him to be a man of credit
not able to finish it all that behold him begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish c. if a man have not seriously considered what it may cost him to build up Christianity to build up his Soul he will faint and not finish why it may cost him the hatred of Father and Mother of Wife and Children of Brethren and Sisters yea loss of life it may cost him all these if he have not considered this and cast up what it may cost him this man will never finish but give over and give back when it comes to the tryal therefore in v. 53. it s said So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple If a man do not sit down and seriously weigh it may cost me all that I have the Jews would not forsake the honour of the people Joh. 5. How can ye believe that seek honour one of another it may cost you a right hand a right eye it may cost you all your wisdom and all your parts 1 Cor. 3. Let him that thinketh himself wise become a fool that he may be wise Christ tells you in Math. 13. of the good Merchant The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls who when he had found one Pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it he considered what a Pearl this was a goodly Pearl a rich Pearl not such a Pearl again in the world well is it such a Pearl I will part with all that I have for it Now if men and women do not cast aforehand what it may cost them to be Christians a thousand to one but they will let go Christ the Gadarens let him go for their Swine Judas let him go for thirty pieces of Silver Buy the truth and sell it not buy it whatsoever it cost when hard things come and men have not considered how they are like to part with their livelyhoods liberties and lives they will bid farewel to Christ and farewel to the Gospel and farewel to Profession and thus many have done in our dayes and in former times Such are like to prove unsound Fourthly They are like to prove unsound who do not mind the love of the truth as well as truth it self and receive the love of the truth 2. Thess 2.9.10 saith the Apostle there because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved There are three things in every truth very considerable there 's the notion there 's the loving of truth or love of truth and there 's the power The notion respects the head and that every man may have The love respects the affections and that few have The Power respects the whole man head heart and all and that onely the Godly have Now though men receive the notion of truth as the Devils may and so wicked men yet they may have unsound hearts and if you have not the love you will never have the power and unless you have the love and the power your hearts will be rotten and unsound for ever Therefore see what 's said here And for this cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Fifthly That man or woman which doth receive truth and withhold truth in unrighteousness so that he doth not glorifie the God of truth nor walk answerable unto truth that man will be found unsound at the last he will be discovered and made ashamed many receive truth and then they imprison it as they did John they shut him up in Prison and so many have truth but they Imprison it and if it makes a bustle in their hearts they put a gag into the mouth of truth that it shall not speak any further Rom. 1.21 26. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful When they knew God they had notions and truths and received the knowledge of God They did not glorifie God as God but imprisoned those truths therefore For this Cause God gave them up to vile affections God left them now to the corruption of their own hearts they were unsound and were ashamed and confounded at last Therefore if truth comes in from a God of truth and you do not glorifie that God of truth nor walk answerable to the truth fear unsoundness there it 's said in Luke that he that knew his Masters will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes if thou knowest thy Lord and Masters will he hath reveal'd his mind unto thee and now thou doest not walk answerable to that thou hast an ill heart thou hast a corrupt Spirit and thou shalt be made ashamed yea thou shalt be beaten and that with many stripes do not many know they should not prophane the Lords day and yet will do it they will be Drunk Whore Game idle it abroad in the Fields these men shall be beaten with many stripes Many know they should not wrong their Neighbors nor oppress the poor and grind the faces of them but they will do it these men are ill Servants and the Lord will appear one day and discover them and beat them â—nd grind them to powder so that wheresoever truth comes and is imprisoned and the God of truth is not glorified nor men walk answerable there 's rottenness of heart and men will be ashamed at the last Sixthly Those who are forward to censure and judge others when themselves are guilty either of the same sins or of sins equivalent and proportionable for their nature to the sins of others that they condemn this argues unsoundness of heart and will prove a shame unto those persons at the last in Math. 7. Judge not that ye be not Judged for with what Judgment ye Judge ye shall be Judged and with what measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again and why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy Brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye hast thou no beam no mote thou shouldest cast out that but now when a man hath a beam in his own eye and sees a mote in anothers that 's evil Or how wilt thou say to thy Brother let me pull out the moat out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own eye Thou Hypocrite mark here 's unsoundness art thou a greater sinner and condemnest lesser sinners Thou Hypocrite and woe to Scribes and to Hypocrites in Rom. 2. beginning Therefore thou art inexcuseable O man whosoever thou art that Judgest For wherein thou Judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that Judgest doest the same things But we are sure that the Judgment of God is according to truth against them that commit such things thou judgest and condemnest another and
yet doest the same things what if I condemn another for breaking Covenant with men when I break Covenant with God my self am not I a greater sinner I do the same things and the Judgment of God is according to truth and God will Judge take heed then of censuring others of Judging and Condemning others least you condemn your selves you declare the rottenness of your hearts and you will be found rotten at last Seventhly If men profess Religion and be zealous towards God and yet be without mercy and without Justice these men will be found unsound and rotten and be ashamed at last There are many in these dayes are zealous and will hear the word and that 's to be commended but withall let them not rest in the duties of the first Table but let them do the duties of the second In James 1. saith the Apostle there If any man among you seemeth to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue he deceiveth his own heart and this mans Religion is in vain pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widdows in their distress and to keep himself-unspotted in the world To shew mercy here 's Religion if I seem Religious and not be merciful merciful to the afflicted to the Widdow to the Orphan to the Poor to the Prisoner my Religion is all vain a dead Religion is like a dead Faith and so for acts of Justice 1 Joh. 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God Who is he of then he is of the Devil 't is not talking of Righteousness but doing Righteousness unless men and women will keep their promises unless they will pay their Debts unless they will pay their Servants wages unless they will pay their Rents unless they will pay what 's borrowed unless they will restore what they have defrauded what Religion is here Heathens will deal justly and Righteously And therefore those that say they are Christians and not Righteous they are of the Devil and not of God Eighthly They have unsound hearts and will be ashamed who take up Religion upon wrong grounds I told you before upon base ends and a multitude of people take up Religion upon wrong grounds some take up Religion upon a State account the countenance of a State the State doth countenance Religion and make Laws for Religion and the like and upon this account they take up Religion thus was it in King Edward's dayes when he came then many turned Protestants who were Papists before but when Queen Mary came in and there was another face of things then they turned Papists again and in Queen Elizabeth's dayes then they turned Protestants again And thus many in these dayes because there is a state Religion and Worship they desert their former principles and professions and fall in with what is present such men are unsound and will be discovered one day to their shame Many from the Customes of the places where they live it 's the Custom of the Town or of the place it 's the Custom of the great ones to hear the word on the Lords day or to Pray and Read and the like and so upon this account they will become Religious others upon the account of their forefathers oru forefathers did so and so and therefore they will do so others upon the account of education but these are unsound grounds and at one time or other such men and women will be discovered to be rotten-hearted and will be made ashamed of their Religion and therefore men and women should look to the ground Is it the command of God and because you find it 's written in the book of God Is it out of love to God and glorifying of God and saving of your Souls according to the will of God unless it be thus all your grounds are false and vain Ninthly They are like to prove unsound and to be ashamed who have their hearts soaked in the things of the world who are strongly carried out to them and are taken up with these outward things they are like to be ashamed at one time or other it 's said in James 4.4 Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy to God tell me now whether any Adulteresses or Adulterers have a sound heart all those that are friends to the world and have their affections carried to the world are they not enimies to God are they not Adulterers Men that are lovers of the pleasures prosits honours and fashions of this world are unsound hearted and will be discovered at one time or other 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him and if that be not in him he is an unsound hearted man and will be discovered one day to be so Demas he professes Christianity he goes along with Paul but because the world was in his heart he leaves Paul and embraces the world and Dorotheus an Ecclesiast cal Writer he tells us that he went to Thessalonica and there he turned an idolatrous Priest Paul tells you plain enough in the 1 Tim. 6.9 10 They that will be rich some men and women are resolved to be rich they will be rich in spight of all they know it 's but rising early and lying down late and using their wits and their hands But they that will be rich fall into Temptations and a snare and into many foolish and burtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil is this heart sound now is that heart sound that hath the root of all evil in it look to it those that have their hearts soak'd in the world and carried out to the things of the world they are rotten and so they will be discovered to be one day to their shame tâ— therefore David saith incline not my heart to covetousness O let not my heart go out to the world least I be ashamed Tenthly Their hearts are unsound who have a secret dislike of the wayes and things of God and the strictness of Religion many men though they will not openly and outwardly speak against the wayes of God against strictness and holiness exact and circumspect walking yet they have a secret dislike of them a secret slighting of them and they do not approve of them and think men may be too strict such men their hearts are unsound and they will be discovered one day saith he in Mal. 3. ye have said it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts They had slight thoughts of the wayes of God and they were rotten
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
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
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
their very minds are defiled it speaks of a carnal mind Rom. 8.6 It speaks of a fleshly mind Col. 2.18 But Christ had no defiled mind no carnal mind no fleshly mind but the Lord Jesus Christ had a pure mind pure heart pure affections pure will pure intentions and the like his mind was a pure mind and therefore he saith Joh. 14. The Devil comes and finds nothing of his in me when the Devil comes he finds no impurity in Christ and which of you convinceth me of sin saith Christ he had a pure mind and therefore it 's said Heb. 7.26 he was holy and harmless separate from sinners he was holy in his nature and understanding and will and affections and heart and spirit He was pure from all errors and all opinions that do defile the understanding or the judgment 2 Cor. 11.3 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 Christs spirit was pure and there was no mixture where there is a mixture there is not simplicity Christ had a pure mind from all errors and all defilements Now let this mind be in you also which was in Christ Jesus this pure mind be in you Thirdly The Lord Christs mind was a willing and a ready mind to do good Math. 8.3 If thou wilt thou canst make me clean I will saith he presently be thou clean how willing and ready was the Lord Christ he was not backward he did not shift off doing good as we use to do many times but he would rather prevent men as you may see in the impotent man Joh. 5.6 Wilt thou be made whole such a ready mind was in Christ to do good that where it was not look'd for he would do it and prevent men rather then not do good Psa 40.8 I delight to do thy will O God it was a great delight to Christ he was very ready and forward to do good Well let this mind which also was in Christ be in you a readiness a willingness to do good Fourthly The Lord Christs mind was a yeilding a humble and a condescending mind v. 7. he made himself of no Reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant O here was an humble condescending mind in Christ that the Lord of glory the Heir of the world would take upon him the form of a Servant Joh. 13. you read there how humble Christ was that he riseth from the Table girds himself with a Towel takes a Bason of water and goes and washes his Disciples feet Here was condescending indeed when the Lord and Master would go and wash his Disciples feet when they were sinful and he himself without sin Christ saith he came not to be Ministred unto but to Minister and he did Minister indeed In Mat. 11. Learn of me saith he for I am humble never was there a greater person in the world and never a greater person more humble than Christ was O how did he condescend to the poor and weak and mean and all sorts and conditions of people he would not break a bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking flax so yeilding and humble was he he would converse with sinners and Publicans when Pharisees and great ones stumbled at him he became all things to all men that he might do them good well let this mind be in you which was in Christ Fifthly the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ was a single mind we read in Scripture of a double mind James 1.8 a double minded man But there was no doubleness of mind in Christ he had a single mind Job 23.13 he is in one mind the Lord Christ he is alwayes in one mind others have many minds so many minds that they hardly know their own mind but Christ had one single sincere mind there was no doubleness no dissembling no equivocating no guile in his heart nor in his lips 1 Pet. 2.22 who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth As Christ said of Nathaniel behold an Israelite in whom is no guile so may we say of Christ much more behold an Israelite in whom is no guile there was nothing but singleness in Jesus Christ he had a single mind a single spirit a single heart and let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus Sixthly The Lord Christs mind was a fixed and a setled mind he was not lead away with the Traditions of the Elders with the opinions of the Herodians of the Sadduces of the Scribes and Pharisees with any wind of Doctrine but it was a setled sollid fixed firm mind Heb. 13.8 it 's said Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever he was in the same setled mind alwayes he did not chop and change his thoughts and mind and judgment but was setled and fixed and not carried away with any opinions or the like and see what follows upon it v. 9. be not carried away with divers and strange Doctrines Christ was not be not you therefore carried about with divers and strange Doctrines How many in these dayes are carried up and down with every wind of Doctrine with every opinion but let this setled fixed firm mind be in you which also was in Christ Seventhly Christs mind it was a heavenly mind Joh. 7.46 Never man spake like this man rever man spake so heavenly so graciously as this man did Christ was full of Heaven heavenly in his Doctrine heavenly in his Prayers heavenly in his Discourse altogether heavenly In 3. Joh. 12. there 's something seems to cross it If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things What did Christ tell them of earthly things and not heavenly things The meaning of the place is this 't is true I have drawn Parables taken from earthly things but in them are couched heavenly matters and if you dont understand them when I bring them down thus to your capacities how would you understand then if I should tell you of heavenly things in their own nature and kind and not suit them to your apprehensions or comprehensions Christ here spake of earthly things in this Chapter to Nicodemus he spake of Generation and of the wind and water these were earthly things I but he had heavenly things in them Regeneration and the wind and water of the Spirit so that Jesus Christ he minded heavenly things and so the next verse No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven why the Son of man is in heaven though he be here upon earth his affections are there his heart is there his aims and intentions are there O how heavenly was Christ in all his wayes he breathed out heavenliness and made spiritual uses of all things he saw and met with of the Vine of the Dore of the Sheep of the
Gomorrah Tyre and Sidon then for such at the day of Judgment So much for reproof Secondly this may be matter of humiliation to us all that we are no more like to Christ that we have not the same thoughts of God of Truth of Sin of the World that he had the Lord Christ saith be not conformed to the world the fashions of the world the manners of the world the worship of the world that we should not love the world nor things of the world that was Christs mind that we should forgive our Enemies but we are not of Christs mind though we have been long in the School of Christ Disciples of Christ yet we are not of the mind of Christ O how slow and dull and untoward are we to learn the mind of Christ It 's the mind of Christ that people should not cast off Ordinances and forsake the assembling of themselves and the like but how many do it in these dayes O this should be matter of humiliation to us all that we come so short of the mind of Christ Thirdly it may be an use of examination to us to examine whether we be of the same mind that the Lord Jesus Christ was of you may know it by what I have delivered to you already have we a publick mind a pure mind a humble mind a heavenly mind a compassionate mind and the like but I 'le add something else would you know whether you are of the mind of Christ yea or no then First if you are of Christs mind you will love what Christ loved and hate what he hated now look into Heb. 1.9 he loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity do you love Righteousness you have many go for Christians and Professors but come to dealing and there 's no righteousness in their actions they are all for what they can get and wring and scrape to themselves and don't love righteousness thou art no true Christian whosoever thou art thou art but a bastardly Christian at the best for where there is the same mind of Christ and a true Christian there 's loving of Righteousness and hating of Iniquity See in 1 Joh. 2. last If ye know that he is Righteous ye know that every one that doth Righteousness is born of him If ye be true Christians ye are born of God and you do Righteousness and Ch. 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God Many borrow and never pay again is here any Righteousness many have pledges and never restore them is here any righteousness many they will put off ill wares with lying and swearing is here righteousness if so be there be not Righteousness in mens actions they have not the mind of Christ they are not born of God but they have the mind of the Devil and of the World and the flesh and it 's a sad condition but here 's the way to know whether we have the mind of Christ we will love righteousness and hate Iniquity hate evil thoughts and lusts and all fraud and cheating and over-reaching one another Secondly if we would know whether we have the mind of Christ we shall know it by this then we will judge of things as Christ judged of them Joh. 7.24 saith Christ Judge not according to appearance but judge righteous Judgement so in 2 Cor. 10.7 Do ye look on things according to outward appearance Men that have Christs mind will not judge according to outward appearance and semblances and seemings but they will judge righteous judgment judge as Christ himself judged Christ saith blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Do you judge right now where blessedness lyes not in honours nor pleasures nor things of this nature no it lyes in mourning for sin in poverty of spirit in pureness of heart if you be of Christs mind you will be of Christs judgment Luke 16.15 The things that are highly esteemed among men are abomination with God Now do you judge of the world as Christ judged Christ look'd upon the world as a perishing thing as a defiled thing and as that which will not satisfie the soul but endanger every man and woman do you judge of the world so Why do you lay out your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Do you judge of all these things thus now they are not bread for my soul nor they will not satisfie my soul I must use the world while I am here and if I have enough to carry me to my Journeys end 't is well in Acts 19.28 Great is Diana of the Ephesians say those of Ephesus So say Catholicks of their Cathedrals and pompous worship great is Diana of the Ephesians yea but Diana and all her worship was abominable to God many cry up their worship and such and such things as are the inventions of men but they are no more pleasing to God than Diana's Idols Temple and Worship Paul would know no man after the flesh no not Christ himself he had the mind of Christ and yet he would not know Christ after the flesh upon fleshly grounds and considerations so do you know no man after the flesh but upon spiritual grounds as they relate to God Thirdly if you have the mind of Christ then you will see that in the truths of Christ as will make you love the truth and stand to it and to venture all for truth rather than part from it Christ he did witness to truth in Joh. 18. and did testifie a good confession before Pontius Pilate and lay'd down his life for truth now hence he saith in Heb. 10. If any draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him what of my mind and draw back from my truth and my wayes my soul shall have no pleasure in him what draw back from Christ's Doctrine and from the principles that have been wrought in you by that Doctrine draw back from his worship and from profession of Christ and practice of the Gospel my soul shall have no pleasure in you that is my soul shall be exceedingly exasperated against you if you draw back from me and my Doctrine Antipas held fast the faith the Church of Pergamus held fast the faith of Christ and Paul who had the mind of Christ saw so much in the truth of Christ as he saith I am ready not onely to be bound but to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus He saw reality and eternal life in the truths of Christ so that if you have Christs mind you will see that in Christs truth and Doctrines and wayes and worship which will make you go on and venture all rather than part with the same Fourthly Lastly if you have
is Lord in your heart he is Lord in your spirits he is Lord in your tongues he is Lord in your heads he is Lord in all your wayes therefore look upon him as Lord and Moderator of all your thoughts words and actions and this will help you to do things in his name Secondly if you would do things in his name then mind the very example and practice of the Lord Jesus Christ himself he did not do things in his own name but he did all in his fathers name and therefore we should do all in his name when he requires it of us as the Father required it of him he did all in his Fathers name in Job 5.43 I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not I am come but I come in my Fathers name I dont come in my own name I run not on my own head I come not with my own will or my own words to do what I would but I am come in my Fathers name and the Fathers works he did in Joh. 10.25 Jesus answered them I told you and ye believe not the works that I do in my Fathers name they bear witness of me all the works that I do I do in my Fathers name not in my own name Now here 's a good example for us to mind the Lord Christ he did all in his Fathers name and so should we do all in Christs name and if we do them in his name we do them in the Fathers name also Paul did all in Christs name and we should do all in Christs name He did all in his Fathers name and his example is an unerring example Thirdly If we would do all in the name of Christ then let us get lowâ—â—â—o the Lord Jesus Christ 'T is want of love that makes us do so little in the name of Christ if we had love enough to Christ it would make us act in his name the name of Christ is an Oyntment poured out therefore do the Virgins love thee if we did look at the name of Christ as an Oyntment poured out sweet and precious and saving and comforting indeed O it would make us love the Lord Jesus as the Virgins do A Wife that loves her Husband it will make her do all in her Husbands name Oh if we had love to Jesus Christ we would do all in his name why the Lord Christ he loved his Father and saith he I keep his Commandements and abide in his love 'T is love will make you do things in the name of Christ the more love is in any soul the more it will act in the name of Christ and honour him Fourthly Lastly if we would do all in Christs name then let us consider the great reward that we shall have the reward will be great if we do all in his name I there will be a reward here and a reward hereafter we glorifie him and honour him much if we do all in his name I all the glory will be his now if we glorifie him we shall have a reward in our very acting how sweet is that action which is done aright in a right manner to a right end from a right principle how sweet is it as the Psalmist saith in keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward in the very keeping of the commands of God and Christ is great reward 〈◊〉 is great peace great comfort great content sweetness communion with God and at the end there is great reward Crowns of Glory a Kingdom Rivers of pleasure great reward so in doing things in the name of Christ there is a great reward in the very doing of it great sweetness great content to the soul great peace great communion with God great favour of Christ and afterwards there will be a great and glorious reward for the soul that doth so in the 12. John 26. If any man serve me saith Christ let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be if any man serve me why who serves Christ better than he that doth all in Christs name if we be the Servants of Christ we shall do all in the name of Christ and what then Let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be and if any man serve me him will my Father honour He shall be honoured by me and honoured by my Father honoured in Earth and honoured in Heaven honoured with a Kingdom and Glory and honoured with fruition of nâ—e and of my Father and all that is desirable Therefore consider of the great reward you shall have if you do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ The preciousness of the Word Psal 19.10 More to be desired are they then Gold yea then much fine Gold THe Psalmist had lay'd down in the former part of the Psalm many commendations of the Law the Statutes the Commandements the Testimonies and Judgments of the Lord. And here he draws up a conclusion concerning them all They are more to be desired then Gold then much fine Gold The words themselves are a Doctrine or an Observation and you may take it thus Doct. Divine truths are more to be desired then the choicest Treasures of the earth then all earthly treasures Two things are here to be done First to shew you that Gold is desirable and truths upon the same account Secondly that divine truths are more desirable then Gold or Silver or any earthly treasures whatsoever For the first two things there First what desire is Secondly that Gold is desirable and the truths of God upon the same account First what desire is desire is the reaching out of the soul after some good affected not in possession but absent saith David O that I had of the water of the Well of Bethlehem here 's the reaching out of his soul after some good affected 2 Sam. 23.15 saith Rachel give me Children or else I dye here 's the reaching out of her Soul after Children It is after good affected Either seeming good or real good affected Love is the root that bears desire and desire is the branch or fruit the hand and opperation of Love what we have no Love to we dont desire but what we have some Love too that we do desire It is the affecting of Good either seeming or real Solomon he desires wisdom that was a real good and he had real desires of it The desire of the Righteous is onely to good saith Solomon and there are seeming goods Eve desires the fruit 't was but a seeming good to her for it brought woe and sorrow to her and all hers Amnon desires Tamar it was a seeming good but a real evil Achan desires the Wedge of Gold it was his ruine Gehezi desires the Garments and the Wedge of Gold Now there must be good real or in appearance where desire is carried out unto it the soul sees some amiableness in the thing it doth desire and so it puts forth its desires after it
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