little light little grace little strength it may be I have none at all this will strengthen your desires after the Word of God which will enrich you Secondly Let every one of us consider what vile and base creatures we are we are earth-born and flesh-born but now the Word of God will enoble us and make us Heaven-born Spirit-born 't will elevate us If a man be a poor beggerly creature and shall consider if I take such a course I shall be a Noble-man a Prince a King 't will inflame his desires to be in such a state and condition Now it is the Word that will enoble us Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name If you will believe on his name on his Word you will be enobled and made the Sons and Daughters of God which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And when are we said to be born of God but when we are born of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever If therefore you would consider what a base spirited creature am I but I would have a noble spirit a divine and heavenly spirit and that 's to be had by the Word of God 't will enflame your desires towards the word Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica they were better born than they In that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so If you would therefore look into the Scriptures and search them and mind them you would be more noble Christians than others better born of heavenly spirits Thirdly Consider what beauty is in the Word what reallity what excellency what duration If men and women would consider what beauty there is in the Word of God what excellency if they did consider this it would inflame their desires abundantly that way See Psal 27.4 Fourthly Lastly consider the sutableness of the Word unto your conditions There is somewhat sutable in the Word to every man and womans condition in the world and when we think of a thing sutable to our conditions 't will stir up our desires to it when men and women are sick and they hear of a Medicine will cure them their desires are carried out strongly to that Medicine now the Lord Christ hath Medicines for all Sores and all Conditions and the Word of God will be a Plaister for every Sore if a man be sick there 's something to comfort him if a man be dead the word is a quickning word if a man be in darkness the word is an enlightning word Therefore consider of this and it will cause you to desire the Word of God more than Gold and Silver or any thing else in this world It follows now in the latter part of the verse Sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb IN the first part of this verse you have the worth of the Word and in this latter part you have the sweetness of the Word Gold is very precious Honey is very sweet and by these two Metaphors it pleases the spirit of God to set out the worth and sweetness of the Word I must open this word Honey Honey sometimes in Scripture is taken literally for a creature we call Honey Judg. 14.8 there was a Swarm of Bees and Honey in the Carcass of the Lyon that Sampson had killed and there 't is in a literal sence Sampson eats of it So it s said the taste of Manna was like unto Honey Exod. 16. Wafers made with Honey Sometimes in Scripture Honey is taken Metaphorically and that First For things sweet and pleasing to the taste things that are sweet and pleasing to the taste are called Honey Deut. 32.13 he made him to suck Honey out of the Rock that is the water that came out of the Rock was as sweet as Honey unto them it was not Honey but sweet as Honey And Prov. 25.16 Hast thou found Honey eat so much as is sufficient for thee that is hast thou found any thing delightful and sweet and pleasing to thy taste eat that which is sufficient for thee any thing delightful to the taste is to be understood by Honey often in Scripture so a full Stomach loaths the Honey-comb that is loaths sweet and pleasing things 2. This Metaphorical sense is put for gracious comfortable words in Cant. 2. it 's said Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the Honey-comb Honey Milk are under thy Tongue that is thy Words thy Conferences thy Prayers are very sweet and pleasing So in Prov. 16.24 Pleasant words saith he are as the Honey-comb That Honey which drops from the Honey-comb is the sweetest Honey that is not press'd and squeezed out but drops from the Honey-comb as the Juyce which runs from the Grape without pressing makes the sweetest Wine Now there are many things which are said to be sweet in Scripture sweet Wines sweet Fruits sweet Sngar sweet Cane sweet Calamus sweet Spices sweet Incense but none of all these are so sweet as Honey Judg. 14.18 what is sweeter than Honey they could not tell of any thing sweeter than Honey of all earthly things that is the sweetest But David could tell them of something sweeter than Honey thy Law thy Testimonies thy Statutes are sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb Take Honey in a litteral sence or Honey in a metaphorical sense for any sweet thing the Word of God is sweeter than all Psal 114.103 How sweet are thy Words unto my taste yea sweeter than Honey unto my mouth And the Church saith of Christs mouth Cant. 5.16 that it is most sweet The gracious words of Christ are sweet are sweeter than Honey yea they are most sweet So that all the degrees of Comparison are in the Words of God and Christ they are sweet they are sweeter than Honey they are most sweet The very words themselves are a Doctrine or Observation Doct. Gods word is very sweet yea the sweetest thing of all A little to instance in some things in the word of God First Are not the Counsels of God sweet David saith that the counsel he took with Ahithophel was sweet Psal 55.14 what then was the counsel he took with God how sweet was that counsel Psal 119.24 Thy Testimonies are my delight and my Counsellers Gods Testimonies were his Counsellers and they were sweet Counsellers and gave him such sweet counsel as he delighted in them he had such counsel from the word of God as even ravish'd his soul such sweetness he found in it that he would be guided by Gods counsels all the dayes of his life Psal 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory so in Rev. 3.17 I
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
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
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