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
formal with God And so for men I must carry my self so towards them as I may have approbation of God Thirdly It advantages you upon this account that it will put you on to make out your jealousies and to bring you to certainties and reallities hath a man a jealousie I am afraid my grace is not right that my ends are not right Now when a man is awake and sees his errour he corrects it when a man hath a Godly jealousie and sees that there is some ground of questioning then he will make it out and bring it to an issue as when a man hath a crack'd title saith he I will go ask Counsel he cannot sleep nor be quiet till he be certified herein if a man have a good Bargain or a good Match offered and he hath a jealousie about them he will labour to make things sure when you have a jealousie your Children are not well you will carry their state to the Physician that you may be out of doubt and you will order things so that they may come to a healthiness so in the Soul when there be jealousies concerning your union with Christ and interest in God and the like it puts you on to cleer up things to your own Souls Fourthly It is the way to prevent carnal confidences which men are apt unto men and women are apt to have carnal confidence in themselves to trust upon some arm of flesh or other to rest upon this or that but now where there are Godly jealousies of a mans self or of his heart it will prevent carnal confidences Phil. 3.3 But we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ and have no confidence in the flesh why Paul had a holy jealousie of his heart and saith he we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit we look to our Spirits and rejoyce in Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Those have not this jealousie over their hearts will have confidence in the flesh they will rest and settle upon something which they should not 1. First is a gracious heart a jealous heart then here you are informed what to think of those that do commend their hearts and say they have good hearts good meanings good soul's and all 's well with them This is a common practice in the world a common sickness among ignorant and carnal professors they have good hearts though they cannot speak so well as others nor do as they do yet they have as good hearts as any of them all well hast thou nothing to commend the goodness of thy heart but thy saying so thy very saying so is a clear demonstration that thy heart is not good for if thou wert gracious thou wouldest be more jealous of thy heart than any thing else in the world knowing that the heart is desperately wicked thou hast a good heart though thou hast a narghty tongue a naughty life The tongue of the righteous is choice Silver but the heart of the wicked is little worth a wicked man hath a wicked heart and it 's worth little worth nothing at all Secondly Is a gracious heart a jealous heart then let us learn not to be conceited of our own hearts or to presume with confidence in our hearts people are too apt to do this but what saith the Scripture Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a Fool but who so walketh wisely he shall be delivered from that evil A man that 's wise he is jealous over his own heart and he shall be delivered from trusting in his own heart The Scripture saith Be not high minded but fear Rom. 11.20 Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear Hast thou faith and art thou not then deceived in thy faith Is it true faith yet be not high minded but fear don't conceit too well of thy self and think well the Jews are cast out and I that was a Gentile am taken in well be it so yet be not high minded but fear Fear be jealous over thy heart be jealous over thy self be not confident so in the 1. Pet. 1.17 Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear have a holy jealousie over your selves be not too confident be not presumptuous do not conce it such and such things of your selves but pass the time of your sojurning here in fear I shall come now unto the next point Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes 2. Obs Observe hence that the chief care of a good man or a gracious man is about his heart O let my heart let my soul be sound in thy Statutes A good man hath a care of his eye a care of his ear a care of his lips and care of his hands a care of his feet a care of his family a care of his estate a care of his name I but his chief care is about his heart Let my heart my soul let that be right whatsoever becomes of all the rest so in the 36. v. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and in Psal 41.4 I said Lord be merciful unto me heâ—l my Soul for I have sinned against thee O my soul Lord heal my soul he prays for his soul So in Psal 51. v. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew in me a right Spirit his heart his spirit that 's the thing he principally looks at and hath chiefly a care of so that a Godly man his chiefest care is about his heart about his soul about his spirit But what 's the reason that a good man his principal care is concerning his heart and soul There be many reasons for it 1. First because the heart the spirit the soul of a man is the work of God and committed unto his keeping by God In Heb. 12. it 's said God is the Father of Spirits The body is from your Parents but the soul is from God and God commits your souls your hearts to your keeping keep saith Paul to Timothy that good thing which is committed to thee it 's true of the spirit or soul which is created of God and committed by him unto your keeping Now saith a gracious man or woman I must be faithful God hath created this heart my soul is Gods creature and God hath committed it unto me and shall I be unfaithful and not keep what God hath committed to me The Child that 's committed to the Nurse she will have a special care of it why it's committed to her trust so your souls and your spirits are the Lords and are committed to your trust and saith a gracious soul I must have a special care of it Secondly The heart spirit and soul of a man is very precious of great worth a man values his hand at a great rate he would not part with his hand for a great deal of money A man values his ear his eye and every Limb of his body
special care of his heart In 1 Tim. 6. he shews you there the danger of riches they that will be rich fall into temptations and a â—nare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in distruction and perdition they drown their souls and lose their hearts they are drown'd and lost in the creature if they look not the better to it Therefore Job had a special watch upon his heart Ch. 31.7 If my step hath turned out of the way and mine heart walked after mine eye Usually the heart lets out it self at the eye there are three windows that the heart goes out at out at the eye out at the mouth out at the act on s your hearts will follow your eyes your hearts will get out by your words or your hearts will get out by your actions Now a Godly man hath a special care of his heart least his heart be gone by the eye be gone by the mouth be gone by the actions therefore he looks well to his heart and looks well to these windows Eightly A Godly man hath special care of his heart because he knows where the heart goes the whole man goes if the heart goes the hand goes the foot goes the tongue goes all the whole man goes for the heart is the Master and all the members are the Servants in Psal 45. v. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King my tongue is the pen of a ready writer the tongue will follow the heart presently Psal 116. I believed therefore I spake when the heart is inditing then the tongue will follow so that if the heart go any way the foot the hand the tongue the eye the whole man follows after well saith a Godly man I had need look to my heart for which way that goes all goes the whole man goes and his Estate will go that way and his Name that way and his Relations that way and his Friends shall go that way if possibly he can draw them so that a Godly man looks to his heart for that 's the great wheel sets all on work Ninthly He hath a special care of his heart because he knows God accepts not of any thing unless the heart be in it therefore he will look to his heart and have a care of his heart in Isa 29. v. 30. saith the Lord there For as much as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but they have removed their heart far from me and their fear toward me is taught by the precepts of men I care not saith God for all their worship and sacrifices or any thing they do for their heart is not in it there 's no heart in their service nor in their sacrifices nor in their actions nor in any thing they do for me Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart 't is not give me thy eye or thy lip or thy tongue but my Son give me thy heart He knew if he had the heart he should have all the rest but if he had not that he should have none of the rest 't is the heart the soul the spirit that God's eye is upon and that he must have or else he will not accept of any thing Tenthly Lastly a good man looks to his heart and that in a special manner because he knows that his heart and spirit and soul must return to God from whence it came and be disposed of by God to all eternity Eccles 12.7 The spirit returns to God that gave it he speaks of man dying and then saith he the spirit returns to God that gave it well when a man is aged and comes to dye dust returns to dust but his spirit returns to God that gave it Now saith a Godly man this spirit was given me from God to keep and it must return now to God to be judged and God will search it to the quick and God will judge of it according as he finds it and dispose of it now eternally in Heaven or in Hell therefore saith a Godly man I had need look to my heart look to my spirit look to my soul for as my soul shall be disposed of so will my body be at the day of judgment after Death comes Judgment the body must be raised and united to the soul and where the Spirit hath gone to Heaven or Hell the body must go thither therefore saith a good man I will have a care of my heart a care of my soul that it may be well with me to all eternity Application First this serves to reprove those that are careless and negligent of their hearts and spirits you shall have men to be careful of their houses careful of their Ships careful of their Cloaths careful of their Body careful of their Beauty careful of their Names careful of their Relations but are careless of their hearts and spirits well had'st thou grace or wert thou so gracious as thou shouldest be thy greatest care would be of thy heart and of thy spirit it may be said of such as of the Spouse my own Vinyard have I not kept So these have not kept their Vinyards have not kept their Hearts have not kept their Souls this is a great and a common evil that men have care of this and that but not of their own hearts not of their own souls hath God committed souls to you are they precious and will you neglect them the sin be upon your own heads Secondly see here that they are not many who are of this practice to have a principal care of their hearts where almost can you find a man or woman that makes it their principal care to look to their hearts put but that question to them and they are silent they are at a stand what do you tell me of my heart and soul I have somewhat else to look after have you so look after what you will you look after a shadow and neglect the substance you look after that which is of no moment no weight but you neglect that which is better than all the world But I say there 's hardly a man or woman to be found in a great way that makes it their principal business to look after their souls saith Solomon in the 7. Eccles latter end One man of a Thousand have I found not a woman at all and but One man of a Thousand God made man upright and he hath sought out many inventions God made man to look to his soul and to have Communion with himself and to mind heaven and heavenly things But I have not found among women one and but one man of a thousand So may I say it is very rare to find a man or woman that makes it their principal business to look after their souls and yet that 's one of the principalest errands you were sent into the world about that you should mind your souls Thirdly
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
and wealth and it may be he did not think himself to be one but when he comes to be prov'd to be one he is discovered to be that he was not so in Rev. 2. Thou hast tryed them and found them Lyars they said they were Apostles but they were found by the Church to be no Apostles but Lyars and now they were ashamed so they that said they were Jews and were not but he 's a Jew that is one inwardly and not outwardly only unsound hearted men will be found that which they are not in their own apprehension and in the judgments of others now this will bring shame when men shall be found that which they are not at present and which they were not in the judgment of others Secondly that which brings shame is disappointment when men are disappointed of their expectations Jer. 14. And their Nobles sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water they returned with their vessels empty they were ashamed and confounded and covered their heads So that disappointment causes shame as in Isa 20.5 They shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and of Egypt their Glory So that when men are disappointed of their expectations then they are ashamed now unfound hearted men they will be disappointed of their expectations they look for Comfort Peace Heaven happiness and Glory but they shall be disappointed the five foolish Virgins they thought to go in to Heaven but they were disappointed of their expectation and so greatly ashamed Thirdly When great evils not look'd for come upon men and women then they are ashamed 2 Sam. 10.5 The men were greatly ashamed there were Ambassadors sent to Hanan and he cuts off half their Beards and half their Garments and here was evil come upon them they look'd not for and they were greatly ashamed so men that are unsound will have evils come upon them that they look'd not for God will bring evil upon them that they look'd not for evil upon their States and evil upon their Names and evils upon their Bodies and Souls and this will make them ashamed Now this shame frequently is in this Life but alwayes at the day of Judgment In this life how are men asham'd what a multitude of men in these dayes are discovered to be unsound hearted full of rotten principles Errors Heresies and sinful complyances and this is their shame what a multitude have divided hearts between God and Mammon what a multitude are discovered to have but seeming grace and no truth of grace in them what a multitude of Hypocrites have we in the world that have pretended fair and high and yet now their Hypocrisie appears they have left the sweet Grapes of Canaan for the stinking Garlick of Egypt what a multitude have we whose hearts are not set to practice what they hear these are all unsound hearted and these are discovered and more and more shall be discovered daily But at last when the Goats shall be set at the left hand and the Sheep at the right hand and Christ shall say go ye Hereticks go ye erroneous persons go you Apostates go you prophane wretches go you Persecutors begon to hell to the Devil and his Angels now they shall be ashamed and confounded for ever So that God he hath his time sooner or later to discover unsound hearted men and women Now that that I shall do here shall be first to shew you who are like to prove unsound and corrupt hearted men and women Secondly to give you some Directions or Arguments to prevent unsoundness of heart shame and confusion First who are like to prove rotten and unsound at the heart First those who do receive truth into impure hearts into divided hearts truth is holy truth is pure and truth never dwells or abides long but in a pure heart t is true truth doth sojourn sometimes in a corrupt heart Lot he sojourns in Sedom a little while Christ lay a while in the manger but he staid not there long and so mens corrupt wills thrust out truth out of the heart it will not let it stay long unless the heart be pure and holy 1 Tim. 3.9 holding the mysterie of the faith in a pure Conscience That is holding the Doctrine of the Gospel and a pure Conscience unless mens hearts and Consciences be pure they will never hold the mysterie they may have some part of the mysterie conveyed unto them which may visit them a little while but their hearts and Consciences cannot hold the fame and then such men and women will prove unfound at the latter end Secondly They are like to prove unsound who do take upon them the profession of Religion and Godliness and do much and go far but not for right ends many have their ends why they will profess Religion why they will have a form of Godliness and why they will do this and that they have their ends why they will get into Church-fellowship some will profess Religion and go far for credit esteem and respect when Religion is in fashion in credit and esteem they will be religious so Scribes and Pharises sought honour of men and so we have those seek honour and credit of men and because of that they will enter upon Religion but they will not be sound some do it for preferment and advantage some again for livelyhood they are poor mean and low in the world and have heavy pressures that way and therefore they will get into a Church that they may be maintained and so live by the sweat of others and think the Church is bound to maintain them and theirs such men as these will prove unsound at the last but have you no better ends to move you then these to be Religious and to look unto Gods Statutes Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes the Glory of God must be your end the good of Souls must be your end the good of your own foul and all other ends must be lay'd by now if men have not such ends as these they will prove rotten at last and will be discovered to their shame Thirdly Those are like to prove unsound at last and be ashamed who have not seriously considered what it may cost them to profess the Gospel to be Christians to enter into Church state and are not resolved to buy the Pearl though it be at the dearest rate they will prove unsound it may cost you something to be Christians so in Luke 14.26 and so forward If any man come to me saith Christ and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life Mark he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple for which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he hath sufficient to finish it least haply after he hath lay'd the Foundation and is
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
not lift up my hand against any let me not think or speak or do any thing against thy Statutes Qu. Now whence is it that a gracious man's heart is such a jealous heart A. First It is from his own heart that his heart is so jealous the deâ—eitfulness of a man 's own heart is the ground or the cause of the hearts jealousie when it 's once sanctifyed in any measure it becomes jealous because this heart is so deceitful Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it well saith a gracious soul I will be jealous therefore of my heart 't is deceitful 't is desperately wicked 't is hard to know it Why â—â—e heart is deceitful there is deceitful lusts in it deceitful principles in it deceitful aims and ends in it deceitful affections in it deceitful apprehensions in it it is a bundle of deceit What experience hath a Godly man of the deceitfulness of his own heart how oft doth it run out when it is hearing reading praying and meditating Therefore a gracious Soul is jealous over its own heart how oft doth the heart excuse when it should condemn how oft doth it condemn when it should excuse how oft doth it cry up a man to be good when he is naught and how oft doth it cry him down to be naught when he is good There is nothing almost but deceit in our hearts and therefore a Godly man is jealous over his own heart Secondly A gracious heart is jealous of it self because it sees men and women may go very far and yet miscarry come short of Heaven prove rotten and unsound and be asham'd at last a gracious heart sees men may go a great way the Galatians went a great way and Paul was afraid of them what saith he have ye suffered so many things in vain you did run well you began in the Spirit what now will you end in the flesh what turn to another Gospel what now be justified by the Law the young man comes very near to the Kingdom of Heaven I but this heart was not sound he had a covetous heart his heart was not enclin'd to the testimonies of God but to covetonsness the foolish Virgins did they not go far had they not got Lamps had they not trim'd up their Lamps went they not forth to meet Christ and came they not to the Gates and knock'd and yet no entrance they were Virgins in name and not in nature seeming Virgins not real Virgins Ananias and Saphira went a great way they received the Gospel they profest Christ they entered into a Church state they sould their Lands and brought the greatest part to the Apostles feet and laid it down and yet not sound at the heart The stony ground received the word with joy yet falls away when temptation comes now a gracious heart is jealous of it self may men go so far as to read hear pray leave the world and part with estate and be joyned to a Church and yet not be sound at the heart O Lord what shall I judge of my heart O that my heart may be sound in thy Statutes Thirdly They are so because Satan is so subtle Satan deceives so many Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light Satan can inject good thoughts good desires good opinions and the like Did not Satan get into David himself and make him to number the people Did he not get into Peter and make Peter set upon Christ himself O Master spare thy self this shall not be unto thee and it 's said that many were turned aside after Satan 1 Tim. 5. now this makes them jealous least Satan should delude them how hath Satan deluded many in our dayes and they thought they had Enthusiasms and Revelations from God and his Spirit whereas they were deluded by Satan I have known some have been confident they have had revelations from God and yet afterwards have been convinc'd that they were from Satan and that they have been deluded Fourthly Lastly a gracious heart is jealous of it self because the right way the way to life to happiness to salvation is very narrow very hard to find and few do find it therefore saith a gracious heart I may well be jealous whether I be right or no whether I have not mistaken O there are many by wayes on this hand and by wayes on that hand and but one way and a narrow way and a hard way and few find it have I found it Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that go in thereat a broad way a pleasant way a down hill way and many there be go that way but the way to life and salvation is a narrow way yea so narrow that if Christ had not said it we could not have believed it as narrow as the eye of a Needle t is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven and 't is as narrow to a poor man as to a rich man 't is a very narrow way rich men are loaded with the world and they cannot enter and poor men are loaded with repinings grudgings and discontents and they cannot enter Thus you see that gracious hearts are jealous of themselves and wherein and why Qu. A question may be propounded You say they are jealous of themselves but is not this prejudicial to a man's peace and comfort and spiritual good that he should have a jealousie of himself An. For answer to this I tould you it is not sinful jealousie but a spiritual jealousie and there is no hurt in a Godly jealousie But further First it is not prejudicial to him but advantageous That Soul that hath a Godly jealousie over it self will be kept from a sinful and careless security men that are not jealous over themselves are secure and careless But that soul that is jealous cannot be secure cannot be careless that person will have an eye upon his heart and will be awake and will look to his heart What saith Solomon in the 4 Prov. Above all keepings keep thy heart if you have not a Godly jealousie how will you keep your hearts the secure man is asleep the negligent man is asleep therefore here should be the greatest jealousie and this helps to keep thy heart Secondly This will make you to do your duty towards God and man with more circumspection and with more vigour and life a drowsie sleepy man can neither serve God nor serve man but if a man be throughly awak'd then he looks about him and doth his business with more minding of it and more intention so the Godly Soul that is a jealous heart O it serves God with more carefulness it considers well I am to do with God and God looks for the heart and he calls for the Spirit and therefore I must give him my Spirit I must not be drowsie and sleepy and
at a great rate but he values his life above them all he will part with an hand an eye an ear a leg for his life I but a man will let go his life rather than loose his soul the Martyrs did so they would part with their lives to save their souls and that shews of what value and how precious the soul is Math. 16.26 What is a man profited if hoshall gain the whole world and loose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul What is a man profited if he get all the world there 's riches enough in the world but what if I had it all and lose my soul What 's all this in recompence of a mans soul No it 's nothing to his soul so that the soul is of great price and worth and a Godly man knows how to prize his soul your principal care is over things that are precious if you have a Jewel in the house or any old Gold or any thing given you by a Friend of value you prize it at a great rate and will have a special care of that whatever you have of other things The soul is precious and therefore a Godly mans chief care is about that Thirdly A Godly man's principal care is about his heart and soul because that is the Treasury or Magazine of all his spiritual wealth and riches for where your wealth and riches are layd up you will be â—â—re to have a care of that place Now the soul I say is the Treasury and Magazine of all your spiritual Riches in this 119. Psal 11. Thy word have I bid in my heart the Word of God is very precious more than thousands of Gold and Silver now Thy word have I hid in my heart that 's the treasury of God's word and in Jer. and so in the 8. Heb. I will write my Law in their heartâ— saith God and in the 4. Psal Thou hast put gladness in my heart spiritual joy is in the hearâ— that 's the treasury Christ also is said to dwell in the heart by Faith Eph. 3.17 There 's a treasure there 's riches Christ with his fulness Christ with his graces dwells in the heart Christ with his Merits Christ with his righteousness and excellencies is there yea God himself dwells in the heart in the 57. of Isa I dwell in the high and hoâ—y place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit c. I dwell saith God in the heart in the spirit of a broken and a contrite one So that the heart is the Store-house the Magazine where all spiritual wealth is where God is where Christ is where Grace is where Joy and Gladness is where peace that passes understanding is Now a Godly man hath a special care of his heart because there 's special riches the riches of Heaven the riches of the Gospel Fourthly He hath a special care of his heart because it is the Shop wherein all things are contriv'd hatch'd and wrought be they good or evil saith Christ in Mat. 15. Out of the heart comes evil Thoughts Lusts Murders and Adulteries In the heart are they form'd fram'd and wrought Now a good man he hath Corruption and Grace in his heart he hath Flesh and Spirit in his heart and the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh so that he hath a special eye now and care of his heart to observe what workings are in his heart whether the old Adam be at work whether Corruption be at work whether Grace be at work whether the Spirit be at work what workings are in his Soul he looks unto that Fifthly His principal care is of his heart because the heart is the seat of the affections as it 's said of us that in God we live and move and have our being so in the heart in the soul our affections live and move and have their being And the affections are nimble mercurial things that do labour to get out and if they get wings they will sly and fly far now a Godly man hath a special eye and special care of his heart because there are such active things in it as his affections you know in your Ships you will have a special care of the Powder Room for if a spark of fire get in there there 's danger so a Godly man he looks to his affections least they be fir'd and mount up too high or least they be too low too dull and flat they are the pulses of the soul and they beat sometimes too high and sometimes too low they are the feet of the soul Eccles 5.1 Take heed to thy foot when thou goest to the house of God i. e. affections they are the feet of the soul and the wings of the soul and a good man looks well to his feet and to his wings he looks well to his affections because they being in the soul may exceedingly advantage or exceedingly prejudice it Therefore his eye is upon them Sixthly A Godly man hath a special care of his heart because of the many distempers and diseases it is subject unto because of the many worms and weeds that are apt to grow and breed therein The heart is subject to a thousand distempers a thousand diseases o what strange creatures breed there what Vermin gender there what weeds grow there The heart of man is the Garden of God and all sorts of worms and weeds grow there there will be deadness dulness unbelief pride passion worldliness filthiness revengefulness and other distempers without number A Godly man therefore hath a principal care of his heart O my heart 's dead my heart 's dull my heart 's out of frame my heart 's envious my heart 's malicious my heart is revengeful my heart is running after this or that if you have one in your Family that 's subject to the Megrim to the Falling sickness to the Palsey himself will be very careful and others will be careful why a man's heart is subject to all manner of distempers and all manner of worms and vermin are subject to creep in there all Devils in hell are seeking to get in there therefore he hath a special care of his heart Seventhly The heart of man is in eminent danger of being stolen from him of being lost and therefore a Godly man looks well to his heart he would not have it stolen from him he would not lose it Hos 4.11 Whordome Wine and new Wine had stolen away their hearts and in Mat. 16.26 what will it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his soul he is in danger of losing it the creatures are sly things and would steal away thy heart steal it from God's service steal it from doing its duty draw it aside from God do not you find it when you are reading praying hearing or conversing of good things how soon your heart is stolen away and drawn aside therefore a Godly man hath
you that think you do look to your hearts and souls pray examine and make a little inquiry whither it be so with you or no whether you do make this your work your principal care business to mind your souls to mind your hearts Well how shall we know it 1. First if you do look well to your hearts you have a care what goes in and what comes out a man or woman that hath one choice Room in their house they will be careful above all the rest to keep that lock'd so if you have a care of your hearts according to what you should you will have a care what comes into the heart and what goes out of the heart a good man out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good things he will not let evil things come into his heart he will shut his eyes shut his mouth no corrupt words shall come out of his mouth is it so now that you have a constant care to see what goes into your hearts you will be careful what goes into your mouths and will you not be careful to see what goes into your hearts 2. Secondly if you have a care of your hearts then your hearts are in good order That which is principally look'd unto any where is in good frame in good order if you have a principal care of a Watch of a Room of a Ship it is in good order what frames are your hearts in are they in good order for God are they in frame for his Ordinances A Garden if you take delight in it if your care be there how are things ordered therein every thing is in its place how are the weeds kept down how are the vermin prevented all is kept in good order So it will be with your souls if your care be there I passed by the Vineyard of the Sluggard and all was over grown with Nettles and Bryars Prov. 24.31 why he had not a care of his Vine yard and so it is with the heart but if your principal care were about your hearts all would be in good order they would be neat comely and delightful 3. Thirdly if your principal care be about your hearts and souls then you will make suitable provision for them That a man takes special care of he will provide for and make suitable provision Now if your special care be for the good of your hearts and souls you will make suitable provision for them in Rom. 13. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereofâ— But you will make provision for your souls to help the graces thereof and the good of your souls a gracious man will make suitable provision for a gracious heart The world is not suitable provision that 's chaff to a gracious heart a gracious soul cannot live upon the world but it can live upon the Word and Promises and the Ordinances and the water of life Therefore saith Christ labour not for the meat that perishes that is comparatively not absolutely but labour for the meat which indures to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you c. Well here 's the principal meat to be laboured for the meat which indures to everlasting sife which the Son of man shall give unto you do you go to Christ in the morning for a Breakfast at noon for a Dinner at night for a Supper This is an argument indeed that your principal care is for your souls but O how lean souls have men and women what hunger-starv'd souls 4. Fourthly Lastly if your principal care be for your souls then your souls are prospering thriving and fruitful The piece of ground that the Husbandman takes most content in and is most delighted in shall be well drest and fruitful so that man or woman that takes most care for the soul will have a thriving soul a flourishing soul a prosperous Soul See it in the 3d. Ep. of John 2d v. Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth he writes to Gaius this Gains minded the things of his soul he minded the Truth entertainment of Saints was full of love doing of good works and his soul thriv'd and prospered and was fat and flourishing so that man that doth mind his soul will be fat and flourishing The soul is God's Garden and if you mind it it will be as a watered Garden flourishing Christ will come into his Garden and gather his spices and flowers and eat his pleasant fruits and take delight in it if it be so but are not your Gardens full of weeds now if your principal care be for your Souls you may know it by these things Use 4. The last use is an exhortation that you would be pleased to bestow a little more care upon your souls a good man's care is upon his soul saith Solomon in Prov. 4. Wisdom is the principal thing and above all gettings get wisdom that 's the principal thing to be got but what 's the principal thing to be kept v. 24. keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the Issues of life and out of it are the issues of death Therefore if you be good men if you be wise men if you be both shew it get wisdom and above all keepings keep your hearts keep your eye that it wanders not keep your ear that no evil enter keep your hand keep your foot but above all keepings keep your hearts for out of them are the issues of Death Obs 3. The third observation is this that a gracious soul doth earnestly desire soundness of heart Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes this was the desire of David so in Psal 51. v. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew in me a right Spirit O Lord saith he let me have a clean heart let me have a right spirit let my heart be sound in me whatsoever else I miss of Two things I shall do at this time First shew you wherein this soundness of heart doth lye Secondly give you the reasons why a gracious heart doth desire soundness of heart First this soundness of heart doth lye in having sound and good principles sound Tenets sound Doctrines sound apprehensions of Spiritual things and so here soundness is opposed to errour Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes O let me not be lead away with any errour any windy doctrine any false opinions any corrupt tenets any false principles in 2. Tim. 3.8 he speaks there of men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith men of corrupt minds are not sound they are reprobate concerning the faith that is the Doctrine of faith so in 2 Tit. 2. That the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in the Faith they must not be erronious many men and women are full of error full of corrupt opinions full of damnable doctrines full of dangerous tenets full of seduction now soundness of heart soundness
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
must labour to have a sound heart And here 's the grounds and reasons why a gracious heart looks after soundness I come now in the next place to shew you the priviledge dignity or excellency of a sound heart Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes First a sound heart makes you like unto Christ Christ had a sound heart in him John 14. The Devil comes and finds nothing of his in him he found no erroneous principles in Christs heart he found no dividedness in his heart between God and the creature he found no sickliness in his heart or sinful dispositions he found no seeming graces but all real the word dwelt among us and was full of grace truth he found that Christ was sincere and upright he had no base ends Gods glory and publick good were his ends now when a man hath a sound heart he is like unto Christ a heart like Christs heart this is an excellency a priviledge to have a sound heart that when the Devil comes he may find nothing of his in you Secondly the excellency of a sound heart is it 's a heart fit for Gods use a corrupt heart a divided heart an hypocritical heart is not fit for Gods use you know a man that hath sound limbs is fit for mans use and a man that hath a sound heart is fit for Gods use 2 Tim. 2.21 If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctifyed and meet for the Masters use and prepared for every good work if a man purge his heart from false principles from all base lusts and corrupt distempers if a man purge his heart from dividedness between God and the Creature and the like then he shall be a vessel of honour and a vessel meet for his Masters use Flee youthful lusts but follow Righteousness Faith Charity Peace c. saith Paul to Timothy 2 Tim. 2.22 when the heart is purged cleansed and made sound it 's a pure heart and then it 's fit for Gods use and in Chap. 3. v. 8. It 's said of James and Jambres that they were men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith they were not vessels fit for Gods use in the 1 Tit. last They profess they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate when men profess they know God but in works deny him what are they hypocrites men that have but seeming grace men that have sick souls and these are reprobate to every good work there were in the Temple vessels of Gold vessels of Silver and vessels of Brass these were sound and sit for service Heb. 9.21 And all the Vessels of the Ministry if they were crack'd if they were corrupt they were not to be used in the Temple in the Lord's service if rusty if crack't if corrupt any way they were to be lay'd aside but when they were Gold and Silver and Brass sound and clean then they were Vessels of Ministry so a man of a sound heart he is a Vessel of Ministry a Vessel fit for the Lords use Secondly a sound heart is a precious heart a corrupt heart a deceitful heart is base it 's worth nothing Prov. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choice Silver the heart of the wicked is little worth take a wicked man and his heart is the principal part he hath it 's little worth God doth not value or esteem it at all 't is dross 't is enmity to God 't is loathsome and abominable in the sight of God an unbelieving heart a proud heart a defiled heart an hypocritical heart a divided heart it 's worth nothing but the Tongue of the just is as choice Silver what 's his Heart then that 's like choice Gold Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour there 's an excellency in a righteous man an excellency in his words an excellency in his tongue an excellency in his heart a Diamond that 's crack'd is worth little or nothing but if sound it's worth much so a sound heart is of great esteem with God Fourthly A sound heart doth discriminate you and difference you from all others it differences you from all hearts that are erroneous that are divided that are sick unsound that are unhealthy from all that are hypocritical from all that are guilded over and have no substance in them and soundness you know is a special thing if the wine be corrupt away with it the Merchant cares not for it people care not for drinking it so sound Corn sound Fruit sound meat drink at your Tables differences them from all others so soundness in the heart doth difference a man or woman from all false hearted wretches from all hypocrites from all reprobates from all that shall perish Fifthly 'T is that which God himself doth take pleasure and delight in In Eccles 7. it 's said that the Lord made man upright no crookedness no unsoundness in him no rottenness in him and in the 1 Gen. last the Lord looked upon all his works and loe they were good very good God took delight and content in beholding of them so man was made upright and God took pleasure in him and when man recovers his rectitude and soundness of heart again then God takes pleasure and delight in him Prov. 11.20 Such as are upright in the way are his delight Those that are sincere sound at heart and walk sincerely and soundly in their Conversations are his delight as if God had delight and pleasure in nothing but a sound heart Enoch walked with God and he was his delight Noah a perfect man and walk'd with God he was his delight Job a perfect man and he was Gods delight didest thou see my Servant Job saith God to the Devil where there is a sound and a perfect heart that God delights in Sixthly The excellency of such a heart is that it 's a stedfast heart a heart unmoveable unshakable Psal 55.7 My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed David was a man after Gods own heart he had a sound heart and his heart was fixed nothing could shake or move or turn his heart another way his heart was fixed it was established a Godly man his heart is constant and perseveres Job 17.9 The Righteous shall hold on his way a righteous man is constant he perseveres he holds on why his heart is fixed and nothing can remove the heart and if they cannot remove the heart they cannot remove the man when the heart is fast the head will be fast the foot will he fast the whole man will stand fast Prov. 10.29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright to the man that is sound the man that is perfect the man that is compleat to the man that is sincere Sound and upright the very same Hebrew word is used for both Now he grows stronger and stronger so that here 's his excellency he
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
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
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
7 8 9. The Woolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lyon and the Fatling together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall feed their young ones shall lye down together and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Ox. They shall be fed with the same meat the mind of Christ the Gospel and Gospel truths they shall eat and feed together and the meanest in the Church shall have no harm by them and he goes on the sucking child shall play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den that is the meanest in the Church shall not be hurt by the greatest nor infected by those that were Dragons and Asps before full of gall and bitterness and venom and the like they shall be so cleansed by the Doctrine of Christ and the mind of Christ that the meanest Saint shall have communion and converse with them and what follows They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord there 's the mind of Christ now full of the mind of Christ that will purge out their malice and bitterness and enmity and there will be such a change and alteration such a harmony in affection as they will eat together Hear together Pray together Converse together and the like and so there will be much unity among all those that have the mind of Christ which will be a blessed thing for what saith the Psalmist Psal 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity Behold it how beautiful and blessed a thing it is and Acts 4.32 the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul Why they were of Christs mind and so of one mind so then we should be of Christs mind that we may unite together and live sweetly and meekly and harmoniously together and in 1 Cor. 1.10 't is that the Apostle urges the Ceriuthians unto I beseech you Brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment and if we have Christs mind we shall have the same mind and the same judgment we shall be all of one mind Seventhly we should be all of Christs mind that so we may do our Christian work wisely and understandingly The Lord Christ did all things wisely and understandingly all his work as he was a High Priest all his work as he was a Prince all his work as he was a Prophet all his work as he was a private man And if we have the mind of Christ we shall do all things wisely and understandingly as becomes Christians Many Christians are very foolish and rash and inconsiderate and do things untowardly Why they go upon their own minds but if we have the mind of Jesus Christ we shall do all things wisely and advantagiously for the glory of God and good of others and peace and comfort of our own souls Eighthly Lastly we should be of the same mind that Christ is because if we be true Christians we have the same spirit that Christ had where is the same spirit there will be the same mind Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his If you han't Christs spirit no marvel you are not of his mind but if you be true Christians you have the spirit of Christ and if you have the spirit of Christ you must needs be of the mind of Christ for in 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit it is a spirit of wisdom and revelation and a spirit that doth discover the mind of the Lord Jesus unto the soul the spirit saith Christ shall take of mine shew unto you the spirit doth shew nothing unto those where it is but the mind of Christ now if there be the same spirit we shall be of the same mind Thus then you see why we should be of the same mind of Christ I shall come to some application of the point Application 1. This serves for reproof and First it reproves those that are so far from being of Christs mind as that they seldom or never mind Christ they mind earthly things as the Apostle saith O how many are there that mind Plays and mind Pictures and mind Histories and mind sea affairs winds and weather how many mind riches and buying and selling and building and eating and drinking and dressing and things of this nature that mind exchanges and friends c. and no marvel they have not the mind of Christ the Gadarens minded their Swine and minded not Christ but bad him go out of their Country so those that were bidden to the Feast they minded their Wives and Oxen and Farms but they minded not Christ this now is reproof to such Secondly it is reproof to those that it may be do somewhat mind Christ but not so as to live Christ and to seek the good of others and the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.24.31 you have both these Let no man seek his own but every man anothers wealth that is his spiritual wealth to do his soul good the welfare of Soul and Body and Relations and welfare of his mind and in the 31 verse whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God Here 's the great end we should aim at we should live Christ and seek the good of others and seek the glory of God but where are the men that do this nay men live now so as they are a reproach to Christ and to the name of Christ a dishonour to God and make a prey of their Brethren they live so as if the Devil were their Copy to write after and to imitate If the Devil should come up from Hell in the likeness of man how could he live worse then many men do that are called Christians O the debauchedness the blasphemousness the oppressions and the horrible evils that are committed in these our dayes by those that say they are Christians Christ told the Pharisees ye are of your Father the Devil and his works will ye do So we may tell many in City and Country you are of your Father the Devil and his works you will do what can they do worse almost then they do they are come to such a height of wickedness But let such rather unchristian themselves than to live as they do and be called Christians What will men not be of Christs mind and yet be Christians called Christians and live like Devils and worldlings and prophane wretches that neither fear God nor man better they had been Heathens then Christians it will be more easie for Sodom and
created an understanding knowing man a holy man and a righteous man now by Adam's eating the forbidden fruit this Image was lost but Christ he came to restore this again it being lost Eph. 4.24 And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness And in the Collossians knowledge is mentioned now by the Lord Jesus Christ we have this restor'd again and the more we know of Christs mind the more that Image is renewed in us 't is a pure mind an humble mind a righteous mind and it is an understanding mind so that the more you know of Christ the more purity the more righteousness the more knowledge you have and so the Image of God is renewed in you and there 's your happiness and when this comes to perfection then you are perfectly happy and that will be in heaven But you will say what should we do to get more of the mind of Christ into us First if you would have more of the mind of Christ then be you less conformable to the world be more and more off from the world and oâ— more and more transformed by the renewing of your minds Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to this world but be ye transtormed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God You will come to know this good and perfect and acceptable will of God more and more that is the mind of Christ 't is the world keeps us from knowledge the world doth blind us and indispose us from receiving the divine truths and mysteries of the Gospel that man that is most alienated from the world and most contemplative of the Gospel will have most of the mind of God and Christ in him Secondly if you would have more and more of the mind of Christ see you love the Lord Jesus Christ more and more daily The more you love the more Christ will let out his mind unto you Job 15.14 15. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I câ—mmand you henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Well you are my friends you love me one friend loves another and Christ made known all things unto them that he had received of his Father so Christ will make all things known to your souls that he hath received of the Father which is needful and good for you if you love him so in the 14. Ch. 21. he that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Would you have manifestations of the Lord Jesus Christ secrets revealed unto you and hidden things that the world knows not of love the Lord Jesus Christ more and more a Wife the more she loves her Husband the more her Husband will communicate his secrets unto her so the more you love Christ the more of his mind shall you have communicated unto you Thirdly Lastly if you would have more of the mind of Christ then pray more and more for the spirit of Christ for the spirit of Christ reveals the things of God and searches them and gives them out unto those where it is pray unto Christ to fill you with his spirit and that spirit will fill you with the knowledge of Christs mind the spirit of God is a spirit of wisdom and Revelation Joh. 16.14 the Spirit shall take of mine and shew unto you there 's a treasury in Christ in him are hid all the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge and the spirit will take of Christs and shew unto you 2 Cor. 3. last we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. What 's this Glass the Gospel is the glass and in the glass there 's Christ and the mind of Christ and when we come to look in there we are changed into the same Image from glory to glory we have more and more of the mind of Christ and of the holiness of Christ and righteousness of Christ as by the Spirit of the Lord so that pray for the spirit and the spirit will interpret and open the mind of Christ in all the mysteries of the Gospel which are hidden from most men in the world All in Christs Name Colloss 3.17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus THis Chapter is full of exhortations First general ones to the end of my Text. Secondly particular ones to the end of the Chapter For the general ones he exhorts them first to seek the things which are above and to set their affections on things above v. 1 2. which he presses with several Arguments to the beginning of the fifth verse Secondly He exhorts them to mortification in the fifth verse Mortifie your members which are upon the earth Fornication Uncleanness Inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry He exhorts them to mortifie all these earthly members and gives reasons and arguments for it even to the twelfth verse Thirdly He exhorts them to Christian vertues to Christian practices put on bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another and above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also you are called in one body and be ye thankful let the word of Christ dwell in you richly These be Christian vertues and Christianpractices he puts them upon and that by three Arguments especially First from their election put on as the elect of God you are elect and choice vessels of God therefore put on these they become elect ones Secondly you are holy and 't is not for holy ones to meddle with unholy things but to do holily Thirdly you are beloved of God God he loves you and you are dear unto him and therefore you should look after such virtues and your practices should be accordingly and then in the 17. verse he exhorts them to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus If you teach and admonish one another if you sing Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus and then afterwards in the Chapter he comes to particular duties of Wives to Husbands and Husbands to Wives of Children to Parents and Parents to Children of Servants to Masters and Masters to Servants and the like In the words you may consider First the act doing Secondly the extent of the act whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all Thirdly the manner in the
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
either some profit or pleasure or some sweetness and therefore would enjoy it and delight in it So that desire is the reaching out of the Soul after some good affected not present but absent 2. The second thing is that as Gold is desirable so upon the same account are the truths of God the Laws and Statutes and Judgements of God We shall see upon several accounts that Gold is commendable and desirable and upon the same the word of God is so too 1. Gold is precious there 's a preciousness in it Ezr. 8.27 precious as Gold The Heathens yea and many others to did so esteem it as they made Gods of Gold they thought nothing more precious to make their Gods of than Gold 1 King 12.28 Jeroboam made two Golden Calves and said to Israel these are thy Gods and in the 115. Psal 4. v. Their Idols are Silver and Gold speaking of the Nations So addicted were Nations unto this practice of making Gods of Gold that God forbids his people to make Gods of Silver or Gold Exod. 20.23 yea in the 17. Acts 29. you will find that they did liken the very Godhead unto Gold So then Gold is very precious and as that is precious so is the Word of God that is precious as Gold 't is of great worth and value The word is full of great and precious promises and every promise is a Pearl of great price Prov. 3.13 14 15. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the Merchandize of it is better than the Merchandize of Silver and the Gain thereof than fine Gold It 's more worth then all Rubies The Word of God is very precious Psal 138.2 Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name what 's the Name of God The whole creation all his works are his Name they hold forth his power his wisdom his goodness his mercy his loving kindness bounty and the like now God doth magnifie his Word or his Law above all his Name he prizes it above the wrole creation hence saith Christ that not one jot or syllable of it shall fall to the ground So that if Gold be precious the Word of God is precious and so desirable upon that account 2. Gold contains much in a little A little piece of Gold contains many Shillings And Gold is Ductile a little piece of Gold may be drawn out to cover a great piece of ground So the Word of God contains much in a little Fear God there 's a great deal contain'd in these words God manifested in flesh how much is contained in that word And Cast all your care upon him a great deal contained in that word who can tell what treasure is in any one Text of holy Scripture There is more than any man than all men can find or draw out Christ is the Image of the invisible God who can find out all that is in those words In him is all fullness who can find out all the fullness of Christ So that if Gold contains much in it and is desirable upon that account the Word of God contains much in it and is desirable upon the same account 3. Gold is very pure Rev. 21.18 The City was of pure Gold and Psal 21.3 Thou settest a Crown of pure Gold on his head Gold is very pure 't is purified and cleansed from all dross so the Word of God If Gold be desirable because of its purity so it the Word of God being very pure Prov. 30.5 Every Word of God is pure Not onely one word but every word of God is pure and Psal 114.140 Thy word is very pure there is nothing comparable to the Word of God for purity and therefore desirable as Gold is upon that account 4. Gold hath a beautiful splendor in it therefore Rev. 21.21 'T is put for the Glory of the new Jerusasalem a Similitudine aurorae aurum ab aura dictum i. e. a Splendore Martinius in Lexic v. aurum or Heaven it hath it's name from its splendor and the word of God is very beautiful and shining Prov. 6.23 The Law is light and light is a shining and a glorious thing and the Gospel is light and the Gospel is glorious 2 Cor. 4.4 The Glorious Gospel Full of Glory and beauty and splendor is the Word of God and therefore desirable as Gold is upon that account 5. Gold is sollid and weighty the Hobrew word for fine Gold is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mippaz and Phaz or Phez is from Phazaz to consolidate to strengthen and make firm such is the Word of God it is firm and sollid hold fast the pattern of sound words and Tit. 1.9 sound Doctrine The Doctrine of Law and Gospel is sound Doctrine and Prov. 2.7 he layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous wisdom that hath substance and being for the righteous and the truths of God are called Gold 1 Cor. 3.12 for the sollidity of them now if any man build upon this Foundation Gold Silver precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble Build Gold upon the Foundation that is if he build sound Doctrine upon the Foundation Christ that 's sollid masly and weighty Corrupt Doctrines are wood and stubble and will burn The Word of God is very sollid and weighty The soul that sins shall dye what a weighty truth is this Every â—dâ—e word we speak we shall give account thereof a weighty truth We must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ a weighty truth 2 Cor. 10.10 say they his words are weighty and so are all the Words of God they are sollid and weighty 6. Gold it is of great use it is of use First to adorn and beautifie what an Ornament was the Gold Chain about Joseph's neck Gen. 41.42 So Saul he put on Ornaments of Gold upon the Apparel of the Daughters of Israel 2 Sam. 1.24 Gold doth adorn and beautifie things you beautifie many things your Rooms and Books and many other things with Gold So the Word of God is of an adorning and beautifying nature Prov. 4.9 She shall give to thine head an Ornament of Grace a Crown of Glory shall she deliver to thee The word of God the wisdom of God 't is an ornament of Grace a crown of Glory nothing becomes a Christian more than the Truths of God they adorn the soul and the very outward man and makes the outward man lovely and beautiful when we hold forth the word of Life and the word of God and of Jesus Christ Secondly Gold is of use to make Vessels for they made Vessels for the Sanctuary and for the Temple there were Golden Tongs Golden Candlesticks and Golden Lamds c. as you may find in the 1. King 7. and 2 Chron. 7. and Heb. 9.4 So the word the word makes Golden Vessels it makes Golden Candlesticks Golden Churches All true Christians and Believers are Golden Vessels in the Temple of God Lam. 4.2 The precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold
All true children of Zion are precious and comparable unto fine Gold to the finest Gold or Silver that is in the world 2 Tim. 3.16 They make wise unto Salvation they furnish and fit a man for every good word and work they make precious Vessels Thirdly Gold is said to be a Cordial likewise and is not the word of God a Cordial the best Cordial we have in this world next to Christ and God himself The Word of God 't is a sweet Cordial a sweet Comfort unto the Soul 7. Gold endures tryal it will endure the fire the exactest tryal that can be Zech. 13.9 I will bring them through the fire and try them as Gold is tryed Gold is tryed and tryed in the fire and therefore it is esteemed because it will endure the fire so the Word of God is a tryed word Psal 12.6 The words of the Law are pure as Silver tryed in a furnace of earth purified seven times The Word of God is a tryed word Psal 18.30 The word of the Lord is tryed his promises have been tryed in all Ages they have had tryals several times and several wayes Those that have received the word have been tryed the Martyrs have been tryed and they find the word to hold out in the sharpest tryals and to stand them in stead So that you see Gold is desirable and upon what accounts and upon the same account the Word of God is desirable 2. Now the second thing is to shew you that Divine truths are more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold More to be desired and that will appear several wayes First Gold and Silver and earthly treasures are at the will and command of men and we may be deprived of them Dan. 11.43 He shall have power over the treasures of Gold and of Silver and ever all the precious things of Egypt The King should have power over them and take them away from them and we see how Gold and Silver is subject to Thieses and to others and we may be deprived thereof But the Word of God when 't is ours when 't is written in our hearts once there 's none can take it from us nor deprive us of it Secondly The Word of God and Divine truths are more desirable than Gold because it 's better than Gold Psal 119.72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than Thousands of Gold and Silver There 's a betterness in the Word of God than in Gold and Silver it exceeds it and that in several respects First Gold and Silver are subject to cankering and so to perish James 5.3 Your Gold and Silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and it is subject to corrupt 1 Pet. 1.18 ye are not redeemed with Corruptible things as Silver and Gold and in the 1. Ch. 7. Gold that perisheth But the word of the Lord perisheth not corrupts not The word of the Lord endures for ever 1 Pet. 1.25 there 's no corrupting no cankering no perishing of the Word of God Therefore it 's better than Gold Secondly The word is better than Gold or Silver because it doth that which Gold and Silver cannot do nor all the treasures in the world can do and what 's that First It is not in the power of Silver and Gold and Riches or earthly Treasures to sanctifie any mans heart or nature They may pollute men and they do pollute most but sanctifie none But in Joh. 15.3 saith Christ Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you The word of Christ and of God is a cleansing word it will cleanse your heads your hearts your lips your lives where withall shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word But all the treasures in the world will never cleanse any Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth Gods word is a word of truth and 't is a word of Sanctification that will make men and women holy the more of the word is in you the more holy you are the more filthiness of flesh and spirit is purged out of you So that it 's better than Silver and Gold upon this account Secondly Silver and Gold can never satisfie you Eccles 4.8 The eye is not satisfied with Riches Alexander had the world and yet he was not satisfied he would have another world Eccles 5.10 He that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase A man is never satisfied with these things that are below The heart of man is triangular and the whole world being round can never satisfie a triangle but the truths of God are satisfying truths Open thy mouth wide and I will sill it saith God I will fill it with Divine truths Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house the word of God hath that in it will satisfie your souls Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that wait for him and for them that love him There is more prepared than you can expect or look for and that will satisfie Psal 65.4 We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house there is so much goodness in the house of God there you have Communion with God himself and with the Spirit and with Jesus Christ and these will satisfie the soul if ever it will be satisfied Thirdly They are more desirable than Gold and Silver because it is desire that makes the subject fit to receive the thing desired If a man be hungry and thirsty his hunger and thirstiness makes him fit to receive bread and to take drink Now the more excellent the thing to be received is the more must it be desired Matth. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me Why I am the most excellent therefore I must have the most love and the most desire That Soul will never receive any real good by the Word that doth not desire it more than any other thing If you desire the Word but in competition to another thing or equal to another thing you will have no good by the Word but you must desire it more than other things and therefore it is better than other things Fourthly If our desires be more after the Word than after Gold and Silver and these outward things then these will fall in of course Mat. 6.33 First seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and all these things shall be added unto you we must first therefore seek the Kingdom of God that is we must more desire the Kingdom of God than these things if we labour to know the Gospel to know God and Jesus Christ and desire the knowledge of these other things will be given in
are more desirable then Gold and Silver Then here we may see who are the richest men in the world and have the best treasure even those that have gotten most of the Word into their hearts not most of the world into their houses and into their possessions the Word is better than thousands of Gold and Silver They are the richest that have most of this heavenly riches let the word of Christ dwell richly in you Col. 3. To be rich in promises there 's the true riches and great riches Here we say he is a rich man that hath many Bonds or Ships or Houses or Lands that hath many Hundreds or Thousands lay'd up or abroad but he is the richest man in the Scripture account and in Gods account that hath most of the Word of God lay'd up in his heart that hath most light in his understanding most promises in his Soul that hath a good stock that hath a treasure within I have hid thy Law in my heart saith David So when Gods Law is hid in your hearts then you are the richest men the wealthiest men and men of substance indeed Thirdly Then I infer from hence that you may see a great difference between men and men between Saints and the men of the world The men of the world they prize Gold and Silver the Saints prize the Word of God Psal 119.72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver David prized the Law of God more than his Kingdom or the Crown of Gold that was upon his head more than the Gold of Vphaz of Havilah and the Gold of Ophyr the finest Godl that might be had Fourthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and Silver then certainly their loss is great that have the Word taken from them I mean the Word outwardly and the Ordinances and enjoyments when our Silver and Gold is taken away we cry out we are undone we are undone No no you are not undone if you have God and his Word but if Gods Word be taken away from men and women they are more undone than others It 's a great loss to lose that that is better than Gold Silver better than all the world There are many in the world at this day that are depriv'd of their Teachers of Sabbaths and of the Word of God They cannot read themselves and they have none to read unto them it 's a sad condition and a great loss unto them and those that rob them of these they must answer for it one day and they are very guilty that have done it Fifthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and Silver then let us esteem if according to the value and worth of it above outward treasure above all Gold and Silver Joâ— esteemed the Word of God more than his necessary food people cannot eat Gold and Silver and House and Land but their necessary food maintains their lives and 't is more valuable than Gold and Silver If you could not have meat and drink what would your Gold and Silver do you good you would part with it all for a little bread for a little drink now Job did value the Word of God more than his necessary food O that we would set such a price upon the Word of God I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold Let us all set such a price upon the truths of God there 's more worth in them than you can find out you have riches unsearchable in the promises and in the truths of God Phil. 3.8 Paul accounts all but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus And where will you have that but in the Word of God prize it therefore at a high rate Psal 84.10 A dayâ—n thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere A thousand dayes are almost three years and one would think they might meet with brave things in such a time but one day in the Courts of God is better than a thousand elsewhere The Word of God is little esteemed in these dayes and every thing preferred before it but let it not be so with you Sixthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and fine Gold then let us keep the Word of God as men keep their Gold and lay it up as men lay up their Gold and know the Word of God if you will lay it up it will be a defence unto you and a Buckler unto you Psal 91.4 his truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler Solomon tells you money is a defence and Gold is a defence it will defend you from the injuries of the world and wrongs of men so is the Word of God it is a defence it is a Shield a Buckler therefore lay it up safely as you would your Gold and Silver Job 22. The Almighty shall be thy defence so you read it but the Margent is the Almighty shall be thy Gold God would be your Gold if you would lay up Gods truth in your hearts God will be your defence he will be your Gold your treasure Seventhly Lastly if the Word and Testimonies of God be more desirable than Gold yea than fine Gold then let us desire it more than outward treasure let us desire it with ardent and strong desires with sincere desires with abiding constant desires with acting and endeavouring desires let us use our utmost endeavour to be enriched with these riches Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Soul longs saith David and my soul faints for the Courts of the Lord why what was there There was the Word of the Lord there were the Ordinances of the King in his own Courts and he long'd to be there where he might hear the word of God and have the benefit of the Word of God And in Psal 119.131 I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments Let us wait daily at the Courts of the Lord lot us long and take any pains we can for them Joh. 6. Labour not for the meat that perisheth all your Gold and Silver and these things are all of a perishing nature and will not continue long but let us labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life part with your Silver and Gold which is from the earth to get Scripture Gold which is from Heaven To get Divine truths into your heads and hearts One question more Qu. You will say how shall we get our hearts and the desires of them more inflamed after the Word of God Ans First Consider your own poverty and what riches there are to be had in the Word when men consider they are poor men I am a poor man I have neither house nor Land I have neither Gold nor Silver and in such a place is a Mine and I may go thither and have riches enough this will inflame his desires Now consider your spiritual poverty consider then I have
Church of God and to believing souls the Church is called the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 So is every believer the Church is said to be the Lords portion and his treasure Jer. 12.10 So is every believing soul Gods portion and his pleasant portion Again it 's called the ransomed ones Isa 35.10 the ransomed of the Lord. God hath been at great cost and charges to ransome the Church purchased it with his own blood Acts. 20.28 It 's called Christs body and how sweet is it to the thoughts of Saints to think I am a member of Christs own body I am a member of the precious body of the Lord Jesus It 's called Gods beloved Psal 108.6 The dearly beloved of his Soul Jer. 12.10 The Church is the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21.9 The Church is the blessed of God and so is every believing soul Isa 61.9 It 's the seed which the Lord hath blessed The other seed is a cursed seed but this seed is a seed which the Lord hath blessed yea blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Lastly it 's the glory of God the Church is the glory of God and every believing soul is the very glory of God Isa 4.5 Upon all the glory shall be a defence All true believers they are accounted the glory of God Thus you see there is sweetness in the word But wherein is the word sweeter than Honey and sweeter than the Honey-comb In several particulars First the sweetness of Honey is Natural that of the Word is Divine and Spiritual and look how much spiritual doth exceed natural so much the sweetness of the word doth exceed the sweetness of honey All spiritual things do exceed natural things and the word is from Heaven a divine word a heavenly word and honey is but from the earth Rom. 7.14 The Law is spiritual and the Gospel is spiritual it is the Ministration of the Spirit and Heb. 6.4 and have tasted of the heavenly gift The word is a heavenly gift and it hath heavenly sweetness in it It is sweeter in the taste than any earthly gift whatsoever Secondly The sweetness of the word refresheth the heart of a man so doth not honey honey dont affect the soul it doth affect the pallate and the taste but it dont refresh the heart and the soul but the word doth affect the soul and the heart of a man or woman Psal 110.111 Thy Testimonies are the rejoycing of my heart the Testimonies Statutes and truths of God they do rejoyce the very heart and soul of a man or of a woman and v. 77. Thy Law is my delight and Psal 19.8 The Statutes of the Lord rejoyce the heart when the heart is heavy and sad the word of God will rejoyce it and revive it which all the honey in the world can never do Thirdly Honey and Honey-combs they cannot sweeten bitter afflictions they may sweeten bitter waters or bitter things but they cannot sweeten bitter afflictions But the word of God doth sweeten bitter afflictions and can do that which honey cannot do If a man eat never so much honey it will not sweeten his affliction Psal 119.49 Remember the word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my Comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickned me The word of God will comfort you in any affliction whatsoever it will sweeten the bitterest waters that can be and so in the 92. v. Unless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction Men and Women would perish in their afflictions if they had not some word of God to uphold them and to comfort them and in the 54. v. Thy Statutes have been my Songs in the house of my pilgrimage So that they are sweeter than honey and can sweeten any affliction that we meat withall As the bough that was cast into the bitter waters it sweetned them so doth this bough the word of God sweeten the most bitter waters that are Fourthly The Word doth sanctifie all things and makes them sweeter than they were yea the word doth sweeten honey it self 1 Tim. 4.5 Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer Sanctified by the word of God let your mercies be covenant mercies and choice mercies they are sanctified more now by the Word of God They are sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer your very honey which is so sweet is made sweeter when it is sanctified honey by the Word of God and Prayer So that the word of God is sweeter than honey it sweetens all things unto us Fifthly Men may eat too much of honey Prov. 25.27 'T is not good to eat much Honey and in the 16. v. you have the reason of it Hast thou found honey eat so much as is sufficient for thee lest thou be filled therewith and vomit it If you eat too much honey you may vomit it But now for the word of God we can never eat too much of that honey John did eat up the little book Rev. 10. he eat up the whole book So if we should eat up the whole book of God 't would never be too much it will never make us vomit Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and in the 119. Psal 27. O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day you can never meditate too much in the Law of God nor feed too much upon the promises invitations c. Sixthly Lastly The word is the savour of life unto life so is not honey honey cannot produce life it cannot work in any man a spiritual life but the word is the savour of life unto life it begets life in the soul 't is called the word of life and Phil. 2.16 't is the savour of life of spiritual life yea of eternal life The words that I speak they are spirit and they are life And saith Peter Thou hast the words of eternal life how sweet is life and how sweet is eternal life and the word of God hath this sweetness in it Qu. Now having shown you that the word is sweeter than honey and wherein a question may arise here if the word be so sweet what is the cause that persons taste not the sweetness of it There be many read the word and hear the word but dont taste the sweetness of the word There be several reasons for it An. First Because some have no spiritual taste no spiritual sense We read of Barzillai that said to David when he would have had him gone with him to the Court saith he thy Servant cannot taste what I eat or what I drink so many there be that have no spiritual taste at all in them And where there is no taste all things are alike Cant. 2.3 his fruit was sweet unto my taste the Church had a taste and found sweetness in the
highly dont think meanly of the word of God Phil. 3.8 Paul did esteem the knowledge of Christ above all knowledge in the world the excellency of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that is the knowledge of the Gospel and the knowledge of the word There 's an excellency in it beyond all knowledge all Histories and all Arts and Sciences whatsoever there is not that excellency in them as in the word of God therefore esteem it highly Psal 84.10 A day in thy courts is better than a thousand In the courts of God There was the word of God preached and held forth and read and interpreted and therefore a day there is worth a thousand dayes elsewhere Seventhly If the word of God be so sweet sweeter than the Honey and the Honey-comb then feed much upon the word of God in the 24. Prov. 13. saith Solomon to his Son My Son eat thou Honey because it is good So let me say to you Eat this Honey because it is good Honey hath three great properties Honey doth cleanse it doth preserve and honey doth please Eat this spiritual Honey 't will please your spiritual souls and appetites it will preserve you from all evil it will cleanse you from all your pollutions David loved to be in the courts of God and to be feeding upon this Honey continually and to be satisfied with it Psal 65.4 We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house it will satisfie me in point of cleansing in point of preserving in point of pleasing I am never better pleased nor safer nor in a purer condition then when I am under thy word seed much upon this others feed upon Acorns and upon the Wind and Ashes and the like but Saints feed upon Honey the Honey of Gods word the Honey that will do your souls good to eat it will sweeten all of your afflictions Eighthly Lastly if the word be sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb then try whether it be so to you or no Try whether you have found the word to be sweet to you sweet as Honey and as the Honey comb Honey will sweeten other things so if the word have been Honey to you it will sweeten you it sweetens men and women it sweetens their spirits men have harsh sowr and bitter spirits of themselves but if the word have been Honey to them it hath sweetned their spirits and calm'd and meekned their spirits Eph. 4.31 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamur and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice put away all of this nature this is sowr leaven and be ye kind one to another tender hearted for giving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Have you found the word to be Honey to you to sweeten your spirits and make them peaceable and plyable to the will of God it 's an argument that you have tasted the sweetness that is in the word of God and so in the 4. Cant. 11. where it 's said Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the Honey-comb That is her words and expressions were sweet a Law of kindness was in her lips so if the word of God have been sweet to us there will be sweetness and meekness of spirit in us therefore try whether the word have been Honey unto you Thus you see that the Statutes and Law of the Lord they are more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb And the Lord make them sweet to every one of your Souls Against Love of the World 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World IOhn was the beloved Disciple of Christ and he writes this Epistle unto those that were dear unto Christ and his great scope is to confirm them in the faith of Christ and to put them on to holiness and love as may appear in the 23. v. of the third Chapter This is his Commandment saith he that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment And in the second Chapter he lay'd down a remedy against the infirmities of weak Christians in the first and second verses that if any sinned they had an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And lest that should be abused and men take liberty to sin seeing there was such a remedy he puts them upon keeping the Commandments of the Lord in the 3 4 5 6. verses that if they have any benefit by Christ they will love Christ and if they love Christ they will keep the commands of Christ and walk as Christ walked And in the 7 8 9 10 11. verses he puts them on to love shewing that it is a new Commandment and an old Commandment in divers respects And then he comes and speaks in particular unto little Children verse 12. and to young men in the 13 verse and to fathers in the 14 verse and tells them in the Text that they must not love the world neither the things that are in the world for this is a great impediment both to holiness of life and love one to another The words will afford us two observations Obs The first is that there is a proness even in Saints to love the world There would not be a prohibition against it unnless there were a proness in us to it Even Christians and Believers are too apt and prone to love the world and the things of the world There is a great suitableness between the world and our corrupt hearts and natures Pleasures Profits Honours and things of that nature do suit with our sancies and suit with our affections dispositions and inclinations and therefore he saith Love not the world but this I shall not stand upon Obs The second observation which I shall insist upon is this That those that are in a state of Grace be they little Children or be they young Men or be they Fathers they are not to love the world Love not the World nor the things that are in the world Now here I must shew you what is meant by the World 2. What it is to love the World 3. Some reasons why we should not love the World 4. Answer a question or two For the first what is meant by the World By world in the first place is meant the visible Heavens and Earth with all the creatures in them as they came out of the hand of God Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth and afterwards he tells you of particulars that were created Joh. 1.3 It 's said By him all things were made and verse 10. he was in the world and the world was made by him The world and all things were made by Christ God imployed Christ in making of the world and the things of the world So that all the visible things in this world are the workmanship of God and Christ and are
worthy to live else but if we love the world we dont serve God and love God we cannot serve God and Mamon Mamon is Riches 't is an impossible thing and therefore the Lord Christ when he was tempted by the Devil Matth. 4.10 saith he Get thee hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve I cannot hearken to thy Temptations to imbrace the world no 't is impossible him Onely shalt thou serve God Onely is to be served and we cannot serve two Masters whosoever loves the world hath two Masters to serve God and the world and 't is impossible to serve them both Seventhly We should not love the world because hereby we make God our enemy 'T was a sad thing when God said to Jer. Behold I am against thee I am thy enemy to have the great God the Lord of Hosts the Lord of Sabbaths the Lord of Heaven and Earth to be our Enemy O dreadful whosoever loves the world is the enemy of God in 4. James 4. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enemity with God That 's more than an Enemy Enmity to God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the Enemy of God Would you be enemies to God Love the World If you would not be enemies to God dont love the world Better have all the world our enemy than God our enemy all the world to be against us than God to be against us And in Psal 10. It 's said The covetous whom God abhors A man of a covetous heart and covetous affections is greedy of the world and loves the world God abhors him To have God our enemy is sad what will become of that man or woman that hath God for their enemy The love of the world doth make God our enemy Eighthly We should not love the world because it makes us expensive of time which is better than the world Would any man lay out Gold and Silver for Straws and Stubble and Chips and Butterflyes and such things as these Those that love the world are at greater expences than the world is worth and they give that for the world which is better than the world The best things of the world are the riches and honours and pleasures and preferments and learning and gifts but now our souls are better than all these better than the whole world What shall a man give in exchange for his soul all the world is not worth one soul one soul is worth a Million of worlds Now to lay out our time strength understandings and souls about the world and the things of the world what expences are we at we give too much for the world the world is not worthy of our affections understandings strengths hearts therefore see what the Prophet saith in Isa 55.2 he comes there with a vehement expostulation wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread 'T is not bread when you get it It 's not any thing will satisfie or advantage your souls And you labour for that which satisfieth not So that we are at too great cost and too great expences when we love the world and labour to get the world and buy it at so dear a rate Ninthly We should not love the world because it imbaseth the understanding that most noble faculty of the soul The world doth imbase our understandings and imbase our spirits our understanding was made and given us for God and for heavenly things that we might have Communion with God by virtue of our understanding and reason and apprehension and fall in with God Now if the Body be for God as in 1 Cor. 6.13 much more the soul and the understanding is for God and for heavenly things and not for the Earth and earthly things Now the world doth imbase our understandings for what is the world it's a meer dirty thing Rom. 8.20.22 You shall see that the world is subject to corruption subject to vanity the world is in bondage to corruption and the world lyes in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 It lyes like a piece of Carrion in a Ditch it lyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the wicked one in the Devil And what can the world contribute to your understanding now to do you good No it imbases the understanding and makes the soul earthly drossy muddy and miery Now will you imbase a noble Soul to a dirty World in Dan. 2. There is mention made of a great Image and what was the best of that Image the Feet are Clay and the Legs are Iron and the Thighs are Brass and the Belly is Silver and the Head is Gold the best is but Gold and Silver and they are rusty things perishing things and these do imbase a noble Heroical Soul to be bowed down to these things for the Soul becomes that which it loves if it loves the earth it is an earthly soul Tenthly The world it is of a damning nature and therefore we should not love it The world doth not onely indanger us but it drowns the soul in perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition The soul is drown'd in perdition whosoever is a lover of the world is a child of the world and so is a Son of perdition It 's said of the man of sin he is a Son of perdition the world doth make men leave Christ in the 19. Matth. 22. There 's a young man comes to Christ Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life keep the Commandments saith Christ He saith unto him which Jesus said Thou shalt do no Murther Thou shalt not commit Adultery c. The young man saith unto him all these things have I kept from my youth up what lack I yet Jesus saith unto him if thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come and follow me but he leaves Christ he went away sorrowful saith the Text why he had great Possessions So the Scribes and Pharises they leave Christ for their Credit Joh. 12.42 43. So in the 8. Matth. 34. The Gadarens desire Christ to be gone out of their Countrey they would have none of Christ but they loved their Swine which were drown'd in the Sea and the world drown'd them in perdition Eleventhly The world is a great enemy to growth in grace and Communion with God for the world and the things of it divert the heart from spiritual things Martha is cumbred about many things and diverted from Christ and hearing of him So in Matth. 13.22 He also saith Christ that received seed among the Thornes is he that heareth the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful So that the love of the world
creation waits for it Sixthly Lastly The creature teaches us to know times and seasons the Stork the Crane and the Swallow they know their times and seasons and shall not we know times and part seasons We are therefore to make it a part of our study to study the world and the creatures Secondly We may pray for the things of this world Prov. 30.8 Agur prayes there Remove far from me vanity and lyes give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me you see here he prayes for food convenient So in Luke 11. Christ teaches us to pray Give us day by day our daily bread that is things needful for this life needful for my state and condition and relation that I am in Thirdly We must follow a calling in this world and use lawful means to obtain the things of the world 2 Thes 3.10.12 The Apostle orders there If any man work not neither should he eat Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread The Lord commands and orders it so men are to have a calling and to follow a calling and to be diligent in their calling 1 Cor. 7.33 He that is Married careth for the things of this world how he may please his Wife He ought to take care and to please his wife and provide for his wife and Children 1 Tim. 5.8 He that provides not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denyed the Faith and is worse than an Infidel and they ought so to labour as they may have wherewith to relieve others Eph. 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth Men ought to have a calling and follow a calling and so to follow it that they may not live upon others and be idle but have to relieve others and help others that are impotent or aged and sick and weak or made poor by the providence of God Acts 20.35 It is more blessed to give then to receive Men should labour therefore to have that so they may give rather than receive Fourthly We may use the world it 's not said here use not the world but love not the world nor the things of it 1 Cor. 7.31 And they that use this world as not abusing it Men indeed do abuse the world to gratifie their lusts and to satisfie the flesh as in the next verse All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world we may use the world but not abuse it Qu. Now the next question is when doth a man so use the world as not to abuse it An. I answer first a man doth not abuse the the world but use it well and right when he uses all things for that end that God hath made them Now in Prov. 16.4 you shall see for what end God hath made the world He hath made all things for himself God hath made all things and all things in this world for himself for his own praise and honour and glory and therefore in the 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Let God be glorified in your eating and drinking in your recreations in all your actions in all your sufferings do all to the glory of God for God hath made all things for himself and in 1 Cor. 6. Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods When you use your understandings your affections your speech your eyes your hands your feet when you use all to the glory of God Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity when your feet run the way of Gods Commandments when you use all for the glory of God then you dont abuse the world but use it a right way Secondly When we walk with God in the use of the world and the things of it and answer Gods call It 's said of Enoch he walked with God three hundred years he walked with God in his calling we are but Stewards and God calls upon us ever and anon to do this and to do that he calls upon us to give to the poor we answer Gods call So when God calls upon us to mourn we mourn when he calls us to Sympathize with those that suffer we Sympathize when he calls us to rejoyce we rejoyce when we abridge our selves of our liberty at Gods call now we use the world aright Thirdly We use the world aright when we use the world and the things of the world to promote spiritual good in our selves or others Rom. 8.28 All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose Now when I use the creature to promote my spiritual good the good of my soul to get more grace to further my peace and comfort and content and communion with God I use the word aright I use it well Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven When I use the world so that I make my light to shine by it and so to shine that men may see my good works when I do good with my estate that men may glorifie God now I use my estate aright When I make friends of unrighteous Mammon that 's using the world aright to promote spiritual good Many use their estates to crush others and to be revenged and to have their lusts satisfied and so they promote the interest of Satan this now is an ill use of the world and the things of the world Fourthly Then I use the world aright when I do use the world on the by and I mind the things of God and of my Soul as my main business The world is to be minded but on the by and the things of God and of the Soul are to be my main business here in the world Wherefore hath God set me in this world is it to get riches and honours and to have my pleasures and to gratifie my lusts No but to glorifie his name and to work out my own salvation now when I make this my main business I use the world aright Therefore saith Christ Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father Sealed Let that be your main business to get the bread that endureth to everlasting life to get grace to work out your salvation to get assurance and clear evidences for an eternal good condition this must be your main scope and business here in the world but many look at heaven
not what We brought nothing into the world and 't is certain men dont think it certain that they shall carry nothing out of the world but 't is certain you may build upon it that you shall carry nothing out of the world Well let us be content then with a little of the world Fourthly This serves for reproof to reprove most men and women Professors Christians those that are look'd upon as Godly and in the state of grace 't is a reproof unto them that they love the world and the things of the world I might bitterly and sharply reprove men and women and professors upon this account But I know what will be said presently we dont love the world we do but use the world I should be glad it would prove so let us come to the test then and try it out whether we do love the world yea or no and I shall desire you to put some questions to your own hearts to deal impartially with them for you see what is said Love not the world not the things of it Qu. First put this question unto your souls am I not more careful and take greater pains and am at greater costs for the things of the world then I am for my soul and the things of my soul then I am for heaven and the things of heaven spiritual things how careful are men and women and what costs and pains will they be at for houses Land Purchases good Bargains what a deal of pains do men take about these things if there be a crack in a title of Land or of a House what pains will they take to cleer up things to get things made sure If there be a storm at Sea that Ships be in danger what insuring is there Men will take pains and be at cost to insure the same but now as for their souls and eternal conditions what little pains do men take and what little cost will they be at that way whereas the Scripture saith Phil. 2.12 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling you are in a storm and your salvations are in danger you may lose your souls work out your salvations with fear and trembling Work them out of the dark work them out of the doubts and fears and all disputes work them out against all objections and get things cleer'd up work out your salvations with fear and trembling 't is a hard work a difficult work to accomplish and bring about and there need be great pains taken about it 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your calling and election sure there must be diligence give diligence to it saith he it calls for it it is not easily done 't is not saying A Lord have mercy upon me will save a man or assure a man No there must be praying and strugling and crying and wrestling with God searching of Scriptures and applying of truths home to a mans own heart and v. 5. Giving all diligence add to your faith virtue c. men and women should be diligent and very diligent and all their diligence should run out that way to get grace and to make their callings and elections sure Now we give all diligence in other things and little pains is taken about the soul what doth this argue then but that I love thy world and the things of the world my love 〈◊〉 greatest that way Qu. Secondly Put this question to your own hearts doth not the world and the things of it jossel aside and out of place the things 〈…〉 of God Do not the things of the world 〈◊〉 the wall of the things of God and jossel tha◠aside In the 14. Luke when they were called to the great feast they all made their excuses saith one I have bought a yoke of Oxen and I must go try them I have bought a Farm and I must go see that I have married a Wife and I cannot come they could not come to hear Christ nor partake of the great things that Christ tendred unto them in the Gospel they jossel'd out these things So the things of the world do jossel our prayer the reading of the world instructing of their family meditating and the examining of their hearts c. and if they do not jossel them out yet they do curtail them and they are shortened and lessened do you in the first place seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof No the things of the world it 's to be fear'd do jossel out the things of the Kingdom of heaven the things of God and of the Soul and this is an argument that we love the world when better things and things of greater weight and concernment are set aside for petty and mean things in comparison some flight business do make a man neglect holy duties or post them over in a formal way whereas David who was a man after Gods own heart a gracious man in the 119. Psal saith I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies I considered my wayes the world was drawing me another way but I considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies I made hast and delayed not to keep thy Commandments and v. 62. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous Judgments I will rise at mid-night I will break my sleep I will do it in secret when no eye sees me none privy to it but God We hardly will awake to give thanks to God for choice mercies much less for righteous Judgments it 's one argument we love the world when spiritual things and duties are thrust aside upon the account of the things of the world Qu. Thirdly Put this question to your souls soul art thou content with a little art thou content with a little grace with a little knowledge of God with a little communion with God with a little heavenly-mindedness but art thou not eager upon the things of the world and never content and satisfied with the world and the things thereof Soul wouldst thou not have more and more and more and more still of the things of the world more this week and more next year and daily more and more of the world Is it not with your souls as with the Horse-leech in the Prov. that cryes give give Soul if it be so thou dost love the world men and women deceive themselves and think they dont love the world when as still they are greedy of the world and covetous after the things of the world In the 8. Amos 5. When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat When will these spiritual duties be over that we may mind the world and follow the world and get the world In the 1. Prov. 19. So is every one that is greedy of gain Men are greedy of gain men look upon those that are rich in the world and they labour to be like them
and to overtake them to be as great and high and honourable as they to have as great Purchases as they have to have as great Revennues and In-comes as they have but they look not at those that are rich in grace those that are very spiritual and heavenly and Godly and walk close with God and say I would I were like to them and so labour to get more grace and to walk with God as Enoch did for three hundred years together now when it is thus it 's an argument men love the world Ask your own hearts therefore whether it be so or no with you that you are desirous of more and more of the world but are not desirous after more and more of heaven and of God and covetous after the best things Fourthly Ask your hearts what they do find most sweet and content in is it not in the world and the things of the world how sweet and pleasing are they unto our natures but for the things of heaven what are they what are the things of heaven unto you they are like the white of an Egg they are unsavory things to men and women or very little savour in them There be many that say who will shew us any good who will shew us a good bargain who will shew us a good purchase who will shew us any good But Lord saith David do thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon me There was good in that that was sweet unto him the light of Gods countenance Psal 34.8 Taste and see that the Lord is good the Lord is good and the Lord is sweet to my soul and he would have others taste how good the Lord is to have the favour of God communion with God peace with God joy in the Holy Ghost oh these have a sweet taste and relish to a gracious heart and soul Others say who will shew us any good Corn and Wine and Oyl Pleasures and Profits and the like these are pleasing to them and as for spiritual and heavenly things they are notions and shaddows and they make small account of them but a gracious soul he finds it as in the 19. Psal The Statutes of the Lord are right saith David Rejoycing the heart his Crown and Kingdom did not so rejoyce his heart as God's Statutes did and v. 10. More are they to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb Give me Gold say some Gold Gold but saith David the Statutes of God they are more desirable than fine Gold the choicest Gold they are sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb Honey is sweet but the Honey-comb the Honey that runs out of it self out of the Honey-comb that 's sweetest of all now saith he they are sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb Now what sweetness do your souls find in these things In the 3. Mal. 14. What profit is it say they that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts we find no profit in this serving of God and in being much in prayer and reading and meditation and holy conference in hearing and worshipping of God We find no profit in it what profit is it To such men Gain is Godliness but to a gracious heart any thing of God is sweet and great gain Qu. Fifthly put this question to your hearts heart dost thou not use questionable and unlawful means to get the world and neglect lawful means and unquestionable means that would get heaven and get spiritual things Many do use things questionable and means questionable and unlawful too to get the world you have it in the 1 Thess 4.6 That no man go beyond anâ— defraud his Brother in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such dont men go beyond others and defraud others to get the world oppress or over-reach them as the word signifies they have a deep insight into things and they will over-reach a man that 's simple and labour to wring from them and draw from them that so they may encrease their estates these love the world so in the 8. Amos 5. saith he They do falsifie the ballances by deceit when men do falsifie the haslances have false weights false wayes false lights it 's an argument they love the world and the things of the world that will hazzard their souls to get the world and grate upon their own Consciences for if ever their Consciences be awakened they will speak and accuse and condemn for such practices This is a manifest argument of loving the world if we can use questionable means and unlawful means and then neglect the means that are unquestionable and very lawful God hath appointed means to get Grace Prayer Meditating hearing the Word searching the Scriptures these are means that are unquestionable and will bring in gain whereas the other are questionable and unlawful means Qu. Sixthly put this question to your souls Soul dost thou not affect notions and learning and wisdom of words and parts and gifts and things of this nature All these things are of the world and how are mens fancies tickled with these and affected and taken with these Humane Learning Fathers and Latine Greek Hebrew and Authors how it pleases some men which shews they are but carnal natural and worldly as Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.4 My Speech and my Preaching was not with the enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of Men but in the power of God The faith of such men stands in the wisdom of men he is a brave Orator he is a Learned man and he hath singular notions and expressions and these things please them and so they have a faith that stands in the wisdom of men but now as for the simplicity of the Gospel and plain wholsom truths these are hardly welcome to them Now that which is of God is plain and spiritual and the more spiritual any truth is the more welcome to a gracious heart but the more spiritual it is the less acceptable to that man whose heart loves the world because it strikes at his carnalness and his corruptions So that ask your hearts that question Qu. Seventhly Lastly put this question to your hearts whether thou art not more griev'd and troubled for the loss of outward things worldly things then thou art for the loss of spiritual things or the removal of spiritual things many mourn bitterly for Relations Husband taken away a Wife taken away Children taken away Estate taken away how they mourn and weep and hang down their heads and forsake their dyet and take to their Chambers and Beds and will not be comforted many times But if a Godly Minister be taken away Ordinances taken away Sabbath taken away Meetings taken away these things dont much trouble them Now it 's an argument that we love the world when we can be affected so with the loss of these