the God of love 4 To mention no more itâ— disparages the Christian Religion How would Plato and Pythagor as shame us if they were now living Christ was as a lamb for meekness and doth it become his followers to be like Lyons O keep your hearts or you will at once lose not only your own peace but the câ—edit of religion 4. Mea. Consider how sweet a thing it is to a Christian to conquer his corruâ—tions and carry away the spoils of them He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a City Prov. 16. 32. Is there any content inventing a passion how much more in mortifying it when thou comest in a calm mood or upon a death-bed to review thy life how comfortable then will it be to reflect upon the conquests thou hast got by the fear of God over the evil propensions of thine own heart 't was a memorable saying of Valentinian the Emperour when he came to dye among all my Conquests said he there is but one that now comforts me and being asked what that was he answered I have overcome my worst enemy mine own naughty heart 5. Mea. Shame your selves by setting before you those eminent patterns that have been most excellent for meekness Aboâ—â— all compare your spirits with the spâ—rit of Christ Learn of me saith he for I am meek and lowly Matth. 11. 29. Christ was meek and lowly but I am proud and passionate it was the high commendation of Moses Numb 12. 3. Now the man Moses was meek above all the men of the earth and this was the man that knew God face to face 'T is said of Calvin and Vrsin that they both were of cholerick natures but yet had so learned the meekness of Christ as not to utter one word under the greatest provocation unbeseeming Religion When I read the pretty stories of the very Heathens that never had the advantages we have how the Pythagorians what ever fewds had been among them in the day would hush all by sending to each other this message the Sun is almost set and that of Plato to his Scholar I would beat thee if I were not angry When I read what lenity and tenderness Lycurgus shewed to an insolent fellow that had struck out one of his eyes I am ashamed to see how much Christians are out shot by Heathens who by meer moral arguments and precepts had thus meekned their Spirits and conquered their passions the dim light of nature could teach saneca to say that anger will hurt a man more than the offence for there is a certain bound in the offence but I know not how far mine anger will carry me 'T is a shame that these men who come so far behind us in means and advantages should so far outstrip us in meekness and patience Means 6. Lastly Avoid all irritating occasions He that will not hear the Clapper must not pull the Rope grievous words stir up anger saith Solomon Prov. 15. 1. Do not only pray and resolve against it but get as far as you can out of the way of it 't is true Spiritual Valour to run as fast and as far as we can out of sins way if you can but avoid anger in its first rise there is no great fear of it afterwards for it is noâ— with this sin as it is with other sins other sins grow to their full strength by degrees their first motions are the weakest but this sin is born in its full strength 't is strongest at firâ—t withstand it then and it falls before you Thus learn to keep your hearâ—s when provocations arise Season 9. The ninth Season of exerting our greatest diligence is the Crittical hour of temptation wherein Satan layes close Siege to the Fort-Royal of a Christians heart and often surprizes it for want of watchfulness to keep thy heart now is no less a Mercy than a Duty few Christians are so well skilled in detecting the fallacies and retorting the arguments by which Satan uses to draw them to sin as to come off safe in those encounters Watch and Pray saith our Lord lest ye enter into temptation Mark 14. 38. Even an emineâ—t David and a wise Solomoâ— have smarted for their carelesness at such a time as this The ninth Case therefore shall be this Case 9. How a Christian when strongly sollicited by the Devil to sin may keep his heart from yielding to the temptation Now there are six special Arguments by which Satan subtilly insinuates and winds in the temptation in all which I shall offer thee some help for the keeping of thy heart and the first is this Arg. 1. The first Argument is drawn from the pleasure of sin O saith Satan here is pleasure to be enjoyed the temptation comes with a smiling countenance and charming Voice What art thou so flegmatick and dull a soul as not to feel the powerful charms of pleasure who can with-hold himself from such delights Now thine heart may be kept from the danger of this temptation by retorting this Argument of pleasure upon the Tempter which is done two waies 1. Thou tellest me Satan that sin is pleasant be it so but are the gripes of Conscience and the flames of Hell so too Is it pleasant to feel the wounds and throbs of Conscience if so Why did Peter weep so bitterly Matth. 26. 75. Why did David cry out of broken bones Psal. 51. I hear what thou sayest of the pleasure of sin and I have read what David hath said of the terrible effects of sin in his Psalm to bring to remembrance Psal. 38. verse 2. Thine Arrows stick fast in me and thy Hand presseth me sore ver 3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin verse 4. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me verse 5. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness verse 6. I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long verse 7. My loyns are filled with a loathsom Disease and there is no soundness in my flesh Verse 8. I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart Here I see the true face of sin if I yield to thy temptation I must either feel these pangs of Conscience or the flames of Hell 2. What talkest thou of the pleasure of sin when by experience I know there is more true pleasure in the mortification than can be in the commission of sin O how sweet is it to please God to obey Conscience to preserve inward Peace to be able to say in this tryal I have discâ—vered the sincerity of my heart now I know I fear the Lord now I see that I truly hate sin Hath â—in any such delight as this this will choak that temptation Arg. 2. The second Argument
have the sweet and saving impressions of Gospel-Truths feelingly and powerfully conveighed to your hearts then only to understand them by a bare ratiocination or a dry syllogistical inference Leavetrifling studies to such as have time lying on their hands and know not how to imploy it Remember you are at the door of Eternity and have other work to do those hours you spend upon heart-work in your closets are the golden spots of all your time and will have the sweetest influence into your last hour Never forget those Sermons I preached to you upon that subject from 2. Kings 20. 2. 3. Heart work is weighty and difficult work an error there may cost you your souls I may say of it as Augustine speaks of the Doctrine of the Trinity Nihilo facilius aut periculosius erratur a man can erre in nothing more easily or more dangerously O then study your hearts 2. My next request is that you will carefully look to your Conversations and be accurate in all your waies hold forth the Word of life be sure by the strictness and holiness of your lives to settle your selves in the very consciences of your enemies Remember that your lives must be produced in the great day to judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2. Oh then what manner of persons ought you to be You have many eyes over you the Omniscient eye of God that searches the heart and reins Rev. 2. 23. The vigilant eye of Satan Job 1. 7 8. The envious eyes of enemies that curiously observe you Psal. 5. 8. The quick and observant eye of Conscience which none of your actions escape Rom. 9. 1. Oh then be precise and accurate in all manner of conversation keep up the power of godliness in your Closets and Families and then you will not let it fall in your more publick imployments and converses in the world I have often told you that it is the honour of the Gospel that it makes the best Parents and Children the best Masters and Servants the best Husbands and Wives in the world My third and last request is that you pray for me I hope I can say and I am sure some of you have acknowledged that I came at first among you as the return and answer of your Prayers And indeed so it should be see Luke 10. 2. I am perswaded also I have been carried on in my work by your prayers 't is sweet when 't is so see Ephes. 6. 18 19. And I hope by your prayers to receive yet a farther benefit even that which is mentioned Heb. 13. 18 19. Philem. 22. And truely 't is but equal you should pray for me I have often prayed for you Let the Pulpit Family and Closet witness for me and God forbid I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Yea Friends your own interest may perswade to it what mercies you obtain for me redound to your own advantage if God preserve me it is for your use and service the more gifts and graces a Minister hath the better for them that shall wait on his Ministry the more God gives in to me the more I shall be able to give out to you I will detain you no longer but to entreat you to accept this smal testification of my great love and have recourse to it according as the exigencies of your condition shall require Read it consideringly and obediently Iudge it not by the dress and stile but by the weight and savour of what you read 'T is a good rule of Bernard in legendis libris non quaeramus scientiam sed saporem i. e. in reading Books regard not so much the science as the savour That it may prove the savour of life unto life to you and all those into whose hands it shall come is the hearty desire of Your loving and faithful Pastor JOHN FLAVELL From my Study at Ley in Slapton Octob. 7. 1667. Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of Life THe Heart of man is his worst part before it be regenerate and the best afterwards It is the seat of Principles and fountain of Actions The eye of God is and the eye of the Christian ought to be principally fixed upon it The greatest difficulty in Conversion is to win the heart to God and the greatest difficulty after Conversion is to keep the heart with God Here lies the very pinch and stress of Religion here 's that that makes the way to life a narrow way and the Gate of Heaven a straight Gate Direction and help in this great work is the scope and summe of this Text wherein we have 1. An Exhortation Keep thy he are with all diligence 2. The Reason or Motive inforcing it For out of it are the issues of Life In the Exhortation I shall Consider 1. The Matter of the Duty 2. The manner of performing it 1. The Matter of the Duty Keep thy Heart Heart is not here taken properly for that noble part of the Body which Philosophers call the primum vivens ultimum moriens the first that lives and the last that dies but by Heart in a Metaphor the Scripture sometimes understands some particular noble facultie of the Soul in Rom. 1. 21. it is put for the understanding part their foolish Heart i. e. their foolish understanding was darkened And Psal. 119. 11. It is put for the Memory Thy Word have I hid in my Heart And Iohn 1. 3. 20 It is put for the Conscience which hath in it both the light of the Understanding and the recognitions of the Memory If our heart Condemn us i. e. if our Conscience whose proper Office it is to condemn But here we are to take it more generally for the whole Soul or inner Man for look what the Heart is to the Body that the Soul is to the Man and what Health is to the Heart that Holiness is to the Soul Quod sanit as in corport id sanct it as in corde The state of the whole Body depends upon the soundness and vigour of the Heart and the everlasting state of the whole man upon the good or ill condition of the Soul And by keeping the Heart understand the diligent and constant use and improvement of all holy Means and Duties to preserve the Soul from sin and maintain its sweet and free communion with God Lavater in loc will have the word taken from a besieged Garrison begirt by many Enemies without and in danger of being betrayed by treacherous Citizens within in which danger the Souldiers upon pain of death are commanded to watch and whereas the expression keep thy heart seems to put it upon us as ourwork yet it doth not imply a sufficiency or ability in us to do it we are as able to stop the Sun in its course or make the Rivers run backward as by our own skill and power to rule and order our hearts we may as well be our own Saviours as
pains of soul to represse the outward acts of sin and compose the external part of thy life in a laudable and comely manner is no great matter even carnal persons by the force of common principles can do this but to kill the root of corruption within to set and keep up an holy Government over thy thoughts to have all things lye straight and orderly in the heart this is not easie 2. 'T is a Constant work the keeping of the heart is such a work as is never done till life be done this labour and our life end together It is with a Christian in this business as it is with Sea-men that have sprung a Leake at Sea if they tug not constantly at the Pump the water encreases upon them and will quickly sink them 't is in vain for them to say the work is hard and we are weary There is no time or condition in the life of a Christian which will suffer an intermâ—ssion of this work It is in the keeping watch over our hearts as it was in the keeping up of Moses his hands whilst Israel and Amalek were fighting below Exod. 17. 12. No sooner do Moses his hands grow heavy and sink down but Amalek prevails You know it cost David and Peter many a sad day and night for intermitting the watch over their own hearts but a few minutes 3. 'T is the most important business of a Christians life without this we are but Formalists in Religion all our Professions Gifts and Duties signifie nothing My Son give me thine Heart Pro. 23. 26. God is pleased to call that a gift which is indeed a debt he will put this honour upon the Creature to receive it from him in the way of a gift but if this be not given him he regards not what ever else you bring to him there is so much only of worth and value in what we do as there is of Heart in it Concerning the Heart God seems to say as Ioseph of Benjamin If you bring not Benjamin with you you shall not see my face Among the Heathens when the Beast was cut up for sacrifice the first thing the Priest lookt upon was the Heart and if that were unsound and naught the Sacrifice was rejected God rejects all duties how glorious soever in other respects offered him without a heart He that performs duty without a heart viz. heedlesly is no more accepted with God then he that performs it with a double heart viz. hypocritically Isa. 66. 3. And thus I have briefly opened the nature of the Duty what is imported in this phrase Keep thy heart 2. Next I shall give you some rational account why Christians should make this the great business of their lives to keep their hearts The importance and necessity of making this our great and main business will manifestly appear in that 1. The honour of God 2. The sincerity of our profession 3. The beauty of our conversation 4. The comfort of our Souls 5. The improvement of our graces and 6. Our stability in the hour of temptation are all wrapt up in and dependent on our sincerity and care in the management of this work 1. The Glory of God is much concerned therein heart-evils are very provoking evils to the Lord. The Schools do well observe that outward sins are majoris infamiae sins of greater infamy but heart-sins are majoris reatus sins of deeper guilt How severely hath the Great God declared his wrath from Heaven against heart-wickedness The great Crime for which the old World stands indicted Gen. 6. 5 6 7. is heart-wickedness God saw that every imagination or fiction of their heart was onely evil and that continualiy for which he sent the dreadfullest Judgment that was ever executed since the World began And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth both man and beast and the creeping things and the fowls of heaven for it repenteth me that I have made man v. 7. We find not their murders adulteries blasphemies though they were defiled with these particularly alledged against them but the evils of their hearts yea that which God was so provoked by as to give up his peculiar Inheritance into the enemies hand was the evil of their hearts Ier. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee The wickedness and vanity of their thoughts God took special notice of and because of this the Caldean must come upon them as a Lion from his thickets v. 7. and tear them to pieces For the very sin of thoughts it was that God threw down the faln Angels from Heaven and keeps them still in everlasting chains to the judgment of the great day by which expression is not obscurely intimated some extraordinary judgment to which they are reserved as prisoners that have most irons laid upon them may be supposed to be the greatest Malefactors and what was their sin Why onely spiritual wickedness for they having no bodily Organs could act nothing externally against God Yea meer heart-evils are so provoking that for them he râ—jects with indignation all the duties that some men perform unto him Isa. 66. 3. He that killeth an Oxe is as if he flew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idol In what words could the abhorrence of a Creatures actions be more fully expressed by the holy God Murder and Idolatry are not more vile in his account than their Sacrifices though materially such as himself appointed and what made them so the following words inform us Their soul delighteth in their abominations To conclude such is the vileness of meer heart-sins that the Scriptures sometimes intimate the difficulty of pardon for them So in the case of Simon Magus Acts 8. 21. his heart was not right he had vile thoughts of God and the things of God the Apostle bids him repent and pray if perhaps the thoughts of his heart might he forgiven him O then never slight heart-evils for by these God is highly wronged and provoked and for this reason let every Christian make it his work to keep his heart with all diligence 2. The sincerity of our profession much depends upon the care and conscience we have in keeping our hearts for it 's most certain that a man is but an hypocrite in his profession how curious soever he be in the externals of Religion that is heedless and careless of the frame of his heart you have a pregnant instance of this in the case of Iehu 2 King 10. 31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the ways of the Lord God of Israel with his heart That Context gives us an account of the great service perform'd by Iehu against the house of Ahab and Baal as also of a great
become as a dry stalk but because their hearts are neglected Surely this must be the reason of it and verily it is an evil greatly to be bewailed for as by this Christian-fellowship is become a sapless thing so the attracting beauty that was wont to shine from the Conversations of the Saints upon the faces and consciences of the world which if it did not allure and bring them in love with the ways of God yet at least left a testimony in their consciences of the excellency of those men and their way this is in a great measure lost to the unspeakable detriment of Religion Time was when Christians did carry it at such a rate that the world stood at gaze at them as that word 1 Pet. 4. 4. imports their life and language was of a different strain from others their tongues discovered them to be Galileans where ever they came but now since vain speculations and fruitless controversies have so much obtained and heart-work practical godliness so much neglected among Professors the case is sadly altered their discourse is become like other mens if they come among you now they may to allude to that Acts 2. 6. Hear every man speak in his own language And truly I have little hope to see this evil redressed and the credit of Religion again repaired till Christians fall again to their old work till they ply heart-work closer when the salt of heavenly mindedness is again cast into the Spring the streams will run clearer and sweeter 4. The comfort of our Souls doth much depend upon the keeping of our hearts for he that is negligent in attending his own heart is ordinarily a great stranger to assurance and the sweet comforts flowing from it Indeed if the Antinomian Doctrin were true which teaches you to reject all marks and signs for the trial of your conditions telling you it is onely the spirit that immediately assures you by witnessing your adoption directly without them then you might be careless of your hearts yea strangers to them and yet no strangers to comfort but since both Scripture and experience do confute this dotage I hope you will never look for comfort in that unscriptural way I deny not but it is the work and office of the Spirit to assure you and yet do confidently affirm that if ever you attain assurance in the ordinary way wherein God dispences it you must take pains with your own hearts you may expect your comforts upon easier terms but I am mistaken if ever you enjoy them upon any other Give all diligence prove your selves this is the Scripture way I remember Mr. Roberts in his Treatise of the Covenant tells us That he knew a Christian who in the infancy of his Christianity so vehemently panted after the infallible assurance of God's love that for a long time together he earnestly desired some voyce from Heaven yea sometimes walking in the solitary fields earnestly desired some miraculous voyce from the Trees and stones there this after many desires and longings was denied him but in time a better was afforded in the ordinary way of searching the word and his own heart An instance of the like nature the learned Gerson gives us Of one that was driven by temptation upon the very borders of desperation at last being sweetly settled and assured one asked him How he attained it He answered Non ex nova aliqua revelatione c. Not by any extraordinary revelation but by subjecting his understanding to the Scriptures and comparing his own heart with them The Spirit indeed assures by witnessing our adoption and he witnesseth two ways 1 Objectively i. e. by working those Graces in our Souls which are the Conditions of the Promise and so the Spirit and his Graces in us are all one the Spirit of God dwelling in us is a mark of our Adoption Now the Spirit cannot be discerned in his essence but in his operations and to discern these is to discern the Spirit and how these should be discerned without serious searching and diligent watching of the heart I cannot imagine 2 The other way of the Spirits witnessing is effectively i. e. by irradiating the Soul with a grace-discovering light shining upon his own work and this in order of nature follows the former work he first infuses the grace and then opens the eye of the Soul to see it Now since the heart is the subject of that infused grace even this way of the Spirits witnessing also includes the necessity of keeping carefully our own hearts for 1 A neglected heart is so confused and dark that the little grace which is in it is not ordinarily discernable the most accurate and laborious Christians that take most pains and spend most time about their hearts do yet finde it very difficult to discover the pure and genuine workings of the Spirit there how then shall the Christian which is comparatively negligent and remiss about heart-work be ever able to discover it Sincerity which is the quaesitum the thing sought for lies in the heart like a small piece of Gold in the bottom of a River he that will find it must stay till the water be clear and settled and then he shall see it sparkling at the bottom and that the heart may be clear and setled how much pains and watching care and diligence will it cost 2. God doth not usually indulge lazy and negligent Souls with the Comforts of Assurance he will not so much as seem to patronize sloth and carelesness he will give it but it shall be in his own way his Command hath united our care and comfort together they are mistaken that think the beautiful Child of Assurance may be born without pangs Ah how many solitary hours have the people of God spent in heart-examination How many times have they looked into the Word and then into their hearts Sometime they thought they discovered sinceriâ—y and were even ready to draw forth the triumphant conclusion of Assurance then comes a doubt they cannot resolve and dashes all again many hopes and fears doubtings and reasonings they have had in their own breasts before they arrived at a comfortable settlement To conclude Suppose it possible for a careless Christian to attain Assurance yet it 's impossible he should long retain it for it is with those whose hearts are big with the joys of Assuraâ—ce as with a pregnant woman subject to miscarriages if extraordinary care be not used it is a thousand to one if ever she imbrace a living Child So 't is here a little pride vanity carelessness dashes all that for which thou hast been labouring a long time in many a weary duty Since then the joy of our life the comfort of our souls rises and falls with our diligence in this work keep your hearts with all diligence 5. The improvement of our Graces depends on the keeping of our hearts I never knew Grace thrive in a negligent and careless Soul the habits and roots of
grace are planted in the heart and the deeper they are radicated there the more thriving and flâ—urishing grace is in Eph. 3. 17. we read of being rooted in Grace Grace in the heart is the root of every gracious word in the mouth and of every holy work in the hand Psal. 116. 10. 2 Cor. 4. 13. 't is true Christ is the root of a Christian but Christ is Origo originans the originating root and grace Origo originata a root originated planted and influenced by Christ according as this thrives under divine influences so the acts of grace are more or less fruitful and vigorous Now in a heart not kept with care and diligence these fructifyâ—ng influences are stopt and cut off multitudes of vanities break in upon it and devour its strength the heart is as it were the pasture in which multitudes of thoughts are fed every day a gracious heart diligently kept feeds many precious thoughts of God in a day Psal. â—39 17. How precious are thy thoughts to me O God! how great is the sum of them if I should count them they are more in number than the sand and when I awake I am still with thee And as the gracious heart seeds and nourishes them so they refresh and feast the heart Psal. 63. 5 6. My soul is filled as with marrow and fatness whilest I think upon thee c. But in the dis-regarded heart swarms of vain and foolish thoughts are perpetually working and justle out those spiritual Idea's and thoughts of God by which the Soul should be refreshed Besides the careless heart makes nothing out of any Duty or Ordinance it performs or attends on and yet these are the Conduits of Heaven from whence Grace is watred and made fruitful a man may go with an heedless spirit from Ordinance to Ordinance abide all his dayes under the choicest teachings and yet never be improved by them for heart neglect is a leak in the bottom no heavenly influences how rich soever abide in that Soul Matth. 13. 3 4. The heart that lies open and common like the high-way free for all passengers when the Seed fell on it the fowls came and devoured it Alas it is not enough to hear unless we take heed how we hear a man may pray and never the better unless he watch unto prayer In a word all Ordinances Means and Duties are blessed unto the improvement of Grace according to the care and strictness we use in keeping our hearts in them 6. Lastly The stability of our Souls in the hour of temptation will be much according to the care and Conscience we have of keeping our hearts the careless heart is an easy prey to Satan in the hour of temptation his main Batteries are raised against that Fort-royal the Heart if he win that he wins all for it commands the whole man and alas how easy a Conquest is a neglected heart 't is no more difficult to surprise it than for an enemy to enter that City whose Gates are open and unguarded 't is the watchful heart that discovers and suppresses the temptation before it come to its strength Divines observe this to be the method in which temptations are ripened and brought to their full strength there is 1 The irritation of the Object or that power it hath to work upon and provoke our corrupt nature which is either done by the real presence of the object or else by Speculation when the object though absent is held out by the phantasy before the Soul 2 Then follows the motion of the sensitive appetite which is stirred and provoked by the phantasy representing it as a sensual good as having profit or pleasure in it 3 Then there is a consultation in the mind about it deliberating about the likeliest means of accomplishing it 4 Next follows the election or choice of the Will 5 And lastly The desire or full engagement of the Will to it all this may be done in a few moments for the debates of the Soul are quick and soon ended when it comes thus far then the heart is won Satan hath entred victoriously and displayed his Colours upon the Walls of that Royal Fort but had the Heart been well guarded at first it had never come to this height the temptation had been stopt in the first or second act and indeed there it 's stopt easily for it is in the motions of a tempted Soul to sin as in the motion of a stone falling from the brow of an Hill it 's easily stopt at first but when once it 's set a going Vires acquirit eundo and therefore it 's the greatest wisdom in the world to observe the first motions of the heart to check and stop sin there the motions of sin are weakest at first a little care and watchfulness may prevent much mischief now which the careless heart not heeding is brought within the power of temptation as the Syrians were brought blindfold into the midst of Samaria before they knew where they were By this time Reader I hope thou art fully satisfied how consequential and necessary a work the keeping of thy heart is it being a duty that wraps up so many dear interests of the Soul in it 3. Next according to the method propounded I proceed to point out those special Seasons in the life of a Christian which require and call for our utmost diligence in keeping the heart for though as was observed before the Duty binds ad semper and there be no time or condition of life in which we may be excused from this work yet there are some signal seasons critical hours requiring more than a common vigilance over the heart And the first 1. Season Is the time of prosperity when Providence smiles upon us and dandles us upon her knee Now Christian keep thy heart with all diligence for now 't will be exceeding apt to grow secure proud and earthly Rara virtus est humilitas honorata saith Bernard to see a man humble under prosperity is one of the greatest rarities in the World Even a good Hezekiah could not hide a vain glorious temper under this temptation and hence that Caution to Israel Deut. 6. 10 11 12. and it shall be when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware to thy fathers to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give thee great and goodly Cities which thou buâ—ldest not and houses full of all good things which thou filledst not c. Then beware lest thou forget the Lord and indeed so it fell out for Iesurun waxed fat and kicked Deuâ— 32. 15. Now thâ—n the first case will be this viz. 1. Case How a Christian may keep his heart from pride and carnal security under the smiles of providence and confluence of Creature comforts There are seven choice helps to secure the heart from the dangerous snares of prosperity the first is this 1. To consider the dangerous insnaring temptations attending a
is both a multiplying and a tormenting passion it represents troubles much greater than they are and so tortures and wracks the Soul much worse than when the suffering it self comes So it was with Israel at the red Sea they cryed out and were sore afraid till they put â—oot into the water and then a passage was opened through thoâ—e waters which they thought would have drowned them Thus it is with us we looking through the glass of carnal fear upon the waters of trouble the swellings of Iordan cry out Oh they are unfoordable we must needs perish in them but when we come into the midst of those Floods indeed we find the Promise made good God will make a way to escape I Câ—r 10. 13. Thus it was with blessed Bilâ—â—â— when he would make a tryal by putting his finger to the Candle and not able to endure that he cryed out What â—â—nnâ—t I bear the burning of a finger how tâ—en shall I be able to bear the burning of my whole body to morrow and yet when that morrow came he could go chearfully into the flames with that Scripture in his mouth Isa. 43. 1 2 3. Fear not for I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shall not be burnt 6. Rule Consult the many precious promises which are written for your support and comfort in all dangers These are your Refuges to which you may flye and be safe when the arrows of danger fly by night and destruction wasteth at noon day There are particular Promises suâ—ted to particular Cases and exigencies and there are general Promises reaching all Cases and Conditions such are these Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good c. And Eccl. 8. 12. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his daâ—es be prolonged yet it shall be well with them that fear the Lord c. Could you but believe the Promises your hearts should be established 2 Chr. 20. 29. Could you but plead them with God as Iacob did Gen. 32. 12. Thou saidst I will surely do thee good c. they would relieve you in every distress Object But that proâ—ise was made personally and by name to him so are not these to me Answ. If Iacobs God be your God you have as good an interest in them as he had The Church a thousand years after that transaction betwixt God and Iacob applyed that which God spake to him as if it had been spoken to themselves Hos. 12. 1. He found him in Bethel and there he spake with us 7. Rule Quiet your trembling hearts by recording and consulting your past experiences of the care and faithfulness of God in former distresses These experiences are food for your Faith in a wilderness condition Psal. 74. 14. By this David kept his heaâ—t in time of danger I Sam. 17. 37. and Paul his 2. Cor. 1. 10. It was sweetly answered by Silentiarius when one told him that his enemies way-laid him to take away his life Si Deus mei curam non habet quid vivo if God take no care of me how have I escaped hitherto you may plead with God old experiences to procure new ones for it is in pleading with God for new deliverances as it is in pleading for new pardons Now mark how Moses pleads on that account with God Numb 14. 19. Pardon I beseech thee the Iniquity of this people as thou hast forgiven them from Egypt until now He doth not say as men do Lord this is the first fault thou hast not been troubled before to sign their pardon but Lord because thou hast pardoned them so often I beseech thee pardon them once again So in new straits Lord thou hast often heard helpt and saved in former fears therefore now help again for with thee there is plenteous redemption and thine arm is not shortned 8. Rule Be well satisfied that you are in the way of your duty and that will beget holy courage in times of danger Who wiâ—â— harm you if you be followers of that which is good 1 Pet. 3. 13. Or if any dare attempt it you may boldly commit your selves to God in well-doing 1 Pet. 4 19. ' I was this consideration that raised Luthers Spirit above all fear In the cause of God said he I ever am and ever shall be stout herein I assume this Title Cedo nulli 2 good cause will bear up a mans spirit bravely Hear the saying of a Heathen to the shame of cowardly Christians When the Emperour Vespasian had commanded Fluidius Priscus not to come to the Senate or if he did to speak nothing but what he would have him The Senator return'd this noble Answer That as he was a Senator it was fit he should be at the Senate and if being there he were required to give his advice he would speak freely that which his Conscience commanded him the Emperour threatning that then he should dye He answered Did I ever tell you that I was immortel Do you what you will and I will do what I ought it is in your power to put me to death unjustly and in me to dye constantly Righteousness is a Breast-plate the Cause of God will pay all your expences let them tremble whom danger finds out of the way of Duty 9. Rule Get your consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ from all guilt and that will set your hearts above all fear 'T is guilt upon the conscience that softens and cowardizes our spirits The righteous is bold as a Lion Prov. 28. 1. 'T was guilt in Cains Conscience that made him cry every one that meets me will stay me Gen. 4. 14. A guilty Conscience is more terrified with conceited dangers than â— pure Conscience is with real ones A guilty sinner carries a witness against himself in his own bosom 'T was guilty Heâ—od cryed out Iohn Baptist is riseâ— from the dead Such a conscience is the Devils Anvil on which he fabricates all those Swords and Spears with which the guilty sinner pierces and wounds himself Guilt is to danger what fire is to Gun-powder a man â—eed not fear to walk among many barrels of Powder if he have no fire about him 10. Rule Exercise holy trust in times of great distress Make it your business to trust God with your lives and comforts and then your hearts will be at rest about them So did David Psal. 57. 3. At what time I am afraid I will trusâ—â—n thee q. d. Lord it at any time a storm rise I will make bold to shelter from it under the Covert of thy wings Go to God by acts of faith and trust and never doubt but he will secure you Isa. 62. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteâ—h in thee God takes it well when thou comest to him thus Father my life my
therefore thou findest thy heart begin to be inflamed by revengful motions presently apply the following remedies and the first is this 1. Remed Urge upon thy heart the seveâ—e prohibitions of revenge by the law of God Remember that this is fâ—rbidden fruit how pleasing and luscious soever it be to our vitiated appetites O saith nature revenge is sweet O but saith God the effects thereof shall be bitter how plainly hath God interdicted this flesh pleasing sin Prov. 20. 22. Say not I will recompense evil Prov. 24. 29. Say not I wâ—ll doe so to him as he hath done to me Rom. 12. 17. Recompense to no man evil for evil and v. 19. Avenge not your selves but rather give place to wrath nay that 's not all but Prov. 25. 21. If thine enemy â—unger feed him if he thirst give him drink The word feed him as Criticks observe signifies to feed cheerfully and tenderly as birds doe their young ones The Scripture is a great friend to the peace and tranquillity of humane societies which can never be preserved if revenge be not deposed it was wont to be an argument urged by the Christians to prove their religion to be supernatural and pure that it forbids revenge which is so sweet to nature and verily 't is a thousand pities such an argument should be lost Well then awe your hearts with the authority of God in these Scriptures and when carnal reason saith mine enemy deserves to be hated let Conscience reply but doth God deserve to be disobeyed thus and thus he hath done and so he hath wronged me but what hath God done that I should wrong him if he dare be so bold to break the peace shall I be so wicked to break the precept iâ— he fears not to wrong me shall not I fear to wrong God O let the fear of Gods threatnings repress such sinsul motions 2. Remed Set before your eyes the most eminent patterns of meekness and forgiveness that your Soâ—â—s may fall in love with it This is the way to cut off those common pleas of the flesh for revenge as thus no man would bear such an affront yes such and such have born as bad and worse I shall be reckoned a coward a fool if I pass by this no matter as long as I follow the examples of the wisest and holiest of men never did any suffer more and greater abuses from men than 〈◊〉 did and never did any carry it more peaceably and forgivingly 53. 7. he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter c. This pattern the Apostle sets before you for your imitation 1 Pet. 2. 21 22 23. For â—ven hereâ—nto are ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who when be was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteou sly To be of a meek forgiving Spâ—rit is Christ like God like then shall you be the children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his 〈◊〉 to rise upon the evil and upon the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Matth. 5. 45. How eminently also did this Spirit of Christ rest upon his Apostles never were thâ—re such men upon earth for true excellency of Spirit None were ever abused more or suffered their abuses better Being reviled say they we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat 1 Cor. 4. 12 13. Mr. Calvin though a man of a quick Spirit yet had attained such a degree of this Christ like forgiveness that when Luther had used some opprobrious language of him the good man said no more but this alâ—hough he should call me a Devil yet I will acknowledge him to be an eminent servant of Jesus Christ. I have often heard it reported of holy Mr. Dod that when â—ne inraged at his closs convincing docâ—â—ine pickt a quarrel with him smâ—te him on the â—ace and 〈◊〉 two of his teeth this meek servant of Christ spat out the teeth and blood into his hand and said see here you have knockt out two of my teeth and that without any just provocation but on condition I might do your Soul good I would give you leave to dash out all the rest here is the excellency of a Christians Spirit above all the attainments of Moral Heathens though they were excellent at many other things yet they could never attain this forgiving spirit it is the first office of justice said Tully to hurt no body unless first provoked by an injury whereupon Lactantius O quam simplicem veramque sententiam duorum verborum adjectione corrupit What a dainty sentence spoiled the Oratour by adding those two last words strive then for this excellency of Spirit which is the proper excellency of Christians do some singular thing that others cannot doe and then you will have a testimony in their Consciences When Moses out-did the Magicians they were forced to confess the finger of God in that business 3. Remed Consider well the quality of the person that hath wronged thee either he is a good man or a wicked man that hath done thee the injury if he be a good man there is light and tenderness in his Conscience and that will bring him at last to a sense of the evil he hath done however Christ hath forgiven him greater injuries than these and why shouldest not thou will not Christ upbraid him with any of those wrongs done to him but frankly forgives him all and wilt thou take him by the throat fâ—r some petty abuse that he hath done to thee Or is he a wicked man if so truly you have more need to exercise pity than revenge towards him and that upon a double account for 1 He is beside himself so indeed is every unconverted sinner Luk. 15. 17. should you go into Bedlanâ— and there hear one rail at you another mock you and a third threaten you would you say I will be revenged upon them no you would rather goe away pitying them Alas poor creatures they are out of their wits and know not what they doe Besides 2 there is a day coming if they repent not when they will have more miâ—erâ— than you can find in your hearts to wish them you need not study revenge Gods vengeance sleepeth not and will shortly take place upon them and is not that enough have they not an eternity of misâ—ry coming if they repent not this must be the portion of their cup and if ever they doe repent they will be ready to make you reparation 4. Rem Keep down thy heart by this consideration that by revenge thou canst but satisfie a lust but by forgiveness thou shalt conquer a lust Suppose by revenge thou shouldst destory one enemy I will shew thee how by forgiving thou shalt conquer three thine own lust the Devils temptation and thine enemies
towards his people will bear a favourable as well as an harsh and severe construction why should not his people interpret it in the best sense And is not this such may he not have a design of love as well as of hatred in this dispensation may he not depart for a season and not for ever yea that he might not depart for ever you are not the first that have mistaken Gods ends in desertion Isai. 49. 14. Sion said the Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me was it so indeed nothing less v. 15. can a mother forget c. 2. Qâ—er Do you find the marks of an absolute total and final desertion upon your own Spirits that you are so apt to conclude yours to be such Do you find your heart inclined to forsake God have you lost your conscientious tenderness in point of sin if so Sad characters appear upon you indeed but if in this dark hour you are as tender of sin as ever as much resolved to cleave to God as ever I cannot I will not forsake God let him do what he will with me oh no I cannot If your hearts work thus it can be but a partial limited and temporary desertion by this he still keeps his interest in your hearts a sure sign he will return and visit you again 3. Quer. Is sence and feeling a competent judge of Gods actions and designs Or may a man safely rely upon its testimony after so many discoveries of the fallibility of it is this a sound argument if God had any love for my Soul if it were not quite gone I should feel it now as well as in former times but I cannot feel it therefore it s quite gone Do not you know the Sun still keeps on his course in the Heavens even in full and closs weather when you cannot see it and may it not be so with the love of God read Isai. 50. 10. may I not as well conclude in winter when the flowers have hid their beautiful heads under ground they are quite dead and gone because I cannot find them in December where I saw them in May 4. Quer. Think you the Lord cares not to break his childrens hearts and his own promise too hath he no more regard to either if he return no more these must be the consequents Isai. 57. 16 17. Heb. 13. 5. Well then from Gods carriage towards you either in â—ffliction or desertion no such discouraging heart sinking conclusions can be inferr'd Next let us see whether they may not be inferr'd from our carriage towards God and here the principal grounds of doubting are such as these 1. I have fallen again into the same sin from which I have formerly risen with repentance and resolution therefore my sinning is customary sinning a spot that is not the spot of Gods children hence the upright Soul trembles upon this t is ready to affirm that all its former humiliations for and oppositions unto sin were but acts of hypocrisie But stay poor trembling heart 1. Quer. If this be so how comes it to pass that Christ put such a favourable construction upon the Disciples sleeping the third time when he had as often reproved them for it Maâ—â—h 26. 40 41. And how is it that we find in Scripture so many promises made not only to the first sins but also to the backslidings of Gods people Ier. 3. 22. Hose 14. 4. 2. Quer. Is not your repentance and care renued as often as your guilt is renued Yea the oftner you sin the more you are troubled it is not so in customary sinning the rise whereof Bernard excellently discovers Lib. de Consâ— 1 saith he when a man p. 1109. accustomed to good sinneth grieviously it seems importable yea he seems to descend alive into hell 2 In process of time it seems not importable but heavy and betwixt importable and heavy there is no small descent 3 Next it becomes light his conscience smites but faintly and he feels not the stripes of it 4 Then there is not only a total insensibleness of it but that which was bitter and displeasing is now become sweet and pleasing in some degree 5 Then t is turned into custom and not only pleases but daily pleases Lastly custom is turned into nature he cannot be pull'd away from it but defends and pleads for it this is customary sinning this is the way of the wicked but the quite contrary is our condition 3. Quer. Are you sure from Scripture grounds that a good man may not relapse again and again into the same sin 'T is true as for gross sins they do not use to relapse into them David committed adultery no more Paul persecuted the Church no more Peter denyed Christ no more but I speak of ordinary infirmities Iobs friends were good men yet saith he Chap. 19. 3. These ten times have ye reproached me So then no such conclusions follow from this first ground of doubting 2. The second ground is the declining and withering of our affections to spiritual things O saith the upright Soul if ever I had been planted a right seed I should have been as a green olive tree in the house of my God but my branches wither therefore my root is naught But stay 1. Qâ—er May you not be mistaken about the decay of grace and fading of your affections What if they be not so quick and ravishing as at first may not that be recompensed in the spirituality and solidity of them â—ow 1 Phil. 9. I pray God your love may abound more and more in all judgment it may be more solid though not so ferverous or do you not mistake by looking forward to what you would be rather then backward to what once you were 't is a good note of Ames we discern the growth of grace as the growth of plants which we perceive rather crevisse quam crescere to have grown then to grow 2. Quer. But grant it be so indeed as you affirm must it needs follow that the root of the matter is not in you Davids last waies are distinguished from his first 2 Chr. 17. 3. and yet both first and last a holy man The Church of Ephesus is charged by Christ for leaving her first love and yet a golden Candlestick many precious Saints in that Church Rev. 2. 2 3 4. 3. A third ground of these sad conclusions is the excess of our affections to some creature injoyments I fear I love the creature more than God and if so my love is but hypocritical I sometimes feel stronger and more sensible motions of my heart to some earthly comforts then I do to heavenly objects therefore my Soul is not upright in me But stay Soul 1. Quer. May not a man love God more solidly and strongly then the Creature and yet his affections to the creatures be sometimes moved more violently and sensibly then toward God as rooted malice argues a stronger hatred then a sudden though more violent passion so we
must measure our love not by a violent motion of it now and then but by the depth of the root and constancy of its actings because David was so passionately moved for Absalom â—oaâ— concludes that if he had lived and all the people dyed it would have pleased him well 2 Sam. 19. 7. but that was argued more like a Souldier then a Logician 2. Quer. If you indeed love the creature for its self if you make it your end and religion but a means then the conclusion is rightly drawn upon you But if you love the creature in reference to God and see nothing in it seperated from him though sometimes your affections offend in the excess this is consistent with sincere love to God To love the creature inordinately i. e. to put it in Gods room and make it a mans end this is the love of a carnal heart to love it immoderately that is to let out more affection to it then we ought is sometimes the sin of the best hearts 3. Quer. Have not many Souls feared as you do that when Christ and creatures should stand as competitors in some eminent tryal they should forsake Christ rather then the creature and yet when brought to that Dilemma have been able to cast all the world at their heels for Christ Many of the Martyrs had such fears and thus they were satisfied the prevalency of love is best seen at parting there may be more love to Christ in thy Soul then thou art now aware of and if God bring thee to such a pinch thou mayest see it 4. A fourth ground of these sad conclusions is from hence that we find our hearts sometimes more straitned in private then in publick duties Oh if my Soul were sincere its actings in duty would be uniform I fear I am but a Pharisee upon this ground 't is sad indeed we should at any time find our hearts straitned in private But 1. Quer. Do not all thine inlargements in duty whether publick or private depend upon the Spirit who is the Lord of influences and according as he gives out or holds back those influences so art thou inlarged or straitned And what if sometimes he please to give that in a publick which he with-holds in a private duty as long as thy Soul is satisfied in neither without Communion with God and the straitness of thy heart is indeed its burden doth that argue thee to be an hypocrite 2. Quer. Dost thou not make conscience of private duties and set thy self as before the Lord in them Indeed if thou live in the constant neglect or careless performance of them if thou art curious about publick and careless about private duties that would be a sad sign but when you have conscientiously performed and often met with God in them it will not follow you are insincere because that communion is sometimes interrupted Besides 3. Quer. May there not be something at sometimes in a publick which is wanting in a private duty to raise and advantage thine affections God mâ—y sometimes make use of the melting affections of them with whom thou hearest or prayest as petty instruments to move thy affections this advantage is wanting in private therefore from hence the case so standing no such inferrence can be drawn 5. Another ground is from those horrid injections of Satan with which the Soul is greatly perplexed by these I may see what an heart I have can grace be where these are Yes grace may be where such thoughts are though not where they are lodged and consented to dost thou cry out under the burden enter thy protest in Heaven against them strive to keep up holy and reverend thoughts of God then t is a rape not a voluntary prostitution 6. The last ground of these sad conclusions is the Lords long silence and seeming denyal of our long depending suits and prayers O if God had any regard to my Soul he would have heard my cryes before now but I have no answer from him therefore no interest in him But stay doubting Soul 1. Quer. Have not many Saints stumbled upon this stone before thee Psal. 31. 22. I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication So the Church Lam. 3. 44. Thou coverest thy self with a cloud that our prayers should not pass through Ionah 2. 4. Then said I I am cast out of thy sight and may not you be mistaken in this matâ—er as well as they 2. Quer. Though Gods abhorring and final rejecting prayer be an argument of his abhorring the person that prayes yet dare we conclude so from a meere suspension of the answer God may bear long with his own elect that cry unto him day and night Luk. 18. 7. 3. Quer. Can you deny but that there are some signs appearing in your Souls even whilest God suspends his answer that argue your prayers are not rejected by him as 1 Though no answer come yet you are still resolved to wait you dare not say as that prophane wretch did 2 Kings 6. 33. This evil is of the Lord why should I wait for him any longer 2 You can clear and justifie God still and lay the reason and cause of his silence upon your selves So did David Psal. 22. 2 3. O my God I cry in the day time and thou hearest not and in the night and am not silent but thou art holy c. 3 The suspension of Gods answer makes you inquisitive into your own hearts what evils are there that obstruct your prayers So the Church Lam. 3. 8. He shutteth out my prayer and how doth this work you may see v. 40. Let us search and try our ways well then neither from hence may you conclude that God hath no love for your Souls And thus I have shewn you how to keep your hearts in a dark and doubting season from those desperate conclusions of unbelief God forbid any false heart should incourage it self from these things t is our unhappiness that when we give Saints and sinners their proper portions that each of them are so prone to take up the others part 11. Season The eleventh special season calling for this diligence to keep our hearts is when sufferings for Religion come to an height then look to your hearts Matth. 24. 8 9 10. All these are the beginning of sorrows and they shall deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake and THEN shall many be offended When sufferings for religion grow hot then blessed is he that is not offended in Christ troubles are then at an height 1 When a mans neerest friends and relations forsake and leave him Micah 7. 5 6. 2 Tim. 4. 16. When a man is ingaged alone 2 When it comes to resisting to blood Heb. 12. 4. 3 When temptations are presented to us in our sufferings Heb. 11. 37. 4 When eminent persons for
thou art troubled about their bodies and outward condition why should not that word satisfy thee Ier. 49. 11. Leave thy fatherless children to me I will keep them alive and let thy Widows trust in me Luther in his last Will and Testament hath this expression Lord thou hast given me wife and children I have nothing to leave them but I commit them unto thee O Father of the fatherless and judge of widows nutri serva doce nourish keep and teach them or art thou troubled for their Souls thou canst not convert them if thou shouldst live and God can make thy prayers and counsels to live and take place upon them when thou art dead 2. Obj. I would fain live to doe God more service in the world Sol. Well but if he have no more service for thee to doe here why shouldst thou not say with David if he have no delight to use me any farther here am I let him doe what seemeth him good in this world thou hast no more to doe but he is calling thee to an higher service and imployment in Heaven and what thou wouldest doe for him here he can doe that by other hands 3. Obj. I am not yet fully ready I am not as a bride compleatly adorned for the bridegroom Sol. 1. Thy justification is compleat already though thy sanctification be not so and the way to make it so is to dye for till then it will have its defects and wants 4. Obj. O but I want assurance if I had that I could dye presently Sol. 1. Yea there it sticks indeed but then consider that an hearty willingness to leave all the world to be freed from sin and be with God is the next way to that desired assurance no carnal person was ever willing to dye upon this ground And thus I have finished those cases which so nearly concern the people of God in the several conditions of their life and taught them how to keep their hearts in all I shall next apply the whole I. Vse of Information YOU have heard that the keeping of the heart is the great work of a Christian in which the very Soul and life of Religion consists and without which all other duties are of no value with God hence then I shall infer to the consternation of hypocrites and formal Professors 1. That the pains and labours which many persons have taken in religion is but lost labour and pains to no purpose such as will never turn to account Many great services have been performed many glorious works are wrought by men which yet are utterly rejected by God and shall never stand upon record in order to an eternal acceptation because they took no heed to keep their hearts with God in those duties this is that fatal rock upon which thousands of vain professors split themselves eternally they are curious about the externals of religion but regardless of their hearts O how many hours have some Professors spent in hearing praying reading conferring and yet as to the main end of religion as good they had sate still and done nothing for all this signifies nothing the great work I mean heart work being all the while neglected tell me thou vain professor when didst thou shed a teare for the deadness hardness unbelief or earthliness of thy heart thinkst thou such an easie religion can save thee if so we may invert Christs words and say wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to life and many there be that goe in thereat hear me thou self deluding hypocrit thou that hast put of God with hartless duties thou that hast acted in religion as if thou hadst been blessing an Idol that could not search and discover thy heart thou that hast offered to God but the skin of the sacrifice not the marrow fat and inwards of it how wilt thou abide the coming of the Lord how wilt thou hold up thy head before him when he shall say O thou dissembling false hearted man how couldst thou profess religion with what face couldst thou so often tell me thou lovedst me when thou knewest all the while in thine own conscience that thine heart was not with me O tremble to think what a fearful judgment it is to be given over to a heedless and careless heart and then to have religious duties in stead of a rattle to quiet and still the Conscience 2. Hence I also infer for the humiliation even of upright hearts that unless the people of God spend more time and pains about their hearts then generally and ordinarily they do they are never like to do God much service or be owners of much comfort in this World I may say of that Christian that is remiss and careless in keeping his heart as Iacob said of Reuben Thou shalt not excel It grieves me to see how many Christians there are that go up and down dejected and complaining that live at a poor low rate both of service and comfort and how can they expect it should be otherwise as long as they live at such a careless rate O how little of their time is spent in the closet in searching humbling and quickning their hearts You say your hearts are dead and doe you wonder they are so as long as you keep them not with the fountain of life if your bodies had been diated as your Souls have been they would have been dead too never expect better hearts till you take more pains with them qui â—ugit molam fugit farinam he that will not have the sweat must not expect the sweet of Religion O Christians I fear your zeal and strength hath run in the wrong chaâ—nel I fear most of us may take up the Churches complaint Cant. 1. 6. They have made me the keeper of the Vineyards but mine own Vineyard have I not kept Two things have eaten up the time and strength of the Professors of this Generation and sadly diverted them from heart work 1 Fruitless controversies started by Sathan I doubt not to this very purpose to take us off from practical godliness to make us puzzle our heads when we should be searching our hearts O how little have we minded that of the Apostle Heb. 13. 9. T is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace and not with meats i. e. with disputes and controversies about meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein O how much better is it to see men live exactly then to hear them dispute subtilly these unfruitful questions how have they rendred the Churches wasted time and spirits and called Christians off from their main business from looking to their own vineyard what think you Sirs had it not been better if the questions ventilated among the people of God of late days had been such as these how shall a man discern the special from the common operations of the Spirit how may a Soul discern its first declineings from God how may a backsliding
Christian recover his first love how may the heart be preserved from unseasonable thoughts in duty how may a bosome sin be discovered and mortified c. Would not this have tended more to the credit of religion and comfort of your Souls O t is time to repent and be ashamed of this folly when I read what Suarez a Papist said who wrote many Tomes of disputations that he prised the time he set apart for the searching and examining of his heart in reference to God above all the time that ever he spent in other studies I am ashamed to find the professors of this age yet insensible of their folly shall the Conscience of a Suarez feel a relenting pang for strength and time so ill imployed and shall not yours this is it your Ministers long since warned you of your spiritual nurses were afraid of the rickets when they saw your heads only to grow and your hearts to wither O when will God beat oâ—r swords into plowshares I mean our disputes and contentions into practical godliness 2 Another cause of neglecting our heart hath been earthly incumbrances the heads and hearts of many have been filled with such a crowd and noise of worldly business that they have sadly and sensibly declined and withered in their zeal love and delight in God in their heavenly serious and profiâ—able way of conversing with man O how hath this wilderness intangled us our discourses and conferences nay our very prayers and duties have a tang of it we have had so much work without doors that we have been able to doe but little within It was the sad complaint of an holy one O saith he t is sad to think how many precious opportunities I have lost how many sweet motions and admonitions of the Spirit I have posted over unfruitfully and made the Lord to speak in vain in the secret illapses of his Spirit the Lord hath called upon me but my worldly thoughts did still lodge within me and there was no place in my heart for such calls of God surely there is a way of injoying God even in our worldly imployments Gâ—d would never have put us upon them to our loss Enoch walked with God and begat sons and daughters Gen. 5. 19. He walked with God but did not retire and seperate himself from the things of this life and the Angels that are imployed by Christ in the things of this world for the Spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels they are finite creatures and cannot be in a twoâ—old ubi at one time yet they lose nothing of the beatifical vision all the time of their administration for Matâ—h 18. 10. their Angels even whilest they are imployed for them Behold the face of their father which is in heaven We need not lose our visions by our imployments if the fault were not our own alas that ever Christians who stand at the doore of eternity and have more work upon their hands then this poor moment of interposing time is sufficient for should yet be filling both our heads and hearts with trifles 3. Hence also I infer for the awakening of all that if the keeping of the heart be the great work of a Christian then there are but few real Christians in the world Indeed if every one that hath learned the dialect of Christianity and can talke like a Saint if every one that hath giâ—ts and parts and by the common assisting presence of the Spirit can preach pray or discourse like a Christian in a word if such as associate themselves with the people of God and delight in ordinances might pass for Christians the number then is great But alas to what a small number will they shrink if you judge them by this rule how few are there that make Conscience of keeping their hearts watching their thoughts judging their ends c. O there be but few closet men among professors t is far easier for men to be reconciled to any duties in religion then to these the prophane part of the world will not so much as touch with the outside of religious duties much less to this and for the hypocrit though he be polite and curious about those externals yet you can never perswade him to this inward work this difficult work this work to which there is no inducement by humane applause this work that would quickly discover what the hypocrit cares not to know so that by a general consent this heart work is left to the hands of a few secret ones and I tremble to think in how few hands it is II. Vse for Exhortation IF the keeping of the heart be so important a business if such choice advantages â—ccrew to you thereby if so many dear and precious interests be wrapt up in it then let me call upon the people of God every where to fall close to this work O study your hearts watch your hearts keep your hearts away with fruitless controversies and idle questions away with empty names and vain shews away with unprofitable discourse bold censures of others turn in upon your selves get into your closets and now resolve to dwell there you have been strangers to this work too long you have kept others vineyards too long you have trifled about the borders of religion too long this world hath deteined you from your great work too long will you now resolve to look better to your hearts will you haste and come out of the crowds of business and clamours of the world and retire your selves more then you have done O that this day you would resolve upon it Reader methinks I should prevail with thee all that I beg for is but this that thou wouldst step aside a little oftner to talk with God and thine own heart that thou wouldst not suffer every trifle to divert thee that thou wouldest keep a more true and faithful account of thy thoughts and affections that thou wouldst but seriously demand of thine own heart at least every evening O my heart where hast thou been to day whether hast thou made a rode to day if all that hath been said by way of induccment be not enough I have yet more motives to offer you and the first is this 1. Motive The studying observing and diligent keeping of your own hearts will marvellously help your understanding in the deep mysteries of Religion An honest well experienced heart is a singular help to a weak head such a heart will serve you in stead of a Commentary upon a great part of the Scriptures by this means you shall far better understand the things of God than the learned Rabbies and profound Doctors if graceless and unexperienced ever did you shall not only have a more clear but a more sweet perception and gust of them a man may discourse orthodoxly and profoundly of the nature and effects of faith the troubles and comforts of Conscience the sweetness of Communion with God that never felt the efficacy and sweet
majestick beams of holiness shining from their heavenly and serious conversations shall awe the world and command reverence from all that are about them when they shall warm the hearts of those that come nigh them so that men shall say God is in these men of a truth Well such a time may again be exspected according to that promise Isai. 60. 21. The people shall be all righteous But till we fall closer to this great work of keeping our hearts I am out of hopes to see those blessed daies I cannot exspect better times till God give better hearts doth it not grieve you to see what a scorn religion is made in the world what objects of contempt and scorn the professors of it are made in the world Professors would you recover your credit would you again obtain an honourable testimony in the Consciences of your very enemies then keep your hearts watch your hearts t is the loosness frothiness and earthliness of your hearts that â—ath made your lives so and this hath brought you under contempt of the world you first lost your sights of God and communion with him then your heavenly and serious deportment among men and by that your interest in their Consciences O then for the credit of religion for the honour of your profession keep your hearts 7. Mot. By diligence in keeping our hearts we should prevent and remove the fatal scandals and stumbling blocks out of the way of the world Wo to the world saith Christ because of offences Matth. 18. 7. doth not shame cover your faces doe not your hearts bleed within you to heare of the scandalous mâ—scarriages of many loose professors could you not like Shem and Iaphet goe backward with a garment to cover the shame of many professors how is that worthy name blasphemed 2 Iames 7. 2. Sam. 12. 13 14. the hearts of the righteous sadned Psal. 25. 3. Ezek. 36. 20. by this the world is fearfully prejudiced against Christ and religion the bonds of death made fast upon their Souls those that had a general love and likeing to the ways of God staâ—tled and quite driven back and thus Soul bloud is shed wo to the World Yea how are the Consciences of fallen professors plunged and even overwhelmed in the deeps of trouble God inwardly excommunicating their Souls from all comfortable fellowship with himself and the joys of his salvation infinite are the mischiefs that come by the scandalous lives of professors And what is the true cause and reason of all this but the neglecting of their hearts were our hearts better kept all this would be prevented had David kept his heart he had not broken his bones a neglected careless heart must of necessity produce a disorderly scandalous life I thanke God for the freedome and faithfulness of a reverend brother in shewing professors their manifold miscarriages and from my heart doe wish that when their wounds have been throughly searched by that probe God would be pleased to heal them by this Plaister O professors if ever you will keep religion sweet if ever you hope to recover the credit of it in the world keep your hearts either keep your hearts or lose your credit keep your hearts or lose your comforts keep your hearts least ye shed Soul bloud what words can express the deep concernments the wonderful consequences of this work every thing puts a necessity a solemnity a beauty upon it 8. Mot. An heart well kept will fit you for any condition God casts you into or any service he hath to use you in He that hath learnt how to keep his heart lowly is fit for prosperity and he that knows how to use and apply to it Scripture promises and supports is fit to pass through any adversity he that can deny the pride and selfishness of his heart is fit to be imployed in any service for God such a man was Paul he did not only spend his time in preaching to others in keeping others vineyards but he lookt to himself kept his own vineyard 1 Cor. 9. 27. Least when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away and what an eminent instrument was he for God he could turn his hand to any work he could dexterously manage both an adverse and prosperous condition I know how to abound and how to suffer want let the people deifie him it moves him not unless to indignation Let them stone him he can bear it if a man purge himself from these saith he 2 Tim. 2. 21. He shall be a Vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the masters use and prepared unto every good work First the heart must be purged and then t is prepared for any service of God when the heart of Isaiah was purified which was the thing signified by the touching of his lips with a coal from the Altar Isai. 6. 7. then he was fit for Gods work here am I send me v. 8. a man that hath not learned to keep his heart put him upon any service for God and if it be attended with honour it shall swell up and overtop his spirit if with suffering it will exanimate and sink him Jesus Christ had an instrumental fitness for his fathers work above all the servants that ever God imployed he was zealous in publick work for God so zealous that sometimes he forgat to eat bread yea that his friends thought he had been besides himself but yet he so carried on his publick work as not to forget his own private communion with God and therefore you read in Matth. 14. 23. that when he had been labouring all day yet after that he went up to a mountain apart to pray and was there alone O let the keepers of the vineyards look to their own vineyard we shall never be so instrumental to the good of others as when we are most diligent about our own Souls 9. Mot. If the people of God would more diligently keep their hearts how exceedingly would the communion of Saints be thereby sweetnedâ— How goodly then would be thy tents O Iacob and thy tabernacles O Israel then as t is prophesied of the Jews Zech. 8. 23. Men would say we will go with you for we have heard that God is among you T is the fellowship your Souls have with the Father and with the Son that draws out the desires of others after fellowship with you 1 Ioh. 1. 3. I tell you if Saints would be perswaded to take more pains and spend more time about their hearts there would quickly be such a divine lustre upon the face of their coversations that men would account it no small priviledge to be with or near them T is the pride passion and earthliness of our hearts that hath spoiled Christian fellowship whence is it that when Christians meet they are often jarring and contending but only their unmortified passions whence are their uncharitable censures of their brethren but only from self ignorance why are they so rigid
and unmerciful towards those that are fallen but because they consider not themselves as the Apostle speaks Gal. 6. 1. why is their discourse so frothy and unprofitable when they meet is not this from the earthliness and vanity of their hearts My brethren these be the things that have spoiled Christian fellowship and made it become a dry and sapless thing so that many Christians are even weary of it and are ready to say with the prophet Ier. 9. 2. O that I had a Cottage in the wilderness c. That I might leave my people and go from them and with David Psal. 120. 6. My soul hath long dwelâ— with them that hate peace This hath made them long for the grave that they might goe from them that are not their own people to them that are their own people as the original of that text imports 2 Cor. 5. 8. But now if professors would study their own hearts more watch and keep them better all this would be prevented and the beauty and glory of communion again restored they would divide no more contend no more censure rashly no more when their hearts are in tune their tongues will not jarre how charitable pitiful and tender will they be one of another when every one is daily humbled under the evil of his own heart Lord hasten those much desired daies and bless these counsels in order to them 10. Mot. Lastly By this the comforts of the Spirit and precious influences of all Ordinances would be fixed and much longer preserved in your Souls than now they are Ah! what would I give that my Soul might be preserved in that frame I sometimes find it after an Ordinance aliquandò intromittis me domine in affectium multum inusuatum introrsus ad nescio quam dulcedinem c. Sometimes O Lord saith one of the fathers sweetly thou admittest me into the most inward unusual and sweet delights to I know not what sweetness which were it perfected in me I know not what it would be or rather what it would not be But alas the heart grows careless â—gain and quickly returns like water removed from the fire to its native coldness could you but keep those things for ever in your hearts what Christians would you be what lives would you live and how is it that these things remain no longer with us doubtless it is because we suffer our hearts to take cold again we should be as careful after an ordinance or duty to prevent this as one that comes out of an hot bath or great sweat is of going out into the chill air we have our hot and cold fits by turns and what is the reason but our unskilfulness and carelesness in keeping the heart T is a thousand pities that the ordinances of God as to their quickning and comforting effects should be like those humane ordinances the Apostle speaks of that perish in the using O then let me say to you as Iob. 15. 11. Doe the consolations of God seem small to you Look over these ten special benefits weigh them in a just ballance are they small matters is it a small matter to have thy weak understanding assisted thine endangered Soul antidoted thy sincerity cleered thy communion with God sweetned thy sails filled in prayer is it a small thing to have the decayed power of godliness again recovered all fatal scandals removed an instrumental fitness to serve Christ obtained the Communion of Saints restored to its primitive glory and the inflâ—ences of ordinances abiding in the Souls of Saints if these be no common blessings no small benefits then surely t is a great duty to keep the heart with all diligence The III. Vse for Direction THE next use shall be for direction to some special means for the keepiâ—g of the heart and here besides what hath been hinâ—ed in the explication of the duty page 9 10 11 12 13. to which I refer the reader and all those directions throughout the whole appropriated to particular cases and seasons I shall farther adde several other general means of excellent use to this end and the first is this 1. Means Would you thus keep your hearts as hath been perswaded then furnish your hearts richly with the word of God which is their best preservative against sin Keep the word and the word will keep you as the first receiving of the word regenerated your hearts so the keeping of the word within you will preserve your hearts Col. 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you let it dwell not tarry with you for a night and let it dwel richly or plentifully in all that is of it in its commands promises threats in all that is in you in your understandings memories consciences affections and then t wil preserve your hearts Psal. 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee T is the sâ—â—pperiness of our hearts in reference to the word that causes so many slips in our lives Conscience cannot be urged or awed with forgotten truths but keep it in the heart and it will keep both heart and life upright Psal. 37. 31. The law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide or if he doe the word will recover the straying heart again Maâ—th 26. 57. Then Peter remembred the words of Iesus and wept bitterly we never lose our hearts till they have first lost the efficacious and powerful impressions of the word 2. Mea. Call your hearts frequently to an account if ever you mean to keep them with God Those that put a stock into the hands of unfaithful or suspicious servants will be sure to make short reckonings with them the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Ier. 17. 9. O t is as necessary as sweet that we and our reins that is we and our secret thoughts confer together every night Psal. 16. 7. we should call our hearts to account every evening and say O my heart where hast thou been to day where have thy thoughts wandred to day what account canst thou give of them O naughty heart vain heart couldst thou not abide by the fountain of delights is there better entertainment with the creature than with God the oftner the heart meets with rebukes and checks for wandring the less t will wander if every vain thought were retracted with a sigh every excursion of the heart from God with a severe check it would not dare so boldly and frequently to digress and step aside those actions which are committed with reluctancy are not committed with frequency 3. Mea. He that will keep his heart must take heed of plunging himself into such a multiplicity of earthly business as he cannot mannage without neglecting his main business It cannot be imagined he should keep his heart with God that hath lost himself in a wood of earthly business take heed you doe not pinch your Souls by gratiâ—ying the immoderate desires of your flesh
I wish many Christians could truly say what a Heathen once did I doe not give but only lend my self to my business T is said Germanicus reigned in the Romans hearts Tyberius only in their Provinces though the world be in your hands let it not justle Christ out of your hearts Take heed Christian least thy shop steal away thy heart from thy closet God never intended earthly imployments for a stop but rather for a step to heavenly ones O let not Aristippus the Heathen arise in judgement against thee who said he would rather neglect his means then his mind his farm then his Soul 〈◊〉 thy ship be overladen thou must cast some over-bord more business then thou canst well mannage is like more meat then thou canst well digest which will quickly make a sickly Soul 4. Mea. He that means to keep his heart must carefully observe its first declinings from God and stop it there He that will keep his house in good repair must stop every chinke assoone as discovered and he that will keep his heart must not let a vain thought be long neglected the serpent of heart Apostasâ—e is best killed in the egge of a small remission O if many poor decayed Christians had lookt to their hearts in time they had never come to that sad pass they now are we may say of heart neglects as the Apostle doth of vain bablings that they increase to more and more ungodliness nemo repentè fit turpissimus little sins neglected will quickly become great and masterless the greatest Crocodile once lay in an egge the greatest oake was once but an acorn the firing of a small train of powder may blow up all by leading to a greater quantity men little think what a proud vain wanton or worldly thought may grow to behold how great a matter a little fire kindles 5. Mea. Take heed of loseing the liveliness and sweetness of your communion with God least thereby your hearts be loosed off from God The heart is an hungry and restless thing it will have something to feed upon if it enjoy nothing from God it will hunt for something among the creatures and there it often loses it self as well as its end there is nothing more engages the heart to a constancy and evenness in walking with God then the sweetness which it tasts therein as the Gauls when once they tasted the sweet wine of Italy could never be satisfied till they conquered the countrey where it grew T is true Conscience of duty may keep the heart from neglecting it but when there is no higher motive it drives on deadly and is filled with distractions that which we delâ—ght in we are never weary of as is evident in the motions of the heaâ—t to earthly things where the wheels being oyled with delight run nimbly and have often need of trigging the motions of the heart upward would be as free if its delight in heavenly things were as great 6. Mea. Habituate thy heart to spiritual meditations if thou wouldst have it freed from thosâ— burdensome diversions By this means you will get a facillity and dexterity in heart work t is pity those smaller portions of our time betwixt solemn duties should lye upon our hands and be rendred useless to us O learn to save and be good husbands upon your thoughts to this purpose a neat Authour speaks these Parentheses which happen to come between the more solemn passages whether business or recreations of humane life are wont to be lost by most men for want of a due value for them and even by good men for want of skill to preserve them for though they doe not properly despise them yet they neglect or lose them for want of knowing how to rescue them or what to doe with them but although grains of sand and ashes be a part but of a â—eâ—picable smalness and lyable to be scatâ—â—red and blown away yet the skilful artificer by a vehement fire brings numbers of these to afford him â—hat noble substance glass by whose help we may both see ourselves and our blemishes lively represented as in looking glasses and discern caelestial objects as with Tellescopes and with the sun beams kindle disposed materials as with burning glasses so when these little fragments or parcels of time which if not carefully lookt to would be dissipated and lost come to be managed by a skilful Contemplator and to be improved by the caelestial fire of devotion they may be so ordered as to afford us both looking glasses to dress our Souls by and prospectives to discover heavenly wonders and incentives to inflame our hearts with zeal thus far he Something of that nature I have under hand for a publick benefit if God give life to finish and opportunity to produce it certainly this is a great advantage for the keeping of the heart with God IV. Vse for Consolation I Shall now close the whole with a word or two of consolation to all dilligent and serious Christians that faithfully and closely ply heart work that are groaning and weeping in secret over the hardness pride earthliness and vanity of their hearts that are fearing and trembling over the experienced deceitfulness and falsness of them whilest other vain professors eyes are abroad their time and strength eaten up by fruitless disputes and earthly imployments or at best by a cold and formal performance of some heartless and empty duties poor Christian I have three things to offer thee in order to thy support and comfort and doubtless either of them alone mixed with faith is sufficient to comfort thee over all the trouble thou hast with thine own heart 1. Comfort This argues thy heart to be upright and honest what ever thy other gifts and abillities are T is uprightness of heart will comfort thee upon a death-bed 2 Kings 20. 2 3. Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord saying remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart c. I am really of his mind who said si mihi daretur optio eligerim christiani rustici sordidissimum maxime agreste opus prae omnibus victoriis triumphis Alexandri auâ— Caesaris might I have my wish I would prefer the most despicable and sordid work of a rustick Christian before all the victories and triumphs of Alexander or Cesar. Yea let me adde before all the elaborated duties and excellent gifts of vain professors before the tongues of men and Angels it will signifie more to my comfort to spend one solitary hour in mourning before the Lord over heart corruption then many hours in a seeming zealous but really dead performance of common duties with the greatest inlargements and richest embellishments of parts and gifts By this very thing Christ distinguishes the formal and serious Christian Matth. 6. 5. The one is for the street and Synagogue for the observation and applause of men but the other is a closet