Naphtali and Galilee all the Land of Naphtali and carried them captive to Assyria By occasion of which calamity being then newly happened Esay comforts them with this Prophecy that in recompence of that heavy disadvantage above the rest of their brethren they should have the first and chiefest share of the presence and conversation of Messiah which was to come As the first times saith he he made vile or debased the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali so in the latter time he shall make it glorious If ye ask Why it follows The way of the sea by Iordan Galilee of the Gentiles V. 2. The people that walked in darkness namely of affliction have seen a great light they that dwelt in the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined V. 3. Thou hast multiplied the nation and increased the joy thereof c. If ye ask How comes this it follows v. 6. For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counseller The mighty God The Father or Author of eternity The Prince of Peace V. 7. Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this This is he that should enlighten the Province of Galilee or the land of Zebulun and Naphtali with the glory of his presence and make it as it were amends for what it suffered before the rest of the Country of Israel by the hand of the King of Assyria And if this be not a Prophecy of Christ I know not what is And to the same purpose I bring it doth S. Matthew quote it chap. 4. 14 c. upon our Saviour's going after Iohn was cast into prison to dwell at Capernaum the Metropolis of Galilee to make it the Seat of the preaching and publication of the Gospel of his Kingdom which should have made us take more notice thereof than commonly we have done Blind Iews that could not see it nay for this very reason because he was of Galilee they would not believe him to be the Messiah Shall Christ come out of Galilee say they should not Christ come out of Bethlehem And so he did too and yet was by habitation and conversation a Galilean Nay I must yet say more even we Christians cannot altogether be excused who by following the Iews too close have so troubled and darkned the beginning of this Prophecy by mis-translating and mis-distinguishing it that when we have done we can hardly tell how to defend S. Matthew's application thereof much less see the evidence of so noble and clear a Prophecy I think the devil did owe it a spight from the beginning The Septuagint is here corrupted into pure non-sense and so I believe was even in the Apostles times which made S. Matthew that he could quote nothing of that first sentence but only the names of Zebulun and Naphtali as he may see that compares them The Chaldee Paraphrast is as wide How we translate of latter times I shall not need to mention those who are pinched therewith can tell best For my part I am perswaded the four or five first words wherewith we are wont to begin this ninth Chapter belong to the last verse of the Chapter before-going as both the Chaldee Paraphrast and S. Ierome refer them and that the words following begin a new Prophecy namely that which I have hitherto alledged for Messiah's abode in Galilee in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According as the first time he made vile or debased the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali so in the latter time he shall make it glorious Or making 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the supposition of the sentence thus As the first time made vile the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali so the latter time shall make them glorious Or simply without comparison thus The first time he debased the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali but in the latter time he shall make them glorious Then follow the words which S. Matthew quotes The way of the sea by Iordan Galilee of the Gentiles c. It seems to me to be exceeding plain and to make the Prophecy so clear as scarce any in Scripture goes beyond it Is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make vile or base and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to glorifie or make glorious Let him that hath skill in the language judge What need we then translate lightly afflict and heavily afflict True 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath the signification of lightness but it is of light worth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of weight but as in Piel frequently so here of the weight of glory and we our selves otherwhiles translate it so And to conclude the Event is true and evident That as the land of Zebulun and Naphtali had the first share in the calamity by Assyria so had they a prerogative in enjoying the presence of Messiah The Observation that this circumstance of Christ our Saviour's habitation and abode suggests unto our meditation is an Example of that rule of God's administration S. Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 1. 27 c. to make choice of the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and of weak base and despicable things in the world's account to confound the mighty That no flesh should glory before him For Galilee and the inhabitants thereof were in respect of Iudaea reputed ignoble and half strangers both because they were so far divided from Ierusalem where the Temple of their Nation was and because it was not the proper and original habitation of the Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin which returned from Captivity but part of the lot of the Kingdom of the ten Tribes which Salmanasser carried away captive Howbeit the Iews of the two Tribes after their return especially in the prevailing times of the Maccabees had many of them setled themselves there and at length subdued the Gentiles there dwelling and replenished it with their own people yet so as many of the Gentiles dwelt still among them In which respects they were despised of those that dwelt in Iudaea their native home and accounted though of the same Nation yet far less noble than themselves Insomuch that the name of Galilaean was in some sort reproachful and despicable as we may gather even from those speeches of the Iews in the Gospel Shall Christ come out of Galilee and Out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet Yet did God so order it that Christ the King of Israel the great Saviour of Mankind who was to be exalted to sit at the right hand of God far above all principalities and powers should be as you see a Galilean And was not the rest of his breeding suitable thereunto Who would not have
man be a faithful man or how can he have Faith who knoweth not the things of Faith Here is a Lesson to be learned of those that think it needless for a man to busie his head in the knowledge of the things belonging to his Salvation that think it is enough if they have a good meaning though they know nothing else They are proud of their Ignorance and will say they have as good Souls as the best of them all but alas they know not that Light and Darkness cannot agree together they know not that to walk in darkness is to walk in the shadow of death they remember not that Light is come into the world and that those that love darkness rather than light should be cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gâ—ashing of teeth What will you answer at the great day of hearing when Christ will not know you because ye knew him no better Will you say as some do That you were not Book-learned and therefore could not read Will you say you had no Learning and therefore hope to be excused These Fig-leaves will not serve to cover your nakedness withal I confess there are many things which the Learned know which you are not bound to know Those who are expert in the Scriptures know many things both concerning God and his Works which others may be ignorant of without endangering their Souls safety yea matters of high Controversie those who are simple are forbidden to meddle withal for so saith S. Paul Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtful disputations But things which concern our Faith things which are needful to our Salvation things which concern our Obedience unto God these things no man must be ignorant of that regards the safety of his Soul these things God will require at the hands of every one who shall be saved whether they be learned or unlearned whether they be of the wise or of the simple whosoever knows not Christ and the means to come to Christ whosoever knows not what it is to have a Redeemer to have God to be his Father what it is to be reconciled to God to have Christ to be his Advocate and Mediatour whosoever knows not such things as these must hear that heavy doom of Go ye cursed into everlasting fire For want of this knowledge of things needful to be known God had a controversy with his people Israel Hos. 4. 1. The Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the land because there is no knowledge of God in the land For want of this knowledge it was that God saith Esay 5. 13. My people are gone into captivity because they wanted knowledge And our Saviour in Luke 19. 42. wept over Ierusalem and said O that thou hadst known the things which belong unto thy peace c. As it befel the Iews so will it fall out with every one of us that knows not the things which belong unto our peace that is unto our reconciliation with God in Iesus Christ God will have a controversie with us he will send us into everlasting captivity from whence we shall never return again Let me therefore beseech you Brethren in the bowels of Iesus Christ If there be any among you that have not yet gotten this needful knowledge that do not yet know the things belonging to their peace that they would now look unto themselves and use the means which God hath appointed If you may have the best means use the best if not yet make use of those which God hath given you despise not the least and weakest means despise not the bare reading of the Scriptures for they are the Oracles of God and God's Spirit may be in the mouth of the reader Pray therefore unto the Lord that he would give you hearts to understand that his Word may dwell in you plentifully in all wisdom that he would open unto you the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that you may relish the heavenly Manna and that you may long after the sincere milk of the Gospel that by this means your ways may prosper your sorrows may be easie and your comforts may your lives holy and your deaths comfortable And thus much I have spoken to those who are ignorant and please themselves therein Now let me speak a word or two also to those who covet and desire knowledge and take delight in the understanding of rare and excellent things Surely it is a commendable thing to be desirous of knowledge in any thing which may lawfully be known and this desire in Solomon pleased God so well that because he asked wisdom and knowledge God gave him riches also and such honour that there was no King like unto him among the Kings that were before him neither after him ever came the like Art thou then desirous of knowledge wouldst thou know rare and excellent things wouldst thou know things secret and foreknow things which are to come Lo here is a Knowledge the best of all knowledges the knowledge of Faith to know Christ to be thy Redeemer What more secret thing wouldst thou know than to know the Mystery which was hidden from the beginning of the world What higher knowledge than to know thy name to be written in heaven What more gainful knowledge than that knowledge that will bring thee a Kingdom whose glory shall never have end What better knowledge of things to come than to know that thou shalt live in the life to come If thou knewest the tongues of Men and Angels if thou knewest all Arts and Sciences if thou were wiser than Solomon and couldst discourse of Trees and Herbs of Beasts of Fowl and of Fishes and yet wantest this Knowledge of Faith all thy wisdom is folly and thou art not worthy to wipe the shoes of those who are truly wise indeed Nevertherefore count thy self wise before thou art wise in the Lord never think thou knowest any thing before thou knowest thou hast a part in Christ Iesus For Faith is the Wisdom of wisdoms he that knows Christ knows all though he knows nothing else So that we may say with Solomon Prov. 3. 13 c. Blessed is the man that findeth this wisdom and getteth this understanding For the merchandise thereof is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace She is a Tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her There is yet a third sort of men to whom this which hath been spoken may give profitable instruction I mean the nice and dainty hearers of the Word who grow almost weary of hearing because the Ministers sing nothing but this old song of Knowing and Believing in Christ they always beat upon this one point How men
of the world be blessed What was here acted else but the Mystery of Christ's Passion to wit That the promised seed should make all the Nations of the world blessed by becoming a sacrifice for sin which that it might be the more evident the Place is also designed the region of Mount Moriah there Abraham was bid to offer his â—on Isaac even where Messiah who was then in the loins of Isaac was one day to be offered upon the Cross. The Second prediction in the Law of Messiah's suffering death was by the slaying of Beasts for atonement of sin in their Sacrifices which were nothing else but shadows and representations of that Offering upon the Cross which Messiah was one day to make of himself for the sins of the world Which Mystery of the end of those Legal sacrifices was shewed in the former story of Abraham's offering Isaac For when he had now brought his son to the place appointed and had built an Altar and was now ready to stay him as he was commanded the Angel of the Lord stayed his hand and shewed him a Ram caught in a thicket by the horns which Ram Abraham took and offered for a burnt-offering in stead of his son to signifie that the offering of the Blessed seed was yet to be suspended and that God in the mean while would accept the offerings of Bulls and Rams as a pledge of that expiation which the Blessed seed of Abraham in the loins of Isaac should one day make And thus much for the Law Now I come to the Prophets wherein I find Three evident Prophecies That Messiah should suffer death The first is that famous one the 53. of Esay the whole Chapter through I will not repeat it all but some two or three passages thereof Verse 5. He was wounded saith the Prophet for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Ver. 7. He was oppressed he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth Ver. 8. He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken Now that this Prophecy was one of those by which the Apostles used to prove this Verity appears by the stroy of the conversion of the Eunuch Acts 8. unto whom Philip coming whilst he was in his Chariot reading this place of Scripture and he thereupon asking Philip of whom the Prophet spake these words the Text tells us that Philip began at the same Scripture and preached unto him Iesus The Second place in the Prophets which foretells That Christ should suffer is that in the ninth of Daniel who pointing out the time of Messiah's coming by Seventy weeks limits his count not at his Birth but at his Suffering as the most principal moment of his story From the going out of the commandment saith he to restore and build Ierusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and sixty two weeks And after sixty two weeks shall Messiah be cut off What can be more plain than this A Third place in the Prophets is to be found Zachary 12. 10. where at the time when the Iews shall be converted Christ is brought in speaking in this manner I will pour out saith he upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced Hence it follows that the Iews should have pierced Messiah before they received him to be their Redeemer And that this place also was one of those applied by the Apostles to this purpose appears by S. Iohn's twice alledging it Once in his Gospel when a Souldier with a Spear pierced our Saviours side Then saith he was fulfilled that Scripture which saith They shall look upon him whom they pierced Again in the beginning of his Revelation Behold saith he he cometh in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him Now for the Third division of Scripture the Psalms the chief at least and principal place there which I dare warrant is that of the 16. Psalm v. 9 10. quoted both by S. Peter and S. Paul in the Acts of the Apostles My â—lesh shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my soul in the grave neither suffer thine Holy One to see corruption For David as S. Peter and S. Paul say was buried and his body saw corruption therefore it cannot be spoken of him but of Messiah in the person of David as a Type in whose loyns Messiah was Now then if Messiah's body were to be laid in the grave it follows he was to die and to be in the state of the dead AND thus I have done the First part of my task and proved That Messiah was to suffer death according to the Scriptures namely foretold in that Threefold division of Scripture mentioned here by our Saviour the Law the Prophets and the Psalms Now I come to prove the other part That it behoved him also to rise again the third day according to the Scriptures And this was first foreshewn in the same story of Isaac wherein his sacrifice or suffering was actedâ— For from the time that God commanded Isaac to be offered for a burnt-offering Isaac was a dead man but the third day he was released from death This the Text tells us expresly that it was the third day when Abraham came to Mount Moriah and had his son as it were restored to him again which circumstance there was no need nor use at all to have noted had it not been for some Mystery For had there been nothing intended but the naked story what did it concern us to know whether it were the third or the fifth day that Abraham came to Moriah where he received his son from death Now that I have not misapplied this figure S. Paul is my witness who expresly makes this release of Isaac from slaughter a figure of the Resurrection For thus he speaks of this whole story Hebrews 11. 17 18 19. By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only-begotten Son Of whom it was said That in Isaac shall thy seed be called Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure The same was foreshewed by the Law of Sacrifices which were to be eaten before the third day some Sacrifices were to be eaten the same day they were offered but those which were deferred longest as the Peace-offerings were to be eaten before the third day The third day no sacrifice might be eaten but was to be burnt If it were eaten it was not accepted for an atonement but counted an abomination namely to shew that
would consider it to adventure the Conscience upon the least violence if it endure but a scratching once or twice it is secretly and before a man is aware hardned to endure a wound O let us be then tender to keep our Conscience tender else we are undone Is it therefore indeed so with thee that thou canst take thy sinful liberty and yet find no scruple check thee Canst thou cast off the yoke of Christ and yet thy heart be at rest within thee or at the worst if it pants a little it will soon have done O rouse it up in time else the time will come when thy Conscience will be so awaked that all the world cannot quiet and still it The longer it hath been smothered the more dreadful and unquenchable will the flame be when it once breaketh out No tongue of mortal man is able to express the terrors which then shall overwhelm thee In the day-time we know Spirits and Hobgoblins usually walk not but in the night-time when darkness covereth the face of the earth So in the brightness and Sun-shine of health and proâ—perity what marvel though this terrible Fiend an evil Conscience doth not much haunt a dull and stupid heart but in the darkness of sickness in the midnight of death when the black times of calamity shall surprise thee then will this grifly and gastly Spirit begin to affright and scare thee then will he roar in the chamber of thy soul and most hideously rattle his chains about thine ears As the blows and bruises received in the flower of our youth though then we feel them not will pain us in the decay of our strength in our declining years So the blows and bruises given the Soul by sin in the days of our jollity and prosperity will most grievously torment us when by sickness fear of death or other calamity our wonted mirth and transitory contentment shall be eclipsed Then as the carkass of him that is slain though it seemed stark and stiff is said to bleed afresh at the presence of the murtherer So when our former and unfelt sins whereby the Soul was wounded and murthered shall present themselves unto our view as at such times they use to do then our stark and benummed Conscience will gush out streams of bloud and be in danger to bleed unto eternal death What would a man then give for this Rest unto his soul even all the gold of Ophir all the riches of the East and West Indies yea he would be content never to have had ease never to have enjoyed any contentment no not lawful in these worldly and transitory things all the days of his life so he might have but one dram of that comfortable quietness of Soul which a good conscience bringeth A good conscience therefore from a life well led is a Iewel unvaluable for which a man should undergo the hardest task and forgo all the contentments of the world if it could not otherwise be gotten Which is the Second thing I here observe For our Saviour we see propounds it as a Reward and Prize such as he thought sufficient to allure any reasonable man even to abandon his liberty and freedom and to enter a bondage and to take a yoke upon his neck a yoke the sweetest that ever was worn and far surpassing the greatest liberty in the world A good conscience saith Solomon Prov. 15. 15. is a continual Feast that is an everlasting Christmas The twelve-days-Feast of our Blessed Saviours Nativity how is it longed for before-hand how welcomed when it comes and yet it lasts but a short time But a good conscience is a Feast that lasts all the year yea all a mans life long and that too without satiety without fulness without the least wearisomness There are three things in a Feast which make it so pleasing and desirable Mirth good Company and good Chear In this Feast all three of them are superlative 1. For Mirth all the merriment and Musick all the wine and good chear in the world will not make a man's heart so light and merry as the wine which is drunk at the Feast of a good conscience This is no superficial matter but rooted in the very Centre of the Soul Whereas your Wine-mirth is but the smothering sometimes if not drowning of a deeper grief like the lustick fit in some Countries of such as are going to execution Give strong drink saith Solomon unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts 2. For Society and Company what Feast in the world can afford the like this doth For it hath not only exceeding good but all suitable and homogeneal where is no admixture of ill Here you shall have no unruly persons blaspheming God or men to make themselves or others pastime no unsavoury communication to stain and pollute by degrees the purity of the Soul and make a reckoning unsupportable when the day shall come wherein we must give accompt of every idle word But a good Conscience hath ever good Company and so good as will admit no ill For the Father is with it that great and mighty God who made us The Son is with it even Christ himself who redeemed us they sup and feast together The Holy Ghost is with it who chears up and sanctifies the hearts of all who come to this Table What Feast in the world can shew so honourable so loving so chearful company as this 3. And for the last thing which makes a Feast desirable good Chear it is a Table richly furnished with all Varieties and Dainties a collection of all the Rarities and Delicacies not which Sea and Land only but which Heaven it self affords Who would not come upon any invitation to partake of such a Feast as this DISCOURSE XXXIII ACTS 10. 4. And he said unto him Thy Prayers and thine Alms are come up for a memorial before God or as it is ver 31. are had in remembrance c. WHEN the Iews had crucified our Blessed Saviour the Lord and Prince of Life though their impiety were most horrible and such as might seem to admit of no expiation or atonement yet would not God for that reject them but after he was risen from the dead his Apostles and Messengers were sent to offer and tender him once more unto them if so be they would yet receive him as their Messiah and Redeemer which was promised to come telling them that what they had formerly done unto him God would namely according to our Saviour's prayer upon the Cross Father forgive them for they know not what they do pass by it as done of Ignorance on their part whilest himself was by the disposition of his Providence fulfilling that which was long before spoken by the mouth of all his Prophets That Christ or Messiah should suffer death All which you may read in the Sermon which S. Peter preached unto them in the Temple Acts 3. 12 c. Thus the Lord
fulfilled or accomplished But it seems to me that the Fulness of the Gentiles and the Fulfilling or Accomplishment of their times should not be the same howsoever they may be coincident It should rather seem that our Saviour hath reference as to a thing known unto the Prophecy of Daniel where the Times of the Gentiles or the times wherein the Gentiles should have dominion with the misery and subjection of the Iewish Nation are set forth in the Vision of a fourfold Image and four Beasts which are the four Monarchies the Babylonian Persian Greek and Roman The first began with the first captivity of the Iewish Nation and through the times of all the rest they should be in subjection or in a worser estate under them But when their times should be accomplished then saith Daniel The Saints of the most High God shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever and ever that is there shall be no more kingdoms after it but it shall continue as long as the world shall endure Three of these Monarchies were past when our Saviour spake and the fourth was well entred If then by Saints there are meant the Iews which we know are called the holy People in that sense their country is still called the holy Land and their city in the Scripture the holy City viz. relatively then is it plain enough what Daniel's and our Saviour's words import namely a glorious revocation and kingdom of the Iews when the time of the fourth Monarchy which then remained should be expired and accomplished But if here by the Saints of the most High are in general meant the Church yet by coincidence of time the same will fall out on the Iews behalf because S. Paul saith that at the time when the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in the Iew shall be again restored For a conclusion The last limb of the fourth Monarchy is in Daniel The Horn with eyes which spake proud things against the most High which should continue a time times and half a time that is a year years and half a year In the Revelation it is The Beast with so many heads and horns full of names of blasphemy which was to continue forty two months the same period with the former which was expressed by times or years and the same time with a thousand two hundred and sixty days of the Churche's remaining in the wilderness When these Times whatsoever they be shall be ended then is the period of the Times of the Gentiles and of the Iews misery whereto our Saviour seems to refer in the Gospel then by S. Paul shall the Fulness of the Gentiles enter in then saith S. Iohn shall the kingdoms of the earth be the Lord's and his Christ's then saith Daniel in the former place Chap. 7. 27. shall the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him The Use we are to make upon this long Discourse is Hope and comfortable Expectation Experience saith S. Paul Rom. 5. 4. worketh hope Let therefore our experience of God's Power and Truth in that which is past be as a pledge and pawn unto us of the future We have seen a great part of this Doom of false Gods fulfilled already what though we see not the means of the full accomplishment If thou shalt say in thy heart saith Moses Deut. 7. 17 18. These nations are more than I how can I dispossess them Thou shalt not be afraid of them but shalt remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh and unto all Egypt So if any of us shall say How can this be let us remember what the Lord hath done already in subduing so great a part of the world unto himself which once sate in darkness and in the shadow of death DISCOURSE XXXVII PROVERBS 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all keeping For out of it are the issues of life EVERY way of man saith the same mouth which uttered this is right in his own eyes but the Lord pondereth the hearts Prov. 21. 2. And chap. 16. 2. All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes but the Lord weigheth the spirits Which words have this Discretive sense that Although the eyes of men judge of the rightness of the ways of men by that which appeareth to the eye yet God he is not as man nor judgeth like him but he pondereth the heart and spirit Therefore in Scripture he is styled A God that searcheth the heart and reins Ier. 17. 10. I the Lord search the heart I trie the reins even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings Which words our Saviour useth Rev. 2. 23. in his Epistle to Thyatira I am he which searcheth the reins and the hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works that is Men esteem of works as they see but I judge and reward them as I see Men punish and reward according to the outside only which comes under the view and stands in awe of men but God judges and rewards according to the Heart or inward man which he only sees and which therefore stands in awe and fear of none but him For as for the outward act it may as well be done for the praise and awe of men as for love and fear of God and therefore by it cannot be discerned whether our obedience be to God or man But the Heart is that divine Touch-stone as that which hath none to fear none to please none to approve it self unto but him who alone sees it and is only able to try and examine it If therefore any Precept any Admonition in the whole Book of God deserve the best of our attention to hear and greatest care to put in practice this of my Text is worthy to be accounted of that number Keep thy heart above all keeping For out of it are the issues of life The words divide themselves into two parts An Admonition and A Motive The Admonition Keep thy heart above all keeping The Motive For out of it are the issues of life that is Even as in the life of nature the Heart is the fountain of living and the well-spring of all operations of life so in the life of grace we live to God through it In the Admonition consider 1. The Act Keep 2. The Object what we are to keep our Heart 3. The Manner and Means how it must be kept with all diligence or above all keeping Of the Act Keep I shall not need say much it is an easie word and we shall not forget it in that which follows but ever and anon have occasion to repeat it Only here observe in general That our Hearts are untrusty