that will be ashamed one day so then as Christ saith to Peter Let me say to you Peter Lovest thou me more then these why Lord thou knowest thou knouwest I love thee more so do you love God and Christ more than the world and things of it can you say Lord thou knowest I love thee more than them Do you love Christ and God more than Wives and Children he that don't hate Father and Mother Wife and Children in respect of God and Christ is not worthy of God and Christ though God don't require you to hate them but when they come in competition do you love God and Christ more than your lusts or estate or limbs or lives they loved not their lives unto the death in the 12 Rev. if you love God and Christ more than these happy are you you are sound hearted in truth then God will say here 's a man or woman that loves me with all their heart with all their soul with all their mind with all their strength and I will love them and do for them answerably Thus you may see there are a great many who think themselves sound hearted who are like to prove unsound at the last and so will be ashamed Now to the uses of the point First here we are informed that men of unsound hearts shall not alwayes lye hid They may cover up their unsoundness and keep it from the eyes of men a while but not alwayes They may do by their hearts as by their bodies many have unsound limbs they have untoward diseases and they cover them up and hide them from the world but at last they come to be known and to be discovered Job tells you what the Lord will do in his 12 Chapter Time discovers some see what the times have done in our dayes it hath discovered many the rottenness of their hearts and principles Afflictions are discovering things and discover some when afflictions come then unsound ones are discovered when persecution and temptation come then the stony ground was discovered Death discovers some then they see their hearts and hopes are rotten and that they have been deceived and God will discover all Job 12.21.22 he poureth Contempt upon Princes and weakneth the strength of the mighty he discovereth deep things out of darkness and bringeth forth to light the shaddow of death there 's deep rottenness lyes in darkness in mens hearts they have corrupt principles they have divided hearts they have base lusts they are Hypocrites they pretend one thing and intend another men have the world in their hearts hell in their hearts blood in their hearts revenge in their hearts and all baseness in their hearts and yet have a form of Religion God will discover them and they shall not alwayes lye hid 2. If unsound hearts shall at one time or other be made known then don't envy men of unsound hearts whatsoever their outward happiness be some are very envious when they see men to have great estates honours and great attendance upon them and that their paths are buttered and their feet dip'd in Oyl they are troubled at it but if they be men of unsound principles that have a divided heart men that have a form of Godliness and not the power men that are rotten and do not walk with God in the world do not envy them what if a man have rich cloaths upon his body when he hath a rotten body many have the Plague or the Pox and what if they go in Silks Sattins Velvets do not envy them what if a man have a bountiful body yet have ulcerated lungs what if a man have Dives fare Dives apparel and Dives heart within don 't envy him Their unsoundness will be discovered and then you will say you would not be in their condition for all the world 3. If unsound hearted men and women shall be discovered then let unsound hearted men expect their portion look for shame hast thou an unsound heart is thy heart divided between Heaven and Earth art thou a man that hast a sick soul through lust and sin hast thou seeming graces and not real graces art thou an Hypocrite dost thou profess and not practice look for thy portion shame will be thy portion time is coming thou wilt be found what thou art not thou appearest a Saint thou wilt be found an Hypocrite thou appearest a Christian thou wilt be found to be an Enemy to Christ and God thou wilt be found to be reprobate Silver in Jer. 6. Reprobate Silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them you Jews of all the Nations in the world you went for Silver you had the Oracles the Prophets the Services the Temple and the worship of God but saith the Lord I have found you reprobate Silver I have found you to be dross and I have reprobated you and you are reprobate Silver and so in Ezek. 22.18 Son of man the house of Israel is to me become dross all they are Brass and Tin and Iron and Lead in the middest of the Furnace they are even the dross of Silver the house of Israel is become dross unto me I look'd they should have been sound hearted but they are dross Iron Tin Lead and Brass O that the house of Israel should be dross is not the house of England so and the people of this place so if the Lord should search you what soundness what sincerity is in you what new creatures are you are you regenerate have you Christ in you as well as the name of Christ upon you I am afraid least you should prove Dross Tin Brass Lead and the dross of Silver even reprobate Silver let all them that are unsound hearted look for their portion even shame you will be disappointed of your expectations you will meet with that you did not look for see what the Lord saith of those are right in Luke 21. When these things begin to come to pass lift up your heads and rejoyce for your Redemption draweth nigh when terrors come and when the world shall be even in a confusion and in a flame then do you lift up your heads you shall not be ashamed but all that are unsound hearted will hang down their heads and cry to mountains O cover us and fall upon us because of the wrath of the Lamb O he is come and will discover us Christ knows the heart and the reins and searches them as in Rev. 3. and will render to every man according to what he finds are you rotten you shall be ashamed and I will render to you according to what you are but I will say to the sheep that are sound come ye blessed and I will say to others go ye cursed Math. 25. The wise Virgins they come and they are called to come to enter to take the Kingdom but the foolish Virgins are shut out go ye cursed into everlasting fire they met with that they look'd not for here 's the condition of
THE Sound-hearted Christian OR A TREATISE OF Soundness of Heart With several other SERMONS As Of Believing Of being of Christs mind Of doing all in his Name Of the preciousness of the Word Of the sweetness of the Word and Against the Love of the World By William Greenhill Non progredi est regredi London Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Cross Keys in Bishopsgate-street near Leaden-hall 1670. To that little Flock the Author of the ensuing Treatise relates unto DEarly beloved knowing that shortly I must put off my earthen Tabernacle I thought it meet whilst I am in it to mind you of something Preached amongst you and to present the same in Print unto you that ye might be able after my decease to have the same alwayes in remembrance The chief part of the Treatise is about Soundness of Heart and what is my desire but that you may be found sound hearted The times we live in are discovering times and the unsoundness of many is lay'd open before the Sun they began in the spirit and now are ending in the flesh many are declined and too many declining The Jews rejoyced in John's light for a season Those of Asia followed Paul while the Sun shined but when it was cloudy weather they turn'd aside Those that came out of Egypt meeting with hardships unlook'd for would have gone back to Egyptian flesh-pots and of six hundred thousand men only Caleb and Joshuah who had sound hearts entred into Canaan The holy Scripture mentions but one Demas who imbrac'd the world now there are many so drench't in it that they are in danger of erring from the faith Have not some of all perswasions amongst us manifested their unsoundness by deserting their principles and practices Have not some forsaken their first love and are become lukewarm Laod ceans Are not many halting between God and Baal Are not multitudes return'd to the Romish Synagogne whose Head they pretend is Peter's Successor but unlike him altogether except in denyal of his Lord and Master Have not some gone out from you that were not of you and left Christ the only true light for their own light is it not an hour of Temptation Are there not blustring winds of Doctrine abroad that would blow away the grace and gospel of Christ and have only morality for grace and gospel Is not the Dragon wroth with the Woman and making war with the remnant of her seed which keep the Commandments of God now manifest your selves to be of that seed admit of nothing against the command of Christ without you or the light and motions of the spirit within you The Rabbins say that in the Kingdom of Messiah there is nothing of mans invention In regno Messiae nil mundanum If the Whores golden Cup be offer'd you look not at the glittering outside but the poyson within and drink not thereof least you dye keep your garments clean meddle not with any thing that defileth or is defiled Think not Ordinances needless things for if so the taking away the Kingdom of Heaven from the Jews was no great judgement nor the bestowing of it upon another people any great mercy Have an high esteem of the Word and Oudinances for where there is no vision people perish Hold fast what you have heard and stand fast in the Lord and so shall ye live and you shall be our hope our joy and crown of Rejoycing That you may do so and be so in this day of Tryal and Tribulation this little Treatise is commended unto you wherein you will find what soundness of heart is how greatly desirable and excellent whether your hearts be so how to get such hearts and how to keep them being gotten with something of faith something of being of Christs mind of doing all in his name something of the preciousness and sweetness of the Word and somewhat against the love of the world which if you will read mind and practice you will never fall from the principles and stedfastness but be stronger and stronger and hold on the way until you appear before the Lord in glory The God of all grace be with you dwell in you and inable you all in all things to do his will Yours in the work of the Lord to serve you W. G. ERRATA PAge 10. line 24. read are p. 11. l. 16. r. his p. 15. l. 18. r. 1st Use p. 29. l. 3. r. Obs 2. p. 31. l. 7. r. hereupon p. 35. l. 11. r. do p. 37. l. 29. r. Hezekiah p. 44. l. 6. r. do p. 46. l. 30. r. Jannes p. 47. l. 17. r. Thirdly p. 53. l. 30. r. for p. 58. l. 23. r. fold p. 59. l. 17. r. that fall p. 64. l. 23. r. therefore p. 81. l. 12. r. souls p. 94. l. 9. r. for are will be p. 100. l. 6. r. beautiful l. 20. r. not p. 112. l. 4. r. it 's p. 116. l. 30. r. if p. 128. l. 2. r. if p. 174. l. 9. r. Doctr. without first p. 175. l. 1. r. what things p. 199. l. 32. dele of p. 213. l. 26. r. lamps p. 219. l. 11. r. 140. p. 243. l. 18. r. cares p. 267. l. 2. after no add and leave things certain is unreasonable p. 269. l. 12. r. knee p. 287. l. 28. r. with p. 293. l. 26. d a. p. 295. l. 22. r. doth p. 299. l. 12. r. wares p. 304. l. first r. yea These with some other Errata's especially in the last sheets which the Author had not opportunity to review the Reader is desired to correct and Pardon Of Soundness of Heart The Substance of several Sermons upon Psal 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed THis Psalm doth consist of as many parts as there be Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet and every eight verses begins with a distinct Letter of the A phabet and it 's a Psalm that some of the Antients do call the very marrow and heart of the Scripture it being in the middest of the Book of God And divers Eulogies they have of it precious truths are contained in it And twice in this Psalm doth David make request unto God about his heart the one is in the 36. v. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness O Lord saith David I desire my heart may go the right way but I am not able to manage nor carry my heart as I would I would fain have it cleave to thy testimonies but it runs out here and there and therefore Lord saith he incline thou my heart unto thy testimonies thy testimonies are very precious they testifie of thy Nature they testifie of thine attributes they testifie of thy promises they testifie of thy will and good pleasure they testifie what will be the advantage of man for his present and eternal good incline my heart unto thy testimonies and 〈◊〉 to covetousness Alas what are the honours the pleasures the riches of the world to thy testimonies they
all in his own name and for himself and not for Christ he had a covetous heart So Annanias and Saphira miscarried they did things in their own name so Demas he did things in his own name the world was still upon him and he miscarried and Godly men and women they miscarry they begin not with Christ they do not things in the name of Christ they do not do things for Christ and therefore they miscarry fearfully because Christ is not taken along with them This is a true cause if not the onely cause why Saints and precious ones miscarry in their actions Secondly see hence why Godly men and women have so much guilt and fear upon their spirits which appears in ill times especially when Gods judgments are abroad and dangers are at hand Oh how guilty are they how fearful are they what 's the reason of this it's because the thoughts and words and actions have not been in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we have thought our own thoughts and spoke our own words and done our own wills and hence it comes to pass that we are full of guilt and full of fear in 12. Mat. 36. I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment God hath many dayes of judgment here in the world before the great day of judgment hereafter For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Our words condemn us and we find guilt upon us for our words and our actions do condemn us and we find guilt upon us for our actions Rom. 2.7 8. Who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile We find fears and we fear tribulation and fear ruine and destruction because our actions have not been done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for his honour and glory but for our selves Fourthly if Christians must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus then nothing is to be done in but own names to do things in our own names is not currant is not legal is not warrantable who authorized you will Christ say to do this or that in your own name what warrant have you what word have you for it to do it in your own name no neither must we do things in our own strength nor in our own wisdom we think we are wise and we are able but Prov. 3.5 6 7. Lean not unto thine own understanding dont lean to thy own understanding thou art but a fool unto God and thy wisdom is nothing lean not to thine own understanding in all thy wayes acknowledge him Mark in all thy wayes acknowledge him look up to him do things in his name by his wisdom by his strength not by thy own and he shall direct thy path is not Gods direction better than our own Gods councel better than ours Gods strength better than ours lean not then to your own wisdom acknowledge him in all your wayes be not wise in thine own eyes We are loth to lay down our own wisdom and our own apprehensions and conceptions Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom make not that thy design I will be rich and like the great ones in the City and I will be high and I will be so and so this is thy own wisdom thy own folly indeed we are not to do any thing in our own names no nor in the name of Angels nor of Saints the Papists do many things in the name of this Saint and the other Saint and in the name of the Virgin Mary they do many things pray in her name and act in her name and suffer in her name but this is not in the name of Christ whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Therefore remember we are to do nothing in our own names or in the names of any but in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Fifthly I infer hence that whosoever would steer a right course in this world and have his thoughts words and actions accepted and blessed must have a special eye unto the Lord Christ we must look to him as the Pole-star as Marriners their eye is much upon the Pole-star or the compass upon which they sail by their eye is upon these otherwise they will go out of their way and miscarry but if we observe the courses of men and women they sail most by the compass of the world look what the world doth and such and such a man doth that they will do or if not so yet by the custome of places where they are why 't is the custom of the place to do thus and thus or else according to the tradition of the Elders our Elders did so they wash'd their hands before meat and we will do it or else they look to the Laws of men But this is not yet in the name of Christ or else they do things by their own wills and lusts they will have these fulfilled but where 's the name of Christ all this while men go wrong and out of the way not looking at Christ few direct their course by Christ his name his councel according to his will and his word It was otherwise with that blessed Apostle Paul Paul had his eye upon Christ therefore he saith in 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ I have Christ alwayes in my eye I begin with Christ I go on with Christ I end with Christ I have Christ alwayes in my eye dont follow me at all if I dont follow Christ I am a learned man and you think you may follow me because I am a learned man or I am an Apostle and you will follow me therefore but if I dont follow Christ notwithstanding my learning and my Apostleship dont follow me it is Christ you must have in your eye it is Christ you must regulate all by he must be your Pole star he must be your compass so in 5 Eph. 1. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children dont follow the world dont follow the customes of places dont follow any but God and be followers of God as dear Children Children will follow their Parents and follow no others So then if we would steer our course aright we must be followers of Christ and eye Christ and eye God and take up all from them and not from men Sixthly if we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ according as we have opened then here see to whom we owe the success of all we do 't is not to our selves