a bondage to it to be tied up so short The more of this the higher the Disease is and the more to be doubted whether such mens Christianity be sound The strictest Christian is the most healthful and the most evidently a Christian indeed and the greater latitude the heart indulges its self to the more sickly the Soul is if it be not quite dead and no Christian at all Friends You that are Christians indeed if you know what you have done you have vowed the greatness strictness possible That is to press on towards it and to reach out after it You did not Covenant to follow Christ to such a degree and no higher to advance in Religion to such a pitch and no more you did not Covenant for thus much Obedience thus much duty thus much diligence thus much Zeal and no more if ye be Christians indeed you have covenanted to follow the Lord fully to watch to every Duty to watch against every sin to press on to the highest pitch of holiness to do to the utmost to please the Lord. If there were any reserve in your vow to Christ of any little liberty to the Flesh of any limit of your zeal and care if there were any such reserve you are false in your Covenant and but false Christians O friends have you vowed the greatest strictness then watch against the least degrees of looseness Get a settled Judgment of the excellency and necessity of strictness get an hearty love and good liking of it let your Souls be bent upon it let it be your desire and your aim and your hope and your labour to hold you close by Christ and if you would not have licentious practises abound in your life let no licentious Principles no licentious affections nest themselves in your hearts see that there be no lust after any other liberty then Christ hath allowed you Get to be heartily well pleased with all the Laws of Christ with his narrowest ways let that latitude of Religion which is the measure of carnal disciples be your fear and not your desire And if you feel any itch after it look upon it as a disease and distemper of your heart Count thy self but a weakly and sickly Christian whilst is is thus with thee Know that it is your greatest Excellency if Holiness be an Excellency then the more strictly holy the more Excellent Yea and you will find it your greatest Liberty the more holiness the more enlargement of your hearts to all the holy ways of God Psal 119.44 45. I will keep thy law continually c. And I will walk at liberty his meaning was not I will walk licentiously at liberty from thy Laws at liberty from Rule but I will walk freely in thy ways when thou shalt knock off my fetters that hinder me The more we can hold in and inure our selves to be punctual in our Religion the more freedom shall we find and with the more ease and delight shall we run the way of Gods Commands And know this that by how much the more loose you are from the ways of God by so much the more loose from God and what will you have to comfort you what will you have to sweeten Religion to you whilst God is at a distance from you Keep you fast to him and you shall live the more under his reviving and refreshing influences Religion hath its troubles and its harshness and you will have little else then the harshness of it longer then you keep you close to the Lord. The Waters of the Sanctuary will tast but brackish to you longer then the Sun shines upon them a little Sun-shine from above a smile from the Face of God this is the sweetness this is the Blessedness Keep close to God and you shall keep the passage clear between Heaven and your Hearts Religion will be like Ephraims Idolatry Hos 8.7 It will be but a dry stalk the Bud will yield no Meat There will be the Labours of it and the Troubles of it but no Meat for your Souls to feed upon longer then you meet with God in your Duties Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Jam. 4.8 Keep close by God and he will keep close to you May be some of you have never yet tasted how Gracious the Lord is nor will you ever be like to do if you set not in closer in his ways Loose Religion will keep you still in the dark and in a weary and uncomfortable State There 's no such way to make Christ's ways pleasant as by keeping constantly in them no such way to make Christs Yoke easie as by holding it close to your Necks it never so galls and wrings as when it hangs loosely on resolve upon strictness and you shall taste the sweetness Hold you in from running out after the Pleasures of the Flesh and the Face of God will be a pleasure to you which the Distemper of a loose and carnal Heart will certainly deprive you of and hinder you from the relish or finding delight therein 3. Listlesness A dull untoward sluggish unactive lifeless temper where the Edge of our Spirits is blunted insomuch that whatever opportunities we have or whatever calls we have to be doing for God or our Souls we have no list to them but through the way-wardness and and untowardness of our hearts we let them slip and either do nothing or nothing to purpose Opportunities are a price put into our hands but by reason of this sluggish listless untoward temper we have no heart to them but became like the Fool Prov. 17.16 In vain is there a price put into the hands of a Fool which hath no heart to it This is a wretched and pernicious Distemper 2. It proceeds from an evil cause From the carnality of our hearts and our unsuitableness to the work of God It is ungrateful and unpleasing work to us our hearts are so contrary to it we had rather be any where then with God we had rather be about any work then the work of our Souls We can be brisk and sprightful about our carnal and earthly employments but for any thing of Religion there we dragg and go heavily on we are all Soul and Life in what we have to do for our Flesh but our hearts hang backward and come but heavily and untowardly on to do any thing for God This is from the little interest that God hath in our Souls and the little affection we bear to him We are yet carnal and that 's the reason we have so little Edge or so little list to spiritual things 2. It is an ill sign What ill sign is it 'T is a sign of want of Grace either that we have no Grace at all or at least are but very low in the Grace of God that our day is yet but a day of small things Where is our Faith in Christ when we are so backward in the work of Faith As Christ sayd Mat. 14.31
are questioning whether you should go on or forbear why then examine would this be a serving my flesh or a serving the Lord determine that well and then your covenant would guide you whether to do or forbear Once let your hearts stand resolved to pursue the ends of your covenant to live such an holy such an heavenly such a mortified such a self-denying such a diligent life as you have covenanted to live and then your very hearts which are the records of your covenant your very hearts will teach you what you should do When your flesh at any time pleads with you for any abatement of the strictness of Christianity for any Liberty of compliance with the more remiss and loose amongst Christians and suggests to you not too far not too fast not too high in Religion drive on softly deal gently with thy flesh be not over rigid or severe to it be not over busie do not tire thy self at thy work take time take thine ease drive on as thy carnal interest and thy carnal inclinations can bear then read over your covenant and consider Is such a life according to the writeing that hath been agreed upon betwixt my Lord and me Is this cold and indifferent and easie way of Religion all that I have covenanted for well this is one thing if you would keep to your Colours keep to your Covenant 2. Take up your Cross upon your back This is your Lords word Mat. 16.24 Whosoever will come after me let him take up his Cross This will be the proof of what there is of Christ or Christianity in your hearts a sound heart will make a strong back He that loves much will bear any thing he whose heart is not cross-proof is an unsound Christian Your sinful shunning the Cross is your running from your Colours Christians some little Trials we have had some crosses we have met with but for ought I know the Lord may be preparing heavier crosses greater sufferings for you then ever you have been proved withal O be so busie a fortifying your hearts that you may never baulk your Christian course whatever cross may stand in the way I would not that we should needlesly run upon the cross when we may avoid it Sufferings may come fast enough without our pulling them upon our selves But this I would we might every one stand to resolve in the strength of the Lord to be never the less hearty Christians never the less holy never the less precise never the less zealous in the pursuit and practise of a sincere and exemplary Godly Life for any thing you may suffer for it from Men or Devils I do not barely say take up your cross rather then lay down your Christianity but take up your cross rather than lay down your bold Profession of Christianity take up your cross rather than lay down your zeal for Christ or turn aside from the closest and most resolved following of Christ Let the Cross neither make us of Christians to become no Christians no nor to be less Christians than we have seemed to be It hath been so in former ages that Christianity hath never improved nor thrived so much as under the sharpest and severest persecutions and why should it not be so still Look to your selves friends there is hazard that your Souls may suffer that you may be inward loosers by your over solicitousness to escape outward losses the Souls of many Professors may be losers and the Souls of some may be quite lost by the fears of the cross Look to your selves that this be none of your Cases that you be not loosers by persecutions especially take heed that you be not lost your Souls lost by them Be not persecuted from Christ be not persecuted to Hell let not the cross drive you ba k under the curse from which you hoped that you had escaped And that you may not be loosers do what you can to be gainers as other Christians have been before you If it grow to be winter without get you to be warmer within if the winds rise keep your garments the Closer about you Think not to make your peace with evil men by striking sail and following Christ more aloof but make your Peace with God more sure that you may be the more able to bear the reproaches of the World Be as the Stars that are never so bright as when the night is darkest Love one another help one another quicken and comfort and encourage one another so much the more for that the world hateth and goes about to hinder you and never think after all that hath been said about the governing and guarding the sanctifying and keeping your hearts that yet your hearts are right till you can hold fast your integrity and hold on your way in all changes of weather 3. Keep the Crown in your eye and let that word be ever in your ear Rev. 3.11 Hold fast what thou hast that no man take thy Crown Run from your Colours and you loose the Crown He that hath heaven in his eyes will not fear to have holiness in his life The hope of the victory will encourage in the fight the hope of the Crown will make the cross to be easie and make us faithful in the covenant Therefore Remember that word Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life Christians if you would not loose the Crown then be faithful be faithful to the death in the covenant of your Lord. Whatever difficulties or discouragements you may meet with in your way what ever hardships or tribulations may befal you if you can yet say with the Church Psal 44.17 18. Though all this be come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way If you can but say this your Lord will say also to you whatever I have done or brought upon you yet I have not forgotten thee the Covenant of my peace shall never be removed Fight the good fight keep the faith till you have finiâ—hed your course and then know there is laid up for thee a Crown of Righteousness which I will surely give thee at that day 4. Carry up your hearts thither where your enemies can't come Carry them up to heaven whatever treasure you lay up there neither moth nor rust can corrupt nor theives break thorow and steal There 's no safety below the Theif will be every where upon you whilst you are conversant in the world walking after the flesh these are your enemies quarters your hearts are in the midst of them in the midst of those Thieves that seek your life whilst they are conversant about these fleshly things Yea whilst you are where God is in your Duties in Ordinances if your hearts be not above at such times if you feed only on what comes down if you ascend not in your Duties if
the inward graces thou seemest to haâ—â— but art thou not wanting in others Thou seemeâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ve faith but is not love lacking Art thou not 〈◊〉 â—â—us revengeful quarrelsome Professor thou seemest to have love but is not humility lacking Art thou not proud and haughty and high minded Thou seemest to be humble but is not meekness lacking Art thou not fierce and froward and peevish in thy way Thou seemest to be meek but is not patience lacking How canst thou bear affliction dost thou not murmure and repine and vex thy self in the day of adversity Thou seemest all this but art thou true in thy sayings righteous and exact in thy dealings merciful and compassionate and bountiful to those that are in necessity Thou seemest to have all these inward graces but is not a bold profession of Christ lacking Thou art bold to own Christ and hear his Word even to come in hazard but whatever thou canst say of thy hearing is not Prayer lacking if thou pray in secret is not prayer in thy Family lacking If thou pray in thy family is not secret prayer lacking If Prayer be both in secret and in thy Family is not Family-instruction the teaching thy family the care of their souls lacking If there be some care of others in thee is not the communing with thine own heart lacking Is not self examination lacking Dost thou search thy heart and try thy ways as thou oughtest dost thou make a diligent search a narrow search in fear lest thou shouldest be mistaken If there be self converse and self acquaintance dost thou maintain a converse with God is not holy Meditation lacking How often dost thou look heaven-wards what time dost thou spend dayly in serious meditation of God and the things above If there be such acts exercised the actings of Faith the actings of Love the actings of holy Prayer the actings of holy Meditation What life is there in these actings Are they not all as dead things Sacrifices without an heart Images without life If thou thinkest there be the presence of every Grace a will to every Duty an enmity against every Sin what power is there accompanying them what power in duty what power against every sin Doth not the corruption of thy heart bear down that grace thou thinkest thou hast and â—â—rry thee down the stream of an evil and vain life 〈◊〉 there be some good will to a godly life is not povâ—â—â—â—â—â—ing It is tâ—â—e the best of Christians have much lacking in degree their faith is weak their love is imperfect but is there nothing lacking of the essential parts of a christian Thou not only lackest strength of Faith but it may be thou lackest Faith thou not only lackest strong love but thou lackest love A child though he hath not the understanding of a man or strength of a man yet may be a true child but if he want the soul of a man or the head or the heart of a man he is a monster and no humane child Is not the soul or the life of Christianity the head and the heart of a Christian the life of a Christian lacking in thee If so thou art but a Monster and no Christian Is there not the conscience of a Christian lacking in thee Is not thy Christian covenant lame and imperfect Hast thou covenanted universally for all the parts of christianity for every duty against every sin without any reserve of the least liberty from our duty to any sin And is thy conversation intire according to thy covenant Is there nothing allowedly lacking in thy conversation of all that thou hast covenanted with the Lord Or what ever thou dost Is there not life and soul and heart lacking in all that thou dost Thou prayest but dost thou not pray without an heart Thou hearest but dost thou not hear without a soul Thou seemest a follower of Christ and livest in the practice of his precepts but is there not life lacking in all thy duties O consider over all these particulars and consider how many things are lacking in you 1. Consider and fear lest when you come to be weighed in the ballance you should then any of you be found wanting lest when you come to die and expect entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom Christ should then say to you no you cannot come in one thing is lacking in thee one thing that is necessary to thy entrance one thing lacking in thee of the essence of a Christian all would be lost thy soul lost the everlasting kingdom lost Consider therefore and fear 2. Consider and be humbled and be ashamed that after all the time you have had and all the helps and means you have had and all the tenders and offers the Lord hath made to supply all your lacks be humbled and be ashamed that yet there is so much laâ—king and all this for want of an heart to accept and improve what hath been offered let us be humbled and ashamed friends that if we have any thing of the faith of Gods elect in us yet We are so weak in the Faith that if we have any thing of the love of Christ in us yet that our love is so cold and imperfect that if we are found walking in the way of the Lord it is so slowly and so haltingly This is our shame and matter of great humiliation that we have gotten no more grace that we live no better lives But what shall I say to you that want not onely the strength of Faith zeal of Love a more even and steddy and fruitful life but want Faith and want Love and are not yet come into the ways of the Lord. I say to you as I said before fear and tremble think what it will be to be found thus in the day of the Lord. But to you that have Faith and have no more that do in some degree live by Faith and yet live no better consider and be ashamed consider and be confounded in your selves consider and be humbled under all your wants and haltings 3. Consider and make up what is lacking Get those poor weak souls to be strengthened pray the Apostles Prayer Eph. 3.16 That the Lord would grant unto you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might in the inner man and your hearts may be filled with all the fulness of God Get those poor weak souls to be strengthened and get those halting and barren lives to be established and filled with the fruits of righteousness Take the counsel of the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.6 Giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly-kindness and to brotherly-kindness charity that these things may be in you and abound that ye be no longer barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Brethren whilest heedless and inconsiderate ones are upon the losing oh consider how
Christ reconciling you to himself 2 Cor. 5.19 You have not had us dealing with you in the name of Christ who are the Ministers of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 but he who is the great Reconciler Christ himself hath been dealing with you and hath reconciled you to God So sure as the Devil hath been dealing with sinners he hath drawn them away from God drawn them to sin and wickedness against God hath been hardning them against God you could never have been so wicked you could never have been so hardned against God as you are hardned against conversion hardned against repentance if the Devil had not been dealing with you You see what hard hearts you have we cannot humble you we cannot perswade you to repent and turn our words do nothing with you you will not be perswaded to return but you go on your way and remain stupid and sensless of your sin and misery you will not be perswaded 't is so bad with you We cannot for our hearts make you sensible of your wretched cases nor put a stop to you in your sins You may see well enough who hath been dealing with you that you continue so sinful still and so hardned in your sins It is the Devil that hath had to do with you thus to deprave you and to harden you as sure as the Devil hath been dealing with sinners so sure hath Christ been dealing with his Saints 'T is not Ministers that have awakened you that have convinced and humbled you and brought you about to the Lord 't is Christ that hath done these things for you We could never have humbled you we could never have perswaded nor turned nor reconciled you to God if Christ himself had not done it You were once foolish and disobedient led about with diverse lusts you were once Drunkards Liars Covetous and Prophane and you had been amongst this uncircumcised Crew to this day if Christ had not fetched you off 't is with him you have had to do as 't is said Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open before his eyes with whom we have to do You have to do with Christ Christ hath been dealing with you that are Christians or you had never come to this you had never been these living Souls you had never known what you do of God nor known what you do of Sin nor been washed from your sins your had never been here praying and hearing and praising the Lord and become followers of the Lamb if Christ had not had to do with you Particularly you that are Christians there have been great transactions betwixt God and your Souls 1. In point of Covenant Behold you that are Christians you are in Covenant with the Lord by reason whereof I may say concerning you as Moses concerning Israel Deut. 26.17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God to walk in his ways and keep his statutes And the Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar People You have avouched the Lord to be yours and the Lord hath avouched you to be his a solemn and mutual Covenant hath there passed between the Lord and you he is become your Covenant God you are become his Covenant People How came this to pass how is it that you are not still as poor sinners are in Covenant with Death and Agreement with Hell how comes it to pass that when poor sinners are in Covenant with the Devil you are in Covenant with God O you may thank Christ for this he hath been effectually dealing with you in this thing He hath not only procured such a gracious Covenant a Covenant of Mercy a Covenant of Pardons a Covenant of Peace but he hath also 1. Made offer of this Covenant of God to you inviting you to come and joyn your selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall never be forgotten 2. He hath made void your Covenant with Death and disanull'd your Agreement with Hell He hath given you an heart to break and make void that wicked Covenant to break with the Devil to break with Sin and the World and to come out from among them 3. He hath effectually perswaded you into this Covenant of God He hath brought you into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20.37 He hath sprinkled you with the Blood of the Covenant and hath gained your hearty acceptance of all this You have opened your Mouth to the Lord you have vowed your selves you have sworn your selves his Covenant Servants not with your Mouths only not in profession only but you have engaged your hearts to the Lord. Jer. 30.21 Your Hearts are no longer your own you have given them to the Lord to be his for ever So that you can now say through Grace to the Lord what he said to Israel Is 54.20 The Mountains shall depart and the Hills shall be removed but through the help of God my faithfulness shall not depart nor shall the Covenant of my peace ever be removed His I am and through his Grace I am determined to be the Lords for ever Friends such a solemn and sacred Covenant transaction hath there been in those very Hearts of yours betwixt the Lord and you He hath avouched himself to be yours and you have avouched your selves to be his own and those Hearts of yours are the Records wherein this Transaction is registred and kept Remember and look back and consider if there have not been such mutual engagements passed betwixt the Lord and you Look into your Closets and remember what of this kind hath passed between him and you in secret look back to your Sacraments and remember what Covenanting have been between the Lord and you at his Table and what solemn sealing there hath been God sealing to you and you sealing back to him Your Hearts are the Records wherein these Sacred Transactions have been Registred look into thine Heart doth not this testifie for thee how thou hast bound thy self to be the Lords for ever and hast accepted of his Bond to thee The remembrance of this Covenant Transaction will be of use to you as long as you live will be of use to comfort you in the day of your doubts and fears to confirm you in the day of Temptations to hold you close to the Lord according to the Vows that are upon you to quicken you and hold you on in that way of holy and lively Obedience which you have covenanted for When you grow cold and careless and remiss in your way of Religion then remember Is this the Life I covenanted with God to live When you are tempted to decline to a worldly life or a fleshly life then remember I have promised to the Lord that I will never return to such a life again When you are out of heart and complain of weaknesses and want of strength and so are discouraged and disheartned I shall never be able to hold to such an industrious life then remember the Covenant of the Lord with you who
hath sealed to you that he will help you and never fail you nor forsake you when your flesh and your heart fail you he will be the strength of your heart When you are in doubts and fears that you are none of the Lords nor can lay any claim to him then remember the Covenant which hath been made between him and you and how you own it and stand to it to this day and that may satisfie you Of such great use will this Covenant of God be to you and therefore your hearts which are the Records where it is kept must be carefully looked to 2. In point of Communion There have been great dealings between Christ and you in a way of Friendly Communion What Correspondencies have there been held betwixt Christ and you what friendly interviews have there been between you Christ hath been often looking down upon you and rejoycing in his portion and you have been often looking up to him and solacing your selves in his love Christ hath been supporting and sustaining your hearts and you have been staying and leaning upon your beloved What mutual entercourses have there been Christ hath been often sending down Messages of love to you telling you Soul I am thine Hath he never sent thee some tokens of his love sent thee thy pardon sent thee his peace hath he never sent thee down some tastes of the hidden Manna and the white stone and the new name Rev. 2.17 and such a comfortable word with it Soul be of good comfort thy sins be forgiven thee thy name is written in heaven And do you never send up to your beloved If you have nothing but a sigh to send or a tear to send yet up it must be sent to your beloved to tell him I am sick of love or at least I am sick for love How often hath thine heart ascended in Prayers and his heart descended in gracious returns what mutual embraces have there been of thy Faith with him and his love with thee There hath been a Jacobs Ladder set up betwixt Christ and thee Christians Such experiences I hope some of you have had of such comfortable Communion with Christ But what becomes of all these blessed Experiences hast thou forgotten them are they lost O how hast thou kept thine heart sure such Mercies should be carefully recorded and the record should be warily kept 4. It is the Cabinet of all our Jewels Christ and all his Graces are kept in the heart 1. Christ and his Graces are jewels Christ is a precious Jewel he is the pearl of great Price which the wise Merchant Mat. 13.46 traded for and is there said to be a Pearl of great price of so great a price that this one Pearl bought the whole World It s intimated Mat. 16.26 that one Soul is more worth than all the World this Pearl is more north than a whole World of Souls It hath bought not only this world below but the World above this one pearl hath bought the whole Kingdom of heaven all the everlasting treasures the everlasting joy and pleasures above that exceeding eternal weight of glory all hath been bought by this Pearl Christ is reckon'd by foolish sinners at a very low rate Judas sold this Pearl for thirty pieces of silver Sinners many of them sell Christ at a lower rate than this for their foolish and fleshly Lusts They tread this Pearl in the dust and take very dung in its stead The very dung of their filthy Pleasures is that which sinners take in Exchange for Christ Whilst the Apostle counted all things dung in comparison of Christ sinners make very dung of Christ for the sake of their sins but whatever sinners count him Christ is a Pearl more worth then all the world and all the Glory and Bravery and Beauty of the World are but Dunghil things in comparison of Christ As Christ so all the Graces of Christ are jewels Faith is a jewel called 2 Pet. 1.1 Precious Faith Meekness and Humility are jewels of great price in the sight of God Love is a jewel and of so great price that it is not to be bought for Money Cant. 8.7 If a man would give all the Substance of his house for love it would be contemned As little reckoning as sinners make of the love of God now though this Grace be offered them and they may have it for the taking an heart to love the Lord is one of the branches of the Covenant which the Lord freely offers to sinners yet now they so slight it that they will not accept it a lust is taken up in stead of this love yet hereafter these very sinners would give all that ever they have for the least grain of the saving love of God As little as you regard the love of God now we can't perswade you to accept it yet when you come to die there 's none of you but would give all that ever you are worth for a little sincere love to Christ O now for a little Faith O now that I could love the Lord Jesus in sincerity I would be content to be a beggar and not to have a Mite left me in all the World all my Farmes all my Oxen all my Houses and Lands all my Money all the substance of mine House they shall all go so that I might now find the saving love of God in me No they will not be bought so If a man would give his house full of Gold for it it would be contemned as a poor and low price to buy love The like may be said of every Grace they are all Jewels and they make those who have them to be Jewels Mal. 3.17 in the day that I make up my jewels Every gracious Soul is a Jewel in the sight of God Sinners tread the Saints under feet make very dirt of them but God will take them into his bosom as his precious Jewels 2. These Jewels Christ and his Graces are all kept in the heart As the Heart is the Seat of Grace Faith dwells in the heart and Love dwells in the heart and Hope dwells in the heart so is it also the seat of Christ Christ dwells in the heart by Faith intimated in that Prayer of the Apostle Eph. 3.17 If Christ hath any dwelling in sinners 't is only in their Mouths and upon their Lips these will talk of Christ and talk of Grace but they have no dwelling in them but upon their Tongues but it is in the heart of the Saints that Christ and his Graces dwell Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory The heart of Saints is as the Heavens all bespangled with these beautiful Stars Christ is the Sun in those heavens his Graces are as so many Stars that have their brightness and lustre from his light The hearts of sinners are meer Dungeons and dark holes in which neither Sun nor Star appears if there be any glimmering light they are but Commets or Torches or stinking Snuffs that
call upon you and encourage you in the Name and the Words of the Lord Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. Let your hearts be thus kept and then come come with your prayers come with your praises and I will hear and accept you 8. It is the Temple of the Lord. 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the temple of the living God 't is the heart especially that is this Temple There are four things in the Temple of God which are so many reasons why our hearts should be carefully kept and guarded 1. The law of God is in his Temple The law was read in the Temple and kept in the Temple and as in that Temple made with hands so in that living Temple made without hands the Law of God is placed and preserved Christians have the Law of God within them their Bibles in their hearts in the heart of a Christian is the Copy of the Bible God hath not only preach'd it to their hearts but they have laid it up in their hearts Psal 119.11 I have hid thy word within mine heart that I might not sin against thee Mary kept the sayings of Christ and laid them up in her heart Luk. 2.51 God promised Jer. 31.33 I will write my Law in their hearts and he hath done what he promised he that once wrote his Law in Tables of Stone hath also written it in fleshly Tables of Hearts Therefore Psal 40.8 Thy Law is within mine heart The Law written in the heart Notes 1. All those holy Notions of God of Christ of Glory Honour Immortality of the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God and of the Mistery of Christ which are written in the Scriptures are revealed in the heart 2. All those holy Principles or divine Axioms concerning Truth Righteousness Holiness Mercy Temperance Sobriety c. the nature and necessity of them to true Godliness and Blessedness 3. That Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus the new Law or Covenant of Grace by which we are freed from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 the Tenour and the Terms of the Covenant the Promises and the Conditions of the Covenant the great Charter of the Saints which gives them Title to and will give them an entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom The writing that Law is the writing the new Covenant in the heart 4. That inward living Law the holy bent inclinations dispositions begotten in the heart by the Word and Spirit of the Lord that renewed Conscience inwardly obliging and holding the heart to the Obedience of the Word A Christian hath not only something without him but something within him binding him to obedience whereby it may be said much more of him then of those Gentiles Rom. 2.14 He is a law to himself His own heart holds him in to Christ his own heart holds him on in Obedience to the Gospel If all our Bibles should be lost or burnt if all our Preachers that urge and press our Obedience were laid aside and trodden under foot a Christian hath that within him that would hold him on in his Christianity That knowledge of God and those Principles of Christianity that love of Christ and that renewed Conscience within him will keep him a Christian still Now all this treasure those holy Notions holy Principles this Law of Grace and this living law of the new Covenant being all kept in the heart the heart being the Temple of God wherein all this is preserved had need be carefully kept Would you not have all the Notions of God and the knowledge of Christ dimm'd and darkned and razed out would you not loose all your holy Principles of Righteousness and Honesty of Temperance and Sobriety would you not have the book of the Covenant stolen away on which all your Hopes and Expectations all your title to Everlasting blessedness depends would you not loose that holy bent and those holy inclinations and that renewed Consciences by all which you are disposed and inwardly bound bound in Spirit to the life of Christianity would you not that all these should be lost would you not return to be dim sighted and dark Souls would you not exchange your holy Principles for carnal Principles your renewed purged Consciences for corrupt Consciences would you not that the Temple of the Lord be robb'd would you not that your heart be robb'd of all these Treasures then set a Guard upon your hearts 2. The name of God is in his Temple Jer. 7.10 12. 't is said often he places his name there And of these living Temples the hearts of Saints 't is said Rev. 3.12 I will write the name of my God and the name of the City of my God upon them And Chap. 2.17 in this heart there is a precious stone put and upon this stone a new name written which no man knows but he that hath it A Christian hath not only the names of Christ call'd upon him he is call'd a Christian after the name of his Lord but he hath this name written upon him written upon his heart Sure that Table should be kept clean in which is written such a precious name What shall the name of God be written on a dunghil wilt thou suffer Sin and the Devil to make a very dunghil of thy heart and in that dunghil write the name of thy God If the heart be not well guarded the Devil will be not only carrying out but carrying in all the precious Treasures that are in your hearts let Satan alone a while and hee 'l carry them all away Whatever thou hast now thou shalt have nothing of God left in thee nothing of Christ lest in thee none of all thy Graces none of all thy comforts Hast thou love for Christ hast thou hope in Christ hast thou peace or joy in God hast thou either the image or the comforts of God in thee Satan stands ready if thou look not to him to carry all away thou wilt quickly be left a very miserable Soul poor and blind and naked if thou take not heed And as the Devil will be carrying out so he will be also carrying in to that heart of thine Thy Gold and thy Jewels he will carry away and he will bring in dirt and filth and trash As he unloads thee he will load thee unload thee of the treasures of light and load thee with the treasures of darkness He will fill those hearts with every unclean thing he will make those Temples to be very Stables or Sties he will make that heart a very Dunghil and Christ must either have no name within thee or that precious name written on a dunghil and will you suffer such an affront and abuse to be put upon your Lord If you do not keep your hearts so it will be 3. The Worship of God is in his Temple Mine house shall be called an house of Prayer Mat. 21.13 In this inward Temple the heart is the inward and spiritual Worship of
company be company for you where Christ would not be pleased to find you Let no temper or frame of Spirit grow upon you but what Christ would be pleased to find you in Would Christ be pleased to find you among the vain company or vile ones of the Earth would Christ be pleased to find you in a careless senseless untoward jolly frothy or in a sower angry envious impatient temper keep you from such ways keep you from such company keep you out of such temptations have as little to do as possible with them Keep you out of vain and evil ways company and temptations and keep you on with life and vigour and power in the ways of Christ Let not your ways only please Christ but your walking in them do not be sluggs and drones and triflers in Christianity follow the Lord and follow him fully follow the Lord and let your Soul follow hard after him Be doing the Will of Christ and let your hearts stand compleat in all the Wills of Christ The most watchful diligent painful lively Christians these are they that keep nearest to the Lord. Friends be warned to keep you thus near to the Lord. The Lord calls you such Psal 148.14 A people near unto him Approve your selves to be such since the Lord hath made you near keep you near to him Live in Union and Communion with Christ in intimacy of Acquaintance with Christ and with all possible care that your whole course may be such as may be a walking worthy his great name and be well pleasing to him This is the way to keep you out of danger and whatever befalls you whilst you are thus walking in Christ you will be still near your remedy whilst you are near Christ he will not be far from you but will be ready to help and ready to comfort you You complain it may be every one of you that your hearts are out of order One cries O my heart what a proud heart it is another complains O mine heart it is a fretful peevish heart Another cries out O mine heart is an earthly worldly heart another O my heart is a sluggish slothful heart another O what shall I do mine heart is a dead and an hard heart why bring them all to the Physician Where be the diseased or distressed Souls among you what be you all well Is there no Soul disease upon you O there is never a one of you but have your Soul Distempers and sad ones too why come to your Physician for your cure If you were any of you sick of the Palsie or Dropsie Fever or Consumption and Christ stood here as of old every such diseased body would be thronging upon him come ye poor blind hardned Souls come lay your selves before the Lord and cry unto him Lord that mine eyes might be opened Lord that mine hard heart might be broken that my dead heart might be quickned Who ever of you hath a complaint to make hath a wound hath a disease or hath a weakness or discomfort come every one of you whatever ailes you come bring in all the lame and the blind and the diseased defiled and distressed hearts bring them in to the Physician come and lay them all at the feet of Christ Lord help me Lord heal me Lord wash me But be sure you come with a purpose to keep you by him when you come to him come unto Christ and he will heal you and then keep you by him and he will preserve you from Relapses into the same or a worse disease which if you wander from him again is like to come upon you 2. Keep under Christs Banner Keep to your Colours The Banner of Christ hath engraven upon it or his Colours bears upon it as his Coat of Arms the Covenant the Cross and the Crown with this Motto Pugnanti victoria vincenti Corona Victory to him that fights the Crown to the Conquerer The Covenant is for our union with Christ the Cross for our Trial the Crown for our Encouragement And here I shall give you three Directions 1. Let the Covenant be upon your hearts The Covenant is 1. For the strength of our hearts it notes our listing our selves under Christ as his Servants and Christs undertaking the conduct of us When we understand what we are engaged in what hard service we have bound our selves to what a painful active life as Christians we must count upon our hearts will be apt to fail us and cry out of the life of a Christian as the Apostle of the work of the Ministry 2 Cor. 2.16 Who is sufficient for these things I shall never be able to bear through such a life but then remember your Covenant your Baptismal Covenant I mean which doth not only engage you to the Lord but engageth the Lord to you Look to the Captain of your Salvation who hath bound himself to help you through who hath said Heb. 13.5 I will never fail you nor forsake you And then you shall be able to say with the Apostle Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Venture not on any thing in your own strength fear not nor be dismay'd at any thing whilst you have the Lord Jesus to be your strength Christians be not disheartned fear not to engage in the strictest and severest course of Christianity lean upon the Lord and he will help you through Set your hearts to the work and leave the care of Success to him that careth for you Remember this let your trust in Christ your hold on the Covenant be your strength on which you lean for the carrying you through the whole of your Christian course 2. This Covenant will be the guide of your hearts What is it that I have to do how is it that I must live why look into your Covenant what is it that you have engaged to do how is it that you have covenanted to live you have covenanted Holiness and Righteousness you have covenanted against an idle Life or doing nothing against a trifling life or doing your work by halfes against a worldly or fleshly or wicked life the World Flesh and Devil these you have all covenanted against You have covenanted the crucifying the Flesh and the World the resisting the Devil and to follow Christ against them all You have covenanted to fight against the Flesh and the World and to fight to the Victory not to be less fleshly than oth r men to be less worldly than other men but you have covenanted against a fleshly and worldly life Think not of carrying it fair with both of cutting out a middle way betwixt Christ and the World betwixt a fleshly and an heavenly life 't is a total victory over this flesh and this world over a fleshly and a worldly life which you have covenanted to pursue When ever you are at a stand and are in doubt as to any particular actions or way of life that you have before you and
God Prepare him an holy habitation open the doors and let the King of Glory come in and then shut the door and let no unclean thing enter to offend and displease him that so the Lord may take pleasure in you and delight in you and may say concerning you this is my rest here will I dwell for ever 2. How the heart is to be kept under Guard 1. What 't is to be guarded against that is against Theeves Blots Distempers 1. Against Theeves The great Thief is the World and all that is of the World and all that in the World which is purloyning from the heart Its profits or worldly gains its Pleasures and carnal Mirth its Favour and Friendship and Fawnings These all lie in wait for entrance into the heart to the end they may rifle and spoil it of all that it hath The World steals in upon the heart and it never comes there but to steals away its Treasure and therefore 't is to be observed that the hearts of such Christians as are most possessed of the World are ever the most poor and beggarly Never look to find much of Christ or his Grace if any thing at all where the World hath gotten Possession Christ comes into the heart on purpose to carry away the heart from the World his Word is where he comes give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Love not the world nor the things of the world 1 Joh. 2.15 And the world comes into the heart on purpose to steal it away from Christ again There is never any one that embraceth this present World but 't is to his loss whatever the World brings it takes away better than it brings 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us and embraced this present world He embrac'd the World and what got he by it the same day he embraced the World he forsook Christ Christian art thou fallen in with the World Are its gains and its pleasures gotten into thy heart doth it fawn and smile upon thee and is thine heart taken and pleased with its fawnings Look to thy self what hast thou within thee hast thou Grace hast thou Peace does thy Soul flourish for ought I know thou hast seen the last of thy good days what time this World is thus embraced by thee O friends set a watch against this Thief set a guard against it Take heed and beware of Covetousness Luk. 12.15 That 's the same Counsel as guard your hearts against this World Covetousness is the opening the door to let the world in nay the world is gotten in already where Covetousness is Thou which hast a Covetous heart thine heart is already possessed of the world May be thou hast yet but a little of it in thine hand but thine heart is already full of it the whole world is gotten in where Covetousness is gotten in Worldly Professors methinks you should be startled at it if you considered what a Theif you have within you Whatever thou seemest to have of Christ or the Treasures of heaven thou art like to be but a poor wretch in a little time And how is it like to be with thee whose heart hath entertained the Pleasures and the merriments of the world or the favours and fawnings of the Men of the world who lovest to be some body with evil men to have their respect and esteem he that would fain be some body with the world is like to be no body with Christ Make the world to know its distance and whatever you have to do in it keep it at a distance from your hearts Never look to thrive in Christianity whilst you venture to be too busie with this world or to dote on its favours or friendship O it were well with us were we yet but sensible what a snare this world is to us what a bane it is to all that 's good in us Never a flower in all our Garden will flourish where these thorns stand so thick about it that little Grace you have will be less dayly it will be choked up and devoured if you keep you not more clear of this world It were happy for us were we deeply sensible of the danger we are in but there 's the Misery of it people will not be sensible nor be warned to take heed of it this Theif steals away mens Reason and Consciences makes them such children and fools that they will not understand what an enemy it is to them How many Sermons have been preached and published to warn you to take heed of a worldly heart and yet how very few hearts are there that do escape it 't is who can be richest and who can be greatest in the world that the most of our hearts are set upon 't is not who can be the holiest or most heavenly 't is not who can improve in the Faith and Hope of the Gospel in the love and fear of the Lord who can get most of Christ and Heaven into his heart and grow rich unto God but who can grow greatest in this present world Is not this too common a Case though the Lord hath been knocking off our fingers from it pulling off our Chariot wheels and making us to drive heavily letting loose the spoilers upon us to catch from some of us what we have gotten fed the Husbandman with short harvests filled the Tradsman with complaints of bad Markets yet all is one how little soever many men can catch of this world yet they will catch after it still and what wonder is it then while this world doth so generally carry our hearts that Christ hath so much lost them You that would save any thing of what you have left in you you that would ever get any more while you live you that would not go down to your graves strip'd and naked of all that should then comfort you get again I say to you take heed of this world take heed of this worldliness 2. Against blots that is against wilful allowed sins Every wilful sin will be a blot upon your hearts Our sins are blots and blemishes upon our lives but every blot upon the life is also a blot upon the heart Blots will Darken and Obscure Defile 1. Blots will darken and obscure the Heart I told you that in the heart is kept all our evidences for heaven our sins that we give way to will be blots upon our evidences will so obscure and blur them that they will not be legible Our sins will do the direct contrary to what the blood of Christ will do the bloud of Christ will blot out the hand writing that was against us Col. 2.14 Our sins will blot out whatever hand-writing there is for us Thou that art a Christian there is an hand-writing upon that heart there is the Covenant of God which is thy Charter for glory written upon thy heart There is the token of the Covenant and thine interest in it the Circumcision of the heart there are the Articles of the Covenant
which have been consented to between the Lord and thee recorded in thine heart whilst thou keepest thine heart clean there thou may'st read thy Title to Glory thou wilt find that within thee which will comfort thee concerning thine everlasting state There are the very Prints and Marks of the Lord Jesus his image formed upon thy soul which mark thee out for an heir of life but what wilt thou do for comfort when these writings and this holy image are all blotted when thy Circumcision is become as uncircumcision will blotted evidences Satisfie thee will a defaced image prove thy Title to Christ goâ—d Set a guard against Sin allow not your selves in any iniquity fear what sad work it will make upon your inner man Hath the bloud of Christ blotted out the hand-writing that was against you hath the Spirit of Christ engraven a new hand-writing for you O watch against iniquity which will renew the old hand-writing and blot out the new Have you any comfortable Title to Glory any comfortable evidences for heaven O sin them not away Whatever comfortable evidences you have never look that they should speak comfortably to you longer then you keep your watch against sin nor never trust to that comfort which will hold up the head whilst thou allowest thy self in sin Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer And what comfort canst thou have when thou art become such a one as God will not hear when thou prayest Thou art a Professor of Religion and thou hast comfort in Christ and confidence thou shalt be saved through him and yet for all this thou canst lie for thy advantage or to cover a fault thou canst drink if not to down right drunkenness yet to intemperate excess and make thy self a fool if not a down-right beast or at least be a companion of Drunkards in their drunkenness Thou canst defraud or do wrong put off false wares use deceitful ballances thou canst defame or backbite thou canst be peevish and give rope to thy fretful passions and let thine anger rest upon thee thou canst prophane the Sabbath by Working or Travailing or Loytering thou canst live in an ordinary neglect of thy Family and the Souls of them without instructing them or praying with them and the like and thou canst let thy self alone in these evils or some of them or some other such like But how dost thou hold up thine head under these things when thou lookest into thine heart how dost thou find it there dost thou not find thy sins to be blots within thee dost thou not find the writing blotted thine evidences blurr'd the image of Christ defaced thy comforts vanished If thou dost not if thou canst be of good comfort still if thou art of good chear and confident still this comfort this confidence is not the comfort of God but false and deceitful Thou may'st comfort thy self and speak peace to thy self still but mistake not thy self God speaks not a word of comfort to thee in such a case if thou hadst any real comfort before that thou wilt find all blotted and the true sense of it utterly lost If thou hast peace in thine heart 't is none of the peace of God that is broken by thy returning to have peace with sin Psal 85.8 God will speak peace but let them not turn again to folly 2. Blots will defile They are stains upon all our Glory The coming in of Sin upon the heart is as the breaking in of the Heathen upon Gods inheritance Psal 79.1 O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy temple have they defiled The heart of a Christian is as is said the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord is holy Holiness becometh thine house Psal 93.5 't is only a clean heart that is a fit habitation for God God hath been at great cost to make the hearts of his people clear that they may be a fit habitation for him He hath washed them with bloud with the bloud of his Son hath washed out those original blots and stains that were upon them 1 Joh. 1.7 The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth He hath washed them with water The Sanctifying work of his Spirit God hath made him a clean habitation and he looks that we should keep it clean 1 Cor. 3.17 If any man defile the Temple of the Lord him shall God destroy God will depart from God will pull down that house and make a dunghil of it which sin is suffered to defile we had need take heed of such blots and stains upon our hearts lest they drive out the holy One of Israel from us Whilst we keep our selves pure the Lord God will delight to take his abode with us Who is it Christians you would have to dwell in you O let me be an habitation for the Lord let the holy Jesus let the holy Spirit dwell in me none but God none but Christ thou Lord art mine inhabitant let me be thy habitation Where God dwells there light dwells there peace dwells there hope and joy dwells I count upon nothing I have no joy no hope no peace all that I have is lost all that I have to comfort me all that I have to stay or support me all that I have to delight and refresh me all is lost yea I have lost my self when God is departed from me Do you indeed look upon it as so miserable a case when the Lord hath forsaken you then take heed how you defile his habitation Let wilful sin in and that will certainly drive the Lord out and if you would keep sin out of the heart keep it out of your lives Life sins are heart blots Jer 2.22 Their iniquity is marked before me And 't is the heart that bears its black marks upon it O friends what sad marks have we upon us what speckled and spotted souls have we how miserably are our insides defiled Minds defiled Affections defiled Consciences defiled 't is a sign what Lives we have lived 't is a sign how well we keep our Garments how well we keep us from practical iniquity our heart stains our heart defilements shew sufficiently how much iniquity hath abounded in us Friends look inward see what work sin hath made within you what a Conscience hath it left you what affections hath it left you how hath it dimm'd and defaced the Image of God in you Do you complain that God is withdrawn from you that you have lost his quickning presence his comforting presence that you have lost your Acquaintance lost your Communion with God that your only friend and portion and hope is become a stranger to you learn to keep you cleaner if you would have it better count upon it there is no hope that God should take pleasure in you or give you any pleasure in him that God should be a comfort to you longer then you keep you more pure Oh get your hearts washed anew we