Sun of the water now let this mind be in you which also was in Jesus Christ a heavenly mind Eighthly The Lord Christs mind was a zealous mind a servent mind in 2 Joh. 17. Christ was zealous there in driving them out of the Temple that made his fathers house a den of Thieves He was zealous against the Traditions Doctrines and Practises of the Scribes and Pharisees the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up saith he a zealous mind he had Mat. 15. he was zealous against the tradition of the Elders and in Mat. 23. he was zealous against the Scribes and Pharisees woe to you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites often he pronounces woe to them he had a zealous mind against all was corrupt and wicked So how zealous was Christ against the Churches for failings Rev. 2.2 3 4 5. I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil and thou hast tryed them which say they are Apâ—stles and are not and hast found them lyars and hast born and hast patience and for my name sake hast laboured and hast not fainted He commends them for what was good first Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love I have somewhat against thee Ephesus thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent Here 's the zeal of Christ I 'le come and I 'le come quickly and I 'le come and put out the Candle and break the Candlestick I will come and lay you waste though you be a Church if you dont return to your first works and first love The Lord had a zealous mind and spirit against declensions against declensions in love and grace and the like so in Heb. 5.7 who in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save O how zealously did Christ Pray when he prayed till the blood trickled down Christ had a zealous mind Now let this mind be in you also to have a zealous mind against traditions superstitions against declinings in Grace against Apostacy and things of that nature Ninthly the Lord Christ had a peaceable and a quiet mind in Mat. 11. saith Christ learn of me for I am meek he had a quiet and a meek mind and Mat. 12.19 he shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man here his voice in the streets he shall be meek and quiet and peaceable it 's said of Seraiah in Jeremiah that he was a quiet Prince much more of Jesus Christ there was no striving no bitterness no contention and the like but peaceable and quiet he was Now let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus a meek a quiet a peaceable mind the Ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit is of great price saith the Apostle Peter speaking of Godly women such a spirit had Christ a quiet and a meek spirit and let this be in Christians and in Churches Tenthly the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ it was a submissive mind a submissive mind to his Fathers will whatever hard thing he should meet withall though he met with the hardest thing that was immaginable yet Christ was submissive unto it in Luke 22.42 Father if thou be willing remove the Cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done There was a cup prepared for Christ that never was the like cup for any to drink a a cup that had so much gall so much of the wrath of God a cup wherein all the guilt of our sins were and all the merit and desert of them this cup Christ must drink well saith he Father seeing I must drink it not my will but thy will be done So that the Lord Christ had a submissive mind to any hard and severe providence We are apt to stumble and quarrel and keep a do if things go cross to our wills and cannot bear them and say Lord not my will but thy will be done But let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus a submissive mind to the providences of God to drink the bitterest cup that he shall order out for you Eleventhly the Lord Christ had a Compassionate mind he was full of bowels of compassion and very tender hearted Mat. 15.32 Then Jesus called his Disciples unto him and said I have Compassion on the multitude because they continue now with me three dayes and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting least they saint in the way O I pitty them I have compassion on them I would not have them faint in the way and so afterwards in Mat. when some came and cryed to him that he would shew them mercy saith the Text Christ had compassion on them Mat. 20.3 4. he was wonderful compassionate Heb. 4.15 We have not an High-Priest which cannot â—e tâ—uched with the feeling of our Infirmities the Lord Christ doth feel the infirmities of every member of his body and in Heb. 2.17 It behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful High Priest He is sensible of our ignorances and infirmities weakness ful of bowels compassions Why then let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus a compassionate a merciful mind he was the good Samaritan which had compassion when neither the Priest nor the Levite would Twelfthly Lastly the Lord Christ had a loving mind a mind full of love a forgiving mind he â—ad such love as he could cover sins and forgive sins Eph. 5.2 walk in love as Christ also hath loved us O Christ hath loved us loved us and washed us in his own blood loved us and lay'd down his life for us loved us dearly and strongly loved us even above himself well saith he let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus walk in love as Christ hath loved us And he loved us so as to forgive those that wronged him though they wronged him exceedingly took away his garments took away his credit took away his liberty took away his life Father forgive them they know not what they do Luke 23.34 and therefore he appoints or commands Mat. 5.44 I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you Christ did so let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus Thus you see what mind was in Christ Yet to reduce things to these four particulars First to have the mind of Christ is to have the same thoughts in you that Christ had Christ had no ill thoughts in him but rebuk'd ill thoughts why think you evil in your hearts as it is in Psal 139.17
are perishing things but thy testimonies indure for ever The second request he makes concerning his heart is in the words I have read O Lord let my heart be sound in thy Statutes In which words you have first David's request Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes Secondly the end or the reason why he would have it so That I be not ashamed Let my heart he dont say let my Head be sound in thy Statutes but my Heart By heart he dont mean the fleshy part that is within man for so heart is sometimes taken in Scripture but he means by heart his Soul the principal part of man and so it 's taken in the 23. Prov. My Son give me thine heart that is give We thy Soul thy reason understanding judgment will and affections I call not for thy Body I call not for thy Flesh but I must have thy Spirit I I must have thy soul The soul is express'd here by heart because the soul doth act principally in the heart Let my heart be sound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Hebrew word First Let my heart be perfect with thee and not divided and so it is opposite to division mens hearts are divided between God and the world Ephraim had a divided heart Secondly Let my heart be upright for so the word bears it too and so it 's opposed to Hypocrisie let my heart â—e upright and sincere and not hypocritical Thirdly Let my heart be undefiled so the word is rendred in the â— v. of this Psalm and so it 's opposed to pollution defiledness Let my heart be undefiled pure clean spotless free from Sin Fourthly Let my heart be sound having nothing but truth in it and so it 's opposed to all errors whatsoever so you have it in Tit. 2.2 Let the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in the Faith men are sound in the Faith when their hearts and ears are open to no error no corrupt opinions no false tenents no winds of Doctrine to nothing of Man nothing of Satan nothing of the world let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let not my heart have any errors in it any false Tenents in it any dangerous opinions in it but let my heart be sound in thy Statutes In thy Statutes In this Psalm you have mention of Laws Commands Precepts Testimonies Ordinances and Statutes divers appellations but noting the same thing Thy Statutes that is the appointments of God what God doth appoint to be the rule for our thoughts affections words worship and wayes what he appoints men to do those are his Statutes They are Statutes because determined of God to be standing rules for all men to conform unto and the Laws and Statutes of Nations and Kingdoms should be conformable to them Stata via 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stabile Now saith David let my heart be sound in thy Statutes the words thus opened will yield us some points to treat on Obs 1. First That a gracious heart is a jealous heart Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes I am jealous of my heart 2. That the heart is especially to be look'd after Let my heart O let my heart my eye is upon my heart 3. That it is the desire of Saints and gracious ones to have sound hearts O Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes 4. That an unsound heart will one time or other make a man ashamed Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes That I be not ashamed If the heart be unsound it will appear it will break out It will be discovered and tend to your shame Doct. 1. First a gracious heart is a jealous heart saith David O let my heart be sound in thy Statutes I have a jealousie of my heart that 't is not sound and I would not be deceived here O let my heart be sound That a gracious heart is a jealous heart you may see it in the 47. Psal 6. v. I call to remembrance my Song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my Spirit made diligent Search I Commune with my heart and I make search and diligent search to see whether my heart be sound or no so in the 139 Psal 23.24 Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my Thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Truly Lord saith he I am Jealous of my heart I am afraid of my heart I have been searching and trying of it and I am afraid there is some way of wickedness in my heart I am afraid it will deceive me and bring me to shame one day why Lord do thou search me and try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way that I cannot find out and Lord discover it to me and if there be any evil in me do not leave me to my own heart but Lord lead me in the way everlasting Thus the Church in the 3. Lam. 40 41. Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens O come God is angry and hath corrected us severely our hearts have not been right with God let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord we have gone aside and we were not aware of it our hearts have deceived us come come let us lift up our hearts to God he hath not our hearts yet Now this Jealousie that a holy man hath of his heart is a Godly jealousie not a wicked naughty jealousie but a Godly jealousie there is a Godly jealousie over others and over a mans self 2 Cor. 11.2 1 Cor. 9.27 Qu. Now it may be ask'd of what is he jealous in his own heart An. First he is jealous least the change which he hopes is in his heart should not be thorough he is afraid 't is not a thorough change he remembers he hath heard in Scripture that one may be almost a Christian and yet not altogether a Christian as Felix said Thou hast perswaded me almost to become a Christian I but he was not a Christian he remembers and considers Ephraim was a Cake half bak'd not thorough bak'd he considers the young man in the Gospel was not far from the Kingdom of Heaven but not in the Kingdom of Heaven Now he is jealous of himself in regard of his change there must be a change in a man that is Godly a thorough change an universal change now he hath a Godly jealousie of himself least he should not be thoroughly changed Secondly he is jealous from what principle he now acts act he doth but he is jealous least he doth not act from a right principle whether he act from the Spirit of God within from the Divine nature within him Or whether he do act from reason from affection from nature from custom what principle he acts by he is jealous of he hath a Godly
formal with God And so for men I must carry my self so towards them as I may have approbation of God Thirdly It advantages you upon this account that it will put you on to make out your jealousies and to bring you to certainties and reallities hath a man a jealousie I am afraid my grace is not right that my ends are not right Now when a man is awake and sees his errour he corrects it when a man hath a Godly jealousie and sees that there is some ground of questioning then he will make it out and bring it to an issue as when a man hath a crack'd title saith he I will go ask Counsel he cannot sleep nor be quiet till he be certified herein if a man have a good Bargain or a good Match offered and he hath a jealousie about them he will labour to make things sure when you have a jealousie your Children are not well you will carry their state to the Physician that you may be out of doubt and you will order things so that they may come to a healthiness so in the Soul when there be jealousies concerning your union with Christ and interest in God and the like it puts you on to cleer up things to your own Souls Fourthly It is the way to prevent carnal confidences which men are apt unto men and women are apt to have carnal confidence in themselves to trust upon some arm of flesh or other to rest upon this or that but now where there are Godly jealousies of a mans self or of his heart it will prevent carnal confidences Phil. 3.3 But we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ and have no confidence in the flesh why Paul had a holy jealousie of his heart and saith he we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit we look to our Spirits and rejoyce in Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Those have not this jealousie over their hearts will have confidence in the flesh they will rest and settle upon something which they should not 1. First is a gracious heart a jealous heart then here you are informed what to think of those that do commend their hearts and say they have good hearts good meanings good soul's and all 's well with them This is a common practice in the world a common sickness among ignorant and carnal professors they have good hearts though they cannot speak so well as others nor do as they do yet they have as good hearts as any of them all well hast thou nothing to commend the goodness of thy heart but thy saying so thy very saying so is a clear demonstration that thy heart is not good for if thou wert gracious thou wouldest be more jealous of thy heart than any thing else in the world knowing that the heart is desperately wicked thou hast a good heart though thou hast a narghty tongue a naughty life The tongue of the righteous is choice Silver but the heart of the wicked is little worth a wicked man hath a wicked heart and it 's worth little worth nothing at all Secondly Is a gracious heart a jealous heart then let us learn not to be conceited of our own hearts or to presume with confidence in our hearts people are too apt to do this but what saith the Scripture Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a Fool but who so walketh wisely he shall be delivered from that evil A man that 's wise he is jealous over his own heart and he shall be delivered from trusting in his own heart The Scripture saith Be not high minded but fear Rom. 11.20 Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear Hast thou faith and art thou not then deceived in thy faith Is it true faith yet be not high minded but fear don't conceit too well of thy self and think well the Jews are cast out and I that was a Gentile am taken in well be it so yet be not high minded but fear Fear be jealous over thy heart be jealous over thy self be not confident so in the 1. Pet. 1.17 Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear have a holy jealousie over your selves be not too confident be not presumptuous do not conce it such and such things of your selves but pass the time of your sojurning here in fear I shall come now unto the next point Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes 2. Obs Observe hence that the chief care of a good man or a gracious man is about his heart O let my heart let my soul be sound in thy Statutes A good man hath a care of his eye a care of his ear a care of his lips and care of his hands a care of his feet a care of his family a care of his estate a care of his name I but his chief care is about his heart Let my heart my soul let that be right whatsoever becomes of all the rest so in the 36. v. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and in Psal 41.4 I said Lord be merciful unto me heâ—l my Soul for I have sinned against thee O my soul Lord heal my soul he prays for his soul So in Psal 51. v. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew in me a right Spirit his heart his spirit that 's the thing he principally looks at and hath chiefly a care of so that a Godly man his chiefest care is about his heart about his soul about his spirit But what 's the reason that a good man his principal care is concerning his heart and soul There be many reasons for it 1. First because the heart the spirit the soul of a man is the work of God and committed unto his keeping by God In Heb. 12. it 's said God is the Father of Spirits The body is from your Parents but the soul is from God and God commits your souls your hearts to your keeping keep saith Paul to Timothy that good thing which is committed to thee it 's true of the spirit or soul which is created of God and committed by him unto your keeping Now saith a gracious man or woman I must be faithful God hath created this heart my soul is Gods creature and God hath committed it unto me and shall I be unfaithful and not keep what God hath committed to me The Child that 's committed to the Nurse she will have a special care of it why it's committed to her trust so your souls and your spirits are the Lords and are committed to your trust and saith a gracious soul I must have a special care of it Secondly The heart spirit and soul of a man is very precious of great worth a man values his hand at a great rate he would not part with his hand for a great deal of money A man values his ear his eye and every Limb of his body
you that think you do look to your hearts and souls pray examine and make a little inquiry whither it be so with you or no whether you do make this your work your principal care business to mind your souls to mind your hearts Well how shall we know it 1. First if you do look well to your hearts you have a care what goes in and what comes out a man or woman that hath one choice Room in their house they will be careful above all the rest to keep that lock'd so if you have a care of your hearts according to what you should you will have a care what comes into the heart and what goes out of the heart a good man out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good things he will not let evil things come into his heart he will shut his eyes shut his mouth no corrupt words shall come out of his mouth is it so now that you have a constant care to see what goes into your hearts you will be careful what goes into your mouths and will you not be careful to see what goes into your hearts 2. Secondly if you have a care of your hearts then your hearts are in good order That which is principally look'd unto any where is in good frame in good order if you have a principal care of a Watch of a Room of a Ship it is in good order what frames are your hearts in are they in good order for God are they in frame for his Ordinances A Garden if you take delight in it if your care be there how are things ordered therein every thing is in its place how are the weeds kept down how are the vermin prevented all is kept in good order So it will be with your souls if your care be there I passed by the Vineyard of the Sluggard and all was over grown with Nettles and Bryars Prov. 24.31 why he had not a care of his Vine yard and so it is with the heart but if your principal care were about your hearts all would be in good order they would be neat comely and delightful 3. Thirdly if your principal care be about your hearts and souls then you will make suitable provision for them That a man takes special care of he will provide for and make suitable provision Now if your special care be for the good of your hearts and souls you will make suitable provision for them in Rom. 13. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereofâ— But you will make provision for your souls to help the graces thereof and the good of your souls a gracious man will make suitable provision for a gracious heart The world is not suitable provision that 's chaff to a gracious heart a gracious soul cannot live upon the world but it can live upon the Word and Promises and the Ordinances and the water of life Therefore saith Christ labour not for the meat that perishes that is comparatively not absolutely but labour for the meat which indures to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you c. Well here 's the principal meat to be laboured for the meat which indures to everlasting sife which the Son of man shall give unto you do you go to Christ in the morning for a Breakfast at noon for a Dinner at night for a Supper This is an argument indeed that your principal care is for your souls but O how lean souls have men and women what hunger-starv'd souls 4. Fourthly Lastly if your principal care be for your souls then your souls are prospering thriving and fruitful The piece of ground that the Husbandman takes most content in and is most delighted in shall be well drest and fruitful so that man or woman that takes most care for the soul will have a thriving soul a flourishing soul a prosperous Soul See it in the 3d. Ep. of John 2d v. Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth he writes to Gaius this Gains minded the things of his soul he minded the Truth entertainment of Saints was full of love doing of good works and his soul thriv'd and prospered and was fat and flourishing so that man that doth mind his soul will be fat and flourishing The soul is God's Garden and if you mind it it will be as a watered Garden flourishing Christ will come into his Garden and gather his spices and flowers and eat his pleasant fruits and take delight in it if it be so but are not your Gardens full of weeds now if your principal care be for your Souls you may know it by these things Use 4. The last use is an exhortation that you would be pleased to bestow a little more care upon your souls a good man's care is upon his soul saith Solomon in Prov. 4. Wisdom is the principal thing and above all gettings get wisdom that 's the principal thing to be got but what 's the principal thing to be kept v. 24. keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the Issues of life and out of it are the issues of death Therefore if you be good men if you be wise men if you be both shew it get wisdom and above all keepings keep your hearts keep your eye that it wanders not keep your ear that no evil enter keep your hand keep your foot but above all keepings keep your hearts for out of them are the issues of Death Obs 3. The third observation is this that a gracious soul doth earnestly desire soundness of heart Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes this was the desire of David so in Psal 51. v. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew in me a right Spirit O Lord saith he let me have a clean heart let me have a right spirit let my heart be sound in me whatsoever else I miss of Two things I shall do at this time First shew you wherein this soundness of heart doth lye Secondly give you the reasons why a gracious heart doth desire soundness of heart First this soundness of heart doth lye in having sound and good principles sound Tenets sound Doctrines sound apprehensions of Spiritual things and so here soundness is opposed to errour Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes O let me not be lead away with any errour any windy doctrine any false opinions any corrupt tenets any false principles in 2. Tim. 3.8 he speaks there of men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith men of corrupt minds are not sound they are reprobate concerning the faith that is the Doctrine of faith so in 2 Tit. 2. That the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in the Faith they must not be erronious many men and women are full of error full of corrupt opinions full of damnable doctrines full of dangerous tenets full of seduction now soundness of heart soundness
a sound heart he must live upon the word he cannot go a day and not read the word nor meditate on the promises that 's a sickly if not a dead heart which doth so but a sound heart will be feeding upon sound truths relish and digest the same Thirdly A heart that is sound in the Statutes of God doth look at the Statutes of God for themselves for their own sakes many you know do look at learning they will learn at the Grammar School and they will profit at the University but they do not look at learning for learning but for credit and to get a living and be some body in the world this is base So many look at the Statutes of God but not for the Statutes sake but that they may be encreased in knowledge and be sav'd at last but a sound heart looks at Gods Statutes for themselves in Psal 119. I have chosen the way of truth and v. 31. I have stuck unto thy Testimonies O God and he saith he doth prize them above thousands of Gold and Silver and above great spoils and they are his Songs in the house of his Pilgrimage why he look'd at them for themselves O! Gods Statutes they are such precious truths that let me have them though I have nothing of the world Some you know look at a Diamond because of the shining and sparkling of it self not because they shall Merchandize with it and make themselves rich So that 's sound when a man looks at Gods divine truths they are full of Glory they are beams of Gods wisdom there 's excellency in them this argues soundness of heart but many look at the truths of God as suitable to their humours they have such a lust and this will agree with their lust and so they will pick here and there which argues unsoundness as a sickly Stomach will pick a bit here and there but a sound heart looks at Gods Statutes for themselves and that excellency and worth is in them Fourthly A sound heart labours to know the will of God and seeing it to be the will of God sticks not at hard things at reproachful things let the things be never so hard never so reproachful it sticks not at it well is this the will of God saith the sound heart I will embrace it saith Christ It is written in the volume of thy Book that I should do thy will and loe I come but consider what this will is thou must be a servant thou must be persecuted into Egypt thy life must be sought among the little Children thou must be accounted an enemy to Caesar a breaker of the Sabbath thou must be reproach'd and hanged upon a Cross and be Crucifyed between Thieves and Murderers what wilt thou go now I it 's written in the volume of thy Book that I must do thy will and loe I come he sticks not at any or all of these things saith God to Abraham Abraham go and Sacrifice your onely Son Isaac unto me O Lord might he say this is a hard business what murder my Son what will my Wife say it will be her death what will the Nations say here was a bloody man to murther his Son and so I may be put to death for it I but it was the will of God and so he stuck not at it Fifthly a sound heart may be known by this that it is willing and ready to part with any thing for the Lords sake saith a sound heart what will this do me good if I lose my integrity if I lose my sincerity if I lose now my fitness to do God service by defiling my self what shall I get you know the young man comes to Christ and saith Good Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life saith he keep the Commandements Why all these things have I kept from my youth up saith Christ go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and come and follow me and thou shalt have treasure in heaven One would think here had been promise enough for him and treasure enough for him but he had rotten principles in him he had the world in him his heart was for the world and the creature and nothing of it for God Simon Magus went further than this man did he was a Professor and got into a Church Relation he brings out his bags of Gold and Silver and would give them to the Apostles that he might have that power they had to give the Holy Ghost but saith Peter thy heart is not right therefore pray if it be possible that the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee But now a gracious heart indeed will part with all saith Paul I account all less and dung Phil. 3. All my priviledges all my learning all that ever I have I account it loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and say the Disciples Master we have left all to follow thee and you know Galeatius left all for Christs sake and comes to Geneva that he might enjoy the Gospel And the Martyrs they left their lives what dearer than a mans life yet they were ready to let go their lives rather then to let go their foundness Sixthly A sound heart is that which doth fill up all its relations what relation soever it stands in towards God towards man towards the publick towards its family it will fill up its relations Acts 24.16 saith Paul herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards man saith Paul I stand in relation to God and I do exercise my self in this that I may have my Conscience cleer and free I will do all my duties towards God that he calls for otherwise I shall not have a Conscience free and towards men in every relation I stand in towards men I am careful to fill up those relations So that a sound heart is wonderful cautious in doing any thing in any relation that may not fill up its relation as Joshua Ch. 24.15 Let others do what they will I and my house will serve the Lord Others will serve their lusts and serve the times and serve men and serve Devils but I and my house will serve the Lord I am Master of this Family and I will see my Wife and Children and Servants and all under my roof to serve the Lord so saith God of Abraham I know that he will instruct and teach his Family Gen. 18.19 And so David in Psal 101. I will walk in my house with a perfect heart I will not suffer a wicked person to stay within my Family No Drunkard no Swearer no Sabbath-Breaker no prophane wretch shall stay in my Family So that a sound heart fills up its relations some make no Conscience at all of their places they are unfaithful they can hardly be trusted in any place they are in but they have no sound hearts Husbands to Wives Wives to Husbands if not
careful to please one another according to the word of God their hearts are not sound if Children be not obedient to their Parents Servants serving their Masters not with eye-service but with singleness of heart as unto the Lord their hearts are not sound many will hear the word of God and talk of good things but care not for doing their duties in their places how do they fill up their relations but now if you be sound hearted you will fill up your relations you stand in Seventhly a sound heart can bear sharp afflictions very quietly and meekly a sore Shoulder will bear no burthen a Horse with a gall'd back will winch and kick and fling take a hand that the skin is off and pour vinegar upon it or lay Salt upon it and how terrible is it but if the hand be sound it can bear it if the Shoulder be sound it can bear a burthen if the Horse be sound he can bear the Rider so a sound heart can bear any burthen Moses was a meek man and he bore all the burthen that was upon him But now if the heart be not sound there 's fretting murmuring and repining when the heart is not sound every little thing doth disturb and disquiet it but when its sound it 's like Christ's heart it can bear all burthens whatsoever Eighthly A sound heart is the same towards God in the darkest dispensations that can be as it is to God in the sweetest dispensations that may be when God carries it most strangely and most enemy-like unto the soul that soul is the same towards God still as it was towards God before in the most sweet and pleasing dispensations saith Hab. in his 3. ch Though the Fig-tree should not blossem neither should fruit be in the Vine the Labour of the Olive should fail the fields should yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the soul and there shall be no heard in the Stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation Though there be so great a famine as there is nothing left without or within yet will I rejoyce in God a man uses to rejoyce in God when he hath abundance of the creature but saith Hab. Though none of all these be and there be nothing but famine and I am ready to perish yet will I rejoyce in the Lord his heart was sound and he was the same towards God in one dispensation as in another So Job in the 13. ch 15. v. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him I trusted him when I had all things abounding about me and I will trust in him when all things are taken from me a sound heart is the same at all times Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant which walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himself upon his God A sound heart will trust in God in Winter as well as in Summer in a Dark night as well as in a Sun shine day in Phil. 4. I have learned saith Paul in whatever estate I am therewith to be content I can want and I can abound God hath made my heart sound and I can rejoyce in all conditions The Cananitish woman Christ calls her Dog here was a dark dispensation but she calls him Lord Lord the Dogs eat the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table So that if your hearts be sound in the Statutes and in the things of God your hearts will be the same towards God in adversity as in prosperity in sickness as in health in poverty as in glory and honour Ninthly a sound heart will never turn aside from God or out of his way upon any pretence perswasion or advantage whatsoever but keeps on in Gods way in the Kings road in the way of holiness in the way of truth in the way of righteousness it keeps on in this way and will not be warp'd or turned aside it 's said in 1 K. 15.5 That David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hittie 〈◊〉 through some violent temptations David turned aside once but now here was the integrity and soundness of his heart that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from the things that he commanded him all the dayes of his life so that a sound heart will not turn aside 't is not flattery 't is not fear 't is not advantage will make him do it but God is God Truth is Truth as Christ hated iniquity and loved righteousness so doth a sound heart this is the way of God and I will go this way saith a sound heart in the 11. Acts they cleave to God with purpose of heart the Apostle would not take money to give unto Simon Magus the gift of the Holy Ghost and a sound heart it will not be brib'd it will not be couzened it will not turn to the left hand or to the right hand but goes right forward to the end of the way Tenthly A sound heart hath a spiritual confidence and boldness in it and can come unto the Lord in another manner than an unsound and corrupt heart can I say it hath a spiritual boldness and considence in it Heb. 10.19.22 having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holyest by the blood of Jesus how comes any to have a spiritual boldness he must have his heart sound if he have any boldness in him if his heart be guilty if his heart be corrupt and rotten there can be no boldness nor confidence but being sound a man hath boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus A man that hath interest in the blood of Jesus hath a sound heart and v. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience here 's that makes the heart good and makes the heart bold when the heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ the Conscience is made sound and good and being thus now let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance such a heart as is sound may come with assurance and confidence unto God and beg of God what he stands in need of this is the nature of a sound heart 11. A sound heart depends upon God alone for all spiritual mercies in 1 Cor. 1. saith the Apostle But of him are ye in Christ Jesus that is of God are we in Christ Jesus God hath drawn you to Christ and stated you in Christ so that of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption who of God is made unto us Those that are in Christ Jesus have soundness of heart they have
the very heart and mind of Christ now saith he who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption That soul depends upon God for Wisdome from Christ for Sanctification from Christ for Righteousness from Christ for Redemption from Christ it doth not depend upon its own Acts it s own Experiences it s own Graces it s own Comforts it doth not depend upon the Law it doth not depend upon the Gospel but upon God through Christ so that a sound heart sees through all unto God who is the root and fountain and fetches all from thence it takes up all from God from God through a Covenant of Grace from God through Christ so that as it is in Isa 45.24 Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength I have it not from an Ordinance I have it not in my self but from God through Christ from God through an Ordinance saith David my soul wait thou onely upon the Lord for from him cometh thine expectation 12. Lastly for discovery of a sound heart a sound heart is that conforms to Gods word not to the world in Rom. 12. beginning be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God When a man is transformed by the renewing of his mind he is a sound minded a sound hearted man but till then he is a corrupt hearted man Now if you be sound hearted you will not conform to the world but to the word which is the will of God revealed That good that acceptable that perfect will of God you will conform to saith Paul in 6. Gal. 14. I am Crucified to the world he now conforms to the good and acceptable will of God for God would have us to look at Christ Crucified and to dye to sin through the death of Christ and Paul looks at Christ Crucified and is dead to the world and the world was dead to him he would not conform to the world a sound heart conforms not to the world worldly worship worldly customes worldly fashions worldly manners but conforms to the word therefore look to it for few sound hearted there are so many conform to the world and so few to the word but a sound heart will conform to sound Doctrine the sound word and not to the world that lyes in wickedness and thus you see several discoveries of a sound heart Use 4. The fourth Use is of consolation of comfort to all those that find they have sound hearts have you sound hearts hearts well principled with divine truth have you hearts undivided and carried wholly to God have you hearts that are healthy and sound have you hearts that have truth of grace in them hearts without hypocrisie and guile hearts set for God to do his will you are then fit for Gods use and service you are then like to the Lord Jesus Christ you are precious in the sight of God you are dear unto him you have a blessedness then upon you I you are differenced from all hypocrites and such as shall perish you are those that shall hold out to the end you will be the honour and glory of the Gospel you will be the honour and glory of the Ministry 1 Thess 3.8 For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord O you Thessalonians we live if you stand fast if you be sound hearted you will stand fast you will continue to the end and this will be our life I it will be your honour and your Crown and Glory if you stand fast So that here 's comfort and great comfort to those are sound hearted Vse 5. The fifth and last use of this point is to exhort men and women to labour to get soundness of heart sound minds sound spirits see to it for 't is of concernment that you have sound hearts Lord saith David let my heart be sound in thy Statutes O Lord let me have a heart sound in thy Statutes though I have no Kingdom though I have no Army though I have no outward Comforts yet let me have a sound heart I shall here first shew you how you may get a sound heart Secondly how you may keep a sound heart Thirdly some motives to press you on to it First how to come to have a sound heart First If you would have soundness of heart then labour to cleanse out of your hearts all that may corrupt your hearts or make your hearts unsound you know a Garment if it have Dirt in it Moths in it wet in it it will corrupt the Garment therefore you will take a course to get out the Moths and to dry it and to beat out the dust that so your Garments may be sound if there be worms in the timber it will rot and consume the timber If there be ill humors in the body you must out with them or they will destroy the body so if you would have sound hearts you must cleanse out all that is of a corrupting nature there are two things that make a corrupt heart principally First Erroneous opinions and principles Secondly Mens lusts Now as for errors they are call'd the errors of the wicked wicked men take in wicked errors wicked opinions corrupt opinions and these make corrupt minds corrupt consciences corrupt hearts and corrupt men and women and so lusts they are deceitful lusts defiling lusts Ephe. 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts if you have a lust of envy envy is rottenness to the bones if a lust of pride uncleanness of covetousness c. you must put them off you must cleanse your selves from them you must wash and scower your hearts so that if you would have sound hearts away with corrupt opinions away with deceitful and corrupt lusts Secondly if you would have sound hearts then labour to get sound truths into them 2. Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast learned of me Timothy I have taught thee wholsom and sound Doctrine I have Preached unto thee the Gospel of Christ I have given thee Rules and Laws whereby to direct thee hold fast the pattern or form of sound words or of wholsom words there are corrupt words which are not sound there are corrupting words and such words do a great deal of hurt as in the 2 Ch. 17. v. and their words do eat as doth a Canker c. These are corrupting words gangreening words words that eat out soundness when men come with such opinions as there 's no Christ no God no Heaven no Hell and these Scriptures are not the word of God Oh what Gangreening words are these therefore hold fast the pattern of wholsom words get sound words into your hearts and they will make your hearts found Solomon tells you of sound wisdom Prov. 3.21 keep sound wisdom and discretion there is
give account to God and be judged to all Eternity Now some Arguments or motives why men and women should keep their hearts sound First you should do this because there 's an hour of Temptation coming upon you Rev. 3 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them there is an hour of Temptation that must come upon the whole world to try them what will become of you now if you have unsound hearts when the time of Temptation comes if you be stubble you will burn if you be rotten you will be thrown by if you be unsound wo be to you there is an hour a coming and an hour of Temptation and it will try men and women to the quick well if God will come and try you then get sound hearts and keep sound hearts for there will be such an hour e're long Nay is there not such an hour at this time God is sifting and trying the Nation by wayes and means that seem best in his wisdom to discover Men what they are and it may come upon you and your Families very suddainly a fiery Tryal may come upon you Secondly We should do it because there are very few men ad women in the world have sound hearts In Sodom there was one Lot had a sound heart but what had all the rest in the old world there was one Noah found favour and grace in the eyes of God and had a sound heart he was sound in the faith and sound hearted towards God and his worship 't is very rare and hard to find a sound hearted man a faithful man saith Solomon who can find one of a thousand he found but one man of a thousand and in Phil. 2. All seek their own and none seek the things of Christ It 's very rare very hard to find out a sound hearted man Thirdly Consider that an unsound heart is very grievous and burthensom like a sore leg or a sore arm O how burthensom and grievous is it but what if a broken leg or arm that 's more burthensom if you have unsound hearts you will be full of guilt and full of fears and this will be a burthen unto you and a great burthen unto you to have guilt and fears upon your spirits they may sink you see what the wise man saith in Pro. 14.30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh but envy the rottenness of the bones A sound heart is the life of the flesh if a man be sound hearted he will be lively and chearful but if he be unsound hearted he will be like a dead man envy is the rottenness of the bones every sin tends to it if a man have an unsound heart he will have many lusts and sins and every one will be rottenness to his bones Nabal his heart was as a stone within him the righteous is bold as a Lyon he is full of courage and mettle but a wicked man he that hath an unsound heart he flyes when none pursues him his heart is his torment his heart is his hell it will be a burthen unto him Fourthly A man should labour to keep his heart sound otherwise he can never love the Lord Jesus Christ in truth an unsound hearted man will love somewhat else more than Christ but Eph. 6. last grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity a man of an unsound heart cannot love Christ in sincerity for sincerity is one part of a sound heart if therefore you would love the Lord Jesus in sincerity in truth get soundness of heart and keep your hearts sound let not your hearts be divided let not your hearts be Hypocritical they are unsound hearts but let your hearts be sincere and then you will love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity but if you do not what saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ that is if he love him not in sincerity for if he seem to love him and it be otherwise so much the worse he will have Anathema and Maranâ—â—ha with advantage if you have an unsound heart you cannot love Christ sincerely but now if you would have this testimony that you love the Lord Jesus in sincerity get soundness of heart keep soundness of heart Fifthly you should do this because the Lord himself is coming to Judgment James 5.9 grudge not one against another Brethren least ye be condemned behold the Judge standeth before the door The Judge is very near he is knocking at your door he is coming to Judge you and it will not be long but you must be Judged and the Lord I say stands at the door therefore look to it that your hearts be sound what will become of you if the Lord find you Hypocrites if the Lord find you unsound hearted men and women if he find your hearts are divided between him and the world that they are sick with lusts that you are under the dominion of sin that you have but seeming grace and not real grace what will become of you the Judge is at the door and you may go this night for ought you know Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee look to it that your hearts be sound for God will search you to the quick he will discover men and women what they are to the full and open every secret Sixthly Lastly labour for soundness of heart upon the account of the Text Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed you will be ashamed one day if your hearts be not sound And so I come to the last point and that is Obs 4. That those that have not soundness of hearts sooner or later will be made ashamed In Prov. 26.26 whose hatred is covered by deceit his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole Congregation when men do cover up their wickedness and have unsound hearts they hate their Neighbor and give them sweet words and the like but they hate them in their hearts and the man whose hatred is covered by deceit his wickedness shall be discovered before the whole Congregation Laodicea was luke-warm and had a rotten heart and did not God say I will spew thee out of my mouth Judas had a rotten heart and was he not discovered and ashamed Judas the Traytor and the Scripture is full of such instances every where there is no need to stick upon it Now for the word Shame not to trouble you with many things There be three things make a man ashamed all which will be found in an unsound heart First when a man shall be found that which others did not think him to be and he thought not himself to be as when a man is prov'd a Bankrupt others thought him to be a man of credit
and unsound but there were others spake otherwise they were Gods Jewels they would not joyn with the wayes of God but rather did withdraw from them Heb. 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is we need not be so strict nor so oft in prayer and hearing and in speaking of the things and wayes of God the Commandements of God are grievous to them 1 Joh. 5.3 when Gods Commandements are grievous to a mans heart or spirit it 's a sign he hath a sick heart a sore heart a corrupt rotten heart when the Commands of God that would make them sound are grievous to them Many care not for examining their own souls when as the Scripture saith prove your selves examine your selves know ye not your own selves that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates walk circumspectly redeeming the time such men have unsound hearts and one day they will be discovered to their shame 11. Those that can walk up and down in the world without having their thoughts carried unto God that can go all the day long and never think of God or Heaven or Eternity or Christ these men have unsound hearts in Prov. 23.17 saith the wise man there Let not thy heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long A man should have God in his thoughts all the day long and should be fearing God from morning to evening and sanctifie God in his heart and make him his dread and his fear wheresoever he goes a man should be afraid to displease God in any place in any Company at any time but now when a man goes up and down all the day long and never thinks of God nor fears God this man is rotten at the heart he hath an unsound heart for he cares not for God nor for his Company depart from us say they in Job we care not for thy company So though this man saith it not with his Tongue yet he saith it with his heart The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death how can you depart from the snares of death when you are not in the fear of God Some fear God in time of Thunder or in a common Plague but to live in the fear of God all the day all their lives they know not what it means these have unsound hearts and will be ashamed 12. Whosoever doth presume upon the merits of Christ and the mercies of God and walk loosely they are unsound hearted and shall one day be ashamed 't is a common thing in these dayes for Christians to presume upon Christ's merits why did not Christ dye for sinners is not God merciful yes but must you walk loosely now Christ did not dye for sinners that they might go and sin neither is God merciful to encourage you to sin but you will find Christ a Stone to grind you to powder and Gods mercy to be fury and vengeance to you that do so in Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus which walk not after the flesh mark but after the Spirit If men do presume upon Christs merits and Gods mercies and say they have a part in God and Christ they must not walk after the flesh but if you walk loosely you walk after the flesh what Drink Swear Whore Lye Cheat Rail Slander Backbite Defraud and Couzen in Bargaining and Selling you walk after the flesh you have no interest in Christs merits there 's condemnation and nothing but condemnation to you and mark what 's said in 1 Joh. 2.6 If any man say he abides in him that is in Christ he must walk as he walked what dost thou say thou art a Christian thou hast a part in the merits of Christ and in the free grace and mercy of God then must thou walk even as Christ walked in the world what 's thy walking is it so is it becoming the Gospel is it no otherwise than what Christ himself would do then thou mayest have comfort but if it be otherwise deceive not thy self thou hast an unsound heart and thou wilt one day be ashamed 13. They are unsound hearted who do account themselves rich strong wise knowing and full those that are conceited of their own worth of their own excellency of their own ability and as they have unsound hearts so they will be discovered one day for rotten hearted men and women It is incident to you all to have too high thoughts of your selves Paul tells you in Gal. 6.2 If a man thinks himself some body when he is nothing he deceives himself why should the Apostle lay down this Rule but that it was the practice of the Christians then these Galatians thought themselves wiser than Paul they must have another Gospel they must go another way to Heaven we will not be tyed to these wayes they thought themselves some bodies when they were nothing and so deceived their own souls O foolish Galatians they were fools indeed And the Church of Laodicea is a pregnant instance for you all to take notice of she said she was rich full and wanted nothing here was a Church had Priviledges Ordinances Enjoyments Apostolical men in her yet what saith Christ thou art blind thou art naked thou art poor thou art miserable thou wantest all things was not her shame discovered that Christian that is conceited of himself his Parts Gifts Graces Comforts Priviledges Enjoyments or Relations whatsoever they be that Christian is an unsound man and his shame will appear one day 14. Those Christians that do things in their own name and in their own strength they are unsound and they will be discovered and their shame will be thrown in their faces in due time 2 where almost is there a Christian but doth all in his own name and in his own strength I can do this and that saith one I can do so and so what canst thou do poor creature Christ tells thee without me ye can do nothing nothing to purpose nothing to please God nothing to afford you comfort or peace nothing to further your salvation without Christ the Apostle tells you We are not sufficient I Paul am not sufficient to think a good thought well see the Rule Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus don 't do it in your own name you are unsound if you do your principles are not right your knowledge is not right and sound but whatsoever ye do do all in the name of Christ what Christians and do any thing in any name but in the name of Christ you are base Christians and you should do all in the strength of Christ 2 Tim. 2.1 My Son he speaks to Timothy an Evangelist a man full of grace and of the spirit My Son be thou strong through the grace that is in Christ saith David I will go forth in the
name and strength of the Lord and make mention of his righteousness and of his onely and in Isa 44.25 Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength what made Peter fall but this that he went out in his own strength I will dye e're I will deny thee O poor Peter he did then presently deny him once twice he denyed him with execrations 15. Men prove unsound and are ashamed that do either joyn any thing of their own to Christ or fetch their comforts any where else then from Christ most men and women joyn something of their own with Christ I will do what I can and I hope Christ will do the rest Alas poor creature dost thou joyn thy self with Christ and make thy works and thy sufferings equal to Christs and give them the honour that Christ must have thou art undone Christ must save alone or he will not save at all Christ doth all alone without thee he looks for nothing from thee Rom. 9.32 wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law we read saith the Jews and we Pray and we offer Sacrifice and we burn Incense we keep Sabbaths Solemn Feasts and new Moons and what must we not bring in our own Righteousness with Christs must all this be lay'd by they would have it as it were by the works of the Law and Ch. 10.3 they being ignorant of Gods righteousness they did not know that Christ's righteousness alone must do it and Christs obedience and Christ's sufferings must do it but going about to establish their own righteousness they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God and so they were unsound hearted and undid themselves for when men or women bring any thing to Christ they undo themselves you must come without money to Christ without righteousness without your duties without your own actions and the good of them for what 's all your goodness but as a morning cloud therefore whosoever will bring ought to Christ is unsound and will be ashamed and so are you if you fetch your comfort from any but Christ there are many poor Christians which are shaken very much are empty of all is good in their own eyes yet they will fetch their Comfort from elsewhere than from Christ they will fetch their comfort from the promises from God immediately or from the Ordinances or the Minister or some good Christian or Godly friend but know that if you fetch your comfort any where but from Christ it will never hold is not Christ the consolation of Israel God hath given Christ to send the Comforter and you must have your comfort in Christ for all the promises of God in Christ are yea and in him Amen the promises are made first to Christ and you must take up the promise in Christ and draw the comfort out of the promise through Christ and you must go to God through Christ what comfort to you from God out of Christ it's nothing but discomfort if we will take up comfort any way but by Christ we go the wrong way to work and undo our selves and shall be ashamed at last 16. They are like to prove unsound who do go on in a tract of duty in a form of Godliness and get nothing thereby when men do not get and gain and grow by the Ordinances of God it 's a sign their hearts are corrupt they are unsound do not many sit under Ordinances year after year and yet no lusts mortifyed ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth no lust is mortified no lust subdued no change made in their heads and hearts no zeal be got in them no encrease of faith no more love to God c. these men now are unsound and will be ashamed at last the Jews were long under the means of grace and yet they gain'd nothing the Scribes and Pharises had a form of Godliness and I am not like this Publican but no whit the better now when it is so it 's a dangerous symptom having a form of Godliness but without power yet many Families and Christians have a form of Godliness but no power at all 17. Again 't is a dangerous symptom of an unfound heart when as we are under troubles shakings convictions and terrors of Conscience and we look more at ease and comfort than we do at foundness many when they are shaken and convinced of sin and see that they are lost and undone creatures they must have ease comfort and relief presently they must have Oyl they must have Wine it 's a thousand to one if this soul ever proves right for if thy conviction be right and God intend thee rich mercy to eternity Thou wilt look after soundness and healing of thy soul rather than ease and comfort Heal my soul saith David for I have sinned against thee Create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right Spirit O God let me be made clean let me be made sound and no matter for comfort that will come in time if the cure be right if therefore we look at ease comfort and refreshing and look not at healing we are not right and there 's no healing virtue but in Christ the Lord Jesus he is the Son of righteousness that comes with healing in his wings come Lord and heal my soul come Lord and purge my conscience come and take away these lusts and corruptions come and take away my enmity to God and to his wayes the soul goes thus to God that soul is sound indeed 18. That soul which loves any thing more than the Lord Christ himself and God himself cannot have a testimony of its foundness but may be assured it is corrupt and rotten unless we do love God and Christ superlatively above all things in the world yea our selves we are not sound Math. 12.30 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength mark here be four all 's and God must have all in every one thou must love the Lord thy God with thy heart and with all thy heart it must not be a divided heart it must be with all thy soul the soul is larger than the heart and with all thy mind the mind runs here and there and imagins strange things God must have all thy mind all thy affections and all thy understanding and with all thy strength is there strength in thy mind in thy soul in thy heart in thy body in thy hand in thine eye God must have thy strength Love the Lord thy God will all thy strength but if we love any thing more than God where are we then 2 Tim. 3. Lovers of pleasure more than Lovers of God men will spend night and day in Feasting in Drinking in Gaming in Rioting one way or other what are these now but corrupt men unsound men rotten hearted men men
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
love Thus then you see now to know whether your faith be right in Jesus Christ being commanded to believe in him One thing more and that is if faith lye under a Command let us all then be obedient to this Command and labour to believe in his Son Jesus Christ more and more if we have no faith let us do it if we have faith let us do it more and more I shall give you two or three motives and answer a question and so conclude First for Motives know you can never truly love God till your sins are forgiven you you will think God is not your God till your sins are forgiven but if you find that your sins are forgiven you you will love God then to purpose you will love God then in truth and in strength Mary loved much why many sins were forgiven her now unless you believe in Jesus Christ you cannot have the forgiveness of your sins and so you will be questioning whether God love you or whether he be not a hard God and a hard Master and dont pardon your sins and so you cannot love God truly and love God with strength If therefore you would love God with truth and strength believe in his Son Jesus Christ that you may know your sins are forgiven Secondly This believing in the Lord Jesus Christ makes our persons very acceptable unto God Eph. 1.6 he hath made us accepted in his Beloved How are we made accepted by faith in him if we have not faith in him we are not accepted therefore the Apostles put us to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 There 's the acceptation of your persons And so of your Prayers our Prayers will never speed in Heaven and have gracious Returns unless we believe in the Son of God 't is for Christs sake that our Prayers are heard as you may see in the verse before the Text and the Text together whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments And what 's one Command That we belieive on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ why now our Prayers come to be heard when we keep his Commandments Lastly It is that which doth exalt the grace of God and honours him very much to believe in his Son Jesus Christ It 's said in 1 Joh. 5. He that believes not hath made God a Lyar. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself There 's encouragement to believe in the Son of God He that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son And this is one record that God hath given us eternal life in him And this is another that he Commands us to believe in him that we may have this eternal life Now what a dishonour is this to the God of truth to make him a lyar but now to believe in his Son doth exalt the free grace of God God hath made all the promises to Jesus Christ and in Christ they are all yea and Amen And mark it All the promises of God in him are Yea and and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 When we believe in his Son Jesus Christ in whom they are all concentred in whom they are all yea and Amen but if you do not believe in the Son of God They are not all to the honour of God God hath not his glory in that way that he looks for by Jesus Christ So that we should believe in the Son of God because it doth exalt his honour and his free grace and promotes his Glory abundantly and the contrary brings reproach and dishonour upon God One question more But happily some will say I cannot believe what should I do To that Soul and to all of us I would say thus much First attend diligently unto the means by which God works faith Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Attend now unto the means the Gospel especially which is the means that God hath appointed to work faith by and doth work faith by Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation When they heard the word of truth the Gospel of Salvation then they came to trust in him So when people do attend unto the means of Grace and attend seriously unto it God doth work faith and increase faith where it is by the same means You know Pipes dont give water but water comes through Pipes so the Gospel is the Pipe through which God lets out this water of grace and conveys it unto us and will you see it performed in Acts 13.48 And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed When they heard the Gospel Preached as many as were ordained to eternal life believed they attended upon the word and the means of grace and it was not in vain they believed Attend therefore upon the Gospel and the word Preached as an Ordinance of God appointted and designed of God purposely to work faith in your Souls many persons they come to hear the Word they come only to hear a man what he can say and what notions and new things there may be but they come not to it as an ordinance of God appointed to work grace and faith in the soul and so miss of their expectation upon that account Secondly Consider how freely Jesus Christ is offered in the Gospel and offered unto you and at what a cheap rate Christ is to be had In Isa 55 come without money and without price come and drink of the waters of life freely Why the Lord Jesus Christ is a free gift Rom. 5.15 saith the Apostle not as the offence so also is the free gift A free gift Jesus Christ and grace is and Joh. 4.10 If thou haddest known the gift of God O Christ is the gift of God and what is required now but receiving of this gift will you not receive a gift and such a gift as this is when it is tendred to you by God himself and tendred to you in such a glorious manner and God doth put off this rich gift at a very low rate if you will receive it Rev. 3.20 I stand at the dore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come into him and Ch. 22.17 whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely here 's Christ with the water of life and bread of life with his Righteousness with all that is useful for you for the present and to eternity here he is receive him O how great will our condemnation be if we dont receive him when as he is offered so freely to us 3. Lastly you cannot believe you say and I believe you too you cannot believe I but pray unto God to inable you
to believe And that should be one great request of our soules dayly that God would enable us to believe and that he would work Faith in us why it's the gift of God and he is a giving God he gives liberally and upbraids not he will not upbraid you with your unbelief but if you will come and beg Faith in God and power to work that grace in you he is ready to do it in the 17. of Luke say the Disciples Lord we believe encrease our faith so say you Lord work faith in my soul I can never please thee nor get any good unless thou work faith in me and that in Joh. 6.45 Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me O hearken to the Fathers teaching in the Gospel the fathers revealing of Christ and discoveries he hath made and receive every truth he hath given out concerning Jesus Christ and then he that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto the Son O pray unto the Father to speak to your hearts and to teach your souls that so you may come to Jesus Christ and believe in the Son and have all those great things that are to be had by him Christians ought to be of Christs mind Phil. 2.5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus THe Apostle Paul writes to the Church of Philippie and notwithstanding they were precious Christians and a choice Church yet they had need of exhortation and quickning up to their duty and by strong arguments he presses them here to many duties If therefore there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind And so in the third and fourth verses he exhorts them to duties and in this verse Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus here 's nothing difficult in the words We read in Scripture of the mind of God Jer. 19.5 neither came it into my mind saith God we read of the mind of the spirit Rom. 8.27 he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit and here we read of the mind of Christ let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Now the word mind in Holy writ doth signifie sometimes the heart Acts 20.19 serving the Lord with all humility of mind that is with all humility of heart and Deut. 18.6 If a Levite come c. with all the desire of his mind Desire is in the heart and so mind here notes the heart Sometimes it signifies the understanding as in 2 Cor. 3.14 Their mind was blinded speaking of the Jews that is their understandings were blinded Sometimes it signifies the thoughts of the heart Prov. 29.11 A fool uttereth all his mind that is all he thinks all the thoughts of his heart Sometimes it signifies the will 1 Pet. 5.2 feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind that is with your wills willingly and cheerfully Sometimes it s put for the affections and the affecting of those affections 2 Cor. 7.7 he was comforted in you when he told us your earnest desire your mourning your fervent mind towards me that is your fervent affection towards me Mind signifies the affections And the affecting of a thing Rom. 8.5 Those that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh that is their affections do affect the things of the flesh Lastly Mind in Scripture doth signifie the aims and intentions of a man Pro. 21.27 The Sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind that is with a wicked intention When the intentions and aims of a man are wicked then his Sacrifice is much more abomination So that in all the senses the word mind is used in Scripture and all these may be taken in here for the heart and the understanding and the thoughts and the will and affections and the intentions now the point that I will commend unto you is onely this Doct. That Churches and Christians should be of the same mind that the Lord Jesus Christ is of 1 Cor. 2.16 saith the Apostle there speaking of himself and the Church of Corinth We have the mind of Christ We have Christs understanding Christs heart and the like so in 1 Pet. 4.1 arm your selves likewise with the same mind let the same mind be in you Now it may be said is it possible for any Church or any person to have the mind of Christ First I answer we must aim at it to have the mind of Christ Christ is the Copy written for us to aim at The Scripture doth hold out perfect rules and perfect patterns unto us which dont note our perfection but helps our imperfection that we which are imperfect should reach to perfection aim at the mind of Jesus Christ Secondly I answer we are to have the same mind in kind though not in degree a new born Babe is of the same kind that a man is though he be not come to that degree and state of a man Q. Well now what is the mind of Christ A. In general I say the whole Gospel is the mind of Christ the whole word of God there you have Christs mind and Gods mind But that 's large we will therefore come a little more close and what I find by searching the Gospel I shall give you in particulars First Christ's mind was a Publick mind not a private Domestick selfish mind he did not seek nimself but he sought the good of others saith the Apostle in the verse before my Text Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others Christ had a publick mind and would have a publick mind in us Christ neglected himself to do good to others he sought not his own cred it nor his own pleasure or preserment and advantage when they would have made him a King he denyed himself Joh. 6.14 The Lord Christ did nothing for himself but all for us he came from heaven for us he took our nature upon him for us he Preach'd for us I and he suffered for us Dan. 9.26 Messiah shall be cut off but not for himself He was cut off by death but not for himself but for us So that the Lord Jesus Christ he had a publick mind a publick spirit a publick heart he became poor for us 2 Cor. 8. He pleaved not himself Rom. 15.3 So then let this mind of Christ be in you to have a publick mind for the publick good to act for others and not a selfish mind altogether for self Secondly The Lord Christ had a pure mind the Scripture speaks of a defiled mind Tit. 1.15 Those that believe not
their very minds are defiled it speaks of a carnal mind Rom. 8.6 It speaks of a fleshly mind Col. 2.18 But Christ had no defiled mind no carnal mind no fleshly mind but the Lord Jesus Christ had a pure mind pure heart pure affections pure will pure intentions and the like his mind was a pure mind and therefore he saith Joh. 14. The Devil comes and finds nothing of his in me when the Devil comes he finds no impurity in Christ and which of you convinceth me of sin saith Christ he had a pure mind and therefore it 's said Heb. 7.26 he was holy and harmless separate from sinners he was holy in his nature and understanding and will and affections and heart and spirit He was pure from all errors and all opinions that do defile the understanding or the judgment 2 Cor. 11.3 I fear least by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Christs spirit was pure and there was no mixture where there is a mixture there is not simplicity Christ had a pure mind from all errors and all defilements Now let this mind be in you also which was in Christ Jesus this pure mind be in you Thirdly The Lord Christs mind was a willing and a ready mind to do good Math. 8.3 If thou wilt thou canst make me clean I will saith he presently be thou clean how willing and ready was the Lord Christ he was not backward he did not shift off doing good as we use to do many times but he would rather prevent men as you may see in the impotent man Joh. 5.6 Wilt thou be made whole such a ready mind was in Christ to do good that where it was not look'd for he would do it and prevent men rather then not do good Psa 40.8 I delight to do thy will O God it was a great delight to Christ he was very ready and forward to do good Well let this mind which also was in Christ be in you a readiness a willingness to do good Fourthly The Lord Christs mind was a yeilding a humble and a condescending mind v. 7. he made himself of no Reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant O here was an humble condescending mind in Christ that the Lord of glory the Heir of the world would take upon him the form of a Servant Joh. 13. you read there how humble Christ was that he riseth from the Table girds himself with a Towel takes a Bason of water and goes and washes his Disciples feet Here was condescending indeed when the Lord and Master would go and wash his Disciples feet when they were sinful and he himself without sin Christ saith he came not to be Ministred unto but to Minister and he did Minister indeed In Mat. 11. Learn of me saith he for I am humble never was there a greater person in the world and never a greater person more humble than Christ was O how did he condescend to the poor and weak and mean and all sorts and conditions of people he would not break a bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking flax so yeilding and humble was he he would converse with sinners and Publicans when Pharisees and great ones stumbled at him he became all things to all men that he might do them good well let this mind be in you which was in Christ Fifthly the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ was a single mind we read in Scripture of a double mind James 1.8 a double minded man But there was no doubleness of mind in Christ he had a single mind Job 23.13 he is in one mind the Lord Christ he is alwayes in one mind others have many minds so many minds that they hardly know their own mind but Christ had one single sincere mind there was no doubleness no dissembling no equivocating no guile in his heart nor in his lips 1 Pet. 2.22 who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth As Christ said of Nathaniel behold an Israelite in whom is no guile so may we say of Christ much more behold an Israelite in whom is no guile there was nothing but singleness in Jesus Christ he had a single mind a single spirit a single heart and let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus Sixthly The Lord Christs mind was a fixed and a setled mind he was not lead away with the Traditions of the Elders with the opinions of the Herodians of the Sadduces of the Scribes and Pharisees with any wind of Doctrine but it was a setled sollid fixed firm mind Heb. 13.8 it 's said Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever he was in the same setled mind alwayes he did not chop and change his thoughts and mind and judgment but was setled and fixed and not carried away with any opinions or the like and see what follows upon it v. 9. be not carried away with divers and strange Doctrines Christ was not be not you therefore carried about with divers and strange Doctrines How many in these dayes are carried up and down with every wind of Doctrine with every opinion but let this setled fixed firm mind be in you which also was in Christ Seventhly Christs mind it was a heavenly mind Joh. 7.46 Never man spake like this man rever man spake so heavenly so graciously as this man did Christ was full of Heaven heavenly in his Doctrine heavenly in his Prayers heavenly in his Discourse altogether heavenly In 3. Joh. 12. there 's something seems to cross it If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things What did Christ tell them of earthly things and not heavenly things The meaning of the place is this 't is true I have drawn Parables taken from earthly things but in them are couched heavenly matters and if you dont understand them when I bring them down thus to your capacities how would you understand then if I should tell you of heavenly things in their own nature and kind and not suit them to your apprehensions or comprehensions Christ here spake of earthly things in this Chapter to Nicodemus he spake of Generation and of the wind and water these were earthly things I but he had heavenly things in them Regeneration and the wind and water of the Spirit so that Jesus Christ he minded heavenly things and so the next verse No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven why the Son of man is in heaven though he be here upon earth his affections are there his heart is there his aims and intentions are there O how heavenly was Christ in all his wayes he breathed out heavenliness and made spiritual uses of all things he saw and met with of the Vine of the Dore of the Sheep of the
they are members of Christ they are members of Christs body and they should be of the mind of the head the members are ruled and governed by the head now all true Churches and Christians are the members of Christ Eph. 4.15 But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ O speak the truth in love saith he or truth it in love and grow up in him in Christ in all things which is the head you must grow up into his mind because ye are members and he is the head so in 2 Col. 7. Rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith stablished in the Doctrine of Christ abounding therein with Thanksgiving Why because we are members of Christ we should therefore grow up in the faith of Christ and in the doctrine and mind of Christ Thirdly We should be of the same mind with Christ because the Lord Christ became like unto us therefore we should be like unto him v. 7. and was made in the likeness of men and so in Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Christ was like us in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh now what a vast distance was there between Christ and us when Christ was in Heaven the Son of God had not he came down from Heaven and taken our nature upon him and been made like unto us we could never have been made like unto him for he must take away that black Image and corruption of our nature and deformity that we might be made like unto him now the Lord Christ having done thus we should be like unto him upon that account and if we be not of his mind we shall never come to be like him 1 Joh. 3.2 3. beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Then shall we be perfectly like him and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure If you have hope to be perfectly like him hereafter you must be of his mind here and purifie your selves even as he is pure so that upon that account that Christ became like unto us in our nature we should be of his mind that we may be like unto him in his nature Fourthly we should be of the same mind with Jesus Christ because if we be not of his mind we shall be of an evil mind we shall be either of the worlds mind and the worlds mind is bad enough it lyes in wickedness or of the Devils mind and that 's worse or of the flesh's mind and that 's worst of all for the Devil and the world work by our flesh now saith the Apostle to be carnally minded is death and the carnal mind is enmity unto God it is not subject unto God neither can it be Now if you be not of Christs mind you are either of the worlds mind or the Devils mind or the flesh's mind and that 's death and will end in death eternal and you cannot please God Fifthly we should be of the same mind that Christ is because this is a way to keep us from falling into errors and corrupting opinions and from damnable Heresies and the like those have Christs mind will admit of nothing but truth they will not admit of the spirit of Antichrist and the spirit of errors of which you read 1 Joh. 4.3 6. There 's the spirit of Antichrist and the spirit of errors now if men be of Christs mind they will never admit of those errors and Antichristian Doctrines The Doctrine of Antichrist is the worshipping of Images now if you have Christs mind you will never worship Images Babes keep your selves from Idols Antichrists mind is that Priests must not marry if you be of Christs mind Marriage is honourable in all and it will never admit of that Doctrine So transubstantiation that 's Antichrists mind but if you be of Christs mind you will never admit of that Acts 3.20 He shall send Jesus Christ which before was Preached unto you whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things he shall send him he dont send him wherever the Sacrament is and there turn the bread into Christs flesh and the wine into Christs blood but he shall send Jesus Christ which before was Preached unto you whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things here 's the mind of Christ now and those that have the mind of Christ will not receive the mind of Antichrist So invocation of Saints that 's the mind of Antichrist an erroneous and a damnable Doctrine but here 's the mind of Christ Joh. 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name not in Maries name or Peter's name or this or that Saints name but in Christs name So for the Popes Supremacy and the Lordliness of his Prelates if you have Christs mind you will never entertain any thing of that Luke 25. and he said unto them the Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise authority upon them are called Benefactors But ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is chief as he that doth serve What you my Disciples and you to have Supremacy you to have the Titles of Lords and Holy and Gracious and the like it shall not be so among you here 's the mind of Christ so in 1 Pet. 5.3 Neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage but being ensamples to the Flock no Lordliness no domâ—nion power greatness nor glorious titles and the like here 's the mind of Christ so that if we have the mind of Christ we shall be kept from eâ—rors So all traditions and ordinances of men and impositions inventions of men Mat. 15.9 In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men That 's a vain worship which is worshipping in vain and v. 6. ye have made the Commandments of God of none effect by your traditions So in 2 Col. 20. wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are ye subject to ordinances c. after the Commandments and Doctrines of men Here 's the mind of Christ you must not be subject to ordinances and impositions of men and their additions to the worship of God but have the mind of Christ and you will admit of nothing but what is from Christ Sixthly we should be of Christs mind because it is the way to union to meeken and sweeten spirits and to make harmony between all sorts and to much unity Isa 11.6
created an understanding knowing man a holy man and a righteous man now by Adam's eating the forbidden fruit this Image was lost but Christ he came to restore this again it being lost Eph. 4.24 And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness And in the Collossians knowledge is mentioned now by the Lord Jesus Christ we have this restor'd again and the more we know of Christs mind the more that Image is renewed in us 't is a pure mind an humble mind a righteous mind and it is an understanding mind so that the more you know of Christ the more purity the more righteousness the more knowledge you have and so the Image of God is renewed in you and there 's your happiness and when this comes to perfection then you are perfectly happy and that will be in heaven But you will say what should we do to get more of the mind of Christ into us First if you would have more of the mind of Christ then be you less conformable to the world be more and more off from the world and oâ— more and more transformed by the renewing of your minds Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to this world but be ye transtormed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God You will come to know this good and perfect and acceptable will of God more and more that is the mind of Christ 't is the world keeps us from knowledge the world doth blind us and indispose us from receiving the divine truths and mysteries of the Gospel that man that is most alienated from the world and most contemplative of the Gospel will have most of the mind of God and Christ in him Secondly if you would have more and more of the mind of Christ see you love the Lord Jesus Christ more and more daily The more you love the more Christ will let out his mind unto you Job 15.14 15. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I câ—mmand you henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Well you are my friends you love me one friend loves another and Christ made known all things unto them that he had received of his Father so Christ will make all things known to your souls that he hath received of the Father which is needful and good for you if you love him so in the 14. Ch. 21. he that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Would you have manifestations of the Lord Jesus Christ secrets revealed unto you and hidden things that the world knows not of love the Lord Jesus Christ more and more a Wife the more she loves her Husband the more her Husband will communicate his secrets unto her so the more you love Christ the more of his mind shall you have communicated unto you Thirdly Lastly if you would have more of the mind of Christ then pray more and more for the spirit of Christ for the spirit of Christ reveals the things of God and searches them and gives them out unto those where it is pray unto Christ to fill you with his spirit and that spirit will fill you with the knowledge of Christs mind the spirit of God is a spirit of wisdom and Revelation Joh. 16.14 the Spirit shall take of mine and shew unto you there 's a treasury in Christ in him are hid all the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge and the spirit will take of Christs and shew unto you 2 Cor. 3. last we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. What 's this Glass the Gospel is the glass and in the glass there 's Christ and the mind of Christ and when we come to look in there we are changed into the same Image from glory to glory we have more and more of the mind of Christ and of the holiness of Christ and righteousness of Christ as by the Spirit of the Lord so that pray for the spirit and the spirit will interpret and open the mind of Christ in all the mysteries of the Gospel which are hidden from most men in the world All in Christs Name Colloss 3.17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus THis Chapter is full of exhortations First general ones to the end of my Text. Secondly particular ones to the end of the Chapter For the general ones he exhorts them first to seek the things which are above and to set their affections on things above v. 1 2. which he presses with several Arguments to the beginning of the fifth verse Secondly He exhorts them to mortification in the fifth verse Mortifie your members which are upon the earth Fornication Uncleanness Inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry He exhorts them to mortifie all these earthly members and gives reasons and arguments for it even to the twelfth verse Thirdly He exhorts them to Christian vertues to Christian practices put on bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another and above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also you are called in one body and be ye thankful let the word of Christ dwell in you richly These be Christian vertues and Christianpractices he puts them upon and that by three Arguments especially First from their election put on as the elect of God you are elect and choice vessels of God therefore put on these they become elect ones Secondly you are holy and 't is not for holy ones to meddle with unholy things but to do holily Thirdly you are beloved of God God he loves you and you are dear unto him and therefore you should look after such virtues and your practices should be accordingly and then in the 17. verse he exhorts them to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus If you teach and admonish one another if you sing Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus and then afterwards in the Chapter he comes to particular duties of Wives to Husbands and Husbands to Wives of Children to Parents and Parents to Children of Servants to Masters and Masters to Servants and the like In the words you may consider First the act doing Secondly the extent of the act whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all Thirdly the manner in the
't is not to second causes it is to the L. C. that we owe the success of all when we do things in his name and for his sake he doth bless them and give success to our endeavours when we begin with Christ and take Christ along with us and do all as we ought to do then Christ blesses and then he gives success When we pray in Christs name he tells us God will give Joh. 16.23 so in 4 Eph. last even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you for Christs sake it is If we pray and beg pardon 't is for Christs sake we have our prayers heard and pardon given in and whatsoever attempts you make and success you have If you do it in the name of Christ it is for his sake you have the blessing therefore dont say it is your endeavours and your contrivance and diligence and care and circumspection no it is for the Lord Jesus Christ 't is he that gives the success and the blessing Seventhly if we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ then let us examine we who are Christians and bear the name of Christ let us examine whether we do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ it 's good to know in whose name you do your actions You will say how shall we know that You may know it by what I have said already do you do all in the authority of Christ in the strength of Christ in the stead of Christ do you do all according to the will of Christ for the sake of Christ for the honour of Christ by invocating of the Lord Jesus Christ then you do it in his name But to add some few things more First you may know it by this if you do things in Christs name then you do consult much with the Lord Christ and take counsel from him and from his word you will not trust your own heads nor trust your own hearts he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool saith Solomon and we have many such fools in the world sound wisdom and Counsel are mine saith Christ Prov. 8.14 None can give you sound wisdom and sound councel but my self now do you go to Christ for councel do you advise with him and consult with him it 's an Argument then you do things in his name David in the 119. Psal 24. saith Thy Testimonies art my delight and my Councellors I delight in thy Testimonies and they are my Councellors I consult with thy word the word of God the word of Christ I consult with that and I do all according thereunto therefore he is said to be a man fulfilling all the wills of God he took advice from Gods word he went to Christ who gave him sound wisdom and sound Councel but if we go about our actions and do our own wills and never advise with Christ we go in our own strength and the issue is not like to be successful Secondly you shall know it hereby they that do all in the name of the Lord Jesus they advance him and make him high and lay themselves low whose name soever things are done in they are advanced if we do things in our own names we advance our selves if we do things in the names of men we advance men but if we do things in Christs name we advance the Lord Jesus Christ when Servants do things in their own names they spoil all then their Masters are laid low but when they do all in the name of their Masters then their Masters are exalted Now ask your souls what advancement Christ hath from your thoughts words or actions saith David Psal 71.16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God and I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine onely I 'le go in thy strength that is in thy name every attribute is his name as I told you to go in the name of Christ is to go in the strength of Christ now saith he I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine onely I will exalt thy name and thy righteousness and exalt thine onely do you therefore go out in the strength of Christ and exalt his righteousness onely his name onely his truths onely his ordinances onely Paul did so in 15 Rom. 18. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed Have the Gentiles been brought in are they obedient in word are they obedient in deed 't is not my work but the work of Jesus Christ I will not dare to speak of any thing is mine but I will altogether speak of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ thus he advances Christ So that if you do things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ you will advance Christ and lift him up and it 's no matter who goes down so he goes up so did John the Baptist he must increase I must decrease and it matters not for I am not worthy to loose the Latchet of his Shoes so excellent is he Thirdly whosoever doth all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ his name is not onely an incentive to action but an attractive to action for as there is power in his name so there is love in the name of Christ the power of that name will bind the heart to obedience but the love that is in the name doth work complacency in the obedience it works complacency and delight as in the name so in the obedience that is given to that name he makes it his incentive and faith the work is necessary and must be done but the other that finds it an attractive faith the work is good and I will do it I must do this and I must do that saith one but saith another the work is good and I will do it Psal 73.28 It 's good for me to draw nigh to God He dont say 't is my duty 't is necessary but it 's good for me I delight to draw near to God So that if we do all in the name of Christ we shall find the name of Christ an attractive to draw our hearts to do things with delight and pleasure Fourthly You shall know it hereby for he that doth all in the name of Christ makes that name the ground and pillar for a blessing upon his actions when I speak in the name of Christ or act in the name of Christ I make the name of Christ the pillar and the ground of my hope for a blessing upon what I say or what I do It is not the goodness of my action which is the ground of my hope a man may be importunate in Prayer and be zealous and pray very well but he dont make this the ground of his hope A man may be very sollid in Preaching and very serious in Hearing but this must not be the ground of his
scattered and are strengthened with strength in your souls how sweet is this Now there is true sweetness in acting for Christ a true friend will do Christ service and be thankful for the service because there is a great deal of sweetness in it 1 Tim. 1.12 saith Paul I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me c. putting me into the Ministry I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that hath put me into service he would not have been thankful unless he had found some sweetness in his service It will be our wisdom therefore to do all in the name of Christ if you would find sweetness in the name of Christ so David and the Princes when they had offered so willingly as in the 1 Chron. 29.13 14. Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee Lord thou hast given to us and we have given to thee and we thank thee that we have had hearts to give unto thee how sweet delightful and pleasing is thy service therefore it will be your wisdom to do all in the name of Christ for it comes from love in you and you will find sweetness in doing for Christ and you will be thankful for the service you do upon that account Thirdly we should do all in the name of Christ from this consideration that it is a special means both to prevent sin and to promote holiness First to prevent sin 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that names the name of the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity He that names the name of Christ must depart from iniquity this is a preventing of sin now mentioning his name should make us depart from iniquity Why the Lord Christ himself he hated iniquity and loved righteousness His very name should mind us thereof Christ hates iniquity and I will depart â—som iniquity Secondly and acting in his name will put us upon holiness and labouring to he holy The soul saith will Jesus Christ do this I am a doing now but would Christ do thus would Christ think thus would Christ speak thus no Christ would not Christ would speak holy words and do holy actions and think holy thoughts therefore I must do as Christ would do I do all in his name we read of Alexander that had a Souldâ—er in his Camp that did bear his name when Alexander heard it he calls for the Soldier and asks him his name he told him his name was Alexander is it so saith he then see you do nothing unworthy the name of Alexander do that which becomes Alexander so do we bear the name of Christ we must do that which becomes the name of Christ do we bear the name of Christian we must do what becomes a Christian one said I could do this or that if I were not a Christian but I am a Christian and I dare not do this or that I dare not go into such Company I dare not drink healths I dare not be in the mode and fashion of the world And so in the Primitive times the question was have you kept the Sabbath the answer was I am a Christian I dare not neglect the Lords day I dare not speak my own words nor think my own thoughts nor find my own pleasure and why I am a Christian and so it promotes holiness therefore we should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Fourthly Lastly we should do all in his name because it will unite and tye the heart of God and Christ abundantly to us Those persons who act all in the name of Christ they are faithful persons as a Servant that doth all in the name of his Master he is a faithful Servant The unjust Steward did not things faithfully he did things in his own name and therefore his Masters favour was not towards him he had none of his favour nor countenance his heart was alienated from him but those that do all in the name of the Lord Christ they are faithful and the heart of Christ is towards such and is wide unto such in Mat. 24.46 Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Blessed is that Servant why his heart is towards this Servant and pronounces a blessing upon him Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing how doing doing all in my name and according to my will and for my glory doing all by invocation of my name O blessed is that Servant which when his Lord cometh shall find so doing his heart is greatly towards him The heart of his Master can trust safely in him all the dayes of his life as it 's said of the virtuous Wife Prov. 31.11 The heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her so that he shall have no need of spoil So the Lord Christ can trust in that man or woman who doth all in his name they are faithful and he can trust in them I it is a great honouring of Christ and Christ will honour such a one it 's an honouring of Christ honouring of Christs wisdom honouring of Christs power honouring of his word and name it is the highest service we can do to Christ to do all in his name and the Lord Christ will honour such an one his heart is tyed to him he dares trust him with all he commits his secrets to such So then you see the exhortation back'd with some motives why we should do all in the name of Jesus Christ One thing more which is what directions will you give us now to help us to do all in the name of Christ we see it is a duty a good work and we would gladly do it but what directions and helps may be given to further us therein First consider that the Lord Christ is your Lord. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus if you be Christians he is your Lord Now our Lords commands our Lords will our Lords councels we must do them we must not do our own wills we are the Lords he is our Lord and therefore we must do his will Luke 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say What do you call me Lord and will not you do what I say command and appoint you and do it as I appoint you do all in my name why do you call me Lord Surely if Christ be our Lord we must do all in his name and the more we shall think of Christs Lordship and authority over us the more will our hearts be inclined to do things in his name why he is the best of Lords he is a blessed Lord a sweet Lord a good Lord there is no Tyranny in this Lord no hurt in this Lord nothing but all for good in this Lord he
is Lord in your heart he is Lord in your spirits he is Lord in your tongues he is Lord in your heads he is Lord in all your wayes therefore look upon him as Lord and Moderator of all your thoughts words and actions and this will help you to do things in his name Secondly if you would do things in his name then mind the very example and practice of the Lord Jesus Christ himself he did not do things in his own name but he did all in his fathers name and therefore we should do all in his name when he requires it of us as the Father required it of him he did all in his Fathers name in Job 5.43 I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not I am come but I come in my Fathers name I dont come in my own name I run not on my own head I come not with my own will or my own words to do what I would but I am come in my Fathers name and the Fathers works he did in Joh. 10.25 Jesus answered them I told you and ye believe not the works that I do in my Fathers name they bear witness of me all the works that I do I do in my Fathers name not in my own name Now here 's a good example for us to mind the Lord Christ he did all in his Fathers name and so should we do all in Christs name and if we do them in his name we do them in the Fathers name also Paul did all in Christs name and we should do all in Christs name He did all in his Fathers name and his example is an unerring example Thirdly If we would do all in the name of Christ then let us get lowâ—â—â—o the Lord Jesus Christ 'T is want of love that makes us do so little in the name of Christ if we had love enough to Christ it would make us act in his name the name of Christ is an Oyntment poured out therefore do the Virgins love thee if we did look at the name of Christ as an Oyntment poured out sweet and precious and saving and comforting indeed O it would make us love the Lord Jesus as the Virgins do A Wife that loves her Husband it will make her do all in her Husbands name Oh if we had love to Jesus Christ we would do all in his name why the Lord Christ he loved his Father and saith he I keep his Commandements and abide in his love 'T is love will make you do things in the name of Christ the more love is in any soul the more it will act in the name of Christ and honour him Fourthly Lastly if we would do all in Christs name then let us consider the great reward that we shall have the reward will be great if we do all in his name I there will be a reward here and a reward hereafter we glorifie him and honour him much if we do all in his name I all the glory will be his now if we glorifie him we shall have a reward in our very acting how sweet is that action which is done aright in a right manner to a right end from a right principle how sweet is it as the Psalmist saith in keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward in the very keeping of the commands of God and Christ is great reward 〈◊〉 is great peace great comfort great content sweetness communion with God and at the end there is great reward Crowns of Glory a Kingdom Rivers of pleasure great reward so in doing things in the name of Christ there is a great reward in the very doing of it great sweetness great content to the soul great peace great communion with God great favour of Christ and afterwards there will be a great and glorious reward for the soul that doth so in the 12. John 26. If any man serve me saith Christ let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be if any man serve me why who serves Christ better than he that doth all in Christs name if we be the Servants of Christ we shall do all in the name of Christ and what then Let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be and if any man serve me him will my Father honour He shall be honoured by me and honoured by my Father honoured in Earth and honoured in Heaven honoured with a Kingdom and Glory and honoured with fruition of nâ—e and of my Father and all that is desirable Therefore consider of the great reward you shall have if you do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ The preciousness of the Word Psal 19.10 More to be desired are they then Gold yea then much fine Gold THe Psalmist had lay'd down in the former part of the Psalm many commendations of the Law the Statutes the Commandements the Testimonies and Judgments of the Lord. And here he draws up a conclusion concerning them all They are more to be desired then Gold then much fine Gold The words themselves are a Doctrine or an Observation and you may take it thus Doct. Divine truths are more to be desired then the choicest Treasures of the earth then all earthly treasures Two things are here to be done First to shew you that Gold is desirable and truths upon the same account Secondly that divine truths are more desirable then Gold or Silver or any earthly treasures whatsoever For the first two things there First what desire is Secondly that Gold is desirable and the truths of God upon the same account First what desire is desire is the reaching out of the soul after some good affected not in possession but absent saith David O that I had of the water of the Well of Bethlehem here 's the reaching out of his soul after some good affected 2 Sam. 23.15 saith Rachel give me Children or else I dye here 's the reaching out of her Soul after Children It is after good affected Either seeming good or real good affected Love is the root that bears desire and desire is the branch or fruit the hand and opperation of Love what we have no Love to we dont desire but what we have some Love too that we do desire It is the affecting of Good either seeming or real Solomon he desires wisdom that was a real good and he had real desires of it The desire of the Righteous is onely to good saith Solomon and there are seeming goods Eve desires the fruit 't was but a seeming good to her for it brought woe and sorrow to her and all hers Amnon desires Tamar it was a seeming good but a real evil Achan desires the Wedge of Gold it was his ruine Gehezi desires the Garments and the Wedge of Gold Now there must be good real or in appearance where desire is carried out unto it the soul sees some amiableness in the thing it doth desire and so it puts forth its desires after it
are more desirable then Gold and Silver Then here we may see who are the richest men in the world and have the best treasure even those that have gotten most of the Word into their hearts not most of the world into their houses and into their possessions the Word is better than thousands of Gold and Silver They are the richest that have most of this heavenly riches let the word of Christ dwell richly in you Col. 3. To be rich in promises there 's the true riches and great riches Here we say he is a rich man that hath many Bonds or Ships or Houses or Lands that hath many Hundreds or Thousands lay'd up or abroad but he is the richest man in the Scripture account and in Gods account that hath most of the Word of God lay'd up in his heart that hath most light in his understanding most promises in his Soul that hath a good stock that hath a treasure within I have hid thy Law in my heart saith David So when Gods Law is hid in your hearts then you are the richest men the wealthiest men and men of substance indeed Thirdly Then I infer from hence that you may see a great difference between men and men between Saints and the men of the world The men of the world they prize Gold and Silver the Saints prize the Word of God Psal 119.72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver David prized the Law of God more than his Kingdom or the Crown of Gold that was upon his head more than the Gold of Vphaz of Havilah and the Gold of Ophyr the finest Godl that might be had Fourthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and Silver then certainly their loss is great that have the Word taken from them I mean the Word outwardly and the Ordinances and enjoyments when our Silver and Gold is taken away we cry out we are undone we are undone No no you are not undone if you have God and his Word but if Gods Word be taken away from men and women they are more undone than others It 's a great loss to lose that that is better than Gold Silver better than all the world There are many in the world at this day that are depriv'd of their Teachers of Sabbaths and of the Word of God They cannot read themselves and they have none to read unto them it 's a sad condition and a great loss unto them and those that rob them of these they must answer for it one day and they are very guilty that have done it Fifthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and Silver then let us esteem if according to the value and worth of it above outward treasure above all Gold and Silver Joâ— esteemed the Word of God more than his necessary food people cannot eat Gold and Silver and House and Land but their necessary food maintains their lives and 't is more valuable than Gold and Silver If you could not have meat and drink what would your Gold and Silver do you good you would part with it all for a little bread for a little drink now Job did value the Word of God more than his necessary food O that we would set such a price upon the Word of God I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold Let us all set such a price upon the truths of God there 's more worth in them than you can find out you have riches unsearchable in the promises and in the truths of God Phil. 3.8 Paul accounts all but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus And where will you have that but in the Word of God prize it therefore at a high rate Psal 84.10 A dayâ—n thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere A thousand dayes are almost three years and one would think they might meet with brave things in such a time but one day in the Courts of God is better than a thousand elsewhere The Word of God is little esteemed in these dayes and every thing preferred before it but let it not be so with you Sixthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and fine Gold then let us keep the Word of God as men keep their Gold and lay it up as men lay up their Gold and know the Word of God if you will lay it up it will be a defence unto you and a Buckler unto you Psal 91.4 his truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler Solomon tells you money is a defence and Gold is a defence it will defend you from the injuries of the world and wrongs of men so is the Word of God it is a defence it is a Shield a Buckler therefore lay it up safely as you would your Gold and Silver Job 22. The Almighty shall be thy defence so you read it but the Margent is the Almighty shall be thy Gold God would be your Gold if you would lay up Gods truth in your hearts God will be your defence he will be your Gold your treasure Seventhly Lastly if the Word and Testimonies of God be more desirable than Gold yea than fine Gold then let us desire it more than outward treasure let us desire it with ardent and strong desires with sincere desires with abiding constant desires with acting and endeavouring desires let us use our utmost endeavour to be enriched with these riches Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Soul longs saith David and my soul faints for the Courts of the Lord why what was there There was the Word of the Lord there were the Ordinances of the King in his own Courts and he long'd to be there where he might hear the word of God and have the benefit of the Word of God And in Psal 119.131 I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments Let us wait daily at the Courts of the Lord lot us long and take any pains we can for them Joh. 6. Labour not for the meat that perisheth all your Gold and Silver and these things are all of a perishing nature and will not continue long but let us labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life part with your Silver and Gold which is from the earth to get Scripture Gold which is from Heaven To get Divine truths into your heads and hearts One question more Qu. You will say how shall we get our hearts and the desires of them more inflamed after the Word of God Ans First Consider your own poverty and what riches there are to be had in the Word when men consider they are poor men I am a poor man I have neither house nor Land I have neither Gold nor Silver and in such a place is a Mine and I may go thither and have riches enough this will inflame his desires Now consider your spiritual poverty consider then I have
wash his Disciples feet and Christ saith Learn of me I am meek and lowly c. Take my yoke upon you and do you imitate me The Lord Christ is the sweetest example for us to imitate that is in all the Scriptures Sixthly The parables of the Lord Christ or the parables that are held out in the Word of God are very sweet parables In the 15. Luke what sweet parables are in that Chapter the lost Sheep is found out the lost piece of Silver is found the Prodigal Son comes home and what sweet entertainment hath he of his Father The Father runs out to meet him and doth not upbraid him but runs and falls upon his neck and kisses him Seventhly The Providences that are held out in the Scripture are sweet providences That of Joseph who was envyed of his Brethren and sold into Egypt was it not a sweet providence to save the Egyptians lives to save the Israelites lives So the providences about Esther Vashty she is remov'd and Virgins are sought out and Mordecai discovers Treason Haman gets up and seeks the ruine of all the Jews Esther is taken to be Queen and brought in to save the Jews lives and to take Haman out of the way Eighthly There is sweetness in the experiences of the Saints of God saith David God hath delivered me out of the jaws of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear and he will deliver me still and Psal 116. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling and so Paul God hath delivered and he doth deliver and he will deliver The word is full of sweet experiences of the Saints of God Ninthly the word of God is full of sweet titles titles that are given to God and titles that are given to Christ and titles given to the spirit and titles given to the Saints Titles that are given to God as that God is a Father a Father of mercies a God of all consolation In the 68. Psal 5. These are helpless and friendless God is a Father to them A Father of the Fatherless how sweet is this to fatherless ones and helpless ones Psal 10.14 Thou art the helper of the fatherless so in Hos 14. In thee the fatherless findeth mercy so God is a fountain and that of living waters Jer. 2.13 A fountain that 's alwayes flowing and alwayes overflowing overflowing with living waters Isa 35.5 6. The eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped then shall the lame man leap as an hart and the tongue of the dumb sing why for in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert God who is such a fountain will make waters of life to overflow and be in deserts and wildernesses So God is the hope of Israel Jer. 14.8 O thou the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble That God is the hope of Israel it 's a sweet title Thou art my hope in the day of evil be not thou a terrour to me Who is your hope in an evil day but God and he is sweet to those that hope in him So God is stiled a God ready to pardon and forgive sins Neh. 9.17 he is not backward but ready and forward to forgive sins to pardon iniquities sins and transgressions Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 So he is the God of grace and glory There is no grace but in him no glory to be had but by him So for the titles of the Lord Christ There are sweet titles in Scripture given to him that he is the Shepherd and the true and faithful Shepherd 1 Pet. 2.25 and in the 10. Joh. he is the faithful Shepherd the great Shepherd of the sheep Heb. 13.10 The good Shepherd that will see you shall want nothing Psal 23.1 2 3. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want He maketh me to lye down in green pastures he leadeth me besides the still waters he restoreth my soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness What a Shepherd is Christ in Isa 40.11 A Shepherd that gathers his Lambs with his arms carries them in his bosom and gently leads those that are with young he is a faithful Shepherd to all his Sheep and Lambs So Christ is a Physitian to heal all your wounds yea the good Samaritan mentioned in Luke when the Priest and the Levite past by the man that was wounded the Lord Christ was a good Samaritan and drops oyl into his wounds and gives him wine to drink sets him upon his beast and carries him to an Inne and hath him look'd after what a sweet title is this of the Lord Jesus He is called likewise The childrens bread Matth. 15.26 It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs he speaks of himself what good bread is that bread My flesh saith Christ is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed Joh. 6.53 55. The Lord Christ is stiled the Desire of all Nations What a sweet title is that Hag. 2.7 The Desire of all Nations shall come a blessing to all Families In thee shall all the Families of the earth be blessed he was therefore the desire of all Nations so he is called a Friend Joh. 15.15 a Bridegroom Joh. 3.29 a Husband 2 Cor. 11.2 a Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 an Advocate 1 Joh. 2. a Brother Heb. 2.12 a Father an everlasting Father Isa 9.6 and there is one more which hath all these in them he is called The Consolation of Israel Luk. 2.25 If Israel have any true consolation it must be from the Lord Jesus Christ if the soul ever have any true comfort it must be from him He finishes the transgression makes an end of sins makes reconciliation for iniquity brings in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9.24 So the titles that are given to the Blessed Spirit of God are all sweet titles The Spirit is called a Remembrancer Joh. 14.26 'T is a sweet thing to have one to put you in mind of every thing So the blessed Spirit is the Recorder in the Church to put the Church in mind of her duty to mind her of the counsels of God and invitations and promises and doctrines and the like The Spirits title is an Helper we know not what to pray for but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26 the Spirit is a Teacher 1 Joh. 2.27 the Spirit is a Sanctifier Rom. 1.4 according to the Spirit of holiness Rom. 15.16 she Gentiles were sanctified by the Holy-Ghost 'T is a revealer of deep and hidden things Eph. 1.17 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11 12. Lastly the Spirit is a Comforter Joh. 14.26 he shall send you the Comforter and it 's the best Comforter that we can have So likewise the titles that are given to the
things that we know we must part with and the loss of other things concerning our souls and which we should mind above all things in the world the Word of God and his Sabbath and Ordinances and Worship and the like these little trouble us Well by these things you may know whether you love the world yea or no and if it be so you are worthy of great blame for loving of the world In the next place it shall be a use of exhortation to exhort you not to love the world nor the things of the world the pomp of the world tho pleasures of the world the profits preferments and honours of the world and the things that are in it Love them not I shall do two things here First Give you several grounds or arguments to enforce the exhortation Secondly Some directions how to take off our hearts from loving the world First We should not love the world because it is a sin to love the world whatever is forbidden us is a sin and will you live in sin is sin a small matter sin is the transgression of a Law you will say well here 's the Law Love not the world If you love the world you transgress this Law therefore dont live in the transgression of this Law It 's an ill thing to live in sin Ezek. 18.4 The soul that sins shall dye be it what soul it will the souls of the highest or lowest learned or ignorant rich or poor if they live in sin they shall dye it 's a dangerous thing to live in sin a pleasing sin a profitable sin an honourable sin if you love the world you live in sin and we should as in the 12. Rom. 9. abhor that which is evil and love that which is good sin is evil the least sin is evil sinful thoughts sinful lusts are evil if unconsented to it's evil much more if consented to and lived in and practised it will bring forth death death eternal for the wages of sin is death that 's the first reason Secondly We should not love the world because it is the command of the great God the great and blessed and glorious God he commands us to not to love the world Love not the world saith he nor the things that are in it shall not the command of the great God obtain upon us and prevail with us In the word of a King there is power here 's the word of the greatest King of all Kings the great God of Heaven and Earth Love not the world saith God saith Peter Lord we have been toyling all the night and caught nothing nevertheless at thy command I will throw out the Net So the command of God we should hearken to it at thy command Lord I will not love the world nor the things of the world In the 35. Jer. 6. There are the Rechabites their Father commanded them to drink no Wine to plant no Vineyards to build no Houses and one comes to them and sets Wine before them and fills Cups and saith unto them drink Wine say they v. 6. we will drink no Wine for Jonadab the Son of Rechab our Father commanded us saying ye shall drink no Wine neither ye nor your sons for ever neither shall ye build House nor sow Seed nor plant Vineyard now see in the 14. v. what the Lord saith The words of Jonadab the Son of Rechab that he commanded his Sons not to drink Wine are performed Here 's dutiful Sons observe the command of their Father they will drink no Wine build no House sow no Seed They are performed for unto this day they drink none but obey their Fathers Commandment Notwithstanding I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye hearkned not unto me saith God what a reproach is this to me faith God that the command of a man is observed and obeyed and the command of me the great God that have your lives and all in my hand is not observed not regarded well the great God he faith unto us Love not the world Therefore let his commands be of force and authority with us to knock our hearts off from the love of the world Thirdly Love not the world nor the things of it because it is the portion of the wicked of ungodly men Psal 17.14 From men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life There are men of the world Inhabitants of the world they are of the world of worldly principles of worldly affections and of worldly practices and conversations they have their portion in this life saith he the things of this world are their portion would you have your portion here have your portion in these things it 's a poor portion a perishing portion an unsatisfying portion the worst portion of all In the 21. Job 7 8 9. Wherefore do the wicked live saith Job Lord wherefore doth the wicked live wicked men are not worthy to live in the world wherefore do the wicked live become old you are mighty in power To live and live long and be mighty in power and place and honour and estates they are mighty in power Their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes They have their seed and posterity and are established Their houses are safe from fear neither is the rod of God upon them Their Bull gendreth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calf they send forth their little ones like a Flock and their Children dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and Rejoyce at the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go down to the Grave Here are wicked men now you see it 's their portion to have the world to have the musick and mirth and all things according to their hearts desires it 's their portion and who would have such a portion It was the trouble of Jer. 12.1 Wherefore doth the wicked prosper wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously wicked men prosper in the world though they deal treacherously yet they prosper and saith he Thou hast planted them yea they have taken root They grow yea they bring forth fruit Thou art near in their mouth and far from their Reins The world is the portion of wicked men therefore we should not love it Alexander a Heathen he had all the world he had it for his portion So Julius Caesar he had the Roman Empire for his portion Ahashuerus had 127 Provinces for his portion The world is meat for Dogs as the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is a portion fit for Dogs and 't is not Childrens meat therefore we should not love the world it is the portion of the wicked Fourthly We should not love the world because if we do we shall meet with great disappointments much trouble and little good in it Great afflictions we shall have in the world Joh. 16.
affections bring great afflictions unto men and women in the 12. Luke 20. see how short a mans time is the fool there in the Gospel had got a great estate thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry but God said unto him Thou fool This night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided we have many such fools in the world that lay up much here and think they shall live long and be at ease as many use to say well when I have gotten such an estate then I will give over the Sea and live at ease but before that comes Thou fool This night thou art taken away from it in the midst of thy pursuit of it so that we cannot long enjoy the things of this world and therefore seeing the time is short as the Apostle saith use the world as not abusing it use the world you may but dont love it for then you abuse it use the world for your necessity to further your journey to Heaven to further your accounts before God but dont abuse it dont love it The time is short Eighthly To take our hearts off from the world consider that those are truely Godly they are for God and not for the world Psal 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is Godly for himself God hath set a Godly man apart from the world and set him for himself now if thou beest set apart for God wilt thou give thy self to the world Be for him who hath set thee apart for himself A maid when she is set a part by friends for such a man she will be for him and not for another so when God hath set you apart from the world your hearts will be for God and not for the world and it 's an argument that a man is a Godly man when he is set apart God calls them out of the world and chooses them for himself and he will have them to be imployed in his way and his work and not for the world A Godly man is above the world and better than the world and what should he loose himself in the world and mire himself with the world Heb. 11. of whom the world was not worthy the world did not think them worthy to live in it and the world was not worthy of them so precious is a Godly man the soul is a precious thing and more precious than all the world but when there 's precious grace in the soul it 's far beyond the worth of worlds a thousand worlds are not worthy one gracious soul therefore be not for the world but for God for whom thou art set apart Ninthly We should not love the world because such as do love the world they dont love the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 3.18 19. Many walk saith he of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ Mark they are not friends to Christ nor to his Cross they are enemies to the Cross of Christ and who be they he tells you in the 19 v. who mind earthly things Men that mind earthly things the things of this world are enemies to the Cross of Christ and James 4.4 saith the Apostle Ye Adnlterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God To be an enemy of God and an enemy to Christ is a sad thing not to love the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Let him be accursed till I come saith the Lord Jesus I will come e're long again to see who loves me and who loves me not now if any man dont love me let him be accursed till I come and send him to hell and give him his portion there well then this should prevail with us not to love the world for we cannot love Christ if we love the world no man can serve two Masters we cannot love God and Mammon Tenthly Lastly we should not love the world 't is not the end of our creation nor the end of our redemption but crosses the end of both why was man created man was created for God and for communion with God he was made after Gods own Image in knowledge and righteousness and holiness that so he might be a meet companion if I may so speak for God to converse with and to have familiarity with Now if we love the world what Communion have we with God how do we answer the end of our creation In Rev. 14.4 he tells them that they are redeemed from the earth and from among men it crosses the end of our redemption The end of our Creation is to have Communion with God to serve God and to walk with God and the end of our Redemption is that we should follow the Lamb and being redeemed serve in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our lives Now loving the world is cross to both these if we love the world we will follow the world if we love Christ we will follow him So that if you would not cross the end of your creation nor the end of your redemption dont love the world nor the things of the world By this time I conceive you are convinced in your Judgments you should not love the world But here 's the business we would not love the world but we find it such a hard thing that we know not how to get our hearts off from the world and the things of the world therefore what should we do in this case First If you would have your affections and hearts off from the world look well to your Judgments and dont highly esteem the world for the affections do follow the judgment and the apprehensions If men have strong apprehensions of things they will have strong affections and when men do highly esteem of things then their hearts are carried out strongly after those things and work violently towards them Now then have low thoughts of the world judge of the world as the Scripture judges of it and how doth the Scripture judge of the world look into the 1. Gal. 4. who hath delivered us from this present evil world 'T is an evil world a world that is full of evils full of sins full of mischief full of oppression full of corruption subject to bondage subject to perishing an evil world full of evil plots and designs and devils Thus the Scripture judges of it do you judge of it so So in the 1 Joh. 5.19 The whole world lyes in wickedness Judge you so of it here 's a world lyes in wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lyes in the devil and he makes use of the world to deceive you and undo you and to draw you to perdition Should a