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
of mind lyes in sound principles sound apprehensions of God of Christ of the Spirit of Scriptures and of the great points of Religion of the Resurrection Justification and Sanctification many are unsound touching God unsound in the things of God They deny a Trinity of persons they deny Gods Omnipotency they deny Gods Omnipresence these are unsound they have not sound hearts So concerning Christ how corrupt are many concerning Christ that he is meer Man and not God that Christ did not dye to satisfie for sin but to be an example and many other opinions one might tell you of that are rife in these dayes and people have drunk in now these are unsound hearted men and women So concerning the Spirit of God that it is a quality and not a person concerning Justification many untoward opinions are abroad as that we are justified by inhaerent righteousness and by works that a justifyed man may be unjustified c. So concerning Sanctification that we are without sin perfect that we can fulfil the Law and do works without defect or defilement So for the Resurrection they say the Resurrection is past that Bodies never rise and the Soul sleeps these are corrupt opinions and men are not sound hearted that hold them When therefore we have right apprehensions and sound principles within touching the things mentioned herein lyes soundness of heart let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let me have nothing but what is according to thy Statutes according to thy word Secondly Soundness of heart lies in a healthiness of heart soul and spirit when a man hath any sickliness or distempers in him he is not sound we say he is a sickly man now soundness of heart lies in healthiness of heart in healthiness of soul and spirit and so soundness is opposed to sickliness Isa 1.6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores You see hear soundness is opposed to wounds and bruises and putrifyed sores A man that 's sound hath no wounds nor bruises nor putrified sores and here saith David in the 38 Psal v. 3. There is no soundness in my flesh c. there were diseases distempers and in the 41 Psal v. 4. I said Lord be merciful unto me heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Now when either guilt is upon the heart or either lust or passion predominate in the soul the heart is not sound For the first see the 33. Isa last The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity Why they shall be forgiven their Iniquity and then they are not sick And so for distempers or lusts or any other sin Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer why it s the Prayer of an unsound heart and in the 141 Psal 4. v. Incline not my heart to any evil thing If there be any strong inclination to any evil thing in the heart that heart is not sound that 's a lust and the heart is sick now saith David Lord let not my heart be inclin'd to any evil thing So that when a heart is purged from sin the guilt of sin the power and pollution of sin then the heart is sound for sin is a sickness in the soul a disease in the soul especially when it rises up to incline the heart to evil now when it 's purged from sin then it 's sound when it 's purged with the blood of Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ then a heart is sound indeed there 's a heart sound before God sound in the Statutes of God that 's a second thing wherein soundness of heart doth lye Thirdly Soundness of heart doth consist and lye in the total carriage of the heart to God and to his Statutes when the heart is totally carried to the Lord and to his Statutes and not to other things and so soundness is opposed to dividedness Let my heart be soond in thy Statutes let it not be divided between thee thy Statutes and other things the word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth note compleat and perfect let my heart be perfect compleat and totally in thy Statutes and with thee when a heart is divided you know it is not a sound heart so when mens and women hearts are divided between God and the creature between the Word of God and the things of the world their hearts are not sound Hos 10.2 Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty their heart is not sound saith God their heart is not perfect nor compleatly with me their heart is not carried wholly to me but their hearts are divided and now shall they be found faulty it 's a fault indeed and a foul fault to have the heart divided between God and any other thing whatsoever when the heart is not perfect with God 1. K. 18.21 Elijah came unto all the people and said how long halt ye between two opinions if the Lord be God follow him and if Baal then follow him and the people answered him not a word they were all guilty why halt ye between two opinions why is your heart divided they were for God and for Baal too it 's said they feared the Lord and served Idols Many are for God and the world too but why are ye divided If the Lord be God follow him and if the World be God follow it the heart must not be divided if it be it is not sound 1. Cor. 10.21 ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and the Table of Devils your hearts are not sound if you divide ye cannot serve God and Mammon saith Christ because there 's a divided heart and this is not a sound heart 2 Chron. 25.2 It 's spoken of Antazia he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord for the matter but not with a perfect heart his heart was divided his heart was not perfect his heart was not sound but now see what David saith this way in the 119 Psal touching the soundness of his heart v. 10. with my whole heart have I sought thee there was the whole heart and the whole of the heart there was no division here was a sound heart it was not divided a piece here and a piece there half one way and half another way but with my whole heart have I sought thee and in the 69. v. saith he I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart here was a heart sound in God's Statutes Fourthly Soundness of heart doth lye in the truth and reallity of Grace in the heart the heart is never sound till it have true Grace when there is truth of Grace and truth of Comforts wrought by the Word and
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
them to do them good to build them up so far was he from seeking himself in his calling Thirdly For a man to seek to be rich in his calling and to make that his end is against that great and glorious principle of the Gospel self-denyal It 's a great principle and a glorious truth self-denyal in the 16. Matth. saith our blessed Saviour v. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Crose and follow me he must deny himself now if I make gain or profit my end in my calling I dont deny my self but I set up my self and this is complained of by the Apostle Phil. 2.21 Every man seeks his own things and no man seeks the things of Christ every man is for himself his own honour profit and pleasure and dont deny himself Now self-denyal is a great and glorious truth that every man and woman should take notice of and put in practice else he is none of the Disciples of the Lord Christ Fourthly It is but a base and low end and directly against Scripture for a man to propound gain in his calling to be his end Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich that must not be your end most men do labour to be rich and to be great in the world but it should not be their end Labour not to be rich so that it 's directly against the Scripture it self Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but labour for that which endures to everlasting life There should be a mans end to labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life and not for the meat that perisheth Fifthly Lastly men should follow a calling whether they get any gain or no they are to follow a calling and that to glorifie God God set Adam in a calling that he might glorifie him 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God This should be the end of men in their callings do all to the glory of God And in the 6. Eph. 5 6 7. speaking of servants in their calling Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ They must serve Christ and glorifie Christ in their callings be they never so mean the lowest and meanest Servant in a family should serve Christ Not with Eye-service as men-pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men They should not be men-pleasers they should not seek themselves but serve the Lord and seek to honour the Lord knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free They shall have a reward of the Lord if they be right in their callings and dont make gain profit to be their aim end And so much for that question I shall now come to the uses of the point that those that are in a state of grace whether they be little children or young men or fathers ought not to love the world or the things of it Vse 1. This doth inform us of the corruption of our natures which are very prone to love the world and the things of the world and therefore God gives a flat prohibition Love not the world nor the things of the world intimating that men and women since the fall are most prone to lvoe the creature for in their fall they were turned from God to the creature to leave the creator and to run to the creature and we are so turned to the creature that we do Idolize the creatures affect the creatures dote upon the creature and spend our time and strength about creatures and forget God and the things of God The water is not more prone to run downward nor the fire to go upwards then our hearts are to run out to creatures this is common to all men an universal sickness and disease in all men and their hearts and natures are exceeding corrupt that are so prone to these things that are forbidden It should humble us that we are so corrupt and go the wrong way and mind poor perishing vain things and neglect God himself who only can say I am that I am I am Substance and Being I am excellency I am worthy of love and yet I am not beloved 2. If those in a state of grace should not love the world nor the things of the world then I infer from hence that the number of such is very few there are very few that are truly in the state of grace very few little children very few young men very few fathers that love not the world the love of the world is so common that it proclaims to the world they have no grace or but seeming grace not saving grace All men seek their own saith Paul no man the things of Christ 't was so in the Apostles dayes they loved the world the things of the world the honours of the world and the preferments of the world and places of power and riches and pleasures and things of that nature which were sutable to the flesh and the old man they loved these and Christ was not regarded so in the Revelations All the world wondered after the Beast 'T is rare to find a man estranged from the world to live above the world Our conversation saith Paul is in Heaven where is a man now whose conversation is in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Common-wealth is in heaven we are Citizens of heaven our affections are in heaven our trading is in heaven 't is very rare to find such a man Thirdly If such should not love the world then those who are gracious godly should be content with a little of the world a little of the world should serve their turns a little will suffice nature and less will suffice grace a little will carry us to our Journeys end and 't is not wisdom to load our selves with thick clay when we have a Journey to go a Race to run The Apostle saith in the 13. Heb. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have You are Christians you are in a Church state you are Young men you are Children you are Fathes be content with such things as ye have and be not covetous after the world and the things of the world and in the 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and rayment let us be therewith content A gracious heart should consider I brought nothing into the world I shall carry nothing our if I have Food and Rayment and things convenient for me while I am in the world what should I trouble my self any further to moyl and labour and keep a do for I know