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
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
at a great rate but he values his life above them all he will part with an hand an eye an ear a leg for his life I but a man will let go his life rather than loose his soul the Martyrs did so they would part with their lives to save their souls and that shews of what value and how precious the soul is Math. 16.26 What is a man profited if hoshall gain the whole world and loose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul What is a man profited if he get all the world there 's riches enough in the world but what if I had it all and lose my soul What 's all this in recompence of a mans soul No it 's nothing to his soul so that the soul is of great price and worth and a Godly man knows how to prize his soul your principal care is over things that are precious if you have a Jewel in the house or any old Gold or any thing given you by a Friend of value you prize it at a great rate and will have a special care of that whatever you have of other things The soul is precious and therefore a Godly mans chief care is about that Thirdly A Godly man's principal care is about his heart and soul because that is the Treasury or Magazine of all his spiritual wealth and riches for where your wealth and riches are layd up you will be â—â—re to have a care of that place Now the soul I say is the Treasury and Magazine of all your spiritual Riches in this 119. Psal 11. Thy word have I bid in my heart the Word of God is very precious more than thousands of Gold and Silver now Thy word have I hid in my heart that 's the treasury of God's word and in Jer. and so in the 8. Heb. I will write my Law in their heartâ— saith God and in the 4. Psal Thou hast put gladness in my heart spiritual joy is in the hearâ— that 's the treasury Christ also is said to dwell in the heart by Faith Eph. 3.17 There 's a treasure there 's riches Christ with his fulness Christ with his graces dwells in the heart Christ with his Merits Christ with his righteousness and excellencies is there yea God himself dwells in the heart in the 57. of Isa I dwell in the high and hoâ—y place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit c. I dwell saith God in the heart in the spirit of a broken and a contrite one So that the heart is the Store-house the Magazine where all spiritual wealth is where God is where Christ is where Grace is where Joy and Gladness is where peace that passes understanding is Now a Godly man hath a special care of his heart because there 's special riches the riches of Heaven the riches of the Gospel Fourthly He hath a special care of his heart because it is the Shop wherein all things are contriv'd hatch'd and wrought be they good or evil saith Christ in Mat. 15. Out of the heart comes evil Thoughts Lusts Murders and Adulteries In the heart are they form'd fram'd and wrought Now a good man he hath Corruption and Grace in his heart he hath Flesh and Spirit in his heart and the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh so that he hath a special eye now and care of his heart to observe what workings are in his heart whether the old Adam be at work whether Corruption be at work whether Grace be at work whether the Spirit be at work what workings are in his Soul he looks unto that Fifthly His principal care is of his heart because the heart is the seat of the affections as it 's said of us that in God we live and move and have our being so in the heart in the soul our affections live and move and have their being And the affections are nimble mercurial things that do labour to get out and if they get wings they will sly and fly far now a Godly man hath a special eye and special care of his heart because there are such active things in it as his affections you know in your Ships you will have a special care of the Powder Room for if a spark of fire get in there there 's danger so a Godly man he looks to his affections least they be fir'd and mount up too high or least they be too low too dull and flat they are the pulses of the soul and they beat sometimes too high and sometimes too low they are the feet of the soul Eccles 5.1 Take heed to thy foot when thou goest to the house of God i. e. affections they are the feet of the soul and the wings of the soul and a good man looks well to his feet and to his wings he looks well to his affections because they being in the soul may exceedingly advantage or exceedingly prejudice it Therefore his eye is upon them Sixthly A Godly man hath a special care of his heart because of the many distempers and diseases it is subject unto because of the many worms and weeds that are apt to grow and breed therein The heart is subject to a thousand distempers a thousand diseases o what strange creatures breed there what Vermin gender there what weeds grow there The heart of man is the Garden of God and all sorts of worms and weeds grow there there will be deadness dulness unbelief pride passion worldliness filthiness revengefulness and other distempers without number A Godly man therefore hath a principal care of his heart O my heart 's dead my heart 's dull my heart 's out of frame my heart 's envious my heart 's malicious my heart is revengeful my heart is running after this or that if you have one in your Family that 's subject to the Megrim to the Falling sickness to the Palsey himself will be very careful and others will be careful why a man's heart is subject to all manner of distempers and all manner of worms and vermin are subject to creep in there all Devils in hell are seeking to get in there therefore he hath a special care of his heart Seventhly The heart of man is in eminent danger of being stolen from him of being lost and therefore a Godly man looks well to his heart he would not have it stolen from him he would not lose it Hos 4.11 Whordome Wine and new Wine had stolen away their hearts and in Mat. 16.26 what will it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his soul he is in danger of losing it the creatures are sly things and would steal away thy heart steal it from God's service steal it from doing its duty draw it aside from God do not you find it when you are reading praying hearing or conversing of good things how soon your heart is stolen away and drawn aside therefore a Godly man hath
special care of his heart In 1 Tim. 6. he shews you there the danger of riches they that will be rich fall into temptations and a â—nare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in distruction and perdition they drown their souls and lose their hearts they are drown'd and lost in the creature if they look not the better to it Therefore Job had a special watch upon his heart Ch. 31.7 If my step hath turned out of the way and mine heart walked after mine eye Usually the heart lets out it self at the eye there are three windows that the heart goes out at out at the eye out at the mouth out at the act on s your hearts will follow your eyes your hearts will get out by your words or your hearts will get out by your actions Now a Godly man hath a special care of his heart least his heart be gone by the eye be gone by the mouth be gone by the actions therefore he looks well to his heart and looks well to these windows Eightly A Godly man hath special care of his heart because he knows where the heart goes the whole man goes if the heart goes the hand goes the foot goes the tongue goes all the whole man goes for the heart is the Master and all the members are the Servants in Psal 45. v. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King my tongue is the pen of a ready writer the tongue will follow the heart presently Psal 116. I believed therefore I spake when the heart is inditing then the tongue will follow so that if the heart go any way the foot the hand the tongue the eye the whole man follows after well saith a Godly man I had need look to my heart for which way that goes all goes the whole man goes and his Estate will go that way and his Name that way and his Relations that way and his Friends shall go that way if possibly he can draw them so that a Godly man looks to his heart for that 's the great wheel sets all on work Ninthly He hath a special care of his heart because he knows God accepts not of any thing unless the heart be in it therefore he will look to his heart and have a care of his heart in Isa 29. v. 30. saith the Lord there For as much as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but they have removed their heart far from me and their fear toward me is taught by the precepts of men I care not saith God for all their worship and sacrifices or any thing they do for their heart is not in it there 's no heart in their service nor in their sacrifices nor in their actions nor in any thing they do for me Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart 't is not give me thy eye or thy lip or thy tongue but my Son give me thy heart He knew if he had the heart he should have all the rest but if he had not that he should have none of the rest 't is the heart the soul the spirit that God's eye is upon and that he must have or else he will not accept of any thing Tenthly Lastly a good man looks to his heart and that in a special manner because he knows that his heart and spirit and soul must return to God from whence it came and be disposed of by God to all eternity Eccles 12.7 The spirit returns to God that gave it he speaks of man dying and then saith he the spirit returns to God that gave it well when a man is aged and comes to dye dust returns to dust but his spirit returns to God that gave it Now saith a Godly man this spirit was given me from God to keep and it must return now to God to be judged and God will search it to the quick and God will judge of it according as he finds it and dispose of it now eternally in Heaven or in Hell therefore saith a Godly man I had need look to my heart look to my spirit look to my soul for as my soul shall be disposed of so will my body be at the day of judgment after Death comes Judgment the body must be raised and united to the soul and where the Spirit hath gone to Heaven or Hell the body must go thither therefore saith a good man I will have a care of my heart a care of my soul that it may be well with me to all eternity Application First this serves to reprove those that are careless and negligent of their hearts and spirits you shall have men to be careful of their houses careful of their Ships careful of their Cloaths careful of their Body careful of their Beauty careful of their Names careful of their Relations but are careless of their hearts and spirits well had'st thou grace or wert thou so gracious as thou shouldest be thy greatest care would be of thy heart and of thy spirit it may be said of such as of the Spouse my own Vinyard have I not kept So these have not kept their Vinyards have not kept their Hearts have not kept their Souls this is a great and a common evil that men have care of this and that but not of their own hearts not of their own souls hath God committed souls to you are they precious and will you neglect them the sin be upon your own heads Secondly see here that they are not many who are of this practice to have a principal care of their hearts where almost can you find a man or woman that makes it their principal care to look to their hearts put but that question to them and they are silent they are at a stand what do you tell me of my heart and soul I have somewhat else to look after have you so look after what you will you look after a shadow and neglect the substance you look after that which is of no moment no weight but you neglect that which is better than all the world But I say there 's hardly a man or woman to be found in a great way that makes it their principal business to look after their souls saith Solomon in the 7. Eccles latter end One man of a Thousand have I found not a woman at all and but One man of a Thousand God made man upright and he hath sought out many inventions God made man to look to his soul and to have Communion with himself and to mind heaven and heavenly things But I have not found among women one and but one man of a thousand So may I say it is very rare to find a man or woman that makes it their principal business to look after their souls and yet that 's one of the principalest errands you were sent into the world about that you should mind your souls Thirdly
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
Spirit in the heart then it 's a sound heart there may be seeming Graces and seeming Comforts but these do not cause soundness Take Brass Tin Cooper let it be Silver'd over by the Art of man this is not sound it is not Currant money so many have parts and they may have seeming graces and seeming comforts and yet not be real not be true such a heart is not sound you read in Scripture of a feigned faith a dead faith you read likewise of feigned love and there are feigned comforts flashy comforts and groundless hopes Now where the heart is sound these are graces comforts wrought by the Word and Spirit hence you read of faith unfeigned 2 Tim. 1.5 and you read of Love the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and so peace and joy There 's false peace and false joy but you read of these wrought by the Spirit and love shed abroad in the heart by the Spirit you read of a lively hope of a hope that 's grounded upon the promises 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth now when graces are real in the heart and comforts are real in the heart and there 's a real truth in them Then the heart is sound And so soundness is opposed to the fancies conceits and dreams of men and their mistakes but their hearts are rotten notwithstanding all their dreams and fancies Fifthly Soundness of heart doth lye in sincerity Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let it be sincere and upright and so some read the words And the word signifies upright and sincere and so it 's opposed to Hypocrisie O let me not be an Hypocrite let me not be a deceiver a sound heart is a sincere heart where there is Hypocrisie in men and women there 's an unsound heart there 's a rotten heart the Apostle speaks of love without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 So all must be without dissimulation where there is soundness and here both the end and the means and the manner are respected First where the heart is sound there will be sound ends sincere ends and among the rest there be three great ends that a sound heart aims at First the Glory of God Secondly Publick good Thirdly the Spiritual and Eternal good of the Soul First the Glory of God that 's the great end of a sound heart such ends will a sound heart have as Gods Statutes doth propound and hold out now this is one great and high end that God holds out in his word the glorifying of himself Prov. 16.4 God hath made all things for himself for his own glory for his own honour God hath set up his own Glory as his own end and so a sound heart hath that end that God hath propounded So in the 11 Rom. last saith the Apostle there From him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Glory is the end 1. Cor. 10.31 Do all to the Glory of God whether you eat or drink or whatever you do that 's the great end 1. Cor. 6. you are not your own you are bought with a price Glorifie God in Soul and Body That 's the great end of a sound heart Secondly the end of a sound heart is publick good Do good to all but especially to the Houshold of Faith not a private and domestick end but do good to all the world if possible but especially to Sion to the Church of God to the people of God saith Hester if I perish I perish Sion is in danger Gods people are in danger I will not stand upon my self and my own safety and upon the Kings Law but Gods glory the welfare and good of Sion lyes at the Stake and I will venture here was a sound heart that had a right end if I perish I perish I will venture my self for God and for his cause and people Thirdly It hath a right end in regard of it self viz. it 's Spiritual and Eternal good A Godly man will have a care of his body but his great care is of his soul and the spiritual and eternal good of his soul Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which indureth to everlasting life that meat that perishes concerns the body but there is meat saith Christ which indures to everlasting life and that 's the meat you must look at and that 's the meat a sound heart doth aim at and seek to find out and to feed upon First seek the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteousness thereof and saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4.18 our scope is not to look at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen things that are eternal and that concern the eternal good of our souls Secondly It is sincere likewise in regard of the means a sound heart will use all the means Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commands there must be respect to all Gods Commands to all his Threatnings to all his Promises to all Examples to all Invitations to all Admonitions to all Counsels to the whole will of God a sound heart hath respect to all that God hath revealed to all the means whatsoever they have unsound and rotten hearts who throw off the Law or the Gospel who throw of all Ordinances who throw off the Scriptures but then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commands Thirdly So likewise for the manner of using the means many come and hear the word but not with trembling Isa 66.2 not as the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 they receive it not with love 2 Thess 2.13 they mingle it not with faith Heb. 4.2 they hear it not as the word that shall judge them John 12.48 so many pray but not spiritually Ephes 6.18 not feelingly and fervently Rom. 12.11 Jam. 5.16 not believingly Jam. 1.6 so many receive but descern not the Lords Body 1 Cor. 11.29 and many give but not with simplicity Rom. 12.8 and secresie Mat. 6.3 Now a sound heart respects the manner in these and all other duties as much as the duties themselves and is much humbled for failings in the manner of performing duties Sixthly Lastly soundness of heart lyes in this in the hearts putting forth to practice what is revealed to it or received by it when a man hath truth and witholds truth in unrighteousness that man is not sound at the heart but where the heart is sound the soundness of it carries him to practice what is revealed and given in unto it you may see it in David and in Hezekiah 1 K. 15.15 David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life whatsoever God commanded him that he did his heart was sound in his Statutes And so here in Isa 38. v. 3. Remember now O Lord
is immoveable he is fixed he holds out to the end Seventhly The excellency of a sound heart is that it hath a blessedness intail'd unto it Psal 32.2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no guile if a mans heart be unsound there 's guile in it there 's Hypocrisie in it there are rotten principles in it but Blessed is the man in whose Spirit there is no guile when a mans heart is purged from guile his heart is sound and he hath a blessedness entail'd upon it Nathaniel a man without guile and Christ looks upon him and saith he is a blessed and happy man you know Hypocrisie hath a woe woe to Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites but sincerity hath the blessing soundness hath the blessing blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile blessed is the man whose heart is pure and free from sin there is a blessedness entail'd upon it and thus you see wherein the excellency of a sound heart lyes Now to come to the use and application of the point I. Is soundness of heart a thing very desirable then in the first place take heed of all things may make your hearts unsound Men and Women will take heed of any thing will corrupt their Garments will corrupt their Stomachs will corrupt their Flesh you will not endure dirt in your Garments why it will rot them you will not endure poyson in your broath or wine or meat or bread it will undo you well take heed of that then which may make your hearts unsound and rotten take heed of carnal policy take heed of errors that are abroad every where erronious Doctrines and Opinions concerning God and Christ and his natures and death and satisfaction concerning the Scriptures Ordinances Sabbaths take heed of these An erroneous opinion may be the bane of your hearts make it a sick heart and sick unto death if you can be careful for your Garments for your meat and drink for your Bodies be careful for your Souls Paul had a jealousie for the Corinthians 2 Cor. 11.2 I am jealous over you with a Godly jealousie and v. 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 you have itching ears and you heap up Teachers according to your lusts and the simplicity of the Gospel is neglected plain honest and sincere preaching to the Conscience which would do your souls good you are weary of many look for new and strange things Stories out of the Fathers and Heathen Authors to please their itching ears they look after learning and not after the Gospel but such things will not save you it 's the Gospel and the simplicity of it will do your souls good I am jealous of you saith Paul So I am jealous over you least you should be led away by the delusions of Satan led away by this world led away by the evils and errors of the times well take heed of all may corrupt your minds and make you unsound Secondly Is a sound mind so desirable then be advised and take heed whom you do make your familiar friends and converse familiarly with all If men have not sound minds there 's great danger for their breath will be stinking and they will infect you if men breath out corrupt words corrupt opinions corrupt doctrines corrupt principles they will undo you but as for them who are sound hearted make them your friends 2 King 10.15 Is thine heart right as my heart is with thy heart said Jehu to Jehonadab yes saith he my heart is right then he takes him up into the Chariot So question whether mens hearts are sound or no if their hearts be sound then take them up into the Chariot of your hearts otherwise no a heart not right will never be faithful it 's hard to find such a man who can find a man of a faithful heart of sound principles of a healthy constitution that is free from hyppocrisie and ends and reachings and over-reachings well such a one if thou canst find him make him thy familiar make him thy friend David makes Jonathan his friend and such thou mayest trust who are sound hearted they dare not wrong the soundness of their hearts but they labour to preserve it and in preserving that they preserve friendship with thee Thirdly Let us all examine what our hearts are whether we have sound hearts or no whether our hearts be sound in Gods Statutes yea or no 't was that David begged at the hand of God 't was that he knew was of great worth 't is that we should all look after well let us enquire and for discovery hereof I shall give you sundry particulars First A sound heart is very inquisitive into the nature of persons or things what they are before it entertains them a sound heart will not be over credulous but will try them Try the Spirits saith John a found heart will try the Spirits Job 34.32 That which I see not teach thou me O Lord teach me I am afraid least I should be deceived O teach me tell me the nature of this man of this woman of this and that opinion Paul saith Prove all things hold fast that which is good prove them as Gold bring them to the fire to the light to the hammer and when you have tryed them then hold fast you will not pocket up Brass Money but say away with it so sound hearted Christians will try persons and opinions and will not give them entertainment in their hearts unless they be sound to the Law and to the Testimonie and if they speak not according to this word there is no light in them Secondly A sound heart doth find a great deal of sweetness in the word of God and digests it it 's like unto a healthy Stomach a man that hath a healthy Stomach he digests his meat but a sickly Stomach digests it not Take a man now whose heart is sound in Gods Statutes he finds savour and sweetness in Gods word and doth relish and digest his word and lives upon it in Psal 19.10 saith David of the Statutes of the Lord More are they to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold they are sweeter than the Hony or the Hony Comb how sweet is Hony to you and especially when it drops from the Comb saith David in Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast yea sweeter than the Honey to my mouth O Lord saith he thy words they are sweet words they are sweet to my mouth they are sweeter than Honey to my taste how sweet are they they are sweeter than I can express or conceive how did he relish the truths of God his meditation was in them night and day And more do I esteem them saith Job than my appointed food The word of God is the food of the soul and a man that hath
and wealth and it may be he did not think himself to be one but when he comes to be prov'd to be one he is discovered to be that he was not so in Rev. 2. Thou hast tryed them and found them Lyars they said they were Apostles but they were found by the Church to be no Apostles but Lyars and now they were ashamed so they that said they were Jews and were not but he 's a Jew that is one inwardly and not outwardly only unsound hearted men will be found that which they are not in their own apprehension and in the judgments of others now this will bring shame when men shall be found that which they are not at present and which they were not in the judgment of others Secondly that which brings shame is disappointment when men are disappointed of their expectations Jer. 14. And their Nobles sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water they returned with their vessels empty they were ashamed and confounded and covered their heads So that disappointment causes shame as in Isa 20.5 They shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and of Egypt their Glory So that when men are disappointed of their expectations then they are ashamed now unfound hearted men they will be disappointed of their expectations they look for Comfort Peace Heaven happiness and Glory but they shall be disappointed the five foolish Virgins they thought to go in to Heaven but they were disappointed of their expectation and so greatly ashamed Thirdly When great evils not look'd for come upon men and women then they are ashamed 2 Sam. 10.5 The men were greatly ashamed there were Ambassadors sent to Hanan and he cuts off half their Beards and half their Garments and here was evil come upon them they look'd not for and they were greatly ashamed so men that are unsound will have evils come upon them that they look'd not for God will bring evil upon them that they look'd not for evil upon their States and evil upon their Names and evils upon their Bodies and Souls and this will make them ashamed Now this shame frequently is in this Life but alwayes at the day of Judgment In this life how are men asham'd what a multitude of men in these dayes are discovered to be unsound hearted full of rotten principles Errors Heresies and sinful complyances and this is their shame what a multitude have divided hearts between God and Mammon what a multitude are discovered to have but seeming grace and no truth of grace in them what a multitude of Hypocrites have we in the world that have pretended fair and high and yet now their Hypocrisie appears they have left the sweet Grapes of Canaan for the stinking Garlick of Egypt what a multitude have we whose hearts are not set to practice what they hear these are all unsound hearted and these are discovered and more and more shall be discovered daily But at last when the Goats shall be set at the left hand and the Sheep at the right hand and Christ shall say go ye Hereticks go ye erroneous persons go you Apostates go you prophane wretches go you Persecutors begon to hell to the Devil and his Angels now they shall be ashamed and confounded for ever So that God he hath his time sooner or later to discover unsound hearted men and women Now that that I shall do here shall be first to shew you who are like to prove unsound and corrupt hearted men and women Secondly to give you some Directions or Arguments to prevent unsoundness of heart shame and confusion First who are like to prove rotten and unsound at the heart First those who do receive truth into impure hearts into divided hearts truth is holy truth is pure and truth never dwells or abides long but in a pure heart t is true truth doth sojourn sometimes in a corrupt heart Lot he sojourns in Sedom a little while Christ lay a while in the manger but he staid not there long and so mens corrupt wills thrust out truth out of the heart it will not let it stay long unless the heart be pure and holy 1 Tim. 3.9 holding the mysterie of the faith in a pure Conscience That is holding the Doctrine of the Gospel and a pure Conscience unless mens hearts and Consciences be pure they will never hold the mysterie they may have some part of the mysterie conveyed unto them which may visit them a little while but their hearts and Consciences cannot hold the fame and then such men and women will prove unfound at the latter end Secondly They are like to prove unsound who do take upon them the profession of Religion and Godliness and do much and go far but not for right ends many have their ends why they will profess Religion why they will have a form of Godliness and why they will do this and that they have their ends why they will get into Church-fellowship some will profess Religion and go far for credit esteem and respect when Religion is in fashion in credit and esteem they will be religious so Scribes and Pharises sought honour of men and so we have those seek honour and credit of men and because of that they will enter upon Religion but they will not be sound some do it for preferment and advantage some again for livelyhood they are poor mean and low in the world and have heavy pressures that way and therefore they will get into a Church that they may be maintained and so live by the sweat of others and think the Church is bound to maintain them and theirs such men as these will prove unsound at the last but have you no better ends to move you then these to be Religious and to look unto Gods Statutes Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes the Glory of God must be your end the good of Souls must be your end the good of your own foul and all other ends must be lay'd by now if men have not such ends as these they will prove rotten at last and will be discovered to their shame Thirdly Those are like to prove unsound at last and be ashamed who have not seriously considered what it may cost them to profess the Gospel to be Christians to enter into Church state and are not resolved to buy the Pearl though it be at the dearest rate they will prove unsound it may cost you something to be Christians so in Luke 14.26 and so forward If any man come to me saith Christ and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life Mark he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple for which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he hath sufficient to finish it least haply after he hath lay'd the Foundation and is
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
Church of God and to believing souls the Church is called the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 So is every believer the Church is said to be the Lords portion and his treasure Jer. 12.10 So is every believing soul Gods portion and his pleasant portion Again it 's called the ransomed ones Isa 35.10 the ransomed of the Lord. God hath been at great cost and charges to ransome the Church purchased it with his own blood Acts. 20.28 It 's called Christs body and how sweet is it to the thoughts of Saints to think I am a member of Christs own body I am a member of the precious body of the Lord Jesus It 's called Gods beloved Psal 108.6 The dearly beloved of his Soul Jer. 12.10 The Church is the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21.9 The Church is the blessed of God and so is every believing soul Isa 61.9 It 's the seed which the Lord hath blessed The other seed is a cursed seed but this seed is a seed which the Lord hath blessed yea blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Lastly it 's the glory of God the Church is the glory of God and every believing soul is the very glory of God Isa 4.5 Upon all the glory shall be a defence All true believers they are accounted the glory of God Thus you see there is sweetness in the word But wherein is the word sweeter than Honey and sweeter than the Honey-comb In several particulars First the sweetness of Honey is Natural that of the Word is Divine and Spiritual and look how much spiritual doth exceed natural so much the sweetness of the word doth exceed the sweetness of honey All spiritual things do exceed natural things and the word is from Heaven a divine word a heavenly word and honey is but from the earth Rom. 7.14 The Law is spiritual and the Gospel is spiritual it is the Ministration of the Spirit and Heb. 6.4 and have tasted of the heavenly gift The word is a heavenly gift and it hath heavenly sweetness in it It is sweeter in the taste than any earthly gift whatsoever Secondly The sweetness of the word refresheth the heart of a man so doth not honey honey dont affect the soul it doth affect the pallate and the taste but it dont refresh the heart and the soul but the word doth affect the soul and the heart of a man or woman Psal 110.111 Thy Testimonies are the rejoycing of my heart the Testimonies Statutes and truths of God they do rejoyce the very heart and soul of a man or of a woman and v. 77. Thy Law is my delight and Psal 19.8 The Statutes of the Lord rejoyce the heart when the heart is heavy and sad the word of God will rejoyce it and revive it which all the honey in the world can never do Thirdly Honey and Honey-combs they cannot sweeten bitter afflictions they may sweeten bitter waters or bitter things but they cannot sweeten bitter afflictions But the word of God doth sweeten bitter afflictions and can do that which honey cannot do If a man eat never so much honey it will not sweeten his affliction Psal 119.49 Remember the word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my Comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickned me The word of God will comfort you in any affliction whatsoever it will sweeten the bitterest waters that can be and so in the 92. v. Unless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction Men and Women would perish in their afflictions if they had not some word of God to uphold them and to comfort them and in the 54. v. Thy Statutes have been my Songs in the house of my pilgrimage So that they are sweeter than honey and can sweeten any affliction that we meat withall As the bough that was cast into the bitter waters it sweetned them so doth this bough the word of God sweeten the most bitter waters that are Fourthly The Word doth sanctifie all things and makes them sweeter than they were yea the word doth sweeten honey it self 1 Tim. 4.5 Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer Sanctified by the word of God let your mercies be covenant mercies and choice mercies they are sanctified more now by the Word of God They are sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer your very honey which is so sweet is made sweeter when it is sanctified honey by the Word of God and Prayer So that the word of God is sweeter than honey it sweetens all things unto us Fifthly Men may eat too much of honey Prov. 25.27 'T is not good to eat much Honey and in the 16. v. you have the reason of it Hast thou found honey eat so much as is sufficient for thee lest thou be filled therewith and vomit it If you eat too much honey you may vomit it But now for the word of God we can never eat too much of that honey John did eat up the little book Rev. 10. he eat up the whole book So if we should eat up the whole book of God 't would never be too much it will never make us vomit Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and in the 119. Psal 27. O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day you can never meditate too much in the Law of God nor feed too much upon the promises invitations c. Sixthly Lastly The word is the savour of life unto life so is not honey honey cannot produce life it cannot work in any man a spiritual life but the word is the savour of life unto life it begets life in the soul 't is called the word of life and Phil. 2.16 't is the savour of life of spiritual life yea of eternal life The words that I speak they are spirit and they are life And saith Peter Thou hast the words of eternal life how sweet is life and how sweet is eternal life and the word of God hath this sweetness in it Qu. Now having shown you that the word is sweeter than honey and wherein a question may arise here if the word be so sweet what is the cause that persons taste not the sweetness of it There be many read the word and hear the word but dont taste the sweetness of the word There be several reasons for it An. First Because some have no spiritual taste no spiritual sense We read of Barzillai that said to David when he would have had him gone with him to the Court saith he thy Servant cannot taste what I eat or what I drink so many there be that have no spiritual taste at all in them And where there is no taste all things are alike Cant. 2.3 his fruit was sweet unto my taste the Church had a taste and found sweetness in the
worthy to live else but if we love the world we dont serve God and love God we cannot serve God and Mamon Mamon is Riches 't is an impossible thing and therefore the Lord Christ when he was tempted by the Devil Matth. 4.10 saith he Get thee hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve I cannot hearken to thy Temptations to imbrace the world no 't is impossible him Onely shalt thou serve God Onely is to be served and we cannot serve two Masters whosoever loves the world hath two Masters to serve God and the world and 't is impossible to serve them both Seventhly We should not love the world because hereby we make God our enemy 'T was a sad thing when God said to Jer. Behold I am against thee I am thy enemy to have the great God the Lord of Hosts the Lord of Sabbaths the Lord of Heaven and Earth to be our Enemy O dreadful whosoever loves the world is the enemy of God in 4. James 4. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enemity with God That 's more than an Enemy Enmity to God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the Enemy of God Would you be enemies to God Love the World If you would not be enemies to God dont love the world Better have all the world our enemy than God our enemy all the world to be against us than God to be against us And in Psal 10. It 's said The covetous whom God abhors A man of a covetous heart and covetous affections is greedy of the world and loves the world God abhors him To have God our enemy is sad what will become of that man or woman that hath God for their enemy The love of the world doth make God our enemy Eighthly We should not love the world because it makes us expensive of time which is better than the world Would any man lay out Gold and Silver for Straws and Stubble and Chips and Butterflyes and such things as these Those that love the world are at greater expences than the world is worth and they give that for the world which is better than the world The best things of the world are the riches and honours and pleasures and preferments and learning and gifts but now our souls are better than all these better than the whole world What shall a man give in exchange for his soul all the world is not worth one soul one soul is worth a Million of worlds Now to lay out our time strength understandings and souls about the world and the things of the world what expences are we at we give too much for the world the world is not worthy of our affections understandings strengths hearts therefore see what the Prophet saith in Isa 55.2 he comes there with a vehement expostulation wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread 'T is not bread when you get it It 's not any thing will satisfie or advantage your souls And you labour for that which satisfieth not So that we are at too great cost and too great expences when we love the world and labour to get the world and buy it at so dear a rate Ninthly We should not love the world because it imbaseth the understanding that most noble faculty of the soul The world doth imbase our understandings and imbase our spirits our understanding was made and given us for God and for heavenly things that we might have Communion with God by virtue of our understanding and reason and apprehension and fall in with God Now if the Body be for God as in 1 Cor. 6.13 much more the soul and the understanding is for God and for heavenly things and not for the Earth and earthly things Now the world doth imbase our understandings for what is the world it's a meer dirty thing Rom. 8.20.22 You shall see that the world is subject to corruption subject to vanity the world is in bondage to corruption and the world lyes in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 It lyes like a piece of Carrion in a Ditch it lyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the wicked one in the Devil And what can the world contribute to your understanding now to do you good No it imbases the understanding and makes the soul earthly drossy muddy and miery Now will you imbase a noble Soul to a dirty World in Dan. 2. There is mention made of a great Image and what was the best of that Image the Feet are Clay and the Legs are Iron and the Thighs are Brass and the Belly is Silver and the Head is Gold the best is but Gold and Silver and they are rusty things perishing things and these do imbase a noble Heroical Soul to be bowed down to these things for the Soul becomes that which it loves if it loves the earth it is an earthly soul Tenthly The world it is of a damning nature and therefore we should not love it The world doth not onely indanger us but it drowns the soul in perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition The soul is drown'd in perdition whosoever is a lover of the world is a child of the world and so is a Son of perdition It 's said of the man of sin he is a Son of perdition the world doth make men leave Christ in the 19. Matth. 22. There 's a young man comes to Christ Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life keep the Commandments saith Christ He saith unto him which Jesus said Thou shalt do no Murther Thou shalt not commit Adultery c. The young man saith unto him all these things have I kept from my youth up what lack I yet Jesus saith unto him if thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come and follow me but he leaves Christ he went away sorrowful saith the Text why he had great Possessions So the Scribes and Pharises they leave Christ for their Credit Joh. 12.42 43. So in the 8. Matth. 34. The Gadarens desire Christ to be gone out of their Countrey they would have none of Christ but they loved their Swine which were drown'd in the Sea and the world drown'd them in perdition Eleventhly The world is a great enemy to growth in grace and Communion with God for the world and the things of it divert the heart from spiritual things Martha is cumbred about many things and diverted from Christ and hearing of him So in Matth. 13.22 He also saith Christ that received seed among the Thornes is he that heareth the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful So that the love of the world