All true children of Zion are precious and comparable unto fine Gold to the finest Gold or Silver that is in the world 2 Tim. 3.16 They make wise unto Salvation they furnish and fit a man for every good word and work they make precious Vessels Thirdly Gold is said to be a Cordial likewise and is not the word of God a Cordial the best Cordial we have in this world next to Christ and God himself The Word of God 't is a sweet Cordial a sweet Comfort unto the Soul 7. Gold endures tryal it will endure the fire the exactest tryal that can be Zech. 13.9 I will bring them through the fire and try them as Gold is tryed Gold is tryed and tryed in the fire and therefore it is esteemed because it will endure the fire so the Word of God is a tryed word Psal 12.6 The words of the Law are pure as Silver tryed in a furnace of earth purified seven times The Word of God is a tryed word Psal 18.30 The word of the Lord is tryed his promises have been tryed in all Ages they have had tryals several times and several wayes Those that have received the word have been tryed the Martyrs have been tryed and they find the word to hold out in the sharpest tryals and to stand them in stead So that you see Gold is desirable and upon what accounts and upon the same account the Word of God is desirable 2. Now the second thing is to shew you that Divine truths are more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold More to be desired and that will appear several wayes First Gold and Silver and earthly treasures are at the will and command of men and we may be deprived of them Dan. 11.43 He shall have power over the treasures of Gold and of Silver and ever all the precious things of Egypt The King should have power over them and take them away from them and we see how Gold and Silver is subject to Thieses and to others and we may be deprived thereof But the Word of God when 't is ours when 't is written in our hearts once there 's none can take it from us nor deprive us of it Secondly The Word of God and Divine truths are more desirable than Gold because it 's better than Gold Psal 119.72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than Thousands of Gold and Silver There 's a betterness in the Word of God than in Gold and Silver it exceeds it and that in several respects First Gold and Silver are subject to cankering and so to perish James 5.3 Your Gold and Silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and it is subject to corrupt 1 Pet. 1.18 ye are not redeemed with Corruptible things as Silver and Gold and in the 1. Ch. 7. Gold that perisheth But the word of the Lord perisheth not corrupts not The word of the Lord endures for ever 1 Pet. 1.25 there 's no corrupting no cankering no perishing of the Word of God Therefore it 's better than Gold Secondly The word is better than Gold or Silver because it doth that which Gold and Silver cannot do nor all the treasures in the world can do and what 's that First It is not in the power of Silver and Gold and Riches or earthly Treasures to sanctifie any mans heart or nature They may pollute men and they do pollute most but sanctifie none But in Joh. 15.3 saith Christ Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you The word of Christ and of God is a cleansing word it will cleanse your heads your hearts your lips your lives where withall shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word But all the treasures in the world will never cleanse any Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth Gods word is a word of truth and 't is a word of Sanctification that will make men and women holy the more of the word is in you the more holy you are the more filthiness of flesh and spirit is purged out of you So that it 's better than Silver and Gold upon this account Secondly Silver and Gold can never satisfie you Eccles 4.8 The eye is not satisfied with Riches Alexander had the world and yet he was not satisfied he would have another world Eccles 5.10 He that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase A man is never satisfied with these things that are below The heart of man is triangular and the whole world being round can never satisfie a triangle but the truths of God are satisfying truths Open thy mouth wide and I will sill it saith God I will fill it with Divine truths Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house the word of God hath that in it will satisfie your souls Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that wait for him and for them that love him There is more prepared than you can expect or look for and that will satisfie Psal 65.4 We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house there is so much goodness in the house of God there you have Communion with God himself and with the Spirit and with Jesus Christ and these will satisfie the soul if ever it will be satisfied Thirdly They are more desirable than Gold and Silver because it is desire that makes the subject fit to receive the thing desired If a man be hungry and thirsty his hunger and thirstiness makes him fit to receive bread and to take drink Now the more excellent the thing to be received is the more must it be desired Matth. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me Why I am the most excellent therefore I must have the most love and the most desire That Soul will never receive any real good by the Word that doth not desire it more than any other thing If you desire the Word but in competition to another thing or equal to another thing you will have no good by the Word but you must desire it more than other things and therefore it is better than other things Fourthly If our desires be more after the Word than after Gold and Silver and these outward things then these will fall in of course Mat. 6.33 First seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and all these things shall be added unto you we must first therefore seek the Kingdom of God that is we must more desire the Kingdom of God than these things if we labour to know the Gospel to know God and Jesus Christ and desire the knowledge of these other things will be given in
unsound hearted men and women oh how sad then is the condition of unsound hearted men 4. Look to your hearts look to your spirits that you be sound hearted and so may not be ashamed What shall we do I have told you before how to get soundness of heart and how to keep it and press'd it with arguments I shall add a little First if you would neither be unsound hearted nor ashamed at any time labour to get God to be your Father and to be in Gods house and in Gods way Isa 54. And all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children if God be your Father and you be his Children he will teach you and he will teach you that which shall make your hearts sound All thy Children whose Children the Children of Sion the Church is Gods house all that get into Sion are in Gods house are in Gods way they shall be taught of God and great shall be their peace such a Mother and such a Father will Instill good Doctrine into you make you sound hearted and train you up in the nurture of the Lord and in Isa 48.17 Thus saith the Lord the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit and leadeth thee in the way that thou shouldest go but now if it be not so you must wander you shall go in by wayes you will have an unsound heart and perish for ever Secondly if you would have hearts neither unsound nor such as shall make you ashamed at the last day keep your hearts humble and low in the sight of God be whose heart is lifted up in him is not right as Habbak 2.4 his soul is not sound keep your hearts humble and low through the sense of your own emptyness nothingness guilt wretched deserving the account you must give to God danger of miscarriage and in the 25 Psal saith David The meek will he guide in Judgment and the meek will he teach his way God loves humble and low and meek spirits and v. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose No man fears God that is proud and lifted up no man that is humble and meek but fears God and God will teach that man and keep him that he shall never be ashamed Thirdly If you would not have unsound hearts nor be ashamed then let me intreat you to receive the whole word of God into your hearts receive the whole truth and with love and as the truth of God First receive the whole truth for if you be partial and will receive some truth and not all you shew your hearts to be unsound and you will be ashamed Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandements what if David should have respect to all but one he would be ashamed and confounded if he should not have respect unto all he that breaks one Command saith James is guilty of all Secondly receive all with love and unless you do so all is nothing receive the truths of God because they are holy truths because they have the stamp of God upon them because they will bring you to God and Glory Thirdly receive them as the truths of God 1 Thess 2.13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of Men Mark many say the word of the Apostles and Ministers is the word of men and they will not receive it nor hear it but mark you received it as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh in you that believe The word is the word of God let them say what they will and it works and works effectually in them that receive it so Therefore receive the whole word receive it with love receive it as the word of God and not as the word of men Fourthly Lastly if you would be neither unsound hearted nor ashamed in time of affliction in an hour of Death in the day of Judgment make the Lord Jesus Christ your friend whosoever hath Christ for a friend shall never be ashamed but if Christ be not your friend let whose will plead for you you will be ashamed you must be confounded 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous it is as if the Apostle had said we do know Christ and we have union with Christ and interest in Christ and Christ is our Friend and our Advocate and he will plead our cause though Devils accuse and Conscience accuse yet Christ will keep us from shame see then that you get the Lord Christ to be your friend how is that how give up your selves wholly to him Let your understandings conceive of his worth and excellency that he hath all fullness in him that he is the Mediator that he is the Prince of life that he is the great reconciler of man to God the father and that Christ invites men to come to himself in Isa 55. Hoe every one that thirsteth it's Christs invitation Come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price put forth an act of Faith in me close with me choose me for your Husband for your Portion for your Righteousness for your satisfaction choose me for your Advocate and surety choose me to be your friend saith Christ and such a friend is worth the having Joh. 15.15 Henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends If you choose Christ to be your friend he will own you and call you friends therefore receive all that Christ hath given out I have told you all that I have heard of my Father Therefore whatsoever Christ hath made known from the father to you receive it embrace it obey it practice it testifie love and friendship to Christ and then he will testifie love and friendship to you but if you will not do this in Luk. 9.26 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my word of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own Glory and in his Fathers and of the holy Angels And then confusion shall be upon you to all Eternity The Lord teach you all to mind these things and to remember the Text and make use of that and pray it over once a day at least to the Lord Lord let my heart be found in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed If the heart be not sound you will be ashamed to all eternity Believing lyeth under Command 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ c. IN the Verse before the Apostle tells us the great
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
the very heart and mind of Christ now saith he who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption That soul depends upon God for Wisdome from Christ for Sanctification from Christ for Righteousness from Christ for Redemption from Christ it doth not depend upon its own Acts it s own Experiences it s own Graces it s own Comforts it doth not depend upon the Law it doth not depend upon the Gospel but upon God through Christ so that a sound heart sees through all unto God who is the root and fountain and fetches all from thence it takes up all from God from God through a Covenant of Grace from God through Christ so that as it is in Isa 45.24 Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength I have it not from an Ordinance I have it not in my self but from God through Christ from God through an Ordinance saith David my soul wait thou onely upon the Lord for from him cometh thine expectation 12. Lastly for discovery of a sound heart a sound heart is that conforms to Gods word not to the world in Rom. 12. beginning be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God When a man is transformed by the renewing of his mind he is a sound minded a sound hearted man but till then he is a corrupt hearted man Now if you be sound hearted you will not conform to the world but to the word which is the will of God revealed That good that acceptable that perfect will of God you will conform to saith Paul in 6. Gal. 14. I am Crucified to the world he now conforms to the good and acceptable will of God for God would have us to look at Christ Crucified and to dye to sin through the death of Christ and Paul looks at Christ Crucified and is dead to the world and the world was dead to him he would not conform to the world a sound heart conforms not to the world worldly worship worldly customes worldly fashions worldly manners but conforms to the word therefore look to it for few sound hearted there are so many conform to the world and so few to the word but a sound heart will conform to sound Doctrine the sound word and not to the world that lyes in wickedness and thus you see several discoveries of a sound heart Use 4. The fourth Use is of consolation of comfort to all those that find they have sound hearts have you sound hearts hearts well principled with divine truth have you hearts undivided and carried wholly to God have you hearts that are healthy and sound have you hearts that have truth of grace in them hearts without hypocrisie and guile hearts set for God to do his will you are then fit for Gods use and service you are then like to the Lord Jesus Christ you are precious in the sight of God you are dear unto him you have a blessedness then upon you I you are differenced from all hypocrites and such as shall perish you are those that shall hold out to the end you will be the honour and glory of the Gospel you will be the honour and glory of the Ministry 1 Thess 3.8 For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord O you Thessalonians we live if you stand fast if you be sound hearted you will stand fast you will continue to the end and this will be our life I it will be your honour and your Crown and Glory if you stand fast So that here 's comfort and great comfort to those are sound hearted Vse 5. The fifth and last use of this point is to exhort men and women to labour to get soundness of heart sound minds sound spirits see to it for 't is of concernment that you have sound hearts Lord saith David let my heart be sound in thy Statutes O Lord let me have a heart sound in thy Statutes though I have no Kingdom though I have no Army though I have no outward Comforts yet let me have a sound heart I shall here first shew you how you may get a sound heart Secondly how you may keep a sound heart Thirdly some motives to press you on to it First how to come to have a sound heart First If you would have soundness of heart then labour to cleanse out of your hearts all that may corrupt your hearts or make your hearts unsound you know a Garment if it have Dirt in it Moths in it wet in it it will corrupt the Garment therefore you will take a course to get out the Moths and to dry it and to beat out the dust that so your Garments may be sound if there be worms in the timber it will rot and consume the timber If there be ill humors in the body you must out with them or they will destroy the body so if you would have sound hearts you must cleanse out all that is of a corrupting nature there are two things that make a corrupt heart principally First Erroneous opinions and principles Secondly Mens lusts Now as for errors they are call'd the errors of the wicked wicked men take in wicked errors wicked opinions corrupt opinions and these make corrupt minds corrupt consciences corrupt hearts and corrupt men and women and so lusts they are deceitful lusts defiling lusts Ephe. 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts if you have a lust of envy envy is rottenness to the bones if a lust of pride uncleanness of covetousness c. you must put them off you must cleanse your selves from them you must wash and scower your hearts so that if you would have sound hearts away with corrupt opinions away with deceitful and corrupt lusts Secondly if you would have sound hearts then labour to get sound truths into them 2. Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast learned of me Timothy I have taught thee wholsom and sound Doctrine I have Preached unto thee the Gospel of Christ I have given thee Rules and Laws whereby to direct thee hold fast the pattern or form of sound words or of wholsom words there are corrupt words which are not sound there are corrupting words and such words do a great deal of hurt as in the 2 Ch. 17. v. and their words do eat as doth a Canker c. These are corrupting words gangreening words words that eat out soundness when men come with such opinions as there 's no Christ no God no Heaven no Hell and these Scriptures are not the word of God Oh what Gangreening words are these therefore hold fast the pattern of wholsom words get sound words into your hearts and they will make your hearts found Solomon tells you of sound wisdom Prov. 3.21 keep sound wisdom and discretion there is
will keep from these so if you would preserve your hearts sound have nothing to do with unsound men or unsound books Tit. 3.10 A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject have nothing to do with him but to admonish him and tell him of his corrupt opinions and after the first and second admonition reject him his Heresie may spread his words may be a Gangrene and may eat up the soundness of thy heart if thou wilt have to do with him and so in the second Epistle of John Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward for whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed If any one come unto you and bring not the Doctrine of Christ the Doctrine of Christ in the true sence of Christ but with their own fancies sences glosses and corrupt mixtures receive him not into your house and what will you receive him into your hearts bid him not God speed but bid him be gone like a Deceiver an Imposter a Jugler an Enemy to God and Christ and in Rom. 16.17 saith the Apostle I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisione and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them If men come with Doctrines and opinions contrary to the Doctrine you have received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 6.3 or besides it so is the Greek and make divisions and dissentions in Churches in Families avoid them have nothing to do with them Secondly if you would preserve your hearts sound then take pains about your hearts to keep down all lusts that are stirring for unless you keep under your lusts you will never keep sound hearts you must do by your hearts as by your Gardens would you have a neat garden you are oft digging oft cutting down the weeds so you must do with your hearts when any lusts arises you must be sure to keep them under do as by your Shâ—ps if there be a leak you fall a pumping presently There are many that have an itching desire or humour after some novelty some new noâ—ions and opinion and when they hear of a man hath some new doctrine new notions or new opinion they must hear him but mortifie this lust this humour and then you shall live live sound in the faith and dye comfortably dye in the Faith dye in the Lord but if you will not you are in hazard of miscarrying soul and body to all Eternity Therefore saith Solomon keep thy heart with all diligence Suffer not any lust to get in suffer not any truth to start out therefore keep your hearts with all diligence Thirdly Would you preserve your hearts sound then be much conversant in the word of God that which makes a sound heart preserves a sound heart the form or pattern of wholsom words is the word of God so your minding and meditating on the word of God keeping to the word of God will keep your hearts sound Psal 119. O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day I love thy Law for it self I love thy Law for its purity I love thy Law for its soundness and for the soundness it works in my heart I love thy Law and it is my meditation all the day and all the night too Psal 1.2 and Ps 119.104 Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way If there be a false way without I hate that if there be a false way within I hate that so that if you would have a sound heart meditate much upon the word of God his words are wholsom words and make the heart sounder and sounder every day Fourthly if you would have your hearts sound then whatsoever the sickness or disease be put forth frequent acts of faith upon Christ Crucified about Christ and his Death Christ and his blood Christ and his merits Christ suffering for sin and Sinners the more faith is acted upon Christ Crucified the more sound will be your hearts for the blood and death of Christ are of a cleansing virtue a sin-killing virtue a soul-healing virtue and will make your hearts gracious and sound indeed 1 John 1.7 The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin if we do believe in him his blood cleanses from all sin cleanseth from all the guilt of sin and purges the dead works out of your Consciences it cleanses from the power of sin and there will be a death upon your Corruptions O look upon him whom you have pierced so often with your sin and put forth acts of faith and you will find virtue from Christ and will dye to sin and live to God Fifthly If you would be sound hearted men and women and not led away with errors nor with the evils of the times then have God constantly in your eye God is present every where he is in you all through you all and over you all And did you see God and set God before you and acknowledge Gods presence and eye upon you you would not meddle with weeds you would not meddle with errors you would not give way to lusts Ps 16. saith David I have set God at my right hand and therefore I shall not fall I have set God alwayes before me I look upon God and I see God looking upon me God is at my right hand I can do nothing but what God would have me do therefore I shall not be moved the Corruptions of my heart shall not move me to go this way or that way but I will keep them under and not suffer them to rise and appear in the sight of God did men and women more mind God the presence and authority of God over them they would not be led away nor entertain nor practice corrupt things but they would approve themselves to God and then the heart is sound when it is approv'd to God Sixthly Lastly if you would keep your hearts sound regard oft your latter end remember Death remember Account remember Judgment saith the Lord O that they were wise that they understood this that they would remember their latter end they go out to other Gods and false worship and they practice base things violence and blood is among them but what 's the reason of it they are not wise they dont understand this they do not remember their latter end that they must dye that they must give account that they must be judged and disposed of to all Eternity Did they remember this they would never leave me nor my wayes nor be seduced therefore if you would keep your hearts sound remember your latter end you must dye you must
not able to finish it all that behold him begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish c. if a man have not seriously considered what it may cost him to build up Christianity to build up his Soul he will faint and not finish why it may cost him the hatred of Father and Mother of Wife and Children of Brethren and Sisters yea loss of life it may cost him all these if he have not considered this and cast up what it may cost him this man will never finish but give over and give back when it comes to the tryal therefore in v. 53. it s said So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple If a man do not sit down and seriously weigh it may cost me all that I have the Jews would not forsake the honour of the people Joh. 5. How can ye believe that seek honour one of another it may cost you a right hand a right eye it may cost you all your wisdom and all your parts 1 Cor. 3. Let him that thinketh himself wise become a fool that he may be wise Christ tells you in Math. 13. of the good Merchant The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls who when he had found one Pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it he considered what a Pearl this was a goodly Pearl a rich Pearl not such a Pearl again in the world well is it such a Pearl I will part with all that I have for it Now if men and women do not cast aforehand what it may cost them to be Christians a thousand to one but they will let go Christ the Gadarens let him go for their Swine Judas let him go for thirty pieces of Silver Buy the truth and sell it not buy it whatsoever it cost when hard things come and men have not considered how they are like to part with their livelyhoods liberties and lives they will bid farewel to Christ and farewel to the Gospel and farewel to Profession and thus many have done in our dayes and in former times Such are like to prove unsound Fourthly They are like to prove unsound who do not mind the love of the truth as well as truth it self and receive the love of the truth 2. Thess 2.9.10 saith the Apostle there because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved There are three things in every truth very considerable there 's the notion there 's the loving of truth or love of truth and there 's the power The notion respects the head and that every man may have The love respects the affections and that few have The Power respects the whole man head heart and all and that onely the Godly have Now though men receive the notion of truth as the Devils may and so wicked men yet they may have unsound hearts and if you have not the love you will never have the power and unless you have the love and the power your hearts will be rotten and unsound for ever Therefore see what 's said here And for this cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Fifthly That man or woman which doth receive truth and withhold truth in unrighteousness so that he doth not glorifie the God of truth nor walk answerable unto truth that man will be found unsound at the last he will be discovered and made ashamed many receive truth and then they imprison it as they did John they shut him up in Prison and so many have truth but they Imprison it and if it makes a bustle in their hearts they put a gag into the mouth of truth that it shall not speak any further Rom. 1.21 26. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful When they knew God they had notions and truths and received the knowledge of God They did not glorifie God as God but imprisoned those truths therefore For this Cause God gave them up to vile affections God left them now to the corruption of their own hearts they were unsound and were ashamed and confounded at last Therefore if truth comes in from a God of truth and you do not glorifie that God of truth nor walk answerable to the truth fear unsoundness there it 's said in Luke that he that knew his Masters will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes if thou knowest thy Lord and Masters will he hath reveal'd his mind unto thee and now thou doest not walk answerable to that thou hast an ill heart thou hast a corrupt Spirit and thou shalt be made ashamed yea thou shalt be beaten and that with many stripes do not many know they should not prophane the Lords day and yet will do it they will be Drunk Whore Game idle it abroad in the Fields these men shall be beaten with many stripes Many know they should not wrong their Neighbors nor oppress the poor and grind the faces of them but they will do it these men are ill Servants and the Lord will appear one day and discover them and beat them â—nd grind them to powder so that wheresoever truth comes and is imprisoned and the God of truth is not glorified nor men walk answerable there 's rottenness of heart and men will be ashamed at the last Sixthly Those who are forward to censure and judge others when themselves are guilty either of the same sins or of sins equivalent and proportionable for their nature to the sins of others that they condemn this argues unsoundness of heart and will prove a shame unto those persons at the last in Math. 7. Judge not that ye be not Judged for with what Judgment ye Judge ye shall be Judged and with what measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again and why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy Brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye hast thou no beam no mote thou shouldest cast out that but now when a man hath a beam in his own eye and sees a mote in anothers that 's evil Or how wilt thou say to thy Brother let me pull out the moat out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own eye Thou Hypocrite mark here 's unsoundness art thou a greater sinner and condemnest lesser sinners Thou Hypocrite and woe to Scribes and to Hypocrites in Rom. 2. beginning Therefore thou art inexcuseable O man whosoever thou art that Judgest For wherein thou Judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that Judgest doest the same things But we are sure that the Judgment of God is according to truth against them that commit such things thou judgest and condemnest another and
yet doest the same things what if I condemn another for breaking Covenant with men when I break Covenant with God my self am not I a greater sinner I do the same things and the Judgment of God is according to truth and God will Judge take heed then of censuring others of Judging and Condemning others least you condemn your selves you declare the rottenness of your hearts and you will be found rotten at last Seventhly If men profess Religion and be zealous towards God and yet be without mercy and without Justice these men will be found unsound and rotten and be ashamed at last There are many in these dayes are zealous and will hear the word and that 's to be commended but withall let them not rest in the duties of the first Table but let them do the duties of the second In James 1. saith the Apostle there If any man among you seemeth to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue he deceiveth his own heart and this mans Religion is in vain pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widdows in their distress and to keep himself-unspotted in the world To shew mercy here 's Religion if I seem Religious and not be merciful merciful to the afflicted to the Widdow to the Orphan to the Poor to the Prisoner my Religion is all vain a dead Religion is like a dead Faith and so for acts of Justice 1 Joh. 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God Who is he of then he is of the Devil 't is not talking of Righteousness but doing Righteousness unless men and women will keep their promises unless they will pay their Debts unless they will pay their Servants wages unless they will pay their Rents unless they will pay what 's borrowed unless they will restore what they have defrauded what Religion is here Heathens will deal justly and Righteously And therefore those that say they are Christians and not Righteous they are of the Devil and not of God Eighthly They have unsound hearts and will be ashamed who take up Religion upon wrong grounds I told you before upon base ends and a multitude of people take up Religion upon wrong grounds some take up Religion upon a State account the countenance of a State the State doth countenance Religion and make Laws for Religion and the like and upon this account they take up Religion thus was it in King Edward's dayes when he came then many turned Protestants who were Papists before but when Queen Mary came in and there was another face of things then they turned Papists again and in Queen Elizabeth's dayes then they turned Protestants again And thus many in these dayes because there is a state Religion and Worship they desert their former principles and professions and fall in with what is present such men are unsound and will be discovered one day to their shame Many from the Customes of the places where they live it 's the Custom of the Town or of the place it 's the Custom of the great ones to hear the word on the Lords day or to Pray and Read and the like and so upon this account they will become Religious others upon the account of their forefathers oru forefathers did so and so and therefore they will do so others upon the account of education but these are unsound grounds and at one time or other such men and women will be discovered to be rotten-hearted and will be made ashamed of their Religion and therefore men and women should look to the ground Is it the command of God and because you find it 's written in the book of God Is it out of love to God and glorifying of God and saving of your Souls according to the will of God unless it be thus all your grounds are false and vain Ninthly They are like to prove unsound and to be ashamed who have their hearts soaked in the things of the world who are strongly carried out to them and are taken up with these outward things they are like to be ashamed at one time or other it 's said in James 4.4 Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy to God tell me now whether any Adulteresses or Adulterers have a sound heart all those that are friends to the world and have their affections carried to the world are they not enimies to God are they not Adulterers Men that are lovers of the pleasures prosits honours and fashions of this world are unsound hearted and will be discovered at one time or other 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him and if that be not in him he is an unsound hearted man and will be discovered one day to be so Demas he professes Christianity he goes along with Paul but because the world was in his heart he leaves Paul and embraces the world and Dorotheus an Ecclesiast cal Writer he tells us that he went to Thessalonica and there he turned an idolatrous Priest Paul tells you plain enough in the 1 Tim. 6.9 10 They that will be rich some men and women are resolved to be rich they will be rich in spight of all they know it 's but rising early and lying down late and using their wits and their hands But they that will be rich fall into Temptations and a snare and into many foolish and burtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil is this heart sound now is that heart sound that hath the root of all evil in it look to it those that have their hearts soak'd in the world and carried out to the things of the world they are rotten and so they will be discovered to be one day to their shame tâ— therefore David saith incline not my heart to covetousness O let not my heart go out to the world least I be ashamed Tenthly Their hearts are unsound who have a secret dislike of the wayes and things of God and the strictness of Religion many men though they will not openly and outwardly speak against the wayes of God against strictness and holiness exact and circumspect walking yet they have a secret dislike of them a secret slighting of them and they do not approve of them and think men may be too strict such men their hearts are unsound and they will be discovered one day saith he in Mal. 3. ye have said it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts They had slight thoughts of the wayes of God and they were rotten
love Thus then you see now to know whether your faith be right in Jesus Christ being commanded to believe in him One thing more and that is if faith lye under a Command let us all then be obedient to this Command and labour to believe in his Son Jesus Christ more and more if we have no faith let us do it if we have faith let us do it more and more I shall give you two or three motives and answer a question and so conclude First for Motives know you can never truly love God till your sins are forgiven you you will think God is not your God till your sins are forgiven but if you find that your sins are forgiven you you will love God then to purpose you will love God then in truth and in strength Mary loved much why many sins were forgiven her now unless you believe in Jesus Christ you cannot have the forgiveness of your sins and so you will be questioning whether God love you or whether he be not a hard God and a hard Master and dont pardon your sins and so you cannot love God truly and love God with strength If therefore you would love God with truth and strength believe in his Son Jesus Christ that you may know your sins are forgiven Secondly This believing in the Lord Jesus Christ makes our persons very acceptable unto God Eph. 1.6 he hath made us accepted in his Beloved How are we made accepted by faith in him if we have not faith in him we are not accepted therefore the Apostles put us to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 There 's the acceptation of your persons And so of your Prayers our Prayers will never speed in Heaven and have gracious Returns unless we believe in the Son of God 't is for Christs sake that our Prayers are heard as you may see in the verse before the Text and the Text together whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments And what 's one Command That we belieive on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ why now our Prayers come to be heard when we keep his Commandments Lastly It is that which doth exalt the grace of God and honours him very much to believe in his Son Jesus Christ It 's said in 1 Joh. 5. He that believes not hath made God a Lyar. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself There 's encouragement to believe in the Son of God He that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son And this is one record that God hath given us eternal life in him And this is another that he Commands us to believe in him that we may have this eternal life Now what a dishonour is this to the God of truth to make him a lyar but now to believe in his Son doth exalt the free grace of God God hath made all the promises to Jesus Christ and in Christ they are all yea and Amen And mark it All the promises of God in him are Yea and and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 When we believe in his Son Jesus Christ in whom they are all concentred in whom they are all yea and Amen but if you do not believe in the Son of God They are not all to the honour of God God hath not his glory in that way that he looks for by Jesus Christ So that we should believe in the Son of God because it doth exalt his honour and his free grace and promotes his Glory abundantly and the contrary brings reproach and dishonour upon God One question more But happily some will say I cannot believe what should I do To that Soul and to all of us I would say thus much First attend diligently unto the means by which God works faith Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Attend now unto the means the Gospel especially which is the means that God hath appointed to work faith by and doth work faith by Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation When they heard the word of truth the Gospel of Salvation then they came to trust in him So when people do attend unto the means of Grace and attend seriously unto it God doth work faith and increase faith where it is by the same means You know Pipes dont give water but water comes through Pipes so the Gospel is the Pipe through which God lets out this water of grace and conveys it unto us and will you see it performed in Acts 13.48 And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed When they heard the Gospel Preached as many as were ordained to eternal life believed they attended upon the word and the means of grace and it was not in vain they believed Attend therefore upon the Gospel and the word Preached as an Ordinance of God appointted and designed of God purposely to work faith in your Souls many persons they come to hear the Word they come only to hear a man what he can say and what notions and new things there may be but they come not to it as an ordinance of God appointed to work grace and faith in the soul and so miss of their expectation upon that account Secondly Consider how freely Jesus Christ is offered in the Gospel and offered unto you and at what a cheap rate Christ is to be had In Isa 55 come without money and without price come and drink of the waters of life freely Why the Lord Jesus Christ is a free gift Rom. 5.15 saith the Apostle not as the offence so also is the free gift A free gift Jesus Christ and grace is and Joh. 4.10 If thou haddest known the gift of God O Christ is the gift of God and what is required now but receiving of this gift will you not receive a gift and such a gift as this is when it is tendred to you by God himself and tendred to you in such a glorious manner and God doth put off this rich gift at a very low rate if you will receive it Rev. 3.20 I stand at the dore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come into him and Ch. 22.17 whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely here 's Christ with the water of life and bread of life with his Righteousness with all that is useful for you for the present and to eternity here he is receive him O how great will our condemnation be if we dont receive him when as he is offered so freely to us 3. Lastly you cannot believe you say and I believe you too you cannot believe I but pray unto God to inable you
will require it of him It 's spoken of Christ who was the Prophet to be raised up in the room of Moses and saith God whosoever will not hearken to what he shall speak in my name in my stead I will require it of him what Christ did was in the Fathers stead they were his words he spake his works that he did so that to do in the name of Christ is to do as Christ himself would do as if Christ were present to do what Christ would do and speak what Christ would speak and think what the Lord Christ would think that 's to do things in his name in his stead Fourthly to do things in the name of Christ is to do them according to the will of Christ Joh. 16.23 compared with the 1 Joh. 5.14 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name shall be given unto you now in 1 Joh. 5.14 saith John who was the beloved Disciple and told you Christs words in the Gospel he interprets them here and tells you this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us What is according to his will is in his name whatsoever we ask or whatsoever we do according to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ that is in the name of Christ and so the proposition En is taken in Scripture for according Joh. 3.21 he that doth the truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God according to the will of God Men don't properly do their works in God but according to the will and mind of God so that when we do act either in word or deed according to the will of Christ then we do things in the name of Christ Fifthly to do all in the name of Christ is to do all for the sake of Christ so you will find the name of Christ to be taken Mark 9.37 whosoever shall receive one such Child in my name receiveth me that is whosoever receiveth one of such Children for my name sake receiveth me so in the 41 v. whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name that is for my sake so that to do things for the sake of Christ is to do things in the name of Christ Joh. 17.12 I kept them in thy name that is for thy sake in 4. Eph. 1. I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord a Prisoner in the Lord saith your Margin but properly 't is a Prisoner for the Lord 't is for the Lords sake that I am a Prisoner so that to do things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is to do them for his sake and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the same force with other Prepositions as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall be hated of all Nations for my sake Mat. 24.9 and so in Acts 9.16 how great things he must suffer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for my name And in the 19 Mat. 29. he that hath forsaken houses or any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for my name sake so then to do things in the name of Christ is to do them for Christs sake as when Beggars do beg of you for Christs sake to bestow an alms upon them if you give them an Alms for Christs sake that 's in the name of Christ Sixthly to do things in the name of Christ is to do them to the honour and glory of his name to do them to Christs account so that Christ may not be damnified nor suffer any way but that Christs name may be honoured 2 Cor. 8.7 saith the Apostle as ye abound in every thing in faith in utterance in knowledge and in your love to us the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your love towards us so that the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies towards So here to do all in the name of Christ is to do all towards Christ towards the honouring of Christ suitable to that in 1 Cor. 10.31 whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God do all to the glory of his name do all to the manifestation of Christ and his name let our words and actions be such as may hold forth something of Christ hold forth the name of Christ Rev. 2.13 Antipas did hold fast the name of Christ the truths of Christ the graces of Christ the profession of Christs Doctrine and Acts 9.15 Go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel he must hold forth my name and declare something of me that may be for my honour and glory it 's said in 2 Phil. 16. holding forth the word of life when we hold forth the word of life we hold forth the name of Christ and this is for the honour of Christ when Christians hold forth Christs meekness Christs humility Christs patience Christs love any truth of Christ any thing of Christ then they do things in the name of Christ they do honour and glorifie Christ 1. Cor. 14.25 if one come into the Church that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all and the secreâ—s of his heart are made manifest and so falling down upon his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth They held forth something of God they held forth the name of God and God was glorified and a heathen or a stranger coming in saith of a truth God is in you Christs works declared the Father to be in him Joh. 14.10.11 The Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me or else believe me for the very works sake The works that I do do hold forth the Father why they are done in the Fathers name and he is glorified by the works that I do and Christ glorified his Father here on earth by doing of his Fathers will and his Fathers works Seventhly Lastly to do things in the name of Christ is to do them by invocating of Christ by invocating of the name of Christ and so Beza and Zanchy and others interpret this place Mat. 18.20 where two or three are gathered together in my name that is invocating of me calling upon my name to call upon the Lord for councel for direction for our thoughts for our words for our actions this is doing things in the name of Christ It was the practice of the Saints to do so 1 Cor. 1.2 unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord they called upon the name of Jesus Christ to have councel and direction and advice from him for their words and actions and all their
all in his own name and for himself and not for Christ he had a covetous heart So Annanias and Saphira miscarried they did things in their own name so Demas he did things in his own name the world was still upon him and he miscarried and Godly men and women they miscarry they begin not with Christ they do not things in the name of Christ they do not do things for Christ and therefore they miscarry fearfully because Christ is not taken along with them This is a true cause if not the onely cause why Saints and precious ones miscarry in their actions Secondly see hence why Godly men and women have so much guilt and fear upon their spirits which appears in ill times especially when Gods judgments are abroad and dangers are at hand Oh how guilty are they how fearful are they what 's the reason of this it's because the thoughts and words and actions have not been in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we have thought our own thoughts and spoke our own words and done our own wills and hence it comes to pass that we are full of guilt and full of fear in 12. Mat. 36. I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment God hath many dayes of judgment here in the world before the great day of judgment hereafter For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Our words condemn us and we find guilt upon us for our words and our actions do condemn us and we find guilt upon us for our actions Rom. 2.7 8. Who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile We find fears and we fear tribulation and fear ruine and destruction because our actions have not been done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for his honour and glory but for our selves Fourthly if Christians must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus then nothing is to be done in but own names to do things in our own names is not currant is not legal is not warrantable who authorized you will Christ say to do this or that in your own name what warrant have you what word have you for it to do it in your own name no neither must we do things in our own strength nor in our own wisdom we think we are wise and we are able but Prov. 3.5 6 7. Lean not unto thine own understanding dont lean to thy own understanding thou art but a fool unto God and thy wisdom is nothing lean not to thine own understanding in all thy wayes acknowledge him Mark in all thy wayes acknowledge him look up to him do things in his name by his wisdom by his strength not by thy own and he shall direct thy path is not Gods direction better than our own Gods councel better than ours Gods strength better than ours lean not then to your own wisdom acknowledge him in all your wayes be not wise in thine own eyes We are loth to lay down our own wisdom and our own apprehensions and conceptions Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom make not that thy design I will be rich and like the great ones in the City and I will be high and I will be so and so this is thy own wisdom thy own folly indeed we are not to do any thing in our own names no nor in the name of Angels nor of Saints the Papists do many things in the name of this Saint and the other Saint and in the name of the Virgin Mary they do many things pray in her name and act in her name and suffer in her name but this is not in the name of Christ whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Therefore remember we are to do nothing in our own names or in the names of any but in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Fifthly I infer hence that whosoever would steer a right course in this world and have his thoughts words and actions accepted and blessed must have a special eye unto the Lord Christ we must look to him as the Pole-star as Marriners their eye is much upon the Pole-star or the compass upon which they sail by their eye is upon these otherwise they will go out of their way and miscarry but if we observe the courses of men and women they sail most by the compass of the world look what the world doth and such and such a man doth that they will do or if not so yet by the custome of places where they are why 't is the custom of the place to do thus and thus or else according to the tradition of the Elders our Elders did so they wash'd their hands before meat and we will do it or else they look to the Laws of men But this is not yet in the name of Christ or else they do things by their own wills and lusts they will have these fulfilled but where 's the name of Christ all this while men go wrong and out of the way not looking at Christ few direct their course by Christ his name his councel according to his will and his word It was otherwise with that blessed Apostle Paul Paul had his eye upon Christ therefore he saith in 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ I have Christ alwayes in my eye I begin with Christ I go on with Christ I end with Christ I have Christ alwayes in my eye dont follow me at all if I dont follow Christ I am a learned man and you think you may follow me because I am a learned man or I am an Apostle and you will follow me therefore but if I dont follow Christ notwithstanding my learning and my Apostleship dont follow me it is Christ you must have in your eye it is Christ you must regulate all by he must be your Pole star he must be your compass so in 5 Eph. 1. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children dont follow the world dont follow the customes of places dont follow any but God and be followers of God as dear Children Children will follow their Parents and follow no others So then if we would steer our course aright we must be followers of Christ and eye Christ and eye God and take up all from them and not from men Sixthly if we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ according as we have opened then here see to whom we owe the success of all we do 't is not to our selves
't is not to second causes it is to the L. C. that we owe the success of all when we do things in his name and for his sake he doth bless them and give success to our endeavours when we begin with Christ and take Christ along with us and do all as we ought to do then Christ blesses and then he gives success When we pray in Christs name he tells us God will give Joh. 16.23 so in 4 Eph. last even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you for Christs sake it is If we pray and beg pardon 't is for Christs sake we have our prayers heard and pardon given in and whatsoever attempts you make and success you have If you do it in the name of Christ it is for his sake you have the blessing therefore dont say it is your endeavours and your contrivance and diligence and care and circumspection no it is for the Lord Jesus Christ 't is he that gives the success and the blessing Seventhly if we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ then let us examine we who are Christians and bear the name of Christ let us examine whether we do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ it 's good to know in whose name you do your actions You will say how shall we know that You may know it by what I have said already do you do all in the authority of Christ in the strength of Christ in the stead of Christ do you do all according to the will of Christ for the sake of Christ for the honour of Christ by invocating of the Lord Jesus Christ then you do it in his name But to add some few things more First you may know it by this if you do things in Christs name then you do consult much with the Lord Christ and take counsel from him and from his word you will not trust your own heads nor trust your own hearts he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool saith Solomon and we have many such fools in the world sound wisdom and Counsel are mine saith Christ Prov. 8.14 None can give you sound wisdom and sound councel but my self now do you go to Christ for councel do you advise with him and consult with him it 's an Argument then you do things in his name David in the 119. Psal 24. saith Thy Testimonies art my delight and my Councellors I delight in thy Testimonies and they are my Councellors I consult with thy word the word of God the word of Christ I consult with that and I do all according thereunto therefore he is said to be a man fulfilling all the wills of God he took advice from Gods word he went to Christ who gave him sound wisdom and sound Councel but if we go about our actions and do our own wills and never advise with Christ we go in our own strength and the issue is not like to be successful Secondly you shall know it hereby they that do all in the name of the Lord Jesus they advance him and make him high and lay themselves low whose name soever things are done in they are advanced if we do things in our own names we advance our selves if we do things in the names of men we advance men but if we do things in Christs name we advance the Lord Jesus Christ when Servants do things in their own names they spoil all then their Masters are laid low but when they do all in the name of their Masters then their Masters are exalted Now ask your souls what advancement Christ hath from your thoughts words or actions saith David Psal 71.16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God and I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine onely I 'le go in thy strength that is in thy name every attribute is his name as I told you to go in the name of Christ is to go in the strength of Christ now saith he I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine onely I will exalt thy name and thy righteousness and exalt thine onely do you therefore go out in the strength of Christ and exalt his righteousness onely his name onely his truths onely his ordinances onely Paul did so in 15 Rom. 18. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed Have the Gentiles been brought in are they obedient in word are they obedient in deed 't is not my work but the work of Jesus Christ I will not dare to speak of any thing is mine but I will altogether speak of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ thus he advances Christ So that if you do things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ you will advance Christ and lift him up and it 's no matter who goes down so he goes up so did John the Baptist he must increase I must decrease and it matters not for I am not worthy to loose the Latchet of his Shoes so excellent is he Thirdly whosoever doth all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ his name is not onely an incentive to action but an attractive to action for as there is power in his name so there is love in the name of Christ the power of that name will bind the heart to obedience but the love that is in the name doth work complacency in the obedience it works complacency and delight as in the name so in the obedience that is given to that name he makes it his incentive and faith the work is necessary and must be done but the other that finds it an attractive faith the work is good and I will do it I must do this and I must do that saith one but saith another the work is good and I will do it Psal 73.28 It 's good for me to draw nigh to God He dont say 't is my duty 't is necessary but it 's good for me I delight to draw near to God So that if we do all in the name of Christ we shall find the name of Christ an attractive to draw our hearts to do things with delight and pleasure Fourthly You shall know it hereby for he that doth all in the name of Christ makes that name the ground and pillar for a blessing upon his actions when I speak in the name of Christ or act in the name of Christ I make the name of Christ the pillar and the ground of my hope for a blessing upon what I say or what I do It is not the goodness of my action which is the ground of my hope a man may be importunate in Prayer and be zealous and pray very well but he dont make this the ground of his hope A man may be very sollid in Preaching and very serious in Hearing but this must not be the ground of his
either some profit or pleasure or some sweetness and therefore would enjoy it and delight in it So that desire is the reaching out of the Soul after some good affected not present but absent 2. The second thing is that as Gold is desirable so upon the same account are the truths of God the Laws and Statutes and Judgements of God We shall see upon several accounts that Gold is commendable and desirable and upon the same the word of God is so too 1. Gold is precious there 's a preciousness in it Ezr. 8.27 precious as Gold The Heathens yea and many others to did so esteem it as they made Gods of Gold they thought nothing more precious to make their Gods of than Gold 1 King 12.28 Jeroboam made two Golden Calves and said to Israel these are thy Gods and in the 115. Psal 4. v. Their Idols are Silver and Gold speaking of the Nations So addicted were Nations unto this practice of making Gods of Gold that God forbids his people to make Gods of Silver or Gold Exod. 20.23 yea in the 17. Acts 29. you will find that they did liken the very Godhead unto Gold So then Gold is very precious and as that is precious so is the Word of God that is precious as Gold 't is of great worth and value The word is full of great and precious promises and every promise is a Pearl of great price Prov. 3.13 14 15. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the Merchandize of it is better than the Merchandize of Silver and the Gain thereof than fine Gold It 's more worth then all Rubies The Word of God is very precious Psal 138.2 Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name what 's the Name of God The whole creation all his works are his Name they hold forth his power his wisdom his goodness his mercy his loving kindness bounty and the like now God doth magnifie his Word or his Law above all his Name he prizes it above the wrole creation hence saith Christ that not one jot or syllable of it shall fall to the ground So that if Gold be precious the Word of God is precious and so desirable upon that account 2. Gold contains much in a little A little piece of Gold contains many Shillings And Gold is Ductile a little piece of Gold may be drawn out to cover a great piece of ground So the Word of God contains much in a little Fear God there 's a great deal contain'd in these words God manifested in flesh how much is contained in that word And Cast all your care upon him a great deal contained in that word who can tell what treasure is in any one Text of holy Scripture There is more than any man than all men can find or draw out Christ is the Image of the invisible God who can find out all that is in those words In him is all fullness who can find out all the fullness of Christ So that if Gold contains much in it and is desirable upon that account the Word of God contains much in it and is desirable upon the same account 3. Gold is very pure Rev. 21.18 The City was of pure Gold and Psal 21.3 Thou settest a Crown of pure Gold on his head Gold is very pure 't is purified and cleansed from all dross so the Word of God If Gold be desirable because of its purity so it the Word of God being very pure Prov. 30.5 Every Word of God is pure Not onely one word but every word of God is pure and Psal 114.140 Thy word is very pure there is nothing comparable to the Word of God for purity and therefore desirable as Gold is upon that account 4. Gold hath a beautiful splendor in it therefore Rev. 21.21 'T is put for the Glory of the new Jerusasalem a Similitudine aurorae aurum ab aura dictum i. e. a Splendore Martinius in Lexic v. aurum or Heaven it hath it's name from its splendor and the word of God is very beautiful and shining Prov. 6.23 The Law is light and light is a shining and a glorious thing and the Gospel is light and the Gospel is glorious 2 Cor. 4.4 The Glorious Gospel Full of Glory and beauty and splendor is the Word of God and therefore desirable as Gold is upon that account 5. Gold is sollid and weighty the Hobrew word for fine Gold is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mippaz and Phaz or Phez is from Phazaz to consolidate to strengthen and make firm such is the Word of God it is firm and sollid hold fast the pattern of sound words and Tit. 1.9 sound Doctrine The Doctrine of Law and Gospel is sound Doctrine and Prov. 2.7 he layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous wisdom that hath substance and being for the righteous and the truths of God are called Gold 1 Cor. 3.12 for the sollidity of them now if any man build upon this Foundation Gold Silver precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble Build Gold upon the Foundation that is if he build sound Doctrine upon the Foundation Christ that 's sollid masly and weighty Corrupt Doctrines are wood and stubble and will burn The Word of God is very sollid and weighty The soul that sins shall dye what a weighty truth is this Every â—dâ—e word we speak we shall give account thereof a weighty truth We must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ a weighty truth 2 Cor. 10.10 say they his words are weighty and so are all the Words of God they are sollid and weighty 6. Gold it is of great use it is of use First to adorn and beautifie what an Ornament was the Gold Chain about Joseph's neck Gen. 41.42 So Saul he put on Ornaments of Gold upon the Apparel of the Daughters of Israel 2 Sam. 1.24 Gold doth adorn and beautifie things you beautifie many things your Rooms and Books and many other things with Gold So the Word of God is of an adorning and beautifying nature Prov. 4.9 She shall give to thine head an Ornament of Grace a Crown of Glory shall she deliver to thee The word of God the wisdom of God 't is an ornament of Grace a crown of Glory nothing becomes a Christian more than the Truths of God they adorn the soul and the very outward man and makes the outward man lovely and beautiful when we hold forth the word of Life and the word of God and of Jesus Christ Secondly Gold is of use to make Vessels for they made Vessels for the Sanctuary and for the Temple there were Golden Tongs Golden Candlesticks and Golden Lamds c. as you may find in the 1. King 7. and 2 Chron. 7. and Heb. 9.4 So the word the word makes Golden Vessels it makes Golden Candlesticks Golden Churches All true Christians and Believers are Golden Vessels in the Temple of God Lam. 4.2 The precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold
we need not trouble our selves about them and spend our strength and desires after them but after these and then they will be cast in Fifthly Gold is of an earthly nature and of an earthy abstract but the Word is from Heaven heavenly 't is a spiritual thing There is nothing comparable unto the Word of God all things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her to the wisdom of the Word Now the Word being heavenly it is more to be desired than Gold which is but out of the bowels of the earth The Word is spiritual and comes from Heaven and heavenly and therefore more desirable So that you see upon what account it is that the Word is more to be desired than Gold and Silver Qu. Now a question may be moved with what desires are we to desire the Word of God Ans First We must desire the Word of God with strong and ardent desires with strength of heart and soul this should be in our desires Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God He was banished from the house of God and from the Ordinances of God and from the Word of God now saith he when shall I come and appear before God I have ardent desires strong desires to be where God is and his Word and Ordinances are and in Psal 119.20 a remarkable place My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all times My soul breaketh what ardent what strong desires were in the heart of David now after the Word of God So then they must be strong and ardent desires in our Souls after the Word of God which is better than Gold or Silver Secondly These desires must be sincere desires It may be men have desires to the Word but they are not sincere they should desire the Word for it self because it is the Word of God because it is pure Psal 119.440 Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it It is a good argument of Truth of Grace and of a servant of God to love the Word for the purity of it Many cannot endure it because it is pure but if we love it and desire it for its purity it 's an argument we are right Such should our desires be sincere desires to love the Word for it self It is sincere milk and it calls for sincere desires sincere affections there should be no Bias in our affections no crookedness no selfishness but sincere desires unto the Word of God 3. Our desires must be permanent and abiding not fleeting and flashy desires but permanent abiding desires our desires should be alwayes to the Word of God our hearts should stand bent to the Word of God continually Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all times Mark at all times my soul is carried out with venement desires unto thy Judgments at all times I do continue and maintain my desires towards thy Word Psal 1.2 In his Law doth he meditate day and night when a mans desires are to the Word of God night and day here 's permanent constant and abiding desires But you will say that 's impossible for a man to hold up his desires at such a height and to continue them True to flesh and blood it is but we must renew our desires when they begin to flag and fall 4. Lastly our desires they must be opperative and working desires many have lazy and sluggish desires they have velleities wishes O that I did understand such and such things O that I were acquainted with the Word of God and the like they have velleities and wishes but they must be real desires which will put men upon searching the Scriptures comparing place with place reading and meditating and improving of truths Mens desires after Gold are such 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich how they will work and labour rise early and lye down late and study and cast this way and that way to get the world to get Gold and Silver such should be our desires Joh. 6. Labour not for the meat that perishes but for the meat that endures to everlasting life So you see what kind of desires the desires of our souls should be after the Word of God I shall now come to some Inferences from the point Are Divine truths more to be desired than Silver and Gold Then First I infer many are very faulty and worthy of blame yea of great blame First Those that have no desires to the Word of God There are some people in the world that have no desire to the Word of God Job 21.14 We desire not the knowledg of thy wayes we have better wayes than thine our own wayes and as for thy wayes we dont desire the knowledge of them do these men look at the Word of God to be better than Gold or Silver No we dont desire the knowledge of thy wayes it blames and condemns them Secondly It blames those who have most desire after Gold and Riches and after the things and pleasures of the world They have little desire after Gods Testimonies Statutes Laws and Judgments little desire after these they cannot say the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up but the zeal of the world hath eaten me up These are blameable that have so little desires after the things of God and such ardent desires after the world and the things of the world Thirdly It blames those that have fleeting transient desires now and then they have a fit they have some desires after the Word of God but their desires are fleeting and transient they dont keep up and maintain their desires Every morning noon and night we should have desires after the Word of God and the wayes of God David would prevent the morning watches and seven times a day be would have his heart in a frame for God and the things of God I at midnight would he rise to praise God for his Righteous Judgments but we have a fit now and then and away and this is blameable Fourthly It condemns those that have not sincere and pure desires They have desires after the Word of God for some base ends they make a profession that they may cover their wickedness with a pretence of Zeal and Profession and Religion and Godliness As the Scribes and Pharisees they made a shew O they minded the Word and every Letter and Syllable of the Word and yet within as Christ saith they were full of Excess Hypocrisie and Uncleanness Lastly It reproves those that rest in their desires and labour not to accomplish their desires they dont put forth their desires into endevours and those desires are foolish and hurtful desires that dont carry out the soul to endeavours All these come under censure and are blameable Secondly If the truths of God
are more desirable then Gold and Silver Then here we may see who are the richest men in the world and have the best treasure even those that have gotten most of the Word into their hearts not most of the world into their houses and into their possessions the Word is better than thousands of Gold and Silver They are the richest that have most of this heavenly riches let the word of Christ dwell richly in you Col. 3. To be rich in promises there 's the true riches and great riches Here we say he is a rich man that hath many Bonds or Ships or Houses or Lands that hath many Hundreds or Thousands lay'd up or abroad but he is the richest man in the Scripture account and in Gods account that hath most of the Word of God lay'd up in his heart that hath most light in his understanding most promises in his Soul that hath a good stock that hath a treasure within I have hid thy Law in my heart saith David So when Gods Law is hid in your hearts then you are the richest men the wealthiest men and men of substance indeed Thirdly Then I infer from hence that you may see a great difference between men and men between Saints and the men of the world The men of the world they prize Gold and Silver the Saints prize the Word of God Psal 119.72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver David prized the Law of God more than his Kingdom or the Crown of Gold that was upon his head more than the Gold of Vphaz of Havilah and the Gold of Ophyr the finest Godl that might be had Fourthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and Silver then certainly their loss is great that have the Word taken from them I mean the Word outwardly and the Ordinances and enjoyments when our Silver and Gold is taken away we cry out we are undone we are undone No no you are not undone if you have God and his Word but if Gods Word be taken away from men and women they are more undone than others It 's a great loss to lose that that is better than Gold Silver better than all the world There are many in the world at this day that are depriv'd of their Teachers of Sabbaths and of the Word of God They cannot read themselves and they have none to read unto them it 's a sad condition and a great loss unto them and those that rob them of these they must answer for it one day and they are very guilty that have done it Fifthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and Silver then let us esteem if according to the value and worth of it above outward treasure above all Gold and Silver Joâ— esteemed the Word of God more than his necessary food people cannot eat Gold and Silver and House and Land but their necessary food maintains their lives and 't is more valuable than Gold and Silver If you could not have meat and drink what would your Gold and Silver do you good you would part with it all for a little bread for a little drink now Job did value the Word of God more than his necessary food O that we would set such a price upon the Word of God I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold Let us all set such a price upon the truths of God there 's more worth in them than you can find out you have riches unsearchable in the promises and in the truths of God Phil. 3.8 Paul accounts all but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus And where will you have that but in the Word of God prize it therefore at a high rate Psal 84.10 A dayâ—n thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere A thousand dayes are almost three years and one would think they might meet with brave things in such a time but one day in the Courts of God is better than a thousand elsewhere The Word of God is little esteemed in these dayes and every thing preferred before it but let it not be so with you Sixthly If the Word of God be more desirable than Gold and fine Gold then let us keep the Word of God as men keep their Gold and lay it up as men lay up their Gold and know the Word of God if you will lay it up it will be a defence unto you and a Buckler unto you Psal 91.4 his truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler Solomon tells you money is a defence and Gold is a defence it will defend you from the injuries of the world and wrongs of men so is the Word of God it is a defence it is a Shield a Buckler therefore lay it up safely as you would your Gold and Silver Job 22. The Almighty shall be thy defence so you read it but the Margent is the Almighty shall be thy Gold God would be your Gold if you would lay up Gods truth in your hearts God will be your defence he will be your Gold your treasure Seventhly Lastly if the Word and Testimonies of God be more desirable than Gold yea than fine Gold then let us desire it more than outward treasure let us desire it with ardent and strong desires with sincere desires with abiding constant desires with acting and endeavouring desires let us use our utmost endeavour to be enriched with these riches Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Soul longs saith David and my soul faints for the Courts of the Lord why what was there There was the Word of the Lord there were the Ordinances of the King in his own Courts and he long'd to be there where he might hear the word of God and have the benefit of the Word of God And in Psal 119.131 I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments Let us wait daily at the Courts of the Lord lot us long and take any pains we can for them Joh. 6. Labour not for the meat that perisheth all your Gold and Silver and these things are all of a perishing nature and will not continue long but let us labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life part with your Silver and Gold which is from the earth to get Scripture Gold which is from Heaven To get Divine truths into your heads and hearts One question more Qu. You will say how shall we get our hearts and the desires of them more inflamed after the Word of God Ans First Consider your own poverty and what riches there are to be had in the Word when men consider they are poor men I am a poor man I have neither house nor Land I have neither Gold nor Silver and in such a place is a Mine and I may go thither and have riches enough this will inflame his desires Now consider your spiritual poverty consider then I have
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
fruit of Christ where there is a spiritual life there is a spiritual taste where there is no spiritual life there is no spiritual taste at all Heb. 5. They had their senses exercised to discern between good and evil some have no spiritual senses they cannot discern between good and evil therefore they find no â—â—etness in the word of God that 's one reason men and women are dead in sins and trespasses and never are quickned with the life of grace Secondly Some have their tastes yet find no sweetness because they have a fullness of other things in them Prov. 27.7 The full soul loatheth an Honey-comb If there be a fulness in us nothing is sweet unto us now men and women are full of several things First some are full of the world Amos 8.5 when will the new moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat and the like these were full of the world and so they could not taste of spiritual things Matth. 13.12 He that received among Thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the world and he becometh unfruitful Secondly Some are full of conceitedness in Luke 18.11 The Pharisee he was conceited of his own goodness righteousness and doings and the Church of Laodicea she was full and wanted nothing and so could not taste the dainties of the Lord nor the sweetness that was in his Ordinances and his word there was such a fullness in them of their own conceitedness that they wanted nothing Thirdly There is a fullness of errors in many a fullness of opinions Scribes and Pharises they found no sweetness in Christ nor in Christs way they were full of their own opinions errors traditions and false doctrines So many now are full of their own light and the light within that 's all in all unto them and they find no sweetness in Ordinances nor in the means of Grace Fourthly Many yea most are full of creature delights and creature contentments and creature comforts full of sensual pleasures they take so much pleasure in the creature in their outward comforts contentments in their estates and relations in their gifts and parts and things of that nature that they can taste no sweetness in the word of God Thirdly Men taste not the sweetness in the word because of their slighting of the word and hence it is a just Judgment of God to suffer them not to taste the sweetness that is in the word when they made light of the Gospel and the Gospel dainties prepared for them Matth. 22.5 They went away and flighted the invitation to the Gospel feast It is said in Luke 14.24 none of them shall Taste thereof that is none of them shall ever taste the sweetness or goodness therein they might hear but they should taste no sweetness in their hearing and therefore to slight the word of God is a great evil and will hâ—nder persons from tasting the sweetness that is in the word of God Fourthly A fourth reason is that formality that is in the people they come to the Word and Ordinances of God with formal hearts and spirits we come not to the Ordinances as the Ordinances of God we come not to the word as the word of the great God we hear not for time to come we hear not for eternity we hear not as matters of life and death and therefore we dont find that sweetness as they do that hear so Men pray but not in the Spirit serve God but not in Spirit they draw near God with their lips but their hearts are far from him Fifthly And I may add one thing more people dont find sweetness in the word of God because they do nourish some base lust or corruption in their hearts And Peter gives you an intimation of this 1 Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisie and envies and evil-speakings as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby If there be in our hearts such things we shall not taste the sweetness of the sincere milk of the word neither shall we grow thereby so now you see what hinders the tasting of the sweetness of the word Qu. Another question may arise hereupon and that is What should we do to find sweetness in the word of God An. First If you would find sweetness in the word of God get hungry souls Prov. 27.7 To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet If we had hungry souls the bitterest truth in all the word of God would be sweet unto us Now there be three things which beget hunger in men and women there 's Fasting Purging and Excercise First If you would have hungry souls you must fast much I dont mean a fasting from bread meat and drink but from sin fasting from pleasures and delights fasting from lawful things of the world 1 Cor. 7.29 The time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives be as though they had â—one and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that bay as though they possessed not Fast from your lawful enjoyments from your pleasures delights and contentments and this will breed an appetite to the word of God Secondly Purging we take bitter things to purge us so we should take something to purge our Hearts our Heads and Consciences Be sensible of sin and the bitterness of sin what a bitter and evil thing sin is what danger sin doth involve the soul in and expose it to the wrath of God hell and damnation we should take some pills to mortifie our lusts and then the word of God would be sweet unto us indeed Thirdly Exercise will beget a stomach 1 Tim. 4.7 Exercise thy self to Godliness If men and women did pray much read much meditate much and have their hearts much in Heaven they would have hungry souls after the word of God and find a sweetness in the word of God Joh. 7.17 saith he there If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self He shall know whether the Doctrine be not an heavenly Doctrine and a sweet Doctrine he shall taste the sweetness of my Doctrine that I have brought down from my Father if he will do the will of God So that that 's the first thing to get hungry Souls and then we shall reâ—ith the word of God and find sweetness in it Secondly If we would find sweetness in the word of God we should make much Conscience of the Lords time and day and sanctifie the Lords day if we did sanctifie the Lords day as we ought to do we should find sweetness in his Ordinances and sweetness all the week after in his Ordinances and in his word Isa 58.13.14 If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing
thy pleasure on my Holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own wayes nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord thou wilt find sweetness in the Lord and sweetness in the words and wayes of the Lord in all things of the Lords thou wilt find sweetness such sweetness as will make thy soul to delight in the Lord. Thirdly If you would find sweetness in the word of God then take that which is suitable to your conditions There is somthing alwayes suitable to your conditions when you read the word or hear the word Preach'd something will concern you now that which is most suitable to your condition will be most sweet unto you If one want peace and there be a word suits you take that if one want comfort take that if one want counsel take that that that is suitable to the soul that 's sweet Fourthly Lastly make the word your delight Psal 119.24 Thy Testimonies are my delight So in the 77. v. Thy Law is my delight They were the delight of David and so he delighted in them that he meditated in them day and night Thy Testimonies are my Meditation v. 99. what you delight in you find a sweetness in so if you would delight much in the word of God you would find much sweetness in the word of God Thus you see those questions answered I shall now come to some Inferences or Conclusions First If the word of God be sweet and sweeter than the Honey and the Honey-comb then they that find no sweetness in the word of God they are in an ill condition they are in a state of death they are dead men and dead women A dead man tastes nothing so that man or woman that tastes no sweetness in the word of God is a dead man you read in Scripture of men dead in sins and trespasses and twice dead Let the dead bury their dead saith Christ how can the dead bury their dead let them who are dead in sins bury those that are dead in body if you find no sweetness in the word of God you are dead men dead women Secondly If the word be so sweet then it 's no wonder if some persons are so taken with the word of God they are always reading the word of God and looking into the word of God and meditating in it and why its sweet and delightful to their souls Those that have Gardens full of sweet flowers they love to be often looking into their Gardens so those that are Godly how do they find sweetness in the word of God In every promise in every truth in all the providences and experiences of the Saints they find a great deal of sweetness therein Thirdly If the word of God be so sweet then praise and bless the Lord for the sweetness of his word that he hath given you out such a word praise him for his sweet invitations for his sweet promises for the sweet and heavenly doctrines for the sweet titles you meet with therein In the 56. Psal you have it three times I will praise his word praise the word and praise God who hath given you such a word such a word that is so sweet that is so precious have you not found the sweetness of it in your affliction in your temptations in your darkness in your desertions O praise the Lord for his sweet word and let God have the glory of it Fourthly If the word of God be sweet and sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb then surely they do ill that cast off the word of God and cast off his Ordinances and leave off the things that are good Many in these dayes they cast off Ordinances and lay aside the word of God and are altogether for the light within and nothing but for the light within but it is to be seared that their light is but darkness for the light of the Scripture will never direct men to cast off it self The word of God is to be a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our paths therefore they do ill who cast off the word of God that is sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb and that lay aside the Commands of God and the Ordinances of God But they will say we lay aside the Honey-comb and we take the Honey For answer to that look into the 5. Cant. 1. I am come into my garden c. I have eaten my Honey-comb with my Honey The Church would eat the Honey-comb with the Honey she would have the Ordinances and the sweetness through the Ordinances by the Ordinances The Ordinances are the Honey-comb and the sweetness that God conveys through them is the Honey Fifthly If the word be sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb then in all your afflictions and bitter waters you have to drink sweeten them with this Honey and this Honey-comb sweeten them with the word of God Afflictions are very sowr sad and heavy many times but the word of God is Honey to sweeten them when they came to the waters of Marah and could not drink them they were murmuring and troubled and they should perish for want of water but Moses takes a bough and throws in and sweetens the waters so that they could drink them and were revived and refreshed So if men and women would but sweeten their afflictions with the word of God they would go down very sweetly The steps of a good man saith the Psalmist are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down what though you fall into afflictions you shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand and James 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth Temptations that is afflictions for when he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him who would now be troubled at temptations and afflictions when a blessedness is fixed to them Blessed is the man that endureth Temptations c. You shall have a crown of life for your temptations what if they take away life you shall have another life and a crown of life so that we should sweeten our afflictions with the consolations of the word 2 Cor. 4.17 The outward man decayes but the inward man is renewed daily and saith he our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Here 's light affliction here 's weighty glory here 's glory opposed to affliction here 's weight opposed to light here 's eternal opposed to momentary and here 's exceeding above all that How sweet would this be in our afflictions if we did lay it to heart and receive in these truths to sweeten our afflictions Sixthly If the word of God be sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb Then esteem the word of God very