and not live here was the King of fears the King of terrours now saith he Remember O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and done that which is good in thy sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a heart full of peace a perfect heart with a sound heart see how this now bears him up Fourthly A Godly soul is desirous of soundness of heart because such a one hath Gods favour and will be intrusted by God it 's something to have God's favour something to be trusted by God that knows hearts a sincere heart God favours and God will trust in the 11 Psa 7. v. for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright the upright a man that 's sound sincere and upright and the upright dwells in his presence God he doth regard the righteous he loves righteousness and who doth righteousness but the sound hearted man And his countenance doth behold the upright his favour is towards him and God will trust such a man call him forth to excellent service and employ him in great matters in Psal 78. he chose David also his Servant and took him from the Sheepfold why will God look to the Sheepfold and mind a man tending of his Sheep From following the Ews great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance so he fed them according to the integrity of his heart he had a sound and entire heart a heart for God a heart for good a heart for his people and so God looks upon him he takes him and brings him from the Sheepfold to feed his people and he did it according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skilfulness of his hand Gods favour was towards him and God's favour is towards such and he doth intrust them with great matters 1 Tim. 1.11.12 according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust why who are you that you should have the Gospel and the glorious Gospel of the blessed God committed to your trust I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me worthy putting me into the Ministery O the Lord made me sound hearted when I had rotten principles he took them all away he made my heart sound and imployed me in great things so that where there is soundness of heart God favours and will trust such when men have deceitful and hypocritical hearts God will not trust them Fifthly Soundness of heart is earnestly desired by those that are good because otherwise the means of grace whatsoever they be will do little good very little or no good look into Mich. 2.7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob is the Spirit of the Lord streightned are these his doings do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly saith he you complain of judgments and afflictions that are upon you but I tell you your hearts are not right do not my words do good to him that walks uprightly if your hearts were sound upright and sincere you would walk according to my Statutes according to my wayes and your hearts would be with me and not with your Idols nor with the world therefore my words do you no good because your lives and hearts are corrupt do not my words do good to them that walk uprightly every one can tell you they do to a corrupt Stomach you know the meat doth little or no good it feeds a corrupt humour and kills at last So now when men and women have unsound hearts the means doth them little good the means will be their death at last there was Judas what gracious words did he hear from Christ how many miracles and examples did he see but all did him no good why he was not sound at the heart he had a covetous heart and so Simon Magus was not sound at heart the word doth men no good when they have unsound hearts Sacraments do them no good they eat and drink their own damnation afflictions doth them no good Prayer doth them no good therefore saith a Godly man O Lord let my heart be sound in thy Statutes Sixthly Lastly soundness of heart is to be desired because without this you will never be admitted into Heaven never be presented by Christ unto the Father In a word you will never be sav'd unless your hearts be sound look into the 15. Psal Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill he that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart that is he that hath a sound heart free from hypocrisie a sound heart he shall do it and in the 24 Psal who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord who shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart c. Now if a mans heart be not sound 't is impure there is some guilt some lusts some distempers some rotten and false tenets and opinions some hypocrisie in it some dividedness in it there 's some withholding of truth in unrighteousness in it now this man shall not ascend into the holy hill he shall not have the blessing saith Christ in Math. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophecyed in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity What do all these things and yet be workers of iniquity and not known of Christ there was nothing but rottenness of heart for mark what follows in the Chapter whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a Rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not he is one that builds his house upon the Sand So that if mens hearts be not sound they will never build upon the Rock they will never be sav'd Doth not Christ tell them plainly woe to Scribes Pharisees Hyppocrites why they shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven they are not sound hearted if men are not sound in the things of God sound in the Gospel and the mysteries of it sound in the faith there 's no coming to Heaven no coming to Glory Christ will never own a rotten hearted man or woman never own a man that hath a form of Godliness and not the power of it therefore if you would be sav'd if you would be presented by Jesus Christ unto the Father you
you that think you do look to your hearts and souls pray examine and make a little inquiry whither it be so with you or no whether you do make this your work your principal care business to mind your souls to mind your hearts Well how shall we know it 1. First if you do look well to your hearts you have a care what goes in and what comes out a man or woman that hath one choice Room in their house they will be careful above all the rest to keep that lock'd so if you have a care of your hearts according to what you should you will have a care what comes into the heart and what goes out of the heart a good man out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good things he will not let evil things come into his heart he will shut his eyes shut his mouth no corrupt words shall come out of his mouth is it so now that you have a constant care to see what goes into your hearts you will be careful what goes into your mouths and will you not be careful to see what goes into your hearts 2. Secondly if you have a care of your hearts then your hearts are in good order That which is principally look'd unto any where is in good frame in good order if you have a principal care of a Watch of a Room of a Ship it is in good order what frames are your hearts in are they in good order for God are they in frame for his Ordinances A Garden if you take delight in it if your care be there how are things ordered therein every thing is in its place how are the weeds kept down how are the vermin prevented all is kept in good order So it will be with your souls if your care be there I passed by the Vineyard of the Sluggard and all was over grown with Nettles and Bryars Prov. 24.31 why he had not a care of his Vine yard and so it is with the heart but if your principal care were about your hearts all would be in good order they would be neat comely and delightful 3. Thirdly if your principal care be about your hearts and souls then you will make suitable provision for them That a man takes special care of he will provide for and make suitable provision Now if your special care be for the good of your hearts and souls you will make suitable provision for them in Rom. 13. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereofâ— But you will make provision for your souls to help the graces thereof and the good of your souls a gracious man will make suitable provision for a gracious heart The world is not suitable provision that 's chaff to a gracious heart a gracious soul cannot live upon the world but it can live upon the Word and Promises and the Ordinances and the water of life Therefore saith Christ labour not for the meat that perishes that is comparatively not absolutely but labour for the meat which indures to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you c. Well here 's the principal meat to be laboured for the meat which indures to everlasting sife which the Son of man shall give unto you do you go to Christ in the morning for a Breakfast at noon for a Dinner at night for a Supper This is an argument indeed that your principal care is for your souls but O how lean souls have men and women what hunger-starv'd souls 4. Fourthly Lastly if your principal care be for your souls then your souls are prospering thriving and fruitful The piece of ground that the Husbandman takes most content in and is most delighted in shall be well drest and fruitful so that man or woman that takes most care for the soul will have a thriving soul a flourishing soul a prosperous Soul See it in the 3d. Ep. of John 2d v. Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth he writes to Gaius this Gains minded the things of his soul he minded the Truth entertainment of Saints was full of love doing of good works and his soul thriv'd and prospered and was fat and flourishing so that man that doth mind his soul will be fat and flourishing The soul is God's Garden and if you mind it it will be as a watered Garden flourishing Christ will come into his Garden and gather his spices and flowers and eat his pleasant fruits and take delight in it if it be so but are not your Gardens full of weeds now if your principal care be for your Souls you may know it by these things Use 4. The last use is an exhortation that you would be pleased to bestow a little more care upon your souls a good man's care is upon his soul saith Solomon in Prov. 4. Wisdom is the principal thing and above all gettings get wisdom that 's the principal thing to be got but what 's the principal thing to be kept v. 24. keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the Issues of life and out of it are the issues of death Therefore if you be good men if you be wise men if you be both shew it get wisdom and above all keepings keep your hearts keep your eye that it wanders not keep your ear that no evil enter keep your hand keep your foot but above all keepings keep your hearts for out of them are the issues of Death Obs 3. The third observation is this that a gracious soul doth earnestly desire soundness of heart Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes this was the desire of David so in Psal 51. v. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew in me a right Spirit O Lord saith he let me have a clean heart let me have a right spirit let my heart be sound in me whatsoever else I miss of Two things I shall do at this time First shew you wherein this soundness of heart doth lye Secondly give you the reasons why a gracious heart doth desire soundness of heart First this soundness of heart doth lye in having sound and good principles sound Tenets sound Doctrines sound apprehensions of Spiritual things and so here soundness is opposed to errour Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes O let me not be lead away with any errour any windy doctrine any false opinions any corrupt tenets any false principles in 2. Tim. 3.8 he speaks there of men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith men of corrupt minds are not sound they are reprobate concerning the faith that is the Doctrine of faith so in 2 Tit. 2. That the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in the Faith they must not be erronious many men and women are full of error full of corrupt opinions full of damnable doctrines full of dangerous tenets full of seduction now soundness of heart soundness
I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight I have walked before thee with a perfect heart a sound heart an upright heart an undivided heart And have done that which is good in thy sight that heart which is sound cannot sit still cannot imprison truth in unrighteousness cannot be negligent Christ who had soundness of heart went up and down doing good So then you see wherein this soundness of heart lyes Q. Why is a good man so earnest for soundness of heart An. First because all he doth be it never so much comes to nothing if his heart be not sound saith a good man I shall lose all if my heart be not sound If my heart be not sound and free from false principles if my heart be not sound if it be not healthy and free from guilt and sickness of sin if my heart be not free from dividedness perfect with God if my heart be not so and so that I have soundness if I be not sincere but hypocritical and the like all I do is nothing Pray Hear Preach give to the Poor do what you will all your service falls to the ground it never is accepted of God in Heb. 11.6 saith the Apostle Without faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him without faith 't is impossible to please God why if your faith be not real faith if it be not true faith but a faith of your own making if it be not a faith wrought by the word and spirit a faith of the operation of God Coloss 2. you will never please God whatever you do you must have a faith will purifie your hearts and unite your hearts to God and not suffer them to be divided a faith that will carry you to God with the whole heart otherwise you please not God and so your hope must be so and your love must be so they must be real so also the obedience that pleases God is the obedience of faith Rom. 16. latter end do what you will if you be not right principled if you have not truth of grace if your hearts be not united to God if you be not free from hypocrisie and sincere all falls to the ground and is rejected of God all you do is nothing but is like what Simon Magus did Acts 8.13 Then Simon himself believed also Mark he had a faith such as most people have And when he was baptised he continued with Philip and wondered beholding the miracles and signs which were done he continued with Philip he was in a Church State now see what he saith because his principles were not right When Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the holy Ghost was given he offered them money saying give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost but Peter said unto him thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money O thou hast a wretched principle thou hast a rotten heart it is not right in the sight of God what 's thy believing now Simon what 's thy baptizing now what 's all thou hast done So say I what 's your faith and your baptism and your obedience and serving of God if your hearts are not right Ananias and Saphira sell their estate and bring it and lay it down at the feet of the Apostles I but their hearts were not right and therefore you know how it went with them all you do is but as a woman that brings forth a dead Child without a soul which is not acceptable to Father Mother or any present 'T is like Chaff without Corn Bones without Marrow Bottels without Wine Breasts without Milk God regards not any thing you do it is not acceptable it falls to the ground it comes to nothing if your hearts are not sound and upright and that 's the first reason why a Godly soul is so earnest to have its heart sound Secondly Hereby you shall discourage and disappoint the Devil the Devil seldom prevails where there is soundness of heart Job you know was a man that feared God and eschewed evil a perfect man The very word that is here in my Text and could the Devil prevail with him God le ts loose the Devil and gives him more power over Job than ever we read he had over any other man and could the Devil prevail against Job No he was a sound hearted man and he could not prevail Job wearied out the Devil he did strike him in his Servants and Cattel and Children and in his body and by his Friends and by his Wife he tempts him yet nothing could do why here was a sound hearted man and when a man is sound hearted he will not stand parlying with the Devil but he will resist the Devil he shuts the door presently and turns his back upon him he brings forth the Shield of Faith and quenches his fiery Darts he brings forth the Scripture It 's written Satan he resists the Devil and he flyes but if thou be sickly or faint hearted he will make thee flye or fall but a sound hearted man resists the Devil and makes him flye and so the Devil is discouraged and disappointed Thirdly Because such a heart will be a support to a man in any condition in the worst of conditions if you look into the 14 Pro. 20. A sound heart is the life of the flesh The Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lives of the flesh a man that hath a sound heart sound in a spiritual sence that soundness of his heart is the lives of his flesh his flesh may have many deaths many diseases many temptations and discouragements many hard things to encounter with yet the soundness of the heart is the lives of the flesh a sound heart will keep up a man bear up his Spirits notwithstanding the flesh be full of pain yielding drooping and wearing away saith Paul the outward man decays day by day I but the inward man is renewed when a man hath a sound heart a sound soul soundness of grace in him the inward man is renewed So in Prov. 18.14 The Spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity when his spirit is sound but if a mans spirit be not sound it will not sustain his infirmity if there be guilt if there be sin lust and sickness in the soul it will not support therefore a Godly man desires soundness of heart he knows not what times he may meet with he knows not what storms he may meet with a Godly man may meet with very shrow'd things in the world but if his heart be sound it will bear him up in the 38. of Isa saith Hezek when the storm came upon him that he must dye
must labour to have a sound heart And here 's the grounds and reasons why a gracious heart looks after soundness I come now in the next place to shew you the priviledge dignity or excellency of a sound heart Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes First a sound heart makes you like unto Christ Christ had a sound heart in him John 14. The Devil comes and finds nothing of his in him he found no erroneous principles in Christs heart he found no dividedness in his heart between God and the creature he found no sickliness in his heart or sinful dispositions he found no seeming graces but all real the word dwelt among us and was full of grace truth he found that Christ was sincere and upright he had no base ends Gods glory and publick good were his ends now when a man hath a sound heart he is like unto Christ a heart like Christs heart this is an excellency a priviledge to have a sound heart that when the Devil comes he may find nothing of his in you Secondly the excellency of a sound heart is it 's a heart fit for Gods use a corrupt heart a divided heart an hypocritical heart is not fit for Gods use you know a man that hath sound limbs is fit for mans use and a man that hath a sound heart is fit for Gods use 2 Tim. 2.21 If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctifyed and meet for the Masters use and prepared for every good work if a man purge his heart from false principles from all base lusts and corrupt distempers if a man purge his heart from dividedness between God and the Creature and the like then he shall be a vessel of honour and a vessel meet for his Masters use Flee youthful lusts but follow Righteousness Faith Charity Peace c. saith Paul to Timothy 2 Tim. 2.22 when the heart is purged cleansed and made sound it 's a pure heart and then it 's fit for Gods use and in Chap. 3. v. 8. It 's said of James and Jambres that they were men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith they were not vessels fit for Gods use in the 1 Tit. last They profess they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate when men profess they know God but in works deny him what are they hypocrites men that have but seeming grace men that have sick souls and these are reprobate to every good work there were in the Temple vessels of Gold vessels of Silver and vessels of Brass these were sound and sit for service Heb. 9.21 And all the Vessels of the Ministry if they were crack'd if they were corrupt they were not to be used in the Temple in the Lord's service if rusty if crack't if corrupt any way they were to be lay'd aside but when they were Gold and Silver and Brass sound and clean then they were Vessels of Ministry so a man of a sound heart he is a Vessel of Ministry a Vessel fit for the Lords use Secondly a sound heart is a precious heart a corrupt heart a deceitful heart is base it 's worth nothing Prov. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choice Silver the heart of the wicked is little worth take a wicked man and his heart is the principal part he hath it 's little worth God doth not value or esteem it at all 't is dross 't is enmity to God 't is loathsome and abominable in the sight of God an unbelieving heart a proud heart a defiled heart an hypocritical heart a divided heart it 's worth nothing but the Tongue of the just is as choice Silver what 's his Heart then that 's like choice Gold Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour there 's an excellency in a righteous man an excellency in his words an excellency in his tongue an excellency in his heart a Diamond that 's crack'd is worth little or nothing but if sound it's worth much so a sound heart is of great esteem with God Fourthly A sound heart doth discriminate you and difference you from all others it differences you from all hearts that are erroneous that are divided that are sick unsound that are unhealthy from all that are hypocritical from all that are guilded over and have no substance in them and soundness you know is a special thing if the wine be corrupt away with it the Merchant cares not for it people care not for drinking it so sound Corn sound Fruit sound meat drink at your Tables differences them from all others so soundness in the heart doth difference a man or woman from all false hearted wretches from all hypocrites from all reprobates from all that shall perish Fifthly 'T is that which God himself doth take pleasure and delight in In Eccles 7. it 's said that the Lord made man upright no crookedness no unsoundness in him no rottenness in him and in the 1 Gen. last the Lord looked upon all his works and loe they were good very good God took delight and content in beholding of them so man was made upright and God took pleasure in him and when man recovers his rectitude and soundness of heart again then God takes pleasure and delight in him Prov. 11.20 Such as are upright in the way are his delight Those that are sincere sound at heart and walk sincerely and soundly in their Conversations are his delight as if God had delight and pleasure in nothing but a sound heart Enoch walked with God and he was his delight Noah a perfect man and walk'd with God he was his delight Job a perfect man and he was Gods delight didest thou see my Servant Job saith God to the Devil where there is a sound and a perfect heart that God delights in Sixthly The excellency of such a heart is that it 's a stedfast heart a heart unmoveable unshakable Psal 55.7 My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed David was a man after Gods own heart he had a sound heart and his heart was fixed nothing could shake or move or turn his heart another way his heart was fixed it was established a Godly man his heart is constant and perseveres Job 17.9 The Righteous shall hold on his way a righteous man is constant he perseveres he holds on why his heart is fixed and nothing can remove the heart and if they cannot remove the heart they cannot remove the man when the heart is fast the head will be fast the foot will he fast the whole man will stand fast Prov. 10.29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright to the man that is sound the man that is perfect the man that is compleat to the man that is sincere Sound and upright the very same Hebrew word is used for both Now he grows stronger and stronger so that here 's his excellency he
interest that the Saints have in God and the ground of it Their great interest in God is this that whatsoever they ask they receive of him they have such interest that God grants their Prayers whatever they ask And the ground of it is because they keep his Commandements and do those things that are pleasing in his fight Now least they might scruple what Commandements they were that he mean't he tells them in the Verse read of two especially and that is That they believe and that they love one another There be three great Commandements in the Gospel Believing Loving and Repenting Two you have here in the Verse the third in Acts 17.30 The Lord commands every man every where to repent and these two of Loving and Repenting cannot be rightly performed without the first Believing Believing in the Son of God for that love which is without faith is but natural love and that Repentance which is without faith in the Son of God is but legal repentance but that love and that repentance which springs from faith in the Son of God is spiritual love and spiritual repentance The Apostle tells you in 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandement is charity out of a Pure heart and of a good Conscience and of faith unfeigned If love dont come from faith unfeigned it is not spiritual love In the words read you have First the Commander in the word his Secondly The thing commanded Believing Thirdly The object or person in whom they are to believe or we are to believe set out First by his Relation the Son of God Secondly by his Titles Jesus and Christ The Commander here is God there is none greater than he and therefore his Commands are of greatest authority if in the word of a King there be power how much more in the word of the great and high God and 't is not a verbal Command onely but 't is a written Command that all may take notice of it and may yield obedience unto it The point that I shall commend unto you is this Doct. That believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is a duty under Command In Mark 1.15 saith he Repent ye and believe the Gospel Repentance is commanded and believing the Gospel is commanded and a man cannot believe the Gospel unless he believe in the Son of God I shall not multiply Scriptures to prove it the Text is enough This is his command that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ Now I shall in the prosecution of this point shew you what is imployed in Believing 2. What 's meant by the Name of the Son of God 3. What believing in the name of the Son of God doth also imply And then answer some questions and improve the point For the first what is implyed in believing First Knowledge is implyed in it 't is a blind faith where there is no knowledge the Papists believe as the Church believes and such a faith is a fancy rather than true faith Paul saith I know in whom I have believed and in Joh. 17.3 knowledge there is put for faith so essential is it to faith that it is put for faith it self this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God So that in believing there must be knowledge and understanding else it will be a blind believing a blind faith Secondly In believing there is implyed assent of the understanding to the truth that is propounded truth is the object of the understanding As Christ came into the World to save sinners I must assent unto this truth God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Such truths and Propositions as these there must be the assent of the understanding unto and Papists will go thus far in the point of faith and make the very formal nature of faith to lye in assent 't is a truth there must be assent but assent is not enough They place it altogether in the understanding and fix it there but the Devils believe and tremble and give assent unto truths they said Christ was the Son of God they gave assent yea the Devils believe and tremble therefore this is not enough though this is required and necessary assent there must be but there must be more than assent But Thirdly There must be Consent which brings in the heart and will and looks at the goodness of the truth or person some good that is in any truth propounded or any person to be believed in Rom. 10.9 10. If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart Not in thine head for with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness with the heart man believes there must be the heart in believing and not the head and understanding onely so that there must be consent of the will and heart unto the thing believed Now this consent must be free and full to have Christ and whole Christ to have Christ at the best and have Christ at the worst whatever may fall out in true believing there is such a free and full consent that it will have Christ whatever it cost Fourthly Lastly in believing there must be affiance a confidence or trust and that you will find express'd in Eph. 1.12 that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ there must be trusting After we know and give assent and consent then we must trust and depend and rely upon Christ So in 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed in your margin it is whom I have trusted so that there is a trust a confidence a relyance a recumbency a dependance upon the Lord Jesus Christ where there is a right believing Thus you see what is implyed in believing Secondly What 's meant by the name of Jesus Christ Not the Letters or Syllables as many bow at the name of Jesus that is not the meaning but Name is put for the Thing or put for the person Psal 34.3 Let us exalt his Name together that is God himself let us exalt God himself so thou shalt reverence that dreadful name Jehovah that 's God himself and when you read of Sanctifying the name of God in Scripture that is God himself And so here Rom. 10.13 you will find by Name is meant God himself whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved that is shall call upon God himself And Acts 4.12 There is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved that is there is no person but Jesus whereby you can be saved And Joh. 3.18 he that believeth on him is not Condemned but he that believeth not is Condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God Now what is it to believe in his name or in him First it implyes the receiving into our heads and hearts all things God hath revealed from Heaven concerning him As that he is the Son of God that God gave him for
be kept from wrath to come and to have everlasting life Now can you have greater benefit then to be delivered from all evil and enjoy all good God commands us therefore to believe that we might partake of these benefits God commands men to repent he would have them repent and be saved 2 Pet. 3.9 so here he commands them to believe and he would have them come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved 1 Tim. 2.4 God commands you to believe in his Son Jesus Christ that you might not perish but be sav'd he is very willing why will you dye why do not you come to my Son and believe in him I have lay'd help upon him that is mighty why do you not look for help from him God is willing that poor sinners should have the benefit that is to be had from Christ Thirdly I infer from hence a sufficient answer to all Objections that a doubting Soul can make Doubting souls are apt to make many Objections against believing troubled souls are ready to raise Objections Object I am not elected saith one and therefore it is not for me to believe Answ What saith God here dont thou look after thine election that 's a secret hidden thing but here 's a command that is visible and thy duty and I command thee to believe on my Son Jesus Christ Object I am a great sinner saith another and God will not pardon my sins Answ I but God commands thee to believe that thou mayest have pardon of thy sins though they be very great Object I have relapsed often into the same sin into passion and wantonness and covetousness and worldliness and the like I have a hard heart saith another I have no qualifications and dispositions The promises dont belong to me saith another I am not humbled enough I am dead and dull and weak and it 's not for such a one as I am to believe in Christ Answ Well know there 's nothing in us fits us to believe and nothing should hinder us from believing why here 's Gods command and shall thy indisposition or thy sins and fears cross and null a command of the great God whether shall prevail Gods command or thy fancy thy sins indispositions or want of qualifications here 's a command of the great God that thou believe in his Son Jesus Christ stop therefore the mouth of every Objection and say well here 's my duty God hath commanded me to believe Moses wrangles with God a great while but he must go at last so God hath commanded me to believe and I will lay down all my Objections and do my duty I will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ This concerns us all that we should not stick at any thing but answer Death Corruptions Flesh and World with this that he commands me to believe and shall I not obey the voice of God and when it is so for my good and I shall have relief against all that troubles me and burthens me and the like Fourthly We may see here also what is the right and best course for a troubled soul to take being wounded with sin and wearied with its sins We usually take the wrong course and the wrong way when we have sin'd and offended God we pray we mourn we groan we reform and labour to walk more exactly these things are not to be condemned I but it is not the right course to have the soul healed and therefore all comes to little of this nature Many have thoughts by such courses to please God and to make God some amends for their sins but this will never do it the right way is to hearken unto God here I command you to believe saith he 1 Joh. 2.1 I write unto you that ye sin not yea but we shall sin well If any do sin what then We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins we are to go presently to Jesus Christ who is our Advocate and propitiation for our sins and to believe this well Jesus Christ is my Advocate and propitiation for my sin which I have fallen into through infirmity or temptation or incogitancy or any occasion whatsoever this is the way Did not Nathan deal thus with David when he had sinned he tells him the Lord hath forgiven thy sins and David comes to his penetential Psalms after his belief that his sin was forgiven and that 's the true repentance that flows from the apprehension of Gods mercy towards us in the forgiveness of sins When the soul hath sinned observe it it must be setled upon that which can take away sin and upon a righteousness that is not its own but is far beyond its own now who is that can do this but the Lord Jesus Christ For the first the soul must be setled upon him that can take away sin 1 Joh. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world Behold him and look upon him that takes away the sin of the world he shall take away your sin the guilt of it the trouble of it and the vexation of it it must be the Lord Jesus Christ 't is not your Prayers nor repentance nor any thing comes from you can do it no 't is the Lord Jesus Christ alone that takes away sin Heb. 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sins 't is the Lord Jesus Christ alone that purges away sins Christ being without sin comes to take away sin and to purge away sin so that he condemns sin in the flesh Rom. 8.3 and our old man was Crucified with him Rom. 6.6 so that now there is nothing man can do that tends to the taking away of sin there 's nothing left for any man or woman in the world to do to take away sin but the Lord Jesus Christ he hath taken away sin and I am to believe on the Son of God who hath taken away sin and doth take away the sins of his people that they commit daily And if you will say as 't is in the 16 Prov. 6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged By mercy and truth what 's the meaning of that that is by Gods promise in sending Jesus Christ and his truth in performing his promise iniquity is purged by Jesus Christ whom he sent and fulfilled and made good the promise so that sin is purged by Jesus Christ and by none else Therefore when we have sinned we are to look to Christ and to Christ alone Secondly So for righteousness it is Christ's must stand us in stead not our own as there is no sin to be satisfied for now but all is satisfied for in and by Jesus Christ so there is no new righteousness to be wrought now by any for salvation but what Christ hath already wrought Christs righteousness is everlasting righteousness perfect righteousness he hath brought in everlasting and perfect righteousness and 2 Cor. 5. last he was made sin
Gomorrah Tyre and Sidon then for such at the day of Judgment So much for reproof Secondly this may be matter of humiliation to us all that we are no more like to Christ that we have not the same thoughts of God of Truth of Sin of the World that he had the Lord Christ saith be not conformed to the world the fashions of the world the manners of the world the worship of the world that we should not love the world nor things of the world that was Christs mind that we should forgive our Enemies but we are not of Christs mind though we have been long in the School of Christ Disciples of Christ yet we are not of the mind of Christ O how slow and dull and untoward are we to learn the mind of Christ It 's the mind of Christ that people should not cast off Ordinances and forsake the assembling of themselves and the like but how many do it in these dayes O this should be matter of humiliation to us all that we come so short of the mind of Christ Thirdly it may be an use of examination to us to examine whether we be of the same mind that the Lord Jesus Christ was of you may know it by what I have delivered to you already have we a publick mind a pure mind a humble mind a heavenly mind a compassionate mind and the like but I 'le add something else would you know whether you are of the mind of Christ yea or no then First if you are of Christs mind you will love what Christ loved and hate what he hated now look into Heb. 1.9 he loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity do you love Righteousness you have many go for Christians and Professors but come to dealing and there 's no righteousness in their actions they are all for what they can get and wring and scrape to themselves and don't love righteousness thou art no true Christian whosoever thou art thou art but a bastardly Christian at the best for where there is the same mind of Christ and a true Christian there 's loving of Righteousness and hating of Iniquity See in 1 Joh. 2. last If ye know that he is Righteous ye know that every one that doth Righteousness is born of him If ye be true Christians ye are born of God and you do Righteousness and Ch. 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God Many borrow and never pay again is here any Righteousness many have pledges and never restore them is here any righteousness many they will put off ill wares with lying and swearing is here righteousness if so be there be not Righteousness in mens actions they have not the mind of Christ they are not born of God but they have the mind of the Devil and of the World and the flesh and it 's a sad condition but here 's the way to know whether we have the mind of Christ we will love righteousness and hate Iniquity hate evil thoughts and lusts and all fraud and cheating and over-reaching one another Secondly if we would know whether we have the mind of Christ we shall know it by this then we will judge of things as Christ judged of them Joh. 7.24 saith Christ Judge not according to appearance but judge righteous Judgement so in 2 Cor. 10.7 Do ye look on things according to outward appearance Men that have Christs mind will not judge according to outward appearance and semblances and seemings but they will judge righteous judgment judge as Christ himself judged Christ saith blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Do you judge right now where blessedness lyes not in honours nor pleasures nor things of this nature no it lyes in mourning for sin in poverty of spirit in pureness of heart if you be of Christs mind you will be of Christs judgment Luke 16.15 The things that are highly esteemed among men are abomination with God Now do you judge of the world as Christ judged Christ look'd upon the world as a perishing thing as a defiled thing and as that which will not satisfie the soul but endanger every man and woman do you judge of the world so Why do you lay out your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Do you judge of all these things thus now they are not bread for my soul nor they will not satisfie my soul I must use the world while I am here and if I have enough to carry me to my Journeys end 't is well in Acts 19.28 Great is Diana of the Ephesians say those of Ephesus So say Catholicks of their Cathedrals and pompous worship great is Diana of the Ephesians yea but Diana and all her worship was abominable to God many cry up their worship and such and such things as are the inventions of men but they are no more pleasing to God than Diana's Idols Temple and Worship Paul would know no man after the flesh no not Christ himself he had the mind of Christ and yet he would not know Christ after the flesh upon fleshly grounds and considerations so do you know no man after the flesh but upon spiritual grounds as they relate to God Thirdly if you have the mind of Christ then you will see that in the truths of Christ as will make you love the truth and stand to it and to venture all for truth rather than part from it Christ he did witness to truth in Joh. 18. and did testifie a good confession before Pontius Pilate and lay'd down his life for truth now hence he saith in Heb. 10. If any draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him what of my mind and draw back from my truth and my wayes my soul shall have no pleasure in him what draw back from Christ's Doctrine and from the principles that have been wrought in you by that Doctrine draw back from his worship and from profession of Christ and practice of the Gospel my soul shall have no pleasure in you that is my soul shall be exceedingly exasperated against you if you draw back from me and my Doctrine Antipas held fast the faith the Church of Pergamus held fast the faith of Christ and Paul who had the mind of Christ saw so much in the truth of Christ as he saith I am ready not onely to be bound but to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus He saw reality and eternal life in the truths of Christ so that if you have Christs mind you will see that in Christs truth and Doctrines and wayes and worship which will make you go on and venture all rather than part with the same Fourthly Lastly if you have
is Lord in your heart he is Lord in your spirits he is Lord in your tongues he is Lord in your heads he is Lord in all your wayes therefore look upon him as Lord and Moderator of all your thoughts words and actions and this will help you to do things in his name Secondly if you would do things in his name then mind the very example and practice of the Lord Jesus Christ himself he did not do things in his own name but he did all in his fathers name and therefore we should do all in his name when he requires it of us as the Father required it of him he did all in his Fathers name in Job 5.43 I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not I am come but I come in my Fathers name I dont come in my own name I run not on my own head I come not with my own will or my own words to do what I would but I am come in my Fathers name and the Fathers works he did in Joh. 10.25 Jesus answered them I told you and ye believe not the works that I do in my Fathers name they bear witness of me all the works that I do I do in my Fathers name not in my own name Now here 's a good example for us to mind the Lord Christ he did all in his Fathers name and so should we do all in Christs name and if we do them in his name we do them in the Fathers name also Paul did all in Christs name and we should do all in Christs name He did all in his Fathers name and his example is an unerring example Thirdly If we would do all in the name of Christ then let us get lowâ—â—â—o the Lord Jesus Christ 'T is want of love that makes us do so little in the name of Christ if we had love enough to Christ it would make us act in his name the name of Christ is an Oyntment poured out therefore do the Virgins love thee if we did look at the name of Christ as an Oyntment poured out sweet and precious and saving and comforting indeed O it would make us love the Lord Jesus as the Virgins do A Wife that loves her Husband it will make her do all in her Husbands name Oh if we had love to Jesus Christ we would do all in his name why the Lord Christ he loved his Father and saith he I keep his Commandements and abide in his love 'T is love will make you do things in the name of Christ the more love is in any soul the more it will act in the name of Christ and honour him Fourthly Lastly if we would do all in Christs name then let us consider the great reward that we shall have the reward will be great if we do all in his name I there will be a reward here and a reward hereafter we glorifie him and honour him much if we do all in his name I all the glory will be his now if we glorifie him we shall have a reward in our very acting how sweet is that action which is done aright in a right manner to a right end from a right principle how sweet is it as the Psalmist saith in keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward in the very keeping of the commands of God and Christ is great reward 〈◊〉 is great peace great comfort great content sweetness communion with God and at the end there is great reward Crowns of Glory a Kingdom Rivers of pleasure great reward so in doing things in the name of Christ there is a great reward in the very doing of it great sweetness great content to the soul great peace great communion with God great favour of Christ and afterwards there will be a great and glorious reward for the soul that doth so in the 12. John 26. If any man serve me saith Christ let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be if any man serve me why who serves Christ better than he that doth all in Christs name if we be the Servants of Christ we shall do all in the name of Christ and what then Let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be and if any man serve me him will my Father honour He shall be honoured by me and honoured by my Father honoured in Earth and honoured in Heaven honoured with a Kingdom and Glory and honoured with fruition of nâ—e and of my Father and all that is desirable Therefore consider of the great reward you shall have if you do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ The preciousness of the Word Psal 19.10 More to be desired are they then Gold yea then much fine Gold THe Psalmist had lay'd down in the former part of the Psalm many commendations of the Law the Statutes the Commandements the Testimonies and Judgments of the Lord. And here he draws up a conclusion concerning them all They are more to be desired then Gold then much fine Gold The words themselves are a Doctrine or an Observation and you may take it thus Doct. Divine truths are more to be desired then the choicest Treasures of the earth then all earthly treasures Two things are here to be done First to shew you that Gold is desirable and truths upon the same account Secondly that divine truths are more desirable then Gold or Silver or any earthly treasures whatsoever For the first two things there First what desire is Secondly that Gold is desirable and the truths of God upon the same account First what desire is desire is the reaching out of the soul after some good affected not in possession but absent saith David O that I had of the water of the Well of Bethlehem here 's the reaching out of his soul after some good affected 2 Sam. 23.15 saith Rachel give me Children or else I dye here 's the reaching out of her Soul after Children It is after good affected Either seeming good or real good affected Love is the root that bears desire and desire is the branch or fruit the hand and opperation of Love what we have no Love to we dont desire but what we have some Love too that we do desire It is the affecting of Good either seeming or real Solomon he desires wisdom that was a real good and he had real desires of it The desire of the Righteous is onely to good saith Solomon and there are seeming goods Eve desires the fruit 't was but a seeming good to her for it brought woe and sorrow to her and all hers Amnon desires Tamar it was a seeming good but a real evil Achan desires the Wedge of Gold it was his ruine Gehezi desires the Garments and the Wedge of Gold Now there must be good real or in appearance where desire is carried out unto it the soul sees some amiableness in the thing it doth desire and so it puts forth its desires after it
Christs mind you will act as Christ acted Christ went up and down doing good as in Acts 10. a man will not live idely and out of a Calling that hath the mind of Christ a man will not be negligent in his Calling and he will aim at Gods glory and his neighbours good in his Calling more then in getting of the world honouring God and doing good to his Neighbour and those he lives among if he have the mind of Christ Christ had nothing of the world but he would do good Christ was much in Prayer so will he Christ was watchful so will he Christ denyed himself and he will deny himself he will walk even as Christ walked 1 Joh. 2.6 he that saith he abides in Christ ought himself so to wolk even as he walked if you have the mind of Christ you will abide in Christ and Christ will abide in you now if it be so you must walk as Christ walked and be in the world even as he was 1 Joh. 4.17 because as he is so are we in this world By these things you may know whether you have the mind of Christ yea or no. In the next place it is an use of exhortation to us that we would be of Christs mind First to those that are of another mind and Secondly to those that are of his mind that they would be more and more of his mind First to those that are not of Christs mind there are many in the world that are of other minds of the Devils mind of the worlds mind and the fleshes mind froward minds bitter minds contentions minds Eph. 2.3 he shews you there what minds people are of Among whom also we all had our Conversation in times past in the lusts of our slesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the Children of wrath even as others We were in an ill condition when we were of that mind and did such things in James 3.14 15. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lye not against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual Devilish For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work If it be so men have not Christs mind and there is much envying and strife and bitterness in the world in these dayes O what double minds have men what covetous minds what proud minds what hypocritical minds if we have not the mind of Christ we are not true Christians and if we dye we shall perish and be undone for ever Well how shall we get the mind of Christ First lay down your own minds wills if you would have the will of Christ if the Pitcher be full of muddy water you cannot put in Wine Milk or Oyl but you must empty the Pitcher before it can receive any of these Liquors so if you would have the mind of Christ you must empty your selves of your own minds look into 1 Cor. 3.18 Let no man deceive himself if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world you think you are wise and have parts and learning and education and the like they are good in their places but they are nothing to the mind of Christ but if any man seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise Our wisdom is enmity unto God and till you have lay'd down your own wisdom you will never have the mind of Christ nor the wisdom of Christ Secondly if you would have the mind of Christ give up your selves to be Disciples of Christ that is search the Scriptures and study the Gospel especially Joh. 5. Search the Scriptures they are they that testifie of me Secondly I come to those that have something of Christs mind that they would la bour to have more of it day by day There is a natural desire and itch in all men to know more and more O that there might be such a spiritual itch and desire in you to know more of the mind of Jesus Christ Paul had it 1 Cor. 2. We have the mind of Christ yet saith he I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified his great desire was to know Christ and the mind of Christ to have the knowledg of Jesus Christ for which he accounted all things but loss and dung O this is the onely knowledge and the excellent knowledge and the soul-saving knowledge and the soul comforting knowledge to have the mind of Christ and to know the things of Jesus Christ and he would have it more and more though he knew it the most of or more than all the men in the world did in that day And why should we labour to have more of this knowledge First because it is the end of the Ministry and of the Gospel the Lord Christ hath given out ordinances a Church is an ordinance and the Officers are ordinances and it is the end of them look into 4 Eph. and see to what end they are appointed v. 11.14 And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God Mark here 's the knowledge of the Son of God that 's the mind of Christ unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we henceforth be no more Children tossed too and fro and carried about â—ith every wind of Doctrine Why all the Ordinances and all the Officers in the Church are for this end to help you to come to the mind of Christ to his mind the fulness of it the perfection of it therefore as you would have the end accomplished so labour to be more and more of the mind of Jesus Christ Secondly you should be so because it is the excellency of a Christian to have the mind of Christ more and more the more consormable to Christ who is compleat and perfect the more excellent you are 't is the very substance of a Christian to have his will his thoughts his affections his ends and aims to be the same with Christ when I have Christs thoughts and Christs will and Christs understanding and Christs affections and Christs ends what a Christian am I then he is the most excellent Christian that hath most of the mind of Christ therefore let us labour to know more of the mind of Christ and to have Christs mind in us Thirdly Lastly it is that which adds to your happiness it is a part of your happiness here in this world to be of Christs mind Wherein lay the happiness of man and wom an at first in the Image of God and it lay in knowledge and righteousness and holiness there was the Image of God Adam was