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
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
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
a sound heart he must live upon the word he cannot go a day and not read the word nor meditate on the promises that 's a sickly if not a dead heart which doth so but a sound heart will be feeding upon sound truths relish and digest the same Thirdly A heart that is sound in the Statutes of God doth look at the Statutes of God for themselves for their own sakes many you know do look at learning they will learn at the Grammar School and they will profit at the University but they do not look at learning for learning but for credit and to get a living and be some body in the world this is base So many look at the Statutes of God but not for the Statutes sake but that they may be encreased in knowledge and be sav'd at last but a sound heart looks at Gods Statutes for themselves in Psal 119. I have chosen the way of truth and v. 31. I have stuck unto thy Testimonies O God and he saith he doth prize them above thousands of Gold and Silver and above great spoils and they are his Songs in the house of his Pilgrimage why he look'd at them for themselves O! Gods Statutes they are such precious truths that let me have them though I have nothing of the world Some you know look at a Diamond because of the shining and sparkling of it self not because they shall Merchandize with it and make themselves rich So that 's sound when a man looks at Gods divine truths they are full of Glory they are beams of Gods wisdom there 's excellency in them this argues soundness of heart but many look at the truths of God as suitable to their humours they have such a lust and this will agree with their lust and so they will pick here and there which argues unsoundness as a sickly Stomach will pick a bit here and there but a sound heart looks at Gods Statutes for themselves and that excellency and worth is in them Fourthly A sound heart labours to know the will of God and seeing it to be the will of God sticks not at hard things at reproachful things let the things be never so hard never so reproachful it sticks not at it well is this the will of God saith the sound heart I will embrace it saith Christ It is written in the volume of thy Book that I should do thy will and loe I come but consider what this will is thou must be a servant thou must be persecuted into Egypt thy life must be sought among the little Children thou must be accounted an enemy to Caesar a breaker of the Sabbath thou must be reproach'd and hanged upon a Cross and be Crucifyed between Thieves and Murderers what wilt thou go now I it 's written in the volume of thy Book that I must do thy will and loe I come he sticks not at any or all of these things saith God to Abraham Abraham go and Sacrifice your onely Son Isaac unto me O Lord might he say this is a hard business what murder my Son what will my Wife say it will be her death what will the Nations say here was a bloody man to murther his Son and so I may be put to death for it I but it was the will of God and so he stuck not at it Fifthly a sound heart may be known by this that it is willing and ready to part with any thing for the Lords sake saith a sound heart what will this do me good if I lose my integrity if I lose my sincerity if I lose now my fitness to do God service by defiling my self what shall I get you know the young man comes to Christ and saith Good Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life saith he keep the Commandements Why all these things have I kept from my youth up saith Christ go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and come and follow me and thou shalt have treasure in heaven One would think here had been promise enough for him and treasure enough for him but he had rotten principles in him he had the world in him his heart was for the world and the creature and nothing of it for God Simon Magus went further than this man did he was a Professor and got into a Church Relation he brings out his bags of Gold and Silver and would give them to the Apostles that he might have that power they had to give the Holy Ghost but saith Peter thy heart is not right therefore pray if it be possible that the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee But now a gracious heart indeed will part with all saith Paul I account all less and dung Phil. 3. All my priviledges all my learning all that ever I have I account it loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and say the Disciples Master we have left all to follow thee and you know Galeatius left all for Christs sake and comes to Geneva that he might enjoy the Gospel And the Martyrs they left their lives what dearer than a mans life yet they were ready to let go their lives rather then to let go their foundness Sixthly A sound heart is that which doth fill up all its relations what relation soever it stands in towards God towards man towards the publick towards its family it will fill up its relations Acts 24.16 saith Paul herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards man saith Paul I stand in relation to God and I do exercise my self in this that I may have my Conscience cleer and free I will do all my duties towards God that he calls for otherwise I shall not have a Conscience free and towards men in every relation I stand in towards men I am careful to fill up those relations So that a sound heart is wonderful cautious in doing any thing in any relation that may not fill up its relation as Joshua Ch. 24.15 Let others do what they will I and my house will serve the Lord Others will serve their lusts and serve the times and serve men and serve Devils but I and my house will serve the Lord I am Master of this Family and I will see my Wife and Children and Servants and all under my roof to serve the Lord so saith God of Abraham I know that he will instruct and teach his Family Gen. 18.19 And so David in Psal 101. I will walk in my house with a perfect heart I will not suffer a wicked person to stay within my Family No Drunkard no Swearer no Sabbath-Breaker no prophane wretch shall stay in my Family So that a sound heart fills up its relations some make no Conscience at all of their places they are unfaithful they can hardly be trusted in any place they are in but they have no sound hearts Husbands to Wives Wives to Husbands if not
an unsound wisdom the wisdome of the world the wisdom of the flesh The word for sound wisdom is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notes essence the Law of God is substance it is essence get the truths of God into your hearts and these will be essence soundness and substance unto you thy Law is within my heart saith David and the Law was written in Christs heart and they had soundness of heart so that the way to have found hearts is to get sound truths into your hearts Thirdly if you would have sound hearts be much in examination of your hearts Many go from week to week and year to year and never examine what hearts they have but you should examine your hearts frequently daily and the more the better you will look to your houses that they be wind tite and weather tite you will look to your Ships whether they leak or no and will you not look to your hearts whether they be wind tite or weather tite whether any wind of Doctrine have got into them whether any corrupt lusts do stir in them examine and say what 's my heart is it sound in the Faith hath it sound principles is it healthy is it undivided hath it true grace is it free from hypocrisie if you examine your hearts you will mind them and know what 's in them the Scripture puts you upon it you have examples and Commands 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith or no prove your own selves try whether you be Gold or Silver true Gold or counterfeit Gold prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you unless you be Reprobates what will you leave it at randome whether you be Reprobates or no when a man comes to try himself and finds he is sick mortally wounded or hath a plurisie c. he wil seek for remedy so if you would take pains this way you would come to soundness of heart quickly in Psal 77.6 I commune with mine own heart and my Spirit made diligent search Commune with your own hearts let your Spirits make diligent search if there be no worms no weeds no ill principles there and that 's the way to come to soundness of heart therefore be much in examination 4. If you would have soundness of heart then be sure not to bring your own sence to the Scriptures but learn to know the sence of Scripture and take up Scripture sence many have unsound hearts because they put sences upon the truths of God which they never will bear You erre said Christ to the Sadduces not knowing the Scriptures therefore bring not your sences to the Scriptures but take the Scripture sence and lay by your own and that you may have that compare spiritual things with spiritual as Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.13 we compare one Scripture with another and see whether it will hold currant for one Scripture may be dark yet another may be light and so the Scripture may go hand in hand therefore if you would have sound hearts take the sence of God in Scripture his mind in his word and not the opinions of men of corrupt minds or of your own fancies Fifthly Would you have soundness of heart then be willing to hearken to reproof that 's a thing that few can bear but it shews they have unsound hearts reproof is call'd a reproof of life and you shall find it 's the way to have soundness of heart to hearken to reproof for every man is subject to erre and may step aside now reproof is a healing Medicine and doth much good Prov. 5.12 saith he how have I hated Instruction and my heart despised reproof my heart despised reproof and therefore I have had an unsound heart that hath gone out after women and spent estate and strength and contracted guilt the wrath and displeasure of God and what was the ground of it why I despised reproof now look into the 15. ch 31. v. The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise why art thou dead and hast a rotten and unsound heart a reproof is the reproof of life and when life comes soundness comes now if thy ear hearken to the reproof of life thou abidest among the wise and v. 32. he that refuseth Instruction despiseth his own soul but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding So that to hearken to reproof reproof of Parents reproof of Masters reproof of Ministers he that hearkens to these gets understanding they prove the reproofs of life and see in 1 Tit. 13. This witness is true wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith sharp rebukes make soundness in the faith this is out of practice in our dayes were it more in practice that one friend would deal impartially with another in a wise and humble way this would make sound hearts every where Sixthly Lastly to get a sound heart go unto God who hath the hearts of all in his hand and can turn them and change them as he please and make them sound though they be never so corrupt and rotten Prov. 2.7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the Righteous Parents lay up sound wealth for their Children and God layeth up sound wisdom for his and Prov. 8.14 Counsel is mine and sound wisdom there 's none hath true Counsel and sound wisdom to give but God wisdom that hath essence and substance in it therefore go to the Lord and intreat him to give you of this sound wisdom And you must go to him in good earnest go and cry to him for it Prov. 2. If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding if thou seekest her as Silver and searchest for her as for hid Treasures Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God If you will cry for her and use means to get sound wisdom God will give it for he hath lay'd it up on purpose for you you are directed and shewed the way to get it therefore cry to God and put forth your utmost strength and power to get sound wisdom that you may have soundness of heart and desire God to give you his holy spirit and that will make your hearts sound indeed for saith the Apostle God hath not given us the Spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind Gods spirit is a spirit of truth a spirit of wisdom a spirit of a sound mind and will make you have a sound mind whensoever it comes into you The second thing is to know how to preserve a sound mind when you have gotten it First have nothing to do with those that are unsound neither unsound men nor unsound books have nothing to do with them do you think ever to preserve your selves in a sound healthy condition if you will run where the Plague the Pox and the Leprosie are 't is impossible you should but if you will preserve health you
give account to God and be judged to all Eternity Now some Arguments or motives why men and women should keep their hearts sound First you should do this because there 's an hour of Temptation coming upon you Rev. 3 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them there is an hour of Temptation that must come upon the whole world to try them what will become of you now if you have unsound hearts when the time of Temptation comes if you be stubble you will burn if you be rotten you will be thrown by if you be unsound wo be to you there is an hour a coming and an hour of Temptation and it will try men and women to the quick well if God will come and try you then get sound hearts and keep sound hearts for there will be such an hour e're long Nay is there not such an hour at this time God is sifting and trying the Nation by wayes and means that seem best in his wisdom to discover Men what they are and it may come upon you and your Families very suddainly a fiery Tryal may come upon you Secondly We should do it because there are very few men ad women in the world have sound hearts In Sodom there was one Lot had a sound heart but what had all the rest in the old world there was one Noah found favour and grace in the eyes of God and had a sound heart he was sound in the faith and sound hearted towards God and his worship 't is very rare and hard to find a sound hearted man a faithful man saith Solomon who can find one of a thousand he found but one man of a thousand and in Phil. 2. All seek their own and none seek the things of Christ It 's very rare very hard to find out a sound hearted man Thirdly Consider that an unsound heart is very grievous and burthensom like a sore leg or a sore arm O how burthensom and grievous is it but what if a broken leg or arm that 's more burthensom if you have unsound hearts you will be full of guilt and full of fears and this will be a burthen unto you and a great burthen unto you to have guilt and fears upon your spirits they may sink you see what the wise man saith in Pro. 14.30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh but envy the rottenness of the bones A sound heart is the life of the flesh if a man be sound hearted he will be lively and chearful but if he be unsound hearted he will be like a dead man envy is the rottenness of the bones every sin tends to it if a man have an unsound heart he will have many lusts and sins and every one will be rottenness to his bones Nabal his heart was as a stone within him the righteous is bold as a Lyon he is full of courage and mettle but a wicked man he that hath an unsound heart he flyes when none pursues him his heart is his torment his heart is his hell it will be a burthen unto him Fourthly A man should labour to keep his heart sound otherwise he can never love the Lord Jesus Christ in truth an unsound hearted man will love somewhat else more than Christ but Eph. 6. last grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity a man of an unsound heart cannot love Christ in sincerity for sincerity is one part of a sound heart if therefore you would love the Lord Jesus in sincerity in truth get soundness of heart and keep your hearts sound let not your hearts be divided let not your hearts be Hypocritical they are unsound hearts but let your hearts be sincere and then you will love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity but if you do not what saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ that is if he love him not in sincerity for if he seem to love him and it be otherwise so much the worse he will have Anathema and Maranâ—â—ha with advantage if you have an unsound heart you cannot love Christ sincerely but now if you would have this testimony that you love the Lord Jesus in sincerity get soundness of heart keep soundness of heart Fifthly you should do this because the Lord himself is coming to Judgment James 5.9 grudge not one against another Brethren least ye be condemned behold the Judge standeth before the door The Judge is very near he is knocking at your door he is coming to Judge you and it will not be long but you must be Judged and the Lord I say stands at the door therefore look to it that your hearts be sound what will become of you if the Lord find you Hypocrites if the Lord find you unsound hearted men and women if he find your hearts are divided between him and the world that they are sick with lusts that you are under the dominion of sin that you have but seeming grace and not real grace what will become of you the Judge is at the door and you may go this night for ought you know Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee look to it that your hearts be sound for God will search you to the quick he will discover men and women what they are to the full and open every secret Sixthly Lastly labour for soundness of heart upon the account of the Text Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed you will be ashamed one day if your hearts be not sound And so I come to the last point and that is Obs 4. That those that have not soundness of hearts sooner or later will be made ashamed In Prov. 26.26 whose hatred is covered by deceit his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole Congregation when men do cover up their wickedness and have unsound hearts they hate their Neighbor and give them sweet words and the like but they hate them in their hearts and the man whose hatred is covered by deceit his wickedness shall be discovered before the whole Congregation Laodicea was luke-warm and had a rotten heart and did not God say I will spew thee out of my mouth Judas had a rotten heart and was he not discovered and ashamed Judas the Traytor and the Scripture is full of such instances every where there is no need to stick upon it Now for the word Shame not to trouble you with many things There be three things make a man ashamed all which will be found in an unsound heart First when a man shall be found that which others did not think him to be and he thought not himself to be as when a man is prov'd a Bankrupt others thought him to be a man of credit
THE Sound-hearted Christian OR A TREATISE OF Soundness of Heart With several other SERMONS As Of Believing Of being of Christs mind Of doing all in his Name Of the preciousness of the Word Of the sweetness of the Word and Against the Love of the World By William Greenhill Non progredi est regredi London Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Cross Keys in Bishopsgate-street near Leaden-hall 1670. To that little Flock the Author of the ensuing Treatise relates unto DEarly beloved knowing that shortly I must put off my earthen Tabernacle I thought it meet whilst I am in it to mind you of something Preached amongst you and to present the same in Print unto you that ye might be able after my decease to have the same alwayes in remembrance The chief part of the Treatise is about Soundness of Heart and what is my desire but that you may be found sound hearted The times we live in are discovering times and the unsoundness of many is lay'd open before the Sun they began in the spirit and now are ending in the flesh many are declined and too many declining The Jews rejoyced in John's light for a season Those of Asia followed Paul while the Sun shined but when it was cloudy weather they turn'd aside Those that came out of Egypt meeting with hardships unlook'd for would have gone back to Egyptian flesh-pots and of six hundred thousand men only Caleb and Joshuah who had sound hearts entred into Canaan The holy Scripture mentions but one Demas who imbrac'd the world now there are many so drench't in it that they are in danger of erring from the faith Have not some of all perswasions amongst us manifested their unsoundness by deserting their principles and practices Have not some forsaken their first love and are become lukewarm Laod ceans Are not many halting between God and Baal Are not multitudes return'd to the Romish Synagogne whose Head they pretend is Peter's Successor but unlike him altogether except in denyal of his Lord and Master Have not some gone out from you that were not of you and left Christ the only true light for their own light is it not an hour of Temptation Are there not blustring winds of Doctrine abroad that would blow away the grace and gospel of Christ and have only morality for grace and gospel Is not the Dragon wroth with the Woman and making war with the remnant of her seed which keep the Commandments of God now manifest your selves to be of that seed admit of nothing against the command of Christ without you or the light and motions of the spirit within you The Rabbins say that in the Kingdom of Messiah there is nothing of mans invention In regno Messiae nil mundanum If the Whores golden Cup be offer'd you look not at the glittering outside but the poyson within and drink not thereof least you dye keep your garments clean meddle not with any thing that defileth or is defiled Think not Ordinances needless things for if so the taking away the Kingdom of Heaven from the Jews was no great judgement nor the bestowing of it upon another people any great mercy Have an high esteem of the Word and Oudinances for where there is no vision people perish Hold fast what you have heard and stand fast in the Lord and so shall ye live and you shall be our hope our joy and crown of Rejoycing That you may do so and be so in this day of Tryal and Tribulation this little Treatise is commended unto you wherein you will find what soundness of heart is how greatly desirable and excellent whether your hearts be so how to get such hearts and how to keep them being gotten with something of faith something of being of Christs mind of doing all in his name something of the preciousness and sweetness of the Word and somewhat against the love of the world which if you will read mind and practice you will never fall from the principles and stedfastness but be stronger and stronger and hold on the way until you appear before the Lord in glory The God of all grace be with you dwell in you and inable you all in all things to do his will Yours in the work of the Lord to serve you W. G. ERRATA PAge 10. line 24. read are p. 11. l. 16. r. his p. 15. l. 18. r. 1st Use p. 29. l. 3. r. Obs 2. p. 31. l. 7. r. hereupon p. 35. l. 11. r. do p. 37. l. 29. r. Hezekiah p. 44. l. 6. r. do p. 46. l. 30. r. Jannes p. 47. l. 17. r. Thirdly p. 53. l. 30. r. for p. 58. l. 23. r. fold p. 59. l. 17. r. that fall p. 64. l. 23. r. therefore p. 81. l. 12. r. souls p. 94. l. 9. r. for are will be p. 100. l. 6. r. beautiful l. 20. r. not p. 112. l. 4. r. it 's p. 116. l. 30. r. if p. 128. l. 2. r. if p. 174. l. 9. r. Doctr. without first p. 175. l. 1. r. what things p. 199. l. 32. dele of p. 213. l. 26. r. lamps p. 219. l. 11. r. 140. p. 243. l. 18. r. cares p. 267. l. 2. after no add and leave things certain is unreasonable p. 269. l. 12. r. knee p. 287. l. 28. r. with p. 293. l. 26. d a. p. 295. l. 22. r. doth p. 299. l. 12. r. wares p. 304. l. first r. yea These with some other Errata's especially in the last sheets which the Author had not opportunity to review the Reader is desired to correct and Pardon Of Soundness of Heart The Substance of several Sermons upon Psal 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed THis Psalm doth consist of as many parts as there be Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet and every eight verses begins with a distinct Letter of the A phabet and it 's a Psalm that some of the Antients do call the very marrow and heart of the Scripture it being in the middest of the Book of God And divers Eulogies they have of it precious truths are contained in it And twice in this Psalm doth David make request unto God about his heart the one is in the 36. v. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness O Lord saith David I desire my heart may go the right way but I am not able to manage nor carry my heart as I would I would fain have it cleave to thy testimonies but it runs out here and there and therefore Lord saith he incline thou my heart unto thy testimonies thy testimonies are very precious they testifie of thy Nature they testifie of thine attributes they testifie of thy promises they testifie of thy will and good pleasure they testifie what will be the advantage of man for his present and eternal good incline my heart unto thy testimonies and 〈◊〉 to covetousness Alas what are the honours the pleasures the riches of the world to thy testimonies they
are perishing things but thy testimonies indure for ever The second request he makes concerning his heart is in the words I have read O Lord let my heart be sound in thy Statutes In which words you have first David's request Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes Secondly the end or the reason why he would have it so That I be not ashamed Let my heart he dont say let my Head be sound in thy Statutes but my Heart By heart he dont mean the fleshy part that is within man for so heart is sometimes taken in Scripture but he means by heart his Soul the principal part of man and so it 's taken in the 23. Prov. My Son give me thine heart that is give We thy Soul thy reason understanding judgment will and affections I call not for thy Body I call not for thy Flesh but I must have thy Spirit I I must have thy soul The soul is express'd here by heart because the soul doth act principally in the heart Let my heart be sound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Hebrew word First Let my heart be perfect with thee and not divided and so it is opposite to division mens hearts are divided between God and the world Ephraim had a divided heart Secondly Let my heart be upright for so the word bears it too and so it 's opposed to Hypocrisie let my heart â—e upright and sincere and not hypocritical Thirdly Let my heart be undefiled so the word is rendred in the â— v. of this Psalm and so it 's opposed to pollution defiledness Let my heart be undefiled pure clean spotless free from Sin Fourthly Let my heart be sound having nothing but truth in it and so it 's opposed to all errors whatsoever so you have it in Tit. 2.2 Let the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in the Faith men are sound in the Faith when their hearts and ears are open to no error no corrupt opinions no false tenents no winds of Doctrine to nothing of Man nothing of Satan nothing of the world let my heart be sound in thy Statutes let not my heart have any errors in it any false Tenents in it any dangerous opinions in it but let my heart be sound in thy Statutes In thy Statutes In this Psalm you have mention of Laws Commands Precepts Testimonies Ordinances and Statutes divers appellations but noting the same thing Thy Statutes that is the appointments of God what God doth appoint to be the rule for our thoughts affections words worship and wayes what he appoints men to do those are his Statutes They are Statutes because determined of God to be standing rules for all men to conform unto and the Laws and Statutes of Nations and Kingdoms should be conformable to them Stata via 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stabile Now saith David let my heart be sound in thy Statutes the words thus opened will yield us some points to treat on Obs 1. First That a gracious heart is a jealous heart Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes I am jealous of my heart 2. That the heart is especially to be look'd after Let my heart O let my heart my eye is upon my heart 3. That it is the desire of Saints and gracious ones to have sound hearts O Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes 4. That an unsound heart will one time or other make a man ashamed Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes That I be not ashamed If the heart be unsound it will appear it will break out It will be discovered and tend to your shame Doct. 1. First a gracious heart is a jealous heart saith David O let my heart be sound in thy Statutes I have a jealousie of my heart that 't is not sound and I would not be deceived here O let my heart be sound That a gracious heart is a jealous heart you may see it in the 47. Psal 6. v. I call to remembrance my Song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my Spirit made diligent Search I Commune with my heart and I make search and diligent search to see whether my heart be sound or no so in the 139 Psal 23.24 Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my Thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Truly Lord saith he I am Jealous of my heart I am afraid of my heart I have been searching and trying of it and I am afraid there is some way of wickedness in my heart I am afraid it will deceive me and bring me to shame one day why Lord do thou search me and try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way that I cannot find out and Lord discover it to me and if there be any evil in me do not leave me to my own heart but Lord lead me in the way everlasting Thus the Church in the 3. Lam. 40 41. Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens O come God is angry and hath corrected us severely our hearts have not been right with God let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord we have gone aside and we were not aware of it our hearts have deceived us come come let us lift up our hearts to God he hath not our hearts yet Now this Jealousie that a holy man hath of his heart is a Godly jealousie not a wicked naughty jealousie but a Godly jealousie there is a Godly jealousie over others and over a mans self 2 Cor. 11.2 1 Cor. 9.27 Qu. Now it may be ask'd of what is he jealous in his own heart An. First he is jealous least the change which he hopes is in his heart should not be thorough he is afraid 't is not a thorough change he remembers he hath heard in Scripture that one may be almost a Christian and yet not altogether a Christian as Felix said Thou hast perswaded me almost to become a Christian I but he was not a Christian he remembers and considers Ephraim was a Cake half bak'd not thorough bak'd he considers the young man in the Gospel was not far from the Kingdom of Heaven but not in the Kingdom of Heaven Now he is jealous of himself in regard of his change there must be a change in a man that is Godly a thorough change an universal change now he hath a Godly jealousie of himself least he should not be thoroughly changed Secondly he is jealous from what principle he now acts act he doth but he is jealous least he doth not act from a right principle whether he act from the Spirit of God within from the Divine nature within him Or whether he do act from reason from affection from nature from custom what principle he acts by he is jealous of he hath a Godly
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
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
careful to please one another according to the word of God their hearts are not sound if Children be not obedient to their Parents Servants serving their Masters not with eye-service but with singleness of heart as unto the Lord their hearts are not sound many will hear the word of God and talk of good things but care not for doing their duties in their places how do they fill up their relations but now if you be sound hearted you will fill up your relations you stand in Seventhly a sound heart can bear sharp afflictions very quietly and meekly a sore Shoulder will bear no burthen a Horse with a gall'd back will winch and kick and fling take a hand that the skin is off and pour vinegar upon it or lay Salt upon it and how terrible is it but if the hand be sound it can bear it if the Shoulder be sound it can bear a burthen if the Horse be sound he can bear the Rider so a sound heart can bear any burthen Moses was a meek man and he bore all the burthen that was upon him But now if the heart be not sound there 's fretting murmuring and repining when the heart is not sound every little thing doth disturb and disquiet it but when its sound it 's like Christ's heart it can bear all burthens whatsoever Eighthly A sound heart is the same towards God in the darkest dispensations that can be as it is to God in the sweetest dispensations that may be when God carries it most strangely and most enemy-like unto the soul that soul is the same towards God still as it was towards God before in the most sweet and pleasing dispensations saith Hab. in his 3. ch Though the Fig-tree should not blossem neither should fruit be in the Vine the Labour of the Olive should fail the fields should yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the soul and there shall be no heard in the Stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation Though there be so great a famine as there is nothing left without or within yet will I rejoyce in God a man uses to rejoyce in God when he hath abundance of the creature but saith Hab. Though none of all these be and there be nothing but famine and I am ready to perish yet will I rejoyce in the Lord his heart was sound and he was the same towards God in one dispensation as in another So Job in the 13. ch 15. v. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him I trusted him when I had all things abounding about me and I will trust in him when all things are taken from me a sound heart is the same at all times Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant which walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himself upon his God A sound heart will trust in God in Winter as well as in Summer in a Dark night as well as in a Sun shine day in Phil. 4. I have learned saith Paul in whatever estate I am therewith to be content I can want and I can abound God hath made my heart sound and I can rejoyce in all conditions The Cananitish woman Christ calls her Dog here was a dark dispensation but she calls him Lord Lord the Dogs eat the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table So that if your hearts be sound in the Statutes and in the things of God your hearts will be the same towards God in adversity as in prosperity in sickness as in health in poverty as in glory and honour Ninthly a sound heart will never turn aside from God or out of his way upon any pretence perswasion or advantage whatsoever but keeps on in Gods way in the Kings road in the way of holiness in the way of truth in the way of righteousness it keeps on in this way and will not be warp'd or turned aside it 's said in 1 K. 15.5 That David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hittie 〈◊〉 through some violent temptations David turned aside once but now here was the integrity and soundness of his heart that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from the things that he commanded him all the dayes of his life so that a sound heart will not turn aside 't is not flattery 't is not fear 't is not advantage will make him do it but God is God Truth is Truth as Christ hated iniquity and loved righteousness so doth a sound heart this is the way of God and I will go this way saith a sound heart in the 11. Acts they cleave to God with purpose of heart the Apostle would not take money to give unto Simon Magus the gift of the Holy Ghost and a sound heart it will not be brib'd it will not be couzened it will not turn to the left hand or to the right hand but goes right forward to the end of the way Tenthly A sound heart hath a spiritual confidence and boldness in it and can come unto the Lord in another manner than an unsound and corrupt heart can I say it hath a spiritual boldness and considence in it Heb. 10.19.22 having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holyest by the blood of Jesus how comes any to have a spiritual boldness he must have his heart sound if he have any boldness in him if his heart be guilty if his heart be corrupt and rotten there can be no boldness nor confidence but being sound a man hath boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus A man that hath interest in the blood of Jesus hath a sound heart and v. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience here 's that makes the heart good and makes the heart bold when the heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ the Conscience is made sound and good and being thus now let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance such a heart as is sound may come with assurance and confidence unto God and beg of God what he stands in need of this is the nature of a sound heart 11. A sound heart depends upon God alone for all spiritual mercies in 1 Cor. 1. saith the Apostle But of him are ye in Christ Jesus that is of God are we in Christ Jesus God hath drawn you to Christ and stated you in Christ so that of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption who of God is made unto us Those that are in Christ Jesus have soundness of heart they have
the very heart and mind of Christ now saith he who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption That soul depends upon God for Wisdome from Christ for Sanctification from Christ for Righteousness from Christ for Redemption from Christ it doth not depend upon its own Acts it s own Experiences it s own Graces it s own Comforts it doth not depend upon the Law it doth not depend upon the Gospel but upon God through Christ so that a sound heart sees through all unto God who is the root and fountain and fetches all from thence it takes up all from God from God through a Covenant of Grace from God through Christ so that as it is in Isa 45.24 Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength I have it not from an Ordinance I have it not in my self but from God through Christ from God through an Ordinance saith David my soul wait thou onely upon the Lord for from him cometh thine expectation 12. Lastly for discovery of a sound heart a sound heart is that conforms to Gods word not to the world in Rom. 12. beginning be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God When a man is transformed by the renewing of his mind he is a sound minded a sound hearted man but till then he is a corrupt hearted man Now if you be sound hearted you will not conform to the world but to the word which is the will of God revealed That good that acceptable that perfect will of God you will conform to saith Paul in 6. Gal. 14. I am Crucified to the world he now conforms to the good and acceptable will of God for God would have us to look at Christ Crucified and to dye to sin through the death of Christ and Paul looks at Christ Crucified and is dead to the world and the world was dead to him he would not conform to the world a sound heart conforms not to the world worldly worship worldly customes worldly fashions worldly manners but conforms to the word therefore look to it for few sound hearted there are so many conform to the world and so few to the word but a sound heart will conform to sound Doctrine the sound word and not to the world that lyes in wickedness and thus you see several discoveries of a sound heart Use 4. The fourth Use is of consolation of comfort to all those that find they have sound hearts have you sound hearts hearts well principled with divine truth have you hearts undivided and carried wholly to God have you hearts that are healthy and sound have you hearts that have truth of grace in them hearts without hypocrisie and guile hearts set for God to do his will you are then fit for Gods use and service you are then like to the Lord Jesus Christ you are precious in the sight of God you are dear unto him you have a blessedness then upon you I you are differenced from all hypocrites and such as shall perish you are those that shall hold out to the end you will be the honour and glory of the Gospel you will be the honour and glory of the Ministry 1 Thess 3.8 For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord O you Thessalonians we live if you stand fast if you be sound hearted you will stand fast you will continue to the end and this will be our life I it will be your honour and your Crown and Glory if you stand fast So that here 's comfort and great comfort to those are sound hearted Vse 5. The fifth and last use of this point is to exhort men and women to labour to get soundness of heart sound minds sound spirits see to it for 't is of concernment that you have sound hearts Lord saith David let my heart be sound in thy Statutes O Lord let me have a heart sound in thy Statutes though I have no Kingdom though I have no Army though I have no outward Comforts yet let me have a sound heart I shall here first shew you how you may get a sound heart Secondly how you may keep a sound heart Thirdly some motives to press you on to it First how to come to have a sound heart First If you would have soundness of heart then labour to cleanse out of your hearts all that may corrupt your hearts or make your hearts unsound you know a Garment if it have Dirt in it Moths in it wet in it it will corrupt the Garment therefore you will take a course to get out the Moths and to dry it and to beat out the dust that so your Garments may be sound if there be worms in the timber it will rot and consume the timber If there be ill humors in the body you must out with them or they will destroy the body so if you would have sound hearts you must cleanse out all that is of a corrupting nature there are two things that make a corrupt heart principally First Erroneous opinions and principles Secondly Mens lusts Now as for errors they are call'd the errors of the wicked wicked men take in wicked errors wicked opinions corrupt opinions and these make corrupt minds corrupt consciences corrupt hearts and corrupt men and women and so lusts they are deceitful lusts defiling lusts Ephe. 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts if you have a lust of envy envy is rottenness to the bones if a lust of pride uncleanness of covetousness c. you must put them off you must cleanse your selves from them you must wash and scower your hearts so that if you would have sound hearts away with corrupt opinions away with deceitful and corrupt lusts Secondly if you would have sound hearts then labour to get sound truths into them 2. Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast learned of me Timothy I have taught thee wholsom and sound Doctrine I have Preached unto thee the Gospel of Christ I have given thee Rules and Laws whereby to direct thee hold fast the pattern or form of sound words or of wholsom words there are corrupt words which are not sound there are corrupting words and such words do a great deal of hurt as in the 2 Ch. 17. v. and their words do eat as doth a Canker c. These are corrupting words gangreening words words that eat out soundness when men come with such opinions as there 's no Christ no God no Heaven no Hell and these Scriptures are not the word of God Oh what Gangreening words are these therefore hold fast the pattern of wholsom words get sound words into your hearts and they will make your hearts found Solomon tells you of sound wisdom Prov. 3.21 keep sound wisdom and discretion there is
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
and wealth and it may be he did not think himself to be one but when he comes to be prov'd to be one he is discovered to be that he was not so in Rev. 2. Thou hast tryed them and found them Lyars they said they were Apostles but they were found by the Church to be no Apostles but Lyars and now they were ashamed so they that said they were Jews and were not but he 's a Jew that is one inwardly and not outwardly only unsound hearted men will be found that which they are not in their own apprehension and in the judgments of others now this will bring shame when men shall be found that which they are not at present and which they were not in the judgment of others Secondly that which brings shame is disappointment when men are disappointed of their expectations Jer. 14. And their Nobles sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water they returned with their vessels empty they were ashamed and confounded and covered their heads So that disappointment causes shame as in Isa 20.5 They shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and of Egypt their Glory So that when men are disappointed of their expectations then they are ashamed now unfound hearted men they will be disappointed of their expectations they look for Comfort Peace Heaven happiness and Glory but they shall be disappointed the five foolish Virgins they thought to go in to Heaven but they were disappointed of their expectation and so greatly ashamed Thirdly When great evils not look'd for come upon men and women then they are ashamed 2 Sam. 10.5 The men were greatly ashamed there were Ambassadors sent to Hanan and he cuts off half their Beards and half their Garments and here was evil come upon them they look'd not for and they were greatly ashamed so men that are unsound will have evils come upon them that they look'd not for God will bring evil upon them that they look'd not for evil upon their States and evil upon their Names and evils upon their Bodies and Souls and this will make them ashamed Now this shame frequently is in this Life but alwayes at the day of Judgment In this life how are men asham'd what a multitude of men in these dayes are discovered to be unsound hearted full of rotten principles Errors Heresies and sinful complyances and this is their shame what a multitude have divided hearts between God and Mammon what a multitude are discovered to have but seeming grace and no truth of grace in them what a multitude of Hypocrites have we in the world that have pretended fair and high and yet now their Hypocrisie appears they have left the sweet Grapes of Canaan for the stinking Garlick of Egypt what a multitude have we whose hearts are not set to practice what they hear these are all unsound hearted and these are discovered and more and more shall be discovered daily But at last when the Goats shall be set at the left hand and the Sheep at the right hand and Christ shall say go ye Hereticks go ye erroneous persons go you Apostates go you prophane wretches go you Persecutors begon to hell to the Devil and his Angels now they shall be ashamed and confounded for ever So that God he hath his time sooner or later to discover unsound hearted men and women Now that that I shall do here shall be first to shew you who are like to prove unsound and corrupt hearted men and women Secondly to give you some Directions or Arguments to prevent unsoundness of heart shame and confusion First who are like to prove rotten and unsound at the heart First those who do receive truth into impure hearts into divided hearts truth is holy truth is pure and truth never dwells or abides long but in a pure heart t is true truth doth sojourn sometimes in a corrupt heart Lot he sojourns in Sedom a little while Christ lay a while in the manger but he staid not there long and so mens corrupt wills thrust out truth out of the heart it will not let it stay long unless the heart be pure and holy 1 Tim. 3.9 holding the mysterie of the faith in a pure Conscience That is holding the Doctrine of the Gospel and a pure Conscience unless mens hearts and Consciences be pure they will never hold the mysterie they may have some part of the mysterie conveyed unto them which may visit them a little while but their hearts and Consciences cannot hold the fame and then such men and women will prove unfound at the latter end Secondly They are like to prove unsound who do take upon them the profession of Religion and Godliness and do much and go far but not for right ends many have their ends why they will profess Religion why they will have a form of Godliness and why they will do this and that they have their ends why they will get into Church-fellowship some will profess Religion and go far for credit esteem and respect when Religion is in fashion in credit and esteem they will be religious so Scribes and Pharises sought honour of men and so we have those seek honour and credit of men and because of that they will enter upon Religion but they will not be sound some do it for preferment and advantage some again for livelyhood they are poor mean and low in the world and have heavy pressures that way and therefore they will get into a Church that they may be maintained and so live by the sweat of others and think the Church is bound to maintain them and theirs such men as these will prove unsound at the last but have you no better ends to move you then these to be Religious and to look unto Gods Statutes Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes the Glory of God must be your end the good of Souls must be your end the good of your own foul and all other ends must be lay'd by now if men have not such ends as these they will prove rotten at last and will be discovered to their shame Thirdly Those are like to prove unsound at last and be ashamed who have not seriously considered what it may cost them to profess the Gospel to be Christians to enter into Church state and are not resolved to buy the Pearl though it be at the dearest rate they will prove unsound it may cost you something to be Christians so in Luke 14.26 and so forward If any man come to me saith Christ and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life Mark he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple for which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he hath sufficient to finish it least haply after he hath lay'd the Foundation and is
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
name and strength of the Lord and make mention of his righteousness and of his onely and in Isa 44.25 Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength what made Peter fall but this that he went out in his own strength I will dye e're I will deny thee O poor Peter he did then presently deny him once twice he denyed him with execrations 15. Men prove unsound and are ashamed that do either joyn any thing of their own to Christ or fetch their comforts any where else then from Christ most men and women joyn something of their own with Christ I will do what I can and I hope Christ will do the rest Alas poor creature dost thou joyn thy self with Christ and make thy works and thy sufferings equal to Christs and give them the honour that Christ must have thou art undone Christ must save alone or he will not save at all Christ doth all alone without thee he looks for nothing from thee Rom. 9.32 wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law we read saith the Jews and we Pray and we offer Sacrifice and we burn Incense we keep Sabbaths Solemn Feasts and new Moons and what must we not bring in our own Righteousness with Christs must all this be lay'd by they would have it as it were by the works of the Law and Ch. 10.3 they being ignorant of Gods righteousness they did not know that Christ's righteousness alone must do it and Christs obedience and Christ's sufferings must do it but going about to establish their own righteousness they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God and so they were unsound hearted and undid themselves for when men or women bring any thing to Christ they undo themselves you must come without money to Christ without righteousness without your duties without your own actions and the good of them for what 's all your goodness but as a morning cloud therefore whosoever will bring ought to Christ is unsound and will be ashamed and so are you if you fetch your comfort from any but Christ there are many poor Christians which are shaken very much are empty of all is good in their own eyes yet they will fetch their Comfort from elsewhere than from Christ they will fetch their comfort from the promises from God immediately or from the Ordinances or the Minister or some good Christian or Godly friend but know that if you fetch your comfort any where but from Christ it will never hold is not Christ the consolation of Israel God hath given Christ to send the Comforter and you must have your comfort in Christ for all the promises of God in Christ are yea and in him Amen the promises are made first to Christ and you must take up the promise in Christ and draw the comfort out of the promise through Christ and you must go to God through Christ what comfort to you from God out of Christ it's nothing but discomfort if we will take up comfort any way but by Christ we go the wrong way to work and undo our selves and shall be ashamed at last 16. They are like to prove unsound who do go on in a tract of duty in a form of Godliness and get nothing thereby when men do not get and gain and grow by the Ordinances of God it 's a sign their hearts are corrupt they are unsound do not many sit under Ordinances year after year and yet no lusts mortifyed ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth no lust is mortified no lust subdued no change made in their heads and hearts no zeal be got in them no encrease of faith no more love to God c. these men now are unsound and will be ashamed at last the Jews were long under the means of grace and yet they gain'd nothing the Scribes and Pharises had a form of Godliness and I am not like this Publican but no whit the better now when it is so it 's a dangerous symptom having a form of Godliness but without power yet many Families and Christians have a form of Godliness but no power at all 17. Again 't is a dangerous symptom of an unfound heart when as we are under troubles shakings convictions and terrors of Conscience and we look more at ease and comfort than we do at foundness many when they are shaken and convinced of sin and see that they are lost and undone creatures they must have ease comfort and relief presently they must have Oyl they must have Wine it 's a thousand to one if this soul ever proves right for if thy conviction be right and God intend thee rich mercy to eternity Thou wilt look after soundness and healing of thy soul rather than ease and comfort Heal my soul saith David for I have sinned against thee Create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right Spirit O God let me be made clean let me be made sound and no matter for comfort that will come in time if the cure be right if therefore we look at ease comfort and refreshing and look not at healing we are not right and there 's no healing virtue but in Christ the Lord Jesus he is the Son of righteousness that comes with healing in his wings come Lord and heal my soul come Lord and purge my conscience come and take away these lusts and corruptions come and take away my enmity to God and to his wayes the soul goes thus to God that soul is sound indeed 18. That soul which loves any thing more than the Lord Christ himself and God himself cannot have a testimony of its foundness but may be assured it is corrupt and rotten unless we do love God and Christ superlatively above all things in the world yea our selves we are not sound Math. 12.30 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength mark here be four all 's and God must have all in every one thou must love the Lord thy God with thy heart and with all thy heart it must not be a divided heart it must be with all thy soul the soul is larger than the heart and with all thy mind the mind runs here and there and imagins strange things God must have all thy mind all thy affections and all thy understanding and with all thy strength is there strength in thy mind in thy soul in thy heart in thy body in thy hand in thine eye God must have thy strength Love the Lord thy God will all thy strength but if we love any thing more than God where are we then 2 Tim. 3. Lovers of pleasure more than Lovers of God men will spend night and day in Feasting in Drinking in Gaming in Rioting one way or other what are these now but corrupt men unsound men rotten hearted men men
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
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
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
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 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
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
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