Pro Rege

Extracted from Joseph Mede’s Discourse XXXVII. (Proverbs 4:23)

Keep thy heart with all diligence [Heb. מכל משמר, above all keeping:] For out of it are the issues of life.
—Proverbs 4:23

EVERY way of man (saith the same mouth which uttered this) is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts, Prov. 21:2, 16:2. All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes: but the Lord weigheth the spirits. Which words have this Discretive [marking distinction] sense, that Although the eyes of men judge of the rightness of the ways of men by that which appeareth to the eye: yet God he is not as man, nor judgeth like him; but he pondereth the heart and spirit. Therefore in Scripture he is styled A God that searcheth the heart and reins: Jer. 17:10. I the Lord search the heart, I trie the reins; even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Which words our Saviour useth Rev. 2:23 in his Epistle to Thyatira, I am he which searcheth the reins and the hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works: that is, Men esteem of works as they see; but I judge and reward them as I see. Men punish and reward according to the outside only, which comes under the view and stands in awe of men: but God judges and rewards according to the Heart or inward man, which he only sees, and which therefore stands in awe and fear of none but him. For as for the outward act, it may as well be done for the praise and awe of men, as for love and fear of God; and therefore by it cannot be discerned whether our obedience be to God or man: But the Heart is that divine Touch-stone, as that which hath none to fear, none to please, none to approve it self unto, but him who alone sees it and is only able to try and examine it,

If therefore any Precept, any Admonition in the whole Book of God deserve the best of our attention to hear, and greatest care to put in practice, this of my Text is worthy to be accounted of that number; Keep thy heart above all keeping: For out of it are the issues of life.

The words divide themselves into two parts; An Admonition, and A Motive. The Admonition, Keep thy heart above all keeping: The Motive, For out of it are the issues of life; that is, Even as in the life of nature, the Heart is the fountain of living, and the well-spring of all operations of life; so in the life of grace, we live to God through it.

In the Admonition consider 1. The Act, Keep: 2. The Object what we are to keep, our Heart: 3. The Manner and Means how it must be kept, with all diligence, or above all keeping.¹

Of the Act Keep I shall not need say much; it is an easie word, and we shall not forget it in that which follows, but ever and anon have occasion to repeat it. Only here observe in general,² That our Hearts are untrusty, unruly, and obvious to be surprised; for such things we are wont to keep: and so much therefore is implied, in that they are to be kept, else they needed no keeping. This is therefore the condition of our Hearts.

1. They are untrusty. The heart is deceitful above all things, Jer. 17:9. Therefore it stands in hand to watch it, to suspect it, and deal with it as we would with a notable Iugler [juggler/trickster] or with an untrusty and pilfering servant, to have a jealous and a watchful eye over it: For if our eye be never so little off, it will presently break out into some unlawful liberty or other.
2. It is an unruly thing; if it be once lost, a man cannot recover it again without much time and labour. For it is like unto a wild horse; if the bridle be once let go, he will be gone, and not gotten again in haste; yea it may be we shall be forced to spend as much time in recovering him, as would have served to have dispatched our whole journey: So if the bridle of watchfulness be once let go, and our Hearts get loose, they will not easily be regained; it will ask us no small time to temper and tune them again for the service of God.³

Lastly, our hearts are continually liable to surprise; we walk in the midst of snares, encompassed with dangers on every side. What is that almost which will not entice and allure so fickle a thing as the Heart from God? We can be secure of it at no time, neither sleeping nor waking; in no place, neither house nor street, neither bed nor board; not in our Closet, no not in the Church and Pulpit.

THUS much shall suffice to have been briefly observed by way of implication from the Act, Keep.

Now I come to the Object⁴ itself, The Heart, Keep thy Heart. By Heart we must understand the inward thoughts, motions and affections of the Soul and Spirit, whereof the Heart is the Chamber. But not a natural man’s Heart, for that is not worth a keeping; but such a Heart as lives to God-ward, a good and gracious heart, which consists in two properties, in Purity and Loyalty. This is the state and temper we must keep our Hearts in. I will speak of them in order.

And first of Purity and Cleanness: We must keep our Hearts in Purity and Cleanness⁵; For Blessed are the pure in Heart, for they shall see God, Matt. 5:8; and none but such shall ever see him. It behoves us therefore to know what this Cleanness is, the having or not having whereof concerns us so nearly. Know then, A clean or pure Heart is that which loaths sin, and loves righteousness. For the better understanding whereof, we must further know, That an absolute cleanness and pureness of the heart and soul from sin is not attainable in this life, Prov. 20:9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Yet is there a cleanness of heart which must be had, and without which we shall never see God, as you heard before. Such was that which David prays for, Ps. 51:10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. And 2 Tim. 2:22 true Christians are described to be such as call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. 1 Tim. 1:5. The end of the Commandment, saith the Apostle, is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. And himself 2 Tim. 1:3 thanks God whom he served from his forefathers with a pure conscience.

But if this Purity of the heart were no other than a total freedom thereof from all unclean thoughts and sinful motions and desires, in such sort as a man should never be troubled and defiled with them; alas! who then should see God? who should be saved? That Cleanness therefore, that measure of Purity which God requires to be in the heart of every one who shall see him, and with whom he will vouchsafe to dwell, is (as I told you) the loathing of sin, and the love of righteousness: that is an accepted Cleanness through Faith, when the hate of impurity and love of cleanness in the heart is accepted with God for cleanness and pureness it self. Though not a cleanness of all our affections, yet at least (and what can God require less?) an affection to all cleanness: For God accepts the will for the deed. If we love, if we desire, if we delight heartily in that which is clean and pure in the eyes of God; if we hate and abhor, if we loath in our selves all sinful impurities and pollutions both of flesh and spirit; howsoever we find in our selves a great want of the one, and our hearts much and often vexed and troubled with the other; yet is this affection of our hearts accepted with God for a pure and cleansed heart indeed. And where this disposition is, the heart cannot chuse but grow cleaner and cleaner, even with real and formal cleanness. For a man cannot but cherish that which he loveth, and rid himself as much as may be of what he loatheth. So he that loveth and affecteth cleanness of heart, will cherish and make much of every good motion which the Spirit of God shall put into it; and if he indeed loath and abhor unclean and sinful thoughts, will do his best to stifle them and remove them far from him.

This Cleanness and Purity of Heart is that which the Scripture styleth Holiness, even that Holiness without which, S. Paul tells us, Heb. 12:14, no man shall see the Lord. For in the Law, the legal cleansing, washing and purging of that which any way belonged to God or was prepared for his presence and service, is called sanctifying or hallowing, Exod. 19:10. When the Lord was to come down upon Mount Sinai, Go unto the People, (saith he to Moses) and sanctifie them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes. 2 Chron. 29:5. Hezekiah saith to the Levites, Sanctifie now your selves, and sanctifie the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. And accordingly in the 16 verse the Priests go in to cleanse it; which cleansing in the next verse is called their sanctifying it. In Deut. 23:14, where a law is given for cleanness and neatness in the Camp, the reason is rendred in these words, For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the Camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee: therefore shall thy Camp be holy, that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. The same expression S. Paul applies to spiritual cleansing, 2 Cor. 7:1. Let us (saith he) cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Here, with S. Paul also, Holiness is Cleansing, and Cleansing is Holiness. So Eph. 5:26. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it, &c.

As therefore under the Law that place was not fit to entertain the presence of God, nor any thing duly prepared to approach or come near him, which was not thus externally cleansed and sanctified: Such is the case of the inward cleansing of the heart; unless it be sanctified with purity and cleanness, God will never dwell in it, nor suffer ought from it as acceptable to come near him. Wherefore it is not without good reason we pray in our Liturgie, O Lord, make clean our hearts within us; And take not thy holy Spirit from us: For God’s Spirit will not dwell in a sty; it is a clean Spirit, and will have a clean habitation. That which S. Paul speaks of the whole man, 2 Cor. 6:16–17, Ye are the Temple of the living God, wherefore touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you, is principally true of the heart and spirit. The rest of the Body is but as the Court of the Temple; but the Seat of his presence in the spiritual man, as the Holy place, is the Heart: even as it is also the Seat of life in the natural; primum vivens et ultimum moriens, the first that lives and the last that dies.

But by what means should a man get and keep such a Heart as this? How is this Holiness and Cleanness of heart to be come by? I answer, The General means on our part to obtain this and all other Graces of God is faithful and devout Prayer; But this being common to all Graces, is not proper to be spoken of in this place. Let us therefore see a means more special and peculiar for obtaining this Cleanness and Purity of heart; such a one as though it may have some use for other Graces, yet I think is more proper unto this than unto any other whatsoever; and that is, For a man always to possess his heart with the apprehension of God’s presence, and to walk before him as in his eye. Wheresoever thou art, there is an Eye that sees thee, an Ear that hears thee, and a Hand that registreth thy most secret thoughts: For the ways of man (saith Solomon, Prov. 5:21) are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. How much ashamed would we be that any one we loved and honoured should surprise us in our corporal uncleanness, to see and behold any nasty pollution either of our bodies or chambers? How would a man blush and be confounded to be taken and seen⁶ in the manner, as we speak? But every unclean thought, wicked desire and motion of our heart, is more open and revealed to the eyes of God than the works themselves, if we should put them in execution, could be visible to the eyes of men. Yea and these thoughts and desires wherewith our hearts are besmeared are as foul, ugly and loathsome in his sight, as the works themselves would appear shameful in the eyes of men, if we should commit them openly in the street and in the sight of the Sun. Nay suppose that men could see our hearts as well as they may our out-works would we not be as much ashamed they should behold the foulness of the one, as see the shamefulness of the other? Consider it; What if such a Patron, such a Friend, such a one to whom I desire to approve my self, should know what I now ruminate in my heart; what unchaste pollution, what other abhorred desire and thought it now wallows and delights in? should I not blush and be ashamed?

What horrible Atheism doth this argue, That the presence of man, yea sometimes of a little child, should hinder us from that wickedness which God’s presence cannot? If we did throughly and indeed believe this Ubiquity of God’s Eye, and let it make a firm impression in our minds, how would it quash the first rising of evil thoughts in our hearts? The eye of man draws from us a care of our outward behaviour; why then should not the All-seeing Eye of God, if we loved him, if we honoured him, if we desired at all to approve our selves unto him, draw from us a care of the inward behaviour of the Heart? since he sees thy Heart better than man sees thy Face, and understands thy Thoughts better than any man thy Works and Words. Little children when in the midst of their disorders they spie once their Father’s eye, they are hushed presently: So should it be with us, when, through forgetfulness of this All-seeing Eye of our Heavenly Father continually overlooking us, our Hearts begin to break loose and to sport themselves in vain and idle thoughts and desires, then should we consider that all this while God looked upon us and beheld our misbehaviour; then should we cry him mercy with Jacob at Bethel⁷, Surely God was here, and I was not aware.

And thus I come to the second requisite of that gracious Temper a good Heart must be kept unto, which is Loyalty unto God; We must keep a loyal heart. The Loyalty of the heart to God consisteth in an universal purpose of obedience, and resolution against all sin, without Reservation and Exception. Sceptra non ferunt socium; Kings can endure no copartners. Nor can a purpose of obedience mingled with Exceptions and Reservations stand with a true faith and allegiance to Christ our Lord. In anima in qua peccatum regnaverit, non potest Dei regnare regnum, saith S. Jerome; In the Soul where sin reigns and has got dominion, God’s Kingdom can never be set up nor established. For how can he be a faithful servant of Christ, who still holdeth correspondence with, and is a Pensioner to, his Arch-enemy the Devil? Even such an one is he who hath any sin which he holds so dear, that he hath no purpose nor will to part with it. What will it profit thee to keep thy Heart at all, unless thou keepest it loyal? Will God accept a piece of thy Heart? No, he will have a whole Heart and a whole Soul, or none. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and whole mind, Matt. 22:37. otherwise thou keepest not thy heart to God, but betrayest it unto the Devil. For one breach in the walls of a City exposeth it to the surprise of an enemy; one leak in a Ship neglected will sink it at last unto the bottom of the Sea.

1. If thou wilt therefore have a Loyal heart, know that such a heart cherisheth no darling sin, no Herodias, no bosom-sin; such a dead fly as this will mar the whole box of oyntment, Eccles. 10:1.
2. A Sound and Loyal heart is not that which boggles and scruples at small sins, but makes no conscience of greater, like the Pharisees straining at a Gnat, and swallowing a Camel, Matt. 23:24. nor the contrary, whose conscience is only for the greater matters of the Law, Mercy and Judgment, without any regard of Mint or Anise, Matt. 23:23. A Loyal heart is like unto the Eye troubled with the least mote, Matt. 7:3.
3. A Loyal heart as it hates all sins, so at all times. Sometimes the unsound heart will hate sin, when there is no benefit by it; but if it chance to be once beneficial to our selves, then we love it. Here is the trial of a Loyal heart to God, to prefer virtue before vice then, when in humane reason virtue shall be the loser, vice the gainer. This note discovered Jehu, who destroyed the worship of Baal with a great shew of zeal, 2 Kings 10:28. but when it came to Jeroboam’s Calves, he dispensed with them, lest it might prove dangerous to his Kingdom, if the Israelites should go worship at Jerusalem, 2 Kings 10:29.
4. To conclude; A Loyal heart is that which the Scripture calls in the old Testament A perfect heart, לֵב שָׁלֵם, or לֵבָב שָׁלֵם. Not perfect in respect of degrees, for such a perfection is not attainable in this life; but perfect in respect of parts; Cor integrum, a heart wherein no part is wholly wanting, howsoever weak and a great deal short of due proportion. When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other Gods, and his heart was not perfect with his God, as was the Heart of David his Father, 1 Kings 11:4. not because he served not the Lord at all, but that he served him not only and entirely. Now therefore, saith Joshua, fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth (Heb. בְּתָמִים וּבֶאֱמֶת, in perfectness and truth) and put away the Gods which your Fathers served, Josh. 24:14. which was as much as to say, Serve the Lord wholly, and quite renounce all service to others. Hezekiah prayes in his sickness, Lord, I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight, 2 Kings 20:3. He saith not, he had done perfect Actions, or performed perfect service (for who can do such?) but yet that he walked with a perfect heart, that is, with a loyal heart before God. So it is said, That though Asa failed in his Reformation, and the high places were not removed; nevertheless his heart was perfect (that is, loyal) with the Lord all his dayes, 1 Kings 15:14.

THUS much shall suffice to have spoken of the Act, Keep; and of the Heart, the Object of our keeping: which are the two first things I considered in this Admonition.

The Third remains, which is the Manner or Means how our heart is to be kept, viz. with all diligence, or above all keeping saith the Text, Prov. 4:23. that is, with the best, the surest, the chiefest kind of keeping; which is not only now and then to look unto it, but to set a continual guard about it. Nature hath placed the Heart in the most fenced part of the body, having the Breast as a natural Corslet to defend it. If the Heart be in fear or danger, all the blood and spirits in the body will forsake the outward parts, and run to preserve and succour it. If Nature be so provident for that which is but the Fountain of a natural life, what care should the spiritual man have to keep his heart and soul guarded and fortified against all annoyances spiritual? The life we lose, if this be wounded or poisoned, is inestimable; the other of Nature is of no great value.

Yea but perhaps a natural man’s heart is liable to more natural dangers than the heart of a man that lives to God-ward is to spiritual annoyances. I answer, The contrary is true: For the Heart we speak of, whence the Issues of the life of grace proceed, is like a City every moment liable both to inward commotion and outward assault: Within, the fountain of original Impurity is continually more or less bubbling with rebellion; Without, the World and the Devil continually either assault it, or lye in Ambuscado [ambush] to surprise it. The world batters it with three great and dangerous Engines, of Pleasures, Riches, and Honours, wherewith she endeavoureth to lay it waste, and rob it of all heavenly treasure. The Devil watcheth every opportunity to hurl in his fiery darts, to cast all into a combustion, and thereby farther to invenom and enrage the already-too-much impoisoned viciousness and impetuousness of our corrupt nature. How needful a thing is it therefore to follow this precept of Solomon, to keep our hearts with all diligence, or above all keeping; to keep them with a continual guard, to keep a continual watch and ward, lest the enemies surprise them? Watch and pray (saith our Saviour) that ye enter not into temptation, Matt. 26:41. Watch in all things, saith S. Paul to Timothy, 2 Tim. 4:5. Be sober, be vigilant (saith S. Peter) because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5:8. If the heart be to be kept with all diligence, or above the keeping of any thing else, then is this Watch we hear commanded, and this Guard of Prayer (and this is a strong Guard) to be chiefly and above all applied unto it.

But for a more particular direction of this guarding of the Heart, we must be careful to observe this order following.

1. As those who keep a City attempted or besieged by an Enemy have special care of the Gates and Posterns whereat the Enemy may get in: So must we in this Guard of the Heart watch especially over the Gates and Windows of the Soul, the Senses; and above all the Eye and the Ear, whereat the Devil is wont to convey the most of those pollutions wherewith the Heart is wasted. First, concerning the Eye, David’s example may warn the holiest men to the world’s end to keep a watchful jealousie over it. What a number of Cut-throats did one idle glance upon Bathsheba let in, who made that Royal Heart, whose uprightness God so much approved, to become a sty of uncleanness, and robbed it of those heavenly ornaments wherewith it was so plentifully adorned? 2 Sam. 11:2–4. For the Ear, take heed of obscene and wanton talk, which by those Doors or Windows entring like Balls of Wild-fire, inflame the Heart with lust. We must beware also of the slanderer’s mouth and backbiters tongue, whose lying reports and malicious tales, if they get in, would sow in thine heart the seeds of heart-burning spight and mental murther, which in that sinful soil will fructifie very rankly. And think them no small sins which make thee guilty of innocent bloud; for thine heart and tongue may kill thy brother as well as thy hand, 1 John 3:15.
2. As those who keep and defend a City make much of such as are faithful, trusty and serviceable; and if any such come, will entertain and welcome them with much kindness; but a Traitor, or one of the enemy’s party, they presently cut short as soon as they discover him: So must we make exceedingly much of all good motions put into our hearts by God’s Spirit, howsoever occasioned, whether by the Word of God, mindfulness of death, good Admonition, some special cross or extraordinary mercy, any way at any time: These are our Hearts friends; we must cherish, encrease and improve them to the utmost with meditation, prayer and practice. But, on the contrary, we must resist and crush every exorbitant thought which draws to sin at the first rising. Tutissimum est, It is most safe (saith S. Austin, Epist. 142.) for the Soul to accustom it self to discern of its thoughts; & ad primum animi motum, vel probare, vel reprobare, quid cogitat; ut vel bonas cogitationes alat, vel statim extinguat malas; and at the first motion thereof either to approve or else to disallow what the Mind is thinking of; and so either to cherish and improve the thoughts and motions of the Mind if good, or presently to extinguish them if evil.
3. Lastly, Let him that will indeed guard his Heart as it should be, take heed of familiar and friendly converse with lewd, prophane and ungracious company. There is a strange attraction in ill company to poison and pervert even the best dispositions. He that toucheth pitch (saith the Son of Sirach) shall be defiled therewith, Ecclus. 13:1. Can a man take fire in his bosom (saith Solomon) and his clothes not be burnt? Prov. 6:27. For believe it, when a man is accustomed once and wonted to behold lewd and ungodly behaviour, there steals upon him insensibly, first, a dislike of sober courses; next, a pleasing approbation of the contrary; and so presently, an habitual change of affections and demeanour into the manners and conditions of our companions. It is a point that many will not believe, but few or none did ever try but to their cost. It was wise counsel, had it not been in a sinful business, which Ieroboam advised; If this people (saith he) go up to sacrifice at Ierusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah, 1 Kings 12:27. O that some men would be as wise for their good as he was for his sin!

THUS I have done with the first part of my Text, The Admonition, Keep thy heart with all diligence, or above all keeping: Now I proceed to the Motive, For out of it are the issues of life; that is, All spiritual life and living actions issue from thence, Prov. 4:23. All living devotion, all living service and worship of God issues from the Heart, from those cleansed and loyal affections and dispositions of the Soul and inward man whereof I spake before. Where such a Heart is not the Fountain, there no action God-ward liveth, but is spiritually dead, how gay and glorious soever it may outwardly seem. No outward performance whatsoever, be it never so conformable and like unto a godly man’s action, yet if it be not rooted in the Heart inwardly sanctified, it is no issue of spiritual life, nor acceptable with God. Even as Statues and Puppets do move their eyes, their hands, their feet, like unto living men; yet are they not living actions, because they come not from an inward Soul, the fountain of life, but from the artificial poise of weights and device of wheels set by the workman: So is it here with heartless actions; they are like the actions of true Christians, but not Christian actions; because they issue not from a Heart sanctified with purity and loyalty in the presence of God who tries the heart and reins, Jer. 17:10. but from the poise of vain-glory, from the wheels of some external respects and advantages, from a rotten heart which wrought not for the love of God but for the praise of men, Matt. 6:1. As therefore we judge of the state of natural life by the Pulse and beating of the Heart; so must we do of spiritual. No member of the body performs any action of natural life, wherein a Pulse derived from the Heart beats not: So is it in the spiritual man and the actions of Grace; That lives not, which some gracious and affectionate influence from the Heart quickens not.

Now this Issuing of our works and actions from the Heart is that which is called Sincerity and Truth, so much commended unto us in Scripture: For this Sincerity and Truth which is said to be in the works and actions of all such as fear and serve the Lord with acceptance, is nothing else but an agreement of the outward work seen of men with the inward and suitable affection and meaning of the heart, which God and our selves alone are privie to. For as our words and speeches have truth in them when we speak as we think; so our works and actions are done in sincerity and truth, when they are done according to our heart’s affection. Sincerity therefore and Truth is the life of all our works of devotion and obedience unto God; without this they are nothing but a carkase; they are dead, they live not, neither doth God accept them: For he desireth truth in the inward parts, Ps. 51:6. that is, truth which proceedeth or issueth from the inward parts. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, that call upon him in truth, Ps. 145:18. For God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, John 4:24. Whatsoever ye do (saith S. Paul) do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, Col. 3:23. Our faith must be unfeigned, 1 Tim. 1:5. that is, in truth and in sincerity. Also our Love must not be in speech and tongue only, but in deed and truth, 1 John 3:18.

And this is the highest Perfection attainable in this life, for which God accepteth of our obedience as perfect which springeth from it, though it be stained with much corruption and full of imperfection: That which is wanting in the measure of obedience and holiness, is made up in the truth and sincerity thereof. If it have not this, whatsoever it be, it is good for nothing, because it wants the Issue of life.

And such Actions are all the Actions of Hypocrites: For Hypocrisie is the contrary to Sincerity; and wheresoever Sincerity and Truth is not, there Hypocrisie is, being nothing else but a counterfeiting and falsehood of our actions, when they come not from a Heart suitably affected: and therefore is otherwise in Scripture understood by the name of Guile; when those who serve God in sincerity and truth, are said to be without guile, that is, without hypocrisie. So Nathanael is called an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile, John 1:47. And of the Virgin-Saints it is said, that in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the Throne of God, Rev. 14:5. that is, they served God without hypocrisie, in sincerity and truth; and therefore God accepted of their obedience as if it were without fault and imperfection; as he is wont to do the works of those who serve him in that manner. If therefore Sincerity be the life of our obedience, and that which makes it graceful in the eyes of God; then is Hypocrisie the death thereof, which makes him loath and abhor it as a stinking carkase.

Hitherto have I spoken of the Influence of life into a Christian’s actions in general. But as in natural life, so in spiritual, are many Branches, as the words of my Text imply; speaking not singularly of one Issue, but plurally of many Issues of life, Prov. 4:23. For that which lives, exerciseth many living acts, as so many streams flowing from the Fountain of life; none of which belong unto that which liveth not. These Issues in Nature are five; Health, Nourishment, Growth, Sense, and Motion: and the Heart is the Fountain of them all; without it they are not, they cannot be; but as it fareth, so fare they all. The like unto these are to be found in our spiritual life, of which I will speak somewhat in special, the rather because every of them are as so many Motives to incite us to the attainment of this life to God-ward, by serving him in Sincerity and Truth.

1. The first Issue of Spiritual life, flowing from the Heart, is spiritual Health. For the curing of our Souls of their Spiritual diseases must begin at the Hearts, and the inward causes of corruption must thence be purged, before there can be any true Reformation or sound Health in the outward parts: Even as the heat of the Face is not much abated by casting water and cooling things upon it, but by allaying inwardly the heat of the Liver. Again, That which seems to spring and flourish in our lives, unless it be rooted in the Heart, will wither and die. The Fig-tree that only made a shew with leaves, having no fruit; in the end, being cursed, lost the leaves too wherewith it deceived our Saviour, Matt. 21:19. So the Seed which sprouted upon the stony ground is said to have withered, because it had no root, Matt. 13:6. And if an Apple seem never so beautiful, yet if it be rotten at the core, it will quickly putrifie.
2. The second Issue of spiritual life is spiritual Nutrition, whereby the Soul continually feeds upon Christ in his Word and Sacraments. But this is in none whose works and actions issue not from the Heart by Sincerity and Truth. For where Hunger and Thirst is not, the body is not nourished: He must have a stomach to his meat that will have good by it: Chewing in his mouth will not do it, though he swallow it; if his stomach be against it, he will vomit it up again. And can this spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst be where the inward man is not sanctified? Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, Matt. 5:6. Can he have a Spiritual stomach whose heart is not cleansed?
3. The third Issue of Spiritual life is spiritual Growth. It is God’s wont to reward the sincerity of a little grace with abundance of great graces. Nathanael, a man of no great knowledge, yet being a true Israelite, void of guile, is further enlightened by our Saviour, who gives him a sight of the true Messiah, endues him with true faith, and promises him still greater matters, John 1:47–50. A weak and dim knowledge had the Eunuch and Cornelius in the Mystery of Godliness: yet because they worshipped God sincerely, an Evangelist was sent to the one, Acts 8:26–35. and an Angel and an Apostle to the other, Acts 10:3–6, 34–44. to give them clearer light of the Gospel and a fuller largess of spiritual gifts. The curse of God is upon Hypocrisie, to destroy a great deal, a great stock of grace; but his blessing is upon Sincerity, to improve a little portion to a greater measure. A little Spring is better than a great Pond; for in Summer, when Ponds are dried up, little Springs will still hold out.
4. The fourth Issue of Spiritual life is spiritual Sense, the Sense and feeling of the favour of God: This no man shall ever find who lives not the life of sincerity. For this is the most sound and undeceivable evidence of our portion and interest in the power and purity of Christ’s saving passion and sanctifying bloudshed. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God, Rom. 8:16.
5. The fifth Issue of Spiritual life is spiritual Motion; such I call Alacrity and Courage. Sincerity is the cause of these: It makes us chearful in all duties of service and obedience unto God; it makes us valiant and courageous in all dangers, trials and temptations; begetting in us a true, manly, generous and heroical spirit. The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a Lion, Prov. 28:1.

Footnotes

1. The Admonition. Keep thy Heart, &c. ↩︎
2. The Act, Keep. ↩︎
3. Prov. 4. 23. ↩︎
4. The Object, Thy Heart. ↩︎
5. Matt. 5. 8. ↩︎
6. ἐπ’ αὐτοφώρῳ [in the very act] ↩︎
7. Gen. 28. 16 ↩︎