A Collection of Sermons Upon Jonah, Sermon 2 – Title page 4
A Gift for God alone.
PROV. 23. ver. 26.
My ſon, give me thy heart.
THeſe words, [My ſon▪ ] are uſed more than ſixteen times in this Book. It is therefore well worth our inquiry, what particular perſons Solomon deſigned by that relative compellation.
Firſt, Negatively: know that Rehoboam, Solomon's ſon begotten by him, (heir but to two parts of twelve of his Father's Kingdome, but not to the hundred part of his wiſdome) was not particularly reflected at herein, nor any other of his bodily extraction; where, by the way, though we read of Solomon's Wives and Concubines, we can give but a ſlender account of his Children, finding but one Son, and two Daughters, 1 King. 4. 11, 15. And probably, he was not fruitfull in iſſue, proportionably to his marriages.
2. Nor Poſitively: know Solomon was but the inſtrumentall Pen man, Gods Spirit the principall Inditor of this Book. And as our Saviour ſaid, Mat. 12. 50. Whoſoever ſhall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven, the ſame is my brother, ſiſter, and mother; So, whoſoever ſhall attentively hear, and conſcionably practiſe the precept in my Text, the ſame is the beloved ſon, and dear daughter therein intended, My ſon, give me thy heart.
3. We will begin with a brief paraphraſe on each word, ſo to disincumber them from all ſhew of difficulty, and then by Gods aſsiſtance ſhall raiſe one ſtaple Doctrine, prove and apply it.
4. Give] not ſell, we ought not to be ſaleable in Gods ſervice, having mercenary ſouls, chiefly aiming at our own intereſt. Indeed, we may, and muſt with Moſes, Heb. 11. 26 have reſpect unto the recompenſe of reward; we may look to it, and
was taken from him, and given to his companion. Then ſurely God will not hold them guiltleſſe, who having firſt given him their hearts, afterwards take them away again, and conferre them upon the world and wickedneſſe. 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath forſaken me, having loved this preſent world, and is departed.
1. Come we now to confute thoſe flammes, which the world, the fleſh and the Devill, commonly ſuggeſt to men to deter them, or at the leaſt to detaine them from giving their hearts to God. Indeed I could give them better termes, as to call them pleas, pretences, excuſes; but flammes is even good enough to expreſſe them.
2. Firſt, they alledge for themſelves, that in caſe they ſhould give their hearts to God, they muſt preſently take a finall farwell of all comforts and contentments in this World. Hereafter (ſay they) we muſt expect to live a diſmall, dreary, dolefull, diſcontented, diſconſolate life: no ſpark of pleaſure, mirth, and jollity, but a lifeleſſe heartleſſe life, when we have given our hearts unto God.
3. Anſwer, I know not whether this flamme hath more of folly, or falſehood therein. Such needleſſe feares and Jealouſies the Devil ſtarts in mens apprehenſions. The Jewes were afraid in caſe they did permit our Saviour publickly to preach amongſt them, John. 11. 48. That the Romanes would come and take away from them both the place and nation. Whereas indeed it had been the onelyonly way to prevent their invaſion, ſeeing the putting of Christ to Death, did not only accelerate, but cauſe the ruine of their Nation. Thus men ſuſpect that the giving of their hearts to God will marre their mirth, and deſtroy their delight for the time to come, whereas on the contrary, it is the onelyonly way, for the continuance, increaſe, and improvement thereof.
4. True it is, it will retrench that Mockmirth which ends in mourning, that joy not to be rejoyced in, it will defaulk thoſe exorbitances and extravagances of Carnall pleaſure, wherein wicked men lay out their ſoules. But the tree of true joy ſhall thrive the better for the cutting off of theſe ſuckers. Yea, which is more, a ſoul is utterly unacquainted with virgin, delibated, and clarified joy, untill ſuch time as the heart be given to God, from which moment all true joy beareth the Date thereof.
5. It is worth our obſervation to mark the difference betwixt the old Tranſlation (made according to the vulgar Latine) and the new, conformed to the Originall in the rendring of the eighth Verſe of the fourth Pſalm.
Old Tranſlation.
Thou haſte put gladneſſe in my heart: ſince the time their corne, and wine, and oyle increaſed.
New Tranſlation.
Thou haſte put gladneſſe in my heart, more than in the time that their corne, and their wine increaſed.
Here we may ſee that oyle (to bring in three ſtaple Commodities of the Land of Canaan) is inſerted in the Vulgar without any warrant from the Originall; we cannot but diſlike ſuch an addition, more than what is warranted in the Originall; otherwiſe the Doctrine had been true in it ſelf, though putting in honey, balm, all other commodities which that Land did afford. All of theſe could not equall that gladneſs of heart, which the Spirit of God puts into a Chriſtians ſoule, after his heart is freely given to Gods ſervice.
6. The ſecond flamme: if we give our hearts to God, we ſhall want one to diſcharge our ſeveral Relations to our wives, children, friends, neighbours, and acquaintance. God will ſo ingroſſe and monopolize our hearts to himſelf alone, we ſhall want the uſe of them, to all other purpoſes, and intents, where we ſtand engaged.
7. Anſwer. This flamme hath as much folly and more malice than the former. Give thy heart to God, and he will return it unto thee during thy life, (and what needeth any longer term?) therewith to diſcharge thy Relations better than ever before. A heart given to God will rule thy paces unto thy wives bed, to keep thy affections loyall unto her without any wandring. In a word, it is ſo given to God, that it is ſtill kept to thy ſelfe, to perform all thoſe offices, which are according to Gods command.
8. Third flamme, But my heart is ſo bad, it is not worthy Gods acceptance, who juſtly will caſt it away, both the gift & giver thereof. All the bad Epithets given to a heart in the Scripture, center and unite themſelves in the mind, yea concur in the conſtitution thereof. An obſtinate heart, Deut. 2. 30. A froward heart, Pſal. 101. 4. A proud heart, Pſa. 101. 5. A perverſe heart, Prov. 12. 8. A haughty heart, Prov. 18. 12. A ſtout heart, Eſa. 9. 9. A ſtony heart, Ezek. 11. 19. A hardned heart, Mar. 8. 17. A heart ſlow to believe, Luke 24. 25. An uncircumciſed heart, Act. 7. 51. An impenitent heart, Rom. …. 5. And what elſe ſoever is found in Scripture ſounding to the diſgrace thereof. If therefore I ſhould give ſo bad a heart to God, he would refuſe it, and returne it to me in his juſt diſpleaſure.
9. I anſwer, if this flamme cometh from a Hypocrite and Diſſembler, it is utterly unworthy that any anſwer ſhould be afforded thereunto. But if it come from a penitent ſoule, ſadly ſenſible of its own badneſſe, (as in charity we are bound to believe the beſt) it deſerveth a better name then a flamme, yea, is a hopefull and happy ſymptome (though of weake) of true grace in the party propounding it. Happy that man, bleſſed that woman, who from a feeling of their own unworthineſſe, make this ſincere complaint.
10. Be it known then to their comfort, that if they had a better heart, then this, whereof they complain, and did begrudge and repine to beſtow it on God, yea, did keep and reſerve the ſame for the ſervice of Satan, and their own wicked luſts, then this were in them notorious and unpardonable Hypocriſie. But if this (as bad as it is) be the beſt heart they have, they may, yea muſt give it to God, and from him ſhall receive the ſame in a New edition bettered and amended. Thy obſtinate heart ſhall be made obedient; thy froward heart, forward in Gods ſervice; thy proud heart, humble; perverſe heart, plyable; haughty heart, ſubmiſſe; ſtout heart, complying heart; ſtony heart, fleſhy; hardned heart, ſoft; heart ſlow, quick to believe; uncircumciſed heart, circumciſed; impenitent heart, repenting, &c. The onelyonly way to get thy heart reformed, is, to give it to God, who will create a new heart in thee, according to Davids deſire.
11. Let us inſtance in three motives to quicken our performance in this duty. The firſt may be drawne from the dignity of the party deſiring it; God, who might command, ſeemes in ſome ſort in the Text to requeſt. Theſe laſt ten yeares have made a ſad change in many mens conditions. Such who formerly relieved others, have ſince received reliefe from others. Need hath taught many an ingenuous tongue, a language, wherewith formerly it was unacquainted. It may move a miſers heart to pity to heare them beg, (not thorough default of their own) who had a hand and heart to diſtribute to others. But ought we not to be affected with the motion made in the Text, wherein the great God of Heaven ſeemeth in ſome ſort to wave his Might and Majesty, and in Triall of our Towardneſse and tenderneſſe, becomes in the nature of a Petitioner unto us, my Son give me thy heart, or at leaſt wiſe, doth onelyonly deſire, what he may demand as his due, yea command as his right belonging unto him.
12. Second motive may be drawn from the deſerts of the Party, he is worthy (ſay the Phariſees of the Centurion to Christ) For whom thou ſhouldſt do this thing, for he loveth our Nation, and hath built us a Synagogue, Luke 7. 5. Many and great are the indearments and obligations, which God hath put upon us, he loadeth us daily with benefits, Pſal. 68. 19. (though we make but light of that load) as appeareth by our conſtant ingratitude.
13. The laſt motive may be taken from the danger of denyal: for be thou well aſſured, if thou refuſe to give God thy heart, it wil not remaine thine long, to thy comfort. If any ſpeciall friend, ſo honeſt, that he would not deceive thee with falſe frights, and ſo wiſe that he could not therewith be deceived by others, ſhould ſeriouſly informe thee, that this Night, thou ſhould be plundered of a Jewel of great value, which thou haſt in thy houſe, & ſhould requeſt it of thee, to ſecure it for thee (in the best acceptation of the word) promiſing ſafe keeping, and ſeaſonable reſtoring thereof; Surely thou ſhouldſt diſcover little diſcretion to run the hazard of a Robbery, and refuſe ſo faire and civill a motion for thy own advantage. Know in like manner, the world, fleſh, and Devil, one or all of them, will purloine thy heart from thee, and imbezle it to thy deſtruction. In prevention whereof, do thou make a Friend therewith, and ſpeedily beſtow it, where it may be preſerved for thee. Adam himſelf, though armed with Originall Integrity, how ill he kept his own heart, we his Poſterity may ſadly bemoan: deſpaire thou therefore to be the Treaſurer of thy own heart, thou canſt not lock it ſo faſt, but ſin or Satan by force or fraud, will command and cozen thee out of the poſſeſſion of it, if it be not ſolemnly given to God himſelf.
14. And now, as once the Eunuch ſaid to Philip, Acts 8. 36. See here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? ſo behold here all the requiſites to a deed of gift, what is it that debarreth us, but that inſtantly this tranſaction of our hearts may be compleated? Here we the Granters are preſent, and I charitably preſume have our hearts in a ſpirituall ſenſe, here within us; here is God the Grantee, who hath promiſed, where two or three are met together in his name, to be in the midſt of them; here are witneſſes enow, ſeeing he who as party to one deed (wherein himſelf is concerned) may be a witneſſe to the grant of another, and legally atteſt the truth thereof. Nor is there any need of counſell of publick Notaries to draw up and ingroſſe an inſtrument herein, ſeeing nothing is required to the giving of the heart ſave the giving of the heart; the more ſimply, the more ſurely it is pefrormed.
15. O the commendable ſimplicity of former Ages, and their plain dealings in bargains and ſeals: what their hearts thought then tongues ſaid; what their tongues ſaid their teeth ſeal'd, whoſe ſeals of brickle dough held better to all purpoſes and intents than ours of the moſt tenacious wax: how many Manours in thoſe dayes were conveyed in few words, From me and mine, to thee and thine; where, as now, a ſpan of ground can ſcarce be conveyed under a ſpan of parchment, ſuch is the litigiouſneſſe of our Age.
16. But know, in giving our hearts, we are to deal with him who is the ſearcher of the hearts, and who hateth all ceremonious complements, preferring down-right ſincerity. Indeed, if the head was to be given, ſome might conceive it fit and neceſſary that the tongue and brains thereof ſhould be imployed in making a large and eloquent Oration at ſuch tranſactions; but the heart being now to be given, it may be done with ſilence and ſincerity, with a ſerious promiſe, from this very moment to conſecrate the ſame totally and finally to Gods ſervice.
17. I have read of Iames the fourth, King of Scotland, that on his death-bed he bequeathed his heart to the Lord Douglas, to carry the ſame to Ieruſalem, and to ſee it buried by the grave of our Saviour, which the Lord performed accordingly; and in avowance thereof, the Honourable Families of the Douglaſſes at this day, give a heart proper in the Baſe-point of the Shield.
18. Some will praiſe the officiouſneſs of a Servant in doing his Maſters command, but none can excuſe the ſuperſtition of the Maſter, ſave onelyonly by charging it on the erroneous devotion of thoſe dark daies he lived in: but let not us delay it till our death, but in our life-time in the height of our health, wealth, and proſperity, let us not ſend by others, but give our ſelves, not our carnal, corporeal heart, but our ſpiritual heart, (I mean, all the powers and faculties of our ſouls) not to be interred in the material grave of our Saviour, but to be buried with him in true mortification, which will be truly to practiſe the precept given in my Text, My ſon, give me thy heart. Amen.
FINIS.
THE TRUE PENITENT.
Prov. 28. 13.
—He that confeſſeth and forſaketh his ſin, ſhall finde mercy.
LONDON. Printed for JOHN STAFFORD at Fleet-bridge. 1655.