The Covenant of Life Opened, Part 1 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. The new heart of Covenanters, the Nature, Characters, Properties thereof, hitherto of the new Spirit.
Quest. 6. WHen are we to judge, that we have a new heart? And when do we know that it is not the old heart?
Ans. 1 Propos. As Physically, so also Morally, the heart is the man,The heart is the man. the good heart, the good man, the evill heart, the evill man, and God weights men by the weight, not of the tongue, of the hands▪ of the outward man, but by the weight of the heart: Asa his heart was perfect, 2 Chron. 15.17. the heart of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 17.3. was perefect. And Psal. 78.37. their heart was not right: the froward heart is the froward man, Pro. 3.32.There is a heart with in a heart, and a man within a man speaking and acting. For there is a man speaking within a man, and a heart within a heart acting, as if it were a man made up of soul and body. Thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend up to Heaven, so the King of Babylon, Isa. 14.13. So the heart acts Heaven or Hell within the man, Psal. 14.1. Luk. 12.19. they have a heart foreign busied in the Colledge, studying and reading covetousnesse, 2 Pet. 2.14.
2. Propos. When the Lord tryes the man, he tryes the heart and the reins, Prov. 15.11. Hell and the heart both are naked before him. God only tryeth the heart▪ Aug. Confess 10. cap. 27. intus tu …r…s, & ego forasProv. 17.3. Theodoret. God acteth the noon-day-Sun meridionaliter in every heart: The man himself is without, and God within, Jer. 17.9▪ Man searcheth not his own heart and reins, for there be plottings and inclinations to evill in the heart, which the heart knows not, 2 King. 8.12, 13. Peter hath a better heart then all men in the books of his own heart, Matth. 26.33. but its not so indeed.
3. Propos. The washen heart that lodges not vain thoughts, Jer. 4.14. purged from dead works, by the blood of Christ (above all the blood of bullocks and goats) Heb. 9.14. purified by faith, Act. 15.14. is the good heart.What the good heart is, and how it is made good. It is a better heart according to the heart of God, 1 King. 15.5. that turneth not aside, 1 Sam. 13.14. of Gods seeking out and finding, then the first heart created of God, Eph. 4.24. Col. 3.10. And ah! we seek a good Ruler, a good Physician, when we are sick, a good house to dwell in,1. Creatiō of a better heart then the first, is a peece of the rarest of the Lords works. and (which is strange) a good horse, but not to have a good heart.
4. Propos. The excellent acts of God, in a manner (with glory to his Highnesse) to mind his first work, to create a better heart then the first which he created, saith, that there is great need of a good heart, Psal. 51.10. of a new heart, Ezek. 36.26. Its beyond all admiration, to create so ra…e a peece as the Sun out of no thing, and a beautifull Lillie out of mire and dirt, out of common clay to bring forth Saphirs, Carbuncles, and in liew of a stony heart (for grace is not educed out of the potencie of any created thing) to create a new heart, which God loveth to dwell in, rather then in heaven, the high and holy place, Isai. 57.15. which so ravisheth the heart of Christ, Cant. 4.7, 9. and is of more price with God, then gold, or any corruptible thing, even a meek and quiet spirit, 1 Ptt. 3.3, 4. is the rarest peece of the works of God.
Its an excellent act of God to keep the vessell in a spirituall season, as David prayes, 1 Chron. 29.18. To make roome for Christ dwelling by faith, and for love to comprehend love, Eph. 3.17, 18. and who puts such a thing in the heart, Ezra 7.27. when a sparkle of fire from flint falls on water or green timber, there is no fireing from thence. But when actuall influences fall upon an heavenly habit, as the Lord can cast in a coal, or a lump and flood of love, Cant. 2.5, 6. Luk. 24.32. Cant. 6.12. there are most heavenly actings of the soul.
3. He bows and inclines the heart to the Lords testimonies, and to cleave to him without declining, Jer. 32.39, 40. Ps. 119.39. Cant. 1.4. Ps. 141.4.
4. We are to beware of 1. the reigning evils of the heart, of a rotten and unsound heart, 1 Tim. 6.5. Psal. 119.82. 2. Of an unsavoury stinking heart, that smells of hell and the second death,The divers sorts of evil hearts, wee are to beware of. of all sort of unrighteousnesse and malice, like a green opened grave, Psal. 5.9. 3. Of an uncured heart, that never came through the hands of the Physician (Prov. 14.13. A sound heart is the life of the flesh.) Of an unsound, unsavoury and a rotten heart, Eph. 4.29. compared with vers. 23. from whence issue rotten words,foreign borrowed from rotten and worm-eaten trees which speak an uncured heart.Mederi, curare mitigare dolorem. Hos. 11.5. I'le heal him.
5. We are to look to deadnesse of heart in all the branches of it. As (1.) sullennesse and dumpish sadnesse, in refusing comforts, and being full of unbeleeving heavinesse, in David, Psal. 69.20. Psal. 42.11. whereas we are alwayes to rejoice, Psal. 119.52. Phil. 4.4. (2.) Fainting at the greatnesse of the affliction, Isa. 20.3. Joh. 14.1. whence comes withering of heart, Psal. 102.4. Psal. 27.13. (3.) An overwhelmed and unbeleeving sowning heart, Psal. 61.2. Psal. 142.3. Psal. 143.3, 4. (4.) Deadnesse in going about the service of God, Psal. 119.37. Quicken me in thy way, of this else where. (5.) Narrownesse to take in God, opposed to an inlarged and wide heart, Psal. 119.32. Psal. 81.10. and straitening of heart, when the soul is so hampered, that he cannot speak, Psal. 77.4. unbeleef clipps the wings of the Spirit, and layes on fetters, which may come from the wicked company, and may be laid on by our selves, Psal. 39.1, 2. (6.) There is an Atheist heart to hate the existence of God, of Christ, of a Gospel, Jam. 2.19. Matth. 8.29. Compared with Psal. 14.1. Eph. 2.12. Some beleevers are near to say, I take my leave of Christ, I'le pray no more, for it is in vain. Jer. 20.9. Ps. 73.13, 14. but it is not a fixed resolution: of this else where.
7. There is an evill heart of unbeleef to depart from the Living God, Heb. 3.12.
Prov. 6.18. foreign to delve, to plow inde, foreign he that worketh either on iron of timber.8. A heart that deviseth, ploweth, or delveth wicked imaginations, Prov. 6.18. As Prov. 3.29. Plow not evill against thy neighbour. Hos. 10.13. You have plowed iniquity, such plots are forged against the people of God, Matth. 27.1. Nah. 1.11.
9. A proud heart (1.) resisted of God. (2.) Farrest from the lowly and meek heart of Christ, Matth. 11.29. Phil. 2.5, 6, 7, (3.) Most near to Satans heart, 1 Tim. 3.6.
Q. Why are we more ashamed of an unclean lustfull heart, then of a proud heart? Ans. A proud heart is deeper guiltinesse, and nearer to Satans nature;Why we are more ashamed of uncleannes and falshood, thē of pride. And pride and unbeleef are sins more reproachfull to God, and incroach more upon his Throne, but there is more flesh in us then Spirit, and we think that there is more of a beast in uncleannesse.
Quest. But we are more ashamed of lying, falshood, and stealing, then of pride? Ans. There's more of being ashamed before men, it being a carnall sort of passion, then of being ashamed before God, and falshood and lying to men are fleshly evils against common honesty, but pride is a more Angel-sin, or a more God-like sin, a spirituall sin, and pride is a sort of heart-heresie, by which we judge but blindly, we have reason to ascend and climb aloft to Gods roome, Gen. 3.5, 6. Isai. 14.13. because of knowledge, parts, power.
10. There is deceitfulnesse and self-deceiving in the heart, Isa. 44.20. the Idolater feeds on ashes, a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, is there not a lie in my right hand, Obadiah 3. The heart is the greatest liar on earth, to say and gain-say.
11. There is a wicked fearfulnesse in the heart to do evill, Jude 12. feeding themselves without fear, 3 Sam. 1.14. was thou not affraid (saith David to the Amalekite) to put out thine hand to destroy the Lords Anointed? Its a godly fear to tremble alwayes, at feasting, speaking, hearing, sleeping, company, Prov. 28.14. 1 Pet. 1.17. Phil. 2.13. Job 1.5. And in all there ly snares within, and without the house.
12. There is a wicked flintinesse of heart, we shall have peace, Characters of sinfull stonines…e of heart against Godthough we both hear cursing and walk loosly, Deut. 29.19. we are fallen, but Ephraims stout heart (2.) will rise whether God will, or not, Isa. 9.9. And (3.) the King of Assyria's stout heart will be as strong as God, Isa. 10.12, 13. And (4.) its wicked stoutnesse to say godly mourning before the Lord is in vain, Mal. 3.13, 14. (5.) Its wicked stoutnesse to rest upon your own righteousnesse and refuse to treat with God, Isa. 46.12, 13. (6.) And vain stoutnesse to darre God in his own quarters and fight him, Exod. 14.8.23. Exod. 23.8▪ 13. Isai. 36.10, 11, 36, 37. if it were in his own seas as Pharaoh and the Aegyptians would do.
13. There is a wicked hardening of the heart, when men make the Lord his word and mighty works the contrair party, Exod. 5.1, 2, 3. Exod. 7.10, 13, 16, 20, 23. Exod· 8.5, 6, 7, 15, 17, 18, 19. Isai. 6.9, 10. Zech. 7.8, 9, 11, 12. Ezek. 2.3, 4. Ezek. 3.7, 8. Mat. 13.13, 14, 15. Act. 13.44, 45, 46. and oppose God in his word and works.
14. There is a sinfull dulnesse upon the heart, by which men are as weaned childen, line upon line, line upon line, Of the morall concurrence …f the word to the act of infusion of a new heartcan do them no good, Isai. 29.9, 10, 11. Here it is to be observed that we cannot Preach Omnipotency, nor perswade a world to be created, nor a new heart to be infused, nor can we Preach to a Wolf to become a meek Lamb, nor threaten the Sun to rise at midnight, we but speak words about the new birth, the husband-man but breaks the earth with his plough, but God makes the corn to grow, and he only,Job 9.20. not that the word is not the instrument of conversion of souls, Rom. 1.16. Rom. 10.14. but how to the act of infusion of a new heart the word concurres as a morall and suasory instrument,Pro 28.18 is above my capacity.foreign
To be made narrow, to be pressed in body or minde, to afflict, to vex, Gen. 32.7. straitening was on Iacob by a Metalepsis it is to frame by pressing or keeping straight as Potters frame a vessel. Hence foreign jots…r a potter, Eze. 11.13.15. There is a froward heart, Pro. 17.20. that perverteth and is crafty foreign to pervert.
16. A wicked heart, Pro. 26.23. set on evil, Eccl. 8.11.17. foolishnesse is bound to the heart, Pro. 22.15. a dissembling heart, when seven abominations are in it, Pro. 26▪ 25. (1.) We take no… heed to the imaginations, and are not grieved for the constitution of the heart, for actuall sins make originall sin to swell, as two floods running into one maketh a hudge River. (2.) We take not heed to the young births of the heart, with the concurrence of the mind, fancie and imagination, there are multitudes of forgeries, clay-pots, and imaginations framed, as a potter deviseth vessels of earth of many quantities, figures, shapes, great, small, narrow, wide, round, cornered, for the word is a potters word, Gen. 6.5. 1 Chr. 28.9. with all keeping keep thy heart, Prov. 4.23. the word is to keep as the keepers of the walls, Cant. 3.5. as sheepheards, for its in danger to be stollen away, Hos. 4.11. 2 Sam. 17.6. Hos. 7.11. Ephraim is like a silly dove without heart, but we take no heed to the entry, to see what goes in, what comes out. (1.) What if there be no God? Psal. 14.1. (2.) What if God see not? Ezek. 9.9. (3.) What if man perish as the beasts? Eccl. 3.19. It may be there is no heaven,The … and unreasonable imaginations of the heart and the atheism thereof. nor hell. (4.) What if there be no Christ, nor Gospel, but only questions of words? Such clay-pots were framed by Gallio, and Festus, Act. 18.14, 15. Act. 25.11, 19. Hence come imaginations of things impossible, Isa. 14.13. I'le ascend to heaven, saith Babylon, I will set my nest among the stars. Oba. 4. Tyrus saith, I am god, I sit in the seat of God. And new-wild-fire flights which are indeed old heresies, are of this kind;A heart delighted with God is the work-house of CHRIST. such are dreamers, who see seven lean kine eat seven fat kine, in re, its a lie. (5.) A new heart is the Office-house of Christ, and a heart delighting in Gods wayes is a new heart, where the Law is imprinted and ingraven in the heart, Isa. 51.7. Hearken ye people in whose heart is my Law. Psal. 40.8. I delight to do thy will, O God, thy Law is within my heart. Its true there is a new delight in the heart, but not a delight of the new heart, Isa. 58.2. Joh. 5.35. for a delight in the Gospel as a good thing, not as a good Gospel, a delighting in Christ as a Prophet that feeds them, not in Christ as a Redeemer, Joh. 6.26. that saves them, is not a new heart.
2. The new heart is a heart universall, wholly for God as God, there is an inteernesse in it,A whole and enteer heart. Half a sincere faith is no faith. when the whole spirit and soul and body is kept blamelesse, 1 Thess. 5.23. 1 Pet. 1.18. foreign in holy conversations and godlinesses, 2 Pet. 3.11. Half a globe, though exquisitely plained, or half a cart wheell, is not a globe nor a cart wheell. Externall things may be devided, one may be an hearing Professor, and a drunken Professor, and a praising, a singing Professor in publick, and not a praying nor a believing Professor in private, spirituall duties, cannot be devided: half a faith, half a love, is no faith, no love, saving grace is an essence that consists in indivisibili, and cannot be parted.
3. A new heart is a fixed and established heart by Grace, it's a new state, not a new transient flash, a new heart, Deut. 5.27.A fixed heart. All that the Lord our God will speak unto thee, we will hear, but the Lord saith, verse 19.D. Pr…on ▪ O! that there were such a heart in them, but it is not in them.
4. 1 Sam. 10.9. God gave Saul an other heart, Some new heart or new spirit is an old heart.then a changed heart is not a new heart, a new spirit or a new gift in Jehu is not a new heart; It's not newnesse that makes the heart new, but Gods new ingraving, Jer. 31.33.
5. A heart keeped with all keeping is a new heart, Prov. 4.23. both the words note exact diligence in keeping as watchmen and sheepherds with all keeping, at all times,Cant. 3 3. Cant. 5.7. A wel keeped heart is a new heart Psal. 119.119. some pull their hearts to pray and hear, but not while the sabbath, or under a storme of conscience: and the heart is a word in some company, not at other times and in other company▪
6. The heart is new, where the affections are all faith (as it were) and all sanctified, reason and zeal is a lump of angry reason, and fear a masse of shining reverence; and love only soul sicknesse and pure adherence to God, New affections what they are.the instinct of faith wholly on God, as the last and only end. (2.) The heart is new when the affections are equivocally, or at least, at the second hand set upon the creature, but as nothing can be seen, but what either is▪ colour, or affected with colour, so nothing is fixedly sought after, but God, he onelyonly feared and served, Mat. 4.10. Deut. 10.20. only desired, Psal. 73.25. only loved, Deut. 10.12. Cant. 3.2, 3. the soul sick of love for only only Christ, Cant. 2.5. Cant. 5.8. he only trusted in, Jer. 17.5, 7. Psal. 62.5. (1.) Nothing is all good and all desirable but God, and God in Christ, Mat. 19.17. Cant. 5.16. the shadow of the Sun in the fountain is not the reall Sun: the stirrings of the pulse of the affections towards the shadowed good of the creature, should be lent, and like the beating of the pulse of a dying man, with a godly contradiction, loving and not loving, joying and not joying, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30. mourning and not mourning.