Characters of a Sincere Heart, Chapter 3
CHAP III. A heart in love with holineſs, evidenced in a holy life and converſation, is a Character of a ſincere Heart.
A Third Character of Sincerity, is a Character Third. A heart in love with holineſs.Heart in love with holineſs: Sect. 1 For when the Heart is emptied of all ſelflove, and ſelf-confidence, and made throughly ſenſible of its own vileneſs▪ and wretchedneſs, then Chriſt is highly valued and entirely loved, and cordially embraced and delighted in. Every true Believer loves holineſs for it ſelf, becauſe it is the image of God. And (as Bucer us'd to ſay) where there is Aliquid Chriſti (i. e.) any impreſſion of the image of Chriſt, there we ought to place our love. Wherefore the Apoſtle gives a ſtrict Eph. 4. 23. 24. foreign.Command—Be renewed in the ſpirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after the image of God is created in righteouſneſs and true holineſs. Where this image of God is, (which conſiſts in righteouſneſs and true holineſs) Sanctitas veritatis eſt vera ſincera minime fucata Drus. Tali innocentia & ſanctitate qu… ſint in eſse non in videri Grot.it is ſtampt upon the heart, and is viſible in the life, and there is ſuch a tranſcendent beauty, purity, and excellency, and amiableneſs in all the waies of holineſs, as the leaſt glimpſe of them are abundantly ſufficient to delight, rejoyce and raviſh the ſoul of every true believer. What plato ſaid of Moral vertue, much more may be ſaid of Theological vertue (i. e.) Si Virtus & humanis ocutis poſsit cer…i admirabile (ſui) deſiderium excitaret-Plato.Soul-ſaving grace, and holineſs, that if it could be diſcerned by Corporal eyes, it would raiſe the heart to a wonderfull deſire thereof. Oh! how did David love the Law of God! He profeſt that Gods Law was his Delight, and that Pſal. 119. 77. he loved the commandments above Gold, yea above fine gold. Pſal. 119. 127. Thy Teſtimonies (ſaith he) I have taken Pſal. 119. 111.…n Heritage for ever, for they are the rejoycing of my heart. O! What ſweet neſs did David ſuck out of the Judgments of the Lord! for (ſaith he) Th… Pſal. 19. 9. 10.Judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether: More to be deſired ar… they then Gold yea then much fine Gold ſweeter alſo then honey, and the hone… comb. There is a great reward in th… very work of holineſs: For it follows i… the next words—Moreover by them, i… thy Servant warned: and in keeping o… them, there is *Utilitas non mediocris, ſedingens ſequitur, etiamſi illi reſpectum retributionis alicujus non habeant ſed ſimplici ac ſincer… corde in viâ mandatorum Dei currant, unum hoc ſpectantes, ut Domino Deo ſuo gratificentur Muſc.great reward Now to love God for himſelfe and the Law of God for it felf and holineſs for holineſs ſake becauſe it is the image of God and reſembles him, this is a good ſign indeed that the heart is ſincere with God. But to profeſs religion for ſelfe and ſiniſter ends, hopeing to make a good Market to themſelves by ingratiating themſelves with ſome Profeſſors for advantage ſake, this is a very bad Sign, and comes farr ſhort of a heart right with God. *Qui Deum ideo colit ut aliud magis quam ipſum aſsequatur, non Deum colit ſed illud colit quod concupiſeit. Auguſt.So the Sichemites Embraced circumciſion upon a Politick deſign, to compaſs to themſelves all the Eſtate of the Iſraelites Gen. 34. 25. *Si vere hoc dicunt, tyran…ide baud dubie, & per vim cum illis agere ſpecie foederis ſtatuerūt, quod vellent vi eorum bonae accipere. Ita cum doloſe cum illis agerent juſte ſunt pu…itī alioqui praeter ſtuprum illataus. Merc.Shall not their Cattle, and their ſubſtance, and every beast of theirs be ours, only le… us conſent unto them, and they will dwell with us. But that Politick, and ſelfended propoſall did not proſper with the Sichemites, for we read immediatly after of their utter deſtruction: No more will any men thrive in the cloſe of all, who ſeek their own ends and deſign onelyonly ſelf-Intereſts. The People followed Chriſt for the loaves, and many like the Perſians worſhip the riſing Sun, and ſeek only their own private ends, and ſome have two faces under one hood, and ſome imitate Water men rowing upon the Thames, who look one way and row another. The Apoſtles Cenſure is verified of multitudes—For all ſeek their Phil. 221.own, not the things which are Jeſus Chriſts: But ſuch mens hearts are not upright with God.
Sect. 2 Ad hereunto, wherever true holineſs is ſeated in the heart, it becomes exceeding fruitfull in the life, and appears ſo by thoſe good fruits viſible in a holy converſation. Not bare leaves, and formal profeſſions will ſerve the turn, but there are required good actions. Chriſt muſt not only be in the tongue, to ſpeak good of his name (which is our duty;) but he muſt be formed in us, and our hearts muſt be raviſhed with love to him, and Love muſt conſtrain us to yeeld ready & cheerfull obedience to him. Not only a form but the power of godlineſs muſt exert and evidence it ſelf in a Sanctified converſation. The Apoſtle cautions us againſt ſuch, who content themſelves with a bare outſide-form of godlyneſs, 2. Tim. 3. 5.and deny the power thereof—Having a form of godlineſs, but deny the power thereof: from ſuch turn away. There muſt not be only foreign, a formall profeſſion: But there muſt be foreign foreigna transforming, Rom 12. 2. We muſt be transſormed by the renewing of our minds. Queſtionleſs, where the heart is ſincere towards God, there profeſſion and practice concur in a ſweet harmony, and where the profeſſion is in ſince…ty, a holy life gives abundant Teſtimony thereunto: For we muſt adorn the Doctrine of God (as the Apoſtle Tit. 2. 10.ſpeaks) and then we adorn the Doctrine of God when we evidence the ſincerity of our profeſſion by the holineſs of our lives and converſations: For wherever holineſs is in ſincerity, and in truth, it is very diffuſive, and diſcovers it ſelfe in its vaſt extent, and latitude. It conſiſts not only in verbal profeſſions, but in real actions, nor is confined to one or to two acts, nor to a few particulars, but it is in the Habit, and extends it ſelfe to all manner of Converſation (as the Apoſtle 1 Per. 1. 15. foreign Heb. 12. 14, foreign Per ſequutione premite, Summe ſtudio enitimiai.exhorts) But as he that hath called you, is holy, ſo be ye holy in all manner of Converſation. We muſt with all diligence purſue holyneſs (for ſo the Original imports) It is uſed of Hunters and Hounds, who follow the game, and take great pains in the purſuit thereof. Peace and Holyneſs are conjoyn'd by the Apoſtle—Follow peace with all men and holyneſs, without which no man ſhall ſee the Lord. Holy perſons, and they only ſhall be made partakers of the bleſſed Viſion: And they are thus diſtinguiſhed from hypocrites by our Saviour—Bleſſed are Matth. 5. 8.the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God. They are ſaid to be pure in oppoſition to Deum jam vide…t lumine gloriae, quae eſ… ſumma hominis Beatitudo. Spanhem.all manner of impurity, and profaneneſs, and pure in heart in oppoſition to all manner of hypocriſie. Whoever then hath hope to be made like unto God in happineſs, in the higheſt Heaven, muſt be firſt made like unto God in holineſs here on Earth. For holyneſs and happineſs differr not ſubſtantially, but gradually: For Holineſs is happineſs inchoate in this World, and happineſs is holineſs perfected and conſummated in the World to come. Let us take a narrow View View of the Words of the Apoſtle—Behold now are we the Sons of God, and it 1 Joh. 3. 2.doth not yet appear, what we ſhall be; But Non ſanctitate tantum, ſed aeternitate & beatitudine, ac ſic multo magis filii ejas quam nunc. Grot.we know, that when he ſhall appear, we ſhall be like him, for we ſhall ſee him as he is. Now for the right Interpretation of thoſe words, we muſt interpoſe this Caution by way of Diſtinction—There is ſicut ſimilitudinis to be underſtood, non ſicut proportionis. In variety of places in Holy Scripture, we are commanded Lev. 11. 44. Lev. 19. 2. Lev. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 16.to be holy, as God is holy; yet we muſt know and acknowledge, that it's altogether impoſſible for us poor finite Creatures to attain to that equality of holineſs, which is in God: However it is our obliged duty to endeavour according to our utmoſt ability, after a ſimilitude and conformity to God. Similitudes are in the Predicament of Quality, and according to Quality, we are ſaid to be like, or unlike. But ſimilitudes are not in the Predicament of Quantity: for it's altogether impoſſible for any Creature to be equal and hold any proportions of holineſs, with the Infinite, and Everlaſting Creator. But what's the Grand Duty incumbent on all thoſe, who hope to be partakers of the bleſſed Viſion. The Apoſtle makes mention—1 Ioh. 3. 3. And every one that hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelf, even as he is pure: Both outward and inward purity; holineſs of Heart, as well as Holineſs of life are eſſentially requiſite to a good Chriſtian. Both Hands and Hearts (as St. James commands) muſt be cleanſed, and I am. 4. 8.purifyed—*Ʋ …clean perſons can have no commerce with God: If you would have a holy life you muſt get a clean heart v D. Manton in Lo. 2 Cor. 7. 1. foreign. In divino. Cultu nihi mutilū ſed omnia abſoluta eſse decet. Calv. Cleanſe your hands ye Sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Not only outward impurity of the Body, but inward impurity of the Heart, not only practical uncleanneſs, but ſpeculative uncleanneſs ſhould be utterly abhorred, and abandoned altogether: For ſo runs the Charge of the Apoſtle—Having therefore theſe promiſes, (dearly beloved) let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs of the fleſh and ſpirit, perfecting holineſs in the fear of God. This then is an undoubted Concluſion conſonant to the Rule of the word. That where holineſs is cordially embraced, loved, deſired, and delighted in, and rightly priced in the Judgment, and preferrd as the true Wiſdome, before Rubies and all manner of pretious Stones, and where holineſs is practiced in the life and Converſation, queſtionleſs that heart is upright and ſincere towards God, notwithſtanding many perſonal Infirmities (which we grieve for and diſlike of) while we are in this Vale of miſery.