Characters of a Sincere Heart, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Shewing, that all ſincere-hearted Chriſtians labour to approve their Hearts towards God.
Sect. 1 THE ſixth Character of a ſincerehearted Charact. 6. A ſincere heart approves it ſelf.. Chriſtian, is to approve himſelf to God, and to put himſelf in the integrity of his heart upon the teſt, trial and examination of God himſelf, who only knows the heart, and alone can ſearch it thorowly. Thus David durſt not ſtand upon his own ſearching, but caſts himſelf altogether upon God's ſearch and trial: Judg me, (ſaith he) O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity; I have truſted alſo in the Lord, therefore I ſhall not ſlide. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart, Pſal. 26. 1, 2. Likewiſe in another Pſalm David puts himſelf upon a farther teſt and trial, Pſalm 139. 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. Job makes his appeals and applications unto God alone. Behold, (ſaith he) my witneſs is in Heaven, and my record is on high, Job 16. 19. Hence he diſcover'd a reſolution truly heroical. I will not remove my integrity from me. My righteouſneſs I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart ſhall not reproach me ſo long as I live, Job 2…. 5, 6. Variety of the fouleſt ſlanders are caſt upon the people of God, (as Hiſtories mention) even ſuch lies and calumnies were invented, as bad as the Father of lies could invent. Nero, when Rome was burnt, imputed the burning of it to the Chriſtians; and the Romiſh Gun-powder Traytors (had their Treaſon took effect) were reſolved to have laid the whole Treaſon upon ſuch whom they maliciouſly ſtigmatized with the nickname of Puritans. It's an old Policy (though there is not one dram of honeſty in it) of Machiavel; To accuſe Auducter criminare aliquid haerebit.boldly, and caſt dirt enough, hoping that ſome may ſtick on. Yet notwithſtanding, all thoſe whoſe hearts are ſincere and upright towards God, do raiſe to themſelves a ground of ſtrong conſolation, from the teſtimony of a good conſcience; that notwithſtanding humane infirmities, the whole frame, vergency, and reſolution of their hearts is, to walk in the fear of God all the day long. The Apoſtle ſpeaks in his own name, and in the names of all uprighthearted Chriſtians, 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this, the teſtimony of our conſcience, that in ſimplicity, and godly ſincerity, not with fleſhly wiſdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our converſation in the World, and more abundantly to you-wards. Wherefore then we muſt make it our grand ſtudy and buſineſs to approve our hearts to God, and alwaies to walk as in the preſence of God, as having the fear of God before our eyes; if ſo, amidſt troubles, trials, and ſufferings, we may take abundant comfort in the integrity of our hearts and conſciences.
Sect. 2 It muſt be daily bewail'd (what we cannot deny) that we are ſubject to many infirmities, and ſhall never be quite exempted from them whilſt we are in this World, yet if we groan under the burthen of them, and mourn for them, and pray and ſtrive againſt them; there may be ſincerity in the heart, notwithſtanding human infirmities incident to our lives. We read in that Parable, Matth. 25. 5. that all the Virgins ſlept, even the five wiſe Virgins as well as the five fooliſh Virgins: While the Bridegroom tarried, they all ſlumbred and ſlept. That ſleeping implies infirmity. Both wiſe and fooliſh went forth to meet the Bridegroom, verſe 1. Both of them took their Lamps, verſe 3. But the wiſe took oyl in their Veſſels, with their Lamps; i. e. they had grace in their hearts. Both wiſe and fooliſh had the Lamps of an inlightned judgment, and of an Per oleum unde lampades aluntur ne exting uā tur poterit exponi cordis juſtitia, ſinceritas & vigilantia, quae eſt in verâ ſolida, & perſeveranti fide Chriſti, & charitate non ficta. Nam ſine tali corde, quid aliud eſt quicquid foris oſtenditur, quam lampas quaedam adſque oleo. Muſc. in Loc.outward profeſſion; but the wiſe had made proviſion for ſupplies, and augmentation of all the graces of the ſpirit of God. Thoſe five wiſe Virgins, notwithſtanding they ſlept as well as the fooliſh, yet they were admitted to the Marriage, when the fooliſh loſt the ſeaſon, and a door of hope was for ever ſhut againſt them. For we read Matth. 25. 10. And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage, and the door was ſhut. The Spouſe likewiſe had her infirmities, and ſhe was ſenſible of them, ſo ſhe profeſſeth, Cant. 5. 2. I ſleep, but my heart waketh. She confeſt (as ſome have obſerv'd) That ſecurity had oppreſt her in a great Vid. Engliſh Annotat.meaſure; but yet the inward bent and motion of her heart was active and vigilant. Let us, Oh! let us ſecure this Fort-Royal of a good conſcience; this is a better defence than a wall of Braſs. Bulwarks and Forts have Hic murus abeneus eſto Nil conſcire ſibi nullâ palleſcere …ulpâ.been took by ſtratagems, or by ſtorming; great Caſtles built upon Rocks may be undermind, and the ſtrongeſt Military Garriſon may be forced to yield, leſt they be ſtarved: but a good Conſcience cannot be ſtarv'd, for it's a continual feast. Ahaſhueroſh made a magnificent Feaſt unto the common People ſeven daies, but unto his Princes and Nobles, an hundred and fourſcore daies, Eſther 1. 4, 5. But he that daily keeps a good Conſcience, he keeps a Feaſt every day. And notwithſtanding many aſſaults and batteries, a good Conſcience will be a ſhield of defence, and as a Bulwark impregnable, to ſecure us from the malice and miſchief of unreaſonable and malicious Adverſaries. However men may be inraged againſt us, and accuſe us falſly, and condemn us unjuſtly, yet if a good Conſcience acquit us, we have more to make for us, than all accuſations and condemnations of the worſt of Enemies can make againſt us. Wherefore we ſhould make it our continual endeavor to walk with that wiſdom and circumſpection, as we may put to ſilence ungodly men, who watch for our haltings, and would gladly make us an offender for a word. And a good Conſcience, and a good Converſation, will make our Enemies to be aſhamed. Having a Christiant teſtatum mundo facerent, ſe procul ab omni impietate, verae que pietatis corruptela ab eſſe, quo nomine imperitis ſuſpecti erant. Calv.good conſcience, that whereas they ſpeak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be aſhamed that faſly accuſe your good converſation in Chriſt, 1 Pet. 3. 16. Here is the great labour, and the great work, ſo to endeavor to order our hearts and our lives, that we may amidſt all our troubles and calamities, either imminent or incumbent on us, appeal to God, the ſearcher of all hearts, whoſe curious eyes are more then ten thouſand times ten thouſand, even infinitely more bright than the Sun in his brightneſs; before whom all things are tranſparent; to whom day and night are all one; the darkeſt night hideth not from God: For (ſaith the Apoſtle, Heb. 4. 13.) neither foreign. Tradunt Grammatici foreign dici quae a collo ſuſpenſa excoriantur, & per dorſi ſpinam, tandem reſupinata fiaduntur ut tota ſoris & intus oculis pateant. Beza.is there any creature that is not manifeſt in his ſighi; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. If then the Queſtion (which is a very material one) be askt, What is that which will carry us through the greateſt ſufferings? I anſwer, that a God reconciled in Jeſus Chriſt, a Conſcience pacified, and a Righteous Cauſe, i. e. when we ſuffer for Righteouſneſs ſake, will make us Conquerors, and more than Conquerors, as the *Rom. 8. 37. foreign, ſupervincimus, quoniam in eruce etiam gloriamur, nedum ut, animam deſpondeamus. Cypr-Epiſt. 26.word very emphatically imports, mentioned by the Apoſtle, Rom. 8. 37. foreign ſupervincimus. Nay, in all theſe things we are more than Conquerors, through him that loved us.