Influences of the Life of Grace, Part 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
The fifth Queſtion is what is the enlarging of heart. It is nothing but the wideneſs and fulneſs of the ſoul and powers thereof in its actings. Hence theſe Propoſitions concerning enlargedneſs of heart.
Prop. 1. WHen the ſoul is widened and ſtretched out in its actings, we are ready to ſay, I ſhall never be moved, Pſal. 30. I ſhall dwell in the houſe of the Lord for ever, Pſal. 23. 6. which though true, when he was baniſhed from the Tabernacle, Pſal. 42. Pſal. 84. Pſal. 63. he had uttered thoughts of his ſtate. Some ſay, Shall I ever again be dead? Shall I ever again doubt as a down-caſting ſoul? no, I ſhall believe and hope under temptations to the end. But we are no more to judge of our ſelves by our preſent enlargedneſs, then we are to paſs ſentence of the multitude of people of a City by a ſolemn fair or great market, the town is not every day ſo peopled: nor are we to eſteem of a river by its ſwelling and running over banks after a mighty long continued rain.
2. Nor are we to judge of our ſelves according to our ebbing and deadneſs of diſpoſition, that we ſhall ever again believe. Saith the doubting ſoul, Shall I ever again ſee the beauty and glory of his power, as ſometimes I did in the Sanctuary? Pſal. 63. The birds reaſon not ſo; they ſay not in winter, ſhall ever the Spring and the ſeaſon of building our neſts come again? ſhall birds ever have Summer-ſinging again? And we are ready to make a weapon-ſhew of grace when the heart is enlarged; I'le doe wonders: as if the man were the Father who begat grace, and the Lord of his own believing; as ſome believe the horſes ſwiftneſs is the ſwiftneſs of the rider. Be humble, and pull down the ſail when the heart is enlarged.
Prop. 2. See in the Text enlargedneſs of heart and running are near of kindred and blood. The diſpoſition and the gracious acting by divine influences are near other, as the powder and flamings, the dry timber and the warm harth-ſtone, to receive flamings. There is a near diſpoſition in the Embrio, in the framed maſs of the birth, to receive by the Creators influences a living ſoul, Pſal. 38. 1, 2, 3, 4. So in Chriſt, Pſal. 40. the law in the heart, and preaching the Lords righteouſneſs in the great congregations are near other.
2. The enlarged heart is ripened to receive influences and quickening of grave for running. The God of nature, by a ſort of neceſſity, muſt give influences to the egg ſo prepared to be a living bird: when the heart is boyling and ſeething with thoughts of the King, the tongue is the pen of a ready writer. When the heart is fixed, Pſal. 57. 7. as if he were maſter of influences, he humbly out of the abundance of the heart engageth to ſing and give praiſe, I my ſelf will awake early. There is here fire, therefore the Lord ſhall blow upon his own kindling; no queſtion we may caſt water on our own coals. The heart of the two diſciples is burning like an oven, while Chriſt ſpeaks to them by the way, Luke 24. 31. yet they fortifie themſelves, and fetch reaſons to ſtrengthen unbelief; ſo as they ſeem to fetch unbelief, and unbelief comes not on them unſent for, ver. 21. We truſted that it was he who ſhould have redeemed Iſrael, we are beguiled. This is the third day, the women ſaid he was riſen again, but none ſaw him. Strangle not heavenly diſpoſitions, they ſhall break out.
Prop. Branches of enlargedneſs of heart.3. For the branches of enlargedneſs of heart; there is a fulneſs of the holy Ghoſt, in the Baptiſt, in Steven, which was not a tranſient diſpoſition, but a permanent habit; but this breaks out in ſomething more then an habit. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampſon in mighty influences, when he broke the cords, and carried away the ports of the City. Pſal. 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter; like a boyling and ſeething pot, and that puts him to ſpeak of the King. Elihu, Job 32. 18. I am full of matter, the ſpirit within me conſtraineth me. 19. Behold, my belly is as new wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burſt like new bottles. There was a heavenly ſpring, a new fountain broken up in him, and excellently beyond all the friends he pleads for the Lord his ſoveraignty. O what fulneſs above meaſure above his fellows was in the man Chriſt! the law was in his heart, and the fulneſs of grace; and (as it were) to overtake the running over well, he takes whole nights to prayer; and for Preaching and working miracles, he hath not leiſure to ſleep or eat. If there be a fire in Jeremiah's bowels, what wonder then prophecying flame out of his mouth, and he confeſs he was weary with forbearing, Jer. 20. and God obtains his holy end. The people are warned of their ſin, when Micah ſaith in oppoſition to the empty Prophets, Micah 3. 6. But truly I am full of power by the ſpirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might; and that fulneſs fetches influences from heaven, to declare unto Jacob his tranſgreſſion, and to Iſrael his ſin. This condemns the cold, indifferent, and dead actions of many, who are far from that, whatſoever ye doe, doe foreign, from the heart or ſoul, which ſayes ſome duties are ſoul-leſs actions, and actions dead without heart and ſoul. Iſaiah would have us,Mr. Leigh foreign active, eructare, evomere tanquam ebrium. Metaph. depromere, producere. if we faſt aright, to give bread; and not that only, Iſa. 58. 10. but to draw out, or vomit out (ſo the word) the ſoul to the hungry. There is often great ſcarcity of the ſoul in our actions, every acting in Gods way being an act of hypocriſie, and a dumb and dead action. When ſhall we lay the Lords glory to heart, and do things from the ſoul? Ah, prayers without a ſoul! what influences of grace are here, hearing and no ſoul-hearing?
2. There is a wideneſs and an all-neſs in regard of wiſedome. Solomon had wiſedome, and largeneſs of heart, as the ſand that is on the Sea-ſhore, 1 Kings 4. 29. So Paul Col. 1. 9. We ceaſe not to pray that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wiſedom. Eph. 1. 8. Chriſt hath abounded, overflowed to us, in all wiſedome and prudence. Col. 3. 16. Let the word of God dwell in you, richly in all wiſedome. Here is wideneſs of heart.
2. And Solomon was but a ſhadow, and the ſand of the ſea, which none can number, a ſhadow of a ſhadow in compariſon of Chriſt, Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treaſures of wiſedome. And therefore he went about doing good up and down, ſowing good deeds to the world, Acts 10. 38. Whom God anointed with the holy Ghoſt and with power. Here is wideneſs of heart, and abundance of influences, and acting of good night and day.
3. The wiſedome of Angels is large. Hence that (wiſe as an Angel of God) and alſo the fulneſs of God in their affections teacheth us that wideneſs of heart is outed in continual acting,Influences on Angels and the glorified ones. and ſo in multiplied breathings of God: and Angels doe not walk and run onelyonly, but fly with wings, cheerfully to doe the Lords will: and what influences muſt be there, when each having ſix wings, they ceaſe not night nor day to cry one to another, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hoſts, Almighty, which was, and which is to come, the whole earth is filled with his glory, Rev. 48. Iſa. 6. 3.
4. The glorified ſee him face to face (that is wideneſs of heart) and they ſerve him night and day, and weary not, Rev. 14. 2, 3, 4. Rev. 7. 9.
5. The more the Prophets and Apoſtles ſaw of God, the more the heart is enlarged to teach and to warn every man, Col. 1.
3. There is an enlargement of heart in loving Chriſt, and in the experimental knowing and feeling thereof, and in godly fear and joy, Eph. 4. 19. Paul prays that the Epheſians may comprehend the love in all the dimenſions of it, That ye may be able to know the love of Chriſt, which paſſeth knowledge, that ye may be filled, not that it may be in you, but be filled 2. with fulneſs, that is a wide fill. 3. with the fulneſs of God, that is yet wider. 4. with all the fulneſs of God: and then follow influences above the prayers of the godly, v. 20. He is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Of the latter, Iſa. 60. 5. when the Gentiles ſhall be brought in to the Church, Thou ſhalt ſee and flow together, thine heart ſhall fear and be enlarged. And hence wideneſs of heart in acting, the Church ſhall willingly receive them, and with joy alſo, and hold open their gates night and day, v. 11. and influences of grace and glory ſhall ſo be rained on the Church, that her Sun ſhall no more goe down, nor her Moon withdraw it ſelf. v. 20. All her people ſhall be righteous. 21. A little one ſhall become a thouſand, and a ſmall one a ſtrong nation. Nor ſhall they be weary in running, Pſal. 92. 14. They ſhall ſtill bring forth fruit in old age, they ſhall be fat and flouriſhing. The oyl burns, and the oyl grows; for Iſa. 40. 31. They ſhall run, and not be weary. A glimmering of newes come that Chriſt is riſen, and John and Peter try their ſpeed, who ſhall be firſt at the grave; and Magdalen outruns both, and ſeeks with teares, and ſtayes about the grave until ſhe find her Lord.
The Lord muſt be diſpleaſed with our narrowneſs. How little a portion of him doe we ſee? We are not ſtraitned in the Lords heart, but in our ſelves: He calls for wider hearts, Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it, Pſal. 81. 10. not the mouth, but the heart: our narrow heart, and narrow faith, is like the little hand of the child, who hath not fingers to hold the large and great apple.
2.Many ſtraitned and dead ones reproved. The fool wants a heart, Hoſ. 7. 11. Prov. 9. 4. Then muſt the fooles of this world know little of an enlarged and wide heart, as little as the horſe or the mule that hath not the underſtanding of a man; nor have they the heart of the new man. Speak to the natural men of the fatneſs of the Lords houſe, of all the fulneſs of God, and the ſhowers of influences of grace, of the anointing of all wiſedom, and ye ſpeak to new weaned children.
3. Idlers and ſleepers, that run not in the way of Gods commandements, but are hot as fire, and mad, and run as the Galatians in a wrong way, are hence rebuked. Many run, and ſleep little, after their corn, and wine, and oyl, after their vineyards, honours, but not with enlarged hearts in the Lords way: They run to ſet up themſelves, and in place of Religion ſet up all the wicked religions of hell. Toleration is high, but he ſhall be laid hold on who prophecies and cries againſt the curſed Altar.
4. There is a Spirit of deadneſs on many profeſſors, the judgment of the Church of Sardis, Rev. 3. 1, 2. and hardly can ſleepers waken themſelves: we pray not as David, Pſal. 119. Quicken me, quicken me. Unrenewed profeſſors are painted men praying and hearing, men riſen out of the grave, dead on their feet, preaching, praying, hearing, and yet dead.