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their spirits may be more reiniss; but, when it comes to the heart-case, then they intend their spirits to the utmost, fill their mouths with arguments, weep and make supplication; Ob, for a heart to love God more, to hate sin more, to walk more evenly with God! Lord, deny not to me such a heart, whatever thou deny me; give me a heart to fear thee, love, and delight in thee, if I beg my bread in desolate places. It is observed of holy Mr. Bradford, that, when he was confessing sin, he would never give over confessing until he had felt some brokenness of heart for that sin; and, when praying for any spiritual mercy, would never give over that suit, till he had got some relish of that mercy. That is the third thing included in keeping the heart.

4. It includes the imposing of strong engagements and bonds upon ourselves to walk more accurately with God, and avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin. Well composed, advised and deliberate vows, are in some cases of excellent use to guard the heart against some special sin; so, Job xxxi. 1. I made a covenant with mine eyes: by this means, holy ones have over-awed their souls, and preserved them from defilement by some special heart-corruptions,

5 It includes a constant holy jealousy over our own hearts. Quick-sighted selfjealousy is an excellent preservative from sin; he that will keep his heart, must have the eyes of his soul awake and open upon all the disorderly and tumultuous stirrings of his affections: if the affections break loose, and the passions be stirred, the soul must discover and sup-. press them before they get to an height. O my soul, dost thou well in this? my tumultuous thoughts and passions, where is your Commission ?

Happy is the man that thus feareth always, Prov. xxviii. 14. By this fear of the Lord it is that men depart from evil, 'shake off security, and preserve themselvesfrom iniquity he that will keep his heart, must feed with fear, rejoice with fear, and pass the whole time of his sojourneying here in fear, and all little enough to keep the heart from sin.

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6 And Lastly, To add no more, it includes the realizing of God's presence with us, and setting the Lord always before This the people of God have found a singular means to keep their hearts upright, and awe them from sin: when the eye of our faith is fixed upon the eye God's omniscience, we dare not let out our thoughts and affections to vanity.

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Holy Job durst not suffer his heart to yield to an impure vain thought; aud what was it that moved him to so great a circumspection? why, he tells you, Job xxxi. 4. Doth he not see my ways, and count all my steps? walk before me (saith God to Abraham) and be thou perfect, Gen. xvii. 1. Even as parents use to set their children in the congregation before them, knowing that else they will be toying and playing; so would the heart of the best man too, were it not for the eye of God.

In these and such like particulars, do gracious souls express the care they have of their hearts; they are as careful to prevent the breaking loose of their corruptions in times of temptation, as seamen are to bind fast the guns, that they break not loose in a storm; as careful to preserve the sweetness and comfort they have got from God in any duty, as ope that comes out of an hot bath, or great sweat, is of taking cold, by going forth into the chill air. This is the work, and, of all works of religion, it is the most difficult, constant, and important work.

(1.) It is the hardest work. Heartwork is hard work indeed: to shuffle over religious duties with a loose and heedless spirit, will cost no great pains; but to

set thyself before the Loid, and tie up thy loose and vain thoughts to a constant and serious attendance upon him, this will cost thee something. To attain a facility and dexterity of language in prayer, and put thy meaning into apt and decent expressions, is easy; but to get thy heart broken for sin, whilst thou art confessing it; melted with free grace, whilst thou art blessing God for it; to be really ashamed and humbled through the apprehensions of God's infinite holiness, and to keep thy heart in this frame, not only in, but after duty; will surely cost thee some groans, and travailing pains of soul.

To repress the outward acts of sin, and compose the external part of thy life in a laudable and comely manner, is no great matter; even carnal persons, by the force of common principles, can do this but to kill the root of corruption within, to set and keep up an holy government over thy thoughts, to have all things lie straight and orderly in the heart; this is not easy.

(2.) It is a constant work. The keeping of the heart is such a work, as is never done till life be done; this labour and our life end together: It is with a christian in this business, as it is with seamen that have sprung a leak at sea; if they

Mary ( 17 ) Strippers

tog not constantly at the pump, the wa-
ter increases upon them, and will quickly
sink them. It is in vain for them to say,
The work is hard, and we are weary;
there is no time nor condition in the life
of a christien, which will suffer an inter-
misssion of this work. It is in the keep-
ing watch over our hearts, as it was in
the keeping up of Moses his hands, whilst
Israel and Amelek were fighting below,
Exod. xvii. 12.
No sooner do Moses his
hands grow heavy and sink down, but A-
melek prevails. You know it cost David
and Peter many a sad day and night for
intermitting the watch over their own
hearts but a few minutes.

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(3.) It is the most important busines of a christian's lite. Without this we are but formalists in religion; all our professions, gifts and duties signify nothing My son give me thine heart, Prov. xxiii. 36. God is pleased to call that a gift, which indeed is a debt; he will put his honour upon a creature to receive it from him in the way of a gift: but, if this be not given him, he regards not whatever else you bring to him; there is so much only of worth and value in what we do, as there is of heart in it. Concerning the heart, God seems to say, as

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