belongs to practical godliness, and the study of their own hearts.

If professors did but give diligence to study, search and watch their own hearts, they would have that steadfastness of their own, that Peter speaks of, 1. Pet. iii. 17. and this would ballast and settle them, Heb. xiii. 9. Suppose a subtle papist would talk to such of the diguity and merit of good works, could he ever work the persuasion of it into that heart, that is conscious to itself of so much darkness, deadness, distraction and unbelief attending its best duties? It is a good rule, there is no disputing against taste. What a man hath felt and tasted, one cannot beat him off from that by argument.

3. Mot. Your care and diligence in keeping your hearts, will prove one of the best evidences of your sincerity.

:

I know no external act of religion that differences the sound from the uusound professor it is wonderful to consider, how far hypocrites go in all external duties; bow plausibly they can order the outward man, hiding all their indecencies. from the observation of the world..

But then, they take no heed to their hearts; they are not in secret, what they appear to be in public and before this trial no bypocrite can stand. It is cou

Fest, they may in a fit, under a pang up011 a death bed, cry out of the wickedness of their hearts; but, alas, there is no heed to be taken to these extorted complaints in our law, no credit is to be given to the testimony of one upon the rack, because it may be supposed that the extremity of the torture may make him say any thing to be eased. But, if self jealousy, care and watchfulness be the daily workings and frames of thy heart, it strongly argues the sincerity of it: for, what but the sense of a divine eye, what but the real hatred of sin as sin, could put thee upon those secret duties, which lie out of the observation of all creatures?

If then it be a desirable thing in thine eyes to have a fair testimony of thine integrity, and to know of a truth that thou fearest God; then study thy heart, watch thy heart, keep thy heart.

4. Mot. How fruitful, sweet and comfortable would all ordinances and duties be to us, if our hearts were better kept?

O what precious communion might you have with God, every time you approach him, if, your hearts were but in frame! you might then say, with David, Psal. civ. 34. My meditation of him shall be

sweet.

That which loses all our comforts in ordinances and more secret duties, is the indisposednes of the heart : a christian, whose heart is in a good frame, gets the start of all others that come with him in that duty. They are tugging hard to get up their hearts to God, now trying this argument upon them, and then that, to quicken and affect them; and sometimes go away as bad as they came : sometimes the duty is almost ended before their hearts begin to stir, to feel any warmth, quickning or power from it. But all this while the prepared heart is at its work; this is he that ordinarily gets the first sight of Christ in a sermor, the first seal from Christ in a sacrament, the first kiss from Christ in secret prayer. I tell you, and I tell you but what I have felt, that prayers and sermons would appear to you other manner of things than they do, did you but bring better ordered hearts unto them; you would not go away dejected and drooping, saying, O this hath been a lost day, a lost duty to me! If you had not lost your hearts, it had not been so. If then the comfort of ordinances be sweet, look to your hearts, keep your hearts.

5. Mot. Acquaintance with your own

hearts would be a fountain of matter to you in prayer.

A man that is diligent in heart work, and knows the state of his own soul, will have a fountain fulness of matter to supply him richly in all his addresses to God: his tongue shall not faulter, and make pauses for want of matter, Psal. xlv. i. My heart is enditing a good matter; or, as Montanus renders the original, my heart is boiling up good matter, like a living spring, that is still boiling up fresh water; and then, my tongue is as the pen of a ready writer. Others must pump their memories, rack their inventions, and are often at a loss, when they have done all: but if thou have kept, aud faithfully have studied thine own heart, it will be with thee (as Job speaks in another case) like bottles full of new wine, that want vent, which are ready to burst as holy matter flows plentifully, so more feelingly and sweetly, from such a heart. When a heart experienced christian is mourning before God over, some special heart corruption, wrestling with God for the supply of some special inward want, he speaks not as other men do, that have learned to pray by rote, their confessions and petitions are squeezed out, his drop freely, like pure honey

from the comb; it is a happiness the to be with or near such a christian. I re member Bernard, having given rules to prepare the heart for prayer, concludes them thus, and (saith he) when thy heart is in this frame, then remember me.

6. Mot. By this the decayed power of religion will be recovered again among professors, which is the most desirable sight in this world.

O that I might live to see that day! when professors shall not walk in a vaa shew; when they shall please themselves no more with a name to live, being spiritually dead; when they shall be no more (as many of them now are) a company of frothy, vain and unserious persons, but the majestic beams of holiness shining from their heavenly and serious conversations, shall awe the world, and command reverence from all that are about them; when they shall warm the hearts of those that come nigh them, so that men shall say, God is in these men of a

truth.

Well, such a time may again he expected, according to that promise, Isa. Ix. 21. The people shall be all righteous. But, till we fall closer to this great work of keeping our hearts, I am out of hopes to see those blessed days; I cannot ex