32. That God bears a greater respect to his heart than to his works

Another principle that believers should walk by, is this: That God bears a greater respect to their hearts, than he doth to their works.

God looks most, where man looks least. My Son, give me thine heart. We cannot trust God with too much, or ourselves with too little. The first is our merciful keeper; the last is our barbarous traitor. Here you have the dignity with which a believer is invested, and the duty to which he is invited.

The God of heaven and earth sues from heaven to earth. He who is all in all to us, calls for that which is all in all in us. We may commit our estates into the hands of men, but we must not commit our hearts into the hands of any but God. There are none of our spirits so good, but he deserves them; or so bad, that he cannot refine them.

On whom do parents bestow their hearts, but upon their children? and on whom should children bestow their's, but upon their parents?

Ah, how unwilling is man to give what he has no right to keep! As God prefers the heart to every thing, such is the wickedness of man, that he will give God any thing but the heart. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. Heartless operations are but hearty dissimulation. Men may keep their works to themselves, if they refuse to yield their hearts to Jesus Christ. He that regards the heart, without any thing; he also will not regard any thing, without the heart.

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. He who makes all he hath, has a right to have all he makes. The formalist is all for outward activity, and the sensualist is all for inward sincerity. The first hath nothing within him, therefore he is for that which is outward; the second hath nothing without, therefore he is for that which is inward. But it is not the pretence of inward sincerity, that can justify outward impiety; nor a shew of outward piety, that will excuse for inward hypocrisy.

Though the brain be the spring of sensitive motion, yet the heart is the original spring of vital motion. The heart is the first that lives, and the last that dies. O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness: how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? Vain thoughts defile the heart, as well as vile thoughts. Suails leave their slime behind them, as well as serpents.

If the leprosy take hold of a single thread, it will soon spread over the whole piece. Though sinful thoughts will rise, yet they should not reign. Though these birds may hover over the Christian's heart, yet he cannot wish them to build their nests in it.

The devil knows, that if there be any good treasure, it is in our hearts; and he would gladly have the key of these cabinets, that he might rob us of our jewels. A heart which is sanctified, is better than a tongue that is silvered. He that gives only the skin of worship to God, receives only the shell of comfort from God.

It is not the bare touching of the strings, that makes an harmonious tune. A spiritual man may pray carnally, but a carnal man cannot pray spiritually. If God's mercies do not eat out the heart of our sins, our sins will soon eat out the heart of our duties. A work that is heartless, is a work that is fruitless. God cares not for the crazy cabinet, but for the precious jewel.

It is said of Hannibal, the great Carthagenian commander, that he was the first that went into the field of battle, and the last that came out of it. Thus should it be in all the operations of a Christian; the heart should be the first that comes into the house of God, and the last that goes out of it. In prayer, the heart should first speak the words, and then the words should speak the sentiments of the heart. If the heart be inditing a good matter, the tongue then will be as the pen of a ready writer.

It is observed of the spider, that in the morning, before she seeks her prey, she mends her broken web; and in doing this, she always begins in the middle. And shall those who call themselves Christians, rise and pursue the callings and profits of the world, and yet be unconcerned about the broken webs of their lives, and especially of their hearts?

Those who would have the cocks run with wholesome water, should look well to the springs that supply them. The heart is the presence chamber, where the King of glory takes up his residence. That which is most worthy in us, should be resigned to him who is most worthy of us.

Good words, without the heart, are but flattery; and good works, without the heart, are but hypocrisy. Though God pities stumbling Israelites, yet he punishes halting hypocrites.

It is reported of Bishop Cranmer, that after his flesh and bones were consumed in the flames, his heart was found whole. A gracious man is clothed with sincerity in the midst of his infirmities.

God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. None can ever give him the heart of their services, unless they are enabled to give him their hearts in their services. The sorrowful sighing of the heart in worship, is preferable to the most elevated and harmonious voice. One is the exertion of nature, the other is the production of grace. Pride may be at the root of one, but God is the foundation of the other. One may ravish our ears, but the other ravishes God's heart.

It is said of the Lacedæmonians, who were a poor and homely people, that they offered lean sacrifices to their gods; and that the Athenians, who were a wise and wealthy people, offered fat and costly sacrifices; and yet in their wars the former had always the mastery of the latter. Whereupon, they went to the oracle to know the reason why those should speed worst, who gave most. The oracle returned this answer to them: 'That the Lacedæmonians were a people who gave their hearts to their gods, but that the Athenians only gave their gifts to their gods.' Thus a heart without a gift is better than a gift without a heart.

Religion is a sacrifice; but the heart is the altar upon which it must be offered. As the body is at the command of the head who rules it; so should the soul be at the command of God who gives it. For a man to take his body to the service of God, and leave his soul behind him, is as if a person should send his garments stuffed with straw, instead of making a personal appearance.

4.