Keep Your Heart With All Diligence
The sermon emphasizes the importance of keeping the heart with all diligence, as it is the fountain of life and the source of spiritual riches, and it requires constant vigilance and effort to keep it in a gracious and watchful frame.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the critical importance of guarding one's heart, as it is the source of all life and spiritual vitality. He illustrates that the heart is the central focus of God's attention and should be treated as a precious treasure, requiring diligent protection against the influences of sin and temptation. Brooks urges Christians to maintain their hearts in a gracious and watchful state, recognizing that this is a challenging yet essential task for spiritual growth. He highlights the need for constant vigilance and the application of various spiritual disciplines to keep the heart aligned with God's will. Ultimately, Brooks conveys that a well-kept heart is a testament to one's faith and relationship with Christ.
Text
"Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of
it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23
God's eye is mainly upon the heart. The heart is the
fountain, the root, the store-house, the great wheel
which sets all a-going; so therefore, above all keepings,
keep your hearts.
The highest and hardest work of a Christian lies with his
heart. To reform the heart, to keep the heart in a gracious
frame, is one of the best and hardest works in the world.
Oh what guards and double guards! Oh what watches
and double watches, should men put upon their hearts!
A man is to keep his eye, and keep his mouth, and keep
his feet--but above all keeping, he is to keep his heart.
A gracious heart is Christ's fort-royal. Now, against this
fort Satan will employ the utmost of his strength, art,
and craft. And therefore how highly does it concern every
Christian to keep a strong guard, a constant guard about
his heart!
Men should keep their hearts, as they keep a rich treasure
of money or jewels. Now, to preserve a rich treasure, what
locks, what bolts, what bars, what chains are made use of!
Our hearts are jewels more worth than all the kingdoms,
crowns, and scepters of this world. There are few men who
know how to value their own hearts as they should. What
are mountains of gold, and rocks of pearl--compared to the
heart, the soul of man! All our spiritual riches are in our
hearts. Oh then, what a guard, what a watch should a
man continually keep upon his heart!
It is one of the greatest and clearest evidences of
grace, for a man to make it his greatest business,
work, and concern--to keep his heart always . . .
in a gracious frame,
in a wakeful frame,
in a watchful frame,
in a tender frame,
in a believing frame,
in a repenting frame,
in a humble frame,
in a patient frame,
in a serious frame,
in a heavenly frame,
in a jealous frame.
"O Lord, my memory is weak, and my utterance is bad,
and my understanding is dark, and my gifts are low, and
my affections are flat, and my temptations are strong,
and my corruptions are prevalent. But You, who are the
great heart-searcher, You know that I would sincerely
have my heart in a better temper. I had rather have my
heart brought into a gracious frame, and kept in a gracious
frame, than to have all the riches of the Indies, than to be
an emperor, yes, than to be king over all the earth."
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Keeping the Heart
- The Difficulty of Reforming the Heart
- The Necessity of Guarding the Heart
- The Evidence of Grace in Keeping the Heart
- A Gracious Heart is a Clear Evidence of Grace
- A Heart in a Gracious Frame is a Priority
Key Quotes
“Oh what guards and double guards! Oh what watches and double watches, should men put upon their hearts!” — Thomas Brooks
“A gracious heart is Christ's fort-royal. Now, against this fort Satan will employ the utmost of his strength, art, and craft.” — Thomas Brooks
“O Lord, my memory is weak, and my utterance is bad, and my understanding is dark, and my gifts are low, and my affections are flat, and my temptations are strong, and my corruptions are prevalent.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Prioritize prayer, Bible study, and self-examination to keep your heart in a gracious frame.
- Continually seek to reform and renew your heart, and be aware of Satan's attacks.
- Guard your heart with all diligence, as it is the source of spiritual riches and a target for Satan's attacks.