The law, caft into a gofpel-mould, is the only law fuch a heart defires to meddle with, that, "being married to Chrift, they may bring forth fruit to God," Rom. vii. 4.; that, being by Chrift made partakers of the adoption, they may ferve as fons, not as hired fervants or flaves.

Laftly, It is a heart ready for obedience, ver. 27. The foul then ftands at mount Zion, and fays, "Speak, Lord, thy fervant heareth." They have had Chrift's banner in the banqueting-houfe, as being ready to rife up and fight his battles, under the conduct and influence of their glorious leader. Such a heart has eaten the paffover with its loins girt, and with a staff in its hand, ready for the journey. The heart that is for obedience, but not yet, is not fuch a heart; it is but a shifting heart, which will end in a refufal. It is but a civil way of putting off for altogether: Pfal. cxix. 5. " Ó that my ways were directed to keep thy ftatutes !"

WE now proceed,

II. To fhew that fuch a heart is a moft valuable thing. It must be fo: For,

1. Such a heart is God's delight: "O that there were such an heart in them!" This would give content to the heart of Christ. This is his reft. The very prayer of the upright is his delight: Pfal. xi. 7. "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness,, his countenance doth behold the upright." Such a heart is pleafing to God; and it cannot be otherwife, for it is hapen out according to his mind. The pefron who has fuch a heart is another David, a man according to God's own heart. It is a heart which, as believing, pleaseth God; a heart well pleased with him, in which God is well pleafed.

2. It is that heart without which the largest VOL. III. profeffion,

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profeffion, and the moft express covenanting with God, is little worth. Without this heart men do but as the Lord's enemies, they lie unto him. And it is a dangerous thing to lie unto the Lord, like Ananias and Sapphira, who died with a lie in their mouth. They take God's name in vain. The voice indeed is Jacob's, but the hands are Efau's. It is but mocking God, and juggling with the holy One. It is but doing the work of the Lord deceitfully, and offering the blind and the lame for facrifice, which will bring down a curfe in`ftead of a bleffing. Let a man be at never fo much pains in duties, yet ftill the one thing is lacking while they have not fuch a heart.

3. The want of this heart is very grievous to the Spirit of Chrift. The Lord doth thus, in the text, lament their want of it. If any thing pierce the heart of God, it is when, with a covenanting people, there is wanting fuch a heart. What can be more grievous in a married lot than when the husband has not the wife's heart? Ezek. vi. 9. "I am broken, fays God, with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a-whoring after their idols." There can be no contentment in that condition, as Haman faid, "Yet all this availeth me nothing," Efth. v. 13. And a foul's grieving the Lord's Spirit, is a forerunner of the Lord's grieving them: Pfal. xvi. 4. "Their forrow fhall be multiplied that haftens after another god."

4. God accepts of the duty, and is well pleased with the bargain, where there is such a heart: "O that there were fuch an heart in them!" There wants no more to complete the bargain betwixt them and me. Then, as they call me their God, fo would I call them my people by a faving relation. But where fuch is not, the contract betwixt Chrift and

the

the foul is written indeed, but it is not figned. Would you know, then, if Chrift be yours, with all the benefits of the everlafting covenant? why, if you have such a heart, you have Christ's heart, you are married to the Lord, and fhall never be put away. A voice of the word without, and an echo to it of the heart within, closes the bargain: Pfal. xxvii. 8. "When thou faidft, Seek ye my face; my heart faid unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I feek." See alfo, Jer. iii. 22.

5. Where there is such a heart, God will be well pleased with the person, and accept the duty, though it have many defects; albeit he be not pleafed with these defects, yet in mercy he will overlook them: "O that there were fuch an heart in them!" As if he had faid, O if they were but honeft in the main, I would not be fevere on them for every escape. The Lord will ufe the indulgence of a father for fuch infirmities: Song, v. 1. “I have drunk my wine with my milk." Milk, that is, he accepts the meanest work where there is fuch an heart. A groan, a tear, a breathing after the Lord, is accepted; as the father loves more the lifping child's expreffion of its affection to him, than all the towering compliments of a flattering tongue, 2 Chron. xv. 17.; the eye of their faith, though, like Leah's, ableared eye, Song, iv. 9.; the fire of their love, though weak, ver. 10.; the hand of their confidence, though a trembling hand; the anchor of their hope, though feeble, Pfal. xlvii. 11.; their feet of obedience, tho' lame like Mephibofheth, yet shall they be fet at the king's table; though their very fincerity be not without a mixture of hypocrify, Gal. ii. 13. yet it holds weight in the balance; Chrift takes their petitions, though not every way well drawn, blots out fome, fills up other things in them, and gets them

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them answered. Their will is accepted for the deed; their grief for want of will, for the will itfelf;-all this where there is fuch a heart.

6. They will never prove ftedfast in the Lord's covenant without fuch a heart: "O that there were fuch an heart in them!" They have spoke fair, but they will never keep a word they fay, for they have not fuch a heart: Pfal. lxxviii. 37. "For their heart was not right with him, neither were they ftedfaft in his covenant." The heart is the principle of actions; fuch a heart is the principle of perfeverance; and there can be no ftedfaftnefs without a principle: Matth. xiii. 6. "And when the fun was up, they were scorched, and because they had not root, they withered away." The tree which is fet in the ground, but does not take root in it, will be easily blown over. The house without a foundation cannot withstand the storm, Matth. vi. 23. They who have covenanted with God without fuch a heart, will make foul work, it will appear that the devil has gone down with the fop, their former lufts will be swallowed over again, 2 Pet. ii. 20.-22. Their last ftate will be worfe than the firft. Their vows will be no ftronger than Samfon's withs; their refolutions, like the walls of Jericho, will fall down at the found of the horn of temptation.

7. Such an heart will fence the man against apoftacy: "O that there were fuch an heart in them!" They would not then turn away from me; they would keep by their covenant: Luke, vii. 15.

But that on the good ground, are they which in an honeft and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Cleaving to Chrift with conftancy, without apoftacy, is the very effence of such an heart. Gold is not gold, but drofs, if it do not continue in the

fire. Men's hearts may get fome light strokes of the Spirit, fome fleeting motions of the fame, and the heart still unfound as the ftony ground. But if the Spirit of God and of glory reft not on the heart, it is not fuch an heart: 2 John, ii. 27. "But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you;" the fire of true love will be preferved, though it flame not, whatever cools there may be taking place. Such an heart has learned fo much of the grace of God, as to deny worldly lufts, and all forfaken lovers, when they come to court the foul. Where fuch a heart is, there is the root of the matter in the man, Job, xix. 28.; and there is fap enough to keep in the life of it, Prov. xii. 3. "The root of the righteous shall not be moved. Yea, the Root of Jeffe has engaged that this root fhall not fail,” John, iv. 14. They are kept through the power of God. God is careful of the leaves of Chriftianity, Pfal. i. 3. much more of real Christians themselves; therefore fays Job, chap. xvii. 9. " The righteous fhall hold on his way; and he that hath clean hands shall be ftronger and stronger." Be their light never fo weak, it will last, yea, it will grow, and fhine more and more unto the perfect day. It is the abiding feed

of God.

Laftly, Such a heart enriches the man who has it: "O that there were such an heart in them!" they want no more to make them happy here and hereafter. Grace and glory, and all good, is the portion of those who have fuch an heart. Such an heart has taken Chrift, is married and knit to him, and then Chrift is your's, all is your's; pardon, peace, and every bleffing; as he who gets a hold of the main link of a chain, draws all atter him: "There the Lord commands the bleffing, even life which never ends.”.