SERMON XVII. Keep thy Heart with all Diligence, &c. PROV. iv. 23. Keep thy Heart with all Diligence, &c. BEFORE we do apply ourselves to inculcate this S ER M. precept, it is requifite that we should somewhat XVII. explain the terms, and fettle the meaning thereof; in doing that we begin with the last words, which qualify the action enjoined as to its degree, or extent; with all diligence; the words (b) answering to these in the Hebrew, do, according to the various ufe or force of the particle, admit a threefold acception. They may (1.) denote abfolutely the intenseness in degree, or extenfion in kind, of the performance required in this precept: πάση φυλακῇ τήρει on nagdíav, Omni cuftodia ferva cor tuum; keep thy heart with all cuftody; that is, with all forts or with all degrees of care and diligence; fo the LXX. Interpreters, and the vulgar Latin following them, render those words. They may, (2.) taking the particle for a Mem excellentia, as they call it, fignify comparatively, præ omni cuftodia ferva cor tuum; keep thy heart above all keeping; that is, especially and more than thou keepeft any other thing; fo doth Pagnin understand them, not without caufe, both for the reafon fubjoined here, because from it are the illues of life; that is, because it is the principal part and founZ3 tain SER M. tain of all vital operations, and therefore deserveth XVII. the best cuftody; as alfo for that in what follows, and in other places of Scripture frequently, we are enjoined to keep our tongues from bad difcourfe, our eyes from wandering after bad objects, our feet from declining to bad courfes; and therefore probably in comparison to these, although needful and inferior cuftodies, we are admonished to this moft especially incumbent cuftody of our hearts. They may alfo, (3.) and that probably enough, be taken fo as to denote the univerfality of the object, or matter of this keeping, or the adequate term and bound thereof; keep thy heart, anò avròs quλáyμatos, ab omni re cuftodienda, from every thing which it fhould be kept from; that is, from every thing offenfive or hurtful to it: fo did Aquila and Theodotion tranflate the words. These fenfes are all of them good, and each may fairly pretend to find place in the meaning of the words; which of them with most likelihood I fhall not discuss, meaning only to infift upon the fubftance of the precept; the nature of which being duly confidered, will infer that it is to be observed according to the manner and measure prescribed, understood according to any of those fenfes, or according to all of them conjointly. 22. ■ Pet. iii. 4. As for the meaning of the words, Keep thy heart, two inquiries may be made: 1. what the heart is, which Solomon adviseth us to keep; 2. what to keep it doth import. To the firft I answer, that in the ftyle of Scripture the heart doth commonly import the whole inward Rom. vii. man, the tow avdewros, the man within us, as St. Paul fpeaketh, the ὁ κρυπτὸς τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπος, the hidden man of the heart, as St. Peter calleth it, comprehending all the thoughts and imaginations, all the inclinations and difpofitions, all the judgments and opinions, all the paffions and affections, all the refolutions and purposes formed within us; in fhort, all interior, whether tendencies to move, or actual mo tions of human foul. For the Scripture (by the way we s ER M. may obferve it) feemeth to favour that anciently moft XVII. common and current opinion, embraced by Ariftotle himself, even as true in ftrict philofophy, although rejected by most of the latter schools, that the heart, that material part and principal entrail of the body, is the chief feat of the foul, and immediate inftrument of its nobleft operations. However, because the heart in a man's breaft is most inwardly feated, moft fecluded from fight, guarded from accefs, fenced from danger, thence whatever is inmost, most invifible, moft inacceffible in any thing, is called the heart thereof; and all a man's fecret thoughts, inclinations, opinions, affections, defigns are involved in this name; fometimes all, or divers of them conjunctly are called his heart; fometimes any one of them fingly (as there is fubject or occafion of ufing the word) is fo termed : inftances in every kind are innumerably many, and very obvious; and therefore I fhall not spend time in producing any, but fhall fuppofe that here the word may be understood in its utmoft extent, fo as to comprehend all the particulars intimated; there being no apparent reafon for preferring or excluding any; all of them being capable of moral quality, both fimply and immediately in themselves, and confequentially as they may be the principles of good or bad actions; and because all of them may be, need to be, ought to be, the objects of the keeping here enjoined. But then, what is this keeping? I answer, that the word as applied to this matter is efpecially capable of three fenfes, each of which may be exemplified. 1. It may imply to obferve, that is, to keep it under a conftant view, as it were; to mark or attend unto, to inquire into and ftudy our heart. So, My Prov. xxiii. Jon, faith the wife man, give me thy heart, and let thine 26. eyes keep (or obferve) my ways. The fame word which here, is there used both in the Hebrew and Greek, and can there well fignify no other cuftody, but that of at 24 tending SER M. tending unto; it being the office of the eye only to XVII. look and obferve. Likewise, Observe, faith God in Deut. xii. the Law, and hear all these words which I command thee; that is, hear them very attentively and fo in divers other places. 28. Pfalm xxxix. 1. 2. It may alfo denote the governance, or good management of our hearts; keeping all the motions thereof in due order, within fit compafs; applying them to good, and reftraining them from bad things: fo the Pfalmift ufeth the word, when he faith, I will keep my mouth with a bridle; that is, I will fo rule and curb it, that no evil language fhall iffue from it: fo when Eccl. v. 1. the wife man advifeth to keep our foot when we go to the houfe of God; by keeping it, he means rightly to guide and order our proceedings; or well to dispose ourselves when we addrefs ourselves to religious perProv. xxvii. formances: fo again, He, faith he, that keepeth the fige tree, fhall eat the fruit thereof; he that keepeth it, that is, he that dreffeth and ordereth it to advantage for bearing fruit. 18. 3. Again, keeping may be taken for preserving, guarding, fecuring from mifchief or damage: which indeed is the most common ufe of the word; and therefore we need no inftancing to countenance it. Now any of these fenfes may be intended here, or all of them together; and they indeed are in the nature of the thing fo coherent, or fo mutually dependent one on the other, that any one of them can hardly be practifed without the reft: for without heedfully obferving our heart, we cannot well govern it; and an ill governed heart cannot easily be attended to; and without both watchful observation, and skilful management of it, we cannot guard it from evil; and reciprocally without guarding it, we cannot well rule it, or duly mind it: fuch a complication there is in practice of these three cuftodies. I fhall at prefent only difcourfe concerning the firft of them, which feems in the nature of things, and according to our method of acting, to precede. Accord ing to this expofition, when it is faid, Keep thy heart s ER M. with all diligence, we may understand it, as if each XVII. of us were thus advised: With a moft conftant and wary care obferve all the interior propenfions and motions of thy foul; whatever is done, or defigned within thee; whither thy defires lean, what thy affections are stirred by, to what thy judgment of things doth lead thee, with greateft attention and affiduity mark and ponder it. It is a peculiar excellency of human nature, which feemeth more to diftinguish a man from any inferior rank of creatures, than bare reason itself, that he can reflect upon all that is done within him, can discern the tendencies of his foul, is acquainted with his own purposes. Some fhadows of other rational operations are difcoverable in beafts; and it is not eafy to convince them, who from plaufible experiments do affirm them fometimes to fyllogize: but no good reafon or experience can, I fuppofe, make it probable, that they partake of this reflexive faculty; that they do ever regard, or remark upon their own imaginations they seem always to march directly forward with a blind impetuousness toward fome pleafing object, without attending to the fancy that guides them, or the appetite which excites them: neither indeed do they feem to need any fuch power in order to the preservation of their life, or gratifying of their fenfe, which are the main ends they were defigned and fitted for. But man being defigned by his Maker, difpofed by the frame of his nature, and obliged by a law imposed on him, not to follow cafual impulfes from exterior objects, nor the bare conduct of his imagination, nor the fway of his natural propenfities, but to regulate as well the internal workings of his foul, as his external actions, according to certain laws or rules prefcribed him; to fettle his thoughts upon due objects, to bend his inclinations into a right frame, to constrain his affections within due bounds, to rectify his judgment of things, to ground |