Chapter 9

CHAP. IX.

The fifth Question is what is the enlarging of heart. It is nothing but the wideness and fulness of the soul and powers thereof in its actings. Hence these Propositions concerning enlargedness of heart.

Prop. 1. When the soul is widened and stretched out in its actings, we are ready to say, I shall never be moved (Psalm 30), I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (Psalm 23:6), which though true, when he was banished from the Tabernacle (Psalm 42, Psalm 84, Psalm 63), he had uttered thoughts of his state. Some say, Shall I ever again be dead? Shall I ever again doubt as a down-casting soul? No, I shall believe and hope under temptations to the end. But we are no more to judge of ourselves by our present enlargedness, than we are to pass sentence of the multitude of people of a city by a solemn fair or great market, the town is not every day so peopled: nor are we to esteem of a river by its swelling and running over banks after a mighty long continued rain.

2. Nor are we to judge of ourselves according to our ebbing and deadness of disposition, that we shall ever again believe. Says the doubting soul, Shall I ever again see the beauty and glory of his power, as sometimes I did in the Sanctuary (Psalm 63)? The birds reason not so; they say not in winter, shall ever the Spring and the season of building our nests come again? Shall birds ever have Summer-singing again? And we are ready to make a weapon-show of grace when the heart is enlarged; I'll do wonders: as if the man were the Father who begat grace, and the Lord of his own believing; as some believe the horse's swiftness is the swiftness of the rider. Be humble, and pull down the sail when the heart is enlarged.

Prop. 2. See in the Text enlargedness of heart and running are near of kindred and blood. The disposition and the gracious acting by divine influences are near other, as the powder and flamings, the dry timber and the warm hearth-stone, to receive flamings. There is a near disposition in the embryo, in the framed mass of the birth, to receive by the Creator's influences a living soul (Psalm 38:1-4). So in Christ (Psalm 40), the law in the heart, and preaching the Lord's righteousness in the great congregations are near other.

2. The enlarged heart is ripened to receive influences and quickening of grace for running. The God of nature, by a sort of necessity, must give influences to the egg so prepared to be a living bird: when the heart is boiling and seething with thoughts of the King, the tongue is the pen of a ready writer. When the heart is fixed (Psalm 57:7), as if he were master of influences, he humbly out of the abundance of the heart engages to sing and give praise, I myself will awake early. There is here fire, therefore the Lord shall blow upon his own kindling; no question we may cast water on our own coals. The heart of the two disciples is burning like an oven, while Christ speaks to them by the way (Luke 24:31), yet they fortify themselves, and fetch reasons to strengthen unbelief; so as they seem to fetch unbelief, and unbelief comes not on them unsent for (ver. 21), We trusted that it was he who should have redeemed Israel, we are beguiled. This is the third day, the women said he was risen again, but none saw him. Strangle not heavenly dispositions, they shall break out.

Prop. 3. For the branches of enlargedness of heart; there is a fulness of the Holy Ghost, in the Baptist, in Steven, which was not a transient disposition, but a permanent habit; but this breaks out in something more than a habit. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson in mighty influences, when he broke the cords, and carried away the ports of the city. Psalm 45:1, My heart is inditing a good matter; like a boiling and seething pot, and that puts him to speak of the King. Elihu (Job 32:18), I am full of matter, the spirit within me constrains me. Behold, my belly is as new wine which has no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles. There was a heavenly spring, a new fountain broken up in him, and excellently beyond all the friends he pleads for the Lord his sovereignty. O what fulness above measure above his fellows was in the man Christ! The law was in his heart, and the fulness of grace; and (as it were) to overtake the running over well, he takes whole nights to prayer; and for preaching and working miracles, he has not leisure to sleep or eat. If there be a fire in Jeremiah's bowels, what wonder then that prophecying flame out of his mouth, and he confess he was weary with forbearing (Jeremiah 20), and God obtains his holy end. The people are warned of their sin, when Micah says in opposition to the empty Prophets (Micah 3:6), But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might; and that fulness fetches influences from heaven, to declare to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. This condemns the cold, indifferent, and dead actions of many, who are far from that, whatever you do, do [illegible], from the heart or soul, which says some duties are soul-less actions, and actions dead without heart and soul. Isaiah would have us, if we fast aright, to give bread; and not that only (Isaiah 58:10), but to draw out, or vomit out (so the word) the soul to the hungry. There is often great scarcity of the soul in our actions, every acting in God's way being an act of hypocrisy, and a dumb and dead action. When shall we lay the Lord's glory to heart, and do things from the soul? Ah, prayers without a soul! What influences of grace are here, hearing and no soul-hearing?

2. There is a wideness and an all-ness in regard of wisdom. Solomon had wisdom, and largeness of heart, as the sand that is on the sea-shore (1 Kings 4:29). So Paul (Colossians 1:9), We cease not to pray that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom. Ephesians 1:8, Christ has abounded, overflowed to us, in all wisdom and prudence. Colossians 3:16, Let the word of God dwell in you, richly in all wisdom. Here is wideness of heart.

And Solomon was but a shadow, and the sand of the sea, which none can number, a shadow of a shadow in comparison of Christ (Colossians 2:3), in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom. And therefore he went about doing good up and down, sowing good deeds to the world (Acts 10:38), whom God anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power. Here is wideness of heart, and abundance of influences, and acting of good night and day.

The wisdom of Angels is large. Hence that (wise as an Angel of God) and also the fulness of God in their affections teaches us that wideness of heart is expressed in continual acting, and so in multiplied breathings of God: and Angels do not walk and run only, but fly with wings, cheerfully to do the Lord's will. And what influences must be there, when each having six wings, they cease not night nor day to cry one to another, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, Almighty, which was, and which is to come, the whole earth is filled with his glory (Revelation 4:8; Isaiah 6:3).

The glorified see him face to face (that is wideness of heart) and they serve him night and day, and weary not (Revelation 14:2, 3, 4; Revelation 7:9).

The more the Prophets and Apostles saw of God, the more the heart is enlarged to teach and to warn every man (Colossians 1).

There is an enlargement of heart in loving Christ, and in the experimental knowing and feeling thereof, and in godly fear and joy (Ephesians 4:19). Paul prays that the Ephesians may comprehend the love in all the dimensions of it, That you may be able to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you may be filled, not that it may be in you, but be filled 2. with fulness, that is a wide fill. 3. with the fulness of God, that is yet wider. 4. with all the fulness of God: and then follow influences above the prayers of the godly, v. 20. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Of the latter, Isaiah 60:5, when the Gentiles shall be brought in to the Church, You shall see and flow together, your heart shall fear and be enlarged. And hence wideness of heart in acting, the Church shall willingly receive them, and with joy also, and hold open their gates night and day, v. 11. And influences of grace and glory shall so be rained on the Church, that her Sun shall no more go down, nor her Moon withdraw itself, v. 20. All her people shall be righteous. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. Nor shall they be weary in running (Psalm 92:14): they shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing. The oil burns, and the oil grows; for Isaiah 40:31, They shall run, and not be weary. A glimmering of news came that Christ is risen, and John and Peter try their speed, who shall be first at the grave; and Magdalen outruns both, and seeks with tears, and stays about the grave until she finds her Lord.

The Lord must be displeased with our narrowness. How little a portion of him do we see? We are not straitened in the Lord's heart, but in ourselves: He calls for wider hearts, Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it (Psalm 81:10), not the mouth, but the heart. Our narrow heart, and narrow faith, is like the little hand of the child, who has not fingers to hold the large and great apple.

The fool wants a heart (Hosea 7:11; Proverbs 9:4). Then must the fools of this world know little of an enlarged and wide heart, as little as the horse or the mule that has not the understanding of a man; nor have they the heart of the new man. Speak to the natural men of the fatness of the Lord's house, of all the fulness of God, and the showers of influences of grace, of the anointing of all wisdom, and you speak to new weaned children.

Idlers and sleepers, that run not in the way of God's commandments, but are hot as fire, and mad, and run as the Galatians in a wrong way, are hence rebuked. Many run, and sleep little, after their corn, and wine, and oil, after their vineyards, honours, but not with enlarged hearts in the Lord's way. They run to set up themselves, and in place of religion set up all the wicked religions of hell. Toleration is high, but he shall be laid hold on who prophesies and cries against the cursed altar.

There is a spirit of deadness on many professors, the judgment of the Church of Sardis (Revelation 3:1, 2), and hardly can sleepers waken themselves. We pray not as David (Psalm 119), Quicken me, quicken me. Unrenewed professors are painted men praying and hearing, men risen out of the grave, dead on their feet, preaching, praying, hearing, and yet dead.