Chapter 29

Certain general uses arising out of the former doctrine of the heart's deceitfulness, or an exhortation to watchfulness over, and dealing wisely, and straightly with our hearts.

Having by God's goodness thus finished the whole doctrine of the heart's deceitfulness, it remains now in the conclusion, that besides those particular uses which we have already made of some of the particular branches of this doctrine, we show also the general which arises from the whole. And they are specially five.

If our hearts be such deceivers, it stands us then in hand always to have our eyes in our heads, and to have our wits about us, having to deal with so noble a juggler, so full of cunning tricks and sleights, continually ready to snare us. We walk in the midst of snares, not only near them, but in the very midst of them, encompassed with them on every side. Therefore let us always be suspicious, and jealous over our hearts, in all places, and upon all occasions, in our solitariness, in our company, in our business with men, in our dealings with God, in hearing, praying, meditating; in our dealings also with Satan, in wrestling with his temptations. When the Philistines were going out to war against the Israelites, they durst not let David go with them; they had him in jealousy, because of the love he bore to his own country, and therefore put him out of the army. Happy were it for us in our spiritual war with Satan, if we could as easily rid ourselves of our naughty, deceitful heart, as they did themselves of David. We have far greater cause to suspect our hearts, than they David. The acquaintance of the flesh with Satan, and Satan's interest in the flesh is greater than the Israelites' in David. Besides that they never had any experience of David's deceitfulness, and unfaithfulness, as we have had of the flesh's. Therefore I say it were well, if we could wholly cashier this treacherous, and perfidious flesh. But since it sticks so close, as that we cannot possibly be rid of it, therefore we must always have an eye over it; even as we would have over an untrustworthy, pilfering servant, who, not observed, will filch. For certainly such is the deceitfulness of our hearts, that if our eye be never so little off them, off goes the yoke of the Lord presently, and they break out into some unlawful liberty, or other. Keep we then our hearts, as Solomon counsels, fenced with a double guard, as the jailer his close prisoner. See the doors be fast locked. Indeed look to the windows, as Job did. If there be any open passage, this deceiver will either let in some body to him, which should not come in, or else he will out himself. If we fall asleep and neglect our watch, either the Devil, and his suggestions will enter; even as when the [reconstructed: fence] of a vineyard is down, then the wild boar, and all manner of wild beasts come in, and devour all: or else our heart itself will wander abroad, like a gadding Dinah, in the idle rovings of her own vain imaginations. Thus then should we think with ourselves every morning, This day I am to venture into the world, and snares everywhere lie thick, and threefold. If I take not heed, easily shall I be caught. For what alas is there wherein my heart is not ready to deceive me? I am now going to prayer. My heart will be ready to thrust in idle, and wandering fancies, unless I watch over it. I am now to give an alms, or to go to confer with my Christian friends. Pride, and vain glory will foil me, unless I look well to myself. I am now going to deal in such a controversy, with a contentious, and wrangling man. My heart will quickly break out into rage, and distemper, and my mouth will soon overshoot itself, if I hold it not as with a bridle. I am going to a feast. If I put not a knife to my throat I shall easily be overreached by my deceitful appetite. If I let loose the reins to my own corrupt heart I shall soon offend in excess, either of meat, or mirth. I am now to go forth into the street. And how many are the temptations ready to encounter me? even every thing I either see, or hear. If I see my enemy, in what danger am I of wrath, and malice? if my friend, flourishing, of envy? poor, of disdain? if a beautiful woman, of lust? If I hear rotten speech, how ready am I to be corrupted with it? if reviling, and injurious, how ready am I to be provoked with it? This is the cautiousness we must use in all our occasions whatever. For all places are full of these snares, the street, the house, the board, the bed, the closet, indeed the Church, the pulpit. The exhortation of Paul to Timothy, Watch in all things (2 Timothy 4:5), is needful; because the heart, deceitful above all things, is also deceitful in all things, even in the best things that may be. And therefore Christ bids us take heed to our hearts, even in our alms, in our prayers, and other the holiest services, we can possibly perform (Matthew 6), for even in them snares will be set for us. In these actions we had need shut the door of our hearts that our minds steal not away from God. Never then trust this heart of yours, that it will be well ordered, and kept in good frame, though you carry not always so heavy a hand and narrow an eye over it. No, if you look not thus straightly to it, it will be gone as a wild horse, if a man once let go the bridle, as he is walking in his journey. And then when he is once gone, he will not be gotten again in haste; but a man must spend as much time in recovering of him, as would happily have been sufficient to have dispatched the whole journey. So will it fare with your heart, if once you let go this bridle of watchfulness. It will run out so far, that it will be long ere you will catch it again. It will be so frozen, that it will be long ere you can bring it to melt. It will be so loose, and idle, that it will be long ere you can work it to true devotion. And you must spend as much time, nay more, in seeking to regain your heart again, and to bring it into temper, and tune, for the service of God, than would have served for the good performance of the service itself. But above all things see you trust not your heart with such things as may be dangerous occasions of evil. Look better to it than so. Be as fearful of this, as you are of giving a knife to a child, or a sword to a madman. Your eye cannot be quick enough for your heart then. The madman will speak sometimes so soberly, and use such fair persuasions to be unfettered, and promise that he will be so quiet, etc. But no sooner is he loose, but he plays havoc, wounds, slays, destroys whatever is in his way, indeed even him that loosed him. So likewise deal our hearts with us. They can flatter with us, and Oh, why should we trouble ourselves so much, always to be looking to them? and why should we deal so hardly with them, always so to keep them in, as a bird in a cage? to hold them so short of all liberty? why? they have better government of themselves, than that we need to fear them so, etc. But when once they have gotten free, then they serve us like the madman, so that we shall rue that time, that ever we gave them such liberty.

2. This deceitfulness of our hearts must cause us often to renew our covenant with God, and by solemn vows, and protestations of our repentance, as it were with strong ropes, to bind, and hold fast these fugitives. If a man be known to be a common deceiver, we will never take his word for anything: but if we must needs deal with him, we will be sure to have his hand and seal, and the best security we can get. So wise, and wary are we in the matters of this life. Well, your heart is far more cunning to deceive you, than the craftiest fox that is to overreach his neighbor. Be not now so simple as to believe every sigh, every wish and word, every motion, and inclination of your heart. For how often, as I have shown before, do our hearts deal like Zarah when he was to be born, make many good offers of coming forth out of their sins as it were the darkness of the womb, into the light of grace, but they recoil presently? Every slight occasion is in stead of a Perez to them. And yet lo the silliness of men; to believe their hearts that are so light of faith. They think verily when they feel some fit of good affection, O now I have got the victory, sin shall never so prevail against me as it was wont; when yet the same hour, it may be, sees them in worse taking, than ever before. Saul, though affected with David's apology, he acknowledged both David's innocence, and his own injustice, and though with tears, with good words, My son David, with good prayers, The Lord render you good, he witnessed good will to David, yet for all this David trusted him not, but kept himself in the hold still. For shortly after Saul was hunting after him again. And though then also he seemed to relent, and promised David peace, Come again my son David, I will do you no more harm, yet for all that David hearkened not. For what heed is to be taken to a false, and fickle-hearted man's words? Our hearts being as fickle, and inconstant in their relenting affections towards the Lord, as Saul's was toward David, should we trust them any more in such fits, than David did Saul? No: but, since even the strongest bonds are too weak to hold such slippery hearts, that they slide not out of our hands, therefore, cause them to enter into solemn covenant with the Lord, as those in Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Chronicles. Thus did David, I have sworn, says he, and will perform it, that I will keep your statutes. In evil things, to which prone by nature, we can bind ourselves by oaths, and vows, when we feel ourselves disposed to them, as to revenge, when the injury is fresh, and our hot blood is up: how much more then should we do the like in good? The devil sees that wrath is a fire soon out: therefore he will nourish it with an oath: how much more should we nourish the fire of zeal, and good affections, which have no fuel from within us, as anger has, and so are far more easily extinguished? How much more I say should we maintain, and uphold in ourselves all good things with this prop of an oath, and covenant-striking with the Lord? And here see that you register, and record in your accounts-book this your covenant, that so when your deceitful heart shall be offering to start aside, and give you the slip, you may presently recall it, and keep it in with putting it in mind of this covenant. What? did you not, on such a time, when you were humbled under the hand of God, and had some good desires kindled in you by his Spirit, did you not then solemnly give your faith to God, and by the strictest bonds of your vow, and oath firmly knit yourself to him, and will you so soon be offering to make escapes from him? Have you so soon forgotten your covenant? You false fugitive, but yesterday were you brought home to your master, then you humbled yourself to him, sought reconciliation, promised more faithful service. And yet are you now offering so quickly to take yourself to your heels again?

3. This deceitfulness of our hearts must teach us wisdom, to take them at the vantage, when at any time we find them in a good mood, in any sort well affected, or disposed to any good duty. You have this wisdom in the things of this life. Having to deal with a light, and inconstant man, when you find him in the good vein, then you will be sure to lay hold of that opportunity, and to take him then at his word. For you know, that if you should let him go on never so little longer, within an hour, or two, he would be of another mind. Assuredly your heart is far more variable, and uncertain, than the ficklest man that can be. Do you then feel at any time, that your heart is warmed with good motions, enlarged with good affections, lifted up to heaven in spiritual meditations, do you feel any sparkles of the heavenly fire; take the bellows presently, blow till they flame, cherish, and make much even of the smoking flax. Now is the time for you, now I say, in this flood of good affections, when your heart is so well prepared, to turn to prayer, to confession of your sins, to reading, to all the good exercises of repentance, and invocation, and in a word to the doing of that good work for the which motions, and desires are risen in your mind. For how often have the best of us been beguiled here? To think we should do afterward that which in present we purposed, and desired, and within an hour, or less, all our heat is gone, our affections are grown chill, and cool, our hearts heavy, our spirits drowsy, and dead, and so ourselves wholly disabled for the doing of that we thought. And why? Because we struck not the iron while it was hot, we held not our hearts fast, when we had hold of them, we used not the means to keep them still in good frame, and temper. And so all our good thoughts vanish, and come to nothing. Excellently David, My heart O God is prepared. What? Shall I suffer now other occasions to call me another way? No: for then all that life and vigor which now I feel, will be gone: but I will arise, and give thanks, and so, I will arise and pray, arise and confess, etc. Oh if we would go to prayer in this spring-tide, as it were, of good affections, how then, as the Prophet speaks, should we pour out a prayer? How would the rivers of repenting tears overflow? Whereas, neglecting this occasion, our prayers come but droppingly from us afterward in the ebb of our affections. It cannot be spoken how little a thing will distract and unsettle our hearts. They are like glasses, that will be hurt with a little breath, and to musical instruments, that will be put out of tune with the least distemper of the air. And therefore we had not need pretermit the opportunity, when we feel them wrought up in any sort by the holy Spirit of God. What good impressions would they not receive then, being so soft and tender? Whereof afterward they will not be capable, being returned to their former hardness? Do then good thoughts, and desires offer themselves, do such guests seek lodging in your heart? Oh welcome them in the kindest manner, lay hold of them, and by your kind and respectful usage of them, constrain them, as they once our Savior, to stay still with you; what is this kind entertainment, we are to show them, but the entertainment of our prayers, reading, and conferring of the word? If we would do so, after once good affections are entered into our hearts, we should even lock up the door upon them, that they could not get out again, and so we should have more of their company than now we have; instead of visiting us now and then, they would become daily guests, and ordinary residents with us. Solomon bids us establish our thoughts by counsel. This Proverb has its truth even in holy and spiritual thoughts, the which alas will soon fail, unless we settle and confirm them in our hearts, and after the Spirit has once entered them into us, do so peg and hammer them in, and drive them down so deep by the use of good means, as that we may not easily lose them afterward. At the first rising then of a good thought, pray with David, because you fear the deceitfulness of your heart, knit my heart, this false fickle fugitive heart, always ready to steal from you, knit it O Lord, and tie it fast to you, that as it is now with you, so it may still remain with you, and again with the same Prophet in the behalf of his people, when they were so well disposed in their cheerful offering to the temple, O Lord keep this for ever, this frame of the thoughts of your servant's heart. And frame his mind towards you. This counsel-taking with God in prayer, is the only remedy against the deceitfulness of our heart, for the preserving and establishing of all good thoughts and desires.

4. The deceitfulness of our hearts must cause us daily to keep an audit in our own conscience, ever and anon calling them to their accounts. A trusty servant, an Eleazar, we will let go on, and reckon but seldom with him. But a Gehezi, one that is but of slippery fidelity, had need be reckoned with every day. The miserable experience then which we have had of the falseness of these hearts so often deceiving us, must make us to be very strict and severe in examining of them. Solomon not obscurely intimates this to be the cause of our hearts' deceitfulness, that we do not take this pains of a strict trial. Every man's ways are pure in his own eyes: but the Lord tries the hearts, and so sees their secret deceit, which we perceive not, because we try not. Let us never therefore let reckonings run on, but every day let us make all even, let us chastise ourselves every morning, examine ourselves every evening, even in the still silence of the night, as we lie waking on our beds. In the matter of disbursement of money for the repairing of the temple, Josiah gave charge that no reckoning should be made with them, into whose hands the money was delivered; for (said he) they deal faithfully. Indeed, if our hearts dealt faithfully with us, we also might spare this labor of daily account-casting. But because both the word of God, and our own experience have sufficiently discovered their unfaithfulness, therefore we contrarily must say, Let there be daily, yes hourly reckonings kept with our hearts, for they deal exceeding unfaithfully. The musician because his instrument quickly grows out of tune, even while he is in playing, therefore even then he will be tuning of it, as soon as he spies the least jarring in any of the strings: so must we intermix the correction, and amendment of our hearts, (which is done by strict examination) together with their use, and employment, and not to be like the foolish mower, that still mows, and never whets his scythe.

Lastly; since all our hearts naturally are so full fraught with guile, being so immeasurably and unsearchably deceitful, as here the Prophet teaches; it must cause us in the hearty bewailing, and confessing of this corruption to strive for the contrary grace. We, that by the mercy of God profess religion more sincerely, are ready to think ourselves wronged, if we be called hypocrites, and deceitful people. No, let us make use of such imputations, and profit by the railings of our enemies. For they lay no other imputation on us, than here God himself does, saying, The heart of man, without exception of any, is deceitful. So that the heart even of the most holy, and regenerate is still in part deceitful, as in part it is wicked. Let us not then deny that in ourselves, which the God of truth has laid upon us, but let us rather search out this secret, and close hypocrisy of our hearts, and having found it, purge them of it. Praying with the Prophet, Renew a right spirit in me, laboring for that same truth in the inward parts which God so loves, that so we may with Apelles, be approved in Christ, and with Nathaniel, true Israelites, in whom no guile, even the Israel of God, pure in heart. The which, that we may attain to I will here set down certain, both means and motives.