Part 1. CHAPTER XVIII.
James Dodson
The new heart of Covenanters, the Nature, Characters, Properties thereof, hitherto of the new Spirit.
Quest. 6. When are we to judge, that we have a new heart? And when do we know that it is not the old heart?
The heart is the man.
Ans. 1 Propos. As Physically, so also Morally, the heart is the man, the good heart, the good man, the evil heart, the evil man, and God weights men by the weight, not of the tongue, of the hands, of the outward man, but by the weight of the heart: Asa his heart was perfect, 2 Chron. 15:17. the heart of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 17:3. was perfect. And Psal. 78:37. their heart was not right: the froward heart is the froward man, Pro. 3:32.
There is a heart within a heart, and a man within a man speaking and acting.
For there is a man speaking within a man, and a heart within a heart acting, as if it were a man made up of soul and body. Thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend up to Heaven, so the King of Babylon, Isa. 14:13. So the heart acts Heaven or Hell within the man, Psal. 14:1; Luk. 12:19. they have a heart γεγυμνασμένην busied in the College, studying and reading covetousness, 2 Pet. 2:14.
God only trieth the heart.
2. Propos. When the Lord tries the man, he tries the heart and the reins, Prov. 15:11. Hell and the heart both are naked before him. Prov. 17:3. Theodoret. God acteth the noon-day-Sun meridionaliter [southernmost] in every heart: The man himself is without, and God within, Jer. 17:9.[1] Man searcheth not his own heart and reins, for there be plottings and inclinations to evil in the heart, which the heart knows not, 2 King. 8:12, 13. Peter hath a better heart then all men in the books of his own heart, Matth. 26:33. but its not so indeed.
What the good heart is, and how it is made good.
3. Propos. The washen heart that lodges not vain thoughts, Jer. 4:14. purged from dead works, by the blood of Christ (above all the blood of bullocks and goats) Heb. 9:14. purified by faith, Act. 15:14. is the good heart. It is a better heart according to the heart of God, 1 King. 15:5. that turneth not aside, 1 Sam. 13:14. of God’s seeking out and finding, then the first heart created of God, Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10. And ah! we seek a good Ruler, a good Physician, when we are sick, a good house to dwell in, and (which is strange) a good horse, but not to have a good heart.
1. Creation of a better heart than the first, is a piece of the rarest of the Lord’s works.
4. Propos. The excellent acts of God, in a manner (with glory to his Highness) to mind his first work, to create a better heart then the first which he created, saith, that there is great need of a good heart, Psal. 51:10. of a new heart, Ezek. 36:26. Its beyond all admiration, to create so rare a piece as the Sun out of nothing, and a beautiful Lillie out of mire and dirt, out of common clay to bring forth Sapphires, Carbuncles, and in lieu of a stony heart (for grace is not educed out of the potency of any created thing) to create a new heart, which God loveth to dwell in, rather than in heaven, the high and holy place, Isai. 57:15. which so ravisheth the heart of Christ, Cant. 4:7, 9. and is of more price with God, than gold, or any corruptible thing, even a meek and quiet spirit, 1 Pet. 3:3, 4. is the rarest piece of the works of God.
Its an excellent act of God to keep the vessel in a spiritual season, as David prays, 1 Chron. 29:18. To make room for Christ dwelling by faith, and for love to comprehend love, Eph. 3:17, 18. and who puts such a thing in the heart, Ezra 7:27. when a sparkle of fire from flint falls on water or green timber, there is no firing from thence. But when actual influences fall upon an heavenly habit, as the Lord can cast in a coal, or a lump and flood of love, Cant. 2:5, 6; Luk. 24:32; Cant. 6:12. there are most heavenly actings of the soul.
3. He bows and inclines the heart to the Lord’s testimonies, and to cleave to him without declining, Jer. 32:39, 40; Ps. 119:39; Cant. 1:4; Ps. 141:4.
The diverse sorts of evil hearts, we are to beware of.
4. We are to beware of:
(1.) the reigning evils of the heart, of a rotten and unsound heart, 1 Tim. 6:5; Psal. 119:82.
(2.) Of an unsavoury stinking heart, that smells of hell and the second death, of all sort of unrighteousness and malice, like a green opened grave, Psal. 5:9.
(3.) Of an uncured heart, that never came through the hands of the Physician (Prov. 14:[30]. A sound [רָפָא] heart is the life of the flesh.) Of an unsound, unsavoury and a rotten heart, Eph. 4:29. compared with vers. 23. from whence issue rotten words, borrowed from rotten and worm-eaten trees which speak an uncured heart.[2]
5. We are to look to deadness of heart in all the branches of it. As (1.) sullenness and dumpish sadness, in refusing comforts, and being full of unbelieving heaviness, in David, Psal. 69:20; Psal. 42:11. whereas we are always to rejoice, Psal. 119:52; Phil. 4:4. (2.) Fainting at the greatness of the affliction, Isa. 20:3; Joh. 14:1. whence comes withering of heart, Psal. 102:4; Psal. 27:13. (3.) An overwhelmed and unbelieving sowning [fainting] heart, Psal. 61:2; Psal. 142:3; Psal. 143:3, 4. (4.) Deadness in going about the service of God, Psal. 119:37. Quicken me in thy way, of this elsewhere. (5.) Narrowness to take in God, opposed to an enlarged and wide heart, Psal. 119:32; Psal. 81:10. and straitening of heart, when the soul is so hampered, that he cannot speak, Psal. 77:4. unbelief clips the wings of the Spirit, and lays on fetters, which may come from the wicked company, and may be laid on by ourselves, Psal. 39:1, 2. (6.) There is an Atheist heart to hate the existence of God, of Christ, of a Gospel, Jam. 2:19; Matth. 8:29. Compared with Psal. 14:1; Eph. 2:12. Some believers are near to say, I take my leave of Christ, I’ll pray no more, for it is in vain. Jer. 20:9; Ps. 73:13, 14. but it is not a fixed resolution: of this elsewhere.
7. There is an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the Living God, Heb. 3:12.
8. A heart that deviseth, ploweth, or delveth wicked imaginations, Prov. 6:18. As Prov. 3:29. Plow not evil against thy neighbour. Hos. 10:13. You have plowed iniquity, such plots are forged against the people of God, Matth. 27:1; Nah. 1:11.[3]
9. A proud heart (1.) resisted of God. (2.) Farthest from the lowly and meek heart of Christ, Matth. 11:29; Phil. 2:5, 6, 7, (3.) Most near to Satan’s heart, 1 Tim. 3:6.
Why we are more ashamed of uncleanness and falsehood, than of pride.
Q. Why are we more ashamed of an unclean lustful heart, than of a proud heart?
Ans. A proud heart is deeper guiltiness, and nearer to Satan’s nature; And pride and unbelief are sins more reproachful to God, and encroach more upon his Throne, but there is more flesh in us than Spirit, and we think that there is more of a beast in uncleanness.
Quest. But we are more ashamed of lying, falsehood, and stealing, then of pride?
Ans. There’s more of being ashamed before men, it being a carnal sort of passion, than of being ashamed before God, and falsehood and lying to men are fleshly evils against common honesty, but pride is a more Angel-sin, or a more God-like sin, a spiritual sin, and pride is a sort of heart-heresy, by which we judge but blindly, we have reason to ascend and climb aloft to God’s room, Gen. 3:5, 6; Isai. 14:13. because of knowledge, parts, power.
10. There is deceitfulness and self-deceiving in the heart, Isa. 44:20. the Idolater feeds on ashes, a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, is there not a lie in my right hand, Obadiah 3. The heart is the greatest liar on earth, to say and gain-say.
11. There is a wicked fearfulness in the heart to do evil, Jude 12. feeding themselves without fear, 2 Sam. 1:14. was thou not afraid (saith David to the Amalekite) to put out thine hand to destroy the Lord’s Anointed? Its a godly fear to tremble always, at feasting, speaking, hearing, sleeping, company, Prov. 28:14; 1 Pet. 1:17; Phil. 2:13; Job 1:5. And in all there lie snares within, and without the house.
Characters of sinful stoniness of heart against God.
12. There is a wicked flintiness of heart, we shall have peace, though we both hear cursing and walk loosely, Deut. 29:19. we are fallen, but Ephraim’s stout heart (2.) will rise whether God will, or not, Isa. 9:9. And (3.) the King of Assyria’s stout heart will be as strong as God, Isa. 10:12, 13. And (4.) its wicked stoutness to say godly mourning before the Lord is in vain, Mal. 3:13, 14. (5.) Its wicked stoutness to rest upon your own righteousness and refuse to treat with God, Isa. 46:12, 13. (6.) And vain stoutness to dare God in his own quarters and fight him, Exod. 14:8, 23; Exod. 23:8, 13; Isai. 36:10, 11; 36, 37. if it were in his own seas as Pharaoh and the Aegyptians would do.
13. There is a wicked hardening of the heart, when men make the Lord his word and mighty works the contrary party, Exod. 5:1, 2, 3; Exod. 7:10, 13, 16, 20, 23; Exod. 8:5, 6, 7, 15, 17, 18, 19; Isai. 6:9, 10; Zech. 7:8, 9, 11, 12; Ezek. 2:3, 4; Ezek. 3:7, 8; Mat. 13:13, 14, 15; Act. 13:44, 45, 46. and oppose God in his word and works.
Of the moral concurrence of the word to the act of infusion of a new heart.
14. There is a sinful dullness upon the heart, by which men are as weaned children, line upon line, line upon line, can do them no good, Isai. 29:9, 10, 11. Here it is to be observed that we cannot Preach Omnipotency, nor persuade a world to be created, nor a new heart to be infused, nor can we Preach to a Wolf to become a meek Lamb, nor threaten the Sun to rise at midnight, we but speak words about the new birth, the husband-man but breaks the earth with his plough, but God makes the corn to grow, and he only, not that the word is not the instrument of conversion of souls, Rom. 1:16; Rom. 10:14. but how to the act of infusion of a new heart the word concurs as a moral and suasory instrument, is above my capacity [Job 9:20. Pro. 28:18.].
15. There is a froward heart, Pro. 17:20. that perverteth and is crafty עִקֵּשׁ to pervert.
16. A wicked heart, Pro. 26:23. set on evil, Eccl. 8:11, 17. foolishness is bound to the heart, Pro. 22:15. a dissembling heart, when seven abominations are in it, Pro. 26:25. (1.) We take not heed to the imaginations, and are not grieved for the constitution of the heart, for actual sins make original sin to swell, as two floods running into one maketh a huge River. (2.) We take not heed to the young births of the heart, with the concurrence of the mind, fancy and imagination, there are multitudes of forgeries, clay-pots, and imaginations framed, as a potter deviseth vessels of earth of many quantities, figures, shapes, great, small, narrow, wide, round, cornered, for the word is a potter’s word, Gen. 6:5;[4] 1 Chr. 28:9. with all keeping keep thy heart, Prov. 4:23. the word is to keep as the keepers of the walls, Cant. 3:5. as shepherds, for its in danger to be stollen away, Hos. 4:11; 2 Sam. 17:6; Hos. 7:11. Ephraim is like a silly dove without heart, but we take no heed to the entry, to see what goes in, what comes out.
The vain and unreasonable imaginations of the heart and the atheism thereof.
(1.) What if there be no God? Psal. 14:1.
(2.) What if God see not? Ezek. 9:9.
(3.) What if man perish as the beasts? Eccl. 3:19. It may be there is no heaven, nor hell.
(4.) What if there be no Christ, nor Gospel, but only questions of words? Such clay-pots were framed by Gallio, and Festus, Act. 18:14, 15; Act. 25:11, 19. Hence come imaginations of things impossible, Isa. 14:13. I’ll ascend to heaven, saith Babylon, I will set my nest among the stars. Oba. 4. Tyrus saith, I am god, I sit in the seat of God. And new-wild-fire flights which are indeed old heresies, are of this kind; such are dreamers, who see seven lean kine eat seven fat kine, in re, its a lie.
A heart delighted with God is the work-house of CHRIST.
(5.) A new heart is the Office-house of Christ, and a heart delighting in God’s ways is a new heart, where the Law is imprinted and engraven in the heart, Isa. 51:7. Hearken ye people in whose heart is my Law. Psal. 40:8. I delight to do thy will, O God, thy Law is within my heart. Its true there is a new delight in the heart, but not a delight of the new heart, Isa. 58:2; Joh. 5:35. for a delight in the Gospel as a good thing, not as a good Gospel, a delighting in Christ as a Prophet that feeds them, not in Christ as a Redeemer, Joh. 6:26. that saves them, is not a new heart.
A whole and entire heart. Half a sincere faith is no faith.
2. The new heart is a heart universal, wholly for God as God, there is an entireness in it, when the whole spirit and soul and body is kept blameless, 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 Pet. 1:[15]. ἐν πάσῃ ἀναστροφῇ in holy conversations and godlinesses, 2 Pet. 3:11. Half a globe, though exquisitely plained [planed], or half a cart wheel, is not a globe nor a cart wheel. External things may be divided, one may be an hearing Professor, and a drunken Professor, and a praising, a singing Professor in public, and not a praying nor a believing Professor in private, spiritual duties, cannot be divided: half a faith, half a love, is no faith, no love, saving grace is an essence that consists in indivisibili [indivisible], and cannot be parted.
A fixed heart.
3. A new heart is a fixed and established heart by Grace, it’s a new state, not a new transient flash, a new heart, Deut. 5:27. All that the Lord our God will speak unto thee, we will hear, but the Lord saith, verse 19. O! that there were such a heart in them, but it is not in them.[5]
Some new heart or new spirit is an old heart.
4. 1 Sam. 10:9. God gave Saul another heart, then a changed heart is not a new heart, a new spirit or a new gift in Jehu is not a new heart; It’s not newness that makes the heart new, but God’s new engraving, Jer. 31:33.
A well-kept heart is a new heart.
5. A heart kept with all keeping is a new heart, Prov. 4:23. both the words note exact diligence in keeping, as watchmen and shepherds with all keeping [Cant. 3 3. Cant. 5:7.], at all times, Psal. 119:119. some pull their hearts to pray and hear, but not while the sabbath, or under a storm of conscience: and the heart is a word in some company, not at other times and in other company.
New affections what they are.
6. The heart is new, where the affections are all faith (as it were) and all sanctified, reason and zeal is a lump of angry reason, and fear a masse of shining reverence; and love only soul sickness and pure adherence to God, the instinct of faith wholly on God, as the last and only end.
(2.) The heart is new when the affections are equivocally, or at least, at the secondhand set upon the creature, but as nothing can be seen, but what either is, colour, or affected with colour, so nothing is fixedly sought after, but God, he only feared and served, Mat. 4:10; Deut. 10:20. only desired, Psal. 73:25. only loved, Deut. 10:12; Cant. 3:2, 3. the soul sick of love for only Christ, Cant. 2:5; Cant. 5:8. he only trusted in, Jer. 17:5, 7; Psal. 62:5.
(1.) Nothing is all good and all desirable but God, and God in Christ, Mat. 19:17; Cant. 5:16. the shadow of the Sun in the fountain is not the real Sun: the stirrings of the pulse of the affections towards the shadowed good of the creature, should be lent, and like the beating of the pulse of a dying man, with a godly contradiction, loving and not loving, joying and not joying, 1 Cor. 7:29, 30. mourning and not mourning.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Aug. Confess 10. cap. 27. intus tu eras, & ego foras. [thou wert inside & I outside.]
[2] Mederi, curare mitigare dolorem [To heal, to cure to soothe the pain.]. Hos. 11:5. I’ll heal him.
[3] Prov. 6:18. חָרַשׁ to delve, to plow inde, חָרַשׁ he that worketh either on iron of timber.
[4] יָצַר.To be made narrow, to be pressed in body or mind, to afflict, to vex, Gen. 32:7 [verse 8 in Hebrew]. straitening was on Jacob by a Metalepsis it is to frame by pressing or keeping straight as Potter’s frame a vessel. Hence יּוֹצֵֽר jotser a potter, [Zech.] 11:13.
[5] D[octor John] Preston.