Heart in Scripture is most frequently taken for tlie will and affections, — 'My son, give me thy heai't,' Prov. xxiii. 26; that is, thy love: so, Deut. x. 12, ' To love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart.' And thus, Christian, to hide the word in thy heart, would be a rare antidote against the 'poison of sin. The chains of love are stronger than the chains of fear. Herod's love of Herodias was too hard for his fear of John. He had some hold of his conscience that awed him and bound his hands awhile ; but his minion had his affections, and the heart can unbind the hands : his love to her made him throw off his respect to him, and at last imbrue his hands in his blood. He that is only a prisoner to the command, and bound to his good behaviour by the chains of terror which the threatening puts upon his conscience, may have these knocked off, and then he will shake off his obedience also. But he that loves the word, and the purity of its precepts, cannot turn traitor. When such an one sins, he makes as deep a wound in his own heart as in the law, and therefore trembles at displeasing God: Psa. cxix. 119, 120, 'I love thy testimonies; my flesh trembleth for fear of thee.' Oh, that is the blessed fear, v/hich is the daughter of love ! Now, to inflame thy heart with love to the word, consider, — First, It is thy- most faithful monitor : it tells thee plainly of all thy faidts, and will not suffer sin to lie upon thee, but points to the enemy that himts for the precious sovd's life ; it discovers all the designs and plots Satan and thy beloved lusts have against thee. This made David love it so dearly; Psa. xix. 10, 'Moreover, by them thy servant is wai-ned :' it warns thee of eveiy danger, and shews thee how to escape it. Oh, how should this endear it to thee ! Did Ahasuerus heap such abundant honour upon Mordecai, who had but once been a means to save his life by discovering a treason against his person ! How much more shouldst thou honour and love the good word of God, which hath so often saved thy soul out of thy spiritual enemy's hands, and doth daily give thee warning how to escape the snares of sin, without which it were impossible for thee to find them out, or avoid them ! Was David so affected with the wisdom and love of Abigail in the advice she gave him, whereby he was kept from shedding blood in his fury, that he took her into his bosom to be his wife, as a reward of her kindness to him ; and shall not the coimsel the word hath given thee, make thee in love much more with it ? Secondly, The word is thy sweetest comforter. When the poor soul is distressed with guilt, and conflicteth with the terrors of Divine wrath for his sins, oh, what miserable comforters, then, are this world's pleasures and treasures ! How little can any* creature contribute to the ease of such ! — no more than he who stands upon the shore, and sees his friend drowning in the sea, but knows not how to help him. It is the word alone tliat can walk upon those waves, and come to thesoid's relief. This is able to restore the soul, and buoy it up from the bottom of the sea of despair. Though the soul be at its wits' end, and knows not what to do, yet then the word stands up, and, as it were, thus speaks to him : — Poor soul, thou shouldst have hearkened to my voice, and not have loosed from thy harbour by sinning against God, to come to this harm. But be of good cheer, repent of thy folly, and speedily turn to thy God in Christ Jesus, and there shall be no loss of thy life. ' There is forgiveness with the Lord, therefore he may be feared.' And so in all other ti'oubles, this sends in the saint's comfort ; when the world gives him gall, this brings wine ; when he meets with nothing but crosses and vexations from that, this sweetly recreates and cheers his spirits. Here the Christian hath those cooling waters with which he quencheth and alias's all his sorrows. And yovi know what a treasure a spi-ing or fountain is accounted in dry and hot countries. Surely, Christian, when thou considerest how many a sweet draught thou hast had from the wells of salvation, thou wilt cry out with David, Psa. cxix. 93, ' I will never forget thy precepts, for with them thou hast quickened me.' I do not wonder to see thy enemy endea- vour to stop thy well at which thou shouldst draw thy comfort, but that he should be able to persuade thee to do it thyself is strange.
Section II. — Plead the promise against shi at the throne of grace. He that hath lav/ on his side, we say, may sue the king ; and he that hath a promise on his side, may, with a humble boldness, commence his suit with God. As the veins in the body have arteries to attend them with spirits, so precepts in the word have promises to inspirit the Christian, and empower him with strength
AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT. gI3