(2.) ' Th}'^ lieart.' By the heart we are not to understand that par- ticular vital member of the body that in common speech we call the heart. Heart is not here taken properly for that noble part of the body which philosophers call the primwni vivens et ultimum moriens, the first that lives and the last that dies. But by heart, in a metaphor, the Scripture sometimes understands some particular noble faculty of the soul. Sometimes the heart is put for the understanding : Eom. i. 21, ' Their foolish heart was darkened,' that is, their understanding was darkened. Sometimes it is put for the will and affections : Mat. xxii. 37, ' Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,' that is, with thy will and with all thy affections. So Prov. xxiii. 26, Deut. x. 12. The will is the chiefest power of the soul, as the heart is the principal part of the body ; and it commands all the affections, as the centurion did his servants. Mat. viii. Sometimes it is put for the conscience : 1 John iii. 20, ' If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things,' that is, if our conscience condemn us justly, then our case must be assuredly sad, because God knows much more by us than we know by ourselves, and can charge us with many sins that conscience is not privy
386 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. II.
to, Ps. xix. 12. Sometimes it is put for the memory: Ps. cxix. 11, ' Thy word have I hid in my heart,' that is, in my memory. So Luke ii. 19. But here it is taken comprehensively for the whole soul, with aU its powers, noble faculties, and endowments, together with their several operations, — all which are to be watched over.
(3.) ' With all diligence,' or as the Hebrew runs, ' with all keeping.' The Hebrew word "loc, shamar, signifies, to keep with watch and ward.^ A Christian is to keep a perpetual guard about his heart. A-Lapide notes, that the Hebrew word is borrowed from military affairs. We should keep our hearts as soldiers keep a gamsom, with watch and ward. Lavater jumps with him, and tells us that the word sliamiar is taken from a besieged garrison, begirt by many enemies without, and in danger of being betrayed by treacherous citizens within ; in which danger the soldiers upon pain of death are commanded to watch. Junius reads the word thus, 'Keep thy heart,' supra omnem custodia'ni,ahoye all keeping. So Jerome reads, prce omne custodia, above all keeping keep thy heart, that is, keep, keep, watch, watch, &c. So Rhodolphus reads it, jprce onini custodia ; and so we read it in the margin of our Bibles. And the Syriac reads it in the same manner that our English doth, cum omni cautione, with all caution and wariness we are to keep our hearts. Oh what guards and double guards ! Oh what watches and double watches, should men put upon their hearts ! These words, keeping, keep, import both a universal watchfulness over the heart, and a diligent watchfulness over the heart, and a constant watchfulness over the heart; and thrice happy are those persons who keep such a watch upon their hearts. A man is to keep his eye, and keep his mouth, and keep his feet ; but above all keeping, he is to keep his heart. It is a duty incum- bent upon every Christian to keep his own heart, 'Keep thy heart thyself.' Thou mayest make another thy park-keeper, or thy house-keeper, or thy shop-keeper, or thy cash-keeper, or thy horse-keeper, or thy nurse- keeper;2 but thou must be thy own heart-keeper. ' Keep thy heart with all diligence.' Some understand this of all kind of watchfulness. The Hebrew word is applied to several sorts of keeping. As,
First, It is applied to those that are the keepers of a prison, where dangerous felons or malefactors are to be looked to, that they do not break away. 1 Kings xx. 39, ' Keep this man,' So Joseph was made the keeper of the prison. Gen. xxxix. 21-23; so Job, vii. 12. The Hebrew word is the same with that in Prov. iv. 23. Now, oh how diligent, how vigilant are men in looking after their prisoners ! Even so should we be in looking after our hearts, &c.
Secondly, It signifies to keep, as men would keep a besieged garrison, or city, or castle, in time of war. So it is used in that Hab. ii. 1. Now what strong guards, what watchful guards do men keep up at such a time ! A gracious heart is Christ's fort-royal. Now, against this fort Satan will employ the utmost of his strength, art, and craft ; and there- fore how highly does it concern every Christian to keep a strong guard, a constant guard about his heart ! But,
Thirdly, It signifies to keep, as the priests and Levites kept the sanc-
' Cato, Cicero, Seneca, Socrates, and others, have laid down excellent rules for tho government of the outward man ; but none for the government of tho heart. * Qu. ' purse-keeper ' ? — Ed.
Chap. II.] a cabinet of jewels. 387
tuary of God, the temple of God, and all the holy things that were committed to their charge ; so the word is often used by the prophet, Ezek. xliv. 8, 15, 16, &c. The temple, and all the vessels of the temple, were to be kept pure, and clean, and sweet. Our hearts are the temples of God, the temples of the Holy Ghost ; and therefore we should always keep a strong and diligent guard about them, that nothing may pass in or ut, that may be either displeasing, provoking, or grieving to them. But,
Fourthly, The word signifies to keep, as a man keeps his life. Job x. 12, ' Thy visitation hath preserved,' here is shamar, 'my life.' Now with what care, with what diligence, with what labour, with what watchfulness do men labour to preserve their natural lives! What a luard, what a watch do men daily set about their lives ; the same they ihould set about their hearts. But,
Fifthly, Men should keep their hearts, as they keep a rich treasure of money, or jewels, or plate. Now, to preserve a rich treasure, what locks, what bolts, what bars, what chains are made use of! Our hearts are jewels more worth than all the kingdoms, crowns, and sceptres of this world. There are few men that know how to value a God, a Christ, a gospel, a covenant of grace, a heaven, or their own hearts as they should. What are mountains of gold, and rocks of pearl, to the heart, the soul of man ! The heart is that pearl of price for which a man should venture his all, and lay down his all. Oh then, what a guard, what a watch should a man continually keep upon his heart ! The heart is camera omnipotentis Regis, the presence-chamber of the King of heaven; and upon this account it becomes a Christian always to keep a guard upon his heart. He keeps his heart best who keeps it as his choicest treasure, &c.^ But,