He that makes it his business to watch, and weep, and sigh, and groan most over his own heart, he doubtless is in a gracious estate. He that makes it his work, his daily work, his greatest work, his work of works, to keep a continual guard upon his heart, he certainly is in a blessed estate. He that laraentingly cries out. Oh that my soul did but prosper as my body ! Oh that my inward man were but in as good a frame as my outward man ! Oh that this proud heart were but more humble ! Oh that this hard heart were but more softened ! Oh that this carnal heart were but more spiritual ! Oh that this earthly heart were but more heavenly ! Oh that this unbelieving heart were but more be- lieving ! Oh that this passionate heart were but more meek ! Oh that this shght heart were but more serious ! Oh that this blind heart were but more enlightened ! Oh that this dull heart were but more quick- ened ! Oh my heart, my heart ! when wilt thou be better ? Oh my God, my God ! when shall my heart be better ? Oh bring it into a gracious frame, and for ever keep it in a gracious frame ! He that thus lament- ingly cries out of his heart, he certainly has an honest heart, and will be happy for ever. 0 Lord, my memory is weak, and my utterance is bad, and my understanding is dark, and my gifts are low, and my affections are flat, and my temptations are strong, and my corruptions are preva- lent, Ps. xxxix. 22-2-i ; but thou, who art the great heart-searcher, thou knowest that I would fain have my heart in a better temper ; I had rather have my heart brought into a gracious frame, and kept in a gracious frame, than to have all the riches of the Indies, than to be an emperor, yea, than to be king over all the earth. If it be indeed thus with thee, thou art blessed, and shalt be blessed for ever : 2 Cor. viii. 1 2, ' For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.' I know the apostle speaks this in point of alms, but it is applicable to the case in hand, and to a hundred other cases. God measures his people not by their works,
^ Brooks substitutes ' animam' for \famam,' = good name, in the anonymous couplet, ' Omnia si perdas, famam servare memento Qua semel amissa postea uullus eris.'-*-G.
•390 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. III.
but by their wills. If their wills be to be more holy, humble, heavenly, and to have their hearts always in a most gracious frame, then they are accepted of God ; for every good man is as good in the eye of God, in the judgment of God, and in the account of God, as he would be. Not long before famous Mr Baynes died, some friends that were with him in his library, which was an excellent one, fell a-commending of it; ' Ay,' saith he, ' there stand my books, but the Lord knows that for many years last past I have studied my heart more than books.^ Oh no minister to him, no scholar to him, who studies his heart more than his books ; nor no Christian to him who studies his heart more than his day-books, or more than his shop books, or that studies his heart more than his counting-house, or that studies his heart more than a good bargain, &c. That man is for heaven, and heaven is for that man, who makes it his greatest business in this world to watch his heart, to guard his heart. The hypocrite looks most to externals, but the sincere Christian looks most to internals. The hypocrite's main watch is about his lips, but a sincere Christian's main watch is about his heart. The hypocrite's main work lies without doors, but the sincere Christian's main work lies within doors. All know, that know anything, that both nature and grace begin at the heart, but art begins at the face. A painter doth not begin a picture at the heart ; a picture hath but a face, but an outside. And as nature begins at the heart, but art at the face, so grace begins at the heart, but h}^ocrisy at the face, at the outside of religion. Every man is that really that he is inwardly: * He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is out- ward in the flesh ; but he is a Jew which is one inwardly ; and circum- cision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God,' Rom. ii. 28, 29. Certainly that man that makes it his great business to watch his heart, and to keep his heart always in a gracious frame, that man is a gracious man. It is true our hearts are like our watches, seldom got to go well ; and when they do go well, how hard a work is it to keep them going well ! The motions of our watches are not constant; sometimes they go faster, and sometimes they go slower, and often they stand in need of mend- ing. Though in these, and many other respects, our hearts are like our watches, yet if we make it our grand work to keep a constant guard upon our hearts, and our main design in this world to have our hearts brought and kept in a gracious frame, our spiritual estate is good, and we shall be happy for ever, &c.
In my other writings there are variety of special evidences, which the Christian reader, if he please, and if need require, may make use of, in order to the further clearing up of his gracious estate, and therefore let these twenty suffice at this time. And thus much for this chapter, &c.
Noiu, in this chapter I shall treat of sound, saving repentance, of repentance unto life ; yea, of that evamjelical repentance that hath
' Paul Bayne or Baynes, whose Exposition of Ephesiana forms one of the reprinted Commentaries of Mr ISichol'a Series. — G.
Chap. III.] a cabinet of jewels. 391
the 'precious promises of remission of sin and salvation running out unto it. My puiyose at this time is not to handle the doctrine of repentance at large, but only to speak so far of it as may speak it out to be evidential of the goodness and happiness of a ChHs- tians spintual and eternal condition.
Now, before I come to open myself more particularly, give me leave to premise this in the general, viz., that there is a repentance that does accompany salvation : 2 Cor. vii. 10, ' For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of : but the sorrow of the world worketh death.' Jer. iv. 14, ' O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved.' Acts xi. 18, ' When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Mat. xviii. 3, "'And Jesus said. Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' Acts iii. 19, 'Repent ye, therefore, and be con- verted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.'
Having premised thus much in the general, give me now leave to say, That there are three parts of true, sound, saving repentance, unto all which forgiveness of sin is promised. And the