(2.) It preventeth vain thoughts. What is the reason evil is so ready and present with us ? Because our hearts are not stocked with the knowledge of heavenly truths. Vain thoughts cannot be prevented un- less the word dwell richly in our hearts. If a man have many brass farthings, and but a few pieces of silver, he will more readily draw out farthings than pieces of silver. But a christian, when alone, and desti- tute of outward helps, Ps. xvi. 7, ' His reins instruct him in the night season,' when he hath no benefit of the Bible, or other literal instruction.
(3.) It furnisheth and supplieth our speech ; for the tap runneth according to the liquor with which the vessel is filled. In prayer, the new nature beareth a great part, for its desires and inclinations furnish us with requests, its annoyances and grievances with complaints, its solaces and satisfactions with thanksgivings ; and where it is not ob- structed, there cannot be that leanness and baseness of soul wherewith we are often surprised: Ps. xlv. 1, 'My heart is inditing a good matter ; I will speak of the things that I have made touching the king ; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.' As to ordinary con- verse : Mat. xii. 35, * A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.' When the spring is dried up, there can be no water in the stream.
(4.) It giveth us greater certainty of the religion we profess, when we feel the power of it in our hearts : 1 John v. 10, ' He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself ; ' he hath a sense of what he hath heard ; he hath felt the power of the Spirit inclining him to God and heavenly things, and subduing his carnal affections ; he hath tasted the sweetness of God's love in Christ, and you cannot per- suade a man against his own sense ; therefore, when men have tasted and tried, and found the admirable effects of the gospel upon their hearts, they will know that which bare speculation could never discover to them, in order to love, certainty, and close adherence ; they find all made good and accomplished to them ; they find the truth doth make them free, heal their souls, and sanctify their natures, appease their
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anguish, offer them help in temptations, relieve their distress, bind up their broken hearts, &c.
(5.) Then the truth hath a power upon us ; when it is put into their mind and heart, they have, an inward engrafted principle : James i. 21, ' Eeceive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.' They find not only truth in tlie word, but life ; and obey God, not only as bound to obey, but as inclined to obey ; there needeth no great enforcing : 1 Thes. iv. 9, ' Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another ;' and Prov. ii. 10, ' Wisdom entereth into thy heart ;' it becometh another nature to us ; if it enters upon the mind only, it begets but a lazy and faint inclination.
(6.) It begets a holy conversation ; fur those who have the word of God stamped upon their hearts and minds will show it in their actions. So it is said, 2 Cor. iii. 3, ' Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.' Believers are Christ's epistle, by which he doth recommend himself and his doctrine to all men, when they see what excellent spirits his religion breedeth. So Phil. ii. 15, 16, ' That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midstof a crooked and perverse nation,'among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life.^
2. I observe that the fruit of this imprinting of the doctrine of the gospel upon their hearts was obedience ; for so saith the apostle, ' Ye have obeyed.' All that knowledge we have must still be directed to practice : Deut. iv. 6, ' Keep therefore, and do them ; for -this is your wisdom and understanding ; ' otherwise we do little more than learn these truths by rote, or at best to fashion our notions of religion, that we may make them hang together.
[1.] We are bidden to inquire after the ways of God, not to satisfy curiosity, but to walk therein : Jer. vi. 16, ' Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls ; but they said. We Avill not walk therein.' Their disobedience was not so much against the knowledge of the truth, as against the practice thereof. Men are not against truth so much in their minds as in their hearts ; they will not do what they know.