[There are many evils to which our corrupt nature is apt to yield ; some are spiritual, and some are fleshly ; but the womb where all are generated, and from whence they proceed, is the heart. Adultery, and murder, and theft, with many other evils, might be supposed to arise rather out of external circumstances connected with our outward man : but they are all traced by our blessed Lord to the heart : " From within, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornica- tions, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lascivi- ousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness : all these things come from within p." Now, if the heart be the fruitful spring of such evils, ought it not to be watched ? ought it not to be kept with all diligence ? It is evident that, without con- tinual care, the whole man would soon be inundated with evil : should we not then watch the sluices ? should we not guard the banks, and keep them in good repair ? In other words, should we not do all in our power to prevent such fatal effects? Let it never be forgotten, that the smallest breach in a bank will soon yield to the torrent, and, by its extension, bid defiance to any remedy that can be aj)plied : consequently, if we would not be overrun with all manner of evil, we must guard against the irruption of any. " A little leaven will soon leaven the whole lump."]
2. It is the proper seat of all good —
[Grace is planted in the heart : it has no other residence : it may operate by the members ; but its seat is in the heart. liepentance flows from thence, even from " the broken and contrite heart." Faith has there its first formation. " With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Love combines and concentrates all its powers ; " We are to love God with all the heart :" yea, " Christ himself dwells in our hearts by faith." Whatever then proceeds not from the heart, is of no value : all our best services for God are no other than hypo- crisy, if the heart be far from him'i. Must we not then keep the heart with all diligence, to see that it be duly influenced by divine grace, and that all which we do is the result of gra- cious principles implanted there 1 Truly, if " a man may give all his goods to feed the poor, and his body to be burned, and, after all, be no better than sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal," because his actions proceed not from a principle of love in the heart, we are called upon to watch over our hearts with all imaginable care, that they be duly stored with all that is good. This is the plain and obvious inference from what our Lord himself hath distinctly affirmed in those memorable words, " The evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil ; and the good man out of the good treasure of
P Mark vii. 21—23. i Matt. xv. 7, 8.