The unbelievers preparing for Christ. By T.HThe vnbeleevers preparing for Christ. By T.H

so it is with the heart of a man, there is not only an ability therein, whereby a man is enabled ⟨p. 128⟩to will, but there is a frame and a disposition in the Will, either to good or evil, either to grace or sin, and as the will of a man is biassed and swayed, so a man is said to will good or evil, not in regard of the natural faculty of the Will, but in regard of the disposition of that faculty which doth carry the faculty to the performance of any work: now a righteous man out of the disposition of his heart, is carried to yield obedience unto Gods commandments; and a wicked man out of the frame and temper of his heart is carried after lusts and distempers and sinful abominations; and this is the meaning of that place,¹ Deut. 29.4. The Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive to this day, why? they had a heart, for they were natural men, they had the natural faculty of the Will and the understanding and affections, but the meaning is, they had not the gracious disposition in their wills, whereby they might be carried and enabled to will that which was pleasing to God, and might be comfortable unto themselves: it is a pretty phrase,² Mat. 12.35. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things: there is a heart in both, and there is a treasure in both also; but there is a good treasure in the heart of a godly man, and out of this comes good things, so out of the treasure of a wicked mans heart, comes evil things; there is a treasure of love and holiness, and goodness in the heart of a gracious man, whereby he is carried to ⟨p. 129⟩walk holily and unblameably before God and man; good words and good actions come from the good treasure, that is, from a good disposition of the soul; again, a wicked man hath a heart, and he hath a treasure also, he hath a treasure of pride, and a treasure of covetousness, and a treasure of all manner of corruptions, and these carry him to wicked speeches and lewd actions, he talks loosely & lives basely; so that there is a disposition good or bad in the soul of a man, and this is termed a will or a heart in Scripture: now in both these senses we understand not a heart here in the Text, but in the latter only;