A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…A cabinet of choice jevvels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…

for the more gracious the heart is, the more suspicious it will be. Satan has a strong party, a numerous party, an old party, a subtle party in all our hearts; and therefore it highly concerns us to watch our hearts with a holy jealousy: O Sirs! God hath never said, Above all keepings keep your Shops, or above all keepings keep your Estates, or above all keepings keep your Flocks, or above all keepings keep your Bags, or above all keepings keep your Friends, or above all keepings keep your Bodies, or above all keepings keep your Names, or above all keepings keep your Conversations; but he hath said, above all keepings keep your hearts. Look,¹ as the heart is the fountain of natural life, and if it fail life fails; and therefore it is strongly secured with ribs about it, it is guarded in a castle of flesh and bones; so is the soul the fountain of spiritual life,² and runs invisibly through all the body. Fountains were to be kept pure by the Roman Laws of the twelve Tables; and the heart that is the spring and fountain of all actions, is to be kept pure by the Laws of the great God. Men keep the heart principally from hurt, because every wound there is mortal. O, that men were as wise for their souls! God's eye is mainly ⟨p. 214⟩upon the heart. The heart well guarded and watched, keeps all in security. Alexander was safe while Antipater kept the watch; so all within that little world Man, will be safe while the heart is strongly guarded. The heart is the fountain, the root, the store-house, the primum mobile, the great wheel that sets all a going; and therefore above all keepings keep your hearts. 'Tis a foolish thing to watch the outworks, and leave the Fort-Royal without a guard; so 'tis a foolish thing to watch the out-works, the eye, the ear, the tongue, the hand, the feet (though these must all be watched) and to leave the heart, which is a Christians Fort-Royal, without a guard.

for the more gracious the heart is, the more suspicious it will be. Satan has a strong party, a numerous party, an old party, a subtil party in all our hearts; and therefore it highly concerns us to watch our hearts with a holy jealousie: O Sirs! God hath never said, Above all keepings keep your Shops, or above all keepings keep your Estates, or above all keepings keep your Flocks, or above all keepings keep your Bags, or above all keepings keep your Friends, or above all keepings keep your Bodies, or above all keepings keep your Names, or above all keepings keep your Conversations; but he hath said, above all keepings keep your hearts. Look,