But Carnal hearts they aim at themselves,1 all that they do they act from a principle within themselves, and no further, and therefore they cannot go beyond themselves. It's an argument that all thou doest hath a principle not higher than self, when thou actest for thy self; ⟨p. 314⟩whereas the principle that the Saints act by, it is the principle of Grace that comes from Heaven,2 and therefore it carries unto heaven, as the water is carried as high as the Fountain from whence it comes. A selfish heart is a narrow heart; but a gracious heart is a heart enlarged, it enlarges its self to infiniteness; and that's the property of Grace, though it cannot be infinite, yet it is enlarged to infiniteness. Those that work for themselves, the truth is, they lose themselves in their working, and lose all their fruit; it is thy worst self that thou aimest at; there is a kind of selvishness that we may aim at, that is, if we can make God to be our own end, our happiness, as the Saints do, no men in the world do more for themselves, than the Saints; yea, but how? because they make more of their own good to be in God than themselves, and they make themselves to be more in God than in themselves, and therefore they have themselves more than any, but they have themselves in God; and no men looses themselves more than those that seek themselves most: He that will lose his life, shall save it; those that will aim at themselves, what is that, but a little money, and credit, and esteem of men? Oh poor base, vile heart, hast thou nothing else but this, when as all the Glory that is in God Himself may be thy portion, and thy self may be in it, that if God Himself be happy, thou mayest be happy, because God Himself may come to be thy portion; and is not that a better self to be emptied into God? but therein thou darest not trust God, nor thy self to empty thy self into God, but certainly that is the way to enjoy thy self.3 Every man cares for his own (saith the Apostle,) but no man for the things of Jesus Christ. Oh! this selvishness it is vile at all times, but never so vile as at this time, for men to look and aim at themselves, especially for men that are in public places, now to be selfish is the most abominable and the most foolish thing in the world:4
But Carnal hearts they aim at themselves,1 all that they do they act from a principle within themselves, and no further, and therefore they cannot go beyond themselves. It's an argument that all thou doest hath a principle not higher than self, when thou actest for thy self; ⟨p. 314⟩whereas the principle that the Saints act by, it is the principle of Grace that comes from Heaven,2 and therefore it carries unto heaven, as the water is carried as high as the Fountain from whence it comes. A selvish heart is a narrow heart; but a gracious heart is a heart enlarged, it enlarges its self to infiniteness; and that's the property of Grace, though it cannot be infinite, yet it is enlarged to infiniteness. Those that work for themselves, the truth is, they lose themselves in their working, and lose all their fruit; it is thy worst self that thou aimest at; there is a kind of selvishness that we may aim at, that is, if we can make God to be our own end, our happiness, as the Saints do, no men in the world do more for themselves, than the Saints; yea, but how? because they make more of their own good to be in God than themselves, and they make themselves to be more in God than in themselves, and therefore they have themselves more than any, but they have themselves in God; and no men looses themselves more than those that seek themselves most: He that will lose his life, shall save it; those that will aim at themselves, what is that, but a little money, and credit, and esteem of men? Oh poor base, vile heart, hast thou nothing else but this, when as all the Glory that is in God Himself may be thy portion, and thy self may be in it, that if God Himself be happy, thou maiest be happy, because God Himself may come to be thy portion; and is not that a better self to be emptied into God? but therein thou darest not trust God, nor thy self to empty thy self into God, but certainly that is the way to enjoy thy self.3 Every man cares for his own (saith the Apostle,) but no man for the things of Jesus Christ. Oh! this selvishness it is vile at all times, but never so vile as at this time, for men to look and aim at themselves, especially for men that are in publick places, now to be selvish is the most abominable and the most foolish thing in the world:4
- 1Carnal hearts.
- 2simile [omnia eò, unde. Eccles. 1. 7.]
- 3Phil. 2. 21
- 4simile
