A Saint Indeed

2. It includes deep humiliations for heart evils and disorders; thus Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, 2 Chron. 32. 26. Thus the people were ordered to spread forth their hands to God in Prayer in a sense of the Plague of their own hearts, 1 Kings 8. 38. Upon this account many an upright ⟨p. 11⟩heart hath been laid low before God: O What an heart have I? they have in their confessions pointed at the heart, the pained place, Lord here is the wounds, here is the Plague-sore, it is with the heart Well kept, as it is with the eye, which is a fit emblem of it, if a small dust get into the eye, it will never leave twinkling and watering, till it have wept it out: So the upright heart cannot be at rest till it have wept out its troubles, and poured out its complaints before the Lord.

3. It includes earnest Supplications and instant Prayer for heart-purifying and rectifying Grace, when sin hath defiled and disordered it, so Psal. 19. 12. Cleanse thou me from secret faults, and Psal. 86. 11. Unite my heart to fear thy Name. Saints have always many such Petitions depending before the Throne of Grace; this is the thing which is most pleaded by them with God: when they are praying for outward mercies, happily their spirits may be more remiss, but when it comes to the heart-case, then they intend their spirits to the utmost, fill their mouths with Arguments, weep and make supplication; Oh, for a better heart! Oh, for a heart to love God more! To hate Sin more, to walk more ⟨p. 12⟩evenly with God; Lord deny not to me such a heart, what ever thou deny me; Give me an heart to fear thee, love and delight in thee, if I beg my bread in desolate places. 'Tis observed of holy Mr. Bradford, that when he was confessing sin, he would never give over confessing until he had felt some brokenness of heart for that sin, and when praying for any Spiritual mercy, would never give over that suite, till he had got some relish of that mercy; that's the third thing included in keeping the heart.