Hence 1. Try the disposition of the heart, see what hearts ye can bring out before the Lord; its true, the repenting thief could not, as Hezekiah, say, Lord, I have walked before thee with a perfect heart; or as Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; yet the crown is laid for love, and such as love his appearance, though all cannot wind up to be such fighting soldiers as Paul was:1 the repenting thieves flock was small, his race short, yet what he wanted of inherent grace that Hezekiah and Paul had, he had it of free righteousness, and Christ crucified was the gloriation of both. David brings not out his fixed heart in his extreme danger, as building his peace on it; the influence ⟨p. 297⟩of works on justification and peace is not causative, no more then the poor bride can say she hath put a debt upon the bride-groom to love her with marriage love because she wears his golden chains, his bracelets and jewels; its the bridegrooms comeliness that he puts upon her: nor can roses and lilies say, our Creator is our debtor, oweth us love because we are subjects bearing his colours, smell, virtue, and beauty of the Creator: What would the rose be if the Creator should take all from it he gave to it? We know such a rock to be covered with water, therefore its full sea; here is smoke, therefore here is fire: And ah! what a heart in death can the unrenewed man bring forth before the Lord? except he say, Lord, I was never in Christ; Lord, I never wept for sin; Lord, I never did a good work for Christ, but all for my self; Lord, I prophesied in thy name, but I was never born again, but hated all those that were born again.
Hence 1. Try the disposition of the heart, see what hearts ye can bring out before the Lord; its true, the repenting thief could not, as Hezekiah, say, Lord, I have walked before thee with a perfect heart; or as Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; yet the crown is laid for love, and such as love his appearance, though all cannot wind up to be such fighting souldiers as Paul was:1 the repenting thiefs flock was small, his race short, yet what he wanted of inherent grace that Hezekiah and Paul had, he had it of free righteousness, and Christ crucified was the gloriation of both. David brings not out his fixed heart in his extream danger, as building his peace on it; the influence ⟨p. 297⟩of works on justification and peace is not causative, no more then the poor bride can say she hath put a debt upon the bride-groom to love her with marriage love because she wears his golden chains, his bracelets and jewels; its the bridegrooms comliness that he puts upon her: nor can roses and lillies say, our Creator is our debtor, oweth us love because we are subjects bearing his colours, smell, vertue, and beauty of the Creator: What would the rose be if the Creator should take all from it he gave to it? We know such a rock to be covered with water, therefore its full sea; here is smoke, therefore here is fire: And ah! what a heart in death can the unrenewed man bring forth before the Lord? except he say, Lord, I was never in Christ; Lord, I never wept for sin; Lord, I never did a good work for Christ, but all for my self; Lord, I prophesied in thy name, but I was never born again, but hated all those that were born again.
- 1What a heart the repenting thief, and what an heart Hezekiah brought out before the Lord in his dying.
