The beatitudes

1. Keep thy heart, as thou wouldst keep a Temple; the Temple was an hallowed place set apart for Gods worship; §1so the heart is Augustissimum Dei Templum,^*, the Temple of God, 1 Cor. 3.16. This heart-temple must be kept pure and holy; no filth^* mus• lie here; sweep the dust out of the ⟨p. 532⟩Temple^*; the vessels of the Temple were cleansed, 2 Chr. 29.15. Thus the memory, affections, conscience, these Temple-vessels must be cleansed, 2 Cor. 7.1. Christ whipped the buyers and sellers out of the Temple, John 2. The cares of the world will be crowding into the heart; now you must get a whip made of the threatenings of the Law, and drive these money-changers out of the Temple of your heart; let not Gods Temple be made an Exchange; the Temple had a fire burning on the Altar; take heed of strange fire; but keep the fire of zeal and devotion flaming upon the Altar of thy heart; do Temple-work, offer up the sacrifice of a broken heart. When the heart is Dei sacrarium, a consecrated place, an Holy of holies, now God will walk there: Many a mans heart is a Pest-house, a Bedlam, being polluted with sin; this is to put Swine into Gods room; this is to let the Devil come into Gods Temple; Davids heart was a Temple dedicated, Psal. 119.38.

1. Keep thy heart, as thou wouldst keep a Temple; the Temple was an hallowed place set apart for Gods worship; §1