Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general. And…

But what is meant by an honest heart?

By honesty of heart, Certainly there is more meant than such a one that we call an honest man, that is, a man that is honest in his dealings between man and man; there is many a man that is accounted a very honest man in the world but hath not an honest heart: I beseech you observe it, That man that hath an honest heart to God, is one that receives the seed of the Word, so as he goes beyond the high-way ground, the stony ground, or the thorny ground, he goes beyond those three sort of professors; he is one that hath an eminency in profession of Religion beyond those three: Now the world accounts many honest men that do not go beyond any of those three; yea the world doth ordinarily account any of those three to be honest men, as the high-way ground: Are there not many honest men in the world, that regard not the Word of God at all, but only come to hear a Sermon, and as soon as they have done, as it came in at one ear, so it goes out at the other? I fear there are some men and women that are accounted honest men and women in the world that can hardly give an account of any one Sermon they have heard in all their lives; hardly I say, but the Word which they heard is presently taken away from them, and yet these are accounted honest men in the world: But this is not the honest heart the Scripture speaks of. And many there are that go further than these, that come to hear the Word with joy, and yet they have not this honest heart: Yea they may hear the Word so as to bring forth a Blade, and yet nor have this honest heart. By this honest heart I take therefore to be meant this, A heart that deals squarely and truly ⟨p. 189⟩with God, behaving it self in a beseeming manner suitable to that Authority and Excellency that there is in the Word of God. As now for example:

By honesty of heart, Certainly there is more meant than such a one that we cal an honest man, that is, a man that is honest in his dealings between man and man; there is many a man that is accounted a very honest man in the world but hath not an honest heart: I beseech you observe it, That man that hath an honest heart to God, is one that receives the seed of the Word, so as he goes beyond the high-way ground, the stony ground, or the thorny ground, he goes beyond those three sort of professors; he is one that hath an eminency in profession of Religion beyond those three: Now the world accounts many honest men that do not go beyond any of those three; yea the world doth ordinarily account any of those three to be honest men, as the high-way ground: Are there not many honest men in the world, that regard not the Word of God at all, but only come to hear a Sermon, and as soon as they have done, as it came in at one eare, so it goes out at the other? I fear there are some men and women that are accounted honest men and women in the world that can hardly give an accompt of any one Sermon they have heard in all their lives; hardly I say, but the Word which they heard is presently taken away from them, and yet these are accounted honest men in the world: But this is not the honest heart the Scripture speaks of. And many there are that go further than these, that come to hear the Word with joy, and yet they have not this honest heart: Yea they may hear the Word so as to bring forth a Blade, and yet nor have this honest heart. By this honest heart I take therefore to be meant this, A heart that deals squarely and truly