do evil, and learn to do well. All these commands require them to put forth new affections, desires, and volitions, which is precisely the same thing as changing their hearts. And this appears to be perfectly reasonable. But we could see no propriety in any of these divine precepts, if they required any thing prior to the free and voluntary exercise of holy affections. If a new heart consisted in a new faculty, principle, or taste, there could be no more propriety in God's requiring sinners to change their heart, than in requiring them to add another cubit to their stature. But if a new and holy heart consists in new and holy affections; then there is the same propriety in God's requiring sinners to change their hearts, as in requiring them to do any duty whatever. Indeed, it is only in the view of the heart as consisting in free and voluntary exercises, that we can see the consistency of the divine commands to sinners with the doctrine of regeneration. While they view the new heart as distinct from new affections, and as the principle from which they proceed, they will plead the want of a new heart as an insurmountable obstacle, or natural inability, in the way of their loving God, repenting of sin, or doing any thing in a holy manner. They will plead, that they cannot give themselves a new and holy principle, or change their own hearts. But as soon as they are convinced that a new heart consists entirely in new and holy affections; and that they need no new faculty or principle, in order to exercise such new and holy affections, they necessarily feel their obligation to make them a new heart and a new spirit, and to obey every divine command. They find they have no excuse for continuing any longer in impenitence or unbelief.

Finally, it appears from the whole tenor of this discourse, that it is the immediate duty of both saints

and sinners to put away all the evil treasure of their hearts. Saints have no right to live any longer in sin, or to have another evil affection, desire, or passion. They ought to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God. There is but one law for the saint and the sinner; and that is the law of love, which requires perfect purity of heart. It is, therefore, the immediate and important duty of sinners, to change their hearts, to change their course, to return to God, and to devote themselves entirely and forever to his service.

SERMON XIÏ.

THE KEEPING OF THE HEART A PRACTICABLE AND IMPORTANT DUTY.

PROV. iv, 23.

Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life.

SINCE this divine precept enjoins a duty, which ought to be universally understood and universally practised, I shall endeavour to set it in a clear and instructive light, by showing what it is to keep the heart, how it is to be kept, and why it is to be kept with all diligence.

1. We are to consider what the duty is which is required in the text: "Keep thy heart." This mode of expression plainly intimates, that the heart needs to be kept; and the necessity of keeping it as plainly supposes, that it is prone to go astray. To prevent it, therefore, from going wrong, is to keep it in the sense of the text. There is no possibility of restraining the heart from all exercises or emotions. As no man who opens his eyes in a clear day, can help perceiving the light; so no man who perceives any visible or invisible object can help being pleased or displeased, or having some exercises of heart about it. The injunction in the text, therefore, does not require men to lay a total restraint upon their hearts and reduce themselves to stoick insensibility; but only to restrain all their free, voluntary affections from every thing improper and .sinful. This implies two things.

1. To keep the heart from all improper objects. Amidst the innumerable objects, which surround mankind, some ought to engage their affections at one

time, and some at another. They always ought to keep their hearts from all those objects, which are not connected with their present duty. But they are extremely apt to let their hearts wander from proper to improper objects. How often does it happen on the sabbath, that they allow the world and the things of the world to engage their affections, instead of fixing their whole hearts upon those religious and divine objects, which are inseparably connected with the duties of the day? And when they are engaged in any duty, whether secular or spiritual, how often do their hearts insensibly wander with the fool's eyes to the ends of the earth, and dwell upon things, with which their present duty has no connexion nor concern? Men have always some duty to perform, and their hearts ought to be engaged in that duty and in nothing else. thing, therefore, implied in keeping the heart, is to guard it against every object, which has no proper connexion with present duty. And another thing is,

One

2. To guard it against all improper affections. While the heart is placed upon proper objects, it may have very improper affections towards them; and this not only may be the case, but is extremely apt to be the case. Men are called to attend to worldly objects; but forbidden to exercise improper affections towards them. Men are called to attend to spiritual and divine objects; but forbidden to exercise improper affections towards them. But how often do they feel improperly towards the world and the things of the world, and towards God and the things of God? They should always keep their hearts from loving hateful objects, and from hating lovely objects. Though it be more difficult, yet it is more important, to keep the heart from improper affections, than from improper objects; but the precept in the text requires men to keep their

hearts from both these evils.

And so long as they do keep their hearts from both improper objects and improper affections, they completely fulfil their duty. I proceed as proposed,

II. To show how the heart is to be kept.

Since God requires men to keep their hearts at all times and under all circumstances, there must be some way in which they can perform this constant, necessary, and arduous duty. And what has been said in explaining the duty, naturally suggests the proper manner of performing it. The duty consists in restraining the heart from improper objects and improper affections. And to do this it is necessary,

1. That men should always attend to those objects only, with which they are properly concerned. While they are pursuing their secular affairs, they are properly concerned with secular objects. They cannot perform any worldly business without attending to it. The farmer must attend to his farm, the mechanick must attend to his trade, the attorney must attend to the law, the preacher must attend to divinity, the statesman must attend to the affairs of state, and all men must attend to their religious and eternal concerns. While their attention is employed upon these and other proper objects, their hearts will be effectually restrained from wandering. The minds of men must be in perpetual exercise in the view of right or wrong objects. But so long as they attend to proper objects, they cannot attend to those which are impertinent or improper. Every man's mind would be perpetually fixt on one single object, were no other object presented to divert his attention. Were one object constantly impressed upon the mind, and but one, it would be as impossible for the mind to think of any other object, as to create a world. And the only reason, why any one object