OUTLINE VIII.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it ?-Jer. xvii. 9.

INTRODUCTION.-Wound of the body and soul to be

opened.

I. What is the heart?

Soul, spirit, will, mind, affections, conscience, and memory."Lest they understand with their heart," &c. Isaiah vi. 10.

The heart and understanding opened in Lydia. Acts. Disciples to Emmaus. Luke xxiv. 31, 32.

It denotes conscience. John iii. 19, 21.-" If our heart condemn us not," &c.

It implies memory.-"Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts." Matt.

II. Description of it.

It is in young and old; moral and immoral.

1. "Desperately wicked."

Adam, conception, infancy, childhood, youth, age, old

age.

(1.) The heart is blind.

Adam hid himself. A veil hides it. "From blindness of heart, good Lord, deliver us!" "Not given a heart to perceive." Deut. xxix. 4.

(2.) Hard, stout.

Pharaoh, disobedience, unrelenting, insensible, stony, not flesh. Josiah, 2 Kings xxii. 19.-" Rend your heart," &c. "Contrite heart."

(3.) Stupid.

Dan. iv. 16. The heart of a beast, drowsy, sleepy. It has nothing to say to God and man.- "Awake, my heart," says David. "Fat as brawn."

(4.) Proud.

"Who is the Lord, that I should

obey him?" Exodus.

Who are the magistrates, ministers? It rises against supe

riors, against their word, reproof, rod.

(5.) Passionate.

Saul, Jonah.

Full of hatred. Notice Ecclesiastes

x. 13. Revengeful, envious. Hazael. Madness in their head.

(6.) Perjured.

Covenant-breakers, false to God, man, self. Inconstant in spirituals, temporals. Peter.

(7) Ungrateful, covetous, lustful.

(8.) Full of hatred to God.

Carnal mind. Lovers of the world. Haters of God, his

ways, and people.

(9.) Full of unbelief to Christ.

Presumptuous, despairing, doubtful.

(10.) Full of resistance to the Holy Ghost.

shall not always strive with man.”

2. "Deceitful above all things."

"My Spirit

Above the sea, the weather, the look, the tongue, the devil, deceitful.

(1.) Deceit begins at home.

Deceives self, excuses sin, magnifies shows of good, puts light for darkness, calls evil "good."-"I have a good heart!" Pharisee.

(2.) Deceives neighbours.

It appears honest, chaste, godly, kind, disinterested, to cheat others.

(3.) Tries to deceive God himself.

Hypocrite, formalist.-Heart far off, lips near. Body without soul.

(4.) Cheats God of his service, men of love, and self of a kingdom of grace and glory. Yea, it cheats his soul

into hell. Foolish virgins.

III. "Who can know it?"

Not the natural, learned, trading man; but God, the Searcher of hearts. Christ, "who needed not that any one should testify of man." The Spirit, "who searcheth the deep things," &c. 1 Cor. ii. 10. And those who are taught by him.

INFERENCES.-1. "He that trusteth his own heart is a

fool."

2. "Watch, and keep your heart with all diligence." 3. How great the necessity of a new birth!

4. How glorious the promise of a new heart of flesh! 5. How do those who boast show the deceitfulness of their hearts!

6. No change of life sufficient without a correspondent change of heart.

7. The fountain being bad, so are the streams.

8. The necessity of Christ's heart being pierced, and the Spirit to open and change ours.

APPLICATION.-Study your hearts. Pray for light. Examine what passes in sudden temptations, in dreams, in thoughts.

OUTLINE IX.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.-1 Cor. i. 30.

INTRODUCTION.-Know thyself and thy advantages, be

liever.

I. "Ye are of him."

Accepted, born, sons, heirs.

II. "In Christ Jesus."

The second Adam, to whom you are united by faith and love. On his part, by water, blood, and the Spirit. He made himself man.

REFLECTION.-How noble the Christian! How should he despise earth and sin! Believe in Christ, walk in Christ, and you will be God's. Wicked men are of the

devil, in Adam.

III. "Christ is made of God."

Christ is the masterpiece of divine wisdom, power, love,

mercy, justice.

IV. "To us."

Enemies, foolish, guilty, polluted, wretched as long as we are out of Christ. Who sees it?

V. Christ is our

magazine: all fulness is in him: wisdom, righteousness. He did and suffered all for

us.

Priest.-Sanctification. Holy in himself. Making us so by faith as physician.

Redemption. He redeemed himself and us, in rising from the dead. As King and Saviour he redeemed us from sin, misery, death.

Christ not only offered, designed, but made.

APPLICATION.-Close with the bargain. Reject, neglect not Christ. Benighted, wandering ones, foolish slaves of sin, receive Christ as wisdom. Guilty ones, receive him as righteousness. Unclean ones, receive him as sanctification. Miserable ones, receive him as redemption.

Observe the order.-Justification is before sanctification. -A chain with four links, one draws the others. Believers, what a treasure! draw, buy out.

OUTLINE X.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.-Rev. iii. 21.

INTRODUCTION.-Important words.

ear to hear, let him hear.”

I. Jesus overcame.

"He that has an

1. The world. Its frowns, smiles, pomps, pleasures, profit, applause.-By standing, or flying.

2. The flesh.-Ease, gratifications, lusts. By fasting, abstinence, pain, want, agony of the cross.

3. The devil. By resisting, and the word. The prince in his powers of darkness, and temptations, was conquered.

4. Sin. By bleeding and dying for it.

5. Death. By being swallowed up by it. Hell.

II. His reward as man.

He sits down with the Father on his throne.-Union,

rest, triumph, power, glory.

III. We must overcome as he did: and by his victory, the believer overcomes in Christ. 1 John v. 4.

IV. Promise.

"Sitting" denotes rest.

"With Christ," signifies union, delight.
"On his throne,”—power, glory.
"Even,"-like cross, like crown.

"Will I grant,"-favour to us by Christ's righteous

ness.

MOTIVES.-Love, gratitude, safety, rest, honour, power, and dominion for ever.

Encouragement.-Christ has overcome before, and for

you.

Prize. The person, and the throne of Christ.-Honour superior to that of angels.

Fight the world as Shadrach, the flesh as Paul, the devil as Christ, sin as Joseph, death as the conquerors. 1 Cor. xv. 57.

APPLICATION.-Worldlings.-Fight not in the wrong cause, or you will sit in hell.

Seekers.-Strive even to blood.-Fight till you overcome. On your knees.

Believers.-Overcome, till you sit down.

OUTLINE XI.

From henceforth thou shalt catch men.-Luke v. 10.

INTRODUCTION.-Business of preachers to catch men. I. From what place?

1. The muddy pool of ignorance..

2. The streams of vanity.

3. The foaming sea of corruption, original and actual.

4. The cistern, whirlpool of self. These all lead to the lake burning, &c. There that leviathan takes his pastime. II. For what end?

1. To save them from the lake, and the leviathan.

2. To bring them to the fountain opened for sin. To