My first attempt of blogging is based on the title of my blog. This was a sermon most likely written by my great-grandfather - W.H. Wood and revised by my grandfather - Jack Nazary. So here is a special word on the very important verse in Proverbs about guarding our heart...
Keep the Heart
Proverbs 4:23
Introduction: Presupposes a work of grace which has set the heart right by giving it a spiritual bent, leaning, or inclination. As long as the heart is not set right by grace as to its habitual frame, no duties or means can keep it right with God.
Man by creation was of one single spirit, held one straight and even course; not one thought was disordered; his mind had a perfect illumination to understand and know the will of God. He stood in obedient, willing submission.
Man, by the fall, has become a most disordered and rebellious creature, contesting with and opposing his master as the:
his complying will is full of rebellion and stubbornness
his subordinate powers cast off the dominion and government of the superior faculties
By regeneration ---
this disordered soul is set right again.
Sanctification being the rectifying and due framing or being made "after the image of God" in which:
Self-dependence is renounced by faith
Self-love by the love of Christ or God
Self-will by subjection and obedience to the will of God
Self-seeking by self-denial
The darkened understanding is illuminated - Ephesians 1:18
The will sweetly subdued - Psalm 110:3
The rebellious appetite gradually conquered - Romans 6:7-23
And thus the soul, which sin had universally deprived, is again by grace restored and rectified...
Thus, now the need for constant care and diligence of such a renewed man, to preserve his soul in that holy frame to which grace hath brought it and daily strives to hold it.
Although grace has restored the soul, sin will disorder the soul.
It's like a musical instrument which needs to be tuned when even a little matter gets it out of tune.
To preserve the heart from sin, and to keep it fit for a life of communion with God let us notice some helpful suggestions:
God is pleased to call that a gift which is a debt. If man does not give God his heart, he does not accept what else may be brought to him. There is so much of worth and value in what we do as there is of heart in it.
Concerning the heart, God seems to say as Joseph said of Benjamin, "If you bring not Benjamin with you, you shall not see my face."
Among the heathen, when the beast was cut up for sacrifice, the priest looking first to see his heart, and if that was unsound the sacrifice was rejected.
God rejects all duties. How glorious in other respects offered without heart. He that performs duties without a heart, needlessly, is no more accepted with God than he that performs it with a double heart - that is hypocritically. Isaiah 66:3
Thus we see the nature of the duties of "Keeping the Heart".
(I believe some points have been taken from "Keep the Heart" by John Flavel - I have a very old copy of this book that belonged to my family. I am not sure of the publisher or publication date to give credit where credit is due.)
Man by creation was of one single spirit, held one straight and even course; not one thought was disordered; his mind had a perfect illumination to understand and know the will of God. He stood in obedient, willing submission.
Man, by the fall, has become a most disordered and rebellious creature, contesting with and opposing his master as the:
- First cause - by self dependence
- Chiefest good - by self-love
- Highest lord - by self-will
- Last end - by self-seeking
- and so... is quite disordered and all his acts irregular
his complying will is full of rebellion and stubbornness
his subordinate powers cast off the dominion and government of the superior faculties
By regeneration ---
this disordered soul is set right again.
Sanctification being the rectifying and due framing or being made "after the image of God" in which:
Self-dependence is renounced by faith
Self-love by the love of Christ or God
Self-will by subjection and obedience to the will of God
Self-seeking by self-denial
The darkened understanding is illuminated - Ephesians 1:18
The will sweetly subdued - Psalm 110:3
The rebellious appetite gradually conquered - Romans 6:7-23
And thus the soul, which sin had universally deprived, is again by grace restored and rectified...
Thus, now the need for constant care and diligence of such a renewed man, to preserve his soul in that holy frame to which grace hath brought it and daily strives to hold it.
Although grace has restored the soul, sin will disorder the soul.
It's like a musical instrument which needs to be tuned when even a little matter gets it out of tune.
To preserve the heart from sin, and to keep it fit for a life of communion with God let us notice some helpful suggestions:
- Frequent observations of the heart - "commune with thine own heart" Psalm 4:4. This is to be done not by the lost but saved - carnal persons take no thought here. The heart can never be kept until its case be examined and understood.
- It includes deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders. Hezekiah humbled himself for pride of heart - 2 Chronicles 32:26. People ordered to spread forth their hands to God in prayer in a sense of plague of their own hearts - I Kings 8:38. The upright heart cannot be at rest until it has wept out its troubles and poured out its complaints before the Lord.
- It includes earnest supplications and instant prayer for heart-purifying and rectifying grace. (when fault - sin) "Cleanse thou me from secret faults" Psalm 19:12. "Unite my heart to fear they name" Isaiah 6:1-6.
- It includes strong bonds and vows unto God to walk more carefully with God and to avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin.
- A constant holy jealousy over our own hearts. Pass the time of your sojourn here in fear.
- It involves the realization of God's presence with us - the setting of the Lord always before us. Keep eyes on Jesus.
- The hardest work - to shuffle over things with a loose and careless spirit will cast no great pains, but to set thyself before the Lord, and to tie thy thoughts up to him will cost something...to be able to use good language in prayer is easy, but get one's heart broken for sin while confessing it, and melted with full grace while blessing God for it...to outwardly conform is one thing, but to seek to kill the root of corruption is more difficult.
- It is constant work - Never done until death. Same with Christian or seaman that has sprung a leak at sea. There is no time or intermingling in the life of a Christian to grow weary in this work. It is with us as it was, with the keeping up of Moses' hands while Israel and Amaleck were fighting below - Exodus 17:12. Cost David and Peter many a sad day for failing to keep watch over their hearts for a few minutes.
- It is the most important work of a Christian's life - Without this we are formalist in religion; all our professions, gifts, and duties signify nothing; "My son give me thine heart." Proverbs 23:26
God is pleased to call that a gift which is a debt. If man does not give God his heart, he does not accept what else may be brought to him. There is so much of worth and value in what we do as there is of heart in it.
Concerning the heart, God seems to say as Joseph said of Benjamin, "If you bring not Benjamin with you, you shall not see my face."
Among the heathen, when the beast was cut up for sacrifice, the priest looking first to see his heart, and if that was unsound the sacrifice was rejected.
God rejects all duties. How glorious in other respects offered without heart. He that performs duties without a heart, needlessly, is no more accepted with God than he that performs it with a double heart - that is hypocritically. Isaiah 66:3
Thus we see the nature of the duties of "Keeping the Heart".
(I believe some points have been taken from "Keep the Heart" by John Flavel - I have a very old copy of this book that belonged to my family. I am not sure of the publisher or publication date to give credit where credit is due.)
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