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Secondly, to my next general head, which is to treat of the wise man's heart; for it is the heart of the wise that teacheth his mouth. By the heart, in scripture, various things are meant.

1. Sometimes it signifies the will. "And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought forth bracelets and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered, offered an offering of gold unto the Lord."

2. Sometimes by heart is meant the memory. "And these are they by the way-side, where the word is sown; but, when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts."

3. Sometimes by the heart is meant the understanding, "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."

4. Sometimes the heart is put for conscience. "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God."

5. By the heart the affections are often intended. "And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." And again:

"For where the treasure is, there will the heart be also."

6. Sometimes knowledge is ascribed to the heart."The heart knoweth its own bitterness, and a stranger intermeddleth not with his joy." And again: "And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord; for they shall be my people, and I will be their God:" and they shall return unto me with their whole heart. Now, according to all these scriptures, it seems as if the heart meant the whole soul of man, and every faculty of it; so that the mouth and the lips of a wise man proclaim nothing else but the inward sensations and springs of the soul. And, indeed, that wisdom is but of little use that floats in the head; God requires it in the heart. "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." So that the proper seat of wisdom is the hidden part; and true wisdom properly seated and established there, is no less than the hidden man of the heart, even that which is not corruptible, 1 Peter iii. 4. There is a divine treasure in every wise man's heart, which is the Holy Spirit and his grace, and the pure word of God, and the promises of life. "Every scribe, which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." Again: "A good man, out of the good treasure of

the heart, bringeth forth good things," Matt. xii. 35. The Holy Spirit furnishes and inlays the soul with his grace, and establishes it there, and confirms his own work, by giving us an understanding in the word of God, which always agrees with the Spirit's work. And by the various operations which he makes us experience, the heart moves in concert with the mouth. The Spirit is deeply concerned in all the teaching that the heart of the wise conveys to his mouth.

1. He forms the word in the heart before it be conveyed to the mouth. "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

2. It is the Spirit which teacheth the mouth, and even pronounceth the word. "I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.” “I will give you," saith the Lord, "a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist." "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."

3. The Holy Spirit, under his influence, gives the soul a feeling sense of the matter which is spoken. Words from the head are always dry, light, and barren; but what the Holy Spirit sends forth from the heart are sent with energy, being attended with power; hence they are said to be seasoned with salt, and to minister grace to the

hearers. Light instructs the understanding; and knowledge, clearly uttered, informs the judgment; but it is the power of the Spirit, the savour of grace, and the dew of divine life, that refreshes the bowels of the saints. This enlarges their heart, revives their faith and hope, encourages the soul, and conveys comfort to them which warms their affections. All gifts, and even spiritual gifts, will wither and die without this inward furniture. It is the Spirit, and his continual communications of grace, which feed the wise man's gift. The Spirit of grace is a springing well, and the words of wisdom a flowing brook; nor can that brook dry up; for God, in Christ, is a fountain of living water; and it hath pleased him that all fulness should dwell in our Mediator; and from the Saviour's fulness there is a continual emanation to the believ ing soul. I will water the vineyard every moment; I will keep it night and day, Isaiah xxvii. 3. And this never-failing river of pleasure flows for evermore, and furnishes the heaven-born soul with endless supplies. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." When all these supplies can fail, when this fountain and river cease to flow, then may the believer's springs become dry; but not till then. His gifts shall not die, his leaf shall never wither, nor shall he ever cease from yielding fruit; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. "The heart of the

wise teacheth his mouth." And much teaching doth the wise man need; for he hath many persons, and various cases, to speak to, and not two exactly alike.

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"For though I be free from all men," says Paul, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak, became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." To the Jew Paul discoursed of the law, and of Christ the end of that; of the prophecies, and of Christ the substance of all the predictions; of the promises made to their fathers, and of the accomplishment of them all by Christ, and of their being all yea and amen in him, to the glory of God, by the salvation of us. Paul showed that the seed of Abraham was to be found among the Gentiles; that every heir of promise is an Isaac, and every spiritual worshipper of God is an Israelite; that he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly; namely, a regenerated soul, formed by the Holy Spirit for God's use, and sanctified to set forth his praise; that circumcision stands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, or the old man, by the circum

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