there be a prayer in our mouths, the praises of God in our mouths, Christ, heaven, holiness, glory, a new heart, a new life upon our tongues, there is nothing within no prayer, no praise, no Christ, nor heaven. What have we been doing in the closet, in the family, in the congregation, many times, when we seemed to have been praying? Nothing, nothing, but sowing wind and good words. Sometimes we have too many things in our hearts; what a world of carnal devices and fleshly projects have we wrapt up in the garment of our religion! Peter's sheet had not a more heterogeneous miscellany of creatures, "four-footed beasts, wild beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the air," than our religious duties have of designs and ends. We have men to please; our pride, our appetites, to offer sacrifice to; we bring our farms and our oxen and our trades before the Lord. Are not our hearts, which should be the houses of prayer, the houses of merchandise? Are we not taking, or pursuing, or in a journey, or asleep, or driving bargains? O Christians, if we were privy to one another's hearts as God is privy to them, what abominations should we see brought into the holy places! What monsters would our most sacred services appear, which, while the outside only is viewed, are applauded and admired. Is this our singleness of heart? O for shame and blushing and confusion of face. O for a veil to hide such hearts from the jealous eye of the holy God: a varnish, a fair outside, hides all from men; but nothing but a dark veil of shame and sorrow and tears and repentance-a veil dipped in blood, in the

blood of Christ, will hide them from the eyes of the Lord.

Oh, how little plainness and singleness of heart is there in our ordinary course, in our dealings and conversings in the world! How little faith or truth is there in us! How little trust is to be put in us! What doubling, what deceitful dealing, defrauding, overreaching, undermining, are we guilty of! How false are we in our promises; how insignificant are our words; what an uncertain sound do they give! Our yea may often stand for nay, and our nay for yea. "They speak vanity every one with his neighbor; with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak." Psa. 12:2. Trust ye not in a friend, put not confidence in a guide.

Blessed be God, the Lord hath a generation on whom this cannot be charged, children that will not lie nor deceive. Though Satan and this evil world bind up all in a bundle, "They are all naught; they are all false, vain boasters, and deceitful workers; there is none upright, no, not one;" yet, thanks be to God, Satan is a liar-the accuser of the brethren is a false accuser. God hath his children that will not lie. But woe be to those professors, by reason of whom the offence cometh.

one

Christians, hath God promised to give you heart?" Let it be once said, "This day is the Scripture fulfilled." O may you be the accomplishment of this good word. Hath God promised to give you one heart? Do not say, But I will not take it; two are better than one: I have found so much the

sweet of deceit, that there is no life like it. Hath God said, "I will give one heart?" let not any one among you say, But I fear he will not. Make not the promise of God of none effect, either by your impiety or unbelief. Doth God promise to give this one heart? he that promised it, doth also require it. Be thyself, Christian. Let it be said thou art what thou art; be true, be but one, have but one heart, and let thy one heart have but one tongue, but one face, and but one thing to do. Beware of hypocrisy, beware of carnal policy; make not thy God to serve thy flesh; call not the serving of thy flesh a serving of God, and make not thy serving of God to be a serving of the flesh. Be not divided between God and the world. Oh, how easy would our lives be, did we find our whole souls running one way; taking up with God as the adequate object of all our powers, the mark of all our motions, and the reward of all our labors; did all our streams empty themselves into this ocean, and all our lines meet in this one centre; did God alone draw and allure our hearts, and the sincerity of our hearts give motion to all our wheels, guide our eyes, govern our tongues, order our steps, animate our duties, direct and quicken us in all our goings. Oh, how sweet, Oh, how beautiful, were such a life! in sympathy between our hearts and our end, there is sweetness; in the harmony of our hearts and ways, there is beauty. Oh, how sweet are the drawings of love. The free and full closing of our spirits with God, dissolving themselves into his will, acquiescing and resting satisfied in his goodness, is a sweetness which

no man knows but he who tastes it; the harmony of the powers of the soul within itself, of its motions. and actions in the life, has a beauty which will eclipse the glory of the world. Christian, be it thus with thee, and thou hast the blessing-that covenant blessing which the Lord has promised, in saying, "I will give them one heart."

CHAPTER IX.

A HEART OF FLESH.

"I WILL take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." Ezek. 36:26. The old heart is a stone, cold as a stone, dead as a stone, hard as a stone; but I will take away the stone, and give a heart of flesh.

A heart of flesh is a soft and tender heart; flesh can feel; any thing that is contrary to it puts it to pain. Sin makes it smart; it cannot kick but it is against the pricks; by its rebellion and resistance against the Lord, it receives a wound; it cannot hit but it hurts itself. A soft hand gets nothing by striking a hedge of thorns. A soft heart, when it hath been meddling with sin, is sure to smart for it. It can neither escape the pain, nor yet endure it; and what it cannot bear, it will take warning to avoid.

Flesh will bleed. A soft heart will mourn and melt and grieve when hard hearts are moved at nothing. Flesh will yield. It is apt to receive impressions. The power of God will awe it; his justice alarm it; his mercy melt it; his holiness humble it, and leave his stamp and image upon it. And as the attributes, so the word and works of God will make sign upon it. Who sets a seal upon a stone; or what print will it receive? upon the wax, the print will