Heart Work.

"Do you think you came into this world to spend your whole time and strength in your employments, your trades, your pleasures, unto the satisfaction of the will of the flesh and of the mind? Have you time enough to eat, to drink, to sleep, to talk unprofitably—it may be corruptly—in all sorts of unnecessary societies, but have not enough time to live unto God, in the very essentials of that life? Alas, you came into the world under this law: 'It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment' (Heb. 9:27), and the end (purpose) why your life is here granted unto you, is that you may be prepared for that judgment. If this be neglected, if the principal part of your time be not improved with respect unto this end, you will yet fall under the sentence of it unto eternity" (John Owen, 1670).

Multitudes seem to be running, but few "pressing toward the mark"; many talk about salvation, but few experience the joy of it. There is much of theform of godliness, but little of the power of it. O how rare it is to find any who know anything experimentally of the power which separates from the world, delivers from self, defends from Satan, makes sin to be hated, Christ to be loved, truth to be prized, and error and evil to be departed from. Where shall we find those who are denying self, taking up their cross daily, and following Christ in the path of obedience? Where are they who hail reproach, welcome shame, and endure persecution? Where are they who are truly getting prayer answered daily, on whose behalf God is showing Himself strong? Something is radically wrong somewhere.

Yes, and as surely as the beating of the pulse is an index to the state of our most vital physical organ, so the lives of professing Christians make it unmistakably evident that their hearts are diseased! "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him" (2 Chron. 16:9). Ah, do not the opening words indicate that those with "perfect" hearts are few and far between, that they are hard to locate? Surely it does; and it has ever been the case. David cried, "Help, Lord; for the godly man ceases; for the faithful fail from among the children of men" (Psalm 12:1). The Lord Jesus had to lament "I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing" (Isaiah 49:4). The Apostle Paul declared, "I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own interests, not the things which are Jesus Christ's" (Phil. 2:20, 21); "All those who are in Asia have turned away from me" (2 Tim. 1:15). And things are neither better nor worse today.

But, my reader, instead of talking about the "apostasy of Christendom," instead of being occupied with the empty profession all around us, what about our own hearts? Is your heart "perfect"? If so, even in these so-called "hard times" God is "showing Himself strong" in your behalf: that is, He is working miracles for you, and ministering to you in a way that He is not to the empty professors. But if God is not so doing, then your heart is not "perfect" toward Him, and it is high time for you to take stock and get down to serious soul business.

"Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). The pains which multitudes have taken in religion are but lost labor. Like the Pharisees of old, they have been tithing annice, and mint and cummin, but neglecting the weightier matters. Many have a zeal, but it is not according to knowledge; they are active, but their energies are misdirected; they have wrought "many wonderful works," but they are rejected by God. Why? Because their employments are self-selected or man-appointed, while the one great task which God has assigned, is left unattended to. All outward actions are worthless, while our hearts be not right with God. He will not so much as hear our prayers while we regard iniquity in our hearts (Psalm 66:18)!

Let us, then, endeavor to further point out what is signified by this supremely important exhortation. To "keep" the heart signifies to have theconscience exercised about all things. In numbers of passages "heart" and "conscience" signify one and the same thing: see 1 Samuel 24:5, 2 Samuel 24:10, 1 John 3:21, etc. The Apostle Paul declared "herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24:16), and herein he sets before us an example which we need to emulate. After the most careful and diligent manner we must strive to keep the conscience free from all offense in the discharge of every duty which God requires, and in rendering to every man what is due him. Though this is never perfectly attained in this life, yet every regenerate soul has a real concern for such a state of conscience.

A "good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly" (Heb. 13:18) is worth far more than rubies. This is to be something more than an empty wish, which gets us nowhere. The Apostle said, "herein do I exercise myself" (Acts 24:16): it was a matter of deep concern to him, and one to which he assiduously applied himself. He labored hard in seeing to it that his conscience did not flatter, deceiving and misleading him. He was conscientious over both his outer and inner life, so that his conscience accused and condemned him not. He was more careful not to offend his conscience than he was not to displease his dearest friend. He made it his daily business to live by this rule, abstaining from many a thing which natural inclination drew him unto, and performing many a duty which the ease-loving flesh would shirk. He steadily maintained a care not to break the law of love toward either God or man. And, when conscious of failure, he saw to it that by renewed acts of repentance and faith (in confession) each offense was removed from his conscience; instead of allowing guilt to accumulate thereon.

"Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and a sincere faith" (1 Tim. 1:5). The "commandment" is the same as the "holy commandment" of 2 Peter 2:21, namely, the Gospel, as including the Moral Law, which enjoined perfect love both to God and to our neighbor. The "end" or design—that which is enjoined and whose accomplishment is prompted thereby—is love. But spiritual "love" can only proceed from "a pure heart," that is, one which has been renewed by grace, and thereby delivered from enmity against God (Romans 8:7) and hatred against man (Titus 3:3), and cleansed from the love and pollution of sin. Spiritual "love" can only proceed out of a "good conscience," that is, a conscience which has been made tender and active by grace, which has been purged by the blood of Christ, and which sedulously avoids all that defiles it and draws away from God; its possessor being influenced to act conscientiously in the whole of his conduct.

It is solemn to note that those who "put away" a good conscience soon make "shipwreck of the faith" (1 Tim. 1:19). To "keep" the heart means to "set the Lord always before" us (Psalm 16:8). Some may object that those words spoke, prophetically, of the Lord Jesus. True, but remember He has "left us an example that we should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:21). What, then, is it to "set the Lord always before" us? It means to remember that His eye is ever upon us, and that we act accordingly. It means to remember that we must yet render to Him a full account of our stewardship, and to let this fact constantly influence us. It means that we are to ever have His honor and glory in view, living not to please ourselves but acting according to His revealed will. It means that we should strive, especially, to have God before our souls whenever we engage in any religious exercises.

Next Part Heart Work. 2

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