Sermons upon the following subjects Author:John Orr Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SERMON IV. .The Government of the Heart. Prov. IV. 23.. Keep tby Heart with all Diligence ; for out of it are the ,J/ltes'of Life. THERE is not any P... more »recept which better deferves our Attention, and which we. are more concerned to obferve, than this which Solomonhere gives us; for upon our complying with it, the good Conduct and Happinefs of our Lives depend. The Method in which I rfhall difcourfe of it, is this: I. I mail explain what is meant by keeping . tie Heart. II. I fhall confider the Argument, which is ufed to engage us to this Practice of kee ing the Heart; becaufe out cf it are tU JJJues of Life. Vol. I. H IH. I S E R M. III. I fhall lay down fome Rules to direct and affift us in keepingor governing our Hearts. Firft, I fhall explain what is meant by keeping the Heart. The Heart in Scripture, and in all Writers of Morality, comprehends all the Defires, Pafllons, and Affections, and every thing that is a Principle of Action in the Mind of Man ; and the keeping of it in general confuts in a due Regulation of our feveral Defires and Affections, in a juft Arrangement of all the inward Movements and Principles of the Mind ; fo as that the higher and nobler Principles of our Nature may always prevail, and reftrain and direct every lower Principle and Inclination in us, which are naturally placed in a ftate of Subordination to them. In order therefore to our un- derftanding diftinctly the Meaning of this Precept, it will be neceflary to confider a little the feveral Affections and Principles of Action which belong to the human Nature, the juft Order of their operating, and to which of them the Right of directing and governing the reft belongs. And to come to the knowledge of thefe matters, there is not fo much need of any long Reafoning, as of a car...« less