The thirteenth letter of Mr. Hardcastle

These for my esteemed friends, the members and auditors of the congregation, meeting in Broadmead, Bristol.

9th month 6th day (Saturday), 1675

Dearly Beloved, - Having already discovered something about the excellency of true faith, both as it is the gift of God, and as it is called precious faith, I proceed now to give you a further account of the transcendency of true faith, as it is a faith which purifies the heart. This differencing and distinguishing mark and character, I ground upon Acts 15: 9. In prosecuting this head, I shall, if the Lord assist, inquire into two things: - I. How faith purifies; and II. Why it purifies.

I. Upon our communion with God; and II. Upon our conversation in the world. In regard of both which, it wonderfully differences itself from a formal, false, counterfeit, and common faith.

I. How faith purifies.

1. I answer, As it discovers the heart of a man to be his worst, his most polluted, his most vile part, that let him be never so bad outwardly, he is much worst inwardly; and therefore it expresses itself in such language as this: - What a fountain of iniquity is there in my heart! The seeds of all sin lodge there; the most wicked conversations of the ungodly is not, for mass and weight, and multiplied motions to sin, to be compared with it. I see more evil in an evil heart of unbelief, than I see in all the evil in the world, &c. Now a counterfeit faith may take notice of, and reform a grosser evil in the conversation, which men see and observe, but see no such cause to complain of the heart. It is a good heart, and has good meanings in it, and not an evil thought to any one; Job 9: 20, 21, 30, 31.

2. True faith discovers an utter inability and insufficiency in a man, of himself, ever to get rid of his corruption, this body of sin. All the prayers and tears, the humiliations and repentings, in the world, cannot wash away the defilement of one heart. Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us from all sin. Now a common faith sees no such need of craving foreign aid and assistance in this matter. Have not men power over themselves? And are not their wills free? Cannot they resolve strongly, and rescue themselves from these snares and fetters? Alas, the weakness of nature, the wiles of sin, the depths of Satan, the power of temptation were never yet known where there are such apprehensions. We think to bind sin by our own cords, as they bound Sampson; but when the strength of sin appears, those cords will become as flax, burned with fire; Judges 15: 14.

3. True faith brings the soul to plead with God, about the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ to be applied unto it, for the subduing of corruption, quenching sinful motions, correcting the rising and stirring of corruption, and the bubbling-up of iniquity; and argues the case with him, with much earnestness, and on this wise: -

Lord, by the light of thy law and gospel, I have found my heart, upon search, to be a very sink and puddle of sin. What abundance of vain thoughts lodge within me! How is my soul continually upon a rack with perpetual errings and contrary motions! What a great inclination and proneness to evil! What a backwardness to every thing that is good! What little delight in God! How little relish, taste, and savour of the things of God! how full of the world am I! how natural is it to me to think of that! How hard do I find it to perform a duty without disturbance and unseasonable distractions of a vain, worldly and confused spirit! And when I would do good, evil is present with me! Lord, thus it is with me, and a great deal worse; and I cannot tell how to help it. But I come to you, and am desirous that you should see how bad it is with me. You can set all right and mend all. You can create in me a clean heart. You can give me such a heart as you will accept of. Lord, break it, soften it, melt it, compose it; make it sound, sincere, believing, watchful; for it is such a heart at present that I cannot honor you, nor come before you with it, nor get any peace or comfort to abide in it.

Thus true faith puts the heart nakedly into God’s hands, and he washes it in the blood of his Son, and returns it a new, broken, tender, clean, and penitent heart; writes his law in it, according to the tenor of the new covenant: see Ezekiel 16: 62, 63. A formal faith washes the heart over with a slight humiliation, and a superficial performance of duties; with an outward profess, and enjoyment of privileges and things that will do: though it still remains a dead, rotten, and deceitful heart.

4. True faith keeps the heart under the eye and omniscience of God, who is the searcher of the hearts and trier of the reins; so that the soul still sees him that is invisible, and stands more in awe of his observation and notice, than if all the eyes of men and angels were upon him.

Faith preserves the heart pure, by that fear it puts into it, and keeps in it. When a man goes out or comes in, lies down or rises, goes about the performance of any duty, faith says to the soul, Take heed to yourself, the eye of the great and holy God is upon you; take heed to your actions and words, and especially to your thoughts, purpose, designs, aims, and ends. God can spy a fault in the intention, when the most observing men can find none in the action. Let not a deceived heart lead you aside, and there prove a lie in your right hand. Now a counterfeit faith admits of forgetfulness of God. If things appear well before men, the heart if neglected, lies like the field of a sluggard, and becomes a receptacle and lodging for all sorts of unclean, vain, and corrupt imaginations.

II. Why doth faith thus purify the heart?

Ans. 1. Because none but the pure in heart can see God; and it is the design of faith to bring the soul to communion with God, and the enjoyment of him. Faith helps the soul to see God as present, through the glasses of ordinances, providences, and creatures. Faith makes the glass as clear, and bright, and transparent as may be; and endeavours to keep it from being darkened and clouded by formality, customariness, selfishness, and security. And further, when God is about to receive the soul to a perfect and immediate fruition of himself without these glass mediums, when there will be no further occasion for faith, it willingly and gladly takes its leave of the soul, and is content to be annihilated, now that it has helped the soul to the full enjoyment of the best Being.

2. Faith purifies the heart, to show the excellency of the dispensation of the gospel above that of the law, which was concerned so much about external and ceremonial observances. Faith is for promoting spiritual worship, because God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, not in form and shadow. The great commandment is to love the Lord with all our strength, and might, and understanding. Now, all that I shall add at present is this, that we should labour more after this heart-purifying work of faith.

1. A sincere heart is the highest throne God has upon earth. All legal sacrifices, all gospel performances, cannot set him half so high.

2. A sincere heart is the best sanctuary a soul can find, in time of distress and difficulty, and in a day of death; Isaiah 38: 3; 2 Corinthians 1: 12. The leaky ship looks as well as the sound one in a calm, but sinks in a storm.

3. A pure holy heart is always ready for service. What is the reason that David could say his heart is fixed, and doubles the expression, to show the certainty of it? Why, he gives a ready account of it, in his own words, Psalm 18: 23: I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from my own iniquity. He did not regard iniquity in his heart. Sin allowed is like weights of lead hung upon the wings of the soul, that clog and fetter it, so that it cannot act freely for God. To encourage you in this great work of getting a pure heart, take notice of this one particular: - That the Lord is very willing to hearken to a soul, when it comes to deal with him about heart work. His delight is there; he does not say, My son give me thy good heart, but give me thy heart; let me have it brought to me sincerely, such as it is, and I will make it for myself.

I shall conclude with this: - While you are so eminently confessing Christ with your mouths, and bearing testimony to his worship and ways, look to your believing with your heart, that it may not come under decay and diminution. That your faith, courage, and constancy may abound yet more and more, it the true desire and hearty prayer of :-

Your servant and fellow-sufferer in and for the gospel,

                                                                                 Thomas Hardcastle