Of Keeping The Heart.

Adapted From A Sermon

By Philip Doddridge

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Our text this morning is Proverbs 4:23 in a sermon adapted from that faithful servant of the Lord, Philip Doddridge as he speaks to us of Keeping the Heart.

Surely every sincere Christian will readily agree, with the blessed apostle Paul, that he has not yet obtained, nor is he already perfect.{Philippians 3:12} And the more progress any of us make toward spiritual excellence, the more we recognize how far we remain from it. Therefore, we should all be eager to follow these important instructions, which we will hear today in this vital pursuit.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has said, "make the tree good, and the fruit will also be good."{Matthew 12:33} So if you seek order in your lives, let us be encouraged to take care of our hearts. And though it is a work of Divine grace, in the deepest sense, to make the tree good, yet, where that grace is planted in the soul, there remains a need for careful effort to ensure its growth and flourishing. To such care we are earnestly urged in those powerful words of the text, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

The purpose of these sacred lessons, as the royal Author puts it, is "to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth."{Proverbs 1:4} However, the guidance he offers is so valuable that even the oldest among us need it; and ignoring it will be harmful, even ruinous, to all. He repeats the call, verse 20, to heed his words and listen to his teachings; he assures us that they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh, meaning they deeply affect our present and future well-being. Now, at the core of these instructions, to which he calls for serious attention, we find, in the words of the text, as a fitting introduction to all the rest, and itself a lesson of the greatest importance, "Keep your heart with all vigilance." In seeking to understand this we will,

I. Clarify in general what it means to guard the heart.

II. Consider the specific duty of doing so with all vigilance.

III. Hear various strong reasons to motivate you in this care.

IV. Conclude with practical advice which, with Divine blessing, may help us in it.

I. And so to begin, as we consider what it means to guard the heart, we will more particularly consider the object of this care, the care itself, and then the degree in which it is recommended.

1. Consider the object of this care: it is the heart.

By the heart, we are to understand the soul, or the spiritual and thinking part of our nature. It is clear that the word, in scripture, generally holds this meaning and represents the mind or soul, which the ancients believed to be its center. Thus, when it is stated that the Lord gave Saul another heart, {1 Samuel 10:9} the meaning is that his mind was raised to higher perspectives and a nobler character than before. Similarly, it is said that Jehoshaphat's "heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord," {2 Chronicles 17:6} meaning his mind was firmly and eagerly devoted to them.

The heart sometimes represents the soul itself, and at other times its main faculties: the understanding, the conscience, the emotions, and the will. For example, the heart of the disciples is described as hardened when their understanding was so slow that they failed to grasp the meaning of our Lord’s words, expressed in language that was not especially unclear. {Mark 8:17} And so in the Scriptures, the word heart sometimes denotes the rational soul and sometimes its most important faculties: understanding and thought, passion, will, and conscience.

2. Next consider the care itself described here, represented by guarding. To understand this better, note that the word used in the original is a military term, likely referring to the act of setting a guard over something, such as a treasure to be protected or a person suspected of betrayal; thus, this suggests interpreting the word heart in a way that aligns with this idea. It is intended to urge placing a guard over our understanding and will but more particularly our thoughts and emotions, so that every fleeting or wandering thought or every rush of emotion is not indulged, but love and hatred, desire and aversion, hope and fear, anger and shame, and all other faculties of the higher powers remain properly controlled.

We should view them as natural subjects and take care to guard them so they do not become dangerous rebels. It is mainly in this context that the passage is emphasized as expressing the duty to manage thoughts and control emotions.

3. Thirdly, we may assess the level of care described here; and it is expressed by protecting them with great diligence, or, as the original term indicates, with complete vigilance, or exceeding all vigilance. And this may clearly express both the seriousness and the steadfastness of this care.

1. We may understand it as suggesting that we should make this our primary and serious duty. Most people have a stronger tendency to neglect it, because the workings of our hearts are hidden from all eyes except those of God, whom we too quickly forget; though his divine watch over us far surpasses the combined attention of all our fellow beings. Yet, because our reputation and circumstances are not as clearly affected by the mind’s inner workings as by outward actions, we are often too careless about this. However, Solomon seems to advise us that we should, with great effort, take up this task and commit to making it our focus and duty to create proper plans for it, and to carry them out with resolute and strong effort, viewing it, indeed, as the one thing essential, something we cannot ignore without clear guilt and obvious danger: and then,

2. It may further relate to the steadfastness of that duty. It is not merely giving our hearts one serious warning or firm instruction, but it suggests continuous vigilance; that, wherever we go and whatever we do, in our various moods and situations, we should steadily maintain this universal duty, as a man guarding a treasure or watching a prisoner may, through a moment’s carelessness, lose what he has protected for months or years, so, at times, our hearts tend to slip away from us, and, through a few days of triviality and indifference, we may lose more progress in faith than we have gained in weeks or months. Let this, therefore, be a serious and constant duty. To help make this advice more alive to us, we move on to,

II. The second heading which is to explain it by pointing out specific situations in which we should take special care to guard our hearts, and to do so with utmost vigilance. And so let us steadily maintain such care, and strengthen it even more, when we approach God in the sacred acts of his worship, when we find ourselves surrounded by an abundance of worldly happiness, when Providence tests us with troubling circumstances, when we face provocations from our fellow beings, when we are caught up in the demands of worldly tasks, when we are engaged in amusements and leisure, and when we experience moments of solitude and reflection; and, finally, when we find your heart attacked in a dangerous way by any passion, irregular in its nature or strength. This sermon is meant to emphasize these matters to your consciences; but it is the work of God to make them effective. May we pay earnest attention to them. May God's grace make them refreshing and helpful to us!

1. Guard your heart with all vigilance when you approach God in the sacred acts of his worship.

You then engage with a God who examines the heart and probes the deepest thoughts of the children of men. His sharp gaze instantly sees through the cleverest mask that hypocrisy can place over an inattentive and unmoved mind. You know that he saw it in the people of Israel and declares it against them as a grave offense: "This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me." {Isaiah 29:13} They come before me as my people come, and sit before me as my people sit, and their hearts are set on their gain. {Ezekiel 33:31}

How deeply reluctant our hearts are to connect with God; how easily they pull back from him like a broken bow. No renewed soul is unaware of what it means to lament, "When," in this respect, "I want to do right, evil lies close at hand." {Romans 7:21} If the entire course of our thoughts during any act of worship were revealed before the eyes of our fellow beings, how wild, how unpredictable, and even how shocking they would appear!

At times, there is a faint longing for you, O God! a weak stirring of the soul toward you, and then, by unexplained wanderings of thought, coming we know not from where, we are drawn away from you: and, with the heart wandering like the fool’s eye to the very ends of the earth, we feel a lack of joy in your presence; and we are painfully aware of the flaws and emptiness of our devotions. As a result, while rooted in the house of the Lord, under the care of his sanctuary, our souls resemble the fading shrub of a dry desert. This leads to the weakness of our faith in Christ, our love for God, our kindness toward men, and all those holy qualities that might be expected to grow in those who have long been under such guidance.

Therefore, let this urge us to guard our hearts in our approaches to God. Let us sincerely charge them to embrace full devotion and seriousness of spirit. O my soul! you are drawing near to the most honored and most gracious Being; awaken and strive with him, and you will gain a blessing from the Lord, even righteousness and peace from the God of our salvation.

But if all is merely an empty ritual, how will you escape the curse of the deceiver, who has a male in his flock and vows and sacrifices to the Lord a corrupt thing? A few moments spent in sacred reflection before we undertake our duty might be of great benefit throughout its entirety; and then, when actively engaged, guard your hearts with all vigilance; strive to keep them focused on what happens. Be watchful against those idle wanderings of the soul that drain all the life and spirit of our devotion; and strive to keep them warm and lively.

Endeavor to feel the deepest awareness of your guilt and need, your most urgent need for mercy and grace, and the most heartfelt gratitude for all of God's favor, especially the riches of redeeming love. And when you feel your hearts cold and unmoved, lift up a long sigh toward heaven and confess and lament it. If God enables you thus to guard your heart in duty, surely it will be a sign of good and a means of both encouraging and helping you in the next duty also which is to

2. Guard your heart with all vigilance when surrounded by an abundance of worldly pleasures.

An inspired writer observes that "new wine enslave the heart." {Hosea 4:11 NKJV} There is something in prosperity that tends to cloud the mind; therefore, be watchful against it, and in these circumstances, pay close attention to it. It is surely a most ungrateful act that our hearts should drift from God because of the very gifts of his kindness to us. Therefore, be carefully cautious against it. Strive to keep your hearts from forgetting God, as Moses advises: "When you have eaten and are full... beware that you do not forget the Lord your God." {Deuteronomy 8:10, 11}

Guard your heart against the quiet stirrings of pride, as if all these favorable situations in life were the reward of your own greater wisdom or goodness. Beware of sacrificing to your own net and burning incense to your own dragnet; {Habakkuk 1:16} and strive to keep your heart from excessive dependence on those things. Take care lest, like David, you say in your prosperity, "I shall never be moved"; {Psalms 30:6} for if you do, you may reasonably expect that God will hide his face, and then you will be troubled.

Furthermore, guard your heart not only from becoming trapped by the temptations of prosperity but also strive to maintain a lively awareness of God's goodness in all. This will enhance every pleasure, adding dignity and joy to it, to consider it as coming from such a source; and it will also encourage your passion for God and your effort to grow in all your spiritual treasures. Frequently remind your own souls, "All things are of God: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." {James 1:17}

This peaceful night, this happy day, this plentiful refreshment, this pleasant conversation, this successful inquiry, this profitable return, all this is from him. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." {Psalm 103:2} Let me love him, let me serve him for all this, and let not all the mercies of my life stand as evidence against me, lest they ultimately bring upon me judgments matching their weight and number. They come from God; let them be offered back to him in praise and thanksgiving.

3. Guard your heart with all vigilance when God’s disciplining hand is upon you.

Solomon specifically advises that in times of hardship we should reflect: for reflection and vigilance over the heart are then essential. There is a danger of the heart either rising against it or weakening under it. Therefore, great vigilance is required here. Thus, charge your souls with great seriousness: O my soul, remember that afflictions do not arise from nowhere; rather, the hand of God is in them. Remember that they come from a Being infinitely holy and infinitely powerful, who cannot be judged or opposed. They come from a Being infinitely wise and infinitely good, who cannot reasonably be criticized by any of his creatures.

If you sense your flawed nature stirring, if you notice a discontented and impatient spirit starting to take hold, immediately resist it: recall the perfections of God’s nature, the purposes of his love, the experience you have already had of his mercy, and the gracious promise regarding what is yet to come. Ungrateful creature that I am, shall I receive good from the hand of the Lord, and shall I not receive hardship also? {Job 2:10} Foolish wretch that I am, shall I turn my remedy into poison by foolish behavior while under its influence? O my heart, I charge you, in the name of the King of heaven, Peace, be still!

Nor should we be concerned only with calming the turbulent and erratic stirrings of the heart under affliction, but also with aligning with the purpose of Divine Providence in such times; we should look upward for the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit to show why he challenges us, and inward to examine our souls, to understand how those afflictions, which for now are not joyful but painful, may later produce in us the peaceful fruits of righteousness. {Hebrews 12:11}

4. Guard your heart with all vigilance when faced with provocation from your fellow beings.

These are very difficult moments; and the spirit within us often leans more clearly toward resentment than envy; and so it is certain that he who trusts his own heart in such situations acts most foolishly. Pride will then rise to magnify the offense through mistaken ideas of our own wisdom and goodness; it will turn every mistake into an injury and every fault into a serious offense; and this may lead to angry words or unkind judgments.

It may be that some bitter and harmful action could be the unfortunate outcome: therefore, guard your heart with all vigilance; do not be overly sensitive to insults; consider your place in a world of imperfect and sinful beings, where even the best are only partly purified and still carry much folly and corruption in their souls. Do not expect that all their actions will be perfectly wise and good. You will have much to forgive even in the best and kindest of your friends; and if they act wrongly, see them as deserving pity rather than harsh anger. Reflect on how you have treated your heavenly Father; in how many countless, far worse instances you have neglected, offended, and provoked him; yet he remains patient and forgiving.

O my soul, let me embrace, as one chosen by God, holy and beloved before him, qualities of patience and humility, of gentleness and kindness: these are the fruits of the Spirit. This was the attitude that Christ my Lord showed in his sufferings; and which he encouraged others to follow. Let me cultivate it more and more! Perhaps what I am quick to resent might be mere careless oversight, with no intent of harm: but if there was intent, let me show the wisdom that comes from above; and if they meant it maliciously, let me turn it into good, as I will surely do if I make it an opportunity to practice and strengthen grace in my soul.

Lord, this rising resentment I offer to you. Let all my anger be directed against my own soul and against sin: but as for my offending brother, grant him your forgiveness and blessing, and help me to love him more and more for your sake; at the very least, if he will repent, allow me to do so for his own sake.

5. Guard your heart with all vigilance when your hands are busy with worldly tasks.

Christians, we move through a world full of temptations; and although it is our duty to fulfill the responsibilities of our worldly work, it is no easy task to keep our souls free from these matters and to live above the world while we are in it. It is the wise advice of our Lord himself, "Watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with... cares of this life." {Luke 21:34}

Be careful that you do not grow overly attached to things that are visible and temporary, neglecting those that are unseen and eternal. Ensure that a focus on worldly benefits never turns you away from the path of strictest duty to God and honesty toward your fellow beings. Often remind yourselves, O my soul, this is not your resting place. There is much concern about what I shall eat, what I shall drink, and how I shall be clothed. Yet there is the kingdom of heaven to be sought. May I be guided by Divine grace to seek it above all else! There is the Lord Jesus Christ to be gained, who is the "pearl of great value." {Matthew 13:46} Oh, that I may be so wise a merchant as to obtain this, even at the cost of all that I have!

Regularly encourage your souls with the apostle’s advice, "The appointed time has grown very short." {1 Corinthians 7:29} O my heart, do not dwell on fleeting things, and love nothing with unchecked affection that is not as lasting as yourself and as unchanging as your God. You are not the owner of these things; do not consider them as your own. See them as a trust placed in your hands by God; and as you are a steward, let your concern be that you are found faithful. By dedicating all to God and using all for his purposes, may holiness to the Lord be written upon my soul and all my actions, upon my business and my earnings, upon my work and my gains.

6. Guard your heart with all vigilance when you are involved in amusements and leisure.

Our kind and caring Father, who knows the weakness and frailty of our nature, allows us the freedom to refresh our spirits with suitable activities at appropriate times; and does not require that they remain constantly strained: but most people are overly fond of these things; and, as a serious writer clearly, though simply, states, "make their food of that which ought to be regarded only as their sauce."

Now we should be very careful to ensure that we do not spend too much time in leisure; that we do not pursue them just for their own sake, but to support life’s duties; that we do not choose those with a bad reputation, which may offend others and become a trap for our own souls; and that, whatever they are, we do not indulge in them so much that our spirits become so scattered as to completely forget God and develop a dislike for thoughts of serious faith.

This caution is vital for all, but especially for young people. Be diligent with all vigilance to guard your hearts in these situations. Often say, O my soul, let me stand far from the character of those who live without God in the world and are "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." {2 Timothy 3:4} Oh, let me remember that those who belong to Christ "have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires"; {Galatians 5:24} and that if any will follow him, he must learn to deny himself and take up his cross.

You are sent into the world not merely to entertain yourself with its pleasures, but to fulfill a purpose, to engage in a struggle, to run a race. Awaken all my noblest and most active powers. Let me be steady and determined, and whatever relaxations this frail state of nature requires, let them be so limited and controlled that they resemble the time a reaper spends sharpening his sickle, which, though it causes a brief pause, ultimately improves his efficiency. Reflect, O my soul, that the great and blessed God sees you in your lying down and your rising up and knows all your thoughts. Let no task or amusement lead you into forgetting him.

7. Guard your heart with all vigilance in times of solitude and retreat, whether they are regular or occasional.

When you withdraw for the worship of God, we have already been encouraged to stay watchful; and when we retreat for reading, meditation, or to reflect on our own souls, thoughts are so unpredictable that focusing them is among the hardest tasks: but strive to do so. Seriously consider how much joy and benefit you may gain in such moments if you consistently use them; and how surely your reflection on your own souls can support the sacred purposes of communion with God; and make it your priority to ensure it does so.

Even in those moments of solitude that come unexpectedly in the course of life, do not let your time be wasted. Remember that a wise and good man always carries a treasure within him in his memory and heart. Make it your goal to draw from it things both new and old. As God has given you the abilities of reason, thought, and reflection, do not settle for idle daydreams when alone on a journey or at your work; but strive to engage in a meaningful and productive dialogue with yourselves. The instruction of our text is one of those about which Solomon says, "when you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you." {Proverbs 6:22}

8. Guard your heart with all vigilance when you find intense emotions stirred, ready to forcefully sweep you away.

Previously, we have been warned about situations that might tempt us, including specific moments of provocation. Now in addition, if you have been caught off guard and any unruly emotion has been sparked, you must strive to calm it. Oh, consider what unstable feelings you carry within your hearts. Neglect your heart even slightly in such moments, and all will be set ablaze. It is like riding a wild horse; a steady rein must always be kept over him. If we are alarmed by any sign of his preparing to bolt, then we must gather all our strength and skill to either stop him quickly or skillfully redirect his course; otherwise, we may be carried over a cliff before we realize, seeing the danger only when it is too late.

And this is not only for angry emotions but also of those often considered most friendly; yet, through their excess or misuse, they may lead to serious consequences. Guard your hearts against excessive attachment to any worldly comfort. Even if you do not overly value the world, money, or fame, you may love a friend with such deep tenderness that it disturbs your entire soul: when you begin to feel any creature becoming, as it were, necessary to your happiness, then recognize that it is time to increase your vigilance, lest you provoke the Almighty to jealousy.

Then, with great seriousness, repeat this warning to your own heart: O my soul, now, now is the moment to resist. If, through any weak indulgence, your enemy has gained the advantage, exert yourself as if for your life in the strength of God. Remember, remember your eternal rest: recall the crown of glory and for whom it is reserved. Oh, let me always strive to maintain an attitude fitting for one who has chosen his happiness in God, one who hopes to approach his heavenly presence.

Finally, it is clear that the challenge and effort are great, but the reward will be abundant in the peace of our own souls, the confidence of Divine approval, and the hope of an eternal reward.

Lord willing, It will be the subject of the next sermon by Doddridge to highlight those vital reasons that may encourage us to thus guard our heart and to provide the guidance that may help us in doing so.

May we Keep our heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.