Keeping the Heart by John Flavel

Keeping the Heart by John Flavel

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

The heart of man is his worst part before it is regenerated, and the best part afterward. It is the seat of principles, and the fountain of actions.

The greatest difficulty in conversion is to win the heart to God. The greatest difficulty after conversion is to keep the heart with God. Direction and help in this great work are the scope of the text wherein we have:

• An exhortation: Keep thy heart with all diligence.
• The reason or motive enforcing it: For out of it are the issues of life.

In the exhortation we'll consider:

• The matter of the duty.
• The manner of performing it.

For out of it the heart] are the issues of life. In other words, the heart is the source of all vital operations; it is the origin of both good and evil, just as the spring in a watch that sets all the wheels in motion. The heart is the treasury, the hand and tongue are but the shops. The heart contrives, and the members execute: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh (Luke 6:45).

After the 'Great Ejection' of 1662, Flavel, an English Puritan, became a nonconformist. He wasn't allowed to preach for another ten years, and only in his own home. In the nineteenth century, his writings were compiled into six volumes. The practical nature of Flavel's writings is well-known. He was a driving force behind the so-called Happy Union of Presbyterians and Congregationalists.