THE HEART by J. Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 7, 1878

THE HEART.

By J. Clarke

THE Bible commands us to keep the heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. It says that out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, and from these evil thoughts proceed evil acts and crimes of all kinds. It says that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil things.

The heart is to the life what the workshop is to the mechanic; in it are forged all those weapons of rebellion, discord, and disobedience, which are brought by the sinner to use in his warfare against the government of God. When the heart is carefully kept from evil thoughts and wrong intentions and is constantly guarded against the suggestions of the evil one, when it is occupied by holy meditations or in useful plans and good works, then joy and peace light up the inner man, and a heavenly influence is exerted.

A heart thus kept, thus guarded and occupied, will infallibly lead to a life of usefulness and good works. No wrong act will flow from it; no, it is when the watchman lets down the standard, and leaves the heart defenseless and unkept, that Satan comes in with his wily arts and causes blindness and indifference to spiritual things. It has been truly said that the heart is the worst part of a man before conversion, and the best afterwards. The life of a man shows how he keeps his heart. If it is well-kept it induces a state of mind perfectly peaceful and harmonious; it smooths down mountains to level plains, and gently leads on to virtue and glory. Sin is like abundance of soot in the chimney flue, which smothering the cheerful blaze, at once fills the room with suffocating smoke; but when this is removed how soon the fire resumes its cheerful warmth.

J. CLARKE.