ham, Isaac, and of Jacob, our fathers, keep
this for ever, in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart, and
prepare their heart unto Thee." To every command, God is pleased to add
a promise; so that what is a command in one place, is a promise in
another. "Circumcise the foreskin of your heart." But it is a promise,
"The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy
seed to love the Lord." Again, "make you a new heart." So saith the word
of command: "a new heart will I give you:" so speaks the word of
promise. Once more, "little children abide in Him," that is the command.
Which in the immediate verse before is a gracious promise, "you shall
abide in Him." Divers more such instances I could give you; and why
thus? Surely, the command teacheth us our duty, the promise our weakness
and insufficiency to perform that duty. The command finds us work; the
promise finds us strength: the command is to keep us from being idle;
the promise to keep us from being discouraged. Well, let us imitate God,
and, as He couples a command and a promise, so let us couple a
resolution and a petition. As God seconds and backs His command with His
promise, so let us second and back our promises with our prayers; the
one in sense of our duty, the other in sense of our weakness; by the
one, to bring our hearts up to God: by the other, to bring God down to
our hearts: resolve and petition, promise and pray, and the Lord
"prepare your heart to pray, and cause His ear to hear."

_Secondly_, Since God only must uphold your desires, walk continually as
in His presence; stability is only to be found in the presence of God;
so far we live an unchangeable life, as we walk and live in the presence
of an unchangeable God. The saints in Heaven know no vicissitudes, or
changes in their holy frame and temper of spirit, because they are
perfected in the beholding of His face; "with whom is no variableness,
nor shadow of changing:" and so far as the saints on earth can keep God
in their presence so far the presence of God will keep them. "I have set
the Lord always before me; and because He is at my right hand, therefore
I shall not be moved," sang David of himself literally, and in the
person of Christ typically: the privilege was made good to both, so far
as either made good the duty. David, according to his degree, and
proportion of grace, set God before him, placed Him on his right hand;
and so long as he could keep God's presence, the p