The religion of the heart
In a word. Let your religion be the religion of the heart. Let it lie deep in your inmost soul. Be little and base, and mean and vile, (beyond what words can express) in your own eyes; amazed and humbled to the dust, by the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Be serious. Let the whole stream of your thoughts, words and actions flow from the deepest conviction, that you stand on the edge of the great gulf, you and all the children of men, just ready to drop in, either into everlasting glory or everlasting burnings. Let your soul be filled with mildness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering towards all men: at the same time that all which is in you is thirsty for God, the living God; longing to awake up after his likeness (Psalm 17:15), and to be satisfied with it. Be a lover of God and of all mankind. In this Spirit do and suffer all things. Thus show your faith by your works (James 2:18): thus do the will of your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21). And as sure as you now walk with God on earth, you shall also reign with him in glory (2 Timothy 2:12).
1771 text
12. In a word. Let thy religion be the religion of the heart. Let it lie deep in thy inmost soul. Be thou little and base, and mean and vile, (beyond what words can express) in thy own eyes; amazed and humbled to the dust, by the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Be serious. Let the whole stream of thy thoughts, words and actions flow from the deepest conviction, that thou standest on the edge of the great gulph, thou and all the children of men, just ready to drop in, either into everlasting glory or everlasting burnings. Let thy soul be filled with mildness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering towards all men: at the same time that all which is in thee is athirst for God, the living God; longing to awake up after his likeness, and to be satisfied with it. Be thou a lover of God and of all mankind. In this Spirit do and suffer all things. Thus shew thy faith by thy works: thus do the will of thy Father which is in heaven. And as sure as thou now walkest with God on earth, thou shalt also reign with him in glory.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 33 in the 1771 Works. Matthew 7:21-27.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.