cure pardon, and merit the enjoyment of God; but to evidence his gratitude to that God who hath provided all thefe valuable bleffings freely to him. The end of this purity is not to fatisfy confcience, appease wrath, or the like; but to glorify a God in Chrift, and exprefs our thankfulness to him for Chrift, his unspeakable gift, and all fpiritual bleffings in and with him.

From these, and the like confiderations, it is evident, that this purity is for the credit of the gofpel. Let them, therefore, have their proper weight with you, to excite you to prefs after holiness, and to be actual students of gospel purity.

[4] In order to excite to the ftudy of holiness and purity, let it be confidered, that it greatly tends both to our own good, and that of others.

1. Confider how much this purity and holiness tends to your own good and advantage, in order to influence. you to be ftudents of it. A variety of particulars might here be taken notice of; but we fhall ftudy brevity.-. Confider, that the more of this evangelical purity you have, the more will God give to you; for, the Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will be withhold from them that walk uprightly, Pfal. lxxxiv. 11.-The more of this purity, the more joy and comfort will you have. It will make you walk to heaven comfortably. In the path of holiness you will still see more and more of the love of God; which will make your fouls to rejoice, and you to walk in the ways of the Lord with chearfulness: For, they that walk in the fear of the Lord, walk in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, Acts ix. 31. The more gofpel purity, the more intimate acquaintance with God's fecrets; for, the fecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will fhew them his covenant, Pfal. xxv. 14.— The more evangelical purity, the more pleasure and de-. light will you take in the duties of religion, and the more acceptable will your fervices be to God: He will purify the fons of Levi; then shall the offering of Judah and Jerufalem be pleasant to the Lord, Mal. iii. 3, 4. — The more of purity, the more boldness and courage will have in the work and caufe of God; for, the righteous is bold as a lion. It will inflame your zeal against fin, and

you

for

for God. It will make you trample on temptations to fin; faying, with Jofeph, How shall I do this great wickedness, and fin against God? It will contemn and defpife all dangers, rather than stain your purity by finful compliances; as Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, the three children, and many others did. In a word, the more of this gofpel purity you have, the more fellowship with God here, and the meeter for the enjoyment of him hereafter; for, blessed are the pure in heart, and life; for they fhall fee God, Mat. v. 8.Let these particulars have their proper influence upon you, to prefs you on to further and higher degrees of this evangelical purity

and holiness.

2. In order to excite you to the study of purity, confider likewise the tendency it hath to the good and advantage of others.-Why, the more gofpel purity, the greater ftock you have; and the richer of this grace you are, the more will it tend to the benefit of your friends and acquaintances, and to your neighbours around you; as your holy work may induce them to the practice of it. The more holy you are, and the richer of gospel purity, the greater influence will your holinefs have in making the wicked stand in awe to fin, and keeping them back from difhonouring God; nay, exciting them to a profeffion of religion, and fomething of the practice of duty. You fee what influence this way the fanctity of holiness of godly Jofhua, and his co-temporary elders, had upon the children of Ifrael, Judges ii. 7. And what influence Jehoiadah's fanctity had upon Joafh, king of Judah, 2 Chron. xxiv. 2.- Nay, further, confider that eminency of purity is fometimes a bleffed mean to recommend the ways of God and religion to fuch as are ftrangers thereto; For, what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt fave thy husband? Or, how knowest thou, O' man, whether thou shalt fave thy wife? 1 Cor. vii. 16. See 1 Pet. iii. 1, 2.-- Befides, eminency in gofpel purity tends to ward off judgments, or protract them from falling on perfons and places where the godly live: accordingly the Lord declares to Abraham, that if there was found in Sodom but ten righteous perfons, he would not destroy it for their fake, Gen. xxxviii. 32. Nay, the amaz

I

ing conflagration was not kindled upon Sodom fo long as righteous Lot lingered in it: Hafte thee, faith the angel to Lot; hafte thee thither, [namely, to Zoar ;] for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither, Gen. xix. 22. And prefently, upon Lot's departure out of it, the flames of hell from heaven began to burn upon the cities of the plain; as you fee in the following verfes.-Sometimes this gofpel purity tends to draw down bleffings on perfons and places where the godly live: accordingly we find, that the Lord bleffed the Egyptian's houfe, [viz. Potipher,] and all that he had, both in the house and in the field, for Jofeph's fake, Gen. xxxix. 5. Ñay, Pharaoh's family, court, and all the land of Egypt, were bleffed for Jofeph's fake: for, while wafting famine spread devastation among the furrounding nations, there was plenty in the land of Egypt. Were not temporal ftrokes averted, and bleffings, for a time, beftowed on Babylon, while the captives of Zion were in it? And therefore the prophet exhorts them, To feek the peace of the city, and to pray to the Lord for it, Jer. xxix. 7. A candle, you know, enlightens a room; but the fun enlightens a world: fo, the more eminent you are in purity and holiness, the brighter doth your lamp burn, and the more extensive do the light therefore fhine. John the Baptist was eminent in holinefs; and hence we have that teftimony of our Lord concerning him, namely, that he was a burning and fhining light, John v. 35. And that concerning the difciples, Te are the lights of the world, Mat. v. 14. That is, would our Lord fay, not only by your doctrine, as ministers; but by your purity and holiness, as Chriftians and faints. Nor is it to difciples only, but to all, that cur divine Teacher, come from God, and addresses himself in that interefting admonition, ver. 16. Let your light fo fhine before men, that they may fee your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Nay, what if I fhould fay, that by your purity and holiness you may increase the joy of men and angels in heaven; and if fo, the greater degree of this purity you attain, the greater tendency it will have this way. Why, the holinefs and purity tends to, and, thro' the bleffing of God, is a mean of the converfion of fin

nors

ners from the error and evil of their way, James v. 19, 20. And the converfion, or repentance, of one finner, or one loft sheep, affords joy in heaven to the inhabitants of the celeftial manfions, Luke xv. 7, 10.

From all which it is evident, what tendency this evangelical purity hath to the good of others; and that the higher meafures thereof you have, the greater tendency it will have this way. Let this motive, therefore, ferve to excite you to prefs after further and higher de-, grees thereof.

2dly, We proposed to conclude this ufe of exhortation by giving fome directions. We might here, 1. Offer you fome general directions how to attain this gofpel purity. 2. Some more particular directions how to main

tain it.

[1] The general directions we offer for attaining this gofpel purity, are these follow.

1. If you would attain this gospel purity, O labour to be fenfible of your abfolute impotency, weakness, and inability for the duties of religion: be convinced of your natural impotency, and moral impotency; be perfuaded that you are all together without ftrength; and that if God would give you a heaven, a paradife, a Christ for one thought, you could not command it; no: Of ourfelves, as ourselves, faith the apostle, even though converted, we cannot think any thing, 2 Cor. iii. 5. I warrant you, Paul was a better philofopher than many nowa-days, pretending to great things: no doubt he knew that the foul was ever thinking; and yet, faith he, one thought I cannot command; I cannot bring it forth, till the almighty grace of God do it. Let people talk of man's power as they will; and lay afide the Bible, which is full of argument to the contrary; I am fure, if they have any experience under heaven, they will find they want power to perform many thoufand duties which God hath called them to practife. The Arminians are fo far convinced of this, that they are driven to several shifts; and talk of a remote power, and not an immediate power to fome things. It is plain, that man, by nature, is without ftrength; and it is exprefs fcripture, Without me ye can do nothing, John xv. 5. It is faid to the difciVOL. I.

Iii

ples,

ples, already in a state of grace, that without him ye can do nothing; much more may it be faid of all the unconverted. Be fenfible of this then, that you cannot believe, you cannot repent, you cannot pray, you cannot mortify fin of yourselves. And this impotency is not only a mere want of power, but a want of will: it is a cursed moral impotency, a wilful impotency.

2. Seek regeneration. If you be not good trees you cannot bring forth good fruit: if you be not converted, if you be not united to Chrift, if you be not born again, if you have not the habit of grace, you cannot bring forth good fruit: you must be united to the Son of God, and derive strength from him. The foundation of gofpel purity must be laid in union to Christ, and a new nature; for, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. It is true, that one that knows himself to be in a state of nature, is not to neglect duty and means; fuch as, reading, praying, hearing the word preached, and the like, which God calls all unto: but let none content themselves with thefe performances, without a new nanature; for, as fure as God lives, this way of doing will never bring you to heaven: Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, John iii. 3. Therefore cry, Lord, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right fpirit within me, Pfalm li. 10.

3. Make and keep friendship with the Holy Ghost, if you would attain this gofpel purity: he is not only called holy, because of his effential holiness; for thus the Father is the holy Spirit, and the Son is the holy Spirit: but he is called holy alfo for his office; because it is his fpecial work to make people holy. Be at friendship with the Holy Ghost: do not quench him; do not grieve him; do not refit him; do not rebel against him; do not withstand him in his motions, &c. Beware, left by thefe, or any fuch means, the Holy Ghoft and you be fet at odds. O Sirs, should you not live near him who can make you holy?

[2.] The particular directions I would offer, efpecially with refpect to the maintaining of this gospel purity, I fhall fum up in these two generals, 1. Rightly to use the

rule