INFERENCES.

1. Those who are deftitute of this grace, whatever profeffion they have made of chriftianity, have in truth the rudiments of it yet to learn. If they have been foaring upward to heaven itself in the fublimeft fpeculations; if they have built up their hopes to the greateft height upon other grounds, without laying this at the foundation; they must be content to come down again to learn this leffon, which enters into the elements of Christ's religion. A proud Christian is a contradictory character; as much as it would be to fay, a wicked faint. The whole Gofpel, in its precepts, its great example, its glorious profpects, tends to humble the pride of man: And therefore, whoever will come after Chrift, muft in this respect deny himself.

2. We fhould look principally to the temper of our fpirits, to judge of our humility. We may have the character of humble people with men from a modeft outfide, and negligence of garb, a condefcending carriage, lowly fpeeches; while the God that fearches the heart, may fee pride reigning there under thefe fair difguifes, and that all fuch plaufible appearances are only intended to gratify and Tupport a haughty and over-bearing difpofition. "Humblenefs of mind" makes the christian temper; and the "poor in fpirit" are the heirs of the promise.

3. No fingle branch of goodness deferves more of our attention, in order to judge of the improving or declining ftate of our fouls,

than

than this of humility. If we grow in knowledge, and are puffed up along with it, we lofe more in goodnefs, than we gain in profitable furniture. If we improve in other excellencies, but outftrip that improvement in the conceit we have of ourfelves; we only make thofe nothing in the fight of God, which would otherwise be valuable. This is a dead fly, that will spoil the whole box of ointment. Whether we advance in right knowledge of God ourselves, it cannot fail to make us fenfible of our defects, and humble in the fenfe of them. A man that improves in learning, fees more defects in his attainments, when he hath made a good progrefs, than he did at fetting out: He difcerns a larger field of knowledge before him, after all his advances, than he had any notion of, when he first turned his thoughts that way. So it is with a lively Chriftian; he fees fo much before him, that he "forgets the things that are behind, and reaches forth unto thofe that are before," ftill "preffing toward the mark;" Phil. iii. 13, 14. This was Paul's character, when he was molt fixedly fet in heaven's way; and it will be the character of any Chriftian, when he is ripening fafteft for the heavenly harveft.

SER

SERMON

PURITY.

IV.

PSAL. li. 10. the former part.

Create in me a clean Heart, O God..

ON

NE principal concern we have about: ourfelves, after the determination of the preference due to our fouls above our bodies, is to regulate the appetites and paffions we have by occafion of the body, conformableto the interests of the foul, and the precepts. of God concerning them. A clean heart," which is here prayed for, is one of the first things of that kind,, which fhould come into our confideration.

This is fometimes taken in fo extenfive a fenfe as to fignify holinefs in general,. in oppofition to all fin, which is often in the Scripture ftyle reprefented as the defilement of the: foul. In other places it is to be understood in a more confined fenfe, for the temper directly opposed to.criminal fenfualities, or the afcendant of irregular appetites; to that which eminently bears the name of "filthiness of the flesh," 2 Cor. vii. 1. and especially to the violations of the feventh commandment. Thus we are to understand the "clean heart" in the text,

The

The Pfalmift had fallen into the horrible fin of adultery; and being awakened to repentance upon the meffage brought him by Nathan the prophet, he compofed this Pfalm: wherein, belides very suitable abafing confesfions of his fin, he earneftly folicits for pardoning mercy, to remove his guilt; for fanctifying grace, to take away the ftain itself, with which fuch henious offences had pollut ed his foul; and for a recovery of the com fortable fenfe of both in his own confcience. The paffage now propofed to confideration, is among the expreffions wherein he prays for fanctification. He had not been an utter ftranger to this bleffing till now; but eminent falls introduce fuch a general and furprising diforder into the foul, that a man has in a fort his work in religion to begin anew. Therefore Peter's recovery after his fcandalous denial of his mafter is fpoken of, as if it was a fecond converfion. When thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren," Luke xxii. 32. So the henious fin of David had poisoned his foul afresh with impure thoughts and irregular inclinations, in such a manner, that he faw occafion to apply again for God's creating power, to recover him to a clean heart,, as if he had never had one..

In confidering this part of a good spirit, I would, I. Shew what is included in purity or cleannefs of heart, as it ftands oppofed to flefh-ly lufts and fenfual practices. II. Point at fome of the obligations we are under, to feek after and cultivate fuch a temper of foul. LI would enquire into the meaning of "a F 2

clean.

clean heart," or the proper ingredients and expreffions of fuch a temper of soul.

And you cannot but. difcern, that fome-. thing more is intended by it than a bare abftinence from the outward and grofs acts of criminal fenfuality, Would to God, that. none of these fhewed their face in a chriftian land; that there was no reason to lament many open instances of impurity and lewdness, which hardly fhun the light. If the visiblereformation of manners was advanced, much difhonour and provocation to the bleffed God, and grief to the hearts of good men,, would be prevented, and the contagion of vice. would not spread as it does. But though the works of the flesh are undeniable evidences of an impure heart; yet other restraints may, prevent outward enormities, where the heart is not truly purified. Men may be "like. whited fepulchres, which appear beautiful outward, but within are full of dead mens bones, and of all uncleannefs;" Mat. xxiii. 27.

That which the Pfalmift had in his defire, and which every. Christian should have in his, is, that the matter may be carried much farther, into the temper of the foul; that there may be not only clean hands but a pure heart alfo, which are both united in the character of a citizen of Zion, Pfal. xxiv. 4. And fuch a pu-rified heart will import fuch things as thefe:

1. A fixed habitual abhorrence of all forbidden indulgencies of the flesh. Since human nature is corrupted, and bodily appetite. has loft the bridle of reafon and religion; the affections are become impetuous toward fen

fual