makes clean, the city of God. O Sirs, run to this blood of the Lamb; wath there every day. There is an original wafhing in the day of converfion; this is the initial washing that many hearing me ftand in need of: O but you ftand in need to be plunged well then, in a day of power, that the filthy nature may be washed and changed. There is alfo a progreffive daily-wafhing, from the daily-pollutions that are contracted; and this washing the godly themselves daily need though they need not to be regenerated again, or a new regeneration of their nature; yet they need always a new converfion and wafhing of their heart and way: hence Chrift faith to Peter, John xiii. 10. "He that is wafhed, needeth not fave to wash his feet." Sins contracted, by daily-unwatchfulness, put the people of God under a neceffity of daily-wafhing, though not a washing of the whole perfon; for that is done in regeneration, wherein the state is changed: "He that is washed, needeth not fave to wash his feet;" the feet of his affections, the feet of his converfation, the fteps of his daily walk. But there are multitudes that were never washed at all; they must wafh head, and heart, and all; their nature and ftate need washing, as well as their heart and life.. In a word, employ the Lord Jefus to do all the work, who faid in that context," If I wash thee not, thou haft no part in me." Know you cannot wash yourselves by any of these means, unless he put to his hand, and do the whole work: put your polluted fouls into his hand, faying, "Lord, wash me; apply thy cleanfing blood by "the power of the eternal Spirit." SERMON IX. PRO V. XXX. 12. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. IT [The Second Sermon on this Text.] T contributes much to fet forth the excellency of the fcripture, as being indeed the word of the infinitely wife God, that it points out the lively picture of people, in all times, and ages, and generations; infomuch that the fcriptural account of people are never out of date. It were well if the world were mended, fince the Spirit of God dictated this fentence, fo many thoufand years ago: nay, but I think it is as applicable to the prefent generation, as if it had never concerned any other. Try it when you will, Sirs, either with refpect to yourfelves or the generality of people round about you, and you will find it to be the very image and picture of the day. As face anfwering face in a glafs; fo, in the looking glafs of this text, you may fee your own face, man, woman; and the face of a multitude in our day. Was there ever more filthinefs and impurity of thought, word, and action; of heart, fpeech, and behaviour; and yet in what a proud, felf-conceited, felf-juflifying delufion and dream are many into; as if they were pure, good, civil, fober, honeft, and righteous enough. Well may it be faid, "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes; and yet is not wafhed from their filthinefs." Having, in the preceding difcourfe, opened up and applied the first doctrinal obfervation we laid down from the words, we fhall now proceed to the second doctrine. OBSER. OBSER. II. That purity is an excellent thing, and of abfolute neceflity to denominate a true faint, a true Chriftian. In the handling of this propofition, we propofe, thro’ divine aid, to obferve the following method and order, I. Touch a little at the nature of this purity. II. Mention fome of the qualities of it. I. We fhall return to the firft of thefe, viz. To touch a little at the nature of this purity. And what we intend to offer upon this head, may be comprifed in thefe two things. 1. The removal of the filthinefs. conferring of cleannefs. 2. The 1ft, This purity lies in the removal of the filthiness that the text fpeaks of. The man that is pure is washed from his filthinefs in the blood of Chrift. And there is a threefold filthinefs that is washed away. 1. The filthinefs of our nature. We are naturally unclean and defiled; for, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, John iii. 6. And, who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Now it is the purifying grace of God in Chrift, that only can remove this defilement of our nature; "Such were fome of you; but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are juftified, in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God," 1 Cor. vi. 11. He faveth by the wafhing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft, Tit. iii. 3, 4, 5. Now, how far original pollution is removed, in thofe whom the Lord purifies, we need not difpute: it is certain, the foul is made fair and beautiful in the fight of God; though the fin that doth defile, remains, yet its habitual defilement is taken away, when the perfon is purified. 2. The filthinefs of our perfon, in actual tranfgreffion, is taken away in this work of fanctification and purification. There is a defilement attending every actual fin: Now, it is the blood of Chrift that cleanseth from all fin, Befides the defilement of the nature, which he purges, Tit. i. 15. he takes away the defilement of our perfons, by actual follies; for, “ By one offering he perfected for ever them that are fanctified," Heb. x. 14. 3. The filthinefs and defilement of our duties is alfo taken away, in this work of purification. There is a defilement arifes from our duties; unbelief and formality drop in into our beft duties; we may be afhamed of our choiceft performances. God hath promised, concerning the good works of the faints, that their works hall follow them, Rev. xiv. 13. Truly, if they were to be meafured by the rule, as they come from us, it might be well for the faints, that they might be buried for ever but the Lord Jefus Chrift, as their Highprieft, bears the iniquities, the guilt, and provocation which, in ftri&t and fevere juftice, doth attend them, Exod. xxviii. 38. He bears the iniquities of our holy things; and not only fo, but washes away all filth and defilement; and adds fweet incenfe, that they may be accepted. Whatever is of the Spirit, of himself, of grace, that remains: but whatever is of flefh, felf, and unbelief, that is hay and ftubble, and that he confumes and takes away infomuch, that the good works of the believer fhall meet him one day with fuch changed countenance, that he fhall not know them; that which feemed black, deformed, and defiled, fhall appear beautiful and glorious; they fhall not be afraid of them, but rejoice to fee them follow them. This cleanfing of the man's nature, perfan, and duties, from all defilement, is owing to the death of Christ meritoriously, to the power of the Holy Ghoft efficiently he is that pure water wherewith we are sprinkled from all our fins; that Spirit of judgment and burning, that takes away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purges the blood of Jerufalem from the midst of her, Ifa. vi. 4. But then, 2dly, This purity lies not only in the removal of this filthinefs and defilement; but in the conferring of cleannefs. And this is alfo in a threefold gradation. 1. When God purifies a perfon, he gives the Spirit of purity and holinefs to dwell in the man; our renewing is of the Holy Ghoft, who is fhed on us abundantly through through Chrift, Tit. iii. 6. The principal thing in fanc tification and purification," is the indwelling of the purifying Spirit; and our following after the guidance thereof. The Spirit is the well within, the fountain of purity: "I will put my Spirit within you; and caufe you to walk in my ftatutes," Ezek. xxxvi. 26. No pure and holy ftep, till once this pure and holy Spirit be put within men. 2. He gives habitual grace; the principle of grace oppofite to the principle of fin that is in our nature; this is that incorruptible feed that dwells in the man whom the Lord purifies. This grace, according to the diftin& faculties of the foul where it is, or the diftinct objec about which it is exercifed, receives various names and appellations, though all be but one new principle of life: in the understanding it is light; in the will, it is obedience; in the affections, it is love; and in all, it is faith but ftill one and the fame habit of grace. 3. He gives actual influences, for the performance of every fpiritual duty; for, though a man be purified in both the former refpects, by having the Spirit dwelling in him, and a principle and habit of grace infused; yet, even to fuch as have both thefe, Chrift faith, that without him they can do nothing; that is, without new influences of grace, new fupplies, and motions, and operations of the Spirit. They cannot live and spendupon the old ftock; for every new act they must have a new influence; and the Spirit that dwells in the man, muft work in him. And as he hath implanted grace, fo he muft draw forth grace into exercife; and work in us both to will and to do, Phil. ii. 13. Thus you have fomewhat of the nature of this purity; it confiils in the removal of filthinefs, and conferring of clean nefs. II. As to the qualities of this purity, I fhall exprefs, them both negatively and pofitively at once. And, . ... 1. It is not a natural, but a fupernatural and fpiritual purity. The power of natural.confcience, may engage a man to do many things, as Herod, while yet he is a franger to gofpel-purity, which is fupernatural; for it : |