loath yourfelf and your fin, as much as ever

it.

you loved

5. See what need we have to stand at a distance from fin. Sin has brought the greateft defolation upon nations and kingdoms; ruined the most famous and flourishe ing churches; brought deftruction upon the greateft and moft opulent cities; vanquifhed and overcome the greatest men; and turned the most fertile land into barrennefs. Therefore, we have much need to ftand at a distance from it, feeing it has brought fuch devastation on the earth.

6. Hence fee the righteoufnefs of God in punifhing fin. How juft and righteous is he in punifhing it, whether here or through eternity? Damnation itfelf is a moft holy, pure, and righteous action. The punishment is not above the fault. Thou that by fin doft trample upon God, how juft is it that he fhould trample upon thee? Sin is an infinite evil, objectively confidered; and therefore an infinite evil muft follow. How unreasonable then are mens complaints of the punishment of their fins in time? Complain not against the Lord, for any thing that can come upon you it is the punifhment of your fin; accept of it: "Why fhould a living man complain?" So long as it is below damnation, it is far below your de fert: He hath punified us less than our iniquities deserve.'

7. Hence fee the excellency of holinefs: If fin be most vile, holiness is moft lovely. Sin is our deformity, holinefs is our beauty: fin is a flame, holiness is a glory.

8. See the impoffibility of fatisfying God by ourselves; and the neceflity of flying to the blood of Chrift. How impoffible is it for you to fatisfy God by your own duties, reformation, and righteoufnefs? Can this repair the wrongs done to God, while we have caft the dung of fin upon all the perfections of God? We have, as it were, trampled God under our feet, and trodden under foot the Son of God, Heb. x. 29. This is worse t than that all the world fhould burn in hell. Can we then make reparation or fatisfaction by our duties? or be juftified by our works, while our works themselves are full of fin, and fo full of pollution? No, no. See then the abfolute neceffity of flying to the blood of Chrift:

This is the only fanctuary and city of refuge for guilty finners; the only purgatory and laver for filthy finners to be cleanfed in: "The blood of Chrift [and that only] cleanseth from all fin."

The next Ufe that we make of the doctrine, is of Examination. From this we may try, if ever we got a right fight, a faving fight of fin, fo as to fee it in its polluting and defiling nature. There is a law-fight of fin that ushers in a gospel faving fight. Law-work is neceffary; I do not fpeak of the degrees: but the bankrupt will not run to the furety, till he fee himself a dyvour, quite infolvent. The polluted foul will not fly to the fountain till he fee himself polluted and defiled.

But poffibly it may be afked, How fhall a perfon know, if, after fome law-work of this fort, he hath got a gospel faving fight of the pollution of fin?

We fhall anfwer to this only in thefe two particulars following.

1. If fo, then you have feen it in the gofpel-glass, and that is a crucified Chrift: "They fhall look upon him whom they have pierced, and fhall mourn:" that is, on a crucified Chrift. Chrift on the crofs, is a glafs wherein we fee the finfulness of fin more than any-where elfe. Here God's hatred againft fin appears moft clearly; and at the fame time his love to the finner, in giving his Son to the death for his fin: and this love melts the heart, and breaks and diffolves it more than all the terrors of the law or flames of hell could do.

2. If so, then the fight hath wrought a gospel-effect, fuch as that upon Job, chap. xlii. 5, 6. "Now mine eye feeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in duft and afhes." This fight hath made you look upon yourself with abhorrence; and made you difpleafed with your felf, and even to loath yourself before God; and loath your fin, and fee yourself more filthy than the most loathfome creature on earth; yea, than the blackeft devil in hell: And you will alfo find fome difpofition, under a fense of daily defilement, to make a daily improvement of the fountain of the blood of Chrift, for cleanf ing. When any pollution is contracted, you will anew

find yourself uneafy, till you get a new dip in the fountain. If it be thus with you, I think the Lord hath begun to cleanse you from your pollution. But, alas! the most part who hear me, ly ftink ng in the filthy mire of the pollution of fin.

Therefore, in the next place, permit me to apply the doctrine in an ufe of Exhortation. Let me exhort you,

1. To fee and be convinced of your fad, finful, and polluted flate and condition. Alas! what is your natural ftate, man, woman? You that are unregenerate, you are lying in the mire, and loving to wallow like fwine in it. A fheep may run into the mire, but cannot rest there till it get out: but the fwine love to ly in it, to wallow in it, and feek no better place to stay in." The whole world lieth in wickednefs," 1 John v. 19. They ly in it like a veffel in the dub, that muft needs be full. They are full of fin; never emptying, but always filling: yea, when the man thinketh he is emptying of fin, when he thinketh he is repenting and reforming, then he is filling with it, and carrying a fulnefs of it about with him, in fo much that he is dropping off that fulness of fin wherever he goes. You will fay, that beggar is fo full of vermin, that he is dropping his vermin wherever he goes: So, many people difcover their fulness of finful pollutions, by dropping this vermin wherever they go. If they come into good company, they are dropping their vermin there: if they come into bad company, they are diffufing their pernicious pollutions there. Why, they are fo full of pollution, fo full of fin, that fometimes it drops out of their eyes in proud looks, or wanton glances; fometimes it drops out of their lips, in vain discourse, or profane language, fuch as, fwearing, lying, flandering and idle words; and drops out of their whole behaviour and deportment. Alas! what a miserable cafe and condition are they in? Their heart is the fource of all corruption; a neft of vermin that was never herried, a fly that was never cleanfed; and out of that receptacle creeps a multitude of noxious vermin every day, and every hour of the day; for, out of the heart proceedeth all the wickednefs of the heart and life: "Out of

the

the heart proceedeth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, falfe witneffes, blafphemies; these are the things that defile a man," Mat. xv. 19, 20. Oh! fee and lament your fad ftate; and know, if ever you dwell with a holy God, you must be washed, Plal. xxvi. 3, 4. If your filthine's remain, the filthy devil and you must lodge together in hell for ever. Therefore,

2. O feek to be washed: "Wafh ye, make ye clean," Ifa. i. 16. This was an exhortation to the church of the Jews, when very corrupt and degenerate. In which exhortation, there is fomething fuppofed, namely, that the church was greatly defiled. Indeed, the church of God is fometimes black like a Pagan nation; yea, blacker by reafon of fin againft clearer light, greater love, stronger vows, and contempt of an offered Chrift. Again, in this exhortation there is fomething expreffed, even their incumbent duty; "Wafh ye, make ye clean." It is a NewTeftament duty under an Old. Teftament phrafe. But who can cleanse his heart? Indeed, when God commands us to make a clean heart, the defign is, that we may turn the precept into a prayer, and fay, "Lord, create in me a clean heart; wafh me, and I fhall be clean." This feems to be the native view, and plain import of the text. "Wash your hands, ye finners; purify your hearts, ye double-minded," faith the Lord, by the apoftle James. O what filthy hands are there amongst us? and much more filthy hearts! Heart-unbelief, heart-hardness, heartenmity, heart-ftupidity, heart-hypocrify, heart atheism, heart-deadness and indifpofition, heart-wandering and wickedness, and innumerable fuch plagues, difcover the "pollution of the heart. Do you not need washing?

There is a fourfold water that God makes ufe of for this end; and you fhould improve thefe waters.

(1.) The water of affliction: "By this fhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged. It was good for me that I was afflicted." This water, indeed, wafhes not of itself, but only as a mean in God's hand, when he bleffes it; this water, wafhes fubferviently, as the faw hath a fubferviency to cut the timber, when in the workman's hand. Therefore, improve difpenfations of providence; and cry, "Lord, let not this affliction pafs without VOL. I.

Y

fome

"fome efficacy upon my foul, to wash and cleanse me "from my fin."

(2.) The water of the word, the waters of the fanctuary; thefe are healing, medicinal, and cleanfing waters: "Now are ye clean, thro' the word that I have fpoken unto you.. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth." This water wafhes inftrumentally; not by an intrinfic virtue of its own, but by the power of God accompanying it. Therefore, when you hear the word, cry for power to attend it for wafhing you. The word difcovers the fpot of fin, James i. 23, 24. The word propofes the rule of holine's, and the molt noble pattern of purity; "Wherewith fhall a young man cleanfe his way? By taking heed thereto, according to thy word," Pal. cxix. 9. The word hid in the heart, is like a firê, to burn and confume the drofs of fin. The word holds forth the grace of God, and the love of Chrift, which contrains to purity; "Having thefe promifes, dearly beloved, let us cleanfe curfelves from all filthinefs."

(3.) The water of the Spirit's faving influences; this water walhes efficiently. It is only through the Spirit, that we mortify the deeds of the body. O Sirs, employ the Holy Ghot to wash, to cleanfe, to purify, regenerate, and fanctify you: we are faid to be washed, justified and fanctified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. It is the work of the Spirit to cleanfe and purify; it is his function, it is his office, and he loves to be employed.

(4.) There is the crimson water of the Redeemer's blood; and this water wafhes meritorioufly this is the fountain opened to the houfe of David, and inhabitants of Jerufalem, for fin and for uncleanness, Zech. xiii. I. The blood of the Lamb is a fountain; it is not a rivulet, but a fountain, gufhing out with freedom; it is not a fountain fealed, but a fountain open; every man, every woman is welcome to wash and purify themfelves at it; welcome to bathe in it, till they be whiter than the fnow: It is open, not only to the houfe of David, the royal family; but to the inhabitants of Jerufalem; to the pooreft and meaneft of the vifible church. This is the river that makes glad, because it

makes