confcience commands one thing, and the world another, so that now the world and religion go not hand in hand, here is the trial of a pure heart. As a dog follows two men fo long as they go together, and you know not who is the dog's mafter, of them two: but let them come to a parting road, and one go one way, and another go another way, then fhall we know which of them owes the dog. Why, Sirs, fometimes religion and the world go hand in hand while a man may have the world, and a religious profeffion too; while it is fo we cannot know who is the man's mafter, whether God or the world: but flay till the man come to a parting road; God calls him this way, and the world calls him that way: why, if God be his mafter, he follows religion, and lets the world go; if the world be his mafter, then he follows the world, and the lufts thereof, and lets God, and confcience, and religion go.

Oh! Is it not very lamentable that there are so many evidences of want of purity, that neceffary excellent thing! And even among the children of God, O how little purity! Are they not fallen from their first love? Fallen from the heaven that fometimes they have been in, to the very centre of the earth? How far art thou grown earthly minded? How doth this declining come upon you by degrees, or ever you are aware? Like Nebuchadnezzar's image, whofe head was of gold, the arms and breaft of filver, the thighs of brafs, the legs of iron, and the feet of clay; fo it is with many declining Chriftians in our day; they have had a golden head, and begun with a golden age, but now they are come down to the clay-feet. How heavenly-minded have you once been? but now, how earthly-minded art thou? How pleafant were duties and ordinances for merly, perhaps? But now, how tedious, wearifome, and irksome? How zealous have you been for God's glory, and against all fin? But now, how cold and lukewarm?-O finner, fee the neceffity of more purification, and deliverance from that confumption of grace, and decay of purity, that is taking place in you and cry to God to fend the Holy Ghoft, whofe office and function

function it is to fanctify, wash, and cleanfe you.-Lament the impurity of the day, and your own impurity; and lay your foul at the fide of the purifying fountain, and in the way of purifying means, looking to the Lord to blefs the means to you.

There are two things relating to this subject, that the generality of people are very great flrangers to. The one is the fin of their nature; and the other is, the nature of their fin; and yet these two things fhould be much laid to heart by us all; namely, the fin of our nature, that we carry a dead corpfe, and a body of fin and death about with us; and the nature of our fin ; that it is a tranfgreffion of, and difconformity to the law of God. Though it be a mifery to have a finful heart, yet it is a mercy to fee it to be fo; For, conviction is the first step to converfion. And though there be many, as to their state, vile and filthy enough to be damned; yet there are few, as to their fenfe and conviction, vile and filthy enough to be faved: nay, they are vile in God's eye; and yet pure in their own. "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes; and yet are not washed from their filthinefs."

3dly, The next ufe we fhall make of the doctrine, fhall be for reproof and conviction. This doctrine reproves all manner of impurity, impiety, and unholinefs, that ftands oppofite to this purity and holinefs, whereof I have fhewed the neceffity and excellency. It reproves all that filthinefs that is oppofed to this cleaunefs. And here is a large field, a vaft theme: we know not well where to begin, or where to end; there are so many pollutions, and fo much filthinefs of flesh and fpirit to be reproved. We might here go through all the ten commands, and fhew how manifold fins and impurities are reproveable, in oppofition to every one of them. Oh! that God himself would faften a reproof and conviction of fin upon our hearts and confciences, for carrying home this ufe the more clofely, both upon the wicked, that are under the power, and upon the godly, that may be under the prevalency of fin and impurity: I fhall, on this topic, 1. Produce fome kinds of impu

rity and filthinefs, that we fhould all take with, and be convinced of. 2. Produce fome witneffes for proving either the total or partial want of purity and holiness; that the crime being proven, we may take with it, and

condemn ourselves.

[1] I would tell you fome forts and kinds of impurity and filthinefs, that we fhould all take with, and be convinced of. There are efpecially thefe three forts. 1. The impurity and fin of our nature. 2. The impu rity and filthiness of our hearts and thoughts. 3. The impurity and filthinefs of our life and practice, especially living under the gospel.

(1.) As for the pollution of our nature. This, it is evident, many never thought of, never were convinced of, never challenged themfelves for; and yet it is a great predominate root-fin; and if it be not removed we are filthy ftill. Now, in order to faften a conviction of the greatness of this pollution of our nature, confider the greatness of it in thefe particulars.

1. That when the leprofy and contagion is univerfal and over-spreading, then it muft be great but so it is here; the pollution, and defilement, and fin of our na ture, is an univerfal leprofy, it over-spreads all our faculties; our understanding, will, affections, reason, confcience, memory, and all are defiled; become altogether filthy we, being conceived in fin, and brought forth in iniquity, are nothing by nature, but a body of fin and death.

2. When the leprofy and contagion is fo great, in an houfe, that nothing will help against it, but the pulling down of the houfe; then the leprofy must be very great: but so it is here, the fin of our nature is fuch, that nothing will cure it, but the pulling down of the house. Some think to mend the house by education: but all the lime and morter of acquired parts and accomplishments will not do, unlefs the nature be renewed by regeneration and even after regenerated, this leprofy breaking out, nothing will wholly remove it, but death's pulling down the houfe entirely.

3. Confider, that fin which is moft unwearied, and which a man is most unwearied in the pursuit of, that

muft

muft needs be very great but fuch is the fin of our nature, it is molt unwearied, as the fountain is unwea ried in fending up water. A man may be wearied in drawing up water out of the fountain; but the fountain is not wearied in bullering up water: fo, a man may be wearied in finful actions; but finful nature is never weary. A man may be wearied with looking to fome particular object; but his eye is never wearied readily with feeing and looking; becaufe it is natural for the eye to fee: fo, a man may be wearied with fome particular fin; but the natural man is never weary with fin ning, because, it is fo natural for him to fin.

4. Confiler, that this fin that is the ground of all our relapfes and returns to fin, muft needs be very great. Now, what is the ground of all our relapfes and returns to fin, after all our repentance and reformation? Even our nature, or the fin of our nature. Suppose water be heated and warmed, it cools again; heat it again, and it cools again; why? Because coldness is its nature and fo, why do men return again and again to fin, after all their repentance and reformation? why? It is their nature.

5. That fin that is leaft lamented, and whereby our other fins are moft excufed, muft be a great fin. Now, of all fins, the fin of our nature is leaft lamented; and thereby our other fins are moft excufed. Bear with me, for it is my nature; I am paffionate, but it is my nature; I am fo and fo difpofed, but it is my nature : men excufe themfelves by it; and hence it is not lamented, it is not mourned over.

6. That pollution that is moft predominant, muft be a great pollution; now, the fin of the nature is the pol lution that is most predominant. Many marks have been affigned of the predominant fin; and fome actual fin may reign above other fins. But the fin of the nature is the most predominant fin; it is the fin that reigns unto death, Rom. v. 2.1.-O then take home the conviction of this fin; and feek to have it broken in the power of it.

(2.) The impurity and pollution of our hearts and thoughts is what we are to take with, and be convinced

of.

of. Alas! how little is the impurity of the heart bewailed! Many think their thougnts are free: but before God they are not free; but bound to obedience to his law, who fearches the heart and tries the reins, to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings; and even according to the doing of his heart: for the thoughts are the deeds of the heart: and it is, indeed, deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked, Jer. xvii. 9, 10. Now, the fin and pollution of the heart is great, if you confider thefe following particulars.

1. The fin that is most incurable, is a great fin: but the fin of the heart is a moft incurable fin. As a fecret, hidden wound within the body, or a disease within the bowels, is the most incurable: And fuch are the fins of our thoughts, and the plagues of our hearts. We need, therefore, to know the plague of our hearts, and to be convinced of it.

2. The fin that is a parent to other fins, muft needs be very great: now, finful thoughts are the parents of finful actions, both in the godly and ungodly.-In the godly; as in the cafe of Abraham, Gen. xx. 11, 12. “I thought the fear of God was not in this place; and therefore I faid, She is my fifter." She was indeed his filter, and he lyed not in faying fo: but he diffembled, and hid the truth, ufing an unworthy fhift for his prefervation. And where began this evil, but in a finful thought? "I THOUGHT that the fear of God had not been in this place.”—In the ungodly, it is fo likewise, Pfal. 1. 21. "Thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch an one ́as thyfelf." The wicked fteal and lye, and drink drunk, and commit adultery, and deceive, and flander others. And how are they led into all this, but by thoughts? "Thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch an one as thyfelf."

3. By finful thoughts our formerly committed fins, that were dead, are revived again, and have a refur rection by our bofom ones; by our contemplating the fame with delight. As the witch at Endor called up Samuel that was dead; fo, a delightful thought calls up a finful action, that was dead before. Hereby our fins,

that