tification, I know I have fometime-a-day understood it to my bleffed experience, and therefore have good ground to expect, that I fhall know more of it, in the Lord's time and way; for, he that hath begun the good work, will perfect it; and therefore I will quietly wait his return.'

4thly, Let us not only thus try our purity by the parts, but also by the perfection of it. I do not mean a perfection of degrees, which will not take place, till the believer be in heaven; but the gospel-perfection, which even takes place on earth, and by which the believer, in fcripture-language, is fometimes faid to be a perfect and upright man. And this perfection of purity, I think, in general, lies in this, When a man is pure in God's fight. This feems to be efpecially pointed at in the text, as the reverse of that felf-conceited purity therein held forth: "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes; and yet is not wafhed from their filthinefs." They are pure in their own fight, but not pure in the fight of God intimating, that the golpel-perfection of purity, lies in a man's being pure in God's fight. Of this purity the apoftle fpeaks, Col. i. 22. where Chrift is faid to prefent his people holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable in his Father's fight.

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QUEST. What is it to be pure in God's fight, so as we may examine this purity by the golpel-perfection of it? ANSW. 1. This gofpel-perfection is that purity in God's fight, which implies internal heart-uprightness, evidencing itself in faith and love, which can act in the fight and prefence of God, as being the produ&t of his bleffed Spirit.

I call it a heart-uprightness, or heart-purity, because the man that is thus pure, is not only pure outwardly, in the fight of man; but pure in heart and fpirit, in the fight of God, who is a Spirit. Many pretend to holiness, but, like the Pharifees, they make clean only the out-fide of the plater: but the truly pious and holy foul is moft careful to have the heart right with God; and folicitous how to be cleansed from all filthiness of the fpirit, as well as the flefh. He indeed finds much heartimpurity; but the foul of him is grieved at it, and he

moft

moft ardently defires to be cleanfed; "Wafh me, and I fhall be clean. Create in me a clean heart." He is exercised about the heart, crying to Heaven for more and more purity, and daily flying to the fountain opened for fin and uncleannefs. They are much in fecret, crying for purity and even when they win not to a fecret chamber; yea, perhaps, when they are in the midit of company, they will, now and then, be darting up fome ftolen look to Heaven, and their hearts praying, "O for "holinefs! O for conformity to the Lord! Oto have heart"enemies destroyed, and ftrong corruptions broken!"

Again, I faid this purity in God's fight, evidenceth itfelf in faith; it acts in a way of believing, trufling to the faithfulness of God in the promife, and the power of God to accomplish the fame; looking for help no other way but in and through our Lord Jefus Chrift; receiving the word of faith, and putting to the feal that God is true; cafting the burden of the foul upon the Lord by faith alfo, the man believes as in the fight of God. It is not enough to be called and accounted a believer, and to reckon yourself fuch; but to be a believer in the fight of God, is the main bufinefs: when the perfon, thro' faith, fees an excellency in Chrift, fo as to count all things but lofs and dung for him: and when the poor foul can say, as in the fight of God, Lord, thou knoweft I have no other refuge to run to by thyfelf; and though thou fhouldeft kill me, yet "will I trust in thee, for all the good things in the "covenant, which is all my falvation, and all my defire: "here will I reft, and here will I ftay myself.”

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Again, This purity in the fight of God, evidenceth itfelf in love; and this is love in the fight of God, when a man can fay before God, The defire of my foul is to thy name, even to the name of Chrift. The man loves fo, as that the name of Chrift is to him as ointment poured forth he loves fo, as to long for more fellowThip with God in Chrift: he loyes fo, as wherever he sees the image of God, he loves it: they love his image that fhines in his precept, in his promife, in his people. They love the Lord, so as to hold him; and they do not let him go; and to fuch a degree, as to break

their heart, when he goes away, faying, Q! ten thoufand worlds cannot fill his room!-Many are the pretenfions of love: O! whom fhould we love, but fweet Chrift? will fome fay. But all is mere flattery; they care not whether he be abfent or prefent. They pretend love to him; but they take other things in his room. They will fay, " He hideth his face;" but withal they can fay alfo, with the whore in the Proverbs, "The hufband is away, come let us take our fill of loves." They can take pleafure in idols: they can take pleasure in other things, in the want of Chrift. They are not like the bleffed Pfalmift, who faid, “I remembered God, and was troubled; I refufed to be comforted." Nay, but true love, in the fight of God, will make a man take no comfort, or fatisfaction, in any thing, while the beloved is gone. And again, it makes a man haye common friends and foes with him; and it makes his caufe their caufe: yea, it makes them more troubled at any difhonour done to him, than any affront of fered to themfelves. If they fee Chrift honoured, their heart rejoices; and if otherwife, their hearts are fore afflicted.

Further, I faid on this head, that this purity acts in the fight and prefence of God: the man fets God before him, acknowledging him in all his ways; defiring to do nothing without his counfel, and to do every thing by the direction and conduct of his bleffed Spirit.

Finally, I affirmed, upon this head, that this purity acts in the fight and prefence of God, as being the product of his holy Spirit. This is true purity in God's fight, that is the production of his holy Spirit, in his gracious faving influences. Nothing paffes current in heaven, but what is coined there, and comes out of it. The thing that you do yourself, man, woman, it wants the king's ftamp upon it: Whofe fuperfcription hath it? It is but the product of your own heart. But that only which is the fruit of the Spirit of God, is good and pure in his fight. If you bring falfe coin to a king, that you have coined yourself, or if it be difcovered that you have done it, you put yourself in hazard of death thereby even fo, your duties, that have not the right ftamp, and wherein you have not been inVOL. I. fluenced

fluenced by the Spirit and grace of God, instead of saving you, they put you in hazard of death and damnation.

2. This purity in God's fight, which is its gofpelperfection, implies a man's having all the members of the new creature. The child new born, if it hath all its members, it is a perfect child, though it is far from being perfect in all refpects; it is far from having per fect wit, perfect ftrength, perfect knowledge, perfect prudence, &c. but it is perfect, in respect that it hath all the needful parts of the body. So this gofpel-perfection of purity, is, when a man hath all the habits of grace; and when faith, love, hope, humility, zeal, and all the fruits of the Spirit are planted in the foul: when all thefe members, which make up the new man, are perfect, then is a man pure in the fight of God. A man may have a great deal of fair outward fhew before the world, and yet have not one of thefe members of the new creature at all; not one fruit of the Spirit planted in the foul; not one habit of grace: he acts from a natural confcience, and from a common conviction of fin and duty; and though it be by common grace that he is enabled to do any thing, yet the strength of nature is ftill more than any ftrength of grace received, and fo it turns all to itfelf. As when you caft clean water into a puddle, it becomes all puddle: fo here, all is turned to felf; and the man acts from felf as his principle, and for felf as his end. The believer is perfect in this refpect, as to the perfection of parts, in oppofition to the unbeliever. And fome believers, in this refpect, are more perfect than others, even as to the perfection of parts: for, though all believers have the habit of all graces, yet it may be fuch, as they have not the exercife of fome graces; like children that are born with their hands and legs indeed, but they are lame from the womb, have not the exercife of them; and they continue fo fill. This imperfection even fome believers may labour under. Here is one that hath ftrong faith, lively hope, fervent zeal, and fome good works that difcovers it: but it may be they are defective in point of humility, meeknefs, fobriety, brotherly-kindre's, and the like. There is another, perhaps a gracious person, that hath

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much love, meeknefs, fweetnefs of temper, brotherlykindness; but extremely defective in zeal for the declarative glory of God, to as he doth not valiantly contend for the faith once delivered to the faints. But, when one hath all thefe habits, and, together with the habit, the exercife of them all, then that perfon may be faid to have an evangelical perfection, and to be pure in God's fight. Let this be another rule and help to try yourselves by.

3. This gofpel-perfection implies a perfon's having all the fpiritual fenfes of the new creature, and the lively exercife of them; "Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even thofe who, by reafon of ufe, have their fenfes exercised to difcern both good and evil," Heb. v. 14. You may go to fonie places, and you will fee very lively pictures, and as conely to behold as ever man or woman, with an excellent ruddinefs in their face: and, at a distance, you would think they have life: Well, but they have no fenfes; and far lefs have they any exercife of fenfes: " They have eyes, but fee not; ears, but hear not; nofes, but smell not:" they have no fenfe, no feeling. Here is a fad blemish and defect. Thus many idol Christians there are, that are merely painted images, and exactly drawn. Look to them, and compare them with fome real Chriftians, you would think them far fuperior to, and beyond them. O! there is no comparifon between that poor filly creature, and this man, who is fo much extolled for his wit, reading, gravity, fobriety, and the like. Yet the omnifcient eye of JEHOVAH nay fee his blemishes and defects, and want of fpiritual fenfes, which he only hath the appearance of before men; but the other hath in reality before God: yet this man, who is pure in the fight of God, may feem to be no thing in comparison of the other, that cafts fuch a dash, ' and cuts fuch a figure. If one who hath many blemishes and defects in his body, ftand befide a lively well done picture, what a bafe creature doth he appear befide that lively, well-proportioned image! yet notwithstanding he hath that perfection of life and fenfe, which the image wants: fo, here is one that you would think he hath faith, love, knowledge, and all the members

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