rule of gospel purity. 2. Diligently to ply the means

thereof.

Direc. 1. In order to the maintaining of gospel purity, rightly use the rule of it. The rule of it is the Law. If it is afked, How are we to ufe this rule? We might reply, You are to ufe it fairly and evangelically.

(1.) You are to ufe this rule fairly. If the law do its proper work upon you, Sirs, it will drive you to the gof pel as a remedy; and if the gofpel deal favingly with you, it will lead you to the law as a rule; but many mifplace this rule, and do not use it fairly.

1. Some judge of themselves by the half of the law, and not by the whole; they love one part of the law, but not another; and they are fure to look to that part of the law, that they think makes for them, and overlook that part that makes against them: but this is not fair dealing; for people are to judge themfelves by the whole of it. It was the falle mother that was for dividing the child fo, the falfe Chriftian is for dividing the part of the law from another.

2. Some again judge themselves by the outfide of the law, and not the infide thereof; by the letter, and not by the fpirit of it. This was the error of the man who faid, "All these things have I done from my youth up." He did not confider the infide and fpirituality of the law, otherwise he would have cried out, with David, "I have feen an end of all perfection; but thy commandment is exceeding broad:" it reaches the thoughts of the heart, as well as the actions of the life. And therefore, ye do not use it fairly, unless you make ufe of the infide as well as the outfide; both fides of the law.

3. Some again they bring down this rule to their practice, but will not bring up their practice to the rule; and thefe do not ufe the rule fairly: thus many make God's law to juftify their corrupt practices and fins. They, if we may be allowed the expreffion, make a nosewax of the law, and mould it to their own corrupt fancy. 4. Others again, they juftify themselves before they apply the rule, but do not apply the rule before they juftify themselves. They have a good opinion of themfelves; they are determined already about their ftate,

before

before they come to the rule; they are fettled on their lees, and fo cannot believe a word that the law fays against them, because they juftify themfelves before they apply the rule. This is not a fair using of the law: let us ule it fairly, and look on it, not as many do, as a fountain of juftification, but as the rule of action. And this leads me,

(2.) To the other particular, viz. to ufe the rule of golpel purity evangelically. It may poffibly be afked, How fhall we ufe the rule evangelically? To this we reply, in the following particulars,

1. If you would ufe the law in a gofpel manner, attempt not obedience to it in your own ftrength. Under the covenant of works, indeed, we were to obey by the ftrength of inherent grace: But now we are called to lay hold on Chrift, as our strength; and to obey by the ftrength of derived grace affilting us.

2. If you would ufe the law in a gofpel manner, seek not peace by your obedience and fanctity; when you have done all you can, even through grace, you must go out of your own obedience to the obedience of another for peace. Believers themfelves are oftentimes tickled with their own performances, even though they pro, fefs to abhor juftification by works.

3. If you would ufe the law in a gospel manner, let not the duty the law requires, or the difcovery the law makes, hinder you to embrace the offer that the gospel makes. The gospel offers Chrift as a husband; the law faith, Thou art a black finner, an unfit match for fuch a husband. The gospel offer is, that you buy the eyefalve, white raiment and tried gold. The law tells thee, thou haft nothing to buy with. Now, you use the law evangelically, when you fay, Black as I am, I embrace the offer of fuch a husband; he can make me beautiful through his comelinefs. Poor as I am, I embrace the offer of his eye-falve. There is riches enough in Chrift for me; and I fee he invites me to buy without money, and without price; and to take the water of life freely.

4. If you would use the law evangelically, then look not on the law as the fountain of juftification, nor yet as the fountain of strength, but only as the standard of duty;

and

and therefore you will use it in a gofpel-manner, if you make a conftant journey between Chrift and the law; looking to him for righteoufnefs and ftrength, who is the fountain of both: righteoufnefs, for your acceptance; and ftrength, for your affiftance, in every piece of obedience to the law. Here is the fhort road to glory: the law forces the man to Chrift, to be fheltered by him; and Chrift fends him back again to the law to be ruled by it and the man, in ufing this rule, looks to Chrift in the gospel, for righteousness and strength. In a word, let the main firefs be laid upon the gofpel, especially when you are brought to an extremity; when there feems to be a contrariety between the law and the gospel, When the law fays, "Thy hope is perifhed from the Lord;" and the gofpel faith, " There is hope in Ifrael, concerning thee;" and fhews the ground of hope to be in Chrift, as the Lord our righteoufnefs and ftrength: it is fafeft, in this cafe, to hearken moft to the voice of the gofpel; for there is a poffibility of falvation this way, but not the other. Though you fhould have no more, but a may-be ye fhall be hid; venture upon the may-be, upon the peradventure which the gofpel affords: for, hope is a duty, but defpair is a fin; the one honours God, the other difhonours him.

Direct. 2. Our next direction is, diligently to ply the means of this gofpel-purity. We fhall offer a few of many that might be mentioned, and fo clofe.

1. One mean is, to live by faith on the Son of God, by deriving continual fupplies of grace and firength from him, faying, with David, "I will go in the ftrength of the Lord, making mention of thy righteoufnefs, even of thine only," Pfal, lxxi. 16. Plead, by faith, the promise of fanctification; that having thefe promifes, you may cleanse yourselves from all filthinefs of the flesh and fpirit.

2. Another mean is, to fet the Lord always before you, and fet a watch over yourfelf. This was David's refolution; "I faid, I.will take heed to my ways." Security will betray you into the hands of enemies; but, "Bleffed is the fervant whom his Lord, when he cometh, fhall find watching."

3. Another mean is, to take care of discharging the facred

The fcripture gives

facred duties that he calls you to. great encouragement to this; "They that wait on the Lord fhall renew their ftrength." The more that a man minds divine ordinances, in fecret, private, and public, in obedience to God's command, and dependance on God's promife, the more ftrength fhall he receive to conquer his fpiritual enemies, and difcharge his fpiritual work. God could preferve your bodies without food; but he will not, when he affords. ordinary means: fo, God could preferve your fouls, without ordinances; but he will not, when he gives opportunity to enjoy them. Let me fay to you, as Jacob to the patriarchs, "Behold, I have heard, that there is corn in Egypt; get you down thither and buy, that you may live and not die:" So, behold you have heard, that there is fpiritual food in the gofpel; our Jofeph has his granary full of corn, go you thither daily by facred duties, that you may live and not die: for, In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And particularly,

4. Another mean is, Give yourselves unto prayer; the praying Chriftian is readily the holy Chriftian. Pray, with David, "O that my ways were directed to keep thy ftatutes: Thy Spirit is good, lead me to the land of uprightnefs." By daily prayer in fecret, and in your families, you may get daily incomes for helping you to this gospel purity.

5. Another mean is, O fet about fubduing your predominant fins, through grace; for fin doth greatly mar your fanctity. Caft the Jonah over board; throw the Jezebel over the window; and ftone the Achan to death; and, for this end, call in the aid and affiftance of the Spirit of God; for, "If ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, ye fhall live."

6. In a word, Labour to live under a conftant fenfe of your own spiritual wants, and of the defects of grace and holiness; and a fenfe of Chrift's fulness: the perfuafion hereof will induce you to come and receive out of his fulness, grace for grace.-If thefe means of gospel purity are diligently used, it is more than probable you fhall be fuccefsful therein."

Now,

Now, go home; and this evening cry to the Lord, that he would help you to reduce the preaching into practice. Mind the good man's faying, who, coming from fermon, was afked, If all was done. He fetched a

deep figh, and faid, All was faid, but all was not done. Our preaching is not practice, your hearing is not prac tice; thefe are only certain means unto golpel practice. What is your coming to the church, on the Lord's day? It is like fervants coming to their mafter in the first morning of the week, and faying, "Now, tell us "what fhall be our week's work; what fhall we do "this day, and the next day, till the next week "come?" You should come thus to Chrift to get your orders; for, if you reft merely in the hearing, you confound the means with the end, and overturn the nature of things.

What do you mean, Sirs? Why ftand you here all the day idle? Some of you have done nothing for God, nothing for your fouls, for the generation, fince you came into the world. Perhaps you have treasured up a curfed conqueft for your children, for or your wife; and God may blaft it when you are in the grave, and may punish your children for your fin; your children on earth, and you in hell, at the fame time, and for the fame fin. What have you done for God? what have you done for the church of God? what have you done for advancing holinefs in your place? and the interest of Chrift in your ftation? Many of you have done nothing; fome of you have done fomething, but it is little; and fome of you will neither do nor let do; you hinder others in the way of religion and holiness.

O fee to it, man, woman ! You are no friends to Chrift; nay, you are enemies to him, if you have nothing of this gospel purity that I have been speaking of. O pray, pray that the Lord may blefs to you what hath been faid on this fubject, for directing you to, and promoting you in, true gofpel-holiness and may the Lord: hear your requefts, and fulfil your defires; and to his great name be all the praife. SERMON