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purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord." His fulfilment of which is attested by the evangelist in the person of himself and of all believers, "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." As to this point, therefore, he who professes belief in Jesus doth thereby disclaim dependence on his own strength (if the term be not improper, since in spiritual things, and against his spiritual enemies, he has evidently none), and declare his trust is in the strength of Jesus. How this matter stands with us in fact ought to be considered. The point is, have we a real experience that there is a principle of sin in us, which must absolutely prevent us from everything good, if we are left to ourselves, neither enabled nor supported by the grace of Christ ?

If we find such a principle of sin in us, the tendency of which is to keep us from God, and fix us upon the pursuits of this present world, then the case is clear, and we must seek help where we can obtain it. But can we seek that help, when either we deny there is any such principle in us, or, though we own it in speculation, yet have not concern enough about our souls to take any care it may not rule over us? There are they who deny it, though themselves are among the most pregnant proofs of it in the whole of their conduct, being evidently led along by principles of pride, or covetousness, or sensual inclination; which it were hard to conceive how they could have contracted by the mere force of custom; and the uniformity of which in all the children of men abundantly shows to be the effects of that same one principle of sin which is in the nature of all alike, and makes our hearts as like one another as our faces. But though you own your fallen state doctrinally, what can it avail while you have no concern to be converted unto God, and daily renewed in your mind by the power of the Holy Ghost? How, in that case, can you believe in Jesus? You may declare a renunciation of your own strength, and an acceptance of his ; but, if all be in your head, you are just where you were, and be assured, once for all, Jesus is no Saviour of yours. Yet, my dear brethren, what proof can many of you give that otherwise with you? If you were really sensible

it is at all

that you

wanted the grace of Christ to deliver you from the power and dominion of original sin, supported, as it is, upon its throne, by the wiles of the devil and the enjoyments of the world; and if at the same time you heartily desired to be set free from that detestable service, would you not, knowing that Jesus alone was able to help you, make very frequent and importunate applications for his aid? But now, say in conscience, when did you so? When did you fall down before him and sincerely beseech him that he would vouchsafe to deliver you from that body of sin you found in you? I do not ask when you did something which you call saying your prayers, and doing your duty (that you may do a great deal of after a certain manner, and be even nothing the better), but I ask, when you prayed for a new heart; to be set at liberty from sin; to have that pride which is in you done away; your covetousness mortified; your love of pleasure, company, and indulgence crucified? What! never? No, I am perfectly assured, never to any purpose; never heartily and honestly. You have not done it, and you do not do it; you know you do not, and I know, as well as you, that you do not. Nay, you are saying, does the man pretend to know our hearts, can he know what passes in our chambers and closets? Yes, verily, thus far I certainly know, and so may any one else, that neither in your chamber, nor in the church, nor any where else, you really pray for a new heart, and deliverance from the dominion of your sinful nature; for, if you did, you would be most assuredly set free; since God has promised to give the Spirit to them that ask him; and yet you are not set free, but are as much as ever the slave of your own lusts; as much as ever without God in the world; proud, wilful, impatient, earthly, covetous, idle, vain, intemperate, as much as ever. And yet you will be saying, I believe in Jesus. Surely you can have no thought of what you are doing when you say so, since it is so manifestly false, and the contrary is this moment so incontestably evident to your own conscience. O, sir, consider how that word, I believe in Jesus, which you have so often said in vain in the midst of God's people, and as if you had been one of their happy number, consider how that word must rise up in the judgment against you! how it must shame,

confound, and condemn you in the face of the dishonoured Jesus, sitting on the clouds of heaven, with the assembled world before him, attended by the whole host of ministering angels, and holding up the righteous balance to weigh your doings, in order to the allotment of your place of future eternal residence, whether it shall be heaven or hell!

Fourthly. To believe in Jesus implies this also; I believe in him as my full, final, and eternal Deliverer: which is as much as to say, I look for a perfection of holiness in my soul, a glorious resurrection of my body, and a life everlasting in him. Christ is not only of God made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, but also redemption; which, as it stands distinguished from the other three, has reference to the final completion and finishing of his work of salvation, begun in the present exercise of his offices towards us, as our Prophet, Priest, and King, by whom we are now (as many as believe) taught, justified, and sanctified. Perfection of happiness is impossible without these two things. First, Perfect holiness in the soul."Without holiness no man shall see the Lord;" absolute unholiness is a total disqualification for any such sight of God as brings the least measure of happiness along with it: and therefore perfect holiness is absolutely necessary to perfect happiness in God. And this our professor waits for in Jesus, and by the operation of his mighty grace. He cannot effect it of himself as well might he have made himself out of nothing. It is a divine work, and is called creation in the Scriptures. In the old creation God finished that whole glorious work in six days, but the perfecting this unto its whole beauty, glory, and order, is carried on progressively, beginning in regeneration, which is the first implanting in the soul of the fallen creature that principle of grace, which, gaining strength by perpetual influences of the Spirit who first begat it, and by various discipline of every kind suited thereunto, grows up towards that perfect state to which it shall be advanced in the future world; when, besides other dispensations in this life, which have tended and been made effectual to the daily mortification of the body of sin, the whole of it shall have been utterly destroyed by death, and Jesus present the church unto himself, holy, without

blemish, spot, wrinkle, or any such thing, in virtue of that most certain but inexpressible union subsisting between him

and it.

Now, my friends, what can the polishing of philosophy do in so great a business? There has been much talk about governing the passions, and restraining the appetites, and bringing up the mind to a manly steadiness by the force of reason. This was well attempted, indeed, by those who had no greater light. But, alas, how unsuccessfully! The principle of sin, which is in all, only took another road; and by the excess of pride laid restraint on the rage of inclination. To be born again, to be perfected in holiness, is the work of God. In vain may we think of attempting it by our own powers. As well might an angel essay burning up the universe, to make a new heaven and earth out of its ashes. But to know what the work is confounds all human confidence, and every soul sensible of its own insufficiency cries out, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me!" To renounce ourselves here seems to be but little; to believe in the power of Jesus to restore us to the perfection of holiness is a greater matter; but the main thing of all is, to be looking, waiting for, longing after, and striving to obtain this perfect holiness. I believe in Jesus to perfect my spirit in holiness, implies indeed a renunciation of all help in myself for it; but then it implies more, namely, that I am expecting it at the hand of Jesus, that it is my grand object and aim that he may purge and purify my soul daily, and at last finish his work, because I earnestly long to be fit for God; to be perfectly like him; to have done with sin for ever; and to be as the blessed angels, whose souls bear the exactest impression of God's glorious perfections, who see his face, and are infinitely happy in fulfilling his commandments and hearkening to the voice of his words. This is the main point. Without this, all pretended belief of the power of Jesus to restore our fallen nature is but fancy and speculation, leaving us, where it found us, in our fallen state, unmeet for God, and what then meet for? Ah! brethren, ye know; ye certainly know. Ye have heard of fallen angels: and what are they meet for? It is for everlasting fire their unholy souls are fit; and, furious as they are, they tremble in the expecta

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tion of it. And, what! have you no better hope? Is this
also your expectation, to have your portion with devils? Sirs,
there are but two places that I ever heard of in the eternal
world, heaven and hell. Now as many of you as are unholy
are not fit for heaven; but ye are fit for hell: ye carry every
qualification for it daily about you. You may think what you
please, but a spirit that stands out against God's government,
and will not stoop to his law and providence; a spirit of pride
and high-mindedness, that seeks itself, and takes to itself the
praise and glory of everything; a spirit of ambition, that wants
to make a figure, and to hold others in subjection; a spirit of
anger, revenge, and bitterness; a spirit of resentment and im-
placableness; a spirit of envy and jealousy, is a state of qua-
lification for hell; and what makes any man meet for the so-
ciety of those malignant spirits, who shall be shut up therein
for ever, and eternally prevented from vexing any others but
their associates with these horrid dispositions. And are any
of us preparing for hell, making ourselves daily more meet for
that terrible place? None designedly; but every soul of us
really, who is not seeking after holiness by the power of the
Holy Ghost. It is awful to think what a condition many of
us are in! For are we all seeking holiness? All of us seek-
ing the mortification of our corrupt affections, and the renewal
of our hearts after God's image and likeness?
It is impossi-
ble. Can it be? What! when some are mad after pleasure,
and some are mad after company, and some are mad after
money? When we live in the practice of known sins, and in
the neglect of known duties? When we will not bear to be
told our faults, or, if we must bear to hear them, take no care
to mend them? When, in short, it is so evident that the
pursuit of holiness is not our main concern, and anything that
looks like it is but taken up by-the-by? Yet surely they have
made the better choice, who are seeking the inheritance incor-
ruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away; and who, instead
of making provision for the flesh to fulfil its lusts, and of laying
up treasures upon earth, are preparing for glory, and laying up for
their souls treasures of grace that will never wax old, but endure
unto life everlasting. These are they, and these only, who can
truly say, I believe in Jesus.-This is one qualification for perfect

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