(3.) The scripture ofiferetli great helps to purity. Christ died to purchase it for us : Eph. v. 27, ' He gave himself for us, that he might sanctify and cleanse us by the washing of water through the word.' And God hath promised to give this clean heart to them that seek after it, and undertaketh to give what he requireth : Ezek. xxxvi. 25-
27, ' I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean ; from all your lilthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you : a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you ; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh : and I will put my spirit within you, and cause
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you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.' God hath promised this to somebody, and why not to you ? You are as fair for this promise as any ; and if God hath not excluded you, why will you shut yourselves out from the grace offered ?
(4.) There are in the scripture excellent encouragements and motives from the reward promised to the pure. Lactantius saith of the heathen, Virtutis vim non sentiunt quia ejus prcemiwn ignorant — that they were ignorant of the force of virtue, because they Avere not acquainted with the reward of it. There is a great force in scripture arguments in this kind. See how the scripture speaks of these promises ; they are so great, so pure, and so expressly binding in their condition and •qualification annexed. They are so great, 2 Cor. vii. 1, that ' having such great and precious promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthi- aiess of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God.' And then so pure : 1 John iii. 3, ' He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as Christ is pure.' It is not barely said, He hath hope in him, i)ut, He that hath this hope. It is not a Turkish paradise, but a sinless estate ; not an estate wherein we shall be engulfed in all sensualities, but satisfied with the vision of God, and made like him. Heaven is not only to be looked upon as a place of happiness, but a state of like- ness to God. Once more, so many and so expressly binding to purity, in their condition and qualification annexed. See what the word of God speaks to purity, if we would enjoy the favour of God, and have him good to us : Ps. Ixxiii. 1, ' Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.' AVho are they that God will be good to ? To Israel. All are not Israel that are of Israel ; but those whose consciences are cleansed by the blood of Christ, and study to be clean and holy in heart and life, those are God's Israel. However things fall out here, how blustering and boisterous soever the times are, yet <jrod will be good to them that are his Israel. If we would have his favour actually exhibited, if we w^ould have God to shine upon us, we must look after purity : Ps. xviii. 26, ' With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure, and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward.' God Avill be to man as man is to God. No degree of purity shall go unrewarded ; the holy use of the creatures is their privilege : Titus i. 15, ' To the pure all things are pure.' To the wicked all things are •defiled, and they have a curse with their blessings ; but to the pure these blessings are lawfully enjoyed, and are sanctified to them, and they receive every temporal mercy as a blessing of the covenant. Would we be accepted in our service ? Prov. xv. 26, ' The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant words.' The thoughts and words of wicked men are an abomination to the Lord, but the thoughts and words of the saints are his delight. God hath respect to the person and then to his services ; so that we must be pure in heart if we would have our ser- vices accepted of the Lord. Once more, the pure are those that shall be employed with honour for God : 2 Tim. ii. 21, ' If a man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel of honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.'' Again, the purified and cleansed are meet to receive and retain the word : 1 Tim. iii. 9, * Hold fast the mysteries of faith in a pure conscience.' None
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482 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. CLVII.
receive the word witli such profit, and retain it with sucli warmth, as the pure in lieart. Precious liquor is not put into musty, filthy vessels ; if it be, it is corrupted and s})oiled presently. Let a man be addicted to any worldly lust, and he will soon lose all the sense of fi^ood he hath received. Once more, none pray aright but the pure : Zeph. iii. 9, ' For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may call upon the name of the Lord ;' and 1 Tim. ii. 8, ' Lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting ;' and Hcb. x. 22, ' Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.' Then we draw near to God with comfort, being sure of audience. Once more, if Ave would be happy for ever more, who are they that shall see God ? Mat. v. 8, * Blessed are the pure in lieart, for they shall see God.' You shall see the question propounded in Ps. xxiv. 3, 4, ' Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? who shall stand in his holy place ? ' And the question is answered in the third verse, ' He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.^ It standeth upon us to examine how it is with us, sint-e all the visible church are not saved ; the pure and holy are they that shall see and enjoy God. Filthy dogs and impure and unclean swine are not suffered to enter into the new Jerusalem. '