[2.] Prayer ; it is to a holy God we pray, and from whom we expect our answer. Now a holy God expects they should be a holy people
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that are thus familiar with him, and beginning the acquaintance whieb shall be perfected in heaven : 1 Tim. ii. 8, ' Lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting;' and Zeph. iii. 9, 'I will turn to them a pure language, that they may call upon the name of the Lord.' None are fit to call upon God but those that have a pure lip ; and therefore the apostle, when he speaketh of drawing nigh to God, presently speaketh of purifying, James iv. 8, showing that the greatest intimacy of converse is between the holy God and a holy people.
[3.] Baptism, which engageth us to purify ourselves, and assureth us also of the purifying virtue of the Lord's grace ; for if I do my part, God will on his part give grace, whereby your hearts may be purified and cleansed. It is the visible act by which we profess the acceptance of the gospel covenant ; and it is but a nullity and an empty formality if this be not done. It signifieth the washing away of sin : Acts xxii. 16, ' Arise and be baptized, for the washing away of thy sins; 'and in Titus iii. 5, ' The washing of regeneration.' It alludeth to baptism, wherein water is used, which by its nitrous quality doth purge and cleanse ; and it is the rite used at your first dedication to God. Now the external application is nothing without the internal effect, or the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Unless the soul be purged and washed, what will the washing of the body do you good? 1 Peter iii. 21, baptism is called ' the answer of a good conscience towards God.' Carnal careless christians forget their baptismal covenant : 2 Peter i. 9, ' He hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.' But few regard it ; others renounce it, but these forget it. There was water sprinkled on their bodies, but the Spirit is not sprinkled on their souls.
[4.] The Lord's supper, which supposeth purity of heart in all that come to it, because inforo ecclesice they must be baptized before they can communicate. Christ washed his disciples' feet before he would admit them to his table, and flatly telleth Peter, John xiii. 8, ' If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.' As no part in Christ, so no part with him, no admittance to spiritual communion. Now, as it supposeth it in some degree, it promoteth and advanceth it to a further- degree, as we remember Christ's blood, ' which cleanseth us from all sin,' 1 John i. 7, and bind ourselves anew to purge out all sin, ' and keep the feast not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.' In this holy ordinance we partake more of the sanctifying Spirit, and are encouraged to pursue after holiness in a confidence of this blessing.
Thus much with respect to the ordinances.
3. With respect to graces, we must purify ourselves yet more and more. I will instance in the three great graces of faith, hope, and love.
[1.] Faith : Acts xv. 9, 'Purifying our hearts by faith,' partly as it is an assent to the truths of the gospel, for it is a strong assent which enliveneth all truths, and maketh them effectual. They work not unless they be mingled with faith in the hearing : 1 Thes. ii. 13, ' The word of God which ye received of us, ye received it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh in you that believe.' There are so many cleansing truths in
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the gospel, that if they be received and improved by faith, we cannot but set upon purifying. Partly as in the use of means. It dependeth on the blood of Christ for this sanctifying virtue, which was purchased thereby, John xvii. 19. And partly as it worketh by reflection, and so it is the same with love, Gal. v. 6. As it representeth our future hopes, so it is the same with hope in the text ; but certain we are that if faith be in any considerable strength, it will produce purity and holiness.
[2.] Hope doth the like, as here. Hope is a desirous expectation; for can a man hope for that he careth not for ? Hope for it as good, and fly from it as evil, it cannot be. If we hope for anything, it is a sign we love it and like it, and as much as we can would get it into our hands; so if we hope to see God, and be like him, if this be our blessed and satisfying hope, we will be purifying ourselves for the present, and resemble God as much as we can for the present ; for it is a contradiction that a man should be afraid of his hopes, and keep at a distance from his hopes. No; but he will pursue after them, and hasten for them.