3. Avoids the occasions of evil —
[Many who have a regard for their character, will yet make no scruple of reading books, or hearing songs, or at- tending scenes, which tend to vitiate the mind. They will even court occasions of evil, dehghting in that company and conversation which they know by experience to produce bad impressions on their hearts.
Not so the person that is pure in heart : lie stands at a distance from every polluting object^: like Joseph, he flies from those who would corrupt him™ : like Job, he " makes a covenant with his eyes," and with his heart, that he will neither look, nor think, upon an object that will ensnare him". He knows that " the very thought of foolishness is sin°;" and he is determined through grace, that "vain thoughts shall not lodge with him." He hates them : he lothes himself for his propensity to indulge them ; and he longs to be " holy as God himself is holy p."]
II. The blessedness of those who have attained this character, is the next point to be considered :
1. They shall enjoy a sight of God in this world —
[It is true, that " God dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto," and that, in strictness of speech, " no man hath seen him, or can see him." But there were manifestations of him vouchsafed to his people of old, sometimes through the medium of the human or angelic form, and sometimes by a bright effulgence of his glory. There are also other manifesta- tions which God still makes of himself to the souls of men*!; and which he will vouchsafe to the pure in heart. It must not, however, be expected that, in speaking of these things, we can bring them down to the apprehension of the ungodly: they have no eyes to see them, no ears to hear them, no under- standings to understand them : and it is as vain to speak of these things to them, as it would be to speak of colours to the blind, or sounds to the deaf, or tastes to those who had no palate. Nevertheless we must affirm, on the authority of God himself, that " the pure in heart shall see God." They shall see him in his ordiyiances, whilst others are altogether uncon- scious of his presence. They shall see him in their secret chamber, where he will draw nigh unto them, and " say. Here I am^" They shall see him in all the tvorks of creation, and in all the dispeiisations of his providence. They shall see him in every comfort and in every cross. His wisdom, his goodness,
1 Ps. Ixxiii. 1. ni Gen. xxxix. 9, 10. " Job xxxi. 1.
o Prov. xxiv. 9. p 1 Pet. i. 14 — 16. ^ Johnxiv.21 — 23.
"■ Job xxxiii. 26. Isai. Iviii. 9.
t7 o