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have two Suits, and two Defires to him, as well as pardoned, fo there is a special one, that your Sins may be forgiven, Tye and Obligation upon God our Fa another, that they niay be fubdued; fother by Promise, not only to pardon Sin, he hath two folemn Engagements and Tyes to fatisfy you; one to forgive your Sins, and another to cleanfe you from all Unrighteoufnefs. The Soul that is truly penitent, is not only defirous of Pardon of Sin, that is not the chief or only Defign of fuch a Soul in Application to Cbrift; but it is withal to be purified from Sin, and all Unrighteoufnefs, and to have ungodly Lufts cleanfed away And herein is the great Probation of fuch an One's Reality, it will not fuffice or fatisfy fuch an One, to be affured of Delivery from Wrath and Condemnation, but he must likewife be redeemed from Sin, that it have no Dominion over him; he defires to be freed from Death, that he may have his Conscience withal purged from dead Works, to Jerve the living God, Heb. ix. 14. He would have Sin blotted out of an accusing Confcience, that it may be purged out of the Affections of the Heart, and he would have his Sins washed away for this End, efpecially that he may be wasbed from his Sins, Rev. i. 5. Now, as this is the great Defire and Defign of fuch a Heart, in which there is no Guile, to have Sin purified and purged out of us,

but to purge from Sin; not only to cover it with the Garment of Christ's Righteousness, and the Breadth of his infinite Love, but also to cleanfe it by his Spirit, effectually applying that Blood to the purifying of the Heart. Now, where God hath bound himfelf voluntarily, and out of Love, do not ye loofe him by Unbelief, for that will bind you into a Prifon; but labour to receive these gracious Promises, and to take him bound as he offers. Believe, I fay, that he will both forgive you, and in due Time will cleanfe your Heart from the Love and Delight of Sin; believe his Promife, and Engagement by Promise to both, and this will fet to a Seal to his Truth and Faithfulness. There is nothing in God to affright a Sinner, but his Juftice, Holiness and Righteous nefs; but unto thee, who in the humble Confeffion of thy Sins flies into Jefus Chrift, that very Thing which did dif courage thee, may now encourage thee, and imbolden thee to come, for he is just and faithful to forgive Sins; his Juftice being now fatisfied, is ingaged that. Way to forgive, not to punish.

SER.

448

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SERMON XX.

1 John i. 10. If we say that we have not finned, we make him a Liar, and his Word is not in us.

HERE is nothing in which Reli-, how defiled and defperately wicked his gion more confifts, than in the Nature, how abominable his Actions; true and unfeigned Knowledge of our- in a Word, what a Compound of Darkfelves. The Heathen fuppofed that Sen- nefs and Wickednefs he is, a Heap of tence, vai auror, know thyself, de- defiled Duft, and a Mafs of Confufion, a fcended from Heaven. It was indeed the Sink of Impiety and Iniquity; even the Motto of the wifeft and most religious beft of Mankind, those of the rareft and amongst them; but certain it is, that the moft refined Extraction, take them at true and fincere Understanding of our their best Estate; thus they are as Sepulfelves, defcends from the Father of chres painted without, and putrified withLights, and is a great Gift, as Man is in, outwardly adorned, and within full capable of, next to the Knowledge of of Rottennefs and Corruption, the ImaGod himself. There is nothing more gination of bis Heart only Evil connecessary to Man, either as Man, or as tinually. Now, I fay, here is the great a Chriftian, either as indowed with Rea- Business and Labour of Religion, to bring fon, or profeffing Religion, than that he a Man to the clear Difcerning of his own fhould be throughly acquainted with him- Nature, to reprefent unto him justly his felf, his own Heart, its Difpofitions and own Image, as it is painted in the Word Inclinations, and Lufts, his Ways and of God, and prefented in the Glass of the Actions, that while he travels abroad to Law; and fo by fuch a furprizing monother Creatures and Countries, he may ftruous Appearance, to affect his Heart not commit fo fhameful an Abfurdity, as to Self-abhorrency in Duft and Ashes, to be a Stranger at home, where he and to have this Reprefentation, however ought to be beft acquainted: Yet how unpleasant, yet moft profitable, continualfad is it, that this which is so abfolutely ly obverfant to our Minds, that we may needful, and univerfally profitable, fhould not forget what manner of Perfons we be lying under the manyeft Difficulties are. Truly, I may fay, if there be a in the Attainment of it? So that there is Perfection in this Eftate of Imperfection, nothing harder, than to bring a Man to herein it confifts; and if there be any a perfect Understanding of himself, what Attainment of a Chriftian, I account this a vile, haughty and bafe Creature he is,

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the greateft, to be truly fenfible of himself, | and vile in his own Eyes.

It was the Cuftom of Philip King of Macedonia, after he had overcome the famous Republick of Greece, to have a young Man to falute him first every Morning with thefe Words, Philippe bomo es, Philip thou art a Man, to the End that he might be daily minded of his Mortality and the Unconftancy of human Affairs, least he should be puft up with his Victory; and this was done before any could have Access to speak with him, as if it were, to feafon and prepare him for the Actions of the Day: But O, how much more ought a Chriftian to train up his own Heart, and accuftom it this Way, to be his continual Remembrancer of himself, to fuggeft continually into his Mind, and whisper this firft into his Ear in the Morning, and Mid-day, and Evening, peccator es, thou art a Sinner, to hold our own Image continually before us, in Prayer and Praises, în Restraints, in Liberties of Spirit, in religious Actions, and in all our ordinary Converfation, that it might falt and feafon all our Thoughts, Words and Deeds, and keep them from that ordinary Putrification, and Corruption of Pride and Self-conceit, which maketh all our Ointment stink.

If we fay we have no Sin, we make bim a Liar. Why is this repeated again? but to fhew unto us, even to you Chriftians who believe in Chrift, and are wafhen in his Blood, how hard it is to know ourselves aright. If we speak of the groffer Sort of Perfons, they fcarce know any Sin, nor the Nature and Vileness of any that they know, therefore they live in Security and Peace, and blefs themselves in their own Hearts, as if they had no Sin; for fuch, I fay, I fhall

only fay unto them, that your Self-deceiving is not fo fubtile, but it may foon be difcerned, your Lie is grofs, and quickly feen through. But I would turn myself to you Chriftians, who are in fome Meafure acquainted with yourselves, yet there is fomething against you from this Word; after ye have once got fome Peace from the Challenge of Sin, and Hope of Pardon, you many Times fall out of Acquaintance with your felves, having attained by the Lord's Grace, to fome Restraint of the more visible Outbreakings of Sin, you have not that Occafion to know yourfelves by, and fo you remain Strangers to your Hearts, and fall into better liking with yourfelves, than the first Sight of yourselves permitted you. Now, my Beloved in the Lord, herein you are to be blamed, that you do not rather go into the Fountain, and there behold the Streams, than only to behold the Fountain in the Streams; you ought rather upon the Lord's Teftimony of Man, to believe what is in you, before you find it, and fee it breaking out, and keep this Character continually in your Sight, which will be more powerful to humble you, than many Out-breakings. I think we should be fo well acquainted with our own Natures, as to account nothing ftrange to them that we fee abroad, but rather think all the Groffnefs and Wickedness of Men fuitable and correfpondent to our Spirits, to that Root of Bitterness that is in them; The Goodness of God in reftraining the Appearance of that in us, which is within us in Reality, fhould rather increafe the Sense of our own Wickedness, than diminish it in our View.

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Indeed, Selflove is that which blinds us, and bemifts us in the Sight of our

felves, we look upon ourselves though this falfe Medium, and it reprefents all Things more beautiful than they are; and therefore the Apostle hath Reason to fay, we deceive ourselves, and we make God a Liar. O, how much practical Self-deceit is there in the Application of Truth? There are many Errors contrary to the Truths themfelves, and many Deceivers, and deceived, who fpread them: But I believe there is more Errors committed by Men, in the Application of Truths to their own Hearts, than in the Contemplation of it; and more felf-deceiving, than deceiving of others. It is ftrange to think, how found and clear, and diftinct a Man's Judgment will be against thofe Evils in others, which yet he feeth not in himself; how many Chriftians will be able to decypher the Nature of fome Vices, and unbowel the Evils of them, and be quick-fighted to efpy the leaft Appearance of them in another, and to condemn it; and yet fo partial are they in judging themfelves, Self-love fo purblinds them in this ReAlection, that they cannot difcern that in themselves, which others cannot but difcern. How often do Men declaim against Pride, and Covetousness, and Self-feek ing, and other Evils of that Kind? they will pour out a Flood of Eloquence and Zeal against them; and yet it is ftrange they do not advert, that they are accufing themselves, and impannelling themselves in fuch Difcourfes, tho' others, it may be, will eafily perceive a Predominancy of thefe Evils in them. Who art thou, O Man, who judgeth another, and doeft the fame Things? Canft thou escape God's Judgment? Rom. ii. 1. Confider this, Ŏ Chriftian, that thou may learn to turn the Edge of all thy Cenfures and Convictions against thyfelf, that thou

may prevent all Men's Judgments of thee, in judging thyself all Things that Men can judge thee, that is, a Chief of Sinners, that hath the Root of all Sin in thee; and fo thou may anticipate the divine Judgment too, for if we judge ourselves, we fball not be judged. Labour thou to know thefe Evils that are incident to thy Nature, before others can know them, that is, in the Root and Fountain, before they come to the Fruit and Stream; to know Sins in the first Conceptions of them, before they come to fuch Productions as are vifible; and this fhall keep thee humble, and prefere thee from much Sin, and thou shalt not deceive thyfelf, nor dishonour God, in making him a Liar, but rather fet to thy Seal to his Truth, and his Word fball abide in thee,

There is a common Rule that we have in judging ourselves, by comparing ourfelves amongst ourselves, which (as Paul faith) is not Wisdom, 2 Cor. x. 12. When we do not measure ourselves by the perfect Rule of God's boly Word, but parallel ourselves with other Perfons, who are ftill defective from the Rule, far further from it, than any one is from another: This is the ordinary Method of the judging of Self-love; we compare with the worst Persons, and if we be not fo bad as they, we think ourfelves good; if not fo ignorant as fome are, we prefume that we know; if not fo profane as many, we believe ourselves religious. Lord, I am not as this Publican, fo faith many in their Hearts, there's a Curfer, a Swearer, a Drunkard, a blind ignorant Soul, that neglects Prayer in private and publick, and upon these Ruins of others Sins, they build fome better Eftimation of themselves. But, I pray you, What will that avail you to be un

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like them, if you be more unlike your Pattern, than they are unlike you? It may be, others will compare with thefe that are good, but it is with that which is worst in them, and not that which is beft; how often do Men reckon this Way, here is a good Man, here is an eminent Perfon, yet he is fuch and fuch, fubject to fuch Infirmities, and here Selflove flatters itself, and by flattering, deceives itself. My Beloved, let us learn to establish a more perfect Rule, which may fhew all our Imperfections: Let our Rule afcend, that our Hearts may de

fcend in Humility; but when our Rule and Pattern defcends to Men of like Infirmities, then our Pride and Self-conceit afcends; and the higher we be that Way in our own Account, the lower we are indeed, and in God's Account; and the lower we be in ourfelves, we lose nothing by it; for, as God is higher in our Account, fo we are higher in God's Ac count, according to that standing Rule, Mat. xxiii. 12. Whofoever fball exalt bimfelf, fball be abafed, and be that ball bumble bimfelf, fhall be exalted.

SERMON XXI.

1 John ii. 1. My little Children, thefe Things write I unto you, that ye fin not. And if any Man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, &c.

THE HE Golpel is an entire uniform | Confidence; another may pretend to the Piece, all the Parts of it are interwoven through other, and interchangeably knit together; fo that there can be no dividing of it, no more than of Chrift's Coat that was without Seam. If you have it not altogether by the divine Lot, you cannot truly have any Part of it, for they are fo knit together, that if ye difjoyn them, you deftroy them; and if they ceafe to be together, they ceafe altogether to be. I fpeak this, because there may be Pretenfions to fome abftracted Parts of Christianity; one Man pretends to Faith in Jefus Chrift, and Perfwafion of Pardon of Sin, and in this there may be fome fecret glorying arising from that

Study of Holiness and Obedience, and may endeavour fomething that Way to do known Duties, and abstain from grofs Sins. Now, I fay, if the first do not conjoin the Study of the fecond; and, if the fecond do not lay down the first as the Foundation, both of them embrace a Shadow for the Thing itself, because they feparate thefe Things that God hath joined, and fo can have no Being but in Mens Fancy, when they are not conjoined. He that would pretend to a Righteoufnefs of Chrift without him, muft withal ftudy to have the Righteousness of the Law fulfilled within him; and he that endeavours to have Holiness within, LII

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