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rity and filthiness, that we should all take with, and be convinced of. 2. Produce fome witneffes for proving either the total or partial want of purity and holiness; that the crime being proven, we may take with it, and condemn ourselves.

[1.] I would tell you fome forts and kinds of impurity and filthinefs, that we should all take with, and be convinced of. There are especially these three forts. 1. The impurity and fin of our nature. 2. The impurity and filthinefs of our hearts and thoughts. 3. The impurity and filthinefs of our life and practise, especially living under the gofpel.

(1.) As for the pollution of our nature. This, it is evident, many never thought of, never were convinced of, never challenged themfelves for; and yet it is a great predominate root-fin: and if it be not removed we are filthy ftill. Now, in order to fasten a conviction of the greatnefs of this pollution of our nature, confider the greatnefs of it in these particulars.

1. That when the leprofy and contagion is univerfal and over-fpreading, then it must be great: but fo it is here; the pollution, and defilement, and fin of our nature, is an univerfal leprofy, it over-fpreads all our faculties; our understanding, will, affections, reafon, confcience, memory, and all are defiled; become altogether filthy: we, being conceived in fin, and brought forth in iniquity, are nothing by nature, but a body of fin and death.

2. When the leprofy and contagion is fo great, in an houfe, that nothing will help against it, but the pulling down of the houfe; then the leprofy must be very great: but fo it is here, the fin of our nature is fuch, that nothing will cure it, but the pulling down of the house. Some think to mend the house by education: but all the lime and morter of acquired parts and accomplishments will not do, unless the nature be renewed by regeneration and even after regenerated, his leprofy breaking out, nothing will wholly remove it, but death's pulling down the houfe intirely.

3. Confider, that fin which is moft unwearied, and which a man is most unwearied in the pursuit of, that

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must needs be very great: but fuch is the fin of our nature, it is most unwearied, as the fountain is unwearied in fending up water. A man may be wearied in drawing up water out of the fountain; but the fountain is not wearied in bullering up water: fo, a man may be wearied in finful actions; but finful nature is never weary. A man may be wearied with looking to fome particular object; but his eye is never wearied readily with feeing and looking; because it is natural for the eye to fee: fo, a man may be wearied with fome particular fin; but the natural man is never weary with finning, because, it is so natural for him to fin.

4. Confider, that this fin that is the ground of all our relapses and returns to fin, muft needs be very great. Now, what is the ground of all our relapses and returns to fin, after all our repentance and reformation? Even our nature, or the fin of our nature. Suppose water be heated and warmed, it cools again; heat it again, and it cools again; why? Because coldness is its nature and fo, why do men return again and again to fin, after all their repentance and reformation? why? It is their nature.

5. That fin that is least lamented, and whereby our other fins are most excused, must be a great fin. Now, of all fins, the fin of our nature is leaft lamented; and thereby our other fins are moft excufed. Bear with me, for it is my nature; I am paffionate, but it is nature; I am fo and fo difpofed, but it is my nature: men excuse themselves by it; and hence it is not lamented, it is not mourned over.

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6. That pollution that is most predominant, must be a great pollution: now, the fin of the nature is the pollution that is most predominant. Many marks have been affigned of the predominant fin; and fome actual fin may reign above other fins. But the fin of the nature is the most predominant fin: it is the fin that reigns unto death, Rom. v. 21.-O then take home the conviction of this fin; and feek to have it broken in the power of it.

(2.) The impurity and pollution of our hearts and thoughts is what we are to take with, and be convinced VOL. I. . Z z

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of. Alas! how little is the impurity of the heart bewailed! Many think their thoughts are free: but before God they are not free; but bound to obedience to his law, who fearches the heart and tries the reigns, to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings; and even according to the doing of his heart: for the thoughts are the deeds of the heart; and it is, indeed, deceitful above all things, ad defperately wicked, Jer. xvii. 9, 10. Now, the fin and pollution of the heart is if great, you confider these following

particulars.

1. The fin that is most incureable, is a great fin: but the fin of the heart is a most incureable fin. As a fecret, hidden wound within the body, or a disease within the bowels, is the moft incureable: And fuch are the fins of our thoughts, and the plagues of our hearts. We need, therefore, to know the plague of our hearts, and to be convinced of it.

2. The fin that is a parent to other fins, must needs be very great: now, finful thoughts are the parents of finful actions, both in the godly and ungodly. In the godly as in the cafe of Abraham, Gen. xx. 11, 12. I thought the fear of God was not in this place; and therefore I faid, She is my fifter. She was indeed his fister; and he lyed not in faying fo: but he diffembled, and hid the truth, ufing an unworthy fhift for his preferva tion. And where began this evil, but in a finful thought? I THOUGHT that the fear of God had not been in this place. -In the ungodly, it is fo likewife; Pfal. 1. 21. Thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch an one as thyself. The wicked fteal and lye, and drink drunk, and commit adultery, and deceive, and flander others. And how are they led into all this, but by thoughts? Thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch an one as thyself.

3. By finful thoughts our formerly committed fins, that were dead, are revived again, and have a refur rection by our bofom ones; by our contemplating the fame with delight. As the witch at Endor called up Samuel that was dead; fo, a delightful thought calls up a finful action, that was dead before. Hereby our fins,

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that were in a manner dead before, are revived, and have a refurrection.

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4. By finful thoughts a man may fin that fin, in effect, which he never did commit in act; and fo the Lord may punish him for it. As the Lord faid to David in another cafe; Because it was in thine heart to build me an houfe, I will build thy houfe. So faith God to a man, in a way of punishment; because it was in thine heart to do this evil, though thou didst it not, I will punish thee for it. By the fins of our hearts and thoughts, a man may fin that fin, in effect, which he never did commit in act. Chrift reckons the adulterous thought, adultery; the malicious thought, murder. Alas! how will the day of judgment give other views of fin than now we have, when the whorish thoughts will be judged whoredom; and the adulterous intention, adultery; and the malicious thoughts, murder, though it was never actually committed!

5. By finful thoughts, a man doth repent of his repentance. A man fins, and afterwards is forrowful for and repents thereof; and then after his repentance, he thinks on his fin with delight. What is this but to repent of his repentance? As by your repentance, you are forrowful for your fin; fo, by mufing on your fin, with delight, you repent of your repentance: now, is it not a great evil for a man to repent that he repented?

6. That filthy mud, that cannot be fearched to the bottom; that deep myftery of iniquity, that cannot be founded, it is fo deep, must be very great: and fo it is with the fin of the heart; It is deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked, who can know it? Jer. xvii. 9. In a word, Out of the heart proceedeth all manner. of evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, &c. Matth. xv. 18, 19.

(3.) The impurity and pollution of our lives and practices, efpecially, under the gofpel, is what we are to take with, and be convinced of. And fins under the gofpel, are great fins. Why?

1. Sins under the gospel, are fins against the remedy: and of all fins, fins against the remedy are the greatest. The great remedy against fin, is the gospel of the grace

of God; the good news of a crucified Chrift, a Saviour, whose name is Jefus, because he faves his people from their fin. The promises are the remedy alfo: and therefore, to fin under the gofpel, is to fin against the remedy; yea, it is a finning against the greatest obligations of mercy and grace that are offered: and fo, by our finning against these, we engage the very mercy and grace of God, our greatest friends, to become our greatest adverfaries.

2. The more repugnancy there is between the fin and the finner, the greater is the fin: even as it is worse for a judge to be unjust, than another man. Now, there is here a great repugnancy between the gospel, and the man that finneth under the gofpel; for he profefes the contrary.

3. Sin under the gofpel, is the most hurtful and mischievous, both to ourselves and others. To ourfelves as poifon that is taken in fack, or fomething that is warm, is the most venemous; fo, fin under the gofpel is the deadliest poison: why? because it is warmed with gofpel heat. And to others it is hurtful; because they are the more hardened thereby.

4. Sin under the gofpel is moft deceitful, having fpecious pretences and defences; and fo it is the worse. A man under the gofpel hath readily many fhifts for his fins; many diftinctions to palliate his fin; much knowledge to cover his fin. And by this knowledge, perhaps, he is able to defend his fin, by many diftinctions: as, that it is a fin of infirmity; it is an occafion for grace and mercy to abound; and many fuch ways may grace be abufed to the encouraging of fin. Now, those bred under the gospel, are able to defend themfelves by knowledge fetched from the gofpel; therefore they are the worst.

5. Sins under the gofpel throw contempt upon the great things of God: even the glory of God, the grace of God, offered in the gofpel. And how great is that fin that cafts contempt upon the greatest love, the richcft mercy, the fweeteft offers, and upon the great falvation!

6. Sin under the gofpel is the moft dangerous fin;

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