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SECT. 1. Of these things that defile a man.-2. The absolute necessity of being separated from these evils.-3. God's ancient promises to pour out a spirit of purity and holiness upon his people in the latter times.-4. The people of God are under peculiar obligations to deny worldly lusts, and to practise holiness.-5. A continuation of the former.6. Without such purity, no privilege, no profession can be of any avail.-7. To render us holy, was one great purpose for which the Son of God was manifested.-8. By the grace of God in Christ Jesus we are sanctified; and his redeeming love affords the most powerful motive to obedience.9. In the example of our Lord Jesus, we have the most perfect pattern of purity and holiness.-10. The necessity of zeal, progress, and perseverance in the ways of purity and holiness.-11. The joy of the Apostles on account of those who had attained to purity of heart and life; and their prayers that they might attain to greater degrees of it.-12. Other prayers to the same purpose.

SECT. 1. Of these things that defile a man.

HEARKEN unto me every one of you, and understand. There is nothing from without a man, that entering into a man can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, § 1. Mark, vii. 14, 15.

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covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Unto the pure, all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled ". Wo unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside may be clean also. Wo unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also, outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Ye shall know them by their fruits; do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things. Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God'.

SECT. 2. The necessity of being separated from these evils.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God". Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away; and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. Wash ye, make you clean, put away the

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evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die? Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth ". If thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands, or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire'. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee, that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting'. For this ye know, that no unclean person hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God".

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SECT. 3. God's ancient promises to pour out a spirit of purity and holiness on his people in the latter days.

Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned against me. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness,

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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 an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. And an highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those; the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. SECT. 4. The people of God are under peculiar obligations to deny worldly lusts, and to practise holiness.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. The grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind; that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light". Put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness, and true holiness. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Purge out therefore

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the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth". What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you'. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work!.

SECT. 5. A continuation of the former.

There is now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded, is life and peace. When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh; for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall lived. This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not

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