God, is placed directly before you. The apoftle in plain words, tells you they are to be obtained, by cleanfing yourselves from all filthiness of flesh and fpirit; and perfecting holiness in the fear of

· God.

Now the gofpel endeavours to incite men against fin, by placing it before them in various lights. Sometimes fin is reprefented to us under the notion of a yoke or bondage, which is grievous to be borne.-Sometimes it is represented. as the greatest ingratitude to our Creator, and Redeemer ; as doing defpite to the Spirit of God. At other times it is reprefented to us in all its terrors, as drawing upon us the fiery indignation of God-tribulation and anguish, upon every foul of man, that doeth evil.-In the exhortation before us, it is reprefented to us under the idea of filthiness. In this light we are to confider fin, as the great evil, which taints and corrupts our fouls; and renders them unfit for heaven. The fcripture uses the idea of filthinefs to explain the nature of fin. It is a familiar image. We all know that filthiness, by degrees cats into the flesh-that it fouls the blood, and brings on diseases--that it makes men loathfome, and offenfive to others; and not fit to appear in company. It is not Poverty, that is offenfive. Poverty, though in the moft homely

homely drefs; yet if it be cleanly, which is in every body's power, and makes the most of the little matters it has, Poverty is a decent figure. But when we fee people covered with filthiness; which we know can hardly be the cafe, unless attended with floth, we cannot help taking offence.

Now this is juft the idea, which the apostle means here to convey of fin. Sin makes our fouls as impure, as filthiness does our bodies. It makes us as offenfive in the fight of God, as filthiness makes us loathfome in the fight of our fellow-creatures. Heaven is a place of the utmoft purity. If therefore we would attain the promifes of God; and gain a happy admittance into this bleffed place, we must take the method which God prescribes; and cleanse our felves from all filthiness of flesh, and spirit: that is, we must endeavour to wafh fin from our fouls, as we do filth from our bodies.

The text goes ftill farther, and on the ftrength of the promises, enjoins us the duty of perfecting holiness in the fear of God. By holiness the apoftle means piety, charity, humility, and all other christian graces, which are to take poffeffion of our minds, when they are cleanfed from filthiness. Thefe

These we are to perfect, as far as we can, which the fcripture elsewhere calls growing in grace. A Christian should never be at a ftand: and, indeed, if he be truly fincere, he never can be at a ftand he will, as naturally endeavour to proceed to greater degrees of goodness, as the wife man of this world endeavours to increase his wealth, or his honours, or any thing else his heart is fet on. A man cannot help proceeding. in the thing he wishes. So that the scriptureprecept of perfecting holiness, is not barely an injunction; it is a teft likewise of our fincerity; and he, who cannot produce this teft of his being in earnest, may depend upon it that he is

not in earnest.

The expreffion in the fear of God is added, because nothing tends more to strengthen us in our good refolutions of perfecting holiness, than the fear of God-that is, a religious awe and reverence for God.-To have it always in our minds. that God is ever present with us,—that he fees all our actions, and knows all our thoughts, is certainly one of the best means to make our thoughts and our actions what they ought to be. We fhould, therefore, above all other things, encourage in ourselves the fear of God, as it will above all other things tend to our perfecting holiness.

Thus I have gone through the explanation of the text, as I defigned. I have fhewn you what the promises are, to which the apoftle refers; and what effect they fhould have upon us. I fhall conclude with a fingle obfervation more.

1

It is not an indifferent matter, my brethren, whether you accept the offer of the promises, or not. In many of the things of this world, you have a choice. You may accept a thing, if it be offered; or, if you do not choose to accept it, you are only where you were. There is no harm done. But here the cafe is different. If you refufe the promises, your refufal is not impru dence, but guilt; and you will not only lose the promifes, but draw upon yourselves the punishment of difobedience.

The question then, in fact, is, not so much whether you will accept the promises, as, whether you will live godly, or wicked lives? So that the whole argument is reduced to this one plain question, whether you will fave your own foul?-May God of his infinite mercy assist us all in determining this question, in fuch a manner as the importance of it deferves!

SERMON XIX.

PSALM CXIX. 79.

I CALLED MINE OWN WAYS ΤΟ REMEM. BRANCE: AND TURNED MY FEET UNTO THY TESTIMONIES.

THE meaning of the text, is, that if you wish to cherish in yourself a sense of religion, you muft frequently examine your past life-you muft recollect your miscarriages; and form good refolutions for the future. You must call your ways to remembrance, that you may turn your feet to God's teftimonies. A man can hardly live ill, who frequently examines his past life in this religious manner; and he can hardly live well, who neglects it.