4.

cy. No, the Man must be rabxanç☺, Perfect and intire, and wanting nothing as to all the Integral Parts of Duty, to beaccepted in the Judgment of God, Jam. 1. Only there may I think be allow'd this further Sense in the Propofition, that no one Vertue fhall go fo far towards the obtaining of full Mercy from God, as this of Mercifulnefs. And that if the Merciful Man for want of other neceffary parts of Chriftian Perfection, fhould not be able to ftand in the laft Judgment, yet however his Fall fhall be much the milder, and he fhall have great Abatements of Punishment made him for the fake of this one Excellency. To which purpofe, 'tis very confiderable that our Saviour in the Defcription of the laft Judgment, makes all the Favour and all the Severity of that day to proceed according to the Practice or Omiffion of this Duty, Mat. 25.

One way or other therefore the merciful fhall be fure to obtain Mercy, nor will God forget this Labour of Love. Pray God we may not forget it our felves, but may fo love, ftudy and practife Mercy here, that we may hereafter not only receive a milder Sentence, but find fuch a Degree of Mercy, as may finally rejoice against Judgment, Amen.

Difcourfe the Sixth.

Matth. V. ver. viii.

ལ

Bleffed are the pure in Heart, for they shall fee

God.

NE of the moft diftinguishing Perfe ctions of the Chriftian Inftitution above any other either Divine or Human, is, that it requires an inward Rectitude of Mind and Spirit, and makes the Heart the Principle and Seat of Spiritual, as it is of Natural Life. The Heathen Morality went little further than the regulation of the outward Behaviour, not much regarding the Sanctity of the Interiour. And tho fome few raised Spirits among them, moved by a Diviner Impulfe, would now and then, like Men in Extafies, talk above the World and themselves too, recommending certain Purgations and Purifications of Soul, as the Pythagoreans and Platonists, yet this was not taught or known in the common Schools of Nature, nor was it any where made the Ordinary Standard of Morality.

The Jewish Religion, as it prefented to the World a Second and more correct Edition of the Law of Nature, fo was it in this parti cular refpect more perfect than the Gentile Morality,

Morality, there being in the Moral Law one fpecial Precept which directly concerns Purity of Heart. But yet there was a great defect even here too, because tho there was a Prohibition of inward Concupifcence, yet it had no penal Sanction annex'd to it. Every other Precept was fo guarded as to be able to revenge it felf upon those who trangreffed it. Idolatry was punish'd, Perjury was punish'd, Profanation of the Sabbath, Difobedience to Parents, Murther, Adultery, Theft, and bearing falfe Witness were all punish'd, only Concupifcence had no punishment allotted to it. Which (as a Learned Perfon Conjectures) gave fome occafion to think that they might fecurely indulge their Concupifcence, fo it did not break forth into the outward and groffer A&t.

Philippus a Lim-
Chriftian, p.217.

borch. Theolog.

Certain it is, that many among the Jews fo thought and practis'd, contenting themfelves with external Conformity to the Law, without any regard to the inward Purity and Holiness, as may appear from our Saviour's frequent reprehenfions of the Pharifees upon this very account. And 'tis very probable that this their Fancy was occafion'd by there being no Punishment affign'd to the Breach of the Tenth Commandment, as that Learncd Perfon conjectures. However 'tis certain that it was a great Defect in the Law not to

bind fo perfect a Precept with a Penal SanЄtion. Tho indeed the true reason was, because 'twas too perfect to be feverely exacted in that Infant Age and State of the Church. The Law therefore did not rigidly exact it, tho it did plainly command it. Which tho no defect with relation to that Time and State, (the Law being as perfect as the Gofpel, as to all the ends purposes intended by it, and every way accommodated to the Condition of those on whom it was impofed) yet abfolutely speaking it was a great Defect and Imperfection of the Law.

Then as to the Mahumetan Religion (which indeed is only Heathenifm pretending to Revelation) this, tho the last, and affuming to it felf the improvement of all that went before, is yet really fhort even of Heathenifm it felf. This is fo far from requiring internal Purity, that it does not require fo much as external, but allows and recommends too the groffeft Impurities; which has often made me wonder why the Turk fhould write upon the out-fide of his Alcoran, Let no Man touch this Book, but he that is pure. I'm fure the Book it felf requires no fuch thing, nor can I juftifie the Reafon of the Motto in any other fenfe but this, That none but he that is pure is fit to be trufted with fuch a corrupt Inftitution.

But

But the Chriftian Law is pure indeed, and none but fuch as are fo are worthy to unloofe the Seals of this Book. This requires the utmost Purity that is confiftent with the Meafures of Morality, Purity without, and Purity within, pure Hands and pure Hearts. It requires it more exprefly, and in a greater degree, than either the Heathen or Jewish Religion, and (what was wanting in the other) under the Sanction of Rewards and Punishments, and thofe the greateft imaginable. It does not only command inward Purity, but incourage it too by the ftrongest Propofals that can affect either the Senfe or the Reason of Man. One of the greatest of which Encouragements is, that our Saviour inferts it into the order of his Beatitudes, and gives it a fpecial Title to the Beatifick Vision in these Words, Bleffed are the pure in heart, for they fhall fee God.

The Subject to be here difcourfed of is Chriftian Purity, or Purity of Heart. Whereof Ifhall reprefent,

I. The Nature, by a Character or Defcription.

II. The Neceffity.

III. The Blessedness.

By Purity of Heart in general, is to be underflood an inward Conformity of all the Thoughts