be no impure, unholy, and polluted members; they belong not to the Lord's body, and therefore must one day be feparated therefrom for ever-the man of felf-love, love of the world, and of dominion, must not abide therein the hypocrite, sensualist, avaricious-the proud, the envious, and uncharitable, will all be driven out when the Lord purgeth his floor. His temple, or church, must be pure, holy, and heavenly. In this life it is poffible one may deceive another; many may pretend to be the Lord's people, when they are not fo: their outward life may be regular, while internally they are under the influence of various evils and lufts. But no artifice or difguife can vail the mind from the penetrating eye of the Lord;-he knows all hearts, and every one will be received or rejected, according to his real internal state.

But, fecondly, as individuals, let us apply the subject to ourselves.

The bleffed God of love and mercy hath designed us to be holy temples for himself to dwell in; his will is to communicate to us every bleffedness and felicity; to make us complete in happiness, glory, and honor for ever; to fatisfy the most extenfive defires of our minds; to give us the eternal enjoyment and poffeffion of his kingdom, with all its beatitudes and pleasures, through the endless ages of eternity. And in order to our enjoying all this unfpeakable glory, honor, and peace, what doth he require of us? Why no more than to put away O what

whatever would hinder and prevent that enjoyment; to turn out every thief from our fouls, which would rob us of this exquifite delight; all felf-love, love of the world, love of evil and falfhood, all envy, hatred, luft, covetousness, anger, cruelty, unmercifulness; all thofe infernal demons who are confulting our ruin, and drawing us down to the gulf of mifery, where they themselves are.

Is not this, then, a proof of infinite mercy in the Lord our God, that he requires nothing of us but to put away our own enemies? that he may enter into his own house, the mind, with all his divine love and goodness, wisdom and truth, and so enrich us with every bleffing and happiness. Can there be any thing that we have indulged to hinder this divine communication, that we will not moft willingly part with for the Lord's fake, and for all the glories of his heavenly kingdom? I would hope not.

Then take these things hence-make not your Father's houfe a house of merchandife, a den of thieves-expel, and caft out with indignation, all those fenfual defires, evil lufts, and pernicious enemies, which you have unguardedly admitted-and return to the Lord, your most merciful God and Saviour, with an upright, humble, and fincere mind; faying, Other lords have had dominion over us, but ' now we will give up all our affections, and all the < powers of our minds to thee. Enter into thine own house, and make it a holy temple, in which thou • mayest

⚫ mayeft dwell for ever.' My christian friends, I can but earnestly call upon you, as well as upon myself, to give up every love, every evil, and every idol that will pollute the heart, and render us unfit for the divine presence, favor, and kingdom.

We are men and women, born to live with God-to enjoy the most fublime delights and pleafures to live in heaven-to become angels-and to exift through eternal ages in all the felicity and happiness a God can give. What a pity is it that the little, empty, unfatisfying baubles of the world, and fin, fhould engrofs our affections, rob us of fuch inconceivable glory, and plunge us in everlasting disappointment, forrow, and woe!

How much is it to be lamented, that while God is fo kind, we are fo unmerciful to ourselvesthat while he is wooing us to be great, and honored, and happy-we are fo folicitous to be poor, and mean, and wretched for ever!" Take these "things hence," and make your Father's house a house of love, charity, goodness, purity. Then will your Father enter, and all heaven with him, and you shall have every affection filled, every defire gratified, every wifh compleated, every expectation accomplished, every power of the foul exalted, and all the mind a glorious heaven of love, joy, peace, honor, and felicity!

I can do no more than recommend this divine conduct to every one of you, wishing to observe it myfelf;

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myfelf; that all which is evil, and false, and hurtful, may be caft out; all that is good, true, and happy, may enter; and that thus we may all be the living temples of the Lord-holy and glorious angels in his kingdom above--and with him enjoy all that heaven itfelf can give, through a boundless, joyful, never-ending eternity. Then will our reward be great, our joys complete, our state fecure, our blifs divine, and heavenly love that blifs increase for ever!

SERMON

SERMON XIV.

HARSH JUDGMENT CONDEMNED;

OR,

CANDOR IN JUDGING OF THOSE WHO DIFFER FROM US, RECOMMENDED.

How very difficult it is for men to divest themselves of long received prejudices, efpecially if those prejudices are of an evil or illiberal kind! The Jews, for many ages, had been accustomed to conceive of themselves as the peculiar favorites of heaven; as a boly nation; as the children of God; because of the feed of Abraham. Other nations they looked upon with contempt, would have no dealings

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