ye fay, fuch a man doth fo and fo; and why may not I do it also? But remember, firs, that there are many hypocrites in the church of God, that go under a mask of religion; and fuppofing them to have the reality of grace, yet they may be under a fpiritual decay, they may be fadly deferted of God; and do ye think, that in this cafe they are to be imitated? And befides, fuppofe them to be never fuch eminent perfons, yet according to the Apostle's direction, we are to be followers of them, no further than they are followers of Chrift. And befides, we are in danger from the frowns and flatteries of the world; if the world cannot get us allured into fin by its enticing promifes, it will study to drive us into a compliance, by threats of trouble and perfecution. Thus, I fay, we are in imminent danger from the world; the apostle James exhorts us to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, Chap. i. laft. 2dly, Ye are in danger from Satan, that fubtle and malicious enemy, that goes about as a roaring lion, feeking whom he may devour; he waits for your balting, and is always ready to trip up your heels; and I affure you, firs, if ye have got any love-token from the Lord at this occafion, this enemy will do his best, or worst rather, to deprive you of it. It was but a little after Peter had been feafting with Chrift, at this holy ordinance of the fupper, that Chrift told him, Luke xxii. 31. Simon, Simon, Satan bath fought to winnow thee as wheat'; and therefore ye had need to be on your guard as to this enemy, and labour not to be ignorant of his devices. 3dly, Ye are in danger of defiling your garments, from your own hearts. My friends, would not that city be expofed to great danger, which is not only befieged with an army from without,

without, but has a strong and powerful party within, that keeps a correfpondence with the enemy without, and is ready to comply with all his demands? Juft fo is it with us; we are not only befieged with the world, and with Satan, who are our enemies without; but there is a ftrong party of indwelling fin and corruption within us, that is ready upon all occafions to betray us into our enemies hands. This made David cry out, who can understand his errors? and Paul, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from the body of this death? So much for the first motive.

MOTIVE 2d, By keeping your garments clean, ye comply and fall in with God's great defign in all his difpenfations towards you, whether more immediate, or mediate. God's great end in all is, to bring his people to the ftudy of gospel-purity and holiness; this is the defign of his electing fome of the pofterity of Adam, from all eternity, Eph. i. 4. He bath chofen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love. It is a very foolish way of arguing, that fome people have, if I be elected I fhall be faved, let me live as I lift; for God, like all other wife agents, not only decrees the end, but the means leading unto that end: Now, holiness is the king's high-way, in which he has ordained and decreed to bring the elect to glory, 2 Thess. ii. 13. God hath chofen us from the beginning unto falvation, through fanctification of the fpirit, and belief of the truth. This is the defign of redemption: Chrift did not die, firs, to purchase a latitude to us to fin; no, no, Titus ii. 14. He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himSelf a peculiar people, zealous of good works. This

is the defign of our creation: Why did ye get a being, but that ye might glorify and ferve God? This people have I formed for myself, that they may fhew forth my praifes. And this is not only the defign of our firft, but of our fecond creation; For be bath created us in Chrift unto good works. This is the defign of our effectual calling; For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness; no, he hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling. This is the defign of the whole word of God: Why has God privileged us with his ftatutes and teftimonies, but that they be a light to our feet, and a lamp to our path, to keep us out of the polluting ways of fin? Pfal. cxix. 9. Whereby fhall a young man cleanse his way, but by taking heed thereunto, according to thy word? This is the defign of the promifes of the word; however carnal perfons may make the promises a pillow of fecurity, yet God's defign in giving them, is to excite his people to keep clean garments, 2 Cor. vii. 1. Dearly beloved, having thefe promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This is the defign of the threatnings of the word, that fo men, knowing the terror of God, may be perfuaded to keep at a distance from fin, the abominable thing that his foul bates, and may not defile their garments therewith. This is the defign of all providences whereby God exercises his people; why doth God caft thee into the furnace, O man? His defign is to purge away thy drofs, Ifai. xxvii. 9. By this therefore fhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his fin; the Lord chaftens us, that we may be partakers of bis holiness, Heb. xii. 10. This is the defign not only of cross, but of favourable providences; the VOL. II: goodness

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goodness of God fhould lead us to repentance, and lays a deep obligation on us to stand off from fin, which is offenfive to our gracious benefactor. This is the defign, not only of all providences, but of all ordinances, and of the whole difpenfation of the grace of God in the gospel, Tit. ii. 11, 12. For the grace of God that bringeth falvation, bath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we fhould live foberly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent world. This is the defign, not only of the preaching of the word, but of the administration of the facraments: In baptifm, we are folemnly devoted to the fervice of God, and are engaged to walk as those that are called by the name of Chrift, who are bound to depart from iniquity: And, in the facrament of the Lord's fupper, we folemnly renew, before God, angels and men, our baptismal engagements, and fwear to keep our garments clean from the pollution of fin, and that by laying our hands on the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. This is the defign of every frown, and of every fmile. Doth God at any time fill thee with joy and peace in believing? Lifts he up the light of his countenance upon thee? The language of this is, O do not defile thy garments! God will speak peace unto his people, and to his faints; but let them not return again to folly. And why doth God at any time hide his face, and leave thee in the dark, but to engage thee to more tenderness in time to come, in keeping at a distance from these pollutions, whereby he has been provoked to forfake thee? Thus, I fay, if ye do not keep your garments clean, ye counteract the great defign of God in all his difpenfations towards you: How dangerous is it to be found fighting against God?

MOTIVE 3d, Confider the difmal effects that will follow upon your defiling your garments. First, Ye will ruin your reputation, and render your names unfavoury in the world; and this is no fmall lofs; for, a good name, fays Solomon, is as precious ointment, and renders a man capable to do fervice unto God in his day and generation. Prov. vi. 33. it is faid of the adulterer, A wound and dif bonour fhall be get, and his reproach fhall not be wiped away. When profeffors of religion or minifters defile their garments by fin, especially fins of a public nature, they wound their reputation, bring a reproach upon themselves, that is not eafily wiped away; and, not only fo, but make the word of the Lord, in their mouths, to be contemned and defpifed. Ye may read a fcripture for this, Mal. ii. 8, 9. It is fpoken of the priests of that day, Ye are departed out of the way: Ye have caufed many to fiumble at the law: Ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, faith the Lord of hofts. Therefore have I alfo made you contemptible and bafe before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. Secondly, Ye will stain and pollute your fouls, which ye ought to keep pure as a holy temple unto God; and how dangerous a thing this is, ye may fee from 1 Cor. iii. 17. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the fpirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him fhall God deftroy. My friends, ye have been folemnly confecrating your fouls and bodies unto God, as his temple; and, if any of you fhall after this return with the dog to his vomit, and with the fow that feemed to be washed, to wallow again in the puddle of fin, ye run a very dreadful rifque. Utter deftruction from the Lord, and from the glory