and covetousness:" which is an equivalent exhortation, and drawn from the same premises as that of the text; "purify yourselves, event as he is pure."

The scriptures then teach, that we are to make ourselves like Christ upon earth, that we may become like him in heaven, and this likeness is to consist in purity.

Now there are a class of christians, and, I am ready to allow, real christians, to whom this admonition of the text is peculiarly necessary.

They are not those, who set aside religion, they are not those, who disregard the will of their maker, but they are those, who endeavour to obey him partially, and in this way: finding it an easier thing to do good than to expell their sins, especially those, which cleave to their hearts, their affections or their imaginations, they set their endeavours more towards beneficence than purity. You say we ought not to speak disparagingly of doing good: by no means;

but we affirm, that it is not the whole of our

in par

duty, nor the most difficult part of it; in ticular, it is not that part of it, which is insisted upon in the text, and in those other scriptures, that have been mentioned. The text, enjoining the imitation of Christ upon earth, in order that we may become like him in heaven, does not say, do good even as he went about doing good but it says, "purify yourselves even as he is pure." So saith St John; "mortify the deeds of the body, let not sin reign in you, die with Christ unto sin, be baptized unto Jesus Christ, that is unto his death, be buried with him by baptism unto death, be planted together in the the likeness of his death, crucify the old man, and destroy the body of sin; as death hath no more dominion over him, so let sin no more reign in your mortal bodies." So St Paul. All these strong and significant metaphors are for the purpose of impressing more forcibly upon us this great lesson: that to participate with Christ in his glory, we must participate with him in his humiliation; and that this participation consist in divesting ourselves of those sins,

of

of the heart especially, and affections, whether they break out into action or not, which are inconsistent with that purity, of which he left us

an example, and to the attainment and preservation of which purity, we are most solemnly enjoined to direct our first, strongest, and our

most sincere endeavours.

SERMON VI.

TASTE FOR DEVOTION.

JOHN. IV. 23, 24.

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit; and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit

and in truth.

A

TASTE and relish for religious exercise, or the want of it, is one of the marks and tokens, by which we may judge, whether our heart be right towards God or not. God is unquestionably an object of devotion to every creature, which he has made capable of devotion; consequently, our minds can never be right towards him, unless they be in a devotional frame. It cannot be disputed, but that the au-.

thor

4

thor and giver of all things, upon whose will, and whose mercy we depend for every thing we have, and for every thing we look for, ought to live in the thoughts and affections of his rational creatures. 'Through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born: thou art he, that took me from my mother's womb: my praise shall be always of thee." If there be such things as first sentiments towards God, these words of the Psalmist express them. That devotion to God is a duty, stands upon the same proof as that God exists. But devotion is an act of the mind strictly. In a certain sense, duty to a fellow creature may be discharged, if the outward act be performed, because the benefit to him depends upon the act. Not so with devotion. It is altogether the operation of the mind. God is a Spirit, and must be worshipped in spirit, that is, in mind and thought. The devotion of the mind may be, will be, ought to be testified and accompanied by outward performances and expressions: but, without the mind going along with it, no form, no solemnity can avail, as a service to God. The question is, whether their mind, and thoughts,