SERMON XI.

PROV. XXX. 12.

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes; and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

[The fourth Sermon on this text.]

IVILITY is a very comely thing; but if it be not attended with fanctity, it but gilds a man over, and is not true gold. A man may have civility, and civil honefty, and yet go to hell: but fanctity and purity is the beginning of heaven. The one is not above the sphere of nature; the other is fupernatural: for as the earth naturally can bring forth grafs, but cannot bring forth corn, except it be plowed and fown; even fo, any man may naturally be civil, but he cannot attain to any life of grace, or true holinefs, except God plow up the fallow ground of the heart, fow the feed of grace, and make it to take root down-ward, and bring forth fruit upward. Therefore, truft not to common civility and fobriety, whatever external comlinefs and excellency be in it; 'but rather be afraid of it, left you mistake it for real grace: why, because the fober devil carries more to hell than the profane devil; for the profane man, being in a dirty way to hell, he is fooner convinced of his filthinefs and mifery, and more readily reclaimed: but the civil man, being in a more cleanly way to hell, is fo conceited with an opinion that he has grace already, that it is harder to bring him to true repentance. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

It is a very fad and a very dreadful thing for people to be dreaming, that they are going to heaven, and fancying that they are in very good terms with God, and yet are in the ftreight road to hell, having God for

their enemy, and enemies to God; Enemies in their minds by wicked works. Yea, there are many fuch, that if ministers deal plainly with them, and tell them that they are enemies to God, and never had a spark of true love to him; all that we get of them is, God forbid; we hope it is otherwife: or elfe, fay they, We hope it will be otherwife, and God will have mercy on us and so there is no more of it, they remain hardened in their enmity, and yet hardened in a vain imagination, that all is well. Ó Sirs, if that be your cafe, will you let the word of God fink into your confcience, for conviction. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes; and yet is not washed from their filthiness. I now

come,

4thly, To another use of the doctrine, which shall be for trial and examination. Examine and try whether or not you have any fhare of this gofpel purity: whether or not you be washed from your filthinefs. It is a matter of great moment that you are called to enquire into. God calls you to examine your felves, and prove your ownfelves and feeing purity and holiness is the great preparative for everlasting happiness, a mistake in your fearch may make you miferable to all eternity. I fhall here, 1. Offer fome negative characters, pointing out those that are not washed from their filthiness. 2. Some pofitive evidences by which we may try, whether or not we be washed from our filthinefs, and partake of this gofpel purity, which we have held forth in the nature, neceffity, and excellency thereof.

[1.] We are to offer fome negative characters, pointing out those that are not washed from their filthinefs, but are filthy ftill. Upon the last use, I offered feveral witnesses to be produced for testifying the impurity of the day we live in; and shall not refume what I faid, but offer fome things further, by which we may try how impure we are and the generation is. And, though fome of the particulars I am to mention may take place, in fome measure, with the godly that are washed, yet those who are under the power of thefe evils, the unmortified power, unlamented and unrepented dominion thereof, were never washed from their filthinefs: the Aaa 2

text

text fays, There is a generation that are not washed from their filthiness, though yet they are pure in their own eyes, and felf-conceited, which is the particular fin that I referve to be spoken to in the third and last doctrine : and therefore fhall not infift upon it here. But, you fee, befides this, all other fins and abominations, and impurities are included in the text; and therefore it gives us occafion to speak of all manner of fin, while it fays, There is a generation that are not washed from their filthiness.

1. There is a generation of atheists, that neither fear God nor regard man: that fay in their heart, There is no God; and vainly with there were none.. There is a generation of deifts, which is but a fecond edition of atheism, whereby the providence of God is denied; and fo the God of providence blafphemed: but beside the grofs, contracted, and almoft profeffed atheifm of many, what a huge generation is there, that was never purged from their natural atheism! And though they would take it ill to be called atheists, are evidently and practically fo, while, though they profefs to know God, yet in works they deny him. Surely thefe are not purged from their filthinefs.

2. There is a generation of ignorant perfons, that know not God, know not religion, know not the principles of Christianity; they are grofly and ftupidly ignorant, notwithstanding the means of knowledge: they are artfully ignorant, neglecting the opportunities of intruction, diets of examination, and other feafons of learning. They are ignorant of Chrift, and the way of falvation through him: ignorant both of law and gofpel; the covenant of works and covenant of grace. Are thefe wafhed from their filthinefs? No; It is a people of no understanding, faith God; therefore he that made them, will not have mercy upon them; and he that formed them will fhew them no favour. And befide the grofly ignorant, there is a generation that hath a fmattering of knowledge, fome notional views of gofpel myfteries: but they never had the eyes of their underftandings pened; the God of this world having blinded their eyes: My people are deftroyed for lack of knowledge. They are

not

not washed from their filthiness; no: the ignorant pèrfon is filthy ftill.

3. There is a generation of mockers, that despise all things, ferious and facred. If they come to church to attend ordinances, they but flight and despise these ordinances in their hearts. If they hear a preaching, they but defpife and contemn the word that they hear, and know not what it is to hear to edification. If public prayers be an offering up, they but defpife the fame; their eyes are roving, and they know not what it is to join in prayer with their fouls. If public pfalms be a finging, they defpife that piece of worship, and can fit with their mouths clofe, when the mouths of others are opened, to fing praises to God. I have fometimes obferved, with regret, how, while the congregation were profeffing at leaft, to praise God with open mouth, fome will fit with fuch a clofe mouth, as if they were openly profeffing that they despised and contemned that heavenly exercise. They that love not to join with a congregation on earth, to praise God, how unfit are they for joining with the heavenly company, whofe exercife is to praife him for ever ?--There is, I fay, a generation of mockers and defpifers; and fome that flight and defpife ordinances altogether, of whom God faith, Behold, ye defpifers, wonder, and perish. Surely these are not wafhen from their filthiness.

4. There is a generation of hypocrites and formalifts, that furely are not wafhen from their filthiness, that make a fashion of reading, and hearing, and praying, and praifing, and finging; and reft fatisfied with the external performance of duty, and were never acquainted with the love, the power, the life of religion; that have a name to live, but are dead. Wo to you hypocrites! for ye make clean the outfide; but are not wafhen from your internal filthinefs: you are as whited fepulchres, having a fair outfide; but within are full of rottennefs and putrefaction.

5. There is a generation of legalists and moralists : they go about to establish a righteousness of their own, and will not fubmit to the righteousness of God. They are your pretenders to works, and holiness, and righteoufnefs;

but

but discover their want thereof, by their eftrangement from, and ignorance of the righteoufnefs of Chrift. They feek heaven in a legal way: they feek to enter in, but they fhall not be able, Luke xiii. 24. They feek falvatian, but they feek it not by faith; but, as it were, by the works of the law. They pretend respect to the law, and yet affront it by refufing the only law-biding, law-fulfilfing righteoufnefs of Chrift. They profefs holinefs, and yet are not washed from their filthiness; for they are under the law. For that word, Sin fhall not have dominion over you; for you are not under the law, but under grace, may be read juft backward, with refpect to them: Sin fhall have dominion over them, because they are not under grace, but under the law.

6. There is a generation of fuperftitious worshippers and ceremony-mongers, who will worship God in ways not enjoined in his word. A heathen Socrates would fay, "God will be worshipped with that kind of worship "which himself hath commanded:" and furely, those that profefs themselves Christians fhould fear and learn. Now, I not only hear mean, all grofs fuperftition, of whatfoever fort, but all impurity of worship. Surely they are not washen from their filthinefs, who have no concern upon their hearts to ftand up for the purity of religion, in its worship and ordinances, in oppofition to all mixtures and corruptions whatfoever. Nothing exafperates a holy God more than this, that there fhould be defilements in his worship; for mixture in his worship, not only croffes his command, but impeaches his wifdom, as if we fhould fupply the defects of his word, by our inventions: therefore, God condemns it as will-worship, faying, Their fear toward me, or their worship of me, is taught by the precepts of men, Ifa. xxix. 13. Col. ii. 22, 23. In a word, it makes God's worship a vain worship; In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the com mandments of men, Mat. xv. 6. As mixing copper with gold debafeth the metal, it cannot pafs: therefore, God giveth that awful certification, Rev. xxii. 18, 19. For 1 testify unto every man that hearth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God fhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and