Brooks - BT750 .B7 1669

A choice Bed of Spices% joy him, and live for ever with him) Mat. 5. 8. But I am pare in heart, therefore I am bleffed and fhall fee God. By the pure in heart,here in the Text, we may fafely underfland the fincere and fingle hearted Chrittian ' in oppofition to the double minded Chrillian, as you may eafily perceive by com- paring the Scriptures in the margent together. Mark,. puri- ty is two-fold : Firff, fimple and abfolute ; and in this fence, no man is pure in this life, no not one. Secondly, refpeaive and in part, and that is the purity here meant. A pure heart, is a plain fimple heart, without fraud os guile, like Nathaniel, in whom there was no guile ; 'tis a heart that is evangelical- ly blamelefs and fincere. But fecondly, purity is oppofed to mixture, purity confifts in the immixednefs of any thing in- ferior ; that metal we account pure metal, which bath not any bafer than it felf mixed with it ; if you mix gold with Elver, the flyer is not made impure by the mixtureof gold ;, but if you mix lead or tin with, it, it's made impure.Remem- bet once for all, viz. that a pure heart is fuch a one as hath cal} off and caft out the - love and of every known fin, and mingles.not with it, though never fo fmall ; fuch a heart as bath renounced every known way of fin, though there is corruption remaining in it, &c. yet it can folemnly and ferioufly appeal to God, that there is no known way of fin, but it hates, and abhors, and flrives againif, and will up- on no terms' allow of. This heart, in the language of the Gofpel is a pure heart ; yea, 'tis fuch a heart as dares ven- tare upon the trial of God himfelf, Pfal. 1,39. 23,24, Search me, 0 God, and-know my heart,tryme and know My thoughts, and ree if there be any wicked way in me (or any way of pain, or of grief, or of provocation, as the Hebrew hath it, or any courfe of fin that is grievous to God or man. A gracious heart, a pure heart', can neither allow of any way of wicked- nefs, nor wallow in any way of wickednefs, nor make &trade of any way of wickednefs, nor give up it fen'. to,any. way of wickednefs. Though fin may cleave to a pure heart, as drofs doth to flyer, yet a pure heart will not mix nor mingle with fin) and lead me in the gay everlafting, or in the way of eterni- ty; or in the way of antiquity, as the Hebrew hath it; that is, 37 I Tim. r.g. Jam. 1. 8. I Pet. I. Prov.20.6. lacc14.21. I John I. 8. James 10.3. John 3. z. Luke I. f5 6.

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