that believers would make ufe of, and improve thefeead_ vantages and privileges, in a confident approaching to God ; Let us draw near (faith he, y. zz.) in full of urance of faith. But, becaufe there are two things that readily ¡land in the way of believers their coming to God,. he oafh in two requifite qualifications of their coming, for removing thefe obflru &ions, and to let us fee, that, thà' he allow of the well-grounded confidence of faith, yet he loth not allow of carnal preliimption in approaching to God. The ill. thing that flands in their way is carna nefs and deceit of heart ; and the qualification he re- quires for removing of it, is in thefe words, Let us draw near with a true heart : Which is not to be underflood of a fimply finlefs heart ; but of a fincere, honeft and upright heart, a clean heart, lothing and working out the remainder of pollution and impurity : For it is oppofed to an unclean, deceitful and hypocritical heart ; other- wife the next words of fprinkling and wafbing would not be added. But becaufe, 2dly, Believers win not in this life to that perfe&ion in purity and fincerity,but ílill they are confcious to themfelves of a remainder of deceit, im- purity and hypocrify to be and abide in them ; fo that, if they have no more but the teflimony of their own pu- rity and fincerity to look to, it will be but as one leg to walk upon, in their drawing near to God : They might therefore obje &, Alas ! we have but little, if any thing, of á pure and fincere heart ; he anfwers this, by adding the fecond qualification, Having our hearts fprinkled front an evil Confcence, and our bodies wafhed with pure water ; which is (as if he had laid) Whereinfoever ye be unclean and defiled, and whatever be your impurity, deceit or hypocrify, come to the blood of Chrifl, that ye may be fprinkled and wafhen thereby, and then come forward, aixd draw near to God in full afrrance cf faith. In a word, he would have them coming, and coming in fincerity ; and whatever lamented over, and lothed deceit and by- pocrify or uncleannefs they find in themfelves, he . would not have that keeping them back ; becaufe there is an efficacy in the blood of Chritl to purge away both the guilt and the filth of fin, and to procure welcome to fuck as are fincere and fingle in purifying their heart and dw t
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