him, imitates him, and lives to him, and no further.

By this discovery of the origin of religion, we come to understand the origin of sin and wickedness. And here, according to the method wherein I spoke of the origin of religion, I might show you how the origin of sin from without is of the devil; who first ushered it into the world, and ceaseth not to tempt men to it continually: as also of men, who are his instruments; and that it does, in a sense, spring from many occasions without. But these things are more improperly said to be the causes of sin. The inward cause is the corrupt heart of man, that unclean spirit, that devilish nature, which is indeed the worst and most pernicious devil in the world to man. It is an old saying, One man is a devil to another; which though it be in some sense true, yet it is more proper to say, Man is a devil to himself; taking the spirit and principle of apostasy, that rebellious nature, for the devil, which indeed doth best deserve that name. But yet, if we inquire more strictly into the origin and nature of this monster, we shall best know what to say of it, and how to describe it, by what we have heard of religion. Sin, then, to speak properly, is nothing else but a degeneration from a holy state, an apostasy from a holy God. Religion is a participation of God, and sin is a straggling off from him. Therefore it is wont to be defined by negatives, a departure from God, a forsaking of him, a living in the

world without him, &c. The soul's falling off from God, describes the general nature of sin; but then as it sinks into itself, or settles upon the world, and fastens upon the creature, or any thing therein; so it becomes specified, and is called pride, covetousness, ambition, and by many other names.

All souls are the offspring of God, were originally formed into his image and likeness; and when they express the purity and holiness of the divine nature, in being perfect as God is perfect, then are they called the children of God: but those impure spirits that do lapse and slide from God, may be said to implant themselves into another stock by their own low and earthly lives, and are no more owned for the children of God, but "are of their father the devil," John viii. 44. By which you may understand the low and base origin of sin: nothing can be so vile as that which, to speak properly, is nothing else but a perfect falling off from glory itself. By this you may also, by the way, take notice of the miserable condition of unholy souls. We need not call for fire and brimstone to paint out the wretched state of sinful souls. Sin itself is hell, and death, and misery to the soul, as being a departure from goodness and holiness itself; I mean from God, in conjunction with whom, the happiness, and blessedness, and heaven of a soul do consist. Avoid it therefore, as you would avoid being miserable.

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CHAPTER II.

True religion described, as to the nature of it, by water; a metaphor used in the Scriptures, 1. By reason of the cleansing virtue of it-The defiling nature of sin, and the beauty of holiness, manifested-2. By reason of the quenching virtue of it—This briefly touched upon, and the more full handling of it referred to its proper place-The nature of religion described by a well of water that it is a principle in the souls of men, proved by Scripture-An examination of religion by this

test.

I COME now to speak of the nature of true religion, which is here described by our blessed Lord, as a well of water. First, as water, Secondly, as a well of water. I shall speak something of both these, but more briefly of the former.

First. Pure religion, or gospel grace, is described by water. This is a comparison very familiar in the Holy Scriptures, both of the Old Testament and the New. By this similitude gospel-grace was typified in the ceremonial law, wherein both persons and things, ceremonially unclean, were commanded to be washed in water, as is abundantly to be seen in that administration. Under this notion the same grace is prayed for by the psalmist, when he had defiled himself in the bed of a stranger, Psalm li. 7. "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." He had drunk water out of a strange cistern, as his son Solomon describes that unclean act, Prov.

v. 15-17, and now he calls out for water from the fountain of grace, to cleanse him: he now cries out for water from the fountain of grace, the blessed Messiah, that sprung up into the world at Bethlehem, and that with more earnestness than formerly we read that he wished for the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate, 2 Sam. xxiii. 15. In the same phrase the same grace is promised by the ministry of the prophets, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto us. Thus we read of the fair and flourishing state of the church, Isa. lviii. 11. "Thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not;" and of the fruitful state of the gospel proselytes, Joel iii. 18. "All the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim." Which promises, that they are understood of the grace of sanctification, the prophet Ezekiel showeth plainly, Ezek. xxxvi. 25. 66. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you:" for ordinary elementary water cannot cleanse men from idols. The prophet Isaiah also puts it out of doubt, whose prophecy, together with the interpretation of it, we find both in one verse, Isa. xliv. 3. "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon

thy offspring." By the same ceremony the gospel dispensation shadows out the same mystery, in the sacrament of baptism; and, by the same phrase our Saviour offers and promises the same grace, John vii. 37. "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink:" and his apostles after him, who, in allusion to water, call this grace "the washing of regeneration," Tit. iii. 5. To which I might add 1 Pet. iii. 21, and many other texts, if needful.

Now, as the grace of God is compared to fire, because of its refining nature, and consuming the dross and refuse of lust in the soul; and to other things for other reasons: so is it compared to water, especially for these two properties, namely, cleansing and quenching: for observe this, by the way, that it is a very injurious thing to the Holy Ghost, to press the metaphors which he useth in Scripture, further than they do naturally and freely serve. Neither are we to stick in the letter of the metaphor, but to attend unto the scope of it. If we tenaciously adhere to the phrase, wanton wits will be ready to quarrel with absurdities, and so unawares run into strange blasphemies: they will cry out presently, How can fire wash? when they read that of the prophet, Isa. iv. 4. "The Lord will wash away the filth of the daughter of Zion, by the Spirit of burning." But who art thou, O man! that wilt teach him to speak who formed the tongue? The Spirit of God intends the virtue and property of

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