[SERM. Church of Rome has been most notoriously guilty in this refpect; for fuppofing these were the Truths of Christ, which the maintains (as God knows these Truths are buried by her in a great Heap of other Rubbish) who gave her Power to propagate, or preferve them by fuch cruel and barbarous Methods, as they have done in fo many Maffacres, Inquifitions, and Perfecutions, which they have fet a Foot? What a Butchery was their firft propagating of the Gofpel in the Spanish Dominions in America, enough to make Chriftianity ftink in the Noftrils of the Heathen? And how deep that cruel Church has drank of the Blood of Martyrs, their Perfecutions and Inquifitions fet on, where-ever they have Power enough, do fufficiently teftify to the World. Let us by no means imitate, but carefully avoid that bloody Spirit: Thefe are Methods which God will never -blefs, and which have a greater Tendency to fcare the Heathen away from Christianity, than to invite them to it. And therefore if we intend to make any Profelytes among the Indians, our Neighbours, or the Negroes, our Servants, let us treat both the one and the other with the Gospel Methods of Righteoufnefs and Mercy, and not with the Antichriftian Ways of Injustice and Cruelty; remembering my Text, that Blessed are the Merciful; for they shall obtain Mercy.

2. Are there fo great Promises of temporal, fpiritual, and eternal Bleffings made to the Merciful? Then, by the Rule of Contraries, there are great Curfes of all forts laid up in Store for the Hard-hearted and Unmerciful. St. James tells us, that (b) He fhall have Judgment without Mercy

that

(b) Jam, ii. 13,

that hath fhewed no Mercy. And therefore let us not content ourselves with Sobriety and Temperance, with Justice and Honesty, nay, not with Devotions and Sacraments, except we abound in this Grace alfo of Bounty and Mercy to the Poor, which ye fee is attended with many noble Promifes both of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come. Of which God give us all Grace, by being truly merciful, in due Time to become Partakers, through Jefus Christ our Lord, To whom, &c.

SERMON

SERMON XI.

MAT. V. 8.

Blessed are the Pure in Heart: For they shall fee God.

I

N. thefe Words our Saviour endeavours to take off another evil Difpofition of the Multitude and the Disciples, with relation to the Kingdom of the Meffiah, which was, their being fo much addicted to carnal Pleasures; for, among other Things which are usually proposed by Conquerors, Wealth, Honour, Luxury, Triumph over Enemies, arbitrary Government, and Revenge, this Part of the Mahometan Paradife ufes likewise to take up a chief Place in their Thoughts; namely, a full Gratification of their Lufts: And therefore, among many other Virtues requifite to prepare and difpofe them for Chrift's Kingdom, it was neceffary to add this of Purity, and to let them know, that without it there was no fuch Thing as the being a genuine Member of the Chriftian Church here, or any Hopes of Attainment of the Beatifick Vifion hereafter. Blef fed are the Pure in Heart: For they shall fee God.

In which Words we are to confider,

I. The Virtue here recommended, Purity of

Heart.

II. The Encouragement annexed, The feeing of God.

III. How Purity of Heart difpofes us for the Knowledge and Vifion of God.

I. We are First to confider the Virtue here recommended, Purity of Heart; Blessed are the Pure in Heart. In which Words are described, fays St. Chryfoftome, either the Perfons who are poffeffed of all Virtue, and are conscious to themfelves of no ill Thing; or else those who study Chastity and Continence. The Expreffion is used, and is true in both thefe Senfes. That great Fa ther is for this laft Senfe, taking Purity for Chaftity; and, indeed, what induces me to think it is intended here in that Sense for a Purity from the Sins of Uncleannefs, is, because I take all the other Beatitudes to be particular Virtues, and fuch Virtues as did most directly correct their carnal Notions of Chrift's Kingdom, and the wrong Difpofitions of Mind occafioned thereby, of which this was one, as I just now fhewed and therefore I am unwilling to interpret it in fuch a general Senfe as would comprehend all the other Beatitudes, and make our Saviour ufe fo many Tautologies, as he must use, if he meant Righteousness for the whole Duty of Man, and Purity of Heart for the general keeping of a good Confcience. Congruoufly then to what I take to be the general Scope and Defign of this Discourse, particularly of thefe eight Beatitudes, which do each of them take off one of the bad Difpofi

you;

tions for the Kingdom of the Meffiah; I interpret The Pure in Heart to be those who not only endeavour after an Abftinence from the outward grofs Sins of Uncleannefs, but study likewise a Difentanglement from them, in Heart and Thought, fetting their Love and Affection on God, as their chief Good and Happiness. These are the two Branches of this Virtue.

1. A mortifying of all luftful Inclinations. 2. The Exercife of the Love of God.

1. A mortifying of all luftful Inclinations, the Indulgence of which doth exceedingly pollute the Heart of Man. In this the Chriftian Religion diftinguishes itself above all other Religions that ever were in the World. Many of the Heathens encouraged Fornication, and fome of them the promiscuous Ufe of Women; the Mahometan and Jewish Religions, tho' they condemn all Whoredom, yet, by allowing Polygamy, and Divorces for very flight Causes, they have found Ways, under other Names, to give a most extraordinary Indulgence to Men's luftful Inclinations. But the Chriftian Religion has allowed no more Indulgence of that kind than is necessary for the Propagation of the World, and the virtuous Education of Children, and a reasonable Partition of the Cares of Life in holy Matrimony; and even in that State itself there are great Reftraints of Purity and Continence required.

But befides the external Part of Purity and Chastity, there is a much higher Degree of this Virtue required in my Text; for Purity of Heart is a much further Degree of Continence than a bare Abftinence from Fornication, and Adultery, and other more unnatural Impurities; it reaches

the