ousness, and may constantly submit myself to the righteoufnefs of God. And by the fame grace help me to bring forth the fruits of righteoufuefs abundantly unto the glory and praise of God, magnifying thine atonement in the peace of my confcience, exalting thy righteousness in the love of my heart, and in my walk and warfare glorifying thy fulness: So that out of it I may be receiving a fufficiency of grace, by which I am now enabled to blefs thee for the hope of glory. To thee, almighty Jefus, for the work of righteoufnefs, which is peace, and for the effect of righteoufnefs, which is quietnefs and affurance for ever: To thee be everlasting praise. Amen, and Amen.

CHA P., IV.

The believer's triumph in Jefus under a fenfe of the defilement of fin.

IT

T is in virtue of this fellowship with Jefus, that believers are freely forgiven all their iniquities. His atonement was the work of our great High Prieft, who was made fin for us, although he knew no fin, that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him. God is of purer eyes than to look upon the leaft iniquity: And there is a defilement in fin, which makes it exceeding filthy and abominable in his fight. He fhewed his utter abhorrence of it by establishing in the Old Tefta

ment

ment fuch an abundance of legal pollutions, as might exhibit to fenfe the defiling nature of fin, and might keep it ever before their eyes, and fresh upon their minds. And by making it neceffary, that the worshippers fhould be purified from thefe pollutions, and by eltablishing the means of their purification, and by forbidding every other, he would lead them to exercife faith in the great purifier, whofe office it was to purge their confciences, before they could offer unto the Lord an offering in righteoufnefs. And it was a fixed law, That if any one legally unclean neglected or refused the appointed means of being cleanfed, he was to bear his iniquity: For an unpardoned finner can have no communion with a most holy God. Unto the pure all things are

pure,

pure, but unto them that are-defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and confcience is defiled. The mind

is the fountain from whence all the ftreams flow. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, &c. thefe are the things which defile the man. An en lightened confcience is made fenfible of this, and feels the neceffity of being purified from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, in order to approach God, and to have boldnefs and accefs with confidence to the throne of grace. His meditations at fuch times are like thefe.

The more I know of myfelf, the more I am led to loath myself, and to repent in duft and ashes : For I am a finner, filthy and abominable altogether. By nature as

vile as fin can render a fallen creature, and daily polluting myself in heart and life with fresh impurities. I have no means of cleanf

ing myself: No hope, that any thing in the creation can do it for me. Deep in my very conftitu

tion the stain remains. And I am forced to be crying out-Unclean, unclean. My cafe would be quite defperate, if God himself had not provided a remedy, the report of which has come to mine ears in the gospel. O it is bleffed news. I welcome it to my heart: That God has opened a fountain, which cleanfeth from all fin. He has recommended it to me, as having infinite virtue and everlasting efficacy to cleanse. And I have a command from heaven, vile and filthy as I am, to make ufe of it: For thus it is written-"In that

day