his accufations, vanishes, and is loft in the glorious vifion, and we know not what is become of him and being so taken up with the King in his beauty, we neither ask, nor wish to know where he died, nor where he was buried; Jefus is all in all, and at fuch times he leaves no room for another. This righteoufnefs enables the finner to lift up his head to God, and to look Confcience out of countenance; yea, to look to the day of judgment with celestial triumph, mercy rejoicing against judgment. The fiery Law appears quenched in a Saviour's blood, and the everlasting Gospel fhines like a million funs. "Surely the light of the moon

fhall be as the light of the fun, and the light of "the fan fhall be fevenfold, as the light of feven "days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the "breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their "wound." Ifai. xxx. 26. What poor, patchedup, pitiful linfey-woolfey garments of righteoufnefs, do thofe preachers bring forth, who are ftrangers to the King's wardrobe!" a bed too

Short for a weary foul to reft on, and a "covering too narrow for a foul convinced of it's "nakedness to wrap itself in." Ifai, xxviii. 20. Souls once enrobed with the royal raiment of needle-work, will never fetch their apparel from Rag-fair; for the nakednefs and beggary of fuch preachers appear confpicuous enough (to fouls thus enlightened) in all they fay, in all they do,

in all they preach, and in all they write; none covet their state, or envy their happiness, but fools and blind.

Bleffed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Not the mercy of carnal men is meant, for the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel; and though finners love finners, and give to finners, yet they have not the reward of eternal inheritance for that; it is not done to the least of Christ's brethren, and so it is not done to him. Natural men, by their liberal acts, may procure a fort of ceremonial confecration on what they have; as the Saviour faid to the Pharifees, "Give alms of fuch

things as ye have, and behold all things are "clean unto you." But "though this righteous "ness may profit the fons of men, what does fuch "a perfon give to God?" Job, xxxv. 7, 8. These things can neither merit, nor procure the fure mercies of David-they come without any procuring cause in man; befides, whatsoever is not of faith, is fin, and withour faith it is impoffible to please God, much lefs merit at his hands. Moreover, these bleffings are pronounced on the difciples. of Chrift, who believed in him, and followed him, and who themselves bad obtained mercy fo to do. Merciful men, in the language of Scripture, are righteous perfons and heirs of Heaven. "The righte"ous perish, and merciful men are taken away, none "confidering that the righteous is taken from the B 2

" evil

" evil to come-they shall enter into peace." Ifai. lvii. 1, 2. Thefe difciples were chofen in Chrift, and given to him; God had blessed them in him, and sent him to blefs them, and he was now about it. As they had obtained mercy, to make them merciful, he bleffed the merciful, and promised that they should obtain more mercy-which they would "want to help them in every time of "need:" As Paul fays, "Having obtained mercy, "I continue to this day." A merciful man is merciful to the fouls of men-which he fhews in praying for them, warning them, holding forth the word of life clearly and unadulterated to them, and declaring faithfully the whole counsel of God; "which is fowing to ourfelves in righteousness, "and reaping in mercy." Such a fubject of divine mercy feels for troubled fouls, fympathizes with them, fuccours them, and bears a part of their burdens, gives them wholesome advice and counfel, and anoints them with fresh oil in the name of the Lord-whereas a graceless finner, an empty profes for, or a legal preacher, is nothing but a barren wilderness, or a physician of no value.

God's fovereign mercy is the fure mercies of David, which God gave to Jefus the fon of David, that he might communicate the fame to the whole houfhold of David, which is his own churchand when this mercy is beftowed on men, it makes them merciful men. This mercy appears in God's reveal

revealing his Son in us, and uniting us to him: "But "God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love where"with he loved us, even when we were dead in "fin, hath quickened us together with Chrift." It appears in the gift of the Spirit: "Of his own

mercy he faved us, by the washing of regenera"tion, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft." Such fouls having obtained mercy, they faint not, either in preaching mercy, or in fhewing mercy, either to the bodies or fouls of men, though they meet with much oppofition in it, and cruel treatment for it. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain

mercy;" not only to help them in every time of need, while in a militant ftate, but fuch fhall find mercy of the Lord in that great day. 2 Tim.

i. 18.

Bleffed are the pure in heart. This purity of heart is, not the external varnish of a Pharifee, nor the bcafted perfection of an hypocrite, nor the empty dream of the carnally fecure; for though they are pure, yet it is only in their own eyes, not being washed from their filthiness, Prov. xxx. 12. Nor is it the double portion of fanctity that those claim, "Who fay, Stand by thyself, come not near to "me, for I am holier than thou." Thefe pious fouls are a fmoke in God's nofe, and a fire that burneth all the day, Ifa. lxv. 5. Nor does it confift in the final deftruction or entire removal of the inbeing of fin-"For who can fay, I have made my heart

aim at purity.
"and they that

"clean, I am pure from my fin?" Prov. xx. 9. Nor is it to be found in those who by a little decent carriage, and conformity to the letter of the Law, For they that fanctify themselves, purify themselves, fhall both be "confumed together," Ifai. lxvi. 17. This purity of heart ftands in having the heart sprinkled from an evil confcience, and that by the blood of Sprinkling, which speaks pardon, peace, and reconciliation, which are better things than that of Abel. Such an one, and only fuch, "can ferve God with a pure "confcience," 2 Tim. i. 3. It is the faith of God's Elect that firft applies the atonement, and ever after has recourfe to that fountain in every time of need, not only to wash the feet, but alfo the hands and the head, from all the imperfections, failings, infirmities, fhort-comings, &c. &c. that cleave to our best performances, "for in

many things we offend all." Thus God purifies our hearts by faith, Acts, xv. g. Men who are destitute of this faith, and who never received this atonement, are as destitute of internal purity as the prince of devils. "Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and confcience is defiled," Titus, i. 15. The man whofe fins are forgiven him, and whose conscience is purged from guilt and dead works, who is renewed by the Spirit, who is a believer in Jefus,

and