3. Keep close to God in the way of duty. God deals with us as rational creatures, and, therefore, requires that we should cleave to him in the various duties of his appointment; this is the gracious inftitution of Heaven.

4. Endeavour to keep the end of your course full in view. Be much in the exercife of that faith, which is the fubftance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not feen.

Laftly, Look to Chrift for ftrength to preferve you from being weary in well-doing. Remember that it batb pleafed the Father, that in him fhould all fulness dwell: therefore, we may of his fulness receive grace for grace. Be Strong, therefore, in the grace that is in Chrift Fefus. And thus ftrengthened, may you be preferved from fainting, endure to the end, and in due feafon reap a rich harvest of eternal joy.

SER

SERMON XX.

ON THE PURITY OF THE HEART.

BY

JOHN WITHERSPOON, D. D. L.L.D. Col. N. C. P.

PROVERBS XXX. 7, 8, 9.

Two things have I required of thee, deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me; left I be full and deny thee, and fay, Who is the Lord or left I be poor and fteal, and take the name of my God in vain.

My Brethren,

OUR

UR dependent condition as creatures, and much more our dangerous condition as finners, exposed to daily temptation, renders prayer a duty of the most abfolute neceffity. You must all be fenfible, how frequent and preffing the exhortations to it are in the Holy Scriptures. And, indeed, there cannot be a better evidence

of

of a right temper of mind, than an habitual difpofition to the exercise of this duty.

But as prayer is a neceffary duty, we ought to give the greater attention to the manner in which it is performed. We ought to ask only for fuch things as are truly safe and ufeful. We ought alfo to offer up our prayers with importunity, or reserve, according to the nature and comparative importance of those bleffings we defire to obtain. All our wants are perfectly known to God; he is also the best judge of what is fit for us, and therefore, our petitions should be well weighed, and expreffed in fuch terms, as, at the fame time that they intimate our defires, leave much to himself, as to the measure and manner of fatisfying them.

We have an excellent example of this pious and prudent conduct, in the prayer of the prophet Agur, just read in your hearing. All his requests are fummed up in two general heads. These he seems to infift upon, as absolutely neceffary to ask, with that humble, holy confidence, which is founded on the divine promife, that if we ask any thing agreeable to his will, he heareth us. He seems also to ask them, as what would fully fatisfy him, and be fufficient for the comfort of the present life, and the happiness of the life to come. Two things, fays he, have I required of thee, deny me them not before, or, as it ought rather to be translated, until I die.

These two requests are conceived in the following terms: Remove far from me vanity and lies, give me neither poverty nor riches. The firft, viz. Remove far from me vanity and lies, evidently relates to the temper of his mind, and the ftate of his foul. The fecond, viz. Give me neither poverty nor riches, relates to his outward condition, or circumstances in the prefent life. There are two things in the general ftructure of this comprehenfive

prayer,

prayer, that merit your particular attention. Firft, The order of his request; beginning with what is of most importance, the temper of his mind, and his hope towards God; and then adding, as but deserving the second place, what related to his prefent accommodation.

Secondly, The connection of his requefts. The choice he makes as to his temporal condition, is in immediate and direct fubferviency to his fan&ification. This is plain from the arguments with which he preffes, or the reasons which he affigns for his fecond petition. Give me neither poverty nor riches, left I be full and deny thee, and fay, Who is the Lord? or left I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

My brethren, I am perfuaded that this fubject can hardly be, at any time, unfeasonable to a Christian affembly, as our misplaced, exceffive, and unreasonable defires, are the greatest enemies to our progrefs in holiness, as well as to our comfort and peace. Perhaps, however, there are some circumstances that render it peculiarly proper for this auditory. Young perfons are very apt to cherish vaft and boundless defires as to outward things; and having not yet experienced the deceitfulness of the world, are apt to entertain exceffive and extravagant hopes. The truth is, rich and poor, young and old, may here receive a leffon of the utmost moment.

Let me therefore intreat your attention, while I endeavour to open and improve this paffage of the Holy Scriptures; beginning, at this time, with the first request, Remove far from me vanity and lies.

In difcourfing on which, I will endeavour,

I. To explain the import of it, or fhew at what it chiefly points, and to what it may be supposed to ex

tend.

II. Apply the fubject for your inftruction and direction.

I. I am to explain the import of the prophet's prayer, or fhew at what it chiefly points, and to what it may be fupposed to extend, in the petition, Remove far from me vanity and lies. The word vanity, especially when it is joined, as it is frequently in Scripture, with lying, or lies, is of a very large and comprehenfive fignification. The word in the original, tranflated vanity, properly fignifies lightness or emptiness; and lies fignify falfehood, in oppofition to truth.

I imagine we shall have a clear conception, both of the meaning and force of this phrafe, if we make the following remark: God himself is the great fountain of life and existence; the great I AM, as he emphatically ftyles himself to Mofes; the Original and he only reality, if I may so speak. All other beings have only a de pendent and precarious exiftence; fo that the creation itself, though his own work, compared to him, is vanity. Vanity of vanities, faith the preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. Therefore, in a particular manner, the word is often used to denote the folly of all idolatrous worship; or the giving the refpect and honour to any thing else, which is due to God alone. They have moved me to jeaGod, they have provoked me

loufy with that which is not to anger with their vanities. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain; or can the heavens give fhowers, art thou not be, O Lord our God?

Sometimes it is used to denote the folly or unprofitablenefs of any vice, and particularly of an ill founded conceit of ourselves, as well as of all fraud and diffimulation, in word or action. So that this prayer for our fouls, short as it appears to be, when confidered in its full extent,

will