vernment, the fall and finfulness of man, the method of falvation by a glorious Redeemer, &c. but the knowledge of these things must have a fuitable influence upon his heart and life, fo that his temper, difpofition, and practice, are reduced to the obedience of the Gospel. When his knowledge is directed by prudence and difcretion, in fuch a manner, whereby he becomes employed in holy exercises and holy duties, then may he be properly denominated wife or religious. Who is a wife man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him fbew, out of a good converfation, his works with meekness of wisdom. Indeed, none, in a fcriptural fenfe, can be deemed truly wife or knowing, who have not acquainted themselves with God, who have not known and felt their deplorable state by nature and practice, who have not cordially acquiefced in the plan of falvation, revealed in the Gospel, and devoted themselves to godly contemplations, and to the works of righteoufnefs. All the knowledge, befides this, which the world ftyles wifdom, is foolishness with God. Having mentioned thefe few things to manifeft that the term wildom, in our text, expreffes the fame idea with the phrafe true religion, I fhall now proceed to confider its origin and fruits, as they are here exhibited before us.

First, We are here taught, that true religion is from above. It is of a heavenly and divine original; it cometh down from the Father of Lights. All who are fanctified are said to be the workmanship of God, whofe glorious and principal dwelling is in the heavens. Chrift Jefus, the great author of religion, came down from above. The Holy Ghoft, the Comforter and Sanctifier of all that believe, defcendeth from on high. The ora cles of truth-the words of eternal life-the law and the Gofpel, are likewife from the fame fource: Holy men,

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by the inspired influences of Heaven, were moved to write and speak those things. When God is pleased to make effectual application of his word or providences to the awakening and converfion of a foul, this precious grace defcends from above. Thus all wisdom, religion, grace, and goodness, are of a heavenly and divine original; and that which is from any other fountain, is not that religion or wisdom which will fave the foul. Hence it is faid, The Lord giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. But this being a thing generally allowed, that all true religion proceeds from God, or defcends from above, I would not spend time in labouring this point, but proceed to confider its nature and fruits, as here described.

We have it represented to our view in eight branches or particulars, a fhining groupe of conftituents. All the heathen writers combined could not produce fuch a constellation of virtues. He, who laboriously cons their mighty works, will no where find fuch a collection; and when he has turned over and spread abroad their mountains of rubbish, no fuch beautiful gems ftrike his eager fight! Attend to the Divine defcription. It is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy, good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify.

The first constituent or branch of true religion, or that wisdom which is from above, is purity. It is firft pure, without any undue mixture of maxims, or aims that would debase it—it is free from grofs iniquities or moral defilements-not allowing habitually of any known fin, but ftudious of virtue and holiness, in all manner of conversation. The original word, which is here rendered pure, fignifies also chafte and modeft; therefore, this term expreffes a fweet, modeft, decent, chafte, and pure deportment, arifing from right principles and proper views.

When true religion is here characterized as pure, we must not from hence conceive that a religious perfon is inftantly made perfect, that he feels no more the motions of corrupt inclinations and affections, and is no longer guilty of fin, but only that he receives a pure principle or bias, whereby he is enabled to check his evil propenfities, to govern and restrain his corruptions, so that fin hath no longer that dominion over him which it formerly held. This principle, received in regeneration, tends to fill the foul with defires after, and will at last iffue in perfection. Some may here refer to the interrogation of the Royal Preacher, saying, Who can fay my heart is clean? I am pure from my fin? It is a fad and humiliating truth, There is none doth good perfectly, no not one. There are none whose hearts or lives are completely clean or perfectly free from fin; yet through the boundless riches of Divine grace, there are many who can rejoice in God, who giveth them the victory over their corruptions, and enables them to foil their spiritual adverfaries. As none ought to carry their opinions of religious purity to fo great a height as perfection in this life; on the other hand, every one may eafily obferve, that there is fomething more intended hereby than a bare abftinence from the outward and grofs acts of criminal fenfuality. There is more meant than an unimpeached character or a fair external behaviour before men. Men may be, and often are outwardly orderly and regular in their carriage, and yet poffess no real and vital piety.-Our Lord speaks of fome who had this beautiful and ornamented conduct, that were the reverse of fincerity and purity. He reprefents them under the strong figure of whited fepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead mens bones, and of all uncleanness. Wherefore they, who are the fubjects of this purity which defcendeth

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from above, are first made pure in heart. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they fball fee God; bleffed are the undefiled in the way, &c. Thefe look upon all intemperance, injuftice, difhonefty, and fenfuality as forbidden by God, waring against the foul, condemned by the gofpel of Christ Jefus, and standing in arrayed oppofition against their eternal intereft. The fear of God, love to the precious Redeemer, a pleasure and delight in propriety, integrity and uprightness, lead them to hate evil. A fixed averfion of the foul from iniquity, is a cardinal constituent of true purity. The hearts, the thoughts, and inclinations of the careless and secure, are entirely disposed to finful pleasures, and fenfual gratifications. They are governed by pride, ambition, covetousness, custom, inconfideration, vanity, or fome bafe luft or other. Hearken to St Peter's declaration, Their eyes are full of adultery, and they cannot ceafe from fin. Or fhall we go farther back into antiquity and retail the account found there: Every imagination of the thoughts of their heart is only evil continually. But when true religion enters the foul, and takes poffeffion of it, another turn to the temper, bias and difpofition is given. The thoughts and inclinations of the heart become now prevailingly fixed upon God and divine things, upon the honour of Jefus, the advancement of his kingdom, and their own immortal interests. The breathings of the new born foul are, Lord, create in me a clean beart, and make me of pure bands. They are now full of holy purposes, defires, and wishes. They long for the entire mortification of the deeds of the flesh, to yield themselves up foul and body to the service of God, and to be holy and perfect as he is holy and perfect. The heart being thus initiated into purity by the incorruptible seed of Divine principles fown from above, true religion will then display itself in a purity of life, by avoiding

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avoiding those things, which may dishonour Ged, wound the conscience, or injure the sacred cause of real piety. Its votaries will avoid, as far as poffible, all loofe, profane, and vicious company. They will not take the abandoned and notoriously wicked for their chofen companions. They will hate the ftains on the forehead, and the garments spotted by the flesh. They will be governed by a dictate of common fenfe, arifing from the gleam of nature's light, when the fame is adopted and confirmed by Divine counsel, knowing by experience, That evil communication corrupts good manners. Intemperate paffions, inordinate appetites, they will diligently guard against. Drunkenness, with all its beaftly train, they will carefully fhun. The exhortation of our Saviour, with 2 sweet and an abiding influence, refts upon their minds. Let us walk bonefly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonnefs. The impurity of revelling, rioting; the baseness of chambering, and wanton looks, wanton hints, words and behaviour, muft not put the present theme of modefty and chastity to the blush. Every thing which wears the aspect of uncleanness, difhonour, difhonefty and unrighteoufnefs, will be objects of their peculiar deteftation. A ribaldry of converfation will be the abhorrence of their fouls; they will not indulge themselves in filthy communication or filthy fpeaking, nor will they patiently bear it in others. Railing, whifpering, backbiting, reviling and flandering, wound their pure feelings. They cannot allow their own tongues this unkind and unchristian latitude, and their fouls are often pained with fuch ebullitions from the mouths of others. Their defire is so pure, that they would wish to speak evil of none; and when they are called by authority, or a juft occafion, it is with uneafinefs they undertake the dif recable task. Your talking, glorying, boafting, faultfinding