stified when it is judged? Ye will not get challenges(477) answered by
your own integrity and uprightness, or by your performing of duties. No,
no, these cannot be sufficient grounds of your peace. Lay down the solid
and satisfying grounds of faith, of imputed righteousness, and of
salvation by Jesus Christ, and this shall be a foundation of lasting
peace. Sense makes not a good conscience, there is much lightness and
vanity in it, and the rule it proceeds by is changeable, but faith
establishes the soul, and makes it not ashamed.

Sermon XIII.

1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c.

Fourthly, Faith purging the conscience purifies the heart (Acts xv. 9.),
and hope also purifies the heart (1 John iii. 3.), which is nothing else
but faith in the perfection and vigour of it. This includes, I. That the
heart was unclean before faith. II. That faith cleanses it, and makes it
pure. But "who can say, I have made my heart pure (Prov. xx. 9.), I am
clean from my sin?" Is there any man's heart on this side of time, which
lodges not many strange guests? In answer to this we may observe, that
there is a legal purity, and a gospel purity. A legal purity is a sincere
and full conformity to God's holy will and command, in thought,
affections, inclinations, and actions, and, in this sense, who can say, I
have made my hands clean? The old corruption sticks to the heart and
cannot be thoroughly scraped out, there are many lurking holes for
uncleanness to be hid in. Corruption is engrained in him, and it will not
be the work of one day to change it. The whole head is sick, and the whole
body full of sores. All the corners of the heart are full of filthiness
and idols, and though the house be now sweeped and garnished, and all
things look better in it, yet there are many hidden places of rottenness
undiscovered, and it is the soul's continual exercise to purify itself as
he is pure. But evangelical purity and cleanness is that which God
reconciled in Christ takes to be so, and that which in Christ is accepted,
and is a fount of his clean Spirit dwelling in the heart. The heart
formerly was a troubled fountain, that sent out filthy streams, as a
puddle. Corruption was the mud among the affections and thoughts, but now
a pure heart is like a clear running water, clean and bright like crystal.
Now this purity consists in the washing of regeneration, and
sanctification by the Spirit of holiness. Jesus Christ came b