ay that
filled it before, and so it is denominated from the best part. It is
washed and cleansed from a sea of corruption, and the body of sin that did
reign within the heart was formerly like an impure fountain, that sent out
nothing but rotten stinking waters. Unto him were all things unclean, for
his heart and conscience was defiled, Tit. i. 15. Nothing was pure to him,
it ran continually in a stream of unclean thoughts and affections. But now
he is purified, and to the believer "all things are pure:" the ordinary
strain and current of his thoughts and affections run more clearly free of
the earthly quality they had, more sublimated, more spiritualized, and he
is named by that. Though, it may be, temptation may trouble the fountain,
and make it run unclean and earthly, yet it will settle again, and come
into its own posture, and the dreg fall to the bottom, and the clean water
of the Spirit be the predominant. But a standing puddle will run foul as
long as it runs, corruption goes through all. It is not a corner of the
heart, but the whole heart.

III. A pure heart is like a running fountain, if it be defiled, it is
always casting out the filth, and is about returning to a right state. But
an impure heart is like a standing puddle that keeps all it gets. If by
temptation the pure heart and affections be stirred, and the filth that is
in the bottom come up to the brim, it hath no rest nor peace in that
condition, but works it out again, and it hath this advantage, that it is
purer and clearer after troubling nor(478) it was before. For much of the
filth would run out that had been lying quiet before. But an impure heart
keeps all, and vents none. If ye trouble it, ye will raise an ill smell,
and when it settles, it falls but to the bottom again, and there is as
much to work upon the next time. In a word, the believer when he sins, and
his heart goes wrong, he weeps over his heart, and has no peace till it be
cleansed. He washes in the fountain of Christ's blood. When a natural
transgression gets up, he sets himself against it and the root of it both,
and bears down the original corruption, which is the fountain of all sin
(Psal. li. 5), and at every descent he brings away something of that
puddle. He is upon the growing hand by the exercise of faith and
repentance. Look upon him after he has seen and been sensible of his sins,
and ye would say it is not the man ye saw. He hates sin more than he did
formerly. We also no