The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

First of all, Faith it is said to purify the heart, Acts 15.9. There saith the Apostle, he put no difference between us and them, purifying of their hearts by faith. There is one property of faith, It is a purifier of the heart, that is, where there is faith, there is a principle in that heart, whereby it cometh to be purified and cleansed from the power and dominion of all original corruption. Where ever there is faith, there is a pure principle in that soul which endeavoureth nothing but the cleansing of the soul from all corruption that is inbred by nature.

First of all, Faith it is said to purifie the heart, Acts 15.9. There saith the Apostle, he put no difference between us and them, purifying of their hearts by faith. There is one propertie of faith, It is a purifier of the heart, that is, where there is faith, there is a principle in that heart, whereby it commeth to be purified and cleansed from the power and dominion of all originall corruption. Where ever there is faith, there is a pure principle in that soul which endeavoureth nothing but the cleansing of the soul from all corruption that is inbred by nature.

Faith it doth not purify the heart perfectly, but only in part: It doth not purge out all corruption, but only some; but yet this it doth, it establisheth in the soul a pure principle, whereby the soul is purged from the dominion of all sin, from the love of all sin, from the habitual delighting in any sin; and whereby the soul is made to be continually purging of it self from the remainders of corruption: Whence is that speech you have in 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing you have purified your souls by obeying the truth; faith it purifieth the heart by planting in it a principle which makes the heart purify it self; Thereupon is that you have in 1 John 3 3. Every man that hath this hope, purifieth himself as he is pure. Hope it is the daughter of faith; where there is faith, there is hope brought forth; where there is hope, this hope makes a man purify himself, even as God is pure. I pray observe it, Hope with faith works in the soul, it looks upon God, and it doth make a man strive to purify himself, that he may come to be pure as God is: What ever impurity is discerned in the soul, there is not that hope which is the daughter of faith; faith and hope is continually labouring and striving to work out that impurity: that is the meaning of it, he purifieth himself even as God is pure, that even as a Scholar that is willing to learn, he looks upon the Copy of his master, and upon his own writing, and where ever he findeth any default, he is continually striving to mend that, and still labouring every time more and more to be more conformable to his masters copy; even thus, where ever there is faith, it doth produce hope, which hope makes the soul continually aim to conform it self to the purity of God, whom it hopeth fully to enjoy.