2. _The pure in heart_ are they, whose hearts God hath _purified even as he is pure_; who are purified thro’ faith in the blood of _Jesus_, from every unholy affection; who being _cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfect holiness in the_ loving _fear of_ God. They are, through the power of his grace, purified from pride, by the deepest poverty of spirit; from anger, from every unkind or turbulent passion, by meekness and gentleness; from every desire but to please and enjoy God, to know and love him more and more, by that hunger and thirst after righteousness, which now engrosses their whole soul: so that now they love the Lord their God, with all their heart, and with all their soul and mind and strength. 3. But how little has this _purity of heart_ been regarded, by the false teachers of all ages? They have taught men barely, to abstain from such outward impurities, as God hath forbidden by name. But they did not strike at the heart; and by not guarding against, they in effect, countenanced inward corruptions. A remarkable instance of this, our Lord has given us, in the following words: _Ye have heard, that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery_.[59] And in explaining this, those blind leaders of the blind, only insist on men’s abstaining from the outward act. [60]_But I say unto you, whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart_, for God requireth truth in the inward parts. He searcheth the heart and trieth the reins. And _if_ thou _incline unto iniquity with_ thy _heart, the_ Lord _will not hear_ thee. 4. And God admits no excuse for retaining any thing, which is an occasion of impurity. Therefore _if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of ♦thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell_, ver. 29. If persons as dear to thee as thy right eye, be an occasion of thy thus offending God, a means of exciting unholy desire in thy soul; delay not; forcibly separate from them. _And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell_, ver. 30. If any who seem as necessary to thee as thy right hand, be an occasion of sin, of impure desire; even though it were never to go beyond the heart, never to break out in word or action: constrain thyself to an entire and final parting: cut them off at a stroke; give them up to God. Any loss, whether of pleasure or substance or friends, is preferable to the loss of thy soul.