KEEP THYSELF PURE.



JESUS was an example of purity.   Every professor of religion should be an example of purity. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

The heart of man, unrenewed by the grace of God, "is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Nothing can cleanse it from its impurities, but the blood of Christ.

Having been cleansed, we must be exceedingly watchful, and prayerful, or sin will enter the heart unawares. We must "Leave no unguarded place, No weakness of the soul."

The appetites must be controlled.  Professed Christians, and even ministers, by using tobacco to gratify their depraved appetites, violate the command, "Keep thy-self pure." Going to the theater is a practice, with many professors; "but thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."

Others contract impurity by reading novels and fictitious papers. These corrupt the heart and poison the mind. To keep ourselves pure, we must put on "the whole armor of God." Purity and happiness are inseparably connected; so are sin and misery. 

  An impure person cannot be happy in this world, nor in the world to come. Be careful what company you keep. A pure stream of water cannot run in the same channel with an impure one, without mingling with it, and becoming impure itself. 

So, if you go in company with ungodly men, you will drink in their spirit, and lose your 

religion. " Keep thyself pure."

There is a good deal said by professed Christians, about "innocent amusements." 

"We need recreation and exercise," they say; so they go to the theater, the base-ball ground, and the horse-race, and mingle with the ungodly crowd of pleasure-seekers that frequent such places. If you remonstrate with them, they will tell you that "there is no harm in innocent amusements.” "But is there no harm in wasting your time? Is there no harm in keeping bad company? Is it not sin to disobey God? He says, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate." "See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." "The pure in heart shall see God;" but the "wicked shall be turned into hell."

Is your heart pure cleansed from all sin? Does Jesus reign without a rival there? Remember, that nothing impure will ever enter Heaven. If you have not already given all to Jesus, now give yourself to Him, and, by a simple act of faith, the blood will be applied, and your heart will be cleansed. 




Earnest Christian.