the devil who is called by way of Eminency The unclean spirit Math. 10. 1. 26. 12. 43. as being in himself most foul and unclean and making it his chief delight to provoke and stirre up others to uncleannesse so is directly opposite to the most holy and pure God 3. Consider That whilst thou livest in thy wickednesse there is no hope of heaven God hath expressely told thee that no unrighteous person shall inherit his Kingdom no fornicators idolaters adulterers drunkards coveteous c. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. Ephes. 5. 5. no unclean person can come there Rev. 21. 8 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there 's a double negative they shall in no wise enter Heaven is an inheritance undefiled 1 Pet. 1. 4. It is Gods holy mountain where he doth more especially manifest his presence and glory such a pure place and presence will not brook an impure sinner Most men would have happinesse but they regard not holinesse they would be glorified Saints in heaven but not mortified Saints on earth Like Balaam they would dye the death of the righteous Numb 23. 10. but not live their lives They would go to heaven with their sins but if no unclean beast might come near the Mount lest it died and if a King will not suffer such as have the plague runing on them to come nigh his Court-Royal where then will those beasts appear that have the plague of sin runing on them and reigning in them Who ever hopes for heaven and happinesse Non est via ad regnum sine primitiis regâ—… nec sperare potest coeleste regnum cui neque super propriam datur regnare concupiscentiâ—…m Bernard must tread the path of holinesse or he will never come there 1 Iohn 3. 2 3. He that hath this hope viz. of attaining glory with Christ hereafter must first resemble Christ in purity here as Christ died for sin so he must dye unto sin for if we be in the flesh we cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. and if flesh and blood i. the weaknesse of our nature cannot inherit glory 1 Cor. 15. 50. how much lesse can corrupt nature Obi. Though our lives be wicked yet we have as good hearts and as good mindes and meanings as the purest of them all Ans. The emptiest barrels sound loudest Saul boasts that he had kept the commandments of the Lord when he had broke them Thy wicked life See M. Ant. Burgess Ser. 92. pag. 543. c. shews clearly the wickednesse of thy heart thy evil fruit shews that thy root is evil for a good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit and if thy heart were so good thy life would be better where the fountain is sweet the streams cannot be bitter therefore deceive not thy self for if thy life be wicked thy heart is a thousand times more wicked and if thy actions be naught thy spirit is worse Obi. If the Lord be angry we must bear it as well as we can we hope yet to escape for he is mercifull c. Ans. Bear it Alas there is no enduring Gods wrath it rends the rocks melts the mountains makes the devils tremble and roar like the sea and shrike for fear Hence the Lord tels his people Ezek. 22. 14. that their hearts could not endure nor their hands be strong in the day when he should bring his judgements on them If we cannot bear the V. Baxter Saints Rest part 2. ch 4. sect 10. pangs of a rotten tooth or a broken bone how shall we endure the terrors of the Lord when they shall seize on all the powers both of body and soul 2. Presume not of Gods mercy for See more Harsnet on Repent p. 318 c. Brooks his Remedies against Satans dâ—…vices p. 52 c. as he is mercifull to them that fear him so he is just in punishing those that rebell against him and hath said he will not be mercifull to such as offend of malicious wickednesse Psal. 59. 5. though Burgess Ser. 59. he be gracious to the penitent yet he will by no means acquit the wicked Nihil est deterius quam pacem sperare â—…ul 〈◊〉 bellum gerimus cum Deo illum promittere nobisquietum quem lacessâ—… mus peccato Calv. Exod. 34. 6 7. Dreadfull is that place none like it in all the book of God against all impenitent presumptuous sinners that cry Peace peace and blesse themselves in their wickednesse adding drunkennesse to thirst and sin to sin What will the Lord do to such a one Deut. God cannot satisfie himself in threatning this heynous sin as if the very naming of it had enraged his jealousie Trap. in loc 29. 19 20 21. 1. The Lord will not spare him 2. His anger and jealousie shall smoak against him 3. All the curses which are written in this Book shall lie upon him 4. Yet more God shall blot out his name from under heaven 5. The Lord shall separate him unto evil A second sort of wicked unholy persons Second sort See D. Preston on 2 Tim. 3. 5. are formall professors meer outside Christians who have a form of godlinesse but are strangers to the life and power of it they have fine words but filthy deeds like Pharaoh King of Egypt ox praeâ—…erea nihil Nihil prodest nomen sanctum sine moribus q. vita a professione discordans ab rogaâ—… illustris tituli honorem Salv. who is said to be a Noise i. nothing but words he promiseth much but performs nothing Jer. 46. 17. Like the prophane Jews they cry The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord yet for all that they will steal murder commit adultery swear fasly and bow for an advantage to any Baal Jer. 7. 9 10. They make great shews and come to hear the Prophets of the Lord when it is only to Hear but they will not Do with their mouths they praise but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse Ezek. 33. 31. These Buts spoil all It is said of Naaman that he was a valiant man But he was a leper so many are men of fine Parts But they are proud But they are covetous But they are censorious alwaies prying into the lives of others Domi talpae â—…ris oculati neglecting their own c. These walk as if they had been trained up in Machiavells School who tels men they need not much care for vertue it self but for the appearence only in the eyes of the world because the fame and credit of vertue is an help but the practice of it is a cumber But sure if the shadow be so good the substance is better if the very name of piety be a praise how Si bonum est bonum apparere melius est bonum esse Chrys. Nihil tâ—…m provocat Deum qui est sanctitas ad abominationeÌ„ peccantis sicut hypocrisis quae est simulatio sanctitatis Wickliâ—… great is the praise of real holinesse Counterfeit
hath defiled and corrupted all the powers and parts of soul and body so all must be renewed and sanctified Burnt offrings must be whole not a head or a leg but all must be sacrificed Levit. 1. 8 9. Not that the substance of our bodies or souls are changed but the qualities corruption is purged out and 〈◊〉 non est mutatio naturae sed qualitatum non mutat substantiam sed corruptioneÌ„ non in nihilum sed in ordinem redigit affectus siquis naturâ fit 〈◊〉 non tollit tristitiaÌ„ sed moderatur c. Sibel 〈◊〉 IudaÌ„ p. 41. grace is planted in its stead our understandings which before were darkened now they are light in the Lord our judgements are rectified 1 Cor. 2. 15. our memories are renewed and made more retentive of the best things our wils are flexible and conformable to Gods will our affections are subdued and set on right objects Gal. 5. 24. 2. The body and all its members are sanctified and renewed sinne doth not reign there Rom. 6. 12 19. It s become a Temple for Gods Spirit to dwell in all its members are become servants of righteousnesse unto holinesse 3. The actions and outward conversation Nee satis est cor sanctificatum esse nisi tota nostra vita externa conversatio internae sanctitatis animi sit signaculum Sibel M Ant. Burgess Ser. 115. Our words and works which before were vain and sinfull are now sweet and savoury tending to Gods glory and the good of others So that all such as are truly sanctified are wholly sanctified Old things are past away and all become new new mindes new memories new judgements new affections new desires new fears new love new joy new sorrow new food new raiment new language new company new ends and aims c. He now answers as the young penitent man in Ambrose answered the courting Minion Cur non respicis ego sum Hearken 't is I Sed ego non sum ego Though you be still the same woman yet I am not the same man As an old Ale-house while a drunken tenant lived there 't was never empty of drunkards theeves whores c. But now an honest tenant is come in down goes the sign and when old guests call there 's no room for them for there 's another man dwels there Now the parts of sanctification are two 1. Mortification or dying to sin by the Robur tyranâ—…s vires peccati debilitantur paulatim abolentur Siâ—… spirit they mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. Col. 3. 3 5 9. 10. The death of Christ is the death of their sin sin is an underling in the soul it reigns not there This is called in Scripture a pulling out of the eyes a cutting off the hands a keeping under our bodies denying our selves purging out the old leaven putting off the old man 2. Vivification or living unto righteousnesse Generaâ—… unius est destructio alterius Aust when Gods Image is restored and we are made conformable to his will so that what pleaseth him pleaseth See both these parts fully handled â—…n Mr. Dovvnams Warf p. 285 Mr. Ienkyn on Jude 1. p. 21. to 46. us and what is displeasing to him is displeasing to us they do not only fly evil but they do good they have their part in the first resurrection therefore the second death shall have no power over them Rev. 20. 6. They draw virtue from Christs resurrection whereby they rise from sin to newnesse of life Colos. 3. 9. 10. Rom. 6. 10. 11. Now I come more particularly to the signes of sanctification and these call for our more special observation they are seven 1 Sign A holy man hath an holy heart he first makes clean the inside The heart wins all the Cards yea though it be the knave of Clubs with all his Ceremonies Latimer he knows that God delights most in a pure heart and commands us to keep that clean Isa. 1. 18. Jer. 4. 14. 13. ult Prov. 23. 26. Iames 4. 8. therefore his greatcare and desire is to keep it pure as becomes the Temple of God The hypocrite is all for externall holinesse to be seen of men the Pharisees could cleanse the outside but within they were full of wickednesse therfore Christ denounceth such woes against them Matth. 23. 25. 26. Amaziah did much but lost all because his heart was rotten 2. Chron. 25. 2. it ruined him v. 14 15 16. True holinesse is a plain and an even thing without false-hood guile perversnesse of spirit or starting aside it hath one end one rule one way one heart when hypocrites and double minded men they pretend to God but follow the world If ever then we would be truly holy we must put in practice the councell of the Lord Ezek 18. 31. We must cast away with an holy indignation not lay them aside for a time 2. Not some but All our transgressions great small profitable pleasing c. 3. Get a new heart A morte temporali spirituali Deus solutionem promittit modo de puriori vivendi ratione serio mediâ—… tentur Sanct. in loco sanctification must begin within if the heart be changed the outward man will soon follow 4 A motive from the danger Why will ye endanger the â—…ternall salvation of your souls by resisting the motions of Gods holy Spirit 2. His language is pure When the man is changed his language is changed God gives to pure men a pure language Zeph. 3. 9. He is now a good Qualis vir â—…alis oratio Loquere 〈◊〉 tâ—… videam man and therefore out of the good â—…reasure of his heart he bringeth forth good things as the wicked man out of â—…he evill treasure of his heart brings forth swearing cursing lying slandering c. Matth. 12. 34. 35. You may ghesse at a man by his talke a rotten man will have rotten talk Ephes. 4. 13. a gratious man hath gratious language 3. His waies are pure not only his Burgess last Ser. Ser. 94. words but his works are holy A hypocrite may have fine words but his Hypocrita odit peccatum non quà peccatum sed quà morbum poenam works are naught he may hate sin as it makes him sick or poor c. but not as it is sin and displeasing to God he hates not sin but he loves not burning A mans works and walking discover what he is a swine is known by his delighting in dirty puddles but a sheep loves fair pastures A holy man loves to keep communion with God by constant prayer but the prophane man will not once call on him Psal. 14. 4. for prayer will either make him leave sin or sin will make him leave praying He is jealous over himself fearfull to offend shuns the occasions of sin willing in all things to live honestly hating See more Harsnet on Repent p. 125 to 145 c. not one but every false way he
of discredit and discomfort You have here the summe and substance of many Sermons Reade digest and Practise them for they are matters of Eternity which will do you good for ever when Riches fail and Friends fail when Trades fail and strength fails yet Piety where it is in the power of it is â—…verlasting Riches enduring Substance a never fading Treasure having the promise both of the blessings of this life and that which is to come Keep this therefore whatever else you lose Buy it at any rate but part with it at no rate be like Pherecides the Athenian who held the Ship on the shore with both hands one being cut off he held it with the other and both being cut off he held with his teeth Resolve to part with all rather then part with purity Say to it as Ruth did to Naomi Ruth 1. 16 17. Whether thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God Where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried The Lord do so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me These things the Lord who is rich in Mercy vouchsafe to give you he blesse you with the dews of Heaven and the fatnesse of the earth with the blessings of his right hand and of his left he make you to abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that ye may approve the things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse unto his praise This is and ever shall be the Prayer of Your affectionate Pastor and hearty Well-wisher Tho. Hall Kingsnorton Jan. 30. 1652. Imprimatur Nov. 20. 1652. Edm. Calamy THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESSE 1 PET 2. 16. Be ye Holy for I am holy TO study the salvation of mens Souls as 't is one of Omnium divino um est dâ—…ssimu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deo in con 〈◊〉 erâ—…ntium qui puro amore pro universoru sâ—…lute laborant recte Deitormes divini imo divinissimi â—…cupantur Dionys. Are. opag the highest and hardest works that we can undertake so 't is a work most pleasing unto God making us to resemble him who delights in the prosperity of his people and is willing that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth Now since none can attain to this SalvatioÌ„ without Sanctification no happiness without Holiness I have been at some pains to set forth the Grace of Graces in its lively colours to make us out of love with sin and in love with Purity and Holiness which is the * Pulchritudo haec non est carnalis sedspiritualis beauty of families the strength of Cities the wals and bulwarks of a Nation the Crown of the Church Militant and the glory of the Church Triumphant It is the streets of gold in the holy City the rich pavement of the heavenly Jerusalem Rev. 21. 10 11 18 19 20 2â—… 27. which renders the Church Fair as the moon glorious Pulchritudo habet vim magneticam affectivaÌ„ ita ut trahit secum amoreÌ„ admirationeÌ„ desiderium Alsted as the sun and terrible like an Army with banners Cant. 6. 10. This is that beautifull grace which hath an attractive vertue in it to draw our love desires and affections after it What Plato said of his morall vertue is most true of this Theological grace * T were able to make Persecutors Professors Drunkards Puritans the most sensual Epicure to become a mortified Saint Bolton Direct for Walk p. 373. 〈◊〉 if it could be seen with bodily eyes it would be beloved of all Hence the Apostle joyns purity and loveliness together Phil 4. 8. Whatsoever things are pure lovely meditate and think on them till you be in love with them Light beauty excellency are the object of our desires now in holiness is all this and much more look what are the greatest earthly See the glory and beauty of Holinesse fully sweetly set forth by Dr. Raynolds Ps. 110. 3 p 349 c. excellencies they are but shadows to the beauty of holinesse This is that fairnesse and beauty so oft mentioned 1 Chron. 16. 29. Psal. 45. 11 50. 2. 1. 10 3. so highly commended Cant. 1. 10 11. 4. 1. 6. 1. 7. 1. Ezek 16. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. There is no beauty like that beauty which makes us like unto God as sin is a deformity a blot a most dishonourable filthy thing and debaseth the creature so grace puts a lustre upon a man and upon all his accomplishments it makes the face to shine as Moses his did when he came from seeing God in ihe Mount In a word Holiness is the Glory of God the beauty of Angels the excellency of man the ornament of all Societies without which they are but dens of devils cages of unclean birds What Austin said of Righteonsnes is most true of Holiness Remota sanctitate quid sunt regna nisi latrocinia Take away piety and what is the world but a sty oâ—… filth So that holiness is not only our duty but our glory it is both our work and wages such imployment is our high preferment Without this if a man had the wisdom of Solomon the strength of Sampson the riches of Craesus the eloquence of Apollos all the morall accomplishments of Cato Fabritius c. yet he must baptize them all Ichabod There is no glory in them 'T is this that hath made all Gods servants so famous in their generations it was not their riches parts descent c. but their piety they were holy men fearing God and walking in sincerity before him this kept their names green and flourishing when the names of prophane unholy men doth rot and perish Thus have I given you a glimpse of the beauty of Holiness to quicken your desires after that which follows The scope of the Text is briefly this Peter exhorting the faithfull to sanctity sincerity of conversatioÌ„ useth an argument drawâ—… froÌ„ their Adoption ver 14. Ye are the children of God therefore it becomes you like dutifull children to obey the commands of your heavenly father that as he who hath called you is holy and hath chosen you out of the world to be his own peculiar people so it concerns you who are his children to reseÌ„ble him in the beauties In omni conversatione i ut nulla sit pars vitae quae non 〈◊〉 bonnm sanctitatis odorem redolâ—…at Cal v. in loc of holinesse and that not for a day or a week but through the whole course of your lives in all manner of conversation i. in all things in all places at all times and in all companies In the Text there is First A duty commanded Be holy SecoÌ„dly A double reasoÌ„ to inforce it 1. Because it is written It is no new
to direct them grace to renew them grace to strengthen and comfort them so that there is no life like theirs For as the life of a man excels the life of a Beast so the life of a gracious man excels the life of a naturall man c. See more fully Topsals Preface to the Book of Ruth and Master Baxters Saints Rest 4. Part Sect 4. p. 56. Now lay all these Motives together and then put the question to your selves as Saul did to the people in another case 1 Sam. 21. 7. Can the son of Jesse give you fields and vineyards and Ratione homines iumentis religione homines bominibus antestant Boet. See more Will. Burton Serm. on Prov. 7. 1. p. 372. c made you all Captains of Thousands and Captains of Hundreds So say I Can the world give you peace joy contentment in all conditions Can your riches houses carnall friends c. give you comfort when you come to die or will they not rather like false friends then leave you and forsake you But holinesse like a faithfull friend will never leave you nor forsake you but in the very pangs of death will yeild you comfort Isa. 38. 1. 3. and at last Vestite vos seriâ—… pâ—…obitatis byssino sanctitatis purpurâ pudicitiae c. Tertul. de cultu faem c. 9 bring you to everlasting happinesse Oh then let us cloath our selves with the silk of honesty with the lawn of sanctity and the purple of chastity Et taliter pigmentatae Deum habebitis amatorem So shall the King of Kings See twelve Motives more in Bifield on 1 Pet. 1. 15. p. 123. take pleasure in our beauty and we shall be lovely in his eye for ever CHAP. IX IF any now seeing the necessity and excellency of holinesse shall cry out as those Acts 2. 37. Men Brethren What must we do that may be holy A. The Means to attain it are The means If you would see more Direct peruse Bifields Marrow p. 448 c. plain and easie to those that have hearts to practise them 1. You must pray unto God for it it is his Prerogative Royall to be The Lord that sanctifieth us Ezek. 20. 12. He is both the Authour and the finisher of it and though he hath promised to bestow it on us Ezek. 37. 25. 26. yet v. 37. he will for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them You must ask if ever you would have Spare to speak and you shall never speed What the Apostle saies of wisdome is true of sanctification James 1. 5. If any one lack it let him ask it of God Spread your uncleannesse and lament it before the Lord cry as the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Oh when shall it once be Lord thou knowest that the way of man is not in himselfe but t is thou who art the heart-making that must be to me the heart-mending God c. It is therefore observed that the men of most prayer have been the men of most holinesse as Moses Samuel Job Daniel Paul c. True it is we must use all other means but without praier they are all but vain This must come in the Reare of all and be added to all other means that they may become effectuall When the Apostle had directed the Ephesians to put on the whole armour of God he addes in the close of all Praying allwayes c. Ephes. 6. 18. This is like Goliahs sword none like that and therefore Gods servants being sensible of their own uncleannesse by prayer have made out unto God for it Psal. 19. 12. Cleanse me from secret sins And 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart And 119. 133. Order my steps aright and let no iniquity have dominion over me And Paul praies for his Thessalonians that God would sanctifie them wholly 1 Thes. 5. 23. Nor is it all praying or seeking that will prevail But we must seeke it 1 Early 2 Earnestly 3 Constantly And to encourage you know That none ever sought God thus but he was found of him Many ask but it is amiss either they seek it not early in their youth or they seek it not zealously and earnestly with their whole heart or they cannot wait but give over presently no wonder if such ask and have not because they thus askamiss 1 Then you must seeke a gracious frame of spirit * See eight Reas. for this Gatakers Ser. on Matth. 6. 33. fol. p. 43. c. early in the morning of thy youth whilst the day of thy visitation lasts to such the promise runs Pro. 8. 17. They thatseek me early shall See more fully M. Ant. Burgess Ser. 75. finde me There are certain seasons of grace when the Lord makes tenders and offers of grace to the soul happy those that observe those seasons and know in this their day the things that concerne their everlasting peace There is a time when the Lord will be found of his people observe that season and improve it seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him whilst he is near Isa. 6. Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth before the evill daies come Fly betimes from the lusts of youth such as pride fornication self-confidence rashnesse sensuality voluptuousnesse c. 2 Tim. 2 22. God takes it kindly when young persons will so farre deny themselves that they can follow him through a wildernesse of temptations and oppositions in a Land that is not sown A hypocrite may follow him in a Land that is sowen with pleasures profits honours c. but to follow him in the want and losse of these argues some sincerity and makes us dear to God Jeremy 2. 2. I remember the kindnesse of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the wildernesse in a Land that was not sown It was Josiahs commendation that when he was but sixteene years old he began to seek serve the Lord 2 Chro. 34. 1. 3. And Obadiah feared the Lord from his youth 1 King 18 12. You must be good young if you would be good long Seldome doth a devil in youth prove a Saint in years the time of conversion as one well observes is usually between 18. and 28. and he that mispends that flower of his time is seldome good The devil indeed hath a Proverb A young Saint and an old devil But Gods Spirit tels us the contrary Prov. 22. 6. Train up a child Angelicus juvenis senibus Satanizat in annis in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Train up a child vertuously and usually he will See Childs Patrimony ch 2. Harsnet on Rep. p. 260 278 c. continue Youth is our seed time our harvest and our hopes depend upon our care and diligence in this plowing and sowing season Every thing is Opportunitasâ—… plurimùm potest