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A29687	The crovvn & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered in LVIII sermons from Heb. 12. 14, where you have the necessity, excellency, rarity, beauty and glory of holiness set forth, with the resolution of many weighty questions and cases, also motives and means to perfect holiness : with many other things of very high and great importance to all the sons and daughters of men, that had rather be blessed then cursed, saved then damned / by Thomas Brooks ...	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1662 (1662)	Wing B4939; ESTC R36378	584,294	672

under every turn no turns shall turn him out of a way of holinesse Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands Finis coronat opus shall be stronger and stronger A man that is really holy will be holy among the holy and he will be holy among the unholy If you look upon him among unholy friends unholy children and unholy servants you shall find him holy If you look upon him among unholy neighbours you shall find him holy and if you look upon him among unholy buyers and sellers you shall find him holy If you take him at his Table you shall find him holy if you take him in his shop in his commerce you shall find him holy if you take him in his family you shall find him holy if you take him in his Closet you shall find him holy if you take him in his journeyings you shall find him holy or if you take him in his recreations you shall find him holy True holinesse is like that famous Queen Elizabeth Semper eadem alwayes the same The Philosophers good man is Tetra-gonos four square cast him where you will like a Dye he falls alwayes sure and square So cast a holy man where you will and into what company you will yet still he falls sure and square for holinesse True holinesse is a part of the divine nature it is of such a heavenly complexion that it will never alter If the times should be so sad and bad that holy persons should not be able to hold fast their estates their liberties their trades their lives their religion 2 Cor. 18.13 yet they will still hold fast their holinesse A holy Christian is like gold Now cast gold into the fire or into the water cast it upon the dunghill or into the pleasant garden cast it among the poor or among the rich among the religious or among the licentious yet still it is gold still it retains its purity and excellency so cast a holy Christian a golden Christian into what condition you will and into what company you will Gen. 39. yet still he will retain his purity his sanctity yea the worser the times are the more a holy man studies holinesse and prefers holinesse and prizes holinesse and practises holinesse that he may keep up the credit of holinesse and the credit of a holy God and the credit of his holy profession in the world But now such as have only a shew of holinesse an appearance of holinesse these will be religious among the religious and vitious among the vitious They will be righteous among the righteous and licentious among the licentious they will be as the company is amongst which they are cast with the good they will be good and with the bad they will be bad with the zealous they will be zealous and with the superstitious they will be superstitious and with the lukewarm they will be lukewarm c. they are for all times and tides they are for any turn that will serve their turn Isa 9.17 for any mode that will bring pleasure or profit to them they are like Alcibiades of whom it was said that he was omnium horarum homo a man for all times for he could swagger it at Athens and take any pains at Thebes he could live most sparingly at Lacidaemon and bib among the Thracians and hunt among the Persians So these men can accommodate themselves to the times and comply with them what ever they be with Proteu●s they will transform themselves into ●ll shapes as the times change so will they what the times favour that they will favour what the times commend that they will commend what the times cry up and admire that they will cry up and admire and what the times frown upon and condemn that they will frown upon and condemn Look as curious and well drawn pictures seem to turn their eyes every way and to smile upon every one that looks upon them so these can turn with the times they can look as the times look and smile as the times smile they can say with the times and sail with the times Sometimes they can act one part and sometimes another part as the times require if the times require a large profession they can make it if the times require a rigid Spirit against such as cannot comply with the times they can act it If the times bespeak them to leave their religion at the Church door they can leave it c. If the times call upon them to worship God according to the prescriptions of men they can do it Oh but give me a man that is really holy and he will be holy though the times should be never so unholy yea the more licentious the times are the more gracious he will labour to be In the fifteenth place He that is really holy propounds ordinarily to himself holy aims and ends in his actings and undertakings The glory of God is the mark Iohn 7.18 Gen. 41.16 Dan. 2.23 Titus 2.10 1 Cor. 10. ult Rev. 12.11 the white that holy men have in their eyes Rom. 14.7 8. They live not to themselves but they live to him who lives for ever they live not to their own wills lusts greatnesse and glory in this world but they live to his glory whose glory is dearer to them then their very lives They make divine glory their ultimate end 2 Cor. 4.5 Quod non actibus sed sinibus pensantur officia That duties are esteemed not by their acts but by their ends is most certain We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord that is in our preaching we woo not for our selves but for Christ We are no kin to those who speak two words for themselves and hardly one for Christ In all our preaching we eye the glory of Christ we design the honour and exaltation of Christ Real holinesse is commonly attended with a single eye as counterfeit holinesse is commonly attended with a squint eye squint eyd aims and squint eyd ends do usually wait upon double hearts Take a holy man in the exercise of his gifts and graces for the good of mens souls or take him in the exercise of charity for the good of mens bodies and in both you shall find his eye fixt upon the glory of God Suitable to that 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen Look as bright shining golden vessels do not retain the beams of the Sun which they receive but reflect them back again upon the Sun So those that are really holy they do return and reflect back again upon the Sun of righteousnesse the praise and glory of all the gifts graces and vertues that they have received from

turned into a Wolf but when a worldling is made holy there is a Wolf turned into a man yea a devil turned into a Saint therefore the Holy Ghost speaking of Zacheus who had long been bewitch't by the world brings him in with an Ecce Behold as if it were a wonder of wonders that ever such a worldling should be made holy A man bewitch't with the world will venture the loss of his soul to enjoy the world Mat. 16.26 As that Pope that sold his soul to the devil for the enjoyment of the Popedom six years We hate the Turkes for selling of Christians for slaves but Ah how many be there among us that call themselves Christians who yet sell themselves and their souls to the devil for slaves for half a crown yea for a half penny Look as Shemei by seeking his servant lost his life so many by seeking of the world have lost their souls Now though of all losses the loss of the soul is the greatest the sadest the sorest the heaviest and the most intollerable inconceiveable and irrecoverable loss yet a man bewitch't with the world will run the hazard of losing it of damning it to enjoy the world You know the Reubenites in Josh 22. preferred the country that was commodious for the feeding of their cattle though it were far from the Temple where they might have fed their souls and have got heaven and holiness for their souls before their interest in the Land of Promise We so men that are bewitch't with this world in these days O! how do they prefer their sensual delights their brutish contentments and their carnal enjoyments before the heavenly Canaan and before the beauties of holiness and before the Temple of Gods holiness where holiness sparkles and shines in all its bravery and glory and where their souls might be abundantly satisfied and delighted with the most ravishing joys the most surpassing delights and the most transcendent pleasures which are at Gods right hand To draw to a close the Arabick Proverb saith That Mundus cadavar est petentes eum sunt canes the world is a carkass and they that hunt after it are doggs If this Proverb be true what a multitude of professors will be found to be doggs who hunt more after earth then heaven who hunt more after Terrestial then Celestial things who hunt more after nothingnesses and emptinesses then they do after those fulnesses and sweetnesses that be in God Christ Heaven and Holiness Well friends as ever you would obtain that real holiness without which there is no happiness take heed of a Witch take heed of this world and to that purpose O that you would always look upon the things of this world as you will look upon them when you come to dye O that you would now look upon all the pompe state bravery and glory of the world as you will look upon it when your souls shall sit upon your trembling lips O with what a disdainful eye with what a weaned heart do men look upon those things then do so now and I dare assure you that though the world may trouble you yet it shall never bewitch you I have read of a man that lying in a burning Feaver profest that if he had all the world at his dispose he would give it all for one draught of Beer at so low a rate do men value the world at such a time as that is if men were so wise to value the world at no higher a rate in health then they do in sickness in life then they do at the time of their death it would never bewitch them it would never be as a wall of separation between holiness and them As ever you would be holy here and happy hereafter take heed of this Witch and believe it to be a Witch before it hath bewitched you or else you may believe it too late Thirdly If ever you would be holy then take heed of comparing your selves with those that are at least supposedly worse then your selves many there be who by comparing themselves with those that are bad very bad think themselves to be good very good yea to be too good to go to hell and yet they are not good enough to go to heaven and many there be who are worse then others and yet by comparing themselves with those they suppose very bad they conclude themselves to be very good such a one was that proud Pharisee in Luk. 18. who thought himself a far better man then the poor Publican and yet he was not half so honest nor half so just nor half so righteous nor half so good as he was the poor Publican was ashamed of himself he loathed himself he abased himself he judged himself and he condemned himself the poor Publican acknowledged God he adored God he dreaded God he admired God and he justified God in all which he exceeded the proud Pharisee and yet O! how scornfully does this proud Pharisee look upon him and how disdainfully and disgracefully does he speak of him And this was the general frame and temper of the Scribes and Pharisees who thought no mans penny so good silver as their own who thought themselves better then the best when they were the very worst of the worst for Publicans and Harlots believed and repented and entred into the Kingdom of God before them Mat. 21.31 32. And so they in that of Isa 65. were naught very naught yea stark naught they were the basest among the base they were the vilest among the vile they were the most rebellious among the rebellious and the most superstitious among the superstitious witness v. 2 3 4. And yet O! how do they stroke themselves and bless themselves and commend themselves and cry up themselves and exalt themselves as the only holy ones v. 5. they could deifie themselves and yet damne and devilifie others though they were such monsters as God abhorr'd v. 6. Ah! how many be there who by comparing themselves with those that are worse then themselves do judge themselves to be good enough and holy enough they are good negative Christians and they think that 's enough to bring them to heaven they bless themselves that they are no Nabals for drunkenness nor no Sodomites for filthiness nor no Hamans for haughtiness nor no Ammons for lustfulness nor none of the old world for idleness nor no Zacheus's for covetousness nor no Laodiceans for lukewarmness c. They bless themselves that they are no Gehazies for lying nor no Shemeies for cursing nor no Joabs for swearing nor no Rabshakehs for railing nor no Doegs for cruelty nor no Judases for treachery nor no Demases for Apostacy c. And thus they cheat themselves and find out fine ways to delude and damn their own souls they think it grace enough and holiness enough that they have attained to this viz. not to be so bad as the worst though they fall infinitely short of coming neer unto the best Well sits

vessels of a different mettal the water at the first seemeth to be of a different colour but when he draweth up the vessels nearer to him the diversity of colours vanish and the water appeareth to be of one and the same colour and when he tasteth them they have one and the same relish So though at first sight there may seem to be some contradictions in the Scriptures yet when we look more nearly and narrowly into them and compare one place with another we shall finde no contrariety no repugnancy in them at all but a perfect harmony and a full and sweet consent and agreement between one place and another between text and text Scripture and Scripture Sixthly For verity the Scriptures are most sure and certain heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or tittle of the Scripture shall pass unfulfilled Seventhly For variety there are no varieties to those that are to be found in Scripture as in Noahs Ark all sorts of creatures were to be found so in this heavenly Ark the Scriptures all varieties are to be found here you may finde Physick for every disease and Balm for every wound and a plaister for every sore Here the Lamb may wade and here the Elephant may swim here is milk for Babes and here is meat for strong men here is comfort for the afflicted and succour for the tempted and support for the distressed and ease for the wearied here is a staff to support the feeble and a sword to defend the mighty That which a Papist reports lyingly of their Sacraments of the Mass viz. That there are as many misteries in it as there are drops in the sea dust on the earth Angels in heaven Stars in the sky Atoms in the Sun-beams or sands on the Sea shore c. may be truly asserted of the holy Scriptures there are many thousand thousand varieties in this garden of Paradise the Scripture Eighthly For fulness the Scriptures are full of light and full of life and full of love they are full of righteousness and full of holiness and full of all goodness 'T was a weighty saying of Tertullian Adoro plenitudinem scripturarum I adore the fulness of the Scripture Many men talk much of the Philosophers Stone that it turns Copper into Gold and of Cornucopia that it had all things necessary for food in it and of the Herb Panaces that it was good for all diseases and of the Drugg Catholicon that it is instead of all purges and of Vulcans armor that it was full proof against all thrusts and blows but that which they vainly attribute to these things for bodily good may safely and honorably be attributed to the blessed Scriptures in a spiritual manner the Scriptures turns hearts of Copper into hearts of Gold 't is a Paradise that is full of the Trees of life Rev. 22.2 and these trees of life are both for food Physick here is all manner of fruit to feed you fill you to delight you and satisfie you and the very leaves of these Trees are singular medicines to heal you and cure you the Scripture prescribes the choicest druggs to purge you viz. Repentance and the blood of Christ and 't is the Scripture that furnishes you with the best armor of proof against all principalities and powers and against all spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.11.18 Oh how should the consideration of all these things work you to be much in reading of the holy Scriptures if you will but make trial you should be sure to finde in them stories more true more various more pleasant more profitable and more comfortable then any you will find in all ancient or modern writers Ah friends if you would but in good earnest set upon reading of the holy Scriptures you may finde in them so many happinesses as cannot be numbred and so great happinesses as cannot be measured and so copious happinesses as cannot be defined and such precious happinesses as cannot be valued and if all this wo●●t draw you to read the holy Scriptures conscientiously and frequently I know not what will It 's said of Mary that she spent the third part of her time in reading of the word and Caecilia a Roman Maiden of noble parentage carried always about her the New Testament and spent much time in reading it Alfredus once King of England compiled Psalms and prayers into one book and called it a Manuel which he always carried about him and spent much time in the perusal of it Augustin Vide Pos in vita Aug. caused Davids penitential Psalms to be drawn upon the walls of his Chamber that he might read them as he lay in his bed he read and wep't and wept and read Well if all this will not prevail with you to be much in reading of the Scriptures consider that Agesilaus an excellent King of Sparta would never go to bed nor rise up before he had looked into Homer whom he called Amasium suum his sweet heart but what was Homers books to Gods Book which is the book of books as Charles the great did signifie when he crowned it with his own crown And Scipio Africanus was much commended Plutarch Moral for that he usually had in his hands the books of Xenophon But Oh how much more commendable will it be for you to have always in your hands the book of God Alphonsus had always in his bosom the commentaries of Caesar and he was so much delighted with the history of Titus Livius that he once commanded certain Musitians that were very skilful in that Art to depart his presence saying he could read a more pleasant story out of Livius Alas what are Livius his stories to the blessed stories that be in the Bible Oh sirs if Lipsius when he did but read Seneca thought that he was even on the top of Olympus above mortality and humane things And if Julius Scaliger thought twelve verses in Lucan better then the German Empire O then of what infinite worth and value is the blessed Scripture shall Heathens take such pleasure in reading of the Works of Heathens and shall not Christians take as much pleasure in reading of the holy Scriptures wherein there is so much of the Spirit hand and heart of God Shall they set so high a price upon the books of Heathens and shall we so slight and undervalue the books of God as not to thinke it worth a opening once a day verily I am afraid I am afraid that there are some among us that hardly open their Bibles once a weeke and others that hardly open their Bibles once a moneth and not a few that hardly open their Bibles once a quarter c. Certainly as the rustiness of some mens gold Jam. 5.1 2 3. will be a witness against them in the great day of the Lord so the mustiness of some mens Bibles will be a witness against them in that great day Quest But is it not lawfull

service of God and to detract from the excellency and glory of it The Kings and Princes of this world have most severely punisht such who by their base mixtures have imbased their coyne and there is a day a coming wherein the King of Kings will most severely punish all such who have imbased his worship and service by mixing their Romish traditions with his holy institutions Rev. 22.18 Rev. 22.18 For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesie of this booke if any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke And no wonder for what horrible pride presumption stoutness and baseness of spirit is it in foolish man to be so bold with the great God as to dare to mix any thing of his own with his worship and service which according to divine institution is so perfect and compleat God will never bare it to see men lay their dirt upon his gold and to put their Raggs upon his Royal Robes Ah Christians Christians evidence your holiness by standing up for holy ordinances and pure worship in opposition to all mixtures whatsoever oh don 't you touch a poluted worship don't you plead and contend for a poluted worship but let Baal plead for Baal and though all the world should wander after the Beast yet don't you wander and though every fore-head should have the mark of the Beast upon it yet doe you abhor his mark and what ever else it be that do's but smell and savour of the Beast It is observable that in Kings and Princes Courts children fools and the rude Rabble are much taken with fine pictures and rich shews and glistering gaudy cloaths c. but such as are wise serious grave Statesmen they mind not they regard not such poor things they look upon those things as things that are much below the nobleness and the greatness of their spirits who have honorable objects and the great and weighty affaires of the State to busie themselves about so my Brethren though the children the fools and the Rabble of the world are much affected and taken with such polutions and mixtures as makes up a glorious pompious worship yet you that have a spirit of holiness and principles of holiness in you O how should you slight such things and pass by such things as things below you as things not worthy of you who have a holy God a holy Christ a holy Gospel and a holy worship to busie your thoughts your minds your heads and your hearts about But Fifthly Evidence the truth and reality of your holiness by bewailing and lamenting the loss of holiness Ah how is this crowne of holiness fallen from our heads Lam. 5.16 O the leanness of souls O the spiritual witherings and decayes in grace and holiness It s very uncomfortable to see the dayes grow shorter and to see friends grow behind-hand in the world that is to be found among many Christians this day Some complaine of the loss of Trade and others complaine of the loss of estate some complaine of the loss of c●edit and others complaine of the loss of friends but what are all these losses to the loss of holiness and yet how few be there that complaine of the loss of holiness holiness is fallen in our hearts in our families in our streets and in our Churches and yet how few are there to be found that laments the fall of holiness O Sirs will you lament such as are fallen from riches to poverty from honor into disgrace and from the highest pitch of prosperity to the lowest step of beggary and misery and will you not lament such who are fallen from the highest round to the lowest round in Jacobs Ladder O Sirs will you mourne over a decayed estate will you weep over decayed friends and will you sigh and sob over a decayed body and will you not much more lament and mourne over decayed souls c Ah how many have lost that love Rev. 2.4 5. that life that heat that zeale that readiness that forwardness and that resoluteness that once they had for God and godliness Some are fallen from their holiness by giving themselves elbow-roome to sin against the checks and lashes of conscience Psal 51. others are decayed in holiness by their secret resisting and smothering the gracious motions of the Spirit Acts 7.51 Some are fallen frpm holiness either by their neglect of precious means 1 Thes 5.20 or else by their heartless using of the meanes others are fallen from their holiness either by the allurements and enticements of a tempting world 2 Tim. 4.10 or else by the frownes and threatnings of a persecuting world Some are fallen from holiness by their non-exercise of grace and others are fallen from holiness by not discerning their first decayes in grace So that upon one account or another multitudes in these dayes are fallen from that holiness which was once their glory If you look into families there you shall finde Masters complaining that their servants are so careless foolish frothy light slight slothfull unfaithfull proud and lofty that they are not to be spoken to nor trusted and if you look againe into the same Families there you shall finde servants complaining that their Masters and Mistrisses are so exceeding froward pevish passionate worldly neglective of duties and careless of their souls that 't is even a hell to servants to live with them Now what speaks all these sad complaints but either a total want of holiness or else a very great decay of holiness And if you look among all other relations as husbands and wives parents and children Magistrates and people Ministers and Christians oh what sad divisions what fiery contentions and what feareful Jars are there to be found oh what slightings what revilings what under-valuings what heart-risings what heart-swellings and what heart-burnings are to be found amongst them and what doe all these things declare but that the Glory of God is departed from Israel and that holiness is fallen to a very low ebbe ah friends were there but more holiness among you there would be more union among you and more love among you and more sweetness and tenderness among you and more forbearance and patience among you Oh then you would never be snarling one at another nor biting one of another nor plotting one against another nor devouring one of another any more Again if you look among men whose parts are great whose gifts are high whose profession is glorious and whose expressions and notions are very seraphical ah what a little holiness will you finde O Sirs shall the men of this world vex and fret shall they weep and waile and shall their lamentation and mourning be like that of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo 2 Chron. 35.24 25. and that for the loss of a little wealth or for a punctilio of honor or a day of pleasure or

the holy dispensers of the Word for their work sake Acts 10.24 25 26. Gal. 4.14 Isa 52.7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Zion thy God reigneth If the very feet of those that brought good tidings though they were afar off ●nd sweaty dusty and dirty with traveling upon the mountains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were so desirable and amiable honourable and comfortable Oh then what was their faces what was their messages surely they were much more amiable and desireable So in 1 Thes 5.12 13. And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you in the Lord Acts 26.16 17 18. If a Minister had as many eyes as Argus to watch as many heads as Typheus to dispose and as many hands as Briareus to labour he might find employment enough for them all in the faithful discharge of his Ministerial function and admonish you And to esteem them very highly or more then abundantly as the Greek hath it in love for their work sake and be at peace among your selves Their work is to bring Christ and your souls together and to keep Christ and your souls together Their work is to turn you from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ Their work is gradual first they are to bring you to a saving acquaintance with Christ and then they are to bring you to a holy acceptance of Christ and then they are to bring you to a willing resignation of your selves to Christ and then they are to bring you to a sweet and blessed assurance of your interest in Christ and so to fit you and prepare you for a glorious fruition of Christ and therefore certainly their work is high and honourable excellent and eminent laborious and glorious and why then should you not have a high and honourable esteem of them even for their work sake I have read of Ambrose that being once to leave the Church of Milan the people of the place flocked about him laid hold of him protesting that they had rather lose their lives then lose their Pastor beseeching him to remain and to promote among them the Gospel and Government of Christ professing and promising for his encouragement their ready submission to Christ Chrysostoms hearers were wont to say that they had as good be without the Sun in the Firmament as to be without Chrysostom in the Pulpit Some of the antients have long since concluded that Herod might have kept his oath Mark 6.23 and yet have spared John Baptists head because Johns head Johns life was more worth then all Herods Kingdom O Sirs Shall Titus Sabinus his dog bring meat to the mouth of his dead master and hold up his head in Tyber from sinking because sometimes he gave him a crust of bread And will not you highly love honour and esteem of those Pastors who feed your souls with the bread of life yea with that bread that came down from heaven Certainly the more any man is affected and taken with the holiness of the Word the more highly they will honour and prize the holy and faithful dispensers of the Word Holy men know that their place is honourable their calling honourable and their work honourable and therefore they cannot but honour them Holy men know that if they do not honour them they dishonour him whose Embassadors they are Holy men know that Christ takes all the affronts that are put upon them Luke 10.16 Mat. 22.4 8. chap. 21.33 44. and chap. 23.37 38 39. 2 Chron. 36.14 22. 2 Sam. 10.1 7. compared with chap. 12. ver 31. as put upon himself and will accordingly revenge them as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margin together Embassadors are inviolable by the Law of Nations David never played any such harsh part as he did to the Ammonites that despitefully used his Embassadors that he sent unto them when they shaved off one half of their beards and cut off their garments in the middle c. I have read that Rome was destroyed to the ground for some abuses that were offered to an Embassador that was sent unto it And the Romans sacked the famous City of Corinth and razed it to the ground for a little discourtesie that they offered to their Embassadors No wonder then if God deal so severely with those that slight his Embassadors who come with messages of grace and favour from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and whose great work is to make a firm an everlasting peace between God and sinners souls and that all differences between God and them may be for ever decided and a free trade to heaven fully opened and maintained As for such as slight scorn and despise the holy and faithfull dispensers of the word I think they are as far from real holinesse as hell is from true happinesse And so doubtlesse are they that grumble at the expence of a penny for the maintenance of that divine Candle that wasteth it self to give light to them 2 Cor. 12.14 15 16. that will rather die to save charges then spend a little money to save their lives yea their souls In the fourteenth place A man that is really holy will be holy among the unholy he will retain and keep his holinesse Psal 119.112 Psal 106.3 1 Joh. 3.9 10. let the times be never so unholy Principles of grace and holinesse are lasting they are not like the morning cloud nor the early dew Holy Abraham was righteous in Caldea holy Lot was just in Sodom holy Job was upright in the land of Vzz which was a place of much prophanesse and superstition Holy Nehemiah was couragious and zealous in Damasco And so was holy Daniel in Babylon The several generations wherein these holy men lived were wholly devoted to wickednesse and superstition and yet these precious souls had wholly devoted themselves to godlinesse And of the same spirit mind and mettal was holy David Psalm 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgements at all times Let the times be never so dangerous licentious superstitious or erroneous yet Davids heart was strongly carried forth to Gods judgements that is to his word for under this title Judgements you are to understand the whole word of God And so there were some in Sardis that were of the same spirit with the Worthies above mentioned Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments Rev. 14.4 5. and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy In polluting times pure hearts will keep themselves pure A holy heart will keep himself undefiled even in defiling times when others are besmeared all over he will keep his garments white and clean Let the times never so often turn you shall find that he that is really holy will be holy