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 Proteuâ—s they will transform themselves into â—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
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is then a stalled Ox and hatred therewith Chap. 16.8 Better is a little with righteousness then great revenues without right Chap. 17.1 Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith then a house full of sacrifices with strife Psal 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Where there is a holy God and a holy heart a little of the world will go far a little will be a sufficiency to him who with it enjoys that holy one that is All-sufficiency it self Though a whole world will never fill nor satisfie an unsanctified heart yet a little Phil. 4.11 20. a very little of the world will satisfie and content a holy heart There are two things that an unholy heart can never finde it can never finde any sweetness in Spirituals Esth 5.9 14. nor it can never finde any satisfaction in Temporals but a holy heart alwayes findes the greatest sweetness in Spirituals and is as easily satisfied with the least and meanest of Temporals Gen. 28.20 21. And Jacob vowed a vow saying if God will be with me Bread water with the Gospel is good chear said holy Greenham He is rich enough that lacketh not bread and high enough that is not forced to serve Jerom. and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on so that I come again to my fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Holy Jacob does not indent with God for costly Apparel or delicate fare he does not make a bargain with God to be housed bravely and fed daintily and clothed gorgiously and lodged easily and waited on noblely O no bread to eat and clothes to wear is as much as holy Jacob looks after Ah friends a little will serve nature and less will serve grace though nothing will serve or satisfie an unsanctified mans lusts O sirs the very pulse and locusts which a holy man eats relishes better then all the Gluttons delicious fare and the very Sheep-skins and Goat-skins which he wears wear softer and finer then all the purple and soft raiment that is in Princes houses and the very holes and Caves and Dens wherein holy men live are more pleasant and delightful then the stately Palaces of the great ones of the world It is great riches not to desire riches and he hath most that covets least Socrates godliness and contentment does so sweeten and so lengthen out all a Christians mercies that he can't but reckon himself a happy man though he may be the poorest among many men Let me conclude this third Answer thus This worlds wealth that men so much desire May well be likened to a burning fire Whereof a little can do little harm But profit much our bodies well to warm But take too much and surely thou shalt burn So too much wealth to too much wo do's turn But Fourthly Consider That worldly riches and holiness do often meet together a man may be a very holy man and yet a rich man too Abraham and Lot were as wealthy men as most in their time Gen. 13. Isa 41.2 Abraham is called the righteous man and yet behinde none for faith and holiness David and Solomon and Jehosaphat and Hezekiah had crowns on their heads and Scepters in their hands and very great revenues at their commands and in all these grace and greatness sweetly meet Job 1.3.8 Job was a very holy man and yet a very rich man if you cast your eye upon the first of Job and survey his estate you shall finde that he had seven thousand Sheep three thousand Camels five hundred yoke of Oxen five hundred she Asses and a very great Family but if you will look into the last of Job and survey his estate there you shall finde it doubled Joseph Nehemiah Mordecai Daniel and the three children were very gracious and yet very high and great in the world As every wicked man is not a rich man so every holy man is not a poor man if you will but set the gracious against the graceless the holy against the prophane I doubt not but for one holy man whose estate is low and mean you will finde thousands of wicked men whose conditions are beggarly and low in this world God many times delights to confute the devils Proverb viz. That plain dealing is a Jewel but he that useth it shall die a Beggar Now God by heaping up riches and honor and greatness upon the righteous gives the devil the lye and lets the world see that holiness many times is the ready way to worldly greatness 'T is observable that when all the sons of Jacob returned with corn and money in their sacks from Egypt Gen. 44. Benjamin had not onely corn and money in his sack but he had over and above the silver cup put into the mouth of his sack as a singular pledge of his brother Josephs favor so God many times gives to his Benjamines the sons of his right hand not onely as much of the world as he does to others but more of the world then he does to others he does not only give them corn and money in common with others but he also gives them the Silver-cup the Grace-cup he puts in some singular temporal blessings into their sacks more then into other mens for he is the great Lord of all and therefore may dispose of his own as he pleases But Fifthly Consider Psal 63.1 2 3 4. That most men are best in a low condition David was never better then when he was in a wilderness condition for degrees of Grace and for the exercise of Grace and for communion with the God of Grace 't was best with David when his condition was low in the world 't was never better with Jacob Gen. 32.10 then when he past over Jordan with a staff in his hand Jobs Job 1. graces never shined so gloriously as when he sat upon a dunghil and could bless a taking God as well as a giving God though John was poor in the world yet the Holy-Ghost tells us Mat. 11.11 that he was the greatest that was born of women Paul was but a poor Tent-maker Phil. 3.20 and yet his conversation was in heaven The Church of Smyrna was the poorest Church Rev. 2.8 9. but yet the best of all the seven Churches in Asia Christ knew very well that his Disciples would be best in a low condition and therefore he fed them but from hand to mouth Learned Ainsworth had but nine pence a week to live on whilst he wrote his excellent Commentary on the Penteteuch Mat. 8.20 21. he that could have turned stones into bread could as easily have turned stones into gold and so have made his Disciples rich and great in the world but he would not Christ could easily have changed their raggs into
3.17 Because thou saiest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked They had a great opinion of their own goodness worth and excellent state having need of nothing when they they had nothing of a Christian in them Thou sayest thou art rich I but thou dost but say so thou boastest and braggest of thy riches as many proud Beggars do of that wealth they have not for all thou deemest thy self rich thou art but poor and beggarly It is mans sin and judgement that ever since he ceased to be what he should be he striveth to seem to be what he is not Thou sayest thou art increased with goods and needest nothing I but thou dost but say so thou dost but dream it is so for thou art ignorant of thine own wretched and lamentable estate Thou sayest thou art rich but I know thou art poor and beggarly if a dram of grace would save thy life thy soul thy family nay the whole world thou hast it not Thou sayest thou seest but thou art blind thou art destitute of spiritual eye-sight thou seest not thine own wants nor Christs worth thine own emptiness nor Christs fulness thine own sinfulness nor Christs holiness thine own poverty nor Christs riches and plenty thine own misery nor Christs mercy thine own insufficiency nor Christs alsufficiency thine own vanity nor Christs glory c. Multi multa sciunt se autem nemo Many know much but few know themselves or their own danger infelicity or misery and indeed no misery to this The Chineses use to say of themselves that all other Nations of the world did see but with one eye they only with two and of this spirit and temper were those blind Laodiceans they thought they knew all things when they knew nothing that they should nor as they should By all which you may see that there is an imaginary holiness a conceited holiness where there is no real holiness but an imaginary holiness will bring a man but to an imaginary blessedness a conceited holiness will bring a man but to a conceited happiness he that doth but dream that he is holy he doth but dream that he shall be happy Bastards of old were not to inherit Gen. 21.10 but to be thrust out from among the true heirs Judges 11.1 2. Now Jepthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour and he was the son of a harlot and Gilead begat Jephthah And Gileads wife bare him sons and his wives sons grew up and they thrust out Jephthah and said unto him Thou shalt not inherit in our Fathers house for thou art the son of a strange woman Ah Sirs you that are but bastard Christians bastard Professors bastard Believers bastard Saints you shall never inherit among the heirs of glory 2 Thes 1.8 9. Matth. 8.12 Ch. 22.13 but shall be thrust out for ever from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power and thrust into utter darkness because you have pleased your selves and satisfied your spirits and blest your souls in a bastard holiness in a conceited holiness Deut. 23.2 A bastard shall not inherit in the Congregation of the Lord he shall have no fellowship nor communion with the people of God the door of Admission shall be shut upon him Mat. 25.10 11 12. Ch. 7.21 22 23. The foolish Virgins had but a Bastard holiness a conceited holiness an outward dress of holiness and therefore the door of life the door of hope the door of help the door of grace the door of mercy the door of glory was shut upon them William the Conquerour was much slighted and scorned because he was a Bastard God and his people will slight such and scorn such and turn their backs at last upon such that have no more then a bastardly holiness and therefore this cannot be the holiness here meant But Thirdly There is an outward external visible holiness which includes mens freedom from scandalous vices and their ordinary performance of religious duties Luke 1.5 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were both saith the Vulgar Sine querela without complaint their conversation was such as none could justly complain of it It was irreprehensible it could not be reprehended Now in this sense Zacharias and Elizabeth were both holy persons for they walked in all the commandments and ordinances of God blameless And so the Apostles 1 Thess 2.10 For ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe Answerable to this is that of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity Not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards These precious souls behaved themselves holily towards God justly towards the world and unblameably towards believers they were holy in Religious work they were just in their Civil affairs and Commerce and unblameable in their private carriage and behaviour amongst their familiar and most bosome friends And this is that the Apostle presses upon Christians in Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blameless and harmeless the sons of God without rebuke or unblemished in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine or shine ye as lights in the world Christians must be the spotless sons of God Deut. 32.5 they must have no spots upon them that are inconsistent with Sonship or Saintship Now it is certain without this outward visible holiness there is no happiness there is no fruition of God in everlasting blessedness They that pretend their hearts are as good as the best when their lives are as bad as the worst shall experience this truth at last to their shame and cost that without visible holiness here there can be no fruition of God hereafter Yet this must be granted 2 Tim. 3.5 They say of Halifax Nuts that they are all shells no kirnels There are many that make a glorious shew before men that are abominable in the sight of God Luke 16.15 that are Aurum hominibus lutum Deo Gold in mans eyes dirt in Gods sight Gregor Mor. c. 34. l. 13. that a man may be visibly holy that is not inwardly holy A man may be outwardly holy that is not throughout holy a man may have an outward dress of holiness upon him that hath not the spirit and vitals of holiness in him As Judas had and Simon Magus had and Demas had and the Scribes and Pharisees had Matth. 23.25 27 28. We unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of extortion and excess Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye are like unto whited Sepulchres which indeed appear beautifull outward but are within
given unto me by the vertue of which gift I do rightly lay claim unto it and am not confounded Though we cannot lay claim to heaven nor to a blessed fruition of God by any inherent holiness in us it being weak and imperfect yet we may lay claim to both by the mediatory holiness of Christ imputed to us As Christs Essential holiness gives him an hereditary right to everlasting happiness So his Mediatory holiness gives us a right to everlasting blessedness The costly cloak of Alcisthenes which Dionysius sold to the Carthaginians for an hundred Talents was but a mean and beggarly ragg to that embroidered royal Robe of Christs mediatory holiness that is imputed or reckoned to us And therefore as ever you would come to a vision of God in happiness you must labour to be interested by faith in Christs mediatory holiness But Sixthly and Lastly there is an inherent internal qualitative holiness Holiness is not any single grace alone but a conjunction a constellation of all graces together Now this inherent holiness lies in two things First in the infusing of holy principles divine qualities or supernatural graces into the soul such as the Apostle mentions in Gal. 5.22 23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law These habits of grace which are severally distinguished by the names of faith love hope meekness c. are nothing else but the new nature or new-man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ephes 4.24 These seeds of holiness these habits of grace are those sweet ointments with which all must be annointed 1 John 3.9 2 Cor. 1.21 1 John 2.27 that shall ever come to a blessed sight or vision of God You may know much of God you may hear much of God you may talk much of God and you may boast much of your hopes and interest in God and yet without these habits of holiness you shall never come to a blessed fruition of God in happiness without these feeds of holiness you shall never reap a crop of blessedness But Secondly This inherent this qualitative holiness lies in an holy use and exercise of those supernatural graces in a way of holy walking Acts 10.35 1 John 1.3.7 Tit. 2.12 Luke 1.73 2 Pet. 1.8 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Isa 35.8 all holy habits must be brought forth into holy acts gracious habits must be attended with gratious motions gratious operations and a gracious conversation outward works must be suitable to inward habits it is with spiritual habits as it is with natural habits the more they are acted and exercised the more they are increased and strengthened holy habits are golden Talents that must be imployed and improved Gracious habits are the candles of the Lord set up in us and God hath set up those candles of heaven not to idle by not to sleep by but to work by and to walk by Where there is holiness of disposition there must be nay there will be holiness of conversation a holy heart is alwayes attended with a holy life Where there are the seeds of holiness there will be the flowers of holiness you may separate a man from his friend but you can never separate though you may distinguish acts of holiness from the habits of holiness now it is certain without this holiness you shall never come to a sight or fruition of God in happiness And thus I have shewed you what that holiness is without which there is no hope no possibility of ever seeing the Lord. I come now to the second thing and that is to prove the truth of the Proposition viz. That without men are holy they can never be happy without holiness on earth none of the sons of men shall ever come to a blessed vision and fruition of God in heaven Now this great and weighty truth I shall make good by an induction of particulars thus First God hath by very plain and clear Scriptures bolted and barred the door of heaven and happiness against all unholy ones See also Mat. 7.21 22 23. Ch. 25.10 11 12. Witness 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Heaven is an undefiled inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 and none that are defiled can enter into the possession of it When the Angels fell from their righteousness heaven rejected them it would no longer hold them and will it now accept of the unrighteous will it now entertain and welcome them surely no. Such sinners make the very earth to mourn and groan now and shall they make heaven to mourn and groan hereafter Surely no. What though the Serpent did wind himself into an earthy Paradise yet none of the seed of the Serpent so remaining shall ever be able to wind themselves into a heavenly Paradise witness Gal. 19.20 21. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness Idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envying murders drunkenness revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I also have told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God Before they go to hell he tells them again and again that they shall not inherit the kingdom of God By the Kingdom of God we are to to understand the kingdom of Heaven the kingdom of glory now the kingdom of heaven of glory is called the kingdom of God 1. Because he hath prepared it 2. Mat. 20.23 Luke 12 32. Because it is a royal gift that he confers and bestows upon his little little flock Augustus in his Solemn Feasts gave trifles to some and Gold to others Rev. 4.10 11. Chap. 20.6 Dan. 4.16 17. The trifles of this world God often gives to the worst and basest of men but the kingdom of heaven he only gives to his bosome friends 3. Because that of and under him the Saints hold it and possess it 4. Because with him they shall for ever reign in the fruition of it And so that in John 3.3 Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again be cannot see the kingdom of God To give a little light into the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth truth or truly truly Verily verily the Greek is Amen amen The word Amen is Hebrew and in the Old Testament is most commonly used by way of wishing or imprecation but here and in other places of the New Testament the sense of it is altered from precatory to assertory or from the way of wishing to the way of affirming This phrase Amen amen or Verily verily imports First The
fullest of holiness and who hath most to shew for a fair estate in the other world Certainly to an holy man there is no wife to an holy wife no child to an holy child no friend to an holy friend no Magistrate to an holy Magistrate no Minister to a holy Minister nor no servant to an holy servant internal excellencies carries it with a holy man before all external glories The Jews say that those seventy souls that went with Jacob into Egypt were as much worth as all the seventy Nations in the world Doubtless seventy holy persons in the esteem and judgement of those that are holy are more worth then a whole world Plato could say that no Gold or precious stones doth glister so gloriously as the prudent spirit of a good man yea then seventy worlds of unrighteous souls A soul truly holy sets the highest price upon those that are holy holy Paul prized holy One simus as his Son Philem. v. 10. as himself v. 17. yea as his own bowels v. 12. 2 Sam. 22.27 With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure or as the Hebrew will bear it with the choice thou wilt shew thy self choice Pure souls are the choicest souls in all the world They are choice in every eye but their own All worldly excellencies in the judgement of a holy man are but as Copper Brass Tin and Lead but holiness is the tryed silver the gold of Ophir the pearl of price in his eye that hath purity in his heart They only rate and value men aright who rate and value them according to their holiness and if men were thus rated and valued most men in the world would be found not worth the money that Judas sold his Master for If thou prizest others for their holiness thou art a holy person no man can truly prize and highly value holiness in another but he that hath holiness in his own heart Some prize Christians for their wit others prize them for their wealth some prize them for their birth and breeding others prize them for their beauty and worldly glory some prize them for the great things that have been done by them others prize them for the good things that they have received from them some prize them for their Eagles eyes others prize them for their silver tongues but he that is truly holy prizes them for their holiness he values them for their purity and sanctity But Fourthly He that is truly holy will be still a reaching and stretching himself out after higher degrees of holiness Psal 84.7 Psal 119.106 Col. 1.10 2 Cor. 7.1 yea a man that is truly holy can never be holy enough he sets no bounds nor limits to his holiness the perfection of holiness is the mark that he hath in his eye he hears and prayes and mourns and studies and strives that he may come up to the highest pitch of holiness Phil. 3.12 13 14. Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind A Metaphor from runners in a race who strain and stretch out themselves to the utmost that they may take hold on the mark or prize that is set before them and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Received measures of holiness will not satisfie a holy soul so much holiness as will keep hell and his soul asunder will not satisfie him nor so much holiness as will bring him to happiness will not satisfie him he will be still reaching and stretching out after the highest measures of holiness his desires are for more holiness Psalm 27.4 the beauties of holiness do so affect him and inflame him that he cannot but desire to be more and more holy Lord saith the soul I desire to be more holy that I may glorifie thy name more that I may honour my profession more and that I may serve my generation more Lord I desire to be more holy that I may sin less against thee and that I may enjoy more of thee I would be more holy that I may be more prevalent with thee and that I may be more victorious over all things below thee And as a man of holiness desires more holiness so a man of holiness earnestly prayes for more holiness Psalm 51.2 7. Job 17.9 Prov. 4.18 He prayeth that he may be filled with the fruits of righteousness and that he may go on from faith to faith and from strength to strength he prayeth that his spark of holiness may be turned into a flame his drop of holiness into a Sea and his mite of holiness into a rich Treasurie he prayeth that he may like the Eagle fly higher and higher and that his soul may be like the rising Sun that shines brighter and brighter till it be perfect day he prayeth that he may like the Gyant refreshed rejoyce to run his course and that holiness in his soul like the waters in Ezekiel's sanctuary Ezek. 47. may still be rising higher and higher It was Beza's prayer Lord perfect what thou hast begun in me that I may not suffer Shipwrack when I am almost at heaven And as a man of holiness prayeth for more holiness so a man of holiness believes for more holiness Psalm 51.7 in your Translations you read the words prayer-wise but in the Hebrew the words run in the future thus Thou wilt purge me from sin with Hyssop and I shall be clean thou wilt wash me and I shall be whiter then snow In the sense of all his sinfulness and vileness he believes that God will give out greater measures of purity and sanctity to him Thou wilt purge me and I shall be clean thou wilt wash me and I shall be whiter then snow So in Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Though for the present iniquity did prevail yet he had faith enough to believe that God would purge him from his transgressions and that he would mortifie prevailing corruptions And as a man of holiness believes for more holiness so a man of holiness hopes for more holiness 2 Pet. 3.14 1 John 3.2 3 4. In every ordinance he hopes for more holiness and under every providence he hopes for more holiness and under every mutation and change of his condition he hopes for more holiness When he is in prosperity he hopes that God will make him more zealous thankfull cheerfull fruitfull and usefull and when he is in Adversity he hopes that God will inflame his love and raise his faith and increase his patience and strengthen his submission and quiet his heart in a gracious resignation of himself to God I dare boldly say that that
the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his pathes for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem 1 Thes 1.3 And hence patience is called patience of hope because this holy principle of hope naturalizes a mans heart to a patient waiting upon God Rom. 8.25 But if we hope for that we see not Heb. 6.10 then do we with patience wait for it So holy love naturalizes the soul to holy service in 1 Thes 1.3 you read of the labour of love holy love is very laborious nothing makes a Christian more industrious painful and diligent in the service and waies of God then holy love holy love will make us to pray and to praise Rom. 14.7 8. 2 Corin. 12.14 15 16. it will make us wait and work it will provoke souls to study Christ to admire Christ to live to Christ to lift up Christ to spend and be spent for Christ and to break through all difficulties that it may come nearer to Christ and cleave closer to Christ As Jerom once bravely said If my father said he should stand before me my mother should hang upon me and my brethren should press about me I would break through my brethren throw down my mother tread under-feet my father that I might the faster cleave unto Christ my Saviour O the laboriousness of holy love So far as a Christian is holy so far holy services will be delightful and easie to him Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man ver 25. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God Psalm 119.16 I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Ver. 35. Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments for therein do I delight Ver. 47. And I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved Ver. 92. Vnless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction Ver. 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy Commandments are my delights Sirs Honour is not more suteable delightful and pleasing to an ambitious man nor pleasure to a voluptuous man nor flatterie to a proud man nor gold to a covetous man nor excess to an intemperate man nor revenge to an envious man Psalm 27.8 Psal 81.8 ult nor pardon to a condemned man then Religious duties and services are suteable pleasing and delightful to a holy man but now unholy hearts are very averse to holy duties and services they are averse to hearing averse to praying averse to reading averse to meditating averse to self-judging averse to self-examining averse to holy worship averse to holy Sabbaths Amos 8.5 When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat Isa 26.10 11. Jer. 5.1 6. You may sooner draw a Coward to fight or a Malefactor to the Barr or a Bear to the stake Wicked hearts are habitually averse to all that is good c. then you shall draw unholy hearts to holy services But if at any time by the strong motions of the Spirit the close debates of conscience the powerful perswasions of the Word the education of godly parents the pious example of bosom friends the rich treasures in precious promises the dreadful evils in terrible threatnings or if at any time by the displeasure of God the smarting rod the bowels of mercy the woings of love or if at any time by some flashes of hell or glimpses of heaven or by the heavy sighs the deep groans and the bleeding wounds of a dying Saviour their hearts are wrote over to Religious services Ah how soon are they weary of them What little delight or pleasure do they take in them Isa 43.22 Isa 58.1 2 3 4 5. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob that is thou hast not worshipped nor served me sincerely faithfully feelingly heartily affectionately humbly holily as thou shouldest and as thou oughtest but thou hast been weary of me O Israel that is thou hast been weary of my worship and service and thou hast counted it rather a burden then a benefit a dammage then an advantage a reproach then an honour a disgrace then a favour a vexation then a blessing and for all thy formal courtings and complementings of me thou hast been secretly weary of me So in Mal. 1.12 13. Ye say The table of the Lord is polluted and the fruit thereof even his meat is contemptible Ye said also Behold what a weariness is it and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of hosts c. They did God but little service and that they did was after the worst manner too and yet they snuff and puff and blow and sweat and swell and fall into a fustian fume as if they had been over-tyred and wearied with the burden and weight of those sacrifices which they offered up to the great God A holy heart thinks all too little that he doth for God but an unholy heart thinks every little too much that he doth for God An holy heart like the holy Angels loves to do much and make no noise but an unholy heart makes most noise when he doth least service an unsanctified soul hath a Trumpet in his right hand when he hath but a penny to give in his left hand as here But Eighthly Where there is real holiness there will be the exercise of righteousness towards men from righteous principles and upon religious accounts viz. the honour of God the command of God the will of God the credit of the Gospel c. Real holiness towards God is alwayes attended with righteousness towards men Eph. 4.24 And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness or holiness of truth Titus 2.11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world These words contain the summ of a Christians duty to live soberly towards our selves righteously towards our neighbours and godlily towards God The common shekel is about 20. pence so then 400. shekels amount to 33. pound six shillings and eight pence after five shillings sterling the ounce And in this purchase is prophetically shewed that Abrahams posterity should have the inheritance of that land As Jeremiahs buying of his Uncles field was a sign of the Jews return and of their pollicie there again to buy and sell is true godliness indeed and the whole duty of man So holy Abraham in Gen. 23.16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth four hundred shekels of silver currant money with the Merchant It is recorded to holy Abrahams everlasting honour and fame that he paid for
screws up his Consciencee till he makes all crack again Under all his shews of sanctity he had not so much as common honesty in him Counterfeit holiness is often made a stalking horse to the exercise of much unrighteousness Certainly that man is as far from real holiness as the Devil himself is from true happiness who lives not in the exercise of righteousness towards men as well as in a profession of holiness towards God Well Christians remember this it were better with the Philosopher to have honesty without Religion then to have Religion without honesty But Ninthly He that is truly holy will labour and endeavour to make others holy a holy heart loves not to go to heaven alone it loves not to be happy and blessed alone a man that hath experienced the power excellency and sweetness of holiness will strive and study how to make others holy When Sampson had tasted honey Judg. 14.8 9. he gave his father and mother some with him Holiness is so sweet a morsel that a soul cannot taste of it 1 Thes 1.5 6 7 8. but he will be a commending of it to others As you may see in holy Moses in Numb 11.29 And Moses said unto him Enviest thou for my sake Lilmod le lammed we therefore learn that we may teach is a proverb among the Rabbines would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them A holy soul will never make a monopoly of holiness the Prophets you know were men of greatest grace and holiness now holy Moses is very importunate and earnest with God that he would not only make the two that prophesied but all the Lords people eminent and excellent in grace and holiness such was Moses his holiness and humbleness that he desires that all others might either equal him or excell him in gifts and grace The Heathen could say I do therefore lay in and lay up that I may draw forth again for the good of many A heart eminently holy is so far from envying of the gracious excellencies of others that it can rejoyce in every Sun that out-shines his own and every light that burns more dim then his he desires that it may be snufft not put out that so it may give a clearer and a greater light to others So holy Paul in Acts 26.29 And Paul said I would to God that not only thou but also all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bands True holiness is no Churl nothing makes a man more noble in his spiritual desires wishes and actings for others then holiness Real holiness like oyl is of a diffusive nature like light it will spread it self over all like Maries box of ointment it fills all the house with the sweet scent thereof Art thou a holy Father then thou wilt with holy Abraham labour to make thy children holy Gen. 18.17 18 19. A holy heart knows that both by his first birth but especially by his new-birth he stands obliged to promote holiness in all but especially in those that are parts and pieces of himself Art thou a holy Master then thou wilt with holy Joshua labour to make all under thy charge holy Josh 24.15 But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. True holiness cannot be concealed it will be a stirring and a provoaking of others to be holy as a holy man doth not love to be happy alone so a holy man doth not love to be holy alone A holy master loves to see a Crown of holiness set upon every head in his family Holiness is a very beautiful thing and it makes those beautiful in whom it is in a holy Masters eye there is no servant so lovely and beautiful as he that hath the beauty of holiness upon him George Prince of Aâ—halt his family is said to have been Ecclesia Academia Curia A Church an University and a Court. A holy Magistrate will labour to make both his servants and his subjects holy As holy David holy Asa holy Josiah and holy Ezekiah did he knows that the souls of his servants and subjects are the choicest treasure that God hath committed to his care he knows that every soul is more worth then his Crown and Kingdom he knows that he must one day give up an account for more souls then his own and therefore he improves his power and interest every way for the making of all holy under him As Lewis the ninth King of France took pains to instruct his poor Kitchin-boy in the way to heaven and being asked the reason of it he answered The meanest have a soul to save as precious as mine own and bought by the same blood of Christ It is said of Constantine that in this he was truly great that he would have his whole Court gathered together and cause the Scriptures to be read and opened to them that they might be made holy Courtiers Rev. 21.27 and so fitted for the Court of heaven into which no unclean person or thing can enter It grieved an Emperour that a neighbour of his should die before he had done him any good Ah it is the grief of a holy Magistrate to see others die before they are made holy the great request of a holy Magistrate living and dying is this Lord make this people a holy people O make this people a holy people Art thou a holy kinsman a holy friend then thou wilt labour to make thy kindred holy and thy friends holy As holy Cornelius did So in 1 John 39 49. Chap. 4.28 29 30. as you may see in Acts 10.24 27. And the morrow after they entred into Cesaria and Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and near friends And as Peter talked with him he went in and found many that were come together And in ver 33. saith Cornelius to Peter Thou hast well done that thou art come Now therefore we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Ver. 1 2 3 4. Devout Cornelius gets his kinsmen and near friends together that they also might be partakers of the grace and mercy of God with him he had experienced a work of grace and holiness upon his own heart and he uses his best endeavours that they might experience the same on theirs A holy Christian is like a loadstone that draws to it self first one iron ring and that another and that a third It is a true saying in natural Philosophie that it is Naturalissimum opus viventis generare sibi simile the most natural act or work of every living thing to produce another like unto it self As there is a natural instinct in all creatures to propagate their own kind as in beasts birds and fishes so there is a holy a spiritual instinct in all gracious hearts to propagate grace and holiness in whatever hearts they
can Look as fire will assimilate and turn every thing that comes near it into its own nature so will a holy heart labour to make all that comes near him like himself Look as one drunkard labours to make another and one swearer another and one wanton another and one thief another and one idle person another and one fearful person another and one doubtful person another and one erroneous person another c. So one holy heart labours to make another one gracious heart labours to make another he that is humble will labour to make others humble he that is sincere will labour to make others sincere he that is faithful will labour to make others to be faithful he that is fruitful will labour to make others fruitful and he that is watchful will labour to make others watchful A heart that is truly holy will labour by prayers reproofs tears example counsel and commands to make others like himself He knows that there is no love no wisdom no care no pains next to that which he takes with his own heart to that which is laid out to make unholy hearts holy And therefore he prayes and weeps and weeps and prayes that holiness may be written upon all that his name is written upon he learns and teaches and he teaches and learns and all that he may teach and learn others to be holy he counts it not worth while to live in this world were it not for the glory of God and the good of his own and others souls but now what shall we say of those persons who are so far from being holy who are so far from drawing others to be holy that they do what they can to make those that are holy to become unholy and who strongly tempt those that are unholy to be more unholy these are factors for hell and certainly such solicitors shall at last be most dreadfully handled by hellish tormentors But Tenthly He that is really holy will be holy in the use of earthly and common things as well as in the use of spiritual and heavenly things Titus 1.15 He will be spiritual in the use of carnal things and heavenly in the use of earthly things There is a silver vein of sanctity that runs through all his worldly concernments If you look upon him in his eating and drinking you shall find him holy 1 Cor. 10.31 If you look upon him in his buying and selling in his paying and receiving you shall find him holy Isa 23.18 And her Merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord. Before Tyres conversion she laboured to inrich her self by hook and by crook all was fish that came to Tyres net Tyre could say any thing or do any thing or be any thing for gain Oh but when Tyre is converted and sanctified then all her merchandise and hire then all her gettings and earnings shall be holiness to the Lord. Tyre now shall write holinesse upon all her wares and commodities Tyre shall buy nothing nor sell nothing nor exchange nothing but there shall be holinesse written upon it And Tyre shall be as well holy in using and improving of her merchandise and hire as she hath been holy in the getting of them for so it follows in the same verse It shall not be treasured nor laid up for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord to eat sufficiently and for durable clothing Tyre before her conversion hoorded up riches and laid up her merchandise to spend upon her lusts to spend upon her pride and wantonnesse and luxuriousnesse c. But now being converted she uses and improves what she hath in the Service of the Lord and for the comfort support and relief of the poor and needy When Tyre is once made holy Calvin renders it Stables of horses which are the most stinking and contemptible places and yet these should be holily used then Tyre will be holy in the use of all her earthly enjoyments If you look upon a holy man going to war then you shall find holinesse written upon the bridles of his horses Zach. 14.20 21. In that day shall there be upon the bridles or bells of the horses holiness unto the Lord. Yea every Pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of Hosts Here is holinesse written upon the bridles of the horses they ride on and holinesse written upon the cups and pots they drink in a holy heart will be holy in the use of the meanest things that are for common use Every piece of his civility shall savour of sanctity and in all the parts of his common conversation you shall be able to discern something of the power of religion Job 5.24 And thou shalt visit thy habitation and shalt not sin Thou shalt be holy in thy commerce and holy in thy converse holinesse shall be written upon thy dealings with thy servants and holinesse shall be written upon thy carriages towards thy children and holinesse shall be written upon all thy behaviours towards thy friends What ever thou puttest thy hand to in thy habitation shall have holinesse written upon it thou shalt make a Jacobs ladder of all thy earthly enjoyments all the comforts that be in thy habitation shall be as so many bright morning stars to lead thee on in a way of holinesse and to lead thee up to a holy God Look upon a holy man in his calling and you shall find him holy Look upon him in the use of the creatures and you shall find him holy Look upon him in his recreations and you shall find him holy The habitual frame and bent of his heart is to be holy in every earthly thing that he puts his hand unto A spirit of holinesse runs and shines in all the common actions of his life But now look upon those who have only the shews and appearances of holinesse and you shall find that they have but a common spirit in common things take them out of their duties and you shall find them in a course to be earthly in the use of earthly things and carnal in the use of carnal things and worldly in the use of worldly things All their religion all their holinesse lyes in a few duties take them out of these and you shall find them as carnal as vain as foolish as filthy and as frothy as light and as slight as those that have not so much as a cloak of holinesse upon them But he that is really holy will be holy as well out of duties as in duties If you look narrowly upon him in all his worldly concernments you shall find some footsteps of the aw fear dread authority and glory of God upon his spirit Look as an unholy heart is carnal in spiritual things and earthly in heavenly things and unholy in holy things so a man that is truly holy he is as well holy in the ordinary affairs and actions of this life as he is holy in any of the
happiness Jerem. 6.16 Isa 35.8 And a high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse the unclean shall not passe over it but it shall be for those the way-faring men though fools shall not err therein Some men say lo here is the way Other men say lo there is the way but certainly the way of holinesse is the surest the safest the easiest the noblest and the shortest way to happinesse Among the Heathens no man could enter into the Temple of Honour but must first enter into the Temple of Vertue There is no entring into the Temple of happinesse except you enter into the Temple of holinesse Holinesse must first enter into you before you can enter into Gods holy hill As Sampson cried out Give me water or I die or as Rachel cried out Give me children or I die so all unsanctified souls may well cry out Lord give me holinesse or I die Psalm 15. throughout give me holinesse or I eternally die If the Angels those Princes of glory fall once from their holinesse they shall be for ever excluded from everlasting happinesse and blessednesse If Adam in Paradise fall from his purity he shall quickly be driven out from the presence of divine glory Austin would not be a wicked man an unholy man one hour for all the world because he did not know but that he might die that hour and should he die in an unholy estate he knew he should be for ever separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power O Sirs do not deceive your own souls holinesse is of absolute necessity 2 Thess 1.8 9 10. without it you shall never see the Lord it is not absolutely necessary that you should be great or rich in the world but it is absolutely necessary that you should be holy it is not absolutely necessary that you should enjoy health strength friends liberty life but it is absolutely necessary that you should be holy A man may see the Lord without worldly prosperity but he can never see the Lord except he be holy A man may to heaven to happinesse without honour or worldly glory but he can never to heaven to happiness without holiness without holinesse here no heaven hereafter Rev. 21.27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth God will at last shut the gates of glory against every person that is without heart purity Ah Sirs holinesse is a flower that grows not in natures garden Men are not born with holinesse in their hearts as they are born with tongues in their mouths holinesse is of a divine off-spring it is a pearl of price that is to be found in no nature but a renewed nature in no bosome but a sanctified bosome There is not the least beam or spark of holinesse in any natural man in the world I have read that the Isle of Arren in Ireland hath such a pure Air that it was never yet infected with the Plague but such is not the nature of man Gen. 6.5 Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil continually Job 25.4 How can man be clean that is born of a woman The interrogation carries in it a strong negation How can man be clean that is man cannot be clean that is born of a woman man that is born of a woman is born in sin and born both under wrath and under the curse And who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Job 14.4 Isa 64.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Rom. 3.10 11. There is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none thot seeketh after God Every man by nature is a stranger yea an enemy to holinesse Rom. 8.7 Every man that comes into this world comes with his face towards sin and hell and with his back upon God and holinesse Such is the corruption of our nature that propound any divine good to it it is entertained as fire by water or wet wood with hissing Propound any evil then it is like a fire to straw it is like the foolish Satyr that made haste to kisse the fire it is like that unctious matter which the Naturalists say sucks and snatches the fire to it with which it is consumed All men are born sinners and there is nothing but an infinite power that can make them Saints All men would be happy and yet they naturally loath to be holy By all which you may clearly see that food is not more necessary for the preservation of natural life then holiness is necessary for the preservation and salvation of the soul If a man had the wisdom of Solomon the strength of Sampson the courage of Joshua the policy of Ahitophell the dignities of Haman the power of Ahashueros and the eloquence of Apollos yet all these without holinesse would never save him Secondly Consider there is a possibility of obtaining holiness Prov. 2.2 3 4 5 6 7. Holiness is a golden mine that may be come at if you will but digg and sweat and take pains for it it is a flower of Paradise that may be gathered it is a crown that may be put on Rom. 13.12 13 14. it is a pearl of price that may be obtained if you will but part with the wicked mans Trinity the world the flesh and the devil to enjoy it Though some of the Attributes of God be incommunicable yet holinesse is a communicable attribute and this should mightily encourage you to look after holiness Well sinners remember this it is possible that those proud hearts of yours may be humbled it is possible that those hard hearts of yours may be softned it is possible that those unclean hearts of yours may be sanctified it is possible that those blind minds of yours may be enlightened it is possible that those stubborn wills of yours may be tamed it is possible that those disordered affections of yours may be regulated it is possible that those drowsie and defiled consciences of yours may be awakened and purged it is possible that those vile and polluted natures of yours may be changed and purified There are several things that do witness that holiness is attainable As 1. Witness Gods promise to give his holy Spirit to them that ask it Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him The holy Spirit is a gift more worth then a world yea then heaven it self and yet to make men holy God is willing to give his holy spirit upon very easie terms They shall have it for asking John 3.6 Titus 3.5 1 Cor. 6.11 the Spirit is a spirit of holiness he is holy in himself and the Author of all that holiness that is in man it is he that most powerfully
to say with those in Ezekiel Behold they of the house of Israel say the vision that he seeth is for many days to come Amos 6.3 Ezek. 12.27 Luk. 12. and he prophesieth of the times that are afar off So the rich man in the Gospel reckoned upon many years when he had not many monthes no not many weeks no not many days no not many hours to live in this world Unholy persons are very apt to say to death as Pharaoh said to Moses Get thee from me Exod. 10.28 and let me see thy face no more When death knocks at the poor mans door he sends it to the rich mans gate and the rich man translates it to the Schollar and the Scholar posts it away to the Citizen and the Citizen to the Courtier and the Courtier to his Lady and his Lady to her Maid so death is posted away as it were from one to another every one crying out to death O let me not see thy face O let me not see thy face 'T was even a death to Queen Elizabeth Sigismund the Emperor Lewes the 11 of France Cardinal Beauford and others to think of death or to hear of death and therefore they strictly charged all their servants about them that when they saw them sick they should never dare to name that bitter word Death in their ears And Pashur can't cast his eye upon death but he is presently a Magor Missabib a terror to himself Jer. 20.3 And Saul though he was a valiant King yet at the news of death he falls on his face 1 Sam. 28.20 And so Belshazzar though he was a mighty Emperor Dan. 5.1 7. yet a letter to him from him whom Bildad calleth the King of terrors Job 18.14 Ah how does it amaze astonish affright and terrifie him and how many are there who with Mecaenas in Seneca had rather live in many diseases then die and with the most famous Heathens prefer the meanest life on earth above all the hopes they have of another world like Achilles who had rather be a servant to a poor country Clown here then to be a King to all the souls departed or like Withipoll a rich and wretched man who when he was in danger of death earnestly desired that he might live five hundred years Vitellius looking for the messenger of death made himself drunk to drown the the thoughts of it though it were but in the shape of a Toad Near Lewes in Sussex a woman being ill one of her neighbors coming to visit her told her that if she died she should go to heaven and be with God and Jesus Christ and with Angels and Saints the sick woman answered that she had no acquaintance there she knew no body there and therefore she had rather live with her and her other neighbors here then to go thither to live amongst strangers And thus you see how apt persons are to shrug at death which is a common lot and to say to it as Ephraim did to his Idols Get you hence what have we more to do with you but this is and must be for a lamentation that men put off the thoughts of their latter end to the latter end of their thoughts Man naturally is a great life-lover and therefore he will bleed sweat vomit purge part with an estate yea with a limb I limbs to preserve his life like him that cryed out O give me any deformity any torment any misery so you spare my life And upon this account 't is that he desires that such a guest as death may not knock at his door but Ah that all such vain men would consider that by putting the day of their death far from them they do but gratifie Satan strengthen their sins provoke the Lord and make the work of faith and holiness more hard and difficult and so lay a deep foundation for their own eternal destruction Well sirs remember this the serious thoughts and meditations of death if any thing will work you to break off your sins to mend your lives and to look to the salvation of your souls there is nothing that will sooner work a man to a holy fear of offending God in any thing and to a holy care of pleasing God in every thing then the serious meditation of death Though that text Remember thy latter end and thou shalt never do amiss be Apocryphal yet the truth asserted is Canonical I have read a story of one that gave a young prodigal a Ring with a Deaths-head on this condition that he should one hour in a day for seven days together think and meditate upon Death which accordingly he did and it bred a great change and alteration in his life and conversation O! man thou doest not know but that the serious thoughts of death may work that desireable thing in thee viz. holiness which yet has not been wrought in thee by all the holy counsels the gracious examples the fervent prayers the sorrowful tears of thy dearest friends thou doest not know but that the serious meditation of Death may do thee more good then all the Sermons that ever thou hast heard or then all the books that ever thou hast read or then all the prayers that ever thou hast made or then all the sighs or groans that ever thou hast poured out and why then shouldest thou put the thoughts of death far from thee Certainly as he is a sinner in grain that dares look death in the face and yet sin that dares cut a purse when the Judge looks on so he is a monster rather then a man that dares look death in the face and yet satisfie himself to live without holiness that dares look death in the face and yet say I 'll drink and be drunk I 'll sware and swagger I 'll roar and whore I 'll cheat and cozen I 'll hate and oppose I 'll quarrel and kill and my hands shall be as bloody as my heart and let death do her worst if such a person be not in the ready way of being miserable for ever I know nothing Well sirs remember these three things First That there is nothing more certain then death That Statute Law of heaven Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 will take hold of all the sons of men There is no man that lives and shall not see death Psal 89.48 Gen. 32. Though Jacob wrestled with an Angel and prevailed yet death was too hard for him though Hazael was as light of foot as a wild Roe yet he could not out-run death 2 Sam. 2.18 and Absalom could not out-ride it nor Pharoah out-drive it though Saul and Jonathan were as swift as Eagles and as strong as Lyons yet were they slain among the mighty 'T was not Solomons wisdom that could deliver him nor Sampsons strength that could rescue him nor Hamans honor that could secure him nor Goliahs sword that could defend him nor Dives riches that could
strangely converted by hearing a voice from heaven saying Tolle lege Tolle lege Take and read take and read and taking up the Bible the first passage of Scripture that he cast his eyes upon was that Rom. 13.13 14. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof and no sooner had he read the verses but the work of conversion was finished and pious resolutions for a through reformation of life was settled in him The Gospel read is sometimes the power of God to salvation as well as the Gospel heard Rom. 1.16 Cyprian confesseth that he was converted from Idolatry and Negromancy by hearing the history of the Prophet Jonas read and expounded by Cecilius whom therefore he calleth the father of his new life And Luther confesseth that he was converted by reading I have read of a scandalous Minister that was struck at the heart and converted in reading that Rom. 2.21 22. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self thou that preachest a man should not steal doest thou steal Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit sacriledge There is a Schollar now alive who being perswaded by an honest poor man to leave reading of Poetry and to fall upon reading of the Bible did so and before he had read out Genesis his heart was changed and he was converted O sirs as you tender your conversion your salvation make more conscience of reading the Scripture then ever you have done be often in wheting of these Scriptures upon your hearts Deut. 6.6 7 8 9. ch 31.11 12. Jer. 36.6 7. John 5.39 In these Scriptures God requires all sorts of people both men women children and strangers both learned and unlearned to read the Scriptures and to search after the heavenly treasures that are laid up in them as men search for Gold and silver in the Oar. And Paul charges Timothy that he gives attendance to reading And blessed is he saith John 1 Tim. 4.13 Rev. 1.3 that heareth and readeth the words of this Book Yea Christ himself hath highly honored reading with his own example for coming to Nazareth as his custom was he stood up to read the Scriptures Luk. 4.16.21 and the Bereans for reading and searching of the Scriptures are stiled more noble then the Jews of Thessalonica or as the Greek has it Acts 17.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were better born and bred they were better Gentlemen they were of a more noble and ingenious disposition though they did belong to the Country Town of Barea then the Thessalonians were who dwelt in the rich and stately City of Thessalonica sometimes there is more true nobility and ingenuity under a Russet coat then there is under a Sattin suit The Holy Ghost gives a very large Encomium high commendation of the Scriptures in that 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus 'T is observable that in these words you have not simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy Scriptures but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Scriptures the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is very emphatical and 't is used by the Holy Ghost to distinguish these sacred writings from all prophane writings and to note the eminency and excellency of the holy Scriptures above all other mens writings whatâ—oever Now the Scriptures have this adjunct this Epithet Holy given them in five respects 1. In respect of their Author and original viz. a Holy God 2. They are holy in respect of the Pen-men who were holy men of God 2 Pet. 1.21 3. They are holy in respect of their matter they treat of the holy things of God a vein of holiness runs through every line of Scripture the Scripture calls for holy hearts and holy lives it calls for holy principles and holy practises holy words and holy works holy affections and holy conversations 1 Pet. 1.15 4. They are holy in respect of their effects and operations they are a means to effect and work holiness and they are a means to compleat and perfect holiness Joh. 17.17 The word is not onely a pure word but also a purifying word 't is not only a clean word but also a cleansing word Psal 19.8 9. 5. They are called holy by way of distinction and in opposition not onely to all humane and prophane writings but also to the writings of the best and choicest men that ever wrote for they have had their failings weaknesses and infirmities and therefore must have their many grains of allowance but the holy Scripture is most perfect and compleat Now sirs if ever you would be holy it stands you upon to make more conscience of reading the holy Scriptures then ever yet you have done many a man has been made holy by reading the holy Scriptures and why maist not thou also be made holy by reading of the same holy word Certainly all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth can't tell to the contrary but that thou mayest be made holy even by reading of the holy word the Holy Ghost is a free Agent and he can as well work holiness in thy heart by reading as by hearing and therefore set thy self about this noble and necessary work Ah friends the Scriptures are Gods Epistle they are Gods love-letter to the sons of men and why then will you not read them Count Anhalt that princely preacher was wont to say that the Scriptures were Christs swadling bands the child Jesus being to be found almost in every page in every verse and in every line Oh who would not therefore be often in looking upon and in handling of these swadling bands O sirs there are no histories that are comparable to the histories of the Scripture First For Antiquity Moses is found more antient then all those whom the Grecians make most ancient as Homer Hesiod and Jupiter himself whom the Greeks have seated in the top of their divinity Secondly For rarity Thirdly For brevity here you have much wrapt up in a little room heâ— you have Homers Iliads compriz'd in a Nut-shell Fourthly For perspicuity the foundations of Religion and happiness are so plain and clear that every one may run and read them 'T was a true saying of Augustin Inclinavis Deus Scripturas ad infantium lactentium capacitatem That God hath bowed down the Scriptures to the capacities even of Babes and Sucklings Fifthly For harmony though there may seem to be a contrariety between Scripture and Scripture yet there is a blessed harmony between all the parts of Scripture the contrariety is seeming not real As when a man is drawing water out of a well with two
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 woâ—â—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
I have thoughts of grace and thoughts of mercy and thoughts of love c. for I will dwell among them and be a little Sanctuary to them and make up the want of all outward ordinances and priviledges to them I have read of the Tyrians that they bound their Gods with chains Josh 1.5 Psal 89.33 34. Jer. 32.38 39 40 41. that they might not leave them in their greatest need but our God has bound himselfe with many Golden chains I meane promises that he will never leave nor forsake his people in their greatest necessity and extremity Theodoret had a precious presence of God with him in his sufferings for he sound so much sweetness when he was on the Rack in the midst of his tortures that he profest he did not find any anguish in his torments but a great deale of pleasure and when they took him down from the Rack he complained that they did him wrong in taking of him down and in ceasing to torment him for said he all the while I was on the Rack and you were venting your malice against me I thought there was a young man in white an Angel that stood by me which wiped off the sweat and I found a great deale of sweetness in my sufferings which now I have lost O! Christians in all your sufferings the Angel of Gods presence will bare you company and he will sweeten the most cruel torments and wipe off all the sweat Isa 63.9 and take away all the paine yea he will turne your paines into pleasure If Joseph be cast into prison Gen. 39.20 21. Jer. 36.6 to the 14. Psal 23.4 5. the Lord will be with him there If Jeremiah be throwne into the Dungeon the Lord will be with him there If David walk through the valley of death Gods Rod and his Staffe shall comfort him If the three Children be cast into a fiery Furnace the presence of the Son of God shall preserve them if Daniel must to the Lyons Den God will keep him company there and chain up the Lyons nature and sow up the Lyons mouths and lay a law of restraint upon the Lyons pawes that they shall not have so much as a disposition to touch him or in the least to hurt him or harme him 2 Tim. 4.16 17 18. If Paul be brought before Nero's Judgement seate God will stand by him though all men forsake him and bring him off with credit and triumph Thus you see that in all the afflictions and persecutions that doe befall the people of God God will not faile to keep them company and therefore let not troubles trouble you let not afflictions afflict you nor let not persecutions discourage you But Sixthly I answer That he shall be sure to suffer from Christ that refuses to suffer or that is afraid to suffer for Christs sake or holiness sake or the Gospels sake no man can suffer so much for Christ as he shall be sure to suffer from Christ if he disdaine and refuse to suffer for Christ Mark 8.35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake That Husbandman that keepes his wheat looses his wheat but he that sowes his wheat renewes his wheat and the Gospels the same shall save it He that shall attempt to save his life by crossing his light by shifting off of truth or by forsaking of Christ shall lose it he that thinks to shun suffering by sinning shall be sure to suffer with a witness 't is a gainfull loss to suffer for the truth 't is a lossfull gaine by time-serving and base complying with the lusts and humors of men to provide for our present safety security plenty peace and ease c. either by denying the truth or by betraying the truth or by exchanging the truth or by forsaking the truth When Henry the fourth of France French History had conquered his enemies he turn'd Papist and gave this reason of it That he might settle himselfe in peace and safety Ravilliak who slew him as he was riding abroad in his Coach to refresh himself confessed that the reason why he stabb'd him was because he was of two Religions and thus by endeavouring to save his life he lost it One Philbert Hamlin in France having converted a Priest to the profession of the truth was together with the Priest apprehended and cast into prison at Burdeaux But after a while the Priest being terrified with the prison and feare of death renounced Christ and was set at liberty whereupon Philbert said to him O unhappy and more then miserable man is it possible that to save your life for a few dayes you should so deny the truth Know therefore that though you have avoided the corporal fire yet your life shall not be prolonged for you shall die before me and you shall not have the honor to die for the cause of Christ but you shall be an example to Apostates And accordingly as he went out of the prison two Gentlemen that had a former quarrel with him met him and slew him And thus he also lost his life by endeavoring sinfully to save it Though life be sweet and every creature makes much of it from the highest Angel to the lowest worm yet wo to him that is set upon saving of it when Christ calls upon him to be divinely prodigal of it no fool to him who thinks to avoid a less danger by running himself into a greater danger who thinks to save his body by losing his soul and to save his temporal life by losing eternal life there is no loser to him who by sinful attempts to saved his life shall lose a better life then ever he can save So ver 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Ah friends what are prisons and dungeons and racks and flames to Christs being ashamed of a man in the great day when he shall be attended with Troops of Saints and millions of Angels when in the face of the Court of Heaven when all the Princes of glory shall set upon their thrones Christ shall disdain a man and scorn so much as to look upon him or take any notice of him or shew the least respect or favor towards him O what a Sea of sorrow and a hell of horror will this raise in him I have read that when Sapores King of Persia raised a violent persecution against the Christians Sozom. Hist l. 2. c. 8. Vsthazares an old Nobleman and one of King Sapores Eunuches and Courtiers being a Christian was so terrified that he left off his profession and setting at the Court-gate when Simeon an aged holy Bishop was led to prison and rising up to salute him You may see the same story in Mr. Fox his book of
as you would not have a hand in the damnation of sinners take heed of scandalous sins O! Sirs 1 Kings 11.9 as you would not provoke the great God as you would not crucifie afresh the Lord of glory and put him to an open shame as you would not set the Comforter a mourning that alone can comfort you as you would not raise a hell in your own consciences and as you would not darken the Churches Glory fly from scandalous sins as you would fly from hell it selfe I have read of holy Polycarp that religious Martyr and Bishop of Smyrna how that in the time of the fourth persecution under Marcus Antonius Verres when he was commanded to sweare but one Oath made this Answer Euseb Hist lib. 2. cap. 15. Fourscore and six years have I endeavoured to doo God service and all this while he never hurt me and how then shall I speak evill of so good a Lord and Master who hath thus long preserved me And being further urged to sweare by the Proconsul he answered I am a Christian and cannot doe it let Heathens and Infidels sweare if they will I cannot doe it were it to the saving of my life This holy man would rather sacrifice his life then fall into a scandalous sin O Christians pray and watch and watch and pray that you may never be left to staine your own honor or the honor of your profession by falling into scandalous sins Well friends remember this 't is not infirmities but enormities 't is not weaknesses but wickednesses that will cast the crowne from off your heads and that will strip you of all your glory and therefore as you would hold fast your crowne keep at an everlasting distance from scandalous sins c. But Secondly Declare and evidence the reality and power of holiness by your cordial thankfulness for so rare a Jewel Psal 103.1 2 3 4 5. or as the originall will bare bow the knee O my soul and for so great a mercy O Sirs one drop one spark of holiness is more worth then heaven and earth and how then can you but be thankful for it Wilt thou be thankful to that God that made thee a man and wilt thou not be thankful to the same God that made thee a Saint Wilt thou bless him that made thee a creature and wilt thou not bless the same God that has made thee a new creature Wilt thou praise him for the heavens that are but the workmanship of his hands Psal 8. and wilt thou not praise him for holiness Augustin writ his 49. Ep. to one called Deo gratias which is the workmanship of his heart Tell me O Christian is not holiness a soul-mercy and what mercies wilt thou be thankful for if not for soul-mercies Tell me O Christian is not holiness of all mercies the most necessary mercy the want of other mercies might have troubled thee I but the want of holiness would have damned thee and wilt thou not be thankful for holiness which is the one thing necessary Tell me O Christian is not holiness an incomparable mercy what 's thy health thy wealth thy wit to holiness darest thou mention thy birth thy breeding thy arts thy parts thy honor thy greatness or thy advancement in the world in that day wherein holiness is spoken of surely no and wilt thou not then be thankful for such an incomparable mercy as holiness is Tell me O Christian is not holiness a peculiar mercy a peculiar treasure that God intrusts but few men with 1 John 5.19 Don't the world lye in wickedness are not the multitude in all places strangers yea enemies to holiness and how then canst thou but be thankful for holiness Yea once more tell me O Christian is not holiness a mercy sweetning mercy is it not the beauty of holiness that puts a beauty upon all thy mercies is it not holiness that bespangles all thy comforts and contentments O how sower would all thy mercies tast and how pale and wan would all thy mercies look were it not for holiness 'T is the want of holiness that makes all a mans mercies look as ill-favoured as Pharaoh's leane kine Gen. 41.2 3 4. and 't is the fruition of holiness that makes all a mans mercies look as well-favour'd as Pharaoh's fat-kine 't is holiness that both puts a colour upon all our mercies and that gives a tast and a rellish to them All our mercies without holiness will be but as the waters of Marah Exod. 15.23 24 25. bitter 't is only holiness that is the Tree that will make every bitter sweet and every sweet more sweet and how then canst thou but be thankful for holiness O remember how far off thou wert from God Eph. 2.12 and Christ and the promise and heaven and happiness when thou wast without holiness in this world O remember what a child of wrath what a bond-slave to Satan what an enemy to God and what an apparent heire to hell thou wert when thou wert an opposer of holiness and a secret despiser of holiness and then be unthankful for holiness if thou canst O remember that now by holiness of a slave thou art made a Son and of an heire of wrath Rev. 8.16 17. thou art made an heire of heaven and in stead of being Satans bond-man thou art now made Christs free-man John 8.36 thy Iron-chains are now knockt off as sometimes Joseph's were and the Golden chaine of holiness is now put upon thee Gen. 41.14.42 and what do's all this call aloud for but thankfulness This saying is also fathered on Socrates c. Thales a Heathen gave thanks to God for three things 1. That he had made him a man and not a beast 2. That he had made him a man and not a woman 3. That he was borne a Greek and not a Barbarian And O then what cause of thankfulness hast thou for thy supernatural being and for all those noble principles of holiness that the Lord has stampt upon thy soul c Shall the husbandman be thankful for a plentiful Harvest and the Merchant for quick returnes and the Shop-keeper for a full Trade and the Marriner for a good voyage and wilt not thou be much more thankful for holiness Shall the beggar be thankful for a crust to feed him and shall the blind be thankful for a dogge to lead him and shall the naked be thankful for raggs to cover him Ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris and shall the Aged be thankful for a Staffe to support him and shall the diseased be thankful for a cordial to raise him and wilt not thou be thankful for holiness yea for that holiness that is bread to strengthen thee and a Guide to lead thee and rayment to cloath thee and a Staffe to support thee and a cordial to comfort thee O remember that ingratitude is a monster in nature a solecisme in manners and a paradox in
strangers yea enemies to those noble and divine principles And you are the onely persons on earth upon whom all exhortations and commands to grow in holiness to encrease in holiness and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord do's most immediately most directly most eminently most roundly and most fully fall as you may easily see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together O sirs 2 Pet. 3.18 how gloriously should that house be adorned with holiness that is of Gods own building 2 Corin. 7.1 Ch. 13.11 Colos 2.7 Heb. 6.1 1 Corin. 15.58 Jude 10. and how fruitful should those vineyards and gardens be that are of Gods own planting and how full should those Wells be that are of Gods own digging and how sweet should those flowers be that are of Gods own setting and how ripe should those fruits be that are of Gods own Grafting O sirs shall the Eagle flye higher and higher shall the Sun shine brighter and brighter and shall the Gyant refreshed with wine run swifter and swifter and shall the woman man that is with child grow fuller and fuller and greater and greater and shall not you who are the people of Gods holiness flye higher and higher in holiness and shine brighter and brighter in holiness Charles the Fifth had this for his Motto Vlterius goe on further Math. 13.23 Mar. 4.28 Ezek. 47.3.4 and run swifter and swifter in the ways of holiness and grow fuller and fuller and greater and greater in the births of holiness O sirs holiness in a Christian is not like a Star in the Skie nor a Stone in the Center nor a Bullet in a Gun which is always equal but holiness is like to the seed which being sown in the furrows of the earth first springs up into a blade and then into an ear and then into ripe corn Holiness is like to the waters in Ezekiels Sanctuary that rise by degrees First it rise to the Ancles then to the knees then to the Loyns and then to a mighty river that could not be passed over 2 Sam. 3.1 Holiness is like to the house of David that grew stronger and stronger and like to the Cedars of Lebanon that grew greater and greater Hosea 14.6 7. O Christians there are none that are so strongly obliged to go on from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 and from strengâ—h to strength and from holiness to holiness as you are O! 1 Col. 13. you must labor to be filled up to the brim with holiness O! you must strive to equalize the first three of Davids worthies O! 2 Ch. 7. you must endeavor to be like the brethren of Gideon every one resembling the children of a King 1 Chron 11.21 O that you could all say as Elihu once did Judg. 8.18 Job 32.18 19. I am full of matter my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles O my brethren to be as full of holiness as new bottles are full of wine or as the Moon is full of light or as the black clouds are full of Rain or as Nurses breasts are full of milk is the greatest happiness in this world O sirs there are no persons on earth that aâ—e engaged to love the Lord with such a vehement love as you nor to tâ—ust in the Lord with such an inflamed faith as you nor to hope in the Lord with such a raised hope as you nor to delight in the Lord with such ravishing delights as you nor to long after the Lord with such earnest longings as you nor to fear before the Lord with so great a trembling as you nor to be so zealous for God with such a burning zeal as you nor to mourn before the Lord with so great a mourning as you nor to hate all things that are contrary to the nature of God the being of God the command of God the glory of God with such a deadly hatred as you Well remember this viz. 't is no little sin for any Christian to set down satisfied under a little measure of holiness considering the many and the great obligations that lies upon him to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. But Eleventhly To provoke you to labor after higher degrees of holiness consider that the more holiness any man attains to 2 Corin. 1.8 9 10 11 12. the more bold couragious resolute Masculine and Heroick that man will be for God and godliness holiness enobles the heart it raises the heart and the higher the springs of holiness riseth in the heart the higher it raiseth the heart and the more it steels the heart for God and godliness the more holiness any man has the more resolutely he will set himself against sin and the more divinely he will scorn the world and the more couragiously he will trample upon temptations and the more Heroick he will be under all his afflictions men of greatest holiness have been men of greatest boldness witness Nehemiah the three children Daniel Nehe. 6.11 and all the holy Prophets and Apostles Prov. 28.1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth but the righteous are as bold as a Lyon yea as a young Lyon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Hebrew has it that is in his hot blood and fears no colours and that is more bold then any others holiness made Daniel not onely as bold as a Lyon but also to daunt the Lyons with his boldness Luther was a man of great holiness and a man of great boldness witness his standing out against all the world and when the Emperour sent for him to Wormes and his friends disswaded him from going as sometimes Pauls did him Go Acts and Mon. 776. said he I will surely goe since I am sent for in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ yea though I knew that there were as many Devils in Wormes to resist me as there be Tiles to cover the houses yet I would goe And when the same Author and his Associates were threatned with many dangers from opposers on all hands he lets fall this heroick magnanimous speech Come let us sing the six and forty Psalme and then let them do their worst Latimer was a man of much holiness counting the darkness and profaneness of those times wherein he liv'd and a man of much courage boldness Acts and Mon. 1594. witness his presenting to king Henry the eight for a new years gift a new Testament wrapt up in a Napkin with this posie or motto about it Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge Dr. Taylor the Martyr was a very holy man and being perswaded by some of his friends not to appeare before Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester Acts and Mon. 1380. but to fly fly you said he and do according to your consciences but as for my self I am fully determined by Gods grace to go to the Bishop and to tell him to his Beard that he doth naught
of holiness But Secondly If ever you would perfect holiness if ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness Psal 41.12 1 Sam. 2.1.3 then set the Lord alwaies before your eyes set your selves alwaies as in his presence David was a man that was very high and eminent in holiness but how came hee to so great a height why hee tells you how in that 16. Psal 8. Athenodorus a Heathen could say that all men ought to bee careful in the actions of their lives because God was every where and beheld all that was done 1 King 20.39 Psal 39.1 Jer. 20.10 Job 10.12 I have set the Lord alwaies before mee because hee is at my right hand I shall not bee moved David did not by fits and starts set the Lord before him but hee alwaies set the Lord before him in his course hee had his eye upon the Lord and so much the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports I have equally set the Lord before mee that is the force of the original word that is I have set the Lord before mee at one time as well as another without any irregular affections or passions c. in every place in every condition in every company in every imployment and in every enjoyment I have set the Lord equally before mee and this raised him and this will raise any Christian by degrees to a very great height of holiness Psa 119.168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my waies are before thee The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shamar that is here rendred kept signifies to keep carefully diligently studiously exactly it signifies to keep as men keep prisoners and to keep as a watchman keeps the City or the Garison yea to keep as a man would keep his very life but now mark what was the reason that David kept the Precepts and the testimonies of the Lord so carefully so sincerely so diligently so studiously and so exactly why the reason you have in the latter part of the verse for all my waies are before thee O Sirs t is as necessary for him that would bee eminent in holiness to set the Lord alwaies before him as t is necessary for him to breathe in that 31. of Job you have a very large narrative of that heigth and perfection of holiness that Job had attained to and the great reason that hee gives you for this is in the 4. verse Doth not hee see my waies and count all my steps the eye of God had so strong an influence upon his heart life that it wrought him up to a very high pitch of holiness The Schollar writes most exactly whilest his Masters eye is upon him and the Childe walks most exactly whilest his Fathers eye is upon him and the Servant works most exactly whilest his Masters eye is upon him and so certainly all the Sons and Servants of the most high God do hear most exactly and pray most exactly and walk most exactly when they set themselves most as in the presence of the great God who is all sight who is Totus oculus all eye Ah friends as ever you would bee high in holiness possess your hearts with a serious apprehension of Gods presence set your selves dayly as in his sight as under his eye and remember though a man may easily baffle his conscience and put out his light and deceive the world like that counterfeit Alexander in Josephus his story yet hee shall never be able to baffle or deceive the eye of Gods omnisciency you shall as soon get out of the reach of his hand as you shall get from under the view of his eye God hath his windows in all our brests and curiously and narrowly observes all that is done within us and all that is done by us and if the serious consideration of his all seeing eye will not influence us to labour after the highest degrees of holiness I know not what will It was Seneca's advice to his friend Jucilius that whatsoever hee was doing hee should imagine that Cato did behold him and Plutarch advised his friends to demean themselves so circumspectly as if their enemies did alwaies behold them But my advice to you shall bee this upon every occasion in every condition and in every action set the Lord alwaies before you if the sharp and severe eye of a holy man or of a holy friend or of a holy relation will so over-awe you and so exceedingly influence you to the best of actions then certainly the sharp peircing and all-seeing eye of God will do much more and therefore let the Lord bee alwaies in your sight But Thirdly If ever you would attain ro higher degrees of holiness then fix and settle your selves under a holy Ministry resigne and give up your selves to his Ministry who makes it his great business and work to preach holiness to promote holiness to countenance holiness to encourage holiness to exalt holiness and to remove all obstructions that may any waies hinder the progress of holiness Some there bee that spend their time rather to please Isa 30.10 than to profit and to tickle their hearers ears than to touch their hearts from these turn aside and some there bee who make it their work rather to destroy Churches than to build them up in faith and holiness and from these turn aside Gal. 1.23 some there are who make it their business to delude and deceive the simple Phil. 4.14 Jer. 14.14 by venting and setting to sale the devices of their own heads and the deceits and visions of their own hearts How many are there in these daies whose glorious visions are but golden delusions and whose Seraphical phrases are but brain-sick phantasies and whose new notions are but new nothings from these turn aside And others there be that build the things that they have destroyed Gal. 2.18 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. and are returned after they had been seemingly washt with the Dog to his vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire They say that if tame Foxes break loose and turn wilde they do more mischief than any Julian was once a Professor but turning back to Heathenism hee drew more from the Faith by his fraud than his predecessors did by force therefore from these turn aside Mat. 15 1. 7. Mark 7.1 14. Some there be that cry up the commandements of men above the Commandements of God and that set up the ordinances of men above the Ordinances of God and that prefer humane institutions before divine institutions from these turn aside 1 King 20. 26. 2 Cor. 10.10 And others there be that have a vein of scorning and reproaching of disdaining and triumphing over the persons names and credits of those faithful Ministers of Christ who upon all accounts excel them and whom upon a dying-bed and before a Judgement-seat they will wish that they had imitated and not envied These labour to darken and
of holinesse that Christian is grown to Phil. 3.3 For wee are the câ—rcumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh These Philippians were eminent in grace and holinesse as you may see in chap. 1. And they place no confidence in circumcision nor in any such outward performances or services but they were much in the exercise of grace and in worshipping of God in the Spirit and in rejoycing in the Person of Christ the Natures of Christ the Offices of Christ the Discoveries of Christ the Communications of Christ the glorious Operations of Christ the precious Promises of Christ and in the heart-warming and heart-chearing Blood of Christ Now to bee much exercised in the most internal spiritual and Evangelical duties of Religion argues a very great height of holinesse But 8thly The more spiritual internal intrinsecal Principles Motives and Considerations carries a person on in Religious duties and services the more holy that person is when a man is carried on in the duties of Religion from a sense of Divine Love Psa 119.1 2 3. 1 Joh. 1.1 2 3 4. Isa 38.16 17 19 20. Psa 63.1 2 3. or from a sense of the special presence of Christ with his Spirit or from a sense of the excellency and sweetnesse of communion and fellowship with God or from a sense of the graciousnesse and goodnesse of God towards him or from a sense of singular influences and incomes from God or from a sense of the choice and precious discoveries of God or from a sense of the beauty and glory of God c. This argues a very great measure of holinesse that such a person hath attained to The more the sweet looks of Christ the secret visits of Christ the private whispers of Christ the divine joggings of Christ the blessed Love-tokens of Christ and the holy kisses and glorious embraces of Christ doth incite and provoke a person to Religious duties the greater degrees of holinesse that person hath reacht to but now 't is an Argument that the streams of holinesse runs but low when external Motives and Considerations have the greatest hand in carrying a person on in Religious duties The more bare custome the eye of the creature the favour of the creature the example of the creature the applause of the creature the rewards of the creature or the keeping up of a mans parts or the keeping up of a mans name esteem and repute in the world doth influence a Christians heart to Religious duties the lesse holinesse that Christian hath Yea 't is considerable that outward Motives and natural Principles have carried many Heathens to do many great and glorious things in the world Did not Sisera do as great things as Gideon the difference did only lye here that the great things that Gideon did hee did from more spiritual Principles and raised Considerations than any Sisera was acted by And did not Diogenes trample under his feet the great and glorious things of this world as well as Moses Heb. 11. the difference did only lye in this that Moses trampled under his feet the gay and gallant things of this world from inward holy Principles and from high and glorious Considerations and Motives whereas Diogenes did only trample upon them from poor low Principles and from carnal and external Considerations I have read of one Cosmus Medices a rich Citizen of â—lorence that hee confessed to a neer friend of his that hee built so many Magnificent Structures and spent so much on Scholars and Libraries not for any love to Learning but to raise up to himself the Trophies of fame and renown And many of the Romans have done very great and glorious things for their Country but all from natural Principles and from carnal and external Motives and Considerations as for a great name a puff of honour a little applause c. and therefore their most glorious actions have been but shining sins God alwaies writes a nothing upon all those services Jer. â—2 23 wherein mens Principles and their Ends are naught and low 'T was a notable saying of Luther one work of a Christian saith hee is more precious then Heaven and Earth and if I might have my desire I would rather chuse the meanest work of a Country Christian or poor Maid than all the Victories and Triumphs of Alexander the Great and of Julius Caesar because whatsoever a Saint doth though it be never so small and mean yet it is great and glorious because he doth all in Faith and by the Word And saith the same Author further let our works be never so small servile womanish yet let but this title be added the Word of the Lord and then they will be all glorious yea such as shall remain to all eternity O Sirs all our works and services must bee wrought from God for God in God and according to God or else they will bee but splendida peccata glistering sins well the more spiritual and internal the principles motives and considerations are that carries a Christian on in religious duties the greater measure of holinesse hath that Christian arrived to But Ninthly The more solid precise exact and accurate a Christian is in religious duties and services the greater measure of holinesse that Christian hath attained to and the more any Christian grows in holinesse the more spiritual the more savory the more exact and accurate hee will grow in all his religious services and performances The more a Christians heart is endeared to religious duties the more his heart is affected with the heavenly nature of religious duties and the more easily the more holily the more freely the more spiritually he performs religious duties the more he is thriven grown in holiness A young Carpenter gives more blows makes more noise chips than an old experienced workman doth but the old experienced workman doth his work more solidly more exactly and more accurately than the young Carpenter doth So many young Christians that are but newly entred into the trade of Christianity and that are raised up but to a very small degree of sanctity these may multiply duties upon duties these may abound in religious performances these may bee much in adding of service to service but yet the aged and experienced Christian in grace and holinesse doth duties more solidly more spiritually more exactly and more accurately than the young Christian doth Wee must never judge of an eminency in holinesse by the number or multitude of our duties but by the seriousnesse the graciousnesse the solidnesse the spiritualnesse the holinesse the heavenlinesse and the accuratenesse of our hearts in duties A young Musitian may play longer and more quick and nimble upon an Instrument than an old Musitian can but yet the old Musitian playes with more art accuratenesse skill judgement and understanding than a young Musitian doth so young Christians in grace and holinesse may hold out
comfortable for the Saints to consider that how mean and contemptible soever they may be in the eyes of the world that yet there is a day a coming when they shall sit upon a Throne and be crowned with Glory and reign with Christ to all Eternity But Eighthly If thou art a holy person if thou hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that all things shall be sanctified unto thee Tit. 1.15 Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled When a mans heart is once sanctified then all things are sanctified to him when a mans Spirit and way is clean and pure then all things are clean and pure to him O Sirs this is so great and so glorious a priviledge to have all things sanctified to us that 't is more worth than a world yea than many worlds Next to a mans interest in Christ hee cannot begge a greater mercy than this that all things may be sanctified to him that is that all things may so work as to make him more and more holy that every cross may make him more holy and that every comfort may make him more holy that every mercy may make him more holy and that every misery may make him more holy that every Ordinance may make him more holy and that every Providence may make him more holy that every Affliction at home may make him more holy and that every Judgement abroad may make him more holy every condition is sweet when it is sanctified to us sickness is as sweet as health when 't is sanctified to us and weakness is as sweet as strength when 't is sanctified to us and poverty is as sweet as liberty when 't is sanctified to us and disgrace is as sweet as honour when 't is sanctified to us and bonds are as sweet as liberty when they are sanctified to us and death is as sweet as life when it is sanctified to us Look as no condition can be a happy condition that is not a sanctified condition so no condition can bee a miserable condition that is a sanctified condition now this is only the holy man priviledge the holy mans mercy to have every estate and every condition sanctified unto him and this indeed is the Cream and Crown of all our mercies to have them sanctified unto us I and every bitter will bee sweet yea very sweet when 't is sanctified unto us what though thy mercies O Christian are fewer than others and lesser than others and leaner than others and shorter than others yet thou hast no reason to complain as long as thy mercies are sanctified mercies and what though thy tryals are greater than others and thy burden is heavier than others and thy sorrows are deeper than others and thy crosses comes thicker than others yet thou hast no cause to complain as long as they are sanctified Art thou a Holy person O then remember for thy comfort that every bit of bread thou eatest is sanctified and every draught of beer thou drinkeh is sanctified and every suit of cloaths thou wearest is sanctified the beds thou liest on are sanctified and the stooles thou sitest on are sanctified the very aire thou breathest in is sanctified and the very ground thou treadest on is sanctified every penny in thy purse is sanctified and every pound in thy shop is sanctified whatsoever thou hast at home is sanctified and what-ever thou hast abroad is sanctified And O! how should the sense of these things sweeten all thy bitters and turn thy Hell into Heaven and wipe all tears from thy eyes and turn thy sighing into singing and thy mourning into rejoycing c. But As those Heathens that have no hope 1 Thes 4.13 Ninthly If thou art a Holy Person if thou hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that thou art a person very high in favour with God thou art one of his peculiar ones Dan. 14.1 Yee are the Children of the Lord your God yee shall not cut your selves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God and 〈…〉 the Lord hath chosen thee to bee a peculiar people to himself above all the Nations that are upon the Earth All Gods holy ones are his peculiar ones God hath a peculiar respect for their persons Dan. 9.23 O Daniel thou art greatly beloved or as the Hebrew word Chamudoth signifies thou art a man of desires Now Daniel is called a man of desires because the desires of God run out strongly after him as one that was singularly beloved of him and as one that was highly in favour with him and as God hath a peculiar respect for their persons so hee hath a peculiar respect for their duties and services Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight God takes more delight to hear the prayers of the upright and to grant the prayers of the upright than the upright takes delight to pray how burdensome and troublesome soever their prayers may bee to others yet they are still delightfull to God but more of this in the next Particular And as God hath a peculiar respect for their services so hee hath a peculiar respect for their tears for hee puts them into his Bottle Psal 56.8 and as hee hath a peculiar respect for their tears so hee hath a peculiar respect for their names for hee writes them in his Book Luke 10.20 And as hee hath a peculiar respect for their names so hee hath a peculiar respect for their blood Psa 116.15 and this Cain found by wofull experience from the cry of his Brothers Blood O Sirs God by making of you holy hath made you like himself like his Son like his Spirit and like his most glorious Angels which excel in strength and what doth this speak out but Gods peculiar favour God makes many rich and many great and many honourable and many mighty and many wise and many noble and many beautifull and many successful whom hee will never make holy Ephes 1.3 in making of you holy God hath made you spiritually great rich honourable wise and beautiful c. and this speaks you out to bee highly in the favour of God Holiness is a singular fruit of Gods special favour and love God hath a common favour and love for all men yea for the worst of men Ephes 2.4 5. witnesse that common preservation and common protection and common provision that hee vouchsafeth to them and God hath a special love and favour and this runs out only to his holy ones holiness is a divine beam a heavenly drop a choice pledge of Gods special favour and love O Sirs though the world may slight you and enemies revile you and friends dis-favour
hearts of his children against sin by their very falling into sin O what love to Christ what thankfulness for Christ what admiration of Christ what cleaving to Christ what exalting of Christ and what drawing from Christ are Saints led to by their very falls O what exercise of grace what increase of grace what magnifying of grace what liftings up of Divine Power and what a high price are holy men led to set upon the precious Blood of Christ and all by their falls 'T is the glory of Gods Holiness that hee can turn spiritual diseases into holy remedies and soul-poisons into heavenly cordials that hee can prevent sin by sin and cure falling by falling one calls that 8th of the Romans and the 28. The blinde mans Promise and I may call it the lame mans Promise that is holy and the deaf mans Promise that is holy and the dumb mans Promise that is holy and the needy mans Promise that is holy and the sick mans Promise that is holy and the languishing mans Promise that is holy and the dying mans Promise that is holy O the comfort O the sweet O the content O the satisfaction that this Promise hath afforded to many a precious Saint when other Promises have not been at hand O Christian what though friends and relations frown upon thee what though enemies are plotting and conspiring against thee what though wants like an armed man are ready to break in upon thee what though men rage and Devils roar what though sickness be in thy family and death stands every day at thy elbow yet there is no reason for thee to fear or faint because all these things shall work for thy good Yea there is wonderful cause of joy and rejoycing in all the afflictions and tribulations that comes upon thee considering that they shall all work for thy good O Christians I am afraid I am afraid that you do not run so often as you should to the breasts of this Promise nor draw that sweetness and comfort from it that it would yeeld and that your several cases may require and thus I have done with this use of comfort and consolation to all Gods holy ones You see what comfort what consolation yea what strong consolation waits upon all Gods sanctified ones I have been the longer upon this use because the times require it and the condition of Gods people calls for the strongest cordials and the choicest and the sweetest comforts And now I have nothing to do but to lay down some Positions concerning Holiness which may be of singular use for the preventing of some Objections and mistakes and for the giving of satisfaction especially to such in whom the streams of Holiness runs low and who are still a lamenting and mourning under the imperfections of their Holiness c. And the first Position is this Where ever real Holiness is it will appear it will discover it self it will shew it self Eph. 4.15 16. it is the very nature of Grace and Holiness to manifest it self and therefore it is set forth in Scripture by the names of light which shines abroad and of ointment and perfume Mat. 5.16 Prov. 27.9 Cant. 3.6 which cannot be hid of Leaven and Salt which deriveth its own nature and rellish upon a whole lump And 't is very observable that when the Holy Ghost was given Act. 2.1 2 3 4 5. he was given in tongues fiery tongues and with a rushing of a mighty wind all which have a quality of self-manifestation and notifying of themselves to others Take a River that is damm'd and stopt up yet if the course of it be natural and if it commonly runs downward it will at length bear down all and ride and run triumphantly over all that is in its way So though real Holiness in a day of temptation desertion and affliction c. may seem to bee damm'd and stopt up yet at length it will make its way through all over all and shew its self in its native colours Though fire for a time may lye hid under the Ashes yet at last it will flame forth and shew it self to be fire Holiness is a divine fire and though in some cases it may for a time seem to bee hid it will at length break forth and shew it self to be Holinesse I have not Faith enough to beleeve that that man was ever really holy whose Holinesse is still unâ—er a bushel or in a dark Lanthorn Look as natural life cannot be so hid but that it will discover it self a hundred hundred waies So Holinesse which is a Christians spiritual life cannot be so hid but it will discover it a hundred hundred waies The second Position is this That Holiness rises by degrees it rises gradually in the souls of the Saints Though the first Adam was made a man a holy man Job 17.9 Psal 92.12 Mal. 4.2 Hos 14.5 6 7. yea man perfectly holy and all at once yet the Holiness of all that is interested in the second Adam rises by degrees 'T is true in the Creation of the world all the creatures were made in their full and perfect growth and strength at once but in the new Creation Holiness which is Gods own creature is carried on by degrees Luk. 2.52 Look as Christ increased in wisdome and in stature and in favour with God and man by degrees So that Babe of Grace Holiness increases in the soul by degrees Look as the seed which is sown in the furrows of the earth Mat. 13.23 Mark 4.28 first springs into a blade and then into an ear and then into ripe Corn So that immortal seed Holiness which is sown in the furrows of a Christians soul springs and grows by degrees Look as the waters in the Sanctuary rise first to the ancles then to the knees then to the loins then to the chin Ezek. 47.3 4 5. and then to a River that was not passable So Holinesse rises higher and higher in the soul by degrees Look as the morning light shines more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4.18 So the light of Holinesse shines more and more clear and more and more bright until all darknesse and imperfection be swallowed up in perfection Look as the body of a man grows and increases by degrees in stature and strength till it comes to its full growth and perfection Eph. 4.16 So Grace and Holinesse will grow and increase by degrees till Grace bee turned into Glory till Holiness bee turned into Happiness Though the Ocean be full yet the bottle cannot bee filled but by degrees Wee are poor narrow-mouthed Bottles and therefore what wee take in of Holinesse must bee by degrees our incapacity is so great that at present wee are no waies able to take in a fulnesse of Holinesse and therefore God drops in now a drop and then a drop now a little and then a little as wee are able to take it in And indeed to difference
strikes the sinner into such a damp as a discourse on the holiness of God it is as the hand-writing upon the wall nothing makes the head and heart of a sinner to ake like a Sermon upon the holy one nothing gaules and gripes nothing stings and terrifies unsanctified ones like a lively setting forth of the holiness of God But now to holy souls there are no discourses that do more suit them and satisfie them that doth more delight and content them that doth more please and profit them then those that do most fully and powerfully discover God to be glorious in holiness Well this is an everlasting truth he that truly affects the holiness of God and affects God for his holiness is certainly made partaker of his holiness if you are really holy you are much affected and taken with the holiness of God Souls what say you to this But Secondly True holiness is diffusive it doth extend diffuse and spread it self all over the soul Psal 119.6 128. Bonum est sui communicativâ—m it spreads it self over head and heart lip and life inside and outside Psal 45.13 The Kings daughter is all glorious within her cloathing is of wrought gold inward holiness is the inward glory of the Kings daughter the Kings daughter is all glorious within her understanding is hang'd with holiness her mind is adornâ—d with holiness her will is bowed to holiness all her affections are sprinkled yea cloathed with holiness her love is holy love her grief is holy grief her joy is holy joy her sorrow is holy sorrow her fear is holy fear her care is holy care her zeal is holy zeal and her cloathing is of wrought gold that is her life and conversation which is as visible to others as the cloathes she weares is very sparkling and shining in grace and holiness True sanctification is throughout it reaches to soul body and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 True holiness is a divine leaven Mat. 13.33 which leavens the whole man Look as leaven diffuses it self through the whole dough so true holiness diffuses it self through the whole man Look as Absoloms beauty was spread all over him even from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot 2 Sam. 14.25 so the beauty of holiness spreads it self over every member of the body and every faculty of the soul Look as Solomons Temple was glorious both within and without so holiness makes all glorious both within and without Look as Adams sin spread it self over the whole man 1 John 16. so that holiness that we have by the second Adam spreads it self over the whole â—â—n so that that man that is not all over holy that is not throughout holy that man was never truly holy Look as that holiness which was in Christ did diffuse and spread it self over all Christ so that his person was holy his natures were holy his heart was holy his language was holy and his life was holy so real holiness spreads it self over head hand 1 Pet. 1.15 heart lip and life The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness Ephes 5.9 he that is truly good is all over good he hath goodness engraven upon his understanding and goodness engraven upon his judgement and goodness engraven upon his will and goodness engraven upon his affections and goodness engraven upon his inclination and goodness engraven upon his disposition and goodness engraven upon his conversation he that is not all over good is not really good there are those that have new heads but old hearts new words but old wills new expressions but old affections new memories but old minds new notions but old conversations and these are as far off from true holiness as the Pope the Turk and the Devil are from real happiness In every holy person there are many divine miracles there is a dead man restored to life a dumb man restored to speech a blind man restored to sight a deaf man restored to hearing a lame man restored to walking a man possest with Devils possest with grace a heart of stone turned into an heart of flesh and a life of wickedness turned into a life of holiness if it be thus with thee I dare write thee and call thee both holy and happy But Thirdly Persons of real holiness do set the highest price and the greatest value and esteem upon those that are holy they do not as the blind world do value persons by their great places names professions arts parts gifts gay cloathes gold chains honours and riches but by their holiness As a holy God Chrysostom called some holy men in his time Aggelous earthy Angels and so Doctor Taylor lookt upon holy Bradford as an Angel so holy souls look not how rational men are but how religious not how notional but how experimental not how great but how gracious not how high but how holy and accordingly they value them Psalm 16.3 But to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour It is holiness that differences one man from another and that exalts one man above another a holy man is a better man then his neighbour in the eye account and esteem of God Angels and Saints there is no man to the holy man The Sun doth not more excell and out-shine the Stars then a righteous man doth excell and out-shine his unrighteous neighbour Prov. 28.6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness then he that is perverse in his ways though he be rich A man of holiness prefers an holy Job though upon the dunghill before a wicked Ahab upon the throne he sets an higher price upon an holy Lazarus though cloathed with rags and full of sores then upon a rich and wretched Dives Luke 16. who is cloathed gloriously and fares sumptuously every day As King Ingo valued poor ragged Christians above his Pagan Nobles saying that when his Pagan Nobles in all their pomp and glory should-be cast down to Hell those poor Christians should be his consorts and fellow-Princes in heaven this blind mad world rates and values men according to their worldly interest greatness glory and grandure but men of holiness rate and value men by their holiness by their inward excellencies and by what they are worth for another world the world judgeth him the best man in the Parish that is most rich but a holy man judgeth him the best man in the Parish that is most righteous the world counts him the best man in the Town that is cloathed most gorgeously but a holy man counts him the best man in the Town whose inside and outside whose heart and life whose body and soul is cloathed with sanctity and purity the world reckons him the best man in the City whose bags are fullest and whose estate is largest but a holy man reckons him the best man in the City whose heart is
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 â—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
ever was or that is this day in the world all the seeds of holiness and all the roots of holiness that are to be found in Angels or men Phil. 1.11 are of the Lords sowing and planting All that holiness that the Angels had in Heaven and all that holiness that Adam had in Paradise and all that holiness that Christ had in his humane nature and all that holiness that ever any Saints have had was from God and all that holiness that any Saints now have is from God The Divine Nature is the first root and original fountain of all sanctity and purity James 1.17 Ministers may pray that their people may be holy and Parents may pray that their children may be holy and Masters may pray that their servants may be holy and husbands may pray that their wives may be holy and Wives may pray that their husbands may be holy but none of these can give holinesse none of these can communicate holinesse to their nearest and dearest relations t is only God that is the giver and the Author of all holinesse If holy persons could convey holinesse into others souls they would never suffer them to go to Hell for want of holiness to hand out holiness to others is a work too high for Angels and too hard for all mortals 't is only the Holy One that can cause holiness to flow into sinners hearts 't is only hee that can form and frame and infuse holiness into the souls of men A man shall sooner make a man yea make a world and unmake himself than hee shall make another holy t is only a holy God that can enlighten the mind and bow the will and melt the heart and raise the affections and purge the conscience and reform the life and put the whole man into a holy gracious frame and temper But Sixthly As God is originally radically and fundamentally holy Isa 44.24 Rev. 1.18 so God is independently holy the Holiness of God depends upon nothing below God God is the Alpha the fountain from â—â—ence all holinesse springs and hee is the Omega the Sea to which all glory runs As all our holiness is from God so all our holiness must terminate in the honour and glory of God 'T is God alone that is independently holy All that holiness that is in Angels and men is a dependent holiness it depends upon the Holiness of God as the streams depend upon the Fountain the beams upon the Sun the branches upon the Root and the members upon the Head God is Unum principium ex quo cuncta dependent one beginning upon whom all things depend God hath his Being only of himself and 't is hee alone that gives Being unto all other things God is the first cause and without all causes himself the very Beings that Angels and men have they have by participation from God And 't is the first cause that giveth unto all causes their proper operations Isa 44.6 I am the first and I am the last and besides mee there is no God God never had a cause of his Being as all other creatures have He is a glorious being a holy being without all causes either efficient or formal or material or final and therefore hee must needs be independently holy Look as the power of God is an independent power and the wisdome of God an independent wisdome and the goodness of God an independent goodness and the righteousness of God an independent righteousness so the holiness of God is an independent holiness And as it is the glory of his power that his power is an independent power and the glory of his goodnesse that his goodnesse is an independent goodnesse so 't is the glory of his holinesse that his holinesse is an independent holinesse And look as all that power that Angels and men have depends upon the power of God and as all that wisdome that Angels and men have depends upon the wisdome of God and as all that goodnesse that Angels and men have depends upon the goodnesse of God so all that holinesse that Angels and men have depends upon the holinesse of God c. Philo could say that God is such a fountain that hee breaks forth with the streams of his goodnesse upon all things but receives nothing back again from any to better himself therewith There are none in Heaven nor none on Earth that are absolutely independent but God alone Seventhly As God is independently holy so God is constantly holy hee is unchangeably holy hee was holy yesterday and hee is holy to day and hee will be holy for ever What is natural is constant and lasting Now Gods holinesse is natural to him 't is as natural for God to be holy as 't is for us to breathe yea as 't is for us to bee unholy God can as well and as soon cease to bee as hee can cease to be holy Holinesse is his nature as well as his name and therefore his holinesse cannot decay though ours may whatever wee may lose of our holinesse yet 't is certain that God can never lose one grain of that holinesse that is in him Here our holinesse ebbs and flows but the Holinesse of God never ebbs but is alwaies a flowing and over-flowing there is still a full tyde of Holinesse in God Though the Saints cannot fall from that seed of holinesse that is sown in their hearts 1 Joh. 3.9 yet they may fall from some degrees of holinesse that they have formerly attained to they that have been old men in holinesse may fall from being old men to be but young men in holinesse and they that have been young men in holinesse 1 Joh. 2.12 13 14. 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. may fall from being young men to be but children in holinesse and they that have been children in holiness may fall from being children to be but babes in holiness but now that holiness that is in God is never subject to any decayings abatings or languishing that spring that Sea of holiness that is in God is no waies capable of diminution nor of Augmentation Plato could say that God is one and the same Pierius and alwaies like himself And it was a custome among the Turks to cry out every morning from a high Tower God alwaies was and alwaies will bee and so salute their Mahomet O Sirs God hath been alwaies holy and God will bee alwaies holy whatever men may lose yet God is resolved that hee will never lose his honour nor his holiness But Eighthly and lastly As God is continually holy so God is exemplarily holy Levit. 20.26 Remember this you and I must answer for examples as well as precepts Hee is the Rule Pattern and Example of holiness 1 Pet. 1.15 Bee yee holy as I am holy Gods Holiness is the great example and pattern of all that holiness which is in the creatures Gods holiness is the Copy that we must alwaies have in our eye and indeavour most
exactly to write after Carnal friends and this blinde world and Antichrist and such as love to Lord it over the conscience will be still a presenting to you other examples and patterns but 't is your wisdome and your work to cast them all behinde your backs and to trample them under your feet and to follow that form and pattern that the Lord hath set before you And that is to bee holy as hee is holy All our holiness is to be brought to the Holiness of God as the standard and measure of it and therefore oh what cause have wee to be still a perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. And thus I have done with the second thing viz. Means to increase holiness and to raise you up to the highest pitches and degrees of holiness And so I come to the third thing proposed and that was to lay down some signs or evidences whereby persons may know whether they have attained to any high pitch or eminent degrees of holiness or no. Now Sirs if you desire in good earnest to know whether you have attained to any perfection of holiness or no then seriously weigh these following particulars and try your selves by them First The more a man can warm his heart at the Promises and cleave to the Promises and rest upon the Promises and suck marrow and fatness and sweetness out of the breasts of the Promises when Divine Providences seem to run cross to Divine Promises The greater measure of holiness that man hath attained to where there are but little measures of holiness there every seeming contrariety to the Promise troubles a man and every little cloud that hangs over the Promise will mightily perplex a man c. But where holiness is raised to any considerable height there that man will suck hony out of the flint hee will suck sweetness out of the Promise even then when providence looks sowrely upon the Promise yea when Providence seems to bid defiance to the Promise witness Jacob in that Gen. 32.6 7 8. compared with v. 9 11 12. And the Messengers returned to Jacob saying Wee came to thy Brother Esau and also hee cometh to meet thee and four hundred men with him Then Jaâ—ob was greatly afraid and distressed and hee divided the people that were with him and the Flocks and Herds and the Camels into two bands And said if Esau come to the one company and smite it then the other company which is left shall escape And Jacob said O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto mee return unto thy Country and to thy Kindred and I will deal well with thee Deliver mee I pray thee from the hand of my Brother from the hand of Esau For I fear him lest hee will come and smite mee and the Mother with the children And thou saidst I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the Sea which cannot bee numbred for multitude Now here you see holy Jacob in the midst of all his fears and frights in the midst of all his perils and dangers in the midst of all his damps and dreads and in the midst of all cross amazing and amusing providences hee turns himself to the breasts of the Promise and sucks marrow and sweetness out of those breasts Jacob puts the Promise into suit hee sues God upon his own bond and so bears up sweetly under dark and dismal providences And so did Moses in that Numb 10.29 And Moses said unto Hobab the Son of Raguel the Medianite Moses Father-in law wee are journying unto the place of which the Lord said I will give it you come thou with us and wee will do thee good for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel Moses had been almost now forty years in the wilderness and many thousands were fallen on his right hand and on his left yet saith hee to Hobab in the face of all those dismal providences come go along with us and be as eyes unto us and wee will certainly do thee good Vers 31. but Hobab might have objected Alas what good can I expect in a wilderness condition where so many are weak and so many are sick and so many thousands are fallen asleep and where all the people are every day surrounded with a thousand dangers difficulties and deaths well saith hee though al this be true yet go along with us and be serviceable and useful to us and wee will do thee good for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel Here this holy man Moses turns himself to the Promise and in the face of all sad providences hee draws comfort and incouragement from the Pâ—omise And so did Jehosaphat in that 2 Chron. 20. When the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir came against him to battel v. 1.10 hee turns himself to the Promise v. 7 8 9. and gathers life and spirit from thence And so did David in that Psal 60. in the 1 2 3. v. you have a Narrative of many cross and dreadful Providences and yet in the face of them all holy David sucks strong consolation out of the breasts of the Promise vers 6. God hath spoken in hâ—s holiness I will rejoyce I will divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth God hath promised in his Holiness that David should bee King over all Israel and therefore notwithstanding all strange providences David triumphs in the Promise and looks upon himself as Master of all those strong-holds that are mentioned in v. 7 8 9. And so Abraham hee wanted a Son and God promised him an Isaac Now in the face of all his own deadness and natural inâ—biâ—ities as to generation and Sarah's deadness and barrenness Rom. 4.17 18 19 20 1. hee turns about to the Promise and his Faith and Holiness being high hee draws sweetness and satisfaction from thence Notwithstanding present providences the nâ—keâ— Promise was a well of Life and Salvation to him O Sirs 't is an Argument of a very great measure of holiness when troubles and difficulties vanish upon the sight of a Promise when all things work quire cross and contrary to sense and feeling Now for a man to imbrace a Promise to hug a Promise to kiss a Promise and to draw content and satisfaction from a Promise argues a great degree of holiness 'T is a very hard and difficult thing for a man exactly to take the picture of Divine Providence at any time for many aâ—e the voices and the faces of providence and there are as great deeps in Providences as there are in Prophecies and many Texts of Providence are as hard as dark and as difficult to be understood as many Texts of Scripture are 't is as hard to reconcile the Works of God Psal 36.6 Rom. 11.33 as 't is to reconcile the Word of God for as in the Word of God there are many seeming contradictions so in the Works of God there are many