the South wind be more pleasant yet the North wind is more healthfull for the South wind with his warmth raiseth vapours which breed putrefaction and cause diseases but the North wind with his cold drieth up those vapours purging the blood and quickning the spirits so the North wind of affliction and persecution contributes most to the drying up of sinful vapours and to the quickning up of a Christians Graces Though the wind may blow and the rain in stormy weather may beat upon a painted Post or Sign whose colour is laid in oyle yet the wind and rain is so far from blowing or washing off the colour or beauty that is upon the Post or Sign that it rather adds to their beauty and makes them shine more beautifull then before so the rain of affliction and the wind of persecution do rather add to the beauty and lustre of a Christians graces then any way cloud them or take off the spiritual beauty and glory of them But Fifthly Persecuting times are uniting times oh the discord the division the wrangling biting quarrelling that is to be found among professors in times of peace prosperity but when affliction and persecution comes upon them this unites them together In persecuting times the Saints have been but as one man which made their very persecutors to say Ecce ut invicem se diligunt see how these Christians love one another see how they knit and close together Eusebius in Hist Psalm 83.3 to verse 9. 2 Chron. 20.1 4 12. Though the sheep in Sun-shine dayes feed at a distance and wander one from another yet when a storm comes or the Wolf comes then they run all together and so it 's with Christians Some Religious Bishops that could by no means agree when they had their freedom and liberty yet could well enough agree when they were in prison together Though children in a Family may fall out among themselves yet they quickly unite when a common enemy assaults them Persecuting times unite Christians closer together in their affections resolutions and prayers they who formerly could hardly be brought to eat together or trade together or live together or walk together in persecuting times will be brought to hear together and pray together and fast together and communicate experiences together and stand together and fall together and rise together c. When Gebal Ammon and Amaleck did combine the people of God kept close together for they very well knew that broken forces were soon dissipated I have read of Ptolomeus Philadelphius King of Egypt that he caused the Bible to be translated by seventy Interpreters which seventy were severally disposed of in seventy several Cels though they knew not the names of one another nor never saw the faces of one another yet they did so well agree in their several Translations that there was no considerable difference betwixt them in rendring the Text so when the people of God shall be put into Cells and Prisons and Goals then they will so agree together Acts 7. that there will be little or no difference betwixt them As all the stones that came about Stephens ears did but knock him closer to Christ the corner stone so all the stones that come about the Saints ears will but knock them the nearer to Christ and the closer one to another But Sixthly As persecuting times are uniting times so persecuting times are truth-advancing times truth thrives most when it is most opposed and pesecuted Phil. 1.12 13 14. But I would ye should understand Brethren that the things which hapned unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel So that my Bonds in Christ are manifested in all the palace Veritas vincit and in all other places And many of the Brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear Both Court City and Countrey did ring of Pauls bonds and the cause thereof Pauls Iron chain made more noise and was more glorious and wrought more blessed effects then all the Golden chains in Nero's Court for by his bonds and chains many of the Brethren were mightily imboldned and encouraged to preach the word without fear the Brethren when they saw that Paul preacht and kept up the exercise of his Ministry though a prisoner and though he was in bonds and chains could not but reason thus with themselves Si veritas est causa discordiae mori possum tacere non possum If truth be the cause of our discord I may dye but I may not be silent said Jerom to Helvidius if Paul a prisoner holds up and holds on in preaching the word though he be in bonds chains ah how much more ought we who are at liberty to hold up hold on in preaching the truth and advancing the truth in spreading of the truth There were many that took an occasion from Pauls imprisonment bonds and sufferings to disgrace his Apostleship the Apostle meets with these and tells them that though they designed and intended the disgrace and hinderance of the Gospel by his imprisonment and bonds yet God had by his wonderfull providence and goodness so ordered the matter that his bonds and imprisonment turned to his great honor and fame and an occasion of further spreading and advancing the Gospel Though Satan and his instruments may disturb the truth yet they cannot suppress it for magna est veritas praevalebit great is truth shall prevail So upon the persecution of Stephen many of the Brethren preached the word far and near and the hand of the Lord was with them to the conversion of many Act. 11.19 25. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice Cyprus and Antioch preaching the word to none but the Jews only and some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene which when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecians preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the Church which was in Jerusalem and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch who when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and much people were added unto the Lord. The Brethren that were dispersed and scattered by reason of persecution fall upon preaching of the Lord Jesus and though they were Lay-men yet the hand of the Lord was mightily with them so that a great number believed and turned to the Lord. God is a free agent and can work the hearts of men over to himself by what hand he pleases and many times he doth the greatest works by the
vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further So holy Agur Prov. 30.2 3. Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not * Binath Adam the understanding of Adam the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy Though all men are brutish yet holy men are most sensible of their brutishness and most affected and afflicted with it wicked men are more brutish then the beasts Isa 1.3 4. yet they see it not they bewail it not but holy Agur both sees his brutishness and bewails it Holy Agur looking upon that rare knowledge that depth of wisdom and those admirable excellencies that Adam was endued with in his integrity and innocency confesses himself to be but brutish to be as much below what Adam once was as a bruit is below a man Psalm 51. So holy David cries not Perii I am undone I shall perish but peccavi I have sinned I have done foolishly And so for his being envious at the prosperity of the foolish Psalm 73.2 3. how doth he befool and be-beast himself Psalm 73.22 So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee The Hebrew word Behemoth Therefore the Elephant is called Behemoth in Job 40.15 that is here rendred beast generally comprehends all beasts of the greater sort As an aggravation of his folly he confesseth that he was as a beast as a great beast yea as an Epiâ—ome of all great beasts So the holy Prophet Isaiah complains that he was undone Isa 6.5 that he was cut off not upon any worldly account but because he was a man of unclean lips and dwelt in the midst of a people of unclean lips Dan. 9. So holy Daniel complained not that they were reproached and oppressed but that they had rebelled So Peter Luke 5.8 Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord Or as the Greek hath it I am a man a sinner O Lord depart from me for I am a mixture and compound of all vileness and sinfulness Rom. 7.23 24. So holy Paul cries not out of his opposers or persecutors but of the Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his mind Pauls body of death within him put him to more grief and sorrow then all the troubles and trialls that ever befell him An holy heart laments over those sins that he cannot conquer a holy person labours to wash out all the stains and spots that be in his soul in the streams of godly sorrow that his sins may never drown his soul Zach. 2.10 Isa 59.1 2. he will do what he can to drown his sins in penitential tears A holy person looks upon his sins as the crucifiers of his Saviour and so they affect him he looks upon his sins as the great incendaries make-bates and separatist between God and his soul and so they afflict him he looks upon his fins as so many reproaches to his God blemishes to his profession and wounds to his credit and conscience and so they grieve and trouble him he looks upon his sins as those that make many a righteous soul besides his own sad whom God would not have sadded and that opens many a sinful mouth that God would have stopped Ezek. 13.22 and that strengthens many a wicked heart that God would not have strengthened and so they fetch many a sigh from his heart and many a tear from his eyes When a holy man sins he looks upwards and there he sees God frowning he looks downwards and there he sees Satan insulting he looks within himself and there he finds his conscience either a bleeding raging or accusing he looks without himself and there he finds gracious men lamenting and mourning and graceless men deriding and mocking the sense of which doth sorely and sadly afflict a gracious soul Some say that Saint Peters eyes after his great falls were alwayes full of tears insomuch that his face was furrowed with continual weeping for his horrid thoughts his desperate words his shameful shifts and his damnable deeds which made him look more like a child of hell then like a Saint whose name was written in heaven Some say of Adam that when he turned his face towards the Garden of Eden he sadly lamented his great fall Some say of Mary Magdalen that she spent thirty years in Galba in weeping for her sins Davids sins were ever before him and therefore no wonder if Tears instead of Gemms were so constantly the ornaments of his bed Wicked Pharaoh cryes out Psal 115.3 Oh take away these filthy frogs take away these dreadful judgments but holy David cryes out O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant Pharaoh cryes out because of his punishments but David cryes out because of his sin Anselm saith that with grief he considered the whole course of his life I found saith he the infancy of sin in the sins of my infancy the youth and growth of sin in the sins of my youth and growth and the ripeness of all sin in the sins of my ripe and perfect age and then he breaks forth into this patheticall expression What remaineth for thee wretched man but that thou spend thy whole life in bewailing thy whole life By all which it is most evident that holy hearts are very much affected and afflicted with their own unholiness and vileness Now certainly those persons are as far off from real holiness as hell is from heaven who take pleasure in unrighteousness who make a scoff and mock of sin who commit wickedness with greediness who talk wickedly who live wantonly who trade deceitfully who swear horribly who drink stifly who lye hideously and who die impenitently But Seventhly Real holiness naturalizes holy duties to the soul it makes religious services to be easie and pleasant to the soul 1 Pet. 1 2. Jam. 5.15 Hence prayer is called the prayer of faith because holy faith naturalizeth a mans heart to prayer it is as natural for a holy man to pray as it is for him to breath or as it is for a bird to fly or fire to ascend or a stone to descend Rom. 16.26 Psalm 119.166 And hence it is that obedience is called the obedience of faith because holy faith naturalizes a mans heart to obedience As soon as ever this plant of renown was set in the heart of Paul he cryes out Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 Gal. 3.2 And hence it is that hearing is called the hearing of faith because this holy principle naturalizes a mans heart to hearing Psalm 122.1 2. I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the Lord. And so in Isa 2.3 And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of
shall learn righteousness that is they shall learn to fear thee upon the account of thy righteous judgement suitable to that Job 37.23 24. Touching the Almighty we cannot finde him out he is excellent in power and in judgement and in plenty of justice Men do therefore fear him he respecteth not any that are wise of heart and to that Rev. 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest The judgements of God upon Antichrist shall so awaken alarm and affect the nations that they shall cast off all false ways of worship and worship the Lord in a more pure spiritual high and noble way then ever yet they have done God is a free Agent and he can make sinners Saints as well by judgements as by mercies Waldus from whom the Waldenses had their name when many were met together to be merry seeing one among them suddenly fall down dead it struck so to his heart that he went home a penitent and proved a very precious holy man Rabbi Salomon on Prov. 9.25 Pharaoh was not a pin the better for all the plagues that came upon him but Jethro taking notice of Gods heavy judgements upon Pharaoh and likewise upon the Amalekites was thereby converted and became a Proselyte as some observe O sirs who can tell but that a fixed eye upon the remarkable judgements of God that has been inflicted upon notorious sinners may be a means to change you and turn you to the Lord forget not the plagues that came upon bloody Pharaoh Remember how crafty Achitophel and proud Haman and covetous Judas came all to the halter forget not how the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Corah and his companions forget not the Angel that drew upon Balaam nor Samuels sword that cut Agag in pieces nor the Royal Oake on which Absalom was hanged nor the Javlin by which Phinehas in his zeal for God thrust through Zimri and Cozbi remember how Ananias and Saphira were struck dead with a lye in their mouthes remember how God rained hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah remember how suddenly how unexpectedly and how inevitably the flood came upon the old world and remember how the Angels that kept not their first station of holiness See the Theatre of Gods Judgments by Dr. Beard and Dr. Taylor and see Mr. Clarks Looking-glass both for Saints and sinners are now in chains under everlasting darkness O who can seriously dwell upon the severe judgements of God upon these persons and not resolve upon breaking off his sins and pursuing after that holiness without which there is no happiness O! remember that God is as holy a God as ever and as just a God as ever and as jealous of his glory as ever and therefore turn from the evil of your doings that your souls may live O! that the dreadful judgements of God that has been executed upon others might so alarm all unholy hearts that they may with all their might cast off the works of darkness and put on the Armor of light that so they may be children of the light and their souls may live for ever And thus much for the means whereby men may reach to that holiness without which there is no happiness I come now in the third place to answer those objections which usually are made against mens pursuing after holiness As Object First We have no power to make our selves holy we are as well able to make a world to command the winds and to raise the dead as we are able to cleanse our own hearts or change our own natures or sanctifie our own souls and therefore to what purpose should we be so strongly prest to do that which we have no power to do Now to this objection I shall give these following answers First That thou hast no power to perform any supernatural act as to believe or love God or repent or to change thine own heart or to sanctifie or make thy self holy must be granted that by nature thou art dead in trespasses and sins and hast lost all thy spiritual senses of seeing hearing tasting Eph. 2.1 and feeling can't be denyed 't is certain that thy nature is so corrupted that thou canst not think a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 Mat. 12.34 Joh. 6.44 1 Cor. 2.14 nor speak a good word nor do a good work thou art not sick but dead God-wards and Christ-wards and heaven-wards and holiness-wards c. I have read of the Lyoness how that she brings forth her whelps dead and so they remain till after some time by her roaring aloud over them they come to live certainly all unholy hearts are spiritually dead and till Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah comes to roar over them by uttering his voice in the Gospel they cannot live John 5.25 't is Christ onely that can quicken the dead 't was never known since the creation of the world that ever a dead man could make himself alive 1 King 8.38 Sin in Dominion is the plague of the heart now as there is no disease so deadly as the plague so there is no plague so deadly as the plague of the heart O this is a disease that none can cure but he who is the Physitian of souls an unsanctified person is not half dead as the Pelagians Arminians and Papists say but as to spirituals he is stark dead Col. 2.13 An unsanctified soul is dead 1. Respectu operis In respect of working and therefore his works are called dead works Heb. 9.14 There is death written upon all he does 2. Respectu honoris He is dead in respect of honor he is dead to all priviledges he is not fit to inherit mercy who will set the crown of life upon a deads man head the crown of life is for the holy Christian and the holy Christian is for the crown of life Rev. 2.10 2 Tim. 4.8 When he in Plutarch had tried all manner of ways to raise a dead man and to make him stand upon his feet and saw he could not do it then he cryed out there must be something within there must be something within So when men have said and done all they can there must be something within there must be something of the power and Spirit of Christ within that must raise up spiritual life in those that are spiritually dead But Secondly I answer That God gave thee ability and power in Adam to obey him in all his commands Gen. 1.26 Eccles 7.29 Psal 8.4 ult and though by Adams fall thou hast lost thy power to obey yet God has not lost his right and power to command thee to obey Suppose a father should furnish a Child with moneys and all other necessaries to go a journey and he should be drawn in by some stronge temptation to spend his money his time and his strength
requisite beauties and abilities that might render him lovely and comely to every eye In a word mans first estate was a state of perfect happiness all within him and all without him and all about him spoke him out to be compleatly blessed there was nothing within him but what was very sweet and desirable there was nothing without him but what was very delightful and amiable neither was there any thing about him but what was serviceable and comfortable Lam. 5.16 O but now by his fall his crown is faln from his head and from the heads of all his posterity for Adam was a publick person he was the Prince of all mankind and though all mankind was not actually in his loyns when he fell yet they were all potentially in his loyns when he fell If two Kings make a league and the one break it he makes not only himself but all his Subjects lyable and obnoxious to all the calamities and miseries that shall follow thereupon Adam was our common Father and we are all his Sons and Daughters Now we know by the Law of inheritance that if the Father forfeit his Lease he dis-inherits his posterity Now Adam forfeited his Lease as I may say and divine Justice took the advantage of the forfeiture and so hath turned all his posterity out of doors So that there is now no way under heaven to be happy but by being holy all sorts and ranks of men are faln in Adam and there is no way to rise but by Christ and holiness c. A second Reason why I dedicate this Treatise to all sorts and ranks of persons is because the matter contained in this book is of the greatest and highest concernment imaginable to all ranks and degrees of men from the greatest Emperour that ever set upon a Throne to the meanest and the poorest wretch that ever lay upon a Dunghill And doubtless that which is of such a marvellous importance to all may very justly and reasonably be dedicated to all A third reason why I dedicate this Treatise to all sorts and ranks of persons is because God intends to save some of all sorts ranks and degrees though greatness and goodness do not alwayes meet yet greatness and goodness do sometimes meet and though riches and religion do not alwayes meet yet riches and religion do sometimes meet though not many wise yet some wise 1 Cor. 1.26 though not many mighty yet some mighty though not many noble yet some noble shall be called sanctified and saved Look as the Sun in the Firmament doth cast his light and warmth upon all sorts ranks and degrees of men Matth. 5.45 So doth the Sun of righteousness shine upon the understandings and consciences of all sorts ranks and degrees of men and by his secret and spiritual influences he warms and cheers the hearts of high and low rich and poor noble and ignoble Abraham was very great and very gracious Joseph was very high and very holy Job was very rich and very righteous It is a strange sâ—ying in Lâ—psius The names of all good Princes saith he may easily be engraven or written in a small Ring Lips de coâ—stantia lib. 2. cap. 25. Though most of those Kings and Princes that we read of in Scripture were bad very bad yet some of them were good yea very good Some of them were as famous for grace righteousness and holiness witness David Asa Josiah Hezekiah Jehosaphat c. as Saul Jehoram Jehu Ahab and others of them were infamous for all unrighteousness and wickedness God for the glory of his own grace and the honour of his Sons blood will have some of all sorts ranks and degrees sanctified and saved and upon this very ground he engages his servants to pray for all sorts ranks and degrees of men in 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3 4. Now where God is resolved to save there he is resolved to sanctifie where he is resolved to make happy there he is resolved to make holy And therefore I look upon my self as many wayes obliged to have so large a heart for God as to do all I can to help on the salvation of all sorts ranks and degrees of men in the world My hearts desire and prayer for England is Rom. 10.1 Pauls Copy is not to be despised but imitated that her Princes and Nobles may be sanctified and saved and that her Gentry may be sanctified and saved and that all the people of the Nation may be sanctified and saved I look upon my self as engaged to do all I can by my pen and prayers to help make England holy that so England may be truly happy For of this I am most certain that if God will but make England a holy Nation it is not all the powers on earth nor all the powers of hell that shall ever make England a miserable Nation A fourth Reason why I thus Dedicate this Treatise as you see is because my former poor labours and endeavours have been acceptable to some of all ranks and degrees and they have been blest to some of all ranks and degrees and I have been encouraged whetted and stirred up by some on all hands once more to cast in my Net and now I have done it O that it may issue in the drawing of many souls to Christ and in the making of the gracelesse gracious the prophane holy and in the making of those that are holy to be yet more holy c. A fifth Reason why I thus Dedicate this Treatise as you see is because though all men are bound to be holy yet the great the rich the noble and the honourable of the earth are bound above all other men in the world to be holy Reader if thou art one that standest upon thy birth nobility and greatness do thy self that favour and thy soul that right as to read from page 343. to page 447. before thou goest any further God hath laid upon them greater obligations and Tyes to holinesse then he hath upon any other men under heaven and this you may see so clearly and so fully proved in this Book from page 433. to page 447. that neither the world nor the Devil as cunning and as learned a Devil as he is will ever be able to disprove This reason alone is sufficient to justifie my present practice My sixth and last Reason why I thus Dedicate this Treatise as you see is that it may be a blessed Testimony and a standing Witnesse for Christ in this day of blasphemy prophanesse loosnesse Isa 43.10 12. chap. 44.8 and wickednesse against all sorts and ranks of persons into whose hands it may fall who notwithstanding all that is here said shall continue obstinate and impenitent in their ungodly courses and practises as men resolved rather to go to hell then to heaven and to be for ever unhappy rather then they will be holy Wo wo to them for ever that had rather be Satans bond-slaves then Christs free-men
out but an unspeakable readinesse and willingnesse in Jesus Christ to sanctifie you and save you as well as others A man might write volumes on this subject there is so much said in Scripture and History upon this account but in an Epistle a touch must suffice c. All knowing men can tell you that many Ladies and Gentlewomen in all Ages have been very famous for all Natural Moral Spiritual and Acquired excellencies yea more famous then many men that yet have done worthily in their Generation and by their attainments you may easily see what is possible for you to attain unto both in respect of gifts and grace Of all things gracious examples are most awakening convincing and encouraging for in them you may see that both the attainment of holinesse and the exercise of holinesse is possible though difficult in eying of examples it is alwayes best to eye the highest the holiest and the worthiest examples for as he that shooteth at the Sun though he falls short of his mark yet will shoot higher then he that aimeth only at a shrub so those that set up the highest examples of holinesse for their mark for their imitation will certainly attain to greater degrees of holinesse then those that propose to themselves the meanest and the lowest examples of holinesse for their pattern and imitation Well Ladies and Gentlewomen do you think that it is good going to hell Isa 33.14 2 Thes 1.7 8 9 10. that it is good dwelling with the devouring fire that it is good dwelling with everlasting burnings that it is good for ever to be separated from the presence of God Christ Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect that it is good for ever to lie a sweltering under the wrath of an infinite just God and to abide for ever and ever under those pains and torments that are endlesse easelesse hopelesse and remedilesse and that it is good to be associated and fettered with Devils and damned spirits to all eternity O no this cannot be good for the very serious thoughts of these things are enough even to raise a hell a this side hell in our hearts O then Ladies and Gentlewomen pray that you may be holy hear that you may be holy read that you may be holy and with all your might presse after holinesse and pursue hard after holinesse as after the one thing necessary for without holinesse you will as certainly go to hell as holy persons shall certainly go to heaven and this you will find as clearly and fully proved in this following Treatise as heart can wish O that you would for ever remember this that without all peradventure you shall never be saved unlesse you are sanctified you shall never be truly happy unlesse you are really holy except God should do five things that are not possible for him to do viz. 1. Change his purpose 2. Make null and void his decree 3. Make a new Gospel 4. Find out a new way to heaven And 5. ungod himself God must undo himself and ungod himself if ever he make you happy before he hath made you holy and therefore O what infinite cause have you to read this following Treatise and to study this Treatise and to meditate on this Treatise and to pray over this Treatise and to look up to heaven for counsel and strength to make such an improvement of the means helps and directions that are here prescribed for the attaining of holinesse as that you may be made really holy that so you may be everlastingly happy And to quicken and encourage your hearts in this work I could heartily wish that as soon as you have read over the Epistle you would read from page 433. to page 447. for there you will finde many Arguments that are of a particular concernment to your selves and that ought to be no small obligations upon you to work you to pursue after holinesse with all your might c. If this Treatise should fall into the hands of any faithful serious gracious conscientious laboririous Ministers hands as I suppose it may I would then say Reverend Sirs let my weak endeavours be a spur a provocation to you to lay out your choicest and your chiefest gifts parts strength time and opportunities to promote holinesse of life and holinesse in Doctrine Worship Discipline and in all your sacred Communions Certainly had we all eyed holinesse more and preached holinesse more and practised holinesse more and cryed up holinesse more and encouraged holinesse more and countenanced holinesse more the countenance both of God and man might have been set more pleasingly towards us then they are this day When once maintenance comes to be more in Ministers eyes then holinesse and when their studies and endeavours are more to make men Proselytes to this or that way this or that form this or that party then to make men holy it is no wonder if God writes out bitter things against them I doubt not but providential dispensations have bad such a teaching vertue in them as to lead you to lay your fingers upon several such like sores and to mourn over them and to justifie the holy One of Israel who is holy in all his wayes and righteous in all his works Truly Brethren I have alwayes lookt upon the great work of the Ministry to lie in two things First in making unholy men holy and secondly in making them that are already holy to be more and more holy First to beget holinesse and then to nurse up holinesse first to bring souls to Christ and then to build up souls in Christ is without all peradventure the work of works that should be most in every Ministers eye and that should alwayes lie nearest and warmest upon every Ministers heart c. And through grace I have reade this my grand design in the course of my Ministry and throughout all my writings and now it yields me that joy that comfort that content and that satisfaction that I would not be without for all the world Besides I know it will turn most to my account at the great day O that all of you that yet have any opportunities and advantages in your hands to preach the everlasting Gospel would make this your great businesse to promote holinesse and to exalt and lift up holinesse in the world For as this great principle of holinesse shall gain ground upon the hearts consciences and lives of men so all the things of Antichrist and all the Trade of Antichrist and all those grand mischiefs and miseries that threaten the sons of men will fall before it as Dagon fell before the Ark. If this Treatise should fall into the hands of any of Gods sanctified ones of what degree or rank soever they are of as I suppose it may fall into the hands of many such I would then say Dear friends In this Treatise you will find many strong Motives to provoke you to perfect holinesse in the fear of the Lord
and many special Means to enable you to perfect holinesse in the fear of the Lord and many evidences whereby you may certainly and infallibly know whether you have attained to any considerable highth of holinesse or no and in the opening of these things you will find that great Doctrine about degrees of Glory in Heaven to be Asserted and Proved and the Objections against it to be fairly dismissed c. Reader If thou art one that to this very day art in an unsanctified estate and an enemy to holinesse or a scoffer at holinesse or a a secret despiser of holinesse or a desperate opposer of holinesse or a bitter persecutor of holinesse then I would commend this following Treatise before any I know extant in the world to the service of thy soul for I know none that is so calculated and fitted up for that purpose as this is Read and judge This I will assure thee O thou unsanctified soul that the grand design of this book is thy salvation it is to make thee really holy that thou mayest be eternally happy and of this thou mayest be confident viz. that I shall follow these poor labours with my earnest prayers that they may be blessed to the internal and eternal welfare of thy soul and that they may issue in the conviction conversion and salvation of thy soul I shall send this Treatise forth into the world with Jacobs blessing and prayer for his sons Gen. 43.14 God Almighty send thee mercy in the sight of the man c. in the sight of the proud man that he may be humbled and in the sight of the hardened man that he may be softened and in the sight of the carnal man that he may be spiritualized and in the sight of the polluted man that he may be washed and in the sight of the unsanctified man that he may be sanctified and in the sight of the ignorant man that he may be enlightened and in the sight of the stubborn man that he may be bowed and in the sight of the unconverted man that he may be changed and in the sight of the lost man that he may be saved Christian Reader I suppose by this time that I have almost tired thee in reading as I have my self in writing and therefore I shall presently draw to a close only before I take my leave of thee give me leave to say that I am much of Carthagena's his mind who to those three things which the Antients held impossible saith that to find a Book Printed without Errata's should undoubtedly have been added as a fourth impossible if the Art of Printing had been then invented though the Author had Briareus his hands and the Printer Argus his eyes Notwithstanding all the care that hath been taken thou wilt find figures misplaced and some mispointings with some other mistakes of the Printer I hope the ingenuous Reader will cast a mantle of love over the mistakes of the presse and do me that right and himself that curtesie as to correct such errours of the Presse that the second Impression may prevent Seneca I remember is railed upon by slanderous tongues for the faults of Nero his Schollar And the scapes of Quintilians Schollars are imputed to Quintilian himself but I know the Christian Reader that is daily sensible of the Errata's of his life hath not so learned Christ Reader I do not offer thee that which cost me nothing This Treatise that now I put into thy hand is the fruit of much prayer and serious study If thou findest any profit and benefit by it give Christ all the glory the crown of praise becomes no head but his only when thou art in the Mount let me lie near thy heart O pray earnestly pray fervently pray frequently and pray unweariedly that I may have much of the fresh annointings of the holy Spirit that my communion with a holy God may every day rise higher and higher and that all my transactions both before God and man may savour of some highths of holinesse So thou wilt the more strongly oblige me to be Thy souls Servant in all Gospel-Engagements Tho. Brooks The Necessity Excellency Rarity and Beauty of HOLINESSE HEBREWS 12.14 Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. I Remember a saying of golden mouth'd Chrysostom The preamble to the Text. If I were said he the fittest man in the world to preach a Sermon to the whole world gathered together in one Congregation and had some high mountain for my Pulpit from whence I might have a prospect of all the world in my view and were furnished with a voice of Brass a voice as loud as the trumpet of the Arch-Angel that all the world might hear me I would choose to preach on no other text then that in Psalm 4.2 O mortal men how long will ye love vanity and follow after leasing So I say had I Chrysostomes tongue head and heart and were I every way advantaged to preach a Sermon to the whole world I would choose to preach on this Text before any other in the Bible Follow peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Beloved the salvation of souls is that which should be first and most in a Ministers eye and that which should always lye closest and warmest upon a Ministers heart Isa 63.3 John 17.22 Luke 4 4. 1 Cor. 6.20 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. Heb. 9.12 13 14 15. O Sirs our dear Lord Jesus was infinitely tender of the souls of men he left his Fathers bosome for souls he trod the Wine-press of his Fathers wrath for souls he prayed for souls he payed for souls he sweated for souls he bled out his heart blood for souls and he made himself an offering for souls and O what an encouragement should this be to all his faithfull Messengers to woe for souls to mourn for souls to pray for souls to study for souls and in preaching to spend and to be spent for the salvation of souls Ah friends there is no work nor wisdom on earth to that of winning souls Prov. 11.30 and He that winneth souls is wise There is no Art no industry to that of winning souls of taking souls as Fowlers take Birds as the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports Now though there is a great deal of Art required to take Birds yet there is ten thousand times more Art required to take souls In a word to convert a soul is a greater work then to sway a Scepter Chrysostom or then it is to pour out ten thousand Talents into the Baskets of the poor My design in chusing this Text is the winning of souls it is the salvation of souls it is the bringing in and building up of souls I have read of Lewis the ninth King of France that he was found instructing his poor kitching-boy in the way to heaven and being asked the reason of it he
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
merriment to a fool to do wickedly Prov. 14.9 Fools make a mock of sin they make a jear of that which they should fear more then hell it self they make that matter of sport which may prove matter of damnation to them they make a May-game a pastime of that which may make them miserable to all eternity they make a mock and flout of that on earth for which the devil will mock and flout them for ever in hell Justice will at last turn over such fools to Satan who will be sure to return mock for mock jear for jear and flout for flout they that love such kind of pastime shall have enough of it in hell Now all unholy persons are such spiritual fools as that they delight Prov. 1.22 and take pleasure in sin which is the most pernicious and dangerous thing in the world Psal 62.4 They delight in lyes Though every lye deserves a stab from God yet spiritual fools make but a sport of them Such a one was Thespis the Poet who being reproved by Solon for lying answered him That it was not material Plutarch in the life of Solon seeing it was but in sport upon which Solon beating the ground with his staff replied If we commend lying in sport we shall find it afterwards in good earnest in all our bargains and dealings It is said of Epâ—minondas a heathen that he abhorred mendacium jocosum a jesting lye this Heathen in the great day will put such lyars to the blush who delight in lyes Isa 66.3 There was no flesh so sweet as that which the Eagle robbed the Altar of Ther soul delighteth in their abomination 2 Thess 2.12 they take pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.13 They count it pleasure to riot in the day time sporting themselves with their own deceivings Not that there is any real delight in intemperance for if there were then Heliogabalus an exceeding intemperate person should have been more happy then Adam in Paradise * He writ a Book to provoke the Appetite Apicius was the greatest Glutton that ever was at length he hanged himself such shall hang in hell at last who delight to abuse many at once the creatures their Creator and their own souls and bodies Well Sirs Sin is the poyson of the soul the nakedness of the soul the disease of the soul the burden of the soul and if mercy do not prevent will prove the bane of the soul O then how great is their folly that delight in it and that make a sport of it Fifthly Natural fools are taken more with the outward shine lustre beauty and glory of things then they are taken with the intrinsecal vertue value and worth of them they are more taken with the shine and luster of gold jewels and precious stones then they are with the worth and value of them So unholy hearts are taken more with the form of godliness then they are with the power 2 Tim. 2.5 they are taken more with a name to live with a name of being holy then they are taken with holiness it self Rev. 3.1 2. Augustin Multi Christianum nomen ad judicium habent non ad remedium Many have the name of Christians to their condemnation Isa 58.2 3 4 5 6. Mat. 1.9 Za. 7.4 5 6 7. Matth. 23. not to their salvation They are taken more with the outward shine and pomp of duties then they are taken with the spiritualness and holiness of duties they are taken more with what of man is in duty then they are taken with that of God which is in a duty they are taken more with raised notions then they are taken with raised affections they are taken more with some witty rhetorical expressions in duty then they are taken with the holy movings and breathings of the spirit in duty Ezek. 33.30 31 32. All which speaks them out to be spiritual fools and indeed no fools to those who are taken more with the shadow of Religion then they are with the substance of Religion who are taken more with the outside of godliness then they are with the infide of godliness for what is this but to be taken more with the outside of the Cabinet then with the treasure that is within or to be taken more with the purse that holds the gold then with the gold that is in the purse and with Democritus the Philosopher to esteem a Room covered over with green branches of trees above the royal Palace They cry as the Epicure cryed Vtere temporibus praesentibus utere rebus Sixthly Natural fools are all for the present they cry out Spend and God will send they only mind and care for the things of this life As what they shall eat and what they shall drink and what they shall put on they are all for their bodies their bellies their backs they take no care they make no provision for their immortal souls A spruce Roman riding on a lean Jade was asked by the Censor his reason he answered I look to my self but my man to my horse So fools look only to their bodies let who list look to their souls Such fools are all unsanctified persons they look only after their bodies and their outward concerments they look not at the necessities miseries and wants of their souls such were those in John 6.26 27. who crost the Seas and followed after Christ for loaves but never lookt after the meat which endureth to everlasting life And such fools were those in Hos 7.14 who howled upon their beds for corn and wine let them have but provender provant for their bodies and they care not what becomes of their souls and such were they in Phil. 3.19 whose God was their gut And such were the Laodiceans in Rev. 3.14 19. who had well fed bodies but starved souls whose houses were full of goods but their hearts empty and void of Christ and grace who had thred-bare souls under all their purple Robes who were rich in temporals but very poor and beggarly in spirituals And such a one was that rich fool in Luke 12. who only laid up for his body for this life but never took care for another life for a better life he makes many years provision for his body and not a days provision for his soul he talks of living many years when he had not a day nor a night to live in this world And being thus foolish in his reckoning Christ brands him for a fool to all generations Ver. 20 21. Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided So is he that heapeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God Every man in the world is a fool that heaps up treasure to himself that adds land to land and house to house and heap to heap and baggs to baggs and hundreds to hundreds Plato seeing one over indulgent to his body asked him what he meant
shall not tarry in his sight Psal 5.5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight or as the Hebrew hath it before thine eyes thou hatest all workers of iniquity God will never admit fools to be his favourites he will at last shut the door of glory against them Mat. 25.4 13. A seventh Argument to prove that without real holiness there is no happiness that without holiness on earth no man shall ever come to a blessed vision or fruition of God in heaven is this Unholy persons are to be excluded and shut out from sacred from special communion and fellowship with the Saints in this world and therefore without all peradventure they shall never be admitted to everlasting communion and fellowship with God Christ Angels and Saints in that other world That they are to be shut out from having any special communion with the Saints here is most plain and evident from several Scripures take these for a taste Lev. 10.10 Lev. 13.46 Numb 5.1 2 3 4. Exod. 12.48 Lev. 22.3 4 5 6 7. As oft said One as I have been among wicked men I return home less a man then I was before The Docrenean well will quench a burning torch so will bad company the most burning and most shining Christians as you see in Joseph and Peter Psal 106.35 when they were mingled among the Heathen they quickly learn their works Psa 119.115 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy and between unclean and clean Ezek. 44.23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and prophane and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean And because the Priests did not improve their power and interest to preserve the things of God from prophaning and polluting the Lord was very much offended and provoked Ezek. 22.26 Her Priests have violated my Law and have prophaned mine holy things they have put no difference between the holy and prophane neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am prophaned among them And in Chap. 44.7 8. God sadly complains that they brought into his Sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh and prohibits such from entring into his Sanctuary ver 9. Thus saith the Lord God No stranger uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary of any stranger that is among the children of Israel God expects that faithfull teachers should put a difference between person and person between the holy and prophane between the clean and the unclean in all holy administrations Jerem. 15.19 Therefore thus saith the Lord If thou take forth the pretious from the vile then thou shalt be as my mouth let them return unto thee but return not thou unto them Now certainly if under the Ceremonial Law natural uncleanness did exclude and shut out the Israelites from a participation in holy things then certainly moral uncleanness may justly exclude and shut out Christians from a participation in holy things under the Gospel Mat. 7.6 Give not that which is holy unto dogs neither cast ye your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent you Holy things are too precious to be spent and spilt upon swinish sinners Gospel administrations are pretious pearls that must not be given to swine 2 Cor. 6.17 Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you Prophane scandalous blind and ignorant persons are very unclean things and from them we must come out as we would be in with God we must be out with them we must reject them as we would have God to receive us 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away Our Saviour Christ hied him to the wilderness amongst the beasts and carried his Disciples with him holding their fellowship to be less hurtfull and dangerous It is better to live among beasts then to live among men of beastly principles and beastly practises Now there are ten sorts of persons that Christians must turn from that they must have no intimate no special communion with in this world First Unbelievers 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. We should not close with them that have not closed with Christ nor give our selves up to them who have not given up themselves to Christ Every unbeliever is a condemned person the Law hath cast him John 3.18 the Gospel hath cast him and his own conscience hath cast him and what sacred communion what delightfull fellowship can believers have with condemned persons Ver. 36. Every Unbeliever is under the wrath of the great God he is under that wrath that he can neither avoid nor abide and what communion can such have who are under love with those that are under wrath Every unbeliever makes God a Lyar. 1 Iohn 5.10 And what children will have communion with such who every day give their Father the Lye to his very face Every unbeliever doth practically say Tush there is no such loveliness or comeliness there is no such beauty or glory there is no such fulness or sweetness there is no such goodness or graciousness in Jesus as men would make us believe and what is this but to give God the Lie Tus◠there is no such favour there is no such peace there is no such pardon there is no such Righteousness there is no such Grace there is no such glory to be reaped by Christ as God and men would perswade us and what is this but to tell God he lyes to his very teeth And what ingenuous child can take pleasure in such who are still a spitting in his Fathers face Every unbeliever is a disobedient person Numb 14.11 Heb. 11.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 5.8 2 Cor 6.14 15. 1 Cor. 14.23 ult 2 Tim. 3.1.6 and therefore unbelievers and disobedient are in the Greek expressed by one word and what communion can obedient children have with those that are disobedient and rebellious Every unbeliever is a Pagan a Heathen in the Scripture dialect and what communion can those who are of the houshold of faith have with Pagans and Heathens Every unbeliever is a Traytor he commits Treason daily against the Crown and dignity of heaven and what Loyal Subjects will hold communion with Traitors Unbelievers are the greatest Robbers they rob God of his declarative glory though they cannot rob him of his Essential glory they rob h m of the glory of his truth and faithfulnesse as if he would falsifie the word that is gone out of his mouth as if he were yea and nay and as if his credit was so low and contemptibe that he must needs run a hazzard that shall trust to him or roul himself upon him They rob him of the glory of his goodness and mercy as if there were any sins too great
14.7 Go from the presence of a foolish man Who would hang a Jewell in a Swines ear or sow precious seed among craggy Rocks or put sweet liquor into a musty vessel c. when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge Chap. 23.9 Speak not in the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdom of thy words There is no profit no pleasure no delight to be had in the society of fools Fools are neither capable of doing good nor of receiving good and therefore what should good souls do among such A fool hath neither an ear to hear nor an eye to see nor a heart to understand nor a memory to retain nor a will to chuse nor affections to embrace any thing that is good And therefore their company is to be shunned and avoided The society of fools is as dangerous as it is vexations Proverbs 13.20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed The Hebrew word Jeroange that is here used signifies to be broken yea to be broken as sometimes an Army is broken by some fierce and sudden surprizal a companion of fools shall be broken in his credit in his estate in his name in his reputation yea in his very wits for nothing contributes so much to make a man a fool as the company of fools The tenth and last sort of persons that Christians must have no familiarity nor society with are scorners Such as scorn the Saints Quintinus the Libertine was a great scoffer and scorner of the Saints he called the Apostle Paul a broken vessel John a foolish youth Peter a denyer of God and Matthew an usurer c. Calvin and scorn Religion and scorn Profession such who scorn every way of Christ and every institution of Christ Prov. 9.8 Reprove not a scorner lest he hate thee Wise and gracious reproofs are pearls that are not to be cast before scorners Now certainly if I may not reprove scorners then I may not keep company with scorners Prov. 22.10 Cast out the scorner and contention shall go out yea strife and reproach shall cease The scorner must be cast out of your family and out of your company Strife and contention shame and reproach are the scorners attendants and therefore he that would be rid of them must cast out him The Hebrew word Geresh here translated cast out signifies not simply to eject or cast out but to cast out or drive out as God did drive Adam out of Paradise Gen. 3.24 for the word is the same and this God did as the Rabbins observe with violence and displeasure So must the scorner be cast out or drove out Look as God did drive out the Amorite and the Cananite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite before his people Exodus 34.11 So must the scorner be driven out of the society of the Saints for the Hebrew word is the same in both places Look as Sarah would have Abraham to cast out the bond-woman and her Son Gen. 21.10 so must the scorner be cast out of the company of the Saints the word is still the same Look as the Sea casteth up mire and dirt Isa 57.10 so should Christians cast out scorners from among them the word being still the same The scorner construes every thing to the worst he envies those that excell him he disdains those that are below him he is never contented never satisfied he is still a quarrelling still a fretting and still a perplexing of himself and others and therefore you must cast him out with scoffing Ismael or the house will be too hot to hold you Cast out the firebrand and the fire goes out cast out Jonah and the storm shall cease cast out the bond-woman and her scornfull son and all will be quiet Davids blessed man is desribed by this Psalm 1.1 that he fits not in the seat of the scornfull Scorners are no companions for blessed men Of all men the blessed man will never chuse the scorner for his Pue-fellow God himself scorns the scorner Prov. 3.34 Surely he scorneth the scorner c. of all men in the world God casts the greatest contempt and scorn upon scorners and therefore why should we make such our bosome Associates And thus you see the several sorts of persons that God hath shut out from the communion of his people Well Christians remember this dead stones must not be laid in a living Temple No stones but hewen stones were to be brought and laid in the building of Solomons Temple 1 Kings 5.15 16 17 18. 2 Chron. 2. Chap. 2.18 1 Pet. 2 5. 2 Chron. 35. which was a Type of the Church of Christ in Gospel dayes Certainly such stones such souls as are not hewen by the word and spirit are not fit to be laid in Christs building In Josiahs dayes when the Passeover was kept there were Porters at every gate of Jerusalem that no unclean or uncircumcised ones might enter And the English Annotations on Rev. 21.27 do say that in the last Church on earth discipline in likelyhood shall be so strictly executed that no prophane person shall be found there only elect persons so far as men can Judge That vain persons are to be shut out from sacred communion with the people of God is further evident by the Judgement of many approved Authors As Chrysostom Chrysostom saith that the Table of the Lord is that whereon the carkass is laid and that we must not suffer chattering Jayes to come thereunto for only high-flying Eagles are to feed thereupon Thereupon the same Author protested that he had rather give his life to a murderer then Christs body to an unworthy receiver Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 6. Chrysostom in Mat. Hom. 83. and rather suffer his own blood to be poured out like water then to tender Christs blessed blood to a base liver And again Church-officers saith he are to keep the Sacrament pure as a man would keep a pleasant spring clean whereat he useth to drink not letting the feet of filthy beasts and Swine to puddle it The same Author further saith Chrysostom in Epist ad Heb. Hom. 17. that in the Primitive times when ever tht Sacrament was Administred a Deacon stood up and cried in the open Assembly Holy things to holy men holy things to holy men thereby debarring all others that were unholy and raising the hearts of the holy Justin Martyr Justin Martyr who was about the year after Christ 150. he lived not above thirty years after St. John he in his Apology to Antoninus the Emperour for Christians writes thus In our Assemblies we admit none to the Lords Supper but such as being baptized continue in professing the true faith and in leading such lives as Christ hath taught There were three things saith this Author that were required of them that were to be received to the Sacrament A New Birth 2. Soundness in Faith
3. A promise to live well Austin Austin well observes That as many think the eating of an Apple was but a small sin So many think that the eating of the Sacrament is but a small sin But as many horrid sins were wrapt up in that so are there many wrapt up in this 1. Here is pride else no man in his wickedness would presume to come to the Lords Table 2. Here is Rebellion and Treason against the Crown and dignity of Christ Romans 2.22 their hands and lips adore him as Judas his did but their hearts and lives abhor him 3. Here is Theft and Sacriledge now if to take away the Communion cup be such a high offence 1 Cor. 11.27.29 such horrid sacriledge what is it then to take the Bread and Wine set apart and sanctified for a holy use by the Lord himself 4. Here is Murder the worst murder the greatest murder the cruelest murder thou killest thy self thy soul and as much as in thee lies Gods dearest Son Now certainly in some respects this sin is a greater sin then Adams was For 1. Adams Eating was against a Creator but thine is against a Redeemer now it is more to redeem a soul then to create a world 2. His was against the word of the Lord thine against the blood of the Lord. 3. His struck at the Covenant of Works thine at the Covenant of Grace 4. He eat but once but thou eatest often Yea Aquinas Aquinas saith the Majesty of Church Discipline should never suffer this to let open and known offendors presume to come to the Table of the Lord. It was a worthy saying of Bilson an approved Author Suppose any man saith he be he a Prince Bilsons Christian Subject par 3. pag. 63. 64 74 c. 52. if he will not submit himself to the precepts of Christ but wilfully maintain either heresie or open impurity the Ministers are to admonish him what danger from God is at the door and if he impenitently persist they must not suffer him to communicate either in divine prayer or any holy mysteries among the people of God but wholly to be excluded the Congregation Again not only the lack of the word and Sacraments saith the same Author but the abuse of either greatly hazards the weale of the whole Church yea casting holy things to dogs c. procures a dreadfull doom as well to consenters as presumers it being the way to turn the house of God into a den of Theives if prophane ones be allowed to defile the mysteries and Assemblies of the faithfull I said Calvin Calvin will sooner die then this hand of mine shall give the things of God to the contemners of God Mr. Rutherford Rutherford that champion for Presbyterie in his divine right of Church-Government pag. 520 saith that they are co-partners with the wicked who dispence the bread to them who are knowingly dead in sins I might multiply many others but let these suffice for a close let me only say How the Father can be guiltless of the death of his child that giveth him poyson to drink with this Caution that he telleth him it is poyson I cannot see Josephus reports of some that prophanely searched the sepulchres of the Saints Joseph Antiq. lib. 12 13. l. 16. cap. 11. supposing to find some treasures there but God made fire to rise out of the earth that devoured them on a suddain Now if Gods wrath like fire breaks forth to consume such as wrong but the sepulchres of his Saints c. Oh then with what flames of fury will God burn up such as abuse not only the Sacrament of his Son but his Son himself It was a very great wickededness in Julian to throw his blood in the face of Christ but for a wicked Communicant to take Christs own blood as it were running from his heart and to throw it into he face of Christ is most abominable and damnable By all that hath been spoken you clearly see that unholy persons are to bâ— shut out of the special communion of Saints here on earth and therefore certainly the Lord will never suffer such to have communion with him in heaven it will not stand with the holiness and purity of God to have fellowship with such in the kingdom of glory whom he would not have his people have fellowship with in the kingdom of grace The eighth Argument to prove that without real holiness there is no happiness Unholy persons are throughout the Scriptures branded to their everlasting contempt with the worst Appellations that without holiness on earth no man shall ever come to a blâ—ssed vision or fruition of God in heaven is this The Scripture that speaks no Treason stiles unholy persons beasts yea the worst of beasts and what should such do in heaven Unholy persons are the most dangerous and the most unruly pieces in the world and therefore are emblemized by Lions Psalm 22.21 and they are cruel by Bears and they are savage Isa 11.7 by Dragons and they are hideous Ezek. 29.3 by Wolves and they are ravenous Ezek. 22.27 by dogs and they are snarling Rev. 22.15 by Vipers and Scorpions and they are stinging Mat. 12.34 Ezek. 2.6 by Spiders and Cockatrices and they are poysoning Isa 59.5 by swine and they are still gruntling Mat. 7.6 No man in this world is more like another It was wont to be a tryal whither land belonged to England or Ireland by putting in Toads or Snakes c. into it if they lived there it was concluded that the land belonged to England if they died to Ireland then the Epicure is like a Swine the fraudulent person a Fox the lustfull person a Goat the back-biter a barking Curr the slanderer an Asp the oppressor a Wolf the Persecutor a Tyger the Seducer a Serpent Certainly the Irish Air will sooner brook Toads and Snakes and Serpents to live therein then heaven will brook such beasts as unholy souls are to live there Surely God and Christ and the Spirit and Angels and the Spirits of just men made perfect are not so in love with Dogs and Swine c. as to put them into their bosoms or make them their companions Heaven is a place of too great state to admit such vermine to inhabit there When Cyneas the Embassador of Pyrrhus after his return from Rome was asked by his Master what he thought of the City and State he answered and said that it seemed to him to be Respublica Regum a State of none but great Statesmen and a Common-wealth of Kings Such is heaven it is no other State then a Parliament of Emperours a Common-wealth of Kings There is not a soul in heaven under the degree of a King Rev 6.1 and every King there hath a Robe of honour upon his back a golden Scepter in his hand and a glorious Crown upon his head And do you think that it will stand with the State of heaven or
to have any thing to do with those that have no principles of holiness in them It is a principle of holinesse that fits a man for the service of God that fits a man for fellowship with God that fits a man for walking with God that fits a man for correspondency with God and that fits a man for the delight of God and that fits a man for an everlasting fruition of God And therefore certainly without holinesse there is no happinesse without a principle of purity there can be no seeing of the face of God in glory Reason 3 A third Reason why Without real holiness there is no happinesse c. is this because heaven is a holy place and therefore no unholy souls can enter there it is called the high and holy place Isa 57.15 the inheritance of the Saints in heaven is an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet. 1.4 Holinesse dwells in heaven 2 Pet. 3.13 as a man dwells in his house Heaven is the house of Gods holinesse and therefore certainly without holinesse there is no entring into that house Exod. 26.34 Psalm 78.69 Hebrews 9.8 Chap. 12.24 Rev. 21.27 The Holy of Holies in the Temple was a Type of heaven And as none might enter into the Holy of holies that were unholy so none can enter into heaven which is the true Holy of holies but those that are holy Heaven was so holy that it cast out the Angels when they fell from their holinesse Paradise was a Type of heaven and no sooner did Adam lose his holinesse but he was shut out of Paradise Heaven is a City of holinesse and none can enter into that City but such as are holy Rev. 22.14 Heaven is so holy that it would groan to bare one unholy soul Well heaven is a holy place and the inhabitants are all holy and the work of heaven is holy and what then should unholy souls do there Reason 4 A fourth Reason why Without real holiness there is no happinesse Coelum est altera gehenna damnatorum Heaven is another hell to the damned said One. Isa 66.3 4. c. is this Because unholy persons have no hearts to go to heaven though now and then they may talk of heaven and now and then lift up their eyes and hands to heaven and now and then expresse a few cold wishes and lazy desires after heaven it is no difficult thing to demonstrate that in good earnest they have no heart to go to heaven For First How often hath God set life and death heaven and hell before them and they have chosen death rather then life and hell rather then heaven 2. Do you â—hink that that man hath any heart to heaven that will not so much as part with a lust for heaven Luke 13.33 34. 3. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven that hath not so much as a hand to lay hold on the opportunities of grace that might bring him to heaven 4. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven that daily hardens his heart against him who is the way to heaven 5. John 14.6 Isa 63.10 Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven who is still a grieving vexing and quenching that spirit of holinesse that can only fit frame and form him for heaven 6. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven that rarely spends a serious thought of heaven and that lives in this world as if there were no heaven 7. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven whose sinfull courses speak him out to be one of those who have made a covenant with death Isa 18.15 18. and an agreement with hell 8. Do you think that that man hath a heart to go to heaven Rom. 3.8 1 Cor. 4.9 10. that detests those most that are the best woers for heaven 9. Do you think that that man hath any heart to go to heaven who can take no pleasure nor delight in those that are travailing towards heaven 10. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven that will do nothing affectionately for heaven that will not hear for heaven nor pray for heaven nor trade for heaven nor look for heaven nor long for heaven nor strive for heaven No man ever went to heaven sleeping nor wait for heaven The heart commands all it carries all if the heart were bent for heaven the head would contrive for heaven the eye would look out for heaven and the ear would hear for heaven and the tongue would speak for heaven and the foot would walk towards heaven and the hand would do for heaven By all which it is most evident that unholy persons are not cordially willing to go to heaven it is most certain that unholy persons have no such great mind to go to heaven as some imagine when Dives was in hell his desire was not to be with Abraham in heaven Luke 16.24 27 28 29. but that Lazarus might come and give him a little ease in hell he preferred a little ease in hell before his being with Abraham in heaven Neither did he desire that his five brethren might go to heaven but that they might be kept out of hell and that not out of love to them but out of love to himself he knowing that their company would be no small increase of his own torments Heauen would be a very hell to an unholy heart If now the presence of God in his servants and the presence of God in his Ordinances be such a hell to unholy souls Ah what a hell would the presence of God in heaven be to unholy hearts It is true an unholy heart may desire heaven as it is a place of freedom from troubles afflictions oppressions vexations c. and as it is a place of peace rest ease safety c. but this is the least and lowest part of heaven but to desire it as it is a place of purity of grace of holinesse of enjoying of God c. is above the reach of an unholy heart The company of heaven are all holy the imployments of heaven are all holy and the enjoyments of heaven are all holy and therefore heaven cannot but be an undesireable thing to unholy hearts An unholy heart is no ways desirous nor ambitious of such a heaven as will rid him of his darling sins as will make him conformable to a holy God as will everlastingly divorce him from his old companions and link him for ever to those gratious souls that he hath scorned despised and persecuted in this world Ergo c. Reason 5 Fifthly and Lastly Because without real holinesse men are good for nothing they are fit for nothing without holinesse men are neither good for Church nor State they are neither fit to Rule nor to be ruled to command nor to be commanded to guide nor to be guided
written in a small Ring I have read of godly Mr. Buchanan that was King James his Tutor who lying upon his dying bed desired a Noble man then with him to tell the King that his old Master Buchanan was going to a place where few Kings come Kings are as rare meat in heaven as venison is in poor mens kitchins saith the Dutch Proverb And how few among the wise can you find that are wise for heaven that are wise for their souls that are wise for eternity And how few among the learned can you find that have learned Christ and learned their own hearts and learned to deny themselves and learned to save their own souls and others By all which it is most evident that few are holy and that few shall be happy But Secondly and more particularly Is it so that real holiness is the only way to happiness and that without holiness here no man shall ever come to a blessed vision or fruition of God hereafter Then this may serve to convince several sorts of persons of their wofull and miserable conditions As First All prophane persons who give up themselves to wickedness Job 21.14 2 Pet. 2.20 ult Isa 66.3 Ephes 4.19 Isaiah 5.19 Ierem. 9.5 who wallow in all ungodliness and delight themselves in all manner of filthiness who commit wickedness with greediness who draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with a cart-rope who weary themselves to commit iniquity who are so desperately set upon wickedness that neither the rod of God the lashes and checks of their own consciences nor the flashes of hell upon their souls can reduce them who are resolved that they will gratifie their lusts though they damn their souls and who will live wickedly though they perish eternally Who by custom in sin have destroyed all conscience of sin and contracted such desperate hardness upon their own hearts as neither smiles nor frowns promises nor threatnings life nor death heaven nor hell ministery nor misery miracle nor mercy can possibly mollifie them these are grown from naught to be very naught from very naught to be stark naught these souls are sadly left of God and wofully blinded by Satan and fully ripened for ruine Now if without holiness no man shall see the Lord what will become of all prophane wretches who are so far from being holy that they fall short of common honesty Certainly God will shut the gates of glory upon such workers of iniquity Such prophane Esaus shall never be blest with a sight of God in glory Matth. 7.22 A wicked man is a sin lover he is a sin maker he lives in sin upon choice Psalm 11.5 1 John 3.8 the Hebrew word that is commonly used for a wicked man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies a laborious sinner a practitioner in sin now such as these are God will have nothing to do with Job 8.20 Behold God will not cast away a perfect man neither will he help the evil doers or rather as the Hebrew carries it he will not take the ungodly by the hand that is he will not have any fellowship any society any familiarity with the ungodly the holy God will not so much as take an ununholy soul by the hand he will not in the least countenance him nor respect him he will not welcome him nor entertain him nor shew the least favour to him Now certainly if God will not take the wicked by the hand he will never take them into heaven he will never take them into his bosome God will have no commerce nor communion with those to whom he will not so much as lend a hand God will wash his hands of them for ever to whom he will not give a hand Which made Austin say that he would not be a wicked man one half hour for all the world because he might die in that half hour God will wash his hands of every man that lives and dies a wicked man Mat 25.11.12 The hearts and ways of wicked menare full of hells and therefore to fill heaven with such would be to fill heaven with hells Secondly This truth may serve to convince those that are scoffers and mockers at holiness of their wofull and miserable estate Holiness is so high and so noble a thing 2 Pet. 3.3 Jude 18. that men should rather honour it then deride it reverence it then reproach it they should rather set a crown of glory then a crown of thorns upon the head of it Holiness is the glorious Image of God fairly stampt upon the foul and to deride holiness is to deride God himself God takes all the affronts that are done to his Image as done to himself and this scoffers shall know at last to their eternal wo. As Suetonius reports it was If it was such a hainous crime in Tiberius his dayes to carry the Image of Augustus upon a Ring or Coin into any sordid place Ah how hainous a crime is it then to cast dirt and filth scorn and reproach upun holiness which is the Image of the invisible God! The despite and contempt that is done to the Image or coin of a Prince is done to the Prince himself and accordingly he will revenge it In old Rome there were near as many Statues as there were living people and some were made of Gold some of Silver some of Brass some of Ivory and some of polished Marble And there was an Earl appointed whose office it was continually to walk up and down in the night attended with many souldiers to see that none did wrong the Statues of those that were set up in the City Lipsius de Mag. Rom. Imperii and if any such were found that had done wrong to any of the Statues they were put to death Holiness is the Statue of God and such as shall dare to deface it and wrong it God will destroy Gen. 9 22.25 Ch 21.9.15 The Apostle interprets Ismaels mocking to be persecution Gal. 4 27. 2 Kings 2.23 24. 2 Chr. 30.10 Ch. 36.15.21 2 Kings 19.20 ult The old world scofft and scornd at righteousness and God sweeps them away with a flood C ham mock't and scoff't at Righteous Noah and what did he get by it but a curse Ismael scoff't at holy Isaac and what did he get by his scoffing and mocking but ejection out of Abrahams family And what became of those two and forty young scoffers that scoffed and mocked at holy Elisha were they not cursed in the name of the Lord and torn in pieces by two She bears which were more fierce and cruel then others The Jews were much given up to scoffing and mocking of the messengers of the Lord till there was no remedy till old and young were destroyed by the sword of the Caldees till their Temple and City were fired and sacked and thirty of them sold for a penny c. and those that escaped the sword were captivated and enslaved Senacherib scoffed and
mocked at the Virgin dâ—ughter of Sion but his scoffs issued in the destruction of his Army by the hand of an Angel and in his own by the hands of his two Sons Julian the Emperour was a great mocker and scoffer at the Christians but God struck him with an Arrow from heaven which made him cry out Vicisti Galilee thou Galilean meaning our Lord Jesus hast overcome me Felix for one malicious scoff did nothing day and night but vomit blood till his unhappy soul was separated from his wretched body Lucian for barking against religion as a dog was by the just judgements of God devoured of dogs History tells us of some scoffers that God hath stricken with madness Others with blindness others with loathsome diseases and some God hath stricken dead and others he hath left to be their own Executioners Scoffing at holiness is a Metropolitan sin and therefore no wonder if God executes upon scoffers Metropolitan judgements Mockers and scoffers are the worst of sinners Among the three sorts of sinners that David mentions Scorners have the chair The chair of Pestilence as the Septuagint translateth it Scorners are the pests of mankind Psalm 1.1 In Cathedra pest lentiae The eye of the Scorner is blinded the heart of the scorner is hardned the judgement of the scorner is perverted the will of the scorner is enthralled and the conscience of the scorner is seared and this makes the scorner fall mad upon scoffing at holy men and holy things Look as they are the worst of servants that will scoff and mock a child in the family because he is his Fathers picture though they take wages of his Father and live by his Father so they are the worst of sinners who scoff at holiness which is the very picture of God though they live by him and cannot live without him Yet this world is full of such monsters who count it a grace to disgrace holiness and to lade holy ones with all the names of scorn and contempt that they can invent or that Satan can help them to These are your holy brethren these are Phanaticks these are your holy Sect these are your pure souls these are your strict Precifians these are the Saints forsooth these are the brotherhood Erasmus saith that that Proverb A young Saint and an old devil was devised by the Devil himself to scoff and mock men out of their holiness It hath been the common portion of men most eminent in grace and holiness to be most scofft and scorned in all Ages Iob 17.2 Nehem. 4.1 Isaiah 28.22 Luke 18.32 witness Noah Isaac and Elisha but now cited and witness Job Chap. 21.3 Suffer me that I may speak and after that I have spoken mock on Chap. 12.4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour who calleth upon God and he answereth him the just upright man is laughed to scorn So David Psalm 35.16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth Psalm 44.14 Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen Psalm 79.4 We are become a reproach and derision to them who are round about us Psalm 109.25 I am become a reproach to them when they looked upon me they shaked their heads So Isa 8.18 Behold I and the children that the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel So Jeremiah Chap. 20.7 I am in derision daily every one mocketh me So Paul Acts 17.18 What will this babler say So the Apostles Acts 2.13 Others mocking said These men are full of new wine So those Worthies of whom this world was not worthy Heb. 11.36 Mat. 26.68 Ch. 27 29 31. Luke 22 63. Chap. 23.11 Mark 15 31. Yea the Philosophers called Christ a Magician and affirmed that he did all by Necromancy Calv. Jnst Advers Libert c. 9. Others had tryal of cruel mockings But above all how sadly how frequently yea how fearfully was our Lord Jesus Christ scoffed and scorned by Herod and Pilate and flouted by the rascally souldiers but the vengeance of his Father overtook them all And in the Primitive times as Tertullian observes the Saints were called heards of Asses vile fellows the Disciples of a man crucified Galileans Nazarites Eaters of mens flesh and drinkers of mens blood The Heathens as the same Author observes painted the God of the Christians with an Asses head and a book in his hand to signifie that though the Christians pretended to knowledge yet they were a company of silly ignorant Asses The Libertines of old have cast much scorn and contempt upon all the Apostles they call Matthew an Usurer Lam 3.45 1 Cor. 4 45. Lam 2.15 16. Ch. 4 2. vide Peter an Apostate Luke a pelting Physitian Paul a broken vessel and John a foolish young man c. by way of scorn and contempt Athanasius was called Sathanasius and Cyprian was called Coprian one that gathers up dung and so Luther Calvin and almost every one that hath attained to any eminency in holiness they have been commonly accounted as the off-scouring and refuse among the people Now certainly if holiness be the only way to happiness c. then such as are scorners and scoffers at holiness are out of the very way to happiness and how such are like to come to heaven that scorn the very path that leads to heaven I shall leave you to judge If the Ravens of the valley shall pick out his eyes that mocketh his Father and the young Eagles eat out his eyes that despiseth the instruction of his Mother Prov. 30.17 The first thing that Eagles do when they have found a carkass is to pick out its eyes as Solomon speaks then of how much sorer punishment are they guilty off who mock and scoff at holiness which is the very Image picture and glory of God himself holiness is so near akin to God that no man can deride holiness but he derides God himself As he that mocks the poor derides him that made him Prov. 17.5 so he that mocks holy ones derides that God that made them holy And will God take this at the scorners hands no he will retaliate he loves to retaliate scorn upon the scorner Proverbs 3.34 Surely he scorneth the scorners God will pay home scorners in their own coyn scorners shall be sure to have scorning enough Prov. 1.24 ult Psalm 2.4 Isa 37.36 God so scorns the persons and prayers of scorners that he will have nothing to do with them The Angels so scorn scorners that instead of being a life-guard to them they stand ready prest to execute the vengeance of heaven upon them And Saints are so far to scorn them by a divine precept as not to reprove them Prov. 9.8 Reprove not a scorner lest he hate thee Yea God in his just judgements will make scorners to be an abomination to all sorts of men Prov. 24.9 The scorner is an abomination to men that is to all sorts of men the scorner is an abomination
may be much like his own should attempt to come in yet the Father will keep him out and wish him to repair to his own home So when the night of death comes the Father of Spirits will only take into the family of heaven his own child viz. the child of holiness but now if the child of gifts which is so like the child of holiness should press hard upon God to come in as that child of gifts Baalam did Numb 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his God will answer him No he will say to him as he did to that child of gifts Judas Acts 1.25 Mat. 8.12 Go to your own place In the night of death and judgement the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out the children of the Kingdom that is of the Church now the children of the Kingdom are children of gifts and yet there will come a day when these children shall be cast out Gen. 25.6 c. As Abraham put off the sons of the Concubines with gifts but entailed the inheritance upon Isaac So God puts off many men now with gifts but he entails the heavenly inheritance upon holiness Psalm 24.3 4. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul to vanity nor sworn deceitfully Heaven is for that man and that man is for heaven who hath clean hands and a pure heart whose holy conversation is attended with heart-purification a pure heart is better then a golden head a heart full of holy affections is infinitely beyond a head full of curious notions there is no Jewel there is no anointing to that of holiness he that hath that hath all and he that wants that hath nothing at all But Eightly and lastly if real holiness be the only way to happiness if men must be holy on earth or they shall never come to a blessed fruition of God in heaven then by way of conviction let me say that this truth looks very sowerly and angrily upon those who are so far from being holy themselves that they cannot endure holiness in those that are about them or any waies related to them Ah how many unholy people be there that cannot endure holiness in their Ministers and how many unholy husbands are there that cannot endure holiness in their yoak-fellows and how many unholy parents are there that cannot endure holiness in their children and how many unholy Masters are there that cannot endure holiness in their servants The Panther say some when she cannot come at the man she rendeth and teareth his picture in pieces so many unholy husbands unholy fathers and unholy masters when they cannot rend and tear the persons of their relations in pieces ah how do they do their best to rend and tear the image of God upon them Matth. 23.14 15. 2 Sam. 6.16 20. viz. holiness in pieces These forlorn souls will not be holy themselves nor suffer others to be holy neither they will neither go to heaven themselves nor suffer others to go thither who are strongly biased that way Some despise their gracious relations even eâ— nomine for that very reason because they are holy sometimes you shall hear them speak at such a rate as this Well our relations are wise and witty but so holy they are very knowing and thriving but so precise they have good parts and sweet natures but they are so strict they are so round that they will not endure an oath a lye c. and therefore I cannot abide them I cannot endure them These are like he in Seneca which was so fearfully idle that his sides would ake to see another work So these are so fearfully wicked that it makes their sides their heads their very hearts ake to see others holy How far these are in their actings below Heathens you may see in Rom. 16.10 11. Aristobulus and Narcissus that are spoken of in this Scripture were both Heathens and yet they had in their families those that were in the Lord those that were gracious c. Heathens were so ingenuous that they would not despise that holiness in others that they wanted in themselves they were so noble that they would give holiâ—ess house-room though they knew not how to give it heart-room Gen. 39.1 2 3 4. So Potiphar though he was an Heathen yet he gave holy Joseph both house-room and heart-room These and several other heathens of the like spirit with them will one day rise in Judgement against many in these dayes that are so far faln out with holiness as that they will not endure it under the roof of their houses yea as that they make it the greatest matter of scorn and derision Like those in Lam. 2.15 16. All that pass by clap their hands at thee they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem saying Is this the City that men call the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole earth All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee they hiss and gnash the teeth they say We have swallowed her up c. Ah how many such monsters are there in these dayes who express their derision disdain and contempt of holiness and holy persons by all the scornful gestures postures and expressions imaginable that clap their hands that hiss that wag their head that gnash their teeth and that say Lo these are your Saints these are your holy ones your perfect ones your beautiful ones It is very sad to want holiness but it is saddest of all to deride holiness to disdain holiness Of this evil spirit Salvian complained in his time Salvi de Guber lib. 4. What madness is this saith he amongst Christians that if a man be good he is despised as if he were evil if he be evil he is honoured as if he were good And as great cause have we to complain of the prevalency of the same evil spirit in our times If the wife be holy 1 Cor. 7.16 how is she despised by her unholy husband as if she were wicked If she be wicked how is she honoured as if she were holy So if the child be gracious how is he disdained as if he were gracless if he be gracless how is he admired as if he were gracious So if a Servant be godly how is he scorned as if he were godless if he be godless how is he applauded as if he were godly Certainly God will never endure such to stand in his sight who cannot endure the sight of holiness Doubtless Psalm 1.5 God will never give them any room in heaven who will not so much as give holiness a little house-room I say not heart-room here He that now despises and disdains holiness in others shall at last be eternally despised and disdained for want of holiness himself Vse 2. THe second Use is
more strong to resist temptation more victorious over opposition and more silent in every condition The knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate will turn every Winter night into a Summers day every crosse into a crown and every wildernesse into a Paradise The knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate will be a sword to defend thee a staff to support thee a cordial to strengthen thee a plaister to heal thee and a star to lead thee And O who then will not take some pains with his own heart to know the goodnesse and holinesse of his own estate Well remember this next to a mans being holy it is the greatest mercy in this world to know that he is holy But if upon trial a man shall find that his estate is bad and that his holinesse is not of the right stamp yet this will be many wayes a mercy and an advantage to him For the way to be found is to see your selves lost the way to infinite mercy is to see your own misery the way to Canaan is through the wildernesse the way to heaven is by the gates of hell upon the knowledge of the badnesse and sadnesse of thy estate thou wilt be awakened out of thy security and thou wilt be alarmed to loath thy self to judge thy self ro condemn thy self to be sick of sin Acts. 2.37 42. Ch. 16.22 35. to break with Satan and to close with Christ Now the daily language of thy soul will be Men and Brethren what shall I do to be saved O what shall I do to get my sinfull nature changed my hard heart softned my blind mind enlightned my polluted conscience purged and my poor naked soul with grace and holinesse adorned Now the daily language of thy soul will be that of the Martyr O none but Christ none but Christ O none but Christ to pardon me none but Christ to justifie me none but Christ to command me none but Christ to save me and none but Christ to reign over me Now the language of thy soul will be this 1 Co. 1.30 31. O though I have formely thought my self to be wise yet now I see my self to be a fool O that Christ would be wisdom to me O now I see my self to be red with guilt and black with filth O that Christ would be righteousnesse to me O now I see my self to be unclean unclean O that Christ would be sanctification to me Rev. 3.16 17 18 O now I see my self to be in a damnable condition Oh that Christ would be redemption to me O now I see my self naked O that Christ would cloath me now I see my self poor and miserable O that Christ would enrich me now I feel my self to be hungry O that Christ would be bread of life to feed me now I perceive my self to be lost O that Christ would seek me Now I fear that I am perishing O that Christ would save me 2 Kings 7.3 4 5 6. Now the language of your souls will be that of the Lepers If we stay here we die if we stay in our unsanctified and unrenewed estate we die If we stay in our sins we die if we stay on our duties we die if we stay on a conceited or counterfeit holinesse we die If we stay on a form of godlinesse we die If we stay on a name to live we die If we stay where the world stayes we die if we stay in any thing a this side Christ and real holinesse we die we eternally die And therefore let us arise and make a venture of our souls upon Christ and pursue after that holinesse without which there is no happinesse But Seventhly and Lastly Consider that there are many that are truly holy that have real holinesse in them and yet for want of a narrow search a diligent enquiry into their spiritual estates they come to be sorely and sadly afflicted with fears and doubts about their wants of holinesse As the treasures of this world often lye obscure and hid in the bowels of the earth so the treasures of holinesse often lie obscure and hid in many a gracious soul for want of a privy search As it is one mercy for me to believe and another mercy for me to know that I do believe 1 John 5.13 Psalm 4.6 As it is one mercy for me to be beloved and another mercy for me to know that I am beloved Psal 51.1 2 3. As it is one mercy for me to be pardoned in the court of glory and another mercy for me to know that I am pardoned in the Court of conscience As it is one mercy for me to have my name written in the book of life Luke 10.20 and another mercy for me to be told that my name is written in that book So it is one mercy for me to have real holinesse in me and another mercy for me to see it and to know it As we many times complain of the want of those things that we have in our hands so many dear Christians complain of the want of that holinesse that they have in their hearts As the well Gen 21 16 17 18 19. the spring of water was neer to Hagar though she saw it not so the spring of holinesse is neer to many a Christian yea it is in many a Christian and yet he sees it not Gen. 28.16 he knows it not As Jacob once said The Lord was in this place and I knew it not So many a precious soul may say I had real holinesse in my heart and I knew it not As the face of Moses did shine Exod 34.29 ult but he saw it not he knew it not though others did see it and take notice of it so holinesse shines in many a Christians heart and life yet corruptions raise such a dust in his soul that he sees it not he knows it not though others can see it take notice of it and blesse and admire the Lord for it As there be some that think they are rich Rev 3.16 17. Prov. 13.7 when they are not and that say they are rich when they are not so there be others that are rich and yet they will not say it nor believe it So there be some that think they have holinesse Isaiah 65.3 4 5 6. Mark 8.18 when they have not yea that say they have holinesse when they have not So there be others that have real holinesse and yet they dare not think so they dare not say so Yea they are apt in times of temptation desertion sore afflictions and when they are under the sensible stirrings of strong corruptions to conclude that they have no holinesse no grace when indeed they have witnesse Job Chap. 13.24 And Ch. 19 9 witnesse David Psalm 22.1 2. witnesse Asaph Psal 77.2.11 witnesse Heman Psalm 88.1.17 witnesse Jeremiah Lam. 3.18 witnesse the whole Church Isa 49.15 16. Ezek. 37.11 12. And witnesse the Disciples John
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
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
man was never truly holy who endeavours not to get up to the highest pitches of holiness True holiness knows no restrictions Ille non est bonus qui non vult esse melior nor limitation But now counterfeit holiness is either like Hezekiahs Sun which went backward Or like Joshuahs Sun which stood still or like Ephraims morning cloud which soon passed away No round but the highest round in Jacobs Ladder will satisfie a holy soul True holiness make a man divinely covetous Look as the victorious man can never make conquests enough nor the Ambitious man can never have honour enough nor the voluptuous man pleasure enough nor the worldling Mammon enough nor the wanton vain embraces enough no more can a man of holiness have ever holiness enough in this world As the grave the barren womb are never satisfied Pro. 30.15 16. they never say it is enough So a holyman whilest he is a this side eternity he is never satisfied he can never say that he hath holiness enough Fifthly Where there is real holinesse there is a holy hatred True hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the whole kind detestation and indignation against all ungodlinesse and wickednesse and that upon holy accounts Psa 119.101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way but why that I may keep thy word ver 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way The good that he got by divine precepts stirred up his hatred against every false way ver 128. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way His high esteem of every precept raised up in him a holy indignation against every evil way A holy man knows that all sin strikes at the holinesse of God the glory of God the nature of God the being of God and the Law of God and therefore his heart rises against all he looks upon every sin as the Scribes and Pharisees that accused Christ and as that Judas that betrayed Christ and that Pilate that condemned Christ and those Souldiers that scourged Christ and as those spears that pierced Christ and therefore his heart cries out for Justice upon all He looks upon every sin as having a hand in the death of his Saviour and therefore he cries out Crucifie them all crucifie them all he looks upon every sin as a grieving of the spirit as a vexing of the Spirit Ephes 4.30 Isa 63.10 1 Thes 5.19 and as a quenching of the spirit and so nothing will satisfie him but the ruine of them all He looks upon every sin as a dishonour to God as an enemy to Christ as a wound to the Spirit as a reproach to the Gospel and as a moth to his holinesse and therefore his heart and his hand is against every sin but now if you will but look into the Scriptures you shall find that all those that have been but pretenders to holinesse Isa 58.1.9 Zach. 7.4 5 6 7. their hearts have been alwayes engaged to some one way of wickednesse or another Jehu was very zealous against Idolaters but yet his heart was engaged to his golden calves Mark 6. John 12.6 Herod hears John Baptist gladly and reforms many things c. but yet his Herodias must still lye in his bosome Judas was as forward in religious Services as any others but yet money did bear the masterie with him The Pharisees made long prayers Matth. 23.19 Chap. 16.23 that they might the better make a prey upon widows house The young man offered fair for heaven but yet his possessions had so possest and lockt up his heart that Christ could get no enterance Acts 8.13 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Though Simon Magus believed and was baptized and wondred at the miracles and signs which were done by Philip yet for all these shews of godlinesse he was a prisoner to his lusts his condition was dangerous poysonous and odious he was in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity So those in Mat. 7.21 22 23. though they complemented with Christ saying Lord Lord though they prophecied in Christs name and cast out devils in Christs name yea though they did not a few Qui habet unium vitium habet omnia He that hath any one vice hath all other with it saith Seneca truly but many wonderfull works in Christs name yet all this while they were workers of inity they were Artists in sin they were so addicted to sin that they made a trade of sin Look as every Lyon hath his den every Dog his kennel every Sow her stie and ever Crow her nest so every unholy person hath one sin or another to which his heart is engaged and married and that sin will undo him for ever As Lysimachus lost his earthly kingdom by drinking one draught of water So many lose a heavenly kingdom by indulging some one sin or other One flaw spoils the Diamond one Treason makes a Traytor one turn brings a man quite out of the way one Leak sinks the Ship one wound strikes Goliah dead one Dalilah betrayes Sampson one broken wheel spoils the whole Clock Judges 8. and one fly spoils the whole box of oyntment And as one Bastard destroyed Gideons seventy sons so one predominant sin is enough to destroy the soul for ever As by taking one nap Sampson lost his strength and by eating one Apple Adam lost Paradise so many men by favouring one sin lose God heaven and their souls for ever He that favours any sin though he frowns upon many doth but as Benhadab recover of one disease and die of another Yea he takes pains to go to hell sin favoured ever ends tragically And as no unholy heart rises against all sin so no unholy heart disdains sin or rises against sin upon noble accounts upon holy and heavenly accounts Sometimes you shall have an unholy person angry with sin and falling out with sin because in hath crackt his credit or clouded his honour or hindered his profit or imbittered his pleasure or enraged his conscience or exposed him to shame here and hell hereafter But never because a righteous Law is transgressed a holy God is dishonoured a loving Saviour is afresh crucified or the blessed Spirit grieved It is between a holy and an unholy soul as it is between two children one will not touch the coal because it will smut him and the other will not touch it because it will burn him A holy heart rises against sin because of its defiling nature but an unholy heart rises against sin because of its burning and damning nature A holy man is most affected and afflicted with the evil that is in sin but an unholy heart is most affected and afflicted with the punishment that is due to sin A holy person hates sin because it pollutes his soul but an unholy person hates it because it destroyes his soul A holy person loaths sin
because it makes against Gods holinesse but an unholy person loaths it because it provokes Gods justice A holy person detests sin because of the hell that is in sin but an unholy person detests sin because of the hell that follows sin a holy heart abhors all sin but an unholy heart is still in league with some sin Rom. 12.9 Cha. 7.15 19. Isa 28.15 18. Now because this is a point of great concernment I shall a little more open and evidence the truth of it in these three particulars First The heart of a holy man rises against secret sins against such as lye furthest off from the eye of man Psal 119.113 I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love What more secret then vain thoughts and yet against these the heart of a holy man rises When Joseph was tempted to be secretly wicked with his Mistris his heart rises against it How can I do this great wickedness and sin against the Lord Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart Genes 39. 2 Chron. 32.24 25 26. Heart sins lye most close and secrret And yet for these a holy man humbles himself Job would not suffer his heart in an Idolatrous way secretly to kisse his hand Job 31.26 27. The heart of a holy man rises against wickednesse in the dark against folly in a corner Rom. 7.23 24. against sin a Closet So Paul was much affected and afflicted with the operations of sin within him with the Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his mind Paul after his conversion never fell into any scandalous sin those sins that did most trouble him and distresse him were of his own house yea were in his own heart A holy man knows that secret sins are sins as well as those that are open Psalm 19.12 He knows that secret sins must be repented of as well as others he knows that God takes notice of secret sins as well as of open 2 Sam. 12.12 Thou didst it secretly he knows that secret sins do often interpose between God and his soul Psalm 90.8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Gen. 38.24 25 26 27. He knows that secret sins will quickly become publick except they are presently loathed and speedily mortified He knows that secret sins like secret diseases and secret wounds do oftentimes prove most dangerous and pernicious He knows that secret sins are the price of blood as well as open sinnings He knows that secret sins are a grief to the Spirit as well as those that are manifest He knows that sometimes God punishes secret sins with manifest Judgements as you may see in that great instance of David 2 Sam. 12.10.18 Upon all which accounts a holy heart rises in a detestation of secret sins But Secondly The heart of a holy man rises against the least sins as well as against secret sins in a strict sense I know there is no sin little because there is no little hell no little damnation no little Law nor no little God to sin against but yet some sins may comparatively be said to be little 2 Kings 2.3 Matth. 23.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 24.5 2 Sam. 24.10 if you compare them with those that are more great and grosse that are more hainous and odious Now the hatred of a holy man rises against the least Psalm 119.163 I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love I hate I abhor with horror I loath I detest I abominate lying as I do hell it self So much the Original word imports Davids heart smote him for the cutting off the lap of Sauls garment And his heart smote him again for numbring of the people and yet neither of these sins were hainous or scandalous Some write that there is suth a native dread and terror of the Hauk implanted in the Dove that it detests and abhors the very sight of the least feather that hath grown upon the Hauk Certainly there is such a holy dread of sin implanted in the heart of a Saint 1 Cor. 8.13 Daniel 8.1 Gal. 2 3 4. Jude 23. that he cannot but detest and and abhor the least sin yea the very appearance of sin his soul rises against the least motions or inclinations to evil though they are silverd over with the most specious shews and most glorious pretences for he knows that the least sins are contrary to a righteous Law a holy God and to his blessed Saviour and the Spirit his only Comforter First A holy man knows that little sins if not prevented will bring on greater 2 Sam. 12.26 Mat. 26.70 ult David gives way to his wandring eye and that led him to those scandalous sins for which God broke his bones hid his face and withdrew his Spirit So Peter first denyes his Master and then forswears him and then falls a cursing and damning of himself as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports he imprecated the wrath of God to fall upon him and that he might be separated from the presence and glory of God if he knew the man and then concludes with a most incredible lie I know not the man when as there was hardly a Jew which knew not Christ by face he being very famous for the many miracles that he daily wrote before their eys Ah to what a height will sin suddenly rise Ge. 27.19 20. So Austin confesseth that his Mother Monica by sipping and supping when she filled the cup to others came at last to take a cup of Nimis sometimes Plutarch So Jacob first he tells three lyes in a Breath 1. I am Esau 2. Thy first born 3. I have done according as thou badest me and then he dissembled in calling his meat venison and then he takes the name of God in vain by intitling God to that he did The Lord thy God brought it to me Ah of what an incroaching nature is sin how insensibly and suddenly doth it get ground upon the soul I have read of a young man that was tempted to three great sins viz. to kill his Father to lye with his Mother and to be drunk judging the last to be the least he yielded to it and being drunk he killed his Father and ravished his own Mother Lesser sins usually are inlets to greater As the little Thief let in at the window opens the door and makes way for the greater and the little wedge makes way for the greater When Pompey could not take a City that he assaulted by force he pretended that he would withdraw his Army only he desired that they would entertain a few of his weak and wounded Souldiers which accordingly they did these Souldiers soon recovered their strength and opened the gates of the City by which means Pompeys Army entred and subdued the Citizens So little sins yielded to soon gather strength and open the door to greater and so a conquest is made
upon the soul This a holy heart well understands and therefore it hates and abhors the least sin But Secondly A holy heart knows that little sins have exposed both sinners and Saints to very great punishments A gracious soul remembers the man that was stoned to death for gathering of sticks on the Sabbath day He remembers how Saul lost two kingdoms at once Nu. 15.30.37 1 Sam. 15.23 Mat. 25.25.31 Acts 5.3 4. Gen. 19.26 ch 3. ch 27. his own kingdom and the kingdom of heaven for sparing of Agag and the fat of the Cattel he remembers how the unprofitable servant for the non-improvement of his Talent was cast into outer darkness He remembers how Ananias and Saphira were stricken suddenly dead for telling a lie He remembers how Lots wife for a look of curiosity was turned into a pillar of Salt He remembers how Adam was cast out of Paradise for eating an Apple and the Angels cast out of heaven for not keeping their standings He remembers that Jacob smarted for his lying to his dying day He remembers how God followed him with sorrow upon sorrow and breach upon breach filling up his dayes with grief and trouble He remembers how Moses was shut out of the holy land because he spoke unadvisedly with his lips 1 Kings 13. He remembers the young Prophet who was slain by a Lyon for eating a little bread and drinking a little water contrary to the command of God though he was drawn thereunto by an old Prophet under a pretence of a revelation from heaven Luk. 1.19 20 21 22 23.62 2 Sam. 6.7 8. He remembers how Zacharias was stricken both dumb and deaf because he believed not the report of the Angel Gabriel He remembers how Vzzah was stricken dead for staying up the Ark when it was in danger to have fallen Yea he can never forget the fifty thousand men of Beth-shemesh who were slain for looking into the Ark. 1 Sam. 6.19 20 21. Now ah how doth the remembrance of these things stir up the hatred and indignation of a gracious soul against the least sins A dram of poyson disfuseth it self to all parts till it strangle the vital spirits and separates the soul from the body A little coal of fire hath turned many a stately fabrick into ashes A little prick with a thorn may as well kill a man as a cut with a drawn sword A little fly may spoil all the Alablaster Box of ointment General Norris having received a slight wound in his Arm in the wars of Ireland made light of it but his Arm gangren'd and so he lost both Arm and life together Fabius a Senator of Room and Lord Chief Justice besides was strangled by swallowing a small hair in a draught of milk Three fits of an Ague carried away Tamerlain who was the terror of his time Anacreon the Poet was choaked with the kernel of a grape An Emperour died by the scratch of a comb One of the Kings of France died miserably by the chock of a Hog And his Brother with a blow of a ball at Tennis was struck into his grave And thus you see little things have brought upon many great miseries And so little sins may expose and make persons very liable to great punishments And therefore no wonder if the heart of a holy man rises against them Those sins which are seemingly but small are very provoking to the great God and very hurtfull to the immortal soul And therefore they cannot but be the object of a Christians hatred Thirdly A holy heart knows that a holy God looks and expects that the least sins should be shunned and avoided He looks that the Cockatrice should be crushed in the Egg. Psalm 137.9 God looks that Babylons little ones should be dashed against the stones Not only great sins but little ones must be killed or they will kill the soul The Viper is killed by the little ones that she nourishes in her own bowels So many a man is eternally slain by the little sins that he nourishes in his own bosome as a little stab at the heart kills a man so a little sin without a great deal of mercy will damn a man God expects that his children should abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5.22 Bernard glosseth Quicquid est male coloratum Whatsoever id of an ill shew or ill report As thou wouldst neither wound thy conscience nor thy credit God nor the Gospel thou must keep off from the very appearances of evil A Christian is to hate not only the flesh but the garment and not only the garment which is besmeared but the very garment that is but bespotted with the flesh Jude 23. Our first Parents were not only forbidden to eat of the forbidden fruit but they were forbidden to touch it Gen. 3.3 And certainly he that would not gape after forbidden fruit must not gaze upon forbidden fruit He that would not long after it must not look upon it he that would not taste it Numb 6.3 4. must not touch it The pious Nazarite was not only commanded to abstain from wine and strong drink but also from eating grapes whether moist or dry yea he was prohibited from eating any thing that was made of the vine-tree from the kernels even to the husk Lest by the sweet and contentment of any of these he should be tempted or enticed to drink wine and so forget the Law Prov. 31.5 Difficile quis venenum bibet vivet Cypr. A man can hardly drink poyson and live and break his vow and make work for hell or repentance or the Physitian of souls Sin is so hatefull a thing that both the remote occasion and the least occasion that might draw the soul to it is to be avoided and shunned as a man would avoid and shun hell it self He that truly hates the nature of sin cannot but hate the least sin yea all appearances of sin A holy heart knows that the very thought of sin if not thought on will break forth into action action into custom custom into habit and then body and soul are undone for ever Look as nothing speaks out more sincerity and real sanctity then shunning the very appearances of vanity so nothing speaks out more indignation against sin then the avoiding the occasions of sin But Fourthly A holy heart knows that the indulging of of the least sin is ground sufficient for any man to question his integrity and ingenuity towards God he hath much reason to suspect himself and to be suspected by others who dares break with God and with his own conscience for a trifle he that will trangress for a morsel of bread Prov. 28.21 will be ready enough to sell his soul for a groat He that will pervert Justice for a few pieces of silver what will he not do for a hatful of gold he that will sell the poor for a pair of Shoos Amos 2.6 will destroy the poor for a brace of
Angels He that will sell souls dog-cheap that will slay the souls that should not die Ezekiel 3.19 and save the souls alive that should not live for handfulls of barley and pieces of bread will make no bones of making merchandise of souls for silver and gold Rev. 8.12 13. Zech. 13.14 He that will sell his Saviour once for thirty pieces of silver will sell him as often as you please for a greater summ He that makes no conscience of betraying Christ into the hands of sinners for thirty shillings Mat. 7 4 5 6. will make no conscience of betraying his own soul into the hands of the devil at the price of a halter He that dares lye to save a little of his estate what will not he do to save his life Acts 1.11 These things a holy heart well understands and the serious remembrance of them stirs up in him a holy indignation against the least transgression But Fifthly and lastly take many things in one A holy heart knows that the least sin cost Christ his dearest blood without shedding of blood there was no remission no remission of great sins Hebrews 9.22 nor no remission of little sins He knows that the blood of Christ is as requisite to cleanse the soul from the least sin as it is to cleanse it from the greatest 1 John 1.7 And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sins It is not the casting of a little holy water upon us it is not the Papists Purgatories About little sins you may see more in my Precious Remedies against Satans Devices pag. 22.34 nor their whippings nor St. Francis his kissing or licking of our sores nor a Bishops blessing nor a few knocks on the breast nor a few tears dropping from our eyes that can cleanse us from the least sin No it is only the blood of Christ that cleanseth us from all our sins there is not the least spot in a Christians heart that can be washt out but in the blood of the Lamb. When Satan appeared and presented to a dying man in a long Parchment Role his Idle words his false words his angry words his wanton words and his more wicked words and deeds The dying man answered All this is true Satan but yet there is one thing more for thee to set down under all my sins and that is this The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sins Whereupon the devil vanished as being vanquished Certainly there is not a vain thought nor an Idle word nor an angry word not a wanton word that can be pardoned or cleansed but by the blood of Jesus Christ The remembrance of which cannot but stir up a holy indignation in a gracious soul against the least corruption When Julius Caesar the Emperour was murdered Antonius brought forth his bloody Coat and shewed it to the people which stirred up in them such an indignation against the murderers that they cryed out Slay the murderers and went and burnt their houses and all that was in them So when a holy heart looks upon his sins yea his little sins as those that have murdered the Prince of glory ah what an indignation doth it raise in the soul against them A holy heart knows that there is not the least sin but doth in a measure estrange the soul from God as little clouds do somewhat interpose between the Sun and us so little sins do somewhat interpose between God and our souls and as sometimes a little matter a mistake or lending an ear or a word out of joint or an act of forgetfulness doth occasion some distance between dearest friends so sometimes little sins do occasion some distance between our dearest God and our souls Acts 15.36 ult Prov. 16.28 Chap 17.9 A holy heart knows that Christ looks upon those sins as great which the blind world accounts but little Christ accounts hatred murder 1 John 3.15 A wanton eye adultery Matth. 5.28 And he reckons the officious lie and the merry lie amongst the most monstrous sins and condemns it to the lowest hell Rev. 21.8 The consideration of all which raises no small indignation in a holy heart against the least the smallest sin But now unholy hearts make nothing of little sins with Achan they will be bondslaves for a wedge of gold with Gehazi they will be servants of unrighteousness for a talent of silver 2 Kings 5.22 23. and two changes of garments with Adam they will transgress for n Apple and with Esau they will sell their birth-right of grace here and of glory hereafter for a mess of Pottage The hearts of unholy persons may rise against gross sins such as are not only against the Law of God but against the light and laws of nature and Nations their souls may rise in arms against those sins that makes them liable to the laws of men or that layes them open to shame fear grief or losse But as for vain thoughts idle words petty oaths sinfull motions and frequent omissions they look upon these as trifles motes and gnats that are not to be regarded or bewailed But Thirdly As a holy heart rises against the least sins So a holy heart rises against bosome sins against constitution sins against those that either his calling former custom or his present inclination or condition do most dispose him to It is true a prodigal person may abhorr covetetousness and a covetous person may condemn prodigality A furious person may hate fearfulness and a fearfull person may detest furiousness But now the hearts of those that are holy rise against complexion sins against darling sins against those that make for present pleasure and profit against those that were once as right hands and right eyes that were that to their souls that Dalilah was to Sampson Herodias to Herod Isaac to Abraham and Joseph to Jacob Psalm 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity That is from my darling sin whereunto I was most inclined and addicted What this bosome sin was that he kept himself from Psal 119.29 is hard to say Some suppose his darling sin was lying dissembling for it is certain he often fell into this sin Others suppose it to be some secret iniquity which was only known to God and his own conscience Others say it was uncleanness and that therefore he prayed that God would turn away his eyes from beholding vanity Psalm 119.37 Others judge it to be that sin of disloyalty which Saul and his Courtiers falsly charged upon him It is enough for our purpose that his heart did rise against that very sin Jer. 44.15.20 Isa 1.29 ch 57.5 Ier. 17.1 2. Hosea 2.8 Isa 31.6 7. that either by custom or some strong inclination he was most naturally apt ready and prone to fall into Idolatry was the darling sin of the people of Israel they called their Idols delectable or desireable things Isa 44.9 they did
dearly affectand delight in their Idols but when God should come to put a spirit of holinesse upon them then their hearts should rise in hatred and detestation of their Idols as you may see in Isa 30.18.25 mark ver 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven Images of Silver and the ornament of thy molten Images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstrous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence They were so delighted and enamoured with their Idols that they would deck then up in the greatest glory and bravery they would attire them with the most rich costly After the return of the Jews out of Babylon they so hated abhorred Idols that in the time of the Romans they chose rather to die then to suffer the Eagle which was the Imperial Arms to be set up in their Temple pompous and glorious rayment O but when a spirit of holinesse should rise upon them then they should defile deface and disgrace their Idols then they should so hate and abhor them they should so detest and loath them that in a holy indignation they should cast them away as a menstrous cloth and say unto them get ye hence pack be gon I will never have any more to do with you God hath now made an everlasting divorce between you and me And so in Isa 2.20 In that day that is in the day of the Lords exaltation in the hearts lives and consciences of his people ver 17. a man shall cast his Idols of silver and his Idols of gold which they made each one for himself to worship to the moles and to the Bats In the day of Gods exaltation they shall expresse such disdain and indignation against their Idols that they shall take not only those made of trees and stones but even their most pretious and costly Idols those that were made of silver and gold and cast them to the moles and to the bats that is they shall cast them into such blind holes and into such dark filthy nasty and dusty corners as moles make under ground and as Bats roust in So when holinesse comes to be exalted in the soul then all a mans darling and bosom sins which are his Idols of silver and his Idols of gold these are with a holy indignation cast to the moles and to the bats they are so loathed abandoned and casheered that he desires they may be for ever buried in oblivion and never see the light more Idols were Ephraims bosom sin Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned or glewed to Idols let him alone but when the dew of grace and holinesse fell upon Ephraim as it did in Chap. 14.5 6 7. Then saith Ephraim what have I any more to do with idols v. 8. Now Ephraim loaths his Idols as much or more then before he loved them he now abandons and abominates them though before he was as closely glewed to them as the wanton is glewed to his Dalelah or as the Enchanter is glewed to the Devil from whom by no means he is able to stir Ephraim becoming holy cryes out What have I any more to do with Idols O I have had to do with them too long and too much already O how doth my soul new rise against them how do I detest and abhor them surely I will never have more to do with them But now unholy hearts are very favourable to bosome sins they say of them as Lot of Zoar Gen. 19.20 Is it not a little one and my soul shall live And as David spake of Absalom 2 Sam. 18.5 Deal gently for my sake with the young man even with Absalom Beware that none touch the young man Absalom ver 12. And the King said Mark Acts 19.24.30 Is the young man Absalom safe ver 29. An unholy heart is as fond of his bosom sins as Herod was of his Herodias or a Demetrius was of his Diana or as Naaman was of the Idol Rimmon 2 Kings 5.18 which was the Idol of the Syrians or as Judas was of bearing the bagg or as the Pharisees were of having the uppermost seats and of being saluted in the market place with those glorious titles Rabbi Rabbi Matthew 6. Bosom sins have at least a seeming sweetnesse in them and therefore an unholy heart will not easily let them go Let God frown or smile stroke or strike lift up or cast down promise or threaten yet he will hide and hold fast his darling sins Job 20.12 13. let God wound his conscience blow upon his estate leave a blot upon his name crack his credit afflict his body write death upon his relations and be a terror to his soul yet will he not let go his bosom lusts he will rather let God go and Christ go and grace go and heaven go all go then he will let some pleasurable or profitable lusts go An unholy heart may sigh over those sins and make war upon those sins that war against his honours profits or pleasures and yet at the same time make truce with those that are as right hands and right eyes an unholy person may set his sword at the breasts of some sins and yet at the same time his heart may be secretly courting of his bosom sins But now an holy heart rises most against the Dalilah in his bosom against the Benjamin the son the sin of his right hand And thus you see how an holy heart hates and disdains all sins he abhors small sins as well as great secret sins as well as open and bosom sins as well as others that have not that acquaintance and acceptance with the soul Real holiness will never mix nor mingle it self with any sin it will never incorporate with any corruption Wine and water will easily mix so the wine of gifts and the water of sin the wine of civility and the water of vanity the wine of morality and the water of impiety will easily mix but oyl and water will not mix they will not incorporate so the oyl of grace the oyl of holiness will not mix it will not incorporate with sin the oyl of holiness will be uppermost Mark natural and acquired habits and excellencies as a pregnant wit an eloquent tongue a strong brain an iron memory a learned head all these with some high speculations of holiness and some profession of holiness and some commendations of holiness and some visible actings of holiness are consistent with the love of lusts with the dominion of sin witness the Scribes and Pharisees Judas Demas and Simon Magus but the real infused habits of true grace and holiness will never admit of the dominion of any sin whether great or little whether secret or open But Sixthly Persons of real holiness are cordially affected and afflicted Ezek. 36.25 26 31. grieved and troubled about their own vileness and unholiness you may see this in holy Job chap. 40. 3 4 5. Then Job answered the Lord and said Behold I am
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
the field that he bought of Ephron currant money not counterfeit pure not adulterate shekels of silver not shekels of brass silver'd over he paid the price that was pitcht and he paid it in such coyn as would go currant in one Countrey as well as another So holy Jacob in Gen. 43. supposing that the money that was returned in the sacks of corn that his sons brought out of Egypt was through some mistake or oversight he very honestly and conscientiously ordered them to carry the money back again Ver. 12. And take double money in your hand and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks carry it again in your hands peradventure it was an oversight A holy heart will not a holy heart dares not take an advantage from anothers errour to do him wrong it is but justice to return and restore to every man his due So holy Moses in Numb 16.15 And Moses was very wroth and said unto the Lord Respect not thou their offering I have not taken one Ass from them neither have I hurt one of them He sought their good not their goods he preferred their safety before his own life he did right to every man he did wrong to no man he did every man some good he did no man the least hurt So holy Samuel in 1 Sam. 12.3 4 5. Behold here am I witness against me before the Lord and before his anointed whose Ox have I taken or whose Ass have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith And I will restore it you And they said Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand And he said unto them the Lord is witness against you and his anointed is witness this day that ye have not found ought in my hand And they answered he is witness He makes a solemn protestation before the Lord before his anointed and before the people that he had so lived in the exercise of justice and righteousness amongst them that they could not accuse him of the least unrighteousness they could not say black was his eye they could not say that he had lessened them to greaten himself or that he had impoverished them to enrich himself or that he had ruined them to raise himself upon his appeal they unanimously declare his innocency and integrity So holy Daniel in Dan. 6.4 5. Then the Presidents and Princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the Kingdom but they could find no occasion nor fault forasmuch as he was faithful neither was there any errour or fault found in him Then said these men we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God Though envy be the father of cruelty and malice the mother of murder and ambition the plotter of others destruction yet holy Daniel was so just and righteous so innocent and prudent so careful and faithful in the administration of his high office that none of his envious malicious and ambitious enemies could after their unity in a hellish cruel conspiracy charge him with the least spot of injustice or shew of unrighteousness they narrowly scan'd all his administrations and diligently weighed all his actions and yet themselves being Judges Daniel is found innocent They could not so much as charge him with a colourable fault Luke 1.5 6. So Zacharias and Elizabeth they walked in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless they walked not only in the Ordinances but also in the Commandments of the Lord and they walked not only in some Commandments but in all the Commandments of the Lord they walked in the Commandments of the second Table as well as in the Commandments of the first Table they were as well for righteousness towards man as they were for holiness towards God So the Apostles in 2 Corin. 7.2 Receive us we wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man The Apostle would have the Corinthians to make room for them in their hearts and houses as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports for that they had wronged no man in his name or reputation as the false Apostles had neither had they corrupted any man in his judgement by false Doctrines or evil Examples as the false Apostles had neither had they defrauded any man in his estate as the false Apostles had who made a prize of their followers and hearers of the same import is that of the Apostle in 1 Thes 2.10 Ye are witness and God also how holily justly and unblamably we behaved our selves among you that believe He takes God and them to witness that they had lived holily in respect of God and righteously in respect of the world and unblameably in respect of them that believe By all which it is most evident That where there is real holiness towards God there will be the exercise of righteousnesse towards men But now where there is but the shews and appearances of holiness Mat. 23.14 there persons make no conscience of exercising righteousness towards men witness the Scribes and Pharisees who under a pretence of praying made a prey of widdows houses who under a pretence of piety exercised the greatest covetousness unrighteousness and cruelty and that upon widdows who are usually the greatest objects of pitty and charity they made no bones of robbing the widdow under pretence of honouring of God So Judas John 12.6 who was a Cato without but a Nero within who under a pretence of laying up for the poor robb'd the poor he made use of counterfeit holiness as a cloak to cover all his thievish villanies he pretended to lay up for the poor but he intended only to lay up for himself to provide against a rainy-day it is like he had no great mind to stay long with his Lord and therefore he was resolved to make the best market he could for himself that so when he should lay down his Stewardship he might have something to live upon Judas acted the part of a Saint in his profession and discourses that so he might be the less suspected to act the part of a thief in his more secret practises Judas had not been long in office before he put Conscience out of office and Conscience being put out of office Judas sets up for himself and under a Cloak of holiness he practises the greatest unfaithfulness Though the Eagle sores high yet still her eye is upon her prey so though Judas did sore high in profession yet his eye was still upon his prey upon his bags and so he might have it he cared not who went without it so he might be rich he did not care though his Lord and his retinue grew never so poor 2 King 5.20 26. Judas had Jacobs voice but Gehazies heart and hands and therefore he
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
exercises of Religion But Eleventhly True holinesse is conformable to the holinesse of Christ The holinesse of Christ is that first and noble pattern that real holinesse makes us conformable to 1 John 4.17 1 John 2.6 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this world there is no grace in Christ which is not in some degree formed in a holy heart and therefore the work of grace and holinesse is called a forming of Christ in the soul Gratiam super gratiam say some Gratiam gratiae accumalatam say others Certainly Christ is a seminary of graces He is clara Epitome virtutum An exact Epitome of graces Gal. 4.19 Holy hearts have the very prints stamps and impressions of the graces of Jesus Christ upon them 1 John 16. Of his fulnesse we have all received grace for grace Look as face answers to face so the graces that are in real Christians answer to the graces that are in Jesus there is such love as answers to the love of Christ and such lowlinesse as answers to the lowlinesse of Christ and such heavenly mindednesse as answers to the heavenly mindednesse of Christ and such meeknesse as answers to the meeknesse of Christ and such patience as answers to the patience of Christ and such faith as answers to the faith of Christ and such zeal as answers to the zeal of Christ and such fear as answers to the fear of Christ in truth and reality though not in degree and quantity Look as in generation the child receives member for member or as the paper from the Presse letter for letter or the glasse from the face image for image or as the wax from the seal stamp for stamp so holy hearts receive from Christ grace for grace Look as wine in the bottle is conformable to that in the Butt and as water in the Cistern is conformable to that in the river and as light in the Air is conformable to that in the Sun and as milk in the sawcer is conformable to milk in the breasts and as money in the pocket is conformable to money in the bagg So the graces that are in a holy Christian are conformable to the graces that are in Christ 2 Cor. 3.17 18. To be a Philosopher saith Plato is to know God to be in love with God and to imitate God So say I to be a holy person is to know a holy Christ to be in love with a holy Christ and to imitate the vertues of a holy Christ It was the height of Caesars glory to walk in the steps of Alexander And of Selymus a Turkish Emperour to walk in the steps of Caesar And of Themistocles to walk in the steps of Miltiades so it is the height of a Christians glory to tread in the vertuous steps of his dearest Lord. And as Scipio accounted it no small disparagement for him to walk one foot awry from that course of life which Cyrus in Xenophon had gone before him in so a holy heart counts it no small disparagement to him in the least to step awry from that holy pattern that Christ hath set him Look as the holy Prophet did lay his mouth to the Shunamites childs mouth 2 Kings 4.34 and his eyes to his eyes and his hands to his hands So a holy Christian layes his mouth to the mouth of Christ and his eys to the eyes of Christ and his hands to the hands of Christ and his breasts to the breasts of Christ and his heart to the heart of Christ that is 1 Pet. 2.9 he doth in all things labour to resemble Christ to be like to Christ especially in those holy vertues which were most shining in the heart and life of Christ Now certainly they are far from being holy who count it a crime to be vertuous and so are they who walk directly contrary to Jesus Christ he was holy but they are prophane he was humble but they are proud he was heavenly but they are earthly he was spiritual but they are carnal he was zealous but they are luke-warm he was meek but they are contentions he was charitable but they are covetous he was courteous but they are malitious Will you call these men holy surely no. But Twelfthly He that is truly holy Joshua 7.9 Psalm 69.9 Ezra 9.3 Nehemiah 9. Daniel 9. Micah 1.8 Ierem. 13.17 is much affected and afflicted with the unholinesse of others Psal 119.53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy Law Ver. 158. I beheld the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word Ver. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law By this Hyperbolical phrase he sets forth the greatnesse of his sorrows and that not because his enemies had wronged him but because they had dishonoured his God It was a great grief to him ro see others a grieving his God So Jer. 9.1 2 3. O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night Oh that I had in the wildernesse a lodging place of wayfaring men that I might leave my people and go from them But why doth the holy Prophet thus take on why doth he thus lament why doth he wish himself turned into waters and into a fountain of tears why doth he prefer a habitation amongst the wild beasts before his habitation among his own people Why the cause you have in the following words for they be all Adulterers an Assembly of treacherous men And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth for they proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the Lord. So Ezek. 9.4 And the Lord said unto him Go through the midst of the City through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof There were holy hearts in Jerusalem that did sigh and cry and cry and sigh for the wickednesse of the times the abominations of the times did lye in such full weight upon them that they did fetch many a sigh from their hearts and many a tear from their eyes Holy hearts are able to tell you many sad stories of the groans griefs and gripes that other mens sins hath cost them When most were a sinning Gods marked ones were a mourning when others were with a high hand a cursing blaspheming and a rebelling Gods marked ones were deeply sorrowing they mourned cordially they sighed greatly they grieved wonderfully they groaned lamentably and that not for some but for all for all Court sins and Church sins and City sins and family sins And so holy Paul could not with dry eyes make mention of those belly-gods and earth-worms that were in his time Phil. 3.18 So holy Lot was
much affected and afflicted with seeing and hearing of the wickednesse of those among whom he lived 2 Peter 2.7 8. The Greek word for vexed in verse 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to be oppressed under the wanton and wicked conversation of the ungodly Sodomites as a man that is oppressed under a heavy burden which he labours under and would fain be delivered from Or to be oppressed as the Israelites were under their cruel Aegyptian Taskmasters Ah the sins the wickednesse of others sets hard upon the hearts of the Saints The Israelites did not more labour and sigh and groan under all their loads and oppressions then many holy hearts do labour and sigh and groan under the load of wicked mens sins And the Greek word for vexed in ver 8. It is a Metaphor taken from Engines that they did torment people withall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to be tortured tormented and wracked Oh their wickednesse did torment and wrack his righteous soul he could not see nor hear of their wickednesse but his soul was as upon a wrack Pambus in Ecclesiastical History wept when he saw an Harlot take so much pains to deck and dresse her self in curious and costly apparrel and all to entertain a wanton lover and so to make work for hell Oh it cannot but grieve a gracious soul to see what pains poor sinners take to go to hell A holy heart looks upon other mens sins as great dishonours done to his Father his King And therefore he cannot but cry out with Croesus his Son who though he was born dumb yet seeing some going about to kill his Father his tongue-strings unloosed and he cried out O kill not King Croesus kill not my Father Oh kill not my God and my King Oh kill not Oh dishonour not my dear Father and Saviour saith a holy heart Such is the love and high respects that holy hearts bear to their heavenly Father that they cannot but grieve and mourn and cry out when they see others to act Treason against the Crown and dignity of heaven Elijah had rather dye then to see Ahab and Jezebel to cast contempt and dishonour upon his God 1. A holy heart mourns for sin as sin he weeps over the very nature of sin he grieves for sin as it is the breach of a holy Law He that hates a Thief as a Thief will hate a Thief in another mans house as well as in his own and as it is a dishonour to a holy God c. and therefore he cannot but mourn for other mens sins as well as his own He that hates a Toad as a Toad will hate a Toad in other mens bosoms as well as his own He that hates poison as poison will hate poison in another mans hand as well as his own So he that hates sin as sin will hate it where-ever he sees it And he that mourns over sin as sin cannot but mourn over sin where-ever he observes it 2. By other mens sins a holy man is put in mind of the badnesse of his own heart Bernard makes mention in one of his Homilies of an old man who when he saw any man sin wept and lamented for him and being asked why he grieved so for other mens sins answered Ille hodie ego cras he fell to day and I may fall to morrow the falls of others puts a holy man in mind of the roots of bitternesse that be in himself other mens actual sins are as so many glasses through which a holy man comes to see the manifold seeds of sin that be in his own nature and such a sight as this cannot but melt him and break him 3. A holy heart knows that the best way to keep himself pure from other mens sins is to mourn for other mens sins 1 Tim. 5.22 1 Cor. 5.1 2 3. Ephes 5.11 He that makes conscience of weeping over other mens sins will rarely be defiled with other mens sins he that mourns not over other mens sins is accessary to other mens sins and first or last may find them charged upon his account He that mourns not for other mens sins is in danger of being insnared by other mens sins And how then can a holy man look upon other mens sins with dry eyes 4. A holy man looks upon other mens sins as the crucifiers of his Saviour He looks upon the proud mans pride as that which set a crown of thorns upon the sacred head of Christ and this makes him figh he looks upon the swearers oaths as the nails that nailed his blessed hands and feet to the crosse and this makes him grieve He looks upon scorners as spitting upon Christ and worldlings as preferring Barabbas before Christ and this makes him groan He looks upon hypocrites as kissing and betraying of Christ and he looks upon drunkards and wantons as giving gall and vinegar to Christ and this makes him mourn He looks upon other mens sins as having a hand in all Christs torments and this puts him upon the wrack and makes his very soul heavy even to the death 5. A holy heart knows that by mourning for other mens sins he may be instrumental to keep off wrath Psalm 106. Ezek. 9.4.6 How oft did holy Moses by his tears quench the wrath of an angry God However if wrath should break forth upon a Nation Isa 26.20 yet they that mourn for the abominations of the times they shall be hid in the day of Gods publick visitation When the house is on fire the Father hath a special care to provide for the safety and security of his children when the lumber is on fire a man will be sure first to secure his box of Jewels In times of common calamity God will be sure to look after his Jewels his mourning ones Isa 43.2 3. Dan. 3.17 18 19 26 27 28. though the lumber the wicked be burnt up on every hand in the day of Gods wrath yet he will be sure to preserve his jewels in the midst of the flames Augustin coming to visit a sick man found the room full of mourners he found â—he wife sobbing the children sighing and the kindred lamenting whereupon he suddenly breathed forth this short but sweet ejaculatory prayer Lord saith he what prayers dost thou hear if not these So in times of common calamity holy hearts may look up and say Ah Lord whose sighs whose groans whose tears wilt thou hear if not ours Who are mourners in Sion and who wilt thou save and secure in this day of thy fierce indignation if not we who have laboured to drown both our own and other mens sins in penitential tears 6. A holy heart looks upon sinners sins to contribute very much towards the bringing in of sore and sad changes upon a Land and Nation Psal 107.33 34. he knows that sinners sins may turn Rivers into a wildernesse and water-springs into dry ground and a fruitfull land into a barren wildernesse
he knows that sinners sins may have a deep hand in provoking God to rain hell out of heaven upon a sinfull Nation as he did of old upon Sodom and Gomorrah Eccles 9.18 Witness Achan Manasseh Jeroboam Saul Herod Ahab c. and this sets him a mourning if one sinner destroys much good as Solomon speaks Ah saith he what a world of good will a world of sinners destroy then the serious thoughts of this makes him sigh 7. A holy heart looks upon other mens sins as their bonds and chains Acts 8.23 and this makes him mourn When Marcellus the Roman General saw the multitude of captives that were taken in the City of Syracuse the tears trickled down his cheeks Ah how can tears but trickle down a Christians cheeks when he sees multitudes fast bound with the cords of their iniquity trooping to hell Who can look upon a sinner as a close prisoner to the Prince of darknesse and not bemoan him Now if holy persons thus mourn for the wickednesse of others Rom. 1.21 To applaud to them and take pleasure in them who take pleasure in sin is the highest degree of ungodlinesse then certainly they are far from being holy who take pleasure in the wickednesse of others who laugh and joy who can make a sport a pastime of other mens sins These are rather monsters then men there are none so neerly allied to Satan as these nor none resemble Satan to the life so much as these The devil alwayes joyes most when sinners sin most Neither doubtlesse are they holy who tempt and entice others to be unholy nor are they holy who only cry out of other mens sins but never sigh for other mens sins nor are they holy who insult over the iniquities of others but never mourn for the iniquities of others nor are they holy who can rail reproach and revile others for their sins but have neither skill nor will to lament over others sins and yet this age is full of such wretches Certainly that mans holinesse will be found to be of the right stamp at last who can Evangelically mourn for other mens sins as well as his own But Thirteenthly He that is truly holy he loves the word and is affected and taken with the word for its holinesse and purity 1 Pet. 2.2 Psal 12.6 7. 18.30 Sacrae Scripturae tuae sunt sanctae delicia meae August Psal 119.140 Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it A pure heart embraces the word for its purity So holy Paul in Rom. 7.12 Wherefore the Law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good Well and what then why saith he ver 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But is this all No saith he ver 25. With the mind I my self serve the Law of God Holy Paul delights in the Law as holy and serves the Law as holy just and good These several Titles Law Statutes Testimony Commandments Iudgements are used promiscuously for the whole word of God commonly distinguished into Law and Gospel A holy heart is taken with the word for its spirituality divinity and purity So in Psalm 19.8 9 10. The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean that is the Doctrine that teacheth the true fear of God enduring for ever the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether More to be desired are they then gold yea then much fine gold Sweeter also then honey and the hony comb or as the Hebrew hath it Sweeter then the dropping of hony-combs The whole word of God as it is a pure word a clean word so it rejoyces a holy heart and so it is sweeter then the very droppings of honey-combs It is more sweet then those drops which drop immediately and naturally without any force or art which is counted the purest and the sweetest honey There is no profit nor pleasure to that which the purity of the word yields to a holy heart But now unholy hearts they are affected with the word as it is drest up with fine high notions which are but mysterious nothings they are taken with the word as it is cloathed with Arts In great Fairs and Markets the Pedlar and the Ballad-singer who sell toyes and trifles have most Children and fools hanging upon them but they that are wise and prudent attend those shops where there is best richest commodities you know how to apply it Parts and Elegancy of phrase they are pleased with the word as it is apparelled with a spruse wit or with silken Expressions or with some delicate Elocution Augustin confesseth that the delight which he took before his conversion in St. Ambroses Sermons was more for the eloquence of the words then the substance of the matter so many are taken more with the wit elocution action high notions and far fetch expressions that be in a Sermon then they are taken with the spirituality divinity weight and holy worth that is in a Sermon these are like those children who are more taken with the fine flowers that are strewd about the dish then they are with the meat that is in the dish and that are more taken with the red weeds and blew bottles that grow in the field then they are with the good corn that grows there But now as the prudent Farmer is taken more with a few handfulls of sound corn then he is with all the gay weeds that be in the field So a holy heart is more taken with a few sound truths in a Sermon then he is taken with all the strong lines and high strains and flourishes of wit with which a Sermon may be deckt up Some are taken with the word as the profession of it brings in customers into their shops and keeps up their credits in the world Others are taken with the word as it seems to tickle their ears and please their fancies Some are affected with Sermons because of the elegancy of the style delicacy of the words smoothnesse of the language and gracefulnesse of the delivery And these deal by Sermons as many men do by their Nosegays that are made up of many pickt sweet flowers who after they have smelt to them a while cast them into a corner So these after they have commended a Sermon after they have applauded a Sermon they cast away the Sermon they smell to the Sermon and say it is sweet it is sweet and presently they throw it by as a Nosegay that is withered and of no further use When a man that is sick crazy and unsound is at a Table that is furnished with variety of dishes you know he easily and readily passes over all the most wholesome and nourishing dishes and falls a pidling and picking here and there upon kickshaws and puff-paste that have little or no substance in them So unsound unholy hearts when God hath
prepared his Table and made a feast of fat things for their souls in the Ministry of his word they can easily and readily passe over those sound solid and savoury truths that are prepared for their strength and nourishment and fall a pidling and picking upon some new coined phrases or some quaint expressions or some Seraphical notions And no wonder for they are not sound within they are under a great distemper As the Israelites would not be satisfied with wholsome diet but they must needs have Quails as picking meat Well they had them and whilest they were at their picking meat the wrath of God came upon them the Application is as easie as it is dreadfull But now a holy heart savours the word and relishes the word and is affected and taken with the word as it is a holy word a substantial word a pure word a clean word and as it begets holinesse and cherishes holinesse and increases holinesse and as it works towards the compleating and perfecting of holinesse Quest But how may a person know whether he loves the Word and is affected and taken with the Word as it is an holy Word or no Answ First by what hath been already said but because the question is weighty Psalm 119.6 128. Acts 24.16 Heb. 13.18 As the wise Philosopher delights in all Aristotle and the prudent Physitian in all Galen and the grave Orator in all Tullie and the understanding Lawyer in all Justinian so a holy man delights in all the Bible The Jewish Rabbines were wont to say That upon every letter of the Law there hangs mountains of profitable matter Gen. 12. and â—hap 22. I further answer in the second place He that loves the Word and that is affected and taken with the Word as it is a holy Word he loves the whole Word of God and he is affected and taken with one part of the Word as well as another every Law of God is a holy Law and every Statute is a holy Statute and every command is a holy command and every promise is a holy promise and every threatning is an holy threatning and every exhortation is a holy exhortation and therefore he that loves any part of the Word as a holy Word he cannot but love every part of the Word because every part of the Word is holy And indeed he loves no part of the Word as holy who loves not every part of the Word as such Every chapter in the book of God is a holy chapter and every verse is a holy verse and every line in that book is a holy line and every word in every line is a holy word he that loves a chapter as it is a holy chapter he loves every verse in that chapter as a holy verse and he that loves every verse as a holy verse he loves every line as a holy line and he that loves every line as a holy line he loves every word in every line as a holy word Upon easie commands he reads holiness and upon difficult commands he reads holiness upon comfortable commands he reads holiness and upon costly commands he reads holiness and upon dangerous commands he reads holiness and therefore he loves all and closes with all and endeavours a conformity to all A holy heart dares neither to dispute with that word nor make light of that word where he reads holiness engraven upon it to a holy heart there is no command of God unjust or unreasonable but now an unholy heart though it may for some worldly advantages court and cry up some parts of the word yet it is ready with Judas to betray and crucifie other parts of the word The whole Scripture is but one intire love-letter dispatcht from the Lord Christ to his beloved Spouse on earth and this letter is written all in golden letters and therefore a holy heart cannot but be taken and affected with every line in this letter in this love-letter there is so much to be read of the love of Christ the heart of Christ the kindness of Christ the grace of Christ and the glory of Christ that a holy heart cannot but be affected and taken with it The whole word of God is a field and Christ is the treasure that is hid in that field it is a ring of gold and Christ is the pearl in that ring and therefore a holy heart cannot but be taken with the whole Word of God Luther was wont to say that he would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible And Rabbie Chija in the Jerusalem Talmud says that in his account all the world is not of equal value with one word out of the Law Thirdly A man that is affected and taken with the word as it is a holy word he is alwayes affected and taken with it he loves it and takes pleasure in it as well in adversity as in prosperity Psalm 119.59 Thy Statutes have been my songs I but where we in the house of my pilgrimage or pilgrimages The Saints have commonly lookt upon themselves as Pilgrims and Strangers in this world Gen. 47.9 39. Psal 12.19 Heb. 11.9 10 c. as the Hebrew hath it When David was in his banishments by reason of Saul Absolom and others now the Word of God was musick to him now it was matter of joy and rejoycing to him his whole life was the life of a Pilgrim and Stranger now as a Pilgrim he sojourns here and anon as a Stranger he sojourns there no man could take more pleasure joy and contentment in the rarest and choicest musick then David did in the Word of God and that not only when he was in his royal Palace but also when he was in the house of his Pilgrimage he that loves the Word and that delights in the Word for its holiness and purity Psal 119.67 69 70 72. he will love it and delight in it in health and sickness in strength and weakness in honour and disgrace in wealth and want in life and in death The holiness of the Word is a lasting holiness and so will every mans affections be towards it who affects it and is taken with it for its holiness and pureness Some there be that cry up the Word and that seem to be much affected delighted and ravished with the Word as Herod Ezekiels hearers Ezek. 33.30 31 32 33. Mar. 6 c. and the stony ground was whilest the Word is either a cheap Word to them or a profitable and pleasing Word to them or whilest it is courted and countenanced in the world or whilest it is the path to preferment or a key to enlargement c. But when the Word gets within them and discovers their own sinfulness and wretchedness to them when it shews them how Christless and gracelâ—ss and lifeless and helpless and hopeless they are when it discovers how far they are from heaven and how near they are to hell O! Ier. 44.15 29. then their hearts begin
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
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
him The daily language of their Souls is Non nobis Domine Rom. 13.7 non nobis Domine Not unto us Lord not unto us Lord but to thy name be all the glory Holy men make conscience of giving men their dues 1 Chron. 29.10.18 how much more then do they make conscience of giving God his due So in Psal 96.7 8. Now glory is Gods due and God stands upon nothing more then that we give him the glory due unto his name as you may see in Psalm 29.1 2. There are three gives in those two verses Give unto the Lord give unto the Lord give unto the Lord the glory that is due unto his name Glory is Gods right and he stands upon his right and this holy men know and therefore they give him his right they give him the honour and the glory that is due unto his name Holy hearts do habitually eye the glory of Christ in all things 1 Cor. 10.31 Quicquid agas propter Deum agas was an Eastern Apothegm saith Drusius When they eat they eat to his glory and when they drink they drink to his glory and when they sleep they sleep to his glory when they buy they buy for his glory and when they sell they sell for his glory and when they give they give for his glory and when they recreate themselves they recreate themselves for his glory so when they hear they hear for his glory and when they pray they pray for his glory and when they fast they fast for his glory and when they read they read for his glory and when they come to the Lords Table they come to his glory in all natural moral and religious actions Holy hearts have an habitual eye to divine glory Do not mistake me I do not say that such as are really holy do actually eye the glory of Christ in all their actions Oh no this is a happinesse desirable on earth but shall never be attained till we come to heaven By and base ends and aims will too often creep into the holiest hearts but holy hearts sigh and groan under them they complain to God of them and they cry for Justice Justice upon them And it is the strong and earnest desires of their souls to be rid of them But take a holy Christian in his ordinary usual and habitual course and so he hath holy aims and ends in all his actions and undertakings But now such whose holinesse is counterfeit they never look at divine glory in what they do sometimes their eye is upon their credit Mar. 6.5 John 6.26 Zach. 7.5 6 7. and sometimes their eyes are upon applause sometimes they have pleasure in their eyes and sometimes they have profit in their eyes and sometimes they have preferments in their eyes c. They will be very godly when they can make a gain of godlinesse they will be very holy when holinesse is the way to outward happinesse but this religious wickednesse will double damn them at last This is most certain that some carnal or worldly consideration or other alwayes acts him who hath not real principles of holinesse in him but he that is really holy makes the glory of God his Center Propter te Domine propter te was once and is still a holy mans Motto Quest But how may a person know when he makes the glory of God his aim his end in this or that service which he performs I shall answer this Question briefly thus Answ First Such a man as makes the glory of God his aim his end he will do duty when all outward incouragements to duty fail when the eye of men the favour of men Antimachus the famous Poet held on in his exercise when all his hearers had left him but Plato saying Plato est mihi pro omnibus Plato is to me instead of all So a holy Minister when he is deserted by some and cast off by others yet he will hold on in his work the respects of men and all other incouragements from men fails yet then a holy man will hold up and hold on in his work and way yea when all outward incouragements from God shall fail yet such a person will keep close to his duty Hab. 3.17 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herds in the stalls Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation When all necessary and delightfull mercies fail yet he will not fail in his duty though God withholds his blessings yet he will not withhold his service in the want of a livelyhood he will be lively in his duty when he hath nothing to subsist by yet then he will live upon his God Though war and want come yet he will not be wanting in his duty There are three things in a holy heart that strongly incline it to duty when all outward incouragements fail The first is a forcible principle divine love The second is a mighty aid the Spirit of God The third is a high aim 2 Cor. 5.14 Phil 4.12 13. the glory of God but now it is otherwise with those that have only a shew of godlinesse let but their outward incouragements fail them let but the eye the ear the applause of the creature fail them if they cannot make some gain of their godlinesse some profit of their profession some advantage of their religion they are ready with Demas to throw up and throw off all Profit and applause are usually the baits that these men bite at Hac omnia tibi dabo was the devils great argument to prevail with Christ and if they misse these baits then farewell profession farewell religion farewell all But now look as Ruth kept close to her mother in the want of all outward incouragements Ruth 1. So souls that eye the glory of God in duties they will keep close to duties when all outward incouragements fail Though outward incouragements be sometimes as a side wind or as oil or as chariot wheels means to move a Christian to go on more sweetly easily and comfortably in the wayes of God yet when this wind shall fail and these chariot wheels shall be knockt off a real Christian will hold on his way Job 17.9 Secondly When a man aims at the glory of God in what he doth then he labours to hide and conceal all his humane excellencies that may any wayes tend to obscure ecclipse or darken the glory of God 1 Cor. 2.3 4 5. And I was with you in weaknesse and in fear and in much trembling And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God Holy
work to his praying work to his mourning work to his repenting work to his believing work to his waiting work though nothing comes on it though he make no earnings of it though comfort doth not come though joy and peace doth not come though assurance doth not come though enlargements do not come though answers and returns from heaven do not come though good dayes do not come though deliverance doth not come yet such will keep close to their work that have their eye upon divine glory But now such who eye not the glory of God in what they do they quickly grow weary of their work if they can make no earnings of their seekings and fastings and prayings they are presently ready to throw up all and to quarrel with God himself as if God had done them an injurie Isa 58.1 2 3 4. Fifthly and lastly A man that really aims at the glory of God in this or that duty he cannot be satisfied nor contented with the performance of duties without some enjoyments of God in duties without some converse and communion with God in duties his soul cannot be satisfied his soul thirsts and longs to see the beauty and the glory of the Lord in his sanctuary Psalm 63.1 2 3. and without this sight he cannot be quieted Here is the Ordinance but where is the God of the Ordinance Here is prayer but where is the God of prayer Here is the duty but where is the God of duty Here is enlargements but where is the God of enlargements Here are meltings and breakings of spirit but where is the God of these meltings and breakings Psalm 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God The Courts of the Lord without spiritual converses with the living God could not satisfie his soul O saith he Here be the Courts of the Lord the Courts of the Lord but where is the living God where is the living God where is that God that makes men to live and that makes Ordinances to be living lively Ordinances to his childrens souls O the Courts of the Lord are very desireable but the living God is much more desirable The Courts of the Lord are precious and glorious but the living God is infinitely more precious and glorious Here is the mantle of Elijah but where is the God of Elijah 2 Kings 2.12 13 14. Mr. Fox Acts and Mon. Here are the Courts of the Lord but where is the Lord of these Courts It was the speech of holy Mr. Bradford That he could not leave a duty till he had found communion with Christ in the duty he could not give off a duty till his heart was brought into a duty frame he could not leave confession till he had found his heart humbled and melted under the sense of his sin he could not give over petitioning till he had found his heart taken with the beauties of the things desired and strongly carried out after the enjoyment of them Neither could he leave thanksgiving till he had found his spirit enlarged and his soul quickned in the return of praises And so it was with holy Bernard who was wont to say O Lord I never come to thee but by thee Nunquam abs te absque te recedo Bern. Mâ—ditat I never go from thee without thee A man that hath his eye upon the glory of Christ he cannot put off his soul with any thing below communion with Christ in those Religious services and duties that he offers up to Christ Though the breasts of duty are sweet yet those breasts will not satisfie the soul except Christ lies betwixt them Can. 1.13 But now men that have base poor low and by-ends in what they do they can come off easily from their duties though they find no spirit no life no warmth in duty yet they can come off with content from duty though they have no communion no converse at all with God in duty though they have no pledges of grace no pawns of mercy no tastes of love no relishes of heaven in a duty yet they can come off from the duty with content and satisfaction of spirit let but others applaud him and his own heart hug him and he hath enough Psalm 45.1 2. Zeph. 3.9 Can. 4.3 Compare these Scriptures together Prov. 11 30. chap. 1â— 18 chap. 25.11 Mat 7.6 chaâ— 12.35 Col. 4.6 Eph. 4.29 Acts 26.25 John 6.25 1 Pet. 4 11. In the sixteenth and last place A man that is really holy speaks a holy language a holy heart and a holy tongue are inseparable companions if there be grace in the heart there will be grace in the lips if the heart be pure the language will be pure Christ saies his Spouses lips are like a thred of scarlet they are red with talking of nothing but a crucified Christ and they are thin like a thred not swelled with other vain discourses And ver 10. he tells you That the lips of his Spouse drop as the honey-combs or drop honey-combs and that honey and milk are under her tongue You know that Canaan was a land that flowed with milk and honey why the language of the Spouse was the language of Canaan her lips were still dropping such holy spiritual and heavenly matter as was as sweet pleasant profitable desireable and delectable to mens souls as ever honey and millk was to mens palates or appetites and as many were fed and nourished by milk and honey so many were fed and nourished by the holy droppings of her lips Psalm 37.30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgement If the heart be holy the tongue will be a talking wisely fruitfully feelingly affectionately of that which may profit both a mans self and others Prov. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver Quod hominis dignitas excellentia nulla alia re magis cognoscitur quam oratione Pet. Martyr 2. pag. 4. Qui in Christum credunt loquuntur novis the heart of the wicked is little worth Good mens words are of more worth then wicked mens hearts and look as choice silver is known by its tinkling so holy men are known by their talking And as choice silver giveth a clear and sweet sound so the tongue of the just soundeth sweetly and pleasantly in the ears of others Look as choice silver is highly prized and valued among men so is the tongue of the righteous among those that are righteous And look as choice silver allures and draws the hearts of men to a love and liking of it so the tongues of the righteous do allure and draw the hearts of men to a love and liking of vertue and goodness Ver. 21. The lips of the righteous feed many They feed many by their exhortations instructions admonitions and counsels The mouthes of the righteous are like the gates of some hospitable persons where many are fed The
lips of the righteous are a free and well furnished table at which many are fed and nourished with the dainties of heaven to eternal life Righteous men keep open house they keep free hospitality for all comers and goers and if they have not alwayes bread in their hands yet they have alwayes grace in their lips to feed many Though they may be outwardly poor yet they have a treasure within to enrich many The tongue is the instrument of a Christians glory and is so interested in the quality it expresseth that in the original it is taken for it Cavod signifying both glory and the tongue by the authority of no less Rabbines then Jacob and David as thereby intimating that the chiefest glory of man is his tongue The Primitive Christians talked so much and so often of high and heavenly things that the Ethnicks began to surmise that they affected the Roman Empire when indeed their ambition was of another a nobler and a higher nature But now men that have only a shew of godliness they do practically say Our tongues are our own and who shall controul us Their speech is so far from administring of grace to their hearers that it administers usually either matter of carnal mirth or of contempt or of scorn or of sorrow and mourning certainly they have no holiness in their hearts who have so much of hell Jam. 1.26 27. chap. 3.8.12 Matth. 26.73 and the Devil and lusts in their mouthes I may say to most You are unholy persons your speech bewrayes you your worldliness your prophaneness your cursing your swearing your lying your slandering your reviling your railing your deriding c. doth plainly evidence that you have no holiness in you Well remember this a tongue that is set on fire from hell is in danger to be set on fire in hell Hell is for that man and that man is for hell that hath so much of hell in his mouth the Devil is for that man and that man is for the Devil that hath so much of the Devil in his mouth Damnation is for that man and that man is for damnation that hath so much of damnation in his mouth the world is for that man and that man is for the world that hath so much of the world in his mouth Whatever is in the heart will break out in the lips if wickedness be in the heart it will break out in the lips Physitians say that the nature of diseases is as well known by the tongue as by the pulse or urine The spiritual diseases that be in the heart will quickly discover themselves by the tongue Whereever holiness is in the heart it will break forth in the lips a holy heart and a holy tongue are married together and it is not in man to put them asunder you shall sooner separate the soul from the body then you shall separate a holy tongue from an holy heart And thus I have done with this use of examination the Lord make you wise to lay these things to heart that so you may know how it is like to go with you in another world Vse 3. THe third Use shall be a Use of Exhortation and that both to unsanctified and sanctified ones First let me speak to unsanctified ones is it so that real holiness is the only way to happiness and that without men are holy on earth they shall never come to the beatifical vision or blessed fruition of God in heaven O then how should this provoke and stir up all unholy persons to strive and labour as for life after this real holiness without which they shall never come to have any thing to do with God in everlasting happiness c Now that I may the better prevail with unsanctified souls I shall First propound some motives to stir and provoke their hearts to look and labour after real holiness c. Secondly I shall propose some means for the obtaining of holiness Thirdly I shall endeavour to answer those objections and remove those impediments that hinder and keep men off from labouring after real holiness For the first I shall propound these following considerations to provoke all unsanctified persons to look after holiness First Consider the necessity of holinesse It is impossible that ever you should be happy except you are holy No holinesse here no happinesse hereafter The Scripture speaks of three bodily inhabitants of heaven Enoch before the Law Elijah under the Law and Jesus Christ under the Gospel all three eminent in holinesse to teach us that even in an ordinary course there is no going to heaven without holinesse There are many thousand thousands now in heaven but not one unholy one among them all There is not one sinner among all those Saints not one Goat among all those Sheep not one weed among all those flowers not one thorn or prickle among all those Roses not one Pibble among all those glistering Diamonds There is not one Cain among all those Abels nor one Ishmael among all those Isaacs nor one Esau among all those Jacobs in heaven Rev. 5.11 Chap 7.9 Heb. 12.22 23. Those that would be immortally happy they must live holily and justly saith Antisthenes the Heathen there is not one Seth among all the Patriarchs not one Saul among all the Prophets nor one Judas among all the Apostles nor one Demas among all the Preachers nor one Simon Magus among all the professors Heaven is only for the holy man and the holy man is only for heaven Heaven is a garment of glory that is only suited to him that is holy God who is truth it self and cannot lie hath said it that without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Mark that word no man without holinesse the rich man shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the poor man shall not see the Lord Without holinesse the Noble man shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the mean man shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the Prince shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the Peasant shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the Ruler shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the Ruled shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the learned man shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the ignorant man shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the husband shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the wife shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the Father shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the child shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the Master shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the servant shall not see the Lord. For faithfull and strong is the Lord of hosts that hath spoken it Josh 23.14 In this day some cry up one form some another some cry up one Church-state some another some cry up one way some another but certainly the way of holinesse is the good old way it is the King of Kings high-way to heaven and
moves and perswades men to holiness it is he that presents holiness in its beauty and glory to the soul it is he that sows seeds of holiness in the soul and it is he that causes those seeds to grow up to maturity and ripeness Nil nisi sanctum à sancto spiritu prodire potest Nothing can come from the holy spirit but that which is holy The holy Spirit is the great principle of all the holiness that is in the world and this holy Spirit God hath engaged himself to give to those that are unholy Ezek. 36.25 26 27. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart will I also give you and a new spirit well I put within you and I well take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them The holy spirit is a gift a free gift a noble gift a precious gift a glorious gift 2 Tim. 2.21 that God will bestow upon the unclean upon the unsanctified that they may be cleansed and sanctified and so fitted for the Lords service and use It is possible that you may be holy Witness 2. His holy word that he hath given on purpose to make men holy and to keep men holy Deut. 4.6 7 8 9. Rom. 7.12 Luke 1.70 to 76. his commandments are holy just and good his threatnings are holy just and good and all his promises are holy just and good The holy Scriptures were written with a finger of holinesse so as to move to holiness and to work holinesse the whole word of God is an intire love-letter to provoke to holiness and to promote holiness Holy commands should sweetly perswade us to holiness and holy threatnings should divinely force us to holiness and holy promises should effectually allure us to the love of holiness to the embracing of holiness and to the practise of holiness The great design of God in sending this sacred volume in golden letters from heaven was to enamour men with the love and beauty of holiness Again it is possible that you may attain to true holiness Witness 3. Those holy Embassadors that he hath sent on purpose to turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ Acts 26.18 2 Corin. 5.18 19 20. Their great business and work is to treat with you about holiness it is to woo you to match with holiness and to follow after holiness it is to remove all lets and impediments that may any wayes hinder your embracing of holiness and it is to propose all manner of encouragements that may win you over to make holiness your great All. Again it is possible that you may be holy Witnesse 4. The holy Examples of all the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Praecepta docent exempla movent and Saints that are left on record on purpose to provoke you to an imitation of them in holiness their holy examples as so many shining stars are left upon record to influence us to holiness In the holy examples of those that are now triumphant in heaven you may run and read that holiness is attainable In their holy examples as in so many looking-glasses you may see that holiness is a Jewel that may be procured by that holiness that others have reached to sinners may see that it is possible that they may be made Saints Again it is possible that you may be holy Witnesse 5. All those notorious sinners that the Scripture declares have been sanctified and made holy to instance only in a few Adam you know was created in an estate of innocency Gen. 1.26 integrity and perfect holiness he being made in the image of God and after the likeness and similitude of God it was agreed upon in the Parliament of heaven that man should be made glorious in holiness In this Scripture he speaks plainly of the Renovation of that knowledge holiness and righteousness that Adam somtimes had but lost it by his fall Psal 8.4 5 6. Gen. 2.20 and so he was for he was made after Gods own image And this the Apostle clearly and fully evidences in that famous Scripture Ephes 4.22 23 24. That Adam was invested and endowed with righteousness and holiness in his first glorious estate with righteousness that he might carry it fairly justly evenly and righteously towards man and with holiness that he might carry it wisely lovingly reverentially and holily towards God And that he might take up in God as his chiefest good as in his great All might be fufficiently made good out of this Scripture last cited but I shall not now stand upon the discovery of Adams beauty authority dominion dignity honour and glory with which he was adorned invested and crowned in innocency Let this satisfie that Adams first estate was a state of perfect knowledge wisdom and understanding it was a perfect state of holiness righteousness and happiness there was nothing within him but what was desirable and delectable there was nothing without him but what was amiable and commendable nor nothing about him but what was serviceable and comfortable and yet in the height of all his glory he falls to Apostasie and open Rebellion against God he takes part with Satan against God himself he transgresses his righteous Law he affronts his justice he provokes his anger he stirrs up his wrath against himself and his posterity The sin of Adam was a voluminous sin all kinds of notorious sins were bound up in it as backsliding rebellion treason pride unbelief blasphemy contempt of God unthankfulness theft murder and idolatry c. The Philosopher being asked which was the best member of the body answered The tongue for if it be good it is the best Trumpet of Gods glory And being asked again which was the worst answered The tongue for if it be bad it is the worst fire-brand of hell So if any should ask me Which was the best creature of God I would answer Man in honour before his fall If you should ask me Which is the worst I must answer Man in his fall Adam was once the wonder of all understanding the mirrour of wisdom and knowledge the image of God the delight of heaven the glory of the creation the worlds great Lord and the Lords great darling but being faln ah how low how poor how miserable how sottish how sensless how brutish yea how much below the beast that perisheth was he and yet God pardoned changed and sanctified him and stampt his image of holiness afresh upon him when he made a Covenant with him in Christ Genesis 3. So Manasseh he was a notorious sinner he was a sinner of the greatest magnitude his sins reached up to heaven his soul was ripe for hell he had sold
himself to work all manner of wickedness as you may see in 2 Chron. 33. in vers 3. He reared up Altars for Baalim and made groves and worshipped all the hoast of heaven and served them vers 4. He built Altars in the house of God vers 5. Yea for all the hoast of heaven did he build Altars in the Courts of the house of God This was a horrid piece of impudence to provoke God to his very face by equalizing his Altars to Gods Altar vers 6. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom Here was inhumane superstition and inhumane cruelty to offer his own children in sacrifice to the Devil Also he observed times and used witchcraft and dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger The complaint is antient in Seneca that commonly men live not ad rationem but ad similitudinem Seneca de vita beata cap. 1. vers 9. He made Judah and Jerusalem to err by his example and to do worse then the Heathens The actions of Rulers are most commonly rules for the peoples actions and their example passeth as currant as their coin The common people dare practise the very worst of wickedness that they see acted in a scarlet Robe they are like tempered wax easily receiving impressions from the seals of great mens vices they make no bones on it to sin by prescription and to damn themselves with authority The heathen brings in a young man who hearing of the adulteries and wickednesses of the gods said What do they so and shall I stick at it so say most when great ones are greatly wicked Why they do thus and thus and why should we stick at it The Egyptians esteemed it graceful and their duty to halt on that leg on which their King limped most men think it a grace to imitate the greatest authority in their most graceless actings Which made the Poet say Subjects and Kingdoms commonly do chuse The manners that their Princes daily use Vers 10. And the Lord spake unto Manasseh but he would not hearken He was settled in idolatry and stopt his ears against all the counsel and admonitions of the Prophets that were sent to reclaim him Now who would ever have thought that one so abominably wicked and wretched should ever have obtained such favour with God as to be pardoned renewed and sanctified and yet vers 12 13. He besought the Lord and humbled himself greatly before the Lord and prayed unto him and God was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem into his Kingdom Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God He now acknowledges Jehovah to be the true God and renounces all other gods that he may cleave to God alone There is no heart so wicked but grace can make it holy So Paul was once so great a sinner that had he stept but one step further he had faln into the unpardonable sin against the Holy-Ghost in 1 Tim. 1.13 you have a brief survey of his great transgressions He was a Blasphemer he blasphemed God and Christ and his wayes and truth he made a mock and scoff at holiness he made nothing of blaspheming that God that he should have feared and of blaspheming that Christ that he should have sweetly embraced and of blaspheming those Truths that he should have readily entertained Paul was a great proficient in the School of blasphemy he made nothing of belching out blasphemy in the very face of heaven And he was a persecutor too Acts 9. Chap. 26.11 he persecuted holiness to the death yea he was mad in persecuting the poor Saints and servants of Christ he did all he could to make their lives a hell and to rid them out of this world he thought them not worthy to live though they were such Worthies of whom this world was not worthy Chap. 8.3 he was a ravening and an untired Woolf that was never weary in worrying Christs little flock and in sucking out the blood of his Lambs Yea and he was an injurious person too he made no conscience of wronging others Mat. 7.12 or of squaring his carriage by that golden rule Do to others as you would have others do to you This Royal Law this standard of equity he regarded not he made nothing of haling men and women to prison and of compelling them to blaspheme by his cruelty and wicked example he spared no sex but practised the highest cruelty upon all that had any thing of sanctity in them he would adventure the torments of hell rather then not be a tormenter of the Saints here and the more active any were in holiness the more injurious was he to them And yet behold this blasphemer this persecutor this injurious person became a sanctified Christian an eminent Saint a pattern of holiness to all Christians in all ages Once more witness that sad bed-rool of unsanctified persons that are mentioned in 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 drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God These monstrous sinners and prodigious sins were enough to have brought another flood upon the world or to have provoked the Lord to rain hell out of heaven upon them as once he did upon Sodom and Gomorah or to have caused the ground to open and swallow them up as once it did Corah Dathan and Abiram and yet behold some of these are changed and sanctified v. 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Oh! the infinite goodness Matthew Zacheus Mary Magdalen the Jaylor and the murderers of Christ Acts. 2. are clear instances of this truth 1 Cor. 7.14.16 1 Pet. 3.1.6 Oh! the infinte grace Oh! the infinite wisdom and power of God that hath pardoned washed sanctified and cleansed such guilty filthy and polluted souls The worst of sinners should never despair of being made Saints considering what unholy ones have been made holy It is possible that you may be made holy Witness 6. All those sanctified ones among whom you live who once were as unholy or more unholy it may be then ever you were the sanctified husband is a clear witness to the unsanctified wife that she may be sanctified the sanctified father is a witness to the unsanctified child that he may be sanctified the sanctified master is a witness to the unsanctified servant that he may be sanctified the sanctified Prince is a witness to his unsanctified people that they may be sanctified and the sanctified Minister is a witness to his unsanctified hearers that they may be
sanctified the same Spirit the same Grace the same Power the same Presence that hath sanctified any of these may sanctifie all of these there is no heart so unholy but a holy God can make it holy there is no spirit so unclean but a holy Spirit can make it clean Well sinners there are many living and standing witnesses of divine grace among you and about you that do sufficiently declare that it is possible that you may be sanctified and saved Again it is possible that you may be sanctified and made holy Witness 7. The Oath of a holy God Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God Ezek. 18.31 32. I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will you die O house of Israel As I live is the form of an Oath and is much used in the Scripture by God himself wicked men are very hardly perswaded to believe that God is willing that they should be sanctified and saved and therefore God takes his oath on it that he is infinitely more willing that wicked men should turn from their evil wayes and be sanctified and saved then that they should perish in their sins and be damned for ever As I live is a weighty oath and imports the certainty of that which follows it is absolute without evasion or revocation As sure as I live and am God I have no pleasure in destroying and damning of souls but desire that they would turn from their evil wayes and that they would be sanctified and saved let me not live let me be no longer a God if I would not have the wicked to live and be happy for ever The possibility of your being holy God hath confirmed by an oath and therefore you may no longer question it As Paulus Fagius observeth in his comment on Genesis The Egyptians though Heathens so hated perjury that if any man did but swear by the life of the King and did not perform his oath that man was to die and no gold was to redeem his life And do you think that a holy God doth not stand more upon his oath then Heathens yea then the worst of Heathens Certainly he doth 8. Lastly it is possible that you may be a holy Witness The great designs and undertakings of Jesus Christ to make lost man holy His great design in leaving his fathers bosom and coming into this world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissolve unravel the works of the Devil was the destroying the dissolving of the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Sin is Satans work and Christ comes to destroy it and break it all in pieces Mens sins are Satans chains by which he links them fast to himself but Christ was therefore manifested that he might loose and knock off these chains Satan had knit many sinful knots in our souls but Christ comes to unty those knots he had laid many snares but Christ comes to discover and to break those snares It was the great design of Christ in the divesting of himself as it were of his divine honour glory and dignity Phil. 2.6 7 8 15. and in his taking on him the nature of man to destroy Satan and to sanctifie the souls of men Heb. 2.11 14 15. It was the great design of Jesus Christ in giving of himself for us in giving his soul his body his life to justice to death to wrath for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Titus 2.14 and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The crown of holiness was faln from our heads and Christ freely and willingly uncrowns himself that once more we might be crowned with holiness immortality and glory Christ was resolved that he would lose all that was near and dear unto him but he would recover our lost holiness for us Christ knew that heaven had been but a poor purchase had he not purchased holiness for us As heaven is but a low thing without God so heaven is but a low thing without holiness It is holiness that is the sparkling Diamond in the Ring of happiness a man were better be holy in hell then unholy in heaven and therefore Christ ventures his All for holiness The great design of Christ in redeeming of souls with the choicest the purest the costliest the noblest blood that ever run in veins Luke 1.74 75. was that they should serve him in righteousness and holiness all the daies of their lives In a word Christ had never taken so great a journey from heaven to earth but to make men holy he had never taken upon him the form of a servant but to make us the servants of the most high God He had never lyen in a manger he had never trod the Wine-press of his fathers wrath but to make you holy he prayed he sweat he bled and he hung on the Cross and all to make you holy he was holy in his birth and holy in his life and holy in his death and holy in all his sufferings and all to make you holy The great design of Christ in all he did and in all he suffered was to make man holy And thus you see by all these Arguments that holiness is attainable Thirdly Consider this that real holiness is the honour and the glory of the creature and therefore the Apostle links holiness and honour together 1 Thes 4.3 4. 2 Cor. 3. ult Eph. 5.27 For this is the will of God even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour The vessel is mans body which is the great utensil or instrument of the soul and contains it as in a vessel now the sanctity and chastity of this vessel is the honour of a Christian even bodily purity is a Christians glory he that keeps his vessel in holiness keeps it in honour A heathen could say Nobilitas sola est atque unica vertus Vertue is the only true nobility Holiness is the greatest dignity that mortal man is capable of it is mans highest promotion it is his highest exaltation holiness is the true gentility and the true nobility of the soul Deut. 26. ult And to make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God There is nothing that lifts a people so high and that makes them so truly famous and glorious as holiness doth Holiness is the praise the renown the crown and glory of a people Holiness is the diadem the beauty and the excellency of a people Holiness is the strength the honour and the riches of a people Holiness is the image of God
the character of Christ it is a beam of the divine nature a spark of glory it is the life of your lives and the soul of your souls it is only holiness that makes men to excell in honour all other people in the world Look as Gods holiness is his glory Exod. 15.11 Isa 6.2 3. Psalm 93.5 Eph. 5.27 and the Angels holiness is their glory and the Churches holiness is their glory so the holiness of any particular person is the glory of that person Why was Jabez reputed more honourable then his brethren but because he was more holy then his brethren 1 Chron. 4.9 10. And Jabez was more honourable then his brethren And his mother called his name Jabez saying because I bare him with sorrow And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed and enlarge my coast and that thine hand might be with me and that thou wouldst keep me from evil that it may not grieve me And God granted him that which he requested Holiness is the truest and the greatest nobility and honour in the world It is very observable that among Turks Jews Indians Persians and Papists the strictest and holiest among them are most highly esteemed and honoured Romanus the Martyr who was born of noble parentage intreated his persecutors that they would not favour him for his nobility for it is not said he the blood of my ancestors but my Christian faith that makes me noble David thought it not so happy nor so honourable a thing to be a King in his own house as to be a door-keeper in Gods house Solomon did prefer the title of Ecclesiastes that is a soul reconciled to the Church before the title of the King of Jerusalem Holy Theodosius the Emperour preferred the title of membrum Ecclesiae a member of the Church before that of Caput imperii the head of the Empire professing that he had rather be a Saint and no King then a King and no Saint And holy Constantine rejoyced more in being the servant of Christ then in being the Emperour of the world And Luther had rather be Christianus rusticus then Ethnicus Alexander a Christian clown then a Pagan Emperour These holy men well knew that holiness was the top of all their honour and glory Well sinners remember this that holiness is the high and ready way to the highest honour and therefore as ever you would be truly honourable labour to be truly holy Great swelling titles are but as so many Rattles or as so many Fethers in mens caps without holiness he that can be content to live without holiness must be contented to see his honour intombed whilest he lives Honour without holiness is but a wind that will blow a man the sooner to hell Honour without holiness Acts 25.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with great fantasie or vain shew all the honour pomp and state of this world is but a fantasie is but magnum nihil a great nothing a glorious fancy Many a man hath been the worse but where lives that man that hath been ever the better for his worldly honour A man swelled with honour without holiness is like a man in a Dropsie whose bigness is his disease Well let Ambitionists and all others who hunt after the breath of popular applause know that that honour which attends holiness is the truest honour the highest honour the greatest honour the happiest honour the surest honour the purest honour and the most lasting and abiding honour Mollerus upon Psalm 73.20 concludes that wicked mens earthly honours and dignities are but as idle dreams and their splendid braveries but lucid fantasies Adonibezek a mighty Prince is quickly made a fellow-commoner with the dogs Judg. 1.7 And Nebuchadnezzar a mighty conqueror Dan. 4.28 Acts 12.23 turned a grazing among the Oxen. And Herod reduced from a conceited god to be the most loathsom of men a living carrion arrested by the vilest of creatures upon the suit of his affronted Creator And great Haman feasted with the King one day Est 7.10 and made a feast for Crows the next but that honour that waits on holiness is honour that will abide with a man that will to the grave with a man yea that will to heaven with a man Some heathens have been weary of their honours Maximus c. but the honour that attends holiness is no burden to a Christian and others have rejected honours when they have been offered them because of the cumber and danger that attends them High seats are never but uneasie and Crowns are usually stuft with thorns But the honour that attends holiness is a Rose without prickles it is a Crown without thorns that honour that springs from a root of holiness shall be both sanctified and sweetened by God so as that it shall not hurt nor harm a gracious soul Ah sinners sinners if you will be ambitious be ambitious of that honour that comes in upon the foot of holiness for there is no honour to that honour The Romans were insatiable in their desires after worldly honour which is but as a blast a shadow a dream O! how much more insatiable should you be in your desires and endeavours after that honour that is linkt to holiness and that is substantial and lasting Fourthly To stir you up to look after real holiness Consider that holiness is very attractive History tells us of many Infidels that have been woon to the Christian faith by the holy lives of the Saints c. drawing and winning it draws love it draws desire it draws delight Holiness is like a precious perfume whose savour spreads it self and is pleasing and delightful to all that come near it 2 Kings 4.9 10. And she said unto her husband Behold now I perceive that this is a holy man of God which passeth by us continually Let us make a little chamber I pray thee on the wall and let us set for him there a bed a table and a stool and a candlestick and it shall be when he cometh to us that he shall turn in thither The holiness of the Prophets spirit the holiness of his principles the holiness of his behaviour and the holiness of his conversation did so allure and win upon this great Lady that she becomes an importunate suitor to her husband that he might be lovingly freely courteously and commodiously entertained and accommodated as often as he came that way So Acts 2.46 47. And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart Praising God and having favour with all the people That which did grace and ingratiate these holy Converts into the favour of the people was the exercise of their grace and holiness It was their sweet unity their noble charity their holy familiarity their blessed harmony their singular sincerity and their Christian constancy that brought them into favour with
all the people visible holiness is a loadstone that will draw eyes and hearts after it 1 Pet. 3.1 Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands that if any obey not the Word they also may without the Word be woon by the conversation of the wife A holy conversation is a winning conversation Phil. 2.15 1 Cor. 7.16 the holy conversation of the wife may be the conversion of the husband the holy the wise the watchful the circumspect conversation of the wife may issue in the salvation of the husband many a husband hath been woon to Christ by the holy conversation of the wife and many a wife hath been woon by the holy conversation of the husband Monica woon her husband Patricia from being an impure Manichee not by force of argument but by purity and chastity of life saith Augustine many a servant hath been woon by the holy conversation of the Master and many a Master hath been woon by the holy conversation of the servant Zozomen reports that the holy life of a poor captive Christian maide made a King and all his family to embrace the Christian faith I have read of Cicilia a poor virgin who by her holy and gracious behaviour in her martyrdom was the means of converting four hundred to Christ Many a soul hath been woon by the dumb Oratory of a holy life Justin Martyr confesseth that the constancy of Christians in their piety and sufferings was the chiefest motive that converted him to Christianity For I my self saith he was once a Platonist and did gladly hear the Christians reviled but when I saw they feared not death nor any of those miseries which did most frighten all other men I began to consider with my self that it was impossible for such men to be lovers of pleasure more then lovers of piety and that made me first think of turning Christian 1 Pet. 2.12 Chap. 15.3 16. There is nothing that hath that influence upon the judgements of men to perswade them upon the consciences of men to awe them upon the mouthes of men to stop them upon the hearts of men to convince them and upon the lives of men to reform them as holiness What Plato once said of his moral vertue viz. that if it could be seen with bodily eyes it would be beloved of all and draw all hearts to it self That is most true of this Theological grace holiness holiness is so beautiful and so lovely a thing that it renders men amiable and lovely in the very eyes of their enemies Tilligny for his rare vertues Vide the French History in the life of Charles the ninth was rescued from death by his greatest enemies at the massacre of Paris Holiness makes a mans face to shine as it did Moses his and Stephens nothing pleases the eye nor wins the heart like holiness What is gold to godliness gifts to grace parts to piety a spark a ray a beam of holiness will certainly have an influence upon the spirits of men either to restrain them or change them or allay them or sweeten them or win them or one way or another to better them Look as the unholy lives and conversations of many professors do occasion some to blaspheme God others to belye God others to withstand God and others to forsake God Look as the loosness of many Christians doth work some to reproach Christ others to deny Christ others to refuse Christ others to revile the good wayes of Christ and others to oppose and despise the faithful followers of Christ As Lactantius reports that the loose lives of many Christians was made by the Heathens the reproach of Christ himself Quomodo bonus Magister cujus tam pravos videmus discipulos How can we think the Master to be good whose disciples we see to be so bad And Salvian also complains that the loose walking of many Christians was made by the Heathen the reproach of Christ himself saying If Christ had taught holy doctrine surely his followers had led better lives Salvianus de G. D. l. 4. And further the same Author relates how the Heathens did reproach some Christians who by their lewd lives made the Gospel of Christ to be a reproach Where said they is that good Law which they do believe Where are those rules of godliness which they do learn they read the holy Gospel and yet are unclean they hear the Apostles writings and yet are drunk they follow Christ and yet disobey Christ they profess a holy Law and yet do lead impure lives Now I say look as the holiness of many professors is a dishonour to God Ezek. 13.22 a reproach to Christ a scandal to Religion a blot to profession and a grief to many whom God would not have grieved So the power of holiness the practice of holiness is very influential upon the worst of men to win and work them to the Lord and to a love and liking of his wayes The holy lives of the Saints made the very Heathens to say Surely this is a good God whose servants are so good Ambrose his holiness did very much draw out the heart of Theodosius the Emperour to him and the holiness of Paphnutius did very much draw out the heart of Constantine the great to him there is nothing that gives a man that heart-room and that hearty room in the souls of others 2 Thes 1.3 4 5. read it as holiness it is the holy man that is a man of a thousand But Fifthly Consider that real holiness is the excellency of all a mans excellencies As holiness is the glory of God a part of the divine nature a spark of heaven a ray of glory so it is the excellency of all a mans excellencies it is the excellency of all our natural excellencies it is the excellency of all our moral excellencies and it is the excellency of all our intellectual excellencies Look as Gods holiness is the excellency of all his excellencies as the Angels who best know what is the top of his excellency do evidence by that three-fold repetition Holy holy holy Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 Some Greek Copics have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy nine times over c. these multiplied acclamations of holiness denote the superlative eminency excellency and perfection of Gods holiness Both among the Hebrews and among the Grecians the holiness of God is the excellency of his omnisciencie omnipotencie and omnipresence it is the excellency of his eternity immutability and fidelity it is the excellency of his wisdom love care and goodness Psalm 111.9 Holy and reverend is his name Gods name comes to be reverend by holiness if his name were not holy it would never be reverend and why is God called so often the holy one but to shew us that holiness is the very top of all his glory and excellency God could not be glorious in any thing Exod. 15.11 That which God accounts his highest honour is his
judgement proof The day of judgement will be to a holy man a marriage day a day of redemption a day of coronation a day of exaltation and therefore he may well lift up his head and rejoyce Look as the Israelites who had the blood of the Passeover on their door-posts Exo. 12.7.11 though the destroyer was abroad and a dreadfull cry was all over Aegypt yet they were not slain not stricken they did not fear not tremble but had their loyns ready girt and staves in their hands boldly and cheerfully expecting when the happy and joyful hour of their redemption would come Heb. 9.14 So those that have the door-posts of their hearts and consciences sprinkled with holinesse in this terrible day of the Lord they shall with boldnesse and cheerfulnesse lift up their faces because the day of their redemption is come Sermon de Signis prae extr Júd And this made Luther say that he had rather never have been born then not to be in hope of this day This day to Gods holy ones will be melodia in aure Psalm 1.5 2 Thess 2.7 8 9 10. jubilum in corde like musick in the ear and a Jubilee in the heart It is true the ungodly shall not stand in Judgement Stand they must to be arraigned sentenced and condemned Stand they shall but not with any boldnesse or cheerfulnesse comfort or content Stand they shall but not to be approved acquitted or absolved Chaff and stubble cannot stand before that God that is a consuming fire When Belshazzar saw the hand writing upon the wall Heb. 12. ult Dan. 5.5 6. O how was he affrighted how was his countenance changed his joints loosed and his knees dashed one against another O how do many ungodly men now tremble at a thunder-crack in the clouds and at a flash of lightning in the air but how will they tremble and quake when the whole frame of heaven and earth shall break in pieces and be set in a flame about their ears O what trouble of mind what horror and terror of conscience what weeping and wailing what crying and roaring what wringing of hands what tearing of hair and what gnashing of teeth will there be among the ungodly in this day when they shall see their sins charged on them on the one side and divine Justice terrifying them on the other side when they shall look upward and there see an angry God frowning upon them and look downward and there see hell gaping ready to receive them and look inward and there find conscience accusing and gnawing of them When they shall look on their right hands and there behold the good Angels standing with so many flaming swords to keep them out of heaven and look on their left hands and there behold the devil and his Angels ready prest to dragg them down to the lowest hell O now how will they wish for the Rocks to fall upon them and the mountains to cover them how will they wish that they had never been born or that they might now be unborn how will they now wish that their immortal souls were mortal or that their souls might be turned into the nature of Beasts Birds Stones Trees or Air or any thing rather what they are I have read a story of two Souldiers Holcot who being in the valley of Jehosaphat in Judea the one said to the other Here in this place shall be the general Judgement and therefore I will now take up my place where I will then sit and so lifting up a stone he sate down upon it as taking possession before hand but being sate and looking up to heaven such a quaking and trembling fell upon him that falling to the earth he remembred the day of Judgement with horror and amazement for ever after But alas what heart is able to conceive or what tongue is able to expresse the fear and dread the horror and terror the astonishment and amazement that will fall upon all ungodly persons in this day And yet even now Gods holy ones shall lift up their heads and hearts they shall be bold and stedfast they shall be far from fear shame or trembling And thus you see that godlinesse that holinesse is the most gainfull trade And therefore Sirs as you love gain as you tender your own profit and advantage labour to be holy But Twelthly Consider this that holinesse will put the greatest splendour and majesty upon persons that can possibly be put upon them Job 29.8 9 10 11. vide Prov. 12.26 There is nothing that imprints such a reverence and Majesty upon man as holinesse doth There is nothing that is such a grace to man as grace It is holinesse that puts the greatest excellency and majesty upon man Psalm 16.3 But to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Saints are the most excellent ones Arias Montanus Junius c. The Hebrew word Veadire from Adar that is here rendred excellent signifies magnificis the magnificent ones or the noble glorious or wonderfull ones Saints or holy persons are the most excellent magnificent noble glorious ones And in Dan. 8.24 the holy people are called mighty because there are no people upon the earth that have might and Majesty stampt upon them as they have Cant. 6.10 Some by the Moon understand inherent righteousness and by the Sun they understand imputed righteousness Who is she that looketh forth as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Army with banners The light grace glory and holinesse of the Church rises by degrees and this makes her terrible to all her enemies Every degree of holinesse is terrible to the unholy but the higher the Church rises in holinesse the more terrible and majestical it grows Holinesse puts such a splendor and graceful Majesty upon all persons that have it as even dazles the eyes sometimes of wicked men and begets in them an awe and reverence As it is evident in Saul 1 Sam. 24.17 And Saul said to David Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evil So Herod in Mark 6.20 it is said That he feared John knowing that he was a just man and holy and observed him Holinesse is very Majestical the greatest Monarchs fall down before it Herod reverences John not for his birth or breeding but for his holinesse not for his Arts or Parts but for his holinesse not for his Schollarship or greatnesse but for his holinesse 2 Kings 11.1 2. So that great Monarch King Joash fell down before the holinesse of Jehojada whilest he lived And so did the holinesse of the three children command tespect and honour from that great Monarch Nebuchadnezzar And so did the holinesse of Daniel Daniel 3. cause King Darius to reverence him and to cast a favourable Aspect upon him And so did the Holinesse that was written upon
Judas the High-Priest cause Alexander the Emperour to reverence him and to fall down before him In holinesse there is such a sparkling lustre that none can behold it but must admire it and bow before the graceful majesty of it It is not greatnesse but grace it is not riches but righteousnesse it is not outward pomp or splendour but holinesse that can over-awe the vain spirits of men A holy life is the upbraiding of that which is corrupt Wisdom 2.15.12 He is grievous unto us even to behold him for his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion he upbraideth us with our offending the Law Grace will make a man majestical among those that have no grace Bradford was had in so great reverence and admiration for his holinesse that a multitude that never knew him but by fame greatly lamented his death yea Acts Mon. pag. 1458. and a number of Papists also wished heartily his life Holy men have a daunting presence and majesty with them as Athanasius had and Basil had Greg. Orat. de laude Basilii for when Valens the Emperour came to surprize him he being in holy exercises such a splendour and majesty was upon him thnt it struck such a terror into the Emperour that he reeled and had fallen backward had he not been upheld by those that were with him Epist hist Gal. 82. Henry the second King of France being present at the martyrdom of a certain Taylor who was burnt by him for his Religion and so terrified by the boldnesse of his countenance and by his holy and gracious behaviour in his sufferings that he swore at his going away that he would never be present at such a sight more It is very observable that the moral vertues of the Heathen did put a great deal of splendour and majesty upon them Valer. Max. l. 2. cap. 5. To instance only in Cato Cato was a man of much justice and integrity he was a man of an unspotted conversation and of high reputation among the Romans Now his morality put such a splendour and majesty upon him that when he was present the very worst of the worst durst not in speech or gesture discover any impiety or immodesty any wantonnesse or wickednesse Now certainly if morality puts such a splendour and majesty upon men true sanctity will put much more upon them And therefore Sirs as ever you would have a splendour majesty upon you labour to be holy Maximilian the Emperour had such a presence majesty with him that a stranger that never saw him before pointed him out among thirty great persons O Sirs it is not the gray beard nor the purple Robe nor the grim look that makes a man so much a man of presence and majesty as holinesse doth and therefore as you would indeed be men of presence men of majesty labour to be holy But Thirteenthly Consider that the times and seasons wherein we live call aloud for holinesse Many say the times are bad very bad extream bad I and let me tell you that your hearts and lives are bad very bad extream bad and it is these that have made the times so bad so very bad so extream bad it is in vain to talk of better times or wish for better times till you mend your manners and get better hearts The times would quickly mend if every man would but in good earnest labour to mend one If your hearts and lives were but more holy the times would quickly be more happy You say you shall never have peace and prosperity till all be brought to uniformity in Religion but I say you shall never have any lasting peace felicity or prosperity till you come to be holy 2 Kings 9.22 And it came to passe when Joram saw Jehu that he said Is it peace Jehu And he answered What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many The interrogation carries with it a strong negation What peace that is there is no peace to such a wicked wretch as thou art thou maist wish for peace and dream of peace and long for peace and look for peace and pursue after peace and yet thou shall be far off from peace What Jehu said to Joram I may say to all unholy persons What peace and what prosperity can you expect whilest your drunkennesse and uncleannesse and wantonesse and lukewarmnesse and dead-heartednesse and wantonnesse and wickednesse remains what good dayes what happy year can you look for whilest your formality and indifferency and hypocrisie and infidelity do bear witnesse against you Verse 3 doubtless relates to Jeroboams and the ten Tribes first revolt from the house of David and from the house of God and from all his Ordinances and this was a very wicked and unholy time as is evident in several Scriptures So when Israel was very superstitious and vain in her worship then there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexatiâ—ns were upon all the inhabitants of the Countreyes and Nation was destroyed or beaten in pieces of Nation and City of City for God did vex them with all adversity 2 Chron. 15.5 6. When men are unholy God will vex them he will vex them with adversity he will vex them with all adversity When Nations are ungodly God will destroy them he will beat them in pieces he will beat them in pieces one against another When there is no holinesse in him that comes in nor in him that goes out then there shall be no peace to him that goes in or to him that goes out When all is said that can be said and when all is done that can be done wicked men will still be as unquiet as the raging and foaming sea Isa 57.20 21. God will one day or another be still at war with that man that is at peace with his sin It is said of the Locusts that came out of the bottomlesse pit in Rev. 9.7 8 9. that they were like unto horses and on their heads were as it were Crowns of gold and their faces as it were faces of men and their hairs as the hair of a woman and their teeth were as it were the teeth of Lions c. Here are quasi Horses quasi Crowns of gold quasi faces of men quasi hairs of a woman and quasi teeth of Lions c. Now just such things are all the comforts and contentments of unholy persons their gold and silver is but as it were gold and silver and their prosperity and plenty is but as it were prosperity and plenty their peace and tranquility is but as it were peace and tranquility and their victories and triumphs are but as it were victories and triumphs and their joys and rejoycings are but as it were joyes and rejoycings But mark when the holy Evangelist comes to set down a description of the Locusts tails he doth not say that there were
as it were strings in their rails but in plain positive downright terms he tels you that there were stings in their tails ver 10. he tells you that their stings were true stings real stings certain stings And so while men remain unholy there are sure and certain stings in the tails of all their comforts Job 29.14 contentments and enjoyments The best way on earth to have a sure a sound a solid a lasting peace with God with our selves and with others is to put onholinesse as a Robe upon us to put all inquity far from us Job 11.13 20. O Sirs the worser the times are the better should every man labour to be Many complain of burdens Taxes oppressions Isa 59.9 10 11 14 15. and vexations and they say with those That Judgement is turned backward and that Justice standeth afar off and that truth is fallen in the street and that equity cannot enter and that he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey that judgement is far from us and that Justice doth not overtake us that we wait for light but behold obscurity for brightnesse but behold darknesse that we grope for the wall like the blind that we grope as if we had no eyes that we stumble at noon-day that we roar all like Bears and mourn sore like doves that we look for Judgement but there is none and for salvation but it is far off from us These and a thousand more such complaints may be found amongst us This Scripture last cited puts me in mind of a strange but yet of a very true saying viz. That there is more justice and equity in hell then there is in France for in hell the oppressor is oppressed in hell he that would not give a crumb of bread shall not have a drop of water In hell such as shed innocent blood have blood to drink in hell there are no bribes in hell there is none to plead an unrighteous cause in hell there is no respect of persons in hell every man hath according to his deserts but in France it is otherwise c. And do not the strong cries tears sighs groans and complaints of the poor and needy of hirelings orphans and widows c. in most Nations strongly demonstrate that there is more Justice and Equity in hell then there is in most of the Nations of the earth But now what is the choicest salve for all these fores certainly holinesse What is the most soveraign Remedy against all these maladies nothing but holinesse O Sirs the more holinesse rises in a Nation the more will righteousnesse run down as mighty streams and the more the hearts of the poor and needy will leap and sing for joy There is no way to make a Nation happy but by making of it holy O Sirs as you are men as you are English-men as you love your Countrey as you honour your King and Countrey and as you desire the peace prosperity and felicity of your Countrey labour to be holy O England England it is holinesse that will be a wall of fire about thee and a glory in the midst of thee it is holinesse that will make thee happy at home and prosperous abroad Among all English men there is no man to the holy man Certainly that man that is most busie about mending his own heart and life contributes most to the mending of the times There are many sturdy blades that will talk stifly for their Countrey and that say that they will stand stoutly for their Countrey and yet by their daily ungodlinesse they do undo their Countrey these men destroy by their lives what they seem to build with their hands And therefore as ever you would have all things that are out of order in order labour for a well ordered heart and a well ordered life Holinesse of conversation is the best means under heaven to prevent confusion and desolation Again If you will look upon the present times as times wherein the Judgements of God are abroad in the world I say if you will thus look upon them then I say the times call aloud upon you for holinesse Isa 26.9 When thy Judgements are abroad in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse O Sirs when garments are rowld in blood when the sword devours the flesh of the slain when Justice laies heap upon heap when pestilence and famine destroyes all on the right hand and on the left O! then every one will say Come let us break off our sins let us turn to the Lord let us mend our wayes and reform our lives and get holinesse into our hearts We behold many sorer heavier and worse judgements then these are upon us this day if we had but eyes to behold them O! that hardnesse of heart Psalm 78. Psalm 81.12 That which was wont to be said of Asrick that it was ever a producing some new monster or other may be said of the Age yea of the land wherein we live 2 Thess 1.8 9. Amos 8 11 12. that barrennesse of soul that blindnesse of mind that searednesse of conscience that perversnesse of Spirit that Superstitious Will-worship and that loosnesse of life that multitudes are given up to this day O! those God-dishonouring those Christ-denying those Ordinance-despising those Conscience-wasting those life-corrupting and those Soul-damning opinions principles blasphemies and practices that multitudes are given up to this day O! the spiritual decayes the spiritual witherings the spiritual slumberings the spiritual faintings the spiritual langiushings that are to be found among a professing people this day Now certainly there are no judgements to spiritual judgements none reach the soul like these none seperate between God and the soul like these none lay men open to temporal and eternal judgements like these Spiritual judgements are the most insensible judgements they are the most dreadfull judgements they are the most incureable judgements they are the most damnning judgements of all judgements Spiritual judgements have most of wrath and most of horror and most of hell in them O that now these terrible judgements are abroad in the earth you would learn righteousnesse that you would learn to be holy For as there is no such sence against temporal judgements as holinesse so there is no such sence against spiritual judgements as holinesse O the spiritual strokes the spiritual Arrows the spiritual diseases the spiritual sicknesses the spiritual plagues that are abroad in the world and O that the dread and sense of these might provoke you and prevail with you to labour after real holinesse to labour after the power of godliness which will be your greatest security against these most deadly and soul-killing maladies Again the dayes and times wherein we live call aloud for holinesse if you look upon them as dayes and times of grace what greater and higher engagements to holinesse were ever put upon a people then those that God hath put upon us who enjoy so many wayes means and
helps to make us holy O the pains the care the cost the charge that God hath been at and that God is daily at to make us holy Hath he not sent Jer. 7.13 25. Chap. 25.3 4. and chap. 35.14 15. Isa 49.4 5. 2 Cor. 12.14 15. Rom. 13.11 ult and doth he not still send his Messengers rising up early and going to bed late and all to provoke you to be holy Have not many of them spent their time and spent their strength and spent their spirits and spit up their lungs and spent their very lives to make you holy O Sirs what do holy Ordinances call for but holy hearts and holy lives What do dayes of light call for but walking in the light and casting off the deeds of darkness What is the voice of all the means of grace but this O labour to be gracious And what is the voice of the holy Spirit but this O labour to be holy And what is the voice of all the miracles of mercy that God hath wrote in the midst of you but this Be ye holy be ye holy O Sirs what could the Lord have done that he hath not done to make you holy Hath he not lifted you up to heaven in respect of holy helps Hath he not to this very day followed you close with holy offers and holy intreaties and holy counsels and holy encouragements and all to make you holy And will you be loose still and proud still and worldly still and malicious still and envious still and contentious still and unholy still O what is this Rev. 2 4 5. Isa 32.25 but to provoke the Lord to put out all the lights of heaven to drive your Teachers into corners to remove your Candlesticks and to send his everlasting Gospel that hath stood long a tip-toe among a people that may more highly prize it and dearly love it and stoutly defend it and conscientiously practice it then you have done to this very day By what hath been said I suppose there is nothing more evident then that the times and seasons wherein we live calls aloud upon every one to look after holinesse and to labour for holinesse never complain of the times but cease to do evil and labour to do well Isa 1.16 17 18 19. and all will be well Get but better hearts and better lives and you will quickly see better times Fourteenthly Consider that holinesse will render you most like to a holy God a holy Christ and to holy Angels God is frequently called the holy one in Scripture he is called the holy one above thirty times in the old Testament Gold being the most precious mettal you lay it over those things that are most precious to you so doth God lay holiness over all those things that are most precious to him Angels are holy and Saints are holy but it is God alone that is the holy one His person is holy Isa 6.3 his name is holy Luke 1.49 his works are holy Psalm 45.17 his judgements are holy Psalm 22.1 2 3. his habitation is holy Isa 57.15 his Temple is holy 1 Cor. 3.17 his Kingdom is holy Rev. 21.27 his Word is holy Psalm 19. and his Sabbaths are holy Exod. 16.23 Now this is Gods own Argument Be ye holy for I am holy Lev. 19.2 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Concerning the holinesse of God I shall speak at large by divine assistance when I come to press you upon perfecting of holinesse and therefore let this touch suffice for the present Sirs you cannot be lâ—ke to God in many other things but you may be like to God in this one thing in this noble thing in this most necessary thing Holinesse and therefore labour after it Again as holinesse will render you most like to a holy God so holinesse will render you most like to a holy Christ The Apostle calls him the holy one 1 John 2.20 Christ is essentially holy he is infinitely holy he is originally holy he is singularly holy he is eminently holy he is perfectly holy he is transcendently holy and he is immutably holy And so much the Devil himself confesseth in Mark 1.24 I know thee who thou art Alluding as some think to Exod. 28.36 the holy one of God or rather as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that holy one by way of excellency and eminency Yea Christ takes delight to characterize himself by this title in Rev. 3.7 These things saith he that is holy And in Dan. 9.24 he is called the most holy or as the Hebrew hath it Kodesh kâ—dashim the holiness of holinesses These abstracts speak out the vigour and strength the eminency and excellency of Christs holiness Christ is holiness it self yea holinesses and what do these abstracts speak out but that perfect and compleat holiness that is in Christ The Angels in Isa 6.3 do three times iterate or repeat holy holy holy now though some do conceive that this three-fold repetition hath reference to all the three persons holy Father holy Son and holy Spirit yet they that will but compare the Text with John 12.37 42. shall plainly see that it relates only to our Lord Jesus Christ and so the three-fold repetition denotes only the superlative eminency of Christs holiness Christ is holy in his natures in his offices in his purposes in his counsels in his word and in his works Acts 4.23 Luke 1.35 Ephes 4. Gal. 2.20 His conception was holy his conversation was holy his converse was holy c. Holiness is the image of Christ it is the picture of Christ the perfections of Christ it makes a man conformable to the life of Christ Christs Holiness is that noble copy after which we should all endeavour to write Subjects may without Treason or offence attempt to be like their Prince in wisdom goodness righteousness holiness peace piety clemency and sanctity though they cannot without rebellion and disobedience endeavour to be like him in power greatness might majesty splendour and glory so we may safely and honourably attempt to be like to Jesus Christ in wisdom righteousness and holiness c. It is Christs particular honour to be imitated in all morals absolutely Though we may not attempt to be like him in his miracles signs and wonders O Sirs Some have counted it their greatest honour and glory in this world that they have been like such and such who have been high and glorious in the world and why then should not you reckon it your greatest glory and happiness to be like to Christ in holiness though not in measure or quantity yet in truth and reality As you would resemble Christ to the life labour to be holy in other things you cannot be like to Christ but in holiness you may you cannot be like to Christ in his greatness majesty or glory nor yet in his omnipotency omnisciency nor omnipresence nor yet in his general or special providence nor in a thousand other things but
and to be shut out from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes 1.7 11. and from the glory of his power If it were such an unspeakable grief and misery to the Primitive Christians as indeed it was to be debarred of one anothers society and company by being confined to Isles and Mines and strong holds O then what an unspeakable grief and misery will it be to all unholy persons to be for ever debarred of the blessed society of God Christ Angels and Saints and to be everlastingly confined to the strong holds of hell and to the society and company of that damned crew who will be still a cursing and a blaspheming of God and adding to one anothers torments O Sirs it is the sight of God in heaven wherein mans happiness and blessedness doth consist it is the fruition of God in heaven that is the life the honour the crown and glory of Angels and Saints Heaven it self would be but a low thing yea it would be but magnum nihil a great nothing without the sight and fruition of God there Now without holinesse there is no seeing of God there is no possessing or enjoying of God there is no possibility of ever obtaining a part or portion in God Ah friends without holiness all is lost thy soul is lost thy Christ is lost thy God is lost thy Crown is lost thy Heaven is lost thy glory is lost and what are all other losses to these losses Demorrathus of Corinth saith they lost the chiefest part of their lives happiness that did not see Alexander sit on the throne of Darius but what was their loss to that unconceivable and unexpressible loss that all unholy persons must sustain who shall never see the King of Kings in his beauty who shall never behold the Lord on the throne of his glory Well Sirs if none of these Arguments can prevail with you to labour after holiness I must conclude that divine Justice hath hardened you and that Satan hath blinded you and that your lusts have besotted you and that this world hath bewitched you and that it had been ten thousand thousand times better for you that you had never been born then to live without holiness and to die without holinesse and to be everlastingly damned for want of holinesse And thus much for the Motives I come now to lay down some means and helps to holiness Supposing that the language of some of your souls may be this O what shall we do to be holy O what course what way what means must we use that we may obtain this holiness without which we now clearly see that we shall never come to a fruition of happiness Methinks I hear some of you crying out Oh none but holiness none but holiness As that Martyr once cryed out Oh none but Christ none but Christ Methinks I hear you crying out O give me holiness or I die As Sampson once cryed out Give me water or I die Or as Rachel once cryed out Give me children or I die So you cry out O give us holiness or we die give us holiness or we eternally die O what shall we do to be holy we see we are undone without holiness we shall be damned without holiness O! that we were but made holy that hereafter we may be assuredly happy Well then if you are in good earnest resolved to be holy I would thus advise and counsel you First take heed of some things Secondly Labour to put in practise other things The things that you are to avoid and shun even as you would shun poyson in your meat or a Serpent in your way yea as you would shun the Devil himself or hell it self are these First Take heed of mistaking some particular Scriptures as that of Ezek. 14.6 Chap. 18.30 31 32. and Chap. 33 11 14 16 19. from these and such like Scriptures many unholy hearts are apt to conclude that they can repent when they please and that though they do defer their repentance yet it is no such difficult thing to confess their sins at last cast and to be sorry for their sins at last cast and to forsake their sins at last cast and to beg the pardon of their sins at last cast And that if they do so God hath given his Word for it he hath given it under his own hand that he will pardon their sins and save their souls Now to prevent these soul-undoing mistakes thou must know O sinner First that thou canst as well wash a Blackamore white at pleasure as thou canst repent at pleasure thou canst as well raise the dead at pleasure Jer. 13.23 chap. 31.18 Lam. 5.21 Acts 5.31 Eph. 1.17 18 19. 2 Tim. 2.25 Acts 11.18 as thou canst repent at pleasure thou canst as well make a world at pleasure as thou canst repent at pleasure thou canst as well stop the course of the Sun at pleasure as thou canst repent at pleasure thou canst as well put the Sea in a Cockle-shell at pleasure and measure the earth with a span at pleasure as thou canst repent at pleasure witness the proofs in the margin I confess that if to repent were to hang down the head like a Bull-rush for a day or to whine with Saul for an hour or to put on sackcloath and walk softly with Ahab for a short space or to confess with Judas I have sinned or to say with Simon Magus Pray to the Lord for me or to tremble with Felix for a moment I say if this were to repent doubtless you might repent at pleasure but alas friends to repent is another thing to repent is the hardest and difficultest work in the world and that will appear in the next particular And therefore Secondly To repent is to turn a flint into flesh it is to turn darkness into light hell into heaven and is this easie Ezek. 36.25 26. Acts 26.18 Ezek. 16.61 62 63. To repent is to make all clean in-side clean and out-side clean it is to make a clean head and a clean heart a clean lip and a clean life and is this easie True repentance includes a true sense of sin a deep sorrow for sin a hearty loathing of sin and a holy shame and blushing for sin chap. 29.43 and is this easie To repent is for a man to loath himself as well as his sin and is this easie for man that is so great a self-lover 2 Corin. 7.10 11. and so great a self-exalter and so great a self-admirer to become a self-loather To repent is to cross sinful self it is to walk contrary to sinful self yea it is to revenge a mans self upon himself and is this easie To repent is to pluck out right eyes and to cut off right hands and offer up only Isaacs and is this easie True repentance is a daily turning of the soul further and further from sin and a daily turning of the soul nearer and nearer to God It is a repentance not to
ransom him from the grave and therefore why should men put this day so far from them But Secondly As there is nothing more certain then death so there is nothing more sudden then death When the old world when Sodom when Pharaoh when Hagar when Amalek when Haman when Nebuchadnezzar when Belshazzar when Dives when the Rich fool and when Herod were all in their prime and pride when they were in their most flourishing estate when they were at the very top of their glory Ah how suddenly how sadly how strangely how unexpectedly and how wonderfully were they brought down to the Grave yea to Helâ— O! the thousand thousands of crosses losses diseases sicknesses calamities dangers and deaths which attends the life of man and by the least of which he may be suddenly surprized and carried into another world and therefore why should man cry out cras cras to morrow to morrow when he does not know whether he shall have a to morrow when he does not know but that he may dye before he had begun to live Waldus a rich Merchant of Lyons in France seeing one suddenly drop down dead in the streets went home repented changed his life studied the Scriptures and became a worthy Teacher Father and Founder of the Christians called the Waldenses or poor men of Lyons And O! that the serious thoughts of the suddenness of death might have that happy effect upon your souls as to work you to break your league with sin and to fright you as it were into a love of holiness and into a life of holiness O! swearer what doest thou know but that death may seize on thee whilst the oath is in thy mouth And what doest thou know O drunkard but that death may step in between the cup and the lip as it did to Belshazzar And what dost thou know O adulterer but that a poisoned dart may strike thorough thy liver whilst thou art in the very flagrancy of thy lust as it did thoâ—ough Zimries and Cozbies And what dost thou know O proud Haman but that thou who art thus noblely feasted one day mayest be a feast for the Crows the next day And what dost thou know who art so crafty O Ahitophel but that if thy subtile counsel be rejected one hour thou mayest hang thy self the next hour And what doest thou know O thou opposing and murmuring Corah but that the earth may suddenly open and swallow thee up and therefore why should you put that day so far from you that may so suddenly overtake you Berline in Germany charged Saint Paul with a lye in the Pulpit Scultet Annal. and was suddenly smitten with an Apoplexy and fell down dead in the place And what doest thou know who art so apt to charge the people of God with lying but that God may strike thee both dumb and dead whilst the lye is in thy mouth Bibulus a Roman General riding in Triumph in all his glory a Tyle fell off from a house in the street and knockt out his brains And what doest thou know O vain glorious man but that whilst thou art triumphing in thy world glory by some unexpected blow thou mayest be sent into another world Lepidus and Avsidius stumbled at the very threshold of the Senate and died the blow came in a cloud from heaven God by an invisible blow may send thee out of this visible world Sophocles died suddenly by excessive joy and Homer by immoderate grief excessive joy or excessive grief may suddenly bring thee to thy long home Theater of Gods judgements lib. 1. cap. 9. p. 64. Olympus the Arrian Heretick speaking against the Holy Trinity as he was a Bathing himself was struck dead by a threefold Thunderbolt We may run and read some mens sins in the very face of their punishments Mr. Perkins speaks of One who when it thundered scoffingly said It was nothing but Tom Tumbrel a hooping his Tubs c. and presently he was struck dead with a thunder-bolt from heaven There would be no end of recounting the several judgements that have suddenly surprized all sorts of sinners let these few instances suffice to stir up every unholy heart to take heed of putting far off the day of death But Thirdly As there is nothing more sudden then death so there is nothing more short then life Job 8.9 Psal 102.11 Psal 73.20 90.5 Job 20.8 ch 7.7 and why then should you put the day of your death so far from you If you consider the life of man absolutely 't is but short 't is but as a span a shadow a dream a bubble a blast a puff of wind a pile of dust a fading leaf or a tale that is told c. The life of man is as a dream that vanisheth when one awaketh 't is a wind that goeth away and cometh not again 't is as a cloud that is soon dispersed with the wind 't is as a vapor that appeareth for a time and then vanisheth away 't is as the grass that soon withereth 't is as the flower that soon fadeth 't is as the candle that every light puffe of wind bloweth out The life of man is rather made up of days then years Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom Moses does not say Lord teach us to number our years but Lord teach us to number our dayes fallen man is apt to misreckon and to compute days for years and therefore this holy Prophet desires that God would teach them this Divine Arithmetick of numbering their days it being a lesson that none but a God can teach So Job 14.1 2. Man that is born of a woman is of few days or short of dayes and full of trouble He cometh forth like a flower and is out down he floeth also as a shadow and continueth not He speaks not of an Age nor of years nor of many dayes but of a few days mans days are short in themselves and shorter in respect of the troubles that attends this present life Mans life is so short Aug. l. 1. Confess Austin doubteth whether to call it a dying life or a living death Now these few days of mans life are upon the wing hastning and flying from us as the Eagle hastneth to his prey and therefore man had need set a greater price upon every moment and minute of time then he does upon all the world and accordingly improve it Secondly If you consider the life of man comparatively 't is but short and that will appear briefly thus First If you compare the life of man to what man might have reach't to had he continued in his primitive glory had man stood fast in innocency he had never known what death and misery had mean't death is a fall that came in by a fall had man kept sin out of the world he had kept death out of the world had man kept fast his holiness and purity he had remained a piece of
look which way you will the Spirit still appears to be the great principle of holiness holiness is the very picture of God and certainly no hand can carve that excellent picture but the spirit of God Holiness is the divine nature and none can impart that to man but the Spirit A man never comes to see his sins nor to be sick of his sins nor to loath his sins nor to arraign his sins nor to condemn his sins nor to judge himself for his sins evangelically till he comes to be possest of the holy Spirit A man never comes to spit out the sweet morsels of sin he never come to make a sacrifice of his onely Isaac and to cut his delicate Agag in pieces and to strangle his Dalilah and in good earnest to set upon an utter exterpation of those sins that his constitution inclination custome calling and interest does most incline him to till a spirit of holiness comes upon him till this holy Spirit which is a spirit of judgement and burning falls upon the hearts of sinners they will never be fired out of their pride formality carnality sensuality and security when this holy Spirit comes as a Spirit of Glory and Power to change thy heart to destroy thy sins to reform thy ways and to save thy soul c. Oh then cry out let him still go on conquering and to conquer till all his enemies ate made his footstool Oh let him cut off every right hand and pluck out every right eye c. that does offend O let him do justice upon every sin upon every open sin upon every secret sin upon every bosom sin upon every pleasing sin and upon every gainful sin Oh set your selves under the Celestial influences and sweet distillings of the holy Spirit Oh prize his motions Oh welcome his motions Oh comply with his motions Oh follow his motions that so you may be holy and happy for ever When David asked counsel of God whether he should goe up against thâ— Philistins or no he received this answer When thou hearest the noise of one going in the top of the Mulbery-trees 2 Sam. 5.24 then remove for then shall the Lord go out before thee to smite the Philistines So should every one wisely observe when the Spirit sweetly and strongly moves them to mind holiness to fall in love with holiness to press after holiness when the spirit moves them to leave off their sins to turn to God to open to Christ to tremble at threatnings and to imbrace promises Oh make much of these holy motions Oh cherish these divine breathings Oh don't quench these heavenly sparks least the Spirit never move thee more nor never strive with thee more Gen. 6.3 Oh when thou hearest a voice within thee or a voice behind thee saying Come with me from Lebanon my sister Isa 30.21 Cant. 4.8 my spouse c. Come away from thy cups thou drunken wretch come away from thy wanton Dalilahs thou unclean wretch come away from thy sinful pleasures thou voluptious wretch come away from thy baggs thou worldly wretch come away from thy honors thou ambitious wretch and come away from thy fraud thou cheating wretch Oh hearken to this voice Oh obey this voice that it may go well with thy soul for ever if now thou strikest whilest the iron is hot if now thou hoistest up sail whilst the wine is fair thou maist be made for ever In that 5 Joh. 4. there were certain times when the Angel came down and troubled the waters and whosoever did then step in was healed of whatsoever disease he had So there are certain times and seasons wherein the Spirit of holiness stirs the heart and affections and moves and breaths upon the soul now if men were wise to observe these times and seasons they might be happy for ever the time of the spirits moving is the acceptable time if you observe it you are made if you neglect it you are mar'd all the movings and motions of the spirit are in order to an eternity of felicity and glory Oh therefore don't grieve the Spirit don't cross the Spirit don't vex the Spirit don't tempt the Spirit Spiritus sanctus est res delicata don't quench the Spirit don't oppose the Spirit don't resist the Spirit don't deal harshly or unkindly with the Spirit by sinning against illumination conviction resolutions and promises of reformation Oh be more tender of the gracious motions of the Spirit then thou art of thy name thy estate thy liberty thy life for he designs thy internal good in this world and thy eternal good in the other world and therefore don't affront him nor carry it unworthily towards him if thou shouldest it may be as much as thy life and thy soul is worth if a man slip the opportunity of a favorable gale he may lie wind-bound till all be spent when the Spirit moves salvation and all the glory of heaven stands waiting at thy door if now thou will but open the King of glory will enter in and bless thee for ever Saul by neglecting his opportunity lost an earthly kingdom take heed least thou by slighting the motions of the Spirit comest to loose a heavenly kingdom the letting slip one season when the Spirit moves may undo a man in both worlds and some think Felix found it so Well sirs as ever you would be holy you must labor for a Spirit of holiness and for your encouragement remember this that though the holy Spirit be the great Jewel of Glory yet God is more ready to give it then you are to aske it witness that 11. of Luke from the 9. to the 14. verse But Thirdly If ever you would be holy then you must waite upon the word the word of God faithfully preached is the ordinary meanes by which holiness is wrought in sinners hearts the word is that triumphant Chariot of the Spirit wherein he rides conquering and to conquer the souls of men the holy word is designed by God to beget holiness in sinners hearts and to countenance cherish nourish and strengthen holiness where it is begotten John 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth And for their sakes c. I sanctifie my selfe that they also might be sanctified through the truth ver 19. So Chap. 15.3 Now ye are cleane through the word which I have spoken to you The ordinary way of making uncleane souls cleane unholy souls holy is the Ministry of the word Phil. 5.26 As there is a cleansing vertue in the blood of Christ 1 John 1.7 so there is a cleansing vertue in the word of Christ Psal 119.9 Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word Of all men the young man is usually most wild and wicked most licentious and rebellious and yet the word of God is the power of God to his conviction and conversion to his sanctification and salvation though the cleansing of a young mans
heart be one of the hardest works in the world yet this may be done by the word There are no lusts so strong but the word can cast them downe nor no staines so deep but the word can wash them out Three thousand sinners were made Saints by one Sermon Acts 2.41 and five thousand more were converted and sanctified by another Sermon Chap. 4.4 Here were eight thousand men cleansed sanctified and saved by two Sermons and doubtless most of them were young Oh Sirs as ever you would have holy principles laid in your souls and holy affections raised in your souls and holy ends aimed at by your souls heare the word in season and out of season oh attend it oh waite on it 't will be sope to cleanse you and fire to purge you and water to wash you and a winde to turne you from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ Acts 26.16 24. The Gospel preached hath been the power of God to the salvation of multitudes of souls Rom. 1.16 The word is that immortall seed by which holiness which is not only a grace but the conjunction of all graces is formed in the soule 1 Pet. 1.23 'T is the word that gives a spiritual Birth and Being to men Gal. 4.19 The word enlightens the eye Psal 119.105 It softens the heart Deut. 32.2 It purges the conscience and it converts the soule Psal 19.7 It dethrones Satan it casts downe strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 5. It quickens the dull Psal 119.50 and it raises the dead Joh. 5.24 25. Oh therefore heare it and waite on it and come to it that you may be made holy by it many come to heare the word to censure it others to mock at it others to inrich their curious notions by it and others come to catch the Minister at it but doe thou come to it that thou mayest be made holy by it and doubtless first or last thou shalt obtaine thy end yea 't is good for a man to come to the word though his designe in coming be bad 't is good for a man to sit under that great ordinance of the word though he sits upon thornes as it were all the while he is there They that come to see who hath got the newest fashions may have their hearts fashioned into a conformity with the word They came to catch but were caught in that John 7.46 Austin coming to Ambrose to have his ears tickled had his heart touched and turned Come saith old Father Latimer in a Sermon before King Edward the Sixt to the publick meeting 1550. though thou comest to sleepe it may be God may take thee napping When thou comest though it be but to taste the Ministers spirit yet then God may take hold on thy spirit and make it the day of his power upon thy soule though thou comest with a heart full of prejudices against Christ yet by the word thou mayest be brought to a love of Christ to a liking of Christ and to a choice of Christ and to a blessed close and resignation of thy selfe to Christ They that came to surprize Christ were so taken with Christ that being filled with admiration they could not but proclaime his divine Excellencies Never man spake like this man The word is the word of the Lord let the hand be what it will that brings it When gold is offered men care not how noble or ignoble how great or how base he is that offers it so men should not look so much at the hand that brings the word as at the word it selfe the word of the Lord was as much the word of the Lord in the hand and mouth of Amos who was raised a Prophet from amongst the Heardsmen of Tekoa as it was the word of the Lord in the hand and mouth of Isaiah who as some think was a Prophet of the blood-royall Ambrose observes of the Woman of Samaria John 4.7 that she came peccatrix to Jacobs Well but she went away praedicatrix she came a sinner but she went away a Prophetess Oh Sirs let nothing hinder you from coming to the word oh come to the word though you come sinners yet come for though you doe come sinners yet you may goe away Saints though the dew of heaven hath richly and sweetly fallen upon your hearts and yet like Gideons sleece you are still dry yet come to the word still for who can tell but that by the very next Sermon God may make thy soule like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters faile not Isa 58.11 It is reported of young King Edward the Sixth Sir John Hayward in vita that being about to lay hold on some thing that was above the reach of his short Arme one that stood by espying a great Boss'd Bible lying on the Table offered to lay that under his feete to heighten him but the good young King disliked the motion and instead of treading it under his feete he laid it to his heart oh come to the word but come not to trample upon it come not to scoff or mock at it come not to despise it or to revile it but come and lay it to your hearts and it may doe you good for ever there is no better way to make thee holy then to attend on the holy word But Fourthly If ever you would be holy then associate your selves with those that are holy Look as he that walkes with the wise shall be wise Prov. 13.20 so he that walkes with the holy shall certainly be prest and provok't to be holy As Socrates made it his business to better others by his company so a holy man will make it his business to make others holy by his counsell prayers and example he knowes that it is one of the most noble and divine imployments in the world to make others holy and therefore he sets upon that worke with all his might Psal 119.115 Psal 1.1 Look as there is no greater a hinderance to holiness then the society of the wicked so there is no greater a help to holiness then the society of those that are godly Look as the beginning of ungodliness is to keep Company with those that are ungodly so the beginning of holiness is to keep company with those that are holy Look as one drunkard makes another and one swearer makes another and one proud person makes another and one worldling makes another and one formalist makes another so one holy man makes another or look as one sober man makes another and one prudent man makes another and one resolute man makes another and one zealous man makes another and one heavenly minded man makes another so one holy man makes another Ah sinners sinners there are no companions in the world that will pitty you as these that will weep and mourn over you as these Rom. 10.1 1 Pet. 3.1 that will strive and wrestle with God for you as these there
are none that will be so tender of your salvation as these nor none that will labour so much for your conversion as these nor none that will so spend themselves to prevent your damnation as these 2 Cor. 12.15 Oh Sirs upon tryall you will finde that there are none so able to counsel you nor none so faithfull to reprove you nor none so ready to help you nor none so compassionate to simpathize with you nor none so strong to support you nor none so advantaged to convert you as those that are holy and why then will you not labour to be one of this society Oh Sirs of all fellowships the fellowship of Saints is the most noble the most honorable the most pleasant the most amiable the most desireable the most profitable and the most commendable fellowship and why then will you still live strangers yea enemies to this fellowâ—hip Ah Sirs holy men will still be awakening and alarming of your drowsie spirits they will be still a knocking at the doore of your hearts and asking of you whether it be good going to hell they will still be enquiring of you what provision you have made for another world and how all things stands within they will still be jogging at your elbowes that you may not dye in your sins they will still be whispering in your eare that your souls may live for ever The Jewes have a Proverb That two dry sticks put to a greene one will kindle it Oh there is nothing in all the world that contributes so much to the kindling to the firing and to the inflaming of mens hearts after holiness as the society of those that are holy Algerius an Italian Martyr had rather be in prison with Cato then to live with Caesar in the Senate-house Oh it is ten thousand times better to live with those that are holy though in a dark prison then to live amongst those that are unholy though in a Royal Palace Vrbanus Regius Adam in vita Regii p. 78. having one dayes converse with Luther tells us that it was one of the sweetest dayes that ever he had in all his life Oh sinners did you but experience for one day the sweete and happinesse of the communion of Saints you would then cry out Oh there is no society to the society of Gods holy ones And therefore as ever you would be holy let holy men have more heart-roome and house-roome with you But Fifthly If ever you would be holy then dwell much upon those solemn Vowes and Covenants that you have formerly made in the dayes of your distress Ah how often have you in the dayes of your calamity and misery and in the dayes when sicknesses and weaknesses did hang upon you and when the terrours of death were upon you how frequently in those dayes did you solemnly vow and promise that by the strength and assistance of the Lord you would break off your sins by repentance and that you would make it your greatest care and your greatest business and worke in this world to minde holiness and to press after holiness and to give your souls no rest till you had experienced the power excellency and sweetness of holiness As David by an oath bound himselfe to keep Gods righteous judgements Psal 119.106 I have sworne and I will performe it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments a religious vow is nothing else but a solemn promise or oath whereby a man engages himselfe to the great God that he will decline such wayes means and methods as lead to wickedness and that he will set in good earnest upon the practice of all the wayes and means of holiness by the strength and assistance of divine grace so you have by many vowes and promises engaged your selves to cast off the workes of darkness Rom. 13.12 and to put on the Armour of light sutable to the Apostles exhortation And as the people in Nehemiah's time did enter into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods Law and to observe and doe all his Commandements Neh. 10.29 So you have in the times of your outward and inward distresses vowed to the Lord that you would observe all his Statutes and walke in all his holy wayes and doe all his righteous Commandements Job 31.1 2. Job once made a covenant with his eyes that he would not lustfully look upon a maid but how often have you made a covenant with your thoughts that you would not thinke of vanity and with your eyes that you would not behold vanity and with your eares that you would not heare vanity and with your tongues that you would not speak vanity and with your hearts that you would not contrive vanity and with your hands that you would not act vanity now your vowes and your covenants are upon you Prov. 2.17 oh that you would not with the strange woman in the Proverbs forget the covenant of your God oh 't is better ten thousand times not to vow Eccl. 5.5 then to vow and not to pay God can take no pleasure in such as are off and on with him nor in such who are forward to vow but make no conscience to pay their vowes these are fools in folio and therefore God cannot but detest them and turne his back upon them If good Jacob who is called the father of vowes was so backward to pay his vowes that God was forced not only to round him in the eare againe and againe with a goe up to Bethel and there build me a Chappel but also severcly to punish his delayes both in the rape of his daughter and in the cruelty of his sons c. Gen. 35. Ah how severely then may God deale with such who doe not only delay the paying of their vowes but who live also in the daily breach of their vowes Most men have need of that counsell which the Bishop of Colen gave Sigismund the Emperour that ask't him what he should doe to be happy Live said he as you promised and vowed to doe when you were last sick of the Stone and Gout Ah that all men would make more conscience of living out and of living up to the covenants vowes and promises that they have made to God in the dayes when the hand of the Lord has gone out many wayes against them and when terrours of conscience have been strong upon them O what repentance O what reformation O what amendment have they promised in those dayes and yet no sooner have these outward and inward stormes been over but they have been as vaine and loose and base as ever In the time of the great Sweat in King Edwards dayes as long as the heate of the plague lasted O how did every one cry out peccavi peccavi I have sinned I have sinned mercy Lord O mercy mercy good Lord. Then Lords and Ladies and people of all sorts cryed out to the Ministers for the Lords sake Sirs tell us what shall we doe to avoyd
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
for a man to reade other mens books to reade other mens holy works c. Answ Doubtless it is lawfull and that First Because other mens holy works so far as they are holy are but the fruits products and operations of the holy Spirit c. Secondly Because their holy labours are of singular use for the clearing up of many hard difficult and mysterious Scriptures c. Thirdly Because they have been the means of many mens conversion John Hus confesseth that the reading of Luthers works was the maine cause of his conversion And whilest Vergerius read Luthers books with an intent to confute them himselfe was converted by them I doubt not but that there are many now in heaven and multitudes now on earth that have been converted by the books and writings of holy men and therefore it cannot but be lawfull to reade such books c. Fourthly Though it be lawfull to reade other mens holy works yet the holy Scriptures must still have the preheminence they must be firstly chiefly and mostly read all other books in comparison of the book of God must be cast by 't is Gods book that is indeed the book of Books Lib. 20. cap. 4. Josephus in his book of Antiquities makes mention of one Cumanus a Governour of Judea that though he were but a Heathen and a wicked man yet he caused a Souldier to be beheaded for tearing a Copy of the book of Moses Law which he found at the sacking of a Towne And venerable in all Ages and among all Nations have been the books wherein the Laws either of their belief or politie have been contained As the Talmud among the Jews and the Laws of the twelve Tables among the Romans and the Alcoran among the Turkes yea all Pagans have highly valued the Laws of their Legislators and shall not Christians much more set an high esteeme upon the holy Scriptures which are the Map of Gods mercy and mans misery the touchstone of truth the shop of remedies against all maladies the Hammer of vices and the treasury of vertues the displayer of all sensual and worldly vanities the Ballance of equitie and the most perfect Rule of all Justice and honesty What Chrysostom said of old to his hearers viz. Get you Bibles for they are your souls Physick that I say to you all oh get you Bibles for they are your souls Physick your souls food your souls happiness Ah friends no book becomes your hands like the Bible 't was this book that made David wiser then his Teachers this is the book that makes the best preachers and this is the book that is the best preacher This book this preacher will preach to you in your Shops in your Chambers in your Closets yea in your own bosomes This book will preach to you at home and abroad 't will preach to you in all companies whether they are good or bad and 't will preach to you in all conditions whether they are prosperous or afflictive by this book you shall be saved or by this book you shall be damned by this book you must live by this book you must die and by this book you shall be judged in the great day John 12.48 Oh therefore love this book above all other books and prize this book above all other books and buy this book before all other books in king Henry the Eighths time and in Queen Maries dayes Christians would have given Cart-loads of Hay and Corne for a few Chapters in the new Testament and will not you part with three or foure shillings to buy a Bible that may save your souls that may make you holy here and happy hereafter and reade this book before all other books and study this book more then all other books for he that reads much and understands nothing is like him that hunts much and catcheth nothing And let this suffice for this 7th direction Eighthly If ever you would be holy then be much in prayer Prayer is the most prevalent Orator at the throne of grace many that have gon to that throne with tears in their eyes have come away with praises in their hearts and many that have gon to that throne with hearts full of sin have returned with hearts full of grace Hosea 14.4 Jacob wep't and prayed and prayed and wep't and in the close as a Prince he prevailed with God so many a sinner has wep't and prayed and prayed and wep't and in the close as a Prince he has prevailed with God Ah Sirs it may be that there are but a few weeks nay a few dayes peradventure but a few houres between your souls and eternity between your souls and everlasting burnings between your souls and a devouring fire between your souls and damnation and will you not then pray and mourn and mourn and pray for that holiness without which there is no happiness yea without which hell and destruction will be for ever your portion Oh take that blessed promise Ezek. 36.25 26 27. and urge God with it oh tell him that he has said that he will sprinkle clean water upon you and that ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and that from all your Idols he will cleanse you c. Oh tell him First That he stands engaged by promise to give his holy Spirit to them that aske it Luke 11.13 Secondly Oh tell him that none can make an unholy heart holy but a holy God Thirdly Tell him that surely 't is no sin to beg holiness of a holy God Fourthly Tell him that he has made such who were once notorious in wickedness to become eminent in holiness witness Manasses Mary Magdalen Paul the murderers of Christ and those vile Corinthians 1 Cor. 5.6 9 10 11. Fifthly Tell him that he has given holiness to them that have not sought it and how then can it stand with his honour to deny it to them that seek it surely if he has been found of them that sought him not he will not hide himselfe from them that seek him Isa 65.1 2. Sixthly Tell him that thou hadst rather that he should deny thee any thing then that he should deny thee holiness say to him Lord health is the Prince of outward mercies and wealth is the spring of many mercies and wife children and friends are the set offs of mercies the creame of mercies and that liberty is the sweetner of all thy mercies and yet tell him that thou hadst rather that he should strip thee of any of these nay that he should deny thee all of these then that he should deny thee holiness Seventhly Tell him that thou didst never reade of any man that did ever make a hearty request for holiness but his request was granted The Leper would faine be clean and Christs answer is I will be thou clean Math. 8.2 3. Christ do's neither delay him nor deny him the poor Leper could no sooner desire to be clean but Christ commands him to be clean I will
man unserviceable in his generation a covetous man is like a Swine that is good for nothing whilst he lives the Horse is good to bare and carry the Ox is good to draw the Sheep is good for cloth the Cow is good to give milk and the Dogg is good to keep the house but the Hogg is good for nothing whilst he lives so a covetous man is neither good for Church nor State he is no wayes serviceable in his generation onely when he is dead that Scripture often proves true viz. That the riches of a sinner are laid up for the just Job 27. By all which you may see the greatness of this sin of covetousness that is so closely charged upon them But Secondly He grew worse under the afflicting hand of God I was wroth and smote him and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart They were like pevish froward stubborn children that grow more cross crooked and perverse under all the chastenings of their Father and this was no small aggravation of their sin Lib. de superstitione that they grew worse under the Rod. Plutarch writes that 't is the quality of Tygres that if the Drums or Tabouâ—s sound about them they will grow mad and rend and tear their own flesh in pieces and so 't was with these sinners in the text Oh how did they fret and fume and tear and take on when they were under the rebukes of God But Thirdly He persever'd and went on against all gain-sayings I have seen his ways that is I have seen his obstinacy and incorrigibility in sin Ah poor creature says God he sees not his present misery and slavery he takes no notice of his own folly and vanity of his own frowardness and pevishness he scorns to bend or bow under my mighty hand he is resolved to stand it out to the death he will persist on in his own wayes though he eternally perishes though hell stands at the end of his ways yet on he will Well what is the issue of all this God saith I have seen his ways and will heal him 't is not I have seen his ways and will curse him no but I have seen his ways and will heal him 't is not I have seen his ways and will never have any more to do with him no but I have seen his ways and will heal him 't is not I have seen his ways and will damn him no but I have seen his ways and will heal him Oh the freeness Oh the unsearchableness Oh the riches of Gods grace And thus you see that the precious promises last cited are promises that are made over to sinners as sinners And this is further evident in that Isa 43.22 23 24 25. For sins of omission and sins of commission what can be more charged upon a sinful people then here is charged upon them they were not onely negligent of his worship and service but they were also weary of his worship and service and counted it rather a burden then a benefit a toyl then a pleasure in all their outward observances they did but court the Lord they did but complement with God for whilst they were in his service their hearts were secretly weary of his service and by their sinful commissions Oh how did they grieve vex oppress and burden the Holy one of Israel and yet in vers 25. God does passionately and emphatically proclaim their free pardon I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins The Metaphor is taken from mens blotting out of debts out of their debt-book now when a debt is blotted out of the debt-book 't is never charged upon the debtor more 't is never regarded nor remembered more so when God proclaimes the sinners pardon when he forgives him his transgressions he blots he rases he crosses his books and cancels all bonds so as that he will never object his sins against him and never charge his sins upon him but being once forgiven they shall be for ever forgotten they shall never come into his remembrance more And all this he will do for his name sake and for the praise and glory of his own Free-grace So in Ezek. 36.26 27 28. and 37. compared Now by all these Scriptures 't is most plain and evident that the precious promises of special grace and mercy are made over to sinners as sinners and if so then doubtless sinners may lawfully put these promises into suit Oh sirs don't you know that desire is the soul of prayer and who but such as are witless and graceless will say that a wicked man may not desire the accomplishment of Gods gracious promises that will say an unregeneraâ—e man may not desire to be pardoned sanctified and renewed and that the Lord would bestow his spirit upon him and that by the finger of the same spirit the Law of the Lord may be written in his heart that he may observe his Statutes and do them these are things that God has engaged himself to do for poor sinners and therefore certainly sinners may put God in mind of his engagements But Sixthly and lastly God would never have encouraged and rewarded with temporal favors wicked and unregenerate mens religious duties and services as he has done if he would not have had them exercise themselves in Religious duties now that he has thus encouraged and rewarded wicked and unregenerate men is evident in these instances 1 Kings 21.19 ult Jonah 3.4 ult 2 Chron. 26.5 Vzziah sought God in the days of Zechariah and when he sought the Lord God made him to prosper had he been really godly had he had the root of the matter in him had he been a sincere a throughout Christian he would have sought the Lord all his days he would have held on and held out in well-doing but being carnal hypocritical and unregenerate his Religion dies with Zechariah Another instance you have of this among the sailors that usually are the worst of sinners Psal 107.23 30. And another you have in that known case of Jehu from all which we may well conclude that God expects and looks that wicked men that unregenerate men should be found in the exercise of Religious duties It is an excellent observation of Calvin upon Gods rewarding the Rechabites obedience Jer. 35.19 God saith he oft recompenceth the shadows and seeming appearances of vertue to shew that complacency he takes in the ample rewards he hath reserved for true and sincere piety To conclude It was as easie for Boaz to have given Ruth as much corn at once as would have yielded her an Ephah of Barly so have sent her home without any more ado but he would not being resolved that she should use her endeavor to gather and glean it and beat it out too when she had gleaned it so 't is as easie a thing for God to give his Christ to give his Spirit and to give his Grace immediately
holiness 'T was a good saying of One Da quod Jubes Augustine jube quod vis Give what thou commandest and command what thou wilt O goe to God and tell him that what he has commanded in some Scriptures he has promised to give in other Scriptures and therefore press him to make good his promises that so you may obey his precepts O tell him that if he will but sprinkle clean water upon thee and put his Spirit within thee Ezek. 36.25 26 27 28. and give a new heart unto thee according to his promise that then thou wilt walke in his Statutes and keep his Judgments and doe them O tell him that if he will but put his feare into thy heart according to his promise Jer. 32.40 that then thou wilt never depart from him O tell him Phil. 1.29 James 5.17 that he has commanded thee to believe and that he has also promised to give thee faith and therefore if he will but make good his promise thou shalt be sure to obey his precepts O tell him that he has frequently commanded thee to repent Acts 5.31 2 Tim. 2.25 and that he has also graciously promised to give repentance and therefore if he will but performe his promise thou shalt not faile to obey his precepts c. O tell him that thou hast no mind to be damn'd tell him that thou tremblest at the thoughts of hell tell him that thou canst not without much horror think of dwelling with a devouring fire of dwelling with everlasting burnings O tell him Isa 33.14 2 Thes 1.7 8 9 10. that thou dreadest an eternall separation from him and therefore earnestly beseech him for his Sons sake and for his glory sake and his promise sake and thy souls sake that he would renew thy nature and sanctifie thy soul that so thou mayest not perish to all eternity But Sixthly and lastly What dis-ingenuity yea what injustice and unrighteousness is this that thou shouldest lye complaining of the want of power when thou doest not use and improve the power thou hast without the power and assistance of special grace thou hast power to attend religious duties and services thou hast power to turne thy back upon the infectious and dangerous society of wicked and ungodly men thou hast power to keep at a distance from the Harlots door Prov. 7. thou hast power to keep thy mouth of blasphemy shut thou hast power to keep thy hands from stealing James 3.10 Ephe. 4.28 Rom. 3.15 and thy feete from being swift to shed innocent blood thou hast power to bring thy body to an Ordinance though thou hast not power to bring thy soul to the Ordinance the Noble Bereans brought their bodies to the Ordinance Acts 17.11 12. and they took the heads of the Apostles Sermon and compared them with the Scripture and yet they were in an unrenewed and unsanctified estate O Sirs you have power to come to publick Ordinances and to set your selves under the droppings of a Gospel powerful Ministry you have power to lie at the poole of Bethesda and there to waite till the cure be wrought but where is the unsanctified soul that improves the power he has Tell me O vaine man why should God trust thee with a greater power when thou makest no conscience of improving that power thou hast Why should God trust thee with Ten Tallents when thou hast no heart to improve the two that he has already trusted thee withall What wise Father or Master will trust that child or servant with hundreds or thousands who makes no conscience of improving far lesser sums to the honour and advantage of the Father or the Master how doest thou know O man but that upon the faithfull improvement of that power thou hast God may adde a greater power to thee if thou wilt but goe that two miles thou canst God may strike in with thee and inable thee to goe Ten. 'T is a dangerous thing to neglect the doing of that which thou canst doe because that thou canst not doe every thing that thou shouldest doe Suppose a Father or a Master should say to his Son or servant take such and such wares and commodities and carry them to such and such places for such and such Chapmen and the Son or servant should say well though there be some small light burthens that I can well enough carry yet there are many heavie burthens that I cannot carry and therefore I will carry none at all may not the Father of such a Son or the Master of such a servant in much Justice and righteousness severely punish such a Son or servant doubtless yes Why this is the very case of all unsanctified souls God commands them to believe and repent and to love him with all their hearts and to set him up as the object of their feare and to give him the preheminence in all things c. But these are supernaturall acts beyond their power And he commands them to attend on the meanes of grace and to waire at Wisdoms door he commands them to apply themselves to publike ordinances and to keep close to family duties and to turne their backs upon such and such vicious societies c. and these are things they can doe and yet because they cannot doe the former they wilfully and wickedly refuse to doe the latter because they cannot bare the heaviest burthen they are resolved they will bare none at all and because they cannot doe every thing they should they will doe nothing at all except it be to complaine that God is a hard Master and expects to reape where he do's not sowe now how just and righteous a thing it is with God to deale severely with such I will leave you to judge And let this suffice for answer to the first objection Object Object 2 But hereafter may be time enough to look after holiness I may yet pursue after the pleasures and profits of the world I may yet spend some years in gratifying mine own lusts and in walking after the course of the world I have time enough before me and therefore some years hence may be time enough to look after holiness Now to this objection I shall give these Answers First Thou wilt not say that thou canst be saved too soon nor happie too soon nor blessed too soon nor pardoned too soon nor in the favour of God too soon nor out of the danger of wrath hell and everlasting burnings too soon and if so then certainly thou canst not be holy too soon for thou canst never be truly happie till thou art truly holy No man will be so foolish and mad as to say he may be rich too soon and great too soon and high and honorable in the world too soon and in faâ—â—â—r and esteeme with men especially with great men too soon and why then shouldest thou be so mad and foolish as practically to say that thou canst be holy too soon
and though Legal terrour Evangelical joy are inconsistent Zach. 12.10 1 Pet. 1.8 yet Evangelical sorrow and Evangelical joy are consistent in one and the same soule the same eye of faith that drops tears of sorrow drops also tears of joy A cleare sight of free-grace of pardoning mercy and of a bleeding dying Saviour will at the same time fill the soul both with sorrow and joy as the experiences of a thousand Christians can testifie A Christian alwayes joys most and mourns most Luke 7. when he is most under the sense of divine love the influences and incomes of heaven the hopes of glory the reports of mercy and the precious sealings of the blessed Spirit Look as Physick is the way to health so godly sorrow is the way to holy joy Prov. 14.13 look as a wicked mans joy ends in sorrow so a godly mans sorrow ends in joy Isa 61.3 To appoint unto them that mourne in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness that they may be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Godly sorrow is the Parent of holy joy a Godly mans mourning time is his most joyfull time I have read of a godly man who lying upon his dying bed and being askt which was the joyfullest time that ever he had in all his life cryed our O give me my mourning dayes againe O give me my mourning dayes againe for they were the joyfullest dayes that ever I had The more a Christian sowes in teares Psal 126.6 the greater even in this world shall be his harvest of joy his merry dayes shall be alwayes answerable to his mourning dayes But Thirdly I anâ—wer that this is a false charge a meere slander an unjust calumny that Satan and his bond-slaves have cast upon holiness and the wayes of holiness on purpose to hinder men from pursuing and following after holiness The language of the objection is quite contrary to the language of the holy Scripture witness that Psal 138.5 Yea they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord. When the Kings of the earth shall be generally converted and sanctified as 't is in ver the 4th Then they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord when they shall come to experience and taste the power excellency and sweetness of holiness then they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord. Conversation and sanctification administer the highest grounds of joy and rejoycing 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 A holy conversation affords the greatest ground of rejoycing There is no joy to that which springs from the testimony of a sanctified conscience God has given it under his own hand Pro. 3.17 that the wayes of wisdom which are alwayes wayes of holiness are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace There is no pleasure nor felicity to that which flowes from the wayes of sanctity The sweetest Roses the strongest comforts and the greatest pleasantness is to be found in the wayes of holiness O! the joy the peace the tranquillity the serenity that attends the wayes of purity I might call in many millions of Saints who from their own experiences are able to give the lye to this objection and further to tell you that they have met with more comforts sweetness and pleasantness in one houres communion with God in one houres walking with God then ever they have found in all the wayes of ungodliness and wickedness wherein they have wandered O! they are able to tell you Isa 57.20 21. that when they walkt in wayes of impiety they found by experience that God had made a seperation between sin and peace between sin and joy Rom. 6.21 between sin and assurance between sin and the light of his countenance c. and they are able to tell you from what they have found that there is no feare no terror no horror no gripes no grief no stings no hells to those that attend the wayes of ungodliness and this were enough to blow off this objection But Fourthly I answer that the joy of the Saints is chiefly and mainely an inward joy a spiritual joy a joy that lyes remote from a carnal eye the joy of a Christian lyes deep it cannot be expressed it cannot be painted look as no man can paint the sweetness of the Honey-combe nor the sweetness of a Cluster of Grapes nor the fragrancy of the Rose of Sharon so no man can paint out the sweetness and spiritualness of a Christians joy it lyes so deep and low in a gracious heart and look as the life of a Christian is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 so the joy of a Christian is hid with Christ in God as their life is a hidden life so their joy is a hidden joy the joy of a Christian is hidden Manna 't is the new name and white stone Rev. 2.20 that none knoweth but he that has it Pro. 14.10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness and a stranger doth not intermeddâ—e with his joy The joy of a Saint is a Jewel that falls not under a strangers eye Look as the greatest terrors and torments of the wicked are inward so the greatest joyes and comforts of the Saints are inward and look as the heart of man is deep Jer. 17.9 10. so holy joy is a treasure that lyes deep and 't is not every man that has a golden key to search into this Treasury As a man standing on the Sea-shore sees a great heap of waters one wave riding upon the back of another and making a dreadfull noise but all this while though he sees the water rouling and hears it raging and roaring yet he sees not the wealth the gold the silver the Jewels and incredible Treasures that lye buried there so wicked men they see the wants of the Saints but not their wealth they see their poverty but not their riches their miseries but not their mercies their conflicts but not their comforts their sorrows but not their joyes 1 Cor. 2.14 O the blinde world cannot see the joys and rejoycings the comforts and consolations of the Saints that lye at the bottom of their souls their joys are inward and spiritual and so must the eye be that discernes them the joy of the Saints is like a Garden inclosed Cant. 4.12 a spring shut up a fountaine sealed Psal 45.13 And as the glory of the Church is inward so the joy of the Church is inward Isa 12.3 The waters of consolation lye deep in the wells of salvation The richest veines of Oare lye deepest under ground and so do's the strongest and the choicest
pleasures as from delighting in a Rattle a Pipe a Feather a Hobby-horse a wooden Sword c. So all the pleasures and delights that holiness takes a man off from they are babish and foolish yea they are base dangerous and devilish and therefore it must needs be rather a high felicity then a misery for God to take thee off from such sinful pleasures and delights by laying principles of holiness into thy heart O! remember that holiness will be no loss unto thee it will be onely an exchange of sinful delights for those that are holy and of carnal for those that are spiritual and of earthly for those that are heavenly Gen. 22. Isaac was not to be sacrificed but the Ram all the delights that holiness will put thee upon to sacrifice are but the Rammish and rank delights of sin and the world which may better be sacrificed then spared holiness will secure thy Isaac that is thy spiritual laughter thy spiritual joy and thy heavenly delights and pleasure Well for a close remember this that sensual pleasures are below a man witne s Tully who saith that he is not worthy of the name of a man qui unum diem velit esse in voluptate that would entirely spend one whole day in pleasures and witness Julian the Apostate who professed that the pleasures of the body were far below a great spirit he that delights in sensual pleasures shall find at last his greatest pleasures to become his bitterest pains all that holiness will do is but to ease thee of thy pains and therefore thou hast more cause to pursue after it then to turn thy back upon it But Seventhly I answer That it may be their present case and condition bespeaks rather the exercise and evidence of sorrow and of grief then of gladness joy and triumph First Psal 51. Multi conscientiam habent non ad remedium sed ad judicium saith One. And Tolle conscientiam tolle omnia saith another For first It may be some wound or guilt at present may lye hard upon their consciences as once it did on Davids and who then is able to rejoyce under a wounded conscience a guilty conscience As long as Adam did Fast in Paradise he stood fast but having once wounded his conscience by eating the forbidden fruit though he tarried a while in Paradise yet he could take no delight nor content in Paradise 't is true the Sun did shine as bright as ever and the Rivers ran as clear as ever and the Birds sang as sweetly as ever and the Beasts played as pleasantly as ever and the Flowers smelled as fragrantly as ever and all the Trees and fruits of the Garden did flourish as bravely as ever c. Ah but now Adam had contracted guilt upon his conscience and this marrs his joy and spoils his delight and unparadises Paradise to him his fall had made so deep a wound in his conscience that he could take no delight in any of the delights of Paradise guilt as an arrow did stick so fast in his conscience that instead of sucking sweetness from the fairest fruits Gen. 3.10 Jer. 20.4 he runs to hide himself under the broadest leaves Guilt makes a man a Magor-Missabib a terror to himself Put never such stately Robes upon a wounded man he mindes them not set never such dainty fair before a wounded man he rellisheth it not lay him on never so soft a bed yet it pleaseth him not and let him hear never such sweet musick yet it delights him not the smart and sense of his wound takes off the sweet of all and so does a wound in the conscience take off the sweet of all a mans enjoyments and contentments A guilty conscience like Prometheus's Vulture Desperare est in infernum descendere Isid Mat. 8.19 lies ever gnawing What the probationer-Disciple said to our Saviour viz. Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest that a guilty conscience says to a fallen sinner if thou fast I will follow thee and fill thy minde with black and dismal apprehensions of God of justice of hell if thou feast I will follow thee and shew thee the hand-writing on the wall Dan. 5.5 that shall make thy countenance to change thy thoughts to be troubled and thy joynts to be loosed and thy knees to be dashed one against another when thou goest forth I will follow thee with terrors and when thou returnest home I will follow thee with horrors when thou goest to board I will follow thee with stinging accusations and when thou goest to bed Job 7.14 I will follow thee with terrifying and affrighting dreams Now what joy can be in such a mans heart 'T was guilt that made that despairing Pope say That the Cross could do him no good he had so often sold it what gladness can be in such a mans face surely none I remember a saying of Luther una guttula malae conscientiae totum mare mundam gaudii absorbet one drop of an evil conscience swallows up the whole Sea of worldly joy O 't is better with Enagrius to lye secure on a bed of Straw then to lye with a guilty conscience on a bed of Doun having the Curtains Imbroidered with Gold and the Fringes bespangled with Pearls Sin brings such a stain and such a sting with it as spoils all a mans joys and delights And if this be the present case of a Christian as it may then never wonder to see him hange down his head and to walk mournfully before his God Or Secondly Secondly This may arise from some great and heavy affliction which for the present may sadly distress and oppress a Saints spirit as Jobs did his or as Hezekiahs did his Job 3.38 Isa 9. 16. Gen. 37.30 to the end or as Jacobs did his c. The disease may be so violent the Physick may be so strong the wound may be so deep the Plaister may be so corroding the melting-por may be so hot the Iron chains may be so heavy the Gaul and Wormwood may be so bitter that a Christian may be so far from joy and rejoycing as that he may for the present be so shut up under trouble and amazement and under sorrow and grief Psal 77.4 as that he may not be able if you would give him all the world to open his case unto you his eyes may in some sort tell what his tongue can in no sort utter usually they are the smallest miseries when he that hath them can presently tell all the world of them the greatest sorrow hath for the most part the deepest silence attending on it what Christian ever had joy in his heart or gladness in his face when God was carrying of it harshly and roughly towards him Or Thirdly Lam. 1.16 Gen. 31.2 5. Psal 30.7 Read the 77. and the 88. Psalms Isa 8.17 Mich. 7.7 8 9 17. Psal 4.6 Psal 42.5 11 c. Thirdly It may be they are
in times of persecution the Saints have still had recourse to The Romans being in great distress were put so hard to it that they were faine to take the weapons out of the Temples of their gods to fight with their enemies and so they overcame them so when the people of God have been hard put to it by reason of afflictions and persecutions the weapons that they have fled to has been prayers and teares and with these they have overcome their persecutors as is evident in the three Children in Daniel and many others c. But Secondly Persecutions doe but raise whet and stir up a more earnest and vehement spirit of prayer among the persecuted Saints See Acts 4.17.21 29 31. compared Luke 18.7 Lam. 5.59 60 61 c. Rev. 6.9 10. And when he had opened the fift seal I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held And they cryed with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth The blood Blood hath as many tongues as drops to cry for vengeance which made King James say that if God did leave him to kill a man he would think God did not love him 1 Cor. 6. ult 1 Pet. 1.18 19. of the persecuted cryes aloud for vengeance upon the persecutors By the souls under the Altar you are to understand the persons of the Saints which were martyred and lay slaine upon the ground like sacrifices at the foot of the Altar under the Roman persecuting Emperours There is no blood that cries so loud and that makes so great a noise in heaven as the blood of the Martyrs as the blood of butchered persecuted Saints Persecutors like these Roman Emperours in all ages have causlesly and cruelly destroyed the people of God they delight in the blood of Saints they love to wallow in the blood of Saints they take pleasure in glutting themselves with the blood of Saints they make no conscience of watering the earth nor of colouring the Sea nor of quenching the flames with the blood of the Saints yea if it were possible they would willingly swim to heaven through their hearts-blood whom Christ has purchased with his own most precious blood as all Historians know and as you may all know if you would but search a little into Ecclesiastical Histories and therefore 't is no wonder if the blood of the Martyrs cry aloud for vengeance upon such desperate persecutors The blood and prayers of persecuted Saints will first or last bring down wrath and ruine upon their persecutors Persecution puts an edge yea a sharp edge upon the prayers of the Saints Acts 12.5 Peter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies earnest and stretched-out prayer When Peter was in prison All these circumstances doe wonderfully declare the power of God in his deliverance Some say he had 16. others say he had 20 Souldiers for his Guard the greater was his deliverance sleeping between two Souldiers and bound with two chains and the keepers standing before the prison doore O how earnest O how instant O how fervent O how vehement O how constant were the Saints in their prayers for his deliverance O their hearts their souls their spirits were in their prayers O their prayers were no cold prayers no formal prayers no luke-warme prayers nor no dull or drowsie prayers but their prayers were full of life and full of warmth and full of heate they knew Herods bloody intention to destroy this holy Apostle by his imprisoning of him and by the chaines that were put on him and by the strong Guards that were set upon him and by his bathing of his sword in the innocent blood of James James was the first of the Apostles that dyed a violent death that his hand might be the more apt and ready for further acts of murther and cruelty and O how did the consideration of these things whet and provoke their spirits to prayer O now they will have no nay now they will give God no rest till he has overturn'd the Tyrants counsell and designes and sent his Angel to open the prison doores and to knock off Peters chains and to deliver him from the wrath and fury of Herod and their prayers were successfull as is evident in the 12. ver And when he had considered the thing he came to the house of Mary the mother of John This house is thought by many to be the house where the Apostles commonly had their meetings whose surname was Mark where many were gathered together praying or rather as the Originall has it where many thronged together to pray the violence and rage of their persecutors did so raise whet and incourage them to prayer that they throng together they crouded together to pray yea when others were a sleeping they were a praying and their prayers were no sleepie prayers they were no lazy dronish prayers nor they were no book-prayers but they were powerfull and prevalent prayers for as so many Jacob's or as so many Princes they prevailed with God they prayed and wept and wept and prayed they call'd and cryed and cryed and call'd they beg'd and bounc'd and they bounc'd and beg'd and they never left knocking at heavens Gates till Peters chains were knockt off and Peter given into their Armes yea their bosomes as an answer of prayer O the power and force of joynt prayer when Christians doe not only beseech God but besiege him and beset him too and when they will not let him goe till he has blest them and answered their prayers and the desires of their souls I have read that Mary Queen of Scots that was mother to King James was wont to say that she was more afraid of Mr. Knox's prayers and the prayers of those Christians that walk't with him then shee was of a knocking Army of ten thousand men And that is a remarkable passage of the Psalmist Psal 109.3 4. They compassed me about also with words of hatred and fought against me without a caâ—se The like speech you have in that Psal 120.7 Vaani uzephillah But I prayer For my love they are my adversaries but I give my selfe unto prayer or as the Hebrew has it But I am prayer or a man of prayer Persecuted Saints are men of prayer yea they are as it were made up all of prayer David prayed before but O when his enemies fell a persecuting of him then he gave up himsâ—lf wholly to prayer O then he was more earnest more fervent more frequent more diligent more constant and more abundant in the work of prayer Plutarch in the life of Numa When Numa King of the Romans was told that his enemies were in Armes against him he did but laugh at it
souls But this great truth I shall make more evident by an induction of particulars thus First hereby you will give an evident proof of the soundness and uprightness of your own hearts Phil. 1.27 28 29. Afflictions and persecutions will discover what mettal men are made of All is not Gold that glisters many there be that glister and look like golden Christians but when they come to the fire they prove but dross he is a golden Christian indeed who remains gold when under fiery trials The stony ground did glister and shine very gloriously Mat. 13.20 21. for it received the word with joy for a time but when the Sun of persecution rise upon it it fell away Men that now imbrace the Word will in times of persecution distast the Word if it be not rooted in their understandings judgements wills affections and consciences men may court the Word and complement the Word and applaud the Word and seemingly rejoyce in the Word but thy will never suffer persecution for the Word if it be onely received into their heads and not rooted in their hearts Mat. 7.26 27. The House built upon the sand was as lovely as comely as goodly and as glorious a house to look upon as that which was built upon the Rock but when the rain of affliction descended and the floods of tribulation came and the winds of persecution blew and beat upon that house it fell and great was the fall of it No professors will be able to stand it out in all winds and weathers but such as are built upon a Rock all others will sink shatter Mal. 3.2 and fall when the wind of persecution blows upon them as sure as the rain will fall the floods flow and the winds blow so sure will an unsound heart give out when trials come no heart but a sound heart will hold out bravely when hardships attends holiness on both hands no heart but a holy heart will bear the brunt of persecution for holiness sake The three children Shadrach Meshech and Abednego Dan. 3.17 18. would rather burn then bow they would rather suffer then sin which was an evident proof of their sincerity and ingenuity they would be non-conformists though Court City and Country cryed up conformity which was a sure argument of their integrity but now unsound hearts will exceedingly shuffle and shift to shift off persecution witness those false Teachers in Gal. 6.12 As many as desire to make a fair shew or as the Greek has it to set a good face on it in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they constrain you to be circumcised onely lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ At this time the Jews out of zeal to their Law did sorely persecute those that did either preach or practise any thing contrary to their Law Now these false Teachers set a good face on 't and make a fair shew as if they were all for carnal Rites and Ceremonies and they urged circumcision upon the Galathians but not out of any affection or zeal that they did bare to the Law but onely to procure favour on the one hand and to avoid and escape the malice and persecution of the Jews on the other hand they that were no Jews to avoid persecution would comply with them that were they would seem to be very earnest for Judaism but not for Christianisme that so they might escape the fury of the Jews Unsound hearts will say any thing and do any thing and be any thing to avoid persecution and to ingratiate themselves with persecutors Joseph Hist Lib. 13. The Samaritans as long as the Jewish Religion flourished and was in honor caused a Temple to be built on Mount Garazin that therein they might not be inferior to the Jews and they boasted themselves to be of the progeny of Joseph and worshippers of God with them but when they perceived that the Jews were cruelly afflicted and persecuted by Antiochus Epiphanes for worshipping of the true God and fearing least they should be handled in the like manner they changed both their coat and their note affirming that they were but Israelites but Sidonians and that they had built their Temple not unto God but to Jupiter Thus times of affliction and persecution will distinguish the precious from the vile 't will difference the counterfeit professor from the true Persecution is a Christians Touch-stone 't is a Lapis Lydius that will try what mettal men are made of whether they be Silver or Tine Gold or dross Wheat or Chaffe shadow or substance carnal or Spiritual sincere or hypocritical nothing speaks out more soundness and uprightness then a pursuing after holiness even then when holiness is most afflicted pursued and persecuted in the world to stand fast in fiery trials argues much integrity within But Secondly All the troubles and persecutions which Satan or his instruments raise against the Saints of the most high shall not diminish their number but rather increase them The more the Israelites in Egypt were oppressed afflicted and persecuted the more they increased and multiplyed Exod. 1.10 11 12 13. Cyprian speaking of the Christians Martyrs in his time saith Occidi poterant sed vinci non poterant They may kill them but they cannot overcome them Come say they let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply let us increase their task let us lay heavy burdens upon them c. and accordingly they did thinking by low this means to cow out their spirits and to have brought them low and to have lessened their number but did this stratagem prevail O no As you may see in vers 12. But the more they afflicted them the more they multiplyed and grew There were but seventy souls that went down to Egypt but they multiplyed to six hundred thousand besides children as is evident by comparing Exod. 1.5.7 with Chap. 12.37 38. So the Jews that were carried captive to Babylon were but twelve thousand six hundred but they returned fourty two thousand three hundred and threescore besides their servants and their Maids of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven Neh. 7.66 67 c. Ezra 2.64 65. The Kingdom of Christ is set forth by a little stone cut out of a Mountain without hands Dan. 2.34 35. and though in all ages there has been many hammers at work to break this little stone in pieces yet they have not been able to do it but this little stone has proved a growing stone and in spite of the devil and a persecuting world will grow more and more till it comes to be a-great mountain and filleth the whole earth In the 8. of the Acts you read of a great persecution and the storm beat so hard upon the Churches that it dispersed and scattered them up and down and this was so far from lessening of the number of believers that it did mightily increase their number witness vers 4
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
Robes and their Cottages into stately Palaces and their Barley loaves into costly Banquets but he knew that their hearts would be best when their condition was lowest and therefore he makes them live upon short Commons As there was none so holy as Christ so there was none so poor as Christ Christ lived poor and died poor for as he was born in another mans house so he was buried in another mans Tombe Austine has long since observed that when Christ died he made no Will he had no crown lands If there were any happiness in riches the Gods would not want them said Seneca all he had was a coat and that the souldiers parted amongst them had there been any true happiness or blessedness in Gold and Silver gay clothes stately Mansions brave attendants or in well furnished Tables c. Christ who was and still is the Lord of all would certainly have been so favorable to himself and so kind to his disciples as not to have deprived himself or his Family of that happiness and blessedness which they might have enjoyed by enjoying the brave things of this world but he very well knew that true happiness and blessedness was too great and too glorious a thing to be found in any such worldly enjoyments and upon that foot was willing to be without them himself in his wise providence he so ordered the affairs of his own house that those whom he loved best should have least of those things wherein there was no true happiness Lazarus was very poor but very holy he was houseless but not Lordless his body was clothed with raggs but his soul was adorned with grace he had no bread to eat and yet he had bread to eat that the world knew not of whilst he lived the Doggs being more kinde then their Master lick't his sores but when he died the Angels carried him into Abrahams bosom In all Ages this has been an experienced truth that most men are best in at low condition Pope Martin reports of himself that whilst he was a Monke and lived in the Cloyster he had some evidences for heaven but when he was a Cardinal then he began to fear and doubt whether ever he should go to heaven but afterwards when he came to be Pope he utterly despaired of ever going thither Ah how holy how humble how heavenly how gracious how serious how zealous how prudent how vigilent and how diligent have many men been in these late years whilst their condition was low and poor and mean in the world but when under various changes they changed their Brass into Silver their Copper into Gold their Cottages into Palaces their Shops into Lordships and their Shipskins into Scarlet c. Ah how proud how stately how earthly how carnal how careless how cold how formal how lukewarm how indifferent how light how slight how vain how loose did they generally grow I think since Christ was on earth there has not been a more evident proof of mens being best when their condition was lowest then what has been given within these late years Mandrobulus in Lucian offered to his god the first year Gold the second year Silver and the third year nothing at all so many in our times who were forward in the days of their poverty and adversity to offer Gold and Silver I mean prayers and praises to God yet in the days of their prosperity and worldly glory they offered either nothing to God or else that which was next to nothing I have read of the Pine-tree that if you pull off the Barke it will last a long time but if the Barke continue on it will rot the Tree Ah how has the Bark of honor the bark of riches the bark of pleasure the bark of success the barke of applause and the barke of preferment c. rotted and corrupted and worsned many glorious professors in these days And O that now their barke is taken off they may with the Pine-tree grow better and better O that now they may grow more holy then ever and more humble then ever and more heavenly then ever and more spiritual then ever and more watchful then ever and more faithful then ever and more friendly then ever and more united then ever c. Now if most men are best in a low condition then there is no reason why any man should turn his back upon holiness because of poverty that often treads upon holiness heels The Cypress-Tree is high but barren and the Olive-Tree is low but fruitful Ah Christians 't is infinitely better to be an Olive-Tree low and fruitful to be low in the world and full of the fruits of righteousness and holiness then to be a Cypress-Tree high in honors riches and worldly greatness c. and to be barren of all grace and goodness But Sixthly and lastly consider That spiritual riches which are the best of riches do commonly wait on the poorest Saints usually there are none so rich in spirituals as those that are poorest in temporals there are none that have so much to shew for another world as those that have least to shew of this world Solus sapiens dives saith the Philosopher James 2.5 Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him Though they have never a penny in their purses nor never a ragg to hange on their backs nor never a bit to put in their bellies yet they are rich heirs and their heads are destinated to the Diadem usually the poorest Saints are the richest Christians in comforts 2 Cor. 1.2 3 4 5. Rom. 5.3 in Graces in promises in experiences and in spiritual enjoyments c. The holy soul drives the freest and the greatest Trade heaven-wards the holy soul may sail to any Port that lies in Gods Dominions and Trade freely and what inriches men like a free and a full Ttade There are infinite Treasures laid up in precious promises and all these treasuries lye open to the holy soul a Christian may lade his soul as deep as he pleases with the precious commodities of heaven I have read of Tiberius the Emperor who seeing a Cross set in a Marble stone lying in the ground In the year of our Lord 577. commanded it to be digged up and when 't was digged up he found a rich Treasure under the Cross O sirs under the cross of poverty there are treasures spiritual treasures lasting treasures and satisfying treasures to be found though holiness may be attended with cross upon cross loss upon loss and misery upon misery and calamity upon calamity and sorrow upon sorrow and vexation upon vexation c. yet under every cross and every loss c. a Christian shall be sure to finde such spiritual and Heavenly treasure that for weight worth use delight and duration all the treasures of the world are not to be compared
some instinct of gratitude and shall not a divine instinct enable Christians to do much more in a way of gratitude both upon the account of their own graces and upon the account of those eminent measures of grace that other Saints are blest and crown'd withal though Seiarus did dare to sacrifice to himself yet a Christian must not dare to sacrifice to himself nor to his duties nor to his graces c. the sacrifice of praise in regard of grace received is a crown of glory that is due to none but the God of grace All the Rivers return to the Sea from whence they had their beginning God will give you his Covenant and he will give you his Ordinances and he will give you his heaven and he will give you his Son yea he will give you himself Isa 42.8 but his glory his glory he will not give unto another Whatever he parts with he is resolved that neither Angels nor men shall share with him in the glory of his grace I have read of a Stork that cast a Pearl into the bosom of a Maid which had healed her of a wound O! Sirs when God comes to heal you of your spiritual wounds and diseases and not onely so but shall also richly bespangle and adorn your souls and others with his precious graces what can you do less then cast that Pearl of praise into the bosom of God as David did in that Psal 103.1 6. The best means to get more grace is to be thankful for that grace you have for God loves to sowe much where he reaps much if your returns are answerable to your receipts you will still be on the receiving hand thankfulness is Gods impost for all his blessings and they that truely and duely payes this impost shall be sure to abound in the best of blessings thankfulness for one blessing always draws on another blessing as Saints by experience daily find And thus you see by these Arguments that 't is possible for you to attain higher degrees of holiness then any yet you have reach't unto But Fifthly and lastly 'T is possible for you to attain to higher degrees of holiness c. witness those choice those rare and singular gifts that Christ has bestowed upon many of his servants for this very purpose viz. that they may help on a growth and an increase of holiness in your hearts Eph. 4.8 11 12 13. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ One main end of Christs giving such eminent gifts to his Church Officers is that his people may be made eminent in holiness 't is not onely to bring them in but also to build them up 't is not onely to convert them but also to edifie them 't is not onely to begin a work of holiness but also to perfect and carry on a work of holiness and therefore the Word is not only compared to seed that begets holiness in mens hearts but also to wine and milk and strong meat that helps forward the growth and increase of holiness in mens hearts 'T is only the holy soul that can truely say Credo vitam aeternam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 edo vitam aeternam Cyprian lib. 4. Ep. 6. And so the great end of the Lords Supper is not to work spiritual life where it is not but to encrease it where it tis 't is not to change the heart but more and more to sanctifie the heatt 't is not to work holiness but to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord 't is not to sowe the seed of grace in the soul but 't is to cause that seed to grow and flourish in the soul The Martyrs in the Primitive Church when they were to appear before the cruel Tyrants they were wont as Cyprian shews to receive the Lords Supper and thereby they were fired with zeal and fervor and filled with faith and fortitude c. Chrysostom saith that by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we are so armed against Satans temptations that he fleeth from us as if we were so many Lyons that spit fire The Lords Supper is a Cabinet of spiritual Jewels And O then how unmanly and unseemly a thing is it to hang this Cabinet of Jewels which is more worth then the Gold of Opher in a Swines snout And how that mother can be guiltless of the death of her child that giveth him poison in a Golden cup with this caution that she tells him it is poison I know not no more do I know how that Minister can be guiltless of the body and blood of our Lord who dispences the bread of Life to those who are known to be without spiritual life yea that are known to be dead in sins and trespasses The end of the 43. Sermon And thus you see by these five arguments that 't is possible for you to attain to greater measures of holiness then any yet you have reacht unto and so much for the second Motive Thirdly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Psal 16.3 4. consider that the more holy you are the more you will be the delight of God and the more deare you will be to God and the more beloved you will be of God For the right understanding of this argument you must carefully distinguish between Gods love of good Will and his love of complacency now Gods love of good Will is equall to all his Saints whether they are rich or poore high or low bond or free or whether they have a sea of grace or but a drop of grace Gods love of good Will runs as much out to the weakest Christian as it do's to the strongest to a Babe in grace as to a Gyant in grace All Saints are equally elected God never chose one man a vessel of glory more then another Rom. 11.17 the weakest Saint is as much elected as the strongest And as all Saints are equally elected so all Saints are equally redeemed by Jesus Christ Isa 53.3 12. Christ bled as much for one Saint as another and he sweat as much for one Saint as another and he sighed and groaned as much for one Saint as another and he trod the wine-press of his Fathers wrath as much for one Saint as another 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Christ paid as great a price for his Lambs as for his Sheep for Lazarus in his Rags as for David in his Royal Robes And as all Saints are equally redeemed so all Saints are equally called 1 Pet. 2.9 one Saint is
the old man in all our holy offerings the more they are the delight of God the more holiness any man has the less there will be of man and the more there will be of Christ and the Spirit in all his duties and services and doubtless the less there is of man and the more there is of Christ in duties the more pleasant and delightful they will be unto the Lord. The more holy any man is the more there will be of his heart in his duties and the more a mans heart is in his duties the more pleasant and delightful they will be to God God is a spirit Joh. 4.23 24. and he is only taken with those duties wherein the Spirit of a man is the heart is Camera omnipotentis Regis the presence chamber of the king of heaven 't is his bed of spices 't is his royal Throne on which he delights to sit and rule a sanctified heart in duties shall carry it with God for crownes when a silver tongue shall not carry it with God for crums The more holy any man is the more delight and pleasure he will take in religious duties and services the more a mans natural strength is the more easily he walks the more delightfully he works the fuller the wings are of feathers with the more ease and pleasure the Bird flyes so the fuller the soul is of holiness Psal 40.8 Psal 119.32 Math. 11.29 1 Iohn 5.3 the more easily the more pleasantly and the more delightfully will it walk yea run yea flie in all the wayes of Gods commands every yoak of Christ is easie and every command of Christ is joyous to a man that is eminent in holiness now the more any man delights and takes pleasure in religious duties and services the more God delights and takes pleasure in his religious duties and services the more a Christians heart is affected and taken with the duties of Religion the more the heart of God will be affected and taken with those duties Look as there is no duty that affects the heart of God that do's not first affect our own or that takes the heart of God that do's not first take our own so all those duties and services that are divinely pleasing and delightfull to our noble part they are also pleasing and delightful to God himselfe The very heathen as several Authors report had their store pots of water set at the doores of their Temples where they used to wash before they went to sacrifice having this notion and opinion amongst them that their gods did best accept and most delight in those sacrifices that were offered by those who had washed themselves pure and cleane sure I am that the great God who is the God of gods is most pleased and delighted with those sacrifices of prayers and praises that are offered up with the purest hands and with the cleanest heart and therefore as ever you would have God to take singular pleasure and delight in all your duties and services labour after an eminency in holiness But Ninthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that many who have been won over to Christ later then you do yet in holiness much excell you are there not many children who have been in Christ but yesterday as it were and yet how doe they outstrip their parents not only in parts but in piety who have been in Christ many years before them And are there not many servants to be found who have not been in Christ seaven years who yet are more holy more humble more heavenly more spiritual more serious and every way more gracious then their Masters who have been in Christ long before them And are there not many poor meane neglected despised and scorned Christians who have been converted and sanctified but a few years who yet are more fearfull of sinning against God and more carefull of pleasing God and more studious of glorifying of God and more wise and watchfull and circumspect in their walking with God and more laborious and diligent in the use of all holy means whereby God may be exalted and lifted up in the world then many great and rich Christians in the world who yet have been in Christ very many years before them Paul had some kinsmen that were in Christ before him as you may see in that 16 Rom. 5 7. Likewise greet the Church that is in their house salute my well beloved Epenetus who is the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ Salute Andronieus and Junia my kinsmen 2 Cor. 1.12 Ch. 11.22 30. 1 Thes 2.2 13. and my fellow-prisoners who are of note among the Apostles who also were in Christ before me and yet in grace and holiness he excell'd them all You know many men in riding a Journey do often set out after their neighbours and yet they do not only overtake them but also get into their Innes many houres before them And among Sea-men is there any thing more common then for those who set saile some dayes after others yet to get into their Ports before them so there are many Christians who have set out heaven-wards and holiness-wards after others and yet they have not only overtaken them but also in grace and holiness gone far before them Luke 2.46.47 48. As Christ in his non-age put all the Doctors in the Temple down so many Christians even in their non-age as I may say do put down other Christians Hierom writes of Paulinus that in the first part of his life he excellled others and in his latter part he excelled himself who in respect of their years and opportunities might have been Doctors in Christianity In this great City you have very many who have set up many years after others and yet they are grown far greater and richer then those of their callings who have set up many years before them and doubtless there are very many in this City who have set upon the Trade of Christianity the Trade of godliness long after others who yet are grown greater and richer in grace holiness then those who have for very many years driven that Trade And O how should this Alarm all such to double their diligence and to strive and labor as for life to be eminent in holiness yea to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. But Tenthly To provoke you to labor after higher degrees of holiness Consider that there are no persons under heaven that are so strongly obliged and engaged to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord as you are for you are the onely persons on earth that are made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Dan. 6.3 1 Cor. 2.12 and that have a more excellent spirit in you then the men of this world have and that have more excellent principles in you as knowledge wisdom faith love self-denyal humility c. to help on the advance and increase of holiness then others have whose souls are
love is a holy love and his anger is a holy anger and his hatred is a holy hatred c. His nature is holy his attributes are holy and all his actions are holy hee is holy in punishing and holy in sparing hee is holy in justifying of some and hee is holy condemning of others hee is holy in bringing some to Heaven and holy in throwing others to Hell God is holy in all his sayings and God is holy in all his doings God is holy in what ever hee puts his hand to and hee is holy in what ever hee sets his heart to his frowns are holy and his smiles are holy his liftings up are holy and his castings down are holy when hee gives his givings are holy givings and when hee takes away his takings are holy takings c. But Fourthly As God is universally holy so God is eminently holy hee is transcendently holy hee is superlatively holy Exo. 15.11 and therefore hee is said to bee glorious in holiness there is no fathoming there is no measuring there is no comprehending there is no searching of that infinite Sea of holiness that is in God as neither Men nor Angels can set banks or bounds to Gods holiness so neither Men nor Angels can sound to the bottome of Gods holiness all that holiness that is in Angels and Men is but a spark to Gods flame t is but a drop to his sea t is but a beam to his sun t is but a mite to his millions c. O Sirs you shall as soon stop the Sun in his course and change the day into night and raise the dead and make a world and tell the stars of heaven and empty the sea with a Cockle-shell as you shall bee able either to conceive or express that transcendent holiness that is in God This glorious Name or Title the holy one of Israel is ascribed to God about thirty times in the Old Testament and all to shew that hee is most excellent and transcendent in holiness and the Seraphims which stood before the Throne cryed out three times a row Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts Isa 6.3 to shew that God is most eminently and superlatively holy for so thrice holy in some languages is most holy for holiness God is a none-such there are none to bee compared with him neither are there any among Angels or among Men yea or among the Gods that are like unto him who is like to thee among the Gods glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Gods holiness is infinite t is so super-eminent and so super-excellent that it can neither bee limited nor lessened nor augmented if men should blaspheme or reproach the Lord hee would bee never the worse he would be never the lesse holier then hee is and if men should bless him and worship him hee would bee never the better never the holier unto perfection there can be no addition a drop taken out of the sea can no waies add unto the sea Hee is exalted above all blessing and praise Nehe. 9.5 All the Angels in Heaven and all the men on earth cannot add one Ray one Beam of glory to the essence of God to the holiness of God as God is goodness in the very Abstract and justice in the very abstract and mercy in the very abstract and righteousness in the very abstract and lovingkindness in the very abstract so hee is holiness in the very Abstract so that no man can flatter him or add unto him and hence t is that God glories in the Attribute of his Holiness more than in any other Attribute For Isa 57.15 thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy when God would lift up himself in all his Glory hee doth it by declaring that his name is holy and so when God would swear by himself hee swears by his holiness Psal 89.25 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lye unto David and so in that Amos 4.2 The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness that lo the daies shall come upon you that hee will take you with hooks and your posterity with fish-hooks Look as the great men of the World are wont to swear upon their honour when they would give us the greatest assurance of what they will do because such Oath are look't upon as most sacred and inviolable so the great God swears by his holiness because his holiness is his greatest Honour and because hee hath no greater nor no better nor no choicer nor no sweeter nor no preciouser things to swear by let mee saith God bee never owned as a God nor honoured as a God nor trusted as a God nor feared as a God nor valued as a God if I do not Inviolably keep my promises and make good my threatings having sworn thereunto by my Holiness Now you know the Scripture saith when God could swear by no greater hee sware by himself Heb. 6.13 so I may say when God could swear by no greater Attribute by no greater Excellency hee swears by his Holiness that being the top and the glory of all Look as all the wisdome of the creatures compar'd with the wisdome of God is but folly and as all the goodness of the creatures compared with the goodness of God is but naughtiness and as all the fulnesse of the creature compared with the fulnesse of God is but emptiness and as all the power of the creature compared with the power of God is but weaknesse and as all the righteousnesse of the creature compared with the righteousnesse of God is but unrighteousnesse So all the holinesse of the creature compared with the holinesse of God is but unholinesse mans highest purity is but impurity when 't is compared to the purity of God yea the very holinesse of Angels compared with the holinesse of God is chargeable with folly Job 4.18 That fulnesse of holinesse that is in Angels or Saints is only the fulnesse of the Vessel but that fulnesse of holinesse that is in God is the fulnesse of the Fountain that fulnesse of holinesse that is in Angels or Saints is but the fulnesse of the Branches but that fulnesse of holinesse that is in God is the fulnesse of the Root that fulnesse of holinesse that is in Angels or Saints is but the fulnesse of Sufficiency but that fulnesse of holinesse that is in God is the fulnesse of redundancy But Fifthly As God is infinitely holy transcendently holy superlatively holy so God is originally radically and fundamentally holy the Divine Nature is the root original and spring of all holinesse and purity all that holinesse that is in Angels and men flows from God as the streams from the Fountain as the beams from the Sun as the branches from the Root and as the effect from the Cause There is no holinesse to be had but from the Holy One hee is the Author and Original of all the holinesse that
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
you yet let this support you let this rejoyce you that you are high in the favour of God But Tenthly If thou art a holy person if thou art one that hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that all thy duties and services are very pleasing Act. 10.4 Mal. 3.3 2 Tim. 2.21 delightful and acceptable to the Lord and this roundly follows upon the former for when ever a mans person comes to bee accepted of God and to bee high in favour with God then all his services and sacrifices comes to bee acceptable to God Gen. 4.4 And Abel hee also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering God had first a respect to his person in Christ and then to his offering and so his sacrifice was accepted for the man and not the man for the sacrifice Heb. 11.4 By Faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Kain by which hee obtained witness that hee was righteous God testifying of his gifts and by it hee being dead yet speaketh God will alwaies welcome the holy man into his presence and hee shall alwaies have his ear at command God will still bee a warming his heart Isa 45.11 and a cheering up his spirit and a satisfying of his soul in meeting of him in all holy means and in giving gracious answers to all his requests Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy waies Prov. 21.8 The way of man that is of unholy man is froward and strange but as for the pure his work is right When God hath cleansed ◠mans heart and sanctified his nature then his work his religious work is right 't is then right in the eye of God and in the account of God and in estimation of God and therefore his Petitions are as soon granted Isa 65.24 as they are offered and his requests performed Sealh here is a special note of observation to work us to a serious marking of the things that are mentioned as things that are of special weight and of highest concernment to us as soon as they are mentioned Psal 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Selah Holy David had an inward purpose and resolution to confess his sin but before hee could do it God throws him his pardon thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin God loves to bee before-hand with his people in acts of grace and favour Gods eye and his ear was in Davids heart before Davids confession could bee in his tongue O! the delight of God O! the pleasedness of God with the duties and services of his holy ones Psal 4.3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself the Lord will hear when I call upon him that is the Lord will approve of my prayer hee will accept of my prayer he will delight in my prayer and hee will answer my prayer when I call unto him and what can the Godly man desire more Psal 61.1 Hear my cry O God attend unto my prayer Aquinas saith that some read the words thus Intende ad cantica mea attend unto my songs and so the words may bee safely read from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ranah which signifies to shout or shrill out for joy to note that the prayers of the Saints are like pleasant songs and delightful dirties in the ears of God no mirth no musick can bee so pleasing to us as the prayers of the Saints are pleasing to God Cant. 2.14 Psal 141.2 Let my prayer come before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifize What 's more sweet what 's more pleasing and what 's more perfuming then incense why the prayers of the Saints Rev. 5.8 ch 8.3 4 as they are in the hands of a Mediatour are as sweet and pleasing to God as incense that is made up of the choicest and sweetest spices are sweet and pleasing unto us 1 Pet. 3.12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers or rather as the Greek hath it his ears are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their prayers that is when their prayers are so faint and weak that they cannot reach to God that they cannot travel as far as Heaven then God will come down to them and lay his ears as it were unto their prayers O what matter of joy and comfort is this to all the holy seed that God will graciously bow his ears to their prayers when hee turns his back with the greatest disdain and indignation upon the most costly sacrifices of the wicked O you precious Sons of Zion that are daily lamenting and mourning over the weaknesses that cleaves to your best services know for your comfort and joy that though with Moses you can but stammer out a prayer God once accepted of a handfull of Meal for a sacrifice and of a gripe of Goats hair for an oblation Artaxerxes the Persian monarch accepted with a cheerful countenance a little water as a present from the hand of a poor labourer c. or with Hannah weep out a prayer or with Hezekiah chatter out a prayer or with Paul sigh and groan out a prayer yet the Lord will own your prayers and accept your prayers and delight in your prayers O what a rare comfort is this for a Christian to consider that when hee is under outward wants and inward distresses that when hee hath sickness upon his body and reproach upon his name and death knocking at his door that in all these cases and in all other cases hee may run to God as to a Father and tell God how 't is with him and when hee hath done that hee may sit down satisfied and assured of Audience and Acceptance in Heaven O Sirs this is a priviledge more worth than a thousand worlds and had unsanctified persons as many Kingdomes to give as they have haires on their heads they would give them all for an interest in this priviledge when guilt and wrath is upon their consciences and when the arrows of the Almighty stick fast in them and when the terrours of death are round about them and when the dreadful day of their account is every moment remembred by them O! if it bee so great a favour to have the ears of an earthly King at pleasure what a transcendent savour must it bee to have his ear at pleasure who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and yet this favour hath all his Saints But Eleventhly If thou art a Holy Person if thou art one that hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that Jesus Christ will certainly preserve thy holiness Next to Christ holiness is a
of God And I saw as it were a Sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the number of his Name stand on the Sea of glass having the harps of God And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the Lamb saying Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy waies thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest In this and the following chapters the utter overthrow of Antichrist is described In this chapter you have a new Vision of the Gospels restoring and of Antichrists ruine By the Sea of glass mingled with fire wee are to understand the fiery trials and dreadful persecutions by fire and faggot that Antichrist will inflict upon sincere and faithful Christians The allusion is to the Red Sea and Pharaohs persecuting of Israel but the addition of fire is plainly to distinguish the Popes persecution from Pharaohs for though Pharaoh did sorely oppress the people of God both in their liberties and consciences and though hee had plotted and contrived a way to destroy their male children yet hee was never so cruel hee was never so bloody as to burn the people of God with fire and faggot as Antichrist hath done in all ages But now mark when the vials of the wrath of God comes to be poured out upon Antichrist yea upon what ever smells of Antichrist or looks like Antichrist why then the people of God will in a very eminent way lift up God as the great object of their fear and then the generality of the Nations shall be so deeply affected with the dreadful amazing and astonishing judgements of God upon Antichrist that they shall repent worship him and give glory to him O Sirs when God strikes slaves Sons should tremble great judgements upon sinners speaks out a great deal of the justice and holiness of God and the more the justice and holiness of God appears the more holy his people should grow Ah Christians had you grown more holy by those severe judgements of God that hath been inflicted upon others before your eyes you had not been under those smart rebukes of God that now you are under this day But Seventhly When men are called forth to war by God O! that 's a special time and season wherein God calls aloud for holiness The man of war must have holiness written upon the bridles of the horses Zach. 14.20 When men carry their lives in their hands they had need of holiness in their hearts when in every encounter a man must expect to enter upon a state of eternity hee had need be very holy that so if hee should fall in the encounter The Romans lived more orderly in time of war than in the times of their greatest peace hee may be sure to be happy Deut. 23.9 14. When the Hâ—st goeth forth against thine enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee therefore shall thy Camp be holy that hee see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee When the sword devoureth on both hands when it eats the flesh of Nobles and drinks the blood of Nobles when it feeds upon the flesh of the poor and drinks the blood of the needy then every souldier had need be a Saint when an eternity of glory and misery is every moment before every souldier every souldier had need walk very accurately hee had need live very holily Mark though the people of God were to keep themselves from every wicked thing at all other times yet when they went out against their enemies then in a special manner it highly concerned them to keep themselves not from some but from every evil thing or rather as the Hebrew hath it from every evil word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daâ—ar hee that is in danger of death every step hee takes and that carries his very soul in his hand had need precisely to abstain not onely from every evil work but also from every evil word as here God expresly charges Israel to do When God findes holiness in Israels Camp then God will quickly give up Israels enemies into Israels hands but when the Camp becomes a Den of iniquity then God will depart from the Camp and when God who is the bulwrk of a Camp is departed all the world cannot preserve that Camp from being destroyed Rev. 17.14 The Lamb looks that all those brave hearts that ingage with him against Antichrist should be called and chosen and faithful there is no armour of proof to that of holiness let a man be never so well mounted cloathed armed weaponed yet if hee be unholy hee lies naked and open to all disasters calamities and miseries O Sirs 't is one of the dreadfullest things in the world to hear such a cursing swearing lying and damning of themselves and to see such a giving up themselves to work all manner of wickedness with greediness who carry their lives in their hands every hour in the day yea at whose elbows damnation stands every moment O Sirs when God gives the sword a Commission to eat flesh and drink blood to stay both old and young to spare none that come before it and to pitty none that come nigh unto it it highly concerns all men to be holy this is a special season wherein God calls aloud for holiness I confess I am for Peace and Truth for Peace and Righteousness for Peace and Holiness against all war in the world but when ever the Lord shall call forth his people to fight his battels against Antichrist 1 Sam. 25.28 Dan. 2.31 ult and to smite Daniels Image in peeces it stands them very much upon to be a holy people yea to be eminently holy as they would have the presence of God with them and the power of God ingaged for them and the mercy goodness and blessing of God succeeding and prospering of them though hee that goes to war had need carry his purse with him yet hee must be sure to leave his sins behinde him or else his sins will do him more mischief than all his enemies for they will set God against him and how can straw and stubble possibly stand before a consuming fire I have read of Xerxes that viewing almost an innumerable Army of men hee fell a weeping saying Where will all these men be within a hundred years hee wept to think that all that mighty Army would be in their graves within a hundred years Ah what cause of weeping is there when wee behold most Armies in the world considering that within a few years yea months for any thing wee know they may be most in Hell
may bee able after my decease to have these things alwaies in remembrance The Apostle having the sentence of death in himself O! how doth hee bestir himself and how doth hee stir up all that grace and holiness that was in his heart yea and all his Ministerial and Apostolical gifts and all to better himself and to make those that were really holy to bee eminently holy Peter being very sensible of the neer approaches of death did very earnestly desire and greatly endeavour so to act his part before he went off the stage of live that when his head was in the dust and his soul in heaven those Saints that should survive him might bee very famous in grace and holiness That of Eleazer is very remarkable who would not do any thing which might seem to bee evil because he would not spot his white head O Sirs when once the Gray hairs of holiness and righteousness are upon you it highly concerns you to shun the very shews and appearances of evil that so you may not spot nor stain the honour of your white head I have read of Joshua that valliant Souldier that when hee was a young man and in the prime and flower of his daies when his bones were full of marrow and his breasts full of milk as Job speaks that then hee was least in vigour and valour for God and how that sometimes in cases of eminent danger hee would conceal himself but when hee grew older and found the strength of nature declining and decaying then hee bestired himself exceedingly for God O Sirs when you have one foot in the Grave God calls aloud upon you to bestir your selves exceedingly for his honour and glory and for your own internal and eternal welfare Solon was not ashamed to say that hee learned much in his old age And Julianius the Lawyer was wont to say that when hee had one foot in the Grave hee would have the other in the School O Sirs shall nature do more than grace shall morality excel real piety 'T was the glorious commendation of the Church of Thiatira that her last works were more than her first Rev. 2.19 I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy work and the last to bee more than the first O the happiness of that man that is best at last that brings forth most of the fruits of Righteousness and Holiness in old age O the blessedness of that man whose Faith is more strong at last than at first and whose love is more inflamed at last than at first and whose hopes are more raised and elevated at last than at first and whole knowledge is more clear at last than at first whose zeal is warmer at last than at first and whose thoughts are more heavenly at last than at first and whose heart is more spiritual at last than at first and whose communion with God is more high at last than at first and whose life is more holy at last than at first If there be any man in the world that is ripe for Heaven and that injoyes a Heaven in his own soul on this side Heaven this is the man whose graces and whose gracious works are more at last than at first Well Christians for ever remember this the neerer death makes her approaches to you the louder God calls upon you to be holy And thus by a hand of grace that hath been in mee upon mee and with me I have shewed you what those special times and seasons are wherein God calls loudest for holiness and so according to my weak measure I have given out all that the Lord hath graciously given in concerning that most necessary that most noble that most glorious and that most useful point of points viz. Holiness and therefore I have nothing more to do but earnestly to pray that what hath been spoken and written may be so blest from on high that it may work mightily to the internal and eternal welfare both of Writer Reader and Hearer that so when their Race is run and their Work done here on earth they may be everlastingly blest with a happy sight of the Beatifical Vision of God in Heaven Amen FINIS Books sold by Henry Cripps in Popes-Head-Alley SIbbs Saints Cordials Reynors Government of the Tongue Armetages Sermons Roman Antiquities Burtons Melancholy Youngs whole duty of a Christian Supplication of Saints Cradocks Works Huit on Daniel Sarah Wight Cotton on the seven Viols Hookers Souls-preparation for Christ Goodwins Childe of Light walking in darkness Reynolds on Hosea Tichburns Cluster of Canaans-Grapes Baxters Doctrine of Self-poseing An Abstract of the Assemblies Catechism J. Goodwins Saints Interest in God Dingly of Thunder Books sold by Henry Mortlock at the sign of the Phoenix in St. Pauls Church-yard near the Little North-door Folios A Commentary upon the whole Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians wherein the text is learnedly and fruitfully opened with a Logical Analysis spiritual and holy Observations Confutation of Armianism and Popery By Mr. Paul Bain A Commentary on the Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles and the Major Prophets By John Trapp M. A. Quartoes An Exposition of the Prophecy of Ezekiel By W. Greenhill Some Sermons preached upon several occasions By P. Sterry A Way to Zion sought out and found for Beleevers to walk in By Daniel King Preacher of the Word neer Coventry Funebria Florae The Downfall of May-Games By Tho. Hall B.D. and Pastor of Kings-Norton in VVorcestershire The loathsomness of long Hair or A Treatise wherein you have the Question stated many Arguments against it produced and the most material arguments for it refelled and answered with an Appendix against Painting Spots naked-breasts c. By the same Author Samuel in Sackcloth or a Sermon assaying to restrain our bitter Animosities and commending a spirit of moderation and right constitution of soul and behaviour towards our Brethren upon 1 Sam. 15.35 Large Octavoes The Hypocrites Ladder or Looking-Glass or a Discourse of the dangerous and destructive nature of Hypocrisie the reigning and provoking sin of this age wherein is shewed how far the Hypocrite or formal Professor may go towards Heaven yet utterly perish by three Ladders of sixty steps of his Ascending By John Sheffield Minister of the Word at Swithins London An Improvement of the Sea upon the nine Nautical Verses in the 107. Psalm wherein among other things you have a very full and delightful Description of all those many various and multitudinous Objects which they behold in their Travels through the Lords Creation both on Sea in Sea and on Land viz. All sorts and kinds of Fish Fowl and Beasts whether wilde or tame all sorts of Trees and Fruit all sorts of People Cities Towns and Countries By Daniel Pell Preacher of the Word A Caveat against Seducers in a Sermon preached by Rich. Stand-fast Rector of Christ-Church in Bristol Together with the Blind Mans Meditations by the same Author A Treatise of Divine Meditation by
606. The more solid and exact a Christian is in religious duties and services the more holy he is Page 608 609. E. Of Election Reall holiness is a sure evidence of election Page 614 615 616. Of not Enduring Such as cant endure holiness in others shall never goe to Heaven Page 87 88 89. Of Ends. A holy man propounds holy ends to himself in all his actings and undertakings Page 157 158 159. How persons may know when they make the glory of God their end answered five wayes Page 159-168 Of Errors We are to have no speciall communion with such as erre in foundation truths Page 44 45 46. Of Exercise He that would have more holiness must be much in the exercise of that holiness he has Page 578 579 580. Of Expediency The more a man lives by the rule of expediency the more holiness he has attained to Page 611 612. Of the Eye of God He that would attain to greater measures of holiness must alwayes remember that the eye of God is continually upon him Page 573 574 575. F. Of Fellowship Vnholy persons have familiarity and fellowship with Satan Page 26 27. Of the Favour of God Holy persons are highly in Gods favour Page 630 631 632. Of the Fewness of those that shall be saved The number of those that shall goe to Heaven are but few Page 67 68 69. Of Flatterers Take heed of flatterers Page 285-289 Of Formalists Formalists shall not goe to Heaven Page 75 76 77. All unholy persons are fooles they have all the characteristical notes and properties of fooles And this is shewed in eight particulars Page 30-44 Christians are to have no speciall communion with fooles Page 49. G. Of our Generation The more holy any man is the more serviceable and usefull he will be in his generation Page 509 510. The meer gifted man shall not goe to Heaven Where you have seventeen differences between gifts and grace Page 84 85 86 87. Of Growth The afflictions and persecutions of the Saints will further the growth and increase of their grace Page 403 404 405. Of Guilt Of guilt upon the conscience Page 362 363. H. Of Hatred Where there is true holiness there is a hatred of all ungodliness Page 109-123 Of Heaven Ten arguments to prove that unholy persons have no mind to goe to Heaven Page 64 65 66. Of Heaven The more holy any man is the more actually ripe for heaven that man is Page 493 494. That there are degrees of glory in Heaven That some Saints shall partake of more glory in Heaven then others shall is approved by Scripture and Arguments from p. 517. to p. 565. only observe that next to p. 520. followes p. 553. all this misfiguring of the pages will be prevented in the next impression Objections against degrees of glory in Heaven answered from p. 565. to p. 572. Of Hell Vnholy persons are doomed adjudged and sentenced to Hell Page 57-62 Of an Heir Reall holiness is a sure evidence that thou art an Heir of glory Page 626 627 628 629. Of Holiness There is a sixfold holiness Page 5-19 Holiness is the honor and the glory of the creature Page 183 184 185 186. Holiness is very attractive drawing and winning Page 186 187. 188. Holiness is the excellency of all a mans excellencies Page 188 189 190. Holiness is an honor and an ornament both to the persons that have it and also to the very places where they were borne Page 190 191 192 193. Holiness is the very ear-mark the very livery and and badge of Christs servants and subjects Page 193 194. A man of holiness is a common blessing a publick mercy Page 194 195 196 197. Holiness is of the greatest antiquity Page 197 198 199. Holiness will render you most beautiful and amiable Page 199 200 201 202. Holiness is the most gainefull trade in the world This is made good by five Arguments Page 202-216 Holiness will put the greatest splendor and majesty upon persons that can possibly be put upon them Page 216 217 218. The times wherein we live calls aloud for holiness Page 218 219 220 221 222 223 224. Holiness will render you most like 1. To God 2. To Christ 3. To the blessed Angels Page 224. 225 226 227 228. Without holiness there is no seeing no enjoying of of God Page 228 229. Eight arguments proving that most Christians have but a little holiness Page 466-479 The more holiness any man has the more holiness God will give him Page 495 496. The more holiness any man has the more God will reveale himself to him Page 498 499 500 501 502. None under Heaven are so strongly obliged to perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord as holy ones are Page 505 506 507. The times require greater measures of holiness Page 512 513. Christ will certainly preserve thy holiness Page 634 635 636. Of the Holiness of God 1. God is essentially holy Page 585 586. 2 God is unmixedly holy the holiness of God is a pure holiness Page 586 587 588. 3. God is universally holy Page 588. 4. God is eminently holy he is transcendently holy he is superlatively holy Page 588 589 590 591. 5. God is originâ—lly radically and fundamentally holy Page 591 592 6. God is independently holy Page 592 993. 7. God is constantly holy he is unchangeably holy Page 593 594. 8. God is exemplarily holy Page 594. Of Holiness Where ever reall holiness is it will discover it self p. 639. Holiness rises by degrees p. 639 640. There is a great deale of preciousness in the least degrees of holiness and this is evidenced by an induction of Ten particulars 640 641 642. All Saints have not a like measure of holiness 643 644. A Christian may have more holiness at one time then at another 644 645 646 647. There will come a time when even in this world holiness shall be more generall and more eminent Page 647 648 649. Of Honor and of honoring of God The more holiness is increased the more the great God will be honored 494 495. The highest degrees of holiness are commonly attended with the highest degrees of honor Page 510 511 512. Of Hypocrites Hypocrites shall not goe to Heaven Page 82 83 84. I. Of Idleness We are to have no special communion with idle persons Page 43 44. Of Joy Of Joy several considerable things Page 352-369 The more holiness any man attains to the greater will be his Heaven of joy in this world Page 496 497 498. Of the Judgements of God He that will be holy must dwell much upon the memorable Judgements of God that in this life has fallen upon unholy persons Page 339 340 341. K. Four reasons why the Kingdom of Heaven is called the kingdom of God Page 19. L. Of Labour A holy heart will labour to make others holy Page 132 133 134 135. Of Life Several Arguments proving the life of man to be but short Page 292-296 Of Little sins Five Reasons why a holy heart
eternity hath been posting upon them Oh the deadnesse the barrennesse the listlesnesse the heartlesnesse to any thing that is good that doth attend a worldly temper Many men are so bewitcht with the profits pleasures and honours of the world that they mind not holinesse they regard not holinesse they care not for holinesse nor the means that lead to holinesse Philip. 3.18 19. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now I tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Who were those that walked disorderly why those that minded earthly things Who were those that fetcht tears from the Apostles eyes why those that minded earthly things Who were those that were enemies to the cross of Christ why those that minded earthly things Who were those whose end is destruction why those that minded earthly things who were those whose God was their belly why those that minded earthly things Who were those whose glory was their shame why those that minded earthly things Sicily is so full of sweet flowers that dogs cannot hunt there and what do all the sweet contents and delights of this world Diodorus Siculus but make men lose the scent of heaven and holinesse The world proves silken halters to some and golden fetters to others to some it is like the Swallows dung that put out Tobias eyes to others it is like the waters of Nilus that makes the inhabitants deaf All the flowers of this world are surrounded with many bryars The world is all shadow and vanity its like Jonahs gourd man may sit under its shadow for a while but it soon decayes and dies He that shall but weigh mans pains with his pay his miseries with his pleasures his sorrows with his joyes his crosses with his comforts his wants with his enjoyments c. may well cry out Vanity of vanity and all is vanity The whole world is circular If the whole earth were changed into a globe of gold it could not fill thy heart the heart of man is triangular and we know a circle cannot fill a triangle O Sirs if your hearts be not filled with holinesse they will be filled with the world the flesh and the Devil Either holinesse or Satan must possesse you Some there be that have much holiness and much of the world too as Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph Job David Hezekiah Daniel c. And others there be that have no holinesse nor nothing of the world neither these men are fair for two hells a hell of misery here and a hell of torment hereafter Some have much of the world but not a spark of holinesse as Saul Haman Dives Herod c. who had a world of wealth but not a dram of grace and others have a great deal of holinesse Iames 2.5 Mat. 11.5 that have but little or nothing of the world as the Apostles and Lazarus c. Now is it not infinitely better to have holinesse without the world and so be happy for ever then to have much of the world without holinesse and so be damned for ever A man bewitch't with the world will loose many precious opportunities of grace which are more worth then a world Act. 24.24 ult witness Rich Felix who had no leasure to hear poor Paul though the hearing of a Sermon might have saved his soul A man bewitch't with the world has his sinning times and his eating times and his sleeping times and his trading times and his feasting times and his sporting times c. but he has not his hearing times nor his praying times nor his reading times nor his mourning times nor his repenting times nor his reforming times c. He can have time yea and he will have time for every thing but to honor his God and to make himself happy for ever A man bewitch't with the world will when 't is put to his choice rather part with Christ to enjoy the world Mat. 19.16.23 then part with the world to enjoy Christ witness the young man in the Gospel who preferred a drop before a Sea a crum before a Crown and his treasure on earth before treasure in heaven he would not leave that on earth which he could not long keep for the enjoyment of that in heaven which he should never loose rather then he would let his possessions go he would let God and Christ go and heaven go and all go c. If Heaven can be had at no cheaper a rate then parting with his possessions Christ may keep his Heaven to himself and make the best on 't he can if he will for hee 'l have none on 't upon those terms Again a man bewitch't with the world will prefer the most base and contemptible things before the Lord Jesus Christ he will with the Gergesens prefer his very Swine before a Saviour Mat. 8.28 ult when they saw what a sad market their Hoggs were brought to they desired Christ to depart out of their country these Gergesites had rather loose Christ then loose their Porkets they had rather that the devil should possess their souls then that he should drown their Pigs they prefer their Swine before their salvation and present a wretched petition for their own damnation they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts though there be no misery no plague no curse no wrath no hell to Christs departure from a people yet men bewitched with the world will desire this Men bewitched with the world will prefer a Barabbas before a Jesus they will with Judas betray Christ and with Pilate condemn Christ and with the Scribes and Pharisees they will cry out Crucifie him Crucifie him away with this Jesus away with this Jesus let Barabbas live but let Jesus dye let Barabbas be saved but let Christ be hanged Ah what incarnate Devils will such men prove who are bewitched with this world A man bewitch't with the world will gain no good by the Ministry of the Word witness Ezekiels hearers Ezek. 33.31 32 33. and witness the stony ground Mat. 13.22 and witness Christs followers John 6. Some Writers say that nothing will grow where Gold grows certainly where the love of this world growes there nothing will grow that is good A heart filled either with the love of the world or the profits of the world or the pleasures of the world or the honors of the world or the cares of the world or the businesses of the world is a heart incapacitated to receive any divine counsel or comfort t is a heart shut up against God and holiness t is a heart posses 't with many devils and therefore no wonder if such a heart loaths the hony-comb of holiness yea t is no wonder to see such a heart to deride and scorn holiness as the greatest foolishness Luke 16.14 The Poets tell of Licaon being
turned into a Wolf but when a worldling is made holy there is a Wolf turned into a man yea a devil turned into a Saint therefore the Holy Ghost speaking of Zacheus who had long been bewitch't by the world brings him in with an Ecce Behold as if it were a wonder of wonders that ever such a worldling should be made holy A man bewitch't with the world will venture the loss of his soul to enjoy the world Mat. 16.26 As that Pope that sold his soul to the devil for the enjoyment of the Popedom six years We hate the Turkes for selling of Christians for slaves but Ah how many be there among us that call themselves Christians who yet sell themselves and their souls to the devil for slaves for half a crown yea for a half penny Look as Shemei by seeking his servant lost his life so many by seeking of the world have lost their souls Now though of all losses the loss of the soul is the greatest the sadest the sorest the heaviest and the most intollerable inconceiveable and irrecoverable loss yet a man bewitch't with the world will run the hazard of losing it of damning it to enjoy the world You know the Reubenites in Josh 22. preferred the country that was commodious for the feeding of their cattle though it were far from the Temple where they might have fed their souls and have got heaven and holiness for their souls before their interest in the Land of Promise We so men that are bewitch't with this world in these days O! how do they prefer their sensual delights their brutish contentments and their carnal enjoyments before the heavenly Canaan and before the beauties of holiness and before the Temple of Gods holiness where holiness sparkles and shines in all its bravery and glory and where their souls might be abundantly satisfied and delighted with the most ravishing joys the most surpassing delights and the most transcendent pleasures which are at Gods right hand To draw to a close the Arabick Proverb saith That Mundus cadavar est petentes eum sunt canes the world is a carkass and they that hunt after it are doggs If this Proverb be true what a multitude of professors will be found to be doggs who hunt more after earth then heaven who hunt more after Terrestial then Celestial things who hunt more after nothingnesses and emptinesses then they do after those fulnesses and sweetnesses that be in God Christ Heaven and Holiness Well friends as ever you would obtain that real holiness without which there is no happiness take heed of a Witch take heed of this world and to that purpose O that you would always look upon the things of this world as you will look upon them when you come to dye O that you would now look upon all the pompe state bravery and glory of the world as you will look upon it when your souls shall sit upon your trembling lips O with what a disdainful eye with what a weaned heart do men look upon those things then do so now and I dare assure you that though the world may trouble you yet it shall never bewitch you I have read of a man that lying in a burning Feaver profest that if he had all the world at his dispose he would give it all for one draught of Beer at so low a rate do men value the world at such a time as that is if men were so wise to value the world at no higher a rate in health then they do in sickness in life then they do at the time of their death it would never bewitch them it would never be as a wall of separation between holiness and them As ever you would be holy here and happy hereafter take heed of this Witch and believe it to be a Witch before it hath bewitched you or else you may believe it too late Thirdly If ever you would be holy then take heed of comparing your selves with those that are at least supposedly worse then your selves many there be who by comparing themselves with those that are bad very bad think themselves to be good very good yea to be too good to go to hell and yet they are not good enough to go to heaven and many there be who are worse then others and yet by comparing themselves with those they suppose very bad they conclude themselves to be very good such a one was that proud Pharisee in Luk. 18. who thought himself a far better man then the poor Publican and yet he was not half so honest nor half so just nor half so righteous nor half so good as he was the poor Publican was ashamed of himself he loathed himself he abased himself he judged himself and he condemned himself the poor Publican acknowledged God he adored God he dreaded God he admired God and he justified God in all which he exceeded the proud Pharisee and yet O! how scornfully does this proud Pharisee look upon him and how disdainfully and disgracefully does he speak of him And this was the general frame and temper of the Scribes and Pharisees who thought no mans penny so good silver as their own who thought themselves better then the best when they were the very worst of the worst for Publicans and Harlots believed and repented and entred into the Kingdom of God before them Mat. 21.31 32. And so they in that of Isa 65. were naught very naught yea stark naught they were the basest among the base they were the vilest among the vile they were the most rebellious among the rebellious and the most superstitious among the superstitious witness v. 2 3 4. And yet O! how do they stroke themselves and bless themselves and commend themselves and cry up themselves and exalt themselves as the only holy ones v. 5. they could deifie themselves and yet damne and devilifie others though they were such monsters as God abhorr'd v. 6. Ah! how many be there who by comparing themselves with those that are worse then themselves do judge themselves to be good enough and holy enough they are good negative Christians and they think that 's enough to bring them to heaven they bless themselves that they are no Nabals for drunkenness nor no Sodomites for filthiness nor no Hamans for haughtiness nor no Ammons for lustfulness nor none of the old world for idleness nor no Zacheus's for covetousness nor no Laodiceans for lukewarmness c. They bless themselves that they are no Gehazies for lying nor no Shemeies for cursing nor no Joabs for swearing nor no Rabshakehs for railing nor no Doegs for cruelty nor no Judases for treachery nor no Demases for Apostacy c. And thus they cheat themselves and find out fine ways to delude and damn their own souls they think it grace enough and holiness enough that they have attained to this viz. not to be so bad as the worst though they fall infinitely short of coming neer unto the best Well sits
seeming contradictions for here one providence smiles and there another frowns here providence lifts up and there providence casts down here providence strokes and there providence striâ—es I have read that Marica a Roman Princess being great with childe had the Babe in her killed with lightning when shee her self escaped here Providence leads towards Canaan there providence leads towards a wilderness here Providence leads towards Zion and there Providence leads towards Babylon here Providence speaks us very fair and there Providence doth severely threaten here Providence is bright and lovely and there Providence is dark and dreadful Now under all such Providences for a man to run to a Promise and to draw out life and strength and sweetness from a Promise is a clear evidence of a very high pitch of holiness that such a person hath attained to I have read of an Emperour that put on a new-suit every day O Sirs when the great God shall every day apparel himself in strange changeable Providences Now for a-man to hang upon the breasts of a Promise and to suck milk out of a Promise argues a very great increase of holiness But Secondly The moâ—e a man can overcome evil with good upon holy and gracious accounts as upon the account of Gods Command Gods Honour the Credit of the Gospel and the Conviction Conversion and Salvation of Souls the greater measure of holiness such a peâ—son hath attained to to return reproach for reproach reviling for reviling and cursing for cursing and scorning for scorning and defaming for defaming is exceeding natural to us Austin saith that Christ made a Pulpit of the Cross and the great Lesson hee taught Christians was to love their enemies but to love them that hate us to bless them that curse us to do good to them that abhor us and to pray for them that persecute us and that despitefully use us according to Christs express command in that Matth. 5.44 are things exceeding contrary to nature and exceedingly above nature the power of grace and holiness appears in nothing more than in bringing the heart to a sweet and ready subjection to such commands as are most cross and contrary to flesh and blood As those are in that Rom. 12.17.19 20 21. Recompence no man evil for evil Dearly Beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine and I will repay it saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if hee thirst give him drink Bee not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good And so that in 1 Thes 5.15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man but ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all men To return good for evil and kindnesses for injuries to behave our selves courteously humbly meekly tenderly and sweetly towards those who behave themselves discourteously proudly passionately harshly and sowrely towards us argues a very great degree of holiness David was a man eminent in holiness and hee was good at this good work as you may see in that 2 Sam. 1.24 Yee Daughters of Israel weep over Saul who clothed you in Scarlet with other delights who put on Ornaments of Gold upon your Apparel Hee doth not envy against Saul nor insult or rejoyce over Saul as many carnal unsanctified hearts would have done nor hee doth not provoke or stir up the Daughters of Israel to rejoyce in the death and destruction of such a Tyrant that had hunted him up and down as a Patridge and that had often designed his ruine and that had alwaies returned him evil for good and that had bathed his sword in the blood of Abimelech the High-Priest and in the blood of fourscore more of the Priests of the Lord and that had forsaken the Lord and gone to a Witch yea to the Devil for help in his need O no! hee conceals what was bad and remembers what was good hee passes over those things that were condemnable and hee instances only in those things that might make his memory most acceptable commendable and delightful among the weaker Sex viz. his making of bravery and gallantry fashionable amongst them And so Joseph was a man eminent in holiness and hee was good at this hard work as you may see in that Gen. 50.16 23. And Moses was a man of great holiness and hee was good at his difficult work as you may see in that 106 Psal 16.23.33 compared together And Stephen was a man full of the Holy Ghost and hee was good at praying for them that made a prey of him Act. 7. ult And Paul was a man of the same mind mettle as you may see by comparing the 2 Cor. 11 24. with thâ—â— Rom. 1.2.3 And Eusebius affirms that when Paul was 〈◊〉 â—eaded under Dioclesian the Emperour hee prayed both for Jews and Gentiles for the Multitude assembled and also for the Judge and Executioner that his death might not one day bee laid unto their charge Calvin was a man of great holinesse and therefore though Luther who was a man of a most violent bitter passionate spirit had wofully wronged him and reviled him yet saith hee let Luther hate mee and in his wrath call mee a thousand times Devil yet I will love him and honour him and acknowledge him a choice and precious servant of God Mr. Fox that writ the Book of Martyrs was so famous in the practice of this hard peece of Christianity that it became a Proverb If any man would have Mr. Fox do him a good turn let him do him an injury and hee will bee sure to do him a good turn for it Send mee to my Toads again in the Dungeon where I may pray for your Lordships conversion Said Mr. Sanders the Martyr to the Bishop of Winchester thus you see that the more eminent any persons are in holinesse the more they overcome evil with good the more good they will do them that do evil to them and thus to do is but to conform to Christ your head for hee shed tears for them that were to shed his blood and hee gave them his blood to drink who gave him gall to drink and vinegar to drink Act. 2. That man is almost got up to the very top of Holinesse whose Soul is habituated to overcome evil with good upon holy and precious accounts Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar in whose time Christ was born and Titus vespasian Camillus Darius Licurgus Plato Pericles and Herod that is mentioned in Act. 12.23 with many other Heathens have done something this way but what they did they did by fits and starts and from poor low principles and to vain glorious ends and therefore all that they did this way is not worth a reciting well Christians the more you can overcome evil with good the more certainly your hearts are filled with good that mans heart is full of the fruits of righteousnesse and holiness that upon divine considerations is
accustoâ—â—d not to bee overcome of evil but to overcome evil with good But Thirdly When men in the main I say in the main are as holy out of religious duties as they are in religious duties when in the main of their lives they are as spiritual as heavenly as humble as gracious as serious as watchful as circumspect c. as they are in their most religious performances and duties this argues not only the truth of holiness Exo. 34.29 30. â—3 35 but a very high degree of holiness Moses Face did shine as gloriously when he came off from the mount as ever it did shine when he was upon the mount O Sirs if when you come off from the mount of duties there remains some rayes and shinings of God upon you 't is an argument that the waters of Sanctity are risen to a considerable heighth in your Souls Ezek. 47.2 6. Ah how lively how warm how enlarged how holy how humble how heavenly how spiritual how serious how zealous how religious how gracious are many in duties in ordinances but ah how dead how cold how straitned how unholy how proud how worldly how carnal how slight and how irreligious are theâ— out of duties out of ordinances now certainly these have either no holiness at all or else they have attained to but a very little measure of holiness But now when a man in the main when a man in his course is the same out of duties out of ordinances that hee is in duties in ordinances 't is a very great and glorious Argument that such a person hath in a very great measure perfected holiness in the fear of the Lord. But Fourthly The more a man can Divinely joy and rejoyce under tribulations and afflictions the greater measure of holiness hee hath attained to 't is a mercy not to grumble not to mutter not to murmur nor to fret not to faint not to dispond nor not to despair 't is much to bee silent under afflictions and to bee quiet and patient under tribulations oh but divinely to joy and rejoyce under afflictions under tribulations argues a very great height of holiness Rom. 5.3 4. And not only so but wee glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience And patience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 experience and experience hop That glorying and rejoyceing are both one in the New Testament is sufficiently known they differ only in degrees glorying being a step above rejoycing 'T is much to rejoyce in tribulations but 't is more to glory in tribulations yea to glory in them as an Old Souldier glories in all those marks and scars of honour that hee hath met with in the service of his King and Country and yet to this height the beleeving Romans were raised which argues a very great measure of holiness in them And so in that 2 Cor. 7.4 Great is my boldness of speech towards you great is my glorying of you I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation or as the Greek runs I do over-abound exceedingly with joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have a superabundance of joy in all our tribulation and so in chap. 12.9.10 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ might rest upon me Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake for when I am weak then am I strong Paul rejoyces and glories more in his heavy afflictions and in his various tribulations than hee did in his glorious and Mysterious Revelations the more hee was afflicted and distressed the more hee had of the visible presence of Christ and the more hee had of the glorious assistance of Christ and the more hee had of sweet communion and fellowship with Christ and the more hee had of the choise supports and singular comforts of Christ and therefore hee takes pleasure in all the pressures that were upon him and so in that Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations that is into divers afflictions O Sirs to bee divinely merry in misery to rejoyce in the Cross as men rejoyce in a Crown to rejoyce in adversitie as others rejoyce in prosperity to rejoyce in a stinking prison as others rejoyce in their stately palaces to rejoyce in restraint as others rejoyce in liberty to rejoyce in wants as others rejoyce in abundance to rejoyce in reproaches as others rejoyce in their honours c. is very much but to bee joyful in such cases not with a little joy but with exceeding great joy is more All joy is an Hebraism and it signifies great joy full Joy exceeding joy perfect joy O! thus to rejoyce and that not only when you fall into some afflictions but when you fall into divers afflictions argues a very great measure of holiness but ah how rare is it to finde such souls in these daies that can not only bear the Cross but also rejoyce in the Cross that can not only bear reproaches but also wear reproaches as their Crown and Glory But Fiftly The more extensive a mans obedience is to divine commands Num. 14.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vajemalle the Hebrew word is a Metaphor taken from a Ship under fail which is strongly carryed with the wind as if it feared neither rocks nor sands the greater measure of holiness that man hath attained to Caleb had a very great measure of the spirit of holiness upon him and hee is said to have followed the Lord fully or as the Hebrew hath it hee fulfilled after mee that is his obedience was full universal resolute and constant to the end the contrary is affirmed of Solomon in that 1 King 11.6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord and went not fully after the Lord as did David his Father or as the Hebrew hath it hee fulfilled not after the Lord that is his obedience was not so full so universal so sincere so resolute and so constant as Davids his Fathers was Zacharias and Elizabeth were persons of great holinesse and their obedience was very extensive for they walked not only in some but in all the commandments and not only in all the Commandements but also in all the Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse Luke 1.5 6. their obedience was of such an universal extent and latitude that it comprehended and took in all the duties both of their general and particular callings they had an eye to the duties of the second Table as well as they had an eye to the duties of the first and they subjected themselves to the duties of their particular calling Mat. 23.23 as well as to the duties of their general calling As they had an eye to mint annisse and cumming that is to the lesser and lower duties of Religion so they had an eye to the greater and weightier duties of Religion viz. Judgement Mercy and Faith c. But now
rises against little sins Page 113-120 Of a Little holiness Most Christians have but a little holiness this is proved by eight Arguments Page 469-479 M. Of Melancholy Of Melancholly and the effects of it Page 367 368 369. Of Manifestations The more holy any man is the more God will manifest himself to that man Page 498 499 500 501 502. Of Marriages Holy persons are not to marry with those that are unholy Page 56 57. Of a scandalous Ministry and of a holy ministry Settle not your selves under a lewd scandalous Ministry 296 297-299 See many considerable things in the Epistle concerning prophane ignorant scandalous debauched Ministers He that would perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord must fix and settle himself under a faithful holy Ministry Page 575 576 577. Of Mockers Mockers shall not goe to Heaven Page 71 72 73 74 75 Of Mortifying of sin He that would be more holy must fall in good earnest with all his might upon mortifying his most raging corruptions and most darling sins Page 582 583 584 585. Of Mourners and mournings Seven reasons why a holy man mournes for other mens sins 139-145 He that would be holy must mourne over his own unholiness 299 300 301. Mourne over the loss of holiness Page 466 467 468. Motives Seven Motives to move you to try whether you have any real holiness or no. 89-101 Fifteen Motives to get holiness 170-209 Seventeen Motives to perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord. 469-517 The more spiritual Motives and considerations carries a man on in religious duties and services the greater measures of holiness has that man attained to Page 606 607 608. N. Of Necessity The necessity of holiness Page 170 171 172 173 174. Of Neuters Neuters shall not goe to Heaven Page 79 80 81 82. Number The Number of Saints not diminished but increased by persecutions Page 398 399 400 401. O. Of Objections 1. Ob. We have no power to make our selves holy answered from 341-347 2 Ob. But hereafter may be time enough to look after holiness we may yet spend a few more years in pursuing after the profits pleasures c. of the world Ans 347-352 3. Ob. If we should press and pursue after holiness then we must take our farewel of all joy and comfort of all delight and pleasure c. Ans 352-369 4. Ob. We see that there are none so afflicted and persecuted as those who mind holiness who follow after holiness c. Ans 369-423 5. Ob. If we should labour after holiness then we must resolve to be poore and meane and low in the world for we shall never grow rich by godliness Ans 423-433 6. Ob. Should we pursue after holiness it would be a disgrace and dishonour to us who are honorable great rich and high in the world we are high borne we are Gentlemen and well bred and holiness seems to be too poore and too low a thing for such as we are to looke after Ans 433-446 7. Ob. Should we pursue after holiness we shall be sure to be reviled reproached and slandered and we shall become a scorne and a by-word c. to all that are round about us Ans Page 446-456 Of Obstinate sinners No special communion to be held with obstinate sinners Page 48 49. Of Overcoming The more a man can overcome evill with good upon holy and gracious accounts the greater measure of holiness that person has attained to Page 597 598 599 600. P. Of Persecution and persecutors Persecution has been the common lot and portion of the people of God 369 370. Christ and his Apostles has long since foretold us that afflictions and persecutions will attend us in this world 370 371 372. Persecutions that befalls the Saints for holiness sake shall never hurt nor harme the Saints 372 373 374 375 376. That the condition of persecutors of all conditions under Heaven is the most sad and deplorable condition is made good by five Arguments 376-389 That God will bare his people company in all their afflictions and persecutions 389 390 391 392. He shall be sure to suffer from Christ that refuses to suffer or that is afraid to suffer persecution for Christ 392 393 394 395 396. Many great advantages that will redowne to Christians by all the afflictions and persecutions that does befall them 396-411 To fuffer afflictions and persecutions for holiness sake is the greatest honour that Christians are capable of in this world 411 412 413. The afflictions and persecutions that commonly attend Christians in these dayes are nothing to the fiery tryalls that the Saints and Martyrs of old have been exercised with 413 414 415. Vnholy persons have suffered as great and grievous things for the satisfying of their lusts c. as Christians are like to suffer for their pursuing after holiness 415 416. Though persecutions may attend the people of God yet he has very many wayes to preserve his people from being ruin'd and destroyed by persecuting hands As 1. By laying a Law of restraint upon persecutors 2. By setting persecutors one against another 3. By passing a sentence of death upon persecutors 4. By altering and changing the hearts of persecutors 5. By taking of persecutors feet in the same snares that they have laid for others 6. By providing Cities of refuge and hiding places to shelter them 416-420 All the persecutions that the Saints meet with on earth shall advance their glory in Heaven Page 420 421 422 423. Of Perseverance Christians must persevere in their pursuit after holiness Page 460 461 462. Of what is Possible 'T is possible for unholy persons to be made holy this is proved by eight arguments 174-183 'T is possible for those that are holy to attain to greater measures of holiness then any yet they have attained to and this is proved by five Arguments Page 479-488 Of Prophane persons Prophane persons shall not goe to Heaven Page 70 71. Of False Prophets No speciall communion to be held with false Prophets Page 47 48. Of Prayer He that will be holy must be much in Prayer and be sure 〈…〉 Of Vowes He that will be holy must dwell much upon his solemne vowes Page 309 310 311 312. Of Universal Obedience The more universal a mans obedience is the more holy that man is Page 602 603. Of Unbeleevers We are to have no sacred no speical communion with unbeleevers Page 42 43. Of the Unholy A holy person will be holy among the unholy Page 154 155 156 157. Of the Use of earthly things Holy persons will be holy in the use of earthly and common things Page 136 137 138. Of Uprightness Enduring of persecution an argument of uprightness Page 396 397 398. W. Of Waiting He that will be holy must waite upon the word faithfully preacht 304-307 He that will be holy when he has done all must waite Page 337 338 339. Of Wants He that would perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord should labour to be more acquainted and affected with his spirituall wants Page 572 573. Of the Word A holy man loves the word for its holiness 144-147 How a person may know when he is affected and taken with the word as 't is a holy word Answered 5 ways Page 147-154 Of the World Take heed of the world and why 239-284 But here remember once for all that by the Printers mistake next to page 240. followes 280. The next Impression will prevent this and other mistakes also The more worldlings strive after the world the more Christians should strive to perfect holiness Page 513 514 515. Of Worship Christians must stand for purity of worship and why Page 462 463 464 465 466. Of Working All things shall work for good to the holy man Page 636 637 638. FINIS