with the State of this Common-wealth of Kings to admit such vermine as as unholy persons are to be of that noble society surely no God hath long since resolved upon it that no unclean beasts shall enter into heaven that no dirty dogs shall ever trample upon that golden pavement All in heaven are holy the Angels holy the Saints holy the Patriarchs holy the Prophets holy the Apostles holy the Martyrs holy but the Lord himself above all is most glorious in holiness and therefore all those holy ones do as it were in a divine Anthem sing and say Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty Rev. 21. ult There are no Owls in Creet nor no wild beasts in Lebanon heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory Now certainly it would be a hell to these holy ones to have unholy wretches to be their companions When the holy Angels fell from their holiness heaven was so holy that it spewed them out Isaiah 6.3 as once Canaan did its unholy inhabitants and therefore certainly there will be no room in heaven for such filthy beasts as unholy persons are Well remember this that all those stinging Expressions and Appellations which disgrace and vilifie unholy persons they were inspired by a holy spirit and penned by holy Secretaries and enrolled in his holy word and published by his holy messengers and all by his holy appointment who as he is greater then the greatest and wiser then the wisest and better then the best Lev. 18.28 So he is too pure and too holy to eat the words that are gone out of his mouth or to deny or unsay what he hath spoken or not to maintain the truth thereof against all gain-sayers It is prophecied that when the Church shall be restored to her purity and glory such beasts shall not be there Isa 35.9 Ezek. 28.24 The Majesty of Church-discipline shall be such as shall keep out all such beasts Jerusalem above is too glorious a habitation for beasts or for men of beastly spirits or beastly principles or beastly practices The City of the great God was never built for beasts A wilderness and not a Paradise is fittest for beasts The ninth Argument to prove the truth of the Proposition Exod. 23.32 Chap. 34.12 If you would see the greatness and dangerousness of this sin then read Ezra 10. 1 Kings 11. with Exo. 34.14 15 16. Judg. 3.6 7 8. When Dionysius the elder Tyrant of Syracusa asked Aristides a Locrian his good will to marry his daughter I had rather see my daughter dead said he then married unto a Tyrant Plutarch in the life of Timoleon The Application is easie is this God would not have his holy ones in this world to be yoked in marriage with unholy ones and therefore certainly he will never suffer such to be yoked to himself to all eternity That God would not have his righteous people to be yoked in marriage with the unrighteous is most evident by these Scriptures Deut. 7.3.6 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them thy daughter thou shalt not give to his son nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy Son For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth Ezra 9.12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons neither take their daughters unto your sons But did they keep this commandment of the Lord No as you may see in the second verse of that chapter For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands yea the hand of the Princes and Rulers have been chief in this trespass But how did this operate upon good Ezra that you may see in the third verse And when I heard this thing I rent my garment and my mantle and pluckt off the hair of my head and of my beard and sate down astonied Oh the sorrow the grief the perplexity the holy passion the indignation the amazement the astonishment that this abomination begot in the heart of good Ezra The like effect this sin had upon the heart of good Nehemiah as you may see in that remarkable text Neh. 13.23 24 25. compared with Ch. 10.29 30. So in 2 Cor. 6.14 15. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness And what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel It is an evil thing a dangerous thing to be yoked to any who have neither skill nor will to bear the yoke of Christ Under the Law an Ox and an Asse might not be yoked or coupled together Deut. 22.10 and to this the Apostle alludes as some judge God would not have righteous souls to be yoked in marriage with those that are unrighteous a gracious soul were better be married to a quartern ague then to an ungracious wife Proverbs 12.4 A vertuous wife is a crown to her husband she is the life of life if thou art a man of holinesse thou must look more for a portion of grace in a wife 1 Cor 7.39 then for a portion of gold with a wife thou must look more after righteousnesse then riches more after piety then money more after what inheritance she hath in heaven then what possessions she hath on earth more at what interest she hath in Christ then at what interest she hath in creatures more at her being new born then at her beâ—ng high born more at her being good then at all her worldly goods If money makes the match and she be good enough that hath but goods enough thou shalt be sure to have hell enough with such a wife In thy choice to err but once is to be undone for ever at least as to the comforts and contentments of thy life once blest or curst must be for ever so Men have not leave to choose or change often By what hath been said it is most evident that God would not have the holy seed to mingle or marry with the unholy And do you think that a holy God wil mingle and marry with such in heaven that he would not have his people to mingle or marry with on earth surely no. Or do you think that that God that would not in the Law have an Ox and an Asse plough together that he will be yoked to such wretches may I say to such Asses whose ungodliness hath debased them below the very Ox and Asse Isa 1.3 Surely no. The tenth and last Argument to prove that without real holinesse there is no happinesse c. is this Unholy persons are adjudged doomed and sentenced to another place viz. to hell Matth 11.23 Ch. 23.15.33 The Hebrew word Shâ—ol hath several significations Sometimes it signifies
as much called out of the kingdome of darkness as another and one Saint is as much called to Jesus Christ as another in vocation God looks with as favourable an eye upon one as he do's upon another And as all Saints are equally called so all Saints are equally justified 2 Cor. 5.19 20. 1 Cor. 1.30 though one Saint may be more sanctified then another yet no Saint is more justified then another the weakest believer is as much justified and pardoned before the throne of God as the strongest is that pure perfect matchless and spotless righteousness of Christ is as much imputed to one Saint as 't is to another And as all Saints are equally justified so all Saints are equally adopted Gal. 4.4 5 6. the weakest believer is as much an adopted son as the strongest believer in the world is God is no more a father to one then he is to another the Babe in the armes is as much a son as he that is of riper yeares Thus you see that Gods love of good will is equall in all his Saints and therefore you are to understand this Argument of Gods love of complacency now this love runs out more to some Saints then it do's to others for they that have much holiness are much beloved John 14.21 23 but they that have most holiness are most beloved the greater thou art in holiness the greater wilt thou be beloved of God O Daniel Dan. 9.23 thou art greatly beloved And why do's God love more and delight more in Christ then he do's in all the Angels and Saints in heaven and in all the upright ones that are on earth but because Christ is more eminent and glorious in holiness then all created beings are Heb. 1.3 he is more the express Image of his Fathers person and the brightness of his Fathers glory then others and therefore he is more beloved then others 'T was an excellent observation of one of the Fathers August Tract in John 1.14 viz. that God loved the humanity of Christ more then any man because he was fuller of grace and truth then any man Now for the further clearing up of this great Argument Consider first that the more holy any person is the more excellent that person is All corruptions are diminutions of excellency the more mixt any thing is the more abased it is the more you mix your wine with water the more you abase your wine and the more you mix your Tin with Gold the more you abase your Gold but the purer your wine is the richer and the better your wine is and the purer your Gold is the more glorious and excellent it is so the purer and holier any person is the more excellent and glorious that person is Now the more divinely excellent and glorious any person is the more he is beloved of God and the more he is the delight of God But secondly the more holy any person is Heb. 11.5 the more that person pleases the Lord fruitfulness in holiness fills heaven with joy The Husbandman is not so much pleased with the fruitfulness of his fields nor the wife with the fruitfulness of her womb nor the father with the thriving of his child as God is pleased with the fruitfulness and thriving of his children in grace and holiness now certainly the more God is pleased with any person the more he loves that person and the more pleasure and delight he takes in such a person if God be most pleased with holiness he cannot but be most delighted in those that are most holy But thirdly the more holy any person is the more like to God he is and the more like to God he is doubtless the more he is beloved of God 't is likeness both in nature and grace that alwayes drawes the strongest love Though every child is the father multiplyed the father of a second edition yet the father loves him best and delights in him most who is most like him and who in feature spirit and action do's most resemble him to the life and so do's the father of spirits also he alwayes loves them best who in holiness resemble him most There are foure remarkable things in the beloved Disciple above all the rest 1. John 13.23 Ch. 18.16 Ch. 19.26 Vers 27. That he lay nearest to Christs Bosome at the Table 2. That he followed Christ closest to the high Priests Palace 3. That he stood close to Christ when he was on the Cross though others had basely deserted him and turn'd their backs upon him 4. That Christ commended the care of his virgin mother to him Now why did Christs desire love and delight run out with a stronger and a fuller Tyde towards John then to the rest of the Disciples doubtless 't was because John did more resemble Christ then the rest 't was because John was a more exact picture and lively representation of Christ then the others were But fourthly the more holy any man is the more communion and familiarity that man shall have with God As you may see in Moses Moses was a none-such for meekness and holiness Num. 12.3 Now the man Moses was very meeke above all the men which were upon the face of the earth There was no man so slighted wronged provoked teazed perplexed and troubled by that wicked unthankful unbelieving and murmuring Generation as Moses was and yet he did neither raile at them nor revile them he did neither storme nor rage he did neither fret nor fling and though he had a sword of Justice in his hand and might easily have avenged himselfe on them yet he would not but exercised all patience tenderness goodness and sweetness towards them O the lowliness the meekness the holiness of this man Moses And O the freeness the friendliness the openness and the familiarness of God with Moses Deut. 34.10 And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face To give you a little light into these words Some of the Rabbies observe that Moses surpassed all the other Prophets not only in sublimity of Prophesies but also in excellency and number of miracles for Moses within one Age wrought seventy six miracles when all the rest of the Prophets from the beginning of the world quite downe to the ruine of the first Temple wrought only seventy foure And as for those words whom the Lord knew face to face you are not to understand them thus that God hath a face as man hath nor that Moses had a view of the essence of God which is invisible John 1.18 1 Tim. 6.16 for in this sense no man hath seen God at any time and indeed the least beame of Gods essentiall glory and Majestie would have swallowed up Moses alive But these words whom the Lord knew face to face are to be understood of Gods speaking to Moses in a free friendly familiar and plaine manner God did speak to
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
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
immortality to this day death could never have carried man out of the world had not man first let sin into the world Rom. 5.12 ult Secondly If you compare the life of man to the long lives of the Patriarchs before the stood then the life of man is but short threescore years and ten is mans age Psal 90.10 And where one man lives to this age how many thousands die before they come to it But what is this age to the age that men lived to in former times Enoch lived as many yeers as there be days in the year and Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years and Methuselah lived nine hundred sixty and nine years Gen. 5. Now what were Platoes eighty years or Thomas Pars 160. years or Johannes de Temporibus John of the times three hundred threescore and one years to the long lives of the Patriarchs and though in Davids time old age and seventy often shook hands yet 't is otherwise in our times for as mens wickedness do more and more increase so their days do more and more decrease the more wicked any generation is the shorter liv'd that generation shall be God will quickly dispatch them out of the world who make quick dispatches in ways of wickedness Thirdly The life of man is but short if you compare it to what it shall be after the morning of the Resurrection O then mans day shall reach to eternity eternity is that unum perpetuum hodie one perpetual day that shall never have end when men after the resurrection begin to live they shall never dye after that day every man shall live in everlasting bliss or in everlasting wo when the last Trumpet has sounded man shall live for ever and ever Fourthly The life of man is but short if you compare it with the days of God Psal 39.5 Mine age is nothing before him all time is nothing to eternity mans life is but a minute 't is but a point of time to the days of eternity what head what heart can conceive or reckon up the duration of God who ever was who still is and who ever will be every child and every fool can tell you their age but what man on earth or what Angel in heaven can tell you the years of the Most High surely none Fifthly and lastly the life of man is but short if you compare it with the lives of other creatures some say that 't is neither age nor sickness that killeth the Eagle she casteth her feathers yearly and so gets new whereby her youth strength is renewed Pliny August Calvin Psal 103.5 by which means she will live till she be an hundred years old she dies not till her upper Bill be so grown over her under that she cannot take in her meat and so at last she is staryed And some Elephants live three hundred years witness Aelian Solinus and Strabo c. by all which you see the brevity of mans life And why then should man be so weak so vain as to put the day of his death so far from him I have read of the Birds of Norway that they flye faster then the fowls of any other Country they knowing by an instinct that God has put into them that the days in that Climate are very short not above three hours long say some do therefore make the more haste to their nests And O! that all that hear me this day would learn by these birds of Norway to make haste to believe and to make haste to repent and to make haste to love God and to make haste to be holy c. seeing their day of life is so short and their night of death is posting towards them And as the life of man is very short so 't is very considerable that a very small matter a very little thing may quickly put an end to mans life When the Emperor threatned the Philosopher with death he replyed Conrad Ves perg Nancler Jo. Boel in Adrian Paulus Jovius Elog. lib. 2. what is that more then a Spanish flie may do An ordinary flye flying casually into the mouth of the proud Pope Adrian stifled him that made the highest state then in the Christian world stoop even to the holding of his stirrop Tamberlain a Scythian Captain the terror of his time died with three fits of an Ague Anacreon the Poet was choaked with the kernel of a Grape Aeschylus was killed by the shell of a Tortoise which fell from an Eagles Talons who as some conceive took his bald head for a white rock The Lord Mountaigne tells us of a Duke of Britany that was stifled to death in such a throng of people as is in some great congregations on the Lords day An Emperor died by the scratch of a Comb and one of the Kings of France died by the chock of an Hogg and one that was brother to a great Lord playing at Tennis received a blow with a ball a little above the right ear which struck him into his grave There is nothing so small but may be a mans bane The paring of a Toe the cutting off a corn the scratch of a nail the prick of a pin a fish-bone a hair a drop of water a crum of bread a bad air or an evil smell may bring a man to his long home yea a little smoak may soon stifle him or his own spittle let down unwarily may suddenly choak him And O! that all that I have spoken upon this account might be so blest as to work you to take heed of putting the day of your death so far from you The evil servant when he thought his Master was gone afar off Luke 12.45 then he layes about him distempers himself Prov. 7.19 20. and beats his fellow-servants And so the leud woman in the Proverbs when the good man was gone a long journey when he was far from home then she grew wanton vain and secure so when men put afar off the day of their death then they grow more loose prophane and unholy whereas a serious and frequent eying and minding of death as at hand as at a mans elbow would alarm a man to break off his sins by repentance and to labor for holiness as a man would labor for life it self I have read of the women in the Isle of Man that the first Web they make is their winding sheet wherwith they usually gird themselves when they go abroad to shew that they are still mindful of their mortality Ah friends a constant minding of your mortality would contribute very much towards the making of you holy He that daily looks upon death will be daily a looking after holiness the oftener any man looks into the grave the oftener that man will be looking up to heaven and a begging that God would make him holy even as he is holy But Sixthly and lastly Take heed of settling your selves under a leud and scandalous Ministry or of having any inwardness with
vessels of a different mettal the water at the first seemeth to be of a different colour but when he draweth up the vessels nearer to him the diversity of colours vanish and the water appeareth to be of one and the same colour and when he tasteth them they have one and the same relish So though at first sight there may seem to be some contradictions in the Scriptures yet when we look more nearly and narrowly into them and compare one place with another we shall finde no contrariety no repugnancy in them at all but a perfect harmony and a full and sweet consent and agreement between one place and another between text and text Scripture and Scripture Sixthly For verity the Scriptures are most sure and certain heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or tittle of the Scripture shall pass unfulfilled Seventhly For variety there are no varieties to those that are to be found in Scripture as in Noahs Ark all sorts of creatures were to be found so in this heavenly Ark the Scriptures all varieties are to be found here you may finde Physick for every disease and Balm for every wound and a plaister for every sore Here the Lamb may wade and here the Elephant may swim here is milk for Babes and here is meat for strong men here is comfort for the afflicted and succour for the tempted and support for the distressed and ease for the wearied here is a staff to support the feeble and a sword to defend the mighty That which a Papist reports lyingly of their Sacraments of the Mass viz. That there are as many misteries in it as there are drops in the sea dust on the earth Angels in heaven Stars in the sky Atoms in the Sun-beams or sands on the Sea shore c. may be truly asserted of the holy Scriptures there are many thousand thousand varieties in this garden of Paradise the Scripture Eighthly For fulness the Scriptures are full of light and full of life and full of love they are full of righteousness and full of holiness and full of all goodness 'T was a weighty saying of Tertullian Adoro plenitudinem scripturarum I adore the fulness of the Scripture Many men talk much of the Philosophers Stone that it turns Copper into Gold and of Cornucopia that it had all things necessary for food in it and of the Herb Panaces that it was good for all diseases and of the Drugg Catholicon that it is instead of all purges and of Vulcans armor that it was full proof against all thrusts and blows but that which they vainly attribute to these things for bodily good may safely and honorably be attributed to the blessed Scriptures in a spiritual manner the Scriptures turns hearts of Copper into hearts of Gold 't is a Paradise that is full of the Trees of life Rev. 22.2 and these trees of life are both for food Physick here is all manner of fruit to feed you fill you to delight you and satisfie you and the very leaves of these Trees are singular medicines to heal you and cure you the Scripture prescribes the choicest druggs to purge you viz. Repentance and the blood of Christ and 't is the Scripture that furnishes you with the best armor of proof against all principalities and powers and against all spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.11.18 Oh how should the consideration of all these things work you to be much in reading of the holy Scriptures if you will but make trial you should be sure to finde in them stories more true more various more pleasant more profitable and more comfortable then any you will find in all ancient or modern writers Ah friends if you would but in good earnest set upon reading of the holy Scriptures you may finde in them so many happinesses as cannot be numbred and so great happinesses as cannot be measured and so copious happinesses as cannot be defined and such precious happinesses as cannot be valued and if all this woâ—â—t draw you to read the holy Scriptures conscientiously and frequently I know not what will It 's said of Mary that she spent the third part of her time in reading of the word and Caecilia a Roman Maiden of noble parentage carried always about her the New Testament and spent much time in reading it Alfredus once King of England compiled Psalms and prayers into one book and called it a Manuel which he always carried about him and spent much time in the perusal of it Augustin Vide Pos in vita Aug. caused Davids penitential Psalms to be drawn upon the walls of his Chamber that he might read them as he lay in his bed he read and wep't and wept and read Well if all this will not prevail with you to be much in reading of the Scriptures consider that Agesilaus an excellent King of Sparta would never go to bed nor rise up before he had looked into Homer whom he called Amasium suum his sweet heart but what was Homers books to Gods Book which is the book of books as Charles the great did signifie when he crowned it with his own crown And Scipio Africanus was much commended Plutarch Moral for that he usually had in his hands the books of Xenophon But Oh how much more commendable will it be for you to have always in your hands the book of God Alphonsus had always in his bosom the commentaries of Caesar and he was so much delighted with the history of Titus Livius that he once commanded certain Musitians that were very skilful in that Art to depart his presence saying he could read a more pleasant story out of Livius Alas what are Livius his stories to the blessed stories that be in the Bible Oh sirs if Lipsius when he did but read Seneca thought that he was even on the top of Olympus above mortality and humane things And if Julius Scaliger thought twelve verses in Lucan better then the German Empire O then of what infinite worth and value is the blessed Scripture shall Heathens take such pleasure in reading of the Works of Heathens and shall not Christians take as much pleasure in reading of the holy Scriptures wherein there is so much of the Spirit hand and heart of God Shall they set so high a price upon the books of Heathens and shall we so slight and undervalue the books of God as not to thinke it worth a opening once a day verily I am afraid I am afraid that there are some among us that hardly open their Bibles once a weeke and others that hardly open their Bibles once a moneth and not a few that hardly open their Bibles once a quarter c. Certainly as the rustiness of some mens gold Jam. 5.1 2 3. will be a witness against them in the great day of the Lord so the mustiness of some mens Bibles will be a witness against them in that great day Quest But is it not lawfull
truth with his blood Mr. John Hus was a man eminent in holiness he was borne in Prague in Bohemia A Prophesie and was Pastor of the Church of Bethleem his name Hus in the Bohemian language sâ—gnifies a Goose at his Martyrdome he told them that if they rosted him in the fire out of the ashes of the Goose an hundred years after God would raise up a Swan in Germany that should carry the Cause on for which he suffered and whose singings would affright all those Vulters which was exactly fulfilled in Luther whose name in the Bohemian language signifies a Swan for God raised him up as a famous instrument in his hand who carried on that glorious Cause with mighty success and upon his death the Bohemians under Ziska rose in Armes and had most admirable success against the Emperour and the Papists A Prophesie Luther was a man of great holiness and being one time more then ordinarily earnest with God in prayer he came downe to his Friends and told them with a very great confidence that it should goe well with Germany all his dayes he knew what was done in heaven by that which God had done in his own heart accordingly it fell out The Martyr that was burnt last in Smithfield A Prophesie told the people that they should be of good comfort for he was fully perswaded that he was the last that should suffer under Queen Mary and so he was Thus you see that men of greatest holiness have had the clearest and choicest manifestations discoveries of God and of his mind made knowne to them Suitable to that choice promise that you have in that 33 Jer. 3. Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty or hidden things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hidden as bunches of Grapes are hidden under the leaves of the Vines which thou knowest not God will make knowne to his holy ones the most hidden and abstruse things and the more holy they are the more they shall know of the most secret and mysterious things of God John 7.17 If any man will doe his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my selfe Christ will be most open to them that are most obedient to him they shall know most of the doctrine of Christ who are most complying with the will of Christ David was a man of great holiness as is evident by that glorious testimony that God has given of him in that 13 Acts 22. And when he had removed him that is Saul v. 21. he raised up unto them David to be their King to whom also he gave testimony and said I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All my wills to note the eminency transcâ—ndency universality and sincerity of his obedience Now if you will but look into that 2 Sam. 7.27 there you shall see how the Lord declares and makes knowne himselfe and his intentions towards him For thou O Lord of Hosts God of Israel hast revealed to thy servant saying I will build thee an house But the Hebrew is more full and excellent in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it runs thus Lord thou hast revealed this to the eare of thy servant Now the emphasis lyes in those words to the eare of thy servant When God makes knowne himselfe and his intentions to such as are eminent in holiness he do's it in their eare God tells David in his eare that he will build him an house that is that he would continue his kingdome to him and to his posterity after him this was blessed newes and this God tells in his eare Such as are our special friends and favourites we often whisper them in the eare when we would acquaint them with our most secret and weighty purposes intentions and resolutions we give them a whisper in the eare such persons that are eminent in holiness are the great favourits of heaven and God tells them in the eare of many a rare secret which all others are kept ignorant of Well Sirs for a close remember this that there are no persons on earth that are so prepared and fitted for the clearest fullest and highest manifestations of God as those that are eminent in holiness nor none that set so high a price upon the discoveries of God as men that are eminent in holiness nor none that are so able to bare the Revelations of his will as men that are eminent in holiness nor none that will make such an humble faithful constant and through improvement of all that God shall make knowne to them as men that are famous for holiness and therefore as ever you would have God in an eminent way to manifest and discover himselfe and his mind unto you O labour after a greater measure of holiness But Eighthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the more holy any man is the more singular delight and pleasure God will take in all his religious duties and services Generally 't was the custome of the Eastern countries to wash before worship The very heathen gods would be served in white the very emblem of purity holiness puts a divine savour upon all a mans services there are no duties so sweet as those that have most holiness in them Mal. 3.3 4. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the dayes of old and as in former years After the Lord Jesus Christ hath been to his people as a refiners fire and as Fullers sope that is after he hath refined scoured and purged his people from their drossiness filthiness earthliness selfishness and sensualness c. then their offerings shall be pleasant to the Lord. Look as light makes all things pleasant and delightful to man so holiness makes all a mans duties and services pleasant and delightful to the Lord. Zach. 13.9 And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed they shall call on my name and I will heare them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God When God has refined his people as silver is refined then he will bow his eare and open his hand and grant them the desires of their hearts O the pleasure and delight that God takes in the prayers tears hearings readings meltings mournings and repentings of such who are eminently purged and sanctified the more holiness any man has the less of the flesh polution and corruption there is in all his duties and services and the less there is of
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
Lawfulnesse For a man to be often a looking over his Natural actions his Moral actions and his Religious actions and to be still a putting this question to himself O my soul dost thou eye what is expedient dost thou eye as well what is expedient as what is lawful such a frame and temper of spirit speaks out much of Christ and Holinesse within O the sins O the sorrows O the shame O the reproach O the troubles O the travels O the trials c. that might have been prevented had the Law had the Rule of Expediency been more minded and followed by Christians in these daies c But Twelfthly and lastly The more a man can deny himself when hee hath an opportunity power and authority to raise himself to greaten himself to seek himself and to lift up himself the greater measure of Holiness that man hath attained to Providence often puts many a rare and fair opportunity into Moses his hand Exod. 32.9 15. Deut. 9.13 14 18 19 20. Heb. 12.24 25. Nehem. 5.14 ult whereby hee might have raised himself and have greatned himself in the world and yet then even then hee denies himself And Nehemiah was a man of the same mind and metal hee stood upon the advantage ground to have greatned himself and to have lifted up himself as others had done before him but instead of this hee lessens himself hee denies himself hee degrades himself and being of a very noble generous publick spirit hee turns his back upon his own worldly interest and keeps a very free and bountiful Table upon the account of his own particular Revenue and not upon the account of a publick purse And so Daniel was one in Spirit with the former when God had brought him into high favour with the Prince of the Eunuchs Dan. 1.8 9 10 11. and given him a great deal of heart-room there yet upon no terms would hee defile himself with the Kings meat or comply with the requests of the Prince of the Eunuchs it argues a great deal of holiness for a man to deny his temporal self Rev. 4.10 11. to dethrone his temporal self when hee stands upon the advantage ground to advance his temporal self and to throne his temporal self in the world I have read of Trojane the Emperour how hee sent Eustochius one of his chiefest Captains against the Barbarians who having vanquished them returned home The Emperour being very joyful at this good news goes to meet him and brings him gloriously into the City Now Eustochius being high in the Emperours favour 't was but ask and have speak and speed but on this very day of Pomp Triumph and Glory hee chose rather to suffer the Martyrdome of himself his wife and children than with the Emperour to offer sacrifice to Apollo and so denies himself and all his present Pomp and Glory when hee might greatly have inriched himself and advanced himself Nothing speaks out greater measures of holiness than for a man to deny himself when hee may seek himself and exalt himself if hee pleases I have read of a godly man who being sorely tempted by Satan was much in duty to whom Satan said why takest thou this pains thou dost watch and fast and pray and abstainest from the sins of the times But O man what dost thou more than I do art thou no Drunkard no more am I art thou no Adulterer no more am I dost thou watch why let mee tell thee I never slept dost thou fast why I never ate nor drank what dost thou more than I do why I will tell thee Satan said the holy man I pray I serve the Lord nay more than all this I deny my self nay then saith Satan thou goest beyond mee for I am proud and I exalt my self and so vanished O the excellency of self-denial and O the holiness and the happiness of that man that can deny himself that can debase himself that can even trample upon himself when hee hath power and authority in his own hand to greaten himself and to exalt himself Power and authority will try what metal men are made of Ah how many have there been among us of late years who when they have had no power nor authority in their hands to help themselves have seemed to be great deniers of themselves but no sooner had they power and authority in their hands but ah what self-love what self-interest what self-seeking and what self-exalting was to be found amongst them O how have many among them instead of loving God to the contempt of themselves loved themselves to the contempt of God and who instead of debasing themselves that they might exalt God have debased God that they might exalt themselves and who instead of losing themselves that they might finde God have lost God that they might finde themselves These put mee in minde of the Abbot in Melancthon who lived strictly and lookt demurely and walkt humbly so long as hee was but a Monk but when by his seeming sanctity and humility hee had got to be Abbot hee grew most intollerable proud and insolent c. and being asked the reason of it hee confessed that his former lowly looks was but to see if hee could finde the keyes of the Abby how many such Abbots wee have had amongst us you all know Ah how rare is it to finde a man to deny himself when hee is advantaged to seek himself such a man is worth gold but this Iron-age affords few such golden-men Where this frame of spirit is there the streams of holiness runs deep And thus much for this Use of Trial and Examination And so I come now to the last Use of this Doctrine and that is for Comfort and Consolation to all those that have this real holiness without which there is no happiness O Sirs open wide the everlasting doors of your souls that not a River but a Sea of joy and comfort may flow in upon you For First Know for your comfort That real holiness is the seal of your eternal Election Some are elected to glorious offices in this world others are elected to eternal glory in the other world Joh. 6.70 Judas was chosen to be an Apostle on Earth but not to be a Saint in Heaven but the Thessalonians were elected to eternal glory in Heaven 1 Thes 1.4 though they were not chosen to any glorious offices here on Earth It may be thou art a poor creature that never wast nor never art like to be elected to any noble or honourable imployments either in Church or State O but if thou art a holy person then know for thy everlasting comfort that thy real holiness is a real seal of thine Eternal Election 't is the counterpane as it were of all that gracious love good will and eternal favour that God bears unto thee Ephes 1.4 Hee hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy God did not chuse us either
except there be sound repentance on their sides and pardoning mercy on Gods they are so abominable debauched and wicked But Eightly When God hath separated and severed his people from the corrupt and sinful customes and manners of the world and brought them into fellowship with himself and into Gospel-Communion with one another O then in a special manner hee calls aloud upon them to be holy Levit. 20.23 24 26. And yee shall not walk in the manners of the Nation which I cast out before you for they committed all these things and therefore I abhorred them But I have said unto you ye shall inherit their Land and I will give it unto you to possess it a Land that floweth with milk and hony I am the Lord your God which have separated you from other people And yee shall be holy unto mee for I the Lord am holy and have severed you from other people that yee should bee mine Distinguishing mercies should breed and nourish distinguishing qualities O Sirs 't is not for you who are separated and severed from the world by God to be proud and carnal and formal and distrustful and hypocritical and earthly and froward c. as the world is 't is not for you to deny your principles to debauch your consciences to change your notes to turn your coats to defile your souls to blot your names and to scandalize your profession O Sirs if God hath separated you and severed you from the world by a call from Heaven it highly concerns you not to think as the world thinks nor to speak as the world speaks nor to judge as the world judges nor to walk as the world walks nor to worship as the world worships but so to think speak judge walk and worship as may make most for the honour of God the glory of the Gospel and as best becomes those that have had the honour and the happiness of being separated and severed by God from the world But Ninthly When the day of the Lord draws neer and when wee look for the accomplishment of great things O then God calls aloud upon his people to bee holy 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12 13 14. But the day of the Lord will come as a Theif in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Element shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall bee burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall bee desolved what manner of persons ought yee to bee in all holy conversation and godliness Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall bee desolved and the Element shall melt with fervent heat Never-the-less wee according to his promise look for a new Heaven and new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Wherefore Beloved seeing that yee look for such things bee diligent that yee may bee found of him in peace without spot and blameless The neerer the day of Christ is to us and the more great and glorious things wee expect from God Isa 65.17 18 19 20. the more holy the more spotless and the more blameless wee must labour to bee I know there are many that look for new heavens and a new earth that is for a glorious Church-state here on earrh wherein shall dwell righteousness 't is certain that the highest Heavens where God keeps his Royal Court was never without righteousness righteousness hath been alwaies the habitation of his Throne righteousness hath alwaies dwelt in the highest Heavens and indeed Heaven would bee no Heaven yea it would rather hee a Hell than a Heaven if righteousness did not alwaies dwell there neither can the highest Heaven ever wax old neither were they ever made of Earth or Brittle mouldering matter the Pallace of the great King will bee alwaies new fresh shining and gloriousness but indeed the Earth in all Ages have been full of injustice unrighteousness wickedness tyranny cruelty and oppression so that righteousness seems to have been banished out of the world ever since Adam fell from his primitive righteousness and holiness O! but there is a glorious day a coming wherein the Earth shall bee full of righteousness and holiness as I have formerly proved at large from other Scriptures Now Christians the more great and glorious things you expect from God as the downfall of Antichrist the conversion of the Jews the conquest of the nations to Christ the breaking off of all yoâ—ks the new Jerusalems coming down from above the extraordinary pouring out of the spirit and a more general union among all Saints the more holy yea the more eminently holy in all your waies and actings it becomes you to bee many there bee that will talke high and speak big words and tell you stories of great things that they expect and look for in these daies which are the last of the last times and yet if you look into their lives you shall finde them loose and vain and what not O! that these would for ever remember that the more great and glorious things wee expect and look for from God the more holiness God expects and looks for from us and therefore as wee would not have God fail our expectation let not us frustrate his and the higher your expectation rises the higher alwaies let your holiness rise Eccle. 12 2 3 4 5. for there is nothing that will hasten that desirable day of glory upon the world like this But Tenthly and lastly When you draw neer your end when there are but a few steps between you and the Grave between you and Eternity when you have but a little time to live when death stands at your backs and treads on your heels and knocks at your doors when the eyes begin to grow dark when the grinders begin to cease when the keepers of the house the hands and the arms begin to tremble and when the strong men the legs and thighs begin to bow and stagger and totter as being too weak to bear the bodies burden O then what a holy people should you bee this very consideration had a very great influence upon that great Apostles spirit in that 2 Pet. 1.12 13 14 15. Wherefore I will not bee negligent to put you alwaies in remembrance of these things though yee know them and bee established in the present truth Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To rouse you up The Greek word signifies to awaken rouse and raise such as are a sleep There is a sinful slugishness and drousiness that often hangs upon the best of men and therefore they stand in much need of being awakned and roused up to look after their spiritual and eternal concernments to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ shewed me Moreover I will endeavour that you
The CROVVN GLORY OF CHRISTIANITY OR HOLINESS The only way to HAPPINESS Discovered in LVIII Sermons from Heb. 12.14 Where you have the Necessity Excellency Rarity Beauty and Glory of Holiness set forth with the resolution of many weighty Questions and Cases Also Motives and Means to perfect Holiness With many other things of very high and great importance to all the Sons and Daughters of men that had rather be blessed then cursed saved then damned By THOMAS BROOKS late Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets New Fish-street and still Preacher of the Word in London and Pastor of a Congregation there To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psalm 50. ult Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5.8 God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 LONDON Printed for H. Crips Jâ— Sims and H. Mortlock and are to be sold at their shops at the entrance into Popes-head Alley out of Lumbard street and at the sign of the Cross-keyes and at the Phoenix in St. Pauls Church-yard near the little North door 1662. To all the Lords Knights Ladies Gentry Ministers and Commons of England and the Dominions thereunto belonging that have but the least desire the least mind or the least will to escape hell and to go to heaven or to be happy in both worlds c. My Lords Ladies and Gentlemen c. THe Philosophers speaking of happiness were divided into two hundred eighty eight opinions every one intending something yet resolving upon nothing and therefore the man in Plutarch hearing them wrangle about summum bonum the chiefest good one placing of it in this and another in that went to the Market and bought up all that was good hoping that among all he should not miss of happiness and yet he mist it true happiness being too great and too glorious a thing to be found in any thing below real holiness All men in the general desire to be happy but all men do not desire in this or that particular or in this or that way to be happy here there is an infinite difference quot homines tot sententiae so many men so many minds A desire of happiness is planted in all men by the constitution of nature this is so intrinsecal and so innate in nature it is so ingraven in it that even the fall of Adam as great as it was hath not blotted it out This desire of happiness is left in man for a stock to graft holiness on God grafts the plant of Grace upon the stock of nature Gen. 29.20 to the 27. Indeed Happiness like Rachel is so fair and so beautiful a thing that every one is apt to fall in love with it and earnestly to desire it yea many there be that would serve twice seven years to enjoy it but by the standing Law of that heavenly Countrey above the younger sister must never be bestowed before the elder you can never enjoy fair Rachel Heaven and Happiness except you are first married to tender-eyed Leah real holiness he that will have heaven must have union and communion with Christ and he that will have union and communion with Christ 2 Cor. 6.14 15. must be holy For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness And what concord hath Christ with Belial Of all the many thousands that have travelled to happiness there is not one to be found but hath travelled thither in a way of holiness Now the drift the scope of this following Treatise is to make men holy that they may be happy it is to make men gracious on earth that they may be glorious in heaven Now to prevent all mistakes rash censures and misconstructions I judge it very convenient and necessary before I go any further to acquaint the Reader plainly and honestly with those Arguments that have prevailed with me to Dedicate this Book to all sorts ranks and degrees of persons rather then to any single person or to any one sort or rank of men whatsoever And they are these six First Because all sorts and ranks of men are faln from that Primitive holiness that once they had Psalm 14.3 Rom. 3.12 Qui te non habet Domine Deus totum perdidit Bernard There are five things that we have all lost by our fall in Adam First we have all lost that holy image that God had stampt upon us and so we are become vile Secondly we have all lost our Son-ship and so we are become slaves Thirdly we have all lost our friendship with God and so we are become enemies Fourthly we have all lost our communion with God and so we are become strangers And fifthly we have all lost our glory and so we are become miserable Some say that the naked body of man was so glorious in his estate of Innocency that all the beasts of the field admired it and thereupon did homage to him O how glorious was his soul then Certainly if the Cabinet was so glorious the Jewel within it was much more glorious But how glorious soever man was in his primitive estate it is most certain that he is now so sadly faln from the highest pinacle of glory to so low a step of misery that God sometimes sâ—â—ds him to the Pismire to learn instruction Prov. 6.6 7. and sometimes he sends him to the Stork and the Swallow to make a right improvement of precious time Jer. 8.7 and sometimes he sends him to the Ox and to the Ass to learn knowledge Isa 1.3 and sometimes he sends him to the Fowls of the air to learn confidence yea and sometimes he sends him to the very Lillies and Grass of the field Matth. 6.25 ult to learn how to live without carking and distracting cares It is true mans first estate was a state of perfect holiness Gen. 1.27 he being made in the image of God and after the likeness of God It was an estate of perfect light Gen. 2.20 knowledge prudence wisdom and understanding It was an estate of very great honour and dignity and therefore the Psalmist speaking of man in this estate brings him in with a Crown of glory and honour upon his head Psalm 8.5 Thou hast crowned him with glory and honour Mans first estate was so stately an estate that he was not so much below the glorious Angels as he was above all other creatures God made him the Soveraign Lord of the whole Creation Gen. 1.26 Psalm 8.6 7 8. God gave him an absolute Dominion and Authority both of Sea and Land and all creatures in both were subjected to him Such was the exquisite beauty and perfection of his body that from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet there was not the least blain or blemish his outward man was cloathed with all such
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
that had rather be vessels of wrath then vessels of honour and that had rather be fire-brands of hell then glorious Saints in heaven Ephes 2.12 Rom. 9.22 And so I have done with those reason◠that may satisfie the Reader concerning my Dedication of this Treatise to all sorts ranks and degrees of persons Having premised these things in the general give me leave to say That if this Treatise should fall into the hands of any of the Learned Judges of this Land or into the hands of any of the Justices of this Nation I would then take the humble boldnesse to offer this to their most serious consideration viz. That if they would discharge the duties of their places so as to give up their accounts at last with joy and cheerfulness to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords it highly concerns them to study this doctrine of holinesse yea to fall in love with holinesse and highly to prize it and earnestly to presse after it and to be restlesse in their own spirits till they have experienced the powerful operations of holinesse in their own souls for till then they will never be able so to administer Justice and Judgement as becomes those that have the name of God and the name of profession upon them and that judge themselves to be in a higher Form then those Heathens were who were famous for justice and righteousnesse Cato Fabricius Scipio Cambyses c. and yet never heard of a Christ nor salvation by him and as becomes those that would not stand trembling and quaking in the great and terrible day when Christ the Lord-chief-Iustice of heaven and earth shall passe a righteous and impartial judgement upon all the Judges and Justices that ever were on earth Joel 2.11 31. Acts 17.31 2 Tim. 4.1 2. Where justice is God is and where God is there is no want of men or fortitude said Herod at the head of his Army the better to encourage his souldiers My Lords and Gentlemen you know that the wisest Prince that ever set upon a Throne hath told us that Righteousnesse exalts a Nation Prov. 14.34 It is not valour in war but righteousnesse it is not policie in Government but righteousnesse it is not wittinesse of invention but righteousnesse it is not civility in behaviour but righteousnesse it is not antiquity of forms but righteousnesse it is not largenesse of dominion but righteousnesse nor it is not greatnesse of command Iustice is conservatrix Humanae conjunctionis quae ad beatitudinem via est c. Amos 5.24 The Hebrew word Veiiggalchat is here rendred run down is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galal that signifies to roul down f eely plentifully plainly vigorously constantly Where justice thus rouls down all the world shall never make that Nation miserable but righteousnesse that is the honour and the safety that is the renown and the security of a Nation That Nation that exalts righteousnesse that Nation shall be certainly exalted by righteousnesse It is not Achitophels policy it is not Jeroboams calves in Dan and Bethel it is not Jehues pompous zeal it is not Goliahs sword it is not rich Mines of Gold and Silver nor Magazines nor Armies nor Counsels nor Fleets nor Forts but Justice and Righteousnesse that exalts a Nation and that will make a mean people to become a great a glorious and a famous people in the world The world is a Ring and Righteousnesse is the Diamond in that Ring The world is a body and Righteousnesse and Justice is the soul of that body Ah England England so long as judgement runs down as waters in the midst of thee and righteousnesse as a mighty stream thou shalt not die but live and bear up bravely against all gain-sayers and opposers but if injustice shall grow rampant and thou shalt brandish the sword of Justice in the behalf of the friends of Baal Balaam and Bacchus and turn the wheel upon the righteous if the sword of justice shall be a sword of protection to the desperate swearer and to the cruel oppressor and to the roaring drunkard and to the cursing monster and to the Gospel despiser and to the Christ contemner c. and shall be a devouring sword to the upright and peaceable in the Land Divine vengeance will dig thy grave and divine Justice will tumble thee into it though all the Nations of the earth should labour to prevent it It is a base and ignoble spirit to pity Cataline more then to pity Rome to pity any particular sort of men more then to pity the whole It is cruelty to the good to justifie the bad It is wrong to the sheep to animate the Wolves It is danger if not death to the Lambs not to restrain or chain up the Lyons but from all these vanities the Lord deliver all your souls And O that you would for ever remember this that as the constitution of a mans body is best known by his pulse if it stir not at all then we know he is dead if it stir violently then we know him to be in a Fever if it keep an equal stroak then we know he is sound well and whole so the estate and constitution of a Kingdom or Common-weal is best known by the manner of executing justice therein for justice is the pulse of a Kingdom if justice be violent then the Kingdom is in a Fever in a very bad estate if it stir not at all then the Kingdom is dead but if it have an equal stroak if it be justly and duely administred then the Kingdom is in a good a safe and sound condition When Vespasian asked Apollonus What was the cause of Nero 's ruine he answered That Nero could tune the Harps well but in Government he did alwayes wind up the strings too high or let them down too low The Application is easie Now having premised thus much in the general give me leave to tell you that there are eight special Rules that you are carefully and faithfully to observe in the administration of Justice and Righteousnsse And how you will be able to act sutable to those Rules without a Spirit of holinesse without principles of holinesse and without an experience of the powerful influences and operations of holinesse in your own souls I cannot for the present understand Now my Lords and Gentlemen the first Rule that you are to observe in your administring of Judgement and Justice Psalm 82.1 6. Luke 20.21 Mat. 22.16 is this You must do Justice impartially you are called Gods and in this you must be like to God who is no acceptor of persons Audi alteram partem said Lotharius the second Duke of Saxony he accepts not the rich man because of his Robes neither doth he reject the poor man because of his Rags Deut. 1.17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgement but you shall hear the small as well as the great you shall not be afraid of the face of
was Adams choicest sparkling gemm of beauty and his weightiest crown of glory is by Satans policy long since fallen off from Adams head now if this Legal holiness were the holiness meant in the text then woe to man that ever he was born for then no man should ever see the Lord. Rom â— For by Adams fall all men are gone out of the way and there is none legally righteous no not one Now if we look upon man as fallen from that holiness which was his greatest honour dignity and excellency Greg Nazianz. Pindarus Aeschylus Marcus Imperat he is become a pile of dust a puff of wind saith one a dream of a shadow saith another a shadow of smoak saith a third a poor silly flea a worm a little foul a curious nothing yea man faln from his primitive glory is become a very vanity saith the Prophet Psalm 39.5 Verily Every man at his best state is altogether vanity Verily this asseveration is only used in matters of greatest weight and moment and notes the reality and certainty of the things delivered Every man chol Adam all Adam Or every Son of Adam not some man but every man at his best state Nitsab from Jatsab that is in his most settled and composed condition when he is best constituted and underlaid when he stands a tiptoe and is in the heighth and perfection of all creature comforts and contentments is altogether not in some measure but altogether vanity chol Hebel all vanity Since the fall of Adam every natural man in his best estate is vanity nay every man is every vanity Imagine what vanity you will fallen man is that he is a comprehensive vanity be is an Epitome of all vanity Man in honour before his fall was the best of creatures but since his fall he is become the worst of creatures by his fall he is fallen below the very beasts that perish Isaiah 1.3 4. Prov. 6.6 Jer. 8.7 Matth. 6. He that was once the Image of God the glory of Paradise the worlds Lord and the Lords darling is now become a burthen to heaven a burthen to himself and a slave to others c. which made One cry out Oh what is man Quarles A scuâ—tlefull of dust a measured span Mans breath a bubble and his dayes a span T is glorious misery to be born a man By all which you may easily perceive how far we are off from that legal holiness that Adam had in innocency R. Solom Deut. cap. 3. Rabbi Solomon makes Adam so high that he touched heaven with his head I shall not dispute the certainty of that but certainly the higher he was in holiness the greater was his fall and ours in him This Legal holiness was so lost in Adam that no son of Adam could ever find it since Adam fell and if this were the holiness without which no man should ever see the Lord then farewell for ever to the sons of Adam But this legal holiness is not the holiness in the Text. Secondly There is an Imaginary holiness a Conceited holiness an Opinionative holiness Prov. 30.12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes Coelum gratis non acciqiam I will not have heaven but at a rate said a proud impure person and yet is not washed from their filthiness they were very bad and yet they had a great opinion of their own goodness they were very filthy and yet they stood very much upon their own purity their hands were black their hearts were black their works were black and their ways were as black as hell and yet they durst say that none could say black was their eye they were filthy within and filthy without filthy in body and filthy in soul and filthy in spirit filthiness had quite overspred them and yet they thought to cover their filthiness with a vizzard of holiness the worst men are commonly best conceited of themselves Ah friends there hath been no generation wherein there hath not been such a generation of men who have wallowed in sin like Swine in the mire and yet have kept up in themselves a strong opinion of their own goodness and holiness this generation had neither their souls nor consciences washt in the blood of Christ nor sanctified by the spirit of Christ and yet they gloried in their conceited purity and holiness as if they had been purified by Christ There are many that are shining Christians that are pure golden Christians in their own eyes that are viler then dross yea Regis animum quisque intra se habet Every man hath in him the mind of a King is Calvins Note on that 1 Pet. 5.5 then smoak in Gods eyes Isa 65.5 Stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier then thou these are a smoak in my nose a fire that burneth all the day they were very licentious very ungracious very rebellious very Superstitious very Idolatrous ver 2 3 4. and yet counted themselves very religious they were worse then others and yet thought themselves better then others they were very bad and yet judged themselves very good they were more impure more prophane and more polluted then others and yet they reckon themselves more pure and holier then others they stand upon their comparative goodnesses and yet at the the same time are charged by God of the greatest wickedness And thus their kinsmen the Pharisees stand upon their images forgeries and outward dresses of holiness when at the same time they practised the worst of wickedness Mat. 23.5 Luke 30. 18.11 12. So those in Hos 12.8 And Ephraim said yet I am become rich I have found me out substance in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin or is sin Ephraims iniquities were grown ever his head as may be seen throughout this whole Prophecy and yet Ephraim cannot bear the being charged with iniquity it was little less then sin to charge Ephraim with sin though he was notoriously guilty of the highest crimes yet he would have you to know that he was as shie of sin and as clear of sin as he that was shiest and clearest Ephraim could give good words when his works were abominable he could pretend much to innocency when he was guilty of the greatest impiety but though Ephraim had his cloak at hand yet it was too short to cover his sin for God saw it and condemned him for it Chrysostom doth elegantly set forth the blindness and brutishness of such persons When they lie in the mire saith he they think they are besmeared with some sweet oyntments when they are full of Vermine There is a truth in that old saying Avaro deest tam quod habet quam quod non habet A covetous man wanteth as well that which he hath as that which he hath not they vaunt themselves as if they were adorned with pretious stones And so the Laodiceans were of the same temper of spirit Rev.
full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity They were outwardly religious but inwardly vitious they had the semblance of sanctity but inwardly very full of impurity They were fair Professors but foul Sinners they were gracious without but impious within Look as they are the worst of vices that are covered over with the shew of vertue so they are the worst of sinners that cover over their inward filthiness under the vizards of outward holiness The Egyptian Temples were fair without but foul and filthy within such were the Scribes and Pharisees in Christs days and such are many professors in our dayes It is said of Dionysius the Tyrant that though he loved not the Philophers yet he would wrap himself up in their cloaks that men might have the better opinion of him So there be many that put on an outward dress of holiness that wrap themselves up in the cloak of holiness that so others may take them for holy persons and yet they love not holiness they have nothing of real honliess in them but as he is not a Jew which is one outwardly Romans 2.28 29. Cha. 4.12 but not inwardly so he is not a holy person who is only so outwardly but not inwardly that hath the name of holiness upon him but hath no principles of holiness in him though without outward visible holiness no man shall see the Lord yet a man may have an outward visible holiness that shall never see the Lord in happiness I hate him even to hell saith the Heathen in Homer that saith one thing with his mouth and thinketh another thing in his heart So God will at last hate that man to hell Mat 23.14 2 Tim. 3.5 1 Cor. 7.19 Philip. 3.3 Gal. 5.6 Chap. 6.15 yea cast him into the hottest place in hell that hath a form of godliness upon him but nothing of the reality and power of holiness in him Outward holiness is good but it must be throughout-holiness that will do a man good to all eternity It is not the shews but the substance of holiness that will bring a man to everlasting happiness Meer outward holiness will certainly leave a man short of heaven and happiness but throughout-holiness will certainly lodge the soul in the bosome of God for ever It is true all men reach not to an outward holiness which made Athanasius wish Vtinam omnes essent Hypocritae Would to God that all were hypocrites Without all peradventure it is a very desireable thing that all were outwardly holy yet all that reach to this must go farther or else they will sit down on this side happiness Mat. 5.20 For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Now they were much in works of Piety in works of Charity in works of Equity and in works of Curtesie by which means they gained so much upon the hearts of the people that it was commonly conceited and voted among them that if there were but two of all the world that should go to heaven the one should be a Scribe and the other a Pharisee Yet your righteousness must exceed theirs or the gates of glory will be shut upon you Their righteousness and holiness was only external not internal it was partial not universal it was rather circumstantial then substantial and therefore Heavens doors were double-bolted against them Heaven is for that man and that man is for heaven that is not only outwardly holy but throughout holy Fourthly There is a Relative holiness now Relative holiness is a special relation which persons or things have unto God Relative holiness includes two things First A separation of persons or things from common use and thus in the Law Deut. 19.2 1 Kings 8.35 Ezra 8.28 Chap. 10 11. Isa 63.18 those things were called holy which were separated from common use and set apart for the Worship and Service of God As the Oyl Shewbread First-fruits Incense Altars Vestments and in this sense the Priests and Levites were called holy because they were separated from others to serve in the Tabernacle And in this sense the people of Israel are frequently called a sanctified people a holy people c. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which commonly signifies that which is appropriated to a holy use and this is the proper notion of holiness in the Old and New Testament as I might shew you out of some hundred places of Scripture Now certainly without this holiness of special separation from the common conversation of the world there is no seeing of God nor no fruition of God hereafter 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty God will have no communion with any in this world that are not separated from the sinfull practises of the world God will look upon none he will own none he will delight in none he will acknowledge none he will receive none for his sons and daughters but such as are separated from all evil vices and unholy courses Suitable to this is Isa 52.11 Depart ye depart ye go ye out from thence touch no unclean things go ye out of the midst of her Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Estrange your selves from them that are estranged from God Cicero though Heathen had rather to have no companion then a bad one have nothing to do with them that have nothing to do with God separate your selves from them who have separated themselves from God have no delightfull converse with them who have no delightfull converse with God have no bosome communion with them that have no bosome communion with God Oh Sirs you are to keep your selves as pure and clean from others defilements as you would keep your selves free from others punishments He that will imitate others in their sins shall certainly participate with others in their sorrows It is true we may live with wicked men in their Cities but it is as true we must not lie with wicked men in their enormities There are many professors that are like the Planet Mercury good in conjunction with those that are good and bad with those that are bad but these wound many at once God Christ the Gospel and their own credits and consciences These do virtutis stragulam pudefacere put virtue to an open shame And these are deservedly to be shamed by your separating from them and by your renouncing all intimate communion or fellowship with them But Secondly As Relative holiness takes in a separation of persons or things from common
us and will â—od admit such to cohabit with him that never had any acquaintance or familiarity with him Surely no. In history we read of such Towns and Cities as would not admit strangers to inhabit among them and such a City is that above Exod. 33.12 17. It hath been long since concluded that In coelo nullus erit alienus in heaven there shall be no strangers none shall be admitted into that state but such as God knows by name Charon in Lucian requesting Mercurius to shew him Jupiters Palace above how sayes Mercurius that such a caitiff as thou whose conversation hath been altogether with black shades and impure ghosts shouldst set thy foot in that pure place of light what a dishonour and derogation were that to the place The Application is easie Unholy persons have fellowship and familiarity with Satan and therefore doubtless God will have no familiarity nor fellowship with them 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. As righteousness can have no fellowship with unrighteousness nor light with darkness nor Christ with Belial nor heaven with hell no more can a holy God have any communion or fellowship with unholy souls for they are Satans house Luke 11.21 he keeps possession of them as a man doth of his house Rev. 18.2 and hath familiarity with them as a man hath with those of his house he is their Father and they are his children John 8.44 and look what familiarity a Father hath with his children that hath an unholy devil with unholy souls A workman cannot be more familiar with his tools then Satan is with unholy souls and therefore he is said to work in the children of disobedience as a Smith worketh in his forge or as an Artificer worketh in his shop Ehpes 2.2 Unholy persons have bosome fellowship with Satan 1 John 5.19 And we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness or in that wicked one the Devil as the Greek will bear they lie as it were in the bosom of Satan as the child lies in the bosom of the Mother or as the Wife lyes in the bosom of the Husband or as a friend lyes in the bosom of his friend Unholy persons partake with him at his Table they eat with him and drink with him and converse with him 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the Table of Devils If Judas was at the Sacrament the greater was his wo. Ambrose brings in the Devil boasting against Christ and challenging Judas as his own thus He is not thine Lord Jesus he is mine his thoughts beat for me He eats with thee but is fed by me he takes bread from thee but money from me he drinks with thee and sells thy blood to me By all which you may see what fellowship and familiarity there is between Satan and a sinner Now what is this less then blasphemy to assert that a holy God will have fellowship with them that have fellowship with the Devil God hath not cast Satan out of heaven that he may make room for his familiars in heaven if heaven was too holy to hold unholy devils it will be found at last to be too holy to hold unholy souls certainly they shall not lie in the bosome of God who have the Devil for their bed-fellow Fourthly Unholy persons are full of contrariety to God their natures principles practises aims minds wills affections judgements intentions and resolutions Lev. 26.21 22 23 24 27 28 40 41. Isa 58.4 5 6. Jerem. 44.16 17 18. Ch. 2.25 Ch 18.11 12 are contrary to God his name nature being truth and glory you may as soon bring East and West North and South light and darkness heaven and hell together as you shall bring a holy God and unholy souls together Antipathies will never incorporate as soon may midnight be married to the noon-day as a holy God embrace an unholy sinner That unholy persons are made up of contrarieties to God is most evident as you may see in Isa 22.12 13. And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldnest and to girding with sack-cloth And behold joy and gladness slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die These sad souls practise quite contrary to what the Lord calls for at their hands Rom 8.7 Iames 4 4. Pope Julius the third would have his Pork though it was forbidden him by hâ—s Physitians in despite of God himseâ—f he calls them to weeping and mourning and behold joy and gladness he calls them to fasting and behold here is nothing but feasting carousing and making merry and jovial and that in contempt of God and his dreadfull judgements Unholy persons are like the Rainbow now the Rainbow is never on that side of the world that the Sun is on but whensoever it appears it is still in opposition against the Sun if the Sun be in the East the Rainbow is in the West c. So unholy souls in all tâ—eir actings and walkings will still be opposite to God they will still be cross and contrary to him John 8.38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father and ye do that which ye have seen with your Father Unholy hearts are full of the highest strains of contrariety and opposition against the Lord. I have read of a King that Reigned in no very remote part of the world who having received a blow from the hand of God took a solemn Oath to be revenged on him and ordained that for ten years space no man should pray to him speak of him nor so long as he was in Authority to believe in him O the vanity the contrariety and blasphemy of this Prince Now we will not admit such to be about us who are made up of contrarieties to us and will God will God heaven and earth fire and water the Woolf and the Lamb the Winds and the Sea will sooner accord then a holy God and an unholy heart There can be no amity where there is a spiritual Antipathy 5. Fifthly Without holiness no man can have any spiritual communion with God in this world he may hear but he can have no communion with God in hearing without holiness he may pray but he can have no communion with God in prayer without holiness he may come to the Sacrament but he can have no communion with God in the Sacrament without holiness he may come into the communion of Saints but he can have no communion with God in the communion of Saints without holiness he may read and meditate but he can have no communion with God in reading and meditation without holiness Deut. 23.14 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 he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee Keep up holiness among you and you shall keep me among you saith God but if you turn away from holiness I will undoubtedly turn away from you a holy God will keep company with none but those that are holy Holiness is the bond that ties God and souls together God will cleave close to them who in holiness cleave fast to him but if he see uncleanness and wickedness among you he will certainly turn away from you The holy spirit gives the lye to those that say they have fellowship with God and yet maintain familiarity and fellowship with sin 1 John 1.6 If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye The Apostle dares give the lye to any man without fearing the stab who pretends to communion with God and yet walks in darkness Men may be much in Ordinances and yet for want of holiness may have no communion at all with God in Ordinances Isaiah 1.11 18. and though communion with God in Ordinances is the very life and soul of Ordinances yet multitudes who enjoy Ordinances can content and satisfie themselves without that which is the very life soul and quintessense of Ordinances There are many that cry out the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord who have no communion with the Lord of the Temple at all Jer. 7.4 12. Though unholy persons may trade much in Ordinances Isa 29.13 Ezek. 24.21 22. Ch. 33 30 31 32. yet they will never make any earnings any advantage by all their trading and stir because they cannot reach to communion with God in them which is the only means of being enriched by them As many men rise early and go to bed late and make a great deal of stir and do to be rich in the world and yet for want of a stock nothing comes on it they are poor still and beggarly still and low and mean in the world still So many rise early and go late to Ordinances they exercise themselves much in religious duties and yet nothing comes on it their souls are poor and beggarly and thredbare still And no wonder for they want a stock of holiness to trade with Remigius a Judge of Lorraign saith that the Devil in those parts did use to give money to Witches which at first did appear to be good and currant coin but after a while it turned to dry leaves Ah Sirs all duties and Ordinances to a man that wants holiness will be sound at last to be but as dry leaves to be sapless and liveless and heartless and comfortless to him Now if without holiness no man can have any spiritual communion or fellowship with God here then certainly without holiness no man can have a glorious communion with God hereafter if without holiness God will not take us into his arms on earth then undoubtedly without holiness God will never put us into his bosom in heaven But to proceed Unholy persons are fools and what should such do in the presence of God who is wisdom it self the fool and the ungodly man are Synonomaes words signifying the same thing in Scripture Deu. 36.6.21 Psalm 94.8 Psalm 14.1 The fool i. e. the wicked the unholy person hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good Jer. 4.22 For my people are foolish they have not known me they are sottish children and they have no understanding they are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge Prov. 1.7 Fools despise wisdom and instruction that is wicked and ungodly men despise wisdom and instruction and to shew that the world is full of such fools he uses the word in the plural no less then sixteen times in this book of the Proverbs I shall open this truth a little more to you by proving that they have all the characteristical notes and properties of fools So that one face is not more like another then a fool is like a wicked man or then a wicked man is like a fool For First A fool prefers toyes and trifles before things of greatest worth he prefers a brass counter before a piece of gold a fine Baby before a rich inheritance Prov. 1.29 an Apple that pleaseth the eye before a pearl of greatest price so wicked and ungodly men they prefer their lusts before the Lord Isa 65.12 Therefore will I number you to the sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear but did evil before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not Such a one was Cardinal Borbonius who profest he would not leave his part in Paris for a portion in Paradise Upon choice they preferred the honours the riches the bravery and glory of the world above their own souls and the great concernments of another world Such fools were Laban and Nabal in the Old Testament whose names by inversion of letters are the same and the latter signifies a fool and such were the two rich fools in the New Testament Luke 12.16 22. and Chap. 16.19 ult I have read of the foolish people of the East Indiâ—s in the Isle Zeylon who preferred a consecrated Apes tooth above an incredible mass of treasure Such fools are all unholy persons who prefer the toyes the trifles of this world before the pleasures and treasures that be at Gods right hand The world is full of such fools Psalm 16.11 Mat. 6.19 10. Si admores hominum respicias mundum universum stultorum domum judicabis saith One if thou beholdest the manners of men thou wilt judge the whole world to be a house of fools Ah friends What folly to that of mens spending their time their strength their lives their souls in getting the great things of this world and neglecting that one thing necessary the salvation of their souls Matth. 16.26 O! What vanity is it to prefer a smoke of honour a blast of fame a dream of pleasure a wedge of gold a Babylonish garment and such like transitory trifles and trash before a blessed eternity Secondly Fools make no improvement of advantages and opportunities that are put into their hands Prov. 17.16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom Like Graâ—hoppers they sing and sport away their precious time and opportunities of mercy c. seeing he hath no heart to it It is to no purpose to put a price into the hand if folly be bound up in the heart if a man had as much wealth as would buy all the grace all the peace all the comforts and all the wisdom in the world yet if he hath neither wit nor will to make an improvement of his wealth what good would his wealth do him To what purpose is the Market open and
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
c. Men void of holinesse are in the Scripture resembled to chaff Psalm 1.4 Isa 41.2 Zeph. 1.17 Ezekiel 2.6 Isa 9.18 Ch. 10.6.17 Chap. 57.27 to dust to dirt to briars and thorns which are things that are good for nothing that are fit for nothing And what should such men do in heaven who are good for nothing on earth The Horse is good to carry the Ox is good to draw the Sheep is good for cloth the Cow is good to give milk the Asse is good to bear and the Dog is good to keep the house but what is a man void of holinesse good for An unholy person is good for nothing but to be destroyed and to make some room for a better person to stand up in that place which he takes up in the world As the Hogg in the Arabick fable tells us that a Butcher carrying three creatures upon his Horse A Sheep a Goat and a Hog the two former lay very quiet and still but the Hog kicked and cried and would never be quiet thereupon the Butcher said Why are thou so impatient when the other two are so quiet the Hog answered Every one knows himself the Sheep knows that he is brought into the City for his wool sake and the Goat knows that he is brought into the City for his milk sake and so they need not fear nor care but alasse I know very well that I have neither wool nor milk but that assoon as I am come into the City I must be killed for that is all I am good for Matth. 7.6 An unholy soul is like a Hog good for nothing but to be killed Certainly heaven-happinesse is too great and too glorious a thing to be possest by them that are good for nothing We look upon such as are fit for nothing to be worthy of banishment from the society of men But oh how much more worthy are they to be banished from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power 2 Thess 1.8 9. Heb. 12.22 23. Romans 2.5 and to be shut out for ever from the society of Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect who are fit for nothing but to dishonour the Lord undo their own souls and to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath And thus I have given you an account of the Reasons of the Point Vse VVEE shall now come to make some improvement of this great truth to our own souls Is it so That real holinesse is the only way to happinesse and that without holinesse here no man shall ever come to a blessed vision or fruition of God hereafter Then the first Use shall be a Use of Conviction This then may serve to convince the world of several things As First That the number of those that shall be eternally happy the number of those that shall attain to a blessed vision and glorious fruition of God in heaven are very few for there are but a few that reach to this holinesse without which there is no happinesse Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names A few names that is a few persons â—cts 1.15 who are all known to Christ by name as he said to Moses I know thee by name Ex. 33 12 17. by these Scriptures it is evident that few shall be saved Jer. 5.1 Ezek. 22.30 Ch. 9.4 6 7. Mich. 1.13 Luke 23. Rom. 9.21 Matth. 22.14 1 Cor. 1.20 even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Among the many in Sardis there were but a few that had holy insides and pure outsides Among the multitude that made a holy profession there were but few that walkt answerable to their holy calling and therefore but a few that should walk with Christ in white White in antient times was the Habit of Nobles to walk with Christ in white is to partake with Christ in his glory they and only they at last shall be cloathed nobly royally gloriously who maintain inward and outward purity The holy seed is a little little flock Luke 12.32 here are two Diminitives in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little little flock to shew the exceeding littleness of it They were little in their own eyes and little in their enemies eyes and little in regard of that world of Wolves among whom they were preserved as a spark of fire in the midst of the wide Ocean When the Syrians came up against Israel in the time of Ahab it is said that the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of Kids but the Syrians filled the countrey 1 Kings 20.27 holy souls are but like two little flocks of kids but the unholy fill the world Gracious souls are like the three hundred men of Gideon but graceless souls are as the Midianites that were like Grashoppers for multitude Judges 7.7.12 Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads unto life and few there be that find it Matth. 7.14 The way of holiness that leads to happiness is a narrow way there is but just room enough for a holy God and a holy soul to walk together And few there be that find it And no wonder for there are but few that minds it that loves it that likes it or that enquires after it The whole world lies in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 and will die in their wickedness Amongst the millions in Rome there are but a few Senators and they too none of the best John 8.21 Geographers say that if all the known parts of the world were divided into one and thirty parts there will be found but five parts that do so much as profess the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ For at this day nineteen parts of the world are possest by unholy Turks and Jews which do not nor will not so much as acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the King and Head of his Church And seven parts of the world is possest this day meerly by Heathens who worship stocks and stones And of those five parts that are possest by Christians how many are Papists Atheists Hypocrites Drunkards Swearers Lyars Adulterers Idolaters Oppressors How many are proud covetous carnal formal lukewarm indifferent c Now should all these sorts of sinners be separated as they shall in the great day from those that are gracious and holy would it not quickly appear that the flock of Christ is a little little flock Ah how few among the great ones are found to be gracious How few among the rich are found to be rich in Christ rich in grace rich in good works 1 Cor. 1.16 1 Tim. 6.16 17. Flavus Vopiscus Lips de Constantia lib. 2. cap. 25. how few among those that are high born can you find that are new born It was the saying of One that all the names of good Emperours might be engraven in a little Ring And so saith Lipsius that the names of all good Princes may easily be
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
not only to holy men but also to all ingenious men and to all civil and moral honest men As the scorners tongue and hand is against every man so every mans tongue and hand shall be against him Now if the scorners of men be abominable to men then much more are the scorners of holiness abominable to God and therefore certainly such shall be shut out from a glorious fruition of God Thirdly If real holiness be the only way to happiness and that if men be not holy on earth they shall never come to a blessed vision or fruition of God in heaven Then by way of conviction this looks sowerly and sadly upon all Formalists who have only a form a shew a profession of holiness but have nothing of the reality spirit life or power of holiness in them 2 Tim. 3.5 Isa 58.1.2 3. Zach. 7.4.5 6. Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away They have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a face a vizard a mask a shew of godliness but they have nothing of the pith sap life or marrow of godliness their devotion their godliness lies in good words and in fair shews and in religious gestures if you hearken to their voice if you look upon their eyes if you observe the motion of their hands and the bowing of their knees and the shaking of their heads c. you would think that they were men of much religion of much godliness But if you look into their hearts and lives you will find them to be the greatest renouncers and denyers of Religion and godliliness in the world They have the semblance of goliness but not the substance they have the lineaments of godliness but not the life they have the face of godliness but not the heart they have the form the shadow of godliness but not the power They are like a well drawn picture which hath all the lineaments of a man but wants life wants a principle of motion and operation Mark 1. A form of godliness is Englands Epidemical disease The form of godliness is common but the power of godliness is rare 2. The form of godliness is cheap but the power of godliness is dear 3. The form of godliness is easie but the power of godliness is difficult 4. The form of godliness is a credit but the power of godliness is a reproach 5. The form of godliness is pleasurable and delightfull but the power of godliness is displeasing and undelightful to the ignoble part of a Christian 6. The form of godliness will stand with secret and with open wickednesse as you see in Saul 1 Peter 1.17 Jer. 44.17 Jehu Judas Simon Magus Demas and the Scribes and Pharisees but the power of godliness will not the power of godliness layes the Ax to the very root of all sin both secret and open Rachel was very fair and beautifull to the eye but she was barren and that marred all So the Formalist he is a very fair and beautifull Christian to the eye but he is barren God-wards and Christ-wards and Heaven-wards he is fruitless sapless and lifeless and that marrs all The Formalist takes up a form of godliness 1. To quiet his conscience 2. To get himself a name 3. To cloak over his sins 4. To advance his worldly interest and 5. To avoid opposition and persecution from the world the flesh and the Devil 6. And to conform to old customs And what should such Formalists do in heaven A formal Christian is but a figure a flaunt a flourish a flash and all he doth is but the shadow of what he should do A formalist is more light then life more notion then motion more head then heart more outside then inside more leaves then fruit more shadow then substance A formalist is a blazing Comet a painted Tomb a Stage-player a white devil or a devil in an Angels habit and what should such devils do in heaven Certainly if without real holiness no man shall see the Lord then the formalist that hath only the shape the shew the form of godliness but nothing of the reality and power of it shall never be blest with such a sight A formalist is neither hot nor cold of all sorts of sinners he is the worst and God so loaths him that he is resolved he will rid his stomack of him Rev. 3.16 I will spue thee out of my mouth and certainly heaven is too holy a place to lick up that gorge God hath cast up Lukewarm water cannot be so loathsome to our stomacks as a formalist is to Gods God is never at such ease as when he hath cast up and cast out the formal Christian Magdenburge Cent. 5. I have read of Anastasius the Emperour how God shot him to death with a thunder-bolt because of his lukewarmness and formality God hath a thunder-boult for every formalist by which he will at last certainly strike them down to the lowest hell A formalist is too loathsome a thing too heavy a burden for heaven to bear Fourthly If real holiness be the only way to happiness if men must be holy on earth or else they shall never see the face of God in heaven Then this truth by way of conviction looks sowerly and sadly upon all those who please and satisfie themselves with civility and common honesty who are good negative Christians who bless themselves that they are no swearers nor drunkards Luke 18.10 11 12 13 14. Mat. 5.21 Chap. 19.20 21 22. nor extortioners nor adulterers c. they pay every man his own they are just and righteous in their dealings no man can say black is their eye their carriage is civil comely harmless and blamelesse They make a fair shew in the flesh Gal. 6.12 or as the Greek hath it they set a good face on it But as good a face as they do set on it I must crave leave to tell them that civility is not sanctity civility rested in is but a beautifull abomination a smooth way to hell and destruction I may truly say of all civil men who are disstitute of that real holiness that leads to happiness what Erasmus said of Seneca If you look upon him as a heathen then he seemeth to write as if he were a Christian but if you look upon him as a Christian then he seemeth to write as a heathen So if you look upon many civil moral mens lives you will find them so full of ingenuity equity righteousness sweetness and justice that you will be ready to say Sure these are holy men But then do but observe how unacquainted they are with God with Christ with the Scripture with the way and working of the spirit with the filthiness of sin with the depths and devices of Satan with their own hearts with the new-birth and with the great concernments of eternity and you will judge them to be meer heathens to be men void of all principles of grace and holiness and to
be meer strangers to union and communion with Christ and to the more secret and inward operations and workings of the spirit of Christ and to the most spiritual duties and services that are commanded by Christ Civility is very often the nurse of impiety Mat. 5.19 20 Acts 7.54 Chap. 13.50 Ch. 17.17 18. Romans 8.7 the mother of flattery and an enemy to real sanctity a high conceit of civility keeps many a man from looking after inward and outward purity moral honesty proves to many men a bond of iniquity There are those who are so blinded with the fair shews of civility that they can neither see the necessity nor beauty of sanctity there are those that now bless themselves in their common honesty whom at last God will scorn and cast off for want of real holiness and purity Matth. 25.3.11 12. As Aristides so Socrates Plato Titus Vespatian Tully with multitudes of others amongst the Lacedemonians Grecians Romans c. Many of the Heathens were so famous for justice and righteousness for equity fidelity and sobriety for civility and moral honesty that it would put many professors to the blush to read what is written of them and yet there was such a tincture of popular applause of pride and vain glory of hypocrisie and self-flattery upon their civility and moral honesty that for any thing we can find in Scripture to the contrary there is cause to fear that they shall be miserable to all eternity for all their civility and moral honesty they were left in a damnable I will not say in a damned condition he that rises to no higher pitch then civility and moral honesty shall never have communion with God in glory Naaman was a great man but a Leper 2 Kings 5.1 Naaman was an honourable man but a Leper Naaman was a mighty man but a Leper Naaman was a victorious man but a Leper Naaman was in high favour and esteem with his Prince but a Leper This but he was a Leper stained all his honour and was a blot upon all his greatness and glory both at Court and in the field both in the City and in the Countrey So it is a stain a blot upon the most moral honest man in the world to say he is a very civil honest man but Christless he is a very just man but graceless he is a man of much moral righteousness but he hath not a dram of real holiness c. This but is a fly in the box of ointment that spoils all Well Sirs remember this though the moral honest man be good for many things yet he is not good enough to go to heaven he is not good enough to be made glorious Mat. 5.20 Certainly there is nothing in all the world below real sanctity that will ever bring a man to the possession of glory And though it may grieve us to speak after the manner of men to see sweet natures to see many moral honest men take many a weary step towards heaven and to come near to heaven and to bid fair for heaven and yet after all to fall short of heaven yet it will be no way grievous to a holy God to turn such sweet natures into hell Psal 9.17 moral honesty is not sufficient to keep a man out of eternal misery all it can do is to help a man to one of the best rooms and easiest beds that hell affords For look as the moral mans sins are not so great as others so his punishments shall not be so great as others This is all the comfort that can be afforded to a moral man that he shall have a cooler hell then others have but this is but cold comfort Moral honesty without piety is as a body without a soul and will ever God accept of such a stinking sacrifice Surely no. Fifthly If real holiness be the only way to happiness if men must be holy on earth or else they shall never come to a fruition of God in heaven then this truth by way of conviction looks sowerly and sadly upon all Neuters who divide their hearts between God and Mammon Matth 6.29 who halt between God and Baal 1 Kings 18.21 Zeph. 1.5 2 Kings 17.32 33. Chap. 18.11 James 1.8 A double-soul'd man Matth. 19.16.26 who divide their souls between heaven and earth between Religion and their lusts Like the Samaritans who both worshipped the Lord and the Assyrians Idols too A Neuter is a monster he hath two tongues two minds and two souls he hath a tongue for God and a tongue for the world too he looks up to God and saith Certainly thou art mine he looks down upon the world and saith Surely I am thine He hath a mind to be religious and a mind to save his own stake in the world too He hath a soul reaching after the happiness of another world Numb 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his saith Balaam and he hath a soul strongly reaching after this evil world too 1 Pet. 2.15 Jude 11. Callenuceus tells us of a Noble man of Naples that was wont prophanely to say that he had two souls in his body one for God and another for whosoever would buy it as if heaven and happiness were wrapt up in it As you may see in the same person he loved the wages of unrighteousness he loved it as his portion he loved it as his life he loved it as his happiness he loved it as his all he loved it as his soul yea he loved it above his own soul for he damned his soul to gain it It is true when he was under a divine restraint he professed that he would not curse the people of God for a house full of Gold but when he was from under that restraint his heart was so set upon the unrighteous reward that he would have curst them for a handfull of gold The Neuter as the Romans paint Erasmus hangs between heaven and earth He is neither fit to go to heaven nor yet worthy to live on earth If Meroz was to be certainly curst to be bitterly curst to be universally curst as the Hebrew phrase cursing curse ye Meroz imports in Judges 5.23 for standing Neuter when they should have come forth to the help of the Lord Do you think that Neuters in religion shall be blest Do you think that ever such shall go to heaven who are indifferent whether they go to heaven or no or that ever such shall be happy who are indifferent whether they be holy or no or that ever such shall see the face of Christ with joy who are indifferent whether they have an interest in Christ or no or that ever such shall be admitted into the kingdom of glory who are indifferent where ever they have any entrance into the kingdom of grace or no. Certainly heaven is too holy to hold any such indifferent irresolute Neutral souls In the University not long since
and make a great shew for a time but their lustre will soon wear off Nil fictum est diuturnum nothing counterfeit will last long Maud mother to King Henry the second being besieged in Winchester-castle counterfeited her self to be dead Anno 1141. and so was carried out in a Coffin whereby she escaped at another time being besieged at Oxford in a cold Winter by wearing white apparrel she got away in the snow undiscovered but at last vengeance did over-take her So though hypocrites may for a time seem to be dead to sin Job 17.8 chap. 36.13 and dead to the world though they may cloath themselves with a snow-like purity and with the white sattin of seeming sanctity yet God at last will unmask and unmuffle them and vengeance will with a witness overtake them Isa 33.14 Hypocrites are like blazing Stars which so long as they are fed with vapours Job 20.5 Hosea 6.4 shine as if they were fixed Stars but let the vapours dry up and presently they vanish and disappear As the joy of the hypocrite so the goodness of the hypocrite is but for a moment it is as a morning cloud and as the early dew an hypocrite is a meer comet a flaunt a flash principles of holiness are lasting but hypocrisie makes a man only constant in inconstancy Seventhly If real holiness be the only way to happiness if men must be holy on earth or they shall never come to a fruition of God in heaven Then this truth by way of conviction looks sowerly and sadly upon such who please and bless themselves with common gifts and common grace 1 Cor. 12.4 Matth. 7.22 with a gift of knowledge a gift of faith a gift of prayer a gift of utterance a gift of memory c. when they have nothing of real holiness in them Like chose in Mat. 22.23 who had great gifts but were so far from real sanctity that they were workers of iniquity they had a flood of gifts but not a drop of grace they had many gifts but not one saving grace they could work miracles but that miracle of holiness being not wrote in them Christ takes an everlasting farewell of them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity So they in Heb. 6. had enlightened heads but where was their humbleness and holiness of heart they had silver tongues but where was their sanctified souls they had some smack some tastes and relishes of heavens glory but where was their inward and outward purity Notwithstanding all their extraordinary gifts of speaking with tongues casting out of Devils and opening of prophesies yet were they not renewed regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Ghost As Nurses milk is of use to others but of none to themselves Their gifts might be of singular use to the enlightening quickening edifying comforting and encouraging of others and yet never have any influence upon their own hearts to the changing renewing and sanctifying of them Men of greatest gifts are not alwaies men of greatest holiness The Scribes and Pharisees Judas Dâ—mas Tertullus and Simon Magus were men of great gifts and yet they had no real holiness they had the ninety nine of gifts whâ—ch Christ looks not after but wanted the one viz. real holiness Matth. 23.15 which with Christ is all in all Augustine trembled when he considered the extraordinary gifts and parts that were in his base child to think what God meant in infusing so precious a soul and in giving such rare gifts to such an impure creature The Devil hath greater gifts then any man on earth and yet he is a Devil still gifts without holiness will but make a man twice told the child of hell The more of gifts here the more without holiness of hell hereafter The greatest Schollars have often proved the greatest sinners the stoutest opposers and the worst of persecutors There are none so wicked as he that is wittily wicked The highest gifts many times prove but the fairest pathes to the chambers of death As the richer the Ship is laden with barrs of silver and gold the deeper it sinks so the richer the soul is laden with silver parts and golden gifts and yet not ballanced with real holiness the deeper it sinks under wrath and misery And no wonder for 1. Gifts do but tickle the ear they do not cleanse heart 2. They do but stir the affections they do not kill corruptions 3. They are but ornaments to a mans profession they have no saving influence upon a mans conversation They tempt a man to take up with the world but they never help a man to overcome the world 4. They make a man wise to deceive and wise to delude both â—imself and others rare accomplishments are many times turned into beautiful ornaments to adorn the Devil and errour withall 5. The gifted man cares not who is most holy so he may be most honoured who is highest in favour with God so he may be highest in favour with men who is most serviceable so he may be most acceptable who gets most of another world so he may have most of this world and what should such an one do in heaven Gifts differ as much from real holiness as an Angel in heaven differs from a Devil in Hell Zach. 7.5 6. Rom. 14.6 7 8. 6. Gifts makes a man work for life but holiness makes a man work from life 7. Gifts work a man to set up for himself and to deal and trade for himself but holiness works a man to deal for God and to trade for God and his glory 8. Gifts takes up in ingenuous civilities and outward formalities but holiness takes up only in that holy one Hab. 1.12 1 Cor. 8.7 9. Gifts only restrains the soul but grace renews and changes the soul 10. Gifts puffs the soul but holiness humbles the soul 11. Gifts makes a man beautiful like Rachel but holiness makes a man fruitful like Leah 12. Gifts makes a man most studious and laborious about mending and reforming other mens hearts and lives but holiness makes a man most studious and industrious in mending and reforming his own heart and life Psalm 45.13 13. Gifts makes all glorious without but holiness makes all glorious within 14. Gifts makes a good head but holiness makes a good heart 15. Gifts envies lessens darkens obscures and disparages with buts and ifs and ands the excellencies of others but holiness makes a man rejoyce in every Sun that out-shines its own John 4.14 1 John 3.9 16. Gifts are fading and withering but holiness is an everlasting spring that can never be drawn dry 1 Cor. 13.1 6. 17. Gifts draws from God but holiness draws to God though men of gifts may bid fair for heaven yea come so near as to hear the musick of heaven yet without holiness they shall never enter into heaven When night comes the Father will only take in his own child into his house and though another child which
I such a one as this is when he sees a man to have a form of godliness but no power he should say Am I such a one as this is when he hears of a man that hath a name to live but is spiritually dead he should say Am I such a one as this is c. and when he hears or reads of one that is really holy he should say am I such a one as this is As you would not put a cheat upon your own souls it highly concerns you to try whether you have real holiness or no. Look as many young children catch many a fall out of a strong conceit of their abilities to go so many a man out of a strong conceit that he hath holiness when he hath none catches many a fall in an eternal fall at last The best way to prevent an everlasting miscarriage is to make a privy search after holiness in thine own heart Fifthly Consider that there is a great deal of counterfeit grace and holiness in the world There is not more counterfeit coin this day in the world then there is counterfeit holiness in the world Look as many Bristows stones and counterfeit Gemms do so shine and sparkle like true Jewels that if a man be not very carefull he may be easily cheated so counterfeit grace counterfeit holiness doth so shine and sparkle they do so neerly resemble real holiness and the sanctifying and saving graces of the Spirit that a man may be easily mistaken if he do not make a narrow search Doth the gracious soul abstain from gross sins Matth. 25.1 2 3 4. Ezra 8. Esther 4. Daniel 9. Mat. 6.16 Luke 18 11. Matth. 27. Hebrews 12. Matthew 6. Acts 10.1 2 3 4 Luke 19.11 Acts 21.8 1 Sam. 15.24 Isaiah 58. 2 Chr. 32.26 1 Kings 22.15 Ionah 3. Mark 6. Ezek 33.30 31 32 33. Luke 18.11 so doth the formalist too Do Saints fast and pray so do Pharisees too Doth Peter shed tears so doth Esau too Doth Peter repent so doth Jâ—das too Doth Cornelius give Alms so do the Pharisees too Doth Zacheus believe so doth Simon Magus too Doth David confess his sin so doth Saul too Doth David delight in approaching to God so doth Isaiahs hypocrites too Doth Hezekiah humble himself so doth Ahab and the King of Nineveh too Doth a gracious soul hear the word with joy so did Herod too Doth a gracious soul receive the word with joy so did the stony ground too Doth a gracious soul delight in his teacher so did Ezekiels worldlings too Is a gracious soul in Closset duties so is the Pharisee too c. When counterfeit coin is abroad you will not take a piece but you will try it you will bring every piece to the touchstone Ah that you would deal so by your holiness there is a great deal of counterfeit holinesse abroad and therefore you had need bring yours to the tryal As all is nor gold that glisters so all is not holinesse that men take for holinesse that men count for holinesse The child is not more like the Father nor one Brother like another Wine in the Bottle is not more like to Wine in the Butt nor water in the Cistern more like to water in the River The difference between these true and counterfeit graces is largely discovered in my Treatise on Assurance nor fire in the forge more like to fire in the chimney nor milk in the sawcer to milk in the breasts then counterfeit grace and holinesse is like to that which is real Counterfeit faith doth so neerly resemble true faith and counterfeit love true love and counterfeit repentance true repentance and counterfeit obedience true obedience and counterfeit knowledge true knowledge and counterfeit holinesse true holinesse that it is not an easie matter to discover the one from the other The Cyprian Diamond saith Pliny looks so like the true Indian Diamond that if a man do not look warily to it he may easily be deceived and cheated O Sirs true grace and counterfeit true holinesse and counterfeit look so like one another that without a divine light to guide you you may be easily cheated and deceived for ever In these dayes of profession there is abundance of false ware put off Satan is a subtile Merchant and where prophanesse will not passe for current coin there he labours to furnish his customers with the shews and resemblances of grace and holinesse that so he may hold them the faster in golden setters and put them off from looking after that real holinesse without which no man can be blessed here or happy hereafter And therefore it neerly concerns every â—an to search and try whether he hath real holinesse or no. Sixthly Consider If upon tryal you shall find in you this real holinesse that paves the way to happiness it will turn exceedingly to your accounts thy happinesse depends upon the real being of holinesse in thee but thy comfort depends upon thy seeing of holinesse Real holinesse will yield thee a heaven hereafter but the seeing of holinesse will yield thee a heaven here he that hath holinesse and knows it shall have two heavens a heaven of joy comfort peace content and assurance here and a heaven of happinesse and blessednesse hereafter but he that hath holiness and doth not know it shall certainly be saved 1 Co. 3.11 16. yet so as by fire he shall have a heaven at last but he must passe to it by the flaming sword When a person is heir to a great estate and knows it when a person is son to a King and knows it when a person is highly in favour knows it when a person is out of all hazard and danger and knows it when a persons pardon is sealed and he knows it then the springs of joy and comfort rises in him So when a man is holy and knows it Ezek. 47.2 3 4 5. 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. then the springs of divine joy and comfort rises in his soul as the waters rise in Ezekiels Sanctuary The knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate will make heavy afflictions light long afflictions short and bitter afflictions sweet the knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate will make thee frequent fervent constant and abundant in the work of the Lord. The knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate wiâ—l strengthen thy faith raise thy hope inflame thy love 1 Cor. 15. ult increase thy patience and brighten thy zeal The knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate will make every mercy sweet every duty sweet every ordinance sweet and every providence sweet The knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate will rid thee of all thy sinfull fears and cares Phil. 1.22 23. 2 Cor. 5.1 10. it will give thee ease under every burden and it will make death more desireable then life The knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate will make thee
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
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
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
happiness Jerem. 6.16 Isa 35.8 And a high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse the unclean shall not passe over it but it shall be for those the way-faring men though fools shall not err therein Some men say lo here is the way Other men say lo there is the way but certainly the way of holinesse is the surest the safest the easiest the noblest and the shortest way to happinesse Among the Heathens no man could enter into the Temple of Honour but must first enter into the Temple of Vertue There is no entring into the Temple of happinesse except you enter into the Temple of holinesse Holinesse must first enter into you before you can enter into Gods holy hill As Sampson cried out Give me water or I die or as Rachel cried out Give me children or I die so all unsanctified souls may well cry out Lord give me holinesse or I die Psalm 15. throughout give me holinesse or I eternally die If the Angels those Princes of glory fall once from their holinesse they shall be for ever excluded from everlasting happinesse and blessednesse If Adam in Paradise fall from his purity he shall quickly be driven out from the presence of divine glory Austin would not be a wicked man an unholy man one hour for all the world because he did not know but that he might die that hour and should he die in an unholy estate he knew he should be for ever separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power O Sirs do not deceive your own souls holinesse is of absolute necessity 2 Thess 1.8 9 10. without it you shall never see the Lord it is not absolutely necessary that you should be great or rich in the world but it is absolutely necessary that you should be holy it is not absolutely necessary that you should enjoy health strength friends liberty life but it is absolutely necessary that you should be holy A man may see the Lord without worldly prosperity but he can never see the Lord except he be holy A man may to heaven to happinesse without honour or worldly glory but he can never to heaven to happiness without holiness without holinesse here no heaven hereafter Rev. 21.27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth God will at last shut the gates of glory against every person that is without heart purity Ah Sirs holinesse is a flower that grows not in natures garden Men are not born with holinesse in their hearts as they are born with tongues in their mouths holinesse is of a divine off-spring it is a pearl of price that is to be found in no nature but a renewed nature in no bosome but a sanctified bosome There is not the least beam or spark of holinesse in any natural man in the world I have read that the Isle of Arren in Ireland hath such a pure Air that it was never yet infected with the Plague but such is not the nature of man Gen. 6.5 Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil continually Job 25.4 How can man be clean that is born of a woman The interrogation carries in it a strong negation How can man be clean that is man cannot be clean that is born of a woman man that is born of a woman is born in sin and born both under wrath and under the curse And who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Job 14.4 Isa 64.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Rom. 3.10 11. There is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none thot seeketh after God Every man by nature is a stranger yea an enemy to holinesse Rom. 8.7 Every man that comes into this world comes with his face towards sin and hell and with his back upon God and holinesse Such is the corruption of our nature that propound any divine good to it it is entertained as fire by water or wet wood with hissing Propound any evil then it is like a fire to straw it is like the foolish Satyr that made haste to kisse the fire it is like that unctious matter which the Naturalists say sucks and snatches the fire to it with which it is consumed All men are born sinners and there is nothing but an infinite power that can make them Saints All men would be happy and yet they naturally loath to be holy By all which you may clearly see that food is not more necessary for the preservation of natural life then holiness is necessary for the preservation and salvation of the soul If a man had the wisdom of Solomon the strength of Sampson the courage of Joshua the policy of Ahitophell the dignities of Haman the power of Ahashueros and the eloquence of Apollos yet all these without holinesse would never save him Secondly Consider there is a possibility of obtaining holiness Prov. 2.2 3 4 5 6 7. Holiness is a golden mine that may be come at if you will but digg and sweat and take pains for it it is a flower of Paradise that may be gathered it is a crown that may be put on Rom. 13.12 13 14. it is a pearl of price that may be obtained if you will but part with the wicked mans Trinity the world the flesh and the devil to enjoy it Though some of the Attributes of God be incommunicable yet holinesse is a communicable attribute and this should mightily encourage you to look after holiness Well sinners remember this it is possible that those proud hearts of yours may be humbled it is possible that those hard hearts of yours may be softned it is possible that those unclean hearts of yours may be sanctified it is possible that those blind minds of yours may be enlightened it is possible that those stubborn wills of yours may be tamed it is possible that those disordered affections of yours may be regulated it is possible that those drowsie and defiled consciences of yours may be awakened and purged it is possible that those vile and polluted natures of yours may be changed and purified There are several things that do witness that holiness is attainable As 1. Witness Gods promise to give his holy Spirit to them that ask it Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him The holy Spirit is a gift more worth then a world yea then heaven it self and yet to make men holy God is willing to give his holy spirit upon very easie terms They shall have it for asking John 3.6 Titus 3.5 1 Cor. 6.11 the Spirit is a spirit of holiness he is holy in himself and the Author of all that holiness that is in man it is he that most powerfully
the glory due unto his name worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse Psalm 96.9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse Psalm 110.3 Thy people shall bee willing in the day of thy power in the beauty of holinesse You see beauty and holinesse is by God himself still linked together and those whom God hath so closely joyned together no man may put a sunder The Scripture last cited doth not only speak our holinesse to be a beautiful thing but it speaks out many beauties to be in holinesse Those Christians that are voluntiers in the beauties of holinesse they shall be very beautiful and shining through holinesse Holiness casts such a beauty upon man as makes him very amiable and desirable The holinesse of parents renders them very amiable and desireable in the eyes of their children and the holinesse of children renders them very amiable and desirable in the eyes of their parenâ—s When that incomparable Lady Cornelia presented her sons to the Common-wealth Isa 22 22. she said Haec sunt mea ornamenta these are my Jewels these are my ornaments Holy children are their parents crown their parents ornaments no glistering gold no sparkling diamonds Xenophon in Plutarch never prayed that his son Gryllus might be long lived but that he might be a good man no shining or glittering apparel renders children so amiable and lovely in the eyes of their parents as holinesse doth The holinesse of the husband renders him very amiable in the eyes of the wife and the holinesse of the wife renders her very desirable in the eyes of her husband The holinesse of the master renders him very lovely in the eyes of his servants and the holinesse of the servants renders them very comely in the eyes of their masters c. Jewels holinesse Bradfords holinesse and Bucers holinesse rendred them very amiable and lovely not only in the eyes of their friends but also in the eyes of their enemies There is nothing in this world that will render all sorts and ranks of people so glorious and famous in the eyes of one another as holinesse will do Were all ranks and orders of men more holy they would certainly be more lovely in the eyes of one another O that all men would cease from being injurious one to another and labour to be more holy and then I am sure they would be more comely in one anothers eyes Holinesse is lovely yea loveliness it self purity is a Christians splendor and glory there is no beauty to that of sanctity nothing beautifies and bespangles a man like holinesse Holinesse is so lovely and so comely a thing that it draws all eyes and hearts to an admiration of it Holinesse is so great a beauty that it puts a beauty upon all other excellencies in a man That holinesse is a very beautiful thing and that it makes all those beautiful that have it is a truth that no Devil can deny And therefore O Sirs as ever you would be ebautiful and lovely labour to be holy The natural beauty of Sarah Rebeccah Rachel 2 Sam. 14.25 Joseph and Absalom was no beauty to that beauty lustre and glory that holinesse puts upon a man Demetrius saith Plutarch Plutarch in the life of Demetrius was so passing fair of face and countenance that no Painter was able to draw him Holinesse puts so rare a beauty upon man that no Painter under heaven is able to draw him Scipio Africanus was so comely a person that the Barbarians in Spain stood amazed at his comelinesse Holinesse puts such a comlinesse Mark 6.20 and such an amiablenesse upon a person that many admire it and stand amazed at it O Sirs as ever you would be amiable and desirable be holy as ever you would be lovely and comely be holy as ever you would be famous and glorious be holy as ever you would out-shine the Sun in splendor and glory labour to be holy Many have ventured their names their estates their liberties their lives yea their very souls to enjoy a lovely Bathsheba David Theseus Prince Paris Mark Antony c. a fair Helena a beautiful Diana a comely Cleopatra c. whose beauties have been but clay well coloured O how much more then should you be provoked to labour and venture your All for holinesse that will imprint upon you that most excellent and most exquisite beauty that will to the grave and to glory with you yea that will render you not only amiable and excellent in the eyes of men but also lovely and comely in the eyes of God! I remember Bernard writing to a noble Virgin that was holy tells her that others were cloathed with purple and silk Psalm 45.13 14. but their consciences were poor and beggerly they glistered with their Jewels but were loose in their manners but you saith he are without meanly clad but within shine exceeding beautiful not to humane but to divine eyes both in the eyes of God Angels and men Ezek. 16.1 12. none shine and glister so gloriously as those that are holy Unholy souls are foul souls ugly souls deformed souls withered souls wrinkled souls they are altogether unlovely and uncomely souls I have read of Acco an old woman who seeing her deformity in a glass run mad Should God but shew unholy men their deformity in the glass of the Law it would either make them spiritually mad or else it would make them fall in love with holinesse that so they might be made comely and lovely by being made pure and holy But Eleventhly Consider this to provoke you to be holy that holinesse is the most gainfullest and the most thriving trade in the world Now that every one cryes out that all trading is gone O that every one would settle to the trade of holinesse O there is no gain there is no advantage to the gain that comes in upon the account of godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.6 But godlinesse with contentment is great gain Though godlinesse it self be great gain Godliness is the greatest riches the best treasure the highest honor and the most lasting fame yet godlinesse brings in a great deal of gain besides it self The godly man is still of the gaining side his piety brings him in the greatest plenty chap. 4.8 Godlinesse is profitable to all things A man is as well able to tell the stars of heaven and to number the hairs of his head as he is able to tell the several commodities or to number up the variety of blessings or multitude of mercies that comes flying in upon the wings of godlinesse Godlinesse hath the promise of both lives that is both of earthly favours and of eternal blessings also It is profitable not for some things but for every thing both temporal spiritual and eternal blessings do grow upon this Tree of life holinesse There is no trade to the trade of godlinesse Prov. 22.4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life
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
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
as repentance would quickly give them ease and turn their hell into a heaven I was last Winter with a young man who upon his dying-bed for several hours together being in a dreadful agony lay crying out I am damn'd I am damn'd I am damn'd I am damn'd Ah how soon would this poor wretch have got out of this hell if it had been so easie a thing to have repented as you imagine it is and how many when they have been prest to repent have professed that if they might have a thousand worlds to repent they could not repent And will you say that repentance is easie How many have sought repentance with tears and would have bought repentance with the price of their dearest blood but could not obtain it and will you say that repentance is easie O Sirs is it good to be damn'd is it good to go to hell is it good to dwell with a devouring fire and to live in everlasting burnings Is it good to have your habitations amongst Devils and damned spirits Is it good to be banished the Court of heaven and to be separated for ever from the glorious presence of God and the sweet enjoyments of Christ and the blessed society of Angels and Saints and the fruition of all the happiness that heaven affords O no! O no! O why then do not men prevent all this by repentance if it be such an easie thing to repent But Lastly If repentance be such an easie work why then do your hearts so rise both against the Doctrine of repentance and against those that preach it and press it of all words is not the word of repentance the hardest word to read and of all sayings and Sermons Joh. 6.60 is not that of repentance the hardest to hear and bear Luther confesses that before his conversion he met not with a more displeasing word in all the Scripture nor in all his study of Divinity then that word Repent O man if repentance be so easie why doth thy spirit rage and why doth thy heart so swell and rise against those that preach repentance unto life Of all Preachers Mat. 3.2 Acts 2. c. there are none that do so displease and move thee that do so cut and gall thee as those that are still a crying out Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Repentance is the vomit of the soul and ah how do sinners hearts rise against that Physick and those that bring it Repentance is the bleeding of the soul and ah how do wicked men storm and take on at that hand that lets them blood Isa 30.10 Jer. 5.30 31. chap. 14.14 chap. 23.11 to the end You love those that preach pleasing things that tickle your ears though they never touch your hearts that please your fancies though they never meddle with your consciences and one Sermon of mercy you prefer before a thousand Sermons of repentance Now certainly if repentance were so easie to you the Doctrine of repentance would be more pleasing to you For a close know that that white Devil who now presents repentance to thee as the easiest thing in the world He will at last cast to work thee to despair and to cut the throat of thy soul present it not only as a hard and difficult work but as an impossible work O that these things may be so blest unto you as to preserve you from being deceived and deluded with a conceit that repentance is easie and so by this means keep you from labouring to be holy Now as to that part of the plea from the Scriptures formerly cited viz. That hereafter will be time enough to repent I shall thus reply Certainly the present call of God the uncertainty of the Spirits motion and the danger of delay calls upon thee for present repentance it is a dangerous thing to deal with God as ill Debtors do by their Creditors first they put them off one week and then another week and then a third week c. till at last they provoke their Creditors to cast them into prison and to practise all severity upon them they that thus deal with God shall be as severely dealt with by God as you may see in Prov. 1.24 to 32. The antient warriers would not receive an old man into their Army and dost thou think O vain man It is reported that God should say to a man who desired to repent in his old age Vbi consumpsisti farinam ibi consume furfurem Where you have spent your flour there go spend your bran c. that when thou hast spent thy time and wasted thy strength and exhausted thy spirits in the work of Satan and in the service of thy lusts that God will receive thee to his grace and favour If thou dost thus flatter thy self it is ten thousand to one but that thou wilt deceive thy self that God that hath made a promise to late repentance hath made no promise of late repentance though true repentance is never too late yet late repentance is seldom true Ah how many millions are now in hell who have thought and resolved and said that they would repent hereafter but that hereafter never came Thou saist to morrow to morrow thou wilt repent when thou knowest not what a to morrow will bring forth Alas how many thousand wayes may death surprize thee before to morrow comes Though there be but one way to come into the world yet there is a thousand thousand wayes to be sent out of the world O the diseases the hazards the dangers the accidents the deaths that daily that hourly attend the life of man A Jewish Rabbin pressing the practice of repentance upon his Disciples exhorted them to be sure to repent the day before they died to which one of them replyed that the day of a mans death was very uncertain to which the Rabbin made answer Repent therefore every day and then you shall be sure to repent the day before you die O Sirs except you do repent to day you cannot tell that you shall repent the day before you die for who knows to day but that he may die to morrow It was once demanded of one Austin What he would say of a wicked man who had lived loosly but died penitently c. to whom he replyed What would you have me say That he is damned I will not for I have nothing to do to judge him Shall I say that he is saved I dare not for I would not deceive thee what then Why this repent thou out of hand and thou art safe whatever is become of him Ah friends you are never safe till you repent it is repentance that puts you out of all danger of miscarrying for ever Shall the husband-man take his present seasons for sowing and reaping Shall the good Tenant repair his house while the weather is fair Shall the careful Pilot take his advantage of wind and tide and so put out to Sea Shall the
such whose lives give the lye to their Doctrine an ill liv'd preacher is the greatest destroyer of the souls of men he that preacheth well but lives ill does what he can to murder all his hearers at once there is no greater bar to holiness then Ministers leudness an unholy life marrs the soundest and the sweetest Doctrine Isa 9.16 The leaders of his people have caused them to e rt The sins of Teachers are the teachers of sins as the corrupt glosses so the leud practises of many Preachers makes many to stumble at that word and to shuff and chat and contest and kick against that word whereby they should be made holy and happy for ever a scandalous Minister is the greatest Pest the worse plague and the sorest mischief that can be to a people for his enormities his wickednesses will have the strongest influences upon the souls and lives of men to make them miserable in both worlds his falls will be the fall and ruine of many for people are more prone to live by examples then by precepts and to minde more what the Minister does then what he sayes and to eye more how he walks then how he talks It was said of One long since that was an excellent Preacher but a very bad liver that when he was in the Pulpit it was pitty he should ever come out of it he preach't so well and when he was out of it it was pitty that ever he should go into it he lived so ill Certainly 't is pitty that ever such should go into a Pulpit who preach well but live ill who have much of God in their mouths and much of the devil in their lives who have the earth as much at their fingers end as they have heaven at their tongues end who puts a loud lye upon the truth and whose lives puts their words to a blush who have much of heaven in their expressions and nothing of heaven in their conversations who have much holiness in their books but none in their bosoms and much holiness in their lips but none in their lives The leud lives of such persons causes people to slight and abhor the holy things of God 1 Sam. 2.17 yea their bad lives often raise doubts in their hearers hearts Rom. 2.22 Mal. 2. ult whether those things be true that they preach or no hearers will be ready to object and say if these things be true that the Minister says why does he not practice what he preaches why does he not do as well as say and with what face or confidence can he appear against that in the Pulpit which he countenanceth and patronizeth in his life who will credit that mans Doctrine who has Jacobs voice but Esaus hands who is a Saint yea an Angel in the Pulpit but a debauched sinner yea an incarnate devil out of it I have read of a woman who living in professed doubt of the God-head after better illumination and repentance did often protest Mr. Wards Sermons that the vicious life of a great Schollar under whose Ministry she did live did conjure up those damnable doubts in her soul There is nothing that brings holy truths so much into question as the unholy conversations of such preachers neither is there any thing that exposes a Ministers person and office to so much scorn and contempt as an unholy life Let a Minister be never so learned solid quaint elegant zealous judicious sententious c. yet if he be carnal covetous worldly vain and loose in his life and conversation his hearers will rather deride his doctrine then reforme by his doctrine they will rather contemn it then study how to profit by it therefore he said right that said Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum Vnto a teacher it 's no small disgrace When his own faults reprove him to his face There is nothing in all the world that is more powerful and prevalent to corrupt and mislead unholy men and to harden strengthen Ezek. 13.22 Jer. 23.15 and encourage them in ways of wickedness then the looseness of their lives whose office binds them to look to the salvation of their souls Mal. 2.8 Ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law When the preacher departs out of the way of holiness the people will quickly stumble at the Law of holiness when Ministers are as wandring stars no wonder if their hearers wander from all that 's good he whose life is not a standing reproof to sin will by his life encourage sinners more and more in a way of sin there is nothing that keeps men so off from a good opinion of holiness and from the love of holiness and the liking of holiness and from the pursuing after holiness then the unholy lives of their teachers and therefore as ever you would be holy flye their Tents and abandon their company and society Ministers whose lives are leud though their parts may be high are like a stone gutter that conveyeth water into a garden Augustine but receiveth no benefit it self thereby or like a Harpe that maketh others melody but heareth nothing it self they are like those Carpenters that built the Arke to save others and were drowned themselves or like Porters at great mens gates that let in others but lodge without themselves or like Sea-marks that rot themselves and yet give others warning to avoid Shipwrack or like Casars souldier that digged a fountain for Caesar and perished himself for want of water O! the folly and madness of such Ministers that give light to others and yet walk in darkness themselves that feast others souls but starve their own that rescue others from a devouring enemy and yet suffer themselves to be devoured that forewarne others of the horrible pit and yet fall into it themselves that give good counsel to others and yet can't take good counsel themselves that study and strive to bring others to heaven and yet have no minde to go thither themselves Certainly society and company with such upon choice can't but be a mighty hinderance to holiness he that is in good earnest resolved to be holy must resolutely be resolved to have nothing to do with such unholy persons And thus you see the several things that you must decline if ever you would be holy But Secondly As there are several things that you must decline if ever you would obtain that real holiness without which there is no happiness so there are several things that you are to do that you are to put in practice without which you will never be holy here nor happy hereafter Q. But what are they A. They are these First Greatly lament and mourn over thine own unholiness over thine own wickedness the first step to holiness is melting and mourning over a mans own unholiness go to thy closet and fall down before the most high and holy God and mourn bitterly over the unholiness of thy nature the
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
to make the glory of God his supream scope Now there is not a wicked man on earth that do's or can eate oâ— drink c. to divine glory he do's not nor cannot set up the glory of God as the chiefe and ultimate end of his natural and common actions Now who but fooles in folio will reason thus wicked men are to eate and drink c. to divine glory but this they cannot doe Titus 1.15 and therefore wicked men must neither eate nor drink c. But Fifthly The force and spirit of this objection if there were any in it lyes as flat and full against all other religious duties as it do's against prayer it lyes as strong against hearing reading and meditating on the word c. as it do's against prayer and who but such who are sadly left of God and wofully blinded by Satan will be so wretched as to say wicked men must neither heare the word nor reade the word nor meditate on the word because they cannot doe these actions in faith and whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. ult But Sixthly There are those that can say by experience that the first special work of God that ever they perceived on their own hearts was while they were pleading with God at the throne of grace there are those that have brought proud hearts to the throne of grace but have returned with hearts humbled and that have brought hard hearts but have gon away with hearts graciously broken and melted and that have brought carnal hearts but returned with spiritual hearts and that have brought worldly hearts but returned with heavenly hearts God sometimes heares prayers for his own sake and for his Sons sake and for his glories sake and for his promise sake when he will not heare prayers for the sinners sake But Seventhly Sinfull omissions lead to sinful commissions yea sometimes they lead to ruine As you may see in the Angels that fell from the highest heaven to the lowest hell and in Adam who fell in paradise from the highest pinacle of glory to the lowest step of sin and misery Those Reprobates in that 25 Math. did not rob the Saints but only omitted the relieving of them and this proved a damning to them Rich Dives did not rob the poore but his not relieving of them was his ruine Luke 16. Moab and Ammon were banished the Sanctuary to the tenth Generation for a meere omission because they met not Gods Israel in the Wilderness with bread and water Deut. 23.3 4 6. Look as the omission of good dyet breeds natural diseases in the body so doth the omission of good duties breed spiritual diseases in the soul all â—â—nful omissions make worke for hell or for the Physitian of souls Oh man thou doest not know what deadly sin what deadly temptation may follow upon a meere single omission Origen going to comfort and encourage a Martyr that was to suffer was apprehended by the Officers and constrained either to offer to the Idolls or to have his body abused by a Blackamore that was ready prest for that service being thus hard put to it to save his life he bowed to the Idolls but afterwards when he came to himselfe he sadly bewailes his sin and confesseth that he went forth that morning without making his prayers unto God which sinful omission God did so severely punish by leaving of him to fal into so great a sin which pierc'd his soul through with many sorrows I am apt to think that many a sin many a snare and many a fall might have been prevented if such and such religious duties had not been omitted sinful omissions prepare the way to sinful commissions and both prepare the way to a fatal destruction I believe many men had never been so abominable vicious if they had not first cast off religious duties he that lives in the neglect of prayer tempts more Devils then one to beset his soule yea to destroy his soule c. But Eighthly and lastly there are several weighty arguments that may be produced to prove that 't is the duty of wicked and unconverted men to performe religious duties as to pray and seek the Lord c. Among the many that may be brought forth I shall only give you these fix First This is evident from divine commands as you may clearly see by comparing of these Scriptures together Isa 55.6 7. Acts 8.21 22 23. Psal 65.2 1 Thes 5.17 Pray without ceasing is an indefinite injunction and who art thou oh man that darest to prohibite what God commands are not his commands oblieging and may not disobedience to the least of them cost thee thy life thy soul thy all Gods commands are neither to be slighted censured nor neglected woe to him that looks upon great commands as little commands and little commands as no commands Math. 23. Oh Sirs 't is a very dangerous thing to act or run Counter-cross to Gods express command it may cost a man deare as you may see in that sad Story 1 Kings 13.24 The Heathens indeed would frequently run cross to their gods commands for when their gods commanded them to offer up a man they would offer up a Candle and so Hercules when he was to offer up a living man he offered up a painted man but do's it become Christians to deale thus with the great God with the living God with the God of gods as the Heathens did by their gods surely no Gods commands are not like unto the commands of the Heathens that might be contradicted and changed but they are like to the commands of the Medes that cannot be reversed nor changed they must be Evangelically obeyed or you will be eternally destroyed Jer. 35.2 5 6 7. Psal 103.20 The Rechabites were very rigid observers of their fathers commands and will you make slight of Gods commands and the Angels that excell in strength doe his Commandements and will you despise them why should the peasant scorne that work in which the Prince himself is engaged But Secondly Prayer is a natural worship and is incumbent upon all men as they are created by God prayer is a duty which the very Law of nature as well as the Law of the word lays upon men And this you may see in those Pagans Jonah 1. â— The Marriners cryed every man to his god That there is a God and that this God is to be called upon are lessons that are taught in natures Schoole Isa 45.20 They pray to a god that cannot save for any man to say a wicked man ought not to pray is to say a wicked man ought not to worship God nor acknowledge him to be his maker and who but such who are either blinde or mad dare speak such language Certainly they that live in the neglect of prayer under the Gospel sin against a double light the light of nature and the light of the Gospel and therefore they shall be double-damn'd there is no hell to these
and yet thus much thou doest proclaime upon the house-top when thou cryest out hereafter hereafter will be time enough to seek after holiness But Secondly I answer that 't is thy wisdom and thy work to set one may be against another Eccl. 7.14 thou say'st now that hereafter may be time enough to look after holiness O set another maybe against this may-be Isa 55.6 and say if I now neglect this season of grace it may-be I shall never have another if I now slight the offers of mercy Pro. 1.20 to the 33. Heb. 2.1 2 3. Luke 19 41. 45. Gen. 6.3 it may be I shall never have such offers more if I now despise this day of salvation it may be I shall never have such another day if I now withstand the tenders of Christ it may-be Christ will never make a tender to me more if I now resist the strivings of the Spirit it may be the Spirit will never strive with my soule more and then wo wo to me that ever I was borne O don't put off God don't put off thy soule don't put off the thoughts of holiness don't put off eternity with may-bees Heb. 3.18 least the Lord should sweare in his wrath that thou shalt never enter into his rest and seeing that thou wilt not suffer holiness to enter into thee thou shalt never enter into thy Masters joy O! why shouldest thou put off thy poor soule so as thou wouldest not have God to put it off thou wouldest not have God to put off thy soule with may-bees as with a may-bee I will pardon thee it may-bee I wilt lift up the light of my countenance upon thee it may-bee I will change thy nature and save thy soule it may-bee I will fill thee with my Spirit and adorne thee with my grace it may-bee I will bring thee to my kingdome and glory O thou wouldst not have God to put thee off with such may-bees and why then shouldst thou deale more hardly and cruelly with thine own soule then thou wouldst have God to deale with thee But Thirdly I answer 't is a cleare argument that thou art not truly nor throughly sensible of thy present condition and danger who thus objectest wert thou but truly sensible of thy lost and undone estate out of Christ didst thou but indeed know what 't is to live one houre in a Christ-less and grace-less condition didst thou but see that wrath that hangs over thy head didst thou but reade the curses that are pronounced in the book of God against thee didst thou but behold how hell gapes to devoure thee didst thou but see how farre off thou art from God Christ the Covenant Acts 2.39 Ephe. 2.12 and all the glory and happiness of another world ah how wouldst thou every day cry out give me holiness or I die give me holiness or I eternally die The Patient that is truly sensible of his disease will not say hereafter will be time enough to send for the Physitian nor the wounded man will not say hereafter will be time enough to fetch the Surgeon nor the condemned man will not say hereafter will be time enough to sue for a pardon nor the needy man will not say hereafter will be time enough to look for reliefe nor the fallen man will not say hereafter will be time enough to lift me up nor the drowning man will not say hereafter will be time enough to bring a Boate to save my life now this is the very case of all unsanctified persons in the world and why then should they cry our hereafter hereafter will be time enough to be holy The Boare in the Fable being questioned why he stood wherting his teeth so when no body was neare to hurt him wisely answered that it would then be too late to whet them when he was to use them and therefore he whetted them so before danger that he might have them ready in danger Ah Sirs there is nothing more dangerous then for you to have your holiness to seek when temporal spiritual and eternal dangers are at your heels there is no wisdom to that which leads men forth to a present pursuit after holiness nor no hell to that for a man to have his holiness to seek when he should use it Fourthly I answer that the brevity shortness and preciousness of time Sumptus protiocissimus tempus Theophrastus calls aloud upon thee to pursue after holiness without delay time past is irrecoverable time to come is uncertaine the present time is the only time and on this moment of time depends eternity this very day is a day of grace O that thou hadst but grace to take notice of it this very time is an acceptable time O that thou hadst but a heart to accept of it and to improve it he that hath a great way to goe and a great deale of worke to doe in a little time had not need to trifle away his time and this is the case of every unsanctified soule O the sins that such a soule has to repent of O the graces that such a soule has to seek O the evidences for heaven that such a soule has to secure O the miseries that such a soule has to escape O the mercies that such a soule has to press after c. and therefore of all men in the world it stands unsanctified persons upon well to husband and improve their present time O 't is a dangerous thing to put off that worke to another day which must be done to day or else thou mayest be eternally undone to morrow the old saying was Nunc aut nunquam now or never if not now done it may be never done and if so then thou art undone for ever Many sinners are now in hell who when they were on earth were wont to put off the motions of the Spirit by crying out eras cras to morrow to morrow Time is so precious a thing that mountaines of gold and rocks of pearle cannot redeem one lost moment which that great Lady well understood when on her death-bed she cryed out Queen Elizabeth Call time againe call time againe a world of wealth for an inch of time ah what a precious and gainfull commodity would time be in hell where for one day to repent yea for one hour to seek after holiness a man would give ten thousand worlds were they in his hands to dispose of Time is so costly a Jewel that few know how to value it and prize it at a due rate witness that sad and frequent complaint among many O what shall we doe to drive away the time come let 's goe to Cards to drive away the time or let 's goe to Tables to drive away the time or let 's goe to the Taverne and take a pint and a pipe to drive away the time or le ts goe and take a walke in the fields to drive away the time c. Thus most are lavishly and
I have thoughts of grace and thoughts of mercy and thoughts of love c. for I will dwell among them and be a little Sanctuary to them and make up the want of all outward ordinances and priviledges to them I have read of the Tyrians that they bound their Gods with chains Josh 1.5 Psal 89.33 34. Jer. 32.38 39 40 41. that they might not leave them in their greatest need but our God has bound himselfe with many Golden chains I meane promises that he will never leave nor forsake his people in their greatest necessity and extremity Theodoret had a precious presence of God with him in his sufferings for he sound so much sweetness when he was on the Rack in the midst of his tortures that he profest he did not find any anguish in his torments but a great deale of pleasure and when they took him down from the Rack he complained that they did him wrong in taking of him down and in ceasing to torment him for said he all the while I was on the Rack and you were venting your malice against me I thought there was a young man in white an Angel that stood by me which wiped off the sweat and I found a great deale of sweetness in my sufferings which now I have lost O! Christians in all your sufferings the Angel of Gods presence will bare you company and he will sweeten the most cruel torments and wipe off all the sweat Isa 63.9 and take away all the paine yea he will turne your paines into pleasure If Joseph be cast into prison Gen. 39.20 21. Jer. 36.6 to the 14. Psal 23.4 5. the Lord will be with him there If Jeremiah be throwne into the Dungeon the Lord will be with him there If David walk through the valley of death Gods Rod and his Staffe shall comfort him If the three Children be cast into a fiery Furnace the presence of the Son of God shall preserve them if Daniel must to the Lyons Den God will keep him company there and chain up the Lyons nature and sow up the Lyons mouths and lay a law of restraint upon the Lyons pawes that they shall not have so much as a disposition to touch him or in the least to hurt him or harme him 2 Tim. 4.16 17 18. If Paul be brought before Nero's Judgement seate God will stand by him though all men forsake him and bring him off with credit and triumph Thus you see that in all the afflictions and persecutions that doe befall the people of God God will not faile to keep them company and therefore let not troubles trouble you let not afflictions afflict you nor let not persecutions discourage you But Sixthly I answer That he shall be sure to suffer from Christ that refuses to suffer or that is afraid to suffer for Christs sake or holiness sake or the Gospels sake no man can suffer so much for Christ as he shall be sure to suffer from Christ if he disdaine and refuse to suffer for Christ Mark 8.35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake That Husbandman that keepes his wheat looses his wheat but he that sowes his wheat renewes his wheat and the Gospels the same shall save it He that shall attempt to save his life by crossing his light by shifting off of truth or by forsaking of Christ shall lose it he that thinks to shun suffering by sinning shall be sure to suffer with a witness 't is a gainfull loss to suffer for the truth 't is a lossfull gaine by time-serving and base complying with the lusts and humors of men to provide for our present safety security plenty peace and ease c. either by denying the truth or by betraying the truth or by exchanging the truth or by forsaking the truth When Henry the fourth of France French History had conquered his enemies he turn'd Papist and gave this reason of it That he might settle himselfe in peace and safety Ravilliak who slew him as he was riding abroad in his Coach to refresh himself confessed that the reason why he stabb'd him was because he was of two Religions and thus by endeavouring to save his life he lost it One Philbert Hamlin in France having converted a Priest to the profession of the truth was together with the Priest apprehended and cast into prison at Burdeaux But after a while the Priest being terrified with the prison and feare of death renounced Christ and was set at liberty whereupon Philbert said to him O unhappy and more then miserable man is it possible that to save your life for a few dayes you should so deny the truth Know therefore that though you have avoided the corporal fire yet your life shall not be prolonged for you shall die before me and you shall not have the honor to die for the cause of Christ but you shall be an example to Apostates And accordingly as he went out of the prison two Gentlemen that had a former quarrel with him met him and slew him And thus he also lost his life by endeavoring sinfully to save it Though life be sweet and every creature makes much of it from the highest Angel to the lowest worm yet wo to him that is set upon saving of it when Christ calls upon him to be divinely prodigal of it no fool to him who thinks to avoid a less danger by running himself into a greater danger who thinks to save his body by losing his soul and to save his temporal life by losing eternal life there is no loser to him who by sinful attempts to saved his life shall lose a better life then ever he can save So ver 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Ah friends what are prisons and dungeons and racks and flames to Christs being ashamed of a man in the great day when he shall be attended with Troops of Saints and millions of Angels when in the face of the Court of Heaven when all the Princes of glory shall set upon their thrones Christ shall disdain a man and scorn so much as to look upon him or take any notice of him or shew the least respect or favor towards him O what a Sea of sorrow and a hell of horror will this raise in him I have read that when Sapores King of Persia raised a violent persecution against the Christians Sozom. Hist l. 2. c. 8. Vsthazares an old Nobleman and one of King Sapores Eunuches and Courtiers being a Christian was so terrified that he left off his profession and setting at the Court-gate when Simeon an aged holy Bishop was led to prison and rising up to salute him You may see the same story in Mr. Fox his book of
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
Winter is past and the singing of birds is come and anone you say your Winter is like to be longer then ever now you say there is Balm in Gilead and anon you say your wound is incurable now you say all is your own and anon you are ready to give up all as lost c. and thus your hearts rise and fall according to the working of second causes When you have full purses and powerful Armies and subtle Councellors Psal 30.6 7 8. and great Allies then you are ready to say surely our mountain is strong and we shall never be removed but when your bags are empty and your forces broken and your counsels dissipated and your Allies faln off then you are ready to cry out O now there is no hope there is no help O but now were you eminent in holiness then under the saddest and crossest workings of second causes 2 Chron. 14.11 you would say with Asa O Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power 2 Kin. 6.16 17. Exod. 14.13 and with Elisha They that be with us are more then they that be with them and with Moses Stand still Psal 118.6 and see the salvation of God and with David The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me Holiness in any considerable heighth will set the power of God in opposition to all the power of the world Psal 65.6 11. and then divinely triumph over them Plutarch in vita Pomp. Pompey once gloried in this that with one stampe of his foot he could raise all Italy up in Arms but the great God with one stampe of his foot or with one word of his mouth can raise not onely Italy but also all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth in Arms at his pleasure and in the power of this God raised holiness will enable a man to glory all the day long Where holiness is weak there men stand and fall as second causes work but where holiness is eminent there men will live upon the first cause and however second causes may wheel about yet such a man will live upon him and look up to him that hath a wheel within every wheel Ezek. 1.15 22. But Seventhly You have but little holiness witness that soul-leanness Psal 106.15 Isa 24.16 and Chap. 10.16 barrenness and unfruitfulness that is among you at this very day Ah how may most cry out with the Prophet Isaiah O my leanness my leanness O our leanness our leanness our barrenness our barrenness c. though God has waited many three years for fruit yet behold nothing but leaves I have read of the Indian Fig-tree how that its leaves are as broad as a Target Athenaeus de Ipnosoph lib. 3. but its fruit is no bigger then a Bean Ah how many Christians be there in these days whose leaves of profession are very broad but their fruits of righteousness and holiness are very small and as the Indian Fig-tree though it be of fair and goodly dimensions yet it riots out all its sap and juce into leaves and blossoms So many in these days who though they carry it fair and make a goodly shew yet they riot out all that spiritual sap and life that is in them into the mear leaves and blossoms of an empty profession Ah how are many of our hearts like to the Isle of Pathmos which is so barren that nothing that is good will grow on 't all the good things that grow there is from the earth that is brought from other places Look as a company of Ants are very busie about a Mole-hill running to and fro and wearying themselves in their several movings and turnings this way and that and yet never grow great for after all their motions and stiring they are still the same as to the slender proportion of their bodies so many Christians in these days run to and fro they run from one duty to another and from one ordinance to another and from one opinion to another and from one principle to another and from one Minister to another and from one Church to another and from one way to another and from one notion to another and yet they make little progress in holiness 2 Pet. 3.18 2 Tim. 3.6 7. they grow but little in the love the life the likeness and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ they are like those silly women that Timothy speaks of who were ever learning and yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth and they are like Nazianzens country of Ozizala which abounded with gay flowers but was barren of corn so these abound in gay notions and flourishing parts but are barren of grace and holiness Seneca hath long since observed that as the Philosophers in his time grew more and more learned so they grew less and less moral and is there any thing more evident in these days then this viz. that as men grow more and more in empty airy notions and in a pompous Religion and profession so they grow less and less zealous and religious The reason say some why Christ cursed the Fig-tree though the time of bearing fruit was not come was because it made a glorious shew with leaves and promised much but brought forth nothing What 's a barren tree a barren ground or a barren womb to a barren heart Many in our days are like the Cypress-tree Joh. 15.6 which the more it is watered the more it is withered so the more many are watered with the means of grace the more they wither the more the dews of heaven falls upon them and the more heavenly Manna is daily rained round about them the more lean fruitless and barren they grow Such souls may do well to remember that those trees that are not for fruit are for the fire Heb. 6.8 Augustin For a close let me tell you that I fear with that Father that many grieve more for the barrenness of their lands then they do for the barrenness of their lives and for the barrenness of their trees then they do for the barrenness of their souls and for the loss of their Cattel then they do for the loss of Gods countenance But Eigthly lastly You have but little holiness witness that great indifferency and inconstancy that is to be found among you My Lord Paulet kept both great favor and places under Henry the eighth a Papist and under King Edward the sixth a Protestant and under Queen Mary a Papist and under Queen Elizabeth a Protestant being ask'd how he could do so he answered that he always imitated the willow and not the oak Ah how many Christians are there in these days of Gospel-light who are indifferent who they hear or what they hear who are indifferent whether they pray or not or walk in Gospel-order or not or keep Sabbaths or not or maintain
have in heaven shall not be given out to them upon the account of their merits or the dignity of their persons or the worthiness of their works but upon the account of Gods meere mercy and grace who in the day of retribution will delight to crowne his own gifts not our merits and where he shall finde the greatest measures of grace holiness Deus nihil coronat nisi dona sua Aug. When God crowneth us he doth but crowne his own gifts in us c. there he will of his own free mercy bestow the greatest measure of glory Well friends remember this you must alwayes carefully distinguish between the essence and substance of glory and between degrees and measures of glory Now the essence and substance of glory which consists in the Saints full communion with God and in their perfect conformity to God and in their universal subjection to God and in their everlasting fruition of God be common to all the Saints so that no one Saint shall have more of the essence and substance of glory then another has yet the degrees and measures of glory shall be distributed to some more to some less Now that there shall be different degrees of glory in heaven answerable to the different degrees of grace and holiness that the Saints reach to here on earth and that God will at last proportion his Rewards according to the different degrees of labour seâ—â—ice and sufferings of his people in this world may be made evident 1. By cleare Scriptures 2. By Arguments Now there are severall Scriptures that speaks out this truth take these for a taste First that 1 Cor. 3.8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour The Apostle having compared his own and Apollo's work together adds That both should receive their reward according to their work that is as their work differed so should their reward differ though they both preacht one and the same doctrine and had both one and the same designe and purpose viz. to bring in souls to Christ and to build up souls to Christ yet according to their different degrees of labour so should be their different degrees of reward Though no man should work in Gods vineyard for nought yet he that was most faithful diligent and laborious in planting or in watering Gods Husbandry should have the greatest reward Paul and Apollo shall at last receive their different reward according to their different labour or neerer the Original they shall each of them receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their proper reward according to their proper work A second Scripture is that 1 Cor. â—5 41 42. There is one glory of the Sun and another glory of the Moone and another glory of the Stars for one Star differeth from another in glory so also is the resurrection of the dead Mark here is the full stop and these words are not to be referr'd to those following words viz. That the body is sown in corruption and riseth againe in incorruption For the Apostle speaks not here of the difference between glorious and inglorious corruptible and incorruptible things but he speaks here of the difference that is between heavenly and glorious things for faith he one Star differs from another in glory 'T is very observable that the comparison runs between the glorified condition of some Saints that shall rise and other some that shall rise in the great day So that look as one Star differs from another Star in glory so one Saint shall differ from another Saint in glory at the resurrection of the dead Though every Star is bright shining and glorious yet some Stars are more bright shining and glâ—rious then others are so though every Saint still shine gloriously in heaven yet some Saints shall have a greater lustre glory and shine upon them then others shall Look as some heavenly bodies are more glorious then others so in the morning of the resurrection some Saints shall be more glorious then others c. A third Scripture is that 2 Cor. 9.6 But this I say He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully A sparing liberality shall be attended with a sparing reward and a bounteous liberality shall be attended with a bounteous reward Look as the harvest answers the measure of seed that is sown so that he that sows but little reaps but little and he that sows much reaps much so Saints reaping at last will be answerable to their sowing here All mens charities shall at last be rewarded proportionable to the severall degrees of it he that gives a pound shall have a greater reward then he that gives a penny he that sows thousands shall reap more then he that sows hundreds he shall have the most plentifull crop in heaven who has sow'd most seed here on earth c. They shall have interest upon interest in heaven who sow much on this side heaven A fourth Scripture is that Luk 19.12 20. Now in this Parable you have a great Lord going into a far Country Mina here translated a pound is twelve ounces and a halfe which pound according to five shillings an ounce is three pound two shillings and six pence starling money Math. 2.2 Rev. 17.14 and ch 1.5 but before he goes he gives ten pounds to ten of his servants to trade with till his returne Now upon his returne he that had increased his pound to ten pounds was made ruler over ten Cities v. 17. And he that made five of one was made ruler over five Cities v. 19. Here he that gained most received the greatest reward The Nobleman in this Parable is our Lord Jesus Christ who is truly and highly noble he being coeternall and coequall with his Father in respect of his Deity he was borne a king and is now King of kings and Lord of lords and Prince of the Kings of the earth The far Countrey that he is gone to is heaven for thither he went at his ascension now when he shall returne from heaven to judge the quick the dead he will then bring men to an account to a reckoning about their improvement of all the gifts and graces that he has intrusted them with and according to the different improvement that men shall make of their Talents so shall be their reward he that makes the greatest improvement of his pound he shall have the greatest reward he shall be Ruler over ten Cities that is he shall be very highly honored and exalted and he that makes a lesser improvement he shall have a lesser reward he shall be Ruler over five Cities he that makes a great improvement of a little he shall if I may so speak sit at Christs right hand but he that makes a lesser improvement he must be contented to sit at Christs left hand God will proportion out mens reward at last answerable to their improvement of
their recompence and reward bee multiplied in another world 'T is true Christ hath many lovers of his Crown but few bearers of his Cross all would rejoyce with him but few care to suffer for him but yet 't is as true on the one hand viz. that they who bear most of his Cross shall bee greatest sharers in his Crown they that suffer most for him on Earth shall bee most blest and rewarded by him when they come to Heaven 2 Cor. 1.4 5. Look as the consolation of the Saints rises higher and higher in this world even as their sufferings rise higher and higher so the glory of the Saints shall rise higher and higher in the other world as their sufferings has rise higher and higher in this world The persecuted Christians in Tertullian cries out Crudelitas vestra gloria nostra your cruelty is our glory and the harder wee are put to it the greater shall bee our reward in Heaven One speaking of the Martyrs said look how many sufferings they have so many crowns they shall have for every suffering God shall set a crown on their heads By how much mens sufferings have been greater saith Chrysostom by so much the more their crown shall bee bright and splendent The greater conflicts and buffetings any Saint hath endur'd the greater shall bee his reward and the more ample shall bee his glory saith Austin As Christ hath many crowns upon his head sutable to the multitude of his sufferings and victories so Christians at last shall have crowns sutable to the multitude of their sufferings Rev. 19.7 and sutable to those famous victories they have gained over a tempting Devil and a persecuting world certainly it will bee but Justice that they should receive the weightiest Crown 1 Joh. 5.4 chap. 2.13 14. who have bore the heaviest Cross The seventh and last Scripture that I shall produce is that Matth. 10.41 Hee that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward that is say some they shall bee partakers of the same reward that is laid up for the Prophets Without all dispute these two things lyes fair in the Text First that there is some special and eminent degrees of reward due unto a Prophet above other men And Secondly that he that shall entertain a Prophet and perform any offices of love and favour to him under that name and notion hee shall bee partaker of that reward hee that receives a Prophet as hee is Gods messenger and imployed in his service and sent about his arrant and not upon any carnal or worldly respects hee shall receive a Prophets reward that is hee shall receive either such a reward as the Prophet himself shall receive at last or hee shall receive such a large ample and noble recompence as is meet for one to receive that received a Prophet as coming from the Lord and as acted by the Lord Look as sucâ— who give an honourable reception to the Ambassadours of Kings or Princes do highly raise themselves in the favour and esteem of those Kings or Princes that had sent them so those that receive the faithful Prophets of the Lord as the Ambassadours of God they shall bee highly interested in the favour of God and as nobly bee rewarded by God I might produce several other Scriptures As that Mat. 6.20 Joh. 14.2 Mat. 20.20 to the 24. that sound to the same purpose as these Seven do but enough is as good as a feast I shall therefore in the Second place come to the Reasons that may further evidence and confirm this great truth viz. That there shall bee different degrees of glory in Heaven among many other reasons that might bee given I shall only give you these five First there are diversities of degrees of Angels in Heaven There are Cherubims and Seraphims and there are Angels and Archangels now the Cherubims and Seraphims are a lower rank and order of Angels and the Archangels are a higher rank and order of Angels And the Apostle speaks clearly of several ranks and orders of invisible creatures in that Col. 1.16 here you have an enumeration of Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers and so in that Eph. 1.21 Far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion These principalities and powers are the blessed Angels that Minister before the Lord and that are subordinate unto one another and here they are reckoned up by assending power is above principality and might above power and dominion above might To define those orders and degrees of Angels with which God is invironed is a work too high and hard for mee and though the Papists and several School-men are so bold as to define their particular offices and orders Dionysius Areopagita Thomas Aquinas Anselm c. yet I dare not be wise above what is written where the Scripture is silent I love to be silent and where the Scripture hath no tongue there I desire to have no ears There is an order in Hell an order among the Devils and therefore you read in * Mat. 9.34 chap. 12.34 Mark 3.22 The very supposition of order supposeth inequality and disproportion three Scriptures of the Prince of Devils and so much also that expression imports that you have in that Mat. 25.41 The Devil and his Angels which intimates a Prince among those unclean and damned spirits Now shall there be order in Hell and confusion in Heaven Shall there be order among the evil Angels and shall there not much more be order among the good Angels Certainly that God that is the God of order and that hath made all things in order and that to this day keeps all things in order here below will never suffer the least disorder and confusion to be among those Princes of glory that stand continually before him Hee that denies order in Heaven denies Heaven to be Heaven and hee that grants order in Heaven grants degrees of glory in Heaven Though there is no difference between the Angels in natura Angelica the Angelical nature being alike in all yet in officio in office there is a great deal of difference in the glory of the Angels for God imploys some of the Heavenly Host in more high noble and excellent services than others and answerable thereunto shall their reward bee Though all Angels shall share alike in the essential and substantial glory of Heaven yet there is an additional glory an accidental glory an over-plus of glory that shall be conferred upon the Angels answerable to the several and various services that they have managed and ingaged in Now the Scripture tells us plainly Matth. 22.30 that in Heaven wee shall be like to the Angels and therefore if there be degrees of Angels and if the Angels in Heaven shall have a different glory and reward according to the work in which they have been employed then the glory of the Saints in respect of degrees shall bee different also But
and who are much in the Publick trade of Christianity viz. hearing the word conferences family duties c. but very rarely shall you finde them in their closets as ever you would bee eminent and excellent in holiness keep up your private trade with God maintain your closet communion with the holy one of Israel But Seventhly If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness then fall with all your might upon subduing and crucifying your most raging corruptions and your most darling-lusts O do not defer O do not delay the work of spiritual mortification O do not think that you can both fight and overcome fight and triumph in one day O do not think that your golden and your silver Idols will lay down their Arms Isa 2.20 and yeeld the field and lye at your feet and let you trample them to death without striking a blow O remember that bosome-sins will do all they can to keep their ground and therefore you must arise with all your strength against them and bray them in a morter and stamp them to powder and burn them to ashes O deal with them as they dealt with the Leviets Concubine force them to death and cut them to peeces Judg. 19. 2 King 9. O leave not the Palm the skull of this cursed Jezabel undevoured undestroyed O deal by your most inraged lusts as the Philistims did deal by Sampson pluck out their eyes and make them to grinde in the Mill of Mortification till their strength be utterly consumed and wasted Whilst Saul lived and kept the Throne and was in his strength little David was kept exceeding weak and low but when Saul was dethroned and slain little David quickly grew stronger and stronger 2 Sam. 3.1 so all the while a darling sin lives and keeps the Throne in the hearâ—â— grace and holiness will be kept exceeding weak and low but when your darling Rom. 8.10 13. sin is dethroned and slain by the power and the sword of the Spirit grace and holiness will quickly grow stronger and stronger and rise higher and higher When men would have a rough field fitted for the plow and fitted to bring forth fruit will they not first fall with all their strength and with all their might upon grubbing up by the roots the strongest Trees and the sturdiest Oaks knowing that when these are grubbed up weaker trees will easily fall So as ever you would have your hearts and lives full of the fruits of righteousness and holiness fall with all your strength and with all your might upon grubbing up by the very roots your beloved sins your strongest lusts and then the rest of your corruptions will easily fall When Galiah was slain the Philistims fled and were easily brought under when a General in an Army is cut off the common souldiers are quickly routed down but with your darling-sins and then the conquest of other sins will be easie When a man hath eat poison nothing will make him thrive till hee hath vomited up the poison that hee hath eaten 't is not the most wholsome food the choicest dainties nor the richest cordials under Heaven that will increase blood and spirits and strength in such a person hee will throw up all and nothing will stay with him to do him good till his poison be cast up and cast out Beloved-sins they are the poison of the soul and till these are vomited up and cast out by sound repentance and the exercise of Faith in the Blood of Christ the soul will never thrive in grace and holiness all the wholesome food of the Gospel and all the dainties and cordials of Heaven will never beger good blood nor noble spirits nor divine strength in their souls that upon no terms will part with their darling sins and therefore as ever you would be strong in the grace of the Lord draw up all the strength that ever you are able to make and fall on with the greatest courage upon your bosome-sins and never cease till in the strength of Christ you have got a compleat victory and conquest over them In the Law 't was the blood of the Sacrifice and the Oil that cleansed the Leper and that by them was meant the blood of Christ and the Spirit of Grace is agreed by all Ah friends as ever you would be cleansed from your darling-sins which do so exceedingly hinder the increase of holiness be often in looking upon a crucified Christ and in the application of his blood to your own souls I have read of five men that being asked what was the best means to mortifie sin gave these Answers saith the first The best means to mortifie sin is to meditate of death Saith the second The best means is to meditate of the judgement-day Saith the third The best means is to meditate on the Joyes of Heaven Saith the fourth The best means is to meditate on the torments of Hell But saith the fifth The best means is to meditate on the blood and sufferings of Christâ— and doubtless the last hit it to a hair If any thing under Heaven will subdue and bring under darling-sins it will be the daily sight of a bleeding groaning dying Saviour Phylosophy saith Lactantius may cover vices but it never cuts off vices it may hide a lust but it can never quench a lust As black-patches instead of plaisters may cover some deformities in nature but they can never cure them Ah Sirs if you do not kill your darling-sins they will kill your precious souls Isa 37. When Senacheribs Army was destroyed by an Angel and hee returned home with a hook in his nose and a bridle in his lips hee enquired of one about him what hee thought the reason might be why God so favoured the Jews to which hee replied That there was one Abraham their Father that was willing to sacrifice his beloved Son to death at the command of God and that ever since that time God favoured that people well said Senacherib if that be it I have two beloved Sons and I will sacrifize them both to death if that will procure their God to favour mee which when his two Sons heard they as the story goes slew their Father being more willing to kill Isa 37.38 than be killed Oh friends you must kill or be killed if you are not the death of your beloved sins your beloved sins will prove the death and ruine of your immortal souls and therefore never leave looking up to a crucified Christ till vertue flow from him to the crucifying of those special sins that do most obstruct and hinder the growth and increase of holiness But Eighthly and lastly If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness then dwell much upon the holiness of God O be still a musing be still a pondering upon the holiness of God Certainly if there be any means under Heaven to raise you up to higher degrees of holiness 't is this and therefore keep alwaies
a fixed eye upon the infinite and most glorious holiness of God Now that this direction may the better work premise with mee these eight things concerning the holiness of God First Premise this with mee that God is essentially holy Mat. 19.17 There is none good but God that is there is none essentially good but God c. and in this sense none is holy but himself Now essential holiness is all one with God himself Gods essential holiness is Gods conformity to himself holiness in God is not a quality but his essence Quicquid est in Deo est ipse Deus whatsoever is in God is God holiness in Angels and Saints is but a quality but in God it is his essence The fallen Angels keep their natures though they have lost their holiness for that holiness in them was a quality and not their essence Look as created holiness is the conformity of the reasonable creature to the Rule so the increated holiness of God is Gods conformity unto himself Gods holiness and his nature are not two things they are but one Gods holiness is his nature and Gods nature is his holiness God is a pure Act and therefore whatsoever is in God is God 't is Gods prerogative royal to be essentially holy the most glorious creatures in Heaven and the choicest souls on Earth are only holy by participation 1 Sam. 2.2 There is none holy as the Lord Gods holiness is so essential and co-natural to him that hee can as soon cease to be as cease to be holy Holiness in God is a substance but in Angels and men 't is only an accident or a quality the essence of the creature may remain when the holiness of the creature is lost As you may see in Adam and the fallen Angels but Gods essence and his holiness are alwaies the same his very nature is holy Exod. 3.14 and therefore 't is that hee is called Jehovah and I Am because what hee is really that hee is essentially Though men for our information do distinguish between the Attributes of God and the Nature of God yet in him they are the same Look as the Wisdome of God is the wise God and the Truth of God the true God and the Power of God the powerful God and the Justice of God the just God and the Mercy of God the merciful God and the Mightiness of God the mighty God and the Righteousness of God the righteous God and the graciousness of God the gracious God so the Holiness of God is the holy God Gods Nature and his Name are one and the same God is essentially holy and that is the top of all his glory But Secondly As God is essentially holy so God is unmixedly holy the Holiness of God is a pure Holiness 't is an unmixed Holiness 1 Joh. 1.5 God is light and in him is no darkness at all There are no mixtures in God God is a most clear bright-shining light yea hee is all light and in him is no darknesse at all The Moon indeed when it shines brightest Plato calls God the horn of plenty and the Ocean of beauty without the least spot of injustice c. hath her dark spots and specks but God is a light that shines gloriously without the least spot or speck Now look as that darknesse which hath not the least light attending it is the grossest the thickest Egyptian darknesse that can be so that light that hath not the least cloud of darknesse attending it must be the most clear splendid light that possible can be and such a light is the holy one of Israel 'T is very observable the Apostle to illustrate the perfect purity and sanctity of God adds a Negative to his Affirmative In him is no darkness at all that is God is so pure that not the least spot the smallest speck can cleave to him hee is so holy that no iniquity can be found in him there is no defect not default in the Nature of God hee is a God of Truth and without iniquity just and right is hee As Moses spake in that Deut. 32.4 God is a pure a most pure Act without the least potentiality defectability or mutability and therefore in the highest sense hee is light and in him is no darkness at all Surely there is no unrighteousnesse in God no evil can dwell with him or come neer unto him God stands at such a distance from iniquity yea hee so abhors it that hee never did nor never will bestow a good look upon it Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity There are four things that God cannot do 1. He cannot lye 2. Hee cannot dye 3. Hee cannot deny himself nor 4. Hee cannot look with a favourable eye upon iniquity God doth indeed look upon iniquity with a hateful eye with an angry eye with a revengeful eye and with a vindictive eye but hee never did nor will look upon iniquity with an eye of delectation or with an eye of approbation witnesse his hurling the fallen Angels out of Heaven and his banishing of sinning Adam out of Paradise By all this you see that the Holinesse of God is a pure Holinesse 't is a Holinesse without mixture but now all the holinesse that is in the best and choicest Saints in the world is but a dreggy holinesse a mixt holinesse a weak and imperfect holinesse their unholinesse is alwaies more than their holinesse Ah what a deal of pride is mixt with a little humility and what a deal of unbeleef is mixt with a little faith and what a deal of passion is mixt with a little meeknesse and what a deal of earthlinesse is mixt with a little heavenlinesse and what a deal of carnalnesse is mixt with a little spiritualnesse and what a deal of hardnesse is mixt with a little tendernesse O but now the Holinesse of God is a pure Holinesse 't is a Holinesse without mixture there is not the least drop nor the least dregge of unholinesse in God 't is true the Gods of the Heathen were such as had been impure beastly filthy men Arnobius Austin Tertullian c. and therefore several writers have taken a great deal of pains to convince Heathens of their impiety and folly in worshipping such for gods upon whom they fastened many horrid ridiculous lascivious and impious actions and therefore they conclude against them that they are no gods t is most certain that the true God that Hee that is the high and the holy one cannot bee charged with any iniquity no nor with the least shew or shadow of vanity In God there is wisdome without folly truth without falshood light without darkness holiness without sinfulness But Thirdly As God is unmixedly holy so God is Universally holy hee is holy in all his waies and holy in all his works his precepts are holy precepts and his promises are holy promises and his threatnings are holy threatnings his
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
with his own heart that he had no such Trophies to shew but had spent his time in courting of Ladies rather than in encountring of Knights and that hee was better for a dance than for a march and that hee knew no Drum but the Tabret nor no courage but to bee Drunk and Rant hereupon hee presently retired himself repented entred into a combate with his own lusts and affections and subdued them and became temperate continent valiant and vertuous Now when the Souldiers came to receive their Wreaths their Crowns their Honours c. Hee steps in and challenges a Wreath a Crown for himself but being asked upon what title his challenge was grounded hee answered if honours bee given to Conquerours then they must bee given to mee too for I have gotten the noblest conquest of all and it being demanded wherein he answered these have subdued strange Foes and conquered their outward enemies but I have subdued my self I have conquered the enemies that were in my own bosome O Sirs there are no mens names written in the book of life but theirs who by grace and holinesse have subdued and brought under their sinful selves and who have conquered the corruptions that bee in their own bosoms that is in respect of love and dominion many there bee who are exceeding inquisitive to know whether their names are written in Heaven or no I would say to such there is no such way to know this Phil. 4.3 Heb. 11.38 Seneca though a Heathen saw so much excellency that morality put upon a man that hee cryes out Ipse aspectus boni viri delectat the very looks of a good man delights one Sapiens dei comes est saith Philo. as by your holinesse hast thou broke off thy sins by sound repentance hath the Gospel chang'd thy inside and thy outside hath it made thee a new creature and turned thee from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ c. then without all peradventure thy name is written in Heaven and thou art the person that hast the greatest cause in the world to joy and rejoyce Again the Holy Christian is the best Christian in the world nay hee is such a one of whom this world is not worthy and therefore God cannot but take singular pleasure and delight in him many there are which are accounted deep Scholars great Linguists profound Philosophers good Grammarians excellent Mathematicians sharp Logitians cunning Polititians fine Rhetoritians sweet Musitians c. but the truth is hee is the best Grammarian that hath learn't to speak the truth from his heart and hee is the best Astronomer that hath his conversation in Heaven and he is the best Musitian that hath learn't practically to sing out the praises of God and hee is the best Arithmetitian that knows how to number his daies and hee is the best read in Ethicks that every day grows holier and holier and hee is the best skild in Oeconomicks that trains up his Family in the fear of the Lord and hee is the best Polititian that is as good at taking good counsel as hee is at giving good counsel and hee is the best Linguist that speaks the language of Canaan and therefore God cannot but take the greatest content and satisfaction in such Again the Holy Christian is the only man for whom God hath wrought the greatest miracles hee can tell you that he was blinde but now God hath given him eyes to see sin to bee the greatest evil and Christ to bee the choisest Good hee can tell you that once hee was so deaf that though God called very often and very loud upon him by his word and by his works by his rods at home and by his judgements abroad and by his spirit and conscience that were still a preaching in his bosome sometimes Life sometimes Death sometimes Heaven and sometimes Hell yet hee could not hear but now God hath given him an hearing ear so that now hee can with delight hear the sweet Musick of the promises on the one hand and with a holy trembling lissen to the voice of divine threatnings on the other hand Psal 45.1 Jude 3. The very Heathen could say quando sapiens loquitur aulea animi aperit When a wiseman speaketh hee openeth the rich treasure and wardrob of his minde hee can tell you that once hee was so dumb that if hee might have had the whole world hee could not have spoke a good word for God nor for his waies nor for his people nor for his ordinances nor for any of his concernments in the world O but now his tongue is as the pen of a ready writer and hee is never better than when hee is a speaking either of God or for God and his concernments now hee can contend for the faith and speak for Saints and plead for Ordinances and though in some cases hee may want power to act for God yet hee never wants a tongue to speak for God The Spouses lips drop honey combs in that 4 Cant. 11. And the tongue of the just is as choice silver in that 10. Prov. 20. yea his tongue is a tree of life whose leaves are medicinable in that 12. Prov. 18. Hee can tell you that once hee was so lame that hee was not able to move one foot Heaven-wards or Christ-wards or Holiness-wards c. but now his feet delights not only to go but to run in all the waies of Gods commands Psal 119.32 Yea hee can tell you that once hee was dead as to all his soul concernments but now hee is alive and the life that hee leads in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God that hath loved him and given himself for him Gal. 2.20 It was by a miracle that the River Jordan was driven back and t is no less a miracle to see a sinner that was accustomed to do evil habituated now to do good That the tyde of sin which before did run so strong should bee so easily turned that the sinner which a little before was sailing Hell-ward and wanted neither wind nor tyde to carry him thither should now on a sudden alter his course and tack about for Heaven what a miracle is this To see the earthly man become heavenly a carnal man become spiritual a loose man become precise a proud man become humble a covetous man become liberal and a froward man become meek c. is to behold no less than miracles To see a sinner move cross and contrary to himself in the waies of Christ and holiness should bee as wonderful in our eyes as to see the Sun go backward or the Earth to fly upward or the Dead to raise themselves or the Bowl to run contrary to its own byass Now how can God but take infinite delight and pleasure in his holy ones considering the many miracles that hee hath wrought both in them and for them Psa 4.6 7. Again there are no persons under Heaven that
all the blessings of a holy man are blest unto him and all the relations of a holy man are blest unto him and all estates and conditions that are incident to a holy man are blest unto him Isaac tills the ground Gen. 26.12 ch 4.12 and sows his seed and God blesses him with an hundred-fold And Cain tills the ground and sows his seed but the earth is cursed to him and commanded not to yeeld to him her strength But Fifthly 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 thy holiness is a glorious witness and evidence of thy Effectual Vocation 1 Pet. 1.15 As hee who hath called you is holy so bee yee holy in all manner of conversation Many are externally called that are not internally called and many are ineffectually called that are not effectually called But now real holiness that speaks out an internal call an Effectual Call 1 Pet. 2.9 a call out of darkness into marvelous light it speaks out such a call as makes sinners Saints slaves Sons enemies Friends and strangers Favourites Gen. 41. As Joseph a stranger was called out of a prison a dungeon and made a very great Favourite in Pharaohs Court so real holiness is a glorious witness and evidence that you are effectually called out of the prison of sin and the dungeon of wrath and made a Favourite to the King of Glory 2 Tim. 1.9 1 Pet. 5.10 Gal. 4.6 The Author of this Call is a holy God our holy Calling depends upon the purpose of God the power of God and the grace and good pleasure of God the means of our holy Calling are the Spirit of God and the Word of God and the ends of our Calling are Holiness and the Glory of God O Sirs you are not called upon the account of your Parents Faith or Nobility nor upon the account of any intrinsecal vertues in you nor upon the account of any extrinsecal services done by you but upon the account of Gods peculiar Election and particular Vocation and therefore by Holiness make good the honour of your High-Calling And if any should object against you the meanness of your birth and outward calling put them in minde of your High and holy Calling and ask them what they think of Lazarus that is now asleep in Abrahams bosome And if others should object against you your former wickedness and cast your sins as dirt and dung in your faces let them know that St. Paul can tell them from Heaven that though once hee was a wretched blasphemer and a bloody persecuter that yet now hee is a glorious Saint in Heaven But Sixthly If thou art a holy person if thou art one that hast this real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that thy holiness is a blessed evidence of thy Adoption and Sonship John 1.12 Rom. 8.17 If thou art a holy person then of a childe of wrath thou art become a childe of God a childe of love and of an heir of Hell thou art become an heir of Heaven and of a slave thou art become a Son Gal. 4.4 5 7. But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law To redeem them that were under the Law that wee might receive the Adoption of Sons wherefore thou art no more a servant but a Son Rom. 8.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God The leadings of the Spirit are all holy leadings and there are none that are the Sons of God but such as are under the holy leadings of the Spirit of God Phil. 2.15 That yee may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom yee shine as lights in the world There are none worthy of this title of Honour viz. the Sons of God but such who in the main of their lives and conversations are blameless and harmless without rebuke and that are as shining lights in the world There are two waies whereby wee may know fire to bee real fire and that differences real fire from painted fire or from imaginary fire the first is by the heat of it and the other is by the flame of it Now though sometimes it so falls out that the fire do not flame yet at that very time you may know it to bee real fire by the heat it gives So there are two waies of knowing our Adoption Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.16 the first is by the Spirit of Adoption crying Abba Father in our hearts And the other is by our Sanctification and Holiness now though sometimes it may so fall out that the flame the witness of the Spirit of Adoption may bee wanting yet the heat of Sanctification and Holiness remains and wee may have recourse to this fire and warm our hearts at it and sit down satisfied and assured of our Adoption for as fire may bee known to be fire by its hear though it want a flame so though the Spirit of Adoption do not witness our Adoption to us yet wee may know our Adoption by our real Sanctification and Holiness Every holy person is a high-born person John 3.5.8 ch 1.12 13. for as his Divine Birth so his Divine Adoption is high very high exceeding high yea even as high as Heaven it self 'T is a very high honour to be the Son of a King 1 Sam. 18.23 24. yea to be the Son-in-Law of a King for so David reckoned it Seemeth it saith hee to Sauls servant a light thing to you to bee a Kings Son-in-Law seeing that I am vile and lightly esteemed Oh then what an honour it is to be the Son of God Rev. 1.6 to bee the Son of the King of Kings and Lord of Lord 'T is a very high honour to be Gods servant and so David accounted it as you may see in that 2 Sam. 7.5 8. And so did Theodosius the Emperour and Constantine the Great and many others account it O then what an honour must it be to be Gods Son The blessed Apostle cannot speak of this high priviledge but with great admiration as you may see in that 1 Job 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that wee should bee called the Sons of God 'T is an infinite condescention in God to honour us with the title of Sons and therefore wee should never think of it nor never speak of it but with much Admiration O Sirs what matter of Admiration is this that the great and glorious God who hath many millions of glorious Angels waiting on him that hee should look upon all holy persons as his Sons and that he should love them as Sons and delight in them as Sons and cloathe them as Sons and feed them as Sons and protect them as
comfortable for the Saints to consider that how mean and contemptible soever they may be in the eyes of the world that yet there is a day a coming when they shall sit upon a Throne and be crowned with Glory and reign with Christ to all Eternity But Eighthly If thou art a holy person if thou hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that all things shall be sanctified unto thee Tit. 1.15 Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled When a mans heart is once sanctified then all things are sanctified to him when a mans Spirit and way is clean and pure then all things are clean and pure to him O Sirs this is so great and so glorious a priviledge to have all things sanctified to us that 't is more worth than a world yea than many worlds Next to a mans interest in Christ hee cannot begge a greater mercy than this that all things may be sanctified to him that is that all things may so work as to make him more and more holy that every cross may make him more holy and that every comfort may make him more holy that every mercy may make him more holy and that every misery may make him more holy that every Ordinance may make him more holy and that every Providence may make him more holy that every Affliction at home may make him more holy and that every Judgement abroad may make him more holy every condition is sweet when it is sanctified to us sickness is as sweet as health when 't is sanctified to us and weakness is as sweet as strength when 't is sanctified to us and poverty is as sweet as liberty when 't is sanctified to us and disgrace is as sweet as honour when 't is sanctified to us and bonds are as sweet as liberty when they are sanctified to us and death is as sweet as life when it is sanctified to us Look as no condition can be a happy condition that is not a sanctified condition so no condition can bee a miserable condition that is a sanctified condition now this is only the holy man priviledge the holy mans mercy to have every estate and every condition sanctified unto him and this indeed is the Cream and Crown of all our mercies to have them sanctified unto us I and every bitter will bee sweet yea very sweet when 't is sanctified unto us what though thy mercies O Christian are fewer than others and lesser than others and leaner than others and shorter than others yet thou hast no reason to complain as long as thy mercies are sanctified mercies and what though thy tryals are greater than others and thy burden is heavier than others and thy sorrows are deeper than others and thy crosses comes thicker than others yet thou hast no cause to complain as long as they are sanctified Art thou a Holy person O then remember for thy comfort that every bit of bread thou eatest is sanctified and every draught of beer thou drinkeh is sanctified and every suit of cloaths thou wearest is sanctified the beds thou liest on are sanctified and the stooles thou sitest on are sanctified the very aire thou breathest in is sanctified and the very ground thou treadest on is sanctified every penny in thy purse is sanctified and every pound in thy shop is sanctified whatsoever thou hast at home is sanctified and what-ever thou hast abroad is sanctified And O! how should the sense of these things sweeten all thy bitters and turn thy Hell into Heaven and wipe all tears from thy eyes and turn thy sighing into singing and thy mourning into rejoycing c. But As those Heathens that have no hope 1 Thes 4.13 Ninthly If thou art a Holy Person if thou hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that thou art a person very high in favour with God thou art one of his peculiar ones Dan. 14.1 Yee are the Children of the Lord your God yee shall not cut your selves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God and 〈…〉 the Lord hath chosen thee to bee a peculiar people to himself above all the Nations that are upon the Earth All Gods holy ones are his peculiar ones God hath a peculiar respect for their persons Dan. 9.23 O Daniel thou art greatly beloved or as the Hebrew word Chamudoth signifies thou art a man of desires Now Daniel is called a man of desires because the desires of God run out strongly after him as one that was singularly beloved of him and as one that was highly in favour with him and as God hath a peculiar respect for their persons so hee hath a peculiar respect for their duties and services Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight God takes more delight to hear the prayers of the upright and to grant the prayers of the upright than the upright takes delight to pray how burdensome and troublesome soever their prayers may bee to others yet they are still delightfull to God but more of this in the next Particular And as God hath a peculiar respect for their services so hee hath a peculiar respect for their tears for hee puts them into his Bottle Psal 56.8 and as hee hath a peculiar respect for their tears so hee hath a peculiar respect for their names for hee writes them in his Book Luke 10.20 And as hee hath a peculiar respect for their names so hee hath a peculiar respect for their blood Psa 116.15 and this Cain found by wofull experience from the cry of his Brothers Blood O Sirs God by making of you holy hath made you like himself like his Son like his Spirit and like his most glorious Angels which excel in strength and what doth this speak out but Gods peculiar favour God makes many rich and many great and many honourable and many mighty and many wise and many noble and many beautifull and many successful whom hee will never make holy Ephes 1.3 in making of you holy God hath made you spiritually great rich honourable wise and beautiful c. and this speaks you out to bee highly in the favour of God Holiness is a singular fruit of Gods special favour and love God hath a common favour and love for all men yea for the worst of men Ephes 2.4 5. witnesse that common preservation and common protection and common provision that hee vouchsafeth to them and God hath a special love and favour and this runs out only to his holy ones holiness is a divine beam a heavenly drop a choice pledge of Gods special favour and love O Sirs though the world may slight you and enemies revile you and friends dis-favour
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
was holiness unto the Lord and the first-fruits of his increase all that devour him shall offend evil shall come upon them saith the Lord. God was wonderfully affected and taken with the love of his people and with the kindness of his people and with the holiness of his people when they were in their wilderness condition Look as stars shine brightest in the darkest nights and as Torches are the better for beating and Spices the sweeter for pounding and young Trees the faster rooted for shaking and Vines the more fruitful for bleeding and Gold the more glittering for scouring So God looks that his childrens graces should shine brightest in the darkest nights of afflictions hee looks that his children should be the better for his Fatherly beating and the sweeter for being pounded in the morter of affliction and the faster rooted in grace and holiness by all divine shakings c. In times of affliction God looks that his children should be true Salamanders that live best in the fire Where afflictions hangs heaviest hee looks that there corruptions should hang loosest hee looks that that grace and holiness which lies hid in nature as sweet water doth in Rose leaves should then be most fragrant when the fire of affliction is put under to distil it out c. But Fourthly When persons that are under a great Profession or in Church Communion shall â—all presumptuously and scandalously when they shall not only do weakly but wickedly when not only infirmities but inormities may be justly and righteously charged upon them When such persons walk so loosely and vainly as that they occasion the Name of God to be blasphemed Rom. 2.21 22 23. Religion to be scorned the Gospel to be despised Profession to be abhorred the Saints to be reviled and young comers on to be discouraged and the ungodly in their wickedness to be hardened and confirmed O this is a time wherein God calls aloud upon his people to be holy O now God expects an extraordinary measure of holiness in his people O now hee looks that his people should rather walk like Angels than live like Saints that so they may in some measure repair and make up the sad breaches that have been made upon his honour and the credit of Religion and that they may live Profession into honour and esteem once more in the world Such blessed effects as these the horrid sin of the incestuous person did occasionally work in the hearts and lives of the Corinthians as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margint together 1 Cor. 5.1 2 3. 2 Cor. 2 4 5 6 7 8. ch 7.11 O Sirs in these daies are there not many that have made a very high Profession that have shined as the stars in the Firmament who are now fallen from their Profession from their Principles and from all things that are good How many now do build the things that they have destroyed what betraying of Christ what betraying of Truth and what betraying of Saints is there this day among many that have pretended very high to Religion how many now approve of those things that before they would never own and that justifie those things now that they have formerly condemned and that comply with those things now that formerly they have abhorred yea that contend for those things now for which they have formerly suffered and therefore certainly these are the very times wherein God calls aloud upon his people to be holy yea to be eminently holy c. But Fifthly In all our approaches addresses and drawings neer to God God calls aloud for holiness Levit. 10. â—3 Then Moses said to Aaron This is it that the Lord spake saying I will bee sanctified in them that come nigh unto mee â—nd before all the people I will bee glorified and Aaron held his peace There is nothing more evident than this throughout the Old Testament that the people of God were alwaies to sanctifie themselves when they were to draw nigh to God Joh. 4.23 24. God is a holy God and there is no drawing nigh to him without holiness the worship that God stands most upon and that is most pleasing and delightful to him is Spiritual Worship and none can offer this but a holy people Such as draw nigh to God without holiness may if they were not deaf hear God saying to them Psal 50.16 17. What have you to do to take my Name into your mouths seeing you hate to bee reformed And who required these things at your hands Isa 1.12 The Renians taught that a man might be saved in any Religion Isa 29.13 14. Mat. 15.8 9. The Persians every morning worship the rising Sun and the Turks their Mahomet and the Papists their Images and some of the Indians worship the first thing that they meet with in the morning and others of them worship a red Ragge and others of them worship the Devil The Romans used to worship Jupiter a hurtful god amongst them not because they loved him but because they would not be hurt or harmed by him And Praxitelles the Painter made the silly people worship the Image of his Strumpet under the title and pretence of Venus And verily all the worship that thou offerest to God is little better if thou drawest nigh to him with thy body without holiness in thy soul O Sirs remember that in all your publick duties God calls aloud for holiness and in all your family duties God calls aloud for holiness and in all your closet duties God calls aloud for holiness times of drawing neer to God should be alwaies times of much holiness you may come to a duty but you will never come to God in a duty without holiness you may come to an Ordinance but you will never come to God in an Ordinance without holiness and therefore in all your drawings nigh to God remember that God calls for holiness in a special manner then But Sixthly When God eminently appears in the execution of his judgements upon wicked and ungodly men O that is a time that God calls aloud for holiness when hee is a raining Hell out of Heaven upon unholy persons God now loâ—ks that his people should be holy yea eminently holy So in that Exod. 19.4 5. Yee have seen what I did unto the â—gyptians you have been eye-witnesses of my dealings with them in Egypt you have seen how I have followed them with plague upon plague because they did so sorely oppress you and would not let you go to worship mee Exod. 24. ult and serve mee according to my own prescriptions And when they were judgement-proof you saw mee drown them in the Red Sea before your eyes and upon this very ground hee urges them to obey his voice and to keep his Covenant vers 5. And so in that Rev. 15.1 2 3 4. And I saw another sign in Heaven great and marvelous seven Angels having the seven last plagues from them is filled up the wrath
that faithful Servant of Jesus Christ John Ball late Minister of the Gospel at Whitmore in Stafford-shire published by M. Simeon Ash Preacher of the Gospel at Austins London Irenicum A Weapon-Salve for the Churches Wounds Or the Divine Right of particular Forms of Church-Government discussed and examined by Edward Stillingfleete Rector of Sutton in Bedford-shire The second Edition corrected An Exposition by way of Supplement on the 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th and 9th Chapters on the Prophecy of Amos where you have the Text fully explained other Texts occasionally cleared many Cases Stated many practical Observations raised and many Polemical Points debated by Tho. Hall B. D. and Pastor of Kings-Norton A Cluster of Grapes taken out of the Basket of the Woman of Canaan or Counsel and Comfort for Beleeving Souls By John Durant late Preacher of the Gospel in Canterbury A Call to the Unconverted By Richard Baxter A Latin and English Grammar By Charls Hool M. A. Books sold by John Sims at the Cross-Keyes in St. Pauls Church-yard CHrist the Pattern of a Christians Practise By Mr. Ralph Robinson Octavo Several Peeces of Mr. Ralph Venning collected into one Volume viz. Orthodox Paradoxes Mysteries and Revelations Canaans Flowings A Warning to Backsliders The Way to True Happiness Mercies memorial 8 to A Practical Discourse of Prayer wherein is handled the Nature the Duty and the Qualifications of Prayer By Tho. Cobbet Minister of the Gospel 8 to Two Treatises of Mr. Brinseley 1. A Groan for Israel 2. The Spiritual Vertigo with two other Treatises viz. Three Sacred Emblems 2. Tears for Jerusalem By the same Author 8 to Irenicum A Weapon-Salve for the Churches Wounds Or the Divine Right of particular Forms of Church-Government discussed and examined By Edward Stilling fleete Rector of Sutton in Bedford-shire The second Edition corrected 4 to FINIS THE TABLE CHristian Reader take notice that the Pages are misfigured for next to page 240. followes page 280. yet doe thou but follow the directionss laid downe in the Table and without any further trouble to thy self thou will find any particular that thou hast a mind to be satisfied in A. OF Adams holiness in innocency Page 5 6 7. The greatness of Adams sin in four particulars Page 52. Of Adoption Reall holiness is a sure evidence of a mans Adoption Page 624 625 626. Of Admiration Holy persons are much taken up in the Admiration of the holiness of God Page 102 103 104 Of being Afflicted Holy persons are much afflicted c. with their own unholyness Page 123 124 125 126. And much affected and afflicted with the unholiness of others Page 139 140 141. Afflictions Of great and heavy afflictions Page 363 364 The more a man can divinely rejoyce under afflictions the greater measures of holiness that man has certainly attained to Page 600 601 602. Of All Things All things shall be sanctified to the holy man Page 629 630. Of Approving a mans self to God The more a man makes it his great business to approve himself to God the greater measure of holiness that man has attained to Page 609 610 611. Of Authors That unholy persons are to be shut out from special Communion with the people of God is made evident by the Judgements of many Learned and approved Authors Page 51 52 53 54. B. Of Beasts Vnholy persons are Beasts yea the worst of Beasts Page 54 55 56. Of Blessings God will certainly bless all a holy mans blessings to him Page 622 623. Of Boldness The more holy any man is the more bold and couragious that man will be for God and Godliness Page 507 508 509. C. Of severall Cannots There is a threefold Cannot 1. A natural Cannot 2. A contracted and habituated cannot 3. A judicial cannot Page 21-25 Of Conformity to Christ True holiness is conformable to the holiness of Christ Page 138 139. Of Civil men Meere civil men shall not go to Heaven Page 77 78 79. Of Company He that will be holy must keep company with those that are holy Page 307 308. And he that will perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord must be most In with them that are most excellent in holiness Page 577 578. Of Communion There is no spiritual communion with God in this world without holiness Page 28 29 30. Vnholy persons are to be shut out from sacred and special communion with the people of God in this world This proved by an induction of ten particulars Page 44-54 The more holy any man is the more communion that man will have with God Page 491 492 493. Of Comparing your selves with others Take heed of comparing your selves with those that are worse then your selves Page 284 285. Of Contrariety Vnholy persons are full of contrariety to God Page 27 28. Of being Condemned Vnholy persons are adjudged and condemned to hell Page 57 58 59 60 61 62. Of Conversion The persecutions of the Saints may issue in the conversion of sinners Page 401 402 403. Many that have been converted later then others do yet in holiness much excell them Page 504 505. D. Of Death Take heed of putting the day of death far from you three arguments to perswade to this Page 288-296 Of Degrees A holy person will be still reaching after higher degrees of holiness Page 107 108 109. Christians must press after the highest degrees of holiness Page 468 469. About degrees of glory in Heaven see Heaven Of Delight The more holy any man is the more he will be the delight of God c. Page 488 489. Tbis is further proved by five Arguments Page 490 491 492 493 494. God takes singular delight both in a holy mans person and in his services to Page 616 617 618 619. Of Self-denyall The more a man can deny himself when he hath power and opportunity to raise himself c. the greater measure of holiness he has attained to Page 612 613 614. 620 621. Of Discord No speciall communion to be held with those that cause discord and division among the Saints Page 46. Of the Doctrine The Doctrine is this That reall holiness is the onely way to happiness All men must be holy on earth or they shall never see the Beatifical Vision they shall never reach to a glorious fruition of God in Heaven Page 5. The Doctrine proved by ten Arguments Page 18-62 Of holy Duties The holy mans duties are most delightfull to God Page 632 633 634. Reall holiness naturaliseth holy duties to the soule Page 126 127 128. The more holy any man is the more singular delight and pleasure God will take in all his Religious duties and services Page 502 503 504. When men in the maine are as holy out of Religious duties as they are in Religious duties t is an evidence of a great measure of holiness that they have attained to Page 600. The more a man is exercised in the most spirituall and internall duties of Religion the more holiness he hath attained to Page 605
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
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