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
and therefore rather then Daniel shall be hurt God will by a miracle preserve him he will stop the mouthes of the hungry Lyons and he will tame their rage and over-master their cruelty rather then a hair of Daniels head shall perish when Daniel was taken out of the Den there was no hurt no wound no sore no bruise found upon him Daniel was a harmless man and God keeps him from harms in the midst of harms Acts 18.9 10. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace For I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this City Paul met with many trials and troubles bonds and prisons oppositions and persecutions Acts 20.23 and yet none of all these hurt him but God miraculously preserved him even to old age All the troubles Phil. 9. afflictions and persecutions that attends holiness can never reach a Christians soul they can never diminish a Christians treasure they reach the shell not the kernel the Case not the Jewel the lumber not the goods the out-house not the Palace the ribbon in the hat not the gold in the purse the most fiery trials and persecutions can never deprive a Christian of the special presence of God nor of the light of his countenance Psal 23.4 2 Cor. 1.8 9 12. nor of the testimony of a good conscience nor of the joys of the spirit nor of the pardon of sin nor of fellowship with Christ nor of the exercise of grace nor of the hopes of glory and therefore certainly they can't hurt a Christian they can't wronge a Christian in his greatest and chiefest concernments O Christian let persecutors do their worst they can't reach thy soul thy God thy comfort thy crown thy Paradise c. and therefore let no man be kept off from pursuing after holiness because of afflictions or persecutions seeing none of these can reach a Christians great concernments When the Emperor Valens threatned to confiscate Basils goods and to torment him and to banish him or kill him Basil makes this noble reply He needs not fear confiscation of goods that hath nothing to loose nor banishment to whom heaven onely is a country nor torments when his body may be dash't with one blow nor death which is the onely way to set him at liberty the Emperor hearing of him thus undantedly to speak told him that he was mad to whom he replyed opte me in aeternum sic delirare I wish that I may be for ever thus mad Basil knew that no torments nor sufferings could hurt him or harm him and therefore he bravely triumphs over them They may kill me said Socrates of his enemies but they cannot hurt me So may a Saint say they may kill my body but they cannot hurt my soul they may take away my natural life but they cannot take away my spiritual life for that is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 they may take away this and that outward comfort Heb. 11. but they cannot take away my Christ they may take away my costly ornaments but they cannot take away that Robe of righteousness that Christ has put upon me Isa 61.10 they may take away my earthly crown but they cannot take away that crown of righteousness which Christ the righteous Judge 2 Tim. 4.8 has laid up for all that love his appearing Methinks said one of the Martyrs I tread upon pearls when he trod upon hot burning coals Vincentius and I feel said he no more pain then if I lay in a bed of Doune and yet he lay in flames of fire I have read of Nero that he had a shirt made of a Salamanders skin so that if he walk't through the fire in it it would keep him from burning it would keep him from being hurt or harmed by the fire our Lord Jesus Christ is this Salamanders skin that will keep the Saints from burning yea from being hurt or harmed by the most fiery afflictions and persecutions that can befall them in this world But Fourthly I answer That the condition of persecutors of all conditions under heaven is the most sad and deplorable condition and this will appear by the consideration of these five things First By the prayers and enditements that the Saints have preferred against them in the highest court of Justice I mean in the Parliament of Heaven Psal 35.3 9. Psa 69.22 29. Neh. 4.3 4 5. turn to it Draw out the Spear and stop the way against them that persecute me say unto my soul I am thy salvation Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt Let them be as chaffe before the winde and let the Angel of the Lord chase them Let their way be dark and slippery or darkness and slipperiness and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them For without cause have they hid for me their net Both good and evil Angels are at Gods beck ready to execute vengeance upon his and his peoples enemies and persecutors and therefore the Text may be understood of both in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soule Let destruction come upon him ar unawares and let his net that he hath hid catch himselfe into that very destruction let him fall So in that 83 Psalme David sighs out his sad complaints against his persecutors from ver 2. to ver the 9th and from ver the 9. to ver the 18. he prayes against them turne to it 't is a text that is worthy of your most serious meditation Psal 119.84 How many are the dayes of thy servant when wilt thou execute judgement on them that persecute me Jer. 15.15 O Lord thou knowest remember me and visite me and revenge me of my persecutors take me not away in thy long suffering know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke Chap. 17.18 Let them be confounded that persecute me but let not me be confounded let them be dismayed but let not me be dismayed bring upon them the day of evill and destroy them with double destruction or break them with a double breach Lam. 3.61 ult Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord and all their imaginations against me The lips of those that rose up against me and their device against me all the day Behold their sitting down and their rising up I am their musick or I am their song Render unto them a recompence O Lord according to the work of their hands Give them sorrow of heart thy curse unto them Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord. 2 Tim. 4.14 Alexander the Copper-smith did me much evill the Lord reward him according to his works Thus you see how the hearts of the Saints have been drawn out against their persecutors Prayers are the Armes that
most despised hands 1 Cor. 1.21 25 27. as it is evident in this instance The Apostles did not fret and fume and storm and take on because these Brethren preacht the Lord Jesus without ordination to the work of the Ministry O no but they were glad and rejoyced in their bringing in of souls to Christ and they made it their work to exhort encourage and build up those that were brought in neither did they prohibit these Brethren from preaching because they had not Apostolical hands laid on them By these Lay-mens preaching Christ is revealed and multitudes are converted and truth is advanced and the Apostles are gladded Now by what hath been said it is most evident that persecuting times are truth-advancing times But Seventhly and lastly As persecuting times are truth-advancing times so persecuting times are a Christians rejoycing times A Christians heart is never so full of joy as it is when he is under sufferings Acts. 5.41 Acts 7.55 56. Chap. 16.25 Oh how my heart leapeth for joy said Mr. Philpot that I am so near the apprehension of eternal life Eph. 3.1 Chap. 4.1 2 Tim. 1.8 Phil. 1.9.23 And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name They counted it an honour to be dishonoured for Christ they took it as a grace to be disgraced for Jesus Stephen found the joyes of heaven in his heart as the stones came clattering about his ears So Paul and Sylas when they were in prison their hearts were so full of joy that they could not hold but at mid-night when others were a sleeping they must fall a singing out the praises of the most High they found more pleasure then pain more joy then sorrow more comfort then torment in their bonds the Rods with which they were whipt Col. 4.10 Rom. 16.7 Paul rattles his chaine which he bears for the Gospels sake and was as proud of it as a woman of her ornaments saith Chrysostom were as Rods made up all of Rosemary branches divine consolations rise so high in their souls that their prison was turn'd into a Pallace yea into a Paradise Paul was a man that took a great deale of pleasure in his sufferings for Christ 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake He did not only bare his sufferings patiently but chearfully also he often sings it our I Paul a prisoner as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margent together of Jesus Christ not I Paul an Apostle nor I Paul wrapt up in the third heaven nor I Paul that have more gifts parts and learning then others but I Paul a prisoner to shew how much he rejoyced in his bonds and sufferings for Christ Chrysostom did not hold Paul so happy for his rapture into Paradise as he did for his imprisonment for Christ So Rom. 5.3 4. And not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation works patience and patience experience and experience hope Old Souldiers could not glory and joy more in their marks and scars of honour then these Saints did in their tribulations and persecutions for Christs sake Rabbi Simeon Ben Jochai liv'd twelve years in a dark Dungeon for feare of the Roman persecution in the Reigne of Trajane the Emperour and he call'd his dark Dungeon Zohar that is splendor because God had turn'd his darkness into light and made up the want of the light of the Sun by the light of his countenance and by the shinings of the Sun of righteousness upon his soul Eusebius tells us of Algerius the Italian martyr how that writing to his friend from a stinking Dungeon he dates his Letter from my delicate Orchard Acts and Mon. fol. 857. And Master Glover the Martyr wept for joy of his imprisonment William Hunters Mother that suffered under Bonner told him that she was glad that ever she was so happy as to beare such a childe as could finde in his heart to die for Christs sake such were his divine consolations that they turn'd his Dungeon into a pleasant Orchard I with my Fellowes saith Mr. Philpot were carried to the Cole-house where we doe rouze together in the straw as chearfully we thank God as others doe in their beds of downe Mr. Bradford put off his Cap and thanked the Lord when his Keepers wife brought him word that he was to be burnt the next day And Mr. Taylor fetcht a frisk when he was come neare to the place where he was to suffer Henry and John two Augustin Monks being the first that were burnt in Germany and Mr. Rogers the first that was burnt in Queen Maries dayes did all sing in the flames If men did but know by experience the sweet that is in suffering for Christ they would desire with Chrysostom if it were put to their choice rather to be Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ then Paul wrapt up in the third heaven One of the holy Women that suffered Martyrdom in this Nation rejoyced that she might have her foot in the same hole of the Stocks in which Mr. Philpots had been before And Luther Luther Fire sword death prison famine are all pleasures they are all delightfull to me saith Basil Modestus Lieutenant to Julian the Emperour told him that when the Christians suffered they did but deride them and the torments said he with which Christians are tormented are more terrible to the tormentors then they are to the tormented râ—ports of that famous Martyr Saint Agatha that as she went to prisons and tortures she said she went to Banquets and Nuptials Vincentius laughing at his Tormentors said that death and tortures were to Christians Jocularia ludicra matters of sport and pastime and he joyed and gloried when he went upon hot burning Coales as if he had trod upon Roses Philip Lansgrave of Hesse being a long time prisoner under Charles the fifth 't was demanded what upheld him all that time and he answered that he felt the divine consolations of the Martyrs Basil in his Oration for Barlaam that famous Martyr saith that he delighted in the close prison as in a pleasant green meddow and he took pleasure in the severall inventions of tortures as in severall sweet flowers William Tims Martyr in a Letter to a friend of his a little before his death writeth thus Now I take my leave of you till we meet in heaven and hie you after I have tarried a great while for you and seeing you are so long in making ready I will tarry no longer for you you shall finde me merrily singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth at my journeys end c. And when they kindled the fire at the feete of James Bainkam me-thinks said he you strew roses before me And Hawkes the Martyr lifted up his hands above his head and clapt them together when he was in the fire as
paper and wrote upon the top of the leaf Moderation and in the middle of the leaf Moderation and at the bottom of the leaf Moderation signifying thereby thus much to the King that the best way in the world to have his Crown set fast and to keep his Kingdom safe was to manage throughout all his affairs with moderation And there is nothing more evident in Scripture and History then this that many by scruing the pegs of Government too high have broke all in pieces about their ears Now my Lords and Gentlemen there are five things or Rules that will be of singular use to help you in this case to steer such a course as may be safe and honourable to you and as may render you a mercy and a blessing to the Nation And the first is this never make those things to be sins which God never made to be sins to make those things to be sins which God hath made to be no sins is to make gods of your selves yea it is to lift up your selves above God himself as if you were more holy more wise more just and more righteous then the holy one of Israel is Indeed the Papists that are will-worshippers and commonly highly conceited of their own wisdom and worth they frequently transgresse this Rule with their Touch not Col. 2.21 23. taste not handle not which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will-worship c. but why should you why should you who have a higher profession upon you and a more clear Gospel-light shining every day more strongly upon you But Secondly Never make those things to be absolute and necessary duties that God hath nowhere declared to be such Isa 33.22 Jam. 4.12 Such things that do neither fall under a general nor a particular command of God may not be imposed upon the consciences of men as absolute and necessary duties to be performed by them a faithful observing of these two Rules would prevent a multitude of sins a sea of sorrows and a world of troubles But Thirdly In all your administrations of justice take the Authority of the Word with you this will yield you most comfort most peace most security and most boldnesse in the great day of your account But Fourthly Never put off your own souls with any such pleas or arguments now that are not pleadable in the Court of conscience when you shall lie upon your dying-beds nor that are not pleadable before the Court of heaven when you shall stand before Christs Judgement-feat But Fifthly and lastly In all your administrations of justice and judgement be sure that you act nothing upon the account of any command commission or authority under heaven that you dare not own plead and stand by before the great authority of heaven when the King of Kings shall make a narrow inspection into all your Judicial proceedings and accordingly passe judgement upon you What though this command and that commission and the other authority may bear you out in this world yet if they are too weak to bear you out in the other world you will curse the day that ever you were born and wish that you had rather been a turning of spits or lying under an hedge or a begging at the rich mans door then that you had ever sate in seats of Judicature to act upon such grounds as are no wayes pleadable before the Lord Jesus Christ when he shall come in the glory of his father with all his holy Angels to judge all the Kings Princes Nobles Judges and Justices of the earth My Lords and Gentlemen if these five things or Rules were but sincerely seriously resolutely and constantly followed no heart can conceive nor no tongue can expresse the hainous sins the sore troubles and the dreadful calamities and woful miseries that thereby would be prevented And thus my Lords and Gentlemen I have done with those special Rules that you are carefully diligently faithfully and constantly to observe in all your Judicial administrations but how you will be able to act suitable and answerable to these Rules without a spirit of holinesse without a principle of holinesse and without an experiment of the powerful operations of holinesse in your own souls I am not able to see If you please to read from page 433. to page 447. you will find many more weighty arguments to move you to labour after holiness and therefore how much it stands you upon that want that holinesse that this Treatise holds forth to study holinesse to love holinesse to prize holinesse to countenance holinesse to encourage holinesse to promote holinesse and to be restlesse till you have experienced the power and life and sweet of holinesse in your own hearts and lives I must leave you to Judge And O that after all this pains that I have taken upon the account of your immortal souls I may not have cause to complain as once Marcus Antonius did Alas saith he those Graces which the Deity sent down as so many pillars to stay up humane Societies viz. Faith and Modesty Justice and Verity they found such cold entertainment in the world that they are fled back to heaven I shall follow these weak endeavours with my best prayers that you may all put on holinesse as a Royal Robe and that all your Judicial administrations may savour of a spirit of holinesse and of the power and prevalency of holinesse that so you may be as high in happinesse above others as you are now in power and place exalted above others If this Treatise should fall into any of their hands who call and account themselves the only Ministers of Jesus Christ I mean such who preach rather to please then to profit to tickle the ear then to awaken the conscience that are better at fleecing of their Flocks then they are at feeding of their Flocks Ezek. 13. read it throughout Mat. 23.23 Mat. 15.1 10. that seek more mens goods then their good that set up mens Traditions above Gods own institutions that prefer humane commands before divine commands that are very zealous and warm for Mint Anise and Cummin but are very cold carelesse and negligent in the great and weighty matters of the Law viz. Judgement Mercy and Faith That can blesse God in the Church and blaspheme him in the Tavern That prefer musick in the Church Gentlemen if you please to turn to page 296 297 298 299. of this book you will find more matter that concerns you before singing of Hallelujahs in heaven That prefer a fat Benefice before an interest in an heavenly inheritance That can kneel devoutly behind a pillar and in their drunken fits rail as stoutly against a post That pretend a greaâ— deal of reverence to the name of Jesus and yet in their lives do daily crucifie the Lord Jesus That with Judas can kisse Christ and betray Christ in a breath That pretend much kindnesse to the head and yet shew nothing but unkindnesse to the body That preach as if they had no mind to go to heaven and
live as if they were resolved to go to hell That feast their own bodies but starve their peoples souls That are very devout upon a Saints day but very loose and prophane upon the Lords day That think it a greater sin to eat flesh in Lent then it is to lie with their neighbours wife That speak ten words for themselves and hardly two for Christ and that instead of preaching up holinesse and promoting of holinesse and countenancing and encouraging of holinesse do all they can to discountenance holinesse to brow-beat holinesse to keep down holinesse to bespatter holinesse to work men out of love with holinesse and to hinder the growth and encrease of holinesse O that these men would seriously consider how unlike to the Ministers of Jesus Christ they are Do but look into a Scripture glass and you may easily see that Hell is not more unlike to Heaven nor sin more unlike to grace nor Satan more unlike to God then you are unlike to the holy conscientious painful c. Ministers of Jesus Christ Several Authors in Print have proved this to my hand at large and therefore I shall not enlarge upon it only give me leave to say that Gods holy things ought to be handled with fear and reverence rather then with wit and dalliance Spiritual niceness is the next degree to unfaithfulnsse See my Precious Râ—medies against Satans Devices from page 349. to page 357. And see my Unsearchable Riches of Christ from page 291. to page 314. Ministers must not be like the drug that the Physitians say is hot in the mouth and cold in the operation hot in the Pulpit but cold carnal and carelesse in their conversations Those that stand before Princes must be exact in their carriages God appointed both the weights and measures of the sanctuary to be twice as large as those of the Common-wealth to shew that he expects much more of those that serve him there then he doth of others The souls of Priests I may say of Ministers must be purer then the Sun-beams saith golden-mouth'd Chrysostom Gay things in a Sermon are only for men to gaze upon and admire What are high strains and flashes of wit new minted words and phrases but like gay weeds and blew-bottles to the good corn Doctrine is but the drawing of the bow application is the hitting of the mark How many are wise in generals but vain en dia-lâ—gism is in their practical inferences A general Doctrine not applyed is as a sword without an edge not in it self but to others or as a whole loaf set before children that will do them no good A garment fitted for all bodies is fit for no body and so that which is spoken to all is taken as spoken to none Aarons bells were golden bells Dulce sonantes sounding pleasantly and not as sounding brasse or tinkling Cymbals as many of the carnal Clergy of this Nation are this day Many there be that account themselves the only Ministers of Jesus Christ that are but like empty Orators that have a flood of words and but a drop of matter of whom we may truly say Multa loquuntur nihil dicunt they speak much and yet say nothing because they say nothing to the purpose When the Lacedemonian in Plutarch heard how sweetly the Nightingale sang O said he that I had this Bird surely it is a rare dish but when he had taken it and eat it and found nothing but a little picking meat he concluded with that proverbial saying Voxes praeterea nihil Now I see that thou art a meer voice and nothing else How applicable this is to many Preachers in these dayes who have good lungs but bad brains and worse hearts and lives the prudent Reader may easily see John the Baptist was a burning and a shining light as well as a voice His Sermons were stuft with divine and weighty matter c. and not filled up with big words or strains of wit Many there be that have Johns voice in the Ministry that have not that heat and life that John had in his Ministry That great Orator Demosthenes himself could say that the riches of Greece did not consist in words The Oracle would have King Philip of Macedon to use silver lances in winning an impregnable for t c. But it is not for Ministers to use golden sentences strong lines frothy wit in winning of souls to Christ for it is iron and not gold that killeth in the encounter it is the steel sword and not the golden sword that winneth the field Job 38.2 We to such Preachers that darken counsel by words without knowledge that affect sublime notions obscure expressions uncouth phrases making plain truths difficult and easie truths hard that seek abstrusities and love to soar aloft in dark expressions and take pleasure to shoot their arrows over their hearers heads The heathenish Priests had their Mythologies and strange canting expressions of their imaginary unaccessible Deities to amaze and amuse their blind superstitious followers and thereby to hold up their Popish and Apish Idolatries in greater veneration And is not this spirit now revived among many Certainly men of abstracted conceits and sublime speculations are but wise fools and commonly they are as erronious as they are curious Such as mind more the humoring of their hearers fancies then the saving of their souls do little consider that of Seneca Aeger non quaerit medicum eloquenâ—em sed sanantem Sick men are not bettered by Physitians sugared words but by their skilful hands The sword of the spirit never wounds deep till it be pluckt out of the gaudy scabards of humane eloquence Mr. Greenham speaking of non-Residents wisheth that this Motto might be written on their study doors without and walls within on all their books they look on on all the beds they lie on and on all the tables they sit at c. The price of blood the price of blood the price of blood A Preachers life should be a Commentary upon his doctrine his practice should be the counterpane of his Sermons heavenly doctrines should alwayes be adorned with a heavenly life Preachers are the Glass the School the Book Where peoples eyes do learn do read do look Gentlemen by these short hints you may see as in a glasse if you will not put a cheat upon your own souls how unlike to the true holy and faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ you are O Sirs do not you know that the holy Scriptures that never spoke Treason nor Sedition do clearly evidence that an ignorant prophane scandalous superstitious insufficient and soul-flattering Clergy are the greatest Pest Plague Affliction Judgement c. that can befall a people as you may easily see by comparing these Scriptures together Mich. 2.11 Isa 30.10 11. Jer. 5. ult Lam. 2.14 Isa 9.16 Ezek. 3.18 Jer. 23.9 18. Ezek. 13.22 Jer. 6.14 and chap. 27.14
answered The meanest hath a soul as precious as my own and bought by the same blood of Christ he who only went to the price of souls Matth. 16.26 hath long since told us 2 Cor. 12.16 that a soul is more worth then a world That I may catch some poor soul or other by a holy craft and establish and strengthen others in the love and liking of holiness and in the power and practise of holiness I have cast my thoughts upon this Scripture But to draw nearer to my Text. As no means hath more enriched hell then beautifull faces so no means hath more enriched heaven then the beauty of holiness Now that I may discover the Necessity Beauty Rarity and Excellency of Holiness I have chosen this Text Follow peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. I shall give a little light into the words and then come to that main point I intend to stand upon Follow peace with all men the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated follow signifies to pursue and press after peace As the persecutor pursues and presses after him he persecutes it notes an earnest an eager an affectionate and an incessant pressing and following after peace with all men Psalm 34.14 Seek peace and pursue it Here the Hebrew word Bakkish translated seek signifies to seek earnestly Dulce nomen pacis The ve y name of peace is sweet vehemently studiously industirously Thus peace with God and peace with conscience and peace with men must be sought Seek peace and pursue it the word translated pursue Veradhphehu from Radaph signifies an earnest pursuit it is a Metaphor taken from the earnestness of wild Beasts or ravenous Foul which will run or flie fast and far eagerly and unweariedly rather then be disappointed of their prey though Christians meet with many rubs and remoraes yet peace must be resolutely pursued Gal. 5.22 2 Cor. 13.11 Isa 9.6 7. Heb. 1.2 The spirit of God is a spirit of peace and God delights to be stiled Deus pacis the God of peace and Christ affects to be Princeps pacis the Prince of peace and King of Salem i. e. King of peace Vbi pax ibi Christus quia Christus pax Where peace is there is Christ because Christ is peace Therefore let all that are interested in Christ pursue after peace But this is not the point that I have in my eye at this time I shall hasten to it With all men that is with all Orders Ranks and sorts of men And Holiness c. We must so pursue after peace A man may be miserable under peace but never under holiness as that we do not neglect holiness for peace sake Better is holiness without peace then peace without holiness Holiness differs nothing from happiness but in name holiness is happiness in the Bud and happiness is holiness at the full Happiness is nothing but the Quintessence of holiness A man were better be holy in hell then unholy in heaven holiness would make hell to be no hell as the fire was no fire to those holy Worthies Dan. 3.27 Look as unholiness would make heaven to be no heaven yea turn a heaven into a very hell So holiness would turn a hell into a very heaven What holiness this is in the text I shall discover to you in the opening of that point I intend to stand upon Without which no man This expression is Exclusive no man be he rich or poor high or low honourable or base young or old Jew or Gentile bond or free under one form or another c. Shall see the Lord. To see in the Hebrew phrase is ordinarily used to enjoy Psal 4.6 Who will shew us any good The word in the Hebrew is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see Who will make us to see any good that is to enjoy any good Without holiness no man shall see the Lord that is without holiness no man shall ever come to a blessed to a glorious fruition and enjoyment of the Lord. Chrysostom There was once a holy man who profest that the want of the enjoyment of God would be a far greater hell to him then the feeling of any punishment and yet this great hell every one shall be sure to feel that lives and dyes without holiness The Jews say of holy Moses Psalm 37.37 that he died ad osculum or is Dei at the kisses of Gods mouth and in divine embraces When a man of holiness dies he shall be sure to die in divine embraces and live for ever in divine embraces When Socrates was to die he comforted himself with this that he should go to a place where he should enjoy Homer and Musaeus and other Worthies who lived before him But ah what an unspeakable comfort is this to a holy man when he comes to die to consider that he is going to a place where he shall see the Lord not as now through a glass darkly 1 Cor. 13.12 but in all his heavenly bravery and in all his divine Embroidery and bespangled Glory And let this suffice for the opening of the words In my Text you have two things First An Exhortation to follow peace and holiness Secondly The Reason or Argument to enforce the duty prest viz. Without which no man shall see the Lord. The words will afford us many weighty Observations I shall only name one which I intend to insist upon and that is this viz. DOCTRINE That real holiness is the only 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 For the clearing up and making good of this great and glorious truth I shall endeavour these three things First to shew you what this holiness is without which no man shall see the Lord. Secondly I shall by an induction of particulars make good the Proposition Thirdly give you the Reasons of the point First What is this holiness without which no man shall see the Lord I answer there is a sixfold holiness First There is a Legal holiness Now a Legal holiness consists in an exact perfect and compleat conformity in heart and life to the whole revealed will of God and this was the holiness that Adam had in his innocency and this holiness was immediately derived from God and was perfect Adam knew the will of God perfectly so far as it was revealed to him and had a divine principle in him of perfect conformity to that blessed will Adams holines was as co-natural to him as unholiness is now to us and had he stood fast in that glorious condition we had all been as naturally holy from the womb as now we are sinfull Psalm 51.5 Adams holiness was as natural and as pleasing and as delightfull to him as any way of unholiness can be natural pleasing and delightfull unto us But this holiness which
turn from his sin The spots of the Leopard are not in him by accident but by nature and they are such which no Art can cure nor water wash off because they are not only in the skin but in the flesh and bones in the sinews and most inward parts By custom sin hath bespotted not only the skin the life the outside of a poor sinner but also the very heart and soul of a poor sinner so as that he is never able to wash off these spots Ambrose reports of one Theotimus that having a disease upon his body his Physitian told him that except he did abstain from intemperance drunkenness uncleaness c. he was like to lose his eyes his heart being habituated to sin and set upon wickedness he answered Vale lumen amicum farwell sweet light then But Thirdly as there is a contracted Cannot an habituated Cannot so there is a judicial Cannot The Lord inflicts a judicial cannot upon many persons in judgement they cannot return from their sins they cannot withstand a temptation they cannot lay hold on eternal life they cannot make sure work for their souls they cannot leave their bosome lusts they cannot prefer Christ above all the world they cannot make provision for eternity they cannot see the things that belong to their peace c. and this Cannot the Lord in wrath hath brought upon them Isa 6.9 10. And he said Go and tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes or annoint besmeer lime their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears Many men saith Bernard do seek for straws to put out their own eyes and understand with their heart and convert and be healed They would not see they shall not see they would not hear they shall not hear they would not understand they shall not understand they would not convert they shall not convert they would not be healed they shall not be healed When men are stifly and desperately resolved upon their sinful courses when men grow stubborn rebellious licentious and will wilfully wink and shut their eyes against the light and stop their ears against the truth God in his just judgement gives them up to dulness stupidness blindness darkness Isa 44.18 They have not known nor understood for he hath shut their eyes that they cannot see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dawbed or plaistered or he hath dawbed up their eyes from seeing and their hearts that they cannot understand God in his righteous judgement casts a judicial Cannot upon them he hath dawbed up their eyes that they cannot see and he hath shut up their hearts that they cannot understand the great concernments of their souls Now whilest men lie under these sad Cannots they can never see the kingdom of God These three Cannots like a threefold cord bind poor sinners so as that they can never come to a sight or fruition of God in grace or glory till they are delivered from these Cannots by a new birth by being born again See the kingdom of God that is they cannot enter into it they cannot enjoy it they can have no childs part or portion in it except they are new born except they pass the pangs of the second birth Let their education be never so sweet their illumination never so great their profession never so amiable and their conversation never so unblameable yet except they are new born it had been good for them that they had never been born And thus you see by plain Scriptures that the Lord hath bolted the gates of glory against all unholy persons A second Argument to prove that without holiness there is no happiness c. is this Without holiness men are strangers to God and therefore without holiness they cannot be admitted to a co-habitation with God God loves not to dwell with strangers nor to associate himself with strangers now such are all unholy persons Ephes 2.12 That at time ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel or being far removed from the Citizenship of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Here are five withouts in the words 1. They were without God the Author of hope 2. They were without Christ the foundation of hope 3. They were without the Church which was contained in the Common-wealth of Israel the place of hope 4. They were without the Covenants of promise That is they were without the precious promises which God in his Covenant had made and oftentimes renewed with the Israelites and therefore called Covenants in the plural number the ground and reason of hope And Lastly they were without the grace of hope they had no hope of communion with Christ no hope of fellowship with the Saints no hope of any interest in the promise no hope of reconciliation to God here nor no hope of a fruition of God hereafter And thus you see what strangers they were to the Lord and to the great concernments of their own souls God of old would not have strangers come into his Sanctuary And do you think then that he will ever admit such into heaven Surely no. Ezek. 44.6.7 9. And thou shalt say to the rebellious even to the house of Israel Thus saith the Lord God O ye house of Israel Heaven would be no heaven were there any strangers there See my String of Pearls let it suffice you of all your abominations In that ye have brought into my Sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my Sanctuary to pollute it even my house when ye offer my bread the fat and the blood and they have broken my Covenant because of all your abominations Thus saith the Lord God No stranger uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary Mat. 7.21 22 23. Ch. 25 11 12. Ch. 22.11 12 13. of any stranger that is among the children of Israel Such as had no holiness within nor no holiness without such as had no holiness in their hearts nor no holiness in their lives God would not have them to enter into his Sanctuary and therefore certainly such he will never suffer to enter into heaven If God shuts the doors of an earthly Tabernacle against such as were strangers to him to his Covenant to his Church and to themselves will he not much more shut the door of his heavenly Tabernacle against such that are strangers to him and to his Christ and to his word yea that are strangers to their own souls and to all the concernments of another world and such are all those that are uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh Princes Pallaces are not for strangers but for sons friends familiars favourites no more is the Pallace of heaven we will not admit strangers to cohabit with
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
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
and large Tophet is the name of a place in the valley lying on the South side of Jerusalem Josh 18.16 Now in this vale stood Tophet wherein the Idolatrous Jews used to burne their children in sacrifice to the Idol Moloc and it had that name from the Drums or Tabrets that their Idolatrous Priests used to beat upon at the time of their detestable services to drowne the hideous shrieks and lamentable cryes of the poore sacrificed children the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of Brimstone doth kindle it Alas the Brick-kilns of Egypt and the Furnace of Babel were but as a blaze of straw to this Tormenting Tophet that has been prepared of old for the great and mighty ones of the earth Oh how dreadfull must that fire be that is prepared by God himselfe and that is kindled by the breath of the Lord and that shall never be quenched and yet such is the fire that is prepared for the great and mighty ones of the world O! the easeless the endless the remediless the unsufferable and yet the inevitable Torments that are prepared for those that are great and graceless in hell their wanton eyes shall be tormented with ugly and fearefull sights of ghastly Spirits and their ears that us'd to be delighted with all delightfull musick shall now be filled with the hideous cryes howlings and yellings of Devills and damned Spirits and their tongues of blasphemy shall now be tormented with drought and thirst and though with the Glutton they cry out for a drop to coole their tongues yet Justice will deny them drops who have denyed others crums and their hands of bribery cruelty and tyranny shall now be bound with everlasting chaines and so shall their feete which were once swift to shed innocent blood In a word their torments shall be universall they shall extend to every member of the body and to every faculty of the soul Ah Sirs fire sword famine prisons Racks and all other torments that men can invent are but as flea-bitings to those Scorpions but as drops to those vials of wrath and but as sparks to those eternal flames that all unsanctified persons shall lye under Look as the least joy in heaven infinitely surpasseth the greatest comforts on earth so the least torments in hell doe infinitely exceed the greatest that can be devised here on earth for a close remember this as there are degrees of glory in heaven so there are degrees of torment in hell and as those that are most eminent in grace and holiness Math. 10.15 Chap. 11.22 Luke 12.47 48. shall have the greatest degrees of glory in heaven so those that are most vile and wicked on earth shall have the greatest degrees of torments and punishments in hell Now common experience tells us that the rich the great the high the honorable and the mighty ones of the world are usually the most excelling in all wickedness and ungodliness and therefore their condemnation will be the greater they shall have a hotter and a darker hell then others except they labour after this holiness which will be their only fence against hell and their sure path to heaven But Sixthly and lastly of all men on earth the rich the great and the honorable will be found most inexcusable The poore and the mean ones of the earth will plead their want of time and want of means and want of opportunities they will be ready to say Psal 127.1 2. Lord we have rise earely and gon to bed late we have labour'd and sweate and droyl'd and all little enough to get bread to eate and cloaths to weare As the poore people on the Northerne borders when to suppress their Theeveries some prest upon them the eighth Commandement they to excuse themselves replied that that Commandement was none of Gods making but thrust into the Decalogue by King Henry the eighth and to keep the Sargeant from the doore and to pay every man his own had we had but the time the meanes the advantages that such and such Gentlemen have had and that such and such Nobles have had and that such and such Princes have had c. O how would we have minded holiness and studied holiness and prest after holiness but seeing it has been otherwise with us we hope Lord we may be excused but what excuse will you be able to make O ye great ones of the earth who have had time and opportunities and all advantages imaginable to make your selves holy and happy for ever and yet you have trifled away your golden seasons and forgotten the one thing necessary and given your selves up to the lusts and vanities of this world as if you were resolv'd to be damn'd Let me a little allude to that John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak or excuse for their sin So will God one day say to the great ones of the woâ—ld Had I not given you riches and greatness and honor c. to have encouraged you to look after holiness and that you might have time and leasure and opportunity to seek holiness and pursue it you might have had some â—loak some excuse for your neglecting so great so glorious so noble and so necessary a work O but now you have no cloak no excuse at all for your sin now you can shew no reason under heaven why an eternal doom should not be past upon you and ah how silent how mute how speechless Titus 3.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-condemned or self damned and how self-condemned will all the great ones of the world be when God shall thus expostulate with them O! that such would seriously lay to heart that Math. 22.11 12. And when the King came in to see the Guests he saw there a man which had not on a wedding Garment And he saith unto him Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding Garment and he was speechless By the wedding Garment the Learned understand holiness of heart and life now when the King questions him about the want of this wedding Garment he is speechless or as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports He was muzzled or haltered up that is he held his peace as though he had a bridle or a halter in his mouth he was not able to speak a word for himselfe his own conscience had past a secret sentence of condemnation upon him and he sat silent under that sentence as having nothing under heaven to say why he should not be cast into utter darkness And this will be the very case of all the rich the great and the mighty ones of the world who shall be found without the garment of holiness when the Lord shall enter into Judgement with them And thus you see by these six Arguments that there are no persons under heaven that are so eminently engaged to look after
building up of Saints and partly because his eye is still upon it and his protection is still over it Psal 121.3 4 5 6 7 8. and his presence is still with it Isa 27.2 3. In that day sing ye unto her a vineyard of red wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day But Solomons eye was not alwayes upon his vineyard neither was his hand of protection alwayes over it neither was his kingly presence alwayes with it and partly because all his treasure is laid up in his vineyard his Church his treasures of grace Eph. 3.10.17 18 19 20. his treasure of mercy his treasures of comfort his treasures of goodness c. is all laid up in his Church but Solomon as rich as glorious a King as he was yet he had no such treasures laid up in his vineyard Solomon never made his vineyard his treasury and partly because his vineyard was given to him for ever Psal 2.7 John 6.39 Ch. 17.6 8 12. as an everlasting inheritance but Solomons was but temporary and mutable Now all those that are painfull and faithfull labourers in Christs vineyard shall receive a noble a liberall compensation and recompence for their labours no man shall shut a dore nor open a dore in Christs vineyard for nought no man shall labour an houre there without a reward all faithfull Ministers are Fellow-labourers with Christ in the spirituall husbandry 1 Cor. 3.8 9. they dig with Christ they plant with Christ and they prune with Christ and they water with Christ and they watch with Christ therefore Christ will allow them a fift part of the glory and reward with himselfe as he has his thousand pieces of silver so he will look to it that they shall have their two hundred pieces of silver a thousand is the number of perfection and here it may note that fulness of glory that Christ should have the two hundred may note that very great proportion of heavenly glory that all the faithfull labourers in Christs vineyard shall have Math. 19.27 28 29. who have helpt forward the flourishing estate of that vineyard Look as the thriving of the child adds to the comfort and the credit of the Nurse and the fruitfulness of the field adds to the pleasure and delight of the Husbandman and the health and increase of the Flock adds to the joy and reward of the Shepherd so the increase of holiness the thriving the fruitfulness of souls in holiness adds to the credit and comfort to the pleasure and delight to the joy and reward of faithful painful Ministers who are Nurses Husbandmen and Shepherds in the language of the holy Scriptures Though it be true that faithful Ministers are a sweet savour to God both in them that are saved 2 Cor. 2.15 and in them that perish though their labour whether it hit or miss is accepted and shall be rewarded of the Lord Isa 49.45 as the Physitian has his Fee though the patient dies the Nurse has her wages though the child don't thrive and the Vine-dresser has his hire though the Vines don't bare fruit yet the more they win men to heaven and the more by their means the work of holiness is carried on in the hearts lives of men the weightier will be their crowne of glory and the greater will be their joy and rejoycing in the great day of our Lord. O Sirs did you but see your faithfull Ministers tears did you but heare their heavy sighs and groanes were you but acquainted with their fervent and frequent prayers on your behalfes did you but believe how they beare their brains and how willing they are not only to spend themselves but even to spit out their very lungs in the service of your souls how would you call upon your own souls to adde holiness to holiness yea charge your own souls to perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord. Well friends as ever you would adde to your faithfull Ministers comfort here and to their joy and crowne at the coming of our Lord labour after higher degrees of holiness But Lastly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness consider that the more holiness you have here the more happiness you shall have hereafter the more grace you have on earth the more glory you shall have in heaven Now before I come to make good this Argument viz. that some Saints shall partake of more glory in heaven then others shall give me leave to promise these few things to prevent mistakes First That the object of their happiness which is God blessed for ever will be one and the same to all Saints all glorified Saints shall have but one God among them all God shall be no more one Saints God then he shall be every Saints God in heaven c. Secondly That the beatifical vision shall be seen by all the Saints and communicated to all the Saints they shall all have a happy and blessed fruition and possession of God all the vessels of glory shall be filled to the brim with a cleare sight of God and with a full injoyment of God and yet doubtless for all this some Saints shall apprehend more of God then others and comprehend more of God then others and enjoy more of God then others though all shall be filled with those everlasting springs of pleasure and delight that be at Gods right hand Psal 16. ult yet some shall be able to take in more of those pleasures of Paradise then others shall 2 Kings 4.3 8. Though all the widows vessels were filled to the brim with oyle yet doubtless some being greater and larger then others they accordingly contained more oyle then others and so 't will be with the Saints when they come to heaven There shall be no lack of glory to any of the Saints in glory all the Saints shall be fill'd with glory according to their capacity If you bring a thousand vessels of different sizes to the Sea the Sea fills them all though their sizes differ and some are bigger and others lesser yet all are fill'd every little vessell hath its fill as well as the greater so every Saint shall have his fill of glory when he comes to glory the felicity of every Saint shall be perfect God will be all in all to all Saints Psal 17.15 Thirdly All Saints shall be freed from all evills alike they shall all be freed from the aking head and from the unbelieving heart they shall all alike be free from the evill of sin and from the evill of sufferings there shall not be a Saint in glory that shall ever feele a pricking brier Ezek. 28.24 or a grieving thorne there all sorrow shall be removed from all their hearts and all tears shall be wipt from all their eyes Rev. 7.17 Fourthly and lastly the degrees of glory that Saints shall
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
Secondly There are degrees of Torments in Hell and therefore by the Rule of Contraries there shall bee degrees of Glory in Heaven Now that there are degrees of torments in Hell is most evident from several plain Scriptures as from that 10th of Matth. v. 14 15. And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when yee depart out of that house or City shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you Contempt of Christ and his Gospel is worse than Sodomy it shall be more tollerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that City Sodom and Gomorrah shall have an easier and cooler Hell than such Cities shall have that have contemned the tenders of Grace and the offers of Mercy 'T is very observable that the punishments that God in this life hath inflicted upon the Jews for their contempt of Christ and his everlasting Gospel have been more terrible than his raining Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah for on a sudden and in a moment God consumed them and burnt them up but God hath for above this sixteen hundred years been a raining Hell out of Heaven upon the Jews hee hath for a long time vext them with all manner of adversity and to this very day hee hath made them all the world over a spectacle of his dreadful severity but all those plagues and punishments that the Jews have been and still are under are but flea-bitings and scratches on the hand to those dreadful and amazing judgements that God in the great day of account will inflict upon all Christs refusers and Gospel-despisers And so chap. 11.20 21 22 23. Then began hee to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Woe unto thee Chorazin wee unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes But I say unto you it shall bee more tollerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of Judgement than for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted up to Heaven shalt bee brought down to Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this day The more mercy hath been upon the bare knee intreating sinners to repent the more earnest the Lord Jesus hath been in wooing sinners to beleeve on him and to resign up themselves wholly and only to him the more clearly and sweetly the everlasting Gospel hath sounded in sinners ears and the more neer and the more often Heaven hath been brought to sinners doors and yet they have bid defiance to all and hardened themselves in their sins with the greater violence and with the more dreadful vengeance shall such be plunged into the lowest Hell And so in that Mat. 23.14 Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites for yee devour Widdows houses and for a pretence make long prayer therefore yee shall receive the greater damnation Hypocrites shall bee double-damned the hottest and the darkest place in Hell is reserved for them Give him his portion with hypocrites for number and weight there are no torments in Hell to the torments of hypocrites Counterfeit sanctity is double iniquity and therefore 't is but justice that the hypocrite should have double torment And so in that Luke 12.47 48. That servant that knows his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes and hee that knew it not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall bee beaten with few stripes Sins against light and knowledge are sins against the noblest remedy they waste and wound the conscience most they most open sinners mouths to blaspheme God and they most harden sinners hearts in sinning against God and every way they dare God most and provoke God most to strike with an Iron-Rod and to whip the knowing transgressor not with Rods but with Scorpions 'T is very observable that the more light and knowledge men sin against in this world Rom. 1.21 22 23. the greater judgements God gives them up to even in this life take a remarkable instance in the most refined and civil Heathens who are presumed to have most light and knowledge who were given up to the most beastly errours about the nature of God as the Romans and Grecians who worshipped Feavers and humane passions yea every paltry thing c. whereas the Scythians and more barbarous Nations worshipped the Sun and the Thunder c. things terrible in themselves Oh how much more then will God in the great day give them up to the greatest judgements who have given themselves up to the greatest sins Certainly the Professors of this age yea of this City whether they go to Heaven or Hell will be the greatest debtors that shall be in either place the one to the Free-grace of God and the other to his Justice that they that have most of Hell in their mouths and most of Hell in their hearts and most of Hell in their lives should have most of Hell in their souls at last is but justice I shall conclude this second Argument with a saying of one of the Antients Augustin Look saith hee as in Heaven one is more glorious than another so in Hell one shall be more miserable than another Now if there be degrees of torments in Hell which I suppose the Scriptures but now cited doth undeniably prove then doubtless there will be degrees of glory in Heaven Thirdly God in this life dispenses the gifts and graces of his Spirit unequally among his Saints to some hee gives two Talents to others five and to others ten Hence 't is you read both of a weak Faith and of a strong Faith Matth. 25. and ch 8.10 26. ch 15.28 Why are yee afraid O yee of little Faith And O woman great is thy Faith And Verily I have not found so great Faith no not in Israel And hence it is that you read both of weak Christians and of strong Christians Hee that is weak in the Faith receive Rom. 14.1 2. 1 Cor. 9.22 2 Cor. 12.10 Heb. 5.13 14 1 Pet. 2.2 v. 1. Another who is weak eateth herbs And to the weak I became as weak that I might win the weak Wee then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves When I am weak then am I strong And hence 't is that you read of Babes and of Children and of young Men and of old Men in the Scripture Saints are of different growths Some are but babes in gifts and grace others are children others young men and others old men That God that distributes the good things of this world unequally among the Sons of men as to some more to others less to some great things to others little things to some high things to others low things that God unequally distributes
greater shall bee my reward hereafter and therefore O my Soul grow in grace perfect holiness and abound in the work and service of the Lord knowing that thy labour shall not bee in vain in the Lord And thus I have given you the reasons that prove that there shall bee degrees of glory in Heaven Now I have nothing further to do upon this point but to give a few brief Answers to such Objections as are commonly raised against this truth that I have asserted and proved Obj. First Some object and say that one Christ bought us all and that all our portions are bought by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and that therefore all beleevers shall share alike in the inheritance of the Saints in light now to this Objection I shall Answer First That all Saints shall bee equal sharers in the substantial and essential glory of Heaven c. but of this I have spoken before and therefore Secondly Though a Father buyes a rich inheritance for all his Children yet this laies no necessity nor obligation at all upon him to alot to every one of his Children an equal portion so though our Lord Jesus Christ hath by his blood purchased a rich inheritance for his Children yet this layes no necessity nor obligation at all upon Jesus Christ to divide this rich inheritance by equal portions among his Children t is true that Christ hath purchased all with his blood and t is as true that hee may divide his purchase among his people as hee pleases if every man may do with his own as hee pleaseth why may not Christ must hee needs bee bound when others are free Thirdly and lastly I answer that as it is true that the merits and satisfaction of Christ is the ground and foundation of our reward and that alone which makes our works capable of a reward so t is as true that our works are the subject of reward and this is most agreeable to the compact that was made between Christ and his Father that everlasting happiness and blessedness that eternal glory and felicity should bee measured out to the Saints according to their different measures of grace and different degrees of service that they have been engaged in in this world and all this upon the credit of Christs blood certainly there is nothing under heaven below the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that can make differing works capable of a different reward the Papists are most sadly out for they are so blinde and bold as to affirm that the more grace any man hath the more glory hee merits by his grace these men make degrees of grace and not the blood of Jesus Christ to be the meritorious cause of degrees of glory and therefore of all men I think they are furthest from glory certainly this is the beleevers glory and his crown of rejoycing that all recompences and rewards shall flow in upon him not upon the account of his merits but upon the account of Christs blood and thus much shall suffice to have spoken by way of Answer to this Objection Obj. 2. But now in the Second place I shall come to answer their grand and main objection and that is taken from that Parable in the 20 Matth. where the Kingdome of Heaven is compared to a vineyard now in this Parable there is mention made of a Husband-man that call'd several labourers into his vineyard at several hours in the day some hee call'd at the first hour and some hee call'd at the third and some at the ninth and some at the eleventh now when they came all to receive their wages the story tells us that hee gave every man a penny hee gave every man an equal reward they that laboured from the first hour and they that laboured from the third hour and they that laboured from the sixth hour of the day had no greater a recompence than hee that came in at the eleventh hour and so had labour'd but one hour in the vineyard and bore but little if any of the heat of the day from whence the Objectors conclude that there are no degrees of glory in Heaven but that all shall have glory alike happiness and blessedness alike every man shall have his penny every man shall have an equal reward and no mans penny in Heaven shall bee brighter or bigger than anothers Now by way of answer to this objection give mee leave to premise these three things First That this Parable of the housholder in giving to every man a penny hath no reference at all to Heaven nor to the reward nor to the glory that shall bee confer'd upon the Elect and this I shall clearly and fully prove by these four following Arguments First This illative particle for in vers 1. sheweth that this Parable is inserted to expound the former conclusion viz. that the first shall bee last and the last shall bee first and therefore the end of the Parable is concluded with the repetition of the same sentence vers 16. the last shall bee first and the first shall be last Christ by this Parable would teach his hearers that there is no reason under Heaven why they which are first called in respect of time should boast or triumph over others because hee can easily call the uncalled at pleasure and either make them equal with them or else prefer them before them which are first The scope of Christ in this Parable is not to set forth the equality of celestial glory 't is not to prove that the happiness and blessedness of the Saints shall be equal in Heaven but the very drift of the Parable is to shew that they which are first called and converted have no cause at all to despise the uncalled unconverted or to trample upon them with the foot of pride considering that they who are yet in their sins and in their blood and in an unconverted and unsanctified estate may yet be called and either made equal to them or preferred before them But Secondly Interpreters do generally agree in this that by the Husbandman wee are to understand God himself and by the Labourers men upon earth and by the Vineyard the Church of God and several of them say Chrysostom Origen Jerom Gregory Austin that by the five hours in the Parable wee are to understand the five ages of man First By those who were called in the morning See my Apples of Gold and sent into the Vineyard wee are to understand those who in their childhood are called and converted they are such who begin to seek the Lord and to serve the Lord even as soon as they are capable of the use of reason As Samuel did and as Josiah did and as Timothy did Secondly By those who are called at the third hour wee are to understand those who are converted and turned to the Lord in their youth in the prime the spring and morning of their daies Thirdly By those who were called at the
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
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
more eyes then it hath done good to hearts O this golden-wedge this silver squinsie hath made many men silent and speechlesse in good causes Titus Vespasian was so delighted in doing of justice that if a day had past over his head wherein he had done no 〈◊〉 of justice he would cry out Amici diem perdidi O my friends I have lost a day And so Epaminondas a Heathen though he was very poor and often tempted with great bribes and presents to be unjust yet he refused and scorned all and would commonly say that if the cause were good he would do it without a bribe because it was good but if the cause was bad he would not meddle with it for a world These Heathens will one day rise in judgement against all such corrupt Judges and Justices that will not do justice without a bribe If this Treatise should fall into the hands of any such I would then let them know that God will one day make good that dreadful word against them that you have in Job 15.34 For the Congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate and fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery Or as the Septuagint reads it of men that take gifts fire shall consume or rather as the Hebrew hath it Fire shall eat the Tabernacles it shall feed on their Tabernacles as greedily as a hungry man doth feed on his meat O the sumptuous buildings and brave structures that have been built by the hands of bribery shall be set on fire by a hand of justice Prov. 10.2 3. and chap. 3.33 If bribery brings in a thousand one year Divine justice will cast away two for it the next year God will one day burn up on both hands all the comforts and all the contentments and all the enjoyments of corrupt Magistrates Judges and Justices I have read of a Polonian Judge that stood up very stoutly and resolutely a long time for a poor Plaintiff against a rich Defendant but at last he received from the Defendant a great summe of money stamped with the usual stamp of that Countrey which is a man in compleat armour and at the next Session in open Court he adjudged the Cause in the favour of the Defendant and being sharply blamed by his friends for it he shewed them his large bribe and demanded of them Who could stand out against so many men in compleat armour Ah England England it would be better with thee if this spirit did not still survive but alas what good will all these mens men in armour do them in the great day of our Lord when the thoughts of all such corrupt Magistrates Judges and Justices shall be exceedingly troubled their countenances changed their hearts terrified their consciences awakened their souls amazed and their knees dashed one against another O that all Judges and Justices would for ever make Isa 5.23 their daily companion Wo to them which justifie the wâ—cked for a reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him I have read of Sysamnes a covetous tenacious Judge who for filthy lucre pronounced a false sentence whereupon Cambyses King of Persia commanded him to be killed and flead and his skin to be nailed over the Tribunal and then he commanded his son to sit as Judge there that so this sight might arm him against all injustice and be a terrour to all that succeeded him If Princes did but exercise such Royal justice upon all corrupt covetous Judges and Justices justice would be had at a cheaper rate and poor men would not be so often put to pawn their Coats nor rich men would not so often empty their Purses nor mortgage their inheritances But Fourthly As you must do justice sincerly so you must do justice deliberately you must have one ear for the Defendant and another for the Plaintiff Deut 17.4 or else you will tell the world at once that you are both weak and wicked Deut. 19.17 18 19. vide It argues much weakness and emptiness of spirit to judge a matter before all is heard that can be said Job 29.16 Jobs piety and prudence shined forth eminently in this that the Cause that he knew not he searched it out Before God would pronounce judgement upon Adam Gen. 3. he first examins him and propounds several interrogatories to him And in those two great and famous acts of justice when God confounded Babels builders Gen. 1. and chap. 18. and rained hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorah he tells you that he will go down and see You are called gods in this it is as much your glory as it is your duty to imitate the great God Though Solomon was in all his glory yet he had patience to hear both what the mother and the harlot had to say The Holy-Ghost puts the fool upon him that answers a matter before he hears it Prov. 18.13 It was the usual custom of Philip King of Macedon to step one of his ears whilest the accuser was speaking that so he might reserve it for the defendant I have read of some who have deeply suffered both in their civil liberties and in their consciences for their rash and hasty passing of judgement upon others Why hath God given the Judges of the earth two ears and but one tongue 〈◊〉 that they should be swift to hear and slow to speak I have read of Lewis King of France that when he had through inadvertency granted an unjust suit as soon as ever he had read those words of the Psalmist Blessed is he that doth righteousness at all times Psalm 106.3 he presently recollected himself and upon better thoughts gave his judgemâ—nt quite contrary Certainly all acts of justice ought to flow from mature deliberation All Magistrates Judges and Justices in their administrations of justice and judgement should wisely observe by what principles they act and by what Rules they act and by what Authority they act and in what manner they act and to what ends they act and how all these important things can be done without serious deliberation I cannot for the present understand Justice in the Emblem is represented with a Ballance in the one hand and a Sword in the other to note that matters must be first delibâ—rately weighed in the Ballance before Judgement can be passed He that only useth the Sword and not the Ballance may smite an innocent Naboth and acquit a guilty Ahâ—b The Civil Law concludes it very unreasonable for any man to give Advice or Judgement before he hath considered and weighed the whole Cause Civile dig 4. de legis senatusque consul And therefore by your own Laws you are bound to deliberate before you give Judgement Unlesse you will tell the world that you even you are unreasonable men who above all others should be the Masters of the greatest reason as well as men of the greatest measures of grace and holinesse But Fifthly As you must do Justice deliberately so you must
16. 1 Thes 5.3 Jer. 14.13 14 15 16. Isa 28.7 8. Ezek. 34. throughout Rom. 2.21 22 23 24. Other judgements as sword famine pestilence burning fevers agues c. cannot separate between God and mens souls for men may have very sweet and high communion with God under the sorest of those judgements Other afflictions and judgements may spring from the fatherly love of God and from a gracious design of good to his people Rev. 3.19 Prov. 3.11 Heb. 12.5.6 7 8. Psalm 89.30 35. Job 7.17 18. but this is a sad fruit of Gods judicial Anger and severe Indignation against a people Other judgements often issue in mens seeking of the Lord and in mens returning to the Lord. Isa 26.16 17. Hosea 5.14 15. compared with chap 6.1 2 3. and chap. 2.6 7. but this judgement frequently issues in mens forsaking of the Lord and in their running from God and in their walking contrary to God and in the hardening of them against God and in an everlasting shutting of them out from the presence of the Lord as you may see by comparing of these Scriptures together Matth. 15.14 Luke 6.39 1 Thes 5.3 2 Thes 1.7 8 9 10. Matth. 23.13 Do not you know that where there is no vision the people perish Prov. 29.18 Jipparang that is here rendred perish is from Parange that signifies to be made naked to be made bare and uncovered They are made naked as souldiers are among the shot and weapons of their enemies when their armour is not on their backs or they are naked as people that are stript of their garments and exposed to perish by cold in the Winter or to be scorched or roasted by heat in the Summer or they are naked i. e. they are made the objects of shame and contempt to all that look upon them or they are made naked that is of the grace Exod. 32.25 blessing and protection of God or they are naked that is say others they are forsaken and cast off for every one forsakes and casts off naked persons they will have nothing to do with them Others render the words thus The people will keep holy-day they will have nothing to do but to weep and wail or they will do nothing that is good Others thus The people shall be stripped naked they shall be left as a City without walls exposed to the fury of the enemy as a body without clothes open to wind and weather Others carry it thus The people shall be discovered it will then appear what is within whether grace or sin it will then be discovered what pantings breathings hungerings and longings there be in souls after God and Christ and holinesse and Ordinances c. Pagnin thus The people will grow barbarous rebellious c. as experience in all ages hath fully demonstrated Others thus The people shall be of no esteem of no repute no body will prize them no body will value them no body will regard them men set no price no value upon naked persons Others thus The people shall be dispersed scattered shivered and shattered and this in all Ages hath been too apparent Others thus They shall be drawn away with errours they shall either be starved or else poysoned with God-dishonouring Christ-denying Scripture-debasing Conscience-wasting life-polluting and soul-damning opinions it is concluded on all hands that it shall go ill very ill with that people that want vision that want serious sincere faithful and powerful preaching for where there is no vision no serious sincere faithful and powerful preaching there the people perish certainly undoubtedly there they go tumbling to hell thick and three-fold and this is evident in the Text where there is no vision the people perish he doth not say they may perish but they do perish or they are in danger of perishing but they do certainly perish Where there is no serious conscientious faithfull powerfull preaching there the people grow abominably wicked as wofull experience tells us And what the issue of that will be you may see in Psalm 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell See Psalm 11.6 and all the Nations that forget God or as the Hebrew hath it the wicked shall be turned into into hell that is they shall certainly be turned into hell yea they shall be turned into the nethermost hell into the lowest dungeon in hell Where vision fails there men perish temporally when vision when preaching ceased among the Jews O the dreadfull calamities and miseries that came upon that people how soon did God burn up all their outward comforts contentments and enjoyments on every hand 2 Chron. 15.3 5 6. compared with Ch. 13.9 10 11. and Chap. 36.15 ult Mat. 23.37 38. They shut their eys against all that light that Christ and his Apostles brought amongst them and what was the Issue of this why about 40 years after Christs Ascension the Romans came and took away their City and sold thirty of them a penny as Josephus writes c. and ever since that time which is above sixteen hundred years ago they have been scattered as Dung over the face of the whole earth Where vision fails there men perish totally Rom. 6.16.17 19. both the bodies and the souls of men perish where serious conscientious preaching fails Hos 4.6 My people are destroyed for want of knowledge The Chaldee rendereth it they are besotted and so fitted for destruction The Papist say that ignorance is the Mother of devotion but this Text tells us that it is the Mother of destruction The Heathens were wont to say that if their God Jupiter would destroy one he would first besot him So these people were first besotted and then destroyed Where vision fails there the people perish insensibly and unexpectedly they flatter themselves that God is made up all of mercy and will not believe but they shall go to heaven till they awake with everlasting flames about their ears as you may see in Sodom and Gomorrah Where vision fails there men perish suddenly In a moment they go down to hell Job 21.13 14 15. As the travail of a woman comes suddenly upon her when she least expects it Prov. 24.22 Deut. 7.4 so everlasting pains and torments come suddenly upon poor sinners when they least expect them 1 Thess 5.3 As God rained hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah on a sudden Gen. 18. Matth. 24.37 38 39. 1 Sam. 15.32 and as he swept away the Old world on a sudden and as Samuel cut-off Agag on a sudden when he concluded that the bitterness of death was past so God casts sinners to hell on a sudden he sweeps them away on a sudden he cuts them off on a sudden and when they say Surely the bitternesse of death is past and everlasting wrath is past and hell is past and eternal ruine is past then on a sudden God cuts them off and gives them their portion with Devils and damned Spirits c. Where vision fails there men perish
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
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
good penny worths put into the buyers hands if the buyer hath neither wisdom nor heart to buy Unholy persons are such spiritual fools though they have a price an opportunity put into their hands which if improved might make them for ever yet they have no heart to make an improvement of the means and advantages that might do them good to all eternity Prov 1.20 ult Isa 53.1 Ch. 55.1 2. Mat. 25.3.6.10 Ch 23.37 Luke 19.41 42. c. That great Conqueror vainly feared that his Father Philips Victories would deprive the Son of an opportunity to improve his Magnanimity Ah what opportunities have unsanctified persons to get changed hearts renewed natures purged consciences reformed lives to get an interest in Christ to obtain the favour of God to procure pardon of sin to make provision for their immortal souls But they have no hearts to improve these opportunities and so by neglecting of them they cut the throat of their own souls And this will be the worm that will he gnawing of them to all eternity that they have let slip the opportunities of grace that they have trifled away the seasons of mercy Ah Sirs there is no fool to that fool that hath an opportunity put into his hand to make himself for ever and yet hath no heart to improve it The hottest place in hell will be the portion of such fools Mat. 11.21 22. The little Bee so soon as flowers appear goes abroad views the gay Diapery and the diversity of the flowery fields sucks the sweetest of them fraights her thighs makes a curious comb and so betimes hoards up honey in Summer against Winter And so the little busie Ant in Summer provides food for Winter Prov. 6.6.7 8. The Stork the Crane and the Swallow know their seasons and opportunities Jer. 8.7 All these poor little creatures are not so much below man in nature as they are above sinfull man in worth wisdom and work These improve their Summer seasons their harvest hours and yet such spiritual fools are wicked man that they let slip such seasons of grace and mercy that cannot be redeemed with ten thousand worlds Ah how is man fallen from his primitive nobility and glory that these little busie creatures are propounded as a pattern of diligence and wisdom unto him The Antients painted Opportunity with a hairy forehead but bald behind to signifie that while a man hath it before him he may lay hold on it but if he lets it slip away he cannot pull it back again There is a great truth in what the Rabbi hath long since said Nemo est cui non sit hora sua Every man hath his hour and he who overslips his season may never meet with the like again There are many thousand spiritual fools in hell that find this true by experience and therefore now they bewail their folly but all too late all too late Thirdly Natural fools are very inconstant they are never long in one mind now they are for this Ecclesiasticus 22.11 12 13 14 15. and anon for that now in this mind and anon in that their minds are more changeble then the Moon they turn oftner then the Wether-cock they are only constant in inconstancy and such spiritual fools are all unholy persons For now they are for a righteous cause and anon they are against it now they are for God and anon they are against him now they are for Christ and by and by they are against him now they cry out Hosanna Hosanna in the highest Mat. 21.9 15. but did they hold in this mind long no their mind is presently changed and they cry out crucifie him crucifie him Luke 23.21 Now they are for the Saints and anon they are against them they cry up the Gospel and presently they make opposition against the Gospel like the kingdom of Congo who at first kindly embraced the Gospel but as soon as they found it restrain their lusts and carnal liberties they made fierce opposition against the Gospel this week they are for Ordinances and the next they are against Ordinances this hour they will forsake their sins and the next hour they 're return to their sins as the dog to his vomit and as the Sow to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. Now they are for this way and anon for that now they are for this opinion and anon for that now they are for this Religion Beza and to morrow they are for another Religion 2 Kings 17.33 like Baldwin a French Lawyer of whom it is said that he had Religionem Ephemeram every day a new Religion but constant to none This moment you shall hear them bless and the next moment you shall hear them curse James 3.9 10. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing Lewis the second would swear and then kiss his Crucifix and then swear again more confidently and kiss his Crucifix again more devoutly Now because this Age is full of such swearing fools and happily this Treatise may fall into some of their hands give me leave to say that it is observable that the word in the Hebrew which the Scripture useth for swearing is alwayes used in the passive voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nashabange to note say some that a man should not swear but when an oath is laid upon him and he driven to it The word also hath a signification of seven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as having reference say some to the seven spirits of God before the throne before whom we swear and therefore should never swear but in truth righteousness and Judgemen Jer. 4.2 Rev. 1.4 Ch. 5 6. one day you shall have these spiritual fools these prophane fools crying out O! heaven heaven heaven O! That we may go to heaven and the next day you shall see them live as if there were neither heaven nor hell one day with Balaam you shall have them wish Oh that we might die the death of the righteous and the next day with Saul you shall have them a persecuting of the righteous to death one day you shall have them cry out What shall we do to be saved and the next day you shall see them live as if they were resolved to be damned Thus these spititual fools like natural fools are always fickle and inconstant Mischief is the fools bable the fools fiddle Fools can rejoyce in other mens harms and laugh to see others lament Fourthly Fools delight to sport and play with such things as are most hurtfull pernicious and dangerous to them as you all know that have observed any thing of natural fools Prov. 10.23 It is a sport to a fool to do mischief Fools take as great delight and pleasure in doing mischief as wise men do in their lawfull sports or pastimes Wisdom is not more a joy and delight to a man of understanding then mischief and wickedness is a sport or recreation to a fool It is a great contentment and
everlasting strength that it may go well with them for ever I have read of a chaste Virgin who being strongly tempted and soliticed by a lewd Russian to uncleannesse after some disscourse she called for a pan of burning coals requesting him for her sake to hold his finger in them but one hour he answered it is an unkind and unreasonable request it is truth saith she it is so but you ask me a more unkind and unreasonable request viz. to satisfie you in a thing for which I shall not only burn an hour but burn both body and soul in hell fire for ever and ever And so overcame the temptation But Lord if I must go into fire into everlasting fire Oh let me have some good company in my misery No the Devil and his Angels shall be your companions Ah who can conceive or express the misery of cohabitation with Devils and damned Spirits Many unholy souls would not live in a house haunted with evil spirits one night for all the world and yet they live as if it were nothing to be billetted with hellish Fiends and furies for ever If the sight of a seeming ghost for a moment be such a terror and torment to thee what will the horrible sight of devils and the gastly sight of the damned be Job 30.29 If it was so great an affliction to Job to be a companion to Owls what will it be to thee to be a companion to devils Psalm 120.5 If it was so great a grief and wo to David to sojourn in Mesech and to dwell in the tents of Kedar for a time what a wo will it be to unholy souls to dwell with Devils and reprobates for ever Ah how will Satans deformity antipathy and cruelty amaze thee and torment thee How will the damneds wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth abash thee and confound thee How will thine old companions cursing of thee the sight of thy near relations in misery with thee and devils scornfully insulting over thee and the never dying worm feeding perpetually upon thee be many hells of horror to thee Had an unholy soul as many worlds in his hand to give as there be stars in heaven he would give them all for a license alwayes to sleep under those pains and torments that will admit of no intermission or mitigation In Rev. 21.8 As the Antients fain of Endymion that he got leave of Jupiter alwayes to sleep you have a catalogue of that damned crue of that rout of Reprobates which shall be your companions for ever But the fearfull and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death These companions are the devils lime-twigs they are his scorpions with which he will torment and whip poor souls for ever Such companions will make many hells to meet in one they will be the top of the souls torments Thus I have done with those arguments that prove the point Viz. That without holiness there is no happiness c. I come now to the Reasons of the Point Why is it that Without 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 Among other Reasons that might be rendered you may please to take these Reason 1 First Because God hath said it who is truth and faithfulnesse it self and cannot lye That he hath said it witnesse the very Text and the proofs that are produced to make good the doctrine and hath he said it and shall it not come to pass Hath he spoken it and will he not accomplish the word that is gone out of his mouth Isaiah 46.11 Chap. 48.15 Jerem. 32.24 Isaiah 55.11 Zech. 1.6 Dan. 9.12 Psal 119.138 God is not a man that he should lye Numb 23 19. Also the strength of Israel will not lye 1 Sam. 15.29 God will make good every word that is gone out of his mouth Men sometimes eat their words as soon as they have spoken them they often say and unsay but so will not the holy One of Israel that first and supream being that gives being to all others will certainly give being to all his promises and threatnings God himself shall sooner cease to be then the word that is gone out of his mouth shall be frustrated He that is the faithful witnesse hath said it that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. And verily heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or one tittle that is before the least letter or particle of a letter of Gods blessed word shall pass unfulfilled Matth. 5.18 Gods faithfulnesse is great Lam. 3.23 It reaches unto the clouds Psalm 36.5 He will not suffer his faithfulnesse to fail Psalm 89.33 His faithfulnesse endures through all Generations Psalm 119.90 God will never suffer his faithfulnesse to be stained or blotted and therefore he will undoubtedly make good the word that is gone out of his mouth I had rather said Plutarch that men should say there was never any such person in the world as Plutarch then that they should say Plutarch is unfaithfull A man were better say there is no God then say that God is unfaithful a noble spirit can better bear any charge then that of being unfaithfull and so can a faithfull God Secondly Because real holinesse is that great principle Reason 2 that fits and capacitates souls for communion with God The glory of glory consists in seeing of God 1 Cor. 13 12. 1 John 3.2 as the hell of hell lyes in the souls everlasting separation from God and for a blessed sight and fruition of God Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Without a principle of purity of sanctity there is no vision of God in glory If a man be never so poor yet if his heart be pure God will make a house of his heart wherein his honour will delight to dwell let a mans outside be never so homely yet if his inside be but cleanly God will make it his own habitation God is for that man and that man is for God that carries about with him a pure heart Heart-purity makes a man a darling of heaven Many affect pure language pure houses pure habits pure hands pure air pure meat pure drink pure gestures c. who yet for want of heart-purity shall never see the face of God in glory Heart-purity speaks a man eternally happy Holinesse is that noble principle that fits a man for the happiest sight of God it makes a man a meet companion for God both here and herafter without this principle no man can have communion with God in this world much lesse can he have communion with God in heaven if this precious principle of holinesse be not seated in his heart it will not stand with the holinesse of God
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
a Use of Tryal and Examination Is it so that real holiness is the only way to happiness must men be holy on earth or else they shall never come to a blessed vision or fruition of God in Heaven Oh then what cause hath every one to try and examine whether he hath this real holiness without which there is no happiness or no! Now because this is a point of great importance and a mistake here may undo a man for ever and considering the great aversness and backwardness of mens hearts to this noble and necessary work I shall therefore in the first place propose some considerations to provoke all your hearts to fall in good earnest upon this great point of Tryal and Examination Now to this purpose consider First it is possible for you to know whether you have this real holiness or not it is possible for you by the light of the Spirit See my Treatise of Assurance pag. 1 to 26. where you have this truth made fully evident by the light of the Word and by the light of your own Consciences to see whether holiness which is the image of God be stamped upon your souls or no Though it be impossible for thee to climb up to heaven to search the records of glory to see whether thy name be written in the book of life yet it is possible for thee to go down into the Chambers of thine own soul to enter into the withdrawing rooms of thine own heart and there to read what impressions of holiness are upon thee though this work be hard and difficult yet it is noble and possible though the heart be deceitful and full of shifts yet it is possible for a man to make such a curious such a narrow such a diligent such a faithful and such an impartial search into his own soul as that he may certainly know whether he hath that real holiness that is the pledge of immortal happiness or no it is possible for him that hath this Jewel this holiness to know it to finde it and in the beautiful face of holiness to read his own everlasting happiness I might call in the experiences of many precious Saints As Abraham Noah Jacob David Job Paul and others to bear witness to this truth but I suppose it is needless What great and weighty what high and hard what hazardous and dangerous things do many Souldiers Saylers sick Patients and others attempt and undertake upon the meer account of a possibility it is possible that the Souldier may win the field it is possible that the Mariner may make a happy voyage it is possible that the sick Patient may recover it is possible that he that strives for mastery may overcome c. Now upon this very account that it is possible what will they stick at what will they not attempt and endeavour to effect And why then should not Christians upon the account of a possibility make a diligent search after that holiness that will at last throne the soul in everlasting happiness Well Christians as a possibility of obtaining grace and mercy should bear up your hearts against despair Matth. 9.26 Mark 10 27. Chap. 14.36 Mark 9.23 Luke 18.27 as a possibility of obtaining a pardon should keep up your hearts in a seeking and a waiting way and as a possibility of salvation by Christ should be argument sufficient to work a soul to venture it self upon Christ so a possibility of knowing whether you have this pearl of price Holiness should work you to make a diligent search and enquiry after it Let no man do more upon the account of a possibility for this world then you will do upon the account of a possibility for another world Let no man do more upon the account of a possibility for his body then you will do upon the account of a possibility for your souls Let no man do more upon the account of a possibility for temporals then you will do upon the account of a possibility for eternals It is possible for you to know whether this babe of grace Holiness be formed in your souls or no and therefore search and enquire after it Secondly Consider this that it is a point of very great concernment to you to know whether you have this real holiness or no your souls lies upon it eternity lies upon it Psalm 4.5 your All lies upon it and an errour here may make a man miserable for ever it is good for thee to know the state of thy body the state of thy family the state of thy flock Prov. 27.25 Multi multa sciunt se autem nemo but it is of infinite more consequence for thee to know the state of thine own soul No man lives so miserable nor no man dies so sadly as he that lives and dies a stranger to his own soul It is good for thee to set all reckonings even between thy self and others but it is far better to set all reckonings even between God and thine own soul Ah how many are there who are better known to others Luke 12.16 17 18 19 20 21. Chap. 16.19 26. then they are to themselves and who are able to give a better account of their Lands and Lordships of their Treasures and Mannors yea of their Horses Hawks and Hounds then they are of the state of their souls Ah how many are there that are very inquisitive to know things to come Eccles 7.10 to know what will be hereafter to know whether they shall be great and rich in the world to know whether they shall be prosperous and successful in their undertakings to know whether they shall be crowned with length of dayes Job 21.23 24. Isa 41.22 23. Chap. 43.9 10. The heathens did admire that saying as an Oracle Nosce te ipsum Know thy own self or whether they shall be cut off in the flower of their age to know the secret counsels of Princes and what will be the issue of such and such mutations and revolutions that have happened amongst us and yet are not at all inquisitive after the state of their souls nor whether they have this real holiness without which there is no happiness They never enquire what will become of them hereafter They never enquire what state they shall enter upon after death whether upon a state of eternal wo or a state of everlasting bâ—â—s Of all acquaintances in this world there is none to that of a mans being acquainted with the state of his own soul A mistake about my outward condition may trouble me but a mistake about my spiritual condition may damn me There are many wayes to make up my mistakes about temporals but there is no way to make up my mistakes about eternals If at last I shall be sound to be mistaken in the great concernments of my soul I am undone for ever Well Sirs you are in a state of nature or in a state of grace you are in a
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
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
much affected and afflicted with seeing and hearing of the wickednesse of those among whom he lived 2 Peter 2.7 8. The Greek word for vexed in verse 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to be oppressed under the wanton and wicked conversation of the ungodly Sodomites as a man that is oppressed under a heavy burden which he labours under and would fain be delivered from Or to be oppressed as the Israelites were under their cruel Aegyptian Taskmasters Ah the sins the wickednesse of others sets hard upon the hearts of the Saints The Israelites did not more labour and sigh and groan under all their loads and oppressions then many holy hearts do labour and sigh and groan under the load of wicked mens sins And the Greek word for vexed in ver 8. It is a Metaphor taken from Engines that they did torment people withall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to be tortured tormented and wracked Oh their wickednesse did torment and wrack his righteous soul he could not see nor hear of their wickednesse but his soul was as upon a wrack Pambus in Ecclesiastical History wept when he saw an Harlot take so much pains to deck and dresse her self in curious and costly apparrel and all to entertain a wanton lover and so to make work for hell Oh it cannot but grieve a gracious soul to see what pains poor sinners take to go to hell A holy heart looks upon other mens sins as great dishonours done to his Father his King And therefore he cannot but cry out with Croesus his Son who though he was born dumb yet seeing some going about to kill his Father his tongue-strings unloosed and he cried out O kill not King Croesus kill not my Father Oh kill not my God and my King Oh kill not Oh dishonour not my dear Father and Saviour saith a holy heart Such is the love and high respects that holy hearts bear to their heavenly Father that they cannot but grieve and mourn and cry out when they see others to act Treason against the Crown and dignity of heaven Elijah had rather dye then to see Ahab and Jezebel to cast contempt and dishonour upon his God 1. A holy heart mourns for sin as sin he weeps over the very nature of sin he grieves for sin as it is the breach of a holy Law He that hates a Thief as a Thief will hate a Thief in another mans house as well as in his own and as it is a dishonour to a holy God c. and therefore he cannot but mourn for other mens sins as well as his own He that hates a Toad as a Toad will hate a Toad in other mens bosoms as well as his own He that hates poison as poison will hate poison in another mans hand as well as his own So he that hates sin as sin will hate it where-ever he sees it And he that mourns over sin as sin cannot but mourn over sin where-ever he observes it 2. By other mens sins a holy man is put in mind of the badnesse of his own heart Bernard makes mention in one of his Homilies of an old man who when he saw any man sin wept and lamented for him and being asked why he grieved so for other mens sins answered Ille hodie ego cras he fell to day and I may fall to morrow the falls of others puts a holy man in mind of the roots of bitternesse that be in himself other mens actual sins are as so many glasses through which a holy man comes to see the manifold seeds of sin that be in his own nature and such a sight as this cannot but melt him and break him 3. A holy heart knows that the best way to keep himself pure from other mens sins is to mourn for other mens sins 1 Tim. 5.22 1 Cor. 5.1 2 3. Ephes 5.11 He that makes conscience of weeping over other mens sins will rarely be defiled with other mens sins he that mourns not over other mens sins is accessary to other mens sins and first or last may find them charged upon his account He that mourns not for other mens sins is in danger of being insnared by other mens sins And how then can a holy man look upon other mens sins with dry eyes 4. A holy man looks upon other mens sins as the crucifiers of his Saviour He looks upon the proud mans pride as that which set a crown of thorns upon the sacred head of Christ and this makes him figh he looks upon the swearers oaths as the nails that nailed his blessed hands and feet to the crosse and this makes him grieve He looks upon scorners as spitting upon Christ and worldlings as preferring Barabbas before Christ and this makes him groan He looks upon hypocrites as kissing and betraying of Christ and he looks upon drunkards and wantons as giving gall and vinegar to Christ and this makes him mourn He looks upon other mens sins as having a hand in all Christs torments and this puts him upon the wrack and makes his very soul heavy even to the death 5. A holy heart knows that by mourning for other mens sins he may be instrumental to keep off wrath Psalm 106. Ezek. 9.4.6 How oft did holy Moses by his tears quench the wrath of an angry God However if wrath should break forth upon a Nation Isa 26.20 yet they that mourn for the abominations of the times they shall be hid in the day of Gods publick visitation When the house is on fire the Father hath a special care to provide for the safety and security of his children when the lumber is on fire a man will be sure first to secure his box of Jewels In times of common calamity God will be sure to look after his Jewels his mourning ones Isa 43.2 3. Dan. 3.17 18 19 26 27 28. though the lumber the wicked be burnt up on every hand in the day of Gods wrath yet he will be sure to preserve his jewels in the midst of the flames Augustin coming to visit a sick man found the room full of mourners he found â—he wife sobbing the children sighing and the kindred lamenting whereupon he suddenly breathed forth this short but sweet ejaculatory prayer Lord saith he what prayers dost thou hear if not these So in times of common calamity holy hearts may look up and say Ah Lord whose sighs whose groans whose tears wilt thou hear if not ours Who are mourners in Sion and who wilt thou save and secure in this day of thy fierce indignation if not we who have laboured to drown both our own and other mens sins in penitential tears 6. A holy heart looks upon sinners sins to contribute very much towards the bringing in of sore and sad changes upon a Land and Nation Psal 107.33 34. he knows that sinners sins may turn Rivers into a wildernesse and water-springs into dry ground and a fruitfull land into a barren wildernesse
moves and perswades men to holiness it is he that presents holiness in its beauty and glory to the soul it is he that sows seeds of holiness in the soul and it is he that causes those seeds to grow up to maturity and ripeness Nil nisi sanctum à sancto spiritu prodire potest Nothing can come from the holy spirit but that which is holy The holy Spirit is the great principle of all the holiness that is in the world and this holy Spirit God hath engaged himself to give to those that are unholy Ezek. 36.25 26 27. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart will I also give you and a new spirit well I put within you and I well take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them The holy spirit is a gift a free gift a noble gift a precious gift a glorious gift 2 Tim. 2.21 that God will bestow upon the unclean upon the unsanctified that they may be cleansed and sanctified and so fitted for the Lords service and use It is possible that you may be holy Witness 2. His holy word that he hath given on purpose to make men holy and to keep men holy Deut. 4.6 7 8 9. Rom. 7.12 Luke 1.70 to 76. his commandments are holy just and good his threatnings are holy just and good and all his promises are holy just and good The holy Scriptures were written with a finger of holinesse so as to move to holiness and to work holinesse the whole word of God is an intire love-letter to provoke to holiness and to promote holiness Holy commands should sweetly perswade us to holiness and holy threatnings should divinely force us to holiness and holy promises should effectually allure us to the love of holiness to the embracing of holiness and to the practise of holiness The great design of God in sending this sacred volume in golden letters from heaven was to enamour men with the love and beauty of holiness Again it is possible that you may attain to true holiness Witness 3. Those holy Embassadors that he hath sent on purpose to turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ Acts 26.18 2 Corin. 5.18 19 20. Their great business and work is to treat with you about holiness it is to woo you to match with holiness and to follow after holiness it is to remove all lets and impediments that may any wayes hinder your embracing of holiness and it is to propose all manner of encouragements that may win you over to make holiness your great All. Again it is possible that you may be holy Witnesse 4. The holy Examples of all the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Praecepta docent exempla movent and Saints that are left on record on purpose to provoke you to an imitation of them in holiness their holy examples as so many shining stars are left upon record to influence us to holiness In the holy examples of those that are now triumphant in heaven you may run and read that holiness is attainable In their holy examples as in so many looking-glasses you may see that holiness is a Jewel that may be procured by that holiness that others have reached to sinners may see that it is possible that they may be made Saints Again it is possible that you may be holy Witnesse 5. All those notorious sinners that the Scripture declares have been sanctified and made holy to instance only in a few Adam you know was created in an estate of innocency Gen. 1.26 integrity and perfect holiness he being made in the image of God and after the likeness and similitude of God it was agreed upon in the Parliament of heaven that man should be made glorious in holiness In this Scripture he speaks plainly of the Renovation of that knowledge holiness and righteousness that Adam somtimes had but lost it by his fall Psal 8.4 5 6. Gen. 2.20 and so he was for he was made after Gods own image And this the Apostle clearly and fully evidences in that famous Scripture Ephes 4.22 23 24. That Adam was invested and endowed with righteousness and holiness in his first glorious estate with righteousness that he might carry it fairly justly evenly and righteously towards man and with holiness that he might carry it wisely lovingly reverentially and holily towards God And that he might take up in God as his chiefest good as in his great All might be fufficiently made good out of this Scripture last cited but I shall not now stand upon the discovery of Adams beauty authority dominion dignity honour and glory with which he was adorned invested and crowned in innocency Let this satisfie that Adams first estate was a state of perfect knowledge wisdom and understanding it was a perfect state of holiness righteousness and happiness there was nothing within him but what was desirable and delectable there was nothing without him but what was amiable and commendable nor nothing about him but what was serviceable and comfortable and yet in the height of all his glory he falls to Apostasie and open Rebellion against God he takes part with Satan against God himself he transgresses his righteous Law he affronts his justice he provokes his anger he stirrs up his wrath against himself and his posterity The sin of Adam was a voluminous sin all kinds of notorious sins were bound up in it as backsliding rebellion treason pride unbelief blasphemy contempt of God unthankfulness theft murder and idolatry c. The Philosopher being asked which was the best member of the body answered The tongue for if it be good it is the best Trumpet of Gods glory And being asked again which was the worst answered The tongue for if it be bad it is the worst fire-brand of hell So if any should ask me Which was the best creature of God I would answer Man in honour before his fall If you should ask me Which is the worst I must answer Man in his fall Adam was once the wonder of all understanding the mirrour of wisdom and knowledge the image of God the delight of heaven the glory of the creation the worlds great Lord and the Lords great darling but being faln ah how low how poor how miserable how sottish how sensless how brutish yea how much below the beast that perisheth was he and yet God pardoned changed and sanctified him and stampt his image of holiness afresh upon him when he made a Covenant with him in Christ Genesis 3. So Manasseh he was a notorious sinner he was a sinner of the greatest magnitude his sins reached up to heaven his soul was ripe for hell he had sold
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
to say with those in Ezekiel Behold they of the house of Israel say the vision that he seeth is for many days to come Amos 6.3 Ezek. 12.27 Luk. 12. and he prophesieth of the times that are afar off So the rich man in the Gospel reckoned upon many years when he had not many monthes no not many weeks no not many days no not many hours to live in this world Unholy persons are very apt to say to death as Pharaoh said to Moses Get thee from me Exod. 10.28 and let me see thy face no more When death knocks at the poor mans door he sends it to the rich mans gate and the rich man translates it to the Schollar and the Scholar posts it away to the Citizen and the Citizen to the Courtier and the Courtier to his Lady and his Lady to her Maid so death is posted away as it were from one to another every one crying out to death O let me not see thy face O let me not see thy face 'T was even a death to Queen Elizabeth Sigismund the Emperor Lewes the 11 of France Cardinal Beauford and others to think of death or to hear of death and therefore they strictly charged all their servants about them that when they saw them sick they should never dare to name that bitter word Death in their ears And Pashur can't cast his eye upon death but he is presently a Magor Missabib a terror to himself Jer. 20.3 And Saul though he was a valiant King yet at the news of death he falls on his face 1 Sam. 28.20 And so Belshazzar though he was a mighty Emperor Dan. 5.1 7. yet a letter to him from him whom Bildad calleth the King of terrors Job 18.14 Ah how does it amaze astonish affright and terrifie him and how many are there who with Mecaenas in Seneca had rather live in many diseases then die and with the most famous Heathens prefer the meanest life on earth above all the hopes they have of another world like Achilles who had rather be a servant to a poor country Clown here then to be a King to all the souls departed or like Withipoll a rich and wretched man who when he was in danger of death earnestly desired that he might live five hundred years Vitellius looking for the messenger of death made himself drunk to drown the the thoughts of it though it were but in the shape of a Toad Near Lewes in Sussex a woman being ill one of her neighbors coming to visit her told her that if she died she should go to heaven and be with God and Jesus Christ and with Angels and Saints the sick woman answered that she had no acquaintance there she knew no body there and therefore she had rather live with her and her other neighbors here then to go thither to live amongst strangers And thus you see how apt persons are to shrug at death which is a common lot and to say to it as Ephraim did to his Idols Get you hence what have we more to do with you but this is and must be for a lamentation that men put off the thoughts of their latter end to the latter end of their thoughts Man naturally is a great life-lover and therefore he will bleed sweat vomit purge part with an estate yea with a limb I limbs to preserve his life like him that cryed out O give me any deformity any torment any misery so you spare my life And upon this account 't is that he desires that such a guest as death may not knock at his door but Ah that all such vain men would consider that by putting the day of their death far from them they do but gratifie Satan strengthen their sins provoke the Lord and make the work of faith and holiness more hard and difficult and so lay a deep foundation for their own eternal destruction Well sirs remember this the serious thoughts and meditations of death if any thing will work you to break off your sins to mend your lives and to look to the salvation of your souls there is nothing that will sooner work a man to a holy fear of offending God in any thing and to a holy care of pleasing God in every thing then the serious meditation of death Though that text Remember thy latter end and thou shalt never do amiss be Apocryphal yet the truth asserted is Canonical I have read a story of one that gave a young prodigal a Ring with a Deaths-head on this condition that he should one hour in a day for seven days together think and meditate upon Death which accordingly he did and it bred a great change and alteration in his life and conversation O! man thou doest not know but that the serious thoughts of death may work that desireable thing in thee viz. holiness which yet has not been wrought in thee by all the holy counsels the gracious examples the fervent prayers the sorrowful tears of thy dearest friends thou doest not know but that the serious meditation of Death may do thee more good then all the Sermons that ever thou hast heard or then all the books that ever thou hast read or then all the prayers that ever thou hast made or then all the sighs or groans that ever thou hast poured out and why then shouldest thou put the thoughts of death far from thee Certainly as he is a sinner in grain that dares look death in the face and yet sin that dares cut a purse when the Judge looks on so he is a monster rather then a man that dares look death in the face and yet satisfie himself to live without holiness that dares look death in the face and yet say I 'll drink and be drunk I 'll sware and swagger I 'll roar and whore I 'll cheat and cozen I 'll hate and oppose I 'll quarrel and kill and my hands shall be as bloody as my heart and let death do her worst if such a person be not in the ready way of being miserable for ever I know nothing Well sirs remember these three things First That there is nothing more certain then death That Statute Law of heaven Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 will take hold of all the sons of men There is no man that lives and shall not see death Psal 89.48 Gen. 32. Though Jacob wrestled with an Angel and prevailed yet death was too hard for him though Hazael was as light of foot as a wild Roe yet he could not out-run death 2 Sam. 2.18 and Absalom could not out-ride it nor Pharoah out-drive it though Saul and Jonathan were as swift as Eagles and as strong as Lyons yet were they slain among the mighty 'T was not Solomons wisdom that could deliver him nor Sampsons strength that could rescue him nor Hamans honor that could secure him nor Goliahs sword that could defend him nor Dives riches that could
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
shall learn righteousness that is they shall learn to fear thee upon the account of thy righteous judgement suitable to that Job 37.23 24. Touching the Almighty we cannot finde him out he is excellent in power and in judgement and in plenty of justice Men do therefore fear him he respecteth not any that are wise of heart and to that Rev. 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest The judgements of God upon Antichrist shall so awaken alarm and affect the nations that they shall cast off all false ways of worship and worship the Lord in a more pure spiritual high and noble way then ever yet they have done God is a free Agent and he can make sinners Saints as well by judgements as by mercies Waldus from whom the Waldenses had their name when many were met together to be merry seeing one among them suddenly fall down dead it struck so to his heart that he went home a penitent and proved a very precious holy man Rabbi Salomon on Prov. 9.25 Pharaoh was not a pin the better for all the plagues that came upon him but Jethro taking notice of Gods heavy judgements upon Pharaoh and likewise upon the Amalekites was thereby converted and became a Proselyte as some observe O sirs who can tell but that a fixed eye upon the remarkable judgements of God that has been inflicted upon notorious sinners may be a means to change you and turn you to the Lord forget not the plagues that came upon bloody Pharaoh Remember how crafty Achitophel and proud Haman and covetous Judas came all to the halter forget not how the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Corah and his companions forget not the Angel that drew upon Balaam nor Samuels sword that cut Agag in pieces nor the Royal Oake on which Absalom was hanged nor the Javlin by which Phinehas in his zeal for God thrust through Zimri and Cozbi remember how Ananias and Saphira were struck dead with a lye in their mouthes remember how God rained hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah remember how suddenly how unexpectedly and how inevitably the flood came upon the old world and remember how the Angels that kept not their first station of holiness See the Theatre of Gods Judgments by Dr. Beard and Dr. Taylor and see Mr. Clarks Looking-glass both for Saints and sinners are now in chains under everlasting darkness O who can seriously dwell upon the severe judgements of God upon these persons and not resolve upon breaking off his sins and pursuing after that holiness without which there is no happiness O! remember that God is as holy a God as ever and as just a God as ever and as jealous of his glory as ever and therefore turn from the evil of your doings that your souls may live O! that the dreadful judgements of God that has been executed upon others might so alarm all unholy hearts that they may with all their might cast off the works of darkness and put on the Armor of light that so they may be children of the light and their souls may live for ever And thus much for the means whereby men may reach to that holiness without which there is no happiness I come now in the third place to answer those objections which usually are made against mens pursuing after holiness As Object First We have no power to make our selves holy we are as well able to make a world to command the winds and to raise the dead as we are able to cleanse our own hearts or change our own natures or sanctifie our own souls and therefore to what purpose should we be so strongly prest to do that which we have no power to do Now to this objection I shall give these following answers First That thou hast no power to perform any supernatural act as to believe or love God or repent or to change thine own heart or to sanctifie or make thy self holy must be granted that by nature thou art dead in trespasses and sins and hast lost all thy spiritual senses of seeing hearing tasting Eph. 2.1 and feeling can't be denyed 't is certain that thy nature is so corrupted that thou canst not think a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 Mat. 12.34 Joh. 6.44 1 Cor. 2.14 nor speak a good word nor do a good work thou art not sick but dead God-wards and Christ-wards and heaven-wards and holiness-wards c. I have read of the Lyoness how that she brings forth her whelps dead and so they remain till after some time by her roaring aloud over them they come to live certainly all unholy hearts are spiritually dead and till Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah comes to roar over them by uttering his voice in the Gospel they cannot live John 5.25 't is Christ onely that can quicken the dead 't was never known since the creation of the world that ever a dead man could make himself alive 1 King 8.38 Sin in Dominion is the plague of the heart now as there is no disease so deadly as the plague so there is no plague so deadly as the plague of the heart O this is a disease that none can cure but he who is the Physitian of souls an unsanctified person is not half dead as the Pelagians Arminians and Papists say but as to spirituals he is stark dead Col. 2.13 An unsanctified soul is dead 1. Respectu operis In respect of working and therefore his works are called dead works Heb. 9.14 There is death written upon all he does 2. Respectu honoris He is dead in respect of honor he is dead to all priviledges he is not fit to inherit mercy who will set the crown of life upon a deads man head the crown of life is for the holy Christian and the holy Christian is for the crown of life Rev. 2.10 2 Tim. 4.8 When he in Plutarch had tried all manner of ways to raise a dead man and to make him stand upon his feet and saw he could not do it then he cryed out there must be something within there must be something within So when men have said and done all they can there must be something within there must be something of the power and Spirit of Christ within that must raise up spiritual life in those that are spiritually dead But Secondly I answer That God gave thee ability and power in Adam to obey him in all his commands Gen. 1.26 Eccles 7.29 Psal 8.4 ult and though by Adams fall thou hast lost thy power to obey yet God has not lost his right and power to command thee to obey Suppose a father should furnish a Child with moneys and all other necessaries to go a journey and he should be drawn in by some stronge temptation to spend his money his time and his strength
testifies to your faces Hosea 5.5 Ch. 7.10 and your worldliness testifies to your faces and your passion testifies to your faces and your diffidence testifies to your faces and your hypocrisie testifies to your faces and your carnality testifies to your faces c. that yet you are not got up many rounds in Jacobs Ladder that your degrees in holiness may be easily cast up But Secondly You have not attain'd to much holiness witness that high price that you set upon the toyes the trifles and the vanities of this world As Jonah did upon his Gourd Ah at what a rate do men value the empty honors the fading riches and the declining greatness of this world Democritus the Philosopher esteemed his Roome covered over with green branches Gen. 24.30 31. Math. 17.4 2 Cor. 5.1 2. Math. 18.1 2. Mark 9.33 34 35 36. above the Royal Palace And did not Peter prefer a Tabernacle on earth before a Royal Palace not made with hands but eternal in the heavens But what doe I talke of Peter when this disease had againe and againe and againe over-spread the hearts of all the Disciples as you may evidently see by comparing the Scripture in the Margent together they had dispute upon dispute Luke 9.46 47. Chap. 22. to the 28. vide which of them should be accounted greatest they had often sharp contests among themselves which of them should have the greatest honor the best office and the highest preferment in Christs earthly kingdome and indeed their thoughts heads and hearts were so taken up about an outward kingdome a worldly kingdome that they little minded either the spiritual kingdome of God within them or the glorious kingdome of God above them As the foolish Indians prefer every toy and trifle before their Mines of Gold so many Christians who are low in holiness prefer the trifling vanities of this world before the glorious treasures and endless pleasures that be at Gods right hand Psal 16. ult O but where holiness is risen to any considerable height there men will make a very foot-stool of their crowns for Christ to get up and ride in triumph Rev. 4.10 11. there all the glory bravery of this world will be but as dross dung Phil. 3.7 8. there men would like the woman the Church in the Revelation Rev. 12.1 trample the Moon that is all the things of this world which are as changeble as the Moon under their feete were there but more holiness in your hearts all the gay galllant things of this world would be more contemptible in your eyes O Sirs if Midas was condemned to wear Asses ears because he preferred Pans Pipe before Apollo's Lute that is humane policy before divine providence how severely are they to be censured who prefer the poor low empty nothings of this world before all the glory happines of another world c. But Thirdly You have attain'd to but little holiness witness your fears faintings in a day of adversity Though there be as many feare nots as there be feares in Scripture Isa 51.12 13. Ch. 41.10.14 yet in a day of calamity how easily and frequently do's your feares get above your faith and what fainting fits do's then attend you Pro. 24.10 If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small or as the Hebrew has it Tsar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies to be straitned as men are straitned that are closely besieged in time of war c. thy strength is narrow or straitned Look as bodily faintness discovers bodily weakness so soul faintness discovers soul weakness 't is troubles that are the trialls of a Christians strength afflictions will try what sap and life we have within us As the man is for holiness so is his strength under trials he that has no holiness has no strength and he that has but a little holiness has but a little strength but he that has much holiness has much strength and accordingly will bare up bravely in a day of tryall Gen. 49.23 24. his bow with Joseph's will then abide in strength Though Noah in the building of his Arke met with many a sore tryall and many a sad affront and many a broad jest and many a bitter scoffe and though the people generally laught at the good old man thinking that he did not only dote but dreame not of a dry summer but of a wet winter as we say yet Noah being eminent in holiness his bow abode in strength and he held on building of the Arke till he had finished the worke that God had commanded But O the sadness the weakness the faintness that attends most persons in the day of their adversity Jer. 8.18 21. When I would comfort my selfe against sorrow my heart is faint in me For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt I am black astonishment hath taken hold on me Chap. 45.3 Thou didst say wo is me now for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow I fainted in my sighings and I finde no rest Lam. 1.22 For my sighs are many and my heart is faint Chap. 5.17 For this our heart is faint for these things our eyes are dim Now this faintness in the day of adversity speaks out much spiritual weakness for where holiness is risen to a noble height there men will bare up couragiously even in a day of calamity The Eagle is the King of Birds Aristotle l. 9. de Historia Animalium c. and therefore the Romans who were the greatest Potentates on earth stil bore the Eagle in their Standards now the Naturalist observes concerning this Royal Bird that whereas all other Birds make a noise when they are hungry this Princely Bird makes no noise at all though he be never so hungry for such is the greatness and the nobleness of his spirit that what ever befalls him he won't cry and whine and repine as other Birds will doe when they want their food his Princely spirit carries him above all hunger thirst or danger So men that are eminent in holiness are men of such noble princely spirits that they won't faint nor vex nor fret nor complaine nor whine whatever their wants tryals or straits may be such afflictions as would break other mens hearts cannot so much as break their sleep they still hold on their way whatever they meet with they will be still amounting nearer and nearer to heaven But now where there is but a little holiness there men will be like the common fowls of the air still a making a noise they will still be a crying whining and repining under every trial and trouble they meet with But Fourthly You Have but a little holiness witness your easie your ready and your frequent fallings before temptations and motions to sin O! sirs when the temptation does but touch and take when you are no sooner tempted but you are conquered no sooner assaulted but
grace and holiness And thus much for this third motive Fourthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness consider that the more your holiness is encreased the more the great God will be honored and glorified Math. 5.16 Fruitfulness in holiness sets the weightiest crowne of glory upon the head of God John 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that ye bare much fruit The more eminent any person is in holiness the more clearely and convincingly he proclaimes God before all the world to be a rich God a full God a bountiful God an overflowing good there is nothing that works men to admire God so much and to exalt God so high as a Christians fruitfulness in holiness O how good must that God be whose servants are so good said the Heathen O how glorious in holiness must that God be whose people are so holy Look as the thriving child is a credit to the Nurse and the rich servant an honor to his Master and a plentiful Crop the praise of the husbandman so that Christian that thrives in grace that grows rich in holiness is the greatest credit and the highest honor and the sweetest praise to God in the world The Tree in Alcinous Garden had alwayes blossomes buds and ripe fruits one under another O! Sirs those Trees of righteousness Isa 61.3 that have not only the blossomes and buds of holiness upon them but also the ripe fruits of holiness one under another they are the greatest honor and glory to God in the world What will men say when they shall behold your eminency in sanctity will they not say certainly God is no hard Master Math. 25.24 he never looks to reape where he do's not sowe nor to gather where he do's not straw Certainly he keeps a noble house his Tables are richly spread his Cups overflow he feeds yea he feasts his servants with the choicest rarities and varieties that heaven affords witness their thriving and flourishing estate in grace and holiness And thus you see that the more your holiness is encreased the more highly the God of heaven will be exalted and magnified But Fifthly To provoke you to endeavour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the more holiness thou hast the more hee 'l give thee At first God gives holiness where there is none and where this holiness is improved there God will be still augmenting and increasing of it do thou but make it thy business to perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord Heb. 6.7 and the Lord will not faile to make new and fresh additions of more grace and holiness to that thou hast Psal 84.11 The Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Mark those words viz. that the Lord will give grace and glory that is grace unto glory hee 'l still be adding more grace to that thou hast till the bud of grace be turn'd into the flower of glory till thy grace on earth commenceth glory in heaven the more holiness any man has the more still God will give him Math. 13.12 For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance He that hath principles of grace and holiness laid into his soul he shall finde a plentifull increase of those sanctifying and saving principles he shall have more abundance his spark of holiness shall grow into a flame his drops of holiness shall be turn'd into a sea and his mite of holiness shall be multiplyed into millions Math. 25.29 The greater harvest of holiness a Christian brings forth the greater encrease of holiness shall he experience every exercise of grace and holiness is alwayes attended with new increase of grace and holiness Look as that arme is greatest and strongest that is most used and exercised so that particular grace that is most exercised and used is most strengthned and greatned Look as earthly Parents when they see their children to husband and improve a little Stock to great advantage then they adde to their Stock they increase their Stock they double their Stock so when the father of spirits sees his children to husband and improve a little Stock of grace and holiness to the great advantage of their souls then he will increase their spiritual Stock he will be still a adding to their Stock yea he will double their Stock John 15.2 Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Such as are fruitful shall be made more fruitful Christ will take most paines to make them better who are already very good of all Christians in the world there are none that have so much grace as humble Christians have and yet God delights to pour in grace into their souls as men pour liquor into empty vessels humility is both a grace James 4.6 and a vessel to receive more grace And thus much for this fifth Argument But Sixthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the more holiness you attaine to the greater will be your heaven of joy and comfort in this world Though the least spark of true holiness will bring a man to heaven certainly yet 't is only an eminency in holiness that will make a man walk to heaven comfortably the more holiness any man has Psal 16. ult the more he shall enjoy him in whose presence is fulness of joy and the more any man enjoyes the presence of God with his Spirit the greater will be his heaven of joy in this world Look as a little Star yeilds but a little light so a little holiness yeilds but a little comfort and look as the greatest Stars yeilds the greatest light so the greatest measures of holiness alwayes yeilds the greatest comforts Divine joy ebbs and flowes as holiness ebbs and slowes soul comforts rises and falls as holiness rises and falls Great measures of holiness carries with them the greatest evidence of the reality of holiness now the more clearely and evidently the reality and sincerity of a mans holiness appeares the higher will the springs of joy and comfort arise in his soul Great measures of holiness carry with them the greatest evidence of a mans union and communion with God and the more evident a mans union and communion is with God the more will that mans soul be fill'd with that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Acts 9.31 In great measures of holiness a man may see and reade most of the love of God the face of God the favour of God and the heart of God and the more a man is blest with such a sight as this is the more will that Babe of grace divine joy spring in his soul The greater measures of holiness and sanctification any man attaines to the clearer and brighter will the evidences of his Justification be Rom. 5.1 2 3. And Ch. 8.30 33 34 35 Now the clearer evidences any
man has of his Justification the stronger will be his consolation and indeed the strongest waters of consolation doe alwayes flow from a cleare sight and a true sense of a mans justification no man lives so comfortably no man bares the cross so sweetly no man resists the devill and the world so stoutly nor no man will die so chearfully as he that lives and dies in a cleare sight of his Justification The more holiness any man attaines to the more his feares will be scattered his doubts resolved and all those impediments removed that commonly bar out joy and comfort and what will be the happy issue of these things but the bringing in of a sea of joy and comfort into the soul 'T is not riches nor honors nor applause nor learning nor friends nor a great name in the world but an eminency in holiness that can highly raise the springs of divine joy in a Christians soul Though the windowes of the Temple were broad without but narrow within yet the joy and comfort of a Christian that is eminent in holiness is broad and full within though it be narrow and contracted without O Sirs as ever you would have your joy full labour for a heart fill'd with holiness your comforts will be alwayes few and low if your holiness be low Why have the Angels alwayes Harpes in their hands and Hallelujah's in their mouths but because they have attain'd to a fulness of holiness But Seventhly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the more holy any person is the more the Lord will reveale and manifest himselfe and his mind and will unto him Joh. 14.21 23. Hosea 6.3 Ezekiel was a man of eminent holiness and a man that had glorious visions and deep mysteries and rare discoveries of God and of the great things that should be brought about in the latter dayes See 2 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 Chapters of Daniel discovered to him And Daniel was a man of very great holiness and O what secrets and mysteries did God reveale to him many of those great and glorious things which concernes the destruction of the four last Monarchies and the growth increase exaltation flourishing durable invincible and unconquerable estate of his own kingdome was discovered to him 2 Cor. 12.2 4. Among all the Apostles Paul was a man of the greatest holiness and of all the Apostles Paul had the most glorious revelations and discoveries of God manifested to him witness those glorious Revelations that he had when he was caught up into the third heaven into Paradise and heard unspeakable words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or wordless words such as words were too weak to utter such as was not possible for man to utter and that either because they transcended mans capacity in this life or else because the Apostle was forbidden to utter them they being revealed to him not for the publike use of the Church but only for his particular encouragement that so he might be the better able to encounter with all the hardships difficulties dangers and deaths that should attend him in the conscientious discharge of his ministerial work Some of the Ancients are of opinion that he saw Gods essence for say they other things in heaven might have been uttered but the essence of God is so great and so glorious a thing that no man or Angel can utter it or declare it but here I must crave leave to enter my dissent for the Scripture is express in this John 1.18 1 Tim. 6.16 1 Ioh. 4.12 that no man hath thus ever seen the Lord at any time and that no man can thus see the Lord and live And as great a favourite of heaven as Moses was yet he could only see the back parts of God he could only behold some lower representations of God Others say that he heard the heavenly singing of Angels and blessed Spirits which was so sweet so excellent and glorious that no mortall man was able to utter it and this of the two is most probable but no man is bound to make this opinion an Article of his faith this I think we may safely conclude that in this rapture besides the contemplation of Celestial Mysteries he felt such unspeakable delight and pleasure that was either like to that or exceeding that which Adam took in the terrestrial Paradise doubtless the Apostle did see and heare such excellent and glorious things as was impossible for the tongue of any mortal man to express or utter And so John was a man of most rare holiness and Christ reveals to him the General estate of his Church and all that should befall his people and that from Johns time unto his second coming Christ gives John a true representation of all the troubles tryalls changes mercies and glories that in all times and in all Ages and places should attend his Church untill he came in all his glory About sixty years after Christs ascension 'T is the General opinion of the learned that this book of the Revelation was penned about the latter end of the Reigne of Domitian the Emperour which was about sixty years after Christs Ascension Christ comes to John and opens his heart and unbosomes his soul and makes knowne to him all that care that love that tenderness that kindness and that sweetness that he would exercise towards his Church from that very time to the end of the world Christ tells John that though he had been absent and seemingly silent for about threescore years that yet he was not so taken up with the delights contents and glory of heaven as that he did not care what became of his Church on earth O! no And therefore he opens his choicest secrets and makes knowne the most hidden and glorious mysteries to John that ever was made knowne to any man As there was none that had so much of the heart of Christ as John so there was none that had so much of the eare of Christ as John Christ singles out his servant John from all the men in the world and makes knowne to him all the happy providences and all the sad occurrences that were to come upon the followers of the Lamb that so they might know what to pray for and what to fit for and what to waite for also he declares to John all that wrath and vengeance all that desolation and destruction that should come upon the false Prophet and the Beast and upon all that wondered after them and that were worshippers of them and that had received their marks either in their foreheads or in their hands We reade of holy Polycarpus that as he lay in his bed he saw in a vision the bed set on fire under his head A vision and thus God did forewarne him and manifest to him what manner of death he should die and accordingly it fell out for he was burnt for the cause of Christ and rejoycingly sealed to the
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
because wee were holy or because hee did fore-see that in time wee would be holy but hee chose us to that very end that wee should be holy Look as Esther Esther 1. was first chosen out among the Virgins and then purified and decked with Rich and Royal Ornaments and Garments before shee was brought into the presence of the King So God first chuses poor sinners and then hee purifies them Psal 45.13 and adorns them with the rich and glorious Garments of Grace and Holiness that so they may be meet and fit to enter into his Royal Presence 1 Thes 1.4 Knowing Brethren Beloved your Election of God Vers 5. For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost Vers 9. And how yee turned to God from Idols to serve the Living and True God When the Gospel comes in Power and in the Holy Ghost and turns persons from Idols to serve the Living God 't is a clear and evident sign of their Election real Sanctification is a sure evidence a fair copy of a mans Election Look as the Pattern is known by the Picture and the Cause by the Effect so Election is known by real Sanctification A Christian need never put himself to the charge of making a Ladder to climbe up to Heaven to search the Records of Glory to see whether his Name is written in the Book of Life in the Book of Election or no but rather make a strict and diligent enquiry whether hee be really and throughly sanctified or no for where there is real sanctification there the glorious Image of Gods Election is in Golden Characters stampt upon the soul A man may have his Name set down in the Chronicles yet lost wrought in durable Marble yet perish set upon a Monument equal to a Colossus yet be ignominius inscribed on the Hospital gates yet go to Hell written in the front of his own house yet another come to possess it All these are but writings in the dust or upon the waters where the Characters perish so soon as they are made they no more prove a man happy than the fool could prove Pontius Pilate happy because his Name was written in the Creed but in real Sanctification a man may see his Name so written in the Book of Gods Election as that it shall remain legible to all Eternity But Secondly If thou are a holy person if thou hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that the Lord takes singular pleasure delight and complacency both in thy holiness and in thy person Psa 149.4 5. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people hee will beautifie the meek with salvation Let the Saints be joyful in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds The Hebrew word Rotseh that is here rendred pleasure is from Ratsah that signifies pleasure delight complacency content c. O God takes singular pleasure singular delight singular complacency and singular content in all his Saints in all his sanctified ones Holiness is the express Image of God and therefore hee cannot but take pleasure in it and in all those that bear it Zeph. 3.13 The Remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue bee found in their mouth Well here are glorious Characters of their holiness but what pleasure what delight c. doth God take in these holy ones why certainly very much as you may see in ver 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty hee will save hee will rejoyce over thee with joy hee will rest in his love hee will joy over thee with singing Look as a Bridegroom rejoyces over his Bride Isa 62.4 5. so will the Lord rejoyce over his holy ones and look what delight complacency and content the Bridegroom takes in his Bride the same yea greater God takes in all his sanctified ones Yea look as a fond Father joyes over his dear childe that hee carries in his arms or dandles upon his knee with singing so God will joy over all his holy ones which are his fondlings with singing such is the singular delight satisfaction and content that hee takes in them Look as the Husbandman delights much in that ground that was once barren but is now fruitful and as the Captain takes a great deal of pleasure in that souldier that once run from his colours but is now returned and fights valiantly and resolutely against all opposers and adversaries and as the Father takes a great deal of joy content and satisfaction in the return reformation and amendment of his Prodigal Son Luke 15. even so a holy God is wonderfully delighted pleased enamoured and even overjoyed Heb. 6.7 â— when such as brought forth nothing but the thorns and briers of wickedness Heb. 2.10 do now bring forth the pleasant fruits of righteousness and holinesse and when such as have run from Christ the Captain of their salvation and run from their profession and run from their principles and run almost from every thing that is good shall now return to the Captain of their Salvation and fight it out most valiantly and resolutely against the world the flesh and the devil and when such as have proved Prodigals and spent all that portion all that stock and all that treasure that they have been intrusted with shall now break off their sins and humble themselves and reform their lives and mend their waies God is so infinitely pleased and delighted in these that hee Records their Names in Heaven Luke 10.20 Rejoyce not in this that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven 't is matter of the greatest joy in the world for a man to have his name inrol'd in Heaven look as 't is the sinners hell that his name is ingrossed in the book of perdition so 't is the beleevers heaven that his name is ingrossed in the book of election I have read of a Senatour Tacitus who relating to his Son the great honours that were assign'd to some Souldiers whose names were written in a certain book whereupon the Son was very importunate to see that book his Father shews him the outside and it seemed so glorious that hee earnestly desired him to open it no saith the Father by no means for it is sealed by the counsel then saith the Son pray tell mee if my name bee written there his Father replies no because all the names of those Souldiers were kept secret in the breasts of the Senatours The Son studying how hee might get some satisfaction desired his Father to acquaint him with the merits of those Souldiers whose names were written in that book the Father relates to him their noble atchievements and worthy acts of valour wherewith they had eternized their names such are written said hee and none but such must bee written in this book whereupon the Son consulting
Sons and stand by them as Sons and lay up for them as Sons and lay out himself for them as Sons that they that have not deserved a smile from God a good word from God a bit of bread from God or a good look from God should be made the Sons of God What manner of love is this that they that have so highly provoked God that they that have walkt so cross and contrary to God that they that were so exceeding unlike to God that they that have preferred every lust and every toy and vanity before God that they that have fought many years under Satans Banner against God that they that have refused all the offers of mercy that hath been made by God that they that have deserved to be reprobated by God to be damned by God and to be thrown to Hell by God that these should be made the Sons of God O stand and wonder O stand and admire at the freeness of Grace and at the riches of Grace But Seventhly 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 thou art an undoubted heir of everlasting Glory Rom. 8.16 17 18. James 2.5 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Rom. 8.29 30. For whom hee did foreknow hee also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that is in holinesse that hee might bee the first born among many Brethren Moreover whom hee did predestinate them hee also called and whom hee called them hee also justified and whom hee justified them hee also glorified Holiness is a most sure earnest and pawn of glory 2 Thes 2.13 God hath chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God 1 Joh. 3.2 3. When hee shall appear wee shall be like him that is in glory for wee shall see him as hee is And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as hee is pure Hee that hath a real hope a lively hope of being like to Christ in Glory and of reigning with Christ in Heaven will set roundly upon the work of self-purifying there is no hope to that hope that runs out into holiness and that leads the soul on to the highest degrees of purification and that inables a man to set up Christs purity as the most perfect Pattern and exact Coppy for his Imitation Titus 3.4 5 6 7. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by works of Righteousness which wee have done but according to his mercy hee saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which hee shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour That being justified by his Grace wee should bee made heirs according to the hope of eternal Life Holiness is an infallible forerunner of glory 't is the first-fruits of that eternal happiness and blessedness that God hath laid up for his children in the highest Heavens And O what cause of joy and gladness should this be to every holy heart what though thou shouldest never have a good day more on Earth what though all the springs of comfort should be dried upon thy right hand and on thy left hand what though God should never smile on thee more in this world what though the remaining part of thy life should bee filled up with crosses losses troubles and trials what though God should let Satan loose to tempt thee and wicked men grow strong to oppress thee and friends turn enemies to grieve thee Yea what if thou shouldest go to thy grave with tears in thy eyes and with sorrow in thy heart yet as long as thou art sure that thou art an heir of Glory and that all the happiness of Heaven is thine and that thy Crown is safe Psal 16. ult and that thou shalt be for ever filled and satisfied with those everlasting pleasures and delights that be at Gods right hand thou hast cause to joy and rejoyce in the midst of all thy sorrows and sufferings Heb. 12.28 1 Pet. 1.3 4. See my String of Pearls on that very Text. yea to glory and triumph in the hopes and expectations of a Kingdome that shakes not of a Crown that withers not of Riches that corrupt not and of an Inheritance that fadeth not away O Sirs 't is not all the Silks of Persia nor all the Spices of Egypt nor all the Gold of Ophir nor all the Treasures of both Indies nor all the Crowns and Scepters in the world no nor yet the worth of ten thousand worlds that are to be compared with that Glory that is treasured up for all Gods holy ones they have an Inheritance reserved in Heaven for them that cannot be moth-eaten nor spoiled by hostile invasion nor wrung from them by power nor won from them by Law nor mortgaged for debt nor impaired by publick calamity nor plundered by Theeves and Robbers nor changed by Kings or Parliaments no nor violated by death it self and therefore what infinite cause of joy and rejoycing have all such that are interested in such an Inheritance and in such a perfect happiness and compleat blessedness that is reserved in Heaven for all Gods holy ones O what a singular comfort must this be to a Christian in the midst of all his miseries and distresses Psal 73.24 when hee is able to look upon God and say This God is my God for ever and ever and hee shall be my Guide to Glory and when hee is able to look up to Heaven and say This is my Inheritance yea when hee is able to look upon all the Glory and Happiness of another world and to say All this Glory and Happiness is mine for I have that Holiness that is the earnest of it Qui spirituali exultationis oleo uncti sunt c. Macar Hom. 17. the pawn of it and the first-fruits of it in my own soul 'T was an observable saying of Macarius They that are anointed with the spiritual Oil of gladness saith hee have received a sign of that incorruptible Kingdome to wit Gods Spirit for an earnest they are the Secretaries of the Heavenly King and relying confidently upon the Almighty they enter into his Palace where the Angels and the Spirits of holy men are although they be yet in this world for although they be not yet come to the intire Inheritance which is prepared for them in that world yet they are most sure of it by that pledge which they have newly received as sure as if they were already crowned and had the key of the Kingdome in their own possession 'T was a very sweet and comfortable speech which the Emperour used to Galba in his childehood and minority when hee took him by the chin and said Tu Galba c. Thou Galba shalt one day sit upon a Throne so 't is very sweet and
towards their desired Harbour And so 't is with a holy heart sometimes the gales of the spirit blow very fair and sweet very strong and powerful upon a gracious soul and then a Christian sails most sweetly most speedily and most successfully on in a way of Holiness and towards his Port of Happiness but anon the spirit is either resisted or grieved or neglected or quenched or vexed or disobeyed and then his gales his influences his breathings are slacked and then a poor Christian sails but very slow on in a way of holiness then hee doth but even creep towards the Harbour of everlasting blessedness Again no Saints have at all times alike the same external helps advantages and opportunities of being holy and of thriving in holiness It may bee they have not the word so clearly so powerfully so sweetly so faithfully nor so frequently preacht to them as formerly they have had or it may bee they have not other Ordinances so lively so purely so spiritually so evangelically dispenced to them as formerly they have had It may bee they have had stones instead of bread and bones instead of flesh and chaffe instead of wheat and muddy water instead of choice wine and then no wonder if they do not thrive in holiness as they did when God rained Mannah every day about their Tents and when they were fed with the best of the best that their Heavenly Fathers Table Wine-seller and House did afford When Children have not as good Food and as good Physick and as good lodging and as good looking to as they have formerly had no wonder if they thrive not as at other times And so 't is here look as no men have alwaies the same helps the same advantages the same opportunities to grow great and rich and high and honourable in the world that sometimes they have had so no Christian hath alwaies the same helps advantages and opportunities to grow rich and high in holiness as sometimes hee hath had It may bee hee hath not that communion and fellowship with the people of God that once hee had or if hee hath yet it may bee their communion is not so pure so holy so lively so heart-warming so soul-inriching as once it hath been or it may bee hee hath not as good counsel as formerly nor as good examples as formerly nor as good encouragement as hee hath formerly had to bee holy or it may bee their calling imployment and outward condition is so altered and changed from what once it was that they have not that time for closet Duties and to wait on publick Ordinances that once they had or it may bee bodily infirmities weaknesses diseases aches and ailements are so increased and multiplied upon them that they cannot make that improvement that once they did of those very advantages and opportunities that yet by a hand of grace is continued among them now these cases being incident to the people of God there is no reason to wonder if at some times Saints are more holy than they are at others and if at some seasons they shoot up more in holiness than they do at others The serious weighing of this Position may serve to prevent many fears and scruples many debates and disputes that often rise in the hearts of Christians upon the often ebbings and flowings of holiness in their souls The sixt Position is this There will come a time when in this world holiness shall bee more general and more eminent than ever it hath been since Adam fell in Paradise The Scripture speaks clearly roundly and fully to this Deut. 30.5 6 8. The Lord thy God will bring thee into thine own Land and the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do All His Commandements This gracious Promise was made to the Jews above two thousand years ago and yet to this very day it hath not been fulfilled and therefore there will certainly come a time wherein God will make it good Isa 11.6 The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb c. and they shall not hurt c. for the Earth shall bee Full of the Knowledge of The Lord As the Waters Cover The Sea This glorious Promise hath not been made good to this day but there is a time a coming wherein it shall bee accomplished Isa 35.8 There shall bee a high-way and it shall bee called a way of Holiness THE UNCLEAN SHALL NOT PASSE OVER IT Isa 59.21 This is my Covenant my WORD AND MY SPIRIT SHALL NEVER DEPART from thee for ever Isa 60.21 Thy People shall bee ALL RIGHTEOUS Jer. 32.40 41. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good But I will put my fear into their hearts So Ezek. 36.23 to v. 30. Mal. 4.1 2. 2 Pet. 3.13 that they shall not depart from mee yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good and will plant them in this Land assuredly WITH MY WHOLE HEART AND WHOLE SOUL Now it is very observable that this great Promise must bee fulfilled when the Jews shall return and bee settled in their own Land And so the Prophet Ezekiel speaking of the glorious state of the Church in the last daies Ezek. 44.7 9. adds Thus saith the Lord no stranger uncircumcised in HEART shall enter into my Sanctuary Zeph. 3.13 The remnant of Israel SHALL NOT DO INIQUITY nor SPEAK LYES neither shall a DECEITFUL TONGUE bee found in their mouths Now the context clearly shews that these words relate to the glorious state of the Church on Earth and they have never yet received their accomplishment but shall in the last daies for hee is faithful that hath spoken it Zach. 14.20 21. Upon ALL SHALL BEE HOLINESSE TO THE LORD I have opened this Text pretty fully to you already in my former discourses on holiness and therefore shall pass it by now Rev. 21. verse the first See the English Annotations on these words and verse the last And I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth and I saw the holy City New Jerusalem coming down from God out of HEAVEN Behold the Tabernacle of God is WITH MEN c. and there shall in no wise enter into it any thâ—ng that DEFILETH c. but they that are written in the Lambs Book I have formerly proved by several Arguments as divers of you knows that this chapter cannot be understood of Heaven but must necessarily and beyond all dispute bee understood of the glorious state of the Saints on Earth which they shall certainly enjoy in the last daies By all these Scriptures it is most evident that there will come a time when holiness shall bee more general and at a fuller height than ever yet it hath been since man fell from his Original holiness and therefore pray
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
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
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
himself to work all manner of wickedness as you may see in 2 Chron. 33. in vers 3. He reared up Altars for Baalim and made groves and worshipped all the hoast of heaven and served them vers 4. He built Altars in the house of God vers 5. Yea for all the hoast of heaven did he build Altars in the Courts of the house of God This was a horrid piece of impudence to provoke God to his very face by equalizing his Altars to Gods Altar vers 6. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom Here was inhumane superstition and inhumane cruelty to offer his own children in sacrifice to the Devil Also he observed times and used witchcraft and dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger The complaint is antient in Seneca that commonly men live not ad rationem but ad similitudinem Seneca de vita beata cap. 1. vers 9. He made Judah and Jerusalem to err by his example and to do worse then the Heathens The actions of Rulers are most commonly rules for the peoples actions and their example passeth as currant as their coin The common people dare practise the very worst of wickedness that they see acted in a scarlet Robe they are like tempered wax easily receiving impressions from the seals of great mens vices they make no bones on it to sin by prescription and to damn themselves with authority The heathen brings in a young man who hearing of the adulteries and wickednesses of the gods said What do they so and shall I stick at it so say most when great ones are greatly wicked Why they do thus and thus and why should we stick at it The Egyptians esteemed it graceful and their duty to halt on that leg on which their King limped most men think it a grace to imitate the greatest authority in their most graceless actings Which made the Poet say Subjects and Kingdoms commonly do chuse The manners that their Princes daily use Vers 10. And the Lord spake unto Manasseh but he would not hearken He was settled in idolatry and stopt his ears against all the counsel and admonitions of the Prophets that were sent to reclaim him Now who would ever have thought that one so abominably wicked and wretched should ever have obtained such favour with God as to be pardoned renewed and sanctified and yet vers 12 13. He besought the Lord and humbled himself greatly before the Lord and prayed unto him and God was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem into his Kingdom Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God He now acknowledges Jehovah to be the true God and renounces all other gods that he may cleave to God alone There is no heart so wicked but grace can make it holy So Paul was once so great a sinner that had he stept but one step further he had faln into the unpardonable sin against the Holy-Ghost in 1 Tim. 1.13 you have a brief survey of his great transgressions He was a Blasphemer he blasphemed God and Christ and his wayes and truth he made a mock and scoff at holiness he made nothing of blaspheming that God that he should have feared and of blaspheming that Christ that he should have sweetly embraced and of blaspheming those Truths that he should have readily entertained Paul was a great proficient in the School of blasphemy he made nothing of belching out blasphemy in the very face of heaven And he was a persecutor too Acts 9. Chap. 26.11 he persecuted holiness to the death yea he was mad in persecuting the poor Saints and servants of Christ he did all he could to make their lives a hell and to rid them out of this world he thought them not worthy to live though they were such Worthies of whom this world was not worthy Chap. 8.3 he was a ravening and an untired Woolf that was never weary in worrying Christs little flock and in sucking out the blood of his Lambs Yea and he was an injurious person too he made no conscience of wronging others Mat. 7.12 or of squaring his carriage by that golden rule Do to others as you would have others do to you This Royal Law this standard of equity he regarded not he made nothing of haling men and women to prison and of compelling them to blaspheme by his cruelty and wicked example he spared no sex but practised the highest cruelty upon all that had any thing of sanctity in them he would adventure the torments of hell rather then not be a tormenter of the Saints here and the more active any were in holiness the more injurious was he to them And yet behold this blasphemer this persecutor this injurious person became a sanctified Christian an eminent Saint a pattern of holiness to all Christians in all ages Once more witness that sad bed-rool of unsanctified persons that are mentioned in 1 Cor 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God These monstrous sinners and prodigious sins were enough to have brought another flood upon the world or to have provoked the Lord to rain hell out of heaven upon them as once he did upon Sodom and Gomorah or to have caused the ground to open and swallow them up as once it did Corah Dathan and Abiram and yet behold some of these are changed and sanctified v. 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Oh! the infinite goodness Matthew Zacheus Mary Magdalen the Jaylor and the murderers of Christ Acts. 2. are clear instances of this truth 1 Cor. 7.14.16 1 Pet. 3.1.6 Oh! the infinte grace Oh! the infinite wisdom and power of God that hath pardoned washed sanctified and cleansed such guilty filthy and polluted souls The worst of sinners should never despair of being made Saints considering what unholy ones have been made holy It is possible that you may be made holy Witness 6. All those sanctified ones among whom you live who once were as unholy or more unholy it may be then ever you were the sanctified husband is a clear witness to the unsanctified wife that she may be sanctified the sanctified father is a witness to the unsanctified child that he may be sanctified the sanctified master is a witness to the unsanctified servant that he may be sanctified the sanctified Prince is a witness to his unsanctified people that they may be sanctified and the sanctified Minister is a witness to his unsanctified hearers that they may be
of God And I saw as it were a Sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the number of his Name stand on the Sea of glass having the harps of God And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the Lamb saying Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy waies thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest In this and the following chapters the utter overthrow of Antichrist is described In this chapter you have a new Vision of the Gospels restoring and of Antichrists ruine By the Sea of glass mingled with fire wee are to understand the fiery trials and dreadful persecutions by fire and faggot that Antichrist will inflict upon sincere and faithful Christians The allusion is to the Red Sea and Pharaohs persecuting of Israel but the addition of fire is plainly to distinguish the Popes persecution from Pharaohs for though Pharaoh did sorely oppress the people of God both in their liberties and consciences and though hee had plotted and contrived a way to destroy their male children yet hee was never so cruel hee was never so bloody as to burn the people of God with fire and faggot as Antichrist hath done in all ages But now mark when the vials of the wrath of God comes to be poured out upon Antichrist yea upon what ever smells of Antichrist or looks like Antichrist why then the people of God will in a very eminent way lift up God as the great object of their fear and then the generality of the Nations shall be so deeply affected with the dreadful amazing and astonishing judgements of God upon Antichrist that they shall repent worship him and give glory to him O Sirs when God strikes slaves Sons should tremble great judgements upon sinners speaks out a great deal of the justice and holiness of God and the more the justice and holiness of God appears the more holy his people should grow Ah Christians had you grown more holy by those severe judgements of God that hath been inflicted upon others before your eyes you had not been under those smart rebukes of God that now you are under this day But Seventhly When men are called forth to war by God O! that 's a special time and season wherein God calls aloud for holiness The man of war must have holiness written upon the bridles of the horses Zach. 14.20 When men carry their lives in their hands they had need of holiness in their hearts when in every encounter a man must expect to enter upon a state of eternity hee had need be very holy that so if hee should fall in the encounter The Romans lived more orderly in time of war than in the times of their greatest peace hee may be sure to be happy Deut. 23.9 14. When the Hâ—st goeth forth against thine enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee therefore shall thy Camp be holy that hee see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee When the sword devoureth on both hands when it eats the flesh of Nobles and drinks the blood of Nobles when it feeds upon the flesh of the poor and drinks the blood of the needy then every souldier had need be a Saint when an eternity of glory and misery is every moment before every souldier every souldier had need walk very accurately hee had need live very holily Mark though the people of God were to keep themselves from every wicked thing at all other times yet when they went out against their enemies then in a special manner it highly concerned them to keep themselves not from some but from every evil thing or rather as the Hebrew hath it from every evil word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daâ—ar hee that is in danger of death every step hee takes and that carries his very soul in his hand had need precisely to abstain not onely from every evil work but also from every evil word as here God expresly charges Israel to do When God findes holiness in Israels Camp then God will quickly give up Israels enemies into Israels hands but when the Camp becomes a Den of iniquity then God will depart from the Camp and when God who is the bulwrk of a Camp is departed all the world cannot preserve that Camp from being destroyed Rev. 17.14 The Lamb looks that all those brave hearts that ingage with him against Antichrist should be called and chosen and faithful there is no armour of proof to that of holiness let a man be never so well mounted cloathed armed weaponed yet if hee be unholy hee lies naked and open to all disasters calamities and miseries O Sirs 't is one of the dreadfullest things in the world to hear such a cursing swearing lying and damning of themselves and to see such a giving up themselves to work all manner of wickedness with greediness who carry their lives in their hands every hour in the day yea at whose elbows damnation stands every moment O Sirs when God gives the sword a Commission to eat flesh and drink blood to stay both old and young to spare none that come before it and to pitty none that come nigh unto it it highly concerns all men to be holy this is a special season wherein God calls aloud for holiness I confess I am for Peace and Truth for Peace and Righteousness for Peace and Holiness against all war in the world but when ever the Lord shall call forth his people to fight his battels against Antichrist 1 Sam. 25.28 Dan. 2.31 ult and to smite Daniels Image in peeces it stands them very much upon to be a holy people yea to be eminently holy as they would have the presence of God with them and the power of God ingaged for them and the mercy goodness and blessing of God succeeding and prospering of them though hee that goes to war had need carry his purse with him yet hee must be sure to leave his sins behinde him or else his sins will do him more mischief than all his enemies for they will set God against him and how can straw and stubble possibly stand before a consuming fire I have read of Xerxes that viewing almost an innumerable Army of men hee fell a weeping saying Where will all these men be within a hundred years hee wept to think that all that mighty Army would be in their graves within a hundred years Ah what cause of weeping is there when wee behold most Armies in the world considering that within a few years yea months for any thing wee know they may be most in Hell