that when he hath a suit of cloathes to make would send for a bungling Taylor to make it surely none And why then should not men be as wise for their souls Do not you know that that sort of persons that now I am a speaking of have been the greatest instruments of bringing the greatest calamities and miseries and the sorest desolations and destructions that ever have been brought upon Cities Nations Kingdoms and Countries Compare the Scriptures in the margin together Jer. 26.8 9 11 14 15. Lam. 4.11 12 13. Amos 7.10 11. 1 Kings 22. 2 Chron. 18. and then let conscience speak And who is so ignorant as not to know that it was the High-Priests Scribes and Pharisees that brought the innocent blood of our Lord Jesus Christ upon that once great and glorious Nation of the Jews to their utter destruction and desolation about forty years after Christs Ascension when the Romans came and took their City and practised the greatest severity and cruelty imaginable upon them as Josephus and other Historians shew In the Marian dayes and in the Massacre of the Protestants in France how great a hand this sort of men had that I am now a reasoning with all the world knows And so the Pagan Priests stirred up the Pagan Emperours to be desperate Persecutors of the people of God that were within their Empires which occasioned Tertullian to give that good counsel to Scapula a Pagan persecutor God saith he will surely make inquisition for our blood and therefore if thou wilt not spare us yet spare thy self if not thy self yet spare thy Countrey which must be responsible when God comes to visit for blood Do not you know that his Majestie hath very Christianly Zealously argumentatively and smartly declared against drunkennesse lewdnesse prophansse c. and that he hath declared that his resolution is and shall be to promote the power of godlinesse to encourage the Exercises of Religion both publick and private to take care that the Lords day be applyed to holy Exercises without unnecessary divertisements and that insufficient negligent and scandalous Ministers be not permitted in the Church Do not you know that when the great Shepherd our Lord Jesus Christ shall appear 1 Pet. 5.2 3 4 Ezek. 3.17 18 19. that he will call you to a particular and exact account for every soul that hath miscarried under your charge either by reason of your ignorance insufficiency prophanesse loosnesse or superstition c. and how will you then be able to stand in that day c. Gentlemen if you say you know not these things and that they are Riddles and Mysteries to you how dare you say that you are the Ministers of Jesus Christ But if you shall say that you know very well that these things are certainly true yea that they are such clear and undenyable truths that no Devil can deny and yet shall continue in your ignorance insufficiency prophanesse loosnesse superstition c. what man on earth is there that hath but read the Scriptures and that can but write his own name and that would not be begged for a fool in folio will believe you to be the true faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ Well Gentlemen I have read of Alexander the great how that he had a souldier of his name that was a Coward which when he understood he commanded him either to fight like Alexander or else to lay down the name of Alexander So say I to you Gentlemen either preach as the Ministers of Jesus Christ ought to preach viz. plainly spiritually powerfully fâ—elingly fervently frequently c. and live as the Ministers of Jesus Christ ought to live viz. heavenly graciously holly humbly righteously harmlesly and exemplarily c. Or else lay down your very names of being the Ministers of Jesus Christ and put no longer a cheat upon your selves nor upon the people by making them believe that you are the only Ministers of Jesus Christ when you have nothing of the Spirit of Christ nor of the Anointings of Christ nor of the Grace of Christ nor of the life of Christ in you Gentlemen if this counsel be seriously minded and faithfully followed it will turn more to your accounts in the great day of our Lord Jesus and do you more good then then all the profits preferments and honours of this world can do you good now But if you shall slight and despise this counsel now I shall be found a true Prophet to your wo and misery in that great day c. If this Treatise should fall in the hands of any Ladies and Gentlewomen as I suppose it may that have not yet experienced the sweet and powerful operations of holinesse in their own souls I would then say Ladies and Gentlewomen your souls are as precious and as immortal and as capable of union and communion with Christ here and of an eternal fruition of Christ hereafter as the souls of any men in the world are I have read a sad story of one Bochna a woman which had but two sons in all the world and whilst she was walking with the one towards the River she heard the other crying out and hastening back she found a knife sticking in his side which killed him immediately then she made haste to the other child but he in her absence was fain into the River and drowned and so she lost both her sons at once Now Ladies this is your very case every one of you have two children as I may say a soul and a body a life eternal and a life temporal and O what a dreadful and unspeakable losse would it be to lose both these at once and yet as certain as there is a God in Heaven you will lose them both without Holinesse All know that know any thing of Scripture or History that there have been many great Ladies and Gentlewomen that have been great lovers of holinesse and great delighters in holinesse and great prizers of holinesse and great admirers of holinesse and great countenancers of holinesse and great encouragers of holinesse and great promoters of holinesse and great followers after holinesse and great experiencers of the sweet and powerful operations of holinesse in their own souls And O that this might be all your honour and happinesse to be in all respects as famous for holinesse as any of your sexe hath been before you Christ hath prayed as much for your souls as he hath for the souls of others and he hath paid as much for your souls as he hath for the souls of others and he hath sweat and wept and bled as much for your souls as he hath for the souls of others and he hath suffered and satisfied as much for your souls as he hath for the souls of others and he hath purchased and prepared as great and as glorious things for your souls as he hath for the souls of others if you will be but a holy people to him and what doth all this speak
joyes of the Saints lye deep The Moone is often dark to the world when yet that part which faceth the Sun is very lightsome beautifull and glorious so many times if you look upon the outside of a Christian which is his dark side you may see his countenance clouded and his carriage and behaviour as to the world either damped or obscured but if you could but now look upon his inside which is his best side and which faces the Sun of Righteousness O then you should see the light of joy and comfort sweetly and gloriously shining forth O Sirs look as there are many rich men in the world who make no shew of it by their Garbe or Table or Attendance c. so there are many Christians that are rich in divine consolations who yet don't shew it in such or such an outward carnal way as the men of the world doe usually express their joy in And look as many a wicked man has heaviness in his heart when he has laughter in his face as the wisest of Princes has long since observ'd in Pro. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heaviness the heart often weepes when the mouth laughs every laughter is not hearty for laughter being but a signe of joy the signe may be where the substance is not many wicked men are inwardly sad when they are outwardly glad 2 Cor. 5.12 The false Apostles did glory in the face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the face and not in the heart they set a good face on 't and seem'd to be upon a merry pin and yet all their smiles were but counterfeit smiles all their joyes were but skin-deep the joy that was in their faces was nothing to the terrours horrours and torments that were in their hearts so the godly many times rejoyce in heart when sadness and blackness seemes to cover their faces 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing c. 'T is very observable that the Apostle brings in the sorrow of the godly with a quasi as it were sorrow not that it is sorrow indeed but as sorrowfull as if their sorrow had been rather a painted sorrow then a reall sorrow but when he speaks of their joy there is no quasi but true joy he do's not say as rejoycing but alwayes rejoycing their joy was a reall joy but their sorrow was but a seeming sorrow to the weak and childish opinions of vaine men When a Christian is at worst as to the eye of the world he may say of his joy as Christ speaks of his meate c. when he said John 4.33 I have meate to eate that you know not of so he may say I have joy I have great joy that the world knows not of Look as there is life and sap and juice in the roote of the Tree even in the winter season when there is no leaves nor blossomes nor fruit hanging on the Tree so there is joy and comfort and peace in the heart of a Saint when there are no outward visible discoveries of it to others And you may as rationally conclude that there is no life sap and juice in the roote of the Tree because the Tree has no leaves blossoms or fruit on it as you may conclude that the Saints have no joy in their hearts because they doe not express it in such outward visible acts as may convince the world that they have it c. But Fifthly I answer That 't is horrid injustice and dis-ingenuity in thee and in such as thou art to make the hearts of the righteous sad whom God would not have sadded by your pride prophaneness loosnesse wickedness worldliness Ezek. 13.22 23. lukewarmness filthiness carnalness c. and then to cry out against them that they are the saddest and uncomfortablest people in the world What is this but with Nero to set the City of Rome on fire and then to lay it upon the Christians and punish them for it What is this but to deale by the Saints as the Devill deales by them he loads them and follows them with most sad grievous blasphemous horrid and hellish temptations on purpose to make them walk heavily mournfully and uncomfortably and when he has accomplish't his designe then he accuses them sometimes to God sometimes to themselves Rev. 12.10 and sometimes to others for their heavie and uncomfortable walking O what inhumanity cruelty and vanity was it in the Egyptians to double the Israelites tale of bricks Exod. 5.8.17 and to take away their straw and then to cry out that they were Idle they were Idle so O what inhumanity and cruelty is this in unsanctified persons to sad Psal 119.136 158. Jer. 9.1 2. 2 Pet. 2.7 8. grieve and afflict the people of God with their drunkenness wantonness and lewdness and with their cursing swearing and lying and with their scorning and scoffing at Godliness with their slandering of the Lord his people and wayes and with their resisting and quenching of the blessed motions of the Spirit and with their shifting off the glorious offers of grace and mercy Rom. 2.4 5. and with their treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath c. And then to cry out O how sadly O how mournfully doe these men walke O what uncomfortable lives doe these men live O what sorrow and pensiveness do's still attend them But is this just is this faire Suppose a husband should doe all he could to afflict and grieve his wife and a father his child and a Master his servant and a friend his friend c. and when they had done then fall a complaining that there were none so melancholy nor none so sad and sorrowfull as they O what folly what madness and what injustice were this Dan. 4.27 and yet this is the common dealing of unsanctified persons with the people of God Ah sinners sinners if you would but break off your sins by repentance and cease from doing evill and turne to the Lord with all your hearts and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and fall in with the wayes of God and trample upon this wicked world and seek after the things of a better life O how soon would the Saints sighing be turned into singing and their mourning into rejoycing O the musick the mirth the melody that your conversion would make both in their hearts and in their eares It is very observable that Abraham made a Feast at the weaning of his Son Isaac Gen. 21.8 he did not make a Feast on the day of his Nativity nor on the day of his Circumcision but on that day when he was taken from his mothers Breast O Sirs if you were but once weaned from your lusts 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Hosea 6.7 and from the vanities of this world if you were but once weaned from old corrupt customes and from following after your sinfull lovers O how would all Gods faithfull Abraham's
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
under every turn no turns shall turn him out of a way of holinesse Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands Finis coronat opus shall be stronger and stronger A man that is really holy will be holy among the holy and he will be holy among the unholy If you look upon him among unholy friends unholy children and unholy servants you shall find him holy If you look upon him among unholy neighbours you shall find him holy and if you look upon him among unholy buyers and sellers you shall find him holy If you take him at his Table you shall find him holy if you take him in his shop in his commerce you shall find him holy if you take him in his family you shall find him holy if you take him in his Closet you shall find him holy if you take him in his journeyings you shall find him holy or if you take him in his recreations you shall find him holy True holinesse is like that famous Queen Elizabeth Semper eadem alwayes the same The Philosophers good man is Tetra-gonos four square cast him where you will like a Dye he falls alwayes sure and square So cast a holy man where you will and into what company you will yet still he falls sure and square for holinesse True holinesse is a part of the divine nature it is of such a heavenly complexion that it will never alter If the times should be so sad and bad that holy persons should not be able to hold fast their estates their liberties their trades their lives their religion 2 Cor. 18.13 yet they will still hold fast their holinesse A holy Christian is like gold Now cast gold into the fire or into the water cast it upon the dunghill or into the pleasant garden cast it among the poor or among the rich among the religious or among the licentious yet still it is gold still it retains its purity and excellency so cast a holy Christian a golden Christian into what condition you will and into what company you will Gen. 39. yet still he will retain his purity his sanctity yea the worser the times are the more a holy man studies holinesse and prefers holinesse and prizes holinesse and practises holinesse that he may keep up the credit of holinesse and the credit of a holy God and the credit of his holy profession in the world But now such as have only a shew of holinesse an appearance of holinesse these will be religious among the religious and vitious among the vitious They will be righteous among the righteous and licentious among the licentious they will be as the company is amongst which they are cast with the good they will be good and with the bad they will be bad with the zealous they will be zealous and with the superstitious they will be superstitious and with the lukewarm they will be lukewarm c. they are for all times and tides they are for any turn that will serve their turn Isa 9.17 for any mode that will bring pleasure or profit to them they are like Alcibiades of whom it was said that he was omnium horarum homo a man for all times for he could swagger it at Athens and take any pains at Thebes he could live most sparingly at Lacidaemon and bib among the Thracians and hunt among the Persians So these men can accommodate themselves to the times and comply with them what ever they be with Proteuâ—s they will transform themselves into â—ll shapes as the times change so will they what the times favour that they will favour what the times commend that they will commend what the times cry up and admire that they will cry up and admire and what the times frown upon and condemn that they will frown upon and condemn Look as curious and well drawn pictures seem to turn their eyes every way and to smile upon every one that looks upon them so these can turn with the times they can look as the times look and smile as the times smile they can say with the times and sail with the times Sometimes they can act one part and sometimes another part as the times require if the times require a large profession they can make it if the times require a rigid Spirit against such as cannot comply with the times they can act it If the times bespeak them to leave their religion at the Church door they can leave it c. If the times call upon them to worship God according to the prescriptions of men they can do it Oh but give me a man that is really holy and he will be holy though the times should be never so unholy yea the more licentious the times are the more gracious he will labour to be In the fifteenth place He that is really holy propounds ordinarily to himself holy aims and ends in his actings and undertakings The glory of God is the mark Iohn 7.18 Gen. 41.16 Dan. 2.23 Titus 2.10 1 Cor. 10. ult Rev. 12.11 the white that holy men have in their eyes Rom. 14.7 8. They live not to themselves but they live to him who lives for ever they live not to their own wills lusts greatnesse and glory in this world but they live to his glory whose glory is dearer to them then their very lives They make divine glory their ultimate end 2 Cor. 4.5 Quod non actibus sed sinibus pensantur officia That duties are esteemed not by their acts but by their ends is most certain We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord that is in our preaching we woo not for our selves but for Christ We are no kin to those who speak two words for themselves and hardly one for Christ In all our preaching we eye the glory of Christ we design the honour and exaltation of Christ Real holinesse is commonly attended with a single eye as counterfeit holinesse is commonly attended with a squint eye squint eyd aims and squint eyd ends do usually wait upon double hearts Take a holy man in the exercise of his gifts and graces for the good of mens souls or take him in the exercise of charity for the good of mens bodies and in both you shall find his eye fixt upon the glory of God Suitable to that 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen Look as bright shining golden vessels do not retain the beams of the Sun which they receive but reflect them back again upon the Sun So those that are really holy they do return and reflect back again upon the Sun of righteousnesse the praise and glory of all the gifts graces and vertues that they have received from
Winter is past and the singing of birds is come and anone you say your Winter is like to be longer then ever now you say there is Balm in Gilead and anon you say your wound is incurable now you say all is your own and anon you are ready to give up all as lost c. and thus your hearts rise and fall according to the working of second causes When you have full purses and powerful Armies and subtle Councellors Psal 30.6 7 8. and great Allies then you are ready to say surely our mountain is strong and we shall never be removed but when your bags are empty and your forces broken and your counsels dissipated and your Allies faln off then you are ready to cry out O now there is no hope there is no help O but now were you eminent in holiness then under the saddest and crossest workings of second causes 2 Chron. 14.11 you would say with Asa O Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power 2 Kin. 6.16 17. Exod. 14.13 and with Elisha They that be with us are more then they that be with them and with Moses Stand still Psal 118.6 and see the salvation of God and with David The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me Holiness in any considerable heighth will set the power of God in opposition to all the power of the world Psal 65.6 11. and then divinely triumph over them Plutarch in vita Pomp. Pompey once gloried in this that with one stampe of his foot he could raise all Italy up in Arms but the great God with one stampe of his foot or with one word of his mouth can raise not onely Italy but also all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth in Arms at his pleasure and in the power of this God raised holiness will enable a man to glory all the day long Where holiness is weak there men stand and fall as second causes work but where holiness is eminent there men will live upon the first cause and however second causes may wheel about yet such a man will live upon him and look up to him that hath a wheel within every wheel Ezek. 1.15 22. But Seventhly You have but little holiness witness that soul-leanness Psal 106.15 Isa 24.16 and Chap. 10.16 barrenness and unfruitfulness that is among you at this very day Ah how may most cry out with the Prophet Isaiah O my leanness my leanness O our leanness our leanness our barrenness our barrenness c. though God has waited many three years for fruit yet behold nothing but leaves I have read of the Indian Fig-tree how that its leaves are as broad as a Target Athenaeus de Ipnosoph lib. 3. but its fruit is no bigger then a Bean Ah how many Christians be there in these days whose leaves of profession are very broad but their fruits of righteousness and holiness are very small and as the Indian Fig-tree though it be of fair and goodly dimensions yet it riots out all its sap and juce into leaves and blossoms So many in these days who though they carry it fair and make a goodly shew yet they riot out all that spiritual sap and life that is in them into the mear leaves and blossoms of an empty profession Ah how are many of our hearts like to the Isle of Pathmos which is so barren that nothing that is good will grow on 't all the good things that grow there is from the earth that is brought from other places Look as a company of Ants are very busie about a Mole-hill running to and fro and wearying themselves in their several movings and turnings this way and that and yet never grow great for after all their motions and stiring they are still the same as to the slender proportion of their bodies so many Christians in these days run to and fro they run from one duty to another and from one ordinance to another and from one opinion to another and from one principle to another and from one Minister to another and from one Church to another and from one way to another and from one notion to another and yet they make little progress in holiness 2 Pet. 3.18 2 Tim. 3.6 7. they grow but little in the love the life the likeness and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ they are like those silly women that Timothy speaks of who were ever learning and yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth and they are like Nazianzens country of Ozizala which abounded with gay flowers but was barren of corn so these abound in gay notions and flourishing parts but are barren of grace and holiness Seneca hath long since observed that as the Philosophers in his time grew more and more learned so they grew less and less moral and is there any thing more evident in these days then this viz. that as men grow more and more in empty airy notions and in a pompous Religion and profession so they grow less and less zealous and religious The reason say some why Christ cursed the Fig-tree though the time of bearing fruit was not come was because it made a glorious shew with leaves and promised much but brought forth nothing What 's a barren tree a barren ground or a barren womb to a barren heart Many in our days are like the Cypress-tree Joh. 15.6 which the more it is watered the more it is withered so the more many are watered with the means of grace the more they wither the more the dews of heaven falls upon them and the more heavenly Manna is daily rained round about them the more lean fruitless and barren they grow Such souls may do well to remember that those trees that are not for fruit are for the fire Heb. 6.8 Augustin For a close let me tell you that I fear with that Father that many grieve more for the barrenness of their lands then they do for the barrenness of their lives and for the barrenness of their trees then they do for the barrenness of their souls and for the loss of their Cattel then they do for the loss of Gods countenance But Eigthly lastly You have but little holiness witness that great indifferency and inconstancy that is to be found among you My Lord Paulet kept both great favor and places under Henry the eighth a Papist and under King Edward the sixth a Protestant and under Queen Mary a Papist and under Queen Elizabeth a Protestant being ask'd how he could do so he answered that he always imitated the willow and not the oak Ah how many Christians are there in these days of Gospel-light who are indifferent who they hear or what they hear who are indifferent whether they pray or not or walk in Gospel-order or not or keep Sabbaths or not or maintain
that treasure that he has put into their hands and yet this doth not infer merit of works but a gracious disposition in God to encourage his servants in a way of well-doing c. The fift Scripture is that Dan. 12.3 From this very Text your English Annotators conclude that there are degrees of glory in Heaven c. And they that bee wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever The glory of Heaven is here laid out in shining terms for look how gloriously the shining of stars doth excel the shining of the Firmament so some Saints shall as far out-shine others in glory as the Stars do now out-shine the Firmament look as the Stars are a more beautiful and glorious part of the Orb than the Firmament is so some Saints shall have a great deal more beauty and glory upon them than others shall And look as there are different degrees of glory between the glory of the Firmament and the glory of the Stars now so there shall bee different degrees of glory between one glorious Saint and another at last All the Saints shall at last shine as the firmament but those that by their Doctrine Instruction and Conversation turn many to righteousness these shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Some of the highest seats in glory shall bee for such Act. 26.18 who turn sinners from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ T is very observable that as the Apostles were very eminent in this work so Christ has given it under his own hand Matth. 19 28. Luke 22.28.29 that they shall sit upon twelve Thrones as so many Kings judging the twelve tribes of Israel they had done and suffered more for Christ than others and therefore Christ will put a greater glory upon them than upon others though many learned men differ about the interpretation of those words yee also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel and therefore I dare not peremptorily conclude this or that to bee the sense of them yet this is most plain and evident in the Text that the Apostles are under a promise of some peculiar and more eminent degree of honour glory and dignity than others are under look as their Service to Christ was a peculiar and eminent service so Christ promises them a peculiar and eminent Reward every man of them shall have his particular Throne and every one of them shall have the honour and dignity of judging that is of governing and ruling the twelve tribes of Israel Look as Embassadors and cheif Counsellors and Presidents have the highest and chiefest seats in the Kingly Assembly Heb. 12.22 23 so the Apostles shall have the highest and the chiefest seats in the general Assembly and Church of the first born in Heaven they shall sit as it were on the Throne or on the Bench with Christ so highly and greatly shall they bee exalted If wee cannot hit upon the meanings of the Reward here promised yet wee may safely and easily gather from the description of it that there shall bee different degrees of glory in Christs Kingdome of glory The Apostles followed Christ through great tribulations and afflictions and they continued with him in all his temptations they forsook all to waite on him and after they had faithfully laboriously successfully and very eminently served him they made themselves an offering for him as I have formerly shewed you and therefore Christ will at last in a more eminent way exalt them and glorifie them than hee will others that have never seen that of Christ nor received that from Christ nor done that for Christ nor suffer'd that for Christ as they have done degrees of glory shall at last bee proportion'd out answerable to those degrees of service which in this life men have been drawn out to Such a thing as this the Apostle Paul do's more than hint if I mistake not in that 1 Thes 2.19 20. For what is our hope or joy or Crown of rejoycing are not even yet in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming For yee are our glory and joy the crown that Paul speaks of here is not that common crown of righteousness nor that common crown of life and immortality 2 Tim. 4.8 Jam. 1.12 Rev. 2.10 1 Pet. 5.4 nor that common crown of glory that all the Saints shall bee crown'd with at last but hee speaks here of an Apostolical crown of a special peculiar crown that should accrue to him upon the account of his serviceableness to their Souls and of this crown hee speaks again in that Phil. 4.1 Therefore my brethren my dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved hee calls the Philipians his crown and that partly because their spiritual growth constancy and perseverance was now his glory among other Churches but mainly because they should bee his particular crown of rejoycing in the great day of our Lord Jesus hee knew that the Philipians profit would bee his crown and his advantage another day The Apostle alludes here to the custome of the Romans who as they had their common crownâ— of Bayes Ivie and Lawrell c. and these were such that their horses which won the race were often crown'd with which occasioned Theocritus to say see what poor things the world glories in for as their Conquerours are crown'd so are their Horses so they had their peculiar their special crowns that were the rewards of their Conquerors that had done special service for their country So there are common crowns that belong to all the Saints as Saints as the crown of righteousness the crown of life and the crown of glory and as there are these common crowns so there are special and peculiar crowns that they shall bee crown'd with that are exercised in more high and excellent services than others have been employed in and this is the crown that here the Apostle speaks of hee knew very well that his reward should bee answerable to his work for though God never did nor never will reward men for their works as if they were the meritorious cause of the reward yet hee will for degrees reward them according to their works there are peculiar crowns special crowns for those that have done peculiar and special services for Christ on Earth A sixt Scripture is that Matth. 5.11 12. Blessed are yee when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake Rejoyce and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Suffering Saints persecuted Saints shall bee sure of great rewards God will reward upon his people not only their innocencie integrity patience and courage under their sufferings but the more their sufferings revilings and persecutions are multiplyed in this world the more shall
Judge the world in righttousness My Lords and Gentlemen give me leave to tell you Tennes the son of Cyrnus who was worshipped as a god was so strict and exact in Judgement that he caused an Ax to be held over the witnesses heads to execute them out of hand if they were taken with falshood and from thence was the Proverb Tenedia bipennis that that Judge to whom you must be responsible is no ignorant Judge nor no covetous Judge nor no partial Judge nor no fearful Judge nor no doating Judge nor no trifling Judge though such there may be in the world but he is an omniscient Judge an omnipotent Judge an impartial Judge a holy Judge a couragious Judge a serious Judge a severe Judge an unbiassed Judge a righteous Iudge and a resolute Iudge Alas Sirs it is not your scarlet Gowns nor your Titles of honour nor your great estates nor your interest in Princes nor your noble relations nor your applause among men that will stand you in stead when you shall stand before that Iudge that is a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult Well Gentlemen remember this there is never a professing Iudge nor Iustâ—ce in the world that will be able at last to give up their accounts with joy and to stand in judgement when the Lamb shall sit upon his Throne but such as have made it their great businesse to take the spirit of the Lord for their guide and to set up the glory of the Lord as their great end and to make the Word of the Lord their principal Rule and to eye the example of the Lord as their choicest and chiefest pattern and therefore it is much to be feared that the numher of such Iudges and Iustices that will be able to stand before the Iudge of all the world will be but few But Seventhly As you must do justice and judgement exactly so you must do justice to others as you would have others do justice to you For Judges and Justices to do as they would be done by is the Royal Law the golden Rule and the Standard of equity Judges and Justices should think of others as they would have others think of them and speak of others as they would have others speak of them and do to others as they would have others do to them Mat. 7.12 Severus the Emperour had this Scripture often in his mouth and whensoever he punished any of his souldiers for offering of injuries to others he still commanded this Scripture to be proclaimed by the Cryer Whatever by the light of nature or by the light of conscience or by the light of Scripture a Judge a Justice would have another do to him the same must he do to another In all just things for so this Law of Christ is only to be understood we must do to others as we would have others do to us as we would have others carry it equally justly and righteously towards us so we must carry it equally justly and righteously towards others and as we would not have others to wrong us in our names estates rights liberties lives so we must not wrong others in their names estates rights liberties lives c. This Law of Christ is the summe of all righteousnesse it is the foundation of all Justice and Equity Self-love doth so commonly blind the sons of men that to judge righteously they must change the person they must put themselves in others room All Princes Judges Justices Parents Masters Subjects Servants Children should so act in their relations as they would have others act in the correlation All injustice will be repaid one time or another and therefore men had need be just and do to others as they would have others do to them I have read of a Citizen of Comun in the Dukedom of Farrara who being cast into prison upon suspitâ—on of murder his wife could get no promise of his deliverance unlâ—sse she would give the Captain whose prisoner he was two hundred Ducats and yield her body to his pleasure which with the consent of her husband she did but after the Captain had his desire he notwithstanding put him to death The Duke Gonzala hearing of it commanded the Captain to restore the two hundred Ducats to the widow with an addition of seven hundred Crowns then he enjoyned him to marry her presently and lastly before he could enjoy his new wife the Duke caused him to be hanged for his treachery and injustice Sometimes in this life injustice is repaid upon the heads of unjust Judges My Lords and Gentlemen before I close up this head give me leave heartily to recommend to your Justice those wrongs and injuries which more immedâ—ately strike at the honour and glory of the great God God hath put his name upon you Psalm 82.6 I said that ye are gods yet it must be granted that you are gods in a smaller letter mortal gods gods that must die like mâ—n all the sons of Ish are sons of Adam And as God hath put his name upon you so he hath made you his Vice-Royes 2 Chron. 19 6. Ye judge not for your selves but for the Lord. Rom. 13.2 Exod. 16.7 8. 1 Sam. 8.7 And therefore God takes all affronts that are done to you as done to himself as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margin together And God hath provided for your honour among men Exod. 20.28 Thou shalt not revile the gods Rom. 13.7 Josh 4.14 i. e. the Magistrates nor curse the Ruler of thy people I have read of Fabius Maximus who highly reverenced and honoured his own son being Consul this Heathen will one day rise up in judgement against all such that scorn to give to Magistrates that honour that by the fifth Commandment is due unto them 2 Pet. 2.9 10. 1 Sam. 10.2 Iude 8.2 1 Sam. 8.7 And God is very severe in revenging the wrongs that are done to you He interprets all the injuries that are done to you as done to himself And why then will you not revenge the wrongs and injuries that are done to the great God Give me leave Gentlemen in the behalf of the great God a little to expostulate with you Shall the least dishonourable word that is spoken against an earthly Prince be severely punished and shall all those horrid and hellish blasphemies by which the Prince of the Kings of the earth is dishonoured and reproached all the Nation over passe unobserved Rev. 1.5 Shall all affronts that are offered to Embassadors be deeply resented and justly censured as high indignities done to the Prince that employed them And shall the Embassadors of the great God I mean such as are called commissionated spirited gifted and graced for that high office by God himself be scorned defamed injured reviled and on all hands evilly intreated and yet no man say Why do you thus wickedly 2 Chron. 36.15 ult to provoke the great God to your own destruction Shall it be
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
holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee Keep up holiness among you and you shall keep me among you saith God but if you turn away from holiness I will undoubtedly turn away from you a holy God will keep company with none but those that are holy Holiness is the bond that ties God and souls together God will cleave close to them who in holiness cleave fast to him but if he see uncleanness and wickedness among you he will certainly turn away from you The holy spirit gives the lye to those that say they have fellowship with God and yet maintain familiarity and fellowship with sin 1 John 1.6 If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye The Apostle dares give the lye to any man without fearing the stab who pretends to communion with God and yet walks in darkness Men may be much in Ordinances and yet for want of holiness may have no communion at all with God in Ordinances Isaiah 1.11 18. and though communion with God in Ordinances is the very life and soul of Ordinances yet multitudes who enjoy Ordinances can content and satisfie themselves without that which is the very life soul and quintessense of Ordinances There are many that cry out the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord who have no communion with the Lord of the Temple at all Jer. 7.4 12. Though unholy persons may trade much in Ordinances Isa 29.13 Ezek. 24.21 22. Ch. 33 30 31 32. yet they will never make any earnings any advantage by all their trading and stir because they cannot reach to communion with God in them which is the only means of being enriched by them As many men rise early and go to bed late and make a great deal of stir and do to be rich in the world and yet for want of a stock nothing comes on it they are poor still and beggarly still and low and mean in the world still So many rise early and go late to Ordinances they exercise themselves much in religious duties and yet nothing comes on it their souls are poor and beggarly and thredbare still And no wonder for they want a stock of holiness to trade with Remigius a Judge of Lorraign saith that the Devil in those parts did use to give money to Witches which at first did appear to be good and currant coin but after a while it turned to dry leaves Ah Sirs all duties and Ordinances to a man that wants holiness will be sound at last to be but as dry leaves to be sapless and liveless and heartless and comfortless to him Now if without holiness no man can have any spiritual communion or fellowship with God here then certainly without holiness no man can have a glorious communion with God hereafter if without holiness God will not take us into his arms on earth then undoubtedly without holiness God will never put us into his bosom in heaven But to proceed Unholy persons are fools and what should such do in the presence of God who is wisdom it self the fool and the ungodly man are Synonomaes words signifying the same thing in Scripture Deu. 36.6.21 Psalm 94.8 Psalm 14.1 The fool i. e. the wicked the unholy person hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good Jer. 4.22 For my people are foolish they have not known me they are sottish children and they have no understanding they are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge Prov. 1.7 Fools despise wisdom and instruction that is wicked and ungodly men despise wisdom and instruction and to shew that the world is full of such fools he uses the word in the plural no less then sixteen times in this book of the Proverbs I shall open this truth a little more to you by proving that they have all the characteristical notes and properties of fools So that one face is not more like another then a fool is like a wicked man or then a wicked man is like a fool For First A fool prefers toyes and trifles before things of greatest worth he prefers a brass counter before a piece of gold a fine Baby before a rich inheritance Prov. 1.29 an Apple that pleaseth the eye before a pearl of greatest price so wicked and ungodly men they prefer their lusts before the Lord Isa 65.12 Therefore will I number you to the sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear but did evil before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not Such a one was Cardinal Borbonius who profest he would not leave his part in Paris for a portion in Paradise Upon choice they preferred the honours the riches the bravery and glory of the world above their own souls and the great concernments of another world Such fools were Laban and Nabal in the Old Testament whose names by inversion of letters are the same and the latter signifies a fool and such were the two rich fools in the New Testament Luke 12.16 22. and Chap. 16.19 ult I have read of the foolish people of the East Indiâ—s in the Isle Zeylon who preferred a consecrated Apes tooth above an incredible mass of treasure Such fools are all unholy persons who prefer the toyes the trifles of this world before the pleasures and treasures that be at Gods right hand The world is full of such fools Psalm 16.11 Mat. 6.19 10. Si admores hominum respicias mundum universum stultorum domum judicabis saith One if thou beholdest the manners of men thou wilt judge the whole world to be a house of fools Ah friends What folly to that of mens spending their time their strength their lives their souls in getting the great things of this world and neglecting that one thing necessary the salvation of their souls Matth. 16.26 O! What vanity is it to prefer a smoke of honour a blast of fame a dream of pleasure a wedge of gold a Babylonish garment and such like transitory trifles and trash before a blessed eternity Secondly Fools make no improvement of advantages and opportunities that are put into their hands Prov. 17.16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom Like Graâ—hoppers they sing and sport away their precious time and opportunities of mercy c. seeing he hath no heart to it It is to no purpose to put a price into the hand if folly be bound up in the heart if a man had as much wealth as would buy all the grace all the peace all the comforts and all the wisdom in the world yet if he hath neither wit nor will to make an improvement of his wealth what good would his wealth do him To what purpose is the Market open and
3. A promise to live well Austin Austin well observes That as many think the eating of an Apple was but a small sin So many think that the eating of the Sacrament is but a small sin But as many horrid sins were wrapt up in that so are there many wrapt up in this 1. Here is pride else no man in his wickedness would presume to come to the Lords Table 2. Here is Rebellion and Treason against the Crown and dignity of Christ Romans 2.22 their hands and lips adore him as Judas his did but their hearts and lives abhor him 3. Here is Theft and Sacriledge now if to take away the Communion cup be such a high offence 1 Cor. 11.27.29 such horrid sacriledge what is it then to take the Bread and Wine set apart and sanctified for a holy use by the Lord himself 4. Here is Murder the worst murder the greatest murder the cruelest murder thou killest thy self thy soul and as much as in thee lies Gods dearest Son Now certainly in some respects this sin is a greater sin then Adams was For 1. Adams Eating was against a Creator but thine is against a Redeemer now it is more to redeem a soul then to create a world 2. His was against the word of the Lord thine against the blood of the Lord. 3. His struck at the Covenant of Works thine at the Covenant of Grace 4. He eat but once but thou eatest often Yea Aquinas Aquinas saith the Majesty of Church Discipline should never suffer this to let open and known offendors presume to come to the Table of the Lord. It was a worthy saying of Bilson an approved Author Suppose any man saith he be he a Prince Bilsons Christian Subject par 3. pag. 63. 64 74 c. 52. if he will not submit himself to the precepts of Christ but wilfully maintain either heresie or open impurity the Ministers are to admonish him what danger from God is at the door and if he impenitently persist they must not suffer him to communicate either in divine prayer or any holy mysteries among the people of God but wholly to be excluded the Congregation Again not only the lack of the word and Sacraments saith the same Author but the abuse of either greatly hazards the weale of the whole Church yea casting holy things to dogs c. procures a dreadfull doom as well to consenters as presumers it being the way to turn the house of God into a den of Theives if prophane ones be allowed to defile the mysteries and Assemblies of the faithfull I said Calvin Calvin will sooner die then this hand of mine shall give the things of God to the contemners of God Mr. Rutherford Rutherford that champion for Presbyterie in his divine right of Church-Government pag. 520 saith that they are co-partners with the wicked who dispence the bread to them who are knowingly dead in sins I might multiply many others but let these suffice for a close let me only say How the Father can be guiltless of the death of his child that giveth him poyson to drink with this Caution that he telleth him it is poyson I cannot see Josephus reports of some that prophanely searched the sepulchres of the Saints Joseph Antiq. lib. 12 13. l. 16. cap. 11. supposing to find some treasures there but God made fire to rise out of the earth that devoured them on a suddain Now if Gods wrath like fire breaks forth to consume such as wrong but the sepulchres of his Saints c. Oh then with what flames of fury will God burn up such as abuse not only the Sacrament of his Son but his Son himself It was a very great wickededness in Julian to throw his blood in the face of Christ but for a wicked Communicant to take Christs own blood as it were running from his heart and to throw it into he face of Christ is most abominable and damnable By all that hath been spoken you clearly see that unholy persons are to bâ— shut out of the special communion of Saints here on earth and therefore certainly the Lord will never suffer such to have communion with him in heaven it will not stand with the holiness and purity of God to have fellowship with such in the kingdom of glory whom he would not have his people have fellowship with in the kingdom of grace The eighth Argument to prove that without real holiness there is no happiness Unholy persons are throughout the Scriptures branded to their everlasting contempt with the worst Appellations that without holiness on earth no man shall ever come to a blâ—ssed vision or fruition of God in heaven is this The Scripture that speaks no Treason stiles unholy persons beasts yea the worst of beasts and what should such do in heaven Unholy persons are the most dangerous and the most unruly pieces in the world and therefore are emblemized by Lions Psalm 22.21 and they are cruel by Bears and they are savage Isa 11.7 by Dragons and they are hideous Ezek. 29.3 by Wolves and they are ravenous Ezek. 22.27 by dogs and they are snarling Rev. 22.15 by Vipers and Scorpions and they are stinging Mat. 12.34 Ezek. 2.6 by Spiders and Cockatrices and they are poysoning Isa 59.5 by swine and they are still gruntling Mat. 7.6 No man in this world is more like another It was wont to be a tryal whither land belonged to England or Ireland by putting in Toads or Snakes c. into it if they lived there it was concluded that the land belonged to England if they died to Ireland then the Epicure is like a Swine the fraudulent person a Fox the lustfull person a Goat the back-biter a barking Curr the slanderer an Asp the oppressor a Wolf the Persecutor a Tyger the Seducer a Serpent Certainly the Irish Air will sooner brook Toads and Snakes and Serpents to live therein then heaven will brook such beasts as unholy souls are to live there Surely God and Christ and the Spirit and Angels and the Spirits of just men made perfect are not so in love with Dogs and Swine c. as to put them into their bosoms or make them their companions Heaven is a place of too great state to admit such vermine to inhabit there When Cyneas the Embassador of Pyrrhus after his return from Rome was asked by his Master what he thought of the City and State he answered and said that it seemed to him to be Respublica Regum a State of none but great Statesmen and a Common-wealth of Kings Such is heaven it is no other State then a Parliament of Emperours a Common-wealth of Kings There is not a soul in heaven under the degree of a King Rev 6.1 and every King there hath a Robe of honour upon his back a golden Scepter in his hand and a glorious Crown upon his head And do you think that it will stand with the State of heaven or
more strong to resist temptation more victorious over opposition and more silent in every condition The knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate will turn every Winter night into a Summers day every crosse into a crown and every wildernesse into a Paradise The knowledge of the goodnesse and holinesse of thy estate will be a sword to defend thee a staff to support thee a cordial to strengthen thee a plaister to heal thee and a star to lead thee And O who then will not take some pains with his own heart to know the goodnesse and holinesse of his own estate Well remember this next to a mans being holy it is the greatest mercy in this world to know that he is holy But if upon trial a man shall find that his estate is bad and that his holinesse is not of the right stamp yet this will be many wayes a mercy and an advantage to him For the way to be found is to see your selves lost the way to infinite mercy is to see your own misery the way to Canaan is through the wildernesse the way to heaven is by the gates of hell upon the knowledge of the badnesse and sadnesse of thy estate thou wilt be awakened out of thy security and thou wilt be alarmed to loath thy self to judge thy self ro condemn thy self to be sick of sin Acts. 2.37 42. Ch. 16.22 35. to break with Satan and to close with Christ Now the daily language of thy soul will be Men and Brethren what shall I do to be saved O what shall I do to get my sinfull nature changed my hard heart softned my blind mind enlightned my polluted conscience purged and my poor naked soul with grace and holinesse adorned Now the daily language of thy soul will be that of the Martyr O none but Christ none but Christ O none but Christ to pardon me none but Christ to justifie me none but Christ to command me none but Christ to save me and none but Christ to reign over me Now the language of thy soul will be this 1 Co. 1.30 31. O though I have formely thought my self to be wise yet now I see my self to be a fool O that Christ would be wisdom to me O now I see my self to be red with guilt and black with filth O that Christ would be righteousnesse to me O now I see my self to be unclean unclean O that Christ would be sanctification to me Rev. 3.16 17 18 O now I see my self to be in a damnable condition Oh that Christ would be redemption to me O now I see my self naked O that Christ would cloath me now I see my self poor and miserable O that Christ would enrich me now I feel my self to be hungry O that Christ would be bread of life to feed me now I perceive my self to be lost O that Christ would seek me Now I fear that I am perishing O that Christ would save me 2 Kings 7.3 4 5 6. Now the language of your souls will be that of the Lepers If we stay here we die if we stay in our unsanctified and unrenewed estate we die If we stay in our sins we die if we stay on our duties we die if we stay on a conceited or counterfeit holinesse we die If we stay on a form of godlinesse we die If we stay on a name to live we die If we stay where the world stayes we die if we stay in any thing a this side Christ and real holinesse we die we eternally die And therefore let us arise and make a venture of our souls upon Christ and pursue after that holinesse without which there is no happinesse But Seventhly and Lastly Consider that there are many that are truly holy that have real holinesse in them and yet for want of a narrow search a diligent enquiry into their spiritual estates they come to be sorely and sadly afflicted with fears and doubts about their wants of holinesse As the treasures of this world often lye obscure and hid in the bowels of the earth so the treasures of holinesse often lie obscure and hid in many a gracious soul for want of a privy search As it is one mercy for me to believe and another mercy for me to know that I do believe 1 John 5.13 Psalm 4.6 As it is one mercy for me to be beloved and another mercy for me to know that I am beloved Psal 51.1 2 3. As it is one mercy for me to be pardoned in the court of glory and another mercy for me to know that I am pardoned in the Court of conscience As it is one mercy for me to have my name written in the book of life Luke 10.20 and another mercy for me to be told that my name is written in that book So it is one mercy for me to have real holinesse in me and another mercy for me to see it and to know it As we many times complain of the want of those things that we have in our hands so many dear Christians complain of the want of that holinesse that they have in their hearts As the well Gen 21 16 17 18 19. the spring of water was neer to Hagar though she saw it not so the spring of holinesse is neer to many a Christian yea it is in many a Christian and yet he sees it not Gen. 28.16 he knows it not As Jacob once said The Lord was in this place and I knew it not So many a precious soul may say I had real holinesse in my heart and I knew it not As the face of Moses did shine Exod 34.29 ult but he saw it not he knew it not though others did see it and take notice of it so holinesse shines in many a Christians heart and life yet corruptions raise such a dust in his soul that he sees it not he knows it not though others can see it take notice of it and blesse and admire the Lord for it As there be some that think they are rich Rev 3.16 17. Prov. 13.7 when they are not and that say they are rich when they are not so there be others that are rich and yet they will not say it nor believe it So there be some that think they have holinesse Isaiah 65.3 4 5 6. Mark 8.18 when they have not yea that say they have holinesse when they have not So there be others that have real holinesse and yet they dare not think so they dare not say so Yea they are apt in times of temptation desertion sore afflictions and when they are under the sensible stirrings of strong corruptions to conclude that they have no holinesse no grace when indeed they have witnesse Job Chap. 13.24 And Ch. 19 9 witnesse David Psalm 22.1 2. witnesse Asaph Psal 77.2.11 witnesse Heman Psalm 88.1.17 witnesse Jeremiah Lam. 3.18 witnesse the whole Church Isa 49.15 16. Ezek. 37.11 12. And witnesse the Disciples John
the field that he bought of Ephron currant money not counterfeit pure not adulterate shekels of silver not shekels of brass silver'd over he paid the price that was pitcht and he paid it in such coyn as would go currant in one Countrey as well as another So holy Jacob in Gen. 43. supposing that the money that was returned in the sacks of corn that his sons brought out of Egypt was through some mistake or oversight he very honestly and conscientiously ordered them to carry the money back again Ver. 12. And take double money in your hand and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks carry it again in your hands peradventure it was an oversight A holy heart will not a holy heart dares not take an advantage from anothers errour to do him wrong it is but justice to return and restore to every man his due So holy Moses in Numb 16.15 And Moses was very wroth and said unto the Lord Respect not thou their offering I have not taken one Ass from them neither have I hurt one of them He sought their good not their goods he preferred their safety before his own life he did right to every man he did wrong to no man he did every man some good he did no man the least hurt So holy Samuel in 1 Sam. 12.3 4 5. Behold here am I witness against me before the Lord and before his anointed whose Ox have I taken or whose Ass have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith And I will restore it you And they said Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand And he said unto them the Lord is witness against you and his anointed is witness this day that ye have not found ought in my hand And they answered he is witness He makes a solemn protestation before the Lord before his anointed and before the people that he had so lived in the exercise of justice and righteousness amongst them that they could not accuse him of the least unrighteousness they could not say black was his eye they could not say that he had lessened them to greaten himself or that he had impoverished them to enrich himself or that he had ruined them to raise himself upon his appeal they unanimously declare his innocency and integrity So holy Daniel in Dan. 6.4 5. Then the Presidents and Princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the Kingdom but they could find no occasion nor fault forasmuch as he was faithful neither was there any errour or fault found in him Then said these men we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God Though envy be the father of cruelty and malice the mother of murder and ambition the plotter of others destruction yet holy Daniel was so just and righteous so innocent and prudent so careful and faithful in the administration of his high office that none of his envious malicious and ambitious enemies could after their unity in a hellish cruel conspiracy charge him with the least spot of injustice or shew of unrighteousness they narrowly scan'd all his administrations and diligently weighed all his actions and yet themselves being Judges Daniel is found innocent They could not so much as charge him with a colourable fault Luke 1.5 6. So Zacharias and Elizabeth they walked in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless they walked not only in the Ordinances but also in the Commandments of the Lord and they walked not only in some Commandments but in all the Commandments of the Lord they walked in the Commandments of the second Table as well as in the Commandments of the first Table they were as well for righteousness towards man as they were for holiness towards God So the Apostles in 2 Corin. 7.2 Receive us we wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man The Apostle would have the Corinthians to make room for them in their hearts and houses as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports for that they had wronged no man in his name or reputation as the false Apostles had neither had they corrupted any man in his judgement by false Doctrines or evil Examples as the false Apostles had neither had they defrauded any man in his estate as the false Apostles had who made a prize of their followers and hearers of the same import is that of the Apostle in 1 Thes 2.10 Ye are witness and God also how holily justly and unblamably we behaved our selves among you that believe He takes God and them to witness that they had lived holily in respect of God and righteously in respect of the world and unblameably in respect of them that believe By all which it is most evident That where there is real holiness towards God there will be the exercise of righteousnesse towards men But now where there is but the shews and appearances of holiness Mat. 23.14 there persons make no conscience of exercising righteousness towards men witness the Scribes and Pharisees who under a pretence of praying made a prey of widdows houses who under a pretence of piety exercised the greatest covetousness unrighteousness and cruelty and that upon widdows who are usually the greatest objects of pitty and charity they made no bones of robbing the widdow under pretence of honouring of God So Judas John 12.6 who was a Cato without but a Nero within who under a pretence of laying up for the poor robb'd the poor he made use of counterfeit holiness as a cloak to cover all his thievish villanies he pretended to lay up for the poor but he intended only to lay up for himself to provide against a rainy-day it is like he had no great mind to stay long with his Lord and therefore he was resolved to make the best market he could for himself that so when he should lay down his Stewardship he might have something to live upon Judas acted the part of a Saint in his profession and discourses that so he might be the less suspected to act the part of a thief in his more secret practises Judas had not been long in office before he put Conscience out of office and Conscience being put out of office Judas sets up for himself and under a Cloak of holiness he practises the greatest unfaithfulness Though the Eagle sores high yet still her eye is upon her prey so though Judas did sore high in profession yet his eye was still upon his prey upon his bags and so he might have it he cared not who went without it so he might be rich he did not care though his Lord and his retinue grew never so poor 2 King 5.20 26. Judas had Jacobs voice but Gehazies heart and hands and therefore he
happiness Jerem. 6.16 Isa 35.8 And a high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse the unclean shall not passe over it but it shall be for those the way-faring men though fools shall not err therein Some men say lo here is the way Other men say lo there is the way but certainly the way of holinesse is the surest the safest the easiest the noblest and the shortest way to happinesse Among the Heathens no man could enter into the Temple of Honour but must first enter into the Temple of Vertue There is no entring into the Temple of happinesse except you enter into the Temple of holinesse Holinesse must first enter into you before you can enter into Gods holy hill As Sampson cried out Give me water or I die or as Rachel cried out Give me children or I die so all unsanctified souls may well cry out Lord give me holinesse or I die Psalm 15. throughout give me holinesse or I eternally die If the Angels those Princes of glory fall once from their holinesse they shall be for ever excluded from everlasting happinesse and blessednesse If Adam in Paradise fall from his purity he shall quickly be driven out from the presence of divine glory Austin would not be a wicked man an unholy man one hour for all the world because he did not know but that he might die that hour and should he die in an unholy estate he knew he should be for ever separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power O Sirs do not deceive your own souls holinesse is of absolute necessity 2 Thess 1.8 9 10. without it you shall never see the Lord it is not absolutely necessary that you should be great or rich in the world but it is absolutely necessary that you should be holy it is not absolutely necessary that you should enjoy health strength friends liberty life but it is absolutely necessary that you should be holy A man may see the Lord without worldly prosperity but he can never see the Lord except he be holy A man may to heaven to happinesse without honour or worldly glory but he can never to heaven to happiness without holiness without holinesse here no heaven hereafter Rev. 21.27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth God will at last shut the gates of glory against every person that is without heart purity Ah Sirs holinesse is a flower that grows not in natures garden Men are not born with holinesse in their hearts as they are born with tongues in their mouths holinesse is of a divine off-spring it is a pearl of price that is to be found in no nature but a renewed nature in no bosome but a sanctified bosome There is not the least beam or spark of holinesse in any natural man in the world I have read that the Isle of Arren in Ireland hath such a pure Air that it was never yet infected with the Plague but such is not the nature of man Gen. 6.5 Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil continually Job 25.4 How can man be clean that is born of a woman The interrogation carries in it a strong negation How can man be clean that is man cannot be clean that is born of a woman man that is born of a woman is born in sin and born both under wrath and under the curse And who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Job 14.4 Isa 64.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Rom. 3.10 11. There is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none thot seeketh after God Every man by nature is a stranger yea an enemy to holinesse Rom. 8.7 Every man that comes into this world comes with his face towards sin and hell and with his back upon God and holinesse Such is the corruption of our nature that propound any divine good to it it is entertained as fire by water or wet wood with hissing Propound any evil then it is like a fire to straw it is like the foolish Satyr that made haste to kisse the fire it is like that unctious matter which the Naturalists say sucks and snatches the fire to it with which it is consumed All men are born sinners and there is nothing but an infinite power that can make them Saints All men would be happy and yet they naturally loath to be holy By all which you may clearly see that food is not more necessary for the preservation of natural life then holiness is necessary for the preservation and salvation of the soul If a man had the wisdom of Solomon the strength of Sampson the courage of Joshua the policy of Ahitophell the dignities of Haman the power of Ahashueros and the eloquence of Apollos yet all these without holinesse would never save him Secondly Consider there is a possibility of obtaining holiness Prov. 2.2 3 4 5 6 7. Holiness is a golden mine that may be come at if you will but digg and sweat and take pains for it it is a flower of Paradise that may be gathered it is a crown that may be put on Rom. 13.12 13 14. it is a pearl of price that may be obtained if you will but part with the wicked mans Trinity the world the flesh and the devil to enjoy it Though some of the Attributes of God be incommunicable yet holinesse is a communicable attribute and this should mightily encourage you to look after holiness Well sinners remember this it is possible that those proud hearts of yours may be humbled it is possible that those hard hearts of yours may be softned it is possible that those unclean hearts of yours may be sanctified it is possible that those blind minds of yours may be enlightened it is possible that those stubborn wills of yours may be tamed it is possible that those disordered affections of yours may be regulated it is possible that those drowsie and defiled consciences of yours may be awakened and purged it is possible that those vile and polluted natures of yours may be changed and purified There are several things that do witness that holiness is attainable As 1. Witness Gods promise to give his holy Spirit to them that ask it Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him The holy Spirit is a gift more worth then a world yea then heaven it self and yet to make men holy God is willing to give his holy spirit upon very easie terms They shall have it for asking John 3.6 Titus 3.5 1 Cor. 6.11 the Spirit is a spirit of holiness he is holy in himself and the Author of all that holiness that is in man it is he that most powerfully
all the people visible holiness is a loadstone that will draw eyes and hearts after it 1 Pet. 3.1 Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands that if any obey not the Word they also may without the Word be woon by the conversation of the wife A holy conversation is a winning conversation Phil. 2.15 1 Cor. 7.16 the holy conversation of the wife may be the conversion of the husband the holy the wise the watchful the circumspect conversation of the wife may issue in the salvation of the husband many a husband hath been woon to Christ by the holy conversation of the wife and many a wife hath been woon by the holy conversation of the husband Monica woon her husband Patricia from being an impure Manichee not by force of argument but by purity and chastity of life saith Augustine many a servant hath been woon by the holy conversation of the Master and many a Master hath been woon by the holy conversation of the servant Zozomen reports that the holy life of a poor captive Christian maide made a King and all his family to embrace the Christian faith I have read of Cicilia a poor virgin who by her holy and gracious behaviour in her martyrdom was the means of converting four hundred to Christ Many a soul hath been woon by the dumb Oratory of a holy life Justin Martyr confesseth that the constancy of Christians in their piety and sufferings was the chiefest motive that converted him to Christianity For I my self saith he was once a Platonist and did gladly hear the Christians reviled but when I saw they feared not death nor any of those miseries which did most frighten all other men I began to consider with my self that it was impossible for such men to be lovers of pleasure more then lovers of piety and that made me first think of turning Christian 1 Pet. 2.12 Chap. 15.3 16. There is nothing that hath that influence upon the judgements of men to perswade them upon the consciences of men to awe them upon the mouthes of men to stop them upon the hearts of men to convince them and upon the lives of men to reform them as holiness What Plato once said of his moral vertue viz. that if it could be seen with bodily eyes it would be beloved of all and draw all hearts to it self That is most true of this Theological grace holiness holiness is so beautiful and so lovely a thing that it renders men amiable and lovely in the very eyes of their enemies Tilligny for his rare vertues Vide the French History in the life of Charles the ninth was rescued from death by his greatest enemies at the massacre of Paris Holiness makes a mans face to shine as it did Moses his and Stephens nothing pleases the eye nor wins the heart like holiness What is gold to godliness gifts to grace parts to piety a spark a ray a beam of holiness will certainly have an influence upon the spirits of men either to restrain them or change them or allay them or sweeten them or win them or one way or another to better them Look as the unholy lives and conversations of many professors do occasion some to blaspheme God others to belye God others to withstand God and others to forsake God Look as the loosness of many Christians doth work some to reproach Christ others to deny Christ others to refuse Christ others to revile the good wayes of Christ and others to oppose and despise the faithful followers of Christ As Lactantius reports that the loose lives of many Christians was made by the Heathens the reproach of Christ himself Quomodo bonus Magister cujus tam pravos videmus discipulos How can we think the Master to be good whose disciples we see to be so bad And Salvian also complains that the loose walking of many Christians was made by the Heathen the reproach of Christ himself saying If Christ had taught holy doctrine surely his followers had led better lives Salvianus de G. D. l. 4. And further the same Author relates how the Heathens did reproach some Christians who by their lewd lives made the Gospel of Christ to be a reproach Where said they is that good Law which they do believe Where are those rules of godliness which they do learn they read the holy Gospel and yet are unclean they hear the Apostles writings and yet are drunk they follow Christ and yet disobey Christ they profess a holy Law and yet do lead impure lives Now I say look as the holiness of many professors is a dishonour to God Ezek. 13.22 a reproach to Christ a scandal to Religion a blot to profession and a grief to many whom God would not have grieved So the power of holiness the practice of holiness is very influential upon the worst of men to win and work them to the Lord and to a love and liking of his wayes The holy lives of the Saints made the very Heathens to say Surely this is a good God whose servants are so good Ambrose his holiness did very much draw out the heart of Theodosius the Emperour to him and the holiness of Paphnutius did very much draw out the heart of Constantine the great to him there is nothing that gives a man that heart-room and that hearty room in the souls of others 2 Thes 1.3 4 5. read it as holiness it is the holy man that is a man of a thousand But Fifthly Consider that real holiness is the excellency of all a mans excellencies As holiness is the glory of God a part of the divine nature a spark of heaven a ray of glory so it is the excellency of all a mans excellencies it is the excellency of all our natural excellencies it is the excellency of all our moral excellencies and it is the excellency of all our intellectual excellencies Look as Gods holiness is the excellency of all his excellencies as the Angels who best know what is the top of his excellency do evidence by that three-fold repetition Holy holy holy Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 Some Greek Copics have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy nine times over c. these multiplied acclamations of holiness denote the superlative eminency excellency and perfection of Gods holiness Both among the Hebrews and among the Grecians the holiness of God is the excellency of his omnisciencie omnipotencie and omnipresence it is the excellency of his eternity immutability and fidelity it is the excellency of his wisdom love care and goodness Psalm 111.9 Holy and reverend is his name Gods name comes to be reverend by holiness if his name were not holy it would never be reverend and why is God called so often the holy one but to shew us that holiness is the very top of all his glory and excellency God could not be glorious in any thing Exod. 15.11 That which God accounts his highest honour is his
the glory due unto his name worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse Psalm 96.9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse Psalm 110.3 Thy people shall bee willing in the day of thy power in the beauty of holinesse You see beauty and holinesse is by God himself still linked together and those whom God hath so closely joyned together no man may put a sunder The Scripture last cited doth not only speak our holinesse to be a beautiful thing but it speaks out many beauties to be in holinesse Those Christians that are voluntiers in the beauties of holinesse they shall be very beautiful and shining through holinesse Holiness casts such a beauty upon man as makes him very amiable and desirable The holinesse of parents renders them very amiable and desireable in the eyes of their children and the holinesse of children renders them very amiable and desirable in the eyes of their parenâ—s When that incomparable Lady Cornelia presented her sons to the Common-wealth Isa 22 22. she said Haec sunt mea ornamenta these are my Jewels these are my ornaments Holy children are their parents crown their parents ornaments no glistering gold no sparkling diamonds Xenophon in Plutarch never prayed that his son Gryllus might be long lived but that he might be a good man no shining or glittering apparel renders children so amiable and lovely in the eyes of their parents as holinesse doth The holinesse of the husband renders him very amiable in the eyes of the wife and the holinesse of the wife renders her very desirable in the eyes of her husband The holinesse of the master renders him very lovely in the eyes of his servants and the holinesse of the servants renders them very comely in the eyes of their masters c. Jewels holinesse Bradfords holinesse and Bucers holinesse rendred them very amiable and lovely not only in the eyes of their friends but also in the eyes of their enemies There is nothing in this world that will render all sorts and ranks of people so glorious and famous in the eyes of one another as holinesse will do Were all ranks and orders of men more holy they would certainly be more lovely in the eyes of one another O that all men would cease from being injurious one to another and labour to be more holy and then I am sure they would be more comely in one anothers eyes Holinesse is lovely yea loveliness it self purity is a Christians splendor and glory there is no beauty to that of sanctity nothing beautifies and bespangles a man like holinesse Holinesse is so lovely and so comely a thing that it draws all eyes and hearts to an admiration of it Holinesse is so great a beauty that it puts a beauty upon all other excellencies in a man That holinesse is a very beautiful thing and that it makes all those beautiful that have it is a truth that no Devil can deny And therefore O Sirs as ever you would be ebautiful and lovely labour to be holy The natural beauty of Sarah Rebeccah Rachel 2 Sam. 14.25 Joseph and Absalom was no beauty to that beauty lustre and glory that holinesse puts upon a man Demetrius saith Plutarch Plutarch in the life of Demetrius was so passing fair of face and countenance that no Painter was able to draw him Holinesse puts so rare a beauty upon man that no Painter under heaven is able to draw him Scipio Africanus was so comely a person that the Barbarians in Spain stood amazed at his comelinesse Holinesse puts such a comlinesse Mark 6.20 and such an amiablenesse upon a person that many admire it and stand amazed at it O Sirs as ever you would be amiable and desirable be holy as ever you would be lovely and comely be holy as ever you would be famous and glorious be holy as ever you would out-shine the Sun in splendor and glory labour to be holy Many have ventured their names their estates their liberties their lives yea their very souls to enjoy a lovely Bathsheba David Theseus Prince Paris Mark Antony c. a fair Helena a beautiful Diana a comely Cleopatra c. whose beauties have been but clay well coloured O how much more then should you be provoked to labour and venture your All for holinesse that will imprint upon you that most excellent and most exquisite beauty that will to the grave and to glory with you yea that will render you not only amiable and excellent in the eyes of men but also lovely and comely in the eyes of God! I remember Bernard writing to a noble Virgin that was holy tells her that others were cloathed with purple and silk Psalm 45.13 14. but their consciences were poor and beggerly they glistered with their Jewels but were loose in their manners but you saith he are without meanly clad but within shine exceeding beautiful not to humane but to divine eyes both in the eyes of God Angels and men Ezek. 16.1 12. none shine and glister so gloriously as those that are holy Unholy souls are foul souls ugly souls deformed souls withered souls wrinkled souls they are altogether unlovely and uncomely souls I have read of Acco an old woman who seeing her deformity in a glass run mad Should God but shew unholy men their deformity in the glass of the Law it would either make them spiritually mad or else it would make them fall in love with holinesse that so they might be made comely and lovely by being made pure and holy But Eleventhly Consider this to provoke you to be holy that holinesse is the most gainfullest and the most thriving trade in the world Now that every one cryes out that all trading is gone O that every one would settle to the trade of holinesse O there is no gain there is no advantage to the gain that comes in upon the account of godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.6 But godlinesse with contentment is great gain Though godlinesse it self be great gain Godliness is the greatest riches the best treasure the highest honor and the most lasting fame yet godlinesse brings in a great deal of gain besides it self The godly man is still of the gaining side his piety brings him in the greatest plenty chap. 4.8 Godlinesse is profitable to all things A man is as well able to tell the stars of heaven and to number the hairs of his head as he is able to tell the several commodities or to number up the variety of blessings or multitude of mercies that comes flying in upon the wings of godlinesse Godlinesse hath the promise of both lives that is both of earthly favours and of eternal blessings also It is profitable not for some things but for every thing both temporal spiritual and eternal blessings do grow upon this Tree of life holinesse There is no trade to the trade of godlinesse Prov. 22.4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life
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
Traveller mend his pace when he sees the night comes on and shall the Smiâ—â— strike when the Iron is hot and shall not we take the present opportunity of repenting and turning to the Lord Remembring that there will be a time when time shall be no more He. 12.17 Luke 13.24 27. and when there shall be no place found for repentance though it should be sought carefully with tears and remembring that there will be a time when thy glass will be out when the door will be shut and when there will be no entrance at all And remembring that it is a safer course with prudent Prometheus to foresee a danger and shun it then with foolish Epimetheus to go on unadvisedly and be punished Ah friends it is a dangerous thing to make repentance What madness and folly is it for a man that hath many young strong stout horses and a long journey to go to let these pass by and to lay his carriage and get up himself upon an old feeble jade that can hardly bear himself The application is easie Mal. 1.13 14. which should be the practice of all your dayes to be the task of old Age. Doth not common experience tell us that the longer the Ship leaketh the harder it is to be emptied and that the longer the house goes to decay the worse it is to repair and that the further the nail is driven the harder it will be to get out and so certainly the longer any man defers his repentance the more difficult it will be for him to repent his heart will every day grow more and more hard his will more and more perverse and his judgement more and more corrupted and his affections more and more disordered and his conscience more and more benummed or enraged and his whole life more and more defiled and debauched Friends do not deceive your selves old age is but a sad a sandy a tottering and sinking foundation for you to build your hopes and happinesse upon for you to build your everlasting condition your eternal making or marring upon Are the dog dayes of old age are the trembling hands the wrinckled face the dazeled eyes the stinking lungs the fainting heart the feeble knees and the failing leggs are these a sacrifice worthy of God is a body full of sores aches and diseases and a soul full of sin an offering becoming a God surely no. O what madnesse what wickednesse is this to serve Satan your lusts and this world with full dishes and to put off God with scraps to serve these in the flower in the prime and primrose of you days and to put off God with the dregs of old age Certainly repentance is rather a work for youth then old age it is a work rather for strength then weaknesse and for health then sicknesse O do not let Satan deceive you do not let your own hearts delude you but fall upon the work of repentance presently knowing that as you have one day more to repent of so you have one day lesse to repent in What a piece of vanity is it that while the Ship is sound the tackling sure the Pilot well the Sailers strong provisions laid in and the wind favourable that the Mariners and passengers should lie in the Rode carding drinking diceing dancing and idling And when the Ship is leak the Pilot sick the mariners faint provisions spent and the winds boisterous then to weigh Anchors and hoist up sail to make a voyage into a far Countrey And yet such is the vanity of most men who in the dayes of their youth health and strength who when their memories are strong and their fancies quick and their Reason ripe c. do sin away and fool away and trifle away the day of grace the offers of mercy the motions of the Spirit and the intreaties of Christ and when old age comes when their wits are crackt their souls distracted their senses stupified their hearts astonied their minds darkned and their bodies diseased and distempered O then they think to leap into heaven with a Lord have mercy upon me in their mouthes and though they have lived like devils yet they hope they shall die like Saints and though they never took no care of Gods honour yet they hope that God will take care of their souls but when the thred of their lives is cut the next news that ever you shall hear of these is that they are gone to hell I have read of a young man who being admonished of the evil of his way and course and being pressed to leave his wickednesse and to break off his sins by repentance upon the consideration of Judgement Eternity and Death a coming he answered what do you tell me of these things I warrant you I will do well enough for when death comes I will speak but three words and that will help all so he went on in his wickednesse but in the end coming to a Bridge on Horse-back to go over a deep water the Horse stumbling and he labouring to recover his Horse could not but at last he let go the Bridle gave up himself and his Horse to the waters and was heard to say these three words Devil take all Here were three words with a witnesse And ô that all that think to repent at last with a Lord have mercy upon me would lay this instance to heart The light of thy life may be put out before thou canst once say Miserere mei Deus Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Though the Chariot wheels run all the day long very near one another yet they never overtake one another O take heed of delaying thy repentance for the more thou delayest it the more will thy account be increased thy debt augmented Satan strengthned thy body infeebled thy lusts imboldned thy soul endangered and all the difficulties of conversion more and more multiplied by delaying of thy repentance thou goest the way to gratifie Satan to cozen thy self to lose the opportunities of grace and to damn thy soul for ever and ever Well remember this if thou wilt not repent to day God may swear in his wrath to morrow that thou shalt not enter into his rest and then wo to thee that ever thou wert born And thus much for the preventing of these sad mistakes about repentance which mistakes keep off many a man from looking and labouring after that holinesse without which there is no happinesse Secondly If ever you would be holy O then take heed of a Witch take heed of the world the world often swells the heart with pride â—eut 32.15.22 it makes men forget God neglect Christ slight Ordinances and despise holinesse Ah the time the thoughts the strength That Cardinal was wretched as well as rich that would not leave his part in Paris for a part in Paradise the spirits that this enticing world hath made many to spend and consume whilest their souls have lien a bleeding and
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
ransom him from the grave and therefore why should men put this day so far from them But Secondly As there is nothing more certain then death so there is nothing more sudden then death When the old world when Sodom when Pharaoh when Hagar when Amalek when Haman when Nebuchadnezzar when Belshazzar when Dives when the Rich fool and when Herod were all in their prime and pride when they were in their most flourishing estate when they were at the very top of their glory Ah how suddenly how sadly how strangely how unexpectedly and how wonderfully were they brought down to the Grave yea to Helâ— O! the thousand thousands of crosses losses diseases sicknesses calamities dangers and deaths which attends the life of man and by the least of which he may be suddenly surprized and carried into another world and therefore why should man cry out cras cras to morrow to morrow when he does not know whether he shall have a to morrow when he does not know but that he may dye before he had begun to live Waldus a rich Merchant of Lyons in France seeing one suddenly drop down dead in the streets went home repented changed his life studied the Scriptures and became a worthy Teacher Father and Founder of the Christians called the Waldenses or poor men of Lyons And O! that the serious thoughts of the suddenness of death might have that happy effect upon your souls as to work you to break your league with sin and to fright you as it were into a love of holiness and into a life of holiness O! swearer what doest thou know but that death may seize on thee whilst the oath is in thy mouth And what doest thou know O drunkard but that death may step in between the cup and the lip as it did to Belshazzar And what dost thou know O adulterer but that a poisoned dart may strike thorough thy liver whilst thou art in the very flagrancy of thy lust as it did thoâ—ough Zimries and Cozbies And what dost thou know O proud Haman but that thou who art thus noblely feasted one day mayest be a feast for the Crows the next day And what dost thou know who art so crafty O Ahitophel but that if thy subtile counsel be rejected one hour thou mayest hang thy self the next hour And what doest thou know O thou opposing and murmuring Corah but that the earth may suddenly open and swallow thee up and therefore why should you put that day so far from you that may so suddenly overtake you Berline in Germany charged Saint Paul with a lye in the Pulpit Scultet Annal. and was suddenly smitten with an Apoplexy and fell down dead in the place And what doest thou know who art so apt to charge the people of God with lying but that God may strike thee both dumb and dead whilst the lye is in thy mouth Bibulus a Roman General riding in Triumph in all his glory a Tyle fell off from a house in the street and knockt out his brains And what doest thou know O vain glorious man but that whilst thou art triumphing in thy world glory by some unexpected blow thou mayest be sent into another world Lepidus and Avsidius stumbled at the very threshold of the Senate and died the blow came in a cloud from heaven God by an invisible blow may send thee out of this visible world Sophocles died suddenly by excessive joy and Homer by immoderate grief excessive joy or excessive grief may suddenly bring thee to thy long home Theater of Gods judgements lib. 1. cap. 9. p. 64. Olympus the Arrian Heretick speaking against the Holy Trinity as he was a Bathing himself was struck dead by a threefold Thunderbolt We may run and read some mens sins in the very face of their punishments Mr. Perkins speaks of One who when it thundered scoffingly said It was nothing but Tom Tumbrel a hooping his Tubs c. and presently he was struck dead with a thunder-bolt from heaven There would be no end of recounting the several judgements that have suddenly surprized all sorts of sinners let these few instances suffice to stir up every unholy heart to take heed of putting far off the day of death But Thirdly As there is nothing more sudden then death so there is nothing more short then life Job 8.9 Psal 102.11 Psal 73.20 90.5 Job 20.8 ch 7.7 and why then should you put the day of your death so far from you If you consider the life of man absolutely 't is but short 't is but as a span a shadow a dream a bubble a blast a puff of wind a pile of dust a fading leaf or a tale that is told c. The life of man is as a dream that vanisheth when one awaketh 't is a wind that goeth away and cometh not again 't is as a cloud that is soon dispersed with the wind 't is as a vapor that appeareth for a time and then vanisheth away 't is as the grass that soon withereth 't is as the flower that soon fadeth 't is as the candle that every light puffe of wind bloweth out The life of man is rather made up of days then years Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom Moses does not say Lord teach us to number our years but Lord teach us to number our dayes fallen man is apt to misreckon and to compute days for years and therefore this holy Prophet desires that God would teach them this Divine Arithmetick of numbering their days it being a lesson that none but a God can teach So Job 14.1 2. Man that is born of a woman is of few days or short of dayes and full of trouble He cometh forth like a flower and is out down he floeth also as a shadow and continueth not He speaks not of an Age nor of years nor of many dayes but of a few days mans days are short in themselves and shorter in respect of the troubles that attends this present life Mans life is so short Aug. l. 1. Confess Austin doubteth whether to call it a dying life or a living death Now these few days of mans life are upon the wing hastning and flying from us as the Eagle hastneth to his prey and therefore man had need set a greater price upon every moment and minute of time then he does upon all the world and accordingly improve it Secondly If you consider the life of man comparatively 't is but short and that will appear briefly thus First If you compare the life of man to what man might have reach't to had he continued in his primitive glory had man stood fast in innocency he had never known what death and misery had mean't death is a fall that came in by a fall had man kept sin out of the world he had kept death out of the world had man kept fast his holiness and purity he had remained a piece of
immortality to this day death could never have carried man out of the world had not man first let sin into the world Rom. 5.12 ult Secondly If you compare the life of man to the long lives of the Patriarchs before the stood then the life of man is but short threescore years and ten is mans age Psal 90.10 And where one man lives to this age how many thousands die before they come to it But what is this age to the age that men lived to in former times Enoch lived as many yeers as there be days in the year and Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years and Methuselah lived nine hundred sixty and nine years Gen. 5. Now what were Platoes eighty years or Thomas Pars 160. years or Johannes de Temporibus John of the times three hundred threescore and one years to the long lives of the Patriarchs and though in Davids time old age and seventy often shook hands yet 't is otherwise in our times for as mens wickedness do more and more increase so their days do more and more decrease the more wicked any generation is the shorter liv'd that generation shall be God will quickly dispatch them out of the world who make quick dispatches in ways of wickedness Thirdly The life of man is but short if you compare it to what it shall be after the morning of the Resurrection O then mans day shall reach to eternity eternity is that unum perpetuum hodie one perpetual day that shall never have end when men after the resurrection begin to live they shall never dye after that day every man shall live in everlasting bliss or in everlasting wo when the last Trumpet has sounded man shall live for ever and ever Fourthly The life of man is but short if you compare it with the days of God Psal 39.5 Mine age is nothing before him all time is nothing to eternity mans life is but a minute 't is but a point of time to the days of eternity what head what heart can conceive or reckon up the duration of God who ever was who still is and who ever will be every child and every fool can tell you their age but what man on earth or what Angel in heaven can tell you the years of the Most High surely none Fifthly and lastly the life of man is but short if you compare it with the lives of other creatures some say that 't is neither age nor sickness that killeth the Eagle she casteth her feathers yearly and so gets new whereby her youth strength is renewed Pliny August Calvin Psal 103.5 by which means she will live till she be an hundred years old she dies not till her upper Bill be so grown over her under that she cannot take in her meat and so at last she is staryed And some Elephants live three hundred years witness Aelian Solinus and Strabo c. by all which you see the brevity of mans life And why then should man be so weak so vain as to put the day of his death so far from him I have read of the Birds of Norway that they flye faster then the fowls of any other Country they knowing by an instinct that God has put into them that the days in that Climate are very short not above three hours long say some do therefore make the more haste to their nests And O! that all that hear me this day would learn by these birds of Norway to make haste to believe and to make haste to repent and to make haste to love God and to make haste to be holy c. seeing their day of life is so short and their night of death is posting towards them And as the life of man is very short so 't is very considerable that a very small matter a very little thing may quickly put an end to mans life When the Emperor threatned the Philosopher with death he replyed Conrad Ves perg Nancler Jo. Boel in Adrian Paulus Jovius Elog. lib. 2. what is that more then a Spanish flie may do An ordinary flye flying casually into the mouth of the proud Pope Adrian stifled him that made the highest state then in the Christian world stoop even to the holding of his stirrop Tamberlain a Scythian Captain the terror of his time died with three fits of an Ague Anacreon the Poet was choaked with the kernel of a Grape Aeschylus was killed by the shell of a Tortoise which fell from an Eagles Talons who as some conceive took his bald head for a white rock The Lord Mountaigne tells us of a Duke of Britany that was stifled to death in such a throng of people as is in some great congregations on the Lords day An Emperor died by the scratch of a Comb and one of the Kings of France died by the chock of an Hogg and one that was brother to a great Lord playing at Tennis received a blow with a ball a little above the right ear which struck him into his grave There is nothing so small but may be a mans bane The paring of a Toe the cutting off a corn the scratch of a nail the prick of a pin a fish-bone a hair a drop of water a crum of bread a bad air or an evil smell may bring a man to his long home yea a little smoak may soon stifle him or his own spittle let down unwarily may suddenly choak him And O! that all that I have spoken upon this account might be so blest as to work you to take heed of putting the day of your death so far from you The evil servant when he thought his Master was gone afar off Luke 12.45 then he layes about him distempers himself Prov. 7.19 20. and beats his fellow-servants And so the leud woman in the Proverbs when the good man was gone a long journey when he was far from home then she grew wanton vain and secure so when men put afar off the day of their death then they grow more loose prophane and unholy whereas a serious and frequent eying and minding of death as at hand as at a mans elbow would alarm a man to break off his sins by repentance and to labor for holiness as a man would labor for life it self I have read of the women in the Isle of Man that the first Web they make is their winding sheet wherwith they usually gird themselves when they go abroad to shew that they are still mindful of their mortality Ah friends a constant minding of your mortality would contribute very much towards the making of you holy He that daily looks upon death will be daily a looking after holiness the oftener any man looks into the grave the oftener that man will be looking up to heaven and a begging that God would make him holy even as he is holy But Sixthly and lastly Take heed of settling your selves under a leud and scandalous Ministry or of having any inwardness with
nihil a great nothing and who then would spend an houres time to secure it neare and deare relations cannot for the delight of Ezekiels eyes is taken away with a stroake Ezek. 24.16 Job 1.10 and all Jobs children are snatcht away in a day all our nearest and dearest relations are like a Nose-gay which the oftner we smell to it the sooner it withers But now holiness may be made sure witness the spirits of just men made perfect in heaven Heb. 12.23 and witness the many thousands of Christians this day in the world who doe experience the principles of holiness in their hearts and who doe evidence the power of holiness in their lives O Sirs if the serious consideration of the preciousness and worth of your souls will not draw you out to study holiness to love holiness to prize holiness and to press after holiness what will O Sirs 't is only holiness that is the happiness of the soul the safety and security of the soul the prosperity and felicity of the soul and the lustre and glory of the soul and therefore why should you not labour as for life after this inestimable Jewel holiness O let the remembrance of the preciousness of your souls be an effectuall means to draw you to heare that you may be holy and to pray that you may be holy and to reade that you may be holy and to mourne that you may be holy and to sigh and groane after holiness as after that which is the souls only happiness O Sirs there is nothing below heaven so precious and noble as your souls and therefore doe not play the Courtier with your souls now the Courtier do's all things late he rises late and dines late and sups late and repents late O doe not poyson your precious souls by gross enormities O doe not starve your souls by the omission of religious duties O doe not murther and damne your souls by turning your backs upon holy Ordinances I have read of a Woman who when her house was on fire so minded the saving of her goods that she forgot her only childe and left it burning in the fire at last being minded of it she cryes out Oh my childe oh my poore childe but all too late all too late so there are many men now so mad upon the world and so bewitcht with the world that they never mind they never regard their poor souls till they come to fall under everlasting burnings and then they cry out O our souls O our poor souls O that we had been wise for our souls O that we had got holiness for our souls O that we had made sure worke for our souls but all too late all too late the Lord make you wise to prevent soul-burnings at last If he be rather a monster then a man that feasts his slave but starves his wife what shall we say of those that pamper their bodies but starve their souls and that have thred-bare souls under silke and sattin Cloaths and that please themselves with deformed souls under beautifull faces surely it had been good for these that they had never been born I have read of a Scythian Captain who having for a draught of water yeelded up the City cryed out Quid perdidi quid prodidi What have I lost what have I betrayed So all unholy persons will at last cry out we have betrayed our immortall souls we have lost a precious Father we have lost a deare Redeemer we have lost the company of glorious Angels we have lost the society of the spirits of just men made perfect and we have lost all the pleasures and joyes and delights that be at the right hand of the most High We have lost these we have lost all these and we have lost them for ever and ever surely there is no hell to this hell For a close of this direction remember this that as the soul is the life and excellency of the body so holiness is the life and excellency of the soul and as the body without the soul is dead so the soul without holiness is dead This my Son was dead and is alive if you get holiness into your souls your souls shall live for ever but if you die without holiness your souls shall die for ever and ever I have read that there was a time when the Romans did weare Jewels on their shooes oh that in these dayes most men did not doe worse oh that they did not trample under feete that matchless Jewel their precisouls But Seventhly If ever you would be holy then set in good earnest upon reading of the holy Scripture many a man has been made holy by reading of the holy Word Luther com in Gen. cap. 19. The Bible is the book of books 't is the onely book all other books in the world are but waste paper to it Augustin crys out away with our writings that room may be made for the book of God notwithstanding the greatness and multiplicity of the affairs of Princes yet they were diligently to read the word Deut. 17.19 And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them God looks that the greatest Princes on earth should make use of this Library Though David was a great Prince and had a multitude of weighty businesses upon his hand yet he was so much in reading meditating on the word that he made it his Counsellors the word was Davids Learned Counsel Psal 119.24 to which he reforted for counsel advice and comfort in all his necessities and miseries Alphonsus King of Arragon hath been highly extolled for reading the Scriptures fourteen times over with glosses and expositions notwithstanding his great publike employments And Alphonsus King of Naples read over the Bible forty times notwithstanding many great affairs were upon his hand Theodosius the Emperor and Constantine the Great were much taken up in reading of the Scriptures So Queen Elizabeth when she passed in triumph through the streets of London after her Coronation and had the Bible presented to her at the little Conduit in Cheap-side she received the same with both her hands and kissing it Speeds Hist laid it to her breasts saying That the same had ever been her chiefest delight and should be the rule whereby she meant to frame her Government And 't is very observable that the Eunuch was reading the Scripture when Philip was commanded Acts 8.26.40 by Commission from the Holy Ghost to joyn himself to his Chariot and to instruct him in the knowledge of Christ which proved his conversion and salvation And Junius was converted by the reading of that first of John In the beginning was the Word c. being amazed with the strange majesty of the stile Lib. 8. conf cap. 12. and the profound misteries therein contained And Augustine was
to poor sinners without their using of the means but he won't being resolved that they shall use the means of hearing reading praying and conference c. and when they have done leave the issue of all their labors and endeavors to his good Will and pleasure I have taken the more pains fully and clearly to answer this objection that it may never more have a resurrection in any of your souls Ninthly If ever you would be holy then when you have done all wait Oh hear and wait and wait and hear pray and wait and wait and pray read and wait and wait and read confer and wait and wait and confer watch and wait and wait and watch Oh sirs shall the husbandman wait for a good harvest Jam. 5.7 8. and the Merchant for good returns and the Watchman for the dawning of the day and the Patient for a happy cure and the poor Client for a day of hearing c and will not you wait for Christ and wait for the spirit and wait for pardon and wait for grace and wait for glory c Oh sinners sinners remember you are at the right doore and therefore wait Oh remember that whilst you are waiting for mercy God is preparing of mercy Oh remember that 't is mercy that you may wait for mercy devils and damned spirits can't wait for mercy wait they must but O 't is for more wrath anger and fiery indignation Oh remember your condition bespeaks waiting for you are poor halt lame blinde and miserable creatures Oh remember that mercy is sweetest when it comes after a patient waiting Deut. 32.13 He made him to suck honey out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock That is he made him to suck water that was as sweet as honey out of the rock out of the flinty rock Oh remember that a patient waiting for mercy is the onely way to greaten your mercy The longer said the Emperors son the Cooks are a preparing the meat the better the chear will be his meaning was the longer he staid for the Empire the greater it would be So the longer a soul waits for mercy the greater and the better it will be when it comes as you may see in that famous instance of the poor man that lay eight and thirty years at the Pool of Bethesda Joh. 5.2.16 Famous was the patience of Elijah's servant 1 King 18.8 who in obedience to his Masters command went seven several times up and down steep Carmel which could not be without danger and difficulty and all to bring news of nothing till his last journey which made a recompence for all the rest with the tydings of a cloud arising Oh so do but patiently wait upon the Lord and that grace that favour that mercy will come at last which will fully recompence you for all your waitings remember that the mercies of God are not styled the swift Isa 55.3 but the sure mercies of David mercy may be sure though it be not presently upon the wing flying towards us And the same Prophet saith the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward Isa 58.8 now this we know comes up last to secure and make good all the rest for where Grace leads the Front Glory at last will be in the Rere Oh do but patiently wait Heb. 10.37 and he that shall come will come and will not tarry not a year not a quarter not a month not a week not a day no not an hour beyond the prefixed time that he hath set of shewing mercy to poor sinners O how sad was it that Saul should lose his Kingdom for want of two or three hours patience but O how much more sad will it be if thou shouldst lose all the prayers that thou hast made and all the Sermons that thou hast heard and all the tears that thou hast shed and all other pains that thou hast taken and all for want of a little more patience yea how woful sad would it be if thou shouldst lose thy God and lose thy Christ and lose thy soul and lose an eternity of glory and all for want of a little patience to wait the Lords leisure O therefore resolve to hold on waiting to the death and if thou must perish to perish in a waiting way which if thou shouldst thou wouldst be the first that ever so perished O remember that if God should come and mercy come and pardon come and grace come when thy Sun is near setting when thy glass is almost out and when there is but a short step between thee and eternity it will infinitely recompence thee for all thy waiting and therefore wait still and to keep up thy spirits and to uphold thy soul in a waiting way O! that thou wouldest make these following promises thy daily food thy daily friends thy daily companions Psal 27.14 Waâ—t on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Prov. 20.22 Wait on the Lord and he shall save thee Isa 30.18 And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement Blessed are all they that wait for him Chap. 40. ult But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Chap. 49.23 They shall not be ashamed that wait for me And Chap. 64.4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Pro. 8.34 Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors O how should these precious promises encourage your hearts to wait on the Lord O how should they lengthen and draw out your patience to the utmost But Tenthly and lastly Dwell much upon the memorable judgements of God that even in this life has faln upon unholy persons Remember Lots wife O! remember her sin and punishment that so fearing the one Luk. 17.32 you may learn to take heed of the other Isa 26.9 When thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness that is they should learn righteousness for so the words may be read they should learn to fear thee and learn to turn unto thee and learn to forsake their sins and amend their lives When thy judgements thy memorable judgements are abroad in the world it highly concerns all the sons of men to look after holy dispositions holy affections and holy conversations that so it may go well with them in the day of the Lords wrath others sense the words thus When thy judgements are on the earth the inhabitants of the world that is sinners as well as Saints
up to holy rules and live out holy principles must prepare for sufferings All the Roses of holiness are surrounded with pricking Briers The History of the ten persecutions and that little book of Martyrs the 11. of the Hebrews and Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments with many other Treatises that are extant do abundantly evidence that from age to age and from one generation to another they that have been born after the flesh Gal. 4.29 Within the first 300. years after Christ all that made a profession of the Apostles doctrine were cruelly murdered have persecuted them that have been born after the spirit and that the seed of the Serpent have been still a multiplying of troubles upon the seed of the woman Would any man take the Churches picture saith Luther then let him paint a poor silly Maid sitting in a wilderness compassed about with hungry Lyons Wolves Bores and Bears and with all manner of other cruel hurtful Beasts and in the midst of a great many furious men assaulting her every moment and minute for this is her condition in the world As certain as the night follows the day so certain will that black angel persecution follow holiness where-ever it goes In the last of the ten persecutions seventeen thousand holy Martyrs were slain in the space of one moneth And in Queen Maries days or if you will in the Marian dayes not of blessed but of most abhorred memory the Popish Prelates in less then four years sacrificed the lives of eight hundred innocents to their Idols and O that that precious innocent blood did not still cry to Heaven for vengeance against this Nation But Secondly Christ and his Apostles hath long since foretold us that afflictions and persecutions will attend us in this world the Lord hath long since forewarned us that we may be fore-armed and not surprised on a sudden when they come Christ hath shot off many a warning piece in his word and sent many a Harbinger that so we may stand upon our guard and not be surprised nor astonished when afflictions and persecutions overtake us Mat. 10.22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake but he that endureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 16.24 Then said Jesus unto his Disciples if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Luk. 21.12 But before all these they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prisons being brought before Kings and Rulers for my names sake John 15.20 Remember the word that I said unto you The servant is not greater then the Lord if they have persecuted me Non potest qui pati timet ejus esse qui passus est He that is afraid to suffer cannot be his disciple who suffered so much Tert. they will also persecute you if they have kept my saying they will keep yours also Ah Christians since they have crowned your head with thornes there is no reason why you should expect to be crowned with Rose-buds God-fry of Bullen first King of Jerusalem refused to be crowned with a crown of Gold saying That it became not a Christian there to wear a crown of Gold where Christ for our salvation had sometime worn a crown of thornes Chap. 16. ult These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world Acts 14.21 22. And when they had preached the Gospel to that City and had taught many they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God As there was no way to Paradise but by the flaming sword nor no way to Canaan but through a wilderness Loddela Corda computeth fourty four several kinds of torments wherewith the Primitive Christians were tryed Adv. Sacr. cap. 128. so there is no way to heaven but by the Gates of hell there is no way to a glorious exaltation but through a Sea of tribulation They do but dream and deceive their own souls who think to go to heaven upon Beds of Doun or in a soft and delicate way or that think to be attended to glory with mirth and musick or with singing or dancing the way to happiness is not strewed with Roses but full of Thornes and Briers as those of whom this world was not worthy have experienced Ecclesiastical Histories tells us that all the Apostles died violent deaths Peter was crucified with his heels upward Christ was crucified with his head upwards but Peter thought this was to great an honor for him to be crucified as his Lord and therefore he chose to be crucified with his heels upward and Andrew was crucified by Egeus King of Edessa Acts 12.2 James the son of Zebedee was slain by Herod with the sword and Philip was crucified at Hierapolis in Asia and while Bartholomew was preaching the glad-tydings of salvation multitudes fell upon him and beat him down with staves and then crucified him and after all this his skin was fleaed off and he beheaded Thomas was slain with a Dart at Calumina in India and Mathew was slain with a Spear say some others say he was run through with a sword and James the son of Alpheus who was called the Just was thrown down from off a Pinacle of the Temple and yet having some life left in him he was brained with a Fullers club Lebbeus was slain by Agbarus King of Edessa and Paul was beheaded at Rome under Nero and Simon the Canaanite was crucified in Egypt say some others say that he and Jude was slain in a Tumult of the people Matthias was stoned to death Rev. 1.9 and John was banished into Patmos and afterwards as some Histories tells us he was by that cruel Tyrant Domitian cast into a Tun of scalding Lead and yet delivered by a miracle Thus all these precious servants of God except John died violent deaths and so through sufferings entered into glory they found in their own experience the truth of what Christ had foretold concerning their sufferings and persecutions About the year 1626 A book formerly printed and intituled A preparation to the cross of Christ composed by John Frith Martyr was brought in the belly of a Fish to the Market in Cambridge Mr. Jer. Dyke in a Fast Sermon at Westminster and that a little before the Commencement time when there was a confluence of much people from all places of the Land which was construed by them that feared the Lord to be no less then an heavenly warning to all the people of England to prepare for the cross But ah since that year who can recount the heavy crosses that has generally attended the people of this Nation most
have walked cross to God and cross to one another and God has walked as cross to them you have cross't the commands of God and the truths of God and the ways of God and the works of God and the designs of God and God has cros't you in your hopes desires prayers and endeavors and God gave you warning of this before hand by a Fish by a miracle to provide for the cross but you would not and therefore 't is that the cross lies so heavy upon you this day When Mr. Bradford was told that his chain was a buying and that he must be burnt he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said I thank God for it I have looked for this along time it comes not to me suddenly but as a thing waited for every day yea every hour in the day the Lord make me worthy thereof If upon Gods warning you will but prepare for sufferings you will never fear nor faint under sufferings yea then you will be able under the greatest persecutions to bare up bravely and with holy Bradford bless the Lord that has called you to so high an honor as to count you worthy to suffer for his name But Thirdly I answer that all the troubles afflictions and persecutions that do befall you for holiness sake shall never hurt you nor harm you they shall never prejudice you nor wrong you in your main and great concernments Exod. 3.2 The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a dry bush a bramble bush and therefore it was the more strange and miraculous that it was not consumed Deut. 4.24 Heb. 12.29 And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a Bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed Here you have a bush a dry bush a bramble bush all on a light fire and yet not consumed this burning-bush was an excellent emblem of the Church in the fire of tribulation and persecution though the Church may seem to be all on fire by reason of afflictions and persecutions yet it shall be preserved it shall not be destroyed though God be a consuming fire yet he will never consume the bramble-bush the bush was on fire and yet the fire did not in the least hurt or harm the bush it did not one whit prejudice or wrong the bush So though the Church of God be on fire by the means of fiery trials yet these fiery trials shall never hurt nor harm the Church they shall never prejudice it nor wrong it Psal 105.12 13 14 15. when they were but a few men in number yea very few and strangers in it when they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another people he suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying That is the King of Egypt and the King of Gerar. Gen. 12.17 Ch. 20.3 and Ch. 35.5 Zach. 2.8 Touch not mine anointed nor do my Prophets no harme God would not suffer his anointed ones his sanctified ones so much as to be touch't hurt or harmed by those who had malice enough in their hearts and power enough in their hands not onely to hurt them but even to destroy them Sanctified persons are sacred persons and they that touch them touch the Apple of Gods eye and whosoever shall be so bold to touch the Apple of Gods eye shall dearly smart for it 't was no small affliction to have no settled habitation to flye from place to place from Kingdom to Kingdom and from Nation to Nation was without all peradventure an afflicted condition doubtless many fears and frights many hazards and dangers did attend them when they considered that they were as Lillies among the thornes and as a few Sheep among a multitude of Wolves Deut. 7.1 In the Land of Canaan there were seven mighty Nations now for the people of God who were so few in number that they might easily and quickly be told to sojourn and wander among these As David laid a charge upon his souldiers 2 Sam. 18.5 That by no means they should hurt his son Absolom so God laid a prohibition upon the enemies and persecutors of his people that they should not touch them that they should not in in the least hurt or harm them could not but be very dangerous and perilous and yet such was the love of God to them and the care of God over them that he suffered no man whether he was high or low honorable or base rich or poor civil or prophane to hurt or harm them Dan. 3.25 27. And the King answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like unto the Son of God And the Princes Governors and Captains and the Kings Councellors being gathered together saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them Though these holy men were cast into a furnace into a fiery furnace into the midst of a hot fiery furnace yet God will work a miracle yea a glorious miracle rather then the fire shall in the least hurt or harm them God gives a commission to the fire to burn those mighty men that made the fire and that cast his children into the fire and whom the King would have to be spared and saved and he lays a law of restraint upon the fire that it should not hurt nor harm them whom the King would have destroyed Those whom the King of kings will not have hurt shall not be hurt let Kings and Princes do their worst that fire that burnt their bonds had no power to burn no nor to touch their bodies God would not suffer the fire to singe a hair of their heads nor to change the colour of their coats nor to leave so much as an ill smell upon his people that those heathen Princes might see how tender he was of them and how willing he was to put forth his Almighty power rather then he would see them wronged or harmed So Chap. 6.21 22 23. Then said Daniel unto the King O King live for ever My God hath sent his Angels and hath shut the Lyons mouths that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee O King have I done no hurt Then was the King exceeding glad for him and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the Den so Daniel was taken up out of the Den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God Holiness innocency and integrity will preserve a man even among Lyons Daniel preferred the worship of his God before his life he made no great reckoning of his life when it stood in competition with divine glory
some instinct of gratitude and shall not a divine instinct enable Christians to do much more in a way of gratitude both upon the account of their own graces and upon the account of those eminent measures of grace that other Saints are blest and crown'd withal though Seiarus did dare to sacrifice to himself yet a Christian must not dare to sacrifice to himself nor to his duties nor to his graces c. the sacrifice of praise in regard of grace received is a crown of glory that is due to none but the God of grace All the Rivers return to the Sea from whence they had their beginning God will give you his Covenant and he will give you his Ordinances and he will give you his heaven and he will give you his Son yea he will give you himself Isa 42.8 but his glory his glory he will not give unto another Whatever he parts with he is resolved that neither Angels nor men shall share with him in the glory of his grace I have read of a Stork that cast a Pearl into the bosom of a Maid which had healed her of a wound O! Sirs when God comes to heal you of your spiritual wounds and diseases and not onely so but shall also richly bespangle and adorn your souls and others with his precious graces what can you do less then cast that Pearl of praise into the bosom of God as David did in that Psal 103.1 6. The best means to get more grace is to be thankful for that grace you have for God loves to sowe much where he reaps much if your returns are answerable to your receipts you will still be on the receiving hand thankfulness is Gods impost for all his blessings and they that truely and duely payes this impost shall be sure to abound in the best of blessings thankfulness for one blessing always draws on another blessing as Saints by experience daily find And thus you see by these Arguments that 't is possible for you to attain higher degrees of holiness then any yet you have reach't unto But Fifthly and lastly 'T is possible for you to attain to higher degrees of holiness c. witness those choice those rare and singular gifts that Christ has bestowed upon many of his servants for this very purpose viz. that they may help on a growth and an increase of holiness in your hearts Eph. 4.8 11 12 13. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ One main end of Christs giving such eminent gifts to his Church Officers is that his people may be made eminent in holiness 't is not onely to bring them in but also to build them up 't is not onely to convert them but also to edifie them 't is not onely to begin a work of holiness but also to perfect and carry on a work of holiness and therefore the Word is not only compared to seed that begets holiness in mens hearts but also to wine and milk and strong meat that helps forward the growth and increase of holiness in mens hearts 'T is only the holy soul that can truely say Credo vitam aeternam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 edo vitam aeternam Cyprian lib. 4. Ep. 6. And so the great end of the Lords Supper is not to work spiritual life where it is not but to encrease it where it tis 't is not to change the heart but more and more to sanctifie the heatt 't is not to work holiness but to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord 't is not to sowe the seed of grace in the soul but 't is to cause that seed to grow and flourish in the soul The Martyrs in the Primitive Church when they were to appear before the cruel Tyrants they were wont as Cyprian shews to receive the Lords Supper and thereby they were fired with zeal and fervor and filled with faith and fortitude c. Chrysostom saith that by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we are so armed against Satans temptations that he fleeth from us as if we were so many Lyons that spit fire The Lords Supper is a Cabinet of spiritual Jewels And O then how unmanly and unseemly a thing is it to hang this Cabinet of Jewels which is more worth then the Gold of Opher in a Swines snout And how that mother can be guiltless of the death of her child that giveth him poison in a Golden cup with this caution that she tells him it is poison I know not no more do I know how that Minister can be guiltless of the body and blood of our Lord who dispences the bread of Life to those who are known to be without spiritual life yea that are known to be dead in sins and trespasses The end of the 43. Sermon And thus you see by these five arguments that 't is possible for you to attain to greater measures of holiness then any yet you have reacht unto and so much for the second Motive Thirdly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Psal 16.3 4. consider that the more holy you are the more you will be the delight of God and the more deare you will be to God and the more beloved you will be of God For the right understanding of this argument you must carefully distinguish between Gods love of good Will and his love of complacency now Gods love of good Will is equall to all his Saints whether they are rich or poore high or low bond or free or whether they have a sea of grace or but a drop of grace Gods love of good Will runs as much out to the weakest Christian as it do's to the strongest to a Babe in grace as to a Gyant in grace All Saints are equally elected God never chose one man a vessel of glory more then another Rom. 11.17 the weakest Saint is as much elected as the strongest And as all Saints are equally elected so all Saints are equally redeemed by Jesus Christ Isa 53.3 12. Christ bled as much for one Saint as another and he sweat as much for one Saint as another and he sighed and groaned as much for one Saint as another and he trod the wine-press of his Fathers wrath as much for one Saint as another 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Christ paid as great a price for his Lambs as for his Sheep for Lazarus in his Rags as for David in his Royal Robes And as all Saints are equally redeemed so all Saints are equally called 1 Pet. 2.9 one Saint is
the old man in all our holy offerings the more they are the delight of God the more holiness any man has the less there will be of man and the more there will be of Christ and the Spirit in all his duties and services and doubtless the less there is of man and the more there is of Christ in duties the more pleasant and delightful they will be unto the Lord. The more holy any man is the more there will be of his heart in his duties and the more a mans heart is in his duties the more pleasant and delightful they will be to God God is a spirit Joh. 4.23 24. and he is only taken with those duties wherein the Spirit of a man is the heart is Camera omnipotentis Regis the presence chamber of the king of heaven 't is his bed of spices 't is his royal Throne on which he delights to sit and rule a sanctified heart in duties shall carry it with God for crownes when a silver tongue shall not carry it with God for crums The more holy any man is the more delight and pleasure he will take in religious duties and services the more a mans natural strength is the more easily he walks the more delightfully he works the fuller the wings are of feathers with the more ease and pleasure the Bird flyes so the fuller the soul is of holiness Psal 40.8 Psal 119.32 Math. 11.29 1 Iohn 5.3 the more easily the more pleasantly and the more delightfully will it walk yea run yea flie in all the wayes of Gods commands every yoak of Christ is easie and every command of Christ is joyous to a man that is eminent in holiness now the more any man delights and takes pleasure in religious duties and services the more God delights and takes pleasure in his religious duties and services the more a Christians heart is affected and taken with the duties of Religion the more the heart of God will be affected and taken with those duties Look as there is no duty that affects the heart of God that do's not first affect our own or that takes the heart of God that do's not first take our own so all those duties and services that are divinely pleasing and delightfull to our noble part they are also pleasing and delightful to God himselfe The very heathen as several Authors report had their store pots of water set at the doores of their Temples where they used to wash before they went to sacrifice having this notion and opinion amongst them that their gods did best accept and most delight in those sacrifices that were offered by those who had washed themselves pure and cleane sure I am that the great God who is the God of gods is most pleased and delighted with those sacrifices of prayers and praises that are offered up with the purest hands and with the cleanest heart and therefore as ever you would have God to take singular pleasure and delight in all your duties and services labour after an eminency in holiness But Ninthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that many who have been won over to Christ later then you do yet in holiness much excell you are there not many children who have been in Christ but yesterday as it were and yet how doe they outstrip their parents not only in parts but in piety who have been in Christ many years before them And are there not many servants to be found who have not been in Christ seaven years who yet are more holy more humble more heavenly more spiritual more serious and every way more gracious then their Masters who have been in Christ long before them And are there not many poor meane neglected despised and scorned Christians who have been converted and sanctified but a few years who yet are more fearfull of sinning against God and more carefull of pleasing God and more studious of glorifying of God and more wise and watchfull and circumspect in their walking with God and more laborious and diligent in the use of all holy means whereby God may be exalted and lifted up in the world then many great and rich Christians in the world who yet have been in Christ very many years before them Paul had some kinsmen that were in Christ before him as you may see in that 16 Rom. 5 7. Likewise greet the Church that is in their house salute my well beloved Epenetus who is the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ Salute Andronieus and Junia my kinsmen 2 Cor. 1.12 Ch. 11.22 30. 1 Thes 2.2 13. and my fellow-prisoners who are of note among the Apostles who also were in Christ before me and yet in grace and holiness he excell'd them all You know many men in riding a Journey do often set out after their neighbours and yet they do not only overtake them but also get into their Innes many houres before them And among Sea-men is there any thing more common then for those who set saile some dayes after others yet to get into their Ports before them so there are many Christians who have set out heaven-wards and holiness-wards after others and yet they have not only overtaken them but also in grace and holiness gone far before them Luke 2.46.47 48. As Christ in his non-age put all the Doctors in the Temple down so many Christians even in their non-age as I may say do put down other Christians Hierom writes of Paulinus that in the first part of his life he excellled others and in his latter part he excelled himself who in respect of their years and opportunities might have been Doctors in Christianity In this great City you have very many who have set up many years after others and yet they are grown far greater and richer then those of their callings who have set up many years before them and doubtless there are very many in this City who have set upon the Trade of Christianity the Trade of godliness long after others who yet are grown greater and richer in grace holiness then those who have for very many years driven that Trade And O how should this Alarm all such to double their diligence and to strive and labor as for life to be eminent in holiness yea to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. But Tenthly To provoke you to labor after higher degrees of holiness Consider that there are no persons under heaven that are so strongly obliged and engaged to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord as you are for you are the onely persons on earth that are made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Dan. 6.3 1 Cor. 2.12 and that have a more excellent spirit in you then the men of this world have and that have more excellent principles in you as knowledge wisdom faith love self-denyal humility c. to help on the advance and increase of holiness then others have whose souls are
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
of holiness But Secondly If ever you would perfect holiness if ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness Psal 41.12 1 Sam. 2.1.3 then set the Lord alwaies before your eyes set your selves alwaies as in his presence David was a man that was very high and eminent in holiness but how came hee to so great a height why hee tells you how in that 16. Psal 8. Athenodorus a Heathen could say that all men ought to bee careful in the actions of their lives because God was every where and beheld all that was done 1 King 20.39 Psal 39.1 Jer. 20.10 Job 10.12 I have set the Lord alwaies before mee because hee is at my right hand I shall not bee moved David did not by fits and starts set the Lord before him but hee alwaies set the Lord before him in his course hee had his eye upon the Lord and so much the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports I have equally set the Lord before mee that is the force of the original word that is I have set the Lord before mee at one time as well as another without any irregular affections or passions c. in every place in every condition in every company in every imployment and in every enjoyment I have set the Lord equally before mee and this raised him and this will raise any Christian by degrees to a very great height of holiness Psa 119.168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my waies are before thee The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shamar that is here rendred kept signifies to keep carefully diligently studiously exactly it signifies to keep as men keep prisoners and to keep as a watchman keeps the City or the Garison yea to keep as a man would keep his very life but now mark what was the reason that David kept the Precepts and the testimonies of the Lord so carefully so sincerely so diligently so studiously and so exactly why the reason you have in the latter part of the verse for all my waies are before thee O Sirs t is as necessary for him that would bee eminent in holiness to set the Lord alwaies before him as t is necessary for him to breathe in that 31. of Job you have a very large narrative of that heigth and perfection of holiness that Job had attained to and the great reason that hee gives you for this is in the 4. verse Doth not hee see my waies and count all my steps the eye of God had so strong an influence upon his heart life that it wrought him up to a very high pitch of holiness The Schollar writes most exactly whilest his Masters eye is upon him and the Childe walks most exactly whilest his Fathers eye is upon him and the Servant works most exactly whilest his Masters eye is upon him and so certainly all the Sons and Servants of the most high God do hear most exactly and pray most exactly and walk most exactly when they set themselves most as in the presence of the great God who is all sight who is Totus oculus all eye Ah friends as ever you would bee high in holiness possess your hearts with a serious apprehension of Gods presence set your selves dayly as in his sight as under his eye and remember though a man may easily baffle his conscience and put out his light and deceive the world like that counterfeit Alexander in Josephus his story yet hee shall never be able to baffle or deceive the eye of Gods omnisciency you shall as soon get out of the reach of his hand as you shall get from under the view of his eye God hath his windows in all our brests and curiously and narrowly observes all that is done within us and all that is done by us and if the serious consideration of his all seeing eye will not influence us to labour after the highest degrees of holiness I know not what will It was Seneca's advice to his friend Jucilius that whatsoever hee was doing hee should imagine that Cato did behold him and Plutarch advised his friends to demean themselves so circumspectly as if their enemies did alwaies behold them But my advice to you shall bee this upon every occasion in every condition and in every action set the Lord alwaies before you if the sharp and severe eye of a holy man or of a holy friend or of a holy relation will so over-awe you and so exceedingly influence you to the best of actions then certainly the sharp peircing and all-seeing eye of God will do much more and therefore let the Lord bee alwaies in your sight But Thirdly If ever you would attain ro higher degrees of holiness then fix and settle your selves under a holy Ministry resigne and give up your selves to his Ministry who makes it his great business and work to preach holiness to promote holiness to countenance holiness to encourage holiness to exalt holiness and to remove all obstructions that may any waies hinder the progress of holiness Some there bee that spend their time rather to please Isa 30.10 than to profit and to tickle their hearers ears than to touch their hearts from these turn aside and some there bee who make it their work rather to destroy Churches than to build them up in faith and holiness and from these turn aside Gal. 1.23 some there are who make it their business to delude and deceive the simple Phil. 4.14 Jer. 14.14 by venting and setting to sale the devices of their own heads and the deceits and visions of their own hearts How many are there in these daies whose glorious visions are but golden delusions and whose Seraphical phrases are but brain-sick phantasies and whose new notions are but new nothings from these turn aside And others there be that build the things that they have destroyed Gal. 2.18 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. and are returned after they had been seemingly washt with the Dog to his vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire They say that if tame Foxes break loose and turn wilde they do more mischief than any Julian was once a Professor but turning back to Heathenism hee drew more from the Faith by his fraud than his predecessors did by force therefore from these turn aside Mat. 15 1. 7. Mark 7.1 14. Some there be that cry up the commandements of men above the Commandements of God and that set up the ordinances of men above the Ordinances of God and that prefer humane institutions before divine institutions from these turn aside 1 King 20. 26. 2 Cor. 10.10 And others there be that have a vein of scorning and reproaching of disdaining and triumphing over the persons names and credits of those faithful Ministers of Christ who upon all accounts excel them and whom upon a dying-bed and before a Judgement-seat they will wish that they had imitated and not envied These labour to darken and
hearts of his children against sin by their very falling into sin O what love to Christ what thankfulness for Christ what admiration of Christ what cleaving to Christ what exalting of Christ and what drawing from Christ are Saints led to by their very falls O what exercise of grace what increase of grace what magnifying of grace what liftings up of Divine Power and what a high price are holy men led to set upon the precious Blood of Christ and all by their falls 'T is the glory of Gods Holiness that hee can turn spiritual diseases into holy remedies and soul-poisons into heavenly cordials that hee can prevent sin by sin and cure falling by falling one calls that 8th of the Romans and the 28. The blinde mans Promise and I may call it the lame mans Promise that is holy and the deaf mans Promise that is holy and the dumb mans Promise that is holy and the needy mans Promise that is holy and the sick mans Promise that is holy and the languishing mans Promise that is holy and the dying mans Promise that is holy O the comfort O the sweet O the content O the satisfaction that this Promise hath afforded to many a precious Saint when other Promises have not been at hand O Christian what though friends and relations frown upon thee what though enemies are plotting and conspiring against thee what though wants like an armed man are ready to break in upon thee what though men rage and Devils roar what though sickness be in thy family and death stands every day at thy elbow yet there is no reason for thee to fear or faint because all these things shall work for thy good Yea there is wonderful cause of joy and rejoycing in all the afflictions and tribulations that comes upon thee considering that they shall all work for thy good O Christians I am afraid I am afraid that you do not run so often as you should to the breasts of this Promise nor draw that sweetness and comfort from it that it would yeeld and that your several cases may require and thus I have done with this use of comfort and consolation to all Gods holy ones You see what comfort what consolation yea what strong consolation waits upon all Gods sanctified ones I have been the longer upon this use because the times require it and the condition of Gods people calls for the strongest cordials and the choicest and the sweetest comforts And now I have nothing to do but to lay down some Positions concerning Holiness which may be of singular use for the preventing of some Objections and mistakes and for the giving of satisfaction especially to such in whom the streams of Holiness runs low and who are still a lamenting and mourning under the imperfections of their Holiness c. And the first Position is this Where ever real Holiness is it will appear it will discover it self it will shew it self Eph. 4.15 16. it is the very nature of Grace and Holiness to manifest it self and therefore it is set forth in Scripture by the names of light which shines abroad and of ointment and perfume Mat. 5.16 Prov. 27.9 Cant. 3.6 which cannot be hid of Leaven and Salt which deriveth its own nature and rellish upon a whole lump And 't is very observable that when the Holy Ghost was given Act. 2.1 2 3 4 5. he was given in tongues fiery tongues and with a rushing of a mighty wind all which have a quality of self-manifestation and notifying of themselves to others Take a River that is damm'd and stopt up yet if the course of it be natural and if it commonly runs downward it will at length bear down all and ride and run triumphantly over all that is in its way So though real Holiness in a day of temptation desertion and affliction c. may seem to bee damm'd and stopt up yet at length it will make its way through all over all and shew its self in its native colours Though fire for a time may lye hid under the Ashes yet at last it will flame forth and shew it self to be fire Holiness is a divine fire and though in some cases it may for a time seem to bee hid it will at length break forth and shew it self to be Holinesse I have not Faith enough to beleeve that that man was ever really holy whose Holinesse is still unâ—er a bushel or in a dark Lanthorn Look as natural life cannot be so hid but that it will discover it self a hundred hundred waies So Holinesse which is a Christians spiritual life cannot be so hid but it will discover it a hundred hundred waies The second Position is this That Holiness rises by degrees it rises gradually in the souls of the Saints Though the first Adam was made a man a holy man Job 17.9 Psal 92.12 Mal. 4.2 Hos 14.5 6 7. yea man perfectly holy and all at once yet the Holiness of all that is interested in the second Adam rises by degrees 'T is true in the Creation of the world all the creatures were made in their full and perfect growth and strength at once but in the new Creation Holiness which is Gods own creature is carried on by degrees Luk. 2.52 Look as Christ increased in wisdome and in stature and in favour with God and man by degrees So that Babe of Grace Holiness increases in the soul by degrees Look as the seed which is sown in the furrows of the earth Mat. 13.23 Mark 4.28 first springs into a blade and then into an ear and then into ripe Corn So that immortal seed Holiness which is sown in the furrows of a Christians soul springs and grows by degrees Look as the waters in the Sanctuary rise first to the ancles then to the knees then to the loins then to the chin Ezek. 47.3 4 5. and then to a River that was not passable So Holinesse rises higher and higher in the soul by degrees Look as the morning light shines more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4.18 So the light of Holinesse shines more and more clear and more and more bright until all darknesse and imperfection be swallowed up in perfection Look as the body of a man grows and increases by degrees in stature and strength till it comes to its full growth and perfection Eph. 4.16 So Grace and Holinesse will grow and increase by degrees till Grace bee turned into Glory till Holiness bee turned into Happiness Though the Ocean be full yet the bottle cannot bee filled but by degrees Wee are poor narrow-mouthed Bottles and therefore what wee take in of Holinesse must bee by degrees our incapacity is so great that at present wee are no waies able to take in a fulnesse of Holinesse and therefore God drops in now a drop and then a drop now a little and then a little as wee are able to take it in And indeed to difference
But also throughout that whole Book of Job 'T is true all Saints are equally justified and equally pardoned and equally reconciled and equally accepted but all Saints are not equally sanctified All Saints are not of equal standing in the house of God All Saints have not been partakers of equal means all Saints have not had equal gales of the Spirit all Saints have not alike acted that holiness they have and therefore no wonder if all Saints are not alike holy Davids worthies were not all of equal strength nor all the stones in the building are not of equal proportion nor all the members in the natural body are not of equal magnitude and so 't is also in the mystical body of Christ In Gods house there are vessels of Gold and vessels of Silver that is 1 Cor. 12. 2 Tim. 2.20 there are some that are more eminently sanctified and purified than others are You read in Scripture of Babes as well as of strong Men of Lambs as well as of Sheep of Plants as well as of Trees Besides you read of a little Faith and of smoaking Flax and of a bruised Reed and of a grain of Mustard-seed and what doth all this evidence but that God gives different measures and degrees of grace and holiness to his people Christ hath not work alike for all Saints to do nor burdens alike for all Saints to bear nor mercies alike for all Saints to improve nor temptations alike for all Saints to resist nor difficulties alike for all Saints to grapple withall nor dangers alike for all Saints to encounter withall c. and therefore hee gives not a like measure of holiness to all but to some more to others less according as their condition requires Some Saints stand in need of a great deal more grace and holiness than others do Their place calling condition and imployments in the world calls for a greater stock than others need One man may better keep house with a hundred a year than another who hath a great family and great resort to his house can do with a thousand a year and so 't is here A little may serve a little Farm but it must be a great stock that must serve a great Farm A little stock of Holinesse will serve some Christians but it must be a great stock of Holiness that must serve to supply the necessities and the wants of other Christians and therefore God gives different measures and degrees of holiness among his people as their needs require Look as one sinner excels another in wickedness so one Saint excels another in holiness and therefore let not those that have much holiness despise those that have but little nor let not those that have but a little holiness censure or judge those that have more holiness than themselves Read the 77. and the 88. Psalms And indeed most of the Psalms of David are a full proof of this Position as all may see that will but read them with a spiritual eye and with and understanding heart All that holiness that any man hath whether it bee little or whether it bee much is all of Grace it is all of free-grace and therefore let every man improve it bee thankful for it and walk humbly under it The fift Position is this A Christian may bee more eminently Holy at one time than at another hee may thrive and increase more in holiness at one season than at another two men do not more differ one from another than the self same Christian at several times differs from himself Now the Spring-tide of Holiness is risen high very high at another time the streams of Holiness runs exceeding low now hee is full fraughted with high thoughts of God with honourable thoughts of Christ with precious thoughts of the Saints with pious thoughts of the Scripture with delightful thoughts of Ordinances with serious thoughts of Providences and with ravishing thoughts of Eternity Besides the examples of Abraham Jacob Joseph Job and Peter with the experiences of all other Saints in all ages speaks out this truth and at another time you shall have him filled with such hard thoughts of God with such dishonourable thoughts of Christ with such low thoughts of the Saints with such slight thoughts of the Scripture with such undelightful thoughts of Ordinances and with such confused thoughts of Providences and with such muddy dark and unpleasing thoughts of Eternity as if hee were really another man now hee is very lively and quick very cheerful and thankful very fruitful and faithful now hee is very fearful of offending God and very careful of pleasing God and very circumspect and watchful in his walking with God as if hee were a man fully resolved instantly to start from holiness to happiness but now if you please to look on this man at another time when hee is either deserted of God or tempted by Satan or worsted by the World or enthraled by his Lusts and Ah! how unlike himself will you then finde him for now hee is flat and dull and dry though not quite dead now hee is much streightned and shut up now hee can neither joy in God nor delight in Christ nor finde sweetness in Ordinances nor any taste or relish in any of his mercies Now his Apprehensions are dark his Thoughts are dismal his Meditations are confused his Words are unadvised and his waies are crooked now hee saith the Lord is my Portion and anon hee saith will the Lord cast off for ever and will he bee favourable no more now hee beleeves anon hee doubts this hour hee hopes the next hee fears to day hee is upon the mount joying and triumphing to morrow you shall have him in the vallies mourning and sighing many clouds many eclipses many varieties and many changes passes upon Gods holy ones in this life A Childe a Tree a Plant shoots up sometimes more in a month than they do in many months and so doth many a Childe of God many a Tree of righteousness and many a Plant of renown shoots up more in holiness in a month sometimes than they do in many months at another time they thrive and flourish in holiness more in a year sometimes than they do in many years at another time Look as many a man gets more mony in one year than hee doth afterwards get in seven so many a Christian gets more grace and holiness sometimes in one year than hee gets afterwards in seven No Saints have at all times a like the same blessed gales of the Spirit 't is just with a holy soul as 't is with a ship sometimes the ship hath a very fair and fresh gale of wind and then shee cuts her way through the proud waves of the Sea and the Passengers sail very speedily and merrily towards their desired Port but anon the wind is slack and veres about to another point of the Compass and then the Passengers are all amote and they sail but slowly and heavily