A HOLY LIFE THE BEAUTY OF Christianity OR An EXHORTATION to CHRISTIANS to be HOLY By JOHN BUNYAN Holiness becomes thy House O Lord for ever LONDON Printed by B. W. for Benj. Alsop at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry 1684. AN INTRODUCTION To the following DISCOURSE WHen I write of Justification before God from the dreadful curse of the Law then I must speak of nothing but Grace Christ the Promise and Faith but when I speak of our Justification before Men then I must joyn to these good Works For Grace Christ and Faith are things invisible and so not to be seen by another otherwise than through a life that becomes so blessed a Gospel as has declared unto us the remission of our sins for the sake of Jesus Christ. He then that would have Forgiveness of Sins and so be delivered from the Curse of God must believe in the Righteousness and Blood of Christ but he that would shew to his Neighbours that he hath truly received this Mercy of God must do it by good Works for all things else to them is but talk As for example A Tree is known to be what it is to wit whether of this or that kind by it's Fruit. A Tree it is without Fruit but so long as it so abideth there is ministred occasion to doubt what manner of Tree it is A Professor is a Professor though he hath no good Works but that as such he is truly godly he is foolish that so concludeth Not that Works make a Man good for the Fruit maketh not a good Tree it is the Principle to wit Faith that makes a Man good and his works that shew him to be so What then why all Professors that have not good Works flowing from their Faith are naught are Bramble-bushes are nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned For Professors by their fruitlesness declare that they are not of the planting of God nor the Wheat but Tares and Children of the Wicked one Not that Faith needeth good works as an help to Justification before God For in this matter Faith will be ignorant of all good Works except those done by the Person of Christ. Here then the good Man worketh not but believeth for he is not now to carry to God but to receive at his Hand the matter of his Justification by Faith nor is the matter of his Justification before God ought else but the good deeds of another Man to wit Christ Jesus But is there therefore no need at all of good Works because a Man is justified before God without them or can that be called a justifying Faith that has not for its Fruit good Works Verily good works are necessary though God need them not nor is that Faith as to Justification with God worth a rush that abideth alone or without them There is therefore a twofold Faith of Christ in the World and as to the notion of Justifying Righteousness they both concur and agree but as to the manner of application there they vastly differ The one to wit the non-saving faith standeth in speculation and naked knowledg of Christ and so abideth idle but the other truly seeeth and receives him and so becometh Fruitful And hence the true justifying Faith is said to receive to imbrace to obey the Son of God as tendred in the Gospel by which expressions is shewed both the nature of Justifying Faith in its actings in point of Justification and also the cause of its being full of good Works in the World A gift is not made mine by my seeing of it or because I know the nature of the thing so given but then it is mine if I receive and imbrace it yea and as to the point in hand if I yield my self up to stand and fall by it Now he that shall not only see but receive not only know but imbrace the Son of God to be justified by him cannot but bring forth good Works because Christ who is now received and imbraced by Faith leavens and seasons the Spirit of this Sinner through his Faith to the making of him capable so to be Faith made Sarah receive Strength to conceive Seed and we are Sanctified through Faith which is in Christ. For Faith hath joyned Christ and the Soul together and being so joyned the Soul is one Spirit with him not essentially but in agreement and oneness of design Besides when Christ is truly received and imbraced to the justifying of the sinner in that Mans Heart he dwels by his Word and Spirit through the same Faith also Now Christ by his Spirit and Word must needs season the Soul he thus dwells in so then the Soul being seasoned it seasoneth the Body and Body and Soul the Life and Conversation We know it is not the Seeing but taking of a potion that maketh it work as it should nor is the Blood of Christ a Purge to this or that Conscience except received by Faith Shall that then be counted right believing in Christ unto justification that amounts to no more than to an idle speculation or naked knowledg of him shall that knowledg of him I say be counted such as only causes the Soul to behold hold but moveth it not to good Works No verily For the true beholding of Jesus to justification and Life changes from glory to glory Nor can that Man that hath so believed as that by his Faith he hath received and imbraced Christ for Life before God be destitute of good works for as I said the Word and Spirit comes also by this Faith and dwels in the Heart and Conscience now shall a Soul where the Word and Spirit of Christ dwels be a Soul without good Works Yea shall a Soul that has received the Love the Mercy the Kindness Grace and Salvation of God through the Sorrows Tears Groans Cross and Cruel Death of Christ be yet a Fruitless Tree God forbid This faith is as the Salt which the Prophet cast into the Spring of bitter Water it makes the Soul good and serviceable for ever If the receiving of a temporal Gift naturally tends to the making of us to move our Cap and Knee and binds us to be the Servant of the Giver shall we think that Faith will leave him who by it has received Christ to be as unconcerned as a Stock or Stone or that it 's utmost excellency is to provoke the Soul to a lip-labour and to give Christ a few fair Words for his Pains and Grace and so wrap up the business No no the Love of Christ constraineth us thus to judge that it is but reasonable since he gave his all for us that we should give our some for him Let no Man then deceive himself as he may and will if he takes not heed with true Notions but examine himself concerning his Faith to wit Whether he hath any and if some Whether of that kind that will turn to
account in the day when God shall judge the world I told you before that there is a twofold Faith and now I will tell you that there are two sorts of good works and a Man may be shroudly guess'd at with reference to his Faith even by the Works that he chuseth to be conversant in There are Works that cost nothing and Works that are chargeable And observe it The unsound Faith will chuse to it self the most easie works it can find For example there is Reading Praying hearing of Sermons Baptism Breaking of Bread Church fellowship Preaching and the like and there is mortification of Lusts Charity Simplicity open-Heartedness with a liberal Hand to the Poor and their like also Now the unsound Faith picks and chuses and takes and leaves but the true Faith does not so There are a great many Professors now in England that have nothing to distinguish them from the worst of Men but their Praying Reading hearing of Sermons Baptism Church Fellowship and Breaking of Bread Separate them but from these and every where else they are as black as others even in their whole Life and Conversation Thus they have chosen to them the most easy things to do them but love not to be Conscionably found in the practice of the other a certain sign their Faith is nought and that these things even the things they are conversant in are things attended to of them not for the ends for which God has appointed them but to beguile and undo themselves withall Praying Hearing Reading for what are these things Ordained but that we might by the godly use of them attain to more of the knowledg of God and be strengthened by his Grace to serve him better according to his moral Law Baptism Fellowship and the Lords Supper are Ordained for these ends also But there is a vast difference between using of these things and a using of them for these ends A Man may pray yea pray for such things had he them as would make him better in Morals without desire to be better in Mortals or Love to the things he prays for A Man may Read and Hear not to learn to do though to know Yea he may be dead to doing Moral goodness and yet be great for Reading and Hearing all his days The people then among all Professors that are zealous of good Works are the peculiar ones to Christ. What has a man done that is Baptized if he pursues not the ends for which that appointment was Ordained the like I say of Fellowship of Breaking of Bread c. For all these things we should use to Support our Faith to mortifie the Flesh and strengthen us to walk in newness of Life by the rule of the moral Law Nor can that Man be esteemed holy whose life is tainted with immoralities let him be what he can in all things else I am of that mans mind as to practical Righteousness who said to Christ upon this very question Well Master thou hast said the Truth For to Love the Lord our God with all the Heart and with all the Understanding and with all the Soul and with all the Strength and to love his Neighbour as himself is more than all whole burn-offerings and sacrifices To love my Neighbour as my self to do as I would be done unto this is the Law and the Prophets And he that is altogether a stranger to these things how dwelleth the Love of God in him or how will he manifest to another that his Faith will save him Satan is afraid that Men should hear of justification by Christ lest they should imbrace it but yet if he can prevail with them to keep Fingers off though they do hear and look on and practice lesser things he can the better bear it Yea he will labour to make such Professors bold to conclude they shall by that kind of Faith injoy him though by that they cannot imbrace him nor lay hold of him For he knows that how far soever a Man ingages in a Profession of Christ with a Faith that looks on but cannot receive nor imbrace him that Faith will leave him to nothing but mistakes and disappointments at last The Gospel comes to some in Word only and the Faith of such stands but in a verbal sound but the Apostle was resolved not to know or take notice of such a Faith For the Kingdom of God saith he is not in Word but in Power He whose Faith stands only in a saying I believe has his Works in bare Words also and as vertual is the one as the other and both insignificant enough If a Brother or a Sister be naked or destitute of daily Food And one of you say unto them Depart in peace be you warmed and filled notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body what doth it profit Even so Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone This Faith therefore Satan can allow because it is somewhat of kin to his own Besides What greater contempt can be cast upon Christ than by such wordy Professors is cast upon him These are the men that by practice say The Gospel is but an empty sound Yea the more they profess the louder they proclaim it thus to be to his disgrace while they notwithstanding their prosession of Faith hold and maintain their League with the Devil and Sin The Son of God was manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil but these men profess his Faith and keep these Works alive in the World Shall these pass for such as believe to the saving of the Soul For a man to be content with this kind of Faith and to look to go to Salvation by it what to God is a greater provocation The Devil laugheth here for he knows he has not lost his Vassal by such a Faith as this but that rather he hath made use of the Gospel that glorious Word of Life to secure his Captive through his presumption of the right Faith the faster in his shackles It is marvelous to me to see sin so high amidst the swarms of Professors that are found in every corner of this Land Nor can any other reason be given for it but because the Gospel has lost its wonted vertue or because Professors want Faith therein But do you think it is because of the first no the word of our God shall stand in its strength for ever the Faith of such therefore is not right they have for Shields of Gold made themselves Shields of Brass or instead of the Primitive Faith which was of the operation of God they have got to themselves a Faith that stands by the power and in the Wisdom of Man And to say no more to this for what is God so angry with this Land but for the sin of the Professors that dwell therein while they have polluted his name with their Gifts and with their Idols God I say
Grace of Christ the Faith the Repentance the Love and hope of the Gospel No marvel then if they abide among the wooden sort of professors No marvel then though the iniquity of their heels still follows them and that it droppeth from them whereever they go But so much for the first reason Why men do name the name of Christ and yet do not depart from iniquity Secondly The second reason why some that name the name of Christ depart not from iniquity is for that though they rest not in bare notions as those forementioned yet they take up as they short of the saving grace of God There are bare notions there are common workings and there is a work that is saving and that will do the soul good to eternity 1. There are bare notions and they that have them are such unto whom the Gospel comes in word only such whose Religion stands in word only and is not attended with a power sutable that is there goeth not along with the word a power sufficient to subdue and work over the heart to a cordial and gracious close with that word that comes to them Yet such is the noise and sound of the word that they are willing to become professors thereof there is some kind of musicalness in it specially when well handled and fingered by a skilful preacher And lo saith God unto such preachers when their auditory is made up of such kind of hearers And lo thou art unto them as a very lovely Song or as one that sings a Song of Loves of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument For they hear thy words but they do them not 2. But then besides these there is another sort and they go further than these For to them the word came not in word only but also in power though not in that or in such a power as is sufficient absolutely against all atempts whatsoever to bring the soul to glory Of these we read in several places to wit that they have tasted of the powers of the world to come but not so as to bring them safe to glory Yet thus far they go 1. They attain light or illumination to see much of their state by nature with 2. This light standeth not in bare speculation but le ts fall upon the conscience convincing arguments to the bowing and humbling of the spirit 3. They submit to these convictions and reform and may for a time not only come out from them that live in error but escape the pollutions of the world by the knowlege of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 4. Yea so powerful will this dispensation be that it will prevail with them to do and suffer many things for the vindication of the truth of that Gospel which they profess For 1. The word will be sweet unto them 2. Christ the gift of God will be relished by them 3. The powers of the world to come will be in them 4. Some workings of the Holy Ghost will be in them 5. And joy which is as oyl to the wheels will be with their souls Thus I say it is with some professors who yet cannot be said to depart from iniquity that is for all ado because the things that now are upon them abide with them but awhile For awhile they believe they rejoyce in the light for a season So they clean escape from them who live in error for a little or awhile and after that return to their old course and are again intangled with their inquities and overcome This is called A turning with the Dog to his own vomit again and with the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire And some of these are set forth by this and such like sayings When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and finding none Then he saith I will return into my house from whence I came out and when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first Now the causes of this declension returning or falling away again unto iniquity are many First One is for that this work this work of power that they have been made partakers of has not been thorough enough upon all the powers of their souls Their understandings their Judgments and Consciences have been dealt with but the power of God has not been upon their wills and minds and affections rightly to subdue them to the grace of the Gospel Indeed there seems to be a subjection of the will and an overruling of the mind and affections also else they could not for a time lay aside their iniquity come off from the pollutions of the world and for a season rejoyce in the word and be pleased with the light thereof But we may consider that this may be not for that a sound work of God hath passed upon these powers of the soul but that rather this was by reason of those reflex acts that the understanding now inlightened the judgment now informed and the conscience now convinced had upon these other powers of the soul. And I the rather think it so because willingness mindfulness of and affection for this Gospel lasted no longer than the light shined in their understandings or than the things were relished by their judgment and conscience So that when the light of their Candle went out and when the taste of this sugar-plumb was out of their mouth their wills and affections not being possessed with the fear of God they returned again to their course and went away as before with iniquity Nor do I by any thing here discoursed lay blame or fault at the door of God For 1. He is a free agent to do what he pleaseth and may if he please refuse to give any thing or if he gives something why may he not give what he pleases also He may give special grace to one and that which is not so to another he may open Baalams eyes and open Lydia 's heart he may give some but a taste and cause some to eat abundantly He may suffer some to fall away and keep others by his power through faith unto salvation 2. Besides Gods withdrawing to wit of those common workings if they were withdrawn without a cause given which yet I question yet why may they not be withdrawn from these as well as from his own peculiar ones He knows but little that doth not know that God oft-times hides his face from his own and also withdraws from them the light and great influences of the Holy Ghost and turns them over at least in their own apprehensions to the ungodly and to fallen Angels for their Chastisement or Tryal or Instruction c. 3. And why
professors to keep themselves from the iniquities of the times Here lay Noahs excellency here lay Lots excellency and here will lie thy excellency if thou keep thy self from the iniquity of this day Keep or save your selves from this untoward generation is seasonable Counsel but taken but of few the sin of the time or day being as a strong current or stream that drives all before it Hence Noah and Lot were found as it were alone in the practice of this excellent piece of righteousness in their Generation Hence 't is said of Noah that he was a just man and perfect in his Generations And again The Lord said unto Noah come thou and all thy house into the Ark for thee have I seen righteous before me in this Generation The meaning is he kept himself clear of the sin of his day or oâ— the Generation among which he lived The same I say of Lot he kept himself from the sin of Sodom and hence Peter crys him up for suâ—h a rightâ—ous man Just Lot saith he that righteous man whose righteous soul was vexed with the filâ—hy convâ—â—sation of the wicked Mark a Just man a Righteous man his righâ—eous soul c. But how obtained he this charâ—cter Why hâ— abâ—orred the sin of his time he fell not in with the sin of the people but was afflicted and vexed there about yea it was to him a daily burden For that righteous man dwelling aâ—ong them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds So David I beheld saith he the transgressors and was griâ—ved because they kept not thy word The sin of the times is to God the worst of sins and to fall in with the sin of the times is counted as the highest of transgressions Consequently to keep from them though a man should through infirmity be guilty of others yet he is accounted upright And hence it is I think that David was called a man after Gods own heart to wit because he served his own generation by the will of God or as the Margent reads it after he had in his own age served the will of God By the sin of â—he tâ—mes Satan as it were set up his Standard in defiance to God seeking then to cause his name in a signal way to be dishonoured and that by the professors of that age And hence it is that the Lord doth manifest such wrath against his people that are guilty of the common sin of their day and that he shews such special favour to them that abstain therefrom Was there no more think you but Noah in his generation that feared â—od yes several no doubt but he was the man that kept clear of the sin of his day therefore he and his family must be partakers of Gods deliverance The other must die before and not be permitted to the mercy of the Ark nor to see the new world with Noah Vnbelief was the sin of the day when Israel was going from Aegypt to Canaan therefore all that were guilty of that transgression must be denyed to go in to see that good Land yea though it were Moses himself And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron because ye believed me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the Childrâ—n of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this Congregation into the Land which I have given them The sin of the day is an high transgression from the which because Caleb and Joshua kept themselves God kept them from all the blasting Plagues that overtook all the rest and gave them the Land which he had promised to their Fathers But my servant Caleb because he had another spirit in him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the Land whereunto he went and his seed shall possess it Idolatry was the sin of the day just before Israel were carried captive into Babylon Now those of the Priests that went astray then even they say God shall bear their iniquity But the Priests the Levites the sons of Zadok that kept the charge of my Sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me they shall come near unto me to minister unto me and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood saith the Lord God They shall enter into my Sanctuary and they shall come near to my table to minister unto me and they shall keep my charge Great complaints have we now among professors of deadness in duties barrenenss of the ministry and of the withdrawing of God from his people But I can tell you a cause of all this namely the sin of the day is got into the Church of God and has defiled that holy place This is the ground and cause of all these things nor is it like to be otherwise till the cause shall be removed If any should ask me what are the sins of our day I would say they are conspicuous they are open they are declared as Sodoms were They that have imbraced them are not ashamed of them Yea they have got the boldness to plead for them and to count them their enemies that seek to reform them All tables are full of Vomit and filthiness And for Pride and Covetousness for loathing of the Gospel and contemning holiness as these have covered the face of the Nation so they have infected most of them that now name the name of Christ. And I say again when you find out a professor that is not horribly tainted with some of these things I exclude not the Ministers nor their families let him be as a Beacon upon an Hill or as an Insign in our Land But say one would you have us singular and says another would you have uâ— make our selves ridiculous and says a third such and such more Godly Wise than we do so But I answer if God has made you singular and called you to grace that 's singular and bid you waâ—k in ways that are singular and diverse from the ways of all others Yea if to depart from iniquity will make you ridiculous if to be holy in all manner of conversation will make you ridiculous then be contented to be counted so As for the Godly-wise you speak of let them manifest themselves to be such by departing from iniquity I am sure that their being tainted with sins of the day will not prove them godly-wise Behold I have taught you said Moses Statutes and Judgments even as the Lord my God commanded me that ye should do so in the Land whither ye go to possess it Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear of all these Statutes and say surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people Here then is wisdom and this is that that manifesteth a people to be understanding and godly-wise even the keeping of the commandments of God And why
follow the apish fashions of the world hath the God oâ— wisdom set them on foot among us or is it because the Devil and wicked men the inventors of these vain toyes have out-witted the law of God What Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as his people have and as he is in all things that we call upon him for and what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this law said Moses which I set before you this day This then is that which declareth us to be godly-wise when we keep our soul diligently to the holy words of God and sit not only our tongues and lips but also our lives thereto Fourthly But again let them that name the name of Christ depart from the iniquity that is as I may call it from family-iniquity There is an house-iniquity an iniquity that loves not to walk abroad but to harbor within doors This the holy man David was aware of therefore he said that he would behave himself wisely in a perfect way yea saith he I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Now this house-iniquity standeth in these things 1. In Domâ—stick broyls and quarrels 2. In Domestick Chambrings and wantonness 3. In Domestick misorders of Children and Servants First For house broyles and quarrels it is an iniquity to be departed from whether it be betwixt Husband and Wife or otherwise This as I said is an iniquity that loves not to walk abroad but yet it is an horrible plague within doors And many that shew like Saints abroad yet act the part of Devils when they are at home by giving way to this house iniquity by cherishing of this house-iniquity This iniquity meeteth the man and his wife at the very threshold of the door and will not suffer them to enter no not with one foot into the house in peace but how far this is from walking together as heirs of the grace of life is easie to be determined Men should carry it in love to their wives as Christ doth to his Church and wives should carry it to their husbands as the Church ought to carry it to her Saviour and untill each relation be managed with respect to these things this house-iniquity will be cherished there O! God sees within doors as well as without and will judge too for the iniquity of the house as well as for that more open 2 dly As house-iniquity standeth in domestick broyls and Contentions So it also standeth in Chambrings and wantonness Wherefore the Apostle puteth them both together saying not in chambring and wanness not in strife and envy This chambring and wantonness is of a more genneral extent being entertained by all insomuch that sometimes from the head to the foot all are horribly guilty But it is a shame to speak of those things that are done of some in secret For through the lusts of their own hearts they dishonour their own bodies between themselves working that which is unseemly to their ignominy and contempt if not with their fellows yet with God who sees them for the darkness hideth not from him It was for this kind of iniquity with other that God told Ely that he would judge his house for ever also the words that follow are to be trembled at that say The iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever Such an evil thing is house-iniquity in the eyes of the God that is above Thirdly As domestick iniquity standeth in these so also in the disorders of children and servants Childrens unlawful carriages to their Parents is a great house iniquity yea and a common one too Disobedience to Parents is one of the sins of the last days O! 'T is horrible to behold how irreverently how irrespectively how sawcily and malapertly children yea professing children at this day carry it to their Parents Snapping and checking curbing and rebuking of them as if they had never received their beings by them or had never been beholding to them for bringing of them up yea as if the relation was lost or as if they had received a dispensation from God to dishonour and disobey Parents I will add that this sin reigns in little and great for not only the small and young but men are disobedient to their Parents and indeed this is the sin with a shame that men shall be disobedient to Parents the sin of the last times that men shall be disobedient to Parents and without natural affection Where now adays shall we see children that are come to men and womens estate carry it as by the word they are bound to their aged and worn-out Pâ—rents I say where is the honour they should put upon them who speaks to their aged Parents with that due regard to that relalation to their age to their worn-out condition as becomes them Is it not common now adays for Parents to be brought into bondage and servitude by their children For Parents to be under and children above for Parents to be debased and children to Lord it over them Nor doth this sin go alone in the families where it is no those men are lovers of their own selves Covetous Boasters proud Blaspheemers that are disobedient to their Parents This is that the Prophet means when he saith the child shall behave himself proudly aginst the antient and the base against the honourable This is a common sin and a crying sin and to their shame be it spoken that are guilty a sin that makes men vile to an high degree and yet it is the sin of professors But behold how the Apostle brands them he saith such have but a form of godliness and deny the power thereof and bids the godly shut them out of their fellowship This sin also is I fear grown to such a hight in some as to make them weary of their Parents and of doing their duty to them Yea I wish that some are not murtherers of Fathers and Mothers by their thoughts while they secretly long after and desire their death that the inheritance may be theirs and that they may be delivered from obedience to their Parents This is a sin in the house in the family a sin that is kept in hugger mugger close but God sees it and hath declared his dislike against it by an implicit threatning to cut them off that are guilty of it Let them then that name the name of Christ depart from this iniquity Disorders of Servants is also an house-iniquity and to be departed from by the godly He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house said David and he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight One of the rarities in Solomons house and which the Queen of Sheba was so taken with was the goodly order of his Servants Some of the disorders of Servants are to be imputed to
the Governors of families and some to the Servants themselves Those that are to be iâ—puted to the Governors of Families are such as these 1. When the Servant learns his vileness of his Master or of her Mistress 2. When Servants are countenanced by the Master against the Mistress or by the Mistress against the Master or when in opposition to either they shall be made equals in things 3. When the extravagancies of Servants are not discountenanced and rebuked by their superiors and the contrary taught them by word and life Those to be imputed to the Servants themselves are 1. Their want of reverence to their superiors 2. Their backbiting and slandring of them 3. Their unfaithfulness in serving of them 4. Their murmuring at their lawful commands c. From all these Domestick iniquities let every one depart that religiously nameth the name of Christ. And before I leave this head let me to inforce my exhortation urge upon you a few considerations to work with you yet further to depart from these house-iniquities First A mans house and his carriage there doth more be speak the nature and temper of his mind than all publick profession If I were to judge of a man for my life I would not judge of him by his open profession but by his Domestick behaviours Open professioâ— is like a mans best Cloak the which is worn by him when he walketh abroad and with many is made but little use of at home But now what a man is at home that he is indeed There is abroad my House my Closet my heart and my House my Closet shew most what I am though not to the world yet to my family and to Angels And a good report from those most near and most capable of advantage to judge is like to be truer than to have it only from that which is gotten by my observers abroad The outside of the Platter and Cup may look well when within they may be full of excess The outward shew and profession may be tolerable When within doors may be bad enough I and my house will sâ—rve the Lord is the character of a godly man Secondly As the best judgment is made upon a man from his house so that man is like to have the approbation of God for good that is faithful in all his house I know Abraham says God that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. To make religion and the power of godliness the chief of my designs at home among those among whom God by a special hand has placed me is that which is pleasing to God and that obtaineth a good report of him But to pass these and to come to other things 1. A Master of a family and Mistress of the same are those that are intrusted of God with those under their tuition and care to be brought up for him be they children or servants This is plain from the Text last mentioned wherefore here is a charge committed to thee of God look to it and consider with thy self whether thou hast done such duty and service for God in this matter as setting common frailties aside thou canst with good Conscience lift up thy face unto God The which to be sure thou canst by no means do if iniquity to the utmost be not banished out of thy house 2. And will it not be a sad complaint that thy servant shall take up against thee before the Judge at the last day that he learnt the way to destruction in thy house who art a professor Servants though themselves be carnal expect when they come into the house of professors that there they shall see religion in its spangling colors but behold when he enters thy door he finds sin and wickedness there There is pride instead of humility and heighth and raillery instead of meekness and holiness of mind He looked for an house full of Vertue and behold nothing but Spiders-webbs Fair and plausible abroad but like the Sow in the Mire at home Bless me saith such a servant are these the religious people Are these the servants of God where iniquity is made so much of and is so highâ—y entertained And now is his â—eart filled with prejudice against all religion or else he turns â—ypocrite like his master and his mistress wearing as they a cloak of religion to cover all abroad while all naked and shameful at home But perhaps thy heart is so hâ—â—d and thy mind so united to the pleasing of thy vile affections that thou wilt say what care I for my servant I took him to do my work not to train him up in religion Well suppose the soul of thy servant be thus little worth in thine eyes Yet what wilt thou say for thy children who behold all thy ways and are as capable of drinking up the poyson of thy footsteps as the Swine is of drinking up swill I say what wilt thou do for them Children will learn to be nought of Parents of professing Parents soonest of all They will be tempted to think all that they do is right I say what wilt thou say to this Or art thou like the Ostrich whom God hath deprived of wisdom and has hardned her heart against her Young will it please thee when thou shalt see that thou hast brought forth Children to the murderer or when thou shalt hear them cry I learnt to go on in the paths of sin by the carriages of professing Parents If it was counted of old a sad thing for a man to bring forth children to the Sword as Ephraim did What will it be for a man to bring up children for Hell and damnation But Fifthly Let those that name the name of Christ depart from the iniquity of their Closet This may be called part of the iniquity of the house But because it is not publick but as a retired part therefore I put it here by it self There are are many Closet sins that professors may be guilty of and from which they have need to depart as First There is the pride of a library that is the study or Closet and I doubt this sin and iniquity to this day is with many great professors and in my judgment it is thus manifested 1. When men secretly please themselves to think 't is known what a stock of Books they have or when they take more pleasure in the number of than the matter contained in their books 2. When they buy books rather to make up a number than to learn to be good and godly men thereby 3. When though they own their books to be good and godly yet they will not conform thereto This is an iniquity now on foot in this Land and ought to be departed from 'T is better to have no books and depart from iniquity than to have a thousand and not to be bettered in my soul thereby Secondly There is an iniquity that
It is urged from the dangerousness of the latter days Wouldest thou examin thy self then make not the lives of others any rule to thee in this matter 'T is prophesied long ago by Christ and by Paul concerning the latter times that iniquity shall abound and be very high among professors Therefore it will be a rare thing to find an exemplary life among professors Wherefore cease from man and learn of the word try thy self by the word receive conviction from the word and to take off thy self from taking of incouragemnt from others set the judgment before thine eyes and that account that God will demand of thee then and know that it will be but a poor excuse of thee to say Lord such an one doth so did so would do so and they professed c. Whether thou wilt hear me or not I know not yet this I know If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self but if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it Let me then to press this use farther upon thee shew thee in a few particulars the danger of not doing of it that is of not departing from iniquity since thou professest First The iniquity that cleaveth to men that profess if they cast it not away but countenance it will all prove Nettles and Bryers to them And I will assure thee yea thou knowest that Nettles and Thorns will sting and scratch but ill-favouredly I went saith Solomon by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding And lo it was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken down Suppose a man were after work all day to be turned into a bed of Nettles at night or after a man had been about such a business should be rewarded with chastisements of Bryers and Thorns this would for work be but little help relief or comfort to him why this is the reward of a wicked man of a wicked professor from God Nettles and Thorns are to cover over the face of his Vineyard his Field his Profession and that at the last of all for this covering over the face of his Vineyard with Nettles and Thorns is to shew what fruit the slovenly slothful careless professor will reap out of his profession when reaping time shall come Nor can he whose Vineyard whose profession is covered over with these Nettles and Thorns of iniquity escape being afflicted with them in his conscience For look as they cover the face of his Vineyard through his sloth now so will they cover the face of his conscience in the day of judgment For profession and conscience cannot be separated long If a man then shall make profession without conscience of Gods honour in his conversation his profession and conscience will meet in the day of his visitation Nor will he whose condition this shall be be able to ward off the guilt and sting of a slothful and bad conversation from covering the face of his conscience by retaining in his profession the name of Jesus Christ For naming and professing of the name of Christ will instead of salving such a conscience put venom sting and keenness into those Nettles and Thorns that then shall be spread over the face of such consciences This will be worse than was that cold wet cloth that Hazael took and spread over the face of Benhadad that he died This will sting worse tear worse torment worse kill worse Therefore look to it 2. Nor may men shift this danger by their own neglect of inquiring into the truth of their separation from iniquity for that God himself will search them I search the reins and the heart saith he to give unto every one of you according to his ways There are many that wear the name of Christ for a Cloak and so make their advantages by their iniquity but Christ at death and judgment will rent this Cloak from off such shoulders then shall they walk naked yea the shame of their nakedness shall then appear Now since no man can escape the search of God and so not his judgment it will be thy wisdom to search thine own ways and to prevent judgement by judging of thy self 3. Christ will deny those to be his that do not depart from iniquity though they shall name his name among the rest of his people Depart from me saith he all you that departed not from iniquity Yea they that shall nâ—me his name religiously and not depart from iniquity are denyed by him all along 1. He alloweth them not now to call him Lord. And why call ye me Lord Lord saith he and do not the things which I say He cannot abide to be reputed the Lord of those that presume to profess his name and do not depart from iniquity The reason is for that such do but profane his name and stave others off from falling in love with him and his ways Hence he says again Behold I have sworn by my great name saith the Lord that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah 2. He regardeth not their prayers If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer And if so then what ever thou hast at the hand of God thou hast it not in mercy but in judgment and to work out farther thine everlasting misery 3. He will not regard their soul but at the last day will cast it from him as a thing abhorred by him As is evidently seen by that thirteenth of Luke but now noted in the margent Wherefore from these few hints thou whoever thou art maiest well perceive what an horrible thing it is to make a profession of the name of Christ and not to depart from iniquity Therefore let me exhort thee again to examin thy self if thou hast and dost since thou professest that name depart from iniquity And here I would distinguish for there is two parts in iniquity to wit the guilt and filth As for the guilt that is contracted by inquity I perswade my self no man who knows it needs to be bid to desire to depart from that nay I do believe that the worst Devil in Hell would depart from his guilt if he could and might but this is it to wit to depart from the sweet the pleasure and profiâ— of iniquity There are that call evil good iniquity good and that of professors too this is that to be departed from and these are they that are exhorted to forsake it upon the pains and penalties before threatened Therefore as I said let such look to it that they examin themselves if they depart from iniquity And come now thou art going about this work let me help thee in this matter 1. Ask thy heart what evil dost thou see in sin 2. How sick art thou of sin 3. What means dost thou use to mortifie thy sins 4. How much
lacking but mixed there with Therefore I say since God has put his name into thy mouth to profess the same and grace into thy heart to season that profession with such carriage such behaviour such life and such conversation as doth become the same thou hast great cause to thank God A man into whose mouth God has put the name of Christ to profess it is as a man that is to act his part upon a stage in the Market-place if he doth it well he brings praise both to his Master and himself but if he doth it ill both are brought into contempt No greater praise can by man be brought to God than by joyning to the profession of the name of Christ a fruitful life and conversation Herein saith Christ is my my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my Desciples Fruitful lives God expecteth of all that profess the name of Christ. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Bless God therefore if he hath kept thee from blotting and blemishing of thy profession if thy conversation has not been stained with the blots and evils of the times What thou feelest fightest with and groanest under by reason of the working of thine inward corruptions with that I meddle not nor is thy conversation the worse for that if thou keepest them from breaking out Thou also shalt be counted holy unto God through Christ if thou be of an upright conversation though plagued every day with the working of thine own corruption As Gods grace is the salt of Saints so Saints are the salt of God The one is the salt of God in the heart and the other is the salt of God in the world Ye are the Salt of the earth that is the salt of God in the earth For the earth would be wholly corrupt and would altogether stink if professors were not in it But now if the professor which is the salt shall indeâ—d lose his savour and hath nothing in his conversation to season that part of the earth in which God has placed him where with shall it be seasoned The place where he dwels as well as his profession will both stink odiously in the nostrils of the Lord And so both come to ruin and desolation Indeed as I have shewed the professor will come to the worst of it for that God doth deny further to give him salt If the salt has lost its savour wherewith shall it be salted wherewith shall the salt be salted with nothing Therefore it is thenceforth good for nothing No not for the Dunghill but to be casâ— out and troden under foot of men He thaâ— hath ears to hear let him hear How much therefore is the tender hearted and he that laboureth to beautifie his profâ—ssion with a Gospel conversation bound to bless God for the salt of his grace by the which his heart is seasoned and from his heart his conversation Secondly As such Christians should bless God so let them watch lâ—t them still watch let them still watch and pray watch against Satan and pray yet for more grace that they may yet more and more beautifie their profession of the worthy name of Christ with a suitable conversation Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garment that is his conversation clean nor is their any thing save the overthrowing of our Faith that Satan seeketh more â—o destroy He knows holiness in them that rightly as to doctrine name the name of Christ is a maul and destruction to his Kingdom an allurement to the ignorant and a cutting off those occasions to stumble that by the dirty life of a professor is laid in the way of the blind He knows that holiness of lives when they shine in those that profess the name of Christ doth cut off his lies that he seeketh to make the world believe and the slanders that he seeketh to fasten upon the professors of the Gospel Wherefore as you have begun to glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods so I beseech you do it more and more Thirdly To this end shun those profâ—ssors that are loose of life and conversation From such withdraw thy sâ—lf saith Paul and follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart If a man if a good man takes not good heed to himself he shall soon bring his soul into a snare Loose professors are defilers and corrupters a man shall get nothing but a blot by having company with them Besides as a man shall get a blot by having much to do with such so let him beware that his heart learn none of their ways Let thy company be the excellent in the earth even those that are excellent for knowledge and conversation He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed Be content to be counted singuler for so thou shalt if thou shalt follow after righteousness c. in good earnest for holiness is a rare thing now in the world I told thee before that it is foretold by the word that in the last dayes perilous times shall come and that men shall walk after their own lusts yea professors to their destruction Nor will it be easie to keep thy self therefrom But even as when the Pestilence is come into a place it infecteth and casteth down the healthful So the iniquity of the last times will infect and pollute the godly I mean the generality of them Were but our times duly compared with those that went before we should see that which now we are ignorant of Did we but look back to the Puritans but specially to those that but a little before them suffered for the word of God in the Marian days we should see another life than is now among men another manner of conversation than now is among professors But I say predictions and prophecies must be fulfilled and since the word says plainly that in the last days there shall come scoffers walking after their own lusts and since the Christians shall be endangered thereby let us look to it that we quit our selves like men seeing we know these things before lest we being led away with the error of the wicked fall from our own stedfastness Singularity in godliness if it be in godliness no man should be ashamed of For that is no more than to be more godly than to walk more humbly with God than others and for my part I had rather be a pattern and example of piety I had rather that my life should be instructing to the Saints and condemning to the world with Noah and Lot than to hazard my self among the multitude of the drossie I know that many professors will fall short of Eternal life and my judgment tells me that they will be of the slovenly sort of professors that so do And for my part I had rather