incorruptible inheritance is hers Heaven its self is called the inheritance of the Saints or holy-ones Col. 1.12 and this inheritance is shared among them that are sanctified and none else Acts 26.18 And this inheritance is both Light and Life Kingdome and Crown of Glory which fadeth not away and therefore methinks the great and generous Gallants of this World as they love to be called should be in love with and all inamour'd of Holiness seeing Beauty and Glory Honour and Riches meet and center in her as much and well as they are annexed to her 9. To gather and close up many things together Holiness is the end of all that God the Father Son and Spirit have done and will do for us from first to last as also of all the means enjoyn'd to Priviledges confer'd on Graces wrought in Duties to be done by us Afflictions and Trials wherewith we are exercis'd 'T is the end the Father hath in Electing Eph. 1.4 He hath chosen us in him viz. Christ before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love As of the Fathers Election so is it the end of the Sons Redemption of us Eph. 5.25 26. He loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and so again Titus 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The Office and Work of the Spirit is to sanctifie and he is called holy not only as being so in himself but for making us so by his efficient power 2 Thess 2.13 God hath chosen you to salvation not only through belief of the truth but sanctification of the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to foreknowledge through sanctification of the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.1 Such were some of you but ye are sanctified c. by the Spirit of our God 'T is the end of all Ordinances and means and we should not take up with the means without the end What is preaching for but to bring men into and to build them up in holiness Eph. 4.11 12 13. 'T is the end of all Dignities and Priviledges of which the Promises are principal and why are they given us but as was said above that we might perfect holiness and partake of a Divine Nature Why is the great Title of the Sons and Children of God bestow'd upon us but that we should be followers of and like to God our Father as dear Children 'T is the end of all graces wrought in and exercis'd by us of faith Acts 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith and Acts 26.18 them that are sanctified by faith So of hope 1 John 3.3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure So of knowledge 1 John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him He hath not learned the truth as 't is in Jesus and therefore his knowledge is but a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 and knowledge falsly so called 1 Tim. 6.20 'T is the end and effect of love also 1 John 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and they are not grievous Commands from God who loves us and to us who love him cannot be grievous if they are so 't is for want of love in us for our Saviour tells us if we love him we will and they are the lovers and friends of him who do keep his Commandments 'T is the end of that great duty of Prayer why or what do we pray for but that we may be holy and do his will on Earth as 't is done in heaven Surely what the Apostle prays for in relation to the Thessalonians 1 Ep. 5.23 should be every ones prayer for themselves that they may be sanctified throughout and wholly and to walk worthy of God to all well-pleasing Col. 1.10 'T is the end of all Afflictions Chastenings and Trials that we might come out of them like Gold purified 1 Pet. 1.7 that the fruit may be the taking away of sin Isa 27.9 and for our profit which is in this that we might be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12.10 Yea 't is the end of all mercies and deliverances Luke 1.74 75. that being deliver'd out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him in righteousness and and true holiness without fear all the dayes of our life Yet again and so I conclude 'T is the preparation for and our glory in Heaven its self 'T is our preparation for the sight of God for without Holiness no Man how Wise and Learned Rich and Honourable Fair and Beautiful soever he be shall see the Lord Heb. 12. and when we do see him more Holiness will be the effect of that sight 1 John 3.2 when he doth appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and this is called Glory Col. 3.4 When Christ our Life shall appear we shall appear with him in Glory and 't is for the very thing viz. being holy that the Church is called Glorious Ephes 5.27 Well then These things being so I intreat you to consider of what hath been said and beseech God to give you Understanding in all things that you may so Know as to Believe so Believe as to Love so Love as to Practise so Practise as to Perfect Holiness and be Eternally saved and then I know that you will rejoyce and sing the New Song even Praise to God and joyn with them that say Holy Holy Holy and conclude with my Text that Holiness becomes thine House O Lord for ever Let all the People say Amen And as the Arabick adds Allelujah FINIS
because he hath Places and Preferments to bestow and they have none 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. 63 'T is made a question by some which is better the War that brings Peace or the Peace that brings War but surely we should endeavour to have Peace with God and all men and to War with nothing but the Devil the Flesh and Sin Eph. 6.12 64 Though men may pluck my heart out of my bowels they shall never pluck the truth nor the love of it out of my heart was the saying of and becoming a Martyr 65 If the Word of God slay not the sin of man yet t will slay the Man of Sin 2 Thes 2.8 and the man that goes on in sin Hos 6.5 66 God made man to serve him and he that serves God is a made man for Godliness is the making the enriching and exalting of a man A man is made for ever when he is new-made 1 Tim. 4.8 67 If Gods Precepts be far from our hearts his Ear will be far from our Prayers Prov. 1.28 68 Sleep which is the Shadow of Death is the Nurse of Nature the Parenthesis of our Cares Griefs and Troubles and Death is the Periodus the full stop point or end of them all if we die in the Lord Revel 14.13 The Resurrection is the beginning of a new Verse or Paragraph yea of the whole Tract of Eternal Life to the Children of the Resurrection John 5.29 69 Though it be a misery to have a sinful heart yet 't is a mercy to see it so for Conviction is the first step to Conversion and though there are many vile enough as to their state to be damned yet there are but few vile enough as to their sense in their own eyes to be saved or to cry out What shall we do to be saved Acts 2. 70 The Professors of and Pleaders for merit would be loth to use such arguments before God in Prayer which is a little day or the emblem of the Day of Judgement before God as they do in dispute before Men as I am worthy for whom thou should'st do this Though some did plead it for the man yet the man durst not plead it for himself as Luke 7.4 with 7. 71 There 's not so great a difference between the highest Saint in Heaven and the lowest Saint on Earth for 't is but gradu in degree as there is between the lowest Saint on Earth and the highest Man if but a Man on Earth for 't is specie a difference in kind Prov. 12.26 and God loveth the lowest Saint more than the highest Angel doth love God 72 When Christians goods are spoil'd and taken from them for Christs sake Men take what is not but God what is his own and yet he will place it to their account and reward them abundantly if not in this Life yet in that to come if not in kind yet in kindness which is infinitely better Heb. 10.34 Matth. 19.29 73 It might be just with God to make them go naked for want who go naked for wantonness and to suffer them to be bespotted with the Name of proud c. who bespot themselves for the fame of beauty and though charity command me to believe that some women which hang out signs will not lodge strangers yet these Mock-Guests as one calls them seem guilty of tempting others to tempt them Gen. 38.14 15 16. Prov. 7.15 16 17. 74 'T were to be wisht there were more and fairer proportion between Profession and Practice That men would do as they say and not only talk of but walk in Christ and the Spirit and not only adorn themselves their houses and their books with fine gay and golden clothing hangings and covers but that they would adorn the inner man with a meek and quiet Spirit and the outer man with Good Works and by both the Doctrine of God our Saviour for he is a very piteous Christian who in words confesseth but in works denieth Christ Gal. 4.25 Col. 2.6 1 Tim. 2.9 10. 1 Pet. 3.4 Titus 2.10 and 1.16 How can he be true to the Will of God that 's false to his own word 75 Wicked men do not only depart from God but bid God depart from them Job 21.14 but wo unto them when God takes them to their word Hos 9.12 and when they shall hear that dreadful Sentence Depart from me ye cursed Matth. 25.41 Sin and damnation have one Name departure from God 76 We have great reason to acknowledg our beholdenness to God for the time that is past and as great to own our dependance on God for the time to come and are by both hugely and strongly obliged to glorifie God Dan. 5.23 77 Thinking time if well improved may be some of our best time and we may be in good company when alone There is a Story of a Gentleman who on his Death-bed laid this one command upon his wild son and engaged him to the performance of it by a solemn promise viz. That he should spend some time every day in retired thinking but left him at liberty to think on what he would Being under this promise and having this liberty he addresses himself to perform the one and enjoy the other one day recalling his past pleasures another contriving new delights but at length becomes inquisitive after his Fathers design and end in requiring this penance He knew his Father to be a wise and good man and therefore concluded his design to be so too that his intent could be no other but to bring him to consider his wayes and whither they tended and what would become of him â—f he were not religious but should â—ive and dye in his sin which was by a divine hand set so home that he was restless till it was made effectual to his becoming a new man Happy Command happy Promise happy Performance happy Time happy Employment happy success Some-body hath a saying that Consideration is half Conversion and that a considerative person is not far nor is like to be long from the Kingdome of Heaven The great complaint God makes of men is this that they are not men i. e. rationally considering and reflecting on their wayes Isa 1.3 and 44.19 As if 't were impossible for men to act sinfully if they would act rationally and therefore calls on them to shew themselves men Isa 46.8 When the Proding came to himself he quickly went to his Father 78 When men as the Apostle Paul doth often use Hyperbolies in speaking of Grace and Glory it makes the highest of them but seeming ones for they are a Thence on which 't is easie for a man to speak much but impossible to speak too much or well enough there 's want in the words that are and want of more words than there are to tell us the All of Grace and Glory Eph. 3.18 19. and 3.8 2 Cor. 4.17 1 John 3.1 2 3. 79 Of the two Promises bind Faith more than threatnings do and we should ever be
much facilitate and help on the reception and insluence of the Truths delivered He therefore that would win the affection of any must approve himself to not their humour but their judgement and he that would prevail with their judgement must approve himself to their affection for if judgement be prejudiced we are not like to win and gain affection nor if affection be distasted are we like to convince their judgement The Gospel preacht with a Gospel spirit and life is most like to prevail with both being most true and lovely which are the objects of Understanding and Will and Affections 10 God seems to regard and reward our sufferings more than our doings for he promiseth a reward but according to our works Jerem. 17.10 but as to sufferings a great reward Matth. 5.12 a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 and the exaltation of Christ himself is attributed rather to his Self-denial and Suffering than to his doing Phil. 2.8 9. 11 The first thing that Christ complain'd of after he went to Heaven as being concern'd for it was want of love to yea enmity against his people Acts 9.4 and the next thing was the decay and coldness of his peoples love Revel 2.4 indeed he was a Prophet and his words were true Matth. 24.9 12. 12 For a Conclusion what I shall further say is much-what the same as one before me at the end of some meditations of his hath said viz. How easie is pen and paper piety for one to write religiously I will not say it costs nothing but 't is far more easie and cheap to work ones head than heart into goodness to write an hundred Meditations and Sentences than to subdue the least sin in ones soul Be pleas'd also to know that 't is as easie and cheap if not more to read as to write of Piety And therefore we should both look to it that I write not that thou read not in vain least my writing and thy reading rise in judgement against me and thee And as I think we should not on this account forbear to write or read so because of this we should be the more conscientious in both that we may profit by it and give up our accounts with joy and not with grief The excellency of Divine Things is not in preaching or hearing writing or reading praying for or professing of them but in having of and profiting by them which is when we are delivered to the Truth taught us in by and from the Gospel Rom. 6.17 Titus 2.11 12. Consider what Isay and the Lord give thee Vnderstanding in all things 2 Tim. 2.7 Amen FINIS THE BEAUTY OF HOLINES Represented In a SERMON long since preach'd but now enlarged and published To endear Holiness that it may be belov'd and practised as it deserves to be by all that profess it By RALPH VENNING Zach. 14.20 21. In that day there shall be upon the Bells or Bridles of the Horses HOLINES TO THE LORD and the Pots in the Lords House shall be like the Bowls before the Altar yea every Pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be Holiness unto the Lord of Hosts and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them and seeth therein and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the House of the Lord of Hosts THE BEAUTY of HOLINES From Psal 93.5 the latter part Holiness becometh thine House O Lord for ever I Shall not concern my self at this time to consider these words as relative with respect or retrospection to what precedes but only as they are an entire Proposition of themselves acquainting us with the most decent and becoming the most lovely and ravishing thing the only true and everlasting Beauty in this World and that to come which is Holiness Holiness becomes thy House O Lord for ever For the more clear and full discovery of what is contain'd in this Text I shall observe this Method First To shew what Holiness is Secondly That Holiness is an absolute and incomparable Beauty Thirdly That this Holiness becomes the House of God and that for ever First To acquaint you what Holiness is as to the true notion and nature of it which I shall not gather from the notation or Ftymology of the word but from what the Oracles of Truth describe it to be And that 1. Negatively or exclusively as to what it is not but excludes and stands in opposition to 'T is in the general opposed to and excludes uncleanness 1 Thess 4.7 God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto heliness Yea it excludes not only all filthiness of the flesh but that of the Spirit also 2 Cor. 7.1 As perfect love or a Plerophory and full Assurance casteth out doubtings and fear which hath torment So perfect holiness hath no communion with but casteth out all filthiness of the flesh and spirit Eph. 1.4 S. Paul makes them Synonymous and equivalent expressions to be holy and to be without blame So 1 Thess 3.13 he prays that they may be unblameable in holiness And again Col. 1.22 holy unblameable and unreproveable are in conjunction The same S. Paul tells us that the reason why Christ so loved the Church as to give himself for it was that he might sanctisie and cleanse it and so present it a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it might be holy and without blemish And as this is the description of the Church Christs Spouse so 't is of Christ the Churches Husband the High Priest that died for her that he was holy harmless undesiled and separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 We see then that holiness excludes uncleanness and all filthiness is unblameable without spot or blemish undefiled c. and thus far 't is amiable and a most becoming thing But 2. Affirmatively Comprehensively Holiness is conformity to God which is not meerly or only a being separated devoted and dedicated to God but answering the end of such Dedication which is to be conformable and acceptable to him for to be holy and to be acceptable are joyn'd together with conformity to God Rom. 12 1 2. Sin and holiness are contraries that therefore being non-conformity and contrariety to God this must be conformity and agreeableness to his Will So that to be holy is to do all things suitably and acceptably to God to do all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decently and in order just as God would have them done to do all things to glorifie and to please God to the utmost 'T is true that Holiness is gradual in some more in some less but where-ever 't is 't is lovely in any and in any degree but most of all in the highest Degree And this leads me to the Second thing to be treated of and represented to you viz. the absolute and incomparable beauty of holiness and that 1. positively considered which will be evinced and demonstrated by six things First 'T is the Name
of God and as his Name is so is he The Holy One Isa 57.15 And how excellent is his Name in all the earth He is called the Holy One and the Holy One of Israel many a time over in the Scriptures His Holiness is himself for to swear by his Holiness and by himself is the same thing as 't is also to swear by his Great Name Psal 89.35 Heb. 6.13 Jer. 44.26 compared Now God being the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the altogether lovely how beautiful a thing must Holiness be it being the Name of him who only is God who only is good who only is wise and all that is the perfection of beauty and object of desires Secondly Holiness is the Will of God and as his Will is holy so his Will is that we should be holy S. Paul bids us in every thing give thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you 1 Thess 5.18 So may I say In every thing be holy for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you His Word is the signification and discovery of his Will and this is his Will your sanctification or holiness 1 Thess 4.3 And this is his word too 1 Pet. 1.15 16. As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation for it is written Be ye holy because I am holy O what a lovely and beautiful thing is the Will of God! He worketh all things according to the Counsel of his Will and so should we 'T was the great commendation of King David that he served his Generation according to the Will of God Acts 13.36 and is for this said to be the man after Gods own heart because he would fulfil all his Wills for the Greek is plural Acts 13.22 Yea our Lord Jesus Christ who is so often called The holy Jesus gloryed in this because by it he glorified his Father that he did alwayes did and delighted to do th◠things that pleased him or which i◠all one his Fathers Will. Well the◠the Will of God being the Rule and measure of what 's acceptable and pleasing lovely and beautiful in his eyes Holiness must be transcendently so for this is the Will of God Thirdly Holiness is the Work of God All Gods works are worthy of him and like himself rare and excellent to admiration and wonder The Rule holds here operari sequitur esse in this sense the work is according to the worker If Apelles's and Titian's Peeces were so admirable what are Gods If the works of the first Creation were good exceedingly Gen. 1.31 of which Man was one of the chief and holiness the chief excellency of Man how much more the work of the new Creation which doth mainly consist in holiness He that hath wrought us to this self same thing is God 2 Cor. 5.5 and he that sanctifies or makes us holy is the Lord Exod. 31.13 We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Eph. 2.10 And put on the New-Man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness So that holiness being the work of God it must needs be lovely Yea Fourthly Holiness is not only the Name the Will and the Work but 't is the Image of God and his likeness The Image of God is not so much in our souls being a spirit as being holy The Devil is a Spirit but far enough from being the Image of God We were at first created in Gods Image and after Gods likeness Gen. 1.26 27. And the Apostle refers to this Eph. 4.24 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Created after God i. e. after the Image and likeness of God viz. in righteousness and true holiness Christ Jesus is the holy One and we are to be conformed to the Image of him the Son of God Rom. 8.29 both in being holy and in suffering with him for being so vers 17. as well as in being glorified If I may allude to the Art of Limning I would say that an holy life is the Picture of Gods though not drawn perfectly and to the life and I think the Apostle favours the expression Eph. 4.18 speaking of the Gentiles that they were alienated from the life of God i. e. from holiness And as to the workers of iniquity Christ Jesus professeth that he never knew them Matth. 7.23 Sin hath so altered and disguised man from what he was when God made him that God knows him not owns him not for the man he made Fifthly 'T is yet more Holiness is the very Nature of God There are some Attributes that flow from the Will of God as well as from his Nature as Mercy which he may suspend and not exert if so please him and none can say unto him Why dost thou thus But the Holy Scriptures tell us that there are some Attributes which admit of a cannot be otherwise God saith the Apostle cannot lie cannot deny himself so cannot do wickedly He is True Just Faithful and Holy and 't is impossible he should be otherwise And 't is of clear observation that in the Holy Scripture A Divine Nature and Perfect Holiness are equivalent terms Be pleas'd to compare 2 Pet. 1.4 whereby are given to us exceeding great or the greatest and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of a Divine Nature having escaped the pollution or corruption that is in the World through lust Here you see that the design and end of the promises is to make us partakers of a Divine Nature Now compare this with 2 Cor. 7.1 and there the use of the promises is to perfect holiness Having these promises which according to St. Peters Phrase are the greatest for they are that God will be a God and Father and there 's none greater to promise as there was none greater to swear by than himself Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit which is the same with the corruption spoken of by St. Peter perfecting holiness i. e. till we be sanctified throughout and perfectly or in St. Peters phrase be made partakers of a Divine Nature Sixthly Yet once more Holiness is not only the Name the Will the Work the Image and the Nature but 't is the Glory of God Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee glorious in holiness 'T is his great Title of Honour 'T is the Glory of all his Attributes and Administrations it is the Attribute whereby God is declared to be free from all impurity and imperfection his Soveraignty would seem and look like Tyranny but that 't is holy his Patience would look like an Indulgence and Toleration of sin and so the World judge it Mal. 2.17 but that 't is holy his Love would look like respecting of persons but that 't is holy Holiness is the ground of the Songs of Praise that are sung to his Glory in Earth and Heaven Isa 6.3 Holy holy holy is the
23.9 Bathsheba was very beautiful to look upon but her sin was more her shame than that her praise You heard before how this Beauty of Holiness was prefer'd and had the commendation beyond that of the face Prov. 31.30 And the Apostle gives the holy hand the honour above all 1 Tim. 2.8 A white hand if not innocent a neat hand if not holy though adorned with never so many rings and bracelets makes no fair shew in the eyes of God though lifted up to him in Prayer 4. The Artificial beauty which is short of the Natural must therefore of necessity fall short of this which is Supernatural The Ornaments of Gold and Silver Garnishings with Precious Stones for Beauty as 2 Chron. 3.6 Modish garbs and dresses which often bewitch and dazle the beholders eyes and hath many times more beauty than the wearer is infinitely short of the beauty of holiness And therefore the glory of the Kings Daughter Psal 45.13 14. is not given to her clothing though of wrought gold nor to her rayment though of curious Needle-work but to her inner beauty which is holiness she was all glorious within viz. pure in heart and her beauty is in forgetting her fathers house and in worshipping her Lord and King who would then desire her beauty Psal 45.10 11. for such he seeks to worship him as do it in spirit and truth in the beauty of holiness So St. Paul tells us that the best ornaments are not broidered hair or gold or pearls or costly array but modesty shamefastness sobriety and good works which becometh women professing Godliness 1 Tim. 2.9 10. That without this is nothing at all but this though without that is all in all And so St. Peter also tells us 1 Pet. 3.3 4. that women should not reckon those outward ornaments their beauty but the hidden man of the heart that which is not corruptible a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price and that 's the praise we should be ambitious of viz. which is of God and not of men Rom. 2.29 To be drest to the approbation and admiration of men to be renowned for beauty and not to have the approbation of God will afford but cold comfort while we live and when we die And therefore to declare the thing as it is and to dis-abuse this mistaken World let me tell them that they do but mis-call and flatter these sublunary things when they attribute to them and adorn them with the fine words and specious titles of beauty and bravery delight and delicacy pleasure and prettiness honour and happiness alas these are but great fancies pompous shews glittering and gaudy nothings The rosiness of the most orient beauty the whistling of the most silken bravery the chinking of white and yellow dust alias gold and silver the sparkling glories which tempt and captivate the amorous the proud the covetous the ambitious sons of men will one day appear to be but the cheat of imagination and that they who have courted them have jugled themselves out of true happiness into a false one and have espoused themselves to a meer paultry vanity which if it be any thing is a something less than nothing as the Prophet phraseth it Isa 40.17 they will find by the disappointment of their hopes that they did but build Castles in the aire and their false joys will end in true miseries 5. Holiness far surmounts the Morality and half refined Vertues of Philosophers Morality is indeed a very lovely thing in its kind and is a great rarity among men 't were to be wisht there were as much among some Christians as there was among some Heathens Christians profess more than they did but they did more than many who are profest-Christians For this Christ loved the young man but yet 't was not enough the one thing necessary was wanting he was not sanctified There are many fine things that may glitter but be no gold good inclinations sweet dispositions ingenious behaviour seemingly vertuous conversations may make a fair shew in the flesh and yet they who own them may be in the flesh and so cannot please God Rom. 8.8 A complexional or a constitutional meekness c. may be no vertue which is a conquest over opposition Philosophical Vertue which they place in obeying and conforming to the Placits of wise men and dictates of Reason or performing vertuous acts for vertues sake may be far from holiness which is as I clear'd above a conformity to the will of God as such sub intuitu divinae voluntatis with respect to his will and an eye to his glory Education Art and Prudence may and do oblige to and produce effects very resembling and like to them that are religious but the sweetest innocency and most glorious acts if not the result and effect of union with Christ and the love of God will profit nothing 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Though such persons may seem too good to go to Hell yet without holiness they will not be found good enough to go to Heaven but the person may be condemnable when the acts may be by themselves considered capable of commendation See Matth. 7.21 22 23. Yet again as to this head To teach or learn Moral Vertues apart from Christ is to have them apart from Heaven they are indeed required of and to be practis'd by Christians but so is more than they and they as springing from the fountain directed by the rule and terminated in the glory of God in Christ Otherwise though we learn to conceal or disguise Ungodliness we shall never learn to be godly and every thing but being and living godly in Christ Jesus leaves us under the first Covenant which is too weak to save us Philosophy and Morality may make us civil and good men but they will never make us holy and good Christians And as Doctor M. Causabon well observes Christless discourses are to little purpose the truth is saith he the consideration of Christ laid aside though good language and excellency of wit may go far with some men to perswade and with all or most to please and delight yet bare vertue of it self all things soberly considered will prove generally but a weak plea and as Brutus at his death is said to have bemoan'd himself rather a Name or Word than reality 6. and Lastly The Beauty of holiness far exceeds and excells Pharisaical righteousness The Pharisees if you would take their word and believe of them as they conceited of themselves were righteous more than others and therefore despised others and bid them stand afar off as unclean in comparison of them the more holy but these were no incense only smoak in the nostrils of God They had so obtain'd upon the credulous and easily deluded Vulgar that they also thought them Gods darlings and favourites in so much that 't was Proverbial among the many That if but two went to Heaven the one would be a Pharisee Our
if not all interpreters meant and understood the People or Servants or Houshold of God Munster and Clarius who often transcribes Munster word for word express it thus Per Domum ornatam perpetuo perstituram intellige fidelium Ecclesam By this adorned House which is to endure for ever they understand the Church of the Faithful Doctor M. Causabon in these words holiness actively that is all manner of reverence in outward performances and duties but especially an holy life and conversation becometh them that profess themselves to be servants to so great and glorious a Majesty And the Apostles both St. Paul and St. Peter speak of the House and Temple of God in these expressions 1 Cor. 3.16 17. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house so that the House is the Houshold or Family of God 2. Holiness all and all manner of holiness becomes all and every one of the houses of God 'T is their desire and delight their beauty and comliness as the word imports and is so render'd by both Jewish and Christian Interpreters Holiness of Doctrine and Worship of heart and life becomes the houses of God not only becomes them as their duty to be holy but being holy is their comliness 'T is their greatest ornament and excellency in the eyes of God Angels and all good men As to fear God and keep his Commandments is the whole or all as duty so happiness of man being opposed to all the rest which the wisest of Men and Kings properly and significantly calls Vanity and vexation of spirit so holiness is the all of their beauty and excellency in distinction from the other exteriour ornaments I told you before that other beauty had many a great and big word attributed to it but we may allow them much more to be the Titles of Honour belonging to this Beauty of Holiness This then is the Glory the Joy the Praise the Excellency the Diadem the Crown the Ornament the Renown the Perfection of Beauty Doth not the Holy Spirit who indited the Scripture tell us so and what need we any further witness If 't were said but once by the Infallible Truth yet it were as true as if said an hundred times over and he that believes not one would not in likelihood believe ten or ten times ten quoted Scriptures though backt with the concurring Suffrages and Authorities of the Fathers and Expositors which the Holy Scripture needs not and therefore I shall not urge them Only to indear the argument and by that the thing viz. Holiness 't is worthy of a remark that the Pen-man of this Text utters it by way of admiration O Lord which indeed speaks the unspeakableness of it Oh how amiable How lovely How beautiful How becoming is Holiness and how doth it become thine House O Lord There 's want in the words that are and need of more words than there are to express it according to its worth and perfection And so in the New Testament we may observe St. Peter speaking of it with an admiration beyond what he could utter 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversations and godlinesses for so the reading is in the Original Greek not only single holiness and godliness but plurality holy conversations and godlinesses and that with an universality all holy c. yea with admiration too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quanti-quales What manner c. Having thus dispatcht these three things First The discovery of what Holiness is in its proper Notion and Nature Secondly That it is an absolute and incomparable beauty Thirdly That it becomes and is the chiefest ornament of every House of God both above and here below I may come to the Application in the language of St. Paul Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things 1. I say by way of Inference and Information That Sin doth not become but is the disgrace and reproach of the House of God Our blessed Lord and Saviour had not patience the Zeal of his Fathers House did so possess and eat him up to behold the Temple the House of Prayer and Holiness to be turn'd into a Den of Thieves he could not bear it nor endure the sight Matth. 21.12 13. When he found in the Temple those that sold Oxen and Sheep and Doves and the Changers of Money sitting he made a Scourge of small cords and drove them all out of the Temple and said Take these things hence and make not my Fathers House an House of Merchandise Certainly such things as lofty and scorning Pride griping and sordid Covetousness loathsome Lukewarmness un-manning Drunkenness beastial Vncleanness c. are the spots which diminish and disparage the beauty of the House of God as Saint Peter tells us 2 Pet. 2.13 It cannot be imagined that they who are enemies to holiness can be friends to or lovers of God They that live in sin whose practise and delight is to do wickedly are so far from being the House of God that they are but a Cage of unclean birds and like to that house which the Devil calls his own though 't were swept and garnisht Matth. 12.44 To hate holiness and to be in love with sin is by interpretation and true construction to be in love with Hell and to hate Heaven or to be in love with misery and to hate happiness This is that which opens the mouths of Jews Turks and Indians against the Christian Religion and as by the Jews of Old the Name of God and Christ is evil spoken of by reason of these Rom. 2.23 24. who by their evil deeds give great occasion to the enemies of our best friend the Lord Jesus Christ to blaspheme his Name The Christian Religion is Magnetical and attractive 't is of so pleasing an aspect and happyfying a Nature and Influence that did but the Professors of it make their Profession good I should not doubt almost but that the lovely and loving holy Jesus would quickly be the desire of and be embraced by all Nations whereas now when they come among Christians or Christians go among them and they see the Vileness the Injustice the Wantonness and the almost all manner of wickedness that attends and adheres to many of their conversations they are apt though illogically enough to say this is or is this their Religion as they did of Jerusalem of old when her beauty was departed from her Lam. 1.6 and 2.15 Is this the City that men call the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole Earth Thus they twit and taunt clap their hands hiss and wag their head and abhor the excellency of Jacob and beauty of Israel And truly if the Professors of this excellent lovely best and only saving Religion would but do themselves the right to consider of it it were impossible but they would