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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29687	The crovvn & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered in LVIII sermons from Heb. 12. 14, where you have the necessity, excellency, rarity, beauty and glory of holiness set forth, with the resolution of many weighty questions and cases, also motives and means to perfect holiness : with many other things of very high and great importance to all the sons and daughters of men, that had rather be blessed then cursed, saved then damned / by Thomas Brooks ...	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1662 (1662)	Wing B4939; ESTC R36378	584,294	672

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

because wee were holy or because hee did fore-see that in time wee would be holy but hee chose us to that very end that wee should be holy Look as Esther Esther 1. was first chosen out among the Virgins and then purified and decked with Rich and Royal Ornaments and Garments before shee was brought into the presence of the King So God first chuses poor sinners and then hee purifies them Psal 45.13 and adorns them with the rich and glorious Garments of Grace and Holiness that so they may be meet and fit to enter into his Royal Presence 1 Thes 1.4 Knowing Brethren Beloved your Election of God Vers 5. For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost Vers 9. And how yee turned to God from Idols to serve the Living and True God When the Gospel comes in Power and in the Holy Ghost and turns persons from Idols to serve the Living God 't is a clear and evident sign of their Election real Sanctification is a sure evidence a fair copy of a mans Election Look as the Pattern is known by the Picture and the Cause by the Effect so Election is known by real Sanctification A Christian need never put himself to the charge of making a Ladder to climbe up to Heaven to search the Records of Glory to see whether his Name is written in the Book of Life in the Book of Election or no but rather make a strict and diligent enquiry whether hee be really and throughly sanctified or no for where there is real sanctification there the glorious Image of Gods Election is in Golden Characters stampt upon the soul A man may have his Name set down in the Chronicles yet lost wrought in durable Marble yet perish set upon a Monument equal to a Colossus yet be ignominius inscribed on the Hospital gates yet go to Hell written in the front of his own house yet another come to possess it All these are but writings in the dust or upon the waters where the Characters perish so soon as they are made they no more prove a man happy than the fool could prove Pontius Pilate happy because his Name was written in the Creed but in real Sanctification a man may see his Name so written in the Book of Gods Election as that it shall remain legible to all Eternity But Secondly If thou are a holy person if thou hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that the Lord takes singular pleasure delight and complacency both in thy holiness and in thy person Psa 149.4 5. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people hee will beautifie the meek with salvation Let the Saints be joyful in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds The Hebrew word Rotseh that is here rendred pleasure is from Ratsah that signifies pleasure delight complacency content c. O God takes singular pleasure singular delight singular complacency and singular content in all his Saints in all his sanctified ones Holiness is the express Image of God and therefore hee cannot but take pleasure in it and in all those that bear it Zeph. 3.13 The Remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue bee found in their mouth Well here are glorious Characters of their holiness but what pleasure what delight c. doth God take in these holy ones why certainly very much as you may see in ver 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty hee will save hee will rejoyce over thee with joy hee will rest in his love hee will joy over thee with singing Look as a Bridegroom rejoyces over his Bride Isa 62.4 5. so will the Lord rejoyce over his holy ones and look what delight complacency and content the Bridegroom takes in his Bride the same yea greater God takes in all his sanctified ones Yea look as a fond Father joyes over his dear childe that hee carries in his arms or dandles upon his knee with singing so God will joy over all his holy ones which are his fondlings with singing such is the singular delight satisfaction and content that hee takes in them Look as the Husbandman delights much in that ground that was once barren but is now fruitful and as the Captain takes a great deal of pleasure in that souldier that once run from his colours but is now returned and fights valiantly and resolutely against all opposers and adversaries and as the Father takes a great deal of joy content and satisfaction in the return reformation and amendment of his Prodigal Son Luke 15. even so a holy God is wonderfully delighted pleased enamoured and even overjoyed Heb. 6.7 ● when such as brought forth nothing but the thorns and briers of wickedness Heb. 2.10 do now bring forth the pleasant fruits of righteousness and holinesse and when such as have run from Christ the Captain of their salvation and run from their profession and run from their principles and run almost from every thing that is good shall now return to the Captain of their Salvation and fight it out most valiantly and resolutely against the world the flesh and the devil and when such as have proved Prodigals and spent all that portion all that stock and all that treasure that they have been intrusted with shall now break off their sins and humble themselves and reform their lives and mend their waies God is so infinitely pleased and delighted in these that hee Records their Names in Heaven Luke 10.20 Rejoyce not in this that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven 't is matter of the greatest joy in the world for a man to have his name inrol'd in Heaven look as 't is the sinners hell that his name is ingrossed in the book of perdition so 't is the beleevers heaven that his name is ingrossed in the book of election I have read of a Senatour Tacitus who relating to his Son the great honours that were assign'd to some Souldiers whose names were written in a certain book whereupon the Son was very importunate to see that book his Father shews him the outside and it seemed so glorious that hee earnestly desired him to open it no saith the Father by no means for it is sealed by the counsel then saith the Son pray tell mee if my name bee written there his Father replies no because all the names of those Souldiers were kept secret in the breasts of the Senatours The Son studying how hee might get some satisfaction desired his Father to acquaint him with the merits of those Souldiers whose names were written in that book the Father relates to him their noble atchievements and worthy acts of valour wherewith they had eternized their names such are written said hee and none but such must bee written in this book whereupon the Son consulting

with his own heart that he had no such Trophies to shew but had spent his time in courting of Ladies rather than in encountring of Knights and that hee was better for a dance than for a march and that hee knew no Drum but the Tabret nor no courage but to bee Drunk and Rant hereupon hee presently retired himself repented entred into a combate with his own lusts and affections and subdued them and became temperate continent valiant and vertuous Now when the Souldiers came to receive their Wreaths their Crowns their Honours c. Hee steps in and challenges a Wreath a Crown for himself but being asked upon what title his challenge was grounded hee answered if honours bee given to Conquerours then they must bee given to mee too for I have gotten the noblest conquest of all and it being demanded wherein he answered these have subdued strange Foes and conquered their outward enemies but I have subdued my self I have conquered the enemies that were in my own bosome O Sirs there are no mens names written in the book of life but theirs who by grace and holinesse have subdued and brought under their sinful selves and who have conquered the corruptions that bee in their own bosoms that is in respect of love and dominion many there bee who are exceeding inquisitive to know whether their names are written in Heaven or no I would say to such there is no such way to know this Phil. 4.3 Heb. 11.38 Seneca though a Heathen saw so much excellency that morality put upon a man that hee cryes out Ipse aspectus boni viri delectat the very looks of a good man delights one Sapiens dei comes est saith Philo. as by your holinesse hast thou broke off thy sins by sound repentance hath the Gospel chang'd thy inside and thy outside hath it made thee a new creature and turned thee from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ c. then without all peradventure thy name is written in Heaven and thou art the person that hast the greatest cause in the world to joy and rejoyce Again the Holy Christian is the best Christian in the world nay hee is such a one of whom this world is not worthy and therefore God cannot but take singular pleasure and delight in him many there are which are accounted deep Scholars great Linguists profound Philosophers good Grammarians excellent Mathematicians sharp Logitians cunning Polititians fine Rhetoritians sweet Musitians c. but the truth is hee is the best Grammarian that hath learn't to speak the truth from his heart and hee is the best Astronomer that hath his conversation in Heaven and he is the best Musitian that hath learn't practically to sing out the praises of God and hee is the best Arithmetitian that knows how to number his daies and hee is the best read in Ethicks that every day grows holier and holier and hee is the best skild in Oeconomicks that trains up his Family in the fear of the Lord and hee is the best Polititian that is as good at taking good counsel as hee is at giving good counsel and hee is the best Linguist that speaks the language of Canaan and therefore God cannot but take the greatest content and satisfaction in such Again the Holy Christian is the only man for whom God hath wrought the greatest miracles hee can tell you that he was blinde but now God hath given him eyes to see sin to bee the greatest evil and Christ to bee the choisest Good hee can tell you that once hee was so deaf that though God called very often and very loud upon him by his word and by his works by his rods at home and by his judgements abroad and by his spirit and conscience that were still a preaching in his bosome sometimes Life sometimes Death sometimes Heaven and sometimes Hell yet hee could not hear but now God hath given him an hearing ear so that now hee can with delight hear the sweet Musick of the promises on the one hand and with a holy trembling lissen to the voice of divine threatnings on the other hand Psal 45.1 Jude 3. The very Heathen could say quando sapiens loquitur aulea animi aperit When a wiseman speaketh hee openeth the rich treasure and wardrob of his minde hee can tell you that once hee was so dumb that if hee might have had the whole world hee could not have spoke a good word for God nor for his waies nor for his people nor for his ordinances nor for any of his concernments in the world O but now his tongue is as the pen of a ready writer and hee is never better than when hee is a speaking either of God or for God and his concernments now hee can contend for the faith and speak for Saints and plead for Ordinances and though in some cases hee may want power to act for God yet hee never wants a tongue to speak for God The Spouses lips drop honey combs in that 4 Cant. 11. And the tongue of the just is as choice silver in that 10. Prov. 20. yea his tongue is a tree of life whose leaves are medicinable in that 12. Prov. 18. Hee can tell you that once hee was so lame that hee was not able to move one foot Heaven-wards or Christ-wards or Holiness-wards c. but now his feet delights not only to go but to run in all the waies of Gods commands Psal 119.32 Yea hee can tell you that once hee was dead as to all his soul concernments but now hee is alive and the life that hee leads in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God that hath loved him and given himself for him Gal. 2.20 It was by a miracle that the River Jordan was driven back and t is no less a miracle to see a sinner that was accustomed to do evil habituated now to do good That the tyde of sin which before did run so strong should bee so easily turned that the sinner which a little before was sailing Hell-ward and wanted neither wind nor tyde to carry him thither should now on a sudden alter his course and tack about for Heaven what a miracle is this To see the earthly man become heavenly a carnal man become spiritual a loose man become precise a proud man become humble a covetous man become liberal and a froward man become meek c. is to behold no less than miracles To see a sinner move cross and contrary to himself in the waies of Christ and holiness should bee as wonderful in our eyes as to see the Sun go backward or the Earth to fly upward or the Dead to raise themselves or the Bowl to run contrary to its own byass Now how can God but take infinite delight and pleasure in his holy ones considering the many miracles that hee hath wrought both in them and for them Psa 4.6 7. Again there are no persons under Heaven that

the body That preach as if they had no mind to go to heaven and live as if they were resolved to go to hell That feast their own bodies but starve their peoples souls That are very devout upon a Saints day but very loose and prophane upon the Lords day That think it a greater sin to eat flesh in Lent then it is to lie with their neighbours wife That speak ten words for themselves and hardly two for Christ and that instead of preaching up holinesse and promoting of holinesse and countenancing and encouraging of holinesse do all they can to discountenance holinesse to brow-beat holinesse to keep down holinesse to bespatter holinesse to work men out of love with holinesse and to hinder the growth and encrease of holinesse O that these men would seriously consider how unlike to the Ministers of Jesus Christ they are Do but look into a Scripture glass and you may easily see that Hell is not more unlike to Heaven nor sin more unlike to grace nor Satan more unlike to God then you are unlike to the holy conscientious painful c. Ministers of Jesus Christ Several Authors in Print have proved this to my hand at large and therefore I shall not enlarge upon it only give me leave to say that Gods holy things ought to be handled with fear and reverence rather then with wit and dalliance Spiritual niceness is the next degree to unfaithfulnsse See my Precious R●medies against Satans Devices from page 349. to page 357. And see my Unsearchable Riches of Christ from page 291. to page 314. Ministers must not be like the drug that the Physitians say is hot in the mouth and cold in the operation hot in the Pulpit but cold carnal and carelesse in their conversations Those that stand before Princes must be exact in their carriages God appointed both the weights and measures of the sanctuary to be twice as large as those of the Common-wealth to shew that he expects much more of those that serve him there then he doth of others The souls of Priests I may say of Ministers must be purer then the Sun-beams saith golden-mouth'd Chrysostom Gay things in a Sermon are only for men to gaze upon and admire What are high strains and flashes of wit new minted words and phrases but like gay weeds and blew-bottles to the good corn Doctrine is but the drawing of the bow application is the hitting of the mark How many are wise in generals but vain en dia-l●gism is in their practical inferences A general Doctrine not applyed is as a sword without an edge not in it self but to others or as a whole loaf set before children that will do them no good A garment fitted for all bodies is fit for no body and so that which is spoken to all is taken as spoken to none Aarons bells were golden bells Dulce sonantes sounding pleasantly and not as sounding brasse or tinkling Cymbals as many of the carnal Clergy of this Nation are this day Many there be that account themselves the only Ministers of Jesus Christ that are but like empty Orators that have a flood of words and but a drop of matter of whom we may truly say Multa loquuntur nihil dicunt they speak much and yet say nothing because they say nothing to the purpose When the Lacedemonian in Plutarch heard how sweetly the Nightingale sang O said he that I had this Bird surely it is a rare dish but when he had taken it and eat it and found nothing but a little picking meat he concluded with that proverbial saying Voxes praeterea nihil Now I see that thou art a meer voice and nothing else How applicable this is to many Preachers in these dayes who have good lungs but bad brains and worse hearts and lives the prudent Reader may easily see John the Baptist was a burning and a shining light as well as a voice His Sermons were stuft with divine and weighty matter c. and not filled up with big words or strains of wit Many there be that have Johns voice in the Ministry that have not that heat and life that John had in his Ministry That great Orator Demosthenes himself could say that the riches of Greece did not consist in words The Oracle would have King Philip of Macedon to use silver lances in winning an impregnable for t c. But it is not for Ministers to use golden sentences strong lines frothy wit in winning of souls to Christ for it is iron and not gold that killeth in the encounter it is the steel sword and not the golden sword that winneth the field Job 38.2 We to such Preachers that darken counsel by words without knowledge that affect sublime notions obscure expressions uncouth phrases making plain truths difficult and easie truths hard that seek abstrusities and love to soar aloft in dark expressions and take pleasure to shoot their arrows over their hearers heads The heathenish Priests had their Mythologies and strange canting expressions of their imaginary unaccessible Deities to amaze and amuse their blind superstitious followers and thereby to hold up their Popish and Apish Idolatries in greater veneration And is not this spirit now revived among many Certainly men of abstracted conceits and sublime speculations are but wise fools and commonly they are as erronious as they are curious Such as mind more the humoring of their hearers fancies then the saving of their souls do little consider that of Seneca Aeger non quaerit medicum eloquen●em sed sanantem Sick men are not bettered by Physitians sugared words but by their skilful hands The sword of the spirit never wounds deep till it be pluckt out of the gaudy scabards of humane eloquence Mr. Greenham speaking of non-Residents wisheth that this Motto might be written on their study doors without and walls within on all their books they look on on all the beds they lie on and on all the tables they sit at c. The price of blood the price of blood the price of blood A Preachers life should be a Commentary upon his doctrine his practice should be the counterpane of his Sermons heavenly doctrines should alwayes be adorned with a heavenly life Preachers are the Glass the School the Book Where peoples eyes do learn do read do look Gentlemen by these short hints you may see as in a glasse if you will not put a cheat upon your own souls how unlike to the true holy and faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ you are O Sirs do not you know that the holy Scriptures that never spoke Treason nor Sedition do clearly evidence that an ignorant prophane scandalous superstitious insufficient and soul-flattering Clergy are the greatest Pest Plague Affliction Judgement c. that can befall a people as you may easily see by comparing these Scriptures together Mich. 2.11 Isa 30.10 11. Jer. 5. ult Lam. 2.14 Isa 9.16 Ezek. 3.18 Jer. 23.9 18. Ezek. 13.22 Jer. 6.14 and chap. 27.14

such whose lives give the lye to their Doctrine an ill liv'd preacher is the greatest destroyer of the souls of men he that preacheth well but lives ill does what he can to murder all his hearers at once there is no greater bar to holiness then Ministers leudness an unholy life marrs the soundest and the sweetest Doctrine Isa 9.16 The leaders of his people have caused them to e rt The sins of Teachers are the teachers of sins as the corrupt glosses so the leud practises of many Preachers makes many to stumble at that word and to shuff and chat and contest and kick against that word whereby they should be made holy and happy for ever a scandalous Minister is the greatest Pest the worse plague and the sorest mischief that can be to a people for his enormities his wickednesses will have the strongest influences upon the souls and lives of men to make them miserable in both worlds his falls will be the fall and ruine of many for people are more prone to live by examples then by precepts and to minde more what the Minister does then what he sayes and to eye more how he walks then how he talks It was said of One long since that was an excellent Preacher but a very bad liver that when he was in the Pulpit it was pitty he should ever come out of it he preach't so well and when he was out of it it was pitty that ever he should go into it he lived so ill Certainly 't is pitty that ever such should go into a Pulpit who preach well but live ill who have much of God in their mouths and much of the devil in their lives who have the earth as much at their fingers end as they have heaven at their tongues end who puts a loud lye upon the truth and whose lives puts their words to a blush who have much of heaven in their expressions and nothing of heaven in their conversations who have much holiness in their books but none in their bosoms and much holiness in their lips but none in their lives The leud lives of such persons causes people to slight and abhor the holy things of God 1 Sam. 2.17 yea their bad lives often raise doubts in their hearers hearts Rom. 2.22 Mal. 2. ult whether those things be true that they preach or no hearers will be ready to object and say if these things be true that the Minister says why does he not practice what he preaches why does he not do as well as say and with what face or confidence can he appear against that in the Pulpit which he countenanceth and patronizeth in his life who will credit that mans Doctrine who has Jacobs voice but Esaus hands who is a Saint yea an Angel in the Pulpit but a debauched sinner yea an incarnate devil out of it I have read of a woman who living in professed doubt of the God-head after better illumination and repentance did often protest Mr. Wards Sermons that the vicious life of a great Schollar under whose Ministry she did live did conjure up those damnable doubts in her soul There is nothing that brings holy truths so much into question as the unholy conversations of such preachers neither is there any thing that exposes a Ministers person and office to so much scorn and contempt as an unholy life Let a Minister be never so learned solid quaint elegant zealous judicious sententious c. yet if he be carnal covetous worldly vain and loose in his life and conversation his hearers will rather deride his doctrine then reforme by his doctrine they will rather contemn it then study how to profit by it therefore he said right that said Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum Vnto a teacher it 's no small disgrace When his own faults reprove him to his face There is nothing in all the world that is more powerful and prevalent to corrupt and mislead unholy men and to harden strengthen Ezek. 13.22 Jer. 23.15 and encourage them in ways of wickedness then the looseness of their lives whose office binds them to look to the salvation of their souls Mal. 2.8 Ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law When the preacher departs out of the way of holiness the people will quickly stumble at the Law of holiness when Ministers are as wandring stars no wonder if their hearers wander from all that 's good he whose life is not a standing reproof to sin will by his life encourage sinners more and more in a way of sin there is nothing that keeps men so off from a good opinion of holiness and from the love of holiness and the liking of holiness and from the pursuing after holiness then the unholy lives of their teachers and therefore as ever you would be holy flye their Tents and abandon their company and society Ministers whose lives are leud though their parts may be high are like a stone gutter that conveyeth water into a garden Augustine but receiveth no benefit it self thereby or like a Harpe that maketh others melody but heareth nothing it self they are like those Carpenters that built the Arke to save others and were drowned themselves or like Porters at great mens gates that let in others but lodge without themselves or like Sea-marks that rot themselves and yet give others warning to avoid Shipwrack or like Casars souldier that digged a fountain for Caesar and perished himself for want of water O! the folly and madness of such Ministers that give light to others and yet walk in darkness themselves that feast others souls but starve their own that rescue others from a devouring enemy and yet suffer themselves to be devoured that forewarne others of the horrible pit and yet fall into it themselves that give good counsel to others and yet can't take good counsel themselves that study and strive to bring others to heaven and yet have no minde to go thither themselves Certainly society and company with such upon choice can't but be a mighty hinderance to holiness he that is in good earnest resolved to be holy must resolutely be resolved to have nothing to do with such unholy persons And thus you see the several things that you must decline if ever you would be holy But Secondly As there are several things that you must decline if ever you would obtain that real holiness without which there is no happiness so there are several things that you are to do that you are to put in practice without which you will never be holy here nor happy hereafter Q. But what are they A. They are these First Greatly lament and mourn over thine own unholiness over thine own wickedness the first step to holiness is melting and mourning over a mans own unholiness go to thy closet and fall down before the most high and holy God and mourn bitterly over the unholiness of thy nature the

service of God and to detract from the excellency and glory of it The Kings and Princes of this world have most severely punisht such who by their base mixtures have imbased their coyne and there is a day a coming wherein the King of Kings will most severely punish all such who have imbased his worship and service by mixing their Romish traditions with his holy institutions Rev. 22.18 Rev. 22.18 For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesie of this booke if any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke And no wonder for what horrible pride presumption stoutness and baseness of spirit is it in foolish man to be so bold with the great God as to dare to mix any thing of his own with his worship and service which according to divine institution is so perfect and compleat God will never bare it to see men lay their dirt upon his gold and to put their Raggs upon his Royal Robes Ah Christians Christians evidence your holiness by standing up for holy ordinances and pure worship in opposition to all mixtures whatsoever oh don 't you touch a poluted worship don't you plead and contend for a poluted worship but let Baal plead for Baal and though all the world should wander after the Beast yet don't you wander and though every fore-head should have the mark of the Beast upon it yet doe you abhor his mark and what ever else it be that do's but smell and savour of the Beast It is observable that in Kings and Princes Courts children fools and the rude Rabble are much taken with fine pictures and rich shews and glistering gaudy cloaths c. but such as are wise serious grave Statesmen they mind not they regard not such poor things they look upon those things as things that are much below the nobleness and the greatness of their spirits who have honorable objects and the great and weighty affaires of the State to busie themselves about so my Brethren though the children the fools and the Rabble of the world are much affected and taken with such polutions and mixtures as makes up a glorious pompious worship yet you that have a spirit of holiness and principles of holiness in you O how should you slight such things and pass by such things as things below you as things not worthy of you who have a holy God a holy Christ a holy Gospel and a holy worship to busie your thoughts your minds your heads and your hearts about But Fifthly Evidence the truth and reality of your holiness by bewailing and lamenting the loss of holiness Ah how is this crowne of holiness fallen from our heads Lam. 5.16 O the leanness of souls O the spiritual witherings and decayes in grace and holiness It s very uncomfortable to see the dayes grow shorter and to see friends grow behind-hand in the world that is to be found among many Christians this day Some complaine of the loss of Trade and others complaine of the loss of estate some complaine of the loss of c●edit and others complaine of the loss of friends but what are all these losses to the loss of holiness and yet how few be there that complaine of the loss of holiness holiness is fallen in our hearts in our families in our streets and in our Churches and yet how few are there to be found that laments the fall of holiness O Sirs will you lament such as are fallen from riches to poverty from honor into disgrace and from the highest pitch of prosperity to the lowest step of beggary and misery and will you not lament such who are fallen from the highest round to the lowest round in Jacobs Ladder O Sirs will you mourne over a decayed estate will you weep over decayed friends and will you sigh and sob over a decayed body and will you not much more lament and mourne over decayed souls c Ah how many have lost that love Rev. 2.4 5. that life that heat that zeale that readiness that forwardness and that resoluteness that once they had for God and godliness Some are fallen from their holiness by giving themselves elbow-roome to sin against the checks and lashes of conscience Psal 51. others are decayed in holiness by their secret resisting and smothering the gracious motions of the Spirit Acts 7.51 Some are fallen frpm holiness either by their neglect of precious means 1 Thes 5.20 or else by their heartless using of the meanes others are fallen from their holiness either by the allurements and enticements of a tempting world 2 Tim. 4.10 or else by the frownes and threatnings of a persecuting world Some are fallen from holiness by their non-exercise of grace and others are fallen from holiness by not discerning their first decayes in grace So that upon one account or another multitudes in these dayes are fallen from that holiness which was once their glory If you look into families there you shall finde Masters complaining that their servants are so careless foolish frothy light slight slothfull unfaithfull proud and lofty that they are not to be spoken to nor trusted and if you look againe into the same Families there you shall finde servants complaining that their Masters and Mistrisses are so exceeding froward pevish passionate worldly neglective of duties and careless of their souls that 't is even a hell to servants to live with them Now what speaks all these sad complaints but either a total want of holiness or else a very great decay of holiness And if you look among all other relations as husbands and wives parents and children Magistrates and people Ministers and Christians oh what sad divisions what fiery contentions and what feareful Jars are there to be found oh what slightings what revilings what under-valuings what heart-risings what heart-swellings and what heart-burnings are to be found amongst them and what doe all these things declare but that the Glory of God is departed from Israel and that holiness is fallen to a very low ebbe ah friends were there but more holiness among you there would be more union among you and more love among you and more sweetness and tenderness among you and more forbearance and patience among you Oh then you would never be snarling one at another nor biting one of another nor plotting one against another nor devouring one of another any more Again if you look among men whose parts are great whose gifts are high whose profession is glorious and whose expressions and notions are very seraphical ah what a little holiness will you finde O Sirs shall the men of this world vex and fret shall they weep and waile and shall their lamentation and mourning be like that of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo 2 Chron. 35.24 25. and that for the loss of a little wealth or for a punctilio of honor or a day of pleasure or