most despised hands 1 Cor. 1.21 25 27. as it is evident in this instance The Apostles did not fret and fume and storm and take on because these Brethren preacht the Lord Jesus without ordination to the work of the Ministry O no but they were glad and rejoyced in their bringing in of souls to Christ and they made it their work to exhort encourage and build up those that were brought in neither did they prohibit these Brethren from preaching because they had not Apostolical hands laid on them By these Lay-mens preaching Christ is revealed and multitudes are converted and truth is advanced and the Apostles are gladded Now by what hath been said it is most evident that persecuting times are truth-advancing times But Seventhly and lastly As persecuting times are truth-advancing times so persecuting times are a Christians rejoycing times A Christians heart is never so full of joy as it is when he is under sufferings Acts. 5.41 Acts 7.55 56. Chap. 16.25 Oh how my heart leapeth for joy said Mr. Philpot that I am so near the apprehension of eternal life Eph. 3.1 Chap. 4.1 2 Tim. 1.8 Phil. 1.9.23 And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name They counted it an honour to be dishonoured for Christ they took it as a grace to be disgraced for Jesus Stephen found the joyes of heaven in his heart as the stones came clattering about his ears So Paul and Sylas when they were in prison their hearts were so full of joy that they could not hold but at mid-night when others were a sleeping they must fall a singing out the praises of the most High they found more pleasure then pain more joy then sorrow more comfort then torment in their bonds the Rods with which they were whipt Col. 4.10 Rom. 16.7 Paul rattles his chaine which he bears for the Gospels sake and was as proud of it as a woman of her ornaments saith Chrysostom were as Rods made up all of Rosemary branches divine consolations rise so high in their souls that their prison was turn'd into a Pallace yea into a Paradise Paul was a man that took a great deale of pleasure in his sufferings for Christ 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake He did not only bare his sufferings patiently but chearfully also he often sings it our I Paul a prisoner as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margent together of Jesus Christ not I Paul an Apostle nor I Paul wrapt up in the third heaven nor I Paul that have more gifts parts and learning then others but I Paul a prisoner to shew how much he rejoyced in his bonds and sufferings for Christ Chrysostom did not hold Paul so happy for his rapture into Paradise as he did for his imprisonment for Christ So Rom. 5.3 4. And not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation works patience and patience experience and experience hope Old Souldiers could not glory and joy more in their marks and scars of honour then these Saints did in their tribulations and persecutions for Christs sake Rabbi Simeon Ben Jochai liv'd twelve years in a dark Dungeon for feare of the Roman persecution in the Reigne of Trajane the Emperour and he call'd his dark Dungeon Zohar that is splendor because God had turn'd his darkness into light and made up the want of the light of the Sun by the light of his countenance and by the shinings of the Sun of righteousness upon his soul Eusebius tells us of Algerius the Italian martyr how that writing to his friend from a stinking Dungeon he dates his Letter from my delicate Orchard Acts and Mon. fol. 857. And Master Glover the Martyr wept for joy of his imprisonment William Hunters Mother that suffered under Bonner told him that she was glad that ever she was so happy as to beare such a childe as could finde in his heart to die for Christs sake such were his divine consolations that they turn'd his Dungeon into a pleasant Orchard I with my Fellowes saith Mr. Philpot were carried to the Cole-house where we doe rouze together in the straw as chearfully we thank God as others doe in their beds of downe Mr. Bradford put off his Cap and thanked the Lord when his Keepers wife brought him word that he was to be burnt the next day And Mr. Taylor fetcht a frisk when he was come neare to the place where he was to suffer Henry and John two Augustin Monks being the first that were burnt in Germany and Mr. Rogers the first that was burnt in Queen Maries dayes did all sing in the flames If men did but know by experience the sweet that is in suffering for Christ they would desire with Chrysostom if it were put to their choice rather to be Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ then Paul wrapt up in the third heaven One of the holy Women that suffered Martyrdom in this Nation rejoyced that she might have her foot in the same hole of the Stocks in which Mr. Philpots had been before And Luther Luther Fire sword death prison famine are all pleasures they are all delightfull to me saith Basil Modestus Lieutenant to Julian the Emperour told him that when the Christians suffered they did but deride them and the torments said he with which Christians are tormented are more terrible to the tormentors then they are to the tormented râ—ports of that famous Martyr Saint Agatha that as she went to prisons and tortures she said she went to Banquets and Nuptials Vincentius laughing at his Tormentors said that death and tortures were to Christians Jocularia ludicra matters of sport and pastime and he joyed and gloried when he went upon hot burning Coales as if he had trod upon Roses Philip Lansgrave of Hesse being a long time prisoner under Charles the fifth 't was demanded what upheld him all that time and he answered that he felt the divine consolations of the Martyrs Basil in his Oration for Barlaam that famous Martyr saith that he delighted in the close prison as in a pleasant green meddow and he took pleasure in the severall inventions of tortures as in severall sweet flowers William Tims Martyr in a Letter to a friend of his a little before his death writeth thus Now I take my leave of you till we meet in heaven and hie you after I have tarried a great while for you and seeing you are so long in making ready I will tarry no longer for you you shall finde me merrily singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth at my journeys end c. And when they kindled the fire at the feete of James Bainkam me-thinks said he you strew roses before me And Hawkes the Martyr lifted up his hands above his head and clapt them together when he was in the fire as
truth with his blood Mr. John Hus was a man eminent in holiness he was borne in Prague in Bohemia A Prophesie and was Pastor of the Church of Bethleem his name Hus in the Bohemian language sâ—gnifies a Goose at his Martyrdome he told them that if they rosted him in the fire out of the ashes of the Goose an hundred years after God would raise up a Swan in Germany that should carry the Cause on for which he suffered and whose singings would affright all those Vulters which was exactly fulfilled in Luther whose name in the Bohemian language signifies a Swan for God raised him up as a famous instrument in his hand who carried on that glorious Cause with mighty success and upon his death the Bohemians under Ziska rose in Armes and had most admirable success against the Emperour and the Papists A Prophesie Luther was a man of great holiness and being one time more then ordinarily earnest with God in prayer he came downe to his Friends and told them with a very great confidence that it should goe well with Germany all his dayes he knew what was done in heaven by that which God had done in his own heart accordingly it fell out The Martyr that was burnt last in Smithfield A Prophesie told the people that they should be of good comfort for he was fully perswaded that he was the last that should suffer under Queen Mary and so he was Thus you see that men of greatest holiness have had the clearest and choicest manifestations discoveries of God and of his mind made knowne to them Suitable to that choice promise that you have in that 33 Jer. 3. Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty or hidden things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hidden as bunches of Grapes are hidden under the leaves of the Vines which thou knowest not God will make knowne to his holy ones the most hidden and abstruse things and the more holy they are the more they shall know of the most secret and mysterious things of God John 7.17 If any man will doe his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my selfe Christ will be most open to them that are most obedient to him they shall know most of the doctrine of Christ who are most complying with the will of Christ David was a man of great holiness as is evident by that glorious testimony that God has given of him in that 13 Acts 22. And when he had removed him that is Saul v. 21. he raised up unto them David to be their King to whom also he gave testimony and said I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All my wills to note the eminency transcâ—ndency universality and sincerity of his obedience Now if you will but look into that 2 Sam. 7.27 there you shall see how the Lord declares and makes knowne himselfe and his intentions towards him For thou O Lord of Hosts God of Israel hast revealed to thy servant saying I will build thee an house But the Hebrew is more full and excellent in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it runs thus Lord thou hast revealed this to the eare of thy servant Now the emphasis lyes in those words to the eare of thy servant When God makes knowne himselfe and his intentions to such as are eminent in holiness he do's it in their eare God tells David in his eare that he will build him an house that is that he would continue his kingdome to him and to his posterity after him this was blessed newes and this God tells in his eare Such as are our special friends and favourites we often whisper them in the eare when we would acquaint them with our most secret and weighty purposes intentions and resolutions we give them a whisper in the eare such persons that are eminent in holiness are the great favourits of heaven and God tells them in the eare of many a rare secret which all others are kept ignorant of Well Sirs for a close remember this that there are no persons on earth that are so prepared and fitted for the clearest fullest and highest manifestations of God as those that are eminent in holiness nor none that set so high a price upon the discoveries of God as men that are eminent in holiness nor none that are so able to bare the Revelations of his will as men that are eminent in holiness nor none that will make such an humble faithful constant and through improvement of all that God shall make knowne to them as men that are famous for holiness and therefore as ever you would have God in an eminent way to manifest and discover himselfe and his mind unto you O labour after a greater measure of holiness But Eighthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the more holy any man is the more singular delight and pleasure God will take in all his religious duties and services Generally 't was the custome of the Eastern countries to wash before worship The very heathen gods would be served in white the very emblem of purity holiness puts a divine savour upon all a mans services there are no duties so sweet as those that have most holiness in them Mal. 3.3 4. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the dayes of old and as in former years After the Lord Jesus Christ hath been to his people as a refiners fire and as Fullers sope that is after he hath refined scoured and purged his people from their drossiness filthiness earthliness selfishness and sensualness c. then their offerings shall be pleasant to the Lord. Look as light makes all things pleasant and delightful to man so holiness makes all a mans duties and services pleasant and delightful to the Lord. Zach. 13.9 And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed they shall call on my name and I will heare them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God When God has refined his people as silver is refined then he will bow his eare and open his hand and grant them the desires of their hearts O the pleasure and delight that God takes in the prayers tears hearings readings meltings mournings and repentings of such who are eminently purged and sanctified the more holiness any man has the less of the flesh polution and corruption there is in all his duties and services and the less there is of
state of darkness or in a state of light you are in a state of life or in a state of death you are in a state of love or in a state of wrath you are either Goats or Sheep Sons or Slaves you are either in the broad way to destruction or in the narrow way of salvation and therefore what can be of greater concernment in this world to you then to know in which of these two spiritual estates you are in How can you order aright your prayers or your praises or any religious services till you come to know in which of these two spiritual estates you stand whether you be in a state of nature or in a state of grace in a state of sin or in a state of holiness for all religions duties must be ordered according to mens spiritual estates If a man be in a state of nature his work lies one way if he be in a state of holiness his work lies another way By all which it is most evident that it very nearly concerns you to search and try whether you have this bird of Paradise Holiness in your bosoms or no And for a close let me say that a mistake about your spiritual estate will at last be found not only insufferable and inexcusable but very terrible and damnable Thirdly Consider That a cordial willingness to enter upon this work of tryal is a hopefull evidence of your real integrity and sanctity Unsanctified souls hate the light they had rather go to hell in the dark then come to be weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary As pure gold fears neither fire nor furnace neither test nor touchstone John 3.20 neither one ballance nor another so a pure heart a sanctified soul dares venture it self upon tryal yea Job 31.5 6. Psalm 26 2. Psalm 139 23 24. Matth. 12.20 upon the very tryal of God For he knows that God never brings a pair of scales to weigh his graces but only a touchstone to try the truth of his graces he knows if his gold be true though it be never so little it will pass for current with God As Bankrupts care not for casting up their accounts because they know all is naught very naught stark naught with them so unsanctified souls they care not to come to the tryal to the test because they know that all is naught yea worse then naught with them They have no mind to cast up their spiritual estates because at the foot of the account they must be pâ—t to read their neck-verse Undone undone for ever undone And therefore as old deformed women cannot indure to look into the looking-glass least their wrinckles and deformity should be discovered so unsanctified souls cannot endure to look into the glass of the Gospel least their deformities impieties and wickednesses should be discovered and detected I have read of the Elephant how unwilling he is to go into the water but when he is forced into it he puddles it lest by the clearness of the stream he should discern his own deformity So unholy persons are very unwilling to look into their own hearts or into the clear streams of Scripture lest their souls deformity and ugliness should appear to their own terror and amazement And therefore as you would have a hopefull evidence of your integrity and sanctity fall upon this work of tryal For as it is a hopeful evidence that the Clyents cause is good when he is ready and willing to enter upon a tryal and as it is a hopefull sign that a mans gold is true gold when he is willing to bring it to the touchstone and that a man thrives when he is willing to cast up his books so it is a hopeful evidence that a Christian hath real holiness Gal. 6.4 5. when he is ready and willing to bring his holiness to the test to try whether it be true or no when he is willing to cast up his books that he may see what he is worth for another world Fourthly Consider that there are very many that deceive themselves about their spiritual estates Job 15.34 Prov. 30.12 It is the easiest thing in the world for a man to deceive himself there are those that do but think that they stand 1 Cor. 10.12 and these at last come to fall from their seeming standing into a real hell Matthew 23. Yea from their highest standing into the lowest hell There are many that think themselves to be something when they are nothing Gal. 6.3 There are many that have a form of godliness Isaiah 9.17 Chap. 29.13 Jer. 7.4 8 9 10 11. Rev. 3.16 17 18. Isa 65.2.3 4 5 Matthew 25. but none of the power 2 Tim. 3.6 There are many that have a name to live but are dead Rev. 3.1 There are many that are very confident of their integrity and yet are full of horrible hypocrisie There are many that carry the Lamps of profession that have no oyle of grace in their hearts There are many that take a good nature for grace civility for sanctity and a garb of godliness for real holiness yea there are those who dare say that they excell others in holiness when in truth they exceed most men in wickedness Yea there are many now in hell who have had a great confidence of going to heaven There are many that cry out with Agag Surely the bitterness of death is past wrath is past and hell is past and damnation is past when as vengeance is ready to fall on them and hell stands gaping to devour them The heart of man is full of self-love full of self-flattery and full of hypocrisie and therefore many a man who is only a Jew outwardly Rom. 2.28 29. thinks himself to be a Jew inwardly many a man thinks himself to be as good a Christian as the best and to be as happy as the best and to be as fair for heaven as the best till he comes to hear that tormenting word Depart I know ye not As many are kept off from Christ by a conceit that they have him already so many are kept off from holiness by a conceit that they have it already And therefore it doth very much concern you to make a diligent enquiry whether you have that holiness without which there is no happiness or no. I have read of Plato that when he did walk in the streets if he saw any disordered in speech disguised in drink or otherwise our of frame he would say to himself Num ego talis Am I such a one as this is Am I such a swearer as this is Am I such a drunkard as this is Am I such a wanton as this is Am I such a royotous person as this c. So should every Christian say when he hears of any that doth but think that they stand Num ego talis Am I such a one as this is When he sees one that thinks himself something when he is nothing he should say Am
sanctified the same Spirit the same Grace the same Power the same Presence that hath sanctified any of these may sanctifie all of these there is no heart so unholy but a holy God can make it holy there is no spirit so unclean but a holy Spirit can make it clean Well sinners there are many living and standing witnesses of divine grace among you and about you that do sufficiently declare that it is possible that you may be sanctified and saved Again it is possible that you may be sanctified and made holy Witness 7. The Oath of a holy God Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God Ezek. 18.31 32. I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will you die O house of Israel As I live is the form of an Oath and is much used in the Scripture by God himself wicked men are very hardly perswaded to believe that God is willing that they should be sanctified and saved and therefore God takes his oath on it that he is infinitely more willing that wicked men should turn from their evil wayes and be sanctified and saved then that they should perish in their sins and be damned for ever As I live is a weighty oath and imports the certainty of that which follows it is absolute without evasion or revocation As sure as I live and am God I have no pleasure in destroying and damning of souls but desire that they would turn from their evil wayes and that they would be sanctified and saved let me not live let me be no longer a God if I would not have the wicked to live and be happy for ever The possibility of your being holy God hath confirmed by an oath and therefore you may no longer question it As Paulus Fagius observeth in his comment on Genesis The Egyptians though Heathens so hated perjury that if any man did but swear by the life of the King and did not perform his oath that man was to die and no gold was to redeem his life And do you think that a holy God doth not stand more upon his oath then Heathens yea then the worst of Heathens Certainly he doth 8. Lastly it is possible that you may be a holy Witness The great designs and undertakings of Jesus Christ to make lost man holy His great design in leaving his fathers bosom and coming into this world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissolve unravel the works of the Devil was the destroying the dissolving of the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Sin is Satans work and Christ comes to destroy it and break it all in pieces Mens sins are Satans chains by which he links them fast to himself but Christ was therefore manifested that he might loose and knock off these chains Satan had knit many sinful knots in our souls but Christ comes to unty those knots he had laid many snares but Christ comes to discover and to break those snares It was the great design of Christ in the divesting of himself as it were of his divine honour glory and dignity Phil. 2.6 7 8 15. and in his taking on him the nature of man to destroy Satan and to sanctifie the souls of men Heb. 2.11 14 15. It was the great design of Jesus Christ in giving of himself for us in giving his soul his body his life to justice to death to wrath for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Titus 2.14 and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The crown of holiness was faln from our heads and Christ freely and willingly uncrowns himself that once more we might be crowned with holiness immortality and glory Christ was resolved that he would lose all that was near and dear unto him but he would recover our lost holiness for us Christ knew that heaven had been but a poor purchase had he not purchased holiness for us As heaven is but a low thing without God so heaven is but a low thing without holiness It is holiness that is the sparkling Diamond in the Ring of happiness a man were better be holy in hell then unholy in heaven and therefore Christ ventures his All for holiness The great design of Christ in redeeming of souls with the choicest the purest the costliest the noblest blood that ever run in veins Luke 1.74 75. was that they should serve him in righteousness and holiness all the daies of their lives In a word Christ had never taken so great a journey from heaven to earth but to make men holy he had never taken upon him the form of a servant but to make us the servants of the most high God He had never lyen in a manger he had never trod the Wine-press of his fathers wrath but to make you holy he prayed he sweat he bled and he hung on the Cross and all to make you holy he was holy in his birth and holy in his life and holy in his death and holy in all his sufferings and all to make you holy The great design of Christ in all he did and in all he suffered was to make man holy And thus you see by all these Arguments that holiness is attainable Thirdly Consider this that real holiness is the honour and the glory of the creature and therefore the Apostle links holiness and honour together 1 Thes 4.3 4. 2 Cor. 3. ult Eph. 5.27 For this is the will of God even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour The vessel is mans body which is the great utensil or instrument of the soul and contains it as in a vessel now the sanctity and chastity of this vessel is the honour of a Christian even bodily purity is a Christians glory he that keeps his vessel in holiness keeps it in honour A heathen could say Nobilitas sola est atque unica vertus Vertue is the only true nobility Holiness is the greatest dignity that mortal man is capable of it is mans highest promotion it is his highest exaltation holiness is the true gentility and the true nobility of the soul Deut. 26. ult And to make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God There is nothing that lifts a people so high and that makes them so truly famous and glorious as holiness doth Holiness is the praise the renown the crown and glory of a people Holiness is the diadem the beauty and the excellency of a people Holiness is the strength the honour and the riches of a people Holiness is the image of God
all the people visible holiness is a loadstone that will draw eyes and hearts after it 1 Pet. 3.1 Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands that if any obey not the Word they also may without the Word be woon by the conversation of the wife A holy conversation is a winning conversation Phil. 2.15 1 Cor. 7.16 the holy conversation of the wife may be the conversion of the husband the holy the wise the watchful the circumspect conversation of the wife may issue in the salvation of the husband many a husband hath been woon to Christ by the holy conversation of the wife and many a wife hath been woon by the holy conversation of the husband Monica woon her husband Patricia from being an impure Manichee not by force of argument but by purity and chastity of life saith Augustine many a servant hath been woon by the holy conversation of the Master and many a Master hath been woon by the holy conversation of the servant Zozomen reports that the holy life of a poor captive Christian maide made a King and all his family to embrace the Christian faith I have read of Cicilia a poor virgin who by her holy and gracious behaviour in her martyrdom was the means of converting four hundred to Christ Many a soul hath been woon by the dumb Oratory of a holy life Justin Martyr confesseth that the constancy of Christians in their piety and sufferings was the chiefest motive that converted him to Christianity For I my self saith he was once a Platonist and did gladly hear the Christians reviled but when I saw they feared not death nor any of those miseries which did most frighten all other men I began to consider with my self that it was impossible for such men to be lovers of pleasure more then lovers of piety and that made me first think of turning Christian 1 Pet. 2.12 Chap. 15.3 16. There is nothing that hath that influence upon the judgements of men to perswade them upon the consciences of men to awe them upon the mouthes of men to stop them upon the hearts of men to convince them and upon the lives of men to reform them as holiness What Plato once said of his moral vertue viz. that if it could be seen with bodily eyes it would be beloved of all and draw all hearts to it self That is most true of this Theological grace holiness holiness is so beautiful and so lovely a thing that it renders men amiable and lovely in the very eyes of their enemies Tilligny for his rare vertues Vide the French History in the life of Charles the ninth was rescued from death by his greatest enemies at the massacre of Paris Holiness makes a mans face to shine as it did Moses his and Stephens nothing pleases the eye nor wins the heart like holiness What is gold to godliness gifts to grace parts to piety a spark a ray a beam of holiness will certainly have an influence upon the spirits of men either to restrain them or change them or allay them or sweeten them or win them or one way or another to better them Look as the unholy lives and conversations of many professors do occasion some to blaspheme God others to belye God others to withstand God and others to forsake God Look as the loosness of many Christians doth work some to reproach Christ others to deny Christ others to refuse Christ others to revile the good wayes of Christ and others to oppose and despise the faithful followers of Christ As Lactantius reports that the loose lives of many Christians was made by the Heathens the reproach of Christ himself Quomodo bonus Magister cujus tam pravos videmus discipulos How can we think the Master to be good whose disciples we see to be so bad And Salvian also complains that the loose walking of many Christians was made by the Heathen the reproach of Christ himself saying If Christ had taught holy doctrine surely his followers had led better lives Salvianus de G. D. l. 4. And further the same Author relates how the Heathens did reproach some Christians who by their lewd lives made the Gospel of Christ to be a reproach Where said they is that good Law which they do believe Where are those rules of godliness which they do learn they read the holy Gospel and yet are unclean they hear the Apostles writings and yet are drunk they follow Christ and yet disobey Christ they profess a holy Law and yet do lead impure lives Now I say look as the holiness of many professors is a dishonour to God Ezek. 13.22 a reproach to Christ a scandal to Religion a blot to profession and a grief to many whom God would not have grieved So the power of holiness the practice of holiness is very influential upon the worst of men to win and work them to the Lord and to a love and liking of his wayes The holy lives of the Saints made the very Heathens to say Surely this is a good God whose servants are so good Ambrose his holiness did very much draw out the heart of Theodosius the Emperour to him and the holiness of Paphnutius did very much draw out the heart of Constantine the great to him there is nothing that gives a man that heart-room and that hearty room in the souls of others 2 Thes 1.3 4 5. read it as holiness it is the holy man that is a man of a thousand But Fifthly Consider that real holiness is the excellency of all a mans excellencies As holiness is the glory of God a part of the divine nature a spark of heaven a ray of glory so it is the excellency of all a mans excellencies it is the excellency of all our natural excellencies it is the excellency of all our moral excellencies and it is the excellency of all our intellectual excellencies Look as Gods holiness is the excellency of all his excellencies as the Angels who best know what is the top of his excellency do evidence by that three-fold repetition Holy holy holy Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 Some Greek Copics have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy nine times over c. these multiplied acclamations of holiness denote the superlative eminency excellency and perfection of Gods holiness Both among the Hebrews and among the Grecians the holiness of God is the excellency of his omnisciencie omnipotencie and omnipresence it is the excellency of his eternity immutability and fidelity it is the excellency of his wisdom love care and goodness Psalm 111.9 Holy and reverend is his name Gods name comes to be reverend by holiness if his name were not holy it would never be reverend and why is God called so often the holy one but to shew us that holiness is the very top of all his glory and excellency God could not be glorious in any thing Exod. 15.11 That which God accounts his highest honour is his
holiness if he were not glorious in holiness That which speaks his power to be glorious power is his holiness and that which speaks his wisdom to be glorious wisdom is his holiness and that which speaks his mercy to be glorious mercy is his holiness c. Were not the power of God a holy power it could never be a glorious power were not the wisdom of God a holy wisdom it could never be glorious wisdom and were not the mercy of God holy mercy it could never be glorious mercy c. So the holiness of a man is the glory and excellency of all a mans excellencies it is the perfection of all a mans perfections in Paradise Heb. 12.23 mans perfect holiness was his perfect blessedness and in heaven mans perfect holiness will be his perfect happiness Holiness adds an excellency to all a mans excellencies that which adds an excellency to a mans wisdom is holiness when a mans wisdom is a holy wisdom then it is excellent wisdom So holy courage is excellent courage and holy zeal is excellent zeal and holy knowledge is excellent knowledge and holy faith is excellent faith and holy love â—s exâ—ellent love and holy fear is excellent fear it is the adding of holiness to all these that renders these vertues truly excellent it is holinesse that is the top of all these royalties 0000000 these signifie nothing but if you do but add a figure to them 10000000. then they signifie much Look as all ciphers signifie nothing except you add a figure to them so all the excellencies that be in men whether they are natural moral or acquired they signifie nothing except you add holinesse to them Birth and breeding wit and wealth honour and learning are but the shadows and shapes of nobleness and true excellency it is holinesse that is the soul and substance of all and without holinesse all other things are of no worth all other excellencies have no excellency at all in them 2 King 5 1. Naaman was General of the Kings Army he was a man in great favour with his Prince a man much honoured among the people for being a saviour and deliverer to them He was also a mighty man in valour but he was a Leper this But he was a Leper was a cloud upon all his glory it was a vail upon all his honour greatnesse and noblenesse So to say there is a wise man but unholy and there is a great man but unholy and there is an ingenuous man but unholy and there is a noble-man but unholy and there is a valiant man but unholy and there is a good natured man but unholy and there is a learned man but unholy c. What is this But unholy but a cloud of darkness upon all the excellencies that are in these persons But let now holiness be but added to each of these and then they will shine as so many Suns Holiness is a garment that sets off arts and parts and all other excellencies that be in man let but this garment be wanting and the nakednesse of all things will quickly appear And this made Hierom to say that he had rather have Saint Pauls coat with his heavenly graces then the purple of Kings with their Kingdoms Look as a precious Jewel set in gold makes that much more conspicuous and glorious which was glorious before So holiness adds beauty splendour and glory to a mans parts birth honour and estate c. But Sixthly Consider that holiness is not only an honour and an ornament to the person that hath it but it is also an honour and an ornament both to the persons and places to whom he stands related the holinesse of the father is an honour and ornament to the child So holy Eliakim was a throne of glory to his fathers house Isa 22.23 The Hebrew is A woman of of strength or a valiant woman that is a woman that is made strong and valiant by grace by holiness to withstand sin to conquer temptation and to triumph in affliction c. so was Abrahams to Isaac and the holinesse of the child is an honour and an ornament to the father so was Isaacs to Abraham the holinesse of the husband is an honour and ornament to the wife so was Abrahams to Sarah and the holinesse of the wife is an honour and an ornament to the husband so was Sarahs to Abraham So in Prov. 12.4 A vertuous woman is a crown to her husband A crown is the top of honour it is the top of royaltie and glory why a vertuous wife is such a thing A sweet a good natured wife is as a gold ring upon her husbands finger a gifted wife is as a gold chain about her husbands neck but a holy vertuous wife is as a crown upon her husbands head The holinesse of the Prince is an honour and an ornament to the people and the holinesse of the people is an honour and an ornament to the Prince The holinesse of the master is an honour and an ornament to the servant and the holinesse of the servant is an honour and an ornament to the master And the holinesse of one brother is an honour to another brother Jude glories in this that he was the brother of James Vers 1. James was famous for his sanctity for his holinesse he was called the just as Eusebius writes Euseb lib. 2. c. 23. where you have many memorable things concerning the holiness of his life and the manner of his death his holinesse did so sparkle and shine that the Jews were generally convinced that in holinesse he was more eminent and excellent then others Now Jude took it for a very high honour to be related to one so eminent in holinesse Holy persons reflect a credit and an honour upon their relations It was the speech of a Heathen notably qualified though but meanly bred and born to a dissolute person well born upbraiding him with his birth I am a grace to my stock but thou art a blot to thy linage Yea holy persons are an honour to the places where they have been born and bred Psalm 87.5 6. And of Zion it shall be said this and that man was born in her and the highest himself shall establish her The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there Selah God seems to be very much affected and taken with the very places where holy men are born Some Antiquaries say that the Primitive Church had her publick Tables whereâ—n the names of the persons that were most noted for piety and holiness were recorded he loves the very ground that holy men tread on and he delights in the very air that holy men breath in holy persons reflect honour upon the very places where they were born the holy Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles were the honour and the glory of the ages and places where they lived They were as so many bright morning Stars they were
the way of righteousnesse is chaiim lives so the Hebrew hath it in the way of righteousnesse there are many lives in that way there is spiritual life and eternal life and natural life and all the comforts and sweets and blessings and happinesse of that life without which mans life would be but a lingering a languishing death yea a hell rather then a heaven unto him And in the path thereof there is no death There is no spiritual death there is no eternal death yea there is no corporal no temporal death to hurt or harm the them Death is not mors hominis but mors peccati not the death of the man but the death of his sin Phil. 1.23 2 Cor. 5.12.4.7 8. Death is a Christians Quietus est it is his discharge from all trouble and misery to sting or terrifie them to dammage or disadvantage them for death is an out-let and an in-let to a holy man it is an out-let to sin to sorrow to shame to suffering to afflictions to temptations to desertions to oppressions to confusions and to vexations and it is an in-let to a more clear full and constant fruition of God and Christ and an in-let to the sweetest pleasures the purest joys the highest delights the strongest comforts and the most satisfying contentments Death is the funeral of all a holy mans sins and miseries and it is the resurrection of all his joyes and the perfection of all his graces and spirituall excellencies Death to a holy man is nothing but the changing of his grace into glory his faith into vision his hope into fruition and his love into perfect comprehension The Persians had a certain day in the year in which they used to kill all Serpents and venemous creatures such a day as that will the day of death be to a holy man Peccatum erat obstetrix mortis mors sepulchrum peccati Sin was the Midwife that brought death into the world and death shall be the bearers that shall carry sin out of the world When Sampson died the Philistines died together with him so when a holy man dies his sins die with him Death came in by sin and sin goeth out by death As the worm kills the worm that bred it so death kills sin that bred it Vltimus morborum medicus mors Acts Mon. fol. 1733. Death cures all diseases the aking head and the unbelieving heart the diseased body and the defiled soul At Stratford Bow were burned in Queen Maries dayes a lame man and a blind man after the lame man was chained casting away his crutch he bade the blind man be of good comfort for saith he Death will cure us both it will cure thee of thy blindnesse and me of my lamenesse Death will cure the holy man of all natural and spiritual distempers Death is the holy mans Jubilee it is his greatest advantage it puts him into a better estate then ever he had before It is Gods Gentleman Usher to conduct us to heaven it will blow the bud of grace into the flower of glory O! Death is but an entrance into life Miseri infideles mortem appellant fideles vero quid nÃsi pascham Bernard Miserable â—nbelievers call it death but to faithfull believers what is it but a Passeover but a Jubilee who would not go through hell to heaven who would not go through a temporary death to an eternal life who would not willingly march through mortality to immortality and glory O Sirs holinesse will make you look upon death as a welcome guest a happy friend a joyfull messenger it will make you kisse it and embrace it as Favinus the Italian Martyr kissed and embraced his executioner it will make you desire it long after it with tears as holy Bradford did By all this you see that holiness will deliver you from death in death and therefore I shall close up this head as that wise witty man Sr. Francis Bakon closed up a paper of verses What then remains but that we still should cry Not to be born or being born to die Fifthly and lastly by holinesse you shall gain the greatest boldnesse in the day of judgement Job 19.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies boldness of face a lifting up of the face countenance in the sight or face of many beholders It signifies a freedom and liberty of speech nothing will imbolden a man in that great day like holinesse holinesse will then make the face to shine indeed 1 John 4.17 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this world That which will make Christs last appearance delightfull to Christians will be their likenesse to Christ in holinesse in nature and grace likenesse begets the greatest boldnesse As there is no child so bold with the Father as he that is most like the Father so there is no Christian so bold with Christ as he that is most like to Christ A holy Christ is most famiiar with a holy Christian and a holy Christian is most bold with a holy Christ The more a Christian is like to Christ in holinesse of heart and life in holinesse of affecti-and conversation the more divinely bold and familiar will that man be with Christ both in this world and in the great day of account when he that was a brat of Satans is made a Saint when he that was like hell is made like heaven when he that was most ugly and uncomely is made like him that is the holy of holies this is that which gives boldnesse both here and hereafter O Sirs it is not wit nor wealth but holinesse it is not race nor place but holinesse it is not power nor policy but holinesse it is not honour nor riches but holinesse it is not natural excellencies nor acquired abilities but holinesse that will give boldnesse in the day of Christs appearing 1 Pet. 1.5 6 7. A well-tried faith which is but a branch of holinesse shall be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ At the coming of Christ holiness shall be a mans praise and honour Rev. 6.15 16 17. and glory In that great day when shame and everlasting contempt shall be poured forth upon the great Monarchs of the world who have made the earth to tremble when the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men c. shall cry out to the mountains and rocks to fall upon them and to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb then I say then shall the righteous shine as the Sun in the firmament Dan. 12.1 2 3. Prov. 28.1 In life and death and in the day of account a righteous man will be as bold as a Lion Real holinesse will make a man death proof and hell proof and
to say with those in Ezekiel Behold they of the house of Israel say the vision that he seeth is for many days to come Amos 6.3 Ezek. 12.27 Luk. 12. and he prophesieth of the times that are afar off So the rich man in the Gospel reckoned upon many years when he had not many monthes no not many weeks no not many days no not many hours to live in this world Unholy persons are very apt to say to death as Pharaoh said to Moses Get thee from me Exod. 10.28 and let me see thy face no more When death knocks at the poor mans door he sends it to the rich mans gate and the rich man translates it to the Schollar and the Scholar posts it away to the Citizen and the Citizen to the Courtier and the Courtier to his Lady and his Lady to her Maid so death is posted away as it were from one to another every one crying out to death O let me not see thy face O let me not see thy face 'T was even a death to Queen Elizabeth Sigismund the Emperor Lewes the 11 of France Cardinal Beauford and others to think of death or to hear of death and therefore they strictly charged all their servants about them that when they saw them sick they should never dare to name that bitter word Death in their ears And Pashur can't cast his eye upon death but he is presently a Magor Missabib a terror to himself Jer. 20.3 And Saul though he was a valiant King yet at the news of death he falls on his face 1 Sam. 28.20 And so Belshazzar though he was a mighty Emperor Dan. 5.1 7. yet a letter to him from him whom Bildad calleth the King of terrors Job 18.14 Ah how does it amaze astonish affright and terrifie him and how many are there who with Mecaenas in Seneca had rather live in many diseases then die and with the most famous Heathens prefer the meanest life on earth above all the hopes they have of another world like Achilles who had rather be a servant to a poor country Clown here then to be a King to all the souls departed or like Withipoll a rich and wretched man who when he was in danger of death earnestly desired that he might live five hundred years Vitellius looking for the messenger of death made himself drunk to drown the the thoughts of it though it were but in the shape of a Toad Near Lewes in Sussex a woman being ill one of her neighbors coming to visit her told her that if she died she should go to heaven and be with God and Jesus Christ and with Angels and Saints the sick woman answered that she had no acquaintance there she knew no body there and therefore she had rather live with her and her other neighbors here then to go thither to live amongst strangers And thus you see how apt persons are to shrug at death which is a common lot and to say to it as Ephraim did to his Idols Get you hence what have we more to do with you but this is and must be for a lamentation that men put off the thoughts of their latter end to the latter end of their thoughts Man naturally is a great life-lover and therefore he will bleed sweat vomit purge part with an estate yea with a limb I limbs to preserve his life like him that cryed out O give me any deformity any torment any misery so you spare my life And upon this account 't is that he desires that such a guest as death may not knock at his door but Ah that all such vain men would consider that by putting the day of their death far from them they do but gratifie Satan strengthen their sins provoke the Lord and make the work of faith and holiness more hard and difficult and so lay a deep foundation for their own eternal destruction Well sirs remember this the serious thoughts and meditations of death if any thing will work you to break off your sins to mend your lives and to look to the salvation of your souls there is nothing that will sooner work a man to a holy fear of offending God in any thing and to a holy care of pleasing God in every thing then the serious meditation of death Though that text Remember thy latter end and thou shalt never do amiss be Apocryphal yet the truth asserted is Canonical I have read a story of one that gave a young prodigal a Ring with a Deaths-head on this condition that he should one hour in a day for seven days together think and meditate upon Death which accordingly he did and it bred a great change and alteration in his life and conversation O! man thou doest not know but that the serious thoughts of death may work that desireable thing in thee viz. holiness which yet has not been wrought in thee by all the holy counsels the gracious examples the fervent prayers the sorrowful tears of thy dearest friends thou doest not know but that the serious meditation of Death may do thee more good then all the Sermons that ever thou hast heard or then all the books that ever thou hast read or then all the prayers that ever thou hast made or then all the sighs or groans that ever thou hast poured out and why then shouldest thou put the thoughts of death far from thee Certainly as he is a sinner in grain that dares look death in the face and yet sin that dares cut a purse when the Judge looks on so he is a monster rather then a man that dares look death in the face and yet satisfie himself to live without holiness that dares look death in the face and yet say I 'll drink and be drunk I 'll sware and swagger I 'll roar and whore I 'll cheat and cozen I 'll hate and oppose I 'll quarrel and kill and my hands shall be as bloody as my heart and let death do her worst if such a person be not in the ready way of being miserable for ever I know nothing Well sirs remember these three things First That there is nothing more certain then death That Statute Law of heaven Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 will take hold of all the sons of men There is no man that lives and shall not see death Psal 89.48 Gen. 32. Though Jacob wrestled with an Angel and prevailed yet death was too hard for him though Hazael was as light of foot as a wild Roe yet he could not out-run death 2 Sam. 2.18 and Absalom could not out-ride it nor Pharoah out-drive it though Saul and Jonathan were as swift as Eagles and as strong as Lyons yet were they slain among the mighty 'T was not Solomons wisdom that could deliver him nor Sampsons strength that could rescue him nor Hamans honor that could secure him nor Goliahs sword that could defend him nor Dives riches that could
ransom him from the grave and therefore why should men put this day so far from them But Secondly As there is nothing more certain then death so there is nothing more sudden then death When the old world when Sodom when Pharaoh when Hagar when Amalek when Haman when Nebuchadnezzar when Belshazzar when Dives when the Rich fool and when Herod were all in their prime and pride when they were in their most flourishing estate when they were at the very top of their glory Ah how suddenly how sadly how strangely how unexpectedly and how wonderfully were they brought down to the Grave yea to Helâ— O! the thousand thousands of crosses losses diseases sicknesses calamities dangers and deaths which attends the life of man and by the least of which he may be suddenly surprized and carried into another world and therefore why should man cry out cras cras to morrow to morrow when he does not know whether he shall have a to morrow when he does not know but that he may dye before he had begun to live Waldus a rich Merchant of Lyons in France seeing one suddenly drop down dead in the streets went home repented changed his life studied the Scriptures and became a worthy Teacher Father and Founder of the Christians called the Waldenses or poor men of Lyons And O! that the serious thoughts of the suddenness of death might have that happy effect upon your souls as to work you to break your league with sin and to fright you as it were into a love of holiness and into a life of holiness O! swearer what doest thou know but that death may seize on thee whilst the oath is in thy mouth And what doest thou know O drunkard but that death may step in between the cup and the lip as it did to Belshazzar And what dost thou know O adulterer but that a poisoned dart may strike thorough thy liver whilst thou art in the very flagrancy of thy lust as it did thoâ—ough Zimries and Cozbies And what dost thou know O proud Haman but that thou who art thus noblely feasted one day mayest be a feast for the Crows the next day And what dost thou know who art so crafty O Ahitophel but that if thy subtile counsel be rejected one hour thou mayest hang thy self the next hour And what doest thou know O thou opposing and murmuring Corah but that the earth may suddenly open and swallow thee up and therefore why should you put that day so far from you that may so suddenly overtake you Berline in Germany charged Saint Paul with a lye in the Pulpit Scultet Annal. and was suddenly smitten with an Apoplexy and fell down dead in the place And what doest thou know who art so apt to charge the people of God with lying but that God may strike thee both dumb and dead whilst the lye is in thy mouth Bibulus a Roman General riding in Triumph in all his glory a Tyle fell off from a house in the street and knockt out his brains And what doest thou know O vain glorious man but that whilst thou art triumphing in thy world glory by some unexpected blow thou mayest be sent into another world Lepidus and Avsidius stumbled at the very threshold of the Senate and died the blow came in a cloud from heaven God by an invisible blow may send thee out of this visible world Sophocles died suddenly by excessive joy and Homer by immoderate grief excessive joy or excessive grief may suddenly bring thee to thy long home Theater of Gods judgements lib. 1. cap. 9. p. 64. Olympus the Arrian Heretick speaking against the Holy Trinity as he was a Bathing himself was struck dead by a threefold Thunderbolt We may run and read some mens sins in the very face of their punishments Mr. Perkins speaks of One who when it thundered scoffingly said It was nothing but Tom Tumbrel a hooping his Tubs c. and presently he was struck dead with a thunder-bolt from heaven There would be no end of recounting the several judgements that have suddenly surprized all sorts of sinners let these few instances suffice to stir up every unholy heart to take heed of putting far off the day of death But Thirdly As there is nothing more sudden then death so there is nothing more short then life Job 8.9 Psal 102.11 Psal 73.20 90.5 Job 20.8 ch 7.7 and why then should you put the day of your death so far from you If you consider the life of man absolutely 't is but short 't is but as a span a shadow a dream a bubble a blast a puff of wind a pile of dust a fading leaf or a tale that is told c. The life of man is as a dream that vanisheth when one awaketh 't is a wind that goeth away and cometh not again 't is as a cloud that is soon dispersed with the wind 't is as a vapor that appeareth for a time and then vanisheth away 't is as the grass that soon withereth 't is as the flower that soon fadeth 't is as the candle that every light puffe of wind bloweth out The life of man is rather made up of days then years Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom Moses does not say Lord teach us to number our years but Lord teach us to number our dayes fallen man is apt to misreckon and to compute days for years and therefore this holy Prophet desires that God would teach them this Divine Arithmetick of numbering their days it being a lesson that none but a God can teach So Job 14.1 2. Man that is born of a woman is of few days or short of dayes and full of trouble He cometh forth like a flower and is out down he floeth also as a shadow and continueth not He speaks not of an Age nor of years nor of many dayes but of a few days mans days are short in themselves and shorter in respect of the troubles that attends this present life Mans life is so short Aug. l. 1. Confess Austin doubteth whether to call it a dying life or a living death Now these few days of mans life are upon the wing hastning and flying from us as the Eagle hastneth to his prey and therefore man had need set a greater price upon every moment and minute of time then he does upon all the world and accordingly improve it Secondly If you consider the life of man comparatively 't is but short and that will appear briefly thus First If you compare the life of man to what man might have reach't to had he continued in his primitive glory had man stood fast in innocency he had never known what death and misery had mean't death is a fall that came in by a fall had man kept sin out of the world he had kept death out of the world had man kept fast his holiness and purity he had remained a piece of
immortality to this day death could never have carried man out of the world had not man first let sin into the world Rom. 5.12 ult Secondly If you compare the life of man to the long lives of the Patriarchs before the stood then the life of man is but short threescore years and ten is mans age Psal 90.10 And where one man lives to this age how many thousands die before they come to it But what is this age to the age that men lived to in former times Enoch lived as many yeers as there be days in the year and Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years and Methuselah lived nine hundred sixty and nine years Gen. 5. Now what were Platoes eighty years or Thomas Pars 160. years or Johannes de Temporibus John of the times three hundred threescore and one years to the long lives of the Patriarchs and though in Davids time old age and seventy often shook hands yet 't is otherwise in our times for as mens wickedness do more and more increase so their days do more and more decrease the more wicked any generation is the shorter liv'd that generation shall be God will quickly dispatch them out of the world who make quick dispatches in ways of wickedness Thirdly The life of man is but short if you compare it to what it shall be after the morning of the Resurrection O then mans day shall reach to eternity eternity is that unum perpetuum hodie one perpetual day that shall never have end when men after the resurrection begin to live they shall never dye after that day every man shall live in everlasting bliss or in everlasting wo when the last Trumpet has sounded man shall live for ever and ever Fourthly The life of man is but short if you compare it with the days of God Psal 39.5 Mine age is nothing before him all time is nothing to eternity mans life is but a minute 't is but a point of time to the days of eternity what head what heart can conceive or reckon up the duration of God who ever was who still is and who ever will be every child and every fool can tell you their age but what man on earth or what Angel in heaven can tell you the years of the Most High surely none Fifthly and lastly the life of man is but short if you compare it with the lives of other creatures some say that 't is neither age nor sickness that killeth the Eagle she casteth her feathers yearly and so gets new whereby her youth strength is renewed Pliny August Calvin Psal 103.5 by which means she will live till she be an hundred years old she dies not till her upper Bill be so grown over her under that she cannot take in her meat and so at last she is staryed And some Elephants live three hundred years witness Aelian Solinus and Strabo c. by all which you see the brevity of mans life And why then should man be so weak so vain as to put the day of his death so far from him I have read of the Birds of Norway that they flye faster then the fowls of any other Country they knowing by an instinct that God has put into them that the days in that Climate are very short not above three hours long say some do therefore make the more haste to their nests And O! that all that hear me this day would learn by these birds of Norway to make haste to believe and to make haste to repent and to make haste to love God and to make haste to be holy c. seeing their day of life is so short and their night of death is posting towards them And as the life of man is very short so 't is very considerable that a very small matter a very little thing may quickly put an end to mans life When the Emperor threatned the Philosopher with death he replyed Conrad Ves perg Nancler Jo. Boel in Adrian Paulus Jovius Elog. lib. 2. what is that more then a Spanish flie may do An ordinary flye flying casually into the mouth of the proud Pope Adrian stifled him that made the highest state then in the Christian world stoop even to the holding of his stirrop Tamberlain a Scythian Captain the terror of his time died with three fits of an Ague Anacreon the Poet was choaked with the kernel of a Grape Aeschylus was killed by the shell of a Tortoise which fell from an Eagles Talons who as some conceive took his bald head for a white rock The Lord Mountaigne tells us of a Duke of Britany that was stifled to death in such a throng of people as is in some great congregations on the Lords day An Emperor died by the scratch of a Comb and one of the Kings of France died by the chock of an Hogg and one that was brother to a great Lord playing at Tennis received a blow with a ball a little above the right ear which struck him into his grave There is nothing so small but may be a mans bane The paring of a Toe the cutting off a corn the scratch of a nail the prick of a pin a fish-bone a hair a drop of water a crum of bread a bad air or an evil smell may bring a man to his long home yea a little smoak may soon stifle him or his own spittle let down unwarily may suddenly choak him And O! that all that I have spoken upon this account might be so blest as to work you to take heed of putting the day of your death so far from you The evil servant when he thought his Master was gone afar off Luke 12.45 then he layes about him distempers himself Prov. 7.19 20. and beats his fellow-servants And so the leud woman in the Proverbs when the good man was gone a long journey when he was far from home then she grew wanton vain and secure so when men put afar off the day of their death then they grow more loose prophane and unholy whereas a serious and frequent eying and minding of death as at hand as at a mans elbow would alarm a man to break off his sins by repentance and to labor for holiness as a man would labor for life it self I have read of the women in the Isle of Man that the first Web they make is their winding sheet wherwith they usually gird themselves when they go abroad to shew that they are still mindful of their mortality Ah friends a constant minding of your mortality would contribute very much towards the making of you holy He that daily looks upon death will be daily a looking after holiness the oftener any man looks into the grave the oftener that man will be looking up to heaven and a begging that God would make him holy even as he is holy But Sixthly and lastly Take heed of settling your selves under a leud and scandalous Ministry or of having any inwardness with
are none that will be so tender of your salvation as these nor none that will labour so much for your conversion as these nor none that will so spend themselves to prevent your damnation as these 2 Cor. 12.15 Oh Sirs upon tryall you will finde that there are none so able to counsel you nor none so faithfull to reprove you nor none so ready to help you nor none so compassionate to simpathize with you nor none so strong to support you nor none so advantaged to convert you as those that are holy and why then will you not labour to be one of this society Oh Sirs of all fellowships the fellowship of Saints is the most noble the most honorable the most pleasant the most amiable the most desireable the most profitable and the most commendable fellowship and why then will you still live strangers yea enemies to this fellowâ—hip Ah Sirs holy men will still be awakening and alarming of your drowsie spirits they will be still a knocking at the doore of your hearts and asking of you whether it be good going to hell they will still be enquiring of you what provision you have made for another world and how all things stands within they will still be jogging at your elbowes that you may not dye in your sins they will still be whispering in your eare that your souls may live for ever The Jewes have a Proverb That two dry sticks put to a greene one will kindle it Oh there is nothing in all the world that contributes so much to the kindling to the firing and to the inflaming of mens hearts after holiness as the society of those that are holy Algerius an Italian Martyr had rather be in prison with Cato then to live with Caesar in the Senate-house Oh it is ten thousand times better to live with those that are holy though in a dark prison then to live amongst those that are unholy though in a Royal Palace Vrbanus Regius Adam in vita Regii p. 78. having one dayes converse with Luther tells us that it was one of the sweetest dayes that ever he had in all his life Oh sinners did you but experience for one day the sweete and happinesse of the communion of Saints you would then cry out Oh there is no society to the society of Gods holy ones And therefore as ever you would be holy let holy men have more heart-roome and house-roome with you But Fifthly If ever you would be holy then dwell much upon those solemn Vowes and Covenants that you have formerly made in the dayes of your distress Ah how often have you in the dayes of your calamity and misery and in the dayes when sicknesses and weaknesses did hang upon you and when the terrours of death were upon you how frequently in those dayes did you solemnly vow and promise that by the strength and assistance of the Lord you would break off your sins by repentance and that you would make it your greatest care and your greatest business and worke in this world to minde holiness and to press after holiness and to give your souls no rest till you had experienced the power excellency and sweetness of holiness As David by an oath bound himselfe to keep Gods righteous judgements Psal 119.106 I have sworne and I will performe it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments a religious vow is nothing else but a solemn promise or oath whereby a man engages himselfe to the great God that he will decline such wayes means and methods as lead to wickedness and that he will set in good earnest upon the practice of all the wayes and means of holiness by the strength and assistance of divine grace so you have by many vowes and promises engaged your selves to cast off the workes of darkness Rom. 13.12 and to put on the Armour of light sutable to the Apostles exhortation And as the people in Nehemiah's time did enter into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods Law and to observe and doe all his Commandements Neh. 10.29 So you have in the times of your outward and inward distresses vowed to the Lord that you would observe all his Statutes and walke in all his holy wayes and doe all his righteous Commandements Job 31.1 2. Job once made a covenant with his eyes that he would not lustfully look upon a maid but how often have you made a covenant with your thoughts that you would not thinke of vanity and with your eyes that you would not behold vanity and with your eares that you would not heare vanity and with your tongues that you would not speak vanity and with your hearts that you would not contrive vanity and with your hands that you would not act vanity now your vowes and your covenants are upon you Prov. 2.17 oh that you would not with the strange woman in the Proverbs forget the covenant of your God oh 't is better ten thousand times not to vow Eccl. 5.5 then to vow and not to pay God can take no pleasure in such as are off and on with him nor in such who are forward to vow but make no conscience to pay their vowes these are fools in folio and therefore God cannot but detest them and turne his back upon them If good Jacob who is called the father of vowes was so backward to pay his vowes that God was forced not only to round him in the eare againe and againe with a goe up to Bethel and there build me a Chappel but also severcly to punish his delayes both in the rape of his daughter and in the cruelty of his sons c. Gen. 35. Ah how severely then may God deale with such who doe not only delay the paying of their vowes but who live also in the daily breach of their vowes Most men have need of that counsell which the Bishop of Colen gave Sigismund the Emperour that ask't him what he should doe to be happy Live said he as you promised and vowed to doe when you were last sick of the Stone and Gout Ah that all men would make more conscience of living out and of living up to the covenants vowes and promises that they have made to God in the dayes when the hand of the Lord has gone out many wayes against them and when terrours of conscience have been strong upon them O what repentance O what reformation O what amendment have they promised in those dayes and yet no sooner have these outward and inward stormes been over but they have been as vaine and loose and base as ever In the time of the great Sweat in King Edwards dayes as long as the heate of the plague lasted O how did every one cry out peccavi peccavi I have sinned I have sinned mercy Lord O mercy mercy good Lord. Then Lords and Ladies and people of all sorts cryed out to the Ministers for the Lords sake Sirs tell us what shall we doe to avoyd
up to holy rules and live out holy principles must prepare for sufferings All the Roses of holiness are surrounded with pricking Briers The History of the ten persecutions and that little book of Martyrs the 11. of the Hebrews and Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments with many other Treatises that are extant do abundantly evidence that from age to age and from one generation to another they that have been born after the flesh Gal. 4.29 Within the first 300. years after Christ all that made a profession of the Apostles doctrine were cruelly murdered have persecuted them that have been born after the spirit and that the seed of the Serpent have been still a multiplying of troubles upon the seed of the woman Would any man take the Churches picture saith Luther then let him paint a poor silly Maid sitting in a wilderness compassed about with hungry Lyons Wolves Bores and Bears and with all manner of other cruel hurtful Beasts and in the midst of a great many furious men assaulting her every moment and minute for this is her condition in the world As certain as the night follows the day so certain will that black angel persecution follow holiness where-ever it goes In the last of the ten persecutions seventeen thousand holy Martyrs were slain in the space of one moneth And in Queen Maries days or if you will in the Marian dayes not of blessed but of most abhorred memory the Popish Prelates in less then four years sacrificed the lives of eight hundred innocents to their Idols and O that that precious innocent blood did not still cry to Heaven for vengeance against this Nation But Secondly Christ and his Apostles hath long since foretold us that afflictions and persecutions will attend us in this world the Lord hath long since forewarned us that we may be fore-armed and not surprised on a sudden when they come Christ hath shot off many a warning piece in his word and sent many a Harbinger that so we may stand upon our guard and not be surprised nor astonished when afflictions and persecutions overtake us Mat. 10.22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake but he that endureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 16.24 Then said Jesus unto his Disciples if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Luk. 21.12 But before all these they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prisons being brought before Kings and Rulers for my names sake John 15.20 Remember the word that I said unto you The servant is not greater then the Lord if they have persecuted me Non potest qui pati timet ejus esse qui passus est He that is afraid to suffer cannot be his disciple who suffered so much Tert. they will also persecute you if they have kept my saying they will keep yours also Ah Christians since they have crowned your head with thornes there is no reason why you should expect to be crowned with Rose-buds God-fry of Bullen first King of Jerusalem refused to be crowned with a crown of Gold saying That it became not a Christian there to wear a crown of Gold where Christ for our salvation had sometime worn a crown of thornes Chap. 16. ult These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world Acts 14.21 22. And when they had preached the Gospel to that City and had taught many they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God As there was no way to Paradise but by the flaming sword nor no way to Canaan but through a wilderness Loddela Corda computeth fourty four several kinds of torments wherewith the Primitive Christians were tryed Adv. Sacr. cap. 128. so there is no way to heaven but by the Gates of hell there is no way to a glorious exaltation but through a Sea of tribulation They do but dream and deceive their own souls who think to go to heaven upon Beds of Doun or in a soft and delicate way or that think to be attended to glory with mirth and musick or with singing or dancing the way to happiness is not strewed with Roses but full of Thornes and Briers as those of whom this world was not worthy have experienced Ecclesiastical Histories tells us that all the Apostles died violent deaths Peter was crucified with his heels upward Christ was crucified with his head upwards but Peter thought this was to great an honor for him to be crucified as his Lord and therefore he chose to be crucified with his heels upward and Andrew was crucified by Egeus King of Edessa Acts 12.2 James the son of Zebedee was slain by Herod with the sword and Philip was crucified at Hierapolis in Asia and while Bartholomew was preaching the glad-tydings of salvation multitudes fell upon him and beat him down with staves and then crucified him and after all this his skin was fleaed off and he beheaded Thomas was slain with a Dart at Calumina in India and Mathew was slain with a Spear say some others say he was run through with a sword and James the son of Alpheus who was called the Just was thrown down from off a Pinacle of the Temple and yet having some life left in him he was brained with a Fullers club Lebbeus was slain by Agbarus King of Edessa and Paul was beheaded at Rome under Nero and Simon the Canaanite was crucified in Egypt say some others say that he and Jude was slain in a Tumult of the people Matthias was stoned to death Rev. 1.9 and John was banished into Patmos and afterwards as some Histories tells us he was by that cruel Tyrant Domitian cast into a Tun of scalding Lead and yet delivered by a miracle Thus all these precious servants of God except John died violent deaths and so through sufferings entered into glory they found in their own experience the truth of what Christ had foretold concerning their sufferings and persecutions About the year 1626 A book formerly printed and intituled A preparation to the cross of Christ composed by John Frith Martyr was brought in the belly of a Fish to the Market in Cambridge Mr. Jer. Dyke in a Fast Sermon at Westminster and that a little before the Commencement time when there was a confluence of much people from all places of the Land which was construed by them that feared the Lord to be no less then an heavenly warning to all the people of England to prepare for the cross But ah since that year who can recount the heavy crosses that has generally attended the people of this Nation most
to be carried home in the morning his wife began mildly to blame him for his acting against the Minister the day before at which he with fearefull oathes swore that he would soon rid the Towne of that Puritan but behold the hand of God for as this wretched man was about to rise and having put one arme in his Dublet even as the oathes were uttering he was taken speechless yea and sensless and so dyed To conclude the Judgements of God upon the persecutors of the Saints in Bohemia was such that it was used as a Proverb among the adversaries themselves that if any man were weary of his life let him but attempt against the Piccardines for so they called the Saints and he should not live a yeare to an end And thus you see by these instances that most severe Judgements have still followed the persecutors of the people of God Let me close up this argument thus look as in Princes Courts they are judg'd but silly shallow brain'd men that profess open and mortall hatred to the greatest favourites of the King because in so doing they take the right and ready way to ruine themselves and families so they are doubtless the most silly shallow-brain'd men in the world how wise soever they may be in their own eyes or in others eyes who are like unto themselves who persecute the favourites of the King of Kings that being the ready way to their owne ruine and destruction But Fourthly It will appeare that persecutors are in the most sad and deplorable condition if you doe but consider that there is a day a coming wherein God will fully reckon with all persecutors for their persecuting of his Saints Psal 9.12 When he maketh inquisition for blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damim bloods in the plural it notes the killings and murderings of Gods afflicted ones Gen. 4.10 1 Kings 9.26 2 Chron. 24. Chap. 22. he remembreth them he forgetteth not the cry of the humble There is a time when God will make inquisition for innocent blood the Hebrew word Dorâ—sh from Darash that is here rendred inquisition signifies not barely to seek to search but to seek search and enquire with all diligence and care imaginable O there is a time a coming when the Lord will make a very diligent and carefull search and enquiry after all the innocent blood of his afflicted and persecuted people which persecutors and Tyrants have spilt as water upon the ground and woe to persecutors when God shall make a more strict critical and carefull enquiry after the blood of his people then ever was made in the inquisition of Spaine where all things are carried with the greatest diligence subtilty secrecy and severity O persecutors there is a time a coming when God will make a strict enquiry after the blood of Hooper Bradford Latimer Taylor Ridly c. There is a time a coming wherein God will enquire who silenced and suspended such and such Ministers and who stop't the mouthes of such and such and who imprisoned confined and banished such and such who were once burning and shining lights and who were willing to spend and be spent that sinners might be saved and that Christ might be glorified There is a time when the Lord will make a very narrow enquiry into all the actions and practises of Ecclesiastical Courts High Commissions Committees Assizes Sessions c. and deale with persecutors as they have dealt with his people Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him When oppressors and persecutors doe snuffe and puffe at the people of God when they defie them and scorne them and thinke that they can with a blast of their breath blow them away then God will arise to judgement as the Chaldee has it at that very nick of time when all seemes to be lost and when the poore oppressed and afflicted people of God can do nothing but sigh and weep and weep and sigh then the Lord will arise and ease them of their oppressions and make their day of extremity a glorious opportunity to work for his own glory and his peoples good Math. 22.6 7. And the remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them But when the King heard thereof he was wroth and he sent for his Armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their City Christ sent his Apostles and Disciples to invite the Jewes to a marriage feast to a stately feast to a feast made by a King upon the account of his Son of his only Son of his beloved Son of his Son that is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 1.5 Compare these Scriptures Acts 5.40 ch 7.58 and ch 12.2 and ch 21.32 2 Cor. 11.24 Heb. 11.37 38. but they entreated them spitefully calling them pestilent fellows and movers of sedition and some they imprisoned and scourged and others they put to death as Stephen and James c. and O what spitefulness and ingratitude was this to returne evill for good to requite them with reproaches prisons scourges and death for their endeavouring to save their souls and to make them happy for ever But will this great King put up these injuries indignities and abuses that are done to his servants no he will not for as soon as he heard of it he was wroth and sent forth his Armies to be revenged on them The murderers in the text were the Jewes and the Armies were the Romans now they are called Gods Armies Dan. 9.26 because God imployed them as the executioners of his wrath upon Jerusalem now these Roman Armies did burne up their City Josephus Antiq lib. 20. c. 8. which was once the Paradise of the world and brought to ruine and destruction a 11 millions of men women and children besides multitudes that were sold for slaves and others that were scattered among all nations and thus God took vengeance on these persecutors and turn'd their Temple and City into ashes Plutar Lib. de superstitione Plutarch writing of the quality of Tygres saith That if Drums or Tabours sound about them they will grow mad and rend and tear their own flesh in pieces O there is a day a coming when the last Trumpet shall sound and then all the persecutors of the Saints will grow mad O then they will fret and fume Rev. 6.15 16 17. and tear and torment themselves and wish for the mountaâ—â—s and rocks to fall upon them and to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb who in that day will with a witness avenge all his afflicted and persecuted ones Alas all the sorrows troubles afflictions vexations torments and punishments that befall the persecutors of the Saints in this life they are but quasi tales as it were such they are but the beginnings of sorrows they are but Types and Figures of those easeless endless and
14.34 Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people or as the Hebrew has it to nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nations or peoples The world usually accounts either beggerliness of estate or badness of scituation or rudeness of behaviour or changes in Government or dulness of invention or a disuse of Armes or some such like imperfections to be the reproach of Nations but the holy Ghost tells us that 't is sin 't is sin that is the reproach of nations that is the shame of nations that is the contempt and scorne of nations and that blots and blurres all the excellencies and glories of nations impious persons makes the nations infamous and the more impious any nation City or person is the more infamous that nation City or person is Pro. 6.32 33. But who so committeth adultery with a woman What an indeleble blot was this still upon David viz. That his heart was upright in all things save in the matter of Vriah lacketh understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul A wâ—und and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away There is nothing that is such a blemish and such a wound to a mans honor as sin sin leaves such a blot such a blurr and such a reproach upon a mans name fame and reputation that no Art no paines shall ever be able to wipe it out all the water in the Sea cannot wash away nor all the rubbing in the world cannot wipe away the disgrace disdaine and contempt that enormities that wickednesses lays a people under Jer. 24.9 And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt to be a reproach and a proverb a taunt and a curse in all places whether I shall drive them 'T was not for their holiness their godliness but for their wickedness and ungodliness that God was resolv'd to make them a reproach and a proverb a taunt and a curse in all places Pro. 10.7 The memory of the Just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot The wickedness of the wicked heaps so much disgrace disparagement and dishonor upon them that it makes their very names to rot and stinke above ground their carkasses doe not more rot and stinke under ground then their very names do rot and stinke above ground the wickedness of the wicked will make their very names such a detestation and such an abhorring that they shall either not be remembred at all or if they be they shall be only remembred as a rotten stinking putrified thing As the curse of God follows the soul of a wicked man to hell so the curse of God follows the name of a wicked man on earth so that it becomes most noysome and loathsome among the sons of men Sin do's so debase and bebeast the great ones of the world that the Prophets as Grotius hath rightly observ'd use to set forth wicked Kings by the names of Beasts Dan. 7 3 4 5 6 7. Pro. 28.15 16. as the Goat the Ram the Léopard the Beare to note the beastliness of their conditions and because they commonly maintaine and exercise their government by brutish violence and Tyranny And Christ himselfe who never spoke Treason nor Sedition tearmes king Herod a Fox in that Luke 13.32 And he said unto them goe ye and tell that Fox behold I cast out devils and I doe cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected Herod was as crafty and as subtile as Fox he was as cruel and as fraudulent as a Fox and therefore he is very fitly tearmed by Christ a Fox And so Paul describes Nero by the name of a Lyon 2 Tim. 4.17 And I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon that is out of the mouth of Nero who for his power and cruelty was like a Lyon for he was a most cruell and desperate persecutor of the Christians and made a bloody decree that whosoever confessed himself a Christian should without any more adoe be put to death aâ— a convicted enemy of mankinde Now by what has been said you see that 't is not holiness but wickedness that is the greatest disgrace dishonor and disparagement imaginable to the sons of men and therefore there is no reason why the great ones of the world should disdaine to pursue after holiness upon the account of this objection But Fourthly I answer That this objection savours strongly of cursed pride and of hellish loftiness and stateliness of spirit for who art thou O great mountaine who art thou O great man Zech. 4.7 Calvin hath this note on that 1 Pet. 5.5 viz. Regis animum quisque intra se habet every man hath in him the minde of a King or what art thou O mighty man but that thou mayest be dishonored and disparaged for holiness sake what are thy great swelling Titles but as so many Rattles what are thy Honors but as so many Meteors and what is all thy worldly greatness but a winde that may blow thee the sooner to hell all thy glory is but a glorious fancy a magnum nihil a great nothing and this Haman and Herod found by experience and so did Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar who gave a charge to the Pretors of Rome that they should not suffer his name to be worne thread-bare Bajazet who was one of the greatest Commanders in the world was carried about in an Iâ—on-grate to be a foot-stool to an insulting Conquerour And Belisarius the most famous Generall that the latter Age of the Roman Empire knew and in greatest favour with Justinian his Prince was reduced to that great want that he was faine to beg his bread And thus in all Ages men have quickly fallen from the highest pinacle of honor to sit with Job upon the dunghill The true honor of a Souldier lyes not in boasting of the nobleness of his linage nor in the blazing of his Armes nor in telling of large Stories of his Pedigrees and Genealogies nor in his brave Cloaths nor in his rich plunder c. but his honor lyes in a torne Buckler a crackt Helmet Of these Biron the French Marshall boasted at his death And so did many of the Romans a blunt Sword and in the scarres and wounds that he has received in the defence of his Countrey so thy true honor O thou great piece of vanity that makest this objection do's not lye in thy Coat of Armes nor in thy great Titles nor in thy great Lordships and Mannors nor in thy high Birth c. but in thy interest in Christ in thy new birth in thy being an heire of the promises in thy Title to heaven and in thy pursuit after holiness and verily if you should live and dye without these things it had been ten thousand times better that you had been brought up in a Cave then that you had been brought up at Court and that you
man has of his Justification the stronger will be his consolation and indeed the strongest waters of consolation doe alwayes flow from a cleare sight and a true sense of a mans justification no man lives so comfortably no man bares the cross so sweetly no man resists the devill and the world so stoutly nor no man will die so chearfully as he that lives and dies in a cleare sight of his Justification The more holiness any man attaines to the more his feares will be scattered his doubts resolved and all those impediments removed that commonly bar out joy and comfort and what will be the happy issue of these things but the bringing in of a sea of joy and comfort into the soul 'T is not riches nor honors nor applause nor learning nor friends nor a great name in the world but an eminency in holiness that can highly raise the springs of divine joy in a Christians soul Though the windowes of the Temple were broad without but narrow within yet the joy and comfort of a Christian that is eminent in holiness is broad and full within though it be narrow and contracted without O Sirs as ever you would have your joy full labour for a heart fill'd with holiness your comforts will be alwayes few and low if your holiness be low Why have the Angels alwayes Harpes in their hands and Hallelujah's in their mouths but because they have attain'd to a fulness of holiness But Seventhly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the more holy any person is the more the Lord will reveale and manifest himselfe and his mind and will unto him Joh. 14.21 23. Hosea 6.3 Ezekiel was a man of eminent holiness and a man that had glorious visions and deep mysteries and rare discoveries of God and of the great things that should be brought about in the latter dayes See 2 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 Chapters of Daniel discovered to him And Daniel was a man of very great holiness and O what secrets and mysteries did God reveale to him many of those great and glorious things which concernes the destruction of the four last Monarchies and the growth increase exaltation flourishing durable invincible and unconquerable estate of his own kingdome was discovered to him 2 Cor. 12.2 4. Among all the Apostles Paul was a man of the greatest holiness and of all the Apostles Paul had the most glorious revelations and discoveries of God manifested to him witness those glorious Revelations that he had when he was caught up into the third heaven into Paradise and heard unspeakable words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or wordless words such as words were too weak to utter such as was not possible for man to utter and that either because they transcended mans capacity in this life or else because the Apostle was forbidden to utter them they being revealed to him not for the publike use of the Church but only for his particular encouragement that so he might be the better able to encounter with all the hardships difficulties dangers and deaths that should attend him in the conscientious discharge of his ministerial work Some of the Ancients are of opinion that he saw Gods essence for say they other things in heaven might have been uttered but the essence of God is so great and so glorious a thing that no man or Angel can utter it or declare it but here I must crave leave to enter my dissent for the Scripture is express in this John 1.18 1 Tim. 6.16 1 Ioh. 4.12 that no man hath thus ever seen the Lord at any time and that no man can thus see the Lord and live And as great a favourite of heaven as Moses was yet he could only see the back parts of God he could only behold some lower representations of God Others say that he heard the heavenly singing of Angels and blessed Spirits which was so sweet so excellent and glorious that no mortall man was able to utter it and this of the two is most probable but no man is bound to make this opinion an Article of his faith this I think we may safely conclude that in this rapture besides the contemplation of Celestial Mysteries he felt such unspeakable delight and pleasure that was either like to that or exceeding that which Adam took in the terrestrial Paradise doubtless the Apostle did see and heare such excellent and glorious things as was impossible for the tongue of any mortal man to express or utter And so John was a man of most rare holiness and Christ reveals to him the General estate of his Church and all that should befall his people and that from Johns time unto his second coming Christ gives John a true representation of all the troubles tryalls changes mercies and glories that in all times and in all Ages and places should attend his Church untill he came in all his glory About sixty years after Christs ascension 'T is the General opinion of the learned that this book of the Revelation was penned about the latter end of the Reigne of Domitian the Emperour which was about sixty years after Christs Ascension Christ comes to John and opens his heart and unbosomes his soul and makes knowne to him all that care that love that tenderness that kindness and that sweetness that he would exercise towards his Church from that very time to the end of the world Christ tells John that though he had been absent and seemingly silent for about threescore years that yet he was not so taken up with the delights contents and glory of heaven as that he did not care what became of his Church on earth O! no And therefore he opens his choicest secrets and makes knowne the most hidden and glorious mysteries to John that ever was made knowne to any man As there was none that had so much of the heart of Christ as John so there was none that had so much of the eare of Christ as John Christ singles out his servant John from all the men in the world and makes knowne to him all the happy providences and all the sad occurrences that were to come upon the followers of the Lamb that so they might know what to pray for and what to fit for and what to waite for also he declares to John all that wrath and vengeance all that desolation and destruction that should come upon the false Prophet and the Beast and upon all that wondered after them and that were worshippers of them and that had received their marks either in their foreheads or in their hands We reade of holy Polycarpus that as he lay in his bed he saw in a vision the bed set on fire under his head A vision and thus God did forewarne him and manifest to him what manner of death he should die and accordingly it fell out for he was burnt for the cause of Christ and rejoycingly sealed to the
Colonus the Dutch Martyr called to the Judge that had sentenced him to death and desired him to lay his hand upon his heart and then asked him whose heart did most beate his or the Judges here was a man of an heroick spirit indeed Basil was a man of great holiness and a man of a most masculine and couragious spirit when the Emperour sent to him to subscribe to the Aarian heresie to engage him Hist Tripart lib. 7. cap 36. promised him great preferment to which he replyed Alas these speeches are fit to catch little children withall that look after such things but we that are nourished and taught by the holy Scriptures are readier to suffer a thousand deaths then to suffer one syllable or tittle of the Scripture to be altered And when the Emperour threatned him with imprisonment banishment death he answered Let him threaten boyes with such Fraybugs as for my part I am resolved that neither menaces nor flatteries shall silence me or draw me to betray a good Cause or a good Conscience Charles the ninth king of France The History of France in the yeare 1572. who had a deep hand in that barbarous and bloody Massacre of many thousands of the Saints in France soone after that horrid tragical and perfidious slaughter was over he called the Prince of Conde proposed to him these three things Either to go to Mass or to die presently or to suffer perpetual imprisonment To which he returned this noble bold and heroick answer viz. That by Gods help he would never chuse the first and for either of the other two he left to the kings pleasure and Gods providence John Duke of Saxony was eminent in Christianity and he did heroically assert and maintaine the cause of God against all opposition in three Imperial Assemblies And when it was told him that he should lose the favour of the Pope and the Emperour and all the world besides if he stuck so fast to the Lutheran cause to which he gave this noble answer Here are two ways said he I must serve God or the world which of these do you think is the better and so put them off with this pleasant indignation and when the States of the Empire forbid all Lutheran Sermons he presently prepared to be gone and professed boldly that he would not stay there where he might not have liberty to serve God And thus you see by all these famous instances that the more eminent any persons are in holiness the more bold resolute couragious and heroical they will be for God for the things of God and therefore as ever you would be men of high courage and resolution for God labour to be high in holiness Such men who in all Ages have been eminent in holiness have been like Shammah one of Davids Worthies who stood and defended the field when all the rest fled But Twelfthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the more holiness any man attains to the more serviceable and usefull he will be in his Generation David was a man eminent in holiness and as eminently serviceable in his Generation Acts 13.36 For David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption Men that have but a little Stock of holiness will be but a little serviceable in their Generation but men that have a great Stock of holiness will be greatly serviceable in their Generation men that have but little Farms little Stocks are but a little serviceable to their Countrey but men that have great Farmes and large Stocks and rich revenues are greatly serviceable to their Countrey What a world of good sometimes do's one Rich man doe in a Towne a City a Countrey So one Saint that is rich in grace and holiness O what a world of good do's he do to all that are round about him Merchants that have great Stocks trade to the East and West Indies and so inrich their Countrey when as those that have but weak estates can only Barter with their neighbours at home and so are instruments but of little publike good A Candle inlightens the Roome but the Sun inlightens the whole world the more holiness any man has the more meete for publike use that man will be As there was none so holy as Christ 2 Tim. 2.21 Acts 10.38 so there was none of so publike a spirit as Christ he went up and downe doing good he laid out himselfe and he laid downe himselfe for publike good he healed others but was hurt himselfe he filled others but was hungry himself A man that is eminent in holiness will be of his minde who was rather willing to beautifie Italy then his own house Num. 14.11 12 13 14 19 20. Moses was a man of great holiness and of famous use in his Generation ah how often did he turne away the fierce anger and indignation of God from sinful Israel Deut. 9.14 Psal 106.23 and O the famous deliverances and glorious salvations that God brought about by his hand Nehemiah Nehe. 5.14 ult was a very holy man and he laid out himselfe and his great estate for publike service Mordecai was a very pious man Esth 4. vide a man famously serviceable in his Generation Esth 10.3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus and great among the Jews accepted of the multitude of his brethren seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed King Jehosaphat and Joshuah were men of eminent holiness and of singular use and service in their Generation men that have no holiness others that have but a little holiness will be still a carrying on a private interest of honor or profit or friends or Relations and this we have seen evident amongst us in these latter dayes therefore as ever you would be eminently serviceable in your Generation labor after an eminency in holiness But Thirteenthly To provoke you to labor after higher degrees of holiness consider that the greatest degrees of holiness are usually attended wirh the highest degrees of honor 2 Cor. 3.18 Grace is called glory and the greatest measures of Grace are commonly crowned with the greatest degrees of glory Eph. 5.27 Abraham was a man eminent in Grace and holiness and he was highly in honor among the people Gen. 23.6 Hear us my Lord thou art a mighty Prince amongst us Or as the Hebrew has it thou art a Prince of God amongst us that is thou art a notable Prince thou art an excellent Prince for so the Hebrews speak of all things that are notable and excellent Job Job 1.1 2. was a man that had attained to a very high degree of holiness and he was highly honored among the people Job 29.25 I chose out their way and sat chief and dwelt as a king in the Army in all weighty
seeming contradictions for here one providence smiles and there another frowns here providence lifts up and there providence casts down here providence strokes and there providence striâ—es I have read that Marica a Roman Princess being great with childe had the Babe in her killed with lightning when shee her self escaped here Providence leads towards Canaan there providence leads towards a wilderness here Providence leads towards Zion and there Providence leads towards Babylon here Providence speaks us very fair and there Providence doth severely threaten here Providence is bright and lovely and there Providence is dark and dreadful Now under all such Providences for a man to run to a Promise and to draw out life and strength and sweetness from a Promise is a clear evidence of a very high pitch of holiness that such a person hath attained to I have read of an Emperour that put on a new-suit every day O Sirs when the great God shall every day apparel himself in strange changeable Providences Now for a-man to hang upon the breasts of a Promise and to suck milk out of a Promise argues a very great increase of holiness But Secondly The moâ—e a man can overcome evil with good upon holy and gracious accounts as upon the account of Gods Command Gods Honour the Credit of the Gospel and the Conviction Conversion and Salvation of Souls the greater measure of holiness such a peâ—son hath attained to to return reproach for reproach reviling for reviling and cursing for cursing and scorning for scorning and defaming for defaming is exceeding natural to us Austin saith that Christ made a Pulpit of the Cross and the great Lesson hee taught Christians was to love their enemies but to love them that hate us to bless them that curse us to do good to them that abhor us and to pray for them that persecute us and that despitefully use us according to Christs express command in that Matth. 5.44 are things exceeding contrary to nature and exceedingly above nature the power of grace and holiness appears in nothing more than in bringing the heart to a sweet and ready subjection to such commands as are most cross and contrary to flesh and blood As those are in that Rom. 12.17.19 20 21. Recompence no man evil for evil Dearly Beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine and I will repay it saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if hee thirst give him drink Bee not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good And so that in 1 Thes 5.15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man but ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all men To return good for evil and kindnesses for injuries to behave our selves courteously humbly meekly tenderly and sweetly towards those who behave themselves discourteously proudly passionately harshly and sowrely towards us argues a very great degree of holiness David was a man eminent in holiness and hee was good at this good work as you may see in that 2 Sam. 1.24 Yee Daughters of Israel weep over Saul who clothed you in Scarlet with other delights who put on Ornaments of Gold upon your Apparel Hee doth not envy against Saul nor insult or rejoyce over Saul as many carnal unsanctified hearts would have done nor hee doth not provoke or stir up the Daughters of Israel to rejoyce in the death and destruction of such a Tyrant that had hunted him up and down as a Patridge and that had often designed his ruine and that had alwaies returned him evil for good and that had bathed his sword in the blood of Abimelech the High-Priest and in the blood of fourscore more of the Priests of the Lord and that had forsaken the Lord and gone to a Witch yea to the Devil for help in his need O no! hee conceals what was bad and remembers what was good hee passes over those things that were condemnable and hee instances only in those things that might make his memory most acceptable commendable and delightful among the weaker Sex viz. his making of bravery and gallantry fashionable amongst them And so Joseph was a man eminent in holiness and hee was good at this hard work as you may see in that Gen. 50.16 23. And Moses was a man of great holiness and hee was good at his difficult work as you may see in that 106 Psal 16.23.33 compared together And Stephen was a man full of the Holy Ghost and hee was good at praying for them that made a prey of him Act. 7. ult And Paul was a man of the same mind mettle as you may see by comparing the 2 Cor. 11 24. with thâ—â— Rom. 1.2.3 And Eusebius affirms that when Paul was 〈◊〉 â—eaded under Dioclesian the Emperour hee prayed both for Jews and Gentiles for the Multitude assembled and also for the Judge and Executioner that his death might not one day bee laid unto their charge Calvin was a man of great holinesse and therefore though Luther who was a man of a most violent bitter passionate spirit had wofully wronged him and reviled him yet saith hee let Luther hate mee and in his wrath call mee a thousand times Devil yet I will love him and honour him and acknowledge him a choice and precious servant of God Mr. Fox that writ the Book of Martyrs was so famous in the practice of this hard peece of Christianity that it became a Proverb If any man would have Mr. Fox do him a good turn let him do him an injury and hee will bee sure to do him a good turn for it Send mee to my Toads again in the Dungeon where I may pray for your Lordships conversion Said Mr. Sanders the Martyr to the Bishop of Winchester thus you see that the more eminent any persons are in holinesse the more they overcome evil with good the more good they will do them that do evil to them and thus to do is but to conform to Christ your head for hee shed tears for them that were to shed his blood and hee gave them his blood to drink who gave him gall to drink and vinegar to drink Act. 2. That man is almost got up to the very top of Holinesse whose Soul is habituated to overcome evil with good upon holy and precious accounts Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar in whose time Christ was born and Titus vespasian Camillus Darius Licurgus Plato Pericles and Herod that is mentioned in Act. 12.23 with many other Heathens have done something this way but what they did they did by fits and starts and from poor low principles and to vain glorious ends and therefore all that they did this way is not worth a reciting well Christians the more you can overcome evil with good the more certainly your hearts are filled with good that mans heart is full of the fruits of righteousnesse and holiness that upon divine considerations is
Christians at their first conversion and whilst they remain weak in grace and holinesse their obedience is more strait and narrow for commonly they spend much if not most of their time in praying fasting hearing reading Christian-conference c. and neglect a hundred other duties that are incumbent upon them they are very forward and warm in the duties of their general Calling but very cold and remisse in the duties of their particular Calling they are very frequent and fervent in some duties and very rare in other duties but now the more they grow in grace and holinesse the more extensive will their obedience be and the more their hearts will be dilated and extended to all the duties both of the first and second Table But Sixthly The more a man conflicts with heart-sins with spiritual-sins with invisible-sins with sins that lye most hid and obscure from the eyes of the world and the more spiritual victories and conquests a man obtains over them the greater measure of holiness that person hath certainly attained to When the heart rises with all its strength and might against secret Pride secret Self-love 2 Chron. 32.26 Psal 119.80 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. Psal 30.6 7. Rom. 7.23 24. 2 Cor. 7..1 secret bublings of Lusts secret Carnal-confidence secret Murmuring secret Hypocrisie secret Envy secret Self-applause secret Malice secret Hatred secret Snares secret Temptations c. It is an Argument that Holiness is grown up to some considerable height there A little Grace a little Holiness will work a man to conflict with grosse sins with outward sins with bodily sins with such sins that every one may set their eyes on and lay their hands on yea where there is no Grace no Holinesse at all the light of Nature the common convictions of the Spirit the Laws of Men the eyes of Men the threats of Men the examples of Men a smarting Rod and good Education may work men to conflict with such sins O but when all the strength and might of the soul is ingaged against those very sins that lye not within the sight or reach of the most sharp and piercing men in the world but in the heart and about the heart and are only obvious to an Omniscient eye this argues a great degree of Holinesse And therefore Augustine hit the mark when hee said that it is a harder thing for a man to fight with his lusts understand it especially of heart-lusts of spiritual-wickednesse than 't is to fight with the Crosse Aug. Serm. 4. de verbis Domini Jam. 3.7 Hiraclius motto was a Deo victoria 't is God that giveth victory And Austin hath long since complained that wee do not tame the beasts in our own bosomes O! 't is an easier thing to tame all the beasts in the world than 't is to tame one beast in the bosome all the beasts in the world may be tamed and brought under by a humane power but no power below that power that raised Christ from the Grave can tame the beasts that bee in our bosomes Now look as conflicts with heart-sins with spiritual-sins c. argues some eminency in Holinesse so victory over heart-sins over-spiritual sins over those sins that lye most remote from the eyes of others argues a very great degree of Holinesse when a Christian doth not onely resist heart-sins but vanquishes heart-sins when hee doth not only combate with heart-sins but conquers heart-sins when hee doth not only fight with heart-sins but also overcomes heart-sins when hee doth not only wrestle with heart-sins but also overthrows heart-sins this speaks out holiness in its growth 'T was a good saying of Cyprian there is no such pleasure saith hee as to have overcome an offered pleasure neither is there any greater conquest than that that is gotten over a mans corruptions And 't was an excellent saying of Eusebius Emesenus our Fathers overcame the torments of the flames let us overcome the fiery darts of vices and indeed 't is an easier thing to overcome the flames than 't is to overcome those flaming lusts and corruptions that bee in our own hearts Philosophy may teach us to indure hardships as it did Calanus in Curtius who willingly offered his body to the fire to the flames but 't is only grace 't is only holinesse that can inable us to overcome our lusts our heart-lusts wee read of many that out of greatnesse of Spirit could offer violence to Nature but were at a losse when they came to deal with their corruptions I remember a notable saying of Ambrose Ambros Apâ—l Davâ—d Post. c. 3. speaking of Sampson vincula solvit hostium c. Saith hee hee brake the bonds of his enemies but hee could not break the bonds of his own lusts hee choaked the Lion but hee could not choak his own wanton love hee set on fire the harvest of strangers and himself being set on fire with the spark of one strange woman lost the harvest of his vertue And this saying of Ambrose puts mee in minde of a great Roman Captain who as hee was riding in his triumphant Chariot through Rome had his eyes never off a Courtizan that walkt along the street which made one say Behold how this goodly Captain that conquered such potent Armies is himself conquered by one silly woman O 't is not Philosophy nor Morality nor Civility c. but holinesse but sanctity that will make the soul victorious over iniquity and the more victories and conquests a man makes upon heart sins upon spiritual-sins upon secret-sins the greater measures of holinesse that person hath certainly attained to But Seventhly The more a man is exercised and busied in the most internal and spiritual duties of Religion the greater measures of holinesse that man hath attained to You know there are external duties of Religion and there are internal duties of Religion There are external duties of Religion as publick Preaching hearing the Word reading the Word Mar. 6. ch 23. fasting singing of Psalms Christian conference Communion of Saints and receiving the Lords Supper Now such Christians as have but small measures of grace and holinesse Isa 1.11 19 Isa 58.1 2 3.4 5. Zach. 7.4 5 6 7 and Hypocrites and Formalists that have not the least measure of true grace and holinesse these are most commonly exercised and busied about the external duties and services of Religion but very seldome very rare shall you finde them in the more inward and spiritual duties of Religion but then as there are external duties so there are internal and spiritual duties as Self-examination Self-resignation to God Self-loathing Self-judging Divine-meditation praying in the Spirit Watchfulnesse over the Heart and making application of the blood of Christ the death of Christ the grace of Christ the love of Christ and the word of Christ to a mans own soul Now the more any Christian is exercised and imployed in these internal spiritual and Evangelical duties and services the greater heights and degrees
you yet let this support you let this rejoyce you that you are high in the favour of God But Tenthly If thou art a holy person if thou art one that hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that all thy duties and services are very pleasing Act. 10.4 Mal. 3.3 2 Tim. 2.21 delightful and acceptable to the Lord and this roundly follows upon the former for when ever a mans person comes to bee accepted of God and to bee high in favour with God then all his services and sacrifices comes to bee acceptable to God Gen. 4.4 And Abel hee also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering God had first a respect to his person in Christ and then to his offering and so his sacrifice was accepted for the man and not the man for the sacrifice Heb. 11.4 By Faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Kain by which hee obtained witness that hee was righteous God testifying of his gifts and by it hee being dead yet speaketh God will alwaies welcome the holy man into his presence and hee shall alwaies have his ear at command God will still bee a warming his heart Isa 45.11 and a cheering up his spirit and a satisfying of his soul in meeting of him in all holy means and in giving gracious answers to all his requests Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy waies Prov. 21.8 The way of man that is of unholy man is froward and strange but as for the pure his work is right When God hath cleansed ◠mans heart and sanctified his nature then his work his religious work is right 't is then right in the eye of God and in the account of God and in estimation of God and therefore his Petitions are as soon granted Isa 65.24 as they are offered and his requests performed Sealh here is a special note of observation to work us to a serious marking of the things that are mentioned as things that are of special weight and of highest concernment to us as soon as they are mentioned Psal 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Selah Holy David had an inward purpose and resolution to confess his sin but before hee could do it God throws him his pardon thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin God loves to bee before-hand with his people in acts of grace and favour Gods eye and his ear was in Davids heart before Davids confession could bee in his tongue O! the delight of God O! the pleasedness of God with the duties and services of his holy ones Psal 4.3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself the Lord will hear when I call upon him that is the Lord will approve of my prayer hee will accept of my prayer he will delight in my prayer and hee will answer my prayer when I call unto him and what can the Godly man desire more Psal 61.1 Hear my cry O God attend unto my prayer Aquinas saith that some read the words thus Intende ad cantica mea attend unto my songs and so the words may bee safely read from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ranah which signifies to shout or shrill out for joy to note that the prayers of the Saints are like pleasant songs and delightful dirties in the ears of God no mirth no musick can bee so pleasing to us as the prayers of the Saints are pleasing to God Cant. 2.14 Psal 141.2 Let my prayer come before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifize What 's more sweet what 's more pleasing and what 's more perfuming then incense why the prayers of the Saints Rev. 5.8 ch 8.3 4 as they are in the hands of a Mediatour are as sweet and pleasing to God as incense that is made up of the choicest and sweetest spices are sweet and pleasing unto us 1 Pet. 3.12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers or rather as the Greek hath it his ears are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their prayers that is when their prayers are so faint and weak that they cannot reach to God that they cannot travel as far as Heaven then God will come down to them and lay his ears as it were unto their prayers O what matter of joy and comfort is this to all the holy seed that God will graciously bow his ears to their prayers when hee turns his back with the greatest disdain and indignation upon the most costly sacrifices of the wicked O you precious Sons of Zion that are daily lamenting and mourning over the weaknesses that cleaves to your best services know for your comfort and joy that though with Moses you can but stammer out a prayer God once accepted of a handfull of Meal for a sacrifice and of a gripe of Goats hair for an oblation Artaxerxes the Persian monarch accepted with a cheerful countenance a little water as a present from the hand of a poor labourer c. or with Hannah weep out a prayer or with Hezekiah chatter out a prayer or with Paul sigh and groan out a prayer yet the Lord will own your prayers and accept your prayers and delight in your prayers O what a rare comfort is this for a Christian to consider that when hee is under outward wants and inward distresses that when hee hath sickness upon his body and reproach upon his name and death knocking at his door that in all these cases and in all other cases hee may run to God as to a Father and tell God how 't is with him and when hee hath done that hee may sit down satisfied and assured of Audience and Acceptance in Heaven O Sirs this is a priviledge more worth than a thousand worlds and had unsanctified persons as many Kingdomes to give as they have haires on their heads they would give them all for an interest in this priviledge when guilt and wrath is upon their consciences and when the arrows of the Almighty stick fast in them and when the terrours of death are round about them and when the dreadful day of their account is every moment remembred by them O! if it bee so great a favour to have the ears of an earthly King at pleasure what a transcendent savour must it bee to have his ear at pleasure who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and yet this favour hath all his Saints But Eleventhly If thou art a Holy Person if thou art one that hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that Jesus Christ will certainly preserve thy holiness Next to Christ holiness is a