have in heaven shall not be given out to them upon the account of their merits or the dignity of their persons or the worthiness of their works but upon the account of Gods meere mercy and grace who in the day of retribution will delight to crowne his own gifts not our merits and where he shall finde the greatest measures of grace holiness Deus nihil coronat nisi dona sua Aug. When God crowneth us he doth but crowne his own gifts in us c. there he will of his own free mercy bestow the greatest measure of glory Well friends remember this you must alwayes carefully distinguish between the essence and substance of glory and between degrees and measures of glory Now the essence and substance of glory which consists in the Saints full communion with God and in their perfect conformity to God and in their universal subjection to God and in their everlasting fruition of God be common to all the Saints so that no one Saint shall have more of the essence and substance of glory then another has yet the degrees and measures of glory shall be distributed to some more to some less Now that there shall be different degrees of glory in heaven answerable to the different degrees of grace and holiness that the Saints reach to here on earth and that God will at last proportion his Rewards according to the different degrees of labour seâ—â—ice and sufferings of his people in this world may be made evident 1. By cleare Scriptures 2. By Arguments Now there are severall Scriptures that speaks out this truth take these for a taste First that 1 Cor. 3.8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour The Apostle having compared his own and Apollo's work together adds That both should receive their reward according to their work that is as their work differed so should their reward differ though they both preacht one and the same doctrine and had both one and the same designe and purpose viz. to bring in souls to Christ and to build up souls to Christ yet according to their different degrees of labour so should be their different degrees of reward Though no man should work in Gods vineyard for nought yet he that was most faithful diligent and laborious in planting or in watering Gods Husbandry should have the greatest reward Paul and Apollo shall at last receive their different reward according to their different labour or neerer the Original they shall each of them receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their proper reward according to their proper work A second Scripture is that 1 Cor. â—5 41 42. There is one glory of the Sun and another glory of the Moone and another glory of the Stars for one Star differeth from another in glory so also is the resurrection of the dead Mark here is the full stop and these words are not to be referr'd to those following words viz. That the body is sown in corruption and riseth againe in incorruption For the Apostle speaks not here of the difference between glorious and inglorious corruptible and incorruptible things but he speaks here of the difference that is between heavenly and glorious things for faith he one Star differs from another in glory 'T is very observable that the comparison runs between the glorified condition of some Saints that shall rise and other some that shall rise in the great day So that look as one Star differs from another Star in glory so one Saint shall differ from another Saint in glory at the resurrection of the dead Though every Star is bright shining and glorious yet some Stars are more bright shining and glâ—rious then others are so though every Saint still shine gloriously in heaven yet some Saints shall have a greater lustre glory and shine upon them then others shall Look as some heavenly bodies are more glorious then others so in the morning of the resurrection some Saints shall be more glorious then others c. A third Scripture is that 2 Cor. 9.6 But this I say He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully A sparing liberality shall be attended with a sparing reward and a bounteous liberality shall be attended with a bounteous reward Look as the harvest answers the measure of seed that is sown so that he that sows but little reaps but little and he that sows much reaps much so Saints reaping at last will be answerable to their sowing here All mens charities shall at last be rewarded proportionable to the severall degrees of it he that gives a pound shall have a greater reward then he that gives a penny he that sows thousands shall reap more then he that sows hundreds he shall have the most plentifull crop in heaven who has sow'd most seed here on earth c. They shall have interest upon interest in heaven who sow much on this side heaven A fourth Scripture is that Luk 19.12 20. Now in this Parable you have a great Lord going into a far Country Mina here translated a pound is twelve ounces and a halfe which pound according to five shillings an ounce is three pound two shillings and six pence starling money Math. 2.2 Rev. 17.14 and ch 1.5 but before he goes he gives ten pounds to ten of his servants to trade with till his returne Now upon his returne he that had increased his pound to ten pounds was made ruler over ten Cities v. 17. And he that made five of one was made ruler over five Cities v. 19. Here he that gained most received the greatest reward The Nobleman in this Parable is our Lord Jesus Christ who is truly and highly noble he being coeternall and coequall with his Father in respect of his Deity he was borne a king and is now King of kings and Lord of lords and Prince of the Kings of the earth The far Countrey that he is gone to is heaven for thither he went at his ascension now when he shall returne from heaven to judge the quick the dead he will then bring men to an account to a reckoning about their improvement of all the gifts and graces that he has intrusted them with and according to the different improvement that men shall make of their Talents so shall be their reward he that makes the greatest improvement of his pound he shall have the greatest reward he shall be Ruler over ten Cities that is he shall be very highly honored and exalted and he that makes a lesser improvement he shall have a lesser reward he shall be Ruler over five Cities he that makes a great improvement of a little he shall if I may so speak sit at Christs right hand but he that makes a lesser improvement he must be contented to sit at Christs left hand God will proportion out mens reward at last answerable to their improvement of
to make his prison so strong and thousands to thousands and is not rich towards God This age is full of such golden fools who pamper their bodies but starve their souls who trick and trim up their bodies with Gold Silver and Silks whilst their souls are naked and ragged and destitute of all grace and goodness The Jews have a story of a foolish woman that took two children to nurse the one very mean deformed crooked blind and not likely to live long the other a goodly lively lovely beautifull child and likely to live long now this foolish woman spent all her pains care diligence and attendance upon the worst child never so much as minding or regarding the best child this age is full of such foolish men and women who having two to nurse their bodies and their souls spend their time their care labour and pains in making provision for the flesh in laying up for their bodies and in the mean while never regard their souls never look after their souls though they have the beauty of a Deity upon them and though they are immortal and capable of union and communion with God in grace and of a blessed fruition of God in glory Surely no fools to these fools Seventhly The sharpest and severest course you can take cannot separate between a fool and his folly Notwithstanding all your frowns threats checks knocks c. A fool will not leave his folly nay you shall sooner beat a fool to death then you shall beat him off from his folly Prov. 27.22 Solomon in this place alludeth to one kind of grinding which in old time the people were accustomed to which was to put their parched corn into a morter and to beat it unto powder Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a morter among wheat with a pestell yet will not his foolishness depart from him The husk doth not stick so close to the grain of corn as folly doth to the heart of a fool there is a possibility of severing the husk from the flower by beating but there is no possibility of severing a fool from his folly You see it in Pharaoh who though he was often in Gods morter yet he could not be severed from his folly nay he did chuse rather to be beaten to death and to see his friends relations favourites followers subjects and souldiers with their first born beaten to death before his eyes rather the he would leave his folly And such a fool was King Ahaz who when God had him in the morter and threatned to beat him and his people to death yet then in his distress he sinned more against the Lord 2 Chron. 28.22 and therefore for his obstinacy obdurateness and irreclaimableness he is branded and mark't with a black coal by the Lord to all posterity They were like those Bears in Pliny that could not be stirred with the sharpest prickles This is that King Ahaz And such spiritual fools are all ungodly persons let God frown chide strike reprove correct yet they will not turn from the evil of their doings they will rather be consumed and destroyed then they will be amended or reformed Jer. 5.3 O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction See Ez. 22.18 Jer. 2.30 31. Ch. 19. ult Amos 4.4.13 Isa 26.10 11. 2 Pet. 2.22 they have made their faces harder then a rock they have refused to return no smart nor grief no calamities nor miseries can turn obstinate fools from their impieties Jer. 6.29 The bellows are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain or in vain melting melteth he trying tryeth he for the wicked are not plucked away All the cost and charge that God hath been at all the pains and labour that he hath taken to sever these wicked ones from their wickedness was lost they would not be refined nor reformed After Gods greatest severity a spiritual fool will return to his iniquity Prov. 26.11 As a dog returneth to his vomit so a fool returneth to his folly or iterateth his folly It is true the comparison is homely but good enough for those fools to whom it is applyed Spiritual fools sometimes vomit up their sins when they are under terrors of conscience or under the afflicting hand of God or upon a dying bed but still retain a disposition and purpose to return to them again As some say the Serpent vomits up his poyson when he goes to drink and then takes it in again Foolish souls say to their lusts as Abraham to his servants Gen. 22.5 Abide you here and I will go yonder and come again to you Whatever becomes of their souls they are resolved to keep close to their sins Isa 1.5 And as Aesops foolish fishes leaped out of the warm water into the burning fire for ease So these poor fools will rather adventure a burning in hell then they will attempt a turning from their folly Eighthly Natural fools make the simplest and unhappiest exchanges they will exchange a pearl for a Pippin The foolish Indians prefer every toy and trifle above their mines of Gold things of greatest worth and value for a feather a ribbon a toy a trifle a house to live in for a house of clay or a house of Cards and like Glaucus a foolish Captain who changed with Diomedes his Armour of Gold for Dioemedes his armour of brass All unholy persons are spiritual fools they will exchange spirituals for carnals and eternals for temporals they will exchange God Christ the Gospel heaven and their souls for a lust for the world nay for a little of the worlds smiles pleasures or profits Mat. 16.26 and well may he lay claim to a Boat-swains place in Barkleys ship of fools that will exchange his soul and his soul concernments for the toyes and trifles of this world Now do you think that God who hath within himself all the wisdom of Angels of men and universal nature that he who hath all glory all dignity all riches all treasures all pleasures all comforts all delights all joyes all beatitudes in himself That that God who is a super-substantial substance and understanding not to be understood a word never to be spoken Dionys Areop de divin nom cap. 1. that he will have everlasting fellowship and communion with fools that a God whose wisdom is infinite and unsearchable will ever debase himself so as to have his royal Pallace filled with fools as to make those his companions in heaven that he can take no pleasure in on earth Eccles 5.4 he hath no pleasure in fools The wise God would not have his children keep company with fools Prov. 14.7 Go from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge and will he keep company with them himself Surely no. God hath given it under his own hand that such
there were three Doctors heads of houses one of them was accounted an Innovator the second a Puritan the third a Neuter A witty Scholler presented them thus to the world the first in a Coach driving to Rome the second driving to Genevâ—h the third running on foot begging sometimes the one sometimes the other to receive him but both refused him Neuters shall be refused on all hands at last Newters are Traytors they betray Christ for the worlds sake and the world for Christs sake and themselves for sin and Satans sake And who will not refuse and scorn traytors God will refuse them because he loaths halting Angels will refuse them because they loath halving Good men will refuse them because they loath lukewarmness and bad men will refuse them because they pretend to goodness though they live in wickedness Ambo-dexters in Religion are ignominious disgracers both of the name and profession of Christians they are prodigious traytors to the crown of heaven they are the greatest enemies to the power of godliness they are the very off-spring of Judas and in the day of account it will be found that it had been good for them that they had never been born Neutrality is the spiritual adultery of the heart Aut totum mecum tene aut totum omitte Greg. Nazien Neuters are spiritual Harlots they have their hearts divided between God and Mammon betwixt Christ and other Lovers Now Harlots in Ancient time were to be burnt Gen. 38.24 Certainly hell is for the Neuter and the neuter for hell God will be as severe yea more severe in punishing spiritual whoredom then ever men have been in punishing corporal whoredom God looks upon every neuter as a man in arms against him Matth. 12.30 He that is not with me is against me And therefore Martial Law shall be executed upon them God will blot out their names and hang them up as monuments of his justice and vengeance Sirs do not deceive your own souls no man was ever yet carried to glory in the chariot of neutrality or mediocrity he that is not throughout holy is not really holy and he that is not really holy can never be truly happy it is only throughout holiness that entitles a man to everlasting happiness 1 Pet. 1.15 2 Pet. 3.11 Matth. 24.51 The true mother would not have the child divided she would have all or none you must be for all holiness or for none Neuters now devide and cut those things asunder that God hath closely joyned together but at last God will suite their punishment to their sin and cut them asunder Luke 12.46 Now the neuter chuses here a piece and there a piece and at last God will cut him in pieces 1 Sam. 15.23 as Samuel did Agag Well Neuters now you divide one command from another one duty from another one promise from another one threatning from another one ordinance from another and one way of God from another But the day is a coming wherein God will divide your souls from your bodies and both from himself his Son his Saints and his Glory for ever Sixthly If real holiness be the only way to happiness if men must be holy on earth or they shall never come to a fruition of God in heaven Then this truth by way of conviction looks sowerly and sadly upon all hypocrites who have only a seeming holiness a feigned holiness a counterfeit holiness The Apostle speaks of a true holiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4.24 or holiness of truth as the Greek reads it in opposition to that feigned and counterfeit holiness that is in the world pretended holiness is most opposite to the holiness of God Hypocritical holiness is the greatest unholiness Ex. 30.32 33. Who can with patience see Apes in the habit of Nobles saith Lucianus and as God hath so certainly God will still sute the punishment to the sin If it was death in Moses his Law to counterfeit that Ceremonial and figurative ointment what shall it then be to counterfeit the spirit of life and holiness Dissembled sanctity is double iniquity He that professeth religion without being religious and godliness without being godly he that makes counterfeit holiness a cloak to impiety and a Mid-wife to iniquity He that is a Cato without and a Nero within a Jacob without and an Esau within a David without and a Saul within a Peter without and a Judas within a Saint without and a Satan within an Angel without and a devil within is ripened for the worst of torments Matth. 24.5 And shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Hypocrites are the freeholders of hell all other sinners do but hold under them none have so large a portion in hell as hypocrites have No man at last will be found so miserable as he that hath the name of a Saint upon him but not the divine nature in him that hath a profession of holiness upon him but no principles of holiness in him that hath a form of godliness but not the power that can cry up godliness and court godliness but in practise denyes it that is a Jew outwardly but an Atheist a Pagan a devil inwardly Who had a greater name for holiness and who made a greater shew of holiness and who did more despise and insult over men for the want of holiness then the Scribes and Pharisees and who so miserable now as they Mat. 23.14 Hypocritis nihil est crudelius impatientius vindictae cupidius Luther There is not a more cruel creature more impatient and vindictive then an hypocrite said he that had the experience of it in his own person Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation Pretended holiness will double damn souls at last Sirs do not deceive your own souls A painted sword shall as soon defend a man and a painted mint shall as soon inrich a man and a painted fire shall assoon warm a man and a painted friend shall assoon counsel a man and a painted horse shall assoon carry a man and a painted feast shall assoon satisfie a man and a painted house shall assoon shelter a man as a painted holiness shall save a man He that now thinks to put off God with a painted holiness shall not fare so well at last as to be put off with a painted happiness The lowest the hottest and the darkest habitation in hell will be his portion whose religion lyes all in shews and shadows Well spiritual Counterfeits remember this it will not be long before Christ will unmask you before he will uncase you before he will disrobe you before he will take off your vizards your hoods and turn your rotten insides outward to your eternal shame and reproach before all the world Counterfeit Diamonds may sparkle and glister
under every turn no turns shall turn him out of a way of holinesse Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands Finis coronat opus shall be stronger and stronger A man that is really holy will be holy among the holy and he will be holy among the unholy If you look upon him among unholy friends unholy children and unholy servants you shall find him holy If you look upon him among unholy neighbours you shall find him holy and if you look upon him among unholy buyers and sellers you shall find him holy If you take him at his Table you shall find him holy if you take him in his shop in his commerce you shall find him holy if you take him in his family you shall find him holy if you take him in his Closet you shall find him holy if you take him in his journeyings you shall find him holy or if you take him in his recreations you shall find him holy True holinesse is like that famous Queen Elizabeth Semper eadem alwayes the same The Philosophers good man is Tetra-gonos four square cast him where you will like a Dye he falls alwayes sure and square So cast a holy man where you will and into what company you will yet still he falls sure and square for holinesse True holinesse is a part of the divine nature it is of such a heavenly complexion that it will never alter If the times should be so sad and bad that holy persons should not be able to hold fast their estates their liberties their trades their lives their religion 2 Cor. 18.13 yet they will still hold fast their holinesse A holy Christian is like gold Now cast gold into the fire or into the water cast it upon the dunghill or into the pleasant garden cast it among the poor or among the rich among the religious or among the licentious yet still it is gold still it retains its purity and excellency so cast a holy Christian a golden Christian into what condition you will and into what company you will Gen. 39. yet still he will retain his purity his sanctity yea the worser the times are the more a holy man studies holinesse and prefers holinesse and prizes holinesse and practises holinesse that he may keep up the credit of holinesse and the credit of a holy God and the credit of his holy profession in the world But now such as have only a shew of holinesse an appearance of holinesse these will be religious among the religious and vitious among the vitious They will be righteous among the righteous and licentious among the licentious they will be as the company is amongst which they are cast with the good they will be good and with the bad they will be bad with the zealous they will be zealous and with the superstitious they will be superstitious and with the lukewarm they will be lukewarm c. they are for all times and tides they are for any turn that will serve their turn Isa 9.17 for any mode that will bring pleasure or profit to them they are like Alcibiades of whom it was said that he was omnium horarum homo a man for all times for he could swagger it at Athens and take any pains at Thebes he could live most sparingly at Lacidaemon and bib among the Thracians and hunt among the Persians So these men can accommodate themselves to the times and comply with them what ever they be with Proteuâ—s they will transform themselves into â—ll shapes as the times change so will they what the times favour that they will favour what the times commend that they will commend what the times cry up and admire that they will cry up and admire and what the times frown upon and condemn that they will frown upon and condemn Look as curious and well drawn pictures seem to turn their eyes every way and to smile upon every one that looks upon them so these can turn with the times they can look as the times look and smile as the times smile they can say with the times and sail with the times Sometimes they can act one part and sometimes another part as the times require if the times require a large profession they can make it if the times require a rigid Spirit against such as cannot comply with the times they can act it If the times bespeak them to leave their religion at the Church door they can leave it c. If the times call upon them to worship God according to the prescriptions of men they can do it Oh but give me a man that is really holy and he will be holy though the times should be never so unholy yea the more licentious the times are the more gracious he will labour to be In the fifteenth place He that is really holy propounds ordinarily to himself holy aims and ends in his actings and undertakings The glory of God is the mark Iohn 7.18 Gen. 41.16 Dan. 2.23 Titus 2.10 1 Cor. 10. ult Rev. 12.11 the white that holy men have in their eyes Rom. 14.7 8. They live not to themselves but they live to him who lives for ever they live not to their own wills lusts greatnesse and glory in this world but they live to his glory whose glory is dearer to them then their very lives They make divine glory their ultimate end 2 Cor. 4.5 Quod non actibus sed sinibus pensantur officia That duties are esteemed not by their acts but by their ends is most certain We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord that is in our preaching we woo not for our selves but for Christ We are no kin to those who speak two words for themselves and hardly one for Christ In all our preaching we eye the glory of Christ we design the honour and exaltation of Christ Real holinesse is commonly attended with a single eye as counterfeit holinesse is commonly attended with a squint eye squint eyd aims and squint eyd ends do usually wait upon double hearts Take a holy man in the exercise of his gifts and graces for the good of mens souls or take him in the exercise of charity for the good of mens bodies and in both you shall find his eye fixt upon the glory of God Suitable to that 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen Look as bright shining golden vessels do not retain the beams of the Sun which they receive but reflect them back again upon the Sun So those that are really holy they do return and reflect back again upon the Sun of righteousnesse the praise and glory of all the gifts graces and vertues that they have received from
moves and perswades men to holiness it is he that presents holiness in its beauty and glory to the soul it is he that sows seeds of holiness in the soul and it is he that causes those seeds to grow up to maturity and ripeness Nil nisi sanctum à sancto spiritu prodire potest Nothing can come from the holy spirit but that which is holy The holy Spirit is the great principle of all the holiness that is in the world and this holy Spirit God hath engaged himself to give to those that are unholy Ezek. 36.25 26 27. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart will I also give you and a new spirit well I put within you and I well take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them The holy spirit is a gift a free gift a noble gift a precious gift a glorious gift 2 Tim. 2.21 that God will bestow upon the unclean upon the unsanctified that they may be cleansed and sanctified and so fitted for the Lords service and use It is possible that you may be holy Witness 2. His holy word that he hath given on purpose to make men holy and to keep men holy Deut. 4.6 7 8 9. Rom. 7.12 Luke 1.70 to 76. his commandments are holy just and good his threatnings are holy just and good and all his promises are holy just and good The holy Scriptures were written with a finger of holinesse so as to move to holiness and to work holinesse the whole word of God is an intire love-letter to provoke to holiness and to promote holiness Holy commands should sweetly perswade us to holiness and holy threatnings should divinely force us to holiness and holy promises should effectually allure us to the love of holiness to the embracing of holiness and to the practise of holiness The great design of God in sending this sacred volume in golden letters from heaven was to enamour men with the love and beauty of holiness Again it is possible that you may attain to true holiness Witness 3. Those holy Embassadors that he hath sent on purpose to turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ Acts 26.18 2 Corin. 5.18 19 20. Their great business and work is to treat with you about holiness it is to woo you to match with holiness and to follow after holiness it is to remove all lets and impediments that may any wayes hinder your embracing of holiness and it is to propose all manner of encouragements that may win you over to make holiness your great All. Again it is possible that you may be holy Witnesse 4. The holy Examples of all the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Praecepta docent exempla movent and Saints that are left on record on purpose to provoke you to an imitation of them in holiness their holy examples as so many shining stars are left upon record to influence us to holiness In the holy examples of those that are now triumphant in heaven you may run and read that holiness is attainable In their holy examples as in so many looking-glasses you may see that holiness is a Jewel that may be procured by that holiness that others have reached to sinners may see that it is possible that they may be made Saints Again it is possible that you may be holy Witnesse 5. All those notorious sinners that the Scripture declares have been sanctified and made holy to instance only in a few Adam you know was created in an estate of innocency Gen. 1.26 integrity and perfect holiness he being made in the image of God and after the likeness and similitude of God it was agreed upon in the Parliament of heaven that man should be made glorious in holiness In this Scripture he speaks plainly of the Renovation of that knowledge holiness and righteousness that Adam somtimes had but lost it by his fall Psal 8.4 5 6. Gen. 2.20 and so he was for he was made after Gods own image And this the Apostle clearly and fully evidences in that famous Scripture Ephes 4.22 23 24. That Adam was invested and endowed with righteousness and holiness in his first glorious estate with righteousness that he might carry it fairly justly evenly and righteously towards man and with holiness that he might carry it wisely lovingly reverentially and holily towards God And that he might take up in God as his chiefest good as in his great All might be fufficiently made good out of this Scripture last cited but I shall not now stand upon the discovery of Adams beauty authority dominion dignity honour and glory with which he was adorned invested and crowned in innocency Let this satisfie that Adams first estate was a state of perfect knowledge wisdom and understanding it was a perfect state of holiness righteousness and happiness there was nothing within him but what was desirable and delectable there was nothing without him but what was amiable and commendable nor nothing about him but what was serviceable and comfortable and yet in the height of all his glory he falls to Apostasie and open Rebellion against God he takes part with Satan against God himself he transgresses his righteous Law he affronts his justice he provokes his anger he stirrs up his wrath against himself and his posterity The sin of Adam was a voluminous sin all kinds of notorious sins were bound up in it as backsliding rebellion treason pride unbelief blasphemy contempt of God unthankfulness theft murder and idolatry c. The Philosopher being asked which was the best member of the body answered The tongue for if it be good it is the best Trumpet of Gods glory And being asked again which was the worst answered The tongue for if it be bad it is the worst fire-brand of hell So if any should ask me Which was the best creature of God I would answer Man in honour before his fall If you should ask me Which is the worst I must answer Man in his fall Adam was once the wonder of all understanding the mirrour of wisdom and knowledge the image of God the delight of heaven the glory of the creation the worlds great Lord and the Lords great darling but being faln ah how low how poor how miserable how sottish how sensless how brutish yea how much below the beast that perisheth was he and yet God pardoned changed and sanctified him and stampt his image of holiness afresh upon him when he made a Covenant with him in Christ Genesis 3. So Manasseh he was a notorious sinner he was a sinner of the greatest magnitude his sins reached up to heaven his soul was ripe for hell he had sold
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
book of life And thus you see on all hands that suffering for Christ is the highest honour that you are capable of in this world And therefore there is little reason why a Christian should shrink or shrug at sufferings But Ninthly I answer That the afflictions persecutions and sufferings that attend Christians in these dayes are nothing to the fiery trialls that the Saints and Martyrs of old have met with For seven-fold harder measure has been measured forth to them then is this day measured forth to us our sufferings are hardly to be nam'd in the day wherein those sore and heavy things are mentioned that those precious and famous Worthyes of old have suffered I may say to most Christians as the Apostle did to the Hebrewes Heb. 12.4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin many have but you have not you have only met with hard words when others have met with blowes and wounds you have been only a contending with men when others have been a contending with beasts you have been only whipt with Rosemary branches when others have been whipt with Scorpions you have been only bound with silken bands when others have been bound with Iron chaines Will you be so favourable to your selves as to compare your sufferings with the sufferings of former Saints and that you may let me give you a little Breviate of their sufferings of whom the world was not worthy History tells us that in the Ten primitive persecutions they exercised all manner of cruelty and torments that could be devised against the Christians 1. in the Reigne of Adrian the Emperour there were ten thousand Christians crucified in the Mount Ararat crowned with crownes of Thornes and thrust into the sides with sharp darts 2. Others were so whipt that their very inward arteries and veines appeared and their intrailes and bowells were seen and afterwards they were set upon sharp shells taken out of the Sea edged and sharp and certaine nailes and thornes were sharpned and pointed called Obelisci for them to goe upon and after all this cruelty they were throwne to wild beasts to be devoured 3. Multitudes were banished 4. Others were drawn asunder with wild Horses 5. Some were Rackt with bars of Iron 6. Others were cast into loathsome Dungeons 7. Some were burnt in the fire 8. Others were knockt downe and had their braines beate out with Staves and Clubs 9. Some were prickt in their faces and eyes with sharp Reeds 10. Others were stoned to death with stones as Stephen was 11. Some were dashed in pieces against Mill-stones 12. Others had their teeth dasht out of their Jawes and their joynts broken 13. Some were cast downe from very high places 14. Others were beheaded 15. Some were tormented with Razors 16. Others were slaine with the sword 17. Some were run thorow with Pikes 18. Others were driven into the wilderness where they wandered up and downe suffering hunger and cold and where they were exposed to the fury both of wild beasts and also to the rage of the barbarous Arabians 19. Some fled into Caves which by their persecutors were rammed up with stones and there they dyed 20. Others were troden to death by the people 21. Some were hanged on Gibbets with fire under their sides 22. Others were cast into the Sea and drown'd 23. Some were slaine in mettal Mines 24. Others were hanged by the feet and choaked with the smoak of a small fire their leggs being first broken 25. Some were poudered with salt and vineger and then roasted with a soft fire 26. Others were hanged by one hand that they might feele the weight of their whole bodies scorching broyling over burning Coales 27. Some were shot through with Arrowes and afterwards thrown into stinking Jakes 28. Others were stript stark-naked as ever they were borne and turned out of doores in cold frosty nights and burnt the next day 29. In Syria a company of Christian virgins were stript stark-naked to be scorned by the multitude then shaved then covered with swill and draffe and then torne in pieces and devoured by swine 30. Lastly many women had one joynt of their bodies pulled from another And another cruelty that they practised in the primitive times was this They would make Fathers to kindle the Faggots to burne their own children c. and their flesh and sides scratched with Tallons of wild Beasts to the bones and their breasts seared with Torches till they dyed And thus you have an account of thirty severall wayes by which the precious sons and daughters of Zion have formerly been afflicted tormented and destroyed and what heart of stone can reade over this bill of particulars with dry eyes And now tell me Sirs whether your fufferings are worth a naming in that day wherein the sufferings of the precious servants of God in the primitive times are spoken of O no well then take heed of making Mole-hills mountaines and of crying out is there any sorrow to our sorrow or any sufferings to our sufferings But Tenthly I answer That unholy persons have suffered as great and grievous things for the satisfying of their lusts and humors and for the compassing of some worldly good as you have suffered Witness Jehu Ahab Jezebel Balaam Judas c. or are like to suffer for your pursuing after holiness O the hazards the dangers the deaths that many have run through to gratifie their lusts Petrus Blesensis has long since observed that the Courtiers of his time suffered as many vexations with weariness and painfulness with hunger and thirst and with all the Catalogue of Pauls afflictions that is reckon'd up in that 2 Cor. 11. as good Christians did for the truth I have read of a Roman servant who knowing his Master was sought for by Officers to be put to death he to save his Masters life put himselfe into his Masters Cloathes that he might be taken for him and accordingly he was taken and put to death for him and all this out of a humor of vaine glory The Romans desire of the praises of men saith Augustin made them bountifull of their purfes and prodigall of their lives This was in Anno 1555. c. Servetus at Geneva gave all his goods to the poore and his body to be burnt and all for a name for a little glory among men saith Calvin Ah what cutting what lancing what bleeding what vomitting and what searching will many men endure upon the advice of their Physitians and all for a little health a little â—trength or to preserve a wretched life for a few dayes yea for a few houres sometimes O the tortures and torments that many Romans and others have undergon sometimes out of love to their Countrey and sometimes to maintaine their credit and reputation among men and sometimes out of an affectation of future fame and renowne and to eternalize their names and why then should Christians thinke so much of suffering afflictions and persecutions for holiness
the hearts and tongues of others against the people of God A wicked tongue as Bernard observes kills three at once first it kills his name and fame by ill report who is slandered Secondly it kills his belief with a lye to whom the report is made 3. It kills the slanderer himself with the sâ—â—â— of detraction David who fell oftener under the sad lashes of evil tongues compares reviling tongues to three fatal weapons a Razor a Sword and an Arrow 1. To a Razor in that Psal 52.2 Now you know a Razor meets with every little hair and many times instead of shaving the hair it slashes the flesh and sometimes by missing the Beard it endangers the throat And so the reviling tongue will take the least advantage imaginable to slash and cut the names and reputations of those that fear the Lord in a thousand pieces Psal 57.4 2. To a sword that cuts and wounds deep and so does the revilers tongue cut deeply into the names fames and credits of the people of God And 3. To an Arrow the sword onely cuts when we are near Psal 64.3 but the Arrow hits at a distance the sword can't cut except we be at hand but the Arrow may hit us when we are afar off the reviler can easily shoot his Arrows of reproach a great way off he can shoot them from one Town to another Psal 73.9 from one City to another from one kingdom to another yea from one end of the earth to the other when the hands are manacled and the feet fettered and stocked the tongue travils freely all the world over and loads the names of men with what reproaches it pleaseth The tongue is the great interpreter of the heart the tongue is the key that unlocks those treasures of wickedness that be in the heart Mat. 12.34 That man has commonly most of the devil in his heart that has most of the devil in his mouth The strokes in Musick answer to the notes that are pricked in the Rules the corruptions of mens hearts commonly breaks forth at their lips Look as a pimpled face discovers a distempered Liver and as a stinking breath discovers corrupted Lungs so a reviling tongue discovers a base rotten heart When the Pumpe goes you may quickly know whether the water that is in the Fountain or Well be clear or muddy sweet or stinking and when the clapper strikes you may soon guess of what mettal the Bell is made of and so by mens tongues you may easily guess what is in their hearts if the tongue be vil'd the heart is so if the tongue be bloody the heart is so if the tongue be adulterous the heart is so if the tongue be malicious the heart is so if the tongue be covetous the heart is so and if the tongue be cruel the heart is so c. mens minds are known by their mouthes if the mouth be bad the mind is not good he that is rotten in his talk is commonly rotteâ—â—n the heart Of all the members of the body there is none so serviceable to Satan as an evil tongue and therefore when all the body is full of sores Chrysostom Drexelius and others he will keep the tongue from blisters that so a man may the more freely and fully curse God and die And this was the reason why Satan spared Jobs tongue when he sadly paid all other members of bis body that so his grand designe which was to provoke Job both to curse God and to charge him foolishly might take place but Jobs tongue be oyled with grace proved his glory in his trying hour and instead of cursing he blesses a taking God an angry God O! sirs the world is as full of evil tongues as Nilus of Crocodiles or as Sodom of Sulphur or as Egypt of Lice and there is no fence no guard against these evil tongues and therefore why should any man be discouraged from pursuing after holiness because of the revilings of evil tongues Munster writes of men in India which speak not like men but barks like doggs and who regards such men no more should we regard such foul mouth'd persons who are still barking against holiness as the doggs bark against the Moon but as the Moon runs her race and holds her course though all the doggs in the Town bark never so much at it so should you pursue after holiness though all the tongues in the Town should be barking and scoffing at you But Thirdly Consider That those that now reproach holiness will ere long be of another minde they that now revile and reproach holiness will in a short time change their minds and their notes when these very men who revile holiness shall come to fall under terrors and horrors of conscience and when they shall come to lye upon their dying beds and to have their immortal souls sit trembling and quaking upon their pale lips and when they shall appear before the great God Numb 23.10 and awake with everlasting flames about their ears O how will they then wish that they had never reviled holiness How will they then wish that they had prized holiness and that they had spent their All in pursuing after holiness O how will they then charge themselves and censure themselves and arraign and condemn themselves for their scorning and condemning of holiness O how will they then wish that they had never heard of holiness nor read of holiness nor thought of holiness O how will they then wish that their mothers wombs had proved their Tombes and that they had rather lived and died in a land of darkness then thus to live and dye without holiness Now O what folly and madness is it for thee to neglect the pursuit of holiness because such and such revile it who perhaps before the next year the next month yea it may be the next Sabbath comes about will wish ten thousand times over and over that they had pursued after it and that they had made it their greatest work in this world to obtain it But Fourthly Such persons who are revilers deriders and haters of holiness should rather be divinely contemned scorned and slighted then any ways gratified encouraged pleased and strengthned in their evil ways by thy neglect of holiness and by thy non-pursuance after holiness Ezek. 13.19 ult O how may thy neglect of holiness upon the account of revilings and scornings strengthen the hands and the hearts of revilers and scorners c and therefore 't is much better divinely to slight and disdain them then by sinful omissions to gratifie and please them See how slighting Elisha carries it to wicked Jehoram though he was a King 2 Kings 3.13 14. The Prophets here spoken of were the remaining Prophets of Baal of the idolatrous groves and of the Calves of Jeroboam And Elisha said unto the King of Israel what have I to do with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy father and Prophets of thy
hearts of his children against sin by their very falling into sin O what love to Christ what thankfulness for Christ what admiration of Christ what cleaving to Christ what exalting of Christ and what drawing from Christ are Saints led to by their very falls O what exercise of grace what increase of grace what magnifying of grace what liftings up of Divine Power and what a high price are holy men led to set upon the precious Blood of Christ and all by their falls 'T is the glory of Gods Holiness that hee can turn spiritual diseases into holy remedies and soul-poisons into heavenly cordials that hee can prevent sin by sin and cure falling by falling one calls that 8th of the Romans and the 28. The blinde mans Promise and I may call it the lame mans Promise that is holy and the deaf mans Promise that is holy and the dumb mans Promise that is holy and the needy mans Promise that is holy and the sick mans Promise that is holy and the languishing mans Promise that is holy and the dying mans Promise that is holy O the comfort O the sweet O the content O the satisfaction that this Promise hath afforded to many a precious Saint when other Promises have not been at hand O Christian what though friends and relations frown upon thee what though enemies are plotting and conspiring against thee what though wants like an armed man are ready to break in upon thee what though men rage and Devils roar what though sickness be in thy family and death stands every day at thy elbow yet there is no reason for thee to fear or faint because all these things shall work for thy good Yea there is wonderful cause of joy and rejoycing in all the afflictions and tribulations that comes upon thee considering that they shall all work for thy good O Christians I am afraid I am afraid that you do not run so often as you should to the breasts of this Promise nor draw that sweetness and comfort from it that it would yeeld and that your several cases may require and thus I have done with this use of comfort and consolation to all Gods holy ones You see what comfort what consolation yea what strong consolation waits upon all Gods sanctified ones I have been the longer upon this use because the times require it and the condition of Gods people calls for the strongest cordials and the choicest and the sweetest comforts And now I have nothing to do but to lay down some Positions concerning Holiness which may be of singular use for the preventing of some Objections and mistakes and for the giving of satisfaction especially to such in whom the streams of Holiness runs low and who are still a lamenting and mourning under the imperfections of their Holiness c. And the first Position is this Where ever real Holiness is it will appear it will discover it self it will shew it self Eph. 4.15 16. it is the very nature of Grace and Holiness to manifest it self and therefore it is set forth in Scripture by the names of light which shines abroad and of ointment and perfume Mat. 5.16 Prov. 27.9 Cant. 3.6 which cannot be hid of Leaven and Salt which deriveth its own nature and rellish upon a whole lump And 't is very observable that when the Holy Ghost was given Act. 2.1 2 3 4 5. he was given in tongues fiery tongues and with a rushing of a mighty wind all which have a quality of self-manifestation and notifying of themselves to others Take a River that is damm'd and stopt up yet if the course of it be natural and if it commonly runs downward it will at length bear down all and ride and run triumphantly over all that is in its way So though real Holiness in a day of temptation desertion and affliction c. may seem to bee damm'd and stopt up yet at length it will make its way through all over all and shew its self in its native colours Though fire for a time may lye hid under the Ashes yet at last it will flame forth and shew it self to be fire Holiness is a divine fire and though in some cases it may for a time seem to bee hid it will at length break forth and shew it self to be Holinesse I have not Faith enough to beleeve that that man was ever really holy whose Holinesse is still unâ—er a bushel or in a dark Lanthorn Look as natural life cannot be so hid but that it will discover it self a hundred hundred waies So Holinesse which is a Christians spiritual life cannot be so hid but it will discover it a hundred hundred waies The second Position is this That Holiness rises by degrees it rises gradually in the souls of the Saints Though the first Adam was made a man a holy man Job 17.9 Psal 92.12 Mal. 4.2 Hos 14.5 6 7. yea man perfectly holy and all at once yet the Holiness of all that is interested in the second Adam rises by degrees 'T is true in the Creation of the world all the creatures were made in their full and perfect growth and strength at once but in the new Creation Holiness which is Gods own creature is carried on by degrees Luk. 2.52 Look as Christ increased in wisdome and in stature and in favour with God and man by degrees So that Babe of Grace Holiness increases in the soul by degrees Look as the seed which is sown in the furrows of the earth Mat. 13.23 Mark 4.28 first springs into a blade and then into an ear and then into ripe Corn So that immortal seed Holiness which is sown in the furrows of a Christians soul springs and grows by degrees Look as the waters in the Sanctuary rise first to the ancles then to the knees then to the loins then to the chin Ezek. 47.3 4 5. and then to a River that was not passable So Holinesse rises higher and higher in the soul by degrees Look as the morning light shines more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4.18 So the light of Holinesse shines more and more clear and more and more bright until all darknesse and imperfection be swallowed up in perfection Look as the body of a man grows and increases by degrees in stature and strength till it comes to its full growth and perfection Eph. 4.16 So Grace and Holinesse will grow and increase by degrees till Grace bee turned into Glory till Holiness bee turned into Happiness Though the Ocean be full yet the bottle cannot bee filled but by degrees Wee are poor narrow-mouthed Bottles and therefore what wee take in of Holinesse must bee by degrees our incapacity is so great that at present wee are no waies able to take in a fulnesse of Holinesse and therefore God drops in now a drop and then a drop now a little and then a little as wee are able to take it in And indeed to difference