Paul handled holy things in such a manner as much of God and little or nothing of man could be perceived In religious exercises Paul seems to say to humane eloquence and fleshly wisdom to affected Rhetorick and flattering Oratory Stand a far off come not near I have now to do with God and to do with souls and to do with eternity and therefore what have I to do with you Paul had an eye to divine glory in what he did and therefore he durst not tip his tongue and store his head with aiery notions or with the enticing words of mans wisdom Of all the Apostles At a festival time when Bernard had preached very eloquently and the people much admired and applauded him he was much sadded the next day he preached a plain and powerfull Sermon without any Rhetorical dresses at which many curious itching ears were unsatisfied but himself and his meaner capacitated Auditors were much pleased and delighted and being asked the reason of it he returned this answer Heri Bernardum hodie Jesum Christum yesterday I preached Bernard but to day Jesus Christ Paul was most eminent and excellent in all humane Arts Parts and Gifts and yet in religious exercises he layes them all by 1 Cor. 14.18 19. I thank my God I speak with tongues more then you all Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue The Church of Corinth excelled all other Churches in gifts I do not say in grace and many among them prided themselves up in the exercise of their gifts and tongues in their Church Assemblies that so they might win the more credit and repute to themselves of being men of great learning reading and parts but the holy Apostle by his own example labours to win them to decline all vain ostentation and to work them to expresse themselves so as might be most for the information conviction edification and salvation of their hearers souls Holy Paul had much learning and yet in religious exercises he used little The Corinthians had lesse and yet made such shews and flourishes of it even in their religious duties as if in their breasts all the Libraries in the world had been lockt up This puts me in mind of what once I have read concerning a Rabbi that had but little learning and lesse modesty and ingenuity for he usurping all the discourse at Table where many were one much admiring of him asked one of his friends in private Whether he did not take such a man for a great Scholer to whom he answered For ought I know he may be learned but I never heard learning make such a noise The more learning the lesse noise the lesse learning the more noise men will make The Sun shews least when it is at the highest and those waters are most deep that run most silent they usually are men of the greatest parts that use them least in religious works Famous Mr. Dod was wont to say that so much Latine was so much flesh in a Sermon The gilt upon the Pill may please the eye but it profits not the Patient The paint upon the glass may feed the fancy but the room is rather the darker then the lighter for it Painted glasse in Churches is more glorious but plain glasse is most perspicuous when men come to Church-work to Pulpit-work all plainesse must be used Starched Oratory may tickle the brain but its plain Doctrine that informs the judgement that convinces the conscience that bows the will and that wins the heart That Sermon hath most learning in it that hath most plainesse in it And therefore a great Scholer was wont to say Lord give me learning enough that I may preach plain enough Silly ignorant people are very apt to dote upon that most and admire that most which they understand least But prudent Christians judge of Ministers not by their lungs but by their brains not by their throats but by their hearts and lives not by their voices and tones but by the plainnesse spiritualnesse suitablenesse and usefulnesse of their matter Like Demost hénes Erasmus who when he heard an Orator bellowing with a loud and roaring voice said Non quod magnum est bene est sed quod bene est magnum est I mark rather the goodnesse then loudnesse of an Oration It is observable that throughout the Scriptures Holy Moses covered his glistering face with a vail when he spake to the people that the profoundest Prophets and the greatest Apostles yea and Christ himself did commonly accomodate themselves to their hearers capacities they kept in and kept under all those humane excellencies the discovery of which might any wayes cloud divine glory Men that have their eyes upon divine glory do know that the more any acquired parts 1 Cor. 9.8 gifts and excellencies do appear in holy exercises the more the name honour and glory of God is clouded and the more those that have most of the indwellings of God are dissatisfied and disadvantaged therefore those that have real respect to divine glory Eusebius tells us of some in his dayes who to win upon the minds of men did amaze them with new words Euseb Hist l. 4. c. 7. they draw as it were a curtain between all their humane excellencies religious exercises That none may think this is my private opinion let me add a few sayings of theirs that have been eminent in acquired excellencies Greg. Naz a holy a weighty Writer compares curiosity novelty of speech in the things of God unto lascivious dancing the arts of Juglers whereby they deceive the senses of those that look on And further saith that simple proper genuine language was in holy things wont to be esteemed godlinesse And it was a remarkable saying of golden-mouth'd Chrysostom as some call him When I first began to preach said he I was a child and delighted in Rattles in the applause of the people but when I was a man I began to depise them New phrases and expressions do many times make way for the introducing of new doctrines as learned Paraeus in his Comment on 1 Cor. 1.1 observes for the most part saith he those who in points of Divinity devise new terms and unusual expressions do hide under them some new and strange doctrines they wrap up their errour in some intricate words and distinctions The Orators of Athens were then suspected when they began to make excursions with florid expressions when our words in preaching differ from the stile of the Holy-Ghost the people be in danger of turning aside to vain jangling saith Danaeus Loquamur verba Scripturae c. said that incomparable man Peter Ramus let us speak the words of Scripture let us make use of the language of the Holy-Ghost and for ever abominate those that prophanely disdain at the stately plainness of Gods
as much called out of the kingdome of darkness as another and one Saint is as much called to Jesus Christ as another in vocation God looks with as favourable an eye upon one as he do's upon another And as all Saints are equally called so all Saints are equally justified 2 Cor. 5.19 20. 1 Cor. 1.30 though one Saint may be more sanctified then another yet no Saint is more justified then another the weakest believer is as much justified and pardoned before the throne of God as the strongest is that pure perfect matchless and spotless righteousness of Christ is as much imputed to one Saint as 't is to another And as all Saints are equally justified so all Saints are equally adopted Gal. 4.4 5 6. the weakest believer is as much an adopted son as the strongest believer in the world is God is no more a father to one then he is to another the Babe in the armes is as much a son as he that is of riper yeares Thus you see that Gods love of good will is equall in all his Saints and therefore you are to understand this Argument of Gods love of complacency now this love runs out more to some Saints then it do's to others for they that have much holiness are much beloved John 14.21 23 but they that have most holiness are most beloved the greater thou art in holiness the greater wilt thou be beloved of God O Daniel Dan. 9.23 thou art greatly beloved And why do's God love more and delight more in Christ then he do's in all the Angels and Saints in heaven and in all the upright ones that are on earth but because Christ is more eminent and glorious in holiness then all created beings are Heb. 1.3 he is more the express Image of his Fathers person and the brightness of his Fathers glory then others and therefore he is more beloved then others 'T was an excellent observation of one of the Fathers August Tract in John 1.14 viz. that God loved the humanity of Christ more then any man because he was fuller of grace and truth then any man Now for the further clearing up of this great Argument Consider first that the more holy any person is the more excellent that person is All corruptions are diminutions of excellency the more mixt any thing is the more abased it is the more you mix your wine with water the more you abase your wine and the more you mix your Tin with Gold the more you abase your Gold but the purer your wine is the richer and the better your wine is and the purer your Gold is the more glorious and excellent it is so the purer and holier any person is the more excellent and glorious that person is Now the more divinely excellent and glorious any person is the more he is beloved of God and the more he is the delight of God But secondly the more holy any person is Heb. 11.5 the more that person pleases the Lord fruitfulness in holiness fills heaven with joy The Husbandman is not so much pleased with the fruitfulness of his fields nor the wife with the fruitfulness of her womb nor the father with the thriving of his child as God is pleased with the fruitfulness and thriving of his children in grace and holiness now certainly the more God is pleased with any person the more he loves that person and the more pleasure and delight he takes in such a person if God be most pleased with holiness he cannot but be most delighted in those that are most holy But thirdly the more holy any person is the more like to God he is and the more like to God he is doubtless the more he is beloved of God 't is likeness both in nature and grace that alwayes drawes the strongest love Though every child is the father multiplyed the father of a second edition yet the father loves him best and delights in him most who is most like him and who in feature spirit and action do's most resemble him to the life and so do's the father of spirits also he alwayes loves them best who in holiness resemble him most There are foure remarkable things in the beloved Disciple above all the rest 1. John 13.23 Ch. 18.16 Ch. 19.26 Vers 27. That he lay nearest to Christs Bosome at the Table 2. That he followed Christ closest to the high Priests Palace 3. That he stood close to Christ when he was on the Cross though others had basely deserted him and turn'd their backs upon him 4. That Christ commended the care of his virgin mother to him Now why did Christs desire love and delight run out with a stronger and a fuller Tyde towards John then to the rest of the Disciples doubtless 't was because John did more resemble Christ then the rest 't was because John was a more exact picture and lively representation of Christ then the others were But fourthly the more holy any man is the more communion and familiarity that man shall have with God As you may see in Moses Moses was a none-such for meekness and holiness Num. 12.3 Now the man Moses was very meeke above all the men which were upon the face of the earth There was no man so slighted wronged provoked teazed perplexed and troubled by that wicked unthankful unbelieving and murmuring Generation as Moses was and yet he did neither raile at them nor revile them he did neither storme nor rage he did neither fret nor fling and though he had a sword of Justice in his hand and might easily have avenged himselfe on them yet he would not but exercised all patience tenderness goodness and sweetness towards them O the lowliness the meekness the holiness of this man Moses And O the freeness the friendliness the openness and the familiarness of God with Moses Deut. 34.10 And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face To give you a little light into these words Some of the Rabbies observe that Moses surpassed all the other Prophets not only in sublimity of Prophesies but also in excellency and number of miracles for Moses within one Age wrought seventy six miracles when all the rest of the Prophets from the beginning of the world quite downe to the ruine of the first Temple wrought only seventy foure And as for those words whom the Lord knew face to face you are not to understand them thus that God hath a face as man hath nor that Moses had a view of the essence of God which is invisible John 1.18 1 Tim. 6.16 for in this sense no man hath seen God at any time and indeed the least beame of Gods essentiall glory and Majestie would have swallowed up Moses alive But these words whom the Lord knew face to face are to be understood of Gods speaking to Moses in a free friendly familiar and plaine manner God did speak to
Moses by a cleare articulate voice even as one man speaks to another when they speak face to face And so when Aaron and Miriam were swell'd with pride and envy and began to bespatter Moses and to pick a hole in his Coat and to cloud eclipse and diminish his glory see at what ahigh and noble rate God speaks of Moses see how God magnifies and exalts and lifts up Moses in that 12 Num. 6 7 8. And he said heare now my words if there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dreame My servant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all my house with him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold Wherefore then were ye not-afraid to speak against my servant Moses Now here you see how God owns Moses and stands up for Moses and pleads for Moses and tells Aaron and Miriam to their faces that Moses was the greatest favourite and that he had far greater respects for Moses then he had for them and that there was not a man in all the world that was so inward with him as Moses and that had so much of his eare and heart as Moses had God did appeare to oâ—her Prophets in Dreames and visions which were transient but with Moses God will speak mouth to mouth God will speak to him without an interpreter he will speak to Moses more familiarly and frequently then he did to others by visions and more clearely plainly and assuredly then he did to others by dreames God here engages himselfe to hold a more close familiar friendly and constant conference and correspondence with Moses then with any others in the world Moses was blest with as cleare and with as full and with as apparent sight of God and communion with God as he was able to bare and comprehend Some of the learned are of opinion that Christ did converse with Moses in a humane shape as he had done with Abraham before Gen. 18. Ch. 32.30 c. they conjecture that the Lord Jesus did very friendly and familiarly shew himselfe to Moses with that very same face and forme of humane nature which he afterwards assumed but this I dare not press upon you as an Article of your faith And whether Moses had one hundred and seventy three familiar conferences with God which none of the Prophets had lyes upon those Rabbies to prove that doe assert it but this is granted on all hands that he was a speciall favourite and a man in high communion with God and one that had very cleare and eminent discoveries and manifestations of God And so Abraham was a man of great holiness and a man eminent in his communion with God God own'd him as a friend Isa 41.8 as an honorable friend as an eminent friend as a bosome friend as a peculiar friend and as a faithful friend and therefore he made him one of his Privy Councell and open'd his heart and his secrets to him And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I doe Gen. 18.17 Abraham is stil'd the friend of God by a specialty though God had many friends yet 't was Abraham that was his singular friend his darling friend his rare friend c. and accordingly God was most free and full and rich in the communications of his favours and secrets to Abraham 't was not enough for Abraham to be of Gods Court but he must be also of his Cabinet Councell 'T was alwayes a principle in morality that sweet and intimate friendship cannot be extended to many Friends usually goe by paires And thus you see that the more holy any man is the more communion that man shall have with God and the more communion any man has with God the more beloved shall that man be of God the highest communion is alwayes attended with the highest love But Fifthly and lastly the more holy any man is the more actually ripe and fit for heaven that man is A Christian at first conversion is but ruâ—â—e cast but as holiness is encreased Job 5.26 so he comes more and more every day to be prepared polished squared and fitted for a full and glorious fruition of God in heaven though the least degree of grace and holiness puts a man into an habitual preparedness and fittedness for heaven yet 't is only an eminency in grace and holiness that puts a man into an actuall preparedness and fittedness for heaven the richer in grace the riper for glory the higher you are in holiness the fitter you are to enter into the joy of your Lord Math. 25.19 to ver 24. though the least drop or dram of holiness is enough to keep a man from dropping into hell yet 't is only growne holiness that actually prepares and fits a man to goe to heaven Now doubtless the more actually ripe and ready any man is for heaven the more pleasure and delight God takes in him the more the vessels of grace are fitted for glory the more complacency God takes in them When God set himselfe upon the creation of the world in the close of every dayes work except the second for which the opinions of the learned are various God set to his Seale that it was good but when he had perfected and compleated the whole Creation and cast an eye upon all together then he concludes Gen. 1. ult that it was very good And God saw all that he had made and behold it was very good or extream good so some or very pleasant and delightfull so others The work of Creation was so curiously and gloriously fram'd and so full of admirable rarities and varieties that it raised delight and complacency in God himselfe Aug. in Gen. 1.31 Whereupon Augustine observes that even to every grace yea of the least degree of grace he saith it is good but when he beholds the graces of his Saints fresh and flourishing your faith acted and strengthened your repentance daily renewed your humility increased c. then he concludes that all is very good O Sirs if the Lord Jesus Christ be so ravished with one of his Spouses eyes Cant. 4.9 and with one chaine of her neck with the least drops or sips of grace or with the least grains and drams of grace and holiness O how much more will great measures of grace and holiness take him and ravish him Well for a close of this Argument remember this that as the Sun shines hotter on some Climates then it doth upon others and as the dew falls more upon one place then another and as the water over-flowes some pastures more then others so Gods love of complacency and delight shines hotter and brighter upon some Christians then it do's upon others and these I have shew'd you to be such who are most eminent and excellent in
shall not tarry in his sight Psal 5.5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight or as the Hebrew hath it before thine eyes thou hatest all workers of iniquity God will never admit fools to be his favourites he will at last shut the door of glory against them Mat. 25.4 13. A seventh Argument to prove that without real holiness there is no happiness that without holiness on earth no man shall ever come to a blessed vision or fruition of God in heaven is this Unholy persons are to be excluded and shut out from sacred from special communion and fellowship with the Saints in this world and therefore without all peradventure they shall never be admitted to everlasting communion and fellowship with God Christ Angels and Saints in that other world That they are to be shut out from having any special communion with the Saints here is most plain and evident from several Scripures take these for a taste Lev. 10.10 Lev. 13.46 Numb 5.1 2 3 4. Exod. 12.48 Lev. 22.3 4 5 6 7. As oft said One as I have been among wicked men I return home less a man then I was before The Docrenean well will quench a burning torch so will bad company the most burning and most shining Christians as you see in Joseph and Peter Psal 106.35 when they were mingled among the Heathen they quickly learn their works Psa 119.115 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy and between unclean and clean Ezek. 44.23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and prophane and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean And because the Priests did not improve their power and interest to preserve the things of God from prophaning and polluting the Lord was very much offended and provoked Ezek. 22.26 Her Priests have violated my Law and have prophaned mine holy things they have put no difference between the holy and prophane neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am prophaned among them And in Chap. 44.7 8. God sadly complains that they brought into his Sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh and prohibits such from entring into his Sanctuary ver 9. Thus saith the Lord God No stranger uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary of any stranger that is among the children of Israel God expects that faithfull teachers should put a difference between person and person between the holy and prophane between the clean and the unclean in all holy administrations Jerem. 15.19 Therefore thus saith the Lord If thou take forth the pretious from the vile then thou shalt be as my mouth let them return unto thee but return not thou unto them Now certainly if under the Ceremonial Law natural uncleanness did exclude and shut out the Israelites from a participation in holy things then certainly moral uncleanness may justly exclude and shut out Christians from a participation in holy things under the Gospel Mat. 7.6 Give not that which is holy unto dogs neither cast ye your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent you Holy things are too precious to be spent and spilt upon swinish sinners Gospel administrations are pretious pearls that must not be given to swine 2 Cor. 6.17 Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you Prophane scandalous blind and ignorant persons are very unclean things and from them we must come out as we would be in with God we must be out with them we must reject them as we would have God to receive us 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away Our Saviour Christ hied him to the wilderness amongst the beasts and carried his Disciples with him holding their fellowship to be less hurtfull and dangerous It is better to live among beasts then to live among men of beastly principles and beastly practises Now there are ten sorts of persons that Christians must turn from that they must have no intimate no special communion with in this world First Unbelievers 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. We should not close with them that have not closed with Christ nor give our selves up to them who have not given up themselves to Christ Every unbeliever is a condemned person the Law hath cast him John 3.18 the Gospel hath cast him and his own conscience hath cast him and what sacred communion what delightfull fellowship can believers have with condemned persons Ver. 36. Every Unbeliever is under the wrath of the great God he is under that wrath that he can neither avoid nor abide and what communion can such have who are under love with those that are under wrath Every unbeliever makes God a Lyar. 1 Iohn 5.10 And what children will have communion with such who every day give their Father the Lye to his very face Every unbeliever doth practically say Tush there is no such loveliness or comeliness there is no such beauty or glory there is no such fulness or sweetness there is no such goodness or graciousness in Jesus as men would make us believe and what is this but to give God the Lie Tus◠there is no such favour there is no such peace there is no such pardon there is no such Righteousness there is no such Grace there is no such glory to be reaped by Christ as God and men would perswade us and what is this but to tell God he lyes to his very teeth And what ingenuous child can take pleasure in such who are still a spitting in his Fathers face Every unbeliever is a disobedient person Numb 14.11 Heb. 11.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 5.8 2 Cor 6.14 15. 1 Cor. 14.23 ult 2 Tim. 3.1.6 and therefore unbelievers and disobedient are in the Greek expressed by one word and what communion can obedient children have with those that are disobedient and rebellious Every unbeliever is a Pagan a Heathen in the Scripture dialect and what communion can those who are of the houshold of faith have with Pagans and Heathens Every unbeliever is a Traytor he commits Treason daily against the Crown and dignity of heaven and what Loyal Subjects will hold communion with Traitors Unbelievers are the greatest Robbers they rob God of his declarative glory though they cannot rob him of his Essential glory they rob h m of the glory of his truth and faithfulnesse as if he would falsifie the word that is gone out of his mouth as if he were yea and nay and as if his credit was so low and contemptibe that he must needs run a hazzard that shall trust to him or roul himself upon him They rob him of the glory of his goodness and mercy as if there were any sins too great
everlasting strength that it may go well with them for ever I have read of a chaste Virgin who being strongly tempted and soliticed by a lewd Russian to uncleannesse after some disscourse she called for a pan of burning coals requesting him for her sake to hold his finger in them but one hour he answered it is an unkind and unreasonable request it is truth saith she it is so but you ask me a more unkind and unreasonable request viz. to satisfie you in a thing for which I shall not only burn an hour but burn both body and soul in hell fire for ever and ever And so overcame the temptation But Lord if I must go into fire into everlasting fire Oh let me have some good company in my misery No the Devil and his Angels shall be your companions Ah who can conceive or express the misery of cohabitation with Devils and damned Spirits Many unholy souls would not live in a house haunted with evil spirits one night for all the world and yet they live as if it were nothing to be billetted with hellish Fiends and furies for ever If the sight of a seeming ghost for a moment be such a terror and torment to thee what will the horrible sight of devils and the gastly sight of the damned be Job 30.29 If it was so great an affliction to Job to be a companion to Owls what will it be to thee to be a companion to devils Psalm 120.5 If it was so great a grief and wo to David to sojourn in Mesech and to dwell in the tents of Kedar for a time what a wo will it be to unholy souls to dwell with Devils and reprobates for ever Ah how will Satans deformity antipathy and cruelty amaze thee and torment thee How will the damneds wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth abash thee and confound thee How will thine old companions cursing of thee the sight of thy near relations in misery with thee and devils scornfully insulting over thee and the never dying worm feeding perpetually upon thee be many hells of horror to thee Had an unholy soul as many worlds in his hand to give as there be stars in heaven he would give them all for a license alwayes to sleep under those pains and torments that will admit of no intermission or mitigation In Rev. 21.8 As the Antients fain of Endymion that he got leave of Jupiter alwayes to sleep you have a catalogue of that damned crue of that rout of Reprobates which shall be your companions for ever But the fearfull and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death These companions are the devils lime-twigs they are his scorpions with which he will torment and whip poor souls for ever Such companions will make many hells to meet in one they will be the top of the souls torments Thus I have done with those arguments that prove the point Viz. That without holiness there is no happiness c. I come now to the Reasons of the Point Why is it that Without holiness there is no happiness that without holiness on earth no man shall ever come to a blessed vision or fruition of God in heaven Among other Reasons that might be rendered you may please to take these Reason 1 First Because God hath said it who is truth and faithfulnesse it self and cannot lye That he hath said it witnesse the very Text and the proofs that are produced to make good the doctrine and hath he said it and shall it not come to pass Hath he spoken it and will he not accomplish the word that is gone out of his mouth Isaiah 46.11 Chap. 48.15 Jerem. 32.24 Isaiah 55.11 Zech. 1.6 Dan. 9.12 Psal 119.138 God is not a man that he should lye Numb 23 19. Also the strength of Israel will not lye 1 Sam. 15.29 God will make good every word that is gone out of his mouth Men sometimes eat their words as soon as they have spoken them they often say and unsay but so will not the holy One of Israel that first and supream being that gives being to all others will certainly give being to all his promises and threatnings God himself shall sooner cease to be then the word that is gone out of his mouth shall be frustrated He that is the faithful witnesse hath said it that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. And verily heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or one tittle that is before the least letter or particle of a letter of Gods blessed word shall pass unfulfilled Matth. 5.18 Gods faithfulnesse is great Lam. 3.23 It reaches unto the clouds Psalm 36.5 He will not suffer his faithfulnesse to fail Psalm 89.33 His faithfulnesse endures through all Generations Psalm 119.90 God will never suffer his faithfulnesse to be stained or blotted and therefore he will undoubtedly make good the word that is gone out of his mouth I had rather said Plutarch that men should say there was never any such person in the world as Plutarch then that they should say Plutarch is unfaithfull A man were better say there is no God then say that God is unfaithful a noble spirit can better bear any charge then that of being unfaithfull and so can a faithfull God Secondly Because real holinesse is that great principle Reason 2 that fits and capacitates souls for communion with God The glory of glory consists in seeing of God 1 Cor. 13 12. 1 John 3.2 as the hell of hell lyes in the souls everlasting separation from God and for a blessed sight and fruition of God Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Without a principle of purity of sanctity there is no vision of God in glory If a man be never so poor yet if his heart be pure God will make a house of his heart wherein his honour will delight to dwell let a mans outside be never so homely yet if his inside be but cleanly God will make it his own habitation God is for that man and that man is for God that carries about with him a pure heart Heart-purity makes a man a darling of heaven Many affect pure language pure houses pure habits pure hands pure air pure meat pure drink pure gestures c. who yet for want of heart-purity shall never see the face of God in glory Heart-purity speaks a man eternally happy Holinesse is that noble principle that fits a man for the happiest sight of God it makes a man a meet companion for God both here and herafter without this principle no man can have communion with God in this world much lesse can he have communion with God in heaven if this precious principle of holinesse be not seated in his heart it will not stand with the holinesse of God
to have any thing to do with those that have no principles of holiness in them It is a principle of holinesse that fits a man for the service of God that fits a man for fellowship with God that fits a man for walking with God that fits a man for correspondency with God and that fits a man for the delight of God and that fits a man for an everlasting fruition of God And therefore certainly without holinesse there is no happinesse without a principle of purity there can be no seeing of the face of God in glory Reason 3 A third Reason why Without real holiness there is no happinesse c. is this because heaven is a holy place and therefore no unholy souls can enter there it is called the high and holy place Isa 57.15 the inheritance of the Saints in heaven is an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet. 1.4 Holinesse dwells in heaven 2 Pet. 3.13 as a man dwells in his house Heaven is the house of Gods holinesse and therefore certainly without holinesse there is no entring into that house Exod. 26.34 Psalm 78.69 Hebrews 9.8 Chap. 12.24 Rev. 21.27 The Holy of Holies in the Temple was a Type of heaven And as none might enter into the Holy of holies that were unholy so none can enter into heaven which is the true Holy of holies but those that are holy Heaven was so holy that it cast out the Angels when they fell from their holinesse Paradise was a Type of heaven and no sooner did Adam lose his holinesse but he was shut out of Paradise Heaven is a City of holinesse and none can enter into that City but such as are holy Rev. 22.14 Heaven is so holy that it would groan to bare one unholy soul Well heaven is a holy place and the inhabitants are all holy and the work of heaven is holy and what then should unholy souls do there Reason 4 A fourth Reason why Without real holiness there is no happinesse Coelum est altera gehenna damnatorum Heaven is another hell to the damned said One. Isa 66.3 4. c. is this Because unholy persons have no hearts to go to heaven though now and then they may talk of heaven and now and then lift up their eyes and hands to heaven and now and then expresse a few cold wishes and lazy desires after heaven it is no difficult thing to demonstrate that in good earnest they have no heart to go to heaven For First How often hath God set life and death heaven and hell before them and they have chosen death rather then life and hell rather then heaven 2. Do you â—hink that that man hath any heart to heaven that will not so much as part with a lust for heaven Luke 13.33 34. 3. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven that hath not so much as a hand to lay hold on the opportunities of grace that might bring him to heaven 4. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven that daily hardens his heart against him who is the way to heaven 5. John 14.6 Isa 63.10 Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven who is still a grieving vexing and quenching that spirit of holinesse that can only fit frame and form him for heaven 6. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven that rarely spends a serious thought of heaven and that lives in this world as if there were no heaven 7. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven whose sinfull courses speak him out to be one of those who have made a covenant with death Isa 18.15 18. and an agreement with hell 8. Do you think that that man hath a heart to go to heaven Rom. 3.8 1 Cor. 4.9 10. that detests those most that are the best woers for heaven 9. Do you think that that man hath any heart to go to heaven who can take no pleasure nor delight in those that are travailing towards heaven 10. Will you say that that man hath a heart to go to heaven that will do nothing affectionately for heaven that will not hear for heaven nor pray for heaven nor trade for heaven nor look for heaven nor long for heaven nor strive for heaven No man ever went to heaven sleeping nor wait for heaven The heart commands all it carries all if the heart were bent for heaven the head would contrive for heaven the eye would look out for heaven and the ear would hear for heaven and the tongue would speak for heaven and the foot would walk towards heaven and the hand would do for heaven By all which it is most evident that unholy persons are not cordially willing to go to heaven it is most certain that unholy persons have no such great mind to go to heaven as some imagine when Dives was in hell his desire was not to be with Abraham in heaven Luke 16.24 27 28 29. but that Lazarus might come and give him a little ease in hell he preferred a little ease in hell before his being with Abraham in heaven Neither did he desire that his five brethren might go to heaven but that they might be kept out of hell and that not out of love to them but out of love to himself he knowing that their company would be no small increase of his own torments Heauen would be a very hell to an unholy heart If now the presence of God in his servants and the presence of God in his Ordinances be such a hell to unholy souls Ah what a hell would the presence of God in heaven be to unholy hearts It is true an unholy heart may desire heaven as it is a place of freedom from troubles afflictions oppressions vexations c. and as it is a place of peace rest ease safety c. but this is the least and lowest part of heaven but to desire it as it is a place of purity of grace of holinesse of enjoying of God c. is above the reach of an unholy heart The company of heaven are all holy the imployments of heaven are all holy and the enjoyments of heaven are all holy and therefore heaven cannot but be an undesireable thing to unholy hearts An unholy heart is no ways desirous nor ambitious of such a heaven as will rid him of his darling sins as will make him conformable to a holy God as will everlastingly divorce him from his old companions and link him for ever to those gratious souls that he hath scorned despised and persecuted in this world Ergo c. Reason 5 Fifthly and Lastly Because without real holinesse men are good for nothing they are fit for nothing without holinesse men are neither good for Church nor State they are neither fit to Rule nor to be ruled to command nor to be commanded to guide nor to be guided
be meer strangers to union and communion with Christ and to the more secret and inward operations and workings of the spirit of Christ and to the most spiritual duties and services that are commanded by Christ Civility is very often the nurse of impiety Mat. 5.19 20 Acts 7.54 Chap. 13.50 Ch. 17.17 18. Romans 8.7 the mother of flattery and an enemy to real sanctity a high conceit of civility keeps many a man from looking after inward and outward purity moral honesty proves to many men a bond of iniquity There are those who are so blinded with the fair shews of civility that they can neither see the necessity nor beauty of sanctity there are those that now bless themselves in their common honesty whom at last God will scorn and cast off for want of real holiness and purity Matth. 25.3.11 12. As Aristides so Socrates Plato Titus Vespatian Tully with multitudes of others amongst the Lacedemonians Grecians Romans c. Many of the Heathens were so famous for justice and righteousness for equity fidelity and sobriety for civility and moral honesty that it would put many professors to the blush to read what is written of them and yet there was such a tincture of popular applause of pride and vain glory of hypocrisie and self-flattery upon their civility and moral honesty that for any thing we can find in Scripture to the contrary there is cause to fear that they shall be miserable to all eternity for all their civility and moral honesty they were left in a damnable I will not say in a damned condition he that rises to no higher pitch then civility and moral honesty shall never have communion with God in glory Naaman was a great man but a Leper 2 Kings 5.1 Naaman was an honourable man but a Leper Naaman was a mighty man but a Leper Naaman was a victorious man but a Leper Naaman was in high favour and esteem with his Prince but a Leper This but he was a Leper stained all his honour and was a blot upon all his greatness and glory both at Court and in the field both in the City and in the Countrey So it is a stain a blot upon the most moral honest man in the world to say he is a very civil honest man but Christless he is a very just man but graceless he is a man of much moral righteousness but he hath not a dram of real holiness c. This but is a fly in the box of ointment that spoils all Well Sirs remember this though the moral honest man be good for many things yet he is not good enough to go to heaven he is not good enough to be made glorious Mat. 5.20 Certainly there is nothing in all the world below real sanctity that will ever bring a man to the possession of glory And though it may grieve us to speak after the manner of men to see sweet natures to see many moral honest men take many a weary step towards heaven and to come near to heaven and to bid fair for heaven and yet after all to fall short of heaven yet it will be no way grievous to a holy God to turn such sweet natures into hell Psal 9.17 moral honesty is not sufficient to keep a man out of eternal misery all it can do is to help a man to one of the best rooms and easiest beds that hell affords For look as the moral mans sins are not so great as others so his punishments shall not be so great as others This is all the comfort that can be afforded to a moral man that he shall have a cooler hell then others have but this is but cold comfort Moral honesty without piety is as a body without a soul and will ever God accept of such a stinking sacrifice Surely no. Fifthly If real holiness be the only way to happiness if men must be holy on earth or else they shall never come to a fruition of God in heaven then this truth by way of conviction looks sowerly and sadly upon all Neuters who divide their hearts between God and Mammon Matth 6.29 who halt between God and Baal 1 Kings 18.21 Zeph. 1.5 2 Kings 17.32 33. Chap. 18.11 James 1.8 A double-soul'd man Matth. 19.16.26 who divide their souls between heaven and earth between Religion and their lusts Like the Samaritans who both worshipped the Lord and the Assyrians Idols too A Neuter is a monster he hath two tongues two minds and two souls he hath a tongue for God and a tongue for the world too he looks up to God and saith Certainly thou art mine he looks down upon the world and saith Surely I am thine He hath a mind to be religious and a mind to save his own stake in the world too He hath a soul reaching after the happiness of another world Numb 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his saith Balaam and he hath a soul strongly reaching after this evil world too 1 Pet. 2.15 Jude 11. Callenuceus tells us of a Noble man of Naples that was wont prophanely to say that he had two souls in his body one for God and another for whosoever would buy it as if heaven and happiness were wrapt up in it As you may see in the same person he loved the wages of unrighteousness he loved it as his portion he loved it as his life he loved it as his happiness he loved it as his all he loved it as his soul yea he loved it above his own soul for he damned his soul to gain it It is true when he was under a divine restraint he professed that he would not curse the people of God for a house full of Gold but when he was from under that restraint his heart was so set upon the unrighteous reward that he would have curst them for a handfull of gold The Neuter as the Romans paint Erasmus hangs between heaven and earth He is neither fit to go to heaven nor yet worthy to live on earth If Meroz was to be certainly curst to be bitterly curst to be universally curst as the Hebrew phrase cursing curse ye Meroz imports in Judges 5.23 for standing Neuter when they should have come forth to the help of the Lord Do you think that Neuters in religion shall be blest Do you think that ever such shall go to heaven who are indifferent whether they go to heaven or no or that ever such shall be happy who are indifferent whether they be holy or no or that ever such shall see the face of Christ with joy who are indifferent whether they have an interest in Christ or no or that ever such shall be admitted into the kingdom of glory who are indifferent where ever they have any entrance into the kingdom of grace or no. Certainly heaven is too holy to hold any such indifferent irresolute Neutral souls In the University not long since
blessed book and that think to correct the divine wisdom and eloquence with their own infancy and sophistry Non quanta eloquentia sed quanta evidentia saith Aug. Melius est ut nos reprehendant Grammatici quam ut non intelligúnt populi the same Author in Psalm 138. Such as mind more saith another the humouring of their hearers fancies then the saving of their souls do little consider that of Seneca Aeger non quaerit medicum eloquentem sed sanantem Sick men are not bettered by Physitians sugared words but by their skilful hands Doctor Sibbs was wont to say That great affectation and good affection seldom go together Truth is like Solomons Spouse all glorious within she is most beautiful when most naked as Adam was in innocency The King of Persia having sent to Antalcidas the Lacedemonian Captain a Garland of Roses wonderfully perfumed with Spices and other sophistications he accepted of his love but misliked the present and sent him word Rosarum odorem artis adulteratione perdidisti Thou hast marred the sweetness of the Roses with the sweetness of thy perfumes So many marr the sweetness of the Word by perfuming it with their humane eloquence and oratory For a close remember that God himself the great Master of speech when he spake from heaven he made use of three several Texts in a breath Matth. 17.5 This is my beloved son Psalm 2.7 In whom I am well pleased Isaiah 42.1 Hear ye him Deut. 18.15 which you may note against the curious queasiness of such nice ones as disdain at the stately plainness of the Scriptures But Christus opera nostra non tam actibus quam finibus pensat Zanchius Thirdly If thou dost really and actually aim at the glory of God in what thou dost then the glory of God will swallow up all by-aimes and ends that may thrust themselves in upon the soul whilest it is at its work Look as Aarons rod Exod. 7.10 11 12. swallowed up the Magicians rods so the glory of God will swallow up all carnal aims and ends Look as the Sun puts out the light of the fire so the glory of God will put out and consume all other ends This is most certain That which is a mans great end that will work out all other ends If thou settest up the glory of God as thy chief end that will by degrees eat out all low and base ends Look as Pharaohs lean kine Gen. 41.4 eat up the fat so the glory of God will eat up all those fat and worldly ends that croud in upon the soul in religious work The keeping up of the glory of God as thy great end will be the keeping down and the casting out of all other ends Fourthly He that really and actually aims at the glory of God in what he doth he will be doing what God commands Rom. 16.19 Obedientia non discutit Dei mandata sed facit Prosper though nothing for the present comes of it If his eye be truly fixed upon divine glory a command of God shall be enough to carry him on in his work Psalm 27.8 When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek When the glory of God is a mans mark his heart will sweetly eccho and graciously comply with divine commands Jer. 3.22 Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Gods commands fall with great power and force upon that mans heart that hath divine glory in his eye One word from God will command such a soul to a gracious compliance with what God requires Psalm 119.4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes As soon as God laies a command upon a Christian he look Tota vita boni Christiani sanctum desiderium est Austin The whole life of a good Christian is a holy wish up to heaven for power to turn that precept into practice O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes O that I were as holy as God would have me to be O that I were as humble and lowly as God would have me to be O that I were as heavenly and spiritual as God would have me to be O that I were as pure and perfect as God would have me to be So ver 48. My hands will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved Many there be which thrust away with all their might thy Commandments but I lift up my hands to thy Commandments Many there be that will strain themselves to take a comfort Prior est Autoritas imperantis quam utilitas servientis Tertul. The chief reason of obedience is the Authority of the Lord not the utility of the servant but I strain my self to lift up thy Commandments Many there are who will stretch out their hands to take a reward but I stretch out my hands to take hold on thy Commandments To give a little more light into these words Sometime the lifting up of hands betokens admiration when men are astonished and ravished they lift up their hands I will lift up my hands to thy Commandments that is I will admire the goodness the holiness the righteousness the purity and excellency of thy Commandments Again we lift up our hands when we betake our selves to refuge why Gods commands are the Saints refuge when they house and shelter themselves under the wings of Gods commands they are safe Again men lift up their hands when they take hold on a thing now gracious souls do take hold on Gods Commandments to do them to practise them and to express the life and power of them Again men lift up their hands to those things that are high and above them now the commands of God are high they are sublime they are above us they are sublime and high in regard of their original they come down from God they are sublime and high in regard of the matter of them they are heavenly Oracles they are dictates of divine wisdom they are sublime and high in regard of the difficulty of keeping of them they exceeding all humane strength and they are sublime and high in regard of their scituation they are scituated in heaven Thy word saies David endures for ever in heaven but yet as sublime and as high as they are a man that hath his eye upon divine glory will lift up his hands unto them he will do all he can to express the pleasure that he takes in them and the readiness of his soul to a holy compliance with them Compare these Scriptures together Psalm 44.12 20. Can. 3.1 2 3. Isa 26.8 9. chap. 59.8 9 10 11. Hab. 2.1 2 3. Micha 7.7 8 9. Lam. 3.8 44. compared with ver 24 25 26 31 32 40 41 55. A man that hath his eye upon divine glory he will keep close to his work to his hearing
I have thoughts of grace and thoughts of mercy and thoughts of love c. for I will dwell among them and be a little Sanctuary to them and make up the want of all outward ordinances and priviledges to them I have read of the Tyrians that they bound their Gods with chains Josh 1.5 Psal 89.33 34. Jer. 32.38 39 40 41. that they might not leave them in their greatest need but our God has bound himselfe with many Golden chains I meane promises that he will never leave nor forsake his people in their greatest necessity and extremity Theodoret had a precious presence of God with him in his sufferings for he sound so much sweetness when he was on the Rack in the midst of his tortures that he profest he did not find any anguish in his torments but a great deale of pleasure and when they took him down from the Rack he complained that they did him wrong in taking of him down and in ceasing to torment him for said he all the while I was on the Rack and you were venting your malice against me I thought there was a young man in white an Angel that stood by me which wiped off the sweat and I found a great deale of sweetness in my sufferings which now I have lost O! Christians in all your sufferings the Angel of Gods presence will bare you company and he will sweeten the most cruel torments and wipe off all the sweat Isa 63.9 and take away all the paine yea he will turne your paines into pleasure If Joseph be cast into prison Gen. 39.20 21. Jer. 36.6 to the 14. Psal 23.4 5. the Lord will be with him there If Jeremiah be throwne into the Dungeon the Lord will be with him there If David walk through the valley of death Gods Rod and his Staffe shall comfort him If the three Children be cast into a fiery Furnace the presence of the Son of God shall preserve them if Daniel must to the Lyons Den God will keep him company there and chain up the Lyons nature and sow up the Lyons mouths and lay a law of restraint upon the Lyons pawes that they shall not have so much as a disposition to touch him or in the least to hurt him or harme him 2 Tim. 4.16 17 18. If Paul be brought before Nero's Judgement seate God will stand by him though all men forsake him and bring him off with credit and triumph Thus you see that in all the afflictions and persecutions that doe befall the people of God God will not faile to keep them company and therefore let not troubles trouble you let not afflictions afflict you nor let not persecutions discourage you But Sixthly I answer That he shall be sure to suffer from Christ that refuses to suffer or that is afraid to suffer for Christs sake or holiness sake or the Gospels sake no man can suffer so much for Christ as he shall be sure to suffer from Christ if he disdaine and refuse to suffer for Christ Mark 8.35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake That Husbandman that keepes his wheat looses his wheat but he that sowes his wheat renewes his wheat and the Gospels the same shall save it He that shall attempt to save his life by crossing his light by shifting off of truth or by forsaking of Christ shall lose it he that thinks to shun suffering by sinning shall be sure to suffer with a witness 't is a gainfull loss to suffer for the truth 't is a lossfull gaine by time-serving and base complying with the lusts and humors of men to provide for our present safety security plenty peace and ease c. either by denying the truth or by betraying the truth or by exchanging the truth or by forsaking the truth When Henry the fourth of France French History had conquered his enemies he turn'd Papist and gave this reason of it That he might settle himselfe in peace and safety Ravilliak who slew him as he was riding abroad in his Coach to refresh himself confessed that the reason why he stabb'd him was because he was of two Religions and thus by endeavouring to save his life he lost it One Philbert Hamlin in France having converted a Priest to the profession of the truth was together with the Priest apprehended and cast into prison at Burdeaux But after a while the Priest being terrified with the prison and feare of death renounced Christ and was set at liberty whereupon Philbert said to him O unhappy and more then miserable man is it possible that to save your life for a few dayes you should so deny the truth Know therefore that though you have avoided the corporal fire yet your life shall not be prolonged for you shall die before me and you shall not have the honor to die for the cause of Christ but you shall be an example to Apostates And accordingly as he went out of the prison two Gentlemen that had a former quarrel with him met him and slew him And thus he also lost his life by endeavoring sinfully to save it Though life be sweet and every creature makes much of it from the highest Angel to the lowest worm yet wo to him that is set upon saving of it when Christ calls upon him to be divinely prodigal of it no fool to him who thinks to avoid a less danger by running himself into a greater danger who thinks to save his body by losing his soul and to save his temporal life by losing eternal life there is no loser to him who by sinful attempts to saved his life shall lose a better life then ever he can save So ver 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Ah friends what are prisons and dungeons and racks and flames to Christs being ashamed of a man in the great day when he shall be attended with Troops of Saints and millions of Angels when in the face of the Court of Heaven when all the Princes of glory shall set upon their thrones Christ shall disdain a man and scorn so much as to look upon him or take any notice of him or shew the least respect or favor towards him O what a Sea of sorrow and a hell of horror will this raise in him I have read that when Sapores King of Persia raised a violent persecution against the Christians Sozom. Hist l. 2. c. 8. Vsthazares an old Nobleman and one of King Sapores Eunuches and Courtiers being a Christian was so terrified that he left off his profession and setting at the Court-gate when Simeon an aged holy Bishop was led to prison and rising up to salute him You may see the same story in Mr. Fox his book of
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
that treasure that he has put into their hands and yet this doth not infer merit of works but a gracious disposition in God to encourage his servants in a way of well-doing c. The fift Scripture is that Dan. 12.3 From this very Text your English Annotators conclude that there are degrees of glory in Heaven c. And they that bee wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever The glory of Heaven is here laid out in shining terms for look how gloriously the shining of stars doth excel the shining of the Firmament so some Saints shall as far out-shine others in glory as the Stars do now out-shine the Firmament look as the Stars are a more beautiful and glorious part of the Orb than the Firmament is so some Saints shall have a great deal more beauty and glory upon them than others shall And look as there are different degrees of glory between the glory of the Firmament and the glory of the Stars now so there shall bee different degrees of glory between one glorious Saint and another at last All the Saints shall at last shine as the firmament but those that by their Doctrine Instruction and Conversation turn many to righteousness these shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Some of the highest seats in glory shall bee for such Act. 26.18 who turn sinners from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ T is very observable that as the Apostles were very eminent in this work so Christ has given it under his own hand Matth. 19 28. Luke 22.28.29 that they shall sit upon twelve Thrones as so many Kings judging the twelve tribes of Israel they had done and suffered more for Christ than others and therefore Christ will put a greater glory upon them than upon others though many learned men differ about the interpretation of those words yee also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel and therefore I dare not peremptorily conclude this or that to bee the sense of them yet this is most plain and evident in the Text that the Apostles are under a promise of some peculiar and more eminent degree of honour glory and dignity than others are under look as their Service to Christ was a peculiar and eminent service so Christ promises them a peculiar and eminent Reward every man of them shall have his particular Throne and every one of them shall have the honour and dignity of judging that is of governing and ruling the twelve tribes of Israel Look as Embassadors and cheif Counsellors and Presidents have the highest and chiefest seats in the Kingly Assembly Heb. 12.22 23 so the Apostles shall have the highest and the chiefest seats in the general Assembly and Church of the first born in Heaven they shall sit as it were on the Throne or on the Bench with Christ so highly and greatly shall they bee exalted If wee cannot hit upon the meanings of the Reward here promised yet wee may safely and easily gather from the description of it that there shall bee different degrees of glory in Christs Kingdome of glory The Apostles followed Christ through great tribulations and afflictions and they continued with him in all his temptations they forsook all to waite on him and after they had faithfully laboriously successfully and very eminently served him they made themselves an offering for him as I have formerly shewed you and therefore Christ will at last in a more eminent way exalt them and glorifie them than hee will others that have never seen that of Christ nor received that from Christ nor done that for Christ nor suffer'd that for Christ as they have done degrees of glory shall at last bee proportion'd out answerable to those degrees of service which in this life men have been drawn out to Such a thing as this the Apostle Paul do's more than hint if I mistake not in that 1 Thes 2.19 20. For what is our hope or joy or Crown of rejoycing are not even yet in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming For yee are our glory and joy the crown that Paul speaks of here is not that common crown of righteousness nor that common crown of life and immortality 2 Tim. 4.8 Jam. 1.12 Rev. 2.10 1 Pet. 5.4 nor that common crown of glory that all the Saints shall bee crown'd with at last but hee speaks here of an Apostolical crown of a special peculiar crown that should accrue to him upon the account of his serviceableness to their Souls and of this crown hee speaks again in that Phil. 4.1 Therefore my brethren my dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved hee calls the Philipians his crown and that partly because their spiritual growth constancy and perseverance was now his glory among other Churches but mainly because they should bee his particular crown of rejoycing in the great day of our Lord Jesus hee knew that the Philipians profit would bee his crown and his advantage another day The Apostle alludes here to the custome of the Romans who as they had their common crownâ— of Bayes Ivie and Lawrell c. and these were such that their horses which won the race were often crown'd with which occasioned Theocritus to say see what poor things the world glories in for as their Conquerours are crown'd so are their Horses so they had their peculiar their special crowns that were the rewards of their Conquerors that had done special service for their country So there are common crowns that belong to all the Saints as Saints as the crown of righteousness the crown of life and the crown of glory and as there are these common crowns so there are special and peculiar crowns that they shall bee crown'd with that are exercised in more high and excellent services than others have been employed in and this is the crown that here the Apostle speaks of hee knew very well that his reward should bee answerable to his work for though God never did nor never will reward men for their works as if they were the meritorious cause of the reward yet hee will for degrees reward them according to their works there are peculiar crowns special crowns for those that have done peculiar and special services for Christ on Earth A sixt Scripture is that Matth. 5.11 12. Blessed are yee when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake Rejoyce and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Suffering Saints persecuted Saints shall bee sure of great rewards God will reward upon his people not only their innocencie integrity patience and courage under their sufferings but the more their sufferings revilings and persecutions are multiplyed in this world the more shall
and wait and wait and pray look and long and long and look for the breaking forth of this day of glory upon the world The seventh and last Proposition is this That though the people of God ought to bee holy at all times yet there are some special times and seasons wherein God calls aloud for holiness more than hee doth at other times and wherein hee looks and expects that his people should be eminently holy as well as really holy Quest But what are those special times and seasons wherein God calls loudest for Holiness and most for Holiness I answer they are these First After great and sore falls O now God calls aloud for holiness Jer. 3. â—sal 51. Job 3. ch 12.4 5. Isa 38.14 Mat. 26. ult David after his great falls greatly humbles himself before the Lord. And Job after his bitter cursing and heavy complaining abhorrs himself in dust and ashes And Hezekiah after his great miscarriage did chatter like a Crane and mourn as a Dove And Peter after his hellish cursing hiâ— desperate swearing and his hideous lying goes forth and weeps bitterly So Origen after hee had denied the Truth and sacrificed to an Idol hee â—ame to Jerusalem and being desired to preach and having opened his Bible the first Scripture that his eye was fixt upon was that Psal 50.16 17. verses What hast thou to do to take my Word into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to bee reformed whereupon hee shut his Book sate down and fell into a passion of weeping and so came out of the Pulpit as not being able to speak to the people After great falls God expects and looks that his people should bee more fearful of sin than ever and more careful of pleasing and honouring of him than ever and more resolute in resisting of temptations than ever and more constant and abundant in a way of duty than ever and more thankful and fruitful under mercies than ever and more quiet and silent under afflictions than ever and more stout and couragious in the face of all opposition than ever more wise and circumspect in their walkings than ever and more vigilant and diligent to prevent avoid future falls than ever how else will the honour of God bee repaired and the glory of Religion bee vindicated and the Credit of the Gospel be raised and the grieved Saints bee rejoyced and young beginners in Religion be afresh incouraged and secure sinners bee awakened convinced and converted But Secondly When God shews singular mercy to his people and when hee doth great things for his people then hee expects and looks that his people should bee a holy people and then hee calls loudest for Holiness Exod. 19.3 4 5. And Moses went up unto God and the Lord called unto him out of the Mountain saying Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel Yee have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bare you upon Eagles wings and brought you unto my self Now therefore of yee will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then yee shall bee a peculiar treasure unto mee above all people for all the Earth is mine Here Moses makes use of a very elegant expression to shew the singular love Vide Aristotle l. 9. de Historia Animalium care kindness and goodness of God towards his people Hee bare you upon Eagles wings the Eagle is a very Princely Noble Bird shee fears no Birds from above to hurt her young ones and because shee fears the Arrow from beneath therefore shee carries her young ones upon her wings so that there is no hurting nor harming nor no killing of them but by shooting through the body of the old one other Birds carry their young ones in their talons and so expose them to danger but the Eagle carries hers upon her wings that they may bee safe and secure Moses to shew how choice and chary God was of Israel and how much hee stood upon their safety and security tells them that he carried them upon Eagles wings that so none of their enemies might ruine or destroy them yea that they might not so much as in the least hurt or harm them hee carried them out of Egypt and hee carried them through the Red-Sea sweetly swiftly strongly and tenderly as the Eagle carried her young ones when danger is at hand Now God having exprest such love such care such bowels such tenderness such sweetness and such kindness to his people hee looks and expects that they should bee a holy people and therefore hee strongly urges them to obey Gods voice indeed and to keep his Covenant now what is it for a man to obey Gods voice indeed and to keep his Covenant out to bee really holy yea to be eminently holy So in that 10th of Deut. where Moses had made a large Narrative of the singular favours and mercies of God to Israel in the eleven first verses of that chapter hee falls in the 12 and 13. verses upon pressing of them to bee a holy people And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his waies and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul To keep the Commandements of the Lord and his statutes which I command thee this day The word in the 12th vers rendred require is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shoel from Shaal which signifies to ask to request or petition a person Now here â—â—ses brings in God asking requesting and petitioning of Isrâ— l that they would fear him and walk in his waies c. and what is that but that they would bee a holy people to him that had done such great and glorious things for them the word in the 13. vers rendred keep is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shamar which signifies to keep carefully diligently Job 7.12 1 King 20.39 faithfully to keep as watch-men keep the City or as Souldiers keep their Garrisons or as Jaylors keep their Prisoners Now God would have his people thus to keep his Commandements and his Statutes and this God would have them to do upon the account of those high acts of favour and grace that hee had shewed unto them and thus to keep his Commandements and his Statutes what is it but to be a holy people yea to be a very holy people unto the Lord And so in that Ezra 9.13 14. Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve and hast given us such deliverance as this should wee again break thy Commandements and joyn in affinity with the people of these abominations wouldest thou not bee angry with us till thou hast consumed us so that there should bee no remnant nor escaping Free and rich mercy calls hardest and loudest for duty the more merciful God hath been to his people the more fearful they should be of offending of him