Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his glory which is repeated Revel 4.8 Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come This then that is the glory of God must needs be the perfection of the creatures beauty and so it will be found to be for 't is more to the glory of Angels that they are holy than that they are wise and mighty Zion was called the Perfection of beauty but 't was because of her being holiness to the Lord the Spouse the fairest among Women because she was undefiled and the Church is called glorious because holy and without blemish 'T is the glory of Gods Sabbath that 't is an holy Day and of his Commandments that they are all holy and so of all his Judgements too What wants holiness cannot be what is holy cannot but be glorious according to it's degree Among all the things that have been or are famous for any perfection Holiness bears the bell and though many have been justly celebrated and their renown hath been spread abroad for their beauty yet this of Holiness excells them all You will find many high sounding words joyn'd with beauty as Glory and Beauty Exod. 28.2 and 40. Job 40.10 Joy attends it but to see it Psal 48.2 Praise attends it as 't is said of Absalom 2 Sam. 14.25 Excellency Isa 13.19 Ornament Ezek. 7.20 Renown Ezek. 16.14 c. But the Beauty of Holiness exceeds them all and the rest is as a thing of naught where this is not That which may seem strange is you may hear a Woman and a Queen calling it Vanity Prov. 31.30 Favour is deceitful and Beauty vain but a Woman that feareth the Lord she shall be prais'd For what For a Beauty Her own works such as the Apostle speaks of 1 Tim. 2.10 in the language of my Text becoming Women professing Godliness Her good Works shall praise her in the Gate All the other glorious beauty is but a fading flower Isa 28.14 but this is the lasting and abiding beauty even for ever as in the Text as in 1 Pet. 1.24 with Isa 40.6 7. One rebuke of God if he do but blow upon it makes the most glaring beauty to consume like a moth Psal 39.11 yea of its self 't is in a consumption and dying daily But wickedness makes not only the person but the beauty to be abhorred Ezek. 16.25 There is more ugliness in the sin than there can be beauty in or on the person of a sinner though an Absalom among men a very None-Such or a Bathsheba among Women who was very beautiful 2 Sam. 11.2 The glory of young men is their strength Prov. 20.29 What to do wickedly no but when such young men as St. John speaks of 1 John 2.14 who were strong by the Word of God abiding in them and overcame the evil and wicked one so that this strength of Holiness is the true glory of young men And they that pride themselves and glory in their being mighty to drink woe unto them for they glory in their shame As for old men the same Text Prov. 20.29 tells us that the gray head is their beauty but when for it seems to need an interpretation why then 't is a crown of glory viz. the hoary head when 't is found in a way of righteousness Prov. 16.31 So that we see there is no glory allowed to any beauty but that of Holiness We may conclude as holy King David I have seen an end of all perfection but the perfection of beauty that is the beauty of Holiness which is as exceeding broad as all the Holy Commandments of God Holy David was so taken with and inamoured of this beauty which is the glory of God himself that he begs nothing but this or nothing like this of God in prayer Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after his heart is fully set and resolved that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life what to do to behold the beauty of the Lord a sight that passeth all sights And Moses the man of God prayes to see this glory Psal 90.16 17. Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us c. The truth of it is to see the glory and beauty of the Lord is a sight not only worth praying but worth dying for it being no less than the Beatifical Vision I perceive I have been engaged sooner than I was aware of in the second thing the comparative consideration of holiness and yet I must proceed and make further progress to evidence this that nothing is worthy to be compared with her but that her beauty is incomparable There are many pretenders and competitors who are brought in by too many in this blinded world to vie with holiness But if we will believe so clear so great and so just a judgement as that of Gods The beauty of holiness is beyond comparison and competition 1. There have been and I am afraid there are with a sigh be it spoken to their shame that prefer sin before the holy Jesus and say as Isa 53.2 3. There is no beauty that we should desire him they despise and reject him they hide their faces from him and have no esteem for him but say as Isa 30.11 Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us and as the Devils Let us alone or away what have we to do with thee art thou come to torment us thou Holy One Luke 4.34 Woe and alas that the altogether lovely Jesus should be thus undervalued and that by them whom he had infinitely obliged to serve and honour him He had for us a love that passeth knowledge such as never was the like known unexampled and never to be parallelled by any great it was like that of his Fathers who sent him into the World from and in the strength of this love he came not only to make or give a Visit but to save us with a great Salvation from sin and wrath and shall not this man rule over us and be our Prince who is our Saviour Oh dis-ingenious ingrateful foolish people and unwise thus to requite the Lord with contempt scorn and hatred for his Good-will what alles this degenerate wicked World that they see not his glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of all Graces and Truth of Beauty I must confess that the Son of God did appear with many seeming disadvantages to sensual and sinful eyes for he being to take a journey into this World where he was to taste of death dis-robed himself of his Majesty and Glory becoming for a time not only little lower than the Angels but was pleased to put on our Countrey Cloths and came habited into the World like one of us yea in the form of a servant and in the likeness of sinful
fulfilling of the Gospel and both the fulfilling of Christian Religiâ—â— â—â—al 5.6 95 It is as clear by Scripture-light that Christ is God as 't is by Natures light that there is a God Rom. 9.5 Psal 14.1 96 Though they that write or speak of the Holy Scripture may decline a Rhetorical style the subject needs but few of its Ornaments as not necessary and rejects many as indecencies mis-becoming the Majesty of so sacred a thing 1 Cor. 2.1 5. and vers 13. yet this great Apostle that he might gain upon became all things to all men as being debtor to the wise and to the unwise or unlearned Rom. 1.14 15. therefore we find him not only disâ—uting strenuously and contending earnestly for the faith Acts 17. but using a flowing eloquence and the flowers of Rhetorick very often and sometimes quoting their Poets too 97 Through want to be destitute or through will to deprive our selves of food and raiment is the one our misery the other our folly not any Mortification which is not in denying the body necessaries but in abridging it of its irregular sensual appetites Col. 2.23 98 Were the Scriptures sufficiently understood they would be highly venerated and they that would keep others from reading of them do as Saul by his rash adjuration with-hold them from eating that honey which being tasted did not only gratifie the Palate but enlighten the Eyes Psal 19.7 10. 99 There 's great difference between doing and being obedient to the Will of God The ground of Religious Obedience is because God commands the things to be done more than that they are good in themselves Doing a thing because most suitable to Nature or because it pleaseth us speaks Morality but doing it because God commands it and to please him speaks true Religion and the Obedience of Faith Matth. 7.21 22 23. 1 John 3.21 22. 100 When men have sin'd how pleasant so ever they may taste it yet they will feel it lie so cross and scurvily in their breasts that they will take no pleasure to look into themselves or be sensibly prickt and pain'd if they have the hardiness so to do Gen. 4.13 Job 20.12 14. THE Fourth Century 1 MAny persons that at first believed in Christ but upon report are afterwards by better acquaintance brought to believe on him on his own account John 9.39 42. 2 Is it not more truly honourable and glorious to serve that God who commands all the World and will crown his Servant with glory than to be a slave to those passions and lusts which put men upon continual hard service and torment them for it when they have done Matth. 27.3 5. 3 Two things should be much laid to heart by us the sin of our Nature Psal 51.5 Rom. 7.24 and the Nature of Sin 1 John 3.4 4 If we come to Christ he will not cast us out John 6.37 but if we do not come to him we cast away our selves Prov. 8.36 John 8.24 5. The Commands of God shew us what our power was what our duty is and what our prayer should be Da quod jubes jube quod vis Give us Lord to do what thou commandest and command us to do what thou wilt Psal 143.10 6 The Work of Creation is called but the Work or Gods Fingers Psal 8.4 or his Hands at most v. 6. and 19.1 but the Work of Redemption is wrought with 〈◊〉 Arme Luke 1.51 7 The Persons who are recorded to have been eminent in one particular Grace have yet miscarried in not acting according but contrary to that Grace As Abraham for Faith yet denied his Wife from Unbelief Moses for Meekness yet excluded Canaan for Passion Job for Patience yet how Impatient for though he never did as the Devil said he would and his Wife tempted him to do viz. Curse God yet he came neer it in cursing the Day of his Birth Saint Peter for Courage yet denied Christ and afterward which was a spice of the old disease he dissembled for fear Gal. 2.12 8 When a Manichee contended with Saint Anâ—stine and cried out Hear me Hear me the good Father modestly answered Nec ego te nec tu me sed ambo audiamus Apostolum I will not hear thee nor do thou hear me but let us both hear the Apostle so the Papists cry out Hear the Fathers hear the Fathers but we may answer Let 's hear the Apostles and Prophets who were the Grand and Great Grand-Fathers Eph. 2.20 9 Man-fallen is Man-inverted and turn'd clean-contrary to what he was his love is where his hatred should be his glory where his shame c. He accounts strictness a sin and sin a bravery Tit. 3 3. Phil. 3. Col. 1.21 So that we may exclaim as one doth Good God! Whither is man fallen at first we practice sin then defend it then boast of it 't is at first perhaps a burthen then a custome and then a delight but at last 't will be an hell as in Cain and Judas 10 They are both deceiv'd 1 Who say no matter how we believe but how we live and 2 They who say no matter how we live but how we believe The truth is We must believe and live in the Truth or else we shall not be saved by the Truth 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. 11 Gods love to his will not suffer him to depart from them and their fear of him and love to him will not suffer them to depart from him Jer. 32.40 nothing shall separate them from the love of God in Christ Rom. 8.39 12 When we are in Prosperity we are prone to lay our hearts too near it Psal 62.10 and when we are in Adversity we are as prone to lay it too near our hearts Psal 77.6 9. 13 The fear of an higher Power in Heaven should ballance and byas them that are high in power on Earth The greatest men have at one time or other met with their match but the Great God never met with his Job 31.13 14. and 38.3 and 40.2 8 9. and 42.2 3. 1 Cor. 10.22 Acts 5.39 and 23.9 14 Books are a memory without us and memory is a Book within us God hath his Books too which will be opened happy they for whom but miserable they against whom they shall be open'd Mal. 3.16 Revel 20.12 15 God declares himself Three Wayes 1 By his Works to the Eye 2 By his Word to the Eare and 3 By his Spirit to the Heart Blessed are the Eyes which see the Ears which hear and the Hearts which receive the declarations of God Matth. 13.16 and Luke 8.15 but wo to others Matth. 13.13 14. Rom. 1.19 20. 16 The New Creature is but a Creature and though it have Communion with God it cannot be God Divine it may a Deity it cannot be Let them consider it that talk so madly of being godded with God c. 17 An hard-heart is the Devils Cushion he sits softest on an heart of stone 2 Cor. 4.4 compared with Eph. 4.18
and then They love what they do not perhaps dare not practice they are contemplative sinners and play with wanton thoughts and wishes Jer. 4.14 53 The Covetous live poor to die rich but what a mistake and missaying 't is to say such a man died worth so many thousands when he left it all behind him he had been rich indeed if in the sense of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.18 19. he had sent it to Heaven afore-hand 'T is probable he died the poorer for leaving so much behind him and indeed no man dies rich unless rich in grace in faith and good works while he lived but the rich depart as poor and naked as any and leave their wealth to others 1 Tim. 6.6 7 8. 54 The Platonicks say that the Soul is like a Chariot drawn with two Horses whereof the one the Rational Part is fair and generous the other the sensual deformed and resty but it s most evident that not only the inferiour Faculties but the superiour also are corrupted otherwise the Inferiour could not draw them away The mind is free and cannot sin but from it self though urged and tempted by others Not only flesh but Spirit is filthy 2 Cor. 1.7 And the Apostle prayes that they might be sanctified not only in body but in soul and spirit 1 Thess 5.23 55 Grace is a Panoply or Proof-Armour of Defence against temptations and troubles Eph. 6. and a Paradise of all pleasure Prov. 3.17 56 The World to come is the good mans hope and the bad mans fear 1 Cor. 15.19 Numb 23.10 2 Cor. 5.11 And 't is observable that there 's no Religion but hath instituted some kind of Heaven oâ— Hell places of reward and punishment sutable to its self 57 Gods Word for things is the Christians Reason and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both Word and Reason for the Word is the reason of Faith and his Testimony is their Demonstration Heb. 11.3 No mans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying is to be compared with Thus saith the Lord. 58 Pride Envy and Malice is the Devils sin and such a man as is possest of these is possest as really as and it may be more dangerously than any Demoniack John 6.70 59 Every man should be for God is no respecter of persons for that tryal can never be fair where affection is Judg and furpasseth as well as passeth Judgment Lev. 19.15 60 The poor mans detained penny is a plague in the rich mans purse Jam. 5.3 4. 61 The proud man hath no God Exod. 5.2 Psal 12.4 The unpeacable man hath no Neighbour Luke 10.29 The distrustful man hath no friend Prov. 27.10 but the discontented man hath not himself Luke 21.19 62 If we temper not our affections they to be sure will distemper us beware of them for where the wind of temptation and the Tyde of corruption meet 't is exceeding dangerous Mat. 26.16 63 Untryed Vertues are doubtful It may be they that sin not when there is none would sin if there were an occasion But Chastity in Youth as in Joseph Temperance in plenty as in Daniel Bounty in poverty as in them of Macedonia 2 Cor. 8.2 are Martyrdomes without Blood-shed 64 It may be said of Morallity as it is of the Air compare it with the Heavens 't is a kind of Earth but with the Earth and 't is a kind of Heaven Or as it s said of the Spirits in our bodies compare them with the Soul and they are but Body but with the Body and they are a kind of Soul So Compare Morality with Divinity and 't is but sense but with Sensuality and 't is Divinity Mark 10.21 65 A Christian should be ready to take up the Cross to bear the Cross to embrace the Cross to love the Cross yea to glory in the Cross but should never worship nor adore the Cross of Christ that 's due to Christ who was crucified on the Cross 1 Cor. 2.2 66 Many persons pray as S. Austine confesseth he did before his Conversion as if they were not only unwilling but afraid to be heard and hear as if they were afraid or had no mind to learn and learn as if afraid to do and do as if afraid to please God and please too but out of fear and fear more the evil of suffering than of sin and are afraid of sin more as 't is against them than as 't is against God Psal 51.4 67 We have our wrinckles as well as spots and if Christs washing us in his Blood doth best fetch out our spots stretching us on his Cross of suffering will best fetch out our wrinckles Eph. 5.26 27. Heb. 12.10 68 Some things God teacheth us not by Example but by Command as all bodily Vertues if I may so call them other things he teacheth us by Command and Example also all spiritual vertues as Love Holiness c. in obeying them we are his Servants but in following these we are his children Eph. 5.1 So on the other hand there are some sins which the Devil doth not act but command as Riot Intemperance Bodily sins in these men are but his slaves Eph. 1.2 2 Tim. 2.26 but other sins he not only commands but acts too as Pride Envy Malice spiritual wickedness in these men are his children as like him as any thing and not the less like him because his sons but the more Joh. 8.44 1 Joh. 3.10 69 Considering every man his own and other mens miscarriages we may reasonably conclude that mans righteousness is by Faith and not by innocency Phil. 3.9 70 We are bound no further as to our selves than to be wise and harmless Matth. 10.16 Events are out of our hand and should be out of our care Chance is to trouble only them that stand upon chance and these two have in all Ages proved more prevalent at the long run than prosperous successeâ—â— which may somtimes be the Dowry but never the Inheritance of imprudent and improvident persons Prov. 1.32 Beside if these two seem at any time to be without Gods Protection they will never be without his blessing Phil. 1.27 28. 71 Our very will is a direct state of imperfection for it supposeth weakness of reason and of love to be at liberty to choose good and evil 'T is a mercy that we may chuse good but a misery that we will chuse evil Jerem. 6.16 72 'T is no denial of favour to us but a gracious vouchsafement that God will shew us but his back-parts Exod. 33.20 23. for we cannot see his face and live all exceeding great and glorious sights are but oppressions to us If we cannot behold the face of the Sun and gaze on it but to the blinding of our eyes how much more would it put them out if God should let out his full glory and light upon us and truly as that is a kindness to us so 't is that God will shew us but the back-parts of our sin enough to humble us for we could no more look
incorruptible inheritance is hers Heaven its self is called the inheritance of the Saints or holy-ones Col. 1.12 and this inheritance is shared among them that are sanctified and none else Acts 26.18 And this inheritance is both Light and Life Kingdome and Crown of Glory which fadeth not away and therefore methinks the great and generous Gallants of this World as they love to be called should be in love with and all inamour'd of Holiness seeing Beauty and Glory Honour and Riches meet and center in her as much and well as they are annexed to her 9. To gather and close up many things together Holiness is the end of all that God the Father Son and Spirit have done and will do for us from first to last as also of all the means enjoyn'd to Priviledges confer'd on Graces wrought in Duties to be done by us Afflictions and Trials wherewith we are exercis'd 'T is the end the Father hath in Electing Eph. 1.4 He hath chosen us in him viz. Christ before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love As of the Fathers Election so is it the end of the Sons Redemption of us Eph. 5.25 26. He loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and so again Titus 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The Office and Work of the Spirit is to sanctifie and he is called holy not only as being so in himself but for making us so by his efficient power 2 Thess 2.13 God hath chosen you to salvation not only through belief of the truth but sanctification of the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to foreknowledge through sanctification of the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.1 Such were some of you but ye are sanctified c. by the Spirit of our God 'T is the end of all Ordinances and means and we should not take up with the means without the end What is preaching for but to bring men into and to build them up in holiness Eph. 4.11 12 13. 'T is the end of all Dignities and Priviledges of which the Promises are principal and why are they given us but as was said above that we might perfect holiness and partake of a Divine Nature Why is the great Title of the Sons and Children of God bestow'd upon us but that we should be followers of and like to God our Father as dear Children 'T is the end of all graces wrought in and exercis'd by us of faith Acts 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith and Acts 26.18 them that are sanctified by faith So of hope 1 John 3.3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure So of knowledge 1 John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him He hath not learned the truth as 't is in Jesus and therefore his knowledge is but a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 and knowledge falsly so called 1 Tim. 6.20 'T is the end and effect of love also 1 John 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and they are not grievous Commands from God who loves us and to us who love him cannot be grievous if they are so 't is for want of love in us for our Saviour tells us if we love him we will and they are the lovers and friends of him who do keep his Commandments 'T is the end of that great duty of Prayer why or what do we pray for but that we may be holy and do his will on Earth as 't is done in heaven Surely what the Apostle prays for in relation to the Thessalonians 1 Ep. 5.23 should be every ones prayer for themselves that they may be sanctified throughout and wholly and to walk worthy of God to all well-pleasing Col. 1.10 'T is the end of all Afflictions Chastenings and Trials that we might come out of them like Gold purified 1 Pet. 1.7 that the fruit may be the taking away of sin Isa 27.9 and for our profit which is in this that we might be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12.10 Yea 't is the end of all mercies and deliverances Luke 1.74 75. that being deliver'd out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him in righteousness and and true holiness without fear all the dayes of our life Yet again and so I conclude 'T is the preparation for and our glory in Heaven its self 'T is our preparation for the sight of God for without Holiness no Man how Wise and Learned Rich and Honourable Fair and Beautiful soever he be shall see the Lord Heb. 12. and when we do see him more Holiness will be the effect of that sight 1 John 3.2 when he doth appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and this is called Glory Col. 3.4 When Christ our Life shall appear we shall appear with him in Glory and 't is for the very thing viz. being holy that the Church is called Glorious Ephes 5.27 Well then These things being so I intreat you to consider of what hath been said and beseech God to give you Understanding in all things that you may so Know as to Believe so Believe as to Love so Love as to Practise so Practise as to Perfect Holiness and be Eternally saved and then I know that you will rejoyce and sing the New Song even Praise to God and joyn with them that say Holy Holy Holy and conclude with my Text that Holiness becomes thine House O Lord for ever Let all the People say Amen And as the Arabick adds Allelujah FINIS