prepared his Table and made a feast of fat things for their souls in the Ministry of his word they can easily and readily passe over those sound solid and savoury truths that are prepared for their strength and nourishment and fall a pidling and picking upon some new coined phrases or some quaint expressions or some Seraphical notions And no wonder for they are not sound within they are under a great distemper As the Israelites would not be satisfied with wholsome diet but they must needs have Quails as picking meat Well they had them and whilest they were at their picking meat the wrath of God came upon them the Application is as easie as it is dreadfull But now a holy heart savours the word and relishes the word and is affected and taken with the word as it is a holy word a substantial word a pure word a clean word and as it begets holinesse and cherishes holinesse and increases holinesse and as it works towards the compleating and perfecting of holinesse Quest But how may a person know whether he loves the Word and is affected and taken with the Word as it is an holy Word or no Answ First by what hath been already said but because the question is weighty Psalm 119.6 128. Acts 24.16 Heb. 13.18 As the wise Philosopher delights in all Aristotle and the prudent Physitian in all Galen and the grave Orator in all Tullie and the understanding Lawyer in all Justinian so a holy man delights in all the Bible The Jewish Rabbines were wont to say That upon every letter of the Law there hangs mountains of profitable matter Gen. 12. and â—hap 22. I further answer in the second place He that loves the Word and that is affected and taken with the Word as it is a holy Word he loves the whole Word of God and he is affected and taken with one part of the Word as well as another every Law of God is a holy Law and every Statute is a holy Statute and every command is a holy command and every promise is a holy promise and every threatning is an holy threatning and every exhortation is a holy exhortation and therefore he that loves any part of the Word as a holy Word he cannot but love every part of the Word because every part of the Word is holy And indeed he loves no part of the Word as holy who loves not every part of the Word as such Every chapter in the book of God is a holy chapter and every verse is a holy verse and every line in that book is a holy line and every word in every line is a holy word he that loves a chapter as it is a holy chapter he loves every verse in that chapter as a holy verse and he that loves every verse as a holy verse he loves every line as a holy line and he that loves every line as a holy line he loves every word in every line as a holy word Upon easie commands he reads holiness and upon difficult commands he reads holiness upon comfortable commands he reads holiness and upon costly commands he reads holiness and upon dangerous commands he reads holiness and therefore he loves all and closes with all and endeavours a conformity to all A holy heart dares neither to dispute with that word nor make light of that word where he reads holiness engraven upon it to a holy heart there is no command of God unjust or unreasonable but now an unholy heart though it may for some worldly advantages court and cry up some parts of the word yet it is ready with Judas to betray and crucifie other parts of the word The whole Scripture is but one intire love-letter dispatcht from the Lord Christ to his beloved Spouse on earth and this letter is written all in golden letters and therefore a holy heart cannot but be taken and affected with every line in this letter in this love-letter there is so much to be read of the love of Christ the heart of Christ the kindness of Christ the grace of Christ and the glory of Christ that a holy heart cannot but be affected and taken with it The whole word of God is a field and Christ is the treasure that is hid in that field it is a ring of gold and Christ is the pearl in that ring and therefore a holy heart cannot but be taken with the whole Word of God Luther was wont to say that he would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible And Rabbie Chija in the Jerusalem Talmud says that in his account all the world is not of equal value with one word out of the Law Thirdly A man that is affected and taken with the word as it is a holy word he is alwayes affected and taken with it he loves it and takes pleasure in it as well in adversity as in prosperity Psalm 119.59 Thy Statutes have been my songs I but where we in the house of my pilgrimage or pilgrimages The Saints have commonly lookt upon themselves as Pilgrims and Strangers in this world Gen. 47.9 39. Psal 12.19 Heb. 11.9 10 c. as the Hebrew hath it When David was in his banishments by reason of Saul Absolom and others now the Word of God was musick to him now it was matter of joy and rejoycing to him his whole life was the life of a Pilgrim and Stranger now as a Pilgrim he sojourns here and anon as a Stranger he sojourns there no man could take more pleasure joy and contentment in the rarest and choicest musick then David did in the Word of God and that not only when he was in his royal Palace but also when he was in the house of his Pilgrimage he that loves the Word and that delights in the Word for its holiness and purity Psal 119.67 69 70 72. he will love it and delight in it in health and sickness in strength and weakness in honour and disgrace in wealth and want in life and in death The holiness of the Word is a lasting holiness and so will every mans affections be towards it who affects it and is taken with it for its holiness and pureness Some there be that cry up the Word and that seem to be much affected delighted and ravished with the Word as Herod Ezekiels hearers Ezek. 33.30 31 32 33. Mar. 6 c. and the stony ground was whilest the Word is either a cheap Word to them or a profitable and pleasing Word to them or whilest it is courted and countenanced in the world or whilest it is the path to preferment or a key to enlargement c. But when the Word gets within them and discovers their own sinfulness and wretchedness to them when it shews them how Christless and gracelâ—ss and lifeless and helpless and hopeless they are when it discovers how far they are from heaven and how near they are to hell O! Ier. 44.15 29. then their hearts begin
may bee able after my decease to have these things alwaies in remembrance The Apostle having the sentence of death in himself O! how doth hee bestir himself and how doth hee stir up all that grace and holiness that was in his heart yea and all his Ministerial and Apostolical gifts and all to better himself and to make those that were really holy to bee eminently holy Peter being very sensible of the neer approaches of death did very earnestly desire and greatly endeavour so to act his part before he went off the stage of live that when his head was in the dust and his soul in heaven those Saints that should survive him might bee very famous in grace and holiness That of Eleazer is very remarkable who would not do any thing which might seem to bee evil because he would not spot his white head O Sirs when once the Gray hairs of holiness and righteousness are upon you it highly concerns you to shun the very shews and appearances of evil that so you may not spot nor stain the honour of your white head I have read of Joshua that valliant Souldier that when hee was a young man and in the prime and flower of his daies when his bones were full of marrow and his breasts full of milk as Job speaks that then hee was least in vigour and valour for God and how that sometimes in cases of eminent danger hee would conceal himself but when hee grew older and found the strength of nature declining and decaying then hee bestired himself exceedingly for God O Sirs when you have one foot in the Grave God calls aloud upon you to bestir your selves exceedingly for his honour and glory and for your own internal and eternal welfare Solon was not ashamed to say that hee learned much in his old age And Julianius the Lawyer was wont to say that when hee had one foot in the Grave hee would have the other in the School O Sirs shall nature do more than grace shall morality excel real piety 'T was the glorious commendation of the Church of Thiatira that her last works were more than her first Rev. 2.19 I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy work and the last to bee more than the first O the happiness of that man that is best at last that brings forth most of the fruits of Righteousness and Holiness in old age O the blessedness of that man whose Faith is more strong at last than at first and whose love is more inflamed at last than at first and whose hopes are more raised and elevated at last than at first and whole knowledge is more clear at last than at first whose zeal is warmer at last than at first and whose thoughts are more heavenly at last than at first and whose heart is more spiritual at last than at first and whose communion with God is more high at last than at first and whose life is more holy at last than at first If there be any man in the world that is ripe for Heaven and that injoyes a Heaven in his own soul on this side Heaven this is the man whose graces and whose gracious works are more at last than at first Well Christians for ever remember this the neerer death makes her approaches to you the louder God calls upon you to be holy And thus by a hand of grace that hath been in mee upon mee and with me I have shewed you what those special times and seasons are wherein God calls loudest for holiness and so according to my weak measure I have given out all that the Lord hath graciously given in concerning that most necessary that most noble that most glorious and that most useful point of points viz. Holiness and therefore I have nothing more to do but earnestly to pray that what hath been spoken and written may be so blest from on high that it may work mightily to the internal and eternal welfare both of Writer Reader and Hearer that so when their Race is run and their Work done here on earth they may be everlastingly blest with a happy sight of the Beatifical Vision of God in Heaven Amen FINIS Books sold by Henry Cripps in Popes-Head-Alley SIbbs Saints Cordials Reynors Government of the Tongue Armetages Sermons Roman Antiquities Burtons Melancholy Youngs whole duty of a Christian Supplication of Saints Cradocks Works Huit on Daniel Sarah Wight Cotton on the seven Viols Hookers Souls-preparation for Christ Goodwins Childe of Light walking in darkness Reynolds on Hosea Tichburns Cluster of Canaans-Grapes Baxters Doctrine of Self-poseing An Abstract of the Assemblies Catechism J. Goodwins Saints Interest in God Dingly of Thunder Books sold by Henry Mortlock at the sign of the Phoenix in St. Pauls Church-yard near the Little North-door Folios A Commentary upon the whole Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians wherein the text is learnedly and fruitfully opened with a Logical Analysis spiritual and holy Observations Confutation of Armianism and Popery By Mr. Paul Bain A Commentary on the Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles and the Major Prophets By John Trapp M. A. Quartoes An Exposition of the Prophecy of Ezekiel By W. Greenhill Some Sermons preached upon several occasions By P. Sterry A Way to Zion sought out and found for Beleevers to walk in By Daniel King Preacher of the Word neer Coventry Funebria Florae The Downfall of May-Games By Tho. Hall B.D. and Pastor of Kings-Norton in VVorcestershire The loathsomness of long Hair or A Treatise wherein you have the Question stated many Arguments against it produced and the most material arguments for it refelled and answered with an Appendix against Painting Spots naked-breasts c. By the same Author Samuel in Sackcloth or a Sermon assaying to restrain our bitter Animosities and commending a spirit of moderation and right constitution of soul and behaviour towards our Brethren upon 1 Sam. 15.35 Large Octavoes The Hypocrites Ladder or Looking-Glass or a Discourse of the dangerous and destructive nature of Hypocrisie the reigning and provoking sin of this age wherein is shewed how far the Hypocrite or formal Professor may go towards Heaven yet utterly perish by three Ladders of sixty steps of his Ascending By John Sheffield Minister of the Word at Swithins London An Improvement of the Sea upon the nine Nautical Verses in the 107. Psalm wherein among other things you have a very full and delightful Description of all those many various and multitudinous Objects which they behold in their Travels through the Lords Creation both on Sea in Sea and on Land viz. All sorts and kinds of Fish Fowl and Beasts whether wilde or tame all sorts of Trees and Fruit all sorts of People Cities Towns and Countries By Daniel Pell Preacher of the Word A Caveat against Seducers in a Sermon preached by Rich. Stand-fast Rector of Christ-Church in Bristol Together with the Blind Mans Meditations by the same Author A Treatise of Divine Meditation by
Judge the world in righttousness My Lords and Gentlemen give me leave to tell you Tennes the son of Cyrnus who was worshipped as a god was so strict and exact in Judgement that he caused an Ax to be held over the witnesses heads to execute them out of hand if they were taken with falshood and from thence was the Proverb Tenedia bipennis that that Judge to whom you must be responsible is no ignorant Judge nor no covetous Judge nor no partial Judge nor no fearful Judge nor no doating Judge nor no trifling Judge though such there may be in the world but he is an omniscient Judge an omnipotent Judge an impartial Judge a holy Judge a couragious Judge a serious Judge a severe Judge an unbiassed Judge a righteous Iudge and a resolute Iudge Alas Sirs it is not your scarlet Gowns nor your Titles of honour nor your great estates nor your interest in Princes nor your noble relations nor your applause among men that will stand you in stead when you shall stand before that Iudge that is a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult Well Gentlemen remember this there is never a professing Iudge nor Iustâ—ce in the world that will be able at last to give up their accounts with joy and to stand in judgement when the Lamb shall sit upon his Throne but such as have made it their great businesse to take the spirit of the Lord for their guide and to set up the glory of the Lord as their great end and to make the Word of the Lord their principal Rule and to eye the example of the Lord as their choicest and chiefest pattern and therefore it is much to be feared that the numher of such Iudges and Iustices that will be able to stand before the Iudge of all the world will be but few But Seventhly As you must do justice and judgement exactly so you must do justice to others as you would have others do justice to you For Judges and Justices to do as they would be done by is the Royal Law the golden Rule and the Standard of equity Judges and Justices should think of others as they would have others think of them and speak of others as they would have others speak of them and do to others as they would have others do to them Mat. 7.12 Severus the Emperour had this Scripture often in his mouth and whensoever he punished any of his souldiers for offering of injuries to others he still commanded this Scripture to be proclaimed by the Cryer Whatever by the light of nature or by the light of conscience or by the light of Scripture a Judge a Justice would have another do to him the same must he do to another In all just things for so this Law of Christ is only to be understood we must do to others as we would have others do to us as we would have others carry it equally justly and righteously towards us so we must carry it equally justly and righteously towards others and as we would not have others to wrong us in our names estates rights liberties lives so we must not wrong others in their names estates rights liberties lives c. This Law of Christ is the summe of all righteousnesse it is the foundation of all Justice and Equity Self-love doth so commonly blind the sons of men that to judge righteously they must change the person they must put themselves in others room All Princes Judges Justices Parents Masters Subjects Servants Children should so act in their relations as they would have others act in the correlation All injustice will be repaid one time or another and therefore men had need be just and do to others as they would have others do to them I have read of a Citizen of Comun in the Dukedom of Farrara who being cast into prison upon suspitâ—on of murder his wife could get no promise of his deliverance unlâ—sse she would give the Captain whose prisoner he was two hundred Ducats and yield her body to his pleasure which with the consent of her husband she did but after the Captain had his desire he notwithstanding put him to death The Duke Gonzala hearing of it commanded the Captain to restore the two hundred Ducats to the widow with an addition of seven hundred Crowns then he enjoyned him to marry her presently and lastly before he could enjoy his new wife the Duke caused him to be hanged for his treachery and injustice Sometimes in this life injustice is repaid upon the heads of unjust Judges My Lords and Gentlemen before I close up this head give me leave heartily to recommend to your Justice those wrongs and injuries which more immedâ—ately strike at the honour and glory of the great God God hath put his name upon you Psalm 82.6 I said that ye are gods yet it must be granted that you are gods in a smaller letter mortal gods gods that must die like mâ—n all the sons of Ish are sons of Adam And as God hath put his name upon you so he hath made you his Vice-Royes 2 Chron. 19 6. Ye judge not for your selves but for the Lord. Rom. 13.2 Exod. 16.7 8. 1 Sam. 8.7 And therefore God takes all affronts that are done to you as done to himself as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margin together And God hath provided for your honour among men Exod. 20.28 Thou shalt not revile the gods Rom. 13.7 Josh 4.14 i. e. the Magistrates nor curse the Ruler of thy people I have read of Fabius Maximus who highly reverenced and honoured his own son being Consul this Heathen will one day rise up in judgement against all such that scorn to give to Magistrates that honour that by the fifth Commandment is due unto them 2 Pet. 2.9 10. 1 Sam. 10.2 Iude 8.2 1 Sam. 8.7 And God is very severe in revenging the wrongs that are done to you He interprets all the injuries that are done to you as done to himself And why then will you not revenge the wrongs and injuries that are done to the great God Give me leave Gentlemen in the behalf of the great God a little to expostulate with you Shall the least dishonourable word that is spoken against an earthly Prince be severely punished and shall all those horrid and hellish blasphemies by which the Prince of the Kings of the earth is dishonoured and reproached all the Nation over passe unobserved Rev. 1.5 Shall all affronts that are offered to Embassadors be deeply resented and justly censured as high indignities done to the Prince that employed them And shall the Embassadors of the great God I mean such as are called commissionated spirited gifted and graced for that high office by God himself be scorned defamed injured reviled and on all hands evilly intreated and yet no man say Why do you thus wickedly 2 Chron. 36.15 ult to provoke the great God to your own destruction Shall it be
answered The meanest hath a soul as precious as my own and bought by the same blood of Christ he who only went to the price of souls Matth. 16.26 hath long since told us 2 Cor. 12.16 that a soul is more worth then a world That I may catch some poor soul or other by a holy craft and establish and strengthen others in the love and liking of holiness and in the power and practise of holiness I have cast my thoughts upon this Scripture But to draw nearer to my Text. As no means hath more enriched hell then beautifull faces so no means hath more enriched heaven then the beauty of holiness Now that I may discover the Necessity Beauty Rarity and Excellency of Holiness I have chosen this Text Follow peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. I shall give a little light into the words and then come to that main point I intend to stand upon Follow peace with all men the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated follow signifies to pursue and press after peace As the persecutor pursues and presses after him he persecutes it notes an earnest an eager an affectionate and an incessant pressing and following after peace with all men Psalm 34.14 Seek peace and pursue it Here the Hebrew word Bakkish translated seek signifies to seek earnestly Dulce nomen pacis The ve y name of peace is sweet vehemently studiously industirously Thus peace with God and peace with conscience and peace with men must be sought Seek peace and pursue it the word translated pursue Veradhphehu from Radaph signifies an earnest pursuit it is a Metaphor taken from the earnestness of wild Beasts or ravenous Foul which will run or flie fast and far eagerly and unweariedly rather then be disappointed of their prey though Christians meet with many rubs and remoraes yet peace must be resolutely pursued Gal. 5.22 2 Cor. 13.11 Isa 9.6 7. Heb. 1.2 The spirit of God is a spirit of peace and God delights to be stiled Deus pacis the God of peace and Christ affects to be Princeps pacis the Prince of peace and King of Salem i. e. King of peace Vbi pax ibi Christus quia Christus pax Where peace is there is Christ because Christ is peace Therefore let all that are interested in Christ pursue after peace But this is not the point that I have in my eye at this time I shall hasten to it With all men that is with all Orders Ranks and sorts of men And Holiness c. We must so pursue after peace A man may be miserable under peace but never under holiness as that we do not neglect holiness for peace sake Better is holiness without peace then peace without holiness Holiness differs nothing from happiness but in name holiness is happiness in the Bud and happiness is holiness at the full Happiness is nothing but the Quintessence of holiness A man were better be holy in hell then unholy in heaven holiness would make hell to be no hell as the fire was no fire to those holy Worthies Dan. 3.27 Look as unholiness would make heaven to be no heaven yea turn a heaven into a very hell So holiness would turn a hell into a very heaven What holiness this is in the text I shall discover to you in the opening of that point I intend to stand upon Without which no man This expression is Exclusive no man be he rich or poor high or low honourable or base young or old Jew or Gentile bond or free under one form or another c. Shall see the Lord. To see in the Hebrew phrase is ordinarily used to enjoy Psal 4.6 Who will shew us any good The word in the Hebrew is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see Who will make us to see any good that is to enjoy any good Without holiness no man shall see the Lord that is without holiness no man shall ever come to a blessed to a glorious fruition and enjoyment of the Lord. Chrysostom There was once a holy man who profest that the want of the enjoyment of God would be a far greater hell to him then the feeling of any punishment and yet this great hell every one shall be sure to feel that lives and dyes without holiness The Jews say of holy Moses Psalm 37.37 that he died ad osculum or is Dei at the kisses of Gods mouth and in divine embraces When a man of holiness dies he shall be sure to die in divine embraces and live for ever in divine embraces When Socrates was to die he comforted himself with this that he should go to a place where he should enjoy Homer and Musaeus and other Worthies who lived before him But ah what an unspeakable comfort is this to a holy man when he comes to die to consider that he is going to a place where he shall see the Lord not as now through a glass darkly 1 Cor. 13.12 but in all his heavenly bravery and in all his divine Embroidery and bespangled Glory And let this suffice for the opening of the words In my Text you have two things First An Exhortation to follow peace and holiness Secondly The Reason or Argument to enforce the duty prest viz. Without which no man shall see the Lord. The words will afford us many weighty Observations I shall only name one which I intend to insist upon and that is this viz. DOCTRINE That real holiness is the only way to happiness All men must be holy on earth or they shall never see the beatifical vision they shall never reach to a glorious fruition of God in Heaven For the clearing up and making good of this great and glorious truth I shall endeavour these three things First to shew you what this holiness is without which no man shall see the Lord. Secondly I shall by an induction of particulars make good the Proposition Thirdly give you the Reasons of the point First What is this holiness without which no man shall see the Lord I answer there is a sixfold holiness First There is a Legal holiness Now a Legal holiness consists in an exact perfect and compleat conformity in heart and life to the whole revealed will of God and this was the holiness that Adam had in his innocency and this holiness was immediately derived from God and was perfect Adam knew the will of God perfectly so far as it was revealed to him and had a divine principle in him of perfect conformity to that blessed will Adams holines was as co-natural to him as unholiness is now to us and had he stood fast in that glorious condition we had all been as naturally holy from the womb as now we are sinfull Psalm 51.5 Adams holiness was as natural and as pleasing and as delightfull to him as any way of unholiness can be natural pleasing and delightfull unto us But this holiness which
truth and certainty of the things delivered for the word Amen doth properly signifie truth Secondly This double Asseveration is never used but in matters of greatest weight and importance the matters here spoken of are of a very celestial and sublime Nature Thirdly This gemination Verily verily is a vehement confirmation of what Christ speaks Fourthly This gemination calls aloud for the greatest observation and most serious attention of the soul to what Christ is a saying Ver. 2. I say unto thee I that thou hast confest to be a Teacher sent from God I that lie in the bosome of the Father I John 1.18 Rev. 3.14 that am of the Cabinet Counsel of heaven I that know his heart and all his secrets I that am the faithfull and true witness and cannot lye I that am called the Amen the truth it self Rev. 1.18 I that have the keyes of heaven and hell at my own Girdle I that open and no man shuts and I that shut and no man opens I that shall be your Judge in the great day I say unto thee c. Rom. 2.28 29. Except a man be born again A man be he old or young learned or unlearned high or low rich or poor knowing or ignorant circumcised or uncircumcised under this form or that a member of this Church or that let his disposition be nevâ—r so ingenuous and his parts never so high and his conversation as to men never so blameless and harmless yet except this man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God 2 Cor. 5.17 Be born again Except a man be first unmade and new-made up again except he be of an old creature made a new creature yea a new creation of God there is no seeing of the kingdom of God the whole frame of the old man must be dissolved and a new frame erected else there is no heaven to be enjoyed The kingdom of God is a divine kingdom and there is no possession of it without a divine nature a new head without a new heart 2 Pet. 1.4 1 Cor. 7.19 Gal. 5.6 Luke 17.21 Rom. 14.17 a new lip without a new life will never bring a man to this kingdom of light That man is for the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is for that man that hath got the kingdom of God within him if the kingdom of grace do not enter into thee here thou shalt never enter into the kingdom of glory hereafter A new heart is for a new heaven and a new heaven is for a new heart Except a man be born again except a man be born from above and so Cyrill interprets that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Generation in some sense is from below but regeneration is only from above and without this there is no fruition of God above He cannot see the kingdom of God The Scripture speaks of several Cannots First There is a natural Cannot now every son and daughter of Adam is by nature born under a Cannot they are all born under a cannot believe a cannot repent a cannot love God a cannot walk with God a cannot see God a cannot enjoy God 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned A blind man cannot see colours nor a natural man cannot discern spiritual things they are too high they are too sublime for him they are mysteries that he cannot understand that he cannot unriddle The natural man can ascend no higher then nature as the water can rise no higher then the spring from whence it comes Quantum descendit tantum ascendit The Scripture sets such sad souls below the Ox and the Ass Isa 1.3 Take nature civilized and moralized refined and raised sublimated strengthened and improved to the utmost and it cannot enable a man to do a supernatural action nature cannot act ultra sphaeram above it self But Secondly there is a contracted and an habituated Cannot and of this Cannot the Prophet speaks in Jer. 6.10 To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear behold their ear is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken behold the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it They had by their carnality impiety sensuality security and obstinacy contracted upon their poor souls such deafness wretchedness unteachableness and untractableness that they could neither love the word nor like it they could neither take pleasure nor delight in it nay they could neither hear it nor bear it though it never so nearly concerned the internal and eternal welfare of their souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly distinctly signifies an adulteteress and this phrase of having eyes full of the adulteress answers to that of the Rhetorician who describing an unchast lascivious person rhetorically said of him that he had Whores in his eyes And of this Cannot the Apostle speaks in 2 Pet. 2.14 Having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin beguiling unstable souls an heart they have exercised with covetous practices cursed children By their riot and excess by their lasciviousness and wantonness by their loosness and uncleanness which they had habituated and accustomed themselves unto they brought upon themselves a cursed necessity of sinning so that they could not cease from sin They mourn over sin and yet they cannot cease from sin they resolve against sin yet they cannot cease to sins they pray against sin yet they cannot cease to sin they make many promises vows and Covenants against sin yet they cannot cease from sin their souls being habituated and accustomated thereunto Jer. 2.20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke and burst thy bands and thou saidst I will not transgress I will never play the harlot more but were they as good as their word no for upon every high hill and under every green tree they wandred playing the harlot I have read of a man who in the time of his sickness was so terrified in his conscience for his sins that he made the very bed to shake upon which he lay and cried out all night long I am damned I am damned and made many great promises and protestations of amendment of life if God would be pleased to recover him In a little while he did recover and being recovered he was as base and vile as wretched and wicked as ever he was before Custom in sin takes away all conscience of sin Jer. 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may he also do good that is accustomed to do evil The Ethiopian cannot make his black skin white he cannot change the hew or the colour of it by washing to attempt this is but labour in vain Nor the Leopard cannot change his spots no more can a poor sinner that hath habituated and accustomed himself to sin that is desperately enthralled to sin
3. A promise to live well Austin Austin well observes That as many think the eating of an Apple was but a small sin So many think that the eating of the Sacrament is but a small sin But as many horrid sins were wrapt up in that so are there many wrapt up in this 1. Here is pride else no man in his wickedness would presume to come to the Lords Table 2. Here is Rebellion and Treason against the Crown and dignity of Christ Romans 2.22 their hands and lips adore him as Judas his did but their hearts and lives abhor him 3. Here is Theft and Sacriledge now if to take away the Communion cup be such a high offence 1 Cor. 11.27.29 such horrid sacriledge what is it then to take the Bread and Wine set apart and sanctified for a holy use by the Lord himself 4. Here is Murder the worst murder the greatest murder the cruelest murder thou killest thy self thy soul and as much as in thee lies Gods dearest Son Now certainly in some respects this sin is a greater sin then Adams was For 1. Adams Eating was against a Creator but thine is against a Redeemer now it is more to redeem a soul then to create a world 2. His was against the word of the Lord thine against the blood of the Lord. 3. His struck at the Covenant of Works thine at the Covenant of Grace 4. He eat but once but thou eatest often Yea Aquinas Aquinas saith the Majesty of Church Discipline should never suffer this to let open and known offendors presume to come to the Table of the Lord. It was a worthy saying of Bilson an approved Author Suppose any man saith he be he a Prince Bilsons Christian Subject par 3. pag. 63. 64 74 c. 52. if he will not submit himself to the precepts of Christ but wilfully maintain either heresie or open impurity the Ministers are to admonish him what danger from God is at the door and if he impenitently persist they must not suffer him to communicate either in divine prayer or any holy mysteries among the people of God but wholly to be excluded the Congregation Again not only the lack of the word and Sacraments saith the same Author but the abuse of either greatly hazards the weale of the whole Church yea casting holy things to dogs c. procures a dreadfull doom as well to consenters as presumers it being the way to turn the house of God into a den of Theives if prophane ones be allowed to defile the mysteries and Assemblies of the faithfull I said Calvin Calvin will sooner die then this hand of mine shall give the things of God to the contemners of God Mr. Rutherford Rutherford that champion for Presbyterie in his divine right of Church-Government pag. 520 saith that they are co-partners with the wicked who dispence the bread to them who are knowingly dead in sins I might multiply many others but let these suffice for a close let me only say How the Father can be guiltless of the death of his child that giveth him poyson to drink with this Caution that he telleth him it is poyson I cannot see Josephus reports of some that prophanely searched the sepulchres of the Saints Joseph Antiq. lib. 12 13. l. 16. cap. 11. supposing to find some treasures there but God made fire to rise out of the earth that devoured them on a suddain Now if Gods wrath like fire breaks forth to consume such as wrong but the sepulchres of his Saints c. Oh then with what flames of fury will God burn up such as abuse not only the Sacrament of his Son but his Son himself It was a very great wickededness in Julian to throw his blood in the face of Christ but for a wicked Communicant to take Christs own blood as it were running from his heart and to throw it into he face of Christ is most abominable and damnable By all that hath been spoken you clearly see that unholy persons are to bâ— shut out of the special communion of Saints here on earth and therefore certainly the Lord will never suffer such to have communion with him in heaven it will not stand with the holiness and purity of God to have fellowship with such in the kingdom of glory whom he would not have his people have fellowship with in the kingdom of grace The eighth Argument to prove that without real holiness there is no happiness Unholy persons are throughout the Scriptures branded to their everlasting contempt with the worst Appellations that without holiness on earth no man shall ever come to a blâ—ssed vision or fruition of God in heaven is this The Scripture that speaks no Treason stiles unholy persons beasts yea the worst of beasts and what should such do in heaven Unholy persons are the most dangerous and the most unruly pieces in the world and therefore are emblemized by Lions Psalm 22.21 and they are cruel by Bears and they are savage Isa 11.7 by Dragons and they are hideous Ezek. 29.3 by Wolves and they are ravenous Ezek. 22.27 by dogs and they are snarling Rev. 22.15 by Vipers and Scorpions and they are stinging Mat. 12.34 Ezek. 2.6 by Spiders and Cockatrices and they are poysoning Isa 59.5 by swine and they are still gruntling Mat. 7.6 No man in this world is more like another It was wont to be a tryal whither land belonged to England or Ireland by putting in Toads or Snakes c. into it if they lived there it was concluded that the land belonged to England if they died to Ireland then the Epicure is like a Swine the fraudulent person a Fox the lustfull person a Goat the back-biter a barking Curr the slanderer an Asp the oppressor a Wolf the Persecutor a Tyger the Seducer a Serpent Certainly the Irish Air will sooner brook Toads and Snakes and Serpents to live therein then heaven will brook such beasts as unholy souls are to live there Surely God and Christ and the Spirit and Angels and the Spirits of just men made perfect are not so in love with Dogs and Swine c. as to put them into their bosoms or make them their companions Heaven is a place of too great state to admit such vermine to inhabit there When Cyneas the Embassador of Pyrrhus after his return from Rome was asked by his Master what he thought of the City and State he answered and said that it seemed to him to be Respublica Regum a State of none but great Statesmen and a Common-wealth of Kings Such is heaven it is no other State then a Parliament of Emperours a Common-wealth of Kings There is not a soul in heaven under the degree of a King Rev 6.1 and every King there hath a Robe of honour upon his back a golden Scepter in his hand and a glorious Crown upon his head And do you think that it will stand with the State of heaven or
the grave sometimes it signifies extraordinary great anguishes and distresses and sometimes it signifies hell or the place of the damned as here and as in Job 11.8 Prov. 15 1â— Psal 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the Nations that forget God In the Hebrew there ar two into 's into into Hell that is the wicked shall be turned into the nether most hell into the lowest and darkest dungeon of Hell They shall be turned into hell that is they shall be certainly turned into hell they shall be vehemently forcibly turned into hell God will as it were with both hands thrust them into hell The wicked shall from hell to judgement and from judgement they shall be turned with a witness into hell The Photinians hold that there is no hell and many now adayes say there is no hell but what a man finds in his own conscience and multitudes with Caesar do think that all that is spoken of hell is false and fabulous They will not believe that there is a hell till they come to feel themselves in hell till they find everlasting flames about their ears They are sentenced to the fire to everlasting fire they are doomed to fire and brimstone Mat. 25.41 Then shall he say unto them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels This terrible sentence breaths out nothing but fire and brimstone terror and horror dread and wo. The last words that ever Christ will speak in this world will be the most tormenting and amazing the most killing and damning the most stinging and wounding Depart from me there is rejection Pack be gon get you out of my fight let me never see your faces more It was a heavy doom that was past upon Nebuchadnezzar that he should be driven from the society of men Daniel 4.25 and in an extremity of a sottish melancholy spend his time amongst the beasts of the field but that was nothing to this soul-killing word Depart from me it was nothing to mens being cast out of the presence of Christ for ever The remembranre of which made one to pray thus Bernard in Psalm 91. O Lord deliver me at the great day from that soul killing word Depart And what saith another Sphinx This word Depart the Goats with horror hears But this word Come the Sheep to joy appears Ye cursed there is malediction But Lord if we must depart Oh let us depart blessed no depart ye cursed You have cursed others Cursings now are their hymns but in hell they shall be their woes Rev. 16.9.11.21 and now you shall be curst your selves you have delighted your selves in cursing and now you shall be curst for ever You shall be curst in your bodies and curst in your souls you shall be curst of God and curst of Angels and curst of Saints and curst of Devils and curst of your companions yea you shall curse your very selves your very souls You loved not blessing and therefore you shall have cursing enough Depart from me ye cursed all your curses all your malidictions shalt at last recoyl upon your own souls Now thou cursest every man and thing that stands in the way of thy lusts and that crosses thy designes but at last all the curses of heaven and hell shall meet in their full power and force upon thee But Lord if we must depart and depart cursed Oh let us go into some good place no depart ye into everlasting fire Therefore they do but dream who think and say that the devil and damned shall be delivered at last Psalm 11.6 Alsted there is the vengeance and continuance of it You shall go into fire into everlasting fire that will neither consume it self nor consume you Eternity of extremity is the hell of hell The fire in hell is like that stone in Arcadia which being one kindled could never be quenched If all the fires that over were in the world were contracted into one fire how terrible would it be yet such a fire would be but as a painted fire upon the wall to the fire of hell The greatest and the hottest fires that ever were on earth are but Ice in comparison of the fire of hell If it be so sad a spectacle to behold a malefactors flesh consumed by peice-meals in a lingring fire Ah how sad how dreadfull would it be to experience what it is to lie in unquenchable fire not for a day a moneth or a year or a hundred or a thousand years but for ever and ever If it were saith one but for a thousand years I could bear it but seeing is for eternity this amazeth and affrighteth me I am afraid of hell saith another because the worm there never dies Cyril and the fire never goeth out It is called unquenchable fire Mat. 18.8 and eternal fire in the Epistle of Jude ver 7. The torments of the damned are very grievous for the bitternesse of them but more grievous for the diversity of them but most of all grievous for the eternity of them To lye in everlasting torments Dionys in A ocaleps 18. fol. 301. Matth. 25. ult goes beyond all the bounds of desperation To roar for ever for disquietnesse of heart to rage for ever for madnesse of soul to weep and grieve and gnash the teeth for ever for vexation of spirit is a misery beyond all expression Suetonius reports of Tiberius Caesar that being petitioned by a certain offendor to hasten his punishment and to grant him a speedy dispatch Lâ—b 3 cap. 6. he made him this Answer Nondum tecum in gratiam redii Stay Sir you and I are not friends yet So if after a damned soul hath been in hell a thousand years he should petition the Lord for a speedy death the Lord would answer after the same manner Stay soul you and I are not yet friends if after thousands and millions of thousands of years the request should be renewed the Answer would still be the same Stay you and I are not yet friends Wronged Justice can never be satisfied and therefore the sinner must be for ever tormented the sinner in hell will sin for ever and therefore he must be punished for ever It will not stand with the unspotted Justice and righteousnesse of God to cease punishing where the sinner ceases not sinning One tells us of some Devout personages Jo. Pet. Camois B. of Betty in France in his draught of eternity Dan. 3. c. who caused those words of the Prophet Isa 33.14 Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings to be written in letters of gold upon their chimney pieces The fear of Nebuchadnezzars fiery furnace made men do any thing to avoid it and shall not the fear of eternal flames of everlasting burnings work men to bewail their sins to hate all their bitter sweets and to lay hold on
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
14.4 5 7 8 9 20. compared To know our selves to be holy is very desireable but wo were to many precious Christians if they might not be holy and yet not know it if they might not have holiness in their hearts when the appearance of holiness is hid from their eyes Look as sparks and coals of fire are often hid under the ashes and we see them not and as in Winter the sap and life is hid in the root of the tree and we perceive it not and as precious flowers are hid in their seeds and we discern them not so when it is Winter with a Christian his holiness may be so hid and covered under fears doubts sins c. that he may not be able to see it to discern it or conclude that he hath it As the air is sometimes clear and sometimes cloudy and the Sea sometimes ebbing and sometimes flowing so the holiness of the Saints is sometimes so clouded and at so low an ebb that a Christian can hardly discern it he can hardly say Lo here is my holiness the being of holiness in the soul is one thing the seeing of holiness in the soul is another thing the being of holiness is one thing the feeling of holiness is another thing A Christian may as safely conclude that there are no stars in the sky in a dark night because he cannot see them and that there is no treasure in the Mine because he cannot discern it nor come to the feeling of it as he may conclude that he hath no holiness in his heart because he cannot see it he cannot feel it As the treasures of this world Prov. 2.3 4 5 6. so the treasures of holiness often-times he low a man must dig deep before he can come at them As the babe lives in the womb but doth not know it and â—s the Sun often shines into the house and a man doth not see it so the babe of grace may be formed in the soul and yet a Christian not know it and the Sun of holiness may shine in his soul and yet he not see it O therefore how greatly doth it concern Christians to make a diligent a narrow and a serious search into their own hearts whether they have this Jewel of glory Holiness in their souls or no! And if these arguments will not provoke you to fall upon this work of trial I know not what will But me thinks I hear some of you saying O Sir how shall we do to know whether we have this real holiness or no we see it is our very great concernment to know whether God hath sown this heavenly seed in our souls or no but how shall we come to know this Now to this I answer there are several wayes whereby this may be discovered As First a person of real holiness is much affected and taken up in the admiration of the holiness of God Unholy persons may be somewhat affected and taken with other of the excellencies of God but it is only holy souls that are affected and taken with the holiness of God Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods Who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders In this stately description of God holy Moses is most taken up in magnifying and admiring the holiness of God Holiness is that glory of the Creator that holy ones most delight to glory in So Psa 78.41 89.19 c. Isa 43.3 and chap. 49.7 So holy David Psalm 71.22 Vnto thee will I sing with the Harp O thou holy one of Israel So Isa 12.6 Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee The inhabitants of Zion must shout and hollow out as the Hebrew word carries it in token of joy because he that is great and in the midst of them is the holy one of Israel So Hab. 1.12 Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God my holy one Among holy ones none to the holy One Yea the more holy any are the more deeply are they affected and taken with the holiness of God as you may see in Isaiah 6.3 And one cried unto another or this cried to this and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory The holy Seraphims by trebling the acclamation of his holiness Holy holy holy do denote not only the superlative eminency glory and excellency of Gods holiness but also they do discover how greatly how abundantly they are affected and taken with the holiness of God To the holy Angels the holiness of God is the sparkling diamond in the ring of glory But now unholy persons are rather affected and taken with any thing then with the holiness of God The carnal secure sinner is affected and taken with the patience forbearance and long-suffering of God O saith he what a God of patience is this that hath waited so many years for my repentance that he that might long since have damned me waits still to save me that he who might long since have cast me into hell is still willing that I should go to heaven Deut. 29.18 19 20 21. Eccles 8.11 The presumptuous sinner is much affected and taken with the mercy and goodness of God Well saith the presumptuous sinner though I have sinned thus and thus yet God hath been merciful to me and though I do sin daily thus and thus yet God is still merciful to me and though I should still go on to sin seven-fold more yet he would be merciful to me He doth not delight in the death of a sinner nor in the damnation of souls O what a merciful God is God! The prosperous sinner he is taken with the bounty and liberality of God O saith he what a bountiful God what a liberal God is this who fills my barns fills my baggs who prospers me at home and abroad who hath blest me with a healthful body a fair estate a saving wife a full trade laborious servants and thriving children c. But where is there a sinner in all the world that is affected and taken with the holiness of God! Certainly there is nothing that renders God so formidable and terrible to unholy persons as his holiness doth Isa 30.11 Get you out of the way turn aside out of the path cause the holy One of Israel to cease from before us O that you would not preach so much nor talk so much to us of the holy One of Israel O that you would once cease from molesting and vexing us with message upon message from the holy One Why cannot you as well talk and preach to us of the merciful one the compassionate one the affectionate one the pittiful one c. as be still a talking to us of the holy one the holy one Dan. 5.4 5 6. Hab. 1.13 O we love not to hear it O we cannot tell how to bear it nothing
the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his pathes for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem 1 Thes 1.3 And hence patience is called patience of hope because this holy principle of hope naturalizes a mans heart to a patient waiting upon God Rom. 8.25 But if we hope for that we see not Heb. 6.10 then do we with patience wait for it So holy love naturalizes the soul to holy service in 1 Thes 1.3 you read of the labour of love holy love is very laborious nothing makes a Christian more industrious painful and diligent in the service and waies of God then holy love holy love will make us to pray and to praise Rom. 14.7 8. 2 Corin. 12.14 15 16. it will make us wait and work it will provoke souls to study Christ to admire Christ to live to Christ to lift up Christ to spend and be spent for Christ and to break through all difficulties that it may come nearer to Christ and cleave closer to Christ As Jerom once bravely said If my father said he should stand before me my mother should hang upon me and my brethren should press about me I would break through my brethren throw down my mother tread under-feet my father that I might the faster cleave unto Christ my Saviour O the laboriousness of holy love So far as a Christian is holy so far holy services will be delightful and easie to him Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man ver 25. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God Psalm 119.16 I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Ver. 35. Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments for therein do I delight Ver. 47. And I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved Ver. 92. Vnless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction Ver. 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy Commandments are my delights Sirs Honour is not more suteable delightful and pleasing to an ambitious man nor pleasure to a voluptuous man nor flatterie to a proud man nor gold to a covetous man nor excess to an intemperate man nor revenge to an envious man Psalm 27.8 Psal 81.8 ult nor pardon to a condemned man then Religious duties and services are suteable pleasing and delightful to a holy man but now unholy hearts are very averse to holy duties and services they are averse to hearing averse to praying averse to reading averse to meditating averse to self-judging averse to self-examining averse to holy worship averse to holy Sabbaths Amos 8.5 When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat Isa 26.10 11. Jer. 5.1 6. You may sooner draw a Coward to fight or a Malefactor to the Barr or a Bear to the stake Wicked hearts are habitually averse to all that is good c. then you shall draw unholy hearts to holy services But if at any time by the strong motions of the Spirit the close debates of conscience the powerful perswasions of the Word the education of godly parents the pious example of bosom friends the rich treasures in precious promises the dreadful evils in terrible threatnings or if at any time by the displeasure of God the smarting rod the bowels of mercy the woings of love or if at any time by some flashes of hell or glimpses of heaven or by the heavy sighs the deep groans and the bleeding wounds of a dying Saviour their hearts are wrote over to Religious services Ah how soon are they weary of them What little delight or pleasure do they take in them Isa 43.22 Isa 58.1 2 3 4 5. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob that is thou hast not worshipped nor served me sincerely faithfully feelingly heartily affectionately humbly holily as thou shouldest and as thou oughtest but thou hast been weary of me O Israel that is thou hast been weary of my worship and service and thou hast counted it rather a burden then a benefit a dammage then an advantage a reproach then an honour a disgrace then a favour a vexation then a blessing and for all thy formal courtings and complementings of me thou hast been secretly weary of me So in Mal. 1.12 13. Ye say The table of the Lord is polluted and the fruit thereof even his meat is contemptible Ye said also Behold what a weariness is it and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of hosts c. They did God but little service and that they did was after the worst manner too and yet they snuff and puff and blow and sweat and swell and fall into a fustian fume as if they had been over-tyred and wearied with the burden and weight of those sacrifices which they offered up to the great God A holy heart thinks all too little that he doth for God but an unholy heart thinks every little too much that he doth for God An holy heart like the holy Angels loves to do much and make no noise but an unholy heart makes most noise when he doth least service an unsanctified soul hath a Trumpet in his right hand when he hath but a penny to give in his left hand as here But Eighthly Where there is real holiness there will be the exercise of righteousness towards men from righteous principles and upon religious accounts viz. the honour of God the command of God the will of God the credit of the Gospel c. Real holiness towards God is alwayes attended with righteousness towards men Eph. 4.24 And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness or holiness of truth Titus 2.11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world These words contain the summ of a Christians duty to live soberly towards our selves righteously towards our neighbours and godlily towards God The common shekel is about 20. pence so then 400. shekels amount to 33. pound six shillings and eight pence after five shillings sterling the ounce And in this purchase is prophetically shewed that Abrahams posterity should have the inheritance of that land As Jeremiahs buying of his Uncles field was a sign of the Jews return and of their pollicie there again to buy and sell is true godliness indeed and the whole duty of man So holy Abraham in Gen. 23.16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth four hundred shekels of silver currant money with the Merchant It is recorded to holy Abrahams everlasting honour and fame that he paid for
can Look as fire will assimilate and turn every thing that comes near it into its own nature so will a holy heart labour to make all that comes near him like himself Look as one drunkard labours to make another and one swearer another and one wanton another and one thief another and one idle person another and one fearful person another and one doubtful person another and one erroneous person another c. So one holy heart labours to make another one gracious heart labours to make another he that is humble will labour to make others humble he that is sincere will labour to make others sincere he that is faithful will labour to make others to be faithful he that is fruitful will labour to make others fruitful and he that is watchful will labour to make others watchful A heart that is truly holy will labour by prayers reproofs tears example counsel and commands to make others like himself He knows that there is no love no wisdom no care no pains next to that which he takes with his own heart to that which is laid out to make unholy hearts holy And therefore he prayes and weeps and weeps and prayes that holiness may be written upon all that his name is written upon he learns and teaches and he teaches and learns and all that he may teach and learn others to be holy he counts it not worth while to live in this world were it not for the glory of God and the good of his own and others souls but now what shall we say of those persons who are so far from being holy who are so far from drawing others to be holy that they do what they can to make those that are holy to become unholy and who strongly tempt those that are unholy to be more unholy these are factors for hell and certainly such solicitors shall at last be most dreadfully handled by hellish tormentors But Tenthly He that is really holy will be holy in the use of earthly and common things as well as in the use of spiritual and heavenly things Titus 1.15 He will be spiritual in the use of carnal things and heavenly in the use of earthly things There is a silver vein of sanctity that runs through all his worldly concernments If you look upon him in his eating and drinking you shall find him holy 1 Cor. 10.31 If you look upon him in his buying and selling in his paying and receiving you shall find him holy Isa 23.18 And her Merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord. Before Tyres conversion she laboured to inrich her self by hook and by crook all was fish that came to Tyres net Tyre could say any thing or do any thing or be any thing for gain Oh but when Tyre is converted and sanctified then all her merchandise and hire then all her gettings and earnings shall be holiness to the Lord. Tyre now shall write holinesse upon all her wares and commodities Tyre shall buy nothing nor sell nothing nor exchange nothing but there shall be holinesse written upon it And Tyre shall be as well holy in using and improving of her merchandise and hire as she hath been holy in the getting of them for so it follows in the same verse It shall not be treasured nor laid up for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord to eat sufficiently and for durable clothing Tyre before her conversion hoorded up riches and laid up her merchandise to spend upon her lusts to spend upon her pride and wantonnesse and luxuriousnesse c. But now being converted she uses and improves what she hath in the Service of the Lord and for the comfort support and relief of the poor and needy When Tyre is once made holy Calvin renders it Stables of horses which are the most stinking and contemptible places and yet these should be holily used then Tyre will be holy in the use of all her earthly enjoyments If you look upon a holy man going to war then you shall find holinesse written upon the bridles of his horses Zach. 14.20 21. In that day shall there be upon the bridles or bells of the horses holiness unto the Lord. Yea every Pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of Hosts Here is holinesse written upon the bridles of the horses they ride on and holinesse written upon the cups and pots they drink in a holy heart will be holy in the use of the meanest things that are for common use Every piece of his civility shall savour of sanctity and in all the parts of his common conversation you shall be able to discern something of the power of religion Job 5.24 And thou shalt visit thy habitation and shalt not sin Thou shalt be holy in thy commerce and holy in thy converse holinesse shall be written upon thy dealings with thy servants and holinesse shall be written upon thy carriages towards thy children and holinesse shall be written upon all thy behaviours towards thy friends What ever thou puttest thy hand to in thy habitation shall have holinesse written upon it thou shalt make a Jacobs ladder of all thy earthly enjoyments all the comforts that be in thy habitation shall be as so many bright morning stars to lead thee on in a way of holinesse and to lead thee up to a holy God Look upon a holy man in his calling and you shall find him holy Look upon him in the use of the creatures and you shall find him holy Look upon him in his recreations and you shall find him holy The habitual frame and bent of his heart is to be holy in every earthly thing that he puts his hand unto A spirit of holinesse runs and shines in all the common actions of his life But now look upon those who have only the shews and appearances of holinesse and you shall find that they have but a common spirit in common things take them out of their duties and you shall find them in a course to be earthly in the use of earthly things and carnal in the use of carnal things and worldly in the use of worldly things All their religion all their holinesse lyes in a few duties take them out of these and you shall find them as carnal as vain as foolish as filthy and as frothy as light and as slight as those that have not so much as a cloak of holinesse upon them But he that is really holy will be holy as well out of duties as in duties If you look narrowly upon him in all his worldly concernments you shall find some footsteps of the aw fear dread authority and glory of God upon his spirit Look as an unholy heart is carnal in spiritual things and earthly in heavenly things and unholy in holy things so a man that is truly holy he is as well holy in the ordinary affairs and actions of this life as he is holy in any of the
exercises of Religion But Eleventhly True holinesse is conformable to the holinesse of Christ The holinesse of Christ is that first and noble pattern that real holinesse makes us conformable to 1 John 4.17 1 John 2.6 Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this world there is no grace in Christ which is not in some degree formed in a holy heart and therefore the work of grace and holinesse is called a forming of Christ in the soul Gratiam super gratiam say some Gratiam gratiae accumalatam say others Certainly Christ is a seminary of graces He is clara Epitome virtutum An exact Epitome of graces Gal. 4.19 Holy hearts have the very prints stamps and impressions of the graces of Jesus Christ upon them 1 John 16. Of his fulnesse we have all received grace for grace Look as face answers to face so the graces that are in real Christians answer to the graces that are in Jesus there is such love as answers to the love of Christ and such lowlinesse as answers to the lowlinesse of Christ and such heavenly mindednesse as answers to the heavenly mindednesse of Christ and such meeknesse as answers to the meeknesse of Christ and such patience as answers to the patience of Christ and such faith as answers to the faith of Christ and such zeal as answers to the zeal of Christ and such fear as answers to the fear of Christ in truth and reality though not in degree and quantity Look as in generation the child receives member for member or as the paper from the Presse letter for letter or the glasse from the face image for image or as the wax from the seal stamp for stamp so holy hearts receive from Christ grace for grace Look as wine in the bottle is conformable to that in the Butt and as water in the Cistern is conformable to that in the river and as light in the Air is conformable to that in the Sun and as milk in the sawcer is conformable to milk in the breasts and as money in the pocket is conformable to money in the bagg So the graces that are in a holy Christian are conformable to the graces that are in Christ 2 Cor. 3.17 18. To be a Philosopher saith Plato is to know God to be in love with God and to imitate God So say I to be a holy person is to know a holy Christ to be in love with a holy Christ and to imitate the vertues of a holy Christ It was the height of Caesars glory to walk in the steps of Alexander And of Selymus a Turkish Emperour to walk in the steps of Caesar And of Themistocles to walk in the steps of Miltiades so it is the height of a Christians glory to tread in the vertuous steps of his dearest Lord. And as Scipio accounted it no small disparagement for him to walk one foot awry from that course of life which Cyrus in Xenophon had gone before him in so a holy heart counts it no small disparagement to him in the least to step awry from that holy pattern that Christ hath set him Look as the holy Prophet did lay his mouth to the Shunamites childs mouth 2 Kings 4.34 and his eyes to his eyes and his hands to his hands So a holy Christian layes his mouth to the mouth of Christ and his eys to the eyes of Christ and his hands to the hands of Christ and his breasts to the breasts of Christ and his heart to the heart of Christ that is 1 Pet. 2.9 he doth in all things labour to resemble Christ to be like to Christ especially in those holy vertues which were most shining in the heart and life of Christ Now certainly they are far from being holy who count it a crime to be vertuous and so are they who walk directly contrary to Jesus Christ he was holy but they are prophane he was humble but they are proud he was heavenly but they are earthly he was spiritual but they are carnal he was zealous but they are luke-warm he was meek but they are contentions he was charitable but they are covetous he was courteous but they are malitious Will you call these men holy surely no. But Twelfthly He that is truly holy Joshua 7.9 Psalm 69.9 Ezra 9.3 Nehemiah 9. Daniel 9. Micah 1.8 Ierem. 13.17 is much affected and afflicted with the unholinesse of others Psal 119.53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy Law Ver. 158. I beheld the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word Ver. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law By this Hyperbolical phrase he sets forth the greatnesse of his sorrows and that not because his enemies had wronged him but because they had dishonoured his God It was a great grief to him ro see others a grieving his God So Jer. 9.1 2 3. O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night Oh that I had in the wildernesse a lodging place of wayfaring men that I might leave my people and go from them But why doth the holy Prophet thus take on why doth he thus lament why doth he wish himself turned into waters and into a fountain of tears why doth he prefer a habitation amongst the wild beasts before his habitation among his own people Why the cause you have in the following words for they be all Adulterers an Assembly of treacherous men And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth for they proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the Lord. So Ezek. 9.4 And the Lord said unto him Go through the midst of the City through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof There were holy hearts in Jerusalem that did sigh and cry and cry and sigh for the wickednesse of the times the abominations of the times did lye in such full weight upon them that they did fetch many a sigh from their hearts and many a tear from their eyes Holy hearts are able to tell you many sad stories of the groans griefs and gripes that other mens sins hath cost them When most were a sinning Gods marked ones were a mourning when others were with a high hand a cursing blaspheming and a rebelling Gods marked ones were deeply sorrowing they mourned cordially they sighed greatly they grieved wonderfully they groaned lamentably and that not for some but for all for all Court sins and Church sins and City sins and family sins And so holy Paul could not with dry eyes make mention of those belly-gods and earth-worms that were in his time Phil. 3.18 So holy Lot was
he knows that sinners sins may have a deep hand in provoking God to rain hell out of heaven upon a sinfull Nation as he did of old upon Sodom and Gomorrah Eccles 9.18 Witness Achan Manasseh Jeroboam Saul Herod Ahab c. and this sets him a mourning if one sinner destroys much good as Solomon speaks Ah saith he what a world of good will a world of sinners destroy then the serious thoughts of this makes him sigh 7. A holy heart looks upon other mens sins as their bonds and chains Acts 8.23 and this makes him mourn When Marcellus the Roman General saw the multitude of captives that were taken in the City of Syracuse the tears trickled down his cheeks Ah how can tears but trickle down a Christians cheeks when he sees multitudes fast bound with the cords of their iniquity trooping to hell Who can look upon a sinner as a close prisoner to the Prince of darknesse and not bemoan him Now if holy persons thus mourn for the wickednesse of others Rom. 1.21 To applaud to them and take pleasure in them who take pleasure in sin is the highest degree of ungodlinesse then certainly they are far from being holy who take pleasure in the wickednesse of others who laugh and joy who can make a sport a pastime of other mens sins These are rather monsters then men there are none so neerly allied to Satan as these nor none resemble Satan to the life so much as these The devil alwayes joyes most when sinners sin most Neither doubtlesse are they holy who tempt and entice others to be unholy nor are they holy who only cry out of other mens sins but never sigh for other mens sins nor are they holy who insult over the iniquities of others but never mourn for the iniquities of others nor are they holy who can rail reproach and revile others for their sins but have neither skill nor will to lament over others sins and yet this age is full of such wretches Certainly that mans holinesse will be found to be of the right stamp at last who can Evangelically mourn for other mens sins as well as his own But Thirteenthly He that is truly holy he loves the word and is affected and taken with the word for its holinesse and purity 1 Pet. 2.2 Psal 12.6 7. 18.30 Sacrae Scripturae tuae sunt sanctae delicia meae August Psal 119.140 Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it A pure heart embraces the word for its purity So holy Paul in Rom. 7.12 Wherefore the Law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good Well and what then why saith he ver 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But is this all No saith he ver 25. With the mind I my self serve the Law of God Holy Paul delights in the Law as holy and serves the Law as holy just and good These several Titles Law Statutes Testimony Commandments Iudgements are used promiscuously for the whole word of God commonly distinguished into Law and Gospel A holy heart is taken with the word for its spirituality divinity and purity So in Psalm 19.8 9 10. The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean that is the Doctrine that teacheth the true fear of God enduring for ever the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether More to be desired are they then gold yea then much fine gold Sweeter also then honey and the hony comb or as the Hebrew hath it Sweeter then the dropping of hony-combs The whole word of God as it is a pure word a clean word so it rejoyces a holy heart and so it is sweeter then the very droppings of honey-combs It is more sweet then those drops which drop immediately and naturally without any force or art which is counted the purest and the sweetest honey There is no profit nor pleasure to that which the purity of the word yields to a holy heart But now unholy hearts they are affected with the word as it is drest up with fine high notions which are but mysterious nothings they are taken with the word as it is cloathed with Arts In great Fairs and Markets the Pedlar and the Ballad-singer who sell toyes and trifles have most Children and fools hanging upon them but they that are wise and prudent attend those shops where there is best richest commodities you know how to apply it Parts and Elegancy of phrase they are pleased with the word as it is apparelled with a spruse wit or with silken Expressions or with some delicate Elocution Augustin confesseth that the delight which he took before his conversion in St. Ambroses Sermons was more for the eloquence of the words then the substance of the matter so many are taken more with the wit elocution action high notions and far fetch expressions that be in a Sermon then they are taken with the spirituality divinity weight and holy worth that is in a Sermon these are like those children who are more taken with the fine flowers that are strewd about the dish then they are with the meat that is in the dish and that are more taken with the red weeds and blew bottles that grow in the field then they are with the good corn that grows there But now as the prudent Farmer is taken more with a few handfulls of sound corn then he is with all the gay weeds that be in the field So a holy heart is more taken with a few sound truths in a Sermon then he is taken with all the strong lines and high strains and flourishes of wit with which a Sermon may be deckt up Some are taken with the word as the profession of it brings in customers into their shops and keeps up their credits in the world Others are taken with the word as it seems to tickle their ears and please their fancies Some are affected with Sermons because of the elegancy of the style delicacy of the words smoothnesse of the language and gracefulnesse of the delivery And these deal by Sermons as many men do by their Nosegays that are made up of many pickt sweet flowers who after they have smelt to them a while cast them into a corner So these after they have commended a Sermon after they have applauded a Sermon they cast away the Sermon they smell to the Sermon and say it is sweet it is sweet and presently they throw it by as a Nosegay that is withered and of no further use When a man that is sick crazy and unsound is at a Table that is furnished with variety of dishes you know he easily and readily passes over all the most wholesome and nourishing dishes and falls a pidling and picking here and there upon kickshaws and puff-paste that have little or no substance in them So unsound unholy hearts when God hath
lips of the righteous are a free and well furnished table at which many are fed and nourished with the dainties of heaven to eternal life Righteous men keep open house they keep free hospitality for all comers and goers and if they have not alwayes bread in their hands yet they have alwayes grace in their lips to feed many Though they may be outwardly poor yet they have a treasure within to enrich many The tongue is the instrument of a Christians glory and is so interested in the quality it expresseth that in the original it is taken for it Cavod signifying both glory and the tongue by the authority of no less Rabbines then Jacob and David as thereby intimating that the chiefest glory of man is his tongue The Primitive Christians talked so much and so often of high and heavenly things that the Ethnicks began to surmise that they affected the Roman Empire when indeed their ambition was of another a nobler and a higher nature But now men that have only a shew of godliness they do practically say Our tongues are our own and who shall controul us Their speech is so far from administring of grace to their hearers that it administers usually either matter of carnal mirth or of contempt or of scorn or of sorrow and mourning certainly they have no holiness in their hearts who have so much of hell Jam. 1.26 27. chap. 3.8.12 Matth. 26.73 and the Devil and lusts in their mouthes I may say to most You are unholy persons your speech bewrayes you your worldliness your prophaneness your cursing your swearing your lying your slandering your reviling your railing your deriding c. doth plainly evidence that you have no holiness in you Well remember this a tongue that is set on fire from hell is in danger to be set on fire in hell Hell is for that man and that man is for hell that hath so much of hell in his mouth the Devil is for that man and that man is for the Devil that hath so much of the Devil in his mouth Damnation is for that man and that man is for damnation that hath so much of damnation in his mouth the world is for that man and that man is for the world that hath so much of the world in his mouth Whatever is in the heart will break out in the lips if wickedness be in the heart it will break out in the lips Physitians say that the nature of diseases is as well known by the tongue as by the pulse or urine The spiritual diseases that be in the heart will quickly discover themselves by the tongue Whereever holiness is in the heart it will break forth in the lips a holy heart and a holy tongue are married together and it is not in man to put them asunder you shall sooner separate the soul from the body then you shall separate a holy tongue from an holy heart And thus I have done with this use of examination the Lord make you wise to lay these things to heart that so you may know how it is like to go with you in another world Vse 3. THe third Use shall be a Use of Exhortation and that both to unsanctified and sanctified ones First let me speak to unsanctified ones is it so that real holiness is the only way to happiness and that without men are holy on earth they shall never come to the beatifical vision or blessed fruition of God in heaven O then how should this provoke and stir up all unholy persons to strive and labour as for life after this real holiness without which they shall never come to have any thing to do with God in everlasting happiness c Now that I may the better prevail with unsanctified souls I shall First propound some motives to stir and provoke their hearts to look and labour after real holiness c. Secondly I shall propose some means for the obtaining of holiness Thirdly I shall endeavour to answer those objections and remove those impediments that hinder and keep men off from labouring after real holiness For the first I shall propound these following considerations to provoke all unsanctified persons to look after holiness First Consider the necessity of holinesse It is impossible that ever you should be happy except you are holy No holinesse here no happinesse hereafter The Scripture speaks of three bodily inhabitants of heaven Enoch before the Law Elijah under the Law and Jesus Christ under the Gospel all three eminent in holinesse to teach us that even in an ordinary course there is no going to heaven without holinesse There are many thousand thousands now in heaven but not one unholy one among them all There is not one sinner among all those Saints not one Goat among all those Sheep not one weed among all those flowers not one thorn or prickle among all those Roses not one Pibble among all those glistering Diamonds There is not one Cain among all those Abels nor one Ishmael among all those Isaacs nor one Esau among all those Jacobs in heaven Rev. 5.11 Chap 7.9 Heb. 12.22 23. Those that would be immortally happy they must live holily and justly saith Antisthenes the Heathen there is not one Seth among all the Patriarchs not one Saul among all the Prophets nor one Judas among all the Apostles nor one Demas among all the Preachers nor one Simon Magus among all the professors Heaven is only for the holy man and the holy man is only for heaven Heaven is a garment of glory that is only suited to him that is holy God who is truth it self and cannot lie hath said it that without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Mark that word no man without holinesse the rich man shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the poor man shall not see the Lord Without holinesse the Noble man shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the mean man shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the Prince shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the Peasant shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the Ruler shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the Ruled shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the learned man shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the ignorant man shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the husband shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the wife shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the Father shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the child shall not see the Lord. Without holinesse the Master shall not see the Lord nor without holinesse the servant shall not see the Lord. For faithfull and strong is the Lord of hosts that hath spoken it Josh 23.14 In this day some cry up one form some another some cry up one Church-state some another some cry up one way some another but certainly the way of holinesse is the good old way it is the King of Kings high-way to heaven and
holiness if he were not glorious in holiness That which speaks his power to be glorious power is his holiness and that which speaks his wisdom to be glorious wisdom is his holiness and that which speaks his mercy to be glorious mercy is his holiness c. Were not the power of God a holy power it could never be a glorious power were not the wisdom of God a holy wisdom it could never be glorious wisdom and were not the mercy of God holy mercy it could never be glorious mercy c. So the holiness of a man is the glory and excellency of all a mans excellencies it is the perfection of all a mans perfections in Paradise Heb. 12.23 mans perfect holiness was his perfect blessedness and in heaven mans perfect holiness will be his perfect happiness Holiness adds an excellency to all a mans excellencies that which adds an excellency to a mans wisdom is holiness when a mans wisdom is a holy wisdom then it is excellent wisdom So holy courage is excellent courage and holy zeal is excellent zeal and holy knowledge is excellent knowledge and holy faith is excellent faith and holy love â—s exâ—ellent love and holy fear is excellent fear it is the adding of holiness to all these that renders these vertues truly excellent it is holinesse that is the top of all these royalties 0000000 these signifie nothing but if you do but add a figure to them 10000000. then they signifie much Look as all ciphers signifie nothing except you add a figure to them so all the excellencies that be in men whether they are natural moral or acquired they signifie nothing except you add holinesse to them Birth and breeding wit and wealth honour and learning are but the shadows and shapes of nobleness and true excellency it is holinesse that is the soul and substance of all and without holinesse all other things are of no worth all other excellencies have no excellency at all in them 2 King 5 1. Naaman was General of the Kings Army he was a man in great favour with his Prince a man much honoured among the people for being a saviour and deliverer to them He was also a mighty man in valour but he was a Leper this But he was a Leper was a cloud upon all his glory it was a vail upon all his honour greatnesse and noblenesse So to say there is a wise man but unholy and there is a great man but unholy and there is an ingenuous man but unholy and there is a noble-man but unholy and there is a valiant man but unholy and there is a good natured man but unholy and there is a learned man but unholy c. What is this But unholy but a cloud of darkness upon all the excellencies that are in these persons But let now holiness be but added to each of these and then they will shine as so many Suns Holiness is a garment that sets off arts and parts and all other excellencies that be in man let but this garment be wanting and the nakednesse of all things will quickly appear And this made Hierom to say that he had rather have Saint Pauls coat with his heavenly graces then the purple of Kings with their Kingdoms Look as a precious Jewel set in gold makes that much more conspicuous and glorious which was glorious before So holiness adds beauty splendour and glory to a mans parts birth honour and estate c. But Sixthly Consider that holiness is not only an honour and an ornament to the person that hath it but it is also an honour and an ornament both to the persons and places to whom he stands related the holinesse of the father is an honour and ornament to the child So holy Eliakim was a throne of glory to his fathers house Isa 22.23 The Hebrew is A woman of of strength or a valiant woman that is a woman that is made strong and valiant by grace by holiness to withstand sin to conquer temptation and to triumph in affliction c. so was Abrahams to Isaac and the holinesse of the child is an honour and an ornament to the father so was Isaacs to Abraham the holinesse of the husband is an honour and ornament to the wife so was Abrahams to Sarah and the holinesse of the wife is an honour and an ornament to the husband so was Sarahs to Abraham So in Prov. 12.4 A vertuous woman is a crown to her husband A crown is the top of honour it is the top of royaltie and glory why a vertuous wife is such a thing A sweet a good natured wife is as a gold ring upon her husbands finger a gifted wife is as a gold chain about her husbands neck but a holy vertuous wife is as a crown upon her husbands head The holinesse of the Prince is an honour and an ornament to the people and the holinesse of the people is an honour and an ornament to the Prince The holinesse of the master is an honour and an ornament to the servant and the holinesse of the servant is an honour and an ornament to the master And the holinesse of one brother is an honour to another brother Jude glories in this that he was the brother of James Vers 1. James was famous for his sanctity for his holinesse he was called the just as Eusebius writes Euseb lib. 2. c. 23. where you have many memorable things concerning the holiness of his life and the manner of his death his holinesse did so sparkle and shine that the Jews were generally convinced that in holinesse he was more eminent and excellent then others Now Jude took it for a very high honour to be related to one so eminent in holinesse Holy persons reflect a credit and an honour upon their relations It was the speech of a Heathen notably qualified though but meanly bred and born to a dissolute person well born upbraiding him with his birth I am a grace to my stock but thou art a blot to thy linage Yea holy persons are an honour to the places where they have been born and bred Psalm 87.5 6. And of Zion it shall be said this and that man was born in her and the highest himself shall establish her The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there Selah God seems to be very much affected and taken with the very places where holy men are born Some Antiquaries say that the Primitive Church had her publick Tables whereâ—n the names of the persons that were most noted for piety and holiness were recorded he loves the very ground that holy men tread on and he delights in the very air that holy men breath in holy persons reflect honour upon the very places where they were born the holy Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles were the honour and the glory of the ages and places where they lived They were as so many bright morning Stars they were
Traveller mend his pace when he sees the night comes on and shall the Smiâ—â— strike when the Iron is hot and shall not we take the present opportunity of repenting and turning to the Lord Remembring that there will be a time when time shall be no more He. 12.17 Luke 13.24 27. and when there shall be no place found for repentance though it should be sought carefully with tears and remembring that there will be a time when thy glass will be out when the door will be shut and when there will be no entrance at all And remembring that it is a safer course with prudent Prometheus to foresee a danger and shun it then with foolish Epimetheus to go on unadvisedly and be punished Ah friends it is a dangerous thing to make repentance What madness and folly is it for a man that hath many young strong stout horses and a long journey to go to let these pass by and to lay his carriage and get up himself upon an old feeble jade that can hardly bear himself The application is easie Mal. 1.13 14. which should be the practice of all your dayes to be the task of old Age. Doth not common experience tell us that the longer the Ship leaketh the harder it is to be emptied and that the longer the house goes to decay the worse it is to repair and that the further the nail is driven the harder it will be to get out and so certainly the longer any man defers his repentance the more difficult it will be for him to repent his heart will every day grow more and more hard his will more and more perverse and his judgement more and more corrupted and his affections more and more disordered and his conscience more and more benummed or enraged and his whole life more and more defiled and debauched Friends do not deceive your selves old age is but a sad a sandy a tottering and sinking foundation for you to build your hopes and happinesse upon for you to build your everlasting condition your eternal making or marring upon Are the dog dayes of old age are the trembling hands the wrinckled face the dazeled eyes the stinking lungs the fainting heart the feeble knees and the failing leggs are these a sacrifice worthy of God is a body full of sores aches and diseases and a soul full of sin an offering becoming a God surely no. O what madnesse what wickednesse is this to serve Satan your lusts and this world with full dishes and to put off God with scraps to serve these in the flower in the prime and primrose of you days and to put off God with the dregs of old age Certainly repentance is rather a work for youth then old age it is a work rather for strength then weaknesse and for health then sicknesse O do not let Satan deceive you do not let your own hearts delude you but fall upon the work of repentance presently knowing that as you have one day more to repent of so you have one day lesse to repent in What a piece of vanity is it that while the Ship is sound the tackling sure the Pilot well the Sailers strong provisions laid in and the wind favourable that the Mariners and passengers should lie in the Rode carding drinking diceing dancing and idling And when the Ship is leak the Pilot sick the mariners faint provisions spent and the winds boisterous then to weigh Anchors and hoist up sail to make a voyage into a far Countrey And yet such is the vanity of most men who in the dayes of their youth health and strength who when their memories are strong and their fancies quick and their Reason ripe c. do sin away and fool away and trifle away the day of grace the offers of mercy the motions of the Spirit and the intreaties of Christ and when old age comes when their wits are crackt their souls distracted their senses stupified their hearts astonied their minds darkned and their bodies diseased and distempered O then they think to leap into heaven with a Lord have mercy upon me in their mouthes and though they have lived like devils yet they hope they shall die like Saints and though they never took no care of Gods honour yet they hope that God will take care of their souls but when the thred of their lives is cut the next news that ever you shall hear of these is that they are gone to hell I have read of a young man who being admonished of the evil of his way and course and being pressed to leave his wickednesse and to break off his sins by repentance upon the consideration of Judgement Eternity and Death a coming he answered what do you tell me of these things I warrant you I will do well enough for when death comes I will speak but three words and that will help all so he went on in his wickednesse but in the end coming to a Bridge on Horse-back to go over a deep water the Horse stumbling and he labouring to recover his Horse could not but at last he let go the Bridle gave up himself and his Horse to the waters and was heard to say these three words Devil take all Here were three words with a witnesse And ô that all that think to repent at last with a Lord have mercy upon me would lay this instance to heart The light of thy life may be put out before thou canst once say Miserere mei Deus Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Though the Chariot wheels run all the day long very near one another yet they never overtake one another O take heed of delaying thy repentance for the more thou delayest it the more will thy account be increased thy debt augmented Satan strengthned thy body infeebled thy lusts imboldned thy soul endangered and all the difficulties of conversion more and more multiplied by delaying of thy repentance thou goest the way to gratifie Satan to cozen thy self to lose the opportunities of grace and to damn thy soul for ever and ever Well remember this if thou wilt not repent to day God may swear in his wrath to morrow that thou shalt not enter into his rest and then wo to thee that ever thou wert born And thus much for the preventing of these sad mistakes about repentance which mistakes keep off many a man from looking and labouring after that holinesse without which there is no happinesse Secondly If ever you would be holy O then take heed of a Witch take heed of the world the world often swells the heart with pride â—eut 32.15.22 it makes men forget God neglect Christ slight Ordinances and despise holinesse Ah the time the thoughts the strength That Cardinal was wretched as well as rich that would not leave his part in Paris for a part in Paradise the spirits that this enticing world hath made many to spend and consume whilest their souls have lien a bleeding and
heart be one of the hardest works in the world yet this may be done by the word There are no lusts so strong but the word can cast them downe nor no staines so deep but the word can wash them out Three thousand sinners were made Saints by one Sermon Acts 2.41 and five thousand more were converted and sanctified by another Sermon Chap. 4.4 Here were eight thousand men cleansed sanctified and saved by two Sermons and doubtless most of them were young Oh Sirs as ever you would have holy principles laid in your souls and holy affections raised in your souls and holy ends aimed at by your souls heare the word in season and out of season oh attend it oh waite on it 't will be sope to cleanse you and fire to purge you and water to wash you and a winde to turne you from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ Acts 26.16 24. The Gospel preached hath been the power of God to the salvation of multitudes of souls Rom. 1.16 The word is that immortall seed by which holiness which is not only a grace but the conjunction of all graces is formed in the soule 1 Pet. 1.23 'T is the word that gives a spiritual Birth and Being to men Gal. 4.19 The word enlightens the eye Psal 119.105 It softens the heart Deut. 32.2 It purges the conscience and it converts the soule Psal 19.7 It dethrones Satan it casts downe strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 5. It quickens the dull Psal 119.50 and it raises the dead Joh. 5.24 25. Oh therefore heare it and waite on it and come to it that you may be made holy by it many come to heare the word to censure it others to mock at it others to inrich their curious notions by it and others come to catch the Minister at it but doe thou come to it that thou mayest be made holy by it and doubtless first or last thou shalt obtaine thy end yea 't is good for a man to come to the word though his designe in coming be bad 't is good for a man to sit under that great ordinance of the word though he sits upon thornes as it were all the while he is there They that come to see who hath got the newest fashions may have their hearts fashioned into a conformity with the word They came to catch but were caught in that John 7.46 Austin coming to Ambrose to have his ears tickled had his heart touched and turned Come saith old Father Latimer in a Sermon before King Edward the Sixt to the publick meeting 1550. though thou comest to sleepe it may be God may take thee napping When thou comest though it be but to taste the Ministers spirit yet then God may take hold on thy spirit and make it the day of his power upon thy soule though thou comest with a heart full of prejudices against Christ yet by the word thou mayest be brought to a love of Christ to a liking of Christ and to a choice of Christ and to a blessed close and resignation of thy selfe to Christ They that came to surprize Christ were so taken with Christ that being filled with admiration they could not but proclaime his divine Excellencies Never man spake like this man The word is the word of the Lord let the hand be what it will that brings it When gold is offered men care not how noble or ignoble how great or how base he is that offers it so men should not look so much at the hand that brings the word as at the word it selfe the word of the Lord was as much the word of the Lord in the hand and mouth of Amos who was raised a Prophet from amongst the Heardsmen of Tekoa as it was the word of the Lord in the hand and mouth of Isaiah who as some think was a Prophet of the blood-royall Ambrose observes of the Woman of Samaria John 4.7 that she came peccatrix to Jacobs Well but she went away praedicatrix she came a sinner but she went away a Prophetess Oh Sirs let nothing hinder you from coming to the word oh come to the word though you come sinners yet come for though you doe come sinners yet you may goe away Saints though the dew of heaven hath richly and sweetly fallen upon your hearts and yet like Gideons sleece you are still dry yet come to the word still for who can tell but that by the very next Sermon God may make thy soule like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters faile not Isa 58.11 It is reported of young King Edward the Sixth Sir John Hayward in vita that being about to lay hold on some thing that was above the reach of his short Arme one that stood by espying a great Boss'd Bible lying on the Table offered to lay that under his feete to heighten him but the good young King disliked the motion and instead of treading it under his feete he laid it to his heart oh come to the word but come not to trample upon it come not to scoff or mock at it come not to despise it or to revile it but come and lay it to your hearts and it may doe you good for ever there is no better way to make thee holy then to attend on the holy word But Fourthly If ever you would be holy then associate your selves with those that are holy Look as he that walkes with the wise shall be wise Prov. 13.20 so he that walkes with the holy shall certainly be prest and provok't to be holy As Socrates made it his business to better others by his company so a holy man will make it his business to make others holy by his counsell prayers and example he knowes that it is one of the most noble and divine imployments in the world to make others holy and therefore he sets upon that worke with all his might Psal 119.115 Psal 1.1 Look as there is no greater a hinderance to holiness then the society of the wicked so there is no greater a help to holiness then the society of those that are godly Look as the beginning of ungodliness is to keep Company with those that are ungodly so the beginning of holiness is to keep company with those that are holy Look as one drunkard makes another and one swearer makes another and one proud person makes another and one worldling makes another and one formalist makes another so one holy man makes another or look as one sober man makes another and one prudent man makes another and one resolute man makes another and one zealous man makes another and one heavenly minded man makes another so one holy man makes another Ah sinners sinners there are no companions in the world that will pitty you as these that will weep and mourn over you as these Rom. 10.1 1 Pet. 3.1 that will strive and wrestle with God for you as these there
nihil a great nothing and who then would spend an houres time to secure it neare and deare relations cannot for the delight of Ezekiels eyes is taken away with a stroake Ezek. 24.16 Job 1.10 and all Jobs children are snatcht away in a day all our nearest and dearest relations are like a Nose-gay which the oftner we smell to it the sooner it withers But now holiness may be made sure witness the spirits of just men made perfect in heaven Heb. 12.23 and witness the many thousands of Christians this day in the world who doe experience the principles of holiness in their hearts and who doe evidence the power of holiness in their lives O Sirs if the serious consideration of the preciousness and worth of your souls will not draw you out to study holiness to love holiness to prize holiness and to press after holiness what will O Sirs 't is only holiness that is the happiness of the soul the safety and security of the soul the prosperity and felicity of the soul and the lustre and glory of the soul and therefore why should you not labour as for life after this inestimable Jewel holiness O let the remembrance of the preciousness of your souls be an effectuall means to draw you to heare that you may be holy and to pray that you may be holy and to reade that you may be holy and to mourne that you may be holy and to sigh and groane after holiness as after that which is the souls only happiness O Sirs there is nothing below heaven so precious and noble as your souls and therefore doe not play the Courtier with your souls now the Courtier do's all things late he rises late and dines late and sups late and repents late O doe not poyson your precious souls by gross enormities O doe not starve your souls by the omission of religious duties O doe not murther and damne your souls by turning your backs upon holy Ordinances I have read of a Woman who when her house was on fire so minded the saving of her goods that she forgot her only childe and left it burning in the fire at last being minded of it she cryes out Oh my childe oh my poore childe but all too late all too late so there are many men now so mad upon the world and so bewitcht with the world that they never mind they never regard their poor souls till they come to fall under everlasting burnings and then they cry out O our souls O our poor souls O that we had been wise for our souls O that we had got holiness for our souls O that we had made sure worke for our souls but all too late all too late the Lord make you wise to prevent soul-burnings at last If he be rather a monster then a man that feasts his slave but starves his wife what shall we say of those that pamper their bodies but starve their souls and that have thred-bare souls under silke and sattin Cloaths and that please themselves with deformed souls under beautifull faces surely it had been good for these that they had never been born I have read of a Scythian Captain who having for a draught of water yeelded up the City cryed out Quid perdidi quid prodidi What have I lost what have I betrayed So all unholy persons will at last cry out we have betrayed our immortall souls we have lost a precious Father we have lost a deare Redeemer we have lost the company of glorious Angels we have lost the society of the spirits of just men made perfect and we have lost all the pleasures and joyes and delights that be at the right hand of the most High We have lost these we have lost all these and we have lost them for ever and ever surely there is no hell to this hell For a close of this direction remember this that as the soul is the life and excellency of the body so holiness is the life and excellency of the soul and as the body without the soul is dead so the soul without holiness is dead This my Son was dead and is alive if you get holiness into your souls your souls shall live for ever but if you die without holiness your souls shall die for ever and ever I have read that there was a time when the Romans did weare Jewels on their shooes oh that in these dayes most men did not doe worse oh that they did not trample under feete that matchless Jewel their precisouls But Seventhly If ever you would be holy then set in good earnest upon reading of the holy Scripture many a man has been made holy by reading of the holy Word Luther com in Gen. cap. 19. The Bible is the book of books 't is the onely book all other books in the world are but waste paper to it Augustin crys out away with our writings that room may be made for the book of God notwithstanding the greatness and multiplicity of the affairs of Princes yet they were diligently to read the word Deut. 17.19 And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them God looks that the greatest Princes on earth should make use of this Library Though David was a great Prince and had a multitude of weighty businesses upon his hand yet he was so much in reading meditating on the word that he made it his Counsellors the word was Davids Learned Counsel Psal 119.24 to which he reforted for counsel advice and comfort in all his necessities and miseries Alphonsus King of Arragon hath been highly extolled for reading the Scriptures fourteen times over with glosses and expositions notwithstanding his great publike employments And Alphonsus King of Naples read over the Bible forty times notwithstanding many great affairs were upon his hand Theodosius the Emperor and Constantine the Great were much taken up in reading of the Scriptures So Queen Elizabeth when she passed in triumph through the streets of London after her Coronation and had the Bible presented to her at the little Conduit in Cheap-side she received the same with both her hands and kissing it Speeds Hist laid it to her breasts saying That the same had ever been her chiefest delight and should be the rule whereby she meant to frame her Government And 't is very observable that the Eunuch was reading the Scripture when Philip was commanded Acts 8.26.40 by Commission from the Holy Ghost to joyn himself to his Chariot and to instruct him in the knowledge of Christ which proved his conversion and salvation And Junius was converted by the reading of that first of John In the beginning was the Word c. being amazed with the strange majesty of the stile Lib. 8. conf cap. 12. and the profound misteries therein contained And Augustine was
mens hell who sin against a double light c. But Thirdly The neglect of prayer is charged upon wicked persons as their sin as you may see by comparing of these Scriptures together Psal 14.2 4. Psal 10.4 Jer. 10.21 Hosea 7.7 Zepha 1.6 Now doubtless if it were not a duty for unregenerate persons to pray it could never stand with the holiness justice and righteousness of God to charge the omission of prayer upon them as a sin but the omission of prayer is charged upon them as a sin and therefore without all peradventure 't is their duty to pray But Fourthly Wicked and unregenerate persons are againe and â—gaine imprecated against for not calling upon the Lord Psal 79.6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not knowne thee and upon the kingdomes that have not called upon thy name So Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not upon thy name Now certainly if prayer were not a duty incumbent upon wicked men they would never be thus imprecated against for the omission of it to imprecate that vials that full vials that full vials of wrath and fury should be poured forth as water is poured forth suddenly and plentifully upon those kingdoms and families that do not call upon the name of the Lord is so dreadful a thing that it had never been mentioned in the Scripture had it not been to alarme the worst of men to the work of prayer But Fifthly If absolute promises or precious promises of special grace and mercy be made to sinners as sinners then sinners may in prayer plead out those promises and urge God upon making good his promises but absolute promises or promises of special grace and favour are made over to sinners as sinners ergo That such promises are made over to poor sinners as sinners is evident by comparing these Scriptures together Isa 57. 17 18 19. These words drop nothing but myrrhe and mercy if Ennius could pick gold out of a dunghil oh what gold what comfort may be pick't out of these golden promises In these words let us consider two things First the precious promises that are here made Secondly the persons to whom they are made In the words you have four precious promises of special grace and favour they are as so many streames of grace flowing from the covenant of grace First You have here a promise of healing ver 18. I have seen his wayes and will heale him or as you may reade the words though I have seen his wayes and courses and well observed how unworthily how untowardly and how obstinately he has carried it yet I will heale him I will heale his backsliding nature though his disease be dangerous though it be very dangerous yet to an Almightie Physician no disease is uncurable I will heale his inside by pardoning his sin and purging his conscience Psal 103.3 Jer. 3.22 Mala. 4.2 and I will heale his outside by removing of judgements and calamities from him and all this I will doe upon the account of my promise and covenant Hosea 14.4 Jer. 32.38 and 40.2 compared Secondly You have in the words a promise of leading I will lead him also or as the Hebrew hath it and I will lead him I will conduct him in safety to his own Countrey so some sense it but you may understand it doubtless of a spiritual as well as of a providential leading I will lead him by my word and I will lead him by my Spirit and I will lead him by my counsel sutable unto many precious promises of grace that are scattered up and down in the Scripture Thirdly In the words you have a promise of comfort I will restore comforts to him not comfort but comforts that is in the roome of all those discomforts sorrows calamities and miseries that he has been exercised with I will says God lay in abundance of comfort yea I will store him with all sorts of comforts both temporal spiritual and eternal sutable to that word of grace that you have in Isa 40.1 2. Fourthly In the words you have a promise of peace v. 19. I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is far off and to him that is near saith the Lord the gemination of the word Shalom Shalom peace peace imports a large extent of peace it notes true peace firm peace sure peace great peace abundance of peace yea constant lasting peace under the name of peace in the Hebrew is denoted all manner of prosperity and the Geminating of the word always notes a large measure of tranquility plenty prosperity and felicity Oh sirs peace with God and peace with conscience and peace with the creatures are all the products of Gods creating power and grace 2 Eph. 16.17 18. and so must be referred to the Covenant of Grace Secondly Let us consider the persons to whom these precious promises are made and here set us observe these three things First Their sin and this you have in vers 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth The sin that is charged upon him is a very great and grievous 't is a very vile and hainous sin 't is called not onely covetousness but the iniquity of his covetousness to shew the height and transcendency of this their wickedness for covetousness is a Mother-sin 2 Tim. 6.10 't is a breeding sin 't is a sin that has all sin in the womb of it 't is a sin not onely against the light and law of grace but also against the light and law of nature for it makes the soul terrene which should be celestial and therefore the Persians though Heathens have a law that no man ought to covet what belongs to any other man And they have another Law that they ought not to be worldly minded No sin lays men under greater woes Wo to him that joyneth house to house and wo to you Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites Mat. 23 'T is an evil that subjects men to the basest and vilest evils 't is the root of all evil it makes a man a fool Luk. 12.20 Thou fool this night thy soul shall be taken from thee It robes a man of all true peace comfort content and quiet it brings men into snares which drowns their souls in perdition It renders men unsatisfied under all their outward enjoyments though a covetous wretch may have enough to sink him yet he can never have enough to satisfie him first he wishes for a bagg full and then a chest full and then a chamber full and then a Church full c. The plague of unsatisfiedness is none of the least of plagues that covetous men are under Certainly you shall as soon fill a triangle with a circle and a chest with grace and the body with aire as you shall be able to fill and satisfie a covetous mind with money In a word covetousness is a sin that renders a
man unserviceable in his generation a covetous man is like a Swine that is good for nothing whilst he lives the Horse is good to bare and carry the Ox is good to draw the Sheep is good for cloth the Cow is good to give milk and the Dogg is good to keep the house but the Hogg is good for nothing whilst he lives so a covetous man is neither good for Church nor State he is no wayes serviceable in his generation onely when he is dead that Scripture often proves true viz. That the riches of a sinner are laid up for the just Job 27. By all which you may see the greatness of this sin of covetousness that is so closely charged upon them But Secondly He grew worse under the afflicting hand of God I was wroth and smote him and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart They were like pevish froward stubborn children that grow more cross crooked and perverse under all the chastenings of their Father and this was no small aggravation of their sin Lib. de superstitione that they grew worse under the Rod. Plutarch writes that 't is the quality of Tygres that if the Drums or Tabouâ—s sound about them they will grow mad and rend and tear their own flesh in pieces and so 't was with these sinners in the text Oh how did they fret and fume and tear and take on when they were under the rebukes of God But Thirdly He persever'd and went on against all gain-sayings I have seen his ways that is I have seen his obstinacy and incorrigibility in sin Ah poor creature says God he sees not his present misery and slavery he takes no notice of his own folly and vanity of his own frowardness and pevishness he scorns to bend or bow under my mighty hand he is resolved to stand it out to the death he will persist on in his own wayes though he eternally perishes though hell stands at the end of his ways yet on he will Well what is the issue of all this God saith I have seen his ways and will heal him 't is not I have seen his ways and will curse him no but I have seen his ways and will heal him 't is not I have seen his ways and will never have any more to do with him no but I have seen his ways and will heal him 't is not I have seen his ways and will damn him no but I have seen his ways and will heal him Oh the freeness Oh the unsearchableness Oh the riches of Gods grace And thus you see that the precious promises last cited are promises that are made over to sinners as sinners And this is further evident in that Isa 43.22 23 24 25. For sins of omission and sins of commission what can be more charged upon a sinful people then here is charged upon them they were not onely negligent of his worship and service but they were also weary of his worship and service and counted it rather a burden then a benefit a toyl then a pleasure in all their outward observances they did but court the Lord they did but complement with God for whilst they were in his service their hearts were secretly weary of his service and by their sinful commissions Oh how did they grieve vex oppress and burden the Holy one of Israel and yet in vers 25. God does passionately and emphatically proclaim their free pardon I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins The Metaphor is taken from mens blotting out of debts out of their debt-book now when a debt is blotted out of the debt-book 't is never charged upon the debtor more 't is never regarded nor remembered more so when God proclaimes the sinners pardon when he forgives him his transgressions he blots he rases he crosses his books and cancels all bonds so as that he will never object his sins against him and never charge his sins upon him but being once forgiven they shall be for ever forgotten they shall never come into his remembrance more And all this he will do for his name sake and for the praise and glory of his own Free-grace So in Ezek. 36.26 27 28. and 37. compared Now by all these Scriptures 't is most plain and evident that the precious promises of special grace and mercy are made over to sinners as sinners and if so then doubtless sinners may lawfully put these promises into suit Oh sirs don't you know that desire is the soul of prayer and who but such as are witless and graceless will say that a wicked man may not desire the accomplishment of Gods gracious promises that will say an unregeneraâ—e man may not desire to be pardoned sanctified and renewed and that the Lord would bestow his spirit upon him and that by the finger of the same spirit the Law of the Lord may be written in his heart that he may observe his Statutes and do them these are things that God has engaged himself to do for poor sinners and therefore certainly sinners may put God in mind of his engagements But Sixthly and lastly God would never have encouraged and rewarded with temporal favors wicked and unregenerate mens religious duties and services as he has done if he would not have had them exercise themselves in Religious duties now that he has thus encouraged and rewarded wicked and unregenerate men is evident in these instances 1 Kings 21.19 ult Jonah 3.4 ult 2 Chron. 26.5 Vzziah sought God in the days of Zechariah and when he sought the Lord God made him to prosper had he been really godly had he had the root of the matter in him had he been a sincere a throughout Christian he would have sought the Lord all his days he would have held on and held out in well-doing but being carnal hypocritical and unregenerate his Religion dies with Zechariah Another instance you have of this among the sailors that usually are the worst of sinners Psal 107.23 30. And another you have in that known case of Jehu from all which we may well conclude that God expects and looks that wicked men that unregenerate men should be found in the exercise of Religious duties It is an excellent observation of Calvin upon Gods rewarding the Rechabites obedience Jer. 35.19 God saith he oft recompenceth the shadows and seeming appearances of vertue to shew that complacency he takes in the ample rewards he hath reserved for true and sincere piety To conclude It was as easie for Boaz to have given Ruth as much corn at once as would have yielded her an Ephah of Barly so have sent her home without any more ado but he would not being resolved that she should use her endeavor to gather and glean it and beat it out too when she had gleaned it so 't is as easie a thing for God to give his Christ to give his Spirit and to give his Grace immediately
up to holy rules and live out holy principles must prepare for sufferings All the Roses of holiness are surrounded with pricking Briers The History of the ten persecutions and that little book of Martyrs the 11. of the Hebrews and Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments with many other Treatises that are extant do abundantly evidence that from age to age and from one generation to another they that have been born after the flesh Gal. 4.29 Within the first 300. years after Christ all that made a profession of the Apostles doctrine were cruelly murdered have persecuted them that have been born after the spirit and that the seed of the Serpent have been still a multiplying of troubles upon the seed of the woman Would any man take the Churches picture saith Luther then let him paint a poor silly Maid sitting in a wilderness compassed about with hungry Lyons Wolves Bores and Bears and with all manner of other cruel hurtful Beasts and in the midst of a great many furious men assaulting her every moment and minute for this is her condition in the world As certain as the night follows the day so certain will that black angel persecution follow holiness where-ever it goes In the last of the ten persecutions seventeen thousand holy Martyrs were slain in the space of one moneth And in Queen Maries days or if you will in the Marian dayes not of blessed but of most abhorred memory the Popish Prelates in less then four years sacrificed the lives of eight hundred innocents to their Idols and O that that precious innocent blood did not still cry to Heaven for vengeance against this Nation But Secondly Christ and his Apostles hath long since foretold us that afflictions and persecutions will attend us in this world the Lord hath long since forewarned us that we may be fore-armed and not surprised on a sudden when they come Christ hath shot off many a warning piece in his word and sent many a Harbinger that so we may stand upon our guard and not be surprised nor astonished when afflictions and persecutions overtake us Mat. 10.22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake but he that endureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 16.24 Then said Jesus unto his Disciples if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Luk. 21.12 But before all these they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prisons being brought before Kings and Rulers for my names sake John 15.20 Remember the word that I said unto you The servant is not greater then the Lord if they have persecuted me Non potest qui pati timet ejus esse qui passus est He that is afraid to suffer cannot be his disciple who suffered so much Tert. they will also persecute you if they have kept my saying they will keep yours also Ah Christians since they have crowned your head with thornes there is no reason why you should expect to be crowned with Rose-buds God-fry of Bullen first King of Jerusalem refused to be crowned with a crown of Gold saying That it became not a Christian there to wear a crown of Gold where Christ for our salvation had sometime worn a crown of thornes Chap. 16. ult These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world Acts 14.21 22. And when they had preached the Gospel to that City and had taught many they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God As there was no way to Paradise but by the flaming sword nor no way to Canaan but through a wilderness Loddela Corda computeth fourty four several kinds of torments wherewith the Primitive Christians were tryed Adv. Sacr. cap. 128. so there is no way to heaven but by the Gates of hell there is no way to a glorious exaltation but through a Sea of tribulation They do but dream and deceive their own souls who think to go to heaven upon Beds of Doun or in a soft and delicate way or that think to be attended to glory with mirth and musick or with singing or dancing the way to happiness is not strewed with Roses but full of Thornes and Briers as those of whom this world was not worthy have experienced Ecclesiastical Histories tells us that all the Apostles died violent deaths Peter was crucified with his heels upward Christ was crucified with his head upwards but Peter thought this was to great an honor for him to be crucified as his Lord and therefore he chose to be crucified with his heels upward and Andrew was crucified by Egeus King of Edessa Acts 12.2 James the son of Zebedee was slain by Herod with the sword and Philip was crucified at Hierapolis in Asia and while Bartholomew was preaching the glad-tydings of salvation multitudes fell upon him and beat him down with staves and then crucified him and after all this his skin was fleaed off and he beheaded Thomas was slain with a Dart at Calumina in India and Mathew was slain with a Spear say some others say he was run through with a sword and James the son of Alpheus who was called the Just was thrown down from off a Pinacle of the Temple and yet having some life left in him he was brained with a Fullers club Lebbeus was slain by Agbarus King of Edessa and Paul was beheaded at Rome under Nero and Simon the Canaanite was crucified in Egypt say some others say that he and Jude was slain in a Tumult of the people Matthias was stoned to death Rev. 1.9 and John was banished into Patmos and afterwards as some Histories tells us he was by that cruel Tyrant Domitian cast into a Tun of scalding Lead and yet delivered by a miracle Thus all these precious servants of God except John died violent deaths and so through sufferings entered into glory they found in their own experience the truth of what Christ had foretold concerning their sufferings and persecutions About the year 1626 A book formerly printed and intituled A preparation to the cross of Christ composed by John Frith Martyr was brought in the belly of a Fish to the Market in Cambridge Mr. Jer. Dyke in a Fast Sermon at Westminster and that a little before the Commencement time when there was a confluence of much people from all places of the Land which was construed by them that feared the Lord to be no less then an heavenly warning to all the people of England to prepare for the cross But ah since that year who can recount the heavy crosses that has generally attended the people of this Nation most
have walked cross to God and cross to one another and God has walked as cross to them you have cross't the commands of God and the truths of God and the ways of God and the works of God and the designs of God and God has cros't you in your hopes desires prayers and endeavors and God gave you warning of this before hand by a Fish by a miracle to provide for the cross but you would not and therefore 't is that the cross lies so heavy upon you this day When Mr. Bradford was told that his chain was a buying and that he must be burnt he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said I thank God for it I have looked for this along time it comes not to me suddenly but as a thing waited for every day yea every hour in the day the Lord make me worthy thereof If upon Gods warning you will but prepare for sufferings you will never fear nor faint under sufferings yea then you will be able under the greatest persecutions to bare up bravely and with holy Bradford bless the Lord that has called you to so high an honor as to count you worthy to suffer for his name But Thirdly I answer that all the troubles afflictions and persecutions that do befall you for holiness sake shall never hurt you nor harm you they shall never prejudice you nor wrong you in your main and great concernments Exod. 3.2 The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a dry bush a bramble bush and therefore it was the more strange and miraculous that it was not consumed Deut. 4.24 Heb. 12.29 And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a Bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed Here you have a bush a dry bush a bramble bush all on a light fire and yet not consumed this burning-bush was an excellent emblem of the Church in the fire of tribulation and persecution though the Church may seem to be all on fire by reason of afflictions and persecutions yet it shall be preserved it shall not be destroyed though God be a consuming fire yet he will never consume the bramble-bush the bush was on fire and yet the fire did not in the least hurt or harm the bush it did not one whit prejudice or wrong the bush So though the Church of God be on fire by the means of fiery trials yet these fiery trials shall never hurt nor harm the Church they shall never prejudice it nor wrong it Psal 105.12 13 14 15. when they were but a few men in number yea very few and strangers in it when they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another people he suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying That is the King of Egypt and the King of Gerar. Gen. 12.17 Ch. 20.3 and Ch. 35.5 Zach. 2.8 Touch not mine anointed nor do my Prophets no harme God would not suffer his anointed ones his sanctified ones so much as to be touch't hurt or harmed by those who had malice enough in their hearts and power enough in their hands not onely to hurt them but even to destroy them Sanctified persons are sacred persons and they that touch them touch the Apple of Gods eye and whosoever shall be so bold to touch the Apple of Gods eye shall dearly smart for it 't was no small affliction to have no settled habitation to flye from place to place from Kingdom to Kingdom and from Nation to Nation was without all peradventure an afflicted condition doubtless many fears and frights many hazards and dangers did attend them when they considered that they were as Lillies among the thornes and as a few Sheep among a multitude of Wolves Deut. 7.1 In the Land of Canaan there were seven mighty Nations now for the people of God who were so few in number that they might easily and quickly be told to sojourn and wander among these As David laid a charge upon his souldiers 2 Sam. 18.5 That by no means they should hurt his son Absolom so God laid a prohibition upon the enemies and persecutors of his people that they should not touch them that they should not in in the least hurt or harm them could not but be very dangerous and perilous and yet such was the love of God to them and the care of God over them that he suffered no man whether he was high or low honorable or base rich or poor civil or prophane to hurt or harm them Dan. 3.25 27. And the King answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like unto the Son of God And the Princes Governors and Captains and the Kings Councellors being gathered together saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them Though these holy men were cast into a furnace into a fiery furnace into the midst of a hot fiery furnace yet God will work a miracle yea a glorious miracle rather then the fire shall in the least hurt or harm them God gives a commission to the fire to burn those mighty men that made the fire and that cast his children into the fire and whom the King would have to be spared and saved and he lays a law of restraint upon the fire that it should not hurt nor harm them whom the King would have destroyed Those whom the King of kings will not have hurt shall not be hurt let Kings and Princes do their worst that fire that burnt their bonds had no power to burn no nor to touch their bodies God would not suffer the fire to singe a hair of their heads nor to change the colour of their coats nor to leave so much as an ill smell upon his people that those heathen Princes might see how tender he was of them and how willing he was to put forth his Almighty power rather then he would see them wronged or harmed So Chap. 6.21 22 23. Then said Daniel unto the King O King live for ever My God hath sent his Angels and hath shut the Lyons mouths that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee O King have I done no hurt Then was the King exceeding glad for him and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the Den so Daniel was taken up out of the Den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God Holiness innocency and integrity will preserve a man even among Lyons Daniel preferred the worship of his God before his life he made no great reckoning of his life when it stood in competition with divine glory
in times of persecution the Saints have still had recourse to The Romans being in great distress were put so hard to it that they were faine to take the weapons out of the Temples of their gods to fight with their enemies and so they overcame them so when the people of God have been hard put to it by reason of afflictions and persecutions the weapons that they have fled to has been prayers and teares and with these they have overcome their persecutors as is evident in the three Children in Daniel and many others c. But Secondly Persecutions doe but raise whet and stir up a more earnest and vehement spirit of prayer among the persecuted Saints See Acts 4.17.21 29 31. compared Luke 18.7 Lam. 5.59 60 61 c. Rev. 6.9 10. And when he had opened the fift seal I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held And they cryed with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth The blood Blood hath as many tongues as drops to cry for vengeance which made King James say that if God did leave him to kill a man he would think God did not love him 1 Cor. 6. ult 1 Pet. 1.18 19. of the persecuted cryes aloud for vengeance upon the persecutors By the souls under the Altar you are to understand the persons of the Saints which were martyred and lay slaine upon the ground like sacrifices at the foot of the Altar under the Roman persecuting Emperours There is no blood that cries so loud and that makes so great a noise in heaven as the blood of the Martyrs as the blood of butchered persecuted Saints Persecutors like these Roman Emperours in all ages have causlesly and cruelly destroyed the people of God they delight in the blood of Saints they love to wallow in the blood of Saints they take pleasure in glutting themselves with the blood of Saints they make no conscience of watering the earth nor of colouring the Sea nor of quenching the flames with the blood of the Saints yea if it were possible they would willingly swim to heaven through their hearts-blood whom Christ has purchased with his own most precious blood as all Historians know and as you may all know if you would but search a little into Ecclesiastical Histories and therefore 't is no wonder if the blood of the Martyrs cry aloud for vengeance upon such desperate persecutors The blood and prayers of persecuted Saints will first or last bring down wrath and ruine upon their persecutors Persecution puts an edge yea a sharp edge upon the prayers of the Saints Acts 12.5 Peter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies earnest and stretched-out prayer When Peter was in prison All these circumstances doe wonderfully declare the power of God in his deliverance Some say he had 16. others say he had 20 Souldiers for his Guard the greater was his deliverance sleeping between two Souldiers and bound with two chains and the keepers standing before the prison doore O how earnest O how instant O how fervent O how vehement O how constant were the Saints in their prayers for his deliverance O their hearts their souls their spirits were in their prayers O their prayers were no cold prayers no formal prayers no luke-warme prayers nor no dull or drowsie prayers but their prayers were full of life and full of warmth and full of heate they knew Herods bloody intention to destroy this holy Apostle by his imprisoning of him and by the chaines that were put on him and by the strong Guards that were set upon him and by his bathing of his sword in the innocent blood of James James was the first of the Apostles that dyed a violent death that his hand might be the more apt and ready for further acts of murther and cruelty and O how did the consideration of these things whet and provoke their spirits to prayer O now they will have no nay now they will give God no rest till he has overturn'd the Tyrants counsell and designes and sent his Angel to open the prison doores and to knock off Peters chains and to deliver him from the wrath and fury of Herod and their prayers were successfull as is evident in the 12. ver And when he had considered the thing he came to the house of Mary the mother of John This house is thought by many to be the house where the Apostles commonly had their meetings whose surname was Mark where many were gathered together praying or rather as the Originall has it where many thronged together to pray the violence and rage of their persecutors did so raise whet and incourage them to prayer that they throng together they crouded together to pray yea when others were a sleeping they were a praying and their prayers were no sleepie prayers they were no lazy dronish prayers nor they were no book-prayers but they were powerfull and prevalent prayers for as so many Jacob's or as so many Princes they prevailed with God they prayed and wept and wept and prayed they call'd and cryed and cryed and call'd they beg'd and bounc'd and they bounc'd and beg'd and they never left knocking at heavens Gates till Peters chains were knockt off and Peter given into their Armes yea their bosomes as an answer of prayer O the power and force of joynt prayer when Christians doe not only beseech God but besiege him and beset him too and when they will not let him goe till he has blest them and answered their prayers and the desires of their souls I have read that Mary Queen of Scots that was mother to King James was wont to say that she was more afraid of Mr. Knox's prayers and the prayers of those Christians that walk't with him then shee was of a knocking Army of ten thousand men And that is a remarkable passage of the Psalmist Psal 109.3 4. They compassed me about also with words of hatred and fought against me without a caâ—se The like speech you have in that Psal 120.7 Vaani uzephillah But I prayer For my love they are my adversaries but I give my selfe unto prayer or as the Hebrew has it But I am prayer or a man of prayer Persecuted Saints are men of prayer yea they are as it were made up all of prayer David prayed before but O when his enemies fell a persecuting of him then he gave up himsâ—lf wholly to prayer O then he was more earnest more fervent more frequent more diligent more constant and more abundant in the work of prayer Plutarch in the life of Numa When Numa King of the Romans was told that his enemies were in Armes against him he did but laugh at it
to be carried home in the morning his wife began mildly to blame him for his acting against the Minister the day before at which he with fearefull oathes swore that he would soon rid the Towne of that Puritan but behold the hand of God for as this wretched man was about to rise and having put one arme in his Dublet even as the oathes were uttering he was taken speechless yea and sensless and so dyed To conclude the Judgements of God upon the persecutors of the Saints in Bohemia was such that it was used as a Proverb among the adversaries themselves that if any man were weary of his life let him but attempt against the Piccardines for so they called the Saints and he should not live a yeare to an end And thus you see by these instances that most severe Judgements have still followed the persecutors of the people of God Let me close up this argument thus look as in Princes Courts they are judg'd but silly shallow brain'd men that profess open and mortall hatred to the greatest favourites of the King because in so doing they take the right and ready way to ruine themselves and families so they are doubtless the most silly shallow-brain'd men in the world how wise soever they may be in their own eyes or in others eyes who are like unto themselves who persecute the favourites of the King of Kings that being the ready way to their owne ruine and destruction But Fourthly It will appeare that persecutors are in the most sad and deplorable condition if you doe but consider that there is a day a coming wherein God will fully reckon with all persecutors for their persecuting of his Saints Psal 9.12 When he maketh inquisition for blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damim bloods in the plural it notes the killings and murderings of Gods afflicted ones Gen. 4.10 1 Kings 9.26 2 Chron. 24. Chap. 22. he remembreth them he forgetteth not the cry of the humble There is a time when God will make inquisition for innocent blood the Hebrew word Dorâ—sh from Darash that is here rendred inquisition signifies not barely to seek to search but to seek search and enquire with all diligence and care imaginable O there is a time a coming when the Lord will make a very diligent and carefull search and enquiry after all the innocent blood of his afflicted and persecuted people which persecutors and Tyrants have spilt as water upon the ground and woe to persecutors when God shall make a more strict critical and carefull enquiry after the blood of his people then ever was made in the inquisition of Spaine where all things are carried with the greatest diligence subtilty secrecy and severity O persecutors there is a time a coming when God will make a strict enquiry after the blood of Hooper Bradford Latimer Taylor Ridly c. There is a time a coming wherein God will enquire who silenced and suspended such and such Ministers and who stop't the mouthes of such and such and who imprisoned confined and banished such and such who were once burning and shining lights and who were willing to spend and be spent that sinners might be saved and that Christ might be glorified There is a time when the Lord will make a very narrow enquiry into all the actions and practises of Ecclesiastical Courts High Commissions Committees Assizes Sessions c. and deale with persecutors as they have dealt with his people Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him When oppressors and persecutors doe snuffe and puffe at the people of God when they defie them and scorne them and thinke that they can with a blast of their breath blow them away then God will arise to judgement as the Chaldee has it at that very nick of time when all seemes to be lost and when the poore oppressed and afflicted people of God can do nothing but sigh and weep and weep and sigh then the Lord will arise and ease them of their oppressions and make their day of extremity a glorious opportunity to work for his own glory and his peoples good Math. 22.6 7. And the remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them But when the King heard thereof he was wroth and he sent for his Armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their City Christ sent his Apostles and Disciples to invite the Jewes to a marriage feast to a stately feast to a feast made by a King upon the account of his Son of his only Son of his beloved Son of his Son that is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 1.5 Compare these Scriptures Acts 5.40 ch 7.58 and ch 12.2 and ch 21.32 2 Cor. 11.24 Heb. 11.37 38. but they entreated them spitefully calling them pestilent fellows and movers of sedition and some they imprisoned and scourged and others they put to death as Stephen and James c. and O what spitefulness and ingratitude was this to returne evill for good to requite them with reproaches prisons scourges and death for their endeavouring to save their souls and to make them happy for ever But will this great King put up these injuries indignities and abuses that are done to his servants no he will not for as soon as he heard of it he was wroth and sent forth his Armies to be revenged on them The murderers in the text were the Jewes and the Armies were the Romans now they are called Gods Armies Dan. 9.26 because God imployed them as the executioners of his wrath upon Jerusalem now these Roman Armies did burne up their City Josephus Antiq lib. 20. c. 8. which was once the Paradise of the world and brought to ruine and destruction a 11 millions of men women and children besides multitudes that were sold for slaves and others that were scattered among all nations and thus God took vengeance on these persecutors and turn'd their Temple and City into ashes Plutar Lib. de superstitione Plutarch writing of the quality of Tygres saith That if Drums or Tabours sound about them they will grow mad and rend and tear their own flesh in pieces O there is a day a coming when the last Trumpet shall sound and then all the persecutors of the Saints will grow mad O then they will fret and fume Rev. 6.15 16 17. and tear and torment themselves and wish for the mountaâ—â—s and rocks to fall upon them and to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb who in that day will with a witness avenge all his afflicted and persecuted ones Alas all the sorrows troubles afflictions vexations torments and punishments that befall the persecutors of the Saints in this life they are but quasi tales as it were such they are but the beginnings of sorrows they are but Types and Figures of those easeless endless and
5 6 8. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles which he did And there was great joy in that city Samaria was a very wicked corrupt place and bewitch't by the Sorceries of Simon Magus yet God had his people there Vers 14 15 16 17. and by the Ministry of Philip not Philip the Apostle but Philip the Deacon who was a persecuted brother he called them home to be partakers of his Spirit and Grace And thus the scattering of the Church was the great advantage and increase of the Church Witness Faber Farellus Ruffus and many others in France and witness our Brethren who were forced to fly to New-England the persecution of one Church may be the gathering edifying multiplying and erecting of many Churches Such Ministers who have been by persecution driven from their own Churches have been eminently instrumental in the planting of many other Churches Though the Gospel and the faithful Preachers and professors of it was by the Scribes Pharisees High Priests Elders and great council exploded blasphemed and persecuted at Jerusalem which was once the holy City yet it was with joy received in the poluted bewitched scorned and dispised City of Samaria O the Freeness O the riches of grace Persecution is the multiplication of the people of God in all ages the more the Saints have been afflicted oppressed and persecuted the more they have increased The removing of the seven Churches in Asia brought the Gospel to Europe and Affrica During the ten cruel persecutions of the Heathen Emperors the Christian faith was spread thorow all places of the Empire because the oftner they were mowen down the more they grew as Tertullian witnesseth and the more we are cut down by the sword of persecution saith the same Author the more still we increase Persecuted Saints are like Cammomile which grows and spreads by being trod upon the more persecutors tread upon the people of God the more they will spread and grow Austin has long since observed that though there were many thousand Christians put to death for professing Christ yet they were never the fewer for being slain Julian the Apostate devised all manner of torments to terrifie the people of God and to suppress them and yet they increased and multiplyed so fast that at last he thought it his best course to give over persecuting of them and this he did not out of love to them but because the more they were persecuted the more they increased In Dioclesians time under whom the last and worst of the ten persecutions fell for then Christian Religion was more desperately opposed and persecuted then ever and yet then Religion prospered and prevailed more then ever Ruffinus so that Dioclesian himself observing that the more he sought to blot out the name of Christ the more legible it was and the more he labored to block up the way of Christ the more passible it was and that whatever of Christ he though to root out it rooted the deeper and rose the higher thereupon he resolved to engage no further but retired to a private life And it is very observable that the reformation in Germany was much furthered by the very opposition that the Papists made against it yea and 't is not to be forgotten that when two Kings wrote against Luther viz. Henry the eighth of England and Ludovicus of Hungary this Kingly Title being entred into the controversie made men more diligently and curiously to examine the matter by which means there was stir'd up in men a general inclination to Luthers opinion I have read of one who observing the Christian Religion to be so furiously persecuted by bloody Nero concluded that surely that must needs be good yea very good which was so cruelly persecuted by Nero who was so bad so very bad if men would sit down and study which way to make most proselytes to such and such opinions and practices that are different from their own certainly they cannot pitch upon a better way then to persecute those that differ from them 't is the sword of the Spirit and not the sword of persecution that will reduce the erroneous when the disease lies in the head the remedy must be answerable to the disease certainly a man shall as soon conquer a Castle by Spiritual arguments as he shall conquer a conscience by club-law when our Lord Jesus Christ sent forth his Disciples to make a conquest upon an ignorant erroneous and deluded world he did not send them forth with swords pistols or any such military weapons O no but he sent them forth under the choice anointings of his Spirit and with his everlasting Gospel and by these means he turned the world upside down these were the means by which he turned sinners from darkness to light Acts 26.18 and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ The weapons that the Apostles used were not carnal but Spiritual 2 Corinth 10.4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but Spiritual Vide Calvin Beza and Estius and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Satan had many strong holds and sin had many strong holds and carnal reason had many strong holds and the world had many strong holds in sinners hearts and yet all these strong holds Forts Towers Castles c. were not able to stand before the Apostles Spiritual weapons they all come tumbling down before the Spirit and the word of the Lord in the mouths of his faithful Ministers by these Spiritual weapons Satan was disarmed and rebellious transgressors were conquered captivated and subdued to the obedience of the Lord Jesus But Thirdly The troubles afflictions and persecutions that befall you in the pursuit after holiness may issue in the conversion and salvation of others as is evident in Acts 8. which Chapter I recommend to your most serious perusal So in that 2 Tim. 2.9 10. Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer even unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound though Paul was fettered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this cause yet the word was free Therefore I endure all things for the Elects sakes that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory Paul for preaching of the Gospel clearly and faithfully was imprisoned at Rome and handled as if he had been a malefactor all which he was contented to suffer upon these very grounds that the Elect might be called converted saved and glorified 'T is very observable that though Paul was a prisoner yet he preacht though he was in bonds Several of Pauls
the South wind be more pleasant yet the North wind is more healthfull for the South wind with his warmth raiseth vapours which breed putrefaction and cause diseases but the North wind with his cold drieth up those vapours purging the blood and quickning the spirits so the North wind of affliction and persecution contributes most to the drying up of sinful vapours and to the quickning up of a Christians Graces Though the wind may blow and the rain in stormy weather may beat upon a painted Post or Sign whose colour is laid in oyle yet the wind and rain is so far from blowing or washing off the colour or beauty that is upon the Post or Sign that it rather adds to their beauty and makes them shine more beautifull then before so the rain of affliction and the wind of persecution do rather add to the beauty and lustre of a Christians graces then any way cloud them or take off the spiritual beauty and glory of them But Fifthly Persecuting times are uniting times oh the discord the division the wrangling biting quarrelling that is to be found among professors in times of peace prosperity but when affliction and persecution comes upon them this unites them together In persecuting times the Saints have been but as one man which made their very persecutors to say Ecce ut invicem se diligunt see how these Christians love one another see how they knit and close together Eusebius in Hist Psalm 83.3 to verse 9. 2 Chron. 20.1 4 12. Though the sheep in Sun-shine dayes feed at a distance and wander one from another yet when a storm comes or the Wolf comes then they run all together and so it 's with Christians Some Religious Bishops that could by no means agree when they had their freedom and liberty yet could well enough agree when they were in prison together Though children in a Family may fall out among themselves yet they quickly unite when a common enemy assaults them Persecuting times unite Christians closer together in their affections resolutions and prayers they who formerly could hardly be brought to eat together or trade together or live together or walk together in persecuting times will be brought to hear together and pray together and fast together and communicate experiences together and stand together and fall together and rise together c. When Gebal Ammon and Amaleck did combine the people of God kept close together for they very well knew that broken forces were soon dissipated I have read of Ptolomeus Philadelphius King of Egypt that he caused the Bible to be translated by seventy Interpreters which seventy were severally disposed of in seventy several Cels though they knew not the names of one another nor never saw the faces of one another yet they did so well agree in their several Translations that there was no considerable difference betwixt them in rendring the Text so when the people of God shall be put into Cells and Prisons and Goals then they will so agree together Acts 7. that there will be little or no difference betwixt them As all the stones that came about Stephens ears did but knock him closer to Christ the corner stone so all the stones that come about the Saints ears will but knock them the nearer to Christ and the closer one to another But Sixthly As persecuting times are uniting times so persecuting times are truth-advancing times truth thrives most when it is most opposed and pesecuted Phil. 1.12 13 14. But I would ye should understand Brethren that the things which hapned unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel So that my Bonds in Christ are manifested in all the palace Veritas vincit and in all other places And many of the Brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear Both Court City and Countrey did ring of Pauls bonds and the cause thereof Pauls Iron chain made more noise and was more glorious and wrought more blessed effects then all the Golden chains in Nero's Court for by his bonds and chains many of the Brethren were mightily imboldned and encouraged to preach the word without fear the Brethren when they saw that Paul preacht and kept up the exercise of his Ministry though a prisoner and though he was in bonds and chains could not but reason thus with themselves Si veritas est causa discordiae mori possum tacere non possum If truth be the cause of our discord I may dye but I may not be silent said Jerom to Helvidius if Paul a prisoner holds up and holds on in preaching the word though he be in bonds chains ah how much more ought we who are at liberty to hold up hold on in preaching the truth and advancing the truth in spreading of the truth There were many that took an occasion from Pauls imprisonment bonds and sufferings to disgrace his Apostleship the Apostle meets with these and tells them that though they designed and intended the disgrace and hinderance of the Gospel by his imprisonment and bonds yet God had by his wonderfull providence and goodness so ordered the matter that his bonds and imprisonment turned to his great honor and fame and an occasion of further spreading and advancing the Gospel Though Satan and his instruments may disturb the truth yet they cannot suppress it for magna est veritas praevalebit great is truth shall prevail So upon the persecution of Stephen many of the Brethren preached the word far and near and the hand of the Lord was with them to the conversion of many Act. 11.19 25. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice Cyprus and Antioch preaching the word to none but the Jews only and some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene which when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecians preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the Church which was in Jerusalem and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch who when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and much people were added unto the Lord. The Brethren that were dispersed and scattered by reason of persecution fall upon preaching of the Lord Jesus and though they were Lay-men yet the hand of the Lord was mightily with them so that a great number believed and turned to the Lord. God is a free agent and can work the hearts of men over to himself by what hand he pleases and many times he doth the greatest works by the
of Religion and for purity of worship and ordinances James 1.27 in opposition to all mixtures and corruptions whatsoever O Sirs the great God stands upon nothing more in all the world then upon purity in this worship there is nothing that do's so provoke and exasperate God against a people as mixtures in his worship and service Math. 21.12 13. John 2.15 16 17. polutions in worship do sadly reflect upon the name of God the honor of God the truth of God and the wisdom of God and therefore his heart rises against them The very spirit life and soul of the second Commandement lyes in these words Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image c. In matters of divine worship God abhors that men should mix their water with his wine their dross with his Gold their chaffe with his wheate c. when once men come to be so bold as to defile his worship with their mixtures Lev. 10.1 2. Ezek. 5.11 12. Ch. 23.38 39. Jer. 7.29 30. Ezek. 8.17 18. Rev. 2.22 23. Deut. 4.2 Chap. 12 32. then God is resolv'd to be a swift and a terrible witness against them as you may clearly see by comparing those notable places of Scripture together in the Margent there is no sin that do's so incense and provoke God to Jealousie and wrath against a people as mixtures in worship God can bare with defilements any where rather then in his worship and service And that First â—ecause mixtures in worship are cross to Gods express commands and who art thou O man that darest run cross to his commands who can command thee into the dust yea into hell at pleasure c Secondly because this is to accuse the blessed Scripture of insufficiency for if the Scripture be a sufficient rule to order guide and direct us in all matters of worship The Scriptures are sufficient to direct us as to all the parts of worship As 1. That of publick prayer 2. And that of reading expounding 3. And that of preaching 4. And that of singing 5. And that of the Seales both of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. then how doest thou O man detract from the sufficiency of the Scripture who minglest thine own or other mens inventions with divine institutions and settest up thy posts by Gods posts O Sirs the Scriptures are sufficient to direct us fully in every thing that belongs to the worship and service of God so as that we need not depend upon the wisdom prudence care or Authority of any men under heaven to direct us in matters of worship 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works The Scriptures are sufficient to informe the ignorant to confute the erronious to reforme the vitious and to guide and direct support and comfort those that are gracious here a Lamb may wade and an Elephant may swim here is milke for babes and meate for strong men here 's comfort for the afflicted and succour for the tempted and ease for the troubled and light for the clouded and enlargement for the straitned c. O how full of light how full of life how full of love how full of sweetnesse how full of goodness how full of righteousness and holiness c. is every Chapter and every verse in every Chapter yea and every line in every verse The Rabbins say that a mountaine of matter hangs upon every word of Scripture yea upon every tittle of Scripture God never sends his people to the shop of mens traditions and inventions but he still sends them to the Scripture Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light or no morning in them Chap. 34.16 Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read no one of these shall fail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none shall want her mate for my mouth it hath commanded and his Spirit it hath gathered them And in the New-Testament Christ sends his hearers to the Scriptures John 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendred Search signifies a strict narrow curious diligent search we must search the Scripture as we would search for Gold or for some precious stones which we would faine finde we must search the Scriptures as Hunters seek and search out their Game And so the Apostle sends his hearers to the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 22. As to a surer word then that of Revelation All which speaks out the sufficiency of the Scripture to direct us in all matters that concern our internal or eternal welfare O that you would for ever remember these two things First That that which bred the Popish Religion Superstition Idolatry and pompious worship was mens departing from the word and not cleaving to the word as a sufficient Rule to direct them in all matters of worship And Secondly That that which hath occasioned all those discords divisions heats heart-burnings animosities and contentions c. about Ceremonies Liturgey formes Gestures c. has been mens not keeping close to the blessed word of God when men forsake this perfect Rule whether won't they run and what won't they doe Ah who art thou O vaine man that accuseth the holy Scriptures of insufficiency and how wilt thou blush and be ashamed and confounded when in the great day the Lord shall plead the excellency and vindicate the sufficiency and Authority of his blessed booke in opposition to all the mixtures of mens Traditions with divine institutions Thirdly God won't nor can't bare with mixtures in his worship and service because to bring them in is to accuse and charge God with weakness and folly Heb. 3.4 5 6. John 4.23 24. as if God were not careful enough nor faithful enough nor mindful enough nor wise enough nor prudent nor understanding enough to order direct and guide his people in the matters of his worship but must be beholding to the wisdom Psal 39.5 prudence and care of man of vaine man of sinful man of vile and unworthy man of weak and foolish man to compleat perfect and make up something that was wanting in his worship and service c. Fourthly God won't bare with mixtures in his worship and service because all mixtures debases the worship and service of God Isa 29.13 14. Math. 15.3 6 8 9. and makes the worship a vaine worship as the mixing of water with wine is the debasing of the wine and the mixing of Tin with silver or brass with gold is the debasing of the silver and gold so for men to mix and mingle their Traditions and inventions with Gods institutions is to debase the worship and
closet communion with God or not or enjoy the Lords Supper or not c. And O what inconstancy is to be found among many in these days many persons are onely constant in inconstancy now they are for Ordinances and anone they are against them now Ordinances are precious and glorious things and anone they are poor low things now they cry up this and that for glorious truths and anone they cry down the same things as dangerous and pernicious errors now they cry up Paul and cry down Apollo and anon they cry up Apollo and cry down Paul now they are for this form and anon they are for that now they are very zealous and anon they are very lukewarm now they are for worshipping of God according to rule and anon they are for worshipping of God according to the prescriptions of men now they have their gales of devotion and anon they are quite becalmed now they are full of life and anon they are very lumpish now they stand fast and anon they are wavering now they are confident all will be well and anon they give up all as lost now they will lay down their lives for Christ and anon they are afraid to own Christ c. Now what does this indifferency and inconstancy speak out but either a total want of holiness or else that holiness is at a very low ebb in these mens souls Now these eight Arguments do clearly evidence that many O that I could not say that most Christians have attained but to small measures and degrees of holiness But Secondly To provoke you to labor after higher degrees of holiness Consider that 't is possible for you to attain to greater measures of holiness then any yet you have reach't unto Though the work be hard yet 't is possible and what great things things won't men attempt upon the account of a possibility Now that 't is possible that you may attain to a greater perfection of holiness I shall evidence these five wayes First By many precious promises that are scattered up and down in the blessed Scriptures as that Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Or as the Hebrew has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall add strength that is he shall go on from one degree of spiritual strength to another he shall go on from a lesser degree to a greater degree and from a lower degree to a higher degree of spiritual strength a holy man shall not onely have his spiritual strength maintained but encreased he shall not onely retain that spiritual strength he has but he shall be still a adding of strength to strength Psal 84.7 Me chaiil el chaiil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies vigor courage alacrity power success and an Army wherein usually most power is required and manifested They go from strength to strength or from power to power or as the word may be read from company to company or from Troop to Troop in allusion to the custome of the Jews when all the Males went up thrice a year to Jerusalem now when they went up to Jerusalem they went up with their flocks and in Troops now those that were lively active and strong they over took this company and that and this Troop and that and so they went on their power and strength increasing daily more and more till they appeared before God in Zion or look as the Bee goes from flower to flower to gather Honey so those that had a principle of grace and holiness in them they went from one good company to another from one Troop of Christians to another still gathering up heavenly honey as they went O Sirs there is no such way to perfect holiness as to be still a going on from duty to duty and from ordinance to ordinance from praying to hearing and from hearing to praying from reading to meditating from meditating to reading from publike duties to closet duties and from closet duties to publike duties c. Psal 92.12 13 14. The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house the Lord Ille non est bonus qui non vult esse molior shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing The promise of flourishing is three times repeated in these three verses they shall flourish they shall flourish they shall flourish to note the more then ordinary flourishing estate of the Saints even in their old age I have read of an old Christian who being asked whether he grew in goodness or no answered I believe I do because the Lord has promised that his people shall bring forth fruit in old age Pliny writing of the Crocodile tells us that she grows to her dying day so Christians that are rooted in Christ and planted in the house of the Lord they will be still growing up in grace and holiness even to their dying day 'T is with real Christians as 't is with wine the older the better or as 't is with the Sun which shines most gloriously and amiably when 't is near seting Gracious souls are like the Laurel or the Bay-tree whose leaves are always green not onely in the Summer of youth but also in the Winter of old age Pliny The Palm-tree is always green it never loseth his leaves or fruit and the more it is loaded the deeper it is rooted and so it shall be with throughout Christians So in that Isa 46.3 4. God has promised to carry us on to old age Hearken unto me O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel which are born by me from the belly which are carried from the womb And even to your old age I am he and even to hoar hairs will I carry you I have made and I will bear even I will carry and will deliver you That God that begins a work of Grace and Holiness in his peoples hearts that God will perfect and carry on that work Mothers and Nurses express their tender care love and delight by carrying their Babes in their arms till they can go alone but God surpasses them in his love care tenderness and divine fondness for he will carry them even to hoary hairs This word I that is Six times repeated in verse the fourth is doubtless of very great importance and signifies not onely Gods eternal Essence and that he will be ever like himself but also his unchangeableness in regard of us for whatever our thoughts may be concerning God yet we shall always find him one and the same he will be as good to his people at last as he was at first even to old age he will carry them So in that Prov. 4.18 But the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day A
holy man proceeds from grace to grace from vertue to vertue he goes from faith to faith and from strength to strength till at length he shines as the Sun in his strength So in that Hosea 14.5 6 7. I will be as the due unto Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his root as Lebanon His branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive-tree and his smell as Lebanon They that dwell under his shaddow shall return they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon The growth the fruitfulness and the flourishing estate of the Saints in grace and holiness is set forth by a seven-fold Metaphor in these words the Similes are all plain and easie and you may easily dilate upon them in your own thoughts and therefore I shall pass them I shall conclude with that precious promise John 4.14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life The Spirit in its gracious operations shall be a constant spring in believers hearts and it shall every day rise higher and higher like the water in Ezekiel Ezek. 47.1 7. till grace be swallowed up in glory And thus you see by these choice promises that 't is possible for you to attain to a greater measure of holiness But Secondly The prayers that have been put up upon this very account do clearly evidence the same Certainly the people of God would never have prayed for higher degrees of grace and holiness if they had not been attainable Now 't is very observable that the spirits of the Saints have run out much this way as is evident in these instances Phil. 1.9 10 11. And this I pray 〈◊〉 brevis penetrat Coelum that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Col. 1.9 For this cause we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding Chap. 4.12 Epaphras who is one of you a servant of Christ saluteth you always laboring fervently for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Metaphor from a Ship whose Sails are filled with wind Epaphras was an humble petitioner that the souls of the Colossians might be filled with the highest degrees of grace and holiness as the Sails of a Ship are filled with winde 1 Thes 3.12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men even as we do towards you The Apostle by doubling his word encrease and abound discovers himself to be an importunate suitor that a double portion of grace and holiness might be given out to the Thessalonians So in that Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant Make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen The Apostle can't beg any thing for these believing Hebrews below perfection And the Apostle Peter puts up the same requests for those blessed converts that were scattered throughouâ— Pontius Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia In that 1 Pet. 5.10 But the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you God is called the God of all grace because he is the giver of all kinds of grace and of all degrees of grace Now nothing will satisfie this great Apostle when he comes to plead for these Saints below perfection though they had as much grace as would bring them to heaven yet he begs such a perfection of grace as might raise them high in heaven And thus it appeareth by the prayers of these holy men that Saints may still be rising in grace and holiness But Thirdly The experience of other Saints does clearly evidence this that you may attain unto higher degrees of grace and holiness then those that yet you have attained unto Psal 37.37 Phil. 3.11 16. Can. 4.7 Eph. 5.26 27. Rev. 14.4 5. Prov. 2.21 Chap. 11.5 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and Noah walked with God Noah was not only perfect with a perfection of parts nor onely perfect in respect of desires endeavors and aims nor onely perfect â—n respect of his justification before God by imputed righteousness nor onely perfect in respect of Gods approbation acceptation and delight nor onely perfect in respect of Gods designe and intentions to make him so in another world nor onely perfect in respect of those gifts and graces with which he was adorned and furnished for the discharge of his place office work to which the Lord had called him nor onely comparatively perfect in regard of that prophane ungodly and debauched generation among whom he lived but also he is said to be perfect in respect of an eminent progress that he had made in grace and holiness he had attained to considerable degrees and measures of grace and holiness and though his proficiency in the exercise of grace and practice of piety fell short of compleat perfection yet it rise to such a height that God could not but crown him and and Chronicle him for a perfect man 1 Pet. 2.2 1 Joh. 2.12 13 14. Heb. 5.12 13 14 In all Ages of the world there has been four several Ages of Christians viz. Babes children young men and old men Noah was not a babe nor a child nor a young man but an old man in grace and holiness and therefore he is said to be perfect There are several forms in Christs School some higher some lower now he that is in the highest form may be said to be perfect in regard of those that are in a lower or in the lowest form now Noah was in the highest form of grace and godliness therefore he is said to be perfect and in this sense I suppose Job is said to be a perfect man Job 1.1.8 There was a man in the Land of Vz whose name was Job and that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him
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
grace and holiness And thus much for this third motive Fourthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness consider that the more your holiness is encreased the more the great God will be honored and glorified Math. 5.16 Fruitfulness in holiness sets the weightiest crowne of glory upon the head of God John 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that ye bare much fruit The more eminent any person is in holiness the more clearely and convincingly he proclaimes God before all the world to be a rich God a full God a bountiful God an overflowing good there is nothing that works men to admire God so much and to exalt God so high as a Christians fruitfulness in holiness O how good must that God be whose servants are so good said the Heathen O how glorious in holiness must that God be whose people are so holy Look as the thriving child is a credit to the Nurse and the rich servant an honor to his Master and a plentiful Crop the praise of the husbandman so that Christian that thrives in grace that grows rich in holiness is the greatest credit and the highest honor and the sweetest praise to God in the world The Tree in Alcinous Garden had alwayes blossomes buds and ripe fruits one under another O! Sirs those Trees of righteousness Isa 61.3 that have not only the blossomes and buds of holiness upon them but also the ripe fruits of holiness one under another they are the greatest honor and glory to God in the world What will men say when they shall behold your eminency in sanctity will they not say certainly God is no hard Master Math. 25.24 he never looks to reape where he do's not sowe nor to gather where he do's not straw Certainly he keeps a noble house his Tables are richly spread his Cups overflow he feeds yea he feasts his servants with the choicest rarities and varieties that heaven affords witness their thriving and flourishing estate in grace and holiness And thus you see that the more your holiness is encreased the more highly the God of heaven will be exalted and magnified But Fifthly To provoke you to endeavour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the more holiness thou hast the more hee 'l give thee At first God gives holiness where there is none and where this holiness is improved there God will be still augmenting and increasing of it do thou but make it thy business to perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord Heb. 6.7 and the Lord will not faile to make new and fresh additions of more grace and holiness to that thou hast Psal 84.11 The Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Mark those words viz. that the Lord will give grace and glory that is grace unto glory hee 'l still be adding more grace to that thou hast till the bud of grace be turn'd into the flower of glory till thy grace on earth commenceth glory in heaven the more holiness any man has the more still God will give him Math. 13.12 For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance He that hath principles of grace and holiness laid into his soul he shall finde a plentifull increase of those sanctifying and saving principles he shall have more abundance his spark of holiness shall grow into a flame his drops of holiness shall be turn'd into a sea and his mite of holiness shall be multiplyed into millions Math. 25.29 The greater harvest of holiness a Christian brings forth the greater encrease of holiness shall he experience every exercise of grace and holiness is alwayes attended with new increase of grace and holiness Look as that arme is greatest and strongest that is most used and exercised so that particular grace that is most exercised and used is most strengthned and greatned Look as earthly Parents when they see their children to husband and improve a little Stock to great advantage then they adde to their Stock they increase their Stock they double their Stock so when the father of spirits sees his children to husband and improve a little Stock of grace and holiness to the great advantage of their souls then he will increase their spiritual Stock he will be still a adding to their Stock yea he will double their Stock John 15.2 Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Such as are fruitful shall be made more fruitful Christ will take most paines to make them better who are already very good of all Christians in the world there are none that have so much grace as humble Christians have and yet God delights to pour in grace into their souls as men pour liquor into empty vessels humility is both a grace James 4.6 and a vessel to receive more grace And thus much for this fifth Argument But Sixthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the more holiness you attaine to the greater will be your heaven of joy and comfort in this world Though the least spark of true holiness will bring a man to heaven certainly yet 't is only an eminency in holiness that will make a man walk to heaven comfortably the more holiness any man has Psal 16. ult the more he shall enjoy him in whose presence is fulness of joy and the more any man enjoyes the presence of God with his Spirit the greater will be his heaven of joy in this world Look as a little Star yeilds but a little light so a little holiness yeilds but a little comfort and look as the greatest Stars yeilds the greatest light so the greatest measures of holiness alwayes yeilds the greatest comforts Divine joy ebbs and flowes as holiness ebbs and slowes soul comforts rises and falls as holiness rises and falls Great measures of holiness carries with them the greatest evidence of the reality of holiness now the more clearely and evidently the reality and sincerity of a mans holiness appeares the higher will the springs of joy and comfort arise in his soul Great measures of holiness carry with them the greatest evidence of a mans union and communion with God and the more evident a mans union and communion is with God the more will that mans soul be fill'd with that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Acts 9.31 In great measures of holiness a man may see and reade most of the love of God the face of God the favour of God and the heart of God and the more a man is blest with such a sight as this is the more will that Babe of grace divine joy spring in his soul The greater measures of holiness and sanctification any man attaines to the clearer and brighter will the evidences of his Justification be Rom. 5.1 2 3. And Ch. 8.30 33 34 35 Now the clearer evidences any
of holiness But Secondly If ever you would perfect holiness if ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness Psal 41.12 1 Sam. 2.1.3 then set the Lord alwaies before your eyes set your selves alwaies as in his presence David was a man that was very high and eminent in holiness but how came hee to so great a height why hee tells you how in that 16. Psal 8. Athenodorus a Heathen could say that all men ought to bee careful in the actions of their lives because God was every where and beheld all that was done 1 King 20.39 Psal 39.1 Jer. 20.10 Job 10.12 I have set the Lord alwaies before mee because hee is at my right hand I shall not bee moved David did not by fits and starts set the Lord before him but hee alwaies set the Lord before him in his course hee had his eye upon the Lord and so much the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports I have equally set the Lord before mee that is the force of the original word that is I have set the Lord before mee at one time as well as another without any irregular affections or passions c. in every place in every condition in every company in every imployment and in every enjoyment I have set the Lord equally before mee and this raised him and this will raise any Christian by degrees to a very great height of holiness Psa 119.168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my waies are before thee The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shamar that is here rendred kept signifies to keep carefully diligently studiously exactly it signifies to keep as men keep prisoners and to keep as a watchman keeps the City or the Garison yea to keep as a man would keep his very life but now mark what was the reason that David kept the Precepts and the testimonies of the Lord so carefully so sincerely so diligently so studiously and so exactly why the reason you have in the latter part of the verse for all my waies are before thee O Sirs t is as necessary for him that would bee eminent in holiness to set the Lord alwaies before him as t is necessary for him to breathe in that 31. of Job you have a very large narrative of that heigth and perfection of holiness that Job had attained to and the great reason that hee gives you for this is in the 4. verse Doth not hee see my waies and count all my steps the eye of God had so strong an influence upon his heart life that it wrought him up to a very high pitch of holiness The Schollar writes most exactly whilest his Masters eye is upon him and the Childe walks most exactly whilest his Fathers eye is upon him and the Servant works most exactly whilest his Masters eye is upon him and so certainly all the Sons and Servants of the most high God do hear most exactly and pray most exactly and walk most exactly when they set themselves most as in the presence of the great God who is all sight who is Totus oculus all eye Ah friends as ever you would bee high in holiness possess your hearts with a serious apprehension of Gods presence set your selves dayly as in his sight as under his eye and remember though a man may easily baffle his conscience and put out his light and deceive the world like that counterfeit Alexander in Josephus his story yet hee shall never be able to baffle or deceive the eye of Gods omnisciency you shall as soon get out of the reach of his hand as you shall get from under the view of his eye God hath his windows in all our brests and curiously and narrowly observes all that is done within us and all that is done by us and if the serious consideration of his all seeing eye will not influence us to labour after the highest degrees of holiness I know not what will It was Seneca's advice to his friend Jucilius that whatsoever hee was doing hee should imagine that Cato did behold him and Plutarch advised his friends to demean themselves so circumspectly as if their enemies did alwaies behold them But my advice to you shall bee this upon every occasion in every condition and in every action set the Lord alwaies before you if the sharp and severe eye of a holy man or of a holy friend or of a holy relation will so over-awe you and so exceedingly influence you to the best of actions then certainly the sharp peircing and all-seeing eye of God will do much more and therefore let the Lord bee alwaies in your sight But Thirdly If ever you would attain ro higher degrees of holiness then fix and settle your selves under a holy Ministry resigne and give up your selves to his Ministry who makes it his great business and work to preach holiness to promote holiness to countenance holiness to encourage holiness to exalt holiness and to remove all obstructions that may any waies hinder the progress of holiness Some there bee that spend their time rather to please Isa 30.10 than to profit and to tickle their hearers ears than to touch their hearts from these turn aside and some there bee who make it their work rather to destroy Churches than to build them up in faith and holiness and from these turn aside Gal. 1.23 some there are who make it their business to delude and deceive the simple Phil. 4.14 Jer. 14.14 by venting and setting to sale the devices of their own heads and the deceits and visions of their own hearts How many are there in these daies whose glorious visions are but golden delusions and whose Seraphical phrases are but brain-sick phantasies and whose new notions are but new nothings from these turn aside And others there be that build the things that they have destroyed Gal. 2.18 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. and are returned after they had been seemingly washt with the Dog to his vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire They say that if tame Foxes break loose and turn wilde they do more mischief than any Julian was once a Professor but turning back to Heathenism hee drew more from the Faith by his fraud than his predecessors did by force therefore from these turn aside Mat. 15 1. 7. Mark 7.1 14. Some there be that cry up the commandements of men above the Commandements of God and that set up the ordinances of men above the Ordinances of God and that prefer humane institutions before divine institutions from these turn aside 1 King 20. 26. 2 Cor. 10.10 And others there be that have a vein of scorning and reproaching of disdaining and triumphing over the persons names and credits of those faithful Ministers of Christ who upon all accounts excel them and whom upon a dying-bed and before a Judgement-seat they will wish that they had imitated and not envied These labour to darken and
Christians at their first conversion and whilst they remain weak in grace and holinesse their obedience is more strait and narrow for commonly they spend much if not most of their time in praying fasting hearing reading Christian-conference c. and neglect a hundred other duties that are incumbent upon them they are very forward and warm in the duties of their general Calling but very cold and remisse in the duties of their particular Calling they are very frequent and fervent in some duties and very rare in other duties but now the more they grow in grace and holinesse the more extensive will their obedience be and the more their hearts will be dilated and extended to all the duties both of the first and second Table But Sixthly The more a man conflicts with heart-sins with spiritual-sins with invisible-sins with sins that lye most hid and obscure from the eyes of the world and the more spiritual victories and conquests a man obtains over them the greater measure of holiness that person hath certainly attained to When the heart rises with all its strength and might against secret Pride secret Self-love 2 Chron. 32.26 Psal 119.80 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. Psal 30.6 7. Rom. 7.23 24. 2 Cor. 7..1 secret bublings of Lusts secret Carnal-confidence secret Murmuring secret Hypocrisie secret Envy secret Self-applause secret Malice secret Hatred secret Snares secret Temptations c. It is an Argument that Holiness is grown up to some considerable height there A little Grace a little Holiness will work a man to conflict with grosse sins with outward sins with bodily sins with such sins that every one may set their eyes on and lay their hands on yea where there is no Grace no Holinesse at all the light of Nature the common convictions of the Spirit the Laws of Men the eyes of Men the threats of Men the examples of Men a smarting Rod and good Education may work men to conflict with such sins O but when all the strength and might of the soul is ingaged against those very sins that lye not within the sight or reach of the most sharp and piercing men in the world but in the heart and about the heart and are only obvious to an Omniscient eye this argues a great degree of Holinesse And therefore Augustine hit the mark when hee said that it is a harder thing for a man to fight with his lusts understand it especially of heart-lusts of spiritual-wickednesse than 't is to fight with the Crosse Aug. Serm. 4. de verbis Domini Jam. 3.7 Hiraclius motto was a Deo victoria 't is God that giveth victory And Austin hath long since complained that wee do not tame the beasts in our own bosomes O! 't is an easier thing to tame all the beasts in the world than 't is to tame one beast in the bosome all the beasts in the world may be tamed and brought under by a humane power but no power below that power that raised Christ from the Grave can tame the beasts that bee in our bosomes Now look as conflicts with heart-sins with spiritual-sins c. argues some eminency in Holinesse so victory over heart-sins over-spiritual sins over those sins that lye most remote from the eyes of others argues a very great degree of Holinesse when a Christian doth not onely resist heart-sins but vanquishes heart-sins when hee doth not only combate with heart-sins but conquers heart-sins when hee doth not only fight with heart-sins but also overcomes heart-sins when hee doth not only wrestle with heart-sins but also overthrows heart-sins this speaks out holiness in its growth 'T was a good saying of Cyprian there is no such pleasure saith hee as to have overcome an offered pleasure neither is there any greater conquest than that that is gotten over a mans corruptions And 't was an excellent saying of Eusebius Emesenus our Fathers overcame the torments of the flames let us overcome the fiery darts of vices and indeed 't is an easier thing to overcome the flames than 't is to overcome those flaming lusts and corruptions that bee in our own hearts Philosophy may teach us to indure hardships as it did Calanus in Curtius who willingly offered his body to the fire to the flames but 't is only grace 't is only holinesse that can inable us to overcome our lusts our heart-lusts wee read of many that out of greatnesse of Spirit could offer violence to Nature but were at a losse when they came to deal with their corruptions I remember a notable saying of Ambrose Ambros Apâ—l Davâ—d Post. c. 3. speaking of Sampson vincula solvit hostium c. Saith hee hee brake the bonds of his enemies but hee could not break the bonds of his own lusts hee choaked the Lion but hee could not choak his own wanton love hee set on fire the harvest of strangers and himself being set on fire with the spark of one strange woman lost the harvest of his vertue And this saying of Ambrose puts mee in minde of a great Roman Captain who as hee was riding in his triumphant Chariot through Rome had his eyes never off a Courtizan that walkt along the street which made one say Behold how this goodly Captain that conquered such potent Armies is himself conquered by one silly woman O 't is not Philosophy nor Morality nor Civility c. but holinesse but sanctity that will make the soul victorious over iniquity and the more victories and conquests a man makes upon heart sins upon spiritual-sins upon secret-sins the greater measures of holinesse that person hath certainly attained to But Seventhly The more a man is exercised and busied in the most internal and spiritual duties of Religion the greater measures of holinesse that man hath attained to You know there are external duties of Religion and there are internal duties of Religion There are external duties of Religion as publick Preaching hearing the Word reading the Word Mar. 6. ch 23. fasting singing of Psalms Christian conference Communion of Saints and receiving the Lords Supper Now such Christians as have but small measures of grace and holinesse Isa 1.11 19 Isa 58.1 2 3.4 5. Zach. 7.4 5 6 7 and Hypocrites and Formalists that have not the least measure of true grace and holinesse these are most commonly exercised and busied about the external duties and services of Religion but very seldome very rare shall you finde them in the more inward and spiritual duties of Religion but then as there are external duties so there are internal and spiritual duties as Self-examination Self-resignation to God Self-loathing Self-judging Divine-meditation praying in the Spirit Watchfulnesse over the Heart and making application of the blood of Christ the death of Christ the grace of Christ the love of Christ and the word of Christ to a mans own soul Now the more any Christian is exercised and imployed in these internal spiritual and Evangelical duties and services the greater heights and degrees
of holinesse that Christian is grown to Phil. 3.3 For wee are the câ—rcumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh These Philippians were eminent in grace and holinesse as you may see in chap. 1. And they place no confidence in circumcision nor in any such outward performances or services but they were much in the exercise of grace and in worshipping of God in the Spirit and in rejoycing in the Person of Christ the Natures of Christ the Offices of Christ the Discoveries of Christ the Communications of Christ the glorious Operations of Christ the precious Promises of Christ and in the heart-warming and heart-chearing Blood of Christ Now to bee much exercised in the most internal spiritual and Evangelical duties of Religion argues a very great height of holinesse But 8thly The more spiritual internal intrinsecal Principles Motives and Considerations carries a person on in Religious duties and services the more holy that person is when a man is carried on in the duties of Religion from a sense of Divine Love Psa 119.1 2 3. 1 Joh. 1.1 2 3 4. Isa 38.16 17 19 20. Psa 63.1 2 3. or from a sense of the special presence of Christ with his Spirit or from a sense of the excellency and sweetnesse of communion and fellowship with God or from a sense of the graciousnesse and goodnesse of God towards him or from a sense of singular influences and incomes from God or from a sense of the choice and precious discoveries of God or from a sense of the beauty and glory of God c. This argues a very great measure of holinesse that such a person hath attained to The more the sweet looks of Christ the secret visits of Christ the private whispers of Christ the divine joggings of Christ the blessed Love-tokens of Christ and the holy kisses and glorious embraces of Christ doth incite and provoke a person to Religious duties the greater degrees of holinesse that person hath reacht to but now 't is an Argument that the streams of holinesse runs but low when external Motives and Considerations have the greatest hand in carrying a person on in Religious duties The more bare custome the eye of the creature the favour of the creature the example of the creature the applause of the creature the rewards of the creature or the keeping up of a mans parts or the keeping up of a mans name esteem and repute in the world doth influence a Christians heart to Religious duties the lesse holinesse that Christian hath Yea 't is considerable that outward Motives and natural Principles have carried many Heathens to do many great and glorious things in the world Did not Sisera do as great things as Gideon the difference did only lye here that the great things that Gideon did hee did from more spiritual Principles and raised Considerations than any Sisera was acted by And did not Diogenes trample under his feet the great and glorious things of this world as well as Moses Heb. 11. the difference did only lye in this that Moses trampled under his feet the gay and gallant things of this world from inward holy Principles and from high and glorious Considerations and Motives whereas Diogenes did only trample upon them from poor low Principles and from carnal and external Considerations I have read of one Cosmus Medices a rich Citizen of â—lorence that hee confessed to a neer friend of his that hee built so many Magnificent Structures and spent so much on Scholars and Libraries not for any love to Learning but to raise up to himself the Trophies of fame and renown And many of the Romans have done very great and glorious things for their Country but all from natural Principles and from carnal and external Motives and Considerations as for a great name a puff of honour a little applause c. and therefore their most glorious actions have been but shining sins God alwaies writes a nothing upon all those services Jer. â—2 23 wherein mens Principles and their Ends are naught and low 'T was a notable saying of Luther one work of a Christian saith hee is more precious then Heaven and Earth and if I might have my desire I would rather chuse the meanest work of a Country Christian or poor Maid than all the Victories and Triumphs of Alexander the Great and of Julius Caesar because whatsoever a Saint doth though it be never so small and mean yet it is great and glorious because he doth all in Faith and by the Word And saith the same Author further let our works be never so small servile womanish yet let but this title be added the Word of the Lord and then they will be all glorious yea such as shall remain to all eternity O Sirs all our works and services must bee wrought from God for God in God and according to God or else they will bee but splendida peccata glistering sins well the more spiritual and internal the principles motives and considerations are that carries a Christian on in religious duties the greater measure of holinesse hath that Christian arrived to But Ninthly The more solid precise exact and accurate a Christian is in religious duties and services the greater measure of holinesse that Christian hath attained to and the more any Christian grows in holinesse the more spiritual the more savory the more exact and accurate hee will grow in all his religious services and performances The more a Christians heart is endeared to religious duties the more his heart is affected with the heavenly nature of religious duties and the more easily the more holily the more freely the more spiritually he performs religious duties the more he is thriven grown in holiness A young Carpenter gives more blows makes more noise chips than an old experienced workman doth but the old experienced workman doth his work more solidly more exactly and more accurately than the young Carpenter doth So many young Christians that are but newly entred into the trade of Christianity and that are raised up but to a very small degree of sanctity these may multiply duties upon duties these may abound in religious performances these may bee much in adding of service to service but yet the aged and experienced Christian in grace and holinesse doth duties more solidly more spiritually more exactly and more accurately than the young Christian doth Wee must never judge of an eminency in holinesse by the number or multitude of our duties but by the seriousnesse the graciousnesse the solidnesse the spiritualnesse the holinesse the heavenlinesse and the accuratenesse of our hearts in duties A young Musitian may play longer and more quick and nimble upon an Instrument than an old Musitian can but yet the old Musitian playes with more art accuratenesse skill judgement and understanding than a young Musitian doth so young Christians in grace and holinesse may hold out
longer and bee quicker and nimbler in religious duties than others that are more aged in grace and holinesse but yet they that are aged in grace and holinesse do perform religious duties with more spiritual art and accuratenesse and with more divine skill judgement and understanding than they do in whom the spring of holinesse runs low A young Scholar may run over more paper and write more paper and make more letters than his Master doth but yet his Master writes more understandingly exactly and accurately than hee doth So many young converts may run over more duties than others and yet others may perform duties more understandingly and more exactly and more accurately than they do let the duty bee never so short yet if there bee much spiritualnesse holinesse brokennesse seriousnesse and accuratenesse in it it will carry all before it 't will win the blessing and obtain the crown when the longest duties wherein there is no such frame nor temper of spirit shall not prevail with God at all Zach. 7.4 5 6. Isa 58.1 6. It argues a very great measure of holinesse when the soul is habitually carried on in religious duties with much solidnesse seriousnesse spiritualnesse exactnesse and accuratenesse But Tenthly The more any man makes it his great businesse and work in all his duties waies and walkings to approve himself to God and to bee accepted of God Jer. 12.3 Psa 17.3 The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chakreni signifies a very strict careful diligent search and inquisition c. the greater height of holinesse that man hath attained to David was a man of great holinesse and how studious and industrious hee was to approve his heart to the Lord you may see in that 139. Psalm 23 24. Search mee O God! and know my heart try mee and know my thoughts and see if there bee any wicked way in mee and lead mee in the way everlasting The Psalmist knew that God had an eye upon him both at home and abroad both at bed and at board both in publick and in private both in his family and in his closet hee knew that God had an eye in every corner of his house and in every corner of his heart and therefore hee appeals to God and hee approves his heart to God and nobly ventures upon the tryal of God Search mee O God and know my heart c. this frequent repetition and doubling of words Search mee O God and know my heart try mee and know my thoughts c. doth not only note the earnestnesse and seriousnesse of Davids spirit in prayer but also the soundnesse the uprightnesse the plainnesse and the unfeignednesse of Davids heart in that hee was very willing and ready to submit himself to the search tryal examination and approbation of God And so Peter that great Apostle of the Gentiles makes it his great businesse to approve himself to Christ thrice together Joh. 21.15 16 17. Lord thou knowest that I love thee Lord thou knowest that I love thee Lord thou that knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Christ best knew the reality and sincerity of Peters love and therefore Peter appeals to him as to a judge that would bee sure to judge righteous judgement Thou knowest that I love thee And so the Apostle Paul speaking in the Name of his fellow Apostles saith wherefore wee labour that whether present 2 Cor. 5.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or absent wee may bee accepted of him The Greek word that is here rendred labour is a very Emphatical word it signifies to labour and endeavour with all earnestnesse and might to indeavour with a high and holy ambition to bee approved of by God and to bee accepted of God judgeing it to bee the greatest honour and the most desireable happinesse in all the world to bee graciously owned approved and accepted of the Lord as ambitious industrious and laborious as Haman was to bee highly accepted with King Ahasuerus yet he was not more ambitious to bee accepted with the King than the Apostles were ambitious to be accepted of the King of Kings O Sirs when in every Sermon you hear and in every prayer you make and in every fast you keep and in every action you do and in every way that you walk and in every mercy that you enjoy and in every cross that you bear c. you make it your great businesse and work to approve your selves to the Lord and that though the world should discountenance you and friends hate you and near and dear Relations reject you that yet you may find blessed acceptance with God this argues holiness to be upon the Throne when in all your dealings and tradings with God you make it your Heaven to approve your selves to God and when in all your transactions with men you make it your happiness to approve your selves to God 't is an Argument that the springs of holiness are risen high in your souls But Eleventhly The more a man lives by the Rule of Expediency as well as by the Rule of Lawfulnesse the greater measure of holinesse that person hath attained to Joh. 16.7 2 Cor. 8.10 Weak holinesse hath only an eye upon the Rule of Lawfulnesse but raised holinesse hath one eye upon the Rule of Lawfulnesse and the other upon the Rule of Expediency Weak holinesse saith O this is lawful and that is lawful O but saith raised holinesse is it expedient is it expedient as well as lawful That Angelical Apostle Paul had still his eye upon the Law of Expediency 1 Cor. 6.12 All things are lawful unto mee but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for mee but I will not bee brought under the power of any And so ch 10.23 All things are lawful for mee but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for mee but all things edifie not And so in that 2 Cor. 12.1 'T is not expedient for mee doubtless to glory Many things may bee lawful that yet may bee very inexpedient for our place state calling and condition in the world 'T was lawful for the Apostle to eat meat Rom. 14. but 't was not expedient for him to eat meat when his eating of meat would make his weak Brother to offend or grieve or stumble or fall And therefore hee resolves that rather than hee will eat meat to offend 1 Cor. 8.13 hee will never eat meat whilst the world stands The more unchangeably resolved any person is to eye the Rule of Expediency and to live by the Rule of Expediency the greater measure of holinesse that person hath certainly attained to the streams of holinesse runs low in that Christians heart that hath two eyes to behold the Rule of Lawfulnesse but never an eye to see the Rule of Expediency it argues a very great height of holinesse for a man to make as much conscience of living by the Rule of Expediency as hee doth of living by the Rule of
But also throughout that whole Book of Job 'T is true all Saints are equally justified and equally pardoned and equally reconciled and equally accepted but all Saints are not equally sanctified All Saints are not of equal standing in the house of God All Saints have not been partakers of equal means all Saints have not had equal gales of the Spirit all Saints have not alike acted that holiness they have and therefore no wonder if all Saints are not alike holy Davids worthies were not all of equal strength nor all the stones in the building are not of equal proportion nor all the members in the natural body are not of equal magnitude and so 't is also in the mystical body of Christ In Gods house there are vessels of Gold and vessels of Silver that is 1 Cor. 12. 2 Tim. 2.20 there are some that are more eminently sanctified and purified than others are You read in Scripture of Babes as well as of strong Men of Lambs as well as of Sheep of Plants as well as of Trees Besides you read of a little Faith and of smoaking Flax and of a bruised Reed and of a grain of Mustard-seed and what doth all this evidence but that God gives different measures and degrees of grace and holiness to his people Christ hath not work alike for all Saints to do nor burdens alike for all Saints to bear nor mercies alike for all Saints to improve nor temptations alike for all Saints to resist nor difficulties alike for all Saints to grapple withall nor dangers alike for all Saints to encounter withall c. and therefore hee gives not a like measure of holiness to all but to some more to others less according as their condition requires Some Saints stand in need of a great deal more grace and holiness than others do Their place calling condition and imployments in the world calls for a greater stock than others need One man may better keep house with a hundred a year than another who hath a great family and great resort to his house can do with a thousand a year and so 't is here A little may serve a little Farm but it must be a great stock that must serve a great Farm A little stock of Holinesse will serve some Christians but it must be a great stock of Holiness that must serve to supply the necessities and the wants of other Christians and therefore God gives different measures and degrees of holiness among his people as their needs require Look as one sinner excels another in wickedness so one Saint excels another in holiness and therefore let not those that have much holiness despise those that have but little nor let not those that have but a little holiness censure or judge those that have more holiness than themselves Read the 77. and the 88. Psalms And indeed most of the Psalms of David are a full proof of this Position as all may see that will but read them with a spiritual eye and with and understanding heart All that holiness that any man hath whether it bee little or whether it bee much is all of Grace it is all of free-grace and therefore let every man improve it bee thankful for it and walk humbly under it The fift Position is this A Christian may bee more eminently Holy at one time than at another hee may thrive and increase more in holiness at one season than at another two men do not more differ one from another than the self same Christian at several times differs from himself Now the Spring-tide of Holiness is risen high very high at another time the streams of Holiness runs exceeding low now hee is full fraughted with high thoughts of God with honourable thoughts of Christ with precious thoughts of the Saints with pious thoughts of the Scripture with delightful thoughts of Ordinances with serious thoughts of Providences and with ravishing thoughts of Eternity Besides the examples of Abraham Jacob Joseph Job and Peter with the experiences of all other Saints in all ages speaks out this truth and at another time you shall have him filled with such hard thoughts of God with such dishonourable thoughts of Christ with such low thoughts of the Saints with such slight thoughts of the Scripture with such undelightful thoughts of Ordinances and with such confused thoughts of Providences and with such muddy dark and unpleasing thoughts of Eternity as if hee were really another man now hee is very lively and quick very cheerful and thankful very fruitful and faithful now hee is very fearful of offending God and very careful of pleasing God and very circumspect and watchful in his walking with God as if hee were a man fully resolved instantly to start from holiness to happiness but now if you please to look on this man at another time when hee is either deserted of God or tempted by Satan or worsted by the World or enthraled by his Lusts and Ah! how unlike himself will you then finde him for now hee is flat and dull and dry though not quite dead now hee is much streightned and shut up now hee can neither joy in God nor delight in Christ nor finde sweetness in Ordinances nor any taste or relish in any of his mercies Now his Apprehensions are dark his Thoughts are dismal his Meditations are confused his Words are unadvised and his waies are crooked now hee saith the Lord is my Portion and anon hee saith will the Lord cast off for ever and will he bee favourable no more now hee beleeves anon hee doubts this hour hee hopes the next hee fears to day hee is upon the mount joying and triumphing to morrow you shall have him in the vallies mourning and sighing many clouds many eclipses many varieties and many changes passes upon Gods holy ones in this life A Childe a Tree a Plant shoots up sometimes more in a month than they do in many months and so doth many a Childe of God many a Tree of righteousness and many a Plant of renown shoots up more in holiness in a month sometimes than they do in many months at another time they thrive and flourish in holiness more in a year sometimes than they do in many years at another time Look as many a man gets more mony in one year than hee doth afterwards get in seven so many a Christian gets more grace and holiness sometimes in one year than hee gets afterwards in seven No Saints have at all times a like the same blessed gales of the Spirit 't is just with a holy soul as 't is with a ship sometimes the ship hath a very fair and fresh gale of wind and then shee cuts her way through the proud waves of the Sea and the Passengers sail very speedily and merrily towards their desired Port but anon the wind is slack and veres about to another point of the Compass and then the Passengers are all amote and they sail but slowly and heavily
towards their desired Harbour And so 't is with a holy heart sometimes the gales of the spirit blow very fair and sweet very strong and powerful upon a gracious soul and then a Christian sails most sweetly most speedily and most successfully on in a way of Holiness and towards his Port of Happiness but anon the spirit is either resisted or grieved or neglected or quenched or vexed or disobeyed and then his gales his influences his breathings are slacked and then a poor Christian sails but very slow on in a way of holiness then hee doth but even creep towards the Harbour of everlasting blessedness Again no Saints have at all times alike the same external helps advantages and opportunities of being holy and of thriving in holiness It may bee they have not the word so clearly so powerfully so sweetly so faithfully nor so frequently preacht to them as formerly they have had or it may bee they have not other Ordinances so lively so purely so spiritually so evangelically dispenced to them as formerly they have had It may bee they have had stones instead of bread and bones instead of flesh and chaffe instead of wheat and muddy water instead of choice wine and then no wonder if they do not thrive in holiness as they did when God rained Mannah every day about their Tents and when they were fed with the best of the best that their Heavenly Fathers Table Wine-seller and House did afford When Children have not as good Food and as good Physick and as good lodging and as good looking to as they have formerly had no wonder if they thrive not as at other times And so 't is here look as no men have alwaies the same helps the same advantages the same opportunities to grow great and rich and high and honourable in the world that sometimes they have had so no Christian hath alwaies the same helps advantages and opportunities to grow rich and high in holiness as sometimes hee hath had It may bee hee hath not that communion and fellowship with the people of God that once hee had or if hee hath yet it may bee their communion is not so pure so holy so lively so heart-warming so soul-inriching as once it hath been or it may bee hee hath not as good counsel as formerly nor as good examples as formerly nor as good encouragement as hee hath formerly had to bee holy or it may bee their calling imployment and outward condition is so altered and changed from what once it was that they have not that time for closet Duties and to wait on publick Ordinances that once they had or it may bee bodily infirmities weaknesses diseases aches and ailements are so increased and multiplied upon them that they cannot make that improvement that once they did of those very advantages and opportunities that yet by a hand of grace is continued among them now these cases being incident to the people of God there is no reason to wonder if at some times Saints are more holy than they are at others and if at some seasons they shoot up more in holiness than they do at others The serious weighing of this Position may serve to prevent many fears and scruples many debates and disputes that often rise in the hearts of Christians upon the often ebbings and flowings of holiness in their souls The sixt Position is this There will come a time when in this world holiness shall bee more general and more eminent than ever it hath been since Adam fell in Paradise The Scripture speaks clearly roundly and fully to this Deut. 30.5 6 8. The Lord thy God will bring thee into thine own Land and the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do All His Commandements This gracious Promise was made to the Jews above two thousand years ago and yet to this very day it hath not been fulfilled and therefore there will certainly come a time wherein God will make it good Isa 11.6 The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb c. and they shall not hurt c. for the Earth shall bee Full of the Knowledge of The Lord As the Waters Cover The Sea This glorious Promise hath not been made good to this day but there is a time a coming wherein it shall bee accomplished Isa 35.8 There shall bee a high-way and it shall bee called a way of Holiness THE UNCLEAN SHALL NOT PASSE OVER IT Isa 59.21 This is my Covenant my WORD AND MY SPIRIT SHALL NEVER DEPART from thee for ever Isa 60.21 Thy People shall bee ALL RIGHTEOUS Jer. 32.40 41. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good But I will put my fear into their hearts So Ezek. 36.23 to v. 30. Mal. 4.1 2. 2 Pet. 3.13 that they shall not depart from mee yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good and will plant them in this Land assuredly WITH MY WHOLE HEART AND WHOLE SOUL Now it is very observable that this great Promise must bee fulfilled when the Jews shall return and bee settled in their own Land And so the Prophet Ezekiel speaking of the glorious state of the Church in the last daies Ezek. 44.7 9. adds Thus saith the Lord no stranger uncircumcised in HEART shall enter into my Sanctuary Zeph. 3.13 The remnant of Israel SHALL NOT DO INIQUITY nor SPEAK LYES neither shall a DECEITFUL TONGUE bee found in their mouths Now the context clearly shews that these words relate to the glorious state of the Church on Earth and they have never yet received their accomplishment but shall in the last daies for hee is faithful that hath spoken it Zach. 14.20 21. Upon ALL SHALL BEE HOLINESSE TO THE LORD I have opened this Text pretty fully to you already in my former discourses on holiness and therefore shall pass it by now Rev. 21. verse the first See the English Annotations on these words and verse the last And I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth and I saw the holy City New Jerusalem coming down from God out of HEAVEN Behold the Tabernacle of God is WITH MEN c. and there shall in no wise enter into it any thâ—ng that DEFILETH c. but they that are written in the Lambs Book I have formerly proved by several Arguments as divers of you knows that this chapter cannot be understood of Heaven but must necessarily and beyond all dispute bee understood of the glorious state of the Saints on Earth which they shall certainly enjoy in the last daies By all these Scriptures it is most evident that there will come a time when holiness shall bee more general and at a fuller height than ever yet it hath been since man fell from his Original holiness and therefore pray
and the more careful they should be in pleasing of him Divine blessings should be the greatest obligations in the world upon a Christian to keep at a distance from sin and to keep close to a holy God the greater the mercy is and the more miraculous the deliverance and the salvation is that God crowns his people with the greater are the ingagements that God hath put upon them to be a holy people to him So in that 116. Psal David gives in a bill of particulars in the eight first verses hee gives you a choice Narrative of the singular favours and blessings of God both in respect of his inward and his outward man God had been good to his soul and hee had been kind to his body hee tells you of Gods sparing mercy and of his preventing mercy and of his preserving mercy and of his delivering mercy and of his supporting mercy and of his multiplying mercy and of his pardoning mercy hee tells you that God hath heard his prayers and wip'd off his tears and preserved his feet from falling and his soul from death And then in the following words hee tells you what his resolution is upon the whole I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living vers 9. or rather as the Hebrew hath it Ethhallech Liphne Jehovah I will walk before the face of the Lord The Hebrew word that is here rendred walk signifies a continued action or the reiteration of an action David resolves that hee will not only take a turn or two with God or walk a pretty way with God as Orpah did with Ruth Ruth 1.10 15. and then take his leave of God as Orpah did of her Mother but hee resolves whatever comes on it that hee will walk constantly resolutely and perpetually before God or before the face of the Lord Now walking before the face of the Lord doth imply a very exact circumspect accurate and precise walking before God and indeed no other walking is either suitable or pleasing to the eye of God But is this all that hee will do upon the receipt of such signal mercies O no! for hee resolves to take the cup of salvation and to call upon the Name of the Lord and â—o offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving v. 13. and 17. but is this all that hee will do oh no! for hee resolves that hee will presently pay his vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people v. 14 and 18. but is this all that hee will do O no! for hee resolves that hee will love the Lord better than ever and more than ever v. 1. Hee loved God before with a real love but having now received such rare mercies from God hee is resolved to love God with a more raised love and with a more inflamed love and with a more active and stirring love and with a more growing and increasing love than ever And so the Apostle in that Rom. 12.1 2. I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service And bee not conformed to this world but bee yee transformed by the renewing of your mind that yee may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God When this great Apostle would work up the Romans to a full resignation of themselves to God and to his service and would sence and arm them against the sinful fashions customes examples dispositions and practices of a corrupt and wicked world hee sets the mercies of God before them the Apostle very well knew that there was no such spur to holiness nor no such preservative against wickedness as this was the Apostle could have set threatnings before them and the curse before them and wrath before them and former and latter judgements before them and hell before them and yet hee passes over all these things and presents the mercies of God before them as the most effectual means under Heaven to engage them to holiness and to fortify them against all sinful conformity and worldly vanity O Sirs you are all under several signal mercies this day you are out of Hell and is not that a signal mercy you have many mercies that others want and is not that a signal mercy yet God rains Mannah every day about your Tents when others wander several miles and are too often put off with stones instead of bread and is not that a signal mercy That wicked mens hearts should be so full of wrath rage revenge envy and malice and you cast at their feet and yet not trod to death is a signal mercy that you should stand when others fall that you should be faithful when others are false that you should persevere when others backslide that you should be for God when so many are for Baal and that you should be followers of the Lamb when so many thousands are dancing after Antichrists Pipes are all very rare and signal mercies and calls aloud upon you to be holy yea to be eminently holy c. But Thirdly Times of personal afflictions are times wherein God calls aloud for holiness when the Rod of God is upon our backs See my Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod c. it highly concerns us to look that our words are full of grace and that all our waies and works are full of holiness Now God looks that his people should be divinely fearful of offending him and divinely careful in pleasing of him and divinely willing to resign up themselves to him and divinely patient in waiting on him and divinely humble in submitting to him and divinely wise in justifying of him and divinely resolute in serving of him Heb. 12.10 But hee afflicts us for our profit that wee might be made partakers of his holiness why they were before partakers of his holiness that 's true and these words declare that the great reach and design of God in all the afflictions that hee brings upon his people is to make them more and more holy and therefore for Christians to be proud under the Rod and carnal under the Rod and worldly under the Rod and froward under the Rod and stupid under the Rod and wanton under the Rod and wicked under the Rod is to cross and frustrate the great design of God in afflicting of them In afflictions God looks that his people should shine brighter and brighter and grow better and better and holier and holier O there is nothing that pleases God more that delights God more that affects God more or that wins upon God more than to see his people a holy people in the daies of their afflictions Well-waters are hottest in the winter c. Jer. 2.2 3. Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem saying Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine Espousals when thou wentest after mee in the wilderness in a Land that was not sown Israel
rises against little sins Page 113-120 Of a Little holiness Most Christians have but a little holiness this is proved by eight Arguments Page 469-479 M. Of Melancholy Of Melancholly and the effects of it Page 367 368 369. Of Manifestations The more holy any man is the more God will manifest himself to that man Page 498 499 500 501 502. Of Marriages Holy persons are not to marry with those that are unholy Page 56 57. Of a scandalous Ministry and of a holy ministry Settle not your selves under a lewd scandalous Ministry 296 297-299 See many considerable things in the Epistle concerning prophane ignorant scandalous debauched Ministers He that would perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord must fix and settle himself under a faithful holy Ministry Page 575 576 577. Of Mockers Mockers shall not goe to Heaven Page 71 72 73 74 75 Of Mortifying of sin He that would be more holy must fall in good earnest with all his might upon mortifying his most raging corruptions and most darling sins Page 582 583 584 585. Of Mourners and mournings Seven reasons why a holy man mournes for other mens sins 139-145 He that would be holy must mourne over his own unholiness 299 300 301. Mourne over the loss of holiness Page 466 467 468. Motives Seven Motives to move you to try whether you have any real holiness or no. 89-101 Fifteen Motives to get holiness 170-209 Seventeen Motives to perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord. 469-517 The more spiritual Motives and considerations carries a man on in religious duties and services the greater measures of holiness has that man attained to Page 606 607 608. N. Of Necessity The necessity of holiness Page 170 171 172 173 174. Of Neuters Neuters shall not goe to Heaven Page 79 80 81 82. Number The Number of Saints not diminished but increased by persecutions Page 398 399 400 401. O. Of Objections 1. Ob. We have no power to make our selves holy answered from 341-347 2 Ob. But hereafter may be time enough to look after holiness we may yet spend a few more years in pursuing after the profits pleasures c. of the world Ans 347-352 3. Ob. If we should press and pursue after holiness then we must take our farewel of all joy and comfort of all delight and pleasure c. Ans 352-369 4. Ob. We see that there are none so afflicted and persecuted as those who mind holiness who follow after holiness c. Ans 369-423 5. Ob. If we should labour after holiness then we must resolve to be poore and meane and low in the world for we shall never grow rich by godliness Ans 423-433 6. Ob. Should we pursue after holiness it would be a disgrace and dishonour to us who are honorable great rich and high in the world we are high borne we are Gentlemen and well bred and holiness seems to be too poore and too low a thing for such as we are to looke after Ans 433-446 7. Ob. Should we pursue after holiness we shall be sure to be reviled reproached and slandered and we shall become a scorne and a by-word c. to all that are round about us Ans Page 446-456 Of Obstinate sinners No special communion to be held with obstinate sinners Page 48 49. Of Overcoming The more a man can overcome evill with good upon holy and gracious accounts the greater measure of holiness that person has attained to Page 597 598 599 600. P. Of Persecution and persecutors Persecution has been the common lot and portion of the people of God 369 370. Christ and his Apostles has long since foretold us that afflictions and persecutions will attend us in this world 370 371 372. Persecutions that befalls the Saints for holiness sake shall never hurt nor harme the Saints 372 373 374 375 376. That the condition of persecutors of all conditions under Heaven is the most sad and deplorable condition is made good by five Arguments 376-389 That God will bare his people company in all their afflictions and persecutions 389 390 391 392. He shall be sure to suffer from Christ that refuses to suffer or that is afraid to suffer persecution for Christ 392 393 394 395 396. Many great advantages that will redowne to Christians by all the afflictions and persecutions that does befall them 396-411 To fuffer afflictions and persecutions for holiness sake is the greatest honour that Christians are capable of in this world 411 412 413. The afflictions and persecutions that commonly attend Christians in these dayes are nothing to the fiery tryalls that the Saints and Martyrs of old have been exercised with 413 414 415. Vnholy persons have suffered as great and grievous things for the satisfying of their lusts c. as Christians are like to suffer for their pursuing after holiness 415 416. Though persecutions may attend the people of God yet he has very many wayes to preserve his people from being ruin'd and destroyed by persecuting hands As 1. By laying a Law of restraint upon persecutors 2. By setting persecutors one against another 3. By passing a sentence of death upon persecutors 4. By altering and changing the hearts of persecutors 5. By taking of persecutors feet in the same snares that they have laid for others 6. By providing Cities of refuge and hiding places to shelter them 416-420 All the persecutions that the Saints meet with on earth shall advance their glory in Heaven Page 420 421 422 423. Of Perseverance Christians must persevere in their pursuit after holiness Page 460 461 462. Of what is Possible 'T is possible for unholy persons to be made holy this is proved by eight arguments 174-183 'T is possible for those that are holy to attain to greater measures of holiness then any yet they have attained to and this is proved by five Arguments Page 479-488 Of Prophane persons Prophane persons shall not goe to Heaven Page 70 71. Of False Prophets No speciall communion to be held with false Prophets Page 47 48. Of Prayer He that will be holy must be much in Prayer and be sure 〈…〉 Of Vowes He that will be holy must dwell much upon his solemne vowes Page 309 310 311 312. Of Universal Obedience The more universal a mans obedience is the more holy that man is Page 602 603. Of Unbeleevers We are to have no sacred no speical communion with unbeleevers Page 42 43. Of the Unholy A holy person will be holy among the unholy Page 154 155 156 157. Of the Use of earthly things Holy persons will be holy in the use of earthly and common things Page 136 137 138. Of Uprightness Enduring of persecution an argument of uprightness Page 396 397 398. W. Of Waiting He that will be holy must waite upon the word faithfully preacht 304-307 He that will be holy when he has done all must waite Page 337 338 339. Of Wants He that would perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord should labour to be more acquainted and affected with his spirituall wants Page 572 573. Of the Word A holy man loves the word for its holiness 144-147 How a person may know when he is affected and taken with the word as 't is a holy word Answered 5 ways Page 147-154 Of the World Take heed of the world and why 239-284 But here remember once for all that by the Printers mistake next to page 240. followes 280. The next Impression will prevent this and other mistakes also The more worldlings strive after the world the more Christians should strive to perfect holiness Page 513 514 515. Of Worship Christians must stand for purity of worship and why Page 462 463 464 465 466. Of Working All things shall work for good to the holy man Page 636 637 638. FINIS