strangers yea enemies to those noble and divine principles And you are the onely persons on earth upon whom all exhortations and commands to grow in holiness to encrease in holiness and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord do's most immediately most directly most eminently most roundly and most fully fall as you may easily see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together O sirs 2 Pet. 3.18 how gloriously should that house be adorned with holiness that is of Gods own building 2 Corin. 7.1 Ch. 13.11 Colos 2.7 Heb. 6.1 1 Corin. 15.58 Jude 10. and how fruitful should those vineyards and gardens be that are of Gods own planting and how full should those Wells be that are of Gods own digging and how sweet should those flowers be that are of Gods own setting and how ripe should those fruits be that are of Gods own Grafting O sirs shall the Eagle flye higher and higher shall the Sun shine brighter and brighter and shall the Gyant refreshed with wine run swifter and swifter and shall the woman man that is with child grow fuller and fuller and greater and greater and shall not you who are the people of Gods holiness flye higher and higher in holiness and shine brighter and brighter in holiness Charles the Fifth had this for his Motto Vlterius goe on further Math. 13.23 Mar. 4.28 Ezek. 47.3.4 and run swifter and swifter in the ways of holiness and grow fuller and fuller and greater and greater in the births of holiness O sirs holiness in a Christian is not like a Star in the Skie nor a Stone in the Center nor a Bullet in a Gun which is always equal but holiness is like to the seed which being sown in the furrows of the earth first springs up into a blade and then into an ear and then into ripe corn Holiness is like to the waters in Ezekiels Sanctuary that rise by degrees First it rise to the Ancles then to the knees then to the Loyns and then to a mighty river that could not be passed over 2 Sam. 3.1 Holiness is like to the house of David that grew stronger and stronger and like to the Cedars of Lebanon that grew greater and greater Hosea 14.6 7. O Christians there are none that are so strongly obliged to go on from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 and from strengâ—h to strength and from holiness to holiness as you are O! 1 Col. 13. you must labor to be filled up to the brim with holiness O! you must strive to equalize the first three of Davids worthies O! 2 Ch. 7. you must endeavor to be like the brethren of Gideon every one resembling the children of a King 1 Chron 11.21 O that you could all say as Elihu once did Judg. 8.18 Job 32.18 19. I am full of matter my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles O my brethren to be as full of holiness as new bottles are full of wine or as the Moon is full of light or as the black clouds are full of Rain or as Nurses breasts are full of milk is the greatest happiness in this world O sirs there are no persons on earth that aâ—e engaged to love the Lord with such a vehement love as you nor to tâ—ust in the Lord with such an inflamed faith as you nor to hope in the Lord with such a raised hope as you nor to delight in the Lord with such ravishing delights as you nor to long after the Lord with such earnest longings as you nor to fear before the Lord with so great a trembling as you nor to be so zealous for God with such a burning zeal as you nor to mourn before the Lord with so great a mourning as you nor to hate all things that are contrary to the nature of God the being of God the command of God the glory of God with such a deadly hatred as you Well remember this viz. 't is no little sin for any Christian to set down satisfied under a little measure of holiness considering the many and the great obligations that lies upon him to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. But Eleventhly To provoke you to labor after higher degrees of holiness consider that the more holiness any man attains to 2 Corin. 1.8 9 10 11 12. the more bold couragious resolute Masculine and Heroick that man will be for God and godliness holiness enobles the heart it raises the heart and the higher the springs of holiness riseth in the heart the higher it raiseth the heart and the more it steels the heart for God and godliness the more holiness any man has the more resolutely he will set himself against sin and the more divinely he will scorn the world and the more couragiously he will trample upon temptations and the more Heroick he will be under all his afflictions men of greatest holiness have been men of greatest boldness witness Nehemiah the three children Daniel Nehe. 6.11 and all the holy Prophets and Apostles Prov. 28.1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth but the righteous are as bold as a Lyon yea as a young Lyon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Hebrew has it that is in his hot blood and fears no colours and that is more bold then any others holiness made Daniel not onely as bold as a Lyon but also to daunt the Lyons with his boldness Luther was a man of great holiness and a man of great boldness witness his standing out against all the world and when the Emperour sent for him to Wormes and his friends disswaded him from going as sometimes Pauls did him Go Acts and Mon. 776. said he I will surely goe since I am sent for in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ yea though I knew that there were as many Devils in Wormes to resist me as there be Tiles to cover the houses yet I would goe And when the same Author and his Associates were threatned with many dangers from opposers on all hands he lets fall this heroick magnanimous speech Come let us sing the six and forty Psalme and then let them do their worst Latimer was a man of much holiness counting the darkness and profaneness of those times wherein he liv'd and a man of much courage boldness Acts and Mon. 1594. witness his presenting to king Henry the eight for a new years gift a new Testament wrapt up in a Napkin with this posie or motto about it Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge Dr. Taylor the Martyr was a very holy man and being perswaded by some of his friends not to appeare before Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester Acts and Mon. 1380. but to fly fly you said he and do according to your consciences but as for my self I am fully determined by Gods grace to go to the Bishop and to tell him to his Beard that he doth naught
The CROVVN GLORY OF CHRISTIANITY OR HOLINESS The only way to HAPPINESS Discovered in LVIII Sermons from Heb. 12.14 Where you have the Necessity Excellency Rarity Beauty and Glory of Holiness set forth with the resolution of many weighty Questions and Cases Also Motives and Means to perfect Holiness With many other things of very high and great importance to all the Sons and Daughters of men that had rather be blessed then cursed saved then damned By THOMAS BROOKS late Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets New Fish-street and still Preacher of the Word in London and Pastor of a Congregation there To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psalm 50. ult Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5.8 God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 LONDON Printed for H. Crips Jâ— Sims and H. Mortlock and are to be sold at their shops at the entrance into Popes-head Alley out of Lumbard street and at the sign of the Cross-keyes and at the Phoenix in St. Pauls Church-yard near the little North door 1662. To all the Lords Knights Ladies Gentry Ministers and Commons of England and the Dominions thereunto belonging that have but the least desire the least mind or the least will to escape hell and to go to heaven or to be happy in both worlds c. My Lords Ladies and Gentlemen c. THe Philosophers speaking of happiness were divided into two hundred eighty eight opinions every one intending something yet resolving upon nothing and therefore the man in Plutarch hearing them wrangle about summum bonum the chiefest good one placing of it in this and another in that went to the Market and bought up all that was good hoping that among all he should not miss of happiness and yet he mist it true happiness being too great and too glorious a thing to be found in any thing below real holiness All men in the general desire to be happy but all men do not desire in this or that particular or in this or that way to be happy here there is an infinite difference quot homines tot sententiae so many men so many minds A desire of happiness is planted in all men by the constitution of nature this is so intrinsecal and so innate in nature it is so ingraven in it that even the fall of Adam as great as it was hath not blotted it out This desire of happiness is left in man for a stock to graft holiness on God grafts the plant of Grace upon the stock of nature Gen. 29.20 to the 27. Indeed Happiness like Rachel is so fair and so beautiful a thing that every one is apt to fall in love with it and earnestly to desire it yea many there be that would serve twice seven years to enjoy it but by the standing Law of that heavenly Countrey above the younger sister must never be bestowed before the elder you can never enjoy fair Rachel Heaven and Happiness except you are first married to tender-eyed Leah real holiness he that will have heaven must have union and communion with Christ and he that will have union and communion with Christ 2 Cor. 6.14 15. must be holy For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness And what concord hath Christ with Belial Of all the many thousands that have travelled to happiness there is not one to be found but hath travelled thither in a way of holiness Now the drift the scope of this following Treatise is to make men holy that they may be happy it is to make men gracious on earth that they may be glorious in heaven Now to prevent all mistakes rash censures and misconstructions I judge it very convenient and necessary before I go any further to acquaint the Reader plainly and honestly with those Arguments that have prevailed with me to Dedicate this Book to all sorts ranks and degrees of persons rather then to any single person or to any one sort or rank of men whatsoever And they are these six First Because all sorts and ranks of men are faln from that Primitive holiness that once they had Psalm 14.3 Rom. 3.12 Qui te non habet Domine Deus totum perdidit Bernard There are five things that we have all lost by our fall in Adam First we have all lost that holy image that God had stampt upon us and so we are become vile Secondly we have all lost our Son-ship and so we are become slaves Thirdly we have all lost our friendship with God and so we are become enemies Fourthly we have all lost our communion with God and so we are become strangers And fifthly we have all lost our glory and so we are become miserable Some say that the naked body of man was so glorious in his estate of Innocency that all the beasts of the field admired it and thereupon did homage to him O how glorious was his soul then Certainly if the Cabinet was so glorious the Jewel within it was much more glorious But how glorious soever man was in his primitive estate it is most certain that he is now so sadly faln from the highest pinacle of glory to so low a step of misery that God sometimes sâ—â—ds him to the Pismire to learn instruction Prov. 6.6 7. and sometimes he sends him to the Stork and the Swallow to make a right improvement of precious time Jer. 8.7 and sometimes he sends him to the Ox and to the Ass to learn knowledge Isa 1.3 and sometimes he sends him to the Fowls of the air to learn confidence yea and sometimes he sends him to the very Lillies and Grass of the field Matth. 6.25 ult to learn how to live without carking and distracting cares It is true mans first estate was a state of perfect holiness Gen. 1.27 he being made in the image of God and after the likeness of God It was an estate of perfect light Gen. 2.20 knowledge prudence wisdom and understanding It was an estate of very great honour and dignity and therefore the Psalmist speaking of man in this estate brings him in with a Crown of glory and honour upon his head Psalm 8.5 Thou hast crowned him with glory and honour Mans first estate was so stately an estate that he was not so much below the glorious Angels as he was above all other creatures God made him the Soveraign Lord of the whole Creation Gen. 1.26 Psalm 8.6 7 8. God gave him an absolute Dominion and Authority both of Sea and Land and all creatures in both were subjected to him Such was the exquisite beauty and perfection of his body that from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet there was not the least blain or blemish his outward man was cloathed with all such
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
inevitably irrecoverably 1 Thess 5. And they shall not escape Prov. 6.15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly suddenly shall he be broken without remedy Here is their dismial doom they shall not be only bruised but broken yea they shall be suddenly broken when they least look for it when they do not at all dream of it or dread it and this without remedy they shall be so broken as that there shall not be so much as a pessibility of making them up again if a man lose his estate his friend his child this lâ—sse may be made up again but if a man once lose his soul there is no repairing nor making up of that lesse Where there is no vision there men perish everlastingly there they perish eternally 2 Thessal 1.7 8 9. Jude 7. Do not you know that God will require the blood of all their souls at your hands that perish either by your insufficiency or neglect or bad examples Ezek. 3.18 19 20. Thou shalt surely die Moth Tamuth in dying thou shalt die that is thou shalt certainly die thou shalt eternally die The Antients commonly interpret it of the death of the soul Do not you know that a man were better have the blood of all the men in the world upon him then the blood of one soul upon him For there is no blood that cries so loud that will lie so heavy and that will sink a man so deep in hell as the blood of souls I say as the blood of souls Do not you know that there are no men upon the face of the earth that are by office so strictly so strongly so universally so indispensably and so signally engaged to prize hoâ—inesse to countenance holinesse to encourage holinesse to promote holinesse and to practise holinesse as the Ministers of Jesus Christ are Do not you know that Ministers are called Angels in respect of their offices Rev. 2. Psalm 104.9 now Angels are spiritual creatures their communion is spiritual their food is spiritual their delights are spiritual their minds are spiritual their affections are spiritual and their exercises are spiritual and in all these respects Ministers should be like to the Angels but are not many of them spiritual mad men in these dayes being nothing lâ—sse then what they professe to be spiritual men in a mockery Hosea 9.7 such as many light slight souls call a Spiritual Pig that is the poorest the leanest and the worst of all the ten such a one as hath no substance in it So these have no substantial goodnesse no substantial holinesse at all in them whereas in holinesse they should as far exceed all other men as the Angels in holinesse do exceed them Do not you know that there is no rank nor order of men on earth that have so enriched hell that have been such benefactors to hell as the ignorant insufficient prophane scandalous and superstitious Clergy In times of Popery letters were framed and published as sent from hell wherein the Devil gave the carnal ignorant insufficient scandalous and superstitious Clergy of those times no small thanks for so many millions of souls as by their means were daily sent to hell Do not you know that all the true faithful Prophets Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ that are mentioned in the Old and New Testament 2 Chron. 36.15 Jer. 7.25 chap. 25.4 35.15 chap. 11.7 c. 2 Corin. 11. c. were men of the greatest holinesse and men that made it their greatest businesse and work in this world to keep down a spirit of prophanesse and wickednesse and to countenance encourage and promote holinesse O how diligent O how frequent O how abundant O how constant were they in the work of the Lord that prophane persons might be made holy and that those that were holy might be made more and more holy yea that they might perfect holinesse in the fear of the Lord In a Sermon before King Edward the sixt c. Bishop Latimer speaking of the Clergy of his time tells us that many can away with praesunt but not with bene if that bene were out of the Text all were well if a man might eat the sweet and never sweat it were an easie matter to be a Preacher if there were not opus but bonum all were well too But every Clergy man is or ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is saith Augustine Nomen operis to be a Steward and Over-seer in Gods house and that is an office of great labour trust and employment Stewards and Over-seers commonly eat their bread in the sweat of their brows and after much beating of their brains but how unlike to such Stewards and Over-seers the Clergy are that I am now expostulating with I must leave the Christian Reader to judge Ernestus Duke of Lunebury caused a burning Lamp to be stamped on his coyn with these four letters A. S. M. C. by which was meant Aliis serviens meipsum contero By giving light to others I consume my self And such were the Lords faithful Prophets Apostles and Ministers of old and such are all his faithful laborious and conscientious Ministers now But how unlike to the one or the other they are that now I am reasoning with you may easily perceive by comparing them together I have read of the Nobles of Polonia that when the Gospel is read they clap their hands upon their swords and begin to draw them out intimating by that Ceremony their resolution to defend the Faith and their willingnesse to hazard their lives for the Gospels safety The faithful Prophets Apostles and Ministers of old were willing to sacrifice themselves for the Gospels sake but how many are there in these dayes that are more ready and willing to make a sacrifice of the Gospel for profit sake and preferment sake and honour sake and lusts sake c. then they are to make themselves a sacrifice for the Gospel sake and how unlike these are to the faithful conscientious Ministers of Jesus Christ that have been in all Ages I must leave you to judge Do not you know that Pharaoh had that tender regard of his cattel as that he thought none fit to be their Ruler their Over-seer but such as were known men of activity Gen. 47.6 7. Pharaoh would have none to be his Cowherds but men of activity men of skill men that were prudent and diligent ingenuous and industrious Shall Pharaoh be so careful for his Cows and shall not others be as careful for souls What man is there under heaven that hath the use of his reason his wits c. that when he is to travel would take a fool an Ignoramus for his guide and that when he is sick would send for a Mountebank to be his Physitian or that when he is to ride a dangerous way would make choice of a Coward to defend him or that when he hath a Law-suit would make use of a Dunce to plead it or
and many special Means to enable you to perfect holinesse in the fear of the Lord and many evidences whereby you may certainly and infallibly know whether you have attained to any considerable highth of holinesse or no and in the opening of these things you will find that great Doctrine about degrees of Glory in Heaven to be Asserted and Proved and the Objections against it to be fairly dismissed c. Reader If thou art one that to this very day art in an unsanctified estate and an enemy to holinesse or a scoffer at holinesse or a a secret despiser of holinesse or a desperate opposer of holinesse or a bitter persecutor of holinesse then I would commend this following Treatise before any I know extant in the world to the service of thy soul for I know none that is so calculated and fitted up for that purpose as this is Read and judge This I will assure thee O thou unsanctified soul that the grand design of this book is thy salvation it is to make thee really holy that thou mayest be eternally happy and of this thou mayest be confident viz. that I shall follow these poor labours with my earnest prayers that they may be blessed to the internal and eternal welfare of thy soul and that they may issue in the conviction conversion and salvation of thy soul I shall send this Treatise forth into the world with Jacobs blessing and prayer for his sons Gen. 43.14 God Almighty send thee mercy in the sight of the man c. in the sight of the proud man that he may be humbled and in the sight of the hardened man that he may be softened and in the sight of the carnal man that he may be spiritualized and in the sight of the polluted man that he may be washed and in the sight of the unsanctified man that he may be sanctified and in the sight of the ignorant man that he may be enlightened and in the sight of the stubborn man that he may be bowed and in the sight of the unconverted man that he may be changed and in the sight of the lost man that he may be saved Christian Reader I suppose by this time that I have almost tired thee in reading as I have my self in writing and therefore I shall presently draw to a close only before I take my leave of thee give me leave to say that I am much of Carthagena's his mind who to those three things which the Antients held impossible saith that to find a Book Printed without Errata's should undoubtedly have been added as a fourth impossible if the Art of Printing had been then invented though the Author had Briareus his hands and the Printer Argus his eyes Notwithstanding all the care that hath been taken thou wilt find figures misplaced and some mispointings with some other mistakes of the Printer I hope the ingenuous Reader will cast a mantle of love over the mistakes of the presse and do me that right and himself that curtesie as to correct such errours of the Presse that the second Impression may prevent Seneca I remember is railed upon by slanderous tongues for the faults of Nero his Schollar And the scapes of Quintilians Schollars are imputed to Quintilian himself but I know the Christian Reader that is daily sensible of the Errata's of his life hath not so learned Christ Reader I do not offer thee that which cost me nothing This Treatise that now I put into thy hand is the fruit of much prayer and serious study If thou findest any profit and benefit by it give Christ all the glory the crown of praise becomes no head but his only when thou art in the Mount let me lie near thy heart O pray earnestly pray fervently pray frequently and pray unweariedly that I may have much of the fresh annointings of the holy Spirit that my communion with a holy God may every day rise higher and higher and that all my transactions both before God and man may savour of some highths of holinesse So thou wilt the more strongly oblige me to be Thy souls Servant in all Gospel-Engagements Tho. Brooks The Necessity Excellency Rarity and Beauty of HOLINESSE HEBREWS 12.14 Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. I Remember a saying of golden mouth'd Chrysostom The preamble to the Text. If I were said he the fittest man in the world to preach a Sermon to the whole world gathered together in one Congregation and had some high mountain for my Pulpit from whence I might have a prospect of all the world in my view and were furnished with a voice of Brass a voice as loud as the trumpet of the Arch-Angel that all the world might hear me I would choose to preach on no other text then that in Psalm 4.2 O mortal men how long will ye love vanity and follow after leasing So I say had I Chrysostomes tongue head and heart and were I every way advantaged to preach a Sermon to the whole world I would choose to preach on this Text before any other in the Bible Follow peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Beloved the salvation of souls is that which should be first and most in a Ministers eye and that which should always lye closest and warmest upon a Ministers heart Isa 63.3 John 17.22 Luke 4 4. 1 Cor. 6.20 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. Heb. 9.12 13 14 15. O Sirs our dear Lord Jesus was infinitely tender of the souls of men he left his Fathers bosome for souls he trod the Wine-press of his Fathers wrath for souls he prayed for souls he payed for souls he sweated for souls he bled out his heart blood for souls and he made himself an offering for souls and O what an encouragement should this be to all his faithfull Messengers to woe for souls to mourn for souls to pray for souls to study for souls and in preaching to spend and to be spent for the salvation of souls Ah friends there is no work nor wisdom on earth to that of winning souls Prov. 11.30 and He that winneth souls is wise There is no Art no industry to that of winning souls of taking souls as Fowlers take Birds as the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports Now though there is a great deal of Art required to take Birds yet there is ten thousand times more Art required to take souls In a word to convert a soul is a greater work then to sway a Scepter Chrysostom or then it is to pour out ten thousand Talents into the Baskets of the poor My design in chusing this Text is the winning of souls it is the salvation of souls it is the bringing in and building up of souls I have read of Lewis the ninth King of France that he was found instructing his poor kitching-boy in the way to heaven and being asked the reason of it he
was Adams choicest sparkling gemm of beauty and his weightiest crown of glory is by Satans policy long since fallen off from Adams head now if this Legal holiness were the holiness meant in the text then woe to man that ever he was born for then no man should ever see the Lord. Rom â— For by Adams fall all men are gone out of the way and there is none legally righteous no not one Now if we look upon man as fallen from that holiness which was his greatest honour dignity and excellency Greg Nazianz. Pindarus Aeschylus Marcus Imperat he is become a pile of dust a puff of wind saith one a dream of a shadow saith another a shadow of smoak saith a third a poor silly flea a worm a little foul a curious nothing yea man faln from his primitive glory is become a very vanity saith the Prophet Psalm 39.5 Verily Every man at his best state is altogether vanity Verily this asseveration is only used in matters of greatest weight and moment and notes the reality and certainty of the things delivered Every man chol Adam all Adam Or every Son of Adam not some man but every man at his best state Nitsab from Jatsab that is in his most settled and composed condition when he is best constituted and underlaid when he stands a tiptoe and is in the heighth and perfection of all creature comforts and contentments is altogether not in some measure but altogether vanity chol Hebel all vanity Since the fall of Adam every natural man in his best estate is vanity nay every man is every vanity Imagine what vanity you will fallen man is that he is a comprehensive vanity be is an Epitome of all vanity Man in honour before his fall was the best of creatures but since his fall he is become the worst of creatures by his fall he is fallen below the very beasts that perish Isaiah 1.3 4. Prov. 6.6 Jer. 8.7 Matth. 6. He that was once the Image of God the glory of Paradise the worlds Lord and the Lords darling is now become a burthen to heaven a burthen to himself and a slave to others c. which made One cry out Oh what is man Quarles A scuâ—tlefull of dust a measured span Mans breath a bubble and his dayes a span T is glorious misery to be born a man By all which you may easily perceive how far we are off from that legal holiness that Adam had in innocency R. Solom Deut. cap. 3. Rabbi Solomon makes Adam so high that he touched heaven with his head I shall not dispute the certainty of that but certainly the higher he was in holiness the greater was his fall and ours in him This Legal holiness was so lost in Adam that no son of Adam could ever find it since Adam fell and if this were the holiness without which no man should ever see the Lord then farewell for ever to the sons of Adam But this legal holiness is not the holiness in the Text. Secondly There is an Imaginary holiness a Conceited holiness an Opinionative holiness Prov. 30.12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes Coelum gratis non acciqiam I will not have heaven but at a rate said a proud impure person and yet is not washed from their filthiness they were very bad and yet they had a great opinion of their own goodness they were very filthy and yet they stood very much upon their own purity their hands were black their hearts were black their works were black and their ways were as black as hell and yet they durst say that none could say black was their eye they were filthy within and filthy without filthy in body and filthy in soul and filthy in spirit filthiness had quite overspred them and yet they thought to cover their filthiness with a vizzard of holiness the worst men are commonly best conceited of themselves Ah friends there hath been no generation wherein there hath not been such a generation of men who have wallowed in sin like Swine in the mire and yet have kept up in themselves a strong opinion of their own goodness and holiness this generation had neither their souls nor consciences washt in the blood of Christ nor sanctified by the spirit of Christ and yet they gloried in their conceited purity and holiness as if they had been purified by Christ There are many that are shining Christians that are pure golden Christians in their own eyes that are viler then dross yea Regis animum quisque intra se habet Every man hath in him the mind of a King is Calvins Note on that 1 Pet. 5.5 then smoak in Gods eyes Isa 65.5 Stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier then thou these are a smoak in my nose a fire that burneth all the day they were very licentious very ungracious very rebellious very Superstitious very Idolatrous ver 2 3 4. and yet counted themselves very religious they were worse then others and yet thought themselves better then others they were very bad and yet judged themselves very good they were more impure more prophane and more polluted then others and yet they reckon themselves more pure and holier then others they stand upon their comparative goodnesses and yet at the the same time are charged by God of the greatest wickedness And thus their kinsmen the Pharisees stand upon their images forgeries and outward dresses of holiness when at the same time they practised the worst of wickedness Mat. 23.5 Luke 30. 18.11 12. So those in Hos 12.8 And Ephraim said yet I am become rich I have found me out substance in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin or is sin Ephraims iniquities were grown ever his head as may be seen throughout this whole Prophecy and yet Ephraim cannot bear the being charged with iniquity it was little less then sin to charge Ephraim with sin though he was notoriously guilty of the highest crimes yet he would have you to know that he was as shie of sin and as clear of sin as he that was shiest and clearest Ephraim could give good words when his works were abominable he could pretend much to innocency when he was guilty of the greatest impiety but though Ephraim had his cloak at hand yet it was too short to cover his sin for God saw it and condemned him for it Chrysostom doth elegantly set forth the blindness and brutishness of such persons When they lie in the mire saith he they think they are besmeared with some sweet oyntments when they are full of Vermine There is a truth in that old saying Avaro deest tam quod habet quam quod non habet A covetous man wanteth as well that which he hath as that which he hath not they vaunt themselves as if they were adorned with pretious stones And so the Laodiceans were of the same temper of spirit Rev.
full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity They were outwardly religious but inwardly vitious they had the semblance of sanctity but inwardly very full of impurity They were fair Professors but foul Sinners they were gracious without but impious within Look as they are the worst of vices that are covered over with the shew of vertue so they are the worst of sinners that cover over their inward filthiness under the vizards of outward holiness The Egyptian Temples were fair without but foul and filthy within such were the Scribes and Pharisees in Christs days and such are many professors in our dayes It is said of Dionysius the Tyrant that though he loved not the Philophers yet he would wrap himself up in their cloaks that men might have the better opinion of him So there be many that put on an outward dress of holiness that wrap themselves up in the cloak of holiness that so others may take them for holy persons and yet they love not holiness they have nothing of real honliess in them but as he is not a Jew which is one outwardly Romans 2.28 29. Cha. 4.12 but not inwardly so he is not a holy person who is only so outwardly but not inwardly that hath the name of holiness upon him but hath no principles of holiness in him though without outward visible holiness no man shall see the Lord yet a man may have an outward visible holiness that shall never see the Lord in happiness I hate him even to hell saith the Heathen in Homer that saith one thing with his mouth and thinketh another thing in his heart So God will at last hate that man to hell Mat 23.14 2 Tim. 3.5 1 Cor. 7.19 Philip. 3.3 Gal. 5.6 Chap. 6.15 yea cast him into the hottest place in hell that hath a form of godliness upon him but nothing of the reality and power of holiness in him Outward holiness is good but it must be throughout-holiness that will do a man good to all eternity It is not the shews but the substance of holiness that will bring a man to everlasting happiness Meer outward holiness will certainly leave a man short of heaven and happiness but throughout-holiness will certainly lodge the soul in the bosome of God for ever It is true all men reach not to an outward holiness which made Athanasius wish Vtinam omnes essent Hypocritae Would to God that all were hypocrites Without all peradventure it is a very desireable thing that all were outwardly holy yet all that reach to this must go farther or else they will sit down on this side happiness Mat. 5.20 For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Now they were much in works of Piety in works of Charity in works of Equity and in works of Curtesie by which means they gained so much upon the hearts of the people that it was commonly conceited and voted among them that if there were but two of all the world that should go to heaven the one should be a Scribe and the other a Pharisee Yet your righteousness must exceed theirs or the gates of glory will be shut upon you Their righteousness and holiness was only external not internal it was partial not universal it was rather circumstantial then substantial and therefore Heavens doors were double-bolted against them Heaven is for that man and that man is for heaven that is not only outwardly holy but throughout holy Fourthly There is a Relative holiness now Relative holiness is a special relation which persons or things have unto God Relative holiness includes two things First A separation of persons or things from common use and thus in the Law Deut. 19.2 1 Kings 8.35 Ezra 8.28 Chap. 10 11. Isa 63.18 those things were called holy which were separated from common use and set apart for the Worship and Service of God As the Oyl Shewbread First-fruits Incense Altars Vestments and in this sense the Priests and Levites were called holy because they were separated from others to serve in the Tabernacle And in this sense the people of Israel are frequently called a sanctified people a holy people c. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which commonly signifies that which is appropriated to a holy use and this is the proper notion of holiness in the Old and New Testament as I might shew you out of some hundred places of Scripture Now certainly without this holiness of special separation from the common conversation of the world there is no seeing of God nor no fruition of God hereafter 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty God will have no communion with any in this world that are not separated from the sinfull practises of the world God will look upon none he will own none he will delight in none he will acknowledge none he will receive none for his sons and daughters but such as are separated from all evil vices and unholy courses Suitable to this is Isa 52.11 Depart ye depart ye go ye out from thence touch no unclean things go ye out of the midst of her Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Estrange your selves from them that are estranged from God Cicero though Heathen had rather to have no companion then a bad one have nothing to do with them that have nothing to do with God separate your selves from them who have separated themselves from God have no delightfull converse with them who have no delightfull converse with God have no bosome communion with them that have no bosome communion with God Oh Sirs you are to keep your selves as pure and clean from others defilements as you would keep your selves free from others punishments He that will imitate others in their sins shall certainly participate with others in their sorrows It is true we may live with wicked men in their Cities but it is as true we must not lie with wicked men in their enormities There are many professors that are like the Planet Mercury good in conjunction with those that are good and bad with those that are bad but these wound many at once God Christ the Gospel and their own credits and consciences These do virtutis stragulam pudefacere put virtue to an open shame And these are deservedly to be shamed by your separating from them and by your renouncing all intimate communion or fellowship with them But Secondly As Relative holiness takes in a separation of persons or things from common
turn from his sin The spots of the Leopard are not in him by accident but by nature and they are such which no Art can cure nor water wash off because they are not only in the skin but in the flesh and bones in the sinews and most inward parts By custom sin hath bespotted not only the skin the life the outside of a poor sinner but also the very heart and soul of a poor sinner so as that he is never able to wash off these spots Ambrose reports of one Theotimus that having a disease upon his body his Physitian told him that except he did abstain from intemperance drunkenness uncleaness c. he was like to lose his eyes his heart being habituated to sin and set upon wickedness he answered Vale lumen amicum farwell sweet light then But Thirdly as there is a contracted Cannot an habituated Cannot so there is a judicial Cannot The Lord inflicts a judicial cannot upon many persons in judgement they cannot return from their sins they cannot withstand a temptation they cannot lay hold on eternal life they cannot make sure work for their souls they cannot leave their bosome lusts they cannot prefer Christ above all the world they cannot make provision for eternity they cannot see the things that belong to their peace c. and this Cannot the Lord in wrath hath brought upon them Isa 6.9 10. And he said Go and tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes or annoint besmeer lime their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears Many men saith Bernard do seek for straws to put out their own eyes and understand with their heart and convert and be healed They would not see they shall not see they would not hear they shall not hear they would not understand they shall not understand they would not convert they shall not convert they would not be healed they shall not be healed When men are stifly and desperately resolved upon their sinful courses when men grow stubborn rebellious licentious and will wilfully wink and shut their eyes against the light and stop their ears against the truth God in his just judgement gives them up to dulness stupidness blindness darkness Isa 44.18 They have not known nor understood for he hath shut their eyes that they cannot see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dawbed or plaistered or he hath dawbed up their eyes from seeing and their hearts that they cannot understand God in his righteous judgement casts a judicial Cannot upon them he hath dawbed up their eyes that they cannot see and he hath shut up their hearts that they cannot understand the great concernments of their souls Now whilest men lie under these sad Cannots they can never see the kingdom of God These three Cannots like a threefold cord bind poor sinners so as that they can never come to a sight or fruition of God in grace or glory till they are delivered from these Cannots by a new birth by being born again See the kingdom of God that is they cannot enter into it they cannot enjoy it they can have no childs part or portion in it except they are new born except they pass the pangs of the second birth Let their education be never so sweet their illumination never so great their profession never so amiable and their conversation never so unblameable yet except they are new born it had been good for them that they had never been born And thus you see by plain Scriptures that the Lord hath bolted the gates of glory against all unholy persons A second Argument to prove that without holiness there is no happiness c. is this Without holiness men are strangers to God and therefore without holiness they cannot be admitted to a co-habitation with God God loves not to dwell with strangers nor to associate himself with strangers now such are all unholy persons Ephes 2.12 That at time ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel or being far removed from the Citizenship of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Here are five withouts in the words 1. They were without God the Author of hope 2. They were without Christ the foundation of hope 3. They were without the Church which was contained in the Common-wealth of Israel the place of hope 4. They were without the Covenants of promise That is they were without the precious promises which God in his Covenant had made and oftentimes renewed with the Israelites and therefore called Covenants in the plural number the ground and reason of hope And Lastly they were without the grace of hope they had no hope of communion with Christ no hope of fellowship with the Saints no hope of any interest in the promise no hope of reconciliation to God here nor no hope of a fruition of God hereafter And thus you see what strangers they were to the Lord and to the great concernments of their own souls God of old would not have strangers come into his Sanctuary And do you think then that he will ever admit such into heaven Surely no. Ezek. 44.6.7 9. And thou shalt say to the rebellious even to the house of Israel Thus saith the Lord God O ye house of Israel Heaven would be no heaven were there any strangers there See my String of Pearls let it suffice you of all your abominations In that ye have brought into my Sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my Sanctuary to pollute it even my house when ye offer my bread the fat and the blood and they have broken my Covenant because of all your abominations Thus saith the Lord God No stranger uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary Mat. 7.21 22 23. Ch. 25 11 12. Ch. 22.11 12 13. of any stranger that is among the children of Israel Such as had no holiness within nor no holiness without such as had no holiness in their hearts nor no holiness in their lives God would not have them to enter into his Sanctuary and therefore certainly such he will never suffer to enter into heaven If God shuts the doors of an earthly Tabernacle against such as were strangers to him to his Covenant to his Church and to themselves will he not much more shut the door of his heavenly Tabernacle against such that are strangers to him and to his Christ and to his word yea that are strangers to their own souls and to all the concernments of another world and such are all those that are uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh Princes Pallaces are not for strangers but for sons friends familiars favourites no more is the Pallace of heaven we will not admit strangers to cohabit with
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
c. Men void of holinesse are in the Scripture resembled to chaff Psalm 1.4 Isa 41.2 Zeph. 1.17 Ezekiel 2.6 Isa 9.18 Ch. 10.6.17 Chap. 57.27 to dust to dirt to briars and thorns which are things that are good for nothing that are fit for nothing And what should such men do in heaven who are good for nothing on earth The Horse is good to carry the Ox is good to draw the Sheep is good for cloth the Cow is good to give milk the Asse is good to bear and the Dog is good to keep the house but what is a man void of holinesse good for An unholy person is good for nothing but to be destroyed and to make some room for a better person to stand up in that place which he takes up in the world As the Hogg in the Arabick fable tells us that a Butcher carrying three creatures upon his Horse A Sheep a Goat and a Hog the two former lay very quiet and still but the Hog kicked and cried and would never be quiet thereupon the Butcher said Why are thou so impatient when the other two are so quiet the Hog answered Every one knows himself the Sheep knows that he is brought into the City for his wool sake and the Goat knows that he is brought into the City for his milk sake and so they need not fear nor care but alasse I know very well that I have neither wool nor milk but that assoon as I am come into the City I must be killed for that is all I am good for Matth. 7.6 An unholy soul is like a Hog good for nothing but to be killed Certainly heaven-happinesse is too great and too glorious a thing to be possest by them that are good for nothing We look upon such as are fit for nothing to be worthy of banishment from the society of men But oh how much more worthy are they to be banished from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power 2 Thess 1.8 9. Heb. 12.22 23. Romans 2.5 and to be shut out for ever from the society of Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect who are fit for nothing but to dishonour the Lord undo their own souls and to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath And thus I have given you an account of the Reasons of the Point Vse VVEE shall now come to make some improvement of this great truth to our own souls Is it so That real holinesse is the only way to happinesse and that without holinesse here no man shall ever come to a blessed vision or fruition of God hereafter Then the first Use shall be a Use of Conviction This then may serve to convince the world of several things As First That the number of those that shall be eternally happy the number of those that shall attain to a blessed vision and glorious fruition of God in heaven are very few for there are but a few that reach to this holinesse without which there is no happinesse Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names A few names that is a few persons â—cts 1.15 who are all known to Christ by name as he said to Moses I know thee by name Ex. 33 12 17. by these Scriptures it is evident that few shall be saved Jer. 5.1 Ezek. 22.30 Ch. 9.4 6 7. Mich. 1.13 Luke 23. Rom. 9.21 Matth. 22.14 1 Cor. 1.20 even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Among the many in Sardis there were but a few that had holy insides and pure outsides Among the multitude that made a holy profession there were but few that walkt answerable to their holy calling and therefore but a few that should walk with Christ in white White in antient times was the Habit of Nobles to walk with Christ in white is to partake with Christ in his glory they and only they at last shall be cloathed nobly royally gloriously who maintain inward and outward purity The holy seed is a little little flock Luke 12.32 here are two Diminitives in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little little flock to shew the exceeding littleness of it They were little in their own eyes and little in their enemies eyes and little in regard of that world of Wolves among whom they were preserved as a spark of fire in the midst of the wide Ocean When the Syrians came up against Israel in the time of Ahab it is said that the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of Kids but the Syrians filled the countrey 1 Kings 20.27 holy souls are but like two little flocks of kids but the unholy fill the world Gracious souls are like the three hundred men of Gideon but graceless souls are as the Midianites that were like Grashoppers for multitude Judges 7.7.12 Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads unto life and few there be that find it Matth. 7.14 The way of holiness that leads to happiness is a narrow way there is but just room enough for a holy God and a holy soul to walk together And few there be that find it And no wonder for there are but few that minds it that loves it that likes it or that enquires after it The whole world lies in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 and will die in their wickedness Amongst the millions in Rome there are but a few Senators and they too none of the best John 8.21 Geographers say that if all the known parts of the world were divided into one and thirty parts there will be found but five parts that do so much as profess the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ For at this day nineteen parts of the world are possest by unholy Turks and Jews which do not nor will not so much as acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the King and Head of his Church And seven parts of the world is possest this day meerly by Heathens who worship stocks and stones And of those five parts that are possest by Christians how many are Papists Atheists Hypocrites Drunkards Swearers Lyars Adulterers Idolaters Oppressors How many are proud covetous carnal formal lukewarm indifferent c Now should all these sorts of sinners be separated as they shall in the great day from those that are gracious and holy would it not quickly appear that the flock of Christ is a little little flock Ah how few among the great ones are found to be gracious How few among the rich are found to be rich in Christ rich in grace rich in good works 1 Cor. 1.16 1 Tim. 6.16 17. Flavus Vopiscus Lips de Constantia lib. 2. cap. 25. how few among those that are high born can you find that are new born It was the saying of One that all the names of good Emperours might be engraven in a little Ring And so saith Lipsius that the names of all good Princes may easily be
to rise against it and to cry out Away with it it was never good dayes since we have had so much preaching and hearing Or when the Word comes to be scorned slighted disgraced opposed or persecuted oh then they turn their backs upon it and quickly grow weary of it As the Jussians in Strabo delighted themselves with the musick of an excellent Harper till they heard the market bell ring then they run all away save a deaf old man that could take but little delight in the Harpers ditties So let these men but hear the bell of lust or the bell of profit or the bell of pleasure or the bell of applause or the bell of honour or the bell of errour or the bell of superstition sound in their ears and presently they will run from the sweet musick of the Word to follow after any of these bells But now a man that loves the Word and that is affected and taken with the Word as it is a holy Word no bell can ring him from the Word no disgrace no affliction no opposition no persecution can take him off from affecting the Word and from taking pleasure in the Word The cause of his love is abiding and lasting and therefore his love cannot but be lasting and continuing Not but that a holy heart may sometimes be more affected and taken with the Word then at other times As first when a man enjoyes much communion with God in the Word Or 2. when God speaks much peace and comfort to the soul by the Word Or 3. when God assures a man more clearly and fully of the goodness and happiness of his condition by the Word Or 4. when God lets in very much quietness or quickness or sweetness or seriousness or spiritualness into a mans spirit by the Word Oh then a man may more then ordinarily be affected and taken with the Word But now though a holy Christian is not at all times in the same degree and measure taken with the Word yet take such a Christian when he is at worst and you shall find two things in him 1. You shall find in him a holy love to the Word And 2. you shall find in him a real love to holy Christians Fourthly He that loves the Word and that is affected and taken with the Word as it is a holy Word he is most affected and taken with those parts of the Word that do most incite to holiness that do most promote holiness and that do most provoke to holiness As 1 Pet. 1.15.16 But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy I shall give you light into these words when I come to open the holiness of God to you Ad similitudinem non aequalitatem Calv. So Mat. 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Our summum bonum in this world consists in our conformity to the heavenly pattern in all imitations it is best to chuse the most perfect pattern There is nothing more laudable and commendable then for a Christian to endeavour more and more to resemble his God in the highest perfections of righteousness and holiness So Ephes 5.15 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Redeeming the time because the dayes are evil Christians must walk precisely curiously exactly accurately As the Carpenter works by line and rule so a Christian must walk by line and rule he must labour to get up to the very top of godliness he must go to the utmost of every command as the original word importeth So Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blameless and harmless or sincere the sons of God without rebuke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Sine querela sine reprehensione in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine or shine ye as lights in the world Gods sons should be spotless sons as the Greek imports that is they should be without all such spots as are inconsistent with Sonship or Saintship And so in Col. 2.6 As ye have therefore received Jesus Christ the Lord so walk ye in him They had received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Law-giver they had received Christ as a ruling Christ as a reigning Christ and as a commanding Christ and now the great duty incumbent upon them is to walk at such a rate of holiness as may evidence that they have thus received Christ And so in 1 John 2.6 Iohn 13.15 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked Christians are to set all Christs moral actions before them as a pattern for their imitation in his life a Christian may behold the lively picture or lineaments of all vertues and accordingly he ought to order his conversation in this world To walk as Christ walked is to walk humbly holily justly righteously meekly lowly lovingly fruitfully faithfully Matth. 4. uprightly with an As of quality or similitude but no◠with an As of equality for that is impossible for any Saint on earth to walk so purely so holily so blamelesly Mat. 5.44 45 46 47. so unspottedly so spiritually so heavenly as Christ walked that is with an as of equality To walk as Christ walked is to slight the world and contemn the world and make a footstool of the world and to live above the world and to triumph over the world as Christ did that is 1 Pet. 2.20 21 22 23. with an As of quality but not with an As of equality To walk as Christ walked is to love them that hate us to pray for them that persecute us to bless them that curse us and to do good to them that do evil to us but still with an As of similitude but not with an As of equality To walk as Christ walked is to be patient and silent and submissive and thankful under the vilest reproaches the heaviest afflictions and the greatest sufferings with an As of quality but not with an As of equality Now a holy heart that is taken with the holiness of the Word he is certainly taken most with those parts of the Word that do most call for holiness and that do most strongly press the soul to make a progress in holiness I have given you a taste of some of the most principal Scriptures that do incite most to holiness and I shall leave it to your own consciences to give in witness for you or against you according to what you find in your own spirits Certainly to a holy man there are no Prayers no Sermons no Discourses no Conferences no books nor no parts of Scripture to those that do most encourage and provoke to holiness But Fifthly and lastly He that loves the Word and that is affected and taken with the Word as it is a holy Word he highly prizes and values
happiness Jerem. 6.16 Isa 35.8 And a high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse the unclean shall not passe over it but it shall be for those the way-faring men though fools shall not err therein Some men say lo here is the way Other men say lo there is the way but certainly the way of holinesse is the surest the safest the easiest the noblest and the shortest way to happinesse Among the Heathens no man could enter into the Temple of Honour but must first enter into the Temple of Vertue There is no entring into the Temple of happinesse except you enter into the Temple of holinesse Holinesse must first enter into you before you can enter into Gods holy hill As Sampson cried out Give me water or I die or as Rachel cried out Give me children or I die so all unsanctified souls may well cry out Lord give me holinesse or I die Psalm 15. throughout give me holinesse or I eternally die If the Angels those Princes of glory fall once from their holinesse they shall be for ever excluded from everlasting happinesse and blessednesse If Adam in Paradise fall from his purity he shall quickly be driven out from the presence of divine glory Austin would not be a wicked man an unholy man one hour for all the world because he did not know but that he might die that hour and should he die in an unholy estate he knew he should be for ever separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power O Sirs do not deceive your own souls holinesse is of absolute necessity 2 Thess 1.8 9 10. without it you shall never see the Lord it is not absolutely necessary that you should be great or rich in the world but it is absolutely necessary that you should be holy it is not absolutely necessary that you should enjoy health strength friends liberty life but it is absolutely necessary that you should be holy A man may see the Lord without worldly prosperity but he can never see the Lord except he be holy A man may to heaven to happinesse without honour or worldly glory but he can never to heaven to happiness without holiness without holinesse here no heaven hereafter Rev. 21.27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth God will at last shut the gates of glory against every person that is without heart purity Ah Sirs holinesse is a flower that grows not in natures garden Men are not born with holinesse in their hearts as they are born with tongues in their mouths holinesse is of a divine off-spring it is a pearl of price that is to be found in no nature but a renewed nature in no bosome but a sanctified bosome There is not the least beam or spark of holinesse in any natural man in the world I have read that the Isle of Arren in Ireland hath such a pure Air that it was never yet infected with the Plague but such is not the nature of man Gen. 6.5 Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil continually Job 25.4 How can man be clean that is born of a woman The interrogation carries in it a strong negation How can man be clean that is man cannot be clean that is born of a woman man that is born of a woman is born in sin and born both under wrath and under the curse And who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Job 14.4 Isa 64.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Rom. 3.10 11. There is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none thot seeketh after God Every man by nature is a stranger yea an enemy to holinesse Rom. 8.7 Every man that comes into this world comes with his face towards sin and hell and with his back upon God and holinesse Such is the corruption of our nature that propound any divine good to it it is entertained as fire by water or wet wood with hissing Propound any evil then it is like a fire to straw it is like the foolish Satyr that made haste to kisse the fire it is like that unctious matter which the Naturalists say sucks and snatches the fire to it with which it is consumed All men are born sinners and there is nothing but an infinite power that can make them Saints All men would be happy and yet they naturally loath to be holy By all which you may clearly see that food is not more necessary for the preservation of natural life then holiness is necessary for the preservation and salvation of the soul If a man had the wisdom of Solomon the strength of Sampson the courage of Joshua the policy of Ahitophell the dignities of Haman the power of Ahashueros and the eloquence of Apollos yet all these without holinesse would never save him Secondly Consider there is a possibility of obtaining holiness Prov. 2.2 3 4 5 6 7. Holiness is a golden mine that may be come at if you will but digg and sweat and take pains for it it is a flower of Paradise that may be gathered it is a crown that may be put on Rom. 13.12 13 14. it is a pearl of price that may be obtained if you will but part with the wicked mans Trinity the world the flesh and the devil to enjoy it Though some of the Attributes of God be incommunicable yet holinesse is a communicable attribute and this should mightily encourage you to look after holiness Well sinners remember this it is possible that those proud hearts of yours may be humbled it is possible that those hard hearts of yours may be softned it is possible that those unclean hearts of yours may be sanctified it is possible that those blind minds of yours may be enlightened it is possible that those stubborn wills of yours may be tamed it is possible that those disordered affections of yours may be regulated it is possible that those drowsie and defiled consciences of yours may be awakened and purged it is possible that those vile and polluted natures of yours may be changed and purified There are several things that do witness that holiness is attainable As 1. Witness Gods promise to give his holy Spirit to them that ask it Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him The holy Spirit is a gift more worth then a world yea then heaven it self and yet to make men holy God is willing to give his holy spirit upon very easie terms They shall have it for asking John 3.6 Titus 3.5 1 Cor. 6.11 the Spirit is a spirit of holiness he is holy in himself and the Author of all that holiness that is in man it is he that most powerfully
moves and perswades men to holiness it is he that presents holiness in its beauty and glory to the soul it is he that sows seeds of holiness in the soul and it is he that causes those seeds to grow up to maturity and ripeness Nil nisi sanctum à sancto spiritu prodire potest Nothing can come from the holy spirit but that which is holy The holy Spirit is the great principle of all the holiness that is in the world and this holy Spirit God hath engaged himself to give to those that are unholy Ezek. 36.25 26 27. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart will I also give you and a new spirit well I put within you and I well take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them The holy spirit is a gift a free gift a noble gift a precious gift a glorious gift 2 Tim. 2.21 that God will bestow upon the unclean upon the unsanctified that they may be cleansed and sanctified and so fitted for the Lords service and use It is possible that you may be holy Witness 2. His holy word that he hath given on purpose to make men holy and to keep men holy Deut. 4.6 7 8 9. Rom. 7.12 Luke 1.70 to 76. his commandments are holy just and good his threatnings are holy just and good and all his promises are holy just and good The holy Scriptures were written with a finger of holinesse so as to move to holiness and to work holinesse the whole word of God is an intire love-letter to provoke to holiness and to promote holiness Holy commands should sweetly perswade us to holiness and holy threatnings should divinely force us to holiness and holy promises should effectually allure us to the love of holiness to the embracing of holiness and to the practise of holiness The great design of God in sending this sacred volume in golden letters from heaven was to enamour men with the love and beauty of holiness Again it is possible that you may attain to true holiness Witness 3. Those holy Embassadors that he hath sent on purpose to turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ Acts 26.18 2 Corin. 5.18 19 20. Their great business and work is to treat with you about holiness it is to woo you to match with holiness and to follow after holiness it is to remove all lets and impediments that may any wayes hinder your embracing of holiness and it is to propose all manner of encouragements that may win you over to make holiness your great All. Again it is possible that you may be holy Witnesse 4. The holy Examples of all the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Praecepta docent exempla movent and Saints that are left on record on purpose to provoke you to an imitation of them in holiness their holy examples as so many shining stars are left upon record to influence us to holiness In the holy examples of those that are now triumphant in heaven you may run and read that holiness is attainable In their holy examples as in so many looking-glasses you may see that holiness is a Jewel that may be procured by that holiness that others have reached to sinners may see that it is possible that they may be made Saints Again it is possible that you may be holy Witnesse 5. All those notorious sinners that the Scripture declares have been sanctified and made holy to instance only in a few Adam you know was created in an estate of innocency Gen. 1.26 integrity and perfect holiness he being made in the image of God and after the likeness and similitude of God it was agreed upon in the Parliament of heaven that man should be made glorious in holiness In this Scripture he speaks plainly of the Renovation of that knowledge holiness and righteousness that Adam somtimes had but lost it by his fall Psal 8.4 5 6. Gen. 2.20 and so he was for he was made after Gods own image And this the Apostle clearly and fully evidences in that famous Scripture Ephes 4.22 23 24. That Adam was invested and endowed with righteousness and holiness in his first glorious estate with righteousness that he might carry it fairly justly evenly and righteously towards man and with holiness that he might carry it wisely lovingly reverentially and holily towards God And that he might take up in God as his chiefest good as in his great All might be fufficiently made good out of this Scripture last cited but I shall not now stand upon the discovery of Adams beauty authority dominion dignity honour and glory with which he was adorned invested and crowned in innocency Let this satisfie that Adams first estate was a state of perfect knowledge wisdom and understanding it was a perfect state of holiness righteousness and happiness there was nothing within him but what was desirable and delectable there was nothing without him but what was amiable and commendable nor nothing about him but what was serviceable and comfortable and yet in the height of all his glory he falls to Apostasie and open Rebellion against God he takes part with Satan against God himself he transgresses his righteous Law he affronts his justice he provokes his anger he stirrs up his wrath against himself and his posterity The sin of Adam was a voluminous sin all kinds of notorious sins were bound up in it as backsliding rebellion treason pride unbelief blasphemy contempt of God unthankfulness theft murder and idolatry c. The Philosopher being asked which was the best member of the body answered The tongue for if it be good it is the best Trumpet of Gods glory And being asked again which was the worst answered The tongue for if it be bad it is the worst fire-brand of hell So if any should ask me Which was the best creature of God I would answer Man in honour before his fall If you should ask me Which is the worst I must answer Man in his fall Adam was once the wonder of all understanding the mirrour of wisdom and knowledge the image of God the delight of heaven the glory of the creation the worlds great Lord and the Lords great darling but being faln ah how low how poor how miserable how sottish how sensless how brutish yea how much below the beast that perisheth was he and yet God pardoned changed and sanctified him and stampt his image of holiness afresh upon him when he made a Covenant with him in Christ Genesis 3. So Manasseh he was a notorious sinner he was a sinner of the greatest magnitude his sins reached up to heaven his soul was ripe for hell he had sold
himself to work all manner of wickedness as you may see in 2 Chron. 33. in vers 3. He reared up Altars for Baalim and made groves and worshipped all the hoast of heaven and served them vers 4. He built Altars in the house of God vers 5. Yea for all the hoast of heaven did he build Altars in the Courts of the house of God This was a horrid piece of impudence to provoke God to his very face by equalizing his Altars to Gods Altar vers 6. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom Here was inhumane superstition and inhumane cruelty to offer his own children in sacrifice to the Devil Also he observed times and used witchcraft and dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger The complaint is antient in Seneca that commonly men live not ad rationem but ad similitudinem Seneca de vita beata cap. 1. vers 9. He made Judah and Jerusalem to err by his example and to do worse then the Heathens The actions of Rulers are most commonly rules for the peoples actions and their example passeth as currant as their coin The common people dare practise the very worst of wickedness that they see acted in a scarlet Robe they are like tempered wax easily receiving impressions from the seals of great mens vices they make no bones on it to sin by prescription and to damn themselves with authority The heathen brings in a young man who hearing of the adulteries and wickednesses of the gods said What do they so and shall I stick at it so say most when great ones are greatly wicked Why they do thus and thus and why should we stick at it The Egyptians esteemed it graceful and their duty to halt on that leg on which their King limped most men think it a grace to imitate the greatest authority in their most graceless actings Which made the Poet say Subjects and Kingdoms commonly do chuse The manners that their Princes daily use Vers 10. And the Lord spake unto Manasseh but he would not hearken He was settled in idolatry and stopt his ears against all the counsel and admonitions of the Prophets that were sent to reclaim him Now who would ever have thought that one so abominably wicked and wretched should ever have obtained such favour with God as to be pardoned renewed and sanctified and yet vers 12 13. He besought the Lord and humbled himself greatly before the Lord and prayed unto him and God was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem into his Kingdom Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God He now acknowledges Jehovah to be the true God and renounces all other gods that he may cleave to God alone There is no heart so wicked but grace can make it holy So Paul was once so great a sinner that had he stept but one step further he had faln into the unpardonable sin against the Holy-Ghost in 1 Tim. 1.13 you have a brief survey of his great transgressions He was a Blasphemer he blasphemed God and Christ and his wayes and truth he made a mock and scoff at holiness he made nothing of blaspheming that God that he should have feared and of blaspheming that Christ that he should have sweetly embraced and of blaspheming those Truths that he should have readily entertained Paul was a great proficient in the School of blasphemy he made nothing of belching out blasphemy in the very face of heaven And he was a persecutor too Acts 9. Chap. 26.11 he persecuted holiness to the death yea he was mad in persecuting the poor Saints and servants of Christ he did all he could to make their lives a hell and to rid them out of this world he thought them not worthy to live though they were such Worthies of whom this world was not worthy Chap. 8.3 he was a ravening and an untired Woolf that was never weary in worrying Christs little flock and in sucking out the blood of his Lambs Yea and he was an injurious person too he made no conscience of wronging others Mat. 7.12 or of squaring his carriage by that golden rule Do to others as you would have others do to you This Royal Law this standard of equity he regarded not he made nothing of haling men and women to prison and of compelling them to blaspheme by his cruelty and wicked example he spared no sex but practised the highest cruelty upon all that had any thing of sanctity in them he would adventure the torments of hell rather then not be a tormenter of the Saints here and the more active any were in holiness the more injurious was he to them And yet behold this blasphemer this persecutor this injurious person became a sanctified Christian an eminent Saint a pattern of holiness to all Christians in all ages Once more witness that sad bed-rool of unsanctified persons that are mentioned in 1 Cor 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God These monstrous sinners and prodigious sins were enough to have brought another flood upon the world or to have provoked the Lord to rain hell out of heaven upon them as once he did upon Sodom and Gomorah or to have caused the ground to open and swallow them up as once it did Corah Dathan and Abiram and yet behold some of these are changed and sanctified v. 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Oh! the infinite goodness Matthew Zacheus Mary Magdalen the Jaylor and the murderers of Christ Acts. 2. are clear instances of this truth 1 Cor. 7.14.16 1 Pet. 3.1.6 Oh! the infinte grace Oh! the infinite wisdom and power of God that hath pardoned washed sanctified and cleansed such guilty filthy and polluted souls The worst of sinners should never despair of being made Saints considering what unholy ones have been made holy It is possible that you may be made holy Witness 6. All those sanctified ones among whom you live who once were as unholy or more unholy it may be then ever you were the sanctified husband is a clear witness to the unsanctified wife that she may be sanctified the sanctified father is a witness to the unsanctified child that he may be sanctified the sanctified master is a witness to the unsanctified servant that he may be sanctified the sanctified Prince is a witness to his unsanctified people that they may be sanctified and the sanctified Minister is a witness to his unsanctified hearers that they may be
as so many rising Suns in the places where they were bred and born Melancthon was called the Phenix of Germany and Luther was the glory of the age wherein he lived And so were many of the antients before them and many since who have been burning and shining lights in the places of their abode Look as an unholy person is a plague and a curse to the very place he lives in and hasteneth down wrath and vengeance upon it as Bias the Philosopher hath long since observed for he being at Sea in a great tempest among many prophane debauched fellows and perceiving them to call upon their gods as the worst of men usually do in such cases he comes to them and desires them to hold their peace lest the gods should take notice that they were in the Ship and so not only themselves but others also should suffer for their sakes It was the wickednesse of the wicked that brought the sweeping flood upon the old world and it was the wickednesse and filthynesse of the Sodomites that caused God to rain hell out of heaven upon the Cities where they lived Let men be never so honourable or never so potent or never so witty or never so wealthy c. yet if they are prophane if they are wicked they will hasten down the wrath and vengeance of God upon the places of their abode So a holy person is an honour and a blessing to the very place he lives in As you may see in Jacob and Joseph who were choice and noble blessings to the very families where they lived O Sirs as ever you would be an honour to your relations to your Countrey and to the places of your abode labour for holiness Some venture life and limb As many of the Romans did and many a better thing to reflect honour upon their relations and upon their Countrey and why then should not you venture far and venture high for holinesse which will be not only an honour to your selves but also an honour and a glory to all persons and places that you have relation to Seventhly Consider that holinesse is the very ear-mark the very livery and badge of Christs servants and subjects Isa 63.8 For he said Surely they are my people children that will not lye so he was their saviour And ver 18. they are called the people of his holiness Gods people are too holy to lye they will not lye for his glory nor for their own worldly good They will rather die then lye Job 13.7 Rom. 3.7 8. Rev. 14.5 with that brave woman that Jerom writes of who being upon the Rack bade her persecutors do their worst for she was resolved rather to die then lye Neither the merry lye nor the jesting lye nor the officious lye nor the pernicious lye will down with those that are the people of Gods holinesse or that are his holy people saith God It is said of golden mouthed Chrysostom that he never lyed answerable to this Isa 63.8 I have been at so much cost and charge about them I have carried it so kindly so bountifully so sweetly so favourably so nobly to them I have been such an all-sufficient Saviour such a mighty preserver and such a glorious deliverer of them that certainly they will not lye they will not deceive my expectation they will not deny me they will not deal disloyally nor unworthily by me they are of Augustines opinion who hath long since told us that we must not tell so much as an officious lye though it were to save all the world So Jer. 2.3 Israel was holiness unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase all that devour him shall offend evil shall come upon them saith the Lord. Holinesse to the Lord is the mark that God sets upon all his precious ones Psalm 4.3 Know that God hath set apart him that is godly for himself God hath wonderfully gloriously marvelously yea miraculously set apart the pious the holy the merciful the godly man the gracious Saint by some mark of distinction for himself The Hebrew word Chasid imports as much Josh 2. Judg. 11. 2 King 9. Matth. 26. that is for his own honour and glory and service and delight Look as Rahahs house was known by a red thred and the Ephraimites by their lisping and Jehu by his driving and Peter by his speaking so real Christians are known by their holinesse Holinesse is King Jesus his Livery by which all his subjects and servants are known and differenced from all other persons in the world And in the Primitive times a Christian was known from another man only by the holinesse of his conversation as Tertullian witnesses Look as our Lord Jesus Christ by the spirit of holiness raising him up from the dead Rom. 1.4 was declared to be the Son of God so it is the spirit of holinesse it is principles of holinesse it is the life and practice of holinesse 2 Cor. 6.17 18. that declares us to be the sons of God Holinesse is that golden character by which God differences and distinguisheth his people from all others in the world Rev. 13.16 chap. 14.9 10. chap. 19.20 A man were better be a beast then to have the mark of the beast upon him Look as the worshippers of the Beast are known by the mark of the Beast that is upon them so the worshippers of Christ the people of Christ are known by that mark of holinesse that Christ hath set upon them This title this compellation Saints is given fourscore times to the people of God in Scripture as if God took a greater delight to have his children known by this badge and livery then by any other As for such that have the name of Saints upon them The Title of a Saint is but an empty thing without holiness but nothing of the nature of a Saint in them that have a name to be holy and yet are unholy that have a name to be gracious and yet are gracelesse that have a name to live and yet are dead these God will in that day unmask when he shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity An unholy Saint is a white Devil he is a monster among men Christ sweat and prayed and died and was raised to make sinners Saints to make the rebellious religious and the licentious conscientious all he did and suffered was to stamp the seal and impresse of holinesse upon them And therefore as ever you would be owned and honoured by Christ another day look that the holy Spirit sets the seal of holinesse upon you If the impresse of holinesse be upon you in the day that the Lord makes up his Jewels he will declare you to be his before all the world He will say These are my sheep these are my sons I know them by that mark of holiness that I find upon them But Eighthly Consider this that a man of holinesse or a holy man is a common
eternity hath been posting upon them Oh the deadnesse the barrennesse the listlesnesse the heartlesnesse to any thing that is good that doth attend a worldly temper Many men are so bewitcht with the profits pleasures and honours of the world that they mind not holinesse they regard not holinesse they care not for holinesse nor the means that lead to holinesse Philip. 3.18 19. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now I tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Who were those that walked disorderly why those that minded earthly things Who were those that fetcht tears from the Apostles eyes why those that minded earthly things Who were those that were enemies to the cross of Christ why those that minded earthly things Who were those whose end is destruction why those that minded earthly things who were those whose God was their belly why those that minded earthly things Who were those whose glory was their shame why those that minded earthly things Sicily is so full of sweet flowers that dogs cannot hunt there and what do all the sweet contents and delights of this world Diodorus Siculus but make men lose the scent of heaven and holinesse The world proves silken halters to some and golden fetters to others to some it is like the Swallows dung that put out Tobias eyes to others it is like the waters of Nilus that makes the inhabitants deaf All the flowers of this world are surrounded with many bryars The world is all shadow and vanity its like Jonahs gourd man may sit under its shadow for a while but it soon decayes and dies He that shall but weigh mans pains with his pay his miseries with his pleasures his sorrows with his joyes his crosses with his comforts his wants with his enjoyments c. may well cry out Vanity of vanity and all is vanity The whole world is circular If the whole earth were changed into a globe of gold it could not fill thy heart the heart of man is triangular and we know a circle cannot fill a triangle O Sirs if your hearts be not filled with holinesse they will be filled with the world the flesh and the Devil Either holinesse or Satan must possesse you Some there be that have much holiness and much of the world too as Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph Job David Hezekiah Daniel c. And others there be that have no holinesse nor nothing of the world neither these men are fair for two hells a hell of misery here and a hell of torment hereafter Some have much of the world but not a spark of holinesse as Saul Haman Dives Herod c. who had a world of wealth but not a dram of grace and others have a great deal of holinesse Iames 2.5 Mat. 11.5 that have but little or nothing of the world as the Apostles and Lazarus c. Now is it not infinitely better to have holinesse without the world and so be happy for ever then to have much of the world without holinesse and so be damned for ever A man bewitch't with the world will loose many precious opportunities of grace which are more worth then a world Act. 24.24 ult witness Rich Felix who had no leasure to hear poor Paul though the hearing of a Sermon might have saved his soul A man bewitch't with the world has his sinning times and his eating times and his sleeping times and his trading times and his feasting times and his sporting times c. but he has not his hearing times nor his praying times nor his reading times nor his mourning times nor his repenting times nor his reforming times c. He can have time yea and he will have time for every thing but to honor his God and to make himself happy for ever A man bewitch't with the world will when 't is put to his choice rather part with Christ to enjoy the world Mat. 19.16.23 then part with the world to enjoy Christ witness the young man in the Gospel who preferred a drop before a Sea a crum before a Crown and his treasure on earth before treasure in heaven he would not leave that on earth which he could not long keep for the enjoyment of that in heaven which he should never loose rather then he would let his possessions go he would let God and Christ go and heaven go and all go c. If Heaven can be had at no cheaper a rate then parting with his possessions Christ may keep his Heaven to himself and make the best on 't he can if he will for hee 'l have none on 't upon those terms Again a man bewitch't with the world will prefer the most base and contemptible things before the Lord Jesus Christ he will with the Gergesens prefer his very Swine before a Saviour Mat. 8.28 ult when they saw what a sad market their Hoggs were brought to they desired Christ to depart out of their country these Gergesites had rather loose Christ then loose their Porkets they had rather that the devil should possess their souls then that he should drown their Pigs they prefer their Swine before their salvation and present a wretched petition for their own damnation they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts though there be no misery no plague no curse no wrath no hell to Christs departure from a people yet men bewitched with the world will desire this Men bewitched with the world will prefer a Barabbas before a Jesus they will with Judas betray Christ and with Pilate condemn Christ and with the Scribes and Pharisees they will cry out Crucifie him Crucifie him away with this Jesus away with this Jesus let Barabbas live but let Jesus dye let Barabbas be saved but let Christ be hanged Ah what incarnate Devils will such men prove who are bewitched with this world A man bewitch't with the world will gain no good by the Ministry of the Word witness Ezekiels hearers Ezek. 33.31 32 33. and witness the stony ground Mat. 13.22 and witness Christs followers John 6. Some Writers say that nothing will grow where Gold grows certainly where the love of this world growes there nothing will grow that is good A heart filled either with the love of the world or the profits of the world or the pleasures of the world or the honors of the world or the cares of the world or the businesses of the world is a heart incapacitated to receive any divine counsel or comfort t is a heart shut up against God and holiness t is a heart posses 't with many devils and therefore no wonder if such a heart loaths the hony-comb of holiness yea t is no wonder to see such a heart to deride and scorn holiness as the greatest foolishness Luke 16.14 The Poets tell of Licaon being
to poor sinners without their using of the means but he won't being resolved that they shall use the means of hearing reading praying and conference c. and when they have done leave the issue of all their labors and endeavors to his good Will and pleasure I have taken the more pains fully and clearly to answer this objection that it may never more have a resurrection in any of your souls Ninthly If ever you would be holy then when you have done all wait Oh hear and wait and wait and hear pray and wait and wait and pray read and wait and wait and read confer and wait and wait and confer watch and wait and wait and watch Oh sirs shall the husbandman wait for a good harvest Jam. 5.7 8. and the Merchant for good returns and the Watchman for the dawning of the day and the Patient for a happy cure and the poor Client for a day of hearing c and will not you wait for Christ and wait for the spirit and wait for pardon and wait for grace and wait for glory c Oh sinners sinners remember you are at the right doore and therefore wait Oh remember that whilst you are waiting for mercy God is preparing of mercy Oh remember that 't is mercy that you may wait for mercy devils and damned spirits can't wait for mercy wait they must but O 't is for more wrath anger and fiery indignation Oh remember your condition bespeaks waiting for you are poor halt lame blinde and miserable creatures Oh remember that mercy is sweetest when it comes after a patient waiting Deut. 32.13 He made him to suck honey out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock That is he made him to suck water that was as sweet as honey out of the rock out of the flinty rock Oh remember that a patient waiting for mercy is the onely way to greaten your mercy The longer said the Emperors son the Cooks are a preparing the meat the better the chear will be his meaning was the longer he staid for the Empire the greater it would be So the longer a soul waits for mercy the greater and the better it will be when it comes as you may see in that famous instance of the poor man that lay eight and thirty years at the Pool of Bethesda Joh. 5.2.16 Famous was the patience of Elijah's servant 1 King 18.8 who in obedience to his Masters command went seven several times up and down steep Carmel which could not be without danger and difficulty and all to bring news of nothing till his last journey which made a recompence for all the rest with the tydings of a cloud arising Oh so do but patiently wait upon the Lord and that grace that favour that mercy will come at last which will fully recompence you for all your waitings remember that the mercies of God are not styled the swift Isa 55.3 but the sure mercies of David mercy may be sure though it be not presently upon the wing flying towards us And the same Prophet saith the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward Isa 58.8 now this we know comes up last to secure and make good all the rest for where Grace leads the Front Glory at last will be in the Rere Oh do but patiently wait Heb. 10.37 and he that shall come will come and will not tarry not a year not a quarter not a month not a week not a day no not an hour beyond the prefixed time that he hath set of shewing mercy to poor sinners O how sad was it that Saul should lose his Kingdom for want of two or three hours patience but O how much more sad will it be if thou shouldst lose all the prayers that thou hast made and all the Sermons that thou hast heard and all the tears that thou hast shed and all other pains that thou hast taken and all for want of a little more patience yea how woful sad would it be if thou shouldst lose thy God and lose thy Christ and lose thy soul and lose an eternity of glory and all for want of a little patience to wait the Lords leisure O therefore resolve to hold on waiting to the death and if thou must perish to perish in a waiting way which if thou shouldst thou wouldst be the first that ever so perished O remember that if God should come and mercy come and pardon come and grace come when thy Sun is near setting when thy glass is almost out and when there is but a short step between thee and eternity it will infinitely recompence thee for all thy waiting and therefore wait still and to keep up thy spirits and to uphold thy soul in a waiting way O! that thou wouldest make these following promises thy daily food thy daily friends thy daily companions Psal 27.14 Waâ—t on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Prov. 20.22 Wait on the Lord and he shall save thee Isa 30.18 And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement Blessed are all they that wait for him Chap. 40. ult But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Chap. 49.23 They shall not be ashamed that wait for me And Chap. 64.4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Pro. 8.34 Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors O how should these precious promises encourage your hearts to wait on the Lord O how should they lengthen and draw out your patience to the utmost But Tenthly and lastly Dwell much upon the memorable judgements of God that even in this life has faln upon unholy persons Remember Lots wife O! remember her sin and punishment that so fearing the one Luk. 17.32 you may learn to take heed of the other Isa 26.9 When thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness that is they should learn righteousness for so the words may be read they should learn to fear thee and learn to turn unto thee and learn to forsake their sins and amend their lives When thy judgements thy memorable judgements are abroad in the world it highly concerns all the sons of men to look after holy dispositions holy affections and holy conversations that so it may go well with them in the day of the Lords wrath others sense the words thus When thy judgements are on the earth the inhabitants of the world that is sinners as well as Saints
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
and answered and I doe sacrifice so when persecutors arme themselves against the people of God they doe but divinely smile and laugh at it and give themselves the more up to prayer when men arme against them then they aâ—me themselves with all their might to the work of prayer and woe woe to them that have Armies of prayers marching against them But Thirdly It will appeare that the condition of persecutors is the most sad and deplorable condition of all conditions under heaven if you will but seriously consider and lay to heart the sore Judgements that are threatned and that have been executed upon them Deut. 28.15 ult Deut. 30.7 And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on them which hate thee which persecuted thee Nehe. 9.9 10 11. And didst see the afflictions of our fathers in Egypt Exod. 3.7 Chap. 14.10 c. and heardest their cry by the red Sea And shewed signes and wonders upon Pharaoh and on all his servants and on the people of his Land for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them So didst thou get thee a name as it is this day And thou didst divide the Sea before them so that they went through the midst of the Sea on the dry land and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps as a stone into the mighty waters Pharaoh and his Princes and people were very great oppressors and persecutors of Gods Israel As you may see in the 7 8 9 10. and 12 Chap. of Exodus and therefore God visited them with ten dreadfull plagues one after another but when after all these plagues God saw that their enmity against his people was as great or rather greater then ever and that they were still set upon persecuting of his people then God takes up Pharaoh and his mighty Host Exodus 15.10 and throwes them as a stone into the mighty waters Psal 7.11 12 13. God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day If he turne not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrowes against the persecutors God whets before he strikes he bends his bow befoâ—e he shootes he prepares instruments of death before he brings men downe to the grave his hand takes hold on Judgement before his Judgements take hold of men but if all these warnings will not serve their turnes God will overturne them with a witness He ordaineth his arrowes against the persecutors or as the Hebrew has it against the hot burning persecutors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from Dalak is Daleketh that signifies a burning Ague God has his hot burning Arrowes for hot burning persecutors let persecutors be never so hot against the Saints God will be as hot against them and let them be never so much inflamed against the people of God God will be as much inflamed against them Jer. 20.10 11. For I heard the defaming of many feare on every side Report said they and we will report it All my familiars watched for my halting saying peradventure he will be enticed and we shall prevaile against him After the Reigne of Decius under whom the seventh persecution began God sent a plague Ten years together which made divers places of the world desolate especially where the persecution most raged c. and we shall take our revenge on him But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one therefore my persecutors shall stumble and they shall not prevaile they shall be greatly ashamed for they shall not prosper their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten When malicious mischievous persecutors have done all they can to vex and fret to daunt and affright to dismay and discourage the people of God then God will terrifie the most terrible among them and they shall not prevaile nor prosper yea they shall stumble and fall they shall be ashamed and confounded Isa 33.1 Wo to thee that spoilest and thou wast not spoiled and dealest treacherously and they dealt not treacherously with thee when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt be spoiled and when thou shalt make an end to deale treacherously they shall deale treacherously with thee When the time is expired that God has prefixed for his peoples sufferings then God will retaliate upon their persecutors then they that spoyled his people shall be spoyled and they that dealt perfidiously and treacherously with them shall be dealt perfidiously and treacherously withall 2 Thes 1.6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 'T is but Justice that God should trouble those that are the troublers of his people 't is but Justice that persecutors should be punished and that the persecuted should be righted 't is but Justice that God should trouble them in both worlds who would be troublers of his people in both worlds 't is but Justice that God should trouble them to all eternity who would be a troubling of his people to all eternity if their power were but answerable to their malice And God has even in this life been a swift witness against the persecutors of his people Cain was a persecutor and his Brothers blood pursued him to hell Pharaoh was a great oppressor and persecutor of his people and God followed him with plague upon plague and Judgement upon Judgement till he had overthrowne him in the red Sea Saul was a persecutor and falls by his own sword Haman was a great persecutor of the Saints and he was Feasted with the King one day and made a Feast for Crowes the next Jer. 20.1 2 3. Pashur was a great persecutor he smote the Prophet Jeremiah and put him in the Stocks and God threatned to make him a Magor-missabib a terrour to himself 1 Kings 22. and to all his friends Zedekiah was a persecutor he smote the Prophet Micaiah on the cheek for dealing plainly and faithfully with the Kings and in the day of trouble and distress he goes from chamber to chamber to hide himselfe Chap. 18.4.13 verses 2 Kings 9.30 ult Euseb Jezabel was a great persecutor she slew the Prophets of God and she was thrown out of a window and eaten up of dogs Herod the Great who caused the babes of Bethlehem to be slaine hoping thereby to destroy Christ shortly after was plagued by God with an incurable disease having a slow and slack fire continually tormenting his inward parts he had a vehement and greedy desire to eate and yet nothing would satisfie him his inward bowels rotted his breath was shoâ—t and stinking some of his members rotted and in all his members he had so violent a Cramp that nature was not able to bare it and so growing mad with paine he dyed miserably Herod Antipas who beheaded John Baptist Euseb not long after falling into disgrace with
the Roman Emperour with his incestuous Herodias the suggester of that murder they were banished and fell into such misery and penury that they ended their wretched lives with much shame and misery Herod Agrippa was a great persecutor of the Saints Acts 12. Joseph Antiq. l. 19. ch 7. and he was eaten up of wormes In the third yeare of his Reigne as Josephus observes he went to Caesarea to keep certain Playes in the honor of Caesar the Gowne he was in as the same Author relates was a Gowne of silver wonderfully wrought and the beames of the Sun reflecting upon it made it so glister that it dazled the eyes of the beholders and when he had made an end of his starched Oration in this his bravery his flatterers extolled him as a God crying out 'T is the voice of a God Acts 12.21 22 23. Joseph Antiq lib. 18. ch 13. Thales Milesius the prime wise man of Greece being demanded what he had observed to be of most difficulty in the world Answered Tyrannum senem To see a Tyrant live to be an old man and not of a man whereupon he was presently smitten by the Angel of the Lord and so dyed with wormes that eate up his very intrailes the blow the Angel gave him was an inward blow and so not visible to others and his torments more and more increasing upon him the people put on sackcloth and made supplication for him but all in vaine for his paines and torments growing stronger and stronger every day upon him they seperated his wretched soule from his loathsome body within the compass of five dayes And 't is very probable that the prayers of the persecuted Church did helpe to speed this persecutor out of the world * Euseb Caiaphas the high Priest who gathered the Councel and suborned false witnesses against the Lord Christ was shortly after put out of his Office and one Jonathan substituted in his roome whereupon he killed himself †Euseb Hist li. 2. c. 7. Not long after Pontius Pilate had condemned our Lord Christ he lost his Deputiship and Caesars favour and being fallen into disgrace with the Roman Emperour and banished by him he fell into such misery that he hanged himselfe Nero that Monster of men who raised the first bloody persecution to pick a quarrel with the Christians set the City of Rome on fire and then charged it upon them under which pretence he exposes them to the fury of the people who cruelly tormented them as if they had been common burners and destroyers of Cities and the deadly enemies of mankinde yea Nero himself caused them to be apprehended and clad in wild Beasts skins and torne in pieces with Doggs others were crucified some he made Bonfires of to light him in his night-sports to be short such horrid cruelty he used towards them as caused many of their enemies to pitty them but God found out this wretched persecutor at last for being adjudged by the Senate an enemy to mankinde he was condemned to be whipt to death for the prevention whereof he cut his own throat Domitian the Author of the second persecution against the Christians was by the consent of his wife slaine by his own houshold servants with daggers in his privy chamber his body was buried without honour his memory cursed to posterity and his Armes and Ensignes were thrown downe and defaced Trajan raised the third persecution against the Church and the vengeance of God followed him for first he fell into a Palsie then lost the use of his senses afterwards he fell into a Dropsie and dyed in great anguish There was not one of those persecuting Emperours that carried on the Ten bloody persecutions against the Saints but came to miserable ends yea Histories tell us of three and forty persecuting Emperours who fell under the revenging hand of God and came to untimely ends Among the many thousand thousands of instances that might be given of the Judgements of God that have fallen upon the persecutors of the people of God in these latter dayes I shall only give you a few Faelix Earle of Wartenburge was a great persecutor of the Saints and swore that ere he dyed he would ride up to the spurs in the blood of the Lutherans but the very same night wherein he had thus sworne and vowed he was choaked with his own blood nothing would serve him but the blood of Gods people and God makes him drunk with his own blood Sir Thomas More once Lord Chancelour of England was a sworn enemy to the Gospel and persecuted the Saints with fire and faggot and amongst all his praises he reckons this the chiefest that he had been a persecutor of the Lutherans i. e. the Saints but what became of him he was first accused of Treason and then condemned and at last beheaded Judge Morgan was a great persecutor of the people of God but shortly after he had passed the sentence of condemnation upon that vertuous Lady the Lady Jane Grey he fell mad and in his mad raving fits he would continually cry out Take away the Lady Jane take away the Lady Jane from me and in that horror he ended his wretched life Drahomira after the death of her husband usurped the Government of Bohemia and was a cruell persecutor of the people of God but by a righteous hand of God it so fell out that on that very place where the Ministers bones lay unburied the earth opened of it self and swallowed her up alive with her Chariot and those that were in it which place is now to be seen before the Castle of Prague Acts and Mon. 1911. The Arch-Bishop of Toures was an earnest Sutor for the erection of a Court called Chamber Ardent for the condemning of the French Protestants to the fire but before he dyed he had fire enough for he was stricken with a disease called The Fire of God which began at his feete and so ascended upward which occasioned one member to be cut off after another and so he ended his miserable dayes Thomas Arundell Arch-Bishop of Canterbury was a grievous persecutor of the people of God and a great suspender and silencer of good Ministers he made use of his tongue braines and power to stop the mouthes and tye up the tongues of Gods faithfull Ministers but God in his righteous Judgement so struck him in his tongue that it swel'd so big that he could neither swallow nor speak for some dayes before his death and so he was starved choked and killed by this strange tumour of his tongue Mr. Groves Gleanings p. 155 156. I have read of one Mr. W. who was very busie in prosecuting an Indictment against his Minister at a Quarter Sessions for omitting the Cross in Baptisme and being a man in high favour with the Justices he made no question of prevailing at night according to his usual manner he falls to drinking till he was so extream drunk that he was faine
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
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is then a stalled Ox and hatred therewith Chap. 16.8 Better is a little with righteousness then great revenues without right Chap. 17.1 Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith then a house full of sacrifices with strife Psal 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Where there is a holy God and a holy heart a little of the world will go far a little will be a sufficiency to him who with it enjoys that holy one that is All-sufficiency it self Though a whole world will never fill nor satisfie an unsanctified heart yet a little Phil. 4.11 20. a very little of the world will satisfie and content a holy heart There are two things that an unholy heart can never finde it can never finde any sweetness in Spirituals Esth 5.9 14. nor it can never finde any satisfaction in Temporals but a holy heart alwayes findes the greatest sweetness in Spirituals and is as easily satisfied with the least and meanest of Temporals Gen. 28.20 21. And Jacob vowed a vow saying if God will be with me Bread water with the Gospel is good chear said holy Greenham He is rich enough that lacketh not bread and high enough that is not forced to serve Jerom. and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on so that I come again to my fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Holy Jacob does not indent with God for costly Apparel or delicate fare he does not make a bargain with God to be housed bravely and fed daintily and clothed gorgiously and lodged easily and waited on noblely O no bread to eat and clothes to wear is as much as holy Jacob looks after Ah friends a little will serve nature and less will serve grace though nothing will serve or satisfie an unsanctified mans lusts O sirs the very pulse and locusts which a holy man eats relishes better then all the Gluttons delicious fare and the very Sheep-skins and Goat-skins which he wears wear softer and finer then all the purple and soft raiment that is in Princes houses and the very holes and Caves and Dens wherein holy men live are more pleasant and delightful then the stately Palaces of the great ones of the world It is great riches not to desire riches and he hath most that covets least Socrates godliness and contentment does so sweeten and so lengthen out all a Christians mercies that he can't but reckon himself a happy man though he may be the poorest among many men Let me conclude this third Answer thus This worlds wealth that men so much desire May well be likened to a burning fire Whereof a little can do little harm But profit much our bodies well to warm But take too much and surely thou shalt burn So too much wealth to too much wo do's turn But Fourthly Consider That worldly riches and holiness do often meet together a man may be a very holy man and yet a rich man too Abraham and Lot were as wealthy men as most in their time Gen. 13. Isa 41.2 Abraham is called the righteous man and yet behinde none for faith and holiness David and Solomon and Jehosaphat and Hezekiah had crowns on their heads and Scepters in their hands and very great revenues at their commands and in all these grace and greatness sweetly meet Job 1.3.8 Job was a very holy man and yet a very rich man if you cast your eye upon the first of Job and survey his estate you shall finde that he had seven thousand Sheep three thousand Camels five hundred yoke of Oxen five hundred she Asses and a very great Family but if you will look into the last of Job and survey his estate there you shall finde it doubled Joseph Nehemiah Mordecai Daniel and the three children were very gracious and yet very high and great in the world As every wicked man is not a rich man so every holy man is not a poor man if you will but set the gracious against the graceless the holy against the prophane I doubt not but for one holy man whose estate is low and mean you will finde thousands of wicked men whose conditions are beggarly and low in this world God many times delights to confute the devils Proverb viz. That plain dealing is a Jewel but he that useth it shall die a Beggar Now God by heaping up riches and honor and greatness upon the righteous gives the devil the lye and lets the world see that holiness many times is the ready way to worldly greatness 'T is observable that when all the sons of Jacob returned with corn and money in their sacks from Egypt Gen. 44. Benjamin had not onely corn and money in his sack but he had over and above the silver cup put into the mouth of his sack as a singular pledge of his brother Josephs favor so God many times gives to his Benjamines the sons of his right hand not onely as much of the world as he does to others but more of the world then he does to others he does not only give them corn and money in common with others but he also gives them the Silver-cup the Grace-cup he puts in some singular temporal blessings into their sacks more then into other mens for he is the great Lord of all and therefore may dispose of his own as he pleases But Fifthly Consider Psal 63.1 2 3 4. That most men are best in a low condition David was never better then when he was in a wilderness condition for degrees of Grace and for the exercise of Grace and for communion with the God of Grace 't was best with David when his condition was low in the world 't was never better with Jacob Gen. 32.10 then when he past over Jordan with a staff in his hand Jobs Job 1. graces never shined so gloriously as when he sat upon a dunghil and could bless a taking God as well as a giving God though John was poor in the world yet the Holy-Ghost tells us Mat. 11.11 that he was the greatest that was born of women Paul was but a poor Tent-maker Phil. 3.20 and yet his conversation was in heaven The Church of Smyrna was the poorest Church Rev. 2.8 9. but yet the best of all the seven Churches in Asia Christ knew very well that his Disciples would be best in a low condition and therefore he fed them but from hand to mouth Learned Ainsworth had but nine pence a week to live on whilst he wrote his excellent Commentary on the Penteteuch Mat. 8.20 21. he that could have turned stones into bread could as easily have turned stones into gold and so have made his Disciples rich and great in the world but he would not Christ could easily have changed their raggs into
and large Tophet is the name of a place in the valley lying on the South side of Jerusalem Josh 18.16 Now in this vale stood Tophet wherein the Idolatrous Jews used to burne their children in sacrifice to the Idol Moloc and it had that name from the Drums or Tabrets that their Idolatrous Priests used to beat upon at the time of their detestable services to drowne the hideous shrieks and lamentable cryes of the poore sacrificed children the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of Brimstone doth kindle it Alas the Brick-kilns of Egypt and the Furnace of Babel were but as a blaze of straw to this Tormenting Tophet that has been prepared of old for the great and mighty ones of the earth Oh how dreadfull must that fire be that is prepared by God himselfe and that is kindled by the breath of the Lord and that shall never be quenched and yet such is the fire that is prepared for the great and mighty ones of the world O! the easeless the endless the remediless the unsufferable and yet the inevitable Torments that are prepared for those that are great and graceless in hell their wanton eyes shall be tormented with ugly and fearefull sights of ghastly Spirits and their ears that us'd to be delighted with all delightfull musick shall now be filled with the hideous cryes howlings and yellings of Devills and damned Spirits and their tongues of blasphemy shall now be tormented with drought and thirst and though with the Glutton they cry out for a drop to coole their tongues yet Justice will deny them drops who have denyed others crums and their hands of bribery cruelty and tyranny shall now be bound with everlasting chaines and so shall their feete which were once swift to shed innocent blood In a word their torments shall be universall they shall extend to every member of the body and to every faculty of the soul Ah Sirs fire sword famine prisons Racks and all other torments that men can invent are but as flea-bitings to those Scorpions but as drops to those vials of wrath and but as sparks to those eternal flames that all unsanctified persons shall lye under Look as the least joy in heaven infinitely surpasseth the greatest comforts on earth so the least torments in hell doe infinitely exceed the greatest that can be devised here on earth for a close remember this as there are degrees of glory in heaven so there are degrees of torment in hell and as those that are most eminent in grace and holiness Math. 10.15 Chap. 11.22 Luke 12.47 48. shall have the greatest degrees of glory in heaven so those that are most vile and wicked on earth shall have the greatest degrees of torments and punishments in hell Now common experience tells us that the rich the great the high the honorable and the mighty ones of the world are usually the most excelling in all wickedness and ungodliness and therefore their condemnation will be the greater they shall have a hotter and a darker hell then others except they labour after this holiness which will be their only fence against hell and their sure path to heaven But Sixthly and lastly of all men on earth the rich the great and the honorable will be found most inexcusable The poore and the mean ones of the earth will plead their want of time and want of means and want of opportunities they will be ready to say Psal 127.1 2. Lord we have rise earely and gon to bed late we have labour'd and sweate and droyl'd and all little enough to get bread to eate and cloaths to weare As the poore people on the Northerne borders when to suppress their Theeveries some prest upon them the eighth Commandement they to excuse themselves replied that that Commandement was none of Gods making but thrust into the Decalogue by King Henry the eighth and to keep the Sargeant from the doore and to pay every man his own had we had but the time the meanes the advantages that such and such Gentlemen have had and that such and such Nobles have had and that such and such Princes have had c. O how would we have minded holiness and studied holiness and prest after holiness but seeing it has been otherwise with us we hope Lord we may be excused but what excuse will you be able to make O ye great ones of the earth who have had time and opportunities and all advantages imaginable to make your selves holy and happy for ever and yet you have trifled away your golden seasons and forgotten the one thing necessary and given your selves up to the lusts and vanities of this world as if you were resolv'd to be damn'd Let me a little allude to that John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak or excuse for their sin So will God one day say to the great ones of the woâ—ld Had I not given you riches and greatness and honor c. to have encouraged you to look after holiness and that you might have time and leasure and opportunity to seek holiness and pursue it you might have had some â—loak some excuse for your neglecting so great so glorious so noble and so necessary a work O but now you have no cloak no excuse at all for your sin now you can shew no reason under heaven why an eternal doom should not be past upon you and ah how silent how mute how speechless Titus 3.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-condemned or self damned and how self-condemned will all the great ones of the world be when God shall thus expostulate with them O! that such would seriously lay to heart that Math. 22.11 12. And when the King came in to see the Guests he saw there a man which had not on a wedding Garment And he saith unto him Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding Garment and he was speechless By the wedding Garment the Learned understand holiness of heart and life now when the King questions him about the want of this wedding Garment he is speechless or as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports He was muzzled or haltered up that is he held his peace as though he had a bridle or a halter in his mouth he was not able to speak a word for himselfe his own conscience had past a secret sentence of condemnation upon him and he sat silent under that sentence as having nothing under heaven to say why he should not be cast into utter darkness And this will be the very case of all the rich the great and the mighty ones of the world who shall be found without the garment of holiness when the Lord shall enter into Judgement with them And thus you see by these six Arguments that there are no persons under heaven that are so eminently engaged to look after
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
matters Job was the onely man he was chosen by all and advanced by all above all in all Assemblies and places of Judicature c. whoever was of the Committee yet Job was still Chair-man who ever was of the counsel yet Job was still President and whoever was of the Court yet Job was still King yea he dwelt as a King in the Army Job was guarded as a King in the Army and honored as a King in the Army and beloved and admired as a King in the Army and obeyed and served as a King in the Army and feared and reverenced as a King in the Army I might give you further instances of this in Joseph Moses Nehemiah Mordecai the three Children and Daniel but I shall forbear Faith is but a piece a part a branch of holiness and yet O what an honorable mention doth Paul make of the Romans faith in that Rom. 1.8 First This is a figurative expression according to the stile and manner of speaking then I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the world The Romans had attained to an eminency in faith and the report thereof sounded thoroughout the Roman Empire yea throughout the world for there being a great resort to Rome from all parts of the world and by every ones discoursing and admiring of the Romans faith their faith came to be spread abroad among all the Churches all the world over Look as Christs fulness of grace was his highest glory in this world Psal 45.1 2. so a Christians fulness of holiness is his highest honor in this world O sirs there is no such way to be high in honor and renown both in the consciences of sinners and Saints as to be high in holiness Jewel was a man eminent in holiness and his holiness set him high in the very judgements and consciences of the Papists The Dean of the Colledge though a Papist yet speaks thus of him In thy faith I hold thee an Heretick but surely in thy life thou art an Angel thou art very good and honest but a Lutheran Among the very Heathens those were most highly honored that were most excellent and eminent in moral vertues Aristides was so famous among the Athenians for his Justice Plutarch that he was called Aristides the Just c. O Christians 't is your highest honor and glory in this world to be so eminent and famous for holiness that men may point at you and say there goes such a one the wise there goes such a one the humble there goes such a one the heavenly and there goes such a one the meek there goes such a one the patient and there goes such a one the contented and there goes such a one the Just and there goes such a one the merciful and there goes such a one the zealous and there goes such a one the couragious and there goes such a one the sincere and there goes such a one the faithful c. well for a close remember this that though great places great offices great revenues and great honours c. may exalt you set you high in the uppermost seats and roomes among men yet 't is only an eminency in holiness that will exalt you and set you high in the consciences of sinners and Saints But Fourteenthly To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness Consider that the times wherein you live calls for this at your hands Jer. 51.5 Ah how is this Land filled with sin yea with the worst of sins against the holy One of Israel Hell seems to be broken loose and men strive to exceed and excell one another in all kinds of wickedness O the scarlet sins that are now to be found under many scarlet Robes O the black transgressions that are now to be found under many black Cassocks O the new-found oaths the hellish blasphemies the horrid filthinesses and the abominable debaucheries that are committed daily in the face of the Sun ah how shameless how sensless are sinners grown in these dayes Jer. 3.3 sin every where now appears with a whores forehead ah what open opposition do's Christ meet with in his Gospel offices Math. 24.12 members wayes worship and works ah how do's all iniquity abound and how bold and resolute are multitudes now in dishonoring of God in profaning his Sabbaths in poluting his ordinances in destroying their own souls and in treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 c. Now the worser the times are the better every Christian must labour to be the more profane the Age is wherein we live the more holy we must endeavour to be O Sirs how else will you recompence the great God if I may so speak for all the dishonors that are cast upon him by the matchless loosness and wickedness of the present times Phil. 2.15 how else will you shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation how else will you convince the consciences 1 Pet. 2.15 and stop or button up the mouths of wicked and unreasonable men how else will you be the Lords witnesses against this sinful and adulterous Generation Isa 43.10 12. And ch 44.8 how else will you manifest your great love to Christ and your exceeding tenderness of the honor and glory of Christ how else will you give an undeniable testimony of the glorious operations of the Spirit in you how else will you satisfie your own consciences Psal 18.20 25. Heb. 11.7 that your hearts are upright with God and how else will you with Noah condemne a wicked world well Christians remember this 't is more then time for you to perfect holiness in the feare of the Lord when so many thousands labour day and night to perfect wickedness in despite of the Lord 't is time for you to be Angels in holiness when multitudes strive to exceed the very devill in wickedness since Christ was on earth there has been no times that have called louder for the perfecting of holiness then the present times wherein we live But Fifteenthly To provoke you to lâ—bour after higher degrees of holiness consider how the men of the world do study and strive to abound and encrease in worldly blessings O what ado is there among worldlings to lay house to house and field to field Isa 5.8 to make a hundred a thousand and a thousand ten c Many men rise early and go to bed late yea they cross their light Psal 127.1 2. wound their consciences and decline their principles and endanger their immortall souls and all to adde to their worldly stores This Age is ful of such Ahabs 1 Kings 21. that are even sick for their neighbours Vineyards yea that rather then they will goe without them will wade through Naboths blood to them And how many rich fools be there amongst us who instead of minding their souls and
spiritual blessings among his dearest children to some hee gives more light to others less to some a greater measure of love to others a less to some a greater degree of joy to others a less c. Some Saints shine in grace and holiness as the Firmament and others shine in grace and holiness as the Stars some shine in grace and holiness as the Moon and others shine in grace and holiness as the Sun and all this springs from those different measures of grace and holiness that God bestows upon his people Now doubtless men may as well plead for equal degrees of grace as they may for equal degrees of glory they may as well plead for an equal share in the good things of this world as they may plead for an equal share in the happiness and blessedness of that other world Doubtless as God dispenses his gifts and graces unequally in this life so hee will dispense his Rewards unequally in the other life As mens gifts and graces are different here on earth so their glory shall be different when they come to Heaven without all peradventure they shall have the whitest and the largest Robes of Honour and the heaviest and the brightest Crowns of Glory whose souls are most richly adorned with grace and whose lives are most eminently bespangled with holiness The more grace and holiness any Saint hath here the more hee is prepared and fitted for glory and the more any Saint is fitted for glory the more that Saint shall at last be filled with glory The greatest measures of grace holiness do most inlarge the soul and widen the soul and capacitate the soul to take in the greatest measures of glory and therefore the more grace the more glory the more holiness the more happiness a Saint shall have at last Certainly God will crown his own gracious works in his children proportionable to what they are but they are different and unequally in all his children in respect of measures and degrees and therefore God will set different Crowns of glory upon the heads of his children at last But Fourthly They that have more grace and holiness than others they are more like to God than others They bear his glorious Image in a greater print they have a brighter character of God upon them and they are the most lively picture of God in all the world Now wee know though Parents love their children well and wish all their children well and do for all their Children well yet commonly they love them most and provide for them best that resemble them most Parents cannot but love those children most and lay up for them most who have most of themselves in them and I cannot see how God can do otherwise than love them most and provide for them best who most resembled him to the life the nature of God is a holy nature and so there lies a holy necessity on his nature to love them most who have most grace and holiness in them look as t is natural to God to hate wickedness Psal 45.7 so t is natural to God to love holiness and as the higher men rise in wickedness the more a holy God hates them so the higher men rise in holiness the more a holy God loves them now the more any are like to God and the more they are beloved of God the higher doubtless in glory shall they bee advanced by God The best and the largest Portion is laid up for that Childe that is most like his Father the more any man in holiness resembles God on Earâ—h the greater and the larger Portion of glory that man shall have when hee comes to Heaven But Fiftly and lastly to deny degrees of glory in Heaven and to say that God won't sute mens wages to their works nor their rewards to their services nor crown the highest improvements of grace with the highest degrees of glory is to render useless many glorious exhortations that are scattered up and down in the Scripture as that in the 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved Brethren bee yee stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for asmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. If this were not a truth that I have been all this while asserting why then when men meet with this exhortation they may say why t is no great matter whether we are stedfast unmoveable and alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord or no for if wee are wee shall never advance our reward in Heaven wee shall never add Pearls to our glorious Crown wee shall never add one mite to our happiness and blessedness and if wee are not wee shall bee as high in Heaven and our reward as great and our crown as weighty as theirs shall bee who are stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord. And so the denyal of degrees of glory in Heaven will take off also the edge of all those other exhortations of perfecting holiness of sowing liberally 2 Cor. 7 1. cap. 9.6 2 Pet. 3. ult Joh. 15.8 2 Pet 1.5 6 7. of growing in grace of bringing forth much fruit and of adding vertue to vertue c. yea this will cut the throat of all divine endeavours for who will labour to bee rich in grace and to bee much in service and to abound in all the fruits of righteousness and holiness when none of all this will turn to a mans advantage in another world If hee that sows little shall have as great a Harvest as hee that sows much if hee that is dull and negligent in the work of the Lord shall have as great a reward as hee that is active and abundant in the work of the Lord. If those trees of righteousness which bring forth much fruit shall have no greater a recompence than those trees of righteousness which bring forth many leaves of profession but little fruit c. who would sow much and who would bee active and abundant in the work of the Lord and who would bring forth much fruit verily but few if any But now the opinion or rather the truth that I have been labouring to make good viz. that there shall bee different degrees of glory in Heaven and that God will proportion mens reward to their work and that he will measure out happiness and blessedness to them at last according to the different measures of grace bestowed upon his people and according to the work service and faithfulness of his people in this world This truth I say held forth in its luster and glory is a marvellous incouragement and a mighty provocation to all sincere Christians to labour after the highest pitches in Christianity and to bee very eminent in grace and holiness for what man is there that will not reason thus the more grace the more glory the more holiness the more happiness the more work the more wages and the greater my service shall bee here the
greater shall bee my reward hereafter and therefore O my Soul grow in grace perfect holiness and abound in the work and service of the Lord knowing that thy labour shall not bee in vain in the Lord And thus I have given you the reasons that prove that there shall bee degrees of glory in Heaven Now I have nothing further to do upon this point but to give a few brief Answers to such Objections as are commonly raised against this truth that I have asserted and proved Obj. First Some object and say that one Christ bought us all and that all our portions are bought by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and that therefore all beleevers shall share alike in the inheritance of the Saints in light now to this Objection I shall Answer First That all Saints shall bee equal sharers in the substantial and essential glory of Heaven c. but of this I have spoken before and therefore Secondly Though a Father buyes a rich inheritance for all his Children yet this laies no necessity nor obligation at all upon him to alot to every one of his Children an equal portion so though our Lord Jesus Christ hath by his blood purchased a rich inheritance for his Children yet this layes no necessity nor obligation at all upon Jesus Christ to divide this rich inheritance by equal portions among his Children t is true that Christ hath purchased all with his blood and t is as true that hee may divide his purchase among his people as hee pleases if every man may do with his own as hee pleaseth why may not Christ must hee needs bee bound when others are free Thirdly and lastly I answer that as it is true that the merits and satisfaction of Christ is the ground and foundation of our reward and that alone which makes our works capable of a reward so t is as true that our works are the subject of reward and this is most agreeable to the compact that was made between Christ and his Father that everlasting happiness and blessedness that eternal glory and felicity should bee measured out to the Saints according to their different measures of grace and different degrees of service that they have been engaged in in this world and all this upon the credit of Christs blood certainly there is nothing under heaven below the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that can make differing works capable of a different reward the Papists are most sadly out for they are so blinde and bold as to affirm that the more grace any man hath the more glory hee merits by his grace these men make degrees of grace and not the blood of Jesus Christ to be the meritorious cause of degrees of glory and therefore of all men I think they are furthest from glory certainly this is the beleevers glory and his crown of rejoycing that all recompences and rewards shall flow in upon him not upon the account of his merits but upon the account of Christs blood and thus much shall suffice to have spoken by way of Answer to this Objection Obj. 2. But now in the Second place I shall come to answer their grand and main objection and that is taken from that Parable in the 20 Matth. where the Kingdome of Heaven is compared to a vineyard now in this Parable there is mention made of a Husband-man that call'd several labourers into his vineyard at several hours in the day some hee call'd at the first hour and some hee call'd at the third and some at the ninth and some at the eleventh now when they came all to receive their wages the story tells us that hee gave every man a penny hee gave every man an equal reward they that laboured from the first hour and they that laboured from the third hour and they that laboured from the sixth hour of the day had no greater a recompence than hee that came in at the eleventh hour and so had labour'd but one hour in the vineyard and bore but little if any of the heat of the day from whence the Objectors conclude that there are no degrees of glory in Heaven but that all shall have glory alike happiness and blessedness alike every man shall have his penny every man shall have an equal reward and no mans penny in Heaven shall bee brighter or bigger than anothers Now by way of answer to this objection give mee leave to premise these three things First That this Parable of the housholder in giving to every man a penny hath no reference at all to Heaven nor to the reward nor to the glory that shall bee confer'd upon the Elect and this I shall clearly and fully prove by these four following Arguments First This illative particle for in vers 1. sheweth that this Parable is inserted to expound the former conclusion viz. that the first shall bee last and the last shall bee first and therefore the end of the Parable is concluded with the repetition of the same sentence vers 16. the last shall bee first and the first shall be last Christ by this Parable would teach his hearers that there is no reason under Heaven why they which are first called in respect of time should boast or triumph over others because hee can easily call the uncalled at pleasure and either make them equal with them or else prefer them before them which are first The scope of Christ in this Parable is not to set forth the equality of celestial glory 't is not to prove that the happiness and blessedness of the Saints shall be equal in Heaven but the very drift of the Parable is to shew that they which are first called and converted have no cause at all to despise the uncalled unconverted or to trample upon them with the foot of pride considering that they who are yet in their sins and in their blood and in an unconverted and unsanctified estate may yet be called and either made equal to them or preferred before them But Secondly Interpreters do generally agree in this that by the Husbandman wee are to understand God himself and by the Labourers men upon earth and by the Vineyard the Church of God and several of them say Chrysostom Origen Jerom Gregory Austin that by the five hours in the Parable wee are to understand the five ages of man First By those who were called in the morning See my Apples of Gold and sent into the Vineyard wee are to understand those who in their childhood are called and converted they are such who begin to seek the Lord and to serve the Lord even as soon as they are capable of the use of reason As Samuel did and as Josiah did and as Timothy did Secondly By those who are called at the third hour wee are to understand those who are converted and turned to the Lord in their youth in the prime the spring and morning of their daies Thirdly By those who were called at the
ever was or that is this day in the world all the seeds of holiness and all the roots of holiness that are to be found in Angels or men Phil. 1.11 are of the Lords sowing and planting All that holiness that the Angels had in Heaven and all that holiness that Adam had in Paradise and all that holiness that Christ had in his humane nature and all that holiness that ever any Saints have had was from God and all that holiness that any Saints now have is from God The Divine Nature is the first root and original fountain of all sanctity and purity James 1.17 Ministers may pray that their people may be holy and Parents may pray that their children may be holy and Masters may pray that their servants may be holy and husbands may pray that their wives may be holy and Wives may pray that their husbands may be holy but none of these can give holinesse none of these can communicate holinesse to their nearest and dearest relations t is only God that is the giver and the Author of all holinesse If holy persons could convey holinesse into others souls they would never suffer them to go to Hell for want of holiness to hand out holiness to others is a work too high for Angels and too hard for all mortals 't is only the Holy One that can cause holiness to flow into sinners hearts 't is only hee that can form and frame and infuse holiness into the souls of men A man shall sooner make a man yea make a world and unmake himself than hee shall make another holy t is only a holy God that can enlighten the mind and bow the will and melt the heart and raise the affections and purge the conscience and reform the life and put the whole man into a holy gracious frame and temper But Sixthly As God is originally radically and fundamentally holy Isa 44.24 Rev. 1.18 so God is independently holy the Holiness of God depends upon nothing below God God is the Alpha the fountain from â—â—ence all holinesse springs and hee is the Omega the Sea to which all glory runs As all our holiness is from God so all our holiness must terminate in the honour and glory of God 'T is God alone that is independently holy All that holiness that is in Angels and men is a dependent holiness it depends upon the Holiness of God as the streams depend upon the Fountain the beams upon the Sun the branches upon the Root and the members upon the Head God is Unum principium ex quo cuncta dependent one beginning upon whom all things depend God hath his Being only of himself and 't is hee alone that gives Being unto all other things God is the first cause and without all causes himself the very Beings that Angels and men have they have by participation from God And 't is the first cause that giveth unto all causes their proper operations Isa 44.6 I am the first and I am the last and besides mee there is no God God never had a cause of his Being as all other creatures have He is a glorious being a holy being without all causes either efficient or formal or material or final and therefore hee must needs be independently holy Look as the power of God is an independent power and the wisdome of God an independent wisdome and the goodness of God an independent goodness and the righteousness of God an independent righteousness so the holiness of God is an independent holiness And as it is the glory of his power that his power is an independent power and the glory of his goodnesse that his goodnesse is an independent goodnesse so 't is the glory of his holinesse that his holinesse is an independent holinesse And look as all that power that Angels and men have depends upon the power of God and as all that wisdome that Angels and men have depends upon the wisdome of God and as all that goodnesse that Angels and men have depends upon the goodnesse of God so all that holinesse that Angels and men have depends upon the holinesse of God c. Philo could say that God is such a fountain that hee breaks forth with the streams of his goodnesse upon all things but receives nothing back again from any to better himself therewith There are none in Heaven nor none on Earth that are absolutely independent but God alone Seventhly As God is independently holy so God is constantly holy hee is unchangeably holy hee was holy yesterday and hee is holy to day and hee will be holy for ever What is natural is constant and lasting Now Gods holinesse is natural to him 't is as natural for God to be holy as 't is for us to breathe yea as 't is for us to bee unholy God can as well and as soon cease to bee as hee can cease to be holy Holinesse is his nature as well as his name and therefore his holinesse cannot decay though ours may whatever wee may lose of our holinesse yet 't is certain that God can never lose one grain of that holinesse that is in him Here our holinesse ebbs and flows but the Holinesse of God never ebbs but is alwaies a flowing and over-flowing there is still a full tyde of Holinesse in God Though the Saints cannot fall from that seed of holinesse that is sown in their hearts 1 Joh. 3.9 yet they may fall from some degrees of holinesse that they have formerly attained to they that have been old men in holinesse may fall from being old men to be but young men in holinesse and they that have been young men in holinesse 1 Joh. 2.12 13 14. 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. may fall from being young men to be but children in holinesse and they that have been children in holiness may fall from being children to be but babes in holiness but now that holiness that is in God is never subject to any decayings abatings or languishing that spring that Sea of holiness that is in God is no waies capable of diminution nor of Augmentation Plato could say that God is one and the same Pierius and alwaies like himself And it was a custome among the Turks to cry out every morning from a high Tower God alwaies was and alwaies will bee and so salute their Mahomet O Sirs God hath been alwaies holy and God will bee alwaies holy whatever men may lose yet God is resolved that hee will never lose his honour nor his holiness But Eighthly and lastly As God is continually holy so God is exemplarily holy Levit. 20.26 Remember this you and I must answer for examples as well as precepts Hee is the Rule Pattern and Example of holiness 1 Pet. 1.15 Bee yee holy as I am holy Gods Holiness is the great example and pattern of all that holiness which is in the creatures Gods holiness is the Copy that we must alwaies have in our eye and indeavour most
exactly to write after Carnal friends and this blinde world and Antichrist and such as love to Lord it over the conscience will be still a presenting to you other examples and patterns but 't is your wisdome and your work to cast them all behinde your backs and to trample them under your feet and to follow that form and pattern that the Lord hath set before you And that is to bee holy as hee is holy All our holiness is to be brought to the Holiness of God as the standard and measure of it and therefore oh what cause have wee to be still a perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. And thus I have done with the second thing viz. Means to increase holiness and to raise you up to the highest pitches and degrees of holiness And so I come to the third thing proposed and that was to lay down some signs or evidences whereby persons may know whether they have attained to any high pitch or eminent degrees of holiness or no. Now Sirs if you desire in good earnest to know whether you have attained to any perfection of holiness or no then seriously weigh these following particulars and try your selves by them First The more a man can warm his heart at the Promises and cleave to the Promises and rest upon the Promises and suck marrow and fatness and sweetness out of the breasts of the Promises when Divine Providences seem to run cross to Divine Promises The greater measure of holiness that man hath attained to where there are but little measures of holiness there every seeming contrariety to the Promise troubles a man and every little cloud that hangs over the Promise will mightily perplex a man c. But where holiness is raised to any considerable height there that man will suck hony out of the flint hee will suck sweetness out of the Promise even then when providence looks sowrely upon the Promise yea when Providence seems to bid defiance to the Promise witness Jacob in that Gen. 32.6 7 8. compared with v. 9 11 12. And the Messengers returned to Jacob saying Wee came to thy Brother Esau and also hee cometh to meet thee and four hundred men with him Then Jaâ—ob was greatly afraid and distressed and hee divided the people that were with him and the Flocks and Herds and the Camels into two bands And said if Esau come to the one company and smite it then the other company which is left shall escape And Jacob said O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto mee return unto thy Country and to thy Kindred and I will deal well with thee Deliver mee I pray thee from the hand of my Brother from the hand of Esau For I fear him lest hee will come and smite mee and the Mother with the children And thou saidst I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the Sea which cannot bee numbred for multitude Now here you see holy Jacob in the midst of all his fears and frights in the midst of all his perils and dangers in the midst of all his damps and dreads and in the midst of all cross amazing and amusing providences hee turns himself to the breasts of the Promise and sucks marrow and sweetness out of those breasts Jacob puts the Promise into suit hee sues God upon his own bond and so bears up sweetly under dark and dismal providences And so did Moses in that Numb 10.29 And Moses said unto Hobab the Son of Raguel the Medianite Moses Father-in law wee are journying unto the place of which the Lord said I will give it you come thou with us and wee will do thee good for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel Moses had been almost now forty years in the wilderness and many thousands were fallen on his right hand and on his left yet saith hee to Hobab in the face of all those dismal providences come go along with us and be as eyes unto us and wee will certainly do thee good Vers 31. but Hobab might have objected Alas what good can I expect in a wilderness condition where so many are weak and so many are sick and so many thousands are fallen asleep and where all the people are every day surrounded with a thousand dangers difficulties and deaths well saith hee though al this be true yet go along with us and be serviceable and useful to us and wee will do thee good for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel Here this holy man Moses turns himself to the Promise and in the face of all sad providences hee draws comfort and incouragement from the Pâ—omise And so did Jehosaphat in that 2 Chron. 20. When the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir came against him to battel v. 1.10 hee turns himself to the Promise v. 7 8 9. and gathers life and spirit from thence And so did David in that Psal 60. in the 1 2 3. v. you have a Narrative of many cross and dreadful Providences and yet in the face of them all holy David sucks strong consolation out of the breasts of the Promise vers 6. God hath spoken in hâ—s holiness I will rejoyce I will divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth God hath promised in his Holiness that David should bee King over all Israel and therefore notwithstanding all strange providences David triumphs in the Promise and looks upon himself as Master of all those strong-holds that are mentioned in v. 7 8 9. And so Abraham hee wanted a Son and God promised him an Isaac Now in the face of all his own deadness and natural inâ—biâ—ities as to generation and Sarah's deadness and barrenness Rom. 4.17 18 19 20 1. hee turns about to the Promise and his Faith and Holiness being high hee draws sweetness and satisfaction from thence Notwithstanding present providences the nâ—keâ— Promise was a well of Life and Salvation to him O Sirs 't is an Argument of a very great measure of holiness when troubles and difficulties vanish upon the sight of a Promise when all things work quire cross and contrary to sense and feeling Now for a man to imbrace a Promise to hug a Promise to kiss a Promise and to draw content and satisfaction from a Promise argues a great degree of holiness 'T is a very hard and difficult thing for a man exactly to take the picture of Divine Providence at any time for many aâ—e the voices and the faces of providence and there are as great deeps in Providences as there are in Prophecies and many Texts of Providence are as hard as dark and as difficult to be understood as many Texts of Scripture are 't is as hard to reconcile the Works of God Psal 36.6 Rom. 11.33 as 't is to reconcile the Word of God for as in the Word of God there are many seeming contradictions so in the Works of God there are many
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
take any real pleasure delight content and satisfaction in God but those that are holy the worldling takes pleasure and delight in his baggs and the ambitious man in his honours and the voluptuous man in his pleasures and the malicious man in his revenge and the envious man in the harms that befalls others and the drunkard in his cups and the adulterer in his harlots and the gamster in his shifts and tricks and the player in his fopperies fooleries and mockeries 't is only the holy man that takes pleasure and delight in God Job 22.25 26. Cant. 2.3 cap. 7.6 Psal 33.21 Psal 48.11 Isa 41.16 Joel 2.23 Hab. 3.18 Zech. 10.7 as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margent together to delight and take pleasure in God is a work too high too hard too spiritual and too noble for any but holy persons there are none headed nor hearted nor spirited nor anointed nor principled for taking Pleasure in God but holy ones Abraham did not take more pleasure in his Isaac nor Jacob did not take more delight in his Joseph nor David did not take more satisfaction in his Absalom nor Jonah did not take more content in his Gourd than a holy man when hee is himself takes pleasure delight satisfaction and content in God and therefore how can God but take pleasure and delight in him Shall the Childe take delight in the Father and shall not the Father delight again in the Childe and shall the Wife take pleasure and satisfaction in the Husband and shall not the Husband take pleasure and satisfaction again in her Look as God hates them that hate him so hee takes pleasure in them that take pleasure in him now what a singular cordial and comfort is this to all Gods holy ones that God takes singular pleasure delight satisfaction and content in them what though the world hate you and scorn you and despise you and prefer every Barabas and Judas before you yet cheer up your spirits with this cordial and warm your hearts at this fire that God takes singular pleasure and delight in you what cares the Childe though others flight him so long as his Father at home delights in him and what cares the Wife though others despise her as long as her Husband at home honours her and takes pleasure in her and what cares the Innocent person though the Malefactor at the Bar rails upon him as long as the Judge upon the Bench acquits him and what should a Christian care though all the world should abhor him as long as the Lord takes singular pleasure and delight in him But Thirdly If thou art a holy person if thou hast that real holiness without which there is no happiness then know for thy comfort that thy real holiness is a substantial evidence of thy real union with Christ all true holiness is the immediate fruit of our real union with Christ Joh. 17.20 21. ch 15.5 Eph. 4.16 1 Pet. 2.4 5 6. Eph. 5.25 to the end upon our union with Christ Christ is made not only Wisdome Righteousness and Redemption but hee is also made Sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ and a holy person are one as Father and Son are one and they are one as the Vine and the Branches are one and they are one as Head and Members are one and they are one as the Foundation and the Building are one and they are one as Husband and Wife are one and that which speaks out their oneness their union is their holiness Hee that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Hee that is ingrafted into Christ hee that is initiated into Christ hee that is united unto Christ hee is a new creature hee hath a new head a new heart a new lip a new life a new spirit new principles and new ends hee can truly say with that convert Ego non sum ego I am not the man that I was of a Lion holiness hath made mee a Lamb of a Wolf holiness hath made mee a Sheep of a Raven holiness hath made mee a Dove c. And what doth all this speak out but a mans being in Christ but a mans union with Christ renovation speaks out union and union speaks out renovation renewing by Christ speaks out the souls in-being in Christ and the souls in-being in Christ speaks out the souls renewing by Christ Look as there could be no depravation but from our union with the first Adam so there can be no renovation but through our union with the second Adam Col. 3.10 But Fourthly If thou art a holy person if thou hast that real holinesse without which there is no happinesse then know sort by comfort Psa 34.12 13 14. that God will certainly bless all thy blessings to thee and hee will bless every estate and condition to thee most men have many blessings but 't is only the holy man that hath his blessings blest unto him Gen. 22.17 In blessing I will bless thee saith God to holy Abraham i. e. I will bless thy blessings to thee The holy person is in Covenant with a holy God and therefore all the blessings of the Covenant are his Psa 50.5 Psa 105.42 Ezek. 36.25 26. Zach. 3.3 4. Psal 84.11 Pro. 12.21 c. all they that partake of the Holiness of the Covenant they shall certainly partake of the blessings of the Covenant Now this is one of the blessings of the Covenant that all our blessings shall bee blest unto us O Christian all thy right hand blessings shall be blest unto thee and all thy left hand blessings shall be blest unto thee all the blessings of the upper springs shall be blest unto thee A little blest is better than a world enjoyed If thou art a holy man the God of all mercies and all the mercies of God the God of all comforts and all the comforts of God are thine and what wouldest thou have more and all the blessings of the lower springs shall be blest unto thee all the blessings of the Throne shall be blest unto thee and all the blessings of the foot-stool shall be blest unto thee And as all thy blessings shall bee blest unto thee so every estate and every condition shall be blest unto thee thou shalt be blest in health and blest in sickness blest in strength and blest in weakness blest in wealth and blest in want blest in honour and blest in dishonour blest in life and blest in death thou shalt be blest at home and blest abroad blest at board and blest at bed blest lying down and blest rising up blest in liberty and blest in bonds Look as all the blessings of a wicked man are curst unto him and as all the relations of a wicked man are curst unto him Prov. 3.33 Mal. 2.1 2 3. Levit. 26. Deut. 28. and as all estates and conditions that are incident to a wicked man are curst unto him so
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
of God And I saw as it were a Sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the number of his Name stand on the Sea of glass having the harps of God And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the Lamb saying Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy waies thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest In this and the following chapters the utter overthrow of Antichrist is described In this chapter you have a new Vision of the Gospels restoring and of Antichrists ruine By the Sea of glass mingled with fire wee are to understand the fiery trials and dreadful persecutions by fire and faggot that Antichrist will inflict upon sincere and faithful Christians The allusion is to the Red Sea and Pharaohs persecuting of Israel but the addition of fire is plainly to distinguish the Popes persecution from Pharaohs for though Pharaoh did sorely oppress the people of God both in their liberties and consciences and though hee had plotted and contrived a way to destroy their male children yet hee was never so cruel hee was never so bloody as to burn the people of God with fire and faggot as Antichrist hath done in all ages But now mark when the vials of the wrath of God comes to be poured out upon Antichrist yea upon what ever smells of Antichrist or looks like Antichrist why then the people of God will in a very eminent way lift up God as the great object of their fear and then the generality of the Nations shall be so deeply affected with the dreadful amazing and astonishing judgements of God upon Antichrist that they shall repent worship him and give glory to him O Sirs when God strikes slaves Sons should tremble great judgements upon sinners speaks out a great deal of the justice and holiness of God and the more the justice and holiness of God appears the more holy his people should grow Ah Christians had you grown more holy by those severe judgements of God that hath been inflicted upon others before your eyes you had not been under those smart rebukes of God that now you are under this day But Seventhly When men are called forth to war by God O! that 's a special time and season wherein God calls aloud for holiness The man of war must have holiness written upon the bridles of the horses Zach. 14.20 When men carry their lives in their hands they had need of holiness in their hearts when in every encounter a man must expect to enter upon a state of eternity hee had need be very holy that so if hee should fall in the encounter The Romans lived more orderly in time of war than in the times of their greatest peace hee may be sure to be happy Deut. 23.9 14. When the Hâ—st goeth forth against thine enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee therefore shall thy Camp be holy that hee see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee When the sword devoureth on both hands when it eats the flesh of Nobles and drinks the blood of Nobles when it feeds upon the flesh of the poor and drinks the blood of the needy then every souldier had need be a Saint when an eternity of glory and misery is every moment before every souldier every souldier had need walk very accurately hee had need live very holily Mark though the people of God were to keep themselves from every wicked thing at all other times yet when they went out against their enemies then in a special manner it highly concerned them to keep themselves not from some but from every evil thing or rather as the Hebrew hath it from every evil word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daâ—ar hee that is in danger of death every step hee takes and that carries his very soul in his hand had need precisely to abstain not onely from every evil work but also from every evil word as here God expresly charges Israel to do When God findes holiness in Israels Camp then God will quickly give up Israels enemies into Israels hands but when the Camp becomes a Den of iniquity then God will depart from the Camp and when God who is the bulwrk of a Camp is departed all the world cannot preserve that Camp from being destroyed Rev. 17.14 The Lamb looks that all those brave hearts that ingage with him against Antichrist should be called and chosen and faithful there is no armour of proof to that of holiness let a man be never so well mounted cloathed armed weaponed yet if hee be unholy hee lies naked and open to all disasters calamities and miseries O Sirs 't is one of the dreadfullest things in the world to hear such a cursing swearing lying and damning of themselves and to see such a giving up themselves to work all manner of wickedness with greediness who carry their lives in their hands every hour in the day yea at whose elbows damnation stands every moment O Sirs when God gives the sword a Commission to eat flesh and drink blood to stay both old and young to spare none that come before it and to pitty none that come nigh unto it it highly concerns all men to be holy this is a special season wherein God calls aloud for holiness I confess I am for Peace and Truth for Peace and Righteousness for Peace and Holiness against all war in the world but when ever the Lord shall call forth his people to fight his battels against Antichrist 1 Sam. 25.28 Dan. 2.31 ult and to smite Daniels Image in peeces it stands them very much upon to be a holy people yea to be eminently holy as they would have the presence of God with them and the power of God ingaged for them and the mercy goodness and blessing of God succeeding and prospering of them though hee that goes to war had need carry his purse with him yet hee must be sure to leave his sins behinde him or else his sins will do him more mischief than all his enemies for they will set God against him and how can straw and stubble possibly stand before a consuming fire I have read of Xerxes that viewing almost an innumerable Army of men hee fell a weeping saying Where will all these men be within a hundred years hee wept to think that all that mighty Army would be in their graves within a hundred years Ah what cause of weeping is there when wee behold most Armies in the world considering that within a few years yea months for any thing wee know they may be most in Hell
except there be sound repentance on their sides and pardoning mercy on Gods they are so abominable debauched and wicked But Eightly When God hath separated and severed his people from the corrupt and sinful customes and manners of the world and brought them into fellowship with himself and into Gospel-Communion with one another O then in a special manner hee calls aloud upon them to be holy Levit. 20.23 24 26. And yee shall not walk in the manners of the Nation which I cast out before you for they committed all these things and therefore I abhorred them But I have said unto you ye shall inherit their Land and I will give it unto you to possess it a Land that floweth with milk and hony I am the Lord your God which have separated you from other people And yee shall be holy unto mee for I the Lord am holy and have severed you from other people that yee should bee mine Distinguishing mercies should breed and nourish distinguishing qualities O Sirs 't is not for you who are separated and severed from the world by God to be proud and carnal and formal and distrustful and hypocritical and earthly and froward c. as the world is 't is not for you to deny your principles to debauch your consciences to change your notes to turn your coats to defile your souls to blot your names and to scandalize your profession O Sirs if God hath separated you and severed you from the world by a call from Heaven it highly concerns you not to think as the world thinks nor to speak as the world speaks nor to judge as the world judges nor to walk as the world walks nor to worship as the world worships but so to think speak judge walk and worship as may make most for the honour of God the glory of the Gospel and as best becomes those that have had the honour and the happiness of being separated and severed by God from the world But Ninthly When the day of the Lord draws neer and when wee look for the accomplishment of great things O then God calls aloud upon his people to bee holy 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12 13 14. But the day of the Lord will come as a Theif in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Element shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall bee burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall bee desolved what manner of persons ought yee to bee in all holy conversation and godliness Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall bee desolved and the Element shall melt with fervent heat Never-the-less wee according to his promise look for a new Heaven and new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Wherefore Beloved seeing that yee look for such things bee diligent that yee may bee found of him in peace without spot and blameless The neerer the day of Christ is to us and the more great and glorious things wee expect from God Isa 65.17 18 19 20. the more holy the more spotless and the more blameless wee must labour to bee I know there are many that look for new heavens and a new earth that is for a glorious Church-state here on earrh wherein shall dwell righteousness 't is certain that the highest Heavens where God keeps his Royal Court was never without righteousness righteousness hath been alwaies the habitation of his Throne righteousness hath alwaies dwelt in the highest Heavens and indeed Heaven would bee no Heaven yea it would rather hee a Hell than a Heaven if righteousness did not alwaies dwell there neither can the highest Heaven ever wax old neither were they ever made of Earth or Brittle mouldering matter the Pallace of the great King will bee alwaies new fresh shining and gloriousness but indeed the Earth in all Ages have been full of injustice unrighteousness wickedness tyranny cruelty and oppression so that righteousness seems to have been banished out of the world ever since Adam fell from his primitive righteousness and holiness O! but there is a glorious day a coming wherein the Earth shall bee full of righteousness and holiness as I have formerly proved at large from other Scriptures Now Christians the more great and glorious things you expect from God as the downfall of Antichrist the conversion of the Jews the conquest of the nations to Christ the breaking off of all yoâ—ks the new Jerusalems coming down from above the extraordinary pouring out of the spirit and a more general union among all Saints the more holy yea the more eminently holy in all your waies and actings it becomes you to bee many there bee that will talke high and speak big words and tell you stories of great things that they expect and look for in these daies which are the last of the last times and yet if you look into their lives you shall finde them loose and vain and what not O! that these would for ever remember that the more great and glorious things wee expect and look for from God the more holiness God expects and looks for from us and therefore as wee would not have God fail our expectation let not us frustrate his and the higher your expectation rises the higher alwaies let your holiness rise Eccle. 12 2 3 4 5. for there is nothing that will hasten that desirable day of glory upon the world like this But Tenthly and lastly When you draw neer your end when there are but a few steps between you and the Grave between you and Eternity when you have but a little time to live when death stands at your backs and treads on your heels and knocks at your doors when the eyes begin to grow dark when the grinders begin to cease when the keepers of the house the hands and the arms begin to tremble and when the strong men the legs and thighs begin to bow and stagger and totter as being too weak to bear the bodies burden O then what a holy people should you bee this very consideration had a very great influence upon that great Apostles spirit in that 2 Pet. 1.12 13 14 15. Wherefore I will not bee negligent to put you alwaies in remembrance of these things though yee know them and bee established in the present truth Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To rouse you up The Greek word signifies to awaken rouse and raise such as are a sleep There is a sinful slugishness and drousiness that often hangs upon the best of men and therefore they stand in much need of being awakned and roused up to look after their spiritual and eternal concernments to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ shewed me Moreover I will endeavour that you