incorruptible inheritance is hers Heaven its self is called the inheritance of the Saints or holy-ones Col. 1.12 and this inheritance is shared among them that are sanctified and none else Acts 26.18 And this inheritance is both Light and Life Kingdome and Crown of Glory which fadeth not away and therefore methinks the great and generous Gallants of this World as they love to be called should be in love with and all inamour'd of Holiness seeing Beauty and Glory Honour and Riches meet and center in her as much and well as they are annexed to her 9. To gather and close up many things together Holiness is the end of all that God the Father Son and Spirit have done and will do for us from first to last as also of all the means enjoyn'd to Priviledges confer'd on Graces wrought in Duties to be done by us Afflictions and Trials wherewith we are exercis'd 'T is the end the Father hath in Electing Eph. 1.4 He hath chosen us in him viz. Christ before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love As of the Fathers Election so is it the end of the Sons Redemption of us Eph. 5.25 26. He loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and so again Titus 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The Office and Work of the Spirit is to sanctifie and he is called holy not only as being so in himself but for making us so by his efficient power 2 Thess 2.13 God hath chosen you to salvation not only through belief of the truth but sanctification of the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to foreknowledge through sanctification of the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.1 Such were some of you but ye are sanctified c. by the Spirit of our God 'T is the end of all Ordinances and means and we should not take up with the means without the end What is preaching for but to bring men into and to build them up in holiness Eph. 4.11 12 13. 'T is the end of all Dignities and Priviledges of which the Promises are principal and why are they given us but as was said above that we might perfect holiness and partake of a Divine Nature Why is the great Title of the Sons and Children of God bestow'd upon us but that we should be followers of and like to God our Father as dear Children 'T is the end of all graces wrought in and exercis'd by us of faith Acts 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith and Acts 26.18 them that are sanctified by faith So of hope 1 John 3.3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure So of knowledge 1 John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him He hath not learned the truth as 't is in Jesus and therefore his knowledge is but a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 and knowledge falsly so called 1 Tim. 6.20 'T is the end and effect of love also 1 John 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and they are not grievous Commands from God who loves us and to us who love him cannot be grievous if they are so 't is for want of love in us for our Saviour tells us if we love him we will and they are the lovers and friends of him who do keep his Commandments 'T is the end of that great duty of Prayer why or what do we pray for but that we may be holy and do his will on Earth as 't is done in heaven Surely what the Apostle prays for in relation to the Thessalonians 1 Ep. 5.23 should be every ones prayer for themselves that they may be sanctified throughout and wholly and to walk worthy of God to all well-pleasing Col. 1.10 'T is the end of all Afflictions Chastenings and Trials that we might come out of them like Gold purified 1 Pet. 1.7 that the fruit may be the taking away of sin Isa 27.9 and for our profit which is in this that we might be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12.10 Yea 't is the end of all mercies and deliverances Luke 1.74 75. that being deliver'd out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him in righteousness and and true holiness without fear all the dayes of our life Yet again and so I conclude 'T is the preparation for and our glory in Heaven its self 'T is our preparation for the sight of God for without Holiness no Man how Wise and Learned Rich and Honourable Fair and Beautiful soever he be shall see the Lord Heb. 12. and when we do see him more Holiness will be the effect of that sight 1 John 3.2 when he doth appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and this is called Glory Col. 3.4 When Christ our Life shall appear we shall appear with him in Glory and 't is for the very thing viz. being holy that the Church is called Glorious Ephes 5.27 Well then These things being so I intreat you to consider of what hath been said and beseech God to give you Understanding in all things that you may so Know as to Believe so Believe as to Love so Love as to Practise so Practise as to Perfect Holiness and be Eternally saved and then I know that you will rejoyce and sing the New Song even Praise to God and joyn with them that say Holy Holy Holy and conclude with my Text that Holiness becomes thine House O Lord for ever Let all the People say Amen And as the Arabick adds Allelujah FINIS
of God and as his Name is so is he The Holy One Isa 57.15 And how excellent is his Name in all the earth He is called the Holy One and the Holy One of Israel many a time over in the Scriptures His Holiness is himself for to swear by his Holiness and by himself is the same thing as 't is also to swear by his Great Name Psal 89.35 Heb. 6.13 Jer. 44.26 compared Now God being the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the altogether lovely how beautiful a thing must Holiness be it being the Name of him who only is God who only is good who only is wise and all that is the perfection of beauty and object of desires Secondly Holiness is the Will of God and as his Will is holy so his Will is that we should be holy S. Paul bids us in every thing give thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you 1 Thess 5.18 So may I say In every thing be holy for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you His Word is the signification and discovery of his Will and this is his Will your sanctification or holiness 1 Thess 4.3 And this is his word too 1 Pet. 1.15 16. As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation for it is written Be ye holy because I am holy O what a lovely and beautiful thing is the Will of God! He worketh all things according to the Counsel of his Will and so should we 'T was the great commendation of King David that he served his Generation according to the Will of God Acts 13.36 and is for this said to be the man after Gods own heart because he would fulfil all his Wills for the Greek is plural Acts 13.22 Yea our Lord Jesus Christ who is so often called The holy Jesus gloryed in this because by it he glorified his Father that he did alwayes did and delighted to do th◠things that pleased him or which i◠all one his Fathers Will. Well the◠the Will of God being the Rule and measure of what 's acceptable and pleasing lovely and beautiful in his eyes Holiness must be transcendently so for this is the Will of God Thirdly Holiness is the Work of God All Gods works are worthy of him and like himself rare and excellent to admiration and wonder The Rule holds here operari sequitur esse in this sense the work is according to the worker If Apelles's and Titian's Peeces were so admirable what are Gods If the works of the first Creation were good exceedingly Gen. 1.31 of which Man was one of the chief and holiness the chief excellency of Man how much more the work of the new Creation which doth mainly consist in holiness He that hath wrought us to this self same thing is God 2 Cor. 5.5 and he that sanctifies or makes us holy is the Lord Exod. 31.13 We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Eph. 2.10 And put on the New-Man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness So that holiness being the work of God it must needs be lovely Yea Fourthly Holiness is not only the Name the Will and the Work but 't is the Image of God and his likeness The Image of God is not so much in our souls being a spirit as being holy The Devil is a Spirit but far enough from being the Image of God We were at first created in Gods Image and after Gods likeness Gen. 1.26 27. And the Apostle refers to this Eph. 4.24 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Created after God i. e. after the Image and likeness of God viz. in righteousness and true holiness Christ Jesus is the holy One and we are to be conformed to the Image of him the Son of God Rom. 8.29 both in being holy and in suffering with him for being so vers 17. as well as in being glorified If I may allude to the Art of Limning I would say that an holy life is the Picture of Gods though not drawn perfectly and to the life and I think the Apostle favours the expression Eph. 4.18 speaking of the Gentiles that they were alienated from the life of God i. e. from holiness And as to the workers of iniquity Christ Jesus professeth that he never knew them Matth. 7.23 Sin hath so altered and disguised man from what he was when God made him that God knows him not owns him not for the man he made Fifthly 'T is yet more Holiness is the very Nature of God There are some Attributes that flow from the Will of God as well as from his Nature as Mercy which he may suspend and not exert if so please him and none can say unto him Why dost thou thus But the Holy Scriptures tell us that there are some Attributes which admit of a cannot be otherwise God saith the Apostle cannot lie cannot deny himself so cannot do wickedly He is True Just Faithful and Holy and 't is impossible he should be otherwise And 't is of clear observation that in the Holy Scripture A Divine Nature and Perfect Holiness are equivalent terms Be pleas'd to compare 2 Pet. 1.4 whereby are given to us exceeding great or the greatest and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of a Divine Nature having escaped the pollution or corruption that is in the World through lust Here you see that the design and end of the promises is to make us partakers of a Divine Nature Now compare this with 2 Cor. 7.1 and there the use of the promises is to perfect holiness Having these promises which according to St. Peters Phrase are the greatest for they are that God will be a God and Father and there 's none greater to promise as there was none greater to swear by than himself Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit which is the same with the corruption spoken of by St. Peter perfecting holiness i. e. till we be sanctified throughout and perfectly or in St. Peters phrase be made partakers of a Divine Nature Sixthly Yet once more Holiness is not only the Name the Will the Work the Image and the Nature but 't is the Glory of God Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee glorious in holiness 'T is his great Title of Honour 'T is the Glory of all his Attributes and Administrations it is the Attribute whereby God is declared to be free from all impurity and imperfection his Soveraignty would seem and look like Tyranny but that 't is holy his Patience would look like an Indulgence and Toleration of sin and so the World judge it Mal. 2.17 but that 't is holy his Love would look like respecting of persons but that 't is holy Holiness is the ground of the Songs of Praise that are sung to his Glory in Earth and Heaven Isa 6.3 Holy holy holy is the
23.9 Bathsheba was very beautiful to look upon but her sin was more her shame than that her praise You heard before how this Beauty of Holiness was prefer'd and had the commendation beyond that of the face Prov. 31.30 And the Apostle gives the holy hand the honour above all 1 Tim. 2.8 A white hand if not innocent a neat hand if not holy though adorned with never so many rings and bracelets makes no fair shew in the eyes of God though lifted up to him in Prayer 4. The Artificial beauty which is short of the Natural must therefore of necessity fall short of this which is Supernatural The Ornaments of Gold and Silver Garnishings with Precious Stones for Beauty as 2 Chron. 3.6 Modish garbs and dresses which often bewitch and dazle the beholders eyes and hath many times more beauty than the wearer is infinitely short of the beauty of holiness And therefore the glory of the Kings Daughter Psal 45.13 14. is not given to her clothing though of wrought gold nor to her rayment though of curious Needle-work but to her inner beauty which is holiness she was all glorious within viz. pure in heart and her beauty is in forgetting her fathers house and in worshipping her Lord and King who would then desire her beauty Psal 45.10 11. for such he seeks to worship him as do it in spirit and truth in the beauty of holiness So St. Paul tells us that the best ornaments are not broidered hair or gold or pearls or costly array but modesty shamefastness sobriety and good works which becometh women professing Godliness 1 Tim. 2.9 10. That without this is nothing at all but this though without that is all in all And so St. Peter also tells us 1 Pet. 3.3 4. that women should not reckon those outward ornaments their beauty but the hidden man of the heart that which is not corruptible a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price and that 's the praise we should be ambitious of viz. which is of God and not of men Rom. 2.29 To be drest to the approbation and admiration of men to be renowned for beauty and not to have the approbation of God will afford but cold comfort while we live and when we die And therefore to declare the thing as it is and to dis-abuse this mistaken World let me tell them that they do but mis-call and flatter these sublunary things when they attribute to them and adorn them with the fine words and specious titles of beauty and bravery delight and delicacy pleasure and prettiness honour and happiness alas these are but great fancies pompous shews glittering and gaudy nothings The rosiness of the most orient beauty the whistling of the most silken bravery the chinking of white and yellow dust alias gold and silver the sparkling glories which tempt and captivate the amorous the proud the covetous the ambitious sons of men will one day appear to be but the cheat of imagination and that they who have courted them have jugled themselves out of true happiness into a false one and have espoused themselves to a meer paultry vanity which if it be any thing is a something less than nothing as the Prophet phraseth it Isa 40.17 they will find by the disappointment of their hopes that they did but build Castles in the aire and their false joys will end in true miseries 5. Holiness far surmounts the Morality and half refined Vertues of Philosophers Morality is indeed a very lovely thing in its kind and is a great rarity among men 't were to be wisht there were as much among some Christians as there was among some Heathens Christians profess more than they did but they did more than many who are profest-Christians For this Christ loved the young man but yet 't was not enough the one thing necessary was wanting he was not sanctified There are many fine things that may glitter but be no gold good inclinations sweet dispositions ingenious behaviour seemingly vertuous conversations may make a fair shew in the flesh and yet they who own them may be in the flesh and so cannot please God Rom. 8.8 A complexional or a constitutional meekness c. may be no vertue which is a conquest over opposition Philosophical Vertue which they place in obeying and conforming to the Placits of wise men and dictates of Reason or performing vertuous acts for vertues sake may be far from holiness which is as I clear'd above a conformity to the will of God as such sub intuitu divinae voluntatis with respect to his will and an eye to his glory Education Art and Prudence may and do oblige to and produce effects very resembling and like to them that are religious but the sweetest innocency and most glorious acts if not the result and effect of union with Christ and the love of God will profit nothing 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Though such persons may seem too good to go to Hell yet without holiness they will not be found good enough to go to Heaven but the person may be condemnable when the acts may be by themselves considered capable of commendation See Matth. 7.21 22 23. Yet again as to this head To teach or learn Moral Vertues apart from Christ is to have them apart from Heaven they are indeed required of and to be practis'd by Christians but so is more than they and they as springing from the fountain directed by the rule and terminated in the glory of God in Christ Otherwise though we learn to conceal or disguise Ungodliness we shall never learn to be godly and every thing but being and living godly in Christ Jesus leaves us under the first Covenant which is too weak to save us Philosophy and Morality may make us civil and good men but they will never make us holy and good Christians And as Doctor M. Causabon well observes Christless discourses are to little purpose the truth is saith he the consideration of Christ laid aside though good language and excellency of wit may go far with some men to perswade and with all or most to please and delight yet bare vertue of it self all things soberly considered will prove generally but a weak plea and as Brutus at his death is said to have bemoan'd himself rather a Name or Word than reality 6. and Lastly The Beauty of holiness far exceeds and excells Pharisaical righteousness The Pharisees if you would take their word and believe of them as they conceited of themselves were righteous more than others and therefore despised others and bid them stand afar off as unclean in comparison of them the more holy but these were no incense only smoak in the nostrils of God They had so obtain'd upon the credulous and easily deluded Vulgar that they also thought them Gods darlings and favourites in so much that 't was Proverbial among the many That if but two went to Heaven the one would be a Pharisee Our
blush and be ashamed that ever they should so much wrong Religion by giving such occasion to reflect such undeserved reproaches on her Alas how will they answer it to Gods-Deputy their Conscience and if not to that how to God for if our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth more by us than we do by our selves and therefore may much more condemn us With what faces can such persons appear before the Throne of God either here when they pray or hereafter when they must be judged I will say to them as Alexander is said to say to a souldier of his and of his Name Either lay aside thy Name or fight better Either be not Christians in Name or be Christians indeed for if they have a Name to live and yet be dead in sins and trespasses by living in them they may die in their sins and be damned for all their Name He that made them will not save them if they be not new-made and become new-men for t is not being a creature but a new creature that entitles to and assures of Salvation Again 2. Let me say to every House of God by way of dehortation in St. Pauls words which are of God 2 Cor. 6.14 c. Be ye not unequally yoaked with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an Insidel and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwel in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come cut 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 to you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty Having therefore these Promises Dearly Beloved Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Who hath given us these exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of a divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 And you may hear another Voice from Heaven saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Revel 18.4 Therefore once more in St. Pauls expressions 1 Cor. 10.14 15 c. My dearly beloved flee from Idolatry I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say for why should we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger than he v. 22. Of old God would not permit his people linsie-woolsie garments nor to plow with an Oxe and an Ass nor to halt between God and Baal Methinks Protestants if they remember the Name should not incline to communion with Papists in their Idolatry which was the ground of our separation from them 3. I would say this by way of caution Let no man counterfeit and dissemble a being holy Simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas to be an hypocrite is to be but a rotten post though double gilt 'T is to be not only a sinner but one died in grain Hypocrisie is a word taken from the Stage as is well known and 't is rather a playing than an acting of Religion 'T is personating without being a religious person 'T is an Art not an Act. And in Religion 't is true what they say of faces that painting doth not so much advance beauty to the eye as debase it to the judgement and that handsomness which is only artificial is real deformity 'T is not what is service in the eyes of men or what is celebrated by them for beautiful but what is so in the sight of God as the Apostle Col. 1.22 4. This by way of Exhortation to the House of God be then really zealously and eternally holy not for a day as if ye put on no more but an holy-dayes face and sine cloths but at all times and in all things Whatsoever ye do from the highest duty of Grace to the lowest of Nature whether you eat or drink buy or sell as well as whether you hear or pray do all to the glory of God Jesus Christ hath given himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of and in readiness to every good word and work to walk worthy of him to all well-pleasing and to serve him in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of our life to length of dayes or for ever as 't is in the Text and that though the floods lift up their voice and waves as 't is a little before the Text and to which it hath relation We should be ambitious to be as holy as Absalom was fair and to have as glorious a Name as the Old Temple had which was the beauty of the whole Earth and of which it is said That in it every one spake of his glory or as 't is in the Margine every whit of it uttereth glory viz. to God whose due it is I do the rather urge this because the life of Religion lies in living in it and I scarce know any thing more wanting than an holy life professing hearing and praying there is great store but where is holiness alas can we find it in our hearts to live by God and not live to God! Do we love to hear of Christians Dignities and shall we not love to hear of Christian Duties of Priviledges and not of Performances of Consolation and not of Conversation Doctrine Can we lend our ear to hear what God hath done for us and shall we not give that the hearing which is to be done by us Surely our design in being Christians should be like Gods not only to save our selves but to glorifie him If you will please to lend me a little more of your patience I will endeavour to set this Exhortation home by some obliging arguments 1. The Lord of this House the Pater-familias the Father of this Family is holy and as I have already made appear 't is his Name his Work his Will his Image his Nature and Glory therefore be ye also holy 2. Your Profession is holy and we should not only make a good profession but make it good The House of God is as I may call it an Holy Academy where all are to be holy professors as well as professors of holiness Profession is an engaging thing as St. Paul tells us 1 Tim. 6.12 Fight the good fight of Faith c. seeing thou hast made a good Profession before many Witnesses 3. Your Calling is holy 2 Tim. 1.9 He hath called us with an holy calling and 1 Thess 4.7 He hath called us not to uncleanness but to holiness We are indeed saved by Grace but we are to know