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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29687	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 ...	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1662 (1662)	Wing B4939; ESTC R36378	584,294	672

grace damming up the course of all donations both divine and humane Lycurgus as Musculus observes among all his Lawes made none against the ungrateful because ingratitude was thought a thing so prodigious as not to be committed by man And the Persians and Athenians condemned the ungra●eful to death Ah unthankful Christians how can you think of these Heathens and not blush Shall they bless God for crums and will not you bless God for crownes shall they bless God for the gifts of nature and will not you bless God for the gifts of grace c Next to a holy Christ holiness is the greatest gift that God can give and therefore be thankful for it c. But Thirdly Evidence and declare your holiness by the reality of your constant pursuit after holiness by your holding up and holding on in a way of holiness Hosea 6.3 1 Thes 3.12 13. 2 Pet. 1.5 ● 10. Phil. 3.14 15 16. 2 Pet. 3 17 18. 1 Thes 4.1 by your perseverance in holiness this exhortation Follow peace with all men and holiness was given forth to such as had a spirit of holiness and principles of holiness in them and these are the men that the holy Apostle presses to press after holiness That holiness will doe us no good that is not made good by perseverance O Sirs shall the ambitious person pursue after his honors and the voluptuous person after his pleasures and the worldling pursue after his gaine and the wanton pursue after his Harlots and the drunkard pursue after his full Cups c. And shall not Christians much more pursue after holiness not to go forward is to goe backward Non progredi est r●gredi Rev. 2.10 17. Jude 20. 1 Cor. 9.24 Heb. 12.1 4. Pro. 18.6 Cant. 9. and not to grow better is to grow worse and not to grow more holy is to grow less holy the crowne the new name and the white stone is for him that holds out and that holds on in his pursuit after holiness A progress in holiness is fitly compar'd to a Building to a Race to the morning light and to the increasing Moon Now you know Houses are are raised from the foundations to the walls and from the walls to the first story and then to the second story and then to the third and so higher and higher till you come up to the roofe And in a Race you know men run on till they come to the Goal And the morning light shines brighter and brighter till it be perfect day And the Moon increaseth more and more till it come to the full And so must Christians persevere and hold on in adding grace to grace O! Christians you must not be like to a morning cloud nor to the early dew you must not stand still in the wayes of holiness Josh 10.13 1 Kings 10 11. as the Sun stood still in Gibeon much less are you to goe back like the Sun on Ahaz's Dyal but as a Bridegroome which cometh out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run his race Psal 19.5 Psal 119.32 so must you delight to run the wayes of Gods commands you must maintaine your progress in piety what ever comes on 't O Sirs the way of holiness is the safest way Pro. 3.17 the noblest way the sweetest way the cleanest way the pleasantest way and the happiest way and therefore hold on and hold up in that way though the world the flesh and the devill should cry out Pro. 26.13 There is a Lyon in the way there is a Lyon in the way It is said of Hannibal that notwithstanding the rough rocks and the craggy clifts of the Alpes yet he proceeded onward in his designe for Italy with this resolution that he would either finde a way or make a way and so must Christians hold on in a way of holiness notwithstanding all the Rocks and lets and difficulties that they meet with in that way Psal 44.17 18 19 20 21 22. 'T is an observation of some of the Learned Ezek. 9.4 that those that were marked to be preserved in Jerusalem were marked with the letter ת Tau which is the last of all the Hebrew letters to signifie that they must run the race of holiness even to the last O Sirs in the face of all your sins and unworthiness God holds on in wayes of mercy towards you and why then should not you hold on in wayes of sanctity towards him Shall Satan persevere in his enmity against holiness and shall wicked men persevere in their opposition to holiness and shall formalists persevere in their neglect of holiness and will not you persevere in your pursuit of holiness a good Husbandman will not give over sowing till he has sow'd all his Land nor a good Physitian will not give over his patient till he has cur'd him nor a good work-man will not give over his work till he hath finisht it no more should a good Christian give over his pursuit of holiness till he is come up to the highest perfection of holiness Look as God carried on the work of Creation from day to day till he had finished it Gen. 1. John 17. and as Christ carried on the work of our Redemption from day to day till he had compleated it so Christians should look to a daily carrying on of the work of holiness in their hearts and lives till that work be perfected and compleated The Philosopher being asked in his old age why he did not give over his practise and take his ease answered when a man is to run a Race of forty furlongs would you have him sit downe at the nine and thirtieth and so lose all his paines and the prize for which he runs surely no. O Christians you are Racers Heb. 12.1 and you must run to the end of your Race 't is not enough to begin well and to run well for a time but you must hold out in running What had it avail'd Peter to have escaped the first and second watch if he had stuck at the Iron Gate and had not passed through that also Finu coronat opus till you come to the Goal or else you will lose all the pains labour that ever you have taken in Religion you wil lose all the prayers that ever you have made and you will lose all the Sermons that ever you have heard and you will lose all the fasts that ever you have observ'd and you will lose all the tears that ever you have shed and you will lose all the Almes that ever you have given if you do not hold out to the end if you do not persevere in well-doing you will lose your crowne and be undone for ever after all your doings a progress in holiness is requisite not only to your consolation but also to your salvation Math. 24.13 But Fourthly Evidence and declare the truth and reality of your holiness by a resolute standing up for purity

Moses by a cleare articulate voice even as one man speaks to another when they speak face to face And so when Aaron and Miriam were swell'd with pride and envy and began to bespatter Moses and to pick a hole in his Coat and to cloud eclipse and diminish his glory see at what ahigh and noble rate God speaks of Moses see how God magnifies and exalts and lifts up Moses in that 12 Num. 6 7 8. And he said heare now my words if there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dreame My servant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all my house with him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold Wherefore then were ye not-afraid to speak against my servant Moses Now here you see how God owns Moses and stands up for Moses and pleads for Moses and tells Aaron and Miriam to their faces that Moses was the greatest favourite and that he had far greater respects for Moses then he had for them and that there was not a man in all the world that was so inward with him as Moses and that had so much of his eare and heart as Moses had God did appeare to o●her Prophets in Dreames and visions which were transient but with Moses God will speak mouth to mouth God will speak to him without an interpreter he will speak to Moses more familiarly and frequently then he did to others by visions and more clearely plainly and assuredly then he did to others by dreames God here engages himselfe to hold a more close familiar friendly and constant conference and correspondence with Moses then with any others in the world Moses was blest with as cleare and with as full and with as apparent sight of God and communion with God as he was able to bare and comprehend Some of the learned are of opinion that Christ did converse with Moses in a humane shape as he had done with Abraham before Gen. 18. Ch. 32.30 c. they conjecture that the Lord Jesus did very friendly and familiarly shew himselfe to Moses with that very same face and forme of humane nature which he afterwards assumed but this I dare not press upon you as an Article of your faith And whether Moses had one hundred and seventy three familiar conferences with God which none of the Prophets had lyes upon those Rabbies to prove that doe assert it but this is granted on all hands that he was a speciall favourite and a man in high communion with God and one that had very cleare and eminent discoveries and manifestations of God And so Abraham was a man of great holiness and a man eminent in his communion with God God own'd him as a friend Isa 41.8 as an honorable friend as an eminent friend as a bosome friend as a peculiar friend and as a faithful friend and therefore he made him one of his Privy Councell and open'd his heart and his secrets to him And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I doe Gen. 18.17 Abraham is stil'd the friend of God by a specialty though God had many friends yet 't was Abraham that was his singular friend his darling friend his rare friend c. and accordingly God was most free and full and rich in the communications of his favours and secrets to Abraham 't was not enough for Abraham to be of Gods Court but he must be also of his Cabinet Councell 'T was alwayes a principle in morality that sweet and intimate friendship cannot be extended to many Friends usually goe by paires And thus you see that the more holy any man is the more communion that man shall have with God and the more communion any man has with God the more beloved shall that man be of God the highest communion is alwayes attended with the highest love But Fifthly and lastly the more holy any man is the more actually ripe and fit for heaven that man is A Christian at first conversion is but ru●●e cast but as holiness is encreased Job 5.26 so he comes more and more every day to be prepared polished squared and fitted for a full and glorious fruition of God in heaven though the least degree of grace and holiness puts a man into an habitual preparedness and fittedness for heaven yet 't is only an eminency in grace and holiness that puts a man into an actuall preparedness and fittedness for heaven the richer in grace the riper for glory the higher you are in holiness the fitter you are to enter into the joy of your Lord Math. 25.19 to ver 24. though the least drop or dram of holiness is enough to keep a man from dropping into hell yet 't is only growne holiness that actually prepares and fits a man to goe to heaven Now doubtless the more actually ripe and ready any man is for heaven the more pleasure and delight God takes in him the more the vessels of grace are fitted for glory the more complacency God takes in them When God set himselfe upon the creation of the world in the close of every dayes work except the second for which the opinions of the learned are various God set to his Seale that it was good but when he had perfected and compleated the whole Creation and cast an eye upon all together then he concludes Gen. 1. ult that it was very good And God saw all that he had made and behold it was very good or extream good so some or very pleasant and delightfull so others The work of Creation was so curiously and gloriously fram'd and so full of admirable rarities and varieties that it raised delight and complacency in God himselfe Aug. in Gen. 1.31 Whereupon Augustine observes that even to every grace yea of the least degree of grace he saith it is good but when he beholds the graces of his Saints fresh and flourishing your faith acted and strengthened your repentance daily renewed your humility increased c. then he concludes that all is very good O Sirs if the Lord Jesus Christ be so ravished with one of his Spouses eyes Cant. 4.9 and with one chaine of her neck with the least drops or sips of grace or with the least grains and drams of grace and holiness O how much more will great measures of grace and holiness take him and ravish him Well for a close of this Argument remember this that as the Sun shines hotter on some Climates then it doth upon others and as the dew falls more upon one place then another and as the water over-flowes some pastures more then others so Gods love of complacency and delight shines hotter and brighter upon some Christians then it do's upon others and these I have shew'd you to be such who are most eminent and excellent in

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 l●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

helps to make us holy O the pains the care the cost the charge that God hath been at and that God is daily at to make us holy Hath he not sent Jer. 7.13 25. Chap. 25.3 4. and chap. 35.14 15. Isa 49.4 5. 2 Cor. 12.14 15. Rom. 13.11 ult and doth he not still send his Messengers rising up early and going to bed late and all to provoke you to be holy Have not many of them spent their time and spent their strength and spent their spirits and spit up their lungs and spent their very lives to make you holy O Sirs what do holy Ordinances call for but holy hearts and holy lives What do dayes of light call for but walking in the light and casting off the deeds of darkness What is the voice of all the means of grace but this O labour to be gracious And what is the voice of the holy Spirit but this O labour to be holy And what is the voice of all the miracles of mercy that God hath wrote in the midst of you but this Be ye holy be ye holy O Sirs what could the Lord have done that he hath not done to make you holy Hath he not lifted you up to heaven in respect of holy helps Hath he not to this very day followed you close with holy offers and holy intreaties and holy counsels and holy encouragements and all to make you holy And will you be loose still and proud still and worldly still and malicious still and envious still and contentious still and unholy still O what is this Rev. 2 4 5. Isa 32.25 but to provoke the Lord to put out all the lights of heaven to drive your Teachers into corners to remove your Candlesticks and to send his everlasting Gospel that hath stood long a tip-toe among a people that may more highly prize it and dearly love it and stoutly defend it and conscientiously practice it then you have done to this very day By what hath been said I suppose there is nothing more evident then that the times and seasons wherein we live calls aloud upon every one to look after holinesse and to labour for holinesse never complain of the times but cease to do evil and labour to do well Isa 1.16 17 18 19. and all will be well Get but better hearts and better lives and you will quickly see better times Fourteenthly Consider that holinesse will render you most like to a holy God a holy Christ and to holy Angels God is frequently called the holy one in Scripture he is called the holy one above thirty times in the old Testament Gold being the most precious mettal you lay it over those things that are most precious to you so doth God lay holiness over all those things that are most precious to him Angels are holy and Saints are holy but it is God alone that is the holy one His person is holy Isa 6.3 his name is holy Luke 1.49 his works are holy Psalm 45.17 his judgements are holy Psalm 22.1 2 3. his habitation is holy Isa 57.15 his Temple is holy 1 Cor. 3.17 his Kingdom is holy Rev. 21.27 his Word is holy Psalm 19. and his Sabbaths are holy Exod. 16.23 Now this is Gods own Argument Be ye holy for I am holy Lev. 19.2 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Concerning the holinesse of God I shall speak at large by divine assistance when I come to press you upon perfecting of holinesse and therefore let this touch suffice for the present Sirs you cannot be l●ke to God in many other things but you may be like to God in this one thing in this noble thing in this most necessary thing Holinesse and therefore labour after it Again as holinesse will render you most like to a holy God so holinesse will render you most like to a holy Christ The Apostle calls him the holy one 1 John 2.20 Christ is essentially holy he is infinitely holy he is originally holy he is singularly holy he is eminently holy he is perfectly holy he is transcendently holy and he is immutably holy And so much the Devil himself confesseth in Mark 1.24 I know thee who thou art Alluding as some think to Exod. 28.36 the holy one of God or rather as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that holy one by way of excellency and eminency Yea Christ takes delight to characterize himself by this title in Rev. 3.7 These things saith he that is holy And in Dan. 9.24 he is called the most holy or as the Hebrew hath it Kodesh k●dashim the holiness of holinesses These abstracts speak out the vigour and strength the eminency and excellency of Christs holiness Christ is holiness it self yea holinesses and what do these abstracts speak out but that perfect and compleat holiness that is in Christ The Angels in Isa 6.3 do three times iterate or repeat holy holy holy now though some do conceive that this three-fold repetition hath reference to all the three persons holy Father holy Son and holy Spirit yet they that will but compare the Text with John 12.37 42. shall plainly see that it relates only to our Lord Jesus Christ and so the three-fold repetition denotes only the superlative eminency of Christs holiness Christ is holy in his natures in his offices in his purposes in his counsels in his word and in his works Acts 4.23 Luke 1.35 Ephes 4. Gal. 2.20 His conception was holy his conversation was holy his converse was holy c. Holiness is the image of Christ it is the picture of Christ the perfections of Christ it makes a man conformable to the life of Christ Christs Holiness is that noble copy after which we should all endeavour to write Subjects may without Treason or offence attempt to be like their Prince in wisdom goodness righteousness holiness peace piety clemency and sanctity though they cannot without rebellion and disobedience endeavour to be like him in power greatness might majesty splendour and glory so we may safely and honourably attempt to be like to Jesus Christ in wisdom righteousness and holiness c. It is Christs particular honour to be imitated in all morals absolutely Though we may not attempt to be like him in his miracles signs and wonders O Sirs Some have counted it their greatest honour and glory in this world that they have been like such and such who have been high and glorious in the world and why then should not you reckon it your greatest glory and happiness to be like to Christ in holiness though not in measure or quantity yet in truth and reality As you would resemble Christ to the life labour to be holy in other things you cannot be like to Christ but in holiness you may you cannot be like to Christ in his greatness majesty or glory nor yet in his omnipotency omnisciency nor omnipresence nor yet in his general or special providence nor in a thousand other things but