The Beauty of Holiness, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Rule of Holiness.
ALthough the whole Canon of Scripture is useful to instruct us in our duty; yet because many things, if not approved, yet dispensed with under the old dispensation, are now quite antiquated and abrogate, I shall therefore at present confine my discourse to the Gospel-Oeconomy, and by the rule discover wherein the Nature of true Holiness, and undefiled Religion before God consists.
touch. 'Tis an odd and strange operation, that streams of Love onelyonly meet with contempt and disdain.
Sure I am, there is a concurrence of all sorts of motives and arguments to engage us to love God; and those indeed so charming and endearing, that it is strange any body should fail in it. Methinks the work it self is so sweet and delectable, so ravishing and lovely, that men need not be courted to it by perswasion. O what a great deal of satisfaction, of ineffable delight, does the devout soul finde in those actings of love towards God! And if the Voluptuous and Sensualist would but abandon those sinful delights he now findes so charming and bewitching, and betake himself to the practice of holiness: If he would change the object of his love, and place it where it ought to be; I doubt not but he should quickly perceive there is more pleasure, more contentment and satisfaction in the love of God, than in the enjoyment of all carnal pleasures.
That man that shall make a just estimate of things, shall be easily convinced there is nothing worthy of love in comparison of God. Alas! the pleasures of this world are but shadows and fancies, which will soon disappear! Its beauty and splendour is but gilded and delusory: and is it reasonable, nay, is it not extream madness to place the strength of our affections on such uncertain and quickly-removed vanities?
The usual arguments of love amongst men, are Relation, Interest, or the Beauty and Excellency of the Object. Now all these lay much stronger obligatios upon us to love God. For Relation, is he not our Lord and Maker, who gave us life and being, who as a tender Father kindely compassionates our condition, and in our low estate has carefully minded us, when our other Relations have accounted us aliens and strangers? This the Royal Psalmist experimented; and I make no question but many good men have been, and are living instances of this truth.
And indeed, that man that consults his own interest, cannot but be strongly excited to love that God who is the best benefactor, and equally willing and able to bestow favours upon him. It is an argument of a very base and mean spirit, to despise our benefactors: but thus have we requited God, who daily loadeth us with mercies, and reneweth his blessings every morning: we have, God knows, most insolently carried our selves, even then, when he has been displaying a banner of love over us.
As for Beauty and Excellency, what in the world can compete with him, who is glorious in holiness, and whose Name is excellent in all the earth? How quickly are all created beauties winked into darkness? At the best they are but streams derived from this glorious being; and is it not hugely reasonable, that he who is the original of these, should be the chief object of our love, and make us with the Psalmist say, Whom have I in the heaven but thee; and there is none upon the earth I desire besides thee?
I know there is no man would take it well, nay who would not be highly incensed, and think himself much wronged, to have his Love called in question; but God knows how little reason the far greater part of Mankinde have to pretend love, who stand not to break his Laws, to cast behinde them, and lightly esteem his precepts, the obedience of which is made the best and surest character of Love.
Would God it were as easie to perswade as it is to propose our duty. But how hard is it to convince men of the folly, the extream and strange madness, of being lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God? But the truth is, there is such a mire and puddle of pollution in our hearts, that it quite choaks and extinguisheth all sparks of Love, makes us violate the principles of humanity, and become more ungueate than the beasts who have no understanding.
But if this Divine flame be kindled in our Hearts, if it be sincere and superlative as it ought to be, it will easily employ all the faculties of our soul in his service; it will engage, and enable us too, to perform the several Duties of Piety the Laws of Christianity enjoyn; which because they are some of the particular branches of Holiness, I shall briefly mention, with their encouragements; and for method and order reduce to four Heads. First, it will instruct and enable us to trust and depend upon God. Secondly, to submit and obey his Will. Thirdly, to honour and reverence his great and sacred Name. And Lastly, to worship and adore him according to the method he hath himself prescribed.
I begin with the first, namely, That Love where it is sincere, is a noble and generous page missing (says our Lord) I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; neither for your body, what ye shall put on: Is not the life more than meat? and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? &c. Matth. 6.25, 26. 'Tis rejected and condemned as a Pagan and Heathnish sin, to be querulous and sollicitous of what we shall eat, or what we shall drink, or wherewithal we shall be clothed: for after all these things do the Gentiles seek, v. 31, 32.
I confess, as I cannot sufficiently enough pity the madness of some men, who will trust God with their Souls, but not with their secular Concerns; so could I never yet project what may be the reason why better men than the former are so apt to distrust God in times of danger and want. I wish such men would consider how shrewd a presumption this is of Atheism, at least of establishing the Epicurean notion of a Deity who is quite unconcerned about inferiour beings, and sequestrated from the care of sublunary affairs. For if we did indeed think that he takes notice of us, we could not but confidently rely upon his care.
Secondly, we are by the perfect rule of Piety and Holiness instructed to submit to the divine Will, and comply with the Gospel-precepts, which concerning all things are right. Perhaps the lot infinite Wisdom has carved out to us, is no ways relishing to flesh and blood. Whilst others are walking amongst roses, enjoy all secular advantages, and are placed in the sunshine of prosperity; may be we are forced to hang our harps upon the willows, and spend our few days in sorrow and grief. However, let us, not even under these sad circumstances, charge God foolishly, or be impatient under the severity of his correction; for this is no argument of the hatred of a Father. Let us rather in this case view the unspeakable reward, and the divine promises, which are sufficient arguments to revive our fainting and most languishing hopes, and able to form our souls to true patience.
Philosophers, if ever they attained to a perfection in any vertue, it was in their patience under the instability of worldly things; and yet their grounds and motives to patience were sandy and ineffectual, and no ways comparable to the arguments page missing habit and custome, while this is the very thing that enhances their guilt: neither will it, I think, a whit lessen the crime, that Great persons have given it such a vogue in the world.
The Name of God is a sacred thing, which must not be appealed to, but in the most weighty and serious cases: Thou shalt swear (says the Prophet) that the Lord liveth, in truth, justice, and judgement. If we either affirm or promise any thing by oath, it must be after mature deliberation, after we have ascertained our selves of the truth and lawfulness of it: this the very Poet could dictate,
Nec Deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus
Inciderit—
It were to be wished, that the Hectors of this age would learn of the very Heathens more reverence; and that those men that pretend to good breeding, would be so civil, even sometimes for the companies sake, as to forbear those Oaths that tender ears cannot hear without offence.
In the last place, the divine Love, if scattered in our Hearts, will excite us to worship God after the method himself hath prescribed: It will direct us to the rule of Piety, where we shall finde every thing that relates to our immediate intercourse with God in divine Ordinances and Worship exactly ordered. I confess, the Heathen-world, as they were confused in their notions of a Deity, and almost quite ignorant of the eternal reward; so were they superstitious in their Worship, and sometimes ignorantly erected Altars to an unknown God. Their Worship was attended with a great deal of external pomp, was very grateful to their external senses; but it reached not the Heart. But the Christian rule instructs us to worship God in Spirit, and prescribes the best method of devotion: It requires that We worship and bow before the Lord our maker, with all possible humility and reverence; that we possess our Hearts with the greatness and glory of that Majesty we adore; that we be intent in our devotion, and not suffer secular concerns to intrude and interrupt us; that we act faith upon him, and believe that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him; and that we approach the throne of grace in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If Devotion were not a duty, yet methinks the advantages thereof should invite page missing and that which finally excludes from the Kingdom of Heaven, where nothing that pollutes can enter, 2 Cor. 6.9. Rev. 21.27.
'Tis indeed not wonder though the Religion of the Gentiles, which contained a prodigious mixture of vanity and impiety, gratified the inclinations of uncleanness: for if we consult their writings, we shall observe, that the most abominable vice wanted not a Deity to patronize it amongst them; which upon the matter was an establishing iniquity by Law, and an argument more sufficient to encourage than to correct vice: And although the Writings of some Philosophers have been more refined, yet the Lives even of such were full of the foulest actions. Nay, the rules which the best Masters of Morality amongst them prescribed, never reached to the purifying of the Heart.
I confess, that man that shall take notice (and who, having eyes in his head, can evite this, when men proclaim their sin like Sodom?) of the prodigious uncleanness this prophane age has arrived at, shall be strongly tempted to suspect the purity of the Christian Rule, if he make no farther enquiry than to the practices of most that are called Christians. We may indeed very aptly write to the professors of this age, as the great Apostle did to the Church of Corinth: It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles, 1 Cor. 5.1. And I am a little afraid, if the Church should strictly observe that charge that the Apostle gives there, and excommunicate all such wicked persons, that our Church should not need to brag much of the number of Christians.
'Tis indeed matter of great sadness, to consider how much the Christian Religion has suffered, upon the account of the scandalous practices of Titular Christians; and I make no doubt but this age has been at more pains than any that precedes it, to increase the scandal: but sure 'tis but a silly artifice to challenge the exactness of the Rule, and with Celsus impudently alleage that the Christian Religion encourageth men to the practice of immorality and vice, since of all Religions, the Christian onelyonly can produce the strictest Laws against all filthiness of flesh and spirit. 'Tis a Doctrine, as blessed Apostle tells us, according to godliness, and lays undispensible obligations upon its followers, both to think upon, and to do, page missing dearing a quality, and so noble an embelishment of our nature, that where this is wanting, all other advantages are little regarded; and not onelyonly men, but the great God also resists the proud, it being a vice which, besides Christianity, Morality also-condemns, as universally unbecoming to Humane nature; and that which not onelyonly disturbs ones self, but also disquiets whole societies: But God gives grace to the humble; he takes such persons into favour, as being more pliable to receive the impress of his love.
And as a humble, so also a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price. And can there be a more convincing motive than this, to recommend meekness to Christians? And indeed we cannot pretend to be the Disciples of holy Jesus, if we refuse to learn that lesson he hath copied out to us, Matth. 11.29. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.
Although a calm and quiet spirit is a reward to it self, as every vertue is; yet it wants not a claim to a temporal felicity also, Matth. 5.5. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. These be the persons to whom by right of promise this stately Fabrick of earth belongs. And if we now view that unpleasant vice of Anger opposite to it, this will yet adde more to its lustre, and help to recommend it the more effectually. Anger being such an unpleasant humour, that it makes those men it possesses unfit for humane society, it being not unfitly defined by the Poet to be a short madness; which indeed agrees very well with the Wise mans verdict of it, Eccl. Anger rests in the bosom of fools. If then men would but compare the calm and happy serenity of Meekness, with that inward and outward trouble and disquietment that is the effect of Anger, they could not but esteem the one, and declaim against the other.
In the next place, our Christian rule recommends contentment as the most precious Jewel in the Saints Diadem; 'tis that noble ingredient that makes the most bitter cup sweet and pleasant: it renders things, otherwise unsavory and burthensome, to be indeed relishing and easie. This is it that seasons the meanest meal; makes a dish of herbs a feast, and a cup of cold Water please the palate: This is that vertue which makes men in the midst of storms represent a calm, and in the saddest circumstances to sing sweetly. He page missing us in those duties that concern our selves; so it also teacheth us how to carry towards others. And in the first place, it recommends the Royal Law of love, as the spring and source of all other duties, Rom. 13.9. If there be any other commandment, 'tis briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. This, for its excellency and comprehensiveness, is said to be the fulfilling of the Law, as those who neglect it are said to sin against the Law.
Now if this rule of Charity were well observed, it would help to correct, first, all undue Thoughts and Wishes. Secondly, all injurious Words and Speeches. And thirdly, all unjust Actions and Dealings towards our Neighbours.
First, it would very much conduce to the regulating of our wishes, and to the keeping of our mindes in a meek and peaceable temper towards others. Charity, if sincere, is a noble and generous vertue, which believeth and hopeth the best of all men: It thinketh no evil, as the Apostle amongst many of its other good properties observeth, 2 Cor. 13.5. It eradicates and supplants all censorious thoughts, and is incompatible with those tormenting passions of Malice and Revenge, which, as the Wise man describes, suffer not men to sleep except they have done mischief, Prov. 4.16.
And indeed this is but the least part of a Christians duty, 'tis but an evidence of the lowest degree of Charity, to retrench those irregular and undue wishes, which oftentimes do more prejudice to our selves than others: If it be sincere, it will have a further and more important influence; it will help us to govern our tongues also that we may, as the great Apostle adviseth us, speak evil of no man, Tit. 3.2. to lay aside all malice, and all guile and hypocrisie, and evil speaking, 1 Pet. 2.1. and according to this precept did primitive Christians walk.
But alas! we have degenerated in nothing more conspicuously from their practise than in this: In place of their love, we have substituted an industrious search into the iniquities of others, Psal. 64.4. and have fully verified the Apostles description of the tongue, Jam. 3.8. that it is an unruly evil which no man can tame, a world of iniquity that sets the whole creation on fire.
Neither Majesty nor innocency can now guard against its darts; its malignity page missing blessings, v. 10. and it is noted as an evidence that the love of God dwelleth not in those persons, who having this worlds goods, shut up their bowels of compassion from those that have need, 1 Joh 3.17. Alas! little do men know how quickly the balance may change; how soon the richest may be in poverty, and stand in need of that supply that they now in the days of their plenty deny others the instances to prove this, are more numerous than that they can be doubted or need to be related.
Indeed the performance of this duty passeth not without a temporal reward God, who accounts it a lending to himself, hath promised to repay it; and sure there cannot be better security than his promise. And I question not but all ages can attest the truth of what the Wise man observeth, Prov. 11.24. There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that witholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
I confess, I know no vertue more becoming a Christian than Charity, and scarce any more scandalously neglected; and I am sorry to think that those good men who compassionate the wants of the indigent, should be so unworthily scandalized, as if they were but lukewarm Protestants, and established the Popish Merit: but this is a piece of madness I shall rather pity than inveigh against; and although I be no friend to merit, yet I cannot but speak honourably of those whose charity and good works make them lovely in the sight of God, who has accounted it pure religion and undefiled, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, Jam. 1.27.
In the next place, the Christian rule requires Justice in our intercourse and commerce, and that in our dealings we be exactly conscientious, according to that great rule of equity, Matth. 7.12. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. Injustice is a vice so mean and ignoble, th…t I cannot but admire how great men should court it: and if men would but actuate their Reasons, I am sure they should never become guilty of that which, if charged with, they cannot patiently endure, nor be reconciled with the persons which freely reprove them. There is no man, I think, that would be satisfied to be called a Cheat; and is it not unreasonable to think they shall evite this character who practise injustice?
were easie to shew how miserably they failed. The famous Peripatetick pleaded for the revenging of Injuries: The divine Plato allowed the community of Wives: The strict Stoicks patronized the lawfulness of Self-murther; and thus professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
And yet (to the shame of Christians) how conspicuous was the moral gallantry of the Romans! how famous and glorious are they esteemed for their Justice and Constancy in friendship by all succeeding ages! their vertue did conquer respect and esteem from their Enemies, and made them beloved by those who fear'd their power. And here I cannot but take notice of St. Augustin's commendation of the old Romans: Because God (says he) would not bestow Heaven upon the Romans, they being Pagans, he bestowed the Empire of the world upon them, because they were vertuous.
And yet the best rules those Illustrious Hero's and Law-givers taught, are not comparable to the Laws of Christianity, upon these three accounts. First, the Pagan Law is deficient in many things, and many particular Laws mightily tend to the promoting of vice; their Law-givers being ignorant of the introduction of sin, never made any precepts against the first motions to forbidden objects. Secondly, those good Laws they taught, are more clearly revealed in the Gospel, Which hath brought life and immortality to light. As the Gospel commands onelyonly such things that are good, and forbids onelyonly vice; so it more conspicuously manifests what is good, that we may do it, and what is evil, that we may evite it. The good Laws that Epaminondas in Thebes, Lycurgus in Lacedemon, and Aristides in Athens taught, are in the Gospel-Oeconomy more excellently confirmed; and we are now undoubtedly secured, that we do well in observing what is commanded, and in abstaining from what is prohibited; which Numa Pompilius, Marcus Antonius, and all the Law-givers either of Greece or Rome, could never be fully ascertained of. Thirdly, we have better encouragements and inducements to obey the Gospel-precepts than any other Religion prescribes. The best motive to vertue amongst the Heathens was, that vertue is a reward to it self; that it is the means to be celebrated by after-ages, and such like; which were but insignificant encouragements, if compared with the eternal and page missing gives of the Gospel, Rom. 1.16. That it is the power of God to salvation.