The Beauty of Holiness, Conclusion
The Conclusion.
WE have now seen the Excellency and Beauty of Holiness, have discovered the absolute Perfection of its Nature, and the Compleatness of its Rule; have taken a view of its Allurements and powerful Motives, and have discovered the weakness of those Cavils that are urged against it: and what remains, but that we set about this work with the greatest seriousness imaginable; that we give no sleep to our eyes, nor slumber to our eye-lids, till we forsake our sins, and enter upon a course of Holiness?
If God had imposed upon us a heavy and intolerable yoak; if he had commanded us to perform some grievous and uneasie service, had we not been obliged to have obeyed? But since he onelyonly commands us to wash and be clean, requires onelyonly our consent to what is so much our own interest, onelyonly exacts that we separate our selves from those lusts that pollute and defile us, that vex and torments our mindes, and which (if continued in) will certainly ruine and undo us; what fools and mad men are we if we refuse to hear his voice?
Almighty God has been drawing us with the Cords of Love; has presented to us the most charming motives to excite our love and esteem; has carried us (as it were) to the Pinacle of the Temple, and discovered to us all the glory and beauty of this world; has taken us to Pisgah, and given us a view of the good Land of Canaan, of the City of the living God, of which glorious things are spoken; and promised, that all these things shall be ours, if we will but be holy in all manner of conversation: And to excite our fear, he has opened to our view, the powers of the world to come; has plainly told us of the pains and torments that the damned suffer day and night, and that indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, remains as the due portion of those that do evil. And now may he not take up that same protestation that he used to his ancient People the Jews; What more can I do for you? But alas! we have in the most insolent manner despised all these charms of Love, and, like the mad man in the Gospel, have broken to pieces the strongest Fetters and Chains. We are, God knows, as deeply sunk into sensuality and bruitishness, as those to whom the Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath never appeared. 'Tis not credible, (I may say possible) that men could have been more wicked than they now are, supposing they had never heard of Heaven or Hell.
'Tis a wonder (as any one would think) that those very men who profess they believe in Christ, should so grosly and openly contradict his plain Precepts; that those who believe, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord, and that the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness, yet persist in their abominable wickedness, and are neither awed with fears, nor animated with hopes. What is all this, but for men to expose themselves to the contempt rather than pity of discerning men?
We have surveyed the several advantages which attend Holiness; have discovered how much mans temporal as well as his eternal welfare and happiness depends upon it: We have explained how in her right hand is length of days, and in her left hand are riches and honour: that her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace: And now may we not give the same testimony of it which Joshua and Caleb did of Canaan, Numb. 14. The land which we passed through to search, it is an exceeding good land? The Sons of Anak (I mean the pretended difficulties) are not so strong as some men represent them to be; we need not be discouraged to encounter with them; greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Alas! what Objection can men possibly make against a Duty that is so excellent, useful, and necessary, that is founded upon such mighty motives, as may prevail with any who is not quite petrified in desperate Impiety? Good God! what stupid folly is this, that men hide their hands in their bosom, and will not so much as stretch them out to this tree of Life, that they may eat of this fruit, which is pleasant to the eye, and profitable both to our present and future happiness.
'Tis indeed pity, that men should be thus permitted to run headlong to destruction. Alas! is perdition so lovely and desirable, that, like Rachel, a double servitude is thought light for it? and shall wise and discerning men be Eye-witnesses of the bad bargain those men make, and not warn them of their folly? I know this is a duty chiefly incumbent to our spiritual Watchmen to discharge; I doubt not but many of them stand upon their watch, and warn men of their danger. It were to be wished that all and every of them were thus faithful; but sure every man is in some manner concerned to be his brothers keeper; and he is highly criminal, who should see a mad man running upon danger, and not stop him in his course.
I wish some new-coined Doctrines had not an inauspicious influence upon the bad practices of many, had not too much countenanced and authorized vice: but my present designe is so far from controversial, that I shall rather think my self concerned to inveigh against needless disputes, than start any. If I may speak from my own experience, I ingenuously confess, I finde Disputes so insipid and fruitless, and in the review so unsatisfactory, that I am resolved henceforth to bid an eternal adieu to them, and to condemn them as the great underminers of Christian Piety: And if any shall after this fair warning assault any Doctrine I have elsewhere owned, I hope discerning men will neither esteem me nor the Cause the worse, that I draw not my Sword in its defence.
And now what shall I say more, but conclude with Moses's passionate Exhortation, Deut. 32.46. Set your hearts to the words which I testifie to you this day: for it is not a vain thing, because it is your life. Let us no longer delay and put off this duty; while it is called to day, let us not harden our hearts through the deceitfulness of sin; but seriously search and try our ways, and turn to the Lord: this is the proper season for so necessary a work; ere long there will be no time left us to consider our ways: O that in this our day we did understand the things that belong to our peace, before they be hid from our eyes! If men would but be induced to imitate the Psalmists Example, Psal. 119.59. I thought on my ways, I doubt not but they should also imitate the course he did take, I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments: But men consider not what they are doing, and so no wonder though they perish, no wonder that they prefer darkness to light, and despise Holiness as a thing of no value. Let us therefore humbly and heartily invoke the Father of Lights to open the Eyes of men, whom the God of this world hath blinded, that they may flee from the wrath to come, by cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
FINIS.