The Beauty of Holiness, Introduction – Chapter 1
A DISCOURSE Concerning The BEAUTY OF HOLINESS.
By the Author of The Duty of Man, Laid down in Express words of Scripture.
1 CHRON. 16.29.
Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness.
Imprimatur.
July 18th, 1678. GUIL. SILL.
LONDON: Printed by J. C. for Robert Soliers, at the King's Arms in Ludgate-street. 1679.
THE CONTENTS.
CHAP. I. OF the Nature of Holiness. page 7.
CHAP. II. Of the Rule of Holiness. 11
CHAP. III. Motives and inducements to the practice of Holiness. 48
Sect. 1. The noble pattern of Holiness. 49
page missing above all things most advantageous. 124
Chap. IV. Frivolous Cavils and Objections removed. 142
THE INTRODUCTION.
MAn in his original condition, when he first came out of the hands of his Maker, was a very noble and venerable Creature, adorned with many peculiar excellencies; and as the Psalmist observes, OnelyOnly made a little lower than glorious Angels: But of all his perfections, Holiness, as it was the principal and most oriental, so did it also give a beauty and lustre to the rest; It made his Authority and Power lovely and desirable, his Wisdom and Knowledge venerable, and every other attribute, which without this is terrible and dreadful, to be comely and praise-worthy. This was that single perfection that raised Man above the beasts
'Tis, indeed, matter of great sadness to consider the lofty and intolerable affronts that are now cast upon Holiness; how men are arrived at that pitch of impietie, to scorn and deride Religion, which former ages were at some pains to advance; as if Holiness were inconsistent with the principles of Generosity, and onelyonly becoming mean and morose spirits.
How transcendent a folly and madness this is, will easily appear by what I shall afterwards lay down. Me thinks the naked representation of Holiness, should be motive enough (if not to court it, yet) to engage men to correct their unreasonable prejudices they entertain against it; and even force its greatest Antagonists to become its Advocates. But alas! vice hath cast such a dark shadow upon mens Judgements, that they are become as unfit Judges of its beauty, as blinde men are of colours; otherwise we might yet expect to see contemned Vertue much more in vogue than ever Vice was.
To excite our desires, Scripture has represented it under the most comely dress, has discovered its beauty and excellencie, and recommended it by the most endearing motives which are apt to work both upon our hope and fear: VponUpon our hope, by proposing an infinitely-valuable reward to the righteous, besides the present advantages that attend it. VponUpon our fear, by opening to our view the powers of the world to come, and discovering the insupportable misery that the damned suffer day and night; so that if men would but so far actuate their Reason, as soberly to consult their own interest and happiness, I doubt not but this alone should be motive enough to excite them to the practise of Holiness, and scare them from those ways of sin that lead down to the chambers of death.
It would make (one would think) the greatest Sensualist to relinquish the momentary pleasures he enjoys here, to be possest of those eternal joys that the pure in spirit shall reap in the Kingdom of their Father: and the most hardened and impregnable sinner tremble, to think of dwelling with devouring flames.
Now the onelyonly infallible way to attain those coelestial felicities, and to evite the miserable consequences of vice, and those pains and tortures that it exposeth its votaries to, is to abandon every lust, be it never so impetuous, and to cleanse our selves (as the Apostle adviseth us) from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God.
For the better directing our present inquisition, I shall first briefly represent the nature of true Holiness, and shew the beauty and excellencie of it. Secondly, I shall discourse of its rule, and more particularly discover the several branches of Holiness. Thirdly, I shall propound several motives and inducements to engage men to the practise of Holiness; and indeed this is what I chiefly intend to insist upon. Fourthly, I shall remove all those Cavils and Objections that are urged against Holiness. And Lastly, conclude with some short Reflections and Inferences.
CHAP. I. Of the nature of Holiness.
I Intend not here to descend to the consideration of every particular branch of holiness, but to discourse of it in the general, as it is the combination of all Christian vertues: and as it is thus considered, I need not, I think, in the description of it, accurately study all those Logical rules Philosophers require in a good definition For my part, it fully enough satisfies me to know, that holiness is a conformity to the Divine Law, and a hearty and sincere compliance with those original dictates of humane nature, and the Commands revealed in sacred Writ.
So long as man remained obedient to the Laws of his Maker, his holiness was untainted, and his Beauty and primitive congenite comeliness continued; but by his woful apostacy he lost that noble embellishment of his nature, which did indeed give a grace to all his other accomplishments, and is now become ugly and deformed. Holiness and purity of Spirit are different words, but of the same signification, and are promiscuously used in Scripture to express the same page missing present state, expects not more from us than we are able to perform. He is not so rigorous a Lord to require Brick where there is no Straw: the terms of the Gospel are accommodated to our capacities, and onelyonly require a holiness which is possible for the Creature to attain; at least it exacts and expects no more, but that we endeavour sincerely and unfeignedly to obey all those precepts he has enjoyned; that we habituate our selves to perform good actions; that the general propension and inclination of our wills and appetites be towards the doing of what is imposed upon us, and abstaining from all kinde of evil.
By what hath been said, it may appear, that holiness consists not in Speculation, but in Practice: 'Tis not the knowledge of duty, but the actual performance of it that intitles men to be holy; and that too, not superficially, or in a good mode, and rarely performed; but sincerely, and throughout the whole course of our lives. For men to know their duty and not perform it, is to inhance their own misery, and to secure to themselves double stripes: and to perform some good actions, and abstain from the grosser pollutions of the world, and yet to be vicious in the general course of their lives, this is such a holiness that will never profit any man. The rule of holiness, to which we must heartily study an actual conformity, does not dispense, no not with the commission of the least sin, nor omission of the smallest duty.
But because general descriptions of things are frequently overlooked, I shall not think it unnecessary to descend to a more particular survey, and consider Holiness in its several branches, as they are plainly described by the Christian rule of Holiness.