The Crown and Glory of Christianity, Part 3 – Uses
I come now to the Reaſons of the Point, Why is it that Without holineſs there is no happineſs; that without holineſs on earth, no man ſhall ever come to a bleſſed viſion or fruition of God in heaven. Among other Reaſons that might be rendered, you may pleaſe to take theſe.
Reaſon 1 Firſt, Becauſe God hath ſaid it, who is truth and faithfulneſſe it ſelf, and cannot lye. That he hath ſaid it, witneſſe the very Text and the proofs that are produced to make good the doctrine: and hath he ſaid it, and ſhall it not come to paſs? Hath he ſpoken it, and will he not accompliſh the word that is gone out of his mouth?Iſaiah 46.11. Chap. 48.15. Jerem. 32.24. Iſaiah 55.11. Zech. 1.6. Dan. 9.12. Pſal. 119.138. God is not a man that he ſhould lye, Numb. 23, 19. Alſo the ſtrength of Iſrael will not lye, 1 Sam. 15.29. God will make good every word that is gone out of his mouth: Men ſometimes eat their words as ſoon as they have ſpoken them; they often ſay and unſay, but ſo will not the holy One of Iſrael; that firſt and ſupream being, that gives being to all others, will certainly give being to all his promiſes and threatnings. God himſelf ſhall ſooner ceaſe to be, then the word that is gone out of his mouth ſhall be fruſtrated. He that is the faithful witneſſe hath ſaid it, that without holineſs no man ſhall ſee the Lord. And verily, heaven and earth ſhall paſs away before one jot or one tittle (that is, before the leaſt letter or particle of a letter) of Gods bleſſed word ſhall paſs unfulfilled. Matth. 5.18.Gods faithfulneſſe is great. Lam. 3.23. It reaches unto the clouds, Pſalm 36.5. He will not ſuffer his faithfulneſſe to fail, Pſalm 89.33. His faithfulneſſe endures through all Generations, Pſalm 119.90. God will never ſuffer his faithfulneſſe to be ſtained or blotted, and therefore he will undoubtedly make good the word that is gone out of his mouth. I had rather ſaid Plutarch, that men ſhould ſay there was never any ſuch perſon in the world as Plutarch, then that they ſhould ſay Plutarch is unfaithfull. A man were better ſay there is no God, then ſay that God is unfaithful; a noble ſpirit can better bear any charge, then that of being unfaithfull; and ſo can a faithfull God.
Secondly, Becauſe real holineſſe is that great principle Reaſon 2 that fits and capacitates ſouls for communion with God,The glory of glory conſiſts in ſeeing of God. 1 Cor. 13:12. 1 John 3.2. as the hell of hell lyes in the ſouls everlaſting ſeparation from God. and for a bleſſed ſight and fruition of God, Matth. 5.8. Bleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God. Without a principle of purity, of ſanctity, there is no viſion of God in glory: If a man be never ſo poor, yet if his heart be pure, God will make a houſe of his heart, wherein his honour will delight to dwell; let a mans outſide be never ſo homely, yet if his inſide be but cleanly, God will make it his own habitation. God is for that man, and that man is for God, that carries about with him a pure heart. Heart-purity makes a man a darling of heaven. Many affect pure language, pure houſes, pure habits, pure hands, pure air, pure meat, pure drink, pure geſtures, &c. who yet for want of heart-purity ſhall never ſee the face of God in glory. Heart-purity ſpeaks a man eternally happy. Holineſſe is that noble principle that fits a man for the happieſt ſight of God: it makes a man a meet companion for God both here and herafter; without this principle no man can have communion with God in this world, much leſſe can he have communion with God in heaven, if this precious principle of holineſſe be not ſeated in his heart; it will not ſtand with the holineſſe of God, to have any thing to do with thoſe that have no principles of holineſs in them: It is a principle of holineſſe that fits a man for the ſervice of God, that fits a man for fellowſhip with God, that fits a man for walking with God, that fits a man for correſpondency with God, and that fits a man for the delight of God, and that fits a man for an everlaſting fruition of God. And therefore certainly without holineſſe there is no happineſſe; without a principle of purity there can be no ſeeing of the face of God in glory.
Reaſon 3 A third Reaſon why Without real holineſs there is no happineſſe, &c. is this, becauſe heaven is a holy place, and therefore no unholy ſouls can enter there: it is called the high and holy place, Iſa. 57.15. the inheritance of the Saints in heaven is an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled. 1 Pet. 1.4. Holineſſe dwells in heaven, 2 Pet. 3.13. as a man dwells in his houſe. Heaven is the houſe of Gods holineſſe, and therefore certainly without holineſſe there is no entring into that houſe,Exod. 26.34. Pſalm 78.69. Hebrews 9.8. Chap. 12.24. Rev. 21.27. The Holy of Holies in the Temple was a Type of heaven. And as none might enter into the Holy of holies that were unholy; ſo none can enter into heaven, which is the true Holy of holies, but thoſe that are holy. Heaven was ſo holy, that it caſt out the Angels when they fell from their holineſſe: Paradiſe was a Type of heaven, and no ſooner did Adam loſe his holineſſe, but he was ſhut out of Paradiſe. Heaven is a City of holineſſe, and none can enter into that City but ſuch as are holy, Rev. 22.14. Heaven is ſo holy that it would groan to bare one unholy ſoul. Well, heaven is a holy place, and the inhabitants are all holy, and the work of heaven is holy, and what then ſhould unholy ſouls do there?
Reaſon 4 A fourth Reaſon why Without real holineſs there is no happineſſe, Coelum eſt altera gehenna damnatorum. Heaven is another hell to the damned, ſaid One. Iſa. 66.3, 4.&c. is this, Becauſe unholy perſons have no hearts to go to heaven: though now and then they may talk of heaven, and now and then lift up their eyes and hands to heaven, and now and then expreſſe a few cold wiſhes, and lazy deſires after heaven; it is no difficult thing to demonſtrate that in good earneſt they have no heart to go to heaven! For Firſt, How often hath God ſet life and death, heaven and hell before them, and they have choſen death rather then life, and hell rather then heaven. 2. Do you …hink that that man hath any heart to heaven, that will not ſo much as part with a luſt for heaven?Luke 13.33, 34. 3. Will you ſay that that man hath a heart to go to heaven, that hath not ſo much as a hand to lay hold on the opportunities of grace that might bring him to heaven! 4. Will you ſay that that man hath a heart to go to heaven, that daily hardens his heart againſt him who is the way to heaven. 5.John 14.6. Iſa 63.10. Will you ſay that that man hath a heart to go to heaven, who is ſtill a grieving, vexing, and quenching that ſpirit of holineſſe that can only fit, frame and form him for heaven! 6. Will you ſay that that man hath a heart to go to heaven, that rarely ſpends a ſerious thought of heaven, and that lives in this world as if there were no heaven! 7. Will you ſay that that man hath a heart to go to heaven whoſe ſinfull courſes ſpeak him out to be one of thoſe who have made a covenant with death,Iſa. 18.15, 18. and an agreement with hell! 8. Do you think that that man hath a heart to go to heaven,Rom. 3.8. 1 Cor. 4.9, 10. that deteſts thoſe moſt that are the beſt woers for heaven! 9. Do you think that that man hath any heart to go to heaven, who can take no pleaſure nor delight in thoſe that are travailing towards heaven! 10. Will you ſay that that man hath a heart to go to heaven, that will do nothing affectionately for heaven; that will not hear for heaven, nor pray for heaven, nor trade for heaven, nor look for heaven, nor long for heaven, nor ſtrive for heaven,No man ever went to heaven ſleeping. nor wait for heaven! The heart commands all, it carries all; if the heart were bent for heaven, the head would contrive for heaven, the eye would look out for heaven, and the ear would hear for heaven, and the tongue would ſpeak for heaven, and the foot would walk towards heaven, and the hand would do for heaven. By all which it is moſt evident that unholy perſons are not cordially willing to go to heaven: it is moſt certain, that unholy perſons have no ſuch great mind to go to heaven; as ſome imagine when Dives was in hell, his deſire was not to be with Abraham in heaven,Luke 16.24, 27, 28, 29. but that Lazarus might come and give him a little eaſe in hell: he preferred a little eaſe in hell before his being with Abraham in heaven. Neither did he deſire, that his five brethren might go to heaven, but that they might be kept out of hell; and that not out of love to them, but out of love to himſelf, he knowing that their company would be no ſmall increaſe of his own torments. Heauen would be a very hell to an unholy heart. If now the preſence of God in his ſervants, and the preſence of God in his Ordinances be ſuch a hell to unholy ſouls: Ah what a hell would the preſence of God in heaven be to unholy hearts! It is true, an unholy heart may deſire heaven as it is a place of freedom from troubles, afflictions, oppreſſions, vexations, &c. and as it is a place of peace, reſt, eaſe, ſafety, &c. but this is the leaſt and loweſt part of heaven; but to deſire it as it is a place of purity, of grace, of holineſſe, of enjoying of God, &c. is above the reach of an unholy heart. The company of heaven are all holy, the imployments of heaven are all holy, and the enjoyments of heaven are all holy, and therefore heaven cannot but be an undeſireable thing to unholy hearts. An unholy heart is no ways deſirous nor ambitious of ſuch a heaven as will rid him of his darling ſins, as will make him conformable to a holy God, as will everlaſtingly divorce him from his old companions, and link him for ever to thoſe gratious ſouls that he hath ſcorned, deſpiſed and perſecuted in this world. Ergo, &c.
Reaſon 5 Fifthly and Laſtly, Becauſe without real holineſſe men are good for nothing, they are fit for nothing; without holineſſe men are neither good for Church nor State, they are neither fit to Rule, nor to be ruled; to command, nor to be commanded; to guide, nor to be guided, &c. Men void of holineſſe are in the Scripture reſembled to chaff,Pſalm 1.4. Iſa. 41.2. Zeph. 1.17. Ezekiel 2.6. Iſa. 9.18. Ch. 10.6.17. Chap. 57.27. to duſt, to dirt, to briars and thorns, which are things that are good for nothing, that are fit for nothing. And what ſhould ſuch men do in heaven, who are good for nothing on earth! The Horſe is good to carry, the Ox is good to draw, the Sheep is good for cloth, the Cow is good to give milk, the Aſſe is good to bear, and the Dog is good to keep the houſe; but what is a man void of holineſſe good for? An unholy perſon is good for nothing but to be deſtroyed, and to make ſome room for a better perſon to ſtand up in that place which he takes up in the world: As the Hogg in the Arabick fable tells us that a Butcher carrying three creatures upon his Horſe, A Sheep, a Goat and a Hog, the two former lay very quiet and ſtill, but the Hog kicked and cried and would never be quiet: thereupon the Butcher ſaid, Why are thou ſo impatient when the other two are ſo quiet? the Hog anſwered, Every one knows himſelf; the Sheep knows that he is brought into the City for his wool ſake, and the Goat knows that he is brought into the City for his milk ſake, and ſo they need not fear nor care; but alaſſe I know very well, that I have neither wool nor milk, but that aſſoon as I am come into the City I muſt be killed, for that is all I am good for.Matth. 7.6. An unholy ſoul is like a Hog, good for nothing but to be killed. Certainly, heaven-happineſſe is too great and too glorious a thing to be poſſeſt by them that are good for nothing. We look upon ſuch as are fit for nothing, to be worthy of baniſhment from the ſociety of men: But oh how much more worthy are they to be baniſhed from the preſence of the Lord, and the glory of his power,2 Theſſ. 1.8 9. Heb. 12.22, 23. Romans 2.5. and to be ſhut out for ever from the ſociety of Angels, and the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, who are fit for nothing but to diſhonour the Lord, undo their own ſouls, and to treaſure up wrath againſt the day of wrath! And thus I have given you an account of the Reaſons of the Point.
Ʋſe.
VVEE ſhall now come to make ſome improvement of this great truth to our own ſouls. Is it ſo, That real holineſſe is the only way to happineſſe, and that without holineſſe here, no man ſhall ever come to a bleſſed viſion or fruition of God hereafter? Then the firſt Uſe ſhall be a Uſe of Conviction. This then may ſerve to convince the world of ſeveral things: As