Gospel Holiness, Title page 1 – To the reader
Goſpel-Holineſſe: OR, The ſaving Sight of GOD. Laid open from Iſa. 6. 5.
Together with The glorious Priviledge of the Saints. From Rom. 8.4, 5.
Both worthily opened and applied.
By that Faithful Diſpenſer of the Myſteries of Chriſt, WALTER CRADOCK, late Preacher at Alhallowes the Great in London.
2 Cor. 3.18. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glaſſe the glory of the Lord, are changed into the ſame image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Rom. 10.3. For they being ignorant of Gods righteouſneſſe, and going about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſſe, have not ſubmitted themſelves unto the righteouſneſſe of God.
Publiſhed and allowed by the Author's conſent.
LONDON, Printed by M. Simmons, and are to be ſold by Joſeph Blaik-lock, at his Houſe in Ivie-lane. 1651.
To the Reader.
THESE Sermons being exactly penned from the Authors own mouth, are now brought to publique view, though when he preached them, had not the leaſt thought to ſuffer them to be Printed: but ſince they were thus prepared to come abroad into the world, the Pious Author finding ſo much of the ſweetneſſe of Chriſt in viewing of them, could not turn his backe upon them.
As for this godly Author, his worth and excellency is ſo eminently known, it would be vanity in me to ſpeake any thing in relation to his praiſe: let this, and other of his owne works praiſe him. Yet thus much I ſhall ſay, that I doe verily believe, that he preached theſe Choiſe Lectures from the boſome of Jeſus Chriſt, that theſe things were the very experiments of his owne ſoule, and the lively actings of the ſpirit of God within him. What he hath ſeene and heard, hee hath declared, that we might have fellowſhip with him, whoſe fellowſhip is with the Father and the 1 Iohn 1. 3.Sonne, and therein ſhall our joy be full.
Theſe Sermons are not cloathed with humane▪ Art, quaint expreſſions, eloquent ſpeculations; but chooſe rather to come forth in the nakedneſſe of truth, not with the enticing words of mans wiſdome, but in the demonſtration of the ſpirit, and of power: here is nothing to fill thy head with barren notions, fruitleſſe opinions, or meer ſpeculations; but here is that to fill thy heart with the glory of God, the life of Chriſt, and light of his ſpirit.
I ſhall in a few words hint out what thou ſhalt find in theſe enſuing diſcourſes.
Firſt, a glorious diſcovery of a ſaving ſight of God in Chriſt. When Moſes deſired to ſee Gods face, the Lord himſelfe tels him, that no man can ſee his face, and live: Yet the Lord proclaimed his merciemercy, his patience, his goodneſſe, his truth, and his justice before him. Now where was Moſes all this while? he was in the clift of the rock: Now verily that Rock was Chriſt; we ſee the glory of God in Chriſt, per ſpeculum, as it were in a glaſſe. Chriſt is that glaſſe, in which wee ſee the image of the Fathers glory, and that as with open face. Christ is called the 2 Cor. 3. 18. Heb. 1. 3.brightneſſe of his Father's glory: ſo that the brightneſſe of Gods glory is manifeſted by Chriſt, as the Sunne is manifeſted by it's boames: wee cannot ſee the Sunne in Rotà, in his Charret, or circumvolution, but by it's beames: ſo the Fathers glory is revealed. Tanquam per radios ac ſplendorem, as it were by beames and brightneſſe, ſhining moſt excellently in Chriſt. The Apoſtle ſaith, God, who hath commanded light to ſhine out of darkneſſe, hath ſhined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. God is known by Chriſt, as a man is known by his face; it is only hee that came from the boſome of the Father, that can open the ſecrets of his boſome, and reveale the glory and brightneſſe of Gods face unto us.
Secondly, this glorious ſight of God is that, that humbles the ſoule: Becauſe mine eye hath ſeen thee (ſaith Job) I abhor my ſelfe in duſt and aſhes.
The greateſt piece of ſelf-denyall is to diſcard our own righteouſneſſe and formality.
1. Mans fleſhly righteouſneſſe is the great idoll of the world, every one is ready to fall downe unto it, and call it bleſſed. This is Anti-Chriſt comming forth in the habit of Chriſt, being arrayed and decked with gold, precious ſtones, and pearls, whereby the Nations are deceived: but when wee know the righteouſneſſe of the Lord, wee ſhall caſt away our owne righteouſneſſe, and (as the Prophet ſpeakes) ſay unto it, get yee Iſa. 30. 22.hence.
2. Formality is in no leſſe eſteeme among us then the former: what is the Religion of moſt people but a meere forme, without any life or power at all. Aſtronomers tell us, that the upper Planets have their Stations, and Retrogradations, as well as their direct Motions. So 'tis with moſt in their Religion, ſometimes they move forwards, ſometimes backward, ſometimes ſtand at a ſtay, and thus they tread always in one circle or round, turning like a doore upon the hinges, but never from off the place where they were. As for moſt mens hearing, praying, faſting, what is it, but as a taske, performed ſo coldly, that there is no principle of divine life in it? and thus they goe on, but are never at their journeys end. Men commonly uſe what they ſhould enjoy, and enjoy that they ſhould uſe: they will uſe the Lord whom they ſhould enjoy, and they will enjoy their duties and performances, that they ſhould only uſe: and thus they ſtarve their ſoules by formality in religion.
The third thing we may take notice of, is the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt commended to us, before the righteouſneſſe of Adam. Moſt of the worlds righteouſneſſe proceedes from the principles of the old Adam, which is corrupt and fleſhly; what is this but to be born of Iſhmael the ſon of the bond-woman, to come unto Mount Sinai in Arabia, viz. the Covenant of works: but Jeruſalem which is above is free, which is the mother of all the firſt-born of God, viz. the Covenant of grace. Vain man thinks to climb to Heaven by his own righteouſneſſe, when alas! it is but of the firſt Adam, naturall, weake, and fleſhly. All the wiſdome, knowledg, invention of man, as Tongues, Arts, and Sciences; as Philoſophy, Logicke, Rhetoricke, &c. All theſe are but to repaire thoſe reliques of the firſt Adam's corrupted principles of reaſon and underſtanding: therefore if wee goe to patch up a righteouſneſſe of theſe, we doe but build what the Lord will have deſtroyed. But that which is able to reſtore us, is an eſtabliſhment of the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt upon our hearts, by the participation of the divine nature. Chriſt performs all righteouſneſſe for his Saints, and then works all righteouſneſſe in them: The divine will of God is righteouſneſſe, now Chriſt is that divine will, brought forth in a Saint, working after the Lords owne pleaſure. The Civill law doth account Elephants and Camels to have the nature of wild beaſts, though they doe the worke of tame beaſts: So Adam's righteouſneſſe commends not to God, we are only accepted in the beloved, foreign or ingratiated through that beloved. The divine, treaſures of righteouſneſſe are firſt in Chriſt, and by our union with him wee come to enjoy them by way of participation.
Fourthly, Subſtantiall and reall holineſſe ſet out to be farre more excellent then all empty formes, or mere profeſſions. Holineſſe is God, ſtamped and printed upon the ſoule: 'tis Chriſt formed in the heart: 'tis the very image, frame, and diſpoſition of the holy ſpirit within us.
The Philoſopher could ſay, foreign, that God was but an empty name, without vertue: ſo are all our profeſſions of Chriſt without holineſſe, that being the very marrow and quinteſſence of all religion. Holineſſe is ſomething of God in us, it proceed from him, it lives in him; God can no more be ſeparated from it, then the beames from the Sunne. Holineſſe is happineſſe, and the more of it we have, the more wee have of the life and image of God upon us. Holineſſe is nothing but our conformity to God, and our being like him, to be as he is: Holineſſe is the new frame, the new creation, the workmanſhip of the Lord in our hearts: it is the Lord building and ſetting up his owne Temple, Tabernacle, and new Jeruſalem within us, filling of us with his owne glory, writing his name in our fore heads, by imprinting his owne divine image upon us. Oh what happineſſe, what ſweet delight, and harmony of heart, what ſoule-muſicke, and ſpirituall joy is there in having our ſoule wrapt up in the divine life, light, and beauty of the Lords holineſſe.
Fifthly, Thou haſt a diſcovery of the inability of mans carnall principles or reaſon to judge of ſpirituall things, or the things of God: every truth is diſcovered by principles of light ſuitable to it ſelfe.
Hence it is, that the Apoſtle tels us of, foreign, an animate, ſenſual, or natural man: and of foreign a ſpirituall man, one enlightned by the ſpirit of God. Now the naturall man is not able to judge of things above the principles of nature.
The Apoſtle tells us, no man knowes the things of a man, but the ſpirit of man which is in him.1 Cor. 2. 11.
The things of man are all created things, man is therefore ſaid to be, as it were foreign, a little world, or an Epitome or Compendium wherein all created things are deſcribed, as in a mappe or ſhort abridgement. Now the principle of reaſon in mans heart is able to ſearch out the hidden things of nature. But this large principle of man is too narrow to ſearch into the things of the ſpirit: ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, The things of God knoweth 1 Cor. 2. 11. 12. 14, 15.no man, but the ſpirit of God. The ſpirit ſearches the deepe things of God. And againe he ſaith, The wiſdome of the ſpirit is but fooliſhneſſe to the naturall man. And why ſo, becauſe ſaith hee, ſpirituall things are ſpiritually diſcerned. That is, they are to be underſtood in a ſpirituall ſenſe, to which, mans carnall reaſon cannot reach. But now ſaith hee, the ſpirituall man diſcerneth all things, ſo that divine things are only known by the ſpirit; 'tis the ſpirit of all truth that leads into all truth.
Then 'tis not all Maximes and rules, 'tis not ſyllogiſticall reaſonings and diſputes, 'tis not Bookes and Treatiſes, 'tis not all Syſtems and Bodies of Divinity that can reveal the ſecret myſteries of truth; but it is the work of the ſpirit: for the myſtery of Chriſt is not meerly letter and forme without us, but a quickning ſpirit within us. Yet
Sixthly, Wee are taught, that there is a moſt profound, ſpirituall reaſoning in godlineſſe; and that it is the higheſt act of the minde, which is the higheſt faculty of the ſoule. The mind of a Saint is Gods Throne, and the motions of the mind, or the reaſonings thereof is nothing but Chriſt, ſwaying the ſoule according to his good pleaſure.
It's true, that reaſon as tis in man, is a moſt imperfect and weak light, and fals ſhort of the light of God, being depraved, and mixt with much darkneſſe, and ſo is unſuitable to judge divine things: but reaſon conſidered in it's height and excellency is no other then Jeſus Chriſt, and the ſpirit: then ſo much as reaſon hath of the light of God, ſo much it hath of Jeſus Chriſt.
Then the moſt excellent, the moſt ſupreame, and the ſublimeſt reaſon is in godlineſſe, becauſe in it is the greateſt cleareneſſe, certainety, and light. The Apoſtle calls it demonſtration; now divine reaſon is demonſtration, which is an evidencing of things by the cleareſt, ſureſt, and moſt irreſiſtible light that can be. Now Chriſt is this ſpirituall reaſon, for ſaith the Apoſtle, that which manifeſts is light, Eph. 5. 13. And what is that light but Chriſt and his Spirit.
Thus I have given thee a taſt of things, to ſet an edge to thy appetite, that thou mayeſt make a fuller meal of Divine Dainties by reading the enſuing Treatiſe, where thou haſt a Table richly ſpread. Now if thou art one of CHRISTS Friends, then come and eate of this honey, and drinke of this wine, yea eate and drinke abundantly, O beloved. Here thou maiſt eate and not ſurfet; here thou maiſt drinke, and not be drunken: the more thou eateſt, the ſtronger will thy appetite be; and the more thou drinkeſt, the more thou wilt thirſt, and yet with the greateſt ſaturation and conſent.
To conclude, Thou mayeſt find much of CHRIST in this Booke; but ſee alſo whether thou canſt finde much of him alſo in thine owne heart. Now that theſe things, which are here written with Paper and Inke, may bee written upon the Table of thy ſoule by the finger of the Spirit, is the prayer of him, who is
Thine in the ſervice of Chriſt, John Robotham. Octob. 24. 1650.