The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 51
CHAP. LI.
BUt why ſhould it ſeem ſo ſtrange a thing unto you, that every true Chriſtian ſhould ſo carry himſelf (as this Gentleman did) that hee may ſhew himſelf pure and holy in all maner of converſation?
Doth not our heavenly father command it?4 Pet. 1.16 Be ye holy, for I am holy. Doth not the vertue of the death and reſurrection of Chriſt require it, that henceforth wee dye unto ſin, Rom. 6.5, 6, 11, 13, …8.and live unto him, yeelding our members to bee ſervants to righteouſneſſe unto holineſſe? Doth not his bleſſed Spirit challenge it at our hands That we be ſanctified throughout, in ſoule, ſpirit, and body, 1 Co. 6.12 1 Theſ. 5.23.and preſerved blameleſſe untill the comming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt? Doth not the Word of God tell us, that, This is the will of God, even our ſanctification, that every one learne to poſſeſſe his veſſell in holineſſe and in honour? Heb. 11. & 12.1. & 13.7. Eph. 2.19.Doe not the examples of all holy men call upon us to follow their faith, and to walk in their wayes of righteouſneſſe and holineſſe before the Lord, all our dayes? Doth not the communion of ſaints, and citizens, both in heaven, and earth, exact and expect of us,Eph. 5.3.1 Tim. 2.2. ſuch a converſation as becommeth ſaints, in all godlineſſe and honeſty? Again conſider, What is the true religion? It is pure and undefiled before God. Iam. 1.27.And who is a true profeſſor of this Religion? He that is pure in heart, and undefiled in his way. And what is the word,Mat. 5.8. Pſal. 119.1. which is the rule of this Religion? The words of the Lord are pure words, as ſilver tryed in a fornace of earth, purified ſeven times. Pſa. 19.10 Pla. 12.6.And what are the Sacraments annexed to this Word? They are ſacred Signes, and Seales, of holy myſteries in heavenly things. And what are the ſpeciall priviledges of ſuch as are pure and true Chriſtians?1 Cor. 11.24. Rom. 4.11 Ʋnto the pure all things are pure, they have a great liberty and large intereſt in all Gods bleſſings,Tit. 1.15. 1 Cor. 3.22.23. and in the uſe and comfort of them. Their holineſſe here is a pledge of their happineſſe hereafter: Having their fruit in holineſſe, and the end everlaſting life. Heb 12.14. Ro. 6.22. Ioh. 17.24 1 Ioh 3.3 2 Tim. 2.21.And what muſt then bee the converſation of every one that hath this hope, to be with Christ where he is, and as hee is for ever? Hee muſt of neceſſity purifie himſelfe even as hee is pure, and ſo being a veſſell of honour ſanctified, hee ſhall bee meet for his Maſters uſe, and prepared unto every good worke.
Such are the perſons, and ſuch are the things which the Lord requires and expects, in the profeſſion and practice of every true Chriſtian:Mal. 3.17. And are not all theſe pure and precious in the eyes of Almighty God, and in the ſight of heavenly Angels, and holy men?Mat. 7.6 Hath God given us theſe Pearles, and dare any ſo play the ſwine as to trample them under feet and contemne them? Doth the Lord reckon all holy perſons,Pſal 13 5.4 pure and preciſe profeſſors, as his chiefe treaſure; the Church eſteeme them as her holy children,Gal. 4.26. and the true children of the Church, take them (as Chriſt himſelfe doth) for holy brethren:Heb. 3.1. Heb. 2.11 12. Phil. 3.2. Gal. 5.15. And dare any be ſo vile as to fly upon theſe like dogs, and that not only to bark againſt them, but even to bite and to devoure them?
Are not all ſuch perſons and things as wee have named, perfumed with the ſweet odours of Chriſts offerings,Rev. 8.3.4. 1 Ioh. 2.20. and ſufferings? Are they not all annointed with the holy oyle of the Spirit, as veſſels and inſtruments of the Sanctuary, from their head, that holy one, Chriſt Jeſus? If ſo they be (as without all doubt they are) Then who is he that bears the name of a Chriſtian (as if he were a partaker of this annointing) dare caſt any foule aſperſions,Act. 11.26. as of Singularity, Schiſme, Puritaniſme, Preciſeneſſe, Hypocriſie, and ſuch like, upon ſuch perſons, becauſe they frame their lives to bee pure and holy by exerciſing themſelves unto godlineſſe in theſe things? Such may complaine with Tertullian, Pro tanta innocentia, pro tanta probitate, pro juſtitia, pro pudicitia, pro fide, pro veritate, pro Deo vivo cremamur, Tertullian. lib. ad Scap. Cap. 4.
Now becauſe there bee ſome, both in Court and Countrey, City and Sanctuary, that pretend greater wiſdome and moderation; they will not bee ſo prophane on the left hand as Eſau, neither will they bee ſo preciſeon the right hand with Iacob, but either juſt of Gallio his humour, they care little for theſe things, or of the Laodicean temper,Act. 18.14.17. Rev. 3.16.17.18. Rom. 2.20 2 Tim. 3.5. neither hot nor cold, yet thinke all is well, and nothing amiſſe among them. And theſe pretend, that they haveforeign, a forme of knowledge, and a forme of Godlineſſe, but wanting the fruit of the one, and the power of the other, they are no friends to ſincerity and purity of religion in themſelves, and ſhew themſelves great adverſaries to the holy profeſſion and practice of it in others, that deſire to conforme themſelves to the tenour, and truth of it. Now becauſe I ſay there are ſome ſuch,See the booke of Common prayer. I would willingly demand of theſe (ſo great oppoſites to a godly and holy converſation) when they come before the Lord in the publike aſſembly, and offer up their ſolemne prayers unto God with Gods Miniſter (after confeſſion of their ſinnes) that hereafter they may live a godly, righteous, and ſober life, and pray in another place, that the reſt of their life may bee pure and holy: I would demand what their meaning is thus to pray unto the Lord? If they pray in ſincerity for a godly, righteous and ſober life, why doe they reprove that in others, which they would begge of God for themſelves? Why are they ſo great adverſaries, to the pure and holy profeſſion of religion? When they pray themſelves that the reſt of their owne lives may bee pure and holy?
Or if they pray otherwiſe in Hypocriſie, they doe then but mocke God, and diſſemble with him in their double hearts, and ſo deale wickedly and deceitfully both with God and men.
O yee formall Hypocrites, pull out firſt the beame that is in your owne eye,Mat. 7.5. 2. Tim. 3.5. and then looke to the mote which is in your brothers eye. You catch after a forme and ſhadow of Religion, and content your ſelves with it: Bee neither envious, nor malicious againſt ſuch of Gods children, as being your brethren by Profeſſion, have gotten hold, not of the ſhadow, but of the ſubſtance of it, and in a holy converſation (otherwiſe than you doe) ſhew forth the power and fruit of it.
Hee which is unjuſt, let him bee unjuſt ſtill, and hee which is filthy,Rev. 22.11. let him bee filthy ſtill, And hee that is righteous, let him bee righteous ſtill, and hee that is holy, let him bee holy ſtill.