The Beauty of Holiness, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
THe third Use for Consolation. Here is singular Consolation … all such as are pure in heart, in wor… and works; that have not only a for… but the power and practice of god… nesse appearing in the whole course … Whatsoever filthor du…g of scorn, reproach or sla…der, the s…avingers of this world can …ake out of the ke… nell of their mal…cious hearts, is fair and good enough to cast in the face of Gods people.their conversations. You must a… now for persecution. *See this Text fully opened, Bur. Moses choice, p. 14, &c.2 Tim. 3. 12. … that will live godly must suffer persec… on. You must look to be hated even … all, Luke 21. 17, 18, 19. You shall be … ted of all men for my Name sake. Lu… warmnesse may march quietly on, … zeal and the power of purity ever me… with opposition and hatred, not a lig… toothlesse hatred, as appears Luke … 22. 'Tis not a hatred of passion, bu… nature, their nature must be chang… H…rsnet no Rep. p. 472, &c.else the enmity will be irreconcilab… 2. Of all men, you must expect ha… many times from father, mother, b… thren, sisters, & naturall friends, not … ly from wickedmen, but even from p… fessors & Christians in name, they … hate Christians indeed: As the greatest enmity many times is between F…gulus …ulo …v … & …. Ordo s…ult tanquam … co… stat ex quibus…m quasi ant …, … th…ta ornament a sun…t …. Aug. de Civi. De…, l, 11 c. 18.men of the same profession; you must …ook to have your brethren hate you, Isa. 66. 5. and to be accounted as monsters, and that in Israel, Isa. 8. 18. The Priests were the greatest enemies to Ie…emiah (26. 11. 16.) Christ was betraied …y one of his own disciples; and Paul …y false brethren that seemed zealous of the word, Acts. 21. 20. 27. & 13. 15. Yea from all men without exception, …oth from friends and foes, we must ex…ect persecution. And this is a good C…om mund…. … t…aliquem, id argumento est, quod verè … est. Rollo….…ign that we are not of this world, there…ore the world hates us, John 15. 18. But …ur comfort is, that though men hate …nd curse us, and cast us out, yet God …ath pronounced us blessed, Psal. 119. …. & Matth. 5. 8. The Lord will be a …anctuary of defence to all those that …anctifie his Name, Isa. 8. 13, 14. He will …ceive us, though men forsake us, 2 Cor. …. 9. and will appear to our comfort, …hen our enemies shall be ashamed, Isa. …6. 5. & 65. 13, 14, 15.
1. Let it comfort you that you are not …one; all Gods Saints have gone before …ee this way: The holiest men have met with most opposition: The devil shoots his arrows at the whitest marks. Holy David is made the drunkards song. Holy Job a by-word & reproach, both to friends and foes. Holy Jeremiah is a derision to the people, & that all the day long, Lam. 3. 14. Paul is a babier. Christ hath a devil. The Saints are fools, Isa. 35. 8. Thus you see your company.
2. Give losers leave to talk: Esteem Malè de me l…quuntur, sed mali. Sen. Nihil moror S…quid ab …mprobis de me improbè dicitur. Cicero.it a small matter to be judged of them▪ 1 Cor. 4. 3. Wear their scoffs and reproaches as a Crown, in token … triumph; out of an holy pride thou mu… learn to contemn contemners, and resolve to be more vile; for if you canno… endure the Tongue of Ishmael, ho… will you endure the sword of Esau? … you cannot lose Names, how w… you loose your lives for Christ Ride… rident…s, contemnit contemptores; prima virtus Christiani est contemnere et contemni. Hiero…. Luctâ crescit fides, et sit ardentior.You must not be ashamed or afraid … professe Christ and his truth, and th… before a sinfull generation, Ma… 8. 38. Rev. 21. 8. To professe hi… in a time of peace, amongst professo… every rotten-hearted hypocrite will … it: But, with Lot, to be good in Sodo… with Job in the Land of Uz; with E… jah to be zealous in the daies of Jezebel; and with Zachary and Elizabeth, to Non malos nunquam vidisse, sed inter malos continenter v…xisse, laudandum est. Cicero.be righteous in the daies of a bloody Herod, this puts you upon the triall indeed: And if the Saints have profest Christ amidst his foes, shall we be ashamed of him amongst his friends? —Sed tu sus principe duro Temporibusque malis ausus es esse bonus. Martial l. 12. ep. 6.If they have served him in times of danger with the hazard of their lives, as Ioseph in Pharaohs Court; Obadiah in the Court of wicked Ahab; a good Abijah in the house of wicked Ieroboam; a zealous Nehemiah in the Court of an Heathenish Artaxerxes: a righteous Melchisedek in the midst of an Idolatrous Canaan; a faithfull Ezra (8. 21.) that will keepe a fast, and serve his God at the river Ahavah, about three miles from Babylon. A Church in Babylon, 1 Pet. 5. 13. and Saints in bloody Nero's Court, Phil. 4. 23. and some in Pergamus where Satan reigned, Rev. 2. 13. And shall we draw back in a time of peace, when the Gospel is publikely professed? If this be the worst they can say of thee, that thou art one that labourest for purity, and keepest thy selfe unspotted of the world, so that thy enemies have nothing against thee but for the matter of thy God, Dan. 6. 5. happy art thou that thus sufferest for well-doing; the Spirit of glory rests on thee, 1 Pet. 3. 13, 14. Matth. 5. 11, 12. Blessed are ye when men thus revile you, not for unrighteousnesse, but for righteousnesse sake. Stinking weeds sometimes make good medicines, and some discords interlaced do grace the musick: It's good for every man to have a faithfull friend, No musick without discord.or a deadly foe.
3. Consider, God takes the indignities that are done to thee, as done to himself. God and his people have common friends and common foes, Gen. 12. Cum servus Dei à quoquam laed… tur, ma…estas divina violatur. Salv. l. 8. mihi p, 192, &c. Ubiplura.3. Such as succour them, succour him, Matth. 25. 40. and such as wrong them, wrong him. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? saith Christ, when he was only persecuting his poor Saints. A Master counts himself abused, when his faithfull servants are abused.
4. Know your priviledges, and rejoyce in them; thou hast bought the field, now dig it, and see what treasure thou canst finde there. Every Saint and servant of God is sure of four things,
1. Thou art sure of Protection.
2. Of Provision.
3. Of Supportation.
4. Of Exaltation.See more Priviledges, Bi…lds Marrow. p. 300, &c.
1. Thou art sure of Protection: The Lord himself is King of Saints, he will suffer none to hurt thee, but will reprove even Kings for thy sake; He hath promised to keep the feet of His Saints, 1 Sam. 2. 9, 10. He will direct their affections, and protect them in their waies, when those that oppose them shall be overwhelmed with misery, and put to silence in the grave. He will never leave them nor forsake them, they shall be preserved for ever, Ps. 37. 28. & 97. 10. Prov. 2. 8. Isa. 41. 10, 11, 14, 15. All No vessels of gold are so precious to men, as Gods people are to him. D. Taylor. fol. p. 484.his Saints are in the hand of his powerfull protection, Deut. 33▪ 3. as we see in Noah, Lo…, Abraham, Iob, David Paul, and all the Saints. He is the holy God, and therefore will defend his holy ones, and will pity them in their distresses, Hos. 11. 9. and will avenge their blood upon their enemies, Rev. 6, 10.
2. Provision. Piety hath the promise of temporall as well as spirituall blessings, 1 Tim. 4. 8. If we first seek Gods Kingdom, we need not cark and care for food, raiment, health and wealth, v. Praefat. Piscatoris ad 1 Chronicoro… ▪&c. all these shall be cast upon us as an over-plus into the bargain. Full is that promise, Psal. 132. 13, 14, 15, 16. If fathers must provide for their children, much more will God provide for his: The lions may lack and suffer hunger, but such as fear the Lord shall lack nothing that may be for their good. He that feeds ravens takes care for sparrows, and is so bountifull to the wicked which are his enemies, will never suffer his children to want. He hath given us Christ, and with him all things: We need not doubt of crusts, since he hath promised a Kingdom, Luke. 12. Qui dabtt regnum, non do it viaticum? Aug.31.
3. Supportation. The Lord will uphold your spirits in times of triall; the righteous shall be bold as lions. Uprightnesse Magnas vires babet pietas. Luth. Psal. 46.breeds boldnesse; and The holiest men make the happiest Martyrs. David hath a heart like a lion. Paul beholds the Councell undauntedly. Holy Nehemiah (6. 11.) will not fly. Piety makes men invincible and iuvulnerable. When friends forsake, and riches fail, when head and heart fails, yet our holinesse will not forsake us, but will go with us to heaven.
4. Exaltation, Exalt piety, and it will exalt thee. God is yours in a more speciall propriety, Psal. 144. ult. Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. He is Sancti sunt … Dei (1) portio sel…, res rara et …, t…saurus Ire…io, us, cimelium prae…. à Lap.Lord of all, but he is your God, and you are his peculiar people above all the world: All the world is but lumoer, you are his treasure; others are his creatures, but you are his first fruits, Ier. 2. 3. Holy ones are near and dear to God; no man loves his jewels so as the Lord loves thē, Deut. 7. 6. P. 148. 14. Mal. 3. 17
Holinesse exalts men both in this life, and in the life to come.
1. In this life; They bring judgements on their enemies, Ps. 149. 5. to 10. there is an honour given to all the Saints, and only to the Saints, to execute vengeance on the Heathen, To binde their Kings in chains, and Nobles with fetters of iron, (….) by their praiers, censures and denouncing Gods judgements against wicked men, they shall binde them in fetters, and slay them with a two-edged sword, Dan. 7. 22. This honour have all the Saints, to conquer, overcome, and subdue their enemies.
2. At the day of judgement Christ will be glorious and made marvellous in his Saints. 2 Thes. 1. 10. and though the wicked for a time here may trample them under foot & contemn them; yet the time is at hand when they s…all judge their judges, Matth. 19. 28. Luke. 22. 28. Luke. 22. 30. 1. Cor. 6. 2. 3. Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world? The poor Saints, whom the world now esteem as dung and dirt, yet shall one day sit with Christ on his Throne to judge their enemies; and though now they scorn them, yet then shall they behold them with horror and amazement, and cry to be hid from them from the sight of them.
Yea they shall not onelyonly Judge their fellow-creatures, but they shall sit as Judges on the Apostate Angels also. 1 Cor. 6. 3. not they that shall judge men or Angels Authoritatively by pronouncing the sentence of condemnation on them which is proper to Christ the Judge; but as astipulators, they shall assent and approve of Christs Judgement as righteous. Christ as Judge shall pronounce the sentence Go ye cursed: the Saints assent and say, Righteous art thou Lord Christ, just are thy judgements.
Obj. I am sensible of so much corruption (saith the gracious soul) and see so much fi…th and uncleanesse in my self, that I question whether I have any holinesse in me at all. &c.
Ans, The holiest men are most sensible See this doubt fully and sweetly answered in M. Ant. Burgess last Ser. S, 65. p. 40….of their own unholinesse: 'Tis a sign of some purity, whē we can unfeignedly lament our own impurity; corruption will not complain of corruption, neither wil nature complain of nature; there must be some grace begun in the soul before we can lament the loathsomenesse of sin; how long may one live with a naturall man, and yet he never once complain of his uncleannesse, though helie in the dregs of sin? and therefore let not the sight and sense of thy sinne discourage thee (I wish there were more sick of thy disease) but rather encourage thee to fly unto Christ, who is a fountain, not sealed, but opened; not for one or two sins, but infinitely, for sin and fer uncleannesse, Zach. 13. 1. You must therefore know for your comfort that there is a twofold holinesse.
The first is a legall holinesse, which is a perfect conformity to the law of God, and so onelyonly Adam in the state of innocency, & Christ were perfectly holy: There is no perfect holinesse to be found in us here, as the *See them confuted, …, The ol, l 1. C 26. Thes. 10. p. 682. Sanctif. est duplex, 1. Re, & sic babetur perfecté tantum in Patria, in caelo. …. Spe, & sic babetur …n via, i…perfecté tantum in hac vita.Anabaptists dream; perfection is reserved for heaven; there indeed we shall sin no more.
Secondly, There is an Evangelicall holinesse; when we truly desire and endeavour to please God in all things, lamenting our impurity, striving against our corruptions, and hate every false way, &c. this is true sanctification, though it be not perfect, for as all our S. inchoata est vera▪ licet non absoluta. Daven. See Dovvnams Warfar fol. 289, &c.graces, so our sanctification in this life is imperfect. Hence the purest Saints on earth have made sad complaints of their own uncleannesse, as Iob 9. 20. & 42. Psal 38. 4. & 51. Isa. 64. Rom. 7. Yet in Gods acceptation they are Saints still, and are so …alled in Scripture, from the better part: A corn field though it have some weeds in it, yet we call it a A parte praestantiori fit denominatio.corn field still; and white paper though it have some blots on it, yet we call it white still, from the greater and the better part. So that there are not onelyonly Saints in heaven, but also Saints on earth, as appears, Psal. 16. 3. 116. 15. and the Apostle writ to Saints at Ephesus, Corinth, Collosse, &c. And'tis observed that the godly are called Saints in Scripture at least fourscore times: And theyare called Saints in this life for three respects.
1. Segregatione.
2. Imputatione.
3. Inchoatione.
1. By segregation; God of his free grace hath separated them for himself from amongst the wicked and prophane of the world.Christi sanctitas impuritatis nostrae est ope rculū … Innocens affligitur ut nox…us liberetur, ut re… dimatur servus, occiditur filius. Sib. 1.
2. By imputation; Christs absolute holinesse is imputed to them for holinesse, and their sinnes are imputed unto him, 1 Cor. 1. 30. By his blood we are cleansed from all our sins, 1 Pet. 3. 18
3. By inchoation; that sanctification which is begun in thee here, shall be perfected in heaven; and though we cannot be holy perfectly, yet if we can be holy sincerely, in desire and endeavour, tisacceptable with God, who measures Voluntas … est homo, nihil aliud sumus quàm voluntate. Aug.us by our wills and sincere desire, rather then our deeds: The will is the man, & that we are, which we desire to be. Let us then strive after perfection in the use of all holy means, as fasting, prayer, hearing, meditation, selfe-examination, &c. and then in Gods due time he will bring forth judgement into victory, and make the work of sanctification prevalent over corruption.
2. You must know that there is difference in Saints; to some God gives ten talents, and there he looks for ten again; to some but one, and there expects no more then he gives; where he bestows much, he looks for much. Some ground brought forth an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty, yet all good ground. Some God cals forth to greater service, and more eminent imployment, and to these he gives a greater measure of sanctificationPaulus infirmos non excludité numero sanctorum, q. opus suum Deus bic inchoat tantum in uobis; paulatim vero per gradus & inrementa perficit. Calvin.
3. Know for thy comfort that there are degrees in sanctification as well as in faith and other graces; as faith hath its weaknesse and infancy, so hath sanctification: It is graduall and grows by degrees, from a weak and low degree to a strong perfect man. Weaknesse & holinesse may well subsist together; the Disciples were willing, yet the flesh was weak: And David oft begs for quickning, Psal. 119. In the mean time thou hast a perfection of parts, though not of degrees and measure, as a childe is a perfect man in all the parts of a man, though not in the quantity of any part.
Be thankfull then for what thou hast, and still seek after more, and then all thy imperfections shall be covered with the perfect righteousnesse of Christ, &c. we must indeede strive, endeavour, and aspire after the greatest perfection. Psal. 119. 5. O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy Statutes! but since in this life we cannot attaine it, we must Suspirare, groane and grieve. The Law saith, thou shalt not lust: now when we find that we do lust, we must sigh and say with the Apostle, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? Rom. 7. an Heroick spirit wisheth it could do more then it can, and gieves when it cannot do what it ought to do.
Quest. But why doth not God san…ifie us perfectly, but by degrees, pur…ing out our corruption by little and …ittle?
Ans. God could cure us perfectly of …ll our sins, and purge us from them in a moment; but for good ends he will not doe it.
1. For the greater exaltation of his free-grace, to make us more sensible what he hath done for us, that we might have no cause of glorying in our selves, but might give all the glory unto God from whom we have all.
2. To humble us and keep us low in our own eyes: He could have driven out all the Candan…es before the people of Israel, but he left some still amongst them to vex them, to humble them and make them more watchfull. The Lord could free us from all those remainders of sin that are in us, but in his wisdom he sees it best for us to have these clogs of corruption still about us, to wean us from this world, and make us long for heaven, where we shall be for ever free from these fetters of sin, and Audeo dicere, superbis utile esse cadere … aliquod aper…m p…eatum, u…ae sibi displic…ant, qui iam sibi plaoendo ceciderant. Aug. de Civil. Dei, 1. 14. c. 13.to keep us low. 'Twas better with Peter falling and watching, then presuming; and therefore Saint Austin concludes, that fals into sin are good to humble proud persons.
3. To out us of our selves, and to make us fly unto Christ for help. The sight & sense of Pauls native impurity drove him to Christ, and made him so thankfull unto God for him, Rom. 7. The Lord is pleased to distill his grace by drops into us, that he may often hear of us, as Paul that had a messenger of Satan to buffet him, prayes oft; God loves to have us come with new prayers and praises to him.
Obj. I fear I have no purity (say many weak Christians) because I have not those parts and abilities that others have; I cannot pray, nor speak for Religion, as such and such can &c.
Ans. Grace is one thing, and gifts are See more a fully M. Ant. Burgess late Ser. p. 110. Ser. 20. & Ser. 65.another; the least measure of grace is better then the greatest measure of gifts; many have grace who cannot define it, and many that can define it have it not. Parts (though they are ornaments, and not to be despised, yet) are they but common gifts; are probate, a Judas, Demas may have an excellent memory, singular elocution, a quick wit, a nimble invention, &c. He may be able to prayfor outward expression farre beyond a child of God. The Devil hath parts and natural abilities beyond all the men in the world. Christianity is a matter of grace, rather then of gifts; of obedience then of parts; those may be allotted to wicked men, but purity in sincerity, is a speciall gift of God. We have more gifts then formerly, but lesse grace; abundance of Ignis qui in parentibus fuit calidus, in nobis luci… … ▪knowledge; but where's the zeal, the piety, the practice? We have more science, but lesse conscience; we have the light of former times, but not their heat. Most of our Professors are all for parts and gifts; these bring applause and praise, but grace and piety humble men, & make them contemptible in the eye of the proud world: And this is that great root of pride, division and errour that so much abound amongst us; men are all for gifts, thes… puff men up, make them censorious, self-conceited, and enemies to the power of godlinesse; Who greater enemies to Christ then the Scribes and Phar… sees? Who opposed Paul more then the Athenian Philosophers? in so much that no Church was founded at Athens, though it had the name thorow the world for famous wits and learning▪ See more Love Ser. Growth in Gr. p. 160 to 176.Some men are rich in gifts, but poor in grace; others are strong in grace, yet have but weak gifts; of the two, ou… greatest care should be for grace, which is that one thing necessary: And then for gifts, be they more or lesse, be contented with them, be thankful for them, & improve them. Piety is lovely in it self, though the parts & person of him that hath it be but poor & low. Many proud and prophane wretches be all for parts and the praise of men (no matter for piety) hence they oft go to the devil himself that they may get a name for gtfts and abilities. I fear many of our seducing speakers are tainted in this kind. Vain fools! to get the praise of men, lose the praise of God: to win mens applause, get Gods displeasure; to get the shadow, lose the substance: when we should prize a dram of grace before many pounds of gifts, a mite of sincerity, before many talents of hypocrisie, as we prize a little pearl before thousand pebbles, a little Gold before much earth. Grace will endure when See more Bur. Gratious Spir. p. 219. &c.gifts are gone; this will bring thee to heaven, when the great-gifted-gracelesse men, with all their gifts & unsanctified abilities shall be cast into hell.
Tender consciences have many other scruples about their sanctification which they may see fully Answered in Scudders daily Walking, chap. 16. sect. 6. p. 626, 660, &c. and M. Wall None but Christ, chap. 27. p. 339, to 384.