Fiftlily, Here is the imperfect nature of this principle ; as it shews its reality by endeavouring, so its imperfection, that it enables but to an endeavour, not a fidl performance. Evangelical holiness rather makes the creature willing than able to give full obedience. The saint's heart leaps, when his legs do but creep in the way of God's commandments. Mary asked, ' where they had laid Christ,' meaning, it seems, to carry him away on her shoulders, which she was not able for to do; her affections were stronger than her back. That principle of holiness which is in the saint, makes him lift at that duty which he can little more than stir. Paul, a saint of the first magnitude, gives us his own charac- ter, with other eminent servants of Chi-ist, rather from the sincerity of their will and endeavour, than perfection of their work, Heb. xiii. 8 : ' Pray for us, for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly ; ' he doth not say, in all things we do live honestly, as if no step were taken awry by them : no, he durst not say so for a world ; but thus much he dares assert for himself and brethren, that they were willing in all things to do what was holy and righteous. "Where willing is not a weak, listless velleity, but a will exerted in a vigorous endeavour, it weighs as much in an impartial ear, as that of the same Paul, Acts xxiv. 16: ' Herein do I exercise myself;' he was so willing, as to use his best care and labour in the ways of holiness ; and having this testimony in his own breast, he is not afraid to lay claim to a good conscience, though he doth not fully attain to that he desires : ' We trust we have a good conscience, willing,' &c. He means in the favourable interpretation of the gospel, for the law allows no such good conscience.
Sixthly, Here is the imiformity of this principle in its actings : ' To God and man.' True holiness doth not divide what God joins together: ' God spake all these words,' Exod. xx. ; first table and second also. Now, a truly sanctified heart dares not skip or blot one word God hath wi'itten, but desires to be a faith- ful executor to perform the whole will of God.
Seventhly, Here is the order of its acting : as ' to God and man.' So, first ' to God,' and then ' to man;' yea, to God in his righteousness, and charity to men, 2 Cor. viii. 5 : ' First gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.' God is first served, and man in obedience to the will of God.
Eighthly, Here is the rule it goes by : ' What the word of God requires.' Apocteriphal holiness is no true holiness ; we caimot write in religion a right line without a rule, or by a false one. And all are false rules besides the word : ' To the law. and to the testimony ; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,' Isa. viii. 20.
Secondly, The second thing to ])e incpiircd is. Why righteousness and holi- ness are compared to the breastplate. And that is for a twofold use that the soldier makes of, and benefit he receives from this piece of armour.
First, The breastplate preserves the most principal part of the body, and that is the breast, where the very vitals of man are closely couched together.
2Q/L AND HAVING ON
and where a shot and stab is more deadly than in other parts that are remote from the fountain of life. A man may outlive many wounds received in the arms or legs, but a stab in the heart or other vital parts is the certain messenger of death appi'oaching. Thus righteousness and holiness preserve the principal part of a Christian, his soul and conscience ; we live or die spiritually, yea, eternally, as we look to oin* souls and consciences. It is not a wound in estate, credit, or any other worldly enjoyment, that kills us in this sense. These touch not, hazard not the Christian's life, any more than the shaving of the beard, or paring of the nails do the man's : spii'itual vitals are seated in the soul and conscience ; it must be a spiritual dagger that stabs these, and that only is sin, which is said ' to hunt for the precious life,' Prov. vi. 26. Tliis is the dart that strikes the young man ' through the liver,' who hasteth to his lust, ' as the bird to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life,' Prov. vii. Now, righteousness and holiness defend the conscience from all wounds and harms, from sin, which is the weapon Satan useth to give the conscience its deadly stab with.