' Callenuceus tells us of a nobleman of Naples, that was wont profanely to say that he had two souls in his body, one for God, and another for whosoever would buy it. ' Qu. ' whether ever ' ? — G.
90 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
the second driving to Geneva; the third running on foot, begging sometimes the one, sometimes the other to receive him, but both refused him. Neuters shall be refused on all hands at last.i God will refuse them, because he loathes halting ; angels will refuse them, because they loathe halving ; good men will refuse them, because they loathe lukewarmness ; and bad men will refuse them, because they pretend to goodness, though they live in wickedness. Ambo-dexters in religion are ignominious disgracers both of the name and profession of Christians ; they are prodigious traitors to the crown of heaven ; they are the greatest enemies to the power of godliness ; they are the very offspring of Judas ; and in the day of account it will be found that it had been good for them that they had never been born. Neu- trality is the spiritual adultery of the heart. 2 Neuters are spiritual harlots ; they have their hearts divided between God and mammon, betwixt Christ and other lovers. Now harlots in ancient time were to be burnt. Gen. xxxviii. 24. Certainly heU is for the neuter, and the neuter for hell. God will be as severe, yea, more severe, in punishing, spiritual whoredom, than ever men have been in punishing corporal whoredom. God looks upon every neuter as a man in arms against him: Mat. xii. 30, 'He that is not with me, is against me;' and, therefore, martial law shall be executed upon them. God will blot out their names, and hang them up as monuments of his justice and vengeance. Sirs, do not deceive your own souls ; no man was ever yet carried to glory in the chariot of neutrality or mediocrity : he that is not throughout holy, is not really holy, and he that is not really holy, can never be truly happy : it is only throughout holiness that entitles a man to everlasting happiness, 1 Pet. i. 15 ; 2 Pet. iii. 11. The true mother would not have the child divided ; she would have all or none ; you must be for all holiness, or for none. Neuters now divide and cut those things asunder that God hath closely joined together ; but at last God will suit their punishment to their sin, and cut them asunder. Mat. xxiv. 51, and Luke xii. 46. Now the neuter chooses here a piece, and there a piece ; and at last God will cut him in pieces, as Samuel did Agag, 1 Sam. xv. 33. Well, neuters, now you divide one command from another, one duty from another, one promise from another, one threatening from another, one ordinance from another, and one way of God from another. But the day is a-coming wherein God will divide your souls from your bodies, and both from himself, his Son, his saints, and his glory for ever.
6. Sixthly, If real holiness be the only way to happiness ; if men must be holy on earth, or they shall never come to a fruition of God in heaven; then this truth, by way of conviction, looks sourly and sadly upon all hypocrites, who have only a seeming holiness, a feigned holi- ness, a counterfeit holiness. The apostle speaks of a true holiness, Eph. iv. 24 — or holiness of truth, as the Greek reads it, 'Ev oalorijTL rri<i d\7]6eui<i — in opposition to that feigned and counterfeit holiness that is in the world. Pretended holiness is most opposite to the holi-
^ Neuters are traitors; they betray Christ for the world's sake, and the world for Christ's sake ; and themselves for sin and Satan's sake. And who will not refuse and scorn traitors ?
* Aut totum mecum tene, aut totum omitte. — Greg. Nazien.
Heb. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 91
ness of God. Hypocritical holiness is the greatest unholiness ; and as God hath, so certainly God will still suit the punishment to the sin. If it was death in Moses his law, to counterfeit that ceremonial and figurative ointment, Exod. xxx. 32, 33 ; what shall it then be to coun- terfeit the spirit of life and holiness ?i Dissembled sanctity is double iniquity. He that professeth religion without being religious, and godliness without being godly; he that makes counterfeit holiness a cloak to impiety, and a midwife to iniquity; he that is a Cato without and a Nero within, a Jacob without and an Esau within, a David without and a Saul within, a Peter without and a Judas within, a saint without and a Satan within, an angel without and a devil within, is ripened for the worst of torments: Mat. xxiv. 51, ' And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,' Hypocrites are the freeholders of hell ; all other sinners do but hold under them. None have so large a portion in hell as hypocrites have. No man at last will be found so miserable as he that hath the name of a saint upon him, but not the divine nature in him ; that hath a profession of holiness upon him, but no principles of holiness in him ; that hath a form of godliness, but not the power; that can cry up godliness, and court godliness, but in practice denies it ; that is a Jew outwardly, but an atheist, a pagan, a devil inwardly. Who had a greater name for holiness, and who made a greater show of holiness, and who did more despise and insult over men for the want of holiness, than the Scribes and Pharisees? And who so miserable now as they? Mat. xxiii. 14, ' Woe unto you. Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers ; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.' Pretended holiness will double- damn souls at last. 2 Sirs, do not deceive your own souls. A painted sword shall as soon defend a man, and a painted mint shall as soon enrich a man, and a painted fire shall as soon warm a man, and a painted friend shall as soon counsel a man, and a painted horse shall as soon carry a man, and a painted feast shall as soon satisfy a man, and «, painted house shall as soon shelter a man, as a painted holiness shall save a man. He that now thinks to put off God with a painted holiness, shall not fare so well at last as to be put off with a painted happiness. The lowest, the hottest, and the darkest habitation in hell will be his portion whose religion lies all in shows and shadows. Well, spiritual counterfeits, remember this, it will not be long before Christ will unmask you, before he will uncase you, before he will dis- robe you, before he will take off your vizards, your hoods, and turn your rotten insides outward, to your eternal shame and reproach before all the world. Counterfeit diamonds may sparkle and glister, and make a great show for a time, but their lustre will soon wear off. Nil fictum est dmturnum — Nothing counterfeit wiU last long. Maud, mother to King Henry the Second, being besieged in Winchester Castle, [anno 1141,] counterfeited herself to be dead, and so was