7. Seventhly and lastly. Consider that there are many that are truly holy, that have real holiness in them, and yet for want of a nar- row search, a diligent inquiry into their spiritual estates, they come to he sorely and sadly afflicted with fears and doubts about their wants of holiness. As the treasures of this world often lie obscure and hid in the bowels of the earth, so the treasures of holiness often lie obscure and hid in many a gracious soul, for want of a privy search. As it is one mercy for me to believe, and another mercy for me to know that I do believe, 1 John v. 13 ; as it is one mercy for me to be beloved, and another mercy for me to know that I am beloved, Ps. iv. 6, and li. 1-3 ; as it is one mercy for me to be pardoned in the court of glory, and another mercy for me to know that I am pardoned in the court of conscience ; as it is one mercy for me to have my name written in the book of life, and another mercy for me to be told that my name is written in that book, Luke 'x. 20 ; so it is one mercy for me to have real holiness in me, and another mercy for me to see it and to know it. As we many times complain of the want of those things that we have in om* hands, so many dear Christians complain of the want of that holiness that they htive in their hearts. As the well, the spring of water, was near to Hagaj: though, she saw it not. Gen. xxi. 16-19 ; so the sprmg of holiness is near to many a Christian, yea, it is in many a Christian, and yet he sees it not, he knows it not. As Jacob once said, ' The Lord was in this place, and I knew it not,' Gen. xxviii. 16 ; so many a precious soul may say, I had real holiness in my heart, and I knew it not. As the face of Moses did shine, but he saw it not, he knew it not, though others did see it and take notice of it, Exod. xxxiv. 29-35 ; so holiness shines in many a Christian's heart and life, yet corruptions
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 103
raise such a dust in his soul that he sees it not, he knows it not, though others can see it, tal^e notice of it, and bless and admire the Lord for it. As there be some that think they are rich, when they are not ; and that say they are rich, when they are not, Kev. iii. 16, 17 ; Prov. xiii. 7 ; so there be others that are rich, and yet they will not say it, nor beheve it ; so there be some that think they have holiness, when they have not, yea, that say they have holiness when they have not, Isa. Ixv. 3-6 ; Mark viii. 18 ; so there be others that have real holiness, and yet they dare not think so, they dare not say so ; yea, they are apt, in times of temptation, desertion, sore afflictions, and when they are under the sensible stirrings of strong corruptions, to conclude that they have no holiness, no grace, when indeed they have. Witness Job, chap. xiii. 24, and xix. 9 ; witness David, Ps. xxii. 1, 2; witness Asaph, Ps. Ixxvii. 2, 11; witness Heman, Ps. Ixxxviii. 1, 17; witness Jeremiah, Lam. iii. 18; witness the whole church, Isa. xlix. 15, 16 ; Ezek. xxxvii. 11, 12 ; and witness the dis- ciples, John xiv. 4, 5, 7-9, 20, compared. To know ourselves to be holy, is very desirable ; but woe were to many precious Christians if they might not be holy and yet not know it, if they might not have holiness in their hearts, when the appearance of holiness is hid from their eyes. Look, as sparks and coals of fire are often hid under the ashes, and we see them not ; and as in winter the sap and life is hid in the root of the tree, and we perceive it not ; and as precious flowers are hid in their seeds, and we discern them not ; so when it is winter with a Christian, his holiness may be so hid and covered under fears, doubts, sins, &c., that he may not be able to see it, to discern it, or conclude that he hath it. As the air is sometimes clear and some- times cloudy, and the sea sometimes ebbing and sometimes flowing ; so the holiness of the saints is sometimes so clouded, and at so low an ebbj that a Christian can hardly discern it, he can hardly say, Lo, here is my holiness ! The being of holiness in the soul is one thing, the see- ing of holiness in the soul is another thing ; the being of holiness is one thing, the feeling of holiness is another thing. A Cliristian may as safely conclude that there are no stars in the sky in a dark night, because he cannot see tliem ; and that there is no treasure in the mine, because he cannot discern it, nor come to the feeling of it, as he may conclude that he hath no holiness in his heart, because he cannot see it, he cannot feel it. As the treasures of this world, so the trea- sures of holiness oftentimes lie low : a man must dig deep before he can come at them, Prov. ii. 3-6. As the babe lives in the womb, but doth not know it ; and as the sun often shines into the house, and a man doth not see it: so the babe of grace may be formed in the soul, and yet a Christian not know it ; and the sun of holi- ness may shine in his soul, and yet he not see it. ^ Oh, therefore, how greatly doth it concern Christians to make a diligent, a narrow, and a serious search into their own hearts, whether they have this jewel of glory— holiness— in their souls or no ! And if these argu- ments will not provoke you to faU upon this work of trial, I know not what will.
But methinks I hear some of you saying, 0 sir, how shall we do to know whether we have this real holiness or no ? we see it is our very
104 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, ItARITY, [HeB, XII. 14.
great concernment to know whether God hath sown this heavenly seed in our souls or no : but how shall we come to know this ? Now to this I answer, there are several ways whereby this may be dis- covered. As,