have a soul to save as precious as mine own, and bought by the same blood of Christ. It is said of Constantino that in this he was truly- great, that he would have his whole court gathered together, and cause the Scriptures to be read and opened to them, that they might be made holy courtiers, and so fitted for the court of heaven, into which no un- clean person or thing can enter, Kev. xxi. 27. It grieved an emperor that a neighbour of his should die before he had done him any good. Ah, it is the grief of a holy magistrate to see others die before they are made holy. The great request of a holy magistrate, living and dying, is this, Lord, make this people a holy people ! Oh, make this people a holy people ! Art thou a holy kinsman, a holy friend, then thou wilt labour to make thy kindred holy, and thy friends holy : as holy Cornelius did, as you may see in Acts x. 24, 27, ' And the mor- row after they entered into Cesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as Peter talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.' And in ver. 33, saith Cornelius to Peter, ' Thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore we are all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.' i Devout Cornelius gets his kinsmen and near friends together, that they also might be partakers of the grace and mercy of God with him. He had ex- perienced a work of grace and holiness upon his own heart, and he uses, his best endeavours that they might experience the same on theirs. A holy Christian is like a loadstone, that draws to itself first one iron ring, and that another, and that a third. As there is a natural instinct in all creatures to propagate their own kind, as in beasts, birds, and fishes, so there is a holy, a spiritual instinct in all gracious hearts to propagate grace and holiness in whatever hearts they can. Look, as fire will assimilate and turn everything that comes near it into its own nature, so will a holy heart labour to make all that comes near him like himself. Look, as one drunkard labours to make another, and one swearer another, and one wanton another, and one thief another, and one idle person another, and one fearful person another, and one doubt- ful person another, and one erroneous person another, &c., so one holy heart labours to make another, one gracious heart labours to make another.2 He that is humble will labour to make others humble, he that is sincere wiU labour to make others sincere, he that is faithful will labour to make others to be faithful, he that is fruitful will labour to make others fruitful, and he that is watchful will labour to make others watchful. A heart that is truly holy wiU labour, by prayers, reproofs, tears, example, counsel, and commands, to make others like himself. He knows that there is no love, no wisdom, no care, no pains, next to that which he takes with his own heart, to that which is laid out to make unholy hearts holy. And therefore he prays and weeps, and weeps and prays, that holiness may be written upon all that his name is written upon ; he learns and teaches, and he teaches and learns, and all that he may teach and learn others to be holy ; he counts it not
1 So in John i. 39, 49, and iv. 28-30.
' It is a true saying in natural philosophy, that it is Naturalissimum opus viventia generate sibi simile : The most natural act or work of every living thing to produce another like unto itself.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 127
worth while to live in this world, were it not for the glory of God, and the good of his own and others' souls. But now, what shall we say of those persons who are so far from being holy, who are so far from drawing others to be holy, that they do what they can to make those that are holy to become unholy, and who strongly tempt those that are unholy to be more unholy ? These are factors i for hell, and cer- tainly such solicitors shall at last be most dreadfully handled by hellish tormentors. But,
10. Tenthly, He that is really holy, will be holy in the use of earthly and common things, as well as in the use of spiritual arid heavenly things, Titus i. 15. He will be spiritual in the use of carnal things, and heavenly in the use of earthly things. There is a silver vein of sanctity that runs through all his worldly concernments. If you look upon him in his eating and drinking, you shall find him holy, 1 Cor. X. 31. If you look upon him in his buying and selling, in has paying and receiving, you shall find him holy : Isa. xxiii. 18, ' And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord.' Before Tyre's conversion, she laboured to enrich herself by hook and by crook : all was fish that came to Tyre's net. Tyre could say anything, or do any- thing, or be anything, for gain. Oh, but when Tyi-e is converted and sanctified, then all her merchandise and hire, then all her gettings and earnings, shall be holiness to the Lord. Tyre now shall write holiness upon all her wares and commodities. Tyre shall buy nothing, nor sell nothing, nor exchange nothing, but there shall be holiness written upon it. And Tyre shall be as well holy in using and improving of her merchandise and hire, as she hath been holy in the getting of them ; for so it follows in the same verse, * It shall not be treasured nor laid up ; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.' Tyre, before her conver- sion, hoarded up riches, and laid up her merchandise to spend upon her lusts, to spend upon her pride, and wantonness, and luxuriousness, &c. But now, being converted, she uses and improves what she hath in the service of the Lord, and for the comfort, support, and relief of the poor and needy. When Tyre is once made holy, then Tyre will be holy in the use of all her earthly enjoyments. If you look upon a holy man going to war, then you shall find holiness written upon the bridles of his horses : Zech. xiv. 20, 21 , 'In that day shall there be upon the bridles, or bells, of the horses. Holiness unto the Lord. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts.' 2 Here is holiness written upon the bridles of the horses they ride on, and holiness written upon the cups and pots they drink in. A holy heart will be holy in the use of the meanest things that are for common use. Every piece of his civility ^ shall savour of sanctity, and in aU the parts of his common conversation you shall be able to dis- cern something of the power of religion : Job v. 24, ' And thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.' Thou shalt be holy in thy commerce, and holy in thy converse. Holiness shall be written upon
^ ' Agents,' ' instruments.* — G.
" Calvin renders it stables of horses, which are the most stinking and contemptible places ; and yet these should be holily used. '^ = Morality. — G.