* In great fairs and markets, the pedlar and the ballad-singer who sell toys and trifles, have most children and fools hanging upon them ; but they that are wise and prudent attend those shops where there is best and richest commodities. You know how to apply it.
134 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, KARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
the strong lines, and high strains, and flourishes of wit with which a sermon may be decked up. Some are taken with the word, as the profession of it brings in customers into their shops, and keeps up their credits in the world. Others are taken with the word, as it seems to tickle their ears and please their fancies. Some are affected with sermons because of the elegancy of the style, delicacy of the words, smoothness of the language, and gracefulness of the delivery. And these deal by sermons as many men do by their nosegays, that are made up of many picked sweet flowers, who, after they have smelt to them a while, cast them into a corner. So these, after they have com- mended a sermon, after they have applauded a sermon, they cast away the sermon : they smell to the sermon, and say it is sweet, it is sweet, and presently they throw it by, as a nosegay that is withered, and of no further use. When a man that is sick, crazy, and unsound, is at a table that is furnished with variety of dishes, you know he easily and readily passes over all the most wliolesome and nourishing dishes, and falls a-piddlingi and picking here and there upon kickshaws 2 and puff- paste, that have little or no substance in them. So unsound, unholy hearts, when God hath prepared his table, and made a feast of fat things for their souls in the ministry of his word, they can easily and readily pass over those sound, solid, and savoury truths that are pre- pared for their strength and nourishment, and fall a-piddling and picking upon some new-coined phrases, or some quaint expressions, or some seraphical notions : and no wonder, for they are not sound within, they are under a great distemper: as the Israelites would not be satisfied with wholesome diet, but they must needs have quails as picking meat; well, they had them, and whilst they were at their picking meat, the wrath of God came upon them. The application is as easy as it is dreadful. But now a holy heart savours the word, and relishes the word, and is affected and taken with the word, as it is a holy word, a substantial word, a pure word, a clean word, and as it begets holiness, and cherishes holiness, and increases holi- ness, and as it works towards the completing and perfecting of holiness.
Quest. But how may a person know whether he loves the word, and is affected and taken with the word, as it is a holy word, or no ?
Ans. [1.] First, By what hath been already said. But because the question is weighty, I further answer
[2.] In the second place, He that loves the word, and that is affected and taken with the word as it is a holy word, he loves the whole word of God, and he is affected and taken with one part of the word as well as another. Every law of God is a holy law, and every statute is a holy statute, and every command is a holy command, and every promise is a holy promise, and every threatening is a holy threatening, and every exhortation is a holy exhortation; and, therefore, he that loves any part of the word as a holy word, he cannot but love every part of the word, because every part of the word is holy.3 And indeed he loves no part
» ' To eat daintily.'— G.
' 'A made dish in cookery:' another Shakesperian word, 2 Henry IV., v. 1, and Twelfth Night, i. 3.— G. > j , >
* As the wise philosopher delights in all Aristotle, and the prudent physician in all Galen, and the grave orator in all Tully, and the understanding lawyer in all Justinian ;
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 135
of the word as holy who loves not every part of the word as such. Every chapter in the book of God is a holy chapter, and every verse is a holy verse, and every line in that book is a holy line, and every word in every line is a holy word. He that loves a chapter as it is a holy chapter, he loves every verse in that chapter as a holy verse ; and he that loves every verse as a holy verse, he loves every Hne as a holy line ; and he that loves every line as a holy line, he loves every word in every line as a holy word. Upon easy commands he reads holiness, and upon difficult commands he reads hohness ; upon comfortable commands he reads holiness, and upon costly commands he reads holiness, and upon dangerous commands he reads holiness, and therefore he loves all, and closes with all, and endeavours a conformity to all. A holy heart dares neither to dispute with that word, nor make light of that word, where he reads holiness engraven upon it. To a holy heart there is no command of God unjust or unreasonable. But now an unholy heart, though it may for some worldly advantages court and cry up some parts of the word, yet it is ready, with Judas, to betray and crucify other parts of the word. The whole Scripture is but one entire love- letter, despatched from the Lord Clirist to his beloved spouse on earth ; and this letter is written all in golden letters, and therefore a holy heart cannot but be taken and affected with every line in this letter. In this love-letter there is so much to be read of the love of Christ, the heart of Christ, the kindness of Christ, the grace of Christ, and the glory of Christ, that a holy heart cannot but be affected and taken with it. The whole word of God is a field, and Christ is the treasure that is hid in that field ; it is a ring of gold, and Christ is the pearl in that ring, and therefore a holy heart cannot but be taken with the whole word of God. Luther was wont to say that he would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible. And Kabbi Chija, in the Jeru- salem Talmud, says that in his account all the world is not of equal value with one word out of the law.