ments— that is, to his word ; for under this title, 'judgments,' you are to understand the whole word of God. And so there were some in Sar- dis that were of the same spirit with the worthies above mentioned : Eev. iii. 4, ' Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.' In polluting times pure hearts will keep themselves pure. A holy heart will keep himself undeiiled, even in defiling times ; when others are besmeared all over, he will keep his gar- ments white and clean. Let the times never so often turn, you shall find that he that is really holy will be holy under every turn. No turns shall turn him out of a way of holiness : Job xvii. 9, ' The right- eous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.' Finis coronal opus. A man that is really holy will be holy among the holy, and he will be holy among the unholy. If you look upon him among unholy friends, unholy chil- dren, and unholy servants, you shall find him holy ; if you look upon him among unholy neighliours, you shall find him holy ; and if you look upon him among unholy buyers and sellers, you shall find him holy ; if you take him at his table, you shall find him holy ; if you take him in his shop, in his commerce, you shall find him holy ; if you take him in his family, you shall find him holy ; if you take him in his closet, you shall find him holy ; if you take him in his jour- neyings, you shah, find him holy ; or if you take him in his recrea- tions, you shall find him holy. True holiness is like that famous Queen Elizabeth, Semper eadem, always the same. The philosopher's good man is (jerpajovos) four square. Cast him where you will, like a die, he falls always sure and square. So cast a holy man where you will, and into what company you will, yet still he falls sure and square for holiness. True holiness is a part of the divine nature ; it is of such a heavenly complexion, that it will never alter. If the times should be so sad and bad that holy persons should not be able to hold fast their estates, their liberties, their trades, their lives, their religion, yet they will stiU hold fast their holiness. A holy Christian is like gold. Now cast gold into the fire, or into the water ; cast it upon the dunghill, or into the pleasant garden ; cast it among the poor or among the rich, among the religious or among the licentious ; yet still it is gold, still it retains its purity and excellency : so cast a holy Christian, a golden Christian, into what condition you will, and into what company you will, yet still he will retain his purity, his sanctity ; yea, the worse the times are, the more a holy man studies holiness, and prefers holiness, and prizes holiness, and practises holiness, that he may keep up the credit of holiness, and the credit of a holy God, and the credit of his holy profession in the world. But now such as have only a show of holiness, an appearance of holiness, these will be religious among the religious, and vicious among the vicious, Isa. ix. 17. They will be righteous among the righteous, and licentious among the licen- tious ; they will be as the company is amongst which they are cast. With the good they will be good, and with the bad they will be bad ; with the zealous they will be zealous, and with the superstitious they will be superstitious ; and with the lukewarm they will be lukewarm, &c. They are for all times and tides ; they are for any turn that will
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 141
serve their turn ; for any mode that will bring pleasure or profit to them ; they are like Alcibiades, of whom it was said that he was omnium horanim homo, a man for all times ; for he could swagger it at Athens, and take any pains at Thebes ; he could live most sparingly at Laci- dsemon, and bibi among the Thracians, and hunt among the Persians. So these men can accommodate themselves to the times, and comply with them, whatever they be. With Proteus they will transform themselves into all shapes ; as the times change, so will they ; what the times favour, that they will favour ; what the times commend, that they will commend ; and what the times cry up and admire, that they will cry up and admire ; and what the times frown upon and condemn, that they will frown upon and condemn. Look, as curious and well-drawn pictures seem to turn their eyes every way, and to smile upon every one that looks upon them : so these can turn with the times ; they can look as the times look, and smile as the times smile ; they can say with the times, and sail with the times. Some- times they can act one part, and sometimes another part, as the times require. If the times require a large profession, they can make it ; if the times require a rigid spirit against such as cannot comply with the times, they can act it ; if the times bespeak them to leave their religion at the church door, they can leave it, &c. If the times caU upon them to worship God according to the prescriptions of men, they can do it. Oh , but give me a man that is really holy, and he will be holy though the times should be never so unholy ; yea, the more licen- tious the times are, the more gracious he will labour to be.
15. In the fifteenth place, He that is really holy propounds ordi- narily to himself holy aims and ends in his actings and undertakings. The glory of God is the mark, the white that holy men have in their eyes: Kom. xiv. 7, 8, They live not to themselves, but they live to him who lives for ever ; they live not to their own wills, lusts, greatness, and glory in this world, but they live to his glory, whose glory is dearer to them than their very lives. ^ They make divine gloiy their ultimate end : 2 Cor. iv. 5, ' We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; ' that is, in our preaching we woo not for ourselves but for Christ.3 We are no kin to those who speak two words for themselves, and hardly one for Christ. In all our preaching we eye the glory of Christ, we design the honour and exaltation of Christ. Keal holiness is commonly attended with a single eye, as counterfeit holiness is commonly attended with a squint eye ; squint-eyed aims, and squint-eyed ends, do usually wait upon double hearts. Take a holy man in the exercise of his gifts and graces for the good of men's souls, or take him in the exercise of charity for the good of men's bodies, and in both you shall find his eye fixed upon the glory of God: suitable to that, 1 Pet. iv. 11, 'If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God ; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ ; to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever.
' ' Live riotously.' — G.
2 John vii. 18 ; Gen. xli. 16; Dan. ii. 23; Titus ii. 10, 38; 1 Cor. x ; Kev. xii. 11.