* Ilafif>7]<rla signifies boldness of face, a lifting up of the face and countenance, in the sight or face of many beholders. It signifies a freedom and liberty of speech.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 181
account ; when he that was a brat of Satan's is made a saint, when he that was like hell is made like heaven, when he that was most ugly and uncomely is made like him that is the holy of hohes ; this is that which gives boldness both here and hereafter. 0 sirs, it is not wit nor wealth, but holiness ; it is not race nor place, but holiness ; it is not power nor policy, but holiness ; it is not honour nor riches, but holiness; it is not natural excellencies nor acquired abilities, but holiness, that will give boldness in the day of Christ's appearing : 1 Pet. i. 5-7, ' A well-tried faith,' which is but a branch of holiness, * shall be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.' At the coming of Christ, holiness shall be a man's praise and honour and glory. In that great day when shame and everlasting contempt shall be poured forth upon the great monarchs of the world, who have made the earth to tremble, ' when the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief cap- tains, and the mighty men, &c., shall cry out to the mountains and rocks to fall upon them, and to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,' Kev. vi. 15- 17 — then, I say, ' then shall the righteous shine as the sun in the firma- ment,' Dan. xii. 1-3. In life and death, and in the day of account, a righteous man will be as bold as a lion, Prov. xxviii. 1. Beal holiness will make a man death-proof, and hell-proof, and judgment-proof. The day of judgment will be to a holy man a marriage-day, a day of redemp- tion, a day of coronation, a day of exultation, and therefore hq may well lift up his head and rejoice. Look, as the Israelites who had the blood of the pa ssover on their door-posts, though the destroyer was abroad, and a dreadful cry was all over Egypt, yet they were not slain, not stricken, Exod. xii. 7, 11; they did not fear nor tremble, but had their loins ready girt, and staves in their hands, boldly and cheerfully expecting when the happy and joyful hour of their redemption would come, Heb. ix. 14: so those that have the door-posts of their hearts and con- sciences sprinkled with holiness, in this terrible day of the Lord, they shall with boldness and cheerfulness lift up their faces, because the day of their redemption is come. And this made Luther say that he had rather never have been born, than not to be in hope of this day.i This day to God's holy ones will be melodia in aure, juhilum in corde, Like music in the ear, and a jubilee in the heart. It is true, the un- godly shall not stand in judgment, Ps. 1. 5 ; 2 Thes. ii. 7-10. Stand they must to be arraigned, sentenced, and condemned. Stand they shall, but not with any boldness or cheerfulness, comfort or content. Stand they shall, but not to be approved, acquitted, or absolved. Chaff and stubble cannot stand before that God that is a consiuning fire, Heb. xii. 29. When Belshazzar saw the handwriting upon the wall, oh, how was he affrighted, how was his countenance changed, his joints loosed, and his knees dashed one against another ! Dan v. 5, 6. Oh, how do many ungodly men now tremble at a thunder-crack in the clouds, and at a flash of lightning in the air! but how will they tremble and quake when the whole frame of heaven and earth shall break in pieces, and be set in a flame about their ears ! Oh, what trouble of mind, what horror and terror of conscience, what weeping ^ Sermon de Signis prse. extr. Jud.
182 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XTI. 14.
and wailing, what crying and roaring, what wringing of hands, what tearing of hair, and what gnashing of teeth will there be among the ungodly in this day, when they shall see their sins charged on them on the one side, and divine justice terrifying them on the other side ! when they shall look upward, and there see an angry God frowning upon them, and look downward, and there see hell gaping ready to receive them, and look inward, and there find conscience accusing and gnawing of them ! when they shall look on their right hands, and there behold the good angels standing with so many flaming swords to keep them out of heaven, and look on their left hands, and there behold the devil and his angels ready pressed to drag them down to the lowest hell ! oh, now how will they wish for the rocks to fall upon them, and the mountains to cover them ! how will they wish that they had never been born, or that they might now be unborn ! how will they now wish that their immortal souls were mortal, or that their souls might be turned into the nature of beasts, birds, stones, trees, or air, or anything rather than what they are ! I have read ^ a story of two soldiers, who being in the valley of Jehoshaphat, in Judea, the one said to the other. Here in this place shall be the general judgment, and therefore I will now take up my place where I wiU then sit ; and so, lifting up a stone, he sat down upon it, as taking possession beforehand; but being sat, and looking up to heaven, such a quaking and trembhng fell upon him, that, falling to the earth, he remembered the day of judgment with horror and amazement for ever after. But alas ! what heart is able to conceive, or what toiigue is able to express, the fear and dread, the horror and terror, the astonishment and amazement that will fall upon all ungodly persons in this day ! And yet even now Grod's holy ones shall lift up their heads and hearts : they shall be bold and steadfast, they shall be far from fear, shame, or trembling. And thus you see that godliness, that holiness is the most gainful trade. And therefore, sirs, as you love gain, as you tender your own profit and advantage, labom- to be holy. But,