there is in most of the nations of the earth ? But now what is the choicest salve for all these sores ? Certainly holiness. What is the most sovereign remedy against all these maladies ? Nothing but holiness. 0 sirs, the more holiness rises in a nation, the more will righteousness run down as mighty streams, and the more the hearts of the poor and needy will leap and sing for joy. There is no way to make a nation happy, but by making of it holy. 0 sirs ! as you are men, as you are Englishmen, as you love your country, as you honour your king and country, and as you desire the peace, prosperity, and felicity of your country, labour to be holy. 0 England, England, it is holiness that will be a wall of fire about thee, and a glory in the midst of thee : it is holiness that will make thee happy at home, and prosperous abroad. Among all Englishmen, there is no man to the holy man. Certainly that man that is most busy about mending his own heart and life, contributes most to the mending of the times. There are many sturdy blades i that will talk stiffly for their country, and that say that they will stand stoutly for their country, and yet by their daily ungodliness they do undo their country. These men destroy by their lives what they seem to build with their hands. And therefore, as ever you would have all things that are out of order in order, labour for a weU-ordered heart, and a well-ordered life. Holi- ness of conversation is the best means under heaven to prevent con- fusion and desolation.
Again, if you wUl look upon the present times as times wherein the judgments of God are abroad in the world — I say, if you will thus look upon them, then, I say, the times call aloud upon you for holiness : Isa. xxvi. 9, ' When thy judgments are abroad in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.' 0 sirs ! when garments are rolled in blood, when the sword devours the flesh of the slain, when justice lays heap upon heap, when pestilence and famine destroys all on the right hand and on the left, oh ! then every one will say. Come, let us break off our sins, let us turn to the Lord, let us mend our ways, and reform our lives, and get holiness into our hearts. We behold many sorer, heavier, and worse judgments than these are upon us this day, if we had but eyes to behold them. Oh, that hardness of heart, that barrenness of soul, that blindness of mind, that searedness of con- science, that perverseness of spirit, that superstitious will-worship, and that looseness of life that multitudes are given up to this day ! Oh, those God-dishonouring, those Christ-denying, those ordinance-despis- ing, those conscience-wasting, those life-corrupting, and those soul- damning opinions, principles, blasphemies, and practices that multi- tudes are given up to this day ! Oh, the spiritual decays, the spiritual witherings, the spiritual slumberings, the spiritual faintings, the spiritual languishings that are to be found among a professing people this day! ^ Now certainly there are no judgments to spiritual judg- ments ; none reach the soul like these, none separate between God and
^ ' Active young men.' — G.
" Ps. Ixxviii. and Ixxxi. 12. That which was wont to be said of Africa, that it was ever a-producing some new monster or other, may be said of the age, yea, of the land wherein we live, 2 Thes. i. 8, 9; Amos viii. 11, 12.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 187
the soul like these, none lay men open to temporal and eternal judg- ments like these. Spiritual judgments are the most insensible judg- ments, they are the most dreadful judgments, they are the most incur- able judgments, they are the most damningjudgmentsof all judgments. Spiritual judgments have most of wrath, and most of horror, and most of heU in them. Oh that now these terrible judgments are abroad in the earth, you would learn righteousness, that you would learn to be holy ! For as there is no such sense against temporal judgments as holiness, so there is no such sense against spiritual judgments as holi- ness. Oh, the spiritual strokes, the spiritual arrows, the spiritual dis- eases, the spiritual sicknesses, the spiritual plagues that are abroad in the world ! and oh that the dread and sense of these might provoke you and prevail with you to labour after real holiness, to labour after the power of godliness, which will be your greatest security against these most deadly and soul-killing maladies !
Again, the days and times wherein we live call aloud for holiness. If you look upon them as days and times of grace, what greater and higher engagements to holiness were ever put upon a people, than those that God hath put upon us, who enjoy so many ways, means, and helps to make us holy ? Oh, the pains, the care, the cost, the charge, that God hath been at, and that God is daily at, to make us holy ! ^ Hath he not sent, and doth he not still send his messengers, rising up early, and going to bed late, and all to provoke you to be holy ? Have not many of them spent their time, and spent their strength, and spent their spirits, and spit up their lungs, and spent their very lives to make you holy ? 0 sirs f what do holy ordinances call for, but holy hearts and holy lives ? What do days of light call for, but walking in the light, and casting off the deeds of darkness ? What is the voice. of aU the means of grace, but this. Oh, labour to be gracious ? And what is the voice of the Holy Spirit, but this. Oh, labour to be holy ? And . what is the voice of all the miracles of mercy that God hath wrought in the midst of you, but this, ' Be ye holy, be ye holy ' ? 0 sirs, what could the Lord have done that he hath not done to make you holy ? Hath he not lifted you up to heaven in respect of holy helps ? Hath he not to this very day followed you close with holy offers, and holy entreaties, and holy counsels, and holy encouragements, and all to make you holy ? And will you be loose still, and proud still, and worldly still, and malicious still, and envious still, and contentious still, and unholy still ? Oh, what is this, but to provoke the Lord to put out all the lights of heaven, to drive your teachers into corners, to remove your candlesticks, and to send his everlasting gospel, that hath stood long a-tip-toe, among a people that may more highly prize it, and dearly love it, and stoutly defend it, and conscientiously practise it, than you have done to this very day ? Eev. ii. 4, 5 ; Isa._ xxxii. 25. By what hath been said, I suppose there is nothing more evident than that the times and seasons wherein we live calls aloud upon every one to look after holiness and to labour for holiness ; never complain of the times, but cease to do evil, and labour to do well, and all will be well ; get but
1 Jer. vii. 13, 25; ixv. 3, 4; and xxiv. U, 15; Isa. xlix. 4, 5; 2 Cor. xu. 14, 15; Kom. xiii. 11-14.
188 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.