of the way ; ye have caused many to stumble at the law.' When the preacher departs out of the way of holiness, the people will quickly stumble at the law of holiness; when ministers are as wandering stars, no wonder if their hearers wander from all that is good. He whose life is not a standing reproof to sin, will, by his life, encourage sinners more and more in a way of sin. There is nothing that keeps men so off from a good opinion of holiness, and from the love of holi- ness, and the liking of holiness, and from the pursuing after holiness, than the unholy lives of their teachers ; and therefore, as ever you would be holy, fly their tents, and abandon their company and society. Ministers whose lives are lewd, though their parts may be high, are like a stone gutter, that conveyeth water into a garden, but receiveth no benefit itself thereby ; or like a harp that maketli others melody, but heareth nothing itself; they are like those carpenters that built the ark to save others, and were drowned themselves ; or like porters at great men's gates, that let in others, but lodge without themselves ; or like sea-marks, that rot themselves, and yet give others warning to avoid shipwreck ; or like Caesar's soldier, that digged a fountain for Caesar, and perished himself for want of water. ^ Oh, the folly and madness of such ministers that give light to others, and yet walk in darkness themselves ; that feast others' souls, but starve their own ; that rescue others from a devouring enemy, and yet suffer themselves to be devoured ; that forewarn others of the horrible pit, and yet fall into it themselves ; that give good counsel to others, and yet can't take good counsel themselves ; that study and strive to bring others to heaven, a^d yet have no mind to go thither themselves ! Certainly society and company with such upoif choice can't but be a mighty hindrance to holiness : he that is in good earnest resolved to be holy, . must resolutely be resolved to have nothing to do with such unholy persons. And thus you see the several things that you must decline, if ever you would be holy. But,
II. Secondly, As there are several things that you must decline if ever you would obtain that real holiness without which there is no happiness ; so there are several things that you are to do, that you are to put in practice, without which you will never be holy here, nor happy hereafter. Quest But what are they? Ans. They are these : —
(1.) First, Greatly lament and mourn over thine own unholiness, over thine own wickedness. The first step to holiness is melting and mourning over a man's own unholiness. Go to thy closet, and fall down before the most high and holy God, and mourn bitterly over the unhohness of thy nature, the unholiness of thy heart, the unholi- ness of thy affections, the unholiness of thy intentions, the unholiness of thy resolutions, the unholiness of thy expressions, and the unholiness of thy conversation : Joel ii. 12, ' Turn ye to the Lord with weeping and with mourning.' The foundation of a thorough reformation must be laid in a deep humiliation. The best way to be holy is to accuse, indict, arraign, and condemn thyself for thy unholiness.2 You shall as soon espouse light and darkness, and marry midnight to the noon- day, as you shall espouse or marry a holy God to an unhumbled sinner. Oh, who can look upon sin as an offence against a holy God, as the
* Augustine.— G. ^ Ezra ri. 2 ; Jer. 1. 4 ; Ps. li. 5.
HeB. XII. 14 ] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 213