racking of a town. And venerable in all ages and among all nations have been the books wherein the laws either of their belief or polity have been contained ; as the Talmud among the Jews, and the laws of the twelve tables among the Eomans, and the Alcoran among the Turks, yea, all pagans have highly valued the laws of their legislators ; and shall not Christians much more set a high esteem upon the holy Scriptures, which are the map of God's mercy, and man's misery, the touchstone of truth, the shop of remedies against all maladies, the hammer of vices, and the treasury of virtues, the displayer of all sen- sual and worldly vanities, the balance of equity, and the most perfect rule of all justice and honesty? What Chrysostom said of old to his hearers — viz., ' Get you Bibles, for they are your souls' physic' — that I say to you all. Oh, get you Bibles, for they are your souls' physic, your souls' food, your souls' happiness. Ah, friends, no book becomes your hands like the Bible, It was this book that made David wiser than his teachers ; this is the book that makes the best preachers, and this is the book that is the best preacher. This book, this preacher will preach to you in your shops, in your chambers, in your closets, yea, in your own bosoms. This book will preach to you at home and abroad, it will preach to you in all companies, whether they are good or bad, and it will preach to you in all conditions, whether they are prosperous or afflictive. By this book you shall be saved, or by this book you shall be damned ; by this book you must live, by this book you must die, and by this book you shall be judged in the great day, John xii. 48. Oh, therefore, love this book above all other books, and prize this book above all other books, and buy this book before all other books. In King Henry the Eighth's time, and in Queen Mary's days. Christians would have given cartloads of hay and corn for a few chapters in the New Testament ; and will not you part with three or four shillings to buy a Bible, that may save your souls, that may make you holy here and happy hereafter ? And read this book before all other books, and study this book more than all other books ; for he that reads much and understands nothing, is like him that hunts much and catcheth nothing. And let this suffice for this seventh direction. (8.) Eighthly, If ever you would be holy, then be much in prayer. Prayer is the most prevalent orator at the throne of grace. Many that have gone to that throne with tears in their eyes, have come away with "praises in their hearts ; and many that have gone to that throne with hearts full of sin, have returned with hearts full of grace. Jacob wept and prayed, and prayed and wept ; and in the close as a prince he prevailed with God, Hosea xiv. 4 ; so many a sinner has wept and prayed, and prayed and wept, and in the close as a prince he has prevailed with God. Ah, sirs, it may be that there are but a few weeks, nay, a few days, peradventure but a few hours, between your souls and eternity, between your souls and everlasting burnings, between your souls and a devouring fire, between your souls and damnation ; and will you not then pray and mourn, and mourn and pray, for that holiness, without which there is no happiness, yea, without which hell and destruction will be for ever your portion? Oh, take that blessed promise, Ezek. xxxvi. 25-27, and urge God with it ; oh, tell him that he has said that ' he will sprinkle clean water upon
230 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
you, and that ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and that from all your idols he will cleanse you', &c. Oh, tell him,
First, That he stands engaged by promise to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask it, Luke xi. 13.
Secondly, Oh, tell him that none can make an unholy heart holy, but a holy God.
Thirdly, Tell him that surely it is no sin to beg holiness of a holy God.
Fourilily, Tell him that ha has made such who were once notorious in wickedness to become eminent in holiness : witness Manasseh, Mary Magdalene, Paul, the murderers of Christ, and those vile Corinthians, 1 Cor. V. 6, 9-11.
Fifthly, Tell him that he has given holiness to them that have not sought it, and how then can it stand with his honour to deny it to them that seek it ? Surely if he has been * found of them that sought him not,' he will not hide himself ' from them that seek him,' Isa. Ixv. 1, 2.
' Sixthly, Tell him that thou hadst rather that he should deny thee anything, than that he should deny thee holiness ; say to him, Lord, health is the prince of outward mercies, and wealth is the spring of many mercies, and wife, children, and friends are the set-oflfs of mer- cies, the cream of mercies, and that liberty is the sweetener of all thy mercies, and yet tell him that thou hadst rather that he should strip thee of any of these, nay, that he should deny thee all of these, than that he should deny thee holiness.
Seventhly, Tell him that thou didst never read of any man that did ever make a hearty request for holiness, but his request was granted. The leper would fain be clean, and Christ's answer is, * I will ; be thou clean,' Mat. viii. 2, 3. Christ does neither delay him nor deny him. The poor leper could no sooner desire to be clean, but Christ com- mands him to be clean — ' I will ; be thou clean.' His prayer was short and sweet, and his answer was sudden and gracious.
Eighthly, Tell him that thou art unwilling to be miserable for ever, tell him that thou canst not bear the thoughts of an eternal separation from him, and yet this must be thy portion, except he will glorify the riches of his grace in bestowing of that pearl of price, holiness, upon thee. Oh, tell him that thy want of holiness is now thy greatest hell ! tell him that thou art now fully resolved to give him no rest till he has changed thy heart, and made thee in some measure to be what he would have thee to be, &c.
It is observable amongst the worst of men, the Turks, yea, amongst the worst of Turks, the Moors, that by their law it is a just exception against any witness, that he hath not prayed six times every natural day, it being a usual custom with them to pray for day before the day brake, and when it is day they give thanks for daylight, and at noon they give thanks to God that half the day is past, and then at last they pray that they may have a good night after their day. Ah, sinners, sinners, shall not these Turks rise up one day in judgment against you that think not holiness worth a-praying for ?
Object. But the prayers of the ivicked are an abomination to the Loi'd, Prov. XV. 8, and xxviii. 9 ; and he casts their sacrifices as dung in
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 231: