[1.] First, That holiness is man's greatest honour and excellency — and this I have made evident at large in the third motive to holiness ; yea, holiness is the crown, excellency, and glory of all a man's excel-
308 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RAKITY, [Heb. XII. 14.
lencies and glories, as has been fully proved in the fifth motive to holiness ; yea, and that which is yet more, holiness reflects honour, not only upon a man's own person, but it reflects honour also upon a man's near and dear relations, yea, upon the very country, city, or town where he was born, as is made good at large in the sixth motive to holiness, to which I refer you for more full and complete satisfaction to this objection. 1 But,
[2.] Secondly, Ah, how is man fallen from his primitive glory, that looks noiv upon holiness as his disgrace, as his discredit and dishonour, which in innocency ivas the top and crown of all his glory and felicity ! 2 Ah, how has sin blinded, bebeasted, and besotted the sons of men, that they should look upon that to be their, reproach which is their highest honour in this world, and to look upon that to be their disgrace which alone puts a grace upon them, and to look upon that to be their discredit which can only bring them into credit with God, angels, and good men ! Augustine confesseth that it was just thus sometimes with him, for he was stricken with such blindness, that he thought it a shame unto him to be less vile and wicked than his com- panions, whom he heard boast of their lewdness, and glory so much the more, by how much they were the more filthy ; ^ therefore, saith he, lest I should be of no account, I was the more vicious, and when I could not otherwise match others, I would feign that I had done those things which I never did, lest I should seem so much the more abject by how much I was the more innocent, and so much the more vile by how much I was the more chaste. Ah, what will not a soul blinded by sin say and do, when the work of holiness is not formed in him ! Sin has certainly cast that sinner into a woeful lethargy, who is the father of this objection. Now, it is observed of those that are fallen into a lethargy, that their bodies are subject to a continual drowsiness, and their memories are so weak that they cannot remember anything that they speak or do ; nay, it does so far debase them that they forget the very necessary actions of life : and just so has sin dealt with these objectors' souls, it has cast them under such a spiritual drowsiness, yea, it has cast them into such a deadly and fearful sleep, that it makes them forget the unum necessarium, the one thing necessary — viz., holiness. Souls under a spiritual lethargy forget their lost and lamentable condition, they forget how far ofi" they are from God, Christ, heaven, and salvation, and they forget how near they are to hell, to ruin, to everlasting burnings, and to utter perdition and destruction. It is observable of the smith's dog, that neither the noise of hammers by him, nor the sparks of fire flying about him, nor those that light upon him, do any whit awaken him, but he snorts and sleeps on securely in the midst of all ; so sin has cast the sinner into so deep a sleep, that though the sparks of hell-fire in the threatenings fly about him, and the hammers of God's judgments make a noise on all sides of him, yet he is so stupefied and benumbed that nothing will awaken
^ In the other motives you will find holiness to be the honour of God, Christ, and angels, &c.
* Mercury' could not kill Argus till he had cast him into a sleep, and with an en- chanted rod closed his eyes ; bo the devil can never hurt the soul, nor kill the soul, till he has cast the sinner into a deep sleep of carnal security.
' August. Confess., lib. ii. cap. 3.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 309
him to behold his spiritual and eternal hazard, but he sleeps on securely, and so is like to do, if infinite grace and mercy does not pre- vent, till he awakes with everlasting flames about his ears. When a man is in a deep lethargy, if you pinch him with pincers, or prick him with needles, he feels it not ; if you scourge him he cries not, if you threaten him he fears not, or if you speak him fair he regards it not, &c. Now this is the condition of such that are in a spiritual lethargy ; let the judgments of God be denounced, and let the terrors of the law be preached, they tremble not ; let the flames of hell-fire flash upon their souls, they regard it not, for they are sermon-proof, and judgment-proof, and hell-proof. Now this is thy very case, 0 sinner ! who criest out that the pursuit of holiness will turn to thy dis- grace and discredit in the world ; for were thy eyes but open to see the necessity, beauty, and excellency of holiness, oh, then thou wouldst call for holiness, and cry for holiness, and search for holiness, and press for holiness, as that which is the chiefest ornament, and the only honour and glory of the creature. But,