* Augustine writ his 49th ep. to one called Deo gratiat.
326 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
all thy mercies look, were it not for holiness ! It is the want of holi- ness that makes all a man's mercies look as ill-favoured as Pharaoh's lean kine, and it is the fruition of holiness that makes all a man's mercies look as well-favoured as Pharaoh's fat kine, Gen. xli. 2-4 ; it is holiness that both puts a colour upon all our mercies, and that gives a taste and a relish to them. All our mercies, without holiness, will be but as the waters of Marah, bitter, Exod. xv. 23-25 ; it is only holiness that is the tree that will make every bitter sweet, and every sweet more sweet ; and how then canst thou but be thankful for holi- ness ? Oh, remember how far oif thou wert from God, and Christ, and the promise, and heaven, and happiness, when thou wast without holiness in this world, Eph. ii. 12. Oh, remember what a child of wrath, what a bond-slave to Satan, what an enemy to God, and what an apparent heir to hell thou wert, when thou wert an opposer of holi- ness, and a secret despiser of holiness, and then be unthankful for holiness if thou canst ! Oh, remember that now by holiness, of a slave thou art made a son, and of an heir of wrath thou art made an heir of heaven, and instead of being Satan's bondman, thou art now made Christ's freeman ; thy iron chains are now knocked oflf, as sometimes Joseph's were, and the golden chain of holiness is now put upon thee, John viii. 36. And what does all this call aloud for but thankfulness ? Thales, a heathen, gave thanks to God for three things: 1. That he had made him a man, and not a beast ; 2. That he had made him a man, and not a woman ; 3. That he was born a Greek, and not a barbarian. 1 And, oh then, what cause of thankfulness hast thou for thy supernatural being, and for all those noble principles of holiness that the Lord has stamped upon thy soul ! &c. Shall the husband- man be thankful for a plentiful harvest, and the merchant for quick returns, and the shopkeeper for a full trade, and the mariner for a good voyage, and wilt not thou be much more thankful for holiness ? Shall the beggar be thankful for a crust to feed him, and shall the blind be thankful for a dog to lead him, and shall the naked be thank- ful for rags to cover him, and shall the aged be thankful for a staff to support him, and shall the diseased be thankful for a cordial to raise him, and wilt not thou be thankful for holiness, yea, for that holiness that is bread to strengthen thee, and a guide to lead thee, and raiment to clothe thee, and a staff to support thee, and a cordial to comfort thee ? Ingratum dixeris, omnia dixeris. Oh, remember that ingra- titude is a monster in nature, a solecism in manners, and a paradox in grace, damming up the course of all donations, both divine and human. Lycurgus, as Musculus observes, among all his laws, made none against the ungrateful, because ingratitude was thought a thing so prodigious as not to be committed by man. And the Persians and Athenians condemned the ungrateful to death. Ah, unthankful Christians, how can you think of these heathens, and not blush ! Shall they bless God for crumbs, and will not you bless God for crowns ? Shall they bless God for the gifts of nature, and will not you bless God for the gifts of grace ? &c. Next to a holy Christ, holiness is the greatest gift that God can give, and therefore be thankful for it, &c. But, [3.] Thirdly, Evidence and declare your holiness, hy the reality of ^ This saying is also fathered on Socrates, &c.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 327
your constant pursuit after holiness, hy your holding up and holding on in a way of holiness, by your perseverance in holiness. This exhor- tation, ' Follow peace with all men, and holiness,' Heb. xii. 14, was given forth to such as had a spirit of holiness, and principles of holi- ness in them ; and these are the men that the holy apostle presses to press after holiness.^ That holiness will do us no good that is not made good by perseverance. O sirs, shall the ambitious person j)ur- sue after his honours, and the voluptuous person after his pleasures, and the worldling pursue after his gain, and the wanton pursue aft^r his harlots, and the drunkard pursue after his full cups, &c. ; and shall not Christians much more pursue after holiness ? Not to go forward is to go backward, non progredi est regredi, and not to grow better is to grow worse, and not to gi'ow more holy is to grow less holy. The crown, the new name, and the white stone, is for him that holds out, and that holds on in his pursuit after hoLiness.2 A progress in holiness is fitly compared to a building, to a race, to the morning light, and to the increasing moon. Now, you know, houses are raised from the foundations to the walls, and from the walls to the first storey, and then to the second storey, and then to the third, and so higher and higher, till you come up to the roof ; and in a race, you know, men run on till they come to the goal ; and the morning light shines brighter and brighter till it be perfect day ; and the moon increaseth more and more till it come to the full ; and so must Christians per- severe and hold on in adding grace to grace. 0 Christians ! you must not be like to a morning cloud, nor to the early dew ; you must not stand still in the ways of holiness, as the sun stood still in Gibeon, Josh. X. 13 ; much less are you to go back, like the sun on Ahaz's dial, 1 Kings X. 11 ; but as a bridegroom which cometh out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race, Ps. xix. 5 ; so must you delight to run the ways of God's commands, Ps. cxix. 32 ; you must maintain your progress in piety, whatever comes on't. 0 sirs, the way of holiness is the safest way, the noblest way, the sweetest way, the cleanest way, the pleasantest way, and the happiest way, Prov. iii. 17; and therefore hold on, and hold up in that way, though the world, the flesh, and the devil should cry out, ' There is a lion in the way, there is a lion in the way,' Prov. xxvi. 13. It is said of Hannibal, that not- withstanding the rough rocks, and the craggy clifts of the Alps, yet he proceeded onward in his design for Italy, with this resolution, that he would either find a way or make a way ; and so must Christians hold on in a way of holiness, notwithstanding all the rocks and lets^ and difficulties that they meet with in that way. It is an observation of some of the learned, that those that were marked to be preserved in Jerusalem, were marked with the letter n, tau, which is the last of all the Hebrew letters, to signify that they must run the race of holi- ness even to the last, Ps. xliv. 17-22 ; Ezek. ix. 4. 0 sirs, in the face of all your sins and unworthiness, God holds on in ways of mercy towards you ; and why then should not you hold on in ways of sanctity towards him ? Shall Satan persevere in his enmity against