358 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, KARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
easily, the more pleasantly, and the more delightfully will it walk, yea, run, yea, fly in all the ways of God's commands. Every yoke of Christ is easy, and every command of Christ is joyous to a man that is eminent in holiness.^ Now the more any man delights and takes pleasure in religious duties and services, the more God delights and takes pleasure in his rehgious duties and services. The more a Christian's heart is affected and taken with the duties of religion, the more the heart of God will be affected and taken with those duties. Look, as there is no duty that affects the heart of God, that does not first affect our own, or that takes the heart of God, that does not first take our own ; so all those duties and services that are divinely pleas- ing and delightful to our noble part, they are also pleasing and de- lightful to God himself. The very heathen, as several authors report, had their store-pots of water set at the doors of their temples, where they used to wash before they went to sacrifice, having this notion and opinion amongst them, that their gods did best accept and most de- light in those sacrifices that were offered by those who had washed themselves pure and clean. Sure I am that the great God, who is the God of gods, is most pleased and delighted with those sacrifices of prayers and praises that are offered up with the purest hands, and with the cleanest heart ; and therefore, as ever you would have God to take singular pleasure and delight in all your duties and services, labour after an eminency in holiness. But,
(9.) Ninthly, To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holi- ness, consider that many who have been won over to Christ later than you, do yet in holiness much excel you. Are there not many chil- dren who have been in Christ but yesterday, as it were, and yet how do they outstrip their parents, not only in parts, but in piety, who have been in Christ many years before them ? And are there not many servants to be found who have not been in Christ seven years, who yet are more holy, more humble, more heavenly, more spiritual, more serious, and every way more gracious than their masters, who have been in Christ long before them ? And are there not many poor, mean, neglected, despised, and scorned Christians, who have been converted and sanctified but a few years, who yet are more fear- ful of sinning against God, and more careful of pleasing God, and more studious of glorifying of God, and more wise, and watchful, and circumspect in their walking with God, and more laborious and dili- gent in the use of all holy means whereby God may be exalted and lifted up in the world, than many great and rich Christians in the world, who yet have been in Christ very many years before them ? Paul had some kinsmen that were in Christ before him, as you may see in that Kom. xvi. 5, 7, ' Likewise greet the church that is in their house; salute my well-beloved Ep^netus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ ; salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were m Christ before me,' and yet in grace and holiness he excelled them all.2 You know many men in riding a journey do often set out after their neighbours, and yet they do not only overtake them, but also get
^ Ps. xl. 8, and cxix. 32; Mat. xi. 29; 1 John v. 3 * 2 Cor. L 12, and xi. 22-30 ; 1 Thes. ii 2-13.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OP HOLINESS. 359
into their inns many hours before them ; and among seamen, is there anything more common than for those who set sail some days after others, yet to get into their ports before them ? so there are many Christians who have set out heavenwards and liolinesswards after others, and yet they have not only overtaken them, but also in grace and holiness gone far before them. As Christ, in his nonage, put all the doctors in the temple down, Luke ii. 4b'-48, so many Christians, even in their nonage, as I may say, do put down other Christians, who, in respect of their years and opportunities, might have been doctors in Chris- tianity.! In this great city you have very many who have set up many years after others, and yet they are grown far greater and richer than those of their callings who have set up many years before them ; and doubtless there are very many in this city who have set upon the trade of Christianity, the trade of godliness, long after others, who yet are grown greater and richer in grace and hohness than those who have for very many years driven that trade. And oh, how should this alarm all such to double their diligence, and to strive and labour as for life to be eminent in holiness, yea, to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord I But,
(10.) Tenthly, To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness, consider that there are no persons under heaven that are so strongly obliged and engaged to 'perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord as you are, for you are the only persons on earth that are made partakers of the divine nature, and that have a more excellent spirit in you than the men of this world have, and that have more excellent principles in you, as knowledge, wisdom, faith, love, self-denial, humility, &c., to help on the advance and increase of holiness, than others have, whose souls are strangers, yea, enemies, to those noble and divine prin- ciples. 2 And you are the only persons on earth upon whom all exhortations and commands to grow in holiness, to increase in holiness, and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, does most immediately; most directly, most eminently, most roundly, and most fully fall, as you may easily see by comparing the scriptures in the margin together. 3 0 sirs, how gloriously should that house be adorned with holiness that is of God's own building ! and how fruitful should those vineyards and gardens be that are of God's own planting ! and how full should those wells be that are of God's own digging 1 and how sweet should those flowers be that are of God's own setting ! and how ripe should those fruits be that are of God's own grafting 1 0 sirs, shall the eagle fly higher and higher ; shall the sun shine brighter and brighter ; and shall the giant refreshed with wine run swifter and swifter ; and shall the woman that is with child grow fuller and fuller, and greater and greater ; and shall not you who are the people of God's holiness fly higher and higher in holiness, and shine brighter and brighter in holiness, and run swifter and swifter in the ways of holiness, and grow fuller and fuller, and greater and greater in the births of holiness ? * 0 sirs, holiness in a Christian is not like a star
^ Jerome writes of Paulinus, that in the first part of hia life he excelled others, and in his latter part he excelled himself.
" 2 Pet. i. 4 ; Dan. vi. 3 ; 1 Cor. ii. 12.