SO famous among the Athenians for his justice, that he was called Aristides the Just, &c., [Plutarch.] 0 Christians, it is your highest honour and glory in this world, to be so eminent and famous for holi- ness, that men may point at you, and say, there goes such a one the wise, and there goes such a one the humble, and there goes such a one the heavenly, and there goes such a one the meek, and there goes such a one the patient, and there goes such a one the contented, and there goes such a one the just, and there goes such a one the merciful, and there goes such a one the zealous, and there goes such a one the coura- geous, and there goes such a one the sincere, and there goes such a one the faithful, &c. Well, for a close, remember this, that though great places, great offices, great revenues, and great honours, &c., may exalt you and set you high in the uppermost seats and rooms among men, yet it is only an eminency in holiness that will exalt you and set you high in the consciences of sinners and saints. But,
(14.) Fourteenthly, To provoke you to labour after higher degrees of holiness, consider that the times wherein you live calls for this at your hands, Jer. li. 5. Ah, how is this land filled with sin, yea, with the worst of sins, against the Holy One of Israel ! Hell seems to be broken loose, and men strive to exceed and excel one another in all kinds of wickedness. Oh the scarlet sins that are now to be found under many scarlet robes ! Oh the black transgressions that are now to be found under many black cassocks ! Oh the new-found oaths, the hellish blasphemies, the horrid filthiness, and the abominable debaucheries that are committed daily in the face of the sun 1 Ah how shameless, how senseless are sinners grown in these days ! Jer. iii. 3. Sin every- where now appears with a whore's forehead. Ah what open opposition does Christ meet with in his gospel offices, members, ways, worship, and works ! Mat. xxiv. 12 ; ah how does all iniquity abound, and how bold and resolute are multitudes now in dishonouring of Grod, in pro- faning his Sabbaths, in polluting his ordinances, in destroying their own souls, and in treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath ! &c., Rom. ii. 5. Now the worser the times are, the better every Chris- tian must labour to be ; the more profane the age is wherein we live, the more holy we must endeavour to be. 0 sirs, how else will you recompense the great God, if I may so speak, for all the dishonours that are cast upon him by the matchless looseness and wickedness of the present times ? how else will you shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation ? Phil. ii. 15 ; how else will you convince the consciences, and stop or button up the mouths of wicked and un- reasonable men? 1 Pet. ii. 15; how else will you be the Lord's witnesses against this sinful and adulterous generation? Isa. xliii. 10, 12,and xliv. 8 ; how else will you manifest your great love to Christ, and your exceed- ing tenderness of the honour and glory of Christ ? how else will you give an undeniable testunony of the glorious operations of the Spirit in you ? Ps. xviii. 20-25 ; how else will you satisfy your own consciences that your hearts are upright with God ? and how else will you with Noah condemn a wicked world ? Heb. xi. 7. Well, Christians, remember this, it is more than time for you to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, when so many thousands labour day and night to perfect wicked- ness in despite of the Lord ; it is time for you to be angels in holiness,
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when multitudes strive to exceed the very devil in wickedness. Since Christ was on earth, there has been no times that have called louder for the perfecting of holiness than the present times wherein we live. But,