never be but a puny, a dwarf in holiness. The more sensible we are of our own weakness and emptiness, the more pleasure God will take to fill us with his own fulness, and to perfect in us the work of holi- ness. But,
[2.] Secondly, If ever you would perfect holiness, if ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then set the Lord always he/ore your eyes, set yourselves always as in Ms presence, Ps. xli. 12 ; 1 Sam. ii. 1, 3. David was a man that was very high and eminent in holiness ; but how came he to so great a height ? why he tells you how, in that Ps. xvi. 8, ' I have set the Lord always before me : because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.' i David did not by fits and starts set the Lord before him ; ' but he always set the Lord before him in his course ; ' he had his eye upon the Lord, and so much the Hebrew word imports : I have equally set the Lord before me, that is the force of the original word, that is, I have set the Lord before me, at one time as well as another, without any irregular afiections or passions, &c. In every place, in every condition, in every company, in every employment, and in every enjoyment, I have set the Lord equally before me ; and this raised him, and this will raise any Christian, by degrees, to a very great height of holiness : Ps. cxix. 168, ' I have kept thy precepts, and thy testimonies : for all my ways are before thee.' The Hebrew word 'lIDIi', shamar, that is here rendered Jcept, signifies to keep carefully, diligently, studiously, exactly. It signifies to keep as men keep prisoners, and to keep as a watchman keeps the city or the garrison, yea, to keep as a man would keep his very life. But now mark what was the reason that David kept the precepts and the testimonies of the Lord so carefully, so sincerely, so diligently, so studiously, and so exactly, Why, the reason you hare in the latter part of the verse, ' for all my ways are before thee.' 0 sirs ! it is as necessary for him that would be eminent in holiness, to set the Lord always before him, as it is necessary for him to breathe. In that 31st of Job you have a very large narrative of that height and perfection of holiness that Job had attained to, and the great reason that he gives you for this is in the 4th verse, ' doth not he see my ways and count all my steps ? ' The eye of God had so strong an influence upon his heart and life, that it wrought him up to a very high pitch of holiness. The scholar writes most exactly whilst his master's eye is upon him, and the child walks most exactly whilst his father's eye is upon him, and the servant works most exactly whilst his master's eye is upon him ; and so certainly all the sons and servants of the most high God do hear most exactly, and pray most exactly, and walk most exactly, when they set themselves most as in the presence of the great God, who is all sight, who is totus oculus, all eye. Ah friends ! as ever you would be high in holiness, possess your hearts with a serious apprehension of God's presence, set yourselves daily as in his sight, as under his eye ; and remember, though a man may easily bafiie his conscience, and put out his light, and deceive the world, like that counterfeit Alexander in Josephus his story, yet he shall never be able to baffle or deceive the
* Athenodorus, a heathen, could say that all men ought to be careful in the actions of their lives, because God was everywhere, and beheld all that was done. 1 Kings xx. 39 ; Ps. xxxix. 1 ; Jer. xx. 10 ; Job x. 12.
386 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
eye of God's omnisciency. You shall as soon get out of the reach of his hand, as you shall get from under the view of his eye. God hath his windows in all our breasts, and curiously and narrowly observes all that is done within us, and all that is done by us ; and if the serious con- sideration of his all-seeing eye will not influence us to labour after the highest degrees of holiness, I know not what will. It was Seneca's advice to his friend Jucilius i that whatsoever he was doing he should imagine that Cato did behold him ; and Plutarch advised his friends to demean themselves so circumspectly, as if their enemies did always behold them. But my advice to you shall be this, upon every occasion, in every condition, and in every action, * set the Lord always before you.' If the sharp and severe eye of a holy man, or of a holy friend, or of a holy relation will so overawe you, and so exceedingly influence you to the best of actions ; then certainly the sharp, piercing, and all- seeing eye of God will do much more ; and therefore let the Lord be always in your sight. But,
[3.] Thirdly, If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then^ic and settle yourselves under a holy ministry, resign and give up yourselves to his ministry who makes it his great business and work to preach holiiiess, to promote holiness, to countenance holiness, to encourage holiness, to exalt holiness, and to remove all obstructions that may any ivays hinder the -progress of holiness. Some there be that spend their time rather to please than to profit, and to tickle their hearers' ears than to touch their hearts, Isa. xxx. 11: from these turn aside; and some there be who make it their work rather to destroy churches than to build them up in faith and holiness, and from these turn aside. Gal. i. 23 ; some there are who make it their business to delude and deceive the simple, by venting and setting to sale the devices of their own heads, and the deceits and visions of their own hearts, Phil. iv. 14; Jer. xiv. 14. How many are there in these days whose glorious visions are but golden delusions, and whose seraphical phrases are but brain-sick phantasies, and whose new no- tions are but new nothings ; from these turn aside.
And others there be that build the things that they have destroyed, and are returned, after they had been seemingly washed, with the dog to his vomit, and with the sow to her wallowing in the mire, Gal. ii. 18 ; 2 Pet. ii. 20-22. They say that if tame foxes break loose and turn wild, they do more mischief than any. Julian was once a professor, but turning back to heathenism, he drew more from the faith by his fraud than his predecessors did by force ; therefore from these turn aside.
Some there be that cry up the commandments of men above the commandments of God, and that set up the ordinances of men above the_ ordinances of God, and that prefer human institutions before divine institutions ; from these turn aside. Mat. xv. 1-7 ; Mark vii. 1-14.
And others there be that have a vein of scorning and reproaching, of -disdaining and triumphing over the persons, names, and credits of those faithful ministers of Christ who upon all accounts excel them, and whom upon a dying bed, and before a judgment-seat, they will wish
' Suilius ? Tacitus, Ann., xiil 43.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 387