that they had imitated and not envied, 2 Cor. x. 10. These labour to darken and obscure others, that their own sun may shine the brighter. These labour to lessen others' reputation, hoping thereby to greaten their own ; these admire themselves and contemn others ; these look upon themselves as the greatest doctors, and upon all others as the worst of dunces ; from these turn aside.
Some there be that spend their time and their strength in studying and preaching of dry and sapless controversies, which are so far from bettering of men's hearts, and from reforming of men's lives, that they leave men as much, and many times more, under the power of sin and dominion of Satan than they were before ; from these turn aside.
And others there be that stand most upon easy things, and little things, upon things of least worth and weight, and in these they will be very nice and curious, and yet readily pass over the great and the weighty things both of the law and of the gospel, 1 Tim. i. 5-7 ; Mat. xxiii. 23, and vi. 3-5. They stand more upon circumstantials than upon substantial, upon a saint's day than upon a Sabbath-day, upon an Easter offering than upon offering up of themselves to the Lord, upon a pipe, a vesture, a gesture, than upon saving of immortal souls ; from these turn aside.
Some there be that speak two words for Christ and ten for them- selves, that are very zealous to fleece their flocks, but are neither headed nor hearted to feed their flocks, 2 Pet. ii. 1-4 ; Rev. xviii. 11-13 ; that mind men's goods more than their good, and the serving of them- selves than the saving of souls. So they may be clad sprucely, and fare deliciously, and live lazily, they care not though millions of souls go to hell yearly ; to pick your purses they will indulge your consciences ; and so it may go well with them in this world, they care not what be- comes of you in the other world ; from these turn aside, Ezek. xxxiv.
And others there be that take more pains to make proselytes than to make men holy, Mat. xxiii. 15 ; they make it their great business to win over men to their opinions, when they should be a-winning of men over to Jesus Christ ; they make it more their work to convert men to their way, than they make it their work to better men's hearts, or mend their lives, or save their souls. They will compass sea and land to make men one with themselves, and yet think all that time and pains lost that is spent in endeavouring to make men one with Christ. These are factors for hell, and resemble the prince of darkness to the life, for as he, so they, will spare no pains to gain proselytes ; from these turn aside, and give up yourselves to their labours who make it the top of their glory to preach holiness, to advance holiness, to magnify holiness, and to practise holiness ; and this will be an excellent means to raise you up to higher degrees of holiness. But,
[4.] Fourthly, Be most in with them that are most eminent and ex- cellent in holiness. Let the delight and joy of your hearts run most out to them who are still adding to their stock of holiness. Thus it was with that princely prophet, in that Ps. xvi. 2, 3, * My goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.' The disciples, by discoursing with Christ, had a holy flame raised up in them: Luke xxiv. 32, ' And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us while he
388 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XIL 14.
talked with us by the way, and opened to us the Scriptures ? ' And when Paul met Silas and Timotheus, he burned in spirit, Acts xviii. 5. These two men were eminent in holiness, and by their company and communion, the zeal and courage of the apostle Paul was very much heated and raised. Look, as one flaming bavin i may kindle a thousand, so one precious saint, in whom grace is strong, and holiness is high, may, by a divine and secret operation, convey heat and life, power and vigour, into all that touch him, or come near unto him ; even as the loadstone by a secret operation conveyeth power and vigour into iron. The prayers, the conferences, the counsels, and all the carriages of a man eminent in holiness, will mightily help on the work of holi- ness in their hearts, where the streams of holiness runs but low. Look, as rich and costly banquets do refresh, and raise, and strengthen their spirits that are weak and faint, so men that are rich in grace and holiness will raise and strengthen their spirits who are weak in grace, and who, for want of greater measures of holiness, are apt to faint. Look, as young plants will not thrive under dropping trees, so such as are weak in holiness will never thrive so long as they only associate themselves with those that are weak. Look, as many times one rich man makes many poor men rich, so many times one man rich in holiness makes many rich in holiness ; and therefore, as ever you would abound in holiness, look not so much at gifts as at grace ; look not so much at saints' outsides as at their insides ; look not so much at their external garb as at their internal worth ; and always make them your choicest and your chiefest companions, who do most excel in grace and holiness. Their tongues, their lips, their lives, will still be a-dropping divine marrow and fatness, and therefore be sure to keep most in with them. But,
[.5.] Fiftlily, If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then be much in the exercise and actings of that holiness you have. All the honour and glory that God hath from us in this world is from the exercise of holiness. Look, as the frequent actings of sin is the strengthening of sin, so the frequent actings of holiness is the strengthening of holiness. Look, as the non-exercise of holiness brings upon the soul a decay of holiness, so the exercise of holiness breeds in the soul an increase of holiness. Holiness is always made more and more perfect by acting. Look, as wells are the sweeter for drawing, and fountains the better for overflowing, so holiness is sweetest and best when it is drawn into action. Look, as the running water is the best and sweetest water, so the active Christian is the best and sweetest Christian. That musical instrument always makes the sweetest melody that is most frequently used, and so doth that Christian that is most frequent in the exercise of grace and holiness. We get nothing by dead and useless habits ; talents hid in a napkin gather rust, and the noblest faculties are imbased when not improved in exercise ; and therefore the apostle exhorts Timothy to stir up the gift of God that was in him, in that 2 Tim. i. 6. The words are an allusion to the fire in the temple, which was always to be kept burn- ing. Paul would have Timothy to be always a-blowing his spark into
1 ' Faggot,' a Shakespearean word, ' rash bavin wits, soon kindled and soon burned,' 1 Henry IV., iii. 2.— G.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 389