I have read of one Cosmus Medici, a rich citizen of Florence, that he confessed to a near friend of his that he built so many magnificent structures, and spent so much on scholars and libraries, not for any love to learning, but to raise up to himself the trophies of fame and renown. And many of the Romans have done very great and glori- ous things for their country, but all from natural principles, and from carnal and external motives and considerations, as for a great name, a puff of honour, a little applause, &c., and therefore their most glorious actions have been but shining sins, Jer. xxxii. 23. God always writes a nothing upon all those services wherein men's principles and their ends are naught and low. It was a notable saying of Luther, ' One work of a Christian,' saith he, * is more precious than heaven and earth, and if I might have my desire, I would rather choose the meanest work of a country Christian, or poor maid, than all the vic- tories and triumphs of Alexander the Great and of Julius Ceesar, be- cause whatsoever a saint doth, though it be never so small and mean, yet it is great and glorious, because he doth all in faith and by the word.' And saith the same author further, ' Let our works be never so small, servile, womanish, yet let but this title be added, the word of the Lord, and then they will be all glorious, yea, such as shall remain to all eternity.' 0 sirs, all our works and services must be wrought from God, for God, in God, and according to God, or else they will be but splendida peccata, glistering sins. Well, the more spiritual and internal the principles, motives, and considerations are that carries a Christian on in religious duties, the greater measure of holiness hath that Christian arrived to. But,
[9.] Ninthly, The more solid, precise, exact, and accurate a Chris-
408 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [Heb. XII. 14,
tian is in religious duties and services, the greater measure of holiness that Christian hath attained to ; and the more any Christian groios in holiness, the more spiritual, the more savoury, the more exact and accurate he ivill groio in all his religious services and performances. The more a Christian's heart is endeared to religious duties, and the more his heart is affected with the heavenly nature of religious duties, and the more easily, the more holily, the more freely, and the more spi- ritually he performs religious duties, the more he is thriven and grown in holiness. A young carpenter gives more blows, and makes more noise and chips than an old experienced workman doth, but the old experienced workman doth his work more solidly, more exactly, and more accurately than the young carpenter doth; so many young Christians, that are but newly entered into the trade of Christianity, and that are raised up but to a very small degree of sanctity, these may multiply duties upon duties, these may abound in religious per- formances, these may be much in adding of service to service ; but yet the aged and experienced Christian in grace and holiness doth duties more solidly, more spiritually, more exactly, and more accu- rately than the young Christian doth. We must never judge of an eminency in holiness by the number or multitude of our duties, but by the seriousness, the graciousness, the solidness, the spiritualness, the holiness, the heavenliness, and the accurateness of our hearts in duties. A young musician may play longer and more quick and nimble upon an instrument than an old musician can, but yet the old musician plays with more art, accurateness, skill, judgment, and understanding than a young musician doth. So young Christians in grace and holiness may hold out longer, and be quicker and nimbler in religious duties, than others that are more aged in grace and holi- ness ; but yet they that are aged in grace and holiness do perform religious duties with more spiritual art and accurateness, and with more divine skill, judgment, and understanding than they do in whom the spring of holiness runs low, A young scholar may run over more paper, and write more paper, and make more letters than his master doth, but yet his master writes more understandingly, exactly, and accu- rately than he doth. So many young converts may run over more duties than others, and yet others may perform duties more under- standingly, and more exactly, and more accurately than they do. Let the duty be never so short, yet if there be much spiritualness, hoh- ness, brokenness, seriousness, and accurateness in it, it will carry all before it, it will win the blessing and obtain the crown, when the longest duties, wherein there is no such frame nor temper of spirit, shall not prevail with God at all, Zech. vii. 4-6 ; Isa, Iviii. 1-6. It argues a very great measure of holiness when the soul is habitually carried on in religious duties with much solidness, seriousness, spirit- ualness, exactness, and accurateness. But,
[10.] Tenthly, The mo7-e any man makes it his great business and tuork, in all his duties, ways, and loalkings, to approve himself to God, and to he accepted of God, the greater height of holiness that man hath attained to, Jer. xii. 3 ; Ps. xvii. 2. David was a man of great holiness ; and how studious and industrious he was to approve his heart to the Lord you may see in that Ps. cxxxix, 23, 24, ' Search me, 0 God, and know my
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 409