the eunuchs, and given him a great deal of heart-room there, yet upon no terms would he defile himself with the king's meat, or comply with the requests of the prince of the eunuchs. It argues a great deal of holiness for a man to deny his temporal self, to dethrone his temporal self, when he stands upon the advantage ground to ad- vance his temporal self, and to throne his temporal self in the world, Eev. iv. 10, 11.
I have read of Trajan the emperor, how he sent Eustochius, one of his chiefest captains, against the barbarians, who having vanquished them, returned home. The emperor being very joyful at this good news goes to meet him, and brings him gloriously into the city. Now Eustochius being high in the emperor's favour, it was but ask and have, speak and speed ; but on this very day of pomp, triumph, and glory, he chose rather to suffer the martyrdom of himself, his wife, and children, than with the emperor to offer sacrifice to Apollo ; and so denies himself, and all his present pomp and glory, when he might greatly have enriched himself and advanced himself, i Nothing speaks out greater measures of holiness, than for a man to deny him- self when he may seek himself, and exalt himself if he pleases.
I have read of a godly man, who being sorely tempted by Satan, was much in duty; to whom Satan said. Why takest thou this pains ? thou dost watch, and fast, and pray, and abstainest from the sins of the times. But, 0 man ! what dost thou more than I do ? art thou no drunkard ? no more am I ; art thou no adulterer ? no more am I ; dost thou watch ? why, let me tell thee, I never slept ; dost thou fast ? why, I never ate nor drank ; what dost thou more than I do ? Why, I will tell thee, Satan, said the holy man, I pray, I serve the Lord, nay, more than all this, I deny myself: Nay, then, saith Satan, thou goest beyond me, for I am proud, and I exalt myself, and so vanished. Oh the excellency of self-denial ! and oh the holiness and the happiness of that man that can deny himself, that can debase himself, that can even trample upon himself, when he hath power and authority in his own hand to greaten himself and to exalt himself ! Power and authority will try what mettle men are made of. All, how many have there been among us of late years, who, when they have had no power nor authority in their hands to help themselves, have seemed to be great deniers of them- selves ; but no sooner had they power and authority in their hands, but ah, what self-love, what self-interest, what self-seeking, and what self-exalting was to be found amongst them ! Oh, how have many among them, instead of loving God to the contempt of themselves, loved themselves to the contempt of God ! and who, instead of debas- ing themselves that they might exalt God, have debased God that they might exalt themselves, and who, instead of losing themselves that they might find God, have lost God that they might find them- selves.
These put me in mind of the abbot in Melanchthon, who lived strictly, and looked demurely, and walked humbly, so long as he was but a monk, but when, by his seeming sanctity and humility, he had got to be abbot, he grew most intolerable proud and insolent, &c., and being asked the reason of it, he confessed that his former lowly looks was ^ Rather Eustachius : Clarke, as before, p. 27. — G.
412 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
but to see if he could find the keys of the abbey. How many such abbots we have had amongst us, you all know. Ah, how rare is it to find a man to deny himself, when he is advantaged to seek himself. Such a man is worth gold, but this iron age affords few such golden men. Where this frame of spirit is, there the streams of holiness runs deep. And thus nmch for this use of trial and examination.
And so I come now to the last use of this doctrine, and that is for comfort and consolation to all those that have this real holiness, loith- out lohich there is no happiness. 0 sirs ! open wide the everlasting doors of your souls, that not a river, but a sea of joy and comfort may flow in upon you. For,
[1.] First, Know for your comfort, that real holiness is the seal of your eternal election. Some are elected to glorious offices in this world, others are elected to eternal glory in the other world. Judas was chosen to be an apostle on earth, but not to be a saint in heaven, John vi. 70 ; but the Thessalonians were elected to eternal glory in heaven, though they were not chosen to any glorious offices here on earth, 1 Thes. i. 4. It may be thou art a poor creature, that never wast, nor never art like to be, elected to any noble or honourable em- ployments, either in church or state. Oh, but if thou art a holy per- son, then know for thy everlasting comfort, that thy real holiness is a real seal of thine eternal election. It is the counterpane,^ as it were, of all that gracious love, good-will, and eternal favour that God bears unto thee : Eph. i. 4, ' He hath chosen us in him before the founda- tion of the world, that we should be holy.' God did not choose us either because we were holy, or because he did foresee that in time we would be holy, but he chose us to that very end that we should be holy. Look, as Esther was first chosen out among the virgins, Esth. i., and then purified and decked with rich and royal ornaments and garments, before she was brought into the presence of the king : so God first chooses poor sinners, and then he purifies them, and adorns them with the rich and glorious garments of grace and holiness, Ps. xlv. 13, that so they may be meet and fit to enter into his royal presence : 1 Thes. i. 4, ' Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.' Ver. 5, ' For our gospel came not unto you in word only ; but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost' Ver. 9, 'And how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.' When the gospel comes in power and in the Holy Ghost, and turns persons from idols to serve the living God, it is a clear and evident sign of their election. Keal sanctification is a sure evidence, a fair copy of a man's election. Look, as the pattern is known by the picture, and the cause by the effect ; so election is known by real sanctification.
A Christian need never put himself to the charge of making a ladder to climb up to heaven, to search the records of glory, to see whether his name is written in the book of life, in the book of election or no, but rather make a strict and diligent inquiry whether he be really and thoroughly sanctified or no ; for where there is real sanctification, there the glorious image of God's election is in the golden characters stamped upon the soul. A man may have his name set down in the chronicles, yet lost ; wrought in durable marble, yet perish ; set upon a monu-
^ ' Counterpart' — G.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 413