Again, there are no persons under heaven that take any real plea- sure, delight, content, and satisfaction in God, but those that are holy, Ps. iv, 6, 7. The worldling takes pleasure and delight in his bags, and the ambitious man in his honours, and the voluptuous man in his pleasures, and the malicious man in his revenge, and the envious man in the harms that befalls others, and the drunkard in his cups, and the adulterer in his harlots, and the gamester in his shifts and tricks, and the player in his fopperies, fooleries, and mockeries. It is only the holy man that takes pleasure and delight in God, as you may see by comparing the scriptures in the margin together.! To delight and take pleasure in God, is a work too high, too hard, too spiritual, and too noble for any but holy persons. There are none headed, nor hearted, nor spirited, nor anointed, nor principled, for taking pleasure in God, but holy ones. Abraham did not take more pleasure in his Isaac, nor Jacob did not take more delight in his Joseph, nor David did not take more satisfaction in his Absalom, nor Jonah did not take more content in his gourd, than a holy man, when he is himself, tiikes pleasure, delight, satisfaction, and content in God ; and therefore how can God but take pleasure and delight in him? Shall the child take delight in the father, and shall not the father delight again in the child ? and shall the wife take pleasure and satisfaction in the husband, and shall not the husband take pleasure and satisfaction again in her? Look, as God hates them that hate him, so he takes pleasure in them that take pleasure in him. Now what a singular cordial and comfort is this to all God's holy ones, that God takes singular pleasure, delight, satisfaction, and content in them. What though the world hate you, and scorn you, and despise you, and prefer every Barabbas and Judas before you, yet cheer up your spirits with this cordial, and warm your hearts at this fire, that God takes singular pleasure and delight in you.
^ Job xxii 25, 26 ; Cant. ii. 3, and vii. 6; Ps. xxiiii. 2, and xlviii. 11; Isa. xli. 16 ; Joel ii. 23 ; Hab. iii. 18; Zech. x. 7.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 417
What cares the child though others slight him, so long as his father at home delights in him; and what cares the wife though others despise her, as long as her husband at home honours her, and takes pleasure in her ; and what cares the innocent person though the male- factor at the bar rails upon him, as long as the judge upon the bench acquits him ; and what should a Christian care though all the world should abhor him, as long as the Lord takes singular pleasure and delight in him ? But,
[3.] Tliirdly, if thou art a holy person, if thou hast that real holi- ness, without which there is no happiness, then know for thy comfort, tlmt thy 7'eal holiness is a substantial evidence of thy real union tvith Christ. All true holiness is the immediate fruit of our real union with Christ. 1 Upon our union with Christ, Christ is made not only wisdom, righteousness, and redemption, but he is also made sanctifica- tion to us, 1 Cor. i. 30. Christ and a holy person are one, as father and son are one, and they are one, as the vine and the branches are one, and they are one, as head and members are one ; and they are one, as the foundation and the building are one ; and they are one as husband and wife are one, and that which speaks out their oneness, their union, is their holiness. He that is in Christ is a new creature, 2 Cor. V. 17. He that is ingrafted into Christ, he that is initiated into Christ, he that is united unto Christ, he is a new creature ; he hath a new head, a new heart, a new lip, a new life, a new spirit, new principles, and new ends ; he can truly say with that convert. Ego non sum ego : I am not the man that I was ; of a lion, holiness hath made me a lamb ; of a wolf, holiness hath made me a sheep ; of a raven, holiness hath made me a dove, &c. And what doth all this speak out but a man's being in Christ, but a man s union with Christ ? Renova- tion speaks out union, and union speaks out renovation. Eenewing by Christ speaks out the soul's in-being in Christ, and the soul's in- being in Christ speaks out the soul's renewing by Christ. Look, as there could be no depravation but from our union with the first Adam, so there can be no renovation but through our union with the second Adam, Col. iii. 10. But,
[4.] Fourthly, If thou art a holy person, if thou hast that real holi- ness, without which there is no happiness, then know for thy comfort, that God ivill certainly bless all thy blessings to thee, and he will bless every estate and condition to thee, Ps. xxxiv. 12-14. Most men have many blessings, but it is only the holy man that hath his blessings blest unto him : Gen. xxii. 17, ' In blessing I will bless thee,' saith God to holy Abraham, i.e., I will bless thy blessings to- thee. The holy person is in covenant with a holy God, and therefore all the blessings of the covenant are his. All they that partake of the holiness of the cove- nant, they shall certainly partake of the blessings of the covenant.'^ Now this is one of the blessings of the covenant, that all our blessings shall be blessed unto us. 0 Christian ! all thy right hand blessings shall be blessed unto thee, and all thy left hand blessings shall be blessed unto thee ; all the blessings of the upper springs shall be blessed unto
^ John xvii. 20, 21, and xv. 5; Eph. iv. "16 ; 1 Pet. ii. 4-6 ; Epb. v. 25, to the end.
* Ps. 1. 5, and cv. 42; Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26; Zcch. iii. 3, 4 ; Ps. Ixxxiv. 11 ; Prov. lii. 21, &c.
418 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RAEITY, [HeB. XII. 14.