[8.] Eighthly, 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 all things shall be sanctified unto thee : Tit. i. 15, ' Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure ; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.' When a man's heart is once sanctified, then all things are sanctified to him ; when a man's spirit and way is clean and pure, then all things are clean and pure to him. 0 sirs ! this is so great and so glorious a privilege, to have all things sanctified to us, that it is more worth than a world, yea, than many worlds. Next to a man's interest in Christ, he cannot beg a greater mercy than this, that all things may be sancti- fied to him — that is, that all things may so work as to make him more and more holy, that every cross may make him more holy, and that every comfort may make him more holy ; that every mercy may make him more holy, and that every misery may make him more holy ; that every ordinance may make him more holy, and that every providence may make him more holy ; that every affliction at home may make him more holy, and that every judgment abroad may make him more holy. Every condition is sweet when it is sanctified to us ; sickness is as sweet as health when it is sanctified to us, and weakness is as sweet as strength when it is sanctified to us, and poverty is as sweet as riches when it is sanctified to us, and disgrace is as sweet as honour when it is sanctified to us, and bonds are as sweet as liberty when they are sanctified to us, and death is as sweet as life when it is sanctified to us. Look, as no condition can be a happy condition that is not a sanctified condition, so no condition can be a miserable condition that is a sanctified condition. Now this is only the holy man s privilege, the holy man's mercy, to have every estate and every condition sancti- fied unto him ; and this indeed is the cream and crown of all our mercies to have them sanctified unto us, ay, and every bitter will be sweet, yea very sweet, when it is sanctified unto us. What though thy mercies, 0 Christian, are fewer than others', and lesser than others', and leaner than others', and shorter than others', yet thou hast no rea- son to complain, as long as thy mercies are sanctified mercies ; and what though thy trials are greater than others', and thy burden is heavier than others', and thy sorrows are deeper than others', and thy crosses comes thicker than others', yet thou hast no cause to complain, as long as they are sanctified. Art thou a holy person ? Oh then re- member for thy comfort that every bit of bread thou eatest is sancti- fied, and every draught of beer thou drinkest is sanctified, and every
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 423
suit of clothes thou wearest is sanctified ; the beds thou liest on are sanctified, and the stools thou sittest on are sanctified ; the very air thou breathest in is sanctified, and the very ground thou treadest on is sanctified ; every penny in thy purse is sanctified, and every pound in thy shop is sanctified ; whatsoever thou hast at home is sanctified, and whatever thou hast abroad is sanctified. And oh ! how should the sense of these things sweeten all thy bitters, and turn thy hell into heaven, and wipe all tears from thy eyes, and turn thy sighing into singing, and thy mourning into rejoicing, &c. But,
[9.] Ninthly, 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 thou art a person very high in favour with God, thou art one of his peculiar ones : Deut. xiv. 1 , ' Ye are the children of the Lord your God, ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead,' (as those heathens that have no hope, 1 Thes. iv, 13.) ' For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people to himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.' All God's holy ones are his peculiar ones, God hath a peculiar respect for their persons : Dan. ix. 23, ' O Daniel ! thou art greatly beloved,' or as the Hebrew word, chamudoth, signifies, thou art a man of desires. Now Daniel is called a man of desires, because the desires of God run out strongly after him, as one that was singularly beloved of him, and as one that was highly in favour with him. And as God hath a peculiar respect for their per- sons, so he hath a peculiar respect for their duties and services: Prov. XV. 8, ' The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight,' God takes more delight to hear the prayers of the upright, and to grant the prayers of the upright, than the upright takes delight to pray. How burden- some and troublesome soever their prayers may be to others, yet they are still delightful to God ; but more of this in the next particular. And as God hath a peculiar respect for their services, so he hath a peculiar respect for their tears, for he puts them into his bottle, Ps. Ivi. 8 ; and as he hath a peculiar respect for their tears, so he hath a peculiar respect for their names, for he writes them in his book, Luke x. 20 ; and as he hath a peculiar respect for their names, so he hath a peculiar respect for their blood, Ps. cxvi. 15 ; and this Cain found by woeful experience, from the cry of his brother's blood. 0 sirs ! God by making of you holy, hath made you like himself, like his Son, like his Spirit, and like his most glorious angels, which excel in strength ; and what doth this speak out but God's peculiar favour ? God makes many rich, and many great, and many honourable, and many mighty, and many wise, and many noble, and many beautiful, and many successful, whom he will never make holy ; in making of you holy, God hath made you spiritually great, rich, honourable, wise, and beautiful, &c.,Eph. i. 3, and this speaks you out to be highly in the favour of God. Holiness is a singular fruit of God's special favour and love. God hath a common favour and love for aU men, yea, for the worst of men ; witness that common preservation, and common protec- tion, and common provision, that he vouchsafeth to them ; and God hath a special love and favour, and this runs out only to his holy ones,
424 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
Eph. ii, 4-5. Holiness is a divine beam, a heavenly drop, a choice pledge of God's special favour and love. 0 sirs ! though the world may slight you, and enemies revile you, and friends disfavour you, yet let this support you, let this rejoice you, that you are high in the favour of God. But,