Chapter VII
Motives unto lioly obedience, and unto a boldness in our Christian profession,
drawn from the majesty of the Lord that appears therein. With an exhor
tation to preserve it, and the means of maintaining the honour of our pro
fession.
For Herod feared John, knou iny that he icas a just man and an holy, and
observed him ; and ichen he heard him, he did many things, and heard him
gladly. MARK VI. 20.
We have here a great and strange wonder a wolf, or as Christ called him, a fox, afraid of a lamb. Herod, a king, is afraid of John Baptist, which shews a plain contest between two majesties, which should overcome. We have here a king reverencing a greater majesty than his own, in a sub
ject, and in a subject too of the meanest outside, clad not in silk, as those in king s houses (as Christ said of him), but in camel s hair. I may upon such a strange encounter say, What ailest thou, Herod, that thou fear-
est John ? Look on him ; what is it thou viewest in him to work the least
degree of fear ? Art not thou a king ? Take heart, reassume spirit. Ay, but he is an holy and a just man, and overcomes me (says Herod), and that is all the reason indeed.
* Herod feared John, knowing him that he was a just man and an holy, and reverenced him ; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
There are two doctrines natural to this scripture. 1. That there is a glory and majesty shines in the graces and lives of
holy and just men, so far as they are holy.
CHAP. VII.] IN THE HEART AND LIFE. 275
2. That there is a special majesty and authority discovers itself in the word of God preached, when it is delivered and administered by holy men. Here is both fear and reverence, as the effects assigned to a double cause :
(1.) Beverence to his preaching upon hearing of him. (2.) Fear, because he knew that he in his person was a just and holy man.
1. I say there is, as an authority, so a majesty, for it encounters here
with the majesty of a king, and outshines it to an awe and reverence : and
therefore must be in its kind, a majesty greater than what was stamped upon him. There are other proofs of it, as in Isa. xxvi. 10, the majesty of the Lord is said to shine in the land of uprightness. And these two
sentences are strictly to be conjoined as to this sense, that where up
rightness in righteous men dwells, there, in those upright men, the majesty of the Lord shines and appears, which wicked men s consciences, though
glimmeringly, do discern, although they will not behold, that is, acknow
ledge it. The reasons of the doctrine are,
(1.) Because God is in them, and darteth eminent beams of his majesty out from them, in their conversations : 2 Cor. vi. 16, I will dwell in them and walk in them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people ; and 1 John iv. 16, He dwelleth in God, and God in him. God is said
to be in them ; therefore, as the body hath a majesty in it, which appears in the subjection of beasts to the face of man, because a reasonable soul
dwells in it, and a majesty answerable to such a soul appears in it, so it is
here. And as Solomon s temple, wherein God manifested his glorious pre
sence, is therefore said to be glorious in the Scriptures, much more are
these living temples of the Holy Ghost, wherein God keeps his court and
residence. The King of glory cannot come into the heart (as he is said to come into the hearts of his people as such, Ps. xxiv. 9, 10), but some
glory of himself will appear ; and as God doth accompany the word with
majesty, because it is his word, so he doth accompany his own children, and their ways, with majesty, yea, even in their greatest debasements. As when Stephen was brought before the council, as a prisoner at the bar for
his life, then God manifested his presence to him, for it is said, his face
shone as the face of an angel of God, Acts vi. 15 ; in a proportionable manner it is ordinarily true what Solomon says of all righteous men, A man s wisdom makes his face to shine, Eccles. viii. 1. Thus Peter also
speaks : 1 Pet. iv. 14, If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you : for the Spirit not only of God, or of grace, but of glory resteth
upon you. And so in the martyrs, their innocency, and carriage, and
godly behaviour, what majesty had it with it. What an amiableness in the
sight of the people, which daunted, dashed, and confounded their most
* did eat up God s people as bread (as it is Ps. xiv. 4, 5), yet it is added that they were in great fear upon this very account, that God is in the generation of the just. God stands, as it were, astonished at their dealings
wretched opposers ; so that, although the wicked persecutors
: Have
the workers of iniquity no knowledge (so in the words afore) that^ eat
up my people as bread, and make no more ado of it than a man doth that
heartily eats his meat ? They seem to do thus, they would carry it and bear
it out ; but for all that they are in great fear whilst they do thus, and God
strikes their hearts with terror then when they most insult. Why ? For God is in the generation of, or dwelleth in the just, and God gives often some glimmerings, hints, and warnings to the wicked (such as Pilate had
concerning Christ) that his people are righteous. And this you may see in
Philip, i. 28, And in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to
276 OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK III.
them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. In that latter passage I observe, that an assurance of salvation, and a spirit of terror, and that of God, is given to either. In the Old Testa ment it is recorded of David, 1 Sam. xviii. 12, that although Saul hated him (ver. 9) and sought to destroy him (ver. 10, 11), yet Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul, which is the reason in hand. God manifested his presence in David, and struck Saul s conscience with his godly and wise carriage, and that made him afraid.
(2.) The second reason is, that God hath subjected the consciences of all men to the graces and uprightness that is in his people, which will appear by three things
[1.] There is an assenting to and approbation of their courses in men s consciences. There appeareth to them an amiableness and a beauty therein, so as they cannot but say, their ways are good. Thus Paul says of himself, who yet was spoken against more than any man : 2 Cor. iv. 2,
* We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, but commending ourselves to every man s conscience in the sight of God. His conversation was such, as any man that knew his ways and manner of life, could not but in his conscience approve of what he did as good, and holy, and just. And thus David was so upright in his actions, that Achish the
king of Gath, an heathen, acknowledged it : 1 Sam. xxix. 68, Surely, as the Lord liveth,^thou hast been upright, and thy going out, and thy coming
in, is good in my sight
: and I have found no evil in thee ; yet the lords
* favour thee not. The like he says too at the 9th verse, Thou art good in my sight, and as an angel of God. And such trust did he repose in him, he made him
(for their envy at thee, and their own particular interest)
keeper of his head, and committed his life to him, 1 Sam. xxviii. 2. And the reason of all is, because holiness is light, and so is to the conscience as
: Eph. v. 8, Ye are now light in the Lord : walk as chil dren of the light. If you ask what that light is which is in them ? he
light is to the eye
answers, that the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and
truth; so that their godliness, and what is the fruit of the Spirit in them,
is light. And as sore eyes, that cannot endure to behold the light, yet cannot but say that the light is good, it is amiable, it is glorious and beau
tiful, so it is here, an holy profession and life is as beauty is to the eye ;
if the eye be opened, and beauty laid before it, it cannot but acknowledge
it such.
[2.] An holy profession and life hath not only an amiableness in it, but an authority also to reprove wicked men : Eph. v. 11, by walking in the
light, you (the saints) shall reprove their works that they are evil. And
this authority ariseth thus, that holiness doth manifest sin and the vileness of it in evil men, and lays open their consciences to themselves, by the
light shining in a believer s profession and life, and so reproves them, for
their consciences have in and of themselves a light that shews them their
villanies, and therefore they practise their wickedness in secret : ver. 12,
* It is a shame (says he) to speak of what is done in secret by them. There is a shame in it, a guile in their courses, which they avoid by secresy ; but by the coming in upon them of the light of a contrary holiness, which hath a glory in it, the shame of their secret wickedness riseth up with the
greater power upon them.
[3.] Holiness in the saints hath the authority of a judge, as to the .con
sciences of wicked men, and it is a forerunner of what authority they shall
CHAP. VII.] IN THE HEART AND LIFE. 277
one day exercise ; for they have the honour to be judges in the world to come, and they do begin in their lives here. So Lot was among the
Sodomites, and therefore the saints are said to bind wicked men in cords, Ps. ii. And wicked men look upon a godly man as a judge, and fear him as a judge ; and as they fear the word, so they dread the lives of the saints, as Herod feared John, because he was a just and holy man. And thus, so far as any severity of righteousness did appear, the wise and grave men obtained authority amongst the heathen upon this very principle. God gave them restraining graces of his Spirit, and an authority accompanying them, insomuch as we reacl of Cato being a man of immoveable justice and austerity,
that the generality of the people would cease their plays, and such sinful
spectacles, till he was passed by. It is the counsel Seneca gives, that a man should set before his eyes a Cato, or a Laelius, as a judge of his actions ; Cogita Catonem judicem. Now, if these glow-worms that shined in the dark had this authority on men s consciences, what honour have all Christ s
saints, if they endeavour to hold forth holiness, who ought to be burning and shining lights in a crooked generation
(3.) Lastly, True and genuine holiness is the lively image of God ; and so much as there is of the image of God, so much glory and majesty is there : 2 Cor. iii. 18,
* But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The image of God, according to the
proportion of its appearance, in any kind or degree, hath a majesty in it, as God himself hath ; and still so much of the image of God as appears, so much majesty. As for instance, in man, though fallen, there being left some prints of the image of God and superiority over beasts, answerably there is a majesty in man, by reason of which beasts do fear him. Thus
also there is an impression of majesty upon kings and magistrates, of whom God hath spoken, I have said ye are gods, as in relation unto men ; and God accompanies them with a majesty and an authority answerable. And so far as God doth back this his image, so far they reign and rule, and their
subjects hearts are touched to obey them, as Saul s subjects were when he was made king. So of David, it is said that God had subdued the
people under him, Ps. cxliv. ; and the church is called the queen, Ps. xlv,, as being the spouse of Christ, and her children are styled princes ; and as Christ is said to have glory and majesty in the third and fourth verses, so in like manner, ver. 9, she is said to be all glorious within. As queens participate of majesty with their husbands, so the church with Christ.
The doctrine thus proved, an objection is to be prevented. You will
say, Experience confutes all this ; for there are no people counted viler than the people of God, and their ways are esteemed foolishness, and they are insulted over and opposed ; where, then, is this majesty you have spoken of ?
1. I answer, that some, though brought up in the church, yet never saw the light, nor were acquainted with the power of godliness, or the posses
sion of it, but have lived as men in vaults, and were never brought forth to see the light, and so speak against what they know not, Jude 10. Peter also attributes it to ignorance, that foolish men speak against the people of God: 1 Peter ii. 15, That you may put to silence the ignorance of
foolish men.
2. Godliness is yet further prejudged to many such by misreports. Men look upon it through false mists and distorted mediums, false glasses, false
prejudicate suggestions which enemies have instilled into them ; even as
2?8 OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK III.
Bernard, an holy man, did upon the Waldenses, whom he wrote against.
4 Report (say they in Jer. xx. 10), and we will report it. Thus of
Christ men spake by hearsay, some one way and some another, John
vii. 12.
3. The real scandals, yea, the utter fallings away of many professing
godliness, confirm them in this opinion, so as indeed the majesty of God s
ways, and of the profession of them, by this means comes to be much
obscured, yet so as it still appears ; for though many withdraw and fall
back, yet they may see some who are true, that hold out, and rejoice as a
giant to run their race.
4. Godliness being clothed with so mean an outside (as it was in Christ, that there was no form nor beauty in him, Isa. liii.), is therefore obscured ; for the world looks for the kingdom of God to come with pomp, as did the
Pharisees; but the best of the saints are said to have worn sheep-skins, Heb. xi. They were leather-coats, of whom yet (says that scripture) the world was not worthy ; who (as that insinuates) dealt unworthily with
them, because they discerned not their worth by reason of the meanness of
their condition. And Christ says, because the poor received the gospel, therefore Blessed are they that are not offended in me.
5. The blame lies much upon true Christians themselves, who do not labour to express the beauty of holiness, and to put forth that majesty as
they ought and should. They soil it by too many infirmities, and suffer
their hearts and lives to lie bedusted till all the glory is covered over there
with. There is too much indifferency, not a due resoluteness and peremptoriness for the ways of grace. There is too much self-seeking and
earthly-mindedness, and conforming to the world ; and carnal men view
only (as the Egyptians did) the dark side, are intent upon the bad that is
in them, but despise and turn away their eyes from their graces.
6. Though all men should see it, the holiness of the saints, and have
glimmerings of it more or less, yet God, Isa. xxvi. 11, tells us that they will not behold it, that is, acknowledge it, but deal unjustly with it, oppose, scorn, and deride it, for it is the majesty of God shining in uprightness, which they are said to deal (oppositely) unjustly with, which also is in the next verse interpreted to be their envy at God s people.
And this will easily appear if you consider but two principles that are
in the hearts of men.
1st. There is conscience, to which godliness approves itself more or less, as conscience itself is enlightened.
2dly. But there is withal another principle more prevailing in the hearts
of carnal and unregenerate man, viz., a wisdom devilish, earthly, and sen
sual, as James speaks ; by the dictates and principles whereof men are
guided and ruled, imprisoning that light of truth in the conscience, labour
ing to blind it and put it out all that may be. Now these lusts and sinful
dispositions, making men drunk (as the phrase is, Deut. xxix. 19, they are
said to add drunkenness to thirst ), though they have some glimmerings of this majesty, yet whilst this drunkenness lasts, they stand not much in awe of it ; and therefore it is no wonder they are so neglective of it. A
servant over whom his master hath a great hand and authority, and he
fears him exceedingly, yet if he be drunk, he is regardless of his master, is not afraid to abuse him ; and thus, whilst men are drunken with lusts,
they mock, and contemn, and slight godliness and godly men. But observe them on their death-beds, and in their month of pangs of conscience, as
CHAP. VII.] IN THE HEAET AND LIFE. 279
the prophet speaks ;* when their lusts are allayed, and the heat gone, and
the drunkenness over, and they are a little soberised, as at the day of death
or sickness they will all be, then the remembrance of their ways and car
riages, and their revilings and misusings of godly men, dashes them and confounds them ; and then they will send for a good man, as Pharaoh sent
for Moses at midnight, and desire them to go and serve their God, and to
bless them also. You will all be made sober one day ; 1 Peter iv. 1-7, the apostle there useth this phrase of
* living to the lusts of men ; for it
is one thing to live and please their lusts, and another to live to their
consciences.
7. And lastly, Their opposing of godliness doth not argue but they may have some glimmerings of the majesty of it, and yet not sin against the
Holy Ghost in their opposition. For they may hate it out of love to their own evil works. John iii. 20, Every one that doth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. For sin causeth rebellion, and puts all out of order ; and so as beasts, though there is an innate majesty in man over them, yet at times they will (as Christ says) turn upon you, rend and devour you; so it is here in this case: Ps. xiv., And have they no knowledge says the Psalmist there, who eat up my people as bread? And so in Ps. ii.,
* Let us cast away their cords from us. And truly thus men deal even with God himself; there is no principle more rooted in the heart than that there is a God, and that he is a judge, yet the fool says in his heart, There is no God, and there is no fear of God before his eyes. Yet it cannot be denied but that the majesty of the Lord himself appears to men s consciences.
Use 1. Is there such majesty stamped upon the graces and lives of
upright ones ? Then, first, this may be an encouragement to them to go on and persist in these ways, and to abound in holiness, and to strive to
get a reality and excellency therein. For look how much more real, serious
grace, sincerity, and holiness, appears in you, so much more majesty and
authority appears also. Be bold in that holy profession, which hath been
grounded upon the rock, and which hath a spring of regeneration and
sanctification to maintain it ; for there is such a majesty annexed to it as
will bear out itself, and dash, and confound, and muzzle its foolish opposites in the end. This is a great motive unto godliness, and so the prophet useth it : Isa. Iviii. 8, Thy righteousness shall go before thee ; that is
(as Calvin hath it), the testimony of thy goodness and uprightness shall
appear before God and man, and be an usher to make way for thee in the hearts of men. And the glory of the Lord (that is, the majesty of the
Lord) shall be thy rearward, fighting for thee in the consciences ofwicked men, or shall environ and encompass thee round, as that light did Paul when he was struck off his horse. As the apostle makes this a discourage ment to sinful ways and courses, that shame attends them, and is the fruit and issue of them, Rom. vi. 2, so on the contrary it may well be an incitement to holiness, that majesty, and glory, and honour, and fear, and reverence in the consciences of men, doth accompany it even here in this
life. And so the apostle makes it his concludent motive to the Philippians, which he shutteth up all with, Philip, iv. 8, when he had exhorted them to walk in those ways they
* had heard and seen in him (ver. 9) ; see with what elogies he adorns them ; Whatsoever things, says he,
* are true, and to be reverenced for so the word is, oaa as^va,\ veneranda
* whatever * Perhaps the allusion may be to Job vii. 3. ED.
f See Beza on both words.
OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK III.
are pure and lovely, or amiable ; if there be any virtue or praise that is, anything worthy of commendations, as all virtue and godliness is think of these things. By these epithets the apostle allures them to godliness, holiness, and purity, even because they are amiable, lovely, drawing reverence and praise with them. So he calls them, because they are so in themselves, and they are thus to the consciences of men. And it is their consciences that is the noble part that is in them, and chief relic of the image of God ; and therefore though by reason of their lusts they distaste and despise you, as being contrary thereunto, yet in the highest, noblest part, and most retired thoughts, they do approve and praise you
: Cant, vi. 9, The daughters saw her and blessed her, and the concubines they praised her. And the testimony of an enemy is the best testimony in the world, as Moses urgeth it, our enemies being judges, Deut. xxxii. 31. Be therefore encouraged to hold forth the word of life, as lights in a crooked generation : Philip, ii. 15, 16, That ye may be blameless and harmless, the^sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world : holding forth the word of life. Although the majesty of true godliness be under clouds now, yet the time will come when the sun shall break forth as at noonday : Ps. cxxxvii. 6,
< And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as at the noon-day. And even in this world when thou art dead, the envy of wicked men against thee will cease; post mortem cessat livor. But thy name will live and be precious, for the rust will wear
oft, and the precious metal appear. Eead throughout the Scriptures, and the stories of all ages of the church, and look what a man, or company of men, professing piety and the truth were in any age, such in the end will their name be, and be owned in after ages to come ; and the reason is in Micah vn. 8, When I fall, I shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me. And ver. 9, He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. And the reason of all is, that there is a truth m thy holiness (as the apostle John in his 2d and 3d epistles styles it), yea, and the greatest truths ; for if the word written be such a word of truth, as heaven and earth shall pass away sooner than the least ttle of that shall fail, and therefore God preserves it in the truth of it for ever,
_ then much more the truth written in men s hearts and lives, not with ink, but by the Spirit of God, will be verified and ratified by him in thee ; and God thinks himself obliged to back truth, being the God of truth, and cause it to obtain and prevail. But there is another reason, that is, the glory of God that is in thee : Isa. xlvi. 13, For Israel my olory. And the saints are the glory of Christ, 2 Cor. viii. 23, and Christ will see to his own glory, as it is engaged in them ; and therefore in Isa. xxvi. 11, he says,
< They shall see and be ashamed for their envy at the people. However, know this, that by a bold holy profession of Christ and his ways m sincerity, though intermingled with very many, and perhaps great infirmities, you make work for the day of judgment : 1 Peter ii. 12, Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles ; that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. They now speak evil of you for what they espy to be faulty in you, and wickedly pervert your best actions, and brand you with hypocrisy and carnal ends ; yet they shall be forced to glorify God then, and all the glimmering convictions or suspicions they had darted into them will rise up against them in that day. And though now the seeds of these convictions are sown in weakness in their
CHAP. VII.] IN THE HEART AND LIFE. 281
consciences, and pass through them but as ordinary, cursory, and common
thoughts, yet they will rise in power when Christ shall revive them.
Use 2. Let me exhort those who are invested with this glorious profes sion, to manifest, and preserve, and maintain this majesty, and not to suffer
it to be soiled and justly debased in the eyes of men. It is not considered by godly men as it ought, what they have committed to their trust, even the majesty of the Lord, and that they carry the majesty of the Lord about with them ; and that therefore they should be careful how to behave them
selves, as we see men of place and of authority are, lest they should do
anything unworthy of it, so as to debase and vilify it. For were this con
sidered, our lives and carriages in the world would be other than they are. What manner of men should we be in all holiness of conversation ? But
professors do not consider this, that they have that in them, which if it were maintained and preserved as it ought, and in that purity it might be, would not only reprove the unfruitful works of darkness, Eph. v. 11, but
put to silence also the opposers, 1 Peter ii. 15, yea, cause them to be ashamed who speak evil of the ways of God, as it is in 1 Peter iii. 16. It would plainly dash and put out of countenance the pomp, glory, and
splendour of all unregenerate men s courses, whose glory, when it is at the
highest top thereof, is but their shame. That therefore you may have this consideration of, and respect unto, the majesty of the Lord in you, consider but these grounds and motives,
1st. If you consider it but barely in itself, as an honour put upon yon, you ought to have a regard to it and a care of it ; and therefore the apostle, 1 Cor. vi. 19, when he would dehort them from uncleanness and fornica
< Know you not, says he, that they are the temples of the Holy Ghost ? As if he should say, if you considered the honour that is put upon your bodies
tion, he puts them in mind of the honour that was in their bodies :
in that relation, you would not debase them and defile them, and take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot ; and therefore, 1 Thes. iv. 4, he speaks of possessing a man s vessel in holiness and in
honour, that is, they were to labour to keep it undefined, in respect of that honour that is put upon it. As fornication is thereby aggravated, that it
is the defiling the honour of the body, which ought to be preserved, so likewise by the same reason, all soil, and scandal, and filth in you, above what it is in other men, may be aggravated by this consideration, that it is a debasing of the majesty of the Lord in you ; and therefore also this is made one of the chief and main aggravations of drunkenness, that it debaseth the glory and honour that is put upon man, and the image of God in him, and lays a beast in a man s room. Take example from customs among men. You see kings having majesty stamped upon them, how careful are they to preserve it inviolate and undiminished and undebased, though they are men subject to infirmities as others, heaps of dust as well as we ; therefore what actions of state and distance are invented and observed
merely to preserve the dignity of their character !
2dly. But it is the majesty of the Lord ; it is not yours, but his, put upon you by him. Magistrates have an especial care and endeavour to
preserve their authority ; and therefore, though they would put up many
things, were they only personal wrongs and debasements, yet if that authority they have comes to be debased, they will stand to maintain and preserve it,
especially when one represents a king, as ambassadors do. They use
strictly to stand upon all points, to advance the majesty of their master, and take that on them which otherwise they would not, and forbear to do,
OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK III.
not that it is unworthy of them, but of the person they represent. Now therefore consider this, you that are saints indeed, you that bear about you the divine or godlike nature, 2 Peter i. 4. Consider that God s majesty is stamped on you ; the beauty of the Lord is on you, Ps. xc. 17. You are his glory, Isa. xlvi. 13. You represent him in this world, and are in his stead. Consider therefore what manner of persons you ought to be, in all holiness of life and conversation, 2 Peter iii. 11, and therefore endeavour so to live in the world as God would, if he were now amongst us as in the days of his flesh, according to that speech, 1 John iv. 17, As he is in the world, so ought we to be in this world.
3dly. If the interest God hath in it will not move you, then let your own engage you to have a care to maintain the majesty of your profession.
_ (1.) Consider that you are to be the judges of the world hereafter, 1 Cor.
vi. 2, and therefore how ought you to behave and demean yourselves, that you may have that authority in men s consciences therein, and that you may be a witness against them without exception. But if you are guilty of the same crimes whereof other men are, they may except against you as incompetent judges. As therefore you look to be honoured with this pre rogative at the latter day, lay the foundation of it here.
_(2.) If you look no further than this life, you have need to look to main tain this majesty, for you will else be unfit instruments in doing good to the souls of others ; you cannot rebuke, nor can you exhort, unless you have
authority and acceptation in men s consciences. And therefore Paul bids Titus rebuke and teach with all authority :
< Let no man despise thee, Titus
ii. 15 ; that is, preserve thyself from all just contempt and occasion of men
despising thee in their hearts, that thou mayest be fit to reprove, and rebuke, and teach others, and do good to their souls. One that keeps himself without rebuke and reproof, blameless, may with authority rebuke another, and it will
be taken well ; and the rebuke will stick the faster, as being thrown by a powerful hand. For as God first accepts the person, then the offerings, so do men ; if the person be not accepted with them, and in authority over them, their reproofs and rebukes will be the less acceptable also ; and therefore the
apostle requires that a minister, because he is to be employed in bringing home of others to God, should be one of a good report even among them without, lest he fall into reproach, and so his ministry do little good upon them. So that if ministers or others would do good to the souls of others, they must labour to preserve the majesty and beauty of holiness.
(3.) Suppose you will not be moved by these considerations, yet if you respect your own safety, and would preserve yourselves from the injuries of a malicious world and from the strife of tongues, so as to muzzle men s mouths, and silence them from speaking evil of you, or chain their hands from violence towards you, then preserve the majesty of God in your possession, for it will preserve you. This kept Herodias and Herod s
fingers off John from killing him, though they itched to be at him ; Mark
vi. 19, 20, it is said she had a grudge against him, and would have killed him ; and Herod, as it is likely, had a mind to do so too. But it is said she could not, for Herod feared John as a just and a holy man. And when he did murder him at last, it was with much reluctancy, grief, and sorrow of heart. It was this kept Christ safe a long while also. The rulers of the Jews would have often laid hands on him, and would have spoken against John, but that they had by their holiness won such authority in the hearts of the people ; therefore it is often said, when they would have attempted this they dared not, because they feared the people. And
CHAP. VII.] IN THE HEAKT AND LIFE. 283
therefore, if rulers hearts were set against you, yet this might be a means to keep you safe, and keep off many attempts and abridgments of liberty which else would light upon you. And the truth is, it is one of the greatest wonders, that the world and devil, being such strong and deadly enemies
to God s people, should keep their hands off of them, they being so few and the other so many. But it is this majesty of the Lord appearing in them that is a curb upon men, and God s being with them casts a fear upon their hearts. There is an excellent place for this, Ps. cv. 12-15, where, speaking of the preservation of the patriarchs in the midst of the Canaanites, their utter enemies, he brings it in as a wonder, that when there were but
* a few men in number, yea, very few, and strangers also, exposed to
indignities, yet God suffered no man to do them wrong, yea, secretly reproved kings for their sakes, speaking and suggesting to their hearts and consciences that they were his anointed, namely, his people anointed with the graces of his Spirit, as all Christians are, 1 John ii. 20-27, and that they were prophets. The conscience of this restrained Abimelech from
doing Abraham wrong, Gen. xx. 7 ; yea, and this was a means at the first for the primitive Christians to have peace, Acts ii., there being some con verted by the apostles, who continued stedfastly in their doctrine and
< fear came upon every soul, so that they were a terror to the wicked amongst them. Ah, my brethren, were the majesty of the Lord but advanced and
fellowship, and breaking of bread and prayers ; and ver. 43 it is said,
preserved in this kingdom by continuing the word and ordinances, and
giving them full scope and liberty to make the desert places of this kingdom to see the excellency and glory of our God, as it is in Isa. xxxv. 1, 2, then should our enemies bow down before us, and lick the dust off our feet, Isa.
Ix. 14 ; and as the fear of the Lord fell upon the nations when the Israelites came into the land of Canaan, so it would now on our enemies. Eut because it is so much depressed among us, and the majesty of the Lord not beheld, acknowledged, and advanced, therefore God goes not out with us. See this in Jehoshaphat s time, 2 Chron. xvii. 7 ; because he sent his
princes and priests into all the cities of Judah with the book of the law, the
priests to teach, and the princes to back the word and cause the people to
yield to it, therefore the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the nations that were round about, so as they made no war against him. This is the way to secure the kingdom, by thus advancing the majesty of the Lord.
(4.) To conclude all with this, as the last motive hereunto, consider these opposing times wherein there hath been long a great battle fighting in heaven (that is, in the church), whether godliness, or civility and for
mality, &c., should get the victory, as of old between Michael and his
angels, and the dragon and his, whether Gentilism or Christianism should
prevail. Now you have a weapon in your own hands, if you would but use
it, viz., the majesty of the Lord that is stamped upon you. Draw it forth and unsheath it, as Christ, when the soldiers came to take him with staves and spears, did but exert his majesty, and they fell all to the ground. And though your enemies be more in number, and have more swords and staves than you, yet if you would but hold fast that majesty that is in you, they would not be able to stand out. You are an army of kings, and a few of them against a multitude of slaves are likely to get the victory. When the Russian bondslaves had rebelled, and gathered a great and mighty army, their masters agreed to meet them with no other weapons than their whips, whereby they used to lash them ; and all lashing them together, the remem brance of their authority over them, and of the smart of the whip formerly
OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK III.
felt, struck such terror into them, as they fled like sheep before the drivers.
You, therefore, that are the ensign-bearers of God s majesty, be exhorted to fight it out, and to contend with wicked men, and godliness at length may prevail. The majesty of the Lord is your rearward, and therefore till the glory of the Lord departs from Israel, never despair of victory. Know that there is a promise made to the church under the gospel, giving this hope, Isa. Ixi. He speaks of Christ, and his coming to preach the gospel, which Christ
himself, Luke iv. 18, interprets of himself, and of the church under the
< Ye shall be named, that is, acknowledged, the priests of the Lord; and it is added, Men shall call you (even the standers by) the ministers of our God ; and at the 9th verse it is said,
gospel. In the Gth and 9th verses there is this promise made,
* Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people
: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.
But now it will be asked what you are to do, what means there are to manifest and preserve this majesty of the Lord in your souls and lives ?
Unto which in general let me premise but this, that then you do it when you so far approve your hearts and lives to men s consciences, by walking in this world as God himself walked, that men are convinced and judged, and say, Of a truth God is in you. This description in general I take out
of,that 1 Cor. xiv. 24, and what there is said of prophesying in the assembly of the saints I apply to their whole lives. When you so walk and demean
yourselves, and so in all things approve yourselves to men s consciences, that whereas now it is in report and profession that God is among you, and men are in doubt whether it be so or no, men are convinced that it is so, and that of a truth (as it is there) God is in you, then the majesty of the Lord appears in you.
1. I say, approving yourselves to men s consciences, for that is the
subject party, or the territories of that majesty. That you may not con ceive amiss of it, I do not exhort to surliness, pride, stateliness, keeping aloof of and at a distance, which is a thing the world objects to godly men. No ; this is the devil s majesty, and of the princes and great ones of this world, which comes to nought, as the apostle says, 1 Cor. ii. 6, 7, dis
tinguishing between the wisdom of this world and that which is of God, and between the majesty of the Lord and of the world. Now as the king dom of Jesus Christ is not of this world, so neither is the majesty of his kingdom. And therefore it is not heaping up of riches, learning, worldly respect and authority that is a means to advance this majesty, but it is
endeavouring to be holy as God is holy, 1 Peter i. 15. Therefore, 2. I add, it is by living holily, as Christ would if he were here. It is to be merciful as he is merciful, "kind, faithful, true, as he is, pardoning of
injuries as he doth, purifying yourselves as he is pure ; in a word (as you have it, 1 John iv. 17), it is demeaning yourselves here as God would if he were in the world ; and therefore think not thou canst no ways advance the majesty of the Lord because thou art poor, or contemned and despised, and not regarded in the world, for thy poor outward condition. For Christ was all these, and yet the majesty of the Lord appeared in him; and Peter
says they were eye-witnesses of it, 2 Peter i. 16. And thou in all these estates mayest approve thyself to the consciences of men, as Christ did. If thou art poor, yet if thou keepest thy sincerity, and dost not use shifting, base, unlawful means, but walkest faithfully in thy calling, and manifestest that thou livest by faith, and dependest on God, and shewest a contentedness in thy condition, and that thou livest a more comfortable life by the
CHAP. VII.] IN THE HEART AND LIFE. 85
help of thy faith, delighting thyself in the Almighty, than those that have most abundance, the majesty of the Lord appears more in thee than a professor that glisters more in the world in regard of outward things. Or art thou in disgrace, and in reproaches, abused and contemned ? Labour to approve thy heart to God, seek the honour that is of him, be patient, and revile not again ; only take heed that thou sufferest not as an evil doer, and be not discouraged from practising all the duties of godliness with constancy and cheerfulness, and thou shalt approve thyself to the con sciences of men, and the Spirit of glory shall rest upon thee, 1 Peter iv. 14. Keep but thy innocency, and let them do what they will, thy light shall break forth as clear as noonday. And that majesty which shall appear in thee shall melt all the disgraces cast at thee, as the sun doth snowballs cast at it before they come half way; or they shall all fall off like burrs cast upon a looking-glass. For still know this, and build upon it, that nothing from without can debase the majesty of God in a man, no outward condi tion whatsoever (as Christ says of defilement, that nothing from without defiles a man, but all defilement is from within, a man s own heart), nothing from without can soil the majesty of God in him, but all that men lose -is from within, from sin, and sinful, ungodlike, unChristlike, and unsaintlike carriages in their several conditions.
But I shall now shew some particular means whereby Christians may maintain and keep the majesty of the Lord from being soiled and debased in them, and preserve holiness in the beauty, lustre, and brightness of it, so as to commend it to men s consciences with authority.
1. Christians must be innocent and harmless. I premise this, not as though in itself simply and alone, or chiefly, the majesty of the Lord did appear ^ for many are so, in whom the beauty of holiness doth not appear ; but
it is a thing that is fundamentally and mainly necessary thereunto and which serves much to commend it and approve it to men s hearts. For as in all pictures and paintings there are ground-colours laid, which though simply m themselves have little gloss, yet must first be laid, or else the brightness of the other colours, and oil and varnish, in which all the gloss lies, will not so eminently shine and appear ; so, nor will the beauty of holiness and majesty of the Lord appear to be in you, or come to be approved of in men s consciences, without innocency and harmlessness And therefore when the apostle, Philip, ii. 15, 16, tells them that they were to
yet^
< shine as lights in the world, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, and they were to hold forth the word of life, that is, to han forth that holiness the word requires, as a light in a dark night, he withal admonishes them, that if they would shine thus indeed, they must be harmless and blameless, which though simply it be not the light, yet it is the lanthorn, as it were, through which it shines ; which if it
be not made of some diaphanous and perspicuous matter, as glass, and that kept clear too, the light is dimmed, though never so great, and is kept from shining and therefore if they would shine as lights, and hold forth the word in their lives, they must be blameless and harmless, they must keep their innocency, they must keep their lives clear, pure and undefiled, and from being spotted m the world, as James says, James i. 27. And he adds also this motive as the effect of this,
< that ye may be the sons of God, that is, manifest that you are of him ; that as he in this world doth no man wrong, so neither do you injure any man ; and by this, you shall both manifest yourselves to be children of your Father, and approve yourselves to men s consciences. And though a man hath never so much holiness and sincerity in him, yet
286 OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK III.
by any failing in this kind he shall never approve it to men s consciences,
for men look upon this light through this lanthorn. As magistrates when
they are not innocent, but oppressors in any kind, or bribe-takers, and do men wrong, are made obnoxious by it, and lose their authority by it, and
their hands are often tied by it in punishing sin and wickedness, and they cannot execute justice as they ought and should, no more will ever holi
ness uphold its majesty and authority in men s hearts, when you are thus
obnoxious to men. And therefore Samuel, contesting with the Israelites
for rejecting him who had been their judge, professeth his innocency :
* Whose ox or ass have I taken ? or whom have I defrauded
1 Sam. xii. 3,
or oppressed ? or at whose hands have I received any bribe ? If he had
indeed been guilty, then to have despised and rejected his authority had been the less offence. You therefore that have this majesty of the Lord committed to you, should have a care so to carry yourselves in dovelike
innocency and evenness to men here, that God may expostulate with those men at the latter day, who now reject and contemn his majesty stamped upon you. Whom of you all, then God may say, did they wrong, or deceive, or defraud, that you did so much speak against them ? Is it merely that
they were holy and zealous in my service, and in those duties I require ?
InNehemiah, chap, v., when some of the Jews had oppressed their brethren, by letting corn to use, and had taken mortgage of lands of their brethren
in a time of dearth, and the like cruel uncharitable dealings were among them, see what he says at the 9th verse in this case :
* Is this good that
you do ? ought you not to walk in the fear of our God, not to dare to do
this ? Why ? Because of the reproach of the heathen their enemies.
They had the name to be the people of God ; and how durst you do it, says
he, knowing that God would be reproached, and your religion reproached by it ? And he, good man, professeth, that because he would credit religion, and shew the fear of God was in him, he had not been chargeable as former
governors were, yea, had not taken that which by custom he might
: at
verse 15, But so did not I, because of the fear of the Lord. He required not his due (verse 18), because of the hardness of those times ; even that
allowance which was appointed to him as governor he required not, and
all this for the fear of the Lord. His meaning is, that he did it in refer
ence to God, whom he feared, that he might honour him, and credit his
religion in him the more, and that there might be no cause of reproaching
it, as it may be expounded by the 9th verse. And this was it which made
old Jacob say to his sons, his cruel sons, Gen. xxxiv. 30, who oppressed the Shechemites, that they made him stink in the nostrils of the inhabi
tants. And so injuries done to men that are enemies to the gospel by
revilings, or defraudings, or by violence in any kind, will cause religion to stink ; for men being so great lovers of themselves, and haters of holiness,
are sensible of injuries done unto them in any kind, and revenge all upon the religion you do profess. And as the injurious carriages of the sons of
Eli, in taking off the flesh of the sacrifices where they pleased, against the
law, caused the people to abhor the sacrifice of the Lord, so if you be
found wrongful to men, and justly provoke their self-love in them by any means, it causeth them to abhor all your other profession, and all the duties
of holiness, which otherwise they could not but approve.
2. Labour to do good to all as much as lies in your power. This is a
second means to help to commend that grace that is in you to men s con
sciences, to cause them to think well of it. This you may see was the means whereby in the primitive times the Christians at first got favour
CHAP. "VII.] IN THE HEAKT AND LIFE. 287
with the people, notwithstanding their cleaving to the apostles, continuing in their strict doctrine, and separating themselves from the world, and meeting together and praying, Acts ii. 44, all which are matters at which the world so much storms ; yet because they parted their goods to them who had need, and brake their bread freely, it is said, ver 47, they had favour with all the people, whilst they did thus strive to honour their
profession. And this is one thing that credits God himself much to the world, and wins good words from men of him, whom though they hate, and truly hate him as holy and as a judge, and cannot endure that majesty of his which appears in the world, yet because he doth good unto them, and gives them rain and fruitful seasons, and thereby bears witness to their hearts of his goodness to them, therefore they speak well of him, and many say they love him because he is good to them ; whereas should they only know him by his severe and strict commands in the world, and by those glimpses they have of his majesty therein, they would assuredly express revilings of him, and would not have that esteem of him that now they have. So when wicked men see and view in you nothing but zeal for God and duties of holiness, and feel none of your goodness extended to them, they will more purely hate you ; but if besides your zeal to God they find you do good to them, then out of self-love men would be drawn to approve good courses, and to see and acknowledge that God is in you ; for they love those that do good to them, and speak well of them ; insomuch as the heathens used to ascribe divine honour to those persons, and thought something more in them than men, who did them some great, extraordinary, public good.*
Having despatched the preparing means to make godliness to be approved of men and acceptable to them, I come secondly to such things wherein it may appear and be put forth.
1. Shew forth the graces of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Peter exhorteth : 1 Peter ii. 9, Shew forth the virtues or praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light, being
< holy in all your con versation. In your eating and drinking, in your callings, express other ends, doing all in such a manner that it may appear all is done for God and to God. Whether you eat or drink, let all be to his glory ; and, as Zechariah prophesieth, let holiness be written upon the bells of the horses and upon your bowls, Zech. xiv. 20, 21 ; that is, when you go to plough or cart, or sit down to drink, or go to war, let all these be done in a holy manner, that men may read upon your drinking-bowls as it were this
inscription, Holiness to the Lord ; that you dedicate them, yourselves, and all you have to God, that these vessels of common use may become as
truly dedicated to God in a holy use of them as the bowls in the temple were ; and even in these common actions endeavouring to express holi ness, and fear, and reverence, and rejoicing in God, you may make as great a difference appear between them, as performed by you and others, as is between a picture varnished and oiled and another that hath but bare, dead colours. Moral virtues sanctified have a holiness, a glory put upon thein : therefore Peter useth the same word to express the graces of Christ in that place that Aristotle doth to express his moral virtues by. Express you Christ in them ; let his holiness appear in you. 2. Abound much in holy duties, Isa. Ixi. 3, 6, 9, in praying, in mourn
ing and humbling yourselves for sin, in sanctifying the Sabbath, &c. In * Nihilo propius homines ad Deum accedunt, quam salutem hominibus impertiendo. Cicero.
288 OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK III.
* mourn in Sion, and are broken
the 3d verse it is said of those that
hearted Christians, and fruitful trees of righteousness, that God may be
glorified ; that they at the altar shall be named the priests of the Lord,
for the holy sacrifices they should daily perform and abound in ; and men
shall call them the ministers of our God, when they are diligent in praying with their families, instructing them, and whetting the word upon them. Men shall call them so, and give that report of them ; and ver. 9,
* All
that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed whom the
Lord hath blessed. Therefore, as Paul says to the Philippians, chap. i.
* Be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ
9-11,
unto the praise and glory of God, that God may be glorified, as Isaiah
there says, and so Christ also, John xv. 8, and then God will thus glorify
you according to his promise, Those that honour me I will honour. So
to abound much in private prayer, though in secret, and none knows it,
yet itwill add a lustre to thee in thy conversation. Conversing with God
so familiarly forty days, caused Moses his face to shine when he came off
from the mount ; and so conversing much with God will make thy face, thy
presence to shine. As wisdom is said, Eccles. viii. 1, there to make the
face to shine, so much more will prayer ; for a man by much prayer keeps
close communion with God, God walketh with him, and he with the Lord.
Let all thy actions too shew forth thy meekness and humility, &c. The
meekest man by nature must learn another kind of meekness of Christ :
Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly. Forgive injuries, because God
hath forgiven you, you were sometimes injurious to others. That which
did win Christ s authority was holiness and meekness : Ps. xlv. 4, In thy
majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness, and righteous
ness. Meekness did add majesty and grace to him ; he that is holy God
will exalt, and others will exalt the man who humbleth himself. Be patient
in wrongs, nothing overcomes and wins ground more. It is the best vic
tory ; you overcome in the heart of the party that wrongs you, you melt it,
dissolve it, and heap coals of fire upon his head ; you overcome in the
eyes of others, and are in their esteem above him, and he under you. So
David overcame Saul s conscience, 1 Sam. xxiv. 17, 18, when he had Saul,
his enemy, that sought his life, at an advantage, and some bade him kill
him when he was asleep, yet he spared his life and forgave him. This
mightily convinced Saul, and drew this confession from him, Thou art
more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have
rewarded thee evil, ver. 17. And, ver. 19, For if a man find his enemy,
* will he let him go well away ? He looked upon his own
says Saul,
heart, and saw he could not have found in his heart to have done this, and
few men else would have done it. Such bowels of mercy are proper only
to God s elect. Such a person indeed will savour and smell of prayer, and
having gotten God into his heart, the gleam of his presence with him will
appear in everything he doth. It will compose the heart, and compose the
countenance also, and thy conversation, and cause all to shine, that men
shall say of thee, the contrary to what Job s friends said of Job; when they saw him impatient, they said, Surely this man restrains prayer from the
Almighty, but they shall say of thee, Surely this man prays much, and is
abundant in it, his carriage all day long is so heavenly. Labour also to humble thyself, and to mourn and confess thy sins with much and daily godly sorrow; for humiliation removes the shame that
comes by sin, which covereth another s face, and which daunteth another s
heart; but thou wilt shew thyself thereby clear in_this matter, as 2 Cor.
CHAP. VII. J IN THE HEART AND LIFE. 289
vii. 11; and God also dwells in an humble heart, and draws nigh to him ; and so God s presence appears more in such an one, and God also will
lift up him that humbleth himself under his mighty hand.
Labour also to make peace betwixt others and God. This will make thy
steps beautiful in their eyes, when they discern thou aimest at their soul s
good, and sanctifiest the Sabbath strictly ; for that day, by reason of the
duties of it, is a glorious day, Isa. Iviii. 13 ; that day is as a Christian
parliament day, wherein he rideth in his robes, as it were, and the majesty of God will appear in thee all the week after. So also be much in holy conference of the things that belong to the kingdom of God. Ps. cxlv.,
David, speaking of the saints, says, They shall speak of the glory of
Christ s kingdom, and make known to the sons of men the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Speak great words of God, your interest in
him, privileges by him, and what glorious things are laid up for those who
love him.
But then, 3, be sure you say and do. For the want of this the Pharisees
lost their authority in the hearts of the people, and Christ won and gained
it from them. As Paul says of himself, that he would make it appear that he was powerful not only in writing, but that he was so in presence also, so do you endeavour to express more power in your lives than in your
speeches ; as Christ did not often in plain words tell them so much that he was the Messiah, but, says he,
* Let my works testify. As man never
spake as he did, so never any man did the works he did. Endeavour to be mighty in word and deeds also, Luke xxiv. 19. As kings will not
dispute but do, so do you ; do not stand talking only of the majesty of his
kingdom, but, as David said to Solomon, do it, 1 Chron. xxviii. 10, that all may come from you tanquam in verbo regis et sacerdotis, you
being kings and priests to God your father ; and let all your principles of
holiness appear to be with you, as the laws of the Medes and Persians, which you never turn or go from, but are irrevocable. This will preserve and maintain majesty indeed, as it doth majesty in a king. 4. Do all you do with as much reality and fervency of spirit as you can;
Apollos is said to be a mighty man, not only in regard of his eloquence, but fervency of spirit also, Acts xviii. 24, 25 that men may not see light
only shining before them, but feel heat, and vigour, and energy also in you. John was a shining and a burning light ; it is not shining light only, but
it must be burning light that confoundeth wicked men. There is light in
the work itself when it is done, but the heat lieth in the spirit and manner
of doing it : be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord ; contend earnestly, put forth your might in whatever you do, as Solomon says, Eccles. ix. ; be
zealous of good works. Press to the mark, as aiming and endeavouring to reach as far as possibly you can ; labour not to do much only, but to have your spirits shine much in that which you do, that, as the darkness
of Egypt was not discerned only by the eye, but was felt also, so let the
light of your works not be seen only, but let them be felt also ; express seriousness and reality in all, else they will think, as they do, that you act but a part. Actors on the stage, though they act the parts of kings upon the stage, yet who fears them ? There appears no majesty, because they do but act, and have not the spirit of kings, nor the affections of kings, though they take on them for a while the person, state, actions, and speak the swelling words of kings.
5. Endeavour to do all with sincerity, aiming to manifest holy ends in
all, and manifesting and laying aside of your own ends and aims. Thus
VOL. VII. T
290 OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK III.
Paul did approve himself to men s consciences, 2 Cor. iv. 2, We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. He had no secret ends and
aims, no underhand projects for himself; nor have we walked in crafti
ness (unless it were to win their souls, as he says elsewhere), but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man s con
science, and to God also, in the sight of God. And therefore, see how he endeavours to manifest and clear to them through that whole epistle, that he sought not theirs but them, and did preach the gospel freely to
* Our
them. And so also in the 1st chapter of that epistle, ver. 12, 13,
rejoicing, says he, is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in sim
plicity and godly sincerity (s/X/xgm/a, perspicuitatejanimi, with a mind you might see through) we have had our conversation in the world, and not
in fleshly wisdom ; that is, we have endeavoured to shew we have had no
ends of our own (for fleshly wisdom will still be progging for itself) ; as Job says, chap, xxii., a worldly wise man is profitable to himself, but still
the event hath shewed that God was our aim, and we have walked in godly
sincerity, and this with such plain-heartedness and cleanness of mind, that
you might see through us in all our actions. And we write no other
things to you than what you read and acknowledge ; that is, what we now
say of ourselves by writing, you have formerly read in our actions and
conversations ; and you do acknowledge it, avayivuaxsrs, recognoscitis, you may remember it was so, you know so much already, and may now remem
ber that this is true ; and so I hope you shall acknowledge, that is, have
* unto the end.
cause to do so,
6. Be constant and even in your courses ; walk not unevenly, but steadily. The primitive Christians, who, as I said before at the first, won so much
* continued in the apostles doctrine ; and that well-doing whereby, 1 Peter ii. 15, we should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, notes out a continued act of well
upon the hearts of the people, are said to have
doing. Kings who sometimes take state on them, or any superior else, and then neglect it as much another time, lose majesty by it : Qui servat
constantiam, servat dignitatem, vincet aliquando pertinax bonitas. Gamaliel
gave this sign and aim to know whether they were of God or no, if they go on and hold out ; if not, they will come to nothing, says he ; and constancy therefore overcomes and convinceth, because it argueth reality ; for it is
impossible long wholly to dissemble and act a mere part. The heathen
could say of their Fabricius, by reason of his constancy, that virtue was
incorporated into him, so as it was as possible to turn the sun out of its
course as him out of his way of virtue.
7. Let Christians be unanimous and communicative each to other ; this we have commended to us by the example of those primitive Christians who grew in favour with the people
: They continued in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and prayers, Acts ii. 42, and fear came on every soul, ver. 43. For, as David says, Ps. xiv., God is in the generation of the just. God is in every one of them ; but when there are more together, there is more of God among them, and he
shines more. An army of kings banded together, strongly cleaving and
entering into mutual leagues (as when the people of Israel came out of
Egypt), a fear must needs fall on the nations about them. They fear your
face, and they fear your prayers as cannon shot from heaven. Hereby
shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another, if you cleave together ; by this they shall know that God and Christ is in you. Last of all, I will give you a caution or two.
CHAP. VIII.] IN THE HEART AND LIFE. 291
1. If you would preserve authority in wicked men s hearts," have no
fellowship with them in the unfruitful works of darkness ; distance re
proaches them, and keeps authority in their consciences ; but reprove them rather, says the apostle, Eph. v. Nimia familiaritas contemptum parit t they will espy out your weaknesses, and work upon them.
2. Take heed of violent passions, rash anger, impatiency. .As they come from weakness, so they will weaken you in their hearts ; such passions make servants control their masters, children their parents. As drunken ness is to reason, so are violent passions to grace ; they are a short drunken
ness, and so exposeth you to contempt ; as Noah, when he was drunk, Ham mocked him though he was his father, for he then discovered his nakedness and shame, and so dost thou in thy passion.
3. Take heed of earthly-mindedness. It were debasement to a king, and would lose of his esteem and majesty, to load muck-carts every day ; so you who are heirs of heaven, it must needs debase you to lade your selves with thick clay. Let your affections, your conversation, be in
heaven, where your treasure is ; magnify not earthly things above their own rate, as the world doth. Alexander knew Porus to be a king by his
contemning all things. Do not fear men, as kings do not ; contemn the
pleasures of Egypt, as Moses did. Nebuchadnezzar left his throne and
fed amongst beasts ; his glory then departed from him. .
4. Take heed of falling into scandalous sins ; like Delilah, it will shave
thy hair, and then thou wilt be as another man, and the Philistines who reverenced thee before will mock thee. Going up to his father s bed did
lose Reuben his excellency. As Tamar said to Amnon, thou wilt be as one
of the fools of Israel, and they all will laugh at thee as at a fool, and whither
will thy shame go ? Thou thereby strengthenest the hands of the wicked, and they will say, Behold, he is become as one of us.