sently die of its wounds, and by and by it was straugely healed so as to recover again; many a saint, for want of keeping a straight rein, and that constantly, over some corruption, which they have thought they had got the mastery of, have been thrown out of the saddle, and by it dragged dangerously into temptation, unable to resist the fury of lust, when it has got head, till they have broken their bones with some sad fall into sin. Ifthou wouldest, Christian, shew the power of holiness, never give over mortifying-work, no not when thy corruptions play least in thy sight. He that is inclined to a disease, gout, stone, or the like, must not only take physic when he hath a fit actually upon him, but ever and anon should be taking something good against it; so should the Christian, not only when he finds his corruption stirring, but every day, keep his soul in a course of spiritual physic, against the growing of it; this is holiness in its power. Many professors do with their souls in this respect as deceitful surgeons with their patients, lay on a healing plaister one day, and a contrary the next day, that sets the cure back more than the other set it forward; take heed of this, except thou meanest not only to bring the power of holiness into danger, but the very life and truth of it into question, in thy soul.

Fourthly, He must not only endeavour to mortify corruption, but to grow and advance in the contrary grace. Every sin hath its opposite grace, as every poison hath its antidote; he that will walk in the power of holiness, must not only labour to avoid sin, but to get possession of the contrary grace. We read of a house that "stood empty," Matth. xii. 44. "the unclean spirit went out,' but the Holy Spirit came not in. That is, when a man is a mere negative Christian, he ceaseth to do evil in some ways he hath formerly walked in, but he learns not to do good. This is to lose Heaven with short shooting; God will not ask us what we were not, but what we were. Not to swear and curse will not serve our turn; but thou wilt be asked, didst thou bless and sanctify God's name? It will not suffice thou didst not persecute Christ, but didst thou receive him? Thou didst not hate his saints, but didst thou love them? Thou didst not

drink and swill, but wert thou filled with the Spirit? He is the skilful physician, who at the same time that he evacuates the disease, doth also comfort and strengthen nature; and he the true Christian, that doth not content himself with a bare laying aside evil customs and practices, but labours to walk in the exercise of the contrary graces. Art thou discomposed with impatience, haunted with a discontented spirit, under any affliction? Think it not enough to silence thy heart from quarrelling with God; but leave pot till thou canst bring it sweetly to rely on God. Holy David drove it thus far, he did not only chide his soul for being disquieted, but he charges it to trust in God, Psalm xlii. 5. Hast thou any grudgings in thy heart against thy brother? Think it not enough to quench these sparks of Hell-fire, but labour to kindle a heavenly fire of love to him, so as to set thee praying heartily for him. I have known one, that when he had some envious unkind thoughts stirring in him against any one, as who so holy as may not find such vermin sometimes creeping about him, he would not stay long from the throne of grace, where that he might enter the stronger protest against them, would most earnestly pray for the encrease of those good things in them which he before had seemed to grudge, and so revenged himself of those envious lustings which at any time rose in his heart against others.

Fifthly, He must have a public spirit against the sins of others. A good subject doth not only labour to live quietly under his prince's government himself, but is ready to serve his prince against those that will not. True holiness, as true charity, begins at home, but it doth not confine itself within its own doors; it hath a zeal against sin abroad. He that is of a neutral spirit, and, Gallio like, cares not what dishonour God hath from others, calls in question the zeal he expresseth against sin in his own bosom. When David would know the temper of his own heart, the furthest discovery by all his search that he could make of the sincerity of it, is his zeal against the sins of others: "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with a perfect ha

tred, I count them mine enemies." Psalm cxxxix. 21, 22. Having done this, he entreats God himself to ransack his heart: "Search me, and try me, O God, if there be any wicked way found in me," &c. ver. 23. as if he had said, Lord, my line will not reach to fathom my heart any further, and therefore if it be possible that yet any evil way may shroud itself under this, tell me, and lead me into the way everlasting.

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Sixthly, The Christian, when he shews most zeal against sin, and hath greatest victory over it, even then must he renounce all fiduciary glorying in this. The excellency of Gospel holiness consists in self-denial: Though I were perfect (saith Job) yet would I not know my soul," Job ix. 21, that is, I would not be conceited and proud of my innocence. When a man is lifted up with any excellency he hath, we say he knows it; he hath excellent parts, but he knows it; that is, he reflects too much on himself, and sees his own face too often in the glass of his own perfections. They who climb lofty mountains find it safest the higher they ascend the more to bow and stoop with their bodies; and so does the Spirit of Christ teach the saints, as they get higher in their victories over corruption, to bow lowest in self-denial, Jude 21. the saints are bid there "to keep themselves in the love of God," and then to wait, and "look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus unto eternal life." And Hosea x. 12. "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy." We sow on earth, we reap in Heaven. The seed we are to sow is righteousness and holiness, which when we have done with greatest care and cost, we must not expect our reward from the hand of our righteousness, but God's mercy.

CHAP. VII.

A SECOND INSTANCE WHEREIN THE POWER OF HOLINESS IS TO APPEAR IN THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE, i. e. IN THE DUTIES OF GOD'S WORSHIP.

SECONDLY, The Christian must exert the power of holiness in the duties of God's worship. The same light that shews us a God, convinceth he is to be worshipped, and not only so, but that he will be worshipped in a holy manner also. God was very choice in all that belonged to his worship under the Law. If he hath a Tabernacle, the place of worship, it must be made of the choicest materials; the workmen employed to make it must be rarely gifted for the purpose; the sacrifices to be offered up the best in every kind, the males of the flock, the best of the beasts, the fat of the inwards not the offals; the persons that attend upon the Lord, and minister unto him, they must be peculiarly holy. What is the Gospel of all this? but that God is very curious in his worship; if in any action of our lives we be more holy than others, sure it is to be when we have to do with God immediately. Now this holiness in duties of worship should appear in these particulars.

First, In making conscience of one duty as well as another; the Christian must encompass all within his religious walk. It is dangerous to perform one duty that we may dispense with ourselves in the neglect of another. Partiality is hateful to God, especially in the duties of religion, which have all a divine stamp upon them. There is no ordinance of God's appointment which he doth not bless to his people, and we must not reject what God owns; yea God communicates himself with great variety to his saints, now in this, anon in that, on purpose to keep up the esteem of all in our hearts. The spouse seeks her beloved in secret duty at home, and finds him not; then she goes to the public, and meets 66 him whom her soul loves." Cant. iii. 4. Daniel no doubt

had often visited the throne of grace, and been a long trader in that duty, but God reserved the fuller manifestation of his love, and opening some secrets to him, till he did to ordinary prayer join extraordinary fasting and prayer; then the commandment came forth, and a mes senger from Heaven dispatched to acquaint him with God's mind and heart, Dan. ix. 3. compared with ver. 23. There is no duty but the saints find at one time or another the Spirit of God breathing sweetly in and filling their souls from it, with more than ordinary refreshing. Sometimes the child sucks its milk from this breast, sometimes from that. David, in meditation, while he was musing, finds a heavenly heat kindling in his bosom, till at last the fire breaks out, Psalm xxxix. 3. To the Eunuch, in reading of the Word, is sent Philip to join to his chariot, Acts viii. 27, 28. To the Apostles, Christ makes known himself in breaking of bread, Luke xxiv. 35. The Disciples, walking to Emmaus, and conferring together, presently have Christ fall in with them, who helps them to untie those knots which they were pozed with, Luke xxiv. 15. Cornelius, at duty in his house, has a vision from Heaven, to direct him in the way he should walk, Acts x. 3. Take heed, Christian, therefore thou neglectest not any one duty; how knowest thou but that is the door at which Christ stands waiting to enter into thy soul? The Spirit is free; do not bind him to this or that duty, but wait on him in all. It is not wisdom to let any water run beside thy mill which may be useful to set thy soul agoing heaven-ward. May be, Christian, thou findest little in those duties thou performest; they are empty breasts to thy soul. It is worth thy enquiry whether there be not some other thou neglectest. Thou hearest the Word with little profit may be; I pray tell me, dost thou not neglect sacraments? I am sure too many do, and that upon weak grounds, God knows. And wilt thou have God meet thee in one ordinance, who dost not meet him in another? or if thou frequentest all public ordinances, is not God a great stranger to thee at home, in thy house and closet? what communion dost thou hold with him in private duties? Here is a hole wide enough to lose all thou gettest in public, if not