336 NECESSITY OF :HOLINESS FROM THE holiness in these things, that without the faith of them, and an influence on our minds front them, it will not allow of any thing to be so called. Sect. 2. To examine the pretences of others con- cerning the suitableness of their doctrines unto the pro- motion of holiness, is not my present business. It is well that it hath always maintained a conviction of its neces- sity, and carried it through all different persuasions in Christianity. In this one thing alone almost, do all Chris- tians agree; and yet, notwithstanding, the want of it is, if not the only, yet the principal thing, whereby the most who are so called, are ruined. So ordinary a thing is it, for men to agree for the necessity of holi- ness, and live in the neglect of it, when they have so done. Conviction comes in at an easy rate, as it were, whether men will or no, but practice will stand them in pains, cost, and trouble. Wherefore, unto the due handling of this matter, some few things must be pre- mised: As, (First,) It is disadvantageous unto the interest of the gospel, to have men plead for holiness with weak and incogent arguments, and such as are not taken out of the stores of its truth, and so really affect not the con- sciences of men. And it is pernicious to all theconcerns of holiness itself; to have that defended and pleaded for, under its name and title, which indeed is not so, but an usurper of its crown and dignity; which we shall after- wards inquire into. (Secondly,) It is uncomely and unworthy, to hear men contending for holiness, as the whole of our reli- gion, and, in the mean time, on all occasions, express in themselves an habit and frame of mind utterly incon- sistent with what the scripture so calls, and so esteems. There is certainly no readier way, on sundry accounts, to unteach men all the principles of religion, all respect unto God and common honesty. And if some men did this only, as being at variance with themselves, with- out reflections on others, it might the more easily be borne. But to see or hear men proclaiming themselves, in their whole course, to be proud, revengeful, worldly, sensual, neglecters of holy duties, scoffers at religion, and the power of it, pleading for an holy life, against the doctrine and practice of those who walked unblame- ably before the Lord in all his ways, yea, upon whose breasts andforeheadswas written Holinessunto MeLord, such as were most of the first reformed divines, whom they reflect upon, isa thingwhich all sober men do just- ly nauseate, and which God abhors. But the further consideration hereof I shall at present omit, and pursue what I have.proposed. (Thirdly,) In my discourse concerning the necessity of holiness, with the grounds and reasons of it, and arguments for it, I shall confine myself unto these two things: (t.) That the reasons, arguments, and motives which I shall insist on, being such as are taken out of the gos- pel, or the scripture, are not only consistent and compli- ant with the great doctrines of the grace of God in our flee election,. conversion, justification, and salvation by Jesus Christ, but such as naturally flow from them, dis- cover what is their true nature and tendency in this matter. - (2.) That I shall at present suppose, all along, what that holiness is which I do intend. Now, this is not that outward shew and pretence of it, which some plead for; not an attendance tinto, or the observation ofsome or all moral virtues only; not a readiness for some acts of piety and charity, from a superstitious proud conceit of their being meritorious of grace or glory. But I in- tend that holiness which I havebefore described, which may be reduced to these three heads: (1.) An internal change or renovation of our souls, our minds, wills, and affections by grace. (2.) An universal compliance with the willof God in all duties of obedience, and abstinence from sin, out of a principle of faith and love. (S.) A designation of all the actions of life unto the glory of God by Jesus Christ, according to the gospel: This is holiness; so to be, and so to do, is to be holy. And I shall divide my arguments into two sorts: 1. Such as prove the necessity of holiness asto the essence of it, ho- liness in our hearts and natures. 2. Such as prove the necessity of holiness as to the degrees of it, holiness in our lives and conversations. Sect. 3. First, Then, the nature of God, as reveal- ed unto us, with our dependence on him, the obliga- tion that is upon us to live unto him, with the nature of our blessedness in theenjoyment of him, do require indispensibly-that we should be holy. The holiness of God's nature is every where in the scripture made the fundamental principle and reason of the necessity of ho- liness in us. Himself makes it the ground of (ils com- mand for it, Lev. xi. de, " For I am the Lord your
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