CHAPTER VIII.

Holiness is the most Gainful way.

We have certainly found out already the SAFEST way, and the MOST HONEST way. We are next to inquire which way is most profitable. And one would think that this should be as easily resolved as the rest. I am sure if God be wiser than man, and his holy word to be believed, the question is decided, and beyond dispute. Saith Paul, 1 Tim. vi. 5, 6. "Men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, suppose that gain is godliness," or that it is better than godliness, and therefore their godliness to be suited to their worldly gain. "But (it is) godliness with contentment which is the great gain." Yea, "godliness is profitable to all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come;" 1 Tim. iv. 8.

But to what end should I cite more words of Scripture, for a point which all the Scripture moveth? It is not possible that any man can be unresolved in this, that understandeth and believeth the word of God. But yet because I see that commodity is so much looked after in the world, and almost all are for the gainful way, as they apprehend it, and therefore it is plain that godliness is not practically believed to be the most gainful way (or else men would follow it as eagerly as they do their worldly gain). I shall therefore open to you somewhat of that gain that godliness doth bring; and if you can say that any other course will prove as gainful, and make it good, then take that course. But if you cannot, consider what you have to do; and do not refuse your own commodity.

1. The first part of our gain, which is the sum of all the rest, is God himself who is become our God, through Jesus Christ. He is in covenant with all the saints (Psal. 1. 5.), and this is the covenant, "I will be your God, and you shall be my people;" Jer. vii. 23. Ezek. xxxvi. 28. Jer. xi. 4. xxx.22. Lev. xxvi. 45. Ezek. xi. 20. xxxvii. 23.27. 2 Cor. vi. 16. He is a God to others, as a king is a king to traitors, whom he will condemn. But he is a God to his people, as a king is related to his faithful subjects, and a father to his dearest child. When he calleth himself our Father,' he

speaketh so much of his children's happiness, as is their admiration as well as their joy. But when he calleth himself our God, he speaks as much as can be spoken.

To be our God' is to be the Infinite, Power, Wisdom, and Goodness engaged to us for our good, and to be ours according to our necessity and capacity.'

This, O ye worldlings, is the riches of the saints! This is the wealth that we will boldly boast. Boast you of your houses, and lands, and money, and we will boast of our God. Have you houses, and towns, and countries at command? Be it so; but the saints have the God of the world to be their God. Have you kingdoms and dominions? We have the God of all the earth; the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Set all your riches in the balance against him, and try what they will prove. Set all the world, and the kingdoms, and the glory, and the wealth of it in the balance, and try whether they are any more to God, than one dust or feather to all the world; yea, they are "nothing, and less than nothing; vanity, and lighter than vanity itself;" Isa. xl. 16, 17. This one jewel containeth all our treasure. He is ours that hath all things. "What then can we need?" Psal. xxiii. 1. He is ours that knoweth all things. Who then can overreach us, or undo us by deceit? He is ours that can do all things. What then should we fear? and what power shall prevail against us? He is ours that is goodness and love itself. How then can we be miserable? or what imperfection can there be in our felicity? "They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother (nor himself) that he should live for ever, and not see corruption;" Psal. xlix. 6, 7.9. "But God will redeem us from the power of the grave; for he shall receive us;" ver. 15. "Let the workers of iniquity boast themselves awhile;" Psal. xciv. 4. 'Let the wicked boast of their heart's desire, and bless the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth;" Psal. x. 3. "It is the Lord that is king for ever and ever; that heareth the desires of the humble; that prepareth our hearts, and prepareth his ear to hear;" ver. 16, 17. Our souls shall make their boast in God;" Psal. xxxiv. 2. "O taste and see that the Lord is good! blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” But you cannot say truly, Blessed is the man that hath lands and lordships; blessed is the man that hath crowns and king

doms. Yea, truly you may say, "Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord;" Jer. xvii. 5. "Fear the Lord ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him;" Psal. xxxiv. 8-10. But when you have all the world, you cannot say that you have no want. "Confounded then be the covetous idolaters, that boast themselves of their idols ;" Psal. xcvii. 7. "But in God will we boast all the day long, and praise his name for evermore;" Psal. xliv. 8. What have you but the gleanings of our harvest, and the crumbs that fall from the children's table? Our God is he that giveth you your prosperity. He droppeth you these leavings, from the redundancy of his goodness, when he hath given himself, his Son, and all things to his own. All that we want, and all that our souls desire, is in God. "We have none in heaven but him, nor any in earth that we desire besides him;" Psal. Ixxiii. 25. "His lovingkindness is better to us than life;" Psal. lxiii. 3. "Our flesh and our heart faileth us (and all the creatures fail us), but God is the strength of our hearts and our portion for ever;" Psal. lxxiii. 26. Verily, the riches of all the princes of the earth is less in comparison of him that is the treasure and portion of the saints, than a straw is to all the earth, or a little dirt to the shining sun.

2. Would you yet hear more of the riches of believers (though more than God there cannot be). "The Lord Jesus Christ is their Head and Husband; their Saviour and Intercessor at God's right hand." They are married to him. His merits are theirs for all those uses to which they need them. "It is he that justifieth. Who then shall condemn them? He that spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Rom. viii. 32. 34. "Christ is the pearl of infinite value," for whom we have willingly sold all; Matt. xiii. 45, 46. And what are all your treasures to this treasure? Ask Paul, and he will tell you, that had tried both. His gain he counteth loss for Christ; yea, all things he accounted but loss and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ;" Phil. iii. 7, 8. It is love incomprehensible, surpassing knowledge, that is revealed to us in Christ;" Eph. iii. 18, 19. "The riches of Christ are unsearchable riches;" ver. 8. It is Christ that bindeth up our broken hearts; that is the Peace-maker and Reconciler of our souls to God. What he

hath done for us and what he will do, I shall tell you anon. But the ungodly have no part in him, nor have they any such treasure, that will do for them what Christ will do for us. Their treasure is the wrath of God, which they are "heaping up against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;" Rom. ii. 5. "All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ;" Col. ii. 3. And he hath them for us, according to our measure, as being our Treasury, our Head, and made of God to "us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption;" 1 Cor. i. 30. They are "exceeding riches of grace" that are shewed in the kindness of God through Jesus Christ, to all that are sanctified by that grace; Ephes. ii. 6-8. Yea, that you may see there is no comparison, even that which you abhor in a Christian's case, and account his misery and the worst of Christ, is better than the best of your condition, and than that for which you lose your souls. For the "very reproach of Christ is greater riches than the treasures of the world ;" Heb. xi. 26. And it is the reproach that we undergo for Christ, that you most abhor, and the treasures of the world that you most highly esteem. It is greater riches to be one of them that are scorned and derided for the sake of Christ, than to be one of them that hath the wealth of the world at his dispose. And if the reproach of Christ be greater riches than all yours, what then is his life, and love, and benefits? his grace and glory?

3. Would you have the riches of the saints yet further opened to you? Why, the Holy Ghost is in covenant with them as their sanctifier and comforter. And he is not only theirs himself, by covenant and relation, but he also dwelleth in them by his graces, and restoreth the image of God upon them. They are the "temples of the Holy Ghost, which is in them;" 1 Cor. vi. 19. And by the Spirit, and by faith, Christ dwelleth in their hearts; Ephes. iii. 17. Rom. viii. 11. 1 Cor. iii. 16. God himself doth dwell in them, and converse with them, and write his law in their hearts, and teach them himself by this his Spirit; 2 Cor. vi. 16. Heb. i. 10. x. 16. "Hereby we know that he dwelleth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us ;" 1 John iii. 14. Yea, “he that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit ;" 1 Cor. vi. 17. For "the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty;" 2 Cor. iii. 17. "We are an habitation of

God through the Spirit;" Ephes. ii. 22.

"Because we are

sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, whereby we cry, Abba, Father;" Gal. iv. 6. By this Spirit the saints have "access unto the Father;" Ephes. ii. 18. and by this it is, that they are quickened to prayer and holy worship, and their infirmities are helped; chap. vi. 18. Rom. viii. 11. 26. By this they "fight against the flesh, and overcome it;" Gal. v. 17, 18. Rom. viii. 13. In this they "live, and walk, and work;" Rom. viii. 1.5. Gal. v. 16.25. This Spirit is the "testimony of their adoption” (Rom. viii. 16.), and the " seal and earnest of their heavenly inheritance;" 2 Cor. i. 22. v.5. Ephes. iv. 30. By this they "are new born;" John iii. 5, 6. "And put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and being renewed in the spirit of their minds, do put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness;" Ephes. iv. 22-24. By the illumination of this Spirit, they have a new understanding, and are brought "out of darkness into the marvellous light of Christ" (1 Pet. ii. 9.), that they "may know what is the hope of the Christian vocation, and what is the riches of the glory of Christ's inheritance in the saints;" Ephes. i. 18. In a word, by this Spirit their sins are mortified, their souls renewed, and made like to God, and they "become a holy priesthood, a peculiar people unto Christ, and in this Spirit have communion with him ;" Rom. viii. 13. Tit. iii. 5. 1 Pet. ii. 9. Tit. ii. 14. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. And what is all the riches of this world, to this heavenly treasure, the Spirit of the Lord? They that have this Spirit, are taught by it to set light by all your riches, and to esteem one day's communion with Christ above all the gold and glory of this world. And that which sets the soul of man so far above riches, is better than those riches. As your lands and honours do set you above the pins and points that children take for their treasure, and set as much by as you do by yours; so the Spirit of Christ and the life of faith, doth set the souls of true believers a thousandfold more above your riches, than you are above your children's toys.

If yet you see not the riches of saints consider but the wonderful expression, 2 Pet. i. 4. That they "have exceeding great and precious promises given them, that by these they may be partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And can