where mention is made of purifying the third day, and the seventh day, and if the man touching the dead did not fulfil every day, then though he came near the end, and fulfilled not the end, he should be impure still: if he purified not himself the third day, he should not be clean the seventh day. So we must not deliver an holiness to God for a time, or in some causes, or for some persons: but we must throughly fulfil the days of our holiness, not presenting (I say) a maimed holiness: as in the Law it was not permitted for a man to offer a lame or maimed beast, though it wanted but a tail, which was a small thing, yet for that defect the Lord refused it. There are a great many of professors, which would needs be men sanctified, but they are loathe to be cleansed, and to fulfil the days of their holiness. They will go a while, a day, or two days, they will not come to the third, and then they are unclean the seventh day, and so all their labour is in vain. Others, when they cannot away with this strictness to continue, say on this manner: Seeing we are still unperfect, let us be unperfectly unperfect, let us be unclean still, let us prepare rivers of sin: for Christ shed streams of blood, the more we sin, the greater glory will come to Christ. And thus they stand at a stay, their holiness is a standing holiness, it fills not, it stands at a stay, they are no perfect Nazarites, they still lie in their pollutions: their motions are from the house to the Church, and from the Church home again, and at the1 years end they are as holy as in the beginning of the year: they go & go to the Church, and make many voyages, as an horse in the Mill makes many circuits, who labours still from morning until night, and then he is but where he was at the first: so they are in a motion from morning until night, and at night they are even where they were when they begun in the morning. There is another sort not standing still, but they make many beginnings:2 and when they come to the third day they begin again, and again, and again, still they go back, and then they must begin again, and so they come to holiness by fits. These many beginnings are not good. There is but one motion commanded, but it must be continued, we must fulfil our many days, when we have once begun, we must not defile our selves to become new Nazarites.
where mention is made of purifying the third day, and the seuenth day, and if the man touching the dead did not fulfill euery day, then though he came neere the end, and fulfilled not the end, he should be impure still: if he purified not himself the third day, he should not be cleane the seuenth day. So we must not deliuer an holinesse to God for a time, or in some causes, or for some persons: but we must throughly fulfill the dayes of our holinesse, not presenting (I say) a maimed holines: as in the Law it was not permitted for a man to offer a lame or maimed beast, though it wanted but a taile, which was a small thing, yet for that defect the Lord refused it. There are a great manie of professors, which would needes be men sanctified, but they are loathe to be cleansed, and to fulfill the dayes of their holinesse. They will goe a while, a day, or two dayes, they will not come to the third, and then they are vncleane the seuenth day, and so all their labour is in vaine. Others, when they cannot away with this strictnes to continue, say on this manner: Seeing we are still vnperfect, let vs be vnperfectly vnperfect, let vs be vncleane still, let vs prepare riuers of sinne: for Christ shed streames of blood, the more wee sinne, the greater glorie will come to Christ. And thus they stand at a stay, their holines is a standing holines, it fils not, it stands at a stay, they are no perfect Nazarites, they still lie in their pollutions: their motions are from the house to the Church, and from the Church home againe, and at the1 yeares end they are as holy as in the beginning of the yeare: they goe & go to the Church, and make many voyages, as an horse in the Mill makes manie circuites, who labours still from morning vntil night, and then he is but where he was at the first: so they are in a motion from morning vntill night, and at night they are euen where they were when they begun in the morning. There is another sort not standing still, but they make many beginnings:2 and when they come to the third day they beginne againe, and againe, and againe, still they goe backe, and then they must begin againe, and so they come to holines by fits. These manie beginnings are not good. There is but one motion commanded, but it must be continued, we must fulfill our many dayes, when we haue once begun, we must not defile our selues to become new Nazarites.
- 1A true description of our ignorant and idle Protestants.A true discription of our ignorant and idle Protestants.
- 2Simile.
