A29687:120
The crown & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered…The crovvn & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered…
The crown & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered in LVIII sermons from Heb. 12. 14, where you have the necessity, excellency, rarity, beauty and glory of holiness set forth, with the resolution of many weighty questions and cases, also motives and means to perfect holiness : with many other things of very high and great importance to all the sons and daughters of men, that had rather be blessed then cursed, saved then damned / by Thomas Brooks ...The crovvn & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered in LVIII sermons from Heb. 12. 14, where you have the necessity, excellency, rarity, beauty and glory of holiness set forth, with the resolution of many weighty questions and cases, also motives and means to perfect holiness : with many other things of very high and great importance to all the sons and daughters of men, that had rather be blessed then cursed, saved then damned / by Thomas Brooks ...
London: printed for H. Crips, 1662
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Yet this must be granted,1 that a man may be visibly holy, that is not inwardly holy: A man may be outwardly holy, that is not throughout holy: a man may have an outward dress of holiness upon him, that hath not the spirit and vitals of holiness in him: As Judas had, and Simon Magus had, and Demas had, and the Scribes and Pharisees had, Matth. 23.25, 27, 28. We unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited Sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. They were outwardly religious, but inwardly vicious; they had the semblance of sanctity but (inwardly) very full of impurity: They were fair Professors, but foul Sinners; they were gracious without, but impious within. Look as they are the worst of vices that are covered over with the show of virtue: so they are the worst of sinners that cover over their inward filthiness under the visors of outward holiness. The Egyptian Temples were fair without, but foul and filthy within; such were the Scribes and Pharisees in Christs days, and such are many professors in our days. It is said of Dionysius the Tyrant, that though he loved not the Philosophers, yet he would wrap himself up in their cloaks, that men might have the better opinion of him: So there be many ⟨p. 12⟩that put on an outward dress of holiness, that wrap themselves up in the cloak of holiness, that so others may take them for holy persons, and yet they love not holiness, they have nothing of real holiness in them; but as he is not a Jew which is one outwardly,2 but not inwardly: so he is not a holy person who is only so outwardly, but not inwardly; that hath the name of holiness upon him, but hath no principles of holiness in him: though without outward visible holiness no man shall see the Lord; yet a man may have an outward visible holiness, that shall never see the Lord in happiness. I hate him even to hell (saith the Heathen in Homer) that saith one thing with his mouth, and thinketh another thing in his heart.