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…

Thirdly, Consider, That a cordial willingness to enter upon this work of trial, is a hopeful evidence of your real integrity and sanctity. Unsanctified souls hate the light; they had rather go to hell in the dark, then come to be weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary. As pure gold fears neither fire nor furnace, neither test nor touchstone;¹ neither one balance nor another, so a pure heart, a sanctified soul dares venture it self upon trial: yea,² upon the very trial of God: For he knows that God never brings a pair of scales to weigh his graces, but only a touchstone to try the truth of his graces: he knows if his gold be true, though it be never so little, it will pass for current with God. As Bankrupts care not for casting up their accounts, because they know all is naught, very naught, stark naught with them: so unsanctified souls, they care not to come to the trial, to the test, because they know that all is naught, yea worse then naught with them: They have no mind to cast up their spiritual estates, because at the foot of the account they must be p•t to read their neck-verse Undone, undone, for ever undone. And therefore as old deformed women cannot endure to look into the looking-glass, least their wrinkles and deformity should be discovered, so unsanctified souls cannot endure to look into the glass of the Gospel, least their deformities, impieties and wickednesses should be discovered and detected. I have read of the Elephant, how unwilling he is to go into the water, but when he is forced into it, he puddles it lest by the clearness of the stream he should discern his own deformity. So unholy persons are very unwilling to look into their own hearts, or into the clear streams of Scripture, lest their souls deformity and ugliness should appear to their own terror and amazement. And therefore as you would have a hopeful evidence of your integrity and sanctity, fall upon this work of trial. For as it is a hopeful evidence that the Clients cause is good, when he is ready and willing to enter upon a trial; and as it is a hopeful ⟨p. 94⟩sign that a mans gold is true gold, when he is willing to bring it to the touchstone; and that a man thrives, when he is willing to cast up his books; so it is a hopeful evidence that a Christian hath real holiness,