A29687:261
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.
Fourthly, He that is truly holy, will be still a reaching and §4stretching himself out after higher degrees of holiness;1 yea a man that is truly holy, can never be holy enough, he sets no bounds nor limits to his holiness; the perfection of holiness is the mark that he hath in his eye; he hears, and prays, and mourns, and studies, and strives that he may come up to the highest pitch of holiness. Phil. 3.12, 13, 14. Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not my ⟨p. 108⟩self to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind; 2and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Received measures of holiness will not satisfy a holy soul; so much holiness as will keep hell and his soul asunder, will not satisfy him; nor so much holiness as will bring him to happiness, will not satisfy him; he will be still reaching and stretching out after the highest measures of holiness; his desires are for more holiness. Psalm 27.4. the beauties of holiness do so affect him and inflame him, that he cannot but desire to be more and more holy. Lord, saith the soul, I desire to be more holy, that I may glorify thy name more, that I may honour my profession more, and that I may serve my generation more. Lord, I desire to be more holy, that I may sin less against thee, and that I may enjoy more of thee; I would be more holy, that I may be more prevalent with thee, and that I may be more victorious over all things below thee. And as a man of holiness desires more holiness, so a man of holiness earnestly prays for more holiness. Psalm 51.2, 7.3