A29687:371
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.
Fifthly, Consider, that real holiness is the excellency of all a mans excellencies. As holiness is the glory of God, a ⟨p. 189⟩part of the divine nature, a spark of heaven, a ray of glory; so it is the excellency of all a mans excellencies, it is the excellency of all our natural excellencies, it is the excellency of all our moral excellencies, and it is the excellency of all our intellectual excellencies. Look as Gods holiness is the excellency of all his excellencies, as the Angels, who best know what is the top of his excellency, do evidence by that three-fold repetition, Holy, holy, holy, Isa. 6.3.1 these multiplied acclamations of holiness, denote the superlative eminency, excellency, and perfection of Gods holiness. Both among the Hebrews, and among the Grecians, the holiness of God is the excellency of his omniscience, omnipotency, and omnipresence; it is the excellency of his eternity, immutability, and fidelity; it is the excellency of his wisdom, love, care and goodness. Psalm 111.9. Holy and reverend is his name. Gods name comes to be reverend by holiness; if his name were not holy, it would never be reverend; and why is God called so often the holy one, but to show us that holiness is the very top of all his glory, and excellency! God could not be glorious in any thing,2 if he were not glorious in holiness; That which speaks his power to be glorious power, is his holiness; and that which speaks his wisdom to be glorious wisdom, is his holiness; and that which speaks his mercy to be glorious mercy, is his holiness, &c. Were not the power of God a holy power, it could never be a glorious power; were not the wisdom of God a holy wisdom, it could never be glorious wisdom; and were not the mercy of God holy mercy, it could never be glorious mercy, &c. So the holiness of a man, is the glory and excellency of all a mans excellencies; it is the perfection of all a mans perfections; in Paradise,3 mans perfect holiness was his perfect blessedness; and in heaven, mans perfect holiness will be his perfect happiness. Holiness adds an excellency to all a mans excellencies; that which adds an excellency to a mans wisdom is holiness; when a mans wisdom is a holy wisdom, then it is excellent wisdom. So holy courage is excellent courage;