A29687:372
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.
and holy zeal is excellent zeal, and holy knowledge is excellent knowledge, and holy faith is excellent ⟨p. 190⟩faith, and holy love •s excellent love, and holy fear is excellent fear; it is the adding of holiness to all these, that renders these virtues truly excellent; it is holiness that is the top of all these royalties.1 Look as all ciphers signify nothing except you add a figure to them: so all the excellencies that be in men, whether they are natural, moral, or acquired, they signify nothing, except you add holiness to them. Birth and breeding, wit and wealth, honour and learning, are but the shadows and shapes of nobleness and true excellency; it is holiness that is the soul and substance of all; and without holiness all other things are of no worth, all other excellencies have no excellency at all in them.2 Naaman was General of the Kings Army, he was a man in great favour with his Prince, a man much honoured among the people for being a saviour and deliverer to them. He was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a Leper; this But he was a Leper, was a cloud upon all his glory, it was a veil upon all his honour, greatness and nobleness: So to say, there is a wise man, but unholy; and there is a great man, but unholy; and there is an ingenuous man, but unholy; and there is a noble-man, but unholy; and there is a valiant man, but unholy; and there is a good natured man, but unholy; and there is a learned man, but unholy, &c. What is this But unholy, but a cloud of darkness upon all the excellencies that are in these persons? But let now holiness be but added to each of these, and then they will shine as so many Suns. Holiness is a garment that sets off arts, and parts, and all other excellencies that be in man; let but this garment be wanting, and the nakedness of all things will quickly appear. And this made Hierom to say, that he had rather have Saint Pauls coat with his heavenly graces, then the purple of Kings with their Kingdoms. Look as a precious Jewel set in gold, makes that much more conspicuous and glorious, which was glorious before: So holiness adds beauty, splendour and glory to a mans parts, birth, honour, and estate, &c. But,