A29687:405
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.
Thirteenthly, Consider that the times and seasons wherein we live, call aloud for holiness. Many say, the times are bad, very bad, extreme bad: I, and let me tell you that your hearts and lives are bad, very bad, extreme bad; and it is these that have made the times so bad, so very bad, so extreme bad; it is in vain to talk of better times, or wish for better times till you mend your manners, and get better hearts. The times would quickly mend, if every man would but in good earnest labour to mend one. If your hearts and lives were but more holy, the times would quickly be more happy. You say you shall never have peace and prosperity till all be brought to uniformity in Religion: but I say you shall never have any lasting peace, felicity, or prosperity till you come to be holy, 2 Kings 9.22. And it came to pass when Joram saw Jehu, that he said Is it peace, ⟨p. 219⟩Jehu? And he answered, What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and her witchcrafts are so many? The interrogation carries with it a strong negation, What peace? that is, there is no peace to such a wicked wretch as thou art: thou mayest wish for peace, and dream of peace, and long for peace, and look for peace, and pursue after peace; and yet thou shall be far off from peace. What Jehu said to Joram, I may say to all unholy persons; What peace, and what prosperity can you expect whilst your drunkenness, and uncleanness, and wantonness, and lukewarmness, and dead-heartednesse, and wantonness, and wickedness remains? what good days, what happy year can you look for whilst your formality, and indifferency, and hypocrisy, and infidelity do bear witness against you?1 So when Israel was very superstitious and vain in her worship, then there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the Countries, and Nation was destroyed (or beaten in pieces) of Nation, and City of City: for God did vex them with all adversity, 2 Chron. 15.5, 6. When men are unholy, God will vex them, he will vex them with adversity, he will vex them with all adversity. When Nations are ungodly, God will destroy them, he will beat them in pieces, he will beat them in pieces one against another. When there is no holiness in him that comes in, nor in him that goes out, then there shall be no peace to him that goes in, or to him that goes out;