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…

Fifthly, Evidence the truth and reality of your holiness, by bewailing and lamenting the loss of holiness. Ah how is this crown of holiness fallen from our heads!¹ O the leanness of souls! O the spiritual witherings and decays in grace and holiness,² that is to be found among many Christians this day! Some complain of the loss of Trade, and others complain of the loss of estate; some complain of the loss of credit, and others complain of the loss of friends; but what are all these losses to the loss of holiness? and yet how few be there that complain of the loss of holiness! holiness is fallen in our hearts, in our families, in our streets, and in our Churches, and yet how few are there to be found that laments the fall of holiness! O Sirs, will you lament such as are fallen from riches to poverty, from honour into disgrace, and from the highest pitch of prosperity to the lowest step of beggary and misery; and will you not lament such who are fallen from the highest round to the lowest round in Jacobs Ladder? O Sirs, will you mourn over a decayed estate? will you weep over decayed friends? and will you sigh and sob over a decayed body? and will you not much more lament and mourn over decayed souls, &c? Ah how many have lost that love,³ that life, that heat, that zeal, that readiness, that forwardness, and that resoluteness that once they had for God and godliness. Some are fallen from their holiness by giving themselves elbow-room to sin against the checks and lashes of conscience;⁴ others are decayed in holiness, by their secret resisting and smothering the gracious motions of the Spirit:⁵ Some are fallen from holiness, either by their neglect of precious means,⁶ or else by their heartless using of the means; others are fallen from their holiness, either by the allurements and enticements of a tempting world,⁷