Part 10 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 11 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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10. Tenthly, He who is really holy—will be holy in the use of earthly and common things, as well as in the use of spiritual and heavenly things. Titus 1:15. He will be spiritual in the use of mundane things; and heavenly in the use of earthly things. There is a silver vein of sanctity which runs through all his worldly concernments. If you look upon him in his eating and drinking—you shall find him holy. 1 Cor. 10:31, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." If you look upon him in his buying and selling, in his paying and receiving—you shall find him holy: Isaiah 23:18, "And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord." Before Tyre's conversion, she labored to enrich herself by hook and by crook: all was fish which came to Tyre's net. Tyre could say anything, or do anything, or be anything—for gain. Oh—but when Tyre is converted and sanctified, then all her gettings and earnings, shall be holiness to the Lord. Tyre now shall write holiness upon all her wares and commodities. Tyre shall buy nothing, nor sell anything, nor exchange anything—but there shall be holiness written upon it. And Tyre shall be as well holy in using and improving of her merchandise and earnings, as she has been holy in the getting of them; for so it follows in the same verse, "But in the end her businesses will give their profits to the Lord. Her wealth will not be hoarded but will be used to provide good food and fine clothing for the Lord's priests." Tyre, before her conversion, hoarded up riches, and laid up her merchandise to spend upon her lusts, to spend upon her pride, and wantonness, and luxuriousness, etc. But now, being converted, she uses and improves what she has in the service of the Lord, and for the comfort, support, and relief of the poor and needy. When Tyre is once made holy, then Tyre will be holy in the use of all her earthly enjoyments.
If you look upon a holy man going to war, then you shall find holiness written upon the bridles of his horses: Zech. 14:20-21, "In that day shall there be upon the bridles, or bells, of the horses, Holiness unto the Lord. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord Almighty." [Calvin renders it, stables of horses, which are the most stinking and contemptible places; and yet these should be holily used.] Here is holiness written upon the bridles of the horses they ride on, and holiness written upon the cups and pots they drink in. A holy heart will be holy in the use of the mundane things which are for common use. Every piece of his life, shall savor of sanctity; and in all the parts of his common life you shall be able to discern something of the power of true religion.
He is holy in his commerce, and holy in his converse. Holiness is written upon his dealings with others, and upon his behavior towards his family and friends. Whatever he puts his hand to in his home, shall have holiness written upon it.
A holy man makes a Jacob's ladder of all his earthly enjoyments. All the comforts in his home, are as so many bright morning stars to lead him on in a way of holiness, and to lead him up to a holy God. Look upon a holy man in his vocation, and you shall find him holy. Look upon him in the use of common things, and you shall find him holy. Look upon him in his recreations, and you shall find him holy. The habitual frame and bent of his heart is to be holy in every earthly thing that he puts his hand unto. A spirit of holiness runs and shines in all the common actions of his life.
But now look upon those who have only the shows and appearances of holiness, and you shall find that they have but a worldly spirit in common things. Take them out of their religious duties, and you shall find them to be habitually earthly in the use of earthly things, and carnal in the use of carnal things, and worldly in the use of worldly things. All their religion, all their holiness, lies in a few religious duties; take them out of these, and you shall find them as carnal, as vain, as foolish, as filthy and as frothy, as light and as slight—as those who have not so much as a cloak of holiness upon them. But he who is really holy, will be holy as well out of duties as in duties. If you look closely upon him in all his worldly concernments, you shall find some footsteps of the awe, fear, dread, authority, and glory of God upon his spirit. Look! as an unholy heart is carnal in spiritual things, and earthly in heavenly things, and unholy in holy things—just so, a man who is truly holy, he is as well holy in the ordinary affairs and actions of this life, as he is holy in any of the exercises of piety. But,
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