Part 110 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 111 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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[3.] Thirdly, If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then fix and settle yourselves under a holy ministry; resign and give up yourselves to his ministry, who makes it his great business and work to preach holiness, to promote holiness, to countenance holiness, to encourage holiness, to exalt holiness, and to remove all obstructions that may anyway hinder the progress of holiness. Some ministers spend their time rather to please than to profit, and to tickle their hearers' ears than to touch their hearts, Isaiah 30:11. From these turn aside! Some ministers make it their work rather to destroy churches than to build them up in faith and holiness. From these turn aside! Gal. 1:23. Some ministers make it their business to delude and deceive the simple, by venting and setting forth the devices of their own heads, and the deceits and visions of their own hearts, Phil. 4:14; Jer. 14:14. How many are there in these days whose glorious visions are but golden delusions, and whose seraphic phrases are but brain-sick phantasies, and whose newnotions are but new nothings. From these turn aside!
Some ministers, after they had been seemingly washed, return with the dog to his vomit, and with the sow to her wallowing in the mire, Gal. 2:18; 2 Pet. 2:20-22. They say that if tame foxes break loose and turn wild, they do more mischief than any. Julian was once a professor—but turning back to heathenism, he drew more from the faith by his fraud than his predecessors did by force. From these turn aside!
Some ministers cry up the commandments of men above the commandments of God; and set up the ordinances of men above the ordinances of God; and prefer human institutionsbefore divine institutions. From these turn aside! Mat. 15:1-7; Mark 7:1-14.
Some ministers have a vein of scorning and reproaching, of disdaining the reputations of those faithful ministers of Christ who upon all accounts excel them, and whom upon a dying bed, and before a judgment-seat, they will wish that they had imitated and not envied, 2 Cor. 10:10. These labor to darken and obscure others—that their own sun may shine the brighter. These labor to lessen others' reputation, hoping thereby to greaten their own. These admire themselves and despise others. These look upon themselves as the greatest doctors, and upon all others as the worst of dunces. From these turn aside!
Some ministers spend their time and their strength in studying and preaching of dry and sapless controversies, which are so far from bettering of men's hearts, and from reforming of men's lives—that they leave men as much, and many times more, under the power of sin and dominion of Satan than they were before. From these turn aside!
Some ministers stand most upon easy things, and little things, upon things of least worth and weight, and in these they will be very incessant and precise—and yet readily pass over the great and the weighty things both of the law and of the gospel, 1 Tim. 1:5-7; Mat. 23:23, and 6:3-5. They stand more upon circumstantials than upon substantials; upon a saint's day than upon a Sabbath-day; upon an Easter offering than upon offering up of themselves to the Lord; upon a pipe, a vesture, a gesture—than upon saving of immortal souls. From these turn aside!
Some ministers speak two words for Christ and ten for themselves. They are very zealous to fleece their flocks—but have no heart or desire to feed their flocks, 2 Pet. 2:1-4; Rev. 18:11-13. They mind men's goods more than their good. They are more for the serving of themselves than the saving of souls. Just so that they may be clad attractively, and dine deliciously, and live lazily—they care not though millions of souls go to hell yearly! To pick your purses they will flatter your consciences! So it may go well with them in this world, they care not what becomes of you in the eternal world. From these turn aside! Ezek. 34.
Some ministers take more pains to make proselytes than to make men holy, Mat. 23:15; they make it their great business to win over men to their opinions, when they should be a-winning of men over to Jesus Christ; they make it more their work to convert men to their way, than they make it their work to better men's hearts, or mend their lives, or save their souls. They will compass sea and land to make men one with themselves—and yet think all that time and pains lost that is spent in endeavoring to make men one with Christ. These are ripe for hell, and resemble the prince of darkness to the life, for as he—just so, they, will spare no pains to gain proselytes. From these turn aside!
Give up yourselves to their labors, who make it the top of their glory to preach holiness, to advance holiness, to magnify holiness, and to practice holiness; and this will be an excellent means to raise you up to higher degrees of holiness. But,
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