The Crown and Glory of Christianity, Part
Firſt, What is this holineſs without which no man ſhall ſee the Lord? I anſwer there is a ſixfold holineſs.
Firſt, There is a Legal holineſs: Now a Legal holineſs conſiſts in an exact, perfect, and compleat conformity in heart and life to the whole revealed will of God; and this was the holineſs that Adam had in his innocency: and this holineſs was immediately derived from God, and was perfect. Adam knew the will of God perfectly (ſo far as it was revealed to him) and had a divine principle in him of perfect conformity to that bleſſed will. Adams holines was as co-natural to him, as unholineſs is now to us: and had he ſtood faſt in that glorious condition, we had all been as naturally holy from the womb, as now we are ſinfull.Pſalm 51.5. Adams holineſs was as natural, and as pleaſing, and as delightfull to him, as any way of unholineſs can be natural, pleaſing and delightfull unto us. But this holineſs which was Adams choiceſt ſparkling gemm of beauty, and his weightieſt crown of glory, is by Satans policy long ſince fallen off from Adams head; now if this Legal holineſs were the holineſs meant in the text, then woe to man that ever he was born; for then no man ſhould ever ſee the Lord.Rom … For by Adams fall all men are gone out of the way, and there is none legally righteous, no not one. Now if we look upon man as fallen from that holineſs which was his greateſt honour, dignity and excellency,Greg Nazianz. Pindarus. Aeſchylus. Marcus Imperat. he is become a pile of duſt, a puff of wind, ſaith one, a dream of a ſhadow ſaith another, a ſhadow of ſmoak, ſaith a third: a poor ſilly flea, a worm, a little foul, a curious nothing; yea, man faln from his primitive glory is become a very vanity, ſaith the Prophet, Pſalm 39.5. Verily, Every man at his beſt ſtate is altogether vanity. Verily, this aſſeveration is only uſed in matters of greateſt weight and moment: and notes the reality and certainty of the things delivered. Every man (chol Adam all Adam) Or every Son of Adam, not ſome man, but every man at his beſt ſtate (Nitſab from Jatſab) that is, in his moſt ſettled and compoſed condition, when he is beſt conſtituted and underlaid, when he ſtands a tiptoe, and is in the heighth and perfection of all creature comforts and contentments, is altogether, not in ſome meaſure, but altogether vanity, (chol Hebel) all vanity. Since the fall of Adam every natural man in his beſt eſtate is vanity: nay, every man is every vanity: Imagine what vanity you will, fallen man is that, he is a comprehenſive vanity: be is an Epitome of all vanity. Man in honour before his fall, was the beſt of creatures, but ſince his fall he is become the worſt of creatures; by his fall he is fallen below the very beaſts that periſh, Iſaiah 1.3, 4. Prov. 6.6. Jer. 8.7. Matth. 6. He that was once the Image of God, the glory of Paradiſe, the worlds Lord, and the Lords darling, is now become a burthen to heaven, a burthen to himſelf, and a ſlave to others, &c. which made One cry out,
Oh what is man?
Quarles.A ſcu…tlefull of duſt, a meaſured ſpan,
Mans breath a bubble, and his dayes a span;
Tis glorious miſery to be born a man.
By all which, you may eaſily perceive how far we are off from that legal holineſs that Adam had in innocency.R. Solom. Deut. cap. 3. Rabbi Solomon makes Adam ſo high, that he touched heaven with his head. I ſhall not diſpute the certainty of that: but certainly, the higher he was in holineſs, the greater was his fall, and ours in him. This Legal holineſs was ſo loſt in Adam, that no ſon of Adam could ever find it ſince Adam fell: and if this were the holineſs without which no man ſhould ever ſee the Lord, then farewell for ever to the ſons of Adam. But this legal holineſs is not the holineſs in the Text.
Secondly, There is an Imaginary holineſs, a Conceited holineſs, an Opinionative holineſs, Prov. 30.12. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, Coelum gratis non acciqiam. I will not have heaven, but at a rate: ſaid a proud impure perſon.and yet is not waſhed from their filthineſs: they were very bad, and yet they had a great opinion of their own goodneſs; they were very filthy, and yet they ſtood very much upon their own purity; their hands were black, their hearts were black, their works were black, and their ways were as black as hell and yet they durſt ſay that none could ſay black was their eye: they were filthy within, and filthy without, filthy in body, and filthy in ſoul, and filthy in ſpirit; filthineſs had quite overſpred them, and yet they thought to cover their filthineſs with a vizzard of holineſs (the worſt men are commonly beſt conceited of themſelves.) Ah friends, there hath been no generation wherein there hath not been ſuch a generation of men who have wallowed in ſin like Swine in the mire, and yet have kept up in themſelves a ſtrong opinion of their own goodneſs and holineſs: this generation had neither their ſouls nor conſciences waſht in the blood of Chriſt, nor ſanctified by the ſpirit of Chriſt, and yet they gloried in their conceited purity and holineſs, as if they had been purified by Chriſt. There are many that are ſhining Chriſtians, that are pure golden Chriſtians in their own eyes, that are viler then droſs, yea,Regis animum quiſ que intra ſe habet. Every man hath in him the mind of a King: is Calvins Note on that 1 Pet. 5.5. then ſmoak in Gods eyes, Iſa. 65.5. Stand by thy ſelf, come not near to me; for I am holier then thou: theſe are a ſmoak in my noſe, a fire that burneth all the day: they were very licentious, very ungracious, very rebellious, very Superſtitious, very Idolatrous, ver. 2, 3, 4. and yet counted themſelves very religious: they were worſe then others, and yet thought themſelves better then others; they were very bad, and yet judged themſelves very good: they were more impure, more prophane, and more polluted then others, and yet they reckon themſelves more pure and holier then others: they ſtand upon their comparative goodneſſes, and yet at the the ſame time are charged by God of the greateſt wickedneſs. And thus their kinſmen the Phariſees ſtand upon their images, forgeries, and outward dreſſes of holineſs, when at the ſame time they practiſed the worſt of wickedneſs, Mat. 23.5. Luke 30. & 18.11, 12. So thoſe in Hoſ. 12.8. And Ephraim ſaid, yet I am become rich, I have found me out ſubſtance: in all my labours they ſhall find no iniquity in me, that were ſin; or is ſin. Ephraims iniquities were grown ever his head (as may be ſeen throughout this whole Prophecy) and yet Ephraim cannot bear the being charged with iniquity: it was little leſs then ſin to charge Ephraim with ſin, though he was notoriouſly guilty of the higheſt crimes: yet he would have you to know that he was as ſhie of ſin, and as clear of ſin, as he that was ſhieſt and cleareſt. Ephraim could give good words when his works were abominable; he could pretend much to innocency, when he was guilty of the greateſt impiety: but though Ephraim had his cloak at hand, yet it was too ſhort to cover his ſin; for God ſaw it, and condemned him for it. Chryſoſtom doth elegantly ſet forth the blindneſs and brutiſhneſs of ſuch perſons. When they lie in the mire (ſaith he) they think they are beſmeared with ſome ſweet oyntments: when they are full of Vermine,There is a truth in that old ſaying, Avaro deeſt tam quod habet, quam quod non habet: A covetous man wanteth as well that which he hath, as that which he hath not. they vaunt themſelves, as if they were adorned with pretious ſtones. And ſo the Laodiceans were of the ſame temper of ſpirit, Rev. 3.17. Becauſe thou ſaieſt, I am rich, and increaſed with goods, and have need of nothing: and knoweſt not that thou art wretched, and miſerable, and poor, and blind, and naked. They had a great opinion of their own goodneſs, worth, and excellent ſtate, having need of nothing, when they they had nothing of a Chriſtian in them. Thou ſayeſt thou art rich, I but thou doſt but ſay ſo; thou boaſteſt and braggeſt of thy riches: as many proud Beggars do of that wealth they have not; for all thou deemeſt thy ſelf rich, thou art but poor and beggarly. It is mans ſin, and judgement, that ever ſince he ceaſed to be what he ſhould be, he ſtriveth to ſeem to be what he is not: Thou ſayeſt thou art increaſed with goods, and needeſt nothing; I, but thou doſt but ſay ſo, thou doſt but dream it is ſo: for thou art ignorant of thine own wretched and lamentable eſtate; Thou ſayeſt thou art rich, but I know thou art poor and beggarly: if a dram of grace would ſave thy life, thy ſoul, thy family, nay, the whole world, thou haſt it not: Thou ſayeſt, thou ſeeſt: but thou art blind, thou art deſtitute of ſpiritual eye-ſight; thou ſeeſt not thine own wants, nor Chriſts worth: thine own emptineſs, nor Chriſts fulneſs: thine own ſinfulneſs, nor Chriſts holineſs: thine own poverty, nor Chriſts (riches and) plenty; thine own miſery, nor Chriſts mercy: thine own inſufficiency, nor Chriſts alſufficiency: thine own vanity, nor Chriſts glory, &c. Multi multa ſciunt, ſe autem nemo: Many know much, but few know themſelves, or their own danger, infelicity, or miſery: and indeed no miſery to this. The Chineſes uſe to ſay of themſelves, that all other Nations of the world did ſee but with one eye, they only with two; and of this ſpirit and temper were thoſe blind Laodiceans: they thought they knew all things, when they knew nothing that they ſhould, nor as they ſhould. By all which you may ſee, that there is an imaginary holineſs, a conceited holineſs, where there is no real holineſs; but an imaginary holineſs will bring a man but to an imaginary bleſſedneſs; a conceited holineſs will bring a man but to a conceited happineſs; he that doth but dream that he is holy, he doth but dream that he ſhall be happy.
Baſtards of old were not to inherit,Gen. 21.10. but to be thruſt out from among the true heirs, Judges 11.1, 2. Now Jepthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the ſon of a harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah: And Gileads wife bare him ſons, and his wives ſons grew up, and they thruſt out Jephthah, and ſaid unto him, Thou ſhalt not inherit in our Fathers houſe, for thou art the ſon of a ſtrange woman. Ah Sirs, you that are but baſtard Chriſtians, baſtard Profeſſors, baſtard Believers, baſtard Saints, you ſhall never inherit among the heirs of glory,2 Theſ. 1.8, 9. Matth. 8.12. Ch. 22.13. but ſhall be thruſt out for ever from the preſence of the Lord, and the glory of his power, and thruſt into utter darkneſs, becauſe you have pleaſed your ſelves, and ſatisfied your ſpirits, and bleſt your ſouls in a baſtard holineſs, in a conceited holineſs, Deut. 23.2. A baſtard ſhall not inherit in the Congregation of the Lord: he ſhall have no fellowſhip, nor communion with the people of God: the door of Admiſſion ſhall be ſhut upon him:Mat. 25.10, 11, 12. Ch. 7.21, 22, 23. The fooliſh Virgins had but a Baſtard holineſs, a conceited holineſs, an outward dreſs of holineſs: and therefore the door of life, the door of hope, the door of help, the door of grace, the door of mercy, the door of glory was ſhut upon them. William the Conquerour was much ſlighted and ſcorned becauſe he was a Baſtard: God and his people will ſlight ſuch, and ſcorn ſuch, and turn their backs at laſt upon ſuch that have no more then a baſtardly holineſs: and therefore this cannot be the holineſs here meant: But,
Thirdly, There is an outward, external viſible holineſs, which includes mens freedom from ſcandalous vices, and their ordinary performance of religious duties.Luke 1.5, 6. foreign, they were both, ſaith the Vulgar, Sine querela, without complaint; their converſation was ſuch as none could juſtly complain of it. It was irreprehenſible, it could not be reprehended. Now in this ſenſe Zacharias and Elizabeth were both holy perſons: for they walked in all the commandments and ordinances of God blameleſs. And ſo the Apoſtles, 1 Theſſ. 2.10. For ye are witneſſes, and God alſo, how holily, and juſtly, and unblameably we behaved our ſelves among you that believe: Anſwerable to this, is that of the Apoſtle in 2 Cor. 1.12. For our rejoycing is this, the teſtimony of our conſcience, that in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, Not with fleſhly wiſdom, but by the grace of God we have had our converſation in the world, and more abundantly to you-wards. Theſe precious ſouls behaved themſelves holily towards God, juſtly towards the world, and unblameably towards believers; they were holy in Religious work, they were juſt in their Civil affairs and Commerce, and unblameable in their private carriage and behaviour amongſt their familiar and moſt boſome friends. And this is that the Apoſtle preſſes upon Chriſtians in Phil. 2.15. That ye may be blameleſs and harmeleſs, the ſons of God, without rebuke, (or unblemiſhed) in the midſt of a crooked and perverſe Nation, among whom ye ſhine (or ſhine ye) as lights in the world. Chriſtians muſt be the ſpotleſs ſons of God:Deut. 32.5. they muſt have no ſpots upon them that are inconſiſtent with Sonſhip, or Saintſhip. Now it is certain: without this outward viſible holineſs there is no happineſs, there is no fruition of God in everlaſting bleſſedneſs: They that pretend their hearts are as good as the beſt, when their lives are as bad as the worſt, ſhall experience this truth at laſt to their ſhame and coſt, that without viſible holineſs here, there can be no fruition of God hereafter.
Yet this muſt be granted,2 Tim. 3.5. They ſay of Halifax Nuts, that they are all ſhells, no kirnels. There are many that make a glorious ſhew before men, that are abominable in the ſight of God, Luke 16.15. that are Aurum hominibus, lutum Deo: Gold in mans eyes, dirt in Gods ſight. Gregor. Mor. c. 34. l. 13. that a man may be viſibly holy, that is not inwardly holy: A man may be outwardly holy, that is not throughout holy: a man may have an outward dreſs of holineſs upon him, that hath not the ſpirit and vitals of holineſs in him: As Judas had, and Simon Magus had, and Demas had, and the Scribes and Phariſees had, Matth. 23.25, 27, 28. We unto you Scribes and Phariſees, hypocrites; for ye make clean the outſide of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and exceſs. Wo unto you Scribes and Phariſees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited Sepulchres, which indeed appear beautifull outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all uncleanneſs. Even ſo ye alſo outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocriſie and iniquity. They were outwardly religious, but inwardly vitious; they had the ſemblance of ſanctity but (inwardly) very full of impurity: They were fair Profeſſors, but foul Sinners; they were gracious without, but impious within. Look as they are the worſt of vices that are covered over with the ſhew of vertue: ſo they are the worſt of ſinners that cover over their inward filthineſs under the vizards of outward holineſs. The Egyptian Temples were fair without, but foul and filthy within; ſuch were the Scribes and Phariſees in Chriſts days, and ſuch are many profeſſors in our dayes. It is ſaid of Dionyſius the Tyrant, that though he loved not the Philophers, yet he would wrap himſelf up in their cloaks, that men might have the better opinion of him: So there be many that put on an outward dreſs of holineſs, that wrap themſelves up in the cloak of holineſs, that ſo others may take them for holy perſons, and yet they love not holineſs, they have nothing of real honlieſs in them; but as he is not a Jew which is one outwardly,Romans 2.28, 29. Cha. 4.12. but not inwardly: ſo he is not a holy perſon who is only ſo outwardly, but not inwardly; that hath the name of holineſs upon him, but hath no principles of holineſs in him: though without outward viſible holineſs no man ſhall ſee the Lord; yet a man may have an outward viſible holineſs, that ſhall never ſee the Lord in happineſs. I hate him even to hell (ſaith the Heathen in Homer) that ſaith one thing with his mouth, and thinketh another thing in his heart. So God will at laſt hate that man to hell,Mat 23.14. 2 Tim. 3.5. 1 Cor. 7.19. Philip. 3.3. Gal. 5.6. Chap. 6.15. yea, caſt him into the hotteſt place in hell, that hath a form of godlineſs upon him, but nothing of the reality and power of holineſs in him. Outward holineſs is good, but it muſt be throughout-holineſs that will do a man good to all eternity. It is not the ſhews but the ſubſtance of holineſs that will bring a man to everlaſting happineſs: Meer outward holineſs will certainly leave a man ſhort of heaven and happineſs: but throughout-holineſs will certainly lodge the ſoul in the boſome of God for ever. It is true, all men reach not to an outward holineſs; which made Athanaſius wiſh, Ʋtinam omnes eſſent Hypocritae, Would to God that all were hypocrites: Without all peradventure, it is a very deſireable thing that all were outwardly holy: yet all that reach to this, muſt go farther, or elſe they will ſit down on this ſide happineſs, Mat. 5.20. For I ſay unto you, that except your righteouſneſs ſhall exceed the righteouſneſs of the Scribes and Phariſees, ye ſhall in no caſe enter into the kingdom of heaven: Now they were much in works of Piety, in works of Charity, in works of Equity, and in works of Curteſie, by which means they gained ſo much upon the hearts of the people, that it was commonly conceited and voted among them, that if there were but two of all the world that ſhould go to heaven, the one ſhould be a Scribe, and the other a Phariſee. Yet your righteouſneſs muſt exceed theirs, or the gates of glory will be ſhut upon you. Their righteouſneſs and holineſs was only external, not internal; it was partial, not univerſal; it was rather circumſtantial then ſubſtantial: and therefore Heavens doors were double-bolted againſt them. Heaven is for that man, and that man is for heaven, that is not only outwardly holy, but throughout holy.
Fourthly, There is a Relative holineſs; now Relative holineſs is a ſpecial relation which perſons or things have unto God. Relative holineſs includes two things.
Firſt, A ſeparation of perſons or things from common uſe: and thus in the Law,Deut. 19.2. 1 Kings 8.35. Ezra. 8.28. Chap. 10, 11. Iſa. 63.18. thoſe things were called holy which were ſeparated from common uſe, and ſet apart for the Worſhip and Service of God: As the Oyl, Shewbread, Firſt-fruits, Incenſe, Altars, Veſtments; and in this ſenſe the Prieſts and Levites were called holy, becauſe they were ſeparated from others to ſerve in the Tabernacle. And in this ſenſe the people of Iſrael are frequently called a ſanctified people, a holy people, &c. The Greek word foreign anſwers to the Hebrew word foreign which commonly ſignifies that which is appropriated to a holy uſe: and this is the proper notion of holineſs in the Old and New Teſtament, as I might ſhew you out of ſome hundred places of Scripture. Now certainly without this holineſs of ſpecial ſeparation from the common converſation of the world, there is no ſeeing of God, nor no fruition of God hereafter, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye ſeparate, ſaith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye ſhall be my ſons and daughters, ſaith the Lord Almighty. God will have no communion with any in this world that are not ſeparated from the ſinfull practiſes of the world. God will look upon none, he will own none, he will delight in none, he will acknowledge none, he will receive none for his ſons and daughters, but ſuch as are ſeparated from all evil vices, and unholy courſes. Suitable to this, is Iſa. 52.11. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean things, go ye out of the midſt of her; Be ye clean that bear the veſſels of the Lord. Eſtrange your ſelves from them that are eſtranged from God;Cicero (though Heathen) had rather to have no companion then a bad one. have nothing to do with them that have nothing to do with God; ſeparate your ſelves from them who have ſeparated themſelves from God; have no delightfull converſe with them who have no delightfull converſe with God; have no boſome communion with them that have no boſome communion with God. Oh Sirs, you are to keep your ſelves as pure and clean from others defilements, as you would keep your ſelves free from others puniſhments: He that will imitate others in their ſins, ſhall certainly participate with others in their ſorrows. It is true we may live with wicked men in their Cities: but it is as true, we muſt not lie with wicked men in their enormities. There are many profeſſors that are like the Planet Mercury, good in conjunction with thoſe that are good, and bad with thoſe that are bad; but theſe wound many at once: God, Chriſt, the Goſpel, and their own credits and conſciences: Theſe do virtutis ſtragulam pudefacere, put virtue to an open ſhame: And theſe are deſervedly to be ſhamed by your ſeparating from them, and by your renouncing all intimate communion or fellowſhip with them. But,
Secondly, As Relative holineſs takes in a ſeparation of perſons or things from common uſe,2. So Chriſt is ſaid to ſanctifie himſelf, when he dedicated himſelf to be a ſacrifice for the ſins of his people, &c. ſo it takes in a dedication and devoting of them to a holy uſe. And thus the Nazarites, Temple, Mount Zion, the Sabbath day, and other Feſtival dayes are ſaid to be holy under the Law. In ſhort, the whole Jewiſh Religion did lie in holy times, holy places, holy perſons, and holy things; and certainly without this holineſs, without this dedicating of our ſelves to God, we ſhall never come to a glorious fruition of God; he that doth not dedicate himſelf really to God, wholly to God, only to God, and alwayes to God on earth, ſhall never come to a ſight and viſion of God in heaven: if we do not give up our ſelves to God, God will never give up himſelf to us, Hoſ. 3.3. And I ſaid unto her, Thou ſhalt abide for me many dayes: thou ſhalt not play the harlot, and thou ſhalt not be for another man: ſo will I alſo be for thee. God will be only theirs that are really his: and he will be altogether theirs that are wholly his; he will only be a husband to them that dedicate themſelves to him, as a wife doth to her husband: he will devote himſelf theirs, who devote themſelves his: he will avouch himſelf to be theirs who avouch themſelves to be his, Deut. 26.17, 18, 19. Thou haſt avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his wayes, and to keep his Statutes, and his Commandments, and his Judgements, and to hearken unto his voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promiſed thee, and that thou ſhouldſt keep all his commandments: And to make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praiſe, and in name, and in honour, and that thou mayſt be a holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath ſpoken. That is an apt ſaying of Tertullian, Negotiatio eſt aliquid amittere ut majora lucreris: That is right merchandiſe when ſomething is parted with to gain more.God will reſign himſelf up to them who reſign themſelves up to him; he will give up himſelf to them that have given up their names and their hearts to him: He will beſtow himſelf as the greateſt pearle of price upon them that ſhall make a ſurrender of themſelves to him. There is no way to be higher then others, happier then others, more noble and honourable then others, then by making a dedi-gift of our ſelves to God. He that dedicates himſelf to God, dedicates all; he that doth not dedicate himſelf, dedicates nothing at all. What Eſchines once ſaid to Socrates, Others, ſaid he, give thee Gold, Silver, Jewels, but I give thee my ſelf: That muſt a Chriſtian ſay to his God, Ah Lord, there are ſome that give thee their lips, but I give thee my heart; others give thee good words, good expreſſions, but I give thee the beſt of my affections: others give thee a few cold prayers, but I give thee my whole ſoul: and had I as many hearts in my body as I have hairs on my head, I would give them all to thee: for thou art worthy, thou only art worthy. What the King of Iſrael once ſaid to the King of Syria, 1 Kings 20.4.I am thine, and all that I have, that muſt a Chriſtian ſay to his Chriſt, I am thine O Lord, and all that I have. A Chriſtian muſt cry out with him who cried, Lord, I have two mites, a ſoul and a body, and I give them both to thee.Bernard. And this was the honour and commendations of the Macedonians, that they gave up themſelves to the Lord, 2 Cor. 8.5. Having no better preſent at hand, they preſent themſelves to God; and certainly there is no preſent more honourable,Romans 12.1. dilectable, and acceptable to God then this, of giving up our ſelves to God. Well, remember this: That man was never really holy, that is not relatively holy; nor that man will never be really happy, that is not relatively holy: without Relative holineſs there will be no viſion of God in everlaſting happineſs: We muſt be ſeparated from the corruptions and pollutions of the world, and we muſt dedicate our ſelves to God, or we ſhall never come to a future fruition of God. But,
Fifthly, There is an imputative holineſs, and that is the holineſs of Chriſt imputed to us. For to prevent miſtakes, you may pleaſe to take notice that there is a twofold holineſs in Chriſt:Conſult theſe Scriptures, Luke 1.35. Mark 1.24. Heb. 7.26. Rom. 5.19. Col. 1.22. Rom. 2.3, 4. 2 Cor. 5.21, 22. Galat. 3.13. Jerem. 23.6. firſt, there is his eſſential and perſonal holineſs as he is God: Now this eſſential holineſs of Chriſt cannot be imparted nor imputed to any mortal man; it is eſſential to him. But Secondly, there is his mediatory holineſs, or that holineſs which he wrought for us as Mediator. Now the holineſs of Chriſt as Mediator did conſiſt both in the habitual holineſs of his perſon, in the abſence of all ſin, and in the rich and plentiful preſence of all holy and ſupernatural qualities, as alſo in the actual holineſs of his life and death: by his active obedience, by his ſubjecting of his heart and life to divine precepts, he perfectly fulfilled the commands of the Law: and by his paſſive obedience, his voluntary ſufferings, he fully ſatisfied the comminations, penalties, and curſes of the Law. Now this mediatory holineſs of Chriſts is ours by imputation, and by vertue of which we ſtand recti in curia, juſtified in the ſight of God, 1 Cor. 1.30. But of him are ye in Chriſt Jeſus, who of God is made unto us wiſdom, and righteouſneſs, and ſanctification, and redemption: This Mediatory holineſs of Chriſt reckoned unto a believing ſinner, is that whereby he is conſtituted holy in foro Dei; and upon this account they are ſaid to be all fair, Cant. 4.7.Nemo-bonus, qui non ex malo bonus. Aug. to be without ſpot or wrinckle, Epheſ. 5.25, 26, 27. to be compleat in him, Col. 2.10. and to be without fault before the throne of God, Rev. 14.4, 5. And certainly, without this mediatory holineſs of Chriſt there is no appearing before God, there is no glorious viſion nor fruition of God.Hab. 1.13. God is a God of that infinite purity and holineſs, that no holineſs below the imputative holineſs of Chriſt can make a man ſtand before him, or bring a man to the fruition of him. It was a very ſweet and excellent ſaying of Bernard, when in his own opinion he was at the point of death: I confeſs (ſaid he) I am not worthy,Guliel. Abbas in. vita Bern. lib. 1. cap. 12. I have no merits of mine own to obtain heaven by: but my Lord had a double right thereunto; An hereditary right, as a Son, and a Meritorious right as a Sacrifice: He was contented with the one right himſelf; the other right he hath given unto me; by the vertue of which gift, I do rightly lay claim unto it, and am not confounded. Though we cannot lay claim to heaven, nor to a bleſſed fruition of God by any inherent holineſs in us, it being weak and imperfect; yet we may lay claim to both by the mediatory holineſs of Chriſt imputed to us. As Chriſts Eſſential holineſs gives him an hereditary right to everlaſting happineſs; So his Mediatory holineſs gives us a right to everlaſting bleſſedneſs. The coſtly cloak (of Alciſthenes) which Dionyſius ſold to the Carthaginians for an hundred Talents, was but a mean and beggarly ragg to that embroidered royal Robe of Chriſts mediatory holineſs, that is imputed or reckoned to us. And therefore as ever you would come to a viſion of God in happineſs, you muſt labour to be intereſted by faith in Chriſts mediatory holineſs. But,
Sixthly and Laſtly, there is an inherent, internal qualitative holineſs:Holineſs is not any ſingle grace alone, but a conjunction, a conſtellation of all graces together. Now this inherent holineſs lies in two things. Firſt, in the infuſing of holy principles, divine qualities, or ſupernatural graces into the ſoul; ſuch as the Apoſtle mentions in Gal. 5.22, 23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſs, goodneſs, faith, meekneſs, temperance; againſt ſuch there is no Law. Theſe habits of grace which are ſeverally diſtinguiſhed by the names of faith, love, hope, meekneſs, &c. are nothing elſe but the new nature, or new-man, which after God is created in righteouſneſs and true holineſs, Epheſ. 4.24. Theſe ſeeds of holineſs, theſe habits of grace are thoſe ſweet ointments with which all muſt be annointed,1 John 3.9. 2 Cor. 1.21. 1 John 2.27. that ſhall ever come to a bleſſed ſight or viſion of God. You may know much of God, you may hear much of God, you may talk much of God, and you may boaſt much of your hopes and intereſt in God, and yet without theſe habits of holineſs, you ſhall never, come to a bleſſed fruition of God in happineſs; without theſe feeds of holineſs, you ſhall never reap a crop of bleſſedneſs. But,
Secondly, This inherent, this qualitative holineſs lies in an holy uſe and exerciſe of thoſe ſupernatural graces in a way of holy walking;Acts 10.35. 1 John 1.3.7. Tit. 2.12. Luke 1.73. 2 Pet. 1.8. 1 Pet. 1.15, 16. Iſa. 35.8. all holy habits muſt be brought forth into holy acts; gracious habits muſt be attended with gratious motions; gratious operations, and a gracious converſation: outward works muſt be ſuitable to inward habits; it is with ſpiritual habits as it is with natural habits; the more they are acted and exerciſed, the more they are increaſed and ſtrengthened: holy habits are golden Talents that muſt be imployed and improved. Gracious habits are the candles of the Lord ſet up in us: and God hath ſet up thoſe candles of heaven not to idle by, not to ſleep by, but to work by, and to walk by. Where there is holineſs of diſpoſition, there muſt be, nay, there will be holineſs of converſation; a holy heart is alwayes attended with a holy life:Where there are the ſeeds of holineſs, there will be the flowers of holineſs. you may ſeparate a man from his friend, but you can never ſeparate (though you may diſtinguiſh) acts of holineſs from the habits of holineſs: now it is certain without this holineſs, you ſhall never come to a ſight or fruition of God in happineſs. And thus I have ſhewed you what that holineſs is, without which there is no hope, no poſſibility of ever ſeeing the Lord.