The Beauty of Holiness, Chapter
TO study the salvation of mens Souls, as 'tis one of Omnium divino um est d…ssimu, … Deo in con… er…ntium; qui puro amore pro universoru s…lute laborant, recte Deitormes & divini, imo divinissimi …cupantur. Dionys. Are. opag.the highest and hardest works that we can undertake, so 'tis a work most pleasing unto God; making us to resemble him, who delights in the prosperity of his people, and is willing that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. Now since none can attain to this Salvatiō without Sanctification; no happiness without Holiness; I have been at some pains to set forth the Grace of Graces in its lively colours, to make us out of love with sin, and in love with Purity and Holiness, which is the *Pulchritudo haec non est carnalis, sedspiritualis.beauty of families, the strength of Cities, the wals and bulwarks of a Nation, the Crown of the Church Militant, and the glory of the Church Triumphant: It is the streets of gold in the holy City, the rich pavement of the heavenly Jerusalem, (Rev. 21. 10, 11, 18, 19, 20, 2…, 27.) which renders the Church Fair as the moon, glorious Pulchritudo habet vim magneticam & affectivā, ita ut trahit secum amorē, admirationē, desiderium, Alsted.as the sun, and terrible like an Army with banners, Cant. 6. 10. This is that beautifull grace which hath an attractive vertue in it to draw our love, desires and affections after it. What Plato said of his morall vertue, is most true of this Theological grace *Twere able to make Persecutors, Professors; Drunkards, Puritans; & the most sensual Epicure to become a mortified Saint. Bolton, Direct. for Walk. p. 373. …., if it could be seen with bodily eyes, it would be beloved of all. Hence the Apostle joyns purity and loveliness together, Phil, 4. 8. Whatsoever things are pure & lovely, meditate and think on them till you be in love with them. Light, beauty, excellency, are the object of our desires; now in holiness is all this and much more; look what are the greatest earthly See the glory and beauty of Holinesse fully & sweetly set forth by Dr. Raynolds, Ps. 110. 3 p 349, &c.excellencies, they are but shadows to the beauty of holinesse. This is that fairnesse and beauty so oft mentioned, 1 Chron. 16. 29. Psal. 45. 11, & 50. 2. & 1. 10, 3. & so highly commended, Cant. 1. 10, 11. & 4. 1. & 6. 1. & 7. 1. Ezek 16. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
There is no beauty like that beauty which makes us like unto God; as sin is a deformity, a blot, a most dishonourable, filthy thing, and debaseth the creature; so grace puts a lustre upon a man, and upon all his accomplishments; it makes the face to shine, as Moses his did when he came from seeing God in ihe Mount. In a word, Holiness is the Glory of God, the beauty of Angels, the excellency of man, the ornament of all Societies, without which they are but dens of devils, & cages of unclean birds. What Austin said of Righteonsnes, is most true of Holiness: Remota sanctitate, quid sunt regna nisi latrocinia? Take away piety, and what is the world but a sty o… filth? So that holiness is not only our duty, but our glory; it is both our work and wages, such imployment is our high preferment. Without this, if a man had the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Sampson, the riches of Craesus, the eloquence of Apollos, & all the morall accomplishments of Cato, Fabritius, &c. yet he must baptize them all Ichabod, There is no glory in them. 'Tis this that hath made all Gods servants so famous in their generations; it was not their riches, parts, descent, &c. but their piety, they were holy men fearing God, and walking in sincerity before him; this kept their names green and flourishing, when the names of prophane, unholy men, doth rot and perish. Thus have I given you a glimpse of the beauty of Holiness, to quicken your desires after that which follows.
The scope of the Text is briefly this: Peter exhorting the faithfull to sanctity & sincerity of conversatiō, useth an argument draw… frō their Adoption, ver. 14. Ye are the children of God, therefore it becomes you like dutifull children to obey the commands of your heavenly father; that as he who hath called you is holy, and hath chosen you out of the world to be his own peculiar people, so it concerns you who are his children to resēble him in the beauties In omni conversatione (i) ut nulla sit pars vitae, quae non … bonnm sanctitatis odorem redol…at. Cal v. in loc.of holinesse; and that not for a day or a week, but through the whole course of your lives, in all manner of conversation; (i.) in all things, in all places, at all times, and in all companies.
In the Text there is
First, A duty commanded, Be holy.
Secōdly, A double reasō to inforce it.
1. Because it is written: It is no new thing, no humane invention, but it was long since commanded by God in his written word, that his people should be holy, because their God was holy; alluding to Levit. 11. 44. & 19. 2. & 20. 7, 26. & 21. 8.
2. Because the God whom we serve is holy; and what should a holy God do with wicked and u…holy servants? His holiness is both the Rule and Reasō of our holness.
1. We must be boly [As] he is holy, Sicut, foreign. VD Reynol. Sinfull. of sin, p. 410, to 423.by way of Analogy and Similitude, though not by way of Equality; He is our pattern whom we must imitate, and strive to resemble, as the drop resembles the vast Ocean.
2. He also is the reason and motive of our holiness, therefore we must be holy, foreign[, quia, saith the Text] Because our God is holy. It is he who hath separated Vos mei est…s, ergo à gentium pollutionibus abstinete. Calv.us from the p…anc of the world, to be his own p…culiar; therefore we must not fashion our selves like unto them, but we must walk as a people whom God hath chosen for himself.
Ob. By this command it appears (say Liberam voluntatem n nobis argu…t provocatio ad acquirendam sanctitatem. Lorinus,Papists and Arminians) that we have free-will to get holiness of our selves; why else (say they) doth the Lord command us to be holy, and to purifie our selves, 1 John 3. 3. if it be not in our power?
A. 1. 'Tis not in the power of any man Sine Christo ad Christum pervenire impossibile est, Rollac.to convert or sanctifie himself: It is Gods prerogative Royal to be the Lord that sanctifieth us, Lev. 20. 8. None can come to him without drawing, John 6. 44. which implies our backwardness and great indisposition to the best things. We are not only sick, but dead in sin, Ephes. 2. 1. and what Velle, posse, facere, principium, progressum & complementū omnis bon…, divinum danum agnoscimus, Cypr.power hath a dead man to raise himself? It is God that must work in us both to will and to do; for without him we can do nothing, Phil. 2. 12, 13. John 15. 5. 2 Cor. 3. 5. James 1. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man, 1. Non est capax (saith Beza) is not capable of spiritual things, they are above his capacity; Nil dat quod non habet. 2. They are foolishness in his judgement. 3. He knows them not; how then can he desire them? Nihil volitum nisi prius cognitum. 4. They are spiritually discerned, but he is carnal, and wants spiritual sight. So that you have four strong reasons in one verse against that spreading errour of Free-will.
2. It doth not follow, because the Lord commands and exhorts us to be holy, therefore we may gain it by our own strength; for
1. The Lord requires this of us, to put us in minde of our original perfection; he cals for that which he gave us, but we have lost; he created Adam in holiness, Gen. 1. 27. Eccles. 7. ult. We being all in lumbis Adami, Adams posterity, God may justly demand that of us which once he gave us.
2. He doth it to humble us, that seeing our own weakness and inability, we may sue unto him for strength. These precepts shew us not what we are, but what we should be; they shew us our Duty, and not our Ability.
3. These exhortations are not in vain, for they are a means by which God works in us these things that he commands; there is Latens foreign, a secret power of the Spirit which goes along Dei d…re eit fa….with every command and exhortation to make it effectual in the hearts of the Elect. When Christ bid Lazarus arise, there went a vertue along with that Call, which made him to arise. Christ S S. non solum monet, s… movet voluntat…m.commands Thomas to beleeve, and immediatly he beleeves, John 20. 27, 28. What God bids them do, he makes them willing and able in some measure for to do.
4. As for that place, 1 John 3. 3. it speaks of a Regenerate man, one that hath faith and hope in him, and so hath vertue from Christ to purifie himself.
5. Yet we must not sit still like stocks and sots, and say Christ must do all; we must do nothing, say the *See them fully confuted. M. A… burges U…d. Legis, p. 86. Daven…nt. Determin. …. 9.Antinomians, but when the Lord cals we must answer, as the Church promiseth, Cant. 1. 4. Draw me; what then? I will not go, but run after thee. Our wils must concur with Gods will. Paul was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Acts 26. 19. Christs sheep, when they hear his voice must follow him, John 10. 4.
The Text being cleared, two observations naturally flow from it.
That our God is an holy God.Dect. 1. 2.
Seeing our God is holy, …herefore we that are his people must be holy also.
I shall treat only of the former, the later will fall in with the Application.
For the better explication of the point I will shew you how the Lord may be said to be holy.
Our God is holy
1. Essentially.
2. Eminently.
3. Originally.
4. Operatively.
First, God is essentially Holy, Holines is 1. Essential…ter. Sanct… …ei est … al…s, … …s, ill…m …, ar…ypa; …ostra vero ac…, dependens▪ …, ectypa. Alsteed,his very Essence, it is himself, 'tis not a quality or accident that may be separated from him. Holinesse in Angels and men is a Quality and an *An accident is that which may be added to a substance, and after …e taken from it, and yet the substance re ma…n stillAccident, their Essence may remain though their Holinesse be lost; but Gods Holinesse is so essentiall and connaturall to him that he may as soon cease to be as cease to be Holy, Hence
1 He is constantly Holy; what's naturall is constant; he is holy, yesterday, to day and for ever; he ever was, is, and will be holy, Rev. 4. 8. He's holy in Heaven duplicate page duplicate page and holy in earth, holy and righteous Ver… ac proprie. De…s est Sanctus (i.) un versa…i perfectis…maque; justitia iust…s, in quo nihil vi…j, nihil in …qui, nihil …ali ess… p…t est, eo… pl…nus maiest…te. Zanchy.in hell it self, holy in his word, and holy in his works; he never sinned, nor can sin; the righteous Lord will do no iniquity; he is alwaies just, righteous, pure, good, and loves it in his people, he delights in such as study purity, they are men after his own heart.
2. He delights in Holinesse; what is naturall is pleasing and delightfull; God delights to shew himself to his people by this Attribute, hence he is so often by way of Eminency called The Holy One of Israel, (i.) Israels most eminent and glorious God; and by way of distinction from all other Gods he's called The Holy One, none like him, Isa. 27. 7. and 41. 20. and 43. 15. Psa. 87. 18. Luke 1. 49. Angels have a created Holinesse, and man inherent; both are said to be holy, but it is analogically, by way of similitude and resemblance of Gods Holinesse; they are not essentially so as God is: We borrow our Holinesse, and have it only by derivation and participation from God; but it is his nature to be so; he hath it in and of himself; it is in him perfectly but in us imperfectly. Men may be holy, but they are not holinesse; their nature may be sanctified, but Holinesse is not their nature; but God is essentially & naturally so, when ours is but Derivative and Relative: So that as it is an aggravation of our sin and misery, that we are not only sinfull in our thoughts, words, and works, but our very nature is corrupt and sinful; So it is the high glory of our God that he is not only Holy in his Word, Works, and Decrees, but he is essentially and naturally so.
Secondly, God is eminently, infinitely, Eminenter. S. Dei est infinita & intensive & exsensive. Lessius de Pe…f. Div. l. 8. c. 2.transcendently Holy, hence he is said to be glorious in Holinesse, Exod. 15. 11. because the glory of God doth most appear in this Attribute; yea, 'tis the beauty of all his Attributes, without which his wisedom would be but subtlety, his justice cruelty, and his mercy foolish pity. Holinesse is in him in the highest degree without measure, Cum Deussie prima causa effectiva omnium, eminentiori modo oportet omnium perfectiones habere, Aquinas.he's an infinite Sea of Holinesse, without either bank or bottom; had I the tongue of Men and Angels, and should I preach a thousand years of Gods transcendent Purity, yet there would be something still to be said of it, because 'tis infinite, incomprehensible, unsearchable, our shallow apprehensions are not able to sound the depth of it, our created understandings being limited, are not capable of such an infinite vision. He is that thrice Holy, one whom the very Scraphims adore, crying, Isa. 6. 3. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts. S. S. S. (i.) longe san…issimus. Piscat. Nulla v…rborum el…gantia, p…rsp cu… tas nulla Deum exco…digno exprimat, cum ea sit superlativa.There is no Attribute that God more Glories in then in this; hence we never read of any Attribute that is thrice, together repeated, but this onelyonly, we never read that God is called Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, or Justice, Justice, Justice, &c. But he is called Holy, Holy, Holy, D…i talis excellentia, ut vel elaboratam ranscendat … Barlow Metaph. Exercit. 3.to shew his transcendent Holinesse. What is said of his Greatnesse is most true of his Holinesse, Psal. 143. 3. it is unsearchable and past finding out; it is beyond the hearts imagination or the S. Creaturae ad illam puritatem comparata, est instar n…li, & …lut impuritas …, Lessius.tongues expression. Consider all the Holinesse and Excellency that is in the creature, all that & ten thousand times more is in God infinities infinite, transcendently & super-superlatively. The Holinesse that is in men it is finite, imperfect, limited, a drop in comparison of this Sea, as a beam to the Sun, or a shadow to the substance. Our Holinesse compar'd with Gods, is not so much as one little sand to a vast Mountain; hence the Holinesse of the very Angels compared with Gods Holinesse is chargeable with folly, Job 4. 18. So true is that of Hanna in her Song, 1 Sam. 2. 2. there is none Holy as the Lord (i.) none infinitely, absolutely, independently, uncreatedly Holy, but he. As he is so wise that all the wisedom of the creature compared with his, is folly; and so strong, that all the power in the creature compared with his, weaknesse; so he is so holy, that all holinesse compared with his, is unholinesse; all purityimpurity, and as a filthy rag: what Christ said of his Goodnesse, is most true of his Holinesse, Luke 18. 19. there is none good (i.) absolutely, infinitely good but God: so there is none absolutely and infinitely Holy but the Lord; hence the Heavenly Qui…e si…g, Revel. 15. 4. Thou only art Holy.
Abominable is the Pride of the Pope, who assumes to himself the Title of Thus that petty Pope o… Patriarch of …anterb. owned the Title of Sanctissime Pater▪ and pleaded for it. Pryn Archb. Triall.Most Holy Father, exalting himself above Christ, who is stilled foreign, Papa vero foreign. this shews that he is the Antichrist, that man of sin, exalting himself above all that is God, 2 Thes. 2. 4. for none is most Holy but God only, Originali…er, causaliter, radiraliter, exemplariter, finaliter et fundamentaliter.who is a jealous God, and will not suffer his glory to be given to another, Isa. 42. 8.
Thirdly God is originally, causally, radically, and fundamentally Holy; he is S. est proprietas Dei essentialis qua natura eius …nundissima, castissima & purissima est, ab omni vitio, labe, iniquitate & impuritate maxime abhorrens. Origo fons & cansa omnis munditiei, castitatis & puritatis in creaturis, Raven. S. Dei comprehendit omnem iustitiam, bonitatem, aequitatem. Rivet. Sanctitas in Scripturis justitia vocari …olet. Lessius.the efficient, formal exemplary and finall cause of all Holinesse; he is the rock and fountain from whence it flows; what is in the creature comes from him, and must lead us like a River to this Sea; Lord, if there be this in the creature, what is in thee? He is the Originall of it; all Holinesse is in him, and none can be had but from him alone. He is not only holy perse, & in se, but extra se: he is holy formaliter & effective. Holy in himself, and making others holy; it is he that forms and frames, that works and infuseth it in us; none can make the heart holy but he that made it; a man may sooner make a man then make him holy. It is God only that can enlighten our understandings, enliven our affections, quicken our dead wills, and set the whole man in a holy frame.
Fourthly, God is holy operatively, in all his works and administrations, Deut. 32. 4. he is just in distributing rewards S. Dei es… summa omninm virtutum in Deo, integrit…s & persecti…. Raven.to the good, and punishment to the wicked, Rev. 4, 7. He is holy, just, and true. Holinesse is the Righteousnesse of God in all his waies, Psa. 145. 17. the Lord is righteous in all his waies; what is that? and holy in all his works: the latter part expounds the former.