S. Comfort in case of weakness of grace, and fear of falling away. I pray, but I cannot send out strong cries ; I believe, but the hand of my faith doth shake and tremble. Cannot God strengthen weak grace ? 2 Cor. xii. 9., " My strength is made perfect in weakness : most gladly therefore will I ra- ther glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."" I fear I shall not hold out. Christian, dost thou belicA'C the power of God ? Hath not God preserved thy grace thus far ? Mayest thou not set up thy Ebonezer ? God hath kept thy grace hitherto as a spark in the main ocean ; and is not he able still to keep thy grace ? 1 Pet. i. 5., " Who are kept by the power of God," &c. God's mercy pardons us, but his power preserves us. He who by his power keeps the stars that they do not fall out of their orbs, keeps our grace that it doth not fail or annihilate.
4. Comfort in case of the deficiency in thy estate. God can multiply the oil in the cruse ; miraculously he can raise up supplies; God, who provides for the birds
of the air, cannot he provide for his chil- dren ? He that clothes the lilies, cannot he clothe his lambs?
5. Comfort in regard of the resurrec tion. This seems difficult to believe, that the bodies of men when eaten up by worms, devoured by beasts and fishes, or consumed to ashes, should be raised the same nume rical bodies ; but if we believe the powei of God, it is no great wonder. Wliich is hardest, to create, or raise the dead ? lie that can make a body of nothing, can re- store it to its parts when mingled and con- founded with other substances. Mat. xix. 26., " With God all things are possible." if we believe the first article of the creed, that God is almiglity, we may quickly believe the other article, the resurrection of the body. God can raise the dead be- cause of his power, and he cannot but raise them because of his truth.
6. It is comfort in reference to the church of God : he can save and deliver it when it is brought low. The enemies have power in their hand, but the remainder of wrath God will restrain, Ps. Ixxvi. 10. God can either confine the enemies power or con- found it. " If God be £or us, who can be against us ?" God can create Jerusalem a |)raise, Isa. Ixv. 18. The church in Eze- Uiel, is compared to dry bones, but God made breath to enter iiito them, and they lived, Ezek. xxxvii. 10. The ship of the church may be tossed, because sin is in it, but it shall not be overwhelmed, because Christ is in it, Ps. xlvi. 6., Dens in medio. All the church's pangs shall help forward her deliverance.
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OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
THE next attribute is God's Holiness, £xod. XV. 11., "Glorious in holiness." Holiness is the most sparkling jewel of his crown ; it is the name by which God is known, Ps. cxi. 9., " Holy and reverend is his name." He is the holy One, Job vi. 10. Seraphims cry, " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory," Isa. vi. 3. His power makes
him mighty; his holiness makes hiui <;io- rious, God's holiness consists in his perl'ect loving of righteousness, and abliorrence of evil, Hab. i. 13., " Of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on ini- quity."
l.s/, God is holy intrinsically : 1. He is holy in his nature ; his very being is made up of holiness, as light is of the essence of
OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
the Buii.— 2. He IS holy in Ins word ; the word bears a stamp of his holiness upon it, as the wax bears an impression of the seal, Ps. cxix. 140., " Thy word is very pure ;" it is compared to silver refined seven times, Ps. xii. t). EA'erv line in the word breathes sanctity, it encourageth nothing but holi- ness.— 3. God is holy in his operations ; all God doeth is holy ; he cannot act but like himself; he can no more do an un- righteous action, than the sun can darken, Ps. cxlv. 17., " The Lord is holy in all his works."
2dly, God is holy primarily : he is the original and pattern of holiness ; holiness began at him who is ' the Ancient of days.' 3<//?/, God is holy efficiently : he is the cause of all that is holiness in others, James i. 17., " Every good gift, and every perfect gift comes from above." lie made the an- gels holy ; he infused all that holiness into Christ's human nature ; all the holiness we haA'e is but a crystal stream from this fountain. We borrow all our holiness from God. As the lights of the sanctuarv wore lighted from the middle lamp, so all the holiness of others is a lamp lighted from heaven. Lev. xx. 8., " I am the Lord which sanctify you." God is not only a pattern of holiness, but he is a principle of holi- ness ; his spring feeds all our cisterns, he drops his holy oil of grace upon us.