Athly, God is holy transcendently, 1 Sam. ii. 2., " There is none holy as the Lord." No angel in heaven can take the just di- mensions of God's holiness ; the highest seraphim is too low of stature to measure these pyramids : the holiness in God is far above the holiness in saints or angels.
1. It is above the holiness in saints. 1. It is a pure holiness : the saints' holiness is like gold in the ore, imperfect ; their humility is stained with pride ; he that hath most faith hath need pray, ' Lord help my unbelief ;' but the holiness of God is pure, like wine from the grape ; it hath not the least dash or tincture of impurity mixed with it. — 2. A more unchangeable holiness : the saints though they cannot lose the habit of holiness (for the seed of God remains), yet they may lose some de- grees of their holiness. Rev. ii. 4., " Thou hast left thy first love." Grace cannot die,
yet the flame of it may go out ; holiness in the saints is subject to ebbing, but holiness in God is unchange.ible ; he never lost a drop of his holiness ; as he cannot have more holiness, because he is perfectly holy, so he cani^t have less holiness, because he is unchangeably holy.
2. The holiness in God is above the ho^ liness in the angels ; holiness in the angels is only a quality, which may be lost, as we see in the fallen angels ; but holiness iu God is his essence, he is all over holy, and he can as well lose his Godliead as his ho- liness.
Obj. Btit is he not privy to all the sins of men ? He beholds tlieir impurities ; how can this bf, and lie not dcJUed ?
Ans. God sees all the sins of men, but is no more defiled with them than the sun is defiled with the vapours that arise out of the earth. God sees sin, not as a pa- tron to approve it, but as a judge to punish it.
Use \st. Is God so infinitely holy? Then see how unlike to God sin is. Sin is an unclean thing, it is hyperbolical ly evil, Rom. i. 13. It is called 'an abomination,' Deut. vii. 25. God hath no mixture of evil in him ; sin hath no mixture of good ; it is the spirits and quintescence of evil ; it turns good into evil ; it hath deflowered the virgin-soul, made it red with guilt, and black with filth ; it is called ' the accursed thing,' Josh. vii. II. No wonder, there- fore, that God doth so hate sin, being so unlike to him, nay, so contrary to him ; it strikes at his holiness ; sin doth all it can to spite God ; sin would not only unthrone God, but un-god him ; if sin could help it, God should be God no longer.
Use 2d. Is God the Holy One, and is his holiness his glory ? Then how impious are they, 1. That arc haters of holiness? As the vulture hates perfumes, so they hate this sweet perfume of holiness in the saints ; their hearts rise against holiness ; as a man's stomach at a dish he hath an anti- pathy against. There is not a greater sign of a person devoted to hell, than to hate one for that thing wherein he is most like God, his holiness. — 2. That are despis- crs of holiness : they despise the glory of the Godhead, " Glorious in holiness."
OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
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TJje despising of holiness is seen in tlie de- riding of it ; is it not sad men should de- ride tliat which should save them? Sure that patient will die that derides the phy- sic. The deriding the grace of the Spirit comes near to the despigliting tlie Spirit of g^ace. Scoffing Ishmael was cast out of Abraham's house, Gen. xxi. 9. Such as scoff at holiness shall be cast out of heaven. Ufte Set. Of exhortation. Is God so infi- nitely holy, then let us endeavour to imi- tate God in holiness: 1 Pet. i. 16., " Be ye holy, for 1 am holy." There is a two- fold holiness, — an holiness of equality, — and an holiness of similitude. An holiness of equality no man or angel can reach to ; who can be equally holy with God ? Who can parallel him in sanctity ? But, 2. There is an holiness of similitude, and that we must aspire after, to have some analogy and resemblance of God's holiness in us, — be as like him in holiness as we can ; though a taper doth not give so much light as the sun, yet it doth resemble it. We must imi- tate God in holiness.
QuKsr. If ive must he like God in holi- ness, wherein doth our holiness consist ?
Ans. In two things; \st. In our suitable- ness to God's nature. 2dly, Our subjec- tion to his will.
\st. Our holiness stands in our suitable- ness to the nature of God ; hence the saints are said to partake of the divine nature, 2 Pet i. 4., which is not a partaking of his essence, but his image. Herein is the saints' holiness, — when they are the lively pictures of God, — thev bear the image of God's meekness, mercifulness, heavenliness, ■ — they are of the same judgment with God, of the same disposition, — they love what he loves, and hate what he hates.