" Luke i. 5, 6, 'A/ie/xTTTot, they were both, saith the Vulgate, sine querela, without complaint ; their conversation was such as none could justly complain of it. It waa irreprehensible ; it could not be reprehended.
42 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
that without visible holiness here, there can be no fruition of God hereafter.
Yet this must be granted, that a man may be visibly holy, that is not inwardly holy, 2 Tim. ii. 5. 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.i As Judas had, and Simon Magus had, and Demas had, and the Scribes and Pharisees had: Mat. xxiii, 25, 27, 28, 'Woe 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. Woe unto you. Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.' They were outwardly religious, but inwardly vicious ; they had the semblance of sanctity, but inwardly very full of impurity; they were fair professors, but foul sinners; they were gracious vsdthout, but impious within. Look, as they are the worst of vices that are covered over with the show of virtue ; so they are the worst of sin- ners that cover over their inward filthiness under the vizards of out- ward holiness. The Egyptian temples were fair without, but foul and filthy within. Such were the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ's days, and such are many professors in our days. It is said of Dionysius the tyrant, that though he loved not the philosophers, 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 hohness, they have nothing of real holiness in them ; but ' as he is not a Jew which is one out- wardly,' but not inwardly, Rom. ii. 28, 29, and iv. 12 ; 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, 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 hohness is good, but it must be throughout holiness that will do a man good to all eternity.3 It is not the shows but the substance of holiness that will bring a man to everlasting happiness. Mere outward holiness will certainly leave a man short of heaven and happiness ; but throughout holiness will certainly lodge the soul in the bosom of God for ever. It is true, all men reach not to an outward holiness, which made Athanasius wish, Utinam omnes essent hypo-
^ They say of Halifax nuts, that they are all shells, no kernels. There are many that make a glorious show before men, that are abominable in the sight of God, Luke xvi. 15, that are aurum hominibus, lutum Deo : Gold in man's eyes, dirt in God's sight. Gregor. Mor. c. 34. 1. 13. * Iliad, ix. 312.— G.
3 Mat. xxiii. 14 ; 2 Tim. iii. 5 ; 1 Cor. vii. 19 ; Phil. iii. 3 ; Gal. v. 6, and vi. 15.
HeB. XIL 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 43
crike! Would to God that all were hypocrites ! Without all perad- venture it is a very desirable 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. v. 20, ' For I say unto you. That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Phari- sees, 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 courtesy, 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 wUl be shut upon you. Their righteousness and holiness was only external, not internal ; it was partial, not universal ; it was rather circumstantial than substantial ; and therefore heaven's 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.
4. Fourthly, There is a relative holiness. Now relative holiness is a special relation which persons or things have unto God. Eelative holiness includes two things —