(1.) First, A separation of persons or tilings from common use: and thus, in the law those things were called holy which were sepa- rated from common use and set apart for the worship and service of God — as the oil, shew-bread, first-fruits, incense, altars, vestments; and in this sense the priests and Le^dtes were called holy, because they were separated from others to serve in the tabernacle ; i and in this sense the people of Israel are frequently called a sanctified people, a holy people, &c. The Greek word Ayco^f, answers to the Hebrew word ti/lp, 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 scrip- ture. 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. vi. 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 imto 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 sinful practices 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. lii. 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 yourselves from them that are estranged from God ; have nothing to do with them that have nothing to do with God; separate yourselves from them who have separated themselves from God; have no delightful converse with them who have no delightful converse with God ; have no bosom com-
^ Deut. xix. 2 ; 1 Kings viii, 35 ; Ezra viii. 28, and x. 11 ; Isa. JxiU 18.
44 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
munion with them that have no bosom communion with God.i Q sirs, you are to keep yourselves as pure and clean from others' defile- ments, as you would keep yourselves 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 Mer- cury, 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,
(2.) Secondly, As relative holiness takes in a separation of persons or things from common use, 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 days are said to be holy under the law.3 In short, the whole Jewish religion did lie in holy times, holy places, holy persons, and holy things ; and certainly without this holi- ness, without this dedicating of ourselves 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 always to God on earth, shall never come to a sight and vision of God in heaven. If we do not give up ourselves to God, God will never give up himself to us : Hosea iii. 3, ' And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days : 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 reaUy 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. xxvi. 17-19, * Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice : and the Lord hath avouched thoe this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldst keep all his com- mandments ; and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour ; and that thou mayest be a holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.' 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 pearl of price upon them that shall make a surrender of themselves to him.* There is no way to be higher than others, happier than others, more noble and honourable than others, than by making a dedi-gift^ of ourselves to
^ Cicero, though heathen, had rather to have no companion than a bad one. »Qu. 'live'?— G.
3 So Christ is said to sanctify himself, when he dedicated himself to be a sacrifice for the sins of his people, &c.
* That is an apt saying of Tertullian, Negotiatio est aliquid amitterc ut majora lucreris : That is right merchandise when something is parted with to gain more.
* Qu. ' dedication-gift ' ?— G.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 45