better hearts and better lives, and vou will quickly see better times, Isa. i. 16-19.
14. Fourteenthly, Consider that holiness will render you most like to a holy God, a holy Christ, and to holy angels. God is frequently called the Holy One in Scripture ; he is called the Holy One above thirty times in the Old Testament. Angels are holy, and saints are holy, but it is God alone that is the Holy One.i His person is holy, Isa. vi. 3 ; his name is holy, Luke i. 49 ; his works are holy, Ps. xlv. 17; his judgments are holy, Ps, xxii. 1-3; his habitation is holy, Isa. Ivii. 15; his temple is holy, 1 Cor. iii. 17; his kingdom is holy. Rev. xxi. 27; his word is holy, Ps. xix. 7; and his Sabbaths are holy, Exod. xvi. 23. Now this is God's own argument, ' Be ye holy, for I am holy,' Lev. xix, 2 ; 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. Concerning the holiness of God, I shall speak at large, by divine assistance, when I come to press you upon perfecting of holiness ; and therefore let this touch suffice for the present. Sirs, you cannot be h'ke to God in many other things, but you may be like to God in this one thing, in this noble thing, in this most necessary thing — holiness ; and therefore labour after it.
Again, as holiness will render you most like to a holy God, so holi- ness will render you most like to a holy Christ, The apostle calls him *the Holy One,' 1 John ii, 20. Christ is essentially holy, he is infinitely holy, he is originally holy, he is singularly holy, he is eminently holy, he is perfectly holy, he is transcendently holy, and he is immutably holy. And so much the devil himself confesseth, in Mark i. 24, * I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God,' or rather as the Greek hath it, 0 a7to9, that Holy One, by way of excellency and eminency — alluding, as some think, to Exod, xxviii. 36. Yea, Christ takes de- light to characterise himself by this title : in Rev. iii. 7, ' These things saith he that is holy ; ' and in Dan. ix. 25, he is called ' the most holy;' or as the Hebrew hath it, * the holiness of holinesses.' These abstracts speak out the vigour and strength, the eminency and excellency of . Christ's holiness. Christ is holiness itself, yea, holinesses ; and what do these abstracts speak out, but that perfect and complete holiness that is in Christ ? The angels, in Isa. vi. 3, do three times iterate or repeat, ' holy, holy, holy.' Now though some do conceive that this threefold repetition hath reference to all the three persons, holy Father, holy Son, and holy Spirit, yet they that will but compare the text with John xii. 37-41, shall plainly see that it relates only to our Lord Jesus Christ ; and so the threefold repetition denotes only the superlative eminency of Christ's holiness. Christ is holy in his natures, in his offices, in his purposes, in his counsels, in his word, and in his works. His conception was holy, his conversation was holy, his converse was holy, &c,. Acts iv. 23; Luke i, 35; Eph, iv. ; Gal. ii. 20. Holiness is the image of Christ, it is the picture of Christ, the perfection of Christ, it makes a man conformable to the life of Clnrist. Christ's holiness is that noble copy after which we should all endeavour to write. Subjects may without treason or offence attempt to be like their prince, in wisdom, goodness, righteousness, holiness, peace, piety,
1 Gold being the most precious metal, you lay it over those things that arc most precious to you; so doth God lay holiness over all those things that are most precious to him.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 189
clemency, and sanctity ; though they cannot without rebelHon and dis- obedience endeavour to be like him in power, greatness, might, majesty, splendour, and glory : so we may safely and honourably attempt to be like to Jesus Christ in wisdom, righteousness, and holiness, &c. ; though we may not, attempt to be like him in his miracles, signs, and wonders. 1 0 sirs ! some have counted it their greatest honour and glory in this world, that they have been like such and such, who have been high and glorious in the world ; and why, then, should not you reckon it your greatest glory and happiness to be like to Christ in holi- ness, though not in measure or quantity, yet in truth and reality ? As you would resemble Christ to the life, labour to be holy; in other things you cannot be like to Christ, but in holiness you may. You cannot be like to Christ in his greatness, majesty, or glory, nor yet in his omnipotency, omnisciency, nor omnipresence, nor yet in his general or special providence, nor in a thousand other things, but you may be like to Christ in his holiness. Look, as face answers to face, as Solo- mon speaks, so you may reach to that holiness that in reality may answer to the very holiness of Christ ; and this is your only way to be like to Christ.
Again, as holiness will render you most like to a holy Christ, so holiness will render you most like to the blessed angels. The blessed angels are holy in their nature, and holy in their offices, and holy in their actings.^ They are called holy angels : Mat. xxv. 31 , ' When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him;' and so in Rev. xiv. 9, 10, ' Aid he that worshippeth the beast, or that receives his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, he shall be tor- mented \7ith fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.' The angels' holiness is their con- formity to the original pattern of purity and excellency. The crown of holiness was set upon the heads of angels at their creation. Those princes of glory were crowned with holiness, as it were, in the cradle. The angels are holy in their praises, and holy in their waitings, and holy in their operations, and holy in all their ministrations. Bodin tells a story of one who desired of God the guidance and assistance of a holy angel, and accordingly he had sensible manifestations of a holy spirit that assisted him, and followed him to his death. If in com- pany he spake any unwary words, he was sure to be advertised and reproved for it by a dream in the night ; or if he read any book that was not good, the angel would strike upon the book, to cause him to leave reading in it. When that sorcerer Balaam went to curse the people of God, a holy angel stood in the way, drew his sword upon him, and jostled his bones against the wall, and all to prevent the execution of his wicked and cursed intentions. Num. xxii. 22. Oh, how much more, then, do they stand in the way of the saints, to pre- vent those weaknesses and miscarriages which Satan and their own cor- ruptions would otherwise carry them to ! And doubtless as they have
^ It ia Christ's particular honour to be imitated in all morals absolutely.