[8.] Eighthly and lastly. If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then dwell much upon the holiness of God. Oh, be still a-musing, be still a-pondering upon the holiness of God. Certainly, if there be any means under heaven to raise you up to higher degrees of holiness, it is this ; and therefore keep always a fixed eye upon the infinite and most glorious holiness of God. Now that this direction may the better work, premise with me these eight things concerning the holiness of God :
First, Premise this with me, that God is essentially holy, and in this sense, none is holy but himself, i Now essential holiness is all
^ Mat. xix. 17, There is none good but God, that is, there is none essentially good but God, &c.
Heb. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 393
one with God himself. God's essential holiness is God's conformity to himself. Holiness in God is not a quality, but his essence. Quicquid est in Deo, est ipse Deus, Whatsoever is in God, is God. Holiness in angels and saints is but a quality, but in God it is his essence. The fallen angels keep their natures, though they have lost their holi- ness ; for that holiness in them was a quality, and not their essence. Look, as created holiness is the conformity of the reasonable creature to the rule, so the uncreated holiness of God is God's conformity unto himself. God's holiness and his nature are not two things, they are but one. God's holiness is his nature, and God's nature is his holi- ness. Gt)d is a pure act, and therefore, whatsoever is in God is God. It is God's prerogative royal to be essentially holy. The most glorious creatures in heaven, and the choicest souls on earth, are only holy by participation : 1 Sam. ii. 2, ' There is none holy as the Lord.' God's holiness is so essential and co-natural to him, that he can as soon cease to be, as cease to be holy. Holiness in God is a substance, but in angels and men it is only an accident, or a quality. The essence of the creature may remain when the holiness of the creature is lost, as you may see in Adam, and the fallen angels ; but God's essence and his holiness are always the same. His very nature is holy, and therefore it is that he is called ' Jehovah,' and ' I am,' because what he is really, that he is essentially, Exod. iii. 14. Though men, for our informa- tion, do distinguish between the attributes of God and the nature of God, yet in him they are the same. Look, as the wisdom of God is the wise God, and the truth of God the true God, and the power of God the powerful God, and the justice of God the just God, and the mercy of God the merciful God, and the mightiness of God the mighty God, and the righteousness of God the righteous God, and the graciousness of God the gracious God, so the holiness of God is the holy God. God's nature and his name are one and the same. God is essentially holy, and that is the top of all his glory. But,
Secondly, As God is essentially holy, so God is unmixedly holy. The holiness of God is a pure holiness, it is an unmixed holiness : 1 John i. 5, ' God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.' There are no mixtures in God. God is a most clear, bright-shining light, yea, he is all light, and in him is no darkness at all. The moon, indeed, when it shines brightest, hath her dark spots and specks, but God is a light that shines gloriously without the least spot or speck. ^ Now, look, as that darkness which hath not the least light attending it is the grossest, the thickest Egyptian darkness that can be, so that light that hath not the least cloud of darkness attending it must be the most clear, splendid light that possible can be ; and such a light is the Holy One of Israel It is very observable, the apostle, to illustrate the perfect purity and sanctity of God, adds a negative to his affirmative, ' In him is no darkness at all,' that is, God is so pure, that not the least spot, the smallest speck, can cleave to him ; he is so holy, that no iniquity can be found in him ; there is no defect nor default in the nature of God. He is a God of truth, and without iniquity ; just and right is he. As Moses spake in that Deut. xxxii. 4, God is a pure, a most pure act, without the least potentiality, defectability, or muta-
' Plato calls God the horn of plenty, and the ocean of beauty, without the least spot of injustice, &c.
394 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
bility, and therefore in the highest sense he is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Surely there is no unrighteousness in God ; no evil can dwell with him, or come near unto him. God stands at such a dis- tance from iniquity, yea, he so abhors it, that he never did, nor never will, bestow a good look upon it : Hab. i. 13, ' Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.' There are four things that God cannot do : 1. He cannot he ; 2. He cannot die ; 3. He cannot deny himself ; nor, 4. He cannot look with a favourable eye upon iniquity. God doth indeed look upon iniquity with a hateful eye, with an angry eye, with a revengeful eye, and with a vindictive eye, but he never did nor will look upon iniquity with an eye of de- lectation, or with an eye of approbation. Witness his hurling the fallen angels out of heaven, and his banishing of sinning Adam out of paradise. By all this you see that the holiness of God is a pure holiness, it is a holiness without mixture. But now all the holiness that is in the best and choicest saints in the world is but a dreggy holiness, a mixed holiness, a weak and imperfect holiness ; their un- holiness is always more than their holiness. Ah, what a deal of pride is mixed with a little humihty, and what a deal of unbelief is mixed with a little faith, and what a deal of passion is mixed with a little meekness, and what a deal of earthliness is mixed with a little heavenliness, and what a deal of carnalness is mixed with a little spiritualness, and what a deal of hardness is mixed with a little tender- ness ! Oh, but now the hoUness of God is a pure holiness, it is a holi- ness without mixture, there is not the least drop nor the least dreg of unholiness in God. It is true the gods of the heathen were such as had been impure, beastly, filthy men, and therefore several writers have taken a great deal of pains to convince heathens of their impiety and folly in worshipping such for gods, upon whom they fastened many horrid, ridiculous, lascivious, and impious actions,^ and therefore they conclude against them, that they are no gods. It is most certain that the true God, that he that is the High and the Holy One, cannot be charged with any iniquity, no, nor with the least show or shadow of vanity.
In God there is wisdom without folly, truth without falsehood, light without darkness, and holiness without sinfulness. But,