2. How much we should prize holiness. It is the glory of God and the glory of holy angels (the devils also excel in strength), and the glory of the saints : Eph. v. 27, ' That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy, and without blemish.' This is the glory of the church ; the chiu'ch, that are a distinct people from all the world, should have a distinct excellency. Other societies are made glorious by their policy, their pomp, their trade ; the church is a society for holiness, and therefore it is called ' The fairest among women,' the best of all societies, though it hath little of worldly pomp and splen- dour: Ps. xciii. 5, 'Holiness becometh thy house, 0 Lord, for ever.' Some ordinances became God's house for a time ; ceremonies, and sprinklings, and the veil, and the covering of badgers' skins, &c. ; but holiness is a standing ordinance So private christians ' are changed from glory to glory ;' 2 Cor. iii. 18, it is from grace to grace, for the apostle speaketh of our being changed into the likeness of Christ. The w^orld countetli purity and strictness a base thing, relirjio ignohilem facit ; but the word is quit with the world, and calls a wicked man ' a vile person,' Ps. xv. 4, and ' the basest of men,' Dan. iv. 17.
Use 2. It presseth us to draw nigh to God as unto a holy Father. Worship must always be proportioned to the object of it. Conformity maketh way for communion : John iv. 24, ' God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.' As he is a Gpd of peace, he will not be worshipped with wrathful affections : 1 Tim. ii. 8, ' I will that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.' A living God must have a lively ser- vice ; so a holy God should have a holy worship ; this doth make us fit to enjoy God in the way of a sweet and gracious communion.
1. We must be in a holy state. If we be accepted by God, we must be like him, 'holy as he is holy, partakers of a divine nature.' The majesty and glory of God we are not capable of. God would not have us to imitate his power and majesty, but his holiness. We enjoy him most when we are like him : Ileb. xii. 14, ' Follow peace with all men,
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and liolinesp, witlioiit wliicli no man can see God ; ' %&)pt? nv, the mascu- line article, referretli to djlaafioi^ ; though they have not peace with men, whatever entertainment they meet with in the world, they are sure to have the favour of God, peace with God. That ' seeing God' referreth to the enjoyments of the other world ; the degrees of vision are according to the degrees of sanctification : 1 John iii. 2, ' We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is ;' but it holdeth good also in the present world. A dusky glass cannot represent the image so dis- tinctly ; we cannot have such a sight of God, we cannot expect any communion and intimacy with him, till we be holy. It is said, Ps. v. 4, ' Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee.' The idols of the heathen are stained with filthy practices ; God is not such a one. Likeness is the ground of delight ; God loveth himself for his own holiness, and they are best loved and liked that are most holy. For others, God professeth he will have no intimacy with them ; he will have nothing to do with sinners, nor be of their fellowship and communion ; and they shall have nothing to do with him : Ps. 1. 16, ' What hast thou to do to declare my statutes ? or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth ?' Nay, God will not afford sinners one good look : Hab. i. 13, ' Thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and canst not look upon evil.' As the prophet, to profess his detestation of tliat profane prince, said, 2 Kings iii. 14, ' Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look towards thee, nor see thee.' God would not look towards a congregation were it not for his people in it.
But what shall we do ? and who can say, ' My heart is clean' ? and ' who is able to stand before this holy God ? ' I answer — God hath provided a remedy in the gospel ; in the gospel sense he only is pure who is purged and washed from the guilt of his sins in the blood of Christ. In a child of God there are many failings, but God in Christ giveth him an acquittance. But this is not all; there must be a habitual disposition of purity, and a man must enter into a true course of sanctification, if he would be accepted in God's eyes: 1 Cor. vi. 11, ' Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are justified, but ye are sanctified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by tlie Spirit of our God.' The work of the Spirit and the merit of Christ are inseparable. There is a relative and a real change, not only a judicial abolition of sin, but a real. If you would come to God as your holy one, you must be his holy ones ; as David was called God's holy one, Ps. xvi. 10. Somewhat answerable there must be to God's nature before he can take pleasure in you. You will find it —