If we had no other argument to prove the necessity of holiness, and that it is indispensably required of us, but only this, that the God whom we serve and worship is absolutely holi/, that his being and nature is such as that he can have no delightful intercourse with any that are unholy, it were abundantly sufficient unto our purpose He who resolvetli not to be holy had best seek another god to worship and serve ; with our God he will never find acceptance. And there- fore the heathen, who gave up themselves unto all filthiness Avith delight and greediness, to stifle the notions of a divine Being, that they might not control them in their sins and pleasures, fancied such gods to themselves as were wicked and unclean, that they might freely conform unto them and serve them with satisfaction. And
570 NECESSITY or HOLINESS FROM THE [BOOK V.
God himself lets us know that men of wicked and flagitious lives have some secret thoughts that he is not holy, but like themselves, Ps. 1. 21 ; for if they had not, they could not avoid it but they must either think of leaving him or their sins.
But we must yet farther observe some things to evidence the force of this argument ; as, —
First, That unto us, in our present state and condition, the holi- ness of God as absolutely considered, merely as an infinite eternal property of the divine nature, is not the immediate ground of and motive unto holiness; but it is the holiness of God as mani- fested and revealed unto us in Christ Jesus. Under the first consideration, we who are sinners can make no conclusion from it but that of Joshua, " He is a holy God, a jealous God; he will not forgive your iniquities, nor spare." This we may learn, indeed, from thence, that nothing which is unholy can possibly subsist before him or find acceptance with him. But a motive and encouragement unto any holiness that is not absolutely perfect no creature can take from the consideration thereof; and we do not, we ought not to urge any such argument for the necessity of holiness as cannot be answered and complied with by the grace of God as to the substance, though we come short in the degrees of it. My meaning is, that no argument can be rationally and usefully pleaded for the necessity of holiness which doth not contain in itself an encourasrins: motive unto it. To declare it, necessary for us and at the same time impossible unto us, is not to promote its interest. They understand neither the holiness of God nor man who suppose that they are absolutely and immediately suited unto one another, or that, under that notion of it, we can take any encouraging motive unto our duty herein. Nay, no creature is capable of such a perfection in holiness as absolutely to answer the infinite purity of the divine nature, without a cove- nant condescension, Job iv. 18, xv. 15. But it is the holiness of God as he is in Christ, and as in Christ represented unto us, that gives us both the necessity and motive unto ours.
Wherefore, God, in dealing with his people of old in this matter, did not propose unto them to this end the absolute perfection of his own nature, but his being holy as he dwelt among them and tvas their God, — that is, in covenant ; both which had respect unto Jesus Christ. In him all the glorious perfections of God are so represented unto us as we may not thence only learn our duty, but also be en- couraged unto it; for, —
1. All the properties of God as so represented unto us are more conspicuous, resplendent, alluring, and attractive, than as abso- lutely considered. I know not what light into and knowledge of the divine perfections Adam had in his state of innocency, when
CHAP. I.] CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF GOD. 571
God had declared himself only in the works of nature, — sufficient, no doubt, it was to guide him in his love and obedience, or that life which he was to live unto him ; — but I know that now all our know- ledge of God and his properties, unless it be that which we have in and by Jesus Christ, is insufficient to lead or conduct us in that life of faith and obedience which is necessary unto us. He, therefore, gives us the "light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ," 2 Cor. iv. 6, — that is, clear manifestations of his glorious excellencies. The light of the knowledge hereof is a clear, useful, saving perception and understanding of them. And this is not only directive unto holiness, but also effective of it; for thus "beholding the glor}'- of the Lord," we are "changed into the same image from glory to glory," chap. iii. 18.
2. In particular, the fiery holiness of God is represented unto us in Christ, so as that although it loses nothing of declaring the in- dispensable necessity of holiness in all that draw nigh to him, yet under such a contemperation Avith goodness, grace, love, mercy, con- descension, as may invite and encourage us to endeavour after a conformity thereunto.