[Holiness is a conformity to the mind and will of God. And to it are we called by the Gospel e. " The grace which brings salvation to us, teaches us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world f." Negative holiness, if I may so express myself, is to be sought in the first instance. We are " no longer to fashion ourselves according to our former lusts in our ignoranceg;" but, advancing to the positive execution of our duty, we are to be " holy in all manner of conversation." In all our walk with God, we must be sincere and upright : there must be no allowed guile in our hearts. And in our intercourse with men, every action, word, and thought, must be under the influence of love, and agreeable to its dictates. Neither times nor circumstances are so to operate as to pro- duce in us any allowed deviation from God's perfect law. We are to be altogether " a holy people unto the Lord." It was for this end that the Lord Jesus Christ both lived and died, even " that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works11." And to this are we chosen by God himself: for though " we were chosen to salvation, it was to be through sanctiflcation of the Spirit, as well as through the belief of the truth1." To this effect St. Paul speaks: " God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we may be holy k." And to the same effect St. Peter also says, in the commencement of this epistle ; " We are elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctiflcation of the Spirit, unto obedience1." The command then is clear, that we are to be holy both in heart and life.]
2. The reason with which it is enforced —
[As children of God, we ought to be " children of obe- dience." The very circumstance of our having been " called" by divine grace, lays this obligation upon us. But there is a remarkable force in the reason here assigned ; " Be ye holy ; for I am holy." It seems to import these three things : " Be ye holy ; for without holiness you cannot belong to me, or enjoy me, or dwell with me in my kingdom." I could never acknowledge an unholy person as having an interest in my favour : it would be unworthy of me : it would be to make myself a patron and partaker of his sins. Nor could an unholy being gain access to me : his very dispositions would separate him from me ; and prevent his having communion with me. Nor, though he were admitted into heaven, could he be happy
e
1 Thess. iv. 7. f Tit. ii. 11, 12. e ver. 14.
h Tit. ii. 14. { 2 Thess. ii. 13. k Eph. i. 4.
i ver. 2. VOL. XX. M