Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

are holy. It is the inheritance of the faints. Col. i. 12. No unholy perfon fhall ever enter into the holy hea ven. Rev. xxi. 27. There shall in no wife enter into it any thing that defileth. And without holiness no man fball fee the Lord, or enjoy God in heaven. Heb. xiv. 12.1 But as for them that are really holy, God will make them happy for ever in the vifion and fruition of himfelf. Matth. y. 8. Bleffed are the pure in bearts for they fball fee God. Such as have pure bearts and clean bands, hall dwell in the heavenly Sion. Pfal. xxiv. 3, 4. God will ere long take them up into that bleffed world, and there fhall they make their abode with God for everi And O! what a comfort is it, to think, that within as little while we fhall leave this world of fin and forrow, and go to that place of holiness and happiness!

[ocr errors]

USE 5. Is God the holy one of Ifrael? This then calls upon the people of God to be an holy people. The Ifrael of God, fhould labour to be conformed to him who is their boly one. Lev. xi. 44. For I am the Lord your God: ye fhall therefore fanctify yourselves, and je fhall be boly; for I am boly. Whether we confider ourfelves as profeffed chriftians, or as real chriftians, there are the strongeft obligations upon us to be boly, fince the Lord our God is holy..

1. Holiness is the true glory of a chriftian man. Indeed holinefs is the glory of God. Exod. xv. 12. Glorious in holinefs. And it is the glory of the church of God. Eph. v. 26, 7. A glorious church, boly and without blemish. And it must needs be the glory of a chriftian to be holy, because this is to be God like. The true glory of man confifts not in wealth, parentage, high offices, intellectual accomplishments, or the like; but in real holiness.. On this account the faints are called the excellent in the earth. Pfal. xvi. 3. If then chriftians would be truly honourable, they must be really holy. This will puc an incomparable beauty and luftre upon them.

2. Holiness is the glory of a christian profeffion. Profeffion of chriftianity, without holiness, has no comeli

Y

nefs

nefs in it. 'Tis holiness, which recommends the profeffion of religion, and fers it off in the eyes of men. The unholinefs of profeffors, difhonours the religion they profefs. It caufes men to Speak evil of the ways of God. 2 Pet. ii. 2. But a good and holy converfation, tops the mouths of gainfayers. 1 Pet. ii. 15. The gofpel thereby is adorned. Tit. ii. 1o. The credit of religion much depends upon the holinefs of its profeffors. If then men would honour the truths and ways of God, they muft follow holiness.

3. Holinefs glorifies God. Nothing honours God, but holiness. All the glory that God has in this world, is from the holy converfations of his people. Joh. xv. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit. The fruit of holy obedience, brings glory to God. Phil. i. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteoufnefs, which are by Fefus Chrift unto the praife and glory of God. As fin difhonours God, fo holinefs does honour God. For this gives a teftimony to the glorious excellencies of God; that he is moft worthy to be ferved and obeyed by his creatures, as their fupream Lord and laft end. The glory of God then does lay chriftians under an obligation to live holily. If they do not lead holy lives, God will lofe all glory from them. And they should rather fuffer the lofs of all things, than that God fhould foffer any lofs of glory. Nothing fhould be fo dear to them as God's glory.

4. Holinefs is the great defign of God in all his decrecs and difpenfations refpecting them. We may take a view of this in the following instances.

1. This is the great defign of God in their eternal election. All true chriftians, are the elect of God. And holinefs is what God has chofen them unto. Eph. i. 4. According as he hath chofen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be boly, and without blame before him in love. So, 1 Pet. i. 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through fanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience. God has chofen them unto falvation as the end, and unto holiness as a means leading

[ocr errors]

to that end. 2 The. ii. 13. God bath from the beginning chofen you to falvation, through fanctification of the Spirit. If therefore we would make it evident to ourselves, that we belong to the election of grace, we must labour to fall in with the defign of it, by following after holinefs.

2. This is the defign of God in their redemption by Jefus Chrift. Our Lord Jefus Chrift died for us, that we might be holy. He not only died to remove the guilt of fin, but also to take away the dominion of fin, and to restore us to holiness. Tit. ii. 14. Who gave bimfelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. The holinefs of the redeemed, was a main thing in the eye of the Redeemer. Eph. v. 25, 26. Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might fantify and cleanfe it, with the washing of water, by the word. Chrift did not redeem his people, that they might live as they lift, but that they might live to God in holiness. Luk. i. 74, 75. That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might ferve him, without fear, in holiness and righteoufnefs before him all the days of our life. Our redemption therefore calls us, and binds us, unto a following after holinefs, to the glory of God our Redeemer. I Cor. vi. 19, 20. Te are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your fpirit, which are God's. They are God's bought-fervants, to whom their time and ftrength is due.

3. This is the defign of God in the new nature, which he has bestowed on them. Every real chriftian is renewed by the power of the Holy Ghoft. A new heart is given to him, a new principle of grace is put into him. Now the end of God in this work of renovation is, that they might be fitted to lead new lives, and to walk in new obedience to God. Eph. ii. 1o. For we are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. The principle of holiness is infufed, in order to the

Y 2

practice

practice of holiness. If then we would prove ourselves to be new creatures, and answer the end of our new creation, we must walk in newness of life, to the glory of God.

4. This is the design of God in all his promifes, given to them. There are exceeding great and precious promifes given to real chriftians. 2 Pet. i. 4. And thefe promiles are given to them for this very purpofe, to encourage and quicken them unto a care of holinefs. 2 Cor. vii. 1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanfe ourfelves from all filthiness both of flesh and Spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. The promifes of God are defigned to enforce the precepts of God, and recommend them to our practice. If therefore we would make a right ufe of the promifes, and answer their end, we must improve them to holinefs.

5. This is the defign of God in all his providences towards them. Holinefs is what God aims at in all providences, both merciful and afflictive.---- Merciful providences are intended to win chriftians to holiness. They are the cords of divine love, to bind us unto obedience. God, by doing good to us, would encourage us to do that which is good and pleafing to him. By his many mercies he would lead and allure us unto duty. Rom. xii. 1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye prefent your bodies a living facrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reafonable fervice. Afflictive providences alfo are defigned to promote holinefs. Heb. xii. 10. He chaftneth us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Afflictions are fent, to purge out corruption, and to make us more fruitful in good works. Joh. xv. 2. Every branch in me that bearcth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

6. This is the defign of God in all his ordinances, granted to them. The holy inftitutions of God, wherewith Chriftians are favoured, are in order to the promoting them in holiness. They are proper means of fanctification, and defigned of God for edification in holiness. Eph. iv. 11, 12. He gave gifts unto men,Jome paftors

and

and teachers, for the perfecting of the faints,--for the edifiing the body of Chrift. The preaching of the word, is intended to forward chriftians in their fpiritual growth. 1 Pet. ii. 2. As new born babes, defire the fincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.---So, the adminiftration of the Supper of the Lord, is to nourish and ftrengthen the principle of grace, and to draw it forth into exercife.

When therefore we come to the table of the Lord (as we may do the next Lord's day) let us propound this to ourselves as our great end, even, that we may thereby be made to grow in holiness. Let us come to that ordinance with defires after greater measures of grace, that fo we may abound more and more in all the fruits of holiness. Let us come hungring and thirsting after righteoufaefs, that fo we may be fully fatisfied therewith. This is God's end in inviting us to this fpiritual feaft, and this should be our end in coming to partake thereof. Before we come to that holy ordinance, let us be earnest in prayer to God, that he would in the ufe thereof, communicate to us more fpiritual life, that we may be enabled to live more holily than ever. And in our prayers to God, let us plead with him that gracious promife, which he has made to his people, in Pfal. xcii. 12, 13, 14. The righteous fball flourish like the palmtree: he fhall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Thofe that be planted in the house of the Lord, fhall flourish in the courts of our God. They fhall ftill bring forth fruit in old age : they fhall be fat, and flourishing.

DOCT. VII. God the Father has glorified our Lord Jefus Chrift. So it is here faid, He bath glorified thee. God glorified Jefus Chrift in fome degree here upon earth; but he fully and in the highest degree glorified him in beaven. In this latitude, the text may be underftood as comprising in it all the ways of God's glorifying Jefus Chrift, both in his ftate of humiliation and exaltation. And thus I fhall here confider it. Two things then may be enquired into.

Y 3

Quest.

« PreviousContinue »