may so expresse it evinceth this to be true that the Lord our God is holy And thus we may say the will of God the actings of God are conformable to the eternall law of God but yet the holines of God is of a far higher consideration then the holines of men or angles For the will of God and his actings are not to be thought to be conformable in an accidentary manner to an eternal law but essentially and from within himself not by diverse or various vertues but by his essence as it commeth under the consideration of a will he is holy even as the same one infinite essence comming under the consideration of a mind is said to be most wise yea wisdome it selfe so that is as it were the ordering of Gods actions according to his understanding which is called the holines of God There was never a wise action or word in the world but it came out of Gods head nor never a good right or holy action but came out at his heart Again whereas the eternal law doth spring from the divine essence which as it is the first originall of all entitative perfections so also of all morall perfection and of all the rectitude of the affection and conversation It then appeareth that as holines in men and Angles doth stand in conjunction with God in affection so God most conjoyned to himself both by nature and by the affection of love must needs be exactly holy according to the saying in the schools Amor Dei est sanctitate The love of God is holines because in men it ariseth from the knowledge of his excellency which draws their souls to God Now therfore no creature can be holy as God is because no man doth know God as he knows himself You know the saying ignoti nulla cupido of a thing unknown there is no desire The reason we love God no more is because we know him no better All our want of love to God flows from our ignorance of him he is holy among men that loves God most and he will love more then others that hath a greater knowledge of God then others God knows himselfe and loves himself and this is his holines Yea he so adhears to himselfe that he will cast downe all things rather then suffer his honour to be abased Lastly in the application of the acceptation of the word holines to God you must know that holines standeth in puritie of soule free from all contagion and spot of sin therefore God is holy in himself without regard to an eternal law to be measured by There is the holines of obeying a law and the holines of being a law There is a created holines and an uncreated holines There is a regulating holines and a regulated holines Holines in man is a compleate conformitie to the will of God but in God there is a compleate essentiall will and an essentiall freedom from the least spot of sinne In Christ as man was an exact conformitie and submission to his father wil even contray to his creaturely will But in God there is much more for he essentially is holy and therefore cannot be measured by a law By this time you perceive I trust what holines is which is an attribute of God yet for further Discovery of God unto you I will speake of the diverse wayes that God is said to be holy distinctly properly and perentically so as none but him can be so said to be holy as he is Lessius God is said to be holy five manner of waies according to the doctrine of the schooles First Radically because the devine nature is the first root and originall fountaine of all sanctitie and puritie For from the essence of God in our manner of conceiving things both the eternall law and all love in God of himself and all purity called by some the chastity of God doth flow and come Schaerpius For although there be not in God a priority of nature in any regard yet we must conceive in him a prioritie of order To clear up this by familiar instances or similitudes though the beames of the sun be assoone in in nature as the sun yet we must account the sunne to be the radicall cause of those beames So also assoone as there is fire there is light and heate yet is the fire in order to be conceived before either of them And so now you may see my meaning when I say holines is radically in God I meane the essence of God is the radicall cause roote and fountain of that holines which is in God As God the sonne hath alwaies been the sonne of God and begotten from everlasting and is called the wisdome and word of God So upon the same account the holy Ghost is the love and holines of the Godhead and divine essence and so proceedeth from the father and the sonne this helpeth us to discerne some what of the great mystery of the Trinitie And so although not the same truth yet a truth like unto this would I hold forth in this Doctrine of radicall sanctitie Secondly God is objectively holy because he is the object of all holines For not only it is true of the holines of angels men but even of the holines of God that it is placed in the love of and conjunction with God God is the supream of all things and most simple and pure and the cheifest purity is in cleaving to him and purity is holines or the chastity of God therefore God is holy objectively as the measure of all holines and the fit object of selfe love For as in men impurity commeth by touching things below as when our faces are soule or our garments dirty And in our soules there is defilement by cleaving inordinatly to the world and worldly things so purity springs by acquaintance with things above when our affections do ascend to high and more noble things and do stick to them And so God leaveth to himself and is the object and measure of his own holines Thirdly God is holy exemplarily in manner of a rule or coppy The conformitie of the soule and life of man to the eternal law is true holines such conformity is in God to himself and law though not because it is his law which is the rule of holines Fourthly formally God is holy he cleaves to himselfe who is most pure and is therefore formally holy God is the love of himselfe this is his holines and because he loveth himselfe infinitely as he is lovely infinitly therefore he is infinitely holy Yea God in the love of all his creatures is holy Psalme 145 17. He is holy in all his workes 1. He loves them for his own sake Sanctum esse est amare Deum et gloriam ipsius in omnibus procurare To be holy is to love God and to seeke his glory in all things And so he is holy in all his workes And Secondly he is holy in all his works because
true God and there is no other besides him Isaiah 45.22 I am God and there is none else This shewes the falsenes of all other Gods and of all other religions Zeph. 2.11 The Lord threatens Idolaters to famish all their gods Jehovah the true God will make hungry false gods For his truth endureth for ever neither can his true being cease nor his meate whereupon he liveth be taken from him But ye will say what meanest this What meat God eateth What meat is that which God which is a Spirit eateth To which I answer God is Holy and liveth in seeking his own honour which none can take from him though thousands go about it He is a jealous God and his honour he will not give to another And therefore although such as deny the true God his due honor and worship do what they can to famish him yet it is impossible he will live and be glorified in despight of men and Devils It is true of all other dunghill gods God will famish them for when the word comes to be preached among nations it turnes them from false gods to worship the living God and so God is said to famish false gods As take all the religions that ever have beene in the world besides that which we professe take all the gods that have beene set up by others before or since Christ they are all famished and even their own worshippers and writers have said enough to make them vaine and rediculous But our God the God of Christians is the true God When things come to loose their esteeme their leanesse riseth up and they goe downe As it is with man his leannesse may be said to rise when his credit fals But what an horrible sinne is this to go about to starve God as all they do that do deny unto him due honour and worship But who do so Sirs I will speake no more of the gods of the Gentiles those dead vanities are long agone exploded nor of the absurd religion of Mahomet with his barbarous Alcoron so full of non-sence Nay I can scarse afford a looke to Rome in those things wherein we have left them for our difference is only about what men have added But O ye Protestants that are taught to know and worship the true God and live under the profession of the true religion to you I have somthing to say of great concerment Are not some of you profane and superstitious and very ignorant of this true God which we preach unto you Nay are not most of your ministers at least round about us such What meaneth else such hunting after benefices such chopping of places such doings about preferment and the world And then no marvell people generally are so cold formall perfunctory and superstitious in worship and so vain loose worldly and profane in their conversation Now I beseech you all consider whether it be answerable to the true worship of the true God which ye professe to be willing to know and practise to be carelesse of worship prescribed by Christ superstitiously zealous about additions and inventions of men and loose and worldly in conversation and carriage Well I will not say much We should cleave to this God whose truth endureth to all generations even in this first sence that he is true and not fals And therefore all that prophane worldly and superstitious people make their god and love honour esteeme and trust unto shall be dealt withall as the gods of Aegypt Exod. 12.12 And against all the gods of Aegypt I will execute judgement I am the Lord. Let a good principle therefore be laid and then though religion and peace and prosperity should not walke in one path as yet by the goodnes of God they do yet ye will cleave to the true God But though ye have all outward happinesse much of the word and of the earth which is so much desired and esteemed yet if ye have not much earth spoken off Marke 4.5 If ye want roote ye will at last come to nothing Yea This true God will famish all your gods that ye have trusted too and make their leannesse to arise and take away the honour and credit which was given and to your forms and formall blind guides And this is done already according to the prophesy Malachy 2.9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people Mr. Greenhill on Ezekiel 1. part p. 47. according as ye have not kept my waies but have been partiall in the law I confesse it is the portion of the Prophets and Ministers of God to be derided and scorned Yea not only in Babilon but in Israel as godly preacher yet living observes speaking of those words out of Isaiah 8.18 I and my children are for signes and wonders in Israel yea not only so but to be made the filth of the world and off-scouring of all things to this day 1 Cor. 4.13 Men get up all every where on every side so the word carries it The men of the world saith mine Author were like unto a man that raked every where to get a basket of filth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dirt and dung to throw in some ones face so they scrape in the doctrines lives and passages of the servants of God do catch all advantages do seek every where to pick up something that they may have wherewithall to upbraid reproach and revile them We have experience of the truth hereof daily We have plenty of these Chanel-scrapers and dirt-throwers yea some of them Ministers at least so called and accounted have learned of Zedekiah to smite Michajah 1 King 22.24 c. But yet alas Have not we our selves beene perfidious to God and men and gone about to rob him of those souls which he sent us to get into him I am loath to say what I know and observe only pray you to read Isaiah 9.16 For the leaders of this people cause them to erre and they that are ledde of them are destroyed We may not therefore wonder that our leanesse doth so arise If we go about to famish God God will famish us And to make an end of this point let all know that if they give that love trust respect and honour which is due to God unto creatures which he hath made and love the world and the things that are in the world it is a signe they have not received this anointing which teacheth us to know the true God c. Which to do is life eternall And while the men of the world brag that they have friends wealth riches and honour Let the people of God give God his meat and honour him and say we have a God Even as the story goes of the French Herauld when the many titles of the King of Spaine were reckoned up which indeed were many He causes these words King of France to be said over and over as often intimating thereby that one France was better then all those
danger of the losse of heaven and yet if these things together could make happy it would be folly to have many things when one most united most pure plentifull and perfect essence will do it this is far the further way about at best And lastly for comfort to such as have made perfection their Vse 4 portion such have in him to supply all good and remove all ill untill the time come that we shall stand in need of no other good Wise are they that know him Holy are they that love him And happy are they that enjoy him Habemus omnia habentes habentem omnia There is in him to be had whatsoever can make us happy If God and all the world were divided into two shares he alone is incomparably the best blessed are they that have him for their Shepheard they cannot want so David saith of himself Psal 23.1 Because such have made the Lord most high their habitation no evill shall befall them nor any plague come nigh their dwelling Psal 91.9 10. God is the fullest fountain and sweetness of all things By him they are what they are and continue so to be He commandeth influence to stay or go And happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help c. Psal 146.5 Be of good chear God is your portion the more ye spend on him the more ye may To conclude take heed that none of you be pointed at one day that hear me this day with a Lo this is the man that made not God his portion Ps 52.7 So much of the first Goodnesse attributed to God his natural goodnesse or perfection His holiness benignity and mercy follows next to be spoken off The end of this Attribute The Holinesse of GOD. Psalm 99. v. 9. For the Lord our God is Holy I Shall speak of these words as they contain a proposition asserting the Attribute of Holinesse which is the third in order of the communicable attributes of God and now to be spoken of For the formality of the words take onely this Jehovah is to be exalted and worshipped at his holy hill why because he is holy For the Lord our God is holy But why might it not have been said exhalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill for the Lord our God is a good God or a jealous God or a mercifull God I answer It is true there is enough in every attribute to draw souls unto God and to move us to exalt him and to allure us to worship him but yet when I shall have shewed you what holines in God is ye will easily be made to see that the consideration of holinesse will be a principal ground and cause to exalt him and to worship at his holy hill A thing is said to be holy first when it is separated from common use to the service of God So the Utensils of the Tabernacle to the very Dishes Tongs and Snuffers were holy that is were separated unto God And in this regard the Lord our God is holy for from all eternity he was separated from all other objects to himself to love himself to take delight in himself God is dedicated to himself from everlasting and his honour he will never give to any other and therefore exalt him worship him set him high trust in him honour him for he is holy he is all for himself he is eternally dedicated to himself and will make such know that do not exalt him what it is to displease so jealous so holy a God It is true self-self-love in men is very often inordinate extreamly and so very vicious but in God it is a glorious beam it is his holinesse And the reason is because there is none other meet to be an object of Gods love but himself So this is the first acceptation of the word holy and you be according to this taking of the word God is holy that is dedicated to himselfe and therefore that he is to be exalted and worshipped because he is so holy as hath been said He is all for his own glory all for himself he never in the least action aimed at any thing nor will nor indeed can but himselfe There are many things which asserted of men as I hinted before do render them very blameable yea unholy As to looke after their own Phillip 2.4 To be lovers of there own selves 2 Tim. 3.2 and the like Which ascerted of God do gloriously set out his holinesse And so also in men holinesse is a separation from the world unto God holy persons are persons dedicated to God Thus have you the first acceptation of the word Secondly Holines somtimes signifies puritie Yea know in our usuall manner of speaking we do make holines and purity Synonimaes as in Luke 1.35 therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the sonne of God To be holy is to be imaculate that is sine macula without spot or blot to be agreeable and conform to the holy law of God Holines saith a late writer doth consist in a compleate uniformitie and conformitie to the will of God wholy Some are first table Christians others second table Christians Some hote in acts of religion that are could in justice some are very honest and just to men that have no delight in communion with God but James 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all He that breaks one linke of a chaine breakes the chaine One holy nature gave every commandement how can there be a state of holines without equal respect to all Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandements saith David Psalme 119 6. And againe I have refrained my feet from every evill way ver 101. To lose our will in the will of God is holines So this in Christ John 4 34. Jesus said unto them to wit to his Disciples that had prayed him to eate some meat My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work And Math. 26.39 and 42. verses Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt And thy will be done this was holines in Christ In this sense holines and rightousnes in Scripture do often signifie one and the same thing I say often not alwaies for where the two words do come together as Luke 1.75 In holines and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our life we may understand most fitly by holines the duties of the first table and by righteousnes the yellding of obedience to the duties of the second table But I say holines is sometimes put for righteousnes and righteousnes in like manner for holines As Psalme 16.3 David declares that his delight is in the Saints or holy ones that are in the earth which he affirms to be the excellent or such as excel in verture And therefore some do define holines to be moral goodnes which is
God will no further look upon us then we perfectly aime at his glory in every thing what would become of us had we not a Christ Seeing selfe ends will so mingle themselves with one best performances have we not cause to blesse God for Jesus Christ 't is our duty and let it be our practice to blesse God for Jesus Christ To Summe up all Holy men have holy minds their holy minds are fixed upon God The will word and workes of God and Christ are coppyes before their eies and lastly holy men ayme at Gods glory and not themselves for they are swallowed up in God and know whom they have believed therefore I commend in all these respects God to be eminently and causally holy Now le ts come to make some use and application of this truth Vses of the Attribute of holinesse in God that the Lord our God is holy that holines is an attribute of Gods And first by way of information it teacheth us that holines is not to be contemned nor such as labor after it is not to be set light by nor holy persons despised Wo therefore to those that despise holy persons this must needs be an heynous offence why Sirs what do ye mean Holines is an attribute of God and can that be base or despicable which God takes and makes to be one of his owne attributes one of his names which must not be taken in vaine much lesse not trampled upon Are such to be blamed that desire to be like God to be holy as their father which is in heaven is holy what horrible wickednesse is this to mock at holy people as to twit them with holinesse is to mock at God those that do so are like unto such wretched servants in a house as will dog and misuse a childe in the family because it is like his father whom they yet take wages off and live by and can not live with out little do men think to what a pitch of sinfulnesse their carriage this way doth amount unto though many think it nothing to mock at holy people yet is it a very great sinne And yet what is more in disgrace then holynesse who more despised then pure and holy soules Oh these are your pure folkes these are the holy sect and the like scoffing speeches If a man do but looke towards the wayes of holynes he is streightway had in derision by prophane people How do parents abuse their owne children even among us in this place if they do but looke towards Sion and even weep for mad Alas poore soules Oh that I had but bowells to pitty you as there is cause Do ye know what ye do Let me tell you yee mock at that which must be in your selves or ye shall not see God Heb. 12.14 and holynesse without which no man shall see the Lord yea ye mock at that without which ye cannot serve the Lord. Josh 24 19. Ye cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God c. Such as despise holynesse cannot serve God so this is the first use If you should have thoughts of indignation against people because they be holy ye would plainly declare that ye are none of Gods servants none of his worshippers and as first I said that ye shall not see his face in mercy so much for that they that labour to be holy are not to be condemned nor holynesse which is an attribute of God contemned Secondly If holinesse be an attribute of God then it further Vse 2 teacheth us that God must needs like of holinesse and delight in holy persons For all Gods attributes are pleasing to him and this being one of them he must needs take pleasure in this This clearly follows where God doth finde but a sparkle of himself he must delight necessarily in it because of his holiness as hath been abundantly manifested in the foregoing part of this discourse he runs with joy to his the workmanship of his own spirit And this is not onely a Use of information but of comfort also exceeding great comfort to those that are taken out of this widâ— world and set into Christ the root of Jesse the root of holinesse The spirit of glory and of God resteth on you saith the Apostle Peter 1 Epist c. 4.14 which may rejoyce under their reproaches for the name of Christ when a soul loves God and is seeking to set up his glory this is matter of great joy because they are partakers of his holinesse O well shall it be with such and happy shall they be Psal 128.2 The Apostles Acts 5.46 Departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name And so may all holy ones be their outward condition what it will Vse 3 Thirdly Such as would become acceptable to God must labour to become holy persons for this is that which the Lord calleth for Lev. 11.44 45. and cap. 19.2 Ye shall be holy for I am holy this is that the Lord calleth for from all persons nothing will give him content but this you know the saying likenesse makes love And here it takes place if you will have God to love you you must labour to be like him Nothing will please him but holinesse if you would give the fruit of your body for the sin of your soul yet that will not give him content But ye must be holy the reason is given because the Lord your God is holy Be exhorted therefore to labour for holinesse To move you consider first the excellency of this grace Motives to labour for holines it is of the divine nature it is most excellent The excellency of a thing will make a man to labour for it excellent things are the objects of wise mens desires and labours Now there is nothing so excellent as holinesse for that is to be like God And therefore why do ye spend your money for that which is not bread and for that which will not profit you but is vain and like a shadow Riches get wings and flie away labour therefore for that which when once you have will never forsake you in life or death or judgment And therefore the excellency herof thus considred should never let us be quiet til we have gotten some evidence that we have in some measure attained unto this holines even holines which is one of Gods attributes Secondly consider this too holines is a thing which every man is without There is not so much as one sparkle of holines in any man by nature for we are wholy defiled with sin Ever imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil continually Gen. 6 5. How can man be cleane that is borne of a Woman Job 25.4 the interrogation there is a vehement negation How can that is it cannot be But we are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnes are as filthy rags Isaiah 64.6 There is none righteous no not one there is
verse which will be the Sixth in order of the communicable attribute of God I shall now begin to speake of the goodnes of God as it is called by the name of benignity or sweetnesse or usefull goodnes out of these words For the Lord is good The vulgar latine hath it Quoniam suavis Dominus By some it is read for the Lord is sweet by others for the Lord is gracious All comes to one at last and will afford unto us a good ground to discourse of these three propositions as we have formerly done in handling the other attributes first that goodnes or benignitie or usefullnes or a readinesse to do good is an attribute of God Secondly That this attribute is communicable Thirdly that God in respect of this attribute is infinite and incomprehensible For the first of these I shall not be long upon the proofe of it In the 36. Psalme the fifth verse For thou Lord art good c. Lament 3.25 The Lord is good to them that waite for him to the soule that seeketh him The Church of God was now brought to a low condition which was the cause of the making of this booke of the Lamentations Then did she yet bear up her selfe by this attribute of God his goodnes And this indeed is that Which encourageth God's people to seeke unto him in all their streights and in all their difficulties the remembrance of his goodnes This sets a gracious soule to seeke him because he never shutteth up his hand nor stoppeth his eare to them Nahum 1.7 The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him And here by the way we are to take notice that there is a certaine kind of proportioning out of this goodnes according to the workings of the Holy Ghost in any For though God be good to all there is a goodnes of God over all his work Yet he is not good to all alike There is a generall goodnes particular goodnes or peculiar goodnes He is good to all men and to all things with a generall goodnes Just and unjust evill and good are under his showres and Sun-blasts For he maketh his sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and unjust Math. 5.45 And he heareth and feedeth the young ravens when they cry Psalme 147.4 But yet ther is a goodnes peculiarly appropriated unto his people that do waite upon him and seeks unto him For this same waiting upon God and seeking unto him is as it were a fetching up of the waters of goodnes out of the deepe well of that other goodnes lately spoken of the infinitenes I meane and perfection of God in which they ly Seeking God and waiting on him is as it were the applying of God Ye know that if a wounded man had never so good plaisters ly by him if he do not make use of them by applying them to his wounds they may fester and rot and so perish notwithstanding his good salves And although God be the most compleat utmost and absoluâ—e good at all to any unlesse he be applyed O this is the goodnes which is proper to the Saints that waite on him It ariseth from that which is called all his goodnes Exod. 33.19 And that is communicated in a double sense First as it is naturally communicated to his onely son and in this sence God is onely good to his son the second person in the God head to whom God naturally Communicates the divine essence and so he is from everlasting the begetting father and the second person is from everlasting the begotten son This essential goodnes is proper to the sonne of God Secondly there is a free communication of the goodnes of God unto his creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their severall capacities And therefore if the creature be not made capable it cannot receive of this goodnes from him and that is the reason that beasts partake not so much of the goodnes of God as men nor naturall men as they that are gracious Beasts have not the goodnes men have nor common men that goodnes the Saints have because they are not capable of it And not only specifically but gradually too is this goodnes of God communicated to the Saints For the wider the mouth of the bottle is and the more capacious the more is it able to take in and hold of any liquor A man can hold more in his hand then a child in his So according to the measure or degree of faith do we receive in from of the goodnes of God So that all our scantings straightnings are from our selves not from God God would still be giving out but our narrow hearts are not able to take in If we could open our mouths wide God would fill them full T is true faith is the same in justification be it weak or strong but it is not alike in enjoying good things from God The hand of a child or a palsiman serves to bring meat to his mouth to feed them but it cannot hold so fast nor work so well as stronger hands can God doth communicat many goodnesses to all his creatures and some peculiar to reasonable creatures but as ye are Sts. ye are capable of other goodnesses and have such choise favors as flie over the heads of other men and women because they are not capable of them For instance none are capable of the love of God in Christ unto salvation but such as have believed in Christ and received him and to as many only as have received him is power given to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name John 1.13 It is never the better that there is water in the Wels if you have not a Well bucket to draw it up for your use David hath a notable prayer Psal 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people O visite me with thy salvation And therefore let wicked men know this that though God be good yet it is never the better for them in this sence I meane in regard of the love which he beareth to his people Alas ye want faith ye are not of a perfect heart what will ye be the better for the waters that ly in the Well of Gods al-sufficient goodnes Sathan will tell you That God is a good God but he will leave out this to them that feare him and love him and waite upon him This is his Sophistry these be his tricks he dealt so with Christ in a quotation of Scripture as ye may see Math. 4.6 He leaves out those words in all thy waies He tels him of a promise to be kept and of a charge given to the Angels concerning him but if ye reade Psalm 91.9 Ye shall find the words are not faithfully alleadged by the devill He cares not though ye know that God is good but he would not
a perfection of holines in life and conversation a perfection of manners in act and habite as the Schoolmen call it So we account righteous livers to be Saints And because there are none perfectly holy in this life we cannot gain say the Popish Schoolmen in that sence that aver and teach none to be properly holy in his life I say if they mean by properly holy perfectly holy For to make a man holy there must be in him a perfection of habite and conversation agreeable to the eternall law of God And as nothing is weight till it counterpose the weight that is set against it so no mans life is compleatly that is perfectly holy untill it be exactly answerable to the holy law of God which cannot be said of any man in this life until he come unto a perfect man unto the measure of the fulnes of Christ Ephes 4.13 It is true Christ was full weight according to the weight-stones of Gods eternal law he was full measure according to that met-yard but so was never any man else holy or righteous perfectly I meane and exactly This by the way let me tell you is one cause why when an emenient person dies in Popish countries whom they judge fit to be canonized for a Saint they let a hundred years passe after his death before they do it allowing a considerable time for the purgatory-purgations of his soule before he passe for a Saint But yet though properly when by it we mean compleatly none be holy in this life Yet are there holy one on earth to whom the holy eternal morall law of God is a rule And there are some who though they cannot keepe all Gods Commandements Yet they have respect unto them all Such a one was David Ps 119.6 And ver 111. he saith Thy testimony have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart and ver 112 I have inclined my heart to performe thy statute alway even unto the end But to proceede in shewing you what holines is according to this second use of the word I have said it is a conformity to the eternal law of God and so it is For as the conception of the divine mind is the measure of natural perfections and of that being that is in all things So the eternal law is the mesure and rule of morall perfection and of the holines of a reasonable nature in all good workes He is holy therefore whose affection and manners do exactly agree to the eternall law of God But here falls in a question by the way that calls for an answer To wit whether all acts of obedience required now were required ever and such as have beene required heretofore are still required To which I answer shortly That Obedience to Gods mind is still required Moralia sunt aeternae veritatis and for all moralls they are still the same But God hath been pleased to make positive lawes some ceremonical some judiciall which are now out of date He trained up the Jewes under them indeed but upon the dissolution of their common wealth their judicial lawes ceased to be of use And upon the comming of Christ to be a sacrifice for the sins of mankinde the ceremonies as shadows of good things to come did fly away And so also we now in Gospel times have our proper Gospel laws which the Jewes had not But yet the moral law is still one and the same and of it not one jot or title shall ever be altered or made void Well then let us come to some issue A man of an upright life and conversation is a holy man Ye see what holines is in man let us a little take a view of Angels those holy celestial flames And we shall find that they are holy in both the formentioned respects For they make Gods glory the end of their actions being given up to him and to his honour and there is no blemish in their obedience None in their nature none in their lives It is true their holines is but finite because created and therefore perishable holines in it selfe for they might fall if they were not supported those Angels that fell at first were holy Yea it is by the grace and decree of God that these elect Angels do and shall continue holy as it also is that the Saints-separate from the world unto God do not return to the world againe Yea this is true of the holines and hapynes of Angels and saints in heaven One thing more touching the holy Ghost who in this sense is called holy not as he is the holy God but as he is the giver and worker of holines and makes men conformable to the law of God And therefore he is called God the holy Ghost or holy spirit al the three persons Fatner Son Spirit are holy essentially but the third person is called the holy Ghost or holy Spirit because he it is that worketh holines and frameth your Spirits suteable to the holy law of God Now if holines be such a conformitie in men to Gods law what glory is there in Gods holy conformitie to his own mind and law as you will heare when we come to it And in the mean time judge whether there be not sufficient ground of calling upon men to exalt the Lord our God and to worship at his holy hill in the rememberance of his holines because he is a holy God because he never required any thing of any man that was not holy just and good it is meet such a one should be exalted and set high worshiped and honoured Therefore Worship for he is holy both wayes in both acceptations of the word he is dedicated to his owne glory and so he is holy and he is perfectly just and holy righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Ps 145.17 Therefore exalt the Lord our God therefore worship him Ye see the emphasis of the reason and why the consideration of the attribute of holines is rather then of another attribute made the ground of this inculcated exhortation of exalting and worshiping God Now as in other Attributes formerly handled so in this I shall speak of these three propositions out of this Scripture 1. That holinesse is an attribute of God 2. that it is a Communicable attribute 3. That Holines in God is Infinite and incomprehensible For the first that holines is an attribute of God Let those things be remembred that have been spoken of the twofold acceptation of the word holy and we shall find that both are eminently true of God He is all for himselfe he will not give his honour to another Herod shall be smitten by an Angel and eaten of wormes for not giving God his glory Act. 12.23 Selfe love as you have formerly heard affirmed of men renders them ugly but it is a glorious attribute of God And then also the conformity that is in God between his mind and will that I