succession of day and night, summer and winter, seed time and harvest. He hears the young ravens when they cry, and satisfies the desires and supplies the wants of every living creature. He fixes the bounds of every one's habitation, and orders all the circumstances of human life. In a word, he exercises a universal providence over all his works. And he is holy, as well as wise and powerful, in his universal government. As the work of redemption is the most glorious and important of all his works, so he displays the most holiness in carrying it on. To this work he makes all his other works subservient. For the sake of bringing home many sons unto glory, and making them perfectly holy, he has given his Son to suffer and die on the cross; published the gospel of his grace; appointed man to preach it; and set apart a day to hear it; while at the same time he operates on the human heart to produce the effect he designs. He opens the hearts of some to receive it, and shuts the hearts of others against it. And in doing all this, he acts from the same holy and benevolent design which he had in view in forming the great scheme of redemption, and in choosing the subjects of his grace, from the early days of eternity. His holy heart governs all his conduct, in the works of creation, providence and grace. Thus he is perfectly and universally holy, in all his affections, in all his attributes, in all his laws, and in all his works. It now remains to show,

III. That, since God is holy, it highly concerns men to be holy. This is the reason he gives for commanding them to be holy. "Be ye holy; for I am holy." The perfect holiness of the Deity lays all mankind under a moral obligation and necessity of being conformed to his holy and amiable character. This will appear from various considerations.

1. It is absolutely necessary that men should be holy, in order to discover the supreme excellence and glory of a holy God. Holiness is the supreme glory and perfection of the Deity; but without holiness no man can see his supreme beauty and moral excellence. It is impossible that those who are wholly destitute of every holy and benevolent feeling, should know how a holy and benevolent being feels. This is the general representation of scripture. Our Lord says, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." The apostle John says, "He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love." And the apostle Paul says on the one hand, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." And on the other hand he says, that those who are rooted and grounded in love, are able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, 47

VOL. VI.

and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. Men must possess real holiness, in order to see the beauty of holiness in the divine character. But as soon as they become holy as God is holy, they can discern the beauty and glory of divine holiness. "For love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God." Without such a peculiar knowledge of the only true God, none can inherit eternal life.

2. It is absolutely necessary that men should be holy, in order to obey a holy God. This we are expressly told in his word. "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." And when the unholy Israelites publicly said, "We will serve the Lord." Joshua told them, " Ye cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God." The laws of a holy God are all holy, and require holiness and nothing but holiness. Hence Christ represents holy love, or universal benevolence, as comprising all the duty and obedience which God requires of men. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." And the apostle says, "Love is the fulfilling of the law." So long as men are destitute of love, or true holiness, they can do nothing which is the least obedience to the holy commands of a holy God. Every command of God requires men to feel like himself, or to be holy as he is holy. The reason why men should love their enemies, bless them that curse them, and do good to them that hate them, is, that they may be perfect, as their Father in heaven is perfect. Obedience always implies conformity of heart to the will of another. All obedience to God, therefore, implies conformity of heart to his holy will, expressed in his holy commands. As it is necessary that men should obey their great Creator and Lawgiver in order to secure his favor for ever, so it is no less necessary that they should have that holiness of heart, without which it is impossible to please and obey him.

3. It is absolutely necessary that men should be holy, in order to be proper objects of the approbation and complacence of a holy God. "The righteous Lord loveth righteousness." "The prayer of the upright is his delight." "He taketh pleasure in them that fear him; in them that hope in his mercy." The holiness of the Deity naturally disposes him to take real complacence and delight in all his holy creatures and dutiful subjects. When they unite with him in affection, his heart unites with theirs, and he is pleased to say, "I love them that love

me." As holiness in men renders them beautiful and amiable in the eyes of him who is perfectly holy, so unholiness renders them infinitely odious in his sight. He is of purer eyes than to behold sin, and cannot look on iniquity. He is angry with the wicked every day. They are the objects of his most holy and perfect aversion. Though they may outwardly appear beautiful in the eyes of men, yet to the holy and omniscient eye of a holy God they must appear infinitely vile and odious. He that loves the greatest good of the universe, must hate those who oppose it. He that loves pure benevolence, must hate perfect selfishness. He that loves the holiness of his creatures, must hate those who hate their holiness. It therefore appears to be absolutely necessary that men should be holy, in order to become the objects of the divine complacence and delight. As it is infinitely important that men should secure the favor of God, which is life and better than life, so it is equally necessary and important that they should be holy as God is holy, and be united to him in the affections of their heart. I must add,

4. That it is absolutely necessary that men should be holy, in order to enjoy a holy God. Since God is holy in all his affections, designs and works, none can enjoy him without a holy conformity to his character and conduct. We can enjoy no object that is not pleasing to us. We must take pleasure in the being, perfections and government of God, in order to enjoy him. And all holy beings do love and enjoy God. David says," As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." And again he says, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." The enjoyment of God is the highest happiness that a pious and immortal soul can enjoy; and accordingly this is the greatest good that God has promised to bestow upon those who feel a filial spirit towards him. "He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son." Paul tells christians," All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." Christians enjoy all things in the enjoyment of God. But in order to enjoy all things in God, men must be like him, or holy as he is holy. Hence says the apostle John: "Beloved, now are we sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Since God is holy, all his purposes and operations are holy. His holiness does, in a manner, sanctify every creature, every

?

object and every event in the universe. So that without holiness no man can really enjoy any being or object, in this world or the next. For God has made all things for himself, and their value and importance consist in being means to promote his glory, which is his supreme and ultimate end in all his works. So that holiness, and nothing but holiness, can put any of the human race into the enjoyment of God and all good. Now if it be necessary that they should see and love and please and enjoy God, then it is absolutely necessary that they should be holy, because he is holy. It is far more important that men should be holy than that they should exist; and while they exist, it is far more important that they should be holy than that they should be happy, either in this life or the life to come.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. If God be perfectly holy, then the more sinners know of God, the more they will hate him. They are lovers of their own selves. They love their own private, personal interest and happiness, solely and supremely. All their selfish views, and feelings, and pursuits are in direct contrariety to all the holy and benevolent views and feelings of the Deity. There are no two things more directly opposite to each other, than holiness and selfishness. So far therefore as sinners, who are perfectly selfish, discover the holiness of God, just so far they hate his character, laws and government. They are justly called haters of God, and enemies of God. Christ says, "They have both seen and hated both me and my Father." This, however, they are very unwilling to believe and acknowledge. They are apt to entertain a better opinion of themselves, and especially of their hearts. Though they will not presume to say that they have never neglected any thing which God has • required, nor done any thing which he has forbidden, yet they are very ready to say that they have generally meant to do right. But it is owing to their ignorance, or inattention, that they imagine that their hearts are better than their external conduct. God, who knows their thoughts afar off, has told them, that "every imagination of the thoughts of their heart is only evil continually." They are selfish, and consequently as sinful and inimical to God as they can be, with their present views, desires and pursuits. It is true, indeed, that sometimes God is not in all their thoughts; and sometimes, when they think of him, they view him merely as a benefactor, and love him for his favors. But this is consistent with the total enmity of their hearts towards his true character, when clearly seen and realized. This was fully manifested by the conduct of sinners

towards Christ. While they viewed him as their long expected Messiah, and as their deliverer from their national calamities, they followed him in multitudes, and sung" Hosannah, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." But when they discovered his holy hatred of their selfish desires and hopes, they became his mortal enemies, and imbrued their hands in his blood; by which they gave visible and infallible evidence that they were irreconcilable enemies to the God of Israel, whom they professed to love. The same selfish spirit reigns in the hearts of all impenitent, unrenewed sinners. They hate God just as much as they love themselves. They hate his holiness just as much as they love their own selfishness. They hate God supremely, for the very reason for which they ought to love him supremely; and that is, for his holiness, and nothing else. When they view him as one altogether like themselves, they feel no enmity towards him; but when they view him as a holy, sin hating and sin condemning God, their hearts sensibly rise against him, and they cannot bear the thought that he should reign over them. They would, if it were in their power, wrest the sceptre from his hand, and defeat his designs, or destroy his existence. They feel as Pharaoh did, when he said, "I know not the Lord, neither will I obey his voice."

2. If God be perfectly holy, then sinners will hate one part of his character and conduct as really as another, when they become fully acquainted with it. They are very apt to think that they love some parts of his character and some parts of his conduct, while they perfectly hate some parts of his character and some parts of his conduct. They are willing that God should be eternal, self existent, omnipotent, omniscient and infinitely wise, if he would employ all these divine perfections in their favor. They have no objections against any of his natural attributes, if he would only be so kind as to exert them when and where and how they desire he would exert them. The carnal, selfish Israelites were highly pleased when God visibly displayed his almighty power and amiable sovereignty in the destruction of their enemies at the Red Sea, and in their protection and the miraculous supply of their wants during their journey through the wilderness. All sinners are willing that God should be the greatest, the wisest and most powerful being, if he would be on their side, and employ his great and glorious perfections to gratify their desires and promote their selfish purposes. They really love him sometimes and for some things, and imagine that they are really friendly to him. But when they come to see and realize that he is holy in all his character, and in all his ways, and in all his works, they hate one of his perfections