Sae T. XII. OfEffe&nalf.alling. 66? Lafy, We are toAra halinefs at all times in our converfatiaxt: There is no 4, hour, nomoment, wherein thoucanft fay, Now I maynot beholy, new its not required I shouldbe holy: S6 that as wicked men , the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts are only evil, and that continually; fo should ours be holy, and that continually a Thisis our duty, though in this life it cannot be fully praftifed. In the third place, confider, The example of our holinefs; and that is, As God The part,, ú boly: Not that wecan be infinitely holy, and effentiallyholy, as he is ; but °t ha'":. to imitate him : So that we muttnot take the world for a ruleof holinel, but God ; and we arenot required tobe Omnipotent as he is, Mighty as he is, but holy as he is. Now thegrounds of thisare : First, It behoveth a father anda fon to be of thefame nature: Aman doth not wly; begeta beaft ofanother nature, but achildeof the famebeing: Thus the Apo- file, elscbedient childeen; and hence they are laid toBe bornof God How then canye call God father, whohave not the likenefs of his nature ? Is there fuch fin and impurity inGod, as in thee? Oh tremble at such things 1 Gods eyes art purer then tobeholdiniquity; fo let thine be. Secondly, Love to God, willprie a man upon the immitation ofhimWhomwe love : a; So that fimilitude, as it is a caufe, fo its an etfeec of love; that as you fee fire afTimilatesevery thing into its own nature, it turnethevery thing to fire ;fo love to God, and delight in him, that makes us wholly to become like him. A man that liveth under the torrid Zone, gets a colour from the fun,which fhineth fohot uponhim. Thirdly, He mullneeds beholy, becan(e else we are not preparedfor any comma- 3. nion or fellew/hip withGod : Herein lieth thehappinefs ofa godly man, that he bath feliowfhip with God,that be enjoyeth hisprefence, that he feeth hisface, as youmay fee it reprefented in the Canticles: Now how can-this be, when a man is prophaneand unholy? Chrift fpeaks there of his heavenly love, and fpiritual imbracements, and how can this be to a foul that is loathfom and un- comely through fin? God fpeaks by the Prophet, ofthe abominable and vile conditionof the Churchof /trod in her fin, wallowing inher blood, Etek,r6. 6.and till he put oncomely ornaments on her, she was no fitobjell of love: Fol- low holinefs; without which no man /hallfee, enjoy God, lieb. I a. i 4. As theeye di- ftempered with difeafed humors, cannot comfortably behold the fun, fo neither can the foul, debated through fin, behold the favor of God; yea, as the foul is not fit forfuch communion, fo theprefence and paritycfGod, if it should draw near, would bean heavyburthen to a wickedman. Heaven it felt, and enjoyment ofGod, is no futable or welcome mercy to a wicked heart: So far as the noti- onof fafety and deliverance from hell is inheaven, they can be glad of it; but takethe pofitive part of heaven, which is indeed the heaven;vio. Injoyment of God, anddelighting inhim, a wicked man can no more agree with it, then foar eyes do abide thedazling fun. Let us make Application of thepoint. And . Firft, Of Inlirue`iion : Is holiness thus neceffarily requiredof every one called V/c e; by God, becaufe he is holy ? then to be fu re do not miftake what true holinefs is ;for if thou erreabout that, thy defiruiion is irrecoverable, who canhelp it ? Therefore to knowwhat it is, Iludy andperuse the Scripture : Oh what an ea- aët,fublime, and accurate thing is that reprefented to be !Will no leis feriae then an holinefs infume degree (though with vat} difproportion) like that of God? What flume, what trembling fhould this work in us ? Then judgeft of holi- nefsaccording to theprinciples of the world ; and they, when a man is letswick- ed,call it holinefs; if there beworfe men in the world, then they blefs them- felves. As in anHofpital, the man that is lefs difeafed then others, he is judged healthful and throng: This undoeth you , holinefs and godliaaefs is made á refs and more eafie bufanefs, then theScripture defcribeth: 2 /fie 7.
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