862 HOLINESS NECESSARY FROM under authority, there may be some secret sat ement of ' despisers of God, and his name, as in the places be. the power of the command. Men may think either to appeal from them, or one way or other subduct them- selves from under their power. But when the power im- mediately commanding is sovereign and absolute, there is no room for tergiversation. The command of God proceeds from the absolute power of a sovereign legis. later. And where it is not complied withal, the whole authority of God, and therein God himself, is despised. So God, in many places, calleth sinning against his com- mands, the despising of him, Numb. xi. 20. 1 Sam. ii. SO. the despising ofhis name, Mal. i. 6. the despisingof his commandment, and that in his saints themselves, 2 Sam. xii. 10. Sect. ILBeing then under the command of God to be holy, not to endeavour always, and in all things, so to be, is to despiseGod, to reject his sovereign au- thority over us, and to live in defiance of him. This state, I suppose, there are few who would be willing to be found in: to be constant despisersof God, aid rebels against his authority, is a charge that men are not ready to own, and do suppose that those who are so indeed, are in a very ill condition. But this, and no better, is the state of every one who is not holy, who doth not follow after holiness. Yet, so it is, propose unto men the true nature of evangelical holiness, press them to the duties wherein the exercise of it doth consist, con- vince them with evidence, as clear as the light at noon- day, that such and such sins, such and such courses wherein they live and walk, are absolutely inconsistent with it, and irreconcileable unto it, yet, for the most part, it is but little, they will heed you, and less they will do to answer your exhortations. Tell the same persons, that they are rebels against God, despisers of him, that they have utterly broken the yoke, and cast off his authority, and they will defy you, and perhaps revile you. But yet these things are inseparable; God having given his command unto men to be holy, declared his sovereign will and pleasure therein; if we are not so ac- cordingly, we are not one jot better than the persons described. Here, then, in the first place, we found the necessity of holiness outhe command of God: the authority wherewith it is accompanied, makes it neces- sary: yea, from hençe, if we endeavour not to .thrive in it, if we watch not diligently against every thing that is contrary unto it, we are therein, and so far, fore cited. Sect. 12. This therefore evinceth unto the consci- ences of men, that the obligation unto holiness is indis- pensible. And it would do well, if we always carried this formal consideration of the commandment in our minds; nothing would be more prevalent with us unto watchful- ness in holiness, asnothing doth more effectually render what we do, to be obedience properly so called. For- getfulness hereof, or not heeding it as we ought, is the great reason of our loose and careless walking, of our defect in making a progress in grace and holiness. No man is safe a moment, whose mind by any means is dis- possessed of a sense of the sovereign authority of God in his commands; nor can any thing secure such a soul from being pierced and entered into by various tempta- tions. This therefore are we to carry about with us wherever we go, and whatever we do, tokeep our souls and consciences under the power of it, in all opportu- nities of duties, and on all occasionsof sin. Had men always, in their ways, trades, shops, affairs, families, studies, closets, this written on their hearts, they would have holiness to the Lord an their breasts, and foreheads also. Sect. i3.-2. The apostle tells us, that as God, in his commands, is a sovereign lawgiver, no he is able to. kill and keep alive, that is, his commanding authority is accompanied with such a power, as that whereby he ís able absolutely and eternally to reward the obedient, and to return to the disobedient a meet recompense of punishment: for, although I would not exclude other considerations, yet I think this of eternal rewards and punishments to be principally here intended. But, (I.) Supposing it to have respect unto things temporal also, it carries alongwith it the greater inforce- ment. God commands us to be holy: things are in that state and condition in theworld, as that if we endeavour to answer his will in a due manner, designing toperfect holiness in thefear ofthe Lord, we shall meet with much opposition, many difficulties, and at ledgth, perhaps, it may cost us our lives; multitudes have niade profession of it at no cheaper rate. But let us not mistake in this matter; he who commands us to be holy is theonly so- vereign Lord of life and death, that bath alone the dis- posal of them both, and consequently of all things that are subservient and conducing untothe one or other. It.
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