SERMONLXXXVIIe The Handsof God. I PET. L 16 Be ye holy, for I am holy. N (peaking to this Attribute, I fhall I. Enquire, what we are to underftand by the Holinefs of God. IL Endeavour to (hew, that this Perfeëtion belongs to God. I. What we are to underftand by the Holinefs of God. There is force difl culty in fixing the proper Notion of it ; for tho' there be no Property more fre- quently attributed to God in Scripture, than this of Holinefs, yet there is none of all God's Attributes, which Divines have fpoken more fparingly of than this. The general Notion of Holinefs is, that it is a feparationfrom a common andor- dinary, to a peculiar and excellent ufe. And this Notion of Holinefs is applicable either to Things or Perfons. To Things; thus the Vefkls of the Tabernacle, and the Vestments of the Priefls were faid to be holy, becaufe they were feparated from common Ufe, and appropriated to the peculiar and excellent ufe of the fervice of God. Holinefs of Perfons is twofold, either Relative rind External, which lignifies the peculiar Relation of a Perlon to God ; fuch were call'd aspds, J'riefts, orholy Men: or elle Habitual and Inherent; fuch is the Holinefs of good Men .; and it isa feparation from Moral Imperfetfion, that is; from Sin and Impurity. And this is call'dôno-m , and the primary Notion of it is Negative, and'fignifies the abfence and remotion of Sin. And this appears in thofe explications which the Scripture gives of it. Thus 'tis explain'd by oppofition to Sin and Impuril ty, z Cor. 7. r. Let us cleanfe our felves from allfilthinefs of the flefh and #irit, perfecting holinefs ; where Holinefs is oppofed to all falthinefs. Sometimes by the negation of Sin and Defilement c So we find holy and without blame put together, Eph. I. 4. Holy and without dlemiJh, Eph. f. 17. Holy, harmlefs, andunelejfled, Heb. 7. z6. 'Tis true indeed, this Negative Notion doth imply fomething that is Pafitive, it doth not only fignify the abfence of Sin, but a contrariety to it ; we cannot conceive the abfence of fin without the prefence of Grace ; as take away crookednefs from a Thing, and it immediately becomes ftraight. When- ever we are made Holy, every Luft and Corruption in us is fttPplanted by the contrary Grace. Now this habitual Holinefs of Perfons, which conffts in afeparation from Sin, is a conformity to the Holinefs of God ; and by this we may come to underftançl what Holinefs in God is ; and it lignifies the peculiar eminency -of the Divine.Na- ture, whereby it is feparated and removed at an infinite diflance from, moral Ìníßçrfe then, and that which we call Sin ; that is, there is nofuch thing as Malice, or .n-- vy, or Hatred, or Revenge, or Impatience, or Cruelty, or Tyranny, or Injù- ftice or Falfhood, or Unfaithfulnefs inGod ; or if there be any other Thing that Tgnifies Sin, and Vice, and moral Imperfeêtion, Holinefs lignifies that the Di- vine Nature is-at an infinite-diftance from all thefe, and pofieft of the contrary Perfeéìaons. Therefore all thofe Texts that remove Moral Imperfeecion from God, and de- clare the repugnancy ofit to theDivine Nature, do fet forth the Holinefs of lam. I. 13. God cannot be tempted with evil. Job 8. ;. 'Dath Godpervert judgment, or >deth the Almighty pervert Mice ? Job 34. Io, Iz. Far le it ffom Girl that,he fliould do wickednefs, and from the Almighty, that he f,$ould commit iniquity; Tea furely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almightypervert judgment. Rom 9.144
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