XII. God is most holy, or infinite in holiness, which is essential to him: thus he is often styled, The Holy One of Israel, Isa. i. 4. and this attribute is thrice repeated by the seraphim, who, with the utmost reverence and adoration, cried, one unto another, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, chap. vi. 3. And he is said to be holy, exclusively of all others, as this is a divine perfection, and as he is infinitely and independently so, O Lord, thou only art holy, Rev. xv. 4. and the reason of this is assigned, to wit, because he is the only God; holiness is his very nature and essence; There is none holy as the Lord, for there is none besides him, 1 Sam. ii. 2. In considering this divine perfection, we shall enquire,
1. What we are to understand by it. Holiness is that whereby he is infinitely opposite to every thing that tends to reflect dishonour, or reproach, on his divine perfections; and especially as he is infinitely opposite in his nature, will, and works, to all moral impurity; as his power is opposed to all natural weakness, his wisdom to the least defect of understanding or folly, so his holiness is opposed to all moral blemishes, or imperfections, which we call sin; so that it is not so much one single perfection, as the harmony of all his perfections, as they are opposed to sin; and therefore it is called, The beauty of the Lord, Psal. xxvii. 4. and when the Psalmist prays that the church may be made and dealt with as an holy people, he says, Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, Psal. xc. 17. It is that which, if we may so express it, adds a lustre to all his other perfections; so that if he were not glorious in holiness, whatever else might be said of him, would tend rather to his dishonour than his glory, and the beauty of his perfections would be so sullied that they could not be called divine: as holiness is the brightest part of the image of God in man, without which nothing could be mentioned concerning him, but what turns to his reproach, his wisdom would deserve no better a name than that of subtilty, his power destructive and injurious, his zeal furious madness; so if we separate holiness from the divine nature, all other excellencies would be inglorious, because impure.
2. We proceed to consider the holiness of God, as glorified or demonstrated in various instances.
(1.) In his works. This perfection was as eminently displayed in the work of creation, especially that of angels and men, as his power, wisdom, and goodness; for he made them with a perfect rectitude of nature, without the least spot or propensity to sin, and with a power to retain it; so that there was no natural necessity laid on them to sin, which might infer God to be the author of it: and furthermore, as a moral expedient to prevent it, as well as to assert his own sovereignty, he gave them a law, which was holy, as well as just and good, and warned them of those dreadful consequences that would ensue on the violation thereof; as it would render them unholy, deprive them of his image, and consequently separate them from him, and render them the objects of his abhorrence; and, to this we may add, that his end in making all other things was, that his intelligent creatures might actively glorify him, and be induced to holiness.
(2.) This divine perfection appears likewise in the government of the world, and of the church, in all the dispensations of his providence, either in a way of judgment, or of mercy; therefore he shews his displeasure against nothing but sin, which is the only thing that renders creatures the objects of punishment, and all the blessings he bestows are a motive to holiness. As for his people, whom he hath the greatest regard to, they are described, as called to be saints, 1 Cor. i. 2. and it is said of the church of Israel, that it was holiness unto the Lord, Jer. ii. 3. and all his ordinances are holy, and to be engaged in with such a frame of spirit, as is agreeable thereunto: thus he says, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, Lev. x. 3. and holiness becometh his house for ever, Psal. xciii. 5. In like manner, we are to take an estimate of the success thereof, when, through the divine blessing accompanying them, they tend to promote internal holiness in those who are engaged therein, whereby they are distinguished from the rest of the world, and sanctified by his truth, John xvii. 17.
Object. It may be objected by some, that God’s suffering sin to enter into the world, which he might have prevented, was a reflection cast on his holiness.
Answ. It must be allowed, that God might have prevented the first entrance of sin into the world, by his immediate interposure, and so have kept man upright, as well as made him so; yet let it be considered, that he was not obliged to do this; and therefore might, without any reflection on his holiness, leave an innocent creature to the conduct of his own free-will, which might be tempted, but not forced, to sin, especially since he designed to over-rule the event hereof, for the setting forth the glory of all his perfections, and, in an eminent degree, that of his holiness; but this will more particularly be considered under some following answers.[[59]]
From what has been said concerning the holiness of God, let us take occasion to behold and admire the beauty and glory thereof, in all the divine dispensations, as he can neither do, nor enjoin any thing but what sets forth his infinite purity; therefore,
1. As he cannot be the author of sin, so we must take heed that we do not advance any doctrines from whence this consequence may be inferred; this ought to be the standard by which they are to be tried, as we shall take occasion to observe in several instances, and think ourselves as much concerned to advance the glory of this perfection, as of any other: notwithstanding it is one thing for persons to militate against what appears to be a truth, by alleging this popular objection, that it is contrary to the holiness of God, and another thing to support the charge; this will be particularly considered, when such-like objections, brought against the doctrine of predestination, and several other doctrines, are answered in their proper place.
2. It is an excellency, beauty, and glory, in the Christian religion, which should make us more in love with it, that it leads to holiness, which was the image of God in man. All other religions have indulged, led to, or dispensed with many impurities, as may be observed in those of the Mahometans and Pagans; and the different religions, professed by them who are called Christians, are to be judged more or less valuable, and accordingly to be embraced or rejected, as they tend more or less to promote holiness. And here I cannot but observe, that it is a singular excellency of the Protestant religion above the Popish, that all its doctrines and precepts have a tendency thereunto; whereas the other admits of, dispenses with, and gives countenance to manifold impurities; as will appear, if we consider some of the doctrines held by them, which lead to licentiousness. As,