1 PET. 1. 15.
THe Apostle having in the former part of the Chapter, spoken of glorious encouragements in the way to heaven, at the 13 Verse, he presseth to an exact and accurate diligence in the exercise of grace, which is emphatically expressed by that metaphorical phrase, Girdup the loins of your minde: The body girt, is more expedite and prepared for any work, and so is the minde. In the 14 Verse he amplifieth this duty; first, Comparatively, As obedient children: This sheweth the inward willingness and readiness that should be in them to all acts of obedience; as also, the evangelical and filial motive to draw them out. Secondly, This is pressed negatively, Not fashioning your selves, &c. You see what it is to be men and women of the best fashion; viz. Such as do not conform to those lusts and sins that the world doth lie in: And that 2. Is positively commanded, But be ye holy; where you have the duty enjoyned, Be ye holy: There are four words commonly used for this holiness, sometimes […], sometimes […], sometimes […], and most commonly […]. Whether this word came of […] and […] without earth, or of […], because holiness deserveth all reverence and veneration, I shall not much regard; this is certain, it doth imply a choice and sublime frame of soul, whereby we are carryed out in reference to God in all our actions. 2. There is the extent of this duty, In all manner of conversation: Here this is considerable, that men may demonstrate some holiness in some particular acts, and in some channels, but not in all manner of conversation. 3. Here is the exemplary cause, after which we are to be conformable, As he that hath called you is holy. 4 There is an argument confirming it by authority from Scripture, Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy: That is written many times, to raise up our thoughts in godliness, not to propound any men, no not the most holy that are, but God himself: Now the Apostle doth not mean an equality; for how can a drop be equal to the sea? or a spark to the Sun? but onely of similitude and proportionable imitation, as is more particularly to be shewed. Observe,
Observ. That persons called, ought to be holy, even as God who calleth them is most holy.
This very consideration should work an heavenly metamorphosis and change, who and what is that God who calleth me, should the soul say; God who made me after his own image at first, doth still require the reparation of it in my life: Of all the attributes the Angels selected to glorifie God with, this was that they pitched on, Holy, holy, holy, Isa. 6. and certainly, of all things remarkable and considerable in thee, this should be thy chief, Holy: Thou art wise, but holy; thou art rich, but holy; this is the Diamond in the Jewel.
To illustrate this point, consider,
First, What this holiness is, and that is in these things:1
First, An inward rectitude of all the parts and faculties of the soul, whereby they are imployed and improved for holy ends: Holiness is not a particular grace, or a particular healing of some disease in the soul, but it is an universal medicine applied to all the soars of the soul, and if it doth not perfectly cure and heal all the disease, yet it doth for the main: So that this holiness is nothing but the sound and right temperament of the soul, whereby it is inabled in minde, will and affection, yea, the whole man to be carried out towards God; therefore this holiness is called The image of God; and we know, an image is not an hand, or a leg, but a ful delineation in all the parts thereof; when therefore we are commanded thus to be holy, we are to look to holiness in the fountain, to holiness in the root; even as God is not onely holy in actions, and in all his works he doth, but in his essence and nature also: So that although all thy actions have never such a shew of holiness and outward splendor, yet if not flowing from this inward image, they are but guilded Sepulchres, and like the ashes of Sodom.
Secondly, This holiness is a pure and unmixed disposition of soul, from any thing that may soil and debase it: So some make the word […], that is, without any2 terrene or earthly mixture; for as every thing is debased, when it is mixed with that which is of an inferior nature to it; as lead with silver, water with wine: So it is here, when the soul of man which was made for the enjoyment of God, and communion with him, is bowed down to earthly things, and mingleth it self with them, then it becometh base and degenerate. Now the soul may admit of a twofold mixture, both which makes it unholy: