- A godly man is like God,1 he hath the same judgement with God; he thinks of things as God doth; he hath a God-like disposition; he partakes of the Divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. A godly man doth bear Gods Name and Image; godliness is God-likeness. ‘Tis one thing to profess God, another thing to resemble him.
A godly man is like God in2 Holiness: Holiness is the most orient Pearl of the King of Heavens Crown, Exod. 15. 11. Glorious in Holiness. Gods power makes him Mighty, his mercy makes him lovely, but his holiness makes him glorious: The Holiness of God is the intrinsick purity of his Nature, and his abhorrency of sin: A godly man bears some kind of Analogy with God in this: He hath the Holy Oil of Consecration upon him, Psal. 106. 16. Aaron the Saint of the3 Lord. Holiness is the Badge and Livery of Christs people, Isa. 63. 18. The people of thy4 Holiness: The godly are as well an Holy as a Royal Priesthood, 1 Pet. 2. 9. Nor have they only a Frontispiece of holiness, like the Egyptian Temples, which were fair without; but they are like Solomons Temple, which had gold within; they have written upon their heart Holiness to the Lord: The holiness of the Saints consists in their conformity to Gods Will, which is the rule and patern of all Holiness.
Holiness is a mans glory: Aaron put on garments for glory and beauty, Exod. 28. 2. So when a person is invested with the embroidered garment of Holiness, it is for glory and beauty.
The goodness of a Christian lies in his Holiness, as the goodness of the Air lies in the clearness of it; the worth of gold in the pureness.
Quest. Wherein do the godly discover their holiness?
Answ. 1. In hating the garment spotted by the flesh, Iude 3. The godly do set themselves against evil, both in purpose and practise; they are fearful of that which looks like sin, 1 Thes. 5. 22. The appearance of evil may prejudice a weak Christian: If it doth not defile a mans own Conscience, it may offend his Brothers Conscience; and to sin against him, is to sin against Christ, 1 Cor. 8. 12. A godly man will not go as far as he may, least he go further than he should; he will not swallow down all that others (bribed with preferment) may plead for: ‘Tis easie to put a golden colour upon a rotten stuff.
- The godly discover their holiness in being Advocates for Holiness, Psal. 119. 46. I will speak of thy Testimonies before Kings, and will not be ashamed. When Piety is calumniated in the world, the Saints will stand up in the defence of it; they will wipe off the dust of a reproach from the face of Religion: Holiness defends the godly, and they will defend Holiness; it defends them from danger, and they will defend it from disgrace.
Use 1. Use 1. How can those be reputed godly, who are unlike God? they have nothing of God in them, not one shread of holiness: They call themselves Christians, but blot out the word holiness; you may as well call it day at midnight.
So impudent are some, that they boast they are none of the holy ones: Is it not the Spirit of Holiness which marks the sheep of Christ from the goats, Eph. 1. 13. Ye were sealed (or marked) with the Holy Spirit: And is it a matter for men to boast of, that they have none of the Spirits ear-mark upon them? Doth not the Apostle say, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord, Heb. 12. 14. Such as bless themselves in their unholiness, had best go ring the Bells for joy that they shall never see God.
Others there are that hate holiness: sin and holiness never meet but they fight: holiness dischargeth its fire of zeal against sin, and sin spits its venom of malice at holiness: Many pretend to love Christ as a Saviour, but hate him as he is the Holy One, Act. 3. 14.
Use 2.5 Let us labour to be like God in holiness.
Motive. 1. This is Gods great design he drives on in the world; ‘tis the end of the Word preached: the silver drops of the Sanctuary are to water the seed of grace, and make a crop of holiness spring up: What use is there of the Promises but to bribe us to holiness? What are all Gods Providential Dispensations, but to excite holiness? As the Lord makes use of all the seasons of the year, frost and heat, to bring on the harvest; so all prosperous and adverse providences, are for the promoting the work of holiness in the soul. What is the end of the mission of the spirit, but to make the heart holy? When the ayr is unwholesome by reason of foggy vapours, the wind is a fan to winnow and purifie the ayr: so the blowing of Gods Spirit upon the heart, is to purifie it, and make it holy.
Motive. 2. Holiness is that alone which God is delighted with: (Aristot) Tamerlain being presented with a pot of gold, asked whether the gold had his Fathers stamp upon it: But when he saw it had the Roman stamp, he rejected it. Holiness is Gods stamp and impress; if he doth not see this stamp upon us, he will not own us.
Motive. 3. Holiness fits us for communion with God: communion with God is a paradox to the men of the world; every one that hangs about the Court, doth not speak with the King: We may approach to God in duties, and as it were hang about the Court of Heaven, yet not have communion with God: That which keeps up the intercourse with God is holiness; the holy heart enjoys much of Gods presence; he feels heart-warming and heart-comforting virtue in an Ordinance: Where God sees his Likeness, there he gives his love.