SERM.ture, and glory of his fupreme government, I. and the most apt to excite in us pious and devout affections. Particularly, they reprefent that which I have been endeavouring to prove and to explain, his moral attributes in general, or that perfect rectitude which comprehends them all under the character of holiness, as the object of our highest admiration and most profound reverence, which in a peculiar sense they ascribe, nay, appropriate to him, as in the text: Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy Name, for thou only art Holy? In like manner, the angels are represented in vifion to the prophet Isaiah as in God's train which filled the temple, that is, as attending in their ministry when he reveals his will to men, and governs them according to that revelation: And on that occafion they celebrate his glory under the fame denomination, as expreffing the most proper idea we can have of the object of our worship, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hofts, the whole earth is full of his glory. It is therefore the incommunicable title of the true God, denoting his incomparable moral excellence, which the prophets often gave him, the Holy one of Ifrael. Other perfons, 'tis true, and even inanimate things, are called holy in fcripture. But things are fo denominated only because of their be

I.

ing used in the external religious services per- SER M. formed by men: and perfons in a more proper, but far inferior fenfe, fo that the glory of the pureft and most exalted created beings is represented as finking into nothing, when fet against original and immutable holiness. The heavens are not clean in his fight, and he chargeth his angels with folly. But when this defignation is given to God, it means that which is the principal and peculiar object of reverence; which ought to be held facred by all intelligent creatures, and claims their humble adoration on its own account, without reference to any thing else as a fuperior excellence, or its original pattern, and it is the univerfal perfect rectitude of the divine nature.

Now the holiness of God, that most eminent character given him in scripture, comprehending all his moral excellencies, and propofed as the juft object of our religious fear, and the perfect pattern to which we should always endeavour to conform our temper and behaviour;-The holiness of God, I fay, is celebrated as confifting in fuch particulars as you will see are imported in his approbation of good and disapprobation of evil; his moral character, as it appears by the evidence of reason, confifting in an eternal distance from every kind and degree of fin and unrighteouf

nefs,

I.

*

SERM. nefs, in an utter abhorrence of all manner of moral impurity. Thou art (fays the prophet) of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canft not look on iniquity; that is, otherwise than with deteftation, and in a conftant oppofition to wicked men, who continue obftinately and impenitently in their wickedness. †Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee; the foolish fhall not ftand in thy fight, thou hateft the workers of iniquity. Sin is constantly represented, as that alone, which separates between God and any of his rational creatures, obftructing the channels of his overflowing goodness towards them, and hindering his complacency in them. Whatever benevolence and compaffion he has for finners, (and indeed he has fhewn amazing pity to guilty mankind) no confideration can reconcile him to their fins, fo as to give them the leaft degree of countenance or approbation. On the contrary, the scriptures constantly teach, that having diftinguished some of mankind by his favour, and honoured them with peculiar privileges, it is not the intention of his grace to indulge them in any evil way; but he has chofen them for this very end, ‡ that they should be boly, and without blame before him.

§ And if

they break his ftatutes, and keep not his com- SERM. mandments, then will be vifit their tranfgref- I. fions with the rod, and their iniquity with ftripes. For, fays the prophet, * in the name of God, to the Ifraelites, You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. Thus is he reprefented as acting invariably, according to the effential rectitude of his nature, pleased with moral goodness in his creatures, displeased with evil.

Above all, the Gospel, that last and most perfect revelation of the divine will, instead of giving the profeffors of it any allowance to fin because grace has abounded, (which is an injurious imputation caft upon it by ignorant and impious minds,) its chief defign is to establish that great principle, God's moral purity, and to manifeft his abhorrence of fin, and inviolable regard to purity and virtue in his reafonable creatures. It was for this he fent his fon into the world, to turn men from their iniquities, and reduce them to the paths of righteousness. For this the bleffed Jefus fubmitted to the deepest humiliations and moft grievous fufferings. He gave himself (as St. Paul speaks) + for his church, that he might fanctify and cleanse it, that he might present

* Amos iii. 2.

+ Eph. v. 26, 27.

it

SERM.it to himself a glorious church, not having I. Spot or wrinkle, but that it should be holy

and without blemish; or as it is elsewhere expreffed, he gave himself for us, to redeem us from our iniquities, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good. works. In all this he is faid to have done the will of his father, and glorified him; that is, reftored and promoted in the world the cause of virtue and righteousness, which is the glory of God. And his life was the visible image of the divine fanctity, proposed as a familiar example to mankind; for he was holy, harm-. lefs, undefiled, and feparate from finners. He did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth. And as christianity appears by the character of its author, and by his actions and sufferings, to be a defigned evidence of the holiness of God, or of his averfion to fin and his gracious defire to turn men from it, fo the institution itfelf is perfectly pure; it contains the clearest and most lively descriptions of moral virtue, and the strongest motives to the practice of it. It promises, as from God, the kindest affistance to men for making the Gospel effectual to renew them in the fpirit of their minds, and to reform their lives by his fpirit, fent down from heaven on purpose to convince the world of fin, and righteousness, and judgment; to

en