Part 116 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Back to Part 115 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Part 117 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Back to HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
First, Premise this with me, that God is ESSENTIALLY holy, and in this sense, none is holy but himself. [Mat. 19:17, There is none good but God, that is, there is none essentiallygood but God, etc.] Now essential holiness is all one with God himself. God's essential holiness is God's conformity to himself. Holiness is not a quality in God—but his essence. Whatever is in God, is God. Holiness in angels and saints is but a quality—but in God it is his essence. The fallen angels keep their natures, though they have lost their holiness; for that holiness in them was a quality, and not their essence. Look! as created holiness is the conformity of the reasonable creature to the rule—just so, the uncreated holiness of God is God's conformity unto himself. God's holiness and his nature are not two things, they are but one. God's holiness is his nature, and God's nature is his holiness. It is God's royal prerogative to be essentially holy.
The most glorious creatures in heaven, and the choicest souls on earth, are only holy by participation: 1 Sam. 2:2, "There is none holy as the Lord." God's holiness is so essential and co-natural to him, that he can as soon cease to be, as cease to be holy. Holiness in God is a substance—but in angels and men it is only a quality. The essence of the creature may remain when the holiness of the creature is lost, as you may see in Adam, and the fallen angels; but God's essence and his holiness are always the same. His very nature is holy, and therefore it is that he is called Jehovah, and "I am," because what he is really, that he is essentially, Exod. 3:14.
Though men, for our information, do distinguish between the attributes of God and the nature of God—yet in him they are the same. Look! as the wisdom of God is the wise God, and the truth of God the true God, and the power of God the powerful God, and the justice of God the just God, and the mercy of God the merciful God, and the mightiness of God the mighty God, and the righteousness of God the righteous God, and the graciousness of God the gracious God—just so, the holiness of God is the holy God. God's nature and his name are one and the same. God is essentially holy, and that is the epitome of all his glory. But,