Part 119 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 120 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Fourthly, As God is universally holy—just so, God is eminently holy. He is transcendently holy, he is superlatively holy, and therefore he is said to be glorious in holiness, "Lord, who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?" Exodus 15:11. There is no fathoming, there is no measuring, there is no comprehending, there is no searching, of that infinite sea of holiness which is in God. As neither men nor angels can set banks or bounds to God's holiness—just so, neither men nor angels can sound to the bottom of God's holiness. All that holiness that is in angels and men is but a spark—compared to God's flame; it is but a drop—compared to his sea; it is but a flicker—compared to his sun; it is but a mite—compared to his millions, etc. O sirs! you shall as soon stop the sun in its course, and change the day into night, and raise the dead, and make a world, and count the stars of heaven, and empty the sea with a cockle-shell—as you shall be able either to conceive or express that transcendent holiness which is in God.
This glorious name or title, the "Holy One of Israel," is ascribed to God about thirty times in the Old Testament, and all to show that he is most excellent and transcendent in holiness; and the seraphim which stood before the throne cried out three times, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord Almighty," Isaiah 6:3, to show that God is most eminently and superlatively holy; for so thrice holy in some languages is most holy. For holiness, God is a incomparable; there are none to be compared with him, neither are there any among angels or among men, yes, or among the gods, who are like unto him. "Lord, who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?" Exodus 15:11. God's holiness is infinite, it is so super-eminent and so super-excellent that it can neither be limited, nor lessened, nor increased.
If men should blaspheme or reproach the Lord, he would be never the worse, he would be never the less holier than he is; and if men should bless him and worship him, he would be never the better, never the holier. Unto perfection there can be no addition. A drop taken out of the sea can no ways diminish the sea, Neh. 9:5. He is exalted above all blessing and praise! All the angels in heaven and all the men on earth cannot add one ray, one beam of glory to the essence of God, to the holiness of God.
As God is goodness in the very abstract, and justice in the very abstract, and mercy in the very abstract, and righteousness in the very abstract, and loving-kindness in the very abstract—just so, he is holiness in the very abstract, so that no man can flatter him or add unto him; and hence it is that God glories in the attribute of his holiness more than in any other attribute, "For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy," Isaiah 57:15.
When God would lift up himself in all his glory, he does it by declaring that his name is holy; and so when God would swear by himself, he swears by his holiness: Amos 4:2, "The Lord God has sworn by his holiness." Look! as the great men of the world are accustomed to swear upon their honor when they would give us the greatest assurance of what they will do, because such oaths are looked upon as most sacred and inviolable—just so, the great God swears by him holiness, because his holiness is his greatest honor, and because he has no greater, nor no better, nor no choicer, nor no sweeter, nor no more precious things to swear by. "Let me," says God, "be never owned as a God, nor honored as a God, nor trusted as a God, nor feared as a God, nor valued as a God—if I do not inviolably keep my promises, and make good my threatenings, having sworn thereunto by my holiness."
Now you know the scripture says, "When God could swear by no greater, he swore by himself," Heb. 6:13—just so, I may say, when God could swear by no greater attribute, by no greater excellency, he swears by his holiness, that being the epitome and the glory of all.
Look! as all the wisdom of the creatures, compared with the wisdom of God—is but folly; and as all the goodness of the creatures, compared with the goodness of God—is but wickedness; and as all the fullness of the creature, compared with the fullness of God—is but emptiness; and as all the power of the creature, compared with the power of God—is but weakness; and as all the righteousness of the creature, compared with the righteousness of God—is but unrighteousness—just so, all the holiness of the creature, compared with the holiness of God—is but unholiness.
Man's highest purity is but impurity, when it is compared to the purity of God, yes, the very holiness of angels, compared with the holiness of God, is chargeable with folly, Job 4:18. That fullness of holiness that is in angels or saints is only the fullness of the vessel—but that fullness of holiness that is in God is the fullness of the fountain. That fullness of holiness that is in angels or saints is but the fullness of the branches—but that fullness of holiness that is in God is the fullness of the root. That fullness of holiness that is in angels or saints is but the fullness of sufficiency—but that fullness of holiness that is in God is the fullness of redundancy. But,
Back to Part 118 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Part 120 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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