Part 158 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Back to Part 157 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Part 159 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Back to HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
[5.] In all our approaches, addresses, and drawings near to God—God calls aloud for holiness. Lev. 10:3, "Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored." There is nothing more evident than this throughout the Old Testament, that the people of God were always to sanctify themselves when they were to draw near to God. John 4:23-24.
God is a holy God, and there is no drawing near to him without holiness; the worship which God stands most upon, and which is most pleasing and delightful to him—is spiritual worship, and none can offer this but a holy people. Such as draw near to God without holiness may, if they were not deaf, hear God saying to them, "What have you to do to take my name into your mouths, seeing you hate to be holy? Who required these things at your hands?" Psalm 50:16-17; Isaiah 1:12.
The Persians every morning worship the rising sun, and the Turks their Mahomet, and the Papists their images, and some of the Indians worship the first thing that they meet with in the morning, and others of them worship a red rag, and others of them worship the devil. [The Romans taught that a man might be saved in any religion. Isaiah 29:13-14; Mat. 15:8-9.]
The Romans used to worship Jupiter, a hurtful god among them, not because they loved him—but because they would not be hurt or harmed by him. And Praxiteles the painter made the silly people worship the image of his strumpet, under the title and pretense of Venus. And truly all the worship that you offer to God is little better, if you draw near to him with your body, without holiness in your soul.
O sirs, remember that in all your public duties God calls aloud for holiness, and in all your family duties God calls aloud for holiness, and in all your closet duties God calls aloud for holiness. Times of drawing near to God, should be always times of much holiness. You may come to a duty—but you will never come to God in a duty—without holiness. You may come to an ordinance—but you will never come to God in an ordinance—without holiness; and therefore, in all your drawings near to God, remember that God calls for holiness in a special manner then. But,