THE BEAVTY OF HOLINES A Sermon preached at the Court By IOHN ARCHBOLD Dr. of Diuinitie And Chaplaine in Ordinarie to his Majestie LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Nathaniel Butter and are to bee sold at his shop neare S. Austines Gate at the signe of the Pyde Bull. 1621. THE BEAVTY OF HOLINES 1. PET. 1. 16. Bee yee holy for I am holy HOlinesse the delight of God the beautie of Angels the riches of the Saints is here the Subiect of my Text. A Text which God himselfe preacheth eternally to Angels to Saints to Men to al vnderstanding and rationall Creatures capable of so diuine a perfection Bee yee holy for I am holy The parts of which Text are three 1. Holinesse in God I am holy 2. Holinesse required in Man Bee yee holy 3. Holinesse therefore required in man because found in God Bee yee holy for I am holy 1. Holinesse in God I am holy ALl excellencies and perfections whatsoeuer may be distinguished into two kindes Naturall and Morall as is manifest in these Creatures which haue the one kinde and not the other Such are wicked men who may excell in some naturall perfections of strength vnderstanding policy beautie and yet want all morall perfection of vertue of grace of holinesse But more manifest is this in Deuils who excelling all men in naturall abilities of strength vnderstanding agilitie and the like yet retayne not one dram of goodnesse vertue righteousnesse truth puritie holinesse or any other morall perfection wherein they were at first created But are iustly called immundi spiritus vncleane Tho. Summae p. 1. q. 63. a. 2. in c. spirits because howsoeuer they are not vncleane secundùm affectum they are not in themselues affected with carnall vncleannesse being spirituall natures yet they are vncleane secundùm reatum they are certainely most guiltie of all carnall impuritie Peucer de diuinat p. 15. it being one of their speciall imployments and chiefest delights to prouoke and stirre vp mankind to all fleshly and libidinous pollutions But in opposition to them Our God is a most pure and chaste Spirit For as in the Creatures so also in God per viam eminentiae we doe conceiue two kindes of perfections and excellencies the one Naturall and the other Morall When we thinke of Gods naturall perfections we conceiue in our thoughts an infinite light an infinite life an infinite power an infinite wisedome an infinite beautie an infinite sweetnesse an infinite riches an infinite blisse an infinite glory and Maiestie But besides these naturall perfections we conceiue also in God many morall perfections of Holinesse of Puritie of Righteousnesse of Truth of Goodnesse of Clemency of Hatred of all sinne and vncleannesse All which perfections whether naturall or morall though we cannot conceiue them otherwise then as so many various and distinct qualities or habits of God yet indeed are one simple absolute and indiuided Essence which is God himselfe It is then in this Morall attribute of Holinesse as in all other perfections of God God is almightie wise good iust holy not by any qualitie superadded to his Essence But his might his wisedome his goodnesse his iustice his holinesse is his very Essence Nay all these are himselfe according to the Rule In Deo non differt quod est Summ. p. 1. q. 29. a. 4. ad 1. quo est As equally then and necessarily as God may say of himselfe I am so equally and necessarily Exod. 3. 14. for truth may hee say of himselfe as here I am holy A truth which may bee cleared by two reasons taken from the very Nature of Holinesse For 1. What is Holinesse but a rectitude in affection in action conformable in all points to the will of God as to the eternall Lawe and Rule of Holinesse And what is the will of God but his essence As essentially then doth God in affection in action will that which is Holy as the Rule of all Holinesse his owne will is intrinsecall and essentiall to him And as essentially doth he also hate all Sinne and Impuritie the Nature whereof is to be repugnant to his will non vt forma formae sed vt inordinatum distortum suae regulae mensurae not as one forme to another but as an aberration and obliquitie swaruing from the straight and euen Line and Leuell of his will As opposite then as obliquitie is to rectitude disconformitie to conformitie deformitie to beautie darkenesse to light filthinesse to puritie death to life euill to good So opposite and hatefull to the holinesse of God is the impuritie of all Sinne. Thou art of pure eyes and canst not see euill thou Hab. 1. 13. canst not behold wickednesse 2. What is Holinesse but Puritie and What is Puritie but a freenesse from all contagion and touch of inferiour things For as that Gold is impure that is any whit embased with drosse and as a beautifull face or pure white garment is defiled with aspersion of dyrt or filth So the Soule becomes impure and vnholy ex contactu inferiorum by inordinate adherence and affection to the base and inferiour things of the World Againe it becomes pure and holy ex contactu superiorum by eleuating and raising the affection and loue thereof to things aboue to things heauenly and diuine But aboue all things God is most high most noble most pure most heauenly And therefore the puritie and holinesse of all Spirits consisteth in their adherence by loue and affection to God in their coniunction and vnion with him Now who more adherent to God by loue and affection then himselfe Who more conioyned to him by nature and essence then himselfe As essentially then as God is adherent and conioyned to himselfe so essentiall to him is his Holinesse and as necessarily as he loues himselfe who onely can loue himselfe quantum est amabilis as far as he is worthie loue and that is infinitely so necessarily is He Holy And thus this truth runnes cleare That as equally and necessarily as God may say of himselfe I am so equally and necessarily for truth may he say of himselfe as here I am Holie But Our God that is holy essentially in himselfe is also Holy Causaliter the Originall and Fountaine of all Holinesse in the Creatures It is hee that infuseth all holinesse into his Angels and Saints Vnto whose Sanctification the three Persons doe iointly concurre The Father as the Author and Fountain of holinesse The Sonne as the Type and patterne of holinesse The holy Ghost as the immediate stamper of this impression of Holinesse in the Spirits of Men and Angels In a great mysterie of which holy Trinitie the Seraphims crie one to another Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Isa 6. 3. Holie Holie Holie Lord God of Hoasts the whole World is full of thy glorie But vpon this that God is holy essentially in himselfe and the cause of all holinesse in the creatures it followeth thirdly that He is holy
Eminenter eminently and incomparably Holy before and aboue all Creatures For as all the power and wisedome and beautie and excellencie of all the Creatures compared to the power and wisdome and beautie and excellencie of God is as nothing So the Holinesse and puritie of all Creatures capable of so diuine a perfection compared to the Holinesse of God is as nothing or rather it is meere impuritie and vncleannesse Behold he found Iob 4. 18. no puritie in his seruants and layd folly vpon his Angels It is an Aphorisme of Diuines Totum vniuersum vnà cum Deo sumptum non esse quid praestantius Deo Solo That the whole world considered together with God is no whit more excellent then God considered sole and alone both because the whole World doth not adde aliquid notabile Deo makes no notable addition to God no more then one small sand of dust addeth any thing to the vastnesse of the whole earth or one drop of water to the infinite abundance of the Sea As also because whatsoeuer excellencie God produceth in the Creatures it is already contayned more eminently and the same in God and so addeth nothing to God Therefore our Sauiour There is none good Matth. 19. 17. but one euen God And our Church in her highest straine of deuotion immediately vpon receiuing the blessed Sacrament sings vnto God as the ancient Church did and both haue warrant for it Tu solus Sanctus tu solus Dominus Thou onely art Reuel 15. 4. holy thou onely art the Lord Thou onely O Christ art most high c. Hitherto the first part of my Text Holinesse in God I am holy The second followes Holinesse required in Man Bee yee holy Holinesse in this Text is attributed to God to Man but in a farre different manner To God ascribed I am To Man prescribed Bee yee Whence first note the vast difference betweene the increated Holinesse of God and the created holinesse of Angels and Men. First God is essentially holy and by nature as before I am holy Men and Angels are made holy by qualities and graces accessorie and superadded to their essence I am Bee yee Secondly it was neuer said to God Be thou holy His Holinesse as it had no beginning so is incapable of increase of diminution of end Hee remaynes in an eternall and immutable consistence of holinesse I am holy But the holinesse of Men and Angels as it hath beginning so is capable of increase of diminution I may also say of end For that the Elect both Angels and Men fall not either finally or totally from that grace and holinesse wherein they are stated is not from themselues or from the nature of any created holinesse which in it selfe is apt to defect and finally to decay but from that stabilitie and confirmation which they haue from without in Christ. Vnto Men therefore it is here said Yee that are as yet vnholy Bee yee holy Yee that haue attayned any degrees of holinesse bee yee more holy Hee that is righteous Reuel 22. 11. let him bee righteous still and hee that is holy let him bee holy still I am Bee yee Thirdly God is holy by and of himselfe independently Men are holy deriuedly and by participation from God I am by and of my selfe Bee yee by and from mee I am Bee yee But the second and most remarkable point of difference is betweene this of Holinesse and other attributes of God for there are many other diuine perfections of which God saith I am and yet of them doth no where say to vs Bee yee as I am Infinite Eternall Omnipotent Wise Glorious Great But of none of them doth he say any where to vs Bee yee thus or thus The reason whereof is because not in his Power not in his Wisedome not in his Knowledge not in his Greatnesse not in his Glorie but in his Holinesse but in his Puritie doth he propose himselfe as a Patterne or Sampler to be imitated and followed of vs. So that as Bernard once Potestas Serm. 1. in die Natal Domini subiectionem Maiestas admirationem neutra imitationem Other excellencies of God may some of them challenge from vs Subiection some Adoration and Reuerence others Admiration and Astonishment None of them imitation but this of his Holinesse Of this Holinesse God no sooner saith I am but hee seconds it immediately with Bee yee And this is further confirmed by a second reason There are in other Creatures many Vestigia foot-steps and impressions of other attributes of God of his Greatnesse of his Wisedome of his Power of his Glory and yet they are not therefore said to be made ad Imaginem after the Image of God It is the prerogatiue onely of rationall Creatures Men and Angels to be made after Gods Image in that they were made capable of resembling and expressing God in this Morall perfection of Holinesse Holinesse being no other then that glorious Image of God which at first he stamped in the Soule of man in our creation and which being after defaced by Sinne is daily renued in vs by Grace and shall bee fully restored in vs by Glorie We all behold as in a mirrour the glorie of the Lord 2. Cor. 3. 18. with open face and are changed into the same Image from glorie to glorie as by the Spirit of the Lord. Bee it then the point in question What that is wherein a man may ascend highest and approch nearest to the similitude and likenesse of God and I find the competition stands chiefly betweene these three Greatnesse Knowledge Holinesse 1. The prophane World is all for Greatnesse This they affect this they applaude affect in themselues applaud in others But where greatnesse is not subseruient to Holinesse one dram of Holinesse is to bee preferred before a World of Greatnesse because as before God may cast what beames of his greatnesse he will and vpon whom he will but he requireth vs to endeauour to patterne him not in his Greatnesse but in his Holinesse The Philosophers as Caietan deliuereth their Com. in 1. Ioh. 4. 8. iudgement they are all for Knowledge Penes scire maximè attenditur similitudo hominum ad Deum Knowledge is that which maketh men come neerest to the Similitude of God iust as the Tempter to our first Parents Eritis Sicut Dij Scientes Yee shall be as Gods knowing good and euill But the Gen. 3. 5. Scriptures giue Sentence for Holinesse for by it and by it alone wee are made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Partakers 2. Pet. 1. 4. of the diuine nature not by being transformed into identitie of substance with God but by being conformed to similitude of like affection with God Being holy as he is holy I am Be yee Hitherto the second part Holinesse required in man Be yee holy Now followes the third part Holinesse therefore required in man because found in God Be yee holy for I am holy For looke by how many
titles of Relation wee are Sacred and holy to God by so many ties of Obligation are we bound to be holy as God For what is once consecrate to God must not bee prophaned and Holinesse in relation requires Holinesse in qualitie Now we are Sacred and Holy to God in a threefold Relation first of Nature as Men secondly of Grace as men Regenerate thirdly of Glorie as they who shall hereafter bee Blessed Saints in heauen By nature as Men we were created for God and made capable of communion with him By Grace as Men Regenerate we are actually entered into communion with him though but in part as yet and a farre off By Glorie we shall with the blessed Saints be admitted to full Communion or rather vnion and conjunction with God And the rule is generall The neerer Communion we haue with God the more Conformitie required in vs vnto God for what fellowship hath righteousnesse 2. Cor. 6. 14. with vnrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darkenesse Wherefore come out from among them and separate your selues and touch none vncleane thing Be ye holy for I am holy 1. Wee are Sacred to God in the generall Relation of Nature as Men for God passing by all other Creatures though neuer so great neuer so glorious did from among them all call out vnto himselfe Men and Angels in the day of their Creation and by giuing them vnderstanding and rationall Spirits made them capable of the holinesse to glorifie God in this life and of the happinesse to be glorified of him in the life to come O blessed Prerogatiue conferred on vs men aboue all visible Creatures in heauen or earth And indeed those other Creatures were made for the vse of Man But man for the immediate vse and seruice of God And therefore other creatures may praise God in their kinde that is passiuè ipsa suâ specie onely passiuely and because in their natures appeare certaine foot-steps and impressions of Gods power and wisedome for so The heauens declare the glorie of God and the Earth Psal 19. 1. sheweth forth his handy-worke But men beeing in the day of their creation indued with those three faculties of Vnderstanding Memory Will a created Trinitie the image of the increated were made capable of the holinesse and happinesse to praise God actiuè actiuely vnderstandingly rationally freely affectionately So that howsoeuer all Creatures in their creation did alike come forth from God as their first Originall yet not all but onely Men and Angells were in their creation made capable of a blessed returne to God as their last end and happinesse Other Creatures when they are come forth from God they rest satisfied and content with those particular degrees of perfection they receyued from God but men and Angels rest not but remaine vnsatisfied till they returne to that fulnesse and vniuersalitie of good that is onely to be found in God And if we be men we must know that in our very nature as men for Naturalia substrata sunt gratiae we were made for the Holinesse to desire to affect to seeke the face of God and for the Happinesse to see his face to find him to enioy him and to stand about his Throne for euer But wee are sacred to God by a second and more neare Relation of grace for as God by creating vs capable of grace aduanced vs aboue all other Creatures so by actuall infusing grace into vs hath aduanced vs aboue all other men so farre that in the phrase of Saint Paul they which are no more then men by meere nature they stand as yet a long farre off but when from nature they are aduanced to grace then yee which were a-farre off facti estis propè are made nigh Before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing Ephes 2. 13. to doe with God meere Forreiners and Aliens but now Citizens with the Saints admitted to bee of the family and house of God yea made the very House and Temple of God wherein he dwelleth not as euery where per Diuinitatis praesentiam by the presence of his Deitie but as Augustine well expresseth it Per inhabitationis gratiam Epist 57. ad Dardanum by the speciall grace of inhabitation so as no where else but in the spirits of his Elect. And if to be admitted into the House of God be so binding an obligation of Holinesse for Domum Psal 92. 5. tuam decet sanctitudo Domine Holinesse becommeth thine House O Lord for euer What an enforcing Obligation to Holinesse is it to be the very House Habitation and Temple of God wherein hee will rest and take vp his Mansion for euer Yee are the Temple of the liuing God and I 2. Cor. 6. 16. will dwell among them and walke there Whereupon what followes Seeing then that wee haue such Cap. 7. 1. promises dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and grow vp vnto full holinesse in the feare of God Lest otherwise we grieue the holy Spirit of God and cause him Ephes 4. 30. who cannot depart from vs in essence and power yet to depart from vs both affectu and effectu affectu because he cannot but hate so nasty an habitation and effectu because he will not infuse the precious ointment of his sanctifying grace into so impure a vessell In malevolam animam non introibit Sapientia Wised 1. 4. Wisedome cannot enter into a wicked soule nor dwell in the body subiect to sinne But if the second relation of grace bee so strong a tie to Holinesse what thinke you of the third of Glorie By Grace facti sumus propè we were made neare vnto God but by Glorie we shall be not neare onely by blessed Communion but one with God by immediate vnion and coniunction God being the Fountayne of Holinesse the Saints are more or lesse holy according as they doe more or lesse approach and draw neare to God As the Moone hath her encreases and decreases of light differently according as shee standeth in different aspect to the Sunne from whom shee borroweth her light Now the Saints on earth are holy but in part because though God doe by gracious aspect looke on them in the face of Iesus Christ yet they being absent from God cannot answerably respect and looke backe vnto him But the blessed Angels and Saints are perfectly Holy because both God by gracious aspect looketh on them they also doe againe fully respect and looke backe vnto God being immediately ioyned to that wel-head and fountaine of holinesse in him and being receiued into that Sanctū Sanctorū that Holy of Holies into which none vncleane thing shall enter Reuel 21. 5. vltimo In the meane time the hope of so neere a communion with God to see him as he is must wake in vs an indeuour of so neere conformitie to God to be pure as he is pure We know that when he shall appeare we