might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him: that is, (when it is faid we are made righteousness) we are through the relation we ftand in to God through Christ, and in pursuance of the terms of the covenant of grace, abfolved, acquitted and discharged from all obligations to punishment; and that is to be made righteous, Rom. iii. 24. Being juftified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift; fo

John ii. 2. He is the propitiation for our fins; and not for ours only, but also for the fins of the whole world. 1 John iv. 10. He hath loved us and bath fent his fon to be a propitiation for our fins. 1 Cor. vi. 11. the apoftle mentions a great many fins; and adds, fuch were fome of you, as bad as any, but ye are juftified in the name of the Lord Jefus, &c. and so are discharged from all obligation to punishment. And to mention no more, Rev. vii. 14. Their robes washed white in the blood of the lamb. God made us at firft in the ftate of the whiteness of fnow, the ftate of abfolute innocence but now we have loft that, we must have our garments washed white in the blood of the lamb. this for holiness of state. Then 2dly, There is holinefs in respect of habit, temper and difpofition of mind, a frame of fpirit, a conftitution and complexion of foul; whence are inclinations and propenfions to acts of goodness and virtue.

:

It is in effect

when a man's nature is reconciled to God, and to truth and righteousness thro' a divine participation, that a man's choice and delight is in the things that are according to the mind and will of God, and he doth harmonize with the law of heaven; and he finds a fympathy in his disposition to the law of right,

and

and an indisposition and antipathy to the contrary; such abhorrence as was in Joseph when he was tempted; how can I do this great wickedness and fin against God? And this is intrinfick rectitude, inward health and ftrength. This is holiness; it is a good principle of action, and makes a man fit for any performance; for where holiness is, a man's mind will be free to all worthy actions.

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Secondly, Relative holiness, that lies in a feparation, a distinction, or an appropriated use. For, relative ho liness doth not, at all, alter the nature and quality of things; but of the relation, and ufe. Whereas real holiness mends the subject, and puts it into a found conftitution. It gives an inward tincture and colour to the mind. It gives a right temper, complexion and conftitution to the foul. Things that are altogether uncapable of real holiness, may be relatively holy: but, only perfons endued with understanding and reason, and privileged with liberty and freedom; thefe only can be the subjects of real holiness. tell you, in fhort; that that we call grace or virtue, (for, to me, they are all one) goodness and righteousness these are that that we call real holiness. They fanctify the fubject, by their prefence and wherefoever they are, the person is made good. On the other fide; vice and fin, which are, in themselves, impure and unholy things, these do defile the foul, wherever they are. Now things are relatively holy, either by God's inftitution and affuming, or by man's defignation or voluntary dedication. But, real holy things are, by an intrinfick and inward rectitude and goodnefs. Relative holiness doth not depend upon the

quality

quality of the thing, but wholly depends upon the will and pleasure of the agent; upon some arbitrary act of him that hath power; and fo is mutable and of a difpenfible nature and at the pleasure of the fuperior for God may affume into a relation to himself, either persons or things. God may affume a thing to fignify fomething from him, to exhibit fomething from him; it may be God's inftrument, and afterwards he may lay it aside and make it common again: and things relatively holy have been abated and omitted (even where the things have been under the command of God; and of his inftitution,) and have returned to their ordinary ufe again. By thus affuming, he makes it holy; that is, it fhall have a special relation to him, and a peculiarity and property of God shall be upon it; it may be peculiarly God's inftrument: and he may unfanctify it and make it common again. As for instance. 1. The brazen-ferpent in the wilderness; it was God's inftrument, and, by God's appointment, holy; and it was good for the people for a time, and of great use for those that were bitten by the fiery ferpents, who by looking up unto it were healed. And it was typical in a fort, and exhibitive of Chrift, and refembled our application to him: after a while it is deserted of God and returns to be common as it was before; and Hezekiah is reported well of, for destroying it with fome contempt. When it was abufed, it was not only divested of its dignity, but reduced to common ufe. It was brafs before, and it was (Nehushtan) a piece of brafs again. Therefore, thofe things that are relatively holy; that is, feparate from common

and

and ordinary use; their holiness may be taken off; and they return to their ordinary and common use again. But real holiness of perfons, their principles, and their actions; that can never be released; is never to be dispensed with; in no cafe, to be avoided or discharged never any abatement or relaxation, nefailure to be in this.

ver any

2. Another inftance, circumcifion, that great ceremony among the Jews: it was a holy rite, because it was appointed by God, and had its use and fignification; yet it flept for forty years together, that is, during the children of Ifrael being in the wilderness; it was suspended out of respect of the conveniency of their travel, as you may find fof. v. 7. For this had no internal holiness, neither did it make the perfons pure, only it did make the perfons feparate for God.

3. Another inftance. The fhew-bread was holy in the use of it; and it was not allowed to the use of any but to holy perfons, the priests: yet it is faid, David and his men, when in neceffity, made bold with it, and our Saviour juftifies it, 1 Sam. xxi. 6. and Mat. xii. 4. Now that it was appropriate to the priefts, you may find Exod. xxix. 32. and Levit. viii. 31. This relative holiness, in David's neceffity is dispensed withal.

4. Our Saviour alfo gives another inftance, Mat. xii. 5. Have you not read in the law, how that on the fabbath days the priests in the temple profane the fabbath and are blameless? The explication is this: there was prohibited on the fabbath day the doing of any work: but the priests did profane the fabbath and were blameless; and how they did profane the fabbath, V o L. IV.

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you

you shall find, Num. xxviii. 9. And on the fabbath day thou shalt offer unto the Lord two lambs of the first year, without spot, and two-tenth deals of flour, for a meat offering mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof. This is the burnt-offering of every fabbath, befides the continual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering. So that there was a great deal of drudgery in preparing and offering the facrifice : and this the priests did on that day, and were blameless. So that you fee that things that are only relatively holy, may be over-born and abated; but never any difpenfation in any point of real holiness.

5. To this purpose 'tis very observable, that of Belshazzar. The confecrated veffels of the temple had a peculiarity to God, and holiness was upon them; for God had appointed them and fet them apart for holy use. Belshazzar, he rifles the temple, and carries them away to Babylon: God fuffers this, as if he took no notice of it; but when Belshazzar took upon him at his banqueting to revoke the confecration, you see how angry God was, and writes a terrible doom against him. So that tho' God will yield to the neceffities of men in things that are relatively holy; yet we must not take upon us to vary from divine inftitution, but where there is true reafon; for you never find fince the creation, that God upon any terms did ever give the least allowance to any immoral or impure act.

6. Another inftance. Good Hezekiah's paffover, which was kept with undue time and circumstances, and otherwise than 'twas appointed; yet it was honourably accounted of. There was as much regard

to