3.20 THE HOLINESS THE ETERNAL TRIUNE GODHEAD; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ARE HOLY.

THE HOLINESS OF GOD.

…

THE ETERNAL TRIUNE GODHEAD;

God the Father,

God the Son

and

God the Holy Spirit

ARE HOLY.
…

Having considered those Attributes of God

which bear a likeness to affections in men;

we proceed to consider those Attributes of God

which in them may be called Virtues;

as Holiness, Justice, or Righteousness, Truth, or Faithfulness;

and shall begin with the Holiness of God.
…
3.20.1. First, we show that

“HOLINESS”  is in God,

and

“HOLINESS” Belongs to Him,

and

What “HOLINESS” is.

…

The Scriptures Most Abundantly

Ascribe “HOLINESS” to Him;

…

GOD ALMIGHTY is very frequently called

“Holy”,

and

“the Holy One”;

this title He takes to Himself, ( in Isaiah 40:25; Hoses 11:9)

…

Isaiah 40:25;

…

“To whom then will you Compare Me,

or Will I be Equal? Says

The Holy One.”
…

Hoses 11:9; …

“I Will Not Execute the Fierceness of My Anger,

I Will Not Return to Destroy Ephraim:

because

 I Am God,

and

not man;

The Holy One

in the Midst of you:

and

I Will Not Enter into the city.”

and

GOD ALMIGHTY is very frequently called

“Holy”,

and

“the Holy One”;

by others, angels and men;

and, indeed, without Holiness

He would not be that Perfect Being He is;

…

Un-Holiness is the imperfection

of every rational being in whom it is;

it is what has made angels and men

both impure and imperfect;

and

since no men, even the best, are without sin;

therefore none are in themselves perfect.

…

But as for God, His Ways and Works are Perfect,

and

so is His Nature; being Just and True,

and

without iniquity, as we read in Deuteronomy 32:4;
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Deuteronomy 32:4
…

“He is the Rock, His Work is Perfect:

for All His Ways are Judgment:

a God of Truth and Without Iniquity,

Just and Right is He.“

*****

Adapted from

A Body of Doctrinal Divinity

Book 1—Chapter 20

Of The Holiness Of God

& EXPOSITION of The BIBLE.

…

He is the Rock,

….

That is, Jehovah is the Rock,

whose Name Moses proposed to publish;

and our God,

to Whom the Heavens and the Earth

are called upon to Ascribe Greatness,

even Jesus Christ the Rock of Salvation:

…

here begins the song;

the first word in it is very emphatic;

it has a letter in it larger than usual,

to denote the greatness of this Person,

and to make it observable;

…

He is “This” or “That Rock” (k),

by way of Eminence,

that Rock and Stone of Israel,

Jacob prophesied of,

which was typified by the rock

Moses had smitten in the wilderness,

and which, no doubt, he knew,

as the Apostle Paul did,

that it was a symbolic type of Jesus Christ,

and had taught the Israelites so

to understand it;

…

and therefore this Epithet,

“He is the Rock”,

Being of a Divine Person

would not seem strange to them,

and yet is that Rock is the Same Rock

that the unbelieving Jews would

and did stumble at,

and

the Rock of Salvation

they lightly esteemed and rejected;

…

The Rock of Refuge

for sensible sinners to flee to

for Shelter and Safety

from the Wrath and Justice of God,

and from every enemy;

…

The Rock the churches of God

and every believing member

of The Lord’s churches

that He Instituted

are Built upon,

and in which they dwell;

…

and Who is the Rock of Ages

that Will Endure Forever,

as the Savior of His People,

and the Foundation of their Faith

and Hope:
…

His Work is Perfect;

…

not so much the Work of Creation or of Providence, which are both the Works of Jesus Christ, but that of Redemption and Salvation, in which there is not only a display of all the Divine Perfections, but is complete in all its parts; the law is perfectly fulfilled, justice is fully satisfied, a perfect righteousness is wrought out, a complete pardon is procured, perfect peace is made, full atonement of sins obtained, and the whole work is finished; and is so perfect that nothing is wanting in it, or can be added to it, nor can it be un-ravelled or undone again: likewise the work of building the church on this rock is carrying on, and will be perfected when all the elect of God, all given to Christ and redeemed by his blood, shall be called by grace and gathered in; when the last of the chosen ones, and redeemed of the Lamb, is brought in and laid in the building; when Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father complete, and God shall be all in all, and his church and people will be in a perfect state to all eternity:
…
…

because All His Ways are Judgment; his ways, which he himself has taken and walked in; his ways of providence are according to the best judgment and highest wisdom, and according to the strictest justice and equity; his ways of grace towards the salvation of his people, and the building up his church on himself, the rock; all the methods he took in eternity and time were all formed according to the counsel of God, and planned with the greatest wisdom, founded in his righteous nature, and according to covenant compact with his Father, and entered into in the most honourable manner; and in which he brought about the salvation of his people, in perfect consistence with the justice and holiness of God, and to the honour of them and his holy law: and he has executed all his offices of prophet, priest, and King, in the most just and righteous manner: the ways which he has prescribed his people to walk in, and in which he leads them, are ways of truth, righteousness, and holiness; such are all his ordinances and commandments:
…
a God of Truth; so Christ is called; see Gill on Isaiah 65:16; or the true God, which also is his name, 1 John 5:20; and is so called in opposition to fictitious deities, and such who are only so by name or of-fice, but not by nature; whereas he is truly and properly God, as appears from his names and nature, from his perfections, works, and worship, ascribed to him: or “God the truth” (l), for he is “the truth”, John 14:6; the truth of all types, promises, and prophecies, which all have their accomplishment in him; the sum and substance of all truths and doctrines, from whom they all come, and in whom they all cen-tre: or “the God of faith” or “faithfulness” (m); the object of faith, and the author and finisher of it; and who is faithful, as the God-man and Mediator, to him that appointed him, being intrusted with all the elect of God, with all promises and blessings of grace for them, with the fulness of grace to communi-cate unto them, with the glory of God in their salvation, and with their future and final happiness; and is faithful in the discharge of his offices of prophet, priest, and King:
…
and Without Iniquity; in his nature, in his heart, in his lips, and in his life; nor was ever any committed by him:
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Just and Right is He; just, both as a divine Person, and as man and Mediator; a lover and doer of righteousness, a worker out of righteousness for his people, and the justifier of them by it; just and righteous, as the, servant of God, as King of saints, and Judge of the whole world; “right” or “upright”, which is the character of a divine Person, agrees with Christ, and may denote his sincerity, uprightness, and faithfulness.
…

(k) “quod attinet ad rupem illam”, Piscator; “rupes illa”, Van Till; “rupes illa”, Vitringa. (l) “Deus veri-tas”, Pagninus, Montanus. (m) “Deus fidei”, Vatablus, Cocceius; “Deus veritatis sive fidei”, Vitringa.
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THE FOLLOWING is REFERENCE MATERIAL COMPILED

for future blog posts

& PROVIDED for your own FURTHER STUDY on this subject:
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Holiness is the Purity and  Righteous Moral Integrity of God’s Nature; whose Nature is so pure, as to be
without spot or stain, or anything like it: He is light and purity itself, and in Him is no darkness or
impurity at all; as “he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity”, so He is of a purer Heart and mind
than to have one sinful thought in it: His thoughts are not as ours; He is the pattern of purity and
Holiness, and to be copied after: men should be Holy, as and because He is Holy; it is one of the
imitable perfections of God, in which He is to be followed; though it cannot be attained to, as it is
in Him, (Lev. 11:44, 45, 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15, 16).
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Holiness is an Essential Attribute of God; it is His Nature and Essence; it is Himself; He is Holiness
itself; “He Swears by Himself, because He can Swear by No Greater”; and He Will Not Swear by any
less, and yet He Swears by His Holiness, (Heb. 6:13; Ps. 89:35; Amos 4:2, 6:8) which places put and
compared together show that the Holiness of God is Himself;
…
and it has been thought to be not so much a particular and distinct Attribute of itself, as the lustre, Glory, and harmony of all the rest;
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and is what is called “the Beauty of the Lord”, (Ps. 27:4) as it is the beauty of the good angels, and
of regenerate men; and, indeed, what is wisdom or knowledge, without Holiness, but craft and
cunning? or what is power, without it, but tyranny, oppression, and cruelty? but God is “Glorious
in Holiness”, (Ex. 15:11) this dives a luster to all His Perfections, and is the Glory of them; and
therefore none of His Perfections are or can be Exercised in a wrong manner, or to any bad purpose.
…
And as it is His Nature and Essence, it is Infinite and WITHOUT Bounds;
…
GOD ALMIGHTY’S Nature and Essence cannot be Greater than it is, and can
neither be increased nor diminished;
…
when, therefore, men are exhorted to “Sanctify” the Lord, and
are Directed to Pray that His “name” may be “Hallowed” ( Separated ), or Sanctified, (Isa. 8:13; Matthew 6:9) the
meaning is not as if GOD ALMIGHTY was to be “Hallowed” ( Separated, i.e., God is HOLY and SEPRATE FROM Human Beings who are Sinners ), or Sanctified, or mean that GOD could be Made more Holy than He is; but Pray that His “name” may be “Hallowed” ( Separated ), or Sanctified means that His Holiness IS TO BE Declared, Manifested ( Shown ), and Celebrated more and more; GOD ALMIGHTY’S Nature and Essence is so Perfect that nothing can be added to GOD ALMIGHTY’S Nature and Essence.
…
And as it is His Nature and Essence, it is Immutable and Invariable; the Holiness of a creature is
changeable, as the Holiness of angels and men; which has appeared by the apostasy of the one, and
the fall of the other; and the Holiness of saints, though its principle is the same, the acts and exercises
are variable.
…
But God is always the same Holy Being, without any Variableness, or Shadow of Turning.
He is Originally Holy, He is Holy in and of Himself, and of no other; there is none prior and superior
to Him, from whom He could derive or receive any Holiness;
…
as His Being is of Himself, so is His Holiness, which is Himself: the Holiness of angels and men is not of themselves, but of God; He is the fountain of Holiness to all rational creatures that partake of it;
…
Holiness is Peculiar to Him, yea, Holiness is Only in Him;

Hannah says, in Her song, “There is None Holy as the Lord”, (1 Sam. 2:2).
…
In another song yet
to be sung, the song of Moses and of the Lamb, it is said, “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and
glorify thy name? for thou only art Holy” (Rev. 15:4).
…
The Holiness of creatures is but a shadow of
Holiness, in comparison of the Holiness of God; the Holy Angels are chargeable with folly in His
Sight, and they cover their faces with their wings, while they celebrate the perfection of God’s
Holiness; as conscious to themselves, that theirs will not bear to be compared with His
in Job 4:17, 18;

…

Job 4:17
Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
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Shall mortal man be more just than God?…. Poor, weak, frail, dying man, and so sinful, as his mortality shows, which is the effect of sin; how should such a man be more righteous than God? who is so origi-nally and essentially of himself, completely, perfectly, yea, infinitely righteous in his nature, and in his works, both of providence and grace; in chastising his people, punishing the wicked, and bestowing favours upon his friends, even in their election, redemption, justification, pardon, and eternal happiness: yea, not only profane wicked sinners can make no pretensions to anything of this kind, but even the best of men, none being without sin, no, not man in his best estate; for the righteousness he had then was of God, and therefore he could not be more just than he that made him upright. This comparative sense, which our version leads to, is more generally received; but it seems not to be the sense of the passage, since this is a truth clear from reason, and needed no vision or revelation to discover it; nor can it be thought that God would send an angelic spirit in such an awful and pompous manner, to declare that which every one knew, and no man would contradict; even the most self-righteous and self-sufficient man would never be so daring and insolent as to say he was more righteous than God; but the words should be rather rendered, “shall mortal man be justified by God, or be just from God?” or “with” him, or “before” him (t), in his sight, by any righteousness in him, or done by him? shall he enter into his presence, stand at his bar, and be examined there, and go away from thence, in the sight and account of God, as a righteous person of himself? no, he cannot; now this is a doctrine opposed to car-nal reasoning and the common sentiments of men, a doctrine of divine revelation, a precious truth: this is the string of pearls Eliphaz received, see Job 4:12; that mortal man is of himself an unrighteous crea-ture; that he cannot be justified by his own righteousness in the sight of God; and that he must look and seek out for a better righteousness than his own, to justify him before God; and this agrees with Elip-haz’s interpretation of the vision, Job 15:14; with the sentiments of his friend Bildad, who seems to have some respect to it, Job 25:4; and also of Job himself, Job 9:2; and in like manner are we to under-stand the following clause:
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shall a man be more pure than his Maker? even the greatest and best of men, since what purity was in Adam, in a state of innocence, was from God; and what good men have, in a state of grace, is from the grace of God and blood of Christ, without which no man is pure at all, and therefore cannot be purer than him from whom they have it: or rather “be pure from”, or “with”, or “before his Maker” (u), or be so accounted by him; every man is impure by his first birth, and in his nature state, and therefore cannot stand before a pure and holy God, who of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; or go away his presence, and be reckoned by him a pure and holy creature of himself; nor can any thing that he can do, in a moral or ceremonial manner, cleanse him from his impurity; and therefore it is necessary he should apply to the grace of God, and blood of Christ, for his purification.
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(t) “an mortalis a Deo justificabitur?” Codurcus’ Bolducius, Deodatus, Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 709. “Num mortalis a numine justus erit?” Schultens; so Mr. Broughton, “can the sorrowful man be holden just before the Puissant?” (u) “an quisquam vir a factore suo mundus habebitur?” Codurcus; “an a conditore suo purus erit vir?” Schultens; so Mr. Broughton, “can the human being be clear before him that was his Maker?”
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Job 4:18
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
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Behold, he put no trust in his servants,…. Some think the divine oracle or revelation ends in Job 4:17, and that here Eliphaz makes some use and improvement of it, and addresses Job, and argues with him upon it, with a view to his case and circumstances; but rather the account of what the oracle said, or was delivered by revelation, is continued to the end of the chapter, there being nothing unworthy of God, either in the matter or manner of it: and here Eliphaz himself is addressed, and this address ush-ered in with a “behold”, as a note of admiration, asseveration, and attention; it being somewhat wonder-ful and of importance, sure and certain, and which deserved to be listened to, that God, the Maker of men and angels, did not, and does not, “put” any “trust” or confidence “in his servants”; meaning not the prophets in particular, as the Targum, though they are in an eminent sense the servants of God; nor righteous men in general, as Jarchi and others, who though heretofore servants of sin, yet through grace become servants of righteousness, and of God; but as men who dwelt in houses of clay are opposed to them, and distinguished from them, in Job 4:19, they must be understood of angels, as the following clause explains it; who always stand before God, ministering unto him, ready to do his will, and to do it in the most perfect manner creatures are capable of; they go forth at his command into each of the parts of the world, and execute his orders; they worship him, and celebrate his perfections, ascribing honour and glory, wisdom, power, and blessing to him; and this they do cheerfully, constantly, and incessantly. Now though God has intrusted these servants of his with many messages of importance, both under the Old and New Testament dispensation, yet he has not trusted them with the salvation of men, to which they are not equal, but has put it into the hands of his Son; nor indeed did he trust them with the secret of it, so as to make them his counselors about it; no, Christ only was the wonderful Counselor in this affair; the counsel of peace, or that respecting the peace and reconciliation of men, was only between him and his Father; God was only in and with Christ, and not angels reconciling men, or drawing the plan of their reconciliation; and when this secret, being concluded on and settled, was revealed to an-gels, it is thought by some to be the reason of so many of them apostatizing from God; they choosing rather to have nothing to do with him, than to be under the Son of God in human nature: but, besides this, there are many other things God has not trusted the angels with, as his purposes and decrees within himself, and the knowledge of the times and seasons of the accomplishment of them, particularly the day and hour of judgment; though the sense here rather seems to be this, that God does not and did not trust them with themselves; he knew their natural weakness, frailty, mutability, how liable they were to sin and fall from him, and therefore he chose them in Christ, put them into his hands, and made him head over them, and so confirmed and established them in him; and, as it may be rendered, “did not put stability or firmness” in them, so as to stand of themselves; or “perfection” in them, as some render it (x), which cannot be in a creature as it is in God:
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and his angels he charged with folly; that is, comparatively, with respect to himself, in comparison of whom all creatures are foolish, be they ever so wise; for he is all wise, and only wise; angels are very knowing and intelligent in things natural and evangelical, but their knowledge is but imperfect, particu-larly in the latter; as appears by their being desirous of looking into those things which respect the Salvation of men, and by learning of the church the manifold wisdom of God, 1 Peter 1:2; or by “folly” is meant vanity, weakness, and imperfection (y), a liableness to fall, which God observed in them; and which are in every creature in its best estate, and were in Adam in his state of innocence, and so in the angels that fell not, especially previous to their confirmation by Christ, see Psalm 39:5; and so the sense is the same with the preceding clause: some render it by repeating the negative from that, “and he putts not glorying” or “boasting in his angels” (z); he makes no account of their duties and services, so as to glory in them; it is an humbling himself to regard them; or he puts nothing in them that they can boast of, since they have nothing of themselves, all from him, and therefore cannot glory as though they had received it not. Others observe, that the word has the signification of light, and differently render the passage; some, “though he putteth light in his angels” (a), makes them angels of light, comparable to morning stars, yet he puts no trust in them; and what they have is from him, and therefore not to be compared with him, nor can they glory in themselves; or, “he putteth not light”, or “not clear light into them” (b); that which is perfect, and fire from all manner of darkness; such only is in himself the Father of lights, with whom it dwells in perfection, and there is no shadow of turning in him: some would have this understood of the evil angels, whom God charged with folly; but this is too low a term, a phrase not strong enough to express their sin and wickedness, who are not chargeable only with im-prudence, but with rebellion and treason against God; nor does this sense agree with parallel places, Job 15:14; and besides, the beauty of the comparison of them with men would be lost, and the strength of the argument with respect to them would be sadly weakened, which we have in Job 4:19.
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“non posuit stabilitatem”, Mercerus, Vatablus; “firmitatem”, Junius & Tremellius. (x) So Mr. Broughton. (y) “vanitatem”, Codurcus; “omissionem, lapsationemve”, Schultens. (z) “Gloriationem”, Montanus. (a) Sic Beza & Belg. nov. vers. (b) “Lumen”, Pagninus, Mercerus; “lucem”, Junius & Tremellius; so R. Levi Ben Gersom, Sephorno, and others; “lucem exactissimam”, Vatablus; “clear light”, Broughton.
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Isaiah 6:2, 3;

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Isaiah 6:2
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
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Above it stood the seraphims,…. Not above the temple, nor above the throne, much less above him that sat upon it, but either “by him”, on the right hand and on the left, as Aben Ezra; or “near him”, as Kim-chi and Ben Melech; or “before him”, as the Targum; or “round about him”, as the Septuagint; all which denote the ministering form in which they stood; by whom are meant, not the Son and Spirit, as some of the ancients thought, who imagined the Father to be the Person sitting on the throne; nor the two Testaments, as Jerom; nor angels, which is the common interpretation; but ministers of the Gospel, the same with the four beasts in Revelation 4:6 and the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1:5 the Jewish commentators in general agree that these are the same with Ezekiel’s living creatures; so Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Kimchi; and the first of these cites the Midrash Agada, as saying this is the Mercavah, which is the name they give to Ezekiel’s vision of the living creatures and wheels; and this appears by their name “seraphim”, which signifies “burning”, and so Ezekiel’s living creatures are said to be “like burning coals of fire”, Ezekiel 1:13 and the ministers of the Gospel are so called, because of their ministerial gifts, compared to fire, as the gifts of the spirit of God are, especially those which the apostles had bestowed on them, who were baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, Matthew 3:11 and even the ordi-nary gifts of the spirit are signified by the same figure, 1 Timothy 1:6 and because of their light, which they have in the truths of the Gospel; and because of their fervent and ardent love to Christ and immor-tal souls; and because of their flaming zeal for his cause and interest: and this also appears by their sit-uation near the throne, see Ezekiel 1:26 and Christ on it; where they stand as servants waiting upon him, and in order to receive from him, and where they enjoy communion with him; or “above” it may mean the temple, the church, where they stand in the highest place in it, and are over others in the Lord; they stand as servants to Christ, but preside in the church as the rulers and governors of it; to which agrees the Targum,
“holy ministers on high before him:”
and this further appears by their wings,
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each one had six wings; as Ezekiel’s living creatures, Ezekiel 1:4 and John’s four beasts, Revelation 4:8,
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with twain he covered his face; that it might not be seen, as the Targum adds; expressive of their mod-esty and humility, looking, upon themselves as less than the least of all the saints, and the chief of sin-ners, and as ashamed of themselves before the Lord; or that they might not look upon the divine Majes-ty, as Jarchi; or rather as being unable to look upon the dazzling glory and infinite perfections of his being; so Elijah wrapped his face in a mantle, when he heard the still small voice of the Lord, 1 Kings 19:12 and as Moses before him did, Exodus 3:6 being afraid to look upon God, conscious of creature distance, and of sinfulness and unworthiness; and therefore not so suitable to angels, who always be-hold the face of God, Matthew 18:10,
with twain he covered his feet; or body, that it might not be seen, as the Targum; as conscious of the imperfection of their conduct, walk, and conversation, as ministers and Christians, in the sight of God, however beautiful their feet may appear to others, Isaiah 52:7,
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and with twain he did fly: or minister, as the Targum; this denotes their readiness and swiftness in preaching the everlasting Gospel, running to and fro with it, having their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace: see Revelation 14:6.
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Isaiah 6:3
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And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
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And one cried unto another,…. This denotes the publicness of their ministry, and their harmony and unity in it; they answered to one another, and agreed in what they said; their preaching was not yea and nay, 2 Corinthians 1:19,
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and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; this expresses the subject matter of the Gospel minis-try, respecting the holiness of God; all the doctrines of the Gospel are pure and holy, and have a ten-dency to promote holiness of heart and life, and are agreeable to the holiness of God, and in them the holiness of God in each of the divine Persons is declared; particularly the Gospel ministry affirms that there is one God, who is the Lord of hosts, of armies above and below, of angels and men; that there are three Persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit; and that each of these three are glorious in holiness; there is the Holy Father, and the Holy Son, and the Holy Ghost, and the holiness of them is displayed in each of the doctrines of grace: the holiness of the Father appears in the choice of persons to eternal life, through sanctification of the Spirit; in the covenant of grace, which provides for the ho-liness of covenant ones; and in the justification of his people through Christ, and redemption by him, whereby the honour of his justice and holiness is secured: the holiness of the Son appears in his incar-nation and life; in redemption from sin by him, and in satisfying for it, and justifying from it: and the holiness of the Spirit is seen in the doctrines of regeneration and sanctification, ascribed unto him.
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The whole earth is full of his glory; as it was when Christ dwelt in it, wrought his miracles, and mani-fested forth his glory, and when his Gospel was preached everywhere by his apostles; and as it will be, more especially in the latter day, when it will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord; when the king-doms of this world will become his, and his kingdom will be everywhere, even from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth; and this is what Gospel ministers declare will be: or “the fulness of the whole earth is his glory” (m); the earth is his, and all that is in it, and all declare his glory; see Revelation 4:8.
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(m) “plenitudo totius terrae gloria ejus”, Montanus; “quicquid replet terram est gloria ejus”, Piscator.

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God only is Essentially, Originally, Un-Derivatively, Perfectly, and Immutably Holy.
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This must be understood not of One Person in the Deity, to the exclusion of the rest; as not just of
the Spirit, though He is Peculiarly called the “Holy Ghost”, and the Holy Spirit, yet not to the
exclusion of the Father and Son;
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so not of the Father, to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit;
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Because as they are the One God, Who is a Spirit, they Partake of the Same Common and Undivided Nature, and All the Perfections of that Nature, and of this with the rest.
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Hence we read of the Holy Elohim, or Divine Persons, of THE TRIUNE GODHEAD, in the plural number; and of the Holy Ones, the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit, (Joshua 24:19; Proverbs 30:5; Daniel 4:17).
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Joshua 24:19
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And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
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And Joshua said unto the people,…. To their heads and representatives now assembled together, and who had returned to him the preceding answer:
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ye cannot serve the Lord; which he said not to discourage or deter them from serving the Lord, since it was his principal view, through the whole of this conversation with them, to engage them in it, but to observe to them their own inability and insufficiency of themselves to perform service acceptable to God; and therefore it became them to implore grace and strength from the Lord to assist them in it, and to depend upon that and not to lean to and trust in their own strength; as also to observe to them, that they could not serve him perfectly without any defect and failure in their service, for there is no man that does good and sins not; and therefore when a man has done all he can, he must not depend upon it for his justification before God; or consider it as his justifying righteousness, which was what that peo-ple were always prone to; some supply it,”you cannot serve the Lord with your images,”or along with them, so Vatablus:
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for he is an holy God: perfectly holy, so that the best of men, and the heat of their services, are impure and unholy before him and will not bear to be compared with him, and therefore by no means to be trusted in; and it requires much grace and spiritual strength to perform any service that may be accepta-ble to him through Christ. In the Hebrew text it is, “for the Holy Ones are he”: which may serve to il-lustrate and confirm the doctrine of the trinity of, persons in the unity of the divine Essence, or of the three divine holy Persons, holy Father, holy Son, holy Spirit, as the one God, see Isaiah 6:3,
…

he is a jealous God; of his honour and glory, and of his worship, in which he will admit of no rival, of no graven images, or any idols to be worshipped with him, or besides him; nor will he suffer the idol of men’s righteousness to be set up in the room of, or in opposition to, the righteousness of God, even no services and works of men, be they ever so good, since they cannot be perfect before him:
…

he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins; even the transgressions and sins of such that for-sake the worship and service of him, and fall into idolatry, or who seek for justification by their own services, these are both abominable to him; otherwise he is a God pardoning the iniquity, transgression, and sin, of all those who seek unto him and serve him, confess their sins, and renounce their own right-eousness; see Exodus 23:21.
…
Proverbs 30:5
…

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
…

Every word of God is pure,.… The whole word of God. “All Scripture”, given by inspiration of God, to which Agur directs, as giving the best account of God, of his name, nature, and perfections; of his Son, person, offices, and grace; being pure, very pure, “purified” (z) like silver, purified in a furnace of earth. The whole of Scripture is pure, free from all falsehood and error; coming from the God of truth, who cannot lie, and therefore called “the Scriptures of truth”: every promise is pure as well as precious, made without dissimulation, faithfully performed, and all yea and amen in Christ; every doctrine is pure, free from the mixtures and inventions of men; the sincere milk of the word; consistent and all of a piece, not yea and nay; and tending to promote purity of heart and life; wholesome words, and doctrines according to godliness; see Psalm 12:6;
…

he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him; not the word, but God, whose the word is; and which represents him as a proper object of trust, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual, at all times; and as a shield to protect such, by his power and grace, from all their enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, and also from all errors and false doctrines; see Psalm 3:3.
(z) “purgatus”, Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Gejerus; “purgatissimus”, Junius & Tremellius; Heb. “conflatus”, Piscator, Mercerus, Cocceius, Schultens.
…
Daniel 4:17
…

This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
…

This matter is by the decree of the watchers,…. That is, the cutting down the tree, and what is signified by it, was with the advice, consent, and approbation of the watchers, by whom is generally understood angels; not that they were the authors of this decree, but approvers of it; and were ready, not only to subscribe it, but to execute it; it being against a wicked man, and an oppressor of the Lord’s people: they are represented as assessors with God; called into a consultation with him; alluding to the manner of kings and princes, who have their privy council, whom they advise with on occasion; though, properly speaking, nothing of this nature is to be attributed to God, only after the manner of men; see 1 Kings 22:19.
…

and the demand by the word of the Holy Ones; the same as before, in other words; watchers and Holy Ones being the same, the holy angels; See Gill on Daniel 4:13, and the decree and the demand the same; or the request (o), or petition; which shows what concern they had in the decree; they only re-quested it might pass, or be carried into execution; though some understand this of saints on earth, who, in their prayers and supplications, requested for the judgments of God to come down upon this proud monarch: though, after all, it may be best to interpret the whole of the three Persons in the Godhead, who are perfectly pure and holy, essentially and inderivatively; and may be called watchers, because they watch over the good, to bring it upon the Lord’s people; and over the evil, to bring it upon their enemies: and to them well agree the decree and the demand; and the rather this may be thought to be the true sense, since this decree is called the decree of the most High, Daniel 4:24, and who is ex-pressed in the next clause:
…

to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men; though men have kingdoms on earth, and multitudes subject to them, yet they are not absolute sovereigns; there is a God that is higher than they, at whose control they are, and does whatsoever he pleases in their king-doms, of which the event signified in this dream was a proof; and would be brought about on purpose to make it appear that those that live on earth (for, as for the dead, they know nothing what is done on it), both princes and people, might be sufficiently convinced of the truth of it:
…

and giveth it to whomsoever he will; that is, the kingdom; he takes it from one, and gives it to another; pulls down one, and sets up another, as he pleases; see Daniel 2:21,
and setteth up over it the basest of men; or, “the lowest of men” (p); men of the meanest and lowest rank and condition of life, as David was taken from the sheepfold, and made king of Israel; perhaps respect is had to Nebuchadnezzar himself; not to his person, as Saadiah, who says he was short, and low of stature; but to his llater state and condition, when he was taken from among the beasts of the field, and restored to his throne and kingdom.
…

(o) “petitio”, Pagninus, Montanus; “postulatio”, Munster; “hoc postulatum”, Junius & Tremellius; “petitio haec”, Piscator. (p) “humliem hominum”. Montanus, Grotius; “humilem inter homines”, Pagninus; “humilem virorum”, Michaelis; “humillimum hominum”, Cocceius.
…
And no doubt respect is had to the Holiness of the three
divine persons, by the seraphim, when they said,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!”,

in Isaiah 6:3; ( see above );
…

And also by the four beasts, or living creatures, continually employed in the same Divine Service,
celebrating the Perfections of God in much the same language, saying,

“Holy, Holy, Holy,

Lord God Almighty!”

(Revelation 4:8).
…

THE ETERNAL

TRIUNE GODHEAD

of God the Father,

God the Son

and

God the Holy Spirit

is REVEALED by GOD

TO BE HOLY:

…
As there is no doubt made of the Deity of the Father, there can be none of
His Holiness: our Lord Addresses Him under the relation of “Father”, and under the Epithet of “Holy
Father”, (John 17:11) and all that has been said of the Holiness of God Belongs to Him; of which
there can be no question made:
…
And “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty!” is as true of the Son as of the Father;
…
Because as the Father is the Holy Father, He must be the Holy Son, since He is of the Same Nature, and is “the Brightness of His Father’s Glory, and the Express Image of His Person”;
…
Just and as the Father is of Purer Eyes than to behold iniquity, so is the Son;
…
as the Father Loves Righteousness and Hates iniquity, this is expressly
said of the Son, (Heb. 1:8, 9)
…
THE LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST is Eminently called “the Holy One of God”, (Ps. 16:10) and “the
Holy One of Israel”, more than thirty times in the Prophecy of Isaiah;
…
and Particularly THE LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST is so called along with the Titles of Redeemer and Husband, which are Peculiar to the Second Person, the Son of God, the Redeemer of His People, and the Husband of His churches, (Isaiah 47:4, 54:5).
…
Yes, THE LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST is called the “most Holy”, Who was Anointed with the Holy Ghost above His fellows, and “having the Spirit Without Measure”, (Daniel 9:24) the title of Holy THE LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST takes to Himself when addressing the churches,
which is an emblem of the purest state of the church militant on Earth, the church of Philadelphia;
“These things Says He that is Holy” (Revelation 3:7).
…
No, the Devil himself gives “HOLINESS” to THE LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST, as an Attribute;
…
“I know You, Who You Are, the Holy One of God”
(Luke 4:34).
…
Besides, Jesus Christ is not only Holy in His Human Nature, even Perfectly so, and Sanctified and Set Apart to His Office as Mediator, by His Father;
…
Because to His Office as Mediator, which Office Holiness is a Necessary Requisite and Qualification;
…
but He is the Fountain of Holiness to His churches and People; they are Sanctified in Him and by Him;
…
He is made sanctification to them, and all the Holiness, or Holy graces that are in them, are all from Him, (John 1:14, 16) which could not be, if He was not Holy, and even Holiness Itself.
…
And as for the blessed Holy Spirit, the Third Person in the Deity, the Epithet of “Holy” is Commonly Given to Him, as before observed; and Very Truly, since He is of the Same Nature with the Father and the Son; and so He is Holy by Nature and Essence, and as Appears by His Graces, Operations, and Influences; and by His being Grieved, speaking after the manner of men, with the sins and impurities of men; the reason of which is, because they are so contrary to His Pure and Holy Nature, that He cannot Bear them, but Expresses His Dislike and Displeasure at them, as we see in Ephesians 4:29, 30;

…

Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
…

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,…. As unsavoury speech, foolish talking, light and frothy language, that which is filthy, unprofitable, noxious, and nauseous, and all that is sin-ful; such as profane oaths, curses, and imprecations, unchaste words, angry ones, proud, haughty, and arrogant expressions, lies, perjury, &c. which may be called corrupt, because such communication springs from a corrupt heart; is an evidence of the corruption of it; the subject matter of it is corrupt; and it conveys corruption to others, it corrupts good manners; and is the cause of men’s going down to the pit of corruption: wherefore a restraint should be laid upon the lips of men; men have not a right to say what they please; good men will be cautious what they say, otherwise their religion is in vain; and conscious of their own weakness, they will pray to God to set a watch before their mouth, and to keep the door of their lips, and not suffer anything to come out,
…

but that which is good for the use of edifying: or “for edification”, as the Syriac version renders it; the Arabic version reads, “for the edification of all”; that is, that hear; and the Vulgate Latin version and Claromontane exemplar, “for the edification of faith”: for the building up of saints on their most holy faith, and for the encouragement and increase of the grace of faith: in the Greek text it is literally, “for the edification of use”; for useful edification, or what is useful for edification; and is suited to the pre-sent want or opportunity, as the word is by some rendered: and that must be “good”, which answers such an end; meaning not that the language should be formally and grammatically good, though to speak with propriety is useful and serviceable, and tends the more to instruction and edification; but that which is materially good, or the subject of it is good; that which is true, pure, pleasant, and profita-ble:
…

that it may minister grace unto the hearers; may be grateful and acceptable to them, or may minister the grace of God to them; that is, the doctrine of grace, the Gospel of the grace of God; and be a means of conveying the principle of grace into the hearts of the hearers, and of drawing it forth into exercise where it is; and such speech or communication which springs from a gracious heart, and from a principle of grace in the heart, and is upon the subject of the grace of God, is most likely to be thus useful and edifying: agreeably to all this are some sayings of the Jews (h),
“says R. Joshua ben Levi, for ever let not a man suffer any thing “that is filthy”, or unseemly, to proceed out of his mouth; says R. Ishmael, for ever let a man discourse , “in a pure language”;”
not corrupt.
(h) T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 3. 1.
…

Ephesians 4:30
…

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
…

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,…. Not a believer’s own spirit, sanctified by the Holy Ghost, which is grieved by sin; nor the spirit of a good man, that hears our words and sees our actions, and is displeased and troubled at them; but the third person in the Trinity: and this is said of him by an an-thropopathy, and supposes something done that is offensive to him; and he may be grieved, not only by unconverted persons, by their stubborn resistance and opposition to the Gospel and means of grace, and by their contempt of his person, office, and grace, but by believers themselves, and who are here spoken to; and which may be done both by their words, lying, angry, and corrupt ones, before cautioned against, Ephesians 4:25 and by their actions, their behaviour towards God, their conversation in the world, and by their carriage to one another, which is suggested in the following verse: also he may be grieved by their thoughts, their vain and sinful thoughts, and that they are no better employed; and es-pecially when they entertain any undervaluing ones of Jesus Christ, whose glorifier he is; and by the unbelief of their hearts, and by their unmindfulness of the things of the Spirit; and when they disregard the rules, dictates, and advice of the Spirit, and make no use of him: and his being grieved appears by his departure from them; which is to be perceived by the darkness of their souls, the prevailings of cor-ruption, the weakness of grace, and their backwardness to duty: and now there are many reasons why he should not be grieved; as because he is God, and the author of the new birth, the implanter and ap-plier of all grace, and the finisher of it; because he is the saints’ comforter, their advocate, helper, and strengthener; and their constant companion, who dwells in them, and will remain in them, until death: and it follows,
…

whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption; of the sealing work of the Spirit; see Gill on Ephe-sians 1:13. By “the day of redemption” may be meant, either the day of death, when the saints have a deliverance from the incumbrance of the body; from their present state of exile and banishment; from the body of sin and death; from all sorrows and afflictions; from the reproaches and persecutions of men; from the temptations of Satan; from doubts, fears, and unbelief; and from all fear of death, corpo-real, spiritual, and eternal: or the day of the resurrection, when the body will be redeemed from mortali-ty, corruption, weakness, and dishonour; when it will be refined and spiritualized, so that it will not stand in need of natural sustenance; will be endowed with great agility, like that of spirits; and will be subject to the soul, or spirit, and will be suited to spiritual objects; to which may be added, the day of judgment, Luke 21:28 when Christ shall appear in glory, and his saints with him, and he will put them, soul and body, into the possession of everlasting happiness; which will consist in the vision of Christ, in conformity to him, and in that happy company and conversation that will then be enjoyed, and that delightful employment they will be taken up in: and now the saints being sealed up by the Spirit unto this time, shows the perpetual indwelling of the Spirit in them; and that it will continue even after death, who will give them confidence at the day of judgment; and that it is the Spirit which works up the saints, and makes them meet for glory; and gives them the assurance of it, and therefore they should not be grieved.
…
And all this will be still more clear and manifest, by considering:

…
3.20.2. Secondly, The instances where to and whereby the Holiness of God is Displayed, which are
His Works, and Actions, and Proceedings towards His creatures; God is Holy in all His Works; or His
Holiness is Manifest and Shown in and through them, and by them, seen in Psalm 145:17;
…
Psalm 145:17
…
“The LORD is Righteous in All His Ways, and Holy in All His Works.”
…
The Lord is righteous in all his ways,….Jesus Christ is Righteous in all the Ways of Providence, in which he is jointly concerned with his Fa-ther: there are some of the ways of providence, which are now intricate and perplexed, are unsearchable and past finding out, and cannot be easily reconciled to the justice and faithfulness of God, respecting the prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of the righteous; but these will before long be made manifest, and they will appear to be just and true. And so in all his ways of grace, in all his decrees; in the choice of some to everlasting life, and the leaving of others; with respect to either of these, there is no unrighteousness in him: nor in the redemption of men, for which an adequate price is given; and in which mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, meet together; nor in the justification of a sinner, which is not done without a righteousness, but in such manner that God is just while he is the justifier of him that believes in Jesus; nor in the pardon of sin, which is upon the foot of a satisfaction made to the justice of God, by the blood and sacrifice of Christ; nor in eternal life, the gift of God through Christ, which none inherit but righteous ones. Christ is righteous in all his suretyship engagements, which he has punctually performed, and in the execution of all his offices; in doing which, righteous-ness and faithfulness are the girdle of his loins and reins: and so likewise he is and will appear righteous in his judgments on his and his people’s enemies, in the destruction of antichrist and his followers. And, moreover, he is righteous in all the ways he prescribes for his people to walk in, in all his com-mandments and ordinances; which are all holy, just, and good;
…

and holy in all his works; in all his works of providence; doing no evil, though he suffers it for wise ends, and overrules it for good: and in all his works of grace; in election, which is through holiness and to it; in the redemption of his people, which is from a vain conversation, and that they might be a pecu-liar people, zealous of good works; in the calling of them with an holy calling, and to holiness; in bringing them to glory, which is through regeneration and sanctification. It may be rendered, is “merci-ful” or “bountiful in all his works” (k); all he does flowing from his grace, mercy, and goodness.
…

(k) “misericors”, Pagninus, Montanus, so Ainsworth; “benignus”, Tigurine version, Musculus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus.

…
3.20.2a. The Holiness of God the Father; which is Visible,
…
3.20.2a1. In the works of creation; for as He made all things by His Son, not as an instrument, but as
co-efficient with Him, so when He overlooked them, He pronounced them very good; which He
would not have done, had there been anything impure or unHoly in them. Angels, not only those
that stood, but those that fell, were originally Holy, as made by Him: the elect angels continue in
the Holiness in which they were created; and the angels that sinned are not in the estate in which
they were at their creation; they kept not their first estate, which was an estate of purity and Holiness;
and abode not in the truth, in the uprightness and integrity in which they were formed (Jude 1:6;
John 8:44). And as for man, He was made after the image, and in the likeness of God, which greatly
consisted in Holiness; a pure, Holy, and upright creature He was; and had a law given Him, Holy,
just, and good, as the rule of His obedience, and which was inscribed on His Heart; some remains
of which are to be found in His fallen posterity, and even in the Gentiles.
…
3.20.2a2. The Holiness of God appears in His works of providence; which, though many of them are
dark and intricate, not easily penetrated into, and to be accounted for; yet there is nothing criminal
and sinful in them: the principal thing objected to the Holiness of God in His providences, is His
suffering sin to be in the world; but then, though it is by His voluntary permission, or permissive
will, yet He is neither the author nor abettor of it; He neither commands it, nor approves of it, nor
persuades to it, nor tempts nor forces to it; but all the verse, forbids it, disapproves of it, dissuades
from it, threatens to punish for it, yea, even chastises His own people for it; and, besides, overrules
it for great good, and for His own Glory; as the fall of Adam, the sin of Joseph’s brethren, the Jews
crucifixion of Christ; which have been instanced in, and observed under a former Attribute: wherefore
the dispensations of God, in His providence, are not to be charged with un-Holiness on this account.
…
3.20.2a3. The Holiness of Jehovah the Father is to be observed in those acts of grace which are
peculiar to Him; as in choosing some in Christ His Son to everlasting life, before the world began.
Now though not the Holiness of the creature, nor even the foresight of it, is the cause of this act;
yet Holiness, or the sanctification of the Spirit, is fixed as a means in it; and it is the will of God,
that those whom He chooses and appoints to salvation should partake of it, or come to salvation
through it; nay, He has not only chosen them “through” it, as a means, but He has chosen them to
it, as a subordinate end; He has chosen them to be Holy in part, in this life, and perfectly in the life
to come; and Holiness of Heart and life, is the evidence of interest in it, and nothing more powerfully
excites and engages to it. The covenant which He has made with His Son Jesus Christ, on the behalf
of the chosen ones, provides abundantly for their Holiness, both internal and external; see (Ezek.
36:25-27) and the promises of it serve greatly to promote it, and to influence the saints to be
“perfecting Holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). And in this covenant is laid up a rod of
correction, in love, to chastise with it the sins of God’s people (Ps. 89:29-34). Justification is an
act of God’s grace towards them; it is God, even God the Father, that justifies, through the imputation
of His Son’s righteousness to them; by which the Holy law of God is so far from being made void,
that it is established, magnified, and made honorable: nor are justified persons exempted from
obedience to it, but are more strongly bound and constrained to serve it; and though God justifies
the ungodly, yet not without a righteousness provided for them, and imputed to them: nor does He
justify, vindicate, or approve of their ungodliness, nor connive at it; but turns it from them, and
them from that: and faith, which receives the blessing of justification from the Lord, by which men
perceive their interest in it, and enjoy the comfort of it, is an operative grace, works by love to God,
to Christ, and His people; and is attended with good works, the fruits of righteousness: the like may
be observed with respect to other acts of the Father’s grace; as adoption, pardon, &c.
…
3.20.2b. Secondly, The Holiness of the Son of God is to be seen in all His works; in the works of
creation and providence, in common with His divine Father; and in all His works of grace; in giving
himself to sanctify His church, and make it a Glorious one, without spot or wrinkle, through His
blood and righteousness; in redeeming His people from all iniquity, to purify them to Himself a
peculiar people; in bearing their sins, and making satisfaction for them, that they might live unto
righteousness, and that the body of sin might be destroyed, (Eph. 5:25, 27, Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24;
Rom. 6:6) and so in the execution of all His offices; as a Prophet, He has appeared to be an Holy
One; the faith delivered by Him to the saints, is a most Holy faith, wholesome words, doctrines
according to godliness: as a Priest, He is Holy and harmless, separate from sinners, and has offered
up Himself without spot to God; and though He makes intercession for transgressors, it is upon the
foot of His sacrifice and righteousness: as a King, all His administrations are in purity and
righteousness; and His laws, commands, and ordinances, are Holy Ones; and when He comes as
judge of the world, He will appear without sin, and “judge the world in righteousness”.
…
3.20.2c. Thirdly, The Holiness of the blessed Spirit, is visible in the formation of the human Nature
of Christ; in separating that mass out of which it was framed in the virgin; in sanctifying it, and
preserving it from the taint and contagion of original sin; in filling the human Nature, when formed,
with His Holy gifts and graces, and that without measure; and through Him it was offered up without
spot; and He was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the Spirit of Holiness, through the
resurrection from the dead. Moreover, His Holiness is manifest in the sanctification of the chosen
of God, and the redeemed of the Lamb, which is therefore called, “the sanctification of the Spirit”,
(2 Thess. 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2) in convincing them of sin, of the evil Nature and just demerit of it; in
converting them from it; in calling them with an Holy calling, and to Holiness; in implanting principles
of grace and Holiness in them; in purifying their Hearts by faith, through the sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus; in leading them in the way of Holiness, in which men, though fools, shall not err; and in
carrying on, and perfecting the work of sanctification in them, “without which none shall see the
Lord”.