The beauty of holiness
The beauty of holiness, of that inward person of the heart, who is renewed after the image of God, cannot but strike every eye which God has opened, every enlightened understanding. The ornament of a meek, humble, loving spirit will at least win the approval of all who are able, in any degree, to tell spiritual good from evil. From the hour people begin to come out of the darkness which covers the giddy, unthinking world, they cannot but see how desirable a thing it is to be thus transformed into the likeness of him who created us. This inward religion bears the shape of God so visibly stamped upon it that a soul must be wholly sunk in flesh and blood when he can doubt its divine origin. We may say of this, in a secondary sense, even as of the Son of God himself, that it is the brightness of his glory, the exact image of his person (Hebrews 1:3), the beaming forth of his eternal glory, and yet so tempered and softened that even the children of men may here see God and live. It is the character, the stamp, the living impression of his person, who is the fountain of beauty and love, the original source of all excellence and perfection.
1771 text
1. THE beauty of holiness, of that inward man of the heart, which is renewed after the image of God, cannot but strike every eye which God hath opened, every enlightened understanding. The ornament of a meek, humble, loving spirit, will at least excite the approbation of all those who are capable in any degree of discerning spiritual good and evil. From the hour men begin to emerge out of the darkness which covers the giddy, unthinking world, they cannot but perceive how desirable a thing it is, to be thus transformed into the likeness of him that created us. This inward religion bears the shape of God, so visibly imprest upon it, that a soul must be wholly immersed in flesh and blood, when he can doubt of its divine original. We may say of this, in a secondary sense, even as of the Son of God himself, That it is the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person: ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ· The beaming forth of his eternal glory; and yet so tempered and softened, that even the children of men, may herein see God and live: χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ· The character, the stamp, the living impression, of his person, who is the fountain of beauty and love, the original source of all excellency and perfection.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 24 in the 1771 Works. Matthew 5:13-16.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.