A sermon to young ladies, preached in the Decatur Presbyterian Church, May 13th, 1894 / by the Pastor, Rev. F.H. Gaines

BJ
M894-__ .
A SERMON
TO
YOUNG LADIES
PREACHED
IN THE DECATUR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, MAY 13TH, 1894,^
BY THE PASTOR, REV. Fi H. CAINES.
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST, FOR DISTRIBUTION AMONG THE PUPILS Of THE AGNES SCOTT INSTITUTE-

"AND THAT SHOULD PRAISE THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS." II CHRON. 20:21.
IT may be thought by some that the subject of beauty is scarcely worthy of such an occasion as this. But if it was not unworthy of the infinite God to create beauty in such profusion and variety, surely it cannot be unworthy of our consideration. And, besides, God has so constituted man as to lead him to admire and enjoy and seek the beautiful. How strong this love of the beautiful is in man, all his works testify.
There are many different kinds of beauty. There is a beauty which appeals to the eye, as the landscape or a fine painting. There is a beauty which appeals to the ear, as music. There is a beauty which appeals to the intellect, as a fine poem or eloquence. There is a beauty which appeals in a measure to the moral sense of mankind, but especially to the regenerated, namely : the beauty of holiness. And this, young friends, is the subject I wish to present this morning, viz.:
THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS.
('onccrning this subject I observe
I.
Thrd holinesK in the highext kind of bmut.y.
Consider the proof of tlii.-s statement. It is true 1. Because holiness implies moral purit.y, freedom from all sin. Sin is the most repulsive and hideous thing in the uni verse. The scriptural type of sin is leprosy, than which we can scarcely conceive of anything more horrible and revolting. Sin is polluting and blackening. It stains and mars and de stroys. It is impersonated in Satan, and we find that when
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artists try to paint Satan they represent him as having the most frightful appearance. Now, purity is the very opposite of this. It is perfect freedom from sin. It is represented to us by pur, white snow ; by the pure, clear light; by glistening garments. What more beautiful than moral purity ?
2. Because holiness beautifies moral character. It may be thougl.it that however beautiful purity may be it is after all a negative quality perfect freedom from all sin. But holiness is not merely negative it is also positive. It confers positive beauty upon the moral character. The hurhan soul has been endowed by the creator with wondrous capacities and great powers. But the highest and greatest endowment of the soul is its moral nature a nature which renders the soul capable of knowing something of God, of worshipping and serving Him, of discerning right from wrong, and of communing with God. Let it be noted that these moral faculties being the highest and greatest are the dominant faculties in man. It was just here sin did its fatal work. By the fall, man lost moral righteous ness, and so every faculty of soul and body come under the dominion of sin, and become weakened and moved. Now ob serve how this moral character is beautified by holiness. It is beautified by truth--truth embracing candor, sincerity and faithfulness. Is not that beautiful ?
It is beautified by justice a justice which recognizes the right, loves the right, and maintains the right; a justice which as promptly rerogniz'-s the wrong, hates the wrong, and is un alterably opposed to the wrong. And will any deny that evenhanded, fair, justice is not beautiful ?
It is beautified by goodness, embracing love love to God and man pi'y, tenderness, gentleness, kindness, grace; and is anything more beautiful than goodness? Now observe, that holiness is not any one of these moral principles alone, but all harmonioiisty combined. Observe further, that it is the presence of these great moral principles in the character, as active and positive and dominant forces, leading the soul to choose and

love, and follow the true, the just and the good. Could any thing be more beautiful than such a character ? Such for ex ample was the character of Jesus; and how beautiful His char acter !

4. Because it beautifies the life. The great moral principles

which constitute holiness are not mere abstractions, but living,

active, dominant principles in living beings. They move the

lips to speak, direct the feet, and are the mainspring of action.

A striking illustration of the beauty of ho'inoss in tin's life is

found in the life of Jesus. How transcondentlv beautiful His

life!

"

5. Because it beautifies the entire being the soul and all its capacities, and also the physical powers. It shines in the eve ; it modulates the voice ; it gives gentleness to the touch, and it illumines the countenance.

O, what beauty can compare with the beauty of holiness!

n.

2s this beauty of holiness desirable ?
I answer most emphatically, yes! and for the following reasons:
1. Because of what it does for yon. It belongs to the verv nature of beauty to please, to give joy. But no kind of beauty can give to you such joy as this. It gives peace with God, communion with God, and hope toward God. It gives you satisfaction of soul. But it does more than give yon joy. It elevates, and purifies and ennobles. Is it not desirable?
2. It is desirable because of what it makes you to otficrs. Do you desire a beauty which will render you attractive in the home? Then there is no kind of beauty which em make you so attractive in the home as holiness all the beauty of form and dress; all the attractions of music and art, and all the adornments of literary culture, all combined, cannot make you half so attractive in the home as holiness.

Do you desire a beauty which will render you attractive to the best and noblest of the human race ? But all other forms of beauty without this cannot render you half so attractive to all whose good opinion is worth having as holiness. Do you desire a beauty which will not only render you attractive, but a blessing to others ? If so, then there is no kind of beauty which can make you such a blessing to others as the beauty of holiness. It is this alone which makes you shine as true lights in the world, shedding forth a light which will lead others to God and heaven.
3. It is desirable because it glorifies God. Holiness is God's consummate attribute. "God's mural attributes," says Dr. Dabney, "are His special crown : his intelligence and will the brow that wears it. His holiness is the collective and consum mate glory of his nature, as an infinite, morally pure, active and intelligent spirit." In what way can we so glorify God as by reflecting in our own character and lives the beauty of holiness? As the moon at night reflects the light of the king of day, so may we reflect in our characters and lives the glory of the Son of righteousness. But some one will ask, "Is it desirable for me that I should glorify God ?" I answer: that is the end, the purpose, for which he preserves you, and redeems you. Failing in this, you are a failure; a miserable, wretched, eternal failure. Oh, how desirable that you should glorify Him !
4. Because it is unfading. How soon does bodily beauty fade! Ere long the roses fade from the cheek; the fair, smooth brow becomes wrinkled; the form bowed ; the hair gray, and the step loses its spring. But, oh! here is a beauty which grows more beautiful with increasing years. While the body is fading as the leaf in autumn, the Holy Spirit is bringing out and de veloping in the soul the elements of holiness, and the growing beauty of the soul finds expression in the eye and voice and countenance. Truly there is "more of real beauty in such a face than in one of merely untried innocence." But this is not all: at death the soul is made perfect in holiness, and shall shine forever in beauty like the beauty of God himself. And now I ask is not this beauty desirable ; aye, supremely desirable?

III.
Consider How this beauty of holiness is commended to us by our God. 1. It is commended to us in the great work of human re demption. The Apostle Paul seta forth the great object of the Son of God in redeeming man in these words: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." Eph. 5, 25-27. Not only did Christ die to redeem his people, but that they might be adorned even as a bride for her hus band. One of the peculiar virtues of Christ's atoning blood is that in it the saints wash their robes and make them white, and fit for those who appear in the presence of the King of Kings. How strongly then is this beauty of holiness commended to us by the fact that the infinite Son of God teaches us that one of the great objects he had in view in his mission to this world was to bestow this beauty upon his people! Again, one of the great objects of the Holy Spirit's work in salvation is to produce in man perfect holiness to recreate the soul in the image of God, i. e. in his moral likeness. Hence He is our imlweller, our comforter, and sacrifice. Herein is a marvellous thing that this third person in the Holy Trinity should undertake a work in man calling constantly for the ex ercise of all Divine attributes. But is there any scriptural evidence that the Holy Spirit has regard to the beauty of holi ness in this work ? Let us turn to 2 Cor. 3, 18: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" Not that the Spirit's object is to trans form us into the glorious image of God; but the glory of God is his holiness. What great importance then must the Holy Spirit attach to the beauty, the glory of holiness! Thus we see that the great God in the work of salvation emphasizes and powerfully commends to us the beauty of holiness.

/GO 2. The beauty of holiness is commended to us by the ex^ J63113 Christ. He is our great exemplar. Our high
est duty and our highest glory is to be like him. But what of his life on earth was more conspicuous than this, that
lie was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners."
3. It is commended to us by the holiness of God our Fath er. We have already seen that holiness is the peculiar glory of God. Now we are his children and adoption is not a mere formal relation. It is the will of God and the purpose of God that we should have the spirit of adoption. (Rom. 8, 14-15). Hence the command : "Be ye holy, for I am holy."
4. It is commended by the inspired descriptions of heaven and hell. Heaven is described to us as a place of transcendent beauty. But it is the beauty of holiness. The glory of God is the eternal light of heaven ; and the glory of God is his holiness. The saints appear adorned in garments of pure white, emblems of holiness. The city itself is called the "holy city." The joy and praises and employments are all holy. What more striking presentation and commendation of the beauty of holiness! By all the attractive and inspiring glory of heaven would I commend to you to-day the beauty of holi ness.
On the other hand, hell is described in the scriptures as a place of darkness, and horror and w<>e. Everything hideous, and repulsive, belongs to tin's awful place. But all that is dark, and horrible, and repulsive in this place of woe, may be sum med up in one word, sin; ivnd this word is the very opposite of holiness. Now place those two pictures side by side as com panion pieces. How attractive the one, how repulsive the other ! One is beautiful and attractive because it is holy the other is horrible and repulsive because it is unholy. So the one enforces and commends holiness by its beauty and attraction and glory the other by it* blackness and woe.
In conclusion, I urge upon you to seek above all things the beauty of holiness. All other kinds of beauty combined can not take the place of the beauty of holiness.