this negative holiness: for except a man leave off to do evil, he
cannot be a righteous man. Negative holiness is therefore of
absolute necessity to make one in one's self a righteous man. This
therefore condemns them, that count it sufficient if a man have some
actions that in themselves, and by virtue of the command, are good,
to make him a righteous man, though negative holiness is wanting.
This is as saying to the wicked, Thou art righteous, and a perverting
of the right way of the Lord: negative holiness, therefore, must be
in a man before he can be accounted righteous.

2. As negative holiness is required to declare one a righteous man;
so also positive holiness must be joined therewith, or the man is
unrighteous still. For it is not what a man is not, but what a man
does, that declares him a righteous man. Suppose a man be no thief,
no liar, no unjust man; or, as the Pharisee saith, no extortioner,
nor adulterer, &c., this will not make a righteous man; but there
must be joined to these, holy and good actions, before he can be
declared a righteous man. Wherefore, as the apostle, when he pressed
the Christians to righteousness, did put them first upon negative
holiness, so he joineth thereto an exhortation to positive holiness;
knowing, that where positive holiness is wanting, all the negative
holiness in the whole world cannot declare a man a righteous man.
When therefore he had said, "But thou, O man of God, flee these
things" (sin and wickedness), he adds, "and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness," &c.; 1
Tim. vi. 11. Here Timothy is exhorted to negative holiness, when he
is bid to flee sin. Here also he is exhorted to positive holiness,
when he is bid to follow after righteousness, &c.; for righteousness
can neither stand in negative nor positive holiness, as severed one
from another. That man then, and that man only, is, as to actions, a