Godliness is our spiritual beauty
'The beauties of holiness' (Psa. 110:3).Godliness is to the soul what the light is to the world: to illustrate and adorn it. It is not greatness which sets us off in God's eye but goodness. What is the beauty of the angels but their sanctity? Godliness is the intricate embroidery and workmanship of the Holy Ghost. A soul furnished with godliness is damasked with beauty, it is enamelled with purity. This is the clothing of wrought gold which makes the King of heaven fall in love with us. Were there no excellence in holiness, the hypocrite would never try to paint it. Godliness sheds a glory and lustre on the saints. What are the graces but the golden feathers in which Christ's dove shines (Psa. 68:13)?
2. Godliness is our defence
Grace is called 'the armour of light' (Rom. 13:12).It is light for beauty and armour for defence. A Christian has armour of God's making which cannot be shot through. He has the shield of faith, the helmet of hope, the breastplate of righteousness. This is proof armour, which defends against the assaults of temptation and the terror of hell.
3. Godliness breeds solid peace
'Great peace have they which love thy law' (Psa. 119:165).Godliness composes the heart, making it quiet and calm like the upper region, where there are no winds and tempests. How can that heart be unquiet where the Prince of Peace dwells? 'Christ in you' (Col. 1:27).A holy heart may be compared to the doors of Solomon's temple, which were made of olive tree, carved with open flowers (I Kings 6:32).The olive of peace and the open flowers of joy are in that heart. Godliness does not destroy a Christian's mirth, but refines it. His rose is without prickles, his wine without froth. He who is a favourite of heaven must of necessity be full of joy and peace. He may truly sing a requiem to his soul and say, 'Soul, take thine ease' (Luke 12:19). King Ptolemy asked someone how he might be at rest when he dreamed. He replied, 'Let piety be the scope of all your actions.' If anyone should ask me how he should be at rest when he is awake, I would return a similar answer: 'Let his soul be inlaid with godliness.'
4. Godliness is the best trade we can engage in: it brings profit Wicked men say, 'It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it?' (Mal. 3:14). To be sure, there is no profit in sin:
'Treasures of wickedness profit nothing' (Prov. 10:2). But godliness is profitable (1 Tim. 4:8). It is like digging in a gold mine, where there is gain as well as toil. Godliness makes God himself our portion: 'The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance' (Psa. 16:5). If God is our portion, all our estate lies in jewels. Where God gives himself, he gives everything else. Whoever has the manor has all the royalties belonging to it. God is a portion that can be neither spent nor lost (Psa. 73:26). Thus we see that godliness is a thriving trade.
And as godliness brings profit with it, so it is profitable 'for all things' (1 Tim. 4:8). What else is, besides godliness? Food will not give a man wisdom; gold will not give him health; honour will not give him beauty. But godliness is useful for all things: it fences off all troubles; it supplies all wants; it makes soul and body completely happy.
5. Godliness is an enduring substance; it knows no fall of the leaf
All worldly delights have a death's-head set on them. They are only shadows and they are fleeting. Earthly comforts are like Paul's friends, who took him to the ship and left him
there (Acts 20:38). So these will bring a man to his grave and then take their farewell. But godliness is a possession cannot be robbed of. It runs parallel with eternity. For cannot weaken it; age cannot wither it. It outbraves sufferings; it outlives death (Prov. 10:2). Death may pluck the stalk of the body but the flower of grace is not hurt.
6. Godliness is so excellent that the worst men would like have it when they are going hence
Though at present godliness is despised and under a cloud yet at death all would like to be godly. A philosopher asked a young man whether he would like to be rich Croesus virtuous Socrates. He answered that he would like to live with Croesus and die with Socrates. So men would like live with the wicked in pleasure but die with the godly: 'Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!' (Numb. 23:10). If, then, godliness is so at desirable death, why should we not pursue it now? Godliness is needful now and would be more feasible. [Thomas Watson]
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