Therefore the Sabbath, God’s day, is a _holy day_; the temple, God’s house, _a holy house_; sacrifices, tithes, and offerings, God’s tribute, _holy duties_; priests, prophets, and anointed kings, under Christ, God’s ministers, _holy men_; the celestial ministering spirits, God’s messengers, _holy angels_; and the like: and wheresoever the word _holy_ is taken properly, there is still something signified of propriety, gotten by consent. In saying, _Hallowed be thy name_, we do but pray to God for grace to keep the first commandment, of _having no other Gods but him_. Mankind is God’s nation in propriety: but the Jews only were a _holy nation_. Why, but because they became his propriety by covenant? [Sidenote: Sacred, what.] And the word _profane_, is usually taken in the Scripture for the same with _common_; and consequently their contraries, _holy_ and _proper_, in the kingdom of God, must be the same also. But figuratively, those men also are called _holy_, that led such godly lives, as if they had forsaken all worldly designs, and wholly devoted and given themselves to God. In the proper sense, that which is made _holy_ by God’s appropriating or separating it to his own use, is said to be _sanctified_ by God, as the seventh day in the fourth commandment; and as the elect in the New Testament were said to be _sanctified_, when they were endued with the spirit of godliness. And that which is made _holy_ by the dedication of men, and given to God, so as to be used only in his public service, is called also SACRED, and said to be consecrated, as temples, and other houses of public prayer, and their utensils, priests, and ministers, victims, offerings, and the external matter of sacraments. [Sidenote: Degrees of sanctity.] Of _holiness_ there be degrees: for of those things that are set apart for the service of God, there may be some set apart again, for a nearer and more especial service. The whole nation of the Israelites were a people holy to God; yet the tribe of Levi was amongst the Israelites a holy tribe; and amongst the Levites, the priests were yet more holy; and amongst the priests, the high-priest was the most holy. So the land of Judea was the Holy Land; but the holy city wherein God was to be worshipped, was more holy; and again the Temple more holy than the city, and the _sanctum sanctorum_ more holy than the rest of the Temple. [Sidenote: Sacrament.]