may be obserued is that Christ is the main Fountain of all grace and holinesse It is he that fils all in all things Eph. 1. vlt. All the treasures of wisdome and grace be in him in whom the God-head dwels bodily Col. 2.3 9. It is he that is made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 10.30 He was long since acknowledged to be the Lord our righteousnes Ier. 23.6 The knowledge heerof may both inform instruct and comfort vs. First it may inform vs concerning the grieuousnes of our disease The nature of man is so farre past cure that vnlesse the Sonne of GOD sanctifie himself with vnspeakable holinesse we can neuer be sanctified Iohn 17.19 yea the Word it self is not auaileable without the grace of Christ as it appears in that seuenteenth of Iohn where both the Word and Christ are intreated of Secondly it may teach vs first to ascribe glory to Christ who in this respect is most worthy to be acknowledged the Head of all Principalities but especially the Head of the Church from whom commeth influence of all grace and goodnes Eph. 21 22.23 Secondly it should teach vs aboue all gettings to labor to get Christ crucified into our hearts It is Christ in vs that must be our riches and our hope of glory Col. 1. 27. yea this will bee vnsearchable riches to vs we should determine to knowe nothing saue Iesus Christ and him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 Thirdly let him that glorieth glory in the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 1.4 7. And therefore God forbid I should reioice in anything but the Crosse of Christ whereby I am crucified to the world and the world is crucified to me Gal. 6.14 Thirdly it should bee a great comfort to the Godly both in respect of their vnion with him in regard their Head is so infinite in holinesse as also in respect of that supply and help that they may continually haue from him against all their infirmities and defects and lastly in respect of the hope of the full confirmation of their holinesse in the day of Christ. And thus of the generall Doctrine The first thing in the exhortation to bee considered is the Proposition in which two things are to be marked First what Christ is secondly what the Christian must bee in respect of Christ. There are fiue things in the description of Christ. First he is a gracious Lord that is imported in the first word To whom that is which gracious Lord mentioned in the end of the former verse Whereby the Apostle applies that to Christ which was before spoken of God generally as hee that is God with the Father and as that person in whom the Lord shewes his graciousnes to men Secondly hee is a liuing stone Thirdly hee is in respect of the world and the base respect and vsage of him once disallowed of men Fourthly he is elect of God Fiftly he is precious Now that which Christians must be and doo that they may receiue holinesse from Christ is that first they must come vnto him Secondly they must bee liuely stones Thirdly they must be built vp in him Fourthly they must become a spirituall house Fiftly they must bee a holy priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices vnto God such as may be acceptable in Iesus Christ. For it is to be noted that the word Are built vp may be rendred Be ye built vp howsoeuer it bee read The intent is to perswade them thereto Ye are built vp that is if you bee right that is a thing must not be wāting so the sense is the same First then of the description of Christ. And therein the first point of doctrine that offereth it self to our consideration is that Christ is a gracious Lord. He is a Lord and Master to all true Christians and such a Lord and Master as neuer men serued for wonderfull graciousnes That he is a Lord to the faithfull is euident by other Scriptures also 1. Cor. 1.2 He is said to bee a Lord to all that call vpon him in euery place Thus Dauid cals him My Lord Psalme 110.1 And great Apostles confesse themselues to bee his seruants Rom. 1.1 Iude 1. 2. Pet. 1.1 And that hee is most gracious the Apostle shewes when hee tels that all Ages haue cause to wonder at the maruellous kindnes that God hath shewed to men in Christ. The vse may be both for information instruction and consolation First we may hence be informed that Christ is God with the Father For the which the Prophet Dauid Psalme 34 whence the words of the former verse are borrowed Giue to God the Apostle applies heer vnto Christ and the reason of the application may in the second place inform vs that God is gracious to men onely by Iesus Christ. It is impossible euer to feel or taste of Gods graciousnes but in his Son And thirdly we are heer told as it were that Christ is God visible God is made visible and sensible to men by Iesus Christ This is that mystery of godlines God is manifested in the flesh Secondly Is Christ our Lord and Master then these things will follow 1. That we must liue and die vnto Christ Rom 14.7 8 9. we are not our owne men wee must liue to him that died for vs 2. Cor. 5. vlt. The loue of Christ must constrayne vs and all old things must be passed and all things must become new vnto vs. If Christ be our Lord where is his seruice he must rule vs and rule ouer vs. If we walke in the vanitie of our mindes according to the deceiueable lusts of our old conuersation we haue not yet learned Christ nor the truth that is in Iesus Eph. 4. And therefore let vs euery one looke to his waies as he that must one day giue account of himselfe vnto Christ which will bee Iudge both of quick and dead Rom. 14. 2. That euery knee must bow at the name of Christ and euery tongue must confesse his soueraignty to the glory of God Philip. 2.1 Rom. 14. We must all take notice of his supreme authority and forme in our hearts all possible reuerence toward him 3. We must not iudge one another For what haue we to doe to iudge another mans seruant He stands or falls to his owne Master Rom. 14.4 9. Thirdly it ought to be the singular ioy of our harts that wee serue so glorious a Master Neuer seruāts serued such a Lord as may appear by the enumeration of diuers particular differences As First other masters are not wont to die for their vassals Christ shed his blood for vs one drop of whose blood was more precious then all the bloods of all the men in the World and this he did onely to ransome and redeeme vs that wee might bee a peculiar people vnto him Titus 2.13 Secondly neuer Master had such power to prefer his seruants Christ hath all power in heauen and in earth Mat. 28. and all that to
sacrifice their owne affections which resemble those sweet odors with which the Tabernacle was perfumed The outward couerings of the Tabernacle do assure safety and preseruation to the Godly and the rather because the cloud rested vpon them as is affirmed Esay 4.5 6. Besides the double couering of slain beasts may signifie that God hath two waies to prouide for the Church The red skinnes of Rammes may note Christ crucified which is that which on the inside of the Tabernacle was onely sewed The couering of Badgers skinnes may note that God will serue himself of the wicked their skins shall protect the Church If Israel want room Canaan must dy for it Now thirdly the Tabernacle was a type of euery beleeuer if we respect the end of it For the Tabernacle was erected of purpose as the place of the presence of God God's visible House such are the hearts of Christians they are prepared of purpose for the entertainment of Iesus Christ that by his Spirit he may liue and dwell therein Gal. 2.20 Col. 1.27 2. Cor. 12.9 2. Cor. 13.5 Vse The vse of all may be both for instruction and consolation For instruction and so it should teach vs diuers things First to abhor fornication seeing our bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.21 Secondly to keepe our selues for being vnequally yoked Because there can bee no communion betweene light and darknes the Temple of God and Idols Thirdly to looke to our harts in respect of inward sinnes and to keepe the roome cleane for the Lord to dwell in 2. Cor. 7.1 Fourthly to stir vp our selues to much praier if our hearts be the house of God let them bee a house of praier also Fiftly let vs still lift vp our harts as euerlasting dores for the Lord of Glorie to come in Psalme 24.7 For consolation Shall wee not say as Paul doth We will reioice in our infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in vs How should wee hold vp our head against all tentations and afflictions Is not the grace of Christ sufficient for vs 2. Cor. 12.9 And shal we not be confident that through Christ we can doe all things Will he forsake the house vpon which his Name is called Will hee not perfect his owne work and repaire his owne dwelling place Was the tabernacle safe in the wildernes while the cloud was vpon it and are not our hearts safe while Christ is in them How are the abiect Gentiles honored Col. 1.27 whose hearts are so enriched by Christ that dwels in them If the outward Sanctuary were like high palaces Psal. 78.69 what is the hart of man the true tabernacle and if he established it as the earth how much more hath he established vs in his fauour and grace so that it may comfort vs in respect of honor done to our harts and against tentations and afflictions and in respect of hope of perseuerance and also in respect of increase of power and wel-doing Hee will work our works for vs. And it shewes vs also the honor cast vpon our good works they haue a noble beginning in respect of Christ and as they come from him Howsoeuer wee ought to be abased for our owne corruptions that cleaue vnto them Yea how should it wonderfully establish our hearts in all estates to think that Christ is with vs wheresoeuer we goe not only as our witnes but as our guide and our protector If God be with vs who can bee against vs. As also it is comfortable if wee consider the comparisons imported in the furniture of the outward tabernacle And thus much of the fourth thing The fift thing is Wee must bee a holy priest-hood vnto Christ which is amplified both by the labour of it To offer sacrifice and by the honor of it acceptable to God through Iesus Christ. Heere are many things to be noted The first is that Christians are priests before God and Iesus Christ This is acknowledged in other Scriptures Reuel 1.5 Exod. 19.6 The meaning is that they are like to the Leuiticall priests and that in many things First in respect of separation they are Gods portion giuen him out of all the people so are the godly all the portion God hath in the world They are said to bee the ransome of the children of Israel Numbers 8.9 Secondly in respect of consecration The oile of God is vpon the godly and as it was powred out vpon Aaron and his Sonnes The oile of grace and gladnes powred out vpon Christ our true Aaron hath run downe vpon his garments so as all his members are Christians that is anointed with him Psalme 133.2 Cor. 1.22.1 Ioh. 2. The holy Ghost is called the anointing in this respect Thirdly in respect of the substance of the ceremonies in their consecration for First as it was required in the Law that the Priests should bee without blemish Leuit. 21.17 so is it required of Christians Col. 1.22 Secondly as the Priests were washed in the great lauer of water Exod. 29.4 Leuit. 8.5.6 so must Christians be washed in the lauer of Regeneration Eph. 5.23 Titus 3.5 Thirdly as the Priests had their holy garments beautifull and goodly ones which they called their Ephods so doth the Queene the Church stand at Christs right hand in a Vesture of Ophir Psalme 45. Thus Iosuah hath change of garments mystically giuen him Zach. 3.4 Those garments are promised to such as haue had a spirit of heauinesse Isaiah 61.3 called garments of saluation verse 10. and roiall garments and like the newe wedding garments of the Bride Isaiah 62.5.7 Those garments signified either the singular glory and ioy of Christians Esaiah 61.3 or the righteousnes of Christ imputed Reuel 19. or the excellent diuine gifts and graces bestow'd vpon them Fourthly The Priest must haue blood sprinkled vpon his eare and vpon his thombe and vpon his toe to signify that our hearing practice and progresse must bee all sanctified to vs by Christ and that the maine thing Christians should expresse and attend to should be Christ crucified and that Christ by his blood hath consecrated them in all these respects so as their hearing and practice and progresse shall all bee blessed vnto them And thus of the ceremonies of their consecration Fourthly Wee should bee like the Leuiticall Priests for knowledge the Priests lips should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth Malac. 2. And it is true of Christians that they are a people in whose heart is Gods law Esay 57.7 Hebr. 8. Ierem. 31. Fiftly We should be like the Priests in respect of the work they did For First It was the Priests office to carry about the Arke of the Lord when it was remoued vpon their shoulders What is the Arke to be carried but the doctrine of Christ and the Church Christians must carry about the Word of God and hold it forth in the light and life of it as lights that shine in the darke places of the
and by the Gospell is offred to vs. Now that this point being of such singular waight may be cleerly vnderstood I will break it open into particulars or into particular parts or steppes of iudgement and practice in the beleeuer First he must acknowledge that by nature he stands bound to obserue all the morall Law Secondly he must see that he hath broken all those holy lawes of God and is therefore guilty before God of the curses of the Law and so of eternall condemnation Thirdly he must knowe that GOD sent his owne Son in the flesh to obey the Law and satisfie the iustice of God by making an expiation for mans sins Fourthly he must learn that God hath bound himself by promise that whosoeuer imbraceth the agreements in this new couenant in Christ shall be saued Fiftly that when a man doth in his owne particular discern this gracious offer of God in the Gospell and goeth to God and with his heart relieth vpon it then he doth truely beleeue and is iustified and shall be saued Quest. But many men are perswaded that God hath giuen Christ for them and yet it is euident that they do not beleeue because there is no appearance of any repentance or reformation in them many say they haue a strong faith and yet haue none How shall the perswasion of the godly man be distinguished from this vain presumption in wicked men Ans. That perswasion of Gods grace in Christ which is true and of the nature of true faith doth prooue it self to bee right by many infallible signes First by the renouation of the heart The knowledge of God's loue in Christ doth make the heart of man new it clenseth out the old drosse and makes a man hate his secret and most secret sinnes Faith purifieth the heart Acts 15. Secondly by the ioy and comforts of the holy Ghost with which the beleeuer's hart is refreshed from the presence of God 1. Pet. 1.9 Thirdly by the victory of the world For the true beleeuer is so satisfied with God's goodnes in Christ that he can deny his profits pleasures credit friends and the like for Christ's sake and the Gospell yea faith marres the taste of earthly things and makes a man able to forsake the loue of worldly things 1. Iohn 5.5 It will endure the triall of troubles of afflictions and temptations and persecutions for the Gospels sake 1. Pet. 1.7 without making haste to vse ill means in the euill day Quest. But how may faith bee discerned in such as say they are not perswaded that they haue faith which sometimes proues to be the case of diuers deere children of God Ans. Their faith may be discerned First by repentance which cannot be separated from it the sight hatred confession and sorrow for their sinnes is an argument of true faith because without faith no man can haue true repentance Secondly by their complaining of their vnbelief and desire of faith I beleeue Lord help my vnbelief was the voice of him that had true faith Thirdly by their daily renouncing of their owne merits begging fauour of God onely for the merits of Christ. Fourthly by the loue of the Godly for faith worketh by loue Galat. 5. Fiftly by other markes and signes of Gods children which can neuer bee had but faith is had also such as are loue of God and his Word and of their enemies and vprightnes of heart and the spirit of praier and the like Precious Christ is precious to them that beleeue not onely in their account but by effect and so both because hee is great riches vnto them as also because he is an honour vnto them Hee is great riches vnto them yea vnsearchable riches Eph. 3.6 All ages ought to wonder at the riches of Gods kindnes to the beleeuers in Iesus Christ Eph. 2.7 Christ in vs is our riches Col. 1.27 and thus he inricheth vs with the fauour of God his owne merits and righteousnes the grace of the Spirit and the promises of the Word and the hope of glory The Vses are many Vses First woe to the rich men of this world that are not rich in God Christ Luke 12.16.21 Let not the rich man glory in his riches Ierem. 9. 24. Secondly let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that God hath thus exalted him Iames 1.9 For godly Christians are the richest men in the world for their possessions are greatest because they possesse Iesus Christ and his treasures Iames 2.5 For God is rich to al that cal vpon him Hee cannot bee a poore man that can pray Rom. 10.12 Christ makes amends to the poore Christian for all his wants Thirdly hence wee may gather another signe to try our faith by If Christ bee more precious to vs then all the world besides it is certaine we are true beleeuers For Christ is precious to none but beleeuers Phil. 3.9 8. Fourthly wee should striue with all thankfulnes to admire and praise the grace of God that hath bestowed such riches vpon vs in Christ Ephes. 1.7 Fiftly wee should hence learne to make more account of our faith which is therefore precious because it applies Christ vnto vs Hence poore Christians are said to bee rich because they haue faith and assurance of faith and hee calleth it all riches of full assurance Colos. 2.2 2. Pet. 1.4 Iam. 2.5 Sixtly we should liue securelesse Men would promise to liue at all hearts ease if they were rich enough why Christians are exceeding rich and possesse more treasure then all the world besides and therefore should liue henceforth by the faith of the Sonne of God which was giuen to them Gal. 2.20 Seuenthly looke to it that thou keepe Christ whatsoeuer thou losest resolue to lose father mother wife children friends house lands yea and life too rather then lose Christ who is so precious Eightly Wee should shew it that we account him our greatest riches and that wee shall doe first by esteeming the Gospell that brings vs daily tidings aboue gold and siluer Secondly by often receiuing of the Sacraments we should account the Word and Sacraments as Gods Exchequer whither we alwaies come to receiue more treasure Thirdly by making much of them that resemble his vertues Fourthly by longing for his appearing Thus as Christ is our riches Now secondly hee is precious in that hee is an honour vnto vs and so some translate it Christ then is a singular honor to euery beleeuer and hee is so both in heauen and in earth First in heauen hee is an honour to vs because he graceth vs before God and the Angels couering our nakednes with the rich garment of his owne imputed righteousnes and making daily intercession for vs to God and couering our imperfections and presenting our workes and praiers to God and giuing the Angels a charge to looke carefully to vs. Secondly And so hee is an honour to vs on earth both amongst the godly and amongst the wicked First Hee graceth vs amongst the
outward estate be Euery poore Christian should think themselues aboundantly happie What shall one answer the messengers of the nations saith the Prophet Why thus That the Lord hath founded Sion and the poore of his people shall trust in it Esay 14.32 Especially if wee consider that of the Psalme that the Lord hath there commanded the blessing euen life for euermore Psal. 133.3 Thus it should serue for consolation Eightthly It imports and imputes also great reproof and so to two sorts of men First to the godly themselues that liue not comfortably and are dailie distressed with vnbelief shal any distresses now make Sion droop The Lord takes it wonderfully vnkindly that Sion said God hath forsaken mee and my God hath forgotten mee and pleades earnestly to proue that it was false What saies the Prophet Micah is there no King in thee why doest thou crie out Mic. 4.8 9 10 11 12 13. And the Prophet Ieremie notes it with indignation Behold saith he the voice of the crie of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell n farre countries Is not the Lord in Sion Is not her King in her Ierem. 8.19 Secondly to carelesse and carnall Christians Is the Lord about so great a work as founding of Sion and forming Christ in the harts of men Then wo to them that are at ease in Sion and can sit still and securely neglect so great saluation brought vnto them Amos 6.1 A corner stone Christ is described by these words A corner stone elect and precious He is likened to the foundation stone in the corner of the building by which similitude diuers Doctrines are imported as First that Christ is the foundation of all the building of grace and godlines in the Church and the onely corner stone Hebr. 1.3 Ioh 5.39 Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 3. which should both teach vs and informe vs it should teach vs where to begin when wee goe about the work of godlines and eternall life Wee must begin at Christ All the building of true grace must begin at Christ and our redemption in him till wee haue learned Christ wee haue learned nothing and it should teach vs also to stay our hearts in all estates vpon Christ wee should rest in him as the building doth vpon the foundation And further it should teach vs to ascribe all the praise of the grace or hope wee haue receiued vnto Christ and the support wee haue from him And it may informe vs concerning the dotage of the Papists who make Peter the rock and foundation of the Church and yet heere wee haue the testimonie and Doctrine of Peter himselfe to the contrarie teaching vs to acknowledge no other rock of foundation but Christ himselfe Secondly we heere are instructed concerning the Vnion of Iewes and Gentiles in one Christ The two sides of the building meet all in the corner and are both fastened vpon this one foundation of Christ crucified Thirdly it is heere imported that Gods building euen in these times of the Gospell is not finished nor will bee in this life till all the elect be called He is for the most part imploied in laying the foundation and fastning the Elect as they arise in their seuerall ages as liuely stones vpon this liuing stone But the work will not be finished till we be settled in that Building made without hands in heauen Fourthly hence we may gather a testimony of the two natures of Christ or in Christ. Hee is God because he must be beleeued on and he is man because he is part of the Building and was laid down of God as the corner-stone Elect and precious There are two Epithets by which the corner stone is commended as meet to bee the onely head of the corner The first is that it is an Elect one a choise one that one of a thousand there was not such another to be found in all the heape of the creatures to make a corner stone of This is hee that is separate from sinners and acknowledged to be better and fitter for this worke then the Angels in heauen There can bee no other name vpon which we may be founded but onely the happy name of Iesus And therefore for the vse of it let euery knee bow at the name of Iesus and let euery tongue confesse to the glory of God the Father that he hath been wonderfull in his choise Let vs adore him whom God hath chosen and giuen vnto vs as the foundation of all our happines especially let vs learn of God to make our choise of him Oh Infidelity Infidelity how iust is thy wofull destruction for thy vnbeliefe Oh man that mightest haue been for euer happy in this choise Oh let vs bee warned and saue our selues from the common ruine of the world Let all this be vile in respect of Christ. Let vs chuse him aboue all the world Hee is worthy vpon whom all our soules and all our minde and all our ioy should be set God forbid wee should reioyce in any thing but in Christ and him crucified Let vs bee crucified to the world so we be loued of Christ. Shall wee wilfully make our selues like the miserable Iews Shall we chuse rather Barabbas then Iesus and Belial rather then Christ If the daughter of a begger should bee offred in marriage whether she would chuse of a matchlesse Prince or a base and seruile pesant would we not detest such folly if she should neglect the Prince and choose the pesant And yet this is our case God requires no more of vs but to choose his Sonne before the world or Satan or the flesh and we are assured of eternall aduancement and yet behold we chuse not wee deferre the time wee court the pesant that will for euer vndoe vs and neglect the continual sollicitations of the Heir of all things Lord put to our faith and make vs for euer resolute to cleaue to the Lord Iesus and him alone Secondly he is sayd to be precious Of this before but yet somewhat note for the vse Is he precious O then first how should we admire the glorie of that building when the foundation is layed with precious stones Secondly this should begette in vs an high estimation of Christ. Quest. What should we do to attaine to this heartily to account of Christ as so excellent aboue all other things Ans. First we must think much of our misery and our need of Christ. The true reason why wee are not more ioyed in Christ is because we are not soundly Catechized in the particulars of our miserie in our selues we should seriously lay that doctrine one time after another vpon our hearts and it will make vs run to Christ with singular affection Secondly we should get Catalogues of the great things purchased by Christ and of the wonderfull precious promises made vnto godlines both for this life and that which is to
hath done as great a work vpon our hearts as he did when he commanded the light to shine out of darknes in the beginning of the world Thirdly if we consider what glorious things are reuealed vnto vs for by the gospell hee hath caused to shine in our hearts the knowledge of the glory of God c. Finally it is the more comfortable in that the Apostle cals this light maruellous light which is now in the next place to be opened Maruellous light The spirituall light which shines in the harts of the godly by the Gospel is a maruellous light either because it is such as the Godly do maruell at or because it is such as they ought to maruell and wonder at When men first enter into the truth that is when they are first conuerted Christians beeing for the most part full of affections as they that haue scaped lately singular danger and as they that neuer before saw the Kings Court they are frequently stirred vp with admiration at the glory of the Gospell they wonder at and are vehemently affected with the new discouery of the riches of Christ shewed them in the preaching of the Gospell and thus it is a maruellous light in this sense Esay 30.26 But I rather consider of it in the other sense It is a maruellous light though wee should not haue the heart to bee so affected toward it it is maruellous I say First because it is a light that needed the Mediator to procure it none but Christ can giue vs this light Other light is free wee pay nothing for it but this is carried in the hand of the Mediator to vs and for vs Esay 42. and 49. Secondly because it commeth after so long a night of ignorance and sin they must needs account the light precious that haue not seen it a long time as blind men when they receiue sight Thirdly and more because it is a light commanded to shine out of darknes 2. Cor. 4.6 That God should call light out of such darknes as was in our hearts is maruellous Fourthly in comparison with the times of the Law and the shadows of the old Testament Fiftly because it is a light comes not from any creature but from God the Creator God is our light Esay 6.19 And in this respect this light is like the light that shone about Paul Acts 22.6 Sixtly because it is a light that shines at the time of the euening of this world That the Sun should shine in the day time is no wonder but that it should shine in the night or at euening were a dreadfull wonder euen so it is in this last age of the world Zach. 14.7 Seuenthly because it is a knowledge aboue the reach of reason it is the light of faith Eightthly because it shines onely to the godly It is light in Goshen when there is no light in Aegypt that was maruellous and so is it when we see the light shining all abroad and many men sit in darknes euen in the same place in the same congregation city or family When the Godly see cleerly the Wicked discerne nothing light is with-held from the Wicked Ninthly because it hath more force than any other light for it is the light of life it quickens the soule and enlyues it Iohn 8.12 Lastly because it is an euerlasting light it is such a day as no night followeth it The consideration of all this should work diuers things in vs. For if in all these senses it bee a maruelous light then First we should be maruelously affected with it and striue to be exceeding thankful for it How haue we deserued to be cast againe into darknes for our extreme vnthankfulnes How haue wee giuen God cause to take away the Candlestick from vs Let vs therefore striue after thankfulnes and admiration and if the Lord doe work it in vs let vs take heed we lose not our first loue Secondly wee should arme our selues for the defence of the light we should preserue it as a singular treasure both in our hearts and in our Churches we should with the more resolution resist the works of darknes standing alwaies vpon our guard Rom. 13.12 Thirdly we should striue after all the degrees of the assurance of faith Fourthly we should striue to make our light shine the more excellently both for the measure of good works Malac. 5.16 and for the strict precise respect of the exact doing of good duties Now we haue the light so cleerely shining wee may doe euery thing the more exactly then if it were dark Ephes. 5.15 Our gifts must not bee hid The light must not be put vnder a bushell Math. 5.15 Phil. 2.15 We should now auoid not onely greater faulâ—s and falles but lesser stumblings 1 Ioh. 2.10.11 We should doe all things to the life and power of them and shew discretion aswell as knowledge This doctrine also doth imply the grieuous misery of wicked men for if it bee maruelous light into which the godly are called there is a maruelous darknes in which wicked men liue The whole creation of God had been but a confused heape if God had not set in it the light of the Sun such a confused Chaos is the world of men if the Gospell shine not into their hearts Finally this should much comfort the godly they are called into maruelous light in all the sences before named which should much inflame their hearts and they should rebuke their owne hearts for not valuing so rich treasure Wee may from hence take occasion to note how little wee should trust to the iudgement of flesh and bloud in valuing spirituall things when the very godly themselues doe not so much esteeme of them as they should Whatsoeuer we think yet in Gods account the light of the Gospel the light of faith and knowledge the light of Gods countenance c. is maruelous light But if the light of the godly bee maruelous in this world what shall it be in the world to com when God the Lamb shall be their immediate light Heere God lights vs by the meanes there God himself will be our euerlasting light Heere our light may be darkned with clouds of affliction and temptation there shall bee an eternall light without all darknes Heere we haue no light but what is infused into vs there we shall our selues shine as the Sunne iâ— the firmament Hitherto of the description in Tropicall tearms Now it followeth in plaine words Verse 10. Which in times past were not a people yet are now the people of God which in times past were not vnder mercy but now haue obtained mercy THe Apostle takes the words of this verse out of the Prophet Hosea chapter 1.11 where the Lord promiseth that the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea and in the place where it was said vnto them Ye are not my people it shall bee said vnto them Ye are my people Now the Apostle
of God either the great Book of the creatures or little booke of the Scriptures and so praying God to direct them take those things that easily offer them selues from thence The other way of meditating without booke as I knowe not whether it bee absolutely required so can it not bee so fruitfully performed nor so comfortably But to returne the viewing of GODs workman-ship in his creatures and of his wisedome rule in his Word will help vs in the first point which is to bring God into our minds For the second that wee may not mistake but conceiue of God aright wee must looke to diuers things carefully First wee must resist and subdue and no way harbour or fauour any atheisticall conceits against the doctrine of Gods nature or prouidence If wee find our minds intangled with any such wee must labour to get them cured for till our hearts bee whole of such diseases wee are disabled from any true conception of God Secondly wee must in thinking of God then cast out all likenesses wee must not conceiue of him in the likenes of any man or other creature but get aboue all similitudes and there rest in the adoration of him that is not like any of those things wee must haue no Images of God neither in our Churches nor in our heads Command 2. Esay 40. Thirdly we must learn distinctly the attributes of God's praises in the Scripture and conceiue of him as he is there commended to vs I mean wee should as wee are able when wee think of God thinke of him as he is omnipotent most wise most iust most mercifull c. It is an excellent prayse of the diligence of a Christian to accustome himselfe to conceiue of God according to descriptions made of him in his attributes in his Word Fourthly it may much helpe vs if we conceiue of God as dwelling in the humane nature of Christ for thereby it may somewhat arise in our mindes if we be prone to conceiue of likenesses Marke it carefully wee may not set before our mindes Christ-man and so worship without any more adoe but if we conceiue of the man-Christ and then worship that God-head that dwells in him we do right and besides attaine vnto a point farther which is to conceiue of God in Christ. Thus of the right conceiuing of God's nature The third thing which we must labour for is to magnifie God in our hearts to make him great to conceiue largely with full thoughts of God and to this I adde also to conceiue gloriously of him to clothe our thoughts of God with a shining excellency aboue any thing else wee thinke of Now that God may bee magnified and thought on after a glorious manner these things must bee done Wee must with all attendance and reuerence waite vpon the presence of God in his house for that is the place where his glory dwelleth Psalme 27.8 And God hath magnified his Word aboue all his name Psalme 138.2 And the vse of the Gospell is said to be the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God because it doth with the liuelyest impressions make a mans heart to discerne Gods excellency Mic. 5.4 1. Tim. 1.11 Secondly the meditation of the wonderfull works of God recorded in Scripture or obserued by experience is good to breed great and glorious thoughts of God for as the sight of the miracles of Christ wrought this in the hearts of the people Math. 15.31 Luke 7.16 so the contemplation of such great works may work the same effect in vs and the same effect also may the thought of the workes of God's speciall Iustice or Mercy haue Ezek. 38.23 Esay 13.13 especially the consideration of those works of fauour or deliuerance by which God hath declared his speciall goodnesse vnto vs Gen. 19.19 1. Chron. 17.24 Dauid also clotheth the thoughts of God with glory and greatnesse in his heart by thinking of the monuments of God's wonderfull Power and Wisedome in the heauens and earth seas c. Psalme 104.1 c. yea by thinking of his owne forming and making in the wombe Psalme 139.15 Thirdly we must pray earnestly to God with Moses and begge this of God that he would shew vs his glory Thus also of the third thing The next thing is to learne how to establish the thoughts of God's glory in vs and that is done especially two wayes First by striuing to set God alwayes before vs as Dauid did Psalme 16.8 Secondly by remembring God in all our wayes doing all our workes vnto the glorie of GOD 1. Cor. 10.31 Lastly to make vs in loue with God thus conceiued of according to his glory the thorow meditation of his mercies to vs are of singular vse to thinke eyther of the variety of them or of the speciall respect God hath had of vs aboue many others and the frequencie of his mercies that hee sheweth vs mercie daily but aboue all to consider that his mercies are free to think how vile we are vpon whom God looks with such grace and goodnes Thus the blessed Virgin taught her selfe to magnifie God and to loue his name Luke 1.46 48. Thus of making God glorious in our hearts by knowledge Now for the second which is to make him glorious by acknowledgement the particular wayes how that may be done haue been reckoned before in the explication of the doctrine onely wee must labor by praier to fashion our selues to that work that God in any of those particulars doth require of vs and that is the most speciall help which I knowe thereunto But by the way let mee warn thee to look to two things First that in any course of glorifying GOD which is to be done by thy words thou bee carefull to auoid hypocrisie and be sure that thy heart be lifted vp and affected according to the glory of God for the Lord abhorres to be glorified with thy lip if thy heart bee farre from him Esay 29.13 And the next is that thou presume not in any case to make the pretense of God's glory a couering for any wickednes as the Pharises that would hide their deuouring of widows houses vnder the praise of long prayer or those in the Prophet Esay's time that would persecute godly men and molest them with Church-censures and say Let the Lord bee glorified Esay 66.5 Thus of making God glorious in our selues Lastly that wee may make God glorious in the hearts of other men and cause them to speak of his praises we must carefully look to foure things 1. That when wee speak of God or his truth we doo it with all possible reuerence and fear that wee bee carefull in all our discourses of Religion instructions admonitions reproofs confutations or the like to treat of these things with all meeknes and reuerence God hath giuen vs a Commandement of purpose to restrain the taking-vp of his Name in vain 2. That wee striue by all means to liue vnspotted and in offensiue in
that end and therefore may comfort himselfe in the Lord how ill soeuer his execution of iustice bee spoken of among men Thus of the punishment of euill doers The second end of the sending of Magistrates is for the praise of them that doe well For the praise of them that doe well By such as do well he means such as in publick societies liue without offense and cary themselues honestly in their places especially such as are profitable and doo good to others whether it bee to the mindes of men by instructing or reproouing or to the bodies or estates of men by works of mercy or righteousnes and among these he meaneth especially such as 1. Are Inuenters of good the first Authors of the publick good 2. That doo good daily and frequently 3. That study how they may do all the good they can and doo imploy all the helps and furtherances of good they can Heer may many things be noted from hence First that all that are members of publick societies are bound to bee carefull to doo good to others and to liue so that the Church and Common-wealth may be the better for them Which should much humble such Christians as liue and doo little or no good and should quicken in all sorts of good Christians a desire to serue the publick we are not set heer to doo good to our selues onely but also to others Secondly that in this world it is not to bee expected from men that all that doo well or deserue well should bee rewarded by them hee saith For the praise not For the reward as importing that many a man may deserue well that shall neuer haue recompence from men And this ariseth partly from the corruption of Magistrates that are not carefull to dispose preferments or recompense to such as are worthy and partly from the insufficiency of any earthly greatnes to doo it For great men can reward all their seruants or friends but no King can giue the honour or preferment that is due to all his Subiects that deserue well Which should teach vs partly to doo good without hope of reward from men and partly to quicken our harts to the admiration of the reward that God giues in heauen wee should prouide to be his Subiects and then we are sure to haue a full reward of well-dooing in heauen Thirdly that to be praised or to haue a good report among men is a great blessing of GOD and therefore in the old Testament blessing praise is expressed by one word Pro. 28.20 And this may appeare to be so 1. Because God himself seeks praise from his creatures and accounts himself honoured by it Psalm 50.23 Eph. 1.6 12 14. 2. Because praise is a part of the glory of God shining vpon a man 3. Because it is in Scripture preferred before things of great price as great riches Pro. 22.1 and pretious ointment Eccles. 7 c. 4. Because it so much refresheth a mans hart it makes his bones full Pro. 15.35 5. Because an ill name is noted as an extreme curse Iob 18.17 and in many other places Vses The vse is first to comfort godly men and to make them thankfull if God giue them a good report heer but especially it should comfort them to think of the praise they shall haue at the last Day For if it bee a blessing to bee praised of men what is it to be praised of God If it be such a comfort to be praised by a Magistrate before the Country what is it to be praised of Christ before all the world at the greatest and last Assises If praises be good in this world where there is mutable vaunting and they may be blemished what is it to haue praise in that Day that shall last for euer vnstained If it be such a comfort to be praised of a Magistrate for some one good deed what shall it bee to bee praised of Christ for all that euer was good in thoughts words or works Secondly it should teach men to seek a good report and to doo all things that might haue a good report Phil. 4.9 As a man may seek riches so he may seek and desire a good name Pro. 22.1 But the praise of men is then vnlawfull and vnlawfully sought First when men doe their things onely to bee seene of men and haue no better respects then applause Mat. 6. 1. Thes. 2.6 Secondly when a man praiseth himself with his owne mouth Pro. 27.2 Thirdly when it is challenged of others and men will not stay till God giue them a good report Iohn 8.49 50. Fourthly when men seek praise onely for the shew of goodnes and are not good in deed Fiftly when men seek praise of men but seek not the praise of God or the praise that comes from God onely which is tried in this that they will not doo duties that God onely cares for or that are disgraced in the world Rom. 2.28 Iohn 5.44 and 12.42 43. Otherwise it is lawfull to seek praise and there is an infallible signe to knowe whether praise bee not ill for vs and that is if praise make vs more humble and more carefull of sound holinesse and do refine vs then praise is lawfull and a great blessing when it is like the refining pot it melts vs and makes vs better Pro. 27.21 Further if praise bee so great a blessing then an euill name must needs bee a great curse when it is for euill-doing and if it be so euill to be dispraised of men what shall it be to be dispraised of GOD not for one but many sinnes not before a few but before all the world when it shall be not to mend a man as the Magistrate's reproof may bee but to his eternall confusion Thus of the third doctrine Doct. 4. It may hence bee noted that the best men need praise and therfore God prouides that they shall be praised euen such as doo well need to be commended And this may appear both by the comfort they take if they be commended Pro. 15.30 and by their earnest desires to cleer themselues if they be dispraised as we may see in Dauid Christ himself and the Apostles especially the Apostle Paul Vse And therefore the vse should bee to teach men to acknowledge the good things done by others and to giue them praises especially if they be godly and humble men it may do them much good and greatly both comfort them and incourage them This made the Apostle Paul so reioice in the Philippians Phil. 3. vlt. It was no flattery It is flattery in some other men if they doe commend others for their owne ends or with selfe praises or without daring to reproue their faults or to get praise to themselues or for any other corrupt end especially when our praises are to such as are publick instruments of good in Church or Common-wealth And it is a course of singular vse to be held in priuate families if such as do wel might haue
sort too yea such as are faulty so disliked and corrected yet will not be without something to glory in and that is as is heer supposed to be their patience in abiding blowes And this ariseth in man partly out of corruption of nature and pride that seekes to couer their faults with some thing they account to bee of praise and partly out of the force of some remainder of goodnes in their natures that are not destitute of all desire of vertuous actions Which may serue for vse to all men in their carriage one towards another to auoid as much as may be the dishonouring and disgracing one of another for no person is so meane but hee findes himselfe stung by disgrace And it may teach superiours to vse praise and glory as a meanes to prouoke and excite inferiours to obedience and care as being a motiue that will work vniuersally vpon all natures Doct. 2. Vsually men account that to bee glory which is not vainglory is taken for true glory by most men thus men mistake that place Their glory In Idols and pictures Hosh. 10.5 In Epicurisme and shamefull lusts Phil. 3.19 In the increase of meanes and power to sinne Hosh. 4.6 7. In the gifts and power of other men 1. Cor. 3.21 In Ruffian like pride or vaine and strange apparrell 1. Cor. 11.14 1. Pet. 3.5 1. Tim. 2.9 10. In mischiefe and malicious practices against the godly Psal. 52.1 and 94.4 In fraudulent bargaines Pro. 20.23 In a mans owne gifts of nature as wit strength memory c. Ierem. 9.23 In the common graces of Religion as knowledge zeale c. Rom. 2.27 1. Cor. 4.7 In the praise sought and giuen by himselfe Iohn 7.10 and 8.54 2. Cor. 10.18 In the merit of his owne workes Rom. 4.2 In the praise of men more then of God In strife contention and prouocation of others Iam. 3.14 Gal. 5.26 Phil. 2.3 In the falles of other men that are diuided from them in iudgement 1. Cor. 5.6 In earthly things as houses riches beauty honour pleasures c. 1. Pet. 1.24 Esay 48.16 So heere some men account it their glory to suffer patiently though they bee guilty and haue deserued all they suffer And therefore wee should bee warned and directed in studying that which is true glory and if any aske what were indeed glorious I answer that spirituall riches are the best glory and therefore our soules are called our glory by an excellency Psal. 3.4 The best glory is within Psal. 45.14 And in particular it is true glory To bee righteous and mercifull Prou. 21.21 To bee humble and feare God Pro. 22.4 To knowe God Ierem. 9.23 To liue so sincerely as wee may haue the testimony of a good conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 To bee exalted of God to the priuiledges and hope of his children Iam. 1.9 To haue interest in the crosse of CHRIST Gal. 6.14 To bee abased and truly humbled for our sins Iames 1. verse 9. To abound in labours and sufferings for the Gospel 2. Cor. 11. and 22.12 To defer anger and passe by a trespasse Prouerbs Chap. 19. verse 11. To suffer without fainting for Religion Eph. Chap. 3. verse 13. So heere to doe well and suffer for it and endure it patiently this is a glory with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinning Doct. 3. The words may bee rendred 〈◊〉 What glory is it if sinning and buffeted yeâ—â—â—ke it patiently The word rendered Sinning signifies properly to erre from the way or misse the mark and so it shewes vs the nature of sin which swarueth from the direction of Gods Word that agreeth not to the way there appointed Where God hath appointed a way not to walk in it or to goe besides it is sinne and in what things GOD hath not in his Word appointed a way there men haue liberty and they are to be reckoned indifferent and there are a world of such things Doct. 4. Wee may further note from the word sinning that where seruants displease disobey and vex their Masters and will not doe as they are bidden they sinne The holy Ghost vseth the same word to censure the fault of a seruant towards his Master which is vsed to censure the fault of any man towards God Doct. 5. Seruants that will not bee corrected by words may bee corrected by blowes they may bee buffeted Pro. 29.17 19. Doct. 6. Men many times inflict shamefull and sudden punishments for trespasses against them as heere they buffet their seruants And therefore how iust is it if God for sinnes against him powre out exquisite shame and confusion vpon wicked men that are impenitent Doct. 7. To suffer for our faults and not take it patiently is a detestable and hatefull vice in the iudgement of all sorts of men Doct. 8. It is no true glory to bee patient when a man suffers for his faults not but that patience is a dutie and praise-worthy in all sufferings but it is no glory comparatiuely with theirs that suffer and are not faulty and besides it is no glory at all so long as the fault is not repented of while it remaines a fault And so it doth whilst men doe not iudge themselues for it and reforme it it is no true praise to endure punishments For patience ariseth either out of a naturall defect of sence or iudgement or else it is forced by feare of men or is directed to vain ends as the applauses of men or the extenuating or hiding of their faults or the like Thus of the first part of the verse out of the latter part diuers things may bee also obserued c. Doct. 1. Such is this euill world that a man may suffer euill for doing well Doct. 2. Wee must not be weary of well doing though wee suffer for it Doct. 3. To suffer for weldoing may befall any sort of men as heere it is supposed to bee the case of seruants Doct. 4. It is by accident and not from the nature of weldoing or any necessity that is absolute that men suffer for weldoing It doth not necessarily follow that men must suffer alwaies or all sorts of men for goodnes It may befall them it doth not follow that it must befall them and therfore the Apostle faith If you suffer Doct. 5. To suffer for weldoing patiently is wonderfull glorious and acceptable before God Doct. 6. Many things may bee gracious with men that are no whit regarded with God Doct. 7. To suffer for weldoing when it is not patiently taken is not thank-worthy with GOD though the cause men suffer for be good yet they lose their praise when they vse ill meanes to bee deliuered or carry themselues impatiently Doct. 8. To know that God fauours vs or accepts of what wee doe will make a man endure strange things as heere seruants that were vsed many times little better then beasts yet endure it because it is at all times acceptable to God Doct. 9. Lastly it would heer be noted
Prouer. 13.19 And whereas there is no peace to the wicked the righteous is at peace with God with Angels with the creatures and with all godly men Fourthly because it is the most durable life for the fear of the Lord prolongeth the daies but the yeers of the wicked shall be shortned Pro. 10.27 30. The way of righteousnes is life and in the path-way thereof is no death Prouerbs 12.28 As a whirl-winde so is the wicked seen no more but the righteous is an euerlasting foundation Prouer. 10.25 Fiftly because it is a life that ends the best of all mens liues for the wicked is driuen away in his wickednes but the righteous hath hope in his death and great hope too hauing the promises of a better life and so much glory as the eye of mortall man neuer saw nor ear of man heard nor came into the hart of a naturall man Pro. 14.32 1. Tim. 6. 1. Cor. 2.9 Sixtly because righteousnes is more proper to the soule What is riches or honour or any outward thing to the soule of a man or what shall it profit a man to prouide for the whole world to be his estate if hee prouide not grace for his soule Riches profit but the outward estates of a man whereas righteousnes profits the man himselfe And therefore Adam's losse was greater in losing his innocency than in losing of Paradise What can it profit a man to haue all other things good about him if he be not good himself Vse The vse should bee first for triall Men should throughly search themselues whether they be indeed righteous men and the more carefully should they search because the most righteous on earth haue their many ignorances and frailties There is no man but sinneth daily and in many things and besides a man may attaine to some kinde of righteousnes and yet not enter into the Kingdome of heauen as there is a generation that are pure in their owne eies and yet are not clensed from their sinnes And the Pharises had a righteousnes that had many praises they gaue alms and fasted and praied long praiers and did that which was warrantable in respect of the Law outwardly and yet if our righteousnes exceed not the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises we cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen Quest. But how may a man knowe all his infirmities notwithstanding hee bee truely righteous and haue such a righteousnes as doth exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises Ans. For answer heerunto I will cast the signes of a righteous man into two ranks First such as describe him in himself secondly such as describe him in the difference from Pharisaicall righteousnesse The signes that describe him in himself either appeare vpon him in his infancy or in his ripe age In the very infancy of the iust man euen when God first changeth his heart and clenseth him and raiseth him vp to liue righteously there bee diuers things by which hee may discern the truth of his sanctification as First by the dissoluing of the stoninesse of his heart When God comes effectually to clense a man hee takes away the stony heart out of the body and giues him a heart of flesh he may feele his heart melt within him especially when hee stands before the Lord when the Lord is fashioning of him for himself by his Ordinances Ezech. 36.25 26. Hee hath a new heart that hath not a stony heart Secondly by the rising of the day starre in his heart The Father of lights when he reneweth the heart of a man causeth a sudden heauenly light as it were a starre to shine in the vnderstanding by vertue of which men see more into the mysteries of Religion in that first moment than they did all the daies of their life before This is that new spirit the Prophet speaks of Hee that sate in darknes before now sees a great light he sees and wonders at diuine things in Religion whereas before hee was a sot and vnderstood nothing with any power or life and by the comforts of this light he can heare as the Learned vnderstands doctrine in a moment which before was altogether harsh and dark vnto him 2. Peter 1.19 Ezechiel 36.28 Psalm 119.130 Mathew 4.16 Esay 50.4 Thirdly by his vehement desire to righteousnes or after righteousnes Mathew 5.5 Which hee shewes many waies as by the loathing of himself for his want of righteousnes and for all his wayes that were not good Ezech. 36.35 and by his estimation of righteousnes aboue riches all worldly things Psalm 3.8 9. and by his affectionate enquiry after directions for righteousnes Men and brethren what shall we doo to be saued Acts 2.37 and by his longing after the Word of truth by which he may learn righteousnes Fourthly by his estimation of righteousnes in others he honours them that fear the Lord as the onely Noble Ones all his delight is in them and he loues them and longs after them for righteousnes sake Fiftly by the couenant he makes in his heart about righteousnes he not onely consents to obey Esay 1.19 but hires himself as a seruant to righteousnes resoluing to liue to righteousnes and spend not an houre in a day but a life in the seruice of righteousnes Rom. 6.13 18. And as the righteous man growes more strong and better acquainted with God and his Ordinances and the works of righteousnes other signes break-out vpon him which doo infallibly prooue the happinesse of his condition such as are First vexation in his soule at the wickednes and vnrighteousnes of others 2. Pet. 2.8 Secondly reioycing with ioy vnspeakable and glorious when he feels the comforts of GOD's presence and begins to see some euidence of Gods loue to him in Christ 1. Pet. 1.9 Thirdly the personall and passionate loue of the Lord Iesus Christ the Fountain of righteousnes though hee neuer saw him in the flesh esteeming him aboue all persons and things 1. Peter 1.9 Phil. 3.8 9. longing after his comming with great striuings of affections 2. Cor. 5. 2. Tim. 4.8 c. Fourthly flourishing like a Palm-tree when he is planted in the House of the Lord and enioyes powerfull means in the House of his God growing like the Willowes by the water-courses Psalm 92.12 13. and 1.3 Fiftly resolution to suffer any thing for righteousnes sake Mat. 5.12 so as hee will forsake father or mother house or lands yea life it self rather than forsake the truth and the good way of God Mat. 16.23 Mark 10.29 Sixtly he liues by faith The iust liues by faith In all estates of life he casteth his cares and himself vpon God trusting on the merits of Iesus Christ and is in nothing carefull but patiently waits vpon God Gal. 2.2 Heb. 10.38 Gal. 3.11 And thus he is described in himself Now his righteousnes is distinguished from the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises by diuers signes and marks as First in the ends of it
their secret offences Thus Achan gaue glory to God Iosh. 7.19 And thus the penitent sinner glorifies God when hee cares not to abase himself in the acknowledgement of his owne vilenesse that God may be magnified in any of his attributes or ordinances by it Ier. 13. 16. Mal. 2.2 Fourthly When the prayse of God or the aduancement of his Kingdome is made the end of all our actions This is to doe all to his glorie 1. Cor. 10.31 Fiftly when wee beleeue God's promises and wait for the performance of them though we see no meanes likely for their accomplishment Thus Abraham gaue glory to God Rom. 4. Sixtly when wee publikely acknowledge true Religion or any speciall truth of God when it is generally opposed by the most men Thus the Centurion gaue glory to God Luke 23.47 Seuenthly when men suffer in the quarrell of Gods truth and true Religion So 1. Pet. 4.16 Eightthly when on the Sabbath men deuote themselues only to Gods worke doing it with more ioy and care then they should doe their own worke on the weeke dayes refusing to prophane the Sabbath of the Lord by speaking their owne words or doing their own willes Thus Esay 58.13 Ninthly when men do in particular giue thanks to God for benefits or deliuerances acknowledging God's speciall hand therein Thus the Leper gaue glory to God Luke 17.18 so Psal. 113.4 Tenthly by louing praysing admiring and esteeming of Iesus Christ aboue all men For when we glorifie the Sonne we glorifie the Father Iohn 1.14 11.4 Eleuenthly when wee account of and honour godly men aboue all other sorts of men in the World and so these Gentiles doe glorifie God in that they prayse the Christians aboue all men whom before they reuiled This is one way by which the Gentiles glorified God Thus of the second way of glorifying God which is by acknowledging his glory The third way of glorifying God is by effect when men make others to glorifie God conceiuing more gloriously of him or in praysing God and his wayes Thus the professed subiection of Christians to the Gospel makes other men glorifie God 2. Cor. 9.13 So the fruits of Righteousnesse are to the glory of God Phil. 1.10 So here the good works of Christians do make new Conuerts glorifie God so euery Christian that is God's planting is a tree of righteousnesse that God may be glorified Esay 61.3 so are all Christians to the prayses of the glory of God's grace as they are eyther qualified or priuiledged by Iesus Christ Ephes. 1.7 Vse The vses of all should be especially for instruction and humiliation it should humble vs if we mark the former doctrine in that it discouereth many deficiencies in vs for besides that it sheweth that the whole world of vnregenerate men lieth in wickednes and that as they haue all sinned so they are all depriued of the glory of God and altogether delinquent in each part of making God glorious I say that besides the discouery of the generall and extreme corruption of wicked men it doth touch to the quick vpon diuerse persons euen the godly themselues to giue instance In the first way of making God glorious How meanly and dully doo wee for the most part conceiue of God! How farre short are our hearts of those descriptions of GOD made in his Word Whaâ— strange thoughts come into our mindes at some times Oh! how haue we dishonoured the most High in our vnworthy conceptions of his Iustice Power Eternity Wisdome and Mercy For the second way of glorifying God What heart could stand before his holy presence if hee should examine vs in iustice 1. For our language What man is hee that hath not cause to mourn for his want of language daily in expressing of the praises of God! When did we make his praise glorious haue our mouths been filled with his praise all the day long 2. For our extreme vnthankfulnesse when we meet with GOD himself we haue been healed with the nine Lepers but which of vs haue returned to giue glory to God in the sound acknowledgement of his goodnes to vs It is required we should in all things giue thanks and yet wee haue scarce vsed one word of praise for a 1000 benefits 3. Our slight acknowledgements of sinne our backwardnes to search our waies our carelesnesse when wee knowe diuerse grieuous faults by our selues either auoiding God's presence and making confession for fashions sake neither out of true grief for our sinnes and in a speciall manner doo we fail in those cases of trespasse or sinne that come to the knowledge of others Do we knowledge our sinnes one to another Oh how hard it is to bring vs to bee easie to giue glory to GOD heerin 4. What man is hee that liueth and hath not failed of the glory of GOD about the Sabbath Doo we delight in God's work Haue wee consecrated that Day as glorious to the Lord Haue not our mindes runne vpon our owne waies After what an vnspeakable maner haue we slighted God in his Ordinances Lastly what shall we answer to the Lord for our neglects of Iesus Christ Haue wee glorified the Son or rather haue wee not shamefull wants still in our faith Which of vs can say that he liues by the faith of the Sonne of God and are not our affections to the Lord Iesus extremely dull and auerse Where is the longing desire after him and the â—eruent loue of his appearing And for the last way of glorifying God by effect How vnprofitably and vnfruitfully doo the most of vs liue Who hath praised God in our behalf Whom haue we wonne to the loue of God and the truth Where are our witnesses that might testifie that our good works haue caused them to glorifie God But especially wo be to scandalous Christians that haue either caused wicked men to blaspheme or God's little ones to take offense and conceiue ill of the good way of God if they repent not it had been better for them they had neuer been born And as for wicked men that are openly so to giue a touch of them and their estate they haue reason to repent in sackcloth and ashes if their eies were but open to see what terrour is implied in this doctrine and how God will auenge himselfe vpon them both for their not glorifying of him and for changing his glory and for the opposing of his glory 1. In not glorifying God They haue spent their daies without GOD they haue either not conceiued of him at all or in a most mean and vile manner they haue not honoured him in his ordinances or in his Sabbaths they neuer loued the Lord Iesus in their hearts c. 2. In changing the glory of God they haue done shamefully Some of them haue turned Gods glory into the similitude of an Oxe or a Calf that eateth hay Some of them haue giuen his praise to Images and the works of their hands Some of them haue fixed the glory of their
affections vpon riches pleasures and fauour of men Some of them haue made their belly their god and some haue giuen their bodies to harlots Thirdly in opposing Gods glory they haue likewise offended grieuously they haue spoken euill of the good way of God they haue abused his seruants and so despised him they haue set themselues against his Sabbaths c. To omit that they haue opposed Gods glory in their hearts by setting vp Idols there and by allowing and striuing to maintaine Atheisticall conceits against God The second vse should be therefore to beget in vs a care to vse all meanes to dispose of and fit our selues that we might make God glorious and so amend and redresse our wayes herein and that we may the more effectually be wrought vpon herein I will consider of two things First I will briefly shew the reasons should stirre vs to all possible care and diligence heerin Secondly I would shew how we may distinctly attain to the glorifying of God in all the three waies before mentioned For the first Diuerse considerations should moue vs to the care of magnifying or glorifying of God by all the waies we can First it is a great honour that God doth vnto vs to account himself to receiue glory any way from our endeauours Shall the creature bee admitted in any sense to that glory to make his Creator to make him I say in his excellency or glory God doth account himself to receiue a new Being as it were by those inward conceptions of his glory and by those outward honours done vnto him Shall the King of glory vouchsafe to dwell in our hearts and shall we not be exceedingly desirous to entertain him Secondly Not to glorifie God is to sinne grieuously it is not arbitrarie but most dangerous to allow our selues either in inward neglects of God or in outward vnfruitfulnesse Shall wee attribute so much euery day to the creatures we deal with and shall we knowe or acknowledge so little of the Creator It cannot be safe to slight God Thirdly it is one of the first things that breaks out in the new Conuerts so soone as any of the Gentils are visited of God in the same day they glorifie him by conceiuing gloriously of him and by magnifying God in himselfe and his seruants and seruice c. And therefore without singular danger of losing our euidence of our calling wee must attend to this Doctrine how hard soeuer it seeme Fourthly wee are bought with a price and are God's and therefore now both in soule and body wee should be wholy deuoted to his glorie 1. Cor. 6. vlt. As God hath glorified vs in our creation and the many treasures hee hath giuen vs in Iesus Christ and wee hope the accomplishment of matchlesse glorie in heauen and shall we not bee zealous for the glorie of the Lord Many glorious things bee spoken of vs through his grace and shall wee thinke or speake meanely of God Fiftly the Lord our God exceedes all things in glorie and therefore we should extoll his praise aboue the heauens and the whole earth should shewe it selfe to be full of his glorie Sixtly he is our heauenly Father and can wee thinke too well of him or doe too much to winne him praise Mat. 5.16 Lastly thinke with our selues What make wee in Gods Vineyard or Orchard If wee be trees of his planting ought wee not to bee filled with the fruits of righteousnes that the Lord may bee glorified Esay 61.3 Thus of some motiues The maine care should bee to learne what to doo that GOD might bee made glorious by vs and so wee should distinctly consider how to make him glorious in our selues or in others In our selues wee should learne how to make him glorious first in our hearts by a glorious conception of him in our minds secondly in our words and works by acknowledgement The first question then is What should we doe that we might conceiue more gloriously of God For answer hereunto we must looke to our hearts in diuers particulars for that wee may conceiue of God according to his excellency we must proceed by these degrees 1. Wee must striue to bring God into our minds for naturally wee liue without God and wee may obserue that at the best we are wonderfull prone to forget God and therefore wee must learne how to bring our hearts to the meditation of God For not to think of God or forget him is a grieuous offence aswell as to think of him after a base manner 2. It is not enough to bring God into our thoughts but we must then bee wonderfull carefull that wee bring not in an Idole of our owne forming in stead of God wee must learne how to think of God as hee is described to vs in his Word for fearefull Idolatrie may bee committed in the heart of a man as well as in his outward adoration and therefore wee must learne soundly to conceiue aright of the nature of God 3. When we haue God there in his owne likenes we must inlarge his roome in our hearts For the true knowledge of God comes in but by sparkles and God will bee magnified Wee must make him great and inlarge the thoughts of God when wee conceiue of him This is that that is so often required in Scripture vnder the terme of magnifying God 4. When wee haue attained to this to thinke of God with an abilitie to make him great in our hearts then wee must yet proceed to the establishment of this conception of GOD for else the thoughts of God will passe thorow our heads like lightning and be gone and therefore we must be carefull to establish the thoughts of God in vs. 5. We must then labour to cloath the thoughts of God with glorie and maiesty this is that which is heere intended wee must not onely make him in our hearts and nourish the sparkles of his knowledge but wee must make him glorious also 6. Yea yet farther when God is conceiued of according to his excellencie we must loue the Lord thus conceiued of our hearts must cleaue vnto him esteeme him aboue all things So that heer are six distinct things to be heeded of such as will conceiue of God aright Now how these things may bee attained to by vs followeth to bee considered of Now for the first to bring God into our minds two things are of excellent vse First the inforcing of our selues to consider of Gods works and so to striue still to read in that great booke of the Creatures Secondly the exercising our selues daily in the Word of God Without these two helps carefully vsed experience shewes that GOD neuer comes into mens thoughts And by the way heere may be framed an answer to that sorrowfull complaint of many Christians that they cannot meditate Now if they would bee taught to meditate or would at any time haue their thoght set a work let them lay before them either of these bookes