Piety and Support you against the Unjust Dealings of the Wicked So Behold His Holiness as to Admire and Imitate it And let the Apprehensions of His Truth Fix and Quicken you for an Heavenly Life because God's Commands are Serious and His Threatnings and Promises Real and True In short God is to be Honoured in our Minds by such Admiring Thoughts of him as may Raise and Cherish such Dispositions of Mind as may Bear a Due Proportion to the Name of God in All his Perfections Relations and Works and may Well Become Us as His Creatures Subjects Lovers and Beneficiaries who Owe Our All unto Him II God is Honoured with the Tongue when He is Praised and Blessed by it Our Lips must both Benedicere and Laudare Praise and Magnify God upon the Account of his Admirable Perfections and Bless and Thank Him for his Gracious Goodness and Benefits and Perform Both with a lively Sense of His Goodness and Excellency Imprest on our Hearts We are to speak forth the Glory of His Name by Declaring and Extolling His Infinite Greatness Goodness and Felicity And This God Accepts as One Way of Glorifying him In the End of our Psalm He that Offereth Praise Glorifieth me And so agreeably * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost on our Text Expresses himself thus God calls not for our Honouring him as standing in need of Glory from us for how should he need it who is Himself the God of Glory But he Intends That we by Hymns of Thanksgiving should Commemorate his Kindness So Basil Interprets the Glorifying of God to mean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil de Spir. S. c. 23. l. 2. p. 200. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Relating his Wonderful Works in the best Manner we are able And Theodoret Expounds it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theophilact does by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by singing Hymns to God and giving Thanks unto him Thus we are taught to Extol God with our Tongues Psal 66. 17. And Praise the Name of God with a Song and Magnify him with Thanksgiving Psal 69. 30. Thus the Prophet in Psal 107. 8. Wisheth men to Praise the Lord for his Goodness and Declare his Wonders to the Children of Men. And let the Redeemed of the Lord say That his Mercy Endureth for ever Verse 2. Great is the Lord and Greatly to be Praised and his Greatness is Unsearchable One Generation shall Praise his Works to Another and Declare his Mighty Acts Psal 145. 3 c. Who can say What Great Praise and Blessing That Adorable Goodness and Mercy doth Deserve which Runs throughout the Whole World and is the Life and Hope and Happiness of them that Fear God Oh how Great is his Goodness to them that Fear him Psal 31. 10. And therefore How Great should be the Acknowledgments made him Oh Praise the Lord therefore in the Congregation of the Saints Let Israel Rejoyce in him that Made him Let the Children of Zion be Joyful in their King Let the Saints be Joyful in Glory Let the High Praises of God be in their Mouths Psal 149. 1 2 5 6. III. We must Glorify God in Nec Verbo tantùm vel Lingâ—d sed Opere Veritate exhibeamus nos Gratos ei qui Graciarum Actionem magis quà m Dictionem à nobis exigit gratiarum Dominus Deus noster Born contr Ingratid p. 377. our Way and Course of Life And that is Done When we so Order our Ways as to shew our selves in our Places Like unto God That Devotedness to the Most High may Appear in our Whole Conversation and our Lives may Represent God's Glorious Perfections We Ought to live after so Heavenly and Excellent a Manner as to Hold forth the Divine Virtues 1 Pet. 2. 9. and Manifest the Impressions that God's Attributes have Made on our Hearts as for Instance Our Ways should Declare the Lord's Infinite Knowledge by Great Circumspection in our Walking and Hold forth his Majesty's Transcendent Greatness by Awfulness before Him and Humble Trâ—â—â— in Him and Magnify His Holiness by Purity and Strictness and Shew forth His Goodness by Superlative Love unto him But more Particularly We are to Honour God in our Course of Life 1. By Making His Glory our Chief Aim in Alâ— that we Do 1 Cor. 10. 31. In All our Purposes and Enterprises we must so Behave our selves as Men may See That No Carnal Endâ— or Interests are our Ends or Governing Principles But that God's Honour is More unto us than the Whole World and that His Interest in All Things and above All Things is Regarded by us and That the Pleasing of Him by Living to His Glory is the Principal Design and Main Scopâ— of All our Concerns and Affairs and the Management of them 2. We must Glorify God in our Lives by Conforming and Submitting Our Wills to God's Will both His Regulating Will of Precept and Disposing Will of Providence As 't is the Great Honour of a Prince that his Subjects Duly Observe his Laws and Live 〈◊〉 Good Subjection to their Sovereign so it is an Honouring of our God for Us His Creatures to Move after our Creator's Will and Regulate all our Concerns and Actions by His Royal Si juxta â—irtutis Normam conversamur Glorificatur Deus ab his qui nos coâ—spiciunt Eâ—thymius ad cap. 6. Mat. Laâ—â—â— When Nothing Contents us though never so Grateful to Flesh and Blood but what our Mâ—ker's Word and Will Allows us and when we Refuse Obedience to no Branch of Duty though most Difficult if known to be Commanded but stadiously Frame all our Doings by Gospel Rules When I say we seek such a Compliance of our Wills with the Will of God we Own His Sovâ—reign Authority and Honour His Punishing and Rewarding Justice and Walk as 't is Injoyned us Worthy of him unto all Pleasing So again To be Willing to be at God's Finding and Contented with What He * An Heathen's Son could say to his Earthly Father Tibi Pater me Dedo quidvis Oneris impone Impera I Give my self to Thee O my Father Injoyn What thou wilt I will Do it Lay on what thou pleasest I will Bear it Chuseth for us to Prefer His Interest and Glory to Our own Ease and Outward Satisfaction to Desire rather to have our Lives Friends Trials and Comforts at His Disposal than Our own as Believing His Will to be always Good and Infinite Love it Self and therefore Chooseth ever what is Best is Another Branch of this Excellent Duty of Glorifying God Contained in Our Will 's Conformity to God's Will We Give Glory to God by a Sincere Submission both to His Law and Providence to his Will Discovered in both of these 3. By Living Holy Thankfulness to God our Saviour and Benefactor And This is done 1. By Cheerful Yielding and Conscerating our Whole Man Body * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysoft in Psal 114. and Soul to His Excellent Service
Strength will I Sing for God is my Defence and the God of my Mercy Well then Creating Redeeming Sanctifying Upholding and Delivering-Mercy and Goodness Challenges and Requires us to Glorify God To which I might Add that He being very Jealous of His Glory as also it being All the Homage and Tribute He Expecteth from us for All He has Made us Given to us Done for us and further Promiseth to us we should Readily Diligently Thankfully Continually and with our Utmost even with All our Soul with All our Thought with All our Might cum omni Valde nostro Yeild it to Him Application Now to Improve the Whole of what we have Heard concerning the Lord's Gracious Delivering of us and His Expecting Returns of Thankfulness to the Glorifying His Name And I. It may Serve for Conviction and Reproof against All those amongst us who instead of being Thankful for the Wonderfull Appearances of the Almighty in the Rescuing these Kingdoms from accursed Idolarty and Slavery and in Preserving the Lives Properties and Religion of All True Protestants in them have been Grieved at their Heart for and with an Implacable Opposition Endeavoured to Hinder the Progress and Accomplishment of so Glorious a Deliverance O the Vile Malignity of their Natures and Poisonous Disposition of their Unhallowed Hearts who 't is like would never have been so Base and Viper-like had not God been so very Kind and Merciful 'T is sad that any of the Offspring of those Miscreants Sanballat and Neh. 2 10. Tobiah who were Grieved Exceedingly that there was but a Man that Came to Seek the Welfare of the Children of Israel should be Found among us Yet such there be whose Spirits are Troubled and Hearts Fret and Rage for the Welfare of God's Cause among us We read in Ez. 8. That among the Abominations which the Lord Shewed the Prophet One was a Company of Wâ—men that Sate Weeping for Tammuz even for the Loss of their Shamefull Idoll So these Grieuâ— to Part with the Sorest Plague on the True Church of God an Idolatrous Tyrant that Jeroboaâ— like would have Forced Us on Sin and Miserâ— Some tell us That Aromaticall Smells that are Refreshing to All others will Drive Tygers into a Rage And Oecumenius Writes that the Fragrantia Unguenti boni Columbam Vegetat Scarabaeum Necat Fragrancy of Precious Ointment which is Whâ—â—some for Doves does yet Kill the Beetle To like to such Tygers and Beetles do they Express themselves who under the Name of Protestants and Professing the Reformed Religion Repine as the Re-establishment of the Protestant Cause and Interest and the Depression of those whose Principles Constrain them to Seek the Utter Ruin of the Reformed Religion upon Pain of Damnation The Lord in Mercy Convince such Dangerouâ—â— Deluded Souls and Effectually Heal and Cure their too Serpentine-like Natures My only Counsel to them is To Repent of this their Imligious Perfidiousness lest they out-do the Vile Traitour Judas for even he after he had Betrayed his Master seeing What was done Repented him II. I Apply it for Advoie and Caution As God's Own People of old were too Prone to Misbehave Deut. 6. 10. 11 12. ch 8. 10 11. themselves upon the Receiving of Greaâ— Mercies and therefore were Warned by God aâ— such times to Take heed and Beware so it is too Easy for Us who have not Walked so Closely with God under Afflictions when the Rod was on our Back as we should it is I say but too Easy for us to Forget our selves and our God when our Condition Seems more Safe Wherefore let us Look Well to our selves lest after God's having Glorified His Power and Goodness in Shewing Us Manifold and Rich Mercy both Positive and Privative We do not Dishonour His Great Name by Sinning against Him hereupon Let us Fear the Provoking Sin of Ingratitude and Giving the Lord Evill Requitals for All His Kindness See we that we Reproach not the Lord and His Goodness either in Thought Word or Deed. Let not our Hearts Dishonour him by Forgetfulness or Unworthy Thoughts of God and His Benefits by being Listed up with Pride Arrogating to our Selves God's Glory by Security and Discontentedness or Unsuitable Affectedness to his Grace Let not our Tongues Offend against Him by Dâ—nying Him his Praises by Speaking Irreverently of His Majesty or Diminutively of His Favours or as Depreciating and Dishonouring his Holy Name Ordinances and Servants or by Murmuring Nor let us Lead our Lives Reproachfully before Him by Debasing the Divine Bounty to the Gratifying a Fleshly Course and Pleasing our Lusts by Growing Wanton or Riotous or any ways Diverting God's Blessings to Other Ends than for which they are Given III. By Way of Exhortation Consider Whaâ— Great Things He hath Done for you and Givâ— unto the Lord the Honour Due unto his Name Psal 29. 1 2. And here now Who can Set forth either iâ— Number or Weight the Exceeding Goodness of the Lord to Us which we are most Thankfully to Commemorate This Day and Live henceforth to the End of our Days to His Honour O what Catalogues of Most Valuable Mercies might be Readily Presented to us How Many have we in Common to these Three Kingdoms with other Kingdoms How Many in Common with the Kingdom which has been Priviledged above All Others that we Know of How Many in Common with the Places of our Abode and the Sâ—cieties to which we Belong And how Many Uncommon and Distinguishing Ones Peculiar to our Selves both in Soul and Body in our Families and Relations Callings and Conditions What Deliverances too beside Other Benefits and those Publick and Private upon both Civil and Spiritual Accounts Deliverances I say which are not Single Favours but Every One of them a Comprehensive Mother Blessing â— Saving us from Manifold Evils to Much God and such are those that we are to Own and Bless God for after a Solemn Manner viz. His Rescuing Us from the Enslaving Tyranâ—y of a Bigotted Papist and Overthrowing his Fumidable Army of Popish-Irish-Cut-throats His Driving hence the Soul-Destroying Idolatry of a Bloody Religion His Filling the Throne with a War-like Prince of Unexampled Zeal and Succour for the Trâ—â— Religion and Preserving Him Safe amidst the Iâ—numerable Perils of Private Plots and Open War And now at last Crowning of Him to be the Instrument of a Long-Desired Peace for the Security of our Religion Liberties and Properties that are Restored to Us with Great Advantages With All of These that are Each of them Most Fruitfull Blessings full of Goodness and Pregnant with Various Reviving Mercies are we Covered and Compassed round about as the Earth is with the Environing Heavens and should not such Divine Grace well Affect Us Heaven-ward But further let us View them in their Amiable and Greatening Circumstances and so if we Consider the Excellent Needfulness Convenience and Seasonableness of them to what a Low Ebb our Hopes and Helps were Brought and under what
we should Greatly Dishonour and Provoke the Lord. Let us Practically Acknowledge This Great Truth That God's Hand is not Shortened Let an Holy Remembrance of his Wonderful Appearings for his People and Us in times paâ—â— Keep us in the Faith and Love and Fear of His Majesty and Beget a Constant Dependance on Him by Faith and Prayer And thus to De Glorifieth Him for that Herein we Acknowledge Him to be the Great Disposer of All things We Confess his General and Special Providence and Put Humble Confidence in the Same and Oâ—â— and Honour every Letter of His Name and Article of His Prerogative Ascribing All Kingdom Power and Glory to Him Believingly Acknowledging his Right of Government and His Power and Goodness to Give what we can Need and to Protect us in our Ways 10. By Living Chearfully and with Greater Peace and Delight in the Service of God than Others Do in any other Way or Course As it Dishonoureth a Master to have such as Serve him to Do their Work and Go about Dejectedly and with an Heavy Heart as if their Service were an Hard and Unprofitable One So it Honours Christ and Religion when we so Live by Faith on the Promises in the Midst of All Exercises and Tribulations as to Rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God and Comfort our Selves and one another with this That we shall for ever be with the Lord Rom. 5. 3 5. Under All the Troubles and Crosses and the Heavy Fights of Afflictions that Christians can Meet with in this World both from without and from within their Gracious Lord whom they Serve has Provided Plentiful Consolations and Sufficient Matter of Joyous Hope for them And therefore All Bearing the Christian Name should Fear Reproaching their High Calling or Bringing a Scandal on the Ways of God by Walking Uncomfortably and in a Dejected Manner as if they did not Act on Safe Grounds as if the Consolations of God were but Small and Christ were not to be Trusted though he hath said He will make All things Work together for their Good and Will Never Leave them nor Forsake them O Christians Live up to your Excellent Principles and Glorious Expectations by Giving the World to See that the Kingdom of your Lord in you Consisteth in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and that The Peace of God which Passeth All Understanding the Peace which you have in your Souls in God's Love to you which is of Inestimable Value and beyond all Notional Knowledge doth keep your Hearts and Minds through Jesus Christ doth as a Garrison Keep your Affections from Disturbance and your Judgments from Error notwithstanding All Pressing Trials through the Grace of Christ Phil. 4. 7. And that as the Sufferings of Christ Abound So your Consolation also Aboundeth by Christ 2 Cor. 1. 5. Shew others that in your Faithful Serving of God you Find and Receive That in and from Him of Solid Peace Supporting Hope and Joyous Trust that is not Attainable in any Worldly Way And now having Opened the Duty I Come to Enforce it by Shewing the Equity and Reasonableness of it And so I. We Ought Thus to Glorify God Because the Manifestation of his Glory was God's Ultimate and Highest End in his Making the World and All Creatures therein Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath Made All things for himself i. e. for his Glory and accordingly Every Creature Animate or Inanimate with all the Wonderful Praesentem refert quaelibet Herba Deum Works of God in Heaven and Earth do in their Kind Yeild Glory to God Psal 19. 1. Psal 148. 3 4 7 8. c. They Represent His Glorious Power Wisdom Goodness and so Objectively Afford the Matter and Occasion of it but Man was in a Special Manner Designed and Framed to Gather up the Honour and Praises of God from the rest of the Creatures and Actually to Give them unto Him Our Rational Souls are Made and Fitted for the Considering Admiring and Extolling the Excellencies of God as Visible in all His Works The Great Name of God our Maker is so Deeply Engraven in our Nature even in all our Parts and Powers Our Noble Faculties of Understanding Will and Executive Power are so Suited and Adapted for God's Service that the Honouring of Him in the Serving of His Will doth Preserve and Perfect our Excellent Nature and Reasonable Souls in so much that All we Are and Have is Nothing Worth but for God and His Service As all the Parts and Motions of a Clock are good for nothing but to Tell the Hour of the Day Such therefore as Debase ☞ their Noble Faculties to Serve their Fleshly Lusts and Carnal Pleasures are most Absurd and Monstrous and Act a Villainous and Unnatural Part. II. This also was His End in Redeeming the World Out of an Apostate Revolted State God has by His Son Redeemed us to Himself that we might Serve him in Holiness and Righteousness all our Days and Give Him the Praise and Glory of his Grace Luke 1. 15. Eph. 1. 6 12 14. So You are Bought with a Price therefore Glorify God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. III. What else but this is God's Aim in the Sanctifying Operations of His Holy Spirit As All his Works must Praise the Lord So Especially His Saints are to Bless him Psal 145. 10. Tho it be Due unto him from all the Parts of the World yet Praise Waiteth for God only in Zion None but the Members of His Hâ—â— Church have it in Readiness for Him Psal 65. 1 We are Sanctified to become a Peculiar People zealous of Good Works and a Royal Priesthood to Offer and Shew forth the Praises of Him this hath Called us out of Darkness into Marvellâ—â— Light Heb. 13. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. God Makâ—â— Persons Holy and Good that they may be Fruitful in Good Works and Live to His Glory in Doing Good in their Duties to Him themselves and others And the Meaning and Significatiâ—â— of Sanctification and Holiness is but only The Giving God his Due IV. This likewise is God's Chief End in all his Acts of Bounty and Kindness and Mercisâ— Dispensations of Providence toward us He Expecteth to be Exalted and Honoured by us for his Gracious Dealings with us in all our Succoâ—s and Deliverances Let the Lord be Magnified who hath Pleasure in the Prosperity of his Servants Psal 35. 27. So in our Text saith God I will Deliver Thee and thou shalt Glorify Me. According to the Chald. Paraphr it runs * Ut Honorem exhibeas mihi The thou mayst give Honour to Me. God's End in Deliverances and other Mercies is That we should thereupon and therewithal Give Him His Dâ— Glory Psal 59. 16 17. I will Sing of thy Power yea I will Sing aloud of thy Mercy in the Morning for thou hast been my Defence and Refuge in the day of my Trouble Unto Thee O my