that we can do our enemies more hurt then God can and will if we leaue the reuenge vnto him vnto whom indeed it appertaineth The second ground of the former Assertion is this that as it stands with the iustice of God to punish them that afflict persecute his seruants So it stands no lesse with his iustice to giue vnto his seruants which are troubled and molested rest and quiet of which the lesse hope and assurance there is in this life the more cause there is to assure themselues of it in another life and therefore to expect that day wherein they shall be put into a full and eternall possession thereof It is no such comfort to the soule of an afflicted Christistian to be perswaded that God will render vnto the wicked enemies affliction for affliction more comfort it would bee vnto them to see some signes and tokens of their repentance and forgiuenesse But this is the strength and life of Christian consolation that the more sorrow and trouble that they sustaine for Christs sake and his kingdome the more pledges and demonstrations they haue therein of their owne eternall rest and happinesse for howbeit our sufferings as is formerly declared are farre from meriting any such matter yet it is iust with God to giue them rest and quiet which haue beene content patiently to suffer for his sake no man shall suffer in vaine for Christ but the more he suffereth if hee suffer for the kingdome of Christ the more securitie and assurance hee hath of eternall rest in heauen which all those want which want that grace neuer looke thou to enter into this rest except thou canst with patience and faith indure trouble and disquiet for the kingdome of heauen He sheweth what manner of rest this shal be by way of comparison in these words with vs .i. It shall be such a rest and quiet as is prepared for vs that are Apostles and Euangelists and such as together with vs you shall certainely enioy This must needes increase their consolation exceedingly there are no true Christians but are perswaded the Apostles and Euangelists shall in this great day be in most happy condition neither can they desire to be in better estate wouldst thou then be sure to rest with Paul Siluanus Timothie and the rest of the Apostles and Euangelists thou must learne with patience and in Faith to suffer persecution and tribulation when the Lord shall call thee thereunto for that Faith and Religion which thou hast learned of them for the Lord hath not prepared a higher heauen for them and a lower for vs but we shall rest together with them in the same heauen if together with them we shall suffer in this life for that kingdome which they in the Gospell haue called vs vnto When the Lord Iesus shall bee manifest from heauen with his mightie Angels 8. In flaming fire That the consideration of the day of doome the manifest signes whereof they were to behold in their patient induring of persecution might the more comfort them and strengthen them in their troubles The Apostle concludeth this second part of their consolation with a digression into a description of that day of iudgement euery part whereof containeth great matter of comfort to all the afflicted and persecuted seruants of God and no lesse matter of feare and horror to all their enemies if they had grace to apprehend the same The first part of the description declareth who shall be the Iudge euen our Lord Iesus himselfe in his owne Person euen he who loued his Seruants so dearely that he gaue his life for them yea did vndergo his Fathers wrath for them which was for the time a Hell of Hells vnto him and therefore the more gracious and louing and mercifull he hath shewed himselfe vnto them the more mercilesse and cruell will he in this iudgement shew himselfe vnto their aduersaries Whom could the afflicted Seruants of Christ more desire to sit in iudgement then their owne deare Sauiour for whose sake they haue suffered so many indignities Whom can the enemies of the Gospell more feare then him whom in his Seruants they haue most dishonoured and despighted No doubt but in this day they would rather choose any to be their Iudge then Christ yea they would hope for more fauour and mercy from the Diuels themselues then from him Let vs then if euer the Lord shall exercise vs in the same manner comfort our selues in this That Christ himselfe will in his owne Person in this day come to iudge the cause betwixt vs and our enemies It were great matter of consolation if we were assured but of this That Christ would raise vp some iust man vpon earth to doe it or send a Saint or an Angell from heauen for that purpose but this must needs be an exceeding comfort That Christ in his owne Person will come to sit in iudgement vpon our aduersaries and will not put the matter ouer to Vnder-Commissioners Let vs then take heede lest in our sufferings for Christs sake we breake not out through impatiencie or distrust into any sinne against Christ for this is the greatest aduantage that we can giue to our aduersaries and a signe that we doe not so much suffer how iust soeuer the cause be for Christs sake as for our owne fancie for how can that man say that he suffereth for Christs sake when in his suffring for his sake he will not for his sake forbeare such and such sinnes which Christ forbids Can he in his suffrings comfort himselfe in the consideration of this iudgement when in and by occasion of those sufferings he rebels against the Iudge The second part of the description of the latter day followeth wherein is set forth the glorious manner of Christs comming to iudgement consisting of three parts First he shall manifest himselfe from heauen i. shall appeare to the eyes and senses not onely of the godly but the wicked and they with these eyes of theirs shall behold him comming from the highest heauens in that maiestie and glory wherein he now sitteth at the right hand of his Father and not in that base and contemptible estate wherein he first shewed himselfe when he tooke our nature vpon him So that Christ will sit visibly in iudgement in this day and that in all the sensible glory that may be he shall then shew himselfe in all his maiestie to euery mortall eye then shall the godly behold and see that their trust and confidence in him in the midst of all their greatest afflictions was not in vaine they shall then haue cause to triumph and glory that they haue though through many reproches and contempts serued so honorable and glorious a Lord. How then shall the wicked enemies of Christ hang downe their heads that haue scorned and disdained his Seruants as if they had serued some base and contemptible Master Verily so vile and base is the seruice of Christ in the eyes of some yea and
of some that would be reputed Christians that it were lesse disgrace for a man in their eyes to serue a hangman then to serue Iesus Christ. Iudge you how such will looke and what they will thinke when they shall behold Christ comming from heauen and reuealing himselfe in all his maiestie and glory and that to sit in iudgement vpon them Let this then be our comfort in all our tribulations that howsoeuer Christ now haue the heauens drawne as a curtaine or vaile betweene our eyes and him which is the cause that makes the enemies of his Gospell so bold and sawcie with his Seruants yet that the more he hides himselfe now from the eyes of persecutors and wicked men the more gloriously he will manifest and reueale himselfe vnto them in this day to the greater glory of his humbled Seruants and the greater shame and confusion of all their enemies The second degree of his glory consists in the traine that shall accompanie and assist him in this iudgement All the mighty and powerfull Angels of Heauen These shall be present as so many Sargeants Bayliffs Officers at Armes Sheriffs and Executioners in this great Assise If therefore it be so terrible to guilty prisoners to behold an earthly Iudge in his scarlet robes attended vpon with the Iustices Sheriff and other Officers of Peace how fearefull and terrible will the sight of this Iudge be manifesting himself from heauen with such a mighty host and glorious armie of Angels If the appearance but of one Angell and that in peace hath bin so terrible euen vnto Gods owne children as appeares Luc. 2.10 1.30 Iudg. 13.6 how terrible shall the appearance of all the Angels in Heauen be vnto the wicked in this day when they shall come with Christ from heauen to be executioners of his eternall vengeance vpon them For their Office at this time is set downe in the Parable of the tares Mat. 13.41 It is not then possible for them to auoide the presence of this Iudge but they must needs appeare before him where there are such Officers as these to apprehend and attache them though they should run into the clefts and hollowes of the rocks or could cause the mountaines and hills to couer them these Angels could pull them out though they had wings like to an Eagle to flie away from this iudgement these winged Cherubims would ouer-flie them though all the wicked should conspire and band themselues as it were one man to resist the proceedings of this Iudge there is not the weakest of this heauenly armie but will be found strong enough to binde them hands and feet in chaines fetters of yron and therefore the Apostle calls them powerfull Angels how truly see 2. King 19.35 Act. 12.23 What an incouragement then would the consideration of this be vnto any that are vnder persecution for the kingdome of God if they had grace but to beleeue this If poore men suffring wrongs at the hands of great men that liue amongst them could be assured of this that the King himselfe taketh notice of those wrongs that are offred vnto them and will without faile vpon such a day come in his owne Person with all the Court and Councell Iudges and Officers of State to call the matter into question and to sit in iudgement vpon the same would they not thinke themselues happy yea and the more wrongs they haue sustained the more happy in regard that the more they haue indured the better they are sure it will be for them and the worse for their enemies What infidelitie then is this that we should haue so sure and certaine a word of Christs owne comming and of his comming accompanied with all the glorious and powerfull traine of heauenly Angels to sit in iudgement vpon them which shall persecute vs and to giue rest eternall vnto vs euen in regard of our troubles and yet we should murmure repine fret greeue yea and basely often denie and forsake the cause of Christ rather then suffer for it Is it possible beloued that any Christian that is perswaded of this truth and thinks of it seriously should be daunted or disquieted or put out of any of Gods wayes for the persecution of wicked men be they neuer so mighty and neuer such politicke aduersaries and be they able to set neuer so great a glosse vpon their proceedings It is to be feared beloued that many from time to time which seeme to be most forward in the profession of the Gospell that thinke this glorious comming of Christ with his mighty Angels to the end and purpose here expressed to be no better then some old wiues fable otherwise it were not possible that euery feare of trouble molestation should make so many start aside like a broken bowe from the profession or practise of that truth which formerly they haue giuen testimonie vnto but it would rather make them so much the more resolute and confident in the same by how much the more trouble they shall see to pursue the same or any part thereof The third degree of his glorious comming is in the manner thereof which shall be most fearefull and terrible euen in flaming fire which sheweth the extremitie of his wrath against them which he shall come to sit in iudgement against they are not in iest that fling fire-brands terrible euen to Gods owne people was his giuing of the Law in thunder lightning but a thousand thousand times more terrible will his comming in this fire be vnto the wicked transgressors of that Law To haue bin in Sodom and Gomorrah when fire and brimstone fell downe from heauen vpon them Gen. 19 could not be so terrible as this must be vnto those wicked men that shall stand vpon the earth in that day and behold this comming of his who would then if they might be put vnto it choose rather to leape into burning Aetna then stand in this presence Let the consideration of this make vs to run euen through fire and water rather then displease this Iudge Let vs the more fiery trialls and persecutions that wee shall indure for this Iudges sake the more rejoyce in the expectation of this his comming and be armed against the terror of it Let no flame kindled by the wrath of any man make vs doe any thing that may prouoke this irefull Iudge Rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not know God and which obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ. The third part of the description of the latter day of doome followeth wherein is set downe the end of Christs glorious comming in manner and forme aforesaid to iudgement which is twofold 1. To render vengeance or to be reuenged vpon some 2. To be in a speciall manner glorified vpon other some The first act then and end of Christs comming in flaming fire is to be reuenged vpon some sort of Persons .i. in that manner to proceed in iudgement against them that those men vse to doe which
doth offer vs the least wrong but Christ our Lord doth thereupon binde him by stronger bonds then if he were in fetters or stocks to be forth comming at the great day of Doome and then purposeth to be reuenged on him in the extremest manner euen with eternall destruction from the presence of his face except he truly and vnfainedly repent And is not this inough to content vs Are our hearts so full of rancor and spite that notwithstanding that we know and beleeue thus much yet we cannot be quiet in our mindes except we our selues also flie vpon him that hath wronged vs euilly intreating him in words and deeds Should it not rather pitie vs to consider that for our sake and for that he hath done to vs he should be in danger to be eternally damned in Hell Let this malice be far from all Christian hearts and that it may be far from ours let vs often meditate vpon this first end of Christs comming to iudgement VERS 10. When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made wonderfull in all them that beleeue IN these words are contained the second end of Christs comming to iudgement which is the glorifying of his Saints The violence of his rage and furie against the wicked doth not make him forget his grace loue to the godly but the more he shall in that day manifest his wrath and furie against the one the more shall his wonderfull grace and loue breake forth towards the other To be glorified in his Saints and to be made wonderfull in them that beleeue is in such a manner to glorifie them that all the world shall wonder and be astonished at that vnspeakable glory wherewith he will glorifie them and in their glory glorifie himselfe But what Will not Christ also be glorified and made wonderfull in the damnation of the wicked Yes out of all question the Lord shall reap wonderfull glory in the vengeance that he shall execute vpon them The wrath of Christ shall be a wonderfull wrath the torments and iudgements inflicted vpon them shall be wonderfull men will then wonder and be astonished with wondering that that God who in this life hath shewed himselfe so patient and gentle vnto sinners should be so exceedingly wroth with them the wicked themselues will wonder at his furie and happily at their owne gracelesse folly in despising the meanes of their owne Saluation the godly shall wonder at the most glorious iustice of God and magnifie him for the same yea the confusion of the wicked in this day shall be one part of that glory whereby the Lord will be made wonderfull in his owne Saints For for their sake the wrongs that they haue offered vnto them shall their iudgement be the heauier but there will be incomparable more cause of glorifying God and of wondring at the glory of his Maiestie in the Saluation of beleeuers for alas the wicked in that day shall haue but their deserts but this is the wonder of wonders that the Lord should bestow such infinite and exceeding glory vpon those that beleeue without the least merit on their part yea when on their owne part they haue deserued the same vengeance that is inflicted vpon the reprobate What a glory must this needs be vnto Christ How shall it fill the mouthes of all the Saints and Angels in heauen with the praises of this God How shall the Saints seeing their owne glory and the glory one of another wonder at their owne glory wonder at the glory one of another and wonder at the incomprehensible loue of God towards them therein How shall the Potentates and great Princes of the earth that haue despised and trampled vnder their feet in this world the poore seruants of Christ now wonder at their glory How shall all the Deuils and damned reprobates to their greater torment wonder and be amased thereat Oh how wonderfull shall the Lord be in this day to all the world in that glory which then he will bestow vpon his despised and contemned Seruants Howsoeuer then the Lord in this world doth glorifie himselfe by many meanes howsoeuer he is glorious and wonderfull not onely in the creation of the world but also in the generall particular gouernment thereof yet in this day he will exceed in glorifying himselfe in by that speciall glorie that he will then bestow vpon his seruants All his glory shal be their glory he will be made glorious wōderful by the reflectiō of that wonderful glory which in that day he wil bestow vpon them But what Persons are they that Christ will bee glorified and made wonderfull in Saints and beleeuers Saints and beleeuers are all one A man cannot be a Saint that is not a true beleeuer and he doth not truely beleeue who doth not so beleeue as that vpon the same he become a Saint A Saint then is he who euen in this life forsaketh his sins and endeuoureth to serue and please God according to his owne will reuealed in the Gospell To beleeue is in that effectuall manner to know and giue credit vnto the doctrine of the Gospell and the promises thereof as that we are willing to yeeld all obedience therein required to God for Christs sake To beleeue is it that makes a Saint To be a Saint manifesteth that a man beleeueth That beliefe is no beliefe that makes not a Saint That Saint is a Deuill that doth not beleeue Will any of vs then beloued be assured whether in that great day we shall be amongst the number of them that Christ will bee glorified in wee must examine our selues whether we be Saints and beleeuers whether we be beleeuing Saints and holy beleeuers doe we giue no credit to the Gospell Doe we wilfully disobey the same Doe we delight in prophanenesse and such like sinnes contrary to the doctrine of the Gospell Cannot the voice of Christ in the Gospel either by threatnings or promises restraine vs from vnholy and vn-saintlike courses from our prophanations of the Sabboth our blaspheming drunkennesse scurrilitie maliciousnesse c. Are we scorners and deriders of them that refraine from our ouer prophane courses Doe we despise and hate and persecute as much as lieth in vs the most effectuall meanes whereby men become Saints and beleeuers If we be such as it is to be feared that some of vs are little better then such the Deuils and damned wretches in hell haue asmuch cause as we to hope that Christ will be glorified and made wonderfull in them Neither can we so long as we remaine such expect that the Lord in this day should any otherwise be glorified and made wonderfull in vs then in the Deuill and all reprobate persons This doctrine being beleeued will be a meanes of much comfort to the afflicted and persecuted Saints of God It is a matter of great humiliation vnto them in such times of persecution to consider how the name of God is dishonoured and
men are set vpon them as on a marke or a signe A meanes worth the obseruing for the correcting of such as liue inordinately For when they see that the eyes of the godly are set on them and that they are so noted it cannot but be of great force if there be any sparke of grace in them to make them change their life and take some better course And the neglect hereof is wont maruailously to confirme men in their inordinate courses when the godly passe by them and seeme not to regard what they doe but so carrie themselues as if they obserued no such thing in them 2. He would haue them to haue no commerce with them he would not haue them to keepe any company with such that is not to conuerse so with them that by the least gesture they seeme to approue of their courses For he doth not exclude all commerce in generall as vtterly vnlawfull with such but such onely whereby either in deede or in shew they may in some sort partake with them therein For example sake he hath no commerce with a drunkard and an haunter of Tauernes that refuseth to goe with him to the tauerne and to make himselfe merry with his swilling bibbing and the like may be said of commerce with players and iesters It is a grieuous sinne therefore and warily to be eschewed that we haue no fellowship with such as refuse to obey the admonitions of the Prophets and Apostles For it concerneth vs as much herein to obey the Apostle as it did this Church Now the end of the former obseruation and separation is that such may be ashamed These meanes hath God ordained to shame such Christians as liue not according to the rule of the Apostles writings to that end are they faithfully to be vsed And though they may make some gracelesse men hypocrites and Atheists more impudent and shamelesse yet are they of maruailous great efficacie to shame such by shaming them to bring them into the right way againe that haue any grace at all left in them And it is a signe of a man wholly gracelesse that perceiuing himselfe so to be noted by the godly is not ashamed of it and much more that groweth thereupon more shamelesse Vers. 15. Yet count him not as an enemie but admonish him as a brother 3. HE would haue them to admonish such disordred ones yet not accounting them as enemies but regarding them as brethren Wherein obserue we 1. That the noting before spoken of must not be a bare sullen and silent eying of them or a scornefull and hatefull pointing at them but it must be ioyned with louing and frendly admonition as occasion and opportunitie shall be offred They must performe that office by word of mouth vnto such that the Apostle himselfe did by writing before vers 12. as he also enioyneth the same expresly els-where 1. Thess. 5.14 2. That though the Apostle willed them to withdraw themselues from such yet his meaning therin was not that they should haue no dealings at all with them nor performe no kinde offices at all vnto them but they should forbeare onely all such familiaritie with such whereby themselues might be indangered or such offendors incouraged in their rechles and disordred courses or haue the least shew of approbation or liking afforded them Otherwise that good offices are to be performed vnto such also and that for the performance of such offices we may repaire to them and deale with them which the more neede they haue of them the more frequent also they ought to be as sicke or sickly persons require ordinarily more attendance then those that be in good health it is apparent in that the Apostle enioyneth to admonish those now whom he willed them yet to withdraw from before 3. That admonition and that frequent and instant ought to go before ejection and casting out of the Congregation according also to this our Apostle his rule ordinance els-where Tit. 3.10 yea according to that direction that our Sauiour himselfe hath giuen Christians for their cariage in priuate wrongs done them by their brethren Math. 18.15 16 17. All meanes are wont to be vsed for the curing and preseruing of limbes and members diseased ere we proceed to the dismembring and maiming of the bodiâ— by the seuering of them from it 4. That this admonition it must be brotherly and so all the former offices also So are we to note such as we would our frend or our brother whose well-doing we sincerely desire and earnestly thirst after So must we with-draw from them that our very with-drawing may vnto them appeare to proceed from a brotherly affection towards them and to tend vnto their good And so lastly must we admonish them that by our very admonitions of them we may make it knowne vnto them that we beare no foe-like minde vnto them but retaine still a brotherly heart and minde towards them yea and that we would not take that course we do with thâ—â— but that we desire to retaine and keepe them stâ—l with vs in thâ— mutuall bond and body of Christianitie as brâ—thren Vers. 16. Now the Lord of peace giue you peace alwayes by all meanes HEre followeth the last part or the Conclusion of this Epistle with a post-script annexed to it He concludeth in the vsuall manner not of himselfe alone but of all others that vse to write Letters or Epistles with prayer for them or wishing well to them So vse the Latines with their Vale and the Greekes with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to close vp most of their letters thereby wishing well to those they write vnto to testifie their loue and frendly affection towards them And surely the Apostle is very frequent herein thereby teaching vs that it is a speciall dutie of Christians to wish well one to an other and to pray one for another As also that it is a matter that much concerneth Christian men and maketh much for their good that the godly Ministers and Brethren should wish well to them and accordingly pray for them The good he wisheth them is twofold The first is Peace and that alwayes and by all meanes Peace is the cheifest good of euery society as jarre and warre is the greatest euill And it is then when the members of any society do liue quietly and in frendly and louing manner togither imbracing mutually each other and communicating all things to the common good either of other and herein conspiring togither in affording the fruits of loue and performing all good offices one to an other To wish them this then is to wish them an heauen vpon earth For what greater happinesse can there be here As on the other side what can be more wofull more hellish then the contrary euill In peace man to man is a God in jar war man to man is a Wolfe a Beare a Tygre a Diuell That therfore that the Apostle wisheth to them and with them to
or willeth any good vnto vs yea this good pleasure of his goodnes is the cause of all that goodnes and worthinesse whatsoeuer is in vs. God doth not manifest to a Christian his good will and pleasure towards him all at once but by certaine degrees neither are the first beginnings of that grace which flow from the good will and fauour of God sufficient to support a Christian in persecution but the Lord must adde grace vnto grace and strength vnto strength vntill he haue fulfilled all the good pleasure of his goodnes And therefore in such times we had neede so to behaue our selues towards the Lord that he may multiply increase and bring to perfection the worke of his good pleasure and goodnes in vs. We had neede then to beg and craue it at Gods hand and rest vpon it as our onely hope which if we can do no doubt but that the more the enemies of God shall accomplish the lewd pleasures of their wickednes vpon vs the more we shall feele God fulfilling the work of his good pleasure in vs which will more strengthen and incourage vs to be constant in the Faith of Iesus Christ and to suffer for it then if we should receiue speciall incouragement applauses from all the Saints in heauen and earth And the worke of faith in power The third petition is that God would fulfill in them the worke of faith with power which is another speciall meanes whereby they may become worthy of the Calling aforesaid yea and whereby the Lord doth accomplish in them the good pleasure of his goodnes There is no doubt or question but by Faith here he meaneth iustifying or sauing Faith that very kinde of Faith which formerly he said did superabound in them and was exceedingly increased Learne we briefly from hence 1. That there are degrees of Faith and that not the beginnings but euery degree of Faith is the worke of God yea one of the most powerfull works of God So that it is no more in the power of man to beleeue or in beleeuing to increase his owne Faith then it is to climbe vp to heauen Faith and euery degree thereof is wrought onely by the finger of God and our natures are so incapable of it that God is faine by a diuine and almighty power to imprint euery part and degree thereof in vs. 2. Though we had made neuer so great proceedings in Faith yet we can neuer in this life be said to come to that perfection in Faith but that we shall haue need to make this prayer vnto the Lord to fulfill in vs the worke of Faith yea the more our Faith is growne and increased in vs the more we shall desire still the perfection thereof This Church as we heard is commended by the Apostle for that their Faith was exceedingly increased and yet the Apostle prayeth continually for them that the worke of Faith may be fulfilled in them So that though we had neuer so much Faith yet we shall need more and desire more and it is a fearfull signe that those haue no Faith in them which think they haue so much as they need no more despising all those meanes whereby their Faith may be increased 3. Faith is the most necessarie good that Christians in time of persecution stand in need of By our prayers to free them from persecution or to inchaunt their bodies that they could feele no paine nor hurt either by sword or fire from their wicked persecutors were not to obtaine so great a grace for them as the accomplishment of their faith For faith doth supply whatsoeuer is needfull to giue a Christian strength and comfort in persecution By it not onely the fiery darts of Sathan are quenched but the swords and speares and darts of all the wicked Tyrants in the world are so blunted and dulled that though they pierce yet they cannot hurt the partie that is armed therwith It is an inchaunted shield that can beare of the most mortall blow for the more we shall suffer for Christs sake and the Gospell the more by faith we shall be secured and assured of a blessed reward that shall infinitely surpasse in worth and weight any thing which either we shall or can possibly suffer in our flesh by the hands of wicked men Faith will make vs to see that it is an aduantage and gaine vnto vs to lose for Christs sake and that the greater things that we shall forgo and part with the greater benefit it shall be for vs and that the more we shall suffer for him though to the death the more we shall be glorified with him Read the 11 to the Hebrewes and consider the power and vertue of Faith how through it Christians haue endured mockings scourgings bonds imprisonment stoning the racke and would not be deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection Heb. 11.35 36 37. VERS 12. That the name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and yee in him according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Iesus Christ. THese words containe the maine ground and reason by which he moueth the Lord to grant the former petitions and by which he perswaded himselfe and conceiued hope that the Lord would grant the same vnto them For by this meanes Christ Iesus should receiue glory and honour by them in the very face of his enemies and they againe through the free fauour and loue of God should be glorified in him Whence we may learne 1. That this holy intent and desire here specified is a speciall meanes to moue the Lord by prayer to grant the former requests and that the Graces in the former petitions are the meanes whereby the name of Christ is glorified in vs and we in him and that being destitute of the former graces specially in time of tryall Christs name shall be dishonoured by vs and we shall pull shame and dishonour vpon our selues 2. The first and maine scope of a Christian is to glorifie the name of Christ and not to looke to be glorified in Christ but in and through his owne glorifying of Christ yea we are to desire the glory of Christ when it seemes to fight against our owne glorification in him as Moses did Exod. 32.35 and Paul when he desired in the affection he did beare to the glory of Christ to be Anathema for the people of the Iewes We may and we ought to desire to be glorified in Christ but we must first desire and indeauour that Christ may be glorified in vs and receiue honour in our seruing and worshipping of him 3. Though God be neuer so glorified in vs and though our glory in him is a consequent of our glorifying of him yet our glory as appeares here comes not of any merit of ours but of the meere grace and fauour of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ. So that when we haue brought all the glory we can to the name of Christ if God in Christ were not