enterprizing nothing without leave or warrant from him 2. By a godly life and fruitfulness in a Christian course 3. By upholding and setting forward his Gospel to the utmost of his power For the Gospel is Christs chariot wherein he rideth through the world to conquer his enemies and gather his Church if the Gospel run and prevail his glory is inlarged if the Gospel be stopped his glory is hindred 4. By willing undergoing any thing for his sake These are the things which we must remember and do that Christ may be glorified in us in the doing of which we shall not be a little helped by accustoming our selves every day yea often in the day to call our own hearts to account and enquire what glory hath redounded to Christ this day this hour from my thoughts my speeches my actions that so far as we find our selves barren and defective this way we may take shame to our selves and turning our feet into the way of Gods testimonies with râ—â—ewed care and redoubled resolution set upon this greatest and most honourable Work of honouring the Lord. Secondly doct 2 observe that a good Christian desires the Lord may be glorified by others A good man is not content to honour God in his own person but he heartily wisheth and prayeth that others may do it as well as himself So did David Psa 67.3 4. and Paul Eph 3.21 For First Reas 1 The zeal of God burns in his breast the love of Christ constraines him he knows that God most highly esteemes and loves his own glory that this being the last end of all his counsels and works must needs be more worthy and excellent than all creatures in regeneration he puts on the image of God by which he is inclined and enabled to will what God willeth to love what the Lord loveth and in the same manner according to his measure therefore he cannot but desire the inlargement of his glory in the world and the communication of that grace to many by which they may be effectually taught and moved to glorifie him Secondly He loves the souls of men Reas 2 and heartily desires their welfare temporal eternal now he knows that this task of glorifying God is both at tended with much present sweetness and comfort and will certainly bring a most glorious reward life everlasting Wherefore that Christian love of others which the Holy Ghost hath kindled in his heart makes him seriously defire that they may be sharers in so excellent and matchless a gain and consequently join with him in the means leading to it namely the study and care of honouring the Lord. First then this reproves two sorts 1. Those that hinder and deter men from glorifying God such I mean who discerning in others holy forwardness in religion love of godliness and godly persons tenderness of conscience care to depart from evil and shun the society of sinners snub ad discourage them by threatnings reproaches commandments punishments This is a fearful thing though men see it not it s manifest fighting against God and playing the part of Elymas who is therefore called the child of the Devil and an enemy to all righteousness Judge in your selves can he be the child of God who neither gives him his due honour nor suffers then that would As we stand affected to the glouy of God and the means of it so are we affected towards God himself He that cannot endure the light of piety in the life of his child servant kinsman neighbour by which God is glorified would banish God out of the world if it were in his power He that destroys the Temple of God 1 Co. 3.17 him shall God destroy he that quencheth the fire of Gods grace in others shall burn in the fire nevar to be quenched 2. Those that draw or thrust others forward to such courses as dishonour God provoke and perswade them to swearing riot drunkenness wantonness revenge c. for shame let not such men any longer call themselves sons and servants of the living God Should I hear a man in secret conference with another command or councel him to set a fire on his neighbours Corn Barn or Dwelling house might I not safely conclude this is no friend but a very dangerous and bitter enemy of his neighbour Is it not enough that by thy personal sins thou frettest yea breakest the very heart of God every hour except also thou hire and procure helpers as if thou couldst not easily satisfie thy self in heaping injuries upon him and loading him with contumelies Tell me vile hell-hound do men thus to their friends Go now and if thou hast lost all forehead deny thy self to be the Lords enemy I tell thee thou art a flat hater of the holy One of Israel or the Devil is none Secondly Vse 2 by this doctrine we may examine our selves and judge what manner of Christians we are Doth it sting yea cut thee to the heart to see Christ so slenderly known and honoured in the world so many professing him who in their works deny him calling him Lord Lord when by their lives he is blasphemed Doth it grieve thee to see that in every place where thou commest the most are no better than walking tombs moving sepulchers unmeet for the Lords use and service Do these things lye nearer thy heart than thy personal crosses and injuries Canst thou pour out prayen even as for thine own soul for those who belonging to God run forward in wickedness that they may be reclaimed to glorifie him in the day of visitation and for the called that they may be made more zealous of his gloâ—y shew forth the vertues of him who â—ath brought them out of darkness into his â—arvellous light Answer me is it thus â—ith thee no doubt a portion of Pauls â—pirit rests upon thee But if the spiriâ—ual condition of others affect thee â—ot if thy spirit be not stirred when the â—ord Jesus is crucified afresh by Oaths â—nd blasphemies his Sabbaths polluâ—ed his word despised if thy heart tells â—ee thou carest but little what become â—f Gods glory how often or by whom â—e be wronged so thy self be not touâ—hed what become of other mens souls whether they sink or swim if these â—hings wring no sighs no prayeas from â—hee in secret though thou hast a name to â—ve thon art dead Thirdly Vse 3 here is matter of instructiâ—n We see here what 's the reason why â—he godly desire and seek the Reformaâ—â—on of sinners You shall sometimes â—ear a wicked fellow if a servant of God but reach him the helping hand of Christian admonition to pull him out of his sin fall a suming and exclaiming what hath he to do with use let him look to himself he is more busie than needs he shall not answer for me c. But stay a little as David said to Eliab Is there not a cause Thy brother hath received mercy from the Lord and therefore cannot but shew mercy to thy
application by keeping in memory and revolving the experience they have had of Gods Faithfulness and Mercy by fellowship with strong and experienced Christians exercising Faith in all occurrents and such like holy meanes labor I say that the small grain of Faith which God hath sown in the soil of their Souls may grow up to a tall Tree whose height reacheth unto Heaven full of fair leaves and savoury Fruits yielding shade and shelter to many Blessed is he that heareth and keepeth for he provideth well for his Soul he shall sing when others sorrow stand when others stagger or fall the Lord shall reveal to him the abundance of peace and truth The Lord give us understanding in all things and perswade our hearts to the things which belong to our peace Thirdly I gather hence Vse 3 that Gods word doth warrant Christians to prize prefer respect Faith before all other Gifts which I note to let you see a difference betwixt Apostolical and Apostatical doctrine the spirit of Paul and the spirit of Papists for they depress the dignity of faith and extol charity and the works of charity far above 〈◊〉 They teach that the Scripture when it hath to deal with men faithful and regenerate calls not for faith any longer but urgeth good workes they reach that true righteousness consisteth principally in charity that charity onely is the forme and Queen of vertues even of faith as if one should say the form of justice is temperance an habit distinct from it or motion the form of the spirits in our bodies profound learning indeed by some of their own men disliked they teach that faith doth but only dispose us unto justification make us meet to receive grace and obtain Christs merits but charity alone sufficeth unto justification charity will purge away sin and deliver from the guilt of death eternal Who can endure to see the Daughter lift up above the Mother to hear the hand honoured above the heart But that such Divinity should come from Papists we shall think it less strange if we do but remember two things 1. That the Roman Synagogue is just such a Church as a Carcase is a Man and therefore it was meet she should neglect that grace which is the spring and soul of all piety justice charity What 's fitter for a dead Church maintaining a dead Christ a dead Cross a dead Word dead Sacraments dead Prayer a dead Ministery than a dead justice 2. That the Popish Faith is nothing else but an assent to all such things as the Church propoundeth out of the word written or unwritten which themselves being witnesses many Catholicks have who are notorious Sinners Murtherers Fornicators Thieves Drunkards such a faith I am sure may be in the Devil and therefore good reason they should commend any thing before it If it be objected object that our Apostle expresly affirmeth love to be greater than faith or hope I answer answ his meaning is that love is more excellent not simply and absolutely but in some respectonly that is in regard of the manner of working extent and use towards others for the work of Faith is secret in the heart invisible the work of love manifests to others sensible Faith respects God onely Love stretcheth her Armes both to God and Man Faith is profitable only to him that hath it but Loue studys the Edification of the Church and spurs forward to labor the good of the Members thereof both in Soul and Body which seems by the Context to be the very thing the Apostle intends unless you will expound it thus as some have done that in the life to come there shall be far more frequent constant and illustrious use and exercise of Love because the glorified Saints shall not be troubled in Heaven about holding Faith and Hope as they are in this World but wholly taken up with loving God hauing no other work and imployment during all eternity but to solace and delight themselves in the fruition of his glorious Presence and the society of the blessed Angels We come now to the last instruction which is this The perfecting of faith and all other Gifts in the Elect doct 3 is a work of Gods Almighty power The Power of God accomplisheth the Belief as every other grace of the Godly I join together the general and special from both the clauses which might be handled distinctly Hence is that of the Apostle Ro. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.3 So elsewhere His divine power giveth us all things pertaining to godliness The truth is God himself must either do it by his own strong hand and mighty arm or it will never be done For First Reas 1 There is no other cause able to produce this effect the means without Gods blessing and spirit breathing in them are but a dead sound and can do nothing both the Ministers labours and the success of them are from Gods efficacy Man himself though indued with faith cannot believe when and so much as he pleaseth it s not in his own power to rest so firmly and stedfastly upon Gods promises as he desireth and therefore cannot perfect his own saith Alas how should he when he cannot make one hair white or black command one ounce of bodily health at his pleasure or add one cubit to his stature Secondly Reas 2 The enemies which oppose the growth of faith and holiness are such as cannot be vanquished but by the power of the Omnipotent Creator natural ignorance and infidelity degrees of spiritual death cannot be expelled but by the Author of life those potent and subtil spiritual Wickednesses cannot be mastered but by him that is strongest able to tread down Satan under our feet First Vse 1 Then it follows hence that much more the beginning and first working of Faith is from Gods powerful efficacy or effectual power For its a greater work to give than to conserve life to kindle or produce fire where none was than to keep it burning when it is kindled If that which is less viz. the consummating of faith much more that which is greater the begetting or infusing of faith must be attributed to the power of God which meets with the Arminians teaching that God doth not by his Almighty Power bring men to believe but only allure perswade excite leaving it still in their power whether they will believe or no. But the Prophet Esay makes the revelation of Gods Arm to be the efficient cause of the belief of the Gospel and our Apostle ascribes the believing of the Ephesians to the same mighty power of God by which he raised Christ Jesus from the dead It were well therefore they would change their minds or correct their Bibles Secondly Vse 2 It is may comfort believers against fear of losing or falling from faith The great God who is strong in power who created all
soul grace hath kindled in his bosom a desire of thy good forbid him not to speak when the Lord hath bidden him He knows that as God is by thy sin dishonoured so by thy repentance he would be greatly honoured and that if Christ have not glory now by thy conversion and obedience he will get himself glory in thy confusion Hence it is that he calleth upon thee to renounce the works of the flesh Canst thou blame him Is it not a bruitish part to be angry with him that would gladly have thy company to heaven if thou stormest against those who wish thee in as happy a case as their own souls what wilt thou do to thine enemies This serveth lastly for exhortation Vse 4 to stir us all up as we would prove our selves right Christians by all good means within our power to endeavour that others may set forth the Lords glory Let us begin with those that are under our charge or nearest unto us and then extend our care to such as occasionally we converse and meet with teaching them who and what a one God is and what he requireth of us that we may honour him warning them of such things by which he is or might be dishonoured in them labouring their conversion and transtation into Christs Kingdom because till they be truly turned they can never rightly glorifie him and multitude of subjects is a Kings glory at least restraining them from open profanation of his name How do the followers of noble Personages bestir themselves that their Lords may have honourable respect in every place where they come What child desires not to see his father very wealthy The Lord give us such minds and hearts toward our heavenly father The second end respecting the Thessalonians followeth which is 1 propounded 2 amplified from the cause of it propounded thus and ye in him that is and ye thus living to his glory may be glorified in and through the Lord Jesus Observe hence only one instruction that They which glory in Christ doct shall he glorified by and with Christ Rom. 8 17 2 Tim. 2.12 For first God is a bountiful rewarder of all diligent and faithful servants of his most beloved Son Secondly the members must follow and be conformed to the head Now Christ the head of believers first glorified his father upon earth and was afterward glorified with that glory which he had with the father before the world Therefore the faithful shall go the same way that is after they have finished their course of obedience in doing and suffering to the glory of Christ they shall be received into the glory of Christ and the Father Thirdly in glorifying the godly Christ glorifieth himself Relatives mutually give and receive honour The nobility beauty bravery discretion of a wife is an honour to the husband and the glory of the spouse of Christ shall set forth and illustrate the glory of Christ If any ask quest what is this glory which the Lord bestows upon his Saints that honour him I answer answ It s either present or suture Present in this world a preamble to that which shall follow in the next is either more open and manifest or more hidden and secret More manifest is when God gives them some great and famous deliverance or lifts them from a base and mean condition to places of dignity or makes them to be highly reverenced and had in precious esteem even amongst those who are of a different religion and contrary disposition Joseph had great glory in the Egyptian Court Ge. 45.13 Moses was very great in the sight of Pharoahs servants and the people of Egypt David honourable in Sauls house 1 Sa. 22.14 Mordecai in the Court of Ahasuerus Est 8.15 More secret is when the wicked who openly despise vilisie condemn the godly are forced inwardly to justify them and to feel their own consciences telling them that they or no people in the world are in an happy estate and in the way of life Whence it is that sometimes we have known Mockers and professed Enemies of Gods Servants Puritans Men call them now adays in cold bloud or in the evil day desire their prayer wish to dy their death and commit to their trust most important businesses For the spirit of glory rests upon them which causeth the face to shine and imprints that Majesty in the countenance or conversation which makes their persons no less venerable and terrible to those that hate them than amiable to those that love them Future is that where with they shall be crowned in the life to come when every saithful persou shall be cloathed in soul and body from top to toe with such glory as shall cause admiration in men and Angels and dwell for ever with most glorious company in a most glorious Mansion of which particulars I think it not fit to treat largely in this place it shall suffice briefly to have named them because I hasten to an end First Then it follows hence Vse 1 by the rule of contraries that the end of all such as either oppugne the glory of Christ or wholly neglecting it hunt and hawk after the glory of the World shall be shame and confusion Think on this ye proud vain-glorious men who leave no stone unmoved that you may magnifie your selves whose only study and strise is to climb to the height of earthly greatness but if the name of Christ lie inglorious in the dust will not wag a tongue stir a hand or foot to lift it up Think on this ye persecutors of Christs truth ways sincere servants ponder it betimes and believe before you feel Though your excellency mount up to Heaven and your same reach unto the ends of the Earth though all mouths should bless you all tongues extol you to the skies and all knees bow unto you yet shall you perish like your own dung leave your names as a curse which religious posterity shall abhor and detest as the smoke of a dunghil or stink of a carcase and in the day of the Lord if not in this life be brought to a shameful ruine and clothed with ignominy never to be removed Secondly Vse 2 This must comfort us against the shame of the world and encourage us patiently to bear the reproach of Christ Are we scoffed at reviled slandered by wicked tongues overwhelmed with calumnies and indignities because we are zealous for the Lord Jesus and do the things are pleasing in his sight remember the time will come when Christ shall abolish our shame and deck us with his own glory when both our persons names shall shine as the Sun in his brightness Do the children of this world disgrace us Christ will honour us Do we lose our credit with men for submitting to Christs Laws We shall recover it with advantage when Christ shall admit us to society in his own happiness to eat to drink and reign with him in his kingdom Lastly Vse 3 this should