would not part with his Throne, Gen. 41. 40. Only in the Throne will I be greater than thou. So God will do much for his People; he will give them the Inheritance; he will put fome of Chrift's Glory, as Mediator, upon them: But his effential Glory, he will not part with; in the Throne he will be greater. 2. The Glory which is afcribed to God, or which his Creatures labour to bring to him, 1 Chron. 16. 29. Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name. And, 1 Cor. 6. 20. Glorify God in your Body, and in your Spirit. The Glory we give God, is nothing elfe but our lifting up his Name in the World, and magnifying him in the Eyes of others, Phil. 1. 20. Chrift shall be magnified in my Body. Queft. What is it to glorify God, or wherein doth it confift? Refp. Glorifying of God confifts in four Things: 1. Appretiation. 2. Adoration. 3. Affection. 4. Subjection. This is the yearly Rent we pay to the Crown of Heaven. 1. Appretiation: To glorify God, is to fet God higheft in our Thoughts, to have a venerable Efteem of him, Pfal. 92. 8. Thou Lord, are most high for evermore. Pfal. 97. 9. Thou art exalted far above all gods. There is in God all that may draw forth both Wonder and Delight; there is in him a Constellation of all Beauties; he is prima Caufa, the Original and Spring-head of Being, who fheds a Glory upon the Creature. This is to glorify God, when we are God-admirers; we admire God in his Attributes, which are the glistering Beams by which the Divine Nature fhines forth; we admire him in his Promifes, which are the Charter of free Grace, and the fpiritual Cabinet where the Pearl of Price is hid; we admire God in the noble Effects of his Power and Wifdom, viz. the making of the World; this is called the Work of his Fingers, Pfal. 8. 3. fuch curious Needle-work it was, that none but a God could work. This is to glorify God, to have God-admiring Thoughts; we esteem him moft excellent, and fearch for Diamonds only in this Rock. 2. Glorifying of God confists in Adoration, or Worship, Pfal. 29. 2. Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name; worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness. There is a two-fold Worship: 1. A civil Reverence we give to Perfons of Honour, Gen. 23. 7. Abraham ftood up and bowed himself to the Children of Heth. Piety is no Enemy to Courtefy. 2. A divine Worship, which we give to God, is his Prerogative-royal, Neb. 8. 6. They bowed their Heads, and worshipped the Lord with their Faces towards the Ground. This divine Worship God is very jealous of; this is the Apple of his Eye, this is the Pearl of his Crown, which he guards, as he did the Tree of Life, with Cherubims and a flamming Sword, that no Man may come near it to violate it: Divine Worship must be fuch as God himself hath appointed, elfe it is offering ftrange Fire, Levit. 10. 2. The Lord would have Mofes make the Tabernacle, according to the Pattern in the Mount, Exod. 25. 40. he muft not leave out any Thing in the Pattern, nor add to it. If God was fo exact and curious about the Place of his Worship, how exact will he be about the Manner of his Worship? furely here every Thing must be according to the Pattern prescribed in his Word. 3. Affection: This is a Part of the Glory we give to God; God counts himself glorified when he is loved, Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul. There is a two-fold Love, 1. Amor Concupifcentia, a Love of Concupifcence, which is a Self-love, when we love another because he doth us a good Turn: Thus a wicked Man may be faid to love God, becaufe he hath given him a good Crop, or filled his Cup with Wine; and to fpeak properly, this is rather to love God's Bleffing, than to love God. 2. Amor, Amicitia, a Love of Delight, as a Man takes Delight in a Friend; this is indeed to love God; the Heart is fet upon God, as a Man's Heart is fet upon his Trea fure. And this Love is, 1. Exuberant, not a few Drops, but a Stream. 2. It is Superlative; we give God the best of our Love, the Cream of it, Cant. 8. 2. I would cause thee to drink of Spiced Wine, of the Juice of my Pomegra nate. If the Spouse had a Cup more juicy and fpiced, Chrift muft drink of it. 3. It is Intenie and Ardent; true Saints are Seraphims burning in holy Love to God. The Spoufe was Amore perculfa, in fainting Fits, fick of Love, Cant. 2. 5. Thus to love God is to glorify him; he who is the chief of our Happinefs, hath the chief of our Affections. 4. Subjec 4. Subjection: When we dedicate ourselves to God, and stand ready preft for his Service. Thus the Angels in Heaven glorify him; they wait on his Throne, and are ready to take a Commiffion from him; therefore they are refembled by the Cherubims with their Wings difplayed, to fhew how fwift the Angels are in their Obedience. This is to glorify God, when we are devoted to his Service; our Head ftudies for God, our Tongue pleads for him, our hands relieve his Members: The wife Men that came to Chrift, did not only bow the Knee to him, but prefented him with Gold and Myrrh, Matth. 2. 11. fo we must not only bow the Knee, give God Worship, but bring Prefents, golden Obedience. This is to glorify God, when we ftick at no Service; we will fight under the Banner of his Gofpel against Regiments, and we fay to him, as David to King Saul, 1 Sam. 17. 32. Thy Servant will go and fight with this Philiftine. Thus you fee wherein the glorifying of God doth confift, in Appretiation, Adoration, Affection, Subjection. A good Chriftian is like the Sun, which doth not only fend forth Heat, but goes its Circuit round the World; thus he who glorifies God, hath not only his Affections heated with Love to God, but he goes his Circuit too; he moves vigoroufly in the Sphere of Obedience. Queft. Why we must glorify God? Refp. 1. Because he gives us our Being,, Pfal. 100. 3. It is he that hath made us. We think it a great Kindness in a Man to fpare our Life, but what Kindness is it in God to give us our Life? We draw our Breath from him; and as Life, fo all the Comforts of Life are from God: He gives us Health, which is the Sauce to sweeten our Life; he gives us Food, which is the Oil that nourisheth the Lamp of Life: Now, if all we receive is from the Hand of his Bounty is it not good Reafon we fhould glorify him and live to him feeing we live by him? Rom. 11. 36. For of him, ard through him are all Things. Of him are all, all we have is of his Fulnefs through him are all, all we have is thro' his free Grace; and therefore to him fhould be all, fo it follows, To him be glory for ever, God is not only our Benefactor, but our Founder; the Rivers come from the Sea, and they empty their filver Streams into the Sea again.. 2. Becaufe God hath made all Things for his own Glory, Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all Things for himself; that is, for his Glory. As a King hath Excife out of Commodites, God will have his Glory out of every Thing: He will have Glory out of the Wicked the Glory of his Juftice they will not give him Glory, but he will get his Glory upon them, Exod. 14. 17. I will get me Honour upon Pha raoh. But efpecially he hath made the Godly for his Glory, they are the lively Organs of his Praife, Ifa. 43. 21. This People have I formed for my felf, and they fall fhew forth my Praife. It is true, they cannot add to his Glory but they may exalt it; they cannot raife him in Heaven, but they may raife him in the Efleem of others. God hath adopted the Saints into his Family, and made them a royal Priefthood that they fhould fhew forth the Praifes of him who hath called them, 1. Pet. 2. 9. 3. Becaufe the Glory of God hath fo much intrinfick Value and Excellency in it; it tranfcends the thoughts of Men and the Tongue of Angels. God's Glory is his Treafure, all his Riches ly here; as Mica faid, Judg. 18. 24. What have I more? So of God, What hath God more; God's Glory is more worth than Heaven, More worth than the Salvation of all Mens Souls: Better Kingdoms be thrown down, better Men and Angels be annihilated, than God fhould lofe one Jewel of his Crown, one Beam of his Glory. 4. Creatures below us and above us bring Glory to God, and do we think to fit Rent-free? Shall every thing glorify God, but Man? It is Pity then that ever Man was made! (1.) Creatures below us glorify God, the inanimate Creatures: The Heavens glorify God, Pfal. 19. 1. The Heavens declare the Glory of God. The curious Workmanship of Heaven fets forth the Glory of its Maker; the Firmament is beautified and Penfil'd out in Blue and Azure Colours where the power and Wifdom of God may be clearly feen. The Heavens declare bis Glory: We may fee the Glory of God blazing in the f Sun twinkling in the Stars. 2. Look into the Air, the Birds, with their chirping Mufick, fing Hymns of Praife to God faith Anfelm. Every Beaft doth in its Kind glorify God, a. 43. 20. The Beasts of the Field shall honour me (2.) Creatures above us glorify God: The Angels are miniftring Spirits, Heb. 1. 14. They are ftill wating on God's Throne, and bring fome Revenues of Glory into the Exchequer of Heaven: Then furely Man fhould be much more ftudious of God's Glory than the Angels for God hath honour'd him more than the Angels, in that Chrift took Man's Nature upon him, and not the Angels: Say, tho' in Regard of Creation, God hath made Man a little lower than the Angel, Heb. 2. 7. yet in regard of Redemption, God hath fet him higher than the Angels; he hath married mankind to himself: The Angels are Chrift's Friends, but not his Spoufe; he hath covered us with the Purple Robe of his Righteousness, which is a better Righteoufnefs than the Angels have, 2 Cor .5. 20. So that if the Angels bring Glory to God, much more fhould we, being dignified with Honour above the angelical Spirits. 5. Refp. We muft bring Glory to God, be caufe all our Hopes hang upon him, Pfal. 39. 7. My hope is in thee. And, Pfal. 62. 5. My Expectation is from him; I expect a Kingdom from him. A Child that is good-natur' d'will honour his Parent, as expecting all that ever he is like to be worth from him, Pfal 87.8. All my fresh Springs are in thee. The Silver Springs of Grace, the Golden Springs of Glory: Queft. How many Ways may we glorify God? Refp. (1.) It is a glorifying God, when we aim purely at God's Glory; it is one Thing to advance God's Glory, another Thing to aim at it. God must be the Terminus ad quem the ultimate End of all Actions: Thus Chrift, John 8. 50. I feek not my own Glory but the Glory of him that fenr me. 'Tis the Note of an Hypocrite he hath a fquint Eye he looks more to his own Glory than God's Glory Our Saviour decyphers fuch and gives a Caveat against them, Matth. 6. 2. When thou giveft Alms, do not found a Trumpet: A Stranger would ask, What means the noise of this Trum pet? Then it was anfwered, they are going to give to the Poor. And fo they did not give Alms, but fell them for Honour and Applaufe, that they may have Glory of Men: The Breath of men was the Wind that blew the Sails of their Charity Verily, they have their Reward. The Hypocrite may make his Acquittance and write, Received in full Payment. Chryfoftom calls Vain-glory one of the Devil's great Nets to catch Men. And Cyprian, Quem non gula fu peravit : Whom Satan cannot prevail against by Intemperance, thofe he prevails against by Pride and Vain-glory. O let us take heed of Self worshipping! Aim purely at God's Glory. Queft. How shall we know we aim at God's Glory? Refp. 1. When we prefer God's Glory above all other Things; above Credit, Eftate, Relations; when the Glory of God comes in Competition with them, we prefer his Glory before them. If Relations ly in our Way to Heaven, we muft either leap over them, or tread upon them: A Child muft unchild himself, and forget he is a Child; he must know neither Father nor Mother in God's Caufe, Deut. 33. 9. Who faid unto his Father and his Mother, I have not feen him; neither did he acknowledge his Brethren. This is to aim at God's Glory. 2. Then we aim at God's Glory, when we can be content that God's Will fhould take Place, tho' it crofs ours: Lord, I am content to be a Lofer, if thou a Gainer; to have lefs Health, if I have more Grace, and thou more Glory; whether it be Food or bitter Phyfick thou giveft me, Lord, I defire that which may be moft for thy Glory: Thus our bleffed Saviour, Not as I will, but as thou wilt, Mat. 26. 39. So God might have more Glory by his Sufferings, he was content to fuffer, John 12. 28. Farber glorify thy Name. 3. Then we aim at God's Glory, when we can be content to be out-fhined by others in Gifts and Efteem, fo God's Glory may be increafed: A Man that hath God in his Heart, and God's Glory in his Eye, defires that God fhould be exalted; and if this be effected, let who will be the Inftrument, he rejoyceth, Phil. 1. 15. Some preach Chrift of Envy; notwithftanding Chrift is preached, and I therein do rejoyce, yea, and will rejoyce; they preached Chrift of Envy, they envied Paul that Concourfe of People, and they preached that they might out-fhine him in Gifts, and get away fome of his Hearers: Well, faith Paul, Chrift is preached, and God is like to have Glory, therefore I rejoyce; let my Candle go out, if the Sun of Righteoufnefs may but shine. (2.) We glorify God by an ingenuous Confeffion of Sin: The Thief on the Crofs had dif honoured God in his Life, but at his Death he brings brings Glory to God by Confeffion of Sin, Luke 23. 41. We indeed fuffer justly. He acknowledged he deferved not only Crucifixion, but Damnation. Fofa. 7. 19. My Son, give, I pray thee, Glory to God, and make Confeffion unto him. An humble Confeffion exalts God: How is God's Free-grace magnified in crowning thofe who deferve to be condemned? As the excufing and mincing of Sin doth caft a Reproach upon God. Adam denies not he did tafte the forbidden Fruit, but instead of a full Confeffion, he taxes God, Infcripfere Leos fceleri, ( Ovid. ) Gen. 3. 12. The Woman, hom thou gavest me, the gave me of the Tree, and I did eat. It is long of thee, if thou, hadit not given me the Woman to be a Tempter, I had not finned. So Confeffion glorifies God, it clears, it acknowledgeth he is Holy and Righteous whatever he doth. Nehemiah vindicates God's Righteousness, Chap. 9. 33. Thou crt juft in all that is brought upon us. And Contefion then is ingenuous, when it is free, not forced, Luke 15. 18. I have finned against Heaven, and before thee; he chargeth himfelf with Sin before ever his Father chargeth him with it. (3.) We glorify God by Believing; Rom. 4. 20. Abraham was frong in Faith, giving Glory to God. Unbelief affronts God, it gives him the Lie; He that believeth not, maketh God a Liar, 1 John 5. 10. So Faith brings Glory to God, it fets to its Seal that God is true, John 3. 33. He that believes, flies to God's Mercy and Truth, as to an Altar of Refuge; He doth ingarrifon himfelf in the Promites, he trufts all he hath with God, Pfal. 31. 5. In to thy Hands I commit my Spirit: This is a great Way of bringing Glory to God, therefore God honours Faith, becaufe Faith honours God. It is a great Honour we do to a Man, when we truft him with all we have, we put our Lives and Eftates into his Hand; a Sign we have a good Opision of him. The three Children glorified God by believing, The God ahom we ferve, is able to deliver us, and will deliver us, Dan. 3. 17. Faith knows there are no Impoffibilities, with God, and will truft him where it cannot trace him. (4) We glorify God, by being tender of God's Glory; God's Glory is dear to him, as the Apple of his Eye: Now, when we are tender of his Glory, by laying to Heart his Dif [VOL. I.] honours, this is a glorifying of him. An ingenuous Child weeps to fee a Difgrace done to his Father, Pfal. 69. 9. The Reproaches of them that reproach thee, are fallen upon me. When we hear God reproached, it is as if we were reproached; when God's Glory fuffers, 'tis as if we fuffered. This is to be tender of God's Glory. (5.) We glorify God by Fruitfulness, John 15. 8. Hereby is my Father glorified, if ye bring forth much Fruit. As 'tis a Difhonour to God to be barren, fo Fruitfulness doth honour him: Phil. 1. 11. Filled with the Fruits of Righteousness, which are to the Praise of his Glory. We must not be like the Fig-tree in the Gofpel, which had nothing but Leaves, but like the Pomecitron, that is continually either mellowing or bloffoming, it is never without Fruit. "Tis not Profeffion but Fruit glorifies God; God expects to have his Glory from us this Way, 1 Cor. 9. 7. Who planteth a Vineyard, and eateth not of the Fruit of it ? Trees in the Foreft may be barren, but Trees in the Garden are fruitful: We muft bring forth the Fruits of Love and good Works, Matth. 5. 16. Let your Light fo fhine before Men, that they may fee your good Works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Faith doth fanctify our Works, and Works do teftify our Faith: To be doing Good to others, to be Eyes to the Blind, Feet to the Lame, doth much glorify God. And thus Chrift did glorify his Father, He went about doing good, Acts 1c. 38. By being fruitful, we are fair in God's Eyes, Fer. 11. 16. The Lord called thy Name a green Olive-tree, fair and of goodly Fruit. And we must bear much Fruit, it is Muchnets of Fruit glorifies Ged; if ye bear much Fruit. The Spoute's Breafts are compared to Clusters of Grapes. Cant. 7. 7. to fhew how fertile fhe was. Tho' the loweft Degree of Grace may bring Salvation to you, yet not fo much Glory to God: It was not a Spark of Love Chrift commended in Mary, but much Love, fe loved much, Luke 7. 47. (5.) We glorify God, by being contented in that State where his Providence hath fet us; we give God the Glory of his Wifdom, in that we reft fatisfied with what he carves out to us: Thus did holy Paul glorify God; the Lord did caft him into as great Variety of Condition as any Man, in Frifons more frequent, in Deaths oft, 2 Cor. 11. 25. yet he had learned B to to be content: St. Paul could fail either in a Storm or a Calm; he could be any Thing that God would have him; he could either want or abound, Phil. 4. 13. A good Chriftian argues thus; It is God that hath put me in this Condition; he could have raised me higher if he pleafed, but that might have been a Snare to me; God hath done it in Wifdom and Love, therefore I will fit down fatisfied with my Condition. Surely this doth much glorify God; God counts himself much honoured by fuch a Chriftian: Saith God, Here is One after my own Heart; let me do what I will with him, I hear no murmuring, he is content: This fhews Abundance of Grace. When Grace is crowning, it is not fo much to be content; but when Grace is conflicting with Inconveniencies, then to be content, is a glorious Thing indeed: For one to be content when he is in Heaven, is no Wonder; but to be content under the Crofs, is like a Chriftian: This Man muft needs bring Glory to God; for he fhews to all the World, that tho' he hath little Meal in Barrel, yet he hath enough in God to make him content: He faith as David, Pfal. 16. 5. The Lord is the Portion of mine Inheritance, the Lines are fallen to me in pleasant Places. (7) We glorify God in working out ourown Salvation: God hath twifted thefe two together, his Glory and our Good; we Glorify him by promoting our own Salvation: 'Tis a Glory to God to have Multitude of Converts; now his Defign of free Grace takes, and God hath the Glory of his Mercy: So that while we are endeavouring our Salvation, we are honour ing God. What an Encouragement is this to the Service of God, to think while I am hearing and praying, I am glorifying God; while I am furthering my own Glory in Heaven, I am encreafing God's Glory? Would it not be an Encouragement to a Subject, to hear his Prince fay to him, You will honour and please me very much, if you will go to yonder Mine of Gold, and dig out as much Gold for your felf as you can carry away? So for God to fay Go to the Ordinances, get as much Grace as you can, dig out as much Salvation as you can; and the more Happiness you have the more I fhall count my felf glorified. (8.) We glorify God by living to God, 2. Cor. 5. 15. that they which live, should not live to themselves, but unto him who died for them. Rom. 14. 8. Whether we live, we live unto the Lord. The Mammonift lives to his Money, the Epicure lives to his Belly; the Defign of a Sinner's Life is to gratify Luft. But then we glorify God, when we live to God. Queft. What is it to live to God? Refp. When we live to his Service, and lay out our felves wholly for God: The Lord hath fent us into the World, as a Merchant fends his factor beyond the Seas to trade for him: Then we live to God, when we trade for his Intereft, and propagate his Gofpel God hath given every Man a Talent; now, when he doth not hide it in a Napkin, but improves it for God, this is to live to God. When a Master in a Family, by Counfel and good Example, labours to bring his Servants to Chrift; when a Minfter doth exhauft himself in the Labours of his holy Calling, when he spends himself and is fpent, that he may win Souls to Chrift, and make the Crown flourish upon Chrift's Head; when the Magiftrate doth not bear the Sword in vain, but labours to cut down Sin, and fupprefs Vice; this is to live to God, and this is a glorifying of God: Phil. 1. 20. That Chrift might be magnified, whether by Life or by Death. Three Wishes St. Paul had and, they were all about Chrift, that he may be found in Chrift, be with Chrift, and that he might magnify Chrift. (9.) We Glorify God, by walking cheerfully It is a Glory to God, when the World fees a Chriftian hath that within him, that can make him cheerful in the worst Times: He can with the Nightingale, fing with a Thorn at his Breaft. The People of God have Ground of Cheerfulness, they are juftified, and inftated into Adoption, and this creates inward Peace; it makes Mufick within whatever Storms are without, 2 Cor. 1.4. 1 Thefs. 1.6. if we confider what Chrift hath wrought for us by his Blood, and wrought in us by his Spirit, it is a Ground of great Cheerfulness, and this Cheerfulness glorifies God. It reflects upon a Mafter when the Sevant is alwife drooping and fad, fure he is kept to hard Commons, his Mafter doth not give him what is fitting: So when God's People hang their Harps on Willows, fure they do not ferve a good Mafter, repent of their Choice; this reflects Difhonour on God. As the grofs Sins of the Wicked bring a Scandal on the Gofpel, fo do the un cheerful Lives of the Godly, Pfal. 100. 2. Serve the Lord with Gladness. Your ferving |