under the sufferings which befall them for Christ: not only to bear
gloriously, who make themselves the end of their actions, who make
the advancing of any particular interest the end of their actions. This
is not to do gloriously. Christians do gloriously, when the glory of
God and the general good is the end of all their doings. But if it be
yourselves, to save your own necks, and to advance your own
designs, and to bring in this and that, these are base, unworthy
actions, and God will so demonstrate them before angels and men.
To do gloriously is to make the glory of God and the general good the
end of all your doings. Then you do gloriously indeed, when you can
center and rest in the glory of God and the general good. It is a base
and unworthy spirit when men make themselves the end of their
actions, and the advancing of such or such a particular interest the
end of their actions, and not the glory of God and the general good of
his people.
5. And then again, fifthly, Men do gloriously when they rejoice
under the sufferings which befall them for Christ: not only to bear
sufferings—but to rejooice under sufferings, to rejoice under all
afflictions and troubles that may befall them for Jesus Christ. Just so,
the apostle, 2 Cor. 12:10, says he there, "I take pleasure in infirmities,
in reproaches, in necessities, in afflictions--for Christ." The original
word that is rendered "I take pleasure," is an emphatic word. It
signifies the infinite delight and contentment he took in the
afflictions and persecutions which befell him. It is the same word
that God the Father uses to express his unexpressible delight in his