Chapter V
Of giving glory to God. That it is a duty incumbent upon us, proved by numerous instances in Scripture. That we are to glorify God, not only nor
chiefly for the benefit he bestows on us, but for the glory of his name, and
the excellence and blessedness of his nature. Some reasons given, that grace in us may be raised to this high strain.
To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1 PETER v. 11.
Ere I raise that observation I wholly intend out of these words, I shall
first desire you to consult with me the multitude of parallel passages unto
this which we find up and down in the epistles, which do arise to a great bulk.
I shall not barely refer you to the chapters and verses, and so pass them
over, but to the end to lay the more ample foundation to that doctrine I
intend, and withal to make the deeper impressions of it upon your hearts, I will single forth those passages out of the epistles.
I fear the high and glorious elevation that filled the apostles spirits in
these doxologies, as they came from their hearts, have not their due weight upon us Christians, for the imitation of them or aspiring thereunto : their commonness in so many epistles, at the close of them, causeth but a common formal regard of them in us ; even such as their salutations of Grace and
peace (being made but as to those men they wrote to) use to have with us, as if we were not concerned in them.
But we are to consider that the reason we meet with them frequently in most of the epistles was, that their hearts being full of the glory of God, their pens and mouths were enlarged accordingly ; and the virtue and example
of them lasting to all ages, they thereby do excite all that shall read their
epistles afresh to join with themselves therein to give glory to God, as
they did, it being expressly said, Eph. iii. 21, Unto him be glory in the I church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. And in almost every such a doxology, for ever and ever is added ; and in
| Jude, Now and for ever. This premised, I begin to enumerate the
several instances.
CHAP. V.] AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 873
1. In the epistle to the Romans, how often, by digression, doth he still
veil to God in the midst of his discourses, with an Amen set to his blessing of him, as we also should occasionally in our speeches do the like. In Rom. L, discoursing of the heathens changing the glory of the incorruptible God, ver. 23, and ver. 25, changing the truth (or the true divine nature) into the similitude of the creature, and worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator, he, with an indignation at the relating of
* Who is blessed
that dishonour done to the great God, comes in with this,
for ever. Amen. Which is a solemn glory given to God, in transitu, by the way passant, as we say. The form of Amen, that is in the close, speaks how his heart did give, and rejoiced to give, all blessedness to him, as
rejoicing that he is so blessed a God. You find the like, chap, ix., speak ing of Christ asserting of his divine nature, ver. 5, Who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. In like manner, at the end of his discourse about election and reprobation, in chap, xi., which he had finished with the end of that chapter, he breaks forth from ver. 33 to the end, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord ? or who hath been his counsellor ? or who hath first
given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again ? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things
: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. And lastly, in the conclusion of the epistle, chap. xvi. 25, 27, Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ (according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith), to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
2. That to the Galatians hath it at the beginning, Gal. i. 5, having last
spoken of God the Father, he stops to give glory to him ere he goes any further, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
3. In that to the Ephesians, his heart was full, and he begins with it as soon as he began to speak, chap. i. 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c. But he takes occasion with more solemnity to intermix it, chap. iii. 20, 21, Now unto him that is able to do exceed
ingly abundant above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
4. In that to the Philippians, chap. iv. 20, Now unto God and our
Father, be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
5. In the first epistle unto Timothy, upon occasion of narrating his own
conversion, chap. i. ver. 17, Now, unto the King eternal, immortal, invi
sible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Then at the end of chap. vi. ver. 15, 16, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords ; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto ; whom no man hath
seen, nor can see : to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
6. In that to the Hebrews, chap. xiii. 20, 21, the God of peace, &c., * to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
7. Peter, in his first epistle, was so full with it that he begins with it, as Paul had done, chap. i. 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, accorc
1 ng to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us
again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
374 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I.
And chap. iv. 11, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ : to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. And
then, thirdly, at the close again, chap. v. 11, the God of all grace, &c., to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. In the second
epistle, chap. iii. 18, he doth the same to Christ the Son, Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To whom be
glory both now and for ever. Arnen.
* To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and
8. Jude, ver. 25,
majesty, dominion and power, now and ever. Amen.
9. And John s passing it by in his epistles makes amends for it in his
Revelations, which abound therewith. First, himself annexeth it to his own
salvation, wishing grace and peace from God the Father, the Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, &c., chap. i. ver. 5, 6, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our
sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and
his Father ; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Then throughout the whole book his ears are filled with it, with voices from
all hands. l.tThe saints and redeemed of men in their several congrega tions (their officers being their leaders and speakers for them, and in their
* And they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy,
names), chap. iv. 8,
holy, Lfxrd God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Again, 2, in chap. v. there is the same laudation performed unto Christ : (1.) By the saints of the sons of men : ver. 9, 10,
* And they sung a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:
for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation ; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests
: and we shall reign on the earth. (2.) Then by an innumerable company of angels
* And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the
: ver. 11, 12,
elders : and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands ; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honour, and glory, and blessing. (3.) By all creatures, unto both God the Father and the Son: ver. 13, And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all
that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, honour, glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and
ever. (4.) Unto which the saints on earth do give their amen: ver. 14,
4 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. And what they do here at first, is to shew what they did perform upon all occasions of
praise, as they are given throughout this book. For they are here brought in as the settled chorus, such as in interludes used to be.
And accordingly you find them at it again, chap. vii. (1.) An innume
rable multitude of saints, clothed with white robes, and palms in their
* with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to
hands, and they cried, ver. 10,
our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. Then,
(2.) all the angels, ver. 11, first say Amen unto what the church of men had spoken ; for though they have no interest in that salvation of us men,
yet for the glory that thence ariseth unto God, and out of their love to us
it is they say, Amen. And it speaks but their own very hearts. And
then, (3.) themselves add, de novo, a new praise of their own, ver. 12,
CHAP. V.] AND HIS SON JESUS CHBIST. 375
* Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and
power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And
again, chap. xi. 17, and xvi. 17, when the kingdoms of the world shall become Christ s. And lastly, chap, xix., after the ruin of Rome : ver. 1,
4 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven,
saying, Halleluia ; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God. Then of the beasts and elders : ver. 4, And the four and
twenty elders, and the four beasts, fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen ; Halleluia. And then you have the voice of a greater multitude : ver. 6, And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of many thun-
derings, saying, Halleluia : for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. That only point which I advance from all these, is, That as it is a duty, so that the grace in us may, in this life, be wound up to a living glory to God, in an abstracted way, from all the glory which
is in himself, and which in himself he possesseth, or for what ariseth to him from his works of grace or providence, and revelations of himself, and for the review of praise, which all others in all ages have, or shall give him, even for whatever doth in any way accrue to his praise, as well for what he doth in, and to, and for our own souls, but also in, or towards all or any other of his saints or creatures.
Unto this ample extent do many of these passages extend, as upon a bare review of the passages themselves doth evidently appear. For the materials in most of these doxologies (although occasioned by the remembrance of
benefits bestowed, and those also, as in common to others with ourselves) are pure glory, praise, and honour given unto God simply, and not thanks
only returned as for benefits, nor chiefly for them ; for that is mentioned but in a few of them. But the objects for which the glory is given, rise unto what is in God himself, as dominion, majesty, power ; the King im
mortal, invisible ; only wise God ; King of kings ; the blessed and only Potentate ; Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can see : to whom be honour and power from everlasting. These are all abstracted from benefits, and on these I shall in the applica tion particularly insist, as also that in the^Revelations, chap i. 4, John to the seven churches which are in Asia : Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come ; and from the seven
Spirits which are before his throne ; that is, unto Jehovah, as he is ever
lasting, and hath fulness of being in himself.
In a word, this comprehends all the glory due unto his name ; which
* Give unto the Lord, ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord
expression you find in two psalms
: Ps. xxix. 1, 2,
the glory due unto his name ; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Ps. xcvi. 7, 8, Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name ;
bring an offering and come into his courts. In the Hebrew, it is the honour of his name, that honour which from you his whole name is
worthy of. And unto such a frame of spirit, I would provoke you all.
1. To aspire to the obtainment of it. 2. To comfort you if you have attained
it. And 3. To exhort you to seek that it may not flag in your spirits, but be fixed in you.
This high and holy frame and temper was certainly in the apostles hearts when they indited these doxologies, and thereby excited others to
the like.
376 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I.
And my grounds (besides what hath been said, and which carries its own evidence with it) are,
1. Hallowed be thy name is the top petition in that gospel prayer Christ hath taught us, and the height and top of desires, and of aspirements to hallow it, are therefore in some measure in some of the souls of them that are taught to pray so. And that petition is of an higher key than Thy kingdom come, that follows ; and yet in that we pray that his manifestative glory may be set up above all, in all his works, and over all
his works, and in his giving his church all benefits, and in his confounding his enemies, &c. But,
* Hallowed be thy name, is far above all this, and therefore therein the soul in the highest place desires that itself and all others may give glory to God for all that is due to his name any way, and principally for what his name is. His glory and his blessedness is in
himself, and they are to glorify God on this behalf. Now, therefore, some
strains of this are attainable in this world ; for we are taught to pray it, and so are to have some dispositions of hearts suitable that accompany those
prayers.
2. Cartainly Old Testament grace rose not up higher than now New Testa ment grace will be found in some Christians to have done, and to do ; nor did any of their spirits aspire higher, in any of their givings of glory to God, than the apostles in these of theirs. The prophecy of gospel times, Zech.
* In that day he that is feeble among you shall be as David, &c. Therefore David s grace was, at least to the highest, acted in them, as it was
xii. 8, is,
in the primitive Christians many of them.
Now if you consult David s Psalms, in which we have his spirit and his heart expressed, the Holy Ghost being witness thereof, in that through him and his grace he penned them, we find he was raised to this elevation in multitudes of passages in his psalms ; in which he doth abstractly consider God in his greatness, power, and wisdom, &c. And then his works in all the world, and towards his creatures ; then his revelations to his church, his gracious dealings with all his saints, and his glory that ariseth from all
these, and upon these accounts gives glory, praise, &c., to him, and pro vokes all others to do so. That his heart was filled with a suitable frame
of spirit, triumphantly, and from his whole soul to do this, appears in the
very passages abundantly. There do occur so many records of this, as I know not well where to begin, or which to insist on most. I shall single forth but one for all the rest, which is the 145th Psalm, of which I shall
give a brief delineation.
There is this one psalm of his which beareth this title, David s praise, or the
* praise of David, so in the original, and although there are multitudes of other high strains this way in other psalms, yet the Holy Ghost styled this
* David s praise, namely, of God. Now you will find the whole of
that psalm to be a praising or giving glory unto God, either simply abstractly, for what is in his nature, or what he is in his works to all creatures, espe
cially to his saints ; and you shall not find one word in it about any benefit
proper to himself in that whole psalm. That in the 1st verse that he styleth this God his God was from hence : the exercise of so high a strain of grace carries so clear an evidence of this with it, that that God whom any one should extol so much (as his heart was enlarged to in that psalm) must
certainly be his God that so extolled him. But yet besides, that as he
is God is the principal of the two ; you have his heart elsewhere expressed for that; as in Ps. xliii. 4, I will praise thee, God, my God. God
CHAP. V.] AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 377
in the chief place, and my God in the second. This is more abundantly seen in this psalm, and in many other psalms.
It is observable, that David entitling this psalm, The praise of David, that in the original no psalm else beareth such a title. It is appropriated to it, because this wholly consists of mere praise ; he was elevated therein to a frame of spirit merely made up of pure praise of God, without any touch
of what was particular to himself. So as it was not thanks, but altogether
praise, and wholly praise. To run over this psalm briefly. Himself, as precentor or leader of the whole choir, begins verses 1, 2, I
will extol thee, my God, King ; and I will bless thy name for ever and
ever. Every day will I bless thee ; and I will praise thy name for ever and
ever.
And then in verse the 3d declares what it was which above all he had
in his eye, as provoking him to this praise
: even the great and infinite ex
* Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised ; and his greatness is unsearchable. This summarily comprehends all that
cellency of God in himself.
is in God, which David intuitively viewed at his entrance to the whole. After this of his greatness in himself, he proceeds upon what God is in his
works, and in that argument he utters,
. 1. His own joy first, for this, that they all should with one mouth praise him throughout all times. Thus, ver. 4,
* One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. And so that God
will be sure to be praised to the world s end, and had been praised afore he was born, this joyed his soul exceedingly.
2. As that throughout all times, so that in all times, all and every of his works do praise him. First, men, verses 6, 7, And men shall speak of
the might of thy terrible acts ; they shall abundantly utter the memory of
thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. And secondly,
all of his other works besides, verse 10, All thy works shall praise thee, Lord. But thirdly, with a greater emphasis and exultation for this, that THE SAINTS THEY BLESS HIM, so in the same verse.
But that which I would desire you in a special manner to observe withal, that whilst he brings in all those (which added unto his joy) thus praising God, he himself thought within himself, whilst he was bringing in this
general contribution of their praise, that I will not be left out at so glorious an exercise, but I will bear my part ; so as he abruptly puts in with them, and rudely (as it were) interrupts them, intermingling his own in the midst
still of theirs. Thus in ver. 4, after he had said, one generation to an
other, &c., in ver. 5, himself breaks in, I will speak of the glorious hon our of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. Which is as if he had
said, I will crowd in mine, and bear my part, and he doth it whilst theirs was but begun. And then in the next verse, ver. 6, whilst he brings them
in again chanting out the same in these words : And they, namely, one
generation to another, this referring to ver. 4, they shall speak of the
might of thy terrible acts. Himself as one that could not hold (no, not
till their praise had been half spoken out), puts in again, I will declare
thy greatness. Then ver. 7, when he had brought them all in again, They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy goodness, and shall sing of
thy righteousness ; himself again (as if striving to outsing them), riseth np to the highest and loudest note and matter of praise, ver. 8, 9,
* The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy. This was proper to him as a saint to utter, and so together with them
378 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I.
fall a magnifying that God which was the cause of all, namely, his mercy ;
and, as a source of that, for which all his works do praise him, The Lord
is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Which having said, he then commits and leaves this matter wholly unto
them, even to all his works, especially unto his saints, to speak what they could or would further say. 1. To his saints; for his mercies to them
are above what to all his other works, ver. 10, All thy works shall praise
thee, Lord ; and thy saints shall bless thee ; and so leaves it to them
to speak out the rest, for he alone was not sufficient : ver. 11, 12, They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power ; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majest}^ of his
kingdom.
The rest, unto the 21st verse, is a setting forth that kingdom (in some branches of it) which they so much celebrate ; and you may take it either
to be his own, or their celebration of it, or rather, of both jointly. It
begins, ver. 13, Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee ; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all that
call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire
of them that fear him : he will also hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that love him : but all the wicked will be
destined. Which containing the principal parts of his dominion, I divide and consider thus :
First, The everlastingness of it, for which it is so much celebrated : ver.
13, Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth
throughout all generations.
In which words is especially aimed at that glorious kingdom he shall for
ever exercise in heaven, with all his saints magnifying him gloriously, of
which, as it is often said, there is no end. And although in this lies the
height of his dominion, yet,
Secondly, He takes in the exercise of it, as it is in this world, throughout the many generations thereof, from first to last. And the parts thereof are,
1. His dispensations towards his saints in their miseries, which is shewn
especially in raising and recovering them from falls, and exercised for them, and on their behalf, as they are oppressed
* The Lord upholdeth
: ver. 14,
all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. A most glorious work. But withal,
2. Also, that which is extended to all creatures that, having a sensitive
life, are to be maintained by food, as fishes, fowls, beasts. God takes it
upon him to be the father of this great family of the world, and to take care
of all the several kinds of them that need, and accordingly provides and
gives forth variety of several sorts of food proper to each. As (1.) to give each their several meat and diet ; and (2.) fails them not ; (3.) in the due season, wherein they need it; and moreover, (4.) his own immediate hand is said to give it them ; and they, (5.) as expecting it from him, are
said to come about him, as fowls use to do about those that use to feed
them. Yea, and (6.) he not only feeds, but satisfies their desires. All
these you have distinct, ver. 15, 16, The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and
satisfiest the desires of every living thing.
CHAP. V.J AND HIS SON JESUS CHEIST. 379
3. That special part of his providence and kingdom exercised over and
towards the eminent of his creatures, viz., the sons of men in common, wherein he sets forth the manifold administrations and dealings with all of
them, both good and bad. First, in common to both : ver. 17, The Lord
is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works ; that is, in all the
variety of trials, chastisements, judgments upon both wicked men and good men ; and it is not in some or a few of his ways, but in all that fall out to
either ; and therefore let us adore him in all.
4. But especially to the righteous, his choicest ones. And that peculiar care and love to them he again returns to set forth: ver. 18, 19, 20, The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in
truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him : he will also hear
their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that love
him.
These are mighty sayings, that we should have him to cry unto, and he
to be nigh and quick of hearing, and his eyes to run to and fro over us ; that God in the issue one way or other should fulfil these sayings unto all
his saints, even to every one, especially those latter ; to hear and consider
all their prayers, fulfil all their desires, and after, and above all that, he
will make sure work of it, infallibly to save;them at last, and preserve them
to the end effectually. Of all things he will be sure to bring them to salva
tion. What can be more ?
All and every of these, through want of not searching them out, even the
saints themselves observe not, and therefore God loseth of his praise ; yet we should believe them to be exactly true, and at the latter day we shall have an account of the fulfilling of them ; but it is. with us as Job acknow-
ledgeth, Job ix. 10, 11, God doth great things past finding out, yea, and wonders without number. Lo, he goeth by, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
You find at the close of this, that part of his kingdom added, But all
the wicked will be destroyed, namely, in hell; for of other dispensations to them in this life he had spoken, ver. 17, and this is a matter of as great
praise as any other, but only that towards the saints, and which next thereto
does bring in the greatest and justest revenues of glory to him. And yet even in doing this he shews himself righteous and holy, as he had said
afore, ver. 17.
These things done and gone through, look as he had begun with himself, so he ends, ver. 21, My mouth shall speak the praises of the Lord, namely, for all these things, and yet not a word in all these things that was proper to himself, but of common concern to others. And then having said, he, as
* And let all
a leader of the choir, provokes all flesh to do the same.
flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever ; that is, every creature (as sometimes flesh is used) to be sure, of all the sons of men.
Truly he might worthily entitle this psalm, David s praise, namely, of
God, whom elsewhere he gives the attribute of the praised God unto; as
in Ps. xviii. 3, I will call upon the praised God. So in the original there. Ainsworth observeth the same word here, ver. 3. The meaning in that
place is (to make it the highest encouragement to beget confidence in one that prays), is this, that God never denied prayer, and that is the thing for which he comes to be so famed and renowned a God, and that makes him to be the praised God ; that is it the saints do praise him for, as
that coherence shews. And it is as if David had said, I will call upon him, and I shall be sure to speed ; for he is renowned for this, and bears
380 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I.
the title of the praised God, for that still he continually hears them that
call upon him. And we may be sure that God will not lose his praise, and
therefore will hear every one that calls upon him ; according to that in Ps. xxii. 3-5, But thou art holy, thou that inhabitest the praises of
Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee : they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered : they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. And this makes it no wonder that David else where further styles him The God of my praise; thus Ps. cix. ver. 1. Whereupon give me leave, in order to expound it the better, to expostulate a little. What, David, were there no saints but thyself that gave praise to God ? Why dost thou then seem to appropriate and engross God unto
thyself, as the God of thy praise, as if none praised him else but thee ? It
is because his soul had devoted all the praise he was able to bestow on any, unto the Lord alone ; as whom he had set himself to praise, and praise alone. As of a beloved son we use to say, the son of my love. And
further, it is as if he had said, If I had all the ability of the spirits of men and angels wherewith to celebrate him, I would bestow them all on him, he
is the God for my praise. And as he was his, so he should be ours.
Yea, further, hence it is that he is entitled, The praise of all saints, Ps. cxlviii. 14. It is one of his titles, whereby (as God) he is set out. Give me leave to understand that passage of God himself, which others have diverted from him ; for the Psalmist afore had said, He also exalteth the horn of his people. And therefore he it is of whom it follows, the
praise of all his saints.
My brethren, you that have grace understand in some measure what metal the grace in your hearts is made of ; and unto what that divine metal or nature in you may be sublimated by the more than chemical operation of the Spirit unto.
There are these reasons why your grace may be intended or raised up unto this strain.
Reason 1. The divine nature in us, as in Peter it is styled, is the perfect imitation or image of God s own nature ; and all true holiness doth consist
in its being such. It is, as they observe of a loadstone, that, cut round,
is the perfect imitation of the earth, though in a lesser volume, a terreUa
(as they call it), so as all the lines, the poles, the variation of the compass, &c., may be exactly drawn upon it, and found out, and discerned by the motions of a needle put upon it, which will shew all these exactly, as I
myself have seen. And thus sympathetical, in the make of it, is grace, the
divine nature in us, unto what is in God, or his divine nature.
However, this I may truly affirm, that grace is framed, either to be the resemblance of, or applies itself unto, all that is in God.
It is true, divines do rightly make this distinction in the divine attri
butes.
1. Of some that are communicable in this respect, that the likeness of them may be stamped on us, as goodness, wisdom, holiness, &c. And of them the case is clear, that therein consisteth an image of God s divine
nature.
But, 2. Some that are incommunicable, as sovereignty, eternity, absolute
dominion, majesty, &c., likewise his glory, which is not to be given to
another. Now observe, that those attributes wherein our graces are not
capable to imitate him, that yet we have grace to apply ourselves to them, some way or other, so as to give the glory due unto them. As to his sove
reignty, and absolute dominion, and majesty, grace in us can and may be
CHAP. V.] AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 381
brought down (shall I say), or wound up rather, to submit to it, to fall down to the dust afore it ; not simply in a reverence or adoration of it, but
in an absolute resignation of itself unto it ; as in David we see, 2 Sam.
* But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee ; behold, here am I,
xv. 26,
let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. Yea, unto a casting all away unto the glory of it. And truly, as such acts of submission are a throwing away (shall I say), or rather a giving up one s self, and all our own concern
ments, both unto and for what purely is in God, so there is a giving glory to him, by way of exalting him, for what is purely in himself.
Eeason 2. The tendency of grace in us is to have but one common inte
rest between God and our souls, to make his interest wholly ours, and ours
to be altogether his. We are imperfect in it indeed, but, so far as we have
grace, we have but one interest common to God and us. It is that which
grace would be at ; but corruption keeps us down. Christ expresseth his
being one with his Father, as in his nature and essence, so as he and his
Father, having both but one will, and so one interest ; John vi. 38, x. 29,
30, and v. 30 : For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. My Father which gave them me is
greater than all ; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father s hands. I and my Father are one. I can of mine own self do nothing ; as I hear, I judge ; and my judgment is just, because I seek not mine own
will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Now as Christ s interest and God s are but one, so by our union with
Christ (and so with God through him), Christ s interest and ours is but
one. Therefore, 1 Cor. vi. 17, He that is joined to the Lord is one
spirit, namely, with Christ, of one and the same disposition, ends, and aims ; for in all these respects, and much higher than I can express, it is
* one flesh,
to be one spirit with Christ. Man and wife, that are but
yet we all see and know, where love between them is, that there is one com mon interest of both ; and it is such and so near a conjunction, through God s ordination, as it is, as if they were one, both as unto what concerns
the good of each other, as Eph. v. 28, He that loveth his wife loveth him
self ; and also in what concerns the common good of the family, of the
children, &c., and they mutually rejoice in all those alike. Oh, but Christ our husband and we are one spirit. Even the saints among themselves, so
far as gracious, are said to.be of one heart and of one soul, &c. Acts
* And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul : neither said any of them that ought of the things he possessed was his own ; but they had all things common. And they were to rejoice and suffer in one another s happiness and misery ; 1 Cor. xii. 26,
iv. 32,
* And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it ; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. For as, ver. 12, the
body is one, and hath many members ; and all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body ; so also is Christ. Thus is Christ in his
body among themselves ; how much more is it thus between Christ the head and each member ? I may well say, Even so is Christ of the one
part and the other, much more Christ and they are but one, and have but one interest in common ; for Christ is the foundation of that among saints. Now what doth the virtue of such an oneness of interest tend unto, but that we should rejoice in all the good, happiness, and blessedness that is in God, or that Christ enjoys ? And that this is the power of true love, and of our
being one spirit with Christ, that speech evidently shews, John xiv. 28, Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you.
382 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I.
If ye loved me ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto my Father : for my Father is greater than I. And who therefore is so able to make me happy ? And therefore that you are so cast down, and that the joy for my happiness and advancement swallows not up your sorrow, is, because you love yourselves inordinately. But still the power of grace lies therein, you may see, and the foundation of all is oneness of interest. Look therefore, as Christ s interest was one with his Father s, to seek his glory, and to de
light in it, John vii. 18, He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own
: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him : so it is of grace in a Christian, when wound
glory
up to what the height of it tendeth unto. And therefore, as God delighteth in his own glory for itself, so may a gracious heart be brought to do. It
is in his grace whereby to do it: and as God s blessedness lies in his enjoying himself and his own glory, so the height of ours should be to apprehend that he is so glorious in himself, and accordingly to rejoice in it. Reason 3. You will allow that grace may be wound up in some spirits to as high strains for God and his glory (take the sorts or kinds of the one and the other), as sin and self-love are in some sort of sinners against God and his glory. I do not say in the same degree (because such as I shall instance in are wholly wicked and full of all evil, as the devils are, and no man s grace is full for the measure of it), but for the kind ; and there is no kind of wickedness, but is in the genius and disposition of it equalled by the grace in some saints that love God. Now, self-love in them that sin
against the Holy Ghost, and in the devil, doth rise up directly and imme
diately so high, as to oppose and fly in the face of all the glory that is in God, or that in any way he enjoys, grudging at it, hating it, blaspheming
it immediately, as it is in itself, as it is in us, and in him ; this is the
devil s sin, and also of some men put into the devil s state and condition.
Now then, I say, and argue from this, that the same contrary disposition may be, and is driven forth in grace, ever to love the glory of God imme
diately as it is his, and because it is his, and to rejoice therein, more than in
its own blessedness ; and to have an amplitude of heart this way, so as to
delight in all the glory God hath, or any sort of way accrues to him. Yea, and
I add this, that there is reason it should rather fall out on grace s part, that
grace in a saint should, rather of the two, be supported, to be elevated unto this high pitch, rather than the wickedness in men or devils unto the
contrary ; in that grace is a principle capable of loving God for himself, as the chiefest good, but no creature can hate God simply and absolutely for himself, because he is himself the chiefest good, as the schoolmen argue
it, but yet they are found to do it only because God is an enemy unto self-
love in them, and so in revenge they are provoked to oppose God, and to
fly in his very face, they being acted by a spirit to do despite to the Spirit of grace (which is the very spirit of that sin against the Holy Ghost). But
the creature having the image of God s own holiness stamped upon it, it may love God for himself, and true love to God is not founded upon self-love
merely in the creature ; and, if it were, it were not the image of God. And
if it be a principle of grace to love God as God, then it must needs be
capable to rise up to this, to glorify him as such. I further add, that as
that forementioned desperate frame of spirit befalls some men in this life, as well as devils, so this high and holy frame of heart (though more imper
fectly for degree) is raised up but in some gracious saints hearts in this
life ; and yet as all evil men s wickedness is not wound up to this height of renown in sinning, but only in a few, so nor is the grace of all saints
CHAP. VI. J AND HIS SON JESUS CHKIST. 383
intended or elevated to this other extraordinary pitch. Which stating of
it thus may conduce to clear the thing in hand, and to the comfort of such
souls as want the energy or working sense thereof.
Reason 4. It is certain that grace elevated works thus in the saints
hearts in heaven ; that is, to glorify God for himself, and their own happi ness they consider not ; for it is hut a result or consequent of their joying in the amplitude of God s glory which they are wholly swallowed up into ; for God becomes
* all in all in them and to them, 1 Cor. xv. 28. Now, as some communications of the joys that are in heaven are vouchsafed unto some saints in this life, some immediate drops (not to say dews only) are
let fall into their souls, of the same kind that are in heaven in a fulness ; therefore also, by a parallel reason, some lesser participations of the intenseness of that grace that is in those blessed souls made perfect ;
. for some have the earnest of the Spirit, and of that inheritance, and an ear nest consists of the same kind with the whole that is yet behind.