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4. 9. We glorify God by walk- | God, much of his glory lies in ing cheerfully. It is a glory to his truth; now when we are adGod, when the world sees a vocates for truth, this is to glorify Christian hath that within him God; so Athanasius, the bulwark that can make him cheerful in the for truth. Jude v. 3., “That ye worst times; he can, with the should contend earnestly for the nightingale, sing with a thorn at faith," viz. the doctrine of faith. his breast. The people of God The Greek word, to contend, sighath ground of cheerfulness; nifies a great contending, as one they are justified, and instated would contend for his land, and into adoption; and this creates not suffer his right to be taken inward peace; it makes music from him; so we should contend within, whatever storms are with- for the truth. Were there more out, 2 Cor. i. 4., 1 Thes. i. 6. If of this holy contention, God would we consider what Christ hath have more glory. Some can conwrought for us by his blood, and tend earnestly for trifles and cerewrought in us by his Spirit, it is monies, but not for the truth; a ground of great cheerfulness, we should count him indiscreet, and this cheerfulness glorifies that would contend more for God. It reflects upon a master picture than for his land of inwhen the servant is always droop-heritance,-for a box of counters, ing and sad, sure he is kept to than for his box of evidences. hard commons, his master doth A. 11. We glorify God, by not give him what is fitting; so, praising him. Doxology, or praise, when God's people hang their is a God-exalting work: Ps. 1. 23., heads, it looks as if they did not "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth serve a good master, or repented me." The Hebrew word bara, of their choice; this reflects dis- to create, and barak, to praise, honour on God. As the gross are little different, because the sins of the wicked bring a scandal end of creation is to praise God. on the gospel, so do the uncheer-David was called 'the sweet singer ful lives of the godly, Ps. c. 2., of Israel,' and his praising God "Serve the Lord with gladness.' was called a glorifying of God. Your serving him doth not glo- Ps. lxxxvi. 12., "I will praise rify him, unless it be with glad- thee, O Lord my God, and I will ness. A Christian's cheerful looks glorify thy name.' Though noglorify God; religion doth not thing can add to God's essential take away our joy, but refine and glory, yet praise exalts him in the clarify it, it doth not break our eyes of others. When we praise viol, but tunes it, and makes the God, we spread his fame and music sweeter. renown, we display_the_trophies A. 10. We glorify God, by of his excellency. In this manstanding up for his truths. Much ner the angels glorify God, and of God's glory lies in his truth. they are the choristers of heaven, God hath intrusted us with his and do trumpet forth God's truth, as a master intrusts his praise. And praising of God is servant with his purse to keep. one of the highest and purest acts We have not a richer jewel to of religion; in prayer we act like trust God with, than our souls; men; in praise we act like angels; nor God hath not a richer jewel this is a high degree of glorifying to trust us with, than his truth. God. Believers are called 'temTruth is a beam that shines from ples of God,' 1 Cor. iii. 16.

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heal the decays of nature, and that he may be the fitter, by the strength he receives, for the service of God; he makes his food, not fuel for lust, but help to duty. 2. In buying and selling, we do all to the glory of God. The wicked live upon unjust

When our tongues praise, then the organs in God's spiritual temnple are going. How sad is it, that God hath no more of his glory from us this way! Many are full of murmurings and discontents, but seldom do they bring glory to God, by giving him the praise due to his name. We gain, either by falsifying the read of the saints having harps balances, Hos. xii. 7., "The bain their hands, Rev. v. 8., the lances of deceit are in his hands." emblems of praise: many have While men make their weights tears in their eyes, and complaints lighter, they make their sins in their mouth, but few have heavier; or, by exacting more harps in their hand, blessing and than the commodity is worth, glorifying of God. Let us bo- they do not for fourscore write nour God this way. Praise is the down fifty, but for fifty, fourquit-rent we pay to God; while score; they exact double the price God renews our lease, we must that a thing is worth. But when we buy and sell to the glory of God, when in our buying and selling, we observe that golden maxim, "To do to others, as we would have them to do to us," Matth. vii. 12. When we do sell our commodities, that we do not sell our conscience, Acts xxiv. 16., " Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." This is to glorify God, when we have an eye at God in our civil and natural actions, and will do nothing that may reflect any blemish on religion.

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A. 12. We glorify God, by being zealous for his name Numb. xxv. 11., " Phinehas hath turned my wrath away, while he was zealous for my sake." Zeal is a mixed affection, a compound of love and anger; it carries forth our love to God, and anger against sin in a most intense manner. Zeal is impatient of God's dishonour a Christian fired with zeal, takes a dishonour done to God worse than an injury done to himself, Rev. ii. 2., "Thou canst not bear them that are evil." Our Saviour Christ did thus glorify his Father: he, being baptized with a spirit of zeal, drove the money-changers out of the temple, John ii. 14, 17., "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."

A. 13. We glorify God, when we have an eye at God, both in our natural and in our civil actions: 1. In our natural actions. In eating and drinking, 1 Cor. x. 31., "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, do all to the glory of God." A gracious person holds the golden bridle of temperance; he takes his meat as a medicine to

A. 14. We glorify God, by labouring to draw others to God. We convert others, and so make then instruments of glorifying God. We should be both diamonds and loadstones; diamonds for the lustre of grace, and loadstones for our attractive virtue in drawing others to Christ: Gal. iv. 19., " My little children, of whom I travail," &c. This is a great way of glorifying God, when we break the devil's prison, and turn men from the power of Satan to God.

A. 15. We glorify God in an high manner, when we suffer for

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God, and seal the gospel with one would think, savoured of our blood: John xxi. 18, 19., pride, but the apostle pulls the "When thou shalt be old, ano- crown from his own head, and ther shall gird thee, and carry sets it upon the head of free grace, thee whither thou wouldst not:" yet not I, but the grace of God this spake he, signifying by what which was with me.' As Joab, death he should glorify God." when he fought against Rabbah, God's glory shines in the ashes of sent for King David, that he his martyrs, Isa. xxiv. 15., might carry away the crown of "Wherefore glorify the Lord in the victory, Sam. xii. 28., so a the fires." Micaiah was in the Christian, when he hath gotten prison,-Isaiah was sawn asun- power over any corruption or der, Paul beheaded, - Luke temptation, sends for Christ, that hanged on an olive-tree, thus he may carry away the crown of did they by their death glorify the victory. As the silk-worm, God. The sufferings of the primitive saints did honour God, and make the gospel famous in the world. What would others say? See what a good master they serve, and how they love him, that they will venture the loss of all in his service. The to God. Constantine did use to glory of Christ's kingdom doth not stand in worldly pomp and grandeur, as other kings'; but it is seen in the cheerful sufferings of his people. The saints of old "loved not their lives to the death," Rev. xii. 11. They snatched up torments as so many crowns. God grant we may thus glorify him, if he calls us to it. Many pray, "Let this cup pass away," but few, "thy will be done."

A. 16. We glorify God, when we give God the glory of all we do. Herod when he had made an oration, and the people gave a shout, saying, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man ;" he took this glory to himself, the text saith, "And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms, Acts xii. 23. Then we glorify God, when we sacrifice the praise and glory of all to God, 1 Cor. xv. 10., I laboured more abundantly than they all,"-a speech,

when she weaves her curious work, hides herself under the silk, and is not seen; so when we have done any thing praise-worthy, we must hide ourselves under the veil of humility, and transfer the glory of all we have done

write the name of Christ over his door, so should we write the name of Christ over our duties; let him wear the garland of praise.

A. 17. We glorify God by an holy life; as a bad life doth dishonour God: 1 Pet. ii. 9., "Ye are an holy nation, that ye should shew forth the praises of him that hath called you;" Rom ii. 24., “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you.' Epiphanius saith, that the looseness of some Christians, in his time, made many of the heathens shun the company of the Christians, and would not be drawn to hear their sermons." So, by our exact Bible-conversation we glorify God. Though the main work of religion lies in the heart, yet our light must so shine that others may behold it; the chief of a building is the foundation, yet the glory of it is in the frontispiece; so beauty in the conversation: when the saints, who are called jewels, cast a sparkling lustre of holiness in the eyes of the world,

then they "walk as Christ walk-There is none here present but ed," 1 John ii. 6. When they God hath put you in some capalive as if they had seen the Lord city of glorifying him; the health with bodily eyes, and been with he hath given you, the parts, him upon the mount, then they estate, seasons of grace,-these adorn religion, and bring revenues all are opportunities put into your of glory to the crown of heaven. hand to glorify him; and, be asUse 1. It shews us what should sured, God will call you to acnot be our chier end: not to get count, to know what you have great estates,-not to lay up trea- done with the mercies he hath sures upon earth, this is a de- intrusted you with, what glory generacy of mankind since the you have brought to him. The fall; their great design is to com- parable of the talents, Mat. xxv. pass the earth and grow rich, and 15., where the men with the five this they make their chief end; talents, and the two talents, are those never think of glorifying brought to a reckoning, doth eviGod, they trade for the world, dently shew that God will call but are not factors for heaven: you to a strict account, to know Eccles. ix. 3., "Madness is in you have traded with your talents, their heart while they live." and what glory you have brought Sometimes they never arrive at to him. Now, how sad will it be an estate, they do not get the with them who hide their talents venison they hunt for, or, in a napkin, that bring God no though they do, what have they? glory at all? V. 30., Cast ye that which will not fill the heart, the unprofitable servant into outer no more than the mariner's breath darkness." It is not enough for will fill the sails of a ship,-a you to say, that you have not dispicture drawn on the ice! So honoured God,-you have not they spend their time, as Israel, lived in gross sin; but what good in gathering straw, but remem- have you done? what glory have ber not the end of living to glo- you brought to God? It is not rify God: Eccles. v. 16., " What enough for the servant of the profit hath he that laboureth for vineyard, that he do no hurt in the wind?" And these things the vineyard,-that he do not are soon gone. break the trees or destroy the Use 2. It reproves such-1. As hedges, if he doth not do serbring no glory to God. They do vice in the vineyard, he loseth not answer the end of their crea- his pay; if you do not good in tion, their time is not time lived, your place, do not glorify God, but time lost; they are like the you will lose your pay, miss of wood of the vine, Ezek. xv. 2.; salvation. Oh think of this, all their lives are, as St. Bernard you that live unserviceably! speaks, "either sinfulness or bar-Christ cursed the barren fig-tree. renness. An useless burden on 2. It reproves such as are so far the earth." God will one day ask from bringing glory to God, that such a question as king Ahasuerus they rob God of his glory, Mal. did, Esth. vi. 3., " What honour iii. 8., “ Will a man rob God? yet and dignity hath been done to ye have robbed me.' They rob Mordecai ?" So will the Lord say, God, who take the glory due to "What honour hath been done to God to themselves: 1. If they me? What revenues of glory have have gotten an estate, they ascribe you brought into my exchequer ?" all to their own wit and industry,

they set the crown upon their | Luke xi. 52., "Ye have taken own head, not considering that, away the key of knowledge; ye Deut. viii. 18., “Thou shalt re-entered not in yourselves, and member the Lord thy God, for it them that were entering in ye is he that giveth thee power to hindered." If there be either get wealth." 2. If they do any justice in heaven, or fire in hell, duty of religion, they look squint they shall not go unpunished. to their own glory, Matth. vi. 5., Use 3. Exhortation. Let us "That they may be seen of men," every one, in our place, make this -that they may be set upon a our chief end and design, to glotheatre that others may admire rify God: 1. Let me speak to and canonize them. The oil of magistrates; God hath put much vain glory feeds their lamp. How many hath the wind of popular breath blown to hell! Whom the devil could not destroy by intemperance, he hath by vain glory. 3. It reproves them who fight against God's glory: Acts v. 39., "Lest ye be found to fight against God."

Q. But who do fight against God's glory?

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glory upon them, Ps. lxxxii. 6., "I have said ye are gods;" and will they not glorify him whom he hath put so much glory upon? Magistrates should be zealous for God's worship and day; they should not let the sword rust in the scabbard, but draw it out for the cutting down of sin. Ministers, how should they study to promote God's glory! God hath intrusted them with two of the most precious things, his truths, and the souls of his people. Ministers are, by virtue of their office, to glorify God: 1. They must glorify God by labour

4. Such as do oppose that, whereby God's glory is promoted. God's glory is much promoted in the preaching of the word, because it is his engine whereby he converts souls. Now, such as would hinder the preaching of ing in the word and doctrine: 2 the word, these fight against Tim. iv. 1., "I charge thee beGod's glory, 1 Thess. ii. 16., fore God and the Lord Jesus "Forbidding us to speak to the Christ, who shall judge the quick Gentiles, that they might be and the dead: preach the word, saved." Dioclesian, who raised be instant in season, out of seathe tenth persecution against the son," &c. It was Augustine's Christians, did prohibit church- wish, "that Christ, at his commeetings, and would have the ing, might find him either praytemples of the Christians to be ing or preaching." 2. Ministers razed down. Such as hinder must glorify God by their zeal preaching do as the Philistines and sanctity. The priests under that stopped the wells,-they stop the law, before they served at the well of the water of life, the altar, did wash in the laver ; they take away the physicians such as serve in the Lord's house, that should heal sin-sick souls. must first be washed from gross Ministers are lights, Matth. v. 14., sin in the laver of repentance. and who but thieves hate the It is matter of grief and shame, light? these persons do directly to think how many, who call strike at God's glory; and what themselves Ministers, do, instead an account will they have to give of apparently bringing glory to to God, when he shall charge the God, dishonour God, 2 Chron. blood of men's souls upon them? xi. 15. Their lives, as well as

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