2 Peter 3:18 (part 4 of 5)

3. Vnde, from whom must it come? This, though it be not expressed, is implyed: they that receive his grace, should returne him glory. Wee have the one, therfore must not deny the other.

4. Quomodo, how must we give it? First, by thankfulnesse in our hearts; there hee sees it: next by chanting it in our mouthes, that men may heare it: and lastly by expressing it in our lives, that all may behold it.

5. Quando, when must it be rendred to him? Now, instantly, upon every occasion offered. No action of his must passe us, without stirring up our hearts to give him the glory.

6. Quousque, how long must this endure? For ever: This Incense must alwaies burne; to the end of the world, and world without end. In diem aternitatis. For ever.

First, what is this glory? Some resolve it thus: Aug. de definit. Gloria est frequens de aliquo fama cum laude: Other say it is Claro cum laudae laetitia. It is due onely to vertue; and when it is cast away upon unworthynesse, it is but like sunne-shine upon a dunghill. It is another life to man: Secundam vitam dat gloria. The honour of good men overlives them, as bad men over live their honour. Eccle. 15.9. Praise is unseemely in the mouth of fooles; and as ill doth it become the backe of fooles. There be some that overvalve commendable acts; Qui de magnis majora loquuntur: a fault of excesse. Others under-rate them, and speake of mountaines as of hillockes: a fault of disparagement. It is a good rule, Parce laudare, vituperare parcius. There may be a commendation as much guilty of malice, as another is of flatterie. We say of the vulgar or popular mouth, that it is a doore without either locke or key: soone opened, but not so easily shut. Quicunque vult, intrat in stabulum, & solvit asinum. Their tongue is a continuall pumpe, to fetch up the depth of their heart. I deny not, but all vertue is to be praised, and yet it is dangerous for a man to over-heare his owne praise. He that could have bene well contented without it, may yet be transported with it. Aug. ad Dioscor. Facile est laude carere, dum negatur: difficile non delectari, cum offertur. If goodnes deserves praise wheresoever it is, in any creature; then much more in Christ, who had it above measure, who is goodnes it selfe. If we so honour a beame, how much more the Sunne? If we so esteeme of water in the cisterne, in what account doe we hold the fountaine? There may be error, or danger, in praising of men: there can be neither in giving glory to God.

1. A man may be proud of praises; like the sailes of a shippe, when they are puffed up with the winds. Many had bene better men, if they had never heard of their owne goodnes. Therfore the figtree would not be advanced above the trees, lest it should lose the sweetnes. But Christ can never be proud of his glory: all our praises come more short of his merites, than earth can be from heaven in distance. To give him due honour, quomodo sufficit loquens lingua, Greg. Mor. cum non sufficiat obstupescens conscientia?

2. Men may be praised without just cause: the report of worthy acts breeds an admiration in common brests, and admiration breakes foorth into praises. Many a gallant Commander hath bene famous for brave atchievements, by the report of his friends at home, that did service little enough abroad. We have knowen some reputed very rich, that (every creditor being payed) have not bene worth a groat. The pure hypocrite is praised for an honest man: but they that once throughly try him, will never againe trust him. But in Christ there is cause enough to be praised: He is fairer than all the sonnes of men, than all the sons of God. He is never the better for our honour; we are the better for his. Securitas laudis in laude Dei est: Vbi laudator securus est? Vbi non timet, August. ne de laudato crubescat. Our praises may shew bad men good, or make good men bad. They that are wicked sinners, may passe for honest Saints, through our commendation: And through our commendation, they that have good parts in them, may be puffed up with pride. We may magnifie men that are desertlesse; or extol others till they become desertlesse: And so by the one occasion their shame, and by the other our owne sinne. There is no feare of either, in giving glory to Christ.

3. We may praise men in flatterie: so the applauding of the hospitable housholder, is the parasites grace before dinner. Some have their common places of adulation; which they study over in stead of their prayers. Some observe the inclination and humour of their Patron, and flatter him in that most, wherein he thinkes himselfe best. The arch-flatterer of a man is his owne selfe: him they follow as close, as the shadow does the body. This is the way to catch rich fooles, not much unlike that odde devise of catching dotterells: Others will flatter a man in that, wherein he is most conscious of his owne defect: As to persuade a prodigall to the opinion of his thriftynesse: which is as if they should tell a creeple, that he goes very straite. They intitle him to that he knowes he hath not, spretâ conscientiâ. Yet there bee others that praise men to their ruine: so unseasonably doe they honour them, that they irritate contradiction, and procure scorne: for such is the nature of envie, to fret and storme at anothers glory. He that praiseth his friend aloud, it shall bee to him no beeter than a curse; saies the Proverbe. Thus you see, that in the praises of men there may be flatterie, or malice: which is laudanti peccatum, laudato praejudicium. None of these are incident to Christ: hee cannot bee flattered: No praises are hyperbole’s, where infinite goodnesse is the subject. For all the glorie wee give him, hee cannot thinke the better of himselfe, he may thinke the better of us. Nor can our praises doe him any prejudice, for he feares no rivalls. Aug. in quadam Epist. Alij laudant, & falsi sunt: alij laudantur, & ficti sunt: alij credant, & vani sunt. None of these weakenesses can occurre to God: therefore let us praise him, and spare not. Our mouth may run over with the praises of men, of Christs it can never be full enough.

4. Man may be praised for that which is not his: as if wee should honour the groome for a lord, because he rides upon his Lords horse. Nothing is commendable in any man, but that which is given him, and so given that it cannot be taken away. Our noble blood which we had from our progenitors, may bee attainted in our selves. Our riches are called the goods of Fortune; and it is a strange fortune, if they tarry with us. Beautie is a spoile for sicknesse, strength for old age, life it selfe for death. Thou hast faire lands; yet the earth thou treadest upon, shall tread upon thee. 1 King. 19 17. Him that escapeth the sword of Hazael, shall Iehu slay; and him that escapeth the sword of Iehu, shall Elisha slay: but him that escapeth them all, shall death slay. Quid stultius quàm in homine aliena laudare? wee have nothing which wee can call our owne, but our sinnes: and who will commend us for that, wherein we justly condemne our selves? But wee need not feare to praise Christ; for he hath nothing but that which is properly his owne. Rom. 11.36. Who hath given him ought? For of him, and through him, are all things: to him bee glory. That very glory we give him, was his owne before: he hath it, we doe but acknowledge it. The heart that wisheth it, is his: the lips that speake it, are his: the soule and body that expresse it, are his: 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. Ye are not your owne: but glorifie God in your body and spirit, for they are Gods. Wee doe but bring him Clusters of his owne Vine. Indeed, time was when hee received something from us, which never was his owne; but most certaine, hee was little beholden to us for it. Esai. 53.4. Hee tooke our griefes, and bore our sorrowes: Hee tooke them, but wee know they were not worth the taking. He accepted our burden, but the bearing of it cost him his life. Thus he did both take the sinnes, Ioh. 1.29. and take away the sinnes of the world. When we transferre them upon his Crosse, he ownes them still: and to acquit us, interposeth himselfe to that infinite Iustice: As if hee said unto his Father, These sinnes are not theirs now, but mine. Thus he hath something of ours, which was not his owne, for he had no sinne of his owne: if he had had, what should he have done with ours? But there is no good thing, which is not his owne: and wee give him but his owne, when we give him glory. Glory therefore bee to him: to Him, as our Lord, the Highest: to Him, as our Saviour, the sweetest. Glory is only fit for Him, and he onely is fit for glory. If wee place this Divine glory any where else, we place it amisse: in Peere or Prince, wee are wrong: in Saint or Angell, we are not right: It does not like the ubi, and will not tarry. Glory and honour know him for their owne Center; and will never bee quiet, till they come to the Throne of Christ.

This makes to their just condemnation, that despise Christ; that in stead of Glory, returne him contempt. 1 Sam. 2.30. Them that honour me, I will honour: and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. But be there any such despise-Christs? Too many; not onely the whole world of Pagans, but even some that beare the Name of Christians. Wherein stands this contempt, that we may avoid it?

1. In not regarding the knowledge of Christ, nor beleeving his Word. If I tell you, yet ye will not beleeve me. Is it not so still? Our hearers seeme attentive all the Sermon, till the Preacher lights on a point that trenches upon their commoditie: then I have observed them to hang downe their heads in discontent, to pull their hattes in their eyes, to turne over the leaves of their unminded Bibles, or to talke with their pew-fellowes: As if the Preachers tongue on a sudden was become a Medusa’s head, to turne them all into stones. Then they whisper, or perhaps, jeere: is not this to despise Christ? Luk. 10.16. Hee that despiseth you, despiseth mee: and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me. Is there any glory to him, without honour to his Word? Does any man amongst you, thinke the Company honours him, when they will not beleeve him? Out upon that same golden devill, that Diana of the Ephesians; for it destroies many soules! So we cannot preach against sacriledge, this Cities Copy-hold; but as if the Booke of God had no such Text in it, you scorne the Preacher. Mal. 3 8. You have robbed me in tithes and offerings, saith God by his Prophet Malachi. A Text then it hath in evidence, and guilty men are in their owne Conscience: but here is the resolution of it; Though Christ tell you so, yet you will not beleeve him. And there is a sly schismaticke, a corrupt collapsed lawyer, to counsell you, like that unjust steward to his lords debters; Luk. 16.6. for an hundred to write downe fifty. But you will finde in that dreadfull day, when you stand naked and trembling before the great Tribunall; that this was to coozen Christ of his proprietie, not to give him glory. This is one contempt.

2. Another is, to forget his benefits. The thought of his blessings is out of our minde, as soone as the taste is out of our mouth. The first thing that the devill stole from Eve was her memory. Gen. 2 16. Of every tree of the garden thou maiest freely eate: this freedome she forgat. But of the tree of Knowledge thou shalt not eate: this prohibition she would not remember. Psal. 103.2. Blesse the Lord, O my soule, and forget not all his benefits. Can wee move, and forget him in whom wee move? The lepers were no sooner clensed, but gone: onely Luk. 17.18. one of the ten returned with his mite of glory: the rest turned their backes, and away, without bidding Christ farewell. Such men, when they are hungry, may thinke themselves beholden to God for victuals: but once full, they forget to give him thankes. This is contempt, for glory.

3. In perceiving Christ dishonoured, without once being moved. As the chiefe Priests answered Iudas; Mat. 27.4. What is that to us? So wee heare Blasphemers teare Christ, and more than betray, even shed his innocent bloud, digging into his side with oathes; yet we say, What is that to us? We might as well say, what is Christ to us? What is heaven to us? Or what is salvation to us? Indeed, to us the one cannot bee, without the other. Wee shall never have part of his glory in heauen, if we doe not take his glories part upon earth. Iudg. 5.23. Curse yee Meroz, because they helped not the Lord in the day of battell. They did not maintaine his honour here below, they are cursed and excluded from his honour there above. Act. 18.15. So Gallio; If it be a question of words, and names, and of your law, looke yee to it: for I will be no Iudge of such matters. If the busines concerne words, that concernes Christ, what does it concerne us? Wee will not meddle with it. It is good sleeping in a whole skinne: yet hee that hath an ulcer, thinkes it better sleeping in a broken. Psa. 139.21. Doe not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Shall I heare my Saviour abused, and hold my peace? No Lord, if we doe not now stand for thee, we shall never be able at the last day to stand before thee. This is another contempt.

4. Not to be affected with the injuries of his Church. Psal. 68.1. O Lord, let them that hate thee, flee before thee: let thine enemies be scattered. Why, be there any profest enemies to God? Yes, Psal. 2.2. The kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord. If they bee enemies to his Church, they are so to him. Quod vobis mihi; holds with Christ, whether in good or evill done to his members. He that wilfully wounds my finger, is my foe. If the miseries of our brethren doe not move us, we have not all one Head, nor be members of the same Body. Iudg. 21.3. Why is this come to passe, that there should be to day one Tribe lacking in Israel? We have been cut off by whole Tribes, and the bloud of Christs members hath runne about the streets, and fallen like deaw upon the fields: if our hearts were not set a bleeding for it, Christ takes it as a contempt done to Himselfe.

5. In vilipending his servants. Is it not a contempt done to Princes, the misusing of their Ambassadors? Exod. 16.8. Who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. In which expostulation, Moses both condemnes them of injustice; for it was not he, but the Lord that afflicted them: and of presumption, in murmuring against Him that was able to confound them. In the one, he would have them see their wrong: in the other, their danger. As the act came not from Him, but from God: so he puts it off to God; from himselfe: Why murmur yee against the Lord? The opposition which is made to the Instruments of God, redounds ever to his Person. Hee holds Himselfe smitten through the sides of his Ministers. So hath God incorporated these respects, that our subtlety cannot divide them. O how hath this Nation lost her glory, in denying of honour to the Ministers of Christ? It stinkes even to them, that are the stench of the Christian world: of whom God might say with holy Iob, that Iob 30.1. He scorned to set them with the Dogges of his flocke. Downe goes the Gospell, that the Law may rise: the pride of that numerous generation is built upon the ruines of the Church. First, those sacrilegious sinners make us poore, and then wonder that we are not rich. I hope they have so much Latine, as to understand that Necessitas cogit ad turpia: Learning would have maintenance, or else it is in danger to be mischievous. Where witte and poverty meet, they seldome make up an honest man. This was the ground of that scandalous Bill, put up against Ministers: by consequence they force us to a scandalous life, and then for a scandalous life they censure us. They throw us into the Lions denne, and have not so much mercy, like Darius to Daniel, as to say, Dan. 6.16. God helpe us. This is to turne Christs Glory into contempt. There is no Citie that more prides it selfe in bounty to Ministers, than this: you hold your selves the best Benefactors: but no man of understanding will beleeve you: especially that observes how you have robbed the Churches nest, and stollen away her birds by sacriledge, and then stucke downe a feather of your Benevolence.

6. Not to flie unto God in our distresse: this Hee takes for a great indignity. Indeed, what can bee worse, than to forsake God for Baal, God for Belial, Christ for the world? Ier. 2.13. They forsake the living Fountaine, for broken cisternes. Carnall men will make any shift, rather than trouble God: in their sorrowes they never looke so high as Christ: some lower respects take up their thoughts. They complaine that the wind hath spoiled their fruits, the raine hath drowned their fields, a Surfet hath made them sicke, the Oppressor hath undone them. This is all they regard; to blame fortune, or curse their enemies, or perhaps to taxe themselves of oversight: as if there could be any evill in the city, and God had not done it. Exod. 16 3. The Israelites want breadin the wildernesse, and repine, Would to God we had dyed by the hand of the Lord in Egypt. And if they must die by famine, whose hand was this? Was it not God, that restrained his Creatures from them? We can see God in his immediate Iudgements, but not in those whose second causes are sensible: yet he holds himselfe equally interessed in all. It is but one hand, though divers instruments, wherewith wee are smitten. The water may not lose the name, though it come by chanels and pipes from the spring. It is the want of Faith, that invisible meanes, keepes us from seeing Him that is invisible. Iob does not cry out on the Sabeans, Chaldeans, on the winde or fire, that they had undone him: he lookes higher, and sees another hand above theirs: Iob 1.21. The Lord hath taken away: blessed be the Name of the Lord. Affliction is a Messenger sent on purpose, to remember us of our Maker: then to forget Him, is a manifest contempt. Now every contempt in examined according to the degree of the Person against whom it is done. To Parents, unnaturall: to Princes, rebellious: to God, most hainous: this is the highest degree of contempt that can bee. In all these respects wee sinne: the world is full of the contempt of God and his Christ: where then is his Glory? If wee will not be so kinde to Him; as to honour his Name with Glory: yet let us not bee so unkinde to Him, as to soile it with ignominy. The Lord hath contempt too, in store for such: Psal. 2.4. He that sits in heaven, will laugh them to scorne; Prov. 1.26. and mocke at their calamity. Were they no lesse than Princes, that despise Him; Hee will powre contempt upon Princes, 1 Sam. 2.30. Hee first offers honour: to inflict shame, He is driven to it. It is, Mat. 25.34.41. Come yee Blessed of my Father: but Goe yee Cursed, not by my Father, but by your owne sinnes. O, let us give Him all Glory upon earth, that He may give us his Glory in Heaven.

Next, Cui, to Him. Christ is the best good to us, therefore Hee requires the best good from us. God could give no better thing to us than Christ, nor can we returne a better gift to Christ than Glory. It is the reflection of his owne beauty; the glasse wherein He sees his owne face. Though from us it be dimme, dull, and imperfect, like the small pieces of a broken looking-glasse: yet it is all the representation of his divine Excellencie, which our love and thankefulnesse can finde out: the highest honour, that either Christ can receive, or man can give, is Glory. This is no slight or common acknowledgement: not a Glory Inter, among the sonnes of men; but Super, above all, men and Angels. Phil. 2.9. God hath given him a Name above all names: so Hee exalted him; good reason, so should we. He expects it; let not us frustrate his expectation. Not that he hungers for it: his beames are not the lesse bright, because we doe not commend their shining. No interposition of our neglect, can put that glorious Sunne into an ecclypse. Our praising of him is but holding of a candle to the Sunne, in respect of any addition of light. August. in Ioh. Bonum laudare, non laudato, sed laudantibus prodest. Not Hee, but we are the better by it. It were a silly Conceit to imagine of God, that he is Auidior gloriae: for what good can it doe him? But this is all we have to give him, and we must give him this or nothing. Psal. 116.13. What can we render him for all his benefites, but praises to his Name? David could find nothing els: if he could, he would not have grudged it. Christ hath deserved this glory at our hands in many deare respects.

1. He gives us all our temporall blessings: what good thing have we, which came not from him? Children, those deare pieces of ourselves, those living and surviving relicts of our bodies and names when we are dead: Psal. 127.3. they are the heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the wombe is his reward. Honour: that advancing of our heads above the vulgar, is his gift: 2. Sam. 12.8. I gave thee thy Masters house and crowne. Thou sittest in a high place; who lifted thee up thither? Who promoted thee to this honour? Promotion comes not from the east, nor from the west, but from the Lord. Riches are also his gift: Nature reaches out her hand, and gives us corne, and wine, and oile, and milke; but Christ doth fill the hand of nature, and then doth open the hand of nature, that she may raine downe her showers upon us. Industrie reaches out her hand to us, and gives us the fruite of our labours; an estate raised by our endevours, to our selves and our posteritie after us: but Christs hand doth guide the hand of industrie, as a master directs a child to write. Hee governes our hand when it sowes, and when it waters, and still all the encrease is from him. Friends reach out their hands to preferre us; but the hand of Christ supports their hands, that support us. Gen. 39.11. God gave Ioseph favour in the eyes of his keeper: and Gen. 43.14. Iacob prayed for his sonnes, that they might find favour in the eyes of Ioseph. As we cannot see God heere, but in a glasse: so we cannot receive from him but by reflection, and by instruments. Even casuall things come from him: and that which we call Fortune here, hath another name above. Friends use to give one another tokens of love, for the renewing of their memories in absence; as a ring with a poesy in it; When this you see, remember mee: All the blessings of Christ are so many tokens of his love to us: we cannot open our eyes, but we must see those tokens: nay we cannot shut our eyes, but even the sleepe and rest that followes, is a token of his favour: Psal. 127.1. So he giveth his beloved sleepe. Have we so many tokens, that we forget them all? Or rather, Christ in them all? When the charitable man gave his poore God-son a Lambe for a Cade, he was thankfull to him, and would duely aske him blessing: but when his stocke began to encrease, and he had gotten a numerous flocke of sheepe, hee grew so rich and proud, that hee scorned to aske his God-father blessing any more. He that could remember his Benefactor in one favour, in many slighted him. As wee wish there was one Statute more, to enforce the keeping of all the rest: so would to God, Christ would conferre upon us one grace more, which might move us to give him glory for all the other. If we can so passe over these common tokens of his favour, yet there is a Ring by which we must needs remember him; a wedding ring, and that with a poesie in it; 1. Cor. 11.25. Doe this in remembrance of me. Let us never see this ring, without remembring the charge that goes with it: It is the seale-ring of our marriage: for shame let us not forget our husband.

2. He gives us all grace, therefore he merites all glory. Grace in the former part of the verse, that is his donation? Glory in the latter part, that is our retribution. What can Christ give us here better than grace? And what can we render him better than glory? The former doth require the latter, but the latter cannot requite the former. All our praises, could we sing them in the voice of Angels, could not make amends for his least bountie to us. Yea this very ascription of glory, is but the effect of grace: we could not so much as praise him for our blessings unles he did blesse us with thankfull hearts. Mat. 5.16. Let your light shine: yet the candle cannot shine, except it be lighted. Our hearts must first take fire at his grace, before our workes can shine to his glory. The one is inseparable from the other: if Christ have not glory by us, the grace of Christ is not in us. In the same measure are we gracious, that wee desire to make him glorious. If wee doe but honour him as the world doth we have no more grace than the world hath. But then have we the grace of Saints, when wee desire and endevour to magnifie him as doe the Saints. It is his goodnesse to sanctifie us, and it is our office to glorifie him. As the sappe in the roote maintaines the tree, and the tree brings forth and sustaines the fruite, and the fruite acknowledges the sappe in the roote. It is the honour of his grace to us, that gives us the grace to honour him.

3. He gives us glory, therefore it is fitte that wee should give glory to him. I doe not meane onely the honour of this world, which is also his gift. Act. 12.21. As Herod had not onely the glory of a kingdome, but also of great wisedome. A king they knew him before, now they take him for a Philosopher, or some excellent Orator. Sitting on his Throne, they onely saw vultum regis: but when he had ended his speech, they thought they heard vocem Dei. Neither had Pharaoh so advanced Ioseph, nor Ahasuerus so honoured Mordecai, if they had not bene destined to this by the purpose of God. Whosoever be the instrument, it is Christ that giveth the advancement. But this is a glory which he communicates even to reprobates: there is a higher glory reserved for the Saints. It is some glory to be a man: his very dominion over the creatures is called an Psal. 8.6. honour, More glory to be a king: and yet more still, to be a Christian, and such a Christian as is a Saint. A man hath command over the irrationall creatures: Iam. 3.7. the whole nature of them is tamed by him. Rom. 13.1. A king hath command over men, all those rationall creatures that be his subjects. A Saint hath command over his owne lusts and passions; a higher soveraignetie than all the rest. Men may have the service of the creatures, kings the service of men, Saints have the attendance of Angels. Psal 91.11. Angelis mandavit; Psal. 149.9. Such honour have all his Saints. All this glorie doth Christ give us in this world: good reason therefore that wee should returne glory to him. One good turne askes another: glory requires glory: wee cannot in equitie doe lesse.

But Christ hath another manner of glory in store for us: Luk. 12.32. It is his pleasure to give us a Kingdome. Ioh. 17.22. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them. Wee have a great glory here, but it is ab intus: Psa. 43.13. The kings daughter is all glorious within. There above, it shall be also externall and visible: for they Dan. 12.3. shall shine as the starres. Our very bodies shall be made glorious: they are 1 Cor. 15.43. sowne in corruption, but raised in glory: Phil. 3.21. fashioned like Christs owne glorious body. Hee that will give all this glory to us, may well looke for glory from us. Alas, what is the glory we give him, in comparison of that he gives us? The glory hee gives us is reall: that we give him, is but votall: He gives us as great glory as we can wish: wee can but wish him the glory which hee hath. Hee gives us as much glory as wee are capable of: wee cannot bee so bountifull to him, for hee is infinite. Our wish cannot make him glorious, his will makes us so. His is operative, ours but optative. Ours is Cum affectu, in desire: his cum effectu, in performance. The glory wee give him, is ex merito; he hath deserved it: wee cannot deserve the glory he gives us, but it is onely ex beneplacito, of his owne free favour. He needs not give it unto us, we are bound to returne it unto him. His is voluntary, ours necessary: wee can challenge no glorie from him, hee may challenge all glory from us. If he gives us none, we cannot blame him of unkindnesse: if we give him not all, we are guilty of unthankfulnesse. There is obligation enough in his bountie to us, to binde us to give all glorie to him. Psal. 33.1. It becommeth well the just to be thankfull: it becomes receivers to praise their benefactors. Our humilitie and dependance upon God shewes it selfe in this gratefull acknowledgement, that to Christ we are beholden for all things. Psal. 147.1. It is good to sing praises unto the Lord: it is pleasant, and praise is comely. It is pleasant to God, and it is good to us: both for procurement of the good we want, and for the continuance of the good we have.

Wee almost deifie the Artist, that hath made some curious and admirable piece: and if any man hath delivered his countrey from great dangers, his name is honoured in our Chronicles. Christ hath made the world, that magnificent structure: and made man (as it were) the Worlds lord and master; and does he not deserve glorie? Can wee consider the heavens, and not say, Psal. 8.9. O Lord, how excellent is thy Name in all the earth? Christ hath delivered us from all our enemies, sinne, death, hell, the devill; and made us Rom. 8.37. more than Conquerours over them, that were no lesse than tyrants over us; and does hee not deserve glorie? Paul could not speake of this mercie without the Gal 1.5. Eph. 3.21. subjunction of glorie. When wee consider how little good, and how much evill wee deserve at his hands: When wee consider how little evill, and how much good wee receive at his hands; can wee doe lesse than give him glorie? Christs benefits are good seed, but they fall upon barren ground, if they doe not prosper to his glory. Hos. 2.9. I gave them corne, wine, and oile, multiplied their silver and gold: but they prepared it for Baal: There was God and Israel; God the Founder, and Israel the confounder: as she gives his glory to Baal, so will he give away her plentie to famine. Such is our case: Christ raines downe Manna; wee gather it, and eate it, and scarce ever thinke from whence we had it. We can easily remember to wish for what we want, but we forget to give thankes for what we have. But one of those ten lepers clensed, Luk. 17.17. returned with thankes: it is ten to one, if any give glory to God. Lucke, or wit, or friend; one thing or other still lies in our way, and takes up Christs glorie ere it can come at him. Iob was so poore, that he had not a Lambe left to offer in sacrifice: yet even then was he rich, because God had taken them all away in one entire oblation, one holocaust or burnt sacrifice: For the fire that burnt up his sheepe, is said to come from Heaven, and it is called the Iob 1.16. fire of God. Yet after all was gone, and Iob had nothing left to offer him, hee offered up himselfe, he did glorifie God; Blessed be his Name. It is not so with us; we are not so poore: Nondum ad sterquilinium redacti sumus, we are not brought to the dunghill: Nondum versa est in cineres Troia, our state does not lie in dust and ashes: we have wherewithall to glorifie Christ. Onely there bee three letters wanting in our Alphabet, which spell the best part of us, COR: these hath the world torne out, or obliterated: If we could put them into their place againe, all would be right: the glorie of Christ should shine forth most brightly, and in all things should he be honoured. Rom. 11.36. For of him are all things, and for all things to him be glorie.

4. Christ is most lovely, and therefore deserves glory. Omne pulchrum gloriosum. He is Psal. 45.2. fairer than the sonnes of men: Not as carnall hearts esteeme of beautie, by their sense and fancie: So the covetous may thinke him lovely, because he is rich and bountifull: they wish not the riches of his grace, but to be graced with his riches; as if he were Mammon, the god of gold. Mat. 5.6. If hee did proffer riches, when he proffers righteousnesse, they would bring good stomackes, hunger and thirst enough. So the Epicure may thinke him lovely, because he alwaies keepes pleasant cheare in his house: Sen. Sectator Epularum, non de bene vivente, sed de bene pascente, laudabilem profert sententiam. If the wine he speaks of were the juyce of the grape, he could not want customers. It is the brutish errour of men, to thinke the incomprehensible God like that thing, which best pleaseth their sensuall appetite. So it is thought, that if the irrationall creatures could draw a picture of the Divine Nature, they would make their owne shape the copy. The Lacedemonians, because they were of a warlike disposition, and given to martiall affaires, presented all the statues of their gods armed, like Commanders and Souldiers. The Egyptians did worse; for they painted the Angels blacke, and the devils white: but it was in favour of their owne complexion, because themselves were blacke. So wealthy worldlings may praise Christ for his riches, and secular kings admire him for his Soveraigntie, and voluptuous men magnifie him for his pleasures. Sen. But those be grosse and muddy conceptions: a good man would not be so commended. Sit tibi tam triste, laudari a turpibus, quàm si lauderis ob turpia. I dare not altogether consent with the Philosopher in that: for men may be good, and yet praised of the evill. Bonum est laudari, sed praestantius esse laudabilem. But the children of faith see Christs beautie with other eies: they behold him as the Lord and Giver of life, as the Fountaine of all Grace, as the Perfection of all Happinesse, as a mercifull King that smiles upon humble suters, as a Lambe that shed his owne bloud to redeeme us, as a glorious Sunne of favour and pitie, that dries up all the teares of Repentance, as the God of Peace and Comfort, that protects us on earth, and will for ever crowne us in heaven. This is another motive to inflame our hearts, with a desire to exalt his glory, and to praise his Name, because he is lovely.

5. Lastly, his low humiliation deserves glory. It is the Promise of Christ; Every one that humbleth himselfe, shall bee exalted: and shall not He himselfe speed so? Phil. 2.9. This was a sufficient cause of his exaltation: Humilitas gloriae meritum, gloria humilitatis praemium. 2 Cor. 4.6. As, by CHRIST, GOD brought light out of darkenesse at the first: so hee will bring glory out of humilitie at the last. Let us looke downe a little to his descent, that his rise may appeare the more glorious. First, Phil. 2.6. The Person was God; and there is first mention of that high Majestie, to give the more lustre to this low humilitie. For a man of meane condition to be humble, is no such hard matter, no great praise, if he be: a great fault, if he bee not. 2 Sam. 6.22. But for a king thus to stoope, to rise from the royall Throne, and fall upon his knees; this was great humilitie. Secondly, the freedome of the action; he was not forced to it, but humiliavit se. Mat. 27.32. Simon of Cyrene was compelled to beare his crosse, his necke was humbled under it by constraint: Christ willingly submitted himselfe to it. The willingnesse makes it acceptable, to have done it by compulsion, had beene miserable. Thirdly, the depth of his humiliation, usque ad naturam hominis: in his very assuming of humanitie, there was great humilitie. But more, Phil. 2.7. usque ad formam servi: as 1 Sam. 25.41. Abigail to David, so Christ to his Apostles, even to the washing of the feet of his servants. Yea, Iohn 13.5. usque ad mortem, which is more. This would stagger the best of us: wee love humilitie in a whole skinne. Indeed there was no reason in the world, Phil. 2.8. that obedience should bee put to death; for death is the wages of disobedience: obedience, in justice, is rewarded with life. Adde to all this, that it was mors crucis, to which hee humbled himselfe. It was the fowlest death of all other; the death of Malefactors, and of the worst sort of Malefactors. So it was not onely usque formam servi, but usque mortem malefici. Nor did hee onely suffer without pitie, but not without scorne: his paine was their sport. This were worse than death to a generous and noble spirit: for if it be so miserable to live with infamie, what is it with infamie to die? This was low enough; yet his body must bee laied in the grave; one story lower. Yea, he descended into hell, and lower he could not goe. All this for us; Descendit ad inferos, quò nos oportuit, ne nos descendamus unquam. Wee have him now at the lowest; and have kept him all this while in the Presse; it is now high time that he should come forth in Print.

For his Humiliavit, let him have his Exaltavit: for mortem crucis, gloriam Patris. Phil. 2.9. See how God doth advance him, from death to life, from shame to glorie, from a death of shame to a life of glorie. He was not raised up like Lazarus, to die againe: but being raised up, Rom. 6.9. Hee dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him; nay, he hath full dominion over death: Neither did hee rise onely to the upper face of the earth, but from the earth: from De profundis, to in excelsis: above the clouds, above the starres, above the heavens, and the heavens of heavens. As he descended into hell, that we might never come thither: so ascendit in coelum, ut praeparet locum nobis, ubi nos nihil juris.

This glorie hath God given him, but have we no glorie to give him for all this? We, for whom he suffered all those torments, can we bee emptie of his praises? The Angels sang, Glorie to God on high; when the God of all glory lay low enough. He was then in the Cratch; afterwards on the Crosse, but now is advanced to the Crowne. Shall they more honour him in his Humility, than we doe now in his Majestie? They in infimis, than we in altissimis? Psal. 136.23. He remembred us in our low estate: and shall not wee remember him in his glory? Hee hath it there, though wee should never give it him heere. Yet this most royall Prince lookes downe from his Throne to his footstoole; to see which of his Servants give him most honour, and what requitall they make of his favour. Christ seemed to lose his glory, by hanging on the Crosse; therefore let us make him a Coronet of our praises. Wee tooke some from him, shall wee not wish some to him againe for it? That was his Ignominia in infimis, and shall wee not give him gloria in altissimis in lieu of it? Yes, as it was said of Babylon, Rev. 18.7. How much shee hath glorified her selfe, give her so much torment and sorrow: so looke how much torment Christ felt, if it were possible, let us give him so much glorie. As there was no sorrow like to his sorrow, so let there be no glorie like to his glorie. It is hee which gives us beautie for ashes, and joy for heavinesse; that lifts us up from the dunghill, and sets us among Princes; that changeth all our teares into comforts; and at last advanceth us from a vale of miseries, to the Mount Royall of eternall Blessednesse: Thus hee exalts us, and shall not wee exalt him? As hee was humbled to the lowest, so let our praises lift him up to the highest. Psal. 128.1. Let us sing his praise on earth, so as our songs may pierce the clouds, and enter into the heavens, and become a pleasant incense to the Lord of hosts. That so the glory which we give him below, may make for our soules to his glory above.

Aquibus, from whom must this Glory come? But here ariseth a doubt, what Verbe is to be put here; for there is never a Verbe in the originall: whether Est, or Esto: whether an Indicative, that so it is: or an Optative, that so it may be. The former is by way of gratulation, the other by way of exoptation. Christ now hath Glory, saith the one: let Christ have Glory, saith the other. That is Vox confitentium; they acknowledge that all Glory is his: this Vox petentium; they desire that it may still be given unto Him: either is Vox laudantium; they praise Christ, and shew that Hee is most worthy to bee praised. Ipsi sit Gloria, which is per modum voti, doth well befitte the Church militant: Rev. 5.12. Est Gloria, which is per concessum facti, is more fit for the Church triumphant. It is either a praise, or a wish; Gratulatory, or Apprecatory: and consists in demonstranda, that this Glory is his; or in exoptando, that it may be, and daily more and more be given Him. Either is well; but both are best, for both are most true.

1. This Glory then must have an Vndè; As there is Terminus in quo, on whom this Glory reflects, and in whom it resides: so there must be Terminus à quo, from whence it comes: without an emissive terme, there can bee no receptive terme. Who then should give this Glory to Christ? For the Angels to doe it, is no new thing. From the beginning, it was their occupation so to doe. Iob 38.7. The morning stars sang together: and what is their song, but Esay 6.3. Holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of his Glory? Nor doe they sing this onely to God in his his owne Nature, but even to GOD incarnate. So when the Angell had done his Sermon, Luke 2.13. the whole Queere begunne their Antheme. They gave Him Glory, when Hee was in great humility: the Cratch was the last word of the Sermon, and yet Glory the first word of the Song. To shew that all that externall basenesse, which seemed to tend to his disgrace, was but the Auspicium of his Glory. All that appeared beneath, Ignominia in imis, is pronounced Gloria in excelsis, and so celebrated by the holy Angels. No sooner was the Speech ended, but as if the word Cratch had been their rest, immediately the Hymne beganne. It was an Antheme that did properly belong to the Sermon, and it was a Sermon that did properly require such an Antheme. And all this to a Babe in the manger; In infimis puero, in altissimis Deo: for He was both. Such Hymnes and Anthemes they still continue in heaven: good cause have they to praise the Lord; but why this honour to Christ? Why doe they so rejoyce at his Birth? Quid illis concio, vel cantio? Heb. 2.16. He tooke not on Him the nature of Angels: Why doe they make such a doe about it, when it concernes them not at all? Luke 2.10. I bring you tydings of joy; To you is borne a Saviour: he does not say, To us. Yet they doe it; not only upon command; Heb. 1.6. Let all the Angels of God worship Him; let the whole Hoast of heaven doe Him honour: but chearefully and willingly, in relation to us. Luke 15.7. They rejoyce at our conversion; hoc angelicum est. The Divels maner is to grieve at the good of others. If Christ come to save us, they cry out that Marke 1.24. He torments them: hoc est Diabolicum. They, in whose owne particular this concernes not, rejoyce: they for us, and not we (by good inference) for our selves? The Queere of heaven begane the song, but to set us in: we are to beare a part, and the chiefe part, because the best part of it is ours. They tooke it up, we are to keepe it up, and never to let it goe downe, or die on our hands: but to sing it after the Angels below, that wee may sing it with the Angels above.

2. Thus wee have found out the Parties, to whom this duety belongs: wee are they that must give Glory to Christ. As for us men and for our salvation, Hee exposed Himselfe to ignominy: so from us men, for our salvation, Hee expects Glory. The Vndè is from the earth, and men the Aquibus from whom this Glory is looked for. I deny but Prov. 16.4. that God made all things for his Glory: and Glory He will have in all things that He hath made. Psal. 19.1. The Heavens declare the Glory of God: and Psal. 148.7. Praise the Lord, O ye Heavens, &c. How should these praise Him? The Heavens and Starres, the Earth and Seas, Fire and Vapours, Trees and Mountaines, have no tongues. Dragons and Lions, Whales and Fishes, Ravens and Fowles, are called upon to praise God: yet they cannot speake. The former cannot speake, because they have no tongues: the latter have tongues, but they cannot speake. Why are all these Creatures said to praise God, and bidden to praise Him? They cannot doe it but by the apprehension and expression of man: it is he that carries the tongue for them all. Therefore after the catalogue and list of the Creatures, mustered up to Gods praises, man is instantly mentioned; and that in all the kindes and conditions of men; Kings, Iudges, old, young. So in the Song of those three holy servants of God, after that copious enumeration of the Creatures, summoned to this retribution of Glory, Man is plentifully brought in: O yee children of men, O yee Priests, &c. As if all the rest could doe nothing without man: and he were not onely their Interpreter and vocall Orator, to tell their meaning; but (as it were) their Priest, to offer up their sacrifice of thankefulnesse to God: and their Lord and Master, to whom they owe and doe service: by which service of theirs to him, they put him in minde of the service hee owes to his Maker. If the Heavens declare the Glory of God, how doe they it, but to the eyes of man, and by the tongue of man, for whom they were made? For what end hath man those two priviledges above his fellow-Creatures; Reason and Speech, but that as by the one he may conceive of the great workes of God, which the rest cannot: so by the other hee may expresse what hee conceives, to the honour of his Creator, which the other doe not? He that hath eares, let him heare: and so hee that hath a tongue, let him speake. With his owne precious bloud He hath redeemed us, wee have cause to doe it: He hath furnished us with Reason and Language, we have meanes to doe it: and if wee doe it not, the worst will bee our owne. For Christ will have it done: if wee will not, others shall: yea, wee our selves shall, whether we will or no: If not with Iacob, under a showre of blessings; yet with Achan, under a showre of stones. If not with Mary, in a floud of penitent teares; yet with Iulian, in a desperate streame of bloud. It is wofull, when Balaams beast must come to speake to her master: when the very Sunne that shines upon us, and the earth that beares us, shall condemne our silence: and all the Creatures shall be called to give in their testimony, that we have not given Christ the Glorie.

This is no new exprobration of our unthankefulnesse, Deut. 32.1, 3. Esay 1.2. by summoning heaven and earth, rockes and mountaines. When the Trumpet sounds for the publication of Gods Glory, even they are called in for Auditors. They would expresse, if they could; what we can expresse, if we would; even the Glory we owe to our Maker. Mic. 6.2. They shall all bee Witnesses of Gods just quarrell against us, for our prodigious ingratitude. The senslesse Creatures shall have a voice to cry out against sinne; whether it be the Hab. 2.11. oppression of man, or suppression of the Glory of God. Luke 19.39. The Pharisees murmure; what was the cause of their quarrell? The people would give Glory to Christ: this they grudge at; this they could not endure. But Christ chokes their clamorous cavils; that if the people should hold their peace, The very stones would speake. And indeed at his delivery into the hand of his enemyes; when all his Disciples fled away for feare, and his dearest friends durst not acknowledge Him; the very stones did then confesse Him: and that in a language not onely Matth. 27.51. extraordinary, but contrary to their solid constitutions. His Glory then shall not be hid: for if men hold their peace, the very stones shall speake it. Ex ore Infantum He will have it: yea, Ex ore Lapidum: As God is able to raise Testes veritatis, ex lapidibus fluminis, Matth. 3.9. children to Abraham, of the stones of Iordan. In the body there bee severall members, and they have all their offices: the eye sees for all, the eare heares for all, the hand workes for all, the foot walkes for all: So man is the Tongue of the the world, whose office is to speake for all. The Sunne doth his office in giving light, the Starres doe theirs in giving influence, the sea his in sending abroad springs, the earth hers in yielding fruits: if man doe not discharge his office, in glorifying God for all these benefits; all shall speake against him, because he did not speake for all.

3. The Saints have ever been most carefull of this dutie. Elisha to heale the waters of Iericho, calls for a new cruse, and falt in it, and sayes, 2 King. 2.20. Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters. The cruse shall be theirs, the act his, the power the Lords. Farre was it from the Prophet, to challenge ought to himselfe. In dividing the waters of Iordan, he does not say, where is the power of Elisha? but, where is the Lord God of Elijah? In curing the waters of Iericho, he sayes not, Thus saith Elisha, but thus saith the Lord. He professes that he can doe no more of himselfe, than that salt, than that cruse: onely God workes by him. Iericho shall know to whom they owe the blessing, that to him they may returne the thankes. Act. 3.12. Thus carefull was St. Peter, when he had cured the creeple, that none of Christs glory might cleave to his fingers. There be those that would still be filching Gods honour: Act. 2.23. like Herod, that was smitten with wormes for his labour. He had a worme of pride within him, which engendred the wormes that devoured him. There is nothing that the devill can worse abide, than that Glory should be given to Christ: he would faine have it himselfe. Mat. 4.9. How large a proffer does hee make for a little worship. The Angels sing, Glory to God on high: but it is the devills studie, to marre the Angels melodie, and to bring in his blacke Sanctus; to pull downe Glory from on high, quite out of heaven; and to confine it to himselfe in his owne hell. But if he cannot have it himselfe, yet let man take it: Any where he is content to see it bestowed, rather than upon Christ. Gen. 3.5. His first incantation was the false promise of a higher glory: that same Eritis sicut Dii, is not yet gotten out of the ambitious hearts of men. The Popish glosse is not reformed yet: that Dominus Deus noster Papa will not be left out. It is a common Text in Kings Courts, Psal. 82.6. I have said ye are gods: but if the next verse be read by the Preacher, ye shall die like men; yet the glasse must first be out, and the Sermon done before he comes at it. There will be havocke made of peace, religion, and pietie, and all to atchive glory. Act. 14.14. That which the Apostles rent their clothes to put from them, we would rend our very skinnes to plucke to us. Let Gods glory shift for it selfe, our honour must be preserved. Nay we are not content with our owne allowance, but wee must invade Gods proprietie: Out of our owne commons, we breake into his Severall: no glory must serve our turnes, but His: As if no honour could satisfie the ambitious subject, but the kingdome: It is nothing to be great at Court, hee must have the Crowne. But of all breaches of the eight Commandement, there is none like theft: all of thefts, none like Sacriledge: of all sacriledges none like robbing God of his glory. As his glory is a treasure, which hee will not give to another: so the very attempt to robbe him of that, is a sinne to which he hath seldome granted a pardon.

4. Men are commanded to give this glory: but how can they give it? Giving presupposeth having: we have no glory, how then should we give it? We may as well find fire in the bottome of the sea, or a well of water in the body of the Sunne, as glory in man. Besides, if honour be in honorante; than as the lesse is blessed of the greater, so here the giver of glory should be more excellent than the receiver. But properly, neither can we give it, nor can God receive it: For both he is so infinitely full of glory, that no more can be added unto him: and we are quite empty, and have not one droppe to give him. Yet both wee are said to give, and he to receive: We to give what hee hath first given us: and hee to receive, what before he had in himselfe. It is his grace planted in our hearts, that brings forth the fruit of glory to his Name: and if we have the former, we cannot but give the latter. Suum Simile; it is naturall to grace, to beget the like: for beneplacitum Dei, to beget beneplacitum Deo. If we thinke to spinne this glory out of our owne bowells; and thereof to make a garment of honour for Christ, wee are grossely deceived: for he will not accept it, he scornes to weare it. So heretickes will undertake to blason Christs armes; but the Device must be their owne. These are false Heralds; let them keeper their honour to themselves. But if out of those innumerable graces, which his holy Spirit hath set in our hearts, we shall ransacke our garden for flowers, and thereof make a garland of thankfulnesse; this he will accept, and account it a honour to weare. Those coronation flowers of humble gratitude, and hearty love, he will sticke in his owne Crowne. If we could make a happy marriage betweene a perfect Red (suppose the Prince of the land of Roses) and a perfect white, (suppose the Lady of the nation of Lillies) betweene the zeale of a religious profession, and the innocencie of a spotlesse life; they would beget the best colour: the Lord would be well pleased with us, if we could present him such a glory. But to talke of any glory of our owne, or to offer that; were as if the darknesse should proffer light to the day, or the dry pitte to lend water to the spring. The Lord found us Ezek. 16.6. polluted in our bloud; there was all our beautie. Iob. 14.1. We come up, and are cut downe like a flower; there was all our glory: And were not this rich stuffe, to offer unto Christ? Once we did so, and he was contented with it: Our sinne was all the favour, and our death all the honour, and our condemnation all the glory we gave him. We lodged him in a stable at his birth, and housed him with contempt all his life, and for a farewell nailed him to the crosse at his death: and there we left him. From under all these clouds of abuse, our Sunne rose glorious, to his owne orbe in heaven: Have wee no better thing to present him with now? Will no glory yet come from us?

From some, too many, it will not. We have our irreligious Polititians, that thinke on their owne glory, not his. All happy successes they ascribe to their owne heads, not to the Head of the Church. Perhaps if any thing fall out crosse, Christ may be blamed for it. These men doe that in earnest, which we have seene boyes doe in sport; stand on their heads, and shake their heeles against heaven. We have our impious blasphemers, that pierce his side with oathes, and sweare all his wounds open againe. The Iewes did but crucifie him below, on the earth; when hee came to suffer: these crucifie him above, in heaven, where hee sittes on his throne. From such men Christ hath injurie and infamie enough, but not one sparke of glory. From us yet let him speed better: some glory, yea all glory we must give him on earth, or he will give us none in heaven. If we locke up his glory, he will locke us out of his glory. He askes for our glory, and we beg his; Petimúsque damúsque vicissim: Let us give, and we shall receive: as below, Grace for grace: so above Glory for glory. You have glorified me by your good workes, in the day of thraldome: Mat. 35.34. Come now ye blessed, and I will glorifie you by my mercies in may eternall kingdome.

But wherein can we glorifie him? Not in giving him what he hath not, but in making knowne what he hath. Eph. 3.10. To publish his glory, is all that wee can doe for him: or Iob. 36.24. to magnifie his workes. To magnifie him, is not Magnum facere, sed Magnum dicere. His glory by our praises, is not made Major, but Notior. Nothing is added to the latitude or extent of it; but to the appearance and manifestation of it. We magnifie him, not by encreasing the lustre of his glory, but by plucking off the vaile of darknes from the faces of sinners. As it is a kind of honour to the Sunne, when by opening the eyes of the blind, or bringing prisoners out of an obscure dungeon, we enable them to take knowledge of his light. Nor hath the Sunne so much cause to thanke us for this, as they that by this helpe come to behold the Sunne. Yet he that is ever infinite, is pleased to enlarge himselfe by the number of our prayers: and takes our frequent petitions as it were an augmentation of his Greatnesse: as Princes are made famous by the multitude of clients. Still for all this, we are beholden to him, not he to us. That he will suffer us to take his glorious Name in our mouths, is a great honour: That he will take his Name any wayes dignified by our mouthes, is a greater honour. O what an honour hath God given to men, that they may either speake to him, or speake of him? We are wormes, yea, worse by nature: why are we suffered to crawle on his earth? We are serpents, in respect of the venemous corruption of our sinnes: why are we suffered to hisse?

David professeth himselfe 1 Sam. 14.14. a dead dog, to his king Saul: and so doth 2 Sam. 9.8. Mephibosheth to his king David. Yet David speakes to Saul, and Mephibosheth speakes to David. We have no measure to trie any comparison with God: proportion is no measure for infinitensse. Yet let it suffice to our comfort, that God doth not esteeme us so little to himselfe, as a dead dog is to a King. Whatsoever we are indeed, yet his mercie doth make more account of us. The man that hath but a torne cottage to hide his head in; he that hath no cottage, no harbour, but is faine to rest his weary limbes on the cold earth; he that hath no more of this world but a grave: he that hath his grave but lent him, till a better man must be buried in the same grave: hee that hath no grave but a dunghill: he that hath no more earth but that which hee carries, but that which he is: he that hath not that earth which he is, but even in that is anothers slave: yet hath as much proportion to God, as if all Davids worthies, all the monarchs of the world, and all those imaginary gyants, were kneaded and incorporated into one; and as though that one were the surviver of all the sonnes of men, to whom God had given the earth. Therfore how little soever we be, though we are as if we were not: yet he that calls things that are not, as though they were; gives us leave both to call upon him, and to call upon others to honour him; and puts the promulgation of his glory into our unworthy lippes. If wee were but meere dust and ashes, wee might speake unto the Lord: For the Lords hand made us of this dust, and the Lords hand shall recollect these ashes. The Lords hand was the wheele, upon which these vessells of clay were framed: and the Lords hand is the vrne, in which these ashes shall be preserved. We are the dust and ashes of the Temple of the holy Ghost; and what marble is so precious? Yea, we are more than dust and ashes: we are our best part: every man is his soule: and being so, the very breath of God, he may breath backe the praises of God. Yea, for this cause he hath his breath given him: and when he failes in that dutie, he deserves to have his breath taken from him. It is mans greatest honour, that hee may set forth the glory of his Maker as it was a high credite to him, Cujus dignatur ab ore Caesar in orbe loqui. In this respect every man is a Preacher, every creature a Text, every occasion a doctrine, every blessing a reason, every thanksgiving an use, men and Angels the auditors, and the whole Sermon is Gods Glory.

Quomodo: To him, but How? Since we must all give glory to him; all glory, by all meanes, and at all times; it is requisite that we know How.

1. Iustly; for we may not thinke that we are at any cost with God, or do bestow ought upon him out of our own bounty: we owe it to him, & Iustice requires that we pay our debts. If it be Benevolentia, yet it is Debita: well taken, when it is freely given: but if not given, strictly to be accounted for. There is nothing for which Christ wil reward us, but that wherby his glory is the greater for us. Rev. 7.14. These are they which came out of great tribulation: in tribulation they confessed Christ: in the midst of that firy tryall they honoured his Name: therfore they stand with joy before his Throne. Such is the mercie of our good God, that he gives us a reward for doing that, which without any thanks we are bound to do. As a Father gives his obedient son the Inheritance; because he is his sonne, not for his obedience. But the omission of this duty shal be called to a wofull reckoning. Luk. 12.9. He that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the Angels of God. His refusall of us, for us neglect of him, is both just and grievous. Rom. 1.21. Because they knew God, and did not glorifie him as God, what shall become of them? To be cast out from his presence, and debarred of those infinite joyes that accompany it, is the extremity of sorrow. But there is more in it than so: Depart from me ye cursed: there is torment upon torment: Mat. 25.30. Cast that unprofitable servant into utter darknesse, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth; because he did not glorifie God with his talent. It is not then left arbitrary, but imposed as necessarie: No indifferent matter, whether wee render him glory, or not: but if we doe not, we shall die for it. He is a selfe-willed foole, that will not open his mouth, to save his life: but more sottish hee, that will not open it to save his soule. This is not therefore matter of courtesie, but of dutie: nor a free largesse, but a just debt. Mat. 22.21. Render unto God the things that are Gods: Not Date, but Reddite; what is Gods; and glorie is his without all question. They are mistaken that thinke their gratitude a grauitie: as if God were beholden to us for rendring him his owne. Indeed it is often called a gift, though it be a debt: a gift in respect of our liberall minde, a debt in its owne nature. In our common speech we say, What is more due than debt? And againe, What is more free than gift? The one doth not destroy the other. Indeed what wee frankely pay as a debt, God will graciously accept as a gift. Not that he useth us as we doe desperate debters; glad to take this or nothing: for our Creditor can pay himselfe at his pleasure. If we doe not render him glory with all our hearts, he will fetch it out of our carcasses. Have it of us he will; either in the libertie of this earth, or in the prison of hell: Either our pleasure, or our paine must pay him. Yet such is his goodnesse, to accept kindly, what we pay heartily: and to take that as a courtesie, which is indeed our dutie. Rom. 2.18. His wrath is revealed from heaven, against those that with-hold the truth in unrighteousnesse? If we with-hold the truth of his glory, it is great injustice.

2. Freely: that is but a sowre praise, which is pressed or wringed out, like Verjuyce from a Crabbe. Exod. 14.4. I will get me honour upon Pharaoh; but no thankes to Pharaoh: he shall get little by it, unlesse we call plagues and death a commodity. Forced praise may be for the honour laudatorum, but it is nothing to the comfort laudantium. The very devils were driven to acknowledge Christ: their scholars, the Sorcerers of Egypt were compelled to say, This is the finger of God: yet they are all of them in hell. This is to give Christ the glory, because wee cannot doe the contrary; to praise him against our wils. There is a confession upon the racke: but commonly execution followes it: and such malefactors have no more favour, than to be had from the racke to the Gibbet: God hath vim coactivam. 1 Sam. 2.16. Hophni with his flesh-hooke could say, Da vel auferam. So to part with it, as one delivers his purse, or as a Porter beares his load, groning under it, is little to our comfort. Col. 3.23. Whatsoever ye doe, doe it heartily: so voluntarily, as if God had neither rackes nor skrewes to force it out of you. 2 Cor. 9.7. God loves a cheerefull giver: if he lookes for this in our charity to the poore, much more in our pietie to his honour. Wee call upon you for this tribute, and you put us off Prov. 3.28. till To morrow. Favours that come with grudging, are viscata beneficia: they sticke to the fingers like birdlime, and will not come off. We are all put into that holy office: Christ hath made us Priests to himselfe, and sent us into the world to preach his glory. If we doe it, there is no merit to be talked of, for a 2 Cor. 9.16. necessitie is laid upon us: but if we doe it not, there is a woe to be thought of, for a curse will befall us.

Doe it then, but doe it chearefully, even with love and good will: let it bee the offering of a free heart. The willingnesse of the minde, is ever the fat of the sacrifice: and without that, all is leane and dry. Deut. 26.13. Sustali quod sanctum est è dome mea: I had an holy portion due to God among my goods, I have severed it from the rest, I have brought and laid it upon his Altar. I have taken my best goods the love and fidelity of mine heart, and consecrated them to God in chearefull praises? 1 Sam. 10.26. God had touched the harts of them that honoured the King: ver. 27. so all those that give glory to Christ, have Gods stamp upon their hearts. But for those men of Belial, that despise him, and bring him no presents of praises; there is the print of the Divels clawes upon them. Praised hee ought to be, and that freely: not fainedly, Bern. in Cant. Quemadmodum ad hypocritis; not by custome, sicut à secularibus: not according to our owne imagination, sicut ad haereticis: not by bodily representations, sicut à superstitiosis: not by compulsion, sicut à mancipiis: but with all sincerity and chearefulnesse, as it becommeth Christians. We need not grudge it, for wee are no losers by it. It does not diminish our flockes, nor dis-furnish our houses, nor disquantitie our summes, nor disparage our Credites, nor empaire our healths: nay, it is the onely way to conserve all unto us. We are not the poorer, but the richer by this gift. Though we doe not condition for the praising of Christ, as Iudas did for the selling of Christ, Quid dabis? yet we are sure of a reward, good servant, the glory of thy Lord hath entred into thee; thou hast loved it in thy heart, and published it with thy lippes: now Matth. 25.21. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. As it was before in the charge, Freely you have received, freely give: so it is now for the reward, Freely you have given, freely receive: As my glory was advanced by you, so be you advanced into my glory.

3. Fervently: there is no thankes to a cold commendation: it is well if it may have a pardon. Laus in ore invido, parùm differt à vituperio. The praise that stickes in our teeth, and is loth to come forth; that pincheth God of his right, as Pharaoh higgled with him about the release of Israel: some he shall have, not all: the glory of such a deliverance, another came another wayes; is fraus, rather than laus, a secret coozenage, rather than an act of Iustice. When we write to great persons, wee rather make their Titles excessive, than defective: they take it for a dishonour, if we speake them short: they would not lose one inch of their height. Hyperbole’s doe well; but Aposiopeses are intolerable. The new Lady snuffes to be called Mistresse. Set up the string of honour as high as you may, as high as the Instrument will beare, till it even crackes againe; and that sounds well, the musicke pleaseth us. And shall we bate God of his Celsitude? Is any praise too high for him? Psal. 148.13. His glory is above the earth and heaven. Above the earth it may well be; for the earth is but the Cellar or Vault of the world. Indeed here be Excelsa, and Excelsi, high places, and high persons, both: the highest places are mountaines, and the highest persons kings. Esay 14 14. I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the most High; said one of them. Babylon was the high place, and the King of Babylon the high Person: yet he was so modest as to challenge no more, but Similis Altissimo, not Altissimus. But as high as they are, Eccles. 5.7. There be higher than they. The Glory of Christ is higher than theirs, for it is above the earth: yea, above heaven too.

Altissimus was the ancient stile of God: Gen. 14.18. Melchisedech so termed him first. Therefore let us give him the highest Glory: Psal. 148.1. Laudate Deum in excelsis: so the Angels sung, Luke 2.14. Glory to God on high. All glory is high; yet there is one glory higher than another: and 1 Cor. 15.41. One starre differeth from another in glory. Glory, like Fame; Ingreditur solo, & caput nubila condit. If any bee higher, let us give Christ that; Praise Him in the heights, as high as we can goe. Glory it selfe is an altitude; higher than wealth, higher than pleasure: the highest pitch that man can flie; an Eagle for the King. Good reason that we should wish him that is highest the highest thing wee have. Psal. 150.5. Praise him upon the high sounding Cymbals; that our voices, and applauses, and thanks may be heard up to the very heavens, and so be in altissimis indeed. To shorten the glory of God, is not laus, but sacrilegium. To call him onely, Great, happy, wise, good, is but a positive: not enough, if there bee a greater, Sen. better, wiser, happier, in the comparative. Parva laus, tantum miseris anteferri. No, give it him in the superlative, in the highest; Psal. 108 5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens. With our highest wishes, and highest affections, and highest expressions, and highest endeavours, let us set forth the praise and glory of the most high God, Iesus Christ.

4. Intentively, and with an earnest desire to glorifie him. Though we cannot goe so high as we would, yet let us goe as high as we can. I know it is impossible to shoot home to the marke, and to give Christ condigne praises: he is worthy of all praise, but no praise can be worthy of Him. As his humility was so deepe, that we cannot sound it: so his sublimity is so high, that we cannot reach it. Yet let us draw to our utmost strength, and loose the arrowes of our praises, so that they may come as neare heaven, as the arme of flesh can send them: and even that shall be accepted. He does not looke for such Glory from us, as He is worthy to receive, but as we are able to give. Our praises of Him are not sinnes, yet they are not without some touch of sinne: praises and infirmities come from us together, but Christ parts them; forgiving the infirmities, and receiving the praises. They are full of weaknesses, yet doth He not except against them for their imperfections. He takes them well in worth, though there be no worth in them: and vouchsafes them a reward, which had been sufficiently honoured with a pardon. Christ saies of Maries annointing Him, Marke 14.8. Quod potuit fecit: yet this was somewhat, for the Ointment cost a round summe: and of the Widowes charity, Marke 12.44. Quod habuit dedit; and that (God wot) was but two Mites: yet well taken though. Actionis infirmitas shall not hinder, if Voluntatis integritas be ready. There may bee weaknesse in the act of rendring Glory; but if there bee goodnesse in the desire, the Mercy of Christ will looke graciously upon it. Gods good will towards us, will accept of our good will toward Him. Nehem. 1.11. He is attentive to their praiers, that desire to feare his Name: and even for David, whom God commended for a 1 Sam. 13.14. man after his owne Heart; his honest true heart was the fairest flower in his garden. Every action is measured according to the proportion of the Agent: Desire in them that cannot speake, speech in them that cannot doe, doing good in them that lacke strength to suffer evill, findes favour at the hands of Christ. As in extreme sickenesse; when the tongue cannot utter words, yet the heart venting grones, receives compassion. Though the Totum hominis bee but Votum mentis; that will is taken for the deed. Great acts from weake persons, are entertained with wonder. The Leper was not praised, Chrysost. in Mat. 8.10. Quia in lege doctus: the Centurion was wondred at, Quia legis ignarus: yet they both had faith. In modico sermone sapientiae plus laudatur rusticus, quàm in magno Philosophus. The witty speech of a childe is admired: the same falling from the mouth of a man would not bee regarded. Luke 17.18. None returned with thankes but the Samaritan: if Christ have his Tythe out of a strange field, when his owne Parish paies Him none, Hee may well take notice of it. Faithfull observance is most accepted, where it is least expected. If they offer Gold to the Tabernacle, whom wee deemed scarce worth Goats haire: If Mary that was so great a sinner, spend more teares upon Christs feet, than Simon that thought himselfe so righteous a Saint; shall shee not bee more rewarded? But as there may bee a desire without ability, so commonly there is an ability without a desire. Some few would doe much for Christs Glory, and cannot: thousands of us can doe much for his Glory, and will not. These latter rejoyce for what they can doe, and are in danger of hell: the former mourne for what they cannot doe, and are accepted in heaven. God will give Glory to that very willingnesse, which desires to glorifie his Sonne Iesus.

5. Principally; before all others, and above all others. Principaliter, is not onely a numerall, but an ordinall terme: signifying both First in number, and Chiefe in order. For Precedencie, let Christ be the First: and for Supremacie, let him be the chiefest. Both; for we know that in civill equipage, some goe before who are not the chiefe, nay, furthest off from the Chiefe: as the fore ranke are farthest from the Person of the Prince, though they goe before the Prince. 1 Cor. 13.13. And Saint Paul in placing those three Divine graces, sets the greatest last; Vltima charitas, sed maxima charitas. Deut. 13.6. So the sonne is set after the brother, yet is dearer than brother: wife after childe, yet dearer than childe; and friend after all, who is the dearest of all. But let Christ be both Primus in Ordine, and Primus in Dignitate. Begin thy workes with his glory, and so let him bee the first of all: reduce all thy workes to his glory, and so let him bee the chiefe of all. There be many others to whom wee owe honour: but Christs glory must bee set before all, and kept above all. Men have their glory, and with his allowance: Rom. 13.7. Honour to whom honour belongeth. There be distinctions of men upon earth; some higher than others: why have wee else such diversity of Titles? Worship, Lordship, Honour, Grace, Excellencie, Majestie, are stiles of honour; every one transcending another. There are degrees of glory in the celestiall bodies, among the starres. Parents we are commanded to honour: and spirituall parents, good Pastors are worthy of double honour: above all men, honour the King. The politike Atheist would have all glory given to the King, and let God stand for a bare Name. The sottish Anabaptist would have all glory given to God, and the king to stand for a cypher. These thinke that God hath not his due honour, unlesse the king lay downe his Scepter, that God and Cesar, Christ and the Christian Magistrate, are the whole heaven asunder: and will not come neere one another. But Christ saies, Mat. 22.21. Give Cesar that which is Cesars, and to God that which is Gods. He joynes them both arme in arme, in one verse; and feares not the losse of his owne honour, by the honour of the Prince. This is one difference betweene the Court-parasite, and the Anabaptisticall hypocrite: The former is hot for Quae Caesaris, and quite skips over Quae Dei: the other stands upon Quae Dei, and would annihilate Quae Caesaris. But both have their due places; for God is the God of order, not of confusion. O yee sonnes of men, Christ doth not grudge you your honours, why should you deny him his? You may enjoy your Lordships, and Worships, and all your severall Titles, without his envie: yea more, hee commands men to give you all your due respects: not out of courtesie, for love; nor out of slavery, for feare; nor out of flattery, for gaine; but out of dutie, Rom. 13.5. for conscience. He upholds your names, you may doe well to uphold his. The factious Sectary, that would bring all things to a paritie, thinkes that Gods glory is not entire, unlesse Cesars Image be quite blotted out. The profane polititian, that would flatter the king into a God, thinkes that Cesar hath never enough, till God hath nothing left. As if both could not bee preserved in their severall rights: as if wee must needs so looke upon the one, as to lose the sight of the other; and so give eare to the one, as if we never cared for hearing of the other. But Cesar may have his honour, without Gods prejudice: and God may have his glory without any impeachment to Cesar. Yea, Cesar holds all his honour in Capite: and as hee is the head of his subjects, so Christ is the head of Cesar. Prov. 8.15. By mee Kings raigne: It is Christs Prerogative royall, to be the King of kings. Prov. 3.16. Glory and honour, both are in his hand, and at his disposing.

To speake to us all; God is a carefull Preserver of our honours: he hath made a strong fence about our good names; hedged them in with a precept, a precept delivered in thunder, and to be required with rigour; the breach whereof is punishable with quenchlesse fire: He hath bestowed a whole Commandement upon them. Hee gave but ten in all, and one of the ten hee hath set to guard Exod. 20.16. our honours. Wee are not onely forbidden to speake evill of the Ruler, but even of our neighbour. So provident hath the Lord beene to preserve our honour. To the conviction of them that stand upon pietie to God, and forget civilitie to men: that thinke it enough to doe some homage to Christ on the Sabboth, though they dishonour their brethren all the weeke. By reason of a sinfull custome crept into the world, it is usuall for one dutie of godlinesse to devoure all her fellowes. We cannot raise the price of one vertue, but wee must cry downe all the rest. Not extoll Preaching, but Prayer must grow out of request: not bring up almes, and the workes of mercie, but presently the workes of devotion must be laid downe. No way but by the sale of Christs ointment, to provide for the poore. No way to honour God, but by the despising of men. If we bee so pious, as to give Christ the glorie: then so impious as to befowle the good names of his servants with ignominie. Luk. 18.11. I am not as other men, extortioners, adulterers, unjust. Too many of the pure brotherhood are of the Pharises opinion right. No extortioner, no adulterer, as if there was no other way to hell, but by these enormities: as if God could be displeased with nothing, but adulterie and extortion. But as the Pharisie left out of his Catalogue, Pride: hee saies, No extortioner, no unjust man; he sayes not, No proud man: So the precise arrogant dissembler brags, that he is no adulterer, no blasphemer; but hee saies not, I am no slanderer. No tongue so bitter as theirs, when they light upon a name that is not in their owne Register: none makes so deepe an incision into the credit of their neighbours. They complaine of the profane ones, (as they call them) that they make drunken catches of them in the Tavernes: I excuse it not: but by their leaves, they make worse libels of good men in their private conventicles. If it be a fault in the other, to censure men in their drinke: is it no fault in these, to speake worse of men at their meat? Why should Ceres have a greater priviledge than Bacchus? Why should our names bee the fiddles, to draw downe their morsels? Why doe they blame the Papists for slighting the second commandement, when they make no reckoning of the ninth? As they take it ill for others to scandalize them under the name of hypocrites, so let them take heed of scandalizing others with the name of dissolutes. God is tender of all our reputations, why are not we so one of anothers? This honour he affords us in our severall stations: we have it, and much good doe us with it. His glory doth not so swallow up ours, but that we are honoured in him, by him, and for him. But then our honour goes beyond the bounds, when it encroacheth upon his glory. It is the presumption, and the ruine of it, to invade Christs propriety. All our glory is but a beame of his: and shall a poore and small ray brave it out, as if it were the body of the Sunne? The glory of making all good, the glory of repairing what we had made evill, the glory of disposing all to good, the glory of giving all good, the glory of doing all good; this glory hee will not give to another. And he that presumes to take it, when as God denies to give it; shall finde it too hot, or too heavie for him: hee shall never carry it to his grave. All the glory we have, is the resultance of his: all our honour consists in being his instruments: We have the glory that belongs to the instruments, let him have the glory that belongs to the Agent. This is one strong motive to preserve his honour, because he preserves ours. Wee deserve to live with shame, and die with infamie, if both in life and death we doe not give Christ the glory.

6. Entirely; and that two wayes. First, Ex parte Christi, that hee have it all to himselfe. Secondly, Ex parte nostrâ, that wee give it to him with all the powers we have. Totum illi, & ex toto nostri: hee must have all the glorie which can bee rendred by all our abilitie.

1. It must be entirely his: To him, and none but him. Not to another above him, not to another beneath him, not to another for him, not to another with him, not to another besides him; but onely to himselfe. Gloria is not enough, nor gloria Deo, without Soli. 1 Tim. 1.17. Iud. ver. 25. To the onely wise God bee honour. Psal. 115.1. Not unto us; as if the Saints were afraid to touch any part of it. So we are taught to acknowledge in our Prayer, and to pray for that acknowledgement; Thine is the glory. Thine, and no Creatures else. Some Creatures may have some glory, but none of Christs glorie: that same Gloria in Altissimis is onely his. The Angels sung it to Him; and if we sing it to any but Him, wee sing a false note. This was their musicke to Him, when hee lay in the Cratch: much more now hee weares his Crowne: To Christ, and none but Christ the glorie. No sharers; hee will have all, or none. Let petty lords content themselves with a mediocritie of honour: they that have right to none, will take any. Satan was never so audacious, as when he would perswade his Maker to a Mat. 4.10. geniculation, to an adoration of his Creature, of his profest enemie. Never did Christ say, Avoid Satan, till then. It is a just indignation, that is conceived at the motion of a rivality with God. Certainely, Idolatry is a most deare sinne to the devill, or else hee would not bee so importunate to compasse it. How are the Papists sure, that they doe not make a rivall with Christ, when they set an Image before their eies at the time of their worship? Why may not the Saint represented in that picture, yea, why may not the picture it selfe goe halves with Christ in the glorie? How is it to him entirely, if either a Saint in heaven, or an Image on earth, be his partner? And how are they so certaine of the constancy of their mindes, that no thought of theirs shall ever sticke upon the picture? There is flesh in the holiest of them, as well as spirit: and when the Spirit would give all the glory to Christ, will not the flesh steale away some, to bestow upon the image?

The philosophicall opinion of our soules, that they are made of harmony, is little better than a poeticall fiction: But the poeticall fiction, that the Thebans sprang of the seede of the Serpent, and so became warring brethren, is more than a Philosophicall opinion. For since the Serpent beguiled our first parents, Gal. 5.17. The flesh fighteth against the spirit, and the spirit fighteth against the flesh: Et cum hac controversia nati sumus. These twinnes make a perpetuall warre within us, and that warre makes many wounds, and those wounds will never perfectly bee cured, till wee are advanced to Heaven. Christ may now cover them with his owne garment of righteousnesse, as that king bound up the wounds of his souldiers with his owne robe: but they are never throughly healed, till wee come to that Heavenly Ierusalem, which signifies the vision of peace, the beatificall vision of God. And so long as this flesh, this corruption of our nature stickes to us, wee are in danger of making some rivall with Christ. Though our grace, the better part, the Israel within us, would give all glory to him; yet within us there is a Philistine faction too, corrupt nature, that will set up their Dagon. 2 Cor. 6.14. Though they cannot agree together, yet they must dwell together. Rom. 6.12. And Paul does forbid the dominion of the worse, not the cohabitation of both. David thought it a great woe, Psal. 120.5. To dwell in Mesech: but it is a farre greater woe, for Mesech to dwell in us. Yet there it will dwell, till death turnes them both out of doores: and sendeth our sinne downe to Hell, to the Divell that begot it; and our soule up into Heaven, to our Redeemer that bought it. Good cause have wee therefore to take heed, least that our sinne betray our grace, and like a slie theefe filch away some of that honour we intended to Christ.

Entirely Christ is to have his Glory, and intirely He cannot have it if with a Partner; and there is no way to set Him up a Partner, but by Idolatry. When S. Iohn had told us, that Christ is the true God, hee immediately chargeth 1 Iohn 5.21. to keepe our selves from Idols. Me thinkes this should stagger all those Romists, that have any respect to their conscience, least in their invocations they should make Saints and Angels, yea, even dead pictures, Corrivals with Christ. It is a vaine helpe, to be told that they should not doe so: It were a farre better course to remove the picture, and so to prevent all danger. As Apelles when hee had drawne a picture, would stand close behinde the curtaines, to listen how the passengers did censure it; and according as they found just faults, to amend them. I would to God our superstitious neighbours, the Papists, hearing our just censures of their Idols, Images, and pictures, would even make a cleare riddance of them. It is not safe enough to charge those clients, that they never ascribe any honour to such dead representations, but for better security to cast them for ever out of their devotions.

For our selves, we are not free from idolatry: It is miserable to see, how Satan drawes the world insensibly into this sinne, which they professe to detest. Those that would rather hazard the furnace, than worship gold in a Statue; yet doe adore it in the stampe, and finde no fault with themselves. They that would not endure to worship the virgin Maries image, though it were in gold: yet having Cesars image in gold, they fondly worship it. Facilius est Idola à Templis, quàm à cordibus separare. And what difference is there upon the matter, whether we worship the workemanship of the carver, or of the coiner? Whether the Painters pencill, or the Minters stampe, most take our hearts? The Papist worships it as it is hangd up in his chamber, the Worldling worships it as it is laid up in his coffer: both are evill, which is worse? If our hearts bee drawne to an over-high respect of any creature, wee are idolaters: and idolatrie (wee know) sets up a rivall with Christ: and if rivalls be admitted, how does hee sit alone in the throne? how is the glory entirely his?

All the titles of Gods Power have beene attributed to potent men by their subjects, saving onely his glory. As his Greatnesse, his Grace, his Highnesse, his Excellency, his Majesty, his Omnipotency, but never his Glory. To some wee say, your Honour: to some, your Grace: to a Superiour, your Highnesse: to a Prince, your excellency: to the King, your Majesty: and the parasiticall Iesuites flatter the Pope with his Omnipotency: but never hath it beene said to any of them, your Glory: This no Prince hath taken, no sycophant hath given: As if God on purpose had preserved that style to himselfe, and not suffered any creature to usurpe it: My Glory I will not give to another.

Let the application of this be brought home to our owne hearts. Christ hath appropriated divine glory to himselfe, yet still we are catching at it: we silly and sinnefull wormes will be proffering to pilfer it, they that Ioh. 7.18. Seeke their owne glory, will never seeke Christs. Whereas all should be referred to the honor of Christ, they will referre even his honour to themselves. There is no practise stirring, but such a man must be at the one end of it: and some line of it, how crooked soever, must be drawne to his Center. But Christ will take glory from no hands but the humble: like some mighty Prince, that lookes for lowlinesse in his attendants, and will not be served but upon their knees. Our prayers are a part of Christs glory, and our posture to present them in is kneeling. Haman was proud to his fellow-peeres, yet humble to Ahasuerus: but it must be an humble Mordecay, from whom Christ will accept glory. He accepted water from a Samaritan, and kisses from a Mary Magdalen: humble sinners doe him more honour than proud Saints. There can be no greater folly, than the arrogation of glory to our selves: what is it that we can glory in?

1. In our wealth, Dives sum? De Doct. Christiana. Saint Augustine answeres him, Sarcinam tuam commemoras. Will any Asse praise his burden? Tace laudes tuas, & considera miserationes. The safest time to prayse a rich man, is when he is dead: Amb. in Natali Sti. Eusebii. Quando nec laudantem movet adulatio, nec laudatum tentat elatio. Dionysius fell from a tyran over men, to be a tutor over boyes, and so to get his living. Perses sonne and heire was faine to learne an occupation, the blacke smiths trade, to relieve his necessity. Henry the fourth, that victorious Emperour, after hee had fought two and fiftie pitched battailes, became a petitioner for a prebend, to maintaine him in his old age. Geliner, that potent king of the Vandales, Procop. was so low brought that he intreated his friend, to send him a harpe a spung and a loafe of bread: a harpe to consort with his misery, a spunge to dry up his teares, and a loafe to satisfie his hunger. Yet this is the winde that blowes up the worlds bladder: wealth is the foundation of secular glory. Evagrius makes it the high praise of the Emperour Mauritius, that in the height of all his majesty, he retained his ancient pietie. And Thucydides reports it for a strange thing in the men of Chius, that for all their prosperity they were sober. Scarce one of a thousand, Bern. 2. de Consider. Cui praesens faelicitas si arrisit, non irrisit. Be not these goodly things to glory in? Let the rich man tremble to heare of his owne praises; Qui de praeterito meminit se habere quod doleat, Ambr. & de futuro videt sibi superesse quod timeat. Honour God with thy substance: If thou takest this honour to thy selfe, thou playest the theefe with thine owne goods.

2. In our strength? Alas, it is vanity: Morbi ludibrium: a sorry fever will fillip downe an Alexander. I know that much wrong is built on the presumption of power: Id in summa fortuna aequius, quod validius. Let them have might, and they have right enough. Tacit. l. 15 Sua retinere privatae domus: de alienis certare, regia laus est. Mic. 2.1. They devoure a man and his heritage. Quia in potestate manus. Would you have mee bee contented with mine owne, sayes the oppressour? That is for peasants and base spirits: but to get that by force, which belongs to others, that is gentleman-like. Iuven. stat. 6. You would have me use my servant well: O demens, ita servus homo est? Is my man a man? Is my tenant my neighbour? Is my neighbour my brother? Doth the Senate deny my master the Consul-ship? Hic ensis dabit, sayes Cesars souldier. Will not Nabaoth sell Ahab his vineyard for money? Iesabell will helpe him to it for nothing. A counterfeit hand, with Ahabs seale, Ovid. 1. shall doe it. These men will have the law in their owne hands: Nec leges metuunt, sed cedit viribus aequum: Maestaque victriei jura sub ense jacent: their right hand shall right them. Psal. 14.4. They eate up Gods people as bread: but it is not so soone digested, as eaten: in the end it will choke them. This nettles God, and makes him an enemie. Psal. 12.5. For the oppression of the poore, I will rise, saith the Lord. Psal. 33.1. And woe to thee that spoilest, for thou shalt be spoiled. Where will the mighty appeare, when the Almighty comes to Iudgement? They call to the rockes and mountaines for shelter: and yet these were no babes, but Reu. 6 15. great, rich, mighty men, no lesse than Captaines and Kings. God takes pleasure to Luk. 1.52. cast downe the mighty: not out of envie to their greatnes: alas, the greatest potentates be to him no more than the bigger size of wormes. But this is the ground of his just quarrell: they rob him of his glory, and therfore shall tast of his fury. Men may be strong: as when Germanicus had besieged a towne, one Pulio in his army, by throwing a stone at a battelement, and overturning it, with all the men upon it, so amazed them with his strength, that they gave up the towne. It is reported of Marius, one of the 30. Tyrans, that he could turne over a loden waine with one of his fingers. Plinie writes of one Aristomenes, who in a battell, slew 300. Lacedemonians in one day. It was a song made of Aurelian the Emperor, Mille mille vivat, qui mille mille occidit. These were all famous men in their generations; yet their strength was but the strength of flesh, vincible at their best. The strongest man upon earth is but the push of a pike, or the clappe of a pistoll. Or if they escape these violences, an ague can make them as weake as water, age will shrinke their nerves, and dry up their blouds, and consume their spirits: death is stronger than they all. Abimelech was killed by the hand of a woman: so was Pyrrhus. Totilas, that had vanquished Rome, which had vanquished the world, slaine by Narses, a Semi-vir, an eunuch. It is recorded of Solomon, that having a great German brought prisoner to him, of very envie to the German nation, he caused him to be bound hand and foote, and then set his dwarfe upon him, like a child with a knife to hacke a tree in sunder; who with many courses and careers, at last dispatched him. 1 Cor. 1.27. Such is the mockery of puissance, when God will give it over into the hand of weaknesse. Take heed ye potentates, least whiles you boast of what you can doe if you will, you provoke God to doe what he can; to lay you, and your principalitie in the dust. Woe worth that mightynesse, which shall offer to robbe Christ of his glory.

3. Of our wisedome? Alas, that is a foolish glory: there is no wisedome in it. Ier. 9.23. Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome. As by way of concession, every greater includes the lesse: he that can lift a talent, can easily lift a pound: So by way of denyall, every greater excludes the lesse: if nobles may not be let into thy counsell, much lesse groomes. Wisedome it selfe is debarred any corrivality with Christ, in matter of glory: what place then is there for strength, or riches? Wealth is not comparable to strength: wealth tolles in enemies; but strength can both repell them from entring, and expell them if they be entred. Riches will make the theefe more venturous, but seldom doe they make the true man more hardy. Therfore doth the Prophet exclude the better at first, that the worse might with lesse adoe be removed. If the more excellent cannot be allowed this libertie, the inferior may not by any reason challenge it. Wealth comes not more short of strength, than strength does of wisedome. Eccl. 9.16. The poore wise man by his wisedome delivered the citty; that was the wise Solomons observation. Then said I, wisedome is better than strength: that was his conclusion upon it. Sertorius commanded to bee brought forth two horses; the one fatte and lusty, the other a spittle, a poore leane Iade; both of them to be broken. He picked out two of his souldiers, the one strong and hearty, the other weake and sickly: to his leane horse hee puts the strong souldier, the weake souldier to the pampered horse. The strong man went roughly to worke, and thought to doe the fear with dead strength; but he both tired himselfe, and became a mockery to the beholders: the weaker fellow by his sleight and cunning, did the deed, and went away with the applause. Strength therefore cannot boast, where wisedome is denied: and where strength cannot prevaile, riches hath no hope. The best wisedome is to give all glory to Christ. Pharaoh ascribed great wisedome to Ioseph, but Ioseph quickly takes it off from himselfe, and sends it away to the right owner; Gen. 41.16. Absque me, Deus respondebit prospera Pharaoni. So Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar; Dan. 2.28. There is a God in Heaven that revealeth secrets. ver. 23. Hee blesseth God for the knowledge hee had, and so does not deny it; but he returnes the praise to him that gave it. In vitae ejus. Lib. 3. cap. 6. It is written of Saint Bernard, that having done many wonders in France, hee did thus put off all glory from himselfe: I have learned in the Scripture, that signes are done Vel per fictos, vel per perfectos: Ego nec fictionis, nec perfectionis mihi conscius sum: Let them have a good opinion of mee, but give all the praise to God. in that holy man, Vincebat sublimitatem nominis, humilitas cordis: Nec poterat universus mundus tantùm eum erigere, quantum se ipse dejicere solus. Hypocrites labour to seeme saints, not to bee so; but the Holy labour to bee, more than to seeme Saints. The Kite may flie aloft, but her eye and minde is to the Earth: Shee seemes to bee a gallant Bird at her pitch, till shee falles downe upon a carrion. O how the dissembling Zelot makes a shew to honour Christ with his lofty profession, as if he were altogether a man of Heaven: tarry but a little, throw the baite of glory in his way, and hee will stoope to a carrion, and bee taken with the pride of his owne commendation. They say, there stands a Globe of the World at one end of a famous Library, and at the other end a Sceleton: Wee neede not search long for a good lesson in this Library: for though a man were learned in all that hee sees in the Mappe of this World, yet hee must dye, and so himselfe become a Mappe of mortality. Nothing a man hath wherein hee can glory, but Christ will indict him for it, and that of a Sacrilegious fellonie.

To conclude with some Use. All the Prophets and Fathers of the Primitive Church, used to crye out against those particular sinnes, wherewith their times were pestered: If I were to touch the sore of the daughter of this people; (wee have many sores, from the crowne of the head, Esa. 1.6. to the sole of the foote) that which doth most rankle and apostemate, it should bee this robbing of Christ of his Glory, by the proud affectation of our owne. And if I should further insist upon it, my Argument and Text here would beare it well enough. It is an epidemicall infection: Prov. 20.6. Every Man will proclaime his owne goodnesse. In a concourse of severall companies in this or any other citie, still they onely that are called, appeare and answere. If Stationers bee called, none answere but Stationers: at the call of Mercers, Embroyderers doe not stand up: nor if Goldsmiths bee named, doe Habberdashers present themselves. But to the Proclamation of, O all ye that are good and honest men, approach, we stand up every man of us, none disappeares. Wee are all so proud, that wee would be accounted such, though we are not so conscionable as to be such. But if we cloth our selves with Christs Glory, hee will uncloth us of his favour, and then what will become of our honour? Suppose the King should set a Subject in his chaire of State, give him royall attendants, and sumptuous cheare, but withall hang him a naked Sword over his head in a twine threed, with the point downewards: would that honour make him merry? Would hee desire to bee thus seated? Suppose that GOD should give thee this liberty, and suffer thee to ruffle it in the royall Robes of his Glory; Wisd. 2.7. Crowne thy head with Rose buddes, and wash thy pathes with butter: or say unto thee, wrappe thy selfe up in Purple and Scarlet, and fare deliciously every day: Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it with pleasures: Onely, Faciem meam nunquam videbis, you shall never come at mee, never see my Face; Would wee thinke wee had a good offer? Would wee accept the condition? No, Psal. 4.6. Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. Rather let my abode bee a Prison, a Dungeon, a kinde of Hell; but let the light of thy Countenance, O sweete Saviour, shine in at some little cranny; and that shall make it a Pallace, a Court, a very Heaven. Let our bread bee the bread of affliction, and let our teares bee our drinke: but let the Light of thy Countenance shine upon us, and then our bread shall bee transubstantiated into Manna, the foode of Angells; and our Water bee turned into Wine, our Teares congealed into Pearles, to enrich our Consciences with so many Heavenly joyes. For all this felicity, hee askes no more but his Glory. When Thales Milesius had imparted to another Philosopher some admirable discourse of Heaven, hee freeed his Schollar from all reward but this; That whensoever hee divulged this secret; Tibi non ascripseris, sed me ejus repertorem praedicaveris. The invention it selfe hee was willing to communicate unto others, but the honour of the invention hee wovld keepe to himselfe; Vbi mea legit, me agnosce. Wee have received all our Wisedome, Strength, Honour, and Wealth from Christ: hee requires no more, but that wee acknowledge the Author; Vbi meis uteris, me agnosce: Take thou the comfort of them, but give mee the Glory. To doe this, Summa ratio docet, & Christianos decet. Lord, the whole World is a great Booke of thy mercy; every benefit is a lesson, and wheresoever wee read it, wee will give thee the Glory.

2. It must bee entirely his, ex parte nostra. 1 Cor. 6.20. Wee owe both body and soule to His Glory for our Creation, and might have paid it: God did not set us up without a sufficient stocke to doe it. But wee must needs bee trading with the Serpent, for the commodity of forbidden Knowledge, and so take in sinne for an Apprentice: and hee cussened us of all, and so quite undid us. So that the Statute of Bankerout was sued out against us, for our Creditour would not bee compounded withall: and if wee had beene sold to our skinnes, wee were not able to satisfie him. Mat. 18.25. Non habuimus unde, no payment could bee made. At last there was a rich and mercifull Prince in Heaven, that tooke pitty on us: Hee bought out our bondage, paid our debts with His owne Blood, and once againe did set us up with the wealthy stocke of his owne Righteousnesse. Thus are wee re-enabled to pay him the debt of Glory: if wee doe not, wee are worthy to perish: Hebr. 10.26. If wee breake once againe, let us never looke to bee soaldred up. Our bodies and soules are his by a double right; therefore, in both let us glorifie Him: In our soules, Psal. 104.1. Blesse the Lord O my Soule: With our bodies; giving up them Rom. 12.1. A living sacrifice. With both entirely; the whole soule; Psal. 111.1. Psal. 139.14. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart: with the whole body, even all our members, not one left out, Psal. 103.1. All that is within us. Quoad intra, and quoad extra too. With our hearts, with our lippes, and with our hands. The lippes without the heart, prooves us Hypocrites: the heart without the lippes prooves us cowards: the heart and lippes without the hand, prooves us niggards. The heart is the leader, but what glory will there be without followers? Secrecie destroyes the nature of glory, for it is quiddam conspicuum: Celata gloria non est gloria. Therefore the mouth is made to interpret the meaning of the heart: the lippes are the Trumpet, but it is the heart that gives it breath, and makes it sound forth Gods glory. The hands must come in with their part, or the song is marred: neither a thinking glory, nor a speaking glory, will please God without a working glory. The praise of God is thus bred, and borne, and brought up: Conceived in the heart, borne in the lips, and brought up with the hand. Psal. 108.1. Paratum cor; there it is conceived. Psal. 45.1. Parata lingua; there it is borne: Psal. 141.2. Parata manus; there it is nursed and brought up. As good desires breed it, so good workes feed it. If the young and tender grace of thankfulnesse, do not fall into the hands of uberous and fruitfull obedience, it will languish and pine away, even to death: and we may say of it, that it was starved at nurse. It is too common for good resolutions, borne in our hearts, to die in our hands: And not seldome, the glory of Christ speeds so with us; we have our well wishes to it, but no workes to nourish it: it dies in our hands. So that it is not enough to pray for honest hearts; Psal. 51.10. Create in me a cleane heart: nor for gracious lippes, ver. 15. Open thou my lippes: but also for working hands; Psal. 90.17. Prosper thou the worke of our hands. For wee may say of too many, Psal. 45.2. full of grace are their lippes; but you see none of it in their lives. Let us consider them all apart, and marke whether, like courtiers in their severall offices, they glorifie God in their proper places.