1. For the first, to move you to do gloriously, methinks here is a motive, that at last you shall he glorious. But to engage you a little, consider these four or five things to move you to do gloriously: —
[1.] First, Consider tJie Lord hath done already very gloriously for you; therefore do you gloriously for God. God hath done very gloriously for you. He hath made your ugly inside glorious, and he hath made your ugly outside glorious: Ps. xlv. 13, 'The king's daughter is all glorious within, and her raiment is of embroidered gold.' God hath pardoned you gloriously, God hath justified you gloriously, God hath fenced you against corruption gloriously, God hath strengthened you against temptations gloriously, God hath supported you under afflictions gloriousl}', God hath delivered you from the designs and plots of treacherous, murderous wretches, gloriously and frequently. Oh, how should this engage all Chris- tians to do gloriously for God, that hath already done gloriously for them !
[2.] But then, in the second place. To move you to do gloriously, consider that the greatest part of the ivorld doth basely and wickedly against God; therefore you have the more cause to do gloriously for God: IJohnv. 19, ' The whole world,' saith he, ' lies in wickedness,' in malignity. The world lies in troublesomeness. The word irovqpw signifies a desire, a study and endeavour to work wickedness, a work- ing wickedness ; and in such a wickedness the world lies, and the greatest part of the great ones of this world do basely and wickedly against God. Oh the treachery and apostasy, oh the neutrality and impiety, oh the facing about of the great ones of this age ! 0 believers,
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you had need to do gloriously, for great and small, honourable and base, do treaclierously ; and therefore this should engage you to do more gloriously. Oh, the more base and vile any are, the more glorious should the saints be !
[3.] Then, in the third place. Consider this, the more gloriously you do for God here, the more glorious you shall be hereafter. Suffering saints for Christ shall have weighty crowns set upon their heads. Murdered saints for Christ shall have double crowns set upon their heads. The more gloriously any man doth for Christ here, the more glorious that man shall be hereafter : 2 Cor. ix. 6, ' As a man soweth, so shall he reap. He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly ; but he that soweth liberally shall reap liberally ; ' 2 John 8, ' Look to your- selves, that ye lose not the things ye have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward.' There is a reward in Scripture, and a full reward. The more glorious any soul is in doing for God here, the more glorious that soul shall be hereafter: Mat. xix. 27, 28, ' We have forsaken all, and followed thee ; what shall we have ? Verily,' saitli Christ, ' you that have done this, shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel' Look, Christians, the more gloriously any man doth for God here, the more comfort and peace and joy that man hath on this side heaven, which is but an earnest of that happiness, of that glorious good and sweetness that the soul shall have when he shall appear in his glory. It is not the slight Christian, the light, loose, talking Christian, that hath much joy and peace, and the most full dis- coveries of God here, but the most glorious-doing Christian, the most acting soul ; and the more gloriously any man doth for God here, the more joy and peace and comfort he shall have, which is but a pa^Mi of that glorious joy and goodness which at last he shall receive.
[4.] And then, fourtlily, To move you to do gloriously for God. you that shall be glorious at the last, consider this, the greatest part of your time you have spent foolishly and in 7cays of vanity against God. Oh, that time that is behind to spend gloriously, it is very, very little ; which should bespeak you to do gloriously for God that little, little time that is allotted you. The apostle hath one argument — 1 Peter iv. 3, G, 7 compared, ' For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lascivi- ousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquctings, and abominable idolatries,' &c. ' For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, tliat they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. But the end of all things is at hand ; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.' He tells them that the greatest part of their time was spent vainly ; and in ver. 7 he tells them that the time behind was short. Upon this consideration he presseth them to do glorious things in the latter part of ver. 6. But 'live according to God in the spirit,' oh what is that but to live gloriously, to do gloriously ?
[5.] Then, lastly. Consider this to move you to do gloriously for God: if you do not gloriously for God, none in the icorld can do gloriously for God; if you do not, none in the world will. Consider this, you that are believers. Of all persons in the world, you have the greatest cause to do gloriously for God ; for God hath done more for you than
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for all the world besides. You have not only the greatest cause to do gloriously for God, but you have the choicest principles to enable you to do gloriously for God — as knowledge, and wisdom, and power, and faith, and zeal. And as you have the choicest principles, so you have the sweetest experience to engage you to do gloriously for God. How hath God knocked at your doors when he hath passed by the doors of thousands ! How hath free grace saluted you, when wrath hath broken forth upon thousands ! How hath God dandled you on his knee, when he hath trampled others under his feet ! What is this but to engage you to do gloriously for God ? If you do not, none in the world will do gloriously. And what a sad thing it is that God should make a world, and not a soul in the world to do gloriously for God, that hath made such a glorious world ! So much by way of motive to move you to do gloriously.
2. The second thing I am to speak of is, When a man may be said to do gloriously. Haply some soul may say, We are satisfied that we shall appear glorious at last, and we would do gloriously ; but when may a soul be said to do gloriously ?