I answer : A soul may be said to do gloriously, 7?rs^, luhen their doing lies level luitli the glorious ride; ivhen men do suitable to a glorious rule. Those thoughts are glorious thoughts that are suitable to a glorious rule, and those words are glorious words that are suitable to a glorious rule, and those actions towards God and man are glorious actions that are suitable to a glorious rule. But this is too general. Therefore, secondly, and more particularly, men do gloriously ivhenas they do such things that others refuse to do, that others have no heart to do, that others are afraid to do for God. Oh, to do this is to do gloriously. As David, when he engaged with Goliath, he did gloriously ; others were afraid to do it, others had no heart to do it. So when men engage for God when others are afraid to engage, when others dare not engage, they shall lose the smiles of this man, and procure the frowns of that ; there is a lion in the way. So men turn off the work. It is too hard, saith one ; it is too high, it is too rough, it is too dangerous, say others. Now to do gloriously is to do that that others refuse to do, and that others have not hearts to do. And in this respect this thrice-honoured champion hath done gloriously. The mountains that he hath gone over, the difficulties that he was engaged in, were known to thousands in this kingdom. Many worthies have done worthily for this unworthy kingdom, and this worthy hath excelled many of them. And then, in the third place, men do gloriously tohen they hold on in the ivay of God, and in the ivork of God, notioithstanding all dis- couragements that befall them. When men serve their generation, not- withstanding the discouragements that do or may befall them, blow high or blow low, rain or shine, let men smile or frown, do what they will against their persons or actions, yet for a soul to hold on and to serve his generation, against all and notwithstanding all the reproaches and dirt and scorn and contempt that is thrown on them, is to hold on in the way of God ; this is to do gloriously. Thus God enabled this worthy, and many other worthies in the kingdom, in the House,i and in the army, to do gloriously against all discouragements and storms
^ House of Commons. — G.
326 CUUIST IS TUE LIFE OF BELIEVERS. [COL. III. 4.
and projects of ungodly wretches. It was the glory of the church: Ps. xliv. 17-19, ' Though thou hast sore broken us in the pUice of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death, yet we liave not dealt falsely with thee ; our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy ways.' Oh, you have a generation that pretend much for God while they may gain by the bargain honour and riches and great places and the like ; but when God brings them througli the valley of darkness, that they meet M^ith discouragements and difhculties, they throw away the bucklers, and will be no more for God, but fire about, and prove treacherous to church and kingdom. • It was the glory of David, and it was a glorious speech of his in Ps. Ivii. Saith David, ver. 4, ' My soul is among lions, and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. They have pre- pared a net for my stejis ; my soul is bowed down ; they have digged a pit before me.' Mark, what was the courage of this worthy one ? He met with discouragements. Doth he grow treacherous, and give back ? No : ' My heart is fixed, 0 God, my heart is fixed.' Macon, that is here rendered ' fixed,' is a Hebrew participle that signifies firm, constant, and established ; and he geminates it, ' my heart is firm, constant, and established,' even tlien when his soul was among lions. He doth not now play the apostate and shake hands with the ways of God. No. But ' my heart is fixed.' Now a man doth gloriously when he keeps to God and his truth, and serves his generation, not- withstanding all discouragements that are thrown upon him.
I need not tell you what discouragements this noble champion met with from malignant pens, spirits, and tongues ; but through all God carried out his spirit that he was able to do his master's work and to serve his generation, till he had finished that work that God had for him to do.
It is nothing for a man to serve his generation when he hath wind and tide on his side, and all the encouragements that the heart of man can desire ; but it is the glory of a Christian, and then he doth glori- ously, to be faithful in his generation against all discouragements. Therefore, honoured commanders and worthy members of the House of Commons, for you to do gloriously is to hold out against discourage- ments and to serve your generation. Though your soul may be amongst lions, and you live among them that are set on fire, as the psalmist speaks, yet say as he saith in that psalm, 'Our heart is fixed, our heart is fixed in God, we will sing and give praise.' Fixed stars are most useful, and so are fixed souls to church and state.
Then in the fourth place. Men may be said to do gloriously, when the end of their doings is the glory of God and the general good. O Christians, now you do gloriously. Those spirits will never do gloriously that make themselves the end of their actions, that make the advancing of any particular interest the end of their actions. This is not to do gloriously. Parliament-men, and soldiers, and Christians, then do gloriously, when the glory of God and the general good is the end of all their doings. But if it be yourselves, to save your own necks, and to advance your own designs, and to bring in this and that, <hese are base, unworthy actions, and God will so demonstrate them
Col. III. 4.] christ is the life of believers. 327
before angels and men. To do gloriously is to make the glory of God and the general good the end of all your doings. Th&n you do glori- ously indeed, when you can centre and rest in the glory of God and the general good. It is a base and unworthy spirit when men make themselves the end of their actions, and the advancing of such or such a particular interest the end of their actions, and not the glory of God and the general good of his people.