And then, lastly, Men do gloriously when they believe the 'promise and rest on the promise, notwithstanding that 'providence seems to cross the promise. It is nothing, it is not to do gloriously, for a man to believe, and to love, and tlie like, when the promise is made good, when God is a-smiling and in a giving way ; but to do gloriously is to beheve the jiromise, to stay upon the promise, when providence in our apprehension crosseth the promise. In this respect, Abraham did very gloriously ; he believed the promise though providence seemed to cross the promise. ' I will give thee a son,' saith God. Abraham was old, and Sarah was stricken in years ; and yet Abraham believed, and this was such a glorious piety as God hath put it upon record. This faith of Abraham so takes God tliat he swears with joy. Gen. xiii. 16, 17, ' That in blessing I will bless thee.' So it was with Moses : Num. x. 29, ' And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Eaguel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you : come thou with us, and we will do thee good ; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.' Mark, what could he promise in the Avilderness, where the Lord exercised those poor wretches with judg- ment upon judgment, with misery upon misery, and one calamity upon the neck of another ? Moses was confident in the promise of God, that God would do Israel good, and he adventured to engage Hobab on that consideration ; ' Come, go along with us ; the Lord hath spoken good, and we will do thee good.' I am confident, though providence cross the promise, and God seems to be angry, and to chide, and frown, and strike, and destroy, yet he will make good his promise, and ' we will do thee good.' Oh, this is to do gloriously, to believe the promise when providence crosseth it. Do you see heaven frown, and things to work cross to those promises that respects the joy, glory, liberty, and the exaltation of the saints ? Doth providence work cross to the pro- mise ? now do gloriously, believe the promise, rest in the promise ; let heaven and earth meet, devils and men combine ; let men play the apostates, and turn neuters, and prove treacherous, I will rest on the promise, suck sweetness from the promise. Though all providences seem to cross it, and heaven seem to work contrary to it, I will say, I will stay upon the promise ; this is to do gloriously. So much for the second thing.
Ay, but some souls will say, we see we shall be glorious, and we are willing to do gloriously ; and we see reasons why we should do gloriously ; but what directions and helps are there that we may do gloriously ?
First, If you will do gloriously, there are some things that you must be careful to take heed of.
Secondly, There are others which you must labour to practise.
[1.] If you will do gloriously, seeing hereafter you shall be glorious, in the first place, whatever you do, take heed of unbelief. There is nothing in the world that more hinders men from doing gloriously, than unbelief. All other miscarriages and weaknesses have not such an influence upon the heart, to hinder it from doing gloriously, as unbelief. As it is said of Christ concerning them in Mat. xiii. 58, ' He did not many mighty works tliere because of their unbelief.'
330 CHRIST IS THE LIFE OF BELIEVERS. [CoL. III. 4.
Unbelief, as it were, tied the hands of Christ — * He could not do many mighty works because of their unbelief.' If men would do glorious things, take heed of that : unbelief ties the tongue ; it causeth a damp to fall upon the heart, and binds the hands, that a man hath no tongue to speak for Christ, nor heart to act for Christ, nor hand to strike for Christ. Unbelief spoils all the strength and power by which we should be serviceable to God. What water is to fire, that unbelief is to the soul ; therefore as you would do gloriously, take heed of unbelief.
[2.] Secondly, As you must take heed of unbelief, so, if you would do gloriously, considt neither' ivith the tem2:)ting nor with the persecut- ing icorld. What hinders many men from doing gloriously, but consulting with the tempting or the persecuting world ? This hath overthroA\ii many. Nay, what hmders men in our age from doing gloriously ? They are consulting with flesh and blood, with the tempting world and the frowning world. This hindei'S men from doing gloriously. I cannot believe but if parliament-men, and others in power and authority, did not look too much upon the tempting world when it smiles and holds forth her beautiful breasts, upon the ugly face of the world when it frowns and threatens, but that they would act more gloriously for God, and for the general good, and for the advancing of the name of the Most High in these days we live in.
[3.] If you would do gloriously, look off from the tempting ivorld: it is a plague and a snare; and look off from the frowning world, it will discourage you ; consult not with flesh and blood, with carnal reason. Looking upon the tempting or the frowning Avorld will damp the most gallant spirits in the world, and hinder them from doing any noble service for God or his saints. And therefore, as ever you would do gloriously, look not on the tempting or on the persecuting world ; look not upon it when it smiles oi' when it frowns ; but remember you have a God to look at, a Christ to look at, and a crown to look at ; that is better than all, that is more than all other things to your souls.
[4.J Then, again. If you would do gloriously, whatever you do, take heed of base, selfsh ends, take heed of self-love. There is nothing under heaven that will disable a man more from doing gloriously, than a base spirit of self-love ; such a man will never do gloriously. It may be, when he hath the wind and tide on his side, he may do some- thing that vain men may account glorious ; but this man will never do that which God and the saints call glorious, and count glorious. That base, selfish spirit, that looks no higher nor no further than self, it will never do gloriously. It may be fit for treachery, neutrality, and apostasy, but never to do gloriously.
Now as you must avoid these things so that you may do gloriously, in the next place,
[1.] First, Labour for internal spiritual knowledge of God. Oh, there is a great deal of notional light in the world ! but if men did know God internally, if they did know God more in the mystery and light of the Spirit, if they did know God more from union and com- nnmion with God, it were impossible but they should do more glori-
Col. III. 4.] christ is the life of believers. 331