17G SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. V.
on us when a true spirit of wisdom, justice, holiness, truth, love pre- vaileth upon our hearts, and runneth through all our operations ; when we live as such as converse with the great fountain of goodness and lioliness. A christian's life is a hymn to God ; his circumspect walk- ing proclairaeth the wisdom of God ; his avvefulness and watchfulness against sin proclaimeth the majesty of God ; his cheerful and ready obedience under the hardest sufferings proclaimeth the goodness of God ; his purity and strictness, the holiness of God ; the impression and stamp of all the letters of God's glorious name is imprinted upon his heart and life. A carnal christian polluteth his honour and pro- faneth his name : Ezek. xxxvi. 20, ' And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land.' But how can God be polluted by us ? As a man that lusteth after a woman hath committed adultery with her in his heart, while she is spotless and undefiled, Mat. v. 28. Carnal christians are a scandal to religion ; they are called christians in opprohrium Christi Men judge by what is visible and sensible, and think of God by his worshippers, by those who profess themselves to be a people near and dear to him.
4. By that which is an immediate consequence of the former, by an exemplary conversation, when we do those things which tend to the honour of God's name, and to bring him into request in the world : 1 Peter ii. 12, ' Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you, as of evil-doers, tliey may, by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation;' Mat. v. 16, 'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.' Our holiness must be shown forth for edification, not for ostentation ; not for our glory, but the glory of our heavenly Father. It is the fruitful christian bringeth most honour to God : John xv. 8, ' Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.' Glorifying God is not a few transient thoughts of God and his glory, or a few cold speeches of his excellences and benefits ; this is not the great end for which we were made, and new made ; but that we might be fruitful in all holiness, and show forth those impressions which God hath left upon us. In the impression we are passive ; in showing it forth, active.
5. When we are active for his interest in the world. Our Lord took notice of it in his disciples : John xvii. 7, ' Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.' If we are agents for his kingdom, he will be our advocate in heaven. This ia the method of the Lord's prayer, ' Hallowed be thy name;' and then, ' Thy kingdom come.' This is tlie first means of promoting the great end. Jesus Christ himself telleth us this was the end of his coming into the world : John xviii. 37, ' To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.' It belonged to him in a more especial way, as the great prophet of the church ; he came out of the bosom of God to reveal the secrets of God ; and for the same end we all came into the world : Isa. xliii. 10, ' Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom
VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 177
I have chosen, that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he.' They that felt the comfortable effects of his promises and his truth can best witness for him. A report of a report is little valued ; we are all to witness to God, by entertaining it in our hearts and showing forth the fruit of it in our lives ; this is a witness to an unbelieving and careless world : John iii. 33, ' He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true;' Heb. xi. 7, ' By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by which he con- demned the world;' Phil. ii. 15, ' That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.* When you are diligent in holiness, patient and joyful under the cross, full of hope and comfort in great straits, meek, self-denying, mortified, you sanctify God in the eyes of others ; you propagate the faith by an open profession: Mat. xi. 19, ' Wisdom is justified of her children.' When we suffer for it in times of great danger, and seal it with our blood, it is a great glory to God: John xxi. 19, ' This said he, signi- fying by what death he should glorify God.' It is an honour to God when, in the midst of temptations and discouragements, we are not ashamed of his ways.