[1.] We must think ourselves to be honoured by this service, how grievous, disgraceful, and troublesome soever it be : 2 Cor. v. 9, ^l\o- riixov[jie6a, ' Therefore we labour, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.' We labour, that is, we strive after this honour, to labour with ambition. The meanest service about princes is honourable, if it be a groom, or any other inferior employment. A servant of the Lord is a higher honour than the prince of the power of the air ; Satan's title is windy and lofty. To do for Christ, saith Ignatius, is a greater honour than to be a monarch of all the world. Christ is such an excellent person, that anything that is done in and about him refiecteth an honour upon the person that doeth it. The second temple exceeded Solomon's because of Christ's presence : Hag. ii. 9, ' The glory of the latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts ; and in this place will I give ])eace, saith the Lord of hosts.' Bethlehem was ' little among the thousands of Judah,' Micali viii. 2, yet there Christ was born. So hardship with Christ, brown bread with Christ, shame and disgrace with Christ, is honour- able : Acts V. 41, ' They went away from the presence of the council, rejoicing, on Karrj^iwOrjaav aTifiacrOfpai,, that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the sake of Jesus Christ ;' it is, that they were honoured to suffer dishonour for Christ. Service is an honour.
266 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XIII.
suffering a privilege : Phil. i. 29, ' To you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.' Unless you have this mind, it is but a factious obstinacy, not a reli- gious suffering and doing for Christ.
[2.] There must be a sense of your unworthiness : Luke xvii. 10, ' When you have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants ; we have done that which was our duty to do.' A poor unworthy creature. Alas ! what have we done ? Christ is doubly honoured — by a direct aim and tendency of the endeavour, and by your humble profession, David prepared for the temple with all his might : 1 Chron. xxii. 14, ' Now behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and an hundred thousand talents of silver,' &c. ; a poor gift for the great God ! We are apt to over- value our services and endeavours, therefore it is very good to retain a humble modest sense of them. Poor creatures ! what do we do, that have received, not only life and breath, but grace and glory, and all things from Christ ? It is good to be humble for what we do, and to acknowledge it to be a thing wholly unworthy of God.
[3.] You must ascribe all to Christ's glory ; as Joab, when he had conquered Eabbali, sent for David to take the honour ; so must we do for Christ. This is still doubling of honour and glory : 1 Cor, xv. 10, ' By the grace of God I am what I am ; and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain ; for I laboured more abun- dantly than they all ; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.' The pen doth not deserve praise if the writer draweth a fair letter : Gal. ii. 20, ' I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the life which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.' The stars disappear when the sun shinetli in its strength. The work is enough, let God take the honour : 1 Chron. xxix. 14, ' But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort ? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.' David never speaketh in that strain, but on the occasion of a singular mercy. David ascribeth all to God, the ability, the will, the goods, the mind. So in all our engagements for Christ, he must have the praise ; as one man in a press or crowd lifteth up another, and he only is seen, when the other is lost in the throng.
5. By being zealous for his institutions ; then you honour Christ, by giving the wisdom and power of a lawgiver to him. The highest power of a prince is legislative. When you keep to Christ's laws, you count him faithful in his house, and acknowledge him king in his church. But now, when we set up our threshold by God's threshold, Christ is dishonoured, as if he were not faithful in his house : Mat. XV. 6, ' Thus have ye made the commandments of God of none effect by your traditions.' By the traditions of men ye make void the law of God, rjKvpcoa-are, ye unlord the law, so the word signifieth.
6. By taking some solemn time to meditate of and admire the excel- lency of his person and the fulness of his redemption. In heaven this will be our great work, there they praise the Lamb for evermore : Ptcv. iv. 10, 11, ' The four-and-twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to