5. That excellency which is more intrinsic puts a truer honour upon us than that which is extrinsic and foreign ; as we do not value a horse by his trappings, but by his mettle and vigour. A corpse may be laid in state, and sumptuously adorned, but there is no life within. Crowns and garlands may be put upon an image , the white bulls destined for sacrifices to Jupiter were brought to the gates with gar- lands on their horns. Acts xiv. 13. So men are not to be v(dued by their external advantages, wealth, and greatness, but their intrinsic perfections, knowledge, holiness, humility, faith, sobriety, godliness: Ps. xlv. 13, ' The king's daughter is all-glorious within, her clothing is of wrought gold;' not the things without a man do commend him, but the things within him.
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6. That is honourable and glorious which will everlastingly be so. But we cannot say so of the things of the world ; 'All flesh is grass, and the glory of man is as the flower of the field/ 1 Peter i. 24. The best estate of men, considered with all their ornaments, wherein they use to glory, is frail and perishing ; riches, wisdom, strength, and beauty are soon blasted ; but they that are holy are lovely for ever, amiable and acceptable to God for ever ; 1 John ii. 17, ' The world passeth away, and the lusts thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever ; ' he abideth when other things fade.
Use 1. To exhort you to undertake the service of God, that you may have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life.
1. To serve God is our true liberty. His servants live the noblest and freest lives in the world ; servire Deo regnare est — you never reign or command till you learn to serve God. His right is unquestionable : Acts xxvii. 23, ' There stood by me this night an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.' It would help you much often to consider whose you are, and whom you ought to serve. If you were your own, you might live to yourselves ; but since you are God's, you must live to him, and serve him.
[1.] His service will be your pleasure ; for then you are in your due posture, when you have a power over inferior things, and are subject to God, using all things for his glory : 1 Cor. vi. 12, ' All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any \' and vers. 19, 20, ' Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own ? Tor ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.' You are out of joint, not in your proper posture, till it be so ; and,
[2.] It will be also your honour, for all his servants are also his children, and heirs of eternal life : Tit. iii. 7, ' That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.'
[3.] The benefit of this service will be exceeding great. The world often inquireth, ' What profit shall we have, if we serve him?' Job xxi. 15 ; 'Ye have said. It is in vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance ?' Mai. iii. 14. The whole reward of serving God is not altogether laid up for the world to come: God giveth a reward before he giveth the full reward. Obedience is a reward to itself, for holiness is the health of the soul ; and if we grow more in grace and godliness, we have enough. The apostle saith, ' You have your fruit to holiness.' Besides, we have many spiritual and temporal blessings: 1 Tim. iv. 8, 'Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come;' and, 1 Tim. vi. 6, ' Godhness with contentment is great gain.' Once more, though the great blessedness of the saints be in the life to come, yet here we have the foresight and foretaste, there our full portion,
Now, that you may do so, I press you —
1. To give over the service of sin. None can be true servants of God till there be a change both of the heart and of the course of the life ; till the power of sin be broken we shall neither be fit nor willing to serve God. Therefore we must first be freed from sin by a hearty
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renunciation of this slavery and bondage, wherein God will help the striving soul.
2. I would press you to a high esteem of God, and holiness, and everlasting life.
[1.] Of God ; for till we have high thoughts of God, as an all-suflScient God, who is able to protect, and do all things needful for them that serve him, we shall not entirely trust ourselves in his hands : Gen. xvii. 1, ' I am the Almighty God, walk before me, and be thou perfect.' The incredulous world looketh on God's glorious titles as so many fine words.