VER. 12.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 333
[2.] The other inconvenience which would follow is, if those that glorify God should not be rewarded by him, they should be losers by Christ, and their religion would make them miserable : 1 Cor. xv. 19, ' If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.' Now Christ would never proselyte us to the faith to our loss ; if in this life we should hope in Christ, and endure all extremities for that hope, without any fruit and effect of it hereafter, it would follow that christians were the most unhappy persons in the world. Now this is absurd, to think that the best, the wisest, the most innocent of men, should be the most miserable and calamitous. Virtue is called good, because it shall be well with those that follow it ; and sin evil, because it brings evil upon the sinful. You will say, They have spiritual good, the comfort of a good conscience for the present, though no other happiness should ensue. I answer — This comfort of a good conscience ariseth from a sense of God's approbation, or our acceptance with him, else they would never voluntarily restrain themselves from so many things pleasing to the flesh, which others freely hunt after, or endure such bitter sufferings, or at least run the hazard of them, from which other men are or may be free. And it is not the present appro- bation only, but our future acceptance to glory, which supports us under these tribulations: Kom. v. 2, ' We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.' Certainly a creature can never acquiesce or rest satisfied in a state of misery, but groaneth and looketh out for a better.
2. God hath not only appointed that we should glorify him before he glorify us, but that we should glorify him on earth before he glorifieth. us in heaven, because God expecteth glory from his creatures in what state soever they are. Our duty to the Creator ceaseth not. If he place us at the lower end of the world, we must glorify him there ; if he translate us to the upper end, we must also glorify him there. And we have Christ for an example : John xvii. 4, 5, ' I have glorified thee upon earth ; now Father, glorify me with thyself.' We would all be glorified in heaven, but few think of glorifying Christ upon earth ; here is our work, there we receive our reward. Our work we do upon earth, but we must tarry for our reward till we come to heaven ; and indeed this is the trial of our sincerity, to glorify him upon earth ; in heaven we glorify Christ without opposition or interruption. Esse bonum facile est, tibi quod vetat esse remotum est. It is easy to be good where that which hindereth is removed ; but our sincerity is tried by glorifying him now upon earth.
[1.] Where so few mind this work ; and so it maketh a distinction between us and the rest of the world : Phil. ii. 21, ' All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's ; ' that is, their own interests, their own honour, their own profit, their own personal contentment. Now a christian should walk in counter-motion to the generality of the world, and be an exceptive to the common use and corrupt practice of mankind : ' To me to live is Christ,' Phil. i. 21. His time, his strength, his all is Christ's ; his care and business is, that Christ may be glorified in him.
[2.] On earth, where we have so many difficulties and temptations to divert us. The saints in heaven glorify God, but without any difficulty, strife, and danger. It costs us no shame, no pain, no trouble,
334 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SeR. XV.
no loss of life and limb ; but there where the danger is, there is the duty and trial : Mat. x. 3, ' Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father in heaven.' Christ will remember them and their labour of love, and how they exposed themselves to sorrows and sufferings for his sake ; it is fond to think of glorifying God in heaven, and singing hallelujahs to his praise, when thou dost not stand to his truth upon earth. It is easy to be good when we have no let or impediment, or temptation to the contrary.
3. Christ taketh special notice of those that glorify him in the world, and it is one of his pleas for his disciples, John xvii. 10, ' Father, I am glorified in them.' He is an advocate in heaven for those that are factors for his kingdom upon earth, which is a great comfort to all those that sincerely set themselves to promote the glory of God and the good of the church. The more our endeavours are to glorify God and Christ, the more confident we may be of Christ's mediation for us, that he is negotiating our cause in heaven, and giving a good report of us there, or speaking well of us behind our backs. To have Christ's good word is more than the commendation Of all the world.