3. Motives.
[1.] God will have his glory upon you, if not from you. If he have not the glory due to his name, he will right himself in the course of his providence : Lev. x. 3, ' I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified ; ' by them, or upon them. Now it is a miserable thing to be made objects of the glory of his vindictive justice ; better actively glorify him, that we may receive the fruits of his rewarding grace.
[2.] We shall be called to an account what we have done with our time, talents, interests, and opportunities, Luke xix. 23 ; what honour he hath by our gifts, graces, estates, esteem, power and interest in the world. I beseech you consider beforehand what will you answer him when he shall rise up to the judgment ? Job xxxi. 14. Will this be an answer, that you spent your time in pleasing the flesh, in serving and gratifying your lusts, that you were drowned in worldly cares, and had no leisure to glorify God or mind his kingdom ? As if an ambas- sador sent abroad to serve his king and country, should only return this account of his negotiation, that he was busied in courtships, or spent his time in plays ; or a factor, that he hath wasted his money in enter- tainments, that was to be employed in traffic. Oh, what a dreadful
342 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSAL0NIANS L [SER. XVI.
account will poor souls make who have either done nothing, or nothing to purpose, or that which is worse than nothing !
[3.] How comfortable it will be at death when you have minded your business, and made it your work to live to God ! when you can say, as our Lord, John xvii. 4, ' I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do ; ' or, as Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8, ' I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness ; ' or as Hezekiah, Isa. xxxviii. 3, ' Eemember now, 0 Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.' Usually when men lie a-dying, they bewail their loss of time, neglect of God, and omission of their great work. It is better to be prepared than surprised, gaming and sporting away that precious time which should have been spent to the glory of God.
SERMON XVI.
That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ. — 2 Thes. i. 12.
Doct. That our complete salvation, from the first step to the last period, doth merely flow from the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Let me first possess you of the full sense of the point.
First, Observe, the goodness of God to us is called grace. By grace is meant God's free favour. There are several names by which the Lord's goodness is expressed — love, benignity, mankindness, mercy, grace. Love showeth God's self-inclination to do good ; benignity or bounty, his beneficial goodness, or actual doing good. Mankindness : Titus iii. 4, ' After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared,' (juXavOpanria. The restoration and recovery was pre- pared for man, and offered to man, not to fallen angels. But the usual expressions are mercy and grace. Mercy noteth his goodness to mankind, notwithstanding their misery ; grace, is doing good freely and without desert. This grace of God is the first cause and fountain of all good. God's external motive is our misery ; his internal is his own grace. Mercy respects us, as we are in ourselves worthy of con- demnation ; grace as compared with others, who have not received the like favour. If the question be, why we are accepted unto life and salvation, who are so sinful and miserable? I answer — Mercy. But if the question be, why we, and not they who perish in their sins ? I answer — Grace. The good angels, that never sinned, are not saved out of mercy, for they were never miserable ; but out of grace, which doth all things gratis freely. There is no merit on the creature's part, but we are saved out of mercy and grace too. That the world of the un- godly are damned is due desert ; that any are saved, it is mere grace and favour. The notion of mercy is of great use to prevent despair, which may befall the sinning creature. So is also the notion of grace
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to prevent carnal confidence, or glorying in ourselves, which is very incident to us. Mercy it is called, that broken-hearted creatures, who are sensible of their great misery, may not be cut off from all hope ; grace, that no flesh may glory in itself, Eph. ii. 9 ; for from first to last, in the whole business of our salvation, we hear of nothing but grace. Election is called the election of grace, Eom. xi. 5. Calling is of grace : 2 Tim. i. 9, ' Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.' Then election breaketh out in time, and becometh actual grace. Sanctification is of grace : Eph. ii. 5, ' When we were dead in sins, he hath quickened us together with Christ ; by grace ye are saved.' Justification is by grace : Eom. iii. 24, ' Justified freely by his grace,' Sapeav, and tyj clvtov ^apm. ' Freely,' to note the readiness of hia inclination ; and ' by his grace,' to exclude the merit of our works ; that is, by the mere grace of God, not excited by any worth or deserving of ours, but working of its own accord. And finally, we are glorified by grace, ' for it is the grace of God which bringeth salvation to us,' Titus ii. 11.