(1.) It is from grace that he is glorified in us by the work of faith. Take it either for constant and patient suffering ; it is a special gift that merely cometh from the Lord's grace : Phil. i. 29, ' To you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.' God of his goodness hath vouchsafed you this favour, not only to believe in Christ, but to suffer for him. It is beyond the power of natural strength to suffer christianly ; all things neces- sary thereunto are given us by grace, they are purchased to our hand by Christ, and freely given us by God, which should encourage the most cowardly and dastardly. God will not be wanting to you, if you will own the truth which you believe.
(2.) For the work of christian obedience, whereby Christ is glorified, it still cometh from the influence of grace : Phil. i. 11, 'Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Christ Jesus to the praise and glory of God.' All those works of godliness, charity, and right- eousness, which are commanded in the gospel, are done by God's grace, to his praise and glory. The work must be done by strength from Christ, as well as for the honour of God.
[2.] As we are glorified in him. Our glorious estate in heaven is the fruit of his grace : Rom. vi. 23, ' The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life,' -^dpiaixa deov. Sin deserveth hell by a proper merit, therefore death is called wages ; but all that we suffer doth not deserve glory, therefore eternal life is not called otyeovia, wages ; nay, it is called 1/jilado<i, the reward; not Scopov, but ^dpto-fia, Vulgar, gratia Dei, the freest, richest gift. If in any sort it might be merited or deserved, the apostle questionless would have said it is otycovia, wages, or at least fiiaOos ; but because reward includeth rationem dati, some- thing given, not always a reward of mere bounty, he doth not say, the reward of God, &c, not Scopov, a gift of kindness, for one kindness may deserve another ; but it is ^dpiafia, the most undeserved gift that can be given ; a word incompatible with all conceit of merit. But not to insist on words only, what is the reason of the difference, that one should be merit, the other grace ? Herein they agree, that
1 Qu. 'not called' ?— Ed.
VER. 12.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 347
the one as well as the other is the fruit of men's several ways ; but herein they differ, God doth never punish men above or beyond their ilesert, but he rewardeth them, not only far above, but altogether with- out any desert, merely of his grace, rewarding his gifts in them.
II. To prove the point to you, I will do it by these two con- siderations—
1. That deserveth most to be taken notice of which is most eminent and conspicuous in any work. If an artificer showeth you any curious piece of workmanship, he expecteth to be praised, not for his riches, but his skill ; a wrestler, not for his beauty, but his strength ; a king in his royal gifts, not for his wisdom, but magnificence; and a judge, not for the comeliness of his person, but his justice. To commend a man that is sick for his abstinence is a ridiculous commendation ; it is much more proper to commend him for his patience. A painter would take himself affronted if you should commend his work for the richness of the clothes, and not the art or good painting. Every one expecteth his proper praise, and such as belongeth to the work represented to your view. So God hath acquainted us with a glorious design for man's good, and a curious frame of counsels exactly laid together ; and all over interwoven with grace, that you cannot consider it but presently grace occurreth to your view and observation. The apostle telleth us, Eom. v. 8, ' That he commendeth his love to us in our redemption by Christ.' When he sent his Son to die for a sinful world, he laid a curious draught of love and grace before your eyes. So Eph. i. 6, ' He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, to the praise of his glorious grace.' His work towards his people is so carried on, that not only free grace begins it, but the further it goeth on, grace still is further mani- fested and magnified, and more to be seen at the very close of it than at the beginning ; so that we may be still crying out, Grace, grace. This is the glory that he expecteth from you, for this is most eminent and conspicuous in the whole work of our salvation ; and therefore what is our duty, but to praise, admire, and esteem this glorious grace, and to manifest our value of it in the whole course and tenor of our lives ? Men and angels cannot consider or look into it, but they see matter of praise and thanksgiving for his rich and free grace.
2. Because salvation is so contrived and stated that there could be no other cause but his grace, whether you consider God or the crea- ture.