2. One way is, to have a care that there he no breaches made upon the sound doctrine that is left unto us, and hath been sealed up by the blood of so many martyrs. We had it dearly. It hath been taught by our forefathers, and sealed with then- blood ; and shall we betray it ? No ; let us labour to deliver it to our posterity, from hand to hand, to the coming of Christ ; and then we shall in effect, and not in word only, do that which Paul saith
832 THE saint's safety in evil times.
here — labour to glorify God for ever and ever, botli in the church and in heaven. Surelj^ those that will glorify God in heaven, he will have them so disposed to glorify him on earth.
It is a dangerous thing when persons are naught. We see what comes of it, especially if they be great. It is said of Manasseh, when God had for- given him his sin, yet afterwards God plagued the kingdom for the sins that Manasseh committed, 2 liangs xxiv. 8. How can this be ? Be- cause he by his sin, though he repented himself, yet set the kingdom in an evil frame. And no question but he had naughty principles ; and among people that are given to licentiousness, if there be anj-thing in great men, it will go to posterity after them. So that when governors are naught, they are not only a poison to the church and state while they live, but the mis- chief of it is after and after still. And so it is in the best things. If the governor be good, he lays a foundation of good for the kingdom in time to come, as well as for his own time.
How will it shame a man when he shall think, I do these things now, but what will posterity think of me ? what will be the remembrance of it when I am gone ? Then my name will stink. The wicked emperor Nero was of this resolution when he should die : ' Let heaven and earth mingle to- gether,' saith he, ' when I am gone.'* He knew himself to be so naught, and that he should be so evil spoken of, that he wished there were no pos- terity, but that the world might end with him. So it is the wishes of those that are wretches themselves, and that lay a foundation of wretched times after. They wish that heaven and earth may mingle, that no man might censure them when they are gone. What a shameful condition is it for men to gratify a number of unruly lusts, and give such sway to them as to do ill while they live, and to lay a foundation of misery for after times.
On the contrary, what a good thing is it, like Josiah and Nehemiah, to be full of goodness while we hve, and to lay a foundation of happiness and prosperity to the church and state when we are gone ! What a happy thing is it, when a man is gone, to say such a man did such a thing ! He stood stoutly for the church, for religion ; he was a public man ; he forgot his own private good for the public ; he deserved well of the times wherein he lived. What a blessed commendation is this, next to heaven, to have a blessed report on earth, and to carry such a conscience as will comfort a man that he hath carried himself well, and abounded in well-doing.
I beseech you let us think of this ' for ever and ever.' It is not enough that we be good in our times that are circumscribed to us. But as God hath given us immortal souls, and preserves us to immortal glory, and a crown of immortality, so let our thoughts and desires be immortal, that God may be gloi'ified in the church, world without end. Oh, what a sweet comfort will it be when we are on our deathbed, to think what we have done in our lifetimes ! Then all our good actions wiU come and meet to- gether, to comfort and refresh our souls.
Encoura/jements to fjlorifn God. The better to encourage us to glorify God while we are here, and to lay a foundation to eternise his glory for the time to come, consider, 1. GoiVs gracious lii'omise: ' Those that honour me I will honour,' 1 Sam. ii. 30. If we had enlarged hearts to honour God, God would honour us. He hath passed his word for it. If a king should say so, 0 how would we be set on fire ! how much more when the I^g of kings saith it !
* Tlio (lying saying of Nero has been recorded, ' Dedccorose vixi, turpius peream.' — See Tacitus, lib. xv. — G.
IHE saint's safety IN EVIL TIMES. 333
2. Consider that we honour ourselves when ice honour God. Nay, the more we honour God, the more we are bound to God ; for it is from him that we honour him. The sacrifice comes from him, as well as the matter for which we sacrifice. He found a ram for Abraham to sacrifice. Gen. xxii. 13. He gives the heart to be thankful. The more we are thankful, the more we shall be thankful, and the more we ought to be thankful for our thankfulness.