[1.] Grace whereby we resemble Christ is glory, and indeed so it is, for the image and lilencss of God is our f/lory. What was Adam's glory but his likeness to God? He was created in God's image. And what is our glory ? To be like Christ. Therefore grace is our glory.
[2.] Man's perfection is his f/lory. But the renewing of God's image in grace is man's perfection. Therefore it is his glory.
[3.] That which makes a man terrible to all opposites whatsoever is glory. But grace makes a man terrible to the devil and to wicked men. Both grace in one man, and grace in the church ; for the church is ' terrible, like an army with banners,' Cant. vi. 4. When the ordinances of God are set up in glory, and there is glorious obedience to them in the church, it is terrible to the enemies as an army with banners ; for there is a lustre and glory in all that is God's, both in the persons of believers, and likewise in the ordinances of God. Grace is glorious. As the wise man saith, ' Wis- dom makes a man's face to shine,' Eccles. viii. 1. Is not wisdom a glorious thing : to see a wise understanding man able to guide himself and others ? It puts a beauty upon a man, to be a wise and understanding man. Humi- lity makes a man glorious ; for it makes God put glory upon a man, when a man is glorious, and understands it not. As Moses when his face shined, he knew not that it shined himself. Many humble men are glorious and think not so. They are glorious, and they shine, though they see it not.
Is it not a glorious thing to be taken out of ourselves, to deny ourselves, to offer a holy violence to ourselves, and to our corruptions ? Is not this a glorious thing, when others lie grovelling like slaves under their corrup- tions, to stand unmoveable in all the changes of the world, and in all inter- course of troubles to stand as a rock in the midst of all, unmoveable, founded upon the love of God in Christ, and the hope of glory after ? Not to be shaken with the wind of temptations from his standing, at least not to be shook ofi" his standing : this is glorious, to have a constant spirit.
Is it not glorious to have admittance boldly by grace ; to go into the presence of God at all times ; to be prevailer with God ? Faith overcomes not only the world, but God himself. It binds him with his own promise. Is not faith a glorious grace, that triumphs over the gi'eat God himself, binding him with his own word and promise ?
Is not love a glorious grace, that melts one into the likeness of Christ ? Beloved, get love. It is the only artificial worker of imitation. It melts us into the likeness of Christ. It constrains, it hath a kind of holy vio- lence in it. No water can quench it. We shall glory in sufferings for thut
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we love. Nothing can quench that holy fire that is kindled from heaven. It is a glorious grace.
Hope, what doth it ? When it casts anchor in heaven, it keeps us in all the waves. It purgeth our natures to be like the thing hoped for. There is no grace but it is glorious. So that grace is glory. The image of God is glory. It makes a man glorious. It makes him shine.
Beloved, do but represent to your thoughts such a one as Joseph, of a sweet, wise, and loving spirit. It is an excellent state to see a man iu his place in the commonwealth. What a glorious sight is it to see a Joseph, a Nehemiah, to see a man like Paul, all on lire for the glory of God and the good of the church ! The cai'e of all the churches lay upon him. The conceit* of a man shining in grace, what a gloi'ious representa- tion in our thoughts is it !
And so in men now living. When we see wisdom and love tending to the common good ; when we see a spirit of mortification, when we see a spirit of love, that is not for itself but for other men, a spirit of love above self-love, all for the good of others, as Christ ' went about doing good,' Acts s. 38, it makes them so lovely and glorious, as that no object in the world is so glorious, as to see a man in whom the image of Christ is ; it puts a glory upon him.
Besides, it puts an inward glory upon a man, when it makes him rejoice : ' The Spirit of glory rests upon him,' Isa. Ixi. i. Nay, in imprisonments and abasements, take a good man in any con-dition, he is glorious. His carriage is glorious. You shall not see flesh and blood, no revengeful humour. When flesh and blood is subdued, and nothing appears in a man but the image of Christ, he is a glorious creature in the greatest abase- ment that can be. When Paul was in the stocks, what a glorious condi- tion was he in ! When he sung at midnight, when the Spirit of glory was upon him ! To see the martyrs sufter without revenge, to pray for their enemies,, that they had a spirit that conquered all wrongs and fear of death, and displeasure of men ; a triumphant spirit above all things below, to raise them above encouragements and discouragements, what a glorious thing was this ! To see a man in his right principles, with the image of God upon him, he sees all things below, beneath him. This is glorious, to see a man that overcomes the world, that cares no more for the offers of preferment on the right hand, or for threateuings on the other hand. All is nothing to him. He breaks it as Samson did his cords. To see such a victorious spirit, is not this glorious ! To see a glorious soul, that is above all earthly things whatsoever, that tramples the world under foot, as the ' woman clothed with the sun' ti-eads the ' moon under her foot,' Rev. xii. 1. The church clothed with Christ, who is the gloiy of the church, tramples all earthly things under feet. Grace is victorious and conquering, prevailing over those corruptions that prevail over ordinary men. A Chris- tian as David, when he had Saul in the cave, overcomes himself, 1 Sam. xxiv. 4, seq. It is an argument of a great deal of strength of grace. Christ overcame himself on the cross. He prayed for his enemies. So when the nature of man is so subject to the power of grace, that though there be rebeUions in us, as there will be, while we are in this world, yet they can- not overpower the principle of grace. All this while a man is a glorious Christian, because he is not subject to the common humours and infirmities and weaknesses of men. Therefore that makes a Christian glorious, when he brings every thought and affection, and every corrffption, as much as may * That is, ' conception.' — G. iff