' From glory to glory.'
Grace, ".we see, is glory, especially when it is in strength ; and the more grace grows, the more glory. The more it shines, the more glory. We say of fire, the more it burns the less it smokes ; the less infirmity appears that may disgrace it, the more grace. The more light and lustre, and the less infirmity. Glory belongs to the growth of grace in this world. For is not a Christian a glorious Christian when he is a grown Christian ? when he sends a lustre as a pearl ? when as a glorious light he shines to the example of others ? when he is able, as Paul saith gloriously of him- self, ' I can do all in Christ that strengtheneth me,' Philip, iv. 13, to want and to abound. Cast him into any condition what you will, he is like him- self. Cast Joseph into prison, he is Joseph still; cast Paul in the dungeon, he is Paul still, and is never more glorious than in the midst of afflictions. So grace growing to some perfection is glorious ; ' wisdom makes a man's face to shine,' saith Solomon, Eccles. viii. 1. So it is true of all other graces in some perfection. They make a man shine. There is nothing in the world so glorious as a Christian that is grown to some perfection. Indeed, he is so glorious, that the eye of the world, when it is cast upon him, it stirs up env}-, as carnal persons, when they see a Christian man unmoveable in the midst of all motions, and unchangeable in all changes, when nothing can alter him, but he goes on, they wonder at the condition of this man, whenas mdeed his grounds and resolutions are above all dis- couragements or encouragements that the world can afford. David was a king and a prophet, and David was a holy man, and David, for constitution of body, was ruddy and of a sweet complexion; and David, for the manner of his kingdom, was a king of a great people. There were many excel- lencies of David. Oh but what doth David account the prerogative of a man ? ' Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven, in whose spii'it there is no guile,' Ps. xxxii. 2 ; that is, that is truly sanctified in spirit ; that is in the state of justification ; and as a witness of that, of the forgiveness of his sins, hath a spirit without guile. Happy is that man, not that is a king, or a prophet, or a strong man, or a beautiful man, or hath this endow-
282 EXCELLENCY OF THE GOSPEL
ment or tliat ; but happy is the man whose sius are forgiven, and whose spirit is sanctified.
' From glory to glory.'
We see then that there must be an increase, a growing * from glory to glory.' There is no stop nor stay to be made in religion. There must be of necessity a desire to grow better and better ; for gloiy will grow still to glory. Grace will never cease till it end in glory.
[1.] Both in, our dispositions that have it wrought in us; we shall desire it may increase in us the image of God and Christ more and more.
[2.] And in God's purpose. Where he begins he makes an end. Whe- ther we look to him that will not have us in a state of imperfection,* .... He hath not chosen us to imperfection, but to perfection ; and he hath called us not to imperfection, but to perfection. He hath elected us to perfection. He hath chosen us to be spotless, not to be conflicting with our coi-rup- tions, and to be halting alway as Jacob. We shall have perfect strength. We are called and elected to perfection. Therefore there is no standing at a stay in religion ; there must be a perpetual growth. It is oar disposition to desire and endeavour it still.
For, beloved, it is that that is inbred to all things that are imperfect, to hasten to perfection, till they come to their ithi, to their pitch. We see it in grain, weak grain. Till it come to the full growth, it breaks through clods, through harder things than itself. There is a nature in corn and seeds, that have a beginning of life in their kind in them, till those seeds come to growth, they put out themselves with a great deal of strength against opposition. So grace is of such a strong nature. Being intended by God to perfection, it will not rest in mean beginnings, but puts itself forward still, and breaks through opposition. I will not stand upon the common place of growth in grace. It is a large discoui'se, and I touched it upon many occasions. You see the necessity of it. There must be a growth from glor}^ to glory.
A growth not in parts as we say. For at the first regeneration, in the first beginning, when we are gracious, there is the beginning of a new life, and there is the seeds of all graces. But especially this growth is in intension and extension. Grace grows more and more in strength, and extends and reacheth itself further and further to the use of many. Grace grows, I say, in the intension of itself, and extends and reacheth itself to the use of more. The more a Christian lives, when he is in a right state and frame as a Christian should be, he is of more strength in all particular graces, and doth the more good, and shines more in his life and conversation to others.