Those that care not what company they keep, those that despise the image of Christ in those among whom they live, can they grow in grace ?
We shall give account of all the good examples we have had. Doth God kindle lights for nothing ? We should glorify God for the sun and moon and stars, and other creatures. Is not a Christian more glorious than all the creatures in the world ? We should glorify God for grace in Christians, and labour to be transformed to them that we may grow the liker to Christ, that we may grow more and more glorious. I speak this to advance the communion of saints more and more, as we desire to partake more and more of this grace, and to grow ' from glory to glory.'
Use 6. Again, considering that God means to bring us, by little and little, by degrees, to perfect glory of body and soul, and condition in heaven to be like Christ, let this make us be content to he vile for Christ in this world, as David said when he was scorned, ' I will be yet more vile,' 2 Sam. vi. 22, ' do you think I think much to shew myself thus, for the honour of God ? ' WTien Michal scoffed, ' I will be more vile.' Let us be content to go out of the camp, and bear the reproach of Christ, Heb. xi. 26, bear the reproach of religion. Let the world scorn us for the profession of religion. God is bringing us from glory to glory, till he bring us to perfect glory ; and shall we suffer nothing for him ? Let us be content to be more vile, and to bear the reproach of religion. The very worst thing in religion, the re- proach of Christ, as Moses made a wise choice, it is better than the treasures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 26. The most excellent things in the world are not so good as the worst thing in religion, because reproach ends with assurance of comfort, that God will take away that, and give us glory after. There- fore, let us not be discouraged from a Christian course, but go through good report and bad report, break through all, to finish our course with joy, as St Paul speaks of himself, Acts xx. 2'4.
Use 7. And doth God bring us from glory to glory, till he have brought us to perfection of glory ? Then, I beseech you, let r(s beforehand be thank- ful to God, as we see in the epistles of blessed St Paul and Peter : ' Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that hath begotten us to an inheritance immortal, undefiled, reserved in heaven,' saith St Peter, 1 Pet. i. 4 ; and so St Paul. Let us begin the employment of heaven beforehand. For why doth God discover to us that he will bring us to glory ? why doth
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he discover it to our faith, that excellent state ? That we miqht begin heaven on earth, as much as might be. And how shall we do that ? By the employment of heaven. What is that ? ' Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts,' Rev. iv. 8. There is nothing but magnifying and glorifying of God. There shall be no need of prayer. There are praises alway ; and BO much as we are in the praises of God, and glorifying of God for his mercy and love in Christ, so much wc are in heaven before our time. I beseech you, therefore, be stirred up in consideration of this, that we are leading on by degrees, from glory to glory, till we come to perfection. Let us even give God the praise of all beforehand. For it is as sure as if we had it. For one way, how things to come are present, is by faith. Glory to come is present two or three ways already, that may stir us up to glorify God beforehand.
(1.) The glory to come is present to Christ our head. We, in our hus- band, are in heaven. Now he hath taken heaven for us !
(2.) And in regard of faith, that is the evidence of things not seen. It is the nature of faith to present things to come as present. To faith, glory to come is present, present in Christ, and we are part of Christ, Christ mystical, and members. And we in our head ore in heaven already, and sit there. And to faith, that makes things present that are to come, we are in heaven already.
(3.) And we have the earnest of heaven, the first-fruits of the Spirit. We have grace which is glorj^ the beginnings of glory. We have the first-fruits and earnest. Now, an earnest is never taken away, but is made up by the bargain with the rest ; so the earnest of the Spirit of God, the first-fruits of peace and joy, of comfort and liberty to the throne of grace, these are the beginnings of heaven. Therefore, be much in praising God. Oh that we could be so ! If we could get into a frame and disposition to bless God, we could never be miserable ; no, not in the greatest afflictions, for thank- fulness hath joy alway. When a man is joyful, he can never be miserable, for joy enlargeth the soul. When is a man most joyful, but in a state of thankfulness ? And what makes us thankful so much, as to consider the wonderful things that are reserved in another world, the glory that God is leading us to by little and little, from glory to glory, till we be perfect ?