* That is, ' painstaking.' — G.
t Qu. ' they are as unsavoury salt ' ? Cf. Mat. v. 13.— G. VOL. V. D
CO OF THE I'EOVirENCE OF GOD.
grace is llio greater ; for there will be an affection suitable to tlic propor- tion of grace they have.
And to this end observe with mo some motives to incite us to this duty ; and first, 1. It is the character of the child of God, and a sign we are trans- lated from death to life, if we love and reverence the brethren. If we be brethren as we profess ourselves, we are led with the same spirit ; and therefore wo ought to love those most especial that ore means of begetting the grace of the Spirit in us. It is a part of grace to desire grace. Now there is no desire of grace but there must be a love of it ; and therefore if we will prove ourselves to be marked with the mark of God in our fore- heads, and that we are his children, let us get this character for a witness to us.
2. The second motive in regard of God, — the former was in regard of ourselves, — those that God esteems most we ought to make most account of. God spared not his own Son for their sake. The saints are precious in the eyes of the Lord. And in the second place, Christ he esteems of them above his own blood ; he gave himself for them freely. Thirdly, the angels they esteem of them. Christ says, Offend them not, for the angels in heaven behold the face of God continually. Mat. xviii. 10. Fourthly, the ministers esteem them. ' I suffer all for the elect's sake,' says Paul. The Spirit of God esteems them ; they are his temples to dwell in, 2 Tim. ii. 10.
3. In regard of themselves they are to be esteemed, they are lively. They have the ' new creature ' in them ; they have God's Spirit ever in them. All created excellency is as ' the flower of grass.' It withers sud- denly. But they have that which continues for ever, grace and the Spirit of God. They have the image of God seated in them. They have the word and the promises made sure to them. They are free-born ; free from hell, death, wrath. They are of disposition free ; they can want and they can abound. They are rich in the best riches, strong in the greatest strength. They overcome the devil, the world ; they overcome and conquer death, who is the king of fears.
4. In the next place, in regard of the good we reap by them, they are to be esteemed. God blesses us by them. They are the pillars of this totter- ing world. In regard of a few of God's elect not yet brought in, this world continues yet ; but if the number be accomplished once, God will no longer withhold his coming. Lot's presence in Sodom stayed God's wrath ; he could do nothing till he was gone. So Noah in the old world, Joseph in Egypt, Moses among the Israelites, they stopped the passage of God's wrath ; and therefore Job, xxii. 30, saith, ' He shall deliver the island of the innocent.' They are * the chariots and horsemen of Israel ;' their prayers are our protectors. And thus mayest thou try thyself and thy estate ; for dost thou despise those that are good, thou art ranked amongst vile persons. Look 2 Tim. iii. 3, and such as are signs of the last times, wherein cor- ruption shall abound. Many things are much set by, but where are those that have their delight set on the excellent of the earth ? A wicked man, I deny not, may esteem some one that is good, but it shall not be for that they are good, but it may be for some by-respects of profit or pleasure that they shall reap thereby. They will commend stars that be within their own horizon ; praise martyrs being dead, whom, if alive, likely it is they would be the first persecutors of them ; for thirty pieces of silver, a little gain, sell even Christ himself, and make shipwreck of their faith. Yet the time will shortly come when these despised shall be had in greatest honour.
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and those that scorn them now M-ould be ghid to keep them company, and ever be with them.
Quest. But it will be asked, "\^Tierc are these men you speak of ? how is it they are not respected ?
Ans. I answer, They are not known, ' the world knows them not ; ' — First, Because it knows not their Father ; for if it esteemed him, it would esteem also of them ; and therefore. Secondly, they are * strangers and pilgrims,' although excellent in themselves. Thirdly, ' Their life is hid with Christ,' Col. iii. 3. They are eclipsed and disgraced. Disgraces, scandals, miseries, and their own infirmities, these make the children of God to be unknown ; yet those that know them will even in their infir- mities see many things worth observation and practice. Contrarily in wicked men what is to be respected ? Shall we think of them the better for their degree, state, comeliness, riches, or the like ? Surely these end in death, whenas all respects are taken away ; but goodness is more accom- plished in death, it shall never be at an end ; and therefore to be the rather respected and esteemed, and men also as the_y are good. Wicked men may be also esteemed, but not otherwise than as they are marked with the image of God, as they are in place of magistracy and government : and so they are not esteemed, but their imayes they carry about with them of superiority. And therefore among these of the like kind those are to be most esteemed that are most good, and this is, as I said before, a note of a good man ; for what saith David, Ps. sv. 4 ? ' He shall enter into the taber- nacle of God, in whose eyes a vile person is contemned ; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord.' To this end begin with thyself. How dost thou value thyself? Dost thou do it carnally ? How then canst thou esteem aright of others ? Be therefore of Theodosius his mind, ' value thyself according to thy measure in grace and assurance of salvation' (f). What though the world think basely of thee ! So did it of those saints, Heb. xi. 38. They thought them unworthy to live. But remember God is not ashamed to be called our God and Father. Heaven is ours, Christ, grace, and glory are all om's. Thus by esteeming thyself aright thou shalt begin to reverence that in others which thou so much accountest of in thyself ; and we all together shall find what God esteems most of, and of whom, when we shall be together crowned with joys unspeakable, which are hidden from the eyes of the world. It appears not to them v.hat we shall be, the glory being such and so great as they, judging carnally, cannot conceive thereof.