Now, from these two veils that hinder the glory of God, there come other hindrances ; for the soul of man will wonder and admire at some- what. It will have somewhat in the eye of it. Hereupon, not seeing or
834 angels' accla.m \tions.
not believing the mercy, and goodness, and love of God, and the excellent prerogatives of a Christian issuing from the goodness of God, and the fruits of it, they doat upon some worldly excellency ; either they are proud of their parts, and so God is robbed of his honour, or on creatures meaner than themselves. For the base nature of man, since the fall, it doats upon earth, upon gold and silver, mean and base things, not to be compared to the excellency of man, or else upon some duties they perform, upon their own works, as if God should be beholden to them. For not knowing them- selves well, and the infinite glory of God in Christ, that God must have all the glory, not only of happiness, but of grace that brings us to happiness, they glory in that they have done ; as in popery, they think they merit much by their performance. In the night time a torch seems a goodly thing ; and sometimes rotten wood will shine ; but in the day time, when the sun appears, the very stars shine not ; we care not for meaner lights. For what good do they then ? So the kouI, when it wants a sight of the greatest excellency, it doats upon rotten wood, upon every torch-light. Many vain things seem to be great. A man may see by the dispositions of many what they admire and stand upon most. Their carriages shews it well enough. It argues a corrupt and weak judgment. You see what are the main hindrances.
3. Now, the way to attain to this glorious duty, to glorify God. The next thing shall be to give some directions, because it is a most necessary duty. Is it not that we pray for in the Lord's prayer, ' Hallowed be thy name ' ? And what is the end that we were created and redeemed for, but that God may have some gloiy by us ? Therefore, being a necessary absolute duty, let us hearken to some directions that may help us that way.
(1.) First, Therefore, if we would glorify God, tve must redeem some time to think of these things, and bestow the strenr/th of our thouf/hts this way. The soul being the most excellent thing in the world, it is fit it should be set on the excellentcst duty. Man being in such an excellent condition, being heir of heaven, and having an understanding soul, it is fit the most excel- lent part of the most excellent creature should be set upon the most excel- lent object. Now, the most excellent part of the soul is the understanding. It kindles all the affections, and leads all the rest. Therefore let us take some time to meditate and think of these things. What we are by nature, and the misery we are exposed to by sin, that whatsoever we have more than hell is more than we deserve ; and then withal, think what we are advanced to in Christ; what we are freed from, — that cursed condition ; and what we shall be freed from, — the sting of death ; and all that we fear for the time to come. Think of what we are freed from, and what we are advanced to, and by whom. By God becoming man : a mystery that might, nay, that doth ravish the very angels themselves ; God-man, now in heaven, making good what he did on earth, by his intercession. And then the ground of all, the infinite love, and mercy, and bounty of God to poor dis- tressed man. The thought of these things will inilame the heart. Now, they never work upon the heart thoroughly till they end in admiration ; and indeed the Scripture sets it down in terms of admiration, ' So God loved the world.' * So.' How ? ' So, as I cannot tell how, I cannot express it ; and ' what love hath God shewed us, that we should be called the sons of God !' 1 John iii. 1. And then the fruits that we have by this incar- nation of Christ, and by his death, they are admirable : ' peace that passeth understanding,' Philip, iv. 7, 'joy unspeakable and glorious,' 1 Pet. i. 8. So that the mystery is wonderful, and the dignity wonderful, and the fruits,
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the comfort, and peace, and joy, wonderful ; everything is an object of admiration. Therefore when we think and meditate of these things, let us never end till our souls be wound up to admiration of the excellent love of God. We wonder at things that are new, and rare, and great. Is there anything more new and rare than that that never was the like, for God to become man ? Is there anything more excellent than the benefits we have by Christ becoming man, to free us from so great misery, and to advance us to so great happiness ? If anything be an object of admiration, surely it must be this. Therefore the apostle doth well to give all the dimensions to the love of God in Christ, * height, and breadth, and depth, and length.' It is a love ' passing knowledge,' Eph. iii. 19. Quest. What good will come by this ?