(1.) Of the end. Men question what will become of them in the close; they fluctuate about what will be their latter end. Did not
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Balaam do so when he cried, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like his"? That wretched man was tossed up and clown between hopes and fears. This is common to the vilest person in the world. It is but the shaking of their security, if they be alone.
(2.) About the means. The soul doubts whether it loves Christ, and whether Christ loves it or not. This is far more genuine than the former. It discovers, at least, that such a soul is convinced of the excellency and usefulness of Christ, and that it hath a valuation for him; yea, perhaps this may be jealousy from fervency of love some- times, and not always from weakness of faith. But, however, with these doublings, faith, at least a little faith, may consist. So was it with the poor man who cried out, " Lord, I believe ; help thou mine unbelief." There is believing and unbelieving, faith and doubting, both at work at the same time in the same person, — Jacob and Esau stru eroding in the same womb.
Use. Let not men from their doubting conclude to their believing. He that satisfies himself that his field hath corn because it hath thistles, may come short of a harvest. If thy fears be more about the end than the means, — more about future happiness than present com- munion with God,- — thou canst scarce have a clearer argument of a false, corrupt frame of heart. Some flatter themselves with this, that they have doubted and trembled ; but now they thank God they are quiet and at rest. How they came to be so, they canuot tell; only, whereas they were disquieted and troubled, now all is well with them. How many of this sort have I known, who, whilst convictions have been warm upon them, have had many perplexing thoughts about their state and condition ; after a while, their convictions have worn off, and their doubtings thence arising departed, and they have sunk down into a cold, lifeless frame ! This is a miserable bottom of quiet. If there were no way of casting out doubts and fears but by believing, this were somewhat ; but presumption and security will do it also, at least for a season.
But these things fall in only by the way, in reference to what was spoken before.
II. I proceed now to confirm the proposition laid down, according to the explanation given of it before: —
1. And this I shall do first from Scripture testimonies: —
(1.) Take the text itself: " He was strong in faith, giving glory to God." All that God requires of any of the sons of men is, his glory; — that he will not give unto another, Isa. xlii. 8. Let God have his glory, and we may take freely whatever we will; — take Christ, take grace, take heaven, — take all. The great glory which he will give to us, consists in giving him his glory, and beholding of it. Now, if this be
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the great tiling, the only thing, that God requires at our hands, — if this be the all which he hath reserved to himself, that he be glorified as God, as our God, — he that gives him that, gives him what is acceptable to him. Thus Abraham pleased God by being strong or steadfast in believing. He was strong in faith, and gave glory to God.
The glory of God is spoken of in various senses in the Scripture : —
[1.] The Hebrew word "l'l3|3 signifies "pondus," or "weight;" whereunto the apostle alludes when he speaks of " an eternal weight of glory," 2 Cor. iv. 17. This is the glory of the thing itself. It likewise signifies splendour, or brightness, where the apostle, in like manner, speaks of "the brightness of glory," Heb. i. 3; which is the greatness and excellency of beauty in all perfections. In this sense, the infinite excellency of God, in his inconceivable perfections, raised up in such brightness as utterly exceeds all our apprehensions, is called his " glory." And so he is " The God of glory," Acts vii. 2, or, the most glorious God; and our Saviour is called "The Lord of glory," 1 Cor. ii.8, in the same sense. In this respect we can give no glory to God; we can acid nothing to his excellencies, nor the infinite, inconceivable brightness of them, by any thing we do.
[2.] Glory relates not only to the thing itself that is glorious, but to the estimation and opinion we have of it, — that is, do%a ; when that which is in itself glorious is esteemed so. The philosopher saith, "Gloria est frequens de aliquo fama curn laude;" or, " Consentiens laus bonorum, incorrupta vox bene judicantium de excellenti virtute." And, in this respect, that which is infinitely glorious in itself, may be more or less glorious in its manifestation and the estimation of it. So glory is not any of God's excellencies or perfections; but it is the esteem and manifestation of them amongst and unto others.