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solation, if we thus fly for refuge by believing ? Must it not be from hence, that God is freely ready to receive us, that he will in no wise shut us out, but that we shall be welcome to him ; and with the more speed we come, the more wel- come we shall be? This he convinces us of, by the engage- ment of his word and oath to that purpose. And what far- ther testimony would we have, that our believing is accept- able to him?
It is said, Heb. x. 38. 'If any^maa draw back, the Lord's soul hath no pleasure in him.' What is it to draw back? It is to decline from his steadfastness of believing. So the apostle interprets it, ver. 39. ' We are not of them that draw back to perdition, but of them that believe.' Drawing back is opposed to believing. In these drawers back, that come not up to steadfastness in believing, or labour so to do, the Lord's ' soul hath no pleasure ;' that is, he exceedingly abhors and abominates them, which is the force of that ex- pression. His delight is in those, who are steadfast in ad- hering to the promises ; in them his soul takes pleasure.
When the Jews treated with our Saviour about salvation, they ask him, 'what they shall do that they may work the work of God ;' John vi. 28. that work of God by which they might come to be accepted with him, which is the cry of all convinced persons. Our Saviour's answer is, ver. 29. ' This is that work of God, that you believe.' Will ye know * the great work, wherein God is so delighted ? It is this, saith he, 'that you believe,' and be steadfast therein.
Hence also are many exhortations that are given us by the Holy Ghost to come up hereunto, as Heb. xii. 12. Isa. XXXV. But I shall not farther insist on testimonies, which exceedingly abound to this purpose. The farther demonstrations of the point ensue.
2. The next shall consist in the farther improvement of the first testimony concerning the glory of God, arising from our being steadfast in believing.
This is granted by all, that God's ultimate end in all things he doth himself, and in all that he requires us to do, is his own glory. It cannot be otherwise, if he be the first, only, independent being, and prime cause of all things, and their chiefest good. God having then placed his glory in that which cannot be attained and brought about without
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believing, in answer to his present constitution of things, it must needs be acceptable to him ; as is a suitable means to a designed end, to any one's acting in wisdom and righ- teousness.
Bear in mind, I pray, what it is that I mean by believing. Though the word be general and large, yet in my intend- ment it is restrained to the particulars insisted on, namely, the constant establishment of our souls in receiving the Lord Jesus, tendered unto us in the truth and from the love of the Father, for the pardon of sins, and acceptation of our persons before God. This, I say, according to God's constitution of things in the covenant of grace, is necessary to bring about that end of glory to himself which he aims at. Hence he sums up his whole design to be ' the praise of his glorious grace;' Eph.i. 6.
In Prov. XXV. 2. if I mistake not, this is clearly asserted ;
* It is the glory of God to conceal a thing,' or ' to cover a matter.' I told you before what is the glory of God. It is not the splendour and majesty of his infinite and excellent perfections which arise not from any thing he doth, but from what he is; but it is the exaltation, manifestation, and essence of those excellencies. When God is received, be- lieved, known to be such, as he declares himself, therein is he glorified; that is his glory. This glory, saith the Holy Ghost, arises from the covering a matter.
What matter is this ? It is not the glorj-^of God to cover every matter, all things whatever; yea, it is his glory to
* bring to light the hidden things of d^kness.' The mani- festation of his own works 'declares his glory;' Psal. xix. 1. So doth the manifestation of the good works of his people; Matt. v. 16. It is then things of some peculiar kind that are here intended. The following opposition discovers this : ' It is the glory of a king to find out a matter.' What matter is it, that it is the glory of the king to find out? Is it not faults and offences against the law? Is it not the glory of magistrates to find out transgressions, that the transgressors may be punished ? This is the glory of the magistrate to inquire, find out, and punish offences, trans- gressions of the law. It is then, in answer hereunto, a sin- ful thing, sin itself, that is the matter or thing which it is the glory of God to cover. But what is it to cover a sinful
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