Lufcinia effem, canerem ut Lufcinia, cum autem bomo fim, quid agam? Laudabo Deum, nec unquam ceffabo, If I were a Lark, I would fing as a Lark; but feeing I am a Man, what fhould I do, but praife God without ceafing? It is as proper to us to praise God, as for a Bird to chaunt: All Beafts have their own Sounds, and Voices peculiar to their own Nature; this is the natural Sound of a Man. Now as you would think it monf trous to hear a melodious Bird croping as a Raven; fo it is no less monftrous and degenerate, to hear the moft Part of the Difcourfes of Men, favouring nothing of God. If we had known that innocent Eftate of Man, O how would we think he had fallen from Heaven! We would imagine that we were thruft down from Heaven, where we heard the melodious Songs of Angels, into Hell, to hear the Howlings of damned Spirits. This then is that we are bound unto, by the Bond of our Creation; this is our proper Office, and Station God once fet us into, when he affigned every Creature its own Ule and Exercife: This was our Portion (and O the nobleft of all, because nearest the King's own Perfon) to acknowledge in our Hearts inwardly, and to exprefs in our Words and Actions outwardly, what a one he is, according as he hath revealed himself in his Word, and Works: 'Tis great Honour to a Creature to have the meaneft Employment in the Court of this great King. But, O what is it to be fet over all the King's Houfe, and over all his Kingdom? But then what is that, in refpect of this, to be next to the King, to wait on his own Perfon (fo to speak :) There fore the godly Man is defcribed, as a wait ing Maid, or Servant, Pfal. cxxiii. 2. Well then, without more Difcourfe upon it, without multiplying of it into particular. Branches, To glorify God, is in our Souls to conceive of him, and meditate on his Name, till they receive the Impression: and Stamp of all the Letters of his glo rious Name; and then to express this in our Words and Actions, in commending of bim, and obeying of him. Our Soul fhould be as Wax to exprefs the Seal of his glorious Attributes of Juftice, Power, Goodness, Holinefs, and Mercy And as the Water that receives the Beams of the Sun, reflects them back again, fo fhould our Spirits receive the fweet warming Beams of his Love and glorious Excellency, and then reflect them towards his Majefty, with the Defires and Affections of our Souls. All our Thoughts of him, all our Affections towards him, hould have the Stamp of Singularity, fuch as may declare there is none like him, none befides him; our Love, our Meditation, our Acknowledgement should have this Character on their Front, There is none befides Thee, Thou art, and none elfe: And then a Soul fhould by the Cords of Affection to him, and Admirati on of him, be bound to ferve him. Creation puts on the Obligation to glorify him in our Body and Spirits, which are his but Affection only puts that to Exercife: All other Bonds leave our Natures at Liberty,. but this conftrains, 2 Cor. v. 13. it binds, on all Bonds, it ties on us all divine Oblis gations. Then a Soul will glorify God, when Love fo unites it to God, and makes it one Spirit with him, that his Glory be-, comes its Honour, and becomes the Principle of all our inward Affections, and outward Actions. It is not always poffible to have and express particu lar Thoughts of God, and his Glory, in every Action, and Meditation; but, for the moft Part, it ought to be fo: And if Souls were accustomed to Meditation on God, God, it would become their very Nature, altera natura, plea fant and delightfome. However, if there be not always an exprefs Intention of God's Glory, yet there ought to be keep'd always fuch a Dif pofition and Temper of Spirit, as it may be conftrued to proceed from the Intention of God's Glory; and then it remains in the Seed and Fruit, if not in itself. Now when we are speaking of the great End and Purpose of our Creation, we call to mind our lamentable and tragical Fall from that bleffed Station we were conftitute into. All Men have finned and come short of the Glory of God, Rom. iii. 23. His being in the world was for that Glory, and he is come short of that Glory: Oftrange Shortcoming! Short of all that he was ordained for! What is he now meet for? For what Purpose is that Chief of the Works of God now? The Salt if it lofe its Saltness is meet for nothing, for wherewithall fhall it be feafoned? Mark ix. 50. Even fo, when Man is rendred unfit for his proper End, he is meet for nothing, but to be caft out and trode upon, he is like a withered Branch that must be caft into the Fire, John xv. 6. Some Things if they fail in one Ufe, they are good for another: But the beft Things are not fo, Corruptio optimi, peffima. As the Lord fpeaks to the Houfe of Ifrael, Sball Wood be taken of the Vine Tree for any Work? Even fo the Inbabitants of Jerufalem, Ezek. xv. 2, 3, 4, 5. If it yield not Wine, 'tis good for nothing: So, if Man do not glorify God, if he fall from that, he is meet for nothing, but to be caft into the Fire of Hell, and burnt for ever; he is for no Ufe in the Creation, but to be Fuel to the Fire of the Lord's Indignation. But behold! the Goodness of the Lord and his Kindness and Love hath appeared toward Man, not by Works of Righteouf nefs which we have done,but according to bis Mercy be faved us through Jefus Chrift, Tit. iii. 4, 5. Our Lord Jefus,by whom all Things were created, and for whom, would not let this excellent Workmanship perish fo, therefore he goes about the Work of Redemption: A fecond Creation more laborious and also more glorious than the first, that fo he might glorify his Father, and our Father: Thus the Breach is made up, thus the unfavory Salt is feafoned, thus the withered Branch is quickened again for that fame Fruit of Praifes and glorifying of God. This is the End of his fecond Creation, as it was of the first; We are bis Workmanship created to good Works in Chrift Jefus, Eph. ii. 10. This is the Work of God, to believe in him, to set to our Seal, and to give our Teftimony to all his Attri butes, Jobn vi. 29, and iii. 33. We are bought with a Price, and therefore we ought to glorify him with our Souls and Bodies; he made us with a Word, and, that bound us, but now he has made us again and paid a Price for us, and fo we are twice bound not to be our own but his, I Cor. vi. ult. And fo to glorify bim in our Bodies and Spirits. I befeech you gather your Spirits, call them home about the Business. We once came fhort of our End, God's Glory and our Happinefs; but know, that it is attainable again: We loft both, but both are found in Chrift. Awake then and ftir up your Spirits, elfe it fhall be double Condemnation, when we have the Offer of being restored to our former bleffed Condition, to love our prefent Mifery better. Once eftablish this Point within your Souls, and therefore ask, Why came I hither? To what pofe am I come into the World? If you do not ask it, what will you answer, when pur. he he asks you at your Appearance before his [that denies bimjelf and follows me Tribunal? I beseech you what will many is my Difciple. Will ye once fit down of you fay in that Day, when the Mafter in good earneft about this Bufinefs. "Tis returns and takes an Account of your Dif- lamentable to be yet to begin to learn to penfation? You are fent into the World live, when ye muft die: Ye will be out of only for this Bufinefs, to ferve the Lord: the World almoft, e're ye bethink yourNow what will many of you answer? If felf, Why came I into the World? Quidam you fpeak the Truth (as then you muft tunc vivere incipiunt, cum definendum do it, you cannot lie then) you must fay, left; imo quidam ante vivere defierunt Lord, I spent my Time in ferving my own quam inciperent; this is of all moft laLufts, I was taken up with other Bufi- mentable, many Souls end their Life; be nesses, and had no Leifure, I was occu-fore they begin to live. For what is our pied in my Calling, &c. Even as if an Life, but a living Death, while we do not Ambaffador of a King should return him live to God, and while we live not in rethis Account of his Negotiation, I was bu- lation to the great End of our Life and fy at Cards and Dice, I spent my Money, Being? the Glory of God. It were better,. and did wear my Cloaths. Though you [fiys Chrift, that fuch had never been born. think your plowing, and borrowing, and You who are created again in Jefus Chrift, trafficking, and reaping very neceffary, it moft of all concerns you to ask, Why yet certainly these are but as Triffles and Toys to the main Bufinefs. O what a dreadful Account will Souls make! they come here for no Purpose but to ferve their Bodies and Senfes, to be Slaves to all the Creatures, which were once put under Man's Feet: Now Man is under the Feet of all, and he has put himself fo. If you were of thefe Creatures, then you might be for them: You feek them as if you were created for them, and not they for you, and you feek yourselves, as if you were of yourselves, and had not your defcent of God. Know, my beloved, that you were not made for that Purpofe, nor yet redeemed either to ferve yourselves, or other Creatures, but that other Creatures might serve you, and ye ferve God, Luke i. 74, 75. And this is really the best Way to serve ourselves, and to fave ourfelves, to ferve God: Self-feeking is Self-destroying; Self-denying, is Selffaving, Soul-faving. He that feeketb to fave bis Life fball lofe it, and be that lafeth bis Life ball find it, and be am I made? And why am I redeemed? Here is a compendious Way to glorify God: Receive Salvation of him freely, Righteousness and eternal Life, and this fets to a Seal to God's Truth, and Grace and Mercy; and whofo counts. the Son worthy to be a Saviour to them, and fets to their Seal of Approbation to him whom God the Father hath sent and fealed, he also honours the Father, and then he that honoureth the Father, hath it not for nothing, for them that bonour me, F will bonour, 1 Sam. ii. 30. fays the Lord; And be that ferves me, him will my Fa ther ther bonour, John xii. 26. As the believing Soul cares for no other, and respects no other but God, so he refpects no other, but fuch a Soul. I will dwell in the humble, and look unto the contrite; there is mutual Refpects and Honours. God is the Delight of fuch a Soul, and fuch a Soul is God's Delight: That Soul fers God in a high Place, in a Throne in its Heart, and God fets that Soul in a heavenly Place with Chrift, Eph. ii. 6. yea he comes down to fit with us, and dwells in us, off his Throne of Majefty, Ifa. lxvi. 1, 2. and Ivii. 15. Pfal. Ixxiii. 24. to the End. Thou wilt guide me with thy Counfel, &c. Whom bave I in Heaven but Thee? &c. It is good for me to draw near to God. 1 John i. 3. Thefe Things declare we unto you, that ye allo may bave Fellowship with us: And truly our Fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift. And John xvii. 21, 22, 23. That they all may be one as we are one. I in them, and they in me, that they may be perfect in one, &c. T is a Matter of great Confolation, IT that God's Glory and our Happiness are linked together: So that whoever fets his Glory before them fingly to aim at, they take the moft compendious and certain Way.to true Bleffedness. His Glory is the ultimate End of Man, and should be our great and last Scope; but our Happinefs, which confifts in the Enjoyment of God, is fubordinate to this, yet infeparable from it. The End of our Creation is Communion and Fellowship with God, therefore Man was made with an immortal Soul capable of it: And this is the greatest Dignity and Eminency of Man above the Creatures. He hath not only impreffed from God's Finger, in his firft Moulding, fome. Characters refembling God, in Righteoufnefs and Holinefs; but is created with a Capacity of receiving more of God, by Communion with him. Other Creatures have already all they will have, all they can have, of Conformity to him; but Man is made liker than all, and is fitted and fashioned to afpire to more Likenefs and Conformity, fo that his Soul may fhine more and more to the perfect Day. There was an Union made already in his first Moulding, and Communion was to grow as a fragrant and fweet Fruit out of this bleffed Root. Union and Similitude is the Ground of Fellowship and Communion. That Union was gracious, that Communion would have been glorious; for Grace is the Seed of Glory. There was a twofold Union between Adam and God, an Union of State, and an Union of Nature: He was like God, and he was God's Friend. All the Creatures had fome Likeness to God, fome Engravings of his Power, and Goodness, and Wif dom: But Man, is faid to be made according to God's Image, Let us make Man like unto Us. Other Creatures had fimilitudinem veftigii, but Man had fimilitudinem faciei. Holinefs and Righteousness is God's Face, the very Excellency and Glory of all his Attributes, and the Lord and it lives in him when it loves him, 4 nima eft ubi amat, non ubi animat, and to tafte of his Sweetnéfs and be fatisfied with him, this makes perfect Oneness: And perfect Oneness with God (who is the Fountain of Life, and in whose favour is Life) is perfect Bleffedness. Lord ftamps the Image of thefe upon | tainment we can give him. O what BlefMan. Other Attributes are but like his fednefs is this, for a Soul to live in him, Back-parts, and he leaves the Refemblance of his Footsteps upon other Creatures. What can be fo beautiful as the Image of God upon the Soul? Creatures, the nearer they are to God, the more pure and excellent. We fee in the Fabrick of the World, Bodies the higher they are, the But we muft ftand a little here and conmore pure and cleanly, the more beautiful. Now then, What was Man that was made fider our Mifery, that have fallen from fuch a little lower that the Angels? In the He- an Excellency How are we come down brew, a little lower than God, tantum from Heaven wonderfully? Sin has internon Deus. Seeing Man is fet next to pofed between God and Man, and this Ged, his Glory and Beauty certainly fur- diffolves the Union, and hinders the Compaffes the Glory of the Sun and Heavens. munion: An Enemy is come between two Things contiguous and next other are like Friends, and puts them at Odds, and Oh! other; The Water is liker Air than the an eternal Odds; Sin hath fown this Dif Earth, therefore it is next the Air: The cord, and alienated our Hearts from God. Air is liker Heaven than Water, there- Man's Glory confifted in the Irradiation of fore is it next to it. Omne contigu- the Soul from God's fhining Countenance, um fpirituali, eft fpirituale. Angels this made him Light, God's Face fhined and Men next God, are Spirits, as He on him, But Sin interpofing, has ecclipfis a Spirit. Now Similitude is the Grounded that Light, and brought on an eternal of Friendship. Pares paribus congregan- Night of Darkness over the Soul: And tur, fimilitudo neceffitudinis vinculum. thus we are fpoiled of the Image of God, It is that which concilitates Affections a- as when the Earth comes between the Sun mong Men: So it is here by Proportion: and Moon. Now then, there can no God fees all is very good, and that Man Beams of divine Favour and Love break best of his Works; and he loves him, and through directly towards us, because of the makes him his Friend, for his own Image Cloud of our Sins, that feparates between which he beholds in him. God and us, and because of the Partitionwall of Ordinances, and the Hand-writing which was against us, God's holy Law, and fevere Juftice, Col. iii. 14. At length from these two Roots this pleafant and fragrant Fruit of Communion with, and Enjoyment of God, grows up: This is the Entertainment of Friends, to delight in one another, and te enjoy one another, Amicorum omnia communia, Love makes all common, it opens the Treasure of God's Fulness, and makes a Vent of divine Bounty towards Man, and it opens the Heart of Man, and makes it large as the Sand of the Sea to receive of God. Our receiving of his Fuinefs, is all the Enter Then, What fhall we do?. How fhall we fee his Face in Joy? Certainly it had been altogether impoffible, if our Lord Jefus Chrift had not come, who is the Light and Life of Men: The Father thines on him, and the Beams of his Love reflects upon us, from the Son: The Love of God, and his favourable Countenance, B that |