our wickedness: for he is as far above the reach of our good works, to benefit him; as he is above the reach of our sins, to wrong and injure him. Therefore we cannot thus glorify God. But,

2. There is a Relative Glory of God, which he is then said to have; when his real and absolute perfections are declared, and made manifest and conspicuous to the world.

And this glory perfects not him, to whom it is ascribed; but us, who ascribe it to him. And, thus, God may and ought to be glorified by us. The former may be called his essential glory; this latter, his declarative glory. God's Essential Glory is nothing else but the infinite perfection of his own nature: it is a constellation and concentering of all his inconceivable attributes of wisdom, power, holiness, justice, mercy, truth,, and the rest, into one ever-blessed essence: this glory is capable neither of addition, diminution, nor change. But his Declarative Glory is nothing else, but the gloss and shine, the visible splendour and lustre, which reflects from his essential glory, upon the notice and admiration of his creatures: and this glory may be both increased and lessened. As to his attributes themselves: so, God is glorious: as to the manifestation of them; so, he is said to be glorified.

And that, either by himself or others.

(1) God is said to glorify Himself.

And that, when he is pleased to dart down a ray, either of his wisdom, or power, or justice, or mercy, or any other of his attributes, so as to make it conspicuous in the administration of affairs here below. And, therefore, John xii. 28. we find our Blessed Saviour, sadly reflecting upon the sorrows and agonies of his death, at last composeth and resigneth up himself with this prayer: Father, glorify thy name and it follows, Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. Indeed, never was there any thing that God did in the world, that so illustriously conduced to his glory, as the adored design of saving it by his Son: this brought in a large share and revenue of glory to most of his attributes: he had already glorified himself in his wisdom and mercy, by the birth of his Son; and, in his power, by the miracles he wrought; and he would glorify himself again, that is, he would now glorify his dread justice and severity, by the death he was to suffer.

(2) Creatures also may be said to glorify God.

Brute and inanimate creatures do it only passively and objectively; as they exhibit the tracks and impresses of the divine attributes upon them: but rational and intelligent creatures ought to do it actively; by observing and ascribing to him those perfections, which he visibly manifests in the ways of his grace or providence. When they see some eminent effects and footsteps of his wisdom, of his power, of his goodness, or the like, in the management of things here below; and are thereby moved piously and seriously to acknowledge that God is wise, powerful, and gracious, as he expresseth himself to be: this ascribing unto God his attributes from what appears in his actions, is our glorifying of him. And so, on the contrary, when sordid, earthy, and bestial men take no notice of the emanations and beamings-forth of God's attributes, neither so as to have their hearts affected with them nor their lives conformed to them, they are said to dishonour God. Not that any, the most boisterous sinners that are, can invade his essence, or rend away any of his infinite perfections from him: this glory they cannot eclipse, but it shines eternally in the same lustre ; but they do really eclipse his declarative glory. Which yet is a greater wrong done to themselves, than to him: for, as the sun is still full of light in itself, when yet we see it under an eclipse by the moon's interposing between us and it, which indeed is not properly so much an eclipse of the sun as of the earth; so the glory of God is obscured and eclipsed by the wickedness of men: not that his essential glory is at all prejudiced, for this retains the same tenor of light and lustre for ever; but that they observe not, they admire not, the bright discoveries of his glorious attributes: and so they dishonour him, not by depriving God of any perfection; but themselves, whose highest perfection and the end of whose being it is, to adore God, and to be made conformable unto him.

And thus you see what it is to glorify God. It is to make him glorious: and that, not by the addition of any new glory to him; but only by declaring that glory, which eternally and unchangeably is in him.

ii. The Second thing to be enquired into, is, HOW WE OUGHT

TO GLORIFY GOD.

The disquisition of this will both receive light from, and add light unto, what went before.

Now, here, that we may have right and clear apprehensions of a duty, that is so vastly comprehensive, and indeed the whole of man, we must remember that all our glorifying of God is only in relation to his essential attributes, which are properly and really his glory.

And, therefore, Two things are here to be done.

To shew you what these Essential Attributes are. And,
How they may be glorified by us.

1. For the first, these attributes of God are many; which, though they differ according to our manner of conception and expression, yet are all really the same nature and essence in God.

I shall mention only those, which are most conspicuous, and which we have most frequent occasion in the course of our lives to glorify. And such are these Seven following: Purity and Holiness, Power and Sovereignty, Mercy and Goodness, Equity and Justice, Wisdom and Omniscience, Immensity and Omnipresence, Truth and Veracity. There are, indeed, many more; as Eternity, Unchangeableness, Simplicity, and Oneness, &c. but these, because they are not so conversant about human affairs, I shall not now particularly speak of.

2. These attributes may be glorified, in the general, Two ways; either by adoration, or else by declaration.

(1) We ought to glorify God by a most hunible and devout Adoration of his infinite attributes and perfections.

Seriously to ponder them in our hearts, to consider their beauty and excellency, to admire those expressions of them which God is pleased to vouchsafe us; and, when we see any notable instance, either of the divine power, or wisdom, or goodness, or justice in the dispensations of his providence, then to prostrate ourselves in the most humble veneration of our souls, and ascribe it unto God, acknowledging that his perfections are gloriously discovered in those effects, and with ravished and inflamed hearts singing unto him the song of Moses and the Lamb, Rev. xv. 3. Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty: just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: this is to glorify God. And, not only thus to observe and to acknowledge the appearance of God's attributes,

but to have our affections likewise suited and proportioned to them; as, when God displays his dread justice and severity, either against ourselves or others, then to fear and tremble before him; when he magnifies the riches of his mercy and goodness, to rejoice and praise his holy name; and so, in the like instances, which I intend more particularly to prosecute hereafter: this reverend observing of the manifestations of God's attributes and conforming our affections proportionably unto them, is one chief spiritual method of glorifying God, whereby we do secretly, yet effectually, advance his honour in the inmost retirements and recesses of a devout soul.

But,

(2) There is another way of glorifying God; and that is, by Declaration of his infinite perfections.

And this is Twofold; either by our Words, or by our Works. [1] We ought to glorify God, by declaring his attributes in our Words and Discourses; setting forth his holiness, wisdom, power, justice, in the most serious and affecting manner that we are able, so as to beget a high and honourable esteem of them in those that hear us.

And, therefore, 1 Pet. iv. 11. the Apostle exhorts us, but especially ministers, If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God....that God, in all things, may be glorified. Hence, David often calls his tongue his glory: Ps. lvii. 8. Awake up, my glory awake, psaltery and harp: and, Ps. cviii. 1. I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. And why is this member especially called our glory, but because it is the fittest instrument for our glorifying of God? Therewith bless we God, even the Father, saith the Apostle: James iii. 9.

And this, indeed, is the glory of our glory, and the crown of our excellency, when we employ so noble a part in so noble a work; still to be celebrating his name, and setting forth his praise. And, indeed, what more excellent theme can there be for our discourse, than God? a theme, that will more adorn and beautify our language, than that can adorn and extol him: a theme, that can never be exhausted; but, the more we speak of God, still the more we may, new discoveries still emerging and rising up to our admiring view. And, whilst we affectionately endeavour to exalt the majesty, power, wisdom, and goodness of God in our discourses, if we speak not more elegantly, yet certainly we shall speak more pertinently and to the purpose, than the most florid trifler that abuseth a great deal of wit and

rhetoric about toys and nothings. This kind of holy and serious speech will advance us as much above the common rank and pitch of other men, as speech itself doth advance men above the condition of brute beasts.

And yet, alas! how many are there, that turn this their glory into shame; whose tongues are rather spunges to wipe out and deface the glory of God, than pencils to delineate and express it! who scarce ever speak of God, but in an oath; nor make mention of his name, but when they curse and bau by it! Their black mouths are full of the soot of hell, and their tongues set on fire of those infernal flames. They seem to have already learnt the language of hell; and are well fitted, for ever to converse with those damned wretches, who have no other use of God, but only to blaspheme and curse him. And, to their own shall they go and, for ever blaspheme, out of the exquisite anguish of their torments; as here they did, out of mere gal lantry and humour.

Others, again, though they neither whet nor draw their tongues against God, yet are they very shy of speaking either of him or for him; and would rather make any thing the subject of their discourse, than that God, who hath endowed them with so excellent a faculty. Hence, how much time, how much converse is lost among men; whilst idle tales and raillery, and such like unconcerning vanities, busy their minds and tongues: and no man thinks or speaks of that God, who is intimately present with them, and one of the company! So that we may very justly take up that complaint of the Psalmist, Ps, xii. 2. They speak vanity, every one with his neighbour.

There is, indeed, a great deal of Christian prudence and discretion requisite in this particular. For, as the amiableness of all duties consists in the right timing and placing of them, so especially of this holy and spiritual discourse. And, therefore, the Wise Man tells us, Prov. xxv. 11. that a word, fitly spoken, is like apples of gold in pictures of silver: and, there is a time when the prudent should keep silence: Amos v. 13. Indeed, the mention of the Great God ought not to be trivially ingested; nor, by an imprudent zeal, importunely and abruptly crowded in, when we may rationally conclude it will be so far from glorifying of God, as only to create a contempt and nauseating in the hearers.

But yet a man, that is spiritually skilful in this affair, will watch his opportunities; and, if he hath been exercised in this