66

endure for ever. John. 6. 27, Labour not for the meat which perifbeth: but for that meat, which endureth unto everlasting life. 1 John 2. 15, 17, Love not the world: the world palleth away, and the luft thereof; but be, that doth the will of God, abideth for ever. And indeed, what can be more powerful to excite to repentance than this reflection? As long as I am diftracted with the anxious cares of this life, let my fuccefs be ever fo great, I can only amafs perifhing treasures, of which I may perhaps be deprived in this very life, and the remembrance of "which fhall certainly torment me in the next. "But if I diligently pursue the work of my con"verfion, I fhall, from the very first moment of that, "obtain that love of God in Chrift, from which nothing fhall ever be able to separate me again: and "the fooner I enjoy that, the fooner I acquire that fupreme good, which is poffeffed without any danger of having my mifery renewed. A Whofe XLV. But the oppofite doctrine is adapted to converfion procraftinate endeavours after repentance. For, when the oppo-it is inculcated on a man, that a child of God by retrine is a generation, after having for fome time, been sen engaged in the practice of holiness, not only may, but actually has often fallen away, and become a child of the devil, been difinherited by his heavenly father, and is with greater difficulty renewed to repentance, the further progrefs he had made in holiness: this thought will eafily be entertained by thofe, who hear of exhortations to repentance, that there is no occafion to prefs the matter of their converfion fo ftrenuously, in their tender years, leaft perhaps, confidering the great inconftancy of unftable youth, they be overtaken by some great fin, and their condition be far worse than it was before: that it is more advifeable, to wait for thofe years (for we generally promife ourselves long life), in which both our judgment is riper, and the mind usually pursues, with more conftancy, what it has once applied to, enjoying in the

fite doc

let to.

་

mean

mean time the delights of this world. Now, nothing can be more peftilential, than this thought, which yet this doctrine fuggefts.

tual life.

XLVI. Thirdly, Our doctrine is alfo very power-erful to 3. Is pow ful to confirm the Elect, already converted, in the confirm fpiritual life, and to quicken them to the conftant the conpractice of religion. Which may be proved various verted in the fpiri. ways. ift, All the arguments, which are raised from the poffible apoftacy of the faints, are taken from the fear of punishment, and the terror of dreadful threatnings: but thofe taken from God's moft powerful confervation, breathe nothing but his love and the incredible sweetness of divine grace. Moreover, it is certain, that the children of God, who have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; \ but the spirit of adoption, whereby, they cry, Abba, father, Rom. 8. 15, are more powerfully drawn by the cords of love, than driven by the fcourge of terror : for, that love of Christ constraineth us, 2 Cor. 5. 14. 2dly, All our religion is nothing but gratitude : but it is clear, that that perfon more effectually promotes gratitude, who proves by cogent arguments, that the happiness beftowed from grace, fhall be perpetual, by the help of the fame grace, than he who maintains, that though it be truly great, yet it may be loft. 3dly, It is equitable, that the better fecured the reward of our duty is, we should be the more diligent in the practice of religion. For, the confideration of the reward is among those things, which render the commands of God fweet, Pf. 19. 10. But we affure the faithful worshippers of God, from his own word, that, from their very firft entrance.or the course of fincere godliness, their reward is fure ; calling upon them with the Apoftle, 1 Cor. 15. 58, therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, FOR AS MUCH AS YE KNOW, that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. But our adverfaries, unhappily difcourage

all diligence, while they teach, that we know not, "whether our labour fhall be in vain, or not, fince it is poffible, we may fall away, and fo have all along laboured for nothing.

The glory of God,

faints con

A

S all God's works tend to his glory, so alfa to the GLORIFICATION of his chofen peoand the ple. This doubtless is the glory of God, to manifeft glorifica himself in his Elect, to be what he is to himfeif, the tion of the fountain of confummate happiness. When he does joined. this, he is glorified in his faints, and admired in all them that believe. 2 The 1. 10. Believers exult in this hope of their falvation, which is fo connected with the glory of God, that it is called by that very name in the holy fcripture: we rejoice in hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5. 2. Our glorification is called the glory of God, not only because it comes from, and is freeJy bellowed on us by God; but alfo, because the magnificence of the divine majefty difplays itself no where more illuftriously, than in that glorious hap piness, which he makes to fhine in his beloved ple.

ed.

peo

2 Pet.1.3, II. Some would prove, that we are called to this explain by God, from 2 Pet. 1. 3, who hath called us to glory and virtue: but the Greek runs, dà dužni nai aperñs, by glory and virtue; which may be understood either of our glory and virtue, or of the glory and virtue of God, and of Chrift. If we understand it of ours, the meaning will be, that God hath called us to communion with himself, by fuch a clear difplay of the glory, to be revealed in the faints, and by the propofal of

.

true

par

true virtue, which is made in the Gospel, that none
can be acquainted with it, but must be inflamed
with a defire after it. But it will be better to apply
them to God, as Peter elsewhere calls them, Tas
àpilàs rỡ xañécailos nμas, the virtues(praises)of him who bath
called us, Pet. 2. 9. And fome manuscripts have
išią dóžų naì áperñ bis own glory and virtue: and then the
meaning will be, he hath called us by his own glo-
tious virtue: or, what I take to be fulleft, the Lord
Jefus hath called us by glory, while he prefents unto
us a glory in himself, as of the only begotten of the
father, and by virtue, while he discovered a life full
of every inftance of virtue, which, as they are fet
forth in a preached Gofpel, clearly fhew, that he
was the Son of God and Saviour of the world. And
thus we keep to the proper fignification of the
ticle a, which I have not yet feen proved by any ex-
ample, to fignify the fame, as is to. Indeed, the vene-
rable Beza adducès Rom. 6. 4: where Chrift is faid to
be raised from the dead, à rñs dógns Tỡ xulpòs, that is,
fays he, to the glory of the father. But fuch an expli-
cation is unneceffary: let us fay, as the words bear,
by the glory of the father. Which admits a twofold
fenfe, and both of them very agreeable. As firft,
by glory to mean the ftrength, and glorious power of
God, for fometimes the Greek word a anfwers to
the Hebrew it Ifa. 45. 24. Thus God is faid to
bave raifed Christ dià tãs diváμews åutê by his own power,
1 Cor. 6. 14, in the fame fenfe. Again, if by glory
we understand the difplay of the divine fupereminent
excellency, we will fay, that Chrift was raised by the
glory of the father, because it was for the father's
glory, that the only begotten and righteous Son of
God fhould live a glorious life in himself, and a
holy life in his members.

III. But whatever be Peter's meaning, it is evi- Believers dent, we are both called and justified, in order to glory; called to and for that end powerfully preferved by God. Paul glory, justi fied, pre fpeaks of our calling, 1 Theff. 2. 12, who bath called ferved, 16 VOL. II.

X

you

next.

you unto his kingdom and glory: of juftification he fays, Rom. 8. 30, whom he justified, them he alfo glorified: of confervation Peter fpeaks, 1 Pet. 1. 5, who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto falvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

4

Glorifica- IV. GLORIFICATION is the gracious act of God, tion, part- whereby he actually tranflates his chofen and redeemed ly in this people, from an unhappy and base, to a happy and life, partly in the glorious ftate. And it may be confidered, either as begun in this life; or, as confummated in the next. The first-fruits of the fpirit, Rom. 8. 23, who is the fpirit of glory, i Pet. 4. 14, are even in this life, granted to the children of God: not only, that by these they might comfort themfelves in adverfity; but allo that, from thefe, they might in fome meafure, infer, what and how great that future happiness is, which is reserved for them in heaven; and that, having had a foretaste of that great reward, they expect, they may be the more chearful, in the courfe of faith and holinefs: now, thefe first fruits confift in the following things.

1. Holinefs.

<

V. First, In that moft excellent boliness, which is freely beftowed on the Elect, and was defcribed, chap. XII. For, as there is the greateft filthinefs in fin, it being contrary to the moft juft and righteous law of God; and the greatest vilenefs and mifery, as it makes man most unlike the infinitely glorious and bleffed God. Accordingly thefe two things are conjoined, they have finned, and come fort of the glory of God, Rom. 3. 23, and fin is called that hameful thing, fer. 3. 24. On the contrary, in righteoufnefs and holiness, there is not only fome moral goodness, in fo far as they agree with the law and with God, the pattern of them; but also an excellent glory, in fo far as there is in them a refemblance of the moft bleffed God; whom Mofes reprefents as pa magnificent, glorious in holiness, Exod. 15. 11. Accordingly, the image and glory of God, 1 Cor. 11. 7, are connected. See what we have faid