Presbyterian Church -- Sermons; Sermons, English; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 17th century
because nearest the King’s own person!) to acknowledge in our hearts
inwardly, and to expires in our words and actions outwardly, what a One he
is, according as he hath revealed himself in his word and works. It is
great honour to a creature to have the meanest employment in the court of
this great king, but, O, what is it to be set over all the King’s house,
and over all his kingdom! But, then, what is that in respect of this,—to
be next to the King—to wait on his own person, so to speak? Therefore the
godly man is described as a waiting maid, or servant. Psal. cxxiii. 2.
Well then, without more discourse 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 glorious name, and then to express this in our
words and actions in commending of him, and obeying of him. Our souls
should be as wax to express the seal of his glorious attributes of
justice, power, goodness, holiness, and mercy, and as the water that
receives the beams of the sun reflects them back again, so should our
spirits receive the sweet warming beams of his love and glorious
excellency, and then reflect them towards his Majesty, with the desires
and affections of our souls. All our thoughts of him, all our affections
towards him, should have the stamp of singularity, such as may declare
there is none like him, none besides him, our love, our meditation, our
acknowledgement should have this character on their front,—“There is none
besides thee; thou art, and none else.” And then a soul should, by the
cords of affection to him and admiration of him, be bound to serve him.
Creation puts on the obligation to glorify him in our body and spirits
which are his, but affection only puts that to exercise. All other bonds
leave our natures at liberty, but this constrains, 2 Cor. v. 14, it binds
on all bonds, it ties on us all divine obligations. Then a soul will
glorify God, when love so unites it to God, and makes it one spirit with
him, that his glory becomes its honour, and becomes the principle of all
our inward affections and outward actions. It is not always possible to
have and express particular thoughts of God and his glory, in every action
and meditation, but, for the most part it ought to be so. And if souls
were accustomed to meditation on God, it would become their very
nature,—_altera natura_,—pleasant and delightsome. However, if there be
not always an express intention of God’s glory, yet there ought to be kept
always such a disposition and temper of spirit as it may be construed to
proceed from the intention of God’s glory, and then it remains in the seed
and fruit, if not in itself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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