December 30

Who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus.—1 Peter 5:10.

THE way of our calling to so high and happy an estate, did we apply our thoughts more to it, would work on us, and persuade us to a more suitable temper of mind, and course of life; would give us more noble and sublime thoughts, and ways above the world; and the stronger were our persuasion of it, the more strongly should we be thus persuaded by it. And as it would thus prevail with us, so might we use it to prevail with God for all needful grace.

1. All you who hear the gospel, are, in general, called to this glory. It is told you where and how you may lay hold on it. You are told, that if you will let go your sins and embrace Jesus Christ, this glory shall be yours. It is his purchase, and the right of it lies in him, and not elsewhere; and the way to obtain a right to him is to receive him for a Saviour, and at the same time for Lord and King; to become his subjects, and so to be made kings. This is our message to you, but you will not receive it. You give a hearing, it may be, but do not indeed hearken to the motion; and this of necessity must proceed from unbelief. Were you indeed persuaded, that in coming unto Christ you were immediately not only set free from a sentence of death which is still standing over your head while you are out of him, but withal entitled to a crown, made heirs of a kingdom, an eternal kingdom,—I say if this were believed, were it possible to slight him as the most do, and turn back the bargain, and bestow their money elsewhere upon trifles of no value, children's commodities, rattles, and painted toys? Such are your greatest projects, even for earthly kingdoms, in respect of Christ, and this glory provided in him. How wonderful is it that where this happiness is daily proclaimed, and you are not only informed of it, but entreated to receive it, not only is it offered to

33* you, but pressed and urged upon you, and you say you believe the matter; yet still, the false glory and other vanities of this world amuse and entangle you so that you close not with this rich offer of eternal glory.

But where any do close with it, it is indeed by a call that goes deeper than the ear, a word spoken home to within, a touch of the Spirit of God upon the heart, which had a magnetic virtue to draw it, so that it chooses most freely and sweetly to follow; doth most gladly open to let in Jesus Christ and his sweet government upon his own terms, takes him and all the reproaches and troubles that come with him. And well it may, seeing, beyond a little passing trouble, abiding eternal glory.

2. The state to which a Christian is called, is not a poor and sad estate, as the world judges; it is no less than eternal glory. The world think it strange to see the believer abridge himself in the delights of sin, their common pursuits and eager graspings after gains or honors, or pleasures of sense; but they know not the infinite gain that he hath made, in that he hath exchanged this dross for down-weight of pure gold. The world see what the Christian leaves, but they see not what he comes to, what his new purchase is, in another place; they see what he suffers, but not what he expects, and shall attain as the end of those sufferings, which shall shortly end. But he, knowing well upon what conditions all these things run, may say,—How small is what I forsake, how great that which I follow after!

It is glory, eternal glory, his eternal glory, true, real glory. All here that is so named, is no more than a name, a shadow of glory; it can not endure the balance, but is found too light, as was said of a great monarch, Dan. v.; and even many principalities and provinces, put into the scale one after another, still add no weight: yea, possibly, as a late political writer wittily observes of a certain monarch, "the more kingdoms you cast in, the scale is still the lighter." Men are naturally desirous after glory, and gape after it; but they are naturally ignorant of the true nature and place of it; they seek it where it is not, as Solomon says of riches, set their hearts on that which is not, hath no subsistence or reality. But the glory above, is true, real glory, and bears weight, and so bears aright the name of glory, the term for which in the Hebrew signifies weight; and the apostle's expression seems to allude to that sense: speaking of this same glory to come, he calls it a far more excellent weight of glory. It weighs down all labor and sufferings in the way, so far, as that they are not once worth the speaking of. Other glory is over-spoken, but this glory is over-glorious to be duly spoken: it exceeds and rises above all that can be spoken of it.

Eternal. Oh, that adds much! Men would have more reason to affect and pursue the glory of the present world, such as it is, if it were lasting, if it stayed with them when they have sought it, and they stayed with it to enjoy it. But how soon do they part! They pass away, both as smoke. Our life is itself as vapor. And as for all the pomp and magnificence of those that have the greatest outward glory, and make the fairest show, it is but a show, a pageant that goes through the street, and is seen no more. But this hath length of days with it—eternal glory. Oh, a thought of that swallows up all the grandeur of the world, and the noise of reckoning years and ages. Had one man continued, from the creation to the end of the world, at the top of earthly dignity and glory, admired by all, yet, at the end, everlasting oblivion being the close, what a nothing were it to eternal glory! But, alas! we can not be brought to believe, and deeply to take the impression of eternity; and this is our undoing.

His glory. It is that which he gives, and gives as his choicest of all, to his chosen, his children. And if there be any thing here that hath delight or worth, in the things which he gives in common even to his enemies, if there be such a world and such a variety of good things for them that hate him, oh how excellent must those things be which he hath reserved for his friends.

As it is his gift, so it is indeed himself; the beholding and enjoying of himself. But this we can not now conceive. But, oh, that blessed day when the soul shall be full of God, shall be satisfied and ravished with full vision! Should we not admire that such a condition, is provided for man, wretched, sinful man? Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visitest him? And is it provided for me, as wretched as any who are left and fallen short of this glory, a base worm taken out of the mire, and washed in the blood of Christ, and within a while set to shine in glory without sin! Oh, the wonder of this! How should it excite us to praise, when we think of such a one there, who will bring us up in the way to this crown! How will this hope sweeten the short sufferings of this life! And death itself, which is otherwise the bitterest in itself, is most of all sweetened by this, as being nearest it, and setting us into it. What though thou art poor, diseased, and despised here? Oh, consider what is there, how worthy the affection, worthy the earnest eye and fixed look of an heir of this glory! Who would refuse this other clause, to suffer a while, a little while. How soon shall all this be overpast, and then overpaid in the very entry, at the beginning of this glory that shall never end!