Andrewes - Heaven Collection BV4655 .A6 1675b

Corn. 3. The means-andfigni of glorifying Gods name. Chap. Y. the like feeling and fence of our failings in this kind; this would be a good ftep to amendment. According to the fourth rule. the means are to be confrdered of glorifying. the The meanì of name of God, whetherby prailingGod, fwearingby him, or vowing to him. The glo,ijying Dods means or motives to make usglorifiehis name, are s. To confider how God bath name, magnified our names, by regiltring them in thebook of life ; and not only this to make our names glorious in the life to come, but even in this world, we are called by his name,and he by ours ; we are his, and he is ours. He is not afhamed to be called Deus nofler, our God, to take our name upon him, that we fhould not be afhamed of his name : thus heexalts and honours our name, therefore we fhould exalt and honour his. z. A fecondmeans is to keep a Catalogue of the famous arts of God, both of judgments andmercies, whereby we may be itirred up to glorifie his name. Thofe that were donebefore our times, weeither doubt of them, or think they belong not to us, or that Godhadglory and praife enough in thofe dayes, and that they are of little life to us. Therefore the Counfel of devout men hath been, that is, the menof God of old, Nathan, Gad, and other children of the Prophets, every one had their 0121 -3-i verbs dierum, their Chronicles or Annals, or Diaries fro& the beginning of their times, wherein for their own remembrance, they kept Ca- . talogues of the vifible judgments of God upon hisenemies, and of his mercies to- wards his children ; that fo they might the more reverence him : fo lhould we keep memorials of the remarkable paffages of his providence to our felves and others, of his judgments andmercies, thereby to ftir us up to glorifie his name the better ; and that by comparing one with another, one (hall not be an impediment tei another, neither thofe that were before us !hall feem incredible, when we fee the like donein our dayes ; nor thofe in our dayes feem ftrange, becaufe the like was done before. 3. A third is, to ufe that Art and Dexterity, whichwas in Chrift and hisServants, whereby they inured themfelyes to take occafion from every adtion or creature they faw, to raife matter of glory to God ; that nothing could be done, or'fpokeit; or heardof, but they would make ufeof it, thereby to return'glory to God': aS Chrift, upon occafion of the brightnefs of the Sun, when he was early in the Temple took occafion to fall into a difourleof the fpiritual light of theworld, viz. himfelf Joha 8. á2; and the natural darknefs of man ; and upon enquiry of his followers, how he came to the other fide of the Sea, and upon his anfwer, that they fought him ra- Jóha 6. 16e ther for his Loaves, for another dinner, than for the miracle they faw'; and upon mentioningof Manna, he takesoccafion to enter into that large and excellent Ser- mon of the Euçharift,and the Bread of life. But molt notably in the fdurteenth of St. Luke, whereat one dinner, he takesoccafion, s. From the I rivingof the guefts for the upper places. z. From their inviting rich men, rather then the poor,: 3. From one at the Table that faid, bleffed is he that eateth Bread in the Kingdom; of God ; he takes-occafion, I fay, to enter into three very fruitful exhortations and admonitions, tending much to theglory of God. So the Prophet Ejaygoing down to the Vineyards, y remy going into the potters !hop, St. Paul from the Altar at Athens fet up to theunknown God ; they rake occafion, the Prophets to convince the Jews; and St. Paul to convert the Gentiles. Thus when we(hall ftudie to attar] to this Art, by daily praftifewe maycome to that aptnefs, thatnothing pan be pffe_ red, but foire wholfome meditation maybe drawn from it, whereby God may be daily glorified. 4. A fourth means to glorifie his name, is a reverend ufage, not only of'.hisnare but of his word; which he bath given us as a means toglorifie his name, for there- fore ishis word called his name, as when St. Paul is Paid to carry 'the nameof" Chrifl: before the Gentiles, that is in the judgment of the belt expofitors, his ,wprc, and AP. 9 I. theProphet faith, They fhall walk up and down in the rtárnp of theLori!, th p'js, ieh. ró.r s: in his word . IM!isWordisthefpeeialmBansto magnifie his 'name, his name is in fpecial manner printed upon it Therefore that abominable and curled prac`l;ifeQf fundry ungraciousperfons, of applying fundryfentences of his holy word"to pro phase libels and jells, is condemned and anathematized by all the facred pOncels in former times, yea, even by the counsel of 7°rent it felf. What !hall we ïáÿ, faith Sty

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=