192 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. creatures. Sinning menand angels have no design, no will, no desire to give glory to God. They do their ut- most to the contrary, to reproach and blaspheme him. But they cannot cast off yoke of God in their minds and consciences ; they are forced, and shall be for ever, to acknowledge that God is infinitely holy, infinitely ise, powerful and righteous. And he has the glory of all these properties from them in their very desires that he were otherwise. When they would that God were just to punish them, powerful to torment them, wise to find them out, holy to be displeased with their lusts and sins, they do at the same time, in the same thing, own, acknowledge, and give unto God the glory of his being, . justice, wisdom, power and holiness. Vi hen, therefore, God has made known his properties, the ascription of glory unto him on their account is, to ra- tional creatures, natural and unavoidable. A voluntary praise is also rendered in the reasonable service, worship, fear, trust,: obedience of angels and men. God having revealed unto them the properties of nature, theyacknowledge and adore them, and place their confidence in them, and thereby glorifyhim as God. We do this in making the excellences of God, revealed unto us, the principle and chief object of all the moral actin_gs of our souls, and of all the actings of our affec- tions. To fear the Lord and his goodness, and to fear him for his goodness . to trust in his power and faith- fulness, to obey his authority, to delight in his will and grace, to love him above all, because of his excellences and beauty, this is to glorify him. Why do we pray and long for the accomplishment ofthe promises of God to- wards his saints, and of his threatenings towards his en- emies, for the fulfillingof the glorious works of his pow- er and grace that yet remain tobe done, for the coming of the kingdom `of Christ, for the approach of glory'? Is it not chiefly and principally that the gloriousexcellen-
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