The Scripture Notion of GLORYING, and the Infufficiency of earthly Enjoyments to be the Objects or Foundations of it.

SERMON VIII.

GAL. vi. 14.

But God forbid that I should glory, fave in the Cross of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by Whom the World is crucified unto me, and I unto the World.

T'

HE bleffed Apostle St. Paul, whose

Converfion to the Faith was extraordinary and miraculous, appears conftantly to have borne in Mind the most strong and lively Impreffions of the Mercies then vouchfafed him; and feems defirous of demonftrating, on all occafions, that he was not a whit behind the very best of the Apoftles,

Apoftles, but that, in Love and Zeal for Christianity, he laboured more abundantly than they all. He feems fond of every Opportunity, of fhewing us his Love, and Joy, and Delight in the Gofpel of Chrift; and thereby gives us a most glorious, and most ftimulating Example, to provoke us to good Works, and to walk fo, even as he walked. His Unworthinefs in having perfecuted the Church of God, feems to have been ever in his View; he is earnest to convince the World, that what he then did against her, was done in Ignorance and Unbelief, and with a fincere, though mistaken, Defire of promoting the Glory of God; he now redoubles his Zeal, and exerts a greater Fervency and Warmth of Affection on her Behalf. No Appearance of Honour or Succefs to Christianity could fhew itself, but he exults and triumphs; no Means of promoting the Knowledge of the Gospel could be prefented, but he defpifes all Danger, and contemns all Sufferings, in the Pursuit of them: Nor would he fuffer a Hint to drop, or a Word to escape, that could well lead him to it, but he immediately bursts out into Joy, and declares his Refignation,

and

and his Love. When Agrippa tells him", That the Force of his Eloquence, and the Fervours of his Affection for his Saviour had almoft perfuaded him to be a Christian, he rejoices in his bare Inclinations to Christianity, and cries out, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this Day, were both almoft, and altogether fuch as I am, except thefe Bonds. When he was at Cefarea, on his Journey to Jerufalem, and it was there foretold by a Prophet, that he fhould be imprifoned by the Jews; and the Disciples therefore befought him not to go up thither, for fear of the Sufferings he might endure; What mean ye, fays he, to weep, and to break mine Heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but to die at Jerufalem, for the Name of The Lord Jesus. And in this his laft Chapter to the Galatians, of which the Text is a Part, the very mention of the Word glorying, feems to have given Fire to his Zeal, and made him break out into the paffionate Declaration of the Text, wherein he declares, That there was nothing for him to glory in, but the Cross of Chrift; or in other Words, that

a Acts xxvi. 28.

N

b

Chap. xxi.

29

as to all earthly Enjoyments and Sufferings, none of these things moved him, neither counted he his Life dear unto him, so that he might finish his Course with Joy, and the Miniftry which he had received of The Lord Jefus, to testify the Gospel of the Grace of

God.

a

The general Design of this Epiftle was to oppose the Attempts of fome Judaizing Christians, who would have brought their Brethren again into Subjection to the Law of Mofes, from which the Gospel of Christ had made them free; and to recover those who had been perverted by them. And St. Paul therefore labours throughout the whole to convince them, that they had, by The Son of God, been called unto Liberty a ; and to perfuade them, to ftand faft in that Liberty to which they had been called, and not to be entangled again with that Yoke of Bondage b, viz. the numerous Rites and burdenfome Ceremonies of the Law, which had been too great a Burden for the present Jews, or their Fathers to bear. And here, in the Close of this Epiftle, he tells them, that the Defign of thofe, who would enflave b Chap. v. 1.

a Gal, v. 13:

them,