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called wise though a fool, though of no more wisdom than an ass, than an ass's colt, the silliest of asses. Vain man would be accounted that which he is not, and have more than is due to him, but it is not so with God; he would have no man call him what he is not, or any thing he does, what it is not; but as he is, and as he does. Tell Pharaoh I am that I am; as he sees me do and work, so let him call me, and no otherwise; as men see me and feel me, my power, my glory and the like, so let them call it and me "strengthened with all might according to his glorious power," &c.

Love leads to this, justice binds to this, and yet I fear I shall not find so much favour for Christ from

every one, as to obey this doctrine. A glorious power wrought in and by Christ, and yet the scribes and pharisees would not acknowledge it, but blasphemed all. They would not call Christ, Christ; God, God: though convinced he was so; but called God a devil; and the power which wrought in him, by him, and for him, a diabolical power, and thus continued blaspheming glorious power, the most glorious power that ever wrought. So did Jannes and Jambres withstand the power which wrought by Moses. This generation is alive again; alive and lusty in this land at this day. Divine power works gloriously in the hearts and hands of christians, yet will not many wretches acknowledge it, but deride it, blaspheme it, make head against it, as a power of the devil. Men care not what they say of our God, nor what they do against those in and by whom he works. Men will not see Christ in christians, nor Christ for christians; but Christ will make them see and feel both.

When the heart is naught, it is full of shifts, such

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men will attribute all that is done to any thing rather than to that they should, than to divine power, and call that glorious.

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O when will English unbelievers call the power God which works in the hearts and hands of English christians, a glorious power? " his glorious power!" When will they confess that they are strengthened with all might according to his glorious power? Men of almighty hearts and hands, by the power of an Almighty God? When will Balaam alight and turn his horse, and confess a glittering, glorious power of God against him? When will he ingenuously say, I cannot curse, but bless altogether English christians; such a glorious power of God works in their hearts and hands? Evil hearts have their shifts, and they have their sins: pride cannot call that power glorious, which is against it. A proud person cannot acknowledge that power glorious, which shames him. A proud heart is a deadly plague. Such a man will rather die than lay down his weapons to God; than acknowledge himself too weak for glorious power. Oh what a nothing is man! what a worse than nothing is a wicked man! And yet what a something! what an all! what a something above all, doth he think himself!

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I would have every one of you in particular, to take notice what power works in and by you, and call it as it works. Are ye self-condemned? that a convincing power. Are your hearts pricked and wounded? call that a terrible power. Are your hearts inflamed with love to Christ? call that a glorious power. Divine power condemning, executing, torturing, must be looked to betimes. It is time to shake off sin, when hell is come home; come into a man's soul, ere the soul be gone out of the body.

A power working merely to convict, is a sad and black, not a glorious power. Such a man should know that life and death are near him; he may live, or he may die, who stoops to that power which hath seized upon his soul. Where power works merely convictively, that man is indicted for his life. If he can believe, he will do well; if not, his wounds will bleed to death. No power works so black and' sad in the soul, but faith alters it, and makes it a glorious power. The goings of God in the soul, are suited to faith still. Believe, O self-condemned soul, and thou shalt see the glory of God; a glorious power working in thee. Out of faith springs love; out of love, heaven; heaven felt, and then, and not till then, a christian calls the power that works in him a glorious power-all is glorious in heaven. The soul quickly calls power as it feels it work, and very hardly otherwise. We call the sun glorious, when we see it, and feel it, smiling, warming, and comforting us. Other celestial powers which blow, blast, nip and pinch, we call not glorious powers. Power is glorious, and confessed glorious, as it does its most glorious works in the heart. Christians, ye are too far from heaven to call the sun glorious; too few glorious works in you, to call power glorious. Were ye strengthened "with all might,” ye could not but (as the apostle here doth) call power glorious."

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SERMON VI.

COLOSSIANS 1. 11.

ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS POWER, OR ACCORDING TO THE FORCE OF HIS GLORY.

DIVINE things are so mentioned, as to make best impression upon the soul of man. The Holy Ghost speaks as one in heaven, to make his auditors so: he speaks gloriously, to take, to raise, to ravish dead and dull man; to work and force way for Christ into every heart" according to the power or force of his glory."

It is an expression of energy and divine force, moulded and shaped with such glittering letters and words, with such varnish and beauty from heaven as to take and carry every heart thither. Words of glory, and works of glory, all things of glory, are of great power and force with fallen man; in a glorious style, therefore, doth the Holy Ghost here speak "according to the power of his glory."

The Holy Ghost doth speak as like himself, and to man as like himself. He speaks as one in heaven, as one wr.pt up in God, and in glory, to whom the language of the holy land is natural. And he speaks to man as on earth, in earth, wrapt up soul and body in earth; cold, dull, heavy, and hard to be lifted up to heaven, unless heaven and glory be brought to his door, to his eye and ear; if any thing be of power and force upon a dead creature this will, according to the force or power of his glory."

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God speaks to man, as man yet moves according to the ruins and remainders of his first state. Man's first state was glory, and he is a creature leaning and struggling that way still, to get and to make a state of glory. He gropes after it in every thing, and as any thing carries glory and lustre to any sense, eye or ear, so he looks after it and hearkens to it. Things of natural glory, of glory to the sense, are very swaying with a broken, proud creature. This the devil knows right well, and therefore he bespangles his expression with heaven, and glory, and the state of a God, when he has to do with man. So he did to the first Adam, so he did to the second Adam, he showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, saith the text. He knows that words and works inlayed with glory, are very working and winning upon human nature, whosoever wears it. Therefore he at this day gilds all his deadly pills, and makes them golden and glorious things to look upon; and daily works in his best apparel as an angel of light. He makes every tool and instrument of death look as glittering and as glorious as may be; he hath had long experience that golden, glorious things are of great force, upon a broken, glorious creature. As Satan doth speak and work towards man, as man moves according to the remainders of his first state; so doth God. He. knows that fallen man is much leaning and groping after glory, and therefore shall ye find the Holy Ghost so leaning to this way of speaking in the word, and working in the world-namely, to clothe expression with words of glory, and actions, with works of splendour and glory. As when Christ was to come in the flesh, and sent his heralds to the shepherds, the glory of the Lord shined round about

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