18. The grace and free mercy of God his glory

The grace and free mercy of God his glory

Doct. The grace and free mercy of God is his glory. Now in our fallen estate the glory of God is especially his mercy shining in Jesus Christ.

What is glory?

Glory implieth these things.

[1.] First, Excellency. Nothing is glorious but that that is excellent.

[2.] Secondly, Evidence and manifestation; for nothing is glorious, though it be excellent, if it appear not so. Therefore light is said to be glorious, because the rays of it appear and run into the eyes of all as it were. And therefore we call things that are glorious by the name of light, illustrissimus and clarissimus, terms taken from light, (d) because where glory is there must be manifestation. Thus light, it is a creature of God that manifests itself and other things.

[3.] Thirdly, Victoriousness. In glory there is such a degree of excellency as is victorious, and convincing that it is so indeed; conquering the contrary that opposeth it. Light causeth darkness to vanish presently. When the sun which is a glorious creature appears, where are the stars? And where are meaner men in the appearance of a glorious prince? They are hid. The meaner things are shadowed by glory.

[4.] Again, usually glory hath with it the suffrage and approbation of others, or else it hath not its right end; that is, Why doth God create such glory in nature as light, and such like, but that men may behold the light? and why are kings and great men glorious at certain times, but that there be beholders? If there were no beholders there would be no glory.

Now to apply this to the point in hand. ’The glory of the Lord;’ that is, his attributes, especially that of grace, mercy, and love in Christ. That especially is his excellency. And there is an evidence and manifestation of it. It appears to us in Christ, ’The grace of God had appeared,’ Titus 2:11. Christ is called grace. He is the grace of God invested and clothed with man’s nature. When Christ appeared, the grace and mercy and love of God appeared.

Then again it is victorious, shining to victory over all that is contrary. For, alas! beloved, what would become of us if there were not grace above sin, and mercy above misery, and power in Christ Jesus above all the power in Satan and death! And then they have a testimony of all that belong to God; for they have their eyes opened to behold this glory, and by beholding are transformed from glory to glory, as we shall see after. So that whatsoever may be said of glory may be said of this glory, whence all other glory indeed is derived.

’The glory of the Lord.’ By the glory of the Lord then is meant especially the glory of his mercy and love in Jesus Christ. The several attributes of God shine upon several occasions: They have as it were several theatres whereon to discover their glory. In creation there was power most of all. In governing the world, wise providence. In hell, justice in punishing sinners. But now to man in a lapsed estate, what attribute shines most, and is most glorious? Oh it is mercy and free grace. If grace and mercy were hid, our state being as it is since the fall, what were all other attributes but matter of terror? To think of the wisdom, and power, and justice of God would add aggravations. He is the more wise and powerful to take revenge on us, &c. Grace is the glorious attribute whereby God doth as it were set himself to triumph over the greatest ill that can be, over sin. That that is worse than the devil himself cannot prevail over his grace. There is a greater height and depth and breadth; there are greater dimensions in love and mercy in Christ than there is in our sins and miseries; and all this is gloriously discovered in the gospel. Do you wonder then why the grace of God hath found such enemies as it hath done alway, especially in popery, where they mingle their works with grace? For the opposite heart of man being in a frame of enmity to God, sets itself most against that that God will be glorified in. Therefore we should labour to vindicate nothing so much as grace. We have a dangerous encroaching sect risen up, enemies to the grace of God, that palliate and cover their plot cunningly and closely, but they set nature against grace. Let us vindicate that upon all occasions; for we live by grace, and we must die by grace, and stand at the day of judgment by grace; not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ, being found in him. But because it is a sweet point, and may serve us all in stead, to consider that God will honour himself gloriously in this sweet attribute, let us see a little how the glory of God shines in Christ more than otherwise; parallel it with other things a little.