God shining upon the soul, and giving us a discovery of his own glory in the face of Christ, reflects the image of God upon us; and under this glorious rising and shining is the new man formed, and the divine image imprinted on the soul. "But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." The love that fills the soul at this time, and the unutterable joy that springs from love, has, according to Peter, a fulness of glory in it. "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory," 1 Peter i. 8. Glory, as mentioned in the scriptures: in the general, means light; "Icould not see," says Paul, "for the glory of that light;" and again, "The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory;" and again, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of God is risen upon thee."

The word, light, in scripture signifies various things.

1. It signifies the light of faith. By faith Moses saw him that is invisible. The patriarchs saw the promises afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them. And again, "He that believeth on me shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

2. Sometimes it means love." He that hateth his brother, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness; but he that loveth his brother abideth in the

light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him."

3. It signifies enlightening the understanding to discern spiritual things. "Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions." Again, "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."

4. It signifies joy and gladness of heart. "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart." Again, "The light of the righteous rejoiceth, but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out."

5. Wonderful deliverances, and prosperity upon it, are called light. When Haman was caught in his own trap, and God turned his violent dealings upon his own pate, it is said that the Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour, Esther viii. 16. So much for the wise man's begun glory, even in this life. We read also of a glory that is to be put upon the bodies of the saints at the resurrection of the dead; that Christ shall change our vile bodies, and shall fashion them like unto his own glorious body. We read also of a crown of glory that fadeth not away. And I believe I may, in a few words, set forth both the glory of Christ, and the glory of the saints. The glory of Christ is his church: "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem

.

in the hand of thy God," Isaiah lxii. 3. The crown of the saints follows: "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people," Isaiah xxviii. 5. This is the glory of the wise, and the wise man's crown of glory; and he that can find out God unto perfection, he may describe it; as for me, I cannot. But thus much I may say, that whatever in the word of God is called a crown, may, in the highest sense, be referred to Christ Jesus. For instance: "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. Christ is the ancient of days, and the hair

دو

"The

of his head like pure wool, Daniel vii. 9. prudent are crowned with knowledge." Christ is made of God unto us wisdom; and to know God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, is life eternal. We read of a crown of righteousness laid up for all that love his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. Jehovah-tsidkenu, Christ is the Lord our righteousness, Jer. xxiii. 6. "The crown of the wise is their riches." The Lord is the portion of our souls. We read of being crowned with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Psalm ciii. 4. Christ is love, he is kindness, and all the sure mercies of David are in him. There is such a thing as the crown of life, James i. 12. Christ is our life; and, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory." Again: "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." But this

text that follows includes and contains the substance of all the above: "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people." This is our cap of state, our joy, the crown of our rejoicing, the glory of our head, and our eternal honour, dignity, and majesty.

I come now to describe the worst creatures in all this world, except the devils; and these are, that sort of fools which are mentioned and meant in my text: for there are several sorts of fools described in the word of God; but that sort in my text is not an understrapper; he is not one of the lowest, nor one of the second class, but of the highest rank, being exalted above every other denomination or species of fools; for so says my text, "Shame shall be the promotion of fools."

1. There is a sort of fools that are mere muckworms, who are so blinded and buried in the earth as never to spend one thought either upon God. or conscience. "And he spake a parable unto them saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do; I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall

be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God."

2. There is another sort of fools which are by nature so; that is, persons of weak intellects and of shallow capacities, and, as we commonly say, soft and simple; and there are not a few of this sort among the elect of God. "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are," 1 Cor. i. 26-28. Now this sort of fools are so naturally, and are called the foolish things of the world.

3. There is another sort of fools, that are not so in reality, but are nicknamed so; and their godfathers that gave them this name are not men truly wise, nor wise in the judgment of God, nor in the opinion of wise men; but they are wise in their own conceits like the Jewish scribes and pharisees of old, who became vain in their imagination and their foolish hearts were darkened. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools," Rom. i. 21, 22. Now, though these men were fools in grain, fools in the abstract, and the very quintessence of folly, yet these became the