noble spirit. (3) Grace translates a man from Satan's
kingdom to God, and makes him a subject, a free born subject, of God or
Christ's kingdom, and therefore Christ is the "King of saints," Rev. xv.
3. Our Lord and Saviour hath an "everlasting kingdom," 2 Pet. i. 11. We
were subjects of the powers of darkness, but grace makes the translation
into the kingdom of God's own dear Son, Col. i. 13. Now what an
unspeakable privilege is this, to be one of Christ's subjects, who is our
dear Saviour and King! Surely we must all be great courtiers. David, the
great king of Israel, had this for his chief dignity, his style of honour,
"the servant of the Lord," as kings use to write down themselves; and this
was his title, "servant of God." Paul gloried much in this, "Paul, an
apostle and servant of Jesus Christ." And surely all the families of
heaven and earth may think it their highest honour to get liberty to bow
their knees to Jesus, the "King of kings, and Lord of lords," the
first-born of God's creation. The converted man is turned from the power
of Satan to God. Mark but the emphasis of these two terms. Mark the whence
or from,--that it is from Satan, the great destroyer of mankind, the first
transgressor and deceiver. And how great is his power, tyranny, and
dominion! He had us all in chains reserved for the day of judgment. But to
what a happy change grace turns us, _from_ him! But the term _to_, which
is more admirable, it is to God, to Christ, to true religion, to God
himself most High. And O! but this must be a more wonderful and excellent
change than our conversion from darkness to light, from hell to heaven.
These are but shadows of this glorious conversion. (4) Grace makes a man
likewise a "partaker of the divine nature," 2 Pet. i. 4. This is the image
and glory of God. This is the imitation and resemblance of God's spotless
holiness and purity, "Be ye holy, as I am holy," 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. Every
creature hath some dark characters of God. Some things speak his power,
some things his wisdom, but this he hath called his own image. And so the
Christian is more like unto God than all the world beside. This is the
magnifying of a man, and making him but "a little lower than the angels,"
Psal. viii. 3, 4. Therefore God loves grace better than all the creation.
Holiness is a great beauty, and God requires to be worshipped in the
beauties of it. Albeit grace be often clouded with infirmities, and
sometimes is reckoned despicable