Hence we may learn, if those that love Christ are to receive a crown of life at the hands of Christ, what a dishonorable thing is it for a true Christian to concern himself much about worldly honor and greatness; what a dishonor is it to Jesus Christ, who has promised you this glorious crown that you might despise worldly honors, as if you were not contented with what he has promised, as if the honor of a celestial crown from the hands of Christ were not enough without worldly honor too.
How do you dishonor yourselves by it! Christ has honored you by making [a gift] more excellent than any earthly thing. He has given you grace in your souls, which is heavenly riches the least grain of which is more worth than mountains of gold and silver. He has honored you by giving of you a right to a crown, not of gold and gems, but of celestial and everlasting glory, and you hope that he will honor you much more yet by actually placing this crown upon your heads and giving to you his own kingdom: placing you upon his own throne, adorning of you with robes of glory, giving you the heavens of heaven as your kingly palace, and himself as your riches, and his eternal love as your royal dainties. And will you now go and dishonor yourself so much as to thirst for silver and gold, or to seek after poor worldly greatness? Will [you] so dishonor your crown that is laid up for you? Will you so much undervalue it as to admit these childish things into your hearts with it; will you do your own crown so much dishonor as to make it so near equal to these things in your affections? Will you regard that honor that Christ is to give you in heaven so little as to seek the honor of men?
Will you who have an immortal crown, in heart thirst for earthly glory? Will you who are to shine with Christ as the sun, follow after poor earthly pomp and show? Will you who have heavenly riches, hug and embrace dirt and dung? Will you who are to be made kings and priests unto God the Father, leave your heavenly kingdom for the baubles of children? You thereby dishonor yourself more than one of the emperors of Rome did, who, although he ruled over the greatest empire in the whole world, yet used to retire constantly by himself, an hour or two every day, to catch flies.
Therefore make not yourself so mean. Leave the thirsting after temporal honor to men of this world who have nothing else; let them take these things and welcome! A thirst after these things is unworthy of you. Remember what a crown you have laid up for [you]; remember what a glorious inheritance you are heir of. When you are actually possessed of your heavenly kingdom, are actually crowned with glory, you will see how despicable these things are.
Let the men of this world know that you value your crown more than that comes to, to desire their foolish, fading glories. Don't dishonor religion, but honor it by letting the world know that you account all other things as loss and dung in comparison of it. If Christians did so, Christianity would not be a thing so much despised in the world. If Christians did but manifest to all that they did merely scorn and despise and trample upon worldly honors, in comparison of that crown of glory which they were to receive, religion would not be so much fled into corners.
One great thing why it is despised is because the religious themselves hide it, and dare not be so bold as to bring it out before the world and do it open honor before the sun; but they imprudently and dishonorably pursue after worldly greatness too, and show that they are not fully contented with their celestial crown, and this makes other men have a mean opinion of religion when they see the professors of religion value it no more.
Wherefore, follow the example of your Redeemer and Head, Jesus Christ, who although he knew himself to be the Son of God, yet despised all sublunary honors and greatness, for he knew them to be unworthy of him who was to be glorified with celestial glory after his resurrection. He scorned all the fine show of kings and princes because he knew how despicable it was in comparison of the glory that awaited him: "He for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down on the right hand of the throne of God."
http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy45OjI0LndqZW8uMTYyMzY1OC4xNjIzNjYz
How do you dishonor yourselves by it! Christ has honored you by making [a gift] more excellent than any earthly thing. He has given you grace in your souls, which is heavenly riches the least grain of which is more worth than mountains of gold and silver. He has honored you by giving of you a right to a crown, not of gold and gems, but of celestial and everlasting glory, and you hope that he will honor you much more yet by actually placing this crown upon your heads and giving to you his own kingdom: placing you upon his own throne, adorning of you with robes of glory, giving you the heavens of heaven as your kingly palace, and himself as your riches, and his eternal love as your royal dainties. And will you now go and dishonor yourself so much as to thirst for silver and gold, or to seek after poor worldly greatness? Will [you] so dishonor your crown that is laid up for you? Will you so much undervalue it as to admit these childish things into your hearts with it; will you do your own crown so much dishonor as to make it so near equal to these things in your affections? Will you regard that honor that Christ is to give you in heaven so little as to seek the honor of men?
Will you who have an immortal crown, in heart thirst for earthly glory? Will you who are to shine with Christ as the sun, follow after poor earthly pomp and show? Will you who have heavenly riches, hug and embrace dirt and dung? Will you who are to be made kings and priests unto God the Father, leave your heavenly kingdom for the baubles of children? You thereby dishonor yourself more than one of the emperors of Rome did, who, although he ruled over the greatest empire in the whole world, yet used to retire constantly by himself, an hour or two every day, to catch flies.
Therefore make not yourself so mean. Leave the thirsting after temporal honor to men of this world who have nothing else; let them take these things and welcome! A thirst after these things is unworthy of you. Remember what a crown you have laid up for [you]; remember what a glorious inheritance you are heir of. When you are actually possessed of your heavenly kingdom, are actually crowned with glory, you will see how despicable these things are.
Let the men of this world know that you value your crown more than that comes to, to desire their foolish, fading glories. Don't dishonor religion, but honor it by letting the world know that you account all other things as loss and dung in comparison of it. If Christians did so, Christianity would not be a thing so much despised in the world. If Christians did but manifest to all that they did merely scorn and despise and trample upon worldly honors, in comparison of that crown of glory which they were to receive, religion would not be so much fled into corners.
One great thing why it is despised is because the religious themselves hide it, and dare not be so bold as to bring it out before the world and do it open honor before the sun; but they imprudently and dishonorably pursue after worldly greatness too, and show that they are not fully contented with their celestial crown, and this makes other men have a mean opinion of religion when they see the professors of religion value it no more.
Wherefore, follow the example of your Redeemer and Head, Jesus Christ, who although he knew himself to be the Son of God, yet despised all sublunary honors and greatness, for he knew them to be unworthy of him who was to be glorified with celestial glory after his resurrection. He scorned all the fine show of kings and princes because he knew how despicable it was in comparison of the glory that awaited him: "He for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down on the right hand of the throne of God."
http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy45OjI0LndqZW8uMTYyMzY1OC4xNjIzNjYz
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