The fourth (and last) volume of discourses, or sermons, on several scriptures

Secondly, ¹Your Work is honourable because it is the Service of a most honourable Master. We account it a great Credit to tend immediately upon the Person of some Prince or Potentate; but what is this to their Honour who are called always to attend upon the Person of God himself, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to be continual Waiters about his Throne? God hath but two Thrones; his Throne of ⟨p. 104⟩Glory in the highest Heavens, about which Angels and glorified Saints are the Attendants; and his Throne of Grace to which you are called. Angels and Saints are but your Fellow-Attendants; and if they see his Glory in the highest Exaltation, you are admitted to see it in the next degree; yea, and herein is your Honour so great, that you are capable but of one Preferment more, and that is of being removed from one Throne to the other, from attending upon the Throne of Grace to attend upon the Throne of Glory, so great is your Honour.

1. 12. It is the Service of an honourable Master.

¹Thirdly, Your Work is such as makes you not so much Servants, as Friends unto God. It is an Honour to be Servant unto a King, but much more of a Servant to become a Favourite. Why thus it is in the service of God; you are not only Servants, but Friends and Favourites. You are my Friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. A strange Speech; one would think the doing of what is commanded is the Office of a Servant, rather than of a Friend: No, says Christ, Henceforth I call you not Servants but Friends; you are my Friends if ⟨p. 105⟩you do whatsoever I command you. And certainly no Title so truly glorious as that which God put upon Abraham, To be the Friend of God. Well then, let wicked Men go on scoffing and mocking at Obedience in the People of God, let them look on them as poor and low spirited Persons, yet can there be no Honour like unto theirs, to be Attendants upon, yea, the Friends of the great God of Heaven; and there can be no Discredit so base as theirs who are Slaves to the Devil, who is Gods Slave; to be a Slave unto the Devil, whom the People of God have in part subdued and overcome, and over whom they shall shortly at once perfectly triumph.