A. 2. Because God hath made all things for his own glory : Prov. ^y\. 4., " The Lord hath made all things for himself," — that is, ' for his glory.' As a king hath excise out of commodities, God \vill have his glory out of every thing ; he will have glory out of the wicked, the glory of his justice ; they will not give him glory, but he will get his glory upon them : Exod. xiv. 17., " I will get me honour upon Pharaoh." But especially he hath made the godly for his glory ; they are the lively organs of his praise, Isa. xliii. 21., " This people have I formed for myself, and they shall shew forth my praise." It is true, they cannot add to his glory, but they may exalt it ; they cannot raise him in lieaA'en, but they may raise him in the esteem of others. God hath adopted the saints into his family, and made them a royal ]>riest- hood, that they should shew f(»vth the })raises of him who hath called them, 1 Pet. ii. 9.
A. 3. Because the glory of God hath such intrinsic value and excellency in it ; it transcends the thoughts of men and the tongues of angels ; God's glory is his trea- sure, all his riches lie here ; as Micah saifL Judges xviii. 24., " What have 1 more ?'*
MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
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So of God, wliat hath God more ? God's glory is more worth tlian licaven, more worth than the salvation of all men's souls ; better kingdoms be thrown down, better men and angels be aniiihilated, than God should lose one jewel of his crown, one beam of his glory.
A. 4. Creatures below us, and above us, bring glory to God ; and do we think to sit rent free ? Shall every thing glorify God, but man ? It is a pity then that eA'er man was made. 1. Creatures below us glorify God, — the inanimate creatures, — the heavens glorify God, Ps xix. 1., " The heavens declare the glory of God." The curious workmanship of heaven sets forth the glory of its maker ; the firmament is beautified and penciled out in blue and azure colours, where the power and wis- dom of God may be clearly seen. " The heavens declare his glory ;" we may see the glory of God blazing in the sun, twink- ling in the stars. 2. Look into the air; the birds, with their chirping music, sing hymns of praise to God, saith Ansel m. Every beast doth in its kind glorify God, Isa. xliii. 20., " The beasts of the field
shall honour me."
o.
Creatures above us
glorify God ; " the angels are ministering spirits," Heb. i. 14. They are still waiting on God's throne, and bring some revenues of glory into the exchequer of heaven. Then surely man should be much more studious of God's glory than the angels ; for God hath honoured him more than the angels, in that Christ took man's nature upon him, and not the angels' : although, in regard of creation, God hath made man " a little lower than the angels," Heb. ii. 7., yet, in regard of redemption, God hath set him higher than the angels ; he hath married mankind to himself; the angels are Christ's friends, but not his spouse ; he hath cover- ed us with the purple robe of righteousness, which is a better righteousness than the an- gels have, 2 Cor. v. 21. So that if the an- gels bring gh^ry to God, much more should we, being dignified with honour above the angelical spirits.
A. 5. We must bring glory to God, be- cause all our hopes hang upon him, Ps. xxxix. 7., " My hope is in thee." And Ps. Ixii. 5., " My expectation is from him ;"
I expect a kingdom from him. A child that is good-natured will honour his pa- rent, as expecting all that ever he is like to be worth from him, Ps. Ixxxvii, 7., "All my springs are in thee," — the silver springs of grace, the golden springs of glory.
Q. Hoiv many waj/s may we glorify God ? A. 1. It is a glorifying God, when we aim purely at God's glory ; it is one thing to advance God's glory, another thing to aim at it. God must be the terminus ad quern, the ultimate end of all actions. Thus Christ, John viii. 50., " I seek not mine own glory, but the glory of him that sent me." It is the note of an hypocrite, he hath a squint eye, he looks more to his own glory than God's glory. Our Saviour de- cyphers such, and gives a caveat against them, Matth. -vi. 2., " When thou givest alms, do not sound a trumpet." A stranger would ask, ' What means the noise of this trumpet ?' Then it was answered, ' they are going to give to the poor.' And so they did not give alms, but sell them for honour and applause, that they might have glory of men ; the breath of men was the wind that blew the sails of their charity, — " verily they have their reward." The hypocrite may make his acquittance and write, ' received in full payment.' Chry- sostom calls vain-glory one of the devil's great nets to catch men. And Cyprian says, " whom Satan cannot prevail against by intemperance, those he prevails against by pride and vain-glory." O let us take heed of self-worshipping ! aim purely at God's glory.
Q. Hoiv shall we knoiv v:e aim at God's glory ?