1. AVlien we prefer God's glory above all other things ; aboAC credit, estate, rela- tions ; when the glory of God coming in competition with them, we prefer his glory before them. If relations lie in our way to heaven, m'c must either leap over them, or tread upon them ; a child must unchild himself, and forget he is a child ; he must know neither father nor mother in God'a cause, Deut. xxxiii. 9., " Who said unlo his father and mothor, I have not seen him ; neither did he acknowledge his breth- ren." This is to aim at God's glory.
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MANS CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
2. Tlien we aim at God's glory, when we can be content tliat God's mil should take place, though it cross ours. Lord, I am content to be a loser, if thou be a gain- er ; to have less health, if I have more grace, and thou more glory ; whetlicr it be food or bitter physic thou givcst me. Lord I desire that which may be most for thy glory. Thus our blessed Saviour, " not as I wiW, but as thou wilt," Matth. xxvi. 39. So God might have more glory by his sufferings, he was content to suffer, John xii. 28., " Father, glorify thy name."
3. Then we aim at God's glory, when we can be content to be out-shined by others in gifts and esteem, so God's glory may be increased. A man that hath God in his heart, and God's glory in his eye, desires that God should be exalted ; and if this be effected, let who will be the instru- ment, he rejoiceth, Phil. i. 15., " Some preach Christ of en^vy : notwithstanding Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." They preached Christ of envy, they envied Paul that con- course of people, and they preached that they might outshine him in gifts, and get away some of his hearers : well, saith Paul, Christ is preached, and God is like to have glory, therefore I rejoice ; let my candle go out, if the Sun of Righteousness may but shine.
A. 2. We glorify God by an ingenuous confession of sin. The thief on the cross had dishonoured God in his life, but at his deatli he brings glory to God by confession of sin, Luke xxiii. 41., " We indeed suffer justly." He acknowledged he deserved not only crucifixion, but damnation. Josh. vii. 19,, " My son, give, I pray thee, glory to God, and make confession unto him," An humble confession exalts God. How is God's free grace magnified in crowning those wlio deserve to be condemned ; as the excusing and mincing of sin doth cast a reproach upon God ! Adam denies not he did taste the forbidden fruit, but, instead of a full confession, he taxes God, Gen. iii. 12,, " The woman whom thou gavcst me, she gave me of the tree, and 1 did eat." If thou hadst not given me the woman to be a tempter, I had not sinned. So con- fession glorifies God ; it clears him, it ac-
knowledge th he is holy and rlg"hteous what- ever he doth, Nehemiah vindicates God'a righteousness, chap. ix. .'3., " Thou art just in all that is brought upon us." A confession then is ingenuous, when it is free, not forced, Luke xv. 18., " I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." lie chargeth himself with sin, before ever his Father charged him ^\^th it.
A. 3. We glorify God by belicA-ing, Rom. iv. 20,, " Abraham was strong in faith, giving glory to God." Unbelief af- fronts God, it gives him the lie ; " he that believeth not, maketh God a liar," 1 John V, 10. So faith brings glory to God, it sets to its seal that God is true, John iii. 23 He that believes, flies to God's mercy and truth, as to an altar of refuge ; he doth in- garrison himself in the promises ; he trusts all he hath with God, Ps. xxxi. 5., " Into thy hands I commit my spirit." Tliis is a gi-eat way of bringing glory to God, there- fore God honours faith, because faith ho- nours God. It is a great honour we do to a man, when we trust him with all we have, — we put our lives and estates into his hand, — a sign we have a good opinion of him. The three children glorified God by believing, " The God whom we serve is able to deliver us, and will deliver us," Dan. iii. 17. Faitli knows there are no im- possibilities with God, and will trust him where it cannot trace him.
A. 4, We glorify God, by being tender of God's glory. God's glory is dear to him as the apple of his eye. No\v, when we are tender of his glory, by laying to heart his dishonours, this is a glorifying of him. An ingenuous child weeps to see a disgrace done to his father, Ps. Ixix. 9., " The reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen upon me." Wlicn we hear God re})roached, it is as if we were re- j)roached ; when God's glory suffers, it is as if we suffered. This is to be tender of God's glory.
A. 5. We glorify God by fruitfiilnc*;s, John XV. 8., " Hereby is my Fatlier glori- fied, if ye bring forth much fruit." As it is a dlslionour to God to be barren, so fruit- fulness doth honour him, Phil. i. 11., " Filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are to the praise of his glory." We
MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
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