A, When we live to his service, and lay out ourselves wholly for God. The Lord hath sent us into the world, as a merchant sends his factor heyond the seas to trade for him ; then we live to God, Avhcn we trade for his interest, and propagate his gos- pel. God hath given every man a talent. Now, when he doth not hide it in a napkin, but improves it for God, this is to live to God. When a master in a family, by coun- sel and good example, labours to bring his servants to Christ, — when a minister doth exhaust himself in the labours of his holy calling, when he spends himself, and is spent, that he may win souls to Christ, and make the crown flourish upon Christ's head, — when the magistrate doth not wear the eword in vain, but labours to cut down sin, and suppress vice, — this is to live to God, and this is a glorifying of God : Phil. i. 20., *' That Christ might be magnified, whether by life or by death." Three wishes St. Paul had, and they were all about Christ, that he may be found in Christ, be with Christ, and that he might magnify Christ,
A. 9. We glorify God by walking cheer- fully. It is a glory to God, when the world sees a Christian hath that within him that can make him cheerful in the worst times ; he can, with the nightingale, sing with a thorn at his breast. The people of God hath ground of cheerfulness; they are jus- tified, and instated into adoption ; and this creates inward peace ; it makes music Avith- in, whatever storms are without, 2 Cor. i. 4. 1 Thes. i. 6. If we consider what Christ hath wrought for us by his blood, and wrought in us by his Spirit, it is a gi'ound of great cheerfulness, and this cheerfulness glorifies God. It reflects upon a master when the servant is always drooping and sad, sure he is kept to hard commons, his master doth not give him what is fitting : so, when God's people hang their heads, it looks as if they did not serve a good master, or repented of their choice ; this reflects dis- honour on God. As the gross sins of the wicked bring a scandal on the gospel, so do the uncheerful lives of the godly, Ps. c. 2., " Serve the Lord with gladness." Your serving him doth not glorify him, unless it be with gladness. A Christian's cheerful
looks glorify God ; religion doth not take away our joy, but refine and clarify it ; it doth not break our viol, but tunes it, and makes the music sweeter.
A. 10. We glorify God, by standing up for his truths. Much of God's glory lies in his truth. God hath intrusted us with his truth, as a master intrusts his servant with his purse to keep. We have not a richer jewel to trust God with, tlian our souls ; nor God hath not a richer jewel to trust us with, than his truth. Truth is a beam that shines from God, much of his glory lies in his truth ; now when we are advocates for truth, this is to glorify God ; so Athanasius, the bulwark for trutli. Jude v. 3., " That ye should contend earnestly for the faith," viz. the doctrine of faith. The Greek word to contend, signifies a great contending, as one would contend for his land, and not suffer his right to be taken from him; so we should contend for the truth. Were there more of this holy con- tention, God would have more glory. Some can contend earnestly for trifles and cere monies, but not for the truth ; we should count him indiscreet, that would contend more for a picture, than for his land of in- heritance,— for a box of counters, than for his box of e^ndences.
^.11. We glorify God, by praising him. Doxology, or praise, is a God-exalting work: Ps. 1. 23., " Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." The Hebrew word bara^ to create, and barak, to praise, are little different, be- cause the end of creation is to praise God. David was called * the sweet singer of Israel,' and his praising God, was called a glorify- ing of God, Ps. Ixxxvi. 12., " I will praise thee, O Ivord my God, and I will glorify thy name." Though nothing can add to God's essential glory, yet praise exalts him in the eyes of others. When we praise God, we spread his fame and renown, we display the trophies of his excellency. In this man- ner the angels glorify God, and they are the choristers of heaven, and do trumpet forth God's praise. And praising of God is one of the highest and purest acts of reli- gion ; in prayer we act like men ; in praise we act like angels ; tliis is a high degree of glorifying God. Believers are called ' tem- ples of God,' 1 Cor. iii. 16. When our
MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
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