But now mark, a sincere Christian, if he prays or hears, or gives or fasts, or repents or obeys, &c., God's glory is the main end of all. The glory of God is his highest end, his ultimate end, Ps. cxv. 1 ; 1 Thess. ii. 6. A sincere Christian can be content to be trampled upon and vili- fied, so God's name be glorified. The bent of such a heart is for God and his glory, nothing but sincerity can carry a soul so high, as in all acts natural, civil and religious, to intend God's glory, K,ev. iv. 9-11. A sincere Christian ascribes the praise of all to God ; he sets the crown on Christ's head alone ; he will set God upon the throne, and make all things else his servants, or his footstool, Rom. xiv. 7, 8. All must bow the knee to God, or be trodden in the dirt. He will love nothing, he will embrace nothing but what sets God higher, or brings God nearer to his heart. The glory of God is the mark, the white, that the sincere Christian has in his eye. The sincere Christian lives not to himself, but to him who lives for ever ; he lives not to his own will, or lusts, or greatness, or glory in this world, but he lives to his glory, whose glory is dearer to him than his own life, 1 Cor. x. 38 ; Rev. xii. 11. Look, as bright shining golden vessels do not retain the beams of the sun which they receive, but reflect them back again upon the sun ; so the sincere Christian returns and reflects back again upon the Sun of righteousness the praise and glory of all the gifts, graces, and virtues that they have received from him. The daily language of sincere souls is this : l^on nobis JDomine, non nobis Domine, not unto us. Lord, not unto us, Lord, but to thy name be all the glory, 1 Chron. xxix. 10, 18 ; Rom. xiii. 7. A sincere Christian makes conscience of giving men their dues ; how much more, then, does he make conscience of giving God his due, Ps. xcvi. 7, 8. Now glory is God's due, and God stands upon nothing more than that we give him the glory due unto his name, as you may see in Ps. xxix. 1, 2. There are three gives in those two verses : ' Give \mto the Lord, give unto the Lord, give unto the Lord the glory that is due
Chap. IV.] a cabinet of jewels. 443
unto his name.'' Glory is God's right, and he stands upon his right ; and this the sincere Christian knows, and therefore he gives him his right, he gives him the honour and the glory that is due unto his name. But pray do not mistake me : I do not say that such as are really sincere do actually eye the glory of Christ in all their actions. Oh no ! This is a happiness desirable on earth, but shall never be attained till we come to heaven. Bye and base ends and aims will be still ready to creep into the best hearts, but all sincere hearts sigh and groan under them. They complain to God of them, and they cry out for justice, justice upon them ; and it is the earnest desires and daily endeavours of their souls to be rid of them ; and therefore they shall not be imputed to them, nor keep good things from them. But now take a sincere Chris- tian in his ordinary, usual, and habitual course, and you shall find that his aims and ends in all his actions and undertakings are to glorify God, to exalt God, and to lift up God in the world. If the hypocrite did in good earnest aim at the glory of God in what he does, then the glory of God would swallov/ up his bye-aims and carnal ends, as Aaron's rod swallowed up the magicians' rods, Exod. vii 10-12. Look, as the sun puts out the light of the fire, so the glory of God, where it is aimed at, will put out and consume all bye and base ends. This is most certain, that which is a man's great end, that will work out all other ends. He that sets up the glory of God as his chief end, will find that his chief end will by degrees eat out all low and base ends. Look, as Pharaoh's lean kine ate up the fat. Gen. xli. 4, so the glory of God will eat up all those fat and worldly ends that crowd in upon the soul in religious work. Where the glory of God is kept up as a man's greatest end, there all bye and base ends will be kept at an under. By what has been said, it is most evident that an hypocrite in all his transactions looks at himself, and designs the advance and advantage of himself An hypocrite is as well able to make a world, and to unmake himself, as he is able to make the glory of God, the exaltation of God, his highest end, his utmost aim, in what he does. But,
[5.] Fifthly, Ko hypocrite can live wholly and only upon the righteousness of Christ, the satisfaction of Christ, the wxrits of Christ, for justification and salvation. The hypocritical scribes and phari- sees prayed and fasted, and kept the Sabbath, and gave alms, &c., and in this legal righteousness they rested and trusted, Mat. vi., Luke xviii. 11, 12. Ponder upon that Rev. iii. 16-18. Upon the performance of these and such like duties they laid the weight of their souls and the stress of their salvation, and so perished for ever. An hypocrite rests upon what he doth, and never looks so high as the righteousness of Christ. He looks upon his duties as so much good moneys laid out for heaven ; he weaves a web of righteousness to clothe himself withal ; he never looks out for a more glorious righteousness to be justified by than his own, and so puts a slight upon the righteousness of Christ : Rom. X. 3, ' For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.' The first step to salvation is to re- nounce our own righteousness ; the next step is to embrace the right- eousness of Christ, which is freely offered to sinners in the gospel ; but
' Propter te, Bomine, propter te, was one's and is still every sincere Christian's motto.
444 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. IV.