Beas. 2. It is the end of our lives that God may be served : ' All things are by him, and through him, and to him,' Kom. xi. 36 ; angels, men, beasts, inanimate creatures. He expects more from men than from beasts, and from saints than from men ; and therefore life by them is not to be desired and loved but for this end : Eom. xiv. G-8, ' He that regardeth a day, regardeth it unto the Lord ; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eatetli to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks ; and he that eateth not, to the Lord eateth not, and giveth God thanks : for none of us liveth to him- self, and no man dieth to himself ; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.'
Usel. For reproof. Every man desireth life. The whole world would all and every one of them put up this request to God, ' Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live;' but there is not one man in a hundred that considereth why he should live. Some would live to please the flesh, and to wallow in the delights of the present world ; a brutish wish ! An heathen could say, he doth not deserve the name of a man that would spend his time in pleasure one day. These would not leave their husks and their hog trough. This was
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not David's desire, but that he might keep the law, and faithfully worship God.
Some, again, desire to see their children well bestowed, or to free their estate from incumbrance ; this is distrust, as if we did not leave a God behind us, who hath promised to be a father of the fatherless, and to take care of our little ones. Can we venture ourselves in God's hands, and can Ave not venture our families with him, whose goodness ex- tendeth to all his creatures ? Some are loath to leave such as are dear to them, wife and children and friends ; and is not God better, and Christ better ? These must be loved in God and after God. We set friends in the place of God and Christ, when we can be content ta be absent longer from God merely upon this ground, because we are loath to be separated from our friends. ' He that loveth father and mother, and husband and wife, more than me, is not worthy of me,* saitli Christ. Oh, how far are these from any Christian affection ! Surely to a believer it is a piece of self-denial to be kept out of heaven longer ; therefore it must be sweetened by some valuable compensa- tion ; something there must be to calm the mind contentedly to spare the enjoyment of it for a while. Now, next to the good pleasure of God, which is the reason of reasons, there is some benefit which we pitch upon. Nothing is worthy to be compared but our service, if God may have glor}^, if our lives may do good. A gracious heart must be satisfied with gracious reasons. Some may desire life, because they are dismayed with the terrors of death ; but this is unbelief. Hath not Christ delivered us not only from the hurt of death, but the fear of death ? Heb. ii. 14, ' And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage/ Where is your faith? ' Death is yours,' 1 Cor. iii. 22. It is a sin simply to desire life ; but look to the causes and ends of it.
Use 2. It directeth us how to dispose of our lives. For this end take a few considerations.
[1.] This life is not to be valued but by opportunities of service to God. It is not who liveth most plentifully, but most serviceably to God's glory : Acts xiii. 36, ' David, after he had served his generation, by the will of God he fell asleep.' Every one was made to serve God in his generation, and hath his office and use as an instrument of divine providence, from the king to the peasant. We are undone if the creatures, made to serve us, should fail in their season. We were made to serve God in our season.
[2.] This service is determined by the course of God's providence. He is the great master of the scenes, that appointeth us what part to act, and sets to every man his calling and state of life. John xvii. 4, our Saviour saith, ' I have finished the work thou hast given me to do.' We must not be our own carvers, prescribe to God at what rate we will be maintained, nor what kind of work we will perform. Those that are free may covenant with you, and make their bargain, what kind of service they will undertake ; but Ave are at God's absolute dis- pose, to be used as vessels of honour or dishonour, as fitted and disposed.
[3] In the management of this work we must measure our actions by God's word, and refer them to his glory. By God's word: Ps.