6. By doing that work which he hath given us to do. But what is that work which he hath given us to do? Ans.—{1.) The duty of our relations ; (2.) The duty of our vocations and callings.
[1.] The duty of our particular relations. They that are not good in their relations are nowhere good. This is a rule, that whatsoever we are, we must be that to God. A heathen could say, Si essem luscinia, canerem ut luscinia, &c. — If I were a lark, I would soar as a lark ; if a nightingale, I would sing as a nightingale. As a man, T should praise God ; as such a man, in such a relation, still I should glorify God in the condition in which he hath set me. If poor, I glorify God as a poor man, by my diligence, patience, innocence, con- tentedness ; if rich, I glorify God by a humble mind ; if well, I glorify God by my health ; if sick, by meekness under his hand ; if a magis- trate, by my zeal, improving all advantages of service, Neli. i. 11. If a minister, by my watchfulness ; if a tradesman, by my righteousness. From the king to the scullion, all are to work for God ; every man is sent into the world to act that part in the world which the great Master of the scenes hath appointed to him : Titus ii. 10, ' That ye may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.' As to hus- band and wife : Prov. xviii. 22, ' He that findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.' God expecteth that, in the catalogue of our mercies, we should bless God for our relations. Our relations are the sphere of our activity.
[2.] The duty of our vocation and calling. !Every christian hath his way and place, some work which God gave him. But of this see more by and by.
7. When God is the great scope and end of our lives and actions ; of all that we are, all that we do, all that we desire ; God must be the ultimate end. In our ordinary actions : 1 Cor. x. 31, ' Whether ye
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eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Not offer a meat-offering and drink-offering to appetite. The apostle instances in these things, partly because in these natural actions we are most apt to offend. Such is the unthankful nature of man, that we forget God when he remembers us most ; when he is most present in the fruits of his bounty, then he is usually banished from our hearts. Corruptions are most stirring when we are warmed with the liberal use of the creatures. Job sacrificed when his children feasted : Job i. 5, ' And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all : for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.' The devil bringeth his dish usually to our tables, disdain of the slenderness of our provision, quarrels, contentions, censures of the people of God, &c. Partly for greater emphasis. If in common actions we are to design God's glory as our end, much more in such actions as we make a business of. So in acts of grace ; the creature cannot be the ultimate end, and God's goodness only a means there- unto. There is a great deal of learned folly and atheism vented, branding those as mystical divines that call upon men to mind things as God minded them, who aims at his own glory as his ultimate end, Eph. i. 6. They say man's ultimate end is his own happiness. Some cry up the principle of self-love. Then belike all the goodness of God is to be estimated by the felicity of man ; this were to make man his own idol, and to measure all good and evil by his own interest. The fulfilling of God's will and promoting his glory should be the end of all obedience ; otherwise we make not the creature for God, but God for the creature, and so make the creature better than God, as being the ultimate end of God himself, at least to us, as if the highest end of all his goodness were the felicity of the creature.
Secondly, Uhi ? Where ? On earth, ' I have glorified thee on earth.'
1. Where so few mind God's glory, where all seek their own things, their own honour, their own profit, their own personal contentment. A christian should walk in counter-motion to the generality of the world : Phil. iii. 20, ' But our conversation is in heaven ;' Mai. iv. 1, 2, ' The day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble, &c. But unto you that fear the Lord,' &c. He is an exception from the common use and practice of mankind.
2. On earth, which is the place of our trial, where there are so many difficulties and temptations to divert us. We must glorify him on earth if we expect that he should glorify us in heaven. Many expect to glorify God in heaven, but take no care to glorify God here on earth. The saints in heaven glorify God, but without any difficulty, strife, and danger, it costs them no shame, no pain, no trouble, no loss of life or limb ; but here where the danger is, there is the duty and trial : Mat. x. 32, ' Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.' Christ will remember them and their labour of love. When he cometh in his majesty, he is not ashamed of his poor clients and friends ; these