1. In the course of our conversation there must be a sense of God's eye. The world is a great stage, men are the actors, God and angels are the spectators and lookers-on ; therefore all must be done in God's presence. All actions and duties which lie between man and man mast be done in and to the Lord. You must love your neighbour for God's sake. The swaying reason of all your actions must be the love and fear of God ; by this means you make your commerce to be a kind of worship, and turn duties of the second table into duties of the first table: Eph. v. 19, 'Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.' Kemember he seeth thee ; it is done to him. Submission is the usual effect of fear of man. When men have power, they cast off the yoke. This is the fairest bond and tie. So to servants : Eph. vi. 5, ' Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ.' What would you do to God and Christ if they were present ? Use yourself thus often to think of God, for this is to walk with God, to keep always in his eye and presence.
2. Dependence upon his strength. It is notable, when the apostle bad laid down reciprocal duties of relations, between children and parents, husbands and wives, masters and servants, he concludes all, Eph. vi. 10, ' Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.' It is an error to think that the supplies of grace are only necessary for duties of worship ; they are necessary also for duties of your civil relation. We are like a glass without a bottom ; when it comes to stand of itself, it is broken in pieces ; so we shall surely mis- carry, and walk unworthy of our relation, if God do not help us, but we be left to ourselves. It is a good part of godliness to look to God, and "Wait upon him all the day for counsel and strength. You give him the honour of a God when you acknowledge him in all your ways : Prov. iii. 6, ' In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.' By a constant dependence you acknowledge him most ; and this preserves a constant intercourse between us and God, when we lift
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up the heart that we may receive grace and strength to walk in all our
relations to his glory.
3. An aim at God's glory ; that must be the supreme end of all our actions, be they of never so small a consequence: 1 Cor. x. 31, ' Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Whatever we do, eating, drinking, trading, all must be done that God may be honoured by ourselves and others. This is to make every meal an act of worship, your trading a solemn praise. It is Gods design that all our lifetime we may do him service ; this must be our fixed scope, that his honour and glory may be at the end of every natural and civil action. Look, as in all the works of creation, providence, and redemption, God made it his aim to glorify himself in all, so we should make it our fixed aim and scope to bring honour to God in all our work ; all other things are notliing to this.
Use 1. Examination. Art thou godly ? Hast thou been a diligent hearer and reader of the word ? a religious observer of the Lord's day ? an earnest worshipper of God ? zealous for his glory against those that profane his name, corrupt his doctrine, make void his institutions ? an enemy to idolatry and superstition ; a lover of God's ordinances ? It is an evidence of interest in grace to live godly. Only there is a form of godliness — (2 Tim. iii. 5, 'Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof) — which is discovered by a pretence of worship and a neglect of honesty ; as the pharisees made long prayers, but devoured widows' houses ; or else by a disproportionate zeal against idolatry, but not against heresy, or such falsehoods as yield no gain. It is not zeal for God's institutions when you do not hate every false way : 2 Tim. ii. 16, ' But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.' The apostle speaketh of some that suppo.se godliness is gain, 1 Tim. vi. 5, that make a merchaudi.se of their zeal : Kom. ii. 22, 'Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?' He speaketh to the Jews that gloried in their privileges ; he had said before, ' Dost thou steal ? dost thou commit adultery ? ' But here, ' Dost thou commit sacrilege ? ' That was their glory, that they did not serve idols, but they robbed the true God ; they would not endure a false god, or an idol to be set up, but in the meantime they defrauded the temple of its maintenance, and things consecrated. But the closest rebuke is, ver. 23, ' Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God ? ' They were much in worship, but were not bettered by it ; they were not changed in heart. You do not feel the power of it if the heart be not new-fashioned, and put into a godly frame.