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general end of living unto God as any of those actions may whose ends they are.
[2.] It is not, therefore, necessary that, in every particular action of our lives, of what sort soever it be, natural, civil, or religious, we should actually make the glory of God, or the glorifying of God, to be the immediate especial end of it. It may suffice, in many in stances, that their particular ends be not inconsistent therewithal, but such as may be subordinated thereunto. Nevertheless, in greater duties, and such as the glory of God may have an immediate con cernment in, such as are all acts of religious worship, there is an ac tual, especial intention of glorifying him, or of giving glory unto him ;, for that is the immediate end of all divine worship, which if it fail, the whole is lost. He, therefore, that lives to God, designs the im mediate glorifying of him in all acts of his worship, and that by faith and the obedience thereof. And the like may be said of sun dry actions, ways, and courses, which are of importance in our con versation in this world. Wherefore, —
[3.] There are these five things required in all who design so to live to God as to make his glory, or the glorifying of him, their principal end: —
1st. They are bound to prefer, esteem, and value, the glory of God above all other things whatever. This Moses testifieth himself to have done on that great occasion wherein the lives of so many thousands and the being of a whole nation were concerned, Num. xiv. 11-19. And so did Joshua on the like occasion, chap. vii. 8, 9. The glory of God carries it, in the minds of those that walk with him, against all competition. Sometimes the contest may be seen ; as when the glory of God is apparently engaged one way, and all our temporal interests another. And much work there will be to bring the soul into an acquiescency, by the preference of the glory of God unto all lawful self-interest and natural affection. David failed here in the case of Absalom ; and a due discharge of this duty was that which the tribe of Levi was so renowned for, Deut. xxxiii. 9. It hath respect unto their action in slaying their idolatrous relations,. Exod. xxxiu 25-29. They were scattered for their progenitor's preferring self-revenge by the sword before the glory of God, Gen. xlix. 7 ; and they are now consecrated to God by the sword, in preferring the glory of God above all natural affection and self-interest whatever. This, is always to be done.
2c%. To order the general course of our lives in such a way as, considering our circumstances, may most conduce and tend unto the glory of God. I fear there is nothing among the most more neglected. Most men, indeed, are engaged into a course of life before they know how to choose for themselves with respect unto this great end;
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but supposing the way wherein they are so engaged to be in general according to the mind of God, as to that industrious use and im provement of our time which he requires of us, no small part of our wisdom and duty consists in ordering things so as that God may be glorified by us in the course of our conversation in our callings. This we ought to aim at, how we ought in them to walk so as to please God, and how to set forth his praise in all that we do. How this may be done will fall under many directions that shall be spoken unto afterwards.
Sdty. To admit of nothing, to comply with nothing, that is contrary unto, or would in the least impeach, his glory. There is no man who makes God his end but he hath, in general, a careful circumspection in this matter. Possible it is that he may be surprised into parti cular actions that are derogatory unto the glory of God; but they are thereon his burden and his sorrow, as they were to David and to Peter, and will be so unto all true believers in instances of a much inferior nature, yea, in all that are any way contrary unto that re gard which they owe to God's glory. And it must be said, that he who hath not a watchful care influencing him continually herein, that nothing be admitted or complied withal, in his person or any of his relations or circumstances, so far as in him lies, which doth any way in the least interfere with God's glory, doth not so live to God as to make him his chief good. And into how many considera tions this doth branch itself will afterwards appear.
^tlily. Constant prayer for the exaltation of God's glory in the world, the church, and ourselves, answering a valuation of it in our hearts, is also required to this purpose. The Scripture is full of examples herein ; and in that summary of prayer which is given us by our Saviour, the first and principal petition of it concerns singly this exaltation of the glory of God. Most men, indeed, do bring it into their prayers, — they are taught so to do ; but if those prayers are not principled and animated by an inward, real, abiding esteem and love for the glory of God, they are of no value, nor any way ac cepted with God. But when we find our hearts so. really affected with the concernments of God's glory in the world as that we can not but be pouring them out unto God about them, it is an evidence that we make him our principal end.