An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

Thirdly, To serve him is to do his Will only; so saith the Scripture, Him only shalt thou serve. If it may be supposed, that we could do the whole Will of God, and yet do the will of any other, or do our own will too, in any thing contrary to his, we were not his servants; if we serve him not alone, or if we serve him not only, that is, if in serving man we aim not chiefly at the serving of him, or if all our services to men are not subservient, or not in subordination to the service of God, we serve him not at all.

Fourthly, I may add this also, To serve God is to do every thing under this contemplation, that, what we do is the Will of God. 'Tis very possible for a man to do that which is the Will of God, and yet not to serve him in doing it; which we never do till we do it because it is the Will of God. His Will must be not only the Rule of what we do, but the very Reason why we do it, else our doings are not his servings. They that do not attend this, serve God but as a beast may serve him, a beast may do that which is the Will of God; the inanimate creatures serve him so; We hear of stormy winds and tempests fulfilling his Will, (Psal. 148.) All living, yea, lifeless creatures do that which is his Will, but they do not attend this, that it is his Will which they do. So that, I say, to do his Will, not considering that it is his Will, is to serve him no otherwise than beasts, or than the winds or storms serve him: And to do his Will, aiming at our own wills or ends, is to serve him but as a hypocrite serves him. A hypocrite doth not serve God in what he doth, though he doth many things which are materially the Will of God, because in all he minds his own will more than the Will of God.

Fourthly, I may add this also, To serve God is to do every thing under this contemplation, that, what we do is the Will of God. 'Tis very possible for a man to do that which is the Will of God, and yet not to serve him in doing it; which we never do till we do it because it is the Will of God. His Will must be not only the Rule of what we do, but the very Reason why we do it, else our doings are not his servings. They that do not attend this, serve God but as a beast may serve him, a beast may do that which is the Will of God; the inanimate creatures serve him so; We hear of stormy winds and tempests fulfilling his Will, (