1. That the General End of all Divine and Religious Worship is to raise unto God a Revenue of glory out of the creation. Such is Gods infinite natural self-sufficiency, that he stands in need of ⟨p. 175⟩no such Glory and Honour. He was in himself no less infinitely and eternally glorious, before the Creation of all or any thing whatever, than he will be, when he shall be encompassed about with the praises of all the works of his hands. And such is his absolute perfection, that no Honour given unto him, no Admiration of him, no Ascription of Glory and praise, can add any thing unto him. Hence saith the Psalmist, My goodness extends not unto thee, Psal. 16. 2. It doth not so reach thee, as to add unto thee, to profit thee, as it may do the Saints that are on the Earth. As he in Job, Chap. 22. 23. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous, or is it gain unto him that thou makest thy ways perfect? There is no doubt, but that it is well pleasing unto God, that we should be righteous and upright. But we do him not a pleasure therein, as though he stood in need of it, or it were advantage or gain unto him. And again, Chap. 35. 7. If thou be Righteous what givest thou him, or what receiveth he at thine hand? And the Reason of all this the Apostle gives us, Rom. 11. 36. Of him, and through him, and to him are all things. Being the first Sovereign Cause, and last absolute End of all things, every way perfect and self-sufficient, nothing can be added unto him. Or as the same Apostle speaks; God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth, is not worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth unto all life and breath, and all things, Acts 17. 24, 25. As he himself pleads at large, Psal. 50. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
1. That the General End of all Divine and Religious Worship is to raise unto God a Revenue of glory out of the creation. Such is Gods infinite natural self-sufficiency, that he stands in need of ⟨p. 175⟩no such Glory and Honour. He was in himself no less infinitely and eternally glorious, before the Creation of all or any thing whatever, than he will be, when he shall be encompassed about with the praises of all the works of his hands. And such is his absolute perfection, that no Honor given unto him, no Admiration of him, no Ascription of Glory and praise, can add any thing unto him. Hence saith the Psalmist, My goodness extends not unto thee, Psal. 16. 2. It doth not so reach thee, as to add unto thee, to profit thee, as it may do the Saints that are on the Earth. As he in Job, Chap. 22. 23. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous, or is it gain unto him that thou makest thy wayes perfect? There is no doubt, but that it is well pleasing unto God, that we should be righteous and upright. But we do him not a pleasure therein, as though he stood in need of it, or it were advantage or gain unto him. And again, Chap. 35. 7. If thou be Righteous what givest thou him, or what receiveth he at thine hand? And the Reason of all this the Apostle gives us, Rom. 11. 36. Of him, and through him, and to him are all things. Being the first Soveraign Cause, and last absolute End of all things, every way perfect and self-sufficient, nothing can be added unto him. Or as the same Apostle speaks; God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth, is not worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth unto all life and breath, and all things, Acts 17. 24, 25. As he himself pleads at large, Psal. 50. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
