A Body of Practical Divinity

Man's Chief End TO GLORIFY GOD.

Man's Chief End TO GLORIFIE GOD.

Quest. I. What is the chief End of Man?¹

Quest. I. WHat is the chief End of Man?¹

1. 1Q. I

Here are two Ends of Life specified, 1. The Glorifying of God. 2. The Enjoying of God.

First, I begin with the first, The Glorifying of God, 1 Pet. 4.11. That God in all things may be glorified; the Glory of God is a Silver Thread which must run through all our Actions: 1 Cor. 10.31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Every thing works to some end in things natural and artificial; now Man being a rational Creature, must propose some end to himself, and that is, that he may lift up God in the World, and better loose his Life, then loose the End of his living: So then the great Truth asserted is this, That the End of every Man living is to glorify God; this is the yearly Rent is paid to the Crown of Heaven. Glorifying of God, hath respect to all the Persons in the Trinity; it respects God the Father, who gave us our Life; it respects God the Son, who lost his Life for us; it respects God the Holy Ghost, who produceth a new Life in us: we must bring Glory to the whole Trinity.

First, I begin with the first, The Glorifying of God, 1 Pet. 4.11. That God in all things may be glorified; the Glory of God is a Silver Thread which must run through all our Actions: 1 Cor. 10.31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Every thing works to some end in things natural and artificial; now Man being a rational Creature, must propose some end to himself, and that is, that he may lift up God in the World, and better loose his Life, then loose the End of his living: So then the great Truth asserted is this, That the End of every Man living is to glorifie God; this is the yearly Rent is paid to the Crown of Heaven. Glorifying of God, hath respect to all the Persons in the Trinity; it respects God the Father, who gave us our Life; it respects God the Son, who lost his Life for us; it respects God the Holy Ghost, who produceth a new Life in us: we must bring Glory to the whole Trinity.

When we speak of God's Glory, the Question will be moved, What are we to understand by God's Glory?

Resp. There is a twofold Glory: 1. The Glory that God hath in himself; his intrinsical Glory. Glory is essential to the Godhead, as Light is to the Sun: he is called the God of Glory, Acts 7.2. Glory is the sparkling of the Deity; Glory is so co-natural to the Godhead, that God cannot be God without it. The Creature's Honour is not essential to his Being; a King is a Man without his Regal Ornaments, when his Crown and Royal Robe are taken away: but God's Glory is such an essential Part of his Being, that he cannot be God without it; God's very Life lies in his Glory. His Glory can receive no addition, because it is Infinite; this Glory is that which God is most tender of, and which he will not part with, Isa. 42.8. My glory I will not give to another. God will give Temporal Blessings to his Children, Wisdom, Riches, Honour; he will give them Spiritual Blessings, he will give them Grace, he will give them his Love, he will give them Heaven, but his essential Glory he will not give to another. King Pharaoh parted with a Ring off his Finger to Joseph, and a Gold Chain, but he would not part with his Throne, Gen. 41.40. Only in the throne will I be greater then thou. So God will do much for his People, he will give them the Inheritance; he will put some of Christ's Glory as Mediator upon them, but his essential Glory he will not part with; in the throne he will be greater.

Resp. There is a twofold Glory: 1. The Glory that God hath in himself; his intrinsical Glory. Glory is essential to the Godhead, as Light is to the Sun: he is call'd the God of Glory, Acts 7.2. Glory is the sparkling of the Deity; Glory is so co-natural to the Godhead, that God cannot be God without it. The Creature's Honour is not essential to his Being; a King is a Man without his Regal Ornaments, when his Crown and Royal Robe are taken away: but God's Glory is such an essential Part of his Being, that he cannot be God without it; God's very Life lies in his Glory. His Glory can receive no addition, because it is Infinite; this Glory is that which God is most tender of, and which he will not part with, Isa. 42.8. My glory I will not give to another. God will give Temporal Blessings to his Children, Wisdom, Riches, Honour; he will give them Spiritual Blessings, he will give them Grace, he will give them his Love, he will give them Heaven, but his essential Glory he will not give to another. King Pharaoh parted with a Ring off his Finger to Ioseph, and a Gold Chain, but he would not part with his Throne, Gen. 41.40. Only in the throne will I be greater then thou. So God will do much for his People, he will give them the Inheritance; he will put some of Christ's Glory as Mediator upon them, but his essential Glory he will not part with; in the throne he will be greater.

2. The Glory which is ascribed to God, or which his Creatures labour to bring to him, 1 Chr. 16.29. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. And, 1 Cor. 6.20. Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit. The Glory we give God is nothing else but our lifting up his Name in the World, and magnifying him in the eyes of others, Phil. 1.20. Christ shall be magnified in my body.

2. The Glory which is ascribed to God, or which his Creatures labour to bring to him, 1 Chr. 16.29. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. And, 1 Cor. 6.20. Glorifie God in your body, and in your spirit. The Glory we give God is nothing else but our lifting up his Name in the World, and magnifying him in the eyes of others, Phil. 1.20. Christ shall be magnified in my body.

Quest. What is it to glorify God, or wherein doth it consist?

Quest. What is it to glorifie God, or wherein doth it consist?

Resp. Glorifying of God consists in four things: 1. Appreciation. 2. Adoration. 3. Affection. 4. Subjection. This is the yearly Rent we pay to the Crown of Heaven.

Resp. Glorifying of God consists in four things: 1. Appretiation. 2. Adoration. 3. Affection. 4. Subjection. This is the yearly Rent we pay to the Crown of Heaven.

1. Appreciation: To glorify God is to set God highest in our Thoughts, to have a venerable Esteem of him, Psal. 92.8. Thou Lord art most high for evermore. Psal. 97.9. Thou art exalted far above all gods. There is in God all that may draw forth both Wonder and Delight; he is [Greek or Hebrew], there is in him a Constellation of all Beauties; he is Prima Causa, the Original and Spring-head of Being, who sheds a ⟨p. 2⟩Glory upon the Creature. This is to glorify God when we are God-Admirers; we admire God in his Attributes, which are the glistering Beams by which the Divine Nature shines forth; we admire him in his Promises, which are the Charter of Free-grace, and the Spiritual Cabinet where the Pearl of Price is hid; we admire God in the noble Effects of his Power and Wisdom, viz. the making of the World; this is called the work of his fingers, Ps. 8.3. such curious Needle-work it was that none but a God could work. This is to glorify God, to have God-admiring Thoughts; we esteem him most excellent, and search for Diamonds only in this Rock.

1. Appretiation: To glorifie God is to set God highest in our Thoughts, to have a venerable Esteem of him, Psal. 92.8. Thou Lord art most high for evermore. Psal. 97.9. Thou art exalted far above all gods. There is in God all that may draw forth both Wonder and Delight; he is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, there is in him a Constellation of all Beauties; he is Prima Causa, the Original and Spring-head of Being, who sheds a ⟨p. 2⟩Glory upon the Creature. This is to glorifie God when we are God-Admirers; we admire God in his Attributes, which are the glistering Beams by which the Divine Nature shines forth; we admire him in his Promises, which are the Charter of Free-grace, and the Spiritual Cabinet where the Pearl of Price is hid; we admire God in the noble Effects of his Power and Wisdom, viz. the making of the World; this is call'd the work of his fingers, Ps. 8.3. such curious Needle-work it was that none but a God could work. This is to glorifie God, to have God-admiring Thoughts; we esteem him most excellent, and search for Diamonds only in this Rock.

2. Glorifying of God consists in Adoration, or Worship, Psal. 29.2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness: There is a twofold Worship, 1. A Civil Reverence we give to Persons of Honour, Gen. 23.7. Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the children of Heth. Piety is no Enemy to Courtesy. 2. A Divine Worship, which we give to God, is his Prerogative-royal, Neh. 8.6. They bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces towards the ground. This Divine Worship God is very jealous of; this is the Apple of his Eye, this is the Pearl of his Crown which he guards as he did the Tree of Life, with Cherubims and a flaming Sword, that no man may come near to violate it: Divine Worship must be such as God himself hath appointed, else it is offering strange fire, Levit. 10.2. The Lord would have Moses make the Tabernacle [Greek or Hebrew], according to the Pattern in the Mount, Exod. 25.40. he must not leave out any thing in the Pattern, nor add to it; if God was so exact and curious about the Place of his Worship, how exact will he be about the Manner of his Worship; surely here every thing must be according to the Pattern prescribed in his Word.

2. Glorifying of God consists in Adoration, or Worship, Psal. 29.2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness: There is a twofold Worship, 1. A Civil Reverence we give to Persons of Honour, Gen. 23.7. Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the children of Heth. Piety is no Enemy to Curtesie. 2. A Divine Worship, which we give to God, is his Prerogative-royal, Neh. 8.6. They bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces towards the ground. This Divine Worship God is very jealous of; this is the Apple of his Eye, this is the Pearl of his Crown which he guards as he did the Tree of Life, with Cherubims and a flaming Sword, that no man may come near to violate it: Divine Worship must be such as God himself hath appointed, else it is offering strange fire, Levit. 10.2. The Lord would have Moses make the Tabernacle 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, according to the Pattern in the Mount, Exod. 25.40. he must not leave out any thing in the Pattern, nor add to it; if God was so exact and curious about the Place of his Worship, how exact will he be about the Manner of his Worship; surely here every thing must be according to the Pattern prescribed in his Word.

3. Affection: This is a part of the Glory we give to God; God counts himself glorified when he is loved, Deut. 6.5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. There is a twofold Love, 1. Amor Concupiscentiae, a Love of Concupiscence, which is a Self-love, when we love another because he doth us a good Turn: Thus a wicked Man may be said to love God, because he hath given him a good Crop, or filled his Cup with Wine, and to speak properly, this is rather to love God's Blessings then to love God. 2. Amor Amicitiae, a Love of Delight, as a Man takes delight in a Friend; this is indeed to love God, the Heart is set upon God, as a Man's-Heart is set upon his Treasure. And this Love is, 1. Exuberant, not a few Drops but a Stream. 2. It is Superlative, we give God the best of our Love, the Cream of it, Cant. 8.2. I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the j•yce of my pomegranate. If the Spouse had a Cup more juicy and spiced Christ must drink of it. 3. It is Intense and Ardent; true Saints are Seraphims burning in holy Love to God. The Spouse was Amore perculsa, in sainting Fits sick of love, Cant. 2.5. Thus to love God is to glorify him; he who is the chief of our Happiness, hath the chief of our Affections.

3. Affection: This is a part of the Glory we give to God; God counts himself glorified when he is loved, Deut. 6.5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. There is a twofold Love, 1. Amor Concupiscentiae, a Love of Concupisence, which is a Self-love, when we love another because he doth us a good Turn: Thus a wicked Man may be said to love God, because he hath given him a good Crop, or filled his Cup with Wine, and to speak properly, this is rather to love God's Blessings then to love God. 2. Amor Amicitiae, a Love of Delight, as a Man takes delight in a Friend; this is indeed to love God, the Heart is set upon God, as a Man's-Heart is set upon his Treasure. And this Love is, 1. Exuberant, not a few Drops but a Stream. 2. It is Superlative, we give God the best of our Love, the Cream of it, Cant. 8.2. I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the j•yce of my pomgranat. If the Spouse had a Cup more juicy and spiced Christ must drink of it. 3. It is Intense and Ardent; true Saints are Seraphims burning in holy Love to God. The Spouse was Amore perculsa, in sainting Fits sick of love, Cant. 2.5. Thus to love God is to glorify him; he who is the chief of our Happiness, hath the chief of our Affections.

4. Subjection: When we dedicate ourselves to God, and stand ready pressed for his Service. Thus the Angels in Heaven glorify him; they wait on his Throne, and are ready to take a Commission from him, therefore they are resembled by the Cherubims with their Wings displayed to show how swift the Angels are in their Obedience. This is to glorify God when we are devoted to his Service, our Head studies for God, our Tongue pleads for him, our Hands relieve his Members: The wise Men that came to Christ, did not only bow the Knee to him, but presented him with Gold and Myrrh, Mat. 2.11. so we must not only bow the Knee, give God Worship, but bring Presents, Golden Obedience. This is to glorify God when we stick at no Service, we will fight under the Banner of his Gospel against Regiments, and we say to him as David to King Saul, 1 Sam. 17.32. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Thus you see wherein the Glorifying of God doth consist, in Appreciation, Adoration, Affection, Subjection.

4. Subjection: When we dedicate ourselves to God, and stand ready prest for his Service. Thus the Angels in Heaven glorifie him; they wait on his Throne, and are ready to take a Commission from him, therefore they are resembled by the Cherubims with their Wings displaid to shew how swift the Angels are in their Obedience. This is to glorifie God when we are devoted to his Service, our Head studies for God, our Tongue pleads for him, our Hands relieve his Members: The wise Men that came to Christ, did not only bow the Knee to him, but presented him with Gold and Myrrh, Mat. 2.11. so we must not only bow the Knee, give God Worship, but bring Presents, Golden Obedience. This is to glorifie God when we stick at no Service, we will fight under the Banner of his Gospel against Regiments, and we say to him as David to King Saul, 1 Sam. 17.32. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Thus you see wherein the Glorifying of God doth consist, in Appretiation, Adoration, Affection, Subjection.

A good Christian is like the Sun which doth not only send forth Heat, but goes its Circuit round the World; thus he who glorifies God hath not only his Affections heated with love to God, but he goes his Circuit too; he moves vigorously in the sphere of Obedience.