N07809:182
Two dissertations, I. Concerning the end for which God created the world. II. The…
Two dissertations, I. Concerning the end for which God created the world. II. The nature of true virtue. / by the late Reverend, learned and pious Jonathan Edwards, A.M. president of the College in New-Jersey.
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland, 1765
Concerning the END for which GOD created the WORLD. › Chapter 2 › Sect 3
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
IN fine, the words of the apostle in 1 Cor. 6. 20. are worthy of particular notice. "Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are his." Here not only is glorifying God spoken of, as what summarily comprehends the end of that religion and service of God, which is the end of Christ's redeeming us: but here I would further remark this.—That the apostle in this place urges, that inasmuch as we are not our own, but bought for God, that we might be his; therefore we ought not to act as if we were our own, but as God's; and should not use the members of our bodies, or faculties of our souls for ourselves, as making ourselves our end, but for God, as making him our end. And he expresses the way in which we are to make God our end, viz. in making his glory our end. "Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are his." Here it can't be pretended, that though christians are indeed required to make God's glory their end; yet it is but as a subordinate end, as subservient to their own happiness, as a higher end; for then in acting chiefly and ultimately for their ownselves, they would use themselves more as their own, than as God's; which is directly contrary to the design of the apostle's exhortation, and the argument he is upon; which is, that we should give ourselves, as it were, away from ourselves to God, and use ourselves as his, and not our own, acting for his sake, and not our own sakes. Thus it is evident by pos. 9. that the glory of God is the last end for which he created the world.
4. THERE are some things in the word of God, that lead us to suppose that it requires of men, that they should desire and seek God's glory, as their highest and last end in what they do. As particularly the passage last mentioned. This appears from what has been just now observed upon it. The same may be argued from 1 Cor. 10. 30. "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." And