with this Philistine." Thus you see wherein the glorifying of God doth consist: in appreciation, adoration, affection, subjection.

of his justice; they will not give him glory, but he will get his glory upon them: Exod. xiv. 17., "I will get me honour upon Pharaoh." But especially he hath made the godly for his glory; they are the lively organs of his praise, Isa. xliii. 21., "This peo

A good Christian is like the sun, which doth not only send forth heat, but goes his circuit round the world. Thus, he who glorifies God, hath not only his ple have I formed for myself, affections heated with love to and they shall shew forth my God, but he goes his circuit too; praise." It is true, they cannot he moves vigorously in the sphere add to his glory, but they may of obedience. exalt it; they cannot raise him

Q. Why must we glorify God? in heaven, but they may raise A. 1. Because he gives us our him in the esteem of others. God being, Ps. c. 3., "It is he that hath adopted the saints into his made us." We think it a great family, and made them a royal kindness in a man to spare our priesthood, that they should shew life, but what kindness is it in forth the praises of him who hath God to give us our life? We called them, 1 Pet. ii. 9. draw our breath from him; and as life, so all the comforts of life are from God; he gives us health, which is the sauce to sweeten our life; he gives us food, which is the oil that nourisheth the lamp of life; now, if all we receive is from the hand of his bounty, is it not good reason we should glorify him and live to him, seeing we live by him? Rom. xi. 36., "For of him, and through him are all vation of all men's souls; better things." Of him are all, -all we kingdoms be thrown down, better have is of his fulness; through men and angels be annihilated, him are all, all we have is than God should lose one jewel through his free grace; and of his crown, one beam of his therefore to him should be all; glory.

A. 3. Because the glory of God hath such intrinsic value and excellency in it; it transcends the thoughts of men and the tongues of angels; God's glory is his treasure, all his riches lie here; as Micah said, Judges xviii. 24., "What have I more?" So of God, what hath God more ? God's glory is more worth than heaven, more worth than the sal

so it follows, "To him be glory A. 4. Creatures below us, and

for ever." God is not only our benefactor, but our founder; the rivers come from the sea, and they empty their silver streams into the sea again.

above us, bring glory to God; and do we think to sit rent free? Shall every thing glorify God, but man? It is a pity then that ever man was made. 1. Creatures below us A. 2. Because God hath made glorify God, -the inanimate creaall things for his own glory: tures, -the heavens glorify God, Prov. xvi. 4., "The Lord hath Ps. xix. 1., "The heavens declare made all things for himself,"- the glory of God." The curious that is, for his glory.' As a workmanship of heaven sets forth king hath excise out of commodi- the glory of its maker; the firmament is beautified and penciled out in blue and azure colours, where the power and wisdom of

ties, God will have his glory out of every thing; he will have glory out of the wicked, the glory

"The

Q. How many ways may we

glorify God?

A. 1. It is a glorifying God, when we aim purely at God's glory; it is one thing to advance God's glory, another thing to aim at it. God must be the terminus

God may be clearly seen. heavens declare his glory;" we may see the glory of God blazing in the sun, twinkling in the stars. 2. Look into the air; the birds, with their chirping music, sing hymns of praise to God, saith Anselm. Every beast doth in its ad quem, the ultimate end of all kind glorify God, Isa. xliii. 20., actions. Thus Christ, John viii. "The beasts of the field shall ho- 50., " I seek not mine own glory, nour me." 3. Creatures above us but the glory of him that sent glorify God; "the angels are mi- me." It is the note of an hynistering spirits," Heb. i. 14. pocrite, he hath a squint eye, he They are still waiting on God's looks more to his own glory than throne, and bring some revenues God's glory. Our Saviour deof glory into the exchequer of cyphers such, and gives a caveat heaven. Then surely man should against them, Matth. vi. 2., be much more studious of God's

glory than the angels; for God hath honoured him more than the angels, in that Christ took man's nature upon him, and not the angels': although, in regard of creation, God hath made man "a little lower than the angels," Heb. ii. 7., yet, in regard of redemption, God hath set him higher than the angels; he hath married mankind to himself; the angels are Christ's friends, but not his spouse; he hath covered us with the purple robe of righteousness, which is a better righteousness than the angels have, 2 Cor. v. 21. So that if the angels bring glory to God, much more should we, being dignified with honour above the angelical spirits.

"When thou givest alms, do not sound a trumpet." A stranger would ask, What means the noise of this trumpet?' Then it was answered, they are going to give to the poor.' And so they did not give alms, but sell them for honour and applause, that they might have glory of men; the breath of men was the wind that blew the sails of their charity, "verily they have their reward." The hypocrite may make his acquittance and write, 'received in full payment.' Chrysostom calls vain-glory one of the devils great nets to catch men. And Cyprian says, "whom Satan cannot prevail against by intemperance, those he prevails against by pride and vain glory." O let us take heed of self-worshipping! aim purely at God's glory.

at God's glory?

1. When we prefer God's glory above all other things; above cre

A. 5. We must bring glory to God, because all our hopes hang upon him, Ps. xxxix. 7., "My Q. How shall we know we aim hope is in thee." And Ps. lxii. 5., "My expectation is from him;" I expect a kingdom from him. A child that is good-natur- dit, estate, relations; when the ed will honour his parent, as glory of God coining in competiexpecting all that ever he is tion with them, we prefer his like to be worth from him, Ps. glory before them. If relations lxxxvii. 7., “All my springs lie in our way to heaven, we must are in thee," the silver springs either leap over them, or tread of grace, the golden springs of upon them; a child must unchild glory. himself, and forget he is a child; he must know neither father nor mother in God's cause, Deut. xxxiii. 9., "Who said unto his father and mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren." This is to aim at God's glory.

fession of sin, Luke xxiii. 41., "We indeed suffer justly." He acknowledged he deserved not only crucifixion, but damnation. Josh. vii. 19., "My son, give, I pray thee, glory to God, and make confession unto him." An humble confession exalts God. How is God's free grace magnified in crowning those who deserve to be condemned; as the excusing and mincing of sin doth cast a reproach upon God! Adam bidden fruit, but, instead of a full confession, he taxes God, Gen. iii. 12., "The woman whom

2. Then we aim at God's glory, when we can be content that God's will should take place, though it cross ours. Lord, I am content to be a loser, if thou be a gainer; to have less health, if I have more grace, and thou more glory; whe- denies not he did taste the for

ther it be food or bitter physic thou givest me, Lord, I desire that which may be most for thy glory. Thus our blessed Saviour, "not thou gavest me, she gave me of as I will, but as thou wilt," the tree, and I did eat." If thou Matth. xxvi. 39. So God might hadst not given me the woman to have more glory by his sufferings, be a tempter, I had not sinned. he was content to suffer, John xii. So confession glorifies God; it 28., "Father, glorify thy name." clears him, it acknowledgeth he

3. Then we aim at God's glory, is holy and righteous whatever when we can be content to be he doth. Nehemiah vindicates

out-shined by others in gifts and esteem, so God's glory may be increased. A man that hath God in his heart, and God's glory in his eye, desires that God should be exalted; and if this be effected, let who will be the instrument, he rejoiceth, Phil. i. 15., "Some preach Christ of envy: notwithstanding Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." They preached Christ of envy, they envied Paul that concourse of people, and they preached that they might outshine him in gifts, and get away some of his hearers: well, saith Paul, Christ is preached, and God is like to have glory, therefore I rejoice; let my candle go out, if the Sun of Righteousness may but shine.

A. 2. We glorify God by an ingenuous confession of sin. The thief on the cross had dishonoured God in his life, but at his death he brings glory to God by con

God's righteousness, chap ix. 33., "Thou art just in all that is brought upon us." A confession then is ingenuous, when it is free, not forced, Luke xv. 18., "I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." He chargeth himself with sin, before ever his Father charged him with it.

A. 3. We glorify God by believing, Rom. iv. 20., "Abraham was strong in faith, giving glory to God." Unbelief affronts God, it gives him the lie; " he that believeth not, maketh God a liar." 1 John v. 10. So faith brings glory to God, it sets to its seal that God is true, John iii. 23. He that believes, flies to God's mercy and truth, as to an altar of refuge; he doth ingarrison himself in the promises; he trusts all that he hath with God, Ps. xxxi. 5., "Into thy hands I commit my spirit." This is a great way of bringing glory to God, therefore God honours faith, because

faith honours God. It is a great fruits of love and good works. honour we do to a man, when Matth. v. 16., "Let your light so we trust him with all we have, - shine before men, that they may we put our lives and estates into see your good works, and glorify his hand, a sign we have a good your Father which is in heaven.' opinion of him. The three chil- Faith doth sanctify our works, dren glorified God by believing, and works do testify our faith; "The God whom we serve is able to be doing good to others, to to deliver us, and will deliver us," be eyes to the blind, feet to the Dan. iii. 17. Faith knows there lame,-doth much glorify God. are no impossibilities with God, And thus Christ did glorify his and will trust him where it can- Father; "he went about doing not trace him. good," Acts x. 38. By being A. 4. We glorify God, by being fruitful we are fair in God's eyes, tender of God's glory. God's Jer. xi. 16., "The Lord called glory is dear to him as the apple thy name a green olive-tree, fair of his eye. Now, when we are and of goodly fruit." And we tender of his glory, by laying to must bear much fruit; it is heart his dishonours, this is a glo- muchness of fruit glorifies God; rifying of him. An ingenuous " if ye bear much fruit." The child weeps to see a disgrace done spouse's breasts are compared to to his father, Ps. lxix. 9., "The clusters of grapes, Cant. vii. 7., reproaches of them that reproach to shew how fertile she was. thee are fallen upon me." When Though the lowest degree of we hear God reproached, it is as if we were reproached; when God's glory suffers, it is as if we suffered. This is to be tender of God's glory.

grace may bring salvation to you, yet not so much glory to God; it was not a spark of love Christ commended in Mary, but much love; " she loved much," Luke vii. 47.

A. 5. We glorify God by fruitfulness, John xv. 8., "Hereby is A. 6. We glorify God, by being my Father glorified, if ye bring contented in that state where his forth much fruit." As it is a dis- providence hath set us. We give honour to God to be barren, so God the glory of his wisdom, in fruitfulness doth honour him, that we rest satisfied with what Phil. i. 11., "Filled with the he carves out to us. Thus did fruits of righteousness, which are holy Paul glorify God; the Lord to the praise of his glory." We did cast him into as great variety must not be like the fig-tree in of conditions as any man, " in the gospel, which had nothing prisons more frequent, in deaths but leaves, but like the pome- oft," 2 Cor. xi. 23., yet he had citron, that is continually either learned to be content. St. Paul mellowing or blossoming; it is could sail either in a storm or a never without fruit. It is not calm; he could be any thing that profession, but fruit glorifies God; God would have him; he could God expects to have his glory either want or abound, Phil. iv. from us this way, 1 Cor. ix. 7., 13. A good Christian argues "Who planteth a vineyard, and thus: It is God that hath put eateth not of the fruit of it?" me in this condition; he could Trees in the forest may be barren, have raised me higher, if he but trees in the garden are fruit- pleased, but that might have been ful; we must bring forth the a snare to me; God hath done it shall count myself glorified."

in wisdom and love; therefore I So, for God to say, "Go to the will sit down satisfied with my ordinances, get as much grace as condition. Surely this doth much you can, dig out as much salvaglorify God! God counts him-tion as you can; and the more self much honoured with such a happiness you have, the more I Christian: saith God, here is one after my own heart; let me do what I will with him, I hear no murmuring, he is content: this shews abundance of grace. When grace is crowning, it is not so much to be content, but when

A. 8. We glorify God, by living to God, 2 Cor. v. 15., "that they which live, should not live to themselves, but unto him who died for them." Rom. xiv. 8., "Whether we live, we live unto

grace is conflicting with incon- the Lord." The Mammonist veniences, then to be content is lives to his money, the Epicure a glorious thing, indeed; for one lives to his belly, the design of a to be content when he is in hea- sinner's life is to gratify lust. ven is no wonder, but to be But then we glorify God, when content under the cross is like a we live to God. Christian. This man must needs bring glory to God, for he shews to all the world, that though he hath little meal in his barrel, yet he hath enough in God to make him content; he saith, as David, Ps. xvi. 5., "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance; the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places."

Q. What is it to live to God? A. When we live to his service, and lay out ourselves wholly for God. The Lord hato sent us into the world, as a merchant sends his factor beyond the seas to trade for him; then we live to God, when we trade for his interest, and propagate his gospel.

it for God, this is to live to God. When a master in a family, by counsel and good example, labours to bring his servants to Christ,when a minister doth exhaust

A. 7. We glorify God in work- God hath given every man a taing out our own salvation. God lent. Now, when he doth not hath twisted these two together, hide it in a napkin, but improves his glory, and our good. We glorify him, by promoting our own salvation. It is a glory to God to have multitudes of converts; now, his design of free grace takes, and God hath the himself in the labours of his holy glory of his mercy; so that, calling, when he spends himself, while we are endeavouring our and is spent, that he may win salvation, we are honouring God. souls to Christ, and make the What an encouragement is this crown flourish upon Christ's to the service of God, to think, head, when the magistrate doth

while I am hearing and praying, I am glorifying God; while I am furthering my own glory in heaven, I am increasing God's glory! Would it not be an encouragement to a subject, to hear his prince say to him, "You will honour and please me very much, if you will go to yonder mine of gold, and dig as much gold for yourself as you can carry away?"

not wear the sword in vain, but labours to cut down sin, and suppress vice, this is to live to God, and this is a glorifying of God: Phil. i. 20., "That Christ might be magnified, whether by life or by death." Three wishes St. Paul had, and they were all about Christ, that he may be found in Christ, be with Christ, and that he might magnify Christ.