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SER M. in his actions. And if this principle be but rooted and fettled in his mind, it is fufficient to govern his life, and is virtually, and to all purposes as true and conftant an intention of glorifying Góp, as if we did actually and explicitly propound this end to ourselves in every particular action of our lives.

Secondly, Whether a man be bound to prefer the glory of GoD before his own eternal happiness as Mofes and St. Paul feem to have done; the one in being content to have "his name blotted out of the book "of life, the other to be " anathema from CHRIST, "for the falvation of Ifrael ?" To this I answer.

If we could admit the fuppofition, that the glory of GoD and a man's eternal happiness might come in competition, there could be no obligation upon a man to chufe eternal mifery upon any confideration whatfoever. The preference of one thing before another, fuppofeth them both to be objects of our choice; but the greatest evil known and apprehended to be fo, cannot be the object of a reasonable Choice; neither the greatest moral nor natural evil of fin, or mifery. Sin is not to be chofen in any cafe, no not for the glory of GoD. The apoftle makes the supposition and anfwers it; that "if the truth and glory of GOD

could be promoted by his lie, yet we are not to do " evil that good may come," Rom. iii. 7, 8.

Nor is the greatest natural evil the object of our choice. Gop himself hath planted a principle in our nature to the contrary, to feek our own happiness, and to avoid utter ruin and destruction; and then furely much more that which is much worfe, as eternal mifery is, whatever fome learned men, in defpite of nature and common fenfe, have afferted to the contrary, that it is better and more defirable to be extremely and eternally miserable, than not to be; for

what

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what is there defirable in being, when it ferves to no SER M other purpose but to be the foundation of endless and intolerable mifery. And if this be a principle of our nature, can any man imagine that GOD fhould frame us fo, as to make the first and fundamental principle of it directly oppofite to our duty?

As to the instance of Mofes, it does not reach this cafe; because the phrafe of " blotting out of the "book of life," does in all probability fignify nơ more than a temporal death. As to that of St. Paul, it is by no means to be taken in a strict fenfe, but as a vehement and hyperbolical expreffion of his mighty affection to his brethren according to the flesh, for "whom, fays he, I could wifh to be an anathema = "from CHRIST." Befides the reafon of the thing, the form of the expreffion fhews the meaning of it, T could wish, that is, I would be content to do or fuffer almost any thing for their falvation, infomuch that I could wifh, if it were fit and lawful, and reafonable to make fuch a wifh, to be accurfed from CHRIST for their fakes. It is plainly a fufpended form of speech, which declares nothing abfolutely. But,

2. It is a vain and fenfeless fuppofition, that the glory of GoD and our eternal happiness can stand in competition. By feeking the glory of GoD, we naturally and directly promote our own happiness; the glory of GoD and our happiness, are infeparably linked together; we cannot glorify GoD by fin, and fo gracious hath GOD been to us, that he hath made thofe things to be our duty, which naturally tend to our felicity; and we cannot glorify God more than by doing our duty, nor can we promote our happinefs more effectually than by the fame way. From whence it plainly follows that the glory of God and our happiness, cannot reasonably be supposed to cross

and

SER M. and contradict one another; and therefore the quefCCX. tion is frivolous which fuppofeth they may come in

competition. 1 Cor. xv. 58. the apoftle exhorts Christians to be "ftedfaft and unmoveable, and a

bundant in the work of the LORD, knowing that "their labour fhall not be in vain in the LORD." And Tit. i. 1, 2. the apostle calls himself, "a fer

vant of JESUS CHRIST, in hope of eternal life, " which God that cannot lie hath promised." To ferve God in hope of eternal life, is to glorify God, and therefore the glory of GoD and our eternal happinefs are never to be opposed.

I fhall briefly draw two or three inferences from. this discourse, and fo conclude.

I.. See here the great goodness of God to mankind, who is pleased to esteem whatever is for the good of men to be for the glory of GoD; and whatever tends to the eternal falvation of our felves, or others, to be a glorifying of himself.

1:11: We learn hence likewife, the excellency of the christian religion, which requires not only a confciencious care of ourselves, to do nothing but what is lawful; but likewise a charitable regard to others in the use of our liberty, in the doing or not doing of those things which we may lawfully do; after the fecuring of our own happiness by doing our duty, we are to confult the edification and falvation of others, in the charitable ufe of our liberty in thofe things which GOD hath left indifferent.

III. Here is a great argument to us to be very careful of our duty, and to abound in the fruits of holiness, because hereby we glorify GOD. "Herein

is my Father glorified," fays our SAVIOUR, "if ye bring forth much fruit ;" and the apostle tells us, that "the fruits of righteousness are to the praise and

"glory

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"glory of GoD." We having all from GoD, our SER M. very being, our fouls and bodies, and the powers and faculties of both, and therefore we should give him the glory of his own gifts; our fouls and bodies were not only made by him at firft, but are likewise redeemed by him, and “ bought with a price," and therefore, as the apoftle argues, "we fhould glorify "him in our bodies, and in our fouls, which are his."

IV. and lastly, we fhould in all our actions have a particular regard to the honour and advantage of religion, the edification of our brethren, and the peace and unity of the church, because in these things we do in a peculiar manner glorify GOD. In vain do men pretend to feek the glory of GoD by faction and divifion, which do in their own nature fo immediately tend to the dishonour and damage of religion. Next to the wicked lives of men, nothing is fo great a difparagement and weakning to religion, as the divifions of Chriftians; and therefore instead of employing our zeal about differences, we fhould be zealous for peace and unity," that with one mind, " and one mouth, we may glorify GOD, even the "Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST".

SERMO N. CCXI. Doing good, a fecurity against injuries from men.

I PET. iii. 13.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of

TH

of that which is good?

HE apostle in this and the former chapter, s ERM. earnestly preffeth Chriftians to an holy and un- CCXI. blameable

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SER M. blameable converfation, that the heathen might have no occafion, from the ill lives of Chriftians, to reproach christianity; particularly he cautions them against that abuse of chriftian liberty, which, it feems, too many were guilty of, cafting off obedience to their fuperiors under that pretence; telling them, that nothing could be a greater scandal to their religion, nor raise a more just prejudice in the minds of men against it: and therefore he strictly chargeth them with the duty of obedience in their several relations; as of fubjects to their governors, of fervants to their masters, of wives to their husbands; and in fhort, to practife all thofe virtues, both among themselves and towards others, which are apt to reconcile and gain the affections of men to them; to be charitable and compaffronate, courteous and peaceable one towards another, and towards all men; not only to abstain from injury and provocation, but from revenge by word or deed; and instead thereof, to bless and do good, and by all poffible means to preferve and pursue peace. Ver. 8. 9. "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having "compaffion one of another; love as brethren, be pi"tiful, be courteous, not rendring evil for evil, or "railing for railing, but contrariwife bleffing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should in"herit a bleffing."

And to encourage them to the practice of these virtues, he tells them, that they could by no other means more effectually confult the fafety and comfort of their lives, ver. 10." For he that will love life, and fee good

days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his "lips that they speak no guile; let him efchew evil, "and do good; let him feek peace and enfue it." And this was the way to gain the favour of God, and to engage his providence for our protection, ver.

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