appointment, makes an ultimate end of what, if not absolutely unlawful in itself, should be regarded only as the means of serving, glorifying, and enjoying his Creator.

And in this very point it is, my young friends, that the sin and the folly of the great mass of mankind may be seen. They make a chief end of what should be only a subordinate one: they try to find substantial happiness where it never was, and never can be found; they give to creature objects that high regard and supreme affection, which belong only to the Creator. Hence they are chargeable with spiritual idolatry; and therefore of such it is said in Holy Scripture, that they "worship and serve the creature, more than the Creator, who is blessed forever."

The reasonableness of making it our chief end to glorify and enjoy God, is almost too obvious for argument. To Him we are indebted for our existence; he gave us all our powers and all our capacities of enjoyment; he constantly upholds our being, and crowns our lives with loving kindness and tender mercy; he is, in Himself, the underived fountain of all conceivable perfection and excellence; he has given his Son to be our Saviour, and his Spirit to be our Sanctifier, Guide, and Comforter; he is able—and he alone is able-to render us completely happy, by imparting to our souls an enjoyment which can entirely fill and satisfy them. The reasonableness of making it our chief end to glorify and enjoy such a Being as this, must be evident at once. Men may, and alas! they too generally do, forget and neglect their duty in this respect; but its reasonableness they do not often deny--It cannot be denied without the most glaring absurdity, and the most daring impiety. Ishall, therefore, only add at present, to what you have heard on this point, the express command by which the duty is enjoined in scripture:-" Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

If, then, it be clearly the chief end of man to glorify and enjoy God, the important inquiry returns,-how is this to be done? My dear youth, the glory of God and our own happiness are always promoted by the same means, as I shall

show in its place. They ought, however, to be viewed separately. And to unfold the subject, in as clear and practical a manner as I am able, let me first explain what is to be understood by man's glorifying God.

Here an old and just distinction is to be observed-the distinction between the essential and the declarative glory of God.

Let it be observed, that the glory of any being, or object, is something which renders such being or object worthy of very high admiration, esteem, and love. Whoever, or whatever, is thus worthy, we denominate glorious. Now God is,. from his very nature and attributes, worthy, in the highest possible degree, of esteem, love, and admiration. Of these affections, in their most vigorous exercise, there is every thing in the Deity to render him the fit object.

It has been observed, that we form our ideas of the Supreme Being by adding infinity and perfection to whatever we can conceive of excellence, both natural and moral. Now, this infinitude and perfection of natural and moral excellence, constitutes the essential glory of God; and this, you will observe, can never be increased or diminished. It cannot be increased, because, by the supposition, it is already infinite and perfect. It cannot be diminished, because it is among the perfections of the Deity, that he is immutable and independent. If it should be supposed that not a creature in the universe was able to perceive, or was disposed to acknowledge, the glorious perfections of the blessed God, that plainly would not change their nature; or make them, in themselves, less worthy of the affections which they are proper to excite-They would remain exactly what they are; and what they were, in fact, eternal ages before any creature did exist. When, therefore, we are commanded to glorify God, the command has no relation to this his essential glory; because this is wholly unconnected, as we have seen, with the dispositions or actions of any of his creatures. He is entirely independent on all creatures, in his essential glory and perfect happiness.

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The command then relates altogether to the declarative

glory of God. It has pleased the blessed God to make a declaration, manifestation, or display, of his glorious nature and attributes, in order that they may be perceived, admired, esteemed and loved, by his intelligent and moral creatures, whom he created for this very purpose. This declaration of the glorious nature and attributes of the Deity, is made even by the inanimate creation. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." In every part of creatien, the boundless wisdom, power and goodness of the Deity are conspicuously manifested. But it is in the volume of inspiration, given by Himself, that we have the clearest revelation, or declaration, of the nature and perfections of God. It is here alone, that we are taught to form conceptions which are entirely just-adequate they can never be—of his purity, holiness, and justice: and in no other way whatever, than by his own declaration, could we be assured of his mercy, or his readiness to pardon the guilty.

Now, this declarative glory of God, is not, you perceive, unconnected with his creatures. A declaration, indeed, necessarily implies a party to whom the declaration is made. Intelligent and moral beings are necessary, in order that this declarative glory of God may be perceived. It is to them, and for their sakes, that it is made. They were, as already intimated, created for the very purpose of perceiving, diffusing, and being made happy by it. And they are said to glorify God, when they duly admire, esteem and love him, for whatever of his nature and attributes can be discerned, in his works and in his word. When, on the contrary, they refuse or fail to do this, they are said not to glorify, but to dishonour him. And when they are instrumental in bringing their fellow creatures to the knowledge, esteem, love, and obedience of God, they are then said to promote his glory;

they, as it were, widen and enlarge the circle in which his declarative glory shines, and produces its proper effects.

This may serve for a general illustration of the point before us. I shall show, more particularly, how we are both to glorify and enjoy God, after disposing of some other inquiries and considerations which belong to the subject; and which, if rightly disposed of, will serve both to illustrate and enforce the duty of glorifying God, and of seeking happiness in Him, as the chief end of our being.

One of the inquiries to which I have referred, may be stated thus-If it be the chief end of man to glorify and enjoy God, will it not follow, that this must always be present to his mind, as the immediate and operative motive, in every voluntary action of his whole life? This inquiry I apprehend involves no real difficulty. We have already seen that a chief end, not only consists with intermediate and subordinate ends, but implies them. Having rightly fixed our chief end, and duly arranged whatever leads to it, every intermediate concern, may occupy our attention, and be the proximate motive of action, so as not to interfere with what is ultimate, but constantly to carry us forward toward it, in all respects as much as if the ultimate object were every moment present to the mind-Take a familiar illustration of this. Say that a man enters on a long journey, with a view to transact some very interesting and important concern. This important concern is his chief end. For this he takes the journey; with a view to this he makes every preparation; ascertains the best and most direct route; the best, and safest, and most speedy conveyance; and provides for the preservation of his' health, comfort and accommodation on the way-While on the way, he enjoys company; improves his mind by observation and reading; refreshes himself by food and sleep; and attends to numerous subordinate concerns, not inconsistent with a regular and rapid advance toward his main and ultimate object. But in the mean time, this object, you observe, is not every moment present to the mind of the traveller, as the immediate ope

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rative motive of all that he does. Yet he is really influenced by it in all that he does; and in all that he does he advances as rapidly toward it, as if it incessantly engrossed all his thoughts and all his conversation. It may be added also, that he is so influenced by it, that he is careful to keep the direct road toward it; and would immediately take the alarm, if a proposition were offered, or an attempt were made, to turn him aside from the right way, or to delay him unnecessarily in his journey.

The application of all this might be left to every hearer. Human life is a journey. It is represented in scripture as a pilgrimage. The great errand of this pilgrimage-the errand on which we are sent into the world is-to glorify and enjoy God. This is our chief end. This is to influence us in all our arrangements, and in all our progress through life. Yet we have a thousand subordinate cares and concerns, that must occupy our attention, and employ much of our time. But they may and ought to be so disposed and ordered as not to hinder, but constantly to carry us forward, in the pursuit of our great ultimate object. And to this we should have such a constant and supreme regard, as to perceive in a moment when any thing would turn us aside, or delay us in our advances toward it.

Before leaving this topic however, I must remind you distinctly, that the real danger to be avoided, is, not that we shall think too much, but that we shall think too little, of glorifying and enjoying God. What you have heard has been said to show that the Divine command is not impracticable. It interferes with no duty. But in reality the great danger is, forgetfulness of God; and the great difficulty and complaint of the best of men is, that they do not think as much as they ought to do of their chief end. That man, my young friends, is the most a Christian, who most seeks and finds his happiness in glorifying and enjoying God: who keeps it most in mind, that he is not of the world, even as Christ, his Master, was not of the world:--that his citizenship is in heaven; that he is a pilgrim and a stranger on the