the Father pureft ho linefs. Heb. 12. 2, 3; this zeal for God's houfe that had eaten him up, John 2. 17; his not feeking his own, but the glory of his father in all things, John 8. 49, 50, and a great deal more to the fame purpose. As God, XCV. In fine, even as God, he, together with the he toge Father and Holy Spirit, is a pattern to us of the ther with purest holiness, Levit. 11.44; and 19. 2. Mat. 5. and Holy 48. Eph. 5. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16. The holiness of Spirit, is God is fo great an ornament of his other perfections, an exam- that, without it, all the reft would be unworthy of ple of the God. Hence he is faid to be glorious in holiness, Exod. 15. 11: and we are particularly commanded to celebrate the memorial, or give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness, Pf. 30. 4; and 79. 12, after the example of the Seraphim, who, having repeated the threefold praife of the divine holiness, added, the whole earth is full of his glory, Ifa. 6. 3. God invites his people to imitate this holinefs, has fet it before them in his word for their contemplation; that, while they admire its beauty, they may be inflamed with the love of it, and gradually tranf formed to that image. The end XCVI. In the third place, we proposed to speak of chrif of the END of Chriftian virtues, or graces; which tian virtue muft needs be of all others the most excellent. is, The true believer does not therefore apply himself to the practice of holiness, to gain praise and reputation with men, which was the crime of the Heathen and the Pharifees, of whom our Lord testifies, Mat. 6. 5. that they have their reward. He does not aim only at his own advantage, either in this, or in the life to come, from a mercenary felf-love, which all thofe do, who, endeavouring to establish their own righteoufnefs, profefs that all motives to piety are deftroyed, if the merits of good works are exploded. He does not only purfue after that tranquillity of foul, which is pleafed with what it has done, and which virtue or holiness, when properly esteemed, ufually bestows beftows on those who love it. The intention of the godly is far more pure and fublime, whereby they are carried out both towards God, themfelves and their neighbour. God. XCVII. Above all, they feek the glory of God. 1. The This they love, defire its enlargement, and promote glory of it with all their might: Let Juch as love thy falvation, fay continually, the Lord be magnified, Pf. 40. 16. Hither all their exercises tend, going on without offence, until the day of Chrift; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jefus Chrift unto the glory and praife of God. Phil. 1. 10, 11. They, who have the love of God for the fource and principle, cannot bur have the glory of the fame God for their end. For, whoever has an ardent love to God, will likewife, above all things, love what is moft beloved by him. But fuch is the love, that God has to his own glory, that whatever he does is with a view to, and for the fake of that wherefore all things are of him, in order to be again to him, and to him be the glory for ever. Rom. 11. 36. In this refpect the faints are truly like to God, for in all their actions they have the glory of God before their eyes. Whether there-. foreye eat or drink, or whatfoever ye do,do all to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10. 31. which the felves. XCVIII. Yet these things are not fo to be under- For proflood, as if in all and every particular, even the moft moting minute actions of life, it was neceffary to have that godly are explicite intention of glorifying God before them. firmly reFor, this is not practicable in the prefent ftate of folved to things: however, it ought univerfally to be the firm exert them and fixed difpofition of the children of God, that they be fo confecrated and dedicated to God, as, for the future, neither to think, fpeak, meditate, nor do any thing, in which fome expreffion of the perfections of God and manifeftation of his glory may not appear. For, what is facred or devoted, cannot, withour a confiderable injury to him, be applied to pro R. 2 fane What it is to eat and fane ufes. They are not their own: therefore it is unlawful for them to propofe to themselves this end; only to feek what they imagine to be profitable to the flesh. They are not their own: let them therefore, as far as may be, forget themselves and theirs. They are God's: let them therefore live and die to him. They are God's: let his wifdom therefore over rule all their actions. They are God's: let therefore all the parts of their life tend to him, as their only lawful end. And in this fincere felf-denial, and furrender of ourselves to God, that we may firmly propofe to do all our works with a holy refpect to him, confifts this glorifying of God, we now fpeak of. XCIX. For instance, a person then eats and drinks drink to to the glory of God, when, confeffing himself unthe glory worthy to enjoy this life and the conveniencies of it, of God. he praifes that bountiful favour of God, which abund- 2 In obfervation of a Jewish ca. C. Here I choose to tranfcribe fome things from The pious the Jewish catechifm of Rabbi Abraham Ben Chanania Jagel, published firft at Venice in 1595, under the title p, afterwards reprinted at Amfterdam 1658, techift. and at last exhibited to the chriftian reader, with a Latin verfion by John Benedict Carpzovius, entitled, Introductis in Theologam Judiacam, c. 9. p. 74. Where the Hebrew Catechift inftructs his Difciple in this manner: let all thy works be done to the glory of the divine name, and to the honour of the bleffed Creator. all thy ways think of him; when thou walkef in the way, when thou rifest up or lieft down. For instance, when thou eateft, know, that the blessed God bas, by the power of his wifdom, created thy food, and given it virtue to be converted into the fubstance of him, who is to be nourished by it: when thou goest to fleep in thy bed, confider with thyself, that God ordained fleep for the benefit of man, that his body might rest, and his Strength be recruited, and himself rendered fit and found for ferving his Creator. And thus, in all thy other bodily actions, take care to give glory and praise to God: for, by this means, all thy works fhall be to the glory of the divine name, whofe providence will keep close to thee and direct all thy actions. the faints CI. Next to this glory of the divine name, a holy 2.The fal perfon may also, in the exercife of his virtues, or vation of graces, have a regard to himself, and endeavour, 1ft, both in To have the affurance of his own eternal election by this and God, his internal vocation, his faith and commu- the life to nion with Chrift, 2 Pet. 1. 10. 2dly, To rejoice in come. the teftimony of a confcience void of offence, and in that compofure of mind, which is the confequent thereof, 2 Cor. 1. 12. 3dly, That, by proving the fincerity of his love towards God by holy actions, he may enjoy for himself that love and familiarity of God, which Jefus, John 14. 21, 23, has graciously promised to thofe, that love him. 4thly, That he may gradually become, in the habits and difpofitions of his foul, and the actions flowing therefrom, R 3 more In which eminently fhines forth. more like the Supreme Being, and fo more glorious and happy. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 5thly, And that, by proceeding in this way of holiness to eternal glory, he may live at ease, and in affurance of his falvation, I Cor. 9. 24-27. CII. Neverthelefs Chriftian holiness teacheth us to the glory defire all these things, but not to reft in them, as of God our ultimate end, but even to direct them to the glory of God. For, the more abundantly any one has attained to what we have juft now only mentioned, the brighter will the fplendor of the divine perfections fhine forth in him: the goodness and bounty of God magnificently difcover themselves in this reward of virtue: the beloved spouse of Christ, whom he will one day prefent without fpot, and glorious to God the Father, fhall be the more adorned: the high value of his fatisfaction and merits, will be duly esteemed from the happiness beftowed on the faints. The faints themfelves fhall be enriched with thofe rewards of their virtues, and be better fitted for celebrating the praifes of their God. And thus it is, that, while they pioufly aim at the happiness promised to them, and feek their own glory in the proper order and measure, they, at the fame time, rejoice in hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5. 2. For then they are made happy, when God is glorified and admired in them, 2 Theff, 1. 10. of our neighbour CIII. In fine, the works of piety are also adapted 3. The edification to gain over our neighbour to God. The holy foul never fatishes itself in glorifying God; but defigns to have many companions employed in the fame work to obtain which, he causeth bis light to shine before men, that they may fee his good works, and glorify his father, which is in heaven, Mat. 5. 16. And having a hearty defire for the falvation of his neighbour, he very willingly employs every means to bring him to the good old way. For this purpofe, as nothing is more effectual than a holy life; fo Peter calls |