PAGE. HEB. XI. 3.-Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which THE WISE OBSERVATION OF PROVIDENCES, ILLUS- PSAL. CVII. 43.-Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall GEN. 11. 16, 17.-And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest OF THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. GEN. III. 6, 7.—And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and OF THE FIRST SIN IN PARTICULAR. GEN. III. 6, 7.—And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked: and they sewed fig-leaves together, and PAGE. OF THE SINFULNESS OF MAN'S NATURAL STATE. PSAL. LI. 5.-Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother con- ... ... OF THE MISERIES OF MAN'S NATURAL STATE. EPH. 1. 3, 4, 5.-Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love: having pre- destinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, ac- OF CHRIST THE ONLY REDEEMER OF GOD'S ELECT. GAL. IV. 4, 5.-When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the LUKE 1. 35.-The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall OF CHRIST's offices IN GENERAL. ZECH. VI. 13. Even he shall build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne, and he shall be a Priest Acts 111. 22.—A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren like unto me: him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall PAGE. PHIL. 11. 9-11.-Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to 1 COR. XII. 13.-For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been 2 TIM. 1. 9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not ac- cording to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which OF THE BENEFITS OF EFFECTUAL CALLING. ROM. VIII. 30.-Whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, THE DIVINE CALL TO LEAVE THE DEVIL'S FAMILY 2 COR. VI. 17, 18.-Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE DOCTRINES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. OF MAN'S CHIEF END AND HAPPINESS. 1 Cor. x. 31.-Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Psalm lxxiii. 25, 26.—Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Knowledge is a necessary foundation of faith and holiness; and where ignorance reigns in the mind, there is confusion in the heart and life. We have the word of truth in our hands, and many methodical systems of divine truths, amongst which the Shorter Catechism, composed by the Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster, in pursuance of the solemn league and covenant, as a part of the then intended uniformity between the three nations, is deservedly reckoned the chief. This I shall endeavour to explain with all possible brevity and perspecuity, that ye may have a view of those divine truths, with the reasons of them. And this I have thought it the more necessary to do, in order that your minds may be established in the truth, as our time is like to be a time of trial, wherein ye may be exposed to many snares, and so be in danger of apostasy. In the first of the texts which I have read, ye have, 1. The chief end of human actions, the glory of God: that is the scope of which all we think, or speak, or do, should tend; this is the point or common centre, in which all should meet. B 2. The extent of it. It is not only some of our actions, but all of them, of what kind soever, that must be directed to this end. This, then, is man's chief duty. In the second text we have, 1. The Psalmist's chief desire, and what he points at as his only true happiness; that is, the enjoyment of God. He takes God for and instead of all, that in him alone his soul may rest. 2. The reason of this is taken from, (1.) The creature's emptiness, both in body and spirit, ver. 25. (2.) From God's fulness and sufficiency and this is amplified by the eternity of it, my portion for ever. : From both texts the following doctrine natively follows. Doct. "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever." In handling this doctrine, I shall speak, I. to the glorifying of God, which is one part of man's chief end. II. To the enjoyment of God for ever, wherein man's chief happiness consists, and which he is to seek as his chief good. I. I shall speak to the glorifying of God, which is one part of man's chief end. And here I shall shew, 1. The nature of glorifying God. 2. In what respects God's glory is man's chief end. 3. The extent of this glorifying God. 4. The reason of it. First, I shall shew the nature of glorifying God. To glorify, is either to make glorious, or to declare to be glorious. God glorifies, t. e. makes angels or men glorious; but man cannot make God glorious, for he is not capable of any additional glory, being in himself infinitely glorious, Job xxxv. 7. Hence it is plain, that God gets no advantage to himself by the best works of men, the profit of our holiness redounding entirely to ourselves, Acts xvii. 25. Psal. xvi. 2. God is glorified, then, only declaratively; he is glorified when his glory is declared. This is done two ways. Objectively, by the creatures inanimate and irrational. Thus the heavens declare the glory of God, Psal. xix. 1. This the creatures do, while they afford matter of praise to God, as a violin is fit to make music, though there must be a hand to play on it ere it can sound. Man declares his glory also actively. And this he ought to do, 1. By his heart, 1 Cor. vi. 20. Glorify God in your spirit. Honouring God with the lips, not with the heart, is but a very lame and unacceptable performance. He ought to be glorified by our understanding, taking him up in the glory which the scripture reveals him in, thinking highly of him, and esteeming him above all other |