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النشر الإلكتروني

On doing all to the Glory of God.

DISCOURSE XX.

I CORIN. X. 31.

Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or what, foever ye do, do all to the Glory of God.

THIS excellent apoftolical Precept

is fo admirably comprehenfive, and of fuch an extenfive Influence on the Conduct of the Chriftian Life, that it certainly deserves a very particular and attentive Confideration. By a due Observation of this, we fhall, in fome Measure, answer the noble End of our Being, which is to honour and glorify God on Earth, in order to our eternal Enjoyment of him in the heavenly World,

For

For clearing the Connection of these Words it must be observed, that the Apoftle Paul in this Chapter declares to the Christian Converts, that they might without Scruple eat whatever was fold in the Shambles, afking no Questions for ConfcienceJake; yet at the fame Time he acquaints them, that whenever it happened, that their eating any Thing might be a Stumbling-block to a weak Brother, and cause their Liberty to be evil fpoken of, they should, out of a Regard to the Honour of God and Religion, and to the Edification of their Neighbour, abftain from what otherwife would have been in itself lawful. And then he gives it as an excellent general Rule, Whether ye eat or drink, or whatfoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God. Eating and drinking is among us the most common Actions of Life; we are then apt to have little else in View than the fatisfying the Cravings of Nature. Yet even in eating and drinking we are to have an ultimate Regard to the Glory of God. We must not eat and drink as the Brutes do, merely to gratify fenfual Appetite, but must take Care that we do it in a regular Subordination to the divine Glory, as our highest End. A Regard to this great End muft run through all our Actions, and influence our whole. Conduct.

In treating of this Subject I propose, firft, to inquire into the juft Meaning and Extent of this Precept, Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God. Secondly, I fhall fhew the Reasonableness of this Precept, and the Obligations we are under to glorify God in whatsoever we do.

First, Let us offer fomething for explaining the juft Defign and Extent of this Precept. And here it will be proper to inquire, both what thofe Actions are which we are here required to do to the Glory of God, and what is to be understood by our doing them to his Glory.

As to the Actions here referred to, we are told in general, that whether we eat or drink, or whatfoever we do, we must do all to the Glory of God. Nothing can be expreffed or delivered in more comprehenfive Terms. It extends to all our Actions. There is no Part of our Conduct and Behaviour, but what comes in one Degree or other under the Regulation of this Precept. The Actions of Life may be ranked under three principal Heads, natural, civil, and thofe of a moral and religious Nature; and in each of these we are to have a Refpect to the Glory of God as our fupreme End. This holds even with regard to our natural Actions themselves,

fuch

fuch as eating and drinking, and other Actions that tend to the Support of this animal Life, and the gratifying our natural Appetites. Thefe, abftractly and in themselves confidered, have nothing of moral Good or Evil in them; yet they are to be regulated in Men by a superior Regard to the Glory of God, with respect to the Measure and Degree of them, and several Circumstances attending them. The fame may be faid of thofe Actions which are defigned for our Recreation.

This Precept alfo extends to civil Actions, or Actions that appertain to us as Members of civil Society, and of larger or leffer Communities, and to thofe Ufages which the Customs of Nations have introduced. But above all, this Precept extends to thofe Actions which are directly and immediately of a moral and religious Nature. Such are the Duties required of us in the divine Law relating to God, our Neighbours, and ourselves. All these feveral Kinds of Actions which have been mentioned may be regarded as comprehended under this general Direction. Let us therefore enquire in what Sense it is to be understood, that we are to do whatfoever we do to the Glory of God.

And in order to this, we muft, in the first Place, fee that the Matter of every

one

one of our Actions be lawful in itself, not contrary to the Will or Law of God. It is not indeed neceffary that all our Actions be as to the Matter of them expressly commanded by God. But then we are, on no Pretence whatsoever, to allow ourfelves in the Commiffion of any Thing that is forbidden in the divine Law; for that Action, which as to the Matter of it is forbidden by God, can never be done to his Glory. No Intention, let it be ever fo fpecious, can fanctify any Action that is in itself evil. It is an invariable Rule, that we must not do Evil that Good may come of it. Rom. iii. 8. When therefore we are required to do whatfoever we do to the Glory of God; it neceffarily fuppofes that we must take Care, that all our Actions be, as to the Matter of them, lawful. We must also be careful, that as to the Measure or Manner of them there be nothing in them contrary to the divine Will, or unfuitable to our Character as reasonable Creatures and Chriftians. Many Actions which are in themselves lawful, or of an indifferent Nature, may be carried to fuch an Excefs, or attended with fuch Circumftances, as to render them culpable in the Sight of God, or at least inexpedient. It highly concerns us therefore, if we would anfwer the true Defign

of

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