Ver. i 6, i 7,18. xx .itb. Chapter of St. MATTHEW. 9 Thirdly, To whom the Gain and Increafe redoundeth 7 In a Moral confederation there are three Beings, Gad, Neighbour, and Self : Accordingly we are appointed to work for three Ends, the Glory of God, the Salvation of our own Souls, and the good of others : And as we promote either of thefe Ends, we are Paid to gain and increafe our Talents. I. The glory of God muff be regarded in the firft place, or, which is alwayes con- cerned with it, the Advancement of the Kingdom of Chrift, and. his Intereft in the world. For all the Gifts that we have received, are for the Mafters ufe : Though God cannot be enriched by any thing that we can doe, yet he counted' it an In- creafe, if we Rudy to. bring him into requeft, or to advance the Kingdom of his Son. Therefore this muft be our fupream End in all things ; t Cor. to. 3t. Whe- ther ye eat or drink, or ivhatfoever ye doe, do all to the glory of God : If in eating and drinking, and the ufe of our ordinary Comforts, much more in the fupream and Important A&ions of our Lives, fuch as we would make a Bufinefs of : God muff: be fpecially eyed there. God only is independent, and felf fuffrcient, of himfelf. and from himfelf : but (elf- feeking is monftrous and unnatural in the Creature ; they. are of him, and by him, and for him. Rom.. is. 36. Of him, and through 'him, and to him are all things. The motion of the Creatures is circular, they end where they begun, Man efpecially. Other Creatures glorifie God neceffarily, we voluntarily and by choice ; they paflively, as they minifter matter to the Beholders to glorifie God ; we a&ively, as we are to intend and Peek his glory in all things : They are made for God ultimately, but mediately for man ; but we are made for his im- mediate fervice, and fhould glorifie him in all. 2. The f2vrng of our own. Souls, that muft be regarded next to the glory of,God. For next to the love of God, man is to love himfelf, and in himfelf hrft his better part : The great Errours of the World come from miftaking felf, and mifplacing felf : They mifplace felf, when they let it above God, and preferre their Interefts before the Confcience of their duty to him ; then they mifta to felf, thinking them - felves more concerned as a Body than a Soul ; and preferre the Satisfa&ions of the carnal Life, before the Happinefs of the f iritual. We never truely love our felves, but when we love our Souls, and Peek their good. God ordereth all his Providences for his own glory, and the good of his People. Rom. 8. 28. llll things fhall work together for good to them that love God. So fhould we order all our afti- ons : All things are Ian&ified to them that are fan&ihed to God. As Helps and Means, and fontething to bring us to him, fo fhould we ufe all Gifts, Ordinances and Providences. We diftinguifhed before of dona fanîtificantia, ci- adminifirantia ; this is the difference between them : The graces of Sanfification, though profitable for others, yet are chiefly intended for the good of him that hath them : Gifts of Edification, though profitable for the Owner, yet are principally intended for the good of others. A man that bath fanfifying Grace, he Both good to others with it, that is but utilitas emergens, not finis proprios ; 'tis not the proper and chief end for which thofe Graces were chiefly given : But other fubfervient gifts are for the good of the Body, not for the worth of the Perlon that bath them : t Cor. 12. 7. The manifeflation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall s' That was the main and proper End. 3. For the ood of others, their Edification and Benefit ; as the Sun Both not thine for himfelf, nor the Fountains flow for themfelves. We drive a joynt -trade for Heaven, and God bath fcattered his gifts, that every part may fupply fomewhat for the good of the whole ; as every Member in the Body hath its proper ftation, and feveral ufe, by which the whole Body receiveth Benefit. Rom. 12. 4. For as we have many Members in one body, and all Members have not thefame Office. a Cor. 12. 54. For the Body is not one Member, but many. A man bath not Wealth for him- felf, nor Parts for himfelf ; not Minifterial gifts for himfelf, to promote his own ends, but to bring in Souls to God ; not for pomp but for ufe :. All have their pro - per and diftin& Offices, Tome to ferve, others to rule; fome to counfel, others to execute : Every one bath their proper and diftin& ufe, for God maketh nothing in vain ; nor was the world appointed to be an Hive for Drones and idle ones : Therefore we fhould all in ow, places be doing good to others, helping them by our counfel, or by our Eftate, and Intereft, or by our Service ; but efpecially Should we do good to their Souls : for we are to lgye our Neighbour as our felves, that is, by a regular Love. Therefore firft Peek their fpiritual good, as we would do N 2 qur
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