161 FOßGIVENESS OF SIN. and is appointed to teach it, and assure us of it. Hence observe, 1. That the general end of all divine and religious worship, is to raise to God a revenue of glory out of the creation. Such is God's infinite self-sufficiency, that he stands in need of no such glory and honor. He was in himself no less infinitely and eternally glorious before the creation of any thing whatever, thanhe will be when he shall be encompassed with the praises of all the works-of his hands. Such is his absolute perfection, that no honor given to him, no admiration ofhim, no ascrip- tion of glory and praise, -can add any thing to him. hence, saith the Psalmist, "Mygoodness extendeth not to thee." Psalm 16 : 2. It loth not so reach- thee, as to add unto thee to profit thee, as it may do the saints on. earth. As in Job, 22 : 2, 3, and 35 : 7, " Can a man be profit- able unto God, as a man that is wise may be profitable unto himself l Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous, or is it gain unto him that thou makest thy ways perfect l If thou be righteous, what givest thou him, or what receiveth he at thine hand i" And the reason of all, this theapostle gives us, "Of him, and through him, and to him are all things." Rom. 11 : 36. Being the sovereign cause and the absolute end of all things, every way perfe. ct and self-sufficient, nothing can be added to him. Or as the same apostle speaks, "God that made the world, and all things therein, see- ing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, is not wor- shipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth unto all life, and breath, and all things. Acts, 17 : 24, 25. 2. Wherefore all the revenue of glory that God will receive by his worship depends merely on his own vo- luntary choice and appointment. All worship, I say, de- pends now on the sovereign will and pleasure of God. It is true, there is a natural worship clue from rational
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