Serm CLVI. Ofdoing all to the Glory ofGode. 3 thefe meats unlawful: for the earth is the Lord's, and thefirinefs thereof Alfo in another fenfe, God hath made fuch abundant provifion for us, that we may abftain from this or that Meat without any great inconvenience. Confcience, I fay, not thine own but anthers. He had faid before, we fhould eat of what was fet before us, afking no queflion for confcience fake; that is, not making it a matterof confci- ence to our felves: now he fays, ifwe be told it was offer'd to an Idol, we fhouldnot eat for confcience fake; that is, not as making amatter ofConfcience ofit toour felves, but out of regard to the Confcience of another, to whom it might be a fcandal. For why is my liberty judgedof another man's confcience? and if Iwith thankfgivings be apartaker, why am .1 evil fpoken offor thatfor which Igive thanks ? that is, Why should another Man's Confcience be a prejudice to my liberty ? If another makes Confcience of it as unlawful, why fhould his Confcience govern mine, and make me think fo too; or why fhould I be evil fpoken of, for thinking it lawful to eat any thing fet before nee, for which I give thanks ? This is a littleobfcure; but the plain meaningof theApoftle's reafoning feems to be this. Tho' I have regard to another Man's weak Confcience, as to abflain from eating what he thinks unlaw- ful yet am I not therefore bound to be of his opinion, and think it unlawful in it felf í I will confider his weaknefs fo far as to forbear that which I am perfuaded is lawful to do, but yet I will Rill preferve the liberty ofmy own judgment ; and as I am content to give no fcandal to him, fo I expect that he fhould not cenfure and condemn me for thinking that lawful, which he believes not to be fo : And then from all this Difcourfe, the Apoftle efiablifheth this general Rule in theText, Wherefore whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to theglory of God. To which is parallel that other Text, s Pet. 4.11. That God in all things may be glorified. So that thisgeneral Rulelays a Duty upon all Chriftians of, defigning the glory of God in all their adions; all the difficultyis, what is here meant by this, of doing all things to the glory of' God. The yews have a common faying, which feems to be parallel with this phrafe of the Apoftle, That all things fhould be done in the name of God. And this theymake fo effential to every good action, that it was a received Principle among them, that he who obeys any command of God, and not inhis name, (hall receive no reward. Now that to do things in the name of God, and to do them to his glory, are but feveral Phrafes fignifying the fame thing, is evident from that Precept of theApoftle, Col. 3. 17. And whatfoe- ver ye do in word, or in deed do all in the name of the LordYefus Chryl; that is, to bikglory. Now for our clear underftanding of the fenfe of this phrafe of glori- fying God, or doing things to God's Glory; we will confider the various ufe of it in Scripture, and fo defeend to the proper and particular fenfeof it herein theText. The glory of God is nothing elfe but the honour which is given to him by his Creatures; and confequently, the general notion of glorifying God, or doing any thing to bis glory, is to defign to honour God by fuch and fuch aftions; and this phrafe is in Scripture more efpecially apply'd to thefe following particulars. I. We are faid in Scripture to glorifie God by a folemn acknowledgment of him and his Perfedions, of his Goodnefs, and Mercy, of his Power and Wifdom, of his Truth and Faithfulnefs, of his fovereign Dominion and Authority over us. Hence it is that all folemn aftions of Religion are called the worfhip ofGod, which is given to him by his Creatures, fignified by fome outward expreffìon of reve- rence and refped. Thus we are faid to worfhtp God, when we fall down before bin), and pray to him for Mercy and Bleffings, or praife him for Favours and Be- nefits received from him, or perform any other folemn ad of Religion, Pfal.86. 9. All nations whom thouhaft made, fhall come and worfhip before thee, OLord, and (hall glorifie thyname, But efpecially the Duty of Praife and Thankfgiving is molt frequently in Scrip- ture called glorifying ofGod, or giving glory to him. Pfal. 86.14. I will praife thee, 0 Lord my God, withall my heart, and will glorifie thy name. Matth. 5. 16: Let your light fit fbine before men, that they may fee your good works, and ,glorifie your father which is in heaven; that is, praife him upon that account. Luke 5. :5. it is faid of the Man fick of the Palfie, that when he was healed, He departed 5 to 7.,
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