3'70 Ofdozng all to the Glory. ofGod. Vol.II. And this is fo effenttally neceffary, that no Altion, tho' never fo good, that is not done with regard to God, and upon fome of the proper motives and confide- rations of Religion, fuch as are the Authority of God, Confcience of our Duty to him, Love of him, Faith in his Proinifes, Fear of his Difpleafure ; I fay, no Altion that is not done upon all, or fome of thefe Motives, can be faid to be done to the glory of God. And this is the meaning of that faying among the Jews, whichI mention'dbefore, That hewhoobeys any command of God, but not M his name, (hall receiveno reward. Moral a&ions receive their denomination of good or evil, as well fromthe end, as from the matter of them ; and as the beff end can- not fanEtifie an a&ion bad in it felf; fo a badend and defign is enough to fpoil the belt altion we can do ; and as it is great impiety to do a wicked thing, though for a religious end, fo it is great Hypocrifie to be religious for mean and tempo- - ral ends. 3. That all our a&ions may be done to the glory of God, we muff not only take care that they be lawful in themfelves, but that they be not fpoil'd and vi- tiated by any bad ctrcumftance ; for circumftances alter moral aftións, and may render that which is lawful in it felf, unlawful in fome cafes: So that if we would do all things to the glory of God, we muff in force cafes refrain from doing that which is lawful in it felf. As when fuch an a&ion that I am about to do, may through the prejudice or miftake of Men, probably redound to the difhonour and difadvantage of Religion, by caufing fractions and divifions, by hindring fome from embracing the trueReligion ; or making others Apoftatize from it, or by being a- ny other way an occafion to Men of falling into fin, or any impediment to their Salvation ; in thefe and the like cafes, we are bound to have that confideration of Religion, that regard to the Peace and Unity of the Church, that Tendernefs and Charity for the Souls ofMen, as to deny our felves the ufe of things otherwife lawful ; and if we do not do it, we offend againft a great Rule both of Pietyand Charity. I fhall only farther at prefent, endeavour to give a briefRefolution to two que- ¡lions, much debated upon occafion of this Rule of theApofiles, ofdoing all things to the glory of God. Firfi, How far we are bound altually to intend and defign the glory of God in every particular a&ion ofour lives. To this I anfwer, a. That it ismorally impoffible that a Man fhoyjd do every particular a&ion with a&ual and explicit thoughts and intentions of glorifying God thereby, and therefore there can be no obligation to any fuch thing. z. It is not neceffary, no more than for a Man that takes a journey, every flep of his way altually to think of his Journeys end, and the place whither he in- tends to go ; a conftant refolution to go to fuch a place, and a due care not to go out of the way; and in cafeof any doubt, to inform our (elves as well as we can of the right way, and to keep in it, is as much confiderationof the end ofa Man's Journey, as isneedful to bring him thither, and more than this wouldbe trouble- fome and to no purpofe; the cafe is the very fame in the courfe of a Man's Life. Fromwhence it followsin the 3. Place, That anhabitual and fettled intention of mind, to glorifie God in the courfe of our Lives is fufficient, becaufe this will ferve all good purpofes, as well as an a&ual intention upon every particular occafion. He that doth things with regard to God, and out of Confcience of his Duty to him, and upon the. proper Motivesand Confiderations ofReligion, in obedience and love to God, in hopes ofhis Reward, and out offear ofhis Difpleafure, glorifies God in his Allions. And if this Principle be but rooted and fettled in his mind, it is fufficient to go- vern his Life, and is virtually, and to all purpofes'as true and confiant an inten- tionof glorifying God, as if we did adually and explicitly propound this end to our felves in every particular a&ion ofour Lives. Secondly, Whethera Man be bound to prefer the glory ofGod before his own eternal Happinefs, as Mofes and St. Paul feem to have done; the one in being content
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