Serra. CLVI. Ofdoing all to the Glory ofGod. 3 71 content to have his name blotted out of the book of life, the other to be Antbema from ChrJ, for the Salvationof Ifrael ? To this I anfwer. If we could admit the fuppofition, that the Glory iof. God, and a Man's eternal Happinefs might come in competition, there could be no obligation upon a Man to chufe eternal mifety upon any confideration whatfoever: Thepreference of one thing before another, fuppofeth them both to be Obje&s of our choice ; but the greateft evil known and apprehended to be fo, cannotbe the obje& of a reafona- ble choice; neither the greateft moral nor natural evil of fin, or mifery. Sin is not to be chofen in any cafe, no not for the Glory of God. The Apoftle makes the fuppofition, and anfwers it; that if the truth and glory of Gad could be pro- moted by bis lie, yet we are not to do evil that good may cone, Rom. 3. I, 8. Nor is the greateft natural evil the obje& of our choice. God himfelf hatli planted a Principle in our Nature to the contrary, to feek our own Happinefs, and to avoid utter ruin and deftruihon; and then furely much more that which is much worfe, as eternal mifery is, whatever fome learned Men, in defpight of Nature and common Senfe, have afferted to the contrary, thatit is better and more defirable to be extremely and eternally miferable, than not to be ; for what is there defirable in being, when it fernes to no other purpofe but to be thefounda- tion of endlefs and intolerable mifery. And if this be a Principle of our Nature, can any Mau imagine that God fhould frame us fo, as to make the firft and funda- mental Principle of it dire&1 oppofite to our Duty ? As to the mftance ofMofes, it does not reach this cafe ; becaufe the phrafe of blotting out of the book of life, does in all probability fignihe no more than a tern peral death. As to that of St. Paul, it is by no means to be taken in a ftri& fenfe, but as a vehement andhyperbolical expreffion of his mighty affection to his brethren according to the flefh, For whom, fays he, I could with to be an Anathema from aril?. Betides the reafon of the thing, the formof the expreflion thews the meaningof it, I could with, that is, I would be content to do or fuffer almoft any thing for theirSalvation, infomuch that I could with, if it were fit and lawful, and reafonable to make fuch a with, to he accurfed from Chret for their fakes. It is plainly a fufpended form of fpeech, which declares nothing abfolutely. But, 2. It is a vain and fenfelefs fuppofition, that the Glory of God, and our eternal Happinefs can ftand in competition. By feeking the Glory of God, we naturally and direly promote our An Happinefs; the Glory of God and our Happinefs, are infeparably link'd together ; we cannot glorifie God by fin g and fo gracious hath God been to us, that he bath made thofe things tobe our Duty, which natu- rally tend to our felicity; and we cannot glorifie God more than by doing our Duty, nor can we promote our own Happinefs more effeelually than by the fame way. Fromwhence it plainly follows that the Glory of God and our Happinefs, cannot reafonably be fuppofed to crofs and contradi& one another; and therefore the que- ítionis frivolous which fuppofeth they may come in competition. r Cor. 15. 58. the the Apoftle exhorts Chrittians to be Stedfafl andunmoveable, and abundant in the work of the Lord, knowing that their labour Pall not be in vain in the Lord. And Tit. a. i, 2. the Apoftle calls himfelf, A fervasit of Mks Chrifl, in hope of e- ternal life, which God that cannot lie bath promifed. To ferve God in hope of eternal life, is to glorifie God, and therefore the Glory ofGod, and our eternal. Happinefs are never to be oppofed. 1 (hall briefly draw.txro or three Inferences from this Difcourfe, and fo con- clude. I. See here the great goodrrefs ofGod to Mankind, who is pleated to efteem whatever is for the . good of Men, to be for the Glory of God ; and what- ever tends to the eternal Salvation of our felves, or others, to be 'a glorifying of himfelf. 1I. We learn hence likewife, the excellency of the Chriftian Religion, which requires not only a confcientious care of our felves, to do nothing but what is lawful; but likewife`a charitable regard to others in the ufe of our liberty, in B b b 2 the.
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