PART H. SERMON H. 21 he eat or drink, or whatsoever he does, he makes it his rule of life, to do all to theglory of God ; 1 Cor. x. 31. Now this sublime zeal, this noble activity for the service of God and hisglory, was not found among the professors of other religious. ToglorifyGod, was not their aim and end ; those that rose highest among the old philosophers had not set their aimand end right: Theythat knew God, glorified him not as God; Rom. i. 21. Theydid not make the glory of God the great-design of their actions : It was not zeal for God that animated them to pursue virtue, but merely their own ends, their own satisfaction or ease, or the vanity of their own minds, prideand attempt of superiority - .above other men ; or it best, their motives of action were the reasonableness of virtue, and the benefit of it to them- selves and their fellow-citizens. But the gloryof God is the aim of christians, and the end of every true believer : he has some degree of zeal for the honour of God, and therefore is active in those duties whichGod proposs to him. When we see aperson regardless of all his self-interests in, the world, and at the same time pursuing thehonour ofan invisi- ble God, following hard afterthe gloryof that God that his fleshly eyes havenot seen; we may sayhe has - something above what mere corrupt nature leads him . to, or impresses upon him. The believer has this witness in himself, zeal andactivity for the glory ofGod in the world. V. The last thing that goes to make up holiness, is ahearty love to all men, and especially tothe saints. 'Phis is a noble in- gredient of eternal life; this is a divine and heavenly temper ; this is a beautiful part of the image of God communicated to the soul of man. That God who is the original and foundation of eternal life, is a glorious patternof this love ; he makes his sun to rise, and his rain to fall on the just and on the unjust, and leaves not himself without witness of his divinity, by filling the hearts of men with food and gladness : See Mat. v. 45. Acts xiv. 17. He shews his love to enemies and rebels, in forgiving millions of offences, and pardoning crimes of the largest size and deepest aggravations, and he loves his saintswith peculiar tender- ness. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who also is the true God and eternal life,camedown from heaven to exemplify his divine love. It was his love to mankind that persuaded him to put on flesh and blood, and prevailed with him to suffer pains, agonies, and death, that hisenemies mightobtain salvation and life. Oglori- ous example of love ! Now this is in some measure wrought into the make of every true christian, and imitated in thepractice of every true believer : Heis obliged, by one of the chief rules of his religion to lovehis neighbour as himself : that is, to do that to c 3
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