RESOLUTION IV.

1 am resolved, by the grace of God, to do all things for the glory of God.

As I was not made by, so neither for myself; for God, says the wise man, made all things for himself.¹⁹¹¹⁹¹   Prov. xvi. 4. And being thus made for God, it follows of course, that I ought to act for God; otherwise I shall frustrate the end of my creation. Insomuch that whatsoever I make my chief aim in what I do, I make that my God. Do I aim at the glory of the all-glorious Jehovah? it is him I make my god: Do I aim at riches? then it is mammon I make my god: and therefore it is that covetousness is called idolatry.¹⁹²¹⁹²   Col. iii. 5. Do I aim at pleasure? it is my senses I make my god.¹⁹³¹⁹³   Phil. iii. 19. Do I aim at popular applause, or worldly advancement? or, do I aim at my own health or life? these are my gods. For what is worshipping, but making all the powers of my soul, and actions of my body, to bow and stoop to them? Hence it is, that the most high God, who hath said, ‘He will not give his glory to another,’ hath been so express in commanding me to do all things to his glory, ‘Whether ye eat or drink,’ says the apostle, 179‘or whatsoever you do, do all things to the glory of God.’¹⁹⁴¹⁹⁴   1 Cor. x. 31.

But how can I, poor worm, be said to do any thing to the glory of the eternal God? Why, in the same manner as he is said to do what he doth for his own glory; and how is that? By manifesting his glory to others. Thus, if I can but so live and act, as thereby to evidence, that the God I serve is a glorious God, glorious in holiness, glorious in goodness, glorious in wisdom, glorious in power, and the like; this is doing all things to the glory of God. For example, by praying to God, I avouch him to be a God infinite in knowledge, that he is present with me, and hears me pray, wheresoever I am; and I own him to be infinite in mercy, in that he will suffer such a sinful creature as I am to address myself to him, &c. And so there is not the least action I undertake, but I am so to manage it, as to manifest the glory of God by it, making it my end and design so to do; otherwise let me do what I will I am sure to sin; for though I confess, a good end can never make a bad action good, yet a bad end will always make a good action bad: so that, if ever I would do any thing that is good, I must be sure to do it to the glory of God.