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last end in the creation of the moral world; and so by position fourth, of the whole world. For the end of the goodness of a thing, is the end of the thing. Herein, it was observed before, must consist the goodness or valuableness of any thing in the eyes of him that made it for his use, viz. its being good for that use, or good with respect to the end for which he made it.

POSITION 10. That which persons who are described in scripture as approved saints, and set forth as examples of piety, sought as their last and highest end in the things which they did, and which are mentioned as parts of their holy conversation, or instances of their good and approved behavior; that we must suppose, was what they ought to seek as their last end; and consequently by the preceding position was the same with God's last end in the creation of the world.

POSITION 11. That which appears by the word of God to be that end or event, in the desire of which, the souls of the good parts of the moral world, especially of the best, and in their best frames, do most naturally and directly exercise their goodness in, and in expressing of their desire of this event or end they do most properly and directly express their respect to God; we may, I say, well suppose, that event or end to be the chief and ultimate end of a spirit of piety and goodness, and God's chief end in making the moral world, and so the whole world. For doubtless the most direct and natural desire and tendency of a spirit of true goodness in the good and best part of the moral world is to the chief end of goodness, and so the chief end of the creation of the moral world. in what else can the spirit of true respect and friendship to God be expressed by way of desire, than desires of the same end, which God himself chiefly and ultimately desires and seeks in making them and all other things.

And

POSITION 12. Since the holy scriptures teach us that Jesus Christ is the head of the moral world, and especially of all the good part of it; the chief of God's servants, appointed to be the head of his saints and angels, and set forth as the chief and most perfect pattern and example of goodness; we may well suppose by the foregoing positions, that what he sought as his last end, was God's last end in the creation of the world.

SECTION III.

Particular texts of Scripture, that shew that God's glory is ari ultimate End of the Creation.

WHAT God says in Isa. xlviii. 11, naturally leads us to suppose, that the way in which God makes himself his end in his work or works which he does for his own sake, is in making his glory his end. "For my own sake, even for my own sake will I do it. For how should my name be pollut ed; and I will not give my glory to another." Which is as much as to say, I will obtain my end, I will not forego my glory Another shall not take this prize from me. It is pretty evident here, that God's name and his glory, which seems to intend the same thing (as shall be observed more particularly afterwards) are spoken of as his last end in the great work mentioned, not as an inferior, subordinate end, subservient to the interest of others. The words are emphatical. The emphasis and repetition constrain us to understand that what God does, is ultimately for his own sake: "For my own sake, even for my own sake will I do it."

So the words of the apostle, in Rom. xi. 36, naturally lead us to suppose that the way in which all things are to God, is in being for his glory. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." In the preceding context, the apostle observes the marvellous disposals of divine wisdom, for causing all things to be to him in their final issue and result, as they are from him at first, and governed by him. His discourse shews how God contrived and brought this to pass in his disposition of things, viz. by setting up the kingdom of Christ in the world; leaving the Jews, and calling the Gentiles; and in what he would hereafter do in bringing in the Jews with the fulness of the Gentiles; with the circumstances of these wonderful works, so as greatly to shew his justice and his goodness, magnify his grace, and manifest the

sovereignty and freeness of it, and the absolute dependence of all on him....and then in the four last verses, breaks out into a most pathetic, rapturous exclamation, expressing his great admiration of the depth of divine wisdom in the steps he takes for the attaining his end, and causing all things to be to him; and finally, he expresses a joyful consent to God's excellent design in all to glorify himself, in saying, "to him be glory forever;" as much as to say, as all things are so wonderfully ordered for his glory, so let him have the glory of all, forevermore.

2. The glory of God is spoken of in holy scripture as the last end for which that part of the moral world that are good were made. Thus in Isaiah xliii. 6, 7. "I will say to the North, give up, and to the South, keep not back....Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one that is called by my name; for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him." Isaiah lx. 21. "Thy people also shall be all righteous. They shall inherit the land forever; the branch of my planting, the work of my hand, that I may be glorified." Chap. lxi. 3. "That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."

In these places we see that the glory of God is spoken of as the end of God's saints, the end for which he makes them, i. e. either gives them being, or gives them a being as saints, or both. It is said that God has made and formed them to be his sons and daughters, for his own glory; that they are trees of his planting, the work of his hands, as trees of righteousness, that he might be glorified. And if we consider the words, especially as taken with the context in each of the places, it will appear quite unnatural to suppose that God's glory is here spoken of only as an end inferior and subordinate to the happiness of God's people; or as a prediction that God would create, form and plant them that he might be glorified, that so God's people might be happy. On the contrary, if we take the places with the context, they will appear rather as promises of

making God's people happy, that God therein might be glorified. So is that in chapter xliii. as we shall see plainly, if we take the whole that is said from the beginning of the chapter. It is wholly a promise of a future, great, and wonderful work of God's power and grace, delivering his people from all misery, and making them exceeding happy; and then the end of all, or the sum of God's design in all, is declared to be God's own glory. "I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. I will be with thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, nor the flame kindle upon thee....thou art precious and honorable in my sight. I will give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not, I am with thee. I will bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; every one that is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory."

So it plainly is, chapter lx. 21. The whole chapter is made up of nothing but promises of future, exceeding happiness to God's church. But for brevity's sake, let us take only the two preceding verses. "The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light; and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands," and then the end of all is added, "that I might be glorified," All the preceding promises are plainly mentioned as so many parts or constituents of the great and exceeding happiness of God's people; and God's glory is mentioned rather as God's end, or the sum of his design in this happiness, than this happiness as the end of this glory. Just in like manner is the promise in the third verse of the next chapter. "To appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of

righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." The work of God promised to be effected, is plainly an accomplishment of the joy, gladness and happiness of God's people, instead of their mourning and sorrow; and the end in which the work issues, or that in which God's design in this work is obtained and summed up, is his glory. This proves by the seventh position, that God's glory is the end of the creation.

"For

The same thing may be argued from Jer. xiii. 11. as a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Judah, saith the Lord; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory, but they would not hear." That is, God sought to make them to be his own holy people; or, as the apostle expresses it, his peculiar people, zealous of good works; that so they might be a glory to him, as girdles were used in those days for ornament and beauty, and as badges of dignity and honor.* Which is agreeable to the places observed before, that speak of the church as the glory of Christ.

Now when God speaks of himself, as seeking a peculiar and holy people for himself, to be for his glory and honor, as a man that seeks an ornament and badge of honor for his glory, it is not natural to understand it merely of a subordinate end, as though God had no respect to himself in it, but only the good of others. If so, the comparison would not be natural; for men are commonly wont to seek their own glory and honor in adorning themselves, and dignifying themselves with badges of honor, out of respect to themselves.

The same doctrine seems to be taught, Eph. xliv. 23. "Having predestinated us to the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ, unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace."

The same may be argued from Isaiah xliv. 23. "For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, he hath glorified himself in Is. rael." And chapter xlix. 3. "Thou art my servant Jacob,

* See verse 9, and also Isaiah iii. 24, xxii. 21, and xxiii, 10, 2 Sam. xviii. 11. Exod. xxviii, 8,

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