(2.) The end may be, though not intrinsically evil, yet evil from some irregularity in misplacing it; as when we make that our ultimate end which should only be our subordinate end in the duty. That which would be lawful standing in its proper place, becomes sinful when the ultimate end is crowded down to make room for that. The glory of God is to be the ultimate end, not only in every duty of worship, but in all our common actions also, even to eating and drinking. Those low actions are to be elevated to this high end, I Cor. 10:31. And good reason he should be our utmost end from whom we received our beginning. All things are of him, and therefore fit they should be to him. The river-water empties itself into the bosom of the sea from whence it flows. Now, if we are to have so high an end in our lowest actions, then surely in our highest; and such are acts of worship, in which we have immediately to do with God, and are thence called priests, ‘to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ,’ I Peter 2:5. There is indeed another end also for which ordinances are appointed, viz. to conduit-pipes for conveying all kind of blessings from God unto us; but this is an inferior end, and to be subordinated to the former, or else we make the glory of God an underling to our particular good, which God will not endure. Possibly we are in some great affliction. This sets us to prayer for deliverance. Thus far we keep our way. But then we turn aside when our deliverance is more regarded by us than his glory. This is to set the subject in his prince’s chair; uti Deo ut fruamur mundo—to make use of God that we may enjoy the creature. Beware of this. Whatever we prefer in our desires above the glory of God is an idol-worship by us. The heart can engrave as well as the hand, and an idol in the heart is as bad as one set up in the house.
Question. But how may I find whether the glory of God, or the particular good thing I pray for, be that which I make my chief end in duty?
Answer. It may be discovered two ways: (a) By thy carriage in prayer. (b) By thy carriage after prayer.
(a) By the carriage of thy heart in prayer. If the glory of God be chiefly aimed at by thee, this will give a tincture to the whole duty, and be influential into every part of it; thou wilt suit thy requests to this end. For, as there is a secret force from the arm that draws the bow impressed on the arrow which carries it to the mark aimed at by the shooter, so there is a secret power which carries the soul out in duty to act suitably to the end he chiefly propounds and desires to obtain; for no man would willingly obstruct and hinder what above all he wisheth for. We will suppose pardon of sin is the mercy thou prayest for. Now if thou desirest sincerely the glory of God as well as this mercy, yea, above it, this will direct thee in thy confession of sin to afflict thy soul more for the dishonour thou hast by it reflected on God than the wrath thou hast incurred thyself. So in thy petition, thou darest not beg thy pardon on terms that were dishonourable for God to give it on, but will desire the mercy in such a way as his glory may be both secured and advanced. Now God cannot pardon the sin of an impenitent wretch that holds still the love and liking of his lust without infinite wrong to his glorious name. And therefore, if his glory be so high in thy eye as thou sayest, thou wilt cry as earnestly for his sanctifying grace as for pardoning mercy, and not merely because thou canst not have pardon without it—as a sick man desires a bitter potion to save his life, not that he loves it—but because by it thou shalt be fitted to glorify him.
(b) It may be discovered by thy carriage after duty, and that in two particulars: when the thing prayed for is obtained, and also when denied.
When the mercy prayed for is obtained. If thou didst chiefly aim at the glory of God in begging it, thy chief care will be to lay it out for his glory now thou hast it; whereas he that aimed at himself in praying for it, will as little regard God in the using of it as he did in begging it. It is natural for things to resolve into their principles. The child that Hannah obtained of God she dedicates unto the Lord—and why? but because this was her end in praying for him, I Sam. 1:11 compared with ver. 28. When David’s prayer is heard, and he delivered, mark what his resolve from this is, ‘I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living,’ Ps. 116:9. And again, ‘O Lord, truly I am thy servant,...thou hast loosed my bonds,’ ver. 16. He returns the mercy to God by improving it for him in a holy life. How can we think he aimed at the glory of God in praying for health that runs away from God as soon as he is set upon his legs? or, in praying for wealth, that lays it out upon his lusts?
Again, when the thing prayed for is denied. He that aims sincerely at God’s glory in prayer for a mercy—I speak now of such mercies as are but conditionally promised—he will cheerfully submit to the will of God in a denial thereof, because God can in such petitions glorify himself by denying as well as granting them. David prayed and fasted for the life of his sick child. It dies notwithstanding. Now, does this denial make him fall out with God? is he clamorous and discontent? No, it raiseth no storm in his heart or lowering weather in his countenance to hinder him in the service of God. He washeth his tears from his blubbered cheeks, changes his apparel, and goes cheerfully into the house of God and worshippeth, II Sam. 12:20, so powerfully did the will of God determine his will. Thus, as the heavenly bodies are by the primum mobile carried contrary to their particular inclination, so grace in a saint overrules his natural affection, and carries him into a compliance with the will of God when it crosseth his own. Our blessed Saviour had natural affections, which made him pray the bitter cup of his passion might, if possible, pass from him; yet not so but he was willing to take a denial, and therefore desires his Father to glorify himself, though it were by taking away his life, John 12:27, 28.
Second. The second thing thou art to do, having fixed thy end right, is to make a private search into thy heart and life, whereby thou mayest be enabled more fully and feelingly to lay open thy condition before the Lord. Now there are three heads of inquiry thou art to go upon: 1. For the sins thou hast committed. 2. For the mercies thou hast received. 3. For the wants thou liest under.
No comments:
Post a Comment