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9. Again: the believer who loves God and knows that God loves him, commits himself to him for time and eternity; he casts himself and his concerns, as it were, comprehensively into the hands of God.

Morning, July 29, 1821.

SERMON XXII.

THE GLORY OF GOD, THE END OF ALL THINGS.

Hallowed be thy name.-MATT. vi. 9.

HAVING considered the invocation, I now proceed to consider the first petition which is to be made by the church of God at all times and in all places. Unless the heart echoes this prayer, it is impossible that our prayers can ascend to the throne of God: the reason why this request is the first to be presented to God is, because he is infinitely above all things, and must occupy the first place in every thing: this is the case in the heart of every individual who really loves God; God will have the first place in his bosom. We must keep God primarily in view in every thing. If, in the full light of this glorious truth, we take a review of our past lives, we shall be compelled to confess that self had the pre-eminence.

Again here is a rule given whereby we may

judge whether our religion proceeds from exclusive selfishness; whether it be legal, or whether it proceed from that sublime principle, which comes from God himself. Could we ascend to heaven and witness the worship displayed there, we should find that God holds the supreme place in the affections of all there present; he is the exclusive object of their worship his glory is their sole desire: there is a legitimate selfishness, a selfishness which is not exclusive; but which is included in giving the preference and pre-eminence to God. A moral agent must possess some selfishness; nor is this condemned. We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our soul, and our neighbour as ourself; implying that there is a self-love which is lawful.

Again we cannot serve God aright, unless we keep him primarily in view; neither can we pursue our own interests as we ought, unless we pursue the glory of God. If the creature pursues what he fancies his own good, irrespective of God's glory, we shall find him, on the contrary, pursuing his own destruction. With reverence be it spoken, but I do not hesitate to declare, that God could not order things otherwise because he cannot give his glory to another. The aggregate of all created existence is infinitely less, when compared with God,

than a drop of water to the ocean. No being, therefore, pursues his own interest aright, until God is the primary object he keeps in view: and, then, the glory of God stands engaged to secure his best interest for ever. Ask the obedient son, who is at home with his father, whose interest he is pursuing? and he will tell you, his father's; their interests, he will say, are the same; they cannot be separate; in pursuing the best interests of his father, he promotes his own. Now this is reasonable; it is more, it is according to the institution of God himself; but what is an earthly parent when compared to one who is in heaven?

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Again we have in this first petition the beauty of Jehovah's character presented to our contemplation; hallowed, or, sanctified be thy name. It is the moral beauty of Jehovah that is presented to our view. As moral agents we are eminently interested in the power and holiness of Jehovah. By the "name" of God, is sometimes meant his authority; sometimes his worship,-his ordinances,-his truth, in a word, every manifestation of himself is here included how gloriously do we see his holiness shining in the person of Christ; it is calculated to make us holy and happy here and for ever. HALLOWED BE THY NAME." The name of God and every thing connected with God is to be

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kept in view by the creature, for it is primarily kept in view by God himself; scripture declares that every thing was created for the glory of God.

We find the power of God eminently displayed in every work of creation, from the inanimate world, and from the worm we crush under our feet, to the sagacity of the quadruped: but when we consider the creation of a reasonable being, and then go on to consider the creation of a spiritual or moral being, then we recognize the noblest, the most glorious work of God's creation; there alone we find the being that reflects the moral beauty of Jehovah. God has called into existence and supports every thing, and in this he has a glorious end in view; but he glorifies the beauty of his own moral character in creating and supporting a moral being, to whom he can unfold the beauty of that moral character; and shortly he will glorify himself for ever; he will make every being, whether holy, and therefore happy, or sinful, and therefore miserable, glorify Himself. In the destruction of his enemies we shall see nothing but his loveliness. We are, sometimes, so imposed upon by ourselves and Satan, as to think hardly of God; we sometimes think of the character of Pharaoh with this view; but if we examine his history closely, we shall find,

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