Thus says the Lord: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" --Jeremiah 6:16

 

5 April, 2007   comments: (0) Classic Devotion   God's Glory Should Be The Aim of Our Every Action    Quoting John Hall . . . God is glorified by our making His glory the supreme motive of every action. We should not only regard it to be our duty to promote the glory of God generally by an obedient life, but as far as possible, make this the first matter of consideration in every act of life. Men are sometimes so devoted to the interests of others that their own interests are so absorbed in that devotion. The courtiers of a powerful monarch, especially in some eastern countries, often prove the truth of this remark. Wherever they may be, or however employed in their own private concerns, their conversation, their anxieties, their plans, all show that it is the king, the emperor, the sultan that is uppermost in their minds. For his will or service they forego their own pleasure or interest; deny themselves comfort and ease, and rejoice in their privations and exposures for the sake of the privilege of his service, and the opportunity of showing their loyalty. In our own age we have seen instances of this devotedness in the armies of Bonaparte. In the course of his career he could find at any time multitudes who would readily not only risk, but give up their lives, to show their personal attachment to their leader. It is possible then, for men to forget their own interests in their zeal for other men's distinction. And is it unreasonable that men should have such a sense of their duty to God, such views of his infinite perfections, and such a desire to evince their love, as to consult God's glory in every action and purpose? Now just in proportion as the soldier's attachment to his general, or the subject's to his king, is founded on the excellent character and true greatness of the objects of his regard, does this devotedness reflect honor on their superiors. It is a constant testimony to, and constant proclamation of the superior virtues and talents to whom they give their homage. An army or a nation of such men, would make any man glorious in the sight of the world. In like manner when men live to God, they are real, visible evidences of the excellence of Him to whom they are supremely devoted. And as the Divine perfections are infinite, they justly claim all the consecration of which man is capable - that is of himself and totally and forever; and so minutely, that we may be justly exhorted, in the words of the apostle Paul: "Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31) Not that it is possible to connect with the most common and trivial actions, a direct motive in the act to show the glory of God, (though this may be done even in such occupations as eating or drinking, by acknowledging our dependence and obligation,) but this precept directs us to avoid the smallest actions, which are on any account contrary to the duty of honoring God, and of so keeping that before us as the supreme aim, that it shall influence our most ordinary conduct. This has been illustrated by comparing our duty to the course a traveler takes in pursuing his journey. A man may leave Boston for New Orleans on business of the most vital importance and requiring the greatest haste; results may be depending which involve his whole property, or his life itself. His desire is supreme and intense to reach New Orleans. But on his way he may read and converse; he may eat and sleep in the steamboat and in the cariage; he may eat and drink; yet these occupations are not inconsistent to his supreme aim, and may even be calculated to promote it. They do not retard his progress, or hinder his final object. Still all his conduct, in these unimportant particulars, is modified or influenced in some degree by his predominant desire to reach the end of his journey in the shortest time. So we shall glorify God in the smallest details of our common life, if our souls are filled with a desire to honor, serve and enjoy Him. If such is our grand aim and chief end, we shall do nothing in these smaller matters that are inconsistent with it, and in this way we may glorify God in all things. From:  The Chief End of Man (year 1841)   Posted by: Jim B.   Link: http://www.oldtruth.com/blog.cfm/id.2.pid.647   Be the first to post a comment about this article        Home  |   About  |  Videos   |  Calvinism