HUGH BINNING
Of The Christian Religion: God's Glory the Chief End
of Man's Being
Rom. xi. 36. "Of him, and through him, and to him, are
all things; to whom be glory for ever."
And 1 Cor. x. 31. Whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God."
All that men have to know, may be comprised under these two
heads,-What their end is; and What is the right way to attain to that end? And
all that we have to do, is by any means to seek to compass that end. These are
the two cardinal points of a man's knowledge and exercise: Whither to go, and
what way to go. If there be a mistake in any of these fundamentals, all is
wrong. All arts and sciences have their principles and grounds that must be
presupposed to all solid knowledge and right practice; so hath the true
religion some fundamental principles which must be laid to heart and imprinted
into the soul, or there can be no superstructure of true and saving knowledge,
and no practice in Christianity that can lead to a blessed end.
But as the
principles are not many, but a few common and easy grounds, from which all the
conclusions of art are reduced, so the principles of true religion are few and
plain; they need neither burden your memory, nor confound your understanding.
That which may save you 'is nigh thee,' says the apostle, (Rom. x. 8.) 'even in
thy mouth.' It is neither too far above us, nor too far below us. But, alas!
your not considering of those common and few and easy grounds, makes them both
burdensome to the memory, and dark to the understanding. As there is nothing so
easy but it becomes difficult if you do it against your will, so there is
nothing so plain, so common, but it becomes dark and hard if you do not indeed
consider it and lay it to heart.
That which is, in the first place, to be
considered is, Our end. As in all other arts, and every petty business,
it hath the first place of consideration, so especially in the Christian
religion. It is the first cause of all human actions, and the first principle
of all deliberate motions. Except you would walk at random, not knowing whither
you go, or what you do, you must once establish this and fix it in your
intention-What is the great end and purpose wherefore I am created, and sent
into the world? If this be not either questioned, or not rightly constituted,
you cannot but spend your time, you must either do nothing, or nothing to
purpose, or, that which is worse, that which will undo you. It is certainly the
wrong establishing of this one thing that makes the most part of our motions
either altogether irregular, or unprofitable, or destructive and hurtful.
Therefore, as this point hath the first place in your catechism, so it ought to
be first of all laid to heart, and pondered as the one necessary thing. 'One
thing is needful,' says Christ, Luke x. 42; and if any thing be in a
superlative degree needful, this is it. O that you would choose to consider it,
as the necessity and weight of it require!
We have read two scriptures,
which speak to the ultimate and chief end of man, which is the glorifying of
God by all our actions and words and thoughts. In which we have these things of
importance:
1. That God's glory is the end of our being.
2. That God's
glory should be the end of our doing. And,
3. The ground of both these;
because both being and doing are from him, therefore they ought to be both for
him. He is the first cause of both, and therefore he ought to be the last end
of both. 'Of him, and through him, are all things;' and therefore all things
are also for him, and therefore all things should be done to him. God is
independent altogether, and self-sufficient. This is his royal prerogative,
wherein he infinitely transcends all created perfection. He is of himself, and
for himself; from no other, and for no other, 'but of him, and for him, are all
things.' He is the fountain-head; you ought to follow the streams up to it, and
then to rest, for you can go no farther. But the creature, even the most
perfect work, besides God, it hath these two ingredients of limitation and
imperfection in its bosom: it is from another, and for another. It hath its
rise out of the fountain of God's immense power and goodness, and it must run
towards that again, till it empty all its faculties and excellencies into that
same sea of goodness. Dependence is the proper notion of a created
being,-dependence upon that infinite independent Being, as the first immediate
cause, and the last immediate end.
You see then that this principle is
engraven in the very nature of man. It is as certain and evident that man is
made for God's glory, and for no other end, as that he is from God's power, and
from no other cause. Except men do violate their own conscience, and put out
their own eyes-as the Gentiles did, Rom. i. 19, &c.-'that which may be
known of man's chief end, 'is manifest in them,' so that all men are 'without
excuse.' As God's being is independent, so that he cannot he expressed by any
name more suitable than such as he takes to himself, ' I am that I
am,'-importing a boundless, ineffable, absolute, and transcendent being, beside
which, no creature deserves so much as to have the name of being, or to be made
mention of in one day with his name, because his glorious light makes the poor
derived shadow of light in other creatures to disappear, and to evanish out of
the world of beings,-so it is the glorious perfection of his nature, that he
doth 'all things for himself,' Prov. xvi. 4, for his own name; and his glory is
as dear to him as himself. 'I am the Lord, that is my name, and [therefore] my
glory will I not give to another,' Isa. xlii. 8; and xlviii. 11.
This is no
ambition. Indeed, for a man to seek his own glory, or search into it, 'is not
glory,' (Prov. xxv. 27,) but rather a man's shame. Self-seeking in creatures is
a monstrous and incongruous things; it is as absurd, and unbeseeming a
creature, to seek its own glory, as to attribute to itself its own being. Shall
the thing formed say to the potter, Thou hast not made me? That were
ridiculous. And shall the thing formed say, 'Tis made for itself? That were as
ridiculous. Self-denial is the ornament and beauty of a creature, and therefore
humility is an ornament and clothing, I Pet. v.5; and honour upholds the humble
spirit, Prov. xxix. 23.
But God's self-seeking, and seeking of his own
glory, is his eminent excellency. It is indeed his glory, because he is, and
there is none else ; there is nothing, besides him, but that which hath issued
forth from his incomprehensible fulness. And therefore it is all the reason of
the world, that as he is the beginning, so he should be the end of all things,
Rev. i. 8. And there is the more reason of it, that his majesty's seeking of
his own glory is not prejudicial to the creature's good, but the very
communication of his fulness goes along with it: so that in glorifying himself,
he is most beneficial to his own creatures. Poor creatures, indigent at home,
are yet proud of nothing, and endeavour, in seeking of themselves, to engross
all perfections into their own bosoms ! Ambition and vain-glory robs and spoils
others' excellencies to clothe itself withal; and then boasts itself in these
borrowed feathers! But our blessed Lord is then doing most for our advantage
when he does all for his own glory. He needs not go abroad to seek perfection,
but to manifest what he is in himself; he communicates of himself to us. O
blessed self-seeking that gave us a being and well-being; that makes no
advantage by it, but gives advantage! He hath the honour of all, but we have
the profit of all. 'All things are of him, and for him;' but man in a peculiar
and proper way. As God, in making of man, was pleased of his goodness to stamp
him with a character of his own image-and in this he puts a difference between
man and other creatures, that he should have more plain and distinct engravings
of divine majesty upon him, which might show the glory of the workman-so it
appears that he is in a singular way made for God, as his last end. As he is
set nearer God, as the beginning and cause, than other creatures; so he is
placed nearer God as the end. All creatures are made ultimo', lastly, for God,
yet they are all made proxime; nextly, for man. Therefore David falls out a
wondering, 'Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him,' 'and hast made
him to have dominion over the works of thy hands, and put all things under his
feet!' Psalm. viii. 4, 6. The creature comes out in a direct line from God, as
the beams from the body of the sun; and it is directed towards the use and
service of mankind, from whom all the excellency and perfection that is in it
should reflect towards God again. Man is both proxime et ultimo for God. We are
to return immediately to the fountain of our being; and thus our happiness and
well-being is perpetuated. There is nothing intervening between God and us that
our use and service and honour should be directed towards: but all the songs
and perfections of the creature, that are among the rest of the creatures, meet
all in man as their centre, for this purpose that he may return with them all
to the glorious fountain from whence they issued.
Thus we stand next God,
and in the middle between God and other creatures. This, I say, was the
condition of our creation. We had our being immediately from God, as the
beginning of all; and we were to have our happiness and well-being by returning
immediately to God as the end of all. But sin coming in between God and us,
hath displaced us, so that we cannot now stand next God, without the
intervention of a Mediator; and we cannot stand between God and creatures, to
offer up their praises to him; but 'there is one Mediator between God and man,'
that offers up both man's praises and the creature's songs which meet in man.
Now, seeing God hath made all things for himself, and especially man for
his own glory, that he may show forth in him the glory and excellence of his
power, goodness, holiness, justice, and mercy; it is not only most reasonable
that man should do all things that he doth to the glory of God, but it is even
the beauty and perfection of a man,--the greatest accession that can be to his
being,-to glorify God by that being. We are not our own, therefore we ought not
to live to ourselves, but to God whose we are.
But you may ask, What is it
to glorify God? Doth our goodness extend to him? Or is it an advantage to the
Almighty that we are righteous? No indeed! And herein is the vast difference
between God's glorifying of us and sanctifying of us, and our glorifying and
sanctifying of him. God 'calls things that are not,' and makes them to be: but
we can do no more but call things that are, and that far below what they are.
God's glorifying is creative,-ours only declarative. He makes us such, we do no
more but declare him to be such. This then is the proper work that man is
created for, to be a witness of God's glory, and to give testimony to the
appearances and out-breakings of it in the ways of power and justice and mercy
and truth. Other creatures are called to glorify God, but it is rather a
proclamation to dull and senseless men, and a provocation of them to their
duty. As Christ said to the Pharisees, 'If these children hold their peace, the
stones would cry out,' so may the Lord turn himself from stupid and senseless
man, to the stones and woods and seas and sun and moon, and exhort them to
man's duty, the more to provoke and stir up our dulness, and to make us
consider that it is a greater wonder that man, whom God hath made so glorious,
can so little express God's glory, than if stupid and senseless creatures
should break out in singing and praising of his majesty. The creatures are the
books wherein the lines of the song of God's praises are written; and man is
made a creature capable to read them, and to tune that song. They are appointed
to bring in brick to our hand; and God has fashioned us for this employment, to
make such a building of it. We are the mouth of the creation; but ere God want
praises when our mouth is dumb, and our ears deaf, God will open the mouths of
asses, 'of babes and sucklings' and in them perfect praises, Psalm. viii. 1, 2.
If I were a lark, I would sing as a lark; but seeing I am a man, what should I
do, but praise God with out ceasing? It is as proper to us to praise God, as
for a bird to chaunt. All beasts have their own sounds and voices peculiar to
their own nature; this is the natural sound of a man.
Now as you would
think it monstrous to hear a melodious bird croaking as a raven; so it is no
less monstrous and degenerate to learn the most part of the discourses of men
savouring nothing of God If we had known that innocent estate of man, O how
would we think he had fallen from heaven! We would imagine that we were thrust
down from heaven, where we heard the melodious songs of angels, into hell, to
hear the howlings of damned spirits. This then is that we are bound unto, by
the bond of our creation; this is our proper office and station God once set us
into, when he assigned every creature its own use and exercise. This was our
portion, (and O the noblest of all, because nearest the King's own person!) to
acknowledge in our hearts inwardly, and to express in our words and actions
outwardly, what a One he is, according as he hath revealed himself in his word
and works.
It is great honour to a creature to have the meanest employment
in the court of this great King ; but, O, what is it to be set over all the
King's' house, and over all his kingdom! But, then, what is that, in respect of
this, to be next to the King, to wait on his own person, so to speak? Therefore
the godly man is described as a waiting-maid, or servant, Psalm. cxxiii. 2.
Well then, without more discourse upon it, without multiplying of it into
particular branches, to glorify God is in our souls to conceive of him, and
meditate on his name, till they receive the impression and stamp of all the
letters of his glorious name; and then to express this in our words and
actions, in commending of him, and obeying of him. Our souls should be as wax
to express the seal of his glorious attributes of justice, power, goodness,
holiness, and mercy: and as the water that receives the beams of the sun
reflects them back again, so should our spirits receive the sweet warming beams
of his love and glorious excellency, and then reflect them towards his Majesty,
with the desires and affections of our souls. All our thoughts of him, all our
affections towards him, should have the stamp of singularity, such as may
declare there is none like him, none besides him; our love, our meditation, our
acknowledgment should have this character on their front,-'There is none
besides thee: thou art, and none else.'
And then a soul should, by the
cords of affection to him and admiration of him, be bound to serve him.
Creation puts on the obligation to glorify him in our body and spirits which
are his; but affection only puts that to exercise. All other bonds leave our
natures at liberty, but this constrains, 2 Cor. v. 14; it binds on all bonds,
it ties on us all divine obligations. Then a soul will glorify God, when love
so unites it to God, and makes it one spirit with him, that his glory becomes
its honour, and becomes the principle of all our inward affections and outward
actions. It is not always possible to have and express particular thoughts of
God and his glory, in every action and meditation; but, for the most part it
ought to be so: And if souls were accustomed to meditation on God, it would
become their very nature,-pleasant and delightsome.
However, if there be
not always an express intention of God's glory, yet there ought to be kept
always such a disposition and temper of spirit as it may be construed to
proceed from the intention of God's glory; and then it remains in the seed and
fruit, if not in itself. Now when we are speaking of the great end and purpose
of our creation, we call to mind our lamentable and tragical fall from that
blessed station we were constitute into. 'All men have sinned and come short of
the glory of God,' Rom. iii. 23. His being in the world was for that glory, and
he is come short of that glory. O strange shortcoming! Short of all that he was
ordained for! What is he now meet for? For what purpose is that chief of the
works of God now! The salt, if it lose its saltness, is meet for nothing, for
wherewithal shall it be seasoned ? Mark ix. 5O. Even so, when man is rendered
unfit for his proper end, he is meet for nothing, but to be cast out and trode
upon; he is like a withered branch that must be cast into the fire, John xv. 6.
Some things, if they fail in one use, they are good for another; but the best
things are not so.
As the Lord speaks to the house of Israel, 'Shall wood
be taken of the vine tree to do any work?' Even so the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, Ezek. xv. 2-6. If it yield not wine, it is good for nothing. So, if
man do not glorify God,-if he fall from that,--he is meet for nothing, but to
be cast into the fire of hell, and burnt for ever; he is for no use in the
creation, but to be fuel to the fire of the Lord's indignation. But behold! the
goodness of the Lord and his kindness and love hath appeared toward man. Not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved
us,' ' through Jesus Christ,' Tit. iii. 4, 5, 6. Our Lord Jesus, by whom all
things were created, and for whom, would not let this excellent workman-ship
perish so, therefore he goes about the work of redemption,-a second creation
more laborious and also more glorious than the first, that so he might glorify
his Father and our Father.
Thus the breach is made up; thus the unsavoury
salt is seasoned ; thus the withered branch is quickened again for that same
fruit of praises and glorifying of God. This is the end of his second creation,
as it was of the first: 'We are his workmanship created to good works in Christ
Jesus,' Eph. ii. 10. 'This is the work of God, to believe on him whom he hath
sent;' 'to set to our seal,' and to give our testimony to all his attributes,
John vi. 29, and iii. 33. We are 'bought with a price,' and therefore we ought
to glorify him with our souls and bodies. He made us with a word, and that
bound us; but now he has made us again? and paid a price for us, and so we are
twice bound not to be our own but his, 'and so to glorify him in our bodies and
spirits,' I Cor. vi. ult. I beseech you, gather your spirits, call them home
about the business.
We once came short of our end, God's glory and our
happiness; but know, that it is attainable again. We lost both; but both are
found in Christ. Awake then and stir up your spirits, else it shall be double
condemnation- when we have the offer of being restored to our former blessed
condition- to love our present misery better. Once establish this point within
your souls, and therefore ask, Why came I hither? To what purpose am I come
into the world? If you do not ask it, what will you answer, when he asks you at
your appearance before his tribunal? I beseech you, what will many of you say
in that day when the Master returns and takes an account of your dispensation?
You are sent into the world only for this business,-to serve the Lord. Now what
will many of you answer? If you speak the truth (as then you must do it, you
cannot lie then!) you must say, "Lord, I spent my time in serving my own lusts;
I was taken up with other businesses, and had no leisure; I was occupied in my
calling," &c.
Even as if an ambassador of a king should return him this
account of his negotiation: "I was busy at cards and dice; I spent my money,
and did wear my clothes." Though you think your ploughing and borrowing and
trafficking and reaping very necessary, yet certainly these are but as trifles
and toys to the main business. O what a dreadful account will souls make! They
come here for no purpose but to serve their bodies and senses, to be slaves to
all the creatures which were once put under man's feet: Now man is under the
feet of all, and he has put himself so. If you were of these creatures, then
you might be for them. You seek them as if you were created for them, and not
they for you; and you seek yourselves, as if you were of yourselves, and had
not your descent of God. Know, my beloved, that you were not made for that
purpose, nor yet redeemed either to serve yourselves, or other creatures, but
that other creatures might serve you, and ye serve God. And this is really the
best way to serve ourselves, and to save ourselves,-to serve God.
Self-seeking is self-destroying; self-denying is self-saving, soul-saving.
'He that seeketh to save his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life
shall find it, and he that denies himself and follows me, is my disciple.' Will
ye once sit down in good earnest about this business? 'Tis lamentable to be yet
to begin to learn to live, when ye must die! Ye will be out of the world
almost, ere ye bethink yourself, Why came I into the world? this is of all most
lamentable, many souls end their life, before they begin to live. For what is
our life, but a living death, while we do not live to God, and while we live
not in relation to the great end of our life and being, the glory of God? It
were better, says Christ, that such 'had never been born.' You who are created
again in Jesus Christ, it most of all concerns you to ask, Why am I made? And
why am I redeemed? And to what purpose? It is certainly that ye may glorify
your heavenly Father, Mat. v. 16; Ps. lvi. 13.
And you shall glorify him if
you bring forth much fruit, and continue in his love, John xv. 8, 9. And this
you are chosen and ordained unto, ver. 16; and therefore abide in him, that ye
may bring forth fruit, ver. 4. And if you abide in him by believing, you do
indeed honour him; and he that honoureth the Son honoureth the Father, John
v.23. Here is a compendious way to glorify God. Receive salvation of him
freely, righteousness and eternal life ; this sets to a seal to God's truth and
grace and mercy: and whoso counts the Son worthy to be a Saviour to them, and
sets to their seal of approbation to him whom God the Father hath sent and
sealed, he also honours the Father; and then he that honoureth the Father, hath
it not for nothing, 'for them that honour me I will honour,' 1 Sam. ii. 30,
says the Lord; and 'he that serves me, him will my Father honour,' John xii.
26. As the believing soul cares for no other, and respects no other but God, so
he respects no other but such a soul. 'I will dwell in the humble, and look
unto the contrite;' there are mutual respects and honours. God is the delight
of such a soul, and such a soul is God's delight. That soul sets God in a high
place, in a throne in its heart; and God sets that soul in a heavenly place
with Christ, Eph. ii. 6; yea he comes down to sit with us, and dwells in us,
off his throne of majesty, Isa. lxvi. 1, 2 ; and lvii. 15.
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