Proposition 1

PROP. I.

The whole duty of man, is contained in the true service of God. Both in the First Covenant, and in the New Covenant which God has made with man, there is a duty which man must pay to God. In the First Covenant this duty was to be paid in a way of meritorious obedience; in the New Covenant, this duty is to be paid in a way of ingenuous gratitude. But the service of God, this ever comprizes all our duty in it. It is the same that the Wise man refers to, in (Ecclesiastes 12:13): Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. There are diverse comprehensive and synonymous terms, by which our duty to God is expressed in the Scripture of Truth. Our duty is called a serving of God, as it refers to the acts of our lives in which; but its also called a fearing of God, and a loving of God, as it refers to the frames of our hearts, with which we are to do it. It is called, a knowing of God, as it refers to the principle of it; it is likewise a living to Him, and walking with Him, on the same accounts that it is a serving of Him.

The service of God notes two things, which are to accompany our whole duty to him.

It notes, first, the homage therein done to our God. The service of God is His worship, His natural worship, and His appointed worship. Hence the Septuagint so translate our Text, I and my house will worship the Lord. We serve God, when we render to him his natural worship. So it is intimated in (Deuteronomy 10:12): Fear the Lord your God, walk in His ways, love him, and serve the Lord your God with all your heart. When we hope in God, when we call on God, when we cleave to God, then we serve Him. And we serve God when we render to Him his appointed worship. This was intended in (Exodus 8:1): Let my people go, that they may serve me. We serve Him when we observe the ordinances of God, when we adore him according to the rules of His Word in His House, and wait upon him in the use of his blessed and sacred institutions.

It, secondly, notes the honor therein brought to our God. Service is performed to God, when glory is procured for Him. His essential glory we can by no means advance, we may His declarative: and therein we serve the Lord. It is a passage in (Isaiah 43:10): You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant. Our testimonies to God's excellencies are the things by which we serve Him. We serve God, when we acknowledge Him as our best good, and our last end, and our omnipresent Judge. We serve him when we think and speak well of him ourselves, and obtain many others to do so too. A witness for God is a service to him.