Proposition 1

Prop. I.

The praise of God is to be accounted the chief end of our life on earth. If our souls do live in our bodies, if we enjoy that life which is a union between soul and body, this is to be the end of it; that we may praise the God of our lives. It was the pious expectation of the Psalmist, in (Psalms 118:17), I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord. This is to be the resolution of every man. Can we say, I do not die but live? We should add, I will then declare the praises of the Lord. The first question that the thoughts of men should be employed upon is, What is the chief end of man? The true and just answer to that question is, The chief end of man is to glorify God. Well, put the question so, What is the chief end of life? The answer to that question too will be the same; it is to glorify God.

To praise God, what is that? To praise God, is to render and procure a due acknowledgment of His excellencies. Indeed all the duties of religion are contained in this comprehensive thing. When we own, when we serve, when we adore the great God in any or all the ways of His worship, then we praise Him; and we further praise Him, when we provoke others to join with us in doing so. This, this praise of the Lord is the end of our life in the world.

This is the end of our being. We are told that we have our being in God. Of all things whatever this is then most reasonable, that we should have our being for God; and our being for Him, is not expressed without our praising of Him. The blessed God looks from on high upon mankind, and says, as in (Isaiah 43:21), This people have I formed for myself, they should show forth my praise. Now that which is the end of our being, is the end of our living too. Two things are to be affirmed of it,

First, the law of God does appoint this as the end of our lives. To every man living, this is the voice of God, I spare your life, that so you may live my praise. It is said in (Romans 14:7), If we live, we are to live to the Lord. What the Apostle says of eating and drinking, may much more be said of living; as in (1 Corinthians 10:30), It must be to the glory of God. God gives our lives, God keeps our lives, and this is His revealed, His preceptive will concerning our lives; Man, I suffer your life, yes, I support your life, that I may be praised, loved, admired by you as long as you live. It was a heavy dismal charge against Belshazzar, in (Daniel 5:23), God in whose hand your breath is, you have not glorified. The Almighty God gives us notice of this, Your breath is in my hand; at the same time He also requires this of us, Let your life be to my praise. That man makes a sacrilegious encroachment and invasion upon God's right, who makes not God's praise the end of his living upon God's earth.

There is therefore, secondly this to be added thereunto.

The heart of man should embrace this as the end of our lives. It becomes every man to say, I live that God who is worthy to be praised, may have the praises of my obedience to Him. It was the godly purpose of the Psalmist, in (Psalms 147:2), While I live I will praise the Lord. And akin to this is the right thought, which every man should entertain, I do live, that I may praise the Lord. Hence this is one of the principal pleas which the saints have used in their supplications for their lives. Good Hezekiah prayed in his distress, Lord, let me live. And what was his argument? It was that in (Isaiah 38:17-18), The grave cannot praise you; the living, the living, he shall praise you. The heart of man should readily close with such an end for the life of man. Satan says, You live only to enjoy the delights of the flesh in the world; you live only to seek, to get, and to taste the secular pleasures provided for you. The soul of man should rise with unspeakable indignation at this wild proposal. On the other side, our God says, The business of your life is to magnify Me, to make my praise glorious. Here now, here the soul of every man should fall in, and reply, This is all my salvation, and all my desire.

But this leads to