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7. It seems to argue that God's goodness to them whe are to be the eternal subjects of his goodness, is the end of the creation, that the whole creation, in all parts of it, and all God's disposals of it, is spoken of as THEIR'S. 1 Cor. iii, 22, 23. "All things are yours: Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours." The terms are very univer. sal; and both works of creation and providence are mentioned; and it is manifestly the design of the apostle to be un derstood of every work of God whatsoever. Now, how can we understand this any otherwise, than that all things are for their benefit; and that God made and uses all for their good?

8. All God's works, both his works of creation and provie dence, are represented as works of goodness or mercy to his people in Psal. cxxxvi. His wonderful works in general, verse 4. "To him who alone doth great wonders; for his mercy endureth forever." The works of creation in all parts of it, Verses 5....9. "To him that by wisdom made the heavens, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that made great lights, for his mercy, endureth forThe sun to rule by day, for his mercy endureth foreyThe moon and stars to rule by night, for his mercy en dureth forever." And God's works of providence, in the fol lowing part of the Psalm.

over.

er.

9. That expression in the blessed sentence pronounced on the righteous at the day of judgment, “ Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," seems to hold forth as much, as that the eternal expressions and fruits of God's goodness to them, was God's end in create ing the world, and in his providential disposals ever since the creation That God, in all his works, in laying the founda tion of the world, and ever since the foundation of it, had been preparing this kingdom and glory for them.

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10. Agrecable to this, the good of men is spoken of as an ultimate end of the virtue of the moral world. Rom. xiii. 8, 9, 10. "He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For

this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, &c.—And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." Gal. v. 14. "All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." James ii. 8. "If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself....thou shalt do well."

If the good of the creature be one end of God in all things he does; and so be one end of all things that he requires moral agents to do; and an end they should have respect to in all that they do, and which they should regulate all parts of their conduct by; these things may be easily explained; but otherwise it seems difficult to be accounted for, that the Holy Ghost should thus express himself from time to time. The scripture represents it to be the spirit of all true saints, to prefer the welfare of God's people to their chief joy. And this was the spirit of Moses and the prophets of old; and the good of God's church was an end they regulated all their conduct by. And so it was with the apostles. 2 Cor. iv. 15. "For all things are for your sakes." 2 Tim. ii. 10. "I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." And the scriptures represent as though every Christian should in all things he does be employed for the good of God's church, as each particular member of the body, is in all things employed, for the good of the body. Rom. xii. 4, 5, &c. Eph. iv. 15, 16. 1 Cor. xii. 12, 25, to the end; together with the whole of the next chapter. To this end the scripture teaches us the angels are continually employed, Heb. i. 14.

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SECTION VI.

Wherein it is considered what is meant by the Glory of God, and the name of God in Scripture, when spoken of as God's end in his works.

HAVING thus considered what things are spoken of in the holy scriptures, as the ends of God's works; and in such a manner as justly to lead us to suppose, they were the ends which God had ultimately in view, in the creation of the world: I now proceed particularly to inquire concerning some of these things, what they are, and how the terms are to be understood.

I begin first, with the GLORY OF GOD.

And here I might observe, that the phrase, the glory of God, is sometimes manifestly used to signify the second per son in the Trinity. But it is not necessary at this time to consider that matter, or stand to prove it from particular passages of scripture. Omitting this, therefore, I proceed to observe concerning the Hebrew word Cabhodh, which is the word most commonly used in the Old Testament where we have the word glory in the English Bible. The root which it comes from is either the verb Cabhadh, which signifies to be heavy, or make heavy, or from the adjective Cabhedh, which signifies heavy or weighty. These, as seems pretty manifest, are the primary significations of these words, though they have also other meanings, which seem to be derivative. The noun Cobhedh signifies gravity, heaviness, greatness, and abundance. Of very many places it will be sufficient to name a few. Prov. xxvii. 3. 2 Sam. xiv. 26. 1 Kings xii. 11. Psalm xxxviii. 4. Isaiah xxx. 27. And as the weight of bodies arises from two things, viz. solidity or density, or spe cific gravity, as it is called, and their magnitude; so we find the word Cabhedh used to signify dense, as in Exod. xix. 16. Gnanatz Cobhedh, a dense cloud. And it is very often used

for great.

Isaiah xxxii. 2. 2 Kings vi. 14, and xviii. 17.

places.

Gen. v. 9. 1 Kings x. 2.

Isaiah xxxvi. 2, and other

The word Cabhodh, which is commonly translated glory, is used in such a manner as might be expected from this sig nification of the words from whence it comes. Sometimes it is used to signify what is internal, what is within the being or person, inherent in the subject, or what is in the possession of the person; and sometimes for emanation, exhibition or communication of this internal glory; and sometimes for the knowledge or sense, or effect of these, in those who behold it, to whom the exhibition or communication is made; or an expression of this knowledge, or sense, or effect. And here I would note, that agreeable to the use of the word Cabhodh, in the Old Testament, is that of the word Doxa in the new. For, as the word Cabhodh is generally translated by Doxa in the Septuagint; so it is apparent, that this word is designed to be used to signify the same thing in the New Testament, with Cabhodh in the Old. This might be abundantly proved by comparing, particular places of the Old Testament; but probably it will not be denied.

I therefore proceed particularly to consider these words, with regard to their use in scripture, in each of the forementioned ways.

1. As to internal glory. When the word is used to signify what is within, inherent, or in the possession of the subject, it very commonly signifies excellency, or great valuableness, dignity, or worthiness, or regard. This, according to the He brew idiom, is, as it were, the weight of a thing, as that by which it is heavy; as to be light, is to be worth'ess, without value, contemptible. Numb. xxi. 5. "This light bread." 1 Sam. xviii. 23. "Seemeth it a light thing." Judges ix. 4. “Light persons," i. e. worthless, vain, vile persons. So Zeph, iii. 4. To set light is to despise, 2 Sam. xix. 43. Belshazzar's vileness in the sight of God, is represented by his being Tekel, weighed in the balances and found light, Dan. v. 27, And as the weight of a thing arises from these two things, its magnitude, and its specific gravity conjunctly, so the word VOL. VI.

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glory is very commonly used to signify the excellency of a person or thing, as consisting either in greatness, or in beauty, or as it were, preciousness, or in both conjunctly; as will abundantly appear by Exod. xvi. 7, and xxviii. 2, 40, and iii. 8, and many other places.

Sometimes that internal, great, and excellent good, which is called glory, is rather in possession than inherent. Any one may be called heavy, that possesses an abundance; and he that is empty and destitute, may be called light. Thus wo find riches is sometimes called glory. Gen. xxxi. 1. « And of that which was our fathers, hath he gotten all this glory.” Esth. v. 11. "Haman told them of the glory of his riches." Psal. xlix. 16, 17. "Be not afraid, when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased. For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away, his glory shall not descend after him." Nah. ii. 9. "Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; for there is none end of the store and glory out of the pleasant furniture.

And it is often put for a great height of happiness and prosperity and fulness of good in general. Gen. xlv. 13. "You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt." Job xix. 9. "He hath stript me of my glory." Isaiah x. 3. "Where will you leave your glory." Verse 10. "Therefore shall the Lord of Hosts send among his fat ones leanness, and under his glory shall he kindle a burning, like the burning of a fire." Isaiah xvii. 3, 4. "The kingdom shall cease from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria; they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel. And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall be made lean." Isaiah xxi. 16. "And all the glory of Kedar shall fail." Isaiah Ixi. 6. "Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves." Chap. Ixvi. 11, 12. "That ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.

-I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream." Hos. ix. 11. "As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away as a bird." Matth. iv 8. "Sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory

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