Direct all thy views to Christ JESUS' Glory

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." — Matthew 5:16 [KJV]

Can a lump of animated clay, a worm of the earth, a creature of a day, glorify the infinitely great and eternally glorious Jehovah? Yes: such honor, such exalted honor have all His saints. For His pleasure they were created at first; for His glory they are born again of His Spirit. Jesus commands His members to it as their duty; the Spirit enables to it as their greatest privilege. The Father accepts, and is well pleased with, and declares Himself glorified by the practice of His children.—Psalm 50:23. 

Did Samuel consent to Saul's request, "Honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people?"—1 Samuel 15:30. And canst Thou, O son of the Most High, ever need a motive, or want an argument to glorify Thy Father before men? It is to be the chief work of thy life. In this work, as Moses said to Pharaoh, so thy deliverer saith to thee, "not an hoof is to be left behind." With all that thou hast and art, thou art to glorify thy Lord. Thou hast but one thing only but what thou hast received from thy Lord; this is sin: by this thou dishonorest thy God; by every thing contrary to this, God is glorified. 

Happy souls, who study God's word as the rule of their conduct, consider the enjoyment of God in Christ as their greatest felicity, and direct all their views to His glory. Thus the light of Jesus, when it shines into the heart, beams HIs forth its evidence and glory in the outward life and conversation. When the light of truth is accompanied by the warmth of love and obedience of faith, men will see that we have been with Jesus; that we not only have light in our heads, but love and zeal for God's glory in our hearts. 

The former may acquire honor to ourselves of being good TALKERS for God, but the latter only can prove that we are upright WALKERS, as His obedient children; that we are His "peculiar people, by being zealous of good works."—That we are really concerned for His glory, that we have it at heart, that we love, not only in word, but also in deed and in truth. It is the genuine language of a converted soul, with Paul, Lord what wouldest Thou have me to do? It is the burden of a faithful, loving heart, that it doth so little for the glory of God, and ever longs to glorify Him more. While the light of truth is our glory, and the love of truth is our happiness, we shall study to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."—Titus 2:10.

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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