Philemon 1:5-6

Man glorifying God.

Man is created for God's glory, and finds the highest end of his being, therefore, in glorifying him. Four ways may be distinguished in which he does this.

I. THE WAY OF GOOD DEEDS DONE IN HIS STRENGTH , which cause others to glorify him. "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 ). This is the mode referred to here: "That thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you." The mutual benevolence of Christians was thus to God's glory, and tended to bring others into the fold.

II. THE WAY OF WORSHIP —an ancient, universal, and proper way. Acts of worship are directed to God. That they may be really to his glory, they must be for God; that is, he must be, not their object merely, but their end (Manton). As far as secondary motives prevail in our worship, so tar it is for those motives, and not purely to God's glory. The sole element to be reckoned in worship is the earnestness, piety, and sincerity of the worshipper. God is no more glorified of necessity by great outward beauty and splendor; he is no less glorified by the barest simplicity, if the devotion be equal. The accessories of worship are for man's help, and to assist man's feeble and purblind view of eternal realities; and are not otherwise to God's glory than as they are fit vehicles of man's devotion.

III. THE THIRD WAY OF OBEDIENCE . Man glorifies God when he becomes that which God intended him to be. He realizes by obedience the thought of God when he said, "Let us make man in our image." This was lost through the sin of Adam, and it is in process of restoration through the obedience of Christ, in individual Christians as they successively live upon the earth.

IV. GOD IS BEST GLORIFIED , THEREFORE , BY THE OBEDIENCE OF THE SOUL AND LIFE . Hooker says, "Should you erect to him a temple more magnificent than Solomon's, and load his altars with hecatombs of sacrifices, and make it perpetually ring with psalms and resounding choirs of hallelujahs, it would not be comparably so great an honor to him as to convert your own souls into living temples, and make them the habitations of his glory and perfection. For he values no sacrifices like that of an obedient will, delights in no choir like that of pure and heavenly affections, nor hath he in all his creation an ensign of honor so truly worthy of him as that of a Divine and God-like soul, a soul that reflects his image, and shines back his own glory upon him."