providence, and grace, and by impressing his moral image upon their
hearts. In this their happiness consists. In promoting his own glory,
therefore, God exercises the highest degree of disinterested
benevolence. Nothing can add to his happiness; nothing can diminish it.
If the whole creation were blotted out, and God were the only Being in
the universe, he would still be perfectly glorious and happy in himself.
There can be, therefore, no selfishness in his desiring his own glory.
It is the good of the creature alone that is promoted by it. A desire to
glorify God must, then, be the ruling principle of all your conduct, the
moving spring of all your actions. But how is the glory of God promoted
by your growth in grace?

1. It is manifested to yourself, by impressing his image upon your
heart; and by giving you a spiritual discovery of the excellence, purity
and loveliness, of his moral character.

2. It is manifested to others, so far as you maintain a holy life and
conversation; for thereby the moral image of Christ is exhibited. The
glory of Christ is manifested by the holy walk of his people, just as
the glory of the sun appears by the reflected light of the moon.

3. The glory of God is promoted by making others acquainted with the
exhaustless riches of free grace, and bringing them to Christ; for, by
that means, they receive spiritual light to behold the beauty and glory
of the divine perfections, and his image is stamped upon their souls.
But your usefulness in this respect depends mainly upon the measure of
grace you have in your own heart. The reason why many Christians do so
little good in the world is, that they have so little piety. If you
would be eminently useful, you must be eminently holy.