his highest and last end. John 7:18, "He that speaketh of himself,
own advancement and felicity. From these things it appears, by the eleventh position, that God's glory is the end of the creation.
6. The Scripture leads us to suppose that Christ sought God's glory as his highest and last end. John 7:18, "He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him" When Christ says, he did not seek his own glory, we cannot reasonably understand him, that he had no regard to his own glory, even the glory of the human nature; for the glory of that nature was part of the reward promised him, and of the joy set before him. But we must understand him, that this was not his ultimate aim; it was not the end that chiefly governed his conduct: and therefore when, in opposition to this, in the latter part of the sentence, he says, "But he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true," etc., 'tis natural from the antithesis to understand him, that this was his ultimate aim, his supreme governing end. John 12:27–28, "Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name." Christ was now going to Jerusalem, and expected in a few days there to be crucified: and the prospect of his last sufferings, in this near approach, was very terrible to him. Under this distress of mind, in so terrible a view, he supports himself with a prospect of what would be the consequence of his sufferings, viz. God's glory. Now, 'tis the end that supports the agent in any difficult work that he undertakes, and above all others, his ultimate and supreme end. For this is above all others valuable in his eyes; and so, sufficient to countervail the difficulty of the means. That is the end which is in itself agreeable and sweet to him, which ultimately terminates his desires, is the center of rest and support; and so must be the fountain and sum of all the delight and comfort he has in his prospects, with respect to his work. Now Christ has his soul straitened and distressed with a view of that which was infinitely
the most difficult part of his work, which was just at hand. Now certainly if his mind seeks support in the conflict from a view of his end, it must most naturally repair to the highest end which is the proper fountain of all support in this case. We may well suppose that when his soul conflicts with the appearance of the most extreme difficulties, it would resort for support to the idea of his supreme and ultimate end, the fountain of all the support and comfort he has in the means, or the work. The same thing, viz. Christ's seeking the glory of God as his ultimate end, is manifest by what Christ says, when he comes yet nearer to the hour of his last sufferings, in that remarkable prayer, the last he ever made with his disciples, on the evening before his crucifixion; wherein he expresses the sum of his aims and desires. His first words are, "Father, the hour is come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee" [John 17:1]. As this is his first request, we may suppose it to be his supreme request and desire, and what he ultimately aimed at in all. If we consider what follows to the end, all the rest that is said in the prayer seems to be but an amplification of this great request.
On the whole, I think it is pretty manifest that Jesus Christ sought the glory of God as his highest and last end; and that therefore, by position twelfth, this was God's last end in the creation of the world.
7. 'Tis manifest from Scripture that God's glory is the last end of that great work of providence, the work of redemption by Jesus Christ. This is manifest from what is just now observed, of its being the end ultimately sought by Jesus Christ the Redeemer. And if we further consider the texts mentioned in the proof of that, and take notice of the context, it will be very evident that it was what Christ sought as his last end in that great work which he came into the world upon, viz. to procure redemption for his people. It is manifest that Christ professes in John 7:18 that he did not seek his own glory in what he
did, but the glory of him that sent him. He means that he did not seek his own glory, but the glory of him that sent him, in the work of his ministry; the work he performed, and which he came into the world to perform, and which his Father sent him to work out, which is the work of redemption. And with respect to that text, John 12:27– 28, it has been already observed, that Christ comforted himself in the view of the extreme difficulty of his work, which was the work of redemption, in the prospect of that which he had respect to and rejoiced in as the highest, ultimate and most valuable excellent end of that work, which he set his heart most upon, and delighted most in. And in the answer that the Father made him from heaven at that time, in the latter part of the same verse, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again," the meaning plainly is that God had glorified his name in what Christ had done, in the work he sent him upon, and would glorify it again, and to a greater degree, in what he should further do, and in the success thereof. Christ shows that he understood it thus, in what he says upon it when the people took notice of it, wondering at the voice; some saying, that it thundered, others, that an angel spake to him. Christ says, "This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes." And then he says (exulting in the prospect of this glorious end and success), "Now is the judgment of this world; now is the prince of this world cast out, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" [John 12:29–31]. In the success of the same work of redemption, he places his own glory, as was observed before, in these words in the 23rd and 24th verses of the same chapter, "The hour is come, that the son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
So, it is manifest that when he seeks his own and his Father's glory, in that prayer, John 17 (which, it has been observed, he then seeks as
his last end), he seeks it as the end of that great work he came into the world upon, which he is now about to finish in his death. What follows through the whole prayer, plainly shows this: and particularly the 4th and 5th verses. "I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self." Here 'tis pretty plain that declaring to his Father that he had glorified him on earth, and finished the work God gave him to do, meant that he had finished the work which God gave him to do for this end, viz. that he might be glorified. He had now finished that foundation that he came into the world to lay for his glory. He had laid a foundation for his Father's obtaining his will, and the utmost that he designed. By which it is manifest that God's glory was the utmost of his design, or his ultimate end in this great work.
And 'tis manifest by John 13:31–32 that the glory of the Father, and his own glory, are what Christ exulted in, in the prospect of his approaching sufferings, when Judas was gone out to betray him; as the end his heart was mainly set upon, and supremely delighted in. "Therefore when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him."
That the glory of God is the highest and last end of the work of redemption is confirmed by the song of the angels at Christ's birth. Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and good will towards men." It must be supposed that they knew what was God's last end in sending Christ into the world: and that in their rejoicing on the occasion of his incarnation, their minds would be most taken up with, and would most rejoice in that which was most valuable and glorious in it; which must consist in its relation to that which was its chief and ultimate end. And we may further suppose
that the thing which chiefly engaged their minds, as what was most glorious and joyful in the affair, is what would be first expressed in that song which was to express the sentiments of their minds, and exultation of their hearts.
The glory of the Father and the Son is spoken of as the end of the work of redemption, in Phil. 2:6–11, very much in the same manner as in John 12:23, 28, 13:31–32, and 17:1, 4–5. "Who being in the form of God … made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, etc.… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … and every tongue confess, that Jesus is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father." So God's glory, or the praise of his glory, is spoken of as the end of the work of redemption, in Eph. 1:3 ff., "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him.… Having predestinated us to the adoption of children … to the praise of the glory of his grace." And in the continuance of the same discourse concerning the redemption of Christ, in what follows in the same chapter, God's glory is once and again mentioned as the great end of all. Several things belonging to that great redemption are mentioned in the following verses: such as God's great wisdom in it, ver. 8. The clearness of light granted through Christ, ver. 9. God's gathering together in one all things in heaven and earth in Christ, ver. 10. God's giving the Christians that were first converted to the Christian faith from among the Jews, an interest in this great redemption, ver. 11. Then the great end is added, ver. 12, "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." And then is mentioned the bestowing of the same great salvation on the
Gentiles, in its beginning or first fruits in the world, and in the completing it in another world, in the two next verses. And then the same great end is added again [Eph. 1:13–14], "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." The same thing is expressed much in the same manner, in 2 Cor. 4:14–15, "He which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundance of grace might through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God."
The same is spoken of as the end of the work of redemption in the Old Testament. Ps. 79:9, "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; deliver us and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake." So in the prophecies of the redemption of Jesus Christ. Is. 44:23, "Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel." Thus the works of creation are called upon to rejoice at the attaining of the same end, by the redemption of God's people, that the angels rejoiced at, when Christ was born. See also [Isaiah] ch. 48:10–11 and 49:3.
Thus 'tis evident that the glory of God is the ultimate end of the work of redemption—which is the chief work of providence towards the moral world, as is abundantly manifest from Scripture: the whole universe being put in subjection to Jesus Christ; all heaven and earth, angels and men being subject to him, as executing this office: and put under him to that end, that all things may be ordered by him, in subservience to the great designs of his redemption: all