of God."-This rule consists of two parts. It regulates our conduct upon principles which have a direct reference to the duties which we owe to God and to each other. Man is not an independent being. He stands in close and important relations to his Maker and to his fellow-creatures; and his relative connexions necessarily involve relative duties. His duty to God is stated in this broad comprehensive phrase; "Do all to the glory of God." This is the chief end which we should have in view in every part of our conduct. We should not engage in any pursuit, or employment, or transaction, in which we cannot conscientiously propose to ourselves "the glory of God" as our final aim. If this rule did not admit of universal and perpetual application, it would not have been prescribed.

Now the Bible leaves us in no doubt as to the manner in which we are to make the glory of God the controlling, guiding principle of our lives.

God is glorified by the works of his hands, when they fulfil the purposes of their creation; and by so doing, display the power, and wisdom, and goodness of Him who formed them. Thus "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy-work." God is glorified by his rational creatures, when they behold and admire and adore his moral perfections; when they love his law as being the exact

counterpart of his holy character;-when they consent unto it with the inward man, and conscientiously obey it in the outward conduct;when they so carefully regulate all the actions of their lives in conformity with the will of God, that they not only honour Him themselves by their own personal obedience, but by their exemplary fulfilment of every branch of duty show forth the excellency of God's law, and lead others to reverence and honour God, and to desire to follow his will. Hence it is said, "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God;" and again, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven;" and again, "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation ;" and, therefore, it is said, that "we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God;"--by every act of disobedience we have failed to bring that glory to God which we might have brought by our obedience.

We may easily perceive, then, how the rule in the text is applicable to every part of our conduct. We live and act to the glory of God, when we strictly regulate ourselves according to his holy will;-when we take the precepts of his

word as the habitual standard of duty;-when we are careful that all our words and actions should have a tendency to honour God by their conformity with his commands;—and when we cause all who witness our conduct, to see in us that his law is "holy, just, and good ;" and thus endeavour to win them over to choose and follow what pleases Him. And as there is no possible case to which this rule will not apply, so the glory of God must be our steady and perpetual aim; "whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." At all times, under all circumstances, in all things, we are to be governed by this two-fold consideration ;—a sense of duty to God, and a desire to promote his glory. We are always to act in that way in which we shall both honour Him ourselves, and as much as in us lieth, cause others to honour Him also. This is the principle, and rule, and measure of our duty, as it respects God.

But God has placed us in close relation to our fellow-creatures; and the text proceeds to direct us with respect to the duties which we owe to them. And as this is a part of the revealed will of God, it is binding upon us, from regard to the divine authority, as well as on account of the tie of connexion by which we are united to each other; so that, while the first part of this rule is obligatory upon us as a duty which we owe to God, the second part comes with the double

obligation of being at the same time both a duty owing to God and also a duty owing to man.

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"Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." To give offence" does not here mean to do injury, or to give cause for displeasure and anger; but the expression corresponds with those words of our Saviour, "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out; if thy foot or thy hand offend thee, cut it off;" part with every thing, however dear, which may be a stumbling-block, or an occasion of falling into sin. "To offend," means to put any thing in the way of another over which he may stumble, and which may cast him down. It is to do as Balaam did, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. This wicked prophet, when he was not permitted to curse the people, suggested to the king of Moab a surer method of injuring them, by laying a temptation in their way into which they would be likely to fall. The expression in the text, "Give none offence," is literally, "be not impediments or stumbling-blocks.”— Let not any man take hurt or hindrance by reason of any inconsistency or fault in you. Let there be nothing in your conduct or example which may either mislead, or by which any "might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach." In the eighth chapter of this Epistle,

St. Paul both gives a similar direction, and illustrates its meaning. Some of the Corinthians were in the habit of joining in the feasts which their idolatrous relatives or connexions made in honour of their idols; and they defended the practice by stating, that since they knew that an idol is nothing, therefore in eating the things which were sacrificed, they had no conscience of the idol ;-they thought nothing of it;-they sat down at the feast as to an ordinary meal; the meat itself could neither be the better nor the worse for its dedication in honour of the idol; and as they had no regard whatever to the idol, they could neither be the better nor the worse for partaking of the meat. But the Apostle replies, "Howbeit there is not in every man this knowledge; for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour, eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak, is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God; for neither if we eat, are we the better; neither if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge, sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him that is weak, be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against