Milk for Babes, Questions · Question 6
6. Q. Wherefore did God make thee?
A. To doe him ſervice.
This is Gods truth. For, What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, We are made to ſerve God. Deut. 10.12. Joh. 22.5.but to feare the Lord thy God, to walke in all his wayes, and to love him, and (to ſerve) the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoule? and thy bleſſed Saviour ſaith, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, Matt. 4.10.and him onelyonly ſhalt thou ſerve. If thou ſhouldſt not be asked to what end thou wert made, thou might'ſt live to wrong ends, and might'ſt be ready to doe ſervice where thou oweſt none. Therefore do I put thy ſoul to this queſtion. When thou doſt anſwer, that thou art made to ſerve God, thou muſt mean that thou art made to Do Gods worke or buſineſſe. When thou ſerveſt a Maſter, thou doeſt thy Maſters work, when thou ſerveſt a Miſtreſſe, thou doeſt thy Miſtreſſe's buſineſſe: ſo when thou ſerveſt God, thou doeſt Gods work, or buſineſſe, or what he requires at thy hand. Chriſt ſaith, Joh. 6.This is the work of God, that ye beleeve in him whom he hath ſent. Paul ſaith, 1 Theſſ. 4.This is the will of God, or the work which he requires you to endeavour, even your ſanctification. Therefore when thou liveſt or doeſt the acts of life, this is thy work, or ſervice of God. Thou, by nature art too apt to think that thou art free-borne, as they that ſaid, Our tongues are our own, Pſal. 10. Pſal. 129. Rom. 1.1. Jam. 1.1. Jude 1. Pro. 16.4.who is Lord over us? But David often profeſſed himſelfe to be Gods ſervant; and ſo did Paul, James, Jude, and ſo muſt thou. For God hath created all things for himſelfe: and he hath committed unto thee a Talent to be imployed for his uſes: Matth. 25.and hath intruſted thee with a Stewardſhip whereof thou muſt give an account as a ſervant.Luk. 19.
Vſe 1 Be thou therefore ſure (my Child) ſo to carry thy ſelfe, as one that may give a comfortable account. If a Maſter ſhould put his ſervant in truſt with his whole eſtate, and when he comes to give an account he ſets down, Item thus much to maintaine Idleneſſe, thus much for Whoring, Drunkenneſſe, Pride, thus much for Profane exerciſes on the Lords day, doe you think that this account would be taken? No more will God accept of a wicked account from thee who art made to ſerve him.
Vſe 2 Therefore be perſwaded (as thou loveſt thy ſoule) to doe all things as ſerving of God. We plough, we ſowe, we ſerve Maſters, we provide for families in generall, and children in ſpeciall, we obey Maſters, Governors, Parents; we eate, we drinke, we play, we worke, we reſt, we ſleepe, and ordinarily we do all this, and more, as to our ſelves, and others either under, or over us. But (my child) learn thou to doe all things as ſerving God. When thou eateſt thy meat, do it not ſo much to fill thy belly, or to ſatisfie thy appetite, as that in the ſtrength of the creatures thou mayeſt be able to ſerve God. When thou cloatheſt thy ſelf, doe it not ſo much to keepe thy ſelfe warme, as that in the warmth of them thou mayſt be able to ſerve God. This is to obſerve that rule, Whether you eat or drinke, 1 Cor. 10.or whatſoever you doe, doe all to the glory of God. This will keepe thee from Gluttony, Pride, Drunkenneſſe, Covetouſneſſe, and every evill way. Without this I ſhall tell thee of a fearfull diſcomfort which will be brought upon thee at laſt; when thou art runne a long way, and art come to the laſt houre of the day, and it may be, to the latter end of thy life, God will awake thy conſcience, which will cry out unto thee, O Friend, Friend, Friend, thou art quite out of thy way. Thou waſt made to ſerve God, and thou haſt runne thus long in the ſervice of the world and fleſh. Oh this will wound in the latter end. Remember therefore that thou art made to ſerve God and doe it: And next tell me,