own? for any good that it does to Him? No; except
the good that even His creatures can do to Him when they gladden His
paternal heart by recognising Him for what He is, the Infinite Lover of
all souls.

But the reason why He desires, most of all, that the light of His
character may pour into every heart is because He would have every heart
gladdened and blessed for ever by that received and believed light. So
the hard saying that God's own glory is His supreme end melts into 'God
is Love.' The Infinite desires to communicate Himself, that by the
communication men may be blessed.

II. There is another thing here, and that is, a wonderful glimpse of
what Christian people are in the world for.

'This people have I formed for Myself,' says the fundamental passage in
Isaiah already referred to, 'they shall show forth My praise.' It was
not worth while forming them except for that. It was still less worth
while redeeming them except for that.

But you may say, 'I am saved in order that I may enjoy all the blessings
of salvation, immunities from fear and punishment, and the like.' Yes!
Certainly! But is that all? Or is it the main thing? I think not. There
is not a creature in God's universe so tiny, even although you cannot
see it with a microscope, but that it has a claim on Him that made it
for its well-being. That is very certain. And so my salvation--with all
the blessedness for me that lies wrapped up and hived in that great
word--my salvation is an adequate end with God, in all His dealing, and
especially in His sending of Jesus Christ.

But there is not a creature in the whole universe, though he were
mightier than the archangels that stand nearest God's throne, who is so
great and independent that his happiness and well-being is the sole aim
of God's gifts to him. For every one of us the Apostle means the word,
'No man liveth to himself'--he could not if he were to try--'and no man
dieth to himself.' Every man that receives anything from God is thereby
made a steward to impart it to others. So we may say--and I speak now
to you who profess to be Christians--'you were not saved for your own
sakes.' One might almost say that that was a by-end. You were
saved--shall I say?--for God's sake; and you were saved for man's sake?
Just as when you put a bit of leaven into a lump of dough, each grain of
the lump, as it is leavened and transformed, becomes the medium for
passing on the mysterious transforming influence to th