ea of striving only to do
good to others."

"It really pains me to hear you say so," the friend replied in a
serious tone. "But now that we are on this subject, you must pardon me
if I attempt to make you see in a rational light the truth that it is a
much nobler effort to do good to others, than to seek only our own
glory."

"Well, go on."

"You have, doubtless, heard the term 'God-like' used, as indicating a
high degree of excellence in some individual, who has stood prominently
before the eyes of his fellow-men?"

"Often."

"And to your mind it is no doubt clear, that the nearer we can approach
the character of the Divine Being, the higher will be the position that
we attain?"

"Certainly."

"And that the purest motives from which we can act, are an approach
toward those from which we see Him acting."

"Certainly."

"Now, so far as we can judge of His motives of action, as exhibited in
His Word and in His Works, do we see a desire manifested to promote His
own glory, or to do good to His creatures, and make them happy?"

"Well, I cannot say, at this moment, for I have not thought upon the
subject."

"Suppose, then, we think of it now. It is certainly worth a little
serious attention. And first, let us refer to His Word, in which we
shall certainly find a transcript of his character. In that, we
perceive a constant reference to his nature as being, in one of its
principal constituents, _love_. Not love of himself, but love going
out in the desire to benefit His creatures. And His wisdom, which
infinitely transcends that of man, is ever active in devising means
whereby to render those creatures happy. And not only is His love ever
burning with the desire to do good to His creatures, and His wisdom
ever devising the best means for this end, but His divine love and His
divine wisdom unite in divine activity, producing all that is required
to give true happiness to all. In all parts of His Word we discover
evidences of the strongest character, which go to prove that such is
the nature and activity of the Lord. There could have been no seeking
of His own glory, when he assumed a material body, and an infirm human
principle, in which were direful hereditary evils, that he might redeem
man from the corruptions of his own fallen nature, and from the
influence and power of hell. Little glory was ascribed to him by the
wicked men who persecuted him, and condemned him, and finally put him
to death. But he sought