God measures all men's actions by their ends; if their end be good, all is good; if the end is naught, all is naught. The end determineth the action. All actions of worship are good or bad, as the mark is at which the soul aims. He that makes God the object of prayer, but not the end of prayer, doth but lose his prayer, and take pains to undo himself. God will be all in all, or He will be nothing at all; He will be Alexander or Nemo (chief or nothing). He will be both the object and end of prayer, or else He will abhor your prayer. Those prayers never reach His ears, they are never lodged in His bosom, that are not directed to His glory. The end must always be as noble as the means, or else a Christian acts below himself, yea, below his very reason. [Thomas Brooks]
Labels: Thomas Brooks
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