5ER \I. XXXVII.] THE C1IRISTJAN'S TREASURE. 119 froth God and heaven, the same things are made happy instruments in the hand of the Nlediatur, to furnish you outfor eminent service, and tdhelp you onward to a bet- ter world. III. Life and death are yours. Life, with all the comfortable attendants of it; or even with all its diffi- culties and vexatious, is still designed for your advan- tage; and'death, as terrible as it is in itself, shall appear to be a bcaefit to you. But I insist no longer on this head at present, because I design it to be the subject of following .discourses. IV. Things present, whether visible or invisible, and things to come, areall yours. 1. Visible things present are yours. I have skewed you in part already, how the wheels ofnature are rolling for you. This lower creation stands and moves for your sakes, for your relief and support, while you are travel- ling to heaven. The present posture of things in this world, the daily scenes of life are continued or changed and still over-ruled by divine providence for your good. Kingdoms, and laws, and governments, are established among men for your safety: If the world were without all government, and all things run into confusion, the saints, withall their earthly comforts, would become the plunder and property of the. wicked continually. The princes of the earth, and the political constitutions of nations, are designed to be a. screen and defence to the people of God, who dwell among them,: For " if these foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do," Ps. xi. 3. " The wicked would bend their bow, and make ready their arrow upon the string; and they would not only in private, but publicly shoot at the upright in heart," verse 2. There would be neither life nor safety for a christian. Yet, oh the other hand, when Christ, in the course of his providence, brings confusion on states andkingdoms, and when he suffers thewicked of the earth, like wildbeasts of the wilderness, to spoil, devour and destroy, it is usually designed by his wisdom, as a season of proper trial for his own people, and that country becomes a scene of their glorious sufferings. Christ, who is head over all things, sets up and pulls clown tyrants or good princes, as may best serve the i4
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