130 1'HE CNRISTIAN'S TREASURE. [BERM. XxxviII. I. It is the kind and eternal purpose of God their Bather, that it should be so. Christians, God has created all things in the world of nature with this design, that you should derive some benefit from them, as far as they can come within your reach or notice, your ser- vice or use : He appointed all things in the counsels of his providence, to bear some blessing for you. He has ordained all things in his kingdom of grace for your ad- vantage.; and there are unknown regions of light and glory which he has provided for you. His elect were ever nearest to his heart, next to the man Christ Jesus, next to his only begotten Son ; " for they were all chosen in him before the foundation of the world," Eph. i. 4. Whether creation or providence, whether nature, grace, or glory, " all things are for your sakes," 2 Cor. iv. 15. I would caution you again, that you are not to under- stand it in such an incredible sense, as though Godmade every particular creature in the upperand the lowerworlds, only to give the possession of them to the saints, or that he manages all his providential kingdom, merely for the sake of his own people without any other view. No, this is stretching the words into an extent too large and unreasonable; for there are millions of creatures, mil- lions of plants and animals in earth and sea, that are born, and grow, and live, and die again, which the saints of God never saw, nor know, nor shall know; nor can they receive any immediate benefit from them. But the meaning is this, that all things whatsoever the .saints canor shall have to do within this or other worlds, were intended to yield some profit to them, and especi- ally while they maintain their character as the children of God, and walk as becomes their dignity and their pro - fession. In all God's general counsels of creation, and providence, and grace, he kept his eye, as I may say, still upon his saints : He designed their good in ten thousand instances, in his great and glorious works, and resolved that nothing in all his kingdoms should interfere with their last and best interest. . Though what he has written down in the book of his decrees, is read only at large by his Son Christ Jesus, yet he has written out a sweet abstract of it in the book of his promises, that the saints on earth might read and know it; Rom. viii. 28. And we know that all things work
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=