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(

129

)

SERMON

XXXVIII

THE

CHRISTIAN's TREASURE.

1

Coe.

iii. 21.

All

things

are

yours.

THERE

is

nothing

that

a

wise

man can

wish

for in

order

to make

him

happy,

but

the gospel

proposes

it

to

encourage

the faith and

practice

of

christians.

What

honour

is

there

to

be

enjoyed among the sons

of

men,

that

is

wont to gratify

our

ambition,

but

the

gospel

as-

sures

us

of

higher

honours than

this,

when

it

makes us

the

sons

of God

?

What

pleasures are there to

be

tasted

in the satisfaction

of

animal

nature,

but

the gospel in-

vites

us

to more refined, and more

lasting pleasures,

which are

to

be

derived

from the love

of God,

and the

company

of our

Saviour with

all his

saints?

What

riches can

be

possessed

or desired

by

the

most covetous

mind,

but the

gospel

proposes a far more extensive,

a

more durable,

and more useful

treasure,

when

it

tells us

in the words

of

my

text, all things

are

yours

?"

The former

discourse has made

it appear

in

what

sense

these

words

are

to be

understood

:

Not that

we

have a

present

possession

of

all things, a

power over

them,

or

a

civil

right

to seize

and

enjoy them

;

but

the

meaning

is

this,

that

so

far

as a

christian can

have

any

thing

to

do with

the things

of

this world,

or

of

another,

things

present, or

to conic,

they shall

all be

made

to

work

together

for

his

real

good.

It

has

been

also

proved in the

Second place,

that

this

inheritance

of

the saints

is

in-

comparably richer, and more valuable

than any

thing

which

sinners can

possess.

I

proceed

now to

the

Third

general proposed, and

that

is,

to

enquire

how

christians come to

be

partakers

of

so

fair and

rich,

a

treasure.

VOL.

I I.

Z{