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SEEM.

x

(xvrILI

THE CHRISTIAN'S TREASURE.

133

lege,

by

believing on the

Son

of

God,

by

accepting,

the

covenant of

his grace,

by

receiving

Christ

Jesus

the Sa-

viour, according

to

the

appointed methods

of

the gospel.

When a

poor,

destitute,

guilty;

and

perishing

creature

is

made

willing

by

divine grace, to

give

up

himself

to

Christ

as

his

Saviour and

his

Lord,

he

is

divested

of

his

guilt,

he

is

clothed

with

the robes

of

salvation,

he

is

translated out

of

a

state

of

sin,

poverty,

and

wretchedness, into

a

state

of

rich grace, and becomes

a

child

of

God,-

and an

heir

of

all things.

A

living faith, which

has all the springs

of

holiness

in it,

is

ordained

carry

in

it

all

the springs

of

treasure

and felicity.

This

unites the

soul

to Christ,

this

gives

a

humble claim

to

all the blessings laid up in

the eternal decrees

and purposes

of

God

;

blessings

pur.

chased

by

the blood

of

his Son

Jesus;

blessings

promised

in

the word

of

the

gospel,

wherein

all things

are

given

for a possession to

thetchildren

of

the

Most

High.

IV.

All things may be

said to

belong

to

the

saints,

or

shall

turn

to

their advantage, because

the blessed

Spirit

is

given them, to

teach

them to

improve

all

things for

their

own

benefit;

1

Cor.

ii.

12.

We have received

the

Spi-

rit,

which is

of

God,

that

we

might

know

the

things

that

are freely

give;

to

us

of

God:

And

that

not

only

that

christians

might

know

what their

treasures are, but

learn

how to make

right

use

of

them too.

They are taught

by

the Holy Spirit, to receive

the

common

blessings

of

nature

from

the hands

of

God, as

a

Father

and a Friend, and

a

God

in

covenant

:

And they

rejoice

in

them

as such, with

humble thankfulness

;

they

are instructed

to

derive

useful

meditations

from

the sun,

moon,

and stars

:

and

to

read the

wisdom,

the

power,

and

the glory

of

their

.

Creator, and their Father

,

there,

and

to

rejoice

in his

goodness.

The peaceful state

of

kingdoms,

or battles,

wars and

earthquakes,

and the con

-

vulsion

of

nations,

are

all

made

useful

lessons to

a

child

of

God

;

and

he

gains something from

all

of

them,

by

the

teachings

of

the blessed Spirit.

The saints are

led

into

an

acquaintance

with

the

word

of

God

by

the sanie

Spirit too

:

They receive the

pro-

mises

and directions

of

the

gospel,

through

the influences

of

this Spirit.

They derive

light,

holiness

and comfort

from

every ,part

of

the

book

of God

;

that

is,

from the

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