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138

THE

CHRISTIANS

TREASURE.

[SERM. XXXVIII.

all

the enjoyments

of

earth and

time,

and make,ÿou pos-

sessors

of

all,

the good

things'in

heaven and eternity.

Second Use. This

doctrine

discovers to

us

the glory

of

the

new

covenant.

A blessed

covenant indeed

that

has

given

so rich'

a treasure

to

creatures

so

unworthy

l

We are

sinners, and deserve nothing, yet when

we

be-

lieve

in

the

Son

of God,

the

gospel gives

us

in

our mea-

sure the inheritance and

possession

of

all things.

Adam

was

made

Lord of this

lower

wórld

;

this

earth

and

the

creatures

that

dwell on

it

were

put

into

his

hands,

all things below were given him

for

his

use,

his

support,

and

his

delight. Thus mankind, considered

in the first

Adam, in

his

innocent

estate, were

lords of

all.

But

by

one man

sin

entered into

the world

:"

Rom.

y. 12.

and

by

that

sin,

Adam has forfeited

his

sovereignty

and

dominion,

with all

his

large

possession

of

the

creatures,

both

for himself

and for

us.

When the sentence came

forth

from

the mouth

of

God,

"

Cursed

be

The

ground

for thy

sake,'

Gen.

iii, 17,

the curse

fell on all

this

lower

world,

and

did,

as

it

were,

make

a seizure

of the

creatures

out of

the hands

of

Adam the

great

sinner.

They

are

.no

more

his

in

that

sanctified_

manner

for his

real

and final

benefit,

as

they were

before-:

They

now

become

instruments

of

temptation

4r.nd

sin,

pain,

and

sorrow and

misery.

But

the

covenant

of

grace restores

all

back again

to

in

and

by

the second Adam,

who is

the Lord of

the

new

would,

and

under

this

character,

is

possessor

of

all things

:

And

a sanctified use

of

all

things

is

given

to

us

again, in

and

by

Christ Jesus,

O

glorious

covenant,

that

can

take

a'vay the

curse from creatures,

and

make

them become

a

bloe;n

to the

saints

!

But there

is

a

further

glory in

it

,

`ill;

for our

posses-

sion

of

all things in

the second

Adam,

is

far more secure

than

it

was

in the

first.

This rich and

extensive

treasure

is

put

into the

hands

of Christ our Mediator, our Head,

and

our

Surety

for

us,

that

we

may

not

abuse

our

pos-

session

by

sin

to

our

own

ruin;

and

that

we

may

not

for-

feit

our inheritance

the second time, and

so.lose

it

for

ever.

Third

Use.

(This doctrine

yields

sweet consolation

to

a

poor

afflicted

saint,

who

is

taught

to make

a

right

im-

provement of

it.

The

gospel

should teach a christian

in

these circùmstances, such divine

language

as

this

;

"

Am