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