164 / 674
14A'
THE CHRISTIAN'S TREASURE.
tSERM. XXXVIII.
Seventh Use.
Has
God
given all
things to
the
saints
by
the
covenant
of
grace,
surely then they should
return
all things
back again
to him, in
a way
of
gratitude,
duty
and
service..
Has
he
promised
to
make every thing
which
we
have to do
with,
concur
to
promote
our
best interest,
and
our
final
happiness
?
Let
us
then apply
ourselves
with
zeal
and diligence,
to
make every thing within
our
reach
subserve
his
divine interests,
and
the glory
of
his
kingdom.
Has
my
gracious
God
with
-held nothing from
me,
but
together
with his own Son given me all things,
why
then
should
I
with
-hold any thing
from him
?
Why should
I
not
devote
my
heart,
my
head,
my
hands, my whole
self;
and
all
things
that
are
within
my
power,
to
the ho-
nour
of
his
name? Does
God
bestow life
or health,
or
riches,
upon
such
a
worthless
creature
as
I
am
?
Let
holiness to the
Lord
be
written upon them
all.
And
if
my fellow-
creatures are poor, needy,
cold,
and
starving,
let
me
chearfully minister
to
them
of
my
substance, which
the
great Lord of
heaven and
earth
has
so
richly
bestow-
ed
on
me.
My
God
honours
me indeed, when he
makes
me the dispenser
of
his
blessings
among
his
creatures,
and
especially among
his
saints.
I
lose
nothing
by
this
benevolence,
but
am
rather
enriched
by
this very
distri-
bution.
I
become rich in good
works,
and rich
in divine
promises
:
"
He
that
gives
to
the poor lendeth
to the
Lord,
and
he
will
repay
him."
Alms
are
as
money laid
out
to
the best
interest,
and
are
a growing
treasure.
But
should
I
hope for
no
new
beneficial
return
of
all
my
kindness to
men,
the very
benefits received
of God
my
Father
constrain
me
to this bounty.
Has he
given all
things to
a poor
worthless
creature, and
shall
I
give
no-
thing to the poor, or
to
the unworthy?
Shall
I not
ra-
ther
imitate
the profuse
bounty
of
my
God,
who com-
mands
"
his sun
to
shine,
and
his
rain
to descend,
both
on the
evil
and the good."
It
is
a divine
excellence
to
love and
to
distribute
as
God
does.
The
name
of Jesus
my
Saviour has yet a
further
power
to oblige
me
to
use
all my
earthly
possessions for
his
ho-
nour. Has Christ Jesus
purchased
this large
and
fair
inheritance
forme
with
his blood,
has.
he
given
me
much
on
earth, and the hopes
of
greater treasures
in heaven,
then
I
will
be
my
own no
longer,
but
give my whole
self