167 / 674
( 147
)
SERMON
XXXIX.
THE RIGHT
IMPROVEMENT
OF LIFE,
1 COR.
Ili.
22.
Whether
life
or
death,
all
are yours.
IT
is
a
large and fair inheritance
that
belongs to the
children
of
God. They
have no need to divide
them-
selves
into
little parties, and
to
quarrel about
their
par-
ticular interest
in
one minister in
another,
or
one blessing
or another;
for whether
Paul,
or Apollos, or Cephas,
whether
life
or death,
all things
are theirs.
(My
former discourses have explained
in
what
sense
Christians possess all things, and
that
is,
that
all
things
present
or
to
tome,
that
can any
way
affect
or
concern
them, shall
certainly
turn
to
their
benefit,
and subserve
their
great
and
final
interest.
I
proceed
now more
par-
ticularly
to
enlarge
on
the
words,
which
I
had
chiefly
in
my
design,
"
whether
life
or death, all
are yours."
The
first
doctrine arising
from
the words
is
this,
"
Life
itself,
and the
continuance of it
to the saints,
is
for their advantage," Now
to
improve
this
proposition
to
practical
purposes,
I
shall do these things
:
I.
I
shall
make
it appear under
a
variety
of
instances,
that
life
is
designed for
the benefit
of
christians.
II.
I
would amplify
and
confirm the
doctrine yet fur-
ther,
by
discovering what
a
variety
of
graces
may
be
ex-
ercised on earth,
which can
have
no
place in heaven
:
and
make it
appear,
that
in
some
respects, a
saint belo*
hath advantage above the saints
that
are
on high.
III.
I
shall
answer a considerable objection
or
two
that
seems
to
rise
against
the
doctrine,
while
I
am
treat-
ing of it
:
And,
at
last, Sqme
inferences
will be
drawn
from the whole
discourse.,
First let
me shew,
wherein
life
appears to
be a
benefit
to
true
believers.
Life
is
yours,
O
christians,
for
L
This
is
the time
that
was
given you
for
your recón-
ciliation
to
God,
and securing your everlasting interest.
L