SERMON XXXVile The Christian's Treasure. 1 Cox. iii. 21. All things are yours. IT is a peculiar delight of this apostle to survey the blessings we derive fromChrist, and to run over the gloriesof the gospel in flowing language. At the end ofthis chapter he reckons up the privileges of the saints, and tells them, they have an interest in all things: " It does not become you, says hé, to enter into parties, and to glory in any single man, no,not in Paul, Apollev, not Cephas, for all things are yours, whether lifeor death, whe- ther this world or the other, whether thingspresent or things to come, all areyours. To improve this proposition, and to bring it down to some practical purposes, let us consider, I. What We are to understand by this extensive privilege of trueChristians, contained in this expression, All things areyours andwhat is the true limitation of the sense of it. II. It shall 'he proved, that notwithstandingthe limited sense of these `words, yet the saint§ have a richer treasure in them, than the greatest riches of a sinner. III. We shall enquire how christianscome to possess such a treasure. And, IV. See what use may bemade of this doctrine First, What are we to understand by this expression, All things are yours? To answer this enquiry clearly, I am constrain- éd to introduce these two negatives : 1. We are not to suppose here that all things are in the pos- session of true christians, and under their power. This truth every man is a witness of, that the saints have neither heaven nor earth in their present possession. The sun and stars are not it theircommand, nor the riches ofthisworld in their chest, nor the kingdòms'ofthis world under their government. No, by no means, for they are 'most times poor and mean in this world, 'many of them destitute of the common supports of nature, and the comforts of life. Christ himself their- Lord and Master had not where to lay his head : And the apostles, who were the chief of Christians, suffered " hunger and thirst, were naked and bu$ètted ; they had sometimes neither food nor
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