SERMON XXXVII. 510 raiment, neither rest nor peace, nor any certain dwelling-place f' I Cor. iv. 11. 2. And as all things are not in their possession, so neither are we to understand that all things in acivil sense are theirright and property They have not a just claim and demand Of the good things which their neighbours possess, nor ought . they to take possession of them, though they had power to do it. It is a very wicked principle which has no counten- ance from scripture, and has been abused to most unrighteous and bloody purposes, that dominion is founded in grace, or that the saints have a present civil right to all the earth, and the good things ofit. From this sort of doctrine, some men offurious zeal and enthusiasm have been tempted to rise and seize on the pro pettyof their neighbours. And indeed, all thepersecution in the world upon the account of religion, is built on this principle, " that the saints alone have a rightto peace and liberty, to honour and money, and all the good things of this life; and that the heretic and the sinner have no right to any thing.' And though persecutors are very much ashamed to own this doctrine in words, yet they confirm it and comment upon it, in all their Oppressive and bloodypractices. But the christian religion knows no such principles.; it allows every man's property and interest in the goods of this world, whether he be a Turk or aJew, a heathenor a christian, asaint or a sinner. It is providence has disposed of these out- ward things in thecivil life, and men become entitled to them, by the laws-and agreement of civil society : And thus a rich wicked man may be righteously possessed of a fine house, arid purple raiment, may have a well spread table, and large lands, and do- minions, while a saint may happen to lie at his door destituteof bread andclothing. But in what sense than can it be said, that " all things are theirs." To give a just answer to this enquiry, we must take notice, that theapostle's first design here, is to shew, that believers need not be so fond of-assuming to themselvesa peculiar interest in one minister or another, for theymay enjoy the gifts ofall ; all are for their sakes : And from this single hint he rises high into the pri- vileges of the saints. Not ministers only, as Paul and Cephas, are designed for theirbenefit ; but all are theirs : All things'in hea- ven or earth, in time, or in eternity, are appointed to do some service to them. This therefore I take to be the true sense of my text, viz. "That all things in the creation of God, all things in all his vast dominions, which a christian can or shall at any time have to dowith, shall as certainly serve to promote his true interest, and his final happiness, as though he himself had
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