522 TFIE CHRISTIAN'S TREASURE. Christ, with the sincere milk of the word, to set before you the first principles of the oracles of God, and assist you to imbibe the rudiments of christianity, before you were fit to receive the snore exalted doctrines, and be fed with stronger meat. Thus not only Paul and Apollos, but Cephas is yours. All the offi- cers in thechurch, both ordinary and extraordinary, are appoint- ed for your sakes. It is for you that Christ ascended on high, and gave gifts to men. Read and believe it ; Eph. iv. 11, 12. " And he gave some apostles ;. and some prophets ; and some evangelists'; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for theedifying of the body of Christ." And as the gifts and graces of the ministers of the gospel are.designed for thebenefit of the church, so the outward circum- stances that attend them, their sorrows, and their joys are or- dained -for the advantage of christians: And St. Paul rejoices in it; 2 Cor. i. 3, 4, 6. " Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by-the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God ; Andwhether we beafflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which ap- pears to be effectual, whenye endure the same sufferings whichwe also suffer. Or whether we be comforted, it is for your consola- tion and salvation," that is, we preach more effectually from our own experience. Thuswhatsoever be the characters, or the talents, or the dr- cumstances of life that attend your ministers, they are ordained of God for some valuable purposes to you. II. Thisworld is yours. 'Not only theministers of the gos- pel but the world, and the things of it are yours. It is for your sakes, O believers, that the world stands ! For whensin entered into it by Adam the first man, there was a curse spread over it ; and perhaps immediate destruction had attended it, but for the sake of the children of God, who were appointed to be, born in successive ages, amongst the posterity of Adam, among the children of men. It is for the sake of the elect, who were given to Christ before the world was, that this earth and these lower heavens are continued in being. This earth abides as a stage of action, proper for a state of trial for the saints, and when the last saint is born, and his state of trial is finished, the world and' the works of it shall be burned up together. It is for you, O. christians, that these heavens, or, shall I say, this globe of earth rolls round in its daily and yearly courses, and the sun and ,the moon send out their brighter or paler beams, to light you onward in your way to glory. The morning breaks
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