SERMON XXXVIII. 533 Were all chosen in Men before thefoundation of the world; Eph. x. 4. Whether creation or providence, whether nature, grace or glory, all things arefor your sakes ; 2 Cor. iv. 15. I would caution you again, that you are not to understand it in such an incredible sense, as though God made every parti- cular creature in the upper and the lower worlds, only to give the possession of them to the saints, or that he manages all his provi- dential kingdom, merely for the'sake of Isis own people without any other view. No, this is stretching the words into an extent too large and unreasonable ; for there are millions of creatures, millions ofplants and animalsin earth and sea,that areborn, and grow, and live, and die again, which the saints of God never saw, nor know, nor shall know ; nor can they receive any immediate benefit from them. But the meaning is this, that all things what- soever the saints can or shall have to do with in this or other. worlds, were intended to yield some profit to them, and especial- ly while they maintain their character as the children of God, and walk as becomes their dignity and their profession. In all God's general counsels ofcreation, and providence, and grace, he kept his eye, as I may say, still upon his saints : He designed their good in ten thousand instances, in his great and glorious works, and resolvedthat nothing inall his kingdoms should inter= $'ere with their last and best interest. Though what he has written down in the book of his de.- arees, is read only at large by his Son Christ Jesus, yet he has written out a sweet abstract of it in the book of his promises, that the saints on earth might read and know it; Rom. viii. 28. And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. It was for their sakes the promises were written, that they might have not only a present relish of divine blessings, but a sweet foretaste ofjoys. long to come. The blessings of the childrenof God were numbered up, and written down originally for them, in the book of God's everlastingcounsels ; and in the book of his word has he copied out for them, the blessings of heaven from above, and of the deep frombeneath; the precious things brought forth by the sun; and under the influence ofthe moon; the chief things of the ancient mountains on earth, so far as is needful for them here, and the precious things of the everlasting hills ofparadise hereafter. Does-the great Creator andLord ofall keep the wheels of nature in their settled courses ? It is for his people's good. The stars in their courses shell fightfor Israel: Or does he coun- termand nature in any ofits motions, and bid thesun stand still in Gibeon, and the moons in the valley pf Ajalon 2 It is that the armies of his people may have long day-light, to subdue their
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