derive from Christ, and to run over the glories of the gospel in flowing
language. At the end of this 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 he, to enter into parties, and to glory in any
single man, no, not in Paul, Apollos, nor Cephas, _for all things are
yours, whether life or death, whether this world or the other, whether
things present or things to come, all are yours_.”
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 true
christians, contained in this expression, _All things are yours_; and
what is the true limitation of the sense of it.—II.—It shall be proved,
that notwithstanding the limited sense of these words, yet the saints
have a richer treasure in them, than the greatest riches of a
sinner.—III. We shall enquire how christians come to possess such a
treasure. And,—IV. See what use may be made of this doctrine:
_First_, What are we to understand by this expression, _All things are
yours_? To answer this enquiry clearly, I am constrained to introduce
these two negatives:
1. We are not to suppose here that all things are in the possession 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 at their command, nor the
riches of this world in their chest, nor the kingdoms of this 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 buffetted; they
had sometimes neither food nor raiment, neither rest nor peace, nor any
certain dwelling-place;” 1 Cor. iv. 11.
2. And as all things are not in their possession, so neither are we to
understand that all things in a civil sense are their right 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 countenance 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
of it. From this sort of doctrine, some men of furious zeal and
enthusiasm have been tempted to rise and seize on the property of their
neighbours. And indeed, all the persecution in the world upon the
account of religion, is built on this principle, “that the saints alone
have a right to 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 bloody practices.
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 a Jew, a heathen or a christian, a saint or a sinner. It is
providence has disposed of these outward things in the civil 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,
and purple raiment, may have a well spread table, and large lands, and
dominions, while a saint may happen to lie at his door destitute of
bread and clothing.
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 the
apostle’s first design here, is to shew, that believers need not be so
fond of assuming to themselves a peculiar interest in one minister or
another, for they may enjoy the gifts of all; _all are for their sakes_:
And from this single hint he rises high into the privileges of the
saints. Not ministers only, as Paul and Cephas, are designed for their
benefit; but all are theirs: All things in heaven 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 do with, shall as certainly serve to
promote his true interest, and his final happiness, as though he himself
had sovereign dominion over them, or present possession of them:” Always
supposing that the christian maintains his character, and acts in his
station becoming the dignity of his holy and heavenly calling.
The plain meaning of the words is, that _all things shall work for the
good of the saints_. But the apostle chuses to express this in a noble
manner here, and by such an exalted figure of speech as aggrandizes the
character of the saints, and raises their dignity: And therefore he
represents them as having a property in all things, and speaks sublimely
of them, as though they were possessors of heaven and earth. Now the
ground on which he builds this manner of speaking, may be set in a just
and easy light. We can properly be said to possess nothing but what
turns to our account, what is of some service or advantage to us; and
therefore in the common language of life, we say, concerning a rich
covetous man, “he is a poor wretch, he has nothing, because he receives
benefit from so small a part of his estate: And in truth, he has no more
than he enjoys or uses.” Now the true christian reaps the benefit of all
things; and God, the great God, the Possessor of heaven and earth, makes
all things work together for the benefit of his people; and in this
sense it is that all things are theirs.
All things shall turn to their advantage, either, 1. for the support and
comfort of their temporal life; or, 2. for the beginning and improvement
of their spiritual life; or, 3. for their possession and enjoyment of
life eternal.
But instead of collecting all the treasures and riches of the saints
under these three general heads, I shall chuse rather to make a
paraphrase on the whole verse of my text, and thus discover the interest
that a christian has in the persons and things of earth and heaven.
“Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death,
or things present, or things to come, all are yours.”
I. The ministers of the gospel are yours.
Is Paul appointed an apostle separated to the gospel by the immediate
call of Christ; it is for your sakes, O ye Corinthians, that he was
chosen and called! Christ had you in his eye, and upon his heart, when
he stopped him in the midst of his fury and persecution; when he
overwhelmed him with glory, in the road to Damascus; and from a
persecutor, made an apostle of him, and a preacher of the cross of
Jesus: For he designed then to send him to Corinth, to call you from
heathenism, and to save your souls.
Is Paul a man of learning and of bright parts? Is he endowed with
profound knowledge of divine mysteries above his brethren? Is he fit to
preach for the conversion of the heathen world, and to write the great
things of God for the church, in all future ages? It is for your sakes,
O christians, that he is thus endowed: It is for you, O believers in
Great Britain, though you live as it were at the ends of the earth, and
in the old age of the world; it is even for you that he was appointed
and inspired to write his epistles to Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus, and
the rest of the early churches. It is by his writings, that you have
been enlightened in the mysteries of Christ, and the wonders of the
gospel. Almost seventeen hundred years ago was he made the apostle of
the gentiles, and that partly for your sakes. Paul himself is yours.
Was Apollos an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures? It was for
you, O primitive christians, that he had the gift of oratory bestowed on
him. Has any minister in our age and place of abode a peculiar talent of
eloquence, hath he a vivacity of fancy, a strength of expression, a
sweet accent, and a commanding voice? It is designed for the conviction
and salvation of your souls. Can he thunder like the voice of God on
mount Sinai, and flash the terrors of the law, like lightning, upon your
consciences? It is to awaken you out of your carnal slumber and security
in sin, to make you fly from the wrath to come, and cry out, _What shall
I do to be saved?_ Can he set the blessings of salvation in a glorious
and convincing light? It is to persuade you to accept them. Has he the
art of striking the passions, and touching the inward springs of the
soul? Can he spread the invitations of grace before you, in alluring
language? Can he dissolve his thoughts in the tenderest accents of
speech, and moisten his words with his tears? It is all designed as a
means, in the hands of the Spirit, to melt your hearts to repentance,
and to soften your souls to receive the impressions of the gospel. Has
he the holy skill of displaying the glories of our blessed Saviour? Can
he set off the miracles of his life? Can he talk of his bleeding and his
dying love in the most affecting manner? Can he paint him in the honours
of his resurrection, his triumph and his exalted state, in most
magnificent colours? It is all for the assistance of your faith, the
kindling of your love, and the advancement of your joy. Not Paul only,
but Apollos is yours.
Is Cephas or Peter a man of boldness and courage to defend the truths of
the gospel, or to speak for Christ amongst infidels? It is to lead you
onward as the soldiers of Christ, through the midst of dangers, and to
encourage you to face the persecuting world bravely in the profession of
the cross.
Or is the character of Cephas, as an instructor of the young, and a
condescending preacher to babes? He has this talent given him for your
sakes too, to feed you while you were babes in 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 more exalted doctrines, and be fed with
stronger meat. Thus not only Paul and Apollos, but Cephas is yours. All
the officers in the church, both ordinary and extraordinary, are
appointed 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 the edifying of the body of Christ.”
And as the gifts and graces of the ministers of the gospel are designed
for the benefit of the church, so the outward circumstances that attend
them, their sorrows, and their joys are ordained 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;—And whether we be
afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which appears to be
effectual, when ye endure the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or
whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation,” that
is, we preach more effectually from our own experience.
Thus whatsoever be the characters, or the talents, or the circumstances
of life that attend your ministers, they are ordained of God for some
valuable purposes to you.
II. This world is yours. Not only the ministers of the gospel but the
world, and the things of it are yours. It is for your sakes, O
believers, that the world stands! For when sin 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 for you to give you day-light,
that you may work for God: And the evening spreads its long thick
shadows over the nations, to determine a time for your repose and
refreshment. The darkness and the light are yours, during your
continuance in the flesh. When all your work here is done, these lower
“heavens shall be folded up like an old garment, as a vesture shall they
be changed;” they shall flee away and be no more.
Survey the trees and the fields, how they bring forth food for you. The
beasts of the earth grow and are nourished for your conveniency; they
were born and live, and die for your support and nourishment. The winds
blow to purge the air for you, and to keep it wholesome, while God has
appointed you to breathe in it. The fountains bubble, and the rivers
flow to quench your thirst. Flax and wool are ordained for your
covering, and the silk-worm is set to his shining task, that some of
your garments may be soft and easy: _The beasts of the earth are at
peace with you, and you are in league with the stones of the field_; Job
v. 23. O happy and glorious state of the children of God!
Christ, in his providential management of all things in this world, has
a chief regard to his own people. The wicked of the earth who dwell
among the saints, come in for a share of the common good things of life,
chiefly as they are instruments of the providence of Christ, for some
known or unknown benefit to his church.
I might tell you also, that if you are christians indeed, then though
your ungodly neighbours may have a rightful civil property in many good
things of the world, yet you have a better and sweeter interest in the
earthly blessings which you possess. You can taste the love of a Father
in them, and the kindness of a reconciled God. They are common benefits
to the world, but they are made as it were special blessings to you.
They are put into your hand by a better covenant: They are sanctified to
your use: The world itself becomes a means to raise your heads towards
God. And whereas wealth, and honours, and the plenteous enjoyments of
life, become a temptation and a snare to the wicked; and, through the
corruption of their natures, divide their souls from God and heaven, the
same things are made happy instruments in the hand of the Mediator, to
furnish you out for eminent service, and to help you onward to a better
world.
III. Life and death are yours. Life, with all the comfortable attendants
of it; or even with all its difficulties and vexations, it is still
designed for your advantage: And death, as terrible as it is in itself,
shall appear to be a benefit to you. But I insist no longer on this head
at present, because I design it to be the subject of following
discourses.
IV. Things present, whether visible or invisible, and things to come,
are all yours.
1. Visible things present are yours. I have shewed you in part already,
how the wheels of nature are rolling for you. This lower creation stands
and moves for your sakes, for your relief and support, while you are
travelling to heaven. The present posture of things in this world, the
daily scenes of life are continued or changed and still over-ruled by
divine providence for your good. Kingdoms, and laws, and governments,
are established among men for your safety: If the world were without all
government, and all things run into confusion, the saints, with all
their earthly comforts, would become the plunder and property of the
wicked continually. The princes of the earth, and the political
constitutions of nations, are designed to be a screen and defence to the
people of God, who dwell among them: For _if these foundations are
destroyed, what can the righteous do_; Ps. xi. 3. _The wicked would bend
their bow, and make ready their arrow upon the string_; and they would
not only in private, but publicly _shoot at the upright in heart_; verse
2. There would be neither life nor safety for a christian. Yet, on the
other hand, when Christ, in the course of his providence, brings
confusion on states and kingdoms, and when he suffers the wicked of the
earth, like wild beasts of the wilderness, to spoil, devour and destroy,
it is usually designed by his wisdom, as a season of proper trial for
his own people, and that country becomes a scene of their glorious
sufferings. Christ, who is the head over all things, sets up and pulls
down tyrants or good princes, as may best serve the counsels of his
Father’s mercy, and his own kind designs for his chosen and redeemed
people.
And as the whole world of nature, and the present affairs of nations are
managed by Christ, for the good of the church; so the world of grace,
and the affairs of his sanctuary, and his kingdoms on earth, are all
ordained for the benefit of the saints. Christians, why did he separate
you from the world, and call you out of the wilderness, and make you a
chosen nation, and a peculiar people? Was it not for your advantage? Why
did he write his word? Why did he ordain ministers and holy
institutions? Was it not for your edification? Were not the seals of the
covenant given to assist your faith, by the aid of your senses, and by
this means to inflame your love, and exalt your joy? Are not the
precepts of the word written to direct you in the way of duty? Are not
the threatenings pronounced to awaken your fear, and guard you from sin
and folly? And are not all the promises of the gospel given to comfort
your souls, to support your spirits, and give a sweet taste of glory
before-hand.
Whatsoever temporal circumstances attend you in this present life,
whether they are painful or pleasant, they are all the appointments of
your heavenly Father for your real interest. Are you at peace in the
midst of plenty, and does every thing around you smile upon you? It is
that your hearts may be raised to thankfulness, and your lips tuned to
praise. Do you labour under pain or sickness? It is to wean you from
flesh and blood, to put you in mind, that this tabernacle is falling, to
awaken your hearts to insure a better habitation on high. Do you want
food or raiment? It is to make you remember that you are in the
wilderness, and to call your meditations upward to your Father’s house,
where there is bread enough, and to spare. Are you scorned and reviled
by the basest of men? Are you persecuted or imprisoned and treated with
rudeness or cruelty? It is to try and prove your suffering graces, that
your faith, courage, and patience may shine as gold that has passed
through the furnace; are you called to seal the truth and testimony of
Jesus with your blood? It is to prepare you for the crowns of glory that
are laid up for martyrs.
This thought leads me onward in the survey of this rich inventory of a
christian, and carries my thoughts into the invisible regions, and into
far distant futurities.
2. Not things present only in this visible world, but things invisible
in other worlds are also yours, and were appointed for your benefit.
These are numbered by the apostle among the riches and possessions of
the saints. Is there a heaven built on high, with many palaces of light
in it? They were built and furnished for your reception. It is, “the
inheritance of the saints in light;” Col. i. 12. Are there mansions of
unknown glory, well prepared by our Lord Jesus Christ, since his ascent
to heaven? He assures us in his last words, that they are prepared for
you; John xiv. 2, 3. _In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were
not so, I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also._ Each of these mansions
stands waiting for those saints, for whom they are provided; and they
are all adorned with rich magnificent furniture, in the perfect beauty
of holiness.
The angels, in their shining orders, are ordained to be your attendants:
Those holy inhabitants of the upper blessed world, _encamp round about
those that fear the Lord_; Ps. xxxiv. 7. and are appointed as guards to
his children, by their heavenly Father. _Are they not all ministering
spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of
salvation_; Heb i. 14. They wait upon your dying beds, and convey your
souls to the bosom of Abraham; Luke xvi. 22. Happy souls, who have so
illustrious a guard, so secure a convoy to the far distant and unknown
regions of light and joy.
The very hell that is provided to punish impenitent sinners, though we
cannot say it was built for you, christians; yet it has been of glorious
and terrible service, to awaken your souls out of a natural and guilty
state. When the Spirit of God in the ministry of his word has opened the
mouth of hell, and brought the flashes of that furnace into your face;
it has awakened your consciences in time past, and driven you to seek
refuge in the arms of Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Thus hell itself is constrained to pay a tribute towards the salvation
of the saints.
And the devils themselves who dwell there, with all their fiery
temptations, have been but as underworkers for our final good; they are
as slaves to Christ, the great Refiner, who designed to purify your
souls by those very methods of temptation, which those evil spirits made
use of on purpose to destroy you. Thus the ministers of divine wrath to
sinners are become instruments of your benefit. _When Satan has desired
to winnow you as wheat, Christ has prayed for you, that your faith fail
not_: Luke xxii. 31, 32. and he has care that by this winnowing you
might be purified, that nothing might fly away but the empty chaff: that
you might appear in the sight of Christ as purer corn. Now if hell, and
the wicked inhabitants of it, may be constrained to serve your interest,
and to promote your happiness, surely there is nothing in all the
creation, but may turn to your advantage. O divine privilege, when the
creatures that are under the deserved curse of God, are thus made to
subserve your blessedness!
3. But not only present invisibles, but even all future unseen things
are yours too. The morning of the resurrection is appointed for your
glory; and the great trumpet is put into the hands of the arch-angel, to
awaken your sleeping dust into immortality. Jesus the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven to call you from the grave: And _though ye were
dead, ye shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and live_; John v. 35.
The great day of judgment, and all the solemnities of it, are ordained
for your honour, to publish your victories over sin and Satan, before
the face of the whole creation, to pronounce you openly acquitted and
justified before men and angels, to proclaim you the sons and daughters
of the Most High God, and determine your state to everlasting
blessedness.
Are there crowns of infinite value laid up in heaven? Are there rewards
of glory there, immense rewards, and of endless duration? It is to crown
your labours, your conflicts, your christian race; it is to reward your
sufferings, your patience, and your conquest: And the day of glory is
stretched out to all everlasting, that your happiness may know no end.
_Thus things present, and things to come are all yours_; and there is
nothing in time or eternity, which can come within the reach or notice,
but in some of these senses shall subserve your interest, and turn to
your advantage. This is the genuine sense, and this the true limitation
of these words, _all things are yours_.
The second thing proposed in this discourse, was to prove that
notwithstanding the limited sense of these words, yet the true christian
has a richer treasure in them, than all the worldly wealth of the
sinner. And without multiplying particulars the proof of it will
sufficiently appear in these four things: