138 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXXI.
take that other expression, Eom. viii. 17, ' Heirs, co-heirs Avith Christ.' Christ as mediator, and we as members of his body, possess the same God, one father, one husband, one estate ; we dwell together, live together ; where he is we are. Besides God and heaven there is the world too. Here is the difficulty, how a Christian, that hath not a foot of land, yet should be heir of all the world. All things are theirs, saith the apostle, 1 Cor. iii. 21. And it is said of Abraham, who was ' the father of the faithful,' and whose blessing comes upon us, that through the righteousness of faith he became ' heir of the world.' He was re-established in the right which Adam had bcfoi-o the fall, that wherever God should cast his portion, he should look upon it as made over to him by grace, as a sanctified portion belonging to the covenant ; and in this sense he was heir of the whole world. All creatures are sanctified to a believer, and the comfortable enjoy- ment of them fall to our lot and share ; and therefore, 1 Tim. iv. 5, it is said, ' commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving, to them that believe and know the truth.' Mark, believers only have a covenant right to meat, drink, land, money, and the things that are possessed in the world, to make use of the good creatures God hath bestowed upon them. Others are not usiu'pers ; I dare not say so. All men have a providential right ; it is ' their portion God hath given them in this world ;' but they have not a covenant right. Whatever of the world falls to their share comes to them in a regular way of providence, that shall be sanctified, and truly without this covenant right, if we had all earthly possessions, it w^ould be a mere nothing, and no blessing. Once more, providence is theirs, even those things which are against us, afflictions, death ; not only life, but death, 1 Cor. iii. 22, as part of their portion. Ordi- nances are theirs, all the gifts of the church, Paul, Apollos, Cephas, all for their benefit. And graces are theirs ; the righteousness of Clirist and the graces of the Spirit, they are all a part of their portion, made over to them by virtue of God's testimony. As to the righteousness of Christ, it is said of Noah, Heb. 11, 7, that he ' became an heir of the righteousness which is by faith.' The great legacy which Christ hath left is his righteousness. As Elijah when he went to heaven leftElisha his cloak or mantle, so when Christ went to heaven, he left the garment of his righteousness behind him as a legacy to the church, in confi- dence whereof we appear before God. Look, as fathers leave lands to their children, and such as they have, so Christ hath left us what he had. In the outward estate we are despicable. Silver and gold he hath not left us, that is no solid portion ; but he liatli left us his righteousness and obedience, as a ground of our acceptance witli God. No monarch in the world can leave us such a portion ; it cost Christ very dear to purchase it for us. Then the graces of the Spirit ; we have grace enough to maintain our expenses to heaven, and carry us on till we come to the full enjoyment of our portion. Thus God in covenant, heaven, earth, whatever is great and magnificent, the ordinances of the church, the graces of the Spirit, all these belong to our heritage; it is a full portion.
(2.) It is a sure portion, botli on God's part and ours. On God's part, there we have his word, and that is better than all the assurance
YeK. 111.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 139
in the world : ' He hath magnified that above all his name,' Ps. cxxxviii. 2. If we had but God's single word, that is enough, for God is very tender of his word, more than of heaven and earth ; and all things he hath made : ' Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.' Then we have it confirmed with an oath, Heb. vi. 6, 7. God thought our heritage could never stand upon terms sure enough, therefore he condescended to give us an oath over and above his word. An oath is given in a doubtful matter. But now because unbelief possibly might not be satisfied with God's bare word, he hath interposed by an oath, and pawned all his holiness and glory, laid them at pledge with the heirs of promise, 'that they might have strong consolation,' for that is the effect of God's oath, when the Lord swears, ' As I live, saith the Lord ;' as if he should say. Take my life in pawn, count me not an excellent, glorious, holy God, if I do not accomplish this for you : I will make good this promise. There is no inheritance in the world so sure as this, made over to the heirs of pro- mise. And then on our part, there it is made sure. God will main- tain our right to this inheritance. We should embezzle our inherit- ance, lose it every hour, if it were wholly committed to us ; but mark, ' Thou art the portion of mine inheritance, thou shalt maintain my lot. 0 Lord,' Ps. xvi. 5. A heritage is either wasted by the prodigality of the owner, or else wrested from us by the violence and cunning of otherr,. Now, for the prodigal disposition of the OAvner : indeed we should spend our patrimony apace, soon embezzle our portion, if we had the sole keeping of it, for we are prodigals. But mark, under the law, Exod. XXV. 23, an Israelite, though he might alienate his inherit- ance for a while, till the year of jubilee came, yet God forbids him to sell it away for ever. So we blot our evidences often, we cannot read our title ; there is an interruption of comfort, a kind of sequestration from the privileges of the covenant for a while ; but Jesus Christ is our guardian to look after them that take the promises for their heritages. And then it cannot be wrested from us by the violence of others. All heritages in the world are liable to violences. Princes have been driven from their kingdoms, and men from their heritages ; but this is a heritage God will maintain ; he hath engaged his own power : John X. 28, ' No man is able to pluck them out of my hand.' It shall not be wrested from us by any pleas in law. The devil would soon pick a flaw in our title, there are so many temptations and accusations ; but now God will maintain our right and possession of the privileges of the covenant. He is deeply engaged to maintain their right whose hearts depend upon him : thev may take away life, but not the favour of God.