22 A christian's portion ; or,
things ordered to us, should order ourselves to God. If there be a God that hath ordahicd variety of things, and of his goodness hath placed us in this rank of things, that all should be our servants, we ought to refer all our endeavours, what we are, and what we can do, to the glory of this God. And this indeed is the disposition of all those that can speak these words with any comfort, ' All things are ours, Paul, and Apollos, magistrates, ministers, life, and death, things present or to come; all are ours.' Those that can speak these words with comfort, are thus disposed ; finding all things theirs, they refer all to the glory of him who hath made all things serviceable to them. But to proceed.
I come now to the next branch.
' Ye are Christ's.'
It pleaseth us well to hear that ' all things are ours.' Aye, but we must know further, that there is one above to whom we owe homage, and of whom we have and hold all that we have. ' Ye are Christ's.' This is the tenure we hold all things by, because ' we are Christ's.' Whatsoever the tenure in capit-e be amongst men (which you are better acquainted with than my- self=''-), I am sure it is the best tenure in religion, ' All is ours,' because ' we are Christ's.' We hold all in that tenure. If we be not Christ's, nothing is ours comfortably. ' We are Christ's,' and therefore ' all is ours.'
Quest. But what say you then of those that are not Christ's ? Are not the things theirs that they have, because they are not Christ's ; or have wicked men nothing that may be called theirs ?
Ans. I answer, they have. And it is rigour in some that say otherwise, as that wicked men are usurpers of what they have. They have a title, both a civil title and a title before God. God gave Nebuchadnezzar Tyrus as a reward for his service; and God gives wicked men a title of that they have. And they shall never be called to account at the day of judgment for possessing of what they had, but for abusing that possession. And therefore properly they are not usurpers, in regard of possession ; but they shall render an account of the abuse of God's good bounty.
It is in this as it is in the king's carriage to a traitor. When a king gives a traitor his life, he gives him meat and drink that may maintain his life, by the same right that he gives him his life. God wall have wicked men to live so long, to do so much good to the church ; for all are not ex- tremely wicked that are not Christ's members, that go to hell. But there are many of excellent parts and endowments, that God hath appointed to do him great service. Though they have an evil eye, and intend not his service, but to raise themselves in the world, yet God intends their service for much purpose, and he gives them encouragement in the world, as he will not be behind with the worst men. If they do him service, they shall have their reward in that kind, Ps. Ixii. 12. If it be in policy of state, they shall have it in that ; and they shall have commendations and applause of men, if they look for that ; and if he give them not heaven, they cannot complain, for they care not for that ; they did it not with an eye for that. Now if God use the labour and the industry and the parts and endow- ments of wicked men for excellent purposes, he will give them their reward for outward things : ' Verily, you have your reward,' saith Christ, Mat. vi. 2,
Obj. But the apostle saith, ' All things are yours,' because ' ye are Christ's ; ' as if those that have not Christ have nothing. . Ams. It is true, howsoever, in some sense, men that are out of Christ, that * The auditory beiug at ' Gray's lun.' — G.
A christian's charter. 23
have not his Spirit, have title by virtue of a general providence to what they have ; yet they have not a title so good and so full as a godly man, as a Christian hath. They have not this tenure to hold all things in Christ. Therefore their tenure is not so good, nor so comfortable, in three respects.
[1.] First, they have them not from the lore of God in Christ. They have it from God and Christ, as the governor and ruler of the world, and making all things serviceable to the church. Therefore he gives these gifts even to wicked men ; for the good of others, as the governor of the world ; but he bestows them on his children out of love.
[2.] And then, secondly, they have them not from God, as a father in covenant. They have no title as children of God ; for so a Christian is the heir of the world. The first-born was to have a double portion. A true Christian hath a double portion. ' All things are his' here ; and heaven is his when he dies. ' Things present are his' while he lives; and ' things to come are his,' when he goes hence.