thren), think of that, as well as of the fading condition here. If we would wean ourselves from these things, oft think of the eternal eftate of a chriftian, that our thoughts may run upon. that much; and then upon the frail condition of all things below, that we may be taken off from them. Two things mortify a man :

1. The taking off his affections from what they are fet on; and, 2. to fet them upon what will fill them, and fatisfy them to the full. If a man do that, he doth that which a mortified man fhould do, who is in this world palling to a better.

All things here in this world are fubordinate to a further end. And let us confider therefore that we fo ufe them, as that we lofe not the main.

All the contentments of a traveller, are subordinate in the way to the journey's end. If things come amifs in his inn, will he quarrel with his hoft, that he hath not a soft bed? he will think I am going, I fhall have better at home, and thefe lead me homeward, fo all things below are fubordinate helps to better: Shall we make them the main? Shall we make all things fubordinate to them, as worldlings do fubordinate religion to worldly things, and make all things contrary? They do not grieve as if they griev ed not; but they hear, as they heard not. They receive the facrament, as if they received it not. They pray, as they prayed not. They fpeak of holy things and do them, as if they did them not. But for other things, they are drowned in them. This is the policy of fatan, that labours to bring religion to be fubordinate. So that if men can be religious, and have the favour of fuch a one: if he can be religious, and be great in the world, he will: but if religion itself, and the standing for it, hinder their aims, away with it; they will rather be hollow, than stand for a good caufe, because they have not learned to fubordinate things to the main end; and the reafon is, becaufe they have not grace and heavenly wisdom to teach them in what place things should be valued, what is the main, and what attends upon the main and therefore they take bye-things for the main, and the main for the bye. Indeed no man is wife, but a found christian, and he is wife for his foul, and he is wife for eternity. But what is this as to the facrament? To cut off other things, it is this.

VOL. III.]

F f

Are

If

Are these things perifhing food, fuch as we must leave, vain and empty things? Will not this therefore make us feek the main, the food that endures to everlasting life, and labour to be in Chrift more and more, labour to cherish communion with Chrift, that everlafting bond? What is the facrament, but the food of our fouls, or everlasting manna, that will continue for ever, and make us continue for ever? Chrift, if we have him, he continues for ever, and he makes us continue for ever too. And therefore confidering that all things elfe are vain, I beseech you let the confideration of that which hath been spoken, be as four herbs to make the paffover, to make Christ relifh the better. Oh! are all things vain, and fhall I not labour to have my part in that, which fhall never die, in him that is my husband for ever, and my Lord for ever? Shall I not labour to ftrengthen my intereft in him that hath all good things? What if all the earth fhould fail? If I have communion' with Chrift, I have all. I marry Christ, I have all with him. All is my jointure, if F have Chrift once. "All things are yours, if you are Chrift's." If I have Christ what can I want? Let this ftrengthen our defire to come to the facrament. Chrift is the food of the foul; all other food, the fweetnefs of it is gone within a quarter of an hour: the sweetness is gone presently, and the ftrength within a day or two, of all other food that we take; but this food, Chrift, is the food of the foul. Chrift offering himself unto death, and fhedding out his blood, and giving his body to be crucified for us; this food feeds our fouls to everlasting life. We cherish our faith in the affurance of the favour of God to everlasting: the sweetness, the ftrength, and the comfort of this food, endures for ever. And therefore, confidering that all other things are food that perisheth; labour for that which will feed us to everlasting life. And then we fhall make a right ufe of the alteration and change of all things.

A heathen man can fay this text, "brethren," afide ; a heathen man could tell you, The fashion of things pass away. He fees them, and thereupon could infer the negative part; therefore, we should not be worldly by the light of nature a man that hath no religion may be found in that; and therefore not to care much for earthly things, confidering that we must be gone.

A heathen man could fpeak very fweetly this way, as Plutarch and Seneca, and the reft: what fine fpeeches had they this way? Oh! but the positive part, that is, when we fee all

things here are vain and fading; to know what we must cleave too; that is proper to religion, to know Chrift, and the good we have by Chrift; when we have him, we have all; he is the food of our fouls; these things are proper to religion; and therefore let us arife from the confideration of the vanity of all things, to the pofitive part, to intereft ourselves in that which is better than all things. Which if we have, we have all; and then we shall make a right use of this.

THE

CHRISTIAN'S PORTION;

Wherein is unfolded the unsearchable Riches he hath by his interest in Christ.

1

I COR. iii. 21, 22, 23.

"Let no man glory in man, for all things are yours, whether Paul,

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or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come, all are yours; and you are Chrift's, "and Chrift is God's.

THE

HE principal scope of the apostle in this place, is to cut off faction, and overmuch dependence upon men, who had crept into the confciences of people, and fet up themselves inftead of Chrift. For that is the pride of false teachers, to fet up themselves in the confcience where Chrift alone should be. The apostle to prevent this, faith, Let no man glory in man; do not glory in your teachers, they are but your fervants and Chrift's fervants, for all things are yours"-all the teachers in the world are your fervants, and Christ's. Having fet down this generally, "All things are yours," to difcourage them from glo. rying in man, he parcels that general into particulars, « Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or life, or death."

1. All perfons are yours.` 2. All things are yours.

3. All events are yours.

Perfons.

Perfons.-Paul, Apollo, Cephas.

Things.-The world, or life, or death.

Events. Whatsoever can come for the prefent, or for time to "All is yours."

come.

For the perfons.-Paul, Apollo, Cephas, are yours; therefore Peter is not the head of the church; he is named here in the third place, among the reft, and after the reft. Whether it be Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, he is yours. You know who ground all their religion on this, Peter is the head of the church, and they are the fucceffors of Peter: but Peter is the church's, and therefore cannot be the head and commander.

The world is yours.

What world is the church's?

1. The natural world is the church's, that is, the frame of heaven and earth; all things are made for man, and he is made for God. As the wife philofopher could fay, that man is the end of all things in a femi-circle, that is, all things in the world are made for him. He is made for God, in whom all things end. As all things come from a point, and end there again, fo all things come from God, and all end in God "We are

Christ's, and Chrift is God's;" but the world is ours, and we are God's, all things in the world are our fervants; for they mourn in black, as it were, for our miferies, fince the fall. And in our reftoring again, they fhall be restored, they wait for the day, as it is, Rom. viii. 21. "For the glorious liberty of the fons of God:" they have their happiness and mifery together with men.

But there is another world that is ours, take it in the worst fense, the world of wicked men; all their plots, and the prince of the world, are the church's.

How is this? He and all his inftruments are under the command of him that turns all his defigns contrary to his own in. tention; this is a hell to fatan, and one of the chief torments he hath, that as his malice is limited by this power, fo his power is limited by God's power, who overfhoots him in his own bow. Whatever he designs against the head, Chrift, and against his members, the church, it is overturned for the good of the church. In the primitive church fome were given over to fatan, that they might learn not to blafpheme. It is a

Ff3

strange