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"I would not change my lot for the heaviest crown of "gold."

In a word, as your minifler commended his Mafter, Chrift Jefus, to you, and fet life and death before you; fo now, his Master hath fet your minifter's life and death before you, that, by all thefe means, you may be compelled to come in, that his boufe may be filled.

Though fuch as have enjoyed a nearer, and longer intimacy with your worthy minifter, who is now with the Lord, may perhaps find the account I have given of his character, to be but lame and defective, and might readily be in cafe to make a more full reprefentation of thefe glorious virtues that adorned him, and ought to be imitate by you; yet, I hope, what is here, according to knowledge, laid before you, will be the more acceptable to, and regarded by you, that it is not with. out fome fpecial unforeseen providence, that he who was particularly employed, firft in licenfing, and then in ordaining him, fhould alfo, after all, be brought under a providential neceffity of doing this laft office to his memory: wherein I fhall not reckon my poor labour vain, if it do any juftice to his character, or vice to your fouls.

EPITAPH on the Rev. Mr. JOHN HUNTER, late minifter of the gospel at Gatefhall.

Ipfe Petrus, quamvis bominum Pifcator, obivit:
Harum bic Venator, quin properanter? obit.

This mighty HUNTER well employ'd,

between the diftant poles,

His mortal body foon deftroy'd,

to fave immortal fouls.

SERMON

SERMON CXVII.

The FOUNTAIN-HEAD of all Bleffings: or, The great Store-houfe opened. *.

Z COR. v. 8.

All things are of God.

Y

My friends, here is a fhort, but very fubftantial MY and comprehenfive text, GoD, and all things are in it. If our thirft were great this day, here we may drink our fill, not only at the ftreams, the word and sacrament, and the good things, the great things held forth therein, for all things are here; but also at the fountain-head of all things that we want, by beholding and believing that all things are of God. The nearer we come to the fountain this day, the better and the fweeter; and the furer will our communion be: for ftreams may fail us, and take a different turn; minifters may fail us, and be but dry breafts without milk; frames may fail us, and that which hath a sweet flow, may foon have a fad ebb; yea, flesh and heart, and all things may fail us but there is a fountain of light, and life, and comfort, and of all good things here, that is always full,

*This fubject was the fubftance of three Sermons. The firft was an action-fermon, preached immediately before the celebration of the facrament of the Lord's fupper at Dunfermline, August 10. 1740. To which is annexed, a difcourfe at the fervice of the firft table. The other two ferinons were delivered at the fame place, femetime after the facrament.

and

and never empty, that is conftantly flowing, and never ebbing, that never changes, but is perpetually the fame. And could we fix the heart and eye of faith upon this fountain of all things, we might have a full communion this day, or a communion with fulness, notwithstanding of emptinels.

Though you were saying, I want a pardon, I want a bleffing, I want a frame, I want all things I fhould have: yet faith may fay, that is no matter; I have what is better than all these things, I have the fountain here prefent, the God in whom I live, move, and have my being; in whom, and from whom I have all: "Having nothing, I poffefs all things;" for, All things are of God. If this be a feast-day, here is ample provifion; here is a ftreamfeast, all things in Chrift: here is a fountain-feast, All things are of God. If the ftream be let out, then here is enough for fenfe, all things: yea, though these streams should be dry, yet here is enough for faith and hope; All things are of God.

The verfe immediately preceding fhews us what view we are to have of the all things here fpoken of; for we are told there, that, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are paffed away; behold, all things are become new." So that the all things here intended, are thefe that relate to the new creation in Chrift Jefus. The context immediately following fhews us, what view we are to have of this GoD, viz. as a reconciled God in Chrift; for the wards are, All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jefus Chrift; and hath committed to us the miniftry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Chrift reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them, and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation." Hence the text in this view, affords us the following doctrine.

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OBSERV. "That all things relating to the new crea"tion in Chrift Jefus, are of God, as a reconciled "God in him."

This is a great point of faving knowledge, as you fee from Chrift's words to his Father concerning his dif ciples, John xvii. 7. "Now they have known, that all

things, whatsoever thou haft given me, are of thee." To this agrees that word, John iii. 35. "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." Whatever bleffings then we fhare of out of Chrift's hand, are given firft out of the Father's hand; for, All things are of God. See alfo to this purpose, Eph. ii. 8, 9, 10. By grace are ye faved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." It is of God; Not of works, left any man fhould boaft: for we are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we fhould walk in them." Where it is evident, that all things relating to the new creation in Chrift Jefus are of God; All things are of God.

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The method we would lay down, for the profecuting of this obfervation, through divine aid, fhall be the following.

I. We would inftance fome of these all things, relating to the new creation, that are of God.

II. Enquire how all these things are of God?
III. Whence it is that all things are of God?
IV. Make application of the whole fubject.

I. We would inftance fome of these all things relating to the new creation, in Chrift Jefus, that are of God. If any man be in Chrift Jefus, he is a new creature: old things are paffed away; behold, all things are become, new," verfe 17. Who makes them fo? Why, God fays of himself, Rev. xxi. 5. “Behold, I make all things new;" and here it is faid of him, All things are of God, namely, all the new things here fpoken of; particularly,

V. I.

1. The new birth is of God: and therefore they that are born again, are faid to be born of God, 1 John iii. 9. They are Born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," John i. 13. They are born of the Spirit, John iii. 5, 6. 8. And hence, to the fame purpose,

2. The new heart is of God; "A new heart will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the ftony-heart out of your flefh, and I will give you an heart of flesh," Ezek. xxxvi. 26. If you get a be

lieving

lieving heart this day, it will be of God; if you get a humble heart, a praying heart, a loving heart, a tender heart, a fixed heart, it must be of God.

3. The new life is of God, who is the fountain of life, and who faith unto us, when we are in our blood, Live, Ezek. xvi. 6. The fpiritual life, hid with Chritt in God, is of God. Why, the life of juflification in Chrift, is of God; "It is God that juftifieth, who is he that fhall condemn?" The life of fanctification and holinefs is of God; "I am the Lord that fanctifieth

you."

4. The new light is of God; "The God who commanded the light to fhine out of darkness, hath fhined into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jefus Chrift," 2 Cor. iv. 6. God is the Father of all lights, natural and fpiritual; "Every good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights," James i. 17.

5. The new liberty is of God; "The Lord loofeth the prifoners, Pfal. cxlvi. 7. and where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty," 2 Cor. iii. 17. If any bonds be loofed here this day, God muft get the glory of it: and the foul that is loofed from the bonds and fetters of darknefs, doubts, fears, and unbelieving jealoufy, so as to be at liberty to ferve the Lord with freedom, ought to fay, Thou haft loofed my bonds."

6. The new garment is of God: it is he that clothed us with the garments of falvation, and covers us with the robe of righteoufnefs, Ifa. Ixi. 10. It is of God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, fpeaking in the plural number, that fays to the fpoufe of Chrift, Song ii. 11. "We will make thee borders of gold, with ftuds of filver." The robe of imputed righteoufnefs is of God's making: He, by whom Chrift is made fin for us, by him we are made the righteoufnefs of God in him, 2 Cor. v. 21. The robe of imparted grace and holiness is of God's making; "The king's daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is of wrought gold," Pfal. xlv. 13.; wrought by the finger of God, whose workmanship the new creature is.

In a word, All things relating to the new creation in Chrift, are of God.The new eye is of God, who opens the eyes of the understanding. The new ear is of God, who opens the ear to discipline, and feals instruction. The

new

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