It is the imperative duty of all Christians, to
promote the eternal salvation of men. Strictly
speaking-, no man can provide for his brother's
eternal peace. But, in the very same sense, no
man can provide for the present comfort of any
human being-. Without the immediate providence
of God the builder builds, and the watchman
watches, the husbandman sows, the merchant
traffics in vain. The bread which perisheth
and that which endures unto everlasting- life, both
come equally down from heaven. The eternal
God, of his great liberality, not merely makes
the harvests come round in their abundance, and
sends corn, and wine, and oil, that man in the
midst of his sinfulness may be filled with joy, but
hath, f'rom all eternity, provided for the eternal
happiness of those who shall be saved. Both
these treasures have been put into earthen vessels,
and strictly speaking-, it is not the providing of
them, but the distribution, which is left to man.
And what ought to be impressed upon our minds
is, that the duty of spreading these eternal benefits
abroad, is binding- not merely upon the ministers
of the everlasting Gospel, or upon kings and
rulers, although, in this work, they should stand
forth prominent, but upon all Christians as such.
The whole members of the Christian Church
should be constantly at work, like the little
leaven hid amidst the mighty mass until the
whole is leavened.
promote the eternal salvation of men. Strictly
speaking-, no man can provide for his brother's
eternal peace. But, in the very same sense, no
man can provide for the present comfort of any
human being-. Without the immediate providence
of God the builder builds, and the watchman
watches, the husbandman sows, the merchant
traffics in vain. The bread which perisheth
and that which endures unto everlasting- life, both
come equally down from heaven. The eternal
God, of his great liberality, not merely makes
the harvests come round in their abundance, and
sends corn, and wine, and oil, that man in the
midst of his sinfulness may be filled with joy, but
hath, f'rom all eternity, provided for the eternal
happiness of those who shall be saved. Both
these treasures have been put into earthen vessels,
and strictly speaking-, it is not the providing of
them, but the distribution, which is left to man.
And what ought to be impressed upon our minds
is, that the duty of spreading these eternal benefits
abroad, is binding- not merely upon the ministers
of the everlasting Gospel, or upon kings and
rulers, although, in this work, they should stand
forth prominent, but upon all Christians as such.
The whole members of the Christian Church
should be constantly at work, like the little
leaven hid amidst the mighty mass until the
whole is leavened.
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