(4.)  He  will  own  them  before  all  the  world  at  the  last  day,  '  I  will
confess  them,'  saith  Christ,  '  before  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven/
Luke  xii.  8.  These  are  the  fruits  of  my  purchase ;  he  will  present
them  to  God :  Heb.  ii.  13, '  Behold,  I  and  the  children  which  God  hath
given  me/  But  wicked  men  are  disclaimed :  then  will  I  *  profess  unto


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them,  I  never  knew  you/  Mat.  vii.  23.  Oh !  how  will  their  faces  gather
blackness  when  Christ  shall  disclaim  all  acquaintance  with  them.  I  never
had  any  real  and  familiar  converse  with  you,  in  public  or  private  worship.
[2.]  How  he  values  them.     He  doth  not  stand  upon  other  nations  for
their  safety,  either  to  preserve  them  or  to  divert  the  destroyer  from
them ;  as  for  instance,  when  God,  raiseth  up  some  furious  instrument,
that  is  flagellus  Dei,  the  scourge  of  God  to  pull  down  and  waste  ;  God
finds  work  for  them  abroad  to  save  his  people ;  and  therefore  he  saith,
Isa.  xliii.  3,  4,  *  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  thy
saviour :  I  gave  Egypt  for  thy  ransom,  Ethiopia  and  Seba  for  thee.
