O deceive not yourselves with names and notions ? Think not, be- cause you are for a stricter way of worship, or because you associate with, and are accordingly denominated, one of the more reformed professors, that therefore you are safe enough : Alas ! how small an interest have titles, modes, and denominations in religion ? Suppose a curious artist take a lump of lead and refine it, and cast it into the mould, whence it comes forth shining, and bearing some noble figure, suppose of an eagle ; yet it is but a leaden eagle. Suppose the figure of a man, and that in the most exact lineaments and proportions ; yet still it is but a leaden man : Nay, let it bear the figure of an angel, it is but a leaden angel : For the base and ignoble matter is the same it was, though the figure be not. Even so, take an unregenerate, carnal man, let his life be reformed, and his tongue refined, and call him a zealous Conformist, or a strict Non-conformist ; call him a Presbyterian, an Independent, or what you will ; he is all the while but a carnal Conformist, or Non-conformist ; an unregenerate Pres- byterian, a carnal Independent; for the nature is still the same, though the stamp and figure his profession gives him be not the same.
O my friends ! believe it, fine names and brave words are of little value with God : God will no more spare you for these, than Samuel did Agag for his delicate ornaments, and spruce appearance : Either make sure the root of the matter, or the leaves of a vain profession will not long cover you.
To be deceived by another is bad enough ; but to deceive our- selves is a thousand times worse.
To deceive ourselves in truths of the superstructure, is bad ; and they that do so shall suffer loss, 1 Cor. iil. 12. But to deceive our- selves in the foundation, is a desperate deceit, and shipwrecks all our hopes and happiness at once.
If any one lose his money by a cheat, it troubles him ; but to lose his soul by a cheat, will confound him. If a man lose an eye, an ear, a hand, a foot, yet omnia Deus dedit duplicia, as Chrysostom speaks; God hath given these members double, so that there is another left; animam vero uiiam : But the soul is one, and only- one ; and if that be damned, you have not another to he saved.
O therefore be restless till it be, and till you know it be, out of eternal danger !
Use 3. In conclusion: If so many professors of religion be cheated in their profession, let all that are well satisfied and assured of their integrity, bless the Lord whilst they live for that mercy. O it is a mercy that no unsanctified soul can have : yea, and it is a laercy that many gracious souls cannot obtain, though they seek it
5^ZS THE INVALUABLE WORTH OF SAVING GRACE.
with tears, and would part with all the pleasant things they have iit the world to enjoy it.
This is that mercy that gives souls the highest pleasure this world is acquainted with, or the slate of this mortality can bear ; for let the well-assured soul but consider what it is assured of, Christ, with the purchases of his blood. O what is this ! " I am my beloved's, and " my beloved is mine," Cant. ii. 16. What a vital, ravishing, over- powering efficacy is in that voice of faith ! let it but look back a few years, and compare what it was with what it is now ; it was far off, it is now made nigh, Eph. ii. 12, 15. It was not beloved, but is now beloved, Rom. ix. 25, 26. It had not obtained mercy, but now hath obtained mercy, 1 Pet. ii. 10. Or let the assured soul look forward, and compare what it now is, and hath, with what it shortly shall be made, and put in possession of: " Beloved, (saith the apos- ^' tie) now are we the sons of God ; but it doth not yet appear what *' we shall be : But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be *' like him, for we shall see him as he is,'' 1 John iii. 2.
I say, let the assured soul but steep its thoughts, by meditation, in these subjects, and it will be impossible to keep him from the most agreeable transports of joy and delight.
O what a life have you in comparison of other men ? Some have two hells, one present, another coming ; you have two heavens, one in hand, the other in hope. Some of your own brethren in Christ, that have been, it may be, many years panting after assurance, are still denied it ; but God hath indulged so peculiar a favour to you. Bless ye the Lord, and make his praise glorious.
Containing the use and improvement of
Thut true grace is exceeding precious, and greatly enricheth the soul that hath it : It is Christ's gold.
_ HE Lord Jesus here chuseth the most pure, precious, resplen- dent, durable, and valuable thing, in all the treasures and magazines of nature^ to shadow forth saving grace, which is infinitely more excellent: Certainly that must be the best thing which the best things in nature can but imperfectly shadow forth. What was the golden oil emptied through the two golden pipes, Zech. iv. 12. but the precious graces of God, flowing through Christ into all his mem- bers : Gold is precious ; but one drachm of saving grace is more
THE INVALUABLE WORTH OF SAVING GItACE. 529
precious than all the gold of Ophir : " It cannot be gotten for gold, " neither shall silver be weighed for a price thereof," Job xxviii. 15. Surely gold and silver, sapphires, diamonds, and rubies, are not worth the mentioning, when saving grace is once mentioned. For consider it,
1. First, In its cause and fountain from whence it flows, and you shall find it to be the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22. who, upon that account, is called the Spirit of' Grace, Heb. x. 29. It derives its original from the Most High ; it is spirit born of Spirit, John iii. 6. All the rules of morality, all human diligence and industry can never produce one gracious habit or act alone ; 2 Cor. iii. 5. " Not that *' we are sufficient of ourselves,"*^ &c.
Nay, we speak not becoming the incomparable worth of grace, when we say, it is the fruit and birth of the Spirit ; for so are com- mon gifts also. There are several emanations from this sun, divers streams from this fountain ; but of all his operations and produc- tions, this of saving grace is the most noble and excellent. Gifts are from the Spirit as well as grace, but grace is more excellent than the best gifts, 1 Cor. xii. 31. " Covet earnestly the best gifts, and " yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.'' Hence you read in Phil. i. 10. " Of things that are excellent," or as the original, ra dia(ps^ovTa, might be rendered, things that differ, namely, in res- pect of excellency, not as good and evil, but as less good and more good differ. Gifts have their value and preciousness, but the best gifts differ as much from grace, as brass from gold, though both be generated by the influence of the same sun. Gifts (as one saith) are dead graces, but graces are living gifts ; it is the most excellent pro- duction of the highest and most excellent cause.