[2.] Secondly, Though many poor, weak, doubting, trembling Chris- tians dare not say that they do love tlce Lord Jesus Christ, yet they dare
> 1 John V. 13 ; Isa. 1. 10 ; Mark ix, 24 ; 1 Cor. ii. 12 ; 1 Johu iv. 13, 14 ; Heb. vi. 11, 12 ; Eph. iii. 17-19 ; 2 Peter i. 10.
Chap. I.J a cabinet of jewels. 289
say that they luoulcl love the Lord Jesus Christ with all their hearts, and vjUh all their souls, and they dare say, that if it were in their 'power, they would even shed tears of blood because they cannot love Christ both as they ivoidd and as they should.^ Blessed Bradford would sit and wecpat dinner till the tearsfell on his trencher, because hecould love God no more. JSo the poor, doubting, trembling Christian mourns and laments because he can love Christ no more. ' A man may love gold, and yet not have it, but no man loveth God but he is sure to have God,' saith Augustine. A good man once cried out, ' I had rather have one Christ, than a thousand worlds.'
[3.] Thirdly, Though many poor, weak, doubting, trembling Chris- tians dare not say that they have grace, yet they dare say that they j)rize the least dram of grace above all the gold and silver of the Indies. Were all the world a lump of gold, and in their hands to dispose of it, they would give it for grace, yea, for a little grace. Now certainly no man can thus highly prize grace but he that has grace. No man sees the worth and lustre of grace, no man sees a beauty and excellency in grace, nor no man can value grace above the gold of Ophir, but he whose heart has been changed, and whose eyes has been opened by the spirit of grace.^ But,
[4.] Fourthly, Though many poor, doubting, trembling Christians dare not say that their condition is good, that their condition is safe and happy, yet they dare say that they would not for ten thousand worlds change their conditions tuith the vain and debauched men of the tvorld, tvho delight in sin, tuho walloiv in sin, who make a sport of sin, and who live under the reign and dominion of sin. They had rather, with Lazarus, be full of sores and full of wants, and live and die in rags, and after all be carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, than with Dives, every day to fare sumptuously, and be clothed glo- riously, and perish eternally, Luke xvi. Though they are poor, and wicked men rich ; though they are debased, and wicked men exalted ; though they are empty, and wicked men full ; though they are low, and wicked men high ; though they enjoy nothing, and wicked men enjoy everything ; yet they Avould not for as many worlds as there be men in the world change conditions with them. But,
[5.] Fifthly, Though j)oor, doubting, staggering, trembling Christians dare not say that they do not sin, because there is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not : Eccles, vii. 20, 'And because no man can say I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin ;' Prov. XX. 9, ' And because in many things we offend all ;' James iii. 2, ' And because if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us ;' 1 John i. 8, chap. iii. 6, 8, 9, 10 ; yet they dare say thatthey ivould not willingly, w'ilfully, wickedly, resolutely, maliciously, and habitually sin against the Lord to gain the whole luorld. Though they dare not say they do not sin, yet they dare say, if they might have their choice, they would never dishonour God more, nor crucify the Lord of glory more, nor grieve the Spirit of grace more, nor wound conscience
* It was a famous saying of Austin's, he loves not Christ at all that loves not Christ above all. [Conft^ssions, and De Civil tie Dei, often. — G.]
* Cardan suith, that every precious stone hath an egre^^ious virtue in it. The same w© may say of every saving gract;.
290 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. I.
more, nor cloud the face of God more, nor darken their evidences for heaven more, nor interrupt their commuDion with God more, &c. But,
[6.] Sixthly, Thouglipoor, doubting, staggering, trembling Christians dare not say that God is their God, or that Christ is their Redeemer, or that the Spirit is their Comfoiier; yet they da/re say, that if God, and Christ, and the Spint, and grace and glory, and holiness omd happi- ness, were offered to them on the one hand, and all the honours, j^lea- sures, profits, delights, and carnal contents of the ivorld were offered them on the other hand, they had ten thousand times raiher, they had infinitely rcdher, choose God, and Christ, and the Spint, and grace and holiness, and everlasting happiness, than the contrary : Cant. v. JO; Deut. xxvi. 17 ; Ps. Ixxiii. 25 ; Philip, iii. 6-8. Look, as Eacliel cried out, ' Give me children, or I die,' Gen. xxx. 1; so these poor hearts are still crying out, 'O Lord, give me thyself, or I die ; give me thy Christ, or I die ; give me thy Spirit and grace, or I die ; give me pardon of sin, or I die ; lift up the light of thy countenance upon me, or I die ; bring me under the bond of the covenant, or I die. O Lord, let all these things be done, or I am undone, and that for ever ; Lord, let the men of this world take the world, and divide it among themselves ; let me but enjoy thyself, thy Christ, thy love, and I shall say, ' My lot is fallen to me in a pleasant place, and verily I have a goodly heritage,' Ps. xvi. 5, 6. But,
[7.] Seventhly, Though poor, doubting, staggering, trembling Chris- tians dare not say that they have grace in their own hearts, yet they dare say that they dearly love, and highly honour, and greatly prize the graces of the Spirit which they see sparkling and shining in the hearts and lives and lips of other saints} And they dare say that there are no men in all the world that are so precious, so lovely, sc worthy, and so honourable in their eyes, or so high in their esteems, as those who have the image of God, of Christ, of holiness, most clearly, fairly and fully stamped upon them. But,