XVIII. Eighteenthly and lastly, jTAa^ trouble, grief, and sorrow for sin, that drives a man from God, is sinful, and must one day he re- pented of and luept over. All true trouble, grief and sorrow, drives to God, as is evident by the scriptures in the margin.^ Suppose thou hast so and so sinned, yet it is a false inference that therefore thou shoiddst be discouraged, and let thy hopes sink, and thy heart faint, as if there were no lielp, no hope, no comfort for thee in th}' God.
Quest. But token is a mans trouble or sorrow for sin sinful ?
Ans. [1.] When it keeps Christ and the soul asunder. [2.] When it keeps the soul and the promises asunder. [3.] When it unfits a man for the duties of his place and calling, wherein the providence of God has stated him. [4.] When it unfits a man for the duties of religion,
' See index, sub nomine, for other references to Bnulford. — G.
* Hosea V. 14, 15, vi. 1-3; Jer. xxxi. 18-20; Ps. li. ; Hosea xiv. 1, 2; Ps. xxv. 11. VOL. III. U
30G A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. II.
either private or public. [5.] When it takes off the sweet and comfort of all outward comforts and enjoyments, and renders all our mercies like the white of an egg, that has no taste or savour in it. [6.] When it weakens, wastes, or destroys the outward man ; all godly sorrow is a friend to the soul, and no enemy to the body.
And thus much for those divine maxims, considerations, and rules that are seriously to be minded and observed in order to the clearing up a man's interest in Christ, and his title to all the glory of another world. Certainly these eighteen maxims, considerations, or rules, if God shall please powerfully to set in with them, are of singular use for the clearing up of the saving work of God upon poor souls. And there- fore it highly concerns Christians seriously to ponder upon them, as Mary did upon the sayings of the angel in her heart, Luke ii. 1 9. Now these things being premised, I shall come in the next chapter to lay down some infallible evidences of saving grace.
Containing many choice, precious, and infallible evidences of true saving grace, upon which a Christian may safely and securely, comfortably and confidently, rest and adventure the weight of his precious and immortal soul, and by which he may certainly know that it shall go well ivith him for ever ; and that he has a real sav- ing interest in Christ, and shall be everlastingly happy, ivhen he shall be here no more, &c.
I. First, There are some things in regard of sin, and a Christian's actings about it, that speaks out a gracious estate, and that discovers a saving principle of grace to be in the soul, I shall instance in these eleven particulars.
[1.] First, A universal willingness to be rid of all sin, is an in- fallible evidence of the truth of grace in a mans souV The first saving work of the Spirit upon the soul is the dividing between sin and the soul ; it is a making an utter breach betwixt sin and the soul ; it is a dissolving of that old league that has been between the sinner and his sin. The first work of the Spirit is to make a man look upon sin as an enemy, and to deal with sin as an enemy, to hate it as an enemy, to loathe it as an enemy, to fear it as an enemy, and to arm against it as an enemy. When the Holy Spirit takes possession of a soul, from that day forward the soul looks upon sin with as evil and as envious an eye as Saul looked on David when the evil spirit was upon him. Oh, saith Saul, that T were but once well rid of tiiis David ; and ob, saith the gracious soul, that I were but once well rid of this proud heart, this hard heart, this unbelieving heart, this unclean heart, this froward heart, this earthly heart of mine, &c. Look, as the daughters of Heth even made Rebekah weary of her life, Gen. xxvi. 35, so corruptions within makes the gracious soul even weary of his life. ' Many a day have I sought death with tears,' said blessed Cowper, ' not out of im-
' Isa. xxviii. 15, 18, xxx. 22 ; Ilosoa xiv. 8 ; Rom. vii. 22-24.
Chap. II.] a cabinet of jewels. S07
patience, distrust, or perturbation, but because I am weary of sin, and fearful to fall into it.' Look, as when Christ hath won the will, he hath won the man ; so when sin hath lost the will, it hath lost the man. The will is the heart ; ' My son, give me thy heart,' is, My son, give me thy will. The will is the fort-royal of the soul ; it is that stronghold that stands out stoutest and longest against all the assaults of heaven. When the will is won, all is won, the castle is won, the heart is won ; the man is won when the will is won.i A man's judgment and reason may say, I ought to turn from sin, and his conscience may say, I must turn from sin, or it will be bitterness in the end, and yet the work not done, nor the soul won ; but when the heart says, the will says, I will turn from sin, then the work is done, and the man is won. Where rea- son saith these lusts ought to be subdued, and the conscience saith these lusts must be subdued, and the will saith these lusts shall be sub- dued,— Ps. Isv. S, ' As for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away/ — there is a saving work upon the soul. When the will says to sin, as Ephraim said to his idols, ' Get you hence, what have I any more to do with you?' Hosea xiv. 8, then the work of God is begun in power upon the soul.