' Mere particular actions do not conclude, either way, the estate of the soul. An hypocrite may do some good act, and an upright person may do some sinful act. A man must give in judgment for or against himself, according as the habitual purpose and temper of his heart stands, &c. ^ Qu. 'premises^? — Ed.
So-i A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. II.
stant tenor of our lives.^ It is certain, that God accounts every wicked man guilty of all those sins, wickednesses, and vanities, which the settled purpose, desire, bent, bias, and frame of his soul inclined him to, though he doth not actually commit them : Mat. v. 28, ' He that looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart/ A man may commit adultery, and yet not touch a woman. There are many thousands that die of the wound in the eye. So 1 John iii. 15, 'Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.' A man may commit murder, and yet not kill a man, yea, he may commit murder, and yet not touch a man : Prov. xxiii. 7, ' For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.' The man is as the- mind is. God esteems of wicked men according to their hearts, and not according to their words. So it is as certain that the Lord accounts every godly man to do all that good, that the settled purpose, frame, bent, bias, and unfeigned desires of the soul inclines him to : 2 Cor. viii. 12, 'If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted.' So Heb. xi. 17, ' By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac : and he that had received the promises offered up his only son ;' that is, in disposition and full purpose of heart, and wilHngness of mind, which God accepted for the deed. A true intent is in God'.s account as a real act. So David had a purpose, a mind, a will to build God a house, and for this God commends him : 1 King-s viii. 18, ' And the Lord said unto Da\dd my father, Whereas it was in thy heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart ;' yea, God rewards him for it. as if he had actually done it, and tells him in his ear that he would build him an house, 2 Sam. vii. 27. So when that servant that owed his Lord ten thousand talents had shewed his readiness, and willingness, and resolvedness to pay all : ' Lord, have patience with me, and 1 wiU pay thee all !' Mat xviii. 26, a thing as im- possible for him to do, as it is for us to keep the whole law, and not to fail in one point ; but his desires, his mind, his will, his purposes was to do it ; well, and what does his Lord do ? Why, his Lord has compassion on him, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt, ver. 27 ; his Lord took this for full and current payment, he accepted of the will for the deed. So when Zaccheus had unfeignedly professed his purpose and willingness to make restitution, Christ presently replies, * This day is salvation come to thy house,' Luke xix. 9. Certainly the Lord accounts that soul a true believer, and a blessed soul, that unfeignedly desires to believe ; witness that Mat. v. 6, ' Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled.' And it is as certain that the Lord accounts that sinner a true penitent, that doth unfeignedly desire, purpose, and resolve to repent, to break off his sins, and to turn to the Lord, as you may see in that great instance of the prodigal : Luke XV. 18-20, ' I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son : make me as one of thy hired servants.
> It is not a pang of the soul, nor a mood, nor a fit of an af^ne, nor a flash of lightning, nor a man's being as the morning dew, but his habitual puri>ose, resolution, aud incli- nation to grod, that evidences the man to be really good : Ps. cxix. It), ' Aly soul brcaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times,' &c. A sheep may slip into a slough as soon as a swine ; and an apple tree may have a fit of barrenness, as well as a crab tree. But the sheep loves not to wallow in the mire, as the swine does. And though the apple tree be barren one year, yet it brings forth fruit the next.
Chap. II.] a cabinet of jewels. 335
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.' As soon as ever the prodigal did hut purpose and resolve to repent, and return to his father, the compassions of his father are kindled and turned towards him, and he does not go, but runs and falls on his neck, and instead of kicking and killing, there is no- thing but kissing and embracing a returning prodigal. God always sets a higher value upon our dispositions than upon our actions, and in our best services he esteems more of our wills than he does of our deeds, as is evident by the scriptures in the margin.^ Every good man is as good in the eye and account of God, as the ordinary frame and bent of his spirit speaks him to be. Every man is as holy, as humble, as heavenly, as spiritual, as gracious, as serious, as sincere, as fruitful, as faithful, as watchful, &c., as the settled purposes, desires, resolutions, and endeavours of his soul speaks him to be. Hence "Noah is said to be a just man, and perfect or upright in his generation. Gen. vi. 9. And hence Job is said to be a perfect and an upright man, one that feared God and eschewed evil. Job i. 1-8. And hence David is said to be a man after God's own heart, 1 Sam. xiii. ] 4 ; and to fulfil all his wills, Acts xiii. 22, Here the Greek Avord '^i7.%iJ,ara is wills, to note the universality and sincerity of his obedience. And hence Zacharias and Elizabeth are said to be both righteous before God, "walk- ing in all the commandments and ordinances of God blameless, Luke i. 5, 6. Hence the church is said to be all fair : Cant. iv. 7, ' Thou art all fair, my love, and there is no spot in thee.' And hence those hundred forty and four thousand saints that had their Father's name written in their foreheads. Rev. xiv. 1, are said to be without fault: ver. 5, ' And in their mouth was found no guile : for they were without fault before the throne of God.' God in the covenant of grace, and upon the credit of his Son's blood, and for the glory of his free grace and favour, is graciously pleased to accept of his people, and to approve of his people, and to de- light in his people, and to intei-pret his people, according to the common bent, frame, disposition, resolution, unfeigned desires, and constant en- deavours of their souls. But, &c.
III. Thirdly, If your obedience he the obedience of faith, then your estate is good, tlcen you have assuredly an infallible vjork of God upon your souls.
Quest. But hoiv shall we know whether our obedience be the obe- dience of faith or no ? How may a man discern vjhen his obedience s^yrings from faith ?