[12.] The twelfth proposition is this, viz.. That it is the great duty and concernment of Chnstians to keep the evidences of their gracious and happy condition aUvays bright and shining. Christians should make conscience of blurring and disfiguring the golden characters of grace in their souls. The least character of grace in the soul, is more worth than all the gold of Ophir, yea, more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds ; and therefore every gracious Christian should be mar- vellous careful, that he does not by wilful omissions or sinful commis- sions cloud, dim, or darken the least character of grace, Eph. iv. 30, Ps. li. 11, 12. Such as blot or lose their evidences for heaven, they lo.se the comfort of their lives in this world. Satan's masterpiece is first to work Christians to blot and blur their evidences for glory, by commit- .ting this or that heinous sin ; and then his next work is to rob them of their evidences for glory, that so though at the long run they may get safe to heaven, that yet Jacob-like they may go halting and mourning to their graves. Satan knows, that whilst a Christian's evidences are bright and shining, a Christian is temptation-proof. Satan may tempt him, but he cannot conquer him ; he may assault him, but he cannot vanquish him. Satan knows, that whilst a Christian's evidences for
482 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. V.
heaven are bright and shining, no afflictions can sink him, nor no opposition shake him, nor no persecution discourage him, nor no out- ward wants perplex him ; and therefore he will use all his power and policy, all his arts, crafts, and parts, to draw poor Christians to blot and blur their evidences for glory. Satan knows, that a man may lose one friend, and easily get another, lose his trade in one place, and soon get a trade in another place ; lose his health and get it, lose an estate and get an estate, &c. But if he lose his evidences for heaven, he knows it will cost him many a prayer, and many a sigh, and many a groan, and many a tear, and many a sad complaint, before he recovers his lost evidences; and therefore his grand design is to plunder a Christian of his evidences for heaven. O sirs ! keep but your evidences for heaven always bright and shining, and then heavy afflictions will be light, and long afflic- tions will be short, and bitter afflictions will be sweet, 2 Cor. iv. 16-18; and then every evidence fairly written in your hearts will be a living comfort to you in a dying hour. When the tokens of death are upon your bodies, and you shall see the lively characters of grace shining in your souls, you will then cry out with old Simeon, ' Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace,' Luke ii. 29 ; and with the spouse, ' Make haste, my beloved, and be hke to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices,' Cant. viii. 14 ; and with the bride, ' Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly,' Rev. xxii. 20 ; and with Paul, ' I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ,' Philip, i. 23. When a man's evidences for heaven are either lost or blotted and blurred, then he will be ready to cry out with David, ' Oh spare me yet a little, that I may recover strength before I go hence and be seen no more,' Ps. xxxix. 13 ; and with Hezekiah, to turn his face to the wall and weep, Isa. xxxviii. 3. There are four things that above all others a Christian should labour to keep ; (1) Christ ; (2) his own heart ; (3) the word ; (4) his evidences for heaven, bright and shining. But,
[13.] The thirteenth proposition is this viz., It is the high concern- ment of every Christian, either ivhen he is in the dark, or ivhen his graces shine brightest, and luhen his evidences for heaven are clearest, and his springs of comfort rise highest, then to have his heart and the eije of his faith most firmly fixed upon these three royal foHs, or these three cities of refuge. It must be granted, that though our graces are our best jewels, yet they are imperfect, and do not give out their full lustre ; they are like the moon, Avhich when it shines brightest hath her dark spots ; and therefore a Christian had need have his eye, his heart fixed upon the three following royal forts. You know in time of war there are the outworks, and there are the royal forts. Now, when the soldiers are beaten out of their outworks, they retire to the royal forts, and there they are safe ; and then they cast up their caps and bid defiance to their proudest enemies. Now, our graces and our gracious evidences, they are our outworks ; and from these we may be beaten in a day of desertion and temptation, &c. Now if we make our retrea to the three following royal forts, we may in a holy sense cast up our caps, and bid defiance to an host of devils, yea, to all the powers of darkness. But,
Quest. But, sir, pray let us know which are these royal forts.
Ana. They are these three that follow.
1. The first is the free, rich, infinite, sovereign, and glorious grace
Chap. V.] a cabinet of jewels. 483