' For this is all my salvation and all my desire ;' i. e. this is the great ground of all my hope concerning my salvation, and of all the happiness and blessedness which I look for in another world. This everlasting covenant, this sure covenant, is the great charter of charters that I have to shew for eternal bliss. David was drawing near to his eternal home, and whether his graces and gracious evidences for heaven's happiness were bright and shining, or blotted and clouded, I shall not at this time stand to inquire. It is enough that he stays his soul upon the covenant of grace, and that he comforts and solaces his soul in the covenant of grace. And oh that all Christians, when their graces and gracious evidences are either clouded or blotted, or else sparkling and shining, that they would frequently eye these three royal forts, viz., (1.) the free grace and favour of God ; (2.) the mediatory righteousness of Christ ; (3.) the covenant of grace. Now, that I may the more effectually pre- vail with you to look upon these royal forts, and to delight in these royal forts, and to prize these royal ibrts, and to improve these royal forts, give me leave to offer these three things briefly to your con- sideration :
49 4< A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. V.
First, Our best graces and performances are not commensurate and square payment in the eyes of pure justice. All of them as inherent in us, and acted by us, are but imperfect excellencies. No man hath so much grace and holiness as is required, nor doth he so much as he is obliged to do. Every particular grace, though it be of an heavenly and divine original, yet it is like the stars twinkling, though placed in the heavens ; so that if God should enter into judgment with the most righteous person, even the righteousness that is in him would not be safety and defence unto him, Ps. cxliii. 2, Job xiv. 3, 4, Rom. iii. 20 ; for what a deal of pride have we mixed "vs-ith a little humiUty ! and what a deal of passion have we mixed with a little meekness ! and what a deal of hypocrisy have we mixed with a little sincerity ! and what a deal of earthly-mindedness have we mixed with a little heavenly- mindedness ! and w^hat a deal of unbelief have we mixed with a little faith ! O sirs ! in the great business of your access to God, and of your acceptance with God, and of your reconciliation to God, and of your justification before God, it is best, safest, and noblest to bottom your faith, hope, and expectation infinitely rather upon imputed righteous- ness than inherent righteousness, upon what Christ has done for you than upon what he has done in you, Rom. iii. 20-27, Philip, iii. 8-10. Inherent righteousness is stained, imperfect, impure; but imputed righteousness is pure and perfect. If there were any stain or any im- perfection in that, it could not justify us. it could not save us, it could not secure us from wrath to come. Such evidences as are not fetched from any thing in us, nor from any things done by us, but are fetched by faith from our free justification, and from Christ's full satisfaction which he hath wrought for us, will be found the most full, the most sweet, the most refreshing, the most comforting, and the most satisfying evidences, Christ is all fair, all perfect, all pure ; and therefore let him be most in your eye and most upon your hearts. But here take heed that you do not look ujDon your graces, or your gracious evidences, as poor, low, weak, contemptible things, as too many do ; for the least of them is more worth than heaven and earth, and they may yield you much comfort, much support, much refreshing, and much satisfaction, though they cannot yield you that full comfort nor that full satisfaction as Christ himself can yield, as Christ's satisfaction can yield, as free jus- tification can yield. Though children and friends cannot yield to a wife that full comfort, content, delight, and satisfaction as her husband does, yet they may yield her much comfort, much content, much delight, much satisfaction. The apphcation is easy. But,
Secondly, Consider, that Christian that hath free grace, that hath free justification, that hath the mediatory righteousness of Christ, that hath the satisfaction of Christ, that hath the covenant of grace most constantly in his sight, and most frequently warm upon his heart, that Christian, of all Christians in the world, is most free from a world of fears, and doubts, and scruples, which do sad, sink, perplex, and press down a world of other Christians, who affect a life of sense, and who daily eye more what Christ is a-doing in them, and what they are a-doing for Christ, than they do eye either his active or passive obedience. Christ hath done great things for his people, and he has suffered great things for his people, and he has purchased great things for his people, and he has prepared great things for his people ; yet many of his own dear
Chap. V.] a cabinet of jewels. 495
people are so taken up with their own hearts, and with their own duties and graces, that Christ is little ej^ed by them or minded by them ; and what is this but to be more taken with the streams than with the foun- tain ? with the leaves, blossoms and fruit, than with the tree itself ? with the bracelets, ear-rings, and gold chains, than with the husband himself ? with the nobles that wait, than with the king that is waited on ? And this is the great reason why so many Christians, who will certainly go to heaven, do walk in darkness, and lie down in sorrow. But,