1 Heb. xi. ; Rom. iv. 3, and viii. 24; Zecli. xii. 10.
-' Plutarch, in tlie life of Tliocion, tells us of a certain gentlewoman of Ionia, who shewed the wife of Phocion all the rich jewels and precious stones she had. She answered her again, All my riches and jewels is my husband. This is more applicable to Christ, &c. The precious stone ojntljim is said to have the virtue of all stones — the brightness of the carbuncle, the purple colour of the amethyst, the amiable greenness of the emerald ; but what are all these to Christ ?
Chap. V.] a cabinet of jewels, 501
see the free grace of Christ, and his infinite, spotless, matchless, and glo- rious righteousness to be your surest, sweetest, highest, and choicest comfort and refuge. Look, as Rebekah was more taken with the per- son of Isaac than she was with his ear-rings, bracelets, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, Gen. xxiv. 30, 52, 64, 65, 66, 67 : so it becomes a Christian, in the presence of his graces and gracious evidences, which are Christ's ear-ring.s, bracelets, and jewels, to be more taken up with Christ than with them. Christ, and his mediatory righteousness, should be more in a Christian's eye, and always lie nearer to a Christian's heart, than inherent righteousness. Grace is a ring of gold, and Christ is the sparkling diamond in that ring. Now, what is the ring to the sparkling diamond ? It is not safe to pore more upon inherent right- eousness than upon imputed righteousness,' It is not wisdom to have our thoughts and hearts more taken up with our gracious dispositions and gracious actings, than with the person of Christ, the righteousness of Christ, the life of Christ, the death of Christ, the satisfaction of Christ, &c. Dear Christians, was it Christ, or was it your graces, or your gracious evidences, or your gracious dispositions, or your gracious actings, that trod the wine-press of your Father's wrath, that satisfied divine justice, that pacified divine anger, that did bear the curse, that fulfilled the law, that brought in an everlasting righteousness, that dis- charged your debts, that procured your pardon, that made your peace, and that brought you into a state of favour and friendship with God ? If you answer, as you must, ' None but Christ, none but Christ,' oh then, let your thoughts and hearts be firstly, mostly, chiefly, and lastly taken up with the Lord Jesus. Though inherent grace be a glorious creature, yet it is but a creature. Now, when your thoughts and hearts are more taken up with mherent grace, than they are with Christ, the spring and fountain of all grace ; you make an idol of inherent grace, and reflect dishonour upon the Lord Jesus, John i. 16 ; Col. ii. 2, 3. A Christian may lawfully look upon his graces and his gracious evidences, and a Christian ought to be much in blessing and praising of God for his graces and gracious evidences, and a Christian may safely take comfort in his graces and gi-acious evidences, as they are the fruits of God's eternal and unchangeable love ; but still his work should be to live upon Christ, and to lift up Christ above all, Isa. xxxviii. 3, 2 Cor. i. 12. It is Christ, it is his mediatory righteousness, it is free grace, that a Christian ought to make the chief and only ground and bottom of his hope and comforts. Though good old Jacob did really rejoice in the chariots and waggons that Joseph had sent to bring him down to Egypt, yet he did more abundantly rejoice in this, that Jaseph was alive, and that shortly he should see and enjoy Joseph himself, Gen. xlv. 26-28. Though a Christian may really re- joice in his graces and gracious evidences, yet above all he ought to rejoice in Chiist Jesus, to triumph in Christ Jesus, and to take up in Christ Jesus as in his great all. Gal. vi. U, Philip, iii. 3, 2 Cor. ii. 14, Col. iii. 11. There is a great aptness and proneness in many (may I not say in most?) gracious Christians, to gaze so much and so long upon their graces, upon their gracious dispositions, upon their gracious evidences, and upon their gracious actings, that too often they neglect the exercise of faith upon Christ, upon the promises ; they gaze so much and so long upon what
» He that holds not wholly with Christ, doth very shamefully neglect Christ. Aut^ totum mecum lene, aut totum omiUe. — Grego. Naziaii.
502 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. V.