A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…A cabinet of choice jevvels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…

that ⟨p. 38⟩is,¹ that good old way that leads to peace and rest, to heaven and happiness. Evangelical purity of heart lies in this, that it will not admit any known sin to mingle with the frame and purpose of the heart; a pure heart like a pure fountain, will still be a working and a casting out the mud and filth that is in it: Though sin may cleave to a regenerate man, as dross doth to the silver, yet it mingles not with the regenerate part, nor the regenerate part mingles not with it, no more than oil mingles with the water, or water mingles with the oil. Now you know, though the water and the oil touch one another, yet they do not mingle one with another; so though grace and sin, in a regenerate man, may as it were, touch one another, yet they don't mingle one with another. Dear hearts, look, as we truly say, that that gold is pure gold that is digged out of the Mineral, though much dross may hang about it; and as we truly say, that such and such an Air is pure Air, though at times there be many fogs and mists within it; and as we truly say, that such and such springs are pure springs, though mud, and dirt, and filth may be lying at the bottom of those springs; and as we truly say, that face is a fair face, though it hath some freckles in it; so we may as truly say, that such and such a heart is a pure heart, though there may be much sinful dross and filth cleaving to it. The Jews report, that when Noah sent forth his sons to people the world, he delivered to every one of them some Relics of old Adam; it may be fabulous for the history, but 'tis true in the morality, the Relics of his sinful corruptions cleaves close to us all. Beloved, the best, the wisest, the holiest, and the most mortified Christians on earth,² do carry about with them a body of sin and death, they have in them a fountain of original corruption, and from this fountain sin will still be arising, bubbling and a boiling up as the scum in a pot over the fire: but mark, as in wine, or honey, or water, though scum and filth may arise, yet the wine, the honey, the water, will be still a purging and purifying it self, and a working and casting it out;

that ⟨p. 38⟩