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…

Thirdly, A transcendent willingness, a superlative willingness, §3an overtopping willingness to be rid of sin, is an infallible evidence of the truth of Grace in the Soul. When a mans willingness to be rid of his sins overtops his unwillingness; when a man is more willing to be rid of his sins, than he is to continue in sin, then his spiritual state is certainly good. A gracious heart had much rather, if it were put to his choice, live without all sin, than to have allowance to ⟨p. 94⟩wallow in any sin; he had rather live without the least sin, than to have liberty to live in the greatest, or the most flesh-pleasing sin. 'Tis certain that sin is more afflictive to a gracious Soul, than all the losses, crosses, troubles, and trials that he meets with in the World.¹ David cries not perii, but peccavi; not, I am undone, but, I have done foolishly. He does not cry, Take away the pestilence, but take away the iniquity of thy servant.² Nor Daniel cries not out, O we are sadly reproached, we are greatly distressed, we are woefully oppressed;³ but, We have rebelled. And the Church cries not out, Take away our Captivity, but take away all iniquity; 'tis not take away our chains, but take away our sins; 'tis not take away our afflictions, but take away our pollutions; 'tis not take away all our enemies lives, but take away the lives of all our lusts.⁴ And so Paul cries not out of his reproaches, or persecutors, or bonds, or chains, or stripes, or perils,⁵ or prisons (he rather glories in these). But he cries out of a Law in his Members, rebelling against the Law of his mind, and bringing of him into Captivity to the Law of sin, which is in his Members. Paul does not cry out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from all my sorrows and sufferings;⁶