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…

Wicked men are as laborious, and as restless and unquiet in the practice of wickedness,¹ as a woman in labour is when the pangs of Travel are upon her. Sugared poisons go down pleasantly, O but when they are down, they gall, and gnaw, and gripe the very heart-strings asunder, 'tis so with sin. Lastly, the commands of sin are extremely unreasonable, what an unreasonable thing is it to command a man to run into the fire, or to drown himself in the water, or to strangle himself, &c. Now all the commands of sin tend directly and intentionally to the burning, drowning, strangling, and destroying of the sinner. All sins commands tend to the dishonour of God, the breach of his righteous Laws, and the damnation of the precious and immortal Soul. Now where the commands of God do commonly carry it, against all the commands of sin, there the Soul is certainly sincere with Go•. That we owe perfect obedience to Gods will, to Gods commands, is evident enough several ways, and in particular from the universal obedience of all Creatures, I mean those which are without reason, sense, or life, for they inviolably observe his commands, Isa. 48.13. Mine hand hath laid the Foundations of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the Heavens; when I call to them they stand up together, as prepared to execute his commands. The insensible parts of the world are so compliant with his will, as to contradict their proper natures to serve his glory. Fire descends from Heaven at his command, Gen. 19.24. 2 Kings 1.10, 11, 12. And the fluid Sea stands up at his command, Exod. 14.22. Now what a sad thing is it that Christians should at any time prove disloyal and rebellious, when all inferior Creatures do with one consent serve and glorify the great God. But, &c.

Wicked men are as laborious, and as restless and unquiet in the practice of wickedness,¹ as a woman in labour is when the pangs of Travel are upon her. Sugred poisons go down pleasantly, O but when they are down, they gall, and gnaw, and gripe the very heart-strings asunder, 'tis so with sin. Lastly, the commands of sin are extreamly unreasonable, what an unreasonable thing is it to command a man to run into the fire, or to drown himself in the water, or to strangle himself, &c. Now all the commands of sin tend directly and intentionally to the burning, drowning, strangling, and destroying of the sinner. All sins commands tend to the dishonour of God, the breach of his righteous Laws, and the damnation of the precious and immortal Soul. Now where the commands of God do commonly carry it, against all the commands of sin, there the Soul is certainly sincere with Go. That we owe perfect obedience to Gods will, to Gods commands, is evident enough several wayes, and in particular from the universal obedience of all Creatures, I mean those which are without reason, sense, or life, for they inviolably observe his commands,