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…

Tenthly, Constant desires, and earnest and constant endeavours to avoid and shun all known appearances of sin,¹ evidences the truth and reality of Grace in the Soul. Certainly that man is a true Nathaniel that makes it his business his work, to abstain from all appearances of evil. An Hypocrite loves the appearance of good more than goodness it self, and a sincere Christian hates the very appearance of evil, as well as the evil it self. He who hates a person, loathes his very picture. A wicked man may abstain from broad-faced evils, but commonly he is very bold and venturous upon appearing evils. O what vain Apologies do many make in these days for long hair, gaudy Apparel, Antic Fashions, Spotted Faces, Naked Breasts, Wanton Behaviours, Effeminate Dalliances, and a thousand other suspicious practices and vanities. But now a man that is truly gracious, he makes Conscience, not only of shunning real gross, known evils, but also of shunning the very likeness of evil. His heart does not only rise against real sins, but he is very shy of that which looks like sin. When Josephs Mistress took hold of him and said, Lie with me, he left his garment in her hand and fled, and got him out, Gen. 39.12. Joseph would not be found in the company of his impudent brazen-faced Mistress, that could so barely and basely, so boldly and frequently, solicit him to defile his Masters bed, and to damn two Souls at once, her own and his, that so he might avoid the very appearance of evil, the very suspicion of sin. By wanton touches and dalliance, mental Adultery is often committed, and therefore Joseph flies, as being unwilling to touch her, or to be touched by her.² And so Paul refused the using his liberty in taking a lawful maintenance for his labours, lest a sinister interpretation of covetousness and mercenary affection should have been put upon it by his Adversaries. And so the same Apostle would needs have Titus and two others chosen by the Church, to join with him in carrying the benevolence of the Church of Macedonia to Jerusalem, because he was very careful to avoid all suspicion of dealing ill in that business, 2 Cor. 8.20, 21. Avoiding this, that no man should blame us, in this abundance that is Ministered by us: Providing for