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…

Look as every particular stain doth not blemish the universal fineness of the Cloth, so neither doth this or that particular fact disprove and deny the general bent of the heart; particulars may not decide the estate either way, 'tis true, a man by a particular sinning is denominated Guilty, but by no one particular can a mans Estate be challenged, either for good or bad. He that shall judg of a Christians estate by particular acts, though notorious bad, will certainly condemn the Generation of the Righteous. We must always distinguish betwixt some single good actions, and a series of good actions.¹ It is not this or that particular good action, but a continued course of holy Actions that denominates us holy. Certainly, as there is no man so holy, but sometimes he falls into this or that particular sin; So there is no man so wicked, but sometimes he falls in with this or that particular duty, witness Pharaoh, who in a fit desires Moses and Aaron to pray for him; and witness Balaam, who in a good mood desires to dye the death of the Righteous; and witness Saul, who under a pang condemns himself, and justifies David. And so witness Ahab's humbling of himself, and Nineveh's repenting, and Felix his trembling, and Herod's hearing of John Baptist gladly. Now look as every sin which a godly man falls into (through infirmity) doth not presently denominate him ungodly, so neither will a few good actions done by a wicked man prove him godly. 'Tis what the course and tenor of the life is, that must be most diligently and wisely observed, for every man is as his course is; if his course be holy, the man is so; if his course be wicked, the man is wicked. There is a Maxim in Logic, viz. ⟨p. 130⟩that no general Rule can be stablished upon a particular instance; and there is another Maxim in Logic, viz. that no particular instance can overthrow a general Rule. So here, as no man can safely and groundedly conclude from no better Promises than from some few particular actions (though in themselves materially and substantially good) that his heart is therefore sincere;² so on the contrary, no man ought to conclude, because of some gross particular sinful actions, and extravagant motions, that his heart is unsound. O Sirs!