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…

The three Children, or rather the three Champions, were so highly resolved ⟨p. 162⟩to keep themselves pure from the abominations of their day, that it was neither Nebuchadnezzars music that would flatter them, nor his fiery furnace that could scare them from their God, or from their Duty, or from their Religion. Let the times never so often turn, you shall find that he that is really holy, he will be holy under every turn; no turns shall turn him out of a way of holiness, Job. 17.9. The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands, shall be stronger and stronger. The Laurel keeps its freshness and greenness in the Winter season; a gracious soul is semper idem, let the wind,¹ and the world and the times, turn which way they will, a gracious soul for the main, will still be the same; he is like mount Zion which cannot be removed, Job 27.5, 6. Till I die, I will not remove my integrity from me; my righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. A gracious heart is (in some measure) like the heart of God, without variableness or shadow of changing. That Christian that is not for substance,² the same that once he was, was never what he ought to be. A gracious heart is firm and sixth for God and godliness, both in prosperity and in adversity; take him among the good or among the bad, take him in storms or calms, in Winter nights or in Summer days, take him among friends or foes, take him at bed or board, take him in health or sickness, take him in an Ordinance or out of an Ordinance, take him in his work or take him at his recreations, take him in his commerce or in his converse, take him living or take him dying, and you shall still find that the bias of his soul is still God-wards, Christwards, Holiness-wards, and Heaven-wards. A gracious man will stand his ground,³ and hold his own in all changes, his heart being fixed upon an unchangeable God. The Philosophers good man is (Tetra-gonos) four-square; cast him where you will, like a Dye, he falls always square and sure: So cast a gracious man where you will, and into what company you will, and into what condition you will, yet still he falls sure and square for God and godliness. Let the times be never so sad, nor never so bad, yet a gracious soul will keep his hold;