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…

or put them to shame that have nothing? And the Apostle James doth very roundly reprove and condemn that partial love that was generally among the Jews in his dayes, Jam 2.1, 2, 3 4. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, ⟨p. 194⟩with respect of persons; for if there come unto your assembly, a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor, stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool; are ye not then partial in your selves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Not that the Apostle doth simply or absolutely prohibit a civil differencing of men in place from others; for it cannot be denied but that there is a holy and warrantable respect of persons, in respect of their age, callings, gifts, graces and greatness in the world; but when the rich mans wealth is more regarded than the poor mans godliness; and when men carry it so to the rich, as to cast scorn, contempt, disgrace and discouragement upon the godly poor. They that respect a rich man that has but a little grace, before a poor man that is rich in grace, are worthy of blame. All true born sons love to see the image and picture of their father, though hung in never so poor a frame, and in never so mean a cottage: So the true born sons of God, they love to see the image of God, the picture of God upon the poorest Saints. 'Tis sad to prefer a worldly lustre before heavenly grace, a gold ring before a rich faith, a chain of gold before a chain of grace.¹ Ver. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom? It is a vile thing, saith one of the Ancients, to have the faith of Christ in respect of persons. We do not judge of faith by persons, but of persons by faith. 'Tis the great wisdom of a Christian, not to judge of men by their outwards, but by their inwards; not by their externals, but by their internals; not by what they are worth for this world, but by what they are worth for that other world. The poorest Saints are God's portion, Deut. 32.9. They are his pleasant portion,