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…

But now wicked men confess their sins, but they never grieve for their sins; they confess their sins, but they are not ashamed of their sins,¹ they confess their sins, but they can't blush for their sins. Though men of good names, and of good natures, would be ashamed to be found doing of base things, things that are below them, that are not worthy of them, yet the generality of sinners are so bold and base, so ignorant, arrogant and impudent, so frontless and graceless, &c. that they are no ways ashamed, no not of those very sins that has put Christ to an open shame; yea, that has put the Sun and Moon to a blush. Most sinners in these days have brows of brass, and whores foreheads that cannot blush; they are so far from being ashamed of their sins, that they think it a shame and disgrace not to sin, not to swear, and whore, and curse, and be drunk, and profane Sabbaths, and despise Ordinances; yea, there are many that are so far from being ashamed of their abominations, that they even glory in them, like those in that, Phil. 3.19. They show their sins as Sodom, they make both a sport of acting, and a jest of confessing their sins. Thus Austin confesseth that it was sometimes with himself, before the Lord wrought upon him; I was stricken with such blindness, as that I thought it a shame unto me to be less vile and wicked than my companions whom I heard boast of their lewdness, and glory so much the more, by how much they were the more filthy; therefore (saith he) lest I should be of no account, I was the more vicious; and when I could not otherwise match others, I would feign that I had done those things which I never did, lest I should seem so much the more abject, by how much I was the more innocent; and so much the more vile, by how much I was the more chaste. But for a close remember this, The true penitent knows, that the more God has been displeased with the blackness of sin, the better he will be pleased with the blushing of the sinner; and therefore he can't but blush when either he looks upon sin within him, or God above him. But,

But now wicked men confess their sins, but they never grieve for their sins; they confess their sins, but they are not ashamed of their sins,¹ they confess their sins, but they can't blush for their sins. Though men of good names, and of good natures, would be ashamed to be found doing of base things, things that are below them, that are not worthy of them, yet the generality of sinners are so bold and base, so ignorant, arrogant and impudent, so frontless and graceless, &c. that they are no wayes ashamed, no not of those very sins that has put Christ to an open shame; yea, that has put the Sun and Moon to a blush. Most sinners in these dayes have brows of brass, and whores foreheads that cannot blush; they are so far from being ashamed of their sins, that they think it a shame and disgrace not to sin, not to swear, and whore, and curse, and be drunk, and prophane Sabbaths, and dispise Ordinances; yea, there are many that are so far from being ashamed of their abominations, that they even glory in them, like those in that,