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…

And certainly there are very great reasons why the true penitent does turn, and must turn from sin universally. As,

And certainly there are very grea• reasons why the true penitent does turn, and must turn from sin universally. As,

First, 'Tis to no purpose for a man to turn from some sins, if he does not turn from all his sins, James 1.26. If any man seem to be religious and bridle not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this mans Religion is in vain. This at first sight may seem to be a hard saying,¹ that for one fault, for one fault in the tongue, all a mans Religion should be counted vain, and yet this you see the holy Ghost does peremptorily conclude. Let a man make never so glorious a profession of Religion, yet if he gives himself liberty to live in the practise of any ⟨p. 259⟩known lust, yea though it be but in a sin of the tongue, his Religion is in vain, and that one lust will separate him from God for ever. If a Wife be never so officious to her Husband in many things, and though she gives him content several ways, yet if she entertains any other Lover into his bed besides himself, it will alienate his affections from her, and for ever separate him from her. The application is easy. To turn from one sin to another, is but to be tossed from one hand of the Devil to another; it is but with Benhadad, to recover of one disease and die of another, it is but to take pains to go to hell. If a Ship spring three leaks, and only two be stopped, the third will sink the Ship; or if a man have two grievous wounds in his body, and take order only to cure one, that which is neglected will certainly kill him: 'Tis so here, if a man that has divers lusts fighting against the life of his precious soul, shall only mortify and slay some of them, the rest will certainly destroy him, and all his pains in subduing some of them will be lost. I have read of a devout man, who had amongst many other virtues, the gift of healing, unto whom divers made resort for cure; among the rest, one Chromatius being sick sent for him, being come he told him of his sickness, and desired that he might have the benefit of cure as others had before him: I cannot do it (said the devout person) till thou hast beaten all the Idols and Images in thy house to pieces. O, that shall be done, said Chromatius, here take my keys, and where you find any Images let them be defaced, which was done accordingly; to prayer went the holy man, but no cure was wrought. O, saith Chromatius, I am as sick as ever, O, I am very weak and sick: It cannot be otherwise, replied the holy man, nor can I help it;