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 twelfth Proposition is this, viz. That it is the great §12duty and concernment of Christians to keep the evidences of their gracious and happy condition, always bright and shining; Christians should make conscience of blurring and disfiguring the golden characters of grace in their souls. The least character of grace in the soul, is more worth than all the gold of Ophir, yea more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds;¹ and therefore every gracious Christian should be marvellous careful, that he does not by wilful omissions or sinful commissions, cloud, dim or darken the least character of grace; such as blot or lose their evidences for heaven, they lose the comfort of their lives in this world. Satan's master-piece is first to work Christians to blot and blur their evidences for glory, by committing this or that heinous sin; and then his next work is to rob them of their evidences for glory, that so though at the long run they may get safe to heaven, that yet Jacob like they may go halting and mourning to their graves. Satan knows, that whilst a Christians evidences are bright and shining, a Christian is temptation-proof. Satan may tempt him, but he can't conquer him; he may assault him, but he can't vanquish him. Satan knows, that whilst a Christians evidences for heaven are bright and shining, no afflictions can sink him, nor no opposition shake him, nor no persecution discourage him, nor no outward wants perplex him; and therefore he will use all his power and policy, all his arts, crafts and parts, to draw poor Christians to blot and blur their evidences for glory. Satan knows, that a man may lose one friend, and easily get another, lose his Trade in one place, and soon get a Trade in another place; lose health and get it, lose an estate and get an estate, &c. But if he loses his evidences for heaven, he knows it will cost him many a prayer, and many a sigh, and many a groan, and many a tear, and many a sad complaint, before he recovers his lost evidences; and therefore his grand design is to plunder a Christian of his evidences for heaven. O Sirs! keep but your evidences for heaven always bright and shining, and then heavy afflictions will be light, and long afflictions will be short,² and bitter afflictions will be sweet; and then every evidence fainly ⟨p. 356⟩