Reasons hereof are, Gods Justice, he will not punish the righteous with the wicked; he will have it appear that there is a difference between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not, Gen. 18.23 Mal. 3.18. Gods love unto his people. He hath a ⟨p. 5⟩book of Remembrance written before him, for them that fear him, and think upon his Name: And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him, Mal. 3.16, 17. Here is a climax & gradation of arguments drawn from Love. In a great fire, and devouring trouble (such as is threatened there, Chap. 4.1.) property alone is a ground of care, a man would willingly save and secure that which is his own, and of any use unto him; but if you add unto this preciousness, that increaseth the care. A man will make hard shift to deliver a rich Cabinet of Jewels, though all his ordinary goods and utensils should perish. But of all Jewels, those which come out of the body are much more precious then those which only adorn it. Who would not snatch rather his child then his casket or purse out of a flame? Relation works not only upon the affection, but upon the bowels, Jer. 3•.20. And lastly, the same excellency that the word jewel doth add unto the word mine; the same excellency doth service add unto the word son. A man hath much conflict in himself to take off his heart from an undutiful son. Never a worse son then Absalom, and yet how doth David give a charge to the Commanders to have him spared? How inquisitive after his safety? How passionately and unseasonably mournful upon the news of his death? But if any child be more a jewel then another, certainly it is a dutiful child, who hath not only an interest in our love by Nature, but by obedience. All these grounds of care and protection ⟨p. 6⟩for Gods people in trouble are here expressed, property, they are mine; preciousness, they are jewels, treasures, ornaments unto me. Relation, they are sons; usefulness, they are sons that serve, none could look on a thing so many ways lovely with the same eye as upon a professed and provoking Enemy.
Reasons hereof are, Gods Iustice, he will not punish the righteous with the wicked; he will have it appear that there is a difference between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not, Gen. 18.23 Mal. 3.18. Gods love unto his people. He hath a ⟨p. 5⟩book of Remembrance written before him, for them that fear him, and think upon his Name: And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I wil spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him, Mal. 3.16, 17. Here is a climax & gradation of arguments drawn from Love. In a great fire, and devouring trouble (such as is threatened there, Chap. 4.1.) property alone is a ground of care, a man would willingly save and secure that which is his own, and of any use unto him; but if you add unto this preciousness, that increaseth the care. A man will make hard shift to deliver a rich Cabinet of Jewels, though all his ordinary goods and utensils should perish. But of all Jewels, those which come out of the body are much more precious then those which onely adorn it. Who would not snatch rather his childe then his casket or purse out of a flame? Relation works not onely upon the affection, but upon the bowels, Ier. 3•.20. And lastly, the same excellency that the word jewel doth add unto the word mine; the same excellency doth service add unto the word sonne. A man hath much conflict in himself to take off his heart from an undutiful sonne. Never a worse son then Absalom, and yet how doth David give a charge to the Commanders to have him spared? How inquisitive after his safety? How passionately and unseasonably mournful upon the news of his death? But if any child be more a jewel then another, certainly it is a dutiful childe, who hath not onely an interest in our love by Nature, but by obedience. All these grounds of care and protection ⟨p. 6⟩for Gods people in trouble are here expressed, property, they are mine; preciousness, they are jewels, treasures, ornaments unto me. Relation, they are sons; usefulness, they are sons that serve, none could look on a thing so many ways lovely with the same eye as upon a professed and provoking Enemy.
