Religion our true interest, or, Practical notes upon the third chapter of Malachi the…Religion our true interest, or, Practical notes upon the third chapter of Malachy the…

Here is Comfort to the people of God,¹ in case of the Worlds disesteem of them, yet God values them as Jewels; and his Judgment is according to truth, Rom. 2.2. The Wicked have low Thoughts of the Righteous, they beat down the price of these Jewels what they can, they think them the ⟨p. 182⟩refuse and scurse, they disdain them, load them with slanders and Invectives: the Prophet Elijah was looked upon by King Ahab as the Troubler of Israel, 1 Kin. 18.17. And Luther was called a Trumpet of Rebellion; St. Paul was Judged a Pestilent fellow, Acts 24.5. The Wicked think of all things in the World the Saints may be best spared: 1 Cor. 4.13. We are made [Greek or Hebrew] as the filth and off-scouring of all things: but this is Vinum in pectore, a great consolation to Believers, that as low esteem as the reprobate world hath of them, yet God hath high Thoughts of them, he numbers them among his Jewels^*. They are compared for their preciousness to Gold and Silver, Rev. 1.20. They are the Coin and Medals that bear Gods own Image. They are Princes in all Lands, Psalm 45.16. Christ engraves their Names on his breast, as the Names of the twelve Tribes were set with Precious Stones in Gold upon Aaron's Breast-plate. God will give whole Kingdoms to ransom his jewels, Isa. 43.3. The wicked think the Godly are not worthy to live in the world, Acts 22. ⟨p. 183⟩