A choice Bed of Spices. firives with God in a corner, even to fweat and tears, that it may be bedecked and inriched with thofe fingular graces that are. fo fhining In others. 0, that I had the wifdom of fuch a Chriftian, and the faith of inch a Chriflian, and the love of fach a Chriftian, and the humility of fuch a Chriflian, and the meeknefs of fuch a Chriftian, and the zeal of fuch a Ch:iftian, and the integrity of fuch a CiKiflian, &c. 0, that my foul was but in their cafe ! I don't covet their riches but their graces : Oh, that I had but thofe graces! Oh, that I had much of thofe graces, that fparkles and fhines in the hearts and lives of fuch and fuch Chriflians ! I fee a beauty Ind glory upon Sun, Moon and Stars, yea upon the whole Creation, but what's that to that beauty and glory that I fee flampt upon grace? And:this fires his heart with defires af- ter grace. But, Eighthly, No man can fincerely defire all owe, every grace, or the whole chain of graces,but he that has true grace. Vain men, when they are under fome outward or inward difireffes, may to ferve their prefent turns, defire (in a cold, formal, caftomary way) patience, or contentation, or meek- nefs, or hope, or faith, &c. but they don't, nor can't,whilft they are wicked, whilft they are in their natural eftate,whilft they are in the gall of bitternefs and bond of iniquity, fin- cerely defire every grace, efpecially thofe particular graces that are molt oppefite to their mailer fin, to their darling lufiq, to their conftitution fim, to their complexion fins, to thofe particular lufts that are to them as dear as their right eyes or right hands.Aoflin before his converfion,he was much given to whoredom, and he would often pray, Lord, give me continency, but not yet ; Lord, give me continency, but not yet ; he was afraid left God fhould have heard him to foon, ashimfelf confeffeth. Wicked men would be very forry. if God fhould take them at their words, and in good earneft an- fwer the cold and lazy defires of their fouls : If when the drunkard in a good mood fhoilld defire fobriety, God fhould take him at his word, he would be very angry ; or if when the unclean perfon fhould defire_chaftity, continency, God lhould Ad. 8,*. te 25'.
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