s A I N T s COMPARED TO V E s s E L s. Boo:, IV. METAPHOR. V. Velftls of divers Sons, fome very rich, are ufually in a great Huufe, in the 1-Ioufe of a Prince, or the like; fome of Honor, and fame of Dif1.10.nor. Vl. Some Velfels are made ufe of to hold precious Treafure. 'vVe read of golden P1pes, that empty the golden Oil out of themfelves. Vll. Sometimes preciollS Trea– fure is pm into earthen Vdfds; but whether it be Gold., Silver, or precious Srones, rhat are ,Pllt there· ir<, yet they are never the worfe be– caufe of theVelfel in to which they are put, nor will wife Men refule or flight fuch Treal'ure for the Vef– fel's fake. PAR ALL E L. V. So in the Houle of God there are diver. VeiTels; fome of Gold and Silver, as it were, viz. choice and precious Saints, who are Velfels of H onor; aod fome who are like Velfels of Earth and W.ood, viz. hypocritica I and unproC,table Ones, who withour Repentance are like to be Velfds of Difhonor, 2 'l'im. ii. 20. VI. Some of the Saints of God are made ufe of for Minifters, to bear the precious Treafure of the Gofpel, alfo to empty it our of themfeives, for the Ufe and l'rofit of others, Zecb. iv. 12. V ll. Minifters of rhe Gofpel, though inwardly vcr.y rich and precious, yer they ore but Men as others are, poor earrhe.n Velfels., and fome of them very mean and contemptible in .the Eye of the World: Y ou fee your Calling, Brethren, &c. 1 Ccr. i. 26. But the Trealme of ~Tifdcm is not the worfe, though it be in fuch eanhen Velfels; nor wi11 wife Men refufe good DoCtrine, and whole– fame Counfel, bccaufe communicoted by fuch Ser– lf.ants.of Chrifr. But we haw tbis 'Treafure in ear– tbenFeffels, that the Exa:llency of tbe Pcwer .might be of God, and not of us, 1 Cor. iv. ;. See the Gofpel compared to 'l'reafure, in the third !look. VIII. An ea1then Velfel fome· VIll. So fome Men, li'ke leaking Veffels, let times proves defective, and lets out out the precious Grace of God, they lofe their choice Liguor that is put therein; Zeal, Faith, L ove, Courage, &c. Heb. i. 2. nay, and fometimes rhe Liquor Rev. ii. 4· And alfo many Times the Word of taftes of the Velfel, or Jofes much God, as it comes from the Preacher, favors of the of its precious Relilh, by rcalon an earthen Velfel; for the beft of Men have Flefh in evil Perfo~ ,puts fome unfavory them, as well as Spirit. Were there nothing but Matter into ·the Vefiel; and ·by 'th·is precious Treature of G race ·and divine Wil~ reafon of this Mixrure, the pure dom in them, it would not be fo; bm Satan, like Savor is fomewhar gone. an accurfed Enemy, flirs up the Remainders of the old Man in the Soul, and through his fubtil Temptations, caules the Preacher to mix the Wine with \~1ater, or the pure Doctrine of Chrift, with Man's Wifdom, by which M eans he vaunts and prides it oftenrime• in himfe!f. IX. When a Velfel proves very defective, the Owner perceiving he is like to come to lofs, empties the rhoiceLiguorfrom Vdlel toVdfd. IX. So God many Times finding his Velfels de– fective, and that they contract Filth, or prove leaky, emptie• his choice Liquor from Veffel to Velfel, according to that of the Prophet, Jvfoab bath been at eaje from his Youth, aud bath Jet tied ·uJon his Lees, aud bath not bmz 1·emoved from f/ejfel to l/ejfel; which i' meanr of Jlffiictions, ]er. xlviii. z 1. God, by bringing a People into Adverfit)', in the Senfe of this Text, may be faid tO move, pcm out, or empty them from Veffel to Veft<: I. A long Time of Eale and Profperity proves hurtful to God's Children; like as the \Nine receives Detriment by fettlmg on its Lees. A Day of general Perfecmioa proves various in its Eftects: Some are thereby emptied of choice Gifts and Endow– ments that were in them, and others receive thereby a double Meafure; God takea away the one Talent for want of Improvement, and gives it to .him that had five, Matt. xxv. .z8. X. Earthen Vefiels are foon hroken ; they are very britlle Things ; alas ! but with one !<;.nod~ · they are gone. X. So the Saints of God, and Miniflers of the Gofpel, are poor ·frail and brittle Creawres; when God permits the Enemy but a little to let fly againft them, how are they daf1.1td to pieces by their Hands! How many precious Velfels did ~een Afa~y deflroy, and conlume to Af1.1es! But this muft always be conlidered, viz. G<>d hath a gracious DeGgn in fuffcring the Enemy thus to break in pieces his choice Vell'ds ; and one R eafon thertaf' is, That the precious Treafure of the Gofpel may be the mJre diffulive, and fpread ~t elf, that its prcci.1us Orlor might perfume the 3 more
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