'S A IN T S COMPARED :ro .G 0 L D. .Book IV. ·sA IN T S COMPA'RED TO G 0 L D. lVhen be bath tried me, I jhall come forth as Gold, Job xxiii. 10. 1 will make a Man more precious than fine Gold, !fa. xiii. J 2. S I M I LE. I. QOLD is a precious 'Metal, it is efleemed as one of the rarerl: Things on Earth; hence Things of great Value are in the holy Scriptures fet forth by Gold. PARALLEL. 'I. THE Saints are a choic.e and precious Peopk, the excellent Ones In all the Earth, Pfal. xvi. 2. Since thou haft bem precious in my Sigh,, thott haft been honorable, and1have loved thee, f'rov . xii. 26. They are called precious Sons of Zio 11 , comparable to fine Gold, lfa. x!iv. 4· God efleems them as his Portion : '!'be Lord's Portion is his People, J acob is the Lot of his Inheritance, Lam. iv. 2. Deut. xxxii. g. I[. Gold, though it be a pure Sort of Metal, yet there is fame Drofs in it; though, as NaturaJifis obferve, there is not any Me(al, rhat is more free from Drofs and Rufl than ,G Id is. 'Ill. Gold is refined in the Fire, and thereby is made more pure •than it was before. If. The Saints of God, though holy, very pre– cious and gracious Ones, yet are they not without Sin ; there is fame Drofs of Corruption in the very bell:. ·'!'here is not a juftlvlan upon the Earth, that .doeth good, and jimzetb not, Ecc!. vii. 20. lf we fay, we have ao Sin, we deceive ourftlve~, I Jobu i. 8. JI[. So the Saints are put into the Fire, j mean, ·in the Furnace of AffiiCtion, to pcll'ge and refine them from all the Drofs of t!1eir Corruption• When he bath tried me I jhall come forth as Gold. I will make a Man more precious·tba;z fine Gold, Job xxiii. 10. I will bring the third Part through the Fht, and will refine them as Silver is rrfined, and will try them as Gold is tried. '!'hey }hall cat! upon my Name, and I will bear them: I wilt Jay, It is my Peo– .ple, and they jha/1 fa)', '!'be L ord is my God, Zech. xiii. 9· IV. Gold is verr pliant, you IV. So the Saints are of a foft and pliable Namay bow and work it as you pleafe; ture; God having infufed his precious Grace into and the Fire makes it more pliable their Hearts, they are of a yielding ;[emper, they •.and yielding, &c. .ha1re Hearts of Flefh; and God, by putting them 'into the Fire, makes them more pliant and flexi– ble, they prefently yield .to the W1ll of God, when others will not, cannot be brought to it. · 'V. Gold will endure the Fire; :though it be often put into the .Furnace, yet it lofeth nothing but .the droiTy Part. The Fire doeth it much good; it cannot deflroy the precious Nature of .it. Gold re– tains its Excellency in defpite of .zhe envious Rage of fiery Flames. ·vr. Gold is often formed into ·Veffels, rarely wrought, for the Pleafure, Honor, and Ufe of .Princes and great Men. VII. .Gold is carefully kept.; 'Men fet highly by it, and often hide it, kft Thieves fhould flea! it away. Vlll. Men fuffcr great Pains for iGold, run great.Loffes and Haz– .;uds to obtain it, and ma.ke it fure .3 V. So the Saints of God, or all fincere Ones, endure the fiery Trial; they are not b.urned up nor confumed in the Furnace of Affiic1ion, though heated feven-fold: Though it burn their Bodies into Afhes, and reduce their Flefh, as one ob– ferves, into the firfl Atoms; yet rhe Saint, the Gold, is not hurt, nor cloth he receive the leaft Damage thereby. Sincere Chrifli1ns are compared ro ·Gold; and Hypocrites to Wood, Hay, and Stubble, which the Fire will burn up. VI. God frames fome of his Saints for moll: ex– cellent Ufe; he makes of them Veffels of Honor, to hold the glorious Treafure of the Gofpel, and to let it out to others. Thefe are ·fidy compared to fine Gold, although accounted .as earthen Pit– .chers, Lam. iv. 2. See Veffel. VII. So God fets highly by his Saints.; he keeps them carefully Day and Night. They are called his hidden Ones; he covers.them under his Wings from .the Pride of Men. VIII. So 'Jefus Chrifl fuffered great Pain and Lofs for his poor Saints; he laid down his Life for them. We were uot redeemed with Silver and Gold,
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