Boo!dV~ TnE SAINTS GOD's JEWELS. 757 s A I N' T s· coMP-aRED To s To N E s. re alfo as live!y Stones, are built up aJPiritual Hou.fe, an holy Pric.fthood, &c. 1, Pet, ii. 5· THE Saints of God are compared, to Stones, to the Stones of a. Building, &c. P A R A L L E L S, I. soME St"ones that Men build with, are verr rough and roo:ky as they are taken out of the ~arry, and therefore need much Hewing and Squaring, before they 8 re fit tor the Building: So naturally the Heart< of Sinners are rocky, and.like rough Stones ; and to this the Lord alludes, I bave hewed the;a by tbo Prophets, Hof VI. 5• Minifl:ers are God's Tools, by which he does his Work upon Mens Hclrts. II. Stones a<e fit Materials to build a H oufe withal: So God fees Believers are the only fit Materials to build his fpirirual Houfe. Ill. Stones in a Building are well knit and united together: So lhould the Saints in Love, &c. I V. Stones are durable; fo are the Saints. D I S P A R I T Y. i. NO Builder builds his Houle with precious Stanes: But 13dievers are caUed .precious Stones. This nares the Richnefs and l:xcellency of the fpiritual Build– ing: Now if any build upon this Foundation, Gold, Silver, precious Swnes, &c. 1 Cor. iii. 12• . 11. No earthly Stones have Life in them; they are not living but dead Stones: But the Saints are living Stones, being quickened and made alive by Jefus Chrilt, that fo there may be a fit Refemblance or Similitude between the Scones and the Founda– tion, Eph. ii. ' · See Foundation, p. 429, and Chri£1: the Corner-Scone, p. 434 1 435· THi! S A I N T S G 0 D' s J E W E L S. ']'bey jbali be mine in t!Jat Day whm I r,zake up my ]ewels, Mal. iii. 17. 'fHE Saints are in this Place called Jewels, they ate Gotl's choice Jewels: There is . nothing fo excellent in the Eyes of Men, but God's l'eople are as amiable in his Sig1u; and why he calls them Jewels, is opened in the follo\'ling ParalleL METAPHOR. I. JEWELS are rare and ex<:el– . lent Things, made by the Hands ofcurious Workmen; they are made of precious Soorres,•fee in Go\d and Silver. II. 'Some Jewels are 1ong in making; they are not made near lo 'foon as fome others are. They carry on ·their Work gradua1ly, every Day's Work adds to their :Beauty and Richnefs; yet having begun, t"hey relolve to go forward, and never ceafe till they have 'finifhed them, and made them up, quite lit for the Cabinet. r1I. J ewds are a moll: rare ana excellent Ornament, nothing rich– er; and are therefore won1 only by rich and noble Perlons, in 'Yhich {hey take great Deligbt. PAR ALL EL. I. THE Sain'ts are \() God mo£1: choice and excellent Ones : 'l'he King's Daughter is all glorious witbin, Pfal. x\v. Thefe Jtwels are made up of a Complication of a~l the precious Graces of the Holy Spirit. li. 'So.'fo"me of rh-e Saints are not fo foon made up and fitted for Heaven, as others ;rre; God car– ries on the Work of Gra:ce gradu;llly. All Per– fans, as foon as ever (hey are corrv~rted, are 'DOt made lit for Heave-n, btrt rlrey mufl: go from one Degree of Grace ro another. Yer·God 'hath pro– miled _£_~erfeCl: ·the Work ·he hath 'begun; he will nev'e'!<feafe, until he -harh ·made ul'·the Jewels he halh "begun to make. He that bath begun a good Work in you, will perform it to tbc Day of Cbrijl, Pbil. i. 6. Ill. So Believers are the'Glory of'Chrifl: : Whe– ther any do enquire of Titus, he is my Partner and Fellow-helper concerning yott ; or our Brethren be enquired of, they are tbe M1ft•gers of the Churches, and the Glory of Cbrijl, -> Cor. viii. z3· which 9 G agree•
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