TnE S A I N T S G 0 D's J E W E L S. Book IV. METAPHOR. PARALLEL. agrees with that in !fa. lxii. 3. 'l'hou ./halt alfo be a Crown of Glory ilz the Hand of the Lord, and a royal Diadem in the Hand of thy God; and hence called Hephzibah, '!'he Lord delighteth in thee. No Prince efteems more of his Crown, Jewels, and royal. Diadem, than God doth of his People. The High-Prieft under the Law was to have the Names of the Children of Ifrael engraven on the Breaft plate. See Exod. xxviii. And thou ./halt make the Breajl·plate of Judgment, the Work of ·cunning Workmen, &c. And thou jhalt embofs in it Embojjimnts of Stones four ]~ows: '!'he firfl, a Row of Sardius, a 'l'opaz, and a Smaragd; the fecond Row a Chal– cedony, a Saphire, and Sardonyx; and the thir·d Row, an Hyacinth, a Chryfophrafo, and an Amethyfl; and the fourth Row, a Chryfolite, a Beryl, and a JaJPer. And they jhall beJet in Gold in their Embojjinents, and the Stones jhall be with the Names of the Sons of Jfrael, &c. Exod. xxviii. 6, 7• 8, 9· Alfo in the Ephod there was two Beryl-Stones, and on them was engraven the Names of the Children of Ifrael. Now the High– Prieft was a Type of Chrift, and his having the Names of the Children of Ifrael en– oraven with precious Stones upon the Ephod which was upon his Shoulders, and · ~pon the Br.eaft-plate, fignilies not only Chrift's bearing his Saints upon his Shoul– ders, as it were, and upon his Heart, but al!o what an Orn•ment Chrift looks upon his Saints to be unto him; for thofe precious Stones were a wonderful Ornament to t.he Prieft, both on his Shoulders and Breaft. Take Mr. Ainf..vorth's Annotations on the IJtil Verle. The Engraver, Srone-cutter, or Jeweller, thus engravin_,: in pre– cious Stone, and that like a Signet, the Names of the Children of Ifrael, fignified the firm and perpetual'Love, Memorial, Elleem, and Suftentarion of the Church. And to this the Spoufe alludes, Cant. viii. 6. Set me as a Signet upou thy I-leart, as a Signet on thy Arm, &c. IV. A Man rakes great care of, IV. So God takes great care of his Saints, and exceeding values his rich and efteems of them as his chiefeft Treafure, and will not choice Jewels; he will not lofe one lofe one of them. All that the Father bath gzven of them, if he can pollibly keep mr, have I kept, and none of them are loft, &c. them. That God highly Prizes, Efteems, and takes great · Care of his People, dorh appear many Vi ays. (t.) By the Price he paid fof them; he gave up that precious and invaluable Jewel of his Heart, viz. the Lord Jefus, to be broken in pieces, that fo he might thereby make unto himfelf many thoufand choice and precious Jewels. (2.) By the great Pains he hath ufed in forming and fall1ioning them for himfelf: We are his Workmanjhip, &c. ~3 .) By his making of. fuch a firm and fure Covenant with Chrift in their behalf, that oone of them might be loft. (4.) By the Charge he gives to the Wicked not to hurt them. He Juffercd no Man to do them Wrong; yea, hereprovcd Kil;gs for their Sakes, Jaying, '!'ouch not mine Anointed, and do my Prophets no harm, I Chron. xvi. 2 1 , 22. (5.) By his declaring, that they that touch them, touch the Apple of his Eye. He pities them as a Father pities his Children. (6.) By his beftowing fo many precious Graces and good Gifts upon them, to make them fhine, and glorioully fet fonh their luffre. (7.) By executing Wrath and Difpleafure upon their Enemies. (8.) By his defend– ing, faving, and preferving them in the midft of fo many great and imminent Dan– gers. (g .) In hiding them in a fecret and fecure Place, out of the reach of Adverfa– ries. ( IO.) Laftly, by providmg fuch a glonous Place for them after Death, that they may be with him for ever. V. Jewels are fubjetl: to many V. So God's Jewels are fubjetl: to fuftain great Caftialties whilft they are making, Detriment, and are often much marred, whilft he and are often marred, or receive is about making of them up, by Sin and Satan, much Detriment, which without and through their own Carelelfnefs, which is not much Labor and Coft is not refoon nor ealily repaired. Though God gracioully paired and made good again. by his Word and Spirit renews his Work again VI. When a Man ·hath quite made up his Jewels, he puts tllem into a rich Cabinet. VII. A Perfon that hath many ·rich and choice Jewels, !hews them, upon.their Souls, as 111 the Cafe of David, Peter, and divers others. VI. So when God hath quite made up his fpi– rirual Jewels, he puts them into Heaven; that is the rich and glorious Cabinet which he hath pro– vided for all his choice and goodly Jewels. VII. So God in the Day to come, when he hath made up all the Jewels he intends to make, will reveal 11
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