Tropes and Figures · Benjamin Keach
Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 8 · Part 20
Saints compared to Veſſels.
2 Cor. 4.7. But we have this Treaſure in earthly Veſſels, &c.
But in a great Houſe are not only Veſſels of Gold and Silver, but of Earth and Wood, &c.
Some underſtand by this great Houſe, the World; others, the Church.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| A Veſſel is made by a skilful Artizan or Workman; he forms and faſhions it as he ſees good. | GOD hath formed or made all the Children of Men; they are all the Work of his Hands, formed and faſhioned by him alone: And as he hath made and formed us in the firſt Creation; ſo alſo he hath made or faſhioned his Saints in the ſecond Creation. This People have I formed for my ſelf, &c. We are his Workmanſhip, Iſa. 43.21. Eph. 2.10. created in Chriſt Jeſus to good Works. |
| II. There is a great difference between ſome Veſſels: There are ſome Veſſels of Gold, Silver, &c. and alſo ſome of Earth, Wood, &c. | II. So there is a great difference between ſome Men. The Saints are Golden Veſſels, tho of little eſteem in the Eyes of the World: The precious Sons of Zion,Lam. 4 3. comparable to fine Gold, how are they eſteemed as earthen Pitchers? &c. But the Wicked are likened to Veſſels of Earth and Wood. |
| III. Veſſels are made for ſome proper and peculiar Uſe. | III. God made all Men, whoſoever they are, for ſpecial Uſe and Service, viz. to honour, worſhip, and bring Glory to his ſacred Majeſty. |
| IV. Veſſels are ſubject to contract Filth and Pollution, and therefore need often to be waſhed, &c. | IV. So Chriſt's ſpiritual Veſſels, viz. his Saints, as well as others, are ſubject to contract the inward Filth of Sin, ſuch Uncleanneſs as nothing but Chriſt's Blood through Faith can waſh away. |
| V. Veſſels of divers ſorts, ſome very rich, are uſually in a great Houſe, in the Houſe of a Prince, or the like; ſome of Honour, and ſome of Diſhonour. | V. So in the Houſe of God there are divers Veſſels;2 Tim. 2.20. ſome of Gold and Silver as it were, viz. choice and precious Saints, who are Veſſels of Honour; and ſome who are like Veſſels of Earth and Wood, viz. hypocritical and unprofitable Ones, who without Repentance are like to be Veſſels of Diſhonour. |
| VI. Some Veſſels are made uſe of to hold precious Treaſure. We read of Golden Pipes, that empty the Golden Oil out of themſelves. | VI. Some of the Saints of God are made uſe of for Miniſters, to bear the precious Treaſure of the Goſpel,Zech. 4.12 alſo to empty it out of themſelves, for the Uſe and Profit of others. |
| VII. Sometimes precious Treaſure is put into earthen Veſſels; but whether it be Gold, Silver, or precious Stones, that are put therein, yet they are never the worſe becauſe of the Veſſel into which they are put, nor will wiſe Men refuſe or ſlight ſuch Treaſure for the Veſſel's ſake. | VII. Miniſters of the Goſpel, tho inwardly very rich and precious, yet they are but Men as others are, poor earthen Veſſels, and ſome of them very mean and contemptible in the Eye of the World: You ſee your Calling, Brethren, &c.1 Cor. 1.26. But the Treaſure of Wiſdom is not the worſe, tho it be in ſuch earthen Veſſels; nor will wiſe Men refuſe good Doctrine, and wholeſom Counſel, becauſe communicated by ſuch Servants of Chriſt. But we have this Treaſure in earthen Veſſels, 2 Cor. 4.7 that the Excellency of the Power might be of God, and not of us. [See the Goſpel compared to Treaſure, in the third Book of the Firſt Volume. |
| VIII. An earthen Veſſel ſometimes proves defective, and lets out choice Liquor that is put therein; nay, and ſometimes the Liquor taſtes of the Veſſel, or loſes much of its precious Reliſh, by reaſon an evil Perſon puts ſome unſavoury Matter into the Veſſel; and by reaſon of this Mixture, the pure Savour is ſomewhat gone. | VIII. So ſome Men,Heb. 2.1, 2 Rev. 2.4. like leaking Veſſels, let out the precious Grace of God; they loſe their Zeal, Faith, Love, Courage, &c. And alſo many times the Word of God, as it comes from the Preacher, ſavours of the earthen Veſſel; for the beſt of Men have Fleſh in them, as well as Spirit. Were there nothing but this precious Treaſure of Grace and Divine Wiſdom in them, it would not be ſo; but Satan like a curſed Enemy, ſtirs up the Remainders of the Old Man in the Soul, and through his ſubtil Temptations cauſes the Preacher to mix the Wine with Water, or the pure Doctrine of Chriſt, with Man's Wiſdom, by which means he vaunts and prides it oftentimes in himſelf. |
| IX. When a Veſſel proves very defective, the Owner perceiving he is like to come to loſs, empties the choice Liquor from Veſſel to Veſſel. | IX. So God many times finding his Veſſels defective, and that they contract Filth, or prove leaky, empties his choice Liquor from Veſſel to Veſſel, according to that of the Prophet,Jer. 48 11. Moab hath been at eaſe from his Youth, and hath ſetled upon his Lees, and hath not been removed from Veſſel to Veſſel; which is meant of Afflictions. God by bringing a People into Adverſity, in the ſence of this Text, may be ſaid to move, pour out, or empty them from Veſſel to Veſſel. A long Time of Eaſe and Proſperity proves hurtful to God's Children; like as the Wine receives detriment by ſetling on its Lees. A Day of general Perſecution proves various in its Effects: Some are thereby emptied of chice Gifts and Endowments that were in them, and others receive thereby a double meaſure; God takes away the one Talent for want of Improvement, and gives it to him that had five.Mat. 25.28 |
| X. Earthen Veſſels are ſoon broken; they are very brittle Things; alas! but with one Knock they are gone. | X. So the Saints of God, and Miniſters of the Goſpel, are poor frail and brittle Creatures; when God permits the Enemy but a little to let flie againſt them, how are they daſhed to pieces by their hands! How many precious Veſſels did Queen Mary deſtroy, and conſume to Aſhes! But this muſt always be conſidered, viz. God hath a gracious Deſign in ſuffering the Enemy thus to break in pieces his choice Veſſels; and one Reaſon thereof is, That the precious Treaſure of the Goſpel may be the more diffuſive, and ſpread it ſelf, that its precious Odor might perfume the more Souls. The Blood of the Saints hath been always accounted the Seed of the Church. |
| XI. Earthly Veſſels are of little value; they are not much accounted of. | XI. God's faithful Saints and Servants, as they are of little eſteem in the Eyes of the World, The precious Sons of Zion,Lam. 4.2. comparable to fine Gold, how are they eſteemed as earthen Pitchers? So they have but low and mean thoughts of themſelves.2 Cor. 4.7. Rom 9.23 We have this Treaſure in earthen Veſſels, that the Excellency of the Power might be of God, and not of us. |
| Simile. | Diſparity. |
| OTher Veſſels are made by Men. | BUt the Saints and Miniſters of the Goſpel are Veſſels of the Lord's making: He did not only form them conſidered as Men, but alſo as ſpiritual Veſſels, viz. they are choſen Miniſters prepared for his bleſſed Uſe: He is a choſen Veſſel to bear my Name amongſt the Gentiles, &c.Acts 9.15. The Saints are called Veſſels of Mercy, prepared unto Glory. |
| II. Other Veſſels, when broken into ſmall Pieces, are generally quite ſpoiled, and can never be ſet together again. | II. But the Veſſels of the Lord, tho they are broken in pieces by Death, are not thereby ſpoiled, and utterly loſt, but ſhall be ſet together again, and be made far more glorious than they were before. |
Inferences.
IT may teach the Saints of God to have low thoughts of themſelves. What is an earthen Veſſel? It is true, the Treaſure may be excellent that is in the Veſſel; but that doth not appertain to the Veſſel. Let God have the Glory of all:1 Cor. 4, 6, 7. What haſt thou which thou haſt not received?
2. Take heed, you that are Saints, that you do not, like earthen Veſſels, ſmite one againſt another, leſt by one another you are daſhed to pieces. Remember what frail and brittle Creatures you are, even poor earthen Veſſels.
3. It may teach the Saints alſo to look to themſelves, leſt they gather Filth; let every one keep their Veſſels clean. Waſh your ſelves daily in the Tears of true Repentance, and by Faith in that Fountain that is ſet open for Sin, and for Uncleanneſs.
4. It may teach the Saints of God to be careful of their poor Miniſters, remembring always that they are alſo but poor frail Veſſels.
5. Let the Wicked dread the Thoughts of the great Day, ſuch I mean as have, or ſtrive to break in pieces Chriſt's choſen Veſſels; what will they do in that Day, when He makes Inquiſition for Blood?