Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 8 · Part 22 – Part 23
Saints compared to Gold.
Job 23.10. When he hath tried me, I ſhall come forth as Gold.
Iſa. 13.12. I will make a Man more precious than fine Gold, &c.
| Simile. | Parallel. |
| GOld is a precious Metal, it is eſteemed as one of the rareſt Things on Earth; hence Things of great Value are in the holy Scriptures ſet forth by Gold. | THe Saints are a choice and precious People, the excellent Ones in all the Earth.Pſal. 16.2. Prov. 12.26. Iſa. 44.4. Lam. 4.2. Deut. 32.9 Since thou haſt been precious in my Sight, thou haſt been honourable, and I have loved thee. They are called precious Sons of Zion, comparable to fine Gold. God eſteems them as his Portion: The Lord's Portion is his People, Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance. |
| II. Gold, tho it is a pure Sort of Metal, yet there is ſome Droſs in it; tho, as Naturaliſts obſerve, there is not any Metal, that is more free from Droſs and Ruſt than Gold is. | II. The Saints of God, tho holy, very precious and gracious Ones, yet are they not without Sin; there is ſome Droſs of Corruption in the very beſt.Eccl. 7.20. 1 Joh. 1.8. There is not a juſt Man upon the Earth, that doth good, and ſinneth not. If we ſay, we have no Sin, we deceive our ſelves, and the Truth is not in us. |
| III. Gold is refined in the Fire, and thereby is made more pure than it was before. | III. So the Saints are put into the Fire, I mean, into the Furnace of Affliction, to purge and refine them from all the Droſs of their Corruption.Job 23.10 When he hath tried me, I ſhall come forth as Gold. I will make a Man more precious than fine Gold. I will bring the third Part through the Fire, and will refine them as Silver is refined, Zech. 13.9 and will try them as Gold is tried. They ſhall call upon my Name, and I will hear them: I will ſay, It is my People, and they ſhall ſay, The Lord is my God. |
| IV. Gold is very pliant, you may bow and work it as you pleaſe; and the Fire makes it more pliable and yielding, &c. | IV. So the Saints are of a ſoft and pliable Nature; God having infuſed his precious Grace into their Hearts, they are of a yielding Temper, they have Hearts of Fleſh; and God, by putting them into the Fire, makes them more pliant and flexible, they preſently yield to the Will of God, when others will not, cannot be brought to it. |
| V. Gold will endure the Fire; tho it be often put into the Furnace, yet it loſeth nothing but the droſſy Part. The Fire doth it much Good; it cannot deſtroy the precious Nature of it. Gold retains its Excellency in deſpite of the envious Rage of fiery Flames. | V. So the Saints of God, or all ſincere Ones, endure the fiery Trial; they are not burned up not conſumed in the Furnace of Affliction, tho heated ſeven-fold: tho it burn their Bodies into Aſhes, and reduce their Fleſh (as one obſerves) into the firſt Atoms; yet the Saint (the Gold) is not hurt, nor doth he receive the leaſt Damage thereby. Sincere Chriſtians are compared to Gold; and Hypocrites to Wood, Hay, and Stubble, which the Fire will burn up. |
| VI. Gold is often formed into Veſſels, rarely wrought, for the Pleaſure, Honour, and Uſe of Princes and great Men. | VI.See Veſſel. God frames ſome of his Saints for moſt excellent Uſe; he makes of them Veſſels of Honour, to hold the glorious Treaſure of the Goſpel, and to let it out to others. Theſe are fitly compared to fine Gold,Lam. 4.2. altho accounted as earthen Pitchers. |
| VII. Gold is carefully kept; Men ſet highly by it, and often hide it, leſt Thieves ſhould ſteal it away. | VII. So God ſets 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. Men ſuffer great Pains for Gold, run great Loſſes and Hazards to obtain it, and make it ſure to themſelves. | VIII. So Jeſus Chriſt ſuffered great Pain and Loſs for his poor Saints; he laid down his Life for them. We were not redeemed with Silver and Gold, 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. from our vain Converſations, but with the precious Blood of Chriſt, as of a Lamb without blemiſh. |
| Simile. | Diſparity. |
| GOld is earthly, and of a periſhing Nature; it weareth away by little and little; the more it is put to uſe, the more it waſteth. | THe Saints, tho their Bodies are earthly, and die, yet they ſhall never periſh; and their better Part is ſpiritual, and ſhall never ſee Corruption. The more Service they do, the more glorious they ſhall be. Saints are not the worſe for wearing. |
| II. Gold hath its Glory from Art; were it not moulded, ſhaped, and furbiſhed by the Wit of Man, it would not be ſo glorious, nor of that eſteem as now it is. | II. But the Saints have all their Glory from Grace; it is not the Work of Mens Hands, but the Work of God's Hands, that makes them to ſhine; they are curiouſly wrought and faſhioned by the Spirit, from whence they become glorious. |
| III. Gold is Gold naturally, as it is dug out of the Earth, tho not ſo pure as it is made afterwards by the Art and Induſtry of Man. | III. But the Saints were meer Lumps of Filth, Earth, and not Gold, naturally. 'Tis Grace that makes them excellent as Gold; 'tis Grace that makes them differ from others. |
Inferences.
THis ſhews forth the great Worth of God's peculiar Ones: they are eſteemed by him far more excellent, than Gold is by Men.
2. It ſpeaks forth much Comfort to the Godly: God ſo prizeth them, that he keeps them as carefully as we do the choiceſt and rareſt Gold.
3. It ſhews the Excellency of Grace: Grace is of a transforming Nature; it is like the Philoſopher's Stone, it turns every Man and Woman, be they never ſo vile and baſe Metal, into Gold; i. e. it makes them holy, precious; and gracious Ones in God's Sight.
Saints compared to Doves.
Mat. 10.16. Be ye harmleſs as Doves.
DOves are, 1. Meek. 2. Harmleſs. 3. Chaſt. 4. They make their Neſts in a Rock. 5. They feed upon pure Grain, not on Cartion, as Fowls of Prey do. 6. Have a lovely Eye, and always fixed upon their Mates. 7. They love to keep Company together. 8. Mourn when they have loſt the Sight of their Mates. 9. They are often moleſted by Fowls of Prey. 10. They are very fruitful. 11. They love to be by ſweet Springs and Rivers of Water. 12. They were appointed under the Law for Sacrifices. 13. They have no Defence but by Flight. Upon all theſe Conſiderations Saints may be compared to Doves; which is largely opened under the Eighth Head of Metaphors, concerning the Church, to which we refer you.