Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 8 · Part 28
The Saints God's Iewels.
Mal. 3.17. They ſhall be mine in that Day when I make up my Jewels.
THe Saints are in this Place called Jewels, they are God's choice Jewels: There is nothing ſo excellent in the Eyes of Men, but God's People are as amiable in his Sight; and why he calls them his Jewels, is opened in the following Parallel.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| JEwels are rare and excellent Things, made by the hands of curious Workmen; they are made of precious Stones, ſet in Gold and Silver. | THe Saints are to God moſt choice and excellent Ones:Pſal. 45. The King's Daughter is all glorious within. Theſe Jewels are made up of a Complication of all the precious Graces of the Holy Spirit. |
| II. Some Jewels are long in making; they are not made near ſo ſoon as ſome others are. They carry on their Work gradually, every Day's Work adds to their Beauty and Richneſs; yet having begun, they reſolve to go forward, and never ceaſe till they have finiſhed them, and made them up, quite fit for the Cabinet. | II. So ſome of the Saints are not ſo ſoon made up and fitted for Heaven, as others are; God carries on the Work of Grace gradually. All Perſons, as ſoon as ever they are converted, are not made fit for Heaven, but they muſt go from one degree of Grace to another. Yet God hath promiſed to perfect the Work he hath begun; he will never ceaſe, until he hath made up the Jewels he hath begun to make. He that hath begun a good Work in you, Phil. 1.6. will perform it to the Day of Chriſt. |
| III. Jewels are a moſt rare and excellent Ornament, nothing richer; and are therefore worn only by rich and noble Perſons, in which they take great delight. | III. So Believers are the Glory of Chriſt: Whether any do enquire of Titus,2 Cor. 8.23. he is my Partner and Fellow-helper concerning you; or our Brethren be enquired of, they are the Meſſengers of the Churches, and the Glory of Chriſt. Which agrees with that in Iſa. 62.3. Thou ſhalt alſo be a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord, Iſa. 62.3. and a Royal Diadem in the hand of thy God; and hence called Hephzibah, The Lord delighteth in thee. No Prince eſteems more of his Crown, Jewels, and Royal Diadem, than God doth of his People. The High-Prieſt under the Law was to have the Names of the Children of Iſrael engraven on the Breaſt-plate. See Exod. 28. And thou ſhalt make the Breaſtplate of Judgment, the Work of cunning Workmen, &c. And thou ſhalt emboſs in it Emboſſments of Stones, four Rows: The firſt, a Row of Sardius, Exod 28.6, 7, 8 9. a Topaz, and a Smaragd; the ſecond Row, a Chalcedony, a Saphire, and Sardonyx; and the third Row, an Hyacinth, a Chryſophraſe, and an Amethyſt; and the fourth Row, a Chryſolite, a Beryl, and a Jaſper. And they ſhall be ſet in Gold in their Imboſſements, and the Stones ſhall be with the Names of the Sons of Iſrael, &c. Alſo in the Ephod there was two Beryl-Stones, and on them was engraven the Names of the Children of Iſrael. Now the High-Prieſt was a Type of Chriſt, and his having the Names of the Children of Iſrael engraven with precious Stones upon the Ephod which was upon his Shoulders, and upon the Breaſt-plate, ſignifies not only Chriſt's bearing his Saints upon his Shoulders, (as it were) and upon his Heart, but alſo what an Ornament Chriſt looks upon his Saints to be unto him; for thoſe precious Stones were a wonderful Ornament to the Prieſt, both on his Shoulders and Breaſt. Take Mr. Ainſworth's Annotations on the 11th Verſe. The Engraver, Stone-cutter, or Jeweller, thus engraving in precious Stone, (and that like a Signet) the Names of the Children of Iſrael, ſignified the firm and perpetual Love, Memorial, Eſteem, and Suſtentation of the Church. And to this the Spouſe alludes, Cant. 8.6. Set me as a Signet upon thy Heart, as a Signet on thy Arm, &c. |
| IV. A Man takes great care of, and exceedingly values his rich and choice Jewels; he will not loſe one of them, if he can poſſibly keep them. | IV. So God takes great care of his Saints, eſteems of them as his chiefeſt Treaſure, and will not loſe one of them. All that the Father hath given me, have I kept, and none of them are loſt, &c. That God highly prizes, eſteems, and takes great care of his People, doth appear many ways. (1.) By the Price he paid for them; He gave up that precious and invaluable Jewel of his Heart, viz. the Lord Jeſus, to be broken in pieces, that ſo he might thereby make unto himſelf many thouſand choice and precious Jewels. (2.) By the great Pains he hath uſed in forming and faſhioning them for himſelf: We are his Workmanſhip, &c. (3.) By his making of ſuch a firm and ſure Covenant with Chriſt in their behalf, that none of them might be loſt. (4.) By the Charge he gives to the Wicked not to hurt them.2 Chron. 16.21, 22. He ſuffered no Man to do them Wrong; yea, he reproved Kings for their Sakes, ſaying, Touch not mine Anointed, and do my Prophets no harm. (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 beſtowing ſo many precious Graces and good Gifts upon them, to make them ſhine, and gloriouſly ſet forth their Luſtre. (7.) By executing Wrath and Diſpleaſure upon their Enemies. (8.) By his defending, ſaving, and preſerving them in the midſt of ſo many great and imminent Dangers. (9.) In hiding them in a ſecret and ſecure Place, out of the reach of Adverſaries. (10.) Laſtly, by providing ſuch a glorious Place for them after Death, that they may be with him for ever. |
| V. Jewels are ſubject to many Caſualties whilſt they are making, and are often marr'd, or receive much Detriment, which without much Labour and Coſt is not repaired, and made good again. | V. So God's Jewels are ſubject to ſuſtain great Detriment, and are often much marr'd (whilſt he is about making of them up) by Sin and Satan, and through their own Careleſneſs, which is not ſoon nor eaſily repaired. Tho God graciouſly by his Word and Spirit renews his Work again upon their Souls, as in the Caſe of David, Peter, and divers others. |
| VI. When a Man hath quite made up his Jewels, he puts them into a rich Cabinet. | VI. So when God hath quite made up his ſpiritual Jewels, he puts them into Heaven; that is the rich and glorious Cabinet which he hath provided for all his choice and goodly Jewels. |
| VII. A Perſon that hath many rich and choice Jewels, ſhews them, as he ſees occaſion to his Friends, and alſo to others, declaring his Right to them, and ſetting forth the Worth and Fxcellency of them. | IV. So God in the Day to come, when he hath made up all the Jewels he intends to make, will reveal, ſhew, or make known his Saints to Angels and Men. Hence the Day of Chriſt's coming is called the Day of the Manifeſtation of the Sons of God. They ſhall be mine, ſaith God. He will ſay in that Day, Theſe are mine, theſe that you ungodly Ones abuſed, hated, and perſecuted, and thought not worthy to live, but accounted the Off-ſcouring of all things, behold now what rare and lovely Ones they are! theſe are the Delight and Joy of my Heart, whom I value as my choiceſt Treaſure, and I will ſpare them, whilſt you ſhall bear the Fierceneſs of my Wrath and Indignation for ever. Then ſhall ye return, and diſcern between the Righteous and the Wicked, Mal. 3. ult. between him that ſerveth God and him that ſerveth him not. |
Diſparity.
I. Other Jewels may be loſt: But God will loſe none of his Jewels.
II. He that makes other Jewels may not be the proper Owner of them, nor wear them for an Ornament himſelf: But God, who makes all his ſpiritual Jewels, is the proper Owner of them: This People have I formed for my ſelf. They are alſo made for his own Glory.
III. Other Jewels may be quite ſpoiled, broke to pieces, and become good for nothing; the beſt and richeſt Jewels ſhall at laſt paſs away, and periſh for ever: But God's Jewels ſhall never be utterly ſpoiled; for tho they may receive ſome Damage by Satan's Temptations, and the Pollution of Sin; yet God will perfect that which is wanting concerning them, and make them at laſt ſo glorious, that they ſhall be out of Danger, and ſhall abide and ſhine in Beauty and Glory to Eternity.
Inferences.
FRom hence we may infer, what horrid Iniquity the Enemies of God and his Church are guilty of, and what a dreadful Account they have to give for endeavouring, and with the greateſt Rage and Malice, and unwearied Attempts, contriving all ways imaginable to ſpoil, break in pieces, and utterly deſtroy all God's choice and precious Jewels, which he is as tender of as the Apple of his Eye; what will they do in the Day of Vengeance?
2. It ſpeaks forth much Comfort to the Godly. O how are they eſteemed, prized, and valued by the Almighty! they are his Jewels, his ſpecial and peculiar Treaſure.
3. This may inform all Men, what the Reaſon is God is ſo much concerned for the Good and Well-being of his own People, and ſo often appears to vindicate their Innocency, and defend them from the Rage and Cruelty of wicked Men.
5. Let us enquire, whether we are God's Jewels, or not. (1.) Are we regenerated Ones? have we the Pearl of Faith, Love, Humility? &c. (2.) Are we holy, ſincere and faithful in all things to God? (3.) Do we excell others? Is there a real, or only a ſeeming Worth and Excellency in us? What do we more than others? (4.) Do we grow in Grace? doth the Work of God go on upon our Hearts? Are we more ſit for Heaven to day, than we were yeſterday? A Jewel in the hand of a Jeweller is every day nearer finiſhing. The Righteous ſhall hold on his Way, and he that hath clean hands ſhall grow ſtronger and ſtronger.