Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

352 Eflablifhment. State III.
mine, or Nakednefs, or Peril, or Sword? See Ver.
36, 37, 38, 39. However feverel) Jfrael be fifted,
yet Jhall not the leaft Grain (or as it is in the origi¬
nal Language, a little Stone) fall upon the Earth,
Amos ix. 9. It is an Allufion to the lifting of fine
Peble Stones from among Heaps of Duft and Sand:
Tho’ the Sand and Duft fall to the Ground, be
blown away with the Wind, and trampled under
Foot; yet there fhall not fall on the Earth fo much
as a little Stone, fuch is the Exa&nefs of the Sive,
and Care of the Sifter. There is nothing more rea¬
dy to fall on the Earth, than a Stone: Yet if Pro-
feflors o; Religion be lively Stones built on Chrift
the chief Corner Stone; altho5 they be little Stones,
they fhall not tail to the Earth whatever Storm beat
upon them. See 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5, 6. All the good
Grain in the Church of Chrift is of this Kind:
They are Stones in refpeft: of Solidity; and lively
Stones, in refpe£t of Activity. If Men be folid fub-
ftantial GhrifHans, they will not be like Chaff tolled
to and fro with every Wind ; having To much of
the Livelinefs, that they have nothing of the Stone :
And if they be lively Chriftians, whofe Spirit will
Stir in them, as Paul's did, when he faw the City
wholly given to Idolatry, Ads xvii. 16. they will
not ly like Stones, to be turned over, hither and
thither, cut and carved, according to the Lufts of
Men ; having fo much of the Stone, as leaves no¬
thing of Live linefs in them.
Our God’s Houfe is a great Houfe, wherein are
not on\y Vejjels of Gold, but alfo of Earth, 2 Tim.
ii. 20. Both thefc are apt to con trad Filthinefs;
and therefore when God brings Trouble upon the
Church, he hath an Eye to both. As for the Vef-
fels of Gold, they are not deftroyed 3 but purged by