Ver. 5. xxvth Chapter of St. MATTHEW. 2 3 not a Profane Fool, that doth the contrary, but a Profeffrng Fool ; that fort of Profeffion is better than Prophanenefs, fo far 'tis a degree of Wifdom, but rat- ed in 'tis Folly, it faileth in all the points of Wifdom in the end.; they do not efteem the Lord as the chief good : for they think a little eafe of the Flefh, or a little fenfual Liberty, or a fatisfaftion of a Luft to be better, or Honour, or t Pleafure, or Gain, this quiets them in the negle or want of God ; they fee Come good in Chrift, offer fair for him, but take him not as the chiefeft good; they are willing to part with fomething, but not with all for his fake. S EAILMON IV. MATT H. XXV. Y. 5. While the Bridegroom tarryed, they all Slumbred and Slept. E have Peen wherein they differed, now we (hall fee again wherein they agree: In the words. obferve, (t.) What happened to the Virgins, They ad flumbred and /tept. (2.) The Occafion of it, ( I do not fay the Caufe ) While the Bride- broom tarryed. The Caufe of fleeping Was, Infirmttas bumana; the Occalion of it, Mora Spanfi : In the heft of thefe, . t. Who, they all. 2. Whit, flumbred and fleet. Fief?, Who : ihey all. 'Ti y no wonder to hear it of the foolifh Virgins, but that the wife lhould do it, there is the difficulty,: Therefore fome of the Ancients underftand it of Death, which is called fleep in Scripture ;' but that is improba- ble, and fuiteth not with the frame and drift of this Parable. Some would un- derfland it diftributively, not conjunflively ; that the wife flumbred, and the fool- ilh fleet ; but 'tis not laid flumbred or flept, but flumbred and dept. The mean- ing is, all of them were not fo diligent in their Duty as they lhould have been : even the good are in part negligent as well as the fòólifh, though they alwayes keep a good Confcience, and an heart in Come meafure alwayes prepared to meet Chrift. Secondly, What : Slumbred and flop'. Wherein the degree of their fecurity is fet forth, they did not only /lumber, which is a lets failing, but Slept: Thirdly, The Order : Frrfl flumbred, and then .flept. Doftrine, That the Foolifh and Wfe both Slumber and 'Sleep, I (hall Firfl enquire, '!'Vhat this Slumbering' and f eeping is ? Secondly, How far it may befall the Children of God, or the Wife Virgins. Thirdly, The Caufes and Reafons of it. Firfl, What they Slumbrina and Sleeping is ? 'Tis twofold, that of the Body, and that of the Mind : That of the Body, when the Senfes ceafe for a time to do their Office That of the .Mind is a fecure State of Soul, and that is twofold, Moral and Spiritual: (t..) Moral. When Reafon and .natural Knowledge is as it were afleep and ufelefs to us, a man doth not aft as a reafonable Creature : Pfal. 94. 8, Ob ye bruitifli among the People, when will ye be wife? and Pfa. 22: 27. All the ends of the Earth ¡hall remember and turn to the Lord: Wt. u9. 59. I thought on my wayes, and turned my feet unto thy Teflimonies : If men did improve common principles, fhew them-
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