66 S ER MO NS upon the SER M. IX. and the lowing of the Oxen ? Therefore 'Cis in vain to ufe this honourable Title to move pity in the Jgdge. '(2.) They ingemminate it, to thew the ardency of their deliires, and earneffnefs to have Chrift for their Lord. Now firff or laff every knee fhall bow to Chriff ; they are forced to fly to him now in their extremity and preffures of mifery. Though men will net come to Chrift. for Grace, yet they will come to him for Glory. Now they cannot come becaufe bulled about fomething elfe, Luk. i 4. 18, r9, 20. indeed will >;ot come, yob. 5.40. And ye .will not come to me, that ye may have life: But then 'tis all Lord, Lord. Oh how fain would they own. Chrift, and be owned by him : But alas their Repentance cometh too late, their defires too late, their tears too late ; 'tis all forced by their extremity, yob 27. 9. Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him ? An Hypocrite would not much care if he were heard in the times of peace, and the affluence of outward enjoyments ; but then when he would fain flatter God into an hearing, God rejeEfeth him. In extremity they prize mercy above a thoufand Worlds ; but all will not do, the Door is Phut. (3.) The Matter of the Petition : Open to us. That is, the Door of the Nupti- al Chamber. None but defire Happinefs. This Petition as fet here, noteth two things. 1. The innate defire of Happinefs that is in Man. All defire to enter, and, to be Paved at length, however they negle& the Means for the prefent, to get Oyl in their Veffels, or to keep in their Lamps. . 2. How deeply leavened with pelf- confidence and felf- conceit the Hearts of men are, fo that they are not eafily difpoffeffed of it. When the door is fhut, the foolifh Virgins make full account to enter. The moil fottilh think they fhall do well enough, Deut. 29. I 9. I /ball have peace though I walk in the Imagination of my own heart, and add drunkennefs to thirfl ; EFL; the Temporary, who is the refined Hypocrite. Many !hall fay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, we have prophefted in thy name, &C. make full account to go to Heaven, that (hall never come there. They trutf to falfe Evidences, ufe negligent endeavours, pleafe themfelves with uncer- tain and deceitful hopes : But all vain and falfe pretences fhall then be confuted, . and thofe that have an high and falfe opinion of their intereft in Chrift, (hall then be difproved by him. Secondly, I now come to the Bridegrooms Reply. Where note, I. The Vehement and Affeveration: Verily I fay unto you. To cut off all fur- ther hope, his Anfwer is peremptory and decifive. 2. The Reply it felf : I know you not. There is a twofold knowledge ; Intui- tive, and Approbative. (r.) By an Intuitive Knowledge, known unto the Lord from the beginning are all his Works, AEt. 15. i8.. God had an Idea of all things in himfelf before he gave them aSual Being : He knoweth all whom he conferves by his Providence. Every wife man knoweth what he hath. Chrift knew that virtue went from him in the throng.. (2.) But this Knowledge is here meant of the know- ledge of Approbation, as we find it often in Scripture. Now Cbriffs knowledge of his own people is threefold. Firfl, As they fall under the purpofes of bis Grace. So'ds faid, 2 Tim. 2. 52. The Lord knoweth them that are his. This is alfo in Scripture called his Fore - knowledge, Rom. 8. 29. Whom he did foreknow, them he did prede(linate to be conformed to the Image of his Son. t Pet. 1.2. Elea according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. God the Father having all perfons that ever fhould be in the World under his all - feeing eye, he did out of his free love frngle and choofe out force to be the ObjeSs of his Grace, defigning them by the Redemption of Chrift, and the San - Sification of the Spirit to come unto Glory. He particularly treated with Chrift about them loh. 1y. 6. put them into his hands, to be juffified, fan&ified, and finally Caved. , This is the foundation of the Lord that fiandeth fare. Secondly, As they are under the care of his Special Providence, when they are in aSual being, to fupply them with all things neceffary and good for them : So tis faid, Pfál. r.6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the wick- ed (hall perifb. Job. r o. 54. I am the good Shepherd, and know my Sheep, and am known of mine. Chrift knoweth them man by man, perfon by perfon ; and all their Cafe - ty cometh from his particular .care over them ; Gal. 4. 9. But now .after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God. He afligneth the work of Converfion to Gods pre-
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