Shepard - BT378 T4 S44 1660

ten Virgins Opened and Applied. 8 9 h;n~e, ana enemie> ro pur under his feer, a~d then they know he will eo~~, andthisdaythey lookfor. As ChriH expecl:s tr, Heb.Io.13 . "BythefameSp!'lt rhey look for ir. . . . . This is rb,tr whichChrilt fo oft preffeth on htsDtfctples,forefeemg the fiumbers of the world, ro be ever watching for his fecond coming ; and hence ~hefe alone are accounted blerfed, Luk,s I 2.3 7,38. That let Chri!l: come ar any wm:h, OH blerfed. The dur.u.ion of the world fro[ll rhe firH ro Q:e fecond coming, is but a> it were a ni<>ht divided imo feveral \'Vatche> ; the Satru:s are the watchmen of rhe world, wh~ you know look for day-~ight~ though ir_be lor;g,. 'tis but a night; it will be mornin<> : All the re!1: are hke btrds at rhetr chatte. And hence he cells them the reaf~n 0f rl:le uncertainty of his coming, ma'kes this the e·nd 0f ir. Thev are Evanoelical commands wirh which there goes a power. Look through all the 'primitive °Church in rhe Golden Age, they had all rhisflarnp, r Cor.'r.7. l waitr?w. I Thef.r.ro. To wait for Chrift from Heaven. Nay, Heb.9. z8. He profeOerh thore only may kn01v the fruit of his firH cqming, rhat now /ooVdr ~~ w• ·, SECT. Il. IB Ii:cau[e they really forefee, andfe~ fuch a 9a_y, 2 bt.3-314. lntk~ l~Jl; day~ Rea[. I: , jha/1 i:om~ Scrijfe~s, fa;rng,_ where u ~h~promi[e of hu , commg? All thmgs are tU the7 were, and hence hve m thetr lufls, dte mrhetr 01vn dung, and never look for · it. Buc thefe forefee ir re1lly,_and hence look for it. Men chadive on hnd, and love the fmo.tk of their own chiT.neys, hever look out to oiher coafls and counrreys, or ro aHrange Land, but Sea-men that are bound for a Voyage, and have~ Pilot with them that harh feen the toa!l, that's irrhey look for; [omen charlive in this world, and are well here, look not 'after Chriff nor his coming, butt hey that have a Pilot, aSpirit eo !hew them, this day, this coaH, and are bound for another world, they look out for th\s; rhey fee it two waies; r. By the eye of Faith in the pr0mife, z Pet·3·13· And this makes the foul fee i-t, when all things feem to be JgainH it, and het:lce expeCl:s ir; for that is the ditference between FJith and hope: Faith clofeth wirh Chrift, and ail che Glory ofChri!t, in rhe pro•nifes as prefent, hope hehcelteps forch·and laies hold 'upon the performance it fdf as abfenc. Faith entertains rlm_pttomife as a fairhful merfenger, and fees that his melfage is crue. Hope runs out:of:-doors and leaves tt With FJirh, and looks forrhe Lord himfelf, Heb.I I,I, . z. By rhe Light of Glory in rbe thing it felf; for Saints do not only fee things • 111 Lec~ers and Syllables, and word~, but fee things as they are in themfelves. The Wtcked fee the word, fin, and ChriH, and Heaven (and in feeing fee n0t) but nor the things themfelves. Now the Glorious coming of Chrift being a thing to ~?T.e, yet ro be done, how do they fee icbut by report ?. Yes, rhey have the Spmt ofGlory, which Spirit jhewJ them things to come, John r6.q. which 'eye hath mt feen. That look as rhc;ir Head Chrifl fees this day as ir !hall be, and fiis 1pprehenfions are nor falfe, bttt as he conceives of this day , [o fi1all it be : fo the S'ints by rhe fame Spirit fee it before ir comes, and are not miHaken about ir, though icbe very darkly,yec fomerimes when rhe Spirit ofGod is nor overdovded, they fee it more evidently. For this is rhe oreat pla211e of the wicked, rhey fee norh;ng as 'cis, ~nd in Hell cbey fee how they have been deceived. So this is the happmeO:e _of Sait1_rs, char.chrn;gh they fee things ~arkly, yet they fee things truly, rheSpmt cremng glonous 1mprefftonson rhemmd of r:hingsas cheyare. They kno~v things char the eye fees not,as they are.That look as.AbrahAm John 8.56.[aw Chrijhd~y, a11d wM glad, though afar off; ·fo the Saints by rhe fame Spirit. N01'V why dtd Noah make his Ark, and look for a Flood ? Becaufe he faw it really. N · · Did

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