Shepard - BT378 T4 S44 1660

ten Virgins Opened and Applied. at his comincr. They are fo:mime full of fears, what if thur .out at!aH? But when rhey fe~l the, firll-frmts of Glory at that day, now they verily look for his co.11ing. Chnll dtes we know, but tt was not potlible for htm to b~ held long, and hence rofe acrain,and rhen looked forGJory,and then was taken up to Glory : So here the Saints" lie dead in the grave of fins and fears, but its not po!Tiblefor rhen~ everto be held here; hence when rifen with Chrijf, they look upon thingurbovt and arew.liting for Giory, and atla!t are taken to Glorywirh himfelf. That look' as 1acob, Gen.49·18. faid, My fo/$1 waiteth f•r thJ f.dvation, when the (takes and pinsofrhis ~eihly T~bernacle are loofing, a~d fo the Lo.rd is tooling him from the excellency of rhts world ; though lie mmds other thtngs, yet he recalls himfelf, MJ [ott! waireth for thJ falvation Oh Lord. sECT. III; HEnce let all fleih take notice th,tt there is fucha rime, and day, and coming' Uf•· !. of the Lord Jefus. This was rhe Apollles Argumenu to prove a refurrechon, Chrijf u rifm, and to prove this, and fo the refurreetion fro'll the de~d at ChriHscoming, elfe u your Faith vain, i.e. ExpeCtation of him vain, ·1 Cor.I 5· 14, & 17. Men rhink it eafie to believe a refurrection, and a fecondcoming df, Chri1Hor that end; buranhoverly Deighr work is quickly d.:me, and an hoverly Faith is quic~ly wrought. But when a man comes to look confiderately, Is there fuch a day in:leed? Is there one now in the third Heavens that will fire this whole world, and gather his Saims to his Glory? Now its very hard. lrs ufual with Saran to pierce wirh extremities, rhat when rhey do begin indeed to clofe with Cbrilt, and receive comfort from him, to fmire them with thoughts : Is there a Chrifi, and is there fuch a time of comin~? Now ofall rhe Arguinems to convince and per!wade, me-thinks none like rh1s, viz,, That there be aGeneration of men in the world, that verily look for this day and fee it, and have the firft.. frnits and beginnings of ic already in their fouls. A number of people that once never minded it, heard ofir, bur looked nor for it, now to fee it; fleih and blood could nor, Satan would n0t reveal it, hence God thau cannot lie , bath /hewn it umo rhem,!O as they are in amannereye-wirneffes of ir. Men will believe eye-wirnef[es of any rhing, efpecially if many. Such are rhe efpoufed of the Lord in all ages. The thiJJgs which we have heard andfem we fpett~ ObjeR:. But may they not be deceived, and conceit th..rt which u not? Anfw. True, bur Divine revelation of any Truth that cannot dec.eive, for rhar is no funcy of the head, nor delufion ofSaran, Now this is ;t fecret the Spirit makes known. · , , I. In that it fils the mind and feeds the heart with it, that it carries Unto God Wtth -:-won?erment of bleffing him th.lt ever he faw this. Fancies cannot feed, efpcClally m greate!l: agonies : Now ri,ey chufe mifery on this around, rather than prefenr peace _here, Heb.1 1.35. Not ~tccepting dtlivmmce. " z. In thau It works effeCl:s ctoffe ro Nature, nay to all a mans lufls in them; Noah forefaw a Flood nigh, but he might be deceived. No, •ris faid he feared kept clofe to God and it came, fo here. · ' I 3· This Ligbrwhereby they fee, it is net only fweet and Glorious and crofs ·to heart,and lulb, bur its fudden, that as with Paul, when croincr to' perfecute lfuddenlythere fell agreat Light, and fo hefaw Chrifl. So whgn a"'man croeson iJ l lns _lin, and fuddenly rhe Lord reveals this and that by a word ( elfe 'tis"'a deceit ) whtCh .tl! Angels could nor do before, fo as to fee it, and rhar n.Jne can reveal it · <a; he fees ir,efpecially to bring this light our of darkneffe, this mufl be miraculous I po:v~r, and no dream. Bur wh.1t do I fpeak ofleeing? they feel the beginnings , of lt 1n the firfl-fruirs of it. I___ N z For

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