ten VirginsOpened and .Applied~ 103 feeks ro C1tisfie her tuns, l1•e cares not how f.1r her Husbmd be otf, never ce,\ res ---: his comitw hon;e; fo here: Many aone complains he cannot deGre rhe Lord Jefus, which! confdfe is inmercytofo:r:e. Bmwbereinbecaufe ofit? Oh rhey are running in anorher c_hannel, al'd f(em_on orherthings: WhJt a heavy. curie is rhis? ~ome never thmk ofdeath once m a Moon, much leJfe ·long for Chrifl: ; derire nor his fellowO,ip ~ere, much le!fe rhere. And why? Becaufe ofrheirluGs rh.u eJt out all. z. Supfofethey do.norrhus, but your heart is divid.:d, fo that you long for thefe things now, and preferveyour Jongi11gfor himag,1infl: you co•ne ro die; yet thefe will m~ke you lofe his fweetfellow ~ J ip. For amans affeCtions are prec·ous rhino;, and 'tis piry any el!e 111ould have them, they are all lircle enough for ChrUI, and Chri!l is worth detiring and longing for, and he Hands upon ir, and will make them know that have him, chat all is too licde for him, and they fhall give him all before he give himfelfto their CO!nforr. Hence deny hifl'. rhefe, and Heverrhinktoh,we himfelf, and his fellowO,ip, P!'al.73·25,z6. Itsgoodforme to draw nigh, How ? By deGring, nor Earth nor He,wen, bur him. Hence he faith, Th1u dejlroyejl t</1 tl:em that go Awhori"gf'om tl:ee, v.27. 3. Su?yo:e chou tl1ouldll hwe him at b!l,yet he".villnever defire thee,never rake any delight in rhce, umil that yo~o~ come co~er your affections unbofed here, P[al.45 .10,1 r. Doll not find a llrangeneffe benveen Chrifl: and thy foul? Doth .he not hide his face? Dorh he not foon depart from chee, though he appears fomtimes to thee ? Dorb he not lee thee lie like aBroom behind rhe door? And doth ·little by thee either within or wirhour. And is not this a fad and he1vy thing ? Why faifl: thou, dorh the Lord deal thus with rr:e? Oh thy heart is yet after chy Fathers houfe, if rhou did!l f.orget it, then ne would tale! plcafu,'e in thJ be~~Rt;· ·what pleafure can earth give thee, when the Lord takes no l:'leafure in thee? But may nor a man delire there things? If we may, how far ? I. Amanmay lawfully defi r<:them, provided his d~fires are110t rw,lfowedup in them, butrun through rhe .n to Chrifl hi.nfelf. For •tis not Ju ·t rrore·ly to defire acreature, or any pleJfure in ir; but ro deiire :c for it fe If, ~r>d forr ieafures fake. For now a man make; a god of it. Thus ir was with the lfr.... lius, Exod.17. Give HI water thlltwe may dr.ink; fo give rr:e f1eep that I may re(!, gi1'e me cloarhs thJ~ I may be ·\V arm, give me elbte chat I may be rich, &c. NoN when a he!arr.delires rhe:n, but his de:ires end not there, bur run through rhem to Chrifl, thar he Rings ~own all co:r.forrs, md •fairh whar is t·his rofellmvfhip with ChriJl: Thus far a rrun may deSre and rejoyce in checn, Hnd •tis a /in eo do otherwife. Nehem, 9· 35. A m' n :nay be conlem to have a Sprina run throogh his ground to the Se.1, ro befw,llowed uo th~re, but ro fwell, ancl'rife, and overAoN his <>round Jnd houfe, thar's not fafe~ he 'l'lay be d~owned fo: S,) men co'I!e to be ~r01vned in cheir lulh, chat let rhen fwell within doors. IT. A tnJn may delire the n, if he dorh not fpend more defire upon then rh m they he worth. Aman may deiire rbe n for-a good end as he think~. but rhen he laie' out ioo much UjlOI1 the'Jl. A man may fpend too much in his Inne, whe. he take·~ it t>p only as a way tO his home. 1 1. They are peri!hi~1g cbings, therefore let them have perifhinf5 delire~. T/:, ,.,.rid p~ffd, aw~. They are !J:lffengers by us, th~t fl:ay to rcll with us for a time, let the-n h '''e p~ffengers welco:r~e. ~. They aren''lt neceffary things, lee them have therefore indifferent clelire•: I muf1: hJ~e Cbrill, and ?is Spirit, &c. nor chefe things: They ~re robe foue,ht n.or m the firH, l>ut m the fecond pl~ce. 1 herefore fay firfl: Chnll, llOW lee tr.e have Ch,ilt : Men fay no1v rhefe things, chen Chri!l. I fay now the Lot:! Jefn•, wherbe;- ever you have the-n or n<.>. lii. Now all fuper6uity of evil de~res are' to be' crucified, Gal.; .z+ TheJ thllt • are Ob/eEl. .Anfw; .
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