tr;n Virgins Opr:ned anq Applied. Ill cheir eye, and are eo come on by degrcesto it, never co-n-re-nr.;-.r-he-m-~-el-ve_s_w_i_ r h-a- ·---- ny ( rhough rhey will aor {]eight wh~c they have) umil they corne to their highett: You are born eo great hopes, !le1ghc nor what you have, bur look ~fcer more, zPet.3.r8. Hence three forts :tre co be greatly blamed. For as 'ris with linfullurts, fo 'tis with fpiricual, rhey are endldfe , infinite, and un~~tiable, if they wane, t/ley are nor facisfiecl; if they havr=, they are whet on m rhetr appetites after more. 0 h lee it be fo here ! ) r. Some there be char are fo far from thirrting afrer more of him, char they have forfaken his fel!o,vlhip, and lie f!ill conrenr ir ihould be fo. Time was whilehorrour was upon their Confciences, trouble in their minds, and hear of atfeCl:ion laHed, that their prayers were many, therr rears abundant, they could nor rake rheir rert in the night, bur pray they mu!t, they could not hear of a Sermon, but through wer and dry to it; and it may be the Lord dre"' thm~ with ~he cords ofaman, and laid meat before rhem, and fweemed rhetr labours wtch grear hopes ro rhem; bur the Father not having drawn them w~ch an invinL-ible power, and knit them by an indiffolluble uni011 ro Chri!'l, rhey are now fallen offfrom ChriH, John 6.66. And if you obferve ir, he looks nor after them, fpeaks nor one\vord eo rhem, becaufe content to be without him. Would co God this were nonhe cemper of Saints that knoyv it was benrer with you once than now, anc¥ God hedgeth your way with thorns, and gives you no reG. But Oh the grievous wracks ofProfe!f0urs! One can fee fome Boards and Planks at low water, bll[ that's all, Jer.z.x 3,14. The Lor~ will fetch you home if he loves you, byweeping Cro!Te. 2. Sometb.ere are char fall not to forfake the Lord, bun like the 'door on the hinge, andwheelon the pin, hang and turn about where they ~id. This Gods own people are very apt to do, and hence tb<l Apo!He wilheth them to cake heed of ic, from a dreldful Argument, Heb.6 .4, ~ ,6,7. Firjf, Becaufe che Lord at firH converlion drawes his people fwec· ly, drives themgently ; being weak and young Infants, as yec keeps th-em in hi, armes, char they may find agreater good in him than in the world: Bur afterward he fuffers Satan eo cempr, himfelf defercs rhem , leads through a wilderne!Te of finnes and miferies, that they may know whlt is in their own heuts. Hence now if they will have mercy, rhey muH fetch ir, fight for ic, aad overcome, now hence iloach is apt to prevail for a rime, as with the Difciples. · Second<J,Becau[e before they have Chri(t, they feel a total wanr, afterward but a partial, & hence apt to be ful & felf-confidenr in what they have,their Hornachs are fbid by fome bir·s,& hence cheLord is fain to wirhdraw the feeling ofall that which they had before, rhat they feeling how feon char vaniiherh, miuhr hunger after more; as rhe Difciples could hav..e been content with Chrilts b"eino- upon earth with them, then faith he, the Spirit will not come, hence away be .,.oe~, that they mig~t have more of him in the Spirit. But this is too common ~ith many Hypocnres. x. When men ferve their turn ofChrilt There is never a Hypocrite living but clClferh wirh Chri!t for his ow1~ ends, for he cannot work beyond his Principle. Now when men have ferved their own turns out of another man, away chey go , and keep chat which rheybave. An Hypocrite clofech wirh Chri!t as a man wich a rich iliop; hewill non be at co!l eo bey all the iliop, but fo much as ferves his turn. Commonly men in horrour feek for fo much of Chrift as will e~fe them, and hence profe!fe and hence feek for fo much of Chri!t as will credit them, and hence their delires after Chrill: are foon facisfied. Appetitm finu eft infinitm. z. No Hypocrite though he dofeth with Chri!t, and for a time grow up in knowledge of, and commuaion with Chri!t, but he hath at that time tlidden lu!ts,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=