The 'Parable of the 4'h v. of the 24'h eh. to the 23d v. of it; To the fecond he ;tnfwererh from rbe~ 23d v. ofrhefamechap.to rheend of this 25th chap. Wherein he acqu,1ims rhem, · I. With fome things which 11nll be before his coming, viz,. fubtill and llrong delulions, mixt with fore tribulations and oppre!Eons, efpecially in the time ofAnrichrill's raigne, as alfo great confufions, in all hems and Churches, if not throughout all rhe world after the rribularion of thofe daie' ; .And then (f.1irh he)v.~o.fhaltappearthe jign of the Son of man, and be l11all befeen coming in powe-r and great Glory; but if you defire fan her to know the day and hour When this l11all be, 'cis fuch a fecret as my Farber revealerb not ro any, no, not eo the very Angels in Heaven, and therefore you need not know ir, nor yet l11ould feek to know it ; 'tis fuflicienr for you to know that before my coming there !1)all be lamentable and fad times, and rh.1t when rbey are at their worll, that rhe Sun and rhe Moon ( rhrough rbe borrours of mens hearts, and rhe univerfal confdions in rhe world) l11all feetn to be darkned, &c. rbat rhen it is rime for me to come, and fer all in or-der again, then rh~ time of my coming drawes nigh : Now rhis ChriH doth fromv . 23. ofthe 24th chap. tov.37· z. Having rhus fpoken concerning his coming, he breaks off his fpeech ii1 defcribing his coming, a11d fa\s ro difcovering the flare of the rimes coward, and abotttrhedaysof hiscoming, andthishedorh fromc.24. v.37. roc.zs.v.3I. by the confider:u:ioJVOf which he perfwades t'o warchfulneffe againll his coming. I.Eirher ( fairh he) rbe times will be very fenfuall and degenerate, as in tlie daies of Noah; infomeplaces of rhe world, c.24.v.38. which he illuftrares from two Parables, perfwadin9 therefore to wnchfulneffe, to rhe end ofrhe 24<bchap. 2. Or there will be gtear fecurity in orber place,, and among other perfons (.nm-given up to{enfu:iliry as in rhe daies of No11h, but) .who are the chaH, Virgin, pure Churches of the world, nor defiled with the whoredoms in t~e world; and rhis our Saviour llnfolds in this Parable. 3. Or if any be awak-ened (as fome fual!) to look for Chri!t's coming, yer among thefe, lOme rhrough bard conceirs'Ofthe Lord Jefus, ilia\l bewilfully carelelfe , and n<lt improve ~heir Talents for the fake and ufe of rhe Lord Jefus , and this is fer down in thenexn Parable of the ten Talents, from v.14. to v. 31· You f~e therefore IV here this Parable fiands, and to what purpofe ir is brought in. In which are two things. SECT; IL I. THe Parable it felf, concerning the ten .Virgins, from v.I. to V.I 1• . . 2. Thefcope of the Parable, v.q. which is roperfwadenot fimply ro warchfulneffe, but to coRrinuance and perfeverance in it from a pr11dent forefight of the coming of Chrill. I. The Parable it felf is fet down, agreenble to the cuflom of tbofe rimes wherein our Saviour lived, wherein rheir Marriages were ufually celebrated in the night rime, l11e chat was rhe Bride was attended wirh fundry Virgins ro meet rhe Bridegroom; rhefe Virgins (ir being night fe,1fon) rook therefore their Lamps wirh them; thofe r'har were ready, an<! met rhe Bridegroom, were admitted to rbe Marriage-Room and Supper; rhofe rhat came after that rime, if once rhe doors were iliur, werefucely kept out, though they knockr hard to come in. All thi~, rhofe who are acquainted wirh Jewifh Hiflories and cuflo~s know ro be true,which we are to atrencf, becaufe ir gives not a little light ro the rrue and genuine explication of rhis Parable. In which Parable note thefe two parts. I. TheChurcbesprepararion to meet wirh Chrill (called here the Brict~oorp) , from rhe I to the 5 verf. z.The
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