ten Virgins Opened ,and Applied~ and anorhGr, and h~nce mamwn.apollacy from Grace. I bore I need nodl:ir you up to abhor rhi> conceir~ . confideri~:P what bath been .raid. I ,g~_am indee~ a man may fall away fro:n Gr;Jce, conltdenn~ ~race Wtthour Chn~t to keep tr. Bttt yet "tis in it !elf fuch a living Fountatn, as mtt felf dorh nor penlh, though • it rnay; •nd ir\ refpecl: of Chritt, it qnnat. Obj. Die! not A dam fall from all bis Grace? Anfw. Yes, becaufe he had neirher the Covenant of Grace, nor the Spirit of GrKe, nor fO\\'er of Grace ro fupporr and keep him ; bur its Gods covenant now · ~ ' to wrire his L:nv, to ' ut his fear in tbe heart, never to depart, and to gi...erhe Spirit ofChril1, wbo'isnow rifen f{om the dead. Bec1111je I live, you fhalllivc-al- (o, 'fohn 14.19. And power to k§ep HI, 1 Pet. I. 5· So that though 'tis.Chrill rhJt keeps a man from falling, ye~ the trmh is, he that doth fall from Grace, as rbough it was a common fading .l'hing, or cloth fall from Chrill, he never had Chrilt at all, ] ohn4.14. The-wa,m that 1 fhall.rive, fh.dl be a Spring of. living water> nor of de.1dGraces, yer qllickned by the Sptrir, and helped cominually. And its kept rill life of Glory come>, where 'ris [wallowed up in the Ocean of perfeCtion. ,·Hence we fee thedifference between the Graces of Hypocrites ~P"d Saims !tfe·3; dorb nor only lie in rhe efliciem c,lUfe, vi.:.. the Spirit of Chri!t barely confidered in it felf, for rben there fhould be no difference at all, for there are not rwo Spirits, and d,1~ feme Spirit that works in the F~irhful, the fame ·spirit iS' in the un- . faithful, rowork many ftrapg.e works in them, 1 Cor.iz.3,4. . Neither dOth fuparnarural power of rhe Spirit di!lin"uilh (I mean that which is above the Hrength of nature, t1ot rhat wbich is a~ve the ufe ofr nature, for nHure crooks all Gods works tO it felf) for the gifts of Prophecy and common joy are ab<We the Grength of mcf!r nature, bur the difference lie> in rhe ~vork it felf. As 'tis in cnmion, the le,1l1 fFeer of gralle bath the fame power to make ir, ~har-~ade Heaven and Angels, Is there no difference then? Yes, it lies in the very work or elfca of that power. And as 'tisin aCedar and a Fly, there;, more excellency i11 rbe former in fome refpeets, bur thelarrer harh an<Xheilife , which Ehe orher harh n_ot : So the ·meane(l Believer is better than the mofl glorious Hypocrite. And look as it was whh S~tu!, when he was anointed Kingl there was a new Spirit came upon him, the Spirit of a King, \'l'hich cQmmon S.ubjeel:s ·had no~; fo whe11 God makes us Kings and Prie(ls unro ChriR, there comes a- ·njlther Spirit upon us, which common men have not. I k"O\Vl there is the Spirit it felf in the Sainrs, as 'ris nor in or her men; 'Bm how is it there? I k110w 'tis there by Faith, bur nor only by this, bur by cerrain peculiar e!feets which are nor in other men. As 'tis with the foul, 'tisin the body, henc~:works a ·life which is nor in any bruir creature, fo 'tis here. And hence 'ris faid' l The world rannot receive it, John 14.17. Mal.3.2,3. Whou able to bear hil!.min,. becauft he comes to purifir, &c. Yer llill the Spirit barctly confidered in it feif' puts no difference, unleffe it be in refpea of the work ir fetf. Oh tlwrefor~ look to it, do not fay, Ihwe now the Spirit and Chri!t. Bur what d,o~h -Chri!t worlnherc? John 15.1,2. There are burrwo forts of Branches there, fruitlef~ and fruitful; rhe difference is in the very fruits of rhe'm, &c• .oh then rerrour ro them tbar content rhemfelveswith common works, and fo Uft "f• 1 rhmk rheir eil:ares good. You have been terrified, confelfed, and repenred, Judas dtdfo. You h:.ve refvr~d many things, and rake delight ro d~w nigh so.God in Ordinances, rhofe Hyrocrites did fo, in I fa. 58. You have feennorhi.ng in your felv-c:s, the Devils do fo. You have had rreat ravilhmenr's, and feen the Glory of H~aven, ofSai11rs, Balaam did fo. Y~u ·have beheld and feen the Lord jcfus, as if prefenr·on tarth; -Many faw him,heard him, and Were lifced up ro Heaven by JV,m, and lhall fee hiJn ar la(l in Glory indeed. Oh but my ; deiires are good I Many !h.all.feek, ·and not enter. Oh .therefore con6.dcr of your ~= --·
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