Shepard - BT378 T4 S44 1660

O~f. z. Oh[. 3· Obf. 4• The'Parable a_{ the '\ which kept the oil ro fervc this end: And hence the folly of five of them appetred, char they would carry burmng Lamps Wttb empty Verfels; ;ell as if a man lltould dr.wv the IVlek through the oyl that ic may burn for a rime and provide no oyle in tbe Vefld to mainrain the Lamp; however all co:n~s to one( if they be feparate)in refpeet of rh,lC that! aim at. Thus Literally we fee wharcbe Lamp, Vdfel, and Oyl is : Now what is Spiritually n:eam t!;ereby. . I. · For the Oyl: What IS chat? I Intend not here to lhew the fond and various apprehenii?ns of P0pilh Writers, who underHand by oyle, aln:s, aoo~ ·1 works, a good mrennon, &c. But by Oyl is meant the Spirit of Chrifl, and t.he graces of it, pecultar to all the Eleel:; and thus in Scripture phnfe, I John ;J.. 27. the Spirit is called the anointiHg; and the graces of the Spirit, Cant. r. 3· The l fme/1 of Chrift.s ointments: Harlms lo~e him for the gifts he fends, but Virgins for the grace he hat h. That oyle which rw firlt on our A11rom he:td, and runs down to his skirts is here mcanr. Now as Chrift himfelf had not the Spirit without graces, nor rhefe without the Spirit, bur both: So both there being in him as in rhe Fountain, rhey are in us as in the Veffel. I z. ChriH being the Fountain of all grace, and having tha Spirit withoutmea- [ure, and therefore h1thcnough ro fparc ; he cannor be mea.nt by thefe Veffels which bad buc their meJfure,_and !ucf.J a meafure as that they kad none to fpare forthe other. Therefore by Veffels are meant principally the precious fouls of the faithful, into which this golden Oyle was put, and ~herefore, z Cor. 4· 7. 11/e have this treafHre in earthen vejfels. And Rom. 9· 23. The] ttre vef[efs ofglory,preparedunto glorJ, and fo frequently ; fo that herein thefoolilh fall lhorr, for the foolilh boa[!ed of Chrill: 0ut of them, but where was the Spirit and vertue of Chrifl in them ? And this is conceived to be the reafon why the main difference is not made, by the want of the external principle, Viz.. Chrill:, but by want of the internal principle and work ; this they had nor. 1. They had [o much oyle,i. e. lighter firokes of the Spirit, as kindled a profe!Iion butthey had 110t enwgh. :z, · They had fo much oyle and light as continued rheir profeffion for a while, but it continued not long : Here therefore obfe~e thefe four things : That the prec;~,s foulr of the f~tithful are Vejfels made only br chiefly tl receive andprefetvtthe prefenctuf the Spirit andgrace •f Chrift. That within thefe Veffils there is an inrMrd principle •f Grate IIJfd Life. That there u actrtain meafure, degret, plenitiule or fulnefs of the Spirit of Grace in the hettrts of the Faithful, 'Which the unfo~tnd, thQugb moft glorious Profojfors of the Gofpel fall Jhort of. That the graces •f the Saints wbereliPith their hearts b; the Spirit ilre filltd, are conft.wt, ;md of 11n everlafting, and eternal nature. Thefe three !aft anfwer three <l!!_eflions;If any ask the difference between the Virgins; thefoolilh want, and the wife have an inward principle of the Spirit of life. If it be faid, Hypocrites have an imvard work, yet this inward Principle is fuch afulnefs of Spirit which they" ever fall fhort of, and this will make them known for the prefent. If again it be [aid, That many flourilh giorioufly for a time; yet its of an everlalling nature: .And ~his wilf manifetl ihem one from another in time to come. . The Firfi Poiut therefore Ile only touch on now. SECT;

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