I· ten Virgins Opened and Applied. pers &c. · .And hence pr~zing offavour and Comfort, Pfal. 78. 34,3 5· Hence ~uny do take this for rhetr Converfibn, and fay, l beard tuc~ .1 Mtm!ler ~~ fucb a tune, and rhen I cryed our I w,ts damned, ~n~ rhoughr I Ltw the Devtl, yea, and to Hell you m.ty for all this, ifnd other Pnnctple. Indeed, there is this fe.tr in the elect, but drives them w the Ark, as Noah i But rhofe, when tbe'r fear is over, they fall ro figbrag.ti~!hh7 Lord~ . . . . . _ 7· Thoie whofe Princtple IS norh!ng elfe bt~r. the ~mn-:edtate achngs O~the Spirit ofGod upon them. For fomenme the Sptm of God comes upon men, as Light fhi11eson tr.emud w.tll,yet dwels not there as 111 the Sun. And hence manyfpeak, pray, pro?hecy admirably, as Balaa!''~ N~tmb. 24,. ), 4· Many men like Carriers bring others goods, th.tt are not pollefiors of them. Now thefe are I. External enlaroements, and hence a man do:h m.tny thing~ which he harh no inward power w perform, rhc Spirit iS'there a!Til!ing; hence he cmnordo fo at another rime, bur 'tis the Spirit only afiiHin~. And hence a man m3y hwe abundance of knowledge, and he not aftecl:e~ With it_; hem.ay live, and pray with applaufe ofmen;others wilh they were hke htm,yet hvc Without love,&fpetk without feeling, and do wirhout life, hence men leave tbe:nlelve~ here. 2. Imernal pangs, rhe Spirit ofGod begets fo:ne imv.trd grief, efpecially when ou:ward evils prefs, rl~en inward !lathes and detites, but thCo/ are foon done. There i>no Spring, no Principle wi:hin. Wh.u the difterence is berween S.1ints unevenefs, and r~is unconflancy, you !lull he.1r ~ereafrer : yer the!e are wrefHings of Spirit not yet conquering, and hence 1t pofle!Teth not the Soul. 8. When men; Principle is notbingelfe bur co•nmon gifts, which are inward, and abiding long in the Soul. That a man now thinks he h.ith Grace, and fure lignes of rhc Lords love, and here is faflned: when there be two thing> wherein it appears here is no inw.trd Principle. 1 Thefe gifts ever puff up,and make a man fomething in his own eye~, as the Corinthil(nknowledgedid. And many a private m~n thinks h1mfelf fit to be a Minifier, many~ Mini~cr better thm all the Parilh befides; when Paul was the leafi of all rhe Samrs. And hence commonly they degenerate to pride &form. z.Thefe keep menl!rangers to Chrilt,& the life ofFairh;rheyhave thefe a!fecl:ions,yet ignorant ofChrifi,take thefe as lign,es of his love,& live without him.And rhis is indeed the innetPrinciple which all rhe wicked in rhe world wam;there is in rrueGrace an infinite circle: a mm by rhirfiing receives, & receiving thirfisfor more. Rut hence the Spirit is not poured ov.t abund.Jntly on Churches, becaufe men lhut it out by lh\lrring in, andconrenring rh~mfeh·es wi rh rheir common graces and ~ifrs, J11"at ·7. 2 9 .Examine if ir be thus .Jffo, I. You cannot co:ne to the Lo:d, JQhn, 5. 44· h~w can ye beleeve? 2. Nor to receive any thing from the Lord if you do, J tm. 4· 3· when J.OIIatk.. t• fpend it on}'our lujh, when that carries you. . ' 3. · This pul>down rr.eKingdorr:e of the Lord Jefus, when other things rule us, and not himfelf alone. · i· Satan will"have rhis againll you,as againfi Job,r.n ferve mt the Lord f•r nought. To what purpofe are 7our new Moom, Church-reformations, if it be rhus? Now, bec.1ufe it hlth been replyed to what was formerly faid,rhat Chri(l was the veffel, not our Souls .I !halt therefore confirm the:: latter to be the rrurh,by theie reafons. I. My!lical places of Scripture are to be interpreted by plain. Now rhough C~rifi may be the Anrirype of thefe Veffels of the Te~ple, yer he is not plainly _fatd to be a Veffel; hut Souls are oiled fo, Rom.9. 23.2 Cor. 4· 7· A [Is 9· I 5. Paul j,· a i:hofen Vejfel. I Thef. 4· 4· we are t•pof{efs our Vejfels inholinefs. 2 Tim. 2. 20. Veffelsofhonour. · 2. The Spirit is not in Chrift as in aVefiel, but as in a fountain; hence (•h. 3· 34· Chrifl bath received the Spirit withoHt meafure. 1 , 3· The foolilh Virgins had Vef!ds; becaufe irs fayd, thfJ took_their Lamps, but no Oyle with them. Their folly was not in not providing Veffels. Hence rhe foo- ' Bl:i lifl1 ' i _8~ -
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