tenVirgins Op~ned and Applied. }87 perilbed b4t becaule of rhis. How JUfi had Ra~abs judgment beerl, if !he li~d refufed ro "'et her fc~rler thread there, and yeurs If now you get nor yogr Oyle 111 your Ve!fgl? How many are there rlia~ have lived fairly an~ died _quietly; and when rhey are dead and knock,the door IS ihut ! That then wnng rheu hands;Oh had I bur known of this! I would have .fpenc my care and flrengrh, and rem, ahcl rhouohrs how to have filled my Ve!fef, tiilc I" kneW it' not. This rime will tho~ly cofl:e) and if JolC kmw it · J10W, ·and do, ndr fer · upon ir .what a cut will this be? AS rherefore·the AP:,Hle exhorts; Heb. _,.. 1, Ha- · 71[ng a pro~ift of entri?'g into reft. ,:fear left y•u fall fhort ~~ it. I fay fo m~ch more -here, knowing how only ·you· !hall enter Into Chn.Hs rcfl, fear leafi ·you falLlhorr of this ; I hope I iball nor, I thank God my courfe is blan:elefs,fpotlefs, I have forfaken rhe !ins of place>, and pollurions of Ordinances ; fo -tbefe. were Viroins al fo. Ob .bur my Lamp burns as bright as any mans I kQo\v·:·So did the fooli'lh Vir~ins, oh bur rheyall think well .of me; ro were· rhefe r'hought of, rill rbe Lord f~id, I k.~ow yoHnot• . Oh but ·! lookro CbriH, ro nieer with him, and .falvarion from h; m·; So did tbefe,;andyet were !hut Ol!t from Chrifi. If the Lord, thou\d have faic) .ir was becaufe 'they h~d not we.tlth enough, nor 1'vdrld enougb, ,every man would nor h~ve. be~n )V:'-~ tin; here, bulitvou19 h~\·.e flr_i~en· ro ~ave~ot enough of trur, t~ough I~ 1yer~ not•to be nad ; bur t~er~ Is en?ugh 111 Chnft_ to mrich you,who bath rbe SptmWithout melfure to do It:The Sptrtt may bread] no1v. L~bour ro feel ;and mourn underrby whole corrupt principles, that have aCted Mia»Ji. thee hitherto: For m~ny ' men are 'fenlible fvmetimes of .fome particular acts., and jarrinos ot. d'lei'r beans and !ife wirh the rp\e '; and then they feek forgive-- nefs of, an°d grace again!t them, and then they hope all is well, then they do ma 7 ny things, an~ bear John gladl_y ,: and in plait1nefs an~ i_niegri!:J: of rbetr hearts think dm all Is well . Bur ~Ill; they falll11o~t of a Prmc~ple _ of hfe, becanfe they never felt a:whote·wrrupr PnrtCiple, and bow 111 every rhlllg 1r cro!feth God, nor only in the corrupt, l:iur m oft glorious aCtions. For all men living narur:tll y rurn from being op~':l> t~ f~crer ~nemies ; and fmm being fecre~, to be fubril e1~emies, arid ro undermme the Lord m· all they do. Now many fee It bur norrhe evil of ir, nor mourn under ir. Hence rhe Lord never fends another Spir.Ir, · becaufe they have nor the Spiri~ of heavi!lefs for wane of it. Bur when a man fe~s rhar in every. thing he is carried and aete~ by a principle of bitternef~ againlt the L0rd; ancllives without the Spirit- of rhe Lord to aCt him; tbe Lord is nor far from rhac foul 1v'heh he feels this, and·mourns before rhc Lord, bccaufe of this, ·~ndthe wmc of th.)t, I Kingi 8. 38. So Chrifl faid, BecaH[elf'!id Igo~wRJ,forrqw h~ih' filled ;•ur hea~ts; John 16. 6, 7.·. This ~~ the very reafQn why Saints have the Co:11forte r, Ius abfence fills their he~rrs wuh forrow ; becaufe wflen he is oone oh the Hraimefs, vilenefs of a cbrrupr heart ! you fay it ma-y be. If this be"nor; right Principle, \Vh<~.t is? .Anfw. To undermine all falfe works; oh therefore feel this plague! .If ev~r God w6rks this ~race, feel you m~fl: the wanr of it, and if you do mourn then you are under ir : And oh mourn, • I , By confiderinl. rhe evil ofir, you can mourn ifrer a dead father, and !hall you not over a dead ffettr. z. To think there ihould be fo much Spirit in Chrifi, and noi: a drop .for me. Is he fo a~gr~ Wtth me ?See therefore I pray you clm you are led by ill principles, or falfepnnciples. I pray; bur felf-love fees me a work ; I profefs; bur praife of men acts me; I obf~rve duties in fecret, but il~rura\ Confc!ence only carries me~ No (urer .lign·of ·rmne·, th~n forth~ Lo;d to hide tbefe thmgs ·from you; nor of love then when he J11e~vs thts, and gtves you hot only ferife 'of fome one aCt but afpirir of heavine(~ underthis. This empties rh~ Velfel; ~nd fo makes us 'veffels of honour ; do' nor therefore fet thy felf 'fo much to do, as ro fee where rh'y evil principle is, in all rhou doelt. · · •-' ', 1 . · · • . ~ep~i! now ro rhe fountait~ cof life, fot ~ prin~lple of life from him, and fetch MtJ~ns 2 tt fromhun. • Bbz Whlll : J---
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